The Other Itch

This year's new batch 'o bikes are slowly making their way from the magazine pages to the showroom floor; and it's so damn tempting! I've seen the new Ducati 1098 (say 10-9-8) up close and, although I'm not a sport rider, I've got to say that it's simply sexy. Sleek, Italian, and that beautiful shade of red that says: "Pull me over and charge me for speeding". Even just sitting there on the showroom floor, it looks fast - like it's moving while standing still.

I've also checked out BMW's new "entry level" bike, the F800 series. This parallel-twin bike has the new tectonic look that graces most newer Bimmers, with the handlebared ST wearing a full-fairing and the clip-on S with a half-fairing. Like 'em both, but I'd probably lean towards the more touring-oriented ST - comfort is a big thing that I look for in a bike. Unfortunately, at $13K (CDN) it just seems way too expensive for a small(ish) twin. But again, you're paying a premium for that roundel...

One of the local dealers has also started carrying Moto-Guzzi. I think it's just something about the look of those two diagonal cylinders sticking out each side of the bike that makes Guzzi's special. The new Griso 1100, with it's polished frame running down each side of the fueltank, is the kind of look I love: modern, yet still a touch of retro. It just wouldn't be practical enough for me; but as a second bike to tear-up some local roads on weekends, it gets a nod.

Anybody out there have a winning lottery ticket they'd like to get rid of? I've got a serious need to go shopping... or maybe that's just another side-effect of acute cabin fever.

The Itch.

It's been over four months and the bouts of cabin fever have been coming and going more frequently. Now to make things worse, it's 6 degrees outside (Celsius - about 43 Fahrenheit), the snow is melting, the roads are nice... and by the time I get Silver ready for the road it'll probably turn cold again! The thermometer's recent excursions into the land above freezing have given my the two-wheeled itch. I don't just want to go riding, I need to.

Tonight when I get home I'll roll out Silver and push the magic red button of bliss! Even if I can only get ten minutes worth of saddle time, it'll be enough to hold me over for a few weeks.

Chizzle my blogizzle (or something like that)!

First off, let me just warn you that this is nothing more than silly fun... oh, and some of you may be offended by the resulting "tranzliation"! Came across a site called Gizoogle while surfing which resulted in hours (really) of fun running all sorts of other websites through it's translation service. Ever wonder what your blog would read like if it was from the 'hood? Check mine out:
http://sites.gizoogle.com/index2.php?url=http%3A%2F%2Fluckyll.blogspot.com

I don't know who the people are that came up with this, but I love it! Be sure to check out the latest news on CNN too:
http://sites.gizoogle.com/index2.php?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.cnn.com

...or how about the latest Hockey scores (hey, I'm Canadian - I can't help it):
http://sites.gizoogle.com/index2.php?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nhl.com

Childish? You betcha! But sometimes laughter is the best medicine (and cheaper than therapy).

Crazy, but fun?

Came across the SnoXcycle website while wasting time on the 'net and what they're offering really piqued my curiousity: a kit to ride your bike in the snow! For some reason the hooligan in me starts drooling when I see stuff like this.

I'm thinking I could get a Suzuki DRZ400, which seems to be the only compatible dual-sport, and ride the streets and trails in spring and summer, while hitting the snowbanks in winter. Talk about the best of both worlds, eh?

Cabin Fever - Part II

OK, a while back I wrote about suggested therapy to beat the winter blahs. I'd now like to add another suggestion to the list: GO SOUTH!

Just got back from a Carribean cruise last week and it was sweet. Lots of sun, exotic island, good food... and plenty of boat drinks! Ah yes, boat drinks. For some reason they only taste good when you have them on a boat; try to mix up some tropical fruit juice with rum at home and serve it up in a pineapple... it just doesn't work.

Spent eleven days on the beautiful Celebrity Constellation that took us to ports of call ranging from the beautiful (Grand Cayman) to the downright messy (Colòn). However, each different port had wonderful locals to meet and new cultures to discover. We also made new friends on the boat, both fellow travellers and crew members.

