160 - The Conclusion

Like Pogo, we can all be our own worst enemy. Thinking too much, or too little, can lead us astray.

Here's the picture from my second post on this problem. All the clues to the problem are right there for all to see. Although it's hard to see the primary breather tube (the stock one from the head), it and our new wowie-zowie breather both terminate into the spiffy spun aluminum catch can. What could be better?

Maybe a breather hole for the catch can to release the pressure?!?! In our efforts to make sure that no oil escaped we had sealed the hoses to the catch can. This created a sealed plenum that resulted in LESS (as in ZERO) breather capacity rather than more! 

The answer came to me when I woke in the middle of the night with one of those Ah-Ha moments. Even the best rings and valve guides allow a slight bit of pressure to pass. This is normally vented by the breather hose with little notice. But racers have much greater needs since they stress their mighty machines to much higher levels on the track. Don't they?

Maybe, maybe not. Certainly not so much in the Formula 160 class where everything must remain stock. In the case of our engine we had over-engineered a small problem into a large disaster, and thus became our own worst enemy. Had we stuck with the original cheesy water bottle that we were using we would have had no problem but since we had a race bike we went all out to make it the best it could possibly be. As usual, good intentions lead to horrible results.

The remedy was simple. A third hole to allow the pressure to escape. 30 seconds of drilling and it was all fixed. We took the bike out for 10 miles of high speed running and not a drop (or cop) was to be seen. Problem solved!

Thanks to everyone who helped with this. Several suggestions gave us insights into the bike and others gave us valuable links that I was unaware of. Now that it's over I can look back and think, "That was fun!"

.

Ride To Work Day Next Monday

I took a day off from the 160 to clear my head and work on the Transalp in preparation for the TA Rally on the 25th. I'll be back to it later today in all it's aggrevating glory. In fact, I think I may have the answer, it came to me in a vision as I slept last night. However, I'll wait until I try it out before telling you what it is. Can you guess? If you study the pictures from the last few days it's in plain sight.

In the meantime don't forget that next Monday is Ride To Work Day. Show everyone that we're out there!

Here's the best Motorcycle Awareness video ever made!

@#$% 160 - Part 3

Another day of frustration. You can see the gap between the wiring plug and and the case here. It's supposed to be a press fit that closes the holes for the wires when the cover is screwed down. Age and heat cycles have caused it to shrink and leave a gap.

Sealed with HondaBond 4 and two layers of Rescue Tape have filled the gap and sealed any path for oil to escape. If you don't know about Rescue Tape, read up on it here. It's the best friend a rider ever had on the road!

You can see the talcum powder liberally applied to trace out any leaks. A tiny bit is seeping at the bottom of the sprocket seal but not enough to cause alarm. Certainly not our problem.

We felt confident enough to take a test ride as the engine performed well on the work bench. After a mile down the road we did a reality check and everything looked good. We were all smiles. Then at about 2 miles the engine started to smoke prolifically. Following in the pickup I wondered if the wiring was on fire or a piston had holed. No words (at least no "good" words) could express my frustration as I rolled it up into the back of the truck for the trip home.

A stream of oil was dripping down the head and onto the exhaust pipes. What now!?!? Calm down, take a deep breath, look at the problem dispassionately. Tracing the oil flow back to the source led to the points cover. From there it was a short trip to the left cam seal under the advancer. By sealing the alternator cover I had forced the pressure to find another exit. This time by blowing out the cam seal. 

How much pressure is there and how big a breather does it need? This engine has new pistons and rings and should be very tight. The head has been completely reworked so I expect nothing past the valve guides to cause this. Something is wrong and I have yet to figure it out. More tomorrow after I look into it some more.

Again, thanks to everyone who has added comments to help solve this problem. They have been very helpful and much appreciated! Keep them coming.

Disappointing CB160 - Part 2

We cleaned up the engine parts and let them sit overnight to dry off. Today it goes back together for testing. We will run it on the bench without a sprocket so we can see where any leaks appear. The suggestion for the talcum powder is a good one for this kind of testing.

I solved the problem of  weird oil burping and oil level. I found that the 160 engine has TWO drain plugs and that I had undone only the rear one when we returned from the track. The burping was the air from the breather backing into the rear chamber through the oil in the main area.  I guess I was more tired after the ride home than I thought.

This is the secondary breather and catch can. After running it at the track there was zero oil in the catch can.

The shift shaft seal is going to be replaced because it was suspect but all the others looked dry. I don't think this is the cause of all the oil that was leaked but there is no reason to take any chances.

The rubber block that passes the alternator wires is also suspect. It will get a coat of HondaBond 4 before going back together including the holes where the wires pass through it.

Thanks for all the suggestions. All the help is appreciated. Check back tomorrow and I hope to have an answer.

A Disappointing Day At The Track

Went to Loundon yesterday for the USCRA races. We had a Formula 160 bike (#305) that we were sure was ready to go. There had been a few problems with the bike but we were sure that we had eliminated each one.

