Sweaty Palms Revisited

Motoboss Airflow Glove Review

When I was getting together the gear I needed to take the Motorcycle Safety Foundations Basic Rider Course, I had picked up a pair of Motoboss Airflow Gloves from the local Cycle Gear. I ride in Texas and I wanted some gloves I could wear even in the summer. Texas summer temperatures range from 80-100+ degrees. These gloves have a mesh backing to let air in. So, I thought I’d try them out.

The Motoboss Airflow Gloves were priced reasonably enough that I had concerns about the quality. I have large hands and it is hard to get gloves that will fit comfortably. I tried on the XL size Airflow and they felt just right. They were not tight and I had full maneuverability of all my digits. This was partially due to the stretch-nylon finger inserts running around the edges of the fingers. The label on the inside read, “Outer Shell 50% Leather 40% Nylon”.

These gloves do have nice air flow cooling your hands through the nylon mesh back while riding. They even performed well soaking wet, like when I took the MSF Course. The palms of the gloves have a padded layer, albeit thin, for comfort. They have an extra layer patch of leather on the inside of the thumb where your thumb grabs around the motorcycle grip. There is also a protective layer of suede leather across the knuckles on the back side. The Airflow Gloves fasten with a hook and loop style fastener around the wrist. The stitching appears of good quality and so far I have had no problems with them.

If you have been riding long enough, your hands have been hit by debris. Bugs, rocks, and the like can hurt at highway speeds. Gloves offer nice finger protection while riding and in the event of an accident. In the summer time in Texas, you can’t even touch parts of your bike without some kind of protection. If you need to make some type of roadside repair you will need a good pair of gloves. The Motoboss Airflow Gloves offer an alternative when riding in the heat to full leather gloves and provide more protection then leather fingerless gloves. Torch gives the Motoboss Airflow Gloves a M.M.M Rating of 8 on a scale of 1-10.

Ride on,
Torch

LES HARRIS

Les Harris, the 'bridge' between the old Meriden Triumph factory and the new John Bloor models, died last week. From the South Devon Herald Express:

A MOTORCYCLE display team will sound a throttle roar in memory of a Torquay businessman who resurrected the Triumph Bonneville motorbike and met Margaret Thatcher.
Les Harris, 69 and from Torquay, died at Torbay Hospital on February 17 from a progressive lung condition, which he suffered from for more than 10 years.
Mr Harris leaves behind his wife Shirley, his children Carole, Debbie, Angela and Chris, and 10 grandchildren.
Mrs Harris said: "Les was a decent, very hardworking man, with an all-encompassing passion for work, life and his family. He had a mischievous sense of humour and an irreverent intolerance for snobbishness. He also had a dress sense all of his own. Les has left behind a great legacy in our children and grandchildren and our lives have been immensely enriched by his larger than life character and absolute unconditional love for us all."

A motorcycle enthusiast, Mr Harris set up his own business in 1974 manufacturing and selling spare parts for classic motorcycles. As British motorcycle firms Norton Motors, BSA Small Heath and later Triumph collapsed, Mr Harris would pay for and store parts to be delivered straight to customers. As the parts stocked up, L F Harris International Ltd started trading out of a warehouse in Newton Abbot before acquiring an engineering company in Leighton Buzzard and opening a retail shop in Paignton.

Mrs Harris said: "With the demise of the Triumph motorcycle factory in Meriden, Les and I made a bid for the rights to the Triumph name in 1983. Unfortunately we were unsuccessful in this; however, we were offered the opportunity to licence the name for five years [by John Bloor, current owner of the Triumph name] and so an incredible journey began with the move to a bigger factory and warehouse."
Press coverage of their venture was global and resulted in an invitation to Buckingham Palace and the Houses of Parliament. In 1987 the Harris' were visited by the then Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher.
"Les was so proud of these visits. For years he has been hailed as the saviour of the traditional classic Triumph motorcycle all over the world. He loved this time, making many new friends as he dealt with customers around the globe," Mrs Harris said.
In 1988 the couple decided not to re-licence and Les began to design his own motorcycle, producing The Matchless G80. The production of the motorcycle ceased after 1990 in the midst of the recession and the business returned solely to the production of spare parts for classic motorcycles. The family-run company now trades from Pavor Road in Torquay.
At his funeral this Saturday, six soldiers from the Royal Corps of Signals White Helmets Motorcycle Display Team will carry the coffin and provide a 'throttle roar' as Mr Harris enters and leaves the church.
Mrs Harris explained: "Les was not in the White Helmets, but our company built their bikes and donates motorcycle spare parts to them."

Why Motorcycles Are Better Than Women

Disclaimer: Forgive me in advance for offending someone. That is definately not my intention. I’m only posting this because of the humor involved. I, in no way, wish to offend any of our women motorcyclists or women in general. I have just barrowed bits of this from various other sites and edited it to fit motorcycling. I am sure one of our female riding bloggers will come up with a list of their own of why motorcycles are better then men.



