Tires on the Bike

Well, I ordered, received, and have had the Michelin's mounted. I got that last part done today. If the Michelin's last 8K that would be 289 (what they actually cost me) plus 133 (to get them mounted and balanced, includes the greedy uncle's part - tax) = 422 dollars. 422/8000= .05 cents per mile. Not bad. If they only last 6K that comes up to .07 cents per. So, what I have to do is save up 7 cents for every mile I drive so that when these tires wear out I have the money for the next set. 7 cents. Man that's very high, don't you think. Good grief for 422 dollars I can get a cheap set of tires for my truck and go at least 50,ooo miles. Ughhh. That's 8 cents for every 10 miles!! I think Bikers are getting ripped off.

Ok so if tires cost twice as much as car tires we should be able to get them and installed for 211 dollars, right? I mean we only have to buy half as many tires! Well the problem is that the tires are much more advanced than car tires. Because what you really have is two or three tires in one, depending on what kind you buy. The Michelins that I bought have dual compound tread. What this means is that the center is harder, for riding straight up, wich is more than 75% of your riding. The sides, that part of the tire you ride on when you lean in a curve, are softer for more grip, but will not last as long. So, you have two tires in one.

Oh, I also forgot to mention that Bike tires are much harder to install. You have a chain, or belt, or shaft that must be removed, and on some bikes this is a rather lengthy process. On both front and back the tires have to be aligned, chain tightened to specs, etc. etc. So, I can understand the cost there. Not to mention the person who does the mounting is liable for something if it all goes bad.

Well, I'll keep convincing my self that paying over 422 dollars for only 8,000 miles worth of riding is worth it. But honestly I think the tire companies could do better.

Tires, Laptops, and Surgery

Well, I've put over 4200 Miles on the Bandit since putting her on the road. The problem is that she now has balding tires. They may have a run or two to work left in them, but they didn't do so well on the last one, so I've garaged her for now. I've been debating on whether to buy Michelin's Pilot Road 2s or Shinko's 009 Ravens. I can get the Ravens for 185.48 (front and rear), but the Michelin's will cost about 290.00. Thats over a 100 dollars more for the Michelins. Now, reports from BanditAlley.net, and other places have given the Ravens good marks, people getting 8 to 9 thousand miles from them. The Pilot Road 2s are showing up at around 10K.

MC Clubs and Things

I'm a member of quite a few forums these days. I frequent Bandit Alley, RiderForums, and browse around some on ADVRider, but not much. I was informed that the defunct Suzuki Owners Club of the USA was pretty much dumped in favor of Suzuki Owners Club of North America (Link Here). I remember early on finding the European version which seems to have thousands of members, and thought it would be cool if there is one in the US. The Site I originally found was defunct, and not one of the contact email addresses I found were valid at all.

I'm still contemplating the value of 18 dollars a year as a full membership fee. I keep thinking that it would be helpful to be a member of a large organization since riders aren't that much in the majority.

I'm not really into the AMA because they want to repeal helmet laws, but I don't believe it should be an option. I think we should be on a par with autos, and since Seat belts are not even wise, helmets should be our equivalent. I know many riders disagree, saying it should be our choice, but that's the same argument that folks used for seat belt laws, and it didn't help stop that law. I've been in car wrecks and I'm firmly convinced that Seat belts were the difference between me being a relatively healthy man, and being handicapped at best, dead at worse! Not only that but the whole "choice" argument is getting over worked. It is the lame godless argument used for Abortion, Drug use, etc. etc. I believe people in this country need to learn responsibility first, just like children. I constantly teach two things to my kids:

1. A little bit of pay attention goes a long way.
2. If you don't do what you are supposed to, you can't do what you want to.

Its that simple folks. When it comes to helmet laws, if the riders who give Motorcycles a bad name would show more reponsibility in how they ride (do what you are supposed to) then we would never have had to worry about a helmet law in the first place (do what you want to). So, to protect society from having to pay for the upkeep of another vegatable head injury, the government decided to make us protect our heads.

The other kind of group I thought of joining was a Christian Motorcycle club. The problem is I can't find one close to home that has a statement of faith I can live with. There is one, but they are pretty much (as it appears anyway) trying to create a church of their own. The CMA (Christian Motorcyclists Association) looks like a great group, but they don't have a chapter that's anywhere close to Dickson, TN.

So, I'm stuck. Another problem is that finding very many riders, with the time and commitment to do that kind of thing is hard to do. I joined up with Patriot Guard Riders, but haven't been free for a ride yet, and there have been opportunities. The problem is that life just seems to find a way to get in the way. Well, I can do what I can.

What I'd really like to see is for the gas prices to come down to the point that I could ride my bike recreationally. As it stands right now, its my mine ride to work. 45 MPG is 11 MPG better than TWICE what I average in my truck. And, even buying premium I spend less than 30 dollars a week on Gas, versus the 80+ I spent on the truck.

