Capital City Rockers vs. Mods

31 Mar

My personal experience is that most of the motorcycle community tends to look down on scooters.  

So when I heard that a group of motorcyclists were encouraging all types of scooters to join them for the First Annual Capital City Rockers vs. Mods rally here in Austin, I didn’t know what to expect.   I decided to give it a try and am so glad I did!

All types of motorcycles and scooters were warmly welcomed.  There was something for everyone — classic, modern, cafe racer type motorcycles and both vintage and modern scooters.   I’ve always thought the coolest bike ever is the Triumph Bonneville, so you know I appreciated the look of the cafe bikes and the riders’ laid-back attitudes.  It was a perfect venue for the easy-going scooter crowd.

This next picture is an example of the wide variety of bikes at the rally.

If the seat on this old Yammie looks uncomfortable, that’s because it’s a skateboard!

The Mods were all about style, and Charles totally dressed the part. 

It took a few tries to get the video cameras set up properly on my new Sym scooter, but worked it out by Sunday’s ride.  Here is a short video/slide show of a few highlights from the rally.  As always, cutting the weekend down to a few minutes was difficult.  (I apologize if the video doesn’t load.  If you hit the refresh button, that will probably fix it.)

This beautiful 1964 Vespa GS160 belongs to Martin, a friend of mine from the Austin Scooter Club.  If that scooter looks authentic, it’s because Martin actually was a Mod from 1959 until 1965, when he married and settled down.  As a Mod, he rode a 1958 Douglas Vespa 150 Clubman. 

Most of you have probably heard about the Rockers and the Mods subcultures and how they supposedly engaged in fights and started riots and created moral panic, blah, blah, during the sixties in England.  Turns out none of that’s true, but was hype manufactured and perpetuated by the news media.  Martin graciously agreed to let me record a short video about the background and real story about what went on — rather, did not go on during that time.

All the Mod hooligans and Rocker louts had a great time meeting each other, and I’m already looking forward to next year’s rally!

Peace on the Road!
BT

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This is Why I Ride

19 Mar

Several years ago I began searching for the magical words that capture the essence of what it’s like to ride on two wheels.  There are descriptions that hint at it, descriptions that sort of but not quite get it, and descriptions that come close — but until now no description has nailed it.

Jeffrey Rumminger, a rider but not a professional writer, ended my search with an article published in the April Guest Column of the  American Motorcyclist.  He got it right in “Together in Motion.”

After reading his article, I was so impressed that I immediately sent Colonel Rumminger a request for permission to reprint “Together in Motion” in Biketrash Holiday.  He gave his permission as soon as he received the letter, and the American Motorcycle Association promptly gave its permission.

I gotta tell you, Colonel Rumminger is a nice, humble, and generous guy.  We’ve e-mailed back and forth a few times, and in those brief exchanges I feel like I’ve made a friend.  Doesn’t it seem like the riders who love the two-wheeled experience for the pure joy of the ride, no strings attached, will always respond to a sister or brother rider?  They don’t care how you dress, what type or brand you ride.  Without hesitation, they step forward when asked. 

Come to think of it, for me personally, that’s the foundation of my two-wheeled experience.   Riding brings forth the experience, but it rests upon the certain knowledge that we, as riders, have hundreds of unknown friends who are willing to lend a hand.

Biketrash Holiday is honored to share. . . .

*TOGETHER IN MOTION
Understanding the Ego of the Motorcyclist
By Jeffrey Rumminger

My motorcycle idles high as it warms up, and my riding gear is coming on.  As the engine speed decreases, I begin to feel anticipation of the ride.  My eyes trace the shapes of metallic art that are part of my machine.  I feel a slight warming near my leg as the engine heat radiates.

I check zippers and snaps — secure.  My helmet is on and cinched.  The gloves come on and I once again appreciate that comforting feeling of those perfectly shaped and worn-in gloves.  My leg swings over the bike, and I feel a tingle of joy that slowly makes its way through my body.

