NCR June '09 Print E-mail
WRITE AN ESSAY, AND OFF YOU GO
Buell Motorcycle Company announces the American Adventure Grant program, which will award the grand prize winner of an essay contest describing the ultimate American riding adventure a new 2009 Buell Ulysses XB12X motorcycle, $2,500 in credit for Buell Parts & Accessories, and a check for $2,500 to complete the trip of his or her dreams.
To enter, participants must complete an online profile and submit a 250-word online essay describing their trip by the deadline of 5 pm EST on June 23, 2009. In their online essay, applicants are asked to describe their vision of the ultimate American on- or off-road riding adventure, including destinations, the planned route, their reasons for wanting to complete the trip, and a description of previous riding experience. A direct link to the contest details and entry forms can be found at www.buell.com/adventuregrant.
All applicants must be legal U.S. 50-state residents at the time of entry, age 18 or older, and possess a valid motorcycle operator’s license, but do not need to be current owners of a Buell motorcycle.
 

AHRMA OUT WERA IN
The amateur-racing section of the AMA has announced that WERA motorcycle Racing will run the vintage road racing operations at the AMA Racing Vintage Grand Championships, scheduled for July 24-26 during AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio.
Previously, vintage racing at AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days was overseen by AHRMA, but a protracted legal battle involving the AMA has strained relationships between the two clubs.
Racers will compete for AMA Racing national championships, and winners of A classes will earn National No. 1 plates to defend at the 2010 AMA Racing Vintage Grand Championships.

USE A PHONE, GO TO JAIL
Has hand-held cell phone use while driving declined, since it was made illegal nearly a year ago? The law doesn’t seem to worry many San Francisco drivers, who continue to drive while otherwise occupied. We didn’t get a response from the SFPD, but the CHP says it has booked over 86,000 drivers statewide since July 1, 2008, when the law took effect.
The law allow drivers to use a hand-held mobile phone only if calling a law enforcement agency, a medical provider, the fire department or other emergency services.
The CHP enforcement has stepped up since last summer, when an average of 7,800 drivers were ticketed per month: in March, over 11,000 drivers were pulled over for the offence.

Fatal Motorcycle Crashes on the rise: US crash study stalled
More than 500 motorcylists died in California’s roads last year, according to preliminary numbers from 2008 released by the CHP. Which explains the new public service announcements that the CHP will run on television and banner ads that will run on the internet, using $1.5 million in grants funded by the National Traffic Safety Administration. The ads will focus on reducing alchohol use, a factor in many motorcycle crashes, and in signing up new riders for the California Motorcyclist Safety Program rider training courses (enrollment in these courses is up 11% over 2008).
Meanwhile, data collection for the US motorcycle crash causation survey has been completed in Southern California, but analysis of the data is on hold because of lack of funds. The replacement for the 1981 Hurt report needs another $2 million in public funds if the results are to be aired, according to the LA Times.
Researchers (and legislators) may be forced to rely on a new European study of 921 fatal motorcycle crashes, MAIDS 2.0 (Motorcycle Accidents In Depth Study), a three-year study conducted in five European countries, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands and Spain.
CityBike readers will no doubt question the validity of using European results in the US. Don’t they ride on the other side of the road over there? And don’t they have a lot more crowded urban areas to have accidents in?
Here are more results from Maids survey:
• There were 103 cases involving a fatality of either the rider or the passenger (out of 921 total crash reports)
• Mopeds were over-represented in the accident sample when compared with the exposure sample.
• More mopeds were involved in accidents which took place in an urban area than motorcycles. (85.9% v. 62%).
• 54.3% of the PTW (powered two wheeler) accidents took place at an intersection.
• Passenger cars were the most frequent collision partner (60%).
• 72% of the accidents took place in urban areas.
• A PTW was more likely to collide with a passenger car in an urban area than in a rural area. (64.1% v. 46.7%).
• Due to the absence of comparable exposure data, it was not possible to determine if any month, day of the week or time of the day was a risk factor.
Moped – Motorcycle comparison: No difference in proportion of failures causing the accident, but while moped riders mostly failed in perceiving the hazard, the motorcycle rider tended to make more decision failures. It has to be noted that, among other actions, whenever the rider was speeding and this was contributing to the accident, this was coded as a decision failure. Motorcycle riders tended to take more evasive maneuvers (68.1%) compared to L1 riders (51%).
Note: France, Italy, and Spain allow 14 year olds to ride mopeds, and Germany and the Netherlands have a light moped class which does not require helmets.

