Bike Week Already?

Jeez, wasn't it just Arizona Bike Week a couple months ago? Here's details if you want 'em.

Personally, I'm disappointed that the Triumph demo truck isn't going to be there. I want to try out the Street Triple, darn it!

Sunday Moto Movie

What bugs me about this isn't that we never see the promised burnout. The fact that he doesn't wear a helmet doesn't bug me. It isn't even that he uses a steering wheel to drive it.

What bugs me is that it has training wheels.

Speed Comes from your Left Hand.

One of the things that I really wish my MSF instructors would have gone over is just how important clutch control is. The clutch is your do-it-all control on any bike. Consider the dreaded figure-8 box: It may be counter-intuitive, but it's easier to control the power to the rear wheel - and thus the handling of the bike - by judicious clutch application than by trying to use the right amount of throttle.

Had I figured that out during the class, I probably wouldn't have blown the figure-8 on my test.

The clutch isn't only good for low-speed maneuvering, however. You can accelerate a lot faster, and more smoothly, by gradually releasing the clutch than by letting the clutch go and grabbing a handful of throttle.

Case in point: Say you have a limited amount of space to get to freeway speeds. Metered on ramps during rush hour are a good example. To get the bike moving with a quickness, give it enough gas to get into the powerband (it kicks in around 7,000 RPM on my bike, and really picks up at 10k), and ever so gently release the clutch while applying a little more gas proportionally to how much you release the clutch.

The first time you do this, you'll likely find the way your lips peel back disconcerting. Don't worry, you'll get used to it.

Repeat for each shift, and you'll be amazed at how quickly you reach super-legal speed. I can almost reach freeway speeds in first gear, and I expect most motorcycles of the sport persuasion can as well. Keep an eye on your speedo, or count to four-one-thousand, to know when to stop accelerating, unless you like explaining why you were going so fast to officers of the law.

If you really want to improve your riding, pay attention to your clutch.

Awareness Test - Send it to your favorite cagers

This is an old experiment, redone. If you haven't seen it before, chances are you'll be shocked.

If you have seen it before, you'll be delighted by the update.

Taking Care of Moto-Business

March was to be "buy a motorcycle and sell it on eBay" month for me. Due to a variety of slack-inducing factors such as guests, colds, and total lack of motivation, I haven't acheived this particular goal yet. I know I've still got four days left in the month, so maybe I'll find something to buy and list, at least.

Recently there was a pretty 1984 Honda Nighthawk 700 for sale on craigslist for a great price. I took too darn long pondering the purchase and by the time I called, some other savvy bastard bought.

The lesson I learned is: stop over-analyzing, get out there and hustle.

A few days ago, I realized I've spent a solid year (more, actually) researching this business idea, watching craigslist, figuring out how much bikes are worth, how I can make a profit, and so on. I won't claim to be an expert, but I'm as close as I can get without digging in and selling some darn motorcycles.

So I guess what I really need to do now is overcome my fear and loathing of my cell phone and, y'know, call people and look at bikes. Moving, shaking, wheeling and dealing, here I come.

Superstitious Bikers

If you see a penny face-up on the ground, you should pick it up - it's lucky. Face-down, you should flip it over with your foot or a stick and leave it for the next person.

I am not a superstitious person, though I've always had a keen interest in the superstitions other people follow. Superstitions are a part of our folklore and myths, "us" being the world at large.

Furthermore, I think superstitions "work" for some people. When I was a kid in Little League, I had a lucky bat. It had some powerful mojo. I hit almost every time I went to bat, and I developed a reputation as a power-hitter (for little league). It worked great, until an umpire took my bat away, saying it didn't meet regulations. I played terribly for the rest of the season.

Did the bat itself actually improve my game? No. I believed it did, though, and it gave me the confidence I needed to play well.

Bikers are a superstitious lot. It makes sense, we play with dangerous and tempermental toys, so looking for extra good luck makes sense in an illogical sort of way. I've got a ride bell on my VX800, and I swear that - while it still ran - that thing kept the bike from breaking down. Now, in my logical brain, I know it's nonsense, but hearing that bell jingling was soothing all the same.

This morning I pulled in to park, and noticed a penny on the ground where I was about to stop the bike. It was face up. I debated whether I should leave it under the bike (thereby passing luck to the Triumph), or pick it up and bring it with me.

I picked it up.

Have you got any crazy biker superstitions?

Riding in China and other links

Ok, so I didn't get my ride report written. And I'm too tired to think this morning because I couldn't get to sleep last night.

