A Terrific Racing Story I Want to Pass Along

March 9th, 2009

FasthairYou’ve got to love it when you run across a piece of writing that makes you say, “Everyone ought to read this–it’s great!”

I did just that the other day when I paid a visit to Fasthair, a biker blogger in Iowa whose blog I link to in the sidebar column to the right of this post, under “Favorite Links.”

First off, that’s a picture of him, and yes, he’s on a bike wearing a tuxedo. This is a piece of the photo he uses on his blog, and it’s worth it to go to his blog just to see the whole picture. Then, of course, you need to read the story behind the picture. Fasthair, if you have any problems with me using this piece of your photo just let me know and I’ll remove it.

But, back to my main topic, Fasthair recently posted a story, My First Time, where he tells about his first day wrenching for a nitro-powered motorcycle dragster. I’ll quote just a few lines here, to whet your appetite, but I don’t want to spoil the story. Go read it yourself.

It snorted nitro out the carburetor instead of ingesting it the first time Frog whacked the throttle, it did it couple of more time just for good measure a couple of seconds later.

With what I’m sure was a surprised look on my face I said matter-of-factually “it needs more fuel.”

opening the crankcase drain so what oil is there can drain and I drain the oil tank of what looks like a babies diaper on a bad day

“I’ve got a little trick for that” he replies pointing to the little can hanging off the front of the carb.

OK, now go read the rest yourself.

Biker Quote for Today

The nasty little bugger looked like it was going 90 miles an hour when it was standing still in my garage. — Hunter S. Thompson

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Posted in motorcycle racing | 1 Comment »

Why Are All These Bikers Dying?

March 5th, 2009

I am struck by the number of bikers being killed. If you search the web, as I do, for motorcycle-related news items, the reports of biker deaths are endless.

Jason on his HarleyOn most days there are several. Of course, today, when I planned to copy in the headlines here to make my point, there are none. Today is not a typical day.

I try not to take it out of proportion. If you did a similar search for automobile-related stories I’m sure you would be buried in accident reports. And being more conscious of these fatalities does not make me feel more at risk, as it might some people. If anything, I feel perhaps less at risk because my awareness keeps me vigilant.

Nevertheless, the daily barrage can’t help but make me think. Why are these people dying? What mistakes are they making? What mistakes are other motorists making? How can these deaths be prevented? What can I learn from this?

I’m not the only one asking these questions. A new motorcycle accident study began recently that promises to update and expand on the understanding derived from the Hurt study of 30 years ago.

In a recent issue of American Motorcyclist magazine there were a couple letters from readers arguing that another study was a waste because thanks to the Hurt study we already know the reasons for the crashes. The AMA responded saying “. . . the traffic environment has changed dramatically in the 30 years since the data were collected . . . a new study of U.S. motorcycle crashes can have far-reaching effects on how we teach motorcyclists and drivers, and shed new light on exactly how to reduce the number of crashes.”

But it will be several years before this new study yields its wisdom, so in the meantime we ought to at least make use of what we know already. And that includes these three points:

  • Untrained riders have more accidents
  • New, inexperienced riders have more accidents
  • Riders who have been drinking have more accidents

Now, there’s only one remedy for being a new rider, and that’s to get out there and ride and gain experience. The other two are simple–get some training and don’t mix booze and bikes.

I’m no pollyanna, I know people will have a beer at a stop on the ride. I’ve done that myself. But don’t have four. We all need to remember that “Live to ride, ride to live” presupposes one crucial point: You’ve got to stay alive or you can’t do either.

Biker Quote for Today

Don’t argue with an 18-wheeler.

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Posted in American Motorcyclist Association, Motorcycle Safety | 5 Comments »

Rounding the Curves at High Plains Raceway

March 2nd, 2009

We had the opportunity to do a lap at the yet-to-open High Plains Raceway today. Yeah, OK, we were in a pick-up and I wasn’t even driving but it was still a blast.

High Plains RacewayYou may recall my last post about this new racetrack, just a few weeks shy of a year ago. I’ve been checking the website periodically but it had been awhile, so I checked again this morning.

