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Late night riding

Leo — Mon, 10 May 2010 11:45:43 +0000

Although professional racers tend to dislike night races…for regular street riding, where your main danger comes from traffic and not road surface quality, late night is a great time to ride! The traffic is lighter, and cars easier to see, and the temperatures are cooler which helps during the summer months. But are there any precautions should you take for night riding?

Just common sense really… But they’re worth taking 2 seconds to think about. Here’s what I consider on a longer night ride:

Take it easy. Distance is harder to judge at night than during the day, and many people underestimate how fast they’re going… So it’s a good idea to leave a little more room for braking – but that being said, you have a real advantage at night in being able to identify cars from their lights – and in reduced traffic…

Stick to well lit roads. Some of the nicer roads like parts of the Saw Mill, Taconic, Merritt Parkway, tend not to be lit and can be disorienting when your eyes get tired. The major highways, on the other hand, are extremely well lit. Some parkways, like Northern State in LI, are both curvy (well sort of, for NY standards) and well lit. So unless you’re familiar with the road and have good lighting on your bike, you’ll have better ride on the brighter roads. This guy would never have been able to do this if he weren’t on the LIE (not that we condone this – save it for the track).

Be prepared for emergencies. A flat tire, when you’re in or near the city, is not a big deal. Some gas station Quick-E-Marts and car washes even sell flat tire kits. Or you can pull over and call a buddy or tow service. No problem. But at night there’s a real danger to being stuck on the side of the road. Cars get plowed into quite frequently, even with emergency lights on. So if you do have a roadside emergency, a flat, engine trouble – you want to be extra cautious about where you pull over to deal with it. If you don’t carry a tire patch kit normally, carry it for your night ride… Also if you have an older classic bike that’s a bit temperamental - you might want to save the longer rides for daylight when everything is open.

Check your lights. If you don’t ride a lot at night, you might not even know where your headlights are pointed, or even if the bulbs are working. Just take a second to make sure all your lights (including your tail light) is working, and if you have a lot of hours on the bike, maybe carry an extra bulb… Also take a second with a screwdriver to adjust your headlight so that you get decent coverage on darker roads.

But really there’s not a lot you need to do different for a night ride – you actually have better visibility (of cars) and are more visible to them as well (it’s hard to miss the lights in the dark). Got any more tips for night rides? Share the wealth in the comments section!

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It’s all about the skills…

Leo — Thu, 06 May 2010 19:22:59 +0000

The best advice for people who want to start riding is instead of thinking about “getting a bike”, think about getting riding skills. It’s all about the skillz (yes with a “z”). You will not look cool being the guy/gal who has the hot bike he can’t ride. And the truth is, whether your dream bike is a sportbike or cruiser, you probably won’t be ready to really handle it until you’ve ridden something else for a couple of years…

That’s okay, because what’s really fun about motorcycles is the part where you get to ride it. And you’ll be able to do that better if [a] you get training, starting with the MSF (and then on to books and track day schools), and [b] if you get a bike that will help you develop the basic skills (ie a good beginner bike). Anyway, your non-riding friends won’t know the difference. But they will notice your confidence and how practical it is for you to get around town without incident.

Now if you live in a rural part of the country there are probably many different ways to learn to ride… But if you live in or near a major city, or NY, there’s only ONE way to learn and get your license: take the Basic Rider Course at MSS.

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What is headshake?

Leo — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 16:30:03 +0000

Cars fish-tail under over-zealous acceleration. Motorcycles (mainly sporty ones) develop “head-shake.” With cars, loss of traction in the rear wheel (on rear wheel drive cars) causes the rear of the car to slide left, then right, then left again… It all starts with a slide in one direction, and the driver over corrects and sends it sliding in the other direction. With a motorcycle…head shake happens when the front wheel loses contact with the ground and regains contact with the wheel slightly out of alignment (to the direction it was going). You see it happen after a poorly executed wheelie – but it can happen under hard acceleration or after encountering bumps in the road: The wheel comes off the ground while the steering angle changes (usually by rider input) slightly, and when the wheel regains contact with the ground – you get the bars turn left and right while the wheel tries to regain its alignment…

Who’s susceptible? Basically if your bike can wheelie you can get headshake… So a 10hp scooter can get head shake, but (probably) not a Harley Softail.

