2Wheeltips

First Ride!

The weather was perfect! It was nothing but blue skies overhead and a warm afternoon when my friend pulled into the yard on his Honda Magna. I had my ancient 1980 Honda cm400t all ready to go. Dana had said that as soon as I got my bike on the road we would take a ride together. The thought was exciting but a little frightening as well. At 61, I am a brand new rider where-as Dana at 50 has been riding for 30 year! But I was not about to chicken out from an opportunity like this. For a week now, I had been ‘getting my wheels under me’ just riding the mile and a half down to the post office in the middle of our tiny village of Quechee, Vermont. It was a beautiful ride down the hill and along the Ottoquechee River. The water sparkles in the morning sunlight and reflects a perfect mirror of the woods and mountains of the Upper Valley. I always managed to do a “rolling stop” on the hill next to the cemetery before pulling into the village. (I’m still a little insecure on those hill starts!) The post office run was now in my comfort zone but Dana was about to open up a whole new world for me beyond it.

Ironically the “first ride” started exactly like my usual morning run as we motored down along the river and through the village but then we left the edge of town and began winding our way up through the beautiful Green Mountains along the Quechee West Hartford Road. The first thing that I became aware of was the business of speed, gearing and the sound of the engine. (And particularly in going up and down fairly steep hills) For the experienced rider who has been riding for years it is all second nature. I am sure it is probably not even a conscious thing. The good news is that I found that it was really not all that hard and just like we were told in MSF school, “you’ll get the hang of it!”

Beyond that bit of the technical there was the sheer exhilaration of cruising up through the hills with the beauty of God's creation all around us. It was a thrill to be riding my classic old bike and finally getting her up to speeds where I felt like we were really moving. After 15 minutes or so we reached the high point on the road and began several miles of pitching down toward West Hartford village. Now keep in mind there is no such thing as a straight road in Vermont! My grandmother (a Vermonter) had a saying, “This road’s so crooked it’d break a snake’s back!” And that is what we were riding on, going down hill at a fairly good clip! I watched with admiration as Dana carved through the bends like an old pro, his feet up on the pegs and relaxed as anything as he leaned his bike over comfortably at every bend. Behind him I was enjoying the ride but giving a cautionary application of front and rear break to both slow the decent and make the bends more manageable at a slower speed. I admit I was grateful so see the stoplight ahead as we finished the decent and made our turn onto Route 14 along the White River. For the moment all the bends and apprehension of mountain roads were behind us and now I had a brand new experience ahead of me. The thrill of the open road and letting my little 400 open up and get some speed along the gentle bends and fairly flat smooth road ahead of us. My little Honda may be an ancient 31 years old but she only has 13,000 miles on her and, for an old girl, she cranked right up there! At this point Dana’s bigger, faster Magna left me in the dust. I could still see him ahead of me but I didn’t care how far out he got. I was just enjoying my own ride at my own pace. I wound her up to around 50 mph. for the first time since I had her and stayed in fifth gear all along the river. It’s an incredible experience…with blue skies, sunshine, the wind in your face and a good bike under you. What a day and what a ride! When we finally pulled into my yard and dismounted I walked over and shook Dana’s hand and thanked him for getting me out of my comfort zone. It was a great first ride!        Anchor

Keep the shiny side up, the rubber side down and happy riding everyone!

Just a quick little blog on tire repair. As you know, riding season is in full swing and I'm sure many of you have plans for some nice multi-day rides. One of the things you should carry is a tire repair kit and tire pump. Nothing can ruin a bike trip like a flat tire in the middle of nowhere...especially after most repair shops have closed. You can easily lose a day of riding waiting to have your bike towed for a repair.....and your riding buddies will not be happy that you were not prepared.

There are tons of repair kits out there but one that we have come across that we like is the stop and go tire plugger and mini air compressor. We reviewed the tire repair kit a few months ago but the mini-air compressor is a more recent addition to the stop and go product line. Well....this weekend I got a chance to use it.......because I had a flat tire.

I was pulling out the Yamaha Raider and noticed the rear tire was flat. I found the nail, used the tools from the repair kit and quickly plugged the tire....which I had done before. But now it was time to inflate the tire. Because I was running late, I didn't want to use a hand/foot pump so I plugged up the stop and go mini air compressor to the battery tender cable, screwed it to the tire and turned it on. Initially I thought "this is going to take forever! The tire is huge, the compressor is small (1.5lbs) and getting the tire up to 40psi will take an hour and kill the battery." I was totally wrong! 10 minutes later the tire was inflated and the bike started right up.

