Rider articles from December 2003

Rider archives from December 2003

Munching miles.(One-Track Mind)
December 1, 2003... This was one of those rides you really wish didn't have to end. The premise was to take the top-line sport-touring rigs compared on page 26 for a long enough sport tour to get a solid assessment of their strengths and weaknesses. With four...

Automatic bikes.(Response)
December 1, 2003... Great article about the two mega scooters by Donya Carlson in October's issue. As a lifelong "traditional" motorcyclist, scooters were always just toys in my eyes--until they grew big engines and disc brakes and began cruising at 80 mph. The...

Mini-bike mania.(Response)
December 1, 2003... Loved the article on Honda's best bike ever, the Mini Trail, by Darrell Ohs in the October issue! Mine was a 1970, purchased slightly used ($175 as I recall). Later it was handed down to my brother, then eventually it went across the street to...

VTX fuel capacity.(Response)
December 1, 2003... I am a proud owner of a 2003 VTX1800 Retro. In reading Mr. Stermer's King Kong Cruisers article in September's issue, the fuel capacity was shown to be 4.5 gallons. However, Honda's specs show it to be 5.3 gallons. Am I missing something...

River riding.(Response)
December 1, 2003... Our little secret is out! Larry Betts finally found our "Favorite Ride" here in Iowa/Wisconsin/ Illinois (Favorite Ride, October 2003). The article features The Great River Road in northeast Iowa and southwest Wisconsin. Don't stop at...

North Dakota noticed.(Response)
December 1, 2003... As I was scanning the articles of the October issue, I came across the article I have waited for years to see, Ride North Dakota, by Rick Corwine. Being a native of the state, I always wondered if you've been waiting for me to write that story....

Taming the GL1800.(Response)
December 1, 2003... I really enjoy Andrew MacDonald's Tech Q&A columns, but am somewhat mechanically challenged so I do not understand a lot of it. It's always enjoyable listening to someone who knows their stuff, though. Anyway, in the June issue of Rider he...

Old school.(Response)
December 1, 2003... I ride a 1975 Moto Guzzi 850-T. It is my touring bike, and has a Wind-jammer 3 fairing and Calafia bags and trunk. It has pulled me and a trailer all over the Rockies and the desert south to west. I must be getting old as Clement Salvadori's...

New Buells.(Response)
December 1, 2003... Let me get this straight: Buell motorcycles reinvented themselves with the XB9S, but skimped on the cc's and horsepower (New Buells by Ken Freund, October 2003). Now they introduce the XB12R, back to 1,203cc, still with puny horsepower and call...

Road King Custom.(Response)
December 1, 2003... After reading Bill Stermer's October review of the new Harley-Davidson 2004 Road King Custom (Leaned Down and Dressed Up), I wonder why anyone would buy a bike that is underpowered, uncomfortable, rough-riding, underbraked and difficult to hold...

A quest for goats.(Response)
December 1, 2003... I am writing in response to the Bridge and Ferry article by Kevin Ahlstrom in the August issue. He piqued my interest in Door County with his pictures of the goats on the roof of Al Johnson's Swedish Restaurant, so during Harley's 100th...

Getting together on-line.(Response)
December 1, 2003... Rider gets great letters from its readers every month, and Response is one of the first things I read. When I went to the online forum at www.riderreport.com, I was shocked to find so few posts. Please print this letter in your magazine so...

Ruining a good thing.(Response)
December 1, 2003... Regarding Mark Tuttle Jr.'s write-up on the new Honda Rune in your October issue, I can't believe the load capacity is only 275 pounds! Most men who are 6 feet tall weigh at least between 200-275 pounds. That doesn't leave much weight for...

Alternate routes.(Response)
December 1, 2003... I read with interest and familiarity September's Favorite Ride from Rockville, Maryland, to State College, Pennsylvania. James Parks, by finding Route 655, you found one of the best roads east of the Mississippi. Try these roads also: Route...

Indian shuts down.(Kickstarts)
December 1, 2003... Only a few days after a show-and-tell at our offices last September with the company's new lower-priced and much-improved 2004 models, Indian Motorcycle Corporation halted production at its Gilroy, California, factory and laid off its entire...

Birmingham Museum burns.(Kickstarts)
December 1, 2003... A tragic fire caused by a discarded cigarette burned much of England's National Motorcycle Museum near Birmingham last September. More than 120 firefighters battled the blaze, which could be seen as far as 15 miles away. Three of the Museum's...

Everest ride.(Kickstarts)
December 1, 2003... Swedish national Annie Seel rode an old Honda dual-purpose bike to 17,404 feet on Mount Everest recently, setting a new world record for the highest ever motorcycle ride. The motocross rider had to deal with snow, boulders, fog and no obvious...

