If you have a Harley or a Buell, don't let anyone ever put that Harley-Davidson crap oil in your bike. Get it the F out if you value your engine and its performance. Suggestions... Motul & Amsoil. All of the Buell race bikes are running Motul which is what my mechanic just put into my bike. He said that when he pulled the Harley oil out, barely at 2500 miles (which HD / Buell claims you can go 5k with Syn), it looked like choclate bars coming out.
Since I have been running the Motul in my 08 XB12X, I have not had to add a drop of oil. I check it every fillup and all is well. I am currently about 1800 miles in, and with the HD oil I would be half way through a quart. Engine is quieter and smoother, and the fan does not seem to run as much anymore. Reduce the friction, reduce the heat, reduce the wear.
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Disconnecting the acutator cable
So... there have not been any negative long term effects resulting from disconnecting the actuator cable that goes between the airbox and the exhaust. The bike seems to respond better overall and I have actually seen an increase in gas mileage. That may be due to me not have to bury the damn throttle all of the time in anticipation of needing the power.
On a side note, I swapped out my stock exhaust for a Jardine RT-1. The bike has a ton more zip to it and I haven't noticed any change in the gas milage, but I do get pop when I roll off the throttle. I put in the baffle, which helped, but I still get some popping. I wish Buell would come out with a programmable ECU for the 08+ XB's. I am going to pull the baffle out and plug a couple of the holes in hopes it will create enough back pressure so the pop goes away, and thus balances the system. It does run a bit lean on idle and will stall sometimes when cold, but overall it runs better.
Still loving this bike! The XB12X is at the top of my list for most favorite bikes ever.
On a side note, I swapped out my stock exhaust for a Jardine RT-1. The bike has a ton more zip to it and I haven't noticed any change in the gas milage, but I do get pop when I roll off the throttle. I put in the baffle, which helped, but I still get some popping. I wish Buell would come out with a programmable ECU for the 08+ XB's. I am going to pull the baffle out and plug a couple of the holes in hopes it will create enough back pressure so the pop goes away, and thus balances the system. It does run a bit lean on idle and will stall sometimes when cold, but overall it runs better.
Still loving this bike! The XB12X is at the top of my list for most favorite bikes ever.
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Lane-Splitting in California
OK. Let's make one thing clear; it is not legal, nor illegal to lane-split in California. However... everyone on a motorcycle lane splits, especially during commute hours, and even more so in Southern California. For those of us on a bike, we want to get places faster and not have to sit in stale traffic, so we split. For those of you in a car, I think most of you are grateful that we are not another vehicle standing in your way of getting to or from work / home.
I have noticed that almost all California plated vehicles respect that there is that extra little space in their lane and let us pass. Hell, in most cases it is the big trucks, buses, and cargo vans that find a few extra inches to spare so we can pass. Most of us know that we shouldn't get upset by drivers that don't move over when we approach. For those that take the extra effort, I try to make it a point to say thanks with either a wave or over exaggerated head nod when I am working the clutch or throttle. Besides, we understand your plight; you are stuck in traffic, tired, and rockin' out to some CDs or MP3s just to stay awake. You don't always hear or see us, and we understand that. Mistakes are mistakes, and the very few close calls I have had were not malicious so I move on reminded that the drivers are just as responsible for my safety as I am.
But the out of state plates are where the problem lies!
Normally I watch for oddball license plates because I know that most out-of-state drivers are not aware of the symbiotic relationship the cars and bikes have here in Cali. Well, yesterday (Monday, March 23, 2009) I was cruising down the 210 headed East. I came upon another rider who seemed to be enjoying her new Sportster. She was splitting, but at a much slower pace than I was. As I approached, I blipped my throttle, and she got over and I passed her giving her a friendly wave for letting me play through.
I then started to think about the beauty that was all of these people on the freeway. Here is a group of people that, if under different conditions, would most likely not work together in any way shape or form. Yet, there we all were. Operating heavy machines in concert. We were all working to battle the same enemy, traffic. In a sense we battle ourselves, twice a day, Monday through Friday.
So... as you can see from the last paragraph I got distracted in my thoughts and was not on my A-game. That is when I was approaching a Ford Escape or Honda Pilot. It was some sort of silver SUV in that class with a Nebraska license plate. The driver, who looked like an Abercrombie and Fitch model, swerved to cut me off. Well that caused me to react in a moment of WTF!
So I am now on the paint, trying to not hit the cars to my right. Blerg! I look over my shoulder at the driver to see what his facial expression was, and it said "I hate you!" At this point I knew, even though I had not seen it yet, that this was an out-of-state driver. My fellow commuters we so shocked at the situation that they all backed off and left me the room I needed to handle my newly found friend.
