Category Archives: Automotive

2016 BMW R1200R

10/23/2016 MadOgre 4 Comments

14731182_10209639397795157_8896495845009996547_n — Edit: Some folks have asked what boots I’m wearing. Icon 1000 “Elsinore”, from Revzilla. They are badass. But they are based on a Motocross type boot, so they are stiff and not great to walk around in.

2016 BMW R1200R. Just a simple standard motorcycle, done very well. Just a wonderful motorcycle. Let me tell you why…

Very comfortable, with an easy upright position, mid, to slightly rear sets on the foot controls that is comfortable but just back enough to be sporty. The seat is good for several hours in the saddle at a time without causing any pain in the buttocks. The mirrors are actually usable, and stay put and stable at speed.

But really, this bike is all about that engine. That classic BMW Boxer 1200. It’s rolling on 125 horses that are packing 92 pounds of torque. And that is a lot of power in what is really a small-ish bike. What’s great about it though is the way BMW has made all that power very accessible and controllable. There are three riding modes for the traction control and suspension. Rain, Road, and Dynamic. Dynamic is the fun mode. Like all BMW’s now, ABS is standard of course.

But there’s more to the engine than just numbers. The engine can be lugged, and you can just put put put around at low speeds… and if you want to go fast… This bike is fully FAST capable.

The brakes are very good. With the ABS system that works as well as this one does. Highway Speed to Full Stop under Death Grip Brake Stomp happens very suddenly, but with no drama, no skittering and nothing unexpected. The bike just comes to a well controlled stop.

The suspension is excellent. It takes in all irregularities and small bumps and turn them into distant miles behind you. The bike is very composed when the tarmac is less than perfect. Even in turns, under acceleration.

The R1200R is all about Competence. The bike just does everything well, without being flashy. It has no flair that might draw unwanted attention or get you accused of being a showboat. The R1200R is subtle in being awesome. It’s so subtle in fact that it garners very little attention in the motorcycle press. And in the showroom it’s one that is often overlooked and passed by, by those who’s eyes are caught by the more flashy of bikes. It might be the Big Brother to the R Nine T series, which might look more trendy and hip. Especially the R Nine T Scrambler… which is just amazing looking. But the R1200R should be the one you look at first. The R1200R has the better tech, and while it’s a similar 1200 Boxer to the Nine T series, this version is tuned to higher output thanks to the liquid cooling. Which makes it far more versatile for long range riding, more spirited riding, and lower maintenance.

When you are on a truly great bike, you can tell because the ride is about the ride and the bike becomes transparent. You don’t think about the bike anymore and all your attention is on the ride. And that’s what this bike does… It disappears when you get rolling and all you are thinking about is the road ahead. This is a beautiful thing.

BMW is most impressive with the engineering they’ve put into this machine. The quick shifter system, the switch gear, the GPS ready set up, the keyless ignition, the heated grips… And the simple menu system that only took a moment to figure out without having to pull out the manual. This bike makes my old ZX-11 look like it was from the Bronze Age.

Automotive

2016 Triumph Thruxton R 1200

09/29/2016 MadOgre 6 Comments

Yesterday I had the opportunity to ride a brand new Triumph Thruxton R 1200.
This bike was absolutely amazing in it’s composure and balance. It didn’t care what gear I was in… you could lug it… you could wind it out. Six speed transmission and the engine couldn’t care less…. Riding position is a bit leaned forward, but not enough that your holding yourself up by the wrists… It’s almost a Standard. Very comfortable.
It’s so much better than the old Bonny engine, which was an 865… and fine for… the 80’s… I guess. It was fine before… but somehow just a little lacking. Now, the new 1200 engine – which looks and feels weight wise like the same engine as before… is just so much BETTER at everything. Better top end. Better torque. Better power delivery from idle to redline… it’s just all completely better.

Having not ridden in some time, I was kinda nervous. But once I threw a leg over and grabbed those Clip Ons… it just felt RIGHT.
The bike didn’t feel like it was in a hurry to go fast – but it was. It cornered easily like you had already done that a thousand times. The handling was very neutral, with no drama. It turned in well, with no feeling of sluggishness or twitchiness. It stayed remarkably stable through the curve and powering out passed the apex.
The suspension was a very nice balance between comfort and road feel… You felt everything, but nothing hurt your spine or your gentleman’s nuggets. The seat feels both firm and comfortable as well, and you could easily spend enough time in the saddle to run from a full tank to vapor.
The bike was just a very pleasant, willing, and spirited companion.

