PODCAST · leisure
Cycle World Podcast
by Cycle World
Join Technical Editor Kevin Cameron and Editor-in-Chief Mark Hoyer for the weekly Cycle World podcast for lively conversations about motorcycles and the people who build and ride them. Cameron’s legendary knowledge and ability to describe highly technical subjects in ways that are easy to understand allies with Hoyer’s massive testing background and hands-on work in the CW garage.
Episodes
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The Day That Saved Ducati! Its First Successful V-Twin Superbike wins at the Daytona of Italy, 1972
Find us on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/cw/CycleWorldPodcast Every superbike and MotoGP bike Ducati has made in the last 50-plus years owes it all to the company's first successful V-twin racer: The 1972 Imola 750. The Imola 200-mile race was the coming out party for Ducati's 750 Imola...
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Bikes that Changed Racing: Yamaha Two-Stroke Production Racers
Find us on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/cw/CycleWorldPodcast Yamaha democratized racing in the 1960s with affordable two-stroke production racers that were essentially ready for the track. How TDs, TZs and more made racing affordable and changed the paddock over two decades. Photo: Mecum...
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Origin and Evolution of the Superbike engine Starting with the Muzzy Kawasaki
Find us on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/cw/CycleWorldPodcast We go back to the original Superbike engines of the 1970s to see where they began and how they have evolved into the powerhouses we have now. Join us!
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Motorcycle Purchase Decisions Are Emotional--Or Why we Fall for Styling
Find us on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/cw/CycleWorldPodcast The US motorcycle market is a market of love. Performance stats, spec sheets, MPG, or other more practical concerns have a role, but it's usually to support and justify buying THE MOTORCYCLE WE LOVE. Technical Editor Kevin Cameron…
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Oil Pressure or Viscosity? How Engines are Lubricated and Synthetic vs. Conventional Oils
Find us on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/cw/CycleWorldPodcast Oil seems to be endlessly fascinating to gearheads, so Technical Editor Kevin Cameron and Editor-in-Chief Mark Hoyer get back into the advantages of synthetic and conventional oils, how engines are lubricated and cooled, and a whole...
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The Legendary Honda RC51 Beat Ducati at its own V-Twin Superbike Game
Find us on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/cw/CycleWorldPodcast At its core, Honda tries things. Honda superbikes were established as V-4s in the early 1980s, but when Honda Motor Co. saw Ducati winning with a V-twin in World Superbike, it build a new V-twin engine for the 2000 season. And won....
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MotoGP 2027: Smaller Engines, Less Aero, More Thrills?! Thoughts on the New Era.
Find us on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/cw/CycleWorldPodcast MotoGP for the 2027 season will feature 850cc engines, down from the current 1000cc. Aerodynamic aids will be dialed back, and ride-height mechanisms will not be not allowed. There are more rules going into effect than this, so take…
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Rear Suspension Designs That Failed, and, of course, More!
Find us on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/cw/CycleWorldPodcast How have we gotten in wrong with rear-suspension designs? In so many ways! Kevin and Mark take a tour through rear suspension systems that didn't work and never beat the simplicity of the conventional swingarm, plus they get into…
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Does a Longer Stroke Make More Torque?
Find us on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/cw/CycleWorldPodcast "Dang, them long-stroke engines are just torquier." While this is often true, it's not for the reasons many of us think. Technical Editor Kevin Cameron and Editor-in-Chief Mark Hoyer talk about Bore and Stroke Ratio and how it...
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What is a Beautiful Motorcycle?
What is a beautiful motorcycle? You know it when you see it? Kevin and Mark talk about beauty of motorcycles both inside and out. We have a lot of the hits--Vincent Black Shadow, Harley-Davidson XR-750, Norton Manx, and more--but they sneak in some unusual stuff, too, all the way to the 1967…
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Unfit For Purpose: Birth of the Superbike, from local tracks to the world.
Find us on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/cw/CycleWorldPodcast Purpose-built production racebikes were available and pretty affordable in the early-to-mid 1970s, but humans will race just about anything. So as streetbikes started to improve and the term "superbike" was born, it didn't take long...
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The Tragedy of Motorcycle Aerodynamics
Find us on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/cw/CycleWorldPodcast Motorcycles are just not good when it comes to aerodynamics. They punch a great big dirty hole in the air and do almost nothing to close it behind them. Kevin and Mark talk about moto aero, some historic solutions, and later in the...
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Stories of the Daytona 200 and 50 years of Superbike Racing!
Find us on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/cw/CycleWorldPodcastThe Daytona 200 has been the national motorcyclist's rite of spring, but it's more than just the 200--for much of the country it's the first sign that riding weather returns! Kevin and Mark talk about Daytona from early days at the...
