http://steelhorseclassics.com/ 

Since it was on the way to my weekend destination on Saturday, I decided to stop by for a look-see. I’d been trying to find a particular Guzzi shirt, so I called to inquire about in-stock apparel. After discovering they did indeed have a few items, I mentioned my interest in taking a test ride. My past experience with getting test rides has been pretty dismal, especially in the olden days, but surprisingly I received an affirmative response and the offer of a Griso. Nice!  

I don’t turn down test rides, as each reveals additional knowldge as to the strengths and weaknesses of various manufacturers and the models they offer. The fact that I currently own a Breva gave me the added motivation to see what a Griso might offer.The Griso is basically the same motorcycle as the Breva with a slightly different flavor. You can read my impression of the Breva here: 

http://motorcyclebloggers.com/2006/08/21/breva-eleven-test-ridereview- moto-guzzi-arrives/ 

This was the easiest preflight I’ve ever had before a test ride. Unlike all the liability releases, instuctions, admonitions and warning from other dealers, after a xerox was made of my driver’s license, the Stelhorse boys sent me on my way! Very Nice!! 

The Griso is a very visceral motorcycle. It has just enough mechanical noise and vibration to let you know your on a motorcycle, and not a kitchen appliance. Dropping into 1st gear with an audible clunk, you know it’s ready for business. And yet all the other controls are quite smooth and delicate feeling. It minimalist and low appearance give it a very purposeful look that has a Ducati Monster feel but even cooler. Even my Harley riding buddy commented that it was striking. It had a custom fabricated SuperTrapp exhaust which was as quiet as the stocker at low Rs but had just the right amount of bark when you turned the loud handle.

My only real complaint is that being a naked bike, the lack of a fairing becomes quite evident at anything above 45 MPH. 

Steelhorse Classics is a Moto Guzzi and MV Agusta dealer. Mike and Chris (owner and partner) are serious enthusiasts, and the dealership had as many restored classics as current model machines. It was almost like going to a museum. They had Triumphs, Nortons, BSAs and even an Areil. They also had some very unique Suzukis: a 500 Titan and and RE5 Rotary. While I was there, a guy pulled up on a ‘92 Ducati 900SS (I’ve previously owned two). Needless to say, I spent a couple hours at the shop oogling, taking photos and swapping stories. Just the kind of perfect morning a real enthusiast needs now and again. Especially when his home state is up to it’s hips in snow this time of year. Did I mention it hit 80 deg here a few days ago? 

While the test ride was complimentary, I did purchase a few small items as a show of appreciation (and I kinda like ‘em too). I like to take care of people who take care of me. When all was said and done and I was heading out the door, I asked about upcoming events and was informed that April 12th was MV Agusta Demo Day. Since I’ll be back here on business again during that same timeframe, you can bet I’ll be back for another test ride! This time on a Brutale, and maybe even an F4. 

Thanks, Steelhorse Classics, for a wonderful, old school dealer experience! Looking forward to our next visit. 

Rhino

The installation was not too bad.  Its a little intimidating since there are a lot of parts in total, but the instructions are online and they are straight forward.  The only trouble I had was the number of times I had to exchange the plates to get the right gap.  Rekluse notes that it is very important to have 0.030″-0.037″ gap between the first friction plate and the first steel plate in the clutch pack.  Then you have to ride it for twenty minutes and check it again since the pack ’settles’. 

FWIW, I chose the medium spring that has low RPM and quick engagement (minimal slipping).

Going into the ride. I had two concerns:

1. An inability to stay locked up, thinking the clutch would slip at WFO.
2. Me.  My ability to not grab for and rely on the lever that was no longer there.

Anyway, I got out to the trails on Saturday to try it out.  Immediately I noticed that I was absolutely hauling ass through the washes.  In the past, I have struggled in the washes to carry speed, especially through the 90 degree turns with berms.  I have also had an inability to simply hang it out - almost  dirt track style - coming out of the turns.  Nonsense!  I can’t really answer why I did so well, but I hung right with the other guy I ride with and he usually loses me within half of a minute.  Heh - he looked back once a couple miles down the wash and had to do a double take after seeing I was right there.

I also noticed that in the berms, I could lock the rear brake to get the back end moving and the engine would simply go to idle without any effort or thought.  It is possible that I simply ride the 4-stroke better in the washes than a two-stroke, but not likely.  I truly did not expect that kind of difference in the fast stuff.

We then rode some tight enduro type single track trails…or goat trails as I call them.  The 426 is usually pretty bitchy on these type of trails in terms of stalling with no forgiveness for the wrong gear selection.  Again, I rode these trails faster than I ever have in the past.  The other guy had me take the lead so he could see the rear wheel workings.  He normally loses me quickly in these sections and commented “that’s as fast as I was comfortable riding through there”.  It really helped on the tight, steep, rocky uphills where fanning the clutch was removed from the thought process, allowing me to focus more on other things. 

I was actually giddy.  I would consider myself a good rider with a lot of off-road experiece, but not incredibly fast.  I’m more reliable, in that it may take me a while, but I’ll eventually show up.  To the contrary, I rode the best I ever have with confidence and speed.

