Posts Tagged ‘Suzuki’

The International Motorcycle Show 2021

Posted: October 10, 2021 in custom motorcycle, Motorcycle, Motorcycle news, motorcycle show, Rally
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
1

I am just now getting around to writing about our trip to the 2021 International Motorcycle Show. Life and work have been pushing against riding and writing for a couple months now thus the reason for fewer posts.  I hope that is changing for the better, fingers crossed.

For us this year’s show was held at the Carlisle, Pennsylvania Fairgrounds, which is about a two-hour trip for us.  That was not much more than the trip into Washington, DC.  The trip into the city, while 100 miles closer, could often take hours as well.

The fairground was mostly flat with only a small hill to get to the Kawasaki display I had no issues with the choice of the venue. It was easy to get to food and product vendors as you walk around taking in the sights.  Parking was ample with separate areas and entry points for car and motorcycles.

The fact that the International Motorcycle Show was outdoors, was a surprise. While there I meet a member of the show team and spoke to her about why they moved outdoors.  I will write a separate post on her response to that question, it was interesting.

As far as the show and motorcycles went it was pretty much on par with the indoor show with one major exception, there were a lot of test rides available.  Every major manufacture had something on hand for a test ride! This was not the case with the indoor DC show typically held in January. DC in January is not an opportune time to test ride a motorcycle.

This year, as I noted in earlier post, the motorcycle show folks had the Direction Wide Open team there to talk about traveling the RV/Caravan lifestyle with motorcycles. Lucinda and Will Belden provided an interesting and lively discussion on how you can take your motorcycling in a different direction with the use of an RV. It was quite fun listening to their stories and answers to the attendees’ questions.

J&P Cycle was again sponsoring the custom motorcycle show and contest next to the tent holding the vintage bikers’ rides.  Walking between the two was like a time travel event! But, in each tent there were fabulous motorcycles that made me want to hit the lottery so I could have my own set of tents.

So, all in all I would deem the Outdoor International Motorcycle Show a hit.  Would I go if it were raining?  Well, if you have read this blog for very long you know the answer to that question, of course I would.  But would the attendance be as great, of that I am not sure.

Motorcycle Recall July 2021: Suzuki, Aprilia

Posted: July 28, 2021 in Motorcycle advocacy, Motorcycle news, motorcycle recall, motorcycle safety
Tags: , , , , ,
0

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.

*****

Manufacturer Suzuki Motor USA, LLC

Components FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE

Summary

Suzuki Motor USA, LLC (Suzuki) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Burgman 200 UH200 scooters. The fuel hose assembly may leak fuel.

Remedy

Dealers will replace the fuel hose assembly, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed August 20, 2021. Owners may contact Suzuki customer service at (714) 572-1490. Suzuki’s number for this recall is 2A97.

*****

Manufacturer Aprilia USA, Inc.

Components ENGINE

Summary

Aprilia is recalling certain 2021 RS 660 and Tuono 660 motorcycles. The engine crankshaft connecting rod may break due to improper heat-treatment.

Remedy

Dealers will replace the engine, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on July 9, 2021. Owners may contact Aprilia customer service at 1-212-380-4400. Aprilia’s number for this recall is PA2ZZQ2107.

*****

Ride On, Ride Safe

Check out the June 2021 Recall list here!

*****

Motorcycle Recall May 2021: Ducati X3 Arcimoto X3 KTM Suzuki

Posted: May 30, 2021 in Motorcycle news, motorcycle safety
Tags: , , , , , , , , ,
2

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.

*****

Manufacturer Ducati North America

Components EXTERIOR LIGHTING

Summary Ducati North America (Ducati) is recalling certain 2021 Scrambler 800 Night Shift motorcycles. The front and rear turn signal lights may not flash brightly enough. As such, these motorcycles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 108, “Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment.”

Remedy Dealers will replace the front and rear turn signals, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed June 23, 2021. Owners may contact Ducati customer service at 1-888-391-5446. Ducati’s number for this recall is SRV-RCL-21-009.

*****

Manufacturer Ducati North America

Components SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC

Summary Ducati North America (Ducati) is recalling certain 2015-2021 Monster 821, 2014-2021 Monster 1200 S/STD, and 2016-2019 Monster 1200 R motorcycles. The rear brake hoses may be susceptible to heat damage.

Remedy Dealers will replace the rear brake hoses, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed June 23, 2021. Owners may contact Ducati customer service at 1-888-391-5446.

*****

Manufacturer Ducati North America

Components SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC

Summary Ducati North America (Ducati) is recalling certain 2017-2020 Monster 797, Monster 1200, Supersport, 2016-2020 XDiavel, and 2018-2020 Monster 821 motorcycles. Air may permeate the rear bake system.

