Motorcycle Misadventures

MotoShop - A Place in SF to Hang Out, Fix Your Bike, Take a Class

 

Here's a great new resource for San Francisco motorcyclists who want a place to hang out, fix their bikes, or take a class. They're having an open house this Sunday.

 

Moto Shop Grand Opening 
South San Francisco, CA  -Thursday December 15, 2011  

Moto Shop is proud to announce it’s Grand Opening on Sunday, January 22nd from 12pm - 6pm. Motorcycle and scooter enthusiasts are encouraged to stop by and take a tour, ask questions, and get to know the owners and community that make up Moto Shop.  

Moto Shop is a do-it-yourself shop where you can work on your own motorcycle or scooter, and/or take a class and learn how to do it yourself  - all for a very reasonable cost.

The space consists of a 4000 sq. ft. warehouse full of everything a rider needs to fix and maintain their bike, including onsite help. There are four motorcycle lift stations, one dedicated fluid change station (oil, coolant, etc) with lift, a tire change machine and balancer, an electrical station, and a small metal shop. Each well lit station also comes with its own set of tools, compressed air and a work bench. 

In addition to do-it-yourself stations, weekly classes are offered in basic and advanced maintenance. Class sizes will be limited to five students per instructor and work will be performed on a shop bike. No previous motorcycle knowledge is required or expected.

Address/Directions:

Moto Shop, LLC

325 South Maple #20

South San Francisco, CA 94080

(650) 873-1600

Conveniently located in South San Francisco between Hwy 280, Hwy 380, and Hwy 101 - a short walk from San Bruno BART Station and Tanforan Shopping Mall.

Hours - 

Wednesday - Friday 1pm - 8pm
Saturday and Sunday 10am - 7pm

Email, Website:

info@bayareamotoshop.com
www.bayareamotoshop.com

 

American Borders available as an ebook online with Scribd, Smashwords, Amazon

It was almost too easy. I uploaded my book American Borders: Breakdowns in Small Towns All Around the USA online to be downloaded from Scribd for $6.99, to view in PDF format. Readers can also buy it direct from Amazon in Kindle format, and  in text only format that reflows for easy reading on devices, even on mobile phones, buy it from Smashwords. I'd recommend the same process for any indie author.

For those of you who already have the book - you'll notice the cover has changed on the ebook edition, but the words inside are the same.

All San Francisco Side Stand Up Podcast

Tonight, Side Stand Up gathered at BMW Motorcycle in San Francisco to do a live podcast with a great lineup. We missed Tom Lowdermilk, who was stuck south of Fresno on a wild ride I'm sure we'll hear about next week. So Joanne Donn (GearChic) and I did our best. Thanks to Joanne's husband Evan, the AV guy, for sound help despite the lack of the right equipment. We will put him on the advisory board further in advance for next time. Catch the archives at http://sidestandup.com/ - we know you'll love hearing from these great guests about their specialties, motorcycle culture in San Francisco, and the Bay Area's best roads. Tune in to Episode 120, November 17, 2009.

Jennifer Bromme, owner and head mechanic of Werkstatt Motorcycle Repair in San Francisco tells the story of starting Werkstatt, what's it like to be owner of the most popular motorcycle repair shop in SF, her antique bikes/pet projects, and her wild travels and racing activities. Jennifer  was trained in Munich, Germany on street and race bikes, and founded Werkstatt in 1994. She raced sidecars and motorcycles for 4 years, and supports AFM and AMA races as a technical and crew chief. She loves to take crazy trips to explore Mexico. Her shop works on Suzuki, Honda, Yamaha, Kawasaki, KTM, Triumph, and BMW motorcycles, and was Baylist's best motorcycle repair shop in the Bay Area. 

Gabe Ets-Hokin, Motorcycle reviewer, editor of CityBike Magazine in San Francisco, reveals the truth about the glamorous life of a professional motorcycle reviewer, plus talks about his new role editing CityBike magazine. Ets-Hokin [rhymes with "Get Smokin'] has written for most of the top motorcycle magazines and websites and has had a ride on almost every new bike introduced in the last five years. His stories appear in City Bike magazine (which he edits), MotorcycleDaily.com and many other outlets.

