2025 certainly started off with a bang here at Ultimate Motorcycling.
The first news I have to share with you is that Senior Editor Nic de Sena has changed teams. Nic started with us in 2015, left for a stint at Rider, returned, and is now off to Motorcycle.com.
While Motorcycle.com is a competitor of ours, I consider all motorcycle-related media outlets to be colleagues. We’re not in a zero-sum game. We’re all in this because we love motorcycles, and the more information we have at our fingertips, the better. That’s good for the sport and should encourage more new people to join the fun.
You don’t have to pay for access to any of the information, save a few legacy print magazines. Enjoy it all by consuming the sources you find most rewarding. There is room on the internet for a wide range of voices; if you are reading this, you like ours, or at least find it interesting. Nic will take his expertise to Motorcycle.com, so be sure to check out what he has to offer there. In the meantime, that opens up a spot here, and that means another new perspective at Ultimate Motorcycling. Everybody wins—especially the readers.
Next up, a significant distraction for us was the fires in Southern California. My home was under an Evacuation Warning for the Hurst Fire and a Mandatory Evacuation Order for the Archer Fire. Having been through the 2007 Canyon Fire in Malibu, including evacuating my home, I chose to stay. I would only leave if I felt it necessary based on my experience. Fortunately, evacuation was not needed, and my neighborhood was safe.
Unfortunately, Motorcycle.com Road Test Editor Troy Siahaan and his family had a different outcome. They lost their home in the Eaton Fire, which destroyed nearly 10,000 structures. If you’ve been to the Motorcycle.com website, you are undoubtedly a fan of his work. A GoFundMe fundraiser has been set up for the Siahaan Family, and I hope you can kick something in.
The first month of 2025 has inarguably been tumultuous. While we have gotten a bit behind on our testing schedule, we have a lot in store for you in the next few months—first looks at new bikes, tests of new bikes, a few 2024s we are still working on, and more product reviews. So, buckle up that helmet, and hang on for the ride.
Oh, and I’m writing this story on the way back to Los Angeles from the south coast of Portugal. I was there to test the new 2025 Triumph Tiger Sport 800 and, for the first time, I was on a launch with Nic!