Long story short I was able to do a 200 mile ride without any problems. If you are in the market for a repair kit, go over to www.stopngo.com and look for the tire plugger and mini air compressor. You will not be disappointed.

The rain continues, is what I hear her say,
Riding in the rain, is just another day;
Some people will look at you as if you are a fool,
They just don't know that riding in the rain is really cool;
Cool in many more ways than you think,
Your bike can go down in a quick blink;
Safety is a concern that is on your mind,
At time you ride in the rain and you are blind;
Rain, rain, please go away,
This is what you hear the newbe biker say;
Some do not want to get their chrome all wet,
Trying to keep it clean, will put them in debt;
Rain is the coolest thing that I have felt,
Trust me when the water hits you, you will not melt;
Do you take a shower or even a bird bath too,
Then you know what to do when the rain hit's you;;
Just pretend that you are out on the beach,
Such a dream is not far from your reach;
Just pretend you see the waves coming your way,
And knowing that when it hits you, it will not ruin your day;
This is the same thinking, when you ride your bike,
Mind over matter will keep it just right;
Oh, I see looking out the window pane,
Tears in her eyes and mind is insane;
PrayasIride, do not make fun of me,
I just don't like riding in the rain you see;
I got this new bike and don't want to get it wet,
I went to the beauty shop and my hair is all set;
I think I am looking good and pleasure I do feel,
But, I don't want to ride in the rain and feel that chill;
When I feel depressed, I start reading the menu,
Eating the pantry clear, while the rain continues!
That was not funny pray and I am not going let you get away with that, Are you trying say that I am eating myself fat;
No, No, No, No, I would be so mean to say,
I am just saying, you are having it your way;
There are different kinds of menus that we read,
It does not have to be about food, but about your needs;
You were thinking about shopping and reading the shoe menu,
And how much money you were saving while the rain continues

It's truly miraculous how reliable and predictable things have become. We turn the key and our car starts, push a button and the radio plays, flip a switch and the lights go on. More and more we take for granted the "plug and play" simplicty technology has provided us. The problem with this, particularly as it relates to riding motorcycles, is it lulls us into a false sense of security and when unexpected things happen we are not prepared and can be caught off guard. Not a good thing to have happen when riding! Our bikes, like our cars, require less and less maintenace but stuff still wears; batteries corrode, bulbs burn out, wires fray and tires leak. We need to pay attention and regularly inspect our bikes condition to prevent those unexpected surprises from happening when we're out riding. We had a few decent weather days this week so I rode my bike to work one day. God know we haven't had any decent weekend weather and this weekend is no exception. I was amazed at how many changes I encountered in my ride over the same 34 miles of road which I ride every day of the week just from Tuesday to Wednesday. Some examples included: A dead cow on the berm with all of the realted gory stuff all over the road. Deer strikes are common, cows are not!! It was a mess to ride thru and it wasn't there the day before.(More about deer later) Grass clippings and small branches had probably been blown out of a lawn/landscaping truck and were scattered for about a quarter mile all over the slow lane of the interstate. Not there yesterday. An 8 ft. 2X4 board was laying across the passing lane. Traffic was light and I noticed it far enough ahead and easily avoided it. If I was in heavier traffic and following a car or truck closely in that lane I would have had to run over it. Wasn't there the day before. I have been seeing more and more dead deer on the roadside, averaging a couple three almost every day over the last 3 to 4 weeks. I have been paying much closer attention watching out for them while driving. This morning one darted out about 25 yards ahead of me and stopped on the far edge of the passing lane. I was riding in the slow lane. I braked hard and crawled past him not knowing if he might turn around and run back across the highway. He didn't. Lastly, I got off on my usual exit making a left turn on the 2 lane County road and found a construction truck had dropped a large amount of sand and gravel on the access road where the interstate exit and entrance ramps are. Definitely not there yesterday and another unexpected change to take note of. I think I've made my point. As predictable and boring as life sometimes can be it's not always that way. Be alert and be aware. Those unexpected changes can be "game changers"!!

