Well I guess that if we have heard nothing for this long that the show is no more…., but thought you might like this.
Posts Tagged ‘Harley Davidson’
Motorcycle TV: Philly Throttle’s Adam Cramer on Vimeo
Posted: October 21, 2014 in custom motorcycle, Motorcycle, Motorcycle TVTags: adam cramer, Café Racer, Harley Davidson, liberty Vintage Motorcycles, motorcycle TV, Philadelphia, Philly throttle, vintage motorcycle
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Harley Davidson “Creeping Clutch” Recall – 5000 mile Service – Zagat Rated Lunch – and a Motorcycle Ride to nowhere in particular.
Posted: October 14, 2014 in Motorcycle, Motorcycle racing, Motorcycle Rides, motorcycle touringTags: 5 Guys Burgers, Electra Glide Ultra Limited, Frederick, Frederick Maryland, Harley, Harley Davidson, Motorcycle Ride, ultra limited, Virginia
The wife and I took the motorcycle (Ultra Limited) out Sunday after sleeping in (long hours required a bit extra sleep (that is my story and I am sticking to it)) for a short ride. It was a cool day and we put our chaps on for the 1st time since early spring….fall is in the air in Northern Virginia!
I wanted to stop a Frederick Harley Davidson to schedule some services. I need to have the 5000 mile service performed (currently setting at about 5700 miles) and I need to have the current recall service performed as well. This is the hydraulic clutch recall which portrays its symptoms as the bike creeping forward even though the clutch lever is fully engaged. Our bike does not have the malfunction indications but it needs to be fixed before it does. In talking with the service rep Frederick HD has already performed hundreds of recall services for this issue but no one had reported that the bike was suffering from creeping clutch.
After setting up the appointment, we decided to get some lunch. Even though we both agree we need to eat better…….we went to 5 Guys Burgers! For those of you that do not live in an area with a 5 Guys restaurant you have no idea what you are missing. This burger chain is Zagat rated and has won hundreds if not thousands of awards and accolades for their hamburgers. So even though we may have not eaten better we ate well!
After lunch we headed to the house via the long way. We just cruised around for a while going nowhere in particular. We spent only about four hours on the bike but I think we can both say is was a nice little outing!
State Fair Settles Civil Rights Lawsuit with Veterans and Christian Motorcycle Clubs
Posted: October 10, 2014 in Motorcycle advocacyTags: biker gan, florida, Florida State Fair, Harley, Harley Davidson, Harley Owners Group, Motorcycle, no colors policy, spirit riders motorcycle ministry, sport bike
This is a repost from BigScotty.com…..
The Florida State Fair motto is “Discover the Fun.”
Well it appears that the motto only applies some of the time.
In 2010 a group of motorcyclists, including two from the Spirit Riders Motorcycle Ministry and one with the US Military Vest MC were turned away from the Florida State Fair due to a “no colors” policy that was initiated in an effort to discourage gang activity.
The fair’s employees turning away the motorcycle riders was caught on tape and the three filed suit in Federal Court.
Last month, the trio were awarded $72,500 in a settlement.
The Fair Authority and its insurance company decided to settle the lawsuit, but they still believe the no-club-colors policy was constitutional.
Most people with the IQ equal to their shoe size know that if you pay that kind of money, you don’t think you will win.
The Florida State Fair policy has since been changed to: “the fair may turn away or eject people who are disruptive or who display behavior associated with “criminal gang membership.” Yeah because we all know those Christian bikers are such a law-breaking bunch!
This should be a lesson to anyone who would stop the free speech rights of bikers to wear colors. While it’s reasonable to assume that you don’t want the Hells Angels and Mongrels facing off in a public place, there are other ways of dealing with the problem, and punishing everyone for the acts of a view is about as unAmerican as it gets.
Motorcycle Radio: DawgHouse #280 – Mike Tyson – Ferrari Motorcycle? – Moto America – MotoGP
Posted: October 9, 2014 in Motorcycle, Motorcycle advocacy, Motorcycle news, Motorcycle racing, Motorcycle radio, Motorcycle RidesTags: electric motorcycle, Ferrari Motorcycle, Grand Prix Motegi, Harley Davidson, moto america, MotoGP, Motorcycle racing, motorcycle radio, Zero Motorcycles
The DawgHouse Motorcycle Radio…The #1 Motorcycle Show in the US
Click Here to Listen to the Show!
Ken’s News:
Zero announces 2015 lineup.
Mike Tyson is a rider’s best friend?
Warren’s News:
Ferrari Motorcycle???