But I hate for you to come here and not find anything worthwhile, so here's a post about Riding Motorcycles in China, from The China Teaching Web.

Apparently Michael Schumacher is racing motorcycles now.

This video of synchonized riding could only be cooler if it had a top down view, and the riders were Shriners on mini-bikes.

Oh, and just in case you missed the bazillion emails Triumph has sent out, they're launching a new t-shirt line. I've gotten three emails about this in my personal email account. Curiously, they haven't emailed me at my blogging email address.

A New Take On Motorcycle Airbags

Wow, this actually looks like a viable solution. I would like to see some more coverage on the arms and legs, but I guess the real point of this is to protect the head and neck. Hard armor works fine for knees and elbows without restricting movement too much, but near-instant armor around the neck would be great. Protection plus unrestricted movement! Good thinking, Dainese!

Monday Already?

Lady Luck and I did get out for a long ride this weekend. I've got photos and a ride report to post later this evening.

Other than that, though, I didn't try new beer, make pizza or work on the VX800. My excuse is that it was a holiday weekend. Yeah.

We did have some lovely beer this weekend, though it doesn't even ALMOST qualify for a manly beer review. Here's what you do: get some Young's Chocolate Stout and some Lindemans Cherry Lambic (or Raspberry, if you prefer). Fill a glass about 3 parts Chocolate Stout, and float 1 part Cherry Lambic on top. Best black & tan ever, and it tastes like a chocolate covered cherry. It's nice.

This weekend I learned about the Experimental Gameplay Project. The basic idea is to build a prototype video game in 7 days, so the games are simple - and surprisingly addictive. Check out "Towers of Goo." The whole reason I got into computers, originally, was because I wanted to make video games. I've made... two. I think. In 14 years. If you're a sorta-computer nerd like me, you might dig this article about the game making process. I gotta come up with a motorcycle-themed game idea. "Crazy Moto-Commute" perhaps...

Back on topic, I also found a new Phoenix-based moto-blogger. Go check out his site, and admire his flame-jobbed Easter egg.

And that's it for this workday. I'll try to get my ride report with pretty pictures written up tonight, and posted tomorrow.

Sunday Moto Movie!

I dunno... A V-Rod motor is hardly conceptual. But, we'll give them the benefit of the doubt.

DIY Biker Pizza!

I have been a slacker this week. I meant to make a pizza, but then I didn't. You know, because of stuff.

Becky posted this recipe for pizza dough over on Biker Chickz Recipes. I'm planning to make it this weekend.

Also coming up: a new beer review! And stuff!

Can't Afford Gas? Don't Be This Guy

So some guy up in Minnesota rigged up a pump in his truck to siphon gas from other cars into his own.

Maybe I'm a goody-goody, but if I couldn't afford to gas up my truck, I'd cut my losses, sell it, and get something that's cheaper to own. Or start carpooling. Or take a bus. Or ride my bicycle. Or something.


(Thanks to Gary for telling me about this asshat)

Is That Guy Tailgating a Bus?

Speeding, as a means to get to work quickly, is dumb. I mean, sure, it's fun whizzing past traffic, but you aren't cutting minutes off of your commute by going 80. Know why?

Stoplights - the other great equalizer.

My average speed for my commute is about 26 miles per hour. This includes my ever-so-fun high speed blast down the HOV lane. I don't pretend it gets me to work quickly, it's just a thrill. On days I'm not feeling fast, I ride slower. I get to work at the same time either way, because adding ten, or even twenty miles per hour to my freeway ride only increases my average speed by a one or two miles per hour, and that's if I ride fast for a long stretch of time.

This morning, a guy on a gixxer zipped past me in the HOV lane, fully tucked, wearing a fleece jacket. I was already going at a pretty good speed, so I didn't bother trying to keep up with him. I did keep an eye on him, though. Soon enough, he caught up to a bus. And started tailgating.

Now, this is just dumb. The bus driver can't see you, so he/she isn't going to move out of the lane. Furthermore, it's a bus. The back wheels throw stuff. A bus is so big you can't see around them. And it's a bus! Stay the hell away from trucks and buses!

Naturally, I caught up to the dummy in a matter of seconds. He somehow got around the bus and zoomed ahead. As I changed lanes to pass the bus, another dude on a gixxer zipped around and passed me in the center lane. He immediately got caught behind a slow SUV. I giggled to myself as I passed the bus and changed back to the HOV lane, accelerating ahead of the guy who'd been so eager to pass me.

