Posts Tagged ‘motorcycle touring’

Motorcycle News: More on Kill Switches and Speed Limiters and NIMBY.

Posted: February 8, 2024 in Motorcycle, Motorcycle advocacy, Motorcycle news, Motorcycle racing, Uncategorized
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ijustwant2ride.com

What you need to know… This is going to happen, sadly, sooner or later.

State lawmakers in California are now pushing for electronic speed limiters for 2027 and beyond vehicles. This is in addtion to the work at the federal level on this issue.

The Biden administration, via the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), have introduced Kill Switches and Speed Limiters for 2027 and beyond vehicles.

NHTSA is asking for public input. Please ensure that you provide input  regarding this new proposal at regulations.gov by searching for the docket number, NHTSA-2022-0079, and follow the instructions for making comments.

Comments are due by March 5th.

My Take – This is a big DOWN SHIFT for individual freedom and the right to travel.

What you need to know… “Not In My Backyard” is coming for a famous American racetrack.

Laguna Seca raceway is under attack as California NIMBY coalition seeks to shutdown world famous track.

Stating that the racetrack is a “public nuisance” the “Highway 68 Coalition” cites the following:

                        Increased use of the track.

                        Sound levels are more than permitted levels.

                        Claiming that zoning prevents racing.

                        Increased traffic

                        Inadequate and poor-quality water

                        Inadequate sewage disposal due to expansion of camping.

Laguan Seca is now owned by the County of Monterey and generated $250 million dollars in 2022.

My Take – Another big DOWN SHIFT.  Way to often these NIMBY efforts are successful.  Love Laguna Seca now, it might not be there in the future.

Ride on, Ride Safe

🏍️ Best of 2023 WEIRD MOTORCYCLES

Posted: February 6, 2024 in custom motorcycle, Motorcycle, vintage motorcycle
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Best of 2023 WEIRD MOTORCYCLES was not an easy task this year. 

There were not a lot that, thought out the year, that jumped out and said “I’M WEIRD”!

Just a quick note, these motorcycles may have been around for a few years, but I first noticed them this past year.

Which is your favorite weird motorcycle for 2023? (I like the “Fender Bikes)

Motorcycle Recall January 2024: Suzuki, BMW and Cake 0

Posted: January 29, 2024 in Motorcycle, Motorcycle advocacy, Motorcycle news, motorcycle recall, motorcycle safety
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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. So, safety first.

Also, (DISCLAIMER) 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.

BTW I had never heard of Cake 0 motorcycles either!

*****

NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V038000

Manufacturer Suzuki Motor USA, LLC

Components SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC

Summary Suzuki Motor USA, LLC (Suzuki) is recalling certain 2024 GSX1300R motorcycles. The brake fluid pipe flare nut for the brake fluid supply line may have been tightened incorrectly and cause a brake fluid leak.

Remedy Dealers will inspect and tighten the brake pipe flare nut connection and adjust the brake fluid level, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed February 5, 2024. Owners may contact Suzuki customer service at 1-714-542-1490. Suzuki’s number for this recall is 3A01.

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NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V904000

Manufacturer Cake 0 Emission USA Inc

Components ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Summary Cake 0 Emission USA Inc (Cake) is recalling certain 2018-2023 Kalk, Kalk Ink, and Kalk work motorcycles. The lithium-ion battery cells can fail while charging.

Remedy Cake will replace the battery pack, free of charge. As an interim action, owners will be instructed to check their battery serial number and if necessary, follow interim charging instructions until the remedy battery is available. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed January 19, 2024. A second notice will be sent once the remedy becomes available, anticipated March 2024. Owners may contact Cake customer service at service@ridecake.com.

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NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V884000

Manufacturer BMW of North America, LLC

Components EXTERIOR LIGHTING

Summary BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2021-2024 BMW R 18B and R 18 Transcontinental motorcycles. The headlight low beam attachment points may break, shifting the reflector out of position, and resulting in insufficient illumination. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 108, “Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment.”

Remedy The remedy is currently under development. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed February 13, 2024. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.

