Search the Community
Showing results for tags 'riding'.
-
Okay, I'm home. The first thing I did was to strip off all my clothes , and then jump into the hot tub for about 45 minutes. That is a lot longer than normal use, but I needed to melt some of the Alaska ice I brought home with me. Ride was interesting, and an experience. The BMW sidecar rigs were fun, and it makes me think about conversion of one of my bikes. Fairbanks was colder than ^$#@*, and Prudhoe Bay was about 30 degrees warmer than Fairbanks, due to drier weather. It will be some time before I ride to Alaska again in the late Fall, just before Winter sets in. Have done it three previous times, but those were all in the Summer. Now I can say I have scratched that itch. If you want pictures, which I know is one of the first things some of you ask for... ... ...are you still waiting? Well, my brilliant riding partner on the R12GS had his camera in his tank bag, rather than his jacket. And, since he made certain that it was fully charged up before he left, he did not bother to bring his charger. By the time we got to Prudhoe Bay, his camera was almost frozen...to digital death...and would not function at all. We waited until the next morning to leave, and hoped the camera would be thawed out, but when he did try it the next morning, the battery was below functioning level. No way possible to charge his battery, so he...literally...threw his camera into the Arctic Ocean...he was so mad. Say goodbye to one Sony Cyber-shot. I did not take a camera with me, because he said he would bring his. The Super Tenere' again worked excellent, as did his (my old bike) R12GS. BTW, the total trip was 5120 miles, and was done in just under 8 days of riding. Close to half of the riding was done in the dark, meaning...at night, because it gets dark really early up there. Now time to get ready for Christmas. So, what have you folks been up to? Eh ?
-
Now first I want to make it very clear that my knowledge when it comes to electircity is pretty much limited with the fact that I know it hurts to touch it and it takes a plus and a minus to make the light come on. But my Royal Star Tour Classic 1998 in Iceland has started to flicker the headlights. They don´t go off completely, they just kind of go low and high when riding the bike. When idling they are quite o.k. I don´t know if it has anything to do with it but last night (yes, there is still riding season in Iceland) I pulled into a gas station and filled the bike up, and when I tried to start it up again the batteri was almost dead and did not manage to turn the motor over enough to start it. The battery is four years old so that is shot for sure. Could any of the following be the reason: Maybe some loose connections ? Switch to be cleaned ? Stator going bad? If any of you guys have experienced this or have any idea what could cause this then please chime in. Jonas - who is scared sh#*!#ess of electricity after peeing on an electric fence in his youth - NO !!! I don´t wanna talk about it)
-
Howdy to all. I am asking for suggestions. I am planning a 2 week ride with my brother next September. We have been talking about riding southern UT. for a few years. We need some suggestions for roads, lodging, eateries.... We want to include Zion, Bryce Canyon, Grand canyon north, Glen canyon, Canyonlands, Arches... We plan on having to do some camping along the way. we want to avoid dirt roads. Thanks!!
-
Ok I haven't been riding the bike since I fell off a ladder the 1st of last month and broke my hip. Doc says no walking, wheel chair or toe touch walker only. What a pisser. Any how one of my favorite things is taking pictures when riding. So I had the camera along the other day on the return from the Doc's. I got a lot of shots of this guy when we stopped at Starbucks for some coffee. Mike Red Tail Hawk on Light Post [ATTACH]72787[/ATTACH]
-
Yo, does anyone know of any VR meets, MD's, or gatherings of anykind, anywhere in the next few weeks or month????? I am tired of sitting around, and want to go out riding a distance. Rather than simply going riding in my local area for the day, I always need a purpose and a destination. Otherwise I just sit home...typing on this forum. So, the best way to shut me up...typing wise...is to tell me there is a ride happening, a maintenance day happening, a nice dinner happening, and it is...1000 or more miles away. I leave in about 7 weeks to ride down to Bolivia, but I need something before then. Help?????
