Ride Report 24

Couple of weekends ago I rode with Shobhit out to Alice’s restaurant along Skyline and back up Highway 9. This is among my favorite loops. The hills of the Peninsula are always a treat to ride and with sunny warm spring weather the conditions were perfect.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9cN-3jQ1AkQ

After Alice’s restaurant I rode Shobhit’s Shadow 75o and filmed him as he rode my SV650. It’s been a while since I rode his Shadow. It felt nice and comfortable, easy to ride and easy to throw around in the corners. I was scrapping footpegs on Hwy 9!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vNzXfM1PhxQ&hd=1

Targa Windscreen

When I bought my SV650 from the previous owner, she had installed a Targa windscreen. It looked sort of ugly and I much preferred the clean naked looks, so among the first things I did was to remove it. Last weekend I re-installed it and went out for a ride. Why did I want to install that thing? Well I want to reduce the wind blast. After a little over a thousand miles I’m ready for a quiet ride with less fatigue at the end of the day.

Installation was fairly easy. It slips into the studs holding the upper triple clamps. I’d say the results are not bad:

So I decided to head out on a “windy” ride (Ride Report 23) to test out the setup. What better than the Altamont and I5 corridor? I’ve ridden that part of the central valley on RR13 . Well the Bay part of the ride was OK; the shield reduces wind drag on the chest significantly. The helmet sees clear turbulent air without any buffeting, so it’s not really any quieter. But the reduced drag beats you up lesser.

But I5 is still horrible. Not my cup of tea. Riding in a straight line at an indicated 90mph with the wind blasting me like crazy. It’s also amazing how different the ride can be in different directions. South bound the ride was quiet, but north bound on my return the wind was howling. Anyway I need to remind myself — never again. There is no point in super slabbing 130 miles from point A to B and back. There is very little fun in that, it’s mostly just a waste of gas.

Here are some foggy videos from that day:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a-Hp28k2ixU&hd=1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QcxKZgcQkQM&hd=1

Sony HDR-AS15

We’ve been Sony Playstation Card members for a long time now and with our sort of spending, the reward points can add up quickly 🙂 I ordered a Sony “sport camcorder” HDR-AS15 a la GoPro and have been quite pleased with the results.


Here is a video of the camera in action, from a short run down 880 and 680. The camera actually ran out of battery in 25 minutes or so. The 16GB u-SD card can record about 2.5 hours of HD video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=17Q4OVcZxpk&hd=1

I like that the camera supports Sony’s version of image stabilization (Steady Shot) and can record up to 1080p at 60fps. The lens can shoot 120 or 170 degrees (to get that fisheye effect).

So more videos coming soon!

Ride Report #22

February 2013. There is a BIG snow storm on the East Coast and everything there is blanketed out. California on the other hand is a mild 60F. Clear, crisp weather and a few hours of free time this weekend. Bobby invited me to go riding with his friend Russ, so we headed to the coast.

Our first stop was the Half Moon Bay Brewing Company where we all had the Mavericks Amber Ale. A pretty good beer to enjoy on a sunny Sunday afternoon while watching the waves break on the beach.

From there we rode down Hwy 1 South to Pescadero; Pulled over at the beach and took in some of the gorgeous views.

Bobby took some interesting pics with his iPhone

We rode into the town of Pescadero where Russ picked up some homemade bread. I had the brief chance to ride Russ’ Honda VFR800. Interesting bike, to say the least. Strong V-4 power with very smooth linear delivery. The bike had noticeably less vibrations than my SV and the ergonomics were not all that bad.

We rode up Pescadero and Hwy 84 to Alice’s restaurant. I rode Bobby’s GS on that part of the trip. The GS was heavy and vibey, but surprisingly easy to steer. It’s large front wheel is very forgiving and confidence inspiring. The handlebars on that things are very wide, and that’s the first thing you notice when you switch back to the SV. At the junction, we met up with this guy on a Brammo desperately hunting around for an electric outlet to charge his bike.

