Everything on Two Wheels

Motoyard Trackdays Review

2010-11-10T17:03:00.000-08:00

I started riding on the track earlier this year. After being on the track my first time, I can't express how much fun it is and how much you will improve on your riding skills. I did my first three track days with Motoyard up at Streets of Willow.

Never having run on the track before I was obviously nervous my first day out so I signed up for their "Free track session". A lot of organizations offer this now and it lets new riders take a session out on the track for about 20-30 minutes before everyone else. This is supposed to be a much slower pace to help you get orientated as well as figure out whether its something that you're interested in doing. If you like it you can sign up for the day when you're done. Well on my first day they never had the free track session...and I haven't seen it run the other two times I have gone. Motoyard has actually started late all three times I have run at the track with them.

The second time I was at the track was for a track night. This was interesting because rather than going to the track during the typical 100 degree weather, you can go under the portable lights they bring out and run when its much cooler. Well the night started off with half of the lights not even showing up. This set us back almost 3 hrs. Once the track did open up, it was quite a bit of fun and seemed to run smoothly.

The riders meeting at all of the events was very thorough and they even held the C group back an extra few minutes to go over the finer points and make sure we understood everything. The only draw back was the gentleman who was giving the majority of the meeting had a HEAVY Spanish accent and a lot of people had trouble hearing him.

Overall, once the events start, they seem to run smoothly. There are control riders in the C group however they don't seem to follow the same advice that the give out to other riders. I understand that these are seasoned riders but I almost got clipped by a couple of the control riders going by me which caused me to change my line a bit in the corner. This can cause new riders to easily grab some brake and crash. They also do very little to police the other riders and by mid-day any rules (inside passing, etc) that are set are being broken with little regard. Most of the Motoyard guys are relaxing having a beer.

The guys are nice but it doesn't seem like the best org to run with, especially if you have other options...however if the price is right then go for it.

Bringing the CX500 Back!

2010-11-08T12:01:00.000-08:00

So I have been busy with the new track bike and the SV650 so the CX has been sitting collecting dust. I've decided that I must move on to modern machines but that I am going to bring some sparkle back to her and see if I can trade her for a trailer, generator or something else that catches my eye. She's also for sale if anyone is interested...she'd make an awesome Cafe Racer.

Am I Back?

2010-11-03T14:55:00.001-07:00

I dont know...but I might start writing again. Been spending a lot of time at the track, have a new bike (stay tuned) and have a bunch of new goodies.

What do you think?

Why Not to Work on Your Bike Late at Night

2010-06-04T13:20:00.000-07:00

I always seem to get motivated to work on my bike late at night. I can't say its always the best idea. There have been nights where I find myself falling asleep next to the bike sometimes because its midnight and I am DETERMINED to get something done. Last night I found myself trying to get my brakes bleed. I had a brake bleeder kit at home that had been sitting in a box for a couple years...and I stopped by the local Pep Boys to grab some brake fluid...and walked out as they were locking the doors. Already, this can't go well.

So first thing I get to work doing is trying to hook the brake bleeder hose up to the bleeder nipple. I find out that the tube is either old and too hard, or just the wrong one...there was no way I could get it on the nipple. I had it stretched over a screw driver and trying other things...I even grabbed my girlfriend's hairdryer to try and soften up the tube. Normally I would have just gone out and bought a new kit but...you guessed it...no stores are open at 11pm. I FINALLY got it partially on the nipple and started bleeding the brakes...unfortunately air started getting into the system because the tube wasn't on properly.

So today I drive to work because my bike is still up on the rear stand in the garage with brakes that don't work. Lesson learned.

Dainese Laguna Seca Race Suit

2010-05-26T14:22:00.000-07:00

I've been looking to pick up a full suit but always figured they were well out of my price range...at least the good ones. The Dainese Laguna Seca Race suit retails for $1000 with knee sliders but I was able to pick this up from Cycle Gear's brick and mortar store for 40% off clearance sale as they now have this suit with titanium inserts in the shoulder and D-skin leather which has higher abrasion resistance...but ups the price to $1200.

In the store, the suit is the most uncomfortable thing I have ever worn. I had to ask the sales woman how this was supposed to fit because I was not a happy camper when I stepped out of the changing room. But then I sat on a chair for a second and things started to come into focus. Every part of the suit that was uncomfortable now felt like it fit perfectly! The suit doesn't come with a back protector since most racers want an aftermarket piece and not the foam material they stick in most jackets. So I plopped down another $200 on the Dainese Wave 1 back protector. Otherwise the suit has incredible amounts of armor in the shins, knees, arms, shoulders and a decent amount in the hips.

A hour later I am struggling to get into this suit again and put on my other gear. I waddle out to the bike (in quite a bit of discomfort), swing a leg over and Ahhhhh all is right in the world. The suit is absolutely comfortable when you are sitting on the bike. Things get even better once you start riding. The suit helps you maintain a more aggressive posture on the bike rather than sitting upright. I feel much more locked in and secure with the suit than I do a 2 piece pants and jacket. If anyone has ever put on a wet suit, the feeling is very similar.
Venting on the bike is great. So good in fact that I wore it out on a cold night and was pretty chilly. They dont make a warm liner for it and I wouldn't suggest planning to try and fit long sleeve shirts beneath. I also found that the aerodynamic hump on the back of the suit really lives up to its name. On the freeway there is a noticeable change in the wind resistance. Also, I rode two up with my girlfriend and she said it felt like she has a blast of air in her face the entire time she was on the bike.

I've only put about 100 miles on the bike with the suit on but the more I do the more I like it. I would like to hit up some track days but the suit has pushed me to spend some additional money on new boots and gloves.

Frustration with Big Feet

2010-05-25T12:47:00.000-07:00

I've wanted a pair of decent boots since I started riding motorcycles. Apparently most companies who make motorcycle boots don't seem to think there is much of a market for larger sized boots. Typically you can't find anything larger than a 12 - 13 and typically those are on the smaller end of those sizes. Well lately I've found that a couple manufactures have decided that they would make a larger boot. Sidi has a couple boots that go up to 14.5 (I wear a 14) and TCX makes a 14. Good luck if you want anything larger.

That said...this has been a long time coming but I went to Cycle Gear and they had a pair of 48 (about a 12.5 US) Alpinestars MX Plus boot. I tried them on and they were a bit tight but given the generous return policy I decided to give them a shot. I took them home, slipped them on again and wore them around the house and sat on the bike for about 15 minutes. Unfortunately my big toe started to get a little sore from the pressure and I couldn't take the bike out because I would have had to adjust the shifter pedal to use the boots.

Since that's the largest size Alpinestars make, I decided to go with Sidi. I ordered a pair of 49 (14 US) Vertigos. I did however end up calling a couple different places because no one seemed to have them in stock until I got to RevZilla. Well this morning I get a call that they wont have the boots until mid-August...same story from everyone else...and I cancel my order. A quick ebay check reveals that every store who carries the boot is sold out.

So after years of waiting...I guess I have to find another boot or wait some more.

AGATT Redefined

2010-05-23T21:47:00.000-07:00

Most motorcyclists have heard the acronym "AGATT" used at one point or another and from what I have seen, even more don't care. For those who don't know...it means All Gear All The Time. This means wearing ALL of your gear...jeans are not gear...tennis shoes or work boots are not gear...a back protector with a t-shirt only partial gear...and so forth. Some may argue these points but this is where you begin to argue what "gear" really is.

I didn't start out practicing AGATT. I used to wear jeans on every ride along with tactical boots (you know the black high tops that they sell in sporting good stores). I did however reevaluate things a bit and thought back to when I rode bicycles as a kid. One of the most memorable crashes happened when I was going full speed down a slide grade and hit a nasty little bump. It wasn't much but enough to knock my foot off the pedal and then subsequently throw me over the handle bars and sliding down the black top. A VERY nice woman pulled over, put me in the passenger seat and my bike in the back. I arrived on my parents door step covered in blood from head to toe. The clothes (jeans, long sleeve shirt) I was wearing were worn right through and I still have some nasty scars to this day as a reminder. Now the eye opener here is that I was only going about 15 mph when I hit the ground. I don't even go that slow in a parking lot. Considering the flow of traffic on most of the streets here is about 40-45 and the freeway can be around 75-80...consider what you would go through if you hit the ground in jeans, a t-shirt, open face helmet, etc! If for any reason you still think its OK to ride in jeans and a t-shirt I have a test for you...put on what you would normally wear to ride and walk out to the street. Run as fast as you can and then jump arms out onto the pavement like you just got thrown off the bike. I guarantee you will bleed and considering you were going less than 10mph...just multiply that pain and damage by the speed you normally ride.

So now that I have been riding AGATT, I've realized that not all gear is created equal and you really do get what you pay for. I think its easy for all of us to see the difference between a pair of $10 gloves and a pair of $100 gloves...but did you bother to look at the $369 pair of Dainese? You probably saw the price and never looked twice...at least that's what I did. However last weekend Cycle Gear was having a big clearance sale and I ended up with a Dainese Laguna Seca one piece race suit for 40% off. After that first ride in the suit I realized I couldn't go back. My $80 Cortech gloves and my $120 Icon boots just don't cut it anymore. They are decent gear but if and when I go down, do I want that protecting me, or the best I can afford to buy? Maybe I spend a bit more than I can afford because the hospital visit and any residual injuries due to lack of good gear is going to end up costing me a lot more, right?

So now where do I stand? Well...I am going to keep my Scorpion Stinger leather jacket and Scorpion pants for my commutes to work. I have a Dainese G2 slip in back protector in my Scorpion Jacket and the jacket seems pretty durable so I think I am good there. I am going to upgrade to some Sidi race boots...probably the Vertigos. I actually have the Alpinestars MX-Plus sitting next to me now (GREAT boot) but the 48 is too small for my size 14's. I'm also going to ditch the Cortech gloves and go with a pair of Held Phantoms or Pole Positions. Unfortunately I can't wear the race suit to work...if you've ever worn one, you understand. The other thing is that I expect this gear to last longer than what I currently have. The Held gloves should last me a couple years compared to the 1 year I am getting out of the Cortechs...so in all I get a far superior glove at probably less money in the end.

Looking back, I bought most of my gear based on price. Like most of us, I had a specific amount i was willing to spend on something and I got the best in that range. I've realized that this is probably not the best way to go. Look at things long term and how the gear is going to serve you. Its meant to protect you and in some cases save your life. Pick the best gear for you (which wont always be the most expensive), not your wallet, and then save for it.

Why it Pays to Read Up

2009-09-29T16:08:00.000-07:00

Here is a quick and VERY graphic depiction as to why it pays to read up on how to properly maintain your motorcycle before you actually go ahead and do so.

Again...graphic images.

See and read about how easily you can loose parts of fingers here

AOTD: Motorcyclists Who are in too Much of a Hurry

2009-08-31T16:26:00.000-07:00

So I am trying to be zen and not get upset with people when I ride but I have another Asshole of the Day post. Its not only cagers who can risk the health of our two wheels riding buddies but we can also endanger our own species as seen the other day. I was commuting to work and, as usual, cutting through traffic. I'm a considerate rider so I check my mirrors often and if there is a biker who's coming up on me, I will move over to let him/her by...of course I do it when its safe for me to do so. Anyway I see someone get behind me and am about to get over when a car in front of me puts their signal on and moves in front of me...I wait for them to move over before I get out of this guy's way. Apparently that's not good enough for me so he has to go by me, and then by the car that's already 3/4 of the way into the other lane. This causes him to have to make a quick transition back to the center line between the carpool and fastlanes. So now I am behind this guy and he flies down the road and starts crowding a Harley rider. The Harley is going rather quickly but not fast enough. As soon as Mr. Asshole has enough room he flies by the Harley and cuts him off. The problem here is that when he went by the Harley, he did so within inches of this guy. He also cut him off at a very high rate of speed and did so when he (the asshole) was between two cars.

Again, this comes down to saftey. Never assume, car or bike, that someone can see you. Had the Harley moved over to his right while the other bike was going by I would have had a front row seat to a pretty horrific bike accident. Also, had something happened to the car, traffic, etc when the guy cut the Harley off, it could have spelled even worse results. It takes a special breed to put people's lives on the line like that when they can't get their way.

