Motorcyclists Ride to New York for 9/11 Memorial

A group of Michigan motorcyclists is gearing up to make the annual 9/11 Memorial Run, leaving from Oxford, MI, on Sept. 8 and heading to the Pentagon, Shanksville, PA, and Ground Zero to pay their respects.
Prior to the long ride, though, the group also is hosting a charity run on Sunday, Sept. 5.


A donation of $20 is required per bike and funds will be donated to Operation Care Package. In the past, “The Original 911 Memorial Run Inc.” also made donations to the New York Police and Fire departments, the World Trade Center Disaster Fund and other groups

“For the past several years, the focus of our donations have been Operation Care Package — to support the men and women of our country risking life and family to protect our freedom — with funds to continue sending care packages to our troops overseas,” reads an About Us statement e-mailed by the group that organized the ride.

The Sept. 5 charity run will begin at 11 a.m. with registration open until 1 p.m. in Centennial Park in downtown Oxford, and will return at 5 p.m. Bikers will again unite in Oxford on Sept. 8 to kick off their long memorial journey.

The group may leave Michigan with up to 100 bikers, but by the time they reach Brooklyn, they expect hundreds of thousands of motorcyclists from the across the country will have joined.

For more information about the charity run, call 810-343-0498 or e-mail Hip911@msn.com. The official website is at www.911memorialrun.com.

Keeping TomTom Out of My Bed

My new TomTom Rider 2 is conveniently located on my right handlebar,
between my solar watch and brake cylinder.

If I weren't married, I could have a deep and meaningful relationship with my new GPS unit.

When we ride together, my husband and I communicate through our Cardo Scala Rider Bluetooth headsets. But my TomTom Rider 2 GPS has no speaker, it give audio commands through the Bluetooth. When it does, only I hear it, because it's synced to my receiver, and it cuts off my husband's set. He can't hear the GPS speaking, he can't hear me and he can't talk to me.

He has a resentment about that.

In fact, his resentment started when I first talked about buying a GPS unit. "You don't need that," he said. "What do you need it for?"

I reminded him that I don't have a good sense of direction and I tend to get lost a lot.

"Getting lost is part of the fun of motorcycling," he said. Yeah, sure. As long as you have all the time in the world and no particular place to be.

I do get frustrated when I get lost and have to find a different route or turn around ... especially when I am on my motorcycle and have to maneuver in unfamiliar conditions, over rough roads, etc.

I'd been looking at GPS units for a while, but never used one. Several friends have them and love them. So I was kind of excited when I saw the TomTom Rider 2, designed by motorcyclists for motorcyclists. It has a heavy-duty waterproof case and large navigation buttons so you can use the touch screen with a gloved hand. It's also equipped with a USB computer interface that makes it possible to add new programs and maps, though I haven't tried that yet. It stores trip history and map databases on a removable SD memory card, and you also can lock it with a password so others can't access your data.

Although it's listed at $650, I found a seller on eBay offering refurbished ones for only $200. They didn't come with the Bluetooth headsets that normally come with it, but I already had mine, so no problem.

I got it last week, and spent very little time getting to know how it works. It came without documentation, but my experience with an eBook was similar, and I got that brand-new. So I went to the TomTom website and downloaded an owner guide in pdf format.

The bracket installs with one screw and has a swivel mount.

 Installation was a breeze. It came with a mount and handlebar bracket, attached with one screw and a strip of rubber to wrap around the handlebar to keep the unit from slipping. Took me about 10 minutes to get it all mounted up. Because of its size, and the location of my handlebar bag, I chose to mount it on the right, next to my brake master cylinder. Its mount swivels so you can move it around to best view the screen.

In the first test using it on the road I was pleased to see it will recalculate my route constantly when I disregard directions, because I am prone to doing that a lot. For instance, TomTom told me to turn and get on the freeway. "Nope, not gonna do it," I said, though TomTom was having a one-way conversation. But as I passed the on-ramp, it recalculated, and when I reached Grand River Avenue, it told me to turn there. So far so good.

I've only used it twice -- Sunday on a test run to South Lyon, and this morning commuting to work. Both routes I already know, so I didn't have to rely on the unit to show me the way, I just wanted to see how it works.

But that's when the marital strife began.

From the moment my TomTom told me to turn at the end of my street, my Ironman started complaining that he was being verbally cut off. This is a sore point for him already, because he says I do that to him all the time. So I always have to be cautious of his feelings, because I do love the man and want him to stick around.

Normally we turn on Lake Street and park in front of the Lake Street Tavern in South Lyon, but when approached our destination, TomTom told me to turn left a block before Lake Street, and then right. I knew by this time that Ironman could not hear the unit, so I repeated the directions, and turned on my turn signal, thinking I'd check out the other route. But the connection between us was severed and he didn't hear me, nor did he notice my turn signal. I heard him talking as he drove out of view, but the buildings blocked our signal and that was it. Both of us cut off.

