Rider articles from March 2004

Rider archives from March 2004

The button: dirt-bike riding has changed a lot since I was a wee lad with a need for speed. Most of the change has been for the better, but some has not.(One Track Mind)
March 1, 2004... If you've never been dirt-bike riding, or haven't been in a while, you owe it to yourself to get out there. I enjoy dual-purpose motorcycling, and have a decent 650cc dual-sport bike in the Tuttle Permanent Collection. But it only has 9 inches...

New look.(Response)(Letter to the Editor)
March 1, 2004... All too many times I have watched my favorite magazines become less enjoyable because of a "new look." For once the desire to change has done the opposite. Great job on making your magazine even better looking and more interesting. From the new...

Mean Streak.(Response)(Letter to the Editor)
March 1, 2004... In regards to Bill Stermer's article on the Kawasaki Mean Streak 1600 power cruiser (Bigger Green Meanie, January 2004), it amazes me that my Guzzi Stone can give up almost another half an engine in displacement and still have just as good if...

The Hudson's east shore.(Response)(Letter to the Editor)
March 1, 2004... Just received the January '04 issue and as usual it is excellent in content. It got even better when I found Kenneth Dahse's Hudson River Valley Ramble feature article. The east shore of the Hudson is a tremendous ride, but don't forget...

A great escape.(Response)(Letter to the Editor)
March 1, 2004... A Glimpse of Scotland by Jim Leggett in January's issue gave me an escape for a short while from a snowstorm in Pennsylvania to a place I want to visit more than ever! MARK BRANDT LEBANON, PENNSYLVANIA

Tollbooth traffic.(Response)(Letter to the Editor)
March 1, 2004... Your coverage of the Harley Ride Home (by Clement Salvadori and Olaf Wolff) in the January issue was pretty good, albeit too short. Mentioned was the backup of traffic and how nobody arranged with the Illinois authorities to shut down the...

Essential kicker.(Response)(Letter to the Editor)
March 1, 2004... I liked Margie Siegal's article on the AJS (Stand-out Twin, January 2004) but the kicker was not an accessory. As a former Triumph, Norton and AJS 500 thumper owner, they were sorely needed--as were those on Matchless and BSA motorcycles. ...

Keeping with the flow.(Response)(Letter to the Editor)
March 1, 2004... Lawrence Grodsky's Moto Flow story in January's issue was right on time. I have always said that most of the traffic problems in the D.C. Metropolitan area aren't due to the quantity of vehicles on the road, but are a result of the quality of...

Favorites.(Response)(Letter to the Editor)
March 1, 2004... One of the stories I enjoy the most each month is the Favorite Ride feature. I have been on several suggested and they are excellent. The only problem I have is finding the one I want when I want to go on it! It sure would be great if you would...

Long-time fan.(Response)(Letter to the Editor)
March 1, 2004... Great article on Bob Hansen by Andy Saunders in January's issue (Riding Around). I became acquainted with Bob a few years back when Mitch Boehm of Motorcyclist called me and asked if I could supply some shocks for a vintage bike he was going to...

Song of the open road.(Response)(Letter to the Editor)
March 1, 2004... I was pleasantly surprised to see Mark Tuttle Jr. reference a Walt Whitman poem (One-Track Mind, January 2004). It shows that not all bikers are illiterate, overweight beer drinkers (many of us are only two out of the three). To answer your...

Embryonic conception.(Kick Starts)
March 1, 2004... BOMBARDIER RECREATIONAL PRODUCTS, BEST KNOWN FOR ITS SNOWMOBILES, ATVS AND PWCs, HAS ALREADY WON SEVERAL PRESTIGIOUS DESIGN AWARDS FOR ITS WILD EMBRIO CONCEPT VEHICLE. IF IT'S EVER BUILT, THE MACHINE WOULD CERTAINLY TOP THE SEGWAY TWO-WHEELER...

Aprilia Scarabeo 500.(Kick Starts)
March 1, 2004... Aprilia USA has upped the ante in the big scooter game by adding the retro Scarabeo 500 to its U.S. lineup for 2004. This liquid-cooled, fuel-injected, 500cc SOHC single with four valves per cylinder comes standard with large 16-inch wheels,...