Fieldsheer Expander Saddlebag Review

2009-08-31T15:23:00.000-07:00

I bought the Fieldsheer Expander Saddlebags for my SV650 after seeing them in a store side by side with the other popular Cortech Sport Saddlebags. The fit/finish of the Expanders seemed better than the Cortech and the features of the bag seemed better as well. I was taking a 2,400 mile trip from Los Angeles to Fort Collins, CO and back and needed something that would hold at least 3-4 days worth of clothes, supplies, etc for me to get there do, laundry and get home. I would be staying in hotels along the way so camping wasn't a concern.

Packing the bags was simple. People complain that the single zipper, as opposed to the flap on the Cortechs, is a pain when trying to pack/unpack the bags. I had no problem packing the bags and thought that only having one zipper was one less weak point I would have to worry about. I did however gripe somewhat on my trip when I had to go hunting for things in the bags. If the item was on the bottom then I would have to take everything on top out and then repack.

Mounting was simple...at first. I had taken a 240 mile test ride (where the pictures were taken) and mounted the bags fine, but did not load them to the amount I did for the actual trip. Once loaded with all of my supplies, locking chain, etc etc etc...the bags were much more weighed down. Since I was groggy on my way out the first morning, I didn't realize it but I had put the saddlebags on backwards. I couldn't figure out why they were sagging so much but I left anyway. Once I really woke up out in the middle of the dessert I realized that I had put them on backwards. I also found that I had rubbed a nice line of finish off my new Two Brothers Exhaust DOHHHH! When I did get them turned around I would notice through my trip that they would start to hang to one side. You secure them to the bike via clips that tie down to the bike and then clip to the saddle bags and are adjustable. I mounted the front ones on the rear peg brackets and the rear ones on the passenger grab bar. They didnt move but I did find that no matter how tight I made them, they always slipped and the saddlebags would eventually favor one side. However, once mounted in the correct direction, they never came close to touching the exhaust, but they would ALWAYS bend the turn signals down. Don't worry too much about this though as they are pretty resilient and will bend back on their own.

Another mounting issue I had is with the two Velcro straps that hold the two saddle bags together. The front one should go across the front of the passenger seat and the back one across the rear. They are velcro so you can easily adjust the length. I made the front one longer than the back to accommodate for the wider front end but as I found, this somehow put more weight/pressure on the front straps, especially on the leading/front corner of the strap that was sewn into the bag. It seemed that most of the weight of the two bags was focused on the one spot on the front straps and I was getting concerned they were going to break. The reason I realized is that the straps front and back were both angled toward each other...essentially drawing a straight line between the points. The problem was that the back strap was not as long as the front...so the back was twisting the front and that straight line was being curved. The fix was taking those front straps and not laying them directly on top of each other but rather making a X to compensate for angle. This helped put the weight across the whole strap rather than just a corner of it...and the velcro is strong enough to handle just a portion being attached in that X fashion rather than the whole strap. If you were able to follow all of this jibberish I am amazed.

The bags could hold quite a bit of stuff. I had ALL of my clothes on ONE side. I had 4 t-shirts, 2 pair of jeans, 2 pair of shorts, socks, undies, bathing suit and a large hooded sweatshirt. The other side was not as full but just as heavy as I had: chain cleaning supplies, 1 pair boots (size 14) , 1 pair flip flops, toiletries bag, clear face shield, 2' heavy motorcycle chain and various other goodies I can't remember. I put everything else, rain gear, laptop, tools, etc in a backpack that was held to the back via a elastic cargo net.

I was able to find these for about $110 with shipping online. For that price I would definitely buy these again. If I was doing longer trips or more regular trips, I would bite the bullet and spring for hard cases. The soft saddlebags get to be a pain in the ass you don't want to have to deal with every morning and every time you get off the bike to move around again. Also be VERY care full when trying to adjust them when they are on your bike. I found out the hard way when yanking on them and pulled the bike off her side stand and plop on the ground.

Two Brothers M-5 Exhaust Review

2009-08-25T21:53:00.000-07:00

In short the Two Brothers M-5 Exhaust for the SV650 sounds orgasmic. I installed the carbon fiber can and the look of it compared to other CF cans is far superior. Park it next to a M4 CF can and you'll notice the difference right away. M4, the seemingly most popular brand for the SV's, makes a very dingy looking CF can and it doesn't seem to have the lines the Two Bros does. Installation isn't too bad and once you take off the stock can you realize how light the Two Bros' is. Like most, I started my bike prior to installing the new can...loud. Once the new can was on, the bike was still loud but that harsh sound had been soothed and massaged quite a bit into what a true V-Twin sportbike SHOULD sound like.
Now...I've wanted a Ducati for a LONG time. I love the SV but who doesn't like the way a Duc sounds? I had been trying to emulate the sound but now that I've put this can on I almost want to say I like the sound of the SV a bit more. I have a friend with the Monster 800 and arrow exhaust. I brought the bike over and he was jealous of the sound it was putting out. I've had people come up and comment on how nice the bike sounds as well as a guy the other day ride by with a 1198 and dual termignoni exhaust, slow down, check out the bike/pipe and give me a thumbs up...and then he dissapeared in a cloud of dust.

I've put about 3,000 miles on since I installed the exhaust and here are some pros/cons:
- Sounds amazing...but its also very loud. I wouldnt want to ride on the freeway, etc without earplugs. Noise however at cruising speed is negligible...this was helpful on my road trip. They do make tips that help reduce added noise but who wants that :)
- I get much more notice now when in traffic or splitting lanes. Obviously a great thing but you also run the risk of getting the wrong kind of attention such as a cop, etc if you're going too fast
- The finish on the exhaust tip isn't too durable. I had my saddle bags on backwards and the edge of one rubbed on the tip of the exhaust. The gold finish was rubbed of of that one section.
- You'll have to repack the exhaust at some point
- Looks are far better than most other exhausts on the market
- The mid pipe and other hardware look like they are of better quality than other brands.

Overall, I'd absolutely buy another Two Bros can for any other bike I purchase.

EDIT: I've finally uploaded the videos. The problem is that I am using the video function on my camera. Now its not terrible but it doesn't capture sound well. It seems to cancel out all of the higher frequency noise the Two Bros can produces so in the VIDEOS it seems MUCH less loud than stock...that is the complete opposite. The Stock pipe is whisper quiet in comparison. Sorry for the poor videos.

The Cold Shoulder From Cortech / Tourmaster

2009-08-20T14:45:00.000-07:00

Sorry its been a while but I'm finally back in the groove after taking the bike up to CO...2,400 miles round trip. Pictures and write up coming soon. Which brings me to this post. On my way out to CO my hands started to hurt considerably due to the Alpinestar gloves I was wearing. They are great shorty gloves that are meant to fit more snuggly and help your hands be more maneuverable on the street and when going through traffic. On the open road however, after being on the bike for 10 hours or so, my hands would go numb and tingle when I would take the gloves off. When I finally got to Fort Collins, I decided to find a shop and spend some money on gloves that were meant to be more touring orientated and suit me better for the ride home.

I found the Cortech Scarab RR Gloves. Once I was back on the road however I noticed the elastic portion around the left wrist of the glove was coming apart. I was already a few hundred miles out of town so taking them back to the store was out of the question. The problem got worse as I rode home. When I finally did get home I popped on the handy interweb and low and behold...no phone number for Cortech (or Tourmaster)...just an email. Their return policy is that anything you buy from the store you have to take back there. I've tried to contact Cortech/Tourmaster to see if I could ship them the item rather than having to ship it to CO but no response...not even a "This is our policy, sorry". It's been over a week. Do a quick Google search and this seems to be the norm.

Considering the considerable amount of money I spend on gear for this trip and how much money we as motorcyclists spend on stuff I am floored that a company like Cortech/Tourmaster refuses to even respond to their customers. Needless to say I won't be looking to them for any future purchases.

The Almost Perfect Headphones

2009-07-31T16:41:00.001-07:00

I've been trying to find some great headphones for riding. Everyone has some suggestions as to what that may be but I've found that my ear canals don't have the typical shape and it makes it difficult for the in-ear headphones to fit properly. Most riders seemed to agree on the upper end that Etymotic er6i earphones were the best. However at a priced at $90-75 depending on where you can find them, its a crap shoot since I dont even know if they'll fit in my ear. I do however know that those little foam earplugs fit great and I can no longer ride without them. The wind noise annoys me now if I dont have them in my ears. So what I decided to do was go out and buy another highly recomended headphone, the JVC Marshmallow ($20), and try fitting the foam earplugs onto them.

Here is what I did.

First, cut off a bit of the foam ear plug. Up to you how much to cut but I think the plug would be too long without doing this.Next, punch a pilot hole through the center of the ear plug. Then, using a small drill bit, slowly use that to hand drill a hole through the middle of the foam. You only need to go as deep as the tube on the headphone is where you slide the foam piece on.Now you're done. Fit the foam ends on and put them in your ears! They do a GREAT job of keeping wind noise out as well as deliver great music without having to crank up the volume. One complaint I do have is that it's difficult to get the headphones in and sealed well...but again its due to how my ear canals are. I even have a difficult time with the standard ear plugs.

Colorado Trip Planning

2009-07-23T15:37:00.000-07:00

In a couple weeks, I will be on my way to Colorado on the SV. I've been in the process of getting the bike ready for the trip and planning out my route. I had thought about doing some camping but decided that I would opt out of that and try couch surfing instead. If you've never "surfed", there are a few websites out there devoted to "surfing". I joined CouchSurfing which is a free online site that has other people who post available couches you can crash on as you come through town.

For the bike, I decided to go with Fieldsheer Expander Saddle bags. I'll be using a Tourmaster magnetic tankbag I've had for a few years and for some additional storage, I'm going to load up a backpack and secure it to the back seat/saddlebags with a cargo net. I also just installed a custom Corbin saddle and picked up a CrampBuster along with StompGrips to make the ride more comfortable.

The Route...I've decided to take 3 riding days to get from Los Angeles to Fort Collins and another 3 back. My first night will be spent in Las Vegas, then Grand Junction and finally my destination. On my way back, I'm going to change up the route a bit and go up through Wyoming and stop in Salt Lake City and then go South to Vegas. If I had more time I would continue heading west and possibly go through San Francisco and take Highway 1 back down to LA...but that would add at least another day or two I don't have.

Corbin Seat Installled!

2009-07-17T21:59:00.000-07:00

After 5 LONG weeks of waiting, my Corbin seat finally arrived today. I've planned a trip and will be leaving in a few weeks for Norther Colorado. This seat should hopefully save my rear. A Corbin seat typically doesn't take 5 weeks to manufacture. They are made to order but I had mine custom made. Since the Corbin seat for the SV comes cupped the put the rider a bit further back in the seat, it is subsequently about an inch lower than the stock seat height. I'm 5'11 and the ergos on the SV are a little tight to begin with so I didn't want to loose an inch. I also prefer to sit up against the tank and be more upright when I ride. So when I called Corbin, I told them I wanted the seat an inch higher than standard and designed for my riding position. There was no extra cost, just added labor time.

STOCK SEAT:

CORBIN SEAT:
Upon opening the box, the first thing I noticed was that the material on the seat wasn't quite the same material I had ordered. I had ordered the "Carbon Fiber High Gloss" and it looks like I received the standard. There wasn't a price difference and considering I need the seat for my trip, I'll live with the difference. The Standard Carbon Fiber look actually matches the stock rear seat pretty closely so that mistake was actually a bonus. Looking at the invoice they also only built the seat 3/4" inch higher than standard rather than an inch. Again, should be fine but if I am spending this amount of money on a seat, I'd like it right or at least a phone call to confirm.

The seat itself looks very sturdy. The seat pan, rubber pads, stitching and metal rivets holding the leather down all seem top notch. There were some oil marks from someone's hands however all over one side of the seat that had to be cleaned off.Installation of the seat was a pain. After having installed a few parts built specifically for this bike, they have bolted on almost flawlessly. This seat however was another story. The seat had a metal bracket that is bolted into the seat pan and then that is what bolts into the bike. Its a matter of lining up 2 bolts. When I first lined up the seat the bracket was nowhere near to being close to the bikes mounting holes. I noticed that the bracket could be adjusted slightly so I loosened the bolts and slid it forward. It was closer. I then had to try bending the brackets ever so slightly to towards the front of the bike. Once I did that I was able to muscle the seat into place and get it bolted in. For a $260 seat, I would expect that it could at least line up to the two bolt holes on the bike.I spent a little time on the seat, and at first "glance", it is a harder seat but seems to spread my weight out along more surface rather than in specific pressure points like the stock seat did. I plan on giving it a plenty of butt time before I write a full review but my initial impression with Corbin is that they need to pay more attention to the details. My seat was built with the wrong material, to a different height than specified, came covered in oilly finger marks and with a bracket that doesn't seem as though it's designed to fit this bike. With these quality errors and $260 for the seat plus tax/shipping along with a 5 week lead time...you might want to look to Sargent for your seat. But stay tuned, in a few thousand miles my butt and I might be singing a different tune.

