Last week saw me taking a little jaunt to the Dallas - Fort Worth, TX area, Grapevine to be exact, for the 2008 Kawasaki Dealer Show.  For the new cruiser news, go here.  For the "extracurriculars," read on:

While the key part of a dealer show is to get the dealers excited about the next year's product line – and get them to place big orders for their dealerships – the second part of the equation is to get the invited journalists excited about the new models for the coming year, whether they cover the industry as a whole, motorcycles, ATVs, UTVs or PWCs.

Of course, they want us to have fun, too, so we're in a good mood when it comes to writing about those new products.  This year, on the first night, they bused us all to a....indoor rodeo and Texas BBQ.  For us city-slickers, we may have seen stuff like bull riding and calf roping on the tee-vee, but I can tell you that it was a BLAST to see it all in person.  The Mesquite Championship Rodeo also had crazy little wagon train races, barrel racing, trick horseback riding and teeny little kids riding wild and woolly – literally – sheep.

The whole event was very family-oriented, as evidenced by the large number of kids in attendance.  The rodeo runs every Friday and Saturday night from April through September.  So if you're ever in the area and need something to do on the weekend, well, there you go.  Enjoy the photos (scroll over each one for the caption):

A few weeks ago I had the very good fortune to ride from Toronto, Canada to Quebec (uh, still Canada!).  The trip was co-sponsored by Harley-Davidson and Best Western to promote rider-friendly Best Western hotels.  Not just welcoming bikers but providing a place (and towels) to wash one's bike.  Some Best Western's also provide extras such as collapsible buckets, soap, snacks and other goodies.

The people were all nice, the weather was perfect and the scenery was relaxing.

You can read all about it in a few months in the February '09 issue.

We are all aware that every time we ride, we are at risk simply by virtue of sharing the road with inattentive car, truck and van drivers.  But what about clueless motorcyclists?  With all of the new and returning riders hitting the roads in the last few months, there's a lot of 'em who are unaware of being part of a special fraternity (that gladly welcomes sisters, too!).  Worse, some riders -- both old and new -- seem to think that they are king of the road.  To wit:

The first incident happened this morning (or should I say, "the first incident today...!") on the way to the Cruiser Palace and Cube Farm.  As you may be aware, it is legal in California to lane share, i.e. ride between two lanes of traffic.  I'm not going to go into its intricacies here, though.  As I was saying: I'm riding along, and I spot another motorcyclist about 1/2 a block behind me.  The two lanes in my direction slow down ahead of me.  I'm still going about 25 mph and about 0.5 sec. from diving into the gap between the lanes when this bozo comes flying past me on the right.

Now, that might sound fine except that in that situation, the following rider -- bozo (opened flip-up helmet, shorts, t-shirt and tennies) -- should have beeen preparing for the rider ahead of him -- me -- to be jinking over into the lane gap to also split lanes.  A fraction of a second later, it would have been a nasty crash for both of us, ping-ponging between the now stopped cars (and damaging them, too).

A block or two later, I finally manage to catch him (mind you that I'm on a wide-handlebar'd cruiser and he was on a nimble BMW 650GS) and advise him (without swearing, really) that he might want to consider the point I just made above.  He immediately went into a version of "You tawkin' ta me?"  Bonehead.  I rode off.

Then, a few hours later, a story turned up on another website, a story that took mine at least a couple steps over the line.  You can read it here.

Seriously, everyone, it's tough enough out on the roads as is.  Let's look out for each other, too, and enhance everyone's riding experience.

So every issue, and here on the Cruiser website, we bring you all kinds of gear in New Products and Cruiser Tested.  

We try to give you best information that we can -- but then what?  Have any of bought anything at least partly because it was in Cruiser?  Did it meet your expectations?  Were our reviews and comments accurate?  And why haven't you been showering us with gifts and accolades?  Feel free to share your own stories with the class.

Since the price of gas started sky-rocketing a few months ago we've been seeing all kind of bikes on the streets of L.A. that haven't seen daylight in years.  And we're interested in those riders and their bikes (wherever they are).