Rocket $$.(Kick Starts)
March 1, 2004... Got a jones for the humongous new Triumph Rocket III triple coming this spring? Triumph Motorcycles (America) Ltd. recently announced that the manufacturer's suggested retail price in the United States will be $15,990. We should have a test in...

Janklow convicted.(Kick Starts)
March 1, 2004... Last December U.S. Representative Bill Janklow (R-SD) was convicted of second-degree manslaughter and three other counts related to a traffic accident that took the life of a Minnesota motorcyclist. Randolph Scott was killed in a collision with...

Indian update.(Kick Starts)
March 1, 2004... According to Powersports Business, our company's trade publication, in a letter to dealers dated November 17, 2003, the chairman of Indian indicated that the company handling the process received about a dozen bids to purchase both the hard...

Bon Voyager.(Kick Starts)
March 1, 2004... Normally we only make a big deal about the introduction of new models, not the departure of existing ones, but it's worth noting that after 18 years Kawasaki has dropped the Voyager XII touring bike from its new-model (2004) lineup. Also axed...

Friends of NMM.(Kick Starts)
March 1, 2004... In the wake of the fire that devastated the National Motorcycle Museum in Birmingham, England, last September, the museum has created Friends of the NMM Association to raise funds to restore the magnificent place to its former glory. Insurance,...

Ridin' the web.
March 1, 2004... WWW.YAMAHA-MOTOR.CO.JP/ENG/PAPERCRAFT ONLINE, DOWNLOADABLE PAPER-CRAFT MODELS OF SEVERAL YAMAHA MOTORCYCLES, RARE ANIMALS AND MORE. WWW.WORLDWIDEMOTOTOURS.COM MOTORCYCLE TOURING AND RENTAL CENTERS IN BOSTON; MAINE; AND HAMBURG,...

Little big show--the 2004 Honda Shadow Aero.(Riding Around)
March 1, 2004... Lately the humongous-displacement cruisers with their extreme dimensions seem to get the lion's share of everyone's attention. Meanwhile, people are actually buying the smaller models in droves; Honda's 750cc Shadow ACE was in fact the...

3 for all Honda 599 Suzuki SV650 Yamaha FZ6.(Rider Test)
March 1, 2004... When many of us started riding, there were just two kinds of motorized two-wheelers: scooters, and motorcycles. Heck, even the line between street and off-road machines was pretty blurry. Things changed a little after the Japanese began selling...

The queen of motorcycle stunts.(An Interview with Debbie Evans)
March 1, 2004... SHE WORKS IN ONE OF THE TOUGHEST and most challenging areas of motorcycling. So, it was a surprise to learn that--when motorcycle stuntwoman and champion trials rider Debbie Evans found out she was going to be inducted into the AMA Motorcycle...

Sticky situation.(Tech Q&A)
March 1, 2004... Q: HOW DO YOU CLEANLY REMOVE ADHESIVE EMBLEMS FROM GAS TANKS? THE EMBLEM ON MY MOTORCYCLE'S TANK IS CRACKED AND I'M GOING TO REPLACE IT. THIS IS FOR A 1996 YAMAHA ROYAL STAR, IF IT MATTERS. A: I'd like to tell you that I figured this out by...

Right bank backfire.(Tech Q&A)
March 1, 2004... Q: I have a '92 Honda Gold Wing 1500 Interstate with 45,000 miles on it. It has a problem with backfiring on deceleration. Coming to a stop, I usually downshift, but now it's getting embarrassing. I haven't changed the exhaust. I thought it was...

Royale slip.(Tech Q&A)
March 1, 2004... Q: I have a 1988 Yamaha Venture Royale with 98,000 miles with very few problems. While riding in traffic in Mississippi this past summer in 96-degree weather, the clutch would slip. If I pulled over for a short time, it would be fine. I was...

