Posts Tagged ‘HD’

Royal Enfield Continental GT

Posted: October 18, 2013 in Motorcycle news
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
3

I have always had a desire for a Café Racer.  As a kid I want to get a Honda CB350 and convert it to a Café bike.  Never happened, but it has always been in the back of my head.  I have been tempted to convert the wife’s Harley Sportster into a Café Bike but she is not very keen on the idea.  But if she upgrades ………

Cafe bike

Royal Enfield Continental GT

A friend of mine sent me a link to the new Royal Enfield Continental GT.  This is a good looking modern Café bike.  According to the literature, its 535cc engine produces 30 horsepower, not sure if that will get you to “A Ton” (100MPH) but it would be fun to find out.

Looking about the internet for pricing, I think the bike may be a bit pricey.  I get the impression that it will be around $7000 dollars, about the cost of a Harley Davidson Sportster. But, you would not have to convert the GT as you would the Harley. But, I doubt the resell value is anywhere near comparable between the Royal Enfield and the Harley Davidson. But, which would be cooler to tool about on?  Both work for me.

Alas, I cannot justify another bike in the garage nor can I afford one (I do not start to work until Monday).  Turns out that there is a Royal Enfield Dealer near my home, Winchester MotoSports I might just ride over and check out what they have.  The Continental is not scheduled for release until late November but they may have other bikes in stock.

Harley Davidson “DO NOT RIDE” Recall

Posted: October 17, 2013 in Motorcycle news
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
1

“Harley, we have a problem”, to paraphrase a classic NASA moment.  While this recall is not as bad as being stranded in orbit, it is pretty bad.

Even though the NHTSA has been closed Harley has taken the initiative to issue a “DO NOT RIDE, DO NOT DELIVER” notice to owners and dealers on the following 2014 bikes built between May 3, and Oct. 14:

25,185 Touring motorcycles,

FLHTCU,20131016_052728_harleylogo

FLHTK,

FLHTP,

FLHX,

FLHXS,

FLHTKSE

FLHRSE,

and 3,861 Softail CVOs and Trikes, models

FLHTCUTG,

FXSBSE,

FLSTNSE

The problem is with the new hydraulic clutch system.  The hydraulic clutch may lose the ability to generate enough lift to disengage the clutch. If the clutch does not disengage as intended, the rider may have difficulty slowing or stopping the motorcycle, which could result in an accident.

If you own one of these machines contact an authorized Harley dealer immediately to arrange for an inspection.  The press release states that “The dealer will pick up, inspect and make the necessary repairs at no cost to the owner.” (bold underline is mine)

You can read more from Harley press release here.

28000 Miles

Posted: October 17, 2013 in Motorcycle Rides
Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,
0

WP_20131006_005I recently turned 28000 miles on my 2008 Softail!  I do feel bad about this though I have only put 1100 miles on this bike so far this year.  The Ultra Limited, on the other hand, has nearly 6000 miles to date.

If the weather holds I hope to get to at least another 1500 miles total before the end of the year.

Winter Storage… Already?!?!

Posted: October 16, 2013 in Motorcycle news
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
0
Really?!?!?!

Really?!?!?!

I have not even thought of this yet.  I typically ride until mid-December and as often as there are nice days in the winter, but I live in Virginia with mild winter weather (most of the time).  Yet I have seen a lot of stores with Christmas decorations and associated stuff for sale already so there maybe something to this.

Fox News’ website has an article on what to consider for storing your bike this winter.

Me…..Debbie and I are going to ride a bit longer!

Motorcycle TV: Pure Evil The Review

Posted: October 15, 2013 in Motorcycle TV, Product Reviews
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , ,
1

pure-evel-dl-668x375Last night I watched the Discovery Channel’s premiers of “Pure Evil”.  This was supposed to be about Evil Knievel “behind the scenes”.  I did not think much of the show.

It was interesting to hear some of the “insider” stories regarding Evil. About how he drove his own public relations campaign, about his ego, and about the Snake River Canyon jump.  But, I do not think I learned anything new or titillating about his life.

Also, while it has been a long time since I have seen it, I think a lot of the “cut scenes” were from a movie about Evil Knievel that came out years ago.  Overall, I feel this effort was well below Discovery’s normal high caliber programing.

 

2stars

Motorcycle TV: Pure Evil

Posted: October 14, 2013 in Motorcycle TV
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
1

pure-evel-dl-668x375Tonight at 10 PM (EST) on the Discovery Channel premiers its new documentary “Pure Evil”.  The show is about Evil Knievel “behind the scenes”.

