Motorcycle Nation Podcast

2010 kicks off with various rides all over the US with names like Hangover Rally and Frozen Bun Runs to name a few. But the biggest news in motorcycling to kick off the new year comes from Buenos Aires, Argentina as the 2010 Dakar rally kicks off. The Dakar Rally, seventeen days of the most rigorous off road motor racing, started today and will bring those lucky enough to finish the grueling race right back to Buenos Aires for the podium on January 17. Entrants race either motorcycles, quads, cars, or trucks. Merely saying trucks does not do justice to the monsters that tackle this course. Check out this so called truck.

But, we are here because we are enthusiasts of the two wheel kind, so our focus will be on the motorcycles. In the motorcycle class there are 34 countries and 12 different manufacturers represented. I plan on following the rally and will watch the leader board with my main focus on the American riders.

As I write this, Stage 1 shows that Frenchman David Casteu lead his fellow countryman Cyril Despres by 3 seconds at the end of the stage. Casteu finished the stage in 1h50′42″ over the 219 km sand and gravel covered terrain. American rider Jonah Street leads the home boys finishing the stage in 14th position. Fellow Americans Ludovic Boinnard pulled in 29th, 12′04″ behind the leader and Dirk Kessler completes 58′57″ behind the leader earning him the 139th position.

I am impressed that, in what may just be the most rigorous, physically taxing motorcycle races in the world, there are at least three female entrants in the bike class. Well, I think there are three. I don’t proclaim to be an expert on foreign female names so when I read through the entrants I leaned the way of a male when faced with one that could possibly go either way. Swede Annie Seel leads the ladies across the line in 45th position, 18′35″ behind Casteu.

Stage 2 will run on Sunday taking the participants from Cordoba to La Rioja. The terrain of the stage will change slightly while covering 294 km. We will be back with you tomorrow to check in on the Americans.

Ride Safe

I am a huge fan of Sons of Anarchy and I plan on speaking a little bit about it in the next podcast episode that I plan on putting out sometime in the next week as time permits. I was very sad to see the season finale come as it seems that season 2 just began and it was over. The finale was so full of twists and turns and has left so many questions unanswered. I am dying to get on with the show and see what is going to happen next. Stahl is an animal and has really put Gemma in a bad situation. Cameron has really signed his death warrant if Jax and the boys can get to him. That prick Westin has been done in and I can’t wait for Zobelle to get his because I don’t think that Clay will let this go and he will make Zobelle’s murder his top priority. Rarely have I felt so much a part of a show that I felt true hatred towards a character when I saw them on screen. Westin and Zobelle are easy to hate. This show is gonna rock next season as well.

If you have not been watching the show I urge you to check it out. It is not for everyone and there will even be motorcyclists that have no interest in it but you should watch one episode and give it a shot. Hulu has many past episodes and you can also buy season 1 on DVD. Season 3 will start in September of 2010. Check it out, you won’t be sorry. I also ran across two podcasts that are SOA fan podcasts that I enjoy listening to. I just discovered them last night and have been listening to the episodes all day today trying to catch up with all of them. Check out Watchers of Anarchy and SAMCRO: A Podcast for the Fans of Sons of Anarchy

No, I have not taken up a life of crime and that is not even me. But, that is the newest piece of riding gear that I have added to my growing wardrobe. What you are looking at is the ST Wind Plus Balaclava from Comfort in Action. Not too many years ago I used to ride to work in temps as cold as 18 degrees with no windshield and a half shell helmet which provided very little protection for the face. I guess aging has removed my Billy BadA@@ Biker card from the wallet because I’m just not in to eating all that cold anymore.

I went out two years ago and bought a Memphis Shades windshield for the bike, which I highly recommend, and I already had a nice Cortech Advantage riding jacket that has a removable liner. Add in my Tourmaster Synergy Electric Gloves and the HJC flip face helmet and I was mostly toasty cruising down the road on those cold days. Notice I said mostly. Even with all this gear I have still experienced cold air around the neck and on the face as it made it’s way up under the chinbar of the helmet. That cold air sometimes gave me brain freeze as I made my way to my destination.