Why Motorcycles Are Better Than Women


A motorcycle does not care if you are politically correct or not.
A motorcycle doesn’t complain about being tied up.
A motorcycle doesn't care when you come.
A motorcycle doesn't get jealous when you ride another motorcycle.
A motorcycle doesn't mind being parked in the ""wet spot"" that it left.
A motorcycle goes good with leather.
A motorcycle is always ready to leave on time.
A motorcycle is never late.
A motorcycle never fishes for compliments.
A motorcycle will let you have your way with it.
A motorcycle won't complain about leaving the toilet seat up.
A motorcycle won't get upset if you come home with alcohol on your breath.
A motorcycle won't make you eat some experimental meal.
A motorcycle won't make you go to church.
A motorcycle won't make you sleep on the couch.
After you have ridden a motorcycle, you're committed to nothing.
If a motorcycle leaks all over the garage, it smells kind of good.
If you change Motorcycles, you don't have to pay alimony.
If you say bad things to your Motorcycles, you don’t have to apologize before you can ride it again.
If you twist your throttle hard enough, you will always get ahead.
If your Motorcycle doesn’t look good, you can paint it or get better parts.
If your Motorcycle goes flat, you can fix it.
If your Motorcycle is misaligned, you don’t have to discuss politics to correct it.
If your Motorcycle is too loose, you can tighten it.
If your Motorcycle is too soft, you can get different shocks.
If your Motorcycle makes too much noise, you can buy a muffler.
If your Motorcycle smokes, you can do something about it.
It’s always OK to use tie downs on your Motorcycle.
Motorcycle labels come off without a fight.
Motorcycle labels don't go out of style every year.
Motorcycles always feel like going for a ride.
Motorcycles always look the same in the morning.
Motorcycles always sound pleasant.
Motorcycles are always easy to pick up.
Motorcycles are easy to dress up.
Motorcycles are easy to get on.
Motorcycles are fun to ride in a group.
Motorcycles are never overweight.
Motorcycles can’t change its mind.
Motorcycles don’t care about how many other Motorcycles you have ridden.
Motorcycles don’t care about how many other Motorcycles you have.
Motorcycles don’t care if you are late.
Motorcycles don’t demand equality.
Motorcycles don’t get cold hands/feet.
Motorcycles don’t get jealous if you come home with grease under your fingernails.
Motorcycles don’t get pregnant.
Motorcycles don’t have parents.
Motorcycles don’t insult you if you are a bad rider.
Motorcycles don’t mind if you look at other Motorcycles, or if you buy Motorcycle magazines.
Motorcycles don’t remember.
Motorcycles don’t snore.
Motorcycles don’t whine unless something is really wrong.
Motorcycles won't blow you off.
Motorcycles don't care if you have no culture or manners.
Motorcycles don't complain about insensitivity.
Motorcycles don't complain about the way you drive.
Motorcycles don't demand legality.
Motorcycles don't get bad breath.
Motorcycles don't get cramps.
Motorcycles don't go crazy once a month.
Motorcycles don't have a lawyer.
Motorcycles don't have a mother.
Motorcycles don't have morals.
Motorcycles don't live with its mother.
Motorcycles don't look you up in a month.
Motorcycles don't make you go shopping.
Motorcycles don't mind football season.
Motorcycles don't mind getting dirty.
Motorcycles don't mind if you fart or belch.
Motorcycles don't mind seeing Chuck Norris and Charles Bronson flicks.
Motorcycles don't need much closet space.
Motorcycles don't need to go to the 'powder room'.
Motorcycles don't pout or play games.
Motorcycles don't tease you or play hard to get.
Motorcycles don't tell you to mow the grass.
Motorcycles don't think baseball is stupid simply because the guys spit.
Motorcycles don't use up your toilet paper.
Motorcycles don't wear a bra.
Motorcycles don't worry about someone walking in.
Motorcycles don't worry about waking the kids.
Motorcycles go down the road easy.
Motorcycles last longer.
Motorcycles never argue with you.
Motorcycles never ask for the remote.
Motorcycles never ask if an accessory makes it look fat.
Motorcycles never change the station.
Motorcycles never complain when you don’t stop and ask for directions.
Motorcycles never complain when you take it somewhere.
Motorcycles never have a headache.
Motorcycles never say no.
Motorcycles never talk back.
Motorcycles only need their fluids changed every 2,000 miles.
Motorcycles won't run off with your credit cards.
Motorcycles’ curves never sag.
No matter how many times you ride it, the motorcycle is still worth something.
Oil stains wash out.
One gets in no trouble for storing disassembled pieces of the motorcycle in the basement.
Road rash heals.
When motorcycles get old you trade it out.
When riding, you and your Motorcycle both arrive at the same time.
When you go shopping, you know you can always pick up a motorcycle.
When your motorcycle is gone, you just get another.
With the odometer on zero, you always know that you are the first one to ride a motorcycle.
You can always talk to your motorcycle.
You can choke your motorcycle.
You can dress warmly and still ride a frigid motorcycle.
You can enjoy a motorcycle all month.
You can have more than one motorcycle.
You can kick your Motorcycle to wake it up.
You can legally rent a motorcycle.
You can ride a motorcycle all night.
You can ride a Motorcycle any time of the month.
You can ride a Motorcycle as long as you want and it won’t get sore.
You can ride a motorcycle in public.
You can ride more than one motorcycle a night and not feel guilty.
You can share a motorcycle with your friends.
You can share your Motorcycle with your friends.
You can upgrade your motorcycle at any time.
You can't catch anything but “euphoria” from a motorcycle.
You don’t have to be jealous of the guy that works on your Motorcycle.
You don’t have to convince your Motorcycle that you’re a motorcyclist and that you think that all Motorcycles are equals.
You don’t have to deal with priests or blood-tests to register your Motorcycle.
You don’t have to pay child support to an ex-motorcycle.
You don’t have to take a shower before riding your Motorcycle.
You don’t have to talk to your motorcycle after you ride it.
You don't have to wash a motorcycle before it looks good.
You don't have to wine and dine a motorcycle.
You only need to get a new chain or belt for your Motorcycle when the old one is worn.
You rarely (if ever) find motorcycle labels on the shower curtain rod.
Your Motorcycle doesn’t care what you’re wearing when you take it out.
Your motorcycle doesn’t get mad when you ignore it for a month or so.
Your Motorcycle never wants a night out alone with the other Motorcycles.
Your motorcycle will always wait patiently for you in the garage.
Your motorcycle won’t leave you for another rider.
Your motorcycle won’t wake you up at 2:00 AM and ask you if you love it.
Your parents don’t remain in touch with your old Motorcycle after you dump it.