Get ready for $1000 dollar increase to the price of all motorcycles.
Racing News:
A very wet World Superbike at Magny-Cours tightens up championship.
Silly season in full swing early this year.
Picks for Japan Grand Prix Motegi.
News from Moto America
Motorcycle XM Satellite radio antenna placement …. making it work
Posted: October 7, 2014 in Motorcycle, Motorcycle radio, motorcycle touring, Product ReviewsTags: Harley Davidson, motorcycle radio, rushmore harley davison, satellite radio, Touring, Ultra Classic, ultra limited, xm antenna, xm radio
As mentioned in my posts regarding my early impression on our new motorcycle, the Ultra Limited, the XM Satellite radio reception was bad at best. It was so bad that I was considering having it removed and asking for my money back (not really sure how that would have worked out).
After reading different takes about the radio on HD Forums and other sites, I decided to try it with the antenna moved out of the fairing and onto the “dash”. In this case to the right of the Project Rushmore air vent. The appearance of the antenna in this location is, and you can see for yourself, not bad. When I have the vent closed the antenna even looks like it is meant to be there.
View from the front
But this was not about aesthetics or appearance it was about reception. Prior to moving the antenna I would get reception a grade of 40% out of 100. The drops and lost reception was more than inconvenient, it was I want to return it bad. After moving the antenna I will grade out reception as 80% out of 100. Now the only time I lose reception is when there is a mountain or heavy foliage blocking the southern sky.
I still think Harley Davidson should install a buffer in the radio to allow for those short drops when they occur. I don’t think a 4-10 second buffer would increase the price of the radio beyond what people are willing to pay.
If you are considering purchasing an XM radio module for your motorcycle do not waste your time and add stress levels by allowing them (or yourself) to install the antenna in the default location. Install the antenna on the dash from the start; it will work a whole lot better and you will be happier with the reception you receive!
Motorcycle Ride: 2014 Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride, Washington DC
Posted: October 2, 2014 in custom motorcycle, Motorcycle, Motorcycle news, Motorcycle Rides, RallyTags: 2014 Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride, Café Racer, DGR, Harley Davidson, motorcycle charity ride, Motorcycle Ride, prostate cancer, sport bike, Sportbike, Washington DC
On the 28th of September I and hundreds of thousands of other around the world rode our motorcycles in support of and to raise money for prostate cancer. WAIT that did not sound right let’s try it again… We rode in a “dapper and genteel” manner to raise awareness of and money in support of the fight against prostate cancer. The ride was part of the world wide phenomenon known as the Distinguished Gentleman’s ride.
The Washington DC DGR began in Georgetown at the Exxon gas station near the Francis Scott Key Bridge and the famous “Exorcist” stairs. This was my first ride with the DGR, and I cannot state how different it is from any other event I have participated in to date. Riding in from Leesburg to Georgetown in jacket and tie I received more than a few double takes… but that is part of the purpose of the ride right?
From my research on last year’s DGR in DC I assumed that there would be a similar number of riders and bikes in attendance about 50-60. Well, there was, in my estimation, double that, at one point I noticed a thoughtful gentleman counting the bikes at the first stop (Belle Haven Park on the George Washington Parkway) he was at 102 when I moved to take pictures.
Due to the greater number of participates the organizers had to make a few “on the fly” changes as we progressed. An example of the changes was the revamping of the route to loop around the front of Mount Vernon instead of riding through old town Alexandria. That was a very wise decision as it would have caused a lot of traffic issues, which should not be gentlemen’s first choice. The riders took it all in stride and things worked out well, kudos to the organizers.
For the record I had two items that I was disappointed with during the DGR, both were my issues not the ride itself. First it was at Mount Vernon that I had to drop out from the ride. I missed the stop at the US Capitol and the hoisting of pints. Not something that I will miss next year! Second I am only contributing $100 to the cause, I just did not have time to get out and look for sponsors. I am making a calendar event now to start that process in early August for the next ride.
Please mark your calendars for next years ride!
Motorcycle Radio : DawgHouse #279 This week – Ducati Scrambler – Top 10 Motorcycle Roads – The Hoverbike
Posted: October 2, 2014 in Motorcycle, Motorcycle advocacy, Motorcycle news, Motorcycle racing, Motorcycle radio, Motorcycle Rides, motorcycle touringTags: Ducati, ducati scrambler, Electra Glide Ultra Limited, Harley, Harley Davidson, hover bike, hoverbike, Motorcycle racing, motorcycle touring, sport bike
Racing News:
Flattrack from Callastoga.
