2Wheeltips

I have a blog explaining why niche sites (like 2wt) will survive the fate of myspace, flickr, friendster, etc.

If you're interested in Social Net Media, check it out at
http://dino-dogan.posterous.com/3-reasons-why-social-networking-is-dead-long

I would love to hear your thoughts...

If we were to step into a time machine and transport ourselves to 2110, what would we see? How would the motorcycling landscape change in these 100 years? Well, let’s do some speculation, shall we.

Just as people have transitioned from hunters/gatherers into agricultural societies, then into industrial and eventually reached this technological age; 100 years from now, people would have realized that there is nowhere to go in terms of technology and that the next logical development level is internal. Allow me to elaborate.

I’m not saying that everything there is to be invented is already invented; far from it.
But to paraphrase what His Holiness the Dalai Lama pointed out in his book How to See Yourself As You Really Are .

Reaching technological heights and modern living standards did not make us any happier.

In fact, there is scientific research that points to the fact that people were happier 100 or even 1000 yrs ago than now, despite modern standards of living and other conveniences.

So now that I’m hanging out in 2110, and looking over the last 100 years of human development, I see that people have realized that internal development is supreme and the last frontier left to conquer.

I am purposefully avoiding words like “spiritual development” because of its negative or inferior connotations in some people’s minds. How do you view such phrases?

History books made 100 years from now will tell a story of unprecedented human collaboration, greater social awareness than ever before, and fearless exploration of the innerverse.

Street riding is faster and safer than ever since the roads are no longer congested (cars are now hovercrafts flying about 100-400 ft in the air, it’s pretty cool).
Of their own volition, bikers spend countless hours practicing their craft, and people are not in a hurry anymore since there are no corporations to dictate the pace of life.

The most famous biker is Condon Parks Hough. He is, to street riding, what Evel Knievel was to bone-braking. I have to point out however, that Condon Parks Hough does have an unfair advantage since he was grown in a lab from genetic materials left by the motorcycle greats, Lee Parks, Ken Condon and David Hough.

How do you see motorcycle riding hundred years from now?

I know it has been a few days since the show but we are finally getting a chance to write about the experience. It has been a very busy few days of making calls, following up with the people we met and figuring out what to do with all of the photos, footage and gadgets we got from the show.

Generally speaking, the show was an overwhelming success! We got into New York around 8:40am. After parking, getting coffee and walking 3 blocks to the Javits Convention Center we headed to the press information line. As we were standing in line  it finally hit us.....we are going in as members of the media!


After we let that settle in, we headed down to the press area for more food and to warm up a little. We mingled around a bit and couldn't help but notice that the editors from the major motorcycle magazines were there. It was nice to put faces to all of the names. We met Steve Lita, the editor of RoadBike Magazine. RoadBike highlighted 2wheeltips.com in their Jan/Feb 2010 issue as a new website with good safety tips and information for bikers. RoadBike and 2wheeltips have some new things in the works, so stay tuned!

After the meet and mingle, we went in for some vendor presentations. The first was for a "Ride for Kids" motorcycle raffle. Next was a presentation on the new BMW 1000cc sport bike. A very impressive machine with an equally impressive price tag. Next it was on to Victory where they unvealed a new cruiser.  At the BMW presentation we, ran into some people we needed to interview. Dino continued on with the press pool while Carol and I wondered off to find some of the people we needed to see. We all eventually ended up at the Honda exhibit to see the new VFR.

By that time is was already noon and the show was about to open to the public. We were already tired!! We scheduled a few interviews and wanted to get them in before the big crowds got there. Our first interview was with the Ducati FreeStyle Team. Ernie and Nick let us know what free style riding was about. They stressed that it is not the same as the guy doing a wheelie down a major highway and that free style riding is done in a safe environment away from street traffic.  Next it was on to BRP the makers of the Can-Am Spyder. A very impressive and unique three wheel machine. From there we went over to Campagna motors the makers of the T-Rex. Also a very impressive three wheel high performance machine.

After three interviews and lots of talking, it was lunch time. We headed down to get a bite and to discuss what was next. We had a list of 40 interviews and there was no way we could get through all of them and cover the other last minute interviews. After lunch we interviewed Snell, California Scooters, National Cycles and a few others. Once those were over, we were totally wiped out. It was now 8pm and it was time to call it a day. We had to be back bright and early the next morning.