Ride on,
Torch

A Great Place to Find Leather for Your Bike!

I would like to introduce you to a gentleman and his wife, who partner together to form an at home business, which caters to the bikers with these high quality leather products.
The man’s name is Drifter, his website is http://www.bikerleather123.com/ . I am encouraging you to click on the link and check out his offerings! I’ve ordered a set of saddle bags from him. I’ve looked high and low for the right look. In fact, it’s been about three years of searching for the exact shape and contour of leather pouches for my over the fender bags.

You see, I’m a diehard fan of the bag of the ass end of the horse look. I want my bags to appear as the kind that belongs to the cowboy riding the range. I don’t need or want any space age designs for air stream slippage, or any of that other fancy talk. My bike isn’t gonna be going 100 miles an hour. Air stream is not one of my major concerns. I want bags large enough to handle my needs. I ride a Sportster. I ride long distances, as if she were a cruiser. I do not have a pillion seat, nor a sissy bar in order to attach the new fangled luggage they have for bikes today. What I do have, is a plain rear fender. A front fender, front forks, and handle bars. All well capable of handling my luggage needs, if only someone would see what it is I want, and design them, then make them available for me to purchase

Well, Drifter, and whoever it is he gets his leather work from, has done exactly that. At least in the form of my saddle bags: not only does he have the design I’m looking for, but dang it…HE HAS IT IN TAN! Now I realize, most if not all of my faithful readers will think to themselves…”Tan?...that’s asking for trouble, tan shows dirt, tan shows grime, tan show…well everything. Exactly my point ladies and gentlemen. I want my leathers to show use. I want to be proud of the miles they have put on with me and my bike. I want them to gain that weathered look that comes with age. I want my leathers to have the age old honor of knowing they are used, they are treasured, but are accepted as a utility item that gains character with use and age.

I don’t have my bags yet. I’m waiting for customs to get done with them. (Due to no fault of Drifter…my bags were stopped at the Canadian border on a shipping transport truck. No, Drifter is not located in Canada, but this particular leather crafter 9for my bags) was. In normal circumstances, we would not be waiting for a delivery from the leather crafter, as he keeps much of what he sells in stock…but because of a defect in the hide (material) that had not been observed upon arrival, Drifter had asked me if I minded waiting a few extra weeks so that he could reorder the bags…this time without the defect? I replied…of course, I won’t need them until the weather warms up enough for me to consider camping and week long outings.

So now, I’m getting excited…anxious to see how they will look on my little sweet honey. Hey check out the pictures of my bags…I really do like em!

Oh hell, they won’t upload to Photobucket…and I’m at my sister’s job covering for her. So here is the link with the picture of my new bags….
http://www.bikerleather123.com/leather%20biker%20bags

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I don't preferably like eating crow but the older I get, the easier it is. I feel that when you are a real man you are O.K. with admitting when you are wrong. I've done it publicly on my blog before, and why not here again.

My wife and I for what ever reason, for likely the last 6 months have argued about weather or not the 123456789101112 thing was from Sesame Street of Electric Co. I said Electric Co, she said Sesame Street. She was right again. I searched it out and found a YouTube video of it, and it is clearly Sesame Street.

Click on the image to watch and enjoy the nostalgia of it all.

CHARLES SGONINA, PART 2: RACING RICARDOS

Readers of George Cohen's 'Flat Tank Norton' have already heard the story of the 'Sgonina Special', but Charles Sgonina had more than one ace up his sleeve, and was a talented rider as well as a development engineer. By the age of 22 he had accumulated over 50 race wins, and was third in the French Grand Prix .

In 1921, Charlie snagged a Works ride for Triumph at the Isle of Man TT, on their new 4-Valve 'Ricardo'-engined machines. Sir Harry Ricardo was a pioneer in scientific engine development, and created the four-valve layout to reduce thermal stress on the inadequate valve materials available, while improving airflow through increased valve area (see pic above, at the TT).

During practice Charlie learned that Scientific Development didn't necessarily equal the fastest bike; the new Triumph was too slow for a decent placing. Another lesson learned before the race was to keep his eyes on the road; waving friends distracted him momentarily at one point, and he found himself riding on the sidewalk! He gained the nickname of 'Pavement Artist' in the bike rags, also being described as "a Welshman with an Italian name, a sunny smile, and a mop of fair hair."
Sgonina was the third rider flagged away at the Senior TT, a minute behind Howard R. Davies, riding his A.J.S. 'Big Port', which shortly achieved immortality as the only 350cc machine to win that 500cc event. Charlie reckoned on keeping H.R.D. in sight to keep up his placing; at the end of the first lap he was in 7th place, but halfway through lap 2 the 'Riccy' (see an example bovve) dropped a valve.

Next race was the French G.P., where he placed 3rd, at an average of 56.96mph. Bill Phelps, in the VMCC Newsletter, relates; "unlike the TT, in France you could practice any old time and they had great fun going flat out through a bunch of chickens - but French chickens know how to look after themselves. One incident Charlie recalls is going around with Freddie Edmunds who was one of the Triumph team. They were riding abreast at about 70mph when they saw a cloud of dust ahead; about halfway through it Charlie noticed a steam roller, and wondering what happened to Freddie, pulled up. Freddie also pulled up and said 'that was a close one; I heard my clutch lever go click against the back wheel of the roller!' (pic below; Sgonina is far left, with the '21 Triumph TT team).
During the race, Charlie was bothered by salt on the road, used to keep dust down, which gave him a sore throat. As he finished on the winner's rostrum, he was able to gargle with a bit of champagne. His mechanic stripped the engine for post-race measurement, but as much more champagne was available, he was unable to reassemble it!

