Motoblag

The trip up north was a success.  Photos and a trip report coming soon!

This weekend I am taking a refresher Sidecare/Trike Education Program (S/TEP) course in Hayden, ID with my Scrambler sidecar rig.  When I get back, I’m loading up the Honda 599 with gear and heading to Yellowknife, NT, Canada with my buddy Norm.  Good times are heading this way!

I convinced my friend to join me for Team Oregon’s Advanced Rider Training (ART) class. These are held on small, tight tracks. One in Canby, OR and one in Medford, OR. The track we used in Canby is a go-kart track so it was incredibly tight, but you could still get up to an easy 45 or 50 MPH on the straight. Other than that, it was mostly 15 and 20 MPH corners.

Class begun in the classroom. Line selection, late apexing and other street tools were gone through in great detail. However, there was nothing new here: it’s all straight out of their Basic Rider Training (BRT). Dang near all the safety and how-to books in my motorcycling library go over the items presented, but there were still plenty of folks with lightbulb moments.

Being quite frank, the classroom time wasn’t the most productive. I’ll reiterate all line selection and apexing was from the basic material. Still valid but I guess I was expecting something more. The fact so many other students had “ah-ha” moments means the classroom time was well spent for some folks.

I guess I got one thing out of the classroom: 13% of all rider fatalities were not the rider’s fault. That is a sobering statistic; it’s a good warning to keep our physical and mental skills up to snuff.

After lunch we hit the track, where the training absolutely shined. The coaching was superb. The variety of drills was also good: we covered a tremendous amount of cornering, did a fair amount of braking and some swerving for good measure.

For my first stop in the maximum braking exercise, I was told to use more front brake. It’s strange being on the other side of that: usually I’m saying that! The next time around I stopped significantly shorter and even pulled the rear tire off the ground right at the end. The instructor said it popped up about four inches. Same thing with the next stop! That was truly maximum braking and it’s great to have a professional tune up your skills.

One drill was called the Decision Maker. The swerve gates (cones) were set up and the coaches put on these hilariously big and bright orange gloves. Just before the rider reaches the gates, they signal swerve, then stop or slow, then swerve. It really kept you on your toes and there wasn’t a lot of room: some swerve gates were tough enough to go through without wondering what signal you get!

The last bit was the best, hands-down. Yes, it was an evaluation, but a fun one: you rode around the track and an instructor followed you for two complete laps. After that, you pulled over on the straight and they identified your strong and weak points. Once that was done, you can continue riding the track until all students were done with the eval. I spent a few laps enjoying myself and trying to touch a peg down, but merely rubbed my boot toes a few times.

One option for the course was an instructor ride-along. If, during an exercise, you’re not clear on what they want, you can hop on the back of an instructor’s bike and ride two-up through the track. I took advantage of this because I wasn’t clear on throttle timings for a hairpin corner.

Now, I can count the number of times I’ve ridden pillion with one hand and have enough fingers left over to smoke a cigar, but this was a truly amazing experience. I hopped on the back of an instructor’s Ducati Multistrada (I made sure to pick the right bike ) and we went through a lap.

Wow.

That’s about all I can say.

Okay, I can say more: in my wildest dreams, I didn’t think a motorcycle could perform so well. Everything was perfect: braking, clutch use, throttle application, line selection, speeds, everything. All the while the instructor is looking back at you, talking to you through their open modular helmet. It floored me and showed I have a long, long way to go in being a proficient motorcyclist. Of course, my question was answered along the way. What an experience!

Once again, the course was truly a great experience. The instructors were all spectacular and I hope to emulate their professionalism and coaching.

One instructor had his camera out for a few of the corners, so we have pictures!

I really felt naked without my riding pants on, but it was really hot and nobody else was wearing protective pants, so when in Rome…

Fuckin’ head turn dot jpg:

And my buddy on his VFR:

My bud got his peg down a time or two and also his centerstand on occasion!

I’ll part with this note: continue your motorcycling education. Take experienced classes, maybe a track day or two with coaching. Professional coaching can help all motorcyclists improve their skills.

Feelin’ good about being the only street bike in the campground, five miles down a beat up gravel and dirt road, lasted a few hours. Across camp was a husband and wife on matching ‘Wings, the husband pulling a trailer. Yep, doing it on the 599 doesn’t feel like much of an accomplishment.