TomTom had directed me to a parking lot behind the tavern that I hadn't seen before, and I parked right next to the back door, thinking how clever I was. I walked through the bar to the front to show him just how clever.

But a wise woman once pointed out that it doesn't matter if you're right when your beloved partner is feeling wronged.

"There must be a way to turn off the voice," my good partner said when we were seated in the bar. I pointed out that it's hard to see the screen in the sun, but did turn off the voice. And I didn't use it on the way home.

So I'm thinking I'll use it on tricky trips or when I'm alone, because even if I come to love TomTom, my guy was there first.

TIre Defect Suspected in Sturgis Deaths

Just obtained this info from PRWEB news service:


Sturgis crashes: Defective tires?

August 26, 2010 -- Crashes that killed three people in the days leading up to the 2010 Sturgis, SD, motorcycle rally that were attributed to sudden deflation of rear tires should be investigated as possibly involving defective tires,  said attorney Billy Edwards, a motorcycle accident expert.

“Properly made tires don’t suddenly go bad, but a defect can cause even a new tire to blow, especially if it’s subject to the heat and stress of a long trip,” Edwards said.

Tires can fail for a number of reasons, but a common scenario involves a bead defect leading to structural weakness in the tire itself and the development of a serious and spontaneous leak. Factors in whether and when a defective tire bursts include load, inflation pressure, speed, heat and oxygen, Edwards said.

“Riders on long journeys are usually carrying heavier loads at higher speeds and over longer distances, which are all tire stressors,” he said.

Riders also aren’t given good, accessible information about how much load can be safely carried on a given motorcycle, even though manufacturers and tire makers say it’s critical to safety, Edwards noted.

“Motorcycle load limits are buried in motorcycle manuals, and in some cases require confusing calculations,” he pointed out. “I’ve been urging manufacturers for years to make this information more obvious and available.”

Edwards’ website www.unsafemotorcycles.com offers a Safe Weight Calculator that tells consumers how much they can safely load on certain motorcycle models, primarily large touring bikes.

Robert Lewis Jr., 57, and Lynn Dannecker, 57, both of Wisconsin, along with Diane Thompson, 63, of Boulder, MT, were killed Aug.  6 and 7, in South Dakota in the days leading up to the Rally. The South Dakota Highway Patrol attributed the crashes to problems with the motorcycles’ rear tires. According to news reports, “the tires went flat, lost air pressure or blew, causing the bikes to wobble and crash.”

Edwards recently settled a lawsuit involving the death of a Stephen Gageby, and serious injury to his wife, Carla, in Butte, MT. The lawsuit, filed in the Second Judicial District Court, Butte Silver-Bow County (Cause No. DV-08- 480) claimed a defective bead in the D402 tire on Gageby’s motorcycle was the cause of the Gageby crash.

Edwards also has filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Austin, TX. (Cause number D-1-GN-09-003303) on behalf of Martin and Loretta Stricker, both seriously injured in a motorcycle crash in 2008.

According to the suit, the couple was riding on US 67 south of Abilene, TX, when a rear tire “suddenly and without warning” deflated. The motorcycle went sideways, flipped and ejected both passengers, the suit said.

Goggle-eyed

Driving into the sun both ways to and from work can be a bitch. The glare makes it hard to see, and I don't need to tell you that not seeing is a dangerous thing on a motorcycle.

I have sunglasses, in fact, a couple of them -- one in amber and one in dark green -- that clip onto my regular spectacles. They're OK, but don't block all of the light coming in from above and the sides.

So I ordered some goggles, thinking they would block the sun more completely. First I looked at a lot of different kinds, and then chose a type with one lens and oversized frames with foam around the face.

The difficulty of buying online is you don't get to handle the merchandise until it arrives, and then it's too late.

Goggles would keep out dust and wind, but
would they help with sun? Definitely husband repellant.

 I bought them through Motorcycle Superstore, which offers good prices and great service, but when I got them, they were so huge, my husband just mocked me.

Well, I'm used to that.

The real problem was that the lens was supposed to darken in the light, and when I set them in the window for three days they didn't darken at all. So I decided there was no point in going through the trouble of strapping them on my head, under my helmet, every time I ride.

I'm sending them back

We went to a local Gander Mountain outdoor sports store and I bought some fisherman's sunglasses instead.

They work pretty well, block the sun peripherally and over the top of my regular glasses, and they don't fly off in the wind, though they do press at the temples and start to hurt after an hour or so of wearing them.

Fishing glasses are scaled down, but still fit
over my specs and provide more sun protection.

We went on a 125-mile ride Sunday, and when we left it was overcast, so I didn't need any sunglasses. Mid-afternoon the sky began to clear, and by the time we were nearly home my temples were aching.

