motociclista

Can't you print up a one-page sheet with a photo of your Blast and the title "Perfect Beginner Bike!" in big letters and hand them out to everyone leaving the local MSF course? The Blast is one of those bikes that may require some creative marketing. Experienced riders have no need or desire for one, and most beginners, who really need something like that, don't know it exists.

And here I thought you were being clever. The Vulcan owner wanted to "concur" the Dragon and you "conquer" with us hacks. Now I find out it's the telephone doing the talking...

LOL. I warned you it's addictive. The most impressive project was a garage that I saw there a long time ago. It was a guy in Utah or some place who couldn't build a detached garage on his property because of zoning laws, so he built an entire multi-car garage completely underground, with space for his Ferrari, a lounge with entertainment system and a tunnel connecting it to the house.

Anyone ever check out www.garagejournal.com? I warn you, it's a place you can waste a hell of a lot of time ogling garages that are more like palaces or garages that are so old-school authentic they'll make your grandfather weep. Take your pick. Anyway, I posted a few before and after photos of my very modest rehab of my very ordinary garage and damned if they didn't feature it on the home page! If you're at all inclined, check it out before it scrolls off. See "$100 and a 2-car garage."

Liquid cooling maintains a more consistent temperature, so you have more efficient combustion, fewer emissions. That's the simple version from a non-engineer. We only change the coolant once every few years, so a few quarts to dispose of then is not nearly as much of an environmental factor as the amount of emissions every time the engine is running.

That guy defined the phrase "he's a character." The one time I was around him he spent half a hour trying to goad a poor truck driver who worked for Kawasaki into a $20 bet over who could do more pushups. He couldn't stand the idea of going a whole day without beating someone at something.

2003 R1, The Good: Due to gearing and power, does 98 mph in first gear. Woohooo! 2003 R1, The Bad: The gearing is so damn high, it does 98 mph in first gear. How useful is that? Sorry, that's really all I remember about my one time riding an R1 of that era. Not very helpful, I guess. P.S. -- If it were me, I'd also keep the 636. But then it's not me.

At some point in life you realize the only person you really have to impress is yourself. You're probably still too young for that realization yet.

I'd do it for $500, wouldn't promise you anything better than a D, and I'd probably rat you out to your professor afterwards. Is it any wonder I've never gotten rich at this writing profession?

I have a Scorpion helmet bag that is probably the most protective way to transport your helmet off the bike. It is a discontinued model that I've had for a few years but have rarely used it (I have another helmet bag and that's why this one doesn't get used and is up for sale). $30 plus shipping (or we may be able to arrange pickup if you're in my area or in the Columbus area). See photos and details below. It is made of a semi-stiff material that holds its shape. There is a full-circumference zipper, a padded carrying handle and a stretch pocket on the front (that's the mesh you see above) to hold a spare faceshield. It has four feet on the end so it can sit upright, as shown above. The photo above shows how the faceshield fits in the mesh pocket. Inside there are two elastic straps that keep the helmet from moving around. There's also a small zippered pouch that's big enough to hold earplugs and not much else.

The June issue of Sport Rider had a review. They said it didn't get quite as dark as a really dark tinted shield, but it did get dark enough. And it had the advantage of giving you partial tint as conditions change, so it's not either all or nothing. They said it takes about 15 seconds to go from clear to full tint (depending on temperature) and about two minutes to go from full tint to clear. Basically, the review was positive. I have no need for a new helmet right now, but I'll definitely consider this when I buy my next helmet. I love riding with tinted shields but don't enjoy changing them. Instead of buying a tinted shield for $50 to go with the clear one that comes on the helmet, I'd be willing to pay $120 for one shield that does everything.

CBR >> Stratolounger just means you have to get used to your feet arriving first at your destination instead of your chin.

That's very true, but everyone should be aware that this is a four-cylinder. Still would make a fine track bike.

