Motorcycle Articles ~ The Riding Obsession

Margaret Dean Feb 28, 2018 4 Comments

Motorcycle Sharing: Rent A Bike Near You

My husband Robin is excited about his new flagship motorcycle, a BMW R1200RS for 2018's riding season. He's also pre-mourning the eventual goodbye to a longtime love, his Suzuki Bandit 1200. Celebrating the Beemer feels like a betrayal to the (ready to rent) Bandit, who has taken him 55,000 miles through twenty-three states over five years.

She's been maintained, upgraded, repaired, updated, enhanced ... in a word: loved.

Robin doesn't want to sell her but as many riders understand, multiple bikes results in more maintenance and less time. Whether the motorcycle runs or is a project, you can only ride one at a time and no matter how much you treasure each bike, you tend to ride one more than most.

Robin Dean Feb 13, 2018 Leave a Comment

Sweepers Galore On Missouri 34

A lot of great Missouri motorcycle rides connect with eachother just south of Farmington. Clearwater Conservation Area offers one unanimous favorite: Missouri SR-34. This thoroughfare flashes an insignia all the way from Garwood to Jackson in a most elegant sport touring manner.

The section of road between SR-21 and Piedmont is our focus. This constantly sweeping stretch of extra smooth tarmac is a core ingredient to our (methodically under-promoted) annual rally. Efforts to develop new loops in the region often include a go at this grippy, lean-friendly riding route.

It's a defining outlet for riders whereby contractual handshakes between our tires and the pavement arrive in signwave form (satellite). Skill sets can quickly become overdrawn in these parts. Here I am up ahead on my Bandit, footage courtesy of Rodney Foster and his Sprint ST ...

Robin Dean Feb 6, 2018 Tow-Ster2 Comments

Quick-Tow Gear For Locally Stranded Bikes

Full disclosure, whenever I see a big ride on my calendar that's more than five hours away, I prepare our three-chock trailer to do its duty. Illinois being mostly flat, it's an easy way to dodge unnecessary miles on the odometer while packing a few otherwise scaled down favorites. Better tools, camping gear, maybe a guitar shaped inflatable pool ... whatever the item, placing it safely and securely in our tow vehicle before hauling our prize ride(s) is nothing if not convenient.

But what about when we're 'round townin' it? Those days when our "runs well but nowhere near tour-ready" machine induces a grin, beckoning us to bake its engine to a dry cook via ten miles of moderate but entertaining speeds? In a polar winter or equatorial blaze, any chance of such a joyride stranding us could trigger panic attacks. Remember, though that we're motorcyclists. If any one of my friends (or enemies) called me on the phone with chattering teeth asking for their bike to be rescued from the roadside, I'd remove every one of my flock from the garage, roll out my pull-behind and ask them where I was headed ... if this were my only trailer.

That's a lot of work to rush through before hitting the road for your own or someone else's mechanical mishap. Fortunately, a variety of receiver accessories can be trusted to get what is essentially a local job done. Some hitch-mounted for single-wheel use, others folding for complete lift, let's look at two small, cheap and lightweight options one might consider as permanent furniture in the back of their four-wheeled hero.

Travis Burleson Feb 4, 2018 Leave a Comment

I Bought A Junk Moped (And So Should You)

Thanks to an illness last spring that left me with impaired balance and medical bills to pay (dig back to our May, 2017 podcast to learn more), I opted to thin the herd and get a new bike. My 1994 Honda CB1000 "Big One" was just too fast and too heavy for me to deal with while under the influence of an ongoing balance issue. Similarly, my lack of stability made riding off-road difficult, so away went the DRZ400 also. The NC700X wasn't only an incredible deal, its low center of gravity and usable but controllable power made it a perfect bike for me. However, this left me with a problem. The service intervals for this modern honda are 8,000 miles apart ... and it's brand new.

What am I going to do over the winter?

That question sent me to craigslist with a $300 max budget looking for something to keep me occupied during the frozen months. I inquired about some old Suzuki GS's from the 70's but never heard back from the seller. There was a Honda CB750 SuperSport that looked good but was immediately gone. Then I started thinking about a moped. A cool old Puch, Suzuki FA50 or Honda Hobbit would be cheap and good for running to the store or whatever is local. I could take it camping or use it as transport in a track paddock. After some time I found a '78 JC Penney Pinto 2.

Robin Dean Feb 1, 2018 Leave a Comment

ASUS C100P: A Perfect Ride Along Laptop

Before writing for this website, I'll sometimes race off to a remote location in an effort to become more inspired. Ten miles of twisties might become twenty, then forty, eighty, maybe a full ton of warm-up curve carving to get my head goin'. The result is always the same: fatigued in some indie cafe, an espresso drink in my hand, surfing social media while paying bills.

