Since my last post early this month the weather has not been very kind to riders of two wheeled vehicles. If it has not been cold it has been raining. The only motorcycle riding I have done has been running a few errands and fulfilling my caregiving responsibilities for my dad. I have gotten out on my bicycle a few times, but those have been cold and windy rides.
When I wrote in early April I noted that I had made an appointment to get the 24,000 mile service done on the GSA. I brought it in on the morning of April 4th and my wife picked me up in her Camry. The quote for the service and the installation of new Metzeler Tournance Next tires was just over $1000.00. We were not even home when my cell phone rang. The BMW technician had found a leaking cam chain tensioner bolt gasket. The gasket itself cost $1.50, but installing it would involve one and a half hours of labor at $95.00 per hour. This was the beginning of a long week of phone calls with Tytler's Cycle.
The bike was supposed to be ready for pickup the next day. I had agreed to volunteer at the library book sale that morning and figured to get the bike that afternoon. At about 9:30 that morning Tytler was calling again. The battery in my bike had been on the charger all night and was still not fully charged. The service representative said I needed a new one. He said the battery they recommend cost $150.00 The battery was the original and had lasted through five riding seasons, so it was reasonable to expect that it needed to be replaced. In truth, the bike started very hard on its first start this spring and seemed to struggle at times when I pressed the starter button.
So now the bill has increased at least $300.00. Later that afternoon I noticed Tytler's number coming up on my cell phone again. With much trepidation I answered. This time the service rep reported that the new battery they had intended to install in my GSA was defective and they would have to order a new one. At least this call did not cost me any more money.
The next day was Thursday and I did not hear anything from the dealer. I was happy to let them keep the bike and make sure all was right. After lunch on Friday I called and Aaron, the service writer, said the bike was ready. He said the bill was $1405.00, which was somewhat less than I had feared it might be. I had found a $50.00 service coupon on the BMW Motorrad website and after he applied that I was down to $1355.00 including the tax. I drove my Tacoma out there, picked up the bike and went for a little test ride. When I got home and reviewed the bill I noticed that the battery cost $50.00 less than I was quoted, so that was a pleasant surprise.
About two days later I got an email from Tytler's informing me that I had earned enough points to qualify for $60.00 in gift cards that could be used in their store. I did not have the oil and filter changed during this appointment as I had done it myself about 2200 miles earlier. So now with the gift cards I will have almost enough money to buy the four quarts of synthetic oil and a filter I will need to make the change.
The service was not inexpensive and the week was rather stressful, but in the end I was happy with the experience. The dealership was fair and made the repairs that were necessary. These bikes are expensive to purchase and it is important that they be maintained correctly from a safety as well as a longevity standpoint. I have no intentions of buying another new BMW motorcycle, so this is money well spent.
Now I just need some decent riding weather to enjoy my refreshed BMW R1200 GSA.
Friday, April 21, 2017
Sunday, April 2, 2017
A Ride to Sand Country
The day dawned clear and cold with the promise of an afternoon warm up. After getting a few little jobs done around the house and eating a good lunch I went up to the man cave to get out the big German beast.
Before donning my riding gear I disconnected the charger and walked the bike into the sunshine. It always warms the seat enough to make me forget that BMW did not offer heated seats on the 2011 model GSAs. My plan was to make a stop at my dealer to schedule the 24,000 mile service and then take that trip to Waupaca. The sand country of Waushara County is usually the warmest part of the state, so my early spring and late fall rides will tend to go in that direction.
The Beemer started right up and soon I was cruising into Tytler's Cycle in De Pere. I talked to the service representative about what needed to be done to the bike. Frustratingly for me, BMW does not publish a maintenance schedule in their owner's manuals. It is possible to find schedules online, but it still ends up being a discussion with the service department as to what needs to be done at the recommended 6000 mile service intervals. Once we had that part of the work scheduled we took a look at my Metzeler Tourance Next tires. They have 12,000 miles on them and appeared to have a bit of life left. But after he checked them with the depth gauge we decided that they will be replaced next week. I cannot complain about getting that many miles out of a set of bike tires and the dealer will put Tourance Nexts on again.
Before leaving I stopped in the showroom. Tytler is a Victory dealer and they have a few left in stock. My salesman said there are discounts available and people are interested in buying them. It was announced in January that Victory motorcycles will no longer be manufactured by Polaris and some buyers see it as an opportunity that won't come again. Polaris has promised to provide parts and service for ten years, so that gives new owners a certain sense of comfort, I suppose.
