Ride Report - Bershires

Adam put together some great roads to ride on. Although I've ridden extensively in the region many were new to me. Nature was cooperating, sort of. Scattered rain had  been forecast but it was always ahead or behind us. Slick roads mixed with lots of leaves meant that the pace was moderate with plenty of time for sightseeing.

The temps started in the high 40's and got into the low 50's as the day progressed. Sun occasionally popped out and the extra warmth was welcome. A quick stop for hot cider and a cookie was a treat and a chance to gain back some body heat.

Back on the road we were winding along the back roads near lunch when things go exciting. One of the guys on a K bike dumped it into a guard rail. Seeing it coming he jumped off the bike and somersaulted over the railing. Laying on his back he assured everyone that he was OK. Plastic was broken but nothing personal. Bungee cords and tape were produced to mend the bike enough to get home.

Unfortunately, I had chosen that moment to stare off into the forest and when I looked up all I saw was a lot of bikes stopped in the middle of the road. I grabbed too much front brake and found out how little traction knobby tires have on cold pavement. Down I went too. You can see the stripes that each knob made as it tried for grip.

This is when all that gear pays for itself. Armored jacket and pants took the hit. My gloves were scuffed in ways that I'm glad my hands weren't. I got up, got help picking up the bike and there was happiness that both of us were in good shape. My forks were twisted but I pulled out my t-handle and loosened enough bolts to get the front wheel pointed in the right direction again.

There was 70 more miles to get back to the car and I reflected on how a different bike would have been a better choice. That Honda NT700V with heated grips and ABS would have certainly been a good one. I wonder if it's too early to send Santa my request?
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Riding today

Chilly but fun in the Berkshire mountains.

Wooden I Love A Vespa

If you read the current motorcycle press you would be forgiven for thinking that the only creative thinking on two wheels is the bobber and the cafe bike. Frankly, they are not that original any more. Sure, it's great that people are doing some real custom work rather than just bolting on some more chrome from a catalog. But, be honest, when was the last time you saw one that really made your heart skip a beat?

I found this article in Wired magazine of all places. Daniela is Vespa replica built entirely of wood by a custom furniture maker. No showroom queen this one, it's ride-able! I can't imagine what one of these would cost but it's something that I would definitely put my own money down for if I had enough. This would be a total show stopper wherever it went.

Read the article and watch the video at the end. You can keep the Ducati, I'll take Daniela.
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MMM Tiddler Update

Details at the bottom

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We've been out scouting roads for the upcoming MMM Tiddler Ride and I must say that I think that the morning and afternoon routes are especially scenic. Hill and dale, farmlands and lakes, my advice is to bring your camera and prepare to pause once in a while to appreciate the New England fall colors and sights. The photo above is my attempt to find a shortcut around a bridge that was out. As you can tell I'm having great fun. New roads were found and the route sheet was updated. No knobby tires will be needed!

The routes include a few graded dirt roads that are all small bike friendly. If they are Miata friendly your bike will have no problem. This is a rural area and such roads are part of why we live here.

The long range weather forecast is for cool temps in the 60's and sunny skies. Perfect for a leisure ride. After the ride chili, BBQ chicken, and hot dogs will be provided to everyone before they head home.

Details

• Date: Sunday, 24 Oct
• Time: 9am
• First bikes out: 10am
• Place: 150 Kinney Rd, Amston CT 06231
• Contact: Beth (bbraun@dreamqueen.com or J. (braunj@cb77.org)
• Bikes: Think CB350 and anything older, slower, or smaller.
• Nobody will be turned away for not having a small bike. Just ride in the spirit of the event and you'll have a lot of fun. Small bikes are infectious, you'll want one for next time.
• Bring:
  
  • Route sheet holder - Both sheets and strip charts will be provided.
  • Camera
  • Cash for lunch at Harry's.
  • There are plenty of gas stations along the way.
  • A sense of wander.

