Rider articles from November 2006

Rider archives from November 2006

Going Postal: riding across the country for just 39 cents.(One trackmind)
November 1, 2006... Along with 89 marriage licenses and 324 parking tickets*, something a bit less mundane was issued at the 66th annual Sturgis rally in South Dakota last August. Right by the Sturgis Post Office, before a crowd of motorcyclists who looked rather...

Long-distance cruiser?(Letters to the Editor)(Letter to the editor)
November 1, 2006... Regarding your review of the Kawasaki Vulcan 900 Classic LT in the September issue, I assume those are tube-type tires (the case with spoked rims, with the exception of a few BMW models and possibly some others). If that's the case, don't you...

No way!(Letters to the Editor)(Letter to the editor)
November 1, 2006... Regarding your test in the September issue, your Royal Enfield threw its primary chain? It seems the recommendation to purchase such a machine should be simply: No way! Then your Breva, which I find absolutely stunning, got rained on and...

On the Prairie.(Letters to the Editor)(Letter to the editor)
November 1, 2006... Clement Salvadori's story of his trip across North Dakota, Woodland to Prairie, struck me as the first story I should read in your September issue. I have a cousin living in Bottineau, whom I have never met personally, but she and I are in...

Kindness of Strangers.(Letters to the Editor)(Letter to the editor)
November 1, 2006... I submit this letter to the editor to compliment Clement Salvadorl's excellent column in the September issue entitled, Road Tales: The Kindness of Strangers. It was a beautiful sunny summer day. I was headed to Lyndonville, Vermont, to do...

Cult bike.(Letters to the Editor)(Letter to the editor)
November 1, 2006... I read with glee Clement Salvadori's Retrospective of the Honda VT500FT Ascot in the September issue. Everything he wrote is true and more. I bought my '84 Ascot used (oops, I mean pre-owned) around 1988--black, like the one in the...

Some like it hot.(Letters to the Editor)(Letter to the editor)
November 1, 2006... In your September Response section, Bruce Stanton wrote that he almost bought a Triumph Sprint ST after reading Rider's June sport-touring shootout, but changed his mind after experiencing heat problems in slow or stopped traffic. Triumph has...

Eyewear for riding.(Letters to the Editor)(Letter to the editor)
November 1, 2006... In response to the GearLab review on Panoptx in the September issue, I own two pairs of Panoptx Cyclones with clear lenses and Convertibles with varia-lenses. The first pair was the Convertibles I purchased in 2001. They're great because of the...

Helmet life expectancy.(Letters to the Editor)(Letter to the editor)
November 1, 2006... As a return subscriber who hadn't ridden for a few years, I enjoy the magazine and have a question for you. I was wondering if motorcycle helmets have a "life expectancy." I've had my current helmet for 14 years and was wondering if it's still...

Trade secrets?(Letters to the Editor)(Letter to the editor)
November 1, 2006... I am a sucker for motorcycle magazines, including this one, and am a member of three different motorcycle organizations that each produces its own quality newsletter. I have read at least six different stateside articles and one overseas...

Not a new idea.(Letters to the Editor)(Letter to the editor)
November 1, 2006... I always enjoy Rider. It simply is the best. For what it's worth, the Nemo tent manufacturer's idea of replacing tent poles with an "airbeam" (August 2006, page 86) isn't exactly new. When I took a European discharge from the armed forces back...

Short people.(Letters to the Editor)(Letter to the editor)
November 1, 2006... This is in response to Mike Tillotson's reply in Rider's August issue, "What About Short Women?" I am 5 feet, 3 inches, and I found a Ridley, with a 24.5-inch seat height, so that I can keep both feet flat on the ground... no tippy toes. I...

Keep 'em coming.(Letters to the Editor)(Letter to the editor)
November 1, 2006... I have been a Rider reader now for two years, and I have torn out and saved every One-Track Mind, Road Tales, Stayin' Safe and Favorite Ride from each issue. By including the late Larry Grodsky's first Stayin' Safe column in your August 2006...

New for '07.(Kickstarts)
November 1, 2006... Big Red released information on three new models prior to its dealer meeting in September 2006, where we may see a few additional bikes for the first time as well. The 2007 VTX1800T is new to the line for 2007 and becomes Honda's most...

The last gate: a Honda takes tops honors ... finally.(Riding around)
November 1, 2006... Vintage motorcycle shows, while not as status-bound as a Pebble Beach or Meadowbrook, adhere to a certain pecking order. MVs are shown deference over Ducatis and Guzzis just as surely as Brough Superiors are positioned more favorably on the...

Character sport: 2007 BMW R1200S.(RIDER TEST)
November 1, 2006... Prior to the dashing red-and-silver streak before you, BMW's twin-cylinder sportbike was the R1100S, introduced in 1999. It was a groundbreaker by virtue of having BMW's most powerful opposed flat twin to date, with a claimed 98 horsepower at...

