This is a very interesting time of the year. First this AAA study comes out disproving the myth that the imposed hands-free law should make driving safer. NHTSA reciprocates with the report of their own. The report shows that excessive speed is responsible for only 5% of the crashes.
While a lot of people would try to dispute this report I will just say this one word - autobahn.
[source: NHTSA]
So I finally got a chance to ride my new track toy, Ducati 749R. The bike is phenomenal. I am not. Let’s start with the list of excuses:
It was really cold and wet in the morning, very few people got out for the first session. When I finally got myself together and decided to suit up, it was almost noon. To my surprise the leathers didn’t go on as smoothly as I planned. After some struggling somehow I managed to squeeze in. Boots took another 30 minutes because I wasn’t exactly flexible, every time I would bend I had to hold my breath. When they called my group (intermediate) I tried to throw my leg over the bike, without much luck. When I finally got on the Duck and rode onto the track, I felt like I’m riding with full cast. I couldn’t move at all, feeling frozen at every corner. Bikes that cost 1/10th of my 749R were lapping me with ease and I was blushing with embarrassment. By the end of the day it got a little better, but I still had problems, the bike kept running wide. I assumed it was preload problem but when I got off the bike and looked at my rear tire it became clear that I simply wasn’t leaning it enough. Hey, I’m having the same problems Nicky Hayden was having at recent Jerez test 
I doubt he has chicken strips though.
It is clear that I need to get back into shape. If I’m able to move freely on the bike my mojo will come back quick as I used to run in the fast group all the time. Since starting my business several months, I spend most of my time sitting in front of a computer, and it takes toll on my body. I think I already found possible solution if not inspiration: http://journal.drfaulken.com/beachbodycom-p90-6-day-fat-burning-express-home-workout-review/
I never would have thought I would be interested in a riding suit. For some reason I thought it was impractical, inconvenient to wear and would never be a good fit. I have been hearing a lot of buzz about the Infinity suit although was still reluctant to invest in it. But my natural curiosity took over. After all I had to live up to the REV’IT! junkie moniker that I proudly wear. Besides the fact that I am friend’s with Motodisiac enabled me to be the first in line in the Beach Moto Inifinty Suit order queue. The long wait was over. Yesterday I got my hands on a beautiful brand new Infinity suit in light grey. Even though I am not exactly a big fan of riding gear in light colors I decided to experiment for once. Most of my gear is black or really of darker colors. Besides I got sold on the fact that this suit’s Nanosphere will not let it get dirty.
One of my friends (who like yours truly happens to be an inmate on advrider.com) is pretty good with the ways of digital photography. So I asked him to come by Motodisiac’s store the other day to take pictures. No, not because of my godly physique or irresistible looks. But mostly because I wanted to take really good pictures of the overall fit and features of the suit for my fellow riders to see. I know it is pretty hard to find a quality REV’IT! dealer. Let alone the one which would stock various products and sizes of REV’IT! gear.
So without further ado here are the pictures of the suit:
frontal view of the suit
the view from the back features reflective stripes in action
side view, the fit is quite close unlike the Olympia suit that I had tried once before
adjustable straps make it easy to fit the suit right on your waist line, the range of adjustment is quite wide too, there are 3 waterproof (yet to be battle tested) pockets - 2 bottom ones and one chest pocket on the right side, there is a waterproof opening for an electric cord in place of the left side chest pocket
front pockets are big enough yet don’t spoil the suit’s profile
there are also side pockets on each of the bottom pockets
the chest pocket is a bit wider than the bottom pockets, but not as deep, yet big enough to easily fit a cell phone
waterproof chest vent
another view of the chest vent
two chest vents are evenly matched up with two back vents, I haven’t had a chance to truly test this venting system, but if it is as effective as the one on the Cayenne Pro jacket then it would be pretty impressive
sleeves are adjustable by way of two adjustment tabs and a cuff velcro
two adjustment tabs up close
cuff up close and personal, the velcro is ultra thin allowing glove gauntlets to be fit over easily if needed
sholder areas have extra laminated material for protection
stretch panels on the lower back and elbows and knees make the suit extra comfortable to wear, of course they are fully waterproof
knee stretch panels up close
collar curcumference could be easily adjusted thanks to adjustable snap, the color lining is soft and feel comfortable
tizip zipper looks durable enough to be used on scuba gear, definitely looks waterproof
even though the zipper is pretty tight it is not hard to operate due to the big t-shape puller
the bottom tab on the right leg holds the zipper puller in place
right leg zipper half opened
right leg zipper fully opened
to take the suit off it is easier to fully open the outer zipper on the left leg
and then pull the main zipper almost all the way down
another option would be to just open the main zipper all the way down, however that would imply that you would have to bend over to close the zipper next time you want to put the suit on
sas-tec back protector comes standard with the suit
so do sas-tec hip protectors
and the knee, elbow and shoulder protectors, when you have the suit on it does feel like it offers really good protection
just a glance on the suit’s inside lining shows an incredible level of attention to detail
the quality of materials and stitching makes a good impression and gives confidence in the suit’s safety features
I have not had a chance to ride in it a lot though I am looking forward to that. I will say this - it definitely looks like a million bucks and is worth what I paid for. I am sure some minor gripes could come up. But all in all it looks like a high quality product that would definitely offer high levels of protection and comfort.