New Fun in Riding and Cardo Rider Teamset

Well, I've decided to just ride the bike until the wheels fell off. Since I've been unsuccessful in my attempt to keep the thing looking brand new (thanks to fall overs) I might as well just forget about the looks and just ride it. Well, I've discovered there's freedom in them there hills. Last night I rode the kids to and from Church just for the fun of it, and they LOVED it. The back roads between our house and the Church are quite twisty, so it was fun. Of course I rode a little different just to put a little sizzle into it, but it was fun.

Sometime back I bought a set of Bluetooth Helmet devices for my phone that included an intercom feature. That's one of the reasons the kids love riding now, even more than before. The Bluetooth phone connection works great, but the intercom could use some help. I can understand dropping the connection when no one is talking to save batteries, but this stupid thing will drop the connection WITH us talking at times. Occasionallyit will come right back on, but sometimes either myself and/or the passenger will have to yell to get the connection opened back up. The good thing is that they are voice activated and I don't have to reach up and push a button every time that happens. Other than that I think for what you pay for them (around 200+ bucks depending on where you buy it, got mine from Revzilla).

Back on subject, the ride in this morning was invigorating, and enjoyable. The weather was nice, although I would have liked it a little cooler. It's supposed to rain tonight around 7 PM, which means it may be raining in Dickson around 5, which is when I get in. So, I've been threatening to try out my riding pants without any jeans under them, that may be a good excuse to do just that.

I have to say, I'm really liking this motorcycle riding. I guess you can tell that from the posts. Another interesting thing I've discovered is that you better have decent self discipline if you ride. There are a lot of idiots both on four and on two wheels jerking in and out of traffic. I can understand why bikers ride the way they do, now. On that bike you can fit, physically, into smaller spaces, you can accelerate much faster than the cars around you, and you can maneuver with greater agility than they can. By the time they decide to do something you've already done it, and gone off and left them! However, its also possible to reach great speeds without even realizing it. I was upwards of 100 MPH, a couple of times in the past very quickly. My bike isn't even a "Crotch Rocket". So, if you get a bike, remember, just because you CAN doesn't mean you SHOULD. Be careful, and try not to irritate the cagers any more than necessary. And for those in cars (cagers), remember, there are vehicles on the road of all types that are larger and smaller than yours. Look for the small ones, which would include bicycles, and the large ones, semis, and be careful.

Google's garbage had to go

Well, I finally upgraded to Firefox 3. I have been holding out waiting for Google to get off its duff and update the Firefox extensions. If you remember I ranted about this in an earlier post. Well, I finally said forget it. I found out one of my biggest problems with Firefox on Linux was Google's fault!! The toolbar was the problem all along. The problem? I could not open more than 2 Firefox windows without the whole app freezing up on me. I would have to completely shutdown, and restart Firefox to get anywhere else. So, I've rid myself of Google's extensions altogether.
I replaced my Book mark sync with Foxmark, and all my other extensions, except my Favorite theme, work fine with FF3. So, good riddance Google. And yes, if they want to shut me out of mail and blogging I'll go somewhere else with that too. I think its completely bogus that they can come out with a hundred and one new apps every year, and can't be bothered to keep the apps they've won people over to up to date!
On a positive note, I'm finding FF3 to be very fast compared to FF2, and not *that* much different on the appearance and features list. Meaning, if you think you're going to get lost in the new interface don't worry, this isn't MickeySoft and Office2007.

Oh, I haven't blogged in a while because I've done quite well at embarrassing myself with how I handle my bike. I have let it fall over twice now. The first time I'm still not sure it was anything I did, I think there were other factors involved. The second time was just my stupidity, I think. The problem there was by the time I tried to catch the bike (not too far over) my leg said "forget this" and just gave out on me. It has happened twice now, but the first time I wasn't really tilted enough to cause it to fall all the way over. This morning it hurt my leg. I'm not sure the bike got that far off, or whether it was too far I just couldn't believe how my leg reacted. You have to understand my legs have always been my strong point when it came to that sort of thing. I guess being 41, they just aren't going to take it anymore.

Certified or Certifiable?

Yes. :-D. I passed the MSF (Motorcycle Safety Foundation) course over the weekend! I'm now, in the words of the Rider Coach, Chad Hargis, "Certified to do 12 - 18 MPH in a parking lot, safely!" I took my course from Learn to Ride, naturally at learntoride.org. The course is hosted by Nashville State Community College on White Bridge road just about every weekend. The Lady I spoke to over the phone said they were getting swamped with folks wanting to learn to ride now. I'm thinking its both the spring weather, and the ungodly high gas prices. (NOTE: If we didn't have such a stupid impudent congress some folks in the oil industry would be doing time for highway robbery!!!) I'd also like to mention Jeevan Rose, the other rider coach for our range.