I throttle up and ease out the clutch.  That first moment of motion overtakes me with a soothing rush.  That moment — that same moment every time — is both mysterious and familiar.  It is in that moment that all non-riding things fall away and I recapture the freedom to focus again.  It is in that moment, that very real moment of motion, I am connected.

As most motorcyclists do, I often get the question, “Why do you ride a motorcycle?”  For me, first and foremost, riding is the absence of all non-riding thought and in that absence a connection to motion is formed.  No other motorized machine designed to transport a human being provides that same connection.  Planes can’t.  Trains can’t.  Automobiles can’t.  Boats can’t.

Continue Reading “Together in Motion”. . . .

So did he nail it or what?  The first moment and the connection to motion — That’s it!

Peace on the Road!
BT

_________________

*Reprinted with permission from the American Motorcyclist Association, American Motorcyclist, April 2012, Volume 66, Number 4, ”Together in Motion” by Jeffrey Rumminger.

EFM Auto Clutch — One Year Later

12 Mar

It’s been a little over a year since the EFM Auto Clutch was installed on my V-Star 1300. 

Since then I’ve tried to objectively share my impressions and what I’ve learned in three previous reviews.  Those three reviews are:

EFM Auto Clutch — First Impressions
EFM Auto Clutch — Almost-But-Not-Quite-Final Impressions
EFM Auto Clutch — Final Review

More people than I ever imagined have shown an interest in the reviews, so I want to continue writing about my experiences with the EFM – good, bad, or neutral — in the hope that others will find it useful.  This article talks about some symptoms that developed with my clutch assembly and the solution to that problem.

Last July I left off by saying in Final Review that the EFM Auto Clutch occasionally made a loud rattle/grating and gronking sound on take-off and that sometimes I couldn’t shift from second to first without pulling in the clutch lever.   Over the next several months, both of those issues became increasingly more frequent.  

Later on, the forward pull described in Almost-But-Not-Quite-Final Impressions suddenly seemed to take on a life of its own, and I experienced a few scary butt-pucker moments while stopping the bike.  In fact, in those butt-pucker moments, the clutch pull was so strong I was afraid I might not be able to reign her in.

With the “runaway” clutch pull, I took the bike to Jennifer at Austin City Powersports.  After inspecting and measuring the clutch plates and clearances, she tried varying the spacing washers within the recommended range of clearance and also varied the amount of spring washers.  Garry, from EFM Auto Clutch, suggested making some more adjustments with the spring washers.  Any and all small adjustments were either too much or not enough, and it was impossible to fine tune the adjustment so it worked properly.  None of that worked to her satisfaction.
 
Even though the friction plates still measured within Yamaha specs, they were glazed.  Jennifer replaced the old friction plates and then had to start over with correct clearances and spring washer adjustments.  That solved everything.  I consider myself lucky to have a mechanic who stuck with it long enough to find a fix.
 
So, to make a long story short, last week I picked up my bike, went on a nice, long ride, and can confidently say that riding with the EFM Auto Clutch is back to normal.  In the future, if any of these annoying symptoms show up again, I won’t put up with them for long!
 
Central Texas has had some rain, bluebonnets are blooming, and it’s time to get out and ride!
 
Peace on the Road!
BT

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In Memory of Sgt. “Twostep” Huckstep

3 Feb

After a three-month break from Biketrash Holiday, imagine my surprise yesterday when I happened to check blog stats as 140 hits arrived within a few hours. 

Google searches came in from the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Germany and Australia; and they all led to Let’s Roll. . . ., Biketrash Holiday’s first post on July 4th, 2010.

From my own search, I learned that 23-year-old Sgt. Adam Cody Huckstep, the subject of that first blog post, was killed in Georgia while riding his motorcycle.  After completing his tour of duty in Iraq, he was stationed at Fort Stewart and was getting ready to be sent to Afghanistan.  Friends Remember Fort Stewart Soldier gives us the details of what happened.

