Made It To Oyster Run '08


Against my better judgement we decided to go to the Oyster Run in Anacortes, WA on Sunday. It is the largest one day gathering of motorcyclists in the Western U.S. This year they expected over 30,000 bikes to attend. I estimate there were more......

We got up early and expected to get going by 9 am. From 7 o'clock on you could hear the drone of motorcycles off in the distance going up I-5. By the time we left home and merged onto I-5 heading North it was a sight to see. What a thrill it was to be on a 3 lane interstate surrounded by hundreds of motorcyclists in every lane, with only an occasional car squeezed in between the crowd. All you could see ahead or in your mirrors were motorcycles. I have never seen anything like it and it was an emotional and exhilerating experience.

We stopped about 30 miles north of home to drop in and see my son, who had a group of many friends who were gathering to go also. The gas stations in his town were filling up with hundreds of bikers meeting up. Nate and his friends were going to breakfast so we headed to the Oyster Run without them and said we would meet up later. We never found them at the event. We did, however, run into the friend who had sold Dave the Victory. What were the chances of that?




We went off of the interstate and headed towards Anacortes on the back roads which were scenic and rural. It was a clear blue day which turned out to be warm and sunny. As we neared the town of Anacortes traffic came to a halt. We crept into town inch by inch. That is when the fun ended for me. By the time we parked my clutch hand had a full cramp.

The event was interesting, with local vendors and bike builders etc. All the biker groups were there wearing their colors, but no incidents as far as I know. Everyone was happy to be there and appreciating looking at the motorcycles. We walked around in shoulder to shoulder crowds and made our way up the entire street and back the other side. There was one group doing a scheduled stunt show but we didn't wait to see it. Otherwise, it was just a large gathering. After I saw about the thousandth bike they all started looking the same.




Here is a lineup of Big Dog bikes.

Not sure what this was but when it was revved it was so loud people were covering their ears!

How's this for a motorcycle cover?


I liked this biker gorilla.


They said this bike was on Biker Build-off. They were giving it away.

As we tried to leave town the traffic was even worse than coming in. There were several directions to go but all were creeping or stopped. We headed east and found a back road with only a few bikers on it. It was a long ride home and I was very tired by the time we arrived. All day we only went a total of 155 miles, but rode for about 6 hours. My left hand turned purple from clutching. I guess I'm not as tough as I think sometimes.

I don't think I would ever attempt to go to the Oyster Run again, because it really had nothing to offer me. Crowds like that aren't my thing. I'm glad for the experience, though, and got my first bike event pin.

LVMS to host seventh annual Femmoto this weekend

Press release:

LAS VEGAS – Las Vegas Motor Speedway will host Femmoto 2008, a weekend of motorcycle riding, demonstrations and motor fashion to celebrate female enthusiasts Friday through Sunday. Femmoto is a women-only event which offers female riders the opportunity to test-ride motorcycles on the LVMS track, peruse the latest gear designed just for women, discuss the lifestyle with manufacturers and meet other women who share their passion for motorsports.

“Being involved with the biking industry for a long time, I began to see an increase in women riders, the bonding that was going on between the women riders, and the need to have an all-female track event,” said Femmoto founder Bonnie Strawser. “I wanted to get more women comfortable on motorcycles and give them a great environment to do that.”

Femmoto is hosting 11 motorcycle brands for demonstrations at the event, including Aprilia, Moto Guzzi, Kawasaki, KYMCO and Triumph. Attendees are invited to ride all brands and styles of motorcycles on both the track and street throughout the weekend.

“Diversity is what we’ve been aiming for and I think this year we have really hit our mark,” Strawser said. “As there are many types of female riders out there, there are many types of motorcycles they might be interested in. Having so many brands and so many bike types will make this a really fun event for all our attendees.”

Track rides are reserved for female participants. Pre-registration slots are filling up for the closed- course demos and interested riders are urged to pre-register. The entry fee is $135 per day. Appropriate track gear is required for closed-course demos.

Last year’s event hosted more than 550 female riders and Femmoto organizers predict an increase in participation in the 2008 event.

Femmoto was created in 2001 to introduce ladies to sport bikes in a safe and fun environment. Its growth and support have allowed the event to evolve into a weekend providing women with new and exciting features including workshops, seminars and exposure to a wide variety of specialty products and services.

