TLDR: Bike Week schedule | Amanda Knapp | Honda Grom | Skyline Drive
Hey riders,
My goal for the next month is to get American Moto Co a presence at the Daytona Bike week and I could absolutely use a point of contact if any of you have one.
I would like a space to share these stories and encourage any rider passing by to stop and share their story.
It has always been my goal to break down the niches within the riding world and get back to riders talking about all rides. Shit, most of the riders I know have multiple types of bikes, why are the places we hangout with our bike designated by what we ride?
Here’s to the riders who love a good wheelie, turn when a Harley rolls by, own a Kawasaki, drooled over a Ducati and have considered getting a Gold wing - even if they still think they are too young.
Riders who just want to ride.
This is for you.
-Zach
DAYTONA (FL) BIKE WEEK EVENTS
DAYTONA SUPERCROSS - Feb 28th - Learn More
DAYTONA SHORT TRACK - March 5 & 6 - Learn More
BILLY LANES Sons of Speed - Feb 28th - Learn More
DAYTONA 200 - March 5, 6, 7th - Learn More
….more to be posted
Reviews for Riders: 2017 Honda Grom
The Honda Grom has always been easy to misunderstand. If you’ve never ridden one, it’s tempting to dismiss it as a novelty, a pit bike with turn signals, or something meant strictly for new riders. The truth is that by 2017, the Grom had already proven itself as something more important than that. It wasn’t trying to replace your main bike. It was reminding riders why they fell in love with motorcycles in the first place: to have fun. Read more….
Epic Rides: Skyline Drive, Virginia
I recommend winter if you can find a warm day….
Skyline Drive isn’t hidden in the woods the way some “secret” routes are. This 105-mile ribbon along the ridge of Shenandoah National Park has quietly become one of those roads every rider hears about and, once they’ve ridden it, never forgets. Read more…
Safety and Performance: Suspension
Most motorcycles leave the factory with suspension tuned for an “average” rider on “average” roads. That sounds reasonable until you realize how wide that average really is. Rider weight, riding style, luggage, road quality, and pace all vary wildly, yet the suspension has to make do with one compromise setting.
A proper suspension upgrade reshapes how the bike behaves everywhere it matters. Better control through corners, more consistent tire contact, calmer braking, and smoother acceleration all come from keeping the chassis composed. Over longer rides, that control turns into comfort, reducing fatigue and letting you stay focused instead of fighting the bike. It’s not about making the ride stiff; it’s about making it controlled.
Many riders start at the rear, since the shock has an outsized influence on ride quality and stability. That said, the magic really happens when both ends work together. Whether you rebuild stock components with better internals or swap to fully adjustable units, the goal is the same: suspension that responds to you, not the other way around.
There’s no way around it, suspension upgrades aren’t cheap. But ask riders who’ve done it, and you’ll hear the same refrain over and over. It’s the upgrade they felt every single mile, the one that made the bike feel finished. When it comes to safety and performance, few changes deliver more confidence than a suspension that finally feels dialed in.
Community Spotlight: Amanda Knapp
Amanda Knapp grew up in the woods of rural West Virginia, where racing through rocks, roots, and mud wasn’t a sport, it was a way of life.
But when I asked Amanda to tell me the story, she talked about a ride that hadn’t happened yet.
We’re always down to talk bikes. And if you know someone who lives for throttle therapy, send this newsletter their way; their readership helps keep the newsletter going.
Keep the shiny side up.
– The American Moto Co. Team