The thing I remember best about Sgt. Huckstep’s 4th of July homecoming is that hundreds of people of all ages, opinions and walks of life came together that day to honor this soldier, and it was important.  You could see it in their faces.   It was so. . . well, American. 

As this year’s election heats up with mean-spirited political and social attacks from both “sides,” let’s not forget what matters in this country.  It’s really quite simple.  We’re all on the same team.  Kids in pre-school know that.

Sgt. Huckstep devoted his short life to our country — AND he was a guy who loved riding his motorcycle.  Something tells me he would’ve stopped to help if I were stranded on the side of the road.  THAT, my friends, is an example of what’s important.

Rock of the Marne!

Peace on the Road!
BT

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Lake Superior Circle Tour Video

28 Oct

Here are some highlights from my recent motorcycle ride around Lake Superior. Believe me, it was difficult to reduce the 1500-mile ride down to under four minutes!  My hope is that you’ll catch a glimpse of what it’s like to share the comradery and experience of motorcycle riding!

Find my Circle Tour Travel Journal in the right sidebar under Lake Superior Part Two.

Peace on the Road!
BT

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il Buono, il Brutto, il Rally (The Good, the Bad and the Rally)

6 Oct

The saga continues. . . .

In September the Riff Raff S.C. and Austin Scooter Club presented their third annual scooter rally, The Good, the Bad and the Rally, which many of us think is the “best rally in Texas.”  Not that I’m prejudiced, but from what I could see, it was a major success!

The Clint Eastwood series of spaghetti-western movies have been the inspiration for past rally themes, with A Fistful of Scooters in 2009 and For a Few Scooters More in 2010.  This year’s rally completes the trilogy.

Basically, the format was similar to last year, but this year’s schedule of events was bigger and better, including blocked-off scooter parking on Downtown Sixth Street; out-of-town barbecue run;  live music, a movie, and sharing space with vintage cars at famous Top Notch Hamburgers; a run to Pinballz Arcade; gymkhana; prizes and giveaways.  There were 148 participants, with two guys from England and a couple from Minnesota that used the rally “as an excuse to see Austin.”

If you’ve been reading Biketrash Holiday for very long, you know how much fun Desha and I have running around on our “little” scooters (both Vino 125′s), so this year we felt like it was time for us to join the rally organizing committee.   Because of that involvement, we spent a lot of time helping with registration, directing parking, being hosts, etc., so there wasn’t much of a chance to take pictures or play with the GoPro camera during the rally.  I’m afraid my video doesn’t even begin to cover everything.

In honor of the good, bad and rally motif, I decorated Jane (my scooter) with good and bad Barbies.    Don’t know what Sergio Leone would have thought about that interpretation, but it was distinct and unique!

Here is Good Barbie.

And Bad Barbie.  Tsk, tsk. . . .

On Saturday one of my jobs was to help with traffic control during the ride to Lockhart, where I blocked traffic at the turns.  Then when everyone passed through the turn, I’d race wide-open throttle to the front again and block traffic at the next turn.  Kinda fun being a law-breaker!

So I’m flying along, feeling good and thinking to myself about how nimble and sweet the Vino rides.  In fact, before leaving Austin I was bragging to someone about Vino performance and reliability, blah, blah.  Suddenly there is a pop, no power, a few backfires, and I limp to the side of the road.  Aargh!

You know, it seems like every time I get a little uppity or overconfident about something, circumstances knock me back into my rightful place!   Jane and I humbly rode into Lockhart on the sweeper truck.  And, let me tell you, there is no disguising a scooter with waving Barbies.  Everyone knew Jane had broken down and I had to answer many concerned questions.  Doh!

Turns out when we got back to Austin, the guys at AF1 Racing discovered the spark plug cap had come off.  Took them about 60 seconds to figure it out.  Guess I won’t be so quick to brag the next time!  Lesson learned. . . for now.

