Uber-Shcooter

The Yamaha TMax will be available for the first time in the U.S. this July with the introduction of the 2009 model.

http://www.yamaha-motor.com/sport/products/modelhome/607/0/home.aspx

(Be sure to watch the "Scooters Anonymous" video on the Yamaha site.)

Yamaha describes it as the worlds first supersport scooter. With a 499cc DOHC Fuel Injected twin on a lightweight aluminum frame it will some real get up and go. (Gee, that's double what's under the hood of the 'Flex).

The Honda Silverwing, and Suzuki Burgman 650 outgun in engine size but they also significantly outweigh it. This model focuses on performance instead of touring.

I wonder if there's a waiting list?

Sold Out

More Alaskans switch gears to motorcycles

Gas prices have bike dealers scrambling to keep fuel-efficient rides in stock

http://www.adn.com/front/story/423678.html

"...Some longtime motorcycle owners are turning from recreational riders to commuters this summer. But people who sell motorcycles also say they're seeing a rush of first-time riders running out to buy a bike, a national trend that's left dealers here scrambling to fill sales floors.

At the Motorcycle Shop Inc. in Anchorage, "anything that's halfway fuel-efficient is gone," said sales manager Shannon Dixon. The shop sells Kawasaki, BMW, Triumph, KTM and Ducati motorcycles.

"I do the best I can to supply an alternate choice but realistically, by and large, anything 650cc or smaller with a purchase price of $8,000 or less is virtually unobtainable at this point," Dixon said.

Two moms walked into Hartley Motors in Palmer and bought the last two scooters in stock, said Alice Mobley, who manages the shop for her grandparents. They knew exactly what they wanted: to save money on gas, and try something new with a buddy.

"We have at least four people a day coming in wanting scooters or small street bikes. Almost every person says something about gas mileage," Mobley said. "We thought about changing all of our price tags to say how many miles to the gallon they get but we never had the chance. They're gone."

Elementary Squeel

So what's it like to take a group of 71 kids from one place to another on bikes? I volunteered at Chugach Optional Bike day and found out. Strangely enough it wasn't half as chaotic as I thought it would be. Just don't go too far or too fast and everything works out fine. There were very few bike problems, and no whining from at least from where I was in the mile-long paceline.

Silverfish got a few compliments. Must have been the new red bar-tape.

Riding in a sandbox

Sunday was bike fix-it day. I should have changed the fluids and done the maintenance on the Reflex before I took the first ride of the season but whatever; it got done and I still averaged 62.5 mpg on the last tank. Next up were the busted chain and the wacky carb settings left over from last season on the little guy's JR50 dirt bike. It took only about 12 kicks before it sputtered to life after sitting through the whole winter; not bad for an old kid-beaten two-stroke.

Later that afternoon we took the dirt bike out. Too bad the wind kicked up bad turning the little guy's first season visit to the Kincaid MX park into a ride through a bad Sahara sand storm. Maybe it's just early training for the Paris-Dakar rally.

Eastside scootin'

Last Sunday I made a side trip to the new branch of the Big People's Scooter Store in Woodinville WA. Lots of pretties from Vespa and a few Piagio MP3's including a 500cc industrial-looking monster. There was also a small collection of oldies along the ceiling. Before I left I bought a nice Tourmaster jacket in light blue for Michelle. Too bad I don't have a single photo to show. Next time I'll read the manual about clearing the card from the camera instead of the USB connection.

After enough scoot gazing we went on to our next destination; The Red Hook Brewery. Unlike those Italian beauties at the previous location, these tall cool ones won't get hammered off a lousy Euro-Dollar exchange rate.

Profile Design Aerobar Mod

Cat-Dog was previously outfitted with Profile Design Aerolite clip-on bars (upper photo - top). While it's very easy to get a good fit on these things, they are neither "aero" nor "lite". The aerobars sit too high above the base bars and have too much mounting hardware. These 750 gram monsters had to go but this year's upgrade budget was spent on wheels. What to do?

A pair of Profile Design Jammers (upper photo - bottom) were just waiting in the parts-bin for something. I tried these things out two few seasons ago and couldn't get them to fit no matter what I did. The twisty hand grip and short length made me wonder why they didn't use a more descriptive name like "Profile Design Elbow-Jammed". The hardware and pads were fine but the tubes were junk.