I watched this new racer pass me on my right several times, changing lanes and accelerating hard to get ahead of the latest obstacle. And I passed him again and again every time he got himself stuck in a group of slow-moving cages.

I hope he was having fun, because he sure wasn't getting anywhere fast. I won't judge anyone for going fast (so long as they're only endangering themselves), but cutting time off of a commute requires a better strategy than "go fast when you can."

If you want to get somewhere quickly, find a route that keeps you moving, even if it's slow. You want to increase your average speed, not just your peak speed.

Steampunk Motorcycle

No fresh new ideas today, so here's a link to some guy's Steampunk Motorcycle.

Frankly, I'm a little unimpressed, but I still support the effort. And it's niftier than any motorcycles I've built, so I guess I'll shut up. Until I've built a motorcycle cooler than this one, anyway.

Fantastic Guide to Buying Used Bikes

Here's a link to a comprehensive list of things to check and questions to ask when shopping for a used motorcycle. There's a lot of valuable advice on that page.

Sunday Moto Movie!

Think you're good? You're not.

Motorcycle Trials riders blow my little mind.

Random Moto-Thinkery

• I want to get a Sportster, turn it into a cafe racer, put a Triumph tank badge on it, and see if anyone notices.
• I haven't managed to redline the Speed Four yet. What the hell?
• So is Seafoam just the most amazing product in the world, or what?
• What the hell purpose do 12 point wrenches serve? Is it to strip bolts for anti-reverse engineering?
• I gotta pick up some 6 point wrenches.

Top Chef Deep Dish Pizza Challenge - NO NO NO

Ok, pizza with Marmite is wrong.  

In fact, all of those pizzas were just wrong.

So wrong.

Sometimes, You Gotta Be a Jerk

There are a wide variety of dumbasses out on the road, and some of them just tick me off. Cagers who want to race, in particular, annoy me. I think some of these people have control issues, and a "need" to be in front of everybody.

Yesterday I got cut off downtown by some dude in a grey Corolla/whatever-typical-sedan. That's fine. I mean, I don't appreciate getting cut off, but I can deal with it and not go into a fuming rage. I don't need to outrun anyone just to wait at another red light.

Anyway, sensible-auto-man cut me off. Naturally, that meant he had to wait at the red light longer than me. I changed lanes to be first in line at the light.

I was mildly amused to see him creeping forward, in order to stay in front of me a bit, as I reached the light.. I wasn't blocking his view of traffic (he couldn't turn left anyway, it's a one way street going the other way), which meant he just had to be ahead of me.

So I crept forward to see what he'd do.

He moved up.

I giggled madly and moved further ahead. He moved to match me. I could hear his little cager-control-freak-temper boiling. I knew he was going to want to tear ahead of me, so I revved my motor a few times to let him know he wasn't going to get by me.

Normally I wouldn't sit there revving my motor- just so we're clear - but sometimes you gotta be a jerk.

The light turned green and he tore off. I, meanwhile, rode ahead at a reasonable and prudent speed. After all, there was another red light a block down.

I laughed the whole way down the block.

Spotted in the Wild

About as rare as Sasquatch, though much less pretty - a Can Am Spyder parked next to me at work.

That Special Time Of Year - Difficult Weather to Dress For

So here in the desert, we've reached that time of year where it's still a little chilly in the morning, but the temperature gets into the 80's in the afternoon.

I can, and do, dress in layers, but it always results in carrying around a lot of stuff. Presently, I wear one pair of gloves, and carry another, depending on the temperature. Taking off a heavy shirt and just wearing the t-shirt underneath also results in stuff to carry.

I hate carrying stuff. I've got a courier bag that I like, but I'd rather not have it stuffed full of riding wardrobe options. I've already got my lunch stuff in there, notebooks, a trendy music listening device and my infernal cellphone (hiss).

All the same, I'll try not to complain too much. It's perfect riding weather right now.

Not Difficult, Just Slow

A few weeks ago I started making my own bread. From scratch. By hand.

This is, of course, because of a desire to eventually have a homemade pizza that actually tastes like pizza.

Anyway, I started off with a basic recipe that needs two rises. It worked well, so after a few loaves, I got a bread recipe book and started using a new recipe. The new one needs three rises, and 20 minutes of kneading.

Now, using the simpler recipe, I could start a loaf at six p.m., and be happily munching on hot, fresh bread by nine. Last night, I used the new recipe. I forgot the bread had to rise three times.

