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Rider Control When Stopped – or Not (Video)

MCg — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 04:08:45 +0000

HOW OFTEN DO YOU DROP YOUR MOTORCYCLE? I don’t mean crash it, although that would certainly be a pertinent answer. In this instance, I simply mean dropping it while you’ve stopped, or while riding very slowly. One example would be pulling up to a stop sign and putting your foot down on some loose sand, or wet leaves, or in some way losing traction under your foot, and then losing the bike as it falls over.

Another example would be putting down the kickstand while dismounting the bike only to find that the side stand wasn’t fully extended into its locked position, which leaves the bike unsupported as it falls over.

Or, as in the example in the photo above and in the video below, a friend (Lance) dropping his bike when the front tire got hung up in some soft sand, while riding slowly. We were on a 1600 mile, 5-day, Central and Northern California ride and were on our way to a National Forest campsite when the dirt road turned into soft sand.

He was not injured, nor was the bike damaged. And he demonstrated the attitude of a true professional: “Oh well, I’ll handle this better next time.” And when we headed back out of the forest the next morning, he had no problem with the same difficult spot in the dirt road.

I mentioned to Lance that it happens to many riders and it’s not a big deal (he considers himself a relatively new rider). It certainly has happened to me a number of times over the years and it usually just results in some momentary embarrassment, with no personal injury, although sometimes bike damage does occur.

But it left me wondering: How often does it really happen to other riders? And how many riders are willing to confess to momentary lapses of good control, in an otherwise non-threatening situation?

It doesn’t seem to take long for some beginning motorcyclists to consider themselves competent riders. I know I thought I was reasonable good within my first few thousand miles or so, back in the 70′s. But after several hundred thousand miles under my belt, and the recognition that I still consider I’m learning, I sometimes wonder how I survived those first years.

The point is that many riders consider themselves to be in good control of their bikes at all times. But the concept of letting it fall over while stopped, or nearly stopped, seems to belie such a notion – even if only for an instant.

Regardless, if you are willing to share such hapless moments on your own bike, please add your experiences below regarding how often you have found yourself picking up your motorbike after it tipped over when you were stopped, or almost stopped, or even just getting going….

Motorcycle Fashion Show? (Video)

MCg — Sat, 18 Dec 2010 06:31:51 +0000

DO WE NEED MOTORCYCLE FASHION SHOWS? I’ve been going to the annual Long Beach Motorcycle Expo for many years. The weekend event draws tens of thousands of visitors from from all over Southern California to see the latest bikes and gear. Of particular note for this stop of the U.S. Expo Tour are the demonstration rides on bikes from many of the manufacturers. (Rained out this year).

However, what caught my attention as something “new” (for me), was the Ducati Fashion Show with scantly dressed, skinny, young girls – and some acrobatic guys. (In fact, they’ve been held around the world for several years). Although professionally executed and pleasing to observe, it struck me as somewhat peculiar to experience a well-know manufacturer deliberately garnering attention for their apparel, rather than their bikes, when, one would presume, most who are visiting their display area, would primarily be interested in their motorcycles. And on top of that, the show was not about how well Ducati apparel protects a rider – it was showing off quite a bit of non-riding attire. Although, in all fairness, their protective gear was featured in the fashion show, as well.

It does not escape me that of all the new bikes, gear and accessories from a massive concentration of bike makers and vendors that I experienced at the expo, what I’m writing about right now is, from my perspective, a side show. So, one could argue, that it was a well conceived publicity presentation for Ducati.

Most riders are aware that all motorcycle makers benefit from healthy profit margins by selling anything with their company logo on it. Harley, in particular, has enjoyed great success licensing their brand name to all types of apparel manufacturers. I do not begrudge any company for profiting from what the public is willing to pay for, in spite of the fact that I, personally, seek out riding gear from specialized gear manufactures, not bike manufacturers. (And the apparel in my closet which is adorned with bike names mostly arrived there as gifts, rather than personal purchases).

Still, from an educational perspective, when I contemplate all that it costs a motorcycle maker to display their wares at these shows, and particularly to get a whole bunch of moto-journalists in front of them, I must say I did not leave Ducati with any more enlightenment about their motorcycles. (This fashion show was Ducati’s 15 minutes of fame, as part of the expo’s pre-opening “media day,” whereby a herd of writers, photographer and videographers are goaded from one manufacturer’s presentation to another.)

But the good news is that I was entertained! And enjoyment is a fundamental key to motorcycling in general.

Oh! I should also not that as soon as the fashion show ended, Nicky Hayden spoke for a little bit. Although his talk was still not educational about any specifics regarding Ducati’s motorbikes, the company certainly positioned their brand clearly with a MotoGP World Champion.

So, how much riding gear do you own that has a manufacturer’s name on it?

Are Old Motorcycles for Old Fogies? (Video)

MCg — Mon, 18 Oct 2010 07:05:50 +0000

THE OLDER I GET THE MORE I LIKE OLDER MOTORCYCLES. And I’m not only talking about the motorbikes that were prominent when I started riding back in the 1970′s. I’m talking about bikes that go back throughout the 20th century and even back into the 19th century.

BUT WHY? Beats me.

I’m not a mechanic, an engineer or a motorcycle builder. I just like to ride. My appreciation for machinery is very practical: How reliably can this bike get me to where I’m going with as little fuss as possible?

From my perspective modern bikes answer than concern rather well.

I used to think it’s just a matter of age. You know, getting older and getting “nostalgic.”

But I don’t consider myself nostalgic and I love modern motorcycles just as much as vintage ones. And why would I get nostalgic about bikes that were old before I was born, anyway?