With a little tinkering I discovered it's possible to use the same Jammer hardware but replace the useless twisty-elbow things with better tubes. I took a set of straight mountain bike handlebars (26mm center, 7071 aluminum, gunmetal powder-coated - also parts-bin), cut them in half, and mounted them with the narrow side in the hardware and the wider area up front. I popped the round end caps into the narrow end and my set of Dura-Ace bar-end shifters up front.

The flared area of the tubes makes a nice hand grip. When I get the fit dialed in then I will wrap the bars and clean up the cables. At 510 grams these aerobars are not as light as carbon or integrated setups but respectable for clip-ons in the "under $100/parts-bin" category. They are lighter and cleaner than the Aerolites and unlike the original Jammers they're usable. They look stock so you won't get that old-washing-machines-parts look of Graeme Obree's world record setting "Old Faithful". (But if you DO want that look then there is an abandoned machine near the old Rabbit Hutch parking lot just waiting for a serious hardware hacker.)

It may be possible to go a step further and mount the aerobars below the base bars with the hardware tucked neatly behind the base bars however it will require taller spacers for the pads. I work on that later.

There you go. If you've got a set of Profile Jammers (or T2's) and don't like the shape, hack a set of mountain bike bars, straight, curved, or angled, and get what you want.

First Ride

Spring has been so late this year. I finally started up the Reflex on April 12th. Still lots of snow and very cold.

Rode again yesterday and things were improved. There is still a lot of gravel around the corners.

Spring ride

The recent warm weather has dried some of the roads and the two-wheelers are starting to be seen again; a Harley touring bike yesterday; a few sport bikes today; and this Honda Metropolitan parked downtown. 

Surf's up!

Gotta' hand it to these young guys. Riding down the shoulder of the Kuhio Highway 2-up on this little tiny 80cc dirt bike with surfboards may not be safe but it's sure resourceful. When there's good waves up north you find a way to get there no matter what.

The photo doesn't show the cop car only seconds down the road with his lights already on, whatever words these guys might be uttering, nor does it show their friend about a quarter mile further down the road riding a his 50cc scoot with a board under his arm too.

Good thing they weren't long board surfers. The first gusting wind would have turned those scoots into airplanes.

More Scooters Please

Even though I didn't buy my 'Flex from the dealer, I still get the glossy Honda mag called "Red Rider". Nearly every manufacturer of wheeled things sends out these mags to recent buyers to show off their machines and make their buyers feel special. But neither the magazine nor the associated website feature much about scooters; so much for being part of a special group. This month however, I was pleased to see this letter to the editor:

"...could you print more articles on Honda scooters? I bought an Elite 80 and I love it. I don't know how many HRCA (Honda Riders Club of America) are scooter riders, but I'm sure there are a lot. Thanks."

...and the response:

"Based on the mail we receive, there does seem to be a fair number of scooter fans among our readers--or possibly you're part of a small or vocal group! It's hard to cover all the models when Honda offers such a diverse lineup, but our plans do include more scooter information in the future."

There's lots of things to cover out there in scooterland. Get writin' Honda.

Don't touch that dial.

"Part of the Month" wasn't supposed to be "Post of the Month". I've been ghostwriting another assignment so the Squeel has been out in the cold for a while. But stay tuned; there will be some big features in the next few days and weeks.

Part of the Month: Campagnolo Il Cavatappi

If you ride a bike and you drink wine, there is only one tool you should own to open bottles: the Campagnolo Il Cavatappi "Big" Corkscrew. These aren't cheap nor are they easy to find, but in return for your effort and hard earned cash you will end the messin' around with cheapy openers forever.

The corkscrew comes in a wood box with the title woodburned into the surface. A color brochure with instructions in multiple languages is included. Badly translated English could be a source of frustration if it weren't for the fact that the tool is simple enough to operate without the instructions. Read it and weep:

"...Avoiding to screw the handle down to the body (3), as shown in the photo, the cork does not come out entirely."

The tool itself is made of cast aluminum with a shot-peened anodized finish in silver or gold. The pivot bolts on the arms are chromed steel with the signature "BREV CAMPAGNOLO" trademark. The "Globe" appears on the bell beneath. This thing weighs in at a stout 517 grams and it's perhaps one of the rare exceptions in cycling where more weight is better. The mechanical action is simple; it's the basic two-arm corkscrew we all know but on serious performance enhancing banned substances. There are no gimicks, gizmos, or extra parts but just pure mechanical leverage at work.

Campy Record parts have an estimated service life of about 40,000 km (25,000 miles). I don't know how corks compare to klicks for wear but if we suppose one cork = one kilometer, then there should be enough life in this thing to enjoy a bottle a day for 110 years!

