Rider articles from September 2003

Rider archives from September 2003

Megascoots.(One-Track Mind)
September 1, 2003... I am cruising at about 75 mph in the fast lane of the Ventura Freeway on a liquid-cooled, fuel-injected, 638cc parallel twin with double-overhead cams and four valves per cylinder. Keeping up with the rather manic pace of this afternoon's...

Lookalikes.(Response)(Letter to the Editor)
September 1, 2003... Another excellent "First Ride" report by Kevin Ash in the July issue (Kickstarts) of the new 2004 Triumph Daytona 600. I was, however, very disappointed with Triumph's answer to styling-upgrade pressures. What's happening to Euro styling, the...

Given a bum rap.(Response)(Letter to the Editor)
September 1, 2003... In Bill Stermer's July Rockster and Roll article on the '04 R1150R Rockster, BMW's "Integral ABS' power-assisted feature" is once again given a bum rap. I have a 2003 R1150RS and it didn't take long for me to get used to the system. Now,...

Safety comes first.(Response)(Letter to the Editor)
September 1, 2003... I cannot agree more with Andrew MacDonald's opening response in July's Tech Q&A column. Before providing his excellent technical advice and guidance, he reminds us all to "be careful out there." This is not a single occurrence but a...

Powerless Vulcan.(Response)(Letter to the Editor)
September 1, 2003... The review on the Kawasaki 1600 Vulcan Classic by Mark Tuttle Jr. in July's issue has me scratching my head. How come the power figuresare so dismal? Thirty-eight horsepower per liter, that's downright pathetic! Even the torque numbers are...

Lessons of the Poor.(Response)(Letter to the Editor)
September 1, 2003... Regarding Lawrence Grodsky's Lessons of the Poor in July's issue--thank you. There are a lot of us out here on the roads who enjoy the ride, the agility, the fun of a 500cc cycle. Far too often bikers get caught up in what they ride and forget...

A driver's right.(Respone)(Letter to the Editor)
September 1, 2003... Having read Mr. Salvadori's July Road Tales titled Road Credits, I sincerely hope that he was writing tongue in cheek. I thought that this was America--the land of choice! The idea of punishing people because they drive what they want is...

Cavalcade camaraderie.(Response)(Letter to the Editor)
September 1, 2003... I want to compliment Clement Salvadori on his article in the June issue (Retrospective) about the best motorcycle ever made, the Suzuki Cavalcade. It was great. He has touched a great community of Cavalcade riders around the world. G....

Adjustable footpegs.(Response)(Letter to the Editor)
September 1, 2003... I was so happy to read Mark Tuttle Jr.'s review in the June issue of the Suzuki SV1000S and hear him complain about the pegs being too high. As a fan of the L-twin engine design and the reliability and reasonable prices of Japanese bikes, I was...

Happy with Honda.(Response)(Letter to the Editor)
September 1, 2003... After reading Mark Tuttle Jr.'s longterm road test on the Honda ST1300 back in March's issue I made the decision to buy a new bike. I have to say everything he said about the ST1300 is dead on! Having ridden mostly choppers and cruisers in the...

Frogg Toggs.(Response)(Letter to the Editor)
September 1, 2003... In regard to Clement Salvadori's test of the Frogg Toggs (Shop Talk, May 2003), as he said they are fine behind a windshield except on a Harley-Davidson. The reason being that just one touch of the pant leg to the exhaust pipe and you have an...

The wave.(Response)(Letter to the Editor)
September 1, 2003... A recent ride with my wife has me wondering: Why is it that riders of a certain type of bike, and especially those riding a certain brand, feel like they do not need to respond to the time-honored wave between riders? I thought that this was a...

I can relate.(Response)(Letter to the Editor)
September 1, 2003... The more I can relate to any given issue, the more I enjoy it. April '03 was a beaut. I just returned from an 8,000-mile trip to Mexico, Guatemala and Belize on my Suzuki V-Strom. Friend Brent rode a BMW 1150GS, and we included about 200 miles...

Top Cat.(Response)(Letter to the Editor)
September 1, 2003... My beloved Honda CBR600F4i (Top Cat) was a 72nd birthday present from my husband. Unfortunately, I had to sell her a couple months ago due to unexpected medical reasons, as my body can no longer handle sportbike ergonomics. I'm in the market...

2004 Yamaha Warrior/V Star.(Kickstarts)
September 1, 2003... In addition to the Road Star tested on page 28, Yamaha has also revealed a revised Road Star Warrior model for 2004 with a wider, flatter, two-piece seat, new rider and passenger footpeg locations and a new handlebar design for increased...

BMW 80th Rockster.(Kickstarts)
September 1, 2003... In response to customer feedback on the Berlin delivery plan for the 80th anniversary 2004 BMW Rockster (see Kickstarts, August 2003), BMW North America has canceled the trip to Germany included in the bike's original price and will make a...

On One Wheel expands.(Kickstarts)
September 1, 2003... Keith Code, teacher and founder of The California Superbike School, reports that the Wheelie School he started in the fall of 2002 is expanding for 2003. In addition to more classes in California, the On One Wheel school is getting more bikes...

Operation Mission Accomplished.(Kickstarts)
September 1, 2003... Harley-Davidson Motor Company and Buell Motorcycle Company recently implemented "Operation Mission Accomplished," which will extend warranty coverage to military personnel deployed in support of operations in Afghanistan and Iraq. "Everyone at...

