Tag Archives: Motorcycles.

Automotive

V-Twin Sports Riding

31 Comments

There is something about this Honda Superhawk… It’s very different from other bikes I’ve ever ridden.  I guess its because I’ve never had a V-twin sport bike before. The bike is very deceptive… It feels like a 600, its light and narrow, and is very agile… More like a 600 or 750 than a 996.  But the torque… It come on like a force of nature and the speed builds so effortlessly.  It’s amazing.
I’ve had other sportbikes, I’ve had cruisers… I’ve never had a machine that I enjoyed riding so much as I enjoy this one.  This bike is my favorite out of everything that came before it.  I don’t know what could top it in terms of pure unadulterated pleasure. 
EDIT:

Thanks to Horde Member M… Had a brisk ride home after he helped me tighten my chain. He’s rolling on a sports bike too. Hooliganism makes one feel young again for a moment. And that’s a good thing when taken in small doses. My Chain, once to a proper tension, is at the maximum length of stretch. I’m going to replace it. The Sprockets are in better shape than the chain… the chain is in ugly shape. With my Chain Break History, I’m just going to remove that nagging doubt.

Not everyone of my friends understands the Motorcycle thing, and even fewer understand the “Rice Burner Crotch Rocket” thing. What’s funny is that the guys giving me the most crap about also own Japanese bikes and one even drives a Honda car. So “Rice Burner” isn’t exactly holding water… but it is certainly a rocket.

Guys, no, as much as many have said or are thinking… I don’t want to die. Yes, I understand I hold my mortality in my hands, but I don’t want to die. I’m just not afraid of dying. There is a difference, an important difference. I’ve done performance driving courses… I think I would really like to take a Performance Riding course. I’m still green on a Sport Bike, and still learning this bike… I think a course would really be a good idea.

Automotive

My Honda Superhawk 996

34 Comments

Well… I did it again.  After looking at Kawasaki’s, Suzuki’s, Yamaha’s, and a couple Hardly’s… I came home with another Honda… another Red Honda.  This is the Superhawk 996, a V-Twin.  Yes, I sold a Honda with 4 cylinders, 4 Carbs, 4 Pipes… and bring home a Honda with 2 Carbs, 2 cylinders, and 2 pipes… and it’s Twice the Bike.  I am not nearly as fatigued from the ride from Orem, and admittedly I got home a lot quicker.

This bike really and truly is a Torque Monster.  In Orem, on State Street… about 5 blocks from where I bought it, I was nearing an intersection that had turned Yellow.  So I just goosed the throttle like I always did on my Magna… expecting a quick burst of speed, nothing big, just enough to get through the yellow light.  That’s not what happened.  What happened was this hairy beast of a monster let out a roar and I wheelied through the intersection like a madman.    Thankfully there was no Law Enforcement around to witness this because I don’t think they would buy my excuse.

Carving up the canyons on the way home was pure enjoyment.

What’s funny though… the motorcycle “Wave”.  I saw a lot of motorcycles out today… passed by tons of them going the opposite direction.  I used to always get “The Wave” from other bikers.  Not One.  Not that I cared or expected it.  But there it is.

The Superhawk is a strange bike, I’ll admit that.  Very light and narrow for a 996cc machine.  The bike wants to cruise at 80 MPH at 4K RPM’s.  Just really sedate compared to the Magna at the same speed.  It just burbles along… singing it’s song… and then I downshift and open the throttle… and the Superhawk gets straight up PISSED.  The whole tone of the engine changes and the power comes on in a huge way.  110 horses and 80 pounds of torque come to bear… this is a great deal more power than the Magna had… and the Magna is considered a “Muscle Bike”.  Huh.   The Speedo on the Superhawk goes up to 180 MPH.  I didn’t test that… but I believe it can get up there.  I did inadvertantly hit a triple digit speed making a pass on a long straight.  The speed rolled on effortlessly and the bike felt solid as a rock.  I was shocked when I looked down and saw how fast I was going.  I instantly pulled that in…. One doesn’t want a ticket on the first day of ownership… that’s bad luck.

Overall, I am full of Happy Happy, Joy Joy feelings with this motorcycle…. and it looks so good… I don’t think I could ever get tired of looking at it.  In fact, I sat on the porch of Ogre Range just looking at it for the longest time.  Gorgeous bike.