We rode up Skyline in true Fast & Furious style. The sun was setting and the weak sun rays penetrating the trees looked pretty cool. It got a little cold as we rode 92 and 880 home, but it was a fun ride overall.

New Windscreen

With my India trip in December and the cold weather in Jan, I’ve gotten very few chances to ride. While browsing the many forums on the Interwebs, I came across a retro looking front cowl, that sort of reminds me of the ZRX1200 front fairing. I was able to get my hands on it from a forum member on SVRider.com. It was a little tricky to mount up onto the original headlight housing. I used a 40mm stud and finished it off with an acorn nut on the ends. I rode about about 20 miles and did not notice any real difference to the airflow. The screen is a little flimsy and does vibrate a little. But clean air hits my helmet and I don’t notice much.





I like the look and I’m going to keep it on. I have a can of sunbeam yellow #2339 Krylon Fusion paint, and I might give it a try. I’m still deciding whether I like the original black or if it makes sense to color match to the rest of the bike.

Hope to post ride reports soon!

Ride Report #21

Thanksgiving 2012. The forecast for Saturday November 24th was 70F for the South Bay. I got together with a bunch of friends and we went riding down Hwy 1 and Hwy 25. This was arguably the best ride I’ve ridden in a long time.

We gathered at the Shell gas station on Auto Mall Parkway in Fremont. The sun was shining bright and there was no need of any warm gear (at the end of November).

We were six riders in all: Shobhit, Bobby, Roy, Alan, Tim (who joined at Carmel) and me.

Hwy 1 was superb. I’ve always hated driving on Hwy 1 because most people drive at 35 mph and often stop at the scenic spots. Our ride down there was a GP style spirited ride. We were passing cars left and right, averaging over 60mph and at times certainly going way over the speed limit. The curves on Hwy 1 are fabulous. The wider turns allow for higher speeds and a fun overall experience.



We turned off Hwy 1 and took Nacimiento Fergusson road towards Hwy 101. NacFer is very curvy, goaty and twisty as it climbs up and away from the ocean. In fact it was a little too twisty for my liking. Too many turns and a very rapid elevation change made me tired. After the first 8-10 mile section the road opens up considerably and turns into this beautiful wide open road with scenic vistas and relaxed turns. Traffic was completely non-existent, even as we rode through the army base.

NacFer ends at this very cool looking iron bridge. This was a nice rest stop. We were all pretty hungry at this point.

We returned to the Bay Area using Lonoak Road and Hwy 25. These two roads must be counted among my favorite roads ever. Lonoak goes through completely rural land, desolate and void of any major human developments. It is an extremely scenic ride and made the whole trip worthwhile. Hwy 25 is also very beautiful — not too curvy, mostly flat with wide expanses of farm land. Somewhere between Lonoak and Hwy 25 I felt at ease. I became one with my (speeding) motorcycle and the troubles of the real world disappeared. Pure Bliss.

There are a couple of long straights on Hwy 25, where I took the SV up to about 120mph. It handled flawlessly.

We rode back on 101 and got back a bit after dark. About 350 miles door to door and I was not very tired. My knees were a little sore, but my back and shoulders were fine. I think we all agreed that we should do this more often. With that, I’m already brewing up plans for next summer.

Some more pics from Roy:





Ride Report #20

A few hours free on Sunday and excellent weather (mid to upper 70s in November) usually equates to a ride around town.

I left home to get gas at the local Ardenwood station. While filling up I decided to try Fuelly — this website that tracks fuel consumption and mileage for your vehicles. I got 49.1MPG on my last tank. It’s going to be fun tracking MPG over the next several years!

FuellyI decided to ride a mix of freeway and twisties, mostly along familiar roads: 800, 680 and Calaveras.

Calaveras was superb! The weather was fine, not too cool but not too warm. There was very little traffic and I could ride at my own pace.

