I don't know if any of the motorcycle magazines have run performance comparisons between the Yamaha FZ6 versus the Harley-Davidson Sportster 883, but it seems like these two bikes are indeed comparable in many ways, yet quite different in others.
But having only ridden cruisers, and not being all that familiar with sportbikes, I hadn't realized that these two bikes are similar in one other way: they're both considered beginner bikes.
The story goes back to last week when I was hanging out with some fellow riders at a Wings And Things in Murrieta, CA. Two of the guys there were from the local metric motorcycle dealer, one guy a salesman, and the other a wrench. Both were sportbike riders.
So I asked them what they thought about the Yamaha FZ6. I explained that I was actually interested in buying one, because I wanted something that could handle the twisties better than my Harley-Davidson Ultra Classic, that was a lot lighter, and was priced low. And the Yamaha FZ6 fits that bill.
Yamaha FZ6
They said, "The FZ6 is a good bike, but it's a beginner bike. In six months you're just going to want the R6. Since you already have a lot of experience riding motorcycles, my advice is to just buy the R6."
The R6 is Yamaha's 600cc sportbike. That is, it's a true sportbike. Whereas, the FZ6 is actually a 600cc standard, when you consider the more upright riding position and different gearing. The FZ6 simply has a sporty look, and often ends up being called a sportbike.
Their answer made me stop to think a moment.
Suddenly I saw myself seriously considering buying the sportbike equivalent of a Harley-Davidson Sportster 883.
I'm actually one of those guys who tells newbie riders to avoid the 883 Sportster, and get some kind of Twin-Cam based Harley. They're bigger bikes, more expensive, but you're going to want one anyways, and why put yourself through the hassel of selling off an 883 that you won't get full value for.
And so for a couple of days following, I found myself pricing R6's, which are all priced at $10,000. The FZ6 on the other hand, is priced at $7,000.
But then I forgot something important. I wanted to buy the FZ6 because it handles the twisties better, it's more lightweight than my Harley, and it's priced low. I never wanted it for power. But it still has power, generating 98hp tops, and weighing in at only 459 pounds. It's going to blow my Ultra Classic away as it is.
So I've forgotten about the R6, and am back to looking at the FZ6 again.
But I just can't afford to buy it now. I have some debts to get rid of first. It'll probably be after the 2010 FZ6 comes out that I'll seriously think about parting with my money.
But as far as the FZ6 being considered a beginner bike, well so be it. I'm not buying for that reason anyhow. But I wonder how many sportbike riders out there decide to buy an 883 Sportster just because they want to experience the joy of riding a Harley? Well, I just can't see them buying the 883.
After all the news that Myrtle Beach Bike Week was going to be cancelled, the obvious happened: bikers are still going to Myrtle Beach to party.
Well, maybe not in Myrtle Beach itself, but all outside the city limits.
Myrtle Beach Harley-Davidson, the local Harley dealer there, sent out a press release reminding everyone that just because the City of Myrtle Beach passed some laws that would punish bikers for making a peep in their town, those laws don't extend outside of the city. And apparently, that's where the dealer is trying to move the event to.
"Many tourists wrongly believe that Myrtle Beach is synonymous with the 60-mile-long 'Grand Strand' that is visited by more than 14 million tourists annually," said Mike Shank, marketing director for Myrtle Beach Harley-Davidson. "In reality, the City of Myrtle Beach is just a small town inside of Horry County. It only has 25,000 residents. To the north, south and west of Myrtle Beach is the much-larger Grand Strand community where there are many restaurants, bars, recreational facilities and accommodations. Horry County has more than 250,000 residents and they are preparing their businesses to welcome bikers."
Except now they're calling it "Cruisin' The Coast", and will take place May 8-17, all along the Grand Strand, except for the Myrtle Beach part. Here's the official website...
That's exactly what happened with the Hollister Motorcycle Rally a few years ago. The city tried to shut it down, except bikers still went there anyways and found the rally going on outside of city limits.
So if you want to do some "sticking to the man", show up on your scooter anyways, and the keep tradition rolling.
I knew it all along, this new Honda Fury that everyone's been raving about is just another VTX. They took their VTX 1300 engine (1312cc, 52°) and slapped it on a different chassis.
And now metric fanatics are saying this is going to erode away at Harley's market.
Yeah, right, as if the VTX ever eroded away at Harley's market.
Ok, it looks like a nice bike. I'm not sure I like the radiator on a raked out bike. But, I'm sure Honda will sell these things. But they'll only sell them to people who already love the VTX. They're not going to sell them to Harley riders.
Either you're a Honda rider, or a Harley rider, or a Yamaha rider. Brand loyalty is pretty fierce in the cruiser world. This bike isn't going to take any more sales away from Harley than Harley has taken away from Honda.
