Motorcycle Radio…The #1 Motorcycle Show in the US
The DawgHouse: Motorcycle Radio podcast #273
Ken’s News:
Best 10 Motorcycles of 2014.
Betting on death.
Warren’s News:
Attention European Motorcycle Riders – This Is A PSA
Conn. state trooper faces prison for theft from dying motorcyclist.
KTM to enter MotoGP in 2017.
Cow has beef with woman following motorcycle crash.
Racing News:
AMA Motocross Indiana National.
Czech MotoGP/Moto2 from Brno
Michele Smith & Jay Barbieri
If you watched any motorcycle TV at all I am sure you saw an episode or two of American Thunder (or Two Wheel Thunder as it was known for a single year on Discovery) it was on for 14 years. The Thunder has been off the air for nearly 5 years.
Well…. The hosts of Thunder, Michele Smith and Jay Barbieri, are attempting to revive the show. They are not looking for the traditional network TV route but are using a KickStarter campaign to raise money to create an Internet only show. This is point where the motorcycling community can help support Jay and Michele.
If you liked the Thunder and want to see another version of that show consider contributing to the cause. Go to the “Bring Back Two Wheel Thunder” KickStarter site and pony up.
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What was your favorite Thunder moment? Mine was the time that Jay rode through a snow storm on the way to a Daytona Bike Rally.
Not really TV, it is more than what you have received from television. Stories of Bike is a web series that dives into the hearts of most of us that love motorcycles. If you “feel” motorcycles, and if you are reading a little nothing blog like this you likely do, you will get what they are giving you and want more! From my point of view it is a version of “Why we ride” but done in a love affair with people documented.
To describe this series of short films (films because I think they are better than web TV) is a bit difficult so I will let the creator Cam Elkins:
“About a builder, working with his hands and why he or she builds and rides the bikes they do. I could never find a video that went further back than that. I wanted to hear their story that got them there.
Not just builders, but every day riders and their bikes. Their histories, their dreams, challenges, loves and losses. I wanted to see these stories and how riding a bike makes it all better.”
What brought the series to my attention was their first episode Answers. Answers is about a man taking a solo world trip on a 1969 Royal Enfield Bullet 350. As much as I love RE, not something I would do 🙂
The video series have won, deservingly, multiple awards for editing, cinematography and best documentary. I can’t recommend this enough. Season two is coming soon so please take the time to watch their product, it will be worth your time. After you watch the YouTube video above go to their website and check out the rest of the series. 5 out of 5 stars!
A while back I was asked by the folks from adventure POCKETS to perform a product review. I accepted the invitation to review their motoPOCKET Side Case product.
If you have not noticed, I do give my thoughts on books, TV shows and other motorcycle related product and accessories. I tell you guys just what I think about X for good and bad. I do this for things I review unsolicited and will have the same attitude for solicited reviews.
In this case the product that they asked me to look at was pretty darn good. I installed it on my “Army Bike” the 2008 Heritage Softail Classic. The motoPocket Side Case by adventure Pockets is “Made in the USA” of study, heavy duty nylon. Its construction and feel leads me to think that it will hold up for years of service. It is designed to hold your small things (glasses, paperwork, flashlight, etc.) in a convenient spot and not rattling around the bottom of the saddlebag. It is primarily aimed at placement in the lid of saddlebag but I have “non-typical” bags and mounted it to the outside wall of the saddlebag.
Installation of the bag was simple, yet was also what separated it from other products of this nature that I have used. The bag comes with heavy duty Velcro strips that you attach to the saddlebag; it also comes with a heavy duty squeegee. That squeegee is used to help you apply the Velcro strips to the bag and squeeze out air bubbles at the same time. No other product of this nature that I have used, to include Kuryakin, Harley Davidson and Saddleman, have provided a tool to help you apply the Velcro. This was also a Homer Simpson “DOH” moment when I realized I should have used some form of squeegee in the past!
After letting the adhesive cure for 24 hours I attached the bag and filled it with some of my junk. Sure enough, as soon as I attempted to shut the saddlebag lid I realized I need to move the bag down and to the rear. This was the first test of the bag as often times the Velcro, attached to the saddlebag, will come off when you attempt to adjust the placement. Well, the Side Case did not pull the Velcro from the saddlebag, first test passed.
The second test for me is, “does the adhesive hold in high temperatures?” With this test so far so good, but we have not had any super-hot days post installation. My best guess is that the temperature has been no higher than the high 80’s or low 90’s (F), so no really hot days to test the commitment of the glue to its job. If there is any failure of the adhesive I will update this review and let you know. (Just FYI, I consider glue failure to be worth at least 1-2 stars)
This is not a complicated device; it does exactly what it was designed to do…hold your stuff. I feel it is well made of quality material and compares better than with similar products I have used in the past. In particular the inclusion of the squeegee is a “brilliant” move; I will be putting that little piece of plastic into my tool drawer for the future.