My only regret: didn't get to rent a motorcycle!

Heroes and Rebels

More than any other means of transportation (with the steam locomotive being a possible exception), the motorcycle will forever be associated with certain romantic qualities. All those B-movies from the sixties have forever tainted cruisers and choppers as bad-boy bikes while scooters are either for punk-rockers or hopeless romantics - depending on which movies you watched as a kid. More recent movies like Torque or Biker Boyz, both of which were mediocre by any cinematic standards, have made sportbikes the tool of choice for thrill seeking testosterone-enhanced males. The funny thing is, none of the above have ever left any kind of a mark on my existence.

The riders I tend to admire are non-fiction; not the ones who are riding a dolly-mounted bike behind the camera truck (ex. watch the motorcycle scene in "Paycheck" with Ben Affleck and Uma Thurman - you can easily spot the tie-down brackets on the R1150R, not to mention the dolly's reflection in passing cars). My heroes are guys like Ted Simon for choosing to go around the world on a motorcycle long before marketing types came up with the term "Adventure Touring" and BMW came out with the GS. Or John Britten, for having the guts to go up against the big guys... and win! How about Avis and Effie Hotchkiss, the mother and daughter team who set out from New York to San Francisco on a Harley-Davidson sidecar hack... in 1915!

Of course, some of my heroes haven't reached semi-celebrity status yet. They're just the good folks I meet through the Internet and happen to do stuff that seems crazy to some, but makes sense to others. Guys like Gary Charpentier or Victor Wanchena who ride to work in the Minnesota winter; or the brave women who ride the Amazon Heart Thunder rallye each year.

Hollywood can keep their special effects and stereotypes; I'd rather read about those who are really out there... riding!

Coping with Cabin Fever

OK, I'll admit it's only been a little over a month since I put the Silver Streak away for a long winter's nap; but I'm already noticing advanced symptoms of cabin fever. Buying insane amounts of motorcycle magazines, watching "Long Way Round" over and over again, making a list of farkles from the Aerostich and Touratech catalogs... all are symptoms that this dreaded disease has progressed much faster this year than usual.

Luckily for me, I've discovered a few ways of coping that just might get me through the next 3 months without a complete breakdown:

• Planning a few trips: I'll sit down at the computer for a few hours and research different areas that I'd like to see on an eventual two-wheeled journey. Then I plug it all into MapSource and try to plot which route would be the most interesting. Sure, I may never get around to doing all these wonderful trips I've been planning, but come spring I'll have a nice list to choose from!
• Spa: Not for me, of course, but for the bike! If you've got a heated garage or storage shed (or you simply store your bike in the livingroom), then winter's the perfect time to catch-up on maintenance and accessorizing. Even if my bike is in tip-top shape, I still enjoy the opportunity to tear the whole thing apart just to put it back together again. I make it a point to be as familiar as possible with Silver's inner workings.
• Gym: This one is for me. Motorcycling is great, but it isn't exactly a workout (unless you're constantly dropping it). I love working out at the gym in winter, the physical activity helps to counteract the winter blahs; plus, when riding season finally comes around, I'll be in good shape to take on that BunBurner run ;-)
• Live through others: I'll spend more time reading blogs and forums. Somewhere out there is warm weather, and you can bet there's a motorcyclist taking advantage of it. Lucky for me, many of these warm climate bikers are also bloggers. I'll also subscribe to motorcycle-related podcasts; 15 minutes of hearing someone talk about motorcycling can do a world of good.

Another guilty pleasure is wasting time on YouTube or Google Video and checking out some motorcycle clips. Through these videos I've been riding in the Sahara, the Swiss Alps, the French countryside...

Anyhow, for my cold weather friends who may be hibernating (like me), I wish you a speedy winter. To all warm weather bikers out there: keep blogging!