I slowed down and got behind my Corn Husker buddy. I noticed the plates and realized that he was administering Nebraska justice in California. My mind went immediately to the woman I passed on her new Sportster just moments earlier. I was glad I passed her. Even if we were of the same skill set, I was on the more agile bike so it was best I was the "victim" of the Nebraska plated vehicle.
I had a decision to make; do I harass this asshole, or just move on? I thought about the Sportster again and realized that he, like others I have encountered, was administering justice, and probably wouldn't stop. This amazes me because regardless of what I may be doing, he rather engage in an act that could very well result in the death of the rider. I proceeded to rev my engine (Buell 1203 Thunderstorm with a Jardine pipe), popup my front end, swerve, and flash my high-beams. As my exit approached, I didn't have time for him, and any further harassment may have been seen as road-rage, so I rode up next to him. His wife was scared, and so was he. From about two feet away I gave him the single digit salute and rode away.
Now I know what some readers may be thinking, "you did exactly what he did." Well, you are right, I did. I acted out and took justice into my own hands. But my form of justice did not almost result in a fatal accident. What it did do is make the silver SUV from Nebraska traveling East on the 210 freeway at approximately 18:10 on March 23, 2009 in Arcadia, California think twice about almost killing a motorcyclist.
Remember this, and this goes for everybody, if you kill someone on a freeway due to road-rage you will go to jail. You will have to live with the death of that person on your conscious while enjoying the company of the local prison gangs.
I have noticed that almost all California plated vehicles respect that there is that extra little space in their lane and let us pass. Hell, in most cases it is the big trucks, buses, and cargo vans that find a few extra inches to spare so we can pass. Most of us know that we shouldn't get upset by drivers that don't move over when we approach. For those that take the extra effort, I try to make it a point to say thanks with either a wave or over exaggerated head nod when I am working the clutch or throttle. Besides, we understand your plight; you are stuck in traffic, tired, and rockin' out to some CDs or MP3s just to stay awake. You don't always hear or see us, and we understand that. Mistakes are mistakes, and the very few close calls I have had were not malicious so I move on reminded that the drivers are just as responsible for my safety as I am.
But the out of state plates are where the problem lies!
Normally I watch for oddball license plates because I know that most out-of-state drivers are not aware of the symbiotic relationship the cars and bikes have here in Cali. Well, yesterday (Monday, March 23, 2009) I was cruising down the 210 headed East. I came upon another rider who seemed to be enjoying her new Sportster. She was splitting, but at a much slower pace than I was. As I approached, I blipped my throttle, and she got over and I passed her giving her a friendly wave for letting me play through.
I then started to think about the beauty that was all of these people on the freeway. Here is a group of people that, if under different conditions, would most likely not work together in any way shape or form. Yet, there we all were. Operating heavy machines in concert. We were all working to battle the same enemy, traffic. In a sense we battle ourselves, twice a day, Monday through Friday.
So... as you can see from the last paragraph I got distracted in my thoughts and was not on my A-game. That is when I was approaching a Ford Escape or Honda Pilot. It was some sort of silver SUV in that class with a Nebraska license plate. The driver, who looked like an Abercrombie and Fitch model, swerved to cut me off. Well that caused me to react in a moment of WTF!
So I am now on the paint, trying to not hit the cars to my right. Blerg! I look over my shoulder at the driver to see what his facial expression was, and it said "I hate you!" At this point I knew, even though I had not seen it yet, that this was an out-of-state driver. My fellow commuters we so shocked at the situation that they all backed off and left me the room I needed to handle my newly found friend.
I slowed down and got behind my Corn Husker buddy. I noticed the plates and realized that he was administering Nebraska justice in California. My mind went immediately to the woman I passed on her new Sportster just moments earlier. I was glad I passed her. Even if we were of the same skill set, I was on the more agile bike so it was best I was the "victim" of the Nebraska plated vehicle.
I had a decision to make; do I harass this asshole, or just move on? I thought about the Sportster again and realized that he, like others I have encountered, was administering justice, and probably wouldn't stop. This amazes me because regardless of what I may be doing, he rather engage in an act that could very well result in the death of the rider. I proceeded to rev my engine (Buell 1203 Thunderstorm with a Jardine pipe), popup my front end, swerve, and flash my high-beams. As my exit approached, I didn't have time for him, and any further harassment may have been seen as road-rage, so I rode up next to him. His wife was scared, and so was he. From about two feet away I gave him the single digit salute and rode away.
