Upcoming Gear Reviews: Fieldsheer Congo Sport jacket, Cortech Sport Tailbag, Meguiars ScratchX 2.0, Battery Tender Jr.

Coming in the next few weeks: A full review of all the products listed above. Stay tuned!

On open letter to Andrew Trevitt of Sport Rider Magazine

Dear Mr. Trevitt,
First off, let me tell you that I am extremely sorry to hear about the accident that you were involved in. Though this type of thing happens everyday, it does not lessen the severity of the issue at hand. An accident of this type can happen to even the best educated, best equipped motorcyclists in the world when a car driver does not take an extra second to look twice - once for cars, a second time for motorcycles.

I am an avid motorcyclist, and have been since I first threw my leg over my (soon-to-be) first bike - a Kawasaki EX500 - at the age of 18. When it gets in your blood, it seems to be there to stay. A few months after purchasing my first and second bikes (a Yamaha FZR 600 that followed the Ninja into my garage within a few weeks), I fell on hard times and had to sell both. I then spent the better part of 6 years without a bike. I passed much of that time working at a bike shop: a truly unique form of self-inflicted torture when you don't have a bike, I assure you. During that time, a fellow co-worker lost his life on his beloved YZ125. Even though it was a tragedy, everyone at the bike shop kept in the back of their minds that he had at-least died doing what he loved. His accident was the result of a temporary lapse in judgment, and in some ways, that softened the blow, in others ways, it made it much worse.

I have recently acquired another FZR 600 that I ride constantly. I never fail to accept the possibility of the worst as I put my helmet on, as do you, I am sure. A motorcyclist must know that every time she or he swings a leg over their bike, they may not dismount as gracefully, no matter how hard they try to avoid an accident. There are many reasons for this: gravel, misjudgment, and overconfidence to name a few. However, the worst reason (and probably the most common) is the intrusion of an automobile into one's lane of travel, resulting in an unavoidable obstacle, and a horrific crash.

An event such as this, when a rider of obviously high levels of skill and ability is struck down by an unobservant motorist (doing something illegal in this case), is a time for us all to reflect on a few basics of motorcycle safety. First and foremost, your accident should be a message to every rider, be it dirt or tarmac that calls to you: we are all mortal.

Secondly, even though I am sure you were adorned with the proper equipment, we should all realize that to ride with anything less than the absolute best safety gear we can afford is to unnecessarily increase the risk that we might not come home. An accident can happen a block from your house (research shows that most do, in fact), and a quick run to the store should require the same precautions as a cross-country road trip.

Lastly, one must always assume that the motorist does not see you, for often they don't. Even with precautions such as this, sometimes it is impossible to avoid. So, as you recover, with thousands of motorcyclists alongside you in that hospital bed, we should all take these three basic lessons to heart. More importantly, however, we must not let the fear of what might happen rob us of something that we are all so passionate about.

Perhaps the most important thing we can do is educate our car-driving friends and acquaintances about the need to be constantly vigilant for vehicles with two wheels, with which they are required by law to share the road. Motorcycles are smaller than cars and we that ride them are much more vulnerable than someone riding in a 4000 lb. steel box. As such, our presence should demand an appropriately larger portion of motorists' attention.

None of what I say is news to you, I know. However, there are many motorcyclists that may not know these basic principles, and through your experience, take them to heart.

I wish you a speedy and thorough recovery. May the thoughts and prayers of so many motorcyclists and friends see you through this difficult period. Be well in spirit, while you get well in body.

Very sincerely yours,
Jesse Phillip Cecil

On Honda: remarks concerning their past and present involvement in moto-roadracing

My family and I have cumulatively owned 3 cars, 1 scooter, 2 motorcycles, 2 lawnmowers, a weed-eater, and a generator all designed and produced by the well-known automotive giant, Honda. I have always found Honda to produce intuitive, easy to maintain, wonderfully engineered products with a longevity rivaled by few other companies. I recommend a Honda product to anyone that is looking for an all around good machine that will do the job for which it was designed, without fault.

However, in my knowledge of the motorcycle roadracing world - which has been gleaned from almost 8 years of diligently poring over any magazine, book, and internet site on the subject - I have found Honda (particularly the Honda Racing Corporation (HRC)) to be less than loyal to its racers and fans. This is a pretty strong statement, coming from a lifelong supporter of Honda products, so let me provide a few examples of the attitude which prompted me to put forth such an accusation.

