Category: Motorcycles
-
GS 911 for Mac OS Tutorial
To date, I’ve owned three motorcycles. Each new motorcycle ushers in a whole new level of technology. My first bike, a 2001 Vulcan 750, was an extremely simple motorcycle. It was carbureted at its core with minimal adjustability. The second bike, a 2003 V-Strom, added fuel injection, which solved many of the problems inherent with…
-
Tot Weerziens Robert
Robert and I first crossed paths just outside of San Jose, California on a group ride down to Death Valley back in 2008. We were a jolly group of 30 set out on President’s day weekend. Many of us didn’t know each other but by the end of those 5 days we all shared our…
-
Celebrating 117,334 Miles
I walked into the garage a few weeks ago and I noticed a few “motorcycle tears” on the garage floor. On closer inspection, the right fork was leaking. It was more a small weep than a full out leak, but it was a leak none the less. Combined with the backfire and lack of riding…
-
Chapter 3: Gelände Straße
It’s no secret that I’m a motorcycle monogamist. In 20 years of motorcycling, I’ve only owned two bikes: a 2001 Kawasaki Vulcan 750 and a 2003 Suzuki V-Strom 1000. After about 15,000 miles I had a low side on the Vulcan while coming down Highway 9. The bike never ran well after that low side…
-
The Palindromic Motorcycle
#motorcycle #vstrom #palindrome #over100k
-
Ride on Nick…
We meet all sorts of people throughout our lives. Some people touch us for just a moment. Some people walk with us throughout a season. And a select few remain with us throughout our lifetime. Each person we meet broadens us as humans and deepens our connection with humanity. I met Nick online four years…
-
5 Tips for a Great Coworking Experience
I had two great days up in Lake Tahoe experiencing very different coworking spaces. Before that, I’ve been to a couple of different coworking spaces where I’ve stayed over in certain cities and extra day or two. I find that in coworking spaces I’m much more productive for me than sitting in a hotel room…
-
One V-Strom: 100,000 Miles
The back story For much of my childhood I’ve always had a subscription to a motorcycle magazine. Cycle World dominated a lot of my teenage years. As I started to do more touring on my motorcycle, my subscription shifted to Rider Magazine. Every year each motorcycle magazine has their own “motorcycle of the year.” Rider…
-
Christmas on two wheels
Last year was the first year I was able to attend the South Bay Riders’ Toy Ride. Mike, a longtime motorcyclist here in the Bay Area, organizes this ride. Each rider is to bring a new, unwrapped toy for the Toys For Tots program. Some riders come out in full regalia, others with a touch of…
-
Riding less to ride more
Where did this year go! It didn’t seem that long ago that I was writing the article “A Rider Greets Autumn.” Unlike other years, this year has not been one for motorcycling. My bike sat in the garage over the entire winter while I was in Sydney, Australia. I’ve been traveling a lot by plane and…
-
Choosing a motorcycle – A journey through my history
I got a question from one of my subscribers about my thoughts on choosing a motorcycle. I wanted to take a few moments and share things I’ve learned along the way that others may be able to use as guidance. The early days Motorcycles have always fascinated me. I can remember as early as elementary…
-
Storing a motorcycle: Back in action
After three months in Australia I was ready to get back on my own motorcycle. I was tired of storing a motorcycle and now ready to ride one. I didn’t fully winterize the bike as this is the Bay Area has it doesn’t get particularly cold. I really only did a few things to the…
-
Suzuki Heaven
My roommate had mentioned he left his motorcycle at his mates place last night so that he wouldn’t have to ride home under the influence of alcohol. New South Wales has fairly strict guidelines for what constitutes a DUI. Here in New South Wales the legal limit is 0.05 whereas in the United States it’s…
-
2013 SBR Toy Ride
Each December Mike organizes the SBR Toy Ride in conjunction with the San Mateo County fire Department. Each rider is to bring a new, unwrapped toy for a child in need during the Christmas season. I’ve never been able to do this ride until this year. I’m almost always on a plane back home to…
-
Leaking Motorcycle Tires and Soapy Water
It’s not been a great week for tires. I knew I had some type of leak in the rear tire on the motorcycle as it was flat the same day the battery died. Reminder: give your motorcycle love in all seasons. I put the bike on its center stand and spun the rear wheel looking…
-
Should I replace my motorcycle battery?
