2Wheeltips

I would like to thank SuperTinTin (a Skype snap-in) for sponsoring our Interview with the Experts series on Windows platform.

SuperTinTin is the best audio/video recording software on the market for recording audio/video conference by capturing original media data while making sure there is no signal loss.

Because it is not a screen-capture recorder, video quality is not affected at all if you open, close, resize messenger windows while recording.

SuperTinTin will allow us to share our interviews with the members of 2wheeltips.com

You can visit SuperTinTin at http://www.supertintin.com/

Thanks SuperTinTin :-)

If you had a chance to interview a motorcycling legend, what questions would you ask?

I ask because 2wheeltips will have a rare opportunity to interview David Hough, a renowned advocate of our cause, an author of two must-reads the Proficient Motorcycling: The Ultimate Guide to Riding Well and Street Strategies: A Survival Guide for Motorcyclists, and a long-time instructor and the student of the game.

Oh, and did I mention that he is also a recent inductee into the Motorcycle Hall of Fame.  http://www.motorcyclemuseum.org/halloffame/halloffame.asp

Issue of MSTA was kind enough to give access to their latest online magazine. I've included the link below:

http://issuu.com/motocbiker/docs/stareview_28-08

We subscribe to various motorcycle news feeds and rags. Here is a very interesting article on declining motorcycle sales. Seems that the industry is taking a very serious hit on new sales numbers.

http://www.powersportsbusiness.com/output.cfm?ID=2405863

by
Carol at 2wheeltips.com

If you're tired of shopping and want to collapse
Just think of your bike and your new leather chaps
It's difficult waiting for iced roads to clear
So you can go riding as a polar bear

You've wired your bike for a warm riding suit
You've put on your waterproof winter weight boots
You're ready to go if the ice would just melt
But with winter came snow….what a card you've been dealt!

The thought of you waiting 'til spring comes around
Is torture! You're needing, you're craving that sound
The sound of your engine just humming away
As you shift into first and and take off on your sleigh

But hold it a minute!  A sleigh's the wrong thing
You desperately want to be on your Goldwing!
Your Harley, your Yamaha, Suzuki….your bike
Your customized fabulous spanking new trike!

The holidays are here so just try to be strong
Spring will be coming…it won't be too long
Smile for your friends and wish everyone well
Let everyone think that you're just doing swell

If your friends do not ride, then they can't comprehend
What it's like when you can't ride your 2-wheeled friend
But your friend will be waiting when the winter is done
You'll start up the bike and the engine will run

Back on your steed, you'll feel good as can be
With winter forgotten you'll finally be free
You'll no longer need your warm heated grips
Happy Holidays to all from 2wheeltips!

Ride a motorcycle and soon you will realize that one of the most personalized accessories you can get  speaks volumes about you, but costs you absolutely nothing:  your biker nickname.  In this column, I invite everyone to respond by answering the following questions (and I'll be the first to provide my own answers!):
    1.    Do you have a biker nickname?  If so, what is it?
    2.    Now, for the really interesting part:  How did you acquire that nickname (without being too offensive, and avoiding those dreaded TMI (too much information) bits and pieces…?
    3.    If you don't have a nickname, what do you want it to be, and why?

Okay, everyone, here I go!

1.  My biker nickname is "Cookie".
2.  Friends that I ride with know me for my homemade cookies, so "Cookie"  seemed the appropriate nickname for me.
Do I look like a "Cookie"….who knows (you can decide for yourself when you meet me in person)?  But, "Cookie" it is, and "Cookie" I am!

Now, it's your turn to share!  What's your story?

We have to let you all know that we made it!  The Jan/Feb issue of RoadBike Magazine mentions 2wheeltips.com (see page 17) as a valuable resource for motorcyclists.   The word is spreading within the motorcycling community and more people are learning about the 2wheeltips website and all it has to offer.  So, keep spreading the word, thank you all for your support, and brace yourselves for some really exciting new features yet to come!

Your friends at 2wheeltips

There's 923 members listed on this site. Nobody has anything to say, to ask, to report? No questions about maintenance, repairs, mods, gear? No suggestions or advice to give? No comments or reports on new "stuff" they got for their bikes or for themselves? No interesting rides, adventures?
I can't believe we're all that smart or all that dull.

We need more participation on here, IMHO. We need to be more active, we need to be able to hook up with each other, mentally/physically, to get to know each other in these forums, and maybe also go for group rides ? or other meetings with close-by members, maybe see and visit other members on our longer trips as we pass through.
We are a community, a family of sorts, with a common interest, and I think it would be nice to hear from a larger portion of the membership once in a while, even to just report in and say hello.

