Saturday, March 31, 2007
Taking care of business
News flash! After nearly 21 years of riding I am now legal. This morning I visited my local DMV and got my endorsement. I'm happy to report I received 100% on both the written and practical tests, but that's not saying much because the tests are pretty easy. So at least the State of Washington thinks I'm qualified to operate a motorcycle.
I've been meaning to get this done for a long time but I kept putting it off. Truthfully the only reason I did it today is because I had a service appointment for the GT and the dealership wouldn't give me a loaner bike unless I held an endorsement.
So after the DMV I drove down to South Sound BMW and dropped the GT off. They gave me a R 1150 R Rockster edition to putt around on. At first glance I thought "this is going to be a lot of fun". I hadn't ridden a naked bike since Mark's K12R, and that was scary fast. After 5 seconds on the Rockster I knew how wrong I was.
Two words describe it best: Slow & uncomfortable. I must be spoiled by the GT because I found that bike annoying in almost every way. It's underpowered - only 83 hp to move 482 lbs. Compared with the GT's 152 hp / 549 lbs that made the Rockster seem pretty damn slow. I'm told that the new boxer engines have counterweights to reduce the vibration. That's a good thing for owners of R bikes, because after 5 miles at freeway speeds my butt was about numb. The aerodynamics are poor too. It has a lame little fairing on the front which does nothing but direct the wind into the riders chest, so at 70 mph I was hanging on for dear life. On the plus side I think the styling is great; it definately looks cool. Needless to say I was stoked to get the GT back at the end of the day.
One final note: I've recently started riding with earplugs and they make a huge difference for me with respect to fatigue. They probably cut out about 15-25 decibels so almost all of the medium and high-range of the wind noise is chopped, leaving a low "thunder" sound. I know riders have mixed feelings on the use of plugs, citing important points like "an inability to hear the cars around you". I was dismissive of these arguments until my ride today. On my way home I was riding in the HOV lane and spacing out. I was awakened from my daydream by the sound of a police siren - right behind me. I must not have been checking my mirrors, because the Trooper was riding my ass. Great, I thought, I'm getting pulled over (I was doing 70). I pulled off but he sped around me. I wondered how long he'd been behind me with his lights flashing before he fired up the siren...maybe the plugs aren't such a great idea.
I've been meaning to get this done for a long time but I kept putting it off. Truthfully the only reason I did it today is because I had a service appointment for the GT and the dealership wouldn't give me a loaner bike unless I held an endorsement.
So after the DMV I drove down to South Sound BMW and dropped the GT off. They gave me a R 1150 R Rockster edition to putt around on. At first glance I thought "this is going to be a lot of fun". I hadn't ridden a naked bike since Mark's K12R, and that was scary fast. After 5 seconds on the Rockster I knew how wrong I was.
Two words describe it best: Slow & uncomfortable. I must be spoiled by the GT because I found that bike annoying in almost every way. It's underpowered - only 83 hp to move 482 lbs. Compared with the GT's 152 hp / 549 lbs that made the Rockster seem pretty damn slow. I'm told that the new boxer engines have counterweights to reduce the vibration. That's a good thing for owners of R bikes, because after 5 miles at freeway speeds my butt was about numb. The aerodynamics are poor too. It has a lame little fairing on the front which does nothing but direct the wind into the riders chest, so at 70 mph I was hanging on for dear life. On the plus side I think the styling is great; it definately looks cool. Needless to say I was stoked to get the GT back at the end of the day.
One final note: I've recently started riding with earplugs and they make a huge difference for me with respect to fatigue. They probably cut out about 15-25 decibels so almost all of the medium and high-range of the wind noise is chopped, leaving a low "thunder" sound. I know riders have mixed feelings on the use of plugs, citing important points like "an inability to hear the cars around you". I was dismissive of these arguments until my ride today. On my way home I was riding in the HOV lane and spacing out. I was awakened from my daydream by the sound of a police siren - right behind me. I must not have been checking my mirrors, because the Trooper was riding my ass. Great, I thought, I'm getting pulled over (I was doing 70). I pulled off but he sped around me. I wondered how long he'd been behind me with his lights flashing before he fired up the siren...maybe the plugs aren't such a great idea.