Now that I’ve covered the good, I discovered an area that need improvement - hill climbs.  Specifically, the two track ones that are steep, rocky and require lots of momentum.  When this clutch locks, IT LOCKS.  I found myself trying to manage low-speed wheelies as I was trying to climb up steep grades.  If I was able to keep momentum, no problem.  But if I lost momentum, I was fighting loopng the bike.  Hills that I got up on the YZ250 without too much problems by fanning the clutch, I could not make up with the 426.  Its not the bike, but rather inexperience of me trying to get the technique sorted.

That said, I am wanting a higher RPM engagement and more clutch slip.  Fortunately, the kit came with the optional clutch override kit that supposedly has these exact adjustments.  It is in the process of being installed at the moment and I have yet to test it out.  The physical installation was pretty easy.  All that is left is the adjustments.

In summary, I rode the best I ever had in the high speed washes (pleasant surprise) and the single track tight stuff (somewhat expected, but still did better than I thought).  I also struggled with hill climbs where I could carry speed (unpleasant surprise).  If, in fact, the clutch override kit works as stated, this will take my riding to new levels.  I just wonder if somehow I’m cheating.  Nah - its called riding smart, not hard (as I age, these labor saving devices are vital).

 I spent a recent weekend with about 30 like-minded nutcases in Primm, Nevada learning how little I really knew about riding off-road. I started riding in the dirt pretty late in life, about age 35. Fortunately, several experienced friends gave me plenty of practical suggestions to get me through my initial rides. And over subsequent years, I acquired additional ideas that helped me refine my craft.  But over the last few years I could smell the stagnation of a lack of fresh information. So it didn’t take much cajoling from one of my early mentors to convince me to sign-up for professional instruction.

Besides, the fact that I could combine it with a preceding week of riding in AZ this time of year didn’t hurt.

In case Jimmy’s name isn’t familiar to you, he was Cycle World magazine’s off-road editor for a bunch of years. He also competed in numerous long distance dirt events including the Baja 1000 and the Paris to Dakar. In the later, he took 3rd place in 1994. So the guy pretty much knows what he’s doing. The fact that he rides a BMW GS1200 means he tends to attract the Beemer crowd, but all brands, displacements and skill levels are welcomed. Jimmy performs all the same drills he asked us to attempt, but on the big and very heavy GS.

The class lasts 2 full days and costs about $600 and includes a very complete lunch both days as well as dinner the night in between.

The class had quite a diverse group of attendees. In addition to the expected GS, HP and X-Challenge BMW groups, there was substantial representation from the Austrian and Japanese faithful also. One guy even gave it a go on A Suzuki 650 V-Strom. The age seemed to range from mid-20s well into the 50s and maybe beyond. Even the fairer gender had several representatives. This mix demonstrates a  large diversity of riders in the off-road community.

We spent the first day doing drills. While this may not seem very interesting or challenging, it really let’s you know where you’re at and some of them were things you normally wouldn’t attempt while just out for a trail ride. My favorties were:

Purposely locking up the front wheel to get intimate with the sensation, and then reacting appropriately by releasing the front brake. I’ve always been very uncomfortable with a sliding front wheel but as I gained the “feel” for it, I started purposely trying to hold it on as long as possible and “enjoyed” it. The low sun angle this time of year allowed us to see the spokes stop rotating and feel the difference during the transition from rolling to sliding and back. Fantastic!

I also really enjoyed practicing unweighting the front wheel to assist in clearing objects which may be encountered out on the trail. It didn’t take long for this to turn in wheelie practice due to the ease with which the WR would hoist the front end.

 The second day we went trail riding and interspersed it with a few additional practical drills. We divided ourselves into “hard” and “easy” groups and took separate trails to various rendezvous points. I choose the hard group and was rewarded with several very challenging sections that really test my mental and physical envelope. Perfect!

My most remembered moments were:

On a first stop of the second day, during a demonstration of ledge ascent/descent, Jimmy used me as an example of how vertical a bike bike can get without going over.

Later in the day, some of the riders in the easy group were given a chance to try something a little harder. When the first two members of the hard group got stuck going up the steep climb, most of the courage gathered earlier in the day by several members of the easy group waned. Most headed back down the easy way. As the third starter, I motored past one of the zero-velocity climbers and made it to the top without event. Serious accomplishment confidence!One of our stops was a sizable sand dune. My first attempt at a long, steep sand climb was successful and exhilerating, so I did it several more times, gaining additional confidence and knowledge.

No one was made to do anything they didn’t want too, which kept everyone basically in their own personal comfort zone.The biggest lessons I learned were: I should be spending most of my time on the pegs (sitting takes away stability and control), the front brake is still more important than the rear (even in the dirt), smooth throttle application keeps your wheels in line and in control and it’s better to slow down and have more time to react to a hazard than hammering it and hoping for the best.