So I pulled them off without pulling over, thinking what do I do with these now? They were too big to shove into my pocket.

I didn't stop, but slipped one arm of the folded glasses down into the center zipper of my jacket, then kept reaching up to be sure they were still anchored there. I know from many years of lost items that anything not secured to the bike is gonna blow away. Sure enuff, as expected, a gust of wind eventually pulled them down and I braked, thinking I'd have to go back and search for them. As soon as I stopped, they dropped to the ground. Something about my aerodynamics apparently trapped them on the bike.

So I stuck them in my handlebar bag and rode home, squinting.

Next day I wore them to work and they were fine. Worked better than my small clip-on sunshades and were comfortable enough for a 50-minute ride, though the large, black frames do block some of my peripheral vision, and tend to make me feel a bit isolated.

By Tuesday it was cloudy and I didn't need any sunglasses.
Not sure how I'm going to handle this sun situation on a permanent basis. I'm still working it out.

Any suggestions?

'Mad' About Honda Motorcycles

First, I have to say I'm mad about "Mad Men,"  and that I ride a Honda motorcycle.

So imagine my delight when last night my favorite TV show featured the fictional but brilliant and handsome ad man, Don Draper (Jon Hamm), learning how to charm the heads of the Honda Motor Corp. to lure their business to his struggling start-up advertising firm.

I nearly jumped off the couch right then and there.

Don pushes a Honda through the office as part of a ruse to convince
the competition he's making a commercial to impress the potential clients.

The show, set in early 1965, gave us a few brief glimpses of two vintage Hondas -- and I apologize for my inability to provide you with clearer images, but it is what it is.

My favorite moment was young copywriter Peggy Olson (Elizabeth Moss) riding a little red Honda motorcycle around in circles inside a TV soundstage, wearing her poufy 1960s dress and sensible office-height heels. What a pioneer! She didn't need lessons, either.

 

Go, Peggy, go!

The episode, called "The Chrysanthemum and the Sword," references a book about the differences between Japanese and American cultures. I knew, as when Tony Soprano read Lao Tszu's "The Art of War" on "The Sopranos" about 10 years ago, that this book would ZOOM to the top of the best-seller list on Amazon.com. Sure enough, despite being a 64-year-old book, this afternoon it was listed at #4,714 in books.

One of things that makes "Mad Men" so delightful is the way we can look back and compare the attitudes and events of those more innocent years from our own ironic point of view. For instance, the way the Madison Avenue types react to the Japanese businessman who "want to make more motorcycle rider" ... and to think, they want to build cars, too!

A competitor has a different model, one that resembles
a cafe racer, but I'm not good at identifying vintage bikes.

The racism presented in bold, unambiguous terms by partner and WWII veteran Roger Sterling (John Slattery) isn't lost on us, unfortunately. People to this day refer to my bike as a "rice burner," as if I'm hurting my country by driving a bike that wasn't made in America. For what it's worth, the Honda Goldwing is, in fact, built in Ohio.

Company founder Soichiro Honda turned his passion for engineering to inexpensive racing motorcycles shortly after the war. His first real motorcycle, a 98cc two-stroke built in 1949, was dubbed "the Dream" because, as company legend tells us, an employee saw the first one ridden outside the factory and said “It’s like a dream.”

That is the American Dream that we helped bring to Japan.

By 1969, Honda introduced the CB750, a bike you can still find for sale on eBay. According to the Motorcycle Hall of Fame, Cycle magazine described the CB750 as "Exotica, erotica and speed," as well as "the most sophisticated production bike ever" when it debuted in 1969.

The American Way is to use what works best for us, and if I could buy an all-American motorcycle that was as reliable and inexpensive, I would. For now, I'm happy with my Honda.

Peggy's game to go riding.

Zooooooooommmm!!

Orange County Choppers Throws us a Bone at Dream Cruise

Paul Teutul Sr. (Getty Images)

PR Newswire offers bikers this tiny morsel of sunshine amid the madness of the Woodward Dream Cruise, which has unofficially begun in Oakland County, MI (not Oakland, California!), but officially is tomorrow only (Aug. 21):

Paul Teutul Sr., founder of Orange County Choppers -- courtesy of event sponsor Gladiator GarageWorks -- will appear in the Gladiator GarageWorks booth alongside the newly built Gladiator motorcycle. Attendees can meet the motorcycle fabrication icon and see the bike while taking in the sights of the world's largest one-day automotive event.

On Saturday, Aug. 21, the Gladiator brand booth will be situated along the Woodward Dream Cruise Route at 32500 and 32552 Woodward Ave. in Royal Oak, Mich., and will be open from 9:30 a.m.-6:30 p.m. Teutul Sr. will be in the booth from 2-4 p.m. signing autographs, showing off features of the Gladiator brand-themed bike and taking photos with fans, which will be available for download on GladiatorGarageWorks' Flickr page.