ON THE BACK
If you’re lucky enough to own a Ducati 848, 1098 or the new Streetfighter, you might occasionally ask yourself how do I attach luggage without destroying the paint?(maybe you should have asked yourself that before buying the bike, but we digress) Maybe you just want to carry your lunch to work, but using a backpack is a pain. Now, imagine a back seat bag big enough for your lunch and a jacket liner, or an overnight change of clothes, and a bag  clever enough to retract down into a seat pad so it never needs to be removed.
The Cycle Guys new FastPack Size 5 does all that, and it also fits 2007-09 Kawasaki ZX-6R and 2008-09 ZX-10R. Zipped down, it’s a carbon fiber embossed seat pad. Zip it up, and it carries about 8 liters of cargo, perfect for day trips or even an overnighter. The FastPack has a suggested retail
price of $69.95, available online at www.thecycleguys.com or by visiting your local Tucker Rocky stockist (most motorcycle dealers).
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MISTER MO’S HELMET HEAD
Valentino Rossi wasn’t the first to put his picture upfront on a racing motorcycle—that honor is claimed by Nichols Motorsports Morris Friedlander, who writes “I’m getting pretty fed up reading about Rossi’s helmet, with his face on it, and how Dainese is now offering this to their customers, etcetera. Well, three or four years ago, I did countless track days, on two different bikes, with my smiling face pasted on the front of the fairing, albeit with a look of sheer terror on it. I can’t begin to tell you how funny this looked to everyone, including -especially- the guys of GotBlueMilk, who managed to get a ton of photos of me. Coming or going, they found me pretty funny, and not just because of my riding style - I had “Slo Mo” on the back of my leathers, which was probably pretty annoying to read, if you were the guy I just passed. Which isn’t to say that that happened very often. Except in “C” group, of course. I was, in fact, “The Doctor” of “C” group. Unfortunately, I was barely an intern in “B” group…

MOTOMARIN DEBUTS
There’s a new dealer name and a new location for MotoMarin, formerly BMW of Marin, which is shortly to open its new premises at 511 Francisco Boulevard East in San Rafael. Only the phone number will remain the same, at 415-454-2041.
The new store will carry new BMW, Moto Guzzi, Aprilia and Vectrix motorcycles and scooters, and will offer servicing to other brands too. The store has contracted to use Honda, Suzuki and Kawasaki special tools owned by Marin Cycleworks, and hired the MCW service manager John Burkle, who will how to use them without muttering “Zese veren’t made in Munich...”


SPLASH BIKE SOLD
British artist Damien Hirst hit another high recently with the sale at auction of a spin-art painted Harley-Davidson. Working in his studio in rural England, the controversial artist (who previously exhibited a cut-up cow and a shark preserved in formaldehyde) mounted the Harley Cross Bones model on a turntable and poured paint over it as the bike revolved underneath.
The bike was sold at auction in Los Angeles in aid of the Project Angel Food charity, which delivers food to 11,000 people battling Aids and cancer each week. Sale price was not immediately disclosed.

SAY NO TO HYDROGEN POWER
The US Department of Energy has quietly dropped most of its funding for hydrogen fuel cell research, because the technology is years away from practical application.
“We asked ourselves, ‘Is it likely in the next 10 or 15, 20 years that we will convert to a hydrogen car economy?’ The answer, we felt, was ‘no,’” said Energy Secretary Steven Chu, according to Energy & Environment Daily.
Hydrogen powder has been criticized because Hydrogen is often merely a way of storing power created by burning fossil fuels, and because the costs of providing high-pressure hydrogen refueling stations would be immense.
While a number of fuel-cell powered cars had been announced during the tenure of Hydrogen as the fuel of the future, motorcycles were not seen as particularly suitable vehicles for hydrogen power, mainly because of the bulky insulation of hydrogen fuel tanks, which have to be cooled below minus 423 degrees Fahrenheit to provide effective storage.
It’s likely that more emphasis will be directed to electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids, with the dropping of hydrogen research. An area where motorcycles are suitable vehicles.


words bigger than a picture
What should the reborn British firm JAP (originally an engine builder during the 1920s-1940s) name their new 1300cc bike?
Here’s the suggestions from the staff of British bike newspaper Motorcycle News:
X-Calibre: Brooklands GTO: Super Griffin: Phoenix: Thrust GT: Charger: Thunderer: Brutus: Brooklands Bobber: Spitfire: Hammer: Sovereign: Goliath.
We were looking for a picture of the bike, but after reading that list of names, you probably don’t need one.

JAPAN MC PRODUCTION DOWN
In case you needed more proof of the recession, motorcycle production in Japan was cut in half in March. Domestic sales also declined, by 54%, with 37,000 over-250cc motorcycles and scooters sold in Japan in March. Exports declined by 38% during the same period.
And if you’re the optimistic type, there’s some great news in these figures: now’s the time to get a great deal on a new motorcycle.

SMOG CHECK CHECK
As we reported in this space last month, smog checks are on the way for motorcycles. The more cynical among us might see the checks as just another way to raise funds for the state coffers, especially as the checks are likely to be purely visual (as in looking for the compliance stickers) rather than by checking performance.
Well, there’s more bad news on the way, because when those smog checks are implemented, look for them to be annual, rather than every two years, according to the LA Times.