Steering dampers (or stabilizers) are adjustable shock-type mechanisms designed to help alleviate head shake by making it more difficult to turn the bars quickly. For the most part they work (makes your bike less prone), but head shake can still occur.

So what can you do about it? Here’s what NOT to do: don’t grab onto the bars tightly. Easier said than done. Holding onto the bars tightly and having your weight on the bars can cause head-shake, but once it begins it can cause it to escalate. So rule #1 is to keep light on the bars. The second thing you shouldn’t do is use the front brake. This is easier. A little bit of rear brake or engine braking will help get the front end under control faster, but front brake will probably lead to a crash.

Other than that, keeping your bike under control after a bout of head-shake is all about fundamental riding skills: light on the bars, throttle control… Got any stories or tips for dealing with head shake? Share the wealth! Cheers!

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Braking tip: Unintended acceleration…

Leo — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 22:53:57 +0000

Toyota (and Audi) are not the only ones with unintended acceleration issues while braking. Newer riders are prone to grabbing the brakes in such a way that they roll on the throttle at the same time. This could be a problem that makes panic braking something to really panic over. One scooter shop owner said that this was the number one problem that he saw in novice riders getting on his bikes… They mean to grab the brakes, but grab the lever in such a way that they open the throttle at the same time.

One reason I think this tends to happen (more often) with some bikes is because some non-adjustable brake levers are too far from the handle to accommodate smaller hands. If you have to lift your wrist to get your fingers around the brake lever (with your thumb on the throttle), simply squeezing your hand into a fist will wind up rolling on the throttle… [Yes a diagram would be nice here - but no go] So if this tends to happen to you a lot – but not as often to other people, it’s because your hand is too small for the lever placement. If you can adjust the lever, great, but if not, I think you can actually learn to correct this problem with proper technique.

What’s the proper braking technique? Braking is something you really need to get a “feel” for – but here’s the basic idea, and you can work it out for yourself on your bike…

The key is you need to think of the brakes as an extension of the throttle. With the throttle off, your fingers should be able to rest on the brake lever. As you roll on the throttle, your fingers can no longer reach the brake lever, but that’s okay… The way you slow the bike is by gradually closing the throttle and then gradually braking, as though it’s part of a single device. Does that make sense?

But shouldn’t I “cover” (rest my fingers over) the brakes at all times? When you were first learning to ride, or taking the MSF, you weren’t opening the throttle more than a few degrees, so covering the brakes “at all times” was not a problem – but as you go faster and open the throttle more – there are throttle positions in which you won’t be able to reach the brake lever… This is especially true with more distant brake levers, and smaller hands. That’s actually okay – because when you have the throttle open 75% of the way, there’s no situation in which you should hit the front brake before rolling off the throttle… Being prepared to brake means having a couple of fingers ready to grab the brake lever as it comes in reach while rolling off the throttle.

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Doing laps around town…

Leo — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 05:35:24 +0000

One practice I recommend to riders in need of seat time is to put together a quick route around their neighborhood. It could be anywhere from 2 miles to 20 miles and take 30-60 minutes (around NY). Mix in some local roads and some highway or parkway. Stopping and starting is fine, just make sure you have a good number of turns that you don’t have to stop for…

This way, even if you don’t have the time to go anywhere far, you can get out for an hour and do a quick lap or two. In the process you can learn where all the driveways are, blind intersections and traffic dangers. You can also get to know where the manhole covers are around turns, where salt or gravel tends to collect, and ways to deal with them. I like to make sure my route takes me by a parking lot where I can do some figure-8’s (and on some bikes drag the pegs).

No, it’s not the same as a day at the track, or a ride up to Bear Mountain or anywhere interesting – but it also doesn’t take as much time… And at the same time keeps some of your skills up while giving you opportunities to work on new ones.

So QUESTION: Do you have a route? How many miles is it? What’s it like? And what kinds of things do you work on when you’re on it?

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Start Up Costs

Leo — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 21:09:42 +0000

A Confederate “Fighter”, that sells for around $110,000

Everyone is thinking about money these days, and lots of folks are considering the cost benefits of riding a motorcycle or scooter. So how much does it really cost to START riding in the city? If you were hoping I’d say “dirt cheap”, this is not your day. But on the other hand the cost is probably within reach.

