Rider articles from September 2004

Rider archives from September 2004

Quick takes: due to all of the new-for-2005 hardware sucking up most of the real estate in Kickstarts this month, Your Humble Servant is bringing you the rest of the news that fits in this space.(One TrackMind)
September 1, 2004... First off, just in case you haven't noticed the satisfying rustle of thicker paper between your fingers, we're quite pleased to bring you a heftier version of Rider starting with this issue. Here's hoping that the thicker cover and body stock...

Homesick.(Response)(Letter to the Editor)
September 1, 2004... I'm in the Marine Corps reserve and got mobilized in March. I miss my family and friends, my 1999 Honda ST1100, riding my ST with my wife on the back going through the mountains back home in Colorado, the annual bike ride to Vegas with the guys...

Learning Curves.(Response)(Letter to the Editor)
September 1, 2004... Every once in a while someone writes a piece like Clem Salvadori's Learning Curves (June 2004) that captures what riding is all about. It is a matter of "I am, therefore I ride." He reminds us that just being able to ride and ride well is a...

Rat Race.(Response)(Letter to the Editor)
September 1, 2004... Great article, Rejecting the Rat Race (July 2004) by Mark Tuttle Jr. Here in sunny south Florida, our Interstate 95, 75 and Florida turnpike system are full of "rats." The drivers of the compact and SUV segments think they are at Darlington...

Endurance.(Response)(Letter to the Editor)
September 1, 2004... I want to thank you for Jerry Smith's excellent article, Secrets of Long-Distance Riders (July '04). There is a lot more to this sport than gulping down some Red Bull, turning on the radar detector and pinning the throttle. Also, thanks for the...

Obsessed.(Response)(Letter to the Editor)
September 1, 2004... Loved Clement Salvadori's column Got Bread? in July's issue. Thought I was the only biker searching out great breads. Nobody I ride with seems obsessed like I am. Tell Clement to check out the bakeries in Kingston and Ottawa, Ontario, Canada....

68-years-young.(Response)(Letter to the Editor)
September 1, 2004... I enjoyed reading Andy Saunders' July book review about The Trail of the Dove. However, I was a bit mystified by the description of the 68-year-old mother as being "aged." I am a 68-year-old mother and grandmother and have been riding for 20...

Big Bend.(Response)(Letter to the Editor)
September 1, 2004... I relished Val Asensio's article on the least-visited National Park in the U.S.A. (Big Bend, July 2004). Asensio's article brought back a rush of memories; Big Bend was like being on another planet, so unlike what I think of as Texas that it...

Sweet sixteen.(Response)(Letter to the Editor)
September 1, 2004... Thanks for the look back at the Suzuki GT550 (Retrospective, July 2004). I remember fast-talking my mom into some extra matching funds so I could skip right over an entry-level 350 onto a very clean, somewhat used GT550 at the tender age of 16....

Battery life.(Response)(Letter to the Editor)
September 1, 2004... I have been following with some interest the latest Q & A's on battery life in several publications, especially what people have to say about Odyssey batteries. I picked up my '96 BMW R1100RT in January 1996 and before the end of the year I had...

Reaffirmation.(Response)(Letter to the Editor)
September 1, 2004... Your article on the new Triumph Thruxton (Riding Around, June 2004) reinforced my preconceived notions. I recently took delivery of my new Triumph Thruxton and I am absolutely thrilled! I rode the Thruxton to Road America for the AMA Superbike...

Imagination.(Response)(Letter to the Editor)
September 1, 2004... As I just reread the June 2004 issue Margie Siegal's Collector article on the Triton captivated my imagination--wondering what I could build with what's in my shed, both past (lost opportunities) and present. The result of Paul Adams' efforts...

New for '05.(Kickstarts)
September 1, 2004... 2005 VICTORYS IN ADDITION TO A LONG LIST OF EXCITING CHANGES TO ITS EXISTING CRUISER MODELS, MINNESOTA-BASED VICTORY MOTORCYCLES HAS BANGED US UPSIDE THE HEAD WITH ITS NEW 2005 HAMMER, WHICH FEATURES A 100-CUBIC-INCH (1,634cc) 50-DEGREE...

Errata.(Correction Notice)
September 1, 2004... In our comparison test of the BMW R1200CL, Harley-Davidson Electra Glide Classic and Yamaha Royal Star Midnight Venture in the August 2004 issue, the Harley's warranty coverage was listed incorrectly in its spec chart. All 2004 and later...

Riding the Rocket: the 2005 Triumph Rocket III.
September 1, 2004... Like the Titanic, an 800-pound gorilla or Elvis, this motorcycle needs no introduction. You already know that at 2,294cc, the 2005 Triumph Rocket III is the new king of sheer displacement among mass-produced motorcycles, surpassing even the...

