Rider articles from June 2004

Rider archives from June 2004

One trackmind significant others: a lot has happened in the 12 months since we last selected our Motorcycle of the year. Here's a brief look at the highs and lows.
June 1, 2004... Every year when we reveal Rider magazine's pick for the Motorcycle of the Year in this issue, it causes me to reflect upon some of the other significant events that have occurred since our last June effort. For example: Recalls, Recalls,...

The MOTY.(Response)(Letter to the Editor)
June 1, 2004... In One-Track Mind last month we asked you to e-mail us your picks for Rider's Motorcycle of the Year from our list of eligible contenders, so that we might run a few of your letters in this issue along with our selection. Ed. Ah, the MOTY!...

Adventure tourer.(Response)(Letter to the Editor)
June 1, 2004... I really enjoyed your article on the Suzuki DR-Z400S (Adventure Bound, April 2004). I have a Yamaha XT225 budget adventure tourer. When I took the bike on a trail ride with some friends with big-bore KTMs, they all laughed at my setup. By the...

Unstoppable.(Response)(Letter to the Editor)
June 1, 2004... What a rare treat to be able to read Sjaak Lucassen's snippets (Not 9-5, April 2004). It was presented very well, giving us a taste of one of those rare and extremely hardy souls who followed in the figurative tire tracks of Teresa Wallach. But...

Under water.(Response)(Letter to the Editor)
June 1, 2004... Regarding Bill Heald's A Clash of Sensibilities in your April issue--just wanted to make sure your readers know that you can't go from York Haven to Middletown by bike (unless you use a boat). You have to go to Harrisburg to cross the...

Not so easy.(Response)(Letter to the Editor)
June 1, 2004... To quote the final paragraph of Mr. Grodsky's Stayin' Safe column in April's issue, "All it really takes to stay out of their path is that we be smarter than they are. How tough can that be?" I'm afraid it is probably a lot tougher than we...

Late in the game.(Response)(Letter to the Editor)
June 1, 2004... As I read Clement's Road Tales column in April '04 (Back from the Dead) it occurred to me that great minds do think alike. Also, it seems, do the not-so-great. I, too, followed most of the attempts to revive these marques. I read in disbelief...

Least Favorite.(Response)(Letter to the Editor)
June 1, 2004... I usually enjoy your Favorite Ride column, but Ride to the Blue in April 2004 wasn't about fun on a motorcycle. As far as I can see, the author takes us on a political ranting expedition. Thanks, but no thanks, for the simplistic, historical...

April's issue.(Response)(Letter to the Editor)
June 1, 2004... You keep coming up with great articles! In April's issue, Margie Siegal's The First Breva was outstanding. Sjaak Lucassen's R1 world tour was/is truly amazing. I really enjoyed Bill Heald's On the Road article on Pennsylvania Amish country. And...

Alternative means.(Response)(Letter to the Editor)
June 1, 2004... I've seen a couple of ads in Rider advertising trikes but never any write-ups about them. I think that more exposure to trikes would make for better reading in your magazine--maybe a lot of people who have had to give up two-wheelers would get...

Worth mentioning.(Response)(Letter to the Editor)
June 1, 2004... You missed an important event in your National Events Calendar (Rallies & Clubs) in the April issue. The 33rd Annual South Dakota MGNOC National Moto Guzzi Rally will be held June 24-27 in Palmer Gulch, South Dakota, near Mount Rushmore. See...

Worth seeing.(Response)(Letter to the Editor)
June 1, 2004... I am a new subscriber and feel your mag is great. Love the great rides, and thanks for increasing the font size. We're coming over from New Zealand this June to do Route 66 with four Kiwis, and look forward to seeing some of your lovely...

2005 Triumph Tiger.(Kick Starts)
June 1, 2004... TRIUMPH HAS SHARPENED ITS TIGER'S CLAWS FOR 2005 WITH QUICKER STEERING GEOMETRY, A SHORTER WHEELBASE AND NEW SUSPENSION RATES FOR A MORE COMPOSED AND CONTROLLED RIDE. New cast wheels and tubeless tires give riders more choices for...