LADIES’ RIDE
Suzanna Boogay will be leading a ladies’ ride through the back roads of Sonoma,
Napa and Marin counties, and she says “We’ll be meeting around 8:30am May 23rd,  and will go on a 2-4 hour ride, ending at Santa Rosa BMW & Triumph, 800 American Way, Windsor, CA 95492. Route details will be posted on website as we move closer to this date, or call for more information - (707)
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RIDE TO WORK DAY
The 18th Annual Ride To Work Day is a month away, and this year the weaker economy is causing many commuters to turn to motorcycles and scooters to save money on transportation. These new everyday riders are finding cycles and scooters to be an economical, efficient and enjoyable way to get to work and around town. Because of the world-wide depression, this year is expected to be the largest Ride to Work Day demonstration ever, according to Ride to Work, a non-profit organization
According to the United States Census Bureau and the Department of Transportation, over eighty million cars and light trucks are used for daily commuting on American roads, and about 200,000 motorcycles and scooters are a regular part of this mix. On Ride To Work Day, the practical side of riding becomes more visible as a larger number of America’s 8,000,000 cycles are ridden to work.
Ride to Work Day helps demonstrate how these vehicles make parking easier and help traffic flow better. Studies have shown that across equal distances, commuting motorcyclists reach their destinations in less time than those using automobiles, that motorcycles and scooters consume less resources per mile than automobiles, and that they take up less space on roads. Motorcycle and scooter riders seek improved employer recognition and support for this form of transportation, and more public and government awareness of the positive value of riding. More info: www.ridetowork.org


LEAD LAW UPDATE
This just in from the Motorcycle Industry Council (MIC)
“MIC and SVIA thank CPSC Acting Chairman Nancy Nord and Commissioner Thomas Moore for attempting to get youth model ATVs and motorcycles back on showroom floors, and for acknowledging that the current ban on youth model ATVs and motorcycles creates a compelling safety issue because it likely will result in children 12 years of age and younger riding larger and faster adult-size vehicles, while, as the CPSC’s staff scientists acknowledge, the presence of lead in metal alloys in these youth models does not present a health hazard to children. The Commission also acknowledges that children riding these vehicles only interact with a limited number of metal component parts that might contain small amounts of lead, like brake and clutch levers, throttle controls, and tire valve stems.
However, although the Commissioners’ intentions are laudable, it is clear that the stay of enforcement as drafted is a temporary stop-gap measure with conditions largely unrelated to safety. It does not and cannot end the ban on these vehicles. Due to the highly restrictive language of the CPSIA and the fact that the CPSC is not the only agency responsible for enforcing the law, this stay of enforcement is simply inadequate in legal terms and leaves the industry vulnerable to lawsuits and actions by federal and state agencies.
For example, because the CPSIA has now branded these products as ‘banned hazardous substances’ due to their minimal lead content, they cannot be imported into the United States. U.S. Customs and Border Protection is responsible for enforcing this ban, and CPSC’s stay cannot and does not bind this separate federal agency to follow it. Nor would the proposed stay prevent state Attorneys General from taking enforcement action against our member companies.
It is clear that the only way to obtain adequate and permanent relief for riders and the powersports industry from the CPSIA’s lead content requirements is for Congress to take action. The CPSIA must be amended to grant an exemption for youth ATVs, motorcycles and other off-highway vehicles, which present no lead-related health risk to children. The industry supports categorical exemptions provided by legislation introduced by Rep. Denny Rehberg (H.R.1587) and Senator Jon Tester (S.608).
MIC and SVIA urge Congress to end the ban of youth model ATVs and motorcycles once and for all by amending the CPSIA.”


MC Parking News
Steven Lee sent this letter to his local Supervisor, Eric Mar of
San Francisco District 1
 Supervisor Mar:
It is my understanding that the SFMTA is proposing to increase motorcycle parking rates to $1.00/hr.  I am finally provoked to write to my Supervisor and the entire Board to oppose this increase. 
 For several years now we San Franciscans have had to endure what has become a punitive disregard by City government towards its citizens through more and more regressive schemes to fill the City’s coffers.  Like the Feds, the reflex of choice for local government is to nail the citizens with the least means while ensuring the wealthy and their pet projectsremain untouched.
 One of the most common complaints amongst my Richmond district neighbors is the conspicuous intensification of effort by DPT parking officers to micro-enforce ticketing at every perceptible violation to the point of harassment.  We are sick of this.
Now, in keeping with squeezing the citizens as opposed to serving us, the latest regressive taxation comes in the form of penalizing motorcyclists. A proposal to increase motorcycle parking to $1.00/hr.is astoundingly myopic given the obvious benefit of alleviating traffic and parking congestion which encouraging 2-wheel use over the much more wasteful autos have accomplished. The recent trend towards greater motorcycle use in the City will be nullified as there will be a disincentive to ride.  Neither will there be any advantage for motorcycles to not occupy full-sized parking spaces, further limiting availability for cars. 
Is getting drivers to go back into their cars and worsening the traffic and parking problems for the sake of relatively few bucks for the City really what the Supervisors want to tell their constituents?
Eric, I encourage you to move the Board of Supervisors to reject this ill-advised proposal. Thank you.

