One of the best driving and riding roads in the United States is Ohio State Road 555, better known as the “Triple Nickle”. This is not just my opinion it is also from Car and Drive and many other publications. Also 555 is also one of the Ohio “Windy9” roads and is heavily promoted, by the state, in many motorcycle publications.
Well, the Triple Nickle use to be a great motorcycle riding anyway!
Starting at the southern terminus of the road the road Ohio has “repaired” by the “Chipseal” method (or Tar and Chip where I grew up). SR 555 is a ROYAL MESS. I cannot recommend you ride a motorcycle on this road at this time, maybe in a year?
Gravel chips are everywhere. Tight turns, and this road has many, can be dangerous along with every driveway and intersection. When it gets hot the tar may become slippery if the chips have been removed by traffic or weather.
I don’t know how far north the chipseal goes as we turned off after about 10 miles. State Route 555 is just unsafe for motorcycles.
So, to answer the question, “How do you ruin a great motorcycle riding road?” Just chipseal it, you could ruin it for years!
Be aware that this motorcycle recall list is for the United States for the last 30 days, there is no way I could cover the entire world. But in the world of global manufacturing, if a motorcycle is being recalled in one country there is a good chance it is under recall in others.
Also, this should not be considered a definitive list, check for yourself if you have any questions.
If you are US based, use the NHTSA website http://www.safercar.gov. Enter your VIN number to see if your motorcycle is affected by the recall.
If you are based outside the USA, use the appropriate website to locate recalls that may impact you.
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NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V377000
Manufacturer Ducati North America
Components EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Summary: Ducati North America (Ducati) is recalling certain 2020-2023 Panigale V2 motorcycles. The dashboard could automatically switch from low beam headlights to the headlight daylight position lamp (DRL), in automatic setting mode. As such, these motorcycles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 108, “Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment.”
Remedy: Dealers will update the dashboard software, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed June 20, 2023. Owners may contact Ducati customer service at 1-888-391-5446. Ducati’s number for this recall is SRV-RCL-23-003.
The one millionth BMW GS adventure motorcycle has rolled off the assembly line! This motorcycle, built in Berlin, is the culmination of work that started it run in 1980.
My Take – Congrats to BMW, this is a major milestone that should be celebrated. The boxer engine still has life!
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Hitting Neutral – Harley Davidson 440X coming to market soon.
The 440X motorcycle is the “only in Inda” bike, made by the largest motorcycle manufacturer in the world HERO. A few years ago, Harley Davidson struck a deal with HERO to produce a motorcycle that can compete in the Indian market. It appears that HERO did all the work and Harley supplied the name.
This new bike is propelled by a 440cc single cylinder air cooled engine. It appears that this bike is designed to compete with both Royal Enfield and Bajaj.
My Take: Harley Davidson tried to crack the Indian market on it own with the Street Models, it did not work. Working with HERO to develop and build an “up-scale” motorcycle for that market is a good idea with little risk to the company. Basically, they are leasing the HD name to HERO.
Like the Chinese Harley Davidson motorcycles, I doubt we will see these bikes in the American market. They may, eventually, make it other markets in Asia.
I went with “hitting neutral” because, while I think this might be a positive for the bottom line, I worry that if the quality standards are not maintained the name Harley Davidson will be globally tarnished.
Michelin and Continental are two brands of tires I have never used, so I don’t have an opinion on there products. But with an $80 rebate now might be a good time give Michelin a shot.
Get a $80 Visa Reward Card via mail-in rebate with the purchase of two (front and rear) qualifying MICHELIN Cruiser Motorcycle tires.
Get a $60 Visa Reward Card via mail-in rebate with the purchase of two (front and rear) other qualifying MICHELINOn-Road and Road Racing Motorcycle tires.
Get a $40 Visa Reward Card via mail-in rebate with the purchase of two (front and rear) qualifying MICHELIN Off-Road Motorcycle tires or qualifying MICHELIN Bicycle tires.
If you need new tires, or shortly will, you might want to take advantage of this deal!
There are a lot of great locations, around the globe, that pull a lot of motorcycles to a town. But what makes a town motorcycle friendly? I am discounting rallies like Sturgis or Daytona as those are all onto their selves and not, necessarily, indicative of being “motorcycle friendly town”.
I asked myself this question on what it takes to be motorcycle friendly and came up with the following items:
A town that provides motorcycle parking in public spaces.
A town that has good signage so folks will know where to go in town.
Signage that states motorcyclists are welcome.
Maybe a few “Watch for Motorcycle” signs too.
A town that provides maps, GPS files of local riding opportunities.
A town that has places where we can take cool pictures with our bikes.
That the town websites that indicates the town is pro motorcycle.
That the town supports motorcycle events like shows and rallies.
Then I asked myself, “Self what makes local businesses motorcycle friendly?”. Because how can the town be motorcycle friendly if the businesses are not? Business can be motorcycle friendly by:
Providing motorcycle parking, covered if possible.
Has good signage indicating that bikers are welcome.
Has places where we can store helmets/gear while eating or shopping.
Provides rider discounts.
Just be friendly to motorcyclists, ask them what they ride, where they are headed.
Provide maps, GPS files of local riding opportunities.
Website that indicates the business is pro motorcycle.
Lodging business should, if possible, provide a place to clean the motorcycles along with a hose, bucket, soap, and towels
Those are the ideas that popped into my head. Do you have any additional thoughts or suggestions?