By all means take the Course if you are thinking about getting a bike and licensed. Its a good course, and both Jeevan and Chad were very helpful in encouraging good riding habits. No, you're not going to become an expert at riding, but you'll have a good foundation for how to handle a bike. It was interesting to watch the range when half the folks were in one line, watched by Jeevan, and the other in another line watched by Chad. Jeevan would stop just about everybody, and coach them a little, and Chad wouldn't stop you unless you just weren't getting it. Not sure why they both stopped me on an occasion or two, :-\. I had to pick a different bike the second day from the one I was riding the first. The first day I was on an older Honda Nighthawk 250, the second a Suzuki 200 Dual purpose. The Clutch, Gears, Brakes, and height were all different. The Speedo would only go to 15 and would stay there until I stopped so I had no real idea how fast I was going. (I was going WAAAAAYYYY too fast on my first run at the braking eval, and went to using the engine idle as a guage). I eventually got to where I could compensate, but when you are being evaluated its no time to be figuring out a new clutch, crappy speedo, odd shifter, and a bike that is taller! So, my tip is pick a bike, and stay with it the second day. Oh, the Nighthawk had a problem with Neutral, and the green light wouldn't come on. This caused the engine not to start at times. I did notice that a time or two the day before but I'd keep trying and it would come on.

Also, the bike is in the garage. I have a bad picture of it sitting in the garage. You can't really tell much about it, and it doesn't have the side or top cases because we're waiting on the right mounts from Suzuki. I wanted to get out on it this evening and practice a little with it, but it started raining. I'm not necessarily a fair weather rider, however, the last thing I want to do while trying to get used to the bike is fight the weather too! Well, I'll be going by the License place tomorrow, and I'll call Progressive to see if I can move up the insurance effective date by a day or two. I'd like to ride it for real next week.

This weekend is Old Timer's Day in Dickson, TN. Its a big deal around these parts. I'd love to be able to ride my bike downtown, I'd be able to get around easier.

Well, God bless you and yours.

New Bike

Well, I finally will be able to say I own my own bike. I've ridden before, took a Motorcycle safety class in High School, or Jr. High something like that. Many are accusing me of a mid-life crisis, and other such things . . . whatever. The problem is that gas prices are going through the roof, and I need an alternate vehicle that isn't going to take up lots-o-space in the driveway. This was the best option. I have always wanted a GoldWing, however, at this point they are way too big and just as expensive as a car, and probably don't get any better gas mileage.

So, I went smaller. I found a Kawasaki, Concours 14, that wasn't as expensive or big, but its still too big for me at this point. Very nice bike. They have one you can sit on at the local Motorcycle shop in Dickson. BMW has one, but WOW, the price is up there as well. Then I visited the local shop and the sales guy there recommended a Yamaha FZ1 or FZ6 (the 6 being a 650), both of which I'm sure are good bikes. However, neither come with Hard Case Saddle bags (or Panniers) as options from the Manufacturer. The only options found by the local shop were semi-hard shells that mostly covered up the back seat. So that was out. (Yamaha has a nice Sport Touring bike as well, but its as big as the ConCours14). During my search I saw the Suzuki Bandit 1250S.

SWEET RIDE! The Suzuki has options from the factory for Hard Case saddle Bags, and a top case. In Europe and Canada they sell a GT version that comes with ABS, the bags, and a GPS unit. So, I searched the internet for reviews, tests, comparisons, etc. I couldn't find anything negative about the bike that wasn't easily corrected (the mirrors are a little too close in, and the shield is just a little short for long hauls). It has adjustable front and rear shocks, has good horse power, etc. There is even a test that compared it, and the BMW K1200! Granted the Suzy didn't overcome the Beamer, however it held its own, and was declared a close second compared to the MUCH more expensive bike!

So, I go back to the local shop. I tell him I found what I think is my bike. "Suzuki Bandit 1250" I said. His response was, "Not a fan, don't have one." Nice, I thought, but I want one. Then he said, "Old Technology." Basically he gives me the specs for an '06 model, which I'll agree is old tech, but hey, it works. This all clues me in that he really doesn't want to sell me a Suzuki, and isn't even willing to look one up for me. It also clues me into the fact that he isn't nearly up to date on what's going on in the brands of Bikes he's supposed to be selling. Why? They completely revamped the Bandit in '07. Redesigned the engine to put out more torque at lower RPMs (15 ft lbs at 3600 rpm instead of 6000 rpm), and to meat European and Californian Emissions Standards. Along with doing away with the carb, and putting electronic fuel injection on it. So, I went else ware. I found a blue one (without ABS) at Precision Motorsports in Mt. Juliet, TN, and bought it. The sales guy, Brooks, is fairly knowledgeable but didn't remotely claim to know it all, or even much at all about the Bandit, so he wasn't biased. Yes its forever and a day to Mt. Juliet from my house, but they had want I wanted, and were willing to sell it to me. I pick it up Thursday, and I'm Scheduled for the Motorcycle Safety Course this Friday - Sunday. The Drivers License place doesn't open until Tuesday, and my insurance doesn't kick in until the 1st of May, so I won't be able to drive it until next weekend any way.

Anyway, I have a helmet, Gloves, and Jacket lined out. All I have to worry about now are Pants, and Boots. Yes, I have a Full Faced Helmet, and I plan on being covered when my behind hits the pavement :-D . (Not that I think that will happen soon).

The coolest part is that it wont cost me a fortune to run down to the DataCenter from where our main office is!

I'll post pictures of the actual bike when I get it home.