Once back outside I suited up and headed south on I 41. The mid day traffic moved smoothly and it was easy to keep a 70 mile per hour pace without a lot of lane changing. There is a big flyover under construction near Neenah, but otherwise the ride to Oshkosh was uneventful. I turned west on State Highway 21 and felt the wind from the north become a crosswind.
After passing through Omro and Redgranite I saw a sign for Lake Alpine County Park. Turning right, I went less than a mile before pulling into an empty parking lot. Late March and mid-week there was no one around to enjoy the beautiful setting. The lake was deep blue and it was easy to imagine the this as a great place for a summer picnic.
I instinctively slowed to the posted speed limit in Wild Rose and continued on toward Waupaca. It was getting progressively cooler as I got further north and the late afternoon sun began to slant. I had enjoyed the ride and kept the boxer engine purring north and east until I arrived back in the garage. The odometer indicated a ride of about 180 miles. Almost unbelievably more snow is forecast, so the bike is under cover until further notice.
Before donning my riding gear I disconnected the charger and walked the bike into the sunshine. It always warms the seat enough to make me forget that BMW did not offer heated seats on the 2011 model GSAs. My plan was to make a stop at my dealer to schedule the 24,000 mile service and then take that trip to Waupaca. The sand country of Waushara County is usually the warmest part of the state, so my early spring and late fall rides will tend to go in that direction.
The Beemer started right up and soon I was cruising into Tytler's Cycle in De Pere. I talked to the service representative about what needed to be done to the bike. Frustratingly for me, BMW does not publish a maintenance schedule in their owner's manuals. It is possible to find schedules online, but it still ends up being a discussion with the service department as to what needs to be done at the recommended 6000 mile service intervals. Once we had that part of the work scheduled we took a look at my Metzeler Tourance Next tires. They have 12,000 miles on them and appeared to have a bit of life left. But after he checked them with the depth gauge we decided that they will be replaced next week. I cannot complain about getting that many miles out of a set of bike tires and the dealer will put Tourance Nexts on again.
Before leaving I stopped in the showroom. Tytler is a Victory dealer and they have a few left in stock. My salesman said there are discounts available and people are interested in buying them. It was announced in January that Victory motorcycles will no longer be manufactured by Polaris and some buyers see it as an opportunity that won't come again. Polaris has promised to provide parts and service for ten years, so that gives new owners a certain sense of comfort, I suppose.
Once back outside I suited up and headed south on I 41. The mid day traffic moved smoothly and it was easy to keep a 70 mile per hour pace without a lot of lane changing. There is a big flyover under construction near Neenah, but otherwise the ride to Oshkosh was uneventful. I turned west on State Highway 21 and felt the wind from the north become a crosswind.
After passing through Omro and Redgranite I saw a sign for Lake Alpine County Park. Turning right, I went less than a mile before pulling into an empty parking lot. Late March and mid-week there was no one around to enjoy the beautiful setting. The lake was deep blue and it was easy to imagine the this as a great place for a summer picnic.
Back on the bike, I made a gas and beverage stop at the Kwik Trip in Wautoma. The place was busy, but they always have enough checkouts open to live up to the name on the building. When I pulled back out onto 21 the dash on my bike showed 58 degrees, about 10 more than it was back in Green Bay. The bright sunshine felt wonderful as I powered north onto State Highway 22 in Wautoma.
Monday, March 20, 2017
Campsites and Airports
The always unpredictable spring weather in Wisconsin provided a window of opportunity to ride today and I did not waste it. I was finishing a turkey sandwich as the thermometer crept up toward the magic 50 degree mark. My BMW GSA was already out in the thin, late morning sunshine soaking in whatever warmth was available.
As I cleaned up after lunch, my thoughts were on how hard the bike had worked to turn over last week. I had already decided that I was going to pack the Battery Tender again today just in case it was needed.
I keep my bikes and riding gear about three blocks from my house, at a duplex that I own. One side of it is sort of a man cave and I rent out the other side. There is a two stall garage with a wall between the two and I keep the bikes on one side. With an arrangement like this I have to remember to bring what I need from my house to the duplex. As I put on my riding gear I realized that last fall I did not leave any of the thick socks that I usually wear with my Sidi Canyon riding boots there. A little thing, but something to remember for the next ride.
After securing the snaps on my Olympia AST 2 I went out to crank up the big boxer engine. Today it turned over with no problem and I smiled as I pulled on my helmet and gloves. In a few minutes I was merging into noon day traffic on Highway 172.