I think this is only the 2nd time we had an entire month without a recall!!!
Be aware that this motorcycle recall list is for the United States for the last 30 days, there is no way I could cover the entire world. But in the world of global manufacturing, if a motorcycle is being recalled in one country there is a good chance it is under recall in others.
Also, this should not be considered a definitive list, check for yourself if you have any questions.
If you are US based use the NHTSA website http://www.safercar.gov. Enter your VIN number to see if your motorcycle is affected by the recall. If you are based outside the USA, use the appropriate website to locate recalls that may impact you
Up Shift – Hydrogen Motorcycle Engines and Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki and Kawasaki
The big 4 motorcycle manufacturers have joined forces to push the development of hydrogen engines. Their agreement has some specifics built into it so it may not just be “signaling”. Each manufacture has specific responsibilities in this effort, for example:
Honda will lead the research and development of the hydrogen engines.
Suzuki will work on performance & reliability of hydrogen powered motors.
Yamaha is to study how to establish hydrogen refueling systems.
Kawasaki is working on the fuel supply issue.
Also, the way I read some of the different articles on this effort, Toyota is cooperating in this project.
My Take – This is nothing but good news. These companies are responsible for many of the things we take for granted every day. With their combined efforts we may get true, real green energy in my lifetime.
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Up Shift – Motorcycle Insurance… Which company is best?
What are the best motorcycle insurance companies and what makes them the best? I recently had an article sent to me that laid out the who and why of the top 5 motorcycle insurers.
This article not only laid out the top 5 companies but also pointed out the pro’s and con’s of each along with the methodology of how they reach their conclusions. I underlined that last bit because, often, that is never included.
My Take: We all have to buy insurance and just like taxes it is a necessary evil. I really like that Marketwatch.com put this list together ALONG with how they ranked ordered the companies.
Turns out that I am using one of the top 5 to cover my motorcycles and I had to agree with their findings on that company!
Front Royal is set at the northern end of Skyline Drive, one of the premier motorcycling destinations on the east coast. Thousands of motorcyclists pass through Front Royal on their way to Skyline Drive or to parts unknown as they leave the National Park. At most they spend a night in town before heading on their way.
However, riders should spend a day or two riding in the Front Royal area. There are more than a few great riding roads and routes that will appeal to every motorcycle rider. Adventure bikers, you can check out the availability of roads in the George Washington National Forest as some become open to motorcycles, there is even a Jeep “Trail of Honor” that will put your skills to the test.
Fort Valley was first surveyed by George Washington in 1748. Washington would later make plans for Fort Valley to be his winter retreat, had the revolutionary army been defeated, as it has a lot of natural defensive features.
Between the Revolutionary War and the Civil War, the valley was a major source of pig iron for the new nation. During the Civil War the mountains surrounding the valley served as observation posts for the Confederate Army, overlooking multiple local battles.
Canyon Carving and Valley Riding
One of the best kept “secret” motorcycle riding roads around Front Royal is Fort Valley Road. A ride that is part canyon carving and relaxing valley riding. The ride will take about 2-3 hours, depending on how often you stop to take pictures or visit some of the local attractions along the way.
Once you turn onto Fort Valley Road it is just a few minutes before you are whipping your motorcycle through a tight canyon. Rock wall cliffs on one side and a sharp drop into creek on the other will keep your attention very tightly focused. After a while, that canyon passage will open into a farming valley.
You will ride for miles through a mix of green and amber fields intermixed with forest treescapes. This is the part of the ride that will have you sitting back and admiring the views of the steep mountains to your left and right and the family farms you motorcycle through.
But before long you are at the southern end of the valley where you will encounter an unmarked section of the road. This part of Fort Valley Road is a steep climb out of the valley through twists and tight hairpin curves. As soon as you crest the top of the mountain you will begin a just as steep drop to the bottom of the mountain. The views of the Shenandoah Valley as you descend can be quite awesome.
Once at the bottom you will leave Fort Valley Road and make your way back to Front Royal via US 340. You will find that when you get back you just might want to do this loop a second time.
May is Motorcycle Safety Awareness month. It is important to get the word out to your non-riding friends and family!
I don’t own any of these photos about motorcycle safety, but I have gathered them from across the internet. I think “Fair Use” is in full operation in regard to their use.
So, PLEASE, copy and paste any of these motorcycle safety pictures &, memes. Post them up to all your favorite sites. Point them out to non-riders, we riders already get it!
May is motorcycle safety awareness month…here is an idea to help spread awareness to the children.
As we all know, all the safety gear we wear and all the safety tech on our motorcycles are just not enough at times. Awareness of motorcycles by drivers of cars and trucks is as important as everything we do.
To help improve the awareness in others (and therefore ourselves) we need to start teaching children to watch for motorcycles. That is why the idea of teaching kids to count motorcycles instead of “punch bugs” is so important. If they are watching for motorcycles as kids they will have an easier time seeing them when they start to drive. Thus our safety as motorcyclist is improved. The payoff is in the future but let’s invest now.
Make a game that has a small reward when they spot “X” number of motorcycles. Ask your non-riding friends to do this with their children. Mention it at events and gatherings, just get the word out. You know when a 6-year-old yells “motorcycle” that their parent is going to see it to!!
I JUST WANT 2 RIDE!! 