For more information on the Femmoto 2008, call (419) 340-3977 or visit www.femmoto.com.



The Ride Home--Bandon,OR to Seattle


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While in Bandon we spent one day going to town and visiting our favorite stops. We had lunch at The 2 Loons deli in the downtown area. It is always one of our favorite places to eat, with that local flair that only a small town has. The food was delicious. Our next stop was the Wagon Wheel, where we always buy a T-shirt. When the T-shirt wears out in a couple of years, that signals us that it is time to make another trip to Bandon. The other place you cannot miss is Cranberry Sweets. Bandon is the Cranberry capitol of the world, and we just missed the Annual Cranberry Festival the day before we got to town. Cranberry Sweets is a candy store that puts out plates of little candy samples, so of course you want to buy after you've tasted all the wonderful flavors.


As we headed back to our motel down the little road that goes from town and follows the coastline, we passed Face Rock. It is so cool. Can you see the face?



We left town on Wednesday morning and made a quick stop on the north side of the Coquille River where the historic Coquille Lighthouse stands. It is a landmark for artists and photographers to appreciate. It is from the 1890s and not in operation any more from what I understand.




The view looking back towards Bandon.


Once we got on the road we headed back up the coast with the intention of heading inland towards McMinnville for the next nights stay. This morning was the coldest and most miserable of any on our trip. The further north we went we rode through mist, fog, and very cold temps. I had on 4 layers on top, my jeans and chaps, and my Buff around my neck. I had only brought my regular gloves. By the time we rode a couple of hours, my fingers were numb, I had pulled the Buff up over my nose like a bandit, and my legs were cold through my chaps. I could feel that my teeth were cold, even though I kept my mouth shut (no comments from the peanut gallery). We stopped in Waldport for a hot cup of coffee at another DQ.

After we thawed out, we continued on north until Lincoln City. Then we headed inland towards McMinnville. Once we were away from the ocean, the sky opened up, the sun was out, and we started warming up. We passed through the most lovely countryside and followed a river. Soon we saw amber fields of grain, vineyards, Italian prune orchards and wide open spaces. This was one of my favorite roads on the trip, probably because it was 30 degrees warmer than along the coast. We stopped in McMinnville, which is a cute little town where McMinnamin's Brewery started. It's a Northwest favorite. We found the Hotel Oregon, that houses McMinnamin's. We considered staying there, but they only had on the street parking. We weren't comfortable with leaving our bikes out on the main street all night. So we had a beer and thought about it......

There was a Native American casino and hotel that we had passed about 20 miles back. We decided to go back, get a room, eat a nice buffet dinner, and gamble. We got a really good rate on the room which was luxurious and big. It was so good to be warm, and to walk around for a change. We were able to watch our bikes from the 5th floor room we had. We had a wonderful time, lost our shirts (not literally) and were ready to ride home on Thursday. By the end of the day we had ridden 6 hours and about 250 miles, for a total of 729 miles so far.





We left Thursday morning for the home stretch. I was ready to get home and see my cats. I miss them when I am away, they are such a part of my life. We were about 90 miles from Portland, so once we hit Interstate 5 it was freeway all the way home. I led and had to go 80 most of the way through Oregon to keep up with traffic. It was windy, cold, and raining off and on the last day. Once we got through Seattle I felt a great relief that we had made it all this way with no motorcycle problems or events. The only thing that happened was Dave's zipper pull breaking on his motorcycle jacket while we were in Bandon. He was able to use the inner zipper for his liner to keep it together so he could make it home. We got home around 4pm Thursday all in one piece and happy to be sleeping in our own bed that night.


The second day was about 250 miles and 6 hours of mostly freeway riding. The total trip was 987 miles. I would do it all over again, now that I've rested up. I can't wait to plan our next trip.