Now I know what some readers may be thinking, "you did exactly what he did." Well, you are right, I did. I acted out and took justice into my own hands. But my form of justice did not almost result in a fatal accident. What it did do is make the silver SUV from Nebraska traveling East on the 210 freeway at approximately 18:10 on March 23, 2009 in Arcadia, California think twice about almost killing a motorcyclist.
Remember this, and this goes for everybody, if you kill someone on a freeway due to road-rage you will go to jail. You will have to live with the death of that person on your conscious while enjoying the company of the local prison gangs.
Monday, March 9, 2009
Biker Down - How to avoid the average driver
Someone I know was hit by a teen driver that turned into him. He is in the hospital with some injuries that require surgery, but should recover. So I started thinking about the situation and thought this would be a good opportunity to introduce a concept that I like to call "aggressive-defensive riding." I am sure I am not the first person to come up with this concept, and surely it is documented by someone more knowledgeable than I am.
BTW, if you have a link to a writeup that better explains what I am about to so shrewdly do, please comment. As always, anonymous comments are welcome, but moderated.
Aggressive-Defensive Riding
The basic idea is to be a defensive rider at all times. Most of us are, yet we still get into accidents that "are not our fault." The first thing you must learn is that it is always the riders fault. Yes, that means it is your fault for putting yourself in a position that landed you in an accident in the first place. Of course legally it may not be your fault, but from the perspective of defensive driving principals, it is your fault.
On a bike you have to be a little aggressive about your defensive riding. The basic principals apply: don't follow too closely, always keep your options open so that you can find a way out, don't ride in blind spots, pass with a purpose, watch your mirrors, always check your blind spot... you get the idea. It is all of the same stuff your kids are learning in drivers-ed.
Here is where the aggression comes in. While observing all of those above mentioned elements add in some offensive techniques.
Passing
I see most riders passing cars wide, which I have found to get me into more trouble than anything else. Ride closer to the car taking the tire rut left behind by the cars as you approach. That will put your headlight in their side-view mirror prior to entering their blind spot. This will also allow you to see the drivers face in the side-view mirror. This is also why lane splitting is as safe as it is (that and most Californians know you are there and give way). You are in the drivers side-view mirrors the whole way down the lane.
Another tip for passing is to flash your headlights a few times to get the driver's attention. Simply leaving the high-beam on is not enough. Also consider getting a headlight modulator. They are legal by Federal law, and California law enforcement happens to be one of the few states that realizes they are not allowed to ticket for it.
Approaching Intersections
The best thing to do when approaching an intersection (or anywhere a car might pull out) is to watch the driver's body language while keeping an eye on their tires. If you don't see any movement in the rims, then the car is obviously stopped. If you see some motion in the rims, it may indicate that the driver is considering pulling out and you need to start making some decisions.
Remember that it is hard for someone to judge the speed of a motorcycle due to the smaller footprint. You have to clearly communicate to an unsure driver that they should NOT pull out. I always ride with my low-beam on so that if I need to, my high-beam becomes a caution beacon to the drivers on the road. In the case of the unsure driver starting to pull out in front of me, I will turn on my high-beam to signal that I am coming through the intersection and they should stay put.
There have been situations where that does not work, but I know it is not going to work because I can see that the driver is not paying attention to me. In that case I start to take action way ahead of time to ensure my safety. I brake, change lanes (if possible and legal), and in one case I had to come to a complete stop. In this situation you should by all means utilize the little button on your left handgrip that activates that thing called a horn, and do it with prejudice! They need to know they screwed up, and your making them aware of the fact might cause them to pay more attention on the road, thus saving another biker's life.
City Riding
Always be prepared to brake, and maneuver when doing city riding, especially when there is any kink of cross-traffic hazard. Get used to watching multiple vehicles and mentally prioritizing their hazard to you (seems like it takes the fun out of riding, but once you make it a habit, you will do it without even thinking about it). This will help you to be prepared for finding a way out of just about any situation. I also ride with two fingers (index and middle) resting on the front brake lever and my foot cocked back hovering over the rear brake.
Freeway
Don't let people ride next to you. It is OK to communicate via hand signals that you don't want someone riding parallel with you. Wave them forward or back or accelerate away and reestablish your cruising speed. If they come up on you again be sure you rock your bike in the lane to show you are not happy with their presence and wave them away. This time make your hand and arm movements authoritative so they understand you are upset.
In most cases when this happens it is because the driver wants to check out your bike. You have to balance diplomacy with safety. Most of the time they will get close to take a look and then back off. Give them an opportunity to check out your bike and then move away. Most, if not all, people understand they shouldn't be riding side-by-side with another vehicle, especially a bike, traffic permitting (Los Angeles).