Ride On, Ride Safe

Best of 2023: Motorcycle Posters

Posted: January 16, 2024 in custom motorcycle, Motorcycle, Motorcycle advocacy, Motorcycle Rides, motorcycle show
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Every year I collect those motorcycle event posters, drawing and printed art that catch my eye or tickle my fancy (and no, I don’t know what part of my body contains the fancy 😊). This year I started with 14 but it was not hard to narrow it down to the 9 Best Motorcycle Posters of 2023.

I wish I could attribute all the artists in this awesome list but there is rarely information on who created each item.

Which one is your favorite piece of artwork? Mine is the Willow Springs Grand Prix poster!

Ride On, Ride Safe!

🏍️

9 Best Motorcycle Memes of 2023

Posted: January 8, 2024 in Motorcycle
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It is that time of year again, IJustWant2Ride’s BEST OF SERIES!!  First up are the best memes of 2023.  There were a lot of great memes this year, but these are the memes that I like the best.

I started with 18 memes, collected though out the year, and had to cut that into half to get to the 9 best.  Why 9? Because everyone does ten and 11 is too much work!

Front Royal Virginia Polar Bear Motorcycle Ride

Posted: January 3, 2024 in Motorcycle, Motorcycle Rides, motorcycle touring
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Weather, snow, ice or freezing rain permitting the wife and I like to go out for a motorcycle ride each New Year’s Day.  It has been a 50/50 proposition most years for these rides, but this year the forecast looked cold but ridable. Good weather for Polar Bears and nut cases like us.

At about 11AM we set out with our friend and neighbor Mark for a 90-mile ride.  The sky was dark and overcast and looked heavy with moisture but, the weather folks reported that there was only a very low chance of precipitation. The temperature was 39F degrees, a very wet, damp feeling 39 degrees.  

Leaving Front Royal, VA we headed east towards the town of Warrenton, which is not named after me sadly. I was quickly reminded of one of the failings of my Sena Outrush (Harley version) motorcycle helmet, the visor is not pinlock ready and I had, yet again, not ordered the replacement.  Because of that I had to The Sena communication package worked well the entire ride as all three of us were paired and could talk as we rode.

About 30 minutes into the ride, it started snowing! Soon snow was swirling in tiny tornados across the pavement.  It was not sticking to the pavement so onward we rode our iron horses into the cold and snow! 😊

At the halfway point the temperatures had not improved but the snow had slowed to just random flakes here and there. However, the cold was starting to penetrate, making us feel a little like the polar bears of this namesake ride. This ride, during a warmer time, is a great one for those that wish to visit Civil War historical site. There are many road markers directing you to those sites along the way.

Arriving back home it was a bit of a struggle to get off the motorcycle.  Instead of just swinging my leg over the back rest and off the bike, I had to slide it across the seat and off.  I had tightened in the cold and was quite stiff. Plus, it did not help that I had multiple layers of clothing and leather chaps in hopes to stay warm.

If you have been reading this blog for a long you might recall that I had called these rides “Frosty Balls” rides.  I can no longer do that as the new motorcycle has a heated seat! LOL Between the heated seats and the heated hand grips all I need is a heated body!

If you would like some tips for cold weather riding check this post out “9 Cold Weather Riding Tips”

For those of you that ride Harley Davidson models with the “Boom Box” system you can download our ride here “2024 Front Royal Polar Bear Ride“

Ride On, Ride Safe!

🏍️

9 Tips for riding a motorcycle in winter.

Posted: December 6, 2023 in Motorcycle, Motorcycle Rides, motorcycle safety, motorcycle touring
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Winter in the northern hemisphere is approaching fast, maybe faster then you can ride your motorcycle south, chasing the sun! On top of that there is great concern that the winter in the Unites States may be worse than normal because of an El Nino jet stream pulling damp air and turning it into snow. Just look a few post in the past to see we had a winter ride already this year.

If you want or “need” to ride in winter here are some tips to help you prepare for the conditions.  However, always look at the level of risk to reward before you ride out.

