Manufacturers and motorcyclists spend untold amounts of money to make motorcycles lighter. BikeMaster’s Lithium Ion battery saved nearly four pounds when replacing the standard lead-acid battery in my Suzuki DR-Z400S, and it cost less than $100. Given the high positioning of the battery, that’s a nice reduction above the center of gravity.
Now, a lighter battery is of no use if it won’t start the motor, which in this case is a 398cc thumper. Not only does it start my DR-Z up easily thanks to an impressive cranking amp rating, it will do so numerous times.
The bike tends to sit, as I always have test bikes to ride, so the carbureted motor can be a reluctant starter and will stall repeatedly while warming up. The 2.5 amp/hour BikeMaster Lithium Ion motorcycle battery re-fired the DR-Z as many times as it took to get it warmed up.
The BikeMaster Lithium Ion battery comes pre-charged and doesn’t require a trickle charger to stay powered up, as the discharge rate is low. For convenience, a traditional 12V battery charger can be used when needed.
Benda motorcycles are beginning to make a ripple on US shores with four intriguing and competitive models, courtesy of its partnership with Keeway Group. We were impressed with the Napoleonbob 500 and have now gotten our gloves on the persuasive, entry-level 2026 Benda Chinchilla 300, with its modest MSRP of $4999. It would be difficult to design a more welcoming entry-level cruiser than this easy-handling, visually appealing boulevard bobber. Editor Don Williams and Associate Editor Kelly Callan discuss the Benda Chinchilla 300 and how it actually rode for them.
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Our guest this episode is Jesse Merriman, Chief Technician for Jeremy McWilliams at the Arch Motorcycle racing project. Arch Racing was founded by Gard Hollinger and Keanu Reevs to compete in the Moto America Super Hooligan race series. Teejay Adams chats with Jesse about the Arch motorcycle and the challenges of extracting the absolute most from an air-cooled V-Twin racing engine and custom chassis.
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Here’s quick reminder to check out our monthly digital magazine. It’s filled with everything you want to read on motorcycling, including some things you’ve probably not seen elsewhere. It’s absolutely free and you will find it on the Apple App Store and of course on Google Play as well.
Don’t forget to leave us your comments on our social media—we’re on all the usual platforms at Ultimate Motorcycling. We love hearing your feedback… so good or bad, please let us know what you think. If there’s something you’d like us to cover, we’d love to hear those ideas too!
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