EDIT: About a Month Later:
It’s been awhile since I rode it about a month ago now… And I’ve ridden pretty much everything else in between then and now. So I wanted to revisit the “Thruster”.

I am pleased to say that the Thruxton R has remained my favorite Sport Bike. The Bike is just hands down a pleasurable experience. The big bore engine makes effortless power, which translates into effortless motion. For a Twin, the Thruster is exceptionally smooth. And it’s extremely well behaved. In Rain Mode and Road Mode, the Thruster is the perfect gentleman. In Sport Mode, it gets straight up Dashing. It can keep up with most every other sport bike on the market save for the 200 horse power Ground Rockets. But it’s not trying to be a Race Replica… It’s only trying to be just what it is… a well built classic sport bike that can have fun carving canyons, and while doing so, it will be more relaxed, comfortable, and composed… It’s the Nicest of Sporting Motorbikes you will ever throw a leg over.
I just love this thing. Honestly, I can’t think of a single thing to do to it to make it better.

Automotive

Left Lane Campers

05/26/2016 MadOgre 14 Comments

Dear Carolina Drivers, I love you guys. You guys are some of the best drivers in the Nation. No, seriously… you really are! You guys are polite and friendly… you guys let people merge and there are few times when horns get used. You guys are great.
Save for one thing. Some of you guys are chronic Left Lane Campers. You guys are awesome until you get on the Freeway where you move all the way to the left and just camp there. You guys are going to just set that cruise control to the speed limit, and just ignore the whole freaking world around you. Or worse yet, you decide to set your pace to the freaking truck right next to you! Either way, you are in violation of a simple principle…
SLOW TRAFFIC KEEP RIGHT.
Let me make it easy for you.

If there is no one in front of you, and people behind you… You Need to Move Right.

If there are people Passing you on the Right, you need to move to the Right. Let’s give you an example… Look at this picture:

Now… We see 3 vehicles. A Blue Van, a Silver Car and a Blue Car.
The Blue Van is a LEFT LANE CAMPER. He needs to move his slow ass over to a lane on the Right. GTFO of the Fast Lane!
The Silver Car is needing to back off a bit. But he’s trying to communicate to the Left Lane Camper… But you can’t. Left Lane Campers are too busy text messaging to pay attention to actually driving.
The Blue Car, if he’s over taking the other two, is probably contemplating moving to the right and passing on the right. When he does so, the Silver Car is going to be fed up with the Blue Van’s bullshit and he’s going to move to the right as well, but without looking because he now has anger issues. As as result, the people in both cars are going to explode and die… all because of the Flaccid Left Lane Camping Sphincter driving the Blue Van.

Don’t be a Flaccid Left Lane Camping Sphincter. Don’t make people explode and die… Move to the Right.

Random Image Drop:

Automotive

Musk’s next move

10/14/2015 MadOgre 16 Comments

I was just reading the latest issue of Road and Track. Last story was that Tesla is having a bit of a crisis.

Well no kidding. Gas is 2 bucks a gallon and Tesla cars are hella-expensive. I looked at one and it was the same price as our house in Utah. While the cars are gorgeous, they are not that gorgeous and they hold curious design elements. The car isn’t an air-breather like a traditional car. So why does it have a traditional grill? Why? AC and cooling of components can be fed air from other areas. It doesn’t need a huge intake like a Ford Fusion. That’s one of the problems with the Tesla design… It’s a good looking car, but it looks like a regular car. It needs to look more like something from the future… something from space. Instead it looks like something from only 2 years ahead.

Here’s the thing. Tesla’s marketing is all about the Elegance and Style, and the touching of the Future Tech. When it needs to stop touching the future and get on about absolutely molesting it. It needs to be all about the Performance. Because the Tesla S while a high performance beast – is one freaking heavy barge. Instead of looking at the Ford Explorer as the model to save the company… it needs to look at another model…

Take all that E-Tech… and put it into a car like a Miata. For two reasons. First, there’s nothing on the road that competes with the Miata. There’s nothing in it’s class. A small, light, 2 seat roadster for under 30 Grand? Name one that’s in production. Available in the USA, smartass. There’s nothing else in it’s class.