Remedy Dealers will install new rear brake hoses, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed June 17, 2021. Owners may contact Ducati customer service at 1-888-391-5446.

*****

Manufacturer Arcimoto Inc

Components SEAT BELTS

Summary Arcimoto Inc (Arcimoto) is recalling certain 2019-2021 FUV, 2020 Deliverator, 2021 Rapid Responder motorcycles. The seat belt retractor spool sleeve may be cracked, allowing broken pieces to block the seat belt from retracting.

Remedy A service technician will replace the seat belt retractor, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed May 31, 2021. Owners may contact Arcimoto customer service at 1-541-683-6293.

*****

Manufacturers Arcimoto Inc

Components ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, HYBRID PROPULSION SYSTEM

Summary Arcimoto Inc (Arcimoto) is recalling certain 2019-2021 FUV, 2021 Rapid Responder, 2020 Deliverator, 2020-2021 Roadster. Due to a software error, communication between inverters may time out, possibly resulting in an unexpected battery shutdown.

Remedy A service technician to reprogram the inverter firmware, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed May 12, 2021. Owners may contact Arcimoto customer service at 1-541-683-6293. Note: Vehicles previously repaired under Recall 19V834 will need to return for the new remedy.

*****

Manufacturer Arcimoto Inc

Components ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, STEERING

Summary Arcimoto Inc (Arcimoto) is recalling certain 2019-2021 FUV, 2020 Deliverator, 2020-2021 Roadster, and 2021 Rapid Responder motorcycles. The Steering Angle Sensor (SAS) may have been incorrectly calibrated, causing the SAS to fail to or incorrectly detect a fault.

Remedy A service technician will update the firmware and replace the idler arm, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed May 20, 2021. Owners may contact Arcimoto customer service at 1-541-683-6293.

*****

Manufacturer KTM North America, Inc.

Components SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC

Summary KTM North America, Inc. (KTM) is recalling certain 2019-2020 KTM 790 Adventure and 790 Adventure R, and 2020 KTM 790 Adventure R Rally motorcycles. The front brake master cylinder piston return spring may be too weak to return the brake piston to its original position, reducing the functionality of the front brake.

Remedy Dealers will replace the return spring, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed May 21, 2021. Owners may contact KTM customer service at 1-888-985-6090. KTM’s number for this recall is KTM2106.

*****

Manufacturer Suzuki Motor USA, LLC

Components ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Summary Suzuki Motor USA, LLC (Suzuki) is recalling certain 2019-2020 UH200 motorcycles. The speedometer assembly resistors may corrode and cause a loss of power to the wheel speed sensor, preventing the speedometer and odometer from displaying information.

Remedy Dealers will replace the speedometer assembly, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 24, 2021. Owners may contact Suzuki customer service at 714-572-1490 or http://www.suzukicycles.com.

*****

Ride On, Ride Safe

Click here to see the April 2021 Motorcycle Recalls

Motorcycle News: Ducati has a parking issue, 20 year old influencer (nope), Radar Love

Posted: April 1, 2021 in Motorcycle, Motorcycle news
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,
0
ijustwant2ride.com

Down Shift – Ducati Motorcycles have a parking problem. By now it would difficult not to know that a HUGE ship tried to parallel park in the Suez Canal.  Intentional or not that parking incident has caused a huge backlog in the world of international shipping.

Ducati is one of the many companies caught in the hold up at the canal. A Ducati spokesperson reported “We have goods in transit that probably will not respect the estimated delivery time due to the Suez accident, but to date, we have no news of an impact on the production lines”.

Parking issues

Ducati is one of the many companies caught in the hold up at the canal. A Ducati spokesperson reported “We have goods in transit that probably will not respect the estimated delivery time due to the Suez accident, but to date, we have no news of an impact on the production lines”.

My Take – Looks like Ducati folks maybe waiting for parts and bikes a little bit longer. It is not Covid it is something else missing with our riding!  I hoped 2021 would be better!

*****

Hitting Neutral – 20 Year Old FEMALE Influencer is A 50 Year Old Man!  If you have been following 20-year-old motorcycle influencer (@azusagakuyuki) because she is knowledgeable and pretty.  SURPRISE she is a 50-year-old man named Zonggu.

Zonggu has been using editing tools to “morph” his appearance into that of a younger woman, because “nobody would be interested in what an old uncle had to say online”.  The Japanese man was outed due to his lack of detail in editing.  While he worked on his face, people started noticing hairy arms and other small details.