-
Does anyone know where I could obtain a free Harley Service Manuel for a 05 Harley Roadglide? Want to do some re-caming. After riding the 06 Venture like too have the same sensation of speed on the Roadglide.
-
How about some of you AZ riders. Tell me how the weather is all year in Phonex and South. Tombstone,Serria Vista,Bisbee areas is riding all year pretty much good to go?? Whats your thought's.
-
I have ridden in a ton of charity rides, I always keep the same safe distance that I do while riding in traffic, because thats exactly what you are doing.http://www.tmz.com/2012/10/23/jay-leno-motorcycle-crash-accident/
-
I need info on seat mod by butler.....Getting sore riding long miles...will this help?
-
Part One: http://www.venturerider.org/forum/showthread.php?t=73786 In part one, linked above, we looked briefly at the motivation one might have for getting involved in "longer than your average ride". Self-satisfaction, friendly rivalry, exploring your own limits ... fun! They all play a part. However, remember back when you learned to ride? If it went smoothly for you, it is likely that before you learned how to make a motorcycle go forwards, you were first shown how to stop it. Logical really. Cover the clutch at all times. The minute you are unsure, pull in the clutch and start to brake. Sure you develop from that with experience, but knowing when to stop is just as important to LD Riders as it is to those taking their first tentative steps on two wheels. There is no shame in abandoning an attempted ride. There is nothing wrong with realising that what you might be attempting is not within your grasp this time. Your wife and family want you home, safe and sound and in a position to try again at some future time. When you abandon a ride, you do not "fail" ... you simply learn one way that it cannot be completed. More than that, you demonstrate a maturity of judgement that you can be rightly proud of because you just demonstrated your ability to ride safely, even when every instinct was screaming disappointment. I am not speaking theoretically. This year I have failed to finish a rally (DNF) when I simply considered it unsafe to continue. I tried ... I even tried to get two hours sleep and maybe that would help. It didn't help, but six hours sleep helped enormously and I safely rode the 500 miles home next day. Equally, I abandoned an BBG attempt (1500 miles in 24 hours) when the time slipped so badly that completing the ride would have required speeds I was simply not prepared to ride at ... even on the Interstate. I did complete 1700+ miles in 32 hours, which is a different Certificate. Sure I was disappointed yet I am still alive, still happy and I am now better placed to make future attempts because I know what I have to do, and how to accomplish it. These things are not easy. If they were easy no one would bother. We do it because it is a very hard thing to do. That is the point. Knowing when to stop is not easy. It is very easy to stop because you want to stop. I always want to stop My hips cramp up after about 700 miles. My back and shoulders sometimes ache a bit (I'm working on that). I want to chat to my wife, have a meal, a drink, a cigarette. I'd give anything to stop. That isn't the "stopping" I am talking about. I am talking about knowing when to stop because to continue would be unsafe. You have reached the threshold below which you are not comfortable continuing. This differs for all of us. Our thresholds vary and what we must do is work out when our bodies, or riding is telling us that fatigue is beginning to negatively affect performance. Remember this is an endurance event, so you do actually have to "endure". That is a hard thing to do but it only becomes an unsafe thing to do if we ignore the signs. So what are they? Well the Iron Butt Association has a very handy "Archive of Wisdom" which lists 28 tips from Iron Butt Rally finishers. Number 12 says: "As soon as you are tempted to close an eye, even "for just a second", find the nearest safe place to pull over and take nap! Other symptoms to watch for: Inability to maintain a desired speed. If you find yourself slowing down and constantly having to speed back up, you are ready to fall asleep! Forgetting to turn high beams down for oncoming traffic. Indecision. Can't decide to stop for gas or continue? Can't decide what turn to take? These are all a result of fatigue." You generally wouldn't start with a BBG attempt, or any of the other extreme rides. Indeed the IBA will not ratify such a ride unless you have first completed one of the easier ones. I use the term "easier" advisedly. So start shorter. Develop the techniques and self-knowledge that will stand you in good stead when the pressure is really on. Learn for yourself the signs you should NEVER ignore. Don't think that because you are fatigued and need to stop that you cannot complete the task. Sometimes pulling into a rest