The second reason? Let me tell you something. I was leaving work and pulled out into the street behind one of the most impressive cars I’d ever want to own. A Porsche 911 S4 Turbo. I was taken by how small the car is if you take away those hips. Now, the 911 has a back seat. As long as the passengers have no legs. And are children. Children with no legs. Actually, it’s best to just use the back seat to carry your back pack or day pack… small book bag. Or a wallet. Beautiful car. Just gorgeous. But it’s not for the Family Guy. It’s for the Selfish Elitist? No… I wouldn’t say that… I’d say it’s for the automotive enthusiast. The serious Car Guy. And those guys will pay whatever the price it is to get that serious car.

Now, the Tesla S has the potential to be a serious car… but it’s not. It’s too bloody heavy. Sure it handles well, but it handles heavy. It’s pulling too much Car. It’s trying to stop too much car. It’s trying to turn too much car. There’s just too much car. Yes, there’s a lot of weight in batteries – we all know that. Batteries are heavy. But the Teslas also have a lot of weight in regular car stuff that doesn’t have to be there. Take out all the drive components and other things required for the S to be a functional vehicle. What you have left over needs to be minimized.

To do that, there needs to be a new model… The “Tesla R” perhaps. Look at that Mazda Miata and DO THAT.

Forget the 15 inch touch screen inside. The serious Car Guy doesn’t need that. Take the super plush seats out. Throw in some Recaros or a type of seat similar to a Recaro that costs less. Take away everything that the Serious Car Guy doesn’t need. Take away everything that makes it expensive. Strip it down to the bare essence of what makes a pure sports car. It should be less than 40 Grand.

Tesla – You do that. You will sell everything you can crank out.

Automotive

Why Car Magazines are fading…

10/05/2015 MadOgre 5 Comments

Car and Driver, Road & Track, Motor Trend… They seem to be fading out. Motor Trend as a brand is doing the best, thanks to the YouTube video efforting… but I’m talking about the pulp magazine articles.
The latest issue of Car and Driver had a head to head comparo between the Toyota Taco and Chevy Colorado. With the outrageously imaginative idea to drive the two trucks from Tacoma Washing to Colorado. Whoever had that idea – demote them to Spell Checker. Because that’s just… not even trying.

But what’s worse about that idea, is that they missed the opportunity. They didn’t write about the Journey. If you take a long road trip like that – tell the story of the road trip and then talk about each truck helped or hindered that trip. Instead they just made it a long linear road test that’s about as interesting as watching the gauges on an emissions test. Tell a story and work the review into it.
Most articles I’ve been reading have been like this. Again, Motor Trend seems to be doing the best job of Creative Non-Fiction.
But Car and Driver and Road & Track are just boring to read and disappointing. Good photography though.

Between the two trucks though… The Toyota has had some slight upgrades but is still very outdated inside. It wins on the outside though, hands down. It has the right stance… some ground clearance and can handle bigger tires. The Colorado is just the opposite. It’s great inside the cab, and while handsome on the outside, it pretty much just an Equinox with a pickup bed. It needs more ground clearance and tires better suited for all terrain work. But then again, Chevy is just playing to the truck’s strengths – it’s a street truck. Chevy knows that. So Chevy isn’t even trying. But it needs to.

Toyota’s small work-truck reputation is built on being able to go anywhere and do just about anything. World wide. Chevy needs to build that reputation.
And how is it going to do that?
It needs the Automotive Press to push that narrative. Chevy needs to make a version that looks like it’s a tough SpecOps Warfighter that eats rocks and spits gravel. Then Chevy needs Auto-Writers who have no damns to give, and will take these trucks on some Orc-Hunting Adventures. Write about that and write about how the Colorado tanked through it all like it just didn’t care and would rather be on top of some summit. And they need to take that Colorado, maybe a couple Colorados… and go Everywhere. Do All kinds of crazy stuff. Write about the Journey. The Adventure. And how those trucks got them through. Write about it. Video it. The Long Way Around Style – with Midsized Trucks. Look what The Long Way Around did for BMW Motorcycles. You can’t have any conversation about Adventure Bikes without talking about BMW Motorcycles. Chevy needs to get that Reputation by getting out there and DOING IT.
Car and Driver is not going to give you that kind of article. Road & Track is certainly not going to give you that kind of article.
Maybe Motor Trend can. Maybe.

Automotive

Sorry the Posts have been few and far between.

05/25/2015 MadOgre 7 Comments

Point Blank Range had their Grand Opening Week last week. From May 16th to the 24th. This went along with NASCAR’s RACE WEEK, which is a huge Broohaha in Charlotte, NC.

One of the things I did was to get Harley Davidson of Charlotte to come out – and they did! They know I’ve been wanting a new bike, and they brought them. Each of the ones I’ve been wanting.

