MotorTrend is back on two wheels! With the return of Zack Courts and Ari Henning, this first episode of Throttle Out sees the boys attempt a 1,200-mile road trip down the Baja Peninsula on 125cc Honda Monkey minibikes. As if traversing hundreds of miles of rugged terrain on motorcycles with a top speed of 55 mph wasn’t difficult enough, Courts and Henning have to battle through the punishing heat, rain, and mud that make Baja an iconic challenge. Can the bikes (and the monkeys riding them) survive the trip?
What bike would you grab for the end of the world? Better yet, what bike would you build if the hordes of zombies were closing in? That’s the question that Zack Courts and Ari Henning answer on this episode of Throttle Out. They travel to the great state of Arizona—home of the largest motorcycle junkyard in North America—and do their best to build up the finest zombie-killing machines they can. To succeed, the bikes have to make it across the desert to Zombie WarZ, a live-action, zombie-hunting park. Whoever splatters the most zombies wins!
Every motorcyclist loves the sound, smell, and charisma of a two-stroke, but these days they’re all but extinct. On this episode of Throttle Out, Ari Henning and Zack Courts tackle the issue by trying to mount a 1987 Yamaha Banshee four-wheeler engine into a modern YZF-R3 chassis. Can the boys—and their “R-Shee” racer—revive the glory of two-strokes?
What’s faster, a car or a motorcycle? On this episode of Throttle Out, Zack Courts and Ari Henning figured they could probably drive a fancy car around a track just as quickly as they could ride a bike. So we called their bluff and gave them three sports cars and a superbike.
Zack Courts and Ari Henning wussed out on winter a decade ago by moving to California, but for lots of people winter is a very real thing. So the boys set their sights on the Pacific Northwest, riding through the snow to the base of the famous Mount Rainier. Will they make it? Find out on this episode of Throttle Out.
Isn’t it a shame that you can only enjoy riding a motorcycle with one other person? On this episode of Throttle Out, Zack Courts and Ari Henning aim to solve that problem by creating a two-wheeler capable of carrying the entire family, and then testing it with a road trip to the mountains.
Throttle Out dives into Thailand motorcycle culture by hopping on the most Thai vehicle of them all—a utility sidecar. After outfitting the rig as a mobile kitchen, Zack Courts and Ari Henning tour the twisty mountain roads and famous night markets of northern Thailand, while attempting to pay for their travels by selling American-style food to tourists and locals.
Riding 1,000 miles in 24 hours is an iconic motorcycle challenge, but what if you didn’t stop? Not for food, for the bathroom, or for gas? Saddle up with Zack Courts and Ari Henning for this episode of Throttle Out as they attempt a run across Texas without putting a foot down.
Ari Henning and Zack Courts have always wanted to go to the Isle of Man for the famous TT road race, but it takes world-class skill and nerve to compete on public roads at nearly 200 mph. Sadly, that means the boys don’t qualify. However, with the help of off-road legend David Knight, some creative rule-bending, and a couple of dirt bikes, they have come up with their own way to race across this famous island. Find out how, on this episode of Throttle Out!
Zack Courts and Ari Henning are off to Idaho, where winter weather ruins motorcycle trails every year and it’s up to State Trail Rangers to fix the damage. This time on Throttle Out, with the help of a couple 2WD motorcycles, the boys become honorary Rangers and head into the Sawtooth Mountains with the hope of opening an especially gnarly loop.
This time on Throttle Out, the boys head to Kathmandu, Nepal, where their mission is to help Ram “The Bovine Biker” Neupane rescue sick and abandoned cattle using a motorcycle. After experiencing firsthand how challenging it is to transport a cow across the city on two wheels, Zack Courts and Ari Henning hatch a plan to build Neupane a better bovine bike.
It’s a bike! It’s a boat! It’s a Boatorcycle! This time around on Throttle Out, the boys set out to build a two-wheeler that can ride on land and water. But building it is just half the battle. The real test will be attempting to sail their new vessel to a deserted island in the middle of a lake, showing the world that there’s a new king of the water.
The boys acquire a half-finished, three-wheeler project off Craigslist and attempt to turn it into a competition-worthy machine for the annual Halloween Hillclimb event in Southern California. It’s got a motorcycle back end pushing an automotive front end, and it needs a lot of work! Can the guys get it running and sling it up the hill, or will the whole project turn into a nightmare? Find out on this episode of Throttle Out.
Think scooters are for wimps? Think again! Team Throttle Out is headed to Northern Italy and the sensation of VespaCross. Zack Courts and Ari Henning are signed up to race hopped-up, vintage Vespas built for motocross tracks against a full-size course and 40 mud-soaked Italians gunning for glory. Who will emerge victorious?
Imagine if you could stroll into any big department store and buy a complete, new motorcycle for less than a grand. In Mexico, you can! In this episode of Throttle Out, Zack Courts and Ari Henning head to Mexico City and secure two Mexican-made Italika 125s, then attempt to ride the bikes all the way back to Laredo, Texas. Can they fly to Mexico, buy the bikes, and road trip to the U.S. for less than the cost of a new bike back in America? There’s only one way to find out.