Labels: musings
Another Rear-Mounted Perspective Test
After the accident, we made our way to Kittredge and headed back to Denver. This video is of us leaving Kittredge and heading down 74. Watch as the rest of the gang tries to keep up. As Clark Griswold would say, "Burn some dust - eat my rubber!"
I attached the camera to the top of the passenger seat this time and shot it in 160x120 mode. The angle is better, but the image quality is terrible.
"Live to Ride - Ride to Live"
Today I went riding with 4 friends: Jared (VRod), Rob (K1200R), Jason (Ninja), and Glen (Shadow). The plan was to ride up Myers Gultch from 285 through Evergreen and then South on 73, East on N Turkey Creek, South on Deer Creek Canyon, South on 85 towards Colorado Springs and then North on 83 back to Denver. We only made it a couple of miles up Myers Gultch Rd before I noticed that only Jason and Rob were following closely behind my lead. After the curves, we pulled over on a straight-a-way, threw on our hazards, and decided to wait 1 minute before turning back to see what happened to Jared and Glen. Because the mountain roads were still covered in gravel, we all feared the same thing - but none of us spoke it.
A moment later, a heavy duty truck that we had passed earlier slowed down and the passenger rolled down his window. I couldn't make out what was being said because I still had my helmet on. They drove off before we could ask him to repeat himself, but we took it as confirmation that something had gone wrong. We waited and watched to see what vehicles were coming out of the corner behind us. Headlights...but it wasn't a motorcycle. The driver stopped to tell us that one of our friends had fallen but was OK. We turned around to discover about a mile down the road the shoulder was torn up and dirt was spewed across the street next to Jared's parked bike. Both Jared and Glenn and their bikes were upright by the time we arrived so it took a moment to put the pieces of the story together. Who had fallen?
Glen was going too fast to hold the curve and drove off onto the shoulder. He managed to maintain control of the bike and bring it back to the road where he fishtailed three times before falling over. This was Glen's first (and hopefully only) accident. His bike suffered $250 in damage and the leather jacket that Jared loaned him received a small tear at the chest. But Glen walked away without a scratch and lives to tell the tale and ride another day!Jared joked that if only I had caught that on video, it would've been the most viewed clip on YouTube. He's probably right.
Testing a Rear-Mounted Camera Perspective
I thought I'd test mounting my Canon PowerShot A75 digital camera to my bike by using industrial strength velcro. The camera is rear-facing and attached to the top of the license plate holder just below the taillight. The video was shot in 640x480 mode - the maximum resolution available on the camera.
I've noticed the sound is excellent and I suspect that's because the mic is shielded by the bike and myself. I'll have to adjust the angle so that the camera isn't just shooting the clouds, but my biggest worry is trying to eliminate the camera shake. Whether pointed forward or rearwards, I think people will get sick watching bouncing videos.
I did purchase a self-contained "helmet" cam as a backup camera for the soon-to-be-purchased lipstick cam, but I haven't figured out how or where to mount it to my bike. The purpose of this test video was to see how interesting a rear-mounted video would be. It might be a neat perspective for filming Peter as he tries to keep up...only kidding.
This video shows me gearing up and leaving Jessica's house and arriving at Jared's house a half mile up the road.
I've noticed the sound is excellent and I suspect that's because the mic is shielded by the bike and myself. I'll have to adjust the angle so that the camera isn't just shooting the clouds, but my biggest worry is trying to eliminate the camera shake. Whether pointed forward or rearwards, I think people will get sick watching bouncing videos.
I did purchase a self-contained "helmet" cam as a backup camera for the soon-to-be-purchased lipstick cam, but I haven't figured out how or where to mount it to my bike. The purpose of this test video was to see how interesting a rear-mounted video would be. It might be a neat perspective for filming Peter as he tries to keep up...only kidding.
This video shows me gearing up and leaving Jessica's house and arriving at Jared's house a half mile up the road.
