Now we have had the most beautiful winter, with snow for almost 2 months – at least here in Denmark. This gives all of us the possibility to go for a winter rally, either in own region or to the more famous ones which are held in Norway.

www.krystallrally.no

Imagine the beautiful Norwegian winter, and the thrill of being there on the motorcycle. A bit cold – but that is just a part of the game.

www.primustreff.piczo.com

I am pretty sure the guys in the camp have a great time. The “Primus treff” has no other activity than you meet, have a good time, survive until Sunday and by showing the primus – and you are a member. By the way, a Primus is a oil fired burner, on which you cook your food.

You still have the chance to go there, as the Primus rally is 26-28 February 2010, a bit north of Oslo, Norway.

See you there?

Jan

Related posts:

1. Winter fun for motorcyclists

Our home after 2 days of snow

So the best way to enjoy the winter is continuing the motorcycle riding, and as the snow scooter is relative close to the motorcyclt in many ways it comes into consideration. Found some crazy guys out for an adrenalin kick. Less freestyle may work fine for most of us.

My personal preference is a vehicle as close as possible to the motorcycle, why this one might become handy on our roads out here on the country side.  The recipie seems simple, as all you need is a studded tyre and a special made ski as front steering device to mount on your scooter

No matter what, you still have a few days to decide how you are going to spend your Christmas holiday.

Have a fun - and safe ride,
Jan

Related posts:

1. Winter rally

Hot stuff
Seconds always counts, both on the race track and on the public roads. Why not assure you not only get one of the fastest motorcycles, but also a mean-green-precise watch?

www.kawasaki.co.uk

Even we are heading for the cold period – at least on the northern half of the globe- a polo shirt might be a cool gift. At least you will be cooled down just wearing this.

Suzuki polo shirt

Bling-bling
Fun and quite cool in a bling and anti-cool way… However it might be a bit disturbing in the office.

 
Not so hot
I might be a bit old fashion,  but this is in some strange way hot, and still not so hot…
Heaters in your boots – come on, this is the closest you get to a car, so why not consider a cheap 4-wheeler. If this is on top of your list, I have one advice: Get a life…

www.exo2.co.uk

The ultimate solution – for the DYI mechanics
Get this on the road before spring, and you are going to spend all christmas in your workshop. And rest assured, with this bike on the gift list, you do not need to make a list containing other items than spare parts.

Excelsior Super X

Have a safe ride,
Jan

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Exactly the same story with children. They need to learn true values in life, as soon as possible, just as in a relationship. Now it is pretty common in Denmark having kinds on the rear pillon, and even we are well equipped with legislations, our politicians found a gap they needed to fill in. Mission accomplished.

Just so sum up what has been decided are:
*no kinds below 5 years on the bike
*must wear a helmet
*and if less than 135 cm they need to sit in a special designed seat.

The rules are pretty fair – no doubt about that. So from now it is only to take some measurements of the kids, and invest in a e.g. invest in a special seat. Does the kids ride with the old folks, most likely they need a seat like this:

www.bikegear.co.za and seat from www.stamatakis.net

Well, on the other hand, some kids are better off without their parent. All they need is a motorcycle, tarmac and that the parents are not getting too nervous. Then the scene are set for a good experience.

No matter what option you and the kids go for, I wich you a fun ride,
Jan

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And it seems this chap is about to learn this important lesson in life. It is not that often I hear about chicane of motorcycle riders, but it takes place of course.

Those who do not like motorcylists are more than welcome to watch the video as well.

Just lean back and watch the video. Try to feel the pain he is about to suffer because he did not showed proper respect to a motorcycle driver.

Have a safe ride,
Jan

No related posts.

Read motorbike magazines
Many bike magazines print more issues during the winter time, and this is also the period new bikes are launched. All in all it can end up in a mouth water dribbling affair. No matter how glad you are for your current bike, the human nature drag us in the direction of wanting just this new one – then we are all happy. Many hours are spend on this – while doing your thing at the toilet.

Visit motorcycle exhibitions
Getting serious? Go the the exhibitions. Then more benefits appear, you can take as many pictures of the – often very nice and smiling – young ladies watching after the motorcycles. But, have you never noticed how often the ladies try to cover up the motorcycle, making it virtually impossible to take a good “clean” shot of the bike? Getting in between your camera and the bike? Annoying, hu?

Wash your bike
This is so boring – yet necessary. Many hard core bikers write long articles about washing, drying and polishing. Not to forget oil change, oil filter change and new spark plugs…… Let us skip the subject, and go to next issue. You know what to do.

Get inspired by a good motorcycle book
Are you the type reading books? Many good options to read and spend some time on. Special in the period approaching christmas, by coincidence we see many new books launched. Strange??

