Rider articles from May 2005

Rider archives from May 2005

Principle uncertainty: don't look now--someone you know may be afflicted with PU.(One trackmind)
May 1, 2005... We've all had moments of paralyzing uncertainty, right? College, marriage, first home purchase... "Do you want fries with that?" Yet frustrating as it can be, uncertainty is an essential part of a good life-without it our existence would be...

Riding Wisconsin.(Response)(Letter to the Editor)
May 1, 2005... SSHHHH! Having grown up in southwestern Wisconsin, I have known the joy and beauty of the winding roads and dramatic bluffs that Mr. Grodsky experienced in his article Mono-Chrome (March 2005) for many years, but we'd like to keep it our little...

First love.(Response)(Letter to the Editor)
May 1, 2005... Thank you for featuring the Matchless G80CS this month (Retrospective, March 2005). It was like seeing a picture of your first love, just as she was back in the day. My first bike was a G80CS. I learned to ride it, then to race it, and to keep...

Road to Morocco.(Response)(Letter to the Editor)
May 1, 2005... I very much enjoyed Olaf Wolff's article Road to Morocco in the March 2005 issue. Having lived in Morocco for three years, I can attest to the often horrendous traffic conditions. I, too, traveled to most of the places described in the article,...

Mesmerized.(Response)(Letter to the Editor)
May 1, 2005... Hey, Bill Stermer, indeed you must have been mesmerized by Highways 131 and 25 during your visit to the Honda Hoot (February Rallies & Clubs)--"the gentle curves luring me deeper and deeper on the agile CBR." It also teased your geography....

Starter problem.(Response)(Letter to the Editor)
May 1, 2005... Mr. Sidah's response to my letter about a starting problem on my Honda XL250 proved to be the right answer (Tech Q & A, March 2005). It is now operating fine and I really appreciate it. Also, Road Tales, Falling in Love by Clement Salvadori...

Love affair.(Response)(Letter to the Editor)
May 1, 2005... Allow me to congratulate you on the wonderful Falling in Love column authored by Clement Salvadori in the March 2005 issue. Spoken from the heart and registering to the essence of many who share a lifelong love affair with two-wheeled motorized...

Warranty.(Response)(Letter to the Editor)
May 1, 2005... Thanks a million for the very nice update on an old favorite, the Kawasaki Concours. One of the attributes not mentioned, however, is the three-year, unlimited-mileage factory warranty. By the way, I just priced a new Concours and was...

Awakened.(Response)(Letter to the Editor)
May 1, 2005... I can relate to Jerry Smith's Re-Entry Riders in the February issue. I am one of these. It had been only 27 years since my last bike. Over the years I watched from afar as motorcycles slowly morphed into what they are today--huge cruisers and...

Other essentials.(Response)(Letter to the Editor)
May 1, 2005... I enjoyed Mark Tuttle Jr.'s Gadgets article in the February issue. Problem is, my seven-pound laptop, along with its clunky power brick, is a poor candidate for a motorcycle saddlebag. I'd like to suggest that Rider publish an article on...

Appropriate.(Response)(Letter to the Editor)
May 1, 2005... In the February 2005 issue on page 68, Clement Salvadori is modeling the BMW Reflect suit. I found it very apropos that he used a vineyard for the background. RON SMITH WHITE BEAR LAKE, MINNESOTA

Dirtwing.(Response)(Letter to the Editor)
May 1, 2005... My wife and I enjoyed Gregory Frazier's article The Road to Deadhorse in the January issue. It hits the nail on the head. We rode the Dalton in mid-August of '95--there was no pavement then. We think we may be one of the first couples to ride...

Storz XR wowzer.(Kickstarts)
May 1, 2005... If you're even the tiniest bit into dirt-track racing, you can't help but get excited over the new XR-Style Conversion Kit for 2004-2005 H-D Sportsters from Storz Performance. Storz says the new rubber-mounted Sportys make a terrific platform...