Friday, March 30, 2007
One Week Later
Peter and I have agreed to postpone our trip by one week. As it turns out, our original departure date of Friday, May 25th coincides with a dear friend's graduation that I don't want to miss. Instead of kicking off our Memorial Day Weekend like we expected, we'll now have the long weekend to pack early. Plus, we just might avoid the holiday traffic, booked hotels and our friendly neighborhood State Trooper.
Monday, March 26, 2007
Logo v2.0
I should be in bed. It's 2:38 a.m. and I've just spent the last 2 hours playing around with new ideas for the a2b logo. I've emailed a dozen versions to Peter, but I'm sure he's asleep at the moment. I don't know which one he'll choose, but I'll post the one that most closely resembles the "old" logo.Thursday, March 22, 2007
Shaping Up
I've been putting off getting back into shape. Last summer I used to run the 3 miles around Wash Park, but I abandoned my regimen once it started to get cold. I was pretty proud of the shape I was in and the weight I had lost, but lately I've noticed some jiggling when driving over bumpy roads and it's left me feeling like I let myself go again. I don't like this 'getting soft in the middle' feeling. It doesn't suit me. But being 32 isn't like being 18. The effort has to be there if I want to stay in shape. Too bad the discipline doesn't come as easy as the desire. It's a good thing that lately I've felt the urge to go running again. As if that jiggly feeling wasn't reason enough, I had a rough week and I just needed to run it off. Now that I was completely out of excuses, the time had come to get off my tubby butt.
So I made my way back to Wash Park tonight. I had the will to run it twice, so I set up my iPod and stretched for a little, but I was eager to go! I started with some speed walking to get the heart and lungs working. After about a quarter mile I was ready to 'git'. And then it started - a little bounce with the first few steps until it smoothened out as I picked up the pace slightly to keep up with the tempo pounding from the iPod. My breathing started to change into a pattern. Man, it felt great getting that rhythm going! I was finally doing it! I could feel the fat just melting away. I knew I'd be at least 5 pounds lighter when I got back. I couldn't believe what I had been missing. I was transfixed on the long path before me...that is up until about 2 minutes into it when I thought I was going to damn near collapse from a coronary. Who was I kidding?
I'm not giving up yet, but I'll have to think in terms of baby steps. I'll keep you posted on my progress. I'd like to be able to run the 3 miles without stopping by the time the trip starts. Although I don't think the ride will be physically demanding, I would like to be in shape for it. Wish me luck!
So I made my way back to Wash Park tonight. I had the will to run it twice, so I set up my iPod and stretched for a little, but I was eager to go! I started with some speed walking to get the heart and lungs working. After about a quarter mile I was ready to 'git'. And then it started - a little bounce with the first few steps until it smoothened out as I picked up the pace slightly to keep up with the tempo pounding from the iPod. My breathing started to change into a pattern. Man, it felt great getting that rhythm going! I was finally doing it! I could feel the fat just melting away. I knew I'd be at least 5 pounds lighter when I got back. I couldn't believe what I had been missing. I was transfixed on the long path before me...that is up until about 2 minutes into it when I thought I was going to damn near collapse from a coronary. Who was I kidding?
I'm not giving up yet, but I'll have to think in terms of baby steps. I'll keep you posted on my progress. I'd like to be able to run the 3 miles without stopping by the time the trip starts. Although I don't think the ride will be physically demanding, I would like to be in shape for it. Wish me luck!
Saturday, March 10, 2007
Breaking in the GT
I've been looking for any opportunity to ride lately, partly because I want to get in-shape for the trip, but also because the GT is still so new. I need to crack the 600-mile mark on the odometer so I can get it in for the break-in service prior to our departure.
After 250 miles on the bike here are my observations:
1. The engineering is simply fantastic. Everything about this bike is tight, from the way it shifts, accelerates, and brakes down to the placement of the controls. It all has a place and no detail was overlooked.
2. It is hands-down the fastest motorcycle I've ever owned. Mark's K12R is no doubt faster, but I think it would be a competitive race. I've had the GT as fast as 115 mph and it was rock-solid the entire time.