In the Belgian Grand Prix (at Spa-Francorchamps) 'that valve' reasserted itself, and tire trouble too. So it was back to England and Brooklands, where he had never raced previously. During his first event, he was following Freddie Dixon, who burst a tire at 80mph and rolled endlessly, shedding clothing. Charlie thought it would be a long time before Dixon raced again, but Freddie was tough, and jumped back in the race.
At Brooklands, Sgonina hung around a few days to test fettle his Triumph in peace, but found more trouble, and left the bike with Frank Halford to sort out before the Catsash Hill Climb. Halford worked closely with Harry Ricardo and helped develop a bronze 4-valve cylinder head for his Triumph. Charlie was confident he might gain best solo and sidecar times, given such expert tuning, at Catsash. Race day dawned wet though, and the road turned muddy, so Sgonina used sidecar gearing for his first solo run. George Dance (above) on his Sunbeam went first, then Charlie gave the Triumph some welly and went very quickly, spinning his back wheel on the slick surface. At the finish line, the Triumph's brakes were useless on the muddy road, and he approached a T junction at 60mph; he tried to break right but laid the bike down on its footrest, slid into the hedge, and landed in a heap on top of the machine. George Dance was the first to render aid, commenting that HE had turned left and found a softer landing!

Although injured, Sgonina (above, again at the TT) attached a sidecar to his Triumph and made the Fastest Time of the Day on 3 wheels. George Dance stuck to his solo machine, went straight through the hedge, and ended up in the hospital.

When Sgonina returned the Triumph to Brooklands, Frank Halford again sorted the bike out, and promptly used it to break the One-Hour Record on the track, at 76.74mph!

Dance and Sgonina again squared off at Pendine Beach in Wales, a favorite spot for racing and speed work, being long and broad with a slow taper to the sea; a perfect racetrack, refreshed daily by the tides. Plus, Britain's ban on motor competition on public roads didn't apply to public beaches. In a One Mile sprint race, Dance made his customary 'hole shot' (being a past master of Sprint takeoffs) and leapt two feet, nine inches into the lead, which Charlie just managed to close within that mile. When they stopped, Dance congratulated Sgonina on a win, but he demurred, claiming Dance was yet 3 inches ahead... This was the fastest Charles Sgonina traveled in his bike racing career; Dance confirmed that his own Sprint Special would do 95mph 'any day of the week' (see Dance 'down to it' below).

As mentioned, Charlie gave up motorcycle racing shortly afterwards, but owned quite a few interesting cars, including a 1959 Aston Martin, a veteran of the LeMans 24 hours race, with which he would terrorize Welsh roads and tracks into his 60's...

Many thanks again to Bill Phelps for his images of Charles Sgonina, and for the use of his article which I've adapted here. The images of George Dance are from Robert Gordon Champ's definitive 'The Sunbeam Motorcycle' (Haynes, 1980).

Kanji

Kanji is a Japanese pictogram. It is what we usually think of when we see Asian writing of any kind. I can not tell the difference between Korean, Chinese, Japanese, or any other. They all look the same to me.

I amongst others in the motoblogosphere have been getting the shit spammed out of me big time. I've been deleting the comments left by this "ed" mutherfucker. Ed is using Kanji, or some other similar Asian pictogram writing to get his message across. I think he's got some nifty software working for him, or a company doing it because he is either manually wasting his time, or somehow bypassing word verification. This shit takes time! I deleted 14 comments left from him today alone!

I'd hate to have to do comment moderation. Hopefully he'll get tired of us soon. Your best weapon is to delete his comments folks! If you leave them, he wins. If you put your cursor over them, you'll see they are hyper links. I would not click on them to see where they go. They may link into VIRUSville, or he may get money for clicks, which could be his motivation.

Ed, I have one thing to say to you....




Oh, yeah, ed, In case you can't read Engrish, turn your head ed sideways, to read Go Fuck Yourself!

THE LINE UP AT THE DOGFIGHT SALOON

Charlie Taylor forwarded this photo recently - I had seen it months ago and wondered how such an amazing lineup of machines came about. Here is his explanation:

"The 1947 B Rapide on the far left was my Vincent. Coburn Benson, New England Vincent guru, had advised me that I needed a "B".He was right. Mickey Mouse Antiques of Amherst MA sold it to me - cardboard boxes packed with rust and mouse nests. It became my daily rider for several years, and is the Vincent I wish I'd held onto.

The Norton '66 Atlas was Howie's, and he bought it in Panama after a stint in the Peace Corps in Nicaragua, and drove it all the way to Connecticut, developing what he called 'Norton arm' in the process. 'Norton arm' was akin to 'Vincent knee', which I sometimes had. The former was permanent, and the latter temporary. One night, when Howie was returning from doing the Eleven Step at the Nick, the quick detach wiring harness quickly detached when he hit a pot-hole, and he was plunged into total darkness. It was a dark and stormy night, but fortunately the ignition died too, and he didn't crash. There's a moral in this, but I don't know what it is. Howie sold it to Jocko, and he rode it for several years. Jocko actually paid me to work on this bike, and I did quite a lot to it. After Jocko's untimely demise (he is still greatly missed, as is Howie), I was involved in selling it to Peter Shallenberger (sp?), and I also sold Jocko's magnificently ratty Vincent to a lawyer in upstate New York. I rebuilt the Vincent, and it's in a museum somewhere. Peter didn't ride the Atlas much, making excuses like 'my lizard is inactive'. I lost track of it after that. Where are the Rats of Yesterday?

David the photographer [who took the photograph with a mahogany and brass glass plate camera] bought the '49 Norton International in '66 from Harold Perrault in Shelburne Falls Mass. He used it to commute to work at Mystic Seaport, and eventually Kenny Bean blew it up racing rednecks during a summer party at Dogfight. Rednecks didn't catch him, though. I traded David a Velocette scrambler for the Intersaur, rebuilt it, and rode it for many years, until I restored it and sold it to a collector in Maine. The yuppies were a'comin' in.