Salute!

Vinos Out.

Cue up Queen's "Another One Bites the Dust" and read on.

Banned Vinokourov quits cycling

Alexandre Vinokourov has announced his retirement in the wake of the one-year doping ban he received from the Kazakhstan cycling federation.

"I don't want this sport any more. I'm slamming the door and I'm leaving. I will prove I'm not guilty," he said.

I had the most fun watching Vino in the '05 Tour when he was riding for T-mobile wearing his turquoise national color (I can't blame him for not wanting to wear pink). There was obvious tension between him and his teammates so he became kind of a one-man show. Usually that means the end of the game for a rider however he was able to pull it off with some pretty bold tactics and sprints.

4-Hoof-Squeel

Tall buildings, quiet park, and a man taking his pet reindeer for a walk. Only in Anchorage.

Honda announces changes to Forza Z

It's the bike we can't buy here (yet) and it's getting even better. I sure like my Flex but I would like it even better with 4-valves, fuel injection, and all the nifty stuff included here.

Honda Launches Full Model Changes for the FORZA Z and FORZA Z ABS Scooters

"Have a break. Have a Kit Kat"

A coworker returned from Japan and brought a big assortment of flavored Kit Kats including Orange Chocolate, Canteloupe, and of course, Green Tea. I know, this is supposed to be a blog about bikes and scooters but candy like this is worth writing about.

No room in the garage? Park it on the bookshelf.

If you've run out of room in the garage for another two wheeler, you can still partially satisfy the urge for more squeel with this scale model of the Honda Forza* maxi scooter. This could be a good thing for those who like to customize. Try out your wild ideas on one of these before you drop big bucks on the real thing. They even start you out with a Yoshimura pipe for a gutsy full bodied sound. Vrrooomm.

(*The Forza is a more advanced version of the Reflex sold outside the US that includes fuel injection, electronic transmission, keyless ignition, and a sound system. How come they get the good stuff?)

Enlightenment; now available at a store near you.

Some of you already know I've got a thing for green tea that I sometimes take a little far. Nothing breaks up a loooooong stale workout like a good long-brewed cuppa'. It breaks up that over-sweet Hammergel combined with dried cookie taste with something real and kicks in a nice little boost. During a long workout you'll often find a commuter mug stashed with my regular drink bottles.

It would be easy enough to simply grab an off-the-shelf prepackaged bottle but there is one big problem; none of them taste right. They have some of the grab and a little of the taste but often they are over-sweetened or combined with other flavors. It's a little like trying to satisfy a hankerin' for a juicy grilled steak with something you'd get from a drive-up window.

But I finally found it. I picked up a bottle of Ito En brand I found at New Sagaya Midtown way in the back of the fridge section. It was real. It had respectable snap, nose, and color as green tea I might buy from a specialty store. And just yesterday, I found it again at Carrs South Anchorage in the Natural Foods section. Finally, green tea in a bottle that doesn't taste like Aunt Jemima Pancake Syrup.

Ito En has a good thing starting in the US. And If I get to NY soon I'll try to get into one of their upscale restaurants.

Bad Bunnies

The USAT National Club Challenge starts December 1st. 44 clubs try to outdistance each other during a three month winter training session. The December emphasis is swimming, January is cycling, and February is running. Last year we held our own against bigger clubs like Washington D.C. and San Diego. We resorted to extremes like gathering New Year's Eve, the first night of the cycling session, to do a roller ride outdoors on frozen Jewel lake.

USAT made it a little harder for us this year by breaking up our 150 person team into two groups, now named Rabid Rabbits and Biting Bunnies, and by gerrymandering the time zone rules so we couldn't get an early jump on midnight by starting our sessions at 9pm. Too bad for them it won't make a difference. 

Beaker had me create the above logo to work with the team names. Simple but slightly twisted. I hope to hear about someone from San Diego or Washington D.C. who wakes up in a cold sweat and says; "I was being chased by a snowshoe hare wearing sunglasses...and...and...no matter how fast I ran he kept catching me. I just can't get that picture out of my head!"  Yes, I will have done my job well.

Winter false start

Does this look like winter to you? Just days ago the roads and fields were covered with four to six inches of snow. I'm not complaining because I got to extend the road riding season a little with a quick outdoor ride on Silverfish. All that chrome was pasted with mud and grit when I got back, but despite the cleanup, it was so much more fun than the rollers.