Automotive

Sold the Honda Magna

16 Comments

Saturday I unexpectedly made a deal with a family to sell my beloved Honda Magna. The day before, I was having lunch with my Bride and we talked bikes. I decided to just keep the Magna and tweak it to better suit my needs. Seat, tank, pipes. Simple enough.

Then after lunch on Saturday some folks come in to the gun shop and we come to an agreement.  I’m actually kinda torn on selling it.  The VF750C’s engine is truly one of the very best engines ever put into any motorcycle.   Honda really needs to bring back the Magna, but with some more modern upgrades.  But as I say farewell to this bike, I’ll be able to make acquaintance with a new bike.  There are three main options.
First option, is a Kawasaki ZX-1100.  Full sized sport-touring bike.  This is a long range road interstate warrior… exactly what I want and need.  This bike has the range that I wish I had invested in off the bat when I got the Magna.  But it had been awhile since I rode, so it was wisdom to get into something to get my Biker Blood flowing again without spilling it.   But a bike like this… it’s a lot of machine. It’s a Starship that can cross the country at Warp Factor 10 like other bikes cruise at 60.
Second option, if the first one is taken before I get to it… is a Yamaha FZ1.  A Standard Liter Bike, all around easy bike to run on, but with good sized fuel tank that would get me where I wanted to go.  Not the most exciting of machines, but an all around solid bike that would do very well for me.
The third choice actually surprised me.  A Zuke Boulevard.  It’s not much bigger than the Magna, but it does have the fuel tank that I want.  It lacks the Hasty that the Magna has, but with the better fuel economy, bigger tank… it doubles the range that the Magna had. Electronic ignition, computer controlled fuel injection… it would be a very nice machine.  And it’s larger, more comfortable than the Magna… I could deal with that happily but it would be settling.

A lot of guys are telling me that I need to get a Harley.  Sure, I could do an XR1200.  Or a cool Dyna set up like Jax Teller’s… but I don’t want a bike that is loud, and you are just not finding them for around three grand, because that’s all that I’m spending.  I don’t want to Bank Roll a Bike.  I’m not going to carry a note on something that can so easily be ripped out from under you by an idiot in a Cage.

I’m crawling all over KSL.com’s Classifieds.  But if anyone out there knows of a GOOD bike for around 3 grand… hit me up.  I’m open to good suggestions.

 

Uncategorized

It’s only Feb 2nd.

15 Comments

Today was a great day… Here we are in the second day of the second month in North Eastern Utah… Dead of Winter.  Snow is usually measured in Feet…

And today I rode my motorcycle, got my first Prairie Dog Kill of the year, and had a Pelican Burger.  Awesome Day.

The ride was just a couple miles at the most… from where my Bike was parked to the Shop where it’s getting a new chain and tire and some general servicing.  The rear tire is completely bald and squared off from all the miles I put on it last year… starting out with a brand spanking new set of tires.   That’s a lot of miles.  I hope to put on a lot more this year.

While at Beers Harley Davidson, I took a look at some of the bikes for sale.  The Honda Fury is still there.  Give me a million bucks and my first Splurge Purchase would be that.  But there was a Harley there that caught my eye too.  One I’ve never seen before but is evidently old hat to a lot of people… The XR1200X.  It’s a classic Harley, but set up as a Standard and not a Cruiser or Touring bike.  But it has something the other Harley’s don’t.  Lean Angle.  I don’t know why… I can’t explain it… But I really really like that bike.  To the point that I want one.  It’s about the same price as the Honda Fury, or close enough so that price doesn’t matter.  But it looks like the XR1200X would be a better Daily Driver.

The Prairie Dog kill was fun.  Fenris and I just kinda rolled around one of our desert areas.  He got the first one of the year.  Then the next two.  Then I finally got one myself.  About a 60 yard thump with my Savage 93R17, Killswitch.  I would have had more, but the magazine self destructed.  The feedlips decided to go in two different directions.  This turned Killswitch into one of the worlds most awkward single shot rifle.   I need a new magazine, and I need to put it on paper and get it fine tuned adjusted again.