  1. Wear appropriate gear: Dress in layers to keep yourself warm and dry. Wear a windproof and waterproof outer layer to protect yourself from the elements. Don’t forget to wear gloves, boots, and a helmet that covers your face. If you can make a lot of that gear heated even better! If you can make your base layers synthetic and not cotton as cotton does not dry fast and you do not want to be wet in the winter.
  2. Check your tires: Make sure your tires are properly inflated and have enough tread to provide good traction on slippery roads. Racing slicks will not help you much on snow or ice.
  3. Use the right oil: Use oil that is designed for cold weather. This will help your engine start more easily and run more smoothly. I am a big fan of synthetic oil which seems to work better in winter, IMHO.
  4. Warm up your bike: Let your bike warm up for a few minutes before you start riding. This will help the engine run more smoothly and reduce the risk of stalling.
  5. Be cautious: Be extra cautious when riding in winter conditions. Slow down and leave plenty of space between you and other vehicles. Folks in cars don’t look for us in summer I am sure they will look even less in winter.
  6. Avoid sudden movements: Avoid sudden movements like hard braking or accelerating quickly. This can cause your tires to lose traction and lead to an accident.
  7. Watch out for black ice: Black ice is difficult to see and can be very dangerous. Be especially careful on bridges, overpasses, and shady areas.
  8. Stay visible: Wear bright and reflective clothing to make yourself more visible to other drivers. This is one of the reasons I run Custom Dynamic lights, they are extra bright. There are also other options such as adding reflective tape to your clothing and even helmet.
  9. Stay alert: Riding in winter conditions requires extra attention and focus. Stay alert and be prepared for unexpected situations.

It is possible to ride your motorcycle in winter and even with there is snow and ice on the ground. You just have to be very careful as you only have two wheels to handle the conditions. As I mentioned above always weigh the risk vice the reward before heading out on a cold winter day.

*****

Ride On, Ride Safe! 🏍️

Motorcycle Recall November 2023: CFMoto, Triumph

Posted: November 28, 2023 in Motorcycle, Motorcycle advocacy, Motorcycle news, motorcycle recall, motorcycle safety
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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. So safety first.

Also, (DISCLAIMER) 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.

*****

Manufacturer CFMOTO POWERSPORTS

Components SERVICE BRAKES, AIR, SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC

Summary CFMOTO POWERSPORTS, INC. (CFMOTO) is recalling certain 2022-2023 700CL-X motorcycles. The ABS control module software settings may delay braking when the hand brake lever is squeezed two or more times, and therefore lengthen the distance required to stop the motorcycle.

Remedy Dealers will update the ABS software, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed November 27, 2023. Owners may contact CFMOTO customer service Toll Free at (888) 8-CFMOTO (283-6686) or at 1-763-398-2690; or via email at info@cfmotousa.com. CFMOTO’s number for this recall is WAR-2023-07 and is available online at www.cfmotousa.com.

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Manufacturer Triumph Motorcycles America, Ltd.

Components SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC

Summary Triumph Motorcycles America, Ltd. (Triumph) is recalling certain 2020 Rocket 3 TFC, 2020-2024 Rocket 3 R, Rocket 3 GT, 2022 Rocket 3 GT Triple Black, and Rocket 3 R Black motorcycles. The rear brake master cylinder may fail to move fluid through the system properly, requiring an extended distance to stop.

Remedy Dealers will replace the rear brake master cylinder, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed November 20, 2023. Owners may contact Triumph’s customer service at 1-678-854-2010. Triumph’s number for this recall is SRAN 611.

 *****

Ride On, Ride Safe

Motorcycle News: Vehicle Kill Switches and Speed Limiters

Posted: November 23, 2023 in Motorcycle, Motorcycle advocacy, Motorcycle news
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ijustwant2ride.com

I am always looking at motorcycle news. Sometimes it is good news, sometimes it is not so good news. Here I give you a quick synopsis of the news story that caught my eye and then my take on that story.

Down Shift – Vehicle Kill Switches  

Under the Biden Infrastructure Bill “provision requires such technology to “passively monitor the performance of a driver” and “prevent or limit motor vehicle operation if an impairment is detected.” That “this needs to be developed and rules given to manufactures by 2026”.  We could see this as a “new feature”, for which we will be paying, by 2027.