Conclusion
No matter what you are doing you need to be aware of everything around you. It is easy to space-out while riding and I imagine that is a big cause of accidents. Think about the close calls you have had. Think about your accidents. In hindsight I am sure you can think of several ways in which you could have avoided the accident. Introspection is the key to developing your skills as a rider. You should be learning something from yourself every time you get on the bike.
BTW, if you have a link to a writeup that better explains what I am about to so shrewdly do, please comment. As always, anonymous comments are welcome, but moderated.
Aggressive-Defensive Riding
The basic idea is to be a defensive rider at all times. Most of us are, yet we still get into accidents that "are not our fault." The first thing you must learn is that it is always the riders fault. Yes, that means it is your fault for putting yourself in a position that landed you in an accident in the first place. Of course legally it may not be your fault, but from the perspective of defensive driving principals, it is your fault.
On a bike you have to be a little aggressive about your defensive riding. The basic principals apply: don't follow too closely, always keep your options open so that you can find a way out, don't ride in blind spots, pass with a purpose, watch your mirrors, always check your blind spot... you get the idea. It is all of the same stuff your kids are learning in drivers-ed.
Here is where the aggression comes in. While observing all of those above mentioned elements add in some offensive techniques.
Passing
I see most riders passing cars wide, which I have found to get me into more trouble than anything else. Ride closer to the car taking the tire rut left behind by the cars as you approach. That will put your headlight in their side-view mirror prior to entering their blind spot. This will also allow you to see the drivers face in the side-view mirror. This is also why lane splitting is as safe as it is (that and most Californians know you are there and give way). You are in the drivers side-view mirrors the whole way down the lane.
Another tip for passing is to flash your headlights a few times to get the driver's attention. Simply leaving the high-beam on is not enough. Also consider getting a headlight modulator. They are legal by Federal law, and California law enforcement happens to be one of the few states that realizes they are not allowed to ticket for it.
Approaching Intersections
The best thing to do when approaching an intersection (or anywhere a car might pull out) is to watch the driver's body language while keeping an eye on their tires. If you don't see any movement in the rims, then the car is obviously stopped. If you see some motion in the rims, it may indicate that the driver is considering pulling out and you need to start making some decisions.
Remember that it is hard for someone to judge the speed of a motorcycle due to the smaller footprint. You have to clearly communicate to an unsure driver that they should NOT pull out. I always ride with my low-beam on so that if I need to, my high-beam becomes a caution beacon to the drivers on the road. In the case of the unsure driver starting to pull out in front of me, I will turn on my high-beam to signal that I am coming through the intersection and they should stay put.
There have been situations where that does not work, but I know it is not going to work because I can see that the driver is not paying attention to me. In that case I start to take action way ahead of time to ensure my safety. I brake, change lanes (if possible and legal), and in one case I had to come to a complete stop. In this situation you should by all means utilize the little button on your left handgrip that activates that thing called a horn, and do it with prejudice! They need to know they screwed up, and your making them aware of the fact might cause them to pay more attention on the road, thus saving another biker's life.
City Riding
Always be prepared to brake, and maneuver when doing city riding, especially when there is any kink of cross-traffic hazard. Get used to watching multiple vehicles and mentally prioritizing their hazard to you (seems like it takes the fun out of riding, but once you make it a habit, you will do it without even thinking about it). This will help you to be prepared for finding a way out of just about any situation. I also ride with two fingers (index and middle) resting on the front brake lever and my foot cocked back hovering over the rear brake.
Freeway
Don't let people ride next to you. It is OK to communicate via hand signals that you don't want someone riding parallel with you. Wave them forward or back or accelerate away and reestablish your cruising speed. If they come up on you again be sure you rock your bike in the lane to show you are not happy with their presence and wave them away. This time make your hand and arm movements authoritative so they understand you are upset.
In most cases when this happens it is because the driver wants to check out your bike. You have to balance diplomacy with safety. Most of the time they will get close to take a look and then back off. Give them an opportunity to check out your bike and then move away. Most, if not all, people understand they shouldn't be riding side-by-side with another vehicle, especially a bike, traffic permitting (Los Angeles).
Conclusion
No matter what you are doing you need to be aware of everything around you. It is easy to space-out while riding and I imagine that is a big cause of accidents. Think about the close calls you have had. Think about your accidents. In hindsight I am sure you can think of several ways in which you could have avoided the accident. Introspection is the key to developing your skills as a rider. You should be learning something from yourself every time you get on the bike.
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