Ride (better!) with Mr. safety.(Kick Starts)
June 1, 2004... If you read Lawrence Grodsky's Stayin' Safe column each month, you've probably wondered how much more you could learn from actually riding with him. Well, log onto www.stayinsafe.com and click your way to the video, "3 Minute Ride With Larry."...

Choke it up.(Kick Starts)
June 1, 2004... Street bikes in 49 states will be required to meet tough emissions standards beginning with the 2006 model year, due to new rules finalized by the Environmental Protection Agency. The standards are the same as those adopted by California for...

Ride straight.(Kick Starts)
June 1, 2004... Rider Editor Mark Tuttle recently received the American Motorcyclist Association's Excellence in Media award for his One-Track Mind column in August 2003 titled The Ride is Enough, about the dangers of drinking and riding and the launch of the...

Halls of fame merge.(Kick Starts)
June 1, 2004... The Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum, located in Pickerington, Ohio, and the National Motorcycle Museum & Hall of Fame, located in Anamosa, Iowa, are pursuing a merger under the banner of the Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum. Both museums would...

Rider at Americade.(Kick Starts)
June 1, 2004... Another reminder! If you're headed to the Americade Rally in Lake George, New York, this June 7-12, 2004, don't miss Rider contributor Clement Salvadori's featured seminar Thursday evening from 8-9 p.m. at the Roaring Brook Ranch. Clem will...

Retracing Lewis & Clark.(Kick Starts)
June 1, 2004... Nowhere is Lewis and Clark's journey more vivid than on the primitive ridge-top trail crossing Idaho's Bitterroot Mountains. But to ride the Lewis and Clark Trail (Forest Road 500) this summer to commemorate the bicentennial of the explorers'...

Rider's edge SRC.(Kick Starts)
June 1, 2004... Rider's Edge, the Harley-Davidson Academy of Motorcycling, has a new course for current motorcyclists. The Rider's Edge Skilled Rider Course offers additional training and practice to give riders more confidence and make the riding experience...

Ridin' the web.(Kick Starts)
June 1, 2004... WWW.CHAMPSCLOCK.COM/50CC.HTM HOME OF THE TRUE GRITS 50cc FUN RUN IN GEORGIA, "THE MOST FUN YOU CAN HAVE ON TWO WHEELS SINCE 1982." WWW.IRONBUTT.COM CURRENT IRON BUTT ENDURANCE ASSOCIATION MEMBERSHIP IS OVER 15,500; THE AVERAGE AGE...

2004 motorcycle of the year: our salute to the top new bike and product innovation of 2004.
June 1, 2004... Want to start an argument? Here's how: Tell a small group of motorcycle magazine editors to compile a single list of the most important all-new or significantly changed motorcycles for 2004. If the group manages to arrive at a consensus before...

Tire repair kits.(Buyers Guide)
June 1, 2004... This tire repair kit from Aerostich has everything you need to fix flats on tubeless and tube-type tires, including six tube patches, three combination patch-plugs, five plug strips, glue, a valve core tool, insertion tools, a stitcher tool, an...

Tire repair kits.(Buyers Guide)
June 1, 2004... Even if packing space is at a premium, there's probably room for the Cycle Pump air compressor, available from Aerostich. It comes in a sturdy aluminum case and can air up a bike tire in two minutes, running off your bike's 12-volt power. It...

Tire repair kits.(Buyers Guide)
June 1, 2004... The Air Man air compressor from Aerostich runs on your bike's 12-volt power. It comes with a cigarette-lighter power cord that stores inside the body of the pump. Included are adapter tips for inflating air mattresses, footballs and whatever...

Tire repair kits.(Buyers Guide)
June 1, 2004... Genuine Innovations has a variety of tire repair kits for tube-type and tubeless tires. The premium kit shown here comes with tire plugs, tube patches, glue, a tire reamer and plug installation tool, a Monster Air Chuck instant C[O.sub.2]...

Tire repair kits.(Buyers Guide)
June 1, 2004... There's nothing glamorous about kneeling in the dirt and yanking a punctured tube out of a tire, but you can add some panache to the job with these titanium tire levers from Aerostich. A pair weighs a mere 4.4 ounces, compared to 12 ounces for...

