www.citybikerblog.com » moto-shopping

The right bike for the job…

CityBiker1 — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 13:28:43 +0000

One small downside to riding all year round is: there’s no way to make the most of your Costco membership. And perhaps I’m getting old. Or I’m just feeling stiff after a 140 mile commute in the rain last night with a backpack full of stuff I would have likes to put in the luggage compartment of my bike… But for a lot of around-the-city riding, something like the T-Max might just be the perfect ride…

Now I know there are plenty of Maxi-scooter haters out there especially in the U.S. The segment needs a better name for one thing. But consider this: a scooter that’s fast enough and comfortable on highway rides – takes zero effort to ride (compared to your sportbike), and has enough storage space for helmet and jacket and pants once you’re parked… with additional space if you get a top case… But is still as fast and handles as well as a motorcycle on public roads.

For people who want a motorcycle for practical transport, and not just weekend riding, the T-Max might just be one of the best options out there. Too many motorcyclists start out thinking they’ll ride everywhere, then find that it takes too much effort – but you won’t find people buying something like this and just riding it on weekends! So if everyone got the right bike for the kind of riding they wanted to do – there would be a whole lot of these on the road…

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Fast on slow, or slow on fast…

Leo — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 01:42:30 +0000

It’s that time of year again, when students go back to school, and the weather (hopefully!) begins to get a little cooler, and motorcyclists all over hit up Craigslist to think about buying or selling their bikes. That’s when starter-bike riders think about getting their first big bike, 600 riders think about their first liter bike, and standard riders start thinking about something with more luggage. But before you brush up on how to buy a motorcycle, consider this…

There’s a principle in business management that says people are often “promoted to incompetence:” those who do great jobs keep getting promoted to bigger jobs and more responsibilities, until they get to a job they’re really mediocre at, then they stay there forever. I think there’s a similar principle in motorcycling: trading up until you no longer enjoy riding. People get the biggest, heaviest or fastest bike they can handle – rather than getting the best bike for their ride and riding style…and they keep trading up until they no longer enjoy riding or are no longer able to do it safely.

So before you go off on a big purchase, just think about this one thing: would you rather be the fast rider on the slow-ish or older bike, or the clumsy rider on the fast bike? Would you rather be the one with the fancy ride who can’t ride? Or the one who can ride under any condition with finesse, only on a bike with less power and heft? Choose wisely…

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The Cadillac of all retro scooters…

Leo — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 20:27:45 +0000

If you like retro scooters then you might have heard of this little company called Genuine that’s been importing brand new PX150’s made in India to the U.S.

The problem (for some) was these old school scooters used old school 2 stroke engines that spewed more pollution into the air than several of the largest SUVs (running at the same time). That didn’t stop the scooter faithful (outside of CA) who loved the odd scooter-shift (you clutch AND shift with the left hand, the left grip twists to each gear), the metal unibody construction, and the classic styling… but there have been credible rumors going around that Genuine was coming out with a 4 stroke 150cc version of the Stella that would pass emissions in California (and anywhere else in the US)… Here’s a quick review.

Well, news has it that the Stella has passed California emissions testing, and is getting ready to go on the market in the U.S. So grab your retro helmets and goggles and head to the nearest Genuine Dealer! Too bad BrooklynBretta (Genuine dealer in Brooklyn) isn’t around anymore to see it…

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Puma and Ducati

Leo — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 20:54:23 +0000

Most people don’t realize Puma makes motorcycle gear. And although the Puma store in Union Square had a Monster 696 in the window at one point, I don’t think they actually sold anything other than Ducati branded clothing… right next to their Ferrari branded clothing… which was really cool when I was like 11.

From what I read online the boots are supposed to be good stuff – but I’ve never seen anyone wearing Puma gear. Have any experience with Puma gear? Let us know! Anyway, here’s Tyson Beckford showing off the perks of being a male supermodel on a Ducati track day.

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Backpacking…the hard way.

Leo — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 15:44:00 +0000

The backpack: It’s arguably the easiest and most natural way to carry a moderate amount of gear on your motorcycle. Motorcycle luggage, panniers and top cases may be best everywhere else (and still great for storing gloves and jackets and helmets) but they are less convenient for transporting your everyday stuff when parking on city streets. But doesn’t the bag get heavy? You generally don’t feel the weight of the bag when you’re riding, and you don’t lose any time installing or uninstalling anything.

So how can you improve on a humble backpack? I’ve seen these jetpack looking bags from Axio, but wasn’t sure if they looked silly or cool. I’m still undecided. But when I needed a better way to transport my laptop I picked up a new but discontinued Axio Forza model for $49.99 on this website. Although I wasn’t sure about the bag, I figured if I didn’t like it I could either return it or sell it on Ebay.

The hard shell is made of polycarbonate plastic like a lot of motorcycle helmets; strong and lighter than fiberglass. And although nothing could protect your laptop in a catastrophic crash, it should add quite a bit more protection over a soft backpack in the event of tip over. The straps are comfortable and the back side is made of a breathable mesh with hard ridges to keep air circulating between your back and the pack.

The bag comes with some standard amenities like a cell phone pouch (that just barely fits my square old school blackberry), a waterproof rubber hole for sticking headphone cords through in case you want to listen to your ipod, an extra strap in case you want to carry it as a shoulder bag, and a rain cover…well, in case it rains. Correction, turns out the rain cover is really one of those cloth bags to put the bag in…the way purses come with cloth bags (I still don’t understand that). And the shoulder strap is really an extra waist belt strap – not really necessary for riding, but maybe useful if you want to take your using the bag for snowboarding. [funny, I didn't bother to try those things out till just now.]