area and grabbing 30 minutes sleep on a park bench, or even on your motorcycle is quite sufficient for you to safely continue. But if you must stop, then you owe it to yourself, your loved ones and other road users to stop immediately. You will gain a great deal from taking this point on board. Inappropriate speed kills. All Iron Butt Rides can be completed within the posted speed limits. You just have to be savvy about route planning for some of them is all. Riding much quicker than the prevailing traffic is tiring; riding faster than the prevailing conditions permit is downright dangerous. When you are out trying for that first SS1000, or bonus hunting on a Rally, you are simply a road user. You are not special, nor are you doing anything that has a special dispensation to play fast and loose with the laws. Do it too often and the local Sheriff will no doubt remind you The real key to covering the distance is to prepare your mind and body, to prepare your motorcycle and to plan an efficient route .... THEN KEEP THE WHEELS TURNING! The example I gave the other day was to imagine you are out riding with a buddy. You are cruising the interstate at a steady 60 mph. You stop for 10 minutes and he continues. It will take you ONE HOUR at 70 mph to catch him. You can easily see how this can work against you and it is why I have struggled to develop a routine that means I can gas up the bike in 3 1/2 minutes, ramp to ramp, if I need to. Generally I don't actually need to, but I practised just in case. Have at the safety aspects in the thread. Thjs stuff is important and we need to hammer it out before we move on to the mechanics of how we bring this all together for a successful ride. Part Three: http://www.venturerider.org/forum/showthread.php?t=74050 -
From the invention of the motorcycle there have been two areas of riding that can be considered to be the extremes of the pastime. Those who want to ride them faster, and those who want to ride them farther. The way motorcycles are used in day to day activities varies from place to place. In the UK, and in much of Europe, the motorcycle was often the primary form of transport for working men and working class families. When I was a child we didn't have a car, our houses did not have garages. My Dad had an elderly BSA 650 with a Canterbury Double-adult sidecar. He went to work on it, took Mum to the stores, and we would use it for vacations traveling from the north of England to the South to visit with family. That was a journey of nearly two hundred and fifty miles. Dad on the bike, Mum and kids in the sidecar and it could take upwards of ten hours including driving right through central London. I guess my introduction to long journeys on motorcycles started at an early age. My first recollection of riding my own bike a long way was at age 17. I had a BSA Bantam D175. Even then that bike was older than me. I once rode it 450 miles in about sixteen hours ... maybe eighteen. Top speed was close to sixty miles an hour. Compared with what I ride now, that journey was tougher than any Bun Burner Gold or SaddleSore 1000, but I was young, and more than a little foolish. In the US motorcycles have pretty much always been leisure vehicles. Yes there are people who use them as transport, but in the UK they were principally transport and it led to different development paths for both bike and riders. I have friends who think little of riding eleven thousand miles in eleven days, and others who love their motorcycles just as much, but who wouldn't dream of riding more than a couple of hundred miles in one go ... a distance that wouldn't even come close to emptying my gas tanks, yet each is as valuable to the sport as the other. It would be a grey world if we were all the same. There are those who think that riding 1500 miles in under 24 hours is foolish, even dangerous, and others who can't comprehend what it takes to do such a thing but would like to hear more about it. To deal with the safety aspects briefly, because it is a subject we will come back to. Riding a motorcycle is not the safest way to get from A to B. That is reserved for aircraft We all ride, and we know the risks yet choose to accept them. We live in a risk-averse society, yet we also realise that life is a continual balance between risk and reward. We could quit riding motorcycles and take the truck, or SUV, but the price we would pay for that is too much for most to accept. On the other hand, let's not get stupid about it. I have a wife and lots of kids and wherever I roam, they want me back in one piece. So we are going to be looking at not simply how to ride a long distance, but how to do so in as safe a manner as possible. It is notable that the accident statistics for LD Riders are about the same as for all motorcycles. The accident severity is generally less because of the insistence upon All The Gear, All The Time (ATGATT). The other thing that should