Motorcycle Misadventures

See you at Cycle World in Atlanta

Come see me at  at the Cycle World show in Atlanta, February 23-25. I'll be signing books all weekend at the Ural booth.  (Go to the site and print out their 50% discount parking coupon.)

And check out this review of American Borders:

"Heartwarming and revealing, readers get to know and love Carla, and get to know themselves a little more in the process," says Genevieve Schmitt, founder of WomenRidersNow.com. "She's a true hero, smiling every mile of the way and finding humor in the worst of circumstances."

(Aw gee!)

Well, despite the portrayal of the Ural in the book -- which was, after all, a test ride of the new import, I really do recommend today's Ural, which is a really great, reliable, and let's not forget the most important trait -- fun! -- machine.

Order the book, or if you've read it, give it a review on the Motorcycle Misadventures website.

See you in Atlanta!
Carla

Olympia Moto Sports Ladies Mustang Motorcycle Jacket and Jeans

Getting geared up for my motorcycle trip around the Adriatic Sea I finally found what I was looking for: the Olympia Moto Sports Ladies Mustang Jacket and Jeans. Genevieve Schmitt, formerly of Women Motorcyclist magazine, was testing them on Saturday on a ride around Mt. Tam here in the San Francisco Bay Area. Now with ATV magazine, she was covering the Kawasaki AMA Superbike Showdown at Infineon Raceway.

Anyway, back down to the outfit, this is not just fashion, but true technical motorcycle apparel constructed in authentic abrasion resistant Dupont Cordura® and outfitted with full CE approved adjustable and removable body armor. It's also lightweight and breathable, which is just what I was looking for so I don't become a self-sauna in Southern Italy and Greece. Genevieve said she had to wear leggings under them to stay warm on the ride around Mt. Tam so I know they're letting air through.

But I wasn't there to cover the races, I was there to meet Alice Sexton, president of WIMA (Women's International Motorcycle Association), which is a great club for women riders all over the world. She's just great and is reviving the club into a very active and useful place for women motorcyclists all over the USA. A petite, red-headed dynamo, Alice knows everyone and introduced me to a bunch of women journalists, including Genevieve. (Alice had seen the outfit on her earlier and thought I should take a look.) Dinner was delayed so four of us girls spent the extra time to try on each other's gear. Sara Shilke had some super comfortable Oxtar boots with waterproof linings that she loved. Alice had a perforated leather suit by Hein Gericke that everyone was trying on...But one thing at a time...for now, it's that cute Olympia Moto Sports outfit. It kind of looks like a safari getup. I can't wait to get it...UPS sometimes just seems sooooo slowwwww....

Motorcycle Maintenance DVDs

Safety first! Any time is a good time to learn a little - or a lot - about how your motorcycle works and how to keep it in top condition. Fix My Hog, a company in San Deigo, offers a maintenance DVD for Harley-Davidson Softail owners and a new edition for Touring owners. Priced at $45.95 they claim correctly that the DVD will pay for itself with just one oil change. Topics covered include everything from performing a safety check to maintaining the charging system to replacing spark plugs, changing fluids, replacing tires and more. Also included are tips and tricks of the trade and detailed in-depth bench work based on years  of experience. Company founder Dennis Santopietro, an avid  motorcyclist and Harley-Davidson owner, created the DVDs to fill a niche. “I  thought it would be great to have a maintenance DVD that would make routine  upkeep enjoyable and easy. Manuals can be daunting, but actually seeing  something demonstrated makes you more confident that you can do it yourself. I guess a lot of people shared my opinions—the DVD has flown off the shelves and the feedback we’ve gotten has been incredibly positive. Many riders are  now doing their own maintenance, having fun, and saving money to boot. I  couldn’t be happier. Lots of customers who wrote in requested a similar  product for touring motorcycles, so that’s what we did.”  For more information or to order the DVD visit Fix My Hog Inc. or call 619.269.9321.

Serious Travel Phones

From JoeSentMe.com Phil Baker has been trying out two phones targeted to the serious business traveler: Verizon's new Samsung SCH-a790 World Phone and Sprint's Samsung SP i-600. If you like Verizon's service and travel worldwide, the Samsung SCH-a790 may be just the phone for you. The Samsung SP I-600 from Sprint comes with the latest Microsoft 2003 Smartphone operating system.
More info

New Catalog from Whitehorse Press

The new Whitehorse Press catalog is here with more than books. They now sell riding jackets, pants, boots, gloves and helmets, motorcycle lighting systems, and accessory mounting systems. Of course they still have the best selection of motorcycle books there is...everything from destination titles to how-to's.

Don't Have a Motorcycle? Race Your Power Tools

Here in San Francisco we have small apartments, small dogs, small cars, and small racetracks. In fact, our racetrack isn't big enough for car or motorcycle races, so get ready for the Powertool Drag Races.

Gadget Lust: Dry Pak waterproof holder for cellphones and PDAs

The Travel Insider reviewed this Dry Pak waterproof holder for cellphones and PDAs. I picked up something similar to this in a marine supply shop before I went to India, but it wasn't padded. It looks like a useful item to keep a motorcycle travelers' various and sundry small electronic equipment safe, dry, and dust-free. And you can apparently even use the cellphone while it's in the protective pouch.

Gadget Lust: International Cell Phones

Going overseas but confused about international cell phones? The Travel Insider has run an excellent 4 part article that details how to buy one. First," be sure it operates in all three bands and is 'unlocked' to allow it to work with any service provider in the world." International Cell Phones Michael Shapiro reviewed several services, too, in his TravelTech column in the San Francisco Chronicle in January, including rentals. I rented a RoadPost rental phone my last trip, and it worked great!

Gadget Lust: Cellboost Emergency Cell Phone Battery

If you're an Iron Butt rider you'll appreciate these disposable Cellboost Emergency Cell Phone Batterys that give you 60 minutes or more of talk time, up to 60 hours of standby time, and cost $4-6 each (depending on the model phone you have).

Heads-Up Displays Move From Cockpits to Cyclists' Helmets

Now we can concentrate on the scenery! The New York Times reported today that "Fighter pilots have long been able to view flight data projected onto jet windshields within their line of sight. Soon recreational motorcyclists and bicyclists will be able to take advantage of that technology. Motion Research, a Seattle company founded in 1993 by a former racecar driver, Dominic Dobson, said that next spring it would begin selling an inexpensive information display system to be attached to a motorcycle helmet.