Wait Apexing

On the Rider European tour in mid-September I had, thanks in part to a pot of coffee with lunch that reminded me of crude oil, an epiphany of sorts. I use the word “epiphany” here simply because it sounds more cerebral than the operatic “revelation,” which is appropriate in this case.

In motorcycling we often use the term “late apexing” to describe a cornering technique that helps keep the rider out of harm’s way and let’s him see farther around the corner before committing to a particular line around it.  Trouble is, I would wager that using the phrase “late apexing” on its own to describe this technique imparts about as much immediate understanding to most riders as does using the word epiphany (in just about any context). Telling a fellow rider unfamiliar with the term that the best technique for negotiating blind corners is to use late apexing is about as effective as saying the best technique is to use epiphany, which could be some kind of hair product.

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Juggling Act

I love my job, which probably doesn’t surprise you. Like many motorcyclists, during my years as an enthusiast before working at Rider, I envied those who worked at motorcycle magazines. And then lightning struck and I found myself living one of my dreams. Since March 2008, I’ve been Rider’s Road Test Editor. During the past 19 months, it has been an honor to work at a magazine that has been a leading voice in American motorcycling for 35 years (Rider was founded just a few months before I was born!). And it has been a privilege to ride with and become friends with moto-journalists whose work I read and admired for years. [Read more]

Rotopax

Have gas, will travel. But how to carry it? When the pioneers were crossing the American west in Conestoga wagons, the key to survival was water. Today, we can cross the same rugged country that challenged the pioneer spirit at a rate they never dreamed of. But doing so requires fuel. [Read more]

Packing It In

It’s a strange feeling, but you get used to it. Most riders get ready for the overseas ride of a lifetime by packing their favorite riding gear, stuff they know they can depend on no matter what the weather, how it performs in different temperatures, how much it holds, etc. I call it the Teddy Gear syndrome (well, as of now, anyway).
I have a short list of that kind of gear, too, but as a motojournalist I can’t really head off on a 7-day ride through five countries certain to encounter rain, heat, cold, unfamiliar roads and cops screaming “That’s a one-way street!” in German without a gearbag full of UNFAMILIAR stuff to test for your benefit, dear reader, now can I?

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Saddlemen Tail Bag

A Deluxe Tail Bag from Saddlemen has been sitting in my office that fits over the Honda Fury’s passenger seat. The Tail Bag is so spacious that the middle compartment holds a large full-face Arai helmet and there’s still room on the sides. And there’s even more packing space in the zip-off side compartments. The reason the bag’s been sitting here for a while is because it fits over the passenger seat of a motorcycle but the bag’s cutout that goes over the seat is only 9 ½ inches wide so it’ll fit only over select seats. The bag is made specifically for cruisers, and the cruisers we’ve had here recently already had luggage. You may want to check it out on Saddlemen’s website, www.saddlemen.com; wait, scratch that, I don’t even see that particular bag on its site. Call (310) 638-1222 and ask Larry about the Deluxe Tail Bag TS3200DE if you’re looking for something that holds a lot and fits over a narrow passenger seat.

Elite Scootering in L.A.

Last week I found myself in front of the original American Honda headquarters which, by the way, is now an acupuncture facility. Honda did a different kind of intro for its NHX110 Elite scooter. We were given a map of L.A. and let loose to go out and photograph the Elite in original settings and visit four locations to pick up playing cards for a poker hand. Extra credit was given for finding the original Honda headquarters; good thing as my poker hand wasn’t so good. That scooter is a lot of fun! You can read about it here.

Indelible Motorcycle Memory #26

A touch of humidity in the air, semi-transparent clouds hovering overhead catching the first rays of the sun. A hurried cup of coffee, gnawing an energy bar for breakfast as we break camp. Slipping out of the campground before the first rays of the sun crest the horizon, our headlights casting faint shadows on the dirt road as we ride south around the mountains. The air is both refreshing in its coolness and its hint of moisture, so different from the past days of desert-dry atmosphere seared by triple digit heat. Gold topped cliffs supported by gray clay shimmer in the early light, the road winding amongst buttes, crossing creek beds, climbing the next rise to present a new perspective on natural wonderlands.

So goes the beginning of a fine motorcycling day.

Hi-Vis

I do almost all of my in-town commuting and errand running wearing a bright orange Olympia Motosports Patton jacket. I get a lot of positive comments on the color–it’s an attention grabber without the yuk factor of Hi-vis yellow. Still, a couple of recent incidents have reinforced lessons I learned long ago – you’re safest when you assume other motorists don’t see you, and you’re better off depending on your safety gear’s abilities to cushion a fall rather than its color. Hi-Vis can’t hurt, but there’s just no guarantees that all drivers will see you all the time no matter what you wear.

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