Backroad Ramblings: Get Lost

Interesting item....I guess.
However, I'm not giving up my GPS unit!


Backroad Ramblings: Get Lost: "In his most recent topic our rambler confronts the issue of GPS navigation and its potential harm to humans and motorcyclists is particular."

Zip Tie Snow Tires: The Cheapest Way To Blizzard-Proof Your Bike [Bikes]

Hmmm....I wonder if this will work on motorcycles?

Zip Tie Snow Tires: The Cheapest Way To Blizzard-Proof Your Bike [Bikes]: "

It's officially that time of year, with snow and slush and ice perpetually impeding your biking. What to do? Well, if you've got a box of zip ties and feel like conjuring up a little MacGuyever spirit, you do this. More »

"

Massive collection of motorcycles

Massive collection of motorcycles: "

Massive collection of motorcycles

Earlier this year (see Part 1), we examined some of the cool, the fascinating, the unusual and the utterly weird designs for motorcycles that have appeared for over the last century or so. Here’s another look the wild and wonderful world of motorcycles.

Read the Full Story » | More on MAKE » | Comments » |



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Digg this!"

German Iron Curtain Motorcycle Tour

German Iron Curtain Motorcycle Tour: "Motorcycle USA gets a taste of the old Iron Curtain as it treks through former East German border crossings in this motorcycle touring feature."

YikeBike foldable electric bike now available for the low, low price of $3,595 (video)

YikeBike foldable electric bike now available for the low, low price of $3,595 (video): "

The first time we saw the YikeBike we couldn't help but think it was a little too stylistically shaped, a bit too svelte, and a lot too carbon fiber to actually exist in the real world as anything but a prototype. But now, over a year later, here we are looking at a little green 'Add to cart' button on the company's website. Yes, the 6 mile range, 15mph top speed foldable cycles are starting to roll out of the warehouse with an estimated ship date of just one week. The best news? The price is $3,595, far from cheap but about $2,000 less than they were originally estimated to cost and a downright bargain for something that offers this unique blend of bizarreness and fun. How much fun? Get a refresher course in the video after the break.

Continue reading YikeBike foldable electric bike now available for the low, low price of $3,595 (video)

YikeBike foldable electric bike now available for the low, low price of $3,595 (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 19 Dec 2010 19:39:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Oh Gizmo! | YikeBike | Email this | Comments"

What Else Is a Living Room For?

I tried this once at my elementary school with a mini-bike...I got sent to the Principal. It didn't occur to me to try this at home. I wonder if it'll mess up the Feng shui of the Walton abode? Reproduced here without permission...click on this item's title for the actual web post at Bikes in the Fast Lane. What Else Is A Living Room For?
19 November 2010	File under Entertainment Funny Author: Mike Werner Location: Travelling
I mean, let's get serious here. If you can't do this, why bother having a living room?

State looks to allow motorcyclists to - lane split' in slow traffic

State looks to allow motorcyclists to - lane split' in slow traffic: "

It's against the law in Oregon for motorcyclists to ride between cars during freeway rush-hour traffic but that could change if Oregon follows the lead of other states.

"

Go Oregon go!
Go Oregon go!

Feds: Make this a law for all states!

Feds call on states to require helmets

Notwithstanding the sensibility of wearing motorcycle helmets, I am wary of yet more federal laws.

Please, leave me alone.
Let me know what it feels like to have the wind make my hair stand straight up.
If I knock my 'noggin on the curb, why should you care?

Can Motorcycle Riding Strengthen Old Bones? – Ride Forever for Your Health

Can Motorcycle Riding Strengthen Old Bones? – Ride Forever for Your Health: "

Original article from: TheKneeslider.com -

Original article from: TheKneeslider.com - When your wife says, 'You're too old to ride motorcycles, you might get hurt,' just smile and say 'Honey, I'm doing this for you so I can build up my bones.' No, really. The science is on your side. A daily dose of whole body vibration is good for you. [...]"