I had planned to go west toward Waupaca, but the radar showed a batch of rain coming down from the northwest, to I decided to go up toward Door County. It was a little more windy than I anticipated, but I was comfortable as I took the Sturgeon Bay exit. I was not certain how far I wanted to get from Green Bay with the rain coming, but it felt so good to be out on the road.
Bayshore County Park is a good place to stop and take a short break. There are campsites and picnic tables available. Today there were only a couple of hardy souls out getting some fresh spring air. The road down to the boat landing was still off limits as the county barricade was across the road leading to the steep hill down to the bay. After taking a couple of pictures and returning a voice mail message, I rode east.
The wind was now a crosswind and was stronger than it had seemed as I was riding into it on the way north. The roads in Kewaunee County are familiar, but I usually turn south at Frog Station. Today I continued east into Rio Creek. I was quite surprised to note that there is an airport in Rio Creek. The county road here meets Wisconsin 54 and I turned back to the west here.
The ride to Green Bay was cool and windy, but it looked like the rain was going to miss northeast Wisconsin. So once I got back to town I took a quick ride out to Austin Straubel International Airport to see the new hangar going up on the east side of the terminal. It is being built to house the corporate jets of one of the local paper companies. They have two Dassault Falcon 2000 EX aircraft and it looks like they will have a comfortable new home.
As I headed for home I was glad to have had the bike out of town and stopped and started it a few times without any issues. It is due for service soon and I will be more confident in it once that is completed. The weather does not look too promising in the coming days, so the big Beemer is under cover and on the Battery Tender once again.
As I cleaned up after lunch, my thoughts were on how hard the bike had worked to turn over last week. I had already decided that I was going to pack the Battery Tender again today just in case it was needed.
I keep my bikes and riding gear about three blocks from my house, at a duplex that I own. One side of it is sort of a man cave and I rent out the other side. There is a two stall garage with a wall between the two and I keep the bikes on one side. With an arrangement like this I have to remember to bring what I need from my house to the duplex. As I put on my riding gear I realized that last fall I did not leave any of the thick socks that I usually wear with my Sidi Canyon riding boots there. A little thing, but something to remember for the next ride.
After securing the snaps on my Olympia AST 2 I went out to crank up the big boxer engine. Today it turned over with no problem and I smiled as I pulled on my helmet and gloves. In a few minutes I was merging into noon day traffic on Highway 172.
I had planned to go west toward Waupaca, but the radar showed a batch of rain coming down from the northwest, to I decided to go up toward Door County. It was a little more windy than I anticipated, but I was comfortable as I took the Sturgeon Bay exit. I was not certain how far I wanted to get from Green Bay with the rain coming, but it felt so good to be out on the road.
Bayshore County Park is a good place to stop and take a short break. There are campsites and picnic tables available. Today there were only a couple of hardy souls out getting some fresh spring air. The road down to the boat landing was still off limits as the county barricade was across the road leading to the steep hill down to the bay. After taking a couple of pictures and returning a voice mail message, I rode east.
The wind was now a crosswind and was stronger than it had seemed as I was riding into it on the way north. The roads in Kewaunee County are familiar, but I usually turn south at Frog Station. Today I continued east into Rio Creek. I was quite surprised to note that there is an airport in Rio Creek. The county road here meets Wisconsin 54 and I turned back to the west here.
The ride to Green Bay was cool and windy, but it looked like the rain was going to miss northeast Wisconsin. So once I got back to town I took a quick ride out to Austin Straubel International Airport to see the new hangar going up on the east side of the terminal. It is being built to house the corporate jets of one of the local paper companies. They have two Dassault Falcon 2000 EX aircraft and it looks like they will have a comfortable new home.
As I headed for home I was glad to have had the bike out of town and stopped and started it a few times without any issues. It is due for service soon and I will be more confident in it once that is completed. The weather does not look too promising in the coming days, so the big Beemer is under cover and on the Battery Tender once again.
Sunday, March 19, 2017
The 2017 Riding Season Underway
Two days ago I opened the garage door and began the motorcycling season. The thermometer read 25 degrees Fahrenheit, but the calendar said it's time to ride. My BMW R1200 GSA had been under cover and attached to a trickle charger for four long, dark and cold months. Enough was enough.
Last fall I had cleaned up the bike and removed the aluminum panniers so I could give them a good cleaning. Taking them off also left me more room in the garage for the snow removal equipment. All I needed to do to prepare the bike for riding was do a few checks and install the panniers. I used the portable air compressor to bring the tires up to the correct pressure and locked the panniers into place.