Suzuki Skywave 2008

The rim Behind stayed original

Suzuki Skywave 2008

view Suzuki Skywave 2008 this not there is one that is special. But tried to pay close attention to the wheel behind him, slipped disc brakes on the left of the wheel. Trus, what was the intensity? “Kalau with the disc behind in the rim made by (usually from the rim of the car, red) that has been normal. But put on the disc in the rim of the standard especially in Skywave, not yet many kan,” I Oding, konseptor. The technique pemasangam the disc behind might be considered to be quite efficient for the owner skutik ‘cowok’ from Suzuki Skywave modification that continued to want to maintain the rim of the standard. Because only with increased braket-braket in addition in teromol his motor.


Data Spesifikasi
Setang set : Viron Thailand
Takometer: Type R
Fuel Gauge : Moto R
The front shock absorber : DSK (4 buah)
The shock absorber behind : Yoko (2 buah)
The front disc : Ride It
The disc behind : Standar (depan)
The front tyre : Swallow 90/90-16
The tyre behind : Swallow 90/80-16
Modifikator : Roma Jansen Modification/0858-50929270


Moreover, Oding make use of piringan the brake had the front wheel. Alhasil more frugal, that's it! Now for the front disc was replaced the product of Ride-It berdiameter 320 mm plus Nissin calipers. Return to the wheel behind. For the fitting cakramn, was made braket just with the iron with a thickness of 10 mm. Then was welded in teromol the wheel behind. “Cakram behind him functioned correctly.


To support the appearance, was changed also by his suspension system. For the face part, was drafted the model double socks in each side. The method for him, the four socks were tied to two new mounts from the iron plate. His upper part was used the iron with a thickness of 12 mm, whereas the underside with a thickness of 7 mm. Again and again, the friendly man stressed if results modif his suspension not the display completely. His intention to his four socks functioned stifled bantingan the motor


Suzuki Skywave 2008

The rim Behind stayed original

Suzuki Skywave 2008

view Suzuki Skywave 2008 this not there is one that is special. But tried to pay close attention to the wheel behind him, slipped disc brakes on the left of the wheel. Trus, what was the intensity? “Kalau with the disc behind in the rim made by (usually from the rim of the car, red) that has been normal. But put on the disc in the rim of the standard especially in Skywave, not yet many kan,” I Oding, konseptor. The technique pemasangam the disc behind might be considered to be quite efficient for the owner skutik ‘cowok’ from Suzuki Skywave modification that continued to want to maintain the rim of the standard. Because only with increased braket-braket in addition in teromol his motor.


Data Spesifikasi
Setang set : Viron Thailand
Takometer: Type R
Fuel Gauge : Moto R
The front shock absorber : DSK (4 buah)
The shock absorber behind : Yoko (2 buah)
The front disc : Ride It
The disc behind : Standar (depan)
The front tyre : Swallow 90/90-16
The tyre behind : Swallow 90/80-16
Modifikator : Roma Jansen Modification/0858-50929270


Moreover, Oding make use of piringan the brake had the front wheel. Alhasil more frugal, that's it! Now for the front disc was replaced the product of Ride-It berdiameter 320 mm plus Nissin calipers. Return to the wheel behind. For the fitting cakramn, was made braket just with the iron with a thickness of 10 mm. Then was welded in teromol the wheel behind. “Cakram behind him functioned correctly.


To support the appearance, was changed also by his suspension system. For the face part, was drafted the model double socks in each side. The method for him, the four socks were tied to two new mounts from the iron plate. His upper part was used the iron with a thickness of 12 mm, whereas the underside with a thickness of 7 mm. Again and again, the friendly man stressed if results modif his suspension not the display completely. His intention to his four socks functioned stifled bantingan the motor


Skywave Modification


Rumah Modification Tauco Custom tak pernah absen pajang motor di acara OTOBURSA Tumplek Blek gawean OTOMOTIF GROUP. Pada OTOBURSA minggu lalu, TC memajang 3 motor. Ada Suzuki Thunder 125, FXR dan Honda Tiger.

“Lumayanlah ada 5 pasien baru dapat dari otobursa. Kalau diterima semua sih ada banyak. Takut enggak kepegang,” ujar Topo Goedhel Admotjo,

Topo memamerkan salah satu karya spektakulernya. Suzuki Skywave Shorty. Topo menyebut shorty lantaran bodinya durancang cebol. “Nanti diliput buat rubrik ,” pintanya.