One is a nice little Sportster Forty Eight. Mini Ape Hangers (Which I am not all that fond of – but the riding position actually feels good), great aftermarket seat, Vance & Hines pipes and a Screaming Eagle Intake. All tuned to run together nicely. I like the Sportsters, and especially the Forty Eight model. I will have one eventually. As much as I love the look of them, that 2.1 gallon tank is limiting. If I was to have just one bike – I don’t know if I could live day to day with only a 2.1. I need a tank that LOOKS like that one, but holds 3, or 3.5 gallons. That would be perfect.

Then there’s the Fat Bob. In “Sand Camo Denim” I don’t get Harley’s name for the paint, but it’s a flat desert tan. I really dig the twin headlights. If I got the Sportster – I’d want to put lights like these on it. In LED. If possible. But I love the look. Reminds me of a vintage WWII bike, with some modern touches. I’d name the bike “Rommel” and put Afrika Korps emblems on it. I think these bikes are badass… and they ride very well. Very balanced and planted. The most Stable bike I think I’ve ever ridden.

Yeah, I have to post a second photo of this one. Love it. Just love it.
But then there is this one… The Breakout…

This image doesn’t do it justice. The red paint is just gorgeous. As is that huge fat rear tire. “Dat Ass”! The Breakout is a dream bike.

I was going to probably trade in my car on that Fat Bob… the Wife said “Do what you want”. And then I go to do it – she’s all “No, don’t.”

I love my car, it’s very nice, but I need something that feels alive and a part of me. Something with muscle.

Still looking…

Automotive

Harley Davidson’s 48 Breakout

04/20/2015 MadOgre 7 Comments

Yeah, I’ve come around. See, I’ll be real frank here… I used to seriously dislike Harley’s. Just like a really disliked Ruger. But when I sat back and was honest and objective about what Ruger was doing these days… I had to admit that I liked what they were doing, where they were heading and pretty soon I had to admit that I liked Ruger. I’m a Ruger fan now. My opinion can and has changed before, so this is no shock. I reserve the right to change my opinion when new information comes to light or the situation has changed. Ruger changed, and thus so did my opinion.
Harley has done the same thing to me. For some time I’ve admitted that I really dig the looks of the Iron 883 and the Forty Eights. In fact, I snapped this photo on my phone and have kept it for about a year now. This bike speaks to me, visually.

This is a simple, stock, Harley Forty Eight. As basic as a bike that Harley builds. It’s basically a stripped 1200 Sportster, forward foot controls and dropped mirrors. That works for me. I’d take that and put Drag Bars on it, saddle leather seat, and maybe have that tank painted a different color… Maybe Cerakoted in Burnt Bronze…

The other Harley I am digging… The Breakout.

This is Harley’s factory bad boy… Fattest rear tire they’ve ever put on a production bike. Stretched out forks, big front wheel, chopped fenders… it’s a low, lean, angry looking bike. I like that. And I normally don’t dig the Low and Lean look on bikes like this. But here, I just love it.

Why did I change my tune on Harley’s? Maybe it was the Project Livewire test ride I took. That opened my eyes on what Harley Davidson is truly capable of and it was as shocking to me as an Ice Bucket Challenge. Everything I thought I knew about HD was suddenly ripped away and replaced with an understanding that I knew nothing, John Snow. Since then, I’ve been looking, and learning, and have come to an understanding.

The other thing that changed my opinion… Harley Davidson of Charlotte. Super cool people there. Gun people, so I can relate… But they were all friendly, genuine, good people. Typical of most Motorcycle people I know… typical of folks from The South… So that Southern Rider vibe you could call it. I’ll call it that. Honestly, it’s one of the very few Motorcycle Dealerships that I’ve ever felt at home at.

Let’s put it this way – if I could afford to buy a motorcycle right now, it would be a Harley, and it would be from Harley of Charlotte. The only problem though is which one would I get? Man, I love that Breakout. But that simple “48” just does it for me. Now, if I could get that “48” with the 103 Engine… THAT would be it. Well, really the only downside to the 48 is the 2 gallon fuel tank. If they made a tank that looked just like that Peanut Tank, but held 4 gallons… There we go. With that 103…. 4 gallons and a 103… that would be my ticket.