We're putting together a piece for our next issue and we'd love to hear from you if you are one of those riders or know someone who is.  Please email us at cruiser@sourceinterlink.com with your name, contact information, a few words about your bike and why you're back on the road (like 100 words--please be brief!).

Thanks and we'll see you out on the road....

Never had much luck with the Long arm of the Law. For all the times I’ve been pulled over by cops through the years, I figure maybe 50% of those were legitimate cases of this biker behaving badly. Still, I’ve never been let go with a warning – the Uniformed Ones have always insisted on throwing the book at me, whether I was guilty of an eye-raising 0.5 mph over the speed limit or a simple brain fart, like not coming to a complete, leg-down stop at an intersection. So, because The Man has for so long (we're talking 20 years now, Ponch) delighted in sticking it to me,  it’s my turn now. Riding season is here, so next time you trot out the ol v twin for that long awaited rumble, take a close look at the side of the road. Chances are there'll be a friendly neighborhood motor officer with a radar gun aimed your way. Nothing can put a damper on your touring vacation like an undeserved speeding ticket. Read this list of some of the worst speed trap cities (courtesy of the National Motorists Association (NMA) website) handy, and you might be able to hang on to your hard earned greenbacks just a little longer.

In case you're wondering, the NMA advocates safe, reasonable speed limits set in accordance with traffic engineering standards, not just arbitrary political whim. (which is why it’s one of my favorite sites)

The list was created from the NMA's SpeedTrap Exchange (www.speedtrap.org), and an online poll.  

ALABAMA
Worst Speedtrap:  Montgomery
Dishonorable Mention: Birmingham, Huntsville, Uniontown

ARIZONA
Worst Speedtrap:  Tucson
Dishonorable Mention: Gilbert, Phoenix, Scottsdale

CALIFORNIA
Worst Speedtrap:  Fresno
Dishonorable Mention: Fullerton, Los Angeles, San Jose

COLORADO
Worst Speedtrap:  Colorado Springs
Dishonorable Mention: Aurora, Denver, Fort Collins

CONNECTICUT
Worst Speedtrap:  Enfield
Dishonorable Mention: Danbury, Groton, New Canaan

FLORIDA
Worst Speedtrap:  Waldo
Dishonorable Mention: Lawtey, Ocala, Orlando

GEORGIA
Worst Speedtrap:  Pendergrass
Dishonorable Mention: Atlanta, Duluth, Marietta,

ILLINOIS
Worst Speedtrap:  Naperville
Dishonorable Mention: Carol Stream, New Lenox, Peoria

KENTUCKY
Worst Speedtrap:  Louisville
Dishonorable Mention: Lexington, Middlesboro, Owensboro

LOUISIANA
Worst Speedtrap:  Woodworth
Dishonorable Mention: Baton Rouge, Lake Charles, Metairie

MASSACHUSETTS
Worst Speedtrap:  Worcester
Dishonorable Mention: Lowell, Newton, Springfield

MINNESOTA
Worst Speedtrap:  Minneapolis
Dishonorable Mention: Bloomington, Elk River, Plymouth

MISSOURI
Worst Speedtrap:  Foristell
Dishonorable Mention: Curryville , Independence, St. Charles

NEVADA
Worst Speedtrap:  Las Vegas
Dishonorable Mention: Henderson, Pahrump, Reno

NEW HAMPSHIRE
Worst Speedtrap:  Manchester
Dishonorable Mention: Nashua, New London, Somersworth

NEW JERSEY
Worst Speedtrap:  Paramus
Dishonorable Mention: Bridgewater, Monroe Township, North Brunswick

NEW YORK
Worst Speedtrap:  Brooklyn
Dishonorable Mention: Batavia, Rochester, Staten Island

NORTH CAROLINA
Worst Speedtrap:  Raleigh
Dishonorable Mention: Charlotte, Greensboro, Wilmington

OHIO
Worst Speedtrap:  Columbus
Dishonorable Mention: Akron, Canton, Lindale

OREGON
Worst Speedtrap:  Portland
Dishonorable Mention: Beaverton, Eugene, Springfield