Unfortunately this wasn't the case. There had been a persistent oil leak into the area of the front sprocket. We had first suspected a leaky oil seal and replaced them all. However that didn't solve the problem. We then suspected a pumping problem that was causing pressure in the crankcase to push oil out. The Honda 160 engine has a 360° crankshaft where the pistons rise and fall at the same time. This causes a high pressure when they descend and a low pressure when they rise. At sustained race speeds this can cause problems. To counter this we put in a second, larger breather that vented directly into the crankcase.

This seemed to work in our limited testing and we left for the track. The first practice laps revealed that the problem was not fixed. Oil covered the left rear of the bike, most dangerously, the left side of the rear tire. All the work and money for race entry seemed wasted. 

One of the other racers told us that it was common for the rubber seal that passed the alternator wires through the left cover to harden and shrink. This could allow the oil to pass through. While not a problem when riding on the street, sustained red line running down the front straight would push the oil past in large quantities. So off to Concord (the nearest town of size) in search of an auto parts store. $50 later I was armed with red and blue RTV, extra oil, and everything else I could think of needing.

Back at the track I tore off the left cover, wrapped the seal with rubber tape and then coated everything with Hi-Temp RTV. Hurrying, I got it all back together in time for the first call for our first race. We felt confident and the bike got a good start off the line. However, it was last around on the first lap and came into the pits on the third lap. The rear tire was again coated in oil. We were devastated! There was nothing to do except load it on the trailer and head home. It was a long, quiet trip.

At home it was very strange. I pulled the drain plug to let the oil drain overnight so I could look at the engine today. By now I'm wondering if the case is cracked or has a porous section. When the drain plug was removed instead of a rush of oil I only got a small, slow stream. Then there was a burp and some more oil came out. Sort of like when you hold a bottle of oil upside down and oil drains until it needs air, then it burps, and then more oil comes out. This was really strange! I blew into the breather tube and there was free space through the tube and out the drain hole. No reason for the air burping.

Now for strange part #2. Only about half a cup of oil came out. Could that much oil have been lost in 3 laps? The normal capacity is 1 liter and I had checked it just before the last race. Now I checked it again and it showed FULL with bright clean oil!!! With the drain plug out and the oil drained. And, yes, I wiped the dip stick before I inserted it to check. In fact, I checked it twice to make sure.

I am totally baffled! My plan is to pull the right (clutch) cover first to see what clues may be there. Then I'll pull the left (alternator cover) to look for the leak. If you have any suggestions, please leave them in the comments section. I need all the help I can get on this one. I'll follow up with pictures and reports of progress in the next few days.

How to be a n00b!

The video says it all!

Of course, the cop, being a genius, immediately jumps out with gun drawn on a rider who is obviously in major hurt mode. But do I feel sorry for the rider? Not A Bit!

Post 200!

I'm still here and, from the reports Google sends me, there are now more than just a few of you out there. The factories aren't beating down my door to offer test rides or freebies but the fact that you send me notes with ideas and encouragement is enough to keep me going. Tell a friend about this blog if you think it's worthwhile.

I won't try to give away anything like I did for my 100th post. Instead I'll post Jackie Chan's top 10 favorite stunts and then head off to Rhinebeck for the AMCA meet.

Quite a few of you have offered suggestions on topics to post. Believe me, they are really appreciated. I mark them down on my white board for future research. If they haven't shown up here yet it isn't because I'm ignoring them. When it comes to topics to write about: Sometimes it's like a desert, sometimes it's like trying to take a sip from a fire hose. Thanks!

Girls - are they ruining racing?

In case you haven't heard, Elena Myers became the first woman to win an AMA Supersport class race.

She won AMA Supersport Race 1 at Infineon Raceway on her Suzuki GSX-R600. You can read her account of it all on p68 of the July issue of Roadracing World. Read an on-line biography here.

So my question is, Where can a guy go to be a Manly Man if a 16 year old girl can throw a whoop-ass beating on him at the track? Is nothing sacred?

Actually, this should come as no surprise. Women have been racing all along, and not in the Powder Puff races of days of old. One-on-one, Mano-a-Womano! In the USCRA woman are racing and winning at every race meet.

Want a woman that is really tough? How about Ashley Fiolek who is racing Moto-X with the boys on the Honda National MX Team!?

While all those so-called feminists are whining about equality and calling their lawyers at every imagined snub there are real women out showing the men the way around the track with no excuses and no apologies. I, for one, wouldn't trade them for all the skinny, pneumatic umbrella girls in the world!

.

Ride Report From Eddy

My friend Donald arrived early on Friday 5/14. Donald's brother Bart and Bart's son Daan arrived the day before the ride on Wednesday 5/19. I was going to ride my Africa Twin, Donald my Transalp and Bart and Daan were renting Triumph Tigers at Dubbelju on Bryant street in San Francisco.

