36 posts from 2009

New Tires

After a couple weeks of either freezing cold temperatures or torrential rain, I was blessed with the gift of dry and fairly warm temperatures, for a mid December day that is.  I had not been on my motorbike since I put on a new back tire. My front tire was still in pretty good shape but the rear was shot and I had been making due for a while, so the new tire feel was pretty pronounced. I love the way a motorcycle feels after a new set of tires. It drops into corners so effortlessly, almost spooky at times with the sensation of nearly falling over. It's like having a new bike. 

In the past I have been told after getting new tires to take it easy for the first 100 miles because the tires would be slick until they were sufficiently scrubbed. I don't know if this is one of those old wives tales or mythes but it has always been in the back of my mind. I used to be pretty paranoid about it but after many sets of new tires I am thinking that this maybe over stated some. I have yet to loose traction because of new tires. Now that could be because I take it easy but I am guessing that 100 miles maybe a bit over kill.

So I will try to be smooth on the throttle and get out there to enjoy those new tires.

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My Dream Bike

I was looking through motorcycle links on the internet as I often do and came across what I think is one of the coolest motorbikes in years. It is the new Ducati Multistrada 1200 and for some reason this one just does it for me. They claim it is 4 bikes in one, sport, tourer, urban, and enduro, that you can change with just a click of a button. Wow! what a great concept. Now when I dream of that one really special bike that I will probably never be able to afford, I will be dreaming Ducati.


 Here is a link Ducati Multistrada 1200

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Learning a New Skill

I have never been much for working on my bikes. Oil changes have been about the extent of my maintenance involvement. In my area it is tough to find someone to change my tire if they are still on the bike but plenty that will swop out the rubber if I bring the wheel in off the motorbike. So this week I decided it was time to learn a new skill. 

Lacking the correct tools to change out the tire myself, I figured I would at least learn to take the wheel off and have someone with the tools finish the job. When I say lacking the tools that also includes a motorcycle stand so I had to come up with a way to jack up the bike. My solution worked quiet well. I rolled my bike between two posts and ran straps from them two on each side of the bike, for the front and back. I tightened the straps evenly till the bike was balanced and secure. Next I took a floor jack and slowly lifted the bike till the rear tire was about two inches off the ground. It is not as convenient as motorcycle stands but I was a very happy with how well this worked. 

After reviewing a quick how to video on YouTube, I preceded to remove the rear wheel. I thought to myself, Wow! that was not as scary as I thought it would be. I ran the wheel down to the shop, payed the man $20 to change the rubber, brought the wheel home, put it back on the motorbike and I was off for a ride.

After this little exercise, I felt a real sense of accomplishment. Besides saving money I felt a closer connection with my motorcycle and felt that the knowledge I gained from this could help me on the road someday.

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McDowell Creek Falls in HD

I just finished a video of a nice little park in the foothills of the Cascades. I am testing a piece of camera gear to see if I can use it on next seasons rides. The video was shot with a Nikon D90 digital SLR with video capabilities. it might be cool to only need to carry one camera on a motorcycle trip. 



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Death of the American Sport Bike

It deeply saddens me to see that Harley Davidson is dumping the Buell Motorcycles, the only American sport-bike company.

I never owned a Buell motorcycle but they built a couple of bikes that I had considered for the future and it seemed in the last couple years they started bringing out some competitive rides. I was always intrigued with a number of the motorcycle companies innovations such as fuel in the frame, underslung exhaust and oil in the swingarm.

I have never been a fan of the Harley Davidson motorcycle company and this move will surely solidify my dislike of the motorcycle maker. If they would have sold the company it would have been easier to swallow but to discard them is a slap in the face to the faithful Buell fans and the motorcycle community in general.

 
Here is a link to a message from the company's founder Erik Buell. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t5i7JDNACtI


1 comment Tags: motorcycle

Next Year's Ride

With the motorcycle touring season coming to an end in much of the country, at least in my neck of the woods.  My thoughts have already began to race to next season. We have all ready picked next years big ride which will take us to the scenic state of Utah. We don't have the specifics worked out but that's ok, we will figure it out over the cold winter months. Dreaming of the next adventure is much of the fun and helps me get through the winter chill.

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Motorcycling is so Relaxing

I cringe every time I here somebody say that motorcycle riding is so relaxing. Relaxing! I have been with in inches of being a hood ornament two times this week alone, thank God I was not relaxing. Relaxing conjures up thoughts of kicking back on the couch and watching the game. Not to say you shouldn't ride relaxed but that is body position only.
I suggest ride alert, on edge and ready for what might be around that next blind corner. I would describe motorcycling as fun, exciting, exhilarating, stimulating and even a life changing experience but relaxing doesn't be long in the description.

Be Safe and leave the relaxing for the hot-tub after the ride.
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The Mileage Badge of Honor

Recently I have noticed that when talking to bikers about past rides one of the first details shared is the mileage of the trip. An example would be, Yeah I just did a 3000 mile ride to Yellowstone.

I have noticed I do the same thing and I am not sure why. If I lived 400 miles from Yellowstone, would my Yellowstone experience be diminished? I don't think so. To be honest some of my shorter trips have been more rewarding and engaging. I am finding that I like exploring and eating at little out of the way places. I like to arrive at camp with enough light to take in what the area has to offer. 

For me it is becoming more about the experiences and less about the mileage badge of honor. 
So next time someone asks me about my motorcycle trip I can say… Let me tell you about what I've seen.
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Riding the Edge in Central Oregon

We have  just finished a new trip video from a recent motorcycle camping trip to central Oregon. You can check it out here http://ridingtheedge.net/centraloregon.html
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Suzuki DR650

I was looking into a Suzuki dr650 as another option for an adventure bike. Some of the knocks on that dual sport is the small 3.4 gallon tank and a narrow and hard seat. No worries, after market parts to the rescue. You can turn that dual sport into a long range adventure bike with  a Corbin seat and 7.9 gallon Safari Tank By Aqualine, oh my!

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