be said upfront is that LD Riding is not about speed. Every Certificate Ride on the IBA website can be completed within the posted speed limits in the US. Indeed, it makes sense to keep your speed at a moderate level because the stopped time for gas outweighs the time gained by speeding once the speed creeps up to 80mph and beyond. "Performance Awards" from State Troopers are unwelcome expenses and many Rally Masters will disqualify riders who pick up too many tickets. The safest, and least tiring way to make progress is to ride at the speed that has you doing the least work in terms of over-taking and being passed. On most roads that trends towards the speed limit plus a few mph. It varies from place to place. The real secret is not to ride fast, but to keep the wheels turning as much as you can. If you are riding with a friend at a steady sixty miles per hour and you stop for ten minutes, it will take you one hour at seventy miles an hour to catch up with him ... You see how that can work against you? On this site we have broadly two kinds of bikes. The "slow but new" and the "slightly faster but old". We have the first and second generation Yamaha Ventures. The first thing to note is that they are all quite capable of doing anything and everything I will describe in these articles. When we look at buying and choosing a bike, the Venture might not be the first or best choice, but they are the bikes we have, and they are quite capable. Before we get ahead of ourselves though, we need to look at why anyone would do this at all. It is part of the human condition to explore our environments and our personal limits. People choose to do that in any number of ways. Some seek maximum financial gain as a measure. I once heard a billionaire say that the money was irrelevant other than a way of keeping score! Folk run marathons, play sports, write books or find some other hobby in which they strive to excel. Endurance has long played a part in our make-up, and I choose to explore my own limits on a motorcycle. What I am sure of is that many of us need to do "something", because forever sitting on the sofa is simply akin to "waiting for God". There may be readers who do not wish to ride long distances, but simply came here looking for tips on how to make their chosen journeys more efficient or more comfortable. I hope we can help you too. Riding for Certificates, or simply bragging rights is a solitary pastime. It brings it's own rewards. I well remember watching my GPS tick over 1000 miles. I was on a 1977 Yamaha XS750. It was raining hard and about 40F. I was thoroughly wet, very cold and I was into hour 20. The mixture of misery and elation I felt as I counted down the last mile, in tenths, would earn me a fortune if I could bottle and sell it. http://i1092.photobucket.com/albums/i418/twigg2324/IBA%20Saddle%20Sore%201000/IMG_0421.jpg Arriving home at end of Saddle Sore 1000 - March 2010 Beyond Certificate riding is a whole world of Rallying. These are like scavenger hunts on crack. The bonus is that you will get to meet many folk from all over the country in a spirit of fun and friendly rivalry. Again, the only prize is satisfaction. We will look at both. The principles are the same even for those simply going on vacation. You still have to manage the miles. You still want to be comfortable, well-hydrated and free of pain. The main difference is that generally the time pressure is removed and you are free to relax and stop where and when you fancy. ** I may edit this. A limitation of the Forum is that I can't save a draft so if it appears to grow in length, or sprout pictures you might want to scan through for stuff I added Part Two: http://www.venturerider.org/forum/showthread.php?t=73853 Part Three: http://www.venturerider.org/forum/showthread.php?t=74050
-
As many of you are aware, I have a 1986 Venture Royale. I use it for personal daily transport (yeah, it goes to Walmart), for pleasure rides with my wife on the back, and for Long Distance Riding. I am not alone in this, not even on this Forum where there are several contributors who do the same or similar. It occurred to me that there must also be many who think "Mad sods! Catch me doing that!", and others who actually like the idea but are not sure what is involved. LD Riding is not for everyone but there may be some wondering what it is like, and how they can dip their toes in the water. If there is any interest I would be very happy to write a series of articles describing what is involved .... the bike, the planning, the execution and other stuff folk are interested in. If that would be welcomed, please reply below and if the articles are to be useful, then some idea of the concerns that need to be addressed would be helpful. LD Riding isn't just about Certificates and Rallies, sometimes it is just that two-week vacation you are planning, and want to acheive in an enjoyable way rather that a painful one.