PENNSYLVANIA
Worst Speedtrap:  Horsham
Dishonorable Mention: Feasterville, Harrisburg, Warrington

SOUTH DAKOTA
Worst Speedtrap:  Sioux Falls
Dishonorable Mention: Rapid City, Wagner, Yankton

TENNESSEE
Worst Speedtrap:  Nashville
Dishonorable Mention: Memphis, Piperton, Smyrna

TEXAS
Worst Speedtrap:  Houston
Dishonorable Mention: Arlington, Austin, Estelline

UTAH
Worst Speedtrap:  Sandy
Dishonorable Mention: Roy, Salt Lake City, West Valley City

VIRGINIA
Worst Speedtrap:  Virginia Beach
Dishonorable Mention: Chesapeake, Emporia, Norfolk

WASHINGTON
Worst Speedtrap:  Bellingham
Dishonorable Mention: Black Diamond, Ritzville, Seattle,

WYOMING
Worst Speedtrap:  Thermopolis
Dishonorable Mention: Cheyenne, Jackson Hole, Rawlins

Visit www.speedtrap.org for the full list and specific locations of speed traps. Njection.com (http://njection.com ) also has a new Web application hybrid called Speed Trap. This so-called mashup combines Microsoft Live Maps and the ability to pinpoint and review speed traps anywhere on the planet. Member-generated info is placed into a database and can be viewed at http://njection.com/speedtrap . In addition to the location of the trap, members can post detailed information such as the type of speed detection used, posted speed limit, and level of enforcement.

There, i feel better already...


 

While all you northerners continued to get snowed on, I had the opportunity to go to Daytona Beach during Bike Week.  I was actually there to try Pirelli's new "power cruiser" tire, the Night Dragon.  As you may be aware, Florida has no helmet law.  And, it seems that many people who go to Bike Week from states that do have helmet laws, immediately doff their lids (both literally and figuratively).  On top of that, some how or other, we now have 30 states with no helmet law or helmet laws that affect only riders under 20 (or 18 or 17, depending on the state).

In the two years (2001-2002) after Florida repealed its helmet statute, motorcycle fatalities increased 71% over 1997-1998 and increased 21% per 10,000 motorcycle registrations, with helmetless riders accounting for 61% of the fatalities.  Those are sobering statistics.  Given that, as someone who has always worn a full-face helmet since my very first ride, I just can't understand how any rational, intelligent adult can choose to ride without a helmet.

And please don't argue with me--I've heard all of the b.s. about the dangers that helmets present (!!!) and how government should keep its nose out of our business.

Helmets save lives.

Period.

I think we've done a good job of infusing a big dose of fun into Cruiser, trying to make sure every issue has as wide a variety of articles as possible, from first rides to comparos, new products to product reviews, buyer's guides to travel, tech how-to's to custom bikes.

However, I have to write about what I saw on December 22:

I was walking to the mall (yes, there are weirdos in L.A. who walk places) when I hear honking from up the street.  There's a guy on a scooter approaching and a woman in a car was pulling across the left lane from the right one (or possibly the curb, I wasn't sure).  She continues to pull across the lane, the guy honks more, then, with about 30 yards between them, starts steering to go around the front of her car.  She doesn't hear and keeps turning, he tries to stop but plows into the side of the car, his head slamming the A-pillar or the top of the door frame.  I was so close--and actually running towards them--that another two steps and I would have caught him before he fell to the pavement.

There were a lot of people in the nearby strip mall and I screamed for them to call an ambulance and the police, the ambulance for him and the police for the car driver.  The rider was unconscious at first, then seriously dazed, and it took a few minutes before he could respond to any questions.  In the meantime, myself and another onlooker held his head still and I did my best to reassure him that the ambulance would be there quickly and that they'd take real good care of him and he'd be okay.  He was breathing okay and able to wiggle his fingers and toes so there was nothing else I could do other than give a report to the police.