Where have you been, PrayasIride,
I guess taking my time soul searching inside;
Reflected on the rides taken in 2010,
Do I really want to ride the same old routes again;
Always Looking for something new,
I am feeling like I am running out of things to do;
I love it when I can get in the zone,
All of my worries appears to be gone;
Gas prices are going sky rocket high,
Will I have say to my riding days--Bye, Bye;
If I could put regular gas into the tank,
Riding my ride would not break the bank;
I see a few bikes out on the road,
It is then when I can feel the rumble in my soul;
That could be me, I say to myself,
But, my inner ear appears to be deaf;
Where do you want to go, is the voice from my inner soul,
Let that be the place and be your gold;
To tell the truth, I really do not know,
I can't affort to just jump on my iron pony and go;
Do, I ride to DC and visit the "Wall",
Do, I ride to San Digeo before this fall;
A long distant rider is what I like to be called,
But, I need to take a short trip to the mall;
Find myself an empty parking lot,
Practice countersteering and stopping on a dot;
Now that would be worth the money spent on gas,
Because, I would have done something that would save my past;
Oh, wait Pray, I know you did not say or write the word past,
Did you use the word as a mask;
No, No, No, past is the word that I wanted to say,
You don't understand, can I explain if you may;
What I mean when I say, "Save my past",
There are dreams, hopes and wishes from the past;
These are the things that I do not want to lose,
So I save them in my past until they are ready to be used;
Ok Pray, I will let you off the hook,
Cut this poem short, are you trying to write a book;
Whereever you been, why don't you return,
Until you are ready to share something you learned;
Wow, my friend, I guess you can't see,
Or, I guess that you really do not know me;
I did share with you what I learned,
It is that I need to practice countersteering and making that turn;
I guess, I have to ask the question again,
Where Have You Been?

We had very hot day in Iowa last week, got up to 99 degrees, quite unusual this early. I was driving home from work down I-35 going my usual 5 to 10 MPH over the speed limit (in my car!!) when I see a bike in my rearview mirror coming up fast behind me. I pull over into the slow lane and this couple on a HD crusier blow past me doing at least 90 MPH. I glanced over at them as they went by and this is what I saw: The bike had no windshield or sissy bar. The driver, a male, had jeans, boots and a sleeveless t-shirt, no helmet, no eyewear, no golves. His female passenger had on a tank top, capri pants and sneakers. No helmet, no eyewear, no gloves. Her face was buried in his back to block the wind. His face looked like what you see when the astronauts and fighter pilots would get into those centrifugal force accelerators so they could experience the "G" forces they would be subjected to on take-offs and high speed turns. All of his facial skin was flapping and his mouth was open and lips blown back. Not a terribly attractive sight to behold!! I needed gas so I pulled off behind them at the next exit and coincidentally followed them into the same gas station. I pulled up behind them at the pump. I was seriously wanting to mention to them it would be a good idea if they would at least wear eye protection when riding those speeds but thought I would start with some casual conversation just to "test the water". My concern is that I was coming from work in a 4 door sedan dressed in business attire and they had very much the hardcore biker look. I'm not making a statement that their look was any better or worse than mine, only that we were at opposite ends of the spectrum!! I commented on his bike and mentioned he was really getting some impressive speed. I asked him what he thought the top end was for his Harley. His reply, was and I quote: " it can do about 110MPH when the "bitch" ain't on the back". The "bitch" happened to be standing right next to him and didn't bat an eye. With that I wished them all the best and drove off not thinking it would be wise and or useful to provide any safety commentary. After getting home I debated whether I did the right thing or not. Well, I'm still debating but stongly leaning towards keeping my advice to myself was probably a good decision. What would you have done?

Now that riding season is here, we want to remind everyone of the 2wheeltips video store and the wonderful products we have for sell. What makes our store different from the other motorcycle websites out there is:

-- each product is filmed in high definition, so you get to watch a quality video of each product being used before you buy it. That way you know exactly what you are getting before you open the box

-- we sell quality products that are new, interesting and affordable. These are not refurbished or used products....they are shipped directly to you from the manufacturer

-- we sell a limited number of interesting products that we have personally tested ourselves.....so you don't have to worry about a product that looks good on paper but in practice is a huge disappointment

Check out our video store at www.2wheeltips.com/store to see what we have to offer. We introduce new products all the time so check back often to see what's new.

