Category Archives: Automotive

Automotive

Monday’s Motorcycle: Learning to Fly

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I’ve had a lot of emails from people who have never thrown a leg over a motorcycle, wanting to know where to start.  Some of those emails would have me believe they are actually considering purchasing a new 2012 ZX-14 to “Learn On”.  Uh huh.  Yeah, my Dad taught me how to drive in a Formula 1 car too.

If you are going to start to learn, you need to start out with the basics, because I don’t need idiots like that jacking up my own insurance.  Get real.  Start simple.  My first bike was quite larger, but it wasn’t the first bike I had ridden.  That was a Honda (shocker) 125.  It was fun.  And much faster than my BMX bike or my 10 Speed.  So it was pure thrills on that thing.

Start out with a 250.  But decide if you want to learn on a Sport or a Cruiser.  It’s been reported that a full 1/3 of new 250 bikes are being sold to women.  Which is interesting because that’s about the same ratio of questions I’ve been getting.

If you want a Sport Bike, the Ninja 250 is the Tried and True choice for the fledgling Valentino Rossi. They are fun to ride, plenty fast, yet not so powerful as to get out of control in a hurry and put you into a tree.  It’s a smart choice.  Riding a Ninja 250 well teaches you technique, body position, braking, and everything you need to learn to go fast and ride safe.  Also, they are bulletproof little machines that you are going to want to keep around.  And they look cool.

There is another upshot to the Ninja 250.  60 miles to the gallon.  It sips fuel like a china doll at a tea party.  Really I don’t think there is a more efficient production vehicle out there that costs so little and returns so much enjoyment.

You can have just as much fun blasting through a canyon on a 250 as you can bigger bikes.  You just don’t have the blinding top speed that will get you sent directly to jail if you get caught doing it.

Okay, so flying a Rocket isn’t your thing?  You want to look at scenery in front of you instead of behind you in the rear view mirror?

Here’s is my beloved Sister on her new to her Rebel 250.  Probably the best Learning Bike ever made period.  Nothing about it is intimidating to a Novice Rider, yet it’s still cool looking, gets great fuel economy, and you get pick them up for about a Grand on up depending on Vintage and Miles.  The one thing I’ve learned about these little Johny Rebs is that they tend to have as much attitude as their Riders. Which means they can have a lot.

There is nothing to fear on one of these lean machines save for those people who are chatting on their phones and texting when they should have eyes up and hands at Ten and Two.  When you are riding though, you learn to spot those guys a mile away.

These are my two recommendations for Learning to Ride.  I don’t care if you are Chick or a Dude, these are where you start.

I know a local guy that’s learning, he’s spend some extra bucks to get a new Honda CBR250, and I’ve seen him jetting around town…. he’s doing great.  Another guy I know, he picked up a ZX-6.  Two weeks later his bike was totaled and he is on crutches.  I’m not saying you can’t learn on a bigger bike, but it’s just a better way to start when you start out slow.

Besides… the DMV test is all about Slow Speed and Control in a tight space.  I think the Utah Rider Test is performed in the same space one could park 2 Chevy 2500 Trucks.  It’s very tight.  Now if you can master these bikes, then go take your test on a 600 so you are golden on any size bike… but only if you can pass that test.  To do that, you are going to need a lot of practice, and the 250 is a good place to start.

Automotive

To Ride

8 Comments

I read an article in Motorcyclist Magazine last month that I wanted to share.  It’s finally come up on their Web Site.  This captures the feeling that I have not been able to communicated.

The article is called “It can take you there.” by Joe Gresh.  The last few paragraphs are the juice.

It was a beautiful ride. No pack to synchronize my speed to, no pesky photo stops to interrupt my mojo, no need to think of things to say to people I want to impress. I could go in any direction I cared, alone. Between raindrops, the dense, moisture-laden air condensed into foggy mist. Man, I could smell everything: living things, rotting things.

The forest is a compost heap and I’m on a silver centipede pounding double-time through Deep Musty. Big Banger thuds softly—nothing can stop this engine, man, nothing! The rain falls harder and my hands numb from the cold, wet gloves. I can sense it, further on. More throttle, Big Banger lunges to 70 mph, 3000 rpm. Not enough—more! Seventy-five—it’s just ahead, it has to be! Faster still, Big Banger’s exhaust begins to drone. God, it feels good to shiver—I never want to die! Squirming black road iridescent with oil rising, cut dark green left, dull gray light blasts through a gap, asphalt yawning, stretching. Raining harder, Big Banger’s wheels are circular rivers, water streams from my visor, turn to clear and see trees blurring, and right now each curve is exactly where it should be, exactly!