The problem with Honda, which Dale Franks identified, is that they don't invest themselves into the cruiser-riding community. Harley is always doing stuff with its customer base, reaching out to them, and even riding with them, mainly because what Harley sells is a lifestyle, not so much a motorcycle.
Whereas Honda is throwing motorcycles at people who are wanting to buy a lifestyle.
The price of oil affects the price of everything: food, dining, durable goods, travel industry, plastics, urban sprawl, just about everything.
Had the price of oil kept going higher, $5.00 a gallon and up, I would have curtailed my joy riding habits, by more staying closer to home, and on fewer days. As long as it keeps going down, I can at least still ride.
And when I ride, I usually stop somewhere for a bite to eat. And as long as I keep riding, I'll have to maintain my motorcycle and purchase new tires, oil, filters, etc. I'm still spending money.
In a world so dependent on oil for everything, it makes sense to me that we need cheap oil to get the economy back on track.
But the most lasting blow to the San Gabriel Valley-based bikers may be down the road: In an unusual maneuver, the feds are also seeking to seize control of the Mongols' trademarked name, which is typically accompanied by its cherished insignia -- a ponytailed Genghis Khan-like figure riding a chopper.
This makes the feds no different than a rival motorcycle gang. It's not uncommon for a motorcycle club to collect the patches of a smaller club, and effectively put it out of business.
And what good would it do to take away the name and logo from a club? It's members are still out there, and will seek to continue their ways under another name and logo.
I guess if the feds can buy control of banks and mortgage lenders, they can also seize control of trademarks and logos. That's a scary thought when you consider Barack Obama is about to become the next President.
Next thing you know, Obama and the liberals will want a law that requires every club to register their name and patch with the feds.
I won't defend the Mongols or any other club, but I don't like the idea of government seizing ownership of private property under the guise of protecting the public, especially when property itself can't commit any crimes.
The biker community here in Southern California, for over a year now, has built a perception that the city of Temecula does not want them around.
Now, the city's Chief of Police is trying to change that.
Since that time, motorcyclists have posted messages on various Internet forums that the powers at be in Temecula are trying shoo all riders away from the city, particularly in its historic section known as "Old Town". Some motorcyclists even have gone on to call for a general boycott of Temecula, after being ticketed by local police for ticky-tacky violations ranging from non-DOT helmets, aftermarket exhaust, and not coming to a full and complete stop at intersections.
Jerry Williams, Temecula's Chief of Police explained to me in an interview today, that the ticketing is true, but the allegations that Temecula doesn't want bikers around is not.
"We want all motorcycle riders to know that they are welcome in Temecula", Williams said. "We WANT their business".
Williams went on to tell me that he specifically gave instructions to his police officers to "use more discretion", before pulling over and ticketing motorcycle riders. The word "discretion" is what he specifically used. He told me that he doesn't want bikers being pulled over for non-DOT helmets or aftermarket exhaust. He just wants to keep the peace, and go after the riders going out of their way to be excessively loud.
But he did admit that over the past several months, and perhaps even longer, that his police officers went overboard.
The History
The story goes back a over a year ago when long time business owners within Old Town began complaining about loud noises coming from a variety of sources, including people playing their music too loud, barking dogs, and of course motorcycles. This was documented in a newspaper article dated July 25, 2007...
Up until then, the Old Town of Temecula was a quiet little weekend getaway where folks traveled to peruse the abundance of antiques, wines and cheeses. But during the housing boom of the late 1990s and early 2000s, the City of Temecula grew quickly, and Old Town found itself crowded with people. The local restaurants in Old Town became popular hang-outs for motorcyclists from as far away as San Diego, Orange County, and San Bernardino. Those owners of antique shops now complained over the excessive noise, and seemingly blamed the motorcycles.
The complaints started from one particular antique shop owner who I'm leaving nameless. He'd park his car along the main drag of Old Town, "Front Street". Everytime a loud motorcycle rode by, his car alarm would go off, and he'd have to reset it. Fed up, he started complaining to the city council about it, and managed to get a couple of other business owners to back him up.
The city council relayed the message to Jerry Williams, the Chief of Police. Williams then added some motor officers to patrol Old Town and cite bikers who appeared to be making excessive noise. Williams said that he instructed his officers to cite only those bikers who were going out of their way to make noise, show off, or deliberately pump their throttle to set off car alarms.
Originally, that's what the officers did. But over time, it got out of hand. The problem was that there was no oversight on these officers, and it turned into a feeding frenzy, like sharks smelling blood. Officers expanded things to where they pulled over bikers for wearing non-DOT helmets, even though they were riding quietly. Even if they were riding quietly, they got pulled over just for having aftermarket exhaust.
Many bikers don't necessarily put both feet on the ground when coming to a stop sign, but they still wait their turn, and still make sure they can enter the intersection safely. But yet, they were cited for not coming to a full and complete stop.