Rider at Americade.(Kickstarts)
May 1, 2005... Headed to the big Americade Rally in Lake George, New York, this June 6-11, 2005? If so, don't miss Rider Magazine contributors Clement Salvadori and Bill Stermer in featured seminars Tuesday and Saturday evenings at the Roaring Brook Ranch....

New Harleys.(Kickstarts)
May 1, 2005... In addition to the 2006 VRSCR Street Rod we tested in the April 2005 issue, Harley-Davidson recently revealed two more new attention-getting models. The 2005 15th Anniversary Edition FLSTFI Fat Boy sports a special paint scheme and badging as...

Rescue Facts.(Kickstarts)
May 1, 2005... Here's an interesting item that could save lives if it works well. The Rescue Facts Information Pack is a nylon wrap that secures around your helmet chin strap or bike's handlebars with hook-and-loop material. An embroidered medical symbol...

2006 BMW R1200ST.(Kickstarts)
May 1, 2005... In the February 2005 installment of Kickstarts we had some photos and details on BMW's new 2006 R1200RT, the subject of our Ridden & Rated test on page 76 this month. Now we have some photos and details on the new R1200ST sport tourer as well....

Rune to Valhalla.(Kickstarts)
May 1, 2005... If you want a Valkyrie Rune this year, you'd better hurry--American Honda recently announced that the planned limited production run of the current Rune will be complete in the Spring of 2005. "Honda is very proud of this historic model...

Sales up.(Kickstarts)
May 1, 2005... The 2004 numbers are in from the Motorcycle Industry Council, and there's good news-motorcycle sales were up 4.7 percent over 2003, to more than 1 million total for the second consecutive year since the '70s. Cruisers still make up the lion's...

www.thinkroadsafety.gov.uk/advice/drivertiredness.htm.(RIDIN' THE WEB)
May 1, 2005... A INTERESTING BRITISH TAKE ON COMBATING ROAD FATIGUE.

www.imzural.info/crawfordsales.(RIDIN' THE WEB)
May 1, 2005... SIGN UP FOR THIS ALL-BRAND SIDECAR RALLY IN SOUTH LYON, MICHIGAN, HELD IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE ANN ARBOR RIDE FOR KIDS AUGUST 26-28, 2005.

www.motorcycleadventuremap.com.(RIDIN' THE WEB)
May 1, 2005... BLUE RIDGE AND SMOKY MOUNTAIN ADVENTURE MAPS BY A RIDING LOCAL. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

www.cyclematch.com.(RIDIN' THE WEB)
May 1, 2005... IT HAD TO HAPPEN EVENTUALLY: WEB-BASED PERSONALS FOR MOTORCYCLISTS.

We have a winner! Edelweiss Bike Travel tour Essay Contest results.
May 1, 2005... Our panel of judges has finished reviewing more than 700 entries--140,000 words--in the Edelweiss Bike Travel Essay Contest we launched in the December 2004 issue, and have picked the entry by Greg Hohn of Chapel Hill, North Carolina, as our...

Smooth Riding The Pridmore Way.
May 1, 2005... You don't need a racetrack nearby to benefit from CLASS-style riding instruction. Reg Pridmore and co-author Geoff Drake, a CLASS student himself, have distilled the entire experience into an updated version of Smooth Riding the Pridmore Way....

Long-run sprinter: 2005 Triumph Sprint ST.(RIDDEN & RATED)
May 1, 2005... Since its introduction in 1998, Triumph's Sprint ST has gained a loyal following among sport-touring enthusiasts for its unique blend of torquey three-cylinder power, excellent handling and comfort. If it had a major weakness, it was the bike's...

The Centopassi: so many passes, so little time....
May 1, 2005... Riding a Ducati through the Alps is roughly akin to stepping into the swelter of an old-time, bible-thumpin', Holy Rollin', Glory Be To Everything tent revival. Salvation by the bucket, euphoria by the bale. Revivals claim to nourish your soul....

On a winter's day: sneaking in a quick one before the really quick one.(FAVORITERIDE)
May 1, 2005... It is early March and the weather has turned out just as forecast--sunny and in the 40s. While it is still winter and we still have snow on the ground, we have less than two weeks until the official beginning of spring. [ILLUSTRATION...