I worked on most of these bikes, except for the '60 BSA Goldstar, which was owned by Gold Star Kenny, who packed all his worldly goods on the back, and drove it from Georgia to take a job at the Guild Guitar factory in Westerly R.I. He kept it in razor tune, and it always (almost) started on the first kick which was a good thing, because he weighed about 120 lbs.

Ello's Triumph 3T was the hardest working bike of the lot. It was purchased either at Comerfords or Pride and Clarke in south London. Ello used it to commute to her town-planning job in R.I., and if remember correctly, it morphed into the 'bobber' 650 Thunderbird, which I brought back from London in '75, when we did a trade. The 350 then became Marian's bike when we lived in Tomales CA. She put a lot of miles on it, commuting to Dominican College in San Raphael, a 150-mile round trip. She also used it while working as a reporter for the Point Reyes Light, interviewing geezers about clever ways of doing in gophers etc. When we moved back to Stonington, it sat festering in the barn for several years. After charging the battery and draining the carb, it started right up. I remember the burning carcass of a mouse blowing out the left muffler, followed by its nest. Harsh. Marian rode it down the vineyard road and back, and said, no, I don't want to do this anymore, so we sold it to a lady dentist in Mystic.

The '66 Velocette Thruxton mostly lived in the Quonset hut over the bullshit pit, but was hauled out now and then and started for ceremonial occasions, like this one. I sold it to a couple of guys from up north. It started on the first kick and the sale was sealed.. God loves me.

In the background is the Mosquito Breeding Experiment, Old Blue the Dodge Dart station wagon, whose oil never needed to be changed because David kept ripping the pan out on the dirt road to Dogfight, and the Yellow Truck, a 24-volt Korean War military Dodge which was used for Dogfight dump runs.
But where are the Dogs? Maybe moving invisibly like Civil War soldiers in a Brady photograph.---"

Daytona Bike Week - Get a Start on the Rally Season

The 68th anniversary of Daytona Bike Week is being held February 27 - March 8, 2009 in Daytona Beach, Florida. The start of Daytona Bike Week is often announced on the morning TV news shows. You know, where somebody sticks their face in front of the camera and announces: "We're at the opening of Daytona Bike Week. Good Morning America," and then you see a whole line of bikes roar off in front of the camera. Unfortunately, most of the remainder of Bike Week will not be seen by non-motorcyclists.

Check out my article, Daytona, for details.

Here in the frigid Northeast, I hear plenty of people talking about going to Daytona. Some are riding down with friends. Riding sometimes means riding in a car and towing a trailer with the bike on it. After all, the 1500 miles down with uncertain weather conditions has left many a rider stranded in a snow storm or Nor'easter. After that happens to you once, you tend to be a little more cautious the next time you go.

Maybe you want to skip Daytona and concentrate on planning to go to some smaller rallies this year. Be sure to read my article, Motorcycle Rallies, where I discuss rallies and give you information about the top rallies that I like. Of course, your views may be different -- this is Motorcycle Views after all.

I just got my registration information for the Americade Motorcycle Rally. That one is my favorite and I've gone every year since 1994.

It can get expensive going to lots of rallies, especially if you're taking two bikes. Double gas, double tolls. You just have to pick and choose what appeals to you most in these uncertain economic times. Motorcycle rallies are a lot of fun. If you've never attended a rally, you owe it to yourself to go. You just might find a rally or two that you'll want to go to every year, just like I go to Americade, regardless of the weather.

Cancel your credit card before you die

(hilarious!)

I tried to Snopes this to check it's validity, and they found nothing, so if not true, still funny as a joke.

Now some people are really stupid!!!!
Be sure and cancel your credit cards before you die.

This is so priceless, and so, so easy to see happening, customer service being what it is today.

A lady died this past January, and Citibank billed her for February and March for their annual service charges on her credit card, and added late fees and interest on the monthly charge. The balance had been $0.00 when she died, but now somewhere around $60.00. A family member placed a call to Citibank.

Here is the exchange :

Family Member: 'I am calling to tell you she died back in January.'

Citibank: 'The account was never closed and the late fees and charges still apply.'

Family Member: 'Maybe, you should turn it over to collections.'

Citibank: 'Since it is two months past due, it already has been.'

Family Member: So, what will they do when they find out she is dead?'

Citibank: 'Either report her account to frauds division or report her to the credit bureau, maybe both!'

Family Member: 'Do you think God will be mad at her?'

Citibank: 'Excuse me?'

Family Member: 'Did you j ust get what I was telling you - the part about her being dead?'

Citibank: 'Sir, you'll have to speak to my supervisor.'


Supervisor gets on the phone:

Family Member: 'I'm calling to tell you, she died back in January with a $0 balance.'

Citibank: 'The account was never closed and late fees and charges still apply.'

Family Member: 'You mean you want to collect from her estate?'

Citibank: (Stammer) 'Are you her lawyer?'

Family Member: 'No, I'm her great nephew.' (Law yer info was given)

Citibank: 'Could you fax us a certificate of death?'

Family Member: 'Sure.' (Fax number was given )


After they get the fax :

Citibank: 'Our system just isn't setup for death. I don't know what more I can do to help.'

Family Member: 'Well, if you figure it out, great! If not, you could just keep billing her. She won't care.'

Citibank: 'Well, the late fees and charges will still apply.'

(What is wrong with these people?!?)

Family Member: 'Would you like her new billing address?'

Citibank: 'That might help...'

Family Member: ' Odessa Memorial Cemetery , Highway 129, Plot Number 69.'

Citibank: 'Sir, that's a cemetery!'

Family Member: 'And what do you do with dead people on your planet???'