For Saturday 5/15 I had Donald and me signed up for the Tank Museum
(http://www.mvtf.org/) in the hills above Portola Valley. Parking was a bit scary:
http://www.vankeulen.tzo.com/TA/201005_Riding-Dutchmen/0692s_Dangerous-Parking.jpg

On Sunday 5/16 we had diner with the core of TSMC:
http://www.vankeulen.tzo.com/TA/201005_Riding-Dutchmen/00287s_TSCM-at-Diner.jpg

Monday and Tuesday I still needed to go into work. Wednesday 5/19 my vacation started. The last two Dutchmen arrived on SFO and we dropped them off at their hotel in San Francisco. The rest of the day was for trip preparations and packing.

I had a special Corbin seat made for the Africa Twin that was shaped after the model for the Transalp. I used to travel with the Transalp, laying a large duffel bag behind me on the passenger spot. I discovered on Wednesday that the seat on the Africa Twin is a lot shorter than on the Transalp and I could not fit my usual duffel bag. Luckily I had upgraded my camp gear to smaller and lighter stuff so with a smaller duffel from REI I was still able to fit my gear (and myself) in the saddle.

The original plan was to go north to Yellowstone and then south from there, into WY, CO and UT. However, weather forecasts for Yellowstone were horrible (snow storms) so we decided to ride our planned route
backwards and ride south first.

Thursday morning Donald and I saddled up:
http://www.vankeulen.tzo.com/TA/201005_Riding-Dutchmen/0696s_Ready-for-Take-Off.jpg
We first headed to San Francisco to meet Bart and Daan at the bike rental place.
http://www.vankeulen.tzo.com/TA/201005_Riding-Dutchmen/0697s_Collecting-Rentals.jpg
http://www.vankeulen.tzo.com/TA/201005_Riding-Dutchmen/0698s_Collecting-rental-Tigers.jpg

Bart and Daan wanted to cross the Golden Gate so we headed north. Next we headed east, via Stockton we took hwy 4 until it crossed hwy 49. Then south on hwy 49. Donald wanted to go by the old Wild West town of Colombia so we deviated a little bit from hwy 49.
http://www.vankeulen.tzo.com/TA/201005_Riding-Dutchmen/0702s_Parked-in-Columbia-CA.jpg
Going down hwy 49 we finally arrived in Mariposa and we camped just outside town.
http://www.vankeulen.tzo.com/TA/201005_Riding-Dutchmen/0705s_Camping-near-Mariposa.jpg

Friday 5/21 we rode into Yosemite. Weather was still OK. The waterfalls were huge!!
http://www.vankeulen.tzo.com/TA/201005_Riding-Dutchmen/0708s_Raging-Merced-river.jpg
http://www.vankeulen.tzo.com/TA/201005_Riding-Dutchmen/0715s_At-El-Capitan.jpg
http://www.vankeulen.tzo.com/TA/201005_Riding-Dutchmen/0716s_Yosemite-Falls.jpg
http://www.vankeulen.tzo.com/TA/201005_Riding-Dutchmen/0721s_Classic-Yosemite-View.jpg
The Tioga pass was still closed so we exited on the south side of the park and headed for our next target: Sequoia NP. We arrived at the park at the end of the afternoon and it was already quite cold. With the
threat of bad weather we canceled our plan to camp in the park and moved back, down the hill to find lodging. We found a cute little motel that worked out just fine.
http://www.vankeulen.tzo.com/TA/201005_Riding-Dutchmen/0730s_Lodging-near-Sequoia.jpg

Saturday morning we rode back up the hill and into the park again. It was freezing cold!! We were very happy we did not camp in the park with our 'summer' sleeping bags. The cold also prevented us from doing much sightseeing in the park but we had to take at least a small hike to some big trees.
http://www.vankeulen.tzo.com/TA/201005_Riding-Dutchmen/0733s_Big-Tree.jpg
http://www.vankeulen.tzo.com/TA/201005_Riding-Dutchmen/0735s_Sequoia-NP.jpg
On our way through the park we ran into a few bears, just waking up from hibernation.
http://www.vankeulen.tzo.com/TA/201005_Riding-Dutchmen/0735s_Sequoia-NP.jpg
http://www.vankeulen.tzo.com/TA/201005_Riding-Dutchmen/0742s_Bears-napping.jpg
My fingers were freezing and Donald was just grinning. Then I realized the Transalp has grip heaters and he had found the switch!! We hurried down the hill into warmer elevations, finding our way to hwy 178 to cross over the Sierra's by Lake Isabella. Early in the evening we arrived in Ridgecrest.