Just so you know, the scooter rider was well-equipped for the street, wearing an open-face helmet, leather jacket, leather gloves, heavy pants and leather boots--unlike many scooter and motorcycle riders that I see on the road wearing inadequate riding gear.

What's the point?

First: know what to do when someone is injured.  Take a first aid class.  Take CPR.  And never remove a rider's helmet unless absolutely necessary, such as the victim is not breathing and you need to give mouth to mouth resucitation.

Second:  Get all the rider training you can.  There'll be a feature in the May 2008 issue on riding courses, but in the meantime there's plenty of good books available on the subject that you can read during the cold winter nights ahead.

Finally:  In my analysis of the above situation, the driver precipitated the accident but the rider caused the collision.  Now don't get your collective undergarments in a twist, I didn't say the rider was at fault.  However, the collision was 100% avoidable.  The rider should have started to slow as soon as the car began to cross into his lane.  In fact, the rider could have come to a stop without panic braking had he done this.  Next, trying to go around the front of a vehicle turning across your path is usually not the best course of action.  Answer this: in all your years of riding and driving, when a person is honked at, have you ever seen them put their vehicle in reverse?  No, they always continue forwards or stop.  So the better course of action would have been to go behind the car.  Again, collision averted.

So dress appropriately, know how to handle your motorcycle in adverse situations and know what to do in an emergency.

Please be careful out there--2008 is going to be a great year and we want you with us, reading Cruiser and enjoying your motorcycles.

Over the years, I know that many of you have attended the International Motorcycle Show at one of its stops around the country. 

When I lived in Northern California, it seemed that no matter when they scheduled the show, it would rain at least one of the three days.  However, I'm now in La-La Land, and rain is rare (except for today, of course).  And, this year, I attended the show as part of the media.  Was it exciting?  Well, there was a free lunch... Actually, they--the Show staff--were quite nice and had a full slate of things for us to see, especially new bikes and custom specials (which all seemed to have been built by Roland Sands Designs, though not really all of them).  Here's some of those bikes and a few brief comments -- roll your mouse cursor over the photos to see the comments and right-click to see a larger image.

A pig in motion tends to remain in motion until it reaches the far end of the pen.  On the other hand, a porky motorcycle is free to roam and won’t stop until you hit the brakes.  But most of the time, those brakes provide far less stopping power than a hog pen.

The manufacturers produce these gorgeous bikes that we love to ride—and modify—but the brakes usually seem like an afterthought.  “Well, back in the ‘80s the bikes had one disc brake up front and one disc or drum in the rear, so I think we’ve covered the engineering for that.  Plus, it looks great when one side of the wheel isn’t blocked by a brake rotor.  Besides, those cruiser guys don’t know how to brake, they just close their eyes and stomp on the rear brake pedal …”

That’s ridiculous—not my perception of what the engineers think but what the styling people do in order to be cool and what the accountants think—if at all--before signing off on the expense sheet to save money on the cost of the brakes.  Look at any four cylinder or big twin sportbike and you’ll see TWO front disc brakes plus a rear disc brake.  Not only that, but those bikes only weigh about 380 to 500 lbs. full of gas.

The typical over-825cc cruiser weighs in between 600 and nearly 800 lbs.!

So you’re telling me that cruisers need less stopping power--for more weight--than the sportbikes?

Over the years, twin front brakes have started showing up on muscle cruisers as well as the big touring bikes—lord knows they need it.  And some bikes are even coming with steel-braided brake lines which increase stopping power--that’s a good thing.  Seriously, can a steel braided line cost much more, if at all, than the rubber lines that come on almost all motorcycles?  And even if they do cost another $50 (and they don’t!), that’s not going to break the bank for anyone shopping for a new motorcycle.

Me, I’m all about function first.  If it doesn’t start, go, turn and stop, then I’m on to the next bike.  What good is style as you watch yourself slam into the back of a suddenly stopped vehicle because your brakes weren’t sufficient for your bike?

Now I've got spilchis in my genektagazoint.  I'm all verklempt.  Discuss amongst yourselves.