Honest, Charley, it's a V-8.(Kickstarts)
September 1, 2003... From the Big Brass Ones Department, it's a V-8 Flathead Motorcycle, a custom built by Honest Charley's Speed Shop in Chattanooga, Tennessee. At $19,500 for one of 25 built per year with no warranty, the V-8 isn't exactly a candidate for a Rider...

Evaluate a Victory.(Kickstarts)
September 1, 2003... At this writing Minnesota-based Victory Motorcycles was offering riders the opportunity to offer some feedback on the concept Victory pictured and become part of Victory's new future concept evaluation panel. Tell them what you think of the...

Ridin' the Web.(Kickstarts)
September 1, 2003... www.killingtonclassic.com Explore Vermont's spectacular scenery at the 1st annual Killington Classic Motorcycle Touring Rally, September 4-7, 2003. www.bikepolishing.com Specialty motorcycle and aluminum polishing. Send 'em your...

Slicker & quicker: the 2004 Yamaha Road Star Silverado.(Rider Test)
September 1, 2003... When introduced for 1999, the Yamaha Road Star was a bruiser of a cruiser. Its 48-degree, 1,605cc pushrod engine was the largest of any mass-produced bike at the time--this mark has since been eclipsed by Honda's GL1800 Gold Wing and VTX1800,...

Campagna T-Rex: what the heck was that?(Ridden & Rated)
September 1, 2003... When Daniel Campagna--former pit-crew chief for the late Gran Prix driver Gilles Villenueve, occasional Formula Ford race-car driver and part-time inventor--got out of racing, he still felt the need for speed. But Campagna couldn't find the...

Grounded Hawk.(Tech Q&A)
September 1, 2003... Q: I have a 1,989 Honda Hawk 650 with 21,000 miles on it. Last spring I decided to treat the inside of the fuel tank with a Kreem tank liner kit. I put everything back together and now the bike won't start (I didn't try to start it before...

Seca service.(Tech Q&A)
September 1, 2003... Q: I have a 1982 Yamaha 650 Seca. It has 14,000 original miles and runs quite well, but I've never had the valves adjusted. The oil and filter have been changed frequently since new, but I'd like your maintenance tips and recommendations so my...

Aero bus.(Tech Q&A)
September 1, 2003... Q: Do you have any info on a replacement handlebar for my 1999 Honda 1100 Aero? I have added risers and am still unhappy with the feel. I am interested in removing the current "driving a bus" feeling when I ride. The dealership doesn't seem to...

Fatter Sprint.(Tech Q&A)
September 1, 2003... Q: I have a '98 Triumph Sprint 900 with 50,000 miles on it that runs great. It's fast with no pinging on acceleration or popping on deceleration. It gets 40 mpg city and 50 on the highway. It's a very reliable machine and I'm very satisfied...

A tale from the trenches.
September 1, 2003... A buddy of mine is a top-notch, veteran mechanic for a sprawling, multiline dealership owned by a corporation. Recently an out-of-state rider on a Honda GL1200 Gold Wing pulled up to the store, saying that the last shop he'd stopped at had...

Suomy Spec 1R helmet.(Gear)
September 1, 2003... Around the Rider office, we're always looking for new lids that offer interesting technical innovations and/or fresh styling. And we' re strong advocates of wearing quality, full-coverage head protection for comfort, safety and a long, happy...

DP Brake pad.(Gear)
September 1, 2003... We take stopping pretty seriously at Rider magazine. Although the brakes on most of the bikes from the major manufacturers are at least good if not excellent nowadays, there's often still room for improvement. For example, when we tested the...

IAS 440 Series shocks.(Product Spotlight)
September 1, 2003... Progressive Suspension now offers its popular IAS 440 Series shocks for the Triumph America cruiser. The inertia active system (IAS) damping technology separates chassis movement from wheel movement, which means you get a shock that's able to...

Oversize 320mm front rotor.(Product Spotlight)
September 1, 2003... We all love our Kawasaki KLRs, but also know that its brakes leave plenty of room for improvement. Cycle Brakes has designed a new high-carbon stainless-steel oversize 320mm front rotor that it claims cures all KLR stopping issues. The larger...

Scout.(Product Spotlight)
September 1, 2003... The new Scout boot is a combination motorcycle/hiking boot designed for comfortable use on and off the bike, and is guaranteed 100 percent waterproof. Close inspection reveals a fully reinforced, purpose-built motorcycle boot with padded ABS...

Motorcycle Diagnostic Software Tool 2001.(Product Spotlight)
September 1, 2003... The Motorcycle Diagnostic Software Tool 2001 for your PDA is an affordable engine diagnostic tool that is small enough to be part of your motorcycle's tool kit. The MDST2001 works on all motorcycles with Magneti Marelli fuel-injection systems...

Honda Licensed Apparel catalog.(Product Spotlight)
September 1, 2003... Honda riders rejoice! Intersport Fashions has a new Honda Licensed Apparel catalog, and it's free. The new catalog features both sportswear and technical riding apparel designed to make motorcycling safer and more fun. There's a whole section...

Helmet Locker.(Product Spotlight)
September 1, 2003... Designed and built by Speed Rack, Helmet Locker is a convenient way to keep helmets safe from wear and tear when not in use. It mounts easily to garage or trailer walls and a complete mounting system is included. The user simply places the...

Journey Bag.(Product Spotlight)
September 1, 2003... Mag's Bags, custom bag makers for more than 20 years, proudly introduces the Journey Bag for solo riders who need more storage space than their saddlebags provide. The Journey Bag is designed to be compatible with either hard cases or soft bags...