1.) Colin Edwards and World Superbike: Facing a scattered factory Ducati Corse squad in 2000 on a then-new RC-51, Colin won the WSBK championship for HRC. In 2001, as Ducati put their garage back in order, centered around their new lead rider, Troy Bayliss, Colin could not overcome the chatter problems that plagued the RC-51 that year, but still put up a good fight while losing the championship to Bayliss. The following year (2002) went down in history as a season-long battle between two riders at the peak of their game. Bayliss won nearly every race during the beginning of the season, Colin won nearly every race towards the end of the season. It all came down to the Battle at Imola, which any true race fan will never forget. The result was Colin winning a second World Superbike championship for HRC, with Bayliss a close second.

One would think that Edwards' accomplishments for HRC would have put him in the running for the HRC MotoGP ride that had opened for the 2003 season, especially considering that Bayliss was destined to make the switch as well, aboard the new Ducati Desmosedici. It would have been great to see their battles continue on the MotoGP stage for a couple of years. However, much to my chagrin, that was not to be.

In a prime example of Honda betrayal (and loyalty- more on that later), the ride was given to rising star, Nicky Hayden. Hayden was the youngest ever champion of the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) Superbike Championship (2002), and former AMA Supersport champion (1999). Although Hayden should definetly have been given the opportunity for bigger and better things, it is my humble opinion that Hayden should have been given Edwards' seat in WSBK where he could have learned the European tracks and honed his abilities on a superbike, while Edwards should have been rewarded for his two world championships with the vacant MotoGP ride. However, perhaps because of the large sum of American Honda money that would accompany Hayden to MotoGP, HRC dumped Edwards, who was forced to take a substandard ride on the new (and ultimately doomed) Aprilia RS Cube.

Edwards' season was dismal, and Nicky Hayden failed to produce a win until 2005, while the his championship didn't arrive until the following season. This was, I firmly believe, because Hayden was still learning the tracks and the lifestyle, both of which he could have adjusted to in WSBK, while boosting his confidence and perhaps earning another championship. Meanwhile, had Edwards been given the best bike in the paddock (the Repsol Honda RC211V), it is possible that he could have produced the results that Hayden couldn't at first. Unfortunately, we will never know.

2.) Nicky Hayden and MotoGP: Don't let my comments mislead you though, Nicky Hayden is a great rider that deserves everything he has gotten. Beyond riding ability, Nicky has a work ethic and easygoing nature that should be imitated by all top-caliber motorcycle riders.
While Nicky's elevation to MotoGP was a reward for two national championships with American Honda (Supersport and Superbike), he was also destined to get the HRC knife placed firmly between his shoulder blades.

During the 2006 season in which he won the championship, Hayden was under pressure to perform. He had been with the HRC squad for quite some time in MotoGP, and many thought he should have done better with the equipment at his disposal. Perhaps because of this, HRC placed him in a developmental position throughout the season, trying out new parts on his bike constantly, while new-hire Dani Pedrosa rode Valentino Rossi's former championship-winning version of the RC211V (one year removed, as Rossi won the title on a Yamaha in 2005).

While riding a frame designed for the next-generation 800cc MotoGP bike, which was significantly smaller than what Nicky preferred, he won the championship for HRC. In spite of all that his detractors had to say against him, Nicky earned the championship by placing ahead of Rossi in the last race of the season at Valencia, which was won by Troy Bayliss on a wildcard Ducati ride in reward for his 2nd World Superbike Championship.

The next season, the first of the 800cc era, one would have expected HRC to sidle up to Hayden, and provide him with whatever he needed to defend his (and their) championship. Ou contraire, mon fraire. HRC instead produced a motorcycle obviously designed for the much smaller Pedrosa, and Hayden was pushed (figuratively speaking) to the back of the HRC garage. To date, Dani has not produced a championship (though he has produced controversy by influencing another HRC betrayal - of longtime partner Michelin tires - when he demanded Bridgestone tires mid-season, a move rendered pointless by the adoption of Bridgestone as the control-tire for the 2009 season), while Hayden has moved to the factory Ducati squad. Marlboro Ducati was very quick to snap Hayden up, in obvious recognition of his skills, a nice switch from the treatment he received from HRC. It should be noted that Hayden, throughout this whole affair, was hardly ever anything other than gracious and humble in his referral to HRC and their treatment of him.