Sunday 5/23 we woke up and it rained in Ridgecrest. Very unusual! The locals were looking at the sky in amazement. We rode the first 50 miles or so in the rain, heading for Death Valley. Finally, arriving one valley before Death Valley, the rain stopped.
http://www.vankeulen.tzo.com/TA/201005_Riding-Dutchmen/00344s_Panamint-Valley.jpg
At the gas stop in Stovepipe Wells the thermometer barely reached above the 60's. Very unusual again....
http://www.vankeulen.tzo.com/TA/201005_Riding-Dutchmen/0748s_Harleys-in-Death-Valley.jpg
http://www.vankeulen.tzo.com/TA/201005_Riding-Dutchmen/0754s_AT-near-Death-Valley.jpg
We passed through Death Valley en headed for Las Vegas. First we needed to cross over a pass of only 5500 feet, through Pahrump. It SNOWED!!!!!
Again I froze my fingers off. I am definitely putting heated grips on the Africa Twin now. When we arrived in Las Vegas we rode the strip up and down, in the RAIN. What the @#$&% happened to global warming??
I have a new little camera and its sensor does good in low lightsituations. Pictures at night on the strip turned out nice.
http://www.vankeulen.tzo.com/TA/201005_Riding-Dutchmen/0760s_Ceasars.jpg
http://www.vankeulen.tzo.com/TA/201005_Riding-Dutchmen/0762s_Vegas.jpg

Monday 5/24 north east into Utah. We checked out the Hoover Dam and lost a lot of time stuck in traffic. We made it to St George in Utah that night.

Tuesday 5/25, first through Zion and then down hwy 12.
http://www.vankeulen.tzo.com/TA/201005_Riding-Dutchmen/0779s_AT-in-Zion.jpg
http://www.vankeulen.tzo.com/TA/201005_Riding-Dutchmen/0781s_Bikes-in-Zion.jpg
http://www.vankeulen.tzo.com/TA/201005_Riding-Dutchmen/0787s_Red-Canyon.jpg
http://www.vankeulen.tzo.com/TA/201005_Riding-Dutchmen/0796s_AT-in-Utah.jpg
http://www.vankeulen.tzo.com/TA/201005_Riding-Dutchmen/0798s_Donald-on-Hwy12.jpg
http://www.vankeulen.tzo.com/TA/201005_Riding-Dutchmen/0806s_Utah.jpg

We spent the night in Torrey and Wednesday 5/26 we continued down to Monument Valley.
http://www.vankeulen.tzo.com/TA/201005_Riding-Dutchmen/0811s_AT-in-Utah.jpg
http://www.vankeulen.tzo.com/TA/201005_Riding-Dutchmen/0826s_Utah.jpg
http://www.vankeulen.tzo.com/TA/201005_Riding-Dutchmen/0828s_AT-at-Lake-Powel.jpg
http://www.vankeulen.tzo.com/TA/201005_Riding-Dutchmen/0832s_Lunch-on-the-edge.jpg
http://www.vankeulen.tzo.com/TA/201005_Riding-Dutchmen/0836s_Off-the-Cliff.jpg
http://www.vankeulen.tzo.com/TA/201005_Riding-Dutchmen/0840s_Posse-at-Monument-Valley.jpg
http://www.vankeulen.tzo.com/TA/201005_Riding-Dutchmen/0841s_Camping-in-Monument-Valley.jpg
http://www.vankeulen.tzo.com/TA/201005_Riding-Dutchmen/0844p_Monument-Valley.jpg
The restaurant in Goulding, in Monument Valley used to be very good but this time our diner was not the best so the next morning we decided to pack up and ride to Mexican Hat for breakfast.

Thursday 5/27 while heading north from Monument Valley it happened: "sputter, sputter, plop..." and my engine died. At the same time the GPS was complaining it lost external power and was running on the batteries.
So I knew right away it was electrical. When I measured the battery it had only 9.5V so indeed, empty.... It turned out that the regulator had died. Donald said that Honda regulators tend to be weak and he had
killed one in his VFR also. Then Daan said that often they don't break completely and can still charge a little bit. So I created a quick jumper cable from some wiring in my luggage and charged the Africa Twin battery a bit from the Transalp battery. I put maybe 20% charge in. The voltage was only 11.8V. Next the boyz pushed me for a jump start and the engine started! I took off with the lights turned off. About 60 miles later at a gas station I measured the battery again and it was 12.3V.

Daan was right, the regulator was still able to charge as long as the lights were off and the total load was very low. I was able to finish the trip riding mostly with the lights off. The bike ran as if nothing was wrong.
http://www.vankeulen.tzo.com/TA/201005_Riding-Dutchmen/0853s_Utah.jpg
We made it to Fruita CO that night.

Friday 5/28 we headed north to go check out Dinosaur NP. That was a bit of a disappointment because they were renovating the main attraction. In the afternoon we headed back into Utah and had to deal with a severe
dust storm for most of the afternoon. It was very intense riding, trying not to get blown off the road and trying to stay clear of others being blown back & forth in their lane. We slept good that night!! (Price, UT)

In Utah we discovered that we were behind schedule and we would not make it all the way north to Yellowstone. It was still snowing up there so it was not a good idea to go further north anyway. So instead we crossed through Nevada with hwy 50, to cut our route short.

