Motofomo is where I (and see who “I” am below) share my motorcycle obsession with the world. I don’t want to talk the ears off my loved ones, so I write about it here!
If you’ve ever looked at a bike, old or new, and thought “Should I buy it?” — Well, I’m here to help you make that decision, with detailed and thoughtful analyses, buyers’ guides, tech explainers, and the occasional unsolicited (but qualified) opinion. Because I’ve been through that process countless times.
I help motorcycle riders decide on general genres of bikes and pick different bikes within each genre (e.g. which middleweight adventure bike?) and different models within a lineup (e.g. which BMW R nineT?).
I’ve written everything n this site. I’ve been riding and involved with bikes for decades. I don’t know everything (which would be impossible), but I’ve learned a lot, and am still learning more. More importantly, I’m told that I’m good at writing about complicated things in an easy-to-approach way, and that’s why I write the articles on this site (and others).
If you want to publish on Motofomo, contact me. I’m particularly interested in diverse viewpoints. If you’re a new rider, or a rider of a less well-represented demographic among riders, then you’re welcome here.
What You’ll Find on Motofomo
Here on Motofomo, you can expect to find articles about:
- Buyer’s guides — Differentiating between many confusing model names and evolutions of a bike over the years, like “How did the Ducati Monster evolve since 1993″
- Technology explainers — Answering questions like “Why a 270-degree crank? And what are all the bikes with them?”
- Lists — Looking at e.g. the best new motorcycles of 2023 because who doesn’t like window shopping?
- Reviews — My highly subjective, unfiltered, but also structured thoughts on a bike, like on the Ducati 1098S
- Repair and modification guides — When I’ve had to wrench on something, I explain how I did it
- Opinion — Because unsurprisingly, everyone has a few!
About Motofomo’s Editor (and sole Author)
I find it helpful when I know something about other writers to “connect” with them. So here’s a bit about me.
My name is Dana (rhymes with “Nirvana”, and yes, I was a teenager in the 90s) and I’m a motorcycle nut and the editor of this site. My personal blog is here, and you can find all the other zany things I’m interested in there.
I first rode a motorcycle when I was a kid. My cousin took his dad’s bike (without his dad’s knowledge) to take me for a cheeky jaunt around the neighbourhood. He then gave me ago. Somehow, I didn’t crash it.
I remember the first bike I bought. I searched for the cheapest bike under 250cc (the limit when I was a learner). It was a $1,000 Kawasaki Z200. I didn’t bargain because I didn’t know how, took it home on a truck, learned on it, crashed it a few times, learned how to change a spark plug plus many other random tasks, and eventually sold it for $450 to someone who did know how to bargain.
After fooling around on that first bike for a while, I was quickly hooked.
I bought my second bike (a Honda CB900F Bol D’or, which I miss) by searching for the biggest and cheapest bike within a reasonable radius. I bought it for $2,500 without understanding a thing about how to check bikes. After dropping it a few times at low speed, I thought my nine lives were up. I gave up for years, let it rot, then sold it for $700 on eBay and felt lucky to do so.
Over the years since my hapless beginnings and up until my less-hapless present, I’ve bought, sold, rented, and borrowed many more motorcycles. I’ve learned a lot. I wish I could go back in time and tell a younger me a few things. “Negotiate!” would be one. “Check the fork seals!” is another. And “Don’t go on a two-day trip without buying warmer gear!”
But the thing is, I regret nothing. I enjoy the learning and have much more to learn.
I have a degree in engineering, and a second one in law. I find neither has helped me generally in my career (see here for my CV if you’re curious), but at least the technical one has given me a framework for understanding the more complex parts of motorcycle technology, which is a big part of what this site is about.
I find writing helps solidify my thoughts, expose gaps, and in the process may help others learn a bit more too. So I put down here whatever I think will help others.
Because people often ask, here are my most recent rides.
Triumph Tiger Sport 1050 (2018)
I bought this bike because I wanted something comfortable and universal in application. It was cheap, with under 40,000 km, everything one could need (a windshield, luggage, centre stand, and cruise control), a crazy fun engine (basically what’s in the Speed Triple… though a little muted through that exhaust), and cost me $10K on the road (about US $6,500). Sold!