"Whether you're passionate about cars or bikes, we all have the same needs in the garage organizing spare tires, oil cans, wrenches and more," said Lou Ann Schafer, senior marketing manager, Gladiator GarageWorks. "Gladiator brand products are tough, versatile and sleek enough for the hobbyist as well as a professional chopper builder like Paul Teutul Sr. and his crew at Orange County Choppers."

Recently, Gladiator brand contracted with the custom chopper builders to do an "on-air" bike build to highlight the Gladiator brand products. Elements of the brand's products were incorporated into the custom chopper including the tread plate steel design and hammered granite paint finish of the Gladiator Cabinets and Tool Storage units.

At the Woodward Dream Cruise, Gladiator GarageWorks will show attending auto enthusiasts how they can set up an organized space for their prized vehicles. From auto zones to sporting zones, the Gladiator brand's exhibit will display key components of its garage organization system that help tidy up items in the garage. Attendees can come into the booth for a chance to win Gladiator brand prizes, take in a live feed from the Woodward Dream Cruise and interact with the organizational products.
To learn more about Gladiator GarageWorks and its products, or for information about future events that will feature the Gladiator brand bike visit http://www.GladiatorGW.com.

Check out the Gladiator GarageWorks site

And, by the way, The Oakland Press will be live-streaming coverage of The Woodward Dream Cruise on Saturday.

Bugs in the Teeth

(Accuracy note: I wrote this last week, on WED 8.11.2010. It still applies.)

I don't have words to describe it. But I feel so good about my biking experience right now.

Last night I met Ironman at 59 West for Bike Night, and it was ladies' night, so a friendly man who didn't identify himself tied a little blue piece of string onto my clutch lever, to identify my bike as a Woman's Bike. We walked around looking at and discussing the custom features of various motorcycles. There was a funny open VW with a bike wheel at the front, and a very very low Harley-Davidson in orange with gold custom details, chrome eyelashes on ALL of the lights, and a neat pinstripe that was signed (it was dated this year). It was a chick's bike, but I never did find out whose.

There were a couple of Forbidden Wheels M/C members sitting at a table next to ours, but I didn't recognize them, although I wanted to say hi and ask about an acquaintance who's their brother.

We also saw our friend Tanis and her husband, Chris, whom I've never met before. We ran into her just the other day out of the blue when we went for a ride. "Long time no see!" she joked. Tanis is a beautiful blonde and a mom who rides her own HD.

Barb from The American Road Shop sold me four 50/50 raffle tickets, for which I had the pleasure of llistening to someone else win $91. The Rainbow Connection took the other 50 percent.

Then they had a slow race, and I kept saying I need to practice and enter that before the season ends. I could win a gift certificate to the Road Shop! Besides, only men entered the race, and you know how little control most of them have.

The place was packed and it was a fun, rockin' time. We had dinner and ice tea and went home just about dusk. It was a cool ride home to end a hot, sultry day, and even though we had our two-way headsets on, neither of us talked much on the way home. As we entered the driveway, he warned me that I had left my car in my regular parking spot in front of the garage, not back in the corner of the lot where I usually park to make room for the bikes. "Just didn't want you to smack into it," he said. I could have gotten annoyed that he has so little faith in my ability to "Search Evaluate and Execute," but I didn't. He was just looking out for me, and that's why I love him so.

Then this morning, I rode in to work a little earlier than usual. It was a lovely ride. Felt good -- natural and flowing. I'm at the point now where I wonder why I had so much trouble in the beginning.

I had a lot of work to do, with an early deadline looming, but I just couldn't concentrate on that. My mind was elsewhere ... on the road.

On the ride home, the sky was gray-blue and pink. It was beautiful.

There's an old saying that happy bikers have bugs in their teeth. I can see it now:

"There's something stuck in your teeth. Probably from lunch?"
"Hmm ... must be the sesame seeds ..."

Gas on the Pavement

I just learned something new about my bike. It has a little hose that pees gas when the tank's filled too far too fast. It's a gasoline overflow tube, but I was shocked when it happened, because I had read my owner manual cover to cover, and there was nothing in there to warn me.

The tube is hard to see down there ...

All the manual said was to not fill up the filler neck. And while I do my best to avoid it, I've had to be very, very careful because my tank has baffles inside to keep the gas from sloshing and throwing weight from side to side. That slows the filling process. It appears to fill long before I'm done, then the gas settles down. So it takes up to five minutes while I sit, pumping a little, waiting, pumping a little, checking the pump, pumping a little, waiting ...

My 3.7-gallon tank also has a reserve on it, so the last 0.7 gallon is there to get you to the fuel station when you "run out." And since I've never run out, I still don't know how far I can go before I have to flip the reserve lever.