I lived half a life in hundredths of a second. I wish you could have been there with me. I wish you could have seen me. I caught up with it, man! I caught the moment and it was perfect. And there was nothing in my way!

If that doesn’t make you jump on a Motorcycle and head out, nothing will.   When I read that, I thought, “Man, he nailed it.  That is it!”  That was poetry.

 

 

Automotive

Monday’s Motorcycle: BMW S1000RR

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In the last few times I’ve watched motorcycle racing at M’s place, one bike was the consistent performer… This BMW.  See, BMW is mostly known for their Adventure Touring bikes.  Well, if you are into Sport Bikes, when you think of BMW, this is the machine that springs to mind.  During the races is likes to takes a position up near the front… usually second place, right behind the Leader… right in his 6, like an Focke-Wulf FW-190 waiting for the right moment to shoot them down and take the lead and win the race.  We’ve watched BMW do this to Honda and Aprilia.  While the other bikes are visibly fighting, the BMW Rider looks like he’s just out for a cruise… totally relaxed… and then “Okay, you’ve had enough… Your done.”   And the race is over.  It’s able to do this because it’s hugely powerful and composed… and the BMW pilot is one scary motherfucker.

If I could have one bike, given to me for free… and it was the last motorcycle I could ever have and ride… I’d happily pick the S1000RR.  Or even, this is the last vehicle you could ever own… Oh yeah… it would be this bike.  Pure Teutonic Brutality.  Engineered from the ground up Blitzkrieg everything.

Ounce for ounce, the Germans have never invented anything else so sinister or powerful.  Or as beautiful.  This is Heidi Klum and the Luftwaffe rolled into one.  Look at the shark gill style vents.  That’s a warning.  It’s also serving a purpose… keeps that Sturmgewehr it uses as an engine cool, by pulling in air and blowing it out and away from the rider.  Then there is the thing with the asymetrical headlights.  That’s a one raised eyebrow saying that it isn’t going to put up with anyone’s shit.

Not from anyone.

 

2012 BMW S1000RR – American Specifications/Technical Details
US MSRP Price: $15,050 USD

Continue reading Monday’s Motorcycle: BMW S1000RR →

Automotive

To Ride

8 Comments

Riding a motorcycle makes one contemplate mortality, as I hold it on my own hands… I am more aware of it. Every time I fire up the engine, I know it could be my last time. I say a little prayer… Asking that I have a good ride, and if it be my last, that I am taken home quickly. I trust in my Skill, and in my God. I have faith. This allows me to Not Fear. As a result, I enjoy my Ride more… And I enjoy everything else more too… My Wife. My Children. My Friends. And the little things in life are sweeter too. A sip of a cold Tea. A smile from a pretty girl. A laugh from kid. Wind in my face. Jokes are funnier. Food tastes better.
I don’t ride because I want to die. I ride because I want to live.

Automotive

Monday’s Motorcycle: Honda VFR

4 Comments

One of the motorcycles I had in the past and truly enjoyed, was the VFR.  It uses THAT engine… that one that I just can’t help but to love… Honda’s V-4.  Lots of power at the low revs, lots of power in the middle, and lots at the top.   Honda has put this engine in the Magna, and made them in a couple different sizes… all good.
My first was a 500CC, then later a 750, and then an 800.  The 500 wasn’t my first bike, my first bike was also a V-4… the Saber.

But the Saber pretty much became a cruiser, and Honda used the badge on the Shadow line of bikes… pity… But the V-4 lived on the Magna… I’ve had a few Magnas.  One of each Generation.  The last was the best, undoubtedly.
The Intercepter though… that became known simply as the VFR.  And it’s lived it’s life as a dedicated sports bike, then went the path of the Sports Touring as Honda decided to bring the inline-4 out as the dedicated sports machine.  I used to hate the CBR because of that.  It’s Commercial Airliner looking fairings and Non-V-4 engine.  The VFR kinda became tired.  The sporty looking bike for Old Guys.  Well, now I’m an Old Guy.  And it’s looking good.  It’s looking really good.

