Rider articles from June 2005

Rider archives from June 2005

Significant others 2004-'05: it's been 12 months since we last named a Bike of the Year, and much has happened in the meantime....(One trackmind)
June 1, 2005... Once the dust has settled and Rider's Motorcycle of the Year is revealed in this issue as well as etched into the crystal award we present to the manufacturer of the winning bike, there's a bit of time to reflect upon some other significant...

Delaware River.(Response)(Letter to the Editor)
June 1, 2005... I enjoyed Ken W. Dahse's Riding the River in April's issue. I was first introduced to the area when I attended the Rider Great Gorge Rally back in 1990. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Great riding in the area, especially the Hawk's Nest. For...

Copper Canyon.(Response)(Letter to the Editor)
June 1, 2005... I enjoyed Clement Salvadori's Copper Canyon trip report with Rosen's Rides (Looking for Bad Roads, April 2005). I rode with them two months after Salvadori and also had a great time. While we didn't get Salvadori's once-in-60-years rainstorm,...

Enchanting Maps.(Response)(Letter to the Editor)
June 1, 2005... Clement Salvadori's column Map vs. GPS (April 2005) was a succinct explication of the merits and liabilities of both, but he misses one salient point. Somehow I cannot imagine a child playing with a GPS in the back seat of the family car. I...

Big Brother.(Response)(Letter to the Editor)
June 1, 2005... Just a note to say I don't see any problem with on-board EDR's (Big Brother on Board, Mark Tuttle Jr.'s April '05 column). I really believe the only way to know the facts of any incident is to record the basic data at the time the incident...

Attention to detail.(Response)(Letter to the Editor)
June 1, 2005... As usual, I enjoyed my April issue from cover to cover! Being an Italian-bike owner, I noticed with interest that you wrote that the 2005 Yamaha R6 comes with Brembo brakes and rotors! But in the pictures they sure look like standard Nissin...

Colorado Adventure.(Response)(Letter to the Editor)
June 1, 2005... As I read Warren Renshaw's Favorite Ride (High-Country Adventure, April 2005) it brought back so many pleasant memories of the multiple times my wife and I have run this route through Colorado on a variety of machines, from our beloved BMW...

Kawasaki Eliminator.(Response)(Letter to the Editor)
June 1, 2005... Salvadori's Retrospective on the Kawasaki ZL900 Eliminator in April's issue was dead on. As a 1986 Kawasaki Eliminator owner I can't say enough about the bike. It has the speed if I need it. And the comfort I want. There are a lot of Eli owners...

Scooter license.(Response)(Letter to the Editor)
June 1, 2005... I would like to address the article in Kickstarts, April '05 issue, about scooter school. Gunner Wright is quoted as saying, "because most states don't require a motorcycle license to ride a scooter." This would be a false statement if you...

Your own backyard.(Response)(Letter to the Editor)
June 1, 2005... Grodsky is right, Wisconsin does suffer from a monochromatic mood every year from November until May (Mono-Chrome, March 2005). That doesn't leave much of a riding season, and when you take away bad rain days and summer storms there is even...

Refresher.(Response)(Letter to the Editor)
June 1, 2005... I read Jerry Smith's Re-Entry Riders in the February issue of Rider and enjoyed it very much. I, too, was a re-entry rider in 2002 after a 19-year hiatus. I took the MSF basic course to refamiliarize myself with riding. After buying my new bike...

Simon Milward 1965-2005.(Kickstarts)
June 1, 2005... Motorcyclists and riders' rights organizations worldwide are mourning the loss of Simon Milward, 40, who died in a road accident in March in west Africa while on a 'round-the-world charity fundraising motorcycle ride. The former General...

Tsunami Harley.(Kickstarts)
June 1, 2005... Harley-Davidson and Jay Leno raised $800,100 for tsunami relief efforts through the eBay auction of a 2005 Road King. The motorcycle was on the set of The Tonight Show for several weeks, and more than 60 celebrity guests signed it. A total of...

LimoBike.(Kickstarts)
June 1, 2005... Virgin Atlantic Airlines apparently has a good sense of humor. This seat pocket card from the Upper Class cabin on some flights to London reads: "Upper Class passengers in a hurry should take a Virgin LimoBike into Central London. Remember:...

Shorts.(Kickstarts)
June 1, 2005... Ducati is this year's featured marque at AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days 2005, July 15-17 at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio... Lojack for Motorcycles will be available in select markets in the U.S. early this year, followed by a...

Victory Rider.(Kickstarts)
June 1, 2005... Victory Motorcycles has just published and mailed its first issue of the official magazine of the Victory Riders Association (VRA). Called, surprisingly, Victory Rider, the magazine spot-lights Victory owners and their bikes, where they ride...

Monster mash.(Kickstarts)
June 1, 2005... Throughout the winter, Ducati searched the country for the coolest Monster in North America. Winning Monsters from contests at eight motorcycle shows were selected for the grand finale on March 11th, 2005, in Daytona. In the end, Stuart Baker's...