MotoGP, Moto2 and Moto3 results from Aragon.
Picks for World Superbike Magny-Cours.
Warren’s News:
Another Top 10 Roads…North America
HD is recalling 2014 Street and Touring bikes
Want to see a hoverbike get off the ground?
Ken’s News
Biker gang wars …in Canada???
Ducati goes off-road?
Electric Harley Davidson Motorcycle test ride: Project LiveWire
Posted: September 23, 2014 in custom motorcycle, Motorcycle, Motorcycle news, Product ReviewsTags: electric harley davidson, electric motorcycle, EV motorcycle, Harley Davidson, Maryland, Motorcycle Ride, project liveWire, rommel harley davidson, sport bike, test ride
Before this past weekend I have, to the best of my knowledge, never been in the same room or on the same road as an electric motorcycle. That changed when Harley Davidson picked me to ride one of their prototype electric motorcycles known as PROJECT LIVEWIRE.
Harley Davidson stated that these bikes are hand built proto-types to gauge the response of the public for EV motorcycles. Well, if these are hand built proto-types they are exceptionally well conceived and assembled proto-types. I looked closely at the fit and finish of the bikes before my time to ride and was very surprised at the quality of the work, these bikes are as well done as any production motorcycle.
Ticket to ride!
My test ride was held at the Project LIVEWIRE event at Rommel Harley Davidson, Annapolis, MD. While anyone could show up and check out the event only pre-selected folks got to take the bikes out on the road. Why me? I have no idea except maybe they read this blog (LOL) and my post on what it would take for me to buy an electric motorcycle.
The event itself was well laid out by HD. They had a display tent that had a strapped down LiveWire which allowed folks who did not get the invite to “test ride” to at least get an idea of the feel of these bikes. The tent also had a display of HD gear, a video “safety briefing” for the test riders, and a Twitter vending machine. The Twitter vending machine was cool, if you twitted #projectlivewire along with a code it would drop you a LiveWire key chain!
Seeing motorcycles in person is, as always, more important than seeing them in pictures or on video. While I am a cruiser and touring bike kind of guy I do appreciate the styling and good looks of many sport bikes. The LiveWire leans way closer to the sport bike side of design then it does to a cruiser. Overall I would give look of the bike a thumbs up. I liked the color scheme as it merged with the frame and how they used polished aluminum to “display” the engine.
Speaking of the engine this is another thing that the videos just don’t do the bike justice. The sound of the motor is that of a jet turbine spinning up and down, very impressive. While it is not the normal Harley sound it is unique and is very noticeable. Another thumbs up.
When the time for my ride came we were given another short safety brief on the fact that the acceleration was strong, there is no clutch and that the bike decelerates quickly when you roll off the throttle. The deceleration is quick enough that the briefer recommended that we tap the break to let the following bikes know we are slowing. That was sound advice as it did slow more quickly than you would expect with normal engine breaking.
Rolling out with a police escort it was very evident that the briefings were correct, the bike takes off with a purpose, I bet there have been a few close calls in the first few seconds during this LiveWire tour, but not in my group of four. I did reach for the non-existent clutch once as we pulled out of the lot; luckily it was only that one time! J
On the street the bike was more nimble and solid then I expected for a proto-type. It handled very well, not as well as a performance sport bike, but I was very aware that it would move in any way that I wanted, including a short weave through pothole. As the ride was in urban Annapolis area the roads were rough to ok at best. The front, inverted shocks and the rear mono-shock smoothed out the ride so that I really noticed the lack of a rough ride. Stopping was firm and quick, between the disc brakes and the engine deceleration I am sure that, if one was brave enough, this bike could do a stoppie.
The most interesting and entertaining aspect of the bike is its acceleration! There was only one spot on the ride where I could really get on it so I hung back from the group to make sure I could really hit it and when I did WOW. I rolled on the throttle hard but not to max as I was not sure what would happen based on all the safety briefings. This thing just took off the claim of 0-60 in 4 seconds has to be true. I went from about 20 MPH on the ramp to well over the speed limit (the first number might have been an 8) as fast as I could smile and exclaim WOW!
The ride itself was only about 5 miles and thus way too short to really tease out the pluses and minuses of a proto-type motorcycle. But I was interviewed, in person, and via a survey after the ride. Many of the questions asked were around many of the things I stated were part of considerations for buying an electric motorcycle. In particular HD asked about range, charging times, customization and price. I added short statements about battery life and that while I liked the look of the LiveWire, I would need to own a cruiser style bike v. a sport bike version.