I definitely give this class my highest rating and will probably take it again next time my skills need a jump start. And if you find yourself looking for a top notch school to improve your own personal off-road riding skills…….

http://www.jimmylewisoffroad.com/Jimmy_Lewis_Off-Road_Riding_School/Ji mmy_Lewis_Racing_Inc._.html 

Rhino

ALL PHOTOS COURTESY OF CLASS MEMBER JASON LIEBRECHT

The book is the chronicling of his life story from the perspective of how his life experiences and motorcycles influenced the outcome.  Dennis served as a Special Forces soldier in the Vietnam War.  After the war, he spent time at various military locations in the US, owning different motorcycles.  While abroad, Dennis met the woman of his life and they eventually settled down in Japan.

Dennis did a lot of riding in Japan with a riding club called Camp Zama Motorcycle Club.  The book tells of the rise and fall of the club, as well as the final scene of Dennis’s riding career - with a friend riding off on his (now) sold Ninja.  He has not ridden since.

The book is well written and a short, easy read.  Having read some other articles from Dennis, he is a deep thinker, sometimes with a focus on the soft side.  Throughout the book, he challenges each reader that life is about finding one’s own Holy Grail.  As every reader will find out, Dennis has found his.

The long story…..

Many times I am quick to review a product after a first fitting or second usage. I like to run with my first impression and in general it rarely fails me. But sometimes my first impression is not always the way I feel about something in the long term. In the case of my Barnacle Bill leathers my opinion has improved during the past year I have owned them.

Back up a bit to the summer of ’06, and my decision to have a custom made leather racing suit. After a long search I decided on Barnacle Bill racing leathers. Now I know the name sounds silly, but the fact is that Bill has a loyal following though the WERA road racing message board. Bill has been repairing leathers for years and though his knowledge gained repairing suits, Bill now makes customs suits. Bill’s leathers are basic in color and design, but high on top quality materials, construction and are very crashable.

The first step in getting a Barnacle Bill suit is to get measured. This is the most critical and challenging point of the whole process. Bill’s measurements are very detailed and I think are best handled by having a Tailor take the measurements. I would also call Bill and verify how he would like the measurements taken. Since this is a one off suit, any error creates troubles down the line. In my case I did not have a Tailor take the measurements and my wife and I did the best job we could. In the end we had one measurement that was off and created a less that ideal situation.

Once you have your order form, you send off your deposit and the form to Bill via the US Mail. For all of today’s high technology, Bill is into working and creating something that is not digital. Because of that, Bill works in the world of checks, shipping and phone calls. Don’t forget to send any extra info like lettering for the suit. In my case I had some special letters made up in the “Blade runner” style of font. In addition I also wanted the uber cool speed hump with the lettering going across the hump.

After a reasonable period of time, Bill created a suit and shipped it out to me. When I got it home I was so very excited and could not wait to put it on. Like a kid at Christmas I got into the suit and immediately got on my bike. At this point I had lost a ton of objectivity and was eager to have my new suit. The bad part is the suit just did not fit right and it cut into my neck when I tried to get into a tuck. I took some pictures and made a phone call the next day to Bill. In my eagerness to get to use the suit, I did not listen to Bill’s questions, and requested the front edge of the neck to be trimmed so it would fit. Bill asked something about the rise in the back, but I was not listing. Still I sent off the suit and Bill made the adjustments.

The suit returned and I was off to the races. I wore the suit a few times and it fit, but a few people commented that the speed hump looked low. I ignored this and continued to wear my lovely suit and even crashed once in it. But between September ‘06 and May ’07, I started to realize that things just were not right. I gave bill a call and told him how I felt the hump was to far down my back and that the top of my back board was exposed. Bill said to send it back and we would figure out what was wrong and get it adjusted.

A month or so passed from the time of that call till one day, out of the blue, Bill gave me a call. He said he has been waiting for the suit and wondering if I was sending it. That was something I did not expect, a call to get my suit back and work on it. At bill’s request we took a few measurements and found that the measurement for the length along the back was not correct. The measurement sheet calls out from the “Seam” of my underwear (I wear underarmor) to the back of the shirt collar. With me being a big guy the start and end point was not where bill expected them to be. Bill was nice enough to tell me where on my BODY to measure and we got a difference of 5”. This is not so much Bill’s fault, but the fact that as you become “non-standard” in size; some measuring points need to be considered carefully.

Shipping the suit back to Bill, he rebuilt the suit. Bill did not “adjust” the suit; he basically added a large additional panel and rebuilt the whole back of the suit. At the same time I had Bill do a full suit cleaning for $75. This is a barging where bill washes, dries and conditions the suit. This process takes a week or more, and required the armor and inner liner to be removed. Bill also added some more ventilation to help with the phoenix heat. Bill was very reasonable for the fee to correct the measurement issue. Considering this was a suit that was almost a year old.

I got the suit back in time for an Endurance race in August. The difference in the suit was amazing, the fit was now much better, I don’t feel so bound up and I move around better in the suit. After several go around the suit fits and works as Bill had intended it to.

