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The rumble and roar of American motorcycles has never interested me too much. I love the idea of a unique and worthy motorcycle that is developed in my own country but theres just nothing in a line of decades old cruisers that really peaks my curiosity. How much chrome can a man take? But to prove that I am not just a European and Japanese bike snob here is my review of the new Buell 1125r, and if you don't like it GIIIT AAATA MA CUUNTREE.
While perusing the interwebz one day, thanks to targeted ads by google, I stumbled upon an add for Buell motorcycles:"Test ride a Buell and get a free hydration pack". Well why not? My all around opinion on Buell when asked, has always been that they are O.K. bikes but just a little lackluster overpriced, and unreliable. They have some really great attempts at innovation don't get me wrong, but the motors have been more fiero than ferrari and they're pretty expensive considering they're made in this country and there no need to pay duty or frieght (even though its all made in China, I know) So I rode my ST1300 some 45 miles after work one day (for some reason they don't do test rides on the weekends) and signed my life away, to ride the Buell 1125r.
The first thing I was told was, "I'll go get it started, it takes a little while to warm up". Good Grief, I thought, its the same old Harley influenced garbage. When I made it outside I heard the salesman revving the engine a little. It really revved nice and quick! Even quicker than say an 1150 BMW engine (the last generation). I should have known to expect a little bit more considering my good Austrian friends at Rotax added a little bit to this motor as I understand. The salesman rode it around the parking lot a few times, popping wheelies. I thought it was a little unprofessional of him, but I didn't realize at the time how easy it was to get the front end up!
Normally when you get on a CBR you know when you sit on it how its going to feel, by the seating position and other cues, the same with a big bmw K bike or Japanese enduro. But when I sat on this I didn't really know what to think. I cautiously let out the clutch and it was cognitive dissonance. It felt like it should be a Japanese sportbike, it felt like i should rev it to high hell and that I would need to.... but I didn't. There was gobs of torque all through the rev band and as far as the tach was concerned I could all the way up to 11000 rpm (though I didn't try). It was loud, really interesting and still just American enough so that I wouldn't forget where it came from.
Now, it wasn't exactly comfortable but then again bikes like this aren't really suppose to be, but it could have been much worse for an aggressive bike. I am not sure why digital speedometers seem like such a good idea to engineers or sport bikes. You can't ever read the freakin thing! Especially when you're boasting a 140 some odd horsepower and enough torque to upset the gravitational forces. In fact all you need with any bike like this is a needle that points to: almost breaking the law, probably breaking the law, and slow the hell down you're going to die.
All in all I was skeptical, but when a motorbike manufacturer takes a risk and does something different, and it actually pays off, I am a big fan. With the MSRP right around that of an R1 why bother getting something so many squids pine over when you can break the mold and turn heads with a Buell. The other Buell bikes are still not my favorite but the 1125r makes me proud to be an American. Little Billy, put daddy's shotgun away!
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In motorcycling, some fads come and go. Motorcycle technology is always rapidly changing and bikes come and go. I can think of a throng of great (and terrible) bikes that only were able to fair the market for a couple of years. However, every once and a while there is a model, that despite all odds, has survived for decades. My bike of the week this week is one such bike:
The Kawasaki KLR-650
Why mess with success?
The KLR-650 model was introduced in 1987 with its' single cylinder 650cc water cooled engine. I find it incredible that a single design which is virtually unchanged, can last effectively for over 2 decades. Sure the 2008 model did get a trim and a shave, but make no mistake, it's not just the "KLR-650" badge that is left over from its' teenage years.
In my opinion, the KLR-650 was the original Adventure bike(who could afford an R80GS?). A bike mean enough for high speed thruways, could, and still can, turn off at any fire road at the twist of a wrist. Why bother with giant adventure monsters that topple over at the drop of a hat? Why squeamishly approach a highway on-ramp with a wimpy 250 or 400 enduro? When you just want to get everywhere and anywhere, the simplest way possible, the KLR-650 can do the job. Isn't that the lust of a motorcycle in the first place?