As always, on Sunday the gymkhana, generous door prizes and vintage raffle bike (pictured below) were a big hit.

Here is my latest video showing a few of the sights and sounds from Sunday.

Everyone I talked to is already looking forward to next year’s rally.  I have it on good authority that — Well, you’re just going to have to wait and see!

Peace on the Road!
BT


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Lake Superior Part Two (Circle Tour)

10 Sep

FINALLY!  I just posted Part Two of my Lake Superior adventure.  Read the travel journal from my 1,443-mile counter-clockwise circle around Lake Superior by clicking on Lake Superior Part Two or look for it in the right sidebar under Adventures.

Check back in a few weeks to watch a video of the Circle Tour highlights.  Lots of pictures and video clips!

But that’s not the end of the Lake Superior adventure.  I took the long way home, traveling another 2,936 miles through North Dakota, back up into Canada, and then home to Austin on Highway 83, one of the longest intact highways in the United States.  Part Three will be ready sometime ?????????.

Peace on the road!
BT

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Lake Superior Part One (Getting There)

18 Aug

The first installment of my recent Lake Superior Ride is hot off the press!  You can find it by clicking on Lake Superior Part One or look for it in the right sidebar under Adventures.

Lake Superior Part Two, the main event, will be coming soon!!!

Peace on the Road!
BT

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EFM Auto Clutch — Final Review

8 Jul

To begin with the end. . . .  Two thumbs up! 

Facts are in and case is closed.  Time to render my final verdict and review for the EFM Auto Clutch!

As expected, my recent 5,800-mile Lake Superior ride put the EFM auto clutch to the daily challenge of motorcycle touring.   Under certain circumstances, yes, it would have been easier to use a regular clutch – but the main thing is that there is absolutely NO WAY I could have ridden that far without the auto clutch!

(Warning:  This is not one of my usual ride reports.  You may find it boring unless you’re interested in learning more about the EFM auto clutch!)

If this is your first time to read one of my EFM Auto Clutch reviews, I suggest you read the two earlier reviews before continuing with this final review.  Each article builds upon the one before it, and I won’t repeat what’s been said previously.

EFM Auto Clutch — First Impressions provides links to basic information that will help you understand how the auto clutch or centrifugal clutch concept works and talks about the first few hundred miles of riding with the EFM.

EFM Auto Clutch — Almost-But-Not-Quite-Final Impressions goes into detail about my impressions after riding a little under 2,000 miles.

Now that I’m back from the Lake Superior ride, I can confirm everything in my first two reviews and can think of only a few things to add.    First, the negative.

*  At times the lack of clutch control was annoying.  Slow speeds were always tricky on tight U-turns, off-camber turns or taking off at a weird angle, and I sometimes resorted to duck-walking and other bungling methods.   Lack of smooth technique may have been a little embarrassing; but, when it was all said and done, I never got stuck in gravel, missed a mark,  or dropped the bike.

I believe someone who has more leverage or more upper-body strength than myself may do better at handling the lack of clutch control.  Also, I believe I may have an easier time with an auto clutch on a smaller, lighter bike than the V-Star 1300; however, the V-Star is my choice for now.  I’ve accepted the fact that with no clutch control my slow-speed skills will not be as good as they used to be – but apparently they’re good enough!

*  In my last review I mentioned how occasionally I’d hear a loud rattle or scraping sound on take-off.  When I got into the cooler northern states and Canada, that happened almost every day.  When I got back to the hot southern states, it did not happen.  It only seemed to happen once in a morning and always within the first few minutes of riding.

I contacted Garry at EFM Auto Clutch about that sound.  He said sometimes it gets a little dry and can stick.  If it gets worse, then it may need to be readjusted.  I don’t know much about motorcycle mechanics, but that’s exactly what I thought it sounded like.  Not gonna worry about it!

