[Jeff in Kentucky]

This is my favorite article about chains and sprockets:

http://www.canyonchasers.net/shop/generic/chain.php

[Jeff in Kentucky]

My favorite rider is Nicky Hayden, even though Rossi is probably more skilled- I have to root for the guy from Owensboro, Kentucky. Here is a little bit of an article about him:

by Dennis Noyes | Posted March 25, 2010
Hayden Looking Stronger

Former World Champion Nicky Hayden (in 2006) had a rough time of it last year, struggling early in the year to get anywhere near the pace in his first year on the difficult (unless you are Stoner) Ducati, but a third place at Indianapolis sparked steady improvement over the final third of the season.

His situation is precarious. Ducati were offering big money to Jorge Lorenzo while Stoner was back home in Oz during his three-race recovery and that clearly meant there would have been no place for the Kentuckian in 2010. And even after Lorenzo turned Ducati down, then team director Livio Suppo (now at Honda and, perhaps, entrusted to bring Stoner to Honda in 2011) made a similar offer to Hayden’s former teammate, Dani Pedrosa.

When Pedrosa opted to sign on for one more year with Honda, Hayden, Ducati’s third option, got another year on the Ducati.

Hayden, like most if not all MotoGP regulars, is hoping that 1000cc bikes will replace the finicky and tech-heavy (electronics) 800cc bikes a year early in 2011, but the job at hand is to do enough to either stay with Ducati or find another MotoGP ride at the end of the year, otherwise World Superbike beckons.

It would be cruel luck if Hayden were not around the MotoGP scene when 1000cc bikes replace the 800s because the former dirt tracker is much more suited, by his aggressive nature and rear-wheel-steering style, to riding the bigger, more powerful bikes that can be over-ridden.

[Jeff in Kentucky]

It is difficult to find a new car with a rubber timing belt- no one wants to either replace the belt or take the chance that it will break after 100,000 miles.

[Jeff in Kentucky]

If a beginner gets a heavier bike to be less pushed around by the wind, they also get a bike that is more difficult to balance at slow speeds. A big, heavy bike is best for long, straight trips at 75 mph.

My favorite light bike is the 400cc Suzuki supermoto, if your legs are tall enough.

The 250cc Kawasaki Ninja and the 250cc Honda Rebel are also very good. The Ninja is better at 75 mph than the Rebel.

For something a little different, check out the 250cc Piaggio three-wheeler, the 500cc Royal Enfield, or the various 2-wheeled scooters with an automatic transmission. I began with an automatic transmission- it is a lot easier to start with these and add the learning for the clutch and shift lever later.

[Jeff in Kentucky]

I am driving a 2006 Toyota Rav4, with a 269 horsepower V6- it gets 17 to 27 mpg, and is lighter than a V8 so it corners better. My wife bought a 2008 Nissan Rogue- the 4 cylinder engine and the CVT transmission from the Altima have more power than any other similar 4 cylinder that we test drove, with 22 to 28 mpg. We like the higher seats than a car for visibility and safety.

I like the lower center of gravity Subaru engines the best, except the cars they are in do not look very stylish. Consumer Reports surveys in their April 2010 magazine show that in order of best overall reliability, it is Honda, Subaru, then Toyota (Nissan is 5th, and Chrysler is last). The Ford Fusion gets top ratings for reliability, but the Nissan Altima has the best test scores for this type of car, and the Subaru Forester was rated the best small SUV (my wife did not like it’s looks, and the nearest dealer is about 25 miles from our house in case of a warranty problem).

[Jeff in Kentucky]

From my many hours of reading, Che was a freedom fighter against the Batista dictatorship in Cuba. Che left Cuba after all of Castro’s promises before the war turned out to be lies. Che was killed in Bolivia, while fighting a corrupt dictatorship.

In The Motorcycle Diaries movie, Che is a medical student on vacation, who volunteers to work at a leper colony. This movie does not include Che’s later years in Cuba. I suggest you see the movie, even if you are for more freedom and democracy like me.

[Jeff in Kentucky]

My grandfather had a 50cc moped, when he got older and had trouble walking from his diabetes. He let me borrow it at a campground near a WWII abandoned Army base. It was so light and quick turning, riding on the pavement and dodging trees growing out of the cracks. I think a small scooter is the perfect bike for short trips under 40 mph.

Some people will ride a small scooter across the US- too slow and too dangerous for me, but they do save a lot of money and see more at the slower speed on backroads:

http://nzscooter.blogspot.com/2009/05/scotts-roadtrip-across-america.html

[Jeff in Kentucky]

I liked The Motorcycle Diaries a lot, about two buddies that go on an adventure the length of South America, and start out on an old motorcycle. Conservatives think it is too liberal, and liberals think it is not liberal enough:

[Jeff in Kentucky]

Here are some reviews for the 2001 Kawasaki air cooled Four (7R-7S), which should be the same as the 2003:

http://www.totalmotorcycle.com/2001KawasakiZR7F.htm#reviews

[Jeff in Kentucky]

This article scared me away from the flip-up helmets, that are nice for getting your sunglasses on and off:

http://www.calsci.com/motorcycleinfo/Green.html

[Jeff in Kentucky]

Custom choppers with a raised gas tank are using the gas tank as a windshield:

http://dsc.discovery.com/fansites/amchopper/photogalleries/blackwidow/blackwidow.html

[Jeff in Kentucky]

Wind protection is all about how tired you feel at the end of the day, and if the 10-wheeler in front of you throws a big rock towards you, it is better if it hits plastic before your eyes or skin.

I have a small windshield on my bike that protects my chest, and my arms get less tired from not constantly holding my chest up against the wind. The wind is not bad at all for a 30 miles trip, but it wears you out if you are doing 300 plus miles a day.

To me, the best aftermarket windshield companies are National Cycle for all bikes, and California Scientific for sport tourer replacement windshields.

[Jeff in Kentucky]

Here are Batman and Catwoman bikes- they could use a flamethrower and batman spotlight in the sky accessories:

http://www.motorcyclecruiser.com/tech/0308_crup_batman_custom_yamaha_royal_star/photo_07.html

[Jeff in Kentucky]

I bought some cheap black nylon motorcycle pants online- I wanted them extra big to add knee braces and soccer shin guards under them, and I added an extra belt to hold the waist up better.

I bought my helmet, jacket, boots and gloves after trying them on in a store- I wanted to make sure they felt good, looking at a photo is a lot different that looking at the real thing, and the few extra dollars was worth it for me to get exactly what I wanted.

The mechanics impact gloves from Lowes or Walmart, with gel padding in the palms, are a good low cost summer glove with a very good feel, but they are not as protective as some of the gloves designed for motorcycles.

[Jeff in Kentucky]

The minimum dirt bike engine for 55 mph roads is 250cc, and for 70 mph roads 400cc. Some of the 250s will go 75 mph, but it is not that comfortable, and there is not much extra power for passing or going up hills.

If you look up the reviews for them, the reviewers will rank their ability on dirt and pavement. Some are more for dirt, and some more for pavement.

Visually, look at the tires. Dirt bikes have bigger and fewer knobs (raised square tread sections), and dual purpose bikes have smaller and more knobs.

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