Saturday 5/29 we headed for Hwy 50, to cross into Nevada. First we needed to cross a few high passes and again my fingers froze....
http://www.vankeulen.tzo.com/TA/201005_Riding-Dutchmen/0880s_AT-with-a-view.jpg
That night we arrived in Ely NV where we spent the night.

Sunday 5/30 we crossed through Nevada with Hwy 50, the "Loneliest Highway" in America.
http://www.vankeulen.tzo.com/TA/201005_Riding-Dutchmen/0880s_AT-with-a-view.jpg
We made it to Carson City NV and on monday 5/31 we arrived back home in Fremont CA.
http://www.vankeulen.tzo.com/TA/201005_Riding-Dutchmen/0908s_Final-Score.jpg
Total distance was 3084 miles.

Eddy

Corvettes Return To Le Mans Grand Prix

Corvette will return to Le Mans this weekend after a gap of 37 years. The race, properly known as the 24 Heures du Mans, will feature a parade lap of 50 Corvettes representing race cars and historical models. The New York Times has the story here. Here's a great documentary of the first Corvettes at Le Mans in 1960. It's a half hour long so grab some popcorn or pizza.

Doubtful that Corvettes are up to the task? Read a comparison of high end sports cars here.

I have to admit that, having owned several British sports cars (Triumphs and an MGB) and a couple of Miatas, I have always wanted a 'Vette. It just seemed so much cooler than the tiny roadsters I could afford. A satirical article of long ago joked about various race track teams. The article is long gone but I can paraphrase:

While the rest of were trying to coax another meager half horsepower out of our pathetic little engines the Corvette crew was busy setting their valves with air driven impact wrenches. Our girl friends were known for wearing sensible shoes while theirs were in pants and tops that left us wondering how they could possible breathe although we were secure in the knowledge that none of them were in the least danger of drowning.

We started our cars with a noise like the mewing of a cat. When a Corvette started the ground shook and the skies parted. The roar was as if the voice of Almighty God had spoken to us and pronounced that "All was Good!"

If anyone remembers the article and has a copy I'd be deeply indebted.

Rhinebeck AMCA Meeting This Weekend

This one snuck up on me. Thanks to Dave for reminding me.

The Antique Motorcycle Club of America is holding their national meet at Rhinebeck, NY this weekend  (11-13th). I've been to their Yankee Chapter meets and they are always a great time. Now that the early Japanese bikes are within the age limit there is more variety and scope to the displays and bikes. Not that I ever get tired of looking at old BMWs, Vincents, Indians, and, yes, even Harleys. It's a little known secret that HD used to build motorcycles, long ago before they switched to the cartoon business.

I'll be there on on the R100RS Saturday. Stop me and say Hi if you see me.

Catalina Gran Prix Returns!?!?

The historic Catalina Grand Prix is going to return on a trial basis in December. Details are here.

This is Part 1 of a promo film made by Yamaha about their success in the 1958 Grand Prix.


Here is Part 2


As the Knee-Slider article said, this is a one-time permit. If the meat-heads show up and ruin it with juvenile behavior, it will will also be the last. It may be the only chance in our life times to get a chance to see this historic race. Think of it as the U.S. Isle of Man!

foo

CT Tiddler Ride - 3 July

TIDDLER TOUR THREE

Doug, Dave and Amy Roper invite you to our third Tiddler Tour

To be held on Saturday July the 3rd

Same rules apply

Bikes are to be 350 cc and under

And 1970 or older
(Contrary to popular belief, David will not be chain whipping other entries….)

There will be a morning tour of either a 86 mile Long course or a 57 mile Short course, your choice. Starting at 10am sharp!

Stop at Subway Sandwich Shop and grab a sandwich (81.7 Mile East Long - 52.8 mile East Short) and meet back here for lunch. Drinks and Chips provided.

And an afternoon tour of 53 miles

Dinner back at the house
If you have fireworks – please, bring ‘em!

You are welcome to come early, and camp on our property – plenty of parking.
You can start setting up on Friday and stay on into Sunday.
Our neighbors have graciously offered their swimming pool – swim at your own risk - bring a towel.

Doug and Amy Roper
75 Parmelee Road
Haddam, CT 06438
860.345.8309

RSVP would be welcomed for food and beverage figuring.

100 Years of Speed

I'm finally back from the trip to the left coast. 450 emails to sort through. I'm pruning my subscription list to the bare minimum.

Here's Marty and the new Trans Sierra Motorcycle Club truck. We won't be renting trailers to go to Baja next time. 1974 Chevy 3/4 ton with a 350 4-bolt V-8!

Here's how it looked when we started working on it.

Here's the right coast truck with Ben's new XR650L on it

Progress is unavoidable!

Help Needed

My friend Gretjen is having a show of her photography in Boston at New England School of Art and Design at Suffolk University. The theme will be a motorcycle trip she and Marty made on CB550's from Boston to Alaska to San Francisco four years ago. Amazingly the bikes were two years older than they were.