(Priceless!!)
You wondered why Citi is going broke and need the feds to bail them out!!

Who Would Wear A Jacket In The Heat?

OSi Cool Mesh Jacket Review

When I first got my V-Star 1100 and started riding I was using a regular, non-motorcycling, leather jacket. Summer came fast in Texas and I wanted to ride with some protection on, especially being a new rider. I decided I needed to find a mesh jacket soon. Not long after that, I received an e-mail, (I had subscribed), from Value Accessories with a nice looking mesh jacket for sale in it. What really caught my eye were the color choices. They had a titanium color that would match the color of my Mistress, (my bike), and my Vega XT Half Helmet.

OSi Sports manufactures this jacket overseas and is sold through several retailers. I liked their slogan found on their website, "Designed by Riders for Rider Safety and Comfort." The Value Accessories sale price was extremely nice and they had my size in stock, so I ordered one. I choose the least expensive shipping so it would be several days before it arrived. I continued the hot commute back and forth to work sweating all the way.

The jacket arrived as promised, was undamaged, and my debit card had long been debited. I opened the package like a little kid at Christmas time and tried it on. It fit perfectly. Designed for the motorcycle rider, the sleeves were longer than on a regular jacket. I stretched my arms out reaching for some make believe handlebars and the sleeve lengths were just right. I also notice that this jacket had Velcro arm adjustment tabs on the wrists. A lot of jackets I had looked at lacked this feature.

The Cool Mesh Jacket had waist adjustment straps on both sides. The waist adjustment straps use Velcro also. Combined with the side expansion panels it was very easy to customize the fit at the waist. The rear of the jacket also has six-inch gusseted zippers with expansion panels as well. I unzipped them.

The OSi jacket comes with protection for the rider. It has built in dense foam armor at the elbows, shoulders and back. I am not sure how much protection that would give me, but it beats the alternative. The back and shoulder pads are removable and I have never taken them out. It feels nice knowing I had some protection at these critical points. The newer model version jackets available now have no pads in the back. The neck also has a Velcro closure for when you have the jacket zipped up all the way. There is also a zipper at the bottom to attach to OSi pants if you get some.

Something I was not expecting was that this jacket had a full-sleeve thermal liner that is waterproof. I unzipped it out to store in my closet for winter. While removing the liner I also noticed two additional surprises. The fist was a medium sized pocket inside the jacket located at the bottom of the jacket in the fanny pack area. The best surprise was a hidden pocket just inside the zipper on the left side. I unzipped it open and felt inside. Hmmm, just about the right size. I reached in my right front pocket and pulled out my Kel-Tec P3-AT in the Uncle Mikes pocket holster and slipped it in the jacket pocket. I’m no criminal; I do have my Texas Concealed Handgun License. It fit nicely in the jacket pocket and you cannot tell it is there.

The jacket has two layers. On the outside is a mesh outer shell with reflective piping. I like jackets that have reflective material on them. It increases the odds that the driver of another vehicle will see you at night. The Cool Mesh Jacket also has a mesh inner liner. The only issue I’ve ever had with this jacket is the outer mesh jacket material is real easy to snag. I stored the jacket in my saddlebag during the day at work. Being as careful as I could it still would snag on something every now and again. I finally resided in not being careful with it so I would not be so concerned over how well it looked.

Riding with the Cool Mesh Jacket on is almost like riding with no jacket on at all. Once you get moving it feels like you have turned on the air conditioner in a caged vehicle. Riding in the Texas summer heat it felt much better than riding in the leather jacket I was using which had no airflow. In fact there was no comparison at all. Do yourself a favor. If you ride in the heat without protection because you think a jacket is too hot, get yourself a mesh jacket. You can really feel the air coming through all the little holes in these Cool Mesh Jackets.

This fall when the temperatures started getting cooler I zipped back in the waterproof thermal liner. It changed the OSi jacket into a completely different jacket altogether. It is like having two jackets in one. It really kept the cold air out. The Cool Mesh Jacket functioned so good I used it well into winter until I could afford a real leather motorcycle jacket with a quilted liner. The OSi Cool Mesh Jacket is an extremely versatile jacket. Torch gives the OSi Cool Mesh Jacket a M.M.M. Rating of 9 on a scale of 1-10.
　
Ride on,

Torch　

My Mission Statement

To all of you my readers: I have been studying and contemplating what I want from my blog. It's been an on going reflection since about January 10, 2009.

I believe I know where I want this blog to go, and I am writing my mission statement here, for you all to see. With your help, guidance and friendships, I know we will make this blog and my vision of it flourish into a successful endeavor for me, and a fun, informative, and reliable source of information for you.

As a writer, I believe it to be my directive to write stories that provide humor, information, beauty, truth and humility. I also believe it is helpful to write about things you know and love. I love motorcycles. I love travel. I love small town America. So why can't I take all these things I profess to love…and wrap them up into a summer of events and rides throughout rural Dixie Country?

My plan for this riding season is to take no less than one week of every month and spend it on the road exploring the scenic byways of Tennessee, Alabama, Virginia, West Virginia, Kentucky, Mississippi, Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina.

I have started to map out routes that are secondary in nature, that have small town America along its shores, including the festivals of the towns and communities that I will be passing though. Believe me, this is no small feat. It means I have to look at maps, note the small towns along the route, google them to see if they have web sites. If they have web sites, then I dig further to see if and when many of the towns along the route have their local fairs and festivals. I then try to time my riding schedule to match the season, and dates these small towns advertise as their draw to small town America.

I will also be camping along the way, checking out the local amenities, rating their services, and their willingness to be helpful. Food services along the way will also play a major role in what I will be writing about. You know, an army travels on its stomach…well I may not be an Army, but when I travel, I do like to eat.