Well, blow me away, they’re set to open! Like in about one month. I had to see this so Judy and I climbed on the Kawi and scooted on out there. We saw a truck going around the course, and the gate was open, but we were hesitant. Then a car came heading out and I flagged the folks down to ask. They said to just go on in, that the track manager would be happy to see us and would give us a ride around the track. We went in.

Pulling up at the office, there were two bikes parked there and the silver pick-up. Doug Shaffar is the track manager and he was telling two other bikers about the place at the end of their cruise around. We joined in the conversation, the other two were ready to take off, and Doug said “Get in. Let’s take a ride.”

On the 2.5-mile loop he stopped frequently to explain the lay-out of the track. Early on you come down a nice straightaway right into what he said is called “Danny’s Lesson,” a decreasing radius right-hander that would get your adrenaline pumping just fine if you went into it too fast. On around and up what he called the “High Plains Drift” and through the others of the 15 curves.

We hadn’t counted on anything like this when we headed out. I just figured I wanted to go see it and shoot some pictures. I had dim hopes that I’d find someone I could ask some questions of, but to actually get out on the track and get a full-blown tour was way cool. And guess what? You can do it, too. I asked Doug specifically if it would be OK for me to tell folks they can come out and get the same treatment and he said absolutely. Now, he’s not always there, but if he is, you’re welcome. If you want to call ahead the number is 303-769-4771.

You might want to do it soon, though because in just four weeks racing starts. This may be a brand new track but their weekends are booked from the first of April all the way through November. This track will host both auto and motorcycle events and the first race will be put on by the Sports Car Club of America. The second is a Motorcycle Roadracing Association event. That will be April 11 and 12.

Maybe I’ll see you at the races.

Biker Quote for Today

Thou shalt explore the outer limits of engine-braking, backfire, and hurl fireballs from thy tailpipe.

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Posted in motorcycle racing | 1 Comment »

Moving Deeper Into the Motorcycling Community

February 26th, 2009

I attended my first ABATE meeting on Sunday. This would be ABATE of Colorado District 10. I had no real idea what the focus of the meeting might be, or even what it really means to be a member. But I figured it was time to learn.

ABATE D-10 patchI’ve always been inclined to activism. Years ago I was a lot more interested in politics than I am today, so I didn’t just vote, I was an active party member. Heck, I was even a precinct committeeman for a while.

Then I became disillusioned with the party and left it.

With motorcycling, my activist bent has developed more slowly but it has been a clear direction. Initially all I wanted to do was ride, either with my friends or by myself. But then an incident occurred that raised the issue of making helmets mandatory again and I felt I had to speak out.

I wrote a letter to the newspaper and it was printed. That prompted a local member of the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) to contact me and send me a membership application. And I joined. I’ve been a member now for 16 years.

Being an AMA member made me a lot more aware of the legal issues arising and being addressed around the country and within my own sphere I became an advocate. You know advocacy is needed when you find that you have to explain to your own parents why insurance practices that discriminate against bikers are wrong.

I took the next step when I built the Passes and Canyons, Motorcycle Touring in Colorado website. For the first time I was moving beyond my own immediate circle, out into the broader world. Shortly after launching the site I added this blog. That provided me an impetus to not only attend events but to meet the people attending and the people putting them on in order to write about them with more authority.

One things leads to another, and through the blog I was contacted to write for Examiner.com as their Denver Motorcycle Examiner. I’ve always been a writer, and I used to be in the newspaper business, so this was like coming home. Being an Examiner opens more doors than just being a blogger and I’ve extended my scope to focus on more and more of the people and organizations that make up the local motorcycle community.

The more I wrote about ABATE’s rider training program, and the group’s efforts in the legislative arena, the more I came to ask myself why I was not a member.

So now I’ve joined. And my first impression is that I’ve only seen the tip of the iceberg. I look forward to seeing more, and to becoming a real part of it.

Biker Quote for Today

If you want to complain about the pace being set by the road captain, you better be prepared to lead the group yourself.

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Posted in American Motorcyclist Association | No Comments »

Repairing the Saddle on My Motorcycle

February 23rd, 2009

I went to Steele’s Salvage and replaced my saddle some years ago when it was getting totally ripped up. To my dismay, I recently noticed that this newer saddle was starting to tear. Bummer.

patching with Liquid Leather - beforeThen I saw an ad for a product that I figured would be worth a try. It’s called Liquid Leather. With shipping, it cost me $8 from Amazon. I tried it out this weekend and this is my report.