Normally, I watch the tripometer and pump 3 gallons when I get to up to 160 or 170 miles. On Sunday, when I first discovered this notorious overflow tube, I had driven more miles than ever before on one tankful -- 188 -- so I figured I'd probably pump more than 3 gallons.

I was only up to about 2.5 gallons when a Harley dude pulled up ahead of me in his truck. He was checking me out as I pumped-waited-pumped-waited.

"Baffled tank," I told him. "I have to wait for it to filter down."

But just as I got to 2.9 gallons, a burst of gasoline bubbled up, overflowing the top. I was focused on a bit of overflow on top of the tank when I noticed a puddle forming by my left foot. "Oh, NO!" I said, wondering what was going on. So I bent down and saw it flowing from a little black tube under my bike.

What IS that?

For a second, I wondered if the gas line was cut. But that wasn't logical; if it had been, I wouldn't have made it to the gas station. Then I considered it might be a safety thing, like the hole in your bathroom sink, designed to drain water rather than overflow onto your floor -- or in this case, away my valuable piece of flammable transportation.

At that point I stopped pumping and capped it. Bill, the Harley dude, suggested I push the bike back, away from the growing puddle, to see if the flow were slowing down -- and to get away from the toxic pool. Sure enough, it was slowing down. I opened up my tool box and pulled out the manual. We both checked it. Nope -- nothing about a fuel overflow tube.

Obviously I pumped in too much, Bill offered. So I reopened the gas cap and showed him. The tank wasn't filled to the filler neck, the gas had settled as it usually does -- all but that mini Lake St. Clair on the ground. Good thing I don't smoke.

At that moment, friends drove up on their bicycles, unaware of my plight. My she-friend asked, "Hey, what's up?"

"My bike is leaking gas!" I said, still stunned over this environmental disaster.

"What does that say about Women Drivers?" my oh-so-funny he-friend said, laughing. I had no clever comeback. "Nothing," I deadpanned. Eventually, they pedaled off.

When the dripping stopped, I went inside to inform the clerk of the hazmat situation at the pump. Apparently, the clerk was never briefed about this type of hazard, because he didn't seem to understand when I said "spilled gasoline." Then he just shrugged.

Oh well, I figured, I did my duty. I thanked Biker Bill and headed home.

Where's that stinkin' tube?

When I got home, I looked up "Honda Shadow fuel overflow" and discovered Omar O had asked about a similar situation two years ago on the Yahoo! Answers forum. Byron offered the "Best Answer," which included something I hadn't considered -- 90-degree weather.

"I had one that would leak right after I filled the tank, especially on hot days," he wrote. "It could just be cold gasoline in the tank expanding as it warms up and is coming out the overflow."

In a Yamaha forum, I found a guy asking about taking out the top of the baffles to make it easier to fill. BigDave43 said (on the FZ1OA message board): "Some of the members have punched small holes just below the gas cap. This vents the top of the tank and allows you to fill as much as you want. You have to be very careful when punching holes in a gas tank. You don't want to start a fire."

No, I don't want to start a fire. Or keep spilling fuel. But I do want to coordinate my miles and gallons so I know how far I can go. My husband's bike has a fuel gauge, so he never has to guess -- while I need to know how many miles I can travel on a tank.

He'd probably say I'm worrying too much.

Ride for the Red declared a success

Got this from the local Red Cross chapter. Congrats to all who contributed and participated!

Riders fill out registration forms to participate in the Ride for Red
at ABC Harley-Davidson in Waterford Township.

Last Sunday, August 8, Motorcycle enthusiasts from all over Southeast Michigan showed their support for the American Red Cross-Southeastern Michigan Chapter by attending the Second Annual Ride for the Red Charity Motorcycle Run.

The event drew 151 riders who enjoyed a 60-mile scenic ride through Northern Oakland County with stops at Great Lakes National Cemetery in Holly and Lakeville Inn in Leonard. Biker enthusiasts received a commemorative Ride for Red patch, great food, live music and a chance to win prizes.

The Red Cross wanted to thank ABC Harley-Davidson in Waterford Township, Gus O’Connor’s in Rochester and Leatherworks in Washington Township for putting the ride together, and gave special thank-yous to Fox Automotive in Rochester Hills, Thunder Roads Magazine and Lakeville Inn for their donations and support and to all of the riders who attended this event.

Proceeds raised at the Ride for the Red will help the Chapter’s core services Disaster Services, Military Services and health and safety training.

The American Red Cross, Southeastern Michigan Chapter is a nonprofit humanitarian organization that turns caring into action by providing three core services for residents in southeast Michigan: relief to disaster victims, emergency aid to active and retired military personnel and their families, and the knowledge and skills to prevent, prepare for and respond to emergency situations.

