The State of New York is going to pass the Micro Stamping requirement. They do not believe you would actually move out over handguns stamping as they are a smaller portion of your business.
Well, here is the thing… your customers are not going to want stamped guns. Its bullshit science, easily removed or worn off, its a useless requirement. But is going to do this regardless. NY thinks you guys are blustering.
The stigma of rolling over and doing the stamps is going to hurt you worse than just pistol sales. I sell a lot of rifles, tons of Remingtons. I can easily see the customer base turn against you, even here where you are hugely popular.
Look at S&W and the Department of Urban Housing Agreement. S&W almost didn’t survive that, and they are still suffering from it today.
You guys need to move to a state where you would be cherished, appreciated for who you are.
Come to Utah.
A state that has one the highest guns per capita than anywhere else. Not only come to Utah… but come out to Vernal, Utah. We have the highest per capita in the State.
Just saying…. why live where you are not wanted? Live where you would be loved!
Besides… Utah was built by people leaving New York. Its like a tradition.
Monday’s Motorcycle: Honda NC700X
Honda, and every Cycle Rag that I’ve looked at lately are all spouting off that this new commuter standard is a “Game Changer”.
Okay, I took this at face value the first couple times I heard it. Its an interesting looking bike. Clean lines. Some nice MPG numbers. A trunk where the fuel tank should be. I wanted to like this bike.
And then I took a close look at one in person.
I don’t like it.
If this is a game changer, I don’t want to play this sport anymore. But I don’t know why that is. But there is something about it that is off-putting.
The engine is just fine for the intended purpose… but it doesn’t offer anything more. “Spirited” is something it will never be accused of being. The engine is pretty much the engine of a Honda Fit cut in half. You’ve probably seen the Honda Fit rolling around, when I was out in SLC last week, you couldn’t throw a rock without hitting one. Being based on an automobile engine does have some advantages perhaps. Commonality of parts, cheaper parts. Really, Honda was quite clever in this. The engine is lower revving than most bikes, getting much of it’s torque well below 3,000 RPM’s. And that’s a great thing, as I like to keep the revs down anyways.
And the 680cc engine allows for a very narrow bike. As there are only two cylinders side by side instead of the normal 4 that’s popular in many street bikes. My beloved Magnas for example had 2 side by side… of course there were also 2 more in a V going in a different angle, but still. I loved my last Honda Twin… My Superhawk. I loved how narrow that bike was. It was a 996 that felt as skinny as most 600’s, if not more so.
I like the trunk, but I don’t want to sacrifice performance for something that a tank bag can do. I don’t see myself storing my bucket in the trunk anyways. I’m in the habit of taking it with me anyways. I guess this is from having a few helmets stolen. BTW, who the hell would steal someone else’s helmet? That’s a very low level of scum. If you catch someone stealing a helmet – that should be justifiable homicide right there. Anyways, but having a nice storage compartment would be handy. A couple DVD’s a can of Xing Tea or two, some snacks. That’s something that would indeed be handy.
Of course Honda also has number of other add-ons. Such as hard luggage. Turning this little commuter into a nice little Touring machine. Notice that Center Stand. Handy that. I had a bike once that had one. I liked it. Of course I wrapped that bike around a tree so hard the engine popped out and they had to cut the tree down to get the bike off it. But that’s another post for another time. Anyways, yeah, that luggage… That top truck unit… that’s 600 bucks for that one trunk think alone. And you can’t buy just any aftermarket trunk for it, because then you couldn’t refill your bike because of the fuel cap location under the passenger seat. (Talked to the dealer about it. Evidently that was a problem for a guy.) So you have to buy it from Honda. I’ve never seen a plastic box worth 600 bucks, but there it is. Still, even dressed out, you still have a nice bike that rides about as relaxed as you can get, turns in great fuel economy…
But I just don’t like it. In fact, I kinda hate them. It’s too… “Nice”. It’s almost a Scooter in it’s Civility, and I hate that. It is about as Sporty as a Guy that wears Cardigan Sweaters. It’s a bike for a guy that has had his balls cut off. In fact, they should call this bike the Honda Eunuch.
