Lots of news from Milan, a little from Pennsylvania and a whole heapin’ healpin’ of e-mail.
Yamaha
Episode 90: It IS a scooter!
Episode 90: It IS a scooter!
This week the guys are talking with listener, friend, and all around great guy – despite the orange scooter – Ryan Hettenbach. Ryan rode along for some of the Pace Podcast Barber Museum trip in September, and recalls some of his impressions riding with a group, as well as riding longer days and longer miles on the scooter.
Ryan also talks about his preparations for next year’s Scooter Cannonball Run, running from East to West in 8 days.
After talking with Ryan, the guys try to discern: is it live or Memore… er… Is it a motorcycle or a scooter? We’re talking about the Aprilia SRV800; it’s got a frame-mounted engine, chain drive, scooter body styling and ergonomics, an auto trans, sport-sized tires. What is it?
Links:
- Aprillia SRV 800
- http://www.motorcycledaily.com/2011/10/aprilia-unveils-srv-850-maxiscooter/
- Chain drive, concentric cam adjuster, scooter seating and body style, similar to that new honda Integra
Feedback:
- Matthew Murto responds about the V4 I couldn’t remember a couple of weeks ago:
- “V4 – Yamaha – Touring – the “Venture”. You almost had it.”
- Prubert re: the FJR being a tank
Interview with Ryan Hettenbach about his orange scooter lifestyle.
Episode 88: Here comes the sun (in a forward-thinking, synergistic Triumph top case), do do do do, do
Episode 88 – Here comes the sun (in a forward-thinking, synergistic Triumph top case), do do do do, do.
October 9, 2011
October 9, 2011
James tells us about his new top case, finally delivered and installed by Triumph, and how it brings a completeness and whole-life synergy to his commuting and luggage-using lifestyle. (don’t mind me, I’ve been in a lot of marketing meetings lately)
The guys discuss the local weather lately, and how the strange yellow ball in the sky has finally returned to rain down its lovely light upon us all (or some wacky stuff like that), infusing us all with positive energy, and bringing forth new ways of looking at the sky as a metaphor for life. (somebody stop me)
James also talks about the limits of the Teiz Commute suit in the weather, and then gives us all some information on a few of the farkles he’s added to his bike and smart phone, bringing synergy and convergence to…. ya know, I just don’t really know how to complete that sentence without it sounding like a marketing slogan from some non-descript “business consulting firm” that never really explains what they do and charges you $550 per hour for the convenience of that lack of understanding.
So we’re not going to do that.
Because we can’t charge you.
The guys also talk about the new Honda cross-genre bike being developed for the world market. Since the new machine is named after one of the Acura car models, and Honda being a division of the Honda corporation, we see that synergy taking shape in the form of… wait, sorry… I’m doing it again.
Yamaha cements their place in the 2012 US motorcycle marketplace by redefining market expectations with its strong commitment to legacy and the common paradigm, while envisioning a new tomorrow with… DAMN IT! Stop it. Yeah, Yamaha announces the 2012 models.
Links, in synergistic symbiosis with the digital… STOP IT!!!
- Navigon iPhone App
- RAM Aqua Box
- Powerlet iPhone Cable
- Honda Integra
- 2012 Yamahas break cover
Episode 81: A showroom full of Little Monsters
Episode 81
July 31, 2011 – A showroom full of little monsters.
July 31, 2011 – A showroom full of little monsters.
If it could go wrong getting this show out on time this week, it did. So… without preamble and grumbling on, we present to you, Episode 81. Enjoy!
This week the guys speculate on the future of Ducati’s 2-engine line-up. Then they spend some time in the shade thanks to the new e-Tint electronic helmet visor inserts. Erik Buell teases us further with another of the EBR Nation videos. Erik seems to be moving full bore; exciting stuff ahead, to be sure. The CBR250R from Honda gains some major after market support. And continuing our trend of Feedback-a-palooza, we have emails and audio clips galore. This week’s audio clip takes an excellent look at helmet laws from the pro- stance, and is certainly thought provoking. Jon also gives us some PDFs to read on the matter. Take a look!
Links!
- New Ducati Street Fighters
- e-Tint Visor Inserts
- EBR Nation Video
- CBR250R Gets Aftermarket Gear from Yosh
- Test ride a Yamaha get a free pair of Oakleys?
Feedback:
- From Roland Cannon – on Nitrogen in tires
- From Brad Kaplan – on the NT700 Deauville
- From Zack Skogsberg – on the venerable Ninja 250 touring mount
- Excellent audio clip from Jon DelVecchio – on the helmet law debate from another perspective
See the show blog for Ep81 addendum with the PDFs from Jon!
Episode 75 – That’s NEVER a good idea.
Episode 75 – That’s NEVER a good idea.