My Take – Some are arguing that this is not a kill switch, but from the way I read the language it is a kill switch.  Whether or not it will stop a moving vehicle is a different question.  But, the way government bureaucracies work, if it does not cover stopping a moving vehicle at first, it soon will.

We do not need this level of government interference in our lives.  While the provision states “impaired driver” now what prevents the standard from changing to something different in the future.

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Down Shift – Using Technology to limit vehicle speed.

To prevent deaths from speeding, the NTSB has recommended limiting the speed of cars via technology, if necessary. This proposed action is another part of the Biden Infrastructure Plan.  This effort is modeled from the European Union legislation requiring all new vehicles to have “intelligent speed assistance” systems as standard equipment, which can be temporarily overridden by the driver. The limiting technology, known as Intelligent Speed Assistance (ISA), doesn’t force drivers to obey the speed limit. 

My Take – I am sure that Vision Zero has their smelly little hands on both these rules that were slide into the Biden Infrastructure Plan.  Yes, I do not like the Vision Zero folks.  IMHO they are nothing but little totalitarians who what to eliminate motorcycles from the road. I am sure their unwritten manifesto is “The best way to save lives in the transportation system is to have no transportation”.

They state that the ISA will not force drivers/riders to obey the speed limit but, like the above proposal, if it does not at the start it will in a few years.

*****

Ride on, Ride Safe

9 Holiday Gift Giving Ideas for your Motorcyclist.

Posted: November 20, 2023 in custom motorcycle, Motorcycle, Motorcycle Rides, motorcycle safety, motorcycle touring, Product Reviews
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santa gifts

Why just 9 ideas for your motorcyclist?  Because 10 is too much work!!  LOL

Your biker/motorcyclist, deep down, wants some motorcycle related stuff.  Any parts or accessories for the bike or new gear for them will likely work, but here are a few other items to think about. If you have some different ideas include them in the comments!

9 – Communication Gear – There are several options out there that will allow your motorcycle rider to talk to a group of other riders, listen to music or answer your phone call.  Sena and Cardio are two of the more popular brands.

8 – Battery Tender – Winter is coming and if your rider has to lock away the motorcycle a battery tender will keep the battery fresh all winter.  preparing motorcycle for winter | I JUST WANT 2 RIDE!!.

7 – Cleaning equipment – Take a look at your riders cleaning equipment.  Does it look worn and tattered? Consider replacing their current equipment for new cleaning equipment.  For those times you just want to clean the bike quickly between rides I use and recommend Bugslide.  I am not paid by, but I do endorse Bugslide.

6 – Recording equipment – A GoPro or similar type of device to record their rides.

5 – New riding gear – Do their riding gloves look ratty?  What about their boots or jackets?  Now might be a good time to gift them with new motorcycle riding gear.

4 – Motorcycle related books – There are a lot of them out there.  I just finished reading the memoir of Willie G. Davidson, grandson of the founders of Harley Davison. You can read my review here.

3 – Their bike on something –  and I am not talking about crack or meth.  There are a lot of companies that will take a photo of their motorcycle and put it on mugs, pillows, t-shirts and even make it into a 3d Christmas ornament.

2 – Custom Dynamics Motorcycle Lights – Custom Dynamics makes SUPER BRIGHT, eye catching lights for many motorcycle models. I suggest their ProBeam LED Motorcycle Turn Signals!  I have had them on 3 motorcycles and highly recommend them.  As before, I am not getting paid to promote these motorcycle lights, I just believe in them.

1 – Membership – Motorcyclist need to make sure their rights are not trampled upon.  There are two good groups that help preserve those rights.  Sign your rider up for either or both!

American Motorcycle Association – Membership does not only help in the political arena but also include discounts on products and emergency towing.  The AMA is the largest motorcycle lobbyist group.

Motorcycle Rider Foundation – In addition to their pro-motorcycle lobbying efforts membership will get you a $4000 AD&D insurance policy and regular weekly/monthly updates on what is going on in Washington DC.

*****

Ride On, Ride Safe

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