On Saturday we got there close to 10pm and the show was already packed. We managed to get in a few more interviews and cover some really cool bike gadgets. At lunch we met with Chris Peace from Movoc16:3. He is a 2wheeltips.com member and has a very nice line of motorcycle-inspired t-shirts. Very very nice stuff. If you want some really nice stuff for the upcoming riding season, click on his profile and reach out to him. We also interviewed Gloria Struck from Motor Maids. She is 85 and has been riding 64 YEARS and she is in the AMA hall of fame. She is going to Daytona this year and......she is riding the full 1100 miles from New Jersey. During the interview she said that only "wusses" trailor their bikes. Oh....and she rides a big Harley dyna-soft-classic-fat-cvo something or other. Not some foo-foo pansy bike. We finished up the day just as tired as the previous day and decided to call it quits around 8pm. 

Sunday we got in around 10am again and the show was even more packed. We did the usual interview rounds and took some time to enjoy the show and catch up with some friends. Dr. Heche who writes our hearing protection blog was there and we got to spend some time with her. She is having problems finding a bike (she's about 4ft 9in) and we took her over to California Scooters to get some info. I think she may have found the perfect bike.

It was now 4pm and it was time to call it quits. We had 3 very long but very enjoyable days at the show. We got TONS of information and some very good interviews. We will post them over the next few days so stay tuned.

There are many options and countless variables that make securing our bikes very difficult against a determined thief. With that in mind, this article will suggest some (in my opinion best) methods for securing your bike in public places. Other locations (like your own garage) will be saved for a separate article.

It would be very easy for an organized group of bike-thieves to load a heavy-ass motorcycle onto a tow-truck and drive off into the sunset leaving you stranded like a girl who refused to put out. What we can do to prevent that is to send them a message basically saying “move on, nothing to see here, pick an easier target”.

These methods should be used in combination and not considered enough all by them selves.

Here are few suggestions that might work for you.

Method #1



One easy and yet overlooked method of securing a motorcycle is to simply cover it up. Your bike will be insulated against heat, rain and other unfriendly elements, but perhaps more importantly; it will be hidden from the prying eyes. Bike thieves usually target specific bikes (Harleys are a common target since they can re-sell them in Europe for three times the selling-price due to incredible demand) but you bike - I am sure - could make their list as well. Not being able to see what bike is under the cover will – at the very least –slow them down. They would be required to lift the cover in order to see the bike which makes your bike less desirable then the one that’s not covered.

Method #2

While it may not stop a determined thief – but then again, nothing will – having your bike chained to something is definitely a good idea. Note that I said “chained to something”. Having a wheel-lock or a chain that’s not fastened to something can be quite useless in preventing theft when the bike can be picked up and loaded into a van.
Check out youtube link at the bottom of the article.

Method #3

Alarm.

Method #4

Low-jack

Method #5



Use some un-common sense. Always try to position your bike in such a way that it would be impossible for someone to pick-up the bike and toss it onto a truck. Some parking lots will have ample space between cars and a dividing wall, use it. At my job, there is plenty of room underneath the stairs leading out of the parking lot. There is enough room for a bike to get out and in but if someone tried to pick it up it would be a giant pain. Also, there is a lot of foot traffic in the area which means more eyes on your bike. Be friendly to people and they will keep an eye out for anyone lurking around your bike without you even asking them to do so.

That’s all folks. I have left out one very cool way of securing the bike – consider it a challenge - and I am counting on you to fill in the gap…add your ideas and suggestions to the comments and you get 100 points redeemable for absolutely nothing other then my love and devotion.

youtube link
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D96QM-lzLM8

Salute

We've improved the chat feature on 2wheeltips.  And, for those of you who are Facebook-familiar, you will find that our text chat is similar to the text chat feature on Facebook.  Look in the lower right hand corner of the 2wheeltips page and you'll see a box that says "Who's Online (X)" where the "X" equals the number of people who are online and available for text chatting.  Click on the "Who's Online (X)" box and a window will open up that shows you the members currently online (and even the members who were recently online but are no longer online....).  You will see a green circle opposite the members who are currently online.  If you want to chat with one of those people, just click on the name and you are off!  A window opens up with a little "word balloon" in a section at the bottom....type your message, hit enter, and you are on your way!  You can see the history of your chat text and you can even chat with more than one member at a time! iWe hope you enjoy this improvement on the 2wheeltips website and welcome your input!  By the way,  if you want to do a video chat, you still need to do it through the "Video Chat" window on the left side of the screen. 

