2010 Honda Fury

I was riding in North Carolina over the weekend of June 20-22, one of the things that had to be done during this trip home was the annual state motorcycle inspection. While getting that done, saw the new Honda Fury. Honda got a late start in the "chopper craze" which may have well faded at this point (as can be seen by the decline in popularity of shows such as "American Chopper" and the other bike building shows of the past few years), though Honda has (as Honda does) made a remarkable version. The bike is based on the VTX1300 engine with fuel injection and water cooling. You can see the radiator just behind the front wheel in this photo.
The bike has a long lean look, in fact it has the longest wheelbase of any Honda motorcycle with a 71.2 inch wheelbase. The thin tank has a 3.4 gallon capacity. I liked the led rear brake lights , and the small "instrument panel" is also very sleek looking. The bike has shaft drive, but like the radiator it is very understated. As is typical of the type, the bike has a large rear tire; a Dunlap 200/50R-18 on the rim. The bike has a five speed transmission. ABS is also available on the bike which has an MSRP of $12,999-$13,499. The ABS is higher at $13,999. The bike comes in silver as seen, also black and there is also a red one. The seat is low, and it was unique to sit on a Honda like this, though it did somewhat remind me of the low seating position on my previous Honda Shadow; though a much longer and leaner bike for sure. The bike weighs in at around 663 pounds but in typical Honda fashion was very balanced. I would have liked to have ridden it, but did not get the opportunity at Ride Now Powersports in Concord, NC where I saw the bike.

Honda certainly is creating some interesting motorcycles even in these difficult times. Along with the Fury, they also have the automatic transmission DN-01 for sale (previously seen on this blog as well), and I have been reading reports that a new V-4 may be coming out soon from Big Red. Honda has been getting a sort of "boring" reputation of late, and has been letting other companies steal their thunder. It is good to see the company responding of late with a number of interesting bikes (including some very highly regarded sport bikes). I have owned a number of Honda motorcycles over the year, and am always interested in what the company has to offer.

Bike Show at Hooters

Read in the Richmond newspaper (actually in an ad) that there will be a Bike Show at the Hooters of Chesterfield which is located near the Chesterfield Towne Center just off of Midlothian Turnpike on Saturday June 20 starting at noon. Depending on when I get out of work Friday night/Saturday, might ride by and check that out before heading to Concord for my three day weekend there. While looking at bikes is very cool, riding my Vulcan is even better.
Have done some looking this morning though at some motorcycle PC games, and have seen some good ones out there; especially the MotoGP game series. I am going to have to look at that. Even though I am a huge aviation fan, I don't fly (though did some in the Navy as part of the aircrew on a P-3 Orion) , but do like the flight sim games. I am thinking that a motorcycle sim would be "better than nothing" while in Virginia, with the added bonus that I ride a cruiser and would be fun to go roaring around a track on a sportbike. Knowing how real the flight sims can be (did take a flight lesson some years ago, a piece of cake after hours spent on Microsoft Flight Simulator) think the motorcycle games would be pretty neat too. I will be looking into that this weekend at some local computer retailers.
On the subject of bike shows; did want to mention that the Annual Antique Motorcycle Show will be held in Gold Hill, NC on June 27, 2009. I will be here that weekend, but have gone the past few years. Its a great old village, the admission is free, and the bikes are pretty neat. I have some photos from last years show on my Flickr photo page (link to that on this page); lots of neat old Harley-Davidson and Indian motorcycles, also some cool British and Japanese bikes tend to show up as well. Great riding to be found in North Carolina...and I plan to be doing some there this upcoming weekend.