Tire repair kits.(Buyers Guide)
June 1, 2004... You can carry a lot of small C[O.sub.2] cartridges, or you can carry one or two big ones. Genuine Innovations offers a 45-gram cartridge with a 5/8-inch thread that works only with its Monster Chuck. Two cartridges will fully inflate a...

Tire repair kits.(Buyers Guide)
June 1, 2004... The Monster Air Chuck from Genuine Innovations is designed to work with the company's 45-gram C[O.sub.2] cartridges. It has a matching 5/8-inch thread and features a push-to-inflate design. It sells for $17.49. Genuine Innovations, 2700 East...

Pocket plugging.(Buyers Guide)
June 1, 2004... If there's a single standout product in this round-up of tire-repair products, it has to be the Pocket Tire Plugger for tubeless tires from Stop & Go. If you've ever used Stop & Go's Standard Tire Plugger, with its spring-loaded plug gun, you...

Tire repair kits.(Buyers Guide)
June 1, 2004... The TRK-5 tire repair kit from Progressive Suspension comes with a huge 68-gram C[O.sub.2] cartridge--the standard cartridge in other Progressive kits is a 12-gram cartridge. The 68-gram cartridge can inflate large rear streetbike tires to a...

Tire repair kits.(Buyers Guide)
June 1, 2004... Progressive Suspension's TRK-4 repair kit comes with the Moto-Pump Ultra, which will accept both threaded and non-threaded C[O.sub.2] cartridges. The kit comes complete with plugs and patches for tube-type and tubeless tires. A leather storage...

Tire repair kits.(Buyers Guide)
June 1, 2004... The TRK-2 repair kit from Progressive Suspension has all the same components as the TRK-4, but comes in a nylon pouch. Suggested retail is $49.95. Progressive Suspension Inc., 11129 G Avenue, Hesperia, California 92345; (877) 690-7411;...

Tire repair kits.(Buyers Guide)
June 1, 2004... The Standard Tire Plugger tubeless-tire repair kit from Stop & Go uses a spring-loaded, ratcheting plug gun to push a rubber plug into the puncture. The mushroom head of the plug seats on the inner wall of the tire to prevent air escaping. The...

Installing a tire plug.(Buyers Guide)
June 1, 2004... The Stop & Go kit uses a mushroom-shaped plug to seal the hole in a tire. The plug fits into the barrel of the insertion tool and a guide is screwed onto the end of the tool. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The insertion tool is placed into the...

Getting there and back.
June 1, 2004... Nova Scotia is not an island, but it's most conveniently accessed from the United States by ferry. From Portland, Maine, the Scotia Prince cruises to Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, overnight. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] (800) 845-4073 ...

Eastern Sierra sojourn: wide, open spaces in California.(Favorite Ride)
June 1, 2004... Ever since the late '60s in Sacramento, when dad packed the Bel Air and loaded the Hodaka on the bumper rack for our summer "learn to drive" trip to the Eastern Sierra Nevada mountains, I have been captivated by this beautiful part of eastern...

Columbia Gorge: a scenic work in progress.(Favorite Ride)
June 1, 2004... Interstate 84 through the Columbia River Gorge east of Portland, Oregon, is arguably the most scenic stretch of interstate in the country... but it's still interstate. Yet the roads adjacent and connecting to I-84 make the gorge an endlessly...

Andy's answers.(Tech Q&A)
June 1, 2004... COBRA STREAK Q: I HAVE A 2002 KAWASAKI MEAN STREAK, AND I'M THINKING OF BUYING A COBRA FI2000 DIGITAL FUEL PROCESSOR FOR IT. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW YOUR OPINION OF THIS PRODUCT AND WHAT TYPE OF DIFFERENCE TO EXPECT. Doug Smith, Via...

Product evaluations.(Gear Lab)
June 1, 2004... Kendon Stand-Up Dual Rail Trailer IF YOU REGULARLY NEED TO TRANSPORT A MOTORCYCLE OR TWO AND DON'T OWN A PICKUP TRUCK, YOUR NEXT BEST OPTION IS A TRAILER. TROUBLE IS, MOST OF US DON'T HAVE A GOOD PLACE TO STORE A TRAILER WHEN IT'S NOT IN...