Uabahan emang belum 100 persen oke. Cat belum final dan speedometer belum terpasang. Yang unik pada Skywave modification cebol ini suspensi depan dan roda belakang. Kata Topo, sok depan pakai Piagio dan pelek belekang punya mobil Soluna.

Skywave Modification


Rumah Modification Tauco Custom tak pernah absen pajang motor di acara OTOBURSA Tumplek Blek gawean OTOMOTIF GROUP. Pada OTOBURSA minggu lalu, TC memajang 3 motor. Ada Suzuki Thunder 125, FXR dan Honda Tiger.

“Lumayanlah ada 5 pasien baru dapat dari otobursa. Kalau diterima semua sih ada banyak. Takut enggak kepegang,” ujar Topo Goedhel Admotjo,

Topo memamerkan salah satu karya spektakulernya. Suzuki Skywave Shorty. Topo menyebut shorty lantaran bodinya durancang cebol. “Nanti diliput buat rubrik ,” pintanya.

Uabahan emang belum 100 persen oke. Cat belum final dan speedometer belum terpasang. Yang unik pada Skywave modification cebol ini suspensi depan dan roda belakang. Kata Topo, sok depan pakai Piagio dan pelek belekang punya mobil Soluna.

Destination Bandon: The Second Day--Pacific City to Bandon, OR


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On the second day of our ride from Seattle to Bandon, OR we woke up with our bikes soaking wet with morning fog.


We wiped them down, packed up and off we went south towards Bandon. We expected it to take about 6 hours of riding. Before we left Pacific City we went back towards Cape Kiwanda to snap a few photos. It was around 10 am.




Once we got on the road it was comfortable riding and the sun was coming out. The road is narrow and twisty so we took our time as well as followed lots of logging trucks and large RVs which kept us at a slow pace. The scenery was lovely so it allowed us a glimpse of the ocean every once in a while. We finally stopped at Cape Fowlweather for a break. According to the sign, Captain Cook discovered and named this Cape. We were there on a nice day. Winds can be over 100 mph here with no visibility.






There was alot of fog to ride through from this point south.




Cape Foulweather did not have a public restroom (?!) and I take advantage anytime we are stopping. I had already had a couple cups of coffee earlier in the morning. We headed south again down 101 and, lo and behold, we ran into road contruction. This was a Monday morning and they had the road down to one lane on a major through way. I tried to stay calm and not think about it as we sat with our engines turned off for 40 minutes as nobody moved. The fog was surrounding us so we couldn't really see the scenery either. We finally got going and so did the miles of cars and logging trucks behind us. The first town we came to I stopped. What a relief!

As we rode on further the temps got cooler and the fog was covering the ocean view. We stopped often for hot coffee and food. That day DQ became our fast food friend. Almost every small town in Oregon has a Dairy Queen with clean restrooms and hot strong coffee. They would prove to be our rest stop of choice for the days to come.

We finally arrived in Bandon around 4 pm after riding 6 hours and about 180 miles that day. So far we had gone 479 miles on our trip. It felt much easier than the first day, although challenging terrain. The road is narrow and passes inland through deep dark forests, and then moves out right along the rocky cliffs next to the Pacific Ocean. Again, my mind registered so many images I was having trouble processing it all. We would be staying at this little motel for 2 nights. It is called the Windermere and was originally built for artists who would take little cabins and park their Model A's in between. It has been updated but still keeps the quaint woodwork and charm of a beach motel. It had a little kitchen area fully supplied with necessities. There is a sliding glass door which looks right out to the ocean. I could have lived there. Some mornings the fog would cover the whole beach, but if you waited for the window of opportunity there were a couple of hours a day you could actually see out to the horizon. Our other window looked out to the bikes so we could keep a good eye on them. It was perfect and 1/2 mile down the road from my aunt.



Again the fog and moisture took over our bikes as the sun went down. The motel was great about giving us alot of rags to wipe them down in the mornings. They were also very interested in the Victory and the motel owner was seen checking it out many times in our 2 days there. Everyone we met along the way was interested in the bikes. These were all Seniors travelling along the coastline like we were. We talked to people from Utah, the Netherlands, and other motorcycling travellers.

