Forthcoming subject matter...

I don't have a full post, but I do want to let readers know of the few things I have rattling around in my brain, waiting to be written.

First, I have a new helmet on the way, a Scorpion EXO-700. Once that gets here I'll put up a quick post giving my initial impressions, to be followed by a longer review when I have the chance to try it on the bike. This is my third Scorpion helmet, but the two prior were -400s, so there are a few differences.

Second, in honor of getting a new helmet, I'm working on researching the origin and development of motorcycle helmets. A quick Google search has left me with a bunch of articles about the use of helmets, but no real information. (Short aside, law school has ruined my ability to read and accept statistics at face value. For example, motorcycle fatalities have decreased since 1973 while helmet laws have increased. What possible reasons for this correlation exist?)

Until my review and the history of helmets are completed, I leave you with the question: what state instituted the first mandatory helmet law in the US? (Answer in the comments.)

Vanity Plates

Vanity plates seem to be quite common here in Virginia and, while at Wal-Mart this morning, I saw one on an RX-7 that amused me. It read "INITAL D". For those of you who follow anime, you may recognize an abbreviation of the show title Initial D. A show about racing cars through the mountains of Japan in rather reckless manners. I wonder if the plate just denotes a fan or if the driver is trying to be self-descriptive? At any rate, that could be one more thing for wary motorcyclists to keep an eye out for to clue them in on driver antics.

Just for Fun

Just a few things I want to show to readers.

First, a set of pictures detailing the building of a wooden Vespa has come to my attention.

For the full set, go here.

Second, I want to make the comment that modern innovations tend to develop over a long time frame. Eric Buell's fuel-in-frame designs are wonderful. I love his designs. But, they are not as innovative as might be thought. In 1910, Pierce was manufacturing motorcycles with the fuel and oil contained within the frame.

Lastly, in case any readers are interested, go over to Hack-a-day for some info on making carbon fiber parts.

Crazy Fast

I mean that not as in being crazy on the street, but being crazy to even want to ride a motorcycle this fast.

For your viewing pleasure...

Wild Brothers Racing Suzuki Hayabusa Goes 278.6 mph At The Texas Mile News Article // RoadracingWorld.com

Lessons in the Conservation of Momentum

So, here is the physics lesson of the week: objects in motion tend to stay in motion , unless acted upon by an outside force.

I was on my way to work early Thursday morning and the following story happened.

There is an intersection less than a mile from my front door that I take across a very busy main road which has a gas station on either side of the intersection. As I cross the main road, I observe a Honda Accord pulling up to the exit of the gas station on the far side of the road, far side but also on the right hand side from my direction of travel. So, as is proper when you see a vehicle coming up to a place where it could potentially jump out and bite you, I rolled off the throttle a little. Then I realized that the speed of the car was not slowing enough to allow it to come to a stop before exiting the parking lot.

I hit the brakes.

The car continued into the roadway, making a left turn directly across my lane.

I really hit the brakes.

Then I really hit the car.

The sequence of events directly following the impact is a little faster. I see the surprise on the face of the car's driver. Then feel the impact of my front tire on the car's rear door. This is followed by the sense of being flipped over the trunk of the car and falling to the road on my right shoulder and back.

Thankfully, I can report that my gear (full face helmet, mesh jacket, over-pants, gloves, and boots) all performed the job of keeping me intact admirably. I felt to be in remarkably good shape for having just hit a car. A feeling that an ambulance ride to the ER confirmed after several x-rays, just to be certain. That is the first lesson from this encounter: wear your gear. Even if you don't think you'll need it. Wear it.

The second lesson is one of visibility. Many of you may already know that, in addition to my other protective apparel, I wear Icon's military spec high-visibility orange, reflective vest. Even with that vest and the headlight on (not only a legal requirement, but also an automatic feature of most modern bikes) the second thing I heard the other driver say was, "Did you have your lights on? Because I didn't see you." This statement is precisely why I reduced speed when I saw the car. I didn't trust him to see me.

You may want to know what the first thing I heard him say was. To his credit, the first thing out of his mouth when he got out of the car was, "Are you ok?"

I hope this little lesson in physics is helpful to those who ride, and to those who share the road with us riders. Ride safe.

Maintain your chain: Please learn from my mistake!

Yesterday's ride did not go well. I had noticed the chain looked slack, and last time I'd adjusted it, the wheel was almost at the end of the adjuster. So I had intended to get it replaced Saturday.

Saturday wasn't soon enough. The chain had worn to the point it jumped off the rear sprocket while I was climbing a hill in bumper to bumper traffic. I tried to get it back on, but it jumped off 50 feet down the road. I looked in my pocket for my cell phone - and realized the cell phone was missing. This was officially going to be a bad day.

I was able to borrow a phone from a passing driver and give Philip a call, and we got the bike back to the shop I work at. I've got a new chain on order. Things could have been a lot worse.

If your bike has a chain, you need to keep it in good working order. It needs to be oiled every 300 to 600 miles, depending on who you ask (and no doubt on what oil you use). Even O-ring or X-ring chains need lube. You also need to adjust the tension any time they go slack. And if you run out of adjustment... get a new chain and sprocket, right away. I'd been doing the first two, but failed to realize just how dangerous my chain situation had become when it ran out of adjustment. For the record, the chain lasted 16,000 miles.

Another lesson: It is possible to get a motorcycle into the back of a Chevy Suburban without too much effort. Getting the motorcycle out of the Suburban is considerably harder. Next time I'm using a trailer even if I have to rent it.

Spring Awakening

So, with spring in the air, I realized that it has been far too long since I've posted anything. You'd think that five months out of work would mean more time to blog, but it just so happened that winter really cuts in to motorcycle time. With the weather turning nice again, I knew it was time to get the Ninja back on the road. So that means it's time to change the oil, put new gas in, and clean the chain of the corrosion of a few months of disuse. Naturally, that also means that I just had to warm up the engine. So after a short ride to get the kinks out of the system and drop in at Quick Trip, I got around to readying the bike for commuting usage once more.

Just a friendly reminder to everyone that you should check all your bikes systems out as we take them out of storage finally and get them running again. This also means we need to remember to make sure we get back into practice and take it to a parking lot and work the kinks out of our systems before we do any real riding. Happy Spring, and ride safe.