Motorcycling Propaganda

I am going to do a persuasive essay. The objective is to persuade you the reader that I have experienced the most fun ride ever in the history of motorcycling. To do that, I will assemble only true facts, and maybe leave out a couple of details here and there that are not relevant to my enjoyment of this trip. Then I am going to let you consider whether you could even imagine a ride that could top it.

To set the scene, which is always important to the mood of every trip, I was 21 years old, it was December 31, 1969 and I had just taken possession of my first motorcycle. Actually my first motorized vehicle. The last time I had ridden a motorcycle was once before in Canada, for a few seconds before wheelying it onto somebody's lawn and falling off, then handing back to the owner.

My bike was a brand new candy blue Honda CD175 I bought at Michal's motors in Freetown Sierra Leone, West Africa. I needed to get this motorcycle home, and so the salesman pointed the bike "up country", and handed it over for me to sit on. I had a 135 mile trip ahead of me.

Obviously, I was going to need first gear, which the salesman explained was down. Yeah, I knew that from last time I rode a bike. But where was second gear? Up. OK I got it. Let's go. I put on my helmet. The mechanic looked at me in disbelief. "What's that for?" "In case I crash it protects my head." He thought this was the funniest thing he ever heard, either that or he rolls on the ground laughing for every joke he hears. This debut was going to be a triumph or a debacle, either way there were quite a few people standing around for the free show no matter how brief it would be.

I pushed the start button, clicked into first, let out the clutch and I was off. This part of the road was paved, but there was traffic and I had to remember "stay on the left", because that's how they all drove. There were only four gears, and soon I was in the top gear, moving at about 40 mph. Which was the fastest I had ever gone on two wheels. It was very hot that day, as usual, and once the adrenaline subsided, I noticed a benefit of riding a motorcycle, which was I was cooled by an incredible blast of air. Normally, I could not spend much time outdoors in Africa because the sun was so hot, and so I had no sun tan at all even after 4 months of living there.

So now I'm moving and I'm seeing scenery. What's so great about that you may ask? Well I had not seen this scenery before because my usual transportation was in the back of a closed in truck sitting on a wooden bench. So I didn't even know the way home, and I had no map. And no, I could not stop at a gas station to buy one. I would be lucky if I could stop at a gas station and buy gas. The scenery was beautiful actually. Mountains, blue sky, elephant grass, palm trees overhanging the road, thatched roof huts with mud walls, lots of people walking beside the road waving to me. Goats and chickens crossing the road in front. As I got out in the open country, I tried opening the throttle more, and found myself flying along at 60 mph. And it really did feel like flying. A Honda 175 is so small you forget it's there, there's almost no bike in front of you, but you're still sitting higher than in a car.

OK so the rest of the trip was pretty much more of the same, so in case you're not persuaded that this was more fun than any ride you have ever had - have you ever had a ride where the roads were lined with topless teenage girls waving to you? I didn't think so.

Husqvarna 250CR

1974 Husqvarna 250CR por The Yankee Guido, from huskyclub
















1974 was again a milestone year for the leader of motocross competition motorcycles. The "Mag 250" was Husqvarna's ability to market to the public a true "works" caliber motorcycle. The "Mag 250" had an all magnesium engine case, reed valve intake, new swing arm with shocks moved foward, built in silencer on the expansion chamber, + more. This bike is still one of the most sought after AHRMA competition motocross bikes. It is both strikingly beautiful and quite a performer in the Sportsman classes.















This MK series Husky was the first year for the magnesium alloy, reed valve 250 engine. This model was an immediate success in the hands of privateers. Light and powerful, this model was more along the lines of of a true ultimate works motocross model that had been exclusive to 63-68 models. Mag 250 had the shock position on the swing arm moved foward, a newer generation expansion chamber with built in silencer, white plastic fenders, Akront alloy rims, and small front hub.

Motorcycles: Adjustable Rear Spring Rate

Motorcycles need adjustable spring rates on their rear suspensions much more than a car would. This was not likely to happen because most people still think (wrongly) that the usual preload adjustment actually was "stiffening" or "softening" the rear spring. So I was very happy to see that a motorcycle with a true adjustable spring rate has been introduced.