In Oregon you are not allowed to pump your own gas. Can you believe it? They don't want the public breathing gas fumes, but it is OK for the guy working the pumps. With motorcycles it is a different story. They have to slide your card into the 'pay-at-the-pump' slot, and then hand you the nozzle. I always fill my own and Dave does too. I think bikers are more particular with their gas drips, so they always had a paper ready for me to catch them with.

As we wound down for the day, we looked out at this lovely view. Now we could relax, visit with my aunt, and rest up for our ride home on Wednesday.




Destination Bandon: The First Day--Seattle To Pacific City, OR


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We rode down to Bandon, Oregon to visit my aunt. It was the first long trip for both of us. We had luggage on Dave's Victory that strapped to the back rest. It worked very well and held everything we needed that wouldn't fit in the saddlebags.


We finally left on Sunday around 10am. The weather promised to be sunny and clear, with temps around 70. We headed down interstate 5 as far as Olympia, the state capitol. It was pretty quiet on a Sunday around noon.



At Olympia we cut over towards the coast. Now these were lovely wooded highways with almost no traffic. There were smooth, fast and slightly curvy roads that I really enjoyed. They followed along small inlets and bays where oysters are raised. This area claims to produce the most oysters in the world. The aromas you smell as you ride along are amazing. The ocean air is cool but clears your head.

We finally arrived at the Astoria Bridge, which crosses the mouth of the Columbia River. This large expanse of fresh water flows right out into the ocean. This bridge has always scared me when I crossed it in a car. It is extremely long and on the Oregon end there is a tall part that you climb up, up, up so that ships can go under it. It freaks me out. So I was not looking forward to crossing this bridge on a motorcycle. It turned out to be a lovely experience and quite enjoyable. The sensation was entirely different than I expected and I only wish I could have stopped and taken pictures.



We stopped for a break at Cannon Beach. This area is famous for its Haystack Rock and others scattered along the coastline. It is an artists mecca and, of course, a tourist trap. You can see why.......





Finally after riding for 7 hours, with a few short breaks in between, we arrived in Pacific City, Oregon. An old friend and her husband had driven a fully restored 1963 Austin Healey 3000 convertible on a British Car Rally and ended up in Pacific City that night. We met up and had a great time visiting, eating and drinking at the Pelican Pub and Brewery. Good beer and atmosphere, good food but just a little overpriced.



We got a room at a little motel in town called the Inn at Pacific City. It was inexpensive, clean, and quiet. It was perfect for a night of much needed rest and a welcome hot shower. In the morning we walked up a block and found the tiniest cafe with bang-up breakfasts. The biscuits and gravy were the perfect thing to get me ready for the road.

On the first day we rode for 7 hours, and 296 miles. Once you are in Oregon, the roads are narrow and very rough in some places. There are passing lanes once in a while, so you can get around the guy you've been following at 25 mph. for 10 winding miles. For me, it was physically challenging to ride so long, but it was worth it. I already felt like I had accomplished something riding so far and as fast as we could go to keep up with traffic. So many images had already been recorded in my memory that I will think back on and reflect fondly for the rest of my life.




TIPS Satria F-150

Tips mengatasi selang kabel rusak SuZuki satria F-150

Pulse Secondary Air Injection System alias PAIR yang diaplikasi Suzuki Satria F-150 muncul masalah. Masalahnya di putaran bawah. Paling kentara pas mesin disetel langsam. Gejalanya seperti komposisi udara dan bahan bakar enggak ideal.

Jangan panik dulu dan marah. Marah bikin puasa batal lho! Sayang, kan kalau puasa cuma untuk menahan lapar dan haus. Mending baca terus nih tulisan supaya pahala enggak berkurang. “PAIR teknologi mengurangi emisi. Menyeimbangkan kompisi udara di ruang bakar,” beber Josep Antony Tan, 2W Service Instructur Section Head, PT Indomobil Suzuki International (ISI).

kabel.jpg

Sebenarnya sih bukan teknologi PAIR yang jadi biang keladi. Tapi, komponen pendukung yang enggak tahan. Terutama tahan panas mesin. Posisi slang melintang sampai silinder head kelewat panjang . “Kelamaan getas, terus sobek. Jadinya ada udara luar ikut ke ruang bakar,” timpa Hasan Basri, mekanik Hasan Motor di Kelapa Dua Raya, Jakarta Barat.


kabel2.jpg


Biasanya sobek kejadian di bagian silinder head. Tentunya enggak perlu ganti slang. Beli slang yang sejenis pun susah lantaran punya bahan dan ukuran khusus. Cara yang paling gampang sih tinggal digunting ujung yang sobek. Terus dipasang lagi.