Presto chango: the 2005 Yamaha Royal Star Tour Deluxe.(Ridden & Rated)
September 1, 2004... With the cruiser market on fire and buyers gobbling up bikes almost as fast as they can be made, Yamaha has been scrambling for new models to add to its lineup. For 2005 the tuning-fork folks are rolling out the Royal Star Tour Deluxe, which...

Wonderful waterfalls: motorcycling in the mist; I've learned that getting away from it all doesn't mean having to go far away. So I set out in search of curvy two-lane Pennsylvania roads and the wonderful waterfalls nestled within.(FavoriteRide)
September 1, 2004... Like a soldier preparing for battle, I had prepped my bike early in the morning before the sunrise and brought along my standard supplies--a rainsuit, first-aid kit, toolkit, bungee cords and something to keep my face shield bug-free. ...

Andy's answers.(TechQ & A)
September 1, 2004... SAVAGE LEAK Q: MY WIFE HAS A 2001 SUZUKI 650 SAVAGE WITH 6,500 MILES. JUST PRIOR TO THE 4,000-MILE SERVICE IT DEVELOPED A SMALL LEAK AROUND ONE OF THE CYLINDER HEAD BOLTS. DURING SERVICING THEY TIGHTENED THE HEAD BOLTS, WHICH STOPPED THE...

Arai Astral X helmet: for many years Arai helmets clung steadfastly to a full-face fitment scheme that consisted of just two shell shapes, one a Long Oval (LO), the other a Round Oval (RO).
September 1, 2004... The former is still used in helmets like the Signet GT, Tracker GT and Renegade, the latter in the Quantum and RX-7 series. If one type doesn't fit you, the other usually does. For example, I have always been able to wear Arai's LO helmets, but...

Cobra Fi2000 digital fuel processor: after the newness wears off, many owners of recentmodel cruiser motorcycles wish for improvements in throttle response and rideability--along with perhaps a smidgen more power.(GearLab)
September 1, 2004... Enter Cobra's Fi2000 digital fuel processor, a small electronic device that's designed as a quickly installed fuel-injection tuner that improves rideability and can be mounted in minutes with no computer downloads or remapping required. This...

Rifle Classic windscreen for Victory Vegas.(New & Cool)
September 1, 2004... (1) RIFLE CLASSIC WINDSCREEN FOR VICTORY VEGAS is made of Lucite L, which provides excellent clarity, scratch-and chemical-resistance. For a perfect rider fit, the windscreen is 22 inches wide and available in three standard heights (16, 18 and...

Green light Swipe.(New & Cool)
September 1, 2004... (2) GREEN LIGHT SWIPE is a newly designed visor squeegee for your left hand, allowing you to easily clean your face shield while under way. Using a new design, the Swipe is completely adjustable and will fit any gloved finger or thumb...

AMA Tours will visit Spain and Portugal.(New & Cool)
September 1, 2004... (3) AMA TOURS WILL VISIT SPAIN AND PORTUGAL for its newest motorcycling adventure, which will take place from September 18 through October 1, 2004. This new tour begins and ends in Madrid and will include such notable destinations as Avila, La...

Pirelli's MT66 route cruiser/mileage tire.(New & Cool)
September 1, 2004... (4) PIRELLI'S MT66 ROUTE CRUISER/MILEAGE TIRE was created to provide metric cruiser owners with a quality replacement tire at a value price. It uses finite-element computer design for low weight, which improves ride quality. The durable...

Smartire electronic tire monitoring system gets even smarter.(New & Cool)
September 1, 2004... (5) SMARTIRE ELECTRONIC TIRE MONITORING SYSTEM GETS EVEN SMARTER, as it now offers real-time pressure monitoring. The system will work on virtually any make and model motorcycle with tubeless tires and the rider receives a precise reading of...

End buttburn with a sheepskin buttpad from Alaska Leather.(New & Cool)
September 1, 2004... (6) END BUTTBURN WITH A SHEEPSKIN BUTTPAD FROM ALASKA LEATHER. It's sheared to a 3/4-inch loft, contoured and available in various sizes to fit most motorcycle seats. Five colors go with almost any color scheme. The pad has a universal fit with...

Marlin's clocks for motorcycles.(New & Cool)
September 1, 2004... (7) MARLIN'S CLOCKS FOR MOTORCYCLES look great on all bikes with 7/8-, 1- or 1 1/4-inch handlebars. Clock and thermometer kits come with everything you need to install them. The large numbers are easy to read and they glow in the dark. They're...

Edelweiss' China scouting tour.(New & Cool)
September 1, 2004... (8) EDELWEISS' CHINA SCOUTING TOUR will be held in October 2004. The tour will last 10 days and will run on a variety of major highways, country byways, dirt roads and even sand. Edelweiss has also been looking at Cuba for some time. It's a...