Riding to work this morning reminded me of one of my favorite movies growing up – The Breakfast Club. Why? My motorcycle was screaming the refrain from the theme song: “Don’t You Forget About Me.” I forgot about my bike due to the busyness of life. Here in the Bay Area, it’s a year-round riding…
-
A rider greets autumn
Weather is a changin’ Every rider once a year has that ride where he knows the weather has fully transitioned from warm weather to cool weather for the year. As motorcyclists, we are fully in the weather. Going places means experiencing all that that place has to offer as well as everything in between. The…
-
New iPhone App: Smart Riding
A better way to measure riding I’m continually impressed with how capable the iPhone is when it comes to integrating into my daily life. Sure, it’s a web browser, email reader, social networking time waster. It does however have some pretty cool applications though. With Navigon, I’ve replaced my standalone GPS. The iPhone tracks the…
-
2013 International Motorcycle Show – San Mateo
It was refreshing to see the crowd at the International Motorcycle Show this year in San Mateo. Ever since 2008, there’s been a steady decline in the manufacturer presence, inventory, and enthusiasm around the motorcycle show. I know a good portion of it has to do with the economy as money has been tight. This…
-
Diabetes, Motorcycles, and Insulin
John Ryan was an exceptional individual. He pushed the boundaries of motorcycling time and time again with his involvement in the Iron Butt Association. He came to San Francisco to speak about his adventures which truly inspired me. I’ve met many long-distance riders over the years. What impressed upon me about John was not only…
-
Thank you, Elliot
Danke Schön Somehow, saying goodbye never gets any easier. I can remember hearing as a little kid that my grandmother passed. My dad came into the room where we were watching TV and told us that grandmother would no longer be with us anymore. Looking back on it, it was clear that I really didn’t…
-
Hello Old Friend
I walked into the garage and didn’t realize how much time had passed. About eight weeks ago I slipped on a Dell keyboard and my foot slammed into the television stand. I took a hard fall and sprained my ankle badly. I knew that it was going to be a long haul as joint injuries…
-
Riding the S1000RR
One of the riders this weekend offered his BMW S 1000 RR to ride after lunch. Compared to my bike, this motorcycle is a finely tuned corner carving machine. In contrast my bike is the Japanese tractor that lumbers along the roadway. I’ve only ridden such a bike a few times before. The most recent…
-
V vs Wee Strom
I’ve been riding a 2003 DL 1000 since it was new. The bike has about 85,000 miles on it and it’s been a great bike. Recently I was up in Colorado on vacation and rented a 2009 V-Strom 650. I wanted to get a sense for that bike to see if I made the right…
-
Bikers and Truckers
This classic came on the radio today and made me smile. GetThereItis sometimes plauges both of us when we see that the end is near. I’ve been rolling down the western seaboard at a pretty good clip at times seeing California in sight. I can remember riding US 101 in Oregon with a very late…
-
John Ryan: The Living Legend
Everyone has their version of what a “long” day was. When I first started riding, 100 miles was a long day. As I got more tuned into what made me more comfortable and I got stronger the mileage went up. Currently more than 500 miles is a “long” day for me. I’ve done it twice:…
-
Bed Bugs: Motorcyclists aren’t exempt
On one of my trips up to the Sierras I had a run in with these little critters that was less than pleasant. I didn’t know it at the time but one of the hotel beds I believe had these little critters inside of it. A week after arriving home I had about 150 bites…
-
60,000 and it keeps on ticking!
Happy Halloween! Last night the DL rolled over 60,000 miles on the odometer. It was a beautiful day here in California (plus I wanted to get some more miles on the bike) so I decided to ride out to the various evening engagements. For some reason I’d been really anticipating this milestone for quite a…
-
Leading group motorcycle rides
Once the day has come to actually ride the ride, here are some tips to help everything run a bit smoother and for all the riders to have a good time. Overcommunicate: If I can say only one thing, this would be it. It’s amazing how many times you can say things and people just…
-
Planning group rides for motorcycles
Mike and I have been planning a group rides for motorcycles for a number of years each year and with each ride I learn things. On our first ride up to Lake Tahoe in 2007, while fun, the group was pretty small and all the riders were well experienced. That winter I got to go…