So this is all good, I got a custom suit and it fits. So what you say, all customs suits should do this. The bigger deal is how good the suit works when you go down, as all other things are secondary to how well the suit crashes. Twice now from personal experience the barnacle bill suit crashes very well. I have had two crashes in the suit, both have been low sides.

The first crash in November ’06, was a slow low side around 30mph. I had a cold tire crash and fell on my right shoulder. The suit handled this with just some light scrapes and some color worn off the top of the suit. No seams were damaged or blown out; I did not have a bruise on my arm or shoulder and not a friction burn to be found. The wife touched up the suit with Kraft paint at Bill’s suggestion and I continued on with the suit.

The Second crash was in September ’07, and was another low side crash. This time I was caring a bit more speed and fell around 70mph at the apex of a corner. This hit was hard again on the same right side shoulder and forearm. After I separated from the bike and slid off the track I got tumbled around and slid on my ass and finally my right arm and ended up face down in some rough paved asphalt. Getting up I walked away and the first thing I said was, man these Bill leathers are great. The fall was at a good speed and still the leathers are in good shape. The seat of the leathers is a bit roughed up and the fore arms show some wear. For all of this, I did not come off with one bruise. I did have a dime sized minor friction burn on my elbow, and that was it. Don’t get me wrong this was a hard hit onto my shoulder and fore arm. I was good to go and racing the same day in the same suit.

So what is the verdict on my Barnacle Bill Suit?
First take good measurements, and measure twice and call Bill with any questions. If I was to do it again I would have a pro take the measurements. I am thinking of flying out to see bill and have him measure me up.

Second the leathers work, they work well and are durable. If you want fancy graphics, I am sure bill can do that. But the reality is this is a durable suit where style takes a back seat to function. I am not saying this is a superman suit, but I have a lot of confidence that this suit will do the best job possible in protecting me.

So in conclusion, if you want a suit that is durable, crashes well and is made by someone who cares about you as a customer, a Barnacle Bill suit is a good choice. Remember when you get that Barnacle Bill suit, Bill has personally made your pattern, cut the leather and sewn it together for you. If something ever happens to the suit, Bill can repair it back to the way it was. It’s hard not to love something that does its job and is made by someone who cares about you and how happy you are with the suit. BTW, it’s made in America; few off the rack suits can say that.

As a few of you know, I built up a Harbor Freight folding trailer. In general
this trailer was working out well for me, taking a bike to and from the local
tracks in Phoenix, AZ. But to be honest I am I worry wart and never felt
comfortable using the trailer to tow a bike a longer distance. Add to this, I
added a second race bike to my fleet, and I felt it was time for a better
motorcycle trailer.

The biggest factor for me on any trailer is storage. I liked how the folding
trailer fit into my garage, and wanted to keep that feature. With that it
narrowed my choices in trailers down to a few folding trailers. The top of the
line is the Kendon trailer series. The Kendon trailer has a low platform
height, torsion axle, 2000lb total capacity, 13” tires, built in wheel chocks
and a host of other nice features.

So being a cheep guy, I decided I needed to find a USED kendon trailer. My
first point of search then became craigslist.org. The good thing about
craigslist.org is that heavy stuff like a trailer is an easier sell than places
like eBay. Craigslist.org has become the new pennysaver magazine on the
internet, where you can get anything and the prices are all over the place.

For months I searched craigslist.org to find a number of Kendon trailers for
sale. The bad part is the prices people were asking for, was almost as much as
a new one. $2200 for a used trailer is more than I wanted to pay. But if you
first don’t find a deal, search and search some more. A deal is always around
the corner if you keep your eye open.

As the spring moved into the heat of summer, the prices for motorcycle stuff
starts to go down. Buying in the off-season is always a good deal, and the off
season for phoenix is June though August. Just as I had hoped, the few kendon
trailers on craigslist.org were not selling in 3 to 5 days, as they did just a
few months earlier. Prices on some of these trailers started to drop, and it
was time for me to strike a deal.

I found a person selling a “Lightly Used” 2003 Kendon trailer. Over the phone
the trailer was a low mileage gem, having only been used 3 times for towing.
Talk is cheep, but you got to go see the item to know what is what. I went out
on a Saturday morning and looked at this gem of a trailer. While not in bad
shape, the trailer was not used only 3 times. Some paint had been worn away in
a few spots, and the trailer had been used a bit more than described. A good
inspection of the trailer found a loose wheel bearing and I pointed out a few
points of paint wear. Also I noted the trailer was not registered in phoenix,
and offered $300 off the asking price. To my surprise, the guy took the $1200
and I was the proud owner of a used trailer.

After transferring the title and getting all the paperwork in order, I took this
bad boy home to enjoy looking at it parked in my garage. I looked at the
trailer for a whole month in my garage before I made the effort to work on the
wheel bearings. During this month I researched the correct bearings to install,
installation procedure, and history of the trailer axle.

