Motorcycles - Page 186

^^^ love those things, though they are holding their value irritatingly well.

It's 50 degrees today in NY.  First springtime lunch ride of the year.

Haha yeah I had my first ride of the year in Boston. Good to be back on the iron horse.

Last year this time, it was 20 degrees and I out and about riding my scooter for the first time.

This year, it's -6 and snowing still. UGH.

Scheduled my scooter's spring servicing for tomorrow though. How about everyone else? Are you guys getting the covers, etc off of your bikes?

Well...it was 15 degrees out this morning. So I think I've got some time.

It's stored in front of my friend's parking spot right now, so one of the next times I am at his place, I plan to go down to their garage and grab the battery to take home and charge.

Hopefully it starts up and runs just fine when the time comes. I don't want to have to try and work on it in his parking structure...would rather get it the 5-6 miles home before giving it fresh fluids and looking into it.

I've been riding sporadically since early March. Last weekend was great, in the 60s. Hit the road on my Sportie.

What are you guy talking about? It was 90 degrees here a couple of days ago.

First ride of the season yesterday. Felt great to be back on the bike. Already had my first close call too as this one chick decided she wanted to share lanes with me, just as I was accelerating.

I really need a more aggressive fuck you horn.

First ride of the season yesterday. Felt great to be back on the bike. Already had my first close call too as this one chick decided she wanted to share lanes with me, just as I was accelerating.

I really need a more aggressive fuck you horn.

@trini - I think I'm going with this: http://www.twistedthrottle.com/stebel-nautilus-compact-dual-tone-motorcycle-air-horn-12-volt-139-db-black-or-chrome

My buddy has one on his r6, makes it sound like a damn semi. When he blows that thing, everyone looks over.

 

 

Well I got a pair of Shortcuts from Gasolina Boots. Been wearing them around the office since they came in this morning. Not bad at all.

 

 

 

My thoughts:

 

The leather will be pretty easy to break in. It's not terribly stiff and while it's full grain, it's not the most premium stuff on the planet - by which I mean the grain varies from panel to panel and it's not as thick and refined as my Horween leather. However, it is fully tanned, smells awesome and I rather like this more "rustic" quality, because I plan to beat the living shit out of these boots. The zipper is heavy duty YKK, industry standard, though having the zipper on the back side means trying not to catch your sock on the teeth when you slide your foot in. At least there's a protective strip on the inside to prevent brushing against the metal and impede wind.

 

Outsole is thick rubber and seems like it'll grip pretty well on the road. It's a rippled design that will likely wear down quickly, but you can order these in a lugged sole if you prefer. I think they're recraftable too. There are stiffening pieces around the heel and outer edge of the toe box. But neither of these pieces would be terribly effective from any kind of crushing force.

 

As you can see there's a little extra protective padding on either side of the ankle bone as well as on the front of the upper for shifting. I have just enough space to tuck the cuffs of my pants into the boots while riding, and have the boots cover the ankle just to the base of my calf. I prefer this design because it protects what needs to be protected without making me look like I'm trying to make some statement (as opposed to the full length boots Gasolina makes, which are also pretty cool, just not practical for me).

 

Also, the fact that they're custom made is pretty sweet too. I think with the custom gray stitching and shipping the total was around $230.

 

The one major drawback is that for the same price you can probably get some boots with REAL protection. While these are a step up from what I was using before, their ability to protect ends at pipe heat, road debris and maybe a medium-speed slide. But if you've got a little daredevil in you and might be at risk for high-speed incidents, I'd recommend something much more protective.

 

Anyways, that's my two cents.

This exact same thing happened to one of my riding buddies the other day except he got T-boned right on his leg. An old lady stopped at a stop sign and then decided to proceed when my friend was passing in front of the stop sign. He ended up with fractured leg and a messed up bike. He was lucky in that he is one of those idiots who thinks he doesn't need to wear a helmet.




I have this horn and I think everyone should have one on their bike. It really does sound like a semi horn. I've seen people literally stiffen up in their seats and get out of my way when they try and cut in front of me. It makes people think they are about to get slammed by an eighteen wheeler.

 

Those look like a good value; nice write-up. I assume the shifter pad on the right toe is just to have matching aesthetics?

What if you occasionally ride right side shift bikes?

Well in my case it's just aesthetic. But for people with a passion for unusual bikes, the matching panel might be a comfort, haha. I do love these boots though. They fit like they were made for me. Because they were.

Those are reminiscent of Bates Fast Lanes which, incidentally, are still made today and are also custom made.  I raced in them for a long time with AHRAM, WERA and WERA Vintage on both sidecars and solo bikes (RS125R)...and I have the x-rays to prove it.