Your friends at 2wheeltips.com

It's time for us to do another website poll. Any suggestions? The last poll was somewhat of a shock to me. I thought the 3/4 helmet was very popular......I guess not. Post your requests in the comments section and we will put it up and give you credit. 

Tony, Carol and I have a ton of interviews scheduled for this weekend at the Javits expo.

I was thinking though some possible interview questions for these motorcycle professionals (some of which are professional speed racers) and I think I came up with at least one good one. Here it is.

Which one is more dangerous…speed racing or street riding?

My guess is that most people will say that street riding is infinitely more dangerous then speed racing.

What do you think?

What other generic but good questions would be good for the show?  

Charlotte, N.C. (November 2009) Wheel JockeyTM, www.wheeljockey.com,  is a new motorcycle tool (patent pending) that offers a compact solution to the bothersome task of rotating motorcycle wheels for cleaning and drive chain maintenance.   Once a motorcycle is easily “walked” onto Wheel Jockey, wheels turn on ball bearing rollers and provide easy access to the entire wheel or chain.   And, Wheel Jockey is small enough to stow under the seat or in any motorcycle luggage! 
 
Says Industry veteran and owner, Bill Kniegge, “I was always looking for a better solution to daily chain maintenance while leading motorcycle tours around the mountains of North Carolina.  www.bluestradatours.com.  I guess ‘necessity really is the mother of invention.’ Wheel Jockey came about as a result of needing a very portable way to accomplish wheel and chain work, and checking air pressures without a helper.”
 
Constructed of sturdy steel and aluminum, Wheel Jockey measures approximately 4” x 4.5” x 1.5” and can accommodate road bikes up to 750 lbs.   Suggested Retail Price is: $54.00 plus Shipping and Handling
 
Contact Information:
Debbie Kniegge
debbiek@wheeljockey.com
704 256 4049

I finally got around to processing the first part of the interview. The total interview was 2 hours but I managed to get the first 10 minutes extracted and processed. Look for the remainder to follow soon.

http://www.2wheeltips.com/videos/view/david-hough-interview---part-1_1926.html 

 




 

When you strap-on your protective gear and mount your two wheeled steed, does it ever feel like you’re about to step onto the battlefield? Once out there, you are likely to encounter 18 wheeled monstrosities, 4 wheeled sardine-cans, and single-wheeled hamsters spinning inside the heads of absent-minded drivers.

To bring the battlefield analogy home, did you realize (as was pointed-out to me by Mr. David Hough) that more people die in motorcycle accidents each year than did on 9/11? So, we have the War on Terror, but we don’t have the War on Motorcycle-Ignorance. Perhaps it doesn’t have a ring to it…

When you go into the battle, you can choose to be like Sun Tzu, a master strategist and a supreme tactician. Someone who knows the enemy and – perhaps more importantly – knows themselves.
If you’ve taken the MSF class, you may have encountered this same advice in perhaps less colorful form when your instructor strongly encouraged you to ride within your – and your bike's- limits.

Or you can choose to be an ignoramus. Run into the battlefield with your pants down and wearing a blind fold.

Not having a good understanding of certain counter intuitive principles of motorcycling (like counter steering, vision casting, dangers of left turns, and so much more….) is tantamount to being that guy dying on the battlefield.

…but you are here, reading this, so I know you are Sun Tzu. And perhaps the ignoramus will have to learn the hard way. There is, however, the third category, and these soldiers need our help.

You probably have a friend – or a friend of a friend – who wants to get into motorcycling or would like to improve their skill set. These eager soldiers must be sent to the right bootcamp. This is how you can help.

Tell your friends about 2wheeltips via Facebook, twitter, and whatever other means you might have of spreading the good word. Point them to an article, or a cool video, or perhaps the upcoming interview with David Hough (and many more to follow).

Growing our little corner of the interweb will enable Tony and Carol to dedicate even more time to 2wt and bring us even better content.

Let’s show our gratitude and appreciation by thanking them right now. Thanks Tony and Carol…you guys rock.