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WSJ Discovers Something Louder Than A Harley

Who knew the money nerds had a sense of humor? Read the whole article here.

Ride Report

Reminder: MMM Tiddler ride on 24 Oct

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Mart, Don and I met on Saturday to do a little dirt bike riding. The day started well by being sunny and bright. Forecast was for low 60's but 70F was more like it. We were quickly shedding layers as we began to heat up. Don was on his DRZ400, Marty was on an XR400, and I rode my trusty MT250 (also known as the Strawberry Express).


Start of the day, Marty and Don are ready to ride.

Freetown State Forest was new to all of us. The trail map didn't look extensive and I feared that we would run out of things to do quickly. Foolish me! The trails were very technical and both Don and I thought that Herman would be right at home with his trials bike. There were roots and rocks and lots of long narrow puddles. Luckily the bottoms of these were not too slippery and we motored through them with only moderate difficulty. One place on the trail had a fallen tree across it but we bushwhacked a new path around it.

We found a sand bank that Marty found irresistible. His first attempt was successful but when I asked him to do it again for the camera he got stuck.

The third time was again successful. Don declined to try it and I doubted that the little 250 had the motive power to make it up. Time to get the new piston and rings so I can try it next time!


After that we went back to the truck to get gas and take a break. We decided to try the trail on the west side of the parking lot for something different. Surely it would be easier than the trails we had been on. Silly Rabbit!

I can only describe the new trail as a Rock Garden. One section after another with bread loaf sized rocks. The XR and DRZ were having a better time of it with their longer suspensions and better ground clearance. The little twin shock MT just careened off on rock after another making liberal use of the skid plate for defense. We actually checked the map to see if we were on a hiking trail by mistake but it was, in-fact, a motorcycle trail.

Here is one spot that gave us pause. A drop off with a 90° left at the bottom. The consensus was that we should go for it and not touch the front brake.

Marty goes down

Don goes down

When we came to the road on the other side we had gone only 2.3 miles in 2 hours.  Not quite ready for expert enduros yet. However, we all agreed that we were having a great time.

As it was getting time to head back we decided to take a faster path back. This consisted of a dirt road that had huge (20-30') puddles across it's width. Too much work to keep trying to go around so we just splashed through at speed. Since they were often back to back with a lip between them I kept trying to jump off the lip to splash down in the middle of the next one. There was a lot of interconnecting forest roads and it was all quite beautiful. Don is going to explore further as a future TA Rally sight.

Back to the trucks and it was agreed all around that it was a great day. We were tired but happy and you can't ask for more than that from a dirt bike!

AeroStich Sale

Areostich products are great stuff but generally rather pricey. Sales and discounts are rare although they have a monthly email of discontinued items that are at reduced prices. Stuff nobody else wanted that might appeal to you if it was cheap enough.

However, today only they are jumping on the 10.10.10 band wagon by having a 10% off sale on everything in their catalog. Appealing, if it's what you want. Like the Combat Touring Boots or a Ram mount. Check around first, other places might still be cheaper. Check here for the link to the sale.
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Out riding today

What are you doing?

Cafe Bikes On TV

Cafe Racer Magazine is having a Premier Party for their new TV series on Discovery Channel.

The series looks great. The party should be fun. I'll probably end up watching it on the tube unless I can find some crazies who want to drive to the party.