The Caracal
It’s kind of like a cross between a Walther P99 and a Steyr M series. But the Caracal is better than both. I like it. A lot. I loved shooting it at the MAG-40 class, as Zak from Lone Wolf was kind enough to let me shoot it.
I’ve been thinking about thinking about the Caracal a lot since then. I want one.
Harley Davidson.
So while I was sitting in a Harley shop, waiting for my KTM to get finished… which wasn’t finished according to the 1.5 Hour Estimate for a blown gasket. I was looking at the shiny new HD bikes. I really don’t get the Harley thing…. As a motorcycle company, the brand is shallow as hell. The more interesting of the bikes are the ones that HD Enthusiasts scoff and refer to the as girl’s bikes. The Sportsters and the Iron 883. In black it is a bitchen looking machine. The other bikes look overweight and lethargic. They also look like the same bikes they have been making for 110 Years. Take a look at the the XR1200X, perhaps the most interesting HD of the bunch, but now Discontinued.
What’s left are the Cruisers, Touring Barges… The same old bikes Harley has been making forever. Big on sound, Low on performance unless you spend a lot more money on them. It’s a wonder people have not grown tired of these bikes. I got tired of them, just looking at them.
Then there is the V-Rod. A bike that finally breaks some new ground. But it remains a Harley side line… A step child. And a nitch machine at that. A Power Cruiser… Very low slung and fast looking. Impressive stats. But its a singular thing. The Corvette to Chevy. But Chevy takes the Vette engine and puts it in other cars… Uses the Vette to really spice up the the whole brand. HD doesn’t do that.
Look at the other MC Brands. They all have bikes in other classes, so Riders of all kinds can find something they want to throw their leg over. The problem I suspect is that Harley is not so worried about being a motorcycle company and are too concerned about being a Brand and an Image.
If I was Mr. Harley, I’d take that V Rod engine and shoehorn it into a few other bikes. I’d also try again on the sport market. Because there is room for it. Don’t know what that would look like? Imagine an HD 200 years from now. Okay, no… because HD would still look the same. Imagine what Larry Niven would imagine an HD 200 years from now would look like, and start there. I want to see a wicked superbike with fairings and the whole enchilada. Competitive in the Isle of Mann TT. Ducati makes awesome v twin sport bikes. Honda made a fantastic V-Twin Sport Bike – I had one. Both these companies also make bikes that can do both Dirt and Street. Where is an HD Adventure Bike? Single Piston Thumper? Where is an HD Factory Cafe Racer?
EXPAND THE BRAND, HARLEY! You check out the full HD Catalogue, and they actually have very few motorcycles. Just the same bikes that sport different Cosmetics and Front Tire Sizes.
Yet people will pay big dollars for those Hogs. BIG dollars. Don’t get me wrong – I admire that. I seriously do. Because Harley has a Brand built on a very cool Tradition. They have Legacy. But Motorcyclists fall into Two Categories Those that Like Harley, and those that Don’t. Namely because HD isn’t doing anything to reach across the lane divider to bring in new riders. I think that’s a serious flaw in HD’s future.
Here’s what’s pissing me off. I’ll probably end up buying a Harley some day. Because sitting on a couple of them… Damn. It fit. Didn’t hurt my knees. Felt good. Damnit if Harley isn’t the 1911 of the Bike World. Classic lines and great comfort with a Big Bore. Shit.
New Link Section
Some of you have already noticed that I have a new section to the Right… Over there… Under A List Links. “Podcasters”.
Check them all out. Download them to your MP3 Player. What else would you rather listen to? Your Justin Bieber and Lady Gaga music?
The Top Trainer
I’ve had the honor of training with some of the best instructors on the planet… and others who I call friends. I was looking at another website and one instructor was referred to as “The Best On The Planet.” I thought, whoa, really? And then I started thinking about just who the best Instructor really was. The Top Guy across the board. The One Guy…
Massad Ayoob, Clint Smith, Rob Pincus, Travis Haley, Paul Howe, Chris Costa, Tiger McKee, Todd Green, George Hill (Just Kidding), Louis Awerbuck, Pat Rogers, Dave Harrington… all these guys are awesome Instructors. But which one is The Best of the Best when it comes to Instruction of the Gun?
