Buell 1125R Test Ride

Glendale Harley Davidson / Buell has been doing test rides every Saturday for the last couple weeks and in the pool of bikes is an 08 1125R. I wanted to tryout one the 1125CR's but they didn't have one available for test rides.

I ended up going out twice. The first time was with a group of 3 other riders that couldn't even get the bike out of the parking lot. The guy leading the ride said that I could go ahead of the group but when I saw that he had his hands full I decided to stick with them and make sure that these noobies made it back OK. Then Carlos took me back out for some highway riding.

Once I got the bike out on the road and was able to open it up a bit I started to appreciate the engineering that went into this bike. The first thing I noticed was how smooth yet responsive the throttle was. With most sport bikes there is a bit of a jump when you roll on the throttle, but the 1125R didn't exhibit this "jumping" characteristic.

The Helicon engine was a very good decision on Buell's part. It is extremely smooth and very powerful. Another nice feature is that the engine is liquid cooled which allows it to be pushed a bit further. The tach red-lines a little over 10.5K RPM's. The placement of the engine is awesome and well balanced. Everytime I rolled on the throttle I was grinning from ear to ear. This is a great engine and it really gets going no matter the RPM's.

While on the freeway the suspension was smooth despite the disrepair of the road. The suspension was also very noticeable when when braking, well not noticeable, rather notable. There were a couple instances where I had to get on the brakes and the suspension performed nicely. Again, another great decsion by Buell going with Showa for the suspension.

The 8 piston brakes really stop the bike. They were very responsive and it didn't take much pressure at all to get the bike to slow. While braking the front end stayed controllable and the suspension compressed nicely.

As I was following my escort for the ride I noticed that his jeans were really flapping in the wind. I then started paying attention to the wind against my body and clothes and there was virtually nothing. The aerodynamics of the bike are great and make the ride really nice.

The rider position is very athletic, almost too athletic, but my everyday bike is an XB12X which has an upright stance. The handlebars are in a great position and provide for easy control. All of the controls were nicely placed and I had no problem with turn signals, high beams, and high beam flasher. It took very little effort to get the bike to do what I wanted it to.

I have been in search of track bike and this bike is a contender. After about 5 mins on the 1125R I felt as if I had been riding the bike for years. I am going to test ride some Ducatis and various Japanese fair before setting out to purchase a track bike. The 1125R is high on the list though. I have watched Shawn Higbee smoke everyone else at Willow Springs on a regular basis on an 1125R, and he seems to do it with ease. I know that the Ducatis have a proven track record (literally) but the 1125R is nicely priced with a lot of power and maneuverability.

*Photos taken from http://www.buell.com

Call to Action

We need to send a message to the US Consumer Product Safety Commission. There is now a law that says that anything sold for use by a child cannot contain any lead. Well, what has happened is that motorcycles and ATVs intended for use by children are banned. Now, realistically, no child is going to be putting the motorcycle's engine or other metal parts in their mouth. If you really stop to think about it, if the child is putting the engine parts in his mouth then there are are far greater problems than the lead.

Additionally, I find it offensive that this decision has been made for us. Based on previous opposition to motorcycles I have to throw up a red flag here. Has anyone ever looked into the details of who supported this? I get that Barbie should not contain lead, and even her maker (Mattel) agrees. But how in the hell did motorcycles and ATVs end up in the mix? There may be an agenda here, which is why we need to fight it. Good people are losing their jobs and businesses, and this law is not only ridiculous, but it is counter productive to the economic stimulus.