Video of Crazy Supermoto Riders!

2009-07-14T13:57:00.000-07:00

Originally found on Return of the Cafe Racers, these guys are absolutely out of their minds...in a fun to watch sort of way but I would definitely not want to be on the same road. You can see the guy wheelieing around corners, sliding through some corners with his hands and feet out wearing nothing but a Helmet and T-Shirt. Wish I knew which country they were in so I could say "squid" in their native tongue ;)

Joe Rocket Ballistic Pants Review, Worst Gear Ever

2009-07-13T15:18:00.000-07:00

I bought these Joe Rocket pants quite a while ago. I'm almost certain they were the Ballistic model but I could be wrong as they didn't have any model that I could see stitched on the inside. That said...it really shouldn't matter. This is, hands down, the worst piece of gear I have ever purchased.

I initially bought these because they seemed rather sturdy, had some nice knee and hip armor and I really needed a pair of pants at the time. I think I paid just north of $100 for these on sale...about average for textile pants. I needed something I could ride with year round. These had a zipper that ran down the side of each leg that you allowed you to get air, flash people, etc.

The first thing I noticed with these pants is that they were as slippery as ice! I thought I was going to slide off the bike the first few times I came to a stop! You're kidding right?

Ok...so I get the bike on the road, with the pants on, and I now realize how hot it can get in these things...and this is on a typical 70 some degree day. So I unzip the sides and damned if I didnt wear my nicest boxers that day. The side zipper started high on the hip and came down so...if you weren't wearing jeans underneath, you exposed yourself and the whole side of your leg. Call me crazy but doesn't this negate the point of wearing armored pants?

Well I couldn't return the pants so I wore them a very limited number of times over the course of the next couple months. I then stowed them away for awhile and one cold day decided to start wearing them again. Once I got home, I noticed that the seam on the side of the pants had come completely undone. I was out of warranty and out of patience with these pants. So I did what anyone else would have done...I took a lighter and melted down the edges to keep it from fraying any further. This worked for the next few rides until the OTHER side did the same thing. Screw it...wearing these is better than jeans, right? So I keep going and saving some pennies so I can upgrade my gear. Another handful of rides later the seams around the knee armor started separating. That was the last straw.I put less than a couple thousand miles on these pants, and although they were about 2 years old, they were completely falling apart. I circled every seam where the pants were coming apart. Keep in mind this was standard commuting and I was taking good care of the pants in between rides. Although they were 2+ years old, they should have held up MUCH better than they did. I'm scared to think what may have happened had I gone down in these. I'll be VERY leary of any Joe Rocket products in the future.

Better Service through Worse Sales?

2009-07-10T15:25:00.000-07:00

Hey its Friday! Well, at least its Friday as I type this.

Have you noticed how much better customer service is these days? I'm planning a trip and have been buying a lot of items over the internet for my bike. MOST sites now will price match the lowest price you can find AND offer free shipping. They are also having sales all over the place. When things are wrong, I've called the manufacturer, not the re-saler, and they have been more than happy to ship me a new part...sometimes over night free of charge.

Of course this isn't limited to online shopping. Many retailers have stepped up their game and seem to have taken a much more active role in helping the customer. This is all part of lower than ever sales and companies have realized again that treating customers like crap just doesn't fly anymore.

AOTD: 405 Commuters who "Feel the Breeze"

2009-07-08T11:50:00.000-07:00

So I am starting an Asshole of the Day post whenever needed. You see, certain things that just stand out each day and people need to be recognized for their efforts to try and kill you while on your bike.

So while riding to work today, I am coming up the hill from "The Valley" on the 405, splitting the fast lane and the carpool lane. (Yes, its completely legal...see my post about lane splitting.) As I am heading up the hill a car full of grown-ups have their arms fully extended from the windows flapping around in the wind. Given that there is only about 4-5 feet between the cars, their arms are taking up about 2 feet of this space. Not only is this dangerous for me but also for them. Although I can fit around them, if something were to happen, which it does regularly, I could easily be in a position where I would hit them. I understand they want to have fun, so I slow down and give a quick honk to let them know I am coming up. Arms remain in the wind. I honk again and this time rev my engine. Again...no response. I get up closer and rev my engine. Now, the people not only have their hands out of the windows but are looking back and laughing. They watch me sit there cruising behind them and when I see an opening I gun it to get by. Just another example of how people really do not see/comprehend the dangers of riding a bike or getting in our way.

Puma/Ducati: Fashion AND Saftey?

2009-07-04T23:10:00.000-07:00

I've been spending a bit too much money on parts for my bike lately so when I went clothes shopping this weekend I was relegated to the "bargain" stores. You know those stores that get all the left overs from the dept stores. Don't get me wrong...I don't mind getting clothes there or spending less but it is my absolute nightmare to have to pick through rack after rack of shirts to POSSIBLY find one that might fit. That said as I was browsing through the shoe section I look down and see a familiar name staring back at me "DUCATI". What? A Ducati shoe made by Puma? So I grab it (I own a pair of Ducati sun glasses so why not the shoes too right?).
The first thing I notice is that these things are FLIMSY! They are designed like motorcycle boots with the "leather" over the two where you would shift, laces off to the side, and if you look VERY closely they make it look as though there is some sort of metal under the material of the toe. The soles of the shoes are also a more sticky rubber to help sliding on pavement when you go to put your foot down. However, anyone who would wear these on a bike wouldn't be doing much better than a pair of flip flops. Its sad when I see DUCATIs name slathered all over the back of a shoe that is fashionably designed to be on a bike but practically should stay as far away as possible. I dug a little deeper and found that Puma also makes what look to be little $400+ racing boots. However seeing the quality of these shoes, I would stay far away.

Speaking of trusting your safety to Italian Fashion labels, Diesel Jeans are now selling Motorcycle Helmets. Open face motorcycle helmets. Although partnered with AGV, their one "safety feature" is "Ergonomic neck protection"...Thanks but I will stick to the products the Chinese have been sending over...

Two Brothers SV650 Exhaust Installation

2009-06-30T22:27:00.000-07:00

This post will go through the steps of installing a slip-on exhaust on your SV650. I bought the Two Brothers Carbon Fiber M5 exhaust but this walk through should work for most setups. You don't need to have much experience to take off and install the new slip-on but you may need some patience as I quickly found out.

OEM EXHAUST:

TWO BROTHERS...MMMMM

Tools:
Reciprocating saw (suggested) or a Hacksaw and a Dremel w/cutting wheel to help when you loose all patience with the Hacksaw.
Metal File
Socket Wrench - 12mm
Wrench and/or a second Socket Wrench - 12mm
Allen wrenches (provided by Two Bros)
Exhaust Sealent (provided by Two Bros)
Flat Head Screw Driver
Plenty of paper towels
Coffee and/or Beer

Step 1: Remove the OEM Exhaust
First loosen but don't remove the nut located by the passenger peg. Next, summon some patience and use the allen wrench to try and dislodge the two bolts that hold the heat shield in place. These have been spot welded to stay in place. One broke off in the process of trying to get it off and I was able to loosen the other and then had to break the clamp with the flat head screw driver. The heat shield will still need to be pried off of the midpipe but dont be afraid of scratching the midpipe in doing so as you will be cutting a portion of it off and covering the rest (above the weld).

Step 2: Cut off the OEM Exhaust
If you have or have spent the extra money for the reciprocating saw, I applaud you. I didn't. I went cheap and this isn't time nor place to save money...I even bought the cheapest hacksaw I could find. Now...if you have ignored my warnings and figured trying to saw through steel pipe isn't that bad, the may be the time to sit and enjoy the coffee/beer you procured earlier.

Ok...Now you'll want to find the spot weld (see image) and measure 2.25 inches from the weld. Some people just do 2 inches but there is a honey comb in the pip you don't want to hit. Its ok if you give it some extra room but if you only measure 2" and yuo end up accidentially cutting short, then you may cut into the honey comb (see image). Since I used a hacksaw, I started cutting and once I got about 1/2 an inch in I had already spent about 30 min sawing away. That's when I picked up th Dremel and started cutting the pipe away. This was working well but I couldnt get the back of the pipe and I was going through cutting discs like they were nothing.

Once the exhaust is cut free, it might be good to have someone help you take the last bolt out that's holding it in. The stock unit it about double the weight of the Two Bros can. Once that's off use the metal file to clean off the burrs, etc left from the saw on the exhaust pipe.

Step 3: Install Your New Exhaust!
Ok...you've cut off the old exhaust, started up the bike with no exhaust whatsoever (uh huh sure you didn't) and now wanna get the whole thing put togther...this is the easy part.

First, if the exhaust has to be assembled in anyway, do that now. The Two Bros had to have the new midpipe mounted to the can. Not tightly so it could me manuvered once mated to the bike. The mid pipe will be going OVER the current pipe on the bike. You'll want to put the sealent around the pipe on the bike. I put a decent squeeze of it but you dont need much, just as long as you get it all the way around. Before you put the midpipe on, dont forget to slide the clamp on. When you slide the mid pipe on, make sure you wipe off all the excess sealent. This will stain the metal if left on once you start the bike. Again, this whole process is much easier with someone helping. Once you have the midpipe on, loosely, slide the exhaust mount (Two Bros use a metal ring with a rubber liner that goes around the can) and get it lined up with the mounting hole next to the passenger peg. With your helper (hopefully you have one) line up the exhaust just right and then snug down the pass peg bolt down a little. If you dont have someone helping, I would put the bolt in, but loosely and then try manipulating the can to where you want it. Now tighthen the other bolts leaving the clamp for last. After the clamp is tight, make sure to wipe off any more sealent which may have come out along with any finger prints you left behind. Again these stain once you get the metal hot.

Step 4: If you chose coffee to drink, ride and enjoy. Otherwise wait a while and then take that ride....Beer + motorcycle riding is no bueno!

Finally, give all the bolts a good check after the next couple rides.

I'll be posting a review after I can put some real miles on. Stay tuned...

Two Brothers Exhaust Installed!

2009-06-30T14:10:00.000-07:00

As promised, Two Brothers sent me a new exhaust with the correct hardware kit, score. That said, I went through the VERY labor intensive process of trying to saw off the stock exhaust last night. I finally got it done and first impression was LOUD! Much louder than expected. I had started the bike up right after I cut off the OEM exhaust pipe and the Two Bros is not quite as loud as that but sounds more refined. I rode the bike around the neighborhood at 11pm last night (yes I was THAT guy) and was trying not to rev the bike too much since it is so loud.

First impressions...the bike is much lighter and seems to rev a little quicker. I rode it to work this morning and with my earplugs in she sounded gorgeous. Just what a V-Twin should sound like. At highway speeds the bike just hums along...its not until you accelerate that she wakes up the drivers around you. I did notice that my idle is a bit higher (about 1200 RPM) and wobbles just a little bit. Also, the engine doesnt seem to snap back to idle as quickly when I blip the throttle as she did when I had the stock exhaust. I am assuming the reduced back pressure is the culprit here.

I have plenty of pictures and will post a build thread and once I put some miles on the can I will post a true review.