Yesterday dawned clear, sunny and cold. At 8 am it was only 22 degrees, but the forecast was for the high 30's. The roads were clear, although the local municipalities had treated them with something in anticipation of snow overnight. I had to go to my dad's for a few hours, so it was a great reason to get the bike out for it's 2017 debut.
The dash was flashing 33 and the little snowflake was pictured as I turned right out of the driveway. If you are not a rider, or you are able to ride year round, it is difficult to describe the euphoria involved in the first few miles each spring. The winter sometimes gives way to doubts about my riding capability, especially knowing that my Medicare card will turn up in my mailbox before Independence Day. So each year I get a warm glow as once again I experience the sheer joy of motorcycling.
Each spring, or technically, late winter, I never really know how much different the bike will feel after a few months off of it. The GSA is a big, heavy bike. I spend the winter pushing around the weights at the YMCA just to keep some semblance of muscle tone, but there will come a time when the bike is too big for me. Happily, that time is not now. There is also the issue of the motorcycle itself. It is great to hear the iconic boxer engine start, but then I find myself listening closely to make sure it sounds just as sweet as it did in November. I pay attention to handling and cornering, aware that I am riding on cold tires on cold roads. The local dealer warned me of this after one of his salesman dropped a bike leading a potential customer on an early season ride.
After a few city miles, I opened up the 1200 cc powerplant on the local interstate highway. It merged easily into traffic as I yanked the face shield on my Shoei Neotec to the closed position. The motor purred as the needle rushed past 75 miles per hour. All too soon I was at my exit and headed back into town to put in a shift caring for my dad.
I was still a little nervous because of how difficult it was to get the bike started, so after a couple of hours I went out and pressed the starter button. It started just like the day I bought it five years ago. I took this opportunity to reset the clock so it would reflect the change to Daylight Savings Time last week.
On my way back home I took the big twin out over the Tower Drive bridge and onto I 43. The weather had warmed into the high thirties and the sun was blissfully bright. As I pulled off the highway I wished that I had more time to enjoy this first day of riding.
Today I woke to snow covered streets and cloudy skies. There is an old saying about making hay when the sun shines and it applies to motorcycling here in America's Dairyland.
Yesterday dawned clear, sunny and cold. At 8 am it was only 22 degrees, but the forecast was for the high 30's. The roads were clear, although the local municipalities had treated them with something in anticipation of snow overnight. I had to go to my dad's for a few hours, so it was a great reason to get the bike out for it's 2017 debut.
Before I donned my jacket and helmet, I wheeled the big Beemer out into the bright sunshine. Once I had my riding gear on I came out to start it up and let it warm for a few minutes. It started harder than I thought it would, so I threw the charger into one of the bags in case I needed it. I checked the lights front and rear, brake light and turn signals before toeing the German beast into first gear.
The dash was flashing 33 and the little snowflake was pictured as I turned right out of the driveway. If you are not a rider, or you are able to ride year round, it is difficult to describe the euphoria involved in the first few miles each spring. The winter sometimes gives way to doubts about my riding capability, especially knowing that my Medicare card will turn up in my mailbox before Independence Day. So each year I get a warm glow as once again I experience the sheer joy of motorcycling.
Each spring, or technically, late winter, I never really know how much different the bike will feel after a few months off of it. The GSA is a big, heavy bike. I spend the winter pushing around the weights at the YMCA just to keep some semblance of muscle tone, but there will come a time when the bike is too big for me. Happily, that time is not now. There is also the issue of the motorcycle itself. It is great to hear the iconic boxer engine start, but then I find myself listening closely to make sure it sounds just as sweet as it did in November. I pay attention to handling and cornering, aware that I am riding on cold tires on cold roads. The local dealer warned me of this after one of his salesman dropped a bike leading a potential customer on an early season ride.
After a few city miles, I opened up the 1200 cc powerplant on the local interstate highway. It merged easily into traffic as I yanked the face shield on my Shoei Neotec to the closed position. The motor purred as the needle rushed past 75 miles per hour. All too soon I was at my exit and headed back into town to put in a shift caring for my dad.
I was still a little nervous because of how difficult it was to get the bike started, so after a couple of hours I went out and pressed the starter button. It started just like the day I bought it five years ago. I took this opportunity to reset the clock so it would reflect the change to Daylight Savings Time last week.
On my way back home I took the big twin out over the Tower Drive bridge and onto I 43. The weather had warmed into the high thirties and the sun was blissfully bright. As I pulled off the highway I wished that I had more time to enjoy this first day of riding.