3.) American Honda steps out: Following the controversy over Daytona Motorsport Group's (DMG) purchase and subsequent revamp of the AMA superbike Championship, the proposed participation of the manufacturers has been on-again, off-again at best. However, shortly after assuring all their staff and employees (including contracted riders) that American Honda was going racing in 2009, and barely a week after American Honda rider Niel Hodgson posted the best lap times during the Daytona Dunlop Tire Test, Honda announced that they would not be participating in American roadracing for this year, due to "current global economic situation and its impact on Honda." While that is understandable, it is (in my mind) just one more example of Honda saying one thing while doing another. If everything was that uncertain, it would seem prudent to hold off on assuring employees that they all had jobs for 2009.

I want to close by saying that I still love Honda products, and that I continue to believe that they make some of the best cars and motorcycles that money can buy. Also, it should be noted HRC regularly promotes riders that have shown loyalty to them (Andrea Dovizioso, Dani Pedrosa, and many more), and that other companies are also perpetrators of the kinds of betrayal mentioned here. A prime example: Ducati pawned Troy Bayliss off to Camel Honda in 2005 after one poor season on a still-developing bike. Bayliss returned to MotoGP for one round, the aforementioned Valencia 2006, and won on the same bike, albeit with a one more year of development time.
So, HRC is not the only monster in the paddock, but perhaps they are the biggest.

As a student of Japanese history, I think it is also pertinent to mention that Japanese lords have never been as loyal to their warriors as their warriors were to them, and Japanese culture is still very heavy on tradition.

- This article is an original work by the author of this blog. However, all pictures were shamelessly taken from a google image search without permission. No money was gained from this reproduction, and the pictures can be removed upon receipt of a request made via comments.

More FZR work...

Addendum to the FZR story. I followed up on what I said I would do. I have cut the rear fender by about an inch or two with my new Dremel, drilled a few holes in it for the license plate, and mounted the plate straight to the newly shortened fender. I used large rubber washers in between the plate and fender to avoid vibration and movement. The new design requires the plate to curve a little, but I like it.

The next thing I did was kind of crafty, but I must say that the idea was not original, I found it on the FZR archives. I removed the rear long-stalk turn signals, and removed the stalks from the body of the blinker. Then I took the stalk to Lowe's and found a bolt that matched the threading from the stalk, that way I could use the original nut and avoid any conflict with reinstalling the blinker-body. I took the two bolts to a machine shop down the road, and for 5$, had them lathe a hole through the center of each bolt. I attached the bolt directly to the blinker-body and the fender, thus replacing the stalk altogether and shortening each turn signal by over 1.5 inches. The combination of the fender chop and the shortened turn signals really tightened up the back end, and made the bike look a lot more sleek.

Other things I have done recently are:
Purchased and installed Flanders Canadian FZR flushmount turn signals. It was a super easy install, except that I discovered that as a result of a drop by the previous owner, one of my turn signals was hard wired to the harness (read: no easy disconnect). So I had to buy some connectors and rewire both the turn signal and the harness. No biggie, but it was a pain nonetheless (and as I was doing it, I kept thinking, "Shit, now I can't return these!"). But the signals look great, and better than stock (though you wouldn't know that they aren't OEM, and neither will the state inspector).

I also purchased a few sets of knock off Yamaha tuning fork decals from Hong Kong (via eBay) that actually look just like the ones that come stock on the newer R6 and R1. I put one on each side of the gas tank, and you wouldn't know they weren't stock. Also, I purchased a raised metallic "Yamaha" decal for placement on the front of the fairing in the stock position, it also looks like OEM or better.
I will add pictures of these last things at some point, I just don't have any right now, and the weather is to bad to take some.

Lastly, I have winterized my bike by filling it up with gas, adding Sta-bil fuel stabilizer, and running it for about ten minutes. I go out and start it every time the temp gets above 40 F outside, and run it till it warms up to clear the bugs out. Surprisingly, since I added the Sta-bil, the bike starts up on the first try even when it is cold as hell! It didn't even do that from a cold-start during the summer. I highly recommend this product!
A Battery Tender Jr. is hopefully on the way as a Christmas present, but I haven't had any battery problems so far.