It’s not a perfect Sports Touring Bike… It has it’s flaws.  But it’s got some great points.  A new double clutch system, that V-4 engine in a 1200 sized Value Pack of Moto-Goodness.  It’s also fairly heavy, and people are saying it’s not as powerful as it should be.  But I think this is forgivable giving the fact that the power delivery is low and mid-range designed for what it’s for… Sports Touring.

Engine type l-c V4
Valve train SOHC, 16v
Displacement 1237cc
Bore x stroke 81.0 x 60.0mm
Compression 12.0:1
Fuel system PGM-FI
Clutch Wet, multi-plate slipper or dual-clutch automatic
Transmission 6-speed
Claimed horsepower na
Claimed torque na
Frame Aluminum twin-spar
Front suspension 43mm Showa inverted fork with adjustable rebound damping
Rear suspension Single Showa shock with adjustable spring preload and rebound damping
Front brake Dual Nissin six-piston radial calipers, 320mm discs
Rear brake Single Nissin two-piston caliper, 276mm disc
Front tire 120/70-ZR17 Dunlop Roadsmart
Rear tire 190/55-ZR17 Dunlop Roadsmart
Rake/trail 25.3 deg./4.0 in.
Seat height 32.1 in.
Wheelbase 60.8 in.
Fuel capacity 4.9 gal.
Claimed wet weight 591 lbs. standard, 613 lbs. automatic
Color Candy Red
Available March
Warranty 12 mo., unlimited mi.
Automotive

Your gunna kill yourself on that.

38 Comments

Good Hell… If I had a dollar for every time I heard that.  Sport Bikes and Sport Touring Bikes are no less safe than any other motorcycle. 
I humbly submit though, that the fact of the matter is that the opposite is true.  Sport type bikes are more agile and stable at speed.  Sport Bike Riders wear more protective gear.  Sport Bike Riders are more attentive and strive for continual riding improvement.
As evidence of this theory, look at the news reports of the fatal accidents in Utah this year.  Following the reports on KSL.com, I believe damn near all of them were on Cruisers. Loud Saves Lives, they say.  Maybe… But the lack of gear kills.  I thought about this because the other day I saw a guy on a Harley… and he was actually wearing a helmet.  This stood out in my mind, because it was the first one I had seen all year. 
Now, my buddy Fenris wears a lid… But he’s been the only cruiser jockey that I know that will wear one regularly.  No one else does.  Actual motorcycle jackets are few and far between.  The uniform for cruising is a Dew Rag and a Vest.  I’m not aware of any dew rags earning a Snell 2010 rating.  And that vest might look cool… But where is the CE rated Armor?
No. I’m not going to kill myself on my machine… I’m not suicidal.  Which is why I wear my gear and ride a bike that has better technology for avoiding danger.
You Harley guys… You gentlemen, are going to kill yourselves.

Automotive

Monday’s Motorcycle: Kawasaki Vulcan 1500 Drifter

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I borrowed one of these machines for a couple days while I was in between bikes.  It’s low slung, mean, and powerful… yet easy to ride, mellow, and it takes it really easy… because it doesn’t have to hustle.

It’s wide.  Very wide.  And it has floorboards.  Huge planks.  The seat is sprung so even riding over a curb is nothing.  I’ve been riding this bike every night for the last couple weeks as part of the Stage Production I’m in, and I just love it.  The thing is a riot!  It’s like Kawasaki put a set of bars on a Caddy.  Cruising at highway speed the bike felt like it was just burbling along at 2000 RPM’s… yet it never lacked for speed, acceleration, or the desire to just keep going.

However it’s not without it’s faults.  It’s so low and wide, it doesn’t have much lean angle at all… you cant rocket around the curves on these things.  And it’s brakes are not likely to pull the fillings out of your teeth.

But I don’t care!  I love this bike.  Unfortunately it’s not mine and at the end of the show I must give the keys back.  But the owner has said I can take it for a spin whenever I like.   This will have to be done from time to time as I’ve fallen in love with this machine.  It’s very generous of him to allow me to straddle this machine.  Because letting another man ride your Bike is like letting another man ride your woman.

My buddy Fenris has a Vulcan 900, and it’s a cool bike.  But the discontinued Drifter is a whole different ride.  With it’s super wide bars, couch like seat, Indian style fenders… it’s one of the coolest bikes I’ve ever ridden.