TIPS Satria F-150

Tips mengatasi selang kabel rusak SuZuki satria F-150

Pulse Secondary Air Injection System alias PAIR yang diaplikasi Suzuki Satria F-150 muncul masalah. Masalahnya di putaran bawah. Paling kentara pas mesin disetel langsam. Gejalanya seperti komposisi udara dan bahan bakar enggak ideal.

Jangan panik dulu dan marah. Marah bikin puasa batal lho! Sayang, kan kalau puasa cuma untuk menahan lapar dan haus. Mending baca terus nih tulisan supaya pahala enggak berkurang. “PAIR teknologi mengurangi emisi. Menyeimbangkan kompisi udara di ruang bakar,” beber Josep Antony Tan, 2W Service Instructur Section Head, PT Indomobil Suzuki International (ISI).

kabel.jpg

Sebenarnya sih bukan teknologi PAIR yang jadi biang keladi. Tapi, komponen pendukung yang enggak tahan. Terutama tahan panas mesin. Posisi slang melintang sampai silinder head kelewat panjang . “Kelamaan getas, terus sobek. Jadinya ada udara luar ikut ke ruang bakar,” timpa Hasan Basri, mekanik Hasan Motor di Kelapa Dua Raya, Jakarta Barat.


kabel2.jpg


Biasanya sobek kejadian di bagian silinder head. Tentunya enggak perlu ganti slang. Beli slang yang sejenis pun susah lantaran punya bahan dan ukuran khusus. Cara yang paling gampang sih tinggal digunting ujung yang sobek. Terus dipasang lagi.

True Colours of a Ninja

I dont really have many posts of my lil baby do I? Well heres another one.

A lot of people ask me why black when Kawasaki's Lime Green looks so darn smashing! Well, I really dont know, its not that I don't appreciate the eye-catching appeals of Lime Green Kwackers, its just that I prefer a Ninja to be bathed in BLACK. For starters, it would look mighty odd if erstwhile Ninjas were caught trying to slaughter Samurais whilst dressed in vivid shades of green! (though a purist may argue that green would serve as good camouflage for forest terrain, what with Ninjas specialising in Guerrilla warfare and all that) My retort to the purist would be plainly that a smarter Ninja would have preferred to leg it during the day and save all his guile to fight at NIGHT, for which of course, nothing suits the purpose more than BLACK.



Ive always loved Black, theres something about the nothingness within it that draws me closer and closer to the dark side. White's a pain, to wash, to keep clean, to look at during times of excessive lighting. Grey is just not me, Black somehow, fits the bill to the T, er B.

Cheers,

Max

ps - am not even gonna mention the other color options because they really arent "Ninja" for me. You see a bike's not just a bike, it stands for something, er I hope you get the drift, and I repeat, am not CRAZY.

Insanity? or Blind Love.

Ive known a lot of bike lovers in my time (and beyond my time), but every now and then, one reaches out and touches your heart like the Yamaha Ad of old (remember? "Touching your heart, theres a new day, summer sun rising... etc etc?).

What would you do if you had 5 Java/Yezdi machines in your arsenal and not enough place to park it?

Simple, dump them around (inside..) the house, better still, dismantle one and escort it right into your bedroom! Enjoy:







For those of you hitherto ignorant of the Java moniker, I urge you to go out and try one right away, as in NOW. (preferably the Twins..) I was fortunate enough to spend some quality time in Mysore which helped me get closer to the Java/Yezdi phenomenon, but then the factory shut down, like all good things coming to an end. The legend apparently lives on though, I routinely see some interestingly done up ones riding around town with the familiar missed beat gurgle of the mill churning beneath.

Cheers,

Max

ps - the pics are from my phone, so... oh and by the way, am going to do a feature on the ENTIRE collection soon, a couple of them move/sound/look better than most other bikes out on the road today.
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