48-State record.(Kickstarts)
June 1, 2005... A Houston, Texas, rider has won the Iron Butt Association's 48-State Challenge by riding his 2001 Honda Gold Wing through the contiguous 48 states in 5 days, 8 hours and 52 minutes. Morris Kruemcke, 61, bested the previous record set by a BMW...

Blue Ridge closed.(Kickstarts)
June 1, 2005... Several readers have written in to alert us that the Blue Ridge Parkway is expected to be closed from Mount Mitchell to Route 80 (milepost 355-344) at least until midsummer 2005, due to last fall's landslide. Detour options are apparently time...

MSF Video.
June 1, 2005... Seasoned Rider, a training video created by the Motorcycle Safety Foundation, is a finalist in the 2004 International Film and Video competition, safety and first-aid category, a part of the New York International Film Festival. Seasoned Rider...

www.yamaha-motor.co.jp/global/50th/index.html.(RIDIN' THE WEB)
June 1, 2005... READ ABOUT SOME OF THE SPECIAL THINGS YAMAHA IS DOING TO CELEBRATE ITS 50TH ANNIVERSARY.

www.accidentscene.net.(RIDIN' THE WEB)
June 1, 2005... THE BYSTANDER ASSISTANCE PROGRAM, "A CRASH COURSE FOR THE MOTORCYCLIST" IN WISCONSIN.

www.motonation.com.(RIDIN' THE WEB)
June 1, 2005... SPIDI ROAD APPAREL ITEMS HAVE BEEN ADDED TO THE 2005 PRODUCTS FROM SIDI AND SET UP ON THE REDESIGNED MOTONATION SITE.

www.caravanbandb.com.(RIDIN' THE WEB)
June 1, 2005... A NICE-SOUNDING MOTORCYCLE-FRIENDLY B & B IN VERMONT. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

http://nhblessingofthebikes.tripod.com.(RIDIN' THE WEB)
June 1, 2005... HOME PAGE OF THE COLEBROOK, NEW HAMPSHIRE, BLESSING OF THE BIKES AND GREAT NORTH WOODS RIDE-IN, JUNE 24-26, 2005.

www.adventure-motorcycling.com/editions.(RIDIN' THE WEB)
June 1, 2005... GET THE LATEST EDITION OF THE ADVENTURE MOTORCYCLING HANDBOOK BY CHRIS SCOTT.

Total Control ARC: the "in-between" riding school.(Riding around)
June 1, 2005... If you're like most average street or touring riders, you have little or no desire to risk your precious bike, or body, in one of the multitude of track schools currently available. Yet, you also find the standard ERC (Experienced RiderCourse)...

Rider magazine's 2005 Motorcycle of the Year: Rider magazine's top new bike and product innovation for 2005.
June 1, 2005... For the most part, 2005 has been a light year for all-new or significantly changed motorcycles, but that just made our job more interesting when it came time to pick the Motorcycle of the Year. To sweeten the pot, starting this year Rider will...

Mighty underdog: 2005 Triumph Daytona 650.(RIDER TEST)
June 1, 2005... When you're the little guy on the block, it really helps to have something up your sleeve to even the score. So it is with Triumph's "little" Daytona, which--in terms of performance anyway--runs a close fifth, but fifth nonetheless, in the...

Speed Triple snafu; Situation normal: all frozen underwear.
June 1, 2005... With 15 manufacturers chunking out new machinery every year, Rider is regularly invited to attend long-lead overseas press intros, and I'm often the one assigned to go. So often, in fact, that when I return coworkers jokingly say "How was...

Motocadia motorcycle tours.
June 1, 2005... After spending some 20 years in England's corporate world, in 2003 Julian Cade and his wife decided to move to Portugal, where they had visited a number of times, feeling it was a saner place to raise their child. But what to do to earn a...

The Fastest Man on Earth: the amazing Mr. Curtiss.
June 1, 2005... The sudden death of Glenn Curtiss 75 years ago in July 1930 staggered the aviation world. But Curtiss had come into aeronautics through the back door; many Americans still remembered him as one the founding fathers of motorcycling. Curtiss...

Reluctant Vulcan follow-up.(Chris' Corner)
June 1, 2005... Regarding the question "Reluctant Vulcan" in the April issue in the Tech Q & A section--I have a '97 Vulcan Classic and ran into the same problem (in-operative starter). It was the kill switch. DeWayne Smith, Via E-Mail I had a...

Oxtar Sunray boots.(Product Evaluations)
June 1, 2005... HOW MANY MOTORCYCLE BOOTS CAN YOU WEAR FOR 14 HOURS STRAIGHT--300 RIDING MILES AND A ONE-MILE HIKE INCLUDED--THAT ARE STILL COMFORTABLE ENOUGH TO SLEEP IN? [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] I admit that the Oxtar Sunrays aren't quite as...