KuryAkyn GL1800 Highway Pegs and Passenger Armrests.(Product Evaluations)
May 1, 2005... THE RIGHT ACCESSORIES CAN ADD GREATLY TO COMFORT, AND LITERALLY TRANSFORM THE LOOK AND FEEL OF A MOTORCYCLE, MAKING IT JUST THE WAY YOU WANT. THEY CAN ALSO MAKE YOUR PASSENGER MORE COMFORTABLE--WHICH CAN BE A GOOD THING IN ITSELF. To that...

Get your bike in the air.(Product Spotlight)
May 1, 2005... (1) GET YOUR BIKE IN THE AIR. Lift Buddy is offering a new, affordable air/hydraulic combination lift designed for the motorcycle rider and enthusiast. The model A/H 800 is an 800-pound-capacity lift that can use an air compressor, or the...

Mustang comfort for Honda's VT750 shadow aero.(Product Spotlight)
May 1, 2005... (2) MUSTANG COMFORT FOR HONDA'S VT750 SHADOW AERO. Mustang offers several design improvements over the stock Honda seat with a 17-inch wide, deeply pocketed front bucket that sits you at the ideal cruising angle. An optional rider backrest...

Getting under the bubble has never been easier.(Product Spotlight)
May 1, 2005... (3) GETTING UNDER THE BUBBLE HAS NEVER BEEN EASIER--or more optically correct. New from Memphis Shades, the Cockpit Windscreens feature computer-generated shapes that split the wind while offering 50 percent more coverage to the rider. Designed...

Excitement for the long road ahead.(Product Spotlight)
May 1, 2005... (4) EXCITEMENT FOR THE LONG ROAD AHEAD. Pirelli Diablo Strada EMS: The ideal tire for the rider who loves to travel long distances without compromising sport-riding handling and performance along the way. The DNA of the Diablo family guarantees...

Give the gift of freedom.(Product Spotlight)
May 1, 2005... (5) GIVE THE GIFT OF FREEDOM. Thanks to the dozens of Harley-Davidson Authorized Rentals operators across the country, you can give a Harley-Davidson Rental Gift Certificate, the perfect gift for any motorcycle rider, especially those who would...

Motonation's new 2005 catalog is here!(Product Spotlight)
May 1, 2005... (6) MOTONATION'S NEW 2005 CATALOG IS HERE! Motonation's 2005 catalog is its largest ever, with more than 65 pages of the finest rider protection products in the world! You will find page after page of top-line Sidi boots; one of the most...

Sidewinder's triple-metal hybrid sprockets were.(Product Spotlight)
May 1, 2005... (7) SIDEWINDER'S TRIPLE-METAL HYBRID SPROCKETS WERE created for long-range, adventure and touring riders who know an all-aluminum sprocket just won't last and an all-steel sprocket is too heavy. Precision crafted, Tri-Metal Sprockets...

Jetboil's personal cooking system is a good way to save time and money when on the road.(Product Spotlight)
May 1, 2005... (8) JETBOIL'S PERSONAL COOKING SYSTEM IS A GOOD WAY TO SAVE TIME AND MONEY WHEN ON THE ROAD. Fuel supply, stove, cup and quart container weigh less than a pound, and can boil up to two cups of water in less than two minutes. This should appeal...

Russell's new Qwik Release fittings look and work great.(Product Spotlight)
May 1, 2005... (9) RUSSELL'S NEW QWIK RELEASE FITTINGS LOOK AND WORK GREAT. Leak-proof Qwik Release fittings can be used over and over again, retaining a tight seal through repeated installations and removals. Qwik Release fittings disassemble quickly and...

Suzuki DL650 V-Strom slip-on exhaust.(Product Spotlight)
May 1, 2005... (10) SUZUKI DL650 V-STROM SLIPON EXHAUST. Dale Walker's DL650 V-Strom Holeshot Slip-on muffler delivers the performance and quality you expect from Holeshot Performance. It offers about a 50 percent weight reduction compared to stock, and is...