Today I woke to snow covered streets and cloudy skies. There is an old saying about making hay when the sun shines and it applies to motorcycling here in America's Dairyland.
Sunday, March 12, 2017
BMWs from Brazil and Harleys from India
Once the calendar turns to March I expect the weather to allow me to get out my two wheeled treasures and put on some early season miles. This year the bikes are still in storage, but my motorcycling passion has led me to researching some information on where my favorite brands of bikes are produced. President Trump has made a lot of racket about bringing manufacturing jobs back to America and imposing steep tariffs on imports, so I wanted to learn more about BMW and Harley Davidson motorcycle production.
BMW made news last fall with the announcement of its first assembly plant in South America. BMW Motorrad is building several variations of their high end bikes in Manaus, Brazil. I only learned of it while paging through a magazine at Barnes and Noble this week. The German bike builder will begin by building the F 700 GS at the new plant. However, there are plans to add manufacturing of the F800R, F800GS, R1200GS, R1200GSA, S1000R and possibly the S1000XR. The company employs 175 workers and will produce 10,000 bikes annually. At this time the bikes are being built for the local market. BMW is building the G310 in India and sources parts from plants throughout Europe, but this is their first production facility in South America.
This is an example of how the global economy operates and how manufacturers cannot be bound by national borders. The demand for BMW motorcycles is strong in South America and the company is responding to meet that demand. Peter Vogel, Production Director of BMW Motorrad in Manaus stated that, "BMW Motorrad Brazil is focusing its strategy on sustainable growth, based on domestic market potential. With our local production, we hope to increase sales significantly. Domestic production, starting with the F 700 GS, guarantees even more availability and fast response to local demand, which is important to the success of our business in Brazil."
The American Motorcycle Association Flat Track season is just around the corner and Harley Davidson has a completely new motorcycle for the popular series. After many seasons racing and winning with the venerable XR 750, the new entry is the water cooled XG 750 R. The new racebike is based on Harley's entry level motorcycle, the Street 750. When the Street was announced a few years ago, it made headlines because it was being produced in India. However, Harley executives made it clear that those bikes would only be sold in India and several countries in Europe. The Street 750 bikes for North American sales are built in Kansas City.
Harley offers 13 different models from each of their Street, Sportster, Dyna, Softail and Touring lines of motorcycles. More than half of these models are produced at the assembly unit at Bawal, in Haryana. These bikes are for local markets and allow Harley Davidson to avoid the high tariffs that India imposes on heavyweight motorcycles.
Anoop Prokash is now the managing director Harley Davidson Canada, but he was the man who spearheaded Harley's introduction of heavyweight motorcycles to India in 2009. He overcame the Indian skepticism of big bikes by organizing rides and parades throughout the country. By showing people that Harleys were meant for Indian roads and the Indian people, Prokash was successful in selling the brand.
Reading about motorcycle manufacturing, wherever it occurs, is interesting. But it is no substitute for riding and I hope to be able write about my first ride of 2017 soon.
BMW made news last fall with the announcement of its first assembly plant in South America. BMW Motorrad is building several variations of their high end bikes in Manaus, Brazil. I only learned of it while paging through a magazine at Barnes and Noble this week. The German bike builder will begin by building the F 700 GS at the new plant. However, there are plans to add manufacturing of the F800R, F800GS, R1200GS, R1200GSA, S1000R and possibly the S1000XR. The company employs 175 workers and will produce 10,000 bikes annually. At this time the bikes are being built for the local market. BMW is building the G310 in India and sources parts from plants throughout Europe, but this is their first production facility in South America.
This is an example of how the global economy operates and how manufacturers cannot be bound by national borders. The demand for BMW motorcycles is strong in South America and the company is responding to meet that demand. Peter Vogel, Production Director of BMW Motorrad in Manaus stated that, "BMW Motorrad Brazil is focusing its strategy on sustainable growth, based on domestic market potential. With our local production, we hope to increase sales significantly. Domestic production, starting with the F 700 GS, guarantees even more availability and fast response to local demand, which is important to the success of our business in Brazil."
The American Motorcycle Association Flat Track season is just around the corner and Harley Davidson has a completely new motorcycle for the popular series. After many seasons racing and winning with the venerable XR 750, the new entry is the water cooled XG 750 R. The new racebike is based on Harley's entry level motorcycle, the Street 750. When the Street was announced a few years ago, it made headlines because it was being produced in India. However, Harley executives made it clear that those bikes would only be sold in India and several countries in Europe. The Street 750 bikes for North American sales are built in Kansas City.