I’m starting to get the hang of this bike now. The engine is incredibly powerful (at least that’s what I think, coming from a DR650 thumper). The bike handles the curves very well. It is easy to lean over and confidence inspiring through the turn. The brakes are solid — in fact, sometimes a bit too harsh — and slow down the bike very effectively coming into a turn. I enjoy the engine braking too, and I’ve gotten used to that riding the thumper. But the biggest grin lingers right after the turn when I’m pulling away. The bike rockets away effortlessly, no matter what gear I’m in. In fact, I kept the bike in 2nd and 3rd for most of Calaveras.

After about 75 miles in the saddle, all I can say is that this is a wonderful machine. Quite comfortable, enough power, excellent handling. Looks pretty too!

2002 Suzuki SV650

WooHoo! Houston, we have liftoff! Here are pics of the new-to-me 2002 SV650. Bought on Saturday October 13th 2012 with 19,833 miles. What an amazing machine! Superb VTwin power, smooth revving engine with a wide powerband, retro naked looks and comfortable seating.

The bike was owned by the original female owner for the last 10 years. She bought it new from the dealer, kept it original and never raced, wheelied or abused it in any way. The bike was dealer maintained it’s whole life and came with fresh oil, adjusted valves, new rubber and a full tune up. How could I pass? 😀










Thoughts, more thoughts and decisions

Alright, it’s time to bring this blog back from the dead. I sold off the DR almost a year ago and I sorely miss riding. I’ve been itching to get onto a new set of wheels, scanning the used motorcycle classifieds and reading reviews online. At first I thought I’d get back into a dual sport, and to mix it up a little maybe a KLR650 or an XR650L.

I test rode a bunch of Gen I and Gen II KLRs. Between those two, I’d take the Gen I any day. Old school looks, which I guess, are not for everyone, beefy rugged stance and the lack of plastics makes for a great dual sport.

Somewhere in between I stumbled on a Super Sherpa, but quickly realized that small displacement bikes are not for me. My large (and ever increasing) frame and the inevitable need to ride freeways in the Bay Area just makes it an impractical choice.

Then one fine day, out of sheer coincidence, I decided to test ride an SV650. The seller was local and offered to meet me close by to test ride. As I rode it around the block a few times I was amazed at how well it rode. It had a good stance (not upright, but not a terrible crouch) and the power was amazing. It took off a LOT faster than the DR and was smooth all the way to 60mph.

I was hooked. Maybe a street bike is not all that bad after all. Maybe dual sporting can wait a few years. Maybe I need a dedicated dirt and dedicated street setup. And there we go. Sounds familiar?

I started researching 600 class beginner friendly sport bikes and the choices became obvious: Honda Hornet 599, Yamaha FZ6, Kawasaki Ninja 650R and the SV650. I’m not very keen on Monsters or Speed Triples — given their added costs.

I then test rode the FZ6. I really liked the modern fit and finish, the good looks, digital tachometer, underseat exhaust and centerstand. The bike definitely has better wind protection compared to a naked SV. When I started the bike up, I immediately noticed that the bike idles at a higher rpm than the SV. It tends to be smoother (less vibrations), but a tad noisier. I got onto the bike, rolled out in first and shifted into second at about ~15MPH — my first mistake. Then I twisted hard to WOT — my second mistake — … but, wait, nothing happened! The bike really had no response and felt slow and heavy getting to 50MPH. I probably rode about ~5 miles today. I was not very comfortable revving the engine too high on my first test ride. I probably hit 7000-8000 RPM tops in second at one point… didn’t have the balls to go beyond that.

Anyway, I’m pretty sure I don’t know how to ride this bike properly. It seems that I’ll have to “learn” to ride this bike if I get it.

Now for another story. Right after I rode the FZ6 I test rode a Kawasaki ZRX1200R. Yes, your read that right, ZRex. I was thinking: I want a naked, standard bike — how different will this be? My God, was I wrong! What a motorcycle. That thing had 10x the torque of my DR650. It was downright scary, and I was keeping it under 6000rpm. While I was definitely all smiles and giggles after my test ride, I think that’s way too much bike for me.

Anyway, it’s time to decide and get back onto a motorcycle. More in my next post. Decisions, decisions …