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World’s oldest motorcycle brand

Friday March 26th, 2010 @ 08:42 PM

Hi,

New bikes and all the fuzz about the latest model – nope – not now and not this time. This is a contribution to the motorcycle which are the oldest in the world, and the one produced for the longest period. And still is produced. I am sure you all know the Royal Enfield – more or less.

Royal Enfield logo

Royal Enfield logo

It all started as a brand in 1893 doing some other stuff, but already in 1899 they were ready with some kind of vehicle, but this one from 1901 looks like a real motorcycle. At least there is a motor and a cycle…

Royal Enfield 1901

Royal Enfield 1901

Long history, many motorcycle models and a lot of trouble. Well, at a certian point the production equipment and brand was sold off to India. This was a pretty clever thing to do, as we are today gifted having a pre-historic motorcycle as new today – and not just the history.

It is easy to get a bit sentimental, isn´t it? Imagine what the bikes have been through. When you purchase a brand new Royal Enfield today, you can smell the wings of history. The motorcycle has been with us since the fastest thing on earth was a horse, and it has played a big role in our industrialization and Royal Enfield has been in to world wars dooing its best to serve the troops. Unfortunately, it also saw the downfall from its peak. Just before the chrome was matt, the Indian guys send over some polishing creme, and it woke up to live again. Thanks.

www.royalenfield.com

www.royalenfield.com - Elektra Twinspark

The motorcycle is still produced, and it is truly a bueaty as it was years ago.  Horse power, cornering stability and high speed records – forget it all. Then you need to look else where if that is your interest. Wings of history and the “right” look and feel – then you came to the right place. Enjoy the bike, and do not forget where we came from.

Have a save ride,
Jan

Winter rally

Sunday February 7th, 2010 @ 06:45 PM

Hi,
Long time no blog….
It seems like the winter slowed me down a bit. Bascially that is pretty normal, as you cannot ride your motorcycle. But today I realized this is just as wrong as it can be. I remembered some though motorcyclists going for winter rallies. My bike is a Honda VFR750, and I do not really want to put that out into the snow, even this is my personal limitation, as motorcyclists have been on though winter rallies on Honda Goldwings. Most often the bikes participating in the winter rallies is a light off-roader or side car motorcycles.

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

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

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

Winter fun for motorcyclists

Friday December 18th, 2009 @ 10:41 PM

Hi,
I could not resist taking a picture of our house today when arriving at home. We have had snow for two days in Denmark, which is pretty difficult to hide…
Also it makes me consider the next toy, because as you can see, there are potential for some winter fun.

Our home after 2 days of snow

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

Motorcycle gadgets

Tuesday November 24th, 2009 @ 09:42 PM

Christmas is getting closer, and just to be ready when the family ask for gift suggestions, I had a look on what is available. Some is hot, and some are not… I am not a great fan of starting christmas this much in advance, but planning well ahead is always great. This gives the family and friends plenty of time to get the most wanted gift home and ready for the christmas evening.

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

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

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

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

Excelsior Super X

Have a safe ride,
Jan

An early start is always to prefer

Sunday November 1st, 2009 @ 12:42 PM

Kids needs to learn the tricks as soon as possible. Exactly the same as if you find a new girlfriend – assuming you are a male and you are the owner of a motorcycle. Then the bike it is just a part of the package, and no need for having too many discussions about that topic - just give her a good experince riding the bike, and life gets pretty easy. When I met my wife, to her a motorcycle could have been something taken out of Starwars…. Well, she tried the rear pillon and found it pretty cool. Since then we have had many good tours on the motorcyel for the last +20 years.

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

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

Do not mess with motorcycle riders

Sunday October 25th, 2009 @ 08:06 PM

My rule of thumb in life is clear. Always behave in the righ way, as no matter what you do, both good and bad gets back to you sooner or later.

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

End of the season – end of the good mood?

Monday October 12th, 2009 @ 09:26 PM

Approaching autumn an winter
I am not a fan of this period of the year. The motorcycle season is getting to an end, and we miss the sun on the latitude where I live. It is though to see the darkness, and automatically I start to sleep more. Well, this is not only bad, as this gives me a great opportunity to dream more about the forthcomming season..
I would like to live in Cape Town, South Africa, as I have been there several times. Great country, great temperatures and Killarny Race track located just outside the city means some entertainment are assured. OK – it might get a bit hot in the summertime, but I can live with it.  Did anybody mention sunny California as a good alternative? Never been there, but sourly sounds great. 

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

Extreme experience

Saturday September 26th, 2009 @ 04:59 PM

Hi,

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

Motorcycle subcultures

Friday August 21st, 2009 @ 09:43 PM

Riding the motorcycle is great – no doubt about that. You feel united with all motorcyclists, and you salute them when you meet in the traffic. We are all the same, or what?

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

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

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

www.thekneeslider.com

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

www.ratbike.org

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

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

Motor cyclists safety gear – then, now and in the future

Wednesday August 5th, 2009 @ 09:10 PM

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

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

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 old

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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