Trip Recorders

This ad just arrived in my mailbox. Everything you wanted to know about all your trips in one place. Which is not an entirely bad idea. When I checked out the Motorcycle Tour Planner I found it to be reasonably well organized for the OC amongst us.

And who amongst us has meant to write down all sorts of bits of info and never gotten around to it. Or, worse, written it down only to misplace the slip of paper. Things that can not be found in a timely manner might as well not exist!

While I haven't held one of these in my hands it appears from the examples on the website that it is well thought out and covers most of the things you would want to know and remember. The price might seem to be a sticking point for some but might be worth it for those who could use a bit of structure in their lives. Only you and your credit card can know the answer to that one.

For myself I have been using Rite-In-The-Rain notebooks as journals for my trips. These are not cheap either but they are waterproof, tear proof, and almost indestructible. They have different page patterns that I use for trip notes, diagrams, and writing the odd thought along the way.

 

There are quite a few sizes and styles from small pocket notebooks to ring binders. Over time I've settled on the 4 5/8x7" loose leaf binder that lets me add pages and take them out after a trip. The cordura cover zips up to keep everything together and hold receipts and cards I pick up along the way. The whole thing fits nicely into my tank bag for easy access and keeps my Space Pen handy. It writes in the rain too.

The all-in-one Tour Planner or the roll-your-own notebook. Your choice. What do you use?

Race Seminar Review

About two dozen people showed up for Carl McAllister's riding seminar at MotoConsult last Saturday.

Carl started with the basics, how to prep your bike. It's amazing how many people who think they're great riders just jump on their bike, time and again, without checking the little things that make a big difference.

• Tire pressure, even a couple of pounds off can have a big affect on cornering and braking. 
• Oil level, when was the last time you checked yours? 
• Steering head bearings, even the slightest amount of play can throw you on the ground when you get out on the edge.
• Brake lever and pedal. Are they adjusted to fit the way you ride? Or are they still at the factory one-size-fits-all setting?

He then went over body position on the bike on the straight and in the curves. Of particular interest was his comments on the transitions between the different phases. For instance, instead of going straight from the tucked position down the straight to the knee out position in the corner Carl inserted the butt back position to help braking.

1. Tuck behind the fairing down the straight
2. Butt up and back to shift weight away from the front wheel to enhance braking at the end of the straight. Reason: The weight is going to end up on the front wheel anyway but by moving back you keep the suspension compression to a minimum to prepare for the corner. Subtle but effective.
3. Then, slide out and over to bring the bike around in the corner.

Little things like this shave quarter seconds off of laps and make the difference between winners and also rans.

In the Question and Answer period that followed the inevitable "What should I do to my engine to go faster?" question was asked. Proving that he really knows what he is talking about, Carl answered, "Leave it alone!"

To go faster Carl advised:

1. Check your bike over carefully and make sure everything is as it should be. Knowing that the bike is ready inspires confidence and confidence makes you go faster.
2. Check your tires. New tires will have better grip and feedback than the ones you probably have on there now.
3. Get your suspension upgraded. Better compliance with the road or track will give the tires a better grip and the rider better feedback
4. Go to a track school. No matter how good you think you are, you could be better.
5. Only then start to think about more power. You are probably not using all that you have now except on a straight road. Anybody can twist the throttle when the bike is straight up and down, the difference between winners and losers comes in the corners.

 Finally, Ben was kind enough to provide pizza and drinks for all of the attendees. Yumm! It was time well spent and I'm looking forward to the next one. I'll make sure to post the date and time here so stay tuned.

The Prince of Darkness

For the masochistic amoungst us here is a tribute to The Prince of Darkness.

http://www.hummingbirds.net/lucas/index.html

• Not many people know that Triumph attempted to market a computer. Why did they stop? They could not find a way to get it to leak oil!
• A BSA doesn´t leak oil, it marks it´s territory. 
• Did you hear about the man whose Norton didn't leak oil?
  The factory took it backand worked on it until it did.
• Did you hear the one about the guy that peeked into a Land Rover and asked the owner "How can you tell one switch from another at night? They all look the same. "
  He replied, "It does not matter which one you use, nothing happens !"
• The Lucas motto: "Get home before dark."
• Lucas is the patent holder for the short circuit.
• Lucas - Inventor of the first intermittent wiper.
• Lucas - Inventor of the self-dimming headlamp.
• The three position Lucas switch - Dim, Flicker and Off.
• The Original Anti-Theft Device - Lucas Electrics.
• Lucas is an acronym for Loose Unsoldered Connections and Splices
• Lucas systems actually uses AC current; it just has a random frequency.
• "I have had a Lucas pacemaker for years and have never had any trou..."
• If Lucas made guns, wars would not start.
• A friend of mine told everybody he never had any electric problems with his Lucas equipment. Today he lives in the countryside, in a large manor with lots of friendly servants around him and an occasional ice cold shower...
• Back in the 70's, Lucas decided to diversify its product line and began manufacturing vacuum cleaners. It was the only product they offered which did not suck.
• Q: Why do the British drink warm beer?
  A: Because Lucas makes their refrigerators
• Alexander Graham Bell invented the Telephone.Thomas Edison invented the Light Bulb. Joseph Lucas invented the Short Circuit.
• Recommended procedure before taking on a repair of Lucas equipment: Check the position of the stars, kill a chicken and walk three times clockwise around your car chanting: "Oh mighty Prince of Darkness protect your unworthy servant.."

