Two-Wheeled Soul Searching in Southern California

I spent over 600 miles last week riding through LA and Orange County on a dear friend's 2012 Daytona 675R over this past week, escaping the bitter cold and snowstorms of NE Ohio. In those many miles and many hours, I have journeyed through familiar places, reunited with old friends, and used these hours on the road to contemplate the challenges I have faced over these past few months. I have celebrated my little victories and have reflected on my shortcomings while weaving through the urban jungle of my childhood home of Southern California.

My favorite time to ride the freeways is at night. Nobody's on the road except me, so I can fly down the road with that full feeling of my helmet slicing across the cool coastal air. A drop of a gear and a quick blip of the throttle and I blast into another lane. On one of my last nights of motorcycle riding, I took the most illogical way home from Alhambra that involved the 5/605/60 freeways and eventually the 91 through a series of twisting, nostalgic roads. And that was just to get a coffee.

But these miles also revisited old wounds that I needed to patch up en route to moving on with the next chapter of my life. Old paths and destinations bring back a past that was filled with miles and memories, of a life that has taken me across the country. Although those days are history now, they were a part of what made me who I am now. Here in the present, I am grateful for knowing that I have so many supportive friends who will help me reach my goals and cheer me on along the way.

The motorcycle in full movement is a mind controller. When it travels at speed, it suppresses some thoughts and amplifies others. Fortunately, the thoughts that are amplified within me are the positive ones. My future is bright but it is still unclear. I continue moving forward with my personal aspirations and plans. I also wonder why it is now that my heart feels the way that it does, and for the first time in a long time, I can allow myself to experience those moments again.

I'll see you next year, Ohio.

It was an unexpected gift from the people in my life who I can truly call my family: I'm leaving Ohio for the remainder of 2013.

Okay, so that's not a long time, but it is definitely enough time to be able to recollect my thoughts and try to start 2014 on a brighter note despite the weirdness and unexpected life changes that had haunted me through these occasionally somber holidays. With that being said, I'm heading back to my childhood home, and you can follow my travels via GPS by clicking the "Where Am I?" link at the top of this blog. If things go as planned, I will be riding a motorcycle all over my old stomping grounds of Southern California. You'll be able to follow my route and collect stats on my travels.

As I heard from someone out here, "May the best of 2013 be the worst of 2014." I hope that will be the case.

Stay tuned on Two-Wheeled Tourist for photos and reflections as I kick off a new (and hopefully much improved) year from a very familiar place.

[The Bittersweet] SoCal Refresher Course

In the beginning of March, I had the impromptu chance to go home to Southern California for a few days for a job interview. This was a trip I had to keep under wraps until I knew what was going to happen, so if this is the first time you're ever hearing about this, don't feel so bad...I feel better enough to talk about it now.

With the company I was interviewing with paying for the flight, the only thing I had to arrange was lodging and a motorcycle to ride. Fortunately I have an extended family and good friends to help me out. Leaving at 6AM EST on a Thursday with a stopover in Chicago's O'Hare International Airport (which, in ironic fashion, is the only time I've ever arrived there by air), I reached LAX by 9:30AM PST and proceeded to have a nice lunch with my aunt (a.k.a. one of the only biological relations I have that hasn't disowned me yet). After that, it was some relaxing and motorcycle riding before my interview the following day.

This was the first time I've returned to the area in two years (to read about that 2011 adventure, click here), so I did what I could to make the best of it. Here are some photos of the places I still call home.

Cleveland IMS and the WCM: Part 2

Continuing on with the new motorcycle tour from the Cleveland International Motorcycle Show, I ride a sped-up Ferris wheel. So here's the view from up there. Whee!

After that, it was a quick scoot over to Triumph for a few of their newer bikes. I have to say, they all look nice in blue.

2013 Triumph Tiger Explorer: I have a feeling that an adventure bike might be in my future, especially after playing around with the Explorer's smaller cousin, the Tiger 800. This bike is a potential contender. I would like to ride this back-to-back with a Yamaha Super Tenere to see where they both stand.

This display unit is loaded with several options including auxiliary driving lights, engine case guards, and a skid plate. 