The Kendon trailer uses a Dexter torsion beam axle. One would figure that it
would be easy to figure out what parts I needed, and have it shipped to my door.
The one person would be completely WRONG in that assumption. Calling Dexter
Axle Company provides you with the experience that no one knows what they build.
I offered up the make and model of my Kendon trailer and was told, they have no
clue what axle they sold them. I then called back with the serial number of
the axle at their request, and learned no one knew what that axle was. A third
call to their “Engineering” department taught me that the axle tube assembly was
a 3500lb unit, but the axles are a 2000lb style. This special “Hybrid” axle had
unique parts that were not in their catalog. I ordered the parts they suggested
and waited three weeks for parts that never were to arrive. After losing my
order and no one knowing what I wanted, I gave up.

My next step was to research local parts supplier. To my luck in phoenix a
company called “Auto Safety House” (_www.autosafetyhouse.com_
) handles Dexter axles and parts. All I would
need to do is bring the bearings and hubs down, and my supplier would fix me up.

So one Saturday I decide to take the hubs off my trailer. All goes well with
removing the old wheels and I move on to getting the dust caps off. When I
remove the dust cap on the right side wheel, I notice a lot of dark gray grease.
Thinking nothing of it, I remove the cap locking the nut on the axle; remove
the nut with my fingers. Taking the hub off, I gather the bearings and clean
all the dark gray grease out of the hub. Moving to the left side, when I remove
the dust cap, I find nice clean red grease and not to much of it. Again
removing the hub I find bearings but in nice clean grease.

Playing with the bearings I find the right hand bearings were in poor shape.
But what would you expect from a used trailer. My guess was the previous owner
hit a curb or other object with the right wheel and damaged the bearings. He
then pulled the dust cap off, added some grease to the axle assembly and sold
the trailer. Luckily, I replaced the parts.

I took the old parts to Auto Safety House, and got new hubs with bearing races
installed and all new bearings and grease. All these parts cost $60 and a
bearing packer and grease gun was only another $40 at my local NAPA store. I
put everything back together with new seals, full pack of grease and I was good
to go. The wheels now spun freely and without freeplay.

Another 4 weeks passes and I finally have a reason to use my $1300 trailer.
Taking a single bike on a 350mile one way trip to Deming, New Mexico. Almost
from the time I entered the freeway, I though, this is one good trailer. The
unit towed straight and true, even though only one bike was on it, the unit did
not sway or have any control issues. Loading the bike is easy, strapping it
down is simple, and it tows nice and straight. What more could I want?

Well a few things would help it out.
More tie down points, for a motorcycle trailer there is few dedicated tie down
points.
Ramp holder is not to easy to use when there is a bike on the trailer. Having
to slide it under the trailer and get it on two studs is not that great. Till I
come up with a better mounting system, the ramp just stays in the SUV.
How about a tongue jack? There is no way to level the trailer without it being
attached to a tow vehicle. At times I like to load my motorcycles the night
before and leave the trailer in the garage over night. With this trailer, it
is not that easy to do.

*Review Summary*
The good:
Tows straight and true
Easy to load the bike on it
Tilts up for easy storage

The Bad:
Ramp mount on trailer hard to reach when trailer has a motorcycle on it.
No tongue jack to hold the trailer up

The Ugly:
Buying a used trailer with a bad wheel bearings. Cleaning all that grease, Yuck!

First up was a Bimota SantaMonica. On a Saturday, I stopped by my favorite Parts and Accessories shop. The owner and I have become pretty good friends over the last 10 years. Turns out his support of the industry has put him in good standing with the North American Bimota rep. Apparently, the SantaMonica was a demo model that needed some additional miles on the odo and the rep left it at the shop knowing my buddy would take it for a good spin on Sunday. Of course, since it was Saturday and him being a moto-proprietor, meant it was sitting idle. My appreciation of fine two-wheeled hardware is well known, so he immediately led me into the service area for a show and tell session. Then, out of the blue, he asked if I’d like to take it for a spin? After intial hesitation (there’s something about the chance of throwing half a years salary down the road), I headed back home to retreive my helmet and gear.

For the uninitated, Bimota is an abbreviation for BIanchi/MOrri/TAmburini, three of the most repected Italian motorcycle designers. Pronounced Bee-mota, the company choose early on not to compete with the Japanese in engine building (a virtually hopeless endeavor), but to instead to focus on their core skills of chassis design and styling. Over the years, they’ve produced several outstanding models, albeit with correspondingly weighty price tags. They’ve also had a few flops, especailly when they tried, quite unsuccessfully, to produce their own powerplant and catastrophically a two-stroke at that, just as the demise of the oil burners was at hand. The V-Due was probably one of the most anticipated motorcycles of it’s era, but it’s direct port injection was never perfected. The small size of the company allowed these “flops” to bankrupt the brand on several occasions, but passion and creative finances always seems to rescue it from oblivion. Bimota’s model designations typically credits the engine manufacturer’s contribution, Bimota’s contribution, the sequential version of the engine used by the particular manufacturer and any additional descriptors. The SantaMonica I rode is a variant of the SB8R (Suzuki/Bimota/8th Suzuki engine variant/Race), just wrapped in different bodywork.