Ch-Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes

The seasons have gone from green, to brown, and finally to white. Yes, there's a few inches of snow on the ground, and although it only came on boxing day, I guess since the holidays aren't over yet I'm still technically safe to be whistling "White Christmas". The same as the seasons are changing, so are many aspects of my life. Got a new job now, and I'm making a bit more money, which invariably means that I'll be spending more money (ain't capitalism great?). So rather than go out and spend it frivolously, we've decided to build our house.

The next nine months or so are going to be crazy. First, we have to sell our current home, then there'll be the infinite number of meetings with the contractor, waiting in line at city hall for building permits, picking paint colours from swatches, kitchen cabinets, lighting fixtures, flooring, etc... Ah yes, sweet misery!

Luckily for me, my wife's great at coordinating (read: giving orders), so this will really be her moment to shine. Essentially, I'm trusting her with most of the decisions; since she knows what she's doing and I obviously don't. My only criteria for the house was that it have a double-garage with a workshop... and I got it! Finally, I'll have some elbow room when working on the bike.

To all my fellow cyber-bikers out there, I wish you a Merry Christmas, Happy Hannukkah, Joyous Kwanzaa, Prosperous Eid ul-Adha, or whatever else you wish to celebrate during this holiday season. Hope to catch you around the bend in 2007!

Liquid-Cooled Sportster?

O.K. - so it seems the rumour mill is running full steam, and there have been many reports of a prototype liquid-cooled HD Sportster being spied in Arizona or somewhere. Motorcyclist Magazine even went as far as producing a photoshopped version of what it might look like.

The feedback in some HD forums has been pretty much split; sure the die-hards don't want anything to change (I've even met some that were upset when HD started rubber-mounting the engine), but many seemed open to the idea. Eventually, HD will have to do something to make their engines a little more eco-friendly to meet EPA regulations - maybe liquid cooling could help them meet these objectives?

Dismount the Carousel

Yet another calendar is on its way towards the garbage can as this seventh post-millenium year is slowly approaching its expiration date. For most people, a year's end is time to contemplate, or celebrate... for motorcycle nuts like me its time to overdose on all the new models and accessories that are coming out!

The bigger 'n better trend is always obvious, although in the cruiser category I think most manufacturers have signed a temporary truce due to the Vulcan 2000 and Rocket III pretty much trumping everything else! Yamaha has still fired a shot though with their Stratoliner/Roadliner duo; and although the "Neo-Streamline" styline is nice, it still doesn't up the ante in the cruiser displacement wars. Nope, one of the coolest things I can spot this year is in the sport-touring category.

After a 20+ year run and building a large following of dedicated fans, Kawi has finally decided to give the Connie an overhaul. But, man-o-man, was it ever worth the wait! Although initial details are still preliminary, what we do know is that the engine and tranny are based on the ZX-14 (ouch!), with an interesting shaft drive that should minimize or eliminate jacking. Add creature comforts like electrically adjustable windshield, big seat, and beautifully integrated luggage and you've got me salivating. I wonder if the big guys at Yamaha and BMW are sweating yet? It will all come down to how much Kawi wants for the new Concours. If they can bring it to market for about $1K less than the FJR, they've got a winner.

Speaking of affordable performance, Ducati's new 1098 (say 10-9-8, like a countdown) is not only an improvement over the 999 performance-wise, it's also a real thing of beauty. Oh, and did I mention that it retails for just under $15K? Yeah, baby! I'm thinking that this could be a real good seller for Ducati and just might leave a mark on the Big-4 Japanese brands.

BMW continues with it's complete revamp of all models, first it was the GS, then the RT, R, K-GT, and now they're coming out with some twins and revised thumpers. Seems like the only "aged" model in their stable is luxo-tourer K1200LT. It probably won't be too long before that too gets a makeover (easy guess: new inline-4 from the rest of the K series, retuned for more bottom-end torque).

So far, it's lining up to be a very good year!