Million Mile Motorcycle
 For any motorcycle rider to log one million miles in a lifetime is truly amazing, but it’s even more impressive to do it on one motorcycle, as Dave Zien did, on a 1991 Harley-Davidson FXRT.
That’s 52,000 miles per year, over the last couple of decades.
Harley-Davidson celebrated and honored Zien’s million mile motorcycle accomplishment at the Company’s Milwaukee headquarters on April 6 with special presentations to Zien that included a brand new 2009 Road Glide. It was also announced that after a short stay at the Harley-Davidson Museum in Milwaukee, Zien’s million mile 1991 Harley-Davidson FXRT motorcycle will be put on permanent display at the Sturgis Motorcycle Museum & Hall of Fame in Sturgis, S.D.


Mojotown
New Mojotown motorcycle gear store is at 1345 E Francisco Blvd in San Rafael. Opening hours, Monday-Saturday 10-6, and phone number 404-6656.

Myrtle Beach goes Bikeless
This from the New York Times:
After years of complaints from local residents about noise, violence and indecency, the Myrtle Beach, S.C. City Council adopted a series of anti-rally laws last fall in the hope of driving away the 500,000 motorcyclists who roar into this coastal town of 24,000 people every May.
The City Council voted unanimously in September to outlaw loud mufflers, engine revving, straight pipes, riding without a helmet, and parking more than two motorcycles in a space. It also enacted curfews for minors and banned alcohol sales after 2 a.m., loitering in designated parking lots and displaying chairs, coolers, alcohol or food beside a road.
But the bikers are coming anyway, because the city does not run the rally and most events occur beyond the city limits.
“There’s not a community in the country that would welcome three straight weeks of these motorcyclists,” said Mark Kruea, a spokesman for the city. “And if there is, then by gosh, move the bikers there.”

 

New Slipper
San Jose BMW has a new option to enhance the ride for BMW R1200 owners. “Our experience in racing the R1200 exposed the need for a slipper clutch as well as the limitations of the stock BMW clutch components with higher power and torque.  
“Slipper clutches add safety and stability when downshifting in corners.  Unless revs are perfectly matched, selecting a lower gear will cause a momentary load on the rear tire which can skid or hop, causing a loss of traction and control.  The HD Slipper clutch allows just the right amount of “slip” to compensate, making for much smoother downshifting.
“For street riders the SJBMW HD SLIPPER CLUTCH also offers a real safety benefit when fitted to a BMW with the ABS Braking system and shaft drive.  During panic stops the significant forward weight transfer causes the rear wheel to become very lightly loaded and often momentarily lose contact with the pavement. Shaft drive reaction geometry also causes problems as the rear wheel speed tries to match up with engine speed and gear ratio variations.  Due to the nature of shaft drive the transmission of torque from the rear wheel back to the engine is not as linear as with a chain drive.  If you’ve ever tried to bump start a BMW, you know what we mean.  
“The SJBMW Slipper clutch is also a Heavy-Duty component with a unique 4-blade plate design with high-performance facing material.  This design provides for a higher plate pressure, without raising the spring rate, delivering greater friction and increased torque capacity, without raising lever effort.  The SJBMW HD Slipper Clutch will provide long life and exceptional anti-slip properties along with predicable engagement and enhanced clutch feel.
“The Slipper action is provided by a precision-machined hub-centered unit that weighs only 550 grams and adds minimal spinning inertia, as the components are all close to the centerline of the clutch shaft. Installation is straightforward, as the SJBMW HD Slipper clutch unit is an exact replacement for the stock BMW driven plate.
The slipper clutch is available for all R1200 twins, priced at $1,095. Call 408-295-0205.


Three wheels on your wagon?
Own an overweight three wheeler? Now it’s a motorcycle. Thanks to California’s new AB2272 law, three wheelers (even ones that look like cars) are legally motorcycles, no matter what they weigh. Previously, a three-wheeler had to weigh under 900 pounds to be classified as a motorcycle.
So do you need a helmet, riding in one of these new motorcycles? Not if it’s more than seven feet long, or more than four feet wide, and fully enclosed (so sidecar and trike riders still have to wear lids)
The new law also defines electric-powered vehicles as motorcycles, but prevents three-wheelers from lane splitting.
 
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