Random Thoughts and Musings

Interesting thinking of motorcycles on a Friday. Easily the worst night of the week work wise, we do this huge cleanup with water, hopefully (but not often) out by 11pm (last Friday.....4AM) so happy thoughts do help; and not much happier than bikes.
Noted that this Sunday, Speed Channel will have the Springfield Mile live. I like Speed, they have good motorcycle racing coverage, and have gone back to live for a number of races after trying some delayed coverage last year. The Mile is a classic flat track dirt race; usually pretty exciting. Was once pretty well "owned" by Harley-Davidson motorcycles, but now a number of manufacturers have gotten involved. Used to go to a lot of flat-track races in Louisville, and also went to two (no longer held) in Concord at "The Dirt Track". Catch it Sunday if you can.
Also noted that this Monday (June 15) will be the annual "Ride to Work Day". Take that motorcycle or scooter to work (weather permitting) and have a good day. Motorcycles are better for the pocket fuel wise (and note....gasoline prices are going up) plus a great deal of fun. I would say they save fuel, problem I had riding to work was I tended to take the long way home when I rode to work. Did always put a huge smile on my face. As my bike is in North Carolina waiting for my next return (see previous post on the last ride a few days ago) will only be able to join in spirit this year. I have ridden to work though, and often. ina
Noted this week that Harley-Davidson is having some real problems; sales are way down, many of the bikes (thanks to sub-prime loans to keep sales up) are being repossessed, and they are cutting production and employees. I am a fan of the brand; lots of history and of course some great looking motorcycles.
However, for me, Harley-Davidson is not really an option. The bikes for some reason (I am 6'2") such as the Sportster are pretty small motorcycles, and the prices are amazingly high. I am also not a fan of air-cooled technology; the only bike that really appeals to me is the V-Rod with the water cooled engine. However, for roughly 1/2 the price Kawasaki gave me the Vulcan (thankfully paid for now) 1500 Classic with shaft drive, a bigger 1500cc water cooled engine, and that remarkable Japanese reliability. As a bonus, the bike was assembled in a factory in Lincoln, Nebraska. Harley is still stuck (due largely to consumer demand) on air-cooled V-twins; no other options are out there. Buell did sort of finally break away and now offers the 1125R with a watercooled engine, but most of their line still uses HD engines as well.
I would like to see HD make more bikes like the V-Rod (though the V-Rod is not doing well with the faithful, its a big seller in Europe), like to see them continue to improve reliability and features, and most of all would be nice to see the price come down. Many dealers still sell the bikes at MSRP and then add on to that; hard to get a real deal on Harley-Davidsons. Plus, even the vaunted "buy one and sell it used for the same price" is not so true anymore, with all the repos out there to be snapped up. I wish them well, but sure would like to see some changes in the Motor Company.
Just some news and random thoughts. Wish I was riding today; instead of washing down the equipment. Will be soon though!

Oh well, such is life (June 6-8, 2009)

Was planning to feature photos from Hog Happenin, was planning to go to Hog Happenin, but work had other plans. Friday night at work continued on to Saturday morning and into 4am. Pissed and totally worn out, I did get some sleep in the apartment, and got back to Concord Saturday around noon with a total of some two hours sleep. Should not have been driving a car, and a bike was out of the question as was Hog Happenin 2009.
I did get a ride in Sunday morning after some rest. Visited a friend, and rolled around Concord for a few hours. Was (as was Saturday) a beautiful day here with sunny skies and nice temps.
I did get a real good ride in on Monday (had a bank day, nice as hell to be off work) with Steve Dixon seen above in China Grove, NC on his 2005 HD Ultra Classic. We hit a lot of back routes to Salisbury. Stopped for lunch at a Lone Star, and visited Tilley HD in Salisbury, NC. Came back through Faith, NC, just a great ride and it really took the edge off a very stressful visit. Getting out in the breeze with a lot of twisty roads on a beautiful day makes it hard to be mad for long. Its the most relaxing thing out there, and the company I was with was very good.
Got to say this though, for Hog Happenin 2010...I will be calling in that Friday.

Child Savers/Tuskegee Airman MC Charity Ride (May 30, 2009)

I took these photos during the ride. Funny thing was, I did not go on the ride, but it left from Cloverleaf Mall which is a big abandoned mall near my apartment in Richmond, VA. My motorcycle is in Concord, NC awaiting my return next weekend (when I plan to ride to the Hog Happening in Lincolnton, NC). I read about this ride though in the newspaper yesterday, and got up this morning to see them off.
Funny thing was, I kept running into the ride in the course of the day while doing some Richmond exploring today in the car. For instance this green Suzuki I saw at Buffalo Wild Wings in Richmond, and was one of the bikes on the ride. I thought it was a very cool metal flake paint job, and check out that rear tire!
This yellow custom sport bike was at the official end of the ride, which was the grounds of the Chimborazo Medical Hospital which was where Confederate troops were treated during the Civil War. I went there to see the hospital site (only a museum building is there now).

I did enjoy the rumble and roar of the collected group of Cruiser and Sport Bikes which took part in the ride. The group of mostly black bikers took part in the ride to raise money for the Richmond group "Child Savers" and was put on by the Tuskegee Airman Motorcycle Club who invited a few hundred of their friends to ride along and help out. This photo is of just SOME of the bikes that came out. The Tuskegee Airman is named for the famous black fighter pilots of WWII, who had a remarkable combat record in the face of racism, and showed what America can do when it does it together. I enjoyed the visit with the men and women of the groups that took part in the ride today.
I also found this week, a new site and magazine covering motorcycles in the Virginia region. Thunder Roads is the site, and I have added the link to it on my links. It's a free magazine which offers all sorts of local information, as well as dates and locations for upcoming rides in the area. It reminds me a great deal of our local publications in North Carolina: "Born to Ride" and also "Full Throttle"...both of which are also free and can be found at many biker friendly locations, and most motorcycle dealerships.
It was a beautiful weekend to have ridden, hoping for the same next weekend when I take to the roads of North Carolina for what has always been one of the best rides of the year.