It's impossible to know everything that will pop up and be of interest to me. You may find me on a 500 mile jaunt and have my mind stuck on one thing…and out of that entire 500 mile ride, that one thing maybe the exclusive item I choose to write about.

What I'm trying to tell you my friends is this: I promise to travel the byways of our beautiful Dixie countryside. I promise to find roads of historic value, roads of intrinsic beauty, roads that will carry you and me to small town America, with all her local points of interest and history. I promise to lead you to small towns who are celebrating their Founders Day, or who want to have a craft fair consisting of the local farmers, shop owners, Harley riders, bronco riders, house wives, car sales people, plumbers, drywallers….

I want to show you there are places in America where Americana is still practiced. There are festivals that celebrate the human spirit and where our roots came from. There are celebrations for the Irish settlers, for the Swedes, there are celebrations that honor the mule, and that honor the Magnolia. I want to find these celebrations, I want to experience them, I want to introduce you to them, but most of all, I want to introduce you to the people who are there experiencing and hosting the celebrations!

Least we forget, the views of the scenic highways will also be a large factor of what I write about, what I photograph, what is important. I want to be a part of something; I want you to be a part of it too. We are motorcyclists. We have the unique ability of being able to stop at places too small for cars; we can turn around easily to get better views of things we would have missed in our cars. We can smell the aromas of the fields, forests, roadside vendors selling boiled salted peanuts. But too many of us just haven't gotten past the mentality of attending events such as Daytona, Myrtle Beach, Sturgis, and the thousand other venues that pop up across our great nation in an effort to form the brotherhood of riders. Once you've gotten that out of your system, and have discovered the real brotherhood is without the boundaries and limitations of huge social gatherings…that the real brotherhood lies within you, as you pass the lone biker on the side of the road, or when you see one studying a map looking lost. Or any of the million other reasons to approach the lone biker traveling somewhere…anywhere…brotherhood is being able to transcend your troubles and learn about his…and help fix what's wrong.

So with this in mind folks, as the weeks progress, and the warmer weather begins to prevail, come back here looking for my stories of Dixie Americana…and see if it makes you want to find your way back home.

Chessie

 

 

 

Crack in the windshield

Sooooo,
Driving down the road, out of the blue a very large crack appears in the windshield. I try to look left, I try to look right, either way, that damned crack was still in my vision.

.

Can you even put words into an explanation for this???

Kawasaki Issues Recall of 2009 NINJA ZX-10R Motorcycles for Oil Leak Defect

Kawasaki has issued a recall of certain 2009 NINJA ZX-10R motorcycles.

Kawasaki is recalling model year 2009 NINJA ZX10R (ZX1000E9F/E9FA/E9FAL) motorcycles. The timing inspection caps on the starter clutch cover may come loose due to improper tightening and fall out, allowing oil to leak onto the rear tire.

The number of units has not been specified.

Check out my Motorcycle Recalls feature for more details.

Kawasaki Issues Recall of 2008-2009 KL650E for Wire Shorting Problem

Kawasaki has issued a recall of certain 2008-2009 KL650E motorcycles.

Kawasaki is recalling model year 2008-2009 KLR 650 (KL650E8F/L, KL650E9F/L) motorcycles. Wires in the wiring harness might be damaged due to rubbing contact with a portion of the motorcycle frame.

The number of units has not been specified.

Check out my Motorcycle Recalls feature for more details.

Kawasaki Issues Recall of 2008-2009 KL650E for Loose Muffler Bolts

Kawasaki has issued a recall of certain 2008-2009 KL650E motorcycles.

Kawasaki is recalling model year 2008-2009 KLR 650 (KL650E8F/L, KL650E9F/L) motorcycles. The muffler assembly is secured to the frame of the motorcycle by two bolts. It is possible that heat expansion cycles of the muffler, combined with vibration from vehicle operation may cause loosening of the muffler mounting bolts.

16,500 units are affected.

Check out my Motorcycle Recalls feature for more details.

CHARLES SGONINA, PART 1: THE 'SGONINA SPECIAL'

The name of Charles Sgonina languished in obscurity until fairly recently, when George Cohen included the amazing 'Sgonina Special' in his 'Flat Tank Norton' book. Created originally as a speed upgrade for his Norton 'Brooklands Road Special', Sgonina (born in 1901) eventually built a Double-Overhead-Camshaft conversion for the former sidevalve machine, and honed the motorcycle into a spindly and extremely purposeful tool, on par aesthetically with George Dance's sprinting Sunbeams, but with far more technical interest.

I recently asked Bill Phelps to fill me in on his old friend Charlie's story, and the following is edited from an article Bill wrote in a 1966 V.M.C.C. newsletter:

"Charlie is in the engineering trade in Cardiff; my first encounter with him was several years ago, when I required some work on my motor-cycle. He does not talk much about the Twenties, when he rode in many International events, and it was a few years after my first encounter with him that he did chat some on the Vintage era.

He bought his first motor-cycle in 1918; a belt-driven 4hp Triumph. His next machine was an Enfield, which gave him his first taste of chain drive. Next, at age 18, he purchased a secondhand 'B.R.S.' Norton (example above), belt-drive with a certificate that it had lapped Brooklands at 70mph. With this machine, Charlie entered the world of motorcycle competitions, and in 1919 he converted it to O.H.V., using a steel cylinder with detachable inlet and exhaust ports - this was three years before Norton introduced their own OHV machine. He raced the bike at Weston Speed Trials and won a few events, then at Pendine [beach], then at Style Kop, Birmingham - he raced Graham Walker in a Novice event, and managed to beat him; they formed a lasting friendship.