Visit your favorite web sites and discuss biker life
So much inspiration can be found on the web. Just join e.g. Facebook, and you can start spending hours on meeting friends, discussing and exchanging experiences. Also I enjoy visiting the motorcycle manufactures web site to get updated, or to search for some new fun destinations.

Watch some motorcycle stuff on the TV
TV is always a great time spender, so why not conside some real motorcycle stuff. Road racing or see how the guys at Orange County Choppers build nice bikes – and enjoy talking, yelling and expose their lack of familary feelings to each other.

Purchase some new gear
Need a new helmet? Hmm – just as there are new bikes, there are new gears to look for. The gear you got ain´t going to last forever, so it might be this winter you must exchange it. Also a strange phenomenon takes place quite regulary. Specially with the jacket. They shrink. And at the same time the wife and frinds starts to talk about fintess centre, jogging and other swetting activites.

Buy some aftermarket stuff for your bike
Only christmas once a year. Spoil yourself and get some new stuff for the bike. A lightweight and more noicy exhaust, carbon stuff or some titanium bolts. All the goodies you are not going to find under the christmas tree. Just a perfect way to spend when having a few days off, is to mount the newly aquired stuff on the bike, and enjoy the new look.

Go down the motorcycle club
See a video, pic from last tour and get a beer or two. Just keep in mind, that alcohol and driving means that you might not see the next season from the front seat of your bike. Besides that, the life down the club house among the old bike magazines and even older stories are always worth the trip.

Plan your next desitnation
Many bikers are very generous in sharing their adventures and good advices. This is a nice way to get inspired for new destinations. Then promise your self, next year you am going to take the ride of a lifetime, so you really can feel life is good to you.

No matter how you are going to spend the winter – enjoy life
Jan

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Long time no blog…

This time I will like to write a bit about extreme experience. There are no problems with a long tour from Denmark to Italy, passing 1 000 km of German highway. That I have tried, and it was great.I have found interest in special places to go, and I admire the bikers who thinks untraditional. 

Chernobyl
Untraditioal thinking is just the case with Elena who runs the www.angelfire.com, describing her tour to Chernobyl on her Kawasaki. It is facinating to read about the time pocket in the closed area, the nature and just how everything was abandoned and just left. See the pictures and read about the people still living there- yep pretty amazing people still living there.
For whatever reason Google earth does not allow you to see the area, why it is good some tourists share their pictures with the rest of us. I will feel comfortable going there on a trip to see this important part of our history, and hopefully one day I will get the chance. To get an impression of the area, check out the video she made.

Sahara
One of my friends – Svend – crossed Sahara on a Honda TransAlp back in 1990. Please rewind you technological watch to those days, and count the numbers of GPS devices helping you to find the right direction? Well – same result as me – close to zero. He just fired up the bike and started in Marocco and ending up in Kenya, hoping the road map was not lost during the trip. When he showed me the pictures and told us about the tour, I was facinated. The nature , the hazzle and the experience of a life time I relly liked.
I have been in South Africa several times, and the flight route is just above Sahara. Not surpricingly there are no clouds, why it is possible to get a good overview from the height of 10 km. I am glued to the windows crossing the Sahara, and dreams just takes me down there on a motor cycle. The colours and the landscape looks really facinating. Of course it is harsh environment, but not impossible to be in.  Check out those two German guys who took the bike to Kenya. Also it is  a great opportuniy to enhance your German language skills.

 

Get moving
I will keep dreaming and keep admiring the folks who just do it. Now I focus on the www.tourstart.org and this blog, so later it is my hope that I can get some time to go on the trips I dream so much about. And what about Tourstart? This is the same story as there have been for several months – just a small delay, then we will be ready to launch the beta version.. Software developmet is a fragile thing, but we are getting closer.

Have a safe ride,
Jan

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Bacisally we can be grouped in some well know catagories:

• Sport bike
• Touring
• Custom
• Naked bike
• Off-road
• Vintage

Those are the known for all of us, but what about the subgroups within the motorcycle community?
The subgroups are ranging from smaller rebuilds which are hard to see ending with rebuilds where it is hard to see the motor cycle.

• Slightly rebuild versions
• Tuning
• Street fighter
• Rat bike
• Handmade custom/motorcycle building as an art

Slightly modified
A lot of motorcyclists modify the standard bike with a new exhaust in order to be able enjoying the sound, or add some colored bolts and nuts. Some bikers also choose to have the bike fitted with some carbon stuff, fancy mirrors or some quality shock absorbers. All in all great, and it just gives a touch of personality to the bike.  The best part is that this level of midification still gives you the option having some bucks to spend on petrol, rallies and inviting the girl friend out.

www.akrapovic.com

Tuning
Now it is necessary to start diving – into the pocket for $$. Also at the same time it gets adrenalin-kicking-high pulse fun. What about a Suzuki Hayabusa with 675 hp? If you need more, you got started from home too late.  I never tried a beast like this, but it is interesting.

