Rider articles from April 2004

Rider archives from April 2004

Trekking alternatives: around the world or just over the next ridge, it's the motorcycle that makes the ride, and the choice of bikes is broader than you might imagine. But in the end it's the rider who creates the journey.(One Track Mind)
April 1, 2004... As a Rider reader, the thought of riding a motorcycle around the world has probably crossed your mind... if you haven't actually done it, that is. Among those able to make such a getaway, our own contributor Clement Salvadori and well-known...

Bandit look-alike.(Response)(Letter to the Editor)
April 1, 2004... Regarding Handlin' Hot-Rod by Mark Tuttle Jr. in February's issue--when I visited the cycle show in Seattle last December, I told myself, "Why, Honda made a Bandit!" The two are almost identical to the last spec, although the new Honda may have...

Flashlights.(Response)(Letter to the Editor)
April 1, 2004... The Buyer's Guide article in February's issue (Portable Lighting Instruments) by Bill Heald was informative and well done, but he left out one of my favorites for traveling. The Teknolite by Lite-Pro (www.lite-pro.com). It's not the...

Air-cooled ducs.(Response)(Letter to the Editor)
April 1, 2004... While reading Ken Freund's article titled Dialed-In Ducatis in the February issue I was surprised to learn that the liquid-cooling with a radiator and thermostatically controlled electric fan on the ST3 was a major departure from the...

Hungry for more.(Response)(Letter to the Editor)
April 1, 2004... I just loved the Kickstarts section in February's issue. Like most enthusiasts, I am hungry for more information on the Suzuki G-Strider. I have found over the years the industry teases us with this neat stuff and then it kinda fades away...

A bit of history.(Response)(Letter to the Editor)
April 1, 2004... My family and I went on a cross-country trip in 1991. While stopped for fuel and food, I noticed an old V-twin racer on display in the window of a building. I had stumbled upon The Wheels Through Time Museum (The Museum That Runs by Alan Mayes,...

Stayin' Safe ... but not safe enough.(Response)(Letter to the Editor)
April 1, 2004... Larry Grodsky's Stayin' Safe column in February's issue was on a subject which I had just recently encountered--non-canceling turn signals. I have a Honda Gold Wing and a Shadow 1100. After having spent two days on the Wing, I took the Shadow...

Offroad thrills.(Response)(Letter to the Editor)
April 1, 2004... Just read Clement Salvadori's February Road Tales, Adventurous Touring, Amen! My start in motorcycling was in the dirt on what were called enduro motorcycles. Had a blast, but like so many locations it got to be too much hassle to find true...

Hall of Fame.(Response)(Letter to the Editor)
April 1, 2004... It was exciting to see the article by Bill Stermer on the 2004 induction ceremonies for the Motorcycle Hall of Fame (Rallies & Clubs, February 2004). It is through the efforts of the honorees from the past that we enjoy the excitement and...

BMW VW.(Response)(Letter to the Editor)
April 1, 2004... I was delighted to see Clement Salvadori's article on the VW motorcycle (Retrospective, February). It's a shame he did not ride it and comment on the tremendous performance aspects of this wonderful creation. I, too, have a VW/BMW that I built...

No sympathy.(Response)(Letter to the Editor)
April 1, 2004... I read Clement's review of the Dan Hanlon book (Riding the American Dream, February 2004) and I probably would have not even wasted the paper or ink on this guy. My feeling is that Hanlon burned through huge amounts of investors' money and then...

Attention-grabbing.(Response)(Letter to the Editor)
April 1, 2004... In response to Mr. Tuttle's remark about the "naked" bike description, there was back in my day another description for them--they were called standard motorcycles. In today's porno-obsessed world the term standard will not grab the attention...

FJR 1300 returns for 2005.(Kick Starts)
April 1, 2004... Just in time for this issue, Yamaha has announced that its 125-horsepower FJR1300 sport tourer will return for 2005 in a new Galaxy Blue color. Other than a $300 price increase to $11,799 and $12,899 for the ABS model, no other changes have...

