Be it just down the road or all the way to Death Valley, multi-day road trips require plenty of forethought and weeks of planning, especially if there's more than one of you.

I just finished the return leg of my semi-annual hump down to L.A. from Portland, (1000 miles door to door). Going south, it was me and one other buddy, taking the back route down so we could enjoy some scenery for a change, instead of mind-numbing freeway drone. We had a blast going down the eastern spine of the Sierras,  from Mt. Shasta through to Lassen, Reno, Mono Lake and Mammoth. Glorious stuff. You'll read about it in a future article i'm working on. On the return, I did it solo -  and man, what a difference! Turns out two other colleagues (you've probably read their touring stories in this magazine) recently hit the road too. They're heading on a similarly drawn -out tour, and Tad agreed to document the journey with posts on his  blog. Check it out here:

http://adventures-by-motorcycle.blogspot.com/

If The Bureau of Land Management Were A Person It Would Be In Jail

Let's cut right to the chase: The Bonneville Salt Flats are a national treasure.  For motorsports enthusiasts world-wide, it is much more.  It is hallowed ground, and as such, must be preserved.

So what does the agency we've entrusted to watch over it - the Bureau of Land Management - say about the Salt Flats?  In the BSF Recreation Area Management Plan (Plan), the BLM commented:

The BSF are a unique and distinguished geological phenomenon.  Due to the area's special qualities for high speed automotive racing and testing, complemented by outstanding scenic contrasts for filming, the BSF is a highly sensitive area and of significant concern to the public as a unique geological resource and as the place that land speed records have been set.

Is this area of concern to the public?  Of course!  Is this area of concern to the Bureau of Land Management?  Apparently not!  Despite what they might say,  BLM action taken to protect the Bonneville Salt Flats has been sorely lacking. According to BLM studies, mining operations in the area have removed substantial amounts of salt from the BSF.  But have they done anything to stop these actions or force remedial measures?  Nope.

Since the government agency which has the legal and moral responsibility to preserve and protect this national landmark will do nothing, it's up to us to force action to protect the Bonneville Salt Flats.  The Save the Salt Coalition, led by Doug Evans, Executive Vice President of the owner of this magazine, is taking steps to bring this issue to the Congress.  A letter has already been sent by the Utah Congressional Delegation to the Director of the BLM insisting on action.  Now it is your turn.

Save the Salt needs you to contact your representatives in Congress and demand that they contact the Director of the BLM, to insist that the BLM end mining in the area.  Ask that they send to you a copy of the letter they have sent to the Director of the BLM.  Also ask that they support legislation which is being introduced in Congress to end the mining and ask that they support hearings to draw attention to the destruction of this national landmark.

To find your representatives, go to www.contactingthecongress.org.  Type in your zip code and click "Submit it."  The information on your Congressperson and your Senators will appear. Please forward a copy of the e-mail you send to your representatives to russdeane@savethesalt.us or mail them to Save the Salt at Russ Deane, P.O. Box 27747, Panama City, FL 33411.

Once again, we need to force the government to do the right thing.  Without your help, the Bonneville Salt Flats may not survive.

The new Triumph Storm is a home run - as long as you don't plan on touring.

 Just rode the new Storm 400 miles from Phoenix, AZ to L.A., and man are my shoulders killing me. (Bah Boom.) Don't get me wrong, the bike is an all-around well-engineered package in any kind of riding situation: super-smooth fueling, eager throttle, power whenever you need it (just ask) and well-matched gearing. The thing kicks ass. But it's a bear if you're trolling the superslab, mostly because it sets you out like a sail in the wind. A couple of hours at 75mph+, and well...you'll be digging for the ibuprofen. Which stands to reason - I mean, it's not designed to be a touring rig.

I'd assume existing Thunderbird accessories could be easily fitted to this model though, in which case i'd go for the midsize screen - something that won't muck up the low, clean lines of this bad boy.

Lock Up The Texters

We're all leading busy lives these days, I get that. Everybody's phones buzz all day long, and you can't swing a dead cat without hitting a text-sending teen (or grandmother, for that matter). But it really irks me that all this is happening - increasingly - behind the wheel. Usually right in front of me, too. It really raises my hackles to spot some yahoo yapping on the phone as his car zigzags in the lane next to me while I'm trying to enjoy my Sunday morning cruise. Young, old, rich, poor - hell, I don't care if you're Mother Teresa -  just friggin acknowledge my presence. It's the height of arrogance to ignore your surroundings - and your neighbors - in as unpredictable a place as a public road. Why don't you hold up a whisky bottle and take a swig? It'd have the same effect.

When California passed legislation prohibiting the use of cell phones while driving a couple of years ago (unless the driver uses a hands-free device), I was somewhat mollified. But it didn't seem like it went far enough - offenders couldn't be pulled over just for talking (California has since made it a primary offense). Around the same time, Washington became the first state to specifically prohibit the dreaded DWT - driving while texting. It was a start, I thought.