Even in the late Forties Charlie wrote articles for Graham, who was editor of Motorcycling.
However the engine of his Norton had a short life; the piston cracked around the gudgeon pin, then Bang! Only the camwheels were salvageable... But by now the Speed Bug had bitten, and Charlie managed in 1920 to persuade Norton to part with an actual T.T. frame and gearbox. His new engine wasn't as good as the first OHV, but with alterations it eventually get a move on, performing in quite a number of events with moderate success. (above, Sgonina on his OHV machine, with Dr. Lindsay and Jack Thomas on their sidevalve racers, 1920).

Charlie said, "About this time I started to alter valve timings and cam design and found out what a lot of study must be put in on this subject, as to make a cam that looks good is just silly. Anyone thinking of making new cams must first of all consider valve gear reciprocating weight, strength of valve springs permissible, and from this work out what kind of constant acceleration cam would be suitable. I always tried to fill the cylinder as full as possible at fairly high engine revs, and run on a compression ratio to suit the hottest plugs available which meant that I was running on a lower compression ratio than many and yet getting more power."

In 1922, after building his own frame, he added a chain-driven Overhead-Camshaft cylinder head, which caused a considerable stir (above); a number of drives were tried, as the chain thrash at certain revs was disconcerting. The best solution [remember, this is pre-Weller tensioner for chains] was to drive the magneto and camshaft on the same chain, but soon Sgonina switched to a vertical bevel gear drive, which cleaned up the appearance, solved the chain thrash, but did not increase speed.

There were plenty of troubles with pistons and and head joints, and a con-rod broke just below the gudgeon pin. There was little trouble with the valves though, using heat-treated Tungsten steel. He used a Petrol-Benzole fuel mix, and always rode his machines to events, but was not always lucky enough to ride them home!

He tried supercharging this engine but was disappointed, and after having a few fires the project was dropped. You can be assured that the flame coming from a blower will beat any brazing lamp!

In 1923, Charlie's last modification to this engine was a 90-degree inclined-valve Double Overhead Camshaft cylinder head - this was fully 14 years before Norton introduced their own DOHC motor. The Sgonina Special used bevel drive, a steel cylinder and silicone alloy die-cast piston. This was his first attempt at die-casting, and made at least six before making a really good one. The pattern for the cylinder head was quite a difficult piece of work and some beautiful castings were turned out. He was surprised at the strength of the valve springs required to prevent valve float, as only light thimbles were used between valves and cams to keep down reciprocating weight. This new engine was installed in a modified Sunbeam Sprint chassis.

This engine was never fully developed, but seemed to have great possibilities and even in this state was better than any of Charlie's previous efforts, being reliable and speedy and with slight alterations would have been ideal to run on alcohol fuel. It was road tested early one morning down Allensbank road in Cardiff and clocked 86mph.

Unfortunately he broke his arm practising on a grass track - with this, and the ban on motor racing on public roads, and the trade depression, Charlie had no encouragement to continue, but once the speed bug bites, you never seem to give it up, and he began to race on four wheels.."

Many thanks to Bill Phelps for the article, and George Cohen for the use of the images from his excellent 'Flat Tank Norton', which you can order here.

Bobber

This is the cyber bobber I built. I named it Bob. Go figure.
Go ahead and try it. It's really cool and really easy. Besides, while you are at it, you can enter to win a Perewitz chopper! Just click on the picture to go directly to the site.

Motorcycle Pictures of the Week - Joe

Here are my Pictures of the Week as displayed on the Motorcycle Views Website. These are taken from the Moto Pic Gallery. See Joe on his Silver Wing Scooter. For details, see Motorcycle Pictures of the Week.

If you'd like to see your bike as Picture of the Week, submit a picture of you and your bike along with a description of the bike.

The Gray Gator

The Gray Gator



Attached is a link (click on the title) that will take y'all to a piece I wrote for Bandit at Bikernet.com
I wrote the story on a bike of a dear friend. This link will hook you up to Bikernet.com (where the story is published,) and it is compleate with pictures as well as running commentary from the Editor...Bandit.

Click on the link and let me take you to a good friend, a very nice bike, and a tribute to both...it was fun to write, and to honor my friend for the work and dedication he provides to all bikers when they are in need of a friend....
I'm happy to put this out here for my friends in blog-land to read.
Chessie
(Mistress Marilyn)

Gnats Ass

As quoted by Lady Ridesalot A.K.A. Glider Rider on Thursday Feb. 19th, in her Too close for comfort post..."He just missed hitting the front of my car by a gnat's ass!"

This reminded me of all of the different things we say for terms of measurement.

Just how big of a distance is a gnats ass anyway?

Maybe it's only about 6".

Maybe It's about 1 foot.

Maybe even a foot and a half

Or two feet even!

Nah, I think it's closer measured in.....

THE RACE IN SPAIN IS MAINLY ON THE PLAIN

Dave sent this photo today, and it deserves a click to see the details. Great atmosphere; the old buildings in the town center with a narrow and unlined main street, the expectant crowds wearing suits and fedoras, the Spanish flag bunting (convenient to use a tricolor as the flag - it can stretch endlessly), the marginal start line, all speak to a 'local' race in a small town, where a bunch of motorcycles blasting through the streets is the most exciting thing to happen since the Civil War ended about 10 years ago...
What we see is three professional racers in this 350cc event; two on Velocette MkVIII KTTs (#s 3 & 31), an early AJS 7R (#8), plus the 'local talent' who likes to ride his motorcycle quickly between farm and town, riding a wholly inappropriate Sarolea (?) with hand-shift, heavy valanced mudguards, wide handlebars with up-turned levers, and most dangerously, studded trials tires. He is wearing leathers, but his jacket has epaulets (never seen on racing kit), his pants are bulky, and he appears to be wearing his shiny street shoes rather than the purposeful boots of the other racers.
Worst of all is the utter disdain being shown by #3, literally looking down his nose at #1.
But, he is NUMERO UNO for the moment! Tally ho!