Turnkey twins: BMW F800S and F800ST.(RIDDEN & RATED)
November 1, 2006... You can look but you can't touch, at least not yet. BMW's new parallel-twin F800S sportbike and F800ST sport tourer are scheduled to arrive at U.S. dealerships early next year. In the meantime, the U.S. press was given a taste of their...

Riding the Santa Fe Trail: history and drama from new Mexico to Kansas.
November 1, 2006... We planned to attend a regional sidecar club rally in September. There was just one drawback, we thought: The rally took place in eastern Kansas. Kansas? What is there to see in Kansas? [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] ...

Lift & Lube.(GEAR TEST TRIAD)
November 1, 2006... Seems like fewer sportbikes and sport-touring machines are coming with center-stands these days. That's no problem where it's easy to stash a separate rear stand for the bike's swingarm thimbles. When a sport tour is going to take you past the...

Scorpion: photochromic face shield.(GEAR TEST TRIAD)
November 1, 2006... Scorpion is selling the heck out of its Snell-approved EXO-700 full-face helmet, and that's no surprise at just $199.95: This innovative company was the first to fit a no-fog face shield to its lids as standard equipment. Now it's also the...

Dowco: magnetic map pocket.(GEAR TEST TRIAD)
November 1, 2006... Well, phooey. All this time I've been happily using this magnetic map pocket on sport-touring bikes, and now I find out Dowco sells it primarily for cruisers. True, the Rally Pack Cruiser Map Pack does have a somewhat tapered shape like the top...

Dan Vesel: soft luggage support bracket.(Product Evaluations)
November 1, 2006... THE ADVANTAGES OF SOFT LUGGAGE ON A MOTORCYCLE ARE MANY--LIGHTWEIGHT, PRICED RIGHT AND MADE OF MATERIALS THAT STAND UP TO THE ELEMENTS. NEWER TYPES ARE AVAILABLE COLOR MATCHED AND WITH OPTIONS THAT ALLOW EXPANSION VIA THE ADDITION OF MATCHING...

Leatherlyke top cases to go with its saddlebags.(Product Spotlight)
November 1, 2006... (1) LEATHERLYKE TOP CASES TO GO WITH ITS SADDLEBAGS. Leatherlyke Saddlebag Company has three new, differently sized Cruiser Case trunks. Available in both Traditional and Contemporary styles, the first is the Small Cruiser Case, with a 5-quart...

Ideal for all your gear or even small stowaways.(Product Spotlight)
November 1, 2006... (2) IDEAL FOR ALL YOUR GEAR OR EVEN SMALL STOWAWAYS. The Alpinestars gear bag has oversized wheels, durable walls and abundant pockets. It features 100 percent nylon dobby and ballistic nylon construction, with durable foam wall inserts for...

A revolution is coming from the track to the street.(Product Spotlight)
November 1, 2006... (3) A REVOLUTION IS COMING FROM THE TRACK TO THE STREET. Michelin's new Pilot Power 2CT has 2-Compound technology for demanding sportbike riders who use their bikes mainly on the road, but also for track days. The 2CT tread surface is divided...

Streetbikes: Everything You Need to Know--and more.(Product Spotlight)
November 1, 2006... (4) STREETBIKES: EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW--AND MORE. Frequent Rider contributor Bill Stermer's new book is an expert, user-friendly guide for all of us. It begins with the various types of street motorcycles and engine configurations, and...

Custom clothing online.(Product Spotlight)
November 1, 2006... (5) CUSTOM CLOTHING ONLINE. AutumnRiders, the premier online provider of fine, casual apparel for motorcycle and car enthusiasts, has a new Web site to simplify and speed ordering. At www.autumnriders.com customers can quickly and easily order...

Now that's a Kewl helmet holder.(Product Spotlight)
November 1, 2006... (6) NOW THAT'S A KEWL HELMET HOLDER. Kewlmetal offers a gorgeous chrome billet helmet lock that screws into the end of any Kuryakyn ISO-Grip, so installation is a breeze. This is a great way to secure your helmet and is a clean and stylish...

Get clean and polished for the holidays.(Product Spotlight)
November 1, 2006... (7) GET CLEAN AND POLISHED FOR THE HOLIDAYS. Crystal-Glo Manufacturing is offering its Gift Set (a $42 value) with a lineup of motorcycle care products for only $29.99. The Crystal-Glo Starter Kit/Gift Set contains everything needed to clean,...

Optimize fuel injection without the need for expensive dyno tuning.(Product Spotlight)
November 1, 2006... (8) OPTIMIZE FUEL INJECTION WITHOUT THE NEED FOR EXPENSIVE DYNO TUNING. The Digital Fuel Optimizer (DFO) by RevTech allows quick dial-in engine fuel delivery, whether on a stock bike, or with freer flowing air filter and/or exhaust added....

Ride longer!(Product Spotlight)
November 1, 2006... (9) RIDE LONGER! Desert Dawgs are now available in three styles for Harley-Davidson Dyna models. Desert Dawgs motorcycle chaps install in two minutes, are easy to store and fit like a glove. They minimize cold updrafts, repel road spray from...