Bluetooth For Motorcycle Helmets - webBikeWorld

Is this where motorcycle helmet communications is going?



Bluetooth For Motorcycle Helmets - webBikeWorld:

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Aug 13 motorcycle ride to no where...

Well, to Orange VA for a bite to eat. Not thinking too hard about this ride, we took off Saturday morning with little planning trying hard to stay off roads we routinely travel heading to Orange to eat lunch and for my wife and her friend to do some window shopping in the local antique stores. We dodged rain all day. It came a down pour while we were eating. But luckily, we didn't ride in the rain (very much). All in all, this turned out to be a nice trip. See below the map and a few pics I took along the way.
View Larger Map Taking a quick break at Kelly's Ford:

Downtown Orange, VA:

Also, here's a video I took using my Canon point & shoot with a piece of tape over the microphone to cut wind noise. It did a pretty good job!

Harley 3 wheeled prototypes?

Allegedly, Harley commissioned this prototype in the late '90s and revised it (the orange version) in the mid '00s. An interesting take on 3 wheeled motorcycles! Check out the details.

Can you sleep on your motorcycle?

I think I may have gotten too use to a king size bed...

So maybe this would be a better idea?

Britian's oldest motorcyclist at 94

I wonder how they know he's the oldest?

Check out the story here.

BMW Motorcycle builds a scooter...really?

Who says penny-pinching on gas has to be uncool? Check out the details on Motorcycle.com

Motorcycle crash and an unexpected union

Check this out. Kinda funny...

Music to your ears...sounds of the Ducati motorcycle

MP3s, ringtones, everything you need to sound like you're on your favorite Ducati. Check it out here.

Motorcycle repairs made easy

I'm busy trying to figure out how to fix the left fork seal on my wife's GL1800 Goldwing trike...blown apparently by Honda's over zealous anti-dive unit installed on that side.

I came across this particularly useful flow chart for motorcycle repairs:

Places2ride.com says to check out Rte 16 from Tazewell to Marion

I need to check this out. Looks like an excellent road for a ride. I've been to Marion many times, but I can't recall ever being on this particular road.

From Places2ride.com:

An unmatched beauty and riding enjoyment over 32 miles provided by VA Route 16. This two lane ribbon crosses three mountains with more curves that you can count as you view some of the most pristine mountains of Southwest Virginia between Tazewell and Marion.


View Larger Map

At 75, this biker chick says riding is her fountain of youth

Check out the article in the YorkRegion.com local newspaper from points north of here.

Hoverbike using a BMW boxer engine

I gotta get me one of these!!!

Memorial Day motorcycle ride to the Flight 93 crash site

(This post has been delayed by a hard drive that seemed to be flaking out. I reformatted it and reinstalled the OS and other software which took some time. I hope my problems with it are behind me...we'll see.)

My wife and I made an impromptu decision to take an over-night road trip to spend Memorial Day visiting the Flight 93 Memorial crash site in Pennsylvania. We had made a previous road trip to the site in 2007 with two friends and had a very good time. We were interested to see what, if anything, had changed since then. As it turns out, a lot.

The weather during most Memorial Day weekends in the Washington Metro Area is overcast, often cool, and very likely raining. Such has been the case for DC motorcycle event Rolling Thunder for the last 7 or 8 years. So, it was uncharacteristic to hear weather forecasts that promised hot temperatures and no rain.

We got on the road Sunday at around 1pm after church services retracing the route we took four years ago: west-north-west through West Virginia into western Maryland where we spend the night. Then, on Monday Memorial Day, north into Pennsylvania to the Flight 93 crash site with a leisurely ride back home.

Riding north into the oven

It was hot. Record breaking hot. I saw “temperature signs” at banks showing 102o. (Yeah, I should have taken a photo.) The only difference, which is rather significant, is that unlike the dog days of August, the humidity wasn’t overly oppressive. This made the high temperature easier to bear. Enough griping...

The outbound trip was rather uneventful...a good thing. We headed west on Rte 50 to Winchester and then north on various roads winding our way to La Vale, Maryland where we spent the night.

The cacophony of sounds, smells, and sights that defines a motorcycle ride was as invigorating as ever and underscored the righteousness of taking this road trip.


View Larger Map

Tip:

Spray on sunscreen is the best thing since sliced bread. No longer do you have to get your hands all gunky with the slimy stuff and then smear it all over your helmet, handle bars, or motorcycle controls. However, make sure you spray the sunscreen evenly over all exposed skin--otherwise, you going to get those unsightly “sun tattoos”.