Harley offers 13 different models from each of their Street, Sportster, Dyna, Softail and Touring lines of motorcycles. More than half of these models are produced at the assembly unit at Bawal, in Haryana. These bikes are for local markets and allow Harley Davidson to avoid the high tariffs that India imposes on heavyweight motorcycles.
Anoop Prokash is now the managing director Harley Davidson Canada, but he was the man who spearheaded Harley's introduction of heavyweight motorcycles to India in 2009. He overcame the Indian skepticism of big bikes by organizing rides and parades throughout the country. By showing people that Harleys were meant for Indian roads and the Indian people, Prokash was successful in selling the brand.
Reading about motorcycle manufacturing, wherever it occurs, is interesting. But it is no substitute for riding and I hope to be able write about my first ride of 2017 soon.
Wednesday, February 22, 2017
Mama Tried Motorcycle Show
The Mama Tried Motorcycle Show attracted over 100 bikes to a warehouse in Milwaukee just a few blocks from the Harley Davidson Museum. In fact, there were a couple of bikes at the Mama Tried show that would not have been out of place in Harley's showcase.
Mama Tried is a three day event that brings together bike builders of all types. The bikes are displayed on an upper floor of a warehouse that is a perfect venue for these creations. There are choppers, hill climbers, drag bikes and antique motorcycles. The weekend also includes a night of indoor flat track racing at the BMO Harris Center in downtown Milwaukee. There was ice racing scheduled for Sunday, but the unseasonably warm weather forced its cancellation.
I arrived in Milwaukee shortly after the venue opened late on Sunday morning and found a parking spot several blocks away. The area around the warehouse is becoming gentrified and some of the other former warehouses advertised loft apartments for rent. Locals sat outside nearby restaurants enjoying the sunshine as they waited for a table to open up. Motorcycles were backed up to the curbs, an unlikely site during February in Wisconsin.
Upon entering the big old building I was impressed with the ambience and how it seemed the perfect place to display these heavily modified bikes. I was reminded of the scene in the Discovery Channel's recent history of early years of Harley Davidson and people working on their bikes in an abandoned warehouse.This seemed like just the place you would find people who could earn a living making things with their hands.
The first display I visited featured Harley racing machines. One of them was the new flat tracker based on Harley's XG 750 Street. The new racer will be facing off against an equally new entry from Indian this summer in the America Motorcycle Association's Flat Track race series this summer. Their first head to head meeting will be at the Arizona Mile on 13 May. There were several examples of this bike in the show. One was at the Vance and Hines exhibit as V & H provides the exhaust system for the racing editions of the XG 750.
After spending a few moments imagining the new Harley racebike tearing up the Springfield Mile, I walked into the vendor area. Along with the usual suspects like Vance and Hines and S & S Motors, there were a lot of vendors I had never heard of. They were all there to provide items that promised to make your motorcycle different from anyone else's. Exhausts, pegs, various types of lighting, and engine upgrades were all on offer. One thing I noticed was that most all of the vendors are selling shirts, hats, and other items with the company's name and logo. There is a big market for these and the companies make a good percentage of their profits selling the merch.
But the real attraction of Mama Tried is the ingenuity builders demonstrate when using any of these products. It was a 180 degree turn from what I saw last week at the Chicago Motorcycle Show. In Chicago the manufacturers exhibited bikes that were engineered to within an inch of their lives and then test marketed to a particular demographic. Only after what could be years of development did the bikes see the light of day. These bikes were the product of one person's imagination and his or her determination to bring the motorcycle from dream to reality.
Some of the owners were available to answer questions and talk about their creations. They varied from bikes that used off the shelf parts to some that looked to be made with whatever parts happened to be available at the time. No matter how they were pieced together, there was a story behind each one. One of my favorites was a BMW airhead that had been massaged by Analog Motorcycles.
Mama Tried has only been around for three years , but it already has the feel of an important event for builders and riders. It is an opportunity for builders and potential customers to get together in an informal environment and share ideas. It is through those conversations that imaginations are fired and dreams begin to become reality.
Mama Tried is a three day event that brings together bike builders of all types. The bikes are displayed on an upper floor of a warehouse that is a perfect venue for these creations. There are choppers, hill climbers, drag bikes and antique motorcycles. The weekend also includes a night of indoor flat track racing at the BMO Harris Center in downtown Milwaukee. There was ice racing scheduled for Sunday, but the unseasonably warm weather forced its cancellation.