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Inside Ducati's Insane NEW 2027 SUPERLEGGERA Centenario! All the CARBON FIBER and 248 HP!
Ducati dropped a carbon-fiber bomb in the form of the 2027 Superleggera Centenario, the most exotic V-4 superbike from Borgo Panigale ever. Perhaps even more far out than the Ducati Desmosedici RR just because there were no "rule" limitations for the new Superleggera. Technical Editor Kevin…
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Motorcycle Rear Suspension and the Evolution of the Swingarm.
Listening to our listeners (and viewers), this topic came from you guys: Kevin and Mark take a look at motorcycle rear suspension starting with "all arm and no swing" rigid frames of the early days to the many variation on the swingarm as we know it today. A sprung saddle is "rear" suspension, no?
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WEIGHT TRANSFER and Motorcycle Handling--To wheelie or not?
How many ways have motorcycle designers gotten it wrong? So many! One of these was chasing an ultra-low center of gravity on motorcycles, only to find it made handling worse! How have we settled on 20-22 inches off the ground for center of gravity? Because it works, and transfers weight on the...
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MOTORCYCLE GEARBOXES EXPLAINED: Shifting, gear mesh, forks and more.
The motorcycle gearbox can be a great mystery but Kevin Cameron is here to help us all understand how it works. Why do we have six-speeds and constant mesh (mostly)? Kevin and Mark Hoyer also divert into DCT, helical gears vs. spur, and how to make your dogs happy. Join them for another Cycle…
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BIG BANG! How Firing Order Can Change An Engine.
Honda made a big impression with its close-firing-order "big bang" NSR500 and became dominant in two-stroke 500cc Grand Prix racing through the 1990s, replacing the "screamer" engine. Other factories followed suit. But firing order on four-strokes also plays a huge role in how an engine works and...
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Why did the "Normal" valve win? Poppet valves vs. Sleeve Valves vs. Rotary valves.
There have been many engine valve designs since the dawn of the internal combustion engine. What made poppet valves stick? (See what we did?) There were many other designs and some, like the sleeve valve in the Bristol Centaurus WWII radial aircraft engine, that worked very well. Classic Kevin...
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Four Banger: How the inline-four was inevitable for motorcycles.
The inline-four has many qualities that made it the performance engine format of choice for decades. Ride with Kevin and Mark as they talk about the origins of the inline-four and how we have explored many other engine formats and firing orders/timings, and possibly a few side stories about other...
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Hello Sparky! History of Ignition, Spark! Open Flame! Hot Tube! What?!
We just want to light the fire, that's it! Kevin and Mark dive into all the different ways internal combustion engine builders have found to light the combustible air/fuel mixture. There has been spark, open flames(!), a thing called "hot tube" and more. Even compression can light off the charge,...
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Why Steel Pistons and Cylinder Heads? Why Now?
In the early days of internal combustion engines, pistons were typically made of steel, but it wasn't long before aluminum took over (thanks, W.O. Bentley). But steel pistons and even cylinder heads are coming back in special applications. Kevin and Mark dive in to 3D printed steel pistons, turbo...
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Torque! Tolerance! HOW HARD DO WE TURN THE WRENCH?! Feel? Force? Learn about tightening bolts.
"Don't want it to come loose!" This is true, but how many mangled fasteners and engine cases have you encountered? More than you'd like. So Kevin and Mark decided to talk torque, torque wrenches, lock nuts, fastener elasticity, sealing, and so much more. And what if you don't have a torque...
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Why OVERHEAD CAMS and How Did WE GET HERE?
Kevin will start with atmospheric intake valves and someone from the 1800s, but for real we are talking about Overhead Cams here. Why has OHC become the standard for four-stroke-engine valve operation and what are its advantages. Also, you won't believe how old the technology is. Join Kevin and...
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Piston Rings! The Tiny Parts that Make Piston Engines Possible!
Early attempts at sealing pistons in cylinders included hemp and other natural fibers. Today's piston rings are made of amazing metallic materials that allow motorcycle engines to last longer than ever. Kevin and Mark dive into piston rings from the early days to now and talk about cylinder…
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Are Racers and Crew Chiefs Human? Inside the minds and talents of the world's best!
In this week's episode, Cycle World Technical Editor Kevin Cameron and Editor-in-Chief Mark Hoyer talk about racers and crew chiefs and how their seeming supernatural powers relate to their humanity. Also, we have learned so much from these talented, intelligent people and share many stories…
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MORE Dream Bikes from the Mecum Las Vegas Auction 2026!