The Memorial--currently not the memorial it once was

The official Flight 93 National Memorial will open this year in September commemorating the 10th anniversary of the crash. It looks like it’ll be quite a production. Because so much of the current site is under construction, there wasn’t much to look at and it didn’t have the charm of four years ago. I was taken by the “organic” nature of the memorial back in 2007: monuments, placards, trinkets, and memorials left by visitors touched by the heroism of the flight crew and passengers. I trust the new memorial will be equally gripping when it opens later this year.

The ride back home was uneventful

Though it seemed unusually long, maybe because of the high temperature. We rode back through the mountains primarily along Rte 50 heading east. I listened to an audio book during the entire ride--a great way to multitask.
I’m trusting this most excellent Memorial Day ride is an omen of a good riding season, though admittedly we have no firm plans for a summer trip this year. Maybe something will come up?

Riding stats

450 miles total
30 mph overall avg
40 mph moving avg
70 mph max speed
15 hrs total on the road (not including over night stay)
11 hrs moving
4 hrs stopped

Teaser for 2011 motorcycle riding season -- it has begun!

On Memorial Day weekend, my wife and I rode our bikes to the Flight 93 crash site in Pennsylvania. I'll be posting the experience and GPS data from the ride soon. Stay tuned!

How do you spell crazy on a motorcycle?

World's first Harley-Davidson Road King backflip nearly works

I can think of better things to do with a Road King. These people are C-R-A-Z-Y !!!
(Click the title or pic for more.)

Motorcycle (parts) as furniture

What do you think? Will these lamps disturb the feng shui of your abode?

Car driver knowledge worries me and my motorcycle riding friends

A sobering article in the NY Times about US drivers' rules knowledge. Repeated here w/o permission. Click the title for the original.

What to Do at a Yellow Light? And Other Things American Drivers Don’t Know

By CHERYL JENSEN

If required to take a written drivers’ test today, nearly one in five licensed drivers would not pass, according to results of the 2011 GMAC Insurance National Driver’s Test. This translates to 36.9 million American drivers, or 18 percent of the country’s total licensed motorists, who lack knowledge of some basic rules of the road — a conclusion that probably won’t surprise many drivers.

When asked what a motorist should do when approaching a steady yellow traffic light, 85 percent could not identify the correct action. Meanwhile, according to the survey, only 25 percent of respondents understood the concept of a safe following distance.

This is the seventh annual survey by GMAC, one of the largest automobile insurers in the United States. What little good news the survey bore was modest. The average survey score of all drivers increased from 76.2 percent in 2010 to 77.9 percent this year.

While many New Yorkers would contest this finding, the Empire State no longer ranks last, moving to 45th place after three consecutive years as the lowest performer on the survey, scoring a cumulative 75.3 percent. The District of Columbia now carries the dubious distinction, scoring 71.8 percent. Still, there’s precious room at the bottom: one out of three of all drivers in New York and Washington failed the test.

Men also performed better than women on the survey, earning an average score of 80.2 percent, while women recorded 74.1 percent.

This year’s survey polled 5,130 licensed drivers ages 16-65, from 50 states and the District of Columbia, and gauged driver knowledge by administering 20 questions taken from state Department of Motor Vehicles exams.

Licensed or unlicensed, anyone can take the survey at GMAC’s Web site, but be prepared to provide your name and e-mail address to view your score, and be aware that the box to receive marketing and promotional information is automatically checked.

Ride your motorcycle to work

It's that time of the year again!

I suggest reversing things:
Drive your car to work on the 3rd and ride every other day!

Onboard for 1 lap of the North West 200 motorcycle race at Isle of Man

Sort of a prep race for the Isle of Man TT, the North West 200 is an actual race (as opposed to timed laps) on the same roads. Watch the craziness below:

3 wheeled motorcycles -- a sign of the apocalypse?

Well...it's May 22nd. Despite recent claims that "the Bible guarantees it," yesterday was obviously not the end of the world.

A more reliable indicator of a significant change is the preponderance of 3-wheeled motorcycles on the road. For many folks though, rather than marking the end of the world, riding a 3-wheeler is more like the beginning. The inherent stability of a 3-wheeler opens up motorcycling to more potential riders. While true they will never know the joy of leaning into a turn, taking turns at speed on 3 wheels can be particularly exciting in its own right.

Whether on 2 or 3 wheels, ride like there's no tomorrow!

Motorcyclists from Limerick attempt world record

For the noble cause of Muscular Dystrophy Ireland, 7 motorcycle riders from Limerick hope to make it into the Guinness Book of Records by traveling 1200 miles circumnavigating Ireland in 2 days. (Read more about it here.) A creative blog poster would have written a limerick for the 7 chaps from Limerick...the best I can do is say


Good Luck!

NY Scooter Club!!

I want in!

Gotta find me a scooter though...

...how about this one?

