Rider articles from July 2004

Rider archives from July 2004

Rejecting the rat race: nothing I see on Southern California freeways really surprises me anymore. The 101 Ventura freeway, in particular--one of the most heavily traveled roads in the world--seems to enjoy more than its share of crazed drivers, inexplicable debris and terrifying, sudden halts in its otherwise 85-mph traffic flow.(One Track Mind)
July 1, 2004... Commute on this stretch every day and you can usually predict where there will be trouble. Anything can happen anyplace along the corridor, however, in less time than it takes to glance at what you hope is a human in a gorilla suit driving the...

V-Strom.(Response)(Letter to the Editor)
July 1, 2004... Was it just a coincidence that the Rider Test of the 2004 DL650 V-Strom (V is for Versatile, May '04) and the article Iranian Adventure appear in the same issue? On page 40 of the V-Strom test it states "The market's wide open for a ride like...

Adventures ahead.(Response)(Letter to the Editor)
July 1, 2004... Thank you to Clement Salvadori for a superb article (Roads, May 2004). Not only was the article interesting, but naturally, the pictures were truly wonderful, making me want to be there at some of them (especially the European ones). I really...

Girl power.(Response)(Letter to the Editor)
July 1, 2004... As an Iranian-American and a member of the U.S. motorcycling community, I was delighted and surprised at the same time when I saw Valeria Milani's Iranian Adventure article in your May 2004 issue. It is incredibly rare to see positive...

A lesson on leisure.(Response)(Letter to the Editor)
July 1, 2004... Clement Salvadori's May column Heading for the Stable really hit home. Many times I will be on a ride with the guys and I will begin to think about all the things that need to be done around the house. The article made me pause and think-I have...

Helpful tips.(Response)(Letter to the Editor)
July 1, 2004... Some comments on two of Andrew MacDonald's Q&As from the May issue (Tech Q&A). A suitable replacement for a brake master cylinder sight glass is a watch crystal (usually 16.7mm size for Japanese bikes). These can be glued in place of the...

No less of a man.(Response)(Letter to the Editor)
July 1, 2004... Thank you for the feature on Aprilia's Scarabeo 500 in May (Euro-Scoot). We scooter aficionados do not have many magazine articles covering our choice of transportation because some people think they do not extend a masculine image. I have...

Headin' that way.(Response)(Letter to the Editor)
July 1, 2004... Another great issue. I'm planning a trip down the Blue Ridge Parkway this summer and Mario Caruso's story on the Barber Museum was right on target (Riding Around, May 2004). Also, Jerry Smith's Project V-Strom was great, too. Please have more...

Moty predictions.(Response)(Letter to the Editor)
July 1, 2004... In One-Track Mind in the May 2004 issue we asked readers to send us their thoughts about Rider's 2004 Motorcycle of the Year. Although we selected the Kawasaki Vulcan 2000 for that honor in the June issue, that hasn't stopped the flow of mail...

Priorities.(Response)(Letter to the Editor)
July 1, 2004... I don't think 5,000 miles should be that hard for anyone (Stayin Safe, May 2004). I believe it is a matter of getting into the habit of grabbing your helmet and bike key instead of your car key. Granted, living outside of Las Vegas, Nevada, I...

Sense of humor.(Response)(Letter to the Editor)
July 1, 2004... In a response letter in May's issue, Gail Piche states that Rider has a fairly large lesbian readership. What the heck are the average and petite lesbians reading? JIMBOB VIA E-MAIL

First true love.(Response)(Letter to the Editor)
July 1, 2004... Thanks for reminding me about my first adventure touring bike (Retrospective, May 2004). I bought my Honda SL350 in 1974. My riding friends called it "The Golden Elephant," an apt name if you were trying to load it in the back of a pickup, or...

Ugly wheels.(Response)(Letter to the Editor)
July 1, 2004... As a cruiser owner and aficionado, it is not surprising that I think the looks of a motorcycle matter as much as the function. My question is, why is it that, on so many bikes, so little attention is paid to the appearance, specifically the...

Ignored Breva.(Response)(Letter to the Editor)
July 1, 2004... Why is the Moto Guzzi baby Breva 750 being totally ignored by all the media? The 2004 Brevas have been around since July/August '03 (I have one, purchased in August). Why the total blackout on any news, comments or mention of the Breva? It is a...

Author's discount.(Response)(Letter to the Editor)
July 1, 2004... I have just seen Clement Salvadori's review of my book John Britten in your June issue. Thank you for devoting such a generous amount of space to it and for printing a fair review. There is, however, a problem from my point of view, and any...

MG Nevada: shaft final drive and electronic fuel injection are highlights of Moto Guzzi's new 2004 Nevada classic 750 I.E. cruiser, which has been redesigned along the same lines as the breva V750 I.E.(Kick Starts)
July 1, 2004... With the Nevada's introduction Moto Guzzi's entire range can boast of having electronic fuel injection and closed-loop catalyzed exhaust systems. Will you breathe easier knowing that every model in Moto Guzzi's 2004 range fully complies with...

Women's Conference.(Kick Starts)
July 1, 2004... The fourth AMA Women & Motorcycling Conference will be held June 29 through July 3, 2006 in Athens, Georgia. The first three conferences were held in 1997, 2000 and 2002. Nearly 700 women and men attended the 2002 conference, from nearly every...

Think.(Kick Starts)
July 1, 2004... Our lids are off to the Minnesota Motorcycle Safety Center for its new public information campaign, "Think. Ride Smart." emphasizing rider responsibility, which will appear statewide in 2004. This is the latest in an annual series of good...