Two Brothers Customer Service

2009-06-25T23:12:00.000-07:00

Have you ever won something on Ebay and paid so much less than what you expected to pay for it that you start wondering what's wrong with the thing? That's what I was doing the other day when I realized I had won my Ebay Auction for a Brand Spankin' New Two Brothers Carbon Fiber Exhaust for my SV650. These retail for $500 but can be found for as low as $420. I won the auction for $320. So I am at work on Tuesday and constantly checking my UPS tracking number and calling the house to see if the package has arrived. Midway through the day, it had. I planned to install it that night but on the ride home from work, I kept thinking that I would have recieved the wrong part or something would be wrong..."don't get your hopes up" I kept telling myself. I walk in the door and spy the large box with the "Two Brothers" stenciled on the side. Good sign #1. I walk over and see that the factory label on the side says "SV650 03-09"...good sign #2. I change and run over like a kid at Christmas to open my new present. Out comes a gorgeous Carbon Fiber can along with some other shiny parts. I sift through the contents of the box and take a look at the instructions, "Installation Instructions for Yamaha R6 99-02"...bad sign #1. Hrmmm well maybe they standardize a lot of the parts/manuals. So I started taking inventory of the parts and realize that, per the instructions, I need 2 springs to mount this pipe. These should have come in the box but no springs. Bad Sign #2. I start thinking back to other SV's I've seen with the same exhaust and none of them had springs on them, Bad Sign #3. So I take the mid pipe I was sent and walk out to my bike. I realize now that the mid pipe they've sent me actually extends past the mounting point of the Exhaust can. Very Bad Sign. I'm realizing at this point that my factory sealed box somehow ended up with a Yamaha mid-pipe and hardware.

Cut to the next day. Even though I won the exhaust from a store on Ebay, I call Two Brothers first. I figured that they packed the item so I would go to the source. Once I explained the problem, the guy on the other side of the phone promptly took my information, asked a few questions, and told me I could either drive down and they would give me a new exhaust or he would email me a pre-paid shipping label so I could send the current pipe back and have them send me a new one. I sent the pipe back today and will report back as to what the end result is...but so far all I can say is good things from a company who's products are still "Made in the U.S.A."

2009 BMW Lo Rider

2009-06-19T16:03:00.000-07:00

I need to get one of these if/when BMW ever releases them to the public...

Support Your "Local" Magazine!

2009-06-13T22:43:00.000-07:00

I was completely caught off guard this morning when my girlfriend walked in to the bedroom and told me she found a coupon for Harbor Freight. Great...but where? "Oh I ear marked the page for you honey, its in your new issue of 'Cycle World'". Uhhh thanks babe. She then started talking about the Ducati 848 vs. Triumph 675 Daytona shootout. "I REALLY like the Ducati. I think you should get one of those for your next bike." I looked around the room for a moment and after contemplating whether or not I was truly awake I asked her why she would be reading my motorcycle mags (not that I am in ANY way complaining)... "Well what else is there to read in the bathroom?" For that reason alone, the $10 subscription was worth it.

We live in hard times. Like most things, magazines are getting hit pretty hard. Since motorcycle mags have been a way for most of us to stay in touch with everything and even sucker in some lonely bystanders, I'd like to take a moment and ask you to support your "local" motorcycle magazine. If you don't have a subscription to one, consider getting one. I have two...Motorcyclist and Cycle World. Both $10/year which, all things considered, is very cheap. There are mags that cater to almost every style of motorcycling and when you find something you like, you'll never be without something to keep you busy while you're on the toilet. If your not into poop mags, have too many, or motorcycle magazines just aren't your thing, think about some buddies that may not be as fortunate or some kid who might be getting to that age...and scribble their name down on one of those cards that falls so easily out of every mag you pick up.

New or Used Motorcycles?

2009-06-11T23:00:00.000-07:00

I've seen this debate on just about every motorcycle forum I have been on. Guys going back and forth on the finer points of which is better...a new or used motorcycle.

I've owned both and plan on owning more :) Through the process of doing all the work on my bikes (sans tire changes) I've learned a lot about their inner workings and what can be done or not done by other owners. Here are some pros/cons to each:

Used Bikes:
If this is going to be your first bike...buy used. You learn a lot and unfortunately many of those lessons come at the bikes expense. You don't want to ding up that shiny new ride when you learn how quickly a bike can get off center when you try to move it around the garage. Motorcycles also tend to loose quite a bit of value once the leave the showroom floor. That Honda that retails for 9,000 is only worth about 7,000 once it's ridden off the floor. Many of the people buying these new bikes are weekend warriors or people who have aspirations of going to track days, etc. Regardless of intention they quickly realize they don't ride very often and the couple hundred they are paying a month on their bike loan is no longer worth it. You benefit. The downside is that there are a lot of bikes out there which aren't maintained well or have been abused and don't show obvious signs. I have a buddy who's bike has never been serviced, needs new tires, etc but rather than do any of the work he's just going to sell it to someone and buy something else. That's the bike you need to watch out for. Bikes differ from cars in that their engines are built to much higher tolerances (how do you think they can get 160+hp out of a 1000cc's?) and they need to be maintained to a much more rigorous schedule. But there are some amazing deals out there. I know someone else who bought his bike at a HUGE discount with only 40 miles on it because the guy rode it home from the dealership and never rode it again. So do your research and if necessary have the bike checked by a mechanic. Always try and opt for a newer model bike with fewer miles but be leary of some deals that sound too good to be true. Finally...be weary of buying used bikes from dealers. Their prices are ALWAYS too high.

New Bikes:
The first and most obvious benefit here is that you get the bike from mile 1. Bikes need a very specific break in and you get to make sure that's done properly. You can ensure the bike is maintained (or not) and you know the history from day 1. Also, if you plan to sell the bike, it will be worth more than the used bike you would have purchased. The downside is that you will be paying more not only for the bike but also for the insurance. Many dealers will also try to charge you for freight and delivery. Sometimes these charges can add an additional 1500-2000 or more to the price tag of the bike. The are dealers out there who don't charge these fees so hunt around. Finally you get to start with the factory warranty and get an extended warranty if you plan to keep the bike. Again this helps with your peace of mind knowing the bike has been well taken care of and should be covered.

From what I have experienced, unless I can find an amazing deal, I plan to continue to buy my bikes new. I like the peace of mind that comes with the bike along with the fact that I know I am the only one who's ridden her.

Straight Pipes, Really?

2009-06-10T14:35:00.000-07:00

People can ride whatever they want even if it means its some overweight lump of chrome that's too low to the ground to go around a right corner or slow down if anything within a quarter mile of it comes to a quick stop. That is until they take this lump and opt for straight pipes. Its then that my opinion is free to intrude on what ever they want to throw their leg over. For those who are wondering what in the hell I am talking about let me break it down.

First...go out and spend WAY too much on a brand new antiquated Harley.
Next, remove the stock mufflers that come on the bike.
Finally, find chrome pipes and slap them on. NOTE: these chrome pipes have NO sound deadening whatsoever.

We've all heard these guys rolling down the street/highway. They blimp the throttle and you either loose your hearing for 10 minutes because you were the unlucky schmuck who was next to them or you can't hear yourself think while they ride away. They do it because "LOUD PIPES SAVE LIVES". What a load of crap. Now I agree that stock pipes on most new bikes make said bike sound neutered and there are plenty of "friendly" options to give your bike a set of balls without waking up an entire city block every time you make it over 2k RPM. For example a guy in my old building had a Harley with the stock pipes changed out but his new pipes still had mufflers. Better flow and the bike sounded like a V-Twin should. It just didn't pierce your head when he went rolling down the street.

My personal rant stems from having lived along a busy street for a solid year and having these guys blaze past at all hours of the day...and it was equally annoying and unnecessary every time. Now that I have moved I live in a VERY quiet neighborhood but there is a freeway a couple miles from the house. I was walking last night and could hear these bikes flying down the freeway. Its one thing to hear the soft rumble of traffic but something else when you can hear these bikes miles from where they are. Uncalled for.

Now, although Harley and other cruiser owners are the biggest violaters of the straight pipe noise problem, there are guys on Sport Bikes who do the same thing. Again...uncalled for.

Now...if I could only decide on the M4 or Two Brothers exhaust for my bike ;)

CX500 Project: CB900 Brake Swap

2009-06-04T22:07:00.000-07:00

If you own a CX500, one of the biggest hindrances to the bike is that it lacks any real stopping power. The rear is an almost useless drum. The USA models come stock with a single disk, single piston brake. Marry that to a bike that tips the scales around 500lbs and its not a winning combination. There is a bright side. Without any modification to your bike, you can swap the single piston caliper with the dual piston caliper that came on the early 80's CB900's. Marry that to stainless steel brake lines and you've greatly increased your stopping power. I would not recommend swapping out the calipers without changing out the rubber brake line with the steel line.

Before you jump on Ebay like I did and randomly start ordering parts, take some time to study your current caliper and what is being sold online. Here is a picture I pulled from Ebay of a caliper of a 82 CB900. I dont know all the years that will work but I do know the 82's will work fine. The two things you need to watch out for are 1) that the caliper is for the correct (left) side of the bike since the CB900 ran dual discs and 2) that the bracket is attached/included in the sale. The first caliper I bought didnt have a bracket and I ended up having to buy another caliper since almost no one sells the brackets. In the attached picture, the bracket you are looking for is the piece with the two hole at the bottom of the caliper. Its held onto the caliper by the two bolts just above the bracket. The bolts that come off of your current Caliper should fit fine when you swap out this one. Also dont be afraid of just buying the whole front brake set up off a CB900. I was able to get one cheaper that was than just buying the caliper separately. (NOTE: I'm not sure which side the pictured caliper is supposed to be for, so please make sure you contact the seller to verify before purchasing...its currently going for $5 on Ebay). Also, pick up a new pair of brake pads for good measure.

Since most of these calipers have been probably been sitting for a long time, they are going to be seized, dirty, filled with old brake fluid, etc. So plan on rebuilding them. You can buy a rebuild kit on Ebay for $33.

Next on your shopping list should be some stainless steel brake lines. I called HEL USA and the gentleman there custom built a set for me. If I remember correctly there were around $80. I had to take a couple pics of the fasteners at each end and then take some measurements.

Finally, installation. This was relatively quick and simple. The caliper swap was done in less than 10 minutes. The space was a little crowded since this is a bigger caliper but she fit. The only time consuming phase was plumbing the new brake line and then bleeding the brake.

Now...take your bike out for a ride! It took me about a few days of riding for the new system to really brake in and maybe 2 weeks for me to really get used to it. The CX has a very gradual feel when braking, and when you make this update, the brake is more harsh. There is a lot less forgiveness in manhandling that brake lever now. I will say that having used the CX in daily commuting through Los Angeles traffic the brake upgrade was a hugely noticeable AND came in handy many times.

One thing to note...the surface area of the rotor on the CX is larger than that of the CB...so you may notice this when you first put the caliper on or after you've used it for a bit but about a half an inch or more on the rotor surface will no longer get used. It never bothered/affected me in anyway. I have head of people putting on the CB900 rotor but I dont know how that fits, etc.

Meditation: Chain Cleaning

2009-06-02T23:02:00.000-07:00

As my girlfriend can attest its been a rough couple weeks for us. We've moved into a new place, work has been busy for both of us and the small escapes are what seem to matter most since we have limited time.

Tonight I had been feeling a bit overwhelmed. I don't know what it was but I needed to find something to do in the garage. I love working on cars/motorcycles but I didn't have anything that needed to be done....or did I? I needed to clean my chain! This would only be the second time I've cleaned the chain. I've over 2,000 miles now. The chain was first cleaned during the 600 mi service which I did not perform, and then I did it again around 1,500 miles. Its not something I really thought to do since my previous years on a bike had be spent on a shaftie. No fuss no worry. I've been regretting having to maintain the chain but tonight when I went out, I realized that all my concerns had disappeared as I cleaned the chain. The same thing you might feel on a great day through the canyons or something.

So as odd as it may seem, I am now looking forward to that next 500 miles and the late night chain cleaning meditation session.

The Predictability of a Honda

2009-06-01T21:15:00.000-07:00

There are a few truths in this world and one of them is that Honda's are reliable. You can count on them. They may not be the fastest or sexiest bike out there but you know that the thought and time that has gone into that Honda Motorcycle will pay off somewhere down the road...and many times over. I was reminded of that this weekend.

I have an old 79 Honda CX500. She's not in the best running condition. She's an old girl with a lot of miles and some previous abuse...but she runs like a tank. Until this weekend I was living in an apartment and couldn't work on my bike. When the thermostat froze on me last summer, I was stuck. No way to fix her. Then I got my new SV650. Even less reason to fix her. Well moving day was upon me and my old girl sat in the corner of the Apt garage covered in dust and filled with old gasoline. I figured, what the hell...found the key, turned the ignition on...what do you know, still some life in the battery! Pulled the choke, thumbed the started for a few seconds...let her sit...thumbed again...and she came to life. This wasn't surprising to me because she's a Honda. I've come to expect this from her. Before I got her ready for the trailer, I took a few laps in the garage, let her warm up and shut her down. The only tell tale sign she had sat was a now sluggish carb...it needed to be cleaned/synced anyway.