-
Saw on the news there was an accident involving a 50 year old riding an '83 Yamaha on the south side of Milwaukee (and no, he wasn't wearing a helmet - it doesn't look good for the rider). Hope it wasn't any of us. Anybody have an update? RR
-
fuel light came on . I kept riding .20 kms later Needed to switch to reserve. I kept riding . 70kms after that i ran out . Thats ok now i know I have less than 70 kms on reserve. BUT what pee'd me off was the fact I could only get less than 22 liters in the tank . What happened to 23 liters and 3 of reserve making this a 26 liter tank ?
-
I will be gone for a couple weeks. Okay, many of you are thinking...whew...it will finally be quieter around here with me gone riding. I and a riding friend are taking off this afternoon for...Goose bay/Happy Valley, Labrador, Canada. We are leaving from Western Washington/Seattle area. The ride should be about 10,000 miles round trip. We will see. I will be riding my 2012 Yamaha Super Tenere' 1200, and the riding partner will be riding my old bike that I sold to him, a 2005 BMW R1200GS. If any of you have ever been to Goose Bay/Happy Valley, Labrador, then...you already know what we are getting ourselves into. Gulp! See ya'all down the road.
-
The wife and I got back Friday after visiting Hocking Hills area. Some real nice riding around there and a lot to get off the bike and see on foot. We left Thursday morning and headed North east and road the scenic ByWays. When the road drops off ahead of you where you can't see it any more until you are on the down side of the hill, can take your breath away. Some great riding in Ohio on the east side. Great roads. We got 850 miles put on our trip. Thanks Ohio.
-
whats up with the venture... I know I"ve read others who have issues with batteries... I've had my bike 11 months & already gone thru my 2nd battery... yes i have a maintainer but if it wont hold a charge when am I going to be out riding and it quits? is there something I can do ? or something I should be doing?
-
Today somehow while getting out of my SUV I got a shooting pain starting at my ankle and up my leg that almost put me on the ground. Just got back from Urgent care and I have a severely sprained ankle, I have never had so much pain, I thought I had broken something. So no work, no riding, no much of anything for a few days, it could be better by Monday or it may take a while have to use crutches, which I am not very good with........and to top it off, this was supposed to be a good day for me, but it was a rotten day, things didnt go well at work, my car didnt pass emissions test, had it tested to the tune of $94.00 to find out it was my gas cap, thats when I sprained my ankle, at the testing center. What a way to spend my birthday.
-
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/09/05/watch-russian-scooter-accident_n_1857356.html
-
http://ride.autismspeaks.org/faf/home/default.asp?ievent=1003036Is anyone else riding in this?? http://ride.autismspeaks.org/faf/home/default.asp?ievent=1003036 We ride in it every year, give us a shout if you are going
-
I was riding down Black Mountain today. I had a truck riding my rear end in the rain so I decided to change lanes and let this old gesser pass. Problem was it was raining hard and I was already leaning in the curve.I hit one of the dotted white lines and the front tire broke traction. Scared the crap out of me. Bike felt like it fell over and then came up wright . To make matters worse I had the bunkhouse trailer hooked on and it went to wagging around back there.When I finally got it under control I was less then a foot or so from the concrete divider wall . I rode for the next 2 hrs white knuckling my old girl before I finally calmed down. David
-
:cool10:Over in NY I came up behind what I thought was a Harley riding two up and I'm thinking oh no they will probably be riding slow (Seems that is the way most of them ride not bashing them ) so I'm following them through the twisty roads and they are moving right along and then I saw a little bit of the side of the bike. It was a RSTD but had the saddlebag guards on it so thats why I did realize it right away. I followed them for about twenty miles of really twisty road before they turned off at a Dunkin Donuts.