Anti-Valentine Movies

Just because I'm being lazy this morning here are my top 5 Anti-Valentine / Bad Date movies. Feel free to post your nominations in the Comments section.

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It's Valentine's Day!

Have you hugged your motorcycle today? 

Car Show

As I like all things mobile I thought I'd share this collection of photos of old cars. There's a surprise that I won't spoil but I think you will find it very interesting to spend a few minutes looking at all of them.

I let an El Camino just like this one slip through my grasp a few years ago. What was I thinking? I've been kicking myself ever since!

There was a quieter, simpler time when a day at the lake was all people wanted or needed. Maybe it was because investment bankers and hedge funds hadn't been invented yet.

Everyone who knows me knows my fondness for Buick station wagons.
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Worst motorcycle movie?

Thanks to Netflix I just watched Girl on a Motorcycle. This is supposed to be a cult classic but I'm not sure why. The movie is just plain bad. Marianne Faithfull could take acting lessons from a bucket balanced on a broom handle. Her main talent seems to be staring at the camera with a stupid grin on her face while sitting on a motorcycle in front of a movie screen with the countryside moving by. I can only hope that she was stoned out of her mind as there is no other excuse I can think of. As a peek into the past it might have a certain interest for the archeologically minded but of cinematic values it is completely devoid.

Even Plan 9 from Outer Space is more interesting. No motorcycles but at least you know you're going in for the campy laughs and goofy fun. Buick hubcaps for flying saucers!?

Honda Reference Materials

David sent this link to Spooky Tom's web site.

Here we see an image of a 12 cylinder '79 Honda CBX that he has posted. Not something you see every day!

The site also has wiring diagrams and brochures of Hondas from the past. Also, lots of pictures of bikes for reference to the paint schemes.

The problem is that it is all very confusing in it's layout and intention. Some of the pages are downloadable, some are not. It says that the image scans are poor to discourage people from stealing them but is unclear on how to get good ones. And it asks for contributions of good scans to expand the collection but, again, it's unclear how to go about it and why you should do it.

This is another example of where the internet is at its best and at its worst. Tom has obviously spent a good amount of time putting this info together and sharing it. For that he deserves credit. On the other hand this is not 1998. The site needs to be tweeked to provide better organization and a clear purpose. High marks for effort, mediorcre marks for execution.

One big criticism. Tom states,

I HAVE FOUND THE BAR STYLE TORQUE WRENCH TO BE MORE THAN ADEQUATE WHEN TIGHTENING THE FASTENERS AND IT COST A LOT LESS THAN THE ADJUSTABLE STYLE WRENCH.

I have to disagree with this. A bar type torque wrench is about as truthful as a 5 year old trying to explain cookie breath before dinner. A click style torque wrench is pretty cheap when you watch for a sale and is dead on for getting head, case, and transmission bolts exactly even.

The Green Taliban

In case you missed Audi's Super Bowl ads here are some links.





Think this is funny? I don't. Green is the new Mean. The Taliban's message is "Agree with us and our sacred ways or we'll kill you!". The Greenie's god is the "environment" and their message is the same. The same myopia, the same distortion of facts. and the same fanaticism.

America has always been a country of inclusion but that seems to be all in the past. Americans have protected minority rights but now you have to be a minority in favor to be afforded any protection. Ride a trail bike and you are branded an eco-criminal. Try to share public land and you are blocked by legions of lawyers.

Chairman Mao had a vision of the perfect society. So did Adolph. Think the Monkey Wrench Gang is any different from the Gang of Four? Don't fool yourself and don't think it can't happen here. It has already begun.

A fanatic is one who won't change their mind and won't change the subject.
- Winston Churchill

Your trash, my treasures

My friends Rich and Flo used to own an antiques store in Mystic, CT. It was always great fun to drop by and play with all the things they had there. They were always finding new troves in attics and basements but I don't think they were too good at the commercial side since they really hated to part with any of the treasures once they had liberated them.

Sunday I went to NJ to do just such a liberation. I took the biggest trailer that U-Haul makes and it wasn't enough. There were bikes and parts galore. It took a great deal of concentration to keep loading and not pause to "remember when".

Inside that trailer is a DT250, CL175, CB175, SL350, and a rolling frame to be identified later. Engines include CB175(2 1/2), CB350(3), CB450(1 1/2), and CB750(5). Plus exhaust pipes, gas tanks, and side panels galore.  Some are treasures, a lot are trash, but all of it is fun. And next week I get to go back and get the rest of it!