Eventually the biker-busting got worse. Local business owners described witnessing local police setting up something akin to a fishing net, where they would trap every motorcyclist within the main drag of Old Town, pull them over as a group, and cite them en masse for anything they could find.
I asked Williams if this actually happened and he said, "that doesn't surprise me at all". He went on to say that one day he was looking at the tickets that had been written and found that 60 motorcycles were ticketed for non-DOT helmets and aftermarket exhaust over three consecutive weekends.
Ken Rauton, the owner of Swing Inn Cafe, was one of the business owners who witnessed the "fishing net" activity and was concerned that it would eventually cause his business to suffer. His cafe is one of the popular destinations among motorcyclists. "It takes years to build up a trust among my clientele", Rauton told me in an interview. "But it takes only a weekend to destroy it all."
Bikers Are Not Welcome
After witnessing that "fishing net" style bust, one of the ticketed motorcyclist ended up walking into Rauton's cafe. Rauton noticed him and asked him what had happened. The biker showed him the ticket and explained it was for wearing a non-DOT helmet. The biker also told Rauton that the officer who wrote the ticket said, "Your kind aren't welcome in this town".
It was that blatant warning, issued from a city policeman, that sent Rauton on a mission to figure out how such a sentiment took root in Temecula.
He started talking to every business owner in Old Town, who eventually clued him in on that one antique shop owner who started the complaints. That owner has since regretted making that complaint, arguing that he only wanted police to get tough on the few bikers that were going overboard on making excessive noise. He never expected police to go on a feeding frenzy and conduct these "fishing net" style biker busts and ruin business for the restaurant owners. He has since talked to city council members, the Chief of Police, and the City Manager, to "ease up".
I asked Rauton if his Swing Inn Cafe has suffered a drop in business. He shook it off saying that it hasn't yet. However, he said he's worried that it eventually will if cops continue going crazy with their ticketing madness.
Rauton also found an ally in Ron Muir, the owner of Slap'N Leather, a biker accessories store also in Old Town. Muir opened his business only a year ago, seeing the area as a popular destination for motorcyclists. Muir claims the city's crack down on motorcyclists has made it tough for his business to grow. Since talking with Rauton, and that repentent antique shop owner, he too has addressed the city council with pleas to ease up on ticketing bikers.
But Muir wants to go even further, suggesting to the city council that Temecula organize an antique motorcycle show inside Old Town, to send a signal that the city wants bikers back. "I think an antique motorcycle show in Old Town will fix everything in one shot", says Muir. "We can erase the boycott just like that".
That boycott Muir eluded to is the one that several disgruntled bikers have called for on various Internet forums. Being that he's in the motorcycle business and rides frequently, Muir has heard other bikers express concerns about riding into Old Town to visit his store.
Here's an actual forum post on HDForums where a ticketed biker called for a boycott. Read all the responses to his boycott...
The person who wrote that post, "ElSexton" said that when Temecula police wrote him a ticket for aftermarket exhaust, they said they didn't want to do this to him, but that they were ordered to do so. Obviously, this came from the top.
And so that's what both Rauton and Muir did in response. They started by calling Jerry Williams, the Chief of Police. Then they called city council members, and they called the City Manager. Williams subsequently visited them both, and assured them that things would change, and that bikers would no longer be harrassed. But, Williams did say that his officers will still go after the few bad apples ruining it for everyone.
Bringing the Bikers Back
So it seems that the matter of Temecula police getting tough on motorcyclists may have come to a climax, and is now at a point of healing. After talking to Williams, I do feel convinced, at least he sounds very genuine about this. The question is if that genuineness passes down to the patrol officers.
Williams even went on to say that he's a Harley rider himself, and that his bike has aftermarket exhaust, and he even said to me that he believes in "Loud Pipes Save Lives". He said that his original instructions to go after the bikers who are going overboard wasn't interpreted correctly, and that he has now given new instructions to his officers to "use more discretion".
Now, both Rauton and Muir want to get the message out to motorcyclists everywhere that all the businesses in Old Town really do want the bikers there.
Williams actually told me that he's planning to find all the motorcycle forums and post messages there that the out-of-control ticketing will cease. Rauton himself has already started doing this..
Both Ken Rauton, and Ron Muir would love to hear from bikers on this matter...
If you like riding Harley-Davidson V-Rods, and you happen to be a San Diego Chargers fan, now you've got a problem: coming up with $100.00 for the raffle ticket.
Community Options is the group that's raffling this off. Their limiting the raffle to just 1,000 tickets overall, so you've got a decent chance. The money goes to help them provide job placements for disabled and mentally handicapped people.
The only problem I see with this bike is that it's got a lot of scribbling on the gas tank. But I think with enough elbow grease, you can buff all that stuff out. :)
You drive the bike into this thing, and put it in neutral. Your tires sit on belts that make them spin around so that they can clean the wheels. It costs $10.00 to do the whole thing.