There are bikes that are faster, there are bikes that are prettier, there are bikes that more apt for dirt riding, But there surely isn't a better value priced, all around workhorse like this weeks bike of the week.
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In going with the theme of bikes I have actually ridden, this week(twoweeks) I wanted to highlight one of the nastiest (attitude wise) bikes I have ever come in counter with.
The MV Agusta 910 Brutale
I think theres something to the fact that there are soo many motorbike makers in Italy. There is something synergistic in the passion and expression of the italian people and Motorcycles. It just fits so well in Motorcycling.
The Brutale is a true testament to the Italian bike persona.
Beautiful. Powerful. Exotic.
Now first off I should mention the fact that I am a utilitarian. The best bikes to me are the ones that can get full of dirt salt and grime, ride through the rain for 4000 hours on end and still be a delight to ride. This might lead you to believe that this is not a bike that I would care the least bit about. It is not, after all, practical in many senses of the word. Even with my transplant dwarf legs, I am a bit cramped. Its not exactly the king of wind protection and installing luggage on this would be just like Trailering a motorcycle, you just shouldn't do it. So what could I guy like me possibly see in a bike like this?
Well, to Illustrate this for you I decided to look up the english translation for the Italian word brutale. Savage, Heinous, Murderous..... Brutal. The MV marketing department got it right in any language. Everything about the way this goes is aggressive, from the seat position to the hellfire explosion that bursts through the tailpipe when you press the start button. 136bHP on a 406lb chassis with a very aggressive race-oriented clutch, also add to the hostile nature of of this bike.
For a bike that is so mean, it really is easy on the eyes. The lines of an Italian bike are just always right. The exhaust manifold looks like it was very carefully placed there by an artist rather than to serve any specific purpose, and with a MV Agusta logo stamped right into the header about an inch away from the motor. The attention to every little detail is very easy to appreciate. The sound it makes, magnifico. You really can appreciate it without even riding it, but trust me, it handles great too:-D No matter what this bike is guaranteed to put a smile on your face and turn heads wherever the devil takes you.
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Thanks to a friend in high places I managed to score myself a ZOOM H2. Its a small high fidelity recorder that I plan to use for recording music for Artie. Also, I plan to create a bank of live recorded music from shows that Ive been to. Ill make them available to members of the site (it will be totally free). I love the idea of these recorded live performances. Universal Buzz radio used to have a show that radio stations could syndicate which was all live recorded performances and I would catch them every week. Also, at archive.org there is a bank of recorded performances or varying quality (both of musical selection and sound fidelity) If youre into that sort of thing check that out. I may even use the H2 to do some type of podcasting though Im not sure exactly what that might end up being... O yeah and I know im a bit overdue for a bike of the week (BOTW) but its coming:-D
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MC Lars is Fresh
Had a great time this past weekend at the show. Hip Hop with a punk rock soul and something to say. Now thats fresh.
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Okay, so if you've actually read any of this blog so far, you'll have noticed a few things. 1, I just ramble with no real forethought or editing, 2. I write alot about motorcycles, and 3. I haven't actually ridden most of the bikes I write about (even though I base my 675 writing on my 1050 speed triple ride). Well thats about to change because this time Ive decided to give a formal review of a bike Ive actually ridden. And the bike of the week (as I think I will call them from now on) is the BMW F800S.
This story starts with a bit of skepticism.
When you expect that band you've heard 1000 times before to rock really hard and they do, well great, you knew they would. and maybe the vocals were a bit loud because the sound man is half def, and the drummer was off because it was his van that he had to drive through the night from DC to make the show in Rochester, but you don't care it was great. Theres not much to be said for that kind of attention to detail because you really just wanted to sing along with the chorus.
The F800s however, was not such an act for me. Rather, it's more like some scraggly old hippy-types that wander on stage, and I just know they're going to start playing some droning Phish wannabe type crap and Im about to leave, when I double take to hear a unique sound that'snew and exciting.
Analogies aside, when the F800s was introduced (on paper anyway) I saw an overpriced F650GS with street suspension, that was painfully mediocre. What made the most disappointed was the lack of a shaft drive! What are they thinking using a belt? No paralever front end? The F650GS is a great bike for dirt riding, with lots of torque, but isn't a smooth riding sport machine. So what is BMW thinking making this glorified F650GS sport? Are they just trying to fill marketing niche?