Oregon finally got onboard with a cellphone ban this year, and I felt a little better, because the law prohibits talking, texting - doing anything with a mobile device (though hands-free devices are allowed) while driving. Now that's more like it. And Oregon makes it a primary offense, so if a cop happens to spot you on the phone while you're driving, it's ticket time. This year, too, the U.S. Department of Transportation prohibited texting by drivers of commercial vehicles like large trucks and buses. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) concluded that "drivers take their eyes off the road for an average of 4.6 seconds out of every 6 seconds while texting. Drivers who text while driving are more than 20 times more likely to get in an accident than non-distracted drivers."

Well, duh.

Plenty of studies have concluded it's akin to driving drunk: http://www2.potsdam.edu/hansondj/drivingissues/20060830105036.html  but somehow, I already knew that. Maybe a night in the clink would help get the message across better....

It's still a jungle out there - others have shown that hands-free isn't the way to go. Drivers are still distracted just by the act of having a conversation, regardless of whether they use their hands or not. A newly released finding opines that California's hands-free law isn't working at all; crashes haven't significantly decreased as a result of the law. Some believe that's because the law is not very aggressively enforced in the state (for more on that, see: http://www.aolnews.com/story/california-drivers-ignore-hand-held-cell/748952), which is probably true, but it's probably also because hands-free doesn't mean distraction-free.

So I'm pissed off when I see some yahoo swerving past, chatting away in his own little world, steering wheel between the knees. When (or if) they look at me, I usually give 'em long blast on the horn. It's probably only a temporary distraction, but least now I KNOW they see me.

I'm still of the opinion that your butt should be fined $500 or more for texting behind the wheel. Think about it - you're looking DOWN, not at the road. And I don't believe communication devices aboard a motorcycle are a great idea either. For the same reason. But that's just me.

You think we have it bad, though? I just heard an item on NPR a few days ago that made the hairs on my neck stand up. Seems that in Vietnam - where motorcycles make up the primary form of transportation - things have gotten so out of hand that E.R. doctors are pleading with legislators to crack down on drivers texting while...riding. A motorcycle. (or in this case, scooters too). Yup, it's as insane as it sounds.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=125302822

'Distracted driver' plows into a group of riders

You may have heard by now about the deadly motorcycle wreck in Phoenix a couple of days ago. The more I read about it, the more horrific it sounds - basically because none of the riders did anything wrong. A group of eight motorcycles was stopped at a red light when a heavy garbage truck slammed into them from behind, toppling them like dominoes. The crash killed 3 riders, and also injured six others, with two remaining in critical condition at the local hospital.

Some of the bikes exploded  into flames as the truck drove over them, and the rest of the machines were scattered everywhere. Initial reports state no evidence of the truck driver being impaired and no charges have been filed yet according to Phoenix PD.  I've even read somebody comment that the driver said he was simply "distracted". Man, he must have had a paper bag over his head to not notice 8 bikes.

There's a pretty complete video summary  on one of the Phoenix news stations, KPHO.

http://www.kpho.com/video/22961457/index.html

Once the Super Bowl hits the boob tube, you know it's also time for the final leg of the motorcycle show season. This year the Cincinnati and Indianapolis Dealer Shows come in February, while on the consumer side, the  last stop on the International Motorcycle Show tour happens in Daytona in March. So how did it go this year?

As we sorted through the pile of show releases on our desk we came across some random notes from the Detroit Auto... er, sorry - North American International Auto Show. What's that got to do with motorcycles? Yea, that's what I thought too. But the more I read, the more parallels I picked up. Chief among them was that (though they'd just suffered through their industry's worst year EVER), auto insiders say many manufacturers could be on the way to a big rebound,  touting new markets like India and China to pick up the slack from the lagging U.S. side. I also learned that People's Republic surpassed the US auto market as the biggest consumer of vehicles last year, the first time the U.S. hasn't been the uncontested leader for this position.

So while the motorcycle industry has also been in a major slump this year, the annual bash of biker bigwigs, innovative steel and two-wheel enthusiasts that is the IMS series held some hope for 2010's bike market -  even if said party unfolded on a smaller scale than previous years.

The International Motorcycle Show, which for nearly 30 years has rolled across the land touting the latest and greatest in two-wheel tech, is making its final stop for 2009-2010 at the Daytona Beach Convention Center on March 3rd (through the 6th). Along the way, the show had close to 10% fewer exhibitors at some of the stops, and missed key players in others.

But the public didn't seem to care about that, because they still came. Attendance at the Dallas and San Mateo, CA shows was down just 3.5% from last year. So there's continued  interest in bikes, but people just don't seem to be buying them. Sales through the first nine months of this year were down 43.7% from the same period a year earlier.

What's driving the attendance at the show are "new models," said Robert Pandya, a spokesman for the IMS series. "This is still an enthusiast-driven business, and anything that's new and exciting is definitely a draw." Over 69,104 eager attendees flooded the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, keeping the New York International Motorcycle Show floor bustling with activity throughout the weekend. The eighth stop was the largest show to date on this 12-city 2010 Tour.

That's pretty good news. Let's hope it also means we can parallel the rebound the auto guys are experiencing...

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.

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