Powerwashing the Bike (the hard way)

Finally got a ride in at home in North Carolina. It was a very ugly day; and the weekend of the Coca-Cola 600. I rode out to the track to see some of the stuff out there. You have to give Bruton Smith credit, he does put on a show. However, this year the weather did not go along with him at all. Anyhow, rode close to home...visited with a couple of friends, and enjoyed being out on the bike. That is it by the way on the left, waiting at a red night on NC29 in Concord. Anyhow, clouds got ever blacker, and finally the skies unloaded a few miles from home. It was a real downpour, and did a great job of powerwashing the bike, as well as my shirt, helmet, jeans and shoes. Got home (thankfully, have some good wet riding skills over the years) and changed clothes and dried the motorcycle off in the garage. Unfortunately, that was the last riding opportunity for the long weekend, which was a real wet time. In fact, it did shorten the Coca-Cola 600 as well.
Back in Richmond now, and am looking forward to the next big ride. I am somewhat concerned about the weather of late; been an exceptionally wet spring this year with many more days of rain than sun. Big event on June 6 (actually also happens on June 5, but I will be here in Richmond) is the Hog Happenin in Lincolnton, NC. As they say it joins the "animal with the mechanical" and is a bbq cookoff, bike rally and features a lot of live music as well. The town square is closed off to all vehicles but motorcycles, and they also have some special things (like a really great stunt show) and some vendors as well. The town is very welcoming, and it has always been a really great time. The event has been held since 2001, I have been going nearly as long. Hope to bring some friends along again this year, usually we have a good group that goes up. It's not a monster rally....usually draws from some 5000-7000 bikes in the course of the day, but its a great ride. Bonus is the roads to get there are nice, and we make an interesting "detour ride" on the way back which is fun.
The Atlantic Beach Rally in Myrtle Beach was this weekend. Like the Harley rally, crowds were way down. Estimates were some 175,000 came out (previous years up to 400,000) and vendors were down by half. Some of that may be due to the economy, but a lot is probably due to the pressure put on the rally (as well as the previous HD rally which apparently was also down) by the City of Myrtle Beach. Will be interesting to see what the future holds for the rallies next year, as well as the Fall HD rally this year.
Speaking of that last, some years ago went to the Fall Rally. It was during the first relocation, was a race weekend in Concord (no rooms available, and we were staying in Concord hotel rooms) so we did a weekend in Myrtle Beach; and it was during the rally. People were real nice and a lot of fun, did some partying with the bikers, and did not find them any more radical than any other groups I have spent time around. I am sure there was some craziness, but also would find that with football/hockey fans, college students on spring break, or a bunch of golfers hitting the town after a day on the links. Funny to have found a tourist town that does not want tourists especially in the case of the HD rally which went on for over 60 years. I think a little give and take on both sides could have gone a long way.
Anyhow, will be in Virginia for the next couple of weeks, looking forward to the next ride. Always ride safe!

Star Trek Future Motorcycles

Interesting news this week as the President Obama put out new mileage and pollution requirements for American autos. I support those measures; can still remember brown skies during periods in the summer in my hometown of Louisville, Kentucky and the calls to "drive less" due to them, and of course we all remember the $4 fuel of last summer (and the shortages from time to time). The Japanese have many cars now that can meet the 2016 goals; the technology to do both is there now.
Speaking of technology though; interesting seeing the motorcycles of Star Trek this weekend when I saw that (very good by the way) movie. Early in the movie a cop goes after a young James Kirk with a flying motorcycle. Very cool (and much like the "speeder bikes"of Star Wars) though not really happening anytime soon (if ever in that case).
However later in the movie, a more grown James Kirk rides to join Star Fleet (and check out the construction on the new USS Enterprise) on an electric bike. THAT technology is not for the future, but is coming to the here and now.
Already, there are electric scooters which have around an 80 mile range and good top speeds, and also there are electric drag racers which are making quite a mark. There is also an electric dirt bike being tested, and a race is being planned for this year with electric sport bikes. Many people think of electric bikes as being slow and with limited range, but if one looks at the Tesla Sportscar (which has amazing performance) you can see its possible to get real speed and performance out of electic motors. Trains move tons of gear with diesel electic engines, and electric motors power submarines. Given enough power, you can do great things with electric motors. They are light, simple, and all the power is available from the start giving some amazing torque numbers.
The big problem is the the batteries; being both expensive and heavy...but both price and weight are coming down, as is the storage capacity. Range is also being worked on. Also being worked on is other alternative sources of power. Suzuki showed a bike which would use hydrogen power and a fuel cell (like those used in the space program) to power a future bike; the exhaust would be water vapor as the bike burns the hydrogen, and vents the water vapor.
Motorcycles are uniquely suited to the new technology being light weight, aerodynamic (due to the work done on sport bikes especially in those regards) and a good single person vehicle. If you note traffic it quickly is noted that most people drive solo. In Europe and Asia with the price of fuel motorcycles are much more common.
So, I think its a matter of time until Captain Kirk's electic motorcycle becomes commonplace, and could well take motorcycles to new and exciting levels. Much on the new electric and alternative motorcycles can be read about (as I have) on the web, and especially in the pages of Motorcyclist Magazine which has run a number of features on the new bikes under development, and those motorcycles which are for sale now!