So, what did I think of this particular Bimota? I didn’t like it! Have you ever heard the expression “more than the sum of it parts”? Well this bike was LESS than the some of it’s parts. It’s almost as if the best parts were all thrown together without any consideration given to whether they would work together. Ohlins suspension, Brembo brakes, OZ wheels, carbon bodywork, one of the most powerful V-twin motors ever produced ……. and it felt completely unsorted. The brakes were too sudden with very little “feel”, the suspension was harsh in all but perfectly smooth conditions, it was so light that the least input would upset the whole package, the riding position was sportbike extreme with a long reach to the bars, short reach to the pegs and the rear of the gas tank splaying you like you were doing a deep knee bend, the motor only made good power between 5000 and 8000 rpms. Even though I’m sure the suspension could’ve been tuned for a much better ride, I’d expect a $35,000 motorcycle to already be in the ballpark. I was disappointed.

Next up, the Ducati HyperMotard. Salt Lake Motorsports, the local purveyor of Italy’s most popular brand, had received a demostrator of their very own. This latest Terblanche interpretation of minimalism has held much anticipation and promise. There not much to the HyperMotard. It’s basically a dirtbike with an air-cooled, dual-spark 2-valver stuffed between the trellis framerails. Having owned and ridden several Ducatis during my riding career, I figured I’d enjoy this bike. Nope! Like the Bimota, it was too extreme. This bike only suits one type of riding: gnarly, twisty, point and shoot roads. The singular focus of this model makes it worthless for almost any type of practical riding, It had an unnerving tendancy to only want to lean over to about 35 deg and then required substantial effort to get it over further, wanting to run wide on corner exits. While I’ll admit, it probably had something to do with tire profile, it seemed awkward even in it’s element. The brakes were way too powerful for a bike of this weight and combined with a riding position has you on top of the bike (rather than in the bike), makes it feel as if you could go over the bars in an instant. I will compliment the super light weight feel and a very character filled motor that allows the machine to accelerate with amazing authority (I wish they would find a way to put this combination in a Supersport model like to old 900SS), then I think they’d have a real winner.

Chronologically bringing up the rear in this comparison was the Benelli Tornado, but only chronologically! Of these 3 bikes, the Benelli seemed the most sorted, with all the elements complimenting each other. My chance to ride the Benelli came as a result of an invitation extended by a former riding partner who just happened to be in town. Toward the end of a recent group ride, she mentioned a willingness to let me sample her mount. This type of invitation from this person is quite rare, so I geared up quickly in the event her generosity had a time limit. The ride was fairly short but over some fantastic twisties, so I had the chance to put the bike through it’s paces a bit. The most noticable aspect when you first start the bike is the fantastic exhaust note. It’s a 900cc triple, and makes a very satisfiying sound, especially as it nears redline. In fact I made sure the revs were up as I brought the bike through the final few corners, so that the owner could receive the maximum aural benefit. But what amazed me most was how each system on the bike worked in harmony with the others. The brakes were strong with very nice feel without being grabby and you could trail them toward the apex without the common stand-up reaction, the motor made very predictable and satisfying power throught it’s entire rev range, the suspension was very well sorted with a soft feel at lower speeds that progressively tightened up in the rougher stuff, the steering was light and acurate, the overall balance of the bike encouraged you to select whatever leaning angle you deemed appropriate and mid-corner correction were effortless.

I know I’m being picky in my assessment of these motorcycles, but I’ve been spoiled by the incredible balance of Japanese machines. Once the price gets figured in, it’s game over as far as I’m concerned. Will I eschew futures opportunities to ride bikes like this? No Way! But I can’t be swayed by their bling factor or price tag, they’ve got to WORK too. After riding all of these supposed wonder bikes, I’d take my GSXR 750 and pocket the $10,000 to $25,000 difference.

Rhino

Anyway, this garment serves as a full body suit made of stretch lycra and a mesh material around the chest for ventilation.  It has two main functions.  The first and most important is to wick away moisture.  The second is to provide a slippery surface so that the rider can get in and out of his leathers without help - “pull my sleeve would ya”.

For both purposes, this suit functions very well.  Its a one-piece design with a zipper that runs from the neck to the nads and has a snug fit. 

NOTE:  When this suit is exposed (restaurant, etc.), BEWARE.  The phrase I have came up with over the years is “Euro-fag”.  Please note that there is an online quiz called “gay American or European tourist”, which is its origin.  Seriously though, the suit is black and white and 100% form-fitted.

Unlike cotton, it keeps the moisture away from your body and dries fast.  The outside of the material is slippery enough to get even custom one-piece leathers on by yourself.

When I bought this suit, they had a special going.  They threw in an extra, lower grade one-piece suit for free.  This suit is 100% standard lycra with no mesh or fabric change in the joint areas.  It works well if I’m on a 2-day trip since the main suit is rather ripe by the end of day #1.

The Good:

• Unlike so many things today, it does what it is supposed to do very well:  wick away moisture & aid in donning your leathers
• Machine washable
• All-day comfort

The Bad:

• In my opinion, these have poor stitching quality.  Every time I out them on I hear stitching pop.  That said, nothing has unraveled yet…yet
• Very gay looking if exposed
• UnderArmor much more readily available with more options and equally as good.