So, I was recently at my choice of shops here in Indy, Cycle Outfitters, and I questioned General Manager Dwayne about some added protection. He pulled out a catalog to show me what he had been riding in and told me about this balaclava and I ordered one on the spot. I picked it up on Saturday and decided not to wear it home because it was in the low 50’s and it would not be needed. Yesterday and today provided me with cooler temps in the mornings to try out this new gear.

What can I say? It is awesome. I feel no wind and no cold whatsoever. The long chest piece fits into the front of your jacket and is thin enough as to not make wearing it uncomfortable or bulky. The Windstopper© material, although thin as stated, does not let any draft through at all. The upper portion has a silky feel to it and is very comfy inside the helmet, especially if you sport a bald head like me. I paid around $26 for mine but have not found them on the net for less than $35.99. Look around for one and buy it up. You won’t be sorry.

Fall is a beautiful time of year to ride and one of my favorites. The air is crisp and cool and the colors are changing making for an all new experience on roads you travel every day. It is much like spring when the green begins to return to the grass and trees and it makes me feel alive again. After many months of leafless trees and gray skies color returns to the landscape and enhances the riding experience.

Speaking of leafless trees, fall brings us a special hazard. The season tends to be wet and the trees begin to shed their leaves after their beautiful change of color. As leaves fall to the ground and are saturated with the rain or dew, they become a great danger to a motorcyclist. Leaves on the road, once wet, become like a sheet of ice. Some motorcyclists that live in certain areas of the country have never had to experience this but we should all know what to do if we find ourself rounding a curve and see leaves covering the ground.

The way to handle this is the same way to handle almost any potential hazard that could be slick. First off, try to slow before reaching the hazard. Your speed should be slow enough that you can reduce or eliminate any lean angle required to continue on the path of travel. If going in a straight line all you need to do is scrub off some speed of course as you will not require lean angle anyway. Now that you have slowed and you are using very little or no lean angle, you should squeeze in your clutch and coast across the leaves. With the rear wheel not under power you have less of a chance of the wheel sliding out from under you. Once you have safely made it across the leaves ease the clutch out through the friction zone until you are back under full power. You don’t want to be quick on the clutch release as you do not know how much of that goo transferred to your tire. When the clutch is fully out, pick up your speed slowly and enjoy the rest of the ride.

Everybody ride safe out there and don’t forget that this is a good time of the year to experience deer and other animals. Keep your eyes open and Search, Evaluate, and Execute.

Steve

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In this episode we discuss some quick news. We mention the Vegas Bikefest and let you know that Jay Leno is auctioning off his 200hp V-Max to help a friend. We joke about Sen. Lautenberg from NJ helping to push a helmet law in Uganda (purely a joke). Motorcycle sales are down and we let you know just how bad the outlook is and we mention a study by the Freedonia Group that says that internationally, motorcycle sales are expected to rise 8% per year over the next 5 years.

The return of Casey Stoner to MotoGP this weekend and the trade off from World Superbike to MotoGP and vice versa of James Toseland and Ben Spies is mentioned as well. The majority of this episode involves the alarming trend over the past years of returning war vets losing their lives on motorcycles and what the Department of Defense has done in an attempt to stop these tragedies.

We close it out by mentioning friend of the show Adrian Blake, creator of the motorcycle show Ride! over on BlogTalkRadio. I urge you to go give Adrian a listen at Ride! Finally we close out the show by mentioning some interviews that we have in the works. Dwayne from Cycle Outfitters here in Indy will be joining us soon to talk about cold weather riding gear. Dwain DeVille, author of “The Biker’s Guide to Business” will promote the book on the Motorcycle Nation Podcast. This is a unique look at the world of business through the eyes of a biker. And we are in the process of setting up an interview with Jensen Beeler, Editor-in-Chief of Asphalt and Rubber, a website providing the latest motorcycle industry and racing news to the web. You won’t want to miss anything that is coming up!

Finally, we send you out with the song Ride by Adrenaline Factor. You can find this song and additional band information at MusicAlley.