These are just general estimates for someone on a budget, the cost of helmets, gloves, can easily be several times the number I put here… Let me know if there’s something I missed or under estimated:

Basic Must-Have Items: $680-$1150

$350 – Training, Basic Riders Course (MSF)
$50-$150 – Good full face helmet (HJC or KBC on sale)
$50-$100 – Heavy duty chain and lock (for example)
$50-$100 – Good Disc Lock, or Disc Lock with Alarm
$30-$100 – Motorcycle Gloves
$50-$150 – Motorcycle Boots
$100-$200 – Warm weather textile jacket

A 600RR I sold a couple of years ago for $4000

Tools and Maintenance Items: $120-$225

$60 – Ratchet, sockets, wrenches
$15-$30 – Oil and filter for one do-it-yourself oil change
$15 – Oil filter wrench and pan
$30-$120 – Rear stand for bikes without center stands

The Motorcycle, taxes and insurance: $1600-$6500

$1000 – $4500 – Good first bike
$200-$600 – New tire, tires and or chain
$200-$600 – DMV fees and taxes
$200-$800 – Liability Insurance

Basic Startup Cost: $2400-$7875.

Your actual startup costs can be much higher, even double what we have here, even while riding an economical starter bike; but it’s possible to spend near the low end of this estimate too. I didn’t factor in parking costs or winter storage. Also, if you’re thinking of a scooter instead of a motorcycle you’ll probably want to buy a new one, and that will be on the higher end of the $1000-$4500 estimate. But after the first couple of years, when you have a reliable bike and all the gear you need to ride year round, you can easily find yourself spending under $100 a month on gas, maintenance, insurance, while living and riding in NY.

Anything I missed? Let me know.

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Ten Minute Oil Change

Leo — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 22:49:59 +0000

I was shocked to find that some people routinely go to service shops for motorcycle oil changes. SHOCKED I tell you! These shops often charge $90 per hour just in labor! And they bill in half hour or one hour increments. So you’re paying a fortune for just ten minutes of labor… Okay maybe it takes a little more than ten minutes with cleanup. But the point is it’s not a big job at all, and you can easily do this on the street with tools you have around the house.

What you need:

Oil and oil filter for your bike (most bikes can use a number of different automobile oil filters rather than the ones they sell you at the dealer, check this site for more info and a cross-reference).
Either an [a] oil filter wrench (for around $5 at Strauss). I prefer the ones that look like tongs because they’re good at getting filters from the side (which is how you’re going to twist it). Or if you don’t have an auto store near you, then [b] just get a pair of heavy rubber dishwashing gloves… Or [c] be a man and just twist the thing off by hand. Oil filters are supposed to be hand-tightened; but if you just can’t get it off, you can always poke a hole into the side with a screwdriver and twist it off (but this gets messy).
Either a four quart pan (aluminum from $0.99 cent store) or a plastic drain pan from Strauss Auto (around $7). It’s nice to have the kind with a catch basin (or you can use a wire mesh strainer from the $0.99 store) so that when the drain plug falls in, you don’t have to fish it out of the oil. Anyway, if you do, the tong style oil filter wrench is good for fishing it out with a little practice.
Your main tool for the oil change a regular adjustable wrench.
And you’ll probably want a funnel to make filling the oil easier.

* If you have a motorcycle with fairings, you’ll also need the little hex wrenches to take one side panel off.

How to Change the Oil in your Motorcycle: A Step by Step

1. First warm up the engine by riding it around for a few minutes. You need a warm/hot crankcase for two reasons: it makes it easier to remove the oil drain bolt, and the warmed oil will drain quicker and more fully.

2. Put the bike on a center stand or rear stand. Side stand is okay too, but then you might want to stand it up after it’s done draining to get all the oil out of the crankcase.

*For bikes with fairings remove the right side fairing. If you’ve never done this before it’s easy once you know how, but every bike is a little different. Once you remove the bolts it’s just a matter of gently pulling the plastic pieces apart. Sometimes they are hooked into one another. Take a few minutes to get familiar with how to remove your fairings, because the sides are the easiest to remove. Once you remove it, place it carefully someplace the paint won’t get scratched.