Closeup of the front cockpit. No frills but a nice, straight handlebar for attaching those extra accessories.

With headlights like these, there is no excuse why someone couldn't see you on the road. Extra points for the aluminum protective housings on the auxiliary lights.

The other piece of eye candy parked next to the Tiger Explorer was the all-new 2013 Triumph Trophy SE. Although the name is a familiar one to many a Triumph fan, this new take on a sport touring bike is definitely a head-turner. With the large, wind-deflecting fairing, spacious saddlebags, electronic cruise control, and audio system, and a 1215cc triple-cylinder engine, this bike sprints ahead of the competition as a formidable alternative to the BMW R1200RT. I'd like to test ride this, but I might make Eleanor jealous!

And lastly, here is me and Cris doing some research on the proper seating position of a carousel horse. Who says that you can't fun on "official" business? This isn't the first time we've done strange things...remember that time in St. Louis?

Test Ride Review: 2011 Triumph Tiger 800

Last week I took a field trip to Akron, OH to participate in a Triumph demo event hosted by Northern Ohio Ducati Triumph with hopes of test riding the new Triumph Tiger 800 and Sprint GT 1050. For the second time that I've attended these events in the last year (the other one being at MOTOHIO European Motorbikes in Columbus), Triumph didn't make the Sprint GT available for test rides. I speculate that they're selling them like hotcakes. Here's my last blog post regarding the Sprint GT.

Triumph has two versions of the Tiger 800: the 800 and 800XC. The latter is a more off-road oriented version with spoked wheels, a taller, wider seat, and handguards. I test rode the regular 800 in Crystal White.

2001 Triumph Tiger 800. The XC model (also in Crystal White) is in the background.

Test Ride Remarks:
I rode an 8-9 mile round trip route through main streets and residential roads. The crawling traffic allowed me to test its balance in slow speed maneuvers and I was extremely impressed. Acceleration was quick and shifting was smooth. Like its big brother, the Tiger 1050, the powerband was easily accessible in every gear. In the sharper corners, the Tiger leaned into curves without much effort and its lightweight chassis made it easy to flick around. Braking was crisp and sensitive with stainless steel brake lines included standard (Japanese bike makers, please take note).

The Titanium/Carbon Fiber Arrow exhaust is definitely a nice upgrade!

The on-board controls include a digital speedometer, fuel gauge, dual trip odometer, analog tachometer, and *drum roll* gear indicator!

Factory option saddlebags (as shown on the Tiger 800XC). Notice the notch made to accommodate the exhaust pipe.

I would like to see how this bike would fare in long distance or prolonged rides. In terms of traveling range, the 5 gallon tank in addition to it being an 800cc triple cylinder bike would make it a formidable long-distance rider. I would estimate this bike to get anywhere from 45-55MPG which would make it super economical at the pump.

Pros:
- Well-balanced and extremely easy to handle around corners and slow-speed maneuvers.
- Spirited six-speed engine with full range of power available with the flick of a wrist.
- Optional Arrow titanium exhaust has a wonderful deep sound and burble to it.
- Cleated footpegs are standard and ready for those occasional dual-sport excursions.
- Adjustable stock seat height from 31.9-32.7 inches.
- Just knocked the Tiger 1050 off my already short list of bikes to acquire!

Cons:
- Handlebars are a quite wide and could be tilted back a bit further.
- Clutch's friction zone takes longer to engage (the lever has to be nearly all the way out for the bike to start moving).
- High-mounted exhaust pipe will make mounting saddlebags a little challenging.
- Shorter inseam riders may need to make a few adjustments.

Special thanks to the guys at Northern Ohio Ducati Triumph for hosting this test riding event. If you're ever in the Cleveland (Akron) area and want to stare at bikes and hang out in their gorgeous showroom, come by for a visit!

For manufacturer information about the Triumph Tiger (and their other bikes), visit http://www.triumph.co.uk/usa/.

Bike Preview: 2011 Triumph Sprint GT 1050

While I was en route to Michigan, I stopped over at Thiel's Wheels in Upper Sandusky to see the dealership for the first time. They had the brand new 2011 Triumph Sprint GT on display so I took a few shots of the newest release by the Brits. Of course, this 1050cc triple can be yours for the price tag of $13,199. For more information and specs, click here for Triumph's official page.