It is volunteer-driven and reflects the diversity of Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties. For more information on the Southeastern Michigan Chapter, visit www.semredcross.org.

Riders line up to start the Ride for Red at ABC Harley-Davidson.

Speed Demons

Riding the motorcycle takes more time than driving the car. Slipping on my shoes, gathering my stuff -- lunch, raincoat, whatever -- jumping in the car and going, vs. pulling on my riding boots, tying them, wrapping up my hair, strapping on my helmet, zipping up my jacket, putting on my gloves, packing my saddlebags, strapping down my tote bag for work ...

First time I did it, I got to work later than usual even though I started out earlier. I used to joke that I made up the difference by speeding.

But I always feel stupid when I think I'm getting somewhere in a hurry, and just have to stop for a red light ... and sit there, waiting ... waiting ... waiting ...

On the flip side, I'm always amused when I'm passed by an impatient driver, only to catch up to him at the next light. In fact, I pride myself in not having to put my feet down at a light. I coast, I downshift, I take my time.

Because It's no fun waiting in the steaming heat for a red light to turn green.

Besides, I've learned that jockeying for position and speeding increases my anxiety -- and anxiety is a definite threat to safety on the road. I actually feel smarter and more in control when I take my time and ease up to the stopped traffic.

Ironman pointed out to me that on a road he travels to work the lights are timed properly so that if you travel at the speed limit you don't ever have to stop. So I did an experiment. I drove only up to the speed limit for several days, and damned if I didn't get to work faster than when I exceeded the limit.

Safer AND faster.

Often I find other drivers passing me in a big friggin hurry, or someone is tailgating and finally races around, only to tailgate the car ahead. Which is where I want them to be -- ahead of me, and not on my tail. What is it? Do they feel lonely if they're too far away from other vehicles? Reminds me of cattle, which prefer to keep their noses on the behinds of their neighbors.

It is especially puzzling when they tailgate a larger vehicle, like a truck. How can they SEE what's ahead of them?

Trucks have “No Zones” -- blind spots -- and if you to fall into
one of those areas, truck drivers may have no idea you are there. Thus, their
ability to avoid a collisions is compromised if you’re in the No Zone.

 The Michigan State Police offer this warning:

"To law enforcement officers, it's called 'not being able to stop within an assured clear distance,' ... a violation of the basic speed law. Most of us call it tailgating. It is the most common cause of traffic crashes.

"Always plan ahead. Allow no less than 2 seconds between vehicles during the daytime, 3 seconds at night, and 4 seconds during inclement weather such as during rain, snow, or icy conditions. ... Anticipate potentially hazardous situations that could cause the driver in front of you to stop suddenly."

Here's just one example of a motorcylist doing the same thing, causing a collision:

Motorcyclist Accused of Tailgating in Poconos Crash
(the Morning Call, Aug. 3, 2010):


A motorcyclist was following a car too closely Saturday in the Poconos when he crashed into the car as it slowed for a right turn, police said. No one was injured, police said, but the motorcyclist and his passenger "were mildly thrown" to the ground at 11 p.m.


Seems to me that speeding and needing to get ahead of other cars is merely an expression of Ego.

http://wallpapers.free-review.net/12__Little_Demon.htm

What demon possessing these drivers makes them think this is the way to get ahead? They're racing to the grave. Let's just hope they don't take someone else with them.

The Aging of Sturgis Motorcycle Rally

The streets of Sturgis, S.D., a normally quiet town of 6,000 residents
at the foot of the Black Hills of South Dakota, are lined with motorcycles
for the 70th annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally.

The Oakland Press posted this interesting AP story about the changes in the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally with the aging of bikers, including the viewpoint of one of the rally's founders -- Neil Hultman, 81, a member of the Jackpine Gypsies Motorcycle Club, which started the rally to race bikes. Below are more photos by AP photographer Steve McEnroe.

Greg Pike, 50, of Bisbee, Ariz., sits with Booger the dog, Kitty the cat and
Mousey the rat, in front his souped-up riding lawnmower before the 70th
annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in Sturgis, S.D.

From humble to rumble: Sturgis turns 70

By JAMES MacPHERSON
Associated Press Writer

In this Aug. 6, 2010 photo, John "Six Pack" Sands, 56 rides his motorcycle in Sturgis, S.D. (AP Photo/Steve McEnroe)

STURGIS, S.D. (AP) — Greg Pike seems unfazed as his “chopper” putts past thousands of rumbling motors in western South Dakota’s Black Hills, cruising the souped-up riding lawn mower into the world’s largest motorcycle rally with his own gang: Booger the dog, Kitty the cat and Mousey the rat.

Pike is among the eclectic mix of people flooding this normally sleepy town for the annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. The six-day event officially kicks off Monday and is expected to attract as many as 750,000 people, likely making it home to the highest concentration ever of chrome, leather and tattoos.