I arrived in Milwaukee shortly after the venue opened late on Sunday morning and found a parking spot several blocks away. The area around the warehouse is becoming gentrified and some of the other former warehouses advertised loft apartments for rent. Locals sat outside nearby restaurants enjoying the sunshine as they waited for a table to open up. Motorcycles were backed up to the curbs, an unlikely site during February in Wisconsin.
Upon entering the big old building I was impressed with the ambience and how it seemed the perfect place to display these heavily modified bikes. I was reminded of the scene in the Discovery Channel's recent history of early years of Harley Davidson and people working on their bikes in an abandoned warehouse.This seemed like just the place you would find people who could earn a living making things with their hands.
The first display I visited featured Harley racing machines. One of them was the new flat tracker based on Harley's XG 750 Street. The new racer will be facing off against an equally new entry from Indian this summer in the America Motorcycle Association's Flat Track race series this summer. Their first head to head meeting will be at the Arizona Mile on 13 May. There were several examples of this bike in the show. One was at the Vance and Hines exhibit as V & H provides the exhaust system for the racing editions of the XG 750.
After spending a few moments imagining the new Harley racebike tearing up the Springfield Mile, I walked into the vendor area. Along with the usual suspects like Vance and Hines and S & S Motors, there were a lot of vendors I had never heard of. They were all there to provide items that promised to make your motorcycle different from anyone else's. Exhausts, pegs, various types of lighting, and engine upgrades were all on offer. One thing I noticed was that most all of the vendors are selling shirts, hats, and other items with the company's name and logo. There is a big market for these and the companies make a good percentage of their profits selling the merch.
But the real attraction of Mama Tried is the ingenuity builders demonstrate when using any of these products. It was a 180 degree turn from what I saw last week at the Chicago Motorcycle Show. In Chicago the manufacturers exhibited bikes that were engineered to within an inch of their lives and then test marketed to a particular demographic. Only after what could be years of development did the bikes see the light of day. These bikes were the product of one person's imagination and his or her determination to bring the motorcycle from dream to reality.
Some of the owners were available to answer questions and talk about their creations. They varied from bikes that used off the shelf parts to some that looked to be made with whatever parts happened to be available at the time. No matter how they were pieced together, there was a story behind each one. One of my favorites was a BMW airhead that had been massaged by Analog Motorcycles.
Wednesday, February 15, 2017
Chicago Motorcycle Show
The winters in Wisconsin start early and seem to last longer than really necessary. But each February motorcyclists get the opportunity to bask in all things related to their two wheel passion at the International Motorcycle Show (IMS) in Chicago. The IMS is a traveling show that begins in Long Beach, CA, in November and makes five stops before the final show in Chicago. The event brings together motorcycle manufacturers and vendors that produce motorcycle clothing and accessories. There are representatives from various motorcycle clubs, insurance companies, attorneys, and chamber of commerce types encouraging riders to visit their neck of the woods.
One of the local bike shops offered a bus ride down to the show and I took advantage of the opportunity. Due to some logistical difficulty we got off to a bit of a late start, but soon we were settled into our coach bus seats and on our way. After a few announcements, the trip sponsor popped the Discovery Channel documentary "Harley and the Davidsons" into the DVD player. By time the show was over we were getting off the bus in the covered parking area outside the convention center.
My first stop was the Harley Davidson exhibit. I was hoping to be able to sit on the new Road King Special, but the only example there was up on a kind of a stage. It looked good, but the regular Road King with all the chrome was parked right next to it. At a quick glance it was hard to justify a couple thousand dollars more for the Special when it did not look as flashy as the normal Road King. I sat on the Sportster Roadster, but that bike looks more appealing than it feels.
I was also interested in getting up close to the new BMW 1600B, but it was the same situation as the Harley RKS. It was inside a velvet rope and spinning around. I liked the looks of it, but the price will probably be breathtaking. I did have the opportunity to sit on the S1000RR and S1000R. They both felt good, but either one would be a big change in riding style for me. The coolest thing I did there was put on the virtual reality goggles while sitting on a BMW S1000RR. The VR allowed me to experience riding a track somewhere in Spain while racing other riders. It was my first VR experience and was quite enjoyable.
After a quick sit on the big KTM Adventure bikes I headed over to Ducati. The most popular model there was the new Supersport. There was an endless number of people waiting to sit on that bike, so I will have to wait until one shows up at my dealer. I would really like to test ride one of those. I was looking at the Multistrada and some guy offered to take my picture on the bike, so I took him up on it. It is an impressive bike, but I am not interested in getting rid of my 2011 BMW R1200 GSA.