3. The little touches are nice. Heated seats & grips may seem like an unnecessary luxury, but in Washington where it rains a lot these definately come in handy. The modular panniers are great too. I take them off when cruising around town and it cleans the look of the bike up a lot. i'm enjoying the electronic suspension adjustment feature too - putting it into "comfort" mode makes a difference on my lower back after 50 miles or so.
4. Partially-integrated brakes rock. Read about them on http://www.bmwmotorcycles.com if you have the time.
What I don't like:
1. It's a nit, but the grips don't heat evenly. I'm told this is because the grips are of a different thickness (because the throttle is on the right side the grip is thinner), but you'd think they could have engineered around that.
2. The turn signal cancellation is annoying. The cancel button is on the right hand side but there is a turn signal button on each hand, so when turning left you click it with your left thumb and cancel it with your right. I've owned other bikes where this was designed better in my opinion.
All things considered I think it's amazing and I can't wait to see how it performs on our trip.
-pt
___________________________
Sent from my wireless handheld
Friday, March 9, 2007
K12GT
Does the warranty cover off-road conditions? I better check...Tuesday, March 6, 2007
Just My Luck
I'd like to make a shout out to the City of Englewood and/or Denver for their stellar job of maintaining our public streets by resurfacing the potholes left by the series of blizzards that hit us back in January and February. While riding my motorcycle last evening to visit my friend, Jared, I hit a sizable pothole that was apparently neglected by either Englewood or Denver - I say this with uncertainty because the very street I was on divides the two cities - for about 2 months! The "accident" put a nice little dent in my front wheel and sent a jolt through my arm leaving my left wrist quite sore. I was fortunate there were no other cars around and that I kept the bike upright and stayed on. Luckily, my tire did not blow. But I don't know how safe it is to ride a motorcycle with a dented front wheel. Will riding for hours in the summer heat lead to a potential blowout or constant loss of pressure? I don't know and I don't think that's a chance I should take. I don't believe the handling has suffered, but then again this only happened last night and I haven't ridden since. Either way, I should probably look into getting it repaired or replaced. Yeah, that'll be cheap.So, this afternoon I called Bill, my insurance agent, to see if I should take it up with the City. He just laughed and said, "good luck." It was only after the call that I realized this - What else was he going to say? He's not able to give legal advice. Besides, it would be in his interest for me to file a claim. And my deductible? $500. Yeah, that's cheap.
After getting off the phone with my buddy, Bill, Jared called to share some good news. And the news? The City came out to fill the pothole today.
rrrr....
Monday, March 5, 2007
In Theaters Now
Wild Hogs"A group of middle-aged friends decide to rev up their routine suburban lives with a freewheeling motorcycle trip. Taking a long dreamed-of breather from their stressful jobs and family responsibilities, they can't wait to feel the freedom of the open road. When this mis-matched foursome - who have grown far more used to the couch than the saddle - set out for this once-in-a-lifetime experience, they encounter a world that holds far more than they ever bargained for. The trip begins to challenge their wits and their luck, especially during a chance run-in with the Del Fuegos, a real-life biker gang who are less than amused with their novice approach. As they go looking for adventure, they soon find that they've embarked on a journey they will never forget."
The critics didn't seem to like this movie. I don't know why. I thought it was pretty funny. Maybe I am partial to the movie because I am a motorcyclist and the characters just reminded me of myself and some of my riding buddies. My guess is the critics don't get it because they don't ride. It's not exactly Easy Rider, but it was an entertaining feel-good movie. Dare I say that it even inspired me? The days are getting warmer and I'm finally able to ride again almost every day. I'm ready for my own cross-country adventure! The idea of a road trip without any rules is what A2B is all about. The writers of Wild Hogs have figured it out.
Thursday, March 1, 2007
Packing light
With only 85 days remaining I’m starting to think about what to bring and how to pack it. Here’s my list so far:
- Video camera, tapes, and cables
- D-SLR camera, two lenses, tripod, and cables
- Tablet PC, cables
- iPod, headphones
- Medical kit
- Tool kit
- A change of clothes (shorts, jeans, shirts, shoes, socks), toiletries.
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