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Ferrari’s do it.  Two stroke engines sometimes do it.  And four stroke motorcycle engines can do it too.  I don’t understand exactly why, but I’m told that the blue flame indicates that the engine is running lean (not rich like I’d assume), making the exhaust hot enough to ignite the unspent gases.  All I know is I LIKE the way it looks! It’s one thing to pass cars on the road… it’s another thing to spit flames while you’re doing it.

I’m also told that running an engine like this will cause premature wear: so if your bike is spitting flames, then you probably need to jet your carbs or adjust your fuel injection settings.  Good to know…

If you’re wondering, “hmm do I actually need a radar detector on my bike?”  The answer is “no” – move on…you need to pay attention to the road, and save the speed for the track.

But…if for whatever reason (maybe the police are being used as revenue agents in your town) you’re going to do it anyway, and you have (or plan to buy) a Valentine 1 radar detector, then here’s a simple DIY option that works with the V1 and sportbikes…  And with a little adjustment can work with other radar detectors as well… Continue Reading »

Like clockwork, the International Motorcycle Show arrives in New York’s Javits center on the coldest days of January!  Unfortunately, I won’t be able to make it this year because of prior engagements – so you’ll have to go in my place and let me know what you see.  It’s always a good time to get out of the cold, and sit on a whole mess of bikes, take pictures, and eat overpriced snacks from the vendors toward the back.

Remember to buy your tickets online (here) and print them out in advance rather than waiting on the long line at Javits.  Also, you can EM3OFF ($3 off), or EM2, or or also PAULJR. Cheers!

You know the type, the guy (or gal) who doesn’t ride, but is planning to buy a bike and take the MSF (usually in that order); and says that a 250 isn’t good enough… “How come?” you ask. And their answers usually sound something like these… Continue Reading »

We’ve had some fine riding weather this winter in NY, but it’s still not good enough for track days or hard riding.  So if you’re getting antsy for a little racing action – someone should open up a warehouse in LIC or Dumbo…

All the physical aspects of sport riding need to be practiced and drilled so that you do them subconsciously… This is why expert riders sometimes (too often) make horrible teachers – they’ve internalized their skills toolbox enough that it’s hard to teach people stuff that comes “natural” to them. Of course it didn’t always come natural to them. Even Valentino Rossi and Casey Stoner had to really work on their body position (BP) at some point. Foot position is one of these things that you either get down to your subconscious skill set – or you will totally forget when you need it most… We think about our hands, but most people rarely think about how their feet are resting. The first two minutes of this video gives an excellent show and tell of foot position for sport riding. Continue Reading »

If you’re a lifelong New Yorker (like me), the Dakar Rally just sounds like a cologne someone once gave you for Christmas sitting in the back of your closet… But in reality it’s one of the craziest long distance motorcycle (and yeah there are cars too) events where intrepid motorcyclists ride through thousands of miles of “desert” roads at high speeds! And the only way you can tell a competitor approaching is by the miles of dust clouds kicked up in his wake… Here’s the Wikipedia entry in case you’re curious.  For us stuck in the cold weather, it’s a source of nearly endless footage to warm our motorcycling souls… And unlike most motorcycle videos, I actually like the operatic-cinematic flamenco-like thing they got going here…

Hope you all had good safe holidays where you are! It’s a bit cold for fun-riding today, but at least the asphalt isn’t icy or covered in salt. To soothe my need for some twisties, here’s a nice no-crash video from some bikers on the left coast… where you don’t have to go to a track to get your knee down.

That phrase can be applied to many styles of motorcycling, when done with skill and precision…  This here is the one style of riding I have no experience with, and little interest in trying (living in NY, it’s not really practical) – but this video is still absolutely amazing!  Hope you’re having a great holiday season.  The weather hasn’t been too bad for riding either. Cheers!

Now if you’re particularly susceptible to crazy ideas, you probably shouldn’t watch this video or read the rest of this post…  Have a happy holiday! Continue Reading »