I've probably put more miles on an 883 than anyone here. (I'll stand corrected if someone has me beat.) I bought a used one with 5,000 miles on it and sold it several years later with 40,000 miles on it. It's slow, and I'm a little smaller: 5-11, 180. But it's not a bad bike. It depends on what you want to do with it. In my case, I owned the bike when I lived in Puerto Rico, an island that's just 100 miles by 35 miles and no road with more than a 55 mph speed limit, and lots of tight country roads and crowded urban streets where lane-splitting was a necessity. In that environment, it worked well. It's surprisingly maneuverable in city traffic. As for the person who said it doesn't handle well, I'd ask, compared to what? I know of no cruiser that handles significantly better. Would I be happy with an 883 here in Ohio? No. Totally different riding environment. Doesn't mean you couldn't be happy with an 883, but a 1200 is a significant step up in power. A friend of mine had an 883 and got tired of how breathless it was on I-270 going to work, so he traded it in on a used XR1200 with 91 miles (yes, 91). He's a lot happier. It's too bad so many Harley people look down on Sportsters. A Sportster (including the XR in that class) is the only Harley I'd consider owning.

If only all pavement were as smooth, clean and grippy as that fresh asphalt they recently laid down on 229...

In every transaction, I make two copies of the bill of sale, one for seller, one for buyer. That addresses the issue you mentioned in your original post. If he doesn't register it in his name, you have proof you sold it. A buyer probably won't use your former bike as his getaway vehicle after robbing the liquor store (wearing full gear and tinted face shield, naturally), but if by chance he does, the more evidence you have showing it probably wasn't you, the better.

Had me going there for a minute... I thought you were selling yours. And then thought, "The honeymoon is over already?!"

I rode from Gambier south to WV today, and most of the roads were OK. One big limb down crowding the highway, couple of places where gravel washed onto the road, but nothing far out of the ordinary. It probably would have been worse if I'd been going north. It always bears repeating: Hey, hey, people, let's be careful out there!

Since I haven't bought a car since 1987, and that car (used) cost more than the new motorcycle I bought last year, I'm pretty sure I can safely say I've saved some money.

This is absolutely a no-brainer. Get the 2010. Last of the round headlights. They'll get rarer over time while the squinty headlights will get more common over time. OK, headlights aside and trying to be serious, I don't think the changes for 2011 are worth another $4k. Totally irrelevant aside: I went back and reviewed the changes, to refresh my memory, and laughed a little that one of the things that changed from 2010 to 2011 was they made the rear wheel larger, 6 inches instead of 5.5 inches, to better fit a 190 rear tire. Hmmm, just like the 6-inch wheel and 190 tire on my 1997 Speed Triple. Back to the future?

Cue the Beach Boys: Good, good, good Good Vi-bra-shunnns...

The trackday part was definitely the weakest link of the Ulysses, in terms of the original criteria. But on the other hand, I'd be just as happy on the track on a Ulysses as I would on a Bandit, which seems to be the most common suggestion. Again, I wasn't recommending a Ulysses so much as pointing out that it met his criteria, particularly low maintenance, belt drive and air-cooled. Personally, I'd suggest something liquid-cooled and I wouldn't worry about whether it was chain, belt or shaft.

Not that I'm necessarily recommending you buy one, but the only bike I can think of that meets all of your criteria, including optional hard bags, is the Buell Ulysses.

That's the kind of trash-talking I'm expecting. Anyway, I've modified my strategy with my rigged team. I am now all-Honda in MotoGP, all-Ducati in WSBK, and all-Suzuki in BSB. Not really intentional, it just seemed to get me the most bang-for-the-buck riders. We'll see how it pans out. Biaggi will probably sweep this weekend anyway.

Only Latinos have the kind of creative celebratory approach to life to be able to turn an obscure military victory over the French into an internationally celebrated holiday. That's why I married one. I mean think about it, a military victory against the FRENCH! It hardly merits a mention in the back sections of the newspaper, much less worldwide celebration. (Just kidding, mon ami.)