Later, a solid inch of hail had accumulated on the ride back home. I pulled over to hem and haw about the situation and was just deciding to press on when a Goldwing came through the hail and slush, two-up, with a trailer. The rider gave me a huge thumbs-up, to which I nodded and hopped on the bike.

By God, if they can do that in that setup, I can do it solo on the 599.

After this weekend, I don’t think I can say anything bad about Goldwing riders.

This is a true story and there’s plenty more like it.

Commuting home after work, I see a motorcycle owner (not rider!) polishing his custom/hacked up and welded together motorcycle. Not only is he polishing some bits by hand but he’s using his air compressor to power an air buffer.

By the time I get my gear off and put away, I hear the bike start up. As the owner rides away, sans helmet in a helmet-law state, I look at the clock.

Within 60 seconds, he’s back again. I take a quick gander at their driveway and he’s polishing it again.

That’s not motorcycling. That’s posing.

I’m always scratching my head at the majority of motorcyclists.  Perhaps it’s just the ones who flock to the internet message boards, but they do the darndest things.  Today, the topic is order of modifications.

1. Did the bike come without a wind screen?  Add one.  Did the bike already have one?  Add a bigger one!
2. Replace the usable and decent looking turn signals with eBay specials that measure approximately three atoms across.
3. Remove the plastic rear fender, since “it looks ugly.”
4. Add plastic frame sliders that look ugly.
5. Install a slip-on muffler, certain to increase horsepower by twenty or thirty percent.
6. Randomly pick a selection of “mods” that will make the bike look unique, just like everyone else’s.  At this step, bikes usually end up covered with tank pads, swing arm stickers, rim tape and whatever else can be applied without turning a wrench.

The next time you see a rider succumbing to this chain of events, give them a punch on the shoulder and tell them just to ride the thing!

Clicking over 37,000 miles earlier this season, my 599 is really going through some parts.

Currently, my experiment with the chain and sprocket set is coming to an end: for about 17,000 miles, I’ve done absolute minimum maintenance on it. The total number of times the chain has seen lube is probably six to eight times, most of which has come in the past few thousand miles when it was looking and sounding rough. It was cleaned two, maybe three times, and this chain and sprocket set took me through Alaska.

A new chain and sprocket set is on order, to be installed with new drive cushions in the rear hub. Until it arrives, the Scrambler is taking over commuting and fun riding duties.

The 599 also needs a new tire, just to make my check book feel more pain.

For Motorcycle Awareness Month, Idaho has awareness rallies across the state.  The Lewiston, ID rally starts with a signup at the Marina/RV Park, starting at 9 AM on May 8th, 2010.  This is near the Flying J in Lewiston, ID.  After meeting, there will be a group ride to the Nez Perce County Courthouse, starting at 11 AM.

I’ll be speaking at the courthouse, so drop by if you have time!

The event is sponsored by the Clearwater Chapter of ABATE of North Idaho.

While I’m sure everyone I know is tired of my banging the “use what you have” drum, I’m going to do it some more.  To get things started, take a gander at this study.

The satisfaction we get from buying vacations, bikes for exercise and other experiences starts high and keeps growing. The initial high we feel from acquiring a flashy car or megascreen TV, on the other hand, trails off rather quickly, reports a new Cornell study.

While window shopping for that shiny new motorcycle is all well and good, you will get more enjoyment by taking your current bike and putting some miles on it.  Grab your camping gear, hit the road and enjoy the diversity the world has to offer.

You will be a better person for it.

This Business Week article should be required reading before folks go spouting off about how unsafe Toyotas are.

The entire “unintended acceleration” issue reeks of a new American value: complete lack of personal responsibility.  It’s always someone else’s fault if things don’t go perfectly correct.  It’s certainly not the fact the person piloting a 3,500 pound pile of steel and plastic should know how to use the transmission or the dang off button or switch! It’s disgusting to see how American drivers not only get away with treating their vehicles like appliances but are almost encouraged to do so.

On the bright side, Ford stands to handsomely gain from Toyota’s hardships.  Until their recalls start happening again, but what do you think the chances are of the government putting a domestic’s feet to the fire?