Cafe Racer TV Series Starts Oct 13! Attention Cafe Racer Fans! Cafe Racer, the new series on Discovery's HD Theater channel debuts on Wednesday, October 13 at 9PM. After a successful pilot episode in December, Cafe Racer is back on television.  Don't miss the first two episodes, back-to-back, on October 13! To watch a preview of the new series, click here!     Don't have HDTV?  If you're within driving  (or flying or riding!) distance of Pittsburgh,watch with the crew from Cafe Racer Magazine at the CAFE RACER PREMIERE PARTY   Wednesday, October 13 from 8 - 10PM West Hills Honda 209 Moon Clinton Road Moon Township, PA   15108 Doors open at 8PM; the show starts at 9PM. Watch the first two episodes on the big screen with free popcorn and sodas.  Meet series creator, and editor/publisher of Cafe Racer Magazine, Mike Seate and get an up-close look at custom cafe racers from the series, like the Project Fighting CB750 below!  To reserve your seat at the premiere party, be sure to click here to RSVP by email. Don't miss CAFE RACER on HD Theater! Wednesday, October 13 at 9PM.  Bike builders, rockers, rides and events brought to you in high def every week. Check local HD TV listings for air times in your area. For a link to the series website, click here! Cafe Racer Magazine www.caferacermag.com

Want to fly to Vegas and try out the hot cars in the picture? All expenses paid?? Enter Eastwood's Vegas Dream Ride and you might be the lucky winner. If you win, you’re driving these super-cars approximately 5 hours on scenic open roads, not just around the parking lot.

Personally I would just take the Z06 out for a 5 hour spin across the desert and let them keep the rest. I think I could make it to Wendover and back in 5 hours !!

You're on your own with the Hot Babe in the picture.
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Think You're Having A Bad Day?

I got a call from my friend Ben last night. Here's his tale of woe:

For the last few weeks he's been having trouble with his Triumph Sprint ST, The battery wouldn't stay charged. He replaced the battery but the replacement proved to be defective so he got another one. No fun and no autumn riding.

Then the starter started making  noises. Off to the dealer to find that the starter mechanism was chewed up. Possibly from trying to start it with a low battery. No bike for a couple of weeks.

Since he had prepaid for a track day he borrowed a friend's track bike. And crashed it. Not good although the friend was unperturbed. "Just fix it and it's OK"

The dealer called and said the Triumph was ready so Ben went over to pick it up. $1150 later he was out the door with a new starter and starter drive. Fifteen minutes later he was on the side of the road with a dead bike.

The owner came out with a truck and took it back to the shop where they found that the regulator had failed. This might well have been the original source of all the problems. Of course, the part was not in stock. The dealer (Second Wind) was good enough to cross reference the part to a Speed Triple and take it off a brand new bike on the showroom floor.

Ben is back on the road and a happy camper. Now he can do another track day on his own bike. Life is good. Until he crashed again on the track yesterday. Cold tires in a tight corner. Lots of plastic bits on the track and a hole in his clutch cover.

JB Weld to fix the hole, a cardboard box to put the plastic into, and some duct tape for his leathers. A little sore but still vertical he now has to face the final black cloud. He has to ride the bike home 40 miles in the rain!

Ben's attitude in his own words, "I am really annoyed!"
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Happy Birthday To Me

Believe it or not, today is the 1st Anniversary of the MondayMotoMadness blog. It's been an interesting year. Bonneville, road trips, bikes that I bought and bikes that I sold.

341 days out of 365 days is not too bad. Obviously some have been better than others but I've tried to be interesting and informative. Analytics show that there are approximately 100 of you out there. Mostly from the US, Canada, India, Oz and UK but also Finland, Germany, and Spain.

So I'll take the rest of the day off to celebrate and see you tomorrow. Cheers!

California Voters

Today's Sacramento Bee  had an article "Boxer faces her toughest Senate race ever" Nobody would be happier than I would if she went down in flames. Barbara Boxer is one of the worst enemies of off road riding in the country. With her pals Dianne Fienstein and all the green meanies, she has forced the closure of many of the best riding areas not only in California but all over the US.