Automotive

Drag Racing x4

03/31/2015 MadOgre 3 Comments

A few folks from work and I went to the zMAX 4 Wide Dragway to watch the Nationals.
Drag Racing is the automotive equivalent of Gladiatorial Combat. It’s loud, it’s violent, and it’s over suddenly. But man… You feel it. Now, when you drag 4 cars at the same time. Good hell. That’s just bananas. The sound and fury is staggering. Ear Plugs are not optional. They are quite mandatory unless you enjoy hearing loss.

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I have to say that my son and I truly enjoyed the experience. We watched records being broken. We watched dreams die. We watched it all. And loved it.
We were entertained.
I want to thank the zMAX organization for letting us hang out with them and experience a bit of all that they do. It was a truly impressive spectacle that we will not soon forget. I’d post a video… but was told that was a No-No by the NHRA. I shall respect that.

Automotive

Honda Pilots.

11/24/2014 MadOgre 11 Comments

Living in SC (South of Charlotte), I’ve noticed an overabundance of Honda Pilots. I can’t prove it, but I have a strong belief that over two thirds of all Honda Pilots sold in the USA are sold in the South of Charlotte area. I’ve sat at intersections where every other vehicle was a Pilot of one color or another. It’s crazy Pilot country here. I think there is some dark Pilot Conspiracy here. Since I’ve noticed this, I think the Pilots know that I know and now there are more of them around during my commutes two and from work. Maybe not – but it seems like it.

It’s not that I have anything against the Pilots. It’s just that there are So many of them here . It’s disturbing. Every area has it’s choice of car…. Never thought a Pilot had an area. Then again, I never thought I’d I’d be living in NASCAR country either.

Automotive

Chevy Equinox Update

10/21/2014 MadOgre 6 Comments

May 2013 I took delivery of a brand new Chevy Equinox. Front wheel drive, V-6, 2LT trim level, tow package installed. At this point it has passed 32,000 miles.
Let me give you the run down… About every 2800 miles its been getting oil changes and tire rotations done by Dealerships. And by that I mean Marine Chevy in Jacksonville. At 8,000 miles it needed a new battery which was replaced under warranty. That’s been the only issue. And really not all that big a deal.

The little SUV has performed admirably. Turning in great fuel economy… Far better than I would have expected. Better even than the 4 Cylinder versions are reporting. Thanks to GM’s fantastic engine. Direct injection, a smarter transmission, gobs of power at the low end… The engine never really has to work hard. Unless you ask it to. And when you do, it delivers. It has a lot of torque steer that you have to physically wrestle with, so hold on with both hands before you hammer it. And when you do, the car springs to life with a quickness and agility that’s unexpected. This makes my little SUV feel more like a Hot Hatch. A very heavy, but powerful, big hot hatch.
As soon as you let off the gas again, the EQ is back to it’s normal sedate nature. It cruises well, quietly and composed even at high interstate velocity. Feeling solid and connected, it’s easy to gobble up miles with comfortable adjustable and heated seats. Pretty luxurious stuff to this guy.
The touch screen is large and more responsive than most others I’ve played with. Easy to navigate. Syncing phones is easy as well… And the hands free calling works very well. As does running music from the phone. The only thing it doesn’t do is Navigation. Which is crazy… Chevy not putting navigation in a car at this price level is just retarded. There’s also no update feature with this system. You can update it with a USB, but there isn’t any updates for it.
Climate control is excellent with a very cold AC and a heater that you can bake a cake with. It comes up to temp fast and cools down fast… Really once you set it to the temp you want, you can just ignore it… The system will handle the rest.
Remote Starter. Remote hatch/rear door opening and close. Backup Camera. Alarm. It doesn’t lack features… Save for Navigation.
The EQ is a handsome car too. I think they look good… But it could get a little more bravado in the wheels and tires department, maybe a little lift.
I think it just may be the best vehicle GM makes. Its also the only vehicle GM hasn’t had a recall on that I’m aware of. GM just did everything right on it… Save for the lack of Navigation. The only problem really is the lack of personality. Its a very Vanilla car. Its one that is easily forgotten. It’s like the proverbial Nice Guy. What it needs… Is a dark side. A tattoo, a Honey Badger snear, and a pair of boots. But even then it would probably still be too clean cut and polite about everything.

Mad Ogre

Category Archives: Automotive

2016 BMW R1200R

2016 Triumph Thruxton R 1200

Left Lane Campers

Musk’s next move

Why Car Magazines are fading…

Sorry the Posts have been few and far between.

Harley Davidson’s 48 Breakout

Drag Racing x4

Honda Pilots.

Chevy Equinox Update

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