Am I the only one who feels this way?
Let's see what kind of feedback or response this gets.

Well, motorcycle friends, I had the shock of my life when I received my copy of the Americade Times in the mail a couple of days ago.  I was thumbing through the magazine, reminiscing about all the great events they had, the well organized tours, the wonderful people I had met...  I was looking at the photos and I almost felt like I was looking at my own photo album of Americade.  As I found out, it was for a good reason!  At least four of the photos they used in the magazine were mine!  Damn, I thought!  I must have won the photo contest.....Nah...I thought again....I am just imagining things...so many other people were up at Americade....so many cameras clicking away...so many people entered the same contest I did.  Better yet, I had never been notified by Americade that I had won, so I just enjoyed the magazine and put my strange thoughts aside.  But wait, I said to myself!  Check the photo credits in the front of the magazine....(of course, this is me, talking to me....)...if your photo or photos are in here, they will give you credit, right???  RIGHT!  And there was my name with the photo credits!  I was ecstatic.  And, in addition to the use of your photos, there was a monetary prize involved...so, I thought (again, me talking to me...)...now I KNOW they used at least one of my photos, I mean my name was listed in the photo credits, but no notification and no check in the mail.  Well, maybe it got lost?  I mean the US Postal Service isn't perfect....it's pretty damned good but it's not perfect.  So, I just put the magazine aside and figured I would send an e-mail to Americade and tell them thanks for picking my photos but I never got any letter (or check....lol) in the mail telling me I had won.  And then, yesterday, I brought in the mail.  And in the mail was a letter (and, yes!, a check) from Americade!  The letter told me I won!  The check floored me!  It was for far more than I had expected to receive (see, I kind of figured that ONE photo was mine....the others, although they sort of looked like mine...well...I figured other bikers had taken similar shots and mine were like the others so I was just imagining things).  So, back I went, to the magazine and, this time, my computer, and found that FOUR of the photos they used were mine!  I was (and I still am) thrilled!!!  So, for those of you who are curious (or just like to hit hyperlinks), here is the link to the online version of the Americade Times magazine.  http://www.tourexpo.com/data/content/view/1612/272/
My photos are in the 2009 magazine and they are:
Page 8, the photo of the ski jump at Lake Placid
Page 9, the photo of the red covered bridge with bikes going through it
Page 17, the photo of sunrise on Lake George
Page 20, the photo of a man working on a bike (with license plate "DEANS")

For those of you who have ever attended an Americade rally, I think I need say no more.  You know what Americade rallies are like....

For those of you who have never attended (or never even heard of) Americade rallies, take a look and read the magazine.  If you are interested in going to Americade (the first week of June 2010 in Lake George Village, NY), and you have questions, you can always pose your questions here.  If there are questions that we cannot answer, I know people who work for Americade and I will get an answer for you!

Americade is a fantastic, huge, incredibly well organized touring rally, and bikers get a chance to mingle with tens of thousands of other bikers of all walks of life, from all parts of the country (and, even from other countries), all who share at least one common interest:  their love of motorcycling.  And, maybe next year, YOUR photos will be in the Americade Times magazine!

Last week I dropped my bike while turning onto the street in front of my place. It wasn't anything major but it was definitely a shock. I've been riding since 2005, have 3 bikes and the worst that has happened was a tipover when the bike was warming up in the driveway.

So what happened? Well I decided to take out my Yamaha FJR 1300 sport tourer which I hadn't been on in over a month. I did my regular pre-ride inspection including checking the tire pressure. Afterwards, I rode up to the main street and prepared to make a left turn. After checking traffic, I eased into the friction zone, rolled on the gas and halfway through the turn the rear wheel kicked out and down I went. The bike slid 6 feet and I was fortunate that I was able to get off and didn't get hurt. I ran over to pick up the bike. No major damage....just a few scrapes on the hard bag and no damage to the clutch.

I've made that turn too many times to count and couldn't help but wonder what happened? Did I hit the gas too hard? Were the tires cold? Since I hadn't been on the bike in a while, did I forget how powerful the bike is? After getting the bike up and moving it to the side of the road, I decided to check the tires again to see if I missed anything. Sure enough there was some oily residue on the tires! I did have oil on my garage floor and some of it must have gotten on the tires. The combination of oil and cold tires was enough to cause the rear wheel to slide out.

I waited a few minutes, started the bike and was able to ride 100 miles that day. I was initally reluctant to lean the bike hard through curves but after the tires warmed up I could feel them gripping the road. Near the end of the ride, I was going around my favorite curves with confidence.

Next time I will make sure to double check my tires for any oil or grease and take it extra slow until my tires warm up.