Rider articles from October 2006

Rider archives from October 2006

Hot, hot, hot: remember the heat wave that struck California in July, setting record temperatures all over the state? Well, so do we.(One trackmind)
October 1, 2006... Mother Nature happened to choose the same weekend as the MotoGP race at Laguna Seca Raceway in the Monterey area to slam us with unrelenting heat, and humidity levels that were far above normal. As we packed for our annual two-day blast to the...

Paradigm shift.(Response)(Letter to the editor)
October 1, 2006... Thanks for your informative and thorough article on the new Yamaha FJR1300 in the August issue. I learned a lot. I especially enjoyed the technical description of the airflow redesign for eliminating the heat problem. I also liked your in-depth...

"Bent rotor".(Response)(Letter to the editor)
October 1, 2006... In the August issue, in the test of the FJR1300, on page 40, the author states: "... and now the rear pedal also actuates one front caliper piston...." I don't believe that would really work very well without the opposing piston also being...

Kern County Kingpin.(Response)(Letter to the editor)
October 1, 2006... I just finished reading Kern County by Kingpin, by Clement Salvadori in the August 2006 issue. Great fun revisiting that area! I was stationed with my wife and kids out at Vandenberg Air Force Base 20 years ago and visited all those areas...

Long-Term Report.(Response)(Letter to the editor)
October 1, 2006... Regarding Jerry Smith's Project Bike Triumph T100 Long-Term Report in the August issue, I too, have a T100 Bonnie and the first thing I did was ditch the stock bars and put some Norman Hyde M-bars on it. They look great and have greatly...

Triumphant view.(Response)(Letter to the editor)
October 1, 2006... Regarding your review of the new Triumph Scrambler (August issue), keep up the great reviewing. I've read quite a few of Clement Salvadori's articles and have come to appreciate them for two reasons. First and foremost, he has a knack for...

Burnt chrome.(Response)(Letter to the editor)
October 1, 2006... What is the deal with Triumph motorcycles burning their exhaust pipes? In the August issue, the Triumph Scrambler 900 and the Triumph T100 had burned the chrome on the exhaust lines just past the engine head. This has shown up on virtually...

Moto-Irritants.(Response)(Letter to the editor)
October 1, 2006... I certainly share Clement's views on the annoyances of checking tire pressures on motorcycles (Moto-Irritants, August 2006). However, I recently found the Accu-Gauge EZ-Air, which simplifies things considerably. It has a 12-inch hose, which...

Praise the Vespa.(Response)(Letter to the editor)
October 1, 2006... In his book review of The Scooter Bible in the August issue, Clement Salvadori describes the Vespa in America "more as a fashion accessory than a useful commuter." Here in Silicon Valley, the number of scooters in general has increased...

The passion of the ride.(Response)(Letter to the editor)
October 1, 2006... Rider's decision to publish Larry Grodsky's first column, Stayin' Safe--Demonology, from October 1988 in the August 2006 issue has cemented my allegiance to Rider for years to come. I've been a Rider subscriber for about 20 years. I remember...

Is that a Norton?(Response)(Letter to the editor)
October 1, 2006... It's amazing how much the red BSA A65FS Scrambler in Clem's August Retrospective looks like a silver Norton in the small detail pictures at the top of the page. I've seen paint that changes color with varying light, but a bike that goes so far...

Never too late!(Response)(Letter to the editor)
October 1, 2006... I continue to read about the "late lifers" who take up motorcycling for the first time--most are in their late 40s or 50s. I decided at age 68 1/2 to get it done or quit thinking about it. I signed up for the MSF course last December. I was the...

Buell for 2007.(Kickstarts)
October 1, 2006... Last year, Buell treated us to a couple of new bikes and some technical improvements across the model line. Turns out that getting there for '06 must have been tiring, because the important changes to the '07 model line are limited to where the...

Victory for 2007.(Kickstarts)
October 1, 2006... The American motorcycle maker based in Minnesota soldiers on for '07 with new colors and graphics and a few interesting changes to its lineup of highly styled 100ci (1,634cc), DOHC V-twins with four valves per cylinder, most of which also have...

Space shuttle 2006 Kawasaki ZX-14.(RIDER TEST)
October 1, 2006... Kawasaki and Suzuki have been engaged in, shall we say, friendly fire for the past four years, battling it out for the title of manufacturer of the most powerful production motorcycle. With the introduction of the Ninja ZX-14 for 2006, Kawasaki...

The Shadows know: getting reacquainted with some of Honda's best-selling cruisers.(RIDDEN & RATED)
October 1, 2006... Some pretty cool bikes don't get much press because the focus is usually on the latest and greatest machines. Honda's Shadow line, for instance, has been around 23 years, and these trusty cruisers have remained largely unchanged. These are...

Over the Green Mountains: of tall corn, forgotten towns and dirt roads.(FAVORITERIDE)
October 1, 2006... I live in the southeast corner of Vermont, where the hills are steep, the valleys are narrow and the architecture in the villages is distinctly 19th-century Yankee, all clapboards and shutters and stark white paint. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]...

Get it straight.(TECHQ&A)(Interview)
October 1, 2006... Q: LAST WEEK WHILE RETURNING FROM A 5,000-MILE TRIP UP TO CANADA ON MY 2003 KAWASAKI CONCOURS I CAME AROUND A TURN AND HIT A BIG POTHOLE. THE RESULTING CRASH DID MOSTLY COSMETIC DAMAGE AND I WAS ABLE TO RIDE HOME, BUT THE FRONT END IS TWISTED...

Mushy GL brake.(TECHQ&A)(Interview)
October 1, 2006... Q: I recently purchased a 1999 Honda Gold Wing that only had 29,000 miles on it. I like everything about the bike, except the rear brake is mushy. I tried bleeding it from the caliper back to the master cylinder with no change. Can a master...

Ultra hot.(TECHQ&A)(Interview)
October 1, 2006... Q: When I ride my '03 Harley Ultra in weather as cool as 70 degrees and get into stop-and-go traffic for 30 minutes, sometimes less, it will run roughly then shut off. I had a Maxi fuse installed and eliminated the main breaker. That did not...

The doohickey.(TECHQ&A)(Interview)
October 1, 2006... Q: A couple friends and I are going on a cross-country tour with Kawasaki KLR650s. Various Internet discussion sites mention problems with the balancer chain breaking on these bikes. These bikes have been around for a long time, the main reason...

Product spotlight.(NEW&COOL)
October 1, 2006... (1) CHECK OUT LEES-URE LITE'S INNOVATIVE TENT TRAILERS FOR TOURING MOTORCYCLES. Features include a fiberglass body, an aluminum roof rack, independent suspension, easy set-up for one person and optional rooms. Two screened entry doors allow a...