Hoot & holler.(Kick Starts)
July 1, 2004... This year marks the 11th anniversary of the Honda Hoot, which will descend upon Knoxville, Tennessee, June 22-26, 2004. The gorgeous riding areas around Knoxville in the Smokies and North Carolina and the rally events (and the food!) are among...

May the force ...(Kick Starts)
July 1, 2004... Scottish actor Ewan McGregor of Star Wars and Moulin Rouge fame and fellow actor and friend Charley Boorman are planning a ride around the world on BMW R1150GS motorcycles. Boorman is the son of film director John Boorman. The three-month,...

Ridin' the web.
July 1, 2004... WWW.LASVEGASBIKEFEST.COM CONCERTS, PARTIES, POKER RUNS, BIKE SHOWS, VENDORS... NOT TO MENTION LAS VEGAS! SEPTEMBER 16-19, 2004. WWW.KIDDOFSPEED.COM RUSSIAN RIDER ELENA'S EERIE RIDES ON A KAWASAKI NINJA THROUGH THE (STILL RADIOACTIVE)...

Harley-Davidson FL recall.
July 1, 2004... Harley-Davidson Motor Company has issued a voluntary recall on a circuit breaker which is used on certain 2001-2003 fuel-injected Electra Glide Classics and Electra Glide Ultra Classics (models FLHTCI and FLHTCUI), 2001 Screamin' Eagle Road...

The Contidrom: life begins at 86 degrees.(Kick Starts)
July 1, 2004... IT'S GENERALLY PRETTY EXCITING WHEN WE HAVE TO TRAVEL OVERSEAS FOR A NEW BIKE INTRODUCTION, BUT ENDURING 12 HOURS EACH WAY IN COACH--WITH ONLY A DAY OR TWO ON THE GROUND IN BETWEEN FLIGHTS--FOR A NEW MOTORCYCLE TIRE INTRODUCTION CAN GET OLD...

Ham's 25th.(Kick Starts)
July 1, 2004... On September 10, 2004, Honda of America Manufacturing will be observing its 25th anniversary of manufacturing in America, which began in Marysville, Ohio, with 64 associates. Twenty-five years later, Honda of America has 13,300 associates and...

Free keys.(Kick Starts)
July 1, 2004... Got a Kryptonite lock? Then check this out. From now on, Kryptonite will give U.S. customers two free replacement keys at any point during the lifetime of the lock, whether you've purchased replacement keys in the past or not. No shipping...

Ducati Guzzi?(Kick Starts)
July 1, 2004... Ducati has confirmed whispers that it is interested in buying Moto Guzzi from Aprilia, and will make a formal offer sometime this spring. Aprilia purchased Moto Guzzi in 2000 for EUR67 million but is currently trying to restructure its...

Conspicuity.(Kick Starts)
July 1, 2004... A study in New Zealand recently reported in the British Medical Journal showed what most of us already know--that more conspicuous motorcycle riders are more likely to arrive at their destination safely. Researchers compared 463 riders involved...

4 liter's of fun: the 2004 Honda CBR1000RR Yamaha YZF-R1 Kawasaki ZX-10R Suzuki GSX-R1000.(Supersport Comparo)
July 1, 2004... Maybe you've gotten bored with skydiving and bungee jumping, or your Lamborghini Murcielago just isn't powerful enough anymore. Top-fuel dragsters, street luge and Olympic ski jumping just don't peg your thrill meter the way they used to. Well,...

Hot-blooded hybrid: the 2004 Ducati Multistrada 1000DS.(Ducati Multistrada Follow-Up)
July 1, 2004... THE LAST TIME WE REVIEWED THE MULTISTRADA, DUCATI'S MARRIAGE OF SPORTBIKE AND BIG DUAL-SPORT (SOME WOULD CALL IT A SHOTGUN WEDDING), OUR AUGUST 2003 TEST WAS BASED UPON THE BIKE'S INTRODUCTION ON THE ITALIAN ISLAND OF SARDINIA IN THE...

Club connection.
July 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: shadow backfire.(Andy's Answers)
July 1, 2004... Q: I HAVE A 2002 HONDA 750 SHADOW ACE (TWO-INTO-ONE EXHAUST) THAT'S BACKFIRING ON DECELERATION. I HAVE HEARD THAT THE SHADOW 750s WITH THE STAGGERED DUAL EXHAUST (LIKE THE SPIRIT) DON'T HAVE THIS PROBLEM. IS IT THE EXHAUST SETUP ON MY BIKE, OR...

Gearlab: Shoei RF-1000 helmet.(Product Evaluation)
July 1, 2004... I'VE BEEN A BIG FAN OF THE SHOEI RF HELMET SERIES SINCE SAMPLING THE FIRST RF-105 BACK IN THE MID '80S. FROM THE RF-105 TO THE SECOND-LATEST RF-900 INTRODUCED IN 2001, THE WATCHWORDS FOR THE LINE HAVE BEEN QUIET AND COMFORTABLE, PERHAPS EVEN AT...

AXIO hardshell backpacks.(Gear Lab)
July 1, 2004... MANY MOTORCYCLISTS FIND NECESSARY TO TAKE ALONG A CAMERA, PAPERWORK AND/OR A LAPTOP COMPUTER WHEN RIDING BETWEEN HOME AND OFFICE-OR WHEREVER ELSE THEY GO. THIS CAN BE PROBLEMATIC, BECAUSE CONVENTIONAL MOTORCYCLE LUGGAGE OFTEN DOESN'T PROVIDE...

New&cool.(Product Spotlight)
July 1, 2004... (1) MUSTANG'S TOURING SADDLE for the Kawasaki Vulcan 2000 offers a 17-inch-wide, deeply pocketed front bucket that sits the rider at the ideal cruising angle. An optional backrest provides ultimate comfort and flexibility, and features a...