Check out the web pictures here. You have to manually scroll to the right to see them all.
www.gretjenhelene.net/moto

She is looking for 4 helmets - XL open face are best. They will be "modified" to hold small speakers so that a person could put one on and listen to Gretjen's voice while looking at the photos. They obviously don't need to be road safe.

The show is in July so if anyone has an extra helmet lurking in a closet that can be donated it would be appreciated.

Contact Gretjen at gretjen@gretjenhelene.net

Thanks, J.

Free subscription to Motorcyclist magazine

This is a nice offer from the folks at Roadgear

Dear Riding Enthusiasts

We've got another free offer. We have teamed up with the good folks at Motorcyclist to give out 8,500 issues of one of the best Moto-Magazines. To take advantage of this offer, you must rush. Last time we made a similar offer, the sign-up rate exceeded all expectations. The subscriptions were all taken in less than 60 hours. Thanks readers! Talk about catastrophic success!
The first 8,500 respondents qualify for the Motorcyclist magazine offer! You—as well as your riding buddies—are eligible for this freebie. Just get the word out—and go to: Free One-Year subscription to Motorcyclist and follow the sign-up instructions.

Are we crazy to offer such amazing, no-strings attached giveaways? Not really. It is part of our strategic initiatives. Hey, we have been in a recession, and such endeavors build goodwill with our readers which ultimately does lead to increased revenue and profits—the name of the game.

ROADGEAR is committed to being your one-stop shopping experience. Please check out ROADGEAR’s continually updated website and Staff Favs. So have fun, order a lot and keep us busy. Summer’s here and you need to gear up. Please get the word out to your riding buddies, too.
Having joined the social media revolution, we invite you to fan us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. Check out the limited time Special Offer we have posted there. Feel free to share your motorcycling experiences, photos and videos with us on Facebook. You can email us too at eNews@roadgear.com.
Now let's go out and ride! 
Evans Brasfield
Managing Editor

Harley Davidson - The New TV Ad

Herman sent this in:

This is just too good to pass up! This one's for Erik Buell!

War and Soldiers

On the way home from visiting my sister I was listening to NPR. They were airing one of a series called Boots on the Ground that really brought home the human cost of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The episode I heard was "Coming Home". It recounted the ways that many soldiers felt isolated and rejected after coming home from their tour of duty. When they said that the worst part of their assignment was coming home I knew that something was wrong. Again.


We. the citizens of the USA, have never done a good job of supporting our troops after they've returned. The worst was during and after the Vietnam war. Then, soldiers were identified with the war itself and treated as outcasts and criminals by much of society. As if the soldiers were the ones who created the war rather than just the ones who carried out the missions handed to them. They were as much the victims as any in that horrible disaster.


Now, it seems we are ready to do it again. People seem more concerned about "reality" shows than the reality of the real world. Our politicians are to blame for trying to hide the hard choices we should be making about our engagement in the Middle East. One of the remarks that was repeated in the interviews was that "they [the people in the US] just don't get it".


Whether you support or oppose the wars in the Middle East, NEVER forget the soldiers who are fighting there. Write your Senator and Congressman to tell them what you believe. But also tell them that you want the very best for the people we send there both while they are there, and when they return.


Fight for the end and so we can bring our men and women home quickly! In the mean time support them in every way you can.


I urge you to listen to the podcasts below. They won't be comfortable but I guarantee you will feel better if you do.

• PART ONE: APRIL 6, 2004
• PART TWO: THE ARCHITECTS OF WAR
• PART THREE: ESPRIT DE CORPS
• PART FOUR: COMING HOME
• BONUS HOUR: COVERING THE WAR

Rev'it Sale coming up in Brooklyn

From Tex:

Folks, I know it seems like we have a sample sale every time the wind blows, but we still have lots of stuff to get rid of and our storage space is just too small! As always, there will be a wide assortment of men's and ladies motorcycle apparel - gloves, jackets, pants, leather and accessories at greatly reduced prices! Most of the gear will be in samples sizes (medium/large), but there will be plenty of lightly used, tested or flawed smaller/larger stuff as well. Cash is highly preferred (expedites the process and keeps the lines small), but credit cards are accepted. Also, please spread the word. I do my best, but there always seems to be lots of folks left out. Saturday, June 5th, 10am-4pm. REV’IT! Sport USA Showroom 275 Conover Street, Suite 5-P Brooklyn, NY 11231 888-681-0180 Check out their catalog here.

Not Quite Ready For Prime Time

After a very long flight across country sitting next to a pair of chatty and gossipy old ladies I'm now in San Francisco. As an experiment I left my laptop at home to see if I could exist solely on my Droid smart phone. To cut right to the conclusion, let me state that I'm writing this on a friend's desktop computer.