IXS Gemini pants: when you need to pack lightly, riding pants rather than overpants mean at least one less pair of street pants to pack.(Gear Lab)
June 1, 2004... If the riding pants are subdued you can just wear them into the store or restaurant with nothing extra to carry. Leather is an option, but textile, breathable waterproof construction also means no need for a rainsuit. Add removable armor in the...

(1) Max-pax from willie & Max.(New & Cool)
June 1, 2004... (1) MAX-PAX FROM WILLIE & MAX comes in 11 different styles to match your style of bike and luggage. As functional as they are good-looking, the Max-Pax is designed for everyday use, not just the once-a-year rally or road trip. This large...

(2) Helimot's buffalo 365 model glove.(New & Cool)
June 1, 2004... (2) HELIMOT'S BUFFALO 365 MODEL GLOVE, made of tough, versatile deerskin, is everything the sport-touring rider wants. The seam design means your fingers won't feel pressure or chafing. Special tandem foam and two layers of deerskin cover the...

(3) Honda's new SR4/RF 1000 helmet by shoei.(New & Cool)
June 1, 2004... (3) HONDA'S NEW SR 4/RF 1000 HELMET BY SHOEI has been completely redesigned from scratch and features Shoei's revolutionary cooling system technology. Thanks to extensive testing in Shoei's wind tunnel, the aerodynamic shape maximizes airflow...

(4) sports earcomm is a new, ear-mounted, two-way radio microphone and speaker device.(New & Cool)
June 1, 2004... (4) SPORTS EARCOMM IS A NEW, EAR-MOUNTED, TWO-WAY RADIO MICROPHONE AND SPEAKER DEVICE for use with motorcycles, scooters and other vehicles. It provides a simple but effective way to communicate when attached to certain GMRS portable radios...

(5) Dale walker's holeshot performance new slip-on mufflers.(New & Cool)
June 1, 2004... (5) DALE WALKER'S HOLESHOT PERFORMANCE NEW SLIP-ON MUFFLERS for the Yamaha FJR1300 enhance the beauty of the bike, wake up the performance and offer a nice smooth exhaust note. They are assembled in-house and constructed from high-grade...

(6) Race tech's gold valves for the Yamaha Fz1.(New & Cool)
June 1, 2004... (6) RACE TECH'S GOLD VALVES FOR THE Yamaha FZ1 triple the flow area, putting control on the shim stack instead of the overly restricted stock piston. The FZ1's stock fork-valving system uses old-style, inverse bending shims and has very...

(7) Maxmoto now offers carbon-fiber valve covers.(New & Cool)
June 1, 2004... (7) MAXMOTO NOW OFFERS CARBON-FIBER VALVE COVERS designed and developed exclusively for BMW four-valve Boxer motorcycles. The covers are the first and only carbon-fiber valve covers for the Boxer, with built-in, replaceable titanium sliders....

(8) Clymer now offers a service manual for Yamaha v-star 1100 cruisers.(New & Cool)
June 1, 2004... (8) CLYMER NOW OFFERS A SERVICE MANUAL FOR Yamaha V-STAR 1100 CRUISERS. This latest, well-illustrated manual includes chapters on troubleshooting, maintenance and tune-up, as well as major service on engine, clutch, transmission, chassis,...

(9) Lightload towels.(New & Cool)
June 1, 2004... (9) LIGHTLOAD TOWELS have arrived! Great for motorcyclists, they weigh only half an ounce, yet absorb nine times their weight in water, are reusable and expand to 12 by 24 inches. Use them on the road as a washcloth, neckband, towel, pot...

(10) Fulmer has created "the 1969," a retro-look anniversary edition of its popular s7 helmet.(New & Cool)
June 1, 2004... (10) FULMER HAS CREATED "THE 1969," A RETRO-LOOK ANNIVERSARY EDITION OF ITS POPULAR S7 HELMET to commemorate 35 years in the motorcycle helmet business. This full-face helmet features a brilliant silver metalflake finish under a durable UV...