So when I am ready to clean the carbs and change out the thermostat, I'll expect my old girl to start up with the same vigor she's had since I pulled her out of a junk pile, started her up, and rode her around the block with no front brakes and rotten old tires.

A Different 2009 SV650 Review: PART 2

2009-04-29T21:28:00.000-07:00

So I've doubled the miles on my SV since the last review and I'm past 1,500 now. A lot has changed. My relationship with the SV started out a bit rough. Plagued with back and wrist pain, my morning rides to work were painful at first. Since I had come off a classic upright naked bike, my riding position on the SV was way off. I spent some time reading up on proper technique and then took the time to adjust all of my levers properly. When a dealer sets up your bike....they are the ones who attach the brake/clutch levers. Mine were set so that my hands were bend backwards when I reached for or pulled the clutch/brake lever. This is what was causing the wrist pain. Proper setup should have the levers so that when you lay your hands across them in the proper riding position, your hands are straight in line with your forearm.

Once I got the riding position down, the SV and I have become one. The rough roads I was experiencing don't seem to bother me nearly as much since I am now using my legs more for support. Everything has become much smoother and my confidence level has gone up tremendously. I also complained in my first review of the SV that the seat was uncomfortable. Now the seat hasn't gotten any more comfortable BUT its much less noticeable because I am putting a lot less pressure on my ass (either that or I've just gone numb!).

Now that I'm more comfortable on the bike I've been able to really start exploring the abilities of the bike. As mentioned in the last review, power on this bike is great. The V-Twin torque really likes to come out and the power is manageable. You can pin the bike, hear her growl, and get your front wheel light when getting on the freeway and then let off to find yourself right at cruising speed. Other Super Sport I-4's would have you in triple digits by the time you got into the fun zone. I guess the best way to describe it is the SV really lets you have FUN with the power and not worry (too much) about breaking all the laws...but you can break them when no one's looking ;)

Cornering has become something new for me. On the old Honda this was a lot like they taught us in the old MSF days. Push left go left, etc. On the SV however so many more elements come into play on this nimble little vixen. Counter steer still applies but body movement comes into play much more. She is very sensitive to leans and responds with even more ability to get you through that corner. I found myself leaning more into a corner the other morning on my way to work and had to trim back because my cornering radius had almost been cut by a third. I've also learned to trust the bike a lot more going over uneven surfaces and bumps like expansion joints. Still working on getting rid of those chicken strips.

I did drop the bike last week. I was tired and didn't get the kick stand all the way down. There doesn't seem to be a lot of forgiveness for those who don't get the stand all the way to lock. Well the bike went over and I was able to assist it a bit but the saving grace was that I had installed the motosliders as well as a set of T-Rex sliders. Both absolute musts for this bike. The only damage to the bike were the minor scrapes on the side of the mirror and clutch lever. Aside from that the sliders/spindles saved everything.

My original point of these reviews was to compare what it is like going from an older bike to a modern sport bike. I have to say that after 1,500 miles I've had to change my whole way of riding, braking, turning, etc...and I could say I learned to ride all over again. I really can't compare my old Honda any more to the SV because the more I grow on the bike the further apart the two become and I realize how antiquated motorcycle technology had become...like drum brakes! To be honest I would almost be scared to go back to riding the Honda because of the lack of braking power and how I would respond.

So continuing I will review the SV at different stages. I also plan to do most if not all of the maintenance on the bike myself so I will include that along with my reviews. Stay tuned!

Mods I'm looking at:
Exhaust - Two Bros is at the top but a cheap alternative is Delkevic ($140)
Sargent Seat - I'm fine going back and forth to work (50mi round trip) but for anything longer I would want this
Fender Eliminator - Haven't decided yet but I would like to keep the stock lights

Let's Get Naked - New Bikes for 2009

2009-04-15T13:00:00.000-07:00

I've always been a big fan of naked bikes, especially the street fighters. They've always been extremely popular in Europe but never managed to gain the same popularity over here. It seems every motorcycle company has tried their hand at bringing their nakeds over but few Japanese bikes have had lasting success. Honda brought over the 919 and 599 (only last 1 year here), Kawi had the Z100 and Z750 (on the shelf for 2 years). I'm probably forgetting a couple that were here and then gone but we have also had the Bandit 600/1200, SV650/1000 and the FZ1/6 which have survived fairly well. The SV650 is now only in full fairing and the 1000 was last seen in '07. So even the popular bikes have had some limited success.

That said there seems to be some resurgence in the naked bike category. I was getting excited about it until I actually went and sat on these bikes. Most new nakeds seem to be aiming at the beginner rather than making something really cool. I think a big reason for this is with the high prices we had with gas and the potential for high prices again, many people turned to motorcycles for relief. These new nakeds seem to be aimed at that market.

- Kawasaki Versys: Very cool bike in concept but takes some getting used to in the looks dept. Kawi decided to take the 650 twin off their Ninja, tune it a bit more for low end. What you end up with was Motorcyclists Motorcycle of the Year for '08 for it's all around versatility and rideability. Not the most exciting bike in the shed and from what I've read it sounds like a sewing machine...but it suits its looks. Being a taller rider the bike had a great feel sitting on it and the ergos were very upright/natural.

- Kawasaki ER-6n: This bike should be shot on name alone. Ok so Kawi has taken their 650 twin and put it in ANOTHER bike with underside exhaust, etc, etc. So now you basically have the same bike in three different configurations: Full Fairing (Ninja), Naked (Er) or the mixed of both (Versys). Unfortunately the ER is supposed to be the "replacement" for the Z1000 but I don't see it. You can't replace an I4 liter bike with a twin bike that's meant for entry level riders. Sitting on the bike I got the impression that the fit/finish was very poor in comparison to others and it is definitely better suited for those 5'9 and below.

- Suzuki has the Gladius and in the spirit of what Kawasaki seems to be doing has taken the v-twin out of the SV and put it in this bike. The frame, exhaust, wheels, etc are not borrowed from the SV but it was designed to replace the now missing naked SV650. When I saw the bike in person I felt like something was missing and don't get the best feeling about this bikes longevity. Again it has a lower seat height and seems to be aiming for that entry level motorcyclist.

- Now Suzuki is one of the few Japanese manufactures who have gone a step further and offered up some pretty cool nakeds for the biker who wants something with some decent power. First there is the B-King. Its not new for 09 but if you havent heard about it yet, you're missing something. Sales don't seem to be doing to well for Suzuki though...I've NEVER seen one on the road. I've also been into dealers to check them out and had some almost beg me to buy one. Over a year later and they still have the first B-King they got in sitting on the showroom floor. Can't say I blame people when you can get a Busa for almost the same price. Then you have the redesigned Bandit. Also not new but its been a workhorse for Suzuki now for a while with a slightly larger engine.

- Yamaha is still offering the FZ6 and FZ1 but they also launched the FZ6R. Its a beginners version of the FZ6 with a detuned older version of the R6 motor. Interesting to think that now R6 motors, even detuned, are considered "beginner". Cool bike but before you even THINK of buying this bad boy call your insurance company. I was looking at these bikes and insurance companies consider them a "High Performance" bike and price them accordingly. I pay close the $1800/year LESS on my SV650 than I would have with the FZ6R!

- Honda seems to have given up on Nakeds. Unfortunately their quality of product is always higher than the other guys and that tends to push up the price tag. This seemed to hurt them in a category where people were really looking for the best bang for their buck and Honda's bikes weren't cutting it. Still evidenced by many '07 919's sitting on dealers showroom floors with the "Please Steal Me!" stickers on them. Honda is trying to market this "crossover" bike, the DN-01, a automatic, naked, scooter/motorcycle that is going to sell for $15,599? (trying to hold back the laughter) Ok better now. Uh yeah...someone save a page in the motorcycle history books for this one.

So what about all the nakeds from across the pond? I can't talk about those now. I am wearing my nice clothes and will start drooling. Well...maybe I'll give you the 60 second review... Ducati sporting some sweets Monsters (redesigned SLIGHTLY for 09), has the new Streetfighter out for only a bit over 12K (SICK!) and the ever popular Supermotard, Aprilia has a whole host of gorgeous bikes and even one with clutchless shifting...entry level for these guys starts at 750cc's for the nakeds. Moto Guzzi has some interesting looking bikes...not really my style but the second you sit on them you begin to fall in love. Triumph still has the Speed Triple...they listened...now more comfortable for passengers and its smaller brother the Street Triple is earning speeding tickets everywhere with that amazing engine. Now...Mv Agusta is somehow able to put out one of the worlds most BEAUTIFUL nakeds, the Brutale, and somehow it gets worse gas mileage than my truck...someone explain that to me. Damn...I did drool on myself.

No-Cut Motosliders for SV650

2009-04-12T19:34:00.000-07:00

The first thing I wanted to once I got my fully faired SV was to put sliders on it...for those "just in case" moments. I quickly found out that there are very few companies out there that actually make sliders for SVs with a full fairing...and they were fairly expensive. I found I could also buy standard sliders but would have to cut my fairings in order to fit them...not cool.

With some research on the SVRider Forums, I found that one of the members was making his own sliders and that his design had been sold to Motosliders. I picked up a pair for $125 and they arrived rather quickly. The quality of the pieces are top notch and the instructions were simple yet informative.

For installation, I first needed to get the fairings off. This is the first time I had done any work on the Suzuki and I found it to be rather simple. This is also the first fairing I've worked with and it was off in less that 10 cautious minutes.I then began to remove the stock motor bolts and install first the right side mount and then the left mount for the slider. These went on effortlessly and tightened to spec. NOTE: The instructions suggest putting a piece of tape behind a bracket to kept the nut from falling out...DO IT! It if falls out, it will do it while the fairing is on and it wont be an easy task to get it back on. Luckily I didn't learn the hard way.
Fairing back on and before I snugged down the plastic I installed the pucks for the sliders. I did this because the fairings needed to be massaged around to fit the pucks correctly. Alignment was SLIGHTLY off from stock but any deviation is only noticeable when you are trying to line up the allen screws. Now that the bike is all put back together the sliders look like they came stock...so very happy.
Also while you have the fairing off, consider re-routing the fuel run off tubes. I read a couple posts where people had the gas coming out, getting on the paint and causing it to bubble. There is a wire loop that holds down the tubes and I simply pulled the hoop out, moved the tubes back so they ran along the frame and then bend the hoop backwards to hold them in place.

Review: Scorpion Stinger Leather Jacket

2009-04-08T21:17:00.000-07:00

I spent the last couple years riding with a textile jacket and decided that I needed get back to riding with leather. I switched because the tanning on my previous leather jacket would rub off on my dress shirts on my way to/from work. With the new bike I figured it was time to get back to a leather jacket with some back protection.

I was close to picking up an Icon jacket but the fit just wasn't right. One thing I've learned is that you should always try the jacket on in a motorcycle shop and then walk out into the showroom and sit on a bike similar to yours. I've found jackets that fit great standing up but not once your leaned over.

Enter the Scorpion. I've worn their EXO-400 helmet for a couple years now and been very happy with it but never tried on their jackets. The sales woman suggested I try on the Stinger Jacket since I was looking at the Icons. The Stinger was a bit less expensive and according to her it was made by Alpine Stars. At first the jacket felt a bit odd when I put it on. She told me it would and that it was designed to mold around me as it warmed up. Somewhat skeptical I walked over to my girlfriend and by the time I found her the jacket had literally molded around my shoulders and felt as though I had a glove on. 10 minutes with the jacket on in the store and I was sold...$379.

Now that I have had the jacket a month I can't be happier. Its breaking in very well and I've received quite a few compliments from people. The jacket has the typical liner which has been very helpful on some chilly morning rides to work. Since the jacket is perforated in the front, you do get a cold draft coming in and I still had to wear an extra layer to stay warm enough. When the temp has risen that draft has kept me cool but I have a feeling no matter what I do I will be boiling over come mid-summer. The liner itself is very high quality as are the buttons and zippers throughout the jacket. This is actually one of the better quality jackets that I have tried.