www.turbobusa.net

 Street fighters
This is the modern worrier who see the daily traffic like a war. And they are pretty well prepared as well. This is a pretty cool model with a HUGE rear wheel, compressor and just mean looking.

www.thekneeslider.com

Rat bike
Washing, cleaning and polishing. What is that?? For sure pure waste of time for those guys.

www.ratbike.org

Handmade custom/motorcycle building as an art
Details, hand craft and passion seems like the big drivers. And what a kind of art. The creator spends houndreds of hours on creating the bike, and then we can enjoy their efforts.

www.bigtwin.it

Pesonally I find it is really great that we can feel united when our interests within motorcycling are so different.

Have a fun ride,
Jan

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Back then – version 1
Personal safety on a motorcycle has had many faces over the years. I have been riding motor cycles for 23 years, and always focused on personal safety. And one thing is for sure, what was considered top class safe back then is not up to speed today.
When I bought the Honda CB 400F back in 1986 as a second hand, I also looked for a leather outfit. The Dainese was bought as a second hand and used until 1993. There were only a nylon alternative to leather, why the leather was considered pretty good. Now it is necessary to define good.

Does good mean?:

• Protecting against cold temperatures? Nope
• Protecting against rain or wet weather? Nope
• Protecting knees, spine and elbows? Nope

Well, if good means it protects your skin if you are down kissing the tarmac, then yes. And just to bear in mind where personal safety came from with jeans and a simple jacket, the Dainese was really good and safe. I know, comparing it with todays standard is not really fair. Back then it was a big time mess when the rain came. First the full body rain suit, then the boots got packed in and finally the gloves. And then the rain stopped… My wife and I we once went to Nordkap here from Denmark in 1992, and except Norway is a fantastic country, it was 20 days which were wet and cold. 

Honda CD400F and pre-historical Dainese leather outfit

Back then – version 2
This is as the name indicates – made in Denmark. After our education we got a job and then followed some money. One of our first priorities was to get a new outfit, and got fed up with the leather stuff, we ordered some gore-tex outfit. Heaven. That is what we felt. No more wet and less cold than the old leather. Purchased in 1992 and used until 2008. After 16 years the best thing to say was the ability to be humid when rain and chilly when cold. This were not really attractive, so a new investment were considered.

Honda VFR 750 - just 18 km old

Now
This is really good. I easily feel pretty cold, but this does the job, and was also pretty cheap. Paid €200 on sale for last year model, and it has really giving me a great quality/price ratio. Now I am not clod or wet anymore, and it is very comfortable wearing.

Held - and the same VFR now just 50 000 km older

The future?
As I start I can end. Dainese. It is a bit impressive what development are about to offer us. It does not seems like it is perfect yet, but they will get there.

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Beta testers
As soon we are ready, we need some Beta testers. Even it is a bit hype to have some Beta testers, it is pretty useful as well. We need some motorcyclists who are interested in using the web site and the services, to find any issues we may have overlooked. After a certain period with feed-back from the beta users we are ready to go full public. We search for 50 beta users in each country, so as many different user patters can be tested as possible. So when we are ready, the web site is open for signing up for the beta test. Please consider to support us in the beta test.

Tourstart web site focus on the pleasure of driving the motorcycle and building up some international friendship. For doing this we have made some functions, such as:

• Activities
• Tours
• Bike clubs
• TourNews
• TourPlan

GPS integraton
We have focused on a high degree of GPS integration and usage of maps, to enhance the visual approach of what to ride for and where to ride to. Now there is an increasing number of motor cycle GPS sold, and then it was only natural for us to offer the GPS integration to our members. Also we have seen that there are many re-born motorcyclists who finally got the wife (or husband) convinced to invest in a bike. The re-born bikers often lacks the social net work, and also they might need a few hints for some good adventures. But, on the other hand we all might need some inspiration for some good motorcycle tours and activities, so this we at Tourstart hope you all can find.

Index page of www.tourstart.org
Until we are fully ready, we will like to share our index page with you. When you enter the site, you will get a quick overview of activities, tours and bike clubs. It is easy to see where the activity takes place and what type of activity it is. The only thing you need to do is select, transfer data to your GPS and ignite the motor cycle. We have made the web site to cover the entire world, why the local knowledge you have can be shared world wide. So if you plan a holiday abroad it is easy to find the most interesting activities to attend.

As this is a motorcycle community, the content comes from the members. We have made the web site enabling the possibilities to publish the activities, tours etc and then it is you who decide what you want to see on the web site. So whether you ride a Harley-Davidson or a Honda, you are welcome to share your experiences with other bikers.

I will get back to you shortly with more news regards the web site.

Have a fun ride,

Jan

Related posts:

1. Tourstart – what is it all about?