May 22, 2011
Technical note: this week we’ve encoded the MP3 with slightly higher compression in mono format to provide a smaller overall file size. Please be sure to let us know how the audio quality is on your player. Thanks!
James has habits an tics, and talks about some turn signal woes. He also loves his Sena headset , but needs to check out some hearing protection options. James will check back after he’s tried some of the choices in a sample pack. It beats buying a new helmet! Zero doesn’t have zero recalls, but if this is worst they need to deal with, then that’s Zero stress! Yamaha is building some machines in the US… is the market better? Is it a “build ‘em where you sell ‘em” thing? Time will tell. The guys talk about an editorial from Motorcycle USA where sport bike enthusiasts thrash a Zumo 50 and have fun doing it! Did Harley really mean to use Brando’s name without permission, or was it just an oversight? Who knows? Not the guys, but that doesn’t stop them from floating some ideas. Fortunately, there’s a new Kawasaki to talk about, and KTM and Bajaj continue to get closer and closer. They wrap up the show with some feedback and some discussion about possibilities of disabled and afflicted riders still enjoying the road and their machines.
And the guys promise to have the 2nd winner of the signed, updated edition of David Hough’s Proficient Riding picked for next week’s show.
- Ear plug discussion
- Zero recalls some bikes
- http://www.asphaltandrubber.com/recall/2009-2010-zero-motorcycles-ds-s-recall/
- Honestly if this is all that’s wrong with them, win!
- From Yamaha’s Facebook page – https://www.facebook.com/yamahamotorusa
- Yamaha Motor Corp., U.S.A., (YMUS) and Yamaha Motor Manufacturing Corporation of America (YMMC) announced today that the first production run of new all-terrain vehicle (ATV) models transferred to the U.S. from overseas facilities will take place this month at Yamaha’s state-of-the-art factory in Newnan, Ga.
- The start of new ATV production in Newnan is a major step forward in the companies’ long-term strategy to transfer the majority of Yamaha’s worldwide ATV manufacturing to the United States. When complete, the production transfer could add 200 or more American jobs at Yamaha’s U.S. factory as well as additional jobs at the 125 North American parts supplier companies. The specific ATV models will be announced on June 8 as part of Yamaha’s worldwide unveiling of select 2012 model year products.
- Cool article about small-bore scooters from an enthusiast’s point of view
- http://www.motorcycle-usa.com/291/9981/Motorcycle-Article/Backroad-Ramblings–Small-Bore-Scoots.aspx
- “Tires squealing, at the very edge of control, for a brief moment I was Ben Bostrom with Tommy Hayden in hot pursuit. Then I looked at the speedometer: 34 mph. But perhaps most importantly, a mere few drops of gasoline consumed. ”
- Harley gets sued – over Marlon Brando’s name on boots!
- 2012 Kawi KLX450F with launch control
- Bajaj buys more KTM
- Check disabled riders clubs, special mods, etc. Inability to use the brake lever might be very similar to amputees’ concerns and certainly bears investigation.
Episode 74: Should I Drive the Ducati or Take the Fast Bike?
Chris and I both spent this week riding bikes that belong to other people. We’ll let you know what we thought along with Motorcycle Consumer News’ opinion on Yamaha’s new FZ8. Here’s a hint. They like it a lot. Except for the lack of wind protection on a naked bike. Go figure.
We’ll wrap it up with another haepin’ helpin’ of listener feedback.
Episode 68: You’re only off by one
Episode 68 – You’re only off by one
This week James and Chris lament on the early death of Spring; alas, dear Spring, we hardly knew ye, or something like that. Winter is back. So there. The guys whittle away at the time by talking about the industry’s support for the various Japan relief efforts. The state of Virginia is looking at options to draw tourism to the Tazewell and Smyth areas by cleverly renaming Rt. 16 and is actually going to do so with targeting motorcycle and sport car enthusiasts. Will this blow up in all our faces…? Time will tell.
The Super Tenere from Yamaha is getting some real-world testing and the guys point us at one of the reviews. It appears to be pushing all the right buttons with at least one tester. Honda’s CBR600F-series bike is also road tested, and although not yet planned for a release in the USA, it’s still a bike worth discussing. The return of this line’s 2-decades worth of legacy is worth talking about. Honda also release pricing information for the VFR800 based CrossTour. Also a bike not planned for the USA, the pricing hits some apparent good points.
Chris talks about some disappointment with Givi, specifically about the FL521 top case rack for his SV. It sucks. The guys lay out a new contest for some signed copies of David Hough’s venerable Proficient Riding book, and they talk a bit more about the upcoming ride to Barber Motorsports planned for the third week of September. Some quick feedback and a request for the community closes out the episode.
- Several motorcycle organizations are coming together to support Japan’s relief efforts
- A Hungry Mother on the Back of the Dragon???