Check out this article from Off Road Park Info:

California Senator Barbara Boxer Goes After Several OHV Crown Jewel Areas

Senator Barbara Boxer of California has introduced bill S.493 The California Wild Heritage Act of 2007. This act proposes to create approximately 2 million acres of additional wilderness lands in California, which already has 14.3 million of wilderness designated lands. Areas included in this bill are several locations which are known as the "Crown Jewels" of California OHV areas. Once an area is designated as wilderness most uses are prohibited including but not limited to commercial activities, mechanized uses and roads. In other words, no more OHV opportunities. Studies have shown that less than 3% of people who visit and recreate on public lands ever visit a Wilderness area. California OHV enthusiasts, you'd better start contacting Senator Boxer to stop this bill. Senator Boxer's contact information and web page are at http://boxer.senate.gov/ . Let's rev it up to her folks and make sure she hears us!

She sees herself as Big Sister who is intent on saving us from ourselves. If you live in California please vote. Get all your friends to vote. Get them to get their friends to vote. Save California from Boxer!!
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From The Road

Hard to take pictures while I'm riding. I don't have a RAM mount on the RS. The day started off cool (49F) and cloudy but the spirits were bright and that was enough.

Lunch by the Farmington River in the Berkshires. The sun was finally out although it was still cool. Hard not to like a full fairing on a day like this. Fall colors have yet to peak. I guess we'll just have to do this again next week.

Time to head back to the hot chocolate.
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More Bonneville Pictures From The Past

From the archives of Life Magazine here are some pictures of Bonneville Speed Week in days gone by. Because the Southern California Timing Assn. makes such an effort to include vintage classes may of those same cars could be running today.

Here are some other pictures of cool guys on motorcycles. The Life picture galleries could consume an afternoon if one was to procrastinate.
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No Sacred Cows

Reminder: MMM Tiddler ride on 24 Oct

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 Here's the eBay ad for this Transalp sent to me by David M. I love the fact that the dad just turned the bike over to his kids and told them to have a ball. We need more people who worry more about having fun and less about shining chrome and making their custom bike look just like everyone elses!

Used Tools

Reminder: MMM Tiddler ride on 24 Oct

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Next time you change a tire or fix a flat there are two things you should do. Check that the rim is not bent and balance the wheel with the tire on it. Both of these are easily accomplished with the Harbor Freight Wheel Stand.

I'm usually not a fan of anything from HF that involves ball bearings. The cheap drill press that I bought is just that, cheap. However, this wheel stand has stood the test of time and the bearings are still functioning perfectly.

To balance the wheel you just mount it on the stand with the included adapter and let it spin until one side settles to the bottom. Add weights (5g or 2.5g) to the other side until it settles in random spots when you spin it. I was surprised at how out of balance a new tire is even when I matched the mark on the side with the tire stem. Balancing the tire was quick, painless, and had a noticeable effect.

The stand is great for more than just wheel balancing. Used with a dial guage and a magnetic base it is also perfect for truing spoke wheels or checking alloy wheels for trueness. The dial guage points out exactly which spokes need to be tightened or loosened.

The stand normally retails for $59.99 but as with everything from HF there are deals and sales if you watch the ads or get on their mailing list. Highly recommended.
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Christmas Already?

It's not even Halloween yet and already I got the first Christmas catalog in the mail today. It's really a bit much!

However, here is what is forecast to be the #1 RC action toy, the Air Hogs Moto Frenzy from Spin Master. Buy them now and resell them on eBay for twice the price in December.

I just have one question; if motorcycle toys are so popular why do we riders of the real thing have such a hard time getting an respect? I almost had the answer but some POS cruiser went by with pipes so loud they shattered my thoughts.

If you need other toy suggestions you can see the whole list of what will be hot here. Paper Jamz looks extremely cool.
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NY Times on Procrastination. This is Johnny Kelly's animated short on the evil that besets us all. Believe me, sitting down at the computer every morning is a challenge to get something done rather than just surf the time away.



AFTER you watch Johnny Kelly's video check out Ellen DeGeneres discussing procrastination in a much more amusing way than I ever could. Every sentence is one that I could say, "I can relate to that!"