In case you are wondering what Rich and Flo are up to check out their web site here. They are making very nice music as TagYerIt. Subway surfing is my favorite!

Honda Sportster is almost here!

As if Harley didn't have enough troubles Honda is releasing the new Shadow RS 750 next month. This is a direct challenge to the Sportster. However, the differences are pronounced and pointed at the heart of H-D's failures. The RS has a more upright seating with the foot pegs under the rider instead of out front in the La-Z-Boy recliner fashion. The RS has the power and handling to have fun on the roads. And, of course, the RS has Honda reliability.

The power and handling bit is not a small item. Polaris and its Victory line of motorcycles has come out of nowhere to capture a significant market share by emphasizing power and handling while maintaining the classic look. Same for Yamaha / Star motorcycles. A lot of riders are bored with the "look" and want to ride in comfort, and have fun doing it.

Have all the Boomer want-ta-bes run for cover now that their voodoo economics have collapsed? Will motorcycles return from vehicles for ego trips to something you take a trip on? Will the RS kill the Sportster? Will Willie-G ever come out and publically say that noise is bad for us all?

I'm certainly not betting on that last on!
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LSR News

It's official! I am now a member and entitled to enter in any BNI sponsored event. Bonneville Speed Week is of course the main event for me. Nothing can stop us now!

The world's worst disco/motorcycle video.

Correction: The seminar with Carl McAllister at MotoConsult in Willimantic CT is NEXT Saturday (13 Feb). Sorry, and all that.

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It's hard to say which is worse; the lyrics, the dance steps, or the simplistic movie shots. At least they are not cruisers! This is why the '60's should be left in the '60's!

So you want to be a (better) racer?

MotoConsult is holding a free seminar on cornering and body positioning next Saturday (13 Feb) at 1pm at the shop in Willimantic CT. Noted road racer, Carl McAllister, will be discussing the fine points of body English on a motorcycle. If you think it's just a matter of sticking your butt over the side you've got it all wrong!

Be There, or Be Slow!

BTW, Carl gives private and private group lessons at Loudon for very reasonable prices!

Harley will now pay you to buy one of their bikes

Is it just me or is this putting lipstick on a pig (or a Hog if you will). Remember when H-D dealers were charging big bucks over list and making you wait 6 months for a bike. Now they're begging you to come in and will pay you to give up your Suzuki or Honda.


Remember when your buddies who bought Harleys were telling you what a good "investment" they were? Take a look at craigslist for the same bikes at giveaway prices. I'll bet they were also buying McMansions because real-estate could only go up!


From a press release issued by Harley-Davidson:

Harley-Davidson Competitive Bike Exchange Extended To Feb. 28, 2010


$500 Over Trade-In Value Offer Valid at all Participating H-D Dealers


Milwaukee (February 1, 2010) –Harley-Davidson has extended its Competitive Bike Exchange trade-in program launched last December through February 28, 2010. The incentive program offers customers who trade-in an eligible non-Harley-Davidson brand motorcycle a credit of $500 above the dealer-negotiated trade-in value towards the purchase price of a new untitled Harley-Davidson motorcycle.


“If the bike in your garage is not the bike in your head, this offer makes it a little easier to purchase the bike of your dreams,” said Dino Bernacchi, Harley-Davidson Advertising and Promotions Director. “It’s just one more way Harley-Davidson and its dealers strive to welcome new riders into the Harley-Davidson family.”


For more details about the competitive trade-in promotion, visit your local Harley-Davidson dealer or log onto h-d.com/trade-in.

 Maybe their new business plan is selling t-shirts and decals. A friend once observed that if everyone who had a Harley t-shirt or sticker actually owned a Harley there would not be any steel left on the planet.
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100 days (and counting)

Unbelievably, this is my 100^th post to this blog. I started it as an extension of the old Boston Monday Moto Madness email list. I thought that it would be a place for posting notices of things to come and reports of places I'd been.

It's been a lot of fun and occasionally a source of panic. Because there is now a regular (and growing) list of readers that find information and amusement here I feel compelled to come up with a new post every day. Some mornings I sit down and draw a complete blank! Suggestions and tips are most welcome and I always try to acknowledge the source.

To celebrate this anniversary I've decided to hold a fun giveaway. I will dig into my collection of vintage motorcycle t-shirts and give some away to the people who leave a comment below. How many will depend on how many comments I get. I'll pick names at random and match them to a t-shirt.

A suggestion on how to make this better would be nice but just your name and size will do. The shirts are mostly medium and large but there is probably a small and XL in there too. Vintage grease stains are included at no extra charge!

 

2-Wheeled MotorBubble

From Dave and the BBC:

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This is much like the 'Gator that Dan Gurney invented some time ago although with a weatherproof bubble.

Which is not at all like the Honda DN-01

The "joke" amongst Honda dealers is that DN-01 stands for Do Not Order One!
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