Hey, there are more than 2000 bikes, and Kevin and Mark picked so many bikes for the first episode of the 2026 Mecum Las Vegas motorcycle auction that they wanted to keep going! Honda NSR400 to Vincents to one sweet Yamaha TR-2 350cc roadracer, it's another good time with some amazing bikes.
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Are HYBRID Motorcycles Dumb?
Hybrid power can bring the best of electric and combustion power together, but does it make sense for motorcycles? Benda recently showed a hybrid prototype and Kawasaki has already taken the plunge. Technical Editor Kevin Cameron and Editor-in-Chief Mark Hoyer discuss hybrid power, including…
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DREAM BIKES: Kevin & Mark's favorite Bikes from the Mecum Las Vegas Motorcycle Auction!
Kevin and Mark pick their favorite bikes from the MASSIVE Mecum Las Vegas Motorcycle Auction. Of course, Kevin picked technically interesting and historically significant bikes, and Mark picked "stuff he liked"! There are great bikes here and plenty of stories to go with them. Harleys, Hondas, a...
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Harley-Davidson Big Twin, Knucklehead to Now!
Harley-Davidson debuted the Knucklehead in 1936 and millions of subsequent Big Twins built in its image continue to "potato-potato" down the road! Technical Editor Kevin Cameron and Editor-in-Chief Mark Hoyer talk about the origins of Harley-Davidson's EL and journey through the Panhead,...
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How MOTORCYCLES improved because of AIRCRAFT!
As Technical Editor Kevin Cameron likes to say about aircraft, they have to be light enough to fly and heavy enough to make it to the destination reliably. This drove innovation in design and metallurgy in aircraft that made it all the way to motorcycles, of course! Roller tappets for camshafts?...
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Where did Norton Motorcycles come from and why do we love them so much?
The new Norton debuted a full line of new bikes recently as parent company TVS finally pulled back the curtain after 5 years of work. Cycle World's Kevin Cameron and Mark Hoyer start about 125 years earlier, at the beginning of the company and its reputation for remarkable singles and following...
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EICMA! New Motorcycles From the Biggest Show of the Year! China, India, Japan, Baggers!
Kevin and Mark take a look at new motorcycles from EICMA, the huge annual show in Milan, Italy. The guys talk about Chinese motorcycles, the Indian-made Nortons, and, of course, Honda's electric-supercharged V3R and, as always, "more." Visit cycleworld.com/eicma so see all the bikes and read…
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How Ducati history might have changed! The 60-year-old V-4 that never made production.
Long before the Ducati Panigale V4 the American Ducati importer convinced Ducati and legendary engine designer Dr. Taglioni to build a 1200cc V-4 that made 100 hp in 1962. It was designed to chase after sales in the lucrative police bike market in America. It was a 90-degree V-4 with four...
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The GREAT Dan Gurney: MOTORCYCLE ENTHUSIAST and ENGINE DESIGNER! The 280-hp Moment-Canceling TWIN!
American racing hero Dan Gurney's exploits in auto racing and car construction are legendary, but Dan was also mad for motorcycles. So much so he built his own feet-forward machine (the Alligator) with a few different production engines modified to his specs. But he also got his company All...
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EMPIRE OF RPM: Learn How HONDA built its MOTORCYCLE BUSINESS ON REVS
Soichiro Honda visited into Isle of Man TT in 1954 and was shocked to see how high Italian and German racing machines revved. The company got to work! By 1958 when the Honda Cub and its 50cc four-stroke debuted, its engine made peak power at 9000 rpm with great reliability. Honda went on in…
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How Exhaust Pipes MAKE POWER (or KILL IT!)
How does your motorcycle exhaust system help your engine make more power, be more efficient, and sound amazing? Like many parts of the motorcycle, there are near-infinite variations. For exhaust systems Technical Editor Kevin Cameron and Editor-in-Chief Mark Hoyer discuss: length and diameter of...
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Makin' FLAMES! The ART and SCIENCE of mixing FUEL and AIR.
Sounds crazy but early engines ran on "city gas," generated by roasting coal. Liquid fuels like gasoline improved our lot in Combustion Life, but there have been many experiments to get the most out of it. How close are we to perfect combustion? How do we get liquid fuel--which will not burn--to...
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Ninja! Kawasaki's brand within a brand and how it came to mean "Sportbike" to the masses.
How "Ninja" came to define Kawasaki and what it means to the company. The bikes that built this brand within the brand started in the early 1970s and Ninja just put a name on it. What's "it"? Listen as Kevin and Mark of Cycle World talk about where the Ninja ethic began and where it's taken...
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Fun With Materials: What are Motorcycles Made of and Why?
This week Kevin and Mark are getting MORE MOLECULAR than usual! We know, it's awesome, right? The motorcycle mostly started with iron, then steel and some bronze, and then we got aluminum, titanium, beryllium and more, plus all kinds of composites. Despite getting molecular, it's a big topic, so...
