Showing posts with label motorcycle. Show all posts
Showing posts with label motorcycle. Show all posts
Thursday, April 16, 2009
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.
Monday, June 30, 2008
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.
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.
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.
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.
Sunday, June 8, 2008
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.
Saturday, March 15, 2008
Willow Springs
I will be headed down to Willow Springs on Sunday to watch the races and to support the Glendale Buell team. Hopefully the weather will be good enough to race. Looking at the current weather forecast it looks as if it may rain. If that is the case I am sure they will cancel the race. It will be interesting to attend one of these events. I have heard that they are a lot of fun and am looking forward to it.
According to the Glendale Harley website Jeff Dixon (Glendale Harley / Buell's guy) won on Feb 17th beating the Ducati 1098. Great job Jeff! Can't wait to see you fight it out on Sunday.
I want to see the 1125 on the track. Since I am a Buell owner I can attend the Inside Pass track day where you get some track time with the 08 models. The Willow Springs day isn't until Nov. Maybe I will catch one in a different city during the summer. I need to purchase some leathers before then. I have been trying on every brand under the sun and nothing fits me properly. I have come to the conclusion that I will need to have them custom made to fit me. More to come on that.
According to the Glendale Harley website Jeff Dixon (Glendale Harley / Buell's guy) won on Feb 17th beating the Ducati 1098. Great job Jeff! Can't wait to see you fight it out on Sunday.
I want to see the 1125 on the track. Since I am a Buell owner I can attend the Inside Pass track day where you get some track time with the 08 models. The Willow Springs day isn't until Nov. Maybe I will catch one in a different city during the summer. I need to purchase some leathers before then. I have been trying on every brand under the sun and nothing fits me properly. I have come to the conclusion that I will need to have them custom made to fit me. More to come on that.
Sunday, March 9, 2008
Newcombs Ranch, Moto GP, and Accidents
The ride up to Newcombs Ranch was nice. It was my first time up there and really enjoyed the ride up. I was with two experienced riders but we took it easy going up because David was two up with his son.
Once we got up to Newcombs ranch we had some lunch and started to watch the Moto GP race. Unfortunately we were too early and only the 250 class was running.
On our way back down we see an LA County Sheriff's helicopter landing on the side of the road. I am approached by a bystander who tells me that the road is impassable at the moment. The story was that a motorcycle was in an accident with a van and they didn't know how long it would take to clear the road. He seemed very focused on the fact that we had to wait while they helped the motorcycle rider.
I was a bit taken back by the demeanor of the guy passing along the news. I guess he really didn't care that someone was hurt and was more worried that we would not be able to go anywhere for a while. Maybe it was his way of mentally coping with the situation. Either way it reminded me that it is important to remember that you don't know what people are thinking. When you are on a motorcycle you have to think for everyone else around you.
I parked my bike and started down the hill to see what happened. As I started to pass by the helicopter the medics were on their way to the accident scene as well. Once I got down there I saw the injured rider being worked on by the LA County Sheriff's Deputies (Paramedics).
I didn't photograph the injured rider out of respect for him and his family. Once the rider was stabilized they put him on the back of a US Forestry Service vehicle and carted him up to the helicopter.
Once they had the rider in the helicopter and were taking him to the hospital (Huntington Memorial in Pasadena, CA) I decided to get a closer look at the accident scene.
After talking to some people who witnessed the accident I spoke to the CHP officer and confirmed what had happened. Here is what I was able to find out:
The rider was coming down the mountain and crossed the double yellow line headed against oncoming traffic. At that point a green minivan was coming up the mountain and with nowhere to go and no time to react it hit the bike head on. Keep in mind that the bike was in the wrong lane, it was not the van driver's fault. The front of the bike struck the front left side of the van. This caused the rider to fly about 30-40 feet in the forward direction of travel. The bike on the other hand flew in the opposite direction of its initial direction of travel. The van stopped in place in its lane.
There was speculation that there may have been a mechanical problem with the bike and the rider took a moment to look down and check it. At that point he drifted off into oncoming traffic. Based on what I observed of the riders condition I would say that he wasn't going too fast (~35MPH in my unqualified opinion). This may be due to him breaking along with the driver of the van doing the same.
Another theory that people were throwing around was that he was going too fast and couldn't make the turn. I don't think that was the case because if he were going too fast (keep in mind the speed limit is 55) there would have been a lot more damage to the vehicles and the rider.