My doubt and concern started to unravel pretty quickly when I first saw the bike in person. First of all, I was pleasantly surprised to see that unlike the F650GS, the F800S had all the BMW electronic goodies (GEAR POSITION SENSOR, along with heated grips and those BMW signature turn signal switches not to mention onboard computer). The gauges are the same, in fact, as the R1200GS and other higher end Beamer bikes. The things that I did like on paper started to come to mind. 400 lbs, 85bhp, 6 speed gearbox. And it does look pretty just sitting there, moderately aggressive, practical riding position. This might have a chance afterall.
Now outside of the dealership, I turned the key on to see those beautiful gauges come to light. Then I pressed the starter button. It turned over quickly and came to a growling, but smooth idle. It was then when I realized BMW hadn't completely lost its mind. The motor afterall, is not a 650 single but a 800 TWIN and produced by Rotax no less. I revved the motor a couple of times to hear this roaring but quick reacting growl get louder. I put it in gear and took off. The low end was so quick, unlike any 1 or 2 cylinder BMW I have ever ridden. Counterbalancers really help create a smooth but torquey twin that I was not expecting. acceleration around town was so zippy and fun I couldn't help but smirk.
As I leaned the bike over into a turn at around 30mph, It came to my why BMW decided to use traditional telescopic forks. The feedback you get from traditional forks is alot more appropriate for a small sporty bike like this (not to mention Im sure it did help marketing get the price where they wanted it)
So there was one issue still lingering in my head, what about the belt drive. Well not only did it help give me that zip induced smirk, but how long would you expect a belt to last? 10 thousand miles maybe, surely couldn't be more than 20k miles? Well not only do they require no maintanance like a chain, but they only need to be replaced every 30k miles! What a great open minded BMW solution.
So for 10 grand you do get a bonafied BMW that will surely last until the sun burns out but some might contest the Japanese counterparts like the VFR-800 or SV650 make this bike overpriced and slow(?). But not only is this bike quick and competitive, it has what a BMW rider wants a BMW for, reliability, practicality and CHARACTER!
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So you were thinking, those cool kids riding the CBR and Ninja and GSX-R 600s get all the cheerleader girls, but the thought of setting foot in an Abercrombie and Fitch gives your the willies, and you've never once popped your collar in your life. You want a quick and nimble little bike, but your back already hurts from that job at the fish market last summer and you really only like to see Tupperware on QVC. Well then, how about a shiny new unfaired CB599 or maybe an SV-650. Wait, But Troy (says you, you says), the Suzuki is just too buzzy with its V-twin and the 599 could use a little more torque and character, and besides (you moron) Honda just discontinued it. In that case, you should stop turning Japanese and start thinking Anarchy in the UK:
The Triumph Speed Triple 675
Because the punk rock chicks were always hotter that those stuck up cheerleaders anyway. The legendary factory street fighter literbike just got a pint sized sibling with the 675cc version of the speed triple 1080. And if you ever planned on riding with the front wheel on the ground, the 675 should help you do that, but there is no guarantee considering its' torquey but smooth 107HP power plant on a chassis that weighs only 367lbs. I have an uncle that weighs more than that. The look is still as angry as the sex pistols in the early 80s and those dual headlights won't let you forget that Britain invented the street fighter. Although its no Goldwing, the ergos should allowing a nice long day of riding with nothing more then a leg stretch to keep you comfortable and its just about as flickable as that afternoon fag. However, that exchange rate really does hurt with a bike like this with the new 675 upwards (or more) of 8 grand. Still, you can't put a price on mayhem and Rock and Roll.