Knowing how to use the brakes is most important on a motorcycle

Proper use of your brakes, especially your front brake, is important if you want to ride your motorcycle for many years to come. Here's a good read recently posted How to use your motorcycle’s brakes and you can check out my 9 riding tips post from Sep 2007 (tip number 5).

Ride Safe!

In other parts of the world, motorcycles are more than just transportation

Check out this photos:

Motorcycle squids know no boundaries!

2 wheels + testosterone = squid in any country








From Urban Dictionary:
1. squid

A young motorcyclist who overestimates his abilities, boasts of his riding skills when in reality he has none. Squid bikes are usually decorated with chrome and various anodized bits. Rear tyres are too wide for their own good, swingarm extended. Really slow in the corners, and sudden bursts of acceleration when a straight appears. Squids wear no protection, deeming themselves invincible. This fact compounds intself with the fact that they engage in 'extreem riding'--performing wheelies and stoppies in public areas. Squids wreck alot. Derived from 'squirly kid'


2. squid

An extremely rare animal with a short lifespan. Usually a new sport bike enthusiast with the reasoning of a lunatic, whom you might see thrashing on an R1 wearing sandals, shorts, and a tee.
When found lying motionless on the pavement, this creature transforms itself into a stream of blood, exposed flesh, and broken limbs. Hence the squid moniker.

No helmet, no gas -- efforts to reduce motorcyclist death rate in India

An interesting incentive to try to get motorcyclists to wear helmets...
I wonder why passing a helmet law doesn't work?

A custom motorcycle using a Moto Guzzi

I'm thinking more and more that a Moto Guzzi of some sort is in my future....what do you think?

A road sign just for motorcyles!

You don't think that is a typo for 'Exiting' vehicles do you?

Motorcycle sportin' a cow skeleton?

What?
Really?




That's not a motorcycle!

Fuel injected scooters from Kymco in South Carolina

A reason to go to Charleston?

Moto Guzzi Stelvio -- the motorcycle SUV market in full tilt

Now it's Moto Guzzi's turn to follow the path blazed by BMW in the on/off-road bikes much in the same spirit as SUVs in the 4-wheel world. A number of manufactures have models that fit into this category including Triumph, Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki, Ducati. Check out Moto Guzzi's Stelvio model.

Women squids -- invincible motorcycle riders

It's being reported in the motorcycle-blog-o-sphere that women riders are starting to pop up amongst the squids. (In case you're not familiar with the term, check out the definition in the urban dictionary: squid, aka stunta.)

Motorcycle taxis -- you up for it?

I mentioned in a previous post that taxi meters had been developed for motorcycles and wondered if they would catch on. Apparently they are...check it out.

Motorcycles and lane splitting -- the way it ought to be everywhere

But alas, I fear it very unlikely to catch on anywhere in the states...save California. Time to go west?

Motorcycle tire pressure -- most important

Check your tires before you mount up this season. It's vitally important for your motorcycle.

Retro BSA custom wins European Motorcycle Show

Less than $10K (including paint). Minimalism at its purest. Check it out: click

Yesteryear's BSA customized by Larry Houghton of Lamb Engineering in the UK.

Harley motorcycles to carry the Made in India logo?

What? Really? Come on...
click

Ducati motorcycle sales this year outpacing last year

Either Ducati hasn’t heard that motorcycle sales are riding an uncertain road or the Italian manufacturer is simply not taking notice. Read the whole story: click

Weird and unusual motorcycle sidecars

Part 2 of a series of photos of motorcycles with sidecars...weird ones. Click



The intensity of this guy is undeniable...but he should have strapped his helmet.

Dogs locate motorcycles with loud pipes

Is there nothing these dogs can't do?  Click here:click

Motorcycle drives through a supermarket in Australia

Crazies in the Land of Auz....
 Click here for the full report: click

 

Wheelie a motorcycle -- advice from an expert

Everything you wanted to know but was afraid to ask:

Motorcycle racer loses rear wheel !!

Unbelievable!

Maxime Berger’s Ducati 1198 loses its rear wheel at Donington Park (a race track in the UK).
“The ring broke and I was lucky because he broke into a slow corner,” says Berger. “I found myself on the ground without knowing what happened.”

Check out the full story at blog.motorcycle.com (click the title or the pic below).

SENA Bluetooth headset & intercom for motorcycles

I wish I knew if this headset was a good as claimed in the review (click the title or the graphic below for the review). I've purchased many intercom / communication systems only to be disappointed with their real-world performance. If you have any experience with this unit, please chime in.

thanks...

Scooter trikes

I guess if they keep publishing 'em, I'll keep posting 'em.

Here's a new take on trikes (click the pic or the title for more):