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I was guided to a blog the other day called Forty Years on Two Wheels where the author was on a rant about the quality of American motorcycle shows. His evaluation discussed the fact that most seemed low budget and revolved around the V-Twin motorcycles. He went on to point out that the coverage is focused at Daytona, Sturgis, and other traditional American Iron gatherings. And he even mentioned the hosts. The feuding Teutuls, the ex racers, and the well endowed, none of which he considers to be worthy.

I love my V-Twin. As a matter of fact there are two products of the Motor Company sitting in my garage. But, I have to agree with the author. The world outside of HD and V-Twins has so much to offer and we need someone to step up and produce a show. I personally would love to see a show on adventure bikes. Maybe a shootout to crown the champion. I have my eye set on the BMW F800GS and would welcome the opportunity for a full review of the off highway capabilities. A show profiling the sport tourers would be cool too. A Honda ST1300 or that old reliable Kawasaki Concours could hold a spot in my garage as well.

I don’t want this blog to be a Harley only blog. Invite all your friends here so we can talk all motorcycles. Maybe someone with some pull will see that there is a need for a TV show that focuses on every brand of motorcycle and every type of riding. If you know someone, put the bug in their ear.

Ride Safe

We watch magicians on TV make things disappear all the time. And the illusionists amaze the masses by making things appear invisible. They both are well paid for doing this yet there is a group in this world that is able to do the same thing without making a dime and achieve the same results without even trying or wanting to. That group is called motorcyclists.

That is right. You, me, your spouse, your neighbor we are all invisible. Some people seem to have a problem picking up on a motorcycle traveling down the road. I find it hard to believe that someone can not see me, all 245 pounds of me, on a 650 pound motorcycle with a bright headlight traveling towards the intersection that they are getting ready to enter right in front of me forcing me to take evasive actions. Yet no less than three times the past two weeks I have found myself in this situation. I guess I am invisible. Are you?

This is just a reminder to you that you should make sure you perform your pre ride checks. wear bright colored and reflective clothing, and pay attention to the cars on the road. Taking all the precautions does not insure your safety though. After all, once you get past the texters, talkers, and make up artists you still have the blind drivers that make you invisible.

Ride Safe

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Riding with Gov. Mitch Daniels.
Motor Company moving manufacturing to Indiana?
Competition Accessories leaving Ohio for SC.
Billy Lane is sentenced.
MotoGP in Indy this weekend
Other news and recalls.

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On August 5th, Jay Jackson, Executive Director of ABATE of Indiana and Vice President of the Motorcycle Riders Foundation (MRF), was inducted into the Sturgis Motorcycle Museum and Hall of Fame at a breakfast in Rapid City, SD during the annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. Jay’s inclusion into the Hall of Fame is due to his lifelong commitment to fighting for the rights of motorcyclists all over the nation.

Jay Jackson, third from right, with attendees from Indiana and Ohio.

Besides his duties as the Executive Director of the largest State Motorcycle Rights Organization (SMRO) in the nation and his recent acceptance of the VP position with the MRF, Jay is often asked to speak at hearings and committee meetings in Washington, DC concerning motorcycle safety. ABATE of Indiana is proud of his accomplishments and congratulates him on his award. I am proud to work for and with him.

I was riding to the range this morning to finish the final day of a Beginner’s Rider Course and the route that I take involves a major state road and I465, the loop that carries you around Indy. As I accelerated up the on ramp, it involves a sweet left hander and sweeping right hander as you approach the interstate, I noticed an unmarked Indiana State Trooper on the inside shoulder totally blacked out. At 6:15 a.m. it is still fairly dark out and it got me thinking.

In this trying economy it seems that law enforcement is taking steps they have not taken before. Whether on the state, county, or local level of law enforcement it seems that they are trying to boost revenue through traffic citations. The unsafe practice that I witnessed this morning is only one of these steps. Just a few months ago, you could get away with running 10 mph over the posted speed. Motorcyclists are definitely not immune. I have received numerous calls about loud pipe citations and handlebar heighth citations.
These are things you would only be written up for if you wanted to run your mouth when pulled for something else.

So, now I am wondering. What is happening in your area?