3. Locate the drain plug. (If you don’t know where it is on your bike, check your manual or do a Google search. Generally it is right in the middle of your bike.) Figure out which way it will need to turn to open (counterclockwise when looking at its face). Take your adjustable wrench and loosen the drain plug. Make sure you’re turning it in the right direction! Sometimes it’s on pretty tight, it shouldn’t be more than 15-20 lbs of torque, but sometimes it is… Unscrew it and let the oil drain, then clean off the drain plug (and washer, some have washers along with plug) and replace the drain plug and tighten it to 20lbs or so.

4. Locate the oil filter. Remove by hand or using the oil filter wrench and let the little bit of oil in the filter drain. Take a new oil filter and put some new oil in it (about a third of the way). Screw on the new filter and hand tighten (pretty much as tight as you can without straining yourself and without tools). *Some bikes have a cover on the oil filter that needs to be removed with an adjustable wrench. No problem, just pay attention to how it comes off so that you can reassemble it with the new filter…or consult your manual or Google your bike for specific how-to’s.

5. Locate the filler cap for the oil and open it. Put your funnel in and begin pouring your new oil in one quart at a time. Most bikes take 2 or 3 quarts – Google your bike or check your manual for the exact amount. If there’s some fraction of a quart you need (like 2 and 3/4 quarts) then pour slowly and check the oil level as you go. Cold oil can be really thick and take a few minutes (literally) to show up in the crankcase.

Once you’re filled up with oil, you can go ahead and start your engine. Make sure the oil light goes off after a moment and check to see if there are any leaks. After a couple of minutes turn off the engine and check the oil level. It might take a few minutes for all the oil to drain back into the crankcase, be patient! If your oil level looks good and there are no leaks, congratulations, you’re done! Take your old oil to any auto shop (or any service station) where you bought your oil for recycling…

PS - As I’m writing this I realize it sounds harder than it is – but at the same time I understand it can be a daunting task the first time around. Do not fear. The first time at anything can seem hard. This is not rocket science, it just requires a bit of common sense. If you have the mechanical intelligence to ride a motorcycle, you have the intelligence to do oil changes and all the regular maintenance that a motorcycle requires. You’ll save yourself a fortune in maintenance costs by learning to do this yourself. Cheers!

PPS – As always it’s the regular City Bikers that make the posts worthwhile, so if you can think of any other tips for a newbie changing the oil, please post a comment! Thanks!

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My Chicken Strips

Leo — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 17:16:55 +0000

Would you like fries with that? Yes, but that’s not the kind of chicken strips we’re talking about. And this is NOT a terribly important thing, but you may hear about it sometime (if you haven’t already), so you might as well hear it from me first. Your tires are squealing on you. They tell the world just how far you lean your bike over.

If you look closely at the tire above you can tell how much of the tire has never been used – and which side you favor if you tend to turn better in one direction. Hint: look at the right edge of this tire pic… You can see the part that is scuffed up and the part that is relatively unused. You can see in the picture that I have about a quarter inch of unused tire on the right edge (my left side is just a tiny bit less). That strip you see there is called a “chicken strip” (hey who you calling chicken? ) Lots of people take pride in getting rid of those…but I’m stuck with mine for the time being and wear them proudly…at least online.

Now many bikes and scooters will always have chicken strips because the foot pegs and exhaust start grinding before you get to the edge of your tire (the strips on my scooter are a little fatter than the ones above). But most sportier bikes with high mounted exhausts and high pegs, are made to be leaned over. This bike has tires that can be leaned over 42 degrees in the rain (under ideal road conditions) and 50 degrees on dry pavement. From the looks of it, I may have gotten to the 40 degree mark or so…which means there’s almost ten more degrees of lean angle available should I ever need it.

Why should I care? If you are grinding pegs or other things on the street, then slow down, you have nothing to prove. But there are a couple of benefits to getting rid of your strips: [1] You can learn what your maximum lean angle is in a safe and controlled environment, so that if you’re ever in an emergency situation, you can use all of your tire rather than just crashing. [2] The unscuffed parts of the tire are just a little bit slipperier than the scuffed-in parts, so by getting rid of those chicken strips in a controlled setting, you improve the grip of the tires at their edges. [3] You can be one of the cool kids (of which I am not…right now). The best place to get rid of your chicken strips is on a track. The second best place is an empty parking lot with a few orange cones running figure eights in first or second gear. So go out and take a look. What are your tires telling you?