The AMA has provided a card for everyone of their members to send to the Chairwoman and Commissioner. I encourage everyone to send a letter to them and support the stance that they need to make an exception. Here is the info:

Send the letter to:

Chairwoman Nancy Nord
Commissioner Thomas Moore
US Consumer Product Safety Commission
4330 East-West HWY
Bethesda, MD 20814

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Here is what the AMA suggests we write:

Dear Chairwoman Nancy Nord and Commissioner Thomas Moore,

The Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008, though well-intentioned, has produced far-reaching and unintended consequences: the banning of the sale of new and used youth-sized motorcycles and ATVs (all-terrain vehicles), as well as certain replacement parts. This is devastating for the families who enjoy motorized recreation, the safety of children who are now foreced to ride bigger, more powerful machines, the thousands of small independent dealers across America that are already struggling to survive the economic recession, and the manufacturers and aftermarket suppliers who serve these customers. Please grant an exemption for youth-sized motorcycles and ATVs. Thank you.

Name __________________________________


Signature _______________________________


Address ________________________________


City __________ State _______ Zip __________


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2009 Tax Break For Buying a New Motorcycle

I just got this month's AMA Magazine and there is an article in there about the Economic Stimulus Bill. If you buy a new bike in 2009, you will be allowed to deduct the sales and excise taxes. We almost didn't get this benefit due to the writers of the bill overlooking motorcycles. Thanks to the AMA and its members, as well as others like Harley-Davidson, the motorcycling community gets a chance to benefit from the economic downfall.

U.S. Forestry Service Law Enforcement on Angeles Crest

FYI - The 2 FWY, a.k.a. Angeles Crest Highway, which is a part of the National Park System, now has Law Enforcement Rangers. We saw at least 4 different SUVs all staked out pulling people over. I guess they realized they were missing out on a lot of revenue that CHP was getting. Anyway, slow down on the crest. They will get you.

Ditch the Harley-Davidson Oil

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.

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.

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.

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.

Ride to Julian, CA

I have been pretty busy with work lately so I have not had too many chances to ride. One of the rides I have gone on was to Julian, CA. I took some friends out there because one of them wanted to try out a Buell Blast. She was riding a Yamaha VStar, but it was too heavy of a bike for her. Her husband is still riding one of the two VStars that they bought and she is on a Blast that she found on eBay.

The bike that she bought was from another state and they are importing it into CA. As they go through the process I will get the info from them and post a quick how-to.

Anyway, we rode out to Temecula Harley and from there headed out to Julian. If you are in that area you really should check it out, it is beautiful. One word of caution, there are CHP officers and Sheriff's Deputys everywhere!






The roads were pretty fun with nothing too technical. Great place for new riders to get used to riding twisties. There are no large groups of people speeding down these roads, so my friends were able to enjoy themselves.

BTW, Julian is famous for apple pie, so you might want to save some room. ;-)

Here is the map:


View Larger Map

Jumping the Santa Monica Pier

RedBull is sponsoring a rider to jump the ferris wheel at the Santa Monica peer. The jump is supposed to happen at 7PM Friday July, 11 2008 which is tomorrow. I am going to try to make it. If I do I will take some photos.

Here is the video from the RedBull site:

V-Twin Meetups

We have a new meetup group that is for Sport-Twins. There are tons of groups for 4 bangers and Harleys, and even for Ducati's, but the rest of us get left out. So far everyone that I have met is pretty cool. We have 3 Buell, 1 Aprilia, and 1 Ducati in the group. There are other members, but these are the only ones I have met.

Anyway, I have noticed something about Sport-Twin riders, we all get a long and don't have an elitist attitude. Not to say that all others do, or that some of us don't, it is just an observation. Well, due to the bike feeling like it is slipping on me I had to opt out of a great ride this past weekend lead by Ray on his Aprilia. Hopefully I will be back in the saddle this weekend.

It sucks having only one bike. I may get a Blast or similar to tool around on when my Uly is getting worked on.

Doing a little catching up

I was tired of my 1203 Harley engine sounding like a sewing machine so I put on a new exhaust. I purchased a Jardine RT1 from my local Harley / Buell dealer. They installed it, and the next day I rode out to the race track to watch Higbee and Dixon battle it out in Willow Springs.