The phone is both amazing in what it does, and disappointing in what it doesn't. On all three of my accounts email is a breeze. Messaging is good with the proviso that I have yet to train my thumbs to deal with the tiny keyboard effectively. It has a touch screen keyboard with predictive word selection that is handy.

As a phone it is the clearest, with the best reception, of any of the half dozn phones I've owned so far. The speaker phone function is great and even works in the car while I'm driving.

The web browser is what disappoints. This is partly the fault of the Droid and mostly the fault of the websites that have not learned how to make the user experience productive. It's a trade off between trying to fit too many things on the tiny screen while leaving enough space so that you click on what you want rather than the one next to it. Fingers make a poor mouse. The screen is so sensitive that I'm always touching the wrong thing and sending it off to the wrong place. The go-back button gets used a lot!

One feature I use over and over is the built in gps. Select someone your contact list or type in an address and it will give you turn by turn instructions to the destination. I wish I could switch the voice to something less mechanical but it's a free function from Google so who am I to complain?

A special feature is the way the browser is linked to the gps. If I need to find an atm I can use the browser to query my bank for the nearest location. Then I just use my finger to click on the address and it automatically switches to the gps and starts giving me directions on how to get there. I even get to select whether I want to go by car, bicycle, public transportation, or walking! Finally, a good use for all this technology.

Should a call come in while it's directing me I can decide to take the call and the gps continues to keep track of where I am. It will override the call to tell me to turn at the next corner when necessary.

Things I'd like to see improved:

• Be able to browse two pages at once and cut & paste between them.
• Be able to put a call on hold and look up something in my memos or contact list.
• Clean up some of the menus for better navigation. It seems that more than one team was working on this because sometimes I only need one stop to complete a chore and other times I need three to do the samt thing.
• Make the App Market more user friendly
• Make a way to link the Droid to my home computer so that I could use the big screen and keyboard to enter data and sync between the two.

Still, this is the best phone I've ever owned. And it's on the Verizon network which is by far the best in the US. Maybe what I should do is write apps to address the problems above and become a millionaire. Then I could spend more time riding around the world.

Note: Tomorrow is another travel day and then I'll be riding a dirt bike with the Trans Sierra Motorcycle Club for a couple of days. I'll take pictures and post them as soon as I can.

New England Transalp Rally Reminder

We are only a few weeks away from this event so I'll post this reminder.

• Date: 25-27 June 2010
• Location: New Jersey Pine Barrens
• Rally Master: Milt Rudy
• Weather: Cloudy with meatballs

 Ed and his wife are cooking up a BBQ Saturday night for the gang. More Info Here.

Contact Milt here.

LSR Update

We're in!

I sent the application for our number and position in on Saturday. Q&D^* Racing is on the move.

We will be running the Moriwaki in the 100cc Modified Gas class. To be honest I can't imagine setting a record this year. It will be predominantly a learning experience to see what we need to do to get there.

We'll make our runs like we mean it but just getting there with whatever we need to run will be challenge enough this year.

Wish us luck!

^*Quick & Dirty

BS Racing

In this case I mean Belt Sanders.



The New England Belt Sander Racing Association, is holding their 2010 Spring National Competition today in Sommerville MA at the Arts at the Armory.

Their motto is Goin' Nowhere ... FAST!

The stories from the Boston Globe are here and here. I won't make it because I'll be in New Haven buying another motorcycle but it sure looks like fun!

Save the Date, Aug 14 Vintage Ride In Upstate NY

This just in from Jack - More details as the date approaches:

 Save the Date, Aug 14 Vintage Ride

Covered bridge vintage ride, 150 miles going over 7 covered bridges in the beautiful Catskills of Up State NY. Start and end in Walton NY.

No size limit, but bikes must be at least 30 years old. I hope DGY will bring the Vincent. Small bikes will leave about 30 minutes before the big ones.

Due to insurance (lack of), this is a "self guided" tour. route sheets will be handed out but the route may not be arrowed.

Friday night indoor camping available in my wife's church parish hall.

Plenty of trailer parking close to the stop/start line.

I will need to have an idea of how many to expect so I can plan the food for the Sat PM BBQ.

I will try to put a copy of the flier in the photos or file section in next couple days.

Please forgive me if this is a repeat of an earlier post.

Road Food - Coffee & Donuts

It used to be that when I wanted to take a break along a day's ride I would look for the next Dunkin Donut shop. NO MORE!

Remember Fred the "Time to make the donuts" guy? He's been gone a long time now. Where each DD shop used to make their own donuts now they're made in a factory somewhere and trucked to the shop in a semi-trailer. Just like the boxed donuts you could buy in Stop and Shop. It seems like many of the "shops" are now little more than a rack of stale donuts in the back of a gas station quick mart. Sad.

There is one DD shop that still makes their own donuts. The shop at 755 Main St (Rt 18) South Weymouth, MA 02190 (781-335-9346) still has their own donut maker on site and they are made fresh all day long. Here's the story from the Boston Globe. They sell twice the national average and have two drive through lanes to handle the rush hours. Apparently DD would rather have more stores and less satisfied customers using the factory method in the other shops. Hey, it's all about profits, not happy customers!

