“Keep The Rubber Side Down”

I trust everyone had too much to eat, and that you didn’t kill your dumb-ass brother in law, during the holiday’s. 

I want to brag on the folks at Alaska Leather Company, for their outstanding service.  On Thanksgiving Day, I emailed them a question about a replacement strap for my sheepskin butt-pad; anticipating an answer on Monday.  Within an hour they responded to my question, and my order was on it’s way.  That is customer service at its finest. I highly recommend this company.

Next Topic:  “Hell Ride”

Friday was a very long day for me, as work was slow, and I was feeling a bit under the weather.  On the way home I decided to pick up the DVD of Hell Ride,  grab a pizza, make a fire, and chill out.  Which is exactly what I did!  A California Pizza, a Sam Adams, and it’s movie time.   Man was I disappointed!  “Hell Ride is the worse movie I have ever seen!” The plot sucked, the acting sucked, the way it was shot sucked, the women even sucked (literally)! The saving grace for the evening? The pizza was great, and the beer was better!

Have any of you seen the movie?  If so, what was your take?

Cycle Matters has 9 tips on caring for your bike during it’s hibernation.  Check it out here!

Tags: Cycle Matters

It’s time for a change, and I am not speaking of McCain or Obama.  I am talking about the tires on my RT.  In May I had a set of Continental Attack’s put on the bike and now, with some 8000 miles logged, and winter soon approaching, it is time for a new set. 

 I have not been particularly pleased with the performance of the “Attack’s”, as their compound seems a bit hard, and early on they developed an odd wear pattern, which made cornering a chore. This was the first time I had used Attacks, and likely the last.

view of front tire

My research, and my bike mechanic, have me leaning toward the Metzler ME 880’s.  I have never used these tires, but have heard excellent things about them. So I think I will give them a try.  Any of you ever used the Metzler’s?

 As a side note; If you are soon to be in the market for tires here’s a link full of useful  information. 

If any of you graybeards or lovely ladies, have any suggestions on a brand of tire let me know. 

Tags: Continental Attack, Metzler ME880, Motorcycle tires

Could it be?  Can this be for real or is this some elaborate hoax!  We all know how humorous those German engineers can be.  I will take the bait and say this is the new 2009 BMW K1300R.  This naked roadster comes with 173hp, ESA electronic suspension adjustment, and ABS brakes.  Three colors are available; white, orange, and black/gray.  I am not certain this is the bike for me, although, my fondness for the naked is growing, but I would love to ride this beast.  Way to go BMW!

If you had the chance to ride any bike just once;  which one would it be?

Tags: 2009 BMWK1300R, BMW

Rumor has it that newly patented drawings of a Harley Davidson Tri-Glide are now circulating!  What do you think about a Harley Three wheeler?

Tags: , harley davidson, Tri-Glide

From Triumph

Triumph Upgrades TwinsWith Electronic Fuel InjectionNEWNAN, Georgia – September 8, 2008:  Triumph announced that all new 2009 parallel twin engine platforms will include electronic fuel injection (EFI).  This new technology affects all the Modern Classics: Bonneville, Bonneville T100, Scrambler, and Thruxton. The America and Speedmaster, in the Cruiser range, also receive this upgrade.  Triumph has been able to preserve the classic look of the engine while the technologically advanced internal engine design has been modified to accommodate the EFI update. The fuel injectors have been skillfully hidden by throttle bodies designed to look like carburetors. The fuel injected engine produces a perfect balance of efficiency and performance while maintaining its exceptional fuel economy. The 2009 parallel twin engine maintains its classic look with polished fins and remains true to its heritage. The changeover from carburetors to electronic fuel injection is in direct response to the European emissions legislation.  In 2009 all the Triumph parallel twin powered models in North America receive this update which exceeds Euro 3 as well as EPA and CARB emissions standards. The precise metering of fuel delivers a more environmentally friendly motorcycle.

I think I would like to take advantage of one of the many AMA riding events here’s the schedule 2009 AMA Tour Schedule Released

Although crowd attendance was down slightly I am certain the attendees didn’t care! Sturgis Rally Stats For 2008

Tags: , AMA, Sturgis, Triumph

Valve stems!  When was the last time you had yours replaced?  I recently read of a fellow biker who had a near fatal accident due to the failure of one his valve stems.  In June of this year, Consumer Reports did a story concerning a massive recall of many stems that are on the market.  I am not trying to be an alarmist, but I thought it was worth a mention.