Tight spot.(Tech Q&A)
March 1, 2004... Q: I have a 2001 Suzuki Bandit 1200S and can't seem to get the chain adjusted correctly. I get just the right tension on the chain, but when I tighten the axle nut, the chain tightens up. If I leave the chain loose in anticipation of this, in...

Metzeler Roadtec Z6 radials.(Gear Lab)
March 1, 2004... TIRE MANUFACTURERS TELL US THAT MAKING GOOD SPORT-TOURING TIRES IS ONE OF THE MOST CHALLENGING THINGS THEY HAVE TO DO. THAT'S BECAUSE THE TIRES HAVE TO STRIKE A COMPROMISE BETWEEN HIGH-PERFORMANCE HANDLING AND STICKINESS, YET WEAR LIKE IRON AND...

Ogio MX 9800 wheeled duffel.(Gear Lab)
March 1, 2004... HAVING TIRED OF DRAGGING AND SLINGING A HUGE GEAR BAG OVER MY SHOULDER AND LUMBERING AROUND AIRPORTS TILL I DROP FROM EXHAUSTION, I WENT LOOKING FOR A REPLACEMENT WITH WHEELS. PUT THAT WEIGHT ON THE GROUND WHERE IT BELONGS! I found a huge...

Shark RSR Summum helmet.(Gear Lab)
March 1, 2004... YOU MAY HAVE NOTICED ME WEARING THIS LID ON THE COVER OF OUR JANUARY ISSUE, WHILE FLOGGING A KAWASAKI MEAN STREAK AROUND A CORNER ON A MOUNTAIN ROAD. WE'VE BEEN PUTTING THE SHARK RSR HELMET THROUGH ITS PACES FOR A WHILE NOW, AND IT'S ACQUITTED...

New&cool.(Product Spotlight)
March 1, 2004... (1) JUPITER RETURNS CD Ted Simon, whose latest article appears on page 40, began his second around-the-world adventure in 2001, retracing the route through Africa, the Americas, New Zealand and Australia, and across Asia to Europe he took in...

New&cool.(Product Spotlight)
March 1, 2004... (2) MUSTANG'S popular touring seat is now available for the Kawasaki Vulcan 1600 Classic and includes several design improvements over the stock seat. The 16-inch-wide, deeply pocketed front bucket positions the rider at the ideal angle. An...

New&cool.(Product Spotlight)
March 1, 2004... (3) S100 POLISHING SOAP S100 Cycle Care products has just developed an entirely new way to polish those precious metals on your motorcycle. Based on a technology used by European silversmiths, S100 Polishing Soap is a firm, smooth, clay-based...

New&cool.(Product Spotlight)
March 1, 2004... (4) SR-1500 FM PAGING SECURITY SYSTEM The all-new SR-i500 is a compact two-way FM paging security system designed specifically for motorcycles. It features a hand-held LCD transceiver with remote and pager features and is capable of sending and...

New&cool.(Product Spotlight)
March 1, 2004... (5) MAX-CYCLE MOTORCYCLE OIL Royal Purple's engineers have specifically formulated all-new Max-Cycle motorcycle oil to exceed the demands of motorcycle engines and transmissions. Max-Cycle uses select synthetic base oils, along with proprietary...

New&cool.(Product Spotlight)
March 1, 2004... (6) Perhaps best known for his book 10 YEARS ON TWO WHEELS (chronicling his remarkable 10-year, 77-country, 250,000-mile journey), world-renowned motorcyclist and photojournalist Helge Pedersen is now taking applications for the ultimate ride:...

New&cool.(Product Spotlight)
March 1, 2004... (7) ARMED GUARD SECURITY now has custom "plug & play" alarm systems for many popular motorcycle models, including Honda CBRs and the Gold Wing 1800, and many Yamaha and Kawasaki sport and touring models, which makes installation simple. Armed...

New&cool.(Product Spotlight)
March 1, 2004... BEACH'S MOTORCYCLE ADVENTURES For 33 years Beach's Motorcycle Adventures has specialized in motorcycle tours of the European Alps. One key to the success of Beach's tours is the freedom, information and encouragement to choose your own daily...