Armor in the jacket is the soft stuff in all the critical areas including a large soft back pad. From what I have been able to find out, the softer armor is better for absorbing impacts that you would experience on the street while the hard armor is better on the track at high speed when you more likely to go sliding across the track. The leather is thick where it counts but the jacket also mixes in some elastic textile in non-essential areas such as the inside of the arm. This does a noticeable job at increasing the comfort of the jacket and making it more maneuverable...I have a feeling it will breath a bit once the liner comes out too.

Another feature that I found cool with the jacket is a snap buckle on the back/bottom/inside area of the jacket. They put this there so when you where the jacket with jeans you can run the buckle through the back belt loop on your jeans and not have to worry about the jacket sliding up, etc. when leaned over.

The looks of the jacket are also very cool. The style depends on which color you get (I ALMOST bought the white) and I ended up with the all black jacket. "SCORPION" is written on the front and back along with a tattoo type looking graphic on the back. My only concern here is how long the graphic on the back will last because it looks like it was done the same way they put graphics on T-Shirts.

Overall this is a comfortable great quality jacket that seems to offer quite a bit of protection and offer some nice styling to go with it.

Long Way Round

2009-04-08T16:15:00.000-07:00

Long Way Round is a great testament to man and motorcycle. It is a documentary with Ewan McGregor (yes the one from Star Wars) and Charley Boorman who decide to take a trip on their motorcycles (BMW 1200gs) around the world. For those who don't know...both these guys have long been hard core bikers and decided, as friends, to plan this trip. Documenting it was a side idea and eventually made it into a series on television. You can only find the DVD ox set on Amazon or other places.

For those who have a bike, make sure you watch this when the weather is nice because its going to make you want to get out on the road. This is also one of the more public things that made the BMW 1200gs popular with people who had never heard about its tank like abilities. Ewan and Charley had initially put in their order with KTM for some of their bikes which was denied because KTM didn't think they could make it.

The show really documents how rough and backward parts of northern Asia (Russia, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, etc) are but also how kind the people are as the two travel. What is disappointing to some is that Ewan/Charley travel with a third biker who acts as their camera man as well as two support vehicles that follow within radio range for most of the trip. Look beyond that and more about why the two are taking the trip and how its making an impact on their lives, and you soon forget that its not just the two of them out there.

If you haven't seen it...buy it. Watch it with the family because you don't have to like bikes to get into these DVDs. Oh...and don't forget to have your two wheeled friend gassed up...

Review: Honda of North Hollywood

2009-04-07T16:21:00.000-07:00

Honda of NoHo is one of the bigger motorcycle dealers in the valley. Its another one of those places that you've heard of if you live in the valley and own a bike or are looking for one.

Bike Price/Selection:

The first impression I always got was...this dealer really cares more about sportbikes than anything else. They seem to have a fine selection of Honda/Suzuki/Yamaha but only the sportbike are all shiny and kept in the showroom. Outside you'll find the cruisers, more standard bikes (FZ6/SV650), dirt bikes, scooters, ATVs, and their used bikes. Most car dealers operate this way except they pack the bikes in so tightly that its very difficult to see the bike you like and they all tend to be dirty/dusty. At least at car dealers they clean the cars off daily. Inside you do find a nice selection of sportbikes and some higher end nakeds.

Go inside and you typically will have a salesman come over and check on you pretty quickly...however stay outside and its a toss up. I've been there checking out bikes and had guys watch me from inside and then I've left without anyone even saying hello. From what I remember they also don't put prices on most of their bikes (at least the ones outside). When I have gone in there to seriously buy a bike, I've found their prices to be some of the highest. I was looking at a SV650 and not only did they want to charge the added fees on top of the price which were steep but they were charging an additional markup on the bike above MSRP. Wow. The day I bought my current bike I went in there first because they had a 2007 SV1000 I liked and if they were willing to negotiate a bit I was going to buy from them. They listed the price at $6,999 with 2445 miles. Blue Book was a few hundred below that and OTD Motorsports had a NEW 07 SV1000 listed for 7,300. So I walked in, talked to a salesman and when I asked about lowering the price of the bike, he refused. I told him I could go to OTD and buy one new for 300 more...and looked away and said "wow that's a good deal" but refused to budge. So I went to OTD and got my 09 SV650.

Part Dept:

The few times I have come in here to buy parts the guys behind the counter know their bikes. I was buying parts for a '79 Honda and they knew the bike and the problems I was having. Unfortunately they had to order the consumables I was looking for but I got everything quickly.

The gear/accessories area though does leave something to be desired. They are very limited and when my girlfriend and I were in there they had no street gear for women...odd.

Service:

I haven't gone there for service yet but their prices seem to be in line with other shops I've called.

Overall:

I'd go back for parts, service or to check out the newest sport bike but aside from that its not worth the trip.

Cafe Corsa

2009-04-03T12:57:00.000-07:00

So wait...this is a blog about motorcycles and all related things...so why am I on here blogging about a cafe? I'll tell you why, because first and foremost I LOVE coffee, and second the gracious owner Rick is a motorcycle nut (coffee nut too but we'll get into that later).

I first heard about this little out of the way spot months ago from a coworker who stopped in there because he happened to be in the Los Angeles downtown area and stumbled upon it. He knows my passion for coffee and motorcycles so he reported back about the place. Unfortunately I kind of forgot about the cafe until I was craving a great cup of coffee and it just happened to pop into my head. Some searching on Google and I was able to find it. My girlfriend gave the place a call around 4:30 on a Saturday afternoon but they had already closed. The owner however told her they were having some Jazz groups come in and play on Sunday around 2 and we should stop by then. She then asked if he was the owner and the one who was into bikes...I was in the other room listening in. She walked into the bedroom a minute later and said "Yeah that must be the place because he told me about all of his bikes along with some other one he wants but I have no idea which bikes he was talking about." Ahhh my kind of spot!

Sunday afternoon, my girlfriend and I rode the Suzuki down to the cafe. The place is a little hard to find. Its tucked away in a small strip mall and if you don't see the sign, you'll go by and have no idea it was there. We pulled in and there was a TON of parking for this being located in Downtown. Typically not a problem when you're riding but for those who cage it, always something to consider. When we walked in, the first group was setting up and I introduced myself to Rick. He remembered the conversation he'd had with my girlfriend and we instantly started talking about coffee. There was a list of some familiar beans you'd see at any Starbucks/Coffee Bean however everything on the list was available to drink...hrmm what to pick? With a huge smile Rick proceeded to walk us through the beans. He'd pull each of the canisters out, explain the bean and let us sniff. One you see the beans and take a full whiff of the aroma, you realize these beans may share the same name with those chain store beans but that's where the similarities end. I don't think I've had a harder choice before but my girlfriend and I both settled on different beans and then some more magic began to take place. Rick is one of the lucky few in the city that happens to own a Clover machine. This little nifty device is a $11,000 coffee maker (hrmmm I wonder how long it took to decide to get this or a new Ducati?) that only brews a single cup of coffee at a time. It just happens to be the most AMAZING cup I've ever had. The cup of coffee was around $2.50/cup. A small coffee at the Bean is $1.70. For my money, Corsa's cup is the better value and will leave you in coffee heaven.

Although the coffee took a few minutes to come up, as we sat I looked around and everywhere are signs that someone in the house is a motorcycle nut. Pictures here, a model there, some vintage ads in the bathroom, etc...all the while you are getting a caffine contact high from the delicious aroma coming off the Clover. You know what the two priorities are in this shop. He also sells what look to be some very good European pastries, however we didn't have any.

The music got started and we stayed for almost 2 hours. I had two different cups of coffee, both completely different in flavors and can be discussed in the same way you discuss a fine wine. I had an extremely relaxing afternoon...the atmosphere was great and, although I didn't get a chance to talk motorcycle with Rick, I wasn't disappointed because I know I will be back again soon.

Cafe Corsa is located at:
2238 S Figueroa St
Los Angeles, CA 90007
(213) 746-2604
www.cafecorsala.com

Ducati Hypermotard Review

2009-04-01T22:05:00.000-07:00

I was on a mission. Every Long Beach motorcycle show I had been, I'd always seen/heard about the demo rides but never got there in time to sign up. This past year was going to be different. The alarm was set, my girlfriend was away and waiting for that Saturday morning was like trying to sleep the night before Christmas. I had studied the list that was published about which manufactures would be demoing their bikes...All the usual suspects were going to be there along with KTM, Can Am with the Spyder, Moto Guzzi and best of all Ducati! Each booth had different rules and some started sign ups as early as 8:30am...others like Ducati waited until 9. Thinking I would be prompt I arrived at 8:15 to find a horde of people lined up 100+ strong at each booth. At 8:30 the Kawi booth had most of their sport bikes signed out for the day and I still had about 50 guys in front of me! I decided to pick one booth and go for it...and that was Ducati. Most other manufactures had their whole range of bikes out for people to ride...not the desmo kids. They had one bike and one bike only...the Hypermotard. As I walked over they were all lined up and in the process of being warmed up. I waited in line for almost an hour and a half trading stories of motorcycle past with those around me. The common question of the day..."So what did you ride down?" I was the only guy who had taken the train...not because I wanted to but because my '79 Honda was on the fritz and the train was easier than paying to park the truck. I finally got up to the front and secured a 2:30 ride...one of the last of the day. Excited I walked off and headed to the show.

As the day went on, I kept thinking back to the piece of paper they made me sign, "You are responsible for any damage to the bike..." Hrmmm responsible for a $12,000+ 1100cc Ducati that's been called a supermoto bike on crack??? This can't be good...and that's when the nerves kicked in. Towards the end of the day I made up some lame ass excuse and walked over to the Ducati booth and told them that I wouldnt be able to make my ride. The guy told me about 50 guys on the waiting list would love that news but why. Lame Ass Excuse delivered. He looked at me a bit odd and apparently had heard more than one Lame Ass Excuse...so he told me to go sit on the bike and get acquainted and not to worry. He'd keep my name on the list.
At 2:30 there was roll call. We gathered up and then went through a briefing session with the two guys who would be taking us out on the ride. They went through the starting procedure of the bike, the nifty knobs, switches, etc. Everything seemed tame enough until we got to the brakes. "These are TWO finger brakes!" our lead says. "Three fingers and you'll find out how tight your ass can get. Sneeze and you'll go over the handle bars." Now...my '79 is a full fist and a prayer bike. Grab as much brake as possible an pray you can slow down enough before hitting something...I hope I remember the two finger thing.

Once we got done, everyone saddled up, turned the key and pressed the start button. The Hyper goes through its own starting procedure which is much different than any bike i had been on before. When I looked up, there was a group of about 30 people standing around watching us. Bikes had been leaving other tents all day but this was the only one that drew a crowd. All of the S models were fitted with the Termognini race exhausts and those sounded particularly mean. We pulled out single file and made quite the scene. Once on the street, traffic would come to almost a complete stop to see the 14 red Ducs flying up the boulevard. I had initially thought this would be a tame ride around the block type of thing...which its was for some other manufactures...however our guides had scouted a nice 30 minute, 15 mile route for us to take. It comprised a little bit of everything the Duc was good at. We found ourselves on a few off ramps that would take us right back to a high speed sweeping on-ramp. I was third back from the lead and noted 70+ on the speedo...I wont tell you what was posted. We had a few of these...some slower than others but that Duc can turn! One thing that was very disconcerting for the first 10 minutes is that you almost sit right on top of the gas tank. Since you're upright on this bike...when you look out, you're looking out over the handle bars and you have to look down quite a bit to see the dash. This makes it feel like you're almost riding on the handle bars themselves. The power of the bike coming off the turns was awesome. I've riden some Japanese sport bikes that have more power...but this has BETTER power. The Duc felt like it had a living beast under me with a heart beat. This bike has a soul and you feel it every time you twist the throttle. Needless to say I had a smile that stretched around my helmet for 20 minutes (I was scared shitless for the first 10, ok?).

I've started a very deep love affair with this bike and the Ducati brand. Its a lot like that crush you get to make out with one fateful night but she realizes it just wont work out. You don't see to get over it. Unfortunately there just wasn't anyway I could swing the price of the bike, let alone the cost of maintenance and insurance...so I ended up with my Suzuki SV650 which I love dearly. I am however trying to find just the right pipe to make it sound more like a Ducati...

