Picture Of The Month! Mid-West Sojourn (Click Image for a Larger View)

Every month customers send us killer photos and I see no reason to keep them to myself so what better way to say thanks for sharing than to post them in this Picture of the Month spot..

Our Feb POTM was contributed anoymously.. It had a June 2002 date on it but otherwise I have no idea who sent it in....I don't know about you but it makes me long for warmer weather. Sweet.

If you would like to contribute your own"worthy" shot for our newsletter, here's what I'll need. First.. just email me 1 or 2 of your best digital shots. It'll need to be at least 800x600 in size or larger and preferably A. Of a BMW K1200S, K1200RS, K1200R, R Sport, or any model year K1200GT and B. In focus.

Motorcycle Rallies Banned From Myrtle Beach, S.C. : Another Nail In Our Coffin

Excuse me if I get off on saliva slinging diatribe here, but for the last couple of years I've been preaching to anyone who will listen that motorcycles are slowly but surely being legislated off the streets. Sometimes these attempts to infringe on our two-wheel party are clandestine ... Other times it's as blatant as a slap in the face...and I'm talking about an "Ike Turner" slap. Just this week I came across another blatant display of the aforementioned "slap"..

Apparently, the mullet-heads running Myrtle Beach, South Carolina's government have decided that it does not want any further motorcycle rallies to be held in the city. They've just enacted numerous ordinances and rules to make rallies virtually unworkable. Click here for the city's website on the issue. In case my "smarter than the average bear" readers didn't know.. two of the largest US rallies are held in the city each year. I'm no personal or ideological fan of sportbike or cruiser rallies although I've attended a few, but I'm even less a fan of any city or municipality that doesn't like motorcycles and passes legislation banning peaceful congregations.

Not only is Myrtle Beach (aka.. the Redneck Riviera) banning motorcycle festivities, but check this out.. The city is no longer allowing motorcycle trailer parking on public rights-of-way within the city limits, nor at large, vacant sites. You may park trailers in hotel parking lots as long as they do not displace other guests’ vehicles. How accomodating. Also, city ordinances restrict motorcycles to no more than two vehicles per public parking space. Geezz.. They've done this under the guise of capitualating to public demand. Do you belive that for one minute?

This isn't just an isolated incident either, my friends. In Denver recently, they passed a law stating that ALL after market exhausts are illegal. Florida has just passed laws giving motorcyclists $1000 fines for speeding or improperly mounted license plates. Not cages. Just motorcycles. Anti-motorcycle dogooders in the UK are trying to pass laws as we speak requiring hidden GPS units on all imported motorcycles which would allow law enforcement agencies to contantly track and monitor the speeds of the motorcycle. Break the law and they mail you a ticket. Scary? You bet your ass. Insurance companies are actually banning some bikes from coverage and/or putting them on “scary bike” lists. I'm 53 feakin' years old (excuse the flying spital) and was recently quoted a criminally insane $2700 a year for insurance on my Ducati.. Refused coverage on another.

Contributing to the impending "big brother" scenario, the bike manufacturers are pouring accelerant on the fire by pumping out faster and more powerful bikes year after year without suggesting/offering comprehensive training for it’s potential customers. This IMHO is insane. TV shows promoting and glorifying stunting and street hooliganism don't help either. This "perfect storm" of circumstances does not bode well for us hard working street riders who are, IMHO mindlessly taking what we have for granted. Who have we got looking out for us? The toothless, cajone-less AMA. Can anyone, anywhere point to one single piece of anti-motorcycle legislation that the AMA has single-handidly squashed? I didn't think so. See where I'm going with all this? Something needs to be done to stifle this anti-two-wheel trend or in 10 years we'll be relegated to designated riding areas in pretty little parks with countless fees and restrictions heaped on us. Think I'm overstating the problem? We'll see soon enough. At the moment, nobody is doing a damn thing on our behalf. You know who I'd like to see leading the charge? The person who actually loves owning and riding motorcycles? The person with verifiable two-wheel international "gravitas?"... Jay Leno..

My recommendation as to cities like Myrtle Beach or Denver?... avoid them at all costs - boycott them.. Make them aware that you are boycotting them and why then spread the word to others. My 2 doubloons. Rant over. Spital run dry... for now.

I Don't Suck Anymore! Do You?