I recommend you take a look at this product if you are in the market for simple storage organization in your saddlebag. I have debated whether to give this bag 4 or 5 stars. It does everything it is designed to do well but I think that a couple of elastic loops to hold a few items in place would put it over the top. In the end I am giving it 5 stars as it does exactly what it should and comes with that dang squeegee!
Motorcycle Radio…The #1 Motorcycle Show in the US
This week on the DawgHouse…. lots of discussion not a lot of news 🙂
– Ken’s News –
Kid rides Canadian university tunnels and they’re not happy – watch the video:
AMA announces loss of another legend of motorcycling.
First 4 of 10 tips when attending a bike rally.
– Warren’s News –
Top10 bikes used by women riders.
Best bikes for passengers????
– Racing News –
Discuss MotoGP
Results of Flat Track
Motorcycle Radio…The #1 Motorcycle Show in the US
Highlights from the show:
Putting the FUN in Funeral, you can now attend a motorcycle show in a famous cemetery.
Woman lets God take the wheel, nearly kills motorcyclist then stops for burgers. (God fled the scene before the police arrived)
Like something from Star Trek… resonate frequency issues between the engine and frame is forcing Harley to recall Dyna’s in Australia!
Spring Creek Motocross results and discussion.
AMA Daytona Sportbike and AMA Superbike results and discussion.
By Warren S Massey
Royal Enfield Advert
DawgHouse Motorcycle Radio…The #1 Motorcycle Show in the US
On this episode of the DawgHouse we discussed: (download here)
– Ken’s contribution –
It’s a long one, but here you’ll learn how the EU is destroying the motorcycle safety training for the sake of safety? Yeah…we’re not kidding.
AMA motorcycling Hall of Fame inductees.
You took apart my bike man!
– Warren’s news –
Pawn Stars’ Corey is a shooting star.
Devil’s Ride “White Boi” loses his bike.
Pikes Peak Motorcycle Race
NO ABS= Lawsuit for Harley
Motorcycle Racing:
Motocross from Muddy Creek.
Moto2 & MotoGP from Assen (that is in the Netherlands….not Phil’s Netherlands BTW).
World Superbike picks for Portimao.
The British motorcycle Ariel Ace is returning to the street. If you watch the BBC version of Top Gear very often you have most likely seen a segment on or heard a discussion around the Ariel track day cars, the host are very keen on the Ariel car.
Ariel is an old name in motorcycling. When they started in 1870 with bicycles they produced their first motorcycle in 1902. They held on until 1951 when BSA bought the brand which continued under BSA until 1967. Like Indian Motorcycles the Ariel name has come and gone a few time until it has reached the current car building company of today. The most famous of the Ariel motorcycles is their “Square 4”, one of which was recently restored on the History Channel’s American Restoration show.
But, until I ran across the fact that they are going to produce motorcycles, I had never connected that the Ariel car company was the namesake of the old Ariel motorcycle manufacturer. According to what I have read this new Ariel bike should pretty hot, it is using the Honda VFR1200 engine. It is not a great surprise because they use Honda engines in their cars as well. With the use of the VFR engine we should expect some nice number once the production machines come out in 2015.
Those production numbers for 2015 look a bit slim, based on reports. It appears that they will be only producing 100-150 bikes each year with prices starting at $36,000. If you want one of these new Ariel motorcycles you had better call them up and get on a list.
As far as appearance goes…. MEH…. Looks like another “naked” bike to me!
Motorcycle Radio…The #1 Motorcycle Show in the US
During the last episode of the DawgHouse Motorcycle Radio (the podcast, #265, is available here) I learned something interesting. Turns out Ken and Phil have been paying for the cost of the show from their pockets the entire time, over 5 years.
The most expensive part of the effort is the bandwidth that folks use to download the show. The web hosting provider charges by bandwidth consumed which limits the show to about 140,000 downloads per month. They (now we?) have been maxing out the available bandwidth on a reoccurring basis.
The price jump from the current level of bandwidth to the next level is insane and in order to improve the show and make it more available to everyone the DawgHouse is looking for some patrons. If enough folks become patrons the DawgHouse it might even add video…although I am not sure if that is a good thing, unless we get hot models to stand behind the hosts!
To help find those patrons the DawgHouse has begun using Patreon.com.. What is Patreon.com you ask,,,,
“Founded in May 2013 and based in San Francisco, California, Patreon was created to enable fans to support and engage with the artists and creators they love. Empowering a new generation of creators, Patreon is bringing patronage back to the 21st century.”
The DawgHouse is in that awkward position where it needs more listeners in order to get advertising but can’t get the additional listeners without extra funds!
So, the show is remaining free to all but if you want to help take The DawgHouse to the next level please consider becoming “a patron of the arts” (say that with your noise up raised and with a rich person accent)……… well the show is kinda like art, right, in a Jackson Pollock kind of way?
I JUST WANT 2 RIDE!! 