Rider articles from November 2004

Rider archives from November 2004

The big hot ride: sometimes the best rides are in the least obvious places. At the worst possible time.(One TrackMind)
November 1, 2004... If you have to organize any group rides you know how hard it is to nail down half-a-dozen busy people. After finally meshing everybody's schedules and scoring all of the bikes, we ended up with just two days to take our five Power Cruisers in...

Mixed emotions.(Response)(Letter to the Editor)
November 1, 2004... I gotta hand it to you! Your story on the Triumph Rocket III (Rider Test, September 2004) was as "upbeat" as they can get. The whole time I read it I was saying, "Wow!" Then I would look at the pictures and say, "yuck." [ILLUSTRATION...

True hero.(Response)(Letter to the Editor)
November 1, 2004... Searching for Spadino by Gene Shepard was without a doubt the best article I've ever read in any motorcycle magazine, and I've been reading them since 1984. I didn't see Pierlucio Tinazzi mentioned as "Motorcyclist of the Year" in any American...

In the genes.(Response)(Letter to the Editor)
November 1, 2004... I really enjoyed Clement Salvadori's September column, A Man of Adventure. To answer his question, there is no doubt that some people are born with an adventure gene while others are content to remain at home. Adventure does have its...

World traveler.(Response)(Letter to the Editor)
November 1, 2004... I enjoy Mr. Tuttle, look forward to Mr. Salvadori and wouldn't miss Mr. Grodsky or Mr. MacDonald. But, I have to tell you, these world travelers like Emilio Scotto in the August issue (Winging Around the World): They really impress me. This is...

Reflective jacket.(Response)(Letter to the Editor)
November 1, 2004... I enjoyed the article The Student by Mr. James Petersen in the September issue. I am also a student of high-visibility riding. What is the make and model of the student's yellow reflective riding jacket shown in the photos? HOWDY BOY VIA...

Dog friendly.(Response)(Letter to the Editor)
November 1, 2004... Even my dog Riggs is a fan of Rider. I had to wait for him to fall asleep to get my issue back! [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] TIM VIA E-MAIL

Riding vs. cycling.(Response)(Letter to the Editor)
November 1, 2004... I enjoyed the many comparisons of riding a bicycle versus a motorcycle in Grodsky's Wheel Men Ride in Traffic in September's issue. But I disagree with his statement that bicycles can slice through traffic unencumbered, implying they do not...

Flat tires.(Response)(Letter to the Editor)
November 1, 2004... Regarding Jerry Smith's article in June's issue, Don't Get Nailed!, can't some scientist invent a variable density foam rubber ring to replace the air pocket in tubeless motorcycle tires and the air-filled innertube in off-road motorcycle...

Valve adjustments.(Response)(Letter to the Editor)
November 1, 2004... I just read an article about valve adjustments in a technical article of a bike magazine. Why do we have to pay such high prices for this service? When my wife had a Pacific Coast, no adjustment was needed and there are many more bikes that...

2005 Triumphs: all of Triumph's 2004 model line will be returning for 2005, including the recently introduced Rocket III and Thruxton, and most bikes will come in new color options. Three will receive major upgrades for 2005, most significantly the Sprint ST, a rider favorite for its sport-touring versatility, performance and factory hard luggage.(New for '05)
November 1, 2004... The 2005 Sprint ST triple has sharper new styling with a new instrument panel and underseat mufflers, a revised twin-spar alloy frame with a shorter wheelbase and redesigned swingarm, refined suspension including a 43mm cartridge-type fork and...

Four across: the 2005 BMW K1200S. BMW launches its first sportbike with a transverse in-line four.(Ridden & Rated)
November 1, 2004... BMW has had a gaping hole in its model lineup for some time. While the K1200LT, K1200GT and K1200RS with their longitudinal "flying brick" of an in-line four satisfy the luxury- and sport-touring markets, riders seeking a seriously light and...

Fork over the ATF.(Andy's Answers)
November 1, 2004... Q: MY HONDA VALKYRIE IS ABOUT DUE FOR A FORK OIL CHANGE, SO I CHECKED THE PRICE THE DEALER WANTS FOR HONDA 10W FORK OIL: $7 A PINT! THAT WORKS OUT TO $21 (THREE PINTS ARE NEEDED) JUST TO CHANGE THE DARNED STUFF. I'VE HEARD OF PEOPLE USING...

Disappearing pads.(Andy's Answers)
November 1, 2004... Q: I have a 2002 Harley-Davidson Ultra Classic, my friend has a 2001 Harley Electra Glide and his brother owns an '03 Electra Glide. What's up with the rear brake pads?! This is the first bike I have ever owned that needs the rear brake pads...

Get the connection?(Andy's Answers)
November 1, 2004... Q: I have a 2003 Suzuki SV650 with low mileage. About two months ago it had a puzzling problem. I rode the bike to work (about 20 miles) and parked it for eight hours. When I went out to start it, the bike was completely dead. None of the...

Don't slip.(Andy's Answers)
November 1, 2004... Q: I recently purchased a 2000 BMW R1100RT with 57,000 miles from a BMW dealer who assured me that its service department goes over used bikes before they go out on the floor. The first time I tried to pass in fourth gear, the tach went to...