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Today, I went out to lunch with Sam. Its the last day at this job, but I learned alot about this interesting person. Not only did he have his own Deli as a side job of being an engineer, but as it turns out he also did some work on Chernobyl after the disaster. He told me that his white blood cell count was down 50% from the trip. After which, he enjoyed a weeklong holiday of eating fish and blueberries and resting in northern Russia in order to become well again. Downright fascinating individual. Anyway, I am particularly interested in nuclear power because I think it might be a good solution for our energy needs until we replace everything with renewables. So the fact that I was eating lunch with a person who not only lived in the Ukraine at the time of the terrible disaster, but had actually been to the plant really got my wheels spinning. Searching youtube for Chernobyl, I found this video. What an incredible man made disaster. In searching a little more I found, possible the most interesting website I have ever found. This website, though it could have been build by a 3 year old by its simple html , was made by a woman who rode her motorcycle into Chernobyl and the ghostowns that surround it. Since I am a motorcycle nut, this couldn't have satisfies my curiosity any more perfectly. It is really an incredible journey as she travels through wastelands in seemingly snowy conditions, with nothing but her motorcycle. It inspired me to take a ride this summer to Love Canal because a similar (but orders of magnitude smaller) exodus took place there in 1978 and as I understand it there are still a few deserted neighborhoods, though I think it has been cleaned up for the most part. I still have some faith in nuclear power and human kind and I think we can avoid disasters like this again, but it certainly makes me think twice about advocating nuclear anything.
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At this point it is the longest I have went without riding for about a year now; 3 whole weeks. Ive been thinking alot of getting back on the bikes since I feel that its about time for it to be warming up. I check weather.com's 10 day outloook obsessively, hoping the the 10th day will bring some hope. So far no real luck, too much snow. However I have been studying up on some of the new bikes on bikez.com and I came across this:
The Aprilia Shiver 750.
In a world of fully faired big displacement super-bikes, and unrealistically uncomfortable sporty 600s, I was always a fan of a middleweight. The GSX-R 750 was always in a class of its own in my mind for this very reason and when I saw that Aprilia came out with this slim and trim middleweight, I was overjoyed. Big comfy handlebars and a no-bull naked frame are what I look for in a small Sportbike. The 90 degree V twin will no doubt produce very colorful performance. The best part I've found, the price.. MSRP 9000 bucks. not bad considering is a rare, beautiful and practical example of Italian motorbike excellence. My only concern, and my reason for not trading in my st1300 and buying one, is because the motor isn't of the tried and true ROTAX built motor, but rather an all new motor completely designed and manufactured by Aprilia. This may be no reason for alarm at all, but I trusted the ROTAX airplane motor company to be extremely reliable, and this will no doubt be a bit of a gamble. The last thing I'd want to do is be a the mercy of parts supplier 7000 miles away! All in all, Ill give it a few years, see how they hold up and definitely consider it for purchase! Long Live Itialia, and their bikes.
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 As I predicted, there has been a long delay in another post. Go ahead and get used to that :-) The reason I felt inclined to post is because there is an out-of-control spy satellite crashing to earth and we are all doomed. Well not exactly, because our fearless leader and cowboy, decided that we are going to shoot the varmint down. All in a days work. Zap that sucker down nice and quick so we can get home in time to watch this weeks episode of House. But wait a second? Out of control spy satellites? Long range space missiles? Anti satellite Lazers?(thats right I said Lasers) Im trying to figure out when exactly I got hit by a truck and went to science fiction heaven? Seriously though, sometimes I just have a take a step back and think about what as humans, we are capable of. The math involved alone makes me warm and fuzzy inside. Now if someone could just figure out a way that I can ride my motorcycle all year and make popcorn without kernels and burnt pieces we would surely be the most Utopian of societies...
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Alright, I can already see how this is going to work, very similar to the way these kinds of things always work for me. Ill probably end up posting like 30 blog posts today and never post a single one again, but hey it is better to have loved and lost then to have never loved at all.so i made it to the terminal on time, and i am for the first time, enjoying the free wifi in the airport terminal. I for some reason never thought it was a worthly investment to drop some cash on a laptop, and even when i did i would carry it around with me for the week and forget about it (see the fickle trend here) But alas, I found the eeepc and now I actually carry a computer around with me. My girlfriend Kerra also picked one of these up, and I knew she would because as my theory goes, chicks love things that are "cute and little". T minus 3 hours until dan deacon. I love new york city.
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