Scarabeo boo-boo.(Kick Starts)
April 1, 2004... An item in Kickstarts last month incorrectly stated that the Aprilia Scarabeo 500 mega-scooter has underseat storage. It does not, and we intend to prove it in next month's test. EDITED BY MARK TUTTLE JR.

Ridin' the Web.(Kick Starts)
April 1, 2004... WWW.BMWSPORTTOURING.COM AN ON-LINE, ON-ROAD COMMUNITY SPECIFICALLY RELATED TO SPORT TOURING ON BMW MOTORCYCLES, WITH A GOOD DISCUSSION BOARD AND OTHER FEATURES. WWW.TRANSAMTRAIL.COM SAM CORRERO HAS MAPPED A DIRT-ROAD ROUTE FROM...

Mad Dog closes.(Kick Starts)
April 1, 2004... Pity--The Mad Dog Cafe in Crawford, Colorado, owned by Pam Cocker--the motorcycle-riding wife of singer Joe Cocker--has closed indefinitely. Pam reportedly used to give out free Mad Dog bandanas to motorcycle riders who stopped at the cafe. ...

Electric vest caution.(Kick Starts)
April 1, 2004... If you're planning on taking an electric vest or jacket with you on a commercial airline flight, better pack it in your checked luggage. The Los Angeles Times reported in January that a woman bound for Cincinnati from Paris was taken off the...

2005 BMW R1200GS.
April 1, 2004... LESS WEIGHT, SMOOTHER RUNNING AND MORE POWER ARE THE HIGHLIGHTS OF THE ALL-NEW R1200GS, THE RESTYLED 2005 VERSION OF BMW'S BEST-SELLING BOXER TWIN. AS THE FIRST MODEL TO BE PRODUCED IN THE COMPANY'S RECENTLY MODERNIZED AND EXPANDED BERLIN...

Riding around: marching to a different drummer the 2004 BMW R1200C Montauk.
April 1, 2004... Since its 1997 debut, BMW's cruiser has been somewhat controversial among motorcyclists in general, and cruiser riders in particular. The original R1200C has been followed by several versions on the theme, including the CL--a bagged and faired...

Sources.
April 1, 2004... Acerbis USA 13200 Gregg Street Poway, California 92064 www.acerbis.com (800) 659-1440 Aerostich Riderwearhouse Eight South 18th Avenue Duluth, Minnisota 55806 www.aerostich.com (800) 222-1994 ...

Buyers guide of driving lights.(Rider Buyers Guide)
April 1, 2004... We asked each of these manufacturers to send us information and photos of one of their representative driving lights. Keep in mind that many of them also offer a wide variety of additional lamps including fog lights, markers, taillights, etc....

Club connection.
April 1, 2004... Are you interested in sharing your enthusiasm for motorcycling with friends of like mind? If you are a Rider subscriber, you may join a club chartered by Rider magazine. The Rider charter allows no biases of any kind nor any restriction on...

Tech Q&A; SBD: sudden battery death.(Andy's Answers)
April 1, 2004... Q: I HAVE A 1998 HARLEY-DAVIDSON ROAD GLIDE. THE ORIGINAL BATTERY DIED A SUDDEN DEATH AFTER ABOUT THREE YEARS OR SO. THERE WAS NO WARNING OF ANY KIND. WHEN I REPLACED IT, I BOUGHT A SEALED BATTERY FROM THE DEALER. WILL THIS NEW BATTERY SUFFER...

Set up Gran Prix boots: maybe I'm not the only one who thinks that motorcycle boots are too expensive. Giuliano Gazzola created the set up brand so that he could offer quality Italian-made motorcycle boots at reasonable prices.(Gear Lab)
April 1, 2004... One of the ways prices are held down is by not hiring or sponsoring racers to promote the product. Therefore Set Up does not have to pass these costs on to the consumer. Costs are further contained by using a synthetic-leather upper,...

New & cool.(Product Spotlight)
April 1, 2004... (1) TOTAL CONTROL explains the ins and outs of high-performance street riding for riders who want to take their street riding skills to a higher level. Lee Parks, an accomplished motorcycle street rider, racer, author and instructor, helps...