Here's the bike in Pacific Blue with optional touring windshield and heated grips.

The symmetrical sidecases can fit a full-face helmet each!

Here's a close-up of the touring windshield.

Here's the Sprint GT in Aluminum Silver with the stock windshield.

Ride Reviews: Triumph Thunderbird 1600, Tiger 1050, Rocket III Roadster

I had the chance to test ride a few Triumph motorcycles last Saturday at MOTOHIO European Motorbikes in Columbus. This was the first time I had the chance to officially test ride motorcycles since going to the last Femmoto event in Las Vegas in October 2008 and it was a nice change of pace instead of working a full day at my store. Oh dear, such a punishment for me! Okay, fine...it was in the mid 90s and sweltering hot. That was something six bottles of water and a few hot dogs fixed quite easily.

So first up to the plate was the Thunderbird 1600. It's a parallel twin powerhouse on two wheels (and I haven't even made it to the Rocket III yet). For its size it was well-balanced and felt like a much lighter bike. It had quick acceleration and every gear was smooth, making shifting effortless. I was cranking this machine through the turns and it responded to my every command. For cruiser-style bikes, it's difficult to find one that doesn't make twisties feel like a laborious task and this one definitely proved itself to be an agile winner. Additionally, its seat height is quite neutral; I'm 5'5" and was flatfooted on it. However, because of the location of its forward controls, I found myself either overstretching slightly or reaching for the levers, suggesting that the ergonomics are more for someone who is several inches taller. Aside from that, if you're looking for a power cruiser that's fun, agile, and has the potential to keep up with the sporties, this is definitely a bike for you.

The Tiger 1050 SE has now earned a place in my top three list of future, full-time utility motorcyles that could take my FJR1300's place whenever it decides to retire. It's upright, enduro-style posture was comfortable and made me feel taller. It's agile and smooth at any speed at any gear, and has power to boot. I had a great time running that triple-cylinder engine through the gears and its constant spunk reminded me that it had torque to spare. I was also surprised by the firmness and comfort of the stock seat, too. My major criticisms of it are that it doesn't have the same luxury options as the FJR such as an electric, extendable windshield and large plastic fairing for those jaunts in the late fall/winter months. Additionally, it's chain-driven so there's a little bit more maintenance issues involved, especially on long-distance runs. Also, the stock sidecases aren't large enough; one sidecase's cargo room is compromised due to the bike's exhaust pipe, and the larger sidecase can't fit a single full-face helmet...it definitely needs a top case or aftermarket sidecases. The 32.5" seat height will take a little getting used to as well. Otherwise, it's a contender to the low-seat, low-frame BMW R1200GS.

The last ride of the day was a reunion of sorts with the Rocket III Roadster. I had my first encounter with the world's largest production bike in 2007 when I rode it to kill time while getting the 8000 mile service on my FJR in Lakeville, Minnesota. This 2010 version, however, is the souped up roadster version. Triumph has gone ahead and made a leaner and meaner edition of its excellently designed high engine displacement machine.

Its powerband can be summarized in one word: torque. This thing gets you moving on sheer power. The 2294cc engine was barely trying to get me moving; I was never above 3rd gear at any given time (the thing has five gears). I slammed this bike into a curve and it leaned effortlessly through it. I hope to try the fully dressed touring model someday; that is one that screams for a towing hitch and an accompanying trailer. I applaud Triumph for creating and improving a bike that, not only has an engine larger and with more torque than most economy cars, but also thinks it's a bicycle and eats curves as if it were one. My only criticism is ergos; the location of the pegs on the Roadster had my knees up higher than I would like for long distances. Then again, this thing is intended to be a short-distance hooligan...for longer trips it's the touring edition.

In general, every Triumph excels in agility, smoothness, and braking power. All you need to do as a rider is find the one that fits your personality. For me it's the upright styled Tiger 1050. Of course, with the constant evolution of motorcycle technology that could change in the next several years. Oh well, Eleanor isn't going anywhere for a long time, and I wouldn't want her to, anyway. :)