Tell me who your TOP PICK is, and Why.
Presidential Debate
Last night, like many of you, I watched the debate.
It really was not so much a debate as a severe thrashing. Without his teleprompter, Obama really showed his lack of experience, qualification, knowledge, and ability. It was almost painful to watch, which is why I found it to be so delightful.
What makes it so delicious was everything Romney could have said, but didn’t have to. Obama was up against the ropes almost the whole time. Romney had loads of ammunition he could have used. Best to keep that stuff in reserve for the next time.
I woke up this morning optimistic about my country.
Even the San Francisco Chronicle admitted Romney won the debate… though they used the word “narrowly” 163 times.
I think I want this bike.
The BMW F800GS. The littler brother to the big Beemers Obi Wan and his buddy Charlie rode around the world on. For me, the bigger 1200 is just a bit too big, where as the 800 seems “Just Right”.
I saw this bike in a parking lot in SLC while Gundoc and I grabbed a quick bite before we turned around and went back up to the range. I believe this to be the F800GS, but I could be wrong… But it’s the 800 that I’ve been studying. Autoblog has a good article on it, here.
“Why not just make your KTM into a bike like that?”
Because that’s not possible. My KTM is a single cylinder thumper for one, and the Beemer makes almost twice as much raw power. This makes it more suitable for longer range rides. Softer seat and a larger fuel tank are also better for a longer range ride. Also, the KTM has a habit of saying “Okay, let’s just run completely out of gas… right… now!” So some sort of fuel indication would be great, like on the BMW. A windscreen, heated grips, ABS, an actual trip computer. Things like that make for a more comfortable machine.
Weaver, Chapman, Isosceles.
There is much talk on the Internets about choosing your Stance and that you should train that Stance. I think this is wrong. Obviously everyone will have their favorites and will argue them. But I think we need to learn them all.
I find Weaver is good for shorter range work, Iso for intermediate or fast action, and Chapman for longer range work. I don’t think I can use just one for all defensive scenarios. And I think training only one is doing a disservice to yourself or your students if you’re a Trainer.
During the MAG-40 Class last week, Massad Ayoob teaches his students these three basic Stances. I teach them as well. While I’ve never really thought about it much I looked at the people who were shooting best in these stances. For the most part, it was the big burly guys tended to shoot Weaver the best or said they preferred it. Most everyone else liked or shot better with the other classic stances. At the 15 yard line, everyone shoots 6 rounds from Each of the Stances, but gives the Female Shooters the option of not using the Weaver.
If we’re teaching a method that only big strong dudes who can overpower the stance, then it doesn’t work for everyone. I used to shoot Weaver all the time but found that I do better with the others. So why are we even still teaching Weaver? Isn’t this now Archaic to the point we should only think of it in terms of Black and White photos and the FBI Crouch and just shake our heads and comfort ourselves with our opinion that we are so vastly superior now days?
No, not really. Because like much in the Gun Community, everything has it’s place. And Weaver is still a very valid Stance to Learn and strive to Master.
If you are standing near a Stranger, in the Field Interview position, a couple feet away, Gun Side away from the Stranger… You are set up for a Weaver Stance in case you have to go to Guns on the Stranger. There’s one very good reason. And you’ll find that you take this stance quite readily. I’ve never talked to a Cop that I didn’t know that initially addressed me from a position ready to go Iso on me. Because form a Martial Arts standpoint, it would be completely wrong.
Let’s say you are in your car. Your Torso is not a Turret that will allow you to go Iso by traversing at your waste. If you can, I’d like to see that. Take the car out of it. Let’s say you are in a Wheel Chair and something happens to the Left or Right of you. Or just sitting in a Cafe. If you have to go to guns quickly, you may not be able to stand up, spread your feet and stick your arms out to full extension.
These are just a couple cases where you pretty much have no other option than to use the Weaver. Sure, you could then move into your other Stances, but the initial action response is from Weaver. And wouldn’t it be nice to End the hostilities right then and there?
So for you Dedicated Chapmans and Isos… You still need to Train with the Weaver Stances.
MHI Role Playing Game
Okay guys… For all you MHI Fans, YOU WANT THIS! I want this!