Tags: Consumer Reports

It is finally here! Everything old will be new again, at least for the next three days at the  AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days!  The gates opened today at 7 a.m. at the beautiful Mid Ohio Race Track in Lexington, Ohio.  Sponsors of the vintage days are anticipating crowds of 40,000, or more during the events 3 day run.  This year the Marque of the year is Triumph.  Each day will be packed full of races, swap meets, demo rides, and seminars.  Well known motorcycle writer, Clement Salvadori, will be in attendance delivering a three part series entitled “Nostalgia”. 

KTRSD will be track side on Sunday from 7 a.m.- 6 p.m.  Hope to see you there!

Tags: , AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days, Mid Ohio Race Track, Triumph motorcycles

A current buzz-word throughout today’s business world is “Branding”.  Most define this word something like, “The words, actions, and symbols, used by a company to define itself, and to set itself apart from it’s competitors”. Basically, methods a company uses to build it’s “street creds”

Recently, while looking for some brand items for the particular type of bike I ride, I began to think about motorcycle manufacturers and which ones do the best job at branding their product.  Here’s my list of the top 5.

1.  Harley Davidson

2.  Ducati

3.  Honda

4. BMW

5. Triumph

These may not be the biggest, or the best, in their fields, but they have been successful at creating a strong image to help them sell their products.  How would your list look different from mine?

Tags: BMW, branding, Ducati, harley davidson, Honda, Triumph

1.  Rider magazine reports a guy rode his motorcycle across the United States without stopping.

2.  “Keep The Rubberside Down” rides to AMA Vintage Days, July 26th!

3.  Long Way Down, Big Screen Version from BMW Motorrad.

4.  Robbie Knievel Breaks record with a jump over 25 cars.

Tags: , , AMA, Keep The Rubber Side Down, Rider Magazine, Robbie Knievel

Harley Davidison sent out a press release sometime back.  Here’s a reprint of that release… 

Nearly 105 years in the making, the Harley-Davidson Museum, located near downtown Milwaukee, will open its doors to the public on Saturday, July 12. Grand Opening festivities will kick off with a Harley-Davidson-style ceremony at 10 a.m. and will continue throughout the weekend.

The 130,000-square-foot Museum will add a whole new dimension to the Harley-Davidson experience. Visitors will get a feel for the freedom, camaraderie and pride that Harley-Davidson riders experience every time they fire up their motorcycles.

Museum visitors will:

- Walk through a variety of exhibits that tell the stories of the extraordinary people, products, history and culture of Harley-Davidson. In addition to the fantastic motorcycle collection, stories are told through a variety of media - including photographs, videos, apparel, rare documents and other fascinating artifacts.

- Peek into a portion of the Archives, never before open to the public, and home base to more than 450 motorcycles, and hundreds of thousands of artifacts that the Archives team can pull from for Museum exhibits

- Read the various personalized messages created by individuals worldwide on the Living the Legend rivets, found on the Living the Legend walls and plazas

- Grab a bold American meal or snack from the on-site Restaurant and Cafe

- Stroll around the 20 acre Museum site, enjoy the riverwalk or just sit back along the waterfront taking in the Milwaukee skyline

- Check out the unique Museum-inspired items at the Retail Store

- Examine the industrial architecture and attention to detail found both inside and outside of the Museum’s three buildings

The Harley-Davidson Museum, located at the intersection of Sixth and Canal Streets in Milwaukee’s Menomonee Valley, will be open 364 days a year.

General admission tickets to tour the Museum are $16 for adults, $12 for students and seniors, $10 for children (ages 5-17 years), and children under 5 years of age will be admitted free with an accompanying adult. Visit www.h-dmuseum.com for additional updates on group sales and tour information. Access to the Harley-Davidson Museum grounds will be available to the public, free of charge, 24 hours a day.

Museum tickets for Grand Opening weekend and other dates will go on sale online at www.h-dmuseum.com/tickets on Tuesday, May 20. The majority of tickets for Grand Opening weekend will be sold in advance online and the balance will be available for on-site sales during Grand Opening weekend. Visitors to the Museum site during Grand Opening weekend will be able to enjoy watching a bike-build and a tattoo artist at work and listen to live music on the 20-acre park-like grounds.

Museum tickets are no longer available during the Harley-Davidson 105th Anniversary Celebration August 28-31, 2008. To ensure an excellent Museum experience during the 105th Anniversary Celebration, tickets to the Museum have been distributed via a lottery system to those who purchased their 105th Anniversary Celebration ticket packages before November 30, 2007. Those who are planning to come to Milwaukee during the 105th Anniversary who don’t have a Museum ticket will be able to enjoy the Museum grounds. In addition, those who would like to visit the Museum exhibits and didn’t receive a ticket through the lottery can secure opportunities to visit the Museum before and after the Labor Day weekend.

Tags: Harley Davidson Museum