We've all been there... It's a warm sunny day. You and your best bud are out riding your bikes in the middle of nowhere. Not a care in the world. The best bonding experience two heterosexual males can have other than sharing twins, a bottle of baby oil, and some quaaludes. Both of you are having fun ...oblivious to your surroundings. Then unexpectedly, fate tosses you a curve and you find yourself pulled over in a secluded wooded area, all your gear is coming off, and you are exchanging sheepish glances. No words need to be spoken. One thing leads to another and before long one of you is down on his knees like Monika Lewinski reluctantly taking it in the mouth. The sucking begins. The embarrassed party is looking up thinking.. "I hope he doesn't tell anyone .. I don't do this often".. the other is looking down thinking... "I'll have a story to tell on the internet tonight....where's my camera?"  Yes.. I'm talking about running out of gas and having to siphon fuel out of your buddy's tank so you can get your ass home. What did you think I was talking about?

Ordinarily, BMW riders don't have to go through the indignity of sucking on a syphon hose as BMW's generally come with decent sized gas tanks. However many of todays Japanese or Italian bikes come up woefully short in this area and most don't even have fuel gauges. My own Ducati 1098 starts flashing "low-fuel"warnings like a Chernobyl reactor at a paltry 75 miles...Geez.. I can't even imagine how bad the mileage would be if I was riding the bike at high revs (which I'm not) or on a track... It's inexcusable.

As I have an imbedded, almost irrational fear of running out of gas I recently decided to buy some sort of portable syphon kit that I could carry with me. Did my usual anal research and learned that some leaps and bounds have been made in the industry making sucking gas into your mouth a thing of the past. Woohoo! Many vendors are now selling self-priming hoses that require nothing more than you to put one end into the source tank... the other into an empty Mountain Dew can (or whatever) then a little up and down "mastabatory-like" movements (of the hose.. NOT your penis) and viola!!.. Gas flows like the Yangtze on a rainy day. It has something to do with ball-bearings in the hose tip that release the gas one way and close it off the other. Simple.. Ingenious. I bought mine from Aerostitch.com for $24 + S&H...(part # 4986.. Pic at Right).. You can also find cheesier versions on Ebay for $7.95 + S&H. If you go to Ebay and type in SIPHON HOSE, FUEL TRANSFER.. you'll come up with a few choices. Better safe than sorry. No more fuel related fears.. No more sucking with your hetero friends watching....not that there's anything wrong with that.

Product Review: Ducati Clutch Slave Cylinder by Oberon Performance

One of the perks of being in the biz is that now and then I get freebies. I never ask for them so when one magically shows up.. it's almost like Christmas!! Recently I casually mentioned in passing to my contact at Oberon Performance (located in the UK) that I loved the look of their new Ducati Clutch Slave Cylinders and would like to try one on my Ducati 1098 some day. I added that biz is slow (industry wide.. thx Barney Frank)..so it might be spring or summer before I could afford one. Low and behold a freebie appeared in my very next shipment. Kewl.

As I had a factory recall to be taken care of last week, I had my dealer install the new goodie while he had her panties down. Install time was under 30 minutes and my mechanic said it was a piece of cake. According to Oberon's website.. "The Oberon replacement clutch slave cylinder was designed to improve the performance and the looks of the original Ducati cylinder. Substantially reducing the heaviness of the original clutch action, aching arms and clunky gear changes are a thing of the past. The internal piston design, seals and breather hole have been drastically enhanced to stop leaks and leave a smoother clutch action."

To be honest... I've never for a second thought the stock 1098's clutch was heavy, nor have I experienced aching arms, or even a single "clunky" shift . Not one. In fact, the big sissy twin shifts as good or better than any bike I've ever owned so replacing the factory clutch slave was waaaaay down on my "I won't get a good night's sleep until I have one" list. However, I am a man.. therefore I farkle.

When I picked up the bike the service guy (who had taken the bike for a ride) was raving about the difference. That's always a good sign. While I admit I've only ridden the bike for an hour since picking it up due to the Arctic-type local weather.. the difference is surprisingly noticeable and pleasing. Lever action is very smooth and linear. I'd guesstimate the pull is 30-40% lighter which is always a plus. The fact that the Ducati Clutch Slave Cylinder looks trick is just rich creamy icing on the cake. So... which bikes will the Ducati Clutch Slave Cylinder fit? I asked Oberon and they said.. " if the Ducati has an existing external clutch slave cylinder, then ours will be suitable for and as a direct replacement." BTW.. They are sold here..