I didn't get to bed until almost midnight. For me, that's really, really late.

Making bread does involve some hard work, but not much more than making cookies. It's mostly a lot of waiting and being close to home. I find it pretty enjoyable, particularly the kneading and punching down. Oh, and eating it afterwards. If you haven't had homemade bread recently, you need to make yourself some.

Incidentally, a PB&J on homemade bread with fresh ground peanuts, homemade jam and bananas is pretty close to divine.

Now I just gotta find a good pizza dough recipe...

Moto Movie of the Week!

Crazy fast goldwings at Deal's Gap. Look at 'em go!

Manly Beer Review - Mickey's Fine Malt Liquor

When I checked out at the liquor store, the clerk said "Hey, good choice."

I said, "Oh yeah?"

"Yeah, and you even found the wide-mouth bottles!" the clerk said.

"Uh huh?"

"People come from all over to find those. They're hard to find. That's why we always have them in stock," the clerk explained.

"Well, awesome then," I said.

I spent a few minutes tonight deciding if I should just get a really big Miller High Life, or try a new beer. I knew you guys were probably dying for a new beer review, so I decided to get Mickey's Fine Malt Liquor.

I had only had Mickey's once before, back in college. At the time, I preferred to get lit on Icehouse and Old English 800, unless I had enough cash for Jack Daniels. So, it's fair to say that I haven't really drank Mickey's before.

I tried to find some interesting history about Mickey's, but five minutes on Google and Wikipedia didn't turn up anything interesting apart from a UFC sponsorship.

So, what does this stuff taste like?

Alcohol. With some beer in it.

The curious thing about Mickey's is that as you drink, the beer taste becomes more prominent and the alcohol taste less so. So, the drinking experience gets progressively more enjoyable, at least.

Tonight, I had a Mickey's with my dinner: White Castle Frozen cheeseburgers. Mickey's is NOT a good compliment. I recommend either eating your sliders, or drinking your Mickey's, but never combine the two.

In the interest of science, I poured a little into a glass, thus becoming the first person ever to put malt liquor in a glass. I'll probably get a Nobel prize for it. It's not a bad color, and has a decent head.

Now, for $4.99, I really expect a lot more out of my beer. Mickey's is OK, but I won't buy it again. All the same, if someone offers me one in the future, I won't run screaming from the room.

Check out my previous manly beer reviews here:

Coors - The Banquet Beer
Pabst Blue Ribbon
Michelob Lager
Miller High Life
Schlitz

So There's This Local Pizza Place

A few months ago, a new pizzeria opened near my house. They've been trying to nail down their recipe, and as such, our pizza experience has been different each time. Generally speaking the pizza has been good, though there have been a couple of occasions where it was outstanding. All the same, we want to support any pizza place within walking distance that isn't a giant corporate chain, so we forgive the lesser experiences.

I was there last night, picking up a pizza and thinking about how I really need to write a review of the place, when the about-to-be-new-owner came up to me and introduced himself.

Given how badly new owners screwed our favorite coffee shop of all time, and that businesses near my home don't stay in business for very long, you can understand why I was a little concerned about the fate of our local pizza place.

We talked for a bit, and eventually reached the "so what do you do?" question. I told him I was a web developer.*

So then he offered me some consulting work.

Which totally screws up my plans for reviewing the place. Darn it.


*Incidentally, telling small business owners you're a web developer is like having a huge "HIRE ME" sign over your head. This never fails to amaze me. In fact, in order to get a job in the past, I had to get tested for drugs, and the owner of the drug testing company offered me some work doing web development for them. I guess they were confident in my abilities since I passed the test...

Of course, the "Hire Me" sign usually blinks out of existence once I quote a price.

Subscribe to my feeds!

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And, of course, if you don't like feeds, well, don't sign up. It's ok, I don't mind if you read my posts here.

I'm Worth A Million In Prizes

If, my moto-brethren and sistren, you are anything like me, you probably wake up in the morning and think something along the lines of "I don't want to go to work today." Commuting by motorcycle lessens the pain, but it's still there.

There are varying levels of "don't wanna go," of course, depending on how terrible your job is. If, for example, your job involves sending ambulance bills to poor folks without insurance, you probably dread going to work much more than I do.

This may shock and appall some of you, but I've never been a big fan of mandatory structured daily activity. I am, in no uncertain terms, a dreamer and a wonderer. I love to learn new stuff, though I frequently get distracted from book learning by trying to apply my new knowledge immediately. Then I get distracted from that by some other fabulous new shiny concept, and so on and so on.