Not surprisingly, this technical innovation appeared on the German BMW K1300GT/S models. Since the late 80's BMW motorcycles have shown a remarkable no-nonsense approach to motorcycling innovations. Harley Davidson has resolutely stuck to it's old V-twin designs, and it's greatest suspension changes have come in the form imitating the look of an old fashioned hard tail suspension or of the old springer forks. The engineers at BMW have more often erred on the side of doing something really new, which nobody ever expected, and which nobody even knew they needed until BMW produced it. One example would be BMW's adjustable windshield, which was at first mocked, and then furiously imitated, because it really works, and we really need it.

A word about the K1300 models first. When BMW motorcycles first went to water cooling in the eighties, there was a strong backlash against this heretical form of keeping cylinders at a constant temperature. In order to keep their faithful customer base happy, BMW had to backtrack and come up with a new two cylinder motorcycle that did not use water based coolant. In other words, like they used to be, for customers who were not ready to move into the modern world. From that time forward, BMW has kept two roughly equivalent models, one for the traditionalists, and the other for the technologically inclined. The K1300 is the bike that carries the technology banner for BMW. And if there were such a person as "The most interesting man in the world" I'm pretty sure he would ride this bike, and not the air cooled R1200 which is the traditionalist model. Here is a link to a video of what it's like to ride the water cooled K1200GT model with about 150 horsepower.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ds2SHwfJlI

OK enough BMW insiders propaganda for now, and back to the actual suspension.

The adjustable spring rate was accomplished by adding a cushion ring on top of the spring, which is actually the only adjustable part. This cushion absorbs the smaller bumps, and when it is fully compressed, then the main steel coil spring begins to to its job. Here is a link to show the details. It is called ESA 2 for electrically adjusted suspension 2. The first ESA did not adjust spring rate.

http://www.i-bmw.com/showthread.php?t=18298

I was hoping for a rear suspension using a crank lever similar to my Vulcan 900, except with an electrically adjustable extra link. But I don't know how much more expensive it would be, or even if it can be done at all. The only disadvantage would be you could only put it on the back, while this BMW cushion system can work on any coil spring.

Until I become the most interesting man in the world, I can approximate the BMW adjustable spring rate, and save my rear end, by strapping an old air mattress to the top of my motorcycle seat.

BMW R1150RT

BMW R1150RT - White

















BMW R1150RT - Red

















BMW R1150RT - Blue

Modifikasi Suzuki Baleno Next G 2005 M/T

Suzuki Baleno Next G 2005 M/T black metalic bodykit modified in Jakarta

Suzuki Baleno Next G 2005 M/T

Modifikasi Air Brush Toyota Avanza

Four-wheel vehicle market in India does not seem to have completely, the various producers like race-car race to release their new products to the people of Indonesia, as the market will demand four-wheel vehicle that does not terbendung again. This is used by car manufacturers in Indonesia.

Examples are Toyota Astra Motor (TAM) after successful getting to the heart of the Indonesian people released New Kijang Innova in 2008, known previously irit of Innova, PT TAM is now working with the Daihatsu Indonesia to bring the New Avanza car known as the family car that does not lose competitiveness product with the car other classmates.



This time New Avanza comes with a more spectacular view of the penggemarnya. From the exterior, with the new Avanza roof lining or the roof of a wave like Toyota Innova. Avanza body postures with a high factor of aerodynamics needs to be obstacles to the wind, not only that wave roof can also muffle the sound when the rain menguyur hoods.

TAM did not lose the idea to change the display bumper New Avanza with a bumper memetingkan smooth when the air entering the engine room so that the New Avanza cooling fan work that bumper display at this time.

New engine used Avanza not much different Avanza engine with VVT-i is a long time, to use the New Avanza VVT-i engine is economical and economical.

For convenience drive New Toyota Avanza Avanza facelift Suspensi use that will make the drive more comfortable. Development Suspensi promised this will be able to muffle any surprises due to the uneven road. Compared to previous Suspensi famous hard.

Currently PT TAM provides a type 4 New Avanza with 7 color choices. Price for New Avanza Minor Change EM / T = Rp 116,800,000, Minor-Change New Avanza GM / T = Rp 131,750,000,-New Avanza Minor Change SM / T = Rp 143,100,000,-New Avanza Minor Change SA / Q = Rp 153,100,000, --

SUZUKI SWIFT MODIFIED

SUZUKI SWIFT MODIFICATION CONTEST AT TOKYO AUTO SHOW

SUZUKI SWIFT CUSTOM BODYKIT