Lane Splitting 101

2009-03-29T21:18:00.000-07:00

I live in the Los Angeles area and have put about 30,000+ miles on my bikes through the LA traffic. Most of that has been done commuting during the rush hours splitting lanes the whole way. I've been reading a lot of questions/misinformation about the legalities of lane splitting in California and also wanted to pass along any knowledge I could to help those who may read this.

DISCLAIMER: ANY ADVICE GIVEN ON THIS SITE IS TO BE TAKEN AS THE OPINION OF THE WRITER AND NOT AS A LICESENSED INSTRUCTOR. BY CONTINUING TO READ THIS BLOG YOU AGREE TO NOT HOLD THE WRITER ACCOUNTABLE FOR ANY ACTIONS YOU TAKE BASED ON THE OPINIONS GIVEN BELOW. YOU AGREE THAT YOU ARE SOLEY RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY ACTIONS, CONSEQUENCES, AND/OR RESULTS THAT ARISE FROM READING THIS BLOG.

Is it Legal?

In short...its a gray area. But here is what the CHP has to say about the matter:

"Lane splitting by motorcycles is permissible but must be done in a safe and prudent manner."

That said...I've heard many people say "Well my MSF instructor said you could do it but you're only allowed to go 10mph faster than the flow of traffic..." or any number of other things. Again, its simply up to you to be "safe and prudent". If a cop sees you doing 10 mph through stopped cars, he/she may not consider that to be safe or prudent...and you wind up with a ticket. Then again 15-20 mph could be considered safe depending on conditions and the officer. I reguarly split with the motorcycle cops doing well over 10mph of the flow.

How To Start Splitting Lanes:

The easiest way to gain confidence in lane splitting is to do it on the streets once cars come to a stop at a light. If you're in the left lane, once traffic starts coming to a stop, you want to make sure your lane position changes so that you are in the right portion of the lane, close to the line. Be careful not to get close to any cars that may be next to you. You want to make this switch in lane position before the cars in front of you brake. What this does is give you a clear view of the slot between the cars. As the cars in front of you slow to a stop, if you have room, start moving between the first two cars in front of you. At this point be ready for anything and if possible be covering your brakes. The cars ahead should now all be stopped and you can proceed as far up to the limit line as you feel comfortable and/or you have room. WATCH THOSE MIRRORS. Finally, if you've made it all the way to the line, don't gun it when the light goes green. If a car runs the red going in the other direction, you'll be it's new hood ornament.

Getting on the Freeway and getting into the Slot.

One of the most dangerous things when splitting lanes is when you first get onto a freeway. One of the safest places to split is between the fast lane and the lane next to it. The reason is because there tends to be fewer cars changing lanes back and forth between these two lanes as oposed to what happens in the slow lanes. So once you get on the freeway you start making your way over to the fast lane. Always put on your turn signal here and ALWAYS check to see if there is a bike coming up behind you splitting lanes. One big oversight I see all the time is some bikeer just cruises into the slot between the left two lanes and never checks to see if there was another bike coming up behind him. Easy to rear end another bike here. Don't forget...we are just as invisible to each other as we are to cars.

Once in the slot be aware

So now that you're splitting the left two lanes, all senses have to be on full alert. I like to spend about 95% of my time scanning everything in front of me and the other 5% to do quick checks behind me to make sure that there isnt a biker coming up behind me who is going faster. If I am between cars I tend to focus on the next set of cars and so on depending on my speed and the speed of traffic. The faster you are going, the more you need to focus on since you increase you're stopping distance. Also, try to never take yur focus off the cars in front of you to look at something next to you. For example...you notice some gorgeous woman in a car as you ride up. The second or two you take to turn your head and check her out...and then turn back towards traffic, could be all the time you had to react to the car that just cut in front of you or came to a dead stop. I've found most of my Oh Shit! moments have happened when I took my focus off the road for just a second.

Slow Down:

The more time I've spent splitting lanes, the slower I've found myself riding. One thing I continually see is that random car can jump out of nowhere. I've seen people look at me in there side view mirrors and then turn right into me. When I see a bke come up behind me, I find an open spot, pull over and let the guy by. I've realized this. Even with the best brakes on the most modern motorcycle and razor sharp reflexes, no one can a stop motorcycle going a certain speed if a car directly in front of them decides to instantly cut in front of them with no more than a couple feet of notice....when that car is going no more than a couple miles an hour.

Oh Shit!

If you split lanes you'll have Oh Shit! moments. These may just be a car cutting in front of you, an accident that occurs right next to you, avoiding some random obstacle in the road, etc. I can't tell you what to do in those moments since everyone is different and instinct will take over. What I can tell you is that your heart/adrenaline will be pumping like mad. It becomes difficult to focus at this point and you need to move back into traffic and give yourself some time to relax and breath before going back out there. If you can, just cruise...or even better pull over and stop for a couple minutes. Once its over take some time to analyze what happened and how you reacted to the situation. Did you correctly use your brakes or did you end up locking up the rear? Should you have swerved instead of trying to panic stop? Take any mistakes you made and learn from them because if you ever find yourself in that same situation you want to be prepared.

Cover Your Brakes:

Learning from an Oh Shit! moment I had, I've now started covering the front brake at ALL times with two fingers. I read somewhere that if you are going 60mph, you cover 88ft or so every second. By covering the front brake, you've eliminated that second it takes you to roll off the throttle and then onto the brake lever (typically two seperate moves for riders). If you learn to keep your index and middle finger covering the front brake, when you roll off the throttle, your fingers are already on the brake and you've saved your self about 80 some feet. When things get really tight through traffic, I tend to cover my rear brake as well. Many people dont use theirs but I find in traffic it helps balance the bike under hard braking.

Hit and Run?

So there may be the occassional time when your riding along and clip someone's mirror....or something worse. In traffic its easy for a bike to just speed off and leave but I'm always someone who stops and checks. The few times I have clipped a mirror it hasnt broken anything so no insurance swaps...but I have heard more than my share of stories from other riders to clip and go. Don't be one of those riders. If you ever wonder why there are drivers out there who purposely try and block us as we come down the slot...this may be one of the reasons why. Also consider the fact that if there is damage, the person may have gotten your plate. If this is a commuting route for you, there is a VERY good chance they see you on a daily basis and if they dont get your plate one day, they can easily get it another.

So that's the basics...I'll post some more with more advanced splitting techniques.

Review: Del Amo Motorsports

2009-03-29T20:43:00.001-07:00

Anyone living in the LA/South Bay area should be at least aware of Del Amo Motorsports. They are one of the largest motorcycle shops in the city and have a wide selection of both new and used bikes. The store itself comprises a what seems to be a small warehouse with a large service bay in the back.

Parts Department:

The first thing any gent will notice in the parts dept at Del Amo is that they seem to have EVERYTHING! The section takes up about a third of store's overall floor space and probably has what you are looking for. The second thing that gent will notice is any number of attractive women working there willing to help. Not only are they pretty but when it comes to the gear they know what they are talking about. Unfortunatley the same cannot be said about the guys working behind the actual parts counter who seem to know little about the bikes they are selling parts for. I've either not purchased a part or had to return something because I got the "Well I THINK this will fit..."

The prices for the items they sell are competitive and they have a decent rewards card where you get $1 for every 10 spent (note that if you only spend 9...you dont get any back!). Those rewards are used as store credit whenever you want. So far I've made most of my recnet gear purchases here and will continue to do so for items I would prefer to buy in person rather than online. They're prices do however tend to be competitive with online prices, especially when you factor the rewards you earn and the shipping you have to pay for online orders.

Motorcycle Selection/Pricing/Customer Service:

I've never made a motorcycle purchase from Del Amo...nor would I. As you walk their showroom floor you see an impressive selection of bikes. Ducati (drool), KTM (very hard to find), and the typical Japanese culprits minus Honda. However, once you see that two wheeled beauty from afar that you've decided you can't live without, reality quickly sets in once you look at the sticker they affixed to the side view mirror. Most bikes start with the typically MSRP. No surprise there but then you see Setup and Delivery charges which can add up to 1,800 or so depending on the bike you're looking at. So what are these charges? The dealer is trying to charge you about 900 for having the bike shipped to them and another 900 or so for them to uncrate it, fill it with fluids, and attach a few things. These extra charges saddled with the tax and registration fees can push the price of that beauty you had your eyes on to well out of reach. There are Dealers out there who don't charge these fees (OTD, Burbank Kawi) but Del Amo is not one of them. I had my eyes set on a Duc but with all the fees they wanted to charge me the affordable Duc went into fiscal fantansy land. Customer service overall was decent but there always seemed to be a 2:1 Salesman to Customer ratio. It always felt like they over hired sales people and rarely do I see a familiar face on the floor when passing through to get to the parts...ohhh the parts.

They do tend to have a very good selection of used bikes but again the prices of these bikes tend to be higher than typical market value. All dealers (from what I have been told) must inspect used motorcycles before they can resell them. Part of this inspection includes putting new tires on, if needed, new fluids, etc. Del Amo is the only dealer I have seen who charges you a Setup fee for this reconditioning process. Well...I should say they are the only ones who show you the price of the bike and then the additional setup charge. I assume other dealers simply work this into the asking price.

Service:

I haven't gotten any type of service there but word on the street is that their prices are competitive. I have been back in the bays to check out some bikes they were putting together and everything is very clean/professionally kept. I'd try to find some other reviews out there from people who have had their bikes serviced before taking yours in.

Overall:

GREAT parts dept and I love to spend the odd lunch hour drooling over the bikes but Del Amo's policy on Setup and Delivery charges makes the bikes they are selling WAY overpriced. If you find a bike there you love, shop around.

Review: LA Cycle Sports AKA OTD Cycle Sports

2009-03-29T19:44:00.000-07:00

For those of you who haven't heard a radio commercial or seen one of their sponsorships, OTD Cycle Sports has been around now for a few years and offers customers an OTD "Out The Door" price on their bike. What this means is the price you see on the bike's tag is the price you pay...it includes all setup, fees, taxes, etc. The great thing about this system is that for those of you who have shopped around for a new bike, you've probably realized by now that MOST places will show you the MSRP of the bike and then you still have to pay the dealers shipping cost, cost to setup the bike and then state taxes and registration fees. Typically I've seen all of these "fees" push the cost of a bike in the mid 7k's to over $10,000! Setup and delivery were going for 1,800...and you get taxed on it. So its nice to know when you walk in and look at a bike...the price you see is the price you get at OTD...the downside however is that they wont negotiate on the price...but we'll get to that in a minute.

To find a bike, you start on their website, www.otdcyclesports.com. From there you create an account and then can search for the bike you want. Once you've found the bike they will display the OTD price (must be logged in to see the price) and then which of their dealers has the bike in stock. They even list bikes that might be a few years old but they still have one or two in stock (all new).

I found the bike I was looking for, an '09 Suzuki SV650SF at their LA Cycle Sports location. Aside from the general prices of the bike, my review of the service, parts, etc is going to be specific to the LA Cycle Sports Location.

Motorcycle Selection:

For the brands of bikes they carry, they had a GREAT selection. I was drooling over the Triumphs they had there and they had plenty to go around.

Motorcycle Pricing/Purchase:

As mentioned all bikes were marked OTD. My bike at other dealers after the setup and delivery charges was marked at 8,900 (this STILL didn't include taxes or registration). I purchased the bike from LA Cycle Sports for 7,200....which is below MSRP. As mentioned OTD dealer do not haggle over the price of their bikes. The reason as you can see is that if you consider that the 7,200 price tag includes all taxes, fees and charges...the actual cost of the bike is VERY low. Needless to say I was very happy with the price of my bike. I was not however happy with the financing I was provided with. I'm not sure if this was a Suzuki issue or one of the ways OTD makes it's money back but I am in the highest tier credit level, and I got saddled with GE Money Bank and a 14.5% interest loan. You're kidding right? I did finance the bike but its only been about 2 months and the bike it paid off...I'm not getting stuck with something ridiculous like that. I know motorcycle loans do carry higher interest rates but that is crazy. Again...not sure if this is the dealer or Suzuki. Overall, I was happy with the deal since I was able to pay the bike off right away.
The couple of people I dealt with in buying the bike were extremely nice and not the motorcycle snobs you may find at other places. They also remembered me when I came back to go into the parts department a couple weeks later.