*  On rare occasions while pulling up to a stop, I couldn’t shift down into first gear from second, even when the rpm’s were low.  In that case I simply pulled in the clutch lever and shifted into first while stopped.  No big deal.

Now a few positive points.

*  Of course, the number one positive point is that I was able to ride my motorcycle 5,800 miles and my left hand didn’t do anything but rest on the grip!

*  In spite of the fact that I left home at 4:00 a.m., I caught the beginning of rush hour in Fort Worth.   This was the first ”unscheduled” challenge for the auto clutch, and it performed magnificently.  If you have any type of left-handed impairment, you’ll understand how much I appreciated being able to slowly inch along without pain and wondering if I’d even make it.

*  In North Dakota I ended up on a section of road that had been completely torn apart.  This particular section was slick with  mud and ruts, on a fairly tight S-curve, and it was lightly raining at the time.  Honestly, the conditions were bad enough that if I’d known about it ahead of time, I’d have found another way around.  Even the flag workers and road crew all seemed to stop what they were doing to see if I’d make it!

With the auto clutch it was easy to hold a slow, steady pace through that slick mess, even though Lizzie fishtailed the entire way.  The auto clutch made controlling the bike effortless since I didn’t have to worry about stalling at the slow pace or spinning out from an increase in speed.   I will say, I strongly suspect this ordeal may not have turned out as well with a regular clutch!

*  I’ll mention that Garry, the owner of EFM Auto Clutch, is good about answering e-mails and phone calls.  I called him with questions several times when I was deciding whether or not to have the auto clutch installed, and he was always patient and never tried to talk me into anything.  My understanding is that he’s also helpful if you have questions during the installation process.

Con                                Pro

No clutch control                                      I’m still riding!
Has a few quirks
Have to break a few habits

Conclusion

Regarding a dirt bike. . .  .

I don’t have personal knowledge about that, but there is a lot of information on the internet about riders and racers who love an auto clutch for off-road riding and racing.  One of the guys I met on the Lake Superior ride said his son has raced with one for a few years and loves it.

Regarding a street bike. . . .

If you have an impaired left hand or arm, I highly recommend that you consider installing an EFM auto clutch.  Yes, you do have to make adjustments to your riding; but if you have some type of impairment, I’ll bet you’re already good at making adjustments!

Because you have to give up clutch control, the decision to install an auto clutch should not be taken lightly.  In fact, the only other reasons I can think of for getting an auto clutch would be for racing, daily commuting in stop-and-go traffic, or for a parade/show bike.  I’ve read where a few people want to clean up their handlebars by eliminating the clutch lever, but I wouldn’t suggest doing that if you want to ride very far.

But don’t take my word for it.   The following picture can be substituted for everything I’ve ever written or spoken about the EFM auto clutch.  It shows a dirty Lizzie  taken at the Saskatchewan/Manitoba border in Canada — which is a  very long way from Austin, Texas — and this picture is possible because of the EFM auto clutch.   I hope those of you with a left hand or arm impairment can also continue to experience the joy and freedom that can only come from a motorcycle!

For me, the EFM Auto Clutch is worth its weight in gold.  While the cons do tip the scale a bit, they don’t even begin to outweigh the pro — and I’ll definitely stake my reputation on it!   Two thumbs up!

Peace on the Road!
BT

UPDATE

Discussion about a problem with the auto clutch and the solution in EFM Auto Clutch — One Year Later.

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Home, Sweet Home

26 Jun

Just a quick note to say I safely made it home early yesterday. This was one of the best trips ever, and I’m so grateful for having the good health and means to pull it off.

Now that my hands are on a real keyboard and computer. . . .   I’ve accumulated  hundreds of pictures, video clips, and scraps of journaling notes over 5,844 miles, so it will take some time to organize all that.  Gotta get to work — but first I’ll update that Visited States — and Provinces — map!

Stay tuned. . . same BT time, same BT channel!

Long live long rides!

Peace on the Road!
BT

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