Why did I come here again? Eh, whatever.

A laptop can prove pretty handy while on any motorcycle trip but good tech doesn't come cheap ... or does it? There are various deal promotions on the web listing the "best laptops under 500" among others. I say that's still too much money for something I'll regularly overhand into my hard luggage before shaking it rigorously for as many as three hundred miles per day, occasionally punctuated with an assault on Deals Gap.

Robin Dean Jan 29, 2018 1 Comment

Tips To Ready Your Bike For (Sniff) Sale

A few weeks ago, I took a big plunge. Against all (often outsourced) logic, I financed a pre-owned but brand new BMW R1200RS. With barely 560 miles on 'er, she's fully equipped with luxurious features, each installed at the previous owner's expense to shape a deal I just couldn't refuse.

My intention to obtain this elegant beast was discussed at length in our house. Both excitement and compromise were expressed between both my wife and myself until a plan was clear. Sadly, our beloved Bandit 1200, which inspired the launch of this website, would need to be sold.

Why not keep both? Well, it comes down to finances. Selling the Bandit pays for protective Beemer add-ons before putting a dent in its remaining bill. Don't think I didn't consider it, though.

Robin Dean Jan 25, 2018 Leave a Comment

Rylo Action Cam: Stable Footage, 360° View

In the action camera realm, almighty king GoPro sees little if any competition outside of lower priced, lesser quality "meh, whatever" almost disposables. A while back, the VSN Mobile caught our attention for its best-in-class 360° capabilities. New top shelf cameras on the market rarely make the cut for review because they either don't offer anything innovative, "introduce" already standardized features or whisper larger dimensions ... all with a less established reputation.

It's hard to get new tech onto the battlefield and even harder to find a fair fight worth picking.

Of all the cams that may (or may not have) flown by in our social media feed, the Rylo stood out in a big way. Its shape and overall technological concept immediately made sense even through a five-second internet ad. That alone speaks to why we've decided to give it the focus it deserves.

Robin Dean Jan 12, 2018 3 Comments

Riding Your Motorcycle On Winter Road Salt

It's winter here in Chicagoland. Said season's reputation is just as harsh as our city's industrial response to it. The roads get salted while most of us go about situating our motorcycles for cold storage. It's funny how (perhaps as expected) priority "favorites" get winterized first, followed by the next most important until we reach that ... wait. Maybe I'll keep that one at the ready!

In our house, the sacrificial "meh, whatever" ride is an '88 Honda Hawk GT which, as you might've guessed, I just rode before outlining this article. A brief fluke in our January temps offered up three successive days of 40, then 45 and today 50 degrees with sparse rain. Roads rinsed, carburetors newly re-jetted and an aftermarket exhaust in place, I geared up before easing through every slick/slimy corner between our house and the Fort Sheridan Starbucks.

This blessing has it's curse, however. Once we as riders get even a hint of saddle time, it's all over. We want more and we won't be denied.

Margaret Dean Jan 5, 2018 4 Comments

Why Charcoal Foot Warmers Beat Electric

In December of 2012, Robin (our own TRO editor-in-chief) was still a newbie-ish rider. He loved riding and wanted to squeeze in as much saddle time as he could. No winter month in Chicago was going to stop this guy! Here's one example video that inspired him.

As long as the roads weren't icy or wet, he would ride his trusty Yamaha Seca 400. His riding gear consisted of basic ATGATT, balaclava and neck warmer + layers (LOTS of layers). No fancy heated gear for this Robin, the Robin of 2012, as his precious monies were earmarked for Seca upgrades.

Robin's main problem while winter riding, besides other riders thinking he was batshit crazy, was keeping his hands and feet warm. What to do?

Margaret Dean Dec 7, 2017 Leave a Comment

Meet Sara Altieri, A Helmet Artist In Motion

How many ways have you customized your ride? Aftermarket retailers like Bike Bandit or Revzilla offer endless options to customize your bike's (or gear's) functionality or aesthetic. My husband, an MSF rider coach, came home one day and mentioned another rider coach in the office custom paints helmets. I looked up with my left eyebrow raised and thinking face on. Hmm, interesting ... but why consider painting my helmet?

Custom painting isn't just for racing professionals or the world of four-wheeled motorsports. It's one of a kind wearable art. You can get your helmet painted to go with (match) your bike if your bike has a unique or specific theme or look. Or similar to why many get a tattoo, you can get a design to commemorate or represent something meaningful.

This is a no-brainer.