The Pelican Lake Cafe remains awesome.  I had an Ouray Burger there… which is two thin patties stuffed with onions and cheese… filling the burger full of flavor.  It was very good.

All in all… a very satisfying day.  And it’s only Feb 2nd.  This is shaping up to be a great year.

Automotive

Axis Powers

3 Comments

When Germany and Italy work together on something, amazing things happen and France surrenders.
Ducati and AMG have conspired together to build an evil motorcycle called the Diavel AMG.  It’s already banned in Poland.
Quite seriously, Italian designs and German engineering is the best of both worlds… It’s the automotive equivalent of crossing the streams.

Automotive

Buckethead

20 Comments

So I may need a new helmet now.  I took a 5 gallon bucket to the face at 75MPH.  It almost took me off my bike.  I was/am unhurt.  It blew out of the back of a truck and nailed me.  It happened so fast, I didn’t see it coming.  If I had got a half helmet type – I’d be dead.  I’m sure of that.  As it is, I’m just fine, because God loves Ogres and I live right and the well wishes of my friends and family all worked.  So, no worries.

Well, the impact was pretty good and I’m concerned about the integrity of the helmet now.  I think I need a new one.

WEAR YOUR SAFETY GEAR.

Uncategorized

The most dangerous road in Utah

3 Comments

Congratulations to UDOT for creating the most dangerous road that I have ever ridden on.  Highway 40, going through Strawberry.  A few weeks ago I rode through and watched a couple on a motorcycle go down.  That was due to the uneven layering of the road surface, and they way that UDOT directed traffic through it.  Now the road is finished.  And UDOT managed to create a surface that is not just slick, but also collects water and doesn’t allow it to run off.  Sunday I rode through during a thunderstorm.  It was absolutely scary. But I made it. I posted this on Facebook:

The hariest part of the ride was going past Strawberry with it’s newly refinished surface. Water doesn’t run off there. It collects. So to avoid hydroplaning, I threaded my tires in the track of a truck in front of me that was doing 75-80 MPH and I was going through where his tires splashed the water out, before the water came back in… if you know what I mean. It was either that, or go 40 MPH and risk getting run off the road. So it was dicey.

Another rider didn’t make it.

I point my finger at UDOT for totally crap engineering of the road.

Automotive

Real Biker? No thank you.

34 Comments

I have got to get a Sport Bike now.  Reason, I have to distance myself from the Cruiser set.  My thing about disliking Harleys is really more about disliking Harley Extreme Enthusiasts.  I’ve had run in’s in the past with these brand new leather clad insurance brokers who just got their new HD’s with only 400 miles on the odometer – “Get a REAL bike!”  Really?  You mean your obnoxiously loud V-Twin that cranks out only 58 horse power because it’s engine technology is 20 years out of date… that’s a real bike.  But my bike with it’s V-4 engine with a Carb for each piston and 4 valves for each piston and tuned for 90 horses with huge torque and a huge powerband to give me all that power whenever I want it… Yeah, fine.  It’s not a real bike.  You win.  Even though with your anemic power output to pull your huge bulk which gives you at most half the power to weight ratio… you straddle a better machine, Sir.

“You’re not a Biker on that!”  Really?  Because I’ve not seen you riding all week.  Because it’s been nasty weather… and then it was too hot… and you’ve been rolling in your Cage all summer except just today when you finally got the weather report you wanted and you just pulled on your Leather Vest to show off your Patch.  Fine.  You are a Real Biker.  I’m not.  I’ve only ridden my bike every single day… Sometimes arriving at work soggy… sometimes arriving at home sodden wet.  But grinning.  I’ve ridden in thunder storms, rain storms, wind storms, dust storms, snow, hail, through freezing cold, and blistering heat… every day.  And you are going to tell me that I’m not a real biker.   Cool.  Because if you are  a Real Biker, I don’t want anything to do with being a Biker.   If it makes you feel better… I’ll call myself a Rider or a Motorcyclist.   You, Sir, can be the Real Biker.

Yeah, I don’t want anything do with all that… I’m going to trade my Cruiser for Sport Bike.  Ideally a Sport Touring bike.  Because I don’t want anyone to even think about calling me a “Biker”.

This Magna is now on KSL for sale or trade.   Now if I could trade this for a Honda VFR, I’d be well pleased.