On the Discovery website the show is described as “To the public, Knievel was an American hero and a dedicated husband and father. But behind-the-scenes, there was a much darker and more violent side. Using archival and candid interviews with family, friends and colleagues, the true story of the man behind the myth will be unraveled by those who knew Knievel best”

I have no idea how good this will be but the DVR is set and I will post my thoughts tomorrow.

Travel Insurance…. A Cautionary Story

Posted: October 12, 2013 in Motorcycle news
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
1

Travel%20InsuranceA fellow blogger recently had an accident riding Route 66 while on holiday.  Roy is from the United Kingdom and put a lot of effort into this trip. Luckily Roy had bought travel insurance, just in case and was “covered”.  But, from my point of view, the use of the travel insurance was much harder than I would have expected.

You can read about Roy’s preparations for and the ride on Route 66 here.

You can read about his experience with travel insurance complications here.

Based on what I have read about Roy’s experience and my own, limited, international travel I have a few recommendations.

  • Scan a copy of all your important documents and email them to yourself (or use a cloud storage service like SkyDrive).  This would include items like your main passport page, flight itineraries, insurance documents, etc.
  • If traveling to the US add a contact entry of ICE (In Case of Emergency), most US police will look for that entry when examining your phone.
  • Do not assume the insurance will cover any particular items.  Directly ask the questions regarding coverage.
  • Do a lot of research before buying the insurance.  Frommer’s and others offer reviews of insurance carriers that you can use to start your research.

Motorcycle TV: Philly Throttle

Posted: October 11, 2013 in Motorcycle TV, Product Reviews
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
1
Liberty Vintage Motorcycles

Liberty Vintage Motorcycles

This motorcycle show follows the happenings swirling around Philadelphia’s Liberty Vintage Motorcycles and its owner Adam Kramer. It completed its first (and I hope not last) season recently.  I was only able to catch the last couple of shows but it was enjoyable, even though it follows the same “got to get it done, tight deadline” plot lines as the others.

What made me pay attention to this show is that the tight deadlines are real, not so much for getting the bike to the customer but to pay the electric bill and Adam’s few employees.  You call easily tell that Adam is a vintage bike lover first and a businessman second (maybe third).

Adam the owner

Adam the owner

Another item to like, even though my first love are Harley Davidson’s, it is fun to watch old Honda’s and other bikes cleaned up and sent to good home!

Philly Throttle appears (did appear) on the Discovery Channel.  I found nothing that indicated it has been renewed for a second season, or that it has been cancelled.  I personally hope that there is another season for Philly Throttle.  You can see some of the show on Discovery’s website, check it out! 

4 out 5

To Ironbutt or not to Ironbutt?

Posted: October 10, 2013 in Motorcycle Rides
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
2
covermed

IBA

It’s October and the pleasant riding season in the Mid-Atlantic is coming to a close. Soon the chaps and heavy jackets will need to be brought out of the closet.  Also, I have been offered a job, but it will not start until the Federal Government gets back to work. With that as a background I am considering riding an Iron Butt Association ride, the “SaddleSore 1000” which is 1000 miles in 24 hours

I have checked out the bike I would use (The Ultra Limited) and its tires are good and the next service would not be due until after the ride is complete. I have ridden multiple 200+ days this year and Debbie and I have several 1000-1500 mile rides under our belts (but not in 24 hours).

SS1000-Y

I might be after this!

The route I am considering is home to south of Knoxville, TN (just a little) and back to home.  I have driven this route several times and the only area of any concern is the part of Interstate 81 from Winchester, VA to the intersection of I81 and I64.  That part of the highway is heavy with large trucks.  South of the intersection traffic is light and moves well.

Looking at the weather it appears that next Tuesday and Thursday, here in Virginia and in Tennessee, the chance for rain is under 20%.  Temperatures at both ends will be cool in the morning but nice in the afternoon.

The only thing holding be back is the potential cost should anything go wrong.  I have a few days to consider and discuss with the wife soooo…… “To be continued”

Convert your ride into a Tron Light Bike!

Posted: October 9, 2013 in Product Reviews
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
0

Well not really, but you can make your bike look like Light Bike at night with the Lunasee Motorcycle Wheel Lights. I do not have this accessory but the concept is intriguing and cool.

For about $200 (US) you can add the luminescent tape and LED activation light to your bike and get that Tron affect. Lunasee advertises that you will be seen sooner because of the unique lighting. If it works as claimed I would agree as most motorcycles have little to no lighting when looked at from the side.

The video shows the product in action.

Older Entries
Newer Entries