December 31, 2007
A Post for Jonneke
16 inch rims were quite the shite in 1985. All the sporty bikes had them for the zippy handling and low center of gravity they provided. They soon proved to be a little too squirrely for the street, and by 1990 or so motorcycle manufacturers had moved on to 17 inch rims. Cruiser bikes, and some of the current sportbikes have returned to rear 16's, but no one that I know of is using them on the front any more. 16 inch front tires are getting somewhat hard to find, which leaves Ducati Paso and 750 Sport riders inter alia somewhat in the lurch.
The best handling ("best handling" in this case encompassing "safest") setup for the 750 Sport is a conversion to 17 inch rooms. This involves finding and purchasing wheels, forks, brakes (caliper and master) from a later bike, and adapting them to suit. It is kind of an expensive fix, but it makes purchasing tires much easier. It also solves the stock Sport's tendency to "stand up" if the brakes are used suddenly in a turn. I have not experienced this myself yet, and I hope to address the issue before I do.
For the meantime, the second best solution is to purchase the same kind of tires that are on the Sport right now, Michelin A/M 59's. From all accounts, Michelin makes these tires in batches every few years. Doubtless owners of Paso's and Sports scramble for their share of the production. And indeed I may join them, since I really can't see putting the money for 17 inch rims and all the trimmings that go with them any time soon.
Posted by Underblog at 9:27 PM | TrackBack
December 27, 2007
Barely New Year's Report
It is not even New Year's, and already I am itching to ride. It probably has something to do with being up in Taos over the holiday, imagining riding the Enchanted Circle and using Taos as a base of operations. It may also have something to do with being frozen out of the saddle the past couple of weeks. Until the weather gets somewhat more tolerable, I have to content myself with taking in the bikes to be serviced. The 851 is due for an oil change but I think the valves should be OK for another year. The 750 Sport needs a gel battery, some new Bridgestone Battlax's (about the only decent tire that I can fit on those 16 inch rims), braided lines, and the usual fluid changes. I'll start bringing those two in in rotation. Drop one off and bring the next one in when I pick up the first. I reckon by the time both bikes have got what is coming to them, the weather should have warmed up sufficiently to put some miles on them.
Posted by Underblog at 6:15 PM | TrackBack
December 16, 2007
Open House
So I had this idea to attend the open house as PJ's yesterday. The kind folks there had yet to see the 750 Sport, so there was an opportunity for a little showing-off. A little ice had formed overnight in the mud ponds in the driveway, but it was clear and sunny enough outside that I thought it might get warmer as a made it across town.
The 750 Sport started up after a minute or so of exertions with the choke on. When it finally started, the steam coming out the exhaust could also be seen coming out of the header pipe, which is wrapped. This observation indicates that the pipe-wrapping was installed to cover up a damaged pipe. Luckily, there happens to be a pipe for sale on eBay. I think I will have it ceramic-insulated (not cheap, but probably the best solution) before I install it.
My usual path to PJ's is to take Paseo del Norte (a freeway-type facility) to Tramway, which runs along the base of the Sandia Mountains and is free of trucks. I like this route because all the turns are right-handed, and because the signals on both roads are pretty well timed. Once I started on Paseo, I realized just how cold it was. And the fact that I was climbing about 1000 feet between the ranchita and Tramway meant that it was getting colder still. As I rounded the "porkchop" corner at Tramway, there was snow on the ground. Within half a mile there was snow on the shoulder. Melted snow dampened the road and I had to consider how this would affect my braking time. Fortunately, I am becoming more practiced at finding neutral on this bike, a known gremlin.
By the time I arrived at PJ's, my jaw was thoroughly numb. I dutifully watched the sales staff attempt to close sales on the two 848's in the showroom. The person who appeared the most interested was quite small and could only put one foot on the ground at a time. The sales person mentioned that his "riding style" would be affected. Indeed. Chris (I think that is his name) came out and checked the 750 over. Also, one of the techs took a look as well. We went back inside and while Chris helped a tech order parts, I helped myself to bagels and coffee. As my face returned to room temperature, I checked out helmets. Weight-wise, they are all about the same as the HJC I have presently. However, I am leaning toward the Shoei RF-1000. I wore Shoei's for years (first black, then red), but budgetary constraints pushed me into the HJC back when we lived in Maryland.
Unfortunately, the open house per se did not start unti 6:00pm. I had things to do that afternoon, so I was not about to return in a cage just to score a free beer or two, especially since Roomie would have nothing to do with it. I hopped on the interstate (again, to save myself left turns) and witnessed a tremendous queue of vehicles at Louisiana, presumably to Christmas-shop in Uptown.
Posted by Underblog at 7:16 AM | TrackBack
December 9, 2007
Back in the House!
It appears as though, miraculously, this blog has come back to life.