I did get to take a brief ride yesterday. All I can say is, "I LOVE MY MOTORCYCLE!!!"

New Motorcycle

Got a bike finally! Bought it from the photographer at our wedding. It's an FZR 600, same as my old one, except without all the purple (and in better shape).

1990 Black FZR600R: Vance and Hines full supersport system, 13k miles, new chain, new brakes, new black paint, engine and frame decently repainted silver, fairly new IRC Winner (I think) tires. Got it for $1400 dollars, I thought it was a pretty good deal. Especially since I sold my old FZR for $1400 dollars and it didn't even run.

I discovered a few problems with my bike before I purchased it, and a few more afterward. I gave a it a pretty decent look over, and got a test ride before I bought it.
As you can see above, the windshield was missing a few bolts, and the fairing bolts were all mismatched. Also, the fairing brackets from the radiator and the lower frame rails were missing, and had been replaced with a type of threaded rod, holding the two side fairings together.

It was terrible work, and had one side pressed up against the header pipe. I noticed when I got home and smelled melting plastic (Lo, and behold)!

Fixed that by simply taking the fairings off. I like it better that way, more like a naked bike, read: FZ6, etc. I have since bought all the fairing brackets and a complete fairing bolt kit in flat black (that took care of the windshield bolts, too).

Other things I did: replaced a few missing bolts around the fuel cap, brought the taillight in about 3/4 of an inch by reversing the mounting grommmets, cleaned the shit out of it, and repainted the header pipes with black header paint.

Also, had a 13k mile Yamaha service and the fork seals re-done professionally, as they were leaking whenever I pumped the suspension hard repeatedly. I requested that 20 weight Yamalube fork oil be put back into my forks to stiffen the front-end somehwhat. They called me when the forks were already off the bike and said they "couldn't find any 20 weight", so they were just putting 10 back in. No big deal, except that they had to order the fork seals, and I specifically requested 20w oil, so couldn't they have just ordered the right oil for me as well? I just thought it was crappy.

Then when I picked up the bike, they said that everything looked good except that my steering head bearings were going to have to be replaced soon, to the tune of $250. I was thinking, Couldn't you have told me while the front end was already off the bike, so I could OK the repair then and save some money? Oh well, take care of those bearings another day I guess.

The last thing I did was try to replace my cracked stator cover.
When I took it off, and tried to remove the stator from the inside, I stripped the heads of the phillips button head screws holding the stator wire to the inside of the cover... damn!
So, I went to unplug the stator from the wiring harness and discovered that the plug was all f-ed up and melted together with corrosion on the inside.

I ordered up the screws that I stripped out, and bought an Alden Grabit Damaged screw remover. It worked like magic, and pulled the screws right out.
Still, I had the problem of maybe having to buy a wiring harness and stator because of a stupid plastic plug.

When I started poking around on the FZR Archives forum, asking for plugs from non-functioning parts that I could wire on, someone suggested that I splice on a 4-prong flat trailer plug.


Having never soldered before, I bought a soldering gun and practiced on some old speaker wire for an hour before I did the deed.

I did the stator half of the soldering first, and used shrink wrap and electrical tape to make sure









the joint was sealed tightly from the elements. Then I attached it to the new stator cover with the new screws.

I did the other half of the wiring pretty quickly, and forgot to take good pictures of the joints. You can pretty much see whats going on though.














Afterward, I plugged it all in, replaced the stator and cover, tucked all the new and old wires away with a few zip-ties (I had to cut a few to get access to it all), connected the battery, and it fired right up.













Took it for a 35 minute ride and everything seemed fine, though I don't know how long it would take for signs to show that the stator is not functioning. I guess once the battery ran dead?

Anyway, so for now I am done, and my bike runs, and I need to leave well enough alone to let my pocket recoup.

Next are the the steering head bearings.

I would like to also do something about the huge stock front and rear tail-lights. I Think I am going to get Flanders' flushmounts for the front, and would like to integrate the rear, but am unsure of the process with a trailer light converter. I've looked at one, but am still unsure of how to use it in this application. Also, don't want super fast flashers on the front or rear, so need to figure that bit out.

Also going to cut the stock fender by about two inches, remove the licence plate bracket, and mount the plate directly onto the reduced fender to emulate an eliminator kit, just waiting on my Dremel.