 

Automotive

Google Glasses

21 Comments

I want a pair.  But not for Gaming or other such reasons… I want them for my Motorcycle Helmet.  Bike helmets have not changed much since the 60’s.  Sure, we have slicker shapes, better venting, and bold new graphics… But really its just a Plexiglas face shield attached to a padded bucket. 
I was watching Ironman and was thinking about this… How bitchin it would be to have that helmet for riding motorcycles.  Heads Up Displays with your bike’s data, speed, temp, angle, G’s… Navigation and Communication… And superimposed FLIR for greater night time riding safety.
The tech us all stuff we’ve had for decades.  US Army Helicopter pilots have had this for a long time.  We’ve had FLIR in cars too.   Google Goggles puts it into a form factor that could be incorporated into a bike helmet.

Automotive

Monday’s Motorcycle

23 Comments

This Motorcycle today… It’s the Kawasaki ZX-11.  When it was in production, this bike was the fastest thing on two wheels.  The acceleration was unmatched and the top speed was…  far too fast for any reasonable person to want.  Now, there are faster and quicker bikes out there.  But the ZX-11 remains a monster and faster and quicker than most still. Now the current Speed King is the ZX-14, but the 11 is it’s Daddy.

Here’s the thing about this ZX-11 here.  It’s mine.  I picked it up yesterday.  When I got my Superhawk, this was the bike I had gone out to get.  Unfortunately the bike was in pieces as the owner was working on it.    I couldn’t just jump on it and run, so I had to go to a second option.  I loved the Superhawk, but it wasn’t what I had planned on buying.  For that reason I still wanted one, even though I had a great machine.  The Superhawk’s V Twin was fantastic engine, low RPM burbling, instant throttle response through all RPM’s… it’s a great machine to ride.  But the power did have a tangible top end.
The ZX-11, the power is different… It’s more like I’m riding a Jet Engine strapped to a pair of wheels.  I twist the throttle and the RPM’s come up, but not the speed… not yet… Like a Jet Turbine spooling up, the thrust doesn’t come until it spins up fast. But when it comes, it comes in a big way.  It surges forward like an F-22 Raptor and it doesn’t feel like there is any limit.

I thought the Superhawk was a fast bike.  I really did.  Because it was, but the ZX-11 is fast on a whole new level.  I’ve named this bike “Shadowfax” because it’s shown me the meaning of haste.  It’s also much more comfortable.  The riding position isn’t “Attack Mode”.  It’s more upright. Less fatiguing.   More wind protection.  You could ride this much farther distances… which is cool because it has a larger fuel capacity for more distance.  A much longer range machine.  Which is just what I’ve been wanting.

It’s a much wider bike.  Heavier.  But it still feels agile.  As much as the Superhawk was.  But I’ve promised my wife that I was done with the knee dragging.  My shoulder is far more injured than we knew and gives me more pain now than my arm and knee did after I crashed.  So my bride says I need to slow the hell down.  And I agree.  I do.  But she says that in a controlled environment, I can pursue my goal… 200 MPH.  It’s a compromise, but a fair one.  Rather hard though… because the bike wants to cruise at hyper velocity, so smooth and stable it’s like it’s nothing.  Speed is deceptive here.  With the wind protection, power, I thought I was cruising at 60.  I looked down and saw I was rolling at 90.   I have to check my speed all the time because it keeps building and I’m always letting off the gas. This bike wants speed… it’s made of it.

It’s also the first Kawasaki that I’ve ever bought.  It’s a far cry from a Honda.  In fact, it’s Honda’s chief rival for the Jap Bike market.   While I remain a Honda fan, these big Ninjas are truly impressive machines!

Update:  Sold the Superhawk for enough cash to not only buy this machine, but inspect it, register it, and pay the monthly mortgage.

 

Automotive

Superhawk Update.

33 Comments

Unplanned, I sold my bike. An offer was made on my Superhawk. So I sold it. I was surprised, as the thought totally had not occured to me.
Oh well. It’s done. So I shall be getting a new bike. Something that is not a Honda. In fact, its very un-Honda. The Anti-Honda. Something I’ve never had before. It’s also very large and heavy, and that makes me nervous. It’s also ridiculously fast… But not something that will have me riding like I have been. This will be a good upgrade for me. One I can cross the country on… and will.