Watch as James 'Dynamite' Hillier somehow manages to keep a nearly out of control Kawasaki superbike upright, on the road and in the race! Blazing around the Isle of Man's 'Ballagarey Corner’, also known as Balla-Scary, Hillier wills the machine back into line.
Headshake like that would throw me right off my rubber cow. Read the rest
The Motorcycle Safety Foundation recently funded a Virginia Tech study on why motorcyclists crash. Hundreds of cameras were placed on bikes, recording a wide variety of riders every move.
We drop our bikes more than we'd like to admit.
The folks at Revzilla read the 20 page report and summed it up nicely.
Via Revzilla:
Read the restWe complain all the time about other people on the road trying to kill us, especially cars pulling into our paths. The VTTI study partially backs that up. Of the 99 crashes and near-crashes involving another vehicle, the three categories of other vehicles crossing the rider’s path add up to 19.
Here’s the surprise, however. What’s the most common scenario? Riders hitting (or nearly hitting) another vehicle from behind. There were 35 of those incidents. Are we really almost twice as likely to plow into a stopped car in front of us as to have someone pull into our path? Or should we write this off as the result of a small sample size?
Maybe there are clues in the risk section. Researchers tried to break down rider behavior in crashes and near-crash incidents into two categories: aggressive riding or rider inattention or lack of skills. The cameras and other data helped determine, for example, if the rider ran the red light because of inattention or aggressive riding.
The study found that aggressive riding increased risk by a factor of 18 while inattention or lack of skill increased it by a factor of nine. Combine the two, and odds of an incident increased by 30.
Vintage Works built this fantastic motorcycle that is exactly like a Star Wars Speeder Bike. Only it doesn't fly. Sadly.
Aching hands don't just ruin a long trip on a motorcycle, they can turn a leisurely ride into a dangerous nightmare. After ruining my last motorcycle vacation, friends recommended the $10 Cramp Buster as a solution superior to spending lots more on complicated mechanical throttle locks.
Cramp Buster is a lever. The most complicated thing about it, at least on my BMW, is getting it on the grip. 1970s BMWs have pretty thick grips, so I bought the "over size" version, and needed it. Once on, its quite simple. Adjust it by spinning it counter clockwise on the grip. Counter-clockwise opens the throttle, and doesn't spin on the grip. I find the plastic lever has a bit more flex to it than I particularly want, but I'm sure I'll get used to it pretty quickly.
For riding around the canyon roads near my house, the Cramp Buster didn't come into play much, as its really there to help ease freeway miles. I got to try it out on the 101 for a bit, and the lever allows a much more comfortable cruising position. I'm very much looking forward to trying it on a longer trip, in a week or two!
Crampbuster CB3 Black Throttle Mounted Motorcycle Cruise Assist via Amazon Read the rest
Almost every motorcyclist has suffered a long, extended wait at a traffic light. Sometimes you just wait, and wait, sometimes you go for it.
Walter F. Kern offers these helpful tips:
Read the restHere's How to Trip a Traffic Light:
Get off your motorcycle and push the "walk" button if it is safe. Sometimes you may just have to look both ways and run the light. In some places it's OK to "proceed with caution" after 15 minutes, in some places after 2 cycles. You need to know what the law is in your area. If you fail to trigger the switch, wait at least one more cycle and then proceed when it is safe. Sometimes it helps to kill the engine and restart it just to get the magnetic fields going over the tripping device. Put yourself right over the detector in the pavement. Give the bike a couple of good revs. Turn right and then do a "U" turn when you can. Threaten legal action. Start by calling the street department and complaining. Every week re-check the light. If you get no action, send them a nice professional letter threatening them with a lawsuit. As you approach the intersection, there are lines cut into the pavement where the sensor was put in. The sensor pad is octagonal or square. Put the most metal over the intersection of two sides. Another trick is to put out your kickstand. If you can get the kickstand out, there is more of a metal area to detect.
Deus Ex Machina is a custom motorcycle and lifestyle brand launched by Australian surfers. Seen here is their "Red Pill" bike, built by Jeremy Tagand. The bike is based on a Kawasaki W650 that's been re-engineered from the re-jetted carbs all the way to the quick-release surfboard racks. I wish I knew how to surf. And ride a motorcyle.
Deux Ex Machina: The Red Pill (via Uncrate)
Motorists behind the cyclist saw lightning strike his helmet. Dazed, the gentleman pulled over and then rode on to look for assistance.
Via Fox KTPV:
Firefighters said, at that point, he got back on his bike and kept on riding. The man took Exit 76 into Chehalis, where he stopped at a convenience store and asked for help.
I don't think he was going very far. Read the rest
Getting grime out of tight places on my bikes can be a real pain. This microfiber line lets me clean, and shine, even the toughest spots! Read the rest
I can barely ride a modern adventure bike, but do I ever love my Triumph Scrambler!
Motorcyclist Online puts both Ducati and Triumph's modern reinventions of the simple Scrambler to the test, entering them in a Colorado Rockies adventure rally. Things go better than you'd imagine and worse than you'd hope! Read the rest
I recently installed Sena's SMH10R bluetooth audio system in one of my motorcycle helmets. Now, it is hard to ride without it! Read the rest
After taking a punch to the face, a motorcyclist subdues his attacker. (Via WSHHP) Read the rest
Waxed cotton is beautiful and functional, but you've got to maintain it. Otter Wax is the brand I've relied on to keep my jacket happy. Read the rest
"This practice of passing other vehicles traveling in the same direction by sharing their lane is called lane-splitting, and a new report by UC Berkeley transportation researchers finds that no matter what some angry drivers might think, it does not necessarily pose a greater risk for injury." Read the rest
Compressed at 70,000psi of pressure, these tiny washcloth pucks expand with a few drops of water. They super helpful to have around! Read the rest
Most jeans outfit for motorcycling look bad and fit worse. I tried two popular options, Hood Motorcycle Jean's G8 Evo and Bohn's Adventure Pants. Seriously: Adventure Pants. Read the rest
Pro wrestler Buff Bagwell made a valiant effort to start up a motorcycle chariot racing league a few years ago, building this amazing prototype inspired by rigs from the 1920s. Read the rest