What's that smell?(Andy's Answers)
November 1, 2004... Q: I have '95 Harley-Davidson FLHT (Electra Glide Standard) with 40,000 miles on it. Its mechanicals are stock except for a K & N air filter I installed years ago but clean often. About 500 miles ago or so, I started to notice a slight gasoline...

Teknic cyclone jacket.(Product Evaluations)
November 1, 2004... WITH SUMMER OVER AND WINTER CLOSING IN, IT'S TIME TO HAVE A LOOK-SEE AT WHAT'S AVAILABLE FOR THE COOLER TEMPERATURES OF AUTUMN. LATELY WE'VE BEEN TRYING OUT THE 3/4-LENGTH TEXTILE CYCLONE. JACKET BY TEKNIC (PRONOUNCED "TECHNIQUE"). THE CYCLONE...

Avon Venom R tires: GL1800 Gold Wing.(Product Evaluations)
November 1, 2004... DEVELOPING FRONT AND REAR REPLACEMENT TIRES FOR A MOTORCYCLE AS LARGE AND POWERFUL AS THE HONDA GL1800 GOLD WING HAS GOT TO BE A DAUNTING TASK. Not only do these round carcasses of cords and rubber have to endure 1,303 pounds of gross...

AGV XR-2 helmet.(Product Evaluations)
November 1, 2004... ITALIANS ARE KNOWN FOR THEIR LOVE OF SOCCER AS WELL AS TALKING WITH THEIR HANDS, BOTH OF WHICH PUT HEADS AND FACES IN PERIL. IT'S NO WONDER THEY'VE MASTERED THE ART OF CRAFTING PREMIUM HELMETS, SUCH AS THE NEW FULL-FACE XR-2, ONE OF AGV HELMETS...

Club connection.
November 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...

Shoei's Helmet Pack will keep the largest of helmets safe and secure.(Product Spotlight)
November 1, 2004... (1) SHOEI'S HELMET PACK WILL KEEP THE LARGEST OF HELMETS SAFE AND SECURE with its zippered expansion section. A detachable shield case holds up to two additional face shields and a cell-phone case is also included. Padded shoulder straps and a...

Firstgear's Kilimanjaro air jacket will keep you comfortable.(Product Spotlight)
November 1, 2004... (2) FIRSTGEAR'S KILIMANJARO AIR JACKET WILL KEEP YOU COMFORTABLE while providing protection with its ballistic poly-mesh outer shell and Temperfoam shoulder/elbow armor with an EVA foam backpad. There's an insulated waterproof/breathable...

The Eagan deerskin gloves by Marsee are soft, supple and comfortable.(Product Spotlight)
November 1, 2004... (3) THE EAGAN DEERSKIN GLOVES BY MARSEE ARE SOFT, SUPPLE AND COMFORTABLE from the time you first put them on. Named after the Marsee-sponsored endurance/adventure rider Gary Eagan, because a comfortable glove is a necessity when you ride...

Learn advanced motorcycle skills from smooth riding the Pridmore way.(Product Spotlight)
November 1, 2004... (4) LEARN ADVANCED MOTORCYCLE SKILLS FROM SMOOTH RIDING THE PRIDMORE WAY by Reg Pridmore with Geoff Drake. Former AMA Superbike Champion Reg Pridmore, a Hall of Fame racer known for his popular CLASS Motorcycle Schools, brings his decades of...

The movie faster takes you inside MotoGP racing.(Product Spotlight)
November 1, 2004... (5) THE MOVIE FASTER TAKES YOU INSIDE MOTOGP RACING with riders like Valentino Rossi, Max Biaggi, Garry McCoy and John Hopkins. Available now on DVD for $24.95, Faster follows the hottest MotoGP racers around the world as they battle it out on...

A lifestyle custom cycles seat starts with a tight fitting.(Product Spotlight)
November 1, 2004... (6) A LIFESTYLE CUSTOM CYCLES SEAT STARTS WITH A TIGHT FITTING, handmade fiberglass shell that is lined on the bottom to protect your paint. The entire seat is then covered in Tri-Cushion padding, then a layer of Shock Tech Air II Gel is added...

Tired of replacing burned-out bulbs on your bike? Ledtronics.(Product Spotlight)
November 1, 2004... (7) TIRED OF REPLACING BURNED-OUT BULBS ON YOUR BIKE? LEDTRONICS offers direct-replacement LED lamps to replace those pesky incandescent bulbs that fail rapidly from the types of shock and vibration that occur on motorcycles. Operating life for...

PJ1 Foam Air Filter care kit.(Product Spotlight)
November 1, 2004... (8) PJ1 FOAM AIR FILTER CARE KIT contains both PJ1 Air Filter Cleaner and PJ1 Foam Air Filter Oil Treatment, just right for properly maintaining the foam air-filtration system. PJ1 Air Filter Cleaner quickly and easily cleans filter elements....

Now you can get stainless-steel brake line kits from Vencowings.(Product Spotlight)
November 1, 2004... (9) NOW YOU CAN GET STAIN-LESS-STEEL BRAKE LINE KITS FROM VENCOWINGS for Honda Gold Wing GL 1800s, GL 1500s, and many GL1200s, GL1100s and GL1000s. The GL1500 and GL1800 kits are available with matching clutch lines. Soon stainless-steel line...