I found this really cool video while reading one of my favorite blogs earlier today. It shows the rigorous training that French motorcycle cops go through. It features some off-road riding as well as street and track riding. It sure does look like fun to be a French motorcycle cop.
[source: autoblog]
Finally! Both of us here have been bitching about cell talking cagers. Personally I firmly believe that it is not the hands-free vs handheld that decreases a chance of an accident. But rather the person’s ability to effectively multi-task and still dedicate their attention to the most dangerous task at the time - driving.
I found this article one of the edmunds blogs earlier today. Apparently a new AAA study finds that two-thirds of Americans think that using a phone hands-free behind the wheel is safer than using a handheld phone. But the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety says that scientific research proves otherwise.
AAA contends that studies analyzing cell phone records of drivers involved in crashes show that using a cell phone while driving — hands-free or not — increases the chance of being involved in a crash by a factor of four.
Not to gloat but finally there is a survey coming from a reputable source that proves the following important point - unless it’s an emergency pull over, make a call and then continue on.
Happy Friday everyone and safe driving/riding.
[Source: edmunds]
Motodisiac and I have been to this show more than once as visitors. This year is slightly different. Motodisiac will be there as an exhibitor representing REV’IT! and Beachmoto.
He will be at the booth number 2237. If you are there you won’t miss it. The whole bunch of REV’IT! gear will give him away :). By the way he will have quite a few items from the 2009 collection. Exciting stuff! So if you around then stop by.
Unfortunately I am out of town this weekend. And won’t be able to assist him in his first time ever expo in any possible way other than giving him incredibly useful and insightful advice aplenty :). It is a shame though as it is always nice to watch your friends succeed at what they love doing.
Let us all hope that this expo is a hit for his business. And all the riders that visit this motorcycle show over this weekend hit his booth and give him their business. Good luck!
My Orange Beast (KTM 950 Supermoto) has been under the weather lately. Every now and then it would blow out a fuse. It would always be the fuse responsible for the brake lights, horn and the blinkers. I have no problem with my horn not working as I never use it. However the blinkers are something I use quite frequently. And a non working brake light could end up being bad news for any rider. As you realize a motorcycle can stop a bit faster than a car. Needless to say that a non working brake light on your bike is not a good thing to begin with. Let alone the fact that I am a lane splitting bastard. May motorcycle God bless California for that.
This ailment began about a month ago. After a visual inspection of the visible wiring no problems were found. The fuse was replaced and the problem was pushed back in the quality assurance testing queue :). In a week the same fuse got blown out again. And then again in a couple of days. Despite being a very affordable thing (one can buy like 20 fuses for like 5 bucks) this was becoming increasingly annoying. And yesterday’s outbreak was the last straw. The ailment of my beloved domesticated Orange Beast was becoming more prominent. Though not being an incapacitating wound it could have turned into the one that could potentially make the rider, yours truly, incapacitated :).
I went through 3 fuses just yesterday morning alone and still could not find a pattern. I decided to stop at a gas station and try to get to the bottom of this. After a good 10 minutes of desperately applying the front and the rear brake while frantically switching my blinkers on and off it looked like I had founded the culprit - the front brake lever. Still repetitive inspections of visible parts of wires did not show any signs of wear and tear.
Later that day I stopped by Motodisiac’s. Two pairs of eyes are always better than one. I was trying to reproduce the “exact” sequence of semi-random events of me turning blinkers on and off and applying brakes. Nothing was happening. All of the sudden I sensed a smell of something burning. “I don’t smell anything” - said Motodisiac. The moment he said that both us saw smoke coming from where the wires were going in between the front fork. We immediately turned the bike off. Motodisiac removed the 2 screws that keep the front console and the headlight attached to the frame to get a better look at the wires. What do you know. A significant wear and tear to the two wires that go from the front brake lever. “That is how motorcycles catch on fire” - he said. It is true, had we not discovered this problem my bike would have eventually caught on fire. And the Orange Beast would have passed on. Luckily we have found this problem. The wear and tear on those 2 wires was patched up, wires properly isolated one from another. And just like that the Orange Beast had been healed.
Video speaks for itself. Enjoy!