Triumph.(New for '04)
December 1, 2003... A second new model will join the big Rocket III in Triumph's 2004 motorcycle lineup--the Thruxton 900. Named after a well-known racing circuit in Hampshire, England, to create the new Thruxton 900 the Bonneville's 790cc air-cooled twin-cylinder...

Moto Guzzi.(New for '04)
December 1, 2003... Each Moto Guzzi is powered by an air-cooled, 90-degree V-twin engine with driveshaft. For 2004 a new Breva V1100 joins the naked Breva 750. Its 1,064cc engine has been redesigned to deliver linear power with a new alternator, oil sump, con rods...

Kawasaki.(New for '04)
December 1, 2003... First, a correction to last month's New for '04 Kawasaki installment--the Z750 will not be offered in the United States for 2004 after all. Right after we went to press with that issue Kawasaki said it had changed its marketing plan for the...

Honda.(New for '04)
December 1, 2003... In addition to the CBR1000RR we showed you last month, for its third year the VTX1800 V-twin cruiser will now be available in four models: the standard C version ($12,599-$12,899), Type R (with retro styling, $13,099-$14,949) and Type S...

Ducati.(New for '04)
December 1, 2003... Ducati offers three ST (sport-touring) models for 2004, starting with an updated ST4s and ST4s ABS model with anti-lock brakes. Both feature a larger fairing with dual electrically adjustable headlights, and are powered by the 996cc...

Gentleman's R6 the 2004 Yamaha FZ6.(Ridden & Rated)
December 1, 2003... Yamaha's sporty new 600cc FZ6 follows proudly in the large footsteps (tire tracks?) of its successful liter-class FZ1 older brother. Both bikes were derived in a similar way, based upon an existing high-performance sportbike in Yamaha's line...

Doing the Dolomites: experiencing the Edelweiss Bike Travel Dolomites Touring Center.
December 1, 2003... If the Alps were an oyster, for motorcyclists the Dolomites would be the shiny pearl in the center. Although formed at the same time as the famous crescent of mountains that spans six countries in Europe, the ragged peaks, spires and plateaus...

Place your bets.(Tech Q & A)
December 1, 2003... Q: It's time for an oil and filter change on my BMW R1100RT. A Valvoline VO-25 filter appears to be a direct replacement for the BMW unit. Will switching to an automotive-spec filter be a money-saving move ($2.25 at Auto Zone) or could there be...

Olympia Sentry jacket and Ranger pants.(Gear)
December 1, 2003... Here's a suit for which the time has come: an armored, waterproof Cordura jacket and pants with removable insulating liners that double as off-the-bike casual wear. Save on packing space! The Sentry jacket from Olympia Moto Sports is a...

Product Spotlight.
December 1, 2003... Contemporary motorcycles accelerate faster, brake harder and cut through corners deeper than ever before. These technologically advanced machines are exhilarating to ride, but to really get the most out of your bike's performance capabilities...

Product Spotlight.
December 1, 2003... The first thing you'll notice about the Shoei RF-900 helmet is how quiet and stable it is thanks to the air stabilizer, an aerodynamic feature built into the rear. By stabilizing airflow, especially at high speed, you'll find the RF-900...

Product Spotlight.
December 1, 2003... Rifle Fairings has a new windscreen system in a variety of sizes for the Honda ST1300 and ST1300 ABS. As with their other popular windscreen solutions, Rifle has gone well beyond height and width changes, taking the steps necessary to...

Product Spotlight.
December 1, 2003... Bates new nylon/mesh jackets are constructed with premium-quality mesh and durable nylon, adjustable waists, YKK zippers, inner and outer pockets and a generous distribution of zip-open air vents. Other perks, individual to each style, include...

Product Spotlight.
December 1, 2003... Bosenberg Motorcycle Excursions offers three Alpine tour routes in three countries for great rides in the heart of Europe. From Frankfurt, Germany, take the Burgundy & Swiss Alps, Classic Alps & Dolomites and French & Swiss Alps tours, which...

Product Spotlight.
December 1, 2003... H.a.c. Products offers a wide range of anodized-aluminum Radiator Covers for sport- and naked bikes. These beautiful and high-quality products, with the specific logo of your motorcycle on it (like the one shown for the Suzuki SV1000 and...

Product Spotlight.
December 1, 2003... Written as a stand-alone or followup to Proficient Motorcycling and Street Strategies, David L. Hough's latest book More Proficient Motorcycling contains invaluable lessons for avoiding accidents. This book is for riders of all experience...