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Yamaha V4 vs. Inline Four! Will a new engine design save Yamaha in MotoGP?
Yamaha is a passionate racing company but recent success has eluded the tuning fork folks. Technical Editor Kevin Cameron and Editor-in-Chief Mark Hoyer dig into Yamaha's new V4 MotoGP racer that debuted at Misano and is under continued testing. Will the V4 solve all the company's problems? Will...
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HOW FAST COULD WE GO?! What's making new motorcycles slower than they should be?
Kevin and Mark dive into what's holding back the ULTIMATE PERFORMANCE of your motorcycle. What could be changed in the engine or with aerodynamics that could help us hit 250 mph? What are the tragic shortcomings and amazing strengths of motorcycles today? Jump in the slipstream and take the ride...
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SHAKE IT! Does Vibration Eat Horsepower?
Engine vibration...does it eat horsepower? How do we control it? Where does it come from? What's secondary vibration vs. primary? Technical Editor Kevin Cameron and Editor-in-Chief Mark Hoyer discuss the many types of vibration in engines and the various schemes used to control it or let those...
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How has Honda Sold MORE THAN 100 MILLION SUPER CUBS?!
The little step-through that changed transportation around the globe and helped Honda achieve Grand Prix Racing success, technical dominance, and massive wins in automobiles, the 1958 Super Cub hit a target for buyers no one had yet considered. Technical Editor Kevin Cameron and Editor-in-Chief...
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How Emissions Regulations Improved Motorcycles
All we've ever wanted is complete control of combustion in our motorcycle engines and we are closer than ever. Find out how cleaning up emissions has enhanced power, running quality, engine life and more as Technical Editor Kevin Cameron and Editor-in-Chief Mark Hoyer discuss the combustion…
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Ran when parked?! HOW TO GET AN OLD MOTORCYCLE RUNNING!
Barn finds, garage finds, yard finds and alley finds, that abandoned old motorcycle isn't going to start itself! Technical Editor Kevin Cameron and Editor-in-Chief Mark Hoyer run through the steps and tricks to get an old carbureted or fuel-injected motorcycle running. Two-stroke oil in a...
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10 Crazy Cool Concept Bikes You Probably Don't Remember
Concept bikes can be crazy weird looks at a possible future or be hints about new models to come. Some are even intended as near-production but never make it. Technical Editor Kevin Cameron and Editor-in-Chief Mark Hoyer run down a list of 10 concept bikes that might have been and one that…
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CONSISTENCY IS EVERYTHING! Kevin Cameron gets molecular on Cyclic Variation. What?! Listen to learn!
If every combustion event in your motorcycle engine was the best it could be, power and efficiency could rise by as much as 20 percent! Find out how engineers and designers work toward this optimal goal and how chaos just keeps getting in the way. Technical Editor Kevin Cameron and Mark Hoyer…
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INSIDE THE HOT ROOM! The magic in your motorcycle engine's combustion chamber.
Leave it to Technical Editor Kevin Cameron to start in 1862 with the first guy who conceived the four-stroke combustion cycle. KC proceeds with Editor-in-Chief Mark Hoyer on the journey to the combustion chamber we have today and why it's shaped how it is, flatheads to hemis, two valve, four…
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Do YOU know about these 7 (or so) STRANGE MOTORCYCLES that made it to market?
Motorcycle manufacturers made some strange experiments as they looked for new customers or that novel idea that would create a new type of machine. Technical Editor Kevin Cameron and Editor-in-Chief Mark Hoyer go down a list of odd and wonderful machines that made it to the market--sometimes not...
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
Join Technical Editor Kevin Cameron and Editor-in-Chief Mark Hoyer for the weekly Cycle World podcast for lively conversations about motorcycles and the people who build and ride them. Cameron’s legendary knowledge and ability to describe highly technical subjects in ways that are easy to understand allies with Hoyer’s massive testing background and hands-on work in the CW garage.
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Cycle World Podcast have?
Cycle World Podcast currently has 129 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Cycle World Podcast about?
Join Technical Editor Kevin Cameron and Editor-in-Chief Mark Hoyer for the weekly Cycle World podcast for lively conversations about motorcycles and the people who build and ride them. Cameron’s legendary knowledge and ability to describe highly technical subjects in ways that are easy to...
How often does Cycle World Podcast release new episodes?
Cycle World Podcast publishes regularly with 129 episodes available. Check the episode list for the typical release schedule.
Where can I listen to Cycle World Podcast?
You can listen to Cycle World Podcast on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Cycle World Podcast?
Cycle World Podcast is created and hosted by Cycle World.
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