Procrastinate for a couple of minutes and check them out. Maybe they will focus your day better and give you time to go out for a ride. Don't stop to make a cup of tea!
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Can't Save Them All

I tried to sell all these for a fair price, then a cheap price, then free to anyone who would come get them. In the end I got $66.40 from the scrap metal dealer.

Sic Transit Gloria Mundi

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RS125 Sets Land Speed Record

I can't take any credit for this article in Hell For Leather. I just wanted to pass on the story and images of a racer in the same class that we raced in that is only 25cc larger than the limit for our engine. Read the article about how they managed to squeeze 146.77mph out of an RS125 engine. The real trick is their aggressive application of streamlining. Using a center hub steering mechanism allowed them to get a height only a couple of inches greater than the wheel. It's certainly an inspiration for our attempt next year. I intend to borrow several of their concepts!

When you read the article check out the pictures in the strip at the bottom. When I first clicked on the strip it only showed a very small picture. Click on that to get full sized images. They will show how truly tiny this bike is.

Good Job and My Congratulations To Them.

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Easy Rider On Hulu

Dave sent me this link to watch Easy Rider on Hulu.

Check this link to watch the original movie trailer.

The two things people always remember: the first time they had sex, and the first time they saw Easy Rider. Both are timeless.
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Barbie

This is such a great spoof of all those comparisons / shoot-outs / best of the ... articles. As the owner of a 7D (which I absolutely love!) I was very amused. Try it out in HD if your computer can handle it.

Canon 7D vs. Barbie Video Girl from Brandon Bloch on Vimeo.

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How To Read NGK Spark Plug Numbers

It's really quite simple as you can see. Click on the image to get the full size chart, print it out, and pin it to your shop wall for future reference.

Got Norton?

Dave sent this link for an auction of British iron. Check out the slide show. If it weren't so far I'd go to bid on the lot of K-70's which is my all time favorite all-around tire.

How many of the bikes can you identify?
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Destination - New Hampshire

I call it the Giant Tuna. The USS Albacore is a former US Navy test submarine. It is on display in Portsmouth NH just off I-95 at exit 7 or off Rt 1 a few blocks from downtown. It is in dry dock which is interesting because they had to close the highway, dig a canal to the current location, and then float it in from the Piscataqua River.

The Albacore was never a fighting boat, it was used to test experimental designs for the new class of fast attack boats that would be nuclear powered. It has two diesel engines that I'm told were quite troublesome. 

I met Norm Bower while I was taking these pictures. He served aboard the Albacore for 21 years and ended up as Chief of Boat when it was retired. He told me about how the boat was refitted five times with different configurations for the sail and tail. Our modern fleet owes much to Norm and the rest of the crew. It was most interesting to talk to someone who actually had first hand knowledge. A virtuall tour and the whole history can be found at the Albacore web site.


While you're in the area, you should go across the river to Chauncey Creek for lobster. It's one of my favorites. Casual elegance with moderate prices. Many people even bring their own tablecloth, silverware, and bottles of wine to highlight the experience. Make sure you visit but hurry before they close for the winter.
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More From THe Berkshires

It's hard to ride and take pictures but here are a few from the weekend ride. Don, Russ, Ben and I had a great time!

Waking up to a beautiful day

View from lookout point

Always nice to have people like you

It says there's a trail around here someplace

Ben and Russ make it over the hill

Sunset as we eat dinner on the terrace

Balancing rock

I know we're here. But where is here?

Live From The Berkshires

Two days of dirt bike riding with friends is a great way to spend a weekend. The XR400 is running perfectly with new valves and piston. And I only fell twice!

Found On The Road

Rt 123 in Norton MA. Excellent hot dogs cooked just right. "Cash Only Please"!

Bear Hug?

This is just so manipulative that it's a slap in the face to everyone who has hasn't drank the green Kool-ade. And what is the bear going to do next? Kill everyone who bought a Nissan Armada and Titan? Those vehicles put the Chevy Suburban to shame and rival the Ford F-150.

Nissan wins the hypocrisy award of the year!
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