But these days, you’re more apt to run into a hog-riding orthodontist than a motorcycle outlaw. After seven decades, the rally has morphed from a small race to a rowdy gathering of biker gangs to a weeklong party of biking enthusiasts from across the globe. Some come for the concerts — Bob Dylan and Ozzy Osbourne are among the scheduled performers — while others simply want to gawk at expensive toys.

Among the more bizarre twists, actor Pee Wee Herman promises to perform the world’s largest “Tequila Dance.”

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Neil Hultman, 81, enjoys the sights and sounds of his 63rd Sturgis
Motorcycle Rally in Sturgis, S.D. Hultman joined the Jackpine Gypsies, the
group that organized the rally more than 70 years ago, when he moved to
town after World War II. Though he hasn't ridden for the past five years, he 
still owns a classic 1930 Indian and a Yamaha trailbike.

Will Villalobos, 45, left, and Mike Hutton, 41, center, both of Riverside, 
Calif., chat with Rick Jones, 66, of Huntington Beach, Calif., at the 
merchandise and information booth of the Riverside Charter of the Hells 
Angels, at the 70th annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in Sturgis, S.D. The 
group's booth is on the famed main street of the normally quiet, little town.

Will Villalobos, a 22-year Marine Corps veteran and a member of the 
Riverside Charter of Hells Angels, works at the group's booth.

Dale Jones, 73, a lifelong resident of Sturgis, S.D., chats on the phone
with a friend on Sturgis' Main Street as the famed Sturgis Motorcycle Rally
gets under way. Jones' Honda Metropolitan scooter stands out
amid thousands of Harley-Davidson motorcycles.

John "Six Pack" Sands, 56 rides his motorcycle in Sturgis.

Scott Crosby, 49, of Denver, Colo., stops his motorcycle to snap a photo of an
unusual trike sporting a distinctive John Deere theme, on Main Street.

Sturgis Schmurgis

Q: What has a million wheels and an IQ of 92?
A: Sturgis.

Ha ha. Just kiddin'!

Actually, though I've never been -- and won't be there this year -- I can't help thinking I'm missing out on something really big this week. It's the 70th anniversary of the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, Aug. 9-15, the biggest, baddest motorcycle rally in the world. And it sounds like Mardi Gras for bikers.

The city of Sturgis, South Dakota, with a population of about 6,000, welcomes more than half-million visitors each August for the annual motorcycle rally. The musical acts performing this week alone are super impressive: Bob Dylan, Kid Rock, Ozzy Osbourne, ZZ Top, the Doobies, Alice in Chains, Creed, Stone Temple Pilots, Jackyl, 3 Doors Down, Three Days Grace, Guns n' Roses ...

Check out this promo video:


RnR 60 Full Second Spot from Dan Catullo on Vimeo.


Numerous documentaries have focused on the Sturgis rallly. "One Million Motorcycles," is one, there's "Why Sturgis?" "Sturgis Uncensored," and VH1 provides annual coverage.

American Bagger magazine produced a 100-page guide to Sturgis 2010 that lists maps, vendors (yea! I love shopping), event schedules and additional attractions.

I'm sure there's considerable drinking and rowdiness going on there, although the city promotes it as a family activity. I asked one lady rider about it on Facebook; she said she's gone five times, and says it's an event not to miss. She described some of the people as "wild," but I wondered what exactly that means. Sex, booze and rock 'n' roll? One hell of a party.

Well, this biker chick's partying days are over -- and trust me, you didn't miss much there.

Still, Sturgis holds allure. There are great rewards in being part of a community, which is another reason to go to events like this. The riding population is a minority, and often viewed as suspect. But not in a place like the Sturgis rally, where bikes line up as far as the eye can see. That's got to be a thrill in itself. An estimated 10 percent of those bikers are women who ride their own.

Aside from the interesting people, gorgeous bikes, stunt shows, races, skin-baring contests and other activities planned for this weeklong bash, South Dakota's Black Hills offer great natural beauty and historic attractions for the road warrior. The Crazy Horse Memorial, Mount Rushmore, mining sites, Fort Meade, the Devil's Tower and Custer State Park are some of the highlights. And for history buffs like me, Sturgis has a motorcycle museum with an AMA Women in Motorcycling exhibit and antique bikes.

Maybe next year ...

But it IS a long, long drive out there -- about 23 hours of freeway travel from where I live. So I just wanna know one thing: Is it cheating to trailer to, say, Rapid City?

You goin? Drop us a note in the comments section.