The rider was wearing sneakers and not boots. One of his shoes came off and landed next to the bike. The shoe was not laced up properly. It was laced in that "cool guy" pop culture way so that it could be slipped on and off quickly.
He also wasn't wearing any other protective clothing like an armored jacket or pants. The medics had to cut away his pants so that they could asses his situation. When I got a look at his belt it was obvious that fashion was his top priority.
The last image shows the trail of debris from the bike. I was standing where the rider was lying and the bike is just in front of the tow truck. To give you some perspective on distance from me to the bike is about 50-75 feet.
I think this rider was very lucky he didn't end up over the side or smacked into the wall. He was conscious and had asked for someone to call his wife. The general assessment was that he would be OK. Pretty damn lucky for someone who went head-on with a van and wasn't wearing any protective gear (except the helmet which is required by law).
We should all take this little incident as a reminder that we are responsible for our own safety while out on the road. Sure other people are supposed to look out for you but they don't. Keep in mind that you are going much faster than anything else on the road and you have a smaller footprint which makes it harder for others to judge your speed.
Almost every accident involving a motorcycle can be linked back to the rider. Riding too fast, not checking tire pressure, riding on faulty equipment, not paying attention to the road, riding beyond skill level, etc.
Think about that the next time you are in the canyons. When you come up on traffic what is your mindset? Are those unpredictable hazards packed with people doing everything but paying attention to the road, or are they obstacles slowing you down? You probably answered obstacles slowing you down. You have to remember they are the same people who you don't trust on the freeways, only difference in the canyon provides for a nicer background.
Final note: The canyons are not the track and if you try to treat them as such you will end up hurt or dead. Always respect the road and those on it with you.
Once we got up to Newcombs ranch we had some lunch and started to watch the Moto GP race. Unfortunately we were too early and only the 250 class was running.
On our way back down we see an LA County Sheriff's helicopter landing on the side of the road. I am approached by a bystander who tells me that the road is impassable at the moment. The story was that a motorcycle was in an accident with a van and they didn't know how long it would take to clear the road. He seemed very focused on the fact that we had to wait while they helped the motorcycle rider.
I was a bit taken back by the demeanor of the guy passing along the news. I guess he really didn't care that someone was hurt and was more worried that we would not be able to go anywhere for a while. Maybe it was his way of mentally coping with the situation. Either way it reminded me that it is important to remember that you don't know what people are thinking. When you are on a motorcycle you have to think for everyone else around you.
I parked my bike and started down the hill to see what happened. As I started to pass by the helicopter the medics were on their way to the accident scene as well. Once I got down there I saw the injured rider being worked on by the LA County Sheriff's Deputies (Paramedics).
I didn't photograph the injured rider out of respect for him and his family. Once the rider was stabilized they put him on the back of a US Forestry Service vehicle and carted him up to the helicopter.
Once they had the rider in the helicopter and were taking him to the hospital (Huntington Memorial in Pasadena, CA) I decided to get a closer look at the accident scene.
After talking to some people who witnessed the accident I spoke to the CHP officer and confirmed what had happened. Here is what I was able to find out:
The rider was coming down the mountain and crossed the double yellow line headed against oncoming traffic. At that point a green minivan was coming up the mountain and with nowhere to go and no time to react it hit the bike head on. Keep in mind that the bike was in the wrong lane, it was not the van driver's fault. The front of the bike struck the front left side of the van. This caused the rider to fly about 30-40 feet in the forward direction of travel. The bike on the other hand flew in the opposite direction of its initial direction of travel. The van stopped in place in its lane.
There was speculation that there may have been a mechanical problem with the bike and the rider took a moment to look down and check it. At that point he drifted off into oncoming traffic. Based on what I observed of the riders condition I would say that he wasn't going too fast (~35MPH in my unqualified opinion). This may be due to him breaking along with the driver of the van doing the same.
Another theory that people were throwing around was that he was going too fast and couldn't make the turn. I don't think that was the case because if he were going too fast (keep in mind the speed limit is 55) there would have been a lot more damage to the vehicles and the rider.
The rider was wearing sneakers and not boots. One of his shoes came off and landed next to the bike. The shoe was not laced up properly. It was laced in that "cool guy" pop culture way so that it could be slipped on and off quickly.