Colortune.(Product Evaluations)
June 1, 2005... HAVE YOU EVER WISHED FOR A WINDOW INTO YOUR MOTORCYCLE'S ENGINE THAT WOULD LET YOU TAKE A PEEK AT WHAT'S GOING ON IN THERE? Well, you can have it with Colortune. Central to the Colortune kit is a small spark plug with a circular heat- and...

DataDot PowerSports System.(Product Evaluations)
June 1, 2005... WALKING OUT TO YOUR MOTORCYCLE--KEYS AND HELMET IN HAND--AND FINDING THAT IT'S NOT THERE CAN BE A GUT-WRENCHING EXPERIENCE. IF YOU DON'T HAVE THEFT INSURANCE, THE MISERY IS COMPOUNDED FURTHER. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] DataDot PowerSports...

Cortech Prymal pants.(Product Evaluations)
June 1, 2005... THERE ARE TONS OF OFF-ROAD TOGS, SCADS OF STREET-BIKE RIDING PANTS, BUT PRECIOUS FEW DESIGNED FOR THE SPECIFIC NEEDS OF ADVENTURE-TOURING AND DUAL-SPORT ENTHUSIASTS. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] To remedy this, Cortech has introduced Prymal...

The Suzuki care kit provides a one-stop way to keep your motorcycle clean.(Product Spotlight)
June 1, 2005... (1) THE SUZUKI CARE KIT PROVIDES A ONE-STOP WAY TO KEEP YOUR MOTORCYCLE CLEAN. The kit comes in a big plastic bucket with a 32-ounce bottle of Suzuki Motorcycle Wash, 16-ounce Instant Detailer, a sheepskin wash mitt and a 20- X 24-inch chamois...

Explore China with Edelweiss bike travel on BMW motorcycles.(Product Spotlight)
June 1, 2005... (2) EXPLORE CHINA WITH EDELWEISS BIKE TRAVEL ON BMW MOTORCYCLES. "This new touring adventure closes our Asian gap and brings us into a position to operate motorcycle tours on all five continents," said Werner Wachter, CEO and owner of...

Ride Like a Pro with Tips, Tricks and Techniques for Surviving the Mean Streets.(Product Spotlight)
June 1, 2005... (3) RIDE LIKE A PRO WITH TIPS, TRICKS AND TECHNIQUES FOR SURVIVING THE MEAN STREETS. Police motor officers have to be among the top riders in America to survive the perils of the road every day on a motorcycle. In this DVD, Jerry "Motorman"...

Improve your bike with the new book 101 Sportbike Performance Projects.(Product Spotlight)
June 1, 2005... (4) IMPROVE YOUR BIKE WITH THE NEW BOOK 101 SPORTBIKE PERFORMANCE PROJECTS by Evans Brasfield. This informative 256-page paperback covers the entire spectrum of sportbike projects with 350 color pictures and is the perfect workshop companion...

Make loading easy with Safe-T-Ramp.(Product Spotlight)
June 1, 2005... (5) MAKE LOADING EASY WITH SAFE-T-RAMP for pick-ups. It comes in 7- or 8-foot lengths that are 53 inches wide, and the Safe-T-Ramp for trailers comes in 4-, 6- and 8-foot lengths. All ramps conveniently fold and stow vertically. Safe-T-Ramps...

The CruzTools econokit VR1 for V-rod and street rod models.(Product Spotlight)
June 1, 2005... (6) THE CRUZTOOLS ECONOKIT VR1 FOR V-ROD AND STREET ROD MODELS includes a very specific set of tools for the metric, legacy fractional and Torx fasteners used on these Harley-Davidson models. It consists of combination wrenches, an 8-inch...

Hein gericke's Timbuktu jacket is equipped for any weather and ride.(Product Spotlight)
June 1, 2005... (7) HEIN GERICKE'S TIMBUKTU JACKET IS EQUIPPED FOR ANY WEATHER AND RIDE. The Timbuktu allows you to adjust your comfort and protection level. SafeStitch construction and 330-denier Hypertex nylon add abrasion resistance. The CE-approved Turtle...

Kryptonite has two newly designed stapler-style disc locks.(Product Spotlight)
June 1, 2005... (8) KRYPTONITE HAS TWO NEWLY DESIGNED STAPLER-STYLE DISC LOCKS for motorcycles and scooters that have a disc-style cylinder and key rather than the traditional tubular cylinder and round key. The 10-S Disc Lock-DFS and the 5-S Disc Lock replace...

Can you hear me now?(Product Spotlight)
June 1, 2005... (9) CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW? The scala-rider from Cardo Systems is a new headset that works with all Bluetooth mobile phones and is specially designed for motorcycle helmets. It includes a wind-resistant hi-fi mic that provides clear audio and the...

Got gold Wing?(Product Spotlight)
June 1, 2005... (10) GOT GOLD WING? Cobra has replicated the look of the muffler it custom made for the Sport Wing, featured in Rider, October 2004. Small changes for production include chrome plating to match the stock Wing's appearance. The Cobra mufflers...