8th Ride to no where on Labor Day

(click image for larger view)

Couldn't pass up this beautiful day. Took a ride out west to no place in particular. Fought the Labor Day traffic all the way home. (I could have done without that!)

GPS stats:

• 137 miles
• 26 mph overall avg
• 38 mph moving avg
• 84 mph max speed (oops!)
  
• 5-hr 12-min total time
• 3-hr 36-min moving time
• 1-hr 35-min stopped time

(GPS on entire trip)

7th Ride - Dahlia Festival in Jeffersonton, VA

Hold any comments about going to see a bunch of flowers...

In an effort to eek another ride in before August evaporated, we took a quick ride west to the Dahlia Festival at Wollam Gardens in Jeffersonton, VA on the 28th. I got a few pics (see below) and then we headed south to Culpeper for lunch. After eating, I listened to an audio book on a bench along Main Street and my wife and friend went antique shopping--whatever that is. I was pretending to be an old person. I'm getting better and better in pulling that one off.

GPS stats:

• 174 miles
• 21 mpg avg overall
• 39 mph moving avg
• 63 mph max speed
• 8:17 total time
• 4:26 moving time
• 3:50 stopped time
• (GPS on entire trip)

All in all, a nice ride. Alas, it looks like we won't be making our annual week long road trip this year. Planning for next year to begin soon...



View Larger Map

6th ride this year

August 7; impromptu trip to Culpeper to eat something; weather perfect; road perfect; ride perfect



More to come!

Fifth Ride 2010 - Quick trip to Yorktown

Slow to getting this one posted...

Quick trip down to Yorktown and back. Nothing particularly special about the ride except that it was nice to ride. If you don't get it, you don't get it...

You can never have too many GPS units

This could work...

crossroads (what to do) from Garvin Nolte on Vimeo.

Stealth technology for motorcycles?

Why wouldn't this work on a motorcycle?


Popular Science is reporting that an Israeli company has developed a paint that will make any aircraft more or less invisible to radar. The claims don't sound outlandish. I willing to test it out...

Stealth Paint New Israeli nanotech paint purportedly turns any airplane or missile into a stealth aircraft.

The Tail of the Dragon has been closed!!

But now it's open...whew!

The Knoxville News Sentinel reported yesterday that US 129, aka the Tail of the Dragon, has reopened yesterday three weeks ahead of schedule. A "massive" rockslide closed the road for nearly four months.

Motorcycle riders everywhere rejoice.

Odd town and road names

I planned a quick overnighter leaving midday on Friday (the gov't got an early out for the 4th...yea!), staying in Culpeper, and returning early evening on Saturday. We passed through a few VA towns with odd names--at least odd to me:

We headed west from home to Gore, VA. A pretty place...no gore.

We headed south for Olddrag, VA. Despite leaving at 2pm, the holiday traffic vacating the nation's Capitol affected our ability to promptly get out of town. Also, I had a suspicion that the route to Olddrag would have us on unpaved roads--something I wasn't in the mood for. So, we called an audible and decided to skip Olddrag and head for the hotel in Culpeper.

After breakfast the next morning, we headed south for Walton's Store Road, then northeast to Cuckoo, and on around to Bumpass, named for Capt. John Thomas Bumpass, Sr.

After stopping at our favorite diner in Fredericksburg for a mid-afternoon lunch, we headed home.

A good trip. We traveled many roads we haven't been on before--something that is increasingly difficult to do in close proximity to home. Total of 345 miles over two days. Lots of fun!

Ride safe...ride often.



A slideshow of some of the photos:

Third Ride 2010

Finally got a few hours on a Saturday to take a ride. With essentially no planning, we headed west to Rte 211 over the mountain and then down the Shenandoah Valley to Harrisonburg where we turned east to Fredericksburg to get a bite and then north back home. A ride we've done a 1000 times, and despite the heat and humidity, it was a nice diversion.

