New BMW for Off-roading

BMW have announced the latest addition to their globe trotting GS line of motorcycles. Following in the path of the 1200GS and 650GS is the all new and environmentally friendly BMW BS or "BurroSport."

(Shovel not included.)

When asked to comment on the fact that the new motorcycle was not a motorcycle at all but in fact is a burro the BMW spokesman said "It has our logo on it. Plenty of people will buy it regardless of what it is."

Cycle World Show In Phoenix Next Week!

It's that time of year again when the Cycle World International Motorcycle Show visits Phoenix. October 31 through the 2nd are the dates. I've gone to the show the last two years and had a grand time. As I've written before, the show is not huge by European standards but if you love motorcycles and cannot have a good time at the Cycle World Show you're not trying.

From reading the official website, www.Motorcycleshows.com, it looks like the show has grown a bit this year with more demo rides and a wider array of bikes and scooters on display.

I've availed myself in the past of the demo rides and besides being great fun they have actually impacted my motorcycle and product buying decisions. Unfortunately it looks like Honda will be a no show for demo rides again this year. Their loss, I guess they already sell enough motorcycles in Arizona. I'll have to amused myself, hopefully, with a ride on the new Kawasaki Voyager 1700 which will make it's US debut in Phoenix.

For you Duc-philes, on Friday, Oct. 31 – Ducati will unveil the Monster 1100 for the first time in the U.S. and and for you custom bike guys there will be the a new Roland Sands Bike that will be unveiled to benefit charity. The show opens at 4 p.m. and the unveils will begin at 4:30 with Ducati.

I'll be there on Friday when the door opens and don't plan to leave until they kick me out. I've had a grand time each year not only looking at some amazing bikes but also talking to a wide range of motorcycle enthusiasts, racers, and manufacturer's reps. As always I expect to come away with a reasonable amount of freebies which is nice too. An extra motorcycle t-shirt or two keeps my wardrobe complete and in fashion for another year.

Here's the link to my visit to last year's show.

For more info, show opening times, special events, and tickets on-line visit the show web page here.

Manadatory Words

Doug Savage is my kind of cartoonist. Below is one of my favorites from his website:

Speaking of lacking originality, did you ever notice that when any non-motorcycle publication does an article about motorcycles or motorcycle riders that there are certain key words that are apparently mandatory for the author to use in the copy? Where ever it is that non-motorcyclists writing for major publications learned to write, in addition to teaching budding authors how to slant a news article left or right depending on their politics, they also teach students that when writing anything about motorcycles, be it a charity fund raiser ride, 80 year old grannies who still ride, or even scooters, they must work in one or more of the following words:

roar (see also, "roaring")
chrome
black leather
crash
rumble
police
Hells Angels
gang
biker
danger
hospital
Harley
asphalt
wind
freedom

A composite of the last one hundred motorcycle related articles from major and minor newspapers and magazines would read something like this: "The roar of the engines, a flash of chrome, and speed spelled danger and maybe a trip to the hospital for the riders as they felt the rush of the wind and the freedom of the asphalt before them. The roaring engines tipped police off that a biker gang was coming this way, not the Hells Angels though, but a gang of 80 year old men who are rediscovering their youth by riding not Harleys but 50cc scooters for charity."

When writing about politics I can see where it is essential to include words like graft, corruption, sex, bribe, sell-out, or idiot. Politics today does not amount to much more than those things if we believe the mainstream media and opposing politicians.




There is a great deal more substance to the world of motorcycles than clichés left over from the 1960s Saturday Evening Post so it would be nice to see someone in the mainstream media do a motorcycle oriented article and leave out trite metaphors and imagery. Otherwise they can just copy my paragraph above, add a name, a location, and maybe grainy picture and send me a small fee for the work I've saved them. Adding the words "It was a dark and stormy night" is optional for those really struggling to be original.

(One more Savage Chicken that you other bloggers will appreciate: Poetry Blog )

Bug-eyed

Yes, my dear wife put see-through eyeballs on her scooter's headlights. What is it about scooter people anyway? Why can't they be more mature and mainstream and stick to flaming skulls and nekid women for their decorating their ride like normal people do? Debbie offered to buy me a set of eyeballs for my bike but I declined as there is only one headlamp and it's square. As we approach our third wedding anniversary it's things like that that make me wonder how could I have missed the fact that a red haired, freckle faced, artist would see the world differently than chubby, bald, test engineer.

Still trying to collect my thoughts and fiddle a bit with the new bike. I've only actually ridden it twice so far. As usual, work and assorted unpleasantries have conspired against me actually having fun.

Taking a month off from blogging was a good thing. I don't necessarily feel more inspired now but I discovered, as I suspect many bloggers discover when they stop blogging, I was forever seeing or thinking of something and wondering where I could post it to get it out of my head. Mentally, blogging is like taking a big dump: It's a lot of work but you feel better when it's done even if everyone else thinks it stinks. Not blogging at is like....well, we'll just stop the metaphors right there.

Onward.

Debbie's Ruckus has been in the shop for two weeks going on three waiting for a couple of carb parts. You'd think it was an Italian bike or something. Our one attempt at riding separate bikes together ended after a mile or so when the mighty Ruckus, for all it's coolness, crapped out and would not run above 10 mph. I fixed it and fixed it until it wouldn't even start and then I hauled it to the Honda $hop. I never was much of a mechanic although if the darned Honda had an Amal carb and ignition points I'd have had a better idea of what I was doing. The Rucku$ should be back this week and then we will re-implement Plan A. Modern bikes. Harrumph.

As The Wheels Turn - Part 11