Another donut shop that takes their customers seriously is Baker's Dozen on Rt 66 in Brooklyn, CT. There's a DD shop across the road but nobody stops there except travelers who don't know any better.

Still with me? Let's try out the new DD latte. Or "dishwater in a cup" as a friend remarked. Most of the people at DD have no clue how to make one properly. So is Starbucks the only alternative? While my latte friends all agree that it's the best the new latte of choice is none other than a McCafe at Mickey D's. 90% as good as Starbucks at 50% of the price with 0% of the attitude. I'm a cup-a-java, hot & black, kind of guy but my friends report that every latte has been properly made and tasted great. Who would have guessed? Plus, I have a weakness for those baked apple pies.

You can't beat a counter seat at a chrome and Formica diner when you're out riding. But failing that, it will be McCafe in my future. DD, that's all in the rear view mirror unless I'm in Weymouth. I've gone out of my way for that one!
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Fitness and riding

Went for a ride yesterday and came home with the usual soreness in my right neck and shoulder muscles. The ones that get tight because they stay tense holding the throttle grip. It's my own fault. Not because I don't have a cruise control but because I haven't been doing the simple exercises that would build up the muscles. I'm talking really simple, like shrugging my shoulders 20 times while I'm sitting here at the computer. Lifting them up 20 times, rotating them in forward circles 20 times, and rotating them in backward circles 20 times. How tough is that? How lazy to avoid doing it?

Here's a very good article on exercise and motorcycle riding. Here's another one that concentrates on exercises for track days. And one more for sport riders.

For racers it's especially important to be in top shape. What's the point of getting the hole shot and setting the pace for the first few laps if you are exhausted and get passed at the end? Strength and endurance are key to top performance. I used to run until a friend pointed out that running has little to do with riding other than making me sweat. Bicycling tuned up all the senses and muscles that I needed for top motorcycle riding. Nothing like pedaling a hilly 20 miles once week to make you ready for a fast 20 laps at the track.

Don't complain that you don't have the time. Skip Survivor and become one!
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Packing for a trip

With the approach of traveling season upon us. I found this article in the New York Times to be pretty interesting. Packing a carry-on bag is little different than packing the side cases of my RS, about the same size and amount of stuff. I knew about putting pants on the bottom and then folding them over the top but I didn't know that rolling clothes would take up less room. It would probably make it easier to find things too. As opposed to pawing through everything which is my normal technique. The slide show is here.

I am smart enough to take a plastic bag for the clothes that get dirty. Makes it easy to do the laundry if the trip is long. Got a tip of your own? Post it as a comment below.
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Mother's Day

Hug your motorcycle Mother today!

 Go for a ride with her today. Beats the hell out another dumb brunch!

I think of all the times and ways my Mom put up with me and my first motorcycle. All the times she forgot to mention yet another indiscretion to my dad that would have landed me in big trouble. My Mom was loving and patient beyond all understanding. She used to ride a Honda step through long ago. I wish I had a picture of that. These pictures are of other people's Moms.

I'm going to see her in a couple of weeks but her motorcycle days are all in the past. We'll sit together and remember things from long ago. Go enjoy your Mom while you can.

Think you're the only one having a bad day?

From Bruce:

Try picking up a Yamaha Venture-861 lbs. It can be done easily if you know how, learned from a 115 lb girl at Wing Ding some time ago. 1 1/2 years ago I backed out of the garage and went to leave for work, turned a little too sharp and she started to go. I tried to jump off but my cuff caught on the foot peg and I heard my leg break. I yelled for my son and he had it off in a flash. adrenaline works really well. He asked if I was OK and I said my leg's broken. He asked if it wasn't just a sprain? Uh no, I heard it break. I hobbled into the house and told him to get his mom who was just getting out of the shower. She comes out and I told her I needed a ride to the hospital. She says "do I have time to dry my hair?"

Sure dear, go right ahead, its only broken.

Let's go camping

Herman sent this link.



It certainly makes backing up a lot easier but I have my doubts about the towing capacity of the VW. Still, it should be enough for a person and a Giro bike.

MotoGiro Pictures

The MotoGiro pictures are here. All 1384 of them! In order to get them out as quickly as possible I have not edited them or deleted any. Download and print all you want for free. Pictures from last year's Giro are there too.

If you would like the full sized files (~9 meg each) let me know. $10 each or 3 for $25 seems fair for standing in the sun all day.

I'm working on a panorama print of the group shot. 5 feet wide! I'll post a message when it's done in case anyone wants one.

I had a great time. Too bad the last leg was canceled. See you in the fall if not before.
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MotoGiro Picture

No reports this weekend because I had the only motel in the world without WiFi. Before I run off to work here's the group photo we took on Sunday afternoon. I'll post more pictures and a complete report tonight.