Connections are only a bike away

Steve McQueen. Von Dutch. Bud Ekins
Those three names flashed across my brainpan these last few weeks, which might seem curious  – I mean, none of the aforementioned gentlemen are still riding on this mortal coil.

The synchronicity’s there though, if you look hard enough. See, I attended a Bonhams & Butterfields auction in Los Angeles at the Petersen Museum, held in conjunction with California Bike Week. The event was every bit as interesting as the two-wheel action taking place on the track that weekend -  the Butterfield’s guys consistently showcase topshelf vintage metal.

Among the acres of priceless hardware displayed was one of Steve McQueen’s tricked out desert racers, a 1970 Kawasaki G31 hand painted by Von Dutch (a.ka. Kenny Howard), in true, bold, Kustom Kulture livery.  

Seeing any piece of original Von Dutch art (not the hyper-branded t-shirt crap) is worth the price of admission, but gazing at that McQueen Kawasaki served to remind me of another bike he’d been associated with, and a close relative of a model I’ve been road testing for the next  issue – a Triumph Scrambler. The Scrambler is loosely based on the old TR6 -  the bike, you might recall, McQueen (as Colonel Hilts) sailed
over a barbed wire fence in the classic war epic, The Great Escape.  

I saw that movie at least a dozen times growing up, and it had a great deal to do with my future fascination and adulation of two wheelers. 

‘Course, I came to find out that the man who flew through the air aboard a motorcycle was Bud Ekins, not Steve McQueen. Ekins, a stuntman extraordinaire, avid racer and AMA Hall of Famer, shuffled off this mortal coil just this last October.

Almost as a final underscore to all these connections, the new Matt Stone book, McQueen's Machines: The Cars and Bikes of a Hollywood Icon (www.motorbooks.com), magically appeared on my desk last week. If you haven’t seen it yet, I urge you to pick it up – it’s a fascinating read about a star who was a true motorcycle rider. Just like the other two guys….

Today, on the way to work, the cheapest 87 octane gas I saw was $3.31 per gallon.  Six weeks ago, I saw the same (but at a different station) for only $2.69, $0.62 per gallon cheaper.  That's a 23% increase.  Ouch.

Conversely, over the years, motorcycle fuel economy has been dropping, in spite of the now widespread use of electronic fuel injection.  What's the deal?

One is that cruisers, unlike sportbikes, have been packing on the poundage.  The heavier a vehicle is, the more energy is needed to accelerate it up to speed.  That's just basic physics.  Which begs the question, "Why aren't the manufacturers making lighter bikes?"  How about aluminum frames? (Yes, a few Star models have them.)  Fewer bolted-on chrome pieces?  Plastic bodywork, fenders and tanks? 

All of those ideas are too expensive?  Are you telling me it costs more to make a lower tech cruiser than it does to make the flavor-of-the-month high-zoot sportbike that is nothing but lightweight parts?

The second, and perhaps the greatest culprit, is that like fast-food, we Americans have insisted on super-sizing our cruisers.  Once upon a time, a 900cc cruiser was big.  These days, that doesn't even qualify as a middle-weight!  2.3 liter engines?  There are lots of cars that don't have engines that big!

With the sharp rise in the price of gas over the last couple years, more and more people are looking at motorcycles as a more viable means of transportation, at least for their daily commute.  But what's the incentive when one can get the same kind of mileage out of an econo-box?  Plus, the econo-box can carry 3 passengers plus luggage.  Sure, it's not as fun or as sexy, but you don't need to put on a whole weird set of clothes to drive it, either.

Now I've got spilchis in my genektagazoint.  I'm all verklempt.  Discuss amongst yourselves.

"MOVE!"  That's what I want my motorcycle's horn screaming in the head of  the driver in front of me.