He also wasn't wearing any other protective clothing like an armored jacket or pants. The medics had to cut away his pants so that they could asses his situation. When I got a look at his belt it was obvious that fashion was his top priority.
The last image shows the trail of debris from the bike. I was standing where the rider was lying and the bike is just in front of the tow truck. To give you some perspective on distance from me to the bike is about 50-75 feet.
I think this rider was very lucky he didn't end up over the side or smacked into the wall. He was conscious and had asked for someone to call his wife. The general assessment was that he would be OK. Pretty damn lucky for someone who went head-on with a van and wasn't wearing any protective gear (except the helmet which is required by law).
We should all take this little incident as a reminder that we are responsible for our own safety while out on the road. Sure other people are supposed to look out for you but they don't. Keep in mind that you are going much faster than anything else on the road and you have a smaller footprint which makes it harder for others to judge your speed.
Almost every accident involving a motorcycle can be linked back to the rider. Riding too fast, not checking tire pressure, riding on faulty equipment, not paying attention to the road, riding beyond skill level, etc.
- Be prepared for that car stopped at the intersection to pull out in front of you.
- If you are riding in a blind spot expect that you are going to get merged on.
- Expect that there may be a stopped vehicle around that blind turn.
- Know that when lane splitting, minivans and SUVs probably can't see you coming up.
Think about that the next time you are in the canyons. When you come up on traffic what is your mindset? Are those unpredictable hazards packed with people doing everything but paying attention to the road, or are they obstacles slowing you down? You probably answered obstacles slowing you down. You have to remember they are the same people who you don't trust on the freeways, only difference in the canyon provides for a nicer background.
Final note: The canyons are not the track and if you try to treat them as such you will end up hurt or dead. Always respect the road and those on it with you.
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
Rock Store
So we had a good safe ride up to the Rock Store despite the heavy winds. We took the easy route in so there was no pressure for those new to the canyons. Here is a pic I took of the bikes lined up on Mulholland Dr.
We will be doing another canyon ride this coming weekend. We will be going up Azusa Canyon and back down. There will be a 30 min riding techniques overview before heading out. I will try to split up the different groups based on bike type and experience.
Please leave a comment with your email address and I will send you a link to the information for the ride. I am moderating all comments and will not post your information publicly. I have also allowed anonymous comments to be posted so you don't have to have a google account.
Friday, February 29, 2008
Headed out to Joshua Tree
So I am headed out to ride down to Joshua Tree National Park. I will be spending the night there and coming back on Saturday afternoon. Once I stake my claim on a camp site I will probably relax and get some work done on the laptop.
You are not allowed to ride off road so I will have to make the most out of riding the paved ones. I will post some pics over the next couple days. The desert is an amazing place and the photos always come out looking great.
Part of the adventure here in Southern California is that there is so much to explore. I have lived here for three years and I probably still have hundreds or even thousands of treasures to discover. If you have never made it out to Joshua Tree, you are missing out.
You are not allowed to ride off road so I will have to make the most out of riding the paved ones. I will post some pics over the next couple days. The desert is an amazing place and the photos always come out looking great.
Part of the adventure here in Southern California is that there is so much to explore. I have lived here for three years and I probably still have hundreds or even thousands of treasures to discover. If you have never made it out to Joshua Tree, you are missing out.
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
"Open Source" approach to motorcycle riding
So I want to take an open approach to helping people become better riders. I have met several people that don't know the basics and really don't understand the advanced stuff. I am on the lookout for some experienced riders who are good instructors that wouldn't mind giving some tips to new riders before going out on a guided ride.
If you want to join us leave a comment with your email address and I will send you the information. Don't worry I am moderating all comments and will not publish your email address. All types of bikes and riding levels are invited to join. There is no cost at all to be a part of this. It is open to everyone! Hence the "Open Source" part.
I already have a small group going this Sunday and I am bringing two very experienced riders with me to help give a quick 30 min overview of riding in the canyons. We will be departing the Hollywood area Sunday morning at 9AM headed for the Rock Store on Mulholland Dr. There is no reason why anyone should have to attempt to ride the canyons by themselves for the first time. This ride will be pretty tame with some fairly easy roads.
If you want to join us leave a comment with your email address and I will send you the information. Don't worry I am moderating all comments and will not publish your email address. All types of bikes and riding levels are invited to join. There is no cost at all to be a part of this. It is open to everyone! Hence the "Open Source" part.
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