The other manufacturers do not interest me so much, but I made a quick walk through them all. One cool feature in the Yamaha area was Cooper Webb's 250 motocrosser. He is riding the 450s now, but it was neat to see his old bike.
The apparel and motorcycle gear vendors were about the same as past years. I usually spend some time trying on the Arai and Shoei helmet offerings, but after just purchasing a new lid from Harley Davidson, I did not spend much time on that. Most of the clothing is lower end stuff, although Klim was there this year. They make excellent gear. I would be interested in seeing Sidi bring their boots and Olympia bring their riding gear to the show.
As far as gear for the bike, there were not too many parts and tire manufacturers represented. I was hoping that Cobra exhaust would be at the event. I put Cobra slip on mufflers on my 2016 Harley Davidson FXDL S and have a few questions about them. I would have had a few questions for a Metzeler tire representative too, but they were no shows. My BMW needs tires soon, and will get a new set of Metzeler Tourance Nexts.
I took a little break and went to the restaurant attached to the exhibit hall. The line was longer and slower than usual, but the cheeseburger and fries were as tasty as always. After lunch, I made one more trip through the exhibits and dashed for the exit. The bus was ready and by 4 pm we were on our way home. I dug through my collection of brochures and did a little reading until it got dark. Another DVD appeared on the screen and by the time the credits were rolling on "Wild Hogs", we were pulling into the dealership parking lot.
One of the local bike shops offered a bus ride down to the show and I took advantage of the opportunity. Due to some logistical difficulty we got off to a bit of a late start, but soon we were settled into our coach bus seats and on our way. After a few announcements, the trip sponsor popped the Discovery Channel documentary "Harley and the Davidsons" into the DVD player. By time the show was over we were getting off the bus in the covered parking area outside the convention center.
My first stop was the Harley Davidson exhibit. I was hoping to be able to sit on the new Road King Special, but the only example there was up on a kind of a stage. It looked good, but the regular Road King with all the chrome was parked right next to it. At a quick glance it was hard to justify a couple thousand dollars more for the Special when it did not look as flashy as the normal Road King. I sat on the Sportster Roadster, but that bike looks more appealing than it feels.
I was also interested in getting up close to the new BMW 1600B, but it was the same situation as the Harley RKS. It was inside a velvet rope and spinning around. I liked the looks of it, but the price will probably be breathtaking. I did have the opportunity to sit on the S1000RR and S1000R. They both felt good, but either one would be a big change in riding style for me. The coolest thing I did there was put on the virtual reality goggles while sitting on a BMW S1000RR. The VR allowed me to experience riding a track somewhere in Spain while racing other riders. It was my first VR experience and was quite enjoyable.
After a quick sit on the big KTM Adventure bikes I headed over to Ducati. The most popular model there was the new Supersport. There was an endless number of people waiting to sit on that bike, so I will have to wait until one shows up at my dealer. I would really like to test ride one of those. I was looking at the Multistrada and some guy offered to take my picture on the bike, so I took him up on it. It is an impressive bike, but I am not interested in getting rid of my 2011 BMW R1200 GSA.
The other manufacturers do not interest me so much, but I made a quick walk through them all. One cool feature in the Yamaha area was Cooper Webb's 250 motocrosser. He is riding the 450s now, but it was neat to see his old bike.
The apparel and motorcycle gear vendors were about the same as past years. I usually spend some time trying on the Arai and Shoei helmet offerings, but after just purchasing a new lid from Harley Davidson, I did not spend much time on that. Most of the clothing is lower end stuff, although Klim was there this year. They make excellent gear. I would be interested in seeing Sidi bring their boots and Olympia bring their riding gear to the show.
As far as gear for the bike, there were not too many parts and tire manufacturers represented. I was hoping that Cobra exhaust would be at the event. I put Cobra slip on mufflers on my 2016 Harley Davidson FXDL S and have a few questions about them. I would have had a few questions for a Metzeler tire representative too, but they were no shows. My BMW needs tires soon, and will get a new set of Metzeler Tourance Nexts.
I took a little break and went to the restaurant attached to the exhibit hall. The line was longer and slower than usual, but the cheeseburger and fries were as tasty as always. After lunch, I made one more trip through the exhibits and dashed for the exit. The bus was ready and by 4 pm we were on our way home. I dug through my collection of brochures and did a little reading until it got dark. Another DVD appeared on the screen and by the time the credits were rolling on "Wild Hogs", we were pulling into the dealership parking lot.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)