Harley Conversion for a Disabled Vet

Mike Brause, left, a technician at American Road Shop, works on
a piece of covering for a converted trike, as Tim Beaubien
inspects another part. Beaubien is the co-owner of
American Road Shop in Waterford Township.
The Oakland Press/Jose Juarez

In today's Oakland Press

WITH VIDEO: Waterford Twp. motorcycle shop modifies Harley for disabled veteran

By JERRY WOLFFE
Of The Oakland Press

Mike Brause, left, who is a technician at American Road Shop, works on a piece of covering for a converted trike, as Tim Beaubien inspects another part. Beaubien is the co-owner of American Road Shop. Photo taken on Wednesday, August 4, 2010, in Waterford, Mich. (The Oakland Press/Jose Juarez)

A Vietnam veteran who lost his legs below the knees soon will be able to jump on a modified Harley-Davidson and ride away — fulfilling a nearly 40-year-old dream.

READ MORE

And here is the video I shot in the American Road workshop:

Details of Motorcycle Injuries

An interesting graphic that was tweeted today.

click the graphic to see it full size.



Via: Motorcycle Insurance

What NOT to do

Lady Rider friend Leslie Coffman sent me a photo of herself sitting on her Harley in shorts and sandals. She said I could post it as long as I add a caveat:

"Put on there 'THIS IS A NO NO' because it felt so wrong -- we drove by the police department and I was kinda hiding like turning my head and not looking so they wouldn't see me  !! lol"

That's so funny. I remember the first time I went out on the back of my husband's bike, saw a cop and I felt like I was about to get busted for not wearing a seat belt.

The Lady Riders club has a contest every year to see who gets the most mileage on their bikes. Leslie said she's around 5,000 miles for the year so far. They recently rode to Nashville, IN, and went a little crazy.

"Leah and I were rebels down there didn't wear helmet or jackets, even wore shorts and flip flops into town Sat nite," Leslie wrote me when she sent the picture.

Tuesday I encountered a woman rider on a sport bike who concerned me. She did two things right: She had on a full-face helmet, and a high-viz yellow shirt. But she sped past me, even though I was already riding upward of the speed limit. She was weaving in and out of traffic and following less than one car length behind other vehicles. She had no gloves, her shirt was a short-sleeved T, she had on shorts and on her feet she wore Crocs, of all things. Not only are those shoes ridiculous, but they'll just be flying debris in the case of a motorcycle crash.

I'd hate to see what would happen to her if she fell and skidded. Road rash is no joke -- it is burned and torn skin, and if you burn enough of it, you can die from that alone.

Sure, I can hear her saying, "I won't crash," as she weaves around cars, following one second behind the car in front of her. Even if her skills are top-notch -- which I doubt -- nobody ever plans to crash a motorcycle. That's why we call them "accidents."

Yesterday, another friend asked me about a motorcycle accident he saw when he was young. It always puzzled him that a fellow in a leather vest was injured everywhere but on his back. That's why wearing a leather vest is really a style choice and not a safety measure. They're practically useless for protecting your hide.

I find it amusing when riders sometimes tell me, "You should always wear a jacket" when they go out in a tanktop. What's up with that? We want to believe it won't happen to us, but fatal crashes happen every day.

Don't be a statistic.

Riding in shorts and sandals
"felt so wrong ..."

Get Out and Vote!

The Motorcycle Safety Foundation provides training at local
colleges, but the $25 cost of tuition for the course doesn't
come close to paying all of the expenses involved.

Tuesday, Aug. 3, is Michigan's primary election day. Most people ignore the primaries, even though they are far more important in determining who runs things at the local level. But another reason to go to the polls Tuesday is a number of important financial issues.

I'm here to support one of them today.
Oakland Community College is the only place in Oakland County, MI, that offers motorcycle training courses. That is huge.

The state of Michigan is cutting back on expenses in this challenging economy, and has cut back on funding for the motorcycle safety courses, which cost only $25 to the student. Sponsoring organizations, such as OCC, provide the parking lots for riding and classrooms for the bookwork, plus they must provide insurance coverage for students, motorcycles, RiderCoaches, all other site personnel and the Motorcycle Safety Foundation.

OCC Dean Tim Walter told me that OCC is committed to the courses, and  will continue to make it a high priority, "... Assuming the vote to continue supporting OCC as the county so generously has over the past decades."

Tuesday, I urge everyone in Oakland County to go to the polls and support OCC's 0.78-mill tax renewal. One-hundred percent of the money goes to running OCC.

“That millage accounts for about 30 percent of our total operating expenses and for that to not pass, all our operations really would be substantially different than now,” said Timothy Meyer, chancellor of OCC. “It would be devastating.”

A yes vote will NOT cost Oakland County taxpayers any more money -- this is not a new tax, just continuation of what is already in place -- and it could make the difference between someone getting professional motorcycle training and just winging it. It will lead to hundreds of good and safe motorcycle drivers hitting the road in the next 10 years instead of barely passing a road test.

This where I got my training, and I want every new rider to have the same opportunity I did.
Remember: Stupid hurts. Vote smart.