My biggest disappointment was that my Go Pro camera did not work as expected. For what ever reason I only got the last minute of the ride, as we were pulling back into the dealership. I have no idea why it was not on, nor how it came on just as we returned…. oh well.
All in all I have to give HD a big thumbs up for this effort. It was very well done for a “proto-type” and its performance, in this limited exposure, exceeded my expectations. Thank you HD for allowing me to participate in Project LiveWire.
Motorcycle Radio: The DawgHouse #277 interview with AMA Daytona Sportbike Champion Jake Gagne
Posted: September 17, 2014 in Motorcycle, Motorcycle advocacy, Motorcycle news, Motorcycle racing, Motorcycle radio, motorcycle safetyTags: AMA Daytona Sportbike, AMA Daytona Sportbike Champion Jake Gagne, ama road racing, Harley Davidson, Jake Gagne, MotoGP, Motorcycle racing, sport bike
The newest Motorcycle radio show is ready for your listening pleasure HERE!
BUT, Phil forgot to turn on the recording so the first 15 minutes are lost for the ages, bad Phil.
And you know that it was the best 15 minutes of motorcycle radio the world has ever missed, so send hate main to Phil@ntnradio.com!
Ken’s News:
Terry Hershner makes history as winning the Vetter Fuel Economy Challenge.
Mercedes to make move to counter Audi’s purchase of Ducati.
The cops in India want your motorcycle.
Warren’s News:
Honda gets it ‘Wings clipped
40th Anniversary of the Honda Gold Wing
Is the future of motorcycling getting dimmer?
Racing News:
Special Guest AMA Daytona Sportbike Champion Jake Gagne calls in, and the rumormill starts.
MotoGP/Moto2 Misano results.
Final AMA Pro Road Racing event from New Jersey Motorsports Park.
DawgHouse MotoGP – World Superbike pool standings.
Is the future of motorcycling getting dimmer as cars become smarter?
Posted: September 16, 2014 in Motorcycle, Motorcycle advocacy, Motorcycle news, Motorcycle Rides, motorcycle safety, motorcycle touringTags: Harley, Harley Davidson, motorcycle riding, motorcycle safety, motorcycle touring, robot motorcycle, smart cars, sport bike, Sportbike, V2V
No bikes in this future?
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, part of the Department of Transportation, recently issued an “advanced notice of proposed rulemaking” on “vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communications.” Which means they are considering requiring a transponder be added to transmit your vehicles data. In this age of American bureaucracy that means it is all but a done deal.
This document initiates rulemaking that would propose to create a new Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard, No. 150, to require V2V communications for light vehicles. In this effort light vehicles are cars and small trucks (pickups).
V2V communications would contain the “relevant elements and describe them accurately (e.g., vehicle speed; GPS position; vehicle heading”.
These future rules would create a uniform V2V system built into all vehicles that will give automobile manufacturers the opportunity to equip their products with standard warning systems that alert drivers to potential accidents — such as one that might be caused by cross traffic at a blind intersection or a light changing color.
Now that all sounds good but tie that with the following….
The agency has published a “Preliminary Statement of Policy Concerning Automated Vehicles.” This statement describes V2V as part of a “continuum” leading to fully automated vehicles. “Accordingly, three distinct but related streams of technological change and development are occurring simultaneously:
(1) in-vehicle crash avoidance systems that provide warnings and/or limited automated control of safety functions
Let go of the bars and take a nap!
(2) V2V communications that support various crash avoidance applications
(3) self-driving vehicles,” NHTSA finds that it is helpful to think of these emerging technologies as part of a continuum of vehicle control automation”.
Soooo how does this make the future of motorcycling dim? I am not sure where bikes fit in this brave new, safer, reduce health care cost, world.
Suppose that separate lanes may be established early in this effort to allow these V2V vehicles to operate. If you don’t have a transponder then you are not allowed on these roads.
Then as the technology matures it may be required to merge onto major highways to “ensure your safety”. If your bike does not have the tech to merge you into the traffic you are not allowed on the road.
After a little more time all interstates and major urban areas would be “wired” to supported automated vehicles, no transponder no access.
I maybe a cynic but I can see a future where bikes would not be allowed on major interstates because they cannot be made part of the herd. That “for the safety of everyone” only smart vehicles will be allowed on major roads and in cities.
Would you want to ride a robo-bike when you could stretch out and nap in a robo-car?
….. and why would anyone want/desire to ride a motorcycle that would be limited to riding with the herd anyway.
I JUST WANT 2 RIDE!! 