So is a hard backpack for you? Only if you can live with the space age styling. Newer models come with aero-humps (in case you decide to ride a race wearing your bag?) and flashier colors and graphics… but I only shop at the bargain bin when it comes to these things. Mr. Bond, your jet pack is ready.

For further reading:

If you’re interested in Axio bags, click here…
And along those lines here are some reviews from people who actually know how to review stuff.
Don’t like the hard bags but still want something different for your laptop? Check out these super stealth neoprene laptop bags.
Just plain bored? Click here.

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Craigslist time of year…

Leo — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 20:04:19 +0000

This is the time of year (in the Northeast anyway) where there are many more people interested in selling their bikes – after a summer of fun – than there are people looking to buy. For anyone planning on trading up to a bigger bike in the spring, it’s not worth it to pay for winter storage, plus a post-storage tune up and oil change just to sell it in the spring – so selling prices are lower than they will be a few months from now. What that means for people who know is: the end of the riding season is the best time of year to shop for a used bike locally…

The Recession actually hasn’t brought about many used bike “deals.” On the contrary, with fewer people buying new bikes, the prices of used bikes for certain makes and years have stayed the same; that’s good for sellers. But at the same time fast development cycles of sport bikes – with companies putting out all new models in ‘07 and ‘09 means you can get incredibly good ‘05-06 Japanese sport bikes for the $4-5k range.

For scooter lovers, we’re also seeing a lot more of the larger model Vespas, and T-max or Silverwings around.

So are you in the market? Let us know what you find!

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And yet somehow still cool…

Leo — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 16:02:39 +0000

If you ride a Versys, or would like to, then you have really practical taste. Everything about the bike is functional and understated. Reminiscent of the GS, but without the Beemer badge and price tag, this bike would scream Volvo station wagon from the 80’s – if one could ever scream such a thing. Anyway, the last handful of posts have been about not-so fast and furious things like rear stands and foldable motorcycle trailers, so why not round it out with the envy of every sportbike rider – Givi side bags… I’m amazed how easy it is to install, how sturdy it appears, and how natural it looks on a Versys. Imagine having luggage on your bike that you didn’t have to carry with you! Imagine being able to leave your jacket or Aerostitch suit (to round off the image) with your bike. Imagine being able to take home leftovers from dinner, or pack a picnic… I can only dream.

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Rear Stand

Leo — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 21:08:38 +0000

If you have a bike with a chain drive (and not a belt drive or shaft drive BMW or Harley), and you don’t have a center stand, then you absolutely need a rear stand from time to time. You know those clumsy looking things that you use to prop up the rear wheel while standing way behind the bike. You can find decent quality rear stands for around $50… But I could never recommend standard rear stands after using the PitBull forward handled rear stand.

It costs more. A lot more. And it really is well made (read heavy…but shiny), and easier to use. But the main reason why this is the only stand I’d recommend for City Bikers is because you can’t always use regular rear stands while parked at the curb. The curb gets in the way of the stand going all the way down. But the forward handled rear stand can prop up the wheel right at the curb.

So here’s an unpaid product endorsement. If anyone else makes forward handled rear stands, and they were well-made enough, I’d be glad to endorse those also… Cheers!

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Go tow yer bike yerself!

Leo — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 19:24:04 +0000

I remember seeing this at the bike show at Javits and thinking “meh!” But the more I see it, the more intriguing it becomes! Imagine not having to ride four hours to a track day. Imagine being able to tow your own bike when it conks out or needs some work done. Imagine also being able to go away on a road trip, pack all your essentials, and when you get there park the car and ride your bike!

Now if you ride a cruiser, the first and last scenarios are silly, why tow it if you can just ride it? And if I had a GoldWing, I’d take that anywhere. But if you ride sportier bikes, it’s not so practical.

The best thing about this particular brand www.trailerinabag.com (I think it’s the original) is that it will fit in the trunk of your Honda Civic after you’re done. And living in the city, that means this is the ONLY kind of motorcycle trailer for you…

Tell me what you think. Anyone have one of these in the city? How often do you get to use it?

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The Other Mac Guy

Leo — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 17:08:59 +0000

The beauty of the Ipod was that it was simpler than the other mp3 players that came before it, it did what it was made to do…well, with simplicity and style. The Flip video recorder took the same idea and applied it to a flash memory based video camera. When will someone do this for the humble motorcycle? A simple no frills bike that GOes… and looks and sounds good while doing it, without breaking the bank? Harley’s too enamored with its “classic” status (and Buell is too busy trying to cleverly reinvent the motorcycle). The sportbike makers are too busy bringing their race bikes to the street. But what about a best-bike that anyone could love?

The Mac may be it. It has the naked looks and handling that sportbikers can love. A thumper engine and chrome exhaust that classic bike lovers can accept, as well as a British/American pedigree. It’s also light enough, low enough, and sensibly powered enough for new riders as well as zippy enough to make seasoned riders smile. Read more about it on their site. And tell us what you think: could this be the One?

The only downside which I can’t seem to find on their site is the price. It looks like it’s set for $10k+ for starters. For that I’ll buy a left over ‘08 liter bike and run figure eights around this British upstart. All of a sudden the Monster 696 looks like a real economy bike. But the Mac, she sure is pretty.

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