My Take – Well he is not wrong! The “influencer” gig is dominated by young, pretty women, even in motorcycling.  While I do not condone what he did, I applaud the fact that he was able to get over 18K followers.

Full disclosure —- I am not a young, female influencer!  😊

*****

Up Shift – BMW wants to be spotted on Radar!  Every new car model year more and more drivers become even more reliant on “safety” systems.  One of the driving technologies driving those systems is radar.

Car use radar to spot the traffic around them and then perform tasks like maintaining lane position.  However, motorcycles are often not seen or even misinterpreted by the computer running the safety system, either of which could cause issues in traffic.

BMW is attempting to patent reflectors to increase the radar reflection capacity of motorcycles in an attempt to make the bike more visible to the computer.  Their solution mounts the reflectors on the end of the handlebars or on the axles to get maximum reflection.

My Take – Suzuki is also doing something similar to improve radar reflection of motorcycles.  This is something that must come from the motorcycle industry as the automotive guys just don’t think of motorcycles and the Vision Zero folks want to get rid of us.  Let us hope that something comes of this effort that will save lives.

*****

Ride on, Ride Safe

Motorcycle News – Realignment in the Motorcycle industry.

Posted: December 8, 2020 in Motorcycle, Motorcycle advocacy, Motorcycle news, Motorcycle racing
Tags: , , , , , , , , ,
1

Downshift – Realignment in the Motorcycle industry.

Suzuki – Suzuki Motor of America has announced a restructuring of US operations. Suzuki Motorcycles/ATV and the Marine Division will be split into separate companies on April 1st, 2021.

The motorcycle company will be headquartered in California, the marine company in Florida.

Kawasaki – Kawasaki Heavy Industries will spin off the motorcycle and “rolling stock (trains)” divisions as part of a major restructuring as the company faces a $47 million-dollar operating loss.

Hashimoto Yasuhiko stated that he hopes the motorcycle division will continue to build the brand and revitalize the market through collaboration with other companies.

Ducati – Volkswagen is again looking to sell Ducati and is hosting preliminary talks with potential bidders.  It appears that they are packaging Lamborghini and Ducati for a sell off.  Selling them together or separately is still unknown

Sources are reporting that the sale process may begin in early 2021. VW has not officially confirmed this activity.

Harley Davidson – Has dropped several new products, their new street fighter “The Bronx” for example, closed plants and most recently begin the process to pull out of India. Although now they are using Hero as a distribution partner in India and, in one article, will allow Hero to brand some of their motorcycles as Harley Davidson.

Harley also just pulled out of all factory sponsored racing.

This is all part of their new “re-wired” restructuring plan. 

My take – There is a major shift going on in the world of motorcycling and not for the better. 

Long term I feel that their will be a shrinking of manufacturing not all makers will survive. Governments around the world are pushing for all vehicles to go electric, but battery range for motorcycles just are not anywhere near comparable with fossil fuel engines.

Tie that with the Vision Zero desire to eliminate traffic deaths, which would require the removal of motorcycles from the road, and the on-coming autonomous vehicle revolution … can motorcycles survive?

So, I do not have a lot of hope for long term viability of motorcycling. Sigh.

But, there are a few good signs. Norton and BSA are going to make motorcycle again and both in Britian!

Reply to this post and tell me I am wrong.

Work to Ride Day is June 15th

Posted: June 4, 2020 in Motorcycle, Motorcycle advocacy
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,
0
r2w

The 3rd Monday in June is International Ride Your Motorcycle/Scooter to Workday.  This year that is the 15th of June for the calendar challenged out there. 😊

Assuming you are allowed to ride, or you have work to actually ride to.

I have been working from home, so my plan is to ride around the neighborhood a few times before I start my day.

Ride on, Ride Safe

Motorcycle News: WOW DUI-E?! RIP Suzuki Hayabusa

Posted: March 25, 2020 in Motorcycle, Motorcycle advocacy, Motorcycle news, motorcycle safety
Tags: , , , , , , , ,
0

upshift downshift

z wUpshift: The state of Washington enacted a law that, if enforced, is a boon to motorcycle riders. The DUI-E (Electronic) law allows a police officer to issue a ticket when they catch someone using a cell phone or electronic device while driving.

This DUI-E is enforceable even if you are stop for a stop sign or a red light. AND as a primary offence a police officer can pull a driver over for holding a phone. There are a few exceptions:

  • Hands free and can start use by a single touch or swipe without holding the device.
  • Parked or out of the flow of traffic.
  • Starting your GPS or music before you drive.
  • Contacting emergency services.

My Take: It is about time! More people (including motorcyclist) are killed in traffic accidents then by guns and I think cell phones are to blame for many of those accidents. I hope to this DUI-E law will get nationwide attention and spread across the country/world. (I don’t know when this was enacted it is the 1st time I have heard of it.)

