Category: Moto

The Diluted David Mann Chopper Fest 2019

jimmymac

Take the annual David Mann Chopper Fest, add an inch or two of rain, and you’ve got the diluted 2019 David Mann Chopper Fest. I was going to blow it off after waking up to a deluge but the doppler showed the storm would move through Ventura around 10. I hit the gate at 10:30 and the clouds cleared, opening up a crystal-clear blue sky. But the damage was done. The rainfall turned the normally grassy judging area into a slippery, muddy mess. Some vendors sat twiddling their thumbs, separated…

The Amazing Bob Sutton Shocks His Docs

jimmymac

I was introduced to Bob Sutton by the late Steve Tilford. That should tell you something right there. We became fast friends. Bob even spent some time working for the same publishing company I used to work for and Dirt Bike published a few of Bob’s adventure stories. Bob was recently diagnosed with a very serious medical condition that required a surgery. When Bob showed up for the procedure, his doctors were shocked at a good amount of bruising on Bob’s body. Bob explains in an email received this morning;…

Harley-Davidson Adventure Prototype Nails It (UPDATE)

jimmymac

November 6, 2019: Cycle News is reporting that Harley-Davidson is showing a prototype dubbed the Pan America. While this is still a prototype, it looks closer to a production model than the photos first leaked in September. It looks like the Pan American is going to happen. September 16, 2019: Customizers and fabricators have stuffed different versions of Harley-Davidson’s V-twin engines into their off-road and adventure bikes for years. There was no shortage of them at this year’s One Moto Show in Portland. Still, when it came time for Harley-Davidson…

Buyer Beware: You Can’t Get This Electric Motorcycle For $99

jimmymac

Please don’t fall for this scam. The ad is posted to my Facebook feed and it shows what appears to be a $3900 Luna Sur Ron X Bike for $99. How can they do it? They can’t. Hitting the ad’s link took me to a Tigerfitness order form for a “2019 Hot Trend Super Fast Bike.” That Chinglish should be warning enough but there are more clues. Inspecting the bike’s photo reveals a Luna watermark near the front wheel. This scammer simply lifted the bike’s image off the Luna website.…

Updated: Harley-Davidson LiveWire Back On The Grid

jimmymac

October 19, 2019: Engadget is reporting that Harley-Davidson has resumed production on their electric-powered LiveWire motorcycle. The article states that a charging problem was only found in a single vehicle. Harley-Davidson, who had cautioned LiveWire owners to only charge their bikes at certified dealership charging stations, say owners are fine charging their LiveWires at home. Harley-Davidson Pulls The Plug On Electric-Powered LiveWire October 14, 2019: Reuters is reporting that Harley-Davidson has stopped production and deliveries of its first electric motorcycle, the LiveWire, due to a problem that the company dubbed…

Loud Motorcycles Do Not Impress People

jimmymac

A friend once commented that one guy riding a straight-pipe Harley-Davidson from Agoura Hills to Malibu on Kanan Dume Road probably pisses-off around 50,000 people on a Sunday Morning. I think his estimate might be conservative. It is perplexing why the California Highway Patrol and local police agencies look the other way at such obvious vehicle violations. It certainly doesn’t help motorcycling’s image to the non-motorcycling public. And the old argument that “loud pipes save lives” is not based on any serious or quantitative research. This is why I find…

A Motorcycle Pilgrimage To Honor And Celebrate The Memory Of Tom White

jimmymac

There are people who like motorcycles and then there are people who think, dream and breath motorcycles. These people don’t have a passing interest in motorcycles, motorcycle riding and motorcycle racing. They immerse themselves in the hardware, riding techniques and the culture of motorcycling. Motorcycles become part of their DNA. The late Tom White fell into this zealot category as a connoisseur, aficionado and supporter of everything motorcycles. Another rider who falls into the motorcycle zealot category is J. Mark Donaldson. He is in Europe on an extended motorcycle adventure…

Travel Oregon Promotes Off-Road Riding In The Trippy “Only Slightly Exaggerated” Video

jimmymac

Earlier this year I shared the most amazingly trippy promo video from Travel Oregon. The animation features a few mountain bikers so I filed it under “Cycling.” Well, Travel Oregon is back with another “Only Slightly Exaggerated” promo spot and this one features a motorcycle rider ripping it up on some sand dunes. You’ve got to look closely and the dune buggy gets more screen time than the bike, but it is so cool to see a state promoting itself for off-road motorcycle riding. This part of the video is…

DR-Z’ing Washington State’s Backcountry Discovery Route

jimmymac

I intend (hope and dream) to ride all or part of the TransAmerica Trail in 2020, but what would be the best bike? While Husqvarna and KTM offer high-performance, dual-sport bikes, they require race-bike-level maintenance and would need expensive suspension mods to get the saddle down to a manageable height. I didn’t want the weight and complexity of bikes like the BMW R 1250 GS Adventure or the KTM 1290 Super Adventure R. I needed something easy to maintain, comfortable to ride and light enough to pick it up if…