Later, I threw on an exhaust, and fell in love with it all over again. It really is a bike that can do everything. I wrote more about it here.
Honda Hornet 900 (Honda 919)
I bought this because I wanted a “beater” bike to keep at my parents’ place in Brisbane, Australia, for when I went home to visit.
The 919 is a really fun bike. It has loads of power — plenty for everyday riding. The suspension is a bit harsh, but I have parts on the way to improve it (from a CBR600F4i).
Like most of my purchases, this one came up cheap. Unfortunately, the moment I got it home, I started taking the tank protection sticker off… only to find rust underneath it. Womp womp.
My BMW R nineT (2017) (now sold)
I chose this model bike after I sold my first Hayabusa (big mistake). I wanted a bike that was sporty but not as break-neck fast and that I could store for long periods without worrying about it. Shaft drive and air cooling fit the bill for storage.
The BMW R nineT has a healthy 81 kW / 110 hp of peak power, a lot of character from its rumbly boxer engine, easy handling and rock-solid high-speed behaviour. It needs a bit more top-end, but so do most bikes south of 150 hp.
I have no regrets about the R nineT, but I missed the Hayabusa and bought another one.
I sold the R nineT when I left the country and it was costing me money to keep it stored.
My Suzuki GSX1300R Hayabusa (2016) (now sold)
This is the second Hayabusa I’ve owned. You can see the first one, in white and red, in my ode to the Hayabusa here.
The Hayabusa is ridiculous, but it got me by the heartstrings. I just love the feeling of this bike — it fits me well, it feels good, it sounds good, and so on. I don’t like many things about it, like the weight, but I’ll live with them until I can’t.
I left the Hayabusa because I got a good offer for it and because they still make them, so I can get a new one.
Other bikes I lust after
There’s a long list. In many ways, that’s what this entire website is about.
I’ve thought of the following:
- Adding to my bikes with a little dual sport, like the Honda CRF300L Rally.
- Adding a middleweight adventurer, like a Yamaha Ténéré 700, or maybe even the Ducati DesertX if I dare
- Selling both the above and going cruiser. Have had my eye on a 2022 Indian Chief for a while.
- Going Harley. Dare I? I really can’t take my eye off the latest Milwaukee-Eight Harley-Davidson Fat Bob (which I finally got to ride!), though I could just as easily end up with the Low Rider S.
- Getting something SUV-like, like the BMW S 1000 XR. I do like them. Just a bit faster than I need them to be.
- Something slower than the S 1000 XR like the Versys 1000 or Tracer 9. But I find it hard to fall in love with those.
- Something obscenely impractical, but cool in a gentlemanly way, like the BMW R 18.
I usually think of all those, then remember how lucky I am to have the bikes I already own, and shelve the ideas.
My Résumé in Brief
I’m a Persian-background British/Australian, but left Australia early in my career, most of which has been between the US, Europe, China, and Southeast Asia. I speak ten languages (and counting), most of which I taught myself out of books, a lot of travel (I’ve spent months to years in over 20 countries in every continent… ok not Antarctica), and bloody-mindedness.
I graduated with a Bachelors of Engineering and a Bachelors of Law at one of Australia’s best universities and threw away that knowledge to become a slide-making corporate drone for a few years. After that, I escaped to the tech sector to help other people make money and also to write about motorcycles whenever I could.
When I write about motorcycles, I lean on my experience in riding motorcycles and working on many machines, plus all the conversations I’ve had with shop owners, mechanics, and teachers, my technical background as an engineer, and even my corporate background, which helps me explain complicated concepts in simple language, sometimes making charts or collating data.
(My full CV is here, in case you are seriously thinking of contacting me about a project.)
You can find my writing on operations and high tech (and a few old articles on motorcycles) on hooshmand.net, and read my guides to world travel and languages on discoverdiscomfort.com.
Oh, and I like making new Internet friends. One day we might meet and drink coffee or go for a ride in some country. If you think you’re a like-minded person, drop me a line. And please, send me a photo of your motorcycle(s) — present, past, or future.