The UGLY:

• Website is toast.  No idea if they are still in business.
• For us yankees, they are in Europe.

Overall Rating:

Overall I like the suit.  It was excellent for its time, but now that UnderArmor is at your local mall, I’m not sure I would go this route again (today I wear UnderArmor in hot weather riding on my dirt bike). 

A blurb from the manufacturer’s description:

The Vision:M is Creative’s newest creation poised with an impressive set of features. The most notable feature is the video playback file support which easily handles MPEG, DivX, XviD, WMV9, and Motion-JPEG. The video, as well as photos, play back on the Vision:M’s bright 2.5” 262k color 320 x 240 pixel screen.

Since my Toshiba experience, I knew that this unit also did not come with a docking station.  In fact, this one came with less:  no wall plug, video out cable, etc.  The only cord that came with it was an USB to device cable for the slow charging.  Knowing this in advance and kicking out $30 on ebay got me all the accessories I’ll ever need including all the cables, a ‘crystal’ hard case, and a silicone skin.

After a 24-hour charge, it was time to find out how to use this PMP.  Like the Gigabeat, it functions very well with Windows Media Player 11 for content management.  Everything is drag and drop.  A couple things I noticed right away were that the screen clarity and color was much better than the Gigabeat.  Second, the button layout was far superior for my needs.

There are four buttons and a touch pad for navigation.  Oddly, there is no button for volume control but…there is kind of.  The upper left button is a “shortcut button” to which you assign your specific feature you want to control.  Volume is one of the features you can select (as I did).  The buttons get you to the menus, and the touch pad used for scrolling lets you operate the lists vertically by movement of your thumb up or down.  A tap in the center serves as the “enter” button.  The touch pad has a sensitivity setting, and even though I chose the lowest, its still alittle sensitive to the touch for my fingers.  Finally, the touch pad is a rocker button.  Press the right side and you skip forward one song, press the left side and you skip backward one song.

What’s cool is that aside from the power button located on the top of the PMP, the screen and all the controls are on the same surface.  For my tank bag PMP pocket, this is the ideal case.  Full navigation with motorcycle gloves through a plastic cover is a breeze.  In this configuration, however, volume cannot be changed.  The touch pad works as a click only, but moving your thumb up and down does not work through the tank bag plastic pouch…there must be direct contact.  So far, that is the only complaint.

I’ll spare everybody about sound quality, etc. because the earphones matter much more than the device on a motorcycle.  Oh yeah, and I’m not an audiophile and don’t really know what the hell I’m talking about anway.

Battery life was just over eleven hours on the first charge at 80% volume.  I drove from Phoenix to San Francisco via Death Valley and Yosemite Nat’l Park.  Needless to say, there were many hours of no broadcast radio reception.  I could have increased the battery life by lowering the PMP volume and increasing the car stereo volume, but that was an afterthought.  I am going to Japan in a couple of weeks and it will get long continuous play, so I should have a better idea of battery life.

One thing I noticed is that the screen did not ’sleep’ when a song was playing.  It would dim, but not go dark.  I am curious as to why not disable the screen after a period of time without button use, thinking that this is an unnecessary draw on the battery.  I did discover that if you ‘lock’ the system, the screen does turn off.

The Good:

• All the buttons are big and easily as well as accurately used with motorcycle gloves
• Battery life seems to be on target at about 12 hours
• Beautiful and bright display screen, even in full daylight
• Total price was $180 with the ebay accessories
• Supposed 4 hours of video play (to be determined)

The Bad:

• No docking station
• No accessories - bare minimum in the box
• Price - without the rebate, it would have been $230 with the ebay accessories

The UGLY:

• I’m not an electronics guy, but my guess is that with a sleep mode for the screen, battery life coud be significantly extended.
• My fingers - I do not have the soft touch to not click the touch pad when I am scrolling.  Hopefully that will come with time.

Overall Rating:

While I have not tried an iPod, I cannot wish for more with this PMP.  There is no guess work about buttons and evry button can be operated with motorcycle gloves.  The bright screen is easily visible in the broad daylight and is brilliant for colors.  While I may be avoiding the best PMP in the iPod, I am totally satisfied the the Creative Zen Vision:M that I now own and would recommend it to anyone that want to have sound with their riding experience…and the ability to make adjustments on the fly.

NOTE:  To answer the obvious questions as to why not an iPod?  I don’t know.  I have this thing.  I don’t like Apple.  And since I ride an Aprilia, I have proof that I’m not trendy.

After much research and reading of the reviews at various online electronics websites, I settled the Toshiba Gigabeat with 30GB.  The reviews had glowing things to say about the software interface between the unit and Windows Media Player 11.  On the flip side, some people complained about the lack of battery life and poor customer service. 