Crystal Gurr, Co-owner of Scuderia West Motorcycle Dealership and Repair in San Francisco talks about how to attract women to your motorcycle shop, staffing your shop with knowledgeable people who know how to fit gear. Crystal  is co-owner of Scuderia West, San Francisco's #1 motorcycle dealership. They sell and service KTM, Aprilia, Victory, and Kymco scooters. They are also arguably the best place to buy gear anywhere in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Motorcycle Tool Tubes: Buy or DYI

I just became aware of "tool tubes" for motorcycles, (okay, so maybe I'm a little slow, but bear with me here), which are basically PVC pipe or metal tubes with secure lids on them to be attached to the bike somehow, somewhere, in elegant or rough ways depending on your particular needs and personality. Bluepoof (I should have guessed) has a great writeup on making her own 3-inch PVC Tool Tube for the F650GS. Otherwise you can buy a kit online from a place like GT Moto Products who sell them for BMWs or a universal kit for other bikes. I also found a couple on eBay. I think it's a brilliant alternative to tool bags, since I always carry more than will fit under my seat, and yes, it's always possible that a sharp tool will tear the fabric and you'll scatter them all over the road. Always fun for you and the tailgaters...

Sidecar on the Darian Gap? Give it a miss.

In July I blogged about Scott Schidler's idea to tour on a Ural sidecar motorcycle from Prudhoe Bay to Tierra del Fuego. Some old sidecar hands replied with some wise advice, and everyone agreed that, dreams or no dreams, giving the Darian Gap a miss is the best idea.

But Scott hadn't even tried the Ural yet. Once he did, he wrote: "Although I knew that it would be different, I never imagined it would have been what it was! . . . turning was a monster effort! I had to dig deep within myself to understand why I would consider driving such a piece of machinery at all, let alone for a long trip."

Alan Karl wrote, "from what I can tell Eric Cleveland opted to fly over the gap to Bogata as I did a couple years back. It's a treacherous piece of real estate and not for the tame of heart. There are primitive tribes, drug runners, terrorists and who knows what else. Why didn't I do it? Well I was alone and if you see the pics in Helge's book, it doesn't look like a lot of fun."

I thought the toe-in might have been a bit off, and suggested getting advice from a sidecar forum. James Barnwell wrote in to advise reading the manual Driving A Sidecar Outfit and to practice the exersises suggested in the manual, and to take a sidecar safety course. "The pullin-drifting on acceleration/deceleration is normal," says James. "You will get used to it. Thank goodness you have not flown the chair-yet! Good luck! Urals are the most fun you can have on three wheels."

I agree. It doesn't handle like a motorcycle -- there's none of that leaning, flying feeling. It's more like driving a handicapped sportscar, one with three wheels and handlebars instead of four wheels and a steering wheel. Why do I love it, then? Well, that's a complex question. For now let's just say it's that je ne sais quoi.

Ethanol Kit for Motorcycles by France's Thorn Bikes

Ever since I read that Throttle Jockey column where Sue Carpenter put forth that motorcycles are guilty of spewing more smog than their caged companions, well, I've been a bit guilt-ridden, so alternatives have been catching my eye. Like this Bikes in the Fast Lane report on an ethanol kit a French company has developed for motorcycles. And it doesn't seem to hurt performance. Mike Werner says that Thorn Bikes entered a "Honda CBR 1000 in September's 24 hour endurance race, the Bol D'Or. The motorcycle, supplied by Honda themselves, is powered by E85, so it's a 'green' racing machine, but not Kawasaki (in case you didn't get it.. a pun on the "green"). Elf, the French oil company, is another major contributor to this project."

Along those lines, I heard Michael Krasny's program with Richard Muller about his book on global warming titled "Physics for Future Presidents" that explains "the basics of physics that all voters and politicians should know in order to make educated decisions." Richard Muller is a professor in the physics department at UC Berkeley and faculty senior scientist at the Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory. Listen here.