- Real-world Super Tenere information
- Honda’s new old new CBR600F gets road tested by MCN in the UK
- http://www.motorcyclenews.com/MCN/bikereviews/searchresults/Bike-Reviews/Honda/Honda-CBR600F-ABS-2011-current/
- Engine built in Japan, rest of the bike built and assembled in Italy. Based on the Hornet. C-ABS brakes. Fully adjustable suspension.
- Honda Crossrunner gets a price in the U.K
- Yamaha Power Beam
- Chris rags on Givi
- Contest
- Barber ride
- Feedback!
Episode 67: Not in the ballpark, and that’s OK!
Episode 67 for March 20, 2011
Not in the ballpark, and that’s ok!
Not in the ballpark, and that’s ok!
American muscle bike, hydrogen fuel cells and Zero gets far, far more than zero! This week, after a week’s hiatus, James and Chris are back to explain exactly what the new Motus will cost, and of course to delve into all the deep and detailed tech specs. After that, we get a science lesson on hydrogen – and by science we mean the guys speculate, guess and postulate on fuel cells. Zero wows us again, this time not with a new bike or model, but with investors tossing more and more cash at Zero. Pretty soon they’re going to have to start burning the cash because it’s got to be taking up all the room. James doens’t get all wacky and political, yet utters the words “good for the fed”, as we learn that there’s a bill pending to block the use of federal funds for motorcycle-only checkpoints. Japan has more on its plate than making sure the USA gets their toys; most of Japan’s motorcycle manufacturers shut down production for the time being.
iTunes makes donating to Japan’s relief efforts easy!
https://buy.itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZFinance.woa/wa/buyCharityGiftWizard
Lots and lots of feedback!
Links…
- Everyone’s talking about Motus. Shall we?
- Suzuki builds a fuel cell Burgman
- Zero gets mo’ money
- Bill introduced to STOP fed-funded bike-only checkpoints (thanks Scott Bolton)
- Short show this week: Daytona bike week and racing is the majority of the news.
- Honda stops motorcycle production after quake
The Yamaha Morphous as discovered by Scott Lewis
Episode 65: Galactically Stupid
There’s a lot of ranting in this episode. Really, almost nothing but ranting about stuff. There’s the “what could they possibly hope to accomplish” rant and the “what the hell is Honda thinking” rant. Then there’s the “the man is trying to stick it to us” rant and the “that’s galactically stupid” rant. There is a little non-rant content. Chris and I manage to have perfectly civil conversations about EBR’s new 1190RS, the new price on KTM’s RC8 R and the appearance of a Yamaha FZ8R in France.
- Rant Worthy Links
- Opening music by KunK
Episode 61: If I can make it there, I’ll make it anywhere!
Episode 61 – January 30, 2011
We open up the show with some email feedback about recent topics. We discuss what we saw at the NYC IMS and field a question from voice mail about the show, then wrap up with some news and information. Oh, and my computer lost power early in the recording session. A brief public service tech note: when the power cord comes out and your battery is 6 years old, you’ll lose power pretty quickly.
Frankie boy sang about it. Its skyline is magnificent. Millions of people live, work and flock there all the year through. It’s New York, my friends. And we were there again this year to immerse ourselves in the motorcycle awesomeness that is the International Motorcycle Show.
We saw lots of interesting accessories and gear choices, including new additions to the textile riding suit market, a cool Schuberth comms system, and the newer models of helmets. Oh and polishing compounds. Lots and lots of polishing compounds. Everyone wants to be shiny, right?
Kawasaki seems to really have a hit on their hands with the Ninja 1000. People seem to love the bike, and also seem to like its versatility. Time will tell, but so far it’s gaining attention.
Triumph has hit it so far out of the park with the Tiger 800 family, that even the view from high above The Big Apple isn’t enough to see it. Their Sprint GT seems to be a great freshening of a beloved sport-tourer. The Tiger’s torque curve is nothing short of amazing!
BMW’s R1000 is STILL drawing dense crowds and lots of attention. They really seem to have gotten it right.
When talking about the Yamaha Super Tenere we looked at, we also discuss an email from Ryan with his impressions of the bike as seen at another show. I also give my impressions of the FZ8, completely from an aesthetic point of view. James won this round. I fully agree; the looks are… interesting.
The Shoei Qwest seems to be a great entry in the street helmet market and we look forward to hearing more about it. Anyone have on yet?
James buys some gear and gives us his impression of the CBR250R, and ROK Straps helps us get into the show.
After the IMS discussion, we talk about a news item or two, including the fact that electric motorcycle manufacturer, Zero Motors, is building a new assembly plant.
Scott Bolton takes us out with a preview of the upcoming MotoGP racing season. Thanks, Scott!
Opening music, No Way by Kunk.