Your friends at 2wheeltips.com

On March 5th, Sport Honda Powerhouse in Metuchen, NJ hosted its first Safety Day.  The whole day was dedicated to motorcycling safety issues and was co-sponsored by the NJ Gold Wing Road Riders Association and Rider Education of NJ.  Lots of people showed up and there were plenty of activities and seminars to take in.  Although I didn't get a chance to attend the seminars, etc., I saw lots of people assembled to learn about all types of safety issues.  Sport Honda has a great meeting room that is adjacent to their service area and while they were conducting seminars there, other visitors could wander around the showroom, take a look at all the Honda bikes and scooters that Sport Honda has available, grab something to eat and drink, and just enjoy the company of so many motorcyclists who not only enjoy riding, but enjoy riding SAFELY!  Kudos to Sport Honda for hosting their first motorcycle safety day….I am looking forward to safety day being an annual event!!

I had an interesting experience this week that I'd like to share. It's not necessarily motorcycle related but could be. It has do to with educated people making really stupid decisions. We all make poor decisions from time to time, part of living and learning. But what possess someone to make a decision like I'm about to describe? We flew in a candidate this week from the West Coast to interview for a sales position. An experienced guy, very successful, 52 years of age. I took him to dinner at a very nice restaurant on Thursday night where we had a few drinks and a glass of wine over a 3 hour dinner. We left the restaurant a little before 9PM and he was to return to our facility the next morning to complete the interview. I drove home and I offered to have this candidate follow me and I would make sure he would have no problem getting back to his hotel aout 10 minute drive from the restaurant. He declined as he had a GPS and assured me he would be fine. The next morning our candidate did not show-up. We called his room at the hotel and got no answer. My 2 assumptions were he either became very ill and went to a hospital or he got arrested. I checked the Ames, IA arrest log and sure enough he was arrested for operating under the infulence "OWI" at 11:45PM that night. So, this brilliant decision cost our candidate this job opportunity, thousands of dollars in fines, suspended driving license, attorneys fees, and travel expenses back to Iowa to go to court. For what???? I share this with you as an example of how perfectly intelligent and rational person can make a tragic decisions they will regret for the rest of their lives. When you are out riding please reflect on the decisions you are making. We all have the ability to do something really stupid if we allow ourselves the opportunity.

The 2wheeltips crew made it over to the Javits Center in NYC last month to check out the International Motorcycle Show. This is our 3rd time going and we always have a good time talking to the vendors and catching up with the latest motorcycle industry gossip. This year was no exception.  We had a great time talking to our friends from National Cycle, Arai helmets, Touch of Purple, West Virginia Tourism and a few others. It was a great show and we had a lot of fun. But we couldn't help but notice a few changes, most of them driven by the slow economy. These are:

Smaller Show
As we all know, the "powersports industry" (motorcycles, UTV's, ATV's, scooters, watercraft) has taken a serious hit due to the declining economy.  The NYC show is one of the largest and over the years we have noticed a steady decline in the size of the show.  Five or six years ago, the show was "standing room only", had hundreds of vendors and was on 2  levels. Now the show is on one level and many of the exhibitors decided not to participate or are no longer in business.  To many, a motorcycle is simply a luxury item they can no longer afford and many people have put off purchasing a bike or they are selling the one(s) they already have. We think the show numbers reflect this new reality.

Smaller Bikes
In prior years, most of the big manufacturers couldn't wait to unveal the latest and greatest bike with bigger engines, more features and even bigger price tags. How things have changed. This year, the spotlight was on smaller bikes. The most memorable were the Honda 250cc (you heard that right) sport bike, the dressed up Honda Shadow (750cc) with Cobra accessories and the Harley-Davidson (mid-priced) softtails. Since banks are not handing out motorcycle loans like halloween candy anymore, the manufacturers have caught on and are now making bikes that people can get financed.

Scooters
We did not see ANY scooter manufacturers at the show nor did we see any "green" vehicles. In previous years, there were at least two at the show. This segment of the industry has taken a serious hit and we personally know of a few scooter manufacturers that are out of business. The only exception was the BMW, but it's a concept scooter.....and is not available for sale.

New Products
Although the industry is changing, we did see some new products and vendors. SpeedpassingXV was there with a new EZPass holder that straps you your arm. NikkoMotoRacing introduced a new line of motorcycle helmets. BLINC introduced some new integrated bluetooth helmets and West Virginia Tourism gave an excellent presentation on motorcycle rallies and events available in their state.

As one of our friends from the industry stated, the industry is getting back to basics and is now focusing on the motorcyclist that has always been there. We will see how this goes in 2011.