Oh, the power!!! The beast has been released. Never mind the awesome sound, I have a lot more noticeable power! I also added the K&N air filter to allow it to breath. Man, it is a whole new bike. I can't wait for them to come out with an 08 race ECM. This bike is so much fun and I love riding it.

I did have some small issues recently that has caused me to lose confidence with my machine. I am taking it in to get looked at before I get back on the road.

What am I going to do next to the bike? Paint it. I will post a poll to see what people think. I am leaning towards a matte black with spot gloss Harley orange racing stripes down the middle.

Since I have disconnected the actuator cable...

Since I have disconnected the actuator cable to the exhaust on my XB12X the bike has been running great. I was on one of the Buell forums someone corrected me on the default position of the valve in the exhaust. It fails shut which forces the exhaust gases to pass through the entire can before exiting.

The bike seems to run better in this configuration. I have enjoyed consistent power with no delays. Really makes things nice in the canyons. There has been one thing that has been bothering me though; the bike feels like it has more power hidden in its guts.

Ride to Willow on Sunday

We will be meeting at Glendale HD - Buell to ride out to Willow Springs. They are in the first race of the day and finish at race 5 so we will need to leave by 7:30AM. I think we will take two routes out there. One over the crest for the adventurous, and one via freeway for everyone else. On the way back we will all take the canyons. Let me know if you have any questions.

motocaliblog@gmail.com

WSMC Club Races

So, here is a taste of what to expect at Willow Springs this month.




Music by Nine Inch Nails from their new album.
Album: "The Slip"
Song: "1,000,000"

Tis the season for Motorcycle Events

Well, summer is here and there are a ton of events going on everywhere. If you know of any events going on let me know. I will post them to the Events Calendar. You can email them to me at motocaliblog@gmail.com. I have also added some stuff. The LA Calendar Bike Show in July looks like a lot of fun. If I have my new exhaust by then, I may participate in the Dyno Shootout.

Sport Twins

So I met a guy (Duncan) who is organizing a bunch of sport twins for rides. I will start posting the ride info on the calendar, and I am trying to get him to add to the calendar as well. There is a lot of stuff starting to kick off now that summer is upon us. Hope to see you out there. Let me know if you have anything going on.

Another nice ride up the canyon

We went up Angeles Crest today. Was really nice. Not a lot of traffic, surprising for a Saturday. Headed up to Newcombs ranch and stopped off for a bite to eat and some coffee. We kept going up the mountain for another 5 miles or so and turned around.

I bought a new Shoei Hornet DS in matte black. It is the most comfortable helmet I have ever owned. I am particularly falling in love with the visor. It keeps the sun out of my face and my eyes don't end up getting fatigued. The shield on the front sweeps pretty wide and I have full peripheral vision. It is also the right fit for my head shape. Kind of looks like a fighter pilot's helmet.

Conti Road Attacks & the Buell XB12X

I really do like the Conti Road Attacks on my bike. I had my Buell XB12X, which is a dual sport bike that sits pretty high, leaned over to the point of scraping my peg in a turn. We came up on a decreasing radius turn and I had to lean it over pretty far. I started to fight to keep the tires from touching the double yellow and quickly realized that the bike and my new rubber needed no convincing. As my foot started contacting the pavement I thought, "man, I am really leaned over." As I pulled out of that turn I had another and the bike performed with grace. I started replaying the turn in my head and realized the tires really did a great job of gripping the pavement. I could not feel any slip at all.

Of course the tires weren't the only thing keeping me from spilling it. A lot has to do with my confidence on that particular bike, and the bike itself. I have been really satisfied with my Buell and I would purchase another one in a heartbeat. Thanks goes to my brother for turning me on to this bike. I have been enjoying the hell out of it and don't think I will ever sell it.

Conti Road Attacks

I just had Glendale HD / Buell put on my new set of Continental Road Attacks. In the short ride back home from the dealership I found that the bike handled pretty nicely. I'm gonna take it into the canyons tomorrow morning to see how they do in the twisties.

Oh, and I love the tread pattern!