Then a simple experience turned the age thing upside down.

I was walking downtown and I eyed one of the new “retro” motorcycles that I’ve been contemplating as a purchase: a Triumph Bonneville. While I was inspecting and admiring the parked bike, the owner walked over and I struck up a conversation. He was from the local Navy base. I told him that although I was thinking about buying one of these too, I couldn’t understand why a young guy, such as himself, would want one.

He just shrugged, smiled and said he liked it.

I laughed and said that made sense to me.

So, I’m not sure how much age has to do with appreciating old motorcycles.

Video: Vintage and Celebrity Motorcycles

I’ve been visiting motorcycle museums and exhibits for years and this weekend toured the “Born to be Wild: Vintage and Celebrity Motorcycles” exhibit in the Air Force One Pavilion at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum in Simi Valley, CA. Kind of an odd place to view old motorcycles, but Reagan did have a connection to Harley Davidson when he imposed a 45% tariff on less expensive, quality Japanese motorcycles for 5 years until HD got its act together. Whether that was a good idea or not is a matter of debate (as it was back then in the ’80s), but the exhibit was well worth the visit.

The following video highlights a number of the bikes on display although there were many more. The main ones I did not feature included a number of motorbikes in the movies, although I’m sure they are fascinating to many people. Since a number of them were never operational or are currently impractical (flying motorcycles), they just didn’t inspire me. However, Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Fat Boy from The Terminator is included in the video, which is very road-worthy, as well as many prominent, rare, unique, or important motorcycles that have been around a long time – the oldest from 1899. Others include a 1970 Harley-Davidson “Iron” XR750: Only 120 of these single-cylinder flat-track bikes were built (they weren’t reliable), exclusively for racers. Additional bikes include a 1903 Harley-Davidson replica, a 1913 Sears Auto-Cycle, a 1972 Yamaha XS1b 650, a 1979 6-cylinder Honda CBX 1000 (both of the last which I well recall from their heyday), a 1995 hand-fabricated custom bike with a Harley engine, a 2005 MV Agusta F4 1000 Agostini (only 60 imported into the U.S.A.) and others.

So what about you? Do you like older bikes?

And if you do, why?

Please add your thoughts and “Leave a Reply” below.

Riding Through Big Trees and a Black Bear (Video)

MCg — Mon, 27 Sep 2010 06:31:50 +0000

SEQUOIA NATIONAL PARK IS AN EXCEPTIONALLY FINE EXPERIENCE ALL BY ITSELF. However, it is especially suited to motorcyclists as a result of its reasonably well maintained asphalt, lots of curves and great scenery. It has an added advantage of being in the shadow of its more famous big sister, Yosemite National Park. On the one hand, since Yosemite and Sequoia are about a hundred miles from each other, it’s relatively easy to visit them both. The reality is most tourists who are pressed for time only visit Yosemite, which simply means there are always less cars and people at Sequoia – even on holiday weekends – compared to Yosemite.

In other words, the riding experience is better at Sequoia than Yosemite because there is less traffic.

And yet Sequoia National Park is nestled within the same Sierra Mountains as Yosemite.

Furthermore, your entrance fee at Sequoia is kind of two-for-one deal, since Kings Canyon National Park shares a border with Sequoia National Park, and they share the same entrance.

Also, if you are into motorcycle camping, generally speaking, I have found it easier to get a camping spot at Sequoia than Yosemite. Although on this trip, we stayed in a lodge.

This particular weekend was notable for Sequoia since it marked its 120th birthday.

The primary riding experience is on General’s Highway, which is some 45 miles or so between the north and south entrances of the park. However, the southern segment features a stretch of about 16 miles which contains 130 curves and 12 switchbacks.

The entire stretch of General’s Highway is mountain-scenic beauty.

The pavement tops off at about 7000 feet in elevation, although the surrounding mountains reach twice that height, including Mt. Whitney, at 14,505 feet, which is the highest mountain in the lower 48 states.

It’s cooler on General’s Highway than the lower San Joaquin Valley, which is very hot and dry in the summer so bear in mind the temperature changes when planning a trip to Sequoia National Park or Kings Canyon National Park

California Big Sur Coastal Riding and Camping (Video)

MCg — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 00:48:33 +0000

WHAT’S BETTER THAN MOTORBIKE RIDING AND CAMPING ALONG THE BIG SUR COASTLINE? Not too much. On the other hand, I’m one for riding and camping anywhere with mountains and lots of twisty roads. No matter, this roller-coaster motorcycle ride is fabulous entertainment on a grand scale. The Pacific Ocean and the jagged, scenic cliffs falling away from the Santa Lucia Mountains are fine frosting on a tremendously tasty riding treat.

Whether you want to enjoy the camping part or not, you should make a point to ride up, down, around and along this 90 miles (or so), of California Highway 1 and the adjoining Los Padres National Forest.

Oh! Depending upon where you are going to or from, when leaving or approaching the Big Sur region, there is a much less known way to further stretch your riding enjoyment. The western terminus of California State Route 58 intersects California Highway 101. This chunk of 58 and its twisty asphalt (between the 101 and about 70 miles or so east before it connects up with California State Route 33), boasts more and more scenic beauty and impressive geological features, such as the San Andreas Fault. If you prefer your riding pleasures to be rarely interrupted by other vehicles, 58 goes through such a sparsely populated area that even on the Fourth of July weekend there was remarkably little traffic. And it’s so curvy that few trucks traverse it at anytime. It’s a magnificent ride all by itself, and because it’s somewhat in the shadow of its internationally famed Big Sur brother, it’s not nearly as well known.