Rider articles from December 2004

Rider archives from December 2004

Not for U.S.(One trackmind)
December 1, 2004... Every year about this time I get confused and bewildered, with alternating bouts of melancholy and euphoria. Yes, it's new-model time, folks, when some of the whispers about cool new machines become glorious reality and other rumors simply fail...

New for '05.(Kickstarts)(Cover Story)
December 1, 2004... IT'S THAT TIME AGAIN, DEAR READER, WHEN THE FLOODGATES OPEN AND THE NEW AND REVISED BIKES FOR THE COMING YEAR SPILL OUT OF THE FACTORIES. IN PREVIOUS ISSUES WE HAVE REVEALED SOME OF THE 2005 HARDWARE COMING FROM HARLEY-DAVIDSON, BUELL, VICTORY,...

Win an edelweiss bike travel tour! Rider and EBT team-up for an exciting contest.
December 1, 2004... Here's an opportunity to show off your writing skills for a chance to win a free stay in Arizona or Montana or on the Pacific Coast at one of Edelweiss Bike Travel's beautiful touring centers. If you're at least 18 years of age, a licensed...

Rahal/Vesco lead 2004 class of seven: into the Motorsports Hall of Fame; Hall of Fame tour to hit the road in 2005.
December 1, 2004... Indy car champion Bobby Rahal was inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame in July 2004. The induction ceremony was held at the historic State Theater in Detroit. Joining Rahal as 2004 inductees were Bill France Jr., Joe Amato, Geoff Brabham,...

Less is more: 2005 Victory Vegas 8-Ball.(RIDER TEST)
December 1, 2004... For 2005 Victory Motorcycles has come up with a really interesting, lower-priced version of its Vegas cruiser in the new 8-Ball model. It starts with the same chassis and major styling cues from the Vegas, with its long, low, flowing design,...

Cafe ole: the 2004 Triumph Thruxton.(RIDER TEST)
December 1, 2004... Now here's a Triumph I can get excited about. I have to admit to a certain indifference toward the first salvo from the revived Triumph back in the mid-'90s, which consisted largely of wannabe sportbikes that stood little chance of...

Hard-starting seca.(Andy's Answers)
December 1, 2004... Q: MY 1982 YAMAHA SECA 650 HAS ALWAYS BEEN HARD TO START. IT NOW HAS 15,000 MILES BUT HAS NEVER HAD THE VALVE CLEARANCES CHECKED. COULD THIS BE CAUSING THE HARD STARTING PROBLEM, PERHAPS DUE TO THE INTAKE VALVES NOT CLOSING ALL THE WAY? THE...

Smelly Bandit.(Andy's Answers)
December 1, 2004... Q: My 2000 Suzuki Bandit 1200 has problems. First, when it is parked on the sidestand, sometimes gas will leak from the carbs. I can smell gas, and if I put my finger on the left carb intake manifold and carb support bracket, I get gas on it....

Carb woes.(Andy's Answers)
December 1, 2004... Q: I've been a Harley rider for more than 30 years, but until about a year ago, I had never run a Mikuni carburetor on my bike. If the past 12 months are indicative of what I can expect out of a Mikuni carb, I'm ready to install something else....

Gushing Ninja.(Andy's Answers)
December 1, 2004... Q: I recently purchased a 1986 Kawasaki ZX1000R with approximately 15,000 miles. It's in non-running condition. The previous owner told me when he tried to ride it, the engine blew oil all over the rear tire and fender. I can't figure out...

Ocean phobia.(Andy's Answers)
December 1, 2004... Q: I have a '93 Honda GL1500 Gold Wing that just turned 80,000 wonderful miles. The bike runs like a well-oiled clock, never a hiccup. The only problem is that when it sits overnight along the coast, it's very hard to get it started the...

Tales from the trenches.(Andy's Answers)
December 1, 2004... I stood there riveted to the shop floor with incredulity. A metric cruiser had just come in on the tow truck, and hobbling behind it was the banged-up but otherwise fine owner. He explained through a fog of pain pills how he had no idea why his...

Shoei TZ-R helmet: with the holidays coming up, perhaps this is a good time for you to toss out that old funky helmet you've been wearing and treat yourself to a present.(Product Evaluations)
December 1, 2004... Shoei's latest development, the TZ-R, is a full-face lid that replaces the existing TZ-1 lineup as its new entry-level model. Thanks to a new shell design and ventilation flow controls, the TZ-R offers many features found on more expensive...

Convertibars.(GEARLAB)
December 1, 2004... FOR MANY AGING SPORTBIKE RIDERS, THE STORY IS FAMILIAR--WE DROOL OVER THE LATEST NEW MACHINERY AT THE DEALERSHIP, AND OUR HEART, NOT OUR MIND, MAKES A PURCHASE. BUT A FEW HOURS INTO THAT FIRST RIDE, OUR BODIES RISE IN PROTEST. SORE WRISTS AND...

Sliding T-Driver makes work a snap.(Product Spotlight)
December 1, 2004... (1) SLIDING T-DRIVER MAKES WORK A SNAP. CruzTools' new PowerDrive Sliding T-Driver with Eight-Piece Socket Set is a highly functional tool set for street and dirt bikes. The Sliding T-Driver allows easy spinning of fasteners and adds extra...

Panoptx offers a wide variety of sunglasses.(Product Spotlight)
December 1, 2004... (2) PANOPTX OFFERS A WIDE VARIETY OF SUNGLASSES for people with active lifestyles, including motorcyclists. They're designed to keep out harsh sunlight, wind, dust and the elements. The Dash Chrome model shown is part of the Speed SR40 series,...

Progressive Suspension's 420 series shock.(Product Spotlight)
December 1, 2004... (3) PROGRESSIVE SUSPENSION'S 420 SERIES SHOCK is now available for the Yamaha V-Star 650 and 1100 cruisers. The shocks are machined from aircraft-quality anodized aluminum and utilize a twin-wall design with a unique internal bladder for...

Metzeler narrow and wide whitewalls are now available.(Product Spotlight)
December 1, 2004... (4) METZELER NARROW AND WIDE WHITEWALLS ARE NOW AVAILABLE. Metzeler's current range of whitewall tires for both American and metric V-twin cruisers is now offered in eight different front and rear sizes, in both narrow white stripe and wide...

Do real bikers eat quiche?(Product Spotlight)
December 1, 2004... (5) DO REAL BIKERS EAT QUICHE? They do when Biker Billy makes it! Whitehorse Press delivers the magic recipe for "Could Be Quiche" and a whole lot more in its new paperback edition of Bill Hufnagle's best-selling cookbook Biker Billy Cooks With...

Blue-point flex-head ratcheting wrenches.(Product Spotlight)
December 1, 2004... (6) BLUE-POINT FLEX-HEAD RATCHETING WRENCHES' exclusive "keeper" and "flexible box end" features help you work faster, smarter and easier. The new sets accept both six- and 12-point fasteners, and hold six-point fasteners in place. Using the...

Standard catalog of Harley-Davidson 1903-2003.(Product Spotlight)
December 1, 2004... (7) STANDARD CATALOG OF HARLEY-DAVIDSON 1903-2003 celebrates a century of production history. Author and professional photographer Doug Mitchel provides an unflinching glimpse at the motorcycle revered as an American icon. Every model is...