For starters, as you can see in the photo, it was a very small tear. That may mean this is not as good a test as it could be, but I didn’t want to wait for it to get bigger just for the sake of doing a better test.

The package comes with eight different colors of repair goop, an applicator, and several texture sheets that help the repair blend in better. So following instructions, I cleaned the area really well, made sure it was completely dry, and then smeared the goop on the spot. Obviously, you want to apply it fairly evenly. Then I slapped on the texture sheet and that was it. Wait 24 hours, peel off the texture sheet, and you’re done. Couldn’t be simpler.

So how did it work? First let me make a couple points. These may not have been optimal conditions. For one thing, the tear was right at the ridge where the passenger portion dips down to the rider portion. For another, it’s winter, so even sitting for 24 hours out in the cold may not be enough. Still, if that is an issue, they really ought to tell you so. Third, if you use it several times you may get better at doing the job.

patching with Liquid Leather - afterSo here’s a shot of the finished product.

As you can see, it doesn’t look perfect. And depending on the light it can be pretty noticeable. But that’s why I think with a little practice I could do better. This being my very first time I do think I have the ability to learn from experience.

While it’s not perfect, it’s definitely better than just leaving the tear to get bigger. What I really think is the most important thing here is how well this holds up. Only time will tell on that count and for that reason I don’t consider this a final. I’ll touch back in on this in about 6 months to tell you how it’s holding up. Or sooner if it just all falls off a week from now. Likewise, even if it comes off and the repair fails two years from now I’ll let you know. But at the very least, I’ll check back in at some point with an update.

Biker Quote for Today

Maintenance is as much art as it is science.

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Posted in Motorcycle Gear | 1 Comment »

Join (or Renew) AMA and Dump AAA

February 19th, 2009

If you pay to have roadside assistance for any of your vehicles you need to know about what the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) is now offering. Free roadside assistance for all your vehicles as a no-extra-charge part of your membership. And membership is only $39 per year.

American Motorcyclist AssociationCompare that to the American Automobile Association (AAA), where a basic membership is $73 per year and that won’t cover your bike. You can go with a premium membership that will cover your bike and that will cost you $177 per year.

How can AMA do this? You only get this benefit if you sign up with a credit card and agree to automatic renewals. They say they spend nearly $1 million on renewal notices each year and they’re looking to save a lot of money there. Plus, you know they have to be expecting a lot more renewals when it’s automatic. It’s just too easy when you get that notice to put it aside and forget about it, and then they’ve lost a member.

So even if you don’t ride it would make sense to join AMA just for the roadside assistance. Why pay more to AAA and get less?

Here’s the list of particulars of the program, straight from the AMA website.

* Coverage for bikes, cars, pickups, motorhomes and trailers registered to you, your spouse, and dependent children under the age of 24, living at home or away at college.
* Coverage in all 50 states, plus Puerto Rico and Canada.
* Towing up to 35 miles.
* All dispatch and hook-up fees.
* Flat tire assistance.
* Mechanical first aid: minor adjustments (excluding parts) to repair the vehicle.
* Emergency fuel delivery.
* Wheel and tire road hazard coverage for the member’s vehicles, including trailers.
* No exclusions for older motorcycles.
* Up to five dispatched service calls per year.
* Towing a disabled motorcycle or other vehicle to a shop or the member’s home.
* Emergency Trip Interruption Service: Up to $100 a day for three days ($300) in reimbursement for meals and lodging if a member’s car or motorcycle is disabled in an accident, and/or while the member’s vehicle is being repaired far from home.
* Toll-free assistance available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, from two national call centers.
* AMA Roadside Assistance pays first. No need to pay and wait for reimbursement.
* Free trip-routing service.
* Free limited legal services.
* Free online rewards mall.

Do I think this is a good deal? I learned about this on Sunday, after mailing my AMA renewal on Saturday. I went online and signed up for another year with a credit card and agreeing to automatic renewal. You bet I think it’s a good deal.

Biker Quote for Today

Classics are great, built to last, but when they don`t wanna run they’re a pain in the ass!

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Posted in American Motorcyclist Association, Motorcycle Safety | No Comments »

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