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The Greenest Alternative

Leo — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 14:22:05 +0000

What would you say if I told you there was a two seater that got around 100mpg in the city, and had the magical property of being able to breeze through the worst Manhattan traffic (at a reasonable 25 mph)… And that you could buy a brand new one for $3,200 out the door? Perhaps a better question is: if this existed, why doesn’t everyone have one? It costs less than an upgrade package on a luxury car…

Scooter may not be the most macho form of transportation, but in the old days they kept pace with classic motorcycles… A Buddy 125 has a top speed of 55-65 (depending on which way the wind is blowing on its 9hp engine) while carrying a passenger. I’ve seen a Vespa 250 (which is arguably the Lexus of scooters) hit 75 on the 59th Street bridge… The Buddy 125 (which my wife bought in the Fall) gets 90-100 miles on the gallon which is good considering it has a one gallon tank. My wife’s weekly commute costs in the ballpark of $3 in gas…a little less depending on where we ride out for dinner.

I wasn’t making up that part about traffic either… Have you ever heard of a scooter traffic jam? There are like a billion scooters covering every square inch of Asia and not one traffic jam – okay so maybe I’m exaggerating a little bit… But where my sportbike gets behind a car or at an intersection, the scooter travels with ease.

Now I don’t think scooters are for everybody. If you love motorcycles, you probably wouldn’t want to trade one in for a scooter – you can’t really go on the highway and the small tires make Manhattan potholes seem like the Grand Canyon. But if you wanted a second bike – or were averse to the noise and difficulty of motorcycles, the scooter is an alternative that I think ANYONE could ride and love…

How can I know if a scooter is for me? If you can ride a bicycle and drive a car, and are tired of paying $50 to fill up your car with gas, then you will LOVE the scooter. You will need to get some protective gear (at least a helmet, gloves and over the ankle boots) and you will need some practice, and you will need to get a motorcycle endorsement on your driver’s license (take the written learner’s permit test at the DMV, then when you’re ready take the road test on your scooter).

Question, “But won’t girls think I’m a dork?” What are you…in high school? And the answer is – I don’t think so… Most over high school age girls are a bit risk averse, and would think twice about jumping onto the back of your Ducati (that even sounds like a dirty euphemism!) But even Audrey Hepburn wouldn’t think twice about getting onto your scooter…provided you had an extra helmet and gloves (which stow under the seat in the trunk – of which my 600rr is deathly jealous).

So there you have it. If you want to ride a motorcycle – go ahead, a scooter will never satisfy that itch the way a cost efficient 600 can… But if you like having fun and want to get around Manhattan – then for the sake of the planet – get out of your Hummer and onto a scooter. Cheers!

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The Most Dangerous Time of Year

Leo — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 16:34:28 +0000

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/v/ETT39gPGCps]

[For your viewing pleasure, here's a video on Target Fixation]

I don’t have statistics on hand for this, but anecdotally…right now (until May or so) seems to be the most dangerous time of year to ride a motorcycle. The most common scenario is, a person who’s been riding for a few years gets his bike out of storage and starts riding without realizing that his riding skills have dulled a bit over the winter months… He goes a little too fast, experiences target fixation and goes down.

Every spring I hear of a couple of funerals for bikers in the NY area (both squids and more seasoned riders). Even for those of us who have been riding all winter, we too can be out of practice… It’s easy to overlook how gently we’ve been riding over the salt and gravel all winter… So as we start to ride harder we find that our abilities have dulled a bit, even though we’ve been riding all along.

Not to mention…the nice weather also seems to call out all the bad drivers in NY. These are the people who drive too slow at times, and too unpredictably at others…slowing down to a near stop for no reason and then making sharp fast turns while being totally oblivious to the two-wheelers around them. As for the cabs – yes, some of them really are out to kill you, so ride accordingly…

All that to say: Let’s take it easy out there people! Take it slow, enjoy the ride, and take care in traffic!

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