Beginners Guide to Motorcycling: TMW

The Total Motorcycle Website (TMW) is a huge web property with lots going on. I came across it while researching the Suzuki's DR650 and it caught my eye. It's amazingly comprehensive, almost too much information, from helmets and gloves to rake and trail, and they review of all kinds of products.

Got another good source of information for beginning riders? Let me know by using the comments area below. Thanks!

XR650L: Does Removing Emissions Controls Improve Performance?

Denver wrote to find out if the emissions controls in his Honda are hindering its performance - will it?

Just got an '08 Honda XR650L last week and I love it. Did a 50-mile ride on mountainous single-track and it performed great. The factory engine runs like a dog and I need to do some work to get it running smooth. With all the emissions requirements Honda has to meet, they've installed all kinds of excess tubes, air pumps, etc, which make it run poorly--all kinds of hiccups, burbles, and lag in low end throttle. If anyone has any suggestions for ways to improve it, I'd love to hear it.

On the Honda XR650L Parts page I read that a "block-off kit" for emissions control system didn't help performance, and then found http://www.4strokes.com/ that looks like it's got a good forum for the XR650L with talk about muffler mods.

It's worth noting that the motorcycles we love, even though they're great for saving gas, are really bad guys when it comes to smog. Susan Carpenter reports, in her LA Times Throttle Jockey column, that a

. . . surprising level of emissions [spew] from on-road motorcycles and scooters. In California, such bikes make up 3.6% of registered vehicles and 1% of vehicle miles traveled, yet they account for 10% of passenger vehicles' smog-forming emissions in the state. In fact, the average motorbike is about 10 times more polluting per mile than a passenger car, light truck or SUV, according to a California Air Resources Board comparison of emissions-compliant vehicles.

Best case scenario, you'll be able to get both great performance and keep the emissions control system. If anyone can help point out the best forum or listserv for the XR650L, please use the comment form below.

Getting Your Feet on the Ground: Lowering Your Motorcycle

Women Riders Now just published a good article on lowering your motorcycle by changing the saddle, with a nice resource list. See Lowering Seat Height: Options for changing your motorcycle's saddle by Pamela Collin.

It doesn't cover shortening the suspension, but this oldie but goodie in the June 2001 issue of Motorcycle Cruiser magazine has a good article on that topic - for cruiser style motorcycles: How to lower your motorcycle's profile and seat height by Jerry Smith.

For advice on lowering a dual-sport, such as a DR-Z400 or KLR 650, there are no end of forums and vendors who will help you through the process of lowering the suspension -- about 1.5 inches -- and shaving down the stock seat to get the bike down to a 32" seat height.

Remember, it's not a beginner's bike if you can't get both your feet flat on the ground, so before you go tiptoe, practice on a bike that'll keep you stable and safe. In case you're not convinced, here's a link to the Top 5 Reasons to Start on a 250cc Motorcycle. And while you're at it, take a look at 8 Great Beginner Riding Habits, too.

Basic Bike Check Videos at Allstate Site

Allstate Garage offers an excellent little series of videos of motorcycle mechanics going over basic safety, basic maintenance, pre- and post-ride checks, proper mounting of accessories. Click the television set to get it it. A really great little tutorial that reminded me to do things that I don't generally do, like check under the bike before I get back on it during a ride to make sure I'm not losing any fluids. That if I'm riding in cold weather, I need time for the tires to warm up before I make any aggresive turns -- not that I do that anyway, but ... -- and to really go over the bike to make sure that the throttle isn't sticking, that the shifter lever bolt is on tightly -- that really sucks to lose your shifter lever in the middle of a ride! -- that your turn signals are working. Whether you're a beginner or experienced rider, I think you'll benefit.

Of course they're trying to encourage you to get insurance with them, so you can get a quote -- click the telephone.  They've also got some cool other features that are clearly not quite developed -- like a calendar of events that's got a list of motorcycling events and a map that leads you to the Plan A Ride feature.  Looking forward to see how this is going to mature...