If you are from the state of Washington, can you let us know if it is been enforced?

*****

z 1Downshift: An end of an era, the last Suzuki Hayabusa motorcycles have been sold. While the ‘Busa had already been discontinued in most markets they were still being delivered to India. The last shipment of Hayabusa superbikes motorcycles arrived on Indian showroom floors and all have been sold

The Suzuki Hayabusa motorcycle has been one of the most iconic superbikes of all time. But changing environmental rules seem to have gotten the better of this favorite superbike.

My Take: I can’t believe that Suzuki will let their flag ship model fade away. Are they working on a new version, one that can meet the new rules? Internet rumors have said yes and no, so we really don’t know. Suzuki just brought back the Katana after 30 years. Will they let the Hayabusa disappear for that long too? I really hope not.

International Motorcycle Show DC

Posted: January 21, 2020 in custom motorcycle, Motorcycle, Motorcycle advocacy
Tags: , , , , , , , ,
0

IMG_20200112_140252790

Recently my wife and attended the International Motorcycle Show (IMS) in Washington DC. This is around or fifth or sixth IMS in a row and about eight altogether. It has always been a good time and we enjoy going.IMG_20200112_105512279

This year though there were a lot of missing manufacturers. Some of the smaller companies Aprilia, Moto Guzzi, Royal Enfield were missing, not necessarily surprising in the current market. But KTM was a no show, Ducati, Husqvarna were represented by local dealers and Honda, Harley Davidson and especially Indian were quite downsized.

The number of smaller vendors was about the same as was the crowd. Although I will say it felt as if there were fewer people because the alleys between vendors was much wider than in the past.

As side entertainment there was a motorcycle stunt show, little kids riding electric bikes and adults riding Electric Zeros. There was also a vintage motorcycle. There was also the annual J&P Cycles touring custom motorcycle show, there were a bunch of hot bikes to look at.

IMG_20200112_110022565The two most intriguing items for me were the new KLIM airbag vest and the fact that Harley Davidson had their new Pan American and Bronx motorcycles “under glass”. The KLIM airbag vest, selling for $499 is, I think, the cheapest vest, by a major maker, on the market. It has piqued my interest and if I find an extra $500 I might be in the market to purchase one.

The Harley motorcycles under glass was interesting. Both bikes were getting a lot of attention and I heard folks stating that they like the styling on both. The glass, however, made taking photos difficult, as you can see below. Harley also had their Live Wire electric motorcycle on display as well as an opportunity to “ride” it on a dyno like roller.

So, what did I come away with from this years IMS? I was reinforced that the motorcycle industry is in general decline and I really like the styling of the new Suzuki Katana! While my back can no longer take riding a sport bike, man that Katana is hot!

Motorcycle Recall: July 2019….. There are none!

Posted: July 28, 2019 in Motorcycle, Motorcycle advocacy, Motorcycle news, motorcycle safety
Tags: , , , , , , , , ,
0

recall

For the first time since I have been doing the recall lists, there were no recalls! As of July 28 (I try to post recalls on the 28th of each month) everything is good!        But….

Be aware that this motorcycle recall list is for the United States, 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 in Europe use the Safety Gate website to locate recalls that may impact you.

5 Motorcycle things from the Interweb that caught my eye.

Posted: April 18, 2019 in Motorcycle, Motorcycle advocacy, motorcycle safety, Uncategorized
Tags: , , , , ,
2

five

April is Motorcycle Helmet Awareness month so how about an air conditioned helmet?

*****

The EPA Wants to VIOLATE your WARRENTY! The EPA wants to hep you do just that. – On March, 12, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced it would makes regulatory changes to allow year-round sales of E15 fuel. This action would put the owners of millions of motorcycles and ATVs at significant risk because the dangers of this fuel are not clearly identified at the pump, E15 can cause engine and fuel system damage to machines not designed for its use and use of E15 may void the manufacturers’ warranty.

The American Motorcyclist Association opposes the proposed change and we are urging you to take advantage of the public comment period for this regulatory change and tell the EPA to reconsider this move and protect American motorcyclists from this unsafe fuel.

I you want to help fight this you need to join the AMA or Motorcycle Riders Foundation

*****

Suzuki’s radar reflector – An interesting idea to hep motorcycles fit into the world of auto-piloted cars.

*****

Even a Rolling Stone can get robbed. Keith Richards, still alive BTW, was robbed of some classic off-road motorcycles including 1977 Maico 400.

*****

Motocross racer breaks his motorcycle in half landing a jump.

Older Entries