When I wash my Ultra Classic Electra Glide, I take care not to spray water directly at the dash board. It's hard to tell from this video if that's what this machine does or not.
What they need is some kind of coffee shop or snack bar where riders can hang out and mingle while their bikes are getting washed.
The State Journal-Register, a newspaper serving Springfield, IL, reported a couple of weeks ago that Harley may be planning to build smaller motorcycles, perhaps to sell overseas...
Hall predicts Harley-Davidson will roll out smaller bikes than Sportsters with 883-cubic-inch engines, currently the smallest available. With smaller models, Harley would be in a position to appeal to a broader segment of the market, he said.
Harley brand certainly is very strong in the Asian markets, and folks over there actually have a love affair with everything American.
The person quoted above is actually the owner of a Harley dealership, not anyone from corporate. I don't believe that even the dealers know what The Motor Company is up to. But it makes sense.
The Chinese, Japanese, Indians, and all them out there will buy up Harleys if they could afford them. Harley doesn't have to price their bikes competively, they just have to bring them within reach of the masses.
But second, many countries make it difficult for residents to register large displacement motorcycles.
Harley actually has a small displacement motorcycle already, the Cagiva Raptor 125. They acquired it through their purchase of MV Agusta last July. All they need to do is slap the Harley name on the tank, and start shipping them.
Just got my bike back from the shop, TMS, an indie shop, and they had to replace the front motor mount on my HD Ultra Classic.
They said Harley came out with a new type of rubber for their motor mounts. I'm not aware how recent they came out with this.
Anyways, my bike now shakes and rattles like a mobile home in a tornado. Apparently, Harley is saying things should settle down after about 500-800 miles of riding. If not, I'm going to have to take it back to the shop, and have them install a different mount.
I mean, it shakes so much, the numbers on my speedometer are blurry.
It's ok when you idle. But as soon as you put it in gear, it's like an earthquake.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced today that Kawasaki Motors Corp. USA issued a recall notice on its ZX14 motorcycles due to a faulty rear suspension.
Below is the full recall notice...
Make / Model/ Build Years: KAWASAKI / ZX14 / 2006-2007
Manufacturer : KAWASAKI MOTORS CORP., U.S.A.
Mfr's Report Date : MAY 12, 2008
NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID Number : 08V222000 PE08021
NHTSA Action Number: PE08021
Component: STRUCTURE
Potential Number Of Units Affected :
Summary: KAWASAKI IS RECALLING CERTAIN MY 2006-2007 ZX14 MOTORCYCLES. THE REAR SUSPENSION CAN COLLAPSE WHEN A CROSSMEMBER SEPARATES FROM THE FRAME.
Consequence: THE MANUFACTURER HAS NOT YET PROVIDED A CONSEQUENCE FOR THIS CAMPAIGN.
Remedy: THE MANUFACTURER HAS NOT YET PROVIDED A REMEDY OR OWNER NOTIFICATION SCHEDULE FOR THIS CAMPAIGN.
Bruce Rossmeyer of "Destination Daytona" fame, has teamed up with NASCAR to create an officially licensed "NASCAR 60th Anniversary Motorcycle Series"
To commemorate NASCAR's 60th anniversary, Rossmeyer is creating 60 custom motorcycles, each individually numbered, to capture the essence of NASCAR.
If you want to buy one, you'll have to hope that racing industry insiders pass up the opportunity, because they'll have first dibs. Sales will begin May 28. But if you're lucky enough, each bike will cost $48,600, and will include a commissioned painting by artist Sam Bass, as well as a limited edition NASCAR 60th Anniversary leather jacket, among other stuff.
Here's the photograph that accompanied the NASCAR press release...
However, I question that this is actually one of the "anniversary" bikes. It doesn't bear the official NASCAR 60th Anniversary logo, and the fact that these motorcycles aren't scheduled to be unveiled until next week.
Ironhorse Roundup Bike Show Cancelled for MC Rumble
by Steve Tuesday, May 06, 2008
Daryl at Biker-Events blogs that the Ironhorse Roundup Bike Show in Grayslake, IL was cancelled by the police and mayor, claiming that they received a tip that two rival motorcycle clubs were planning a "rumble" there...
Those who did show up, were disappointed to find that the show was cancelled.
Apparently, no rumble took place.
The article goes on to say that the mayor was trying to prevent what happened in Laughlin, NV in 2002. But that fight wasn't planned, it just materialized on its own.
So what do you folks think? Did the mayor simply want to do away with any kind of motorcycle events in town, or was this a real threat?
How many motorcycle clubs do you know of that schedule their "rumbles", and schedule them in in the middle of crowded area, where police and security are all over the place?