GPS stats:

• Total 242 miles.
• Overall average speed: 29 mph
• Moving average speed: 47 mph
• Max speed: 82 mph
  
• Total time: 8:15
• Moving time: 5:08
• Stopped time: 3:07
  

I intend to do a bit more planning for the next ride.

Ride safe...



View Larger Map

Second Ride

The weekend rides have been few and far between so far this year. I hope to change that soon.

We took off at 8am on Saturday (May 15th) heading south. I quickly laid out a route to upload to my GPS at around midnight the night before so there wasn't much planning that went into this ride. We rode south on Route 1 towards Richmond, headed east on back roads to Route 60 to Jamestown VA. We crossed the Ferry and headed south on Route 31 towards Surry stopping at a small restaurant for lunch. Then northwest on Route 10, crossing the James River near Hopewell continuing on north on Route 2 to Fredericksburg where we stopped for dinner. Then a quick run up I-95 back to home.

We spent a total of 11-hours and 33-minutes to travel the 310 miles. Our moving average was just over 45 mph having spent 6-hours and 40-minutes on the road and the remaining almost 5 hours stopped to eat and for the Ferry. The weather was great and despite essentially no planning, the day trip was a nice diversion from the routine.

Hope to post many more this season. Stay tuned.

Some pics:


Very short video when exiting the Ferry on the Surry side.

First Ride 2010

Last Saturday, my wife and I took a quick trip on our bikes down to check in on her folks and to eat some seafood. Though the ride was uneventful, it fixed attitudes and much needed winter-time-withdrawal-from-bike-riding syndrome.

More to come...

You're next Honda?

(Uni)Cycle of the future?



More info here

Road conditions around here...

...are pretty bad. A perfect storm of significant winter snow with wild & crazy snow plows (in addition to clearing snow, they also take out curbs, guard rails, road signs, etc.) and tight municipal budgets have created circumstances for worse than usual road conditions. It is important to memorize the location of significant potholes; especially when on two wheels.

Maybe someone can come with a Google map that shows pothole locations?

From the Washington Post, Tuesday March 30, 2010:

Not a hole lot you can do to keep roadways smooth

First ride 2010

It's embarrassing to admit this, but March 24th was the first time I took my motorcycle out of the garage this year.

This has got to change.

The beginning of the apocalypse?

The New York Times reports that Harley posted its first loss in 16 years.

Wonder what this portends?

EntroSys motorcycle air conditioning and heating system now taking pre-orders, we wants it (video)

EntroSys motorcycle air conditioning and heating system now taking pre-orders, we wants it (video): "

We'll go ahead and say what you're thinking: a silver hose running up the front of your jacket doesn't really augment any established motorcycle style. This thing looks like a canister vac that's gone rogue and hitched a ride on a pillion seat, but after reading the literature and watching the video below we want one anyway. It's the EntroSys Motorcycle Air Conditioner and it not only cools but also heats, meaning it could be the perfect accessory for those who want to extend their riding season into either the middle or end of the year. It clips on the back of the bike and gets wired in to the battery, the hose running to a special vest worn under your gear. A wireless controller mounted on the bars raises or lowers the temp, and while you will admittedly look utterly ridiculous wearing the thing you might be the only one not sweating to death when you get caught in traffic -- unless of course you're of the flip-flop and tank-top variety. If that's the case, thanks for the high insurance premiums!

Continue reading EntroSys motorcycle air conditioning and heating system now taking pre-orders, we wants it (video)

EntroSys motorcycle air conditioning and heating system now taking pre-orders, we wants it (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 22 Jan 2010 08:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Daily Motorcycle News | EntroSys | Email this | Comments"

2010 -- A New Year and things to do

My to do list:

1. replace cam belts on the Ducati
2. adjust valves on the Ducati
3. think about doing another carb rebuild on Valkyrie (or not)
4. oil change in the GL1800