I believe every report card I've ever had said something along the lines of "daydreams too much." Every one of my teachers approached my parents, concerned I was having seizures in class. I wasn't. I was spacing out, having fantastic adventures that didn't involve filling in blanks in a workbook, or waiting for some slow-reading kid to catch up to where I was in the story we were reading. While the teacher recited grammar rules I had already figured out, I was road-tripping across America in a 30 foot black Cadillac with leopard print upholstery. Where would you rather be?

So although I have a good job (really, compared to previous jobs I've had, it's a great job), I don't get excited about going every morning because every day is pretty much the same as the last day. Excuse me while I put on my party hat.

Personally, I want to explore new roads, taste new things, see new places, meet new people (or, at least, see new people and avoid eye contact). I want to go bow hunting with Ted Nugent one day, write a novel the next day, then maybe lounge on the beach for a day sipping on a drink with an umbrella in it. I want to be a rock star, and the guy who rides on the back of the garbage truck.

I want, in other words, to live the hell out of my life, and having a motorcycle has only added fuel to the fire. Hours on a bike with only my brain and a howling motor for company opens up a lot of time for introspection and contemplation. Adrenaline-fuelled introspection is probably the most dangerous sort for those keen on maintaining mediocrity.

The trick, of course, is finding a way to live that life...

...but I'm working on it. Can you dig it?




*The first person to leave a comment correctly telling us what the heck my title is about gets their choice of a slightly worn copy of "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance" or a VERY worn, but still readable, copy of Hunter S. Thompson's "Hells Angels." Hey! Prizes!

Stumbling Into Daylight

Well, I'm finally healthy enough to go back to work, which means I must be healthy enough to start blogging again.


New posts as soon as I come up with something more interesting than "being sick sucks."

Hydraulics and your Sinuses

Have you guys ever seen Scanners?

Sick

Argh, I came down with the whatever-is-going-around. Brain fuzzy. Can't write.

Seedy Biker Movie Trailer of the Week

I don't know if it's the bad soundtrack, the creepy narrator, or the bad lighting, but this trailer for "Girl On A Motorcycle" shows no skin, yet somehow leaves the viewer feeling very dirty indeed.

Films like these make you realize John Waters' satires are spot on.

Are Your Riding Skills Good Enough?

Long-time readers know that I am a guy who likes to learn new stuff constantly. Last year I finally was able to acquire and start learning to play the double bass, a long-time goal of mine. I’ve been taking regular lessons with a graduate student at Arizona State University and making great strides in my playing ability. Indeed, I’ve improved enough over the last ten months that Lady Luck has now stopped throwing things at my head when I start playing.

My teacher is a fantastic player, good enough to sub for the Phoenix Symphony, and he’s even getting to record with them. His teacher, Catalin Rotaru, is a bass monster.

In my last lesson, he passed on some wisdom Catalin had shared with him. Catalin told my teacher one should always strive to play well at a skill level higher than required for the most difficult piece you’re going to perform. In other words, be better than you usually need to be. That way, if something happens to you (say, slamming a finger in a car door an hour before the show), you’ll still be able to play as well as needed.

As an example, according to my teacher, Catalin crashed his scooter a couple days before this performance. As you watch him (and doubtless think “hey, that looks easy”), consider that he had road-rash all down his left side.

As Irondad pointed out over on Musings of an Intrepid Commuter, riding a motorcycle is a lot like being a musician. And he’s absolutely right, in both situations there are a ton of people who are skilled enough to have fun, but who really aren’t that great at it.

The catch is, if you screw up playing a song, you probably won’t get hit by a truck. Unless it’s a tough crowd.

Riding a motorcycle is a skill, and one that needs to be practiced and improved constantly. Yes, we can all get away with having mediocre skills most of the time. After all, most of the time we just ride in a straight line. The bike could do that without you, and probably better than you. You really need above average skills when unusual and possibly bad things happen on the road.

Wearing down the edges of your tires is fun, but being able to and knowing that you can is what can make the difference between getting home a bit shaken and getting home in a cast.

Our sport and passion is risky, but the risk is what makes it great. We can manage risk by continuously learning and honing our skills so in bad situations we are able to perform better than usually required. I encourage everyone to take rider training, and then take advanced rider training or refreshers when you’re ready for them. There are no amateur motorcyclists in traffic, and there’s no excuse for not being the best rider you can possibly be.