Okay, fine, sometime's it's "STOP!," yelled at someone trying to turn in from a side street.  Regardless, the typical motorcycle horn is a pathetic toy.  I use my horn several times per day on my commute, mostly to make sure that drivers turning across or into my direction of travel have actually seen me.  We might as well be cranking bicycle bell horns as we cruise down the street for all the attention our horns get.  Sure, people do hear them (usually), but without the immediate awareness that the typical automotive horn generates.  Some bikes, like the new Victory Vision, have a great horn.  Heck, even Vento's 250cc Colt has a great horn.  So why do most bike's have the same old tech, innefective horns that have been used for the last 40 years???

Now I've got spilchis in my genektagazoint.  I'm a little verklempt.  Discuss amongst yourselves.

If that Escalade in the lane next to you looks like trouble, it probably is

Guess I struck a nerve with my Judge Away column in the October issue, because i have been inundated with dozens of like-minded warnings from other road-warrior types. Check out these stories from the front lines (most sobering of all is the last one - from a guy at the NHTSA, no less):

"If you look at nearly EVERY Buick on the road it's some bluehead that more than likely should have given up the keys long ago.  If you come up behind a Buick and don't see a driver's head, that's a dead giveaway!  Is GM on the same distribution list as AARP and Social Security??"

"I 'judge' the cage I am coming up on and then maneuver around as they are normally oblivious to what's near them. Head tilted to one side, cellphone; putting on makeup; reading, eating, drinking, arguing with passenger-  the list goes on. An exception may be a bumper sticker saying 'Look out for motorcycles- they are everywhere'?
but even then you have to hope they didn't buy the cage with the sticker already on it !!"

" I wanted to cover one driver you forgot, and to me the worst of the worst -  the 20-something female. She is completely consumed with herself all the time, and is almost always on the phone when behind the wheel. I have had this driver 6 feet from my rear tire at 75 mph, even though she could have gone left or right to pass me.
I have had them change lanes in front of me with only feet to spare as they cut through traffic. You have to watch your mirrors because they almost always come up from behind. I have spent my life either working traffic, motorcycle cop, or traffic safety, and to me this driver is one of the few things on the road that really scares me."

For all the high praise we lavished on Star Motorcycles' new V Star 1300 a few issues back, I'm beginning to find out the thing ain't exactly perfect. I've counted enough comments on a reader's windshield buffeting complaint (see John G's letter in the October 2007 Rumblings section) to make it a blog entry -  I figure it's the most efficient way to alert other owners of the Star's shortcomings and offer some solutions. Here are a few of the most helpful.

Apparently a Mr. Holgate had a similar buffeting problem with his '01 Roadstar, and nipped it in the bud by installing a set of windshield lowers purchased from a guy on the Delphi Forums Roadstar Rider Forum. Seems the lowers can also be purchased from Yamaha, but those are a tad shorter. Both are said to cut down quite a bit of the draft coming up from under the shield.

6' 3" Mr. Kreska weighed in with his two cents as well. He confirmed that tall riders also suffered from wind blasts ripping in under the shield; in his case, the air current would push open his helmet's face shield. Kreska's advice was also to check out the Delphi VStar 1300 Riders forum - where apparently the general opinion is that the Star's non-adjustable windshield is fixed in an overly perpendicular way. Most folks on the forum believe the screen should have been angled to better match the angle of the forks, and many riders have added lowers to deflect wind off their torsos. Seems like pretty good advice, and watching the forums for stuff pertaining to your model just makes good sense regardless.

American Suzuki Motor Corporation issued a press release yesterday that it will begin sales of pre-owned motorcycles at its dealerships this month.

Called the “Suzuki Select Certified Pre-owned Motorcycle Program”, the street motorcycles and scooters, which have to be less than four years old with 30,000 miles or less to qualify, will undergo a strict 77 point inspection. Suzuki will offer the standard 90-day extended protection plan, roadside assistance, and extension programs for the pre-owned vehicles.

States Glenn Hansen, communications manager, ASMC Motorcycle/ATV Division, “Motorcycle customers don’t always know what they are getting when they buy a used bike from a private party. With Suzuki Select, consumers can walk into a dealership and choose a pre-owned street motorcycle or scooter with confidence, knowing that it has been through a thorough inspection and is in top condition.”

Via Roadracing World