Parts Department:

The parts department has all the usual's...parts, jackets, helmets, etc. and a decent selection of everything. I have been back a handful of times since it is on my way home from work to look into some parts for my bike and have found the staff working behind the counter to have little to no knowledge about the parts they are selling. Most of the guys behind the counter seem like they somehow were annoyed to be there and it was required that they had to put some hours in before returning to the floor. I did run into one guy who also had an SV650 and we talked for a while. He start suggesting a laundry list of parts they had that he thought I needed for my bike...fender eliminator, sliders, etc. All parts I was interested in but since I still had some limited knowledge of the bike, I wanted to get a bit more acquainted before I started buying anything. Once I learned a few things about my bike...I went back and looked at the parts he had suggested and none of them would have fit the bike I own. They only worked for older model SV's. Again...someone who had no idea what it was they were selling. I did buy a lock for my bike there and I was given a 10% discount for having bought the bike there...although I went somewhere else and saw the lock cheaper anyway.

Service:

Since I had been given a 10% discount on parts I called and asked if I got any discounts on service. I spoke to the service manager and he agreed to give me a small discount on my first service, which was enough to get me in the door and give them a shot. (their price for service was the same as other shops but the small discount made me come in since I like to try build a relationship with one business when possible) I didn't need to make an appointment and the bike was done when they said it would be. When I picked up the bike and rode away I immediately noticed an odd noise coming from the left side of the bike. I rode the bike for a bit to try and narrow the noise down so I could better explain it. I brought the bike back in and they promptly took the bike out for a test ride, then looked it over and then out for another ride. They didn't find anything and said everything sounded "normal". Ok I thought...maybe its just the chain being cleaned/tightened? After putting another couple hundred miles on the bike the noise still had not gone away so I popped the fairings off and found that the Horn had never been reattached and the noise I heard was the horn vibrating against the radiator. A simple bolt had been forgotten during service, but this mistake could easily have caused a radiator puncture or worse...imagine that happening just before a corner in the canyon!
While I was there waiting for my bike to get back from one of the test rides, there was another guy there with a sport bike. The technicians were buffing out some scuffs they had caused to the underside of his black CBR.

I definitely would NOT go back there for ANY type of service.

Overall:

I would absolutely recommend OTD to anyone looking to purchase a bike for the prices, ease of purchase and customer service...but would send them elsewhere for parts or service.

LA Cycle Sports

Inglewood (near LAX)

977 W. Hyde Park Blvd.

Inglewood - CA 90302

Review: Scorpion EXO 400 Helmet

2009-03-22T19:38:00.000-07:00

The Scorpion EXO 400 is my second helmet. I've had it for about 2 years now and put about 20,000 miles on it. My previous helmet was an HJC CL-14.

(This image shows what the helmet looks like after two years.)

Fit:

The initial fit going from the HJC to the Scorpion was difficult. The Scorpion has far more padding around the jaw and it actually hurt the first week or so I was riding with it. Once the pads started to break in however, I felt like the helmet was much more secure on my head. The helmet does start to mold around you head after a while. The padding does a great job on a hot day of sucking up the sweat and doesn't get too smelly. When it is ready to be cleaned, its relatively easy to pop out the padding, wash and pop it back in. When you're ready for a new liner, Scorpion sells replacements for relatively cheap.

Finish:

The shell and sheild has held up extreemly well. I've replaced the sheild once due to scratches from bumping it into things. I'd had it on the helmet for over a year and the anti-fog treatment was still good to go. The lining on one of the straps however did start to tear. This happened only a couple months after owning the helmet but the tear hasn't progressed any further. The bottom of the padding also started to flake off from rubbing on the top of my jacket.

Overall:

The problems I've had with the strap and padding havent affected the safety of the helmet. The lining can be replaced but, as far as I am aware, the strap cannot be. That being said I've had no other complaints about the helmet. The weight of the helmet is fine and the noise is definitely less than the HJC.

If it says anything, I just bought the Scorpion Stinger Jacket and I'm looking into getting a new Scorpion helmet, the 700 or 1000 series.

Review: 1979 Honda CX500

2009-03-22T16:37:00.000-07:00

A few years ago I saw an ad for a some random bike that had been wrecked but I wanted to go check it out and see what possibility there was to rebuild it. When I got there it was a lump of parts. However, there was this other bike there sitting among some of the garbage this guy had in his yard and I asked him about it. "Ah!" he says, "That's an old CX500. She still kinda runs but needs a lot of work." We pulled the CX out of the pile and I just fell in love. Some negotiation, $500 and a pick-up ride over and my first bike had arrived at the house.

The front brakes were non-existent, carbs clogged, tires bald and just about everything else showed signs of abuse. A month or so of work and she was off and running.

The first problems I had with the bike was the cam tensioner adjustment bolt had stripped the threads in the case. So after some reading about the CX, I planned to drop the engine, put in a case saver as well as put in new oil/water seals and whatever various parts I could find for the tensioner. One thing you quickly learn about this bike is that although many of the parts are no longer made, there are still a lot of donor bikes out there and plenty of people who are willing to pass along advice and/or spares.

Once I got the bike running as I had like the miles started passing effortlessly. I was riding her to work during the week and through the canyons on the weekends. On the freeway she cruised along fine at 75-80. Power was great to that point but above 80 she lost all steam. The vibrations on the freeway rendered any images in the rearview to mear blurs and my hands would go numb after a while. That said, the riding position is very neutral and the handle bars sweep back just enough so you can spend a couple hours on the bike and not be tired.

In the canyon, the bike handled great. The suspension is definitely soft on the bike but for some reason through the canyons it just worked. I would ride with friends who were on sport bikes and I could keep up with them in the corners but was no match when they would hit the straights. The pegs were rather easy to scrape in the corners before I would reach a point of concern. Tire wear went all the way to the edge.

City riding is one of the places this bike seemed to really excel. Maybe its why they still use this bike as a courier bike over in the UK. Power off the line is excellent for a 500cc bike, it's water cooled so less problems in the heat and its fairly easy to manuver through and between traffic.

The biggest downfall on the CX are the brakes. Single disk/single piston in the front and drum in the rear. Needless to say the bike stopped like a freight train. I researched and found that the dual piston calipers on the CB900 are a direct bolt on to the CX. So I swapped the calipers and also fit a set of custom steel braided lines. The braking was much improved...still not great but at least I had a chance if something jumped out at me.

Overall this has been a great starter bike. Reliabilty hasn't been the best but honestly to be expected with a bike thats almost 30 years old and was picked out of a trash dump. Its been a great bike to own and you rarely see another one on the road. At bike nights she always stood out and always got questions. I'll be keeping her in the garage while I put some time on the new bike for those times I need to be grounded again.

A Different 2009 SV650 Review: PART 1

2009-03-21T22:16:00.000-07:00

I've been in the market for a new or newer bike for a couple years now. My first bike (which I still own) is a 1979 Honda CX500. I put about 30K miles on this bike through Los Angeles traffic as a daily commuter...so I was certainly ready for a new steed. The only problem is that EVERY motorcycle review you read is written by someone who's ridden every modern bike offered or at least has a significant amount of time on something built within the last 5 years. So needless to say its hard to really "connect" with a reviewer when they say the bike had significant buzz in the bars when my CX would "buzz" so much my hands would go numb 30 minutes into a ride. Anything less might feel like a nice massage! So I wanted to have a progressive review of the '09 SV650SF from my eyes coming off a bike 30 years its senior.

Miles on the SV: 700...
Mods:
- 1" Mirror Extenders
- Motosliders no-cut for full fairing (Not Installed)

Brakes:

I figured I would start where the CX lacked the most...braking. I had upgraded the CX's brakes from single disk/single caliper front (drum rear) to two caliper front with steel braided lines. HUGE improvement. My initial impressions of the SV were simply...wow, I need to watch myself. I found there was now an instant bite when I put any pressure on the brakes and I could now use my rear brake...whereas previously I left the drum brake alone. The CX would have a very progressive method of slowing down and it had to be planned. Panic stopping was actually more like panic maneuvering. I did almost lay the SV down within the first few days I owned her because I had to make a panic stop going about 15 mph. Instinct kicked in and I squeezed the brake lever with all four fingers as hard as I could. In the CX...that would have resulted in a quick stop, nothing more. On the SV, front wheel locked, both legs out, bike saved. Knowing what I know now I would certainly have opted for the ABS version. I have since modified my technique quite a bit. I've seen a lot of mods on the boards to upgrade the brakes but until I master these that is one upgrade I will stay FAR away from.

Riding:

Its been a mixed bag for me. Riding the SV absolutely puts a smile across my face. But then I hear that sewing machine motor, feel my ass begin to cramp up and miss the old girl. That said though, the SV has been an absolute gem riding through traffic and town. The power off the line is great and the bike is exceptionally nimble. I now simply think about where I want to go and the SV takes me there...not always a good thing but I am learning. Being more of a sport bike she is much more harsh over the rough stuff, especially when going 35-40 on surface streets. This rough ride has also affected my confidence in the canyons. As crazy as some have called me, my CX and I have kept up and even passed some lesser sport bike riders. I'm now the one being passed because I don't feel planted at all on the pavement. It feels like the tires will loose their grip if I hit anything that will cause my bike to shudder. I went back and found some corners where I used to scrape the pegs on the CX doing 40+ and found myself going 30 on the SV. Again, something that will have to come with time.

I mentioned power a bit above but come on...this is a sport bike...we need to go over this in some more detail. Coming from a v-twin...I would not have been happy riding an I-4. If you've never ridden a v-twin, power is instant whereas the I-4 needs to be wound up a bit before its power comes on. Its a lot like the difference between a supercharger and a turbo. The SV has been great off the line and can pull away from that annoying Mustang without much effort. Where I was really surprised was the instant power I have on-hand when going through traffic. Say you're splitting lanes and the guy next to you decides you're in his lane...a quick blip on the throttle and he's a couple cars back. The best part is that twin does a nice job of engine braking when you come off the throttle. The fuel injection seems to be spot on so far. I've had a couple hic-ups from the bottom of the rev counter but in general everything has been smooth as silk and first/second gear is relatively easy to idle through traffic with when things get tight without having to feather the clutch. When you get high into the revs she has a lot more bark than bite. You definitely want to find that next gear up and keep her in that happy middle ground if you're going to be trying to pull ahead.

Two up this bike has been great. My girlfriend LOVES the bike and is very comfortable on the back seat. I've been contemplating getting a Sargent seat front/rear but she's asked that I leave her seat alone. Any complaints I had with the rough ride are minimized with the extra weight on the back. There's really no noticeable lag on the engine and the rear suspension doesn't seem to have any complaints. More trunk space would be nice but the fact that I have two helmet locks is much improved.

Fit and Finish

As I am riding the bike feels very natural. As mentioned above it is very compliant to my input. Since I am now able to adjust the levers, etc I can customize the bike to better fit me. Adjustments to 70's era bikes are very limited. The gauges are well placed and easy to read even when there is direct sunlight on the dash...and I finally have a CLOCK!!! The rest of the bike, so far seems very well put together. Coming from a Honda this was something that I was very particular about since I had been spoiled. I had yet to find out how easy this bike is to work on but I'll get to that in another review. Paint/design/etc is excellent (I have the blue w/white racing stripe). I've received a lot of comments from people when I am stopped or who have seen the bike parked.

Overall:

So far I've been very happy with my purchase. I paid $7,199 with all taxes, setup, etc. I also picked up the extended warranty for 4 years for another 600 or so. I had my eye on a Ducati Supermotard but after fees, etc I was looking at over $15,000 OTD and couldn't justify it. I also looked at the FZ6 which in some ways I liked better but when I checked insurance they wanted about $1800 more a year! Also when considering bikes the SV has one of the best followings and aftermarket behind it.

I've been averaging about 50mpg with a majority of that being stop and go. I didn't follow the "easy" break in method but rather went with the other school of thought which is to ride the bike hard. Knowing that I can only keep a bike below 5,500 RPM for so long I figured this was the best for my sanity.

Future Mods:
- Install Motosliders
- M4 slip-on (considered a full system but don't want to get into having to re-map, etc)
- Fender Eliminator
- Sargent seat (although the more time I sit on this bike the more comfortable I am)
- Possibly either swap to the SV Naked handle bars than the clip-ons I have now or go to Heli bars. Still adjusting to the bike.

Next Review...let me know what you might want me to cover.