-
Early last spring, I joined the Gold Wing Road Riders Association since I had found myself hanging out and riding with the local chapter guys on a regular basis. We have a lot of fun and they don't care what you're riding as long as you're riding. Last month, while riding my '94 Triumph, an electrical problem stalled the bike (Can you believe it? An electrical problem on an English bike!!) and I had to pull over. As I couldn't diagnose the problem just then, I decided to use my new Honda roadside rescue service, included in my membership fee. I hadn't noticed when I joined up, but it turns out they will only take your bike to a repair shop ... they won't take it to your home! Now I know they have their reasons, but this put me in a difficult position. The nearest bike shop that I thought might even be willing to look at a Triumph (Independent shop - not a dealer) was 15 miles away while my house was about 6 miles away. The nearest Triumph dealer was 50 miles away. But, what was worse, it was nearly 8 at night which meant the shops were closed. I would have had to leave my bike parked in front of the store and in both cases, in an area that was, well, not exactly a high class area. Putting it bluntly, to have left the bike there would have meant about a 90% chance of severe vandalism or outright theft. And then, once the details would have come out, I wonder if the insurance company would have been willing to pay. Anyway, after talking with the rep and having him check with his supervisor, I gave up and called the C.A.A. (Canadian equivalent of the A.A.A.) since I have the "plus" membership. They were there in 20 minutes with a nice covered trailer with a low load floor, a wheel chock at the front and tie down straps. We were loaded up and ready to roll in 5 minutes and they took me straight home and helped me get the bike into my garage. So, I'm not knocking the Honda Rescue Service, as I'm sure they have good reasons for operating as they do, but if anyone is thinking of joining the club, remember this fact. You may still need another service in some cases. Then again, they may have heard of my little stunt at a local A&W bike night when a young guy asked me what the letters "GWRRA" on my crest, stood for. I said "Oh I'm with the Gold Wing Road Riders Association" then tipping my Yamaha cap, I added, "Brought to you by Yamaha." Did I mention the chapter president was in line directly in front of me when I said that? Andy
-
Not much to say other than I have put 200 miles on my bike this morning riding laps up and down highway 41 & 26. Nice to ride roads that actually require shifting.
-
I wanted to wait a little bit til I was sure but I was getting 39/40 MPG on the RSV riding 1 or 2 up on the 2 lane roads running 60/65 by speedometer and I was getting 34/35 MPG riding 1 or 2 up running 80/85 by speedometer on the Interstates. I was in Asheville and I asked Muffinman what this color tune I had seen him do down in Vogel was all about. He explained so I had him do mine. WOW is all I can say. First off let me say I had one carb that the fuel/air mixture was WAAAAYYYY off. The first thing I noticed was how much better it ran and how much more power and quicker response it had. It was so different even the wife noticed it right off. Now here is the kicker. I rode home from Asheville (1 up)in 11.5 hours 703 miles and used a total of 18.09 gallons at speeds of 80/90 by the speedometer. That is 38.86 MPG. That was what I usually got on the 2 lanes. Now here is the even better part I have run 5 tanks through just riding the 2 lanes running over to friends houses, riding out to eat and riding up to Galena and back. I put on a total of 907 miles at speeds between 60/70 and a few miles at 80 or so ( all ny the speedometer) and I used 19.79 total gallons for a whopping 45.8 MPG. Needless to say I am ecstatic with the way the bike runs first off and am tickled with the gas mileage This was how it ran when I first bought it. I can't think Jeff enough for doing this. If you see him and your bike isn't performing like it used to I recommend you let him work his Magic.......Thank You Muffinman:thumbsup2: ps forgot to had I can now run close to 200 miles before I go to reserve used to be around 168
.thumb.jpg.176b2ebbe9863175975d94710375c414.jpg)