Here’s a blurb from the product description:

The new Toshiba gigabeat S series utilize 1.8″ hard disk drives for storing audio, video, photos and even recorded television programs. With an easy-to-use interface, superb multimedia capabilities and a large, vivid 2.4″ LCD display, you can now effortlessly select, download, manage and enjoy multimedia content from anywhere at anytime. Content management is made easy through the use of Microsoft Windows Mobile based Portable Media Center software which lets you download and transfers your favorite videos, music, photos and even TV Shows. It’s capable of holding an incredible 30GB of digital media: MP3 and WMA compressed audio and even uncompressed, full-resolution WAV files. That’s about 7,500 songs at 128 kbps MP3, or 15,000 songs at 64 kbps WMA. Its bright, crystal-clear, 2.4-inch LCD screen offers 320 x 240 resolution and the ability to render over 65,000 colors to ensure elite video and picture quality of your videos, photos and even movies come to life!

Sounds good, right? Well here’s my story…

I ordered the unit from buydig.com for about $200.  They were great and the unit was at my door in about three days with standard shipping.  One thing I noticed right away is that it did not come with a ocking station for charging.  It did come with a 2-piece cord to plug into the wall, but I think these days, a docking station is best.  But I digress.

So I charge the unit up overnight and dump about 2 GB worth of illegally downloaded music on the hard drive.  For the next three days, I commuted on my bike to downtown Phoenix for training.  This was about an hour (no less) each way. 

To have music on my ride was nothing short of transforming a regular commute to something that was enjoyable.  The “cross” on the front of the unit is how you navigate the menus with the center button serving as the “enter”.  On the side of the unit are the small round buttons and one elongated button.  The top button is the power button, the elongated button controls the volume, and the three bottom buttons either pause or skip one song forward /backward. 

With motorcycle gloves on, I was able to easily navigate the menus on the front and get started on my commute.  However, when (for whatever reason) it came time to skip a song, it proved next to impossible to get it right.  Again, imagine trying to find the correct small button, at 70mph on the highway (doh!) with motorcycle gloves on.  One time I even turned the thing off accidentally.  Adjusting the volume was guess-work too.  Half the time I altered the volume opposite of my intent.

None of this really mattered much since this was my first day and I knew that over time I would learn how to use this thing efficiently.  Day #2 came and things slightly improved with my finger work on the way to training.  Unfortunately, on the way home the battery charge died.  While that sucked - about three hours of play time compared to the twelve claimed - I wasn’t too worried since it was the first charge.  I WAS WRONG.

That turned out to be my best charge of my ownership.  After the fourth charge lasting less than three hours, I called customer service and they agreed to repair the unit.  I sent it in (at my cost) and they did their thing.  I got it back within a week and was happy.  At this point, I am going to give the Cliif’s Notes version of the remainder of my experience:

• Got it back
• Battery lasted about three hours max (with minimalist power usage settings).
• Sent it back (at my cost…grrrrrr)
• Got it back
• Battery lasted about three hours AGAIN!!!
• Got a customer service guy on the phone and he said that they were out of new units and wondered if “I would accept a refund”
• Hell yes
• 4-6 weeks to process a refund after they receive the unit back (at my cost…#!$#$%)

A note on Toshiba’s customer service.  Each time I called them, they were very nice, cordial, and apologetic.  That said, I think their system sucks.  When I ultimately returned my unit for a new unit, it went to a different facility in a different state.  I got no response after ten days from delivery so I contaced them.  When I called the customer service line to confirm that they received the returned item, I was told that “they are a different department” and that they had no way of knowing the status.  The result was that after pestering three different people throughout the next week or two, I finally got someone who knew how to get the info I needed, and he was the one who offered a refund instead of an exchange.  Overall, this disconnect left me hanging for almost two weeks and I found that totally unacceptable.

The Good:

• Content management was a snap with WMP 11.
• Very nice display.
• Smaller than iPod.
• Came with all necessary cords and cables.

The Bad:

• Power, skip, pause, and volume controls were on the side of the unit.
• Same buttons were too small to use with motorcycle gloves.
• No docking station.
• 2-piece A/C adapter.

The UGLY:

• Battery life, battery life, and battery life was a show-stopper.  Period.
• Customer service disconnect (OK, that was the claim) between the departments is unacceptable. 

Overall Rating:

To me, it doesn’t matter how good the sound is or how good the content management is (the only reasons for the non-zero rating), three hours is not enough.  That’s less than a flight from Phoenix to Detroit (ask me how I know).  In addition, for my specific motorcycle use, the button layout was not practical.  The buttons were not on the top surface and were too small for the fat fingers that motorcycle gloves cause.  In my little world, the Toshiba brand took a hit.  I had intended on putting my new replacement unit on ebay and cutting my losses as I lost all confidence that the Gigabeat was a high-quality component.  I would definitely not recommend this Portable Media Player to anyone…even to Ducati riders.

EDIT 28May2007 - I should have mentioned two things.  First, I use the Etymotic ER-6i for the earphones.  Second, and maybe the error in my ways, was that I wanted to be at $200.  This pretty much eliminated the Apple products above 8GB.  It seems that there is a built in 25% ‘exclusivity tax’ to own an iPod.  I don’t like taxes of any sort.