Hello everyone:
Just a quick update. We have a short ride video coming. It's filmed and mostly just needs to be loaded to youtube. یЋΑÞ¤WЧЄ۷Я filmed his ride home recently, taking a bit of a scenic route and tried to do a little bit of performance riding. It didn't come across as well as hoped due to urban traffic, but he took as many back roads as he could.
Also, we're constantly working on the website. The Sociable links were down last week, and were temporarily removed and then replaced until the Sociable gadget was back up. I also added an email subscription box and some like/share buttons for Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and Tumblr. I also added the site to Google's search directory and integrated a growing library of meta information to make searching for us easier and more efficient.
Been looking at our stats for the last week. We have a surprising following. We're getting hits from around the world already. It's a small following, but a lot more traffic than we thought, so AWESOME! Just giving a shout out to our overseas traffic- Hello, Australia, Algeria, Italy, Russia and Germany! Thanks for the visits! Did you know thatیЋΑÞ¤WЧЄ۷Я lived in Germany? He spent several years living on a Canadian Military Base in Baden-Baden as a child.
We also have a growing following on Twitter. I've added several fellow riders on Twitter this week, as well as a Bike Tours group from here on the Wet Coast! Keep it coming, guys! Also, we had a brief talk with a gentleman here who is on a camera crew for Shaw Cable. We have a strong connection now for having the trip filmed! The big stuff is still in talks, and in the inception stage. *sigh* If only this paid mortgages. :P
Awwwright, in my own words, here's what went down today:
The local VI Honda Powerhouse had an event today, August 17th. All Honda brand riding gear 50% off, and a 'Come ride with us' event between 4 and 8 pm. A co-worker of mine at my first job agreed to take my shift this morning so I could at least check out the deals with KД§$Ị (ИOVΔ), as she had no riding gear.
She's saved up some money, and was finally able to get some proper riding armour - mainly because of the sale. As we walked in we were greeted by the crew there as they all know me... I spend too much time drooling on their new bikes since getting my CBR125 there. One of them asked if I was there for the ride in the afternoon, but sadly I was only able to get time off from my first job, not my second - so I'd be working during the time of the riding event.
As KД§$Ị (ИOVΔ) was looking at jackets, I was sitting and drooling on the black CBR250 that was on display, when Frank approached me and asked if I could be there at 1:15, as arrangements were being made to get me on a 250 before the big event. I was ecstatic! Gary had arrived with the demonstration bikes shortly before, and now that they were unloaded, Frank had to show him the route for the main event - and they invited me to join them on a brand new CBR250! KД§$Ị (ИOVΔ) snapped a photo as we were heading out, that's me on the left.
Everything that I knew about the 250 until then was just what one learns from paper. Now I actually had one under my butt. As the only bikes I've ridden are a Virago 250 and my CBR125, my comparisons are going to be against the 2007 CBR125.
The CBR 250 I rode today is the top model equipped with ABS, and painted in red and silver, just like the bike in a previous post. The first impression when I mounted it was that the controls are more aesthetically designed than both the old and the new 125. Upon firing it up, it vibrates more than than the smaller bike, but that doesn't surprise me as the piston is bigger. I like the sound. Not a hyper high-pitched whine, but a deep smooth purr. It doesn't feel much heavier than the smaller bike, but it feels more substantial, and I see more of the bike while I'm riding. If I look straight ahead on the 125, I often don't even see it as the entire bike is hidden by the chin guard of my helmet.
Anyway, though I didn't have a chance to really open the throttle 'in anger' I was able to feel a good pull when we got off the back roads and merged onto the highway.I wasn't able to roll onto the throttle completely as Frank was in the lead and taking it easy, so I had no problem keeping up with him on his CBR600.
So it comes down to the following points in which it differs from the 2007 125:
More vibration.
More torque and pull on the arms - solid acceleration without that struggling feeling of the smaller bike.
More substantial feel to it without sacrificing maneuverability, and a more satisfying exhaust tone.
The brand new CBR125 looks almost identical to the 250 from 10 feet away, but upon closer inspection it is actually on a different frame with several other changes. Despite the different frame, it has the same overall size of the 250.
I love my 125, I really do. It's a great bike. I've put 29,300 kilometers on it, and though inanimate, feels rather like a faithful horse, one that you plan on caring for until one of you no-longer functions - but as soon as the 250 was parked after the ride, I started estimating how much I could get for it if I were to sell it, so I could get the CBR250.
Egads! We're a little late on this one. Sadly we did not even know about it, which just. Just. Just breaks our hearts. Charley Boorman is doing a bike tour from Cape Town to Victoria Falls. He took the East to West route through Canada, and finished his North American leg in Tofino.
This is the part that kills me. He started Vancouver Island from Duncan (50k and 46 mins drive from here), rode through Nanaimo, and to Tofino. In order to come through here, he would have been riding past our house. PAST. OUR HOUSE. *cry* So not only did he complete 50% of our trip without us, but we missed him completely due to work obligations, when he did so. یЋΑÞ¤WЧЄ۷Я and I spent the better part of this day crushed about it. :S To top it all off, we originally planned to do the trip this summer. Had things financially fallen into place, we would have been arriving back here at about the same time as Charley's convoy. Crushification. Even worse, poor یЋΑÞ¤WЧЄ۷Я missed the convoy by 30 minutes. He had about a 20 min drive to work on the highway, and would have been in the convoy all the way to the North end.
The entire trip, which is still underway, is being filmed and then aired on British Television (Channel 5) next year. Here's a little taste of the convoy that followed Charley to Tofino (this is in Port Alberni):
We are not giving up, even in light of this tour. The tour is really as it is described. They went to some extreme Canadian destinations (i.e. Camping on a glacier). Our trip, while perhaps not quite as cool, will be geared a lot more to tourists. In order to get the sponsorship funding we need, we have to be able to make it appealing to tourism Canada (and show the world what Canada has to offer- or at least some of). I also have to stay on reasonably major routes, for medical reasons. Our involvement with the Canadian Diabetes Association is still very much intended (though it hasn't happened yet).
We have done some talking with the people at VI Honda, and everyone is excited about our trip, and feels it would be a really worthy series to capture. The Exteme Frontiers tour really re-lit a smoldering flame for our hopes of completing this project. Charley Boorman aside, it will be really cool for the world to see Canada from a Canadian's perspective. Fret not! We cannot lose hope. Canada has no claim to Extreme Frontiers, so we forge our own path. We still think it's freaking cool that the guy who inspired our trip actually went on it. :)
In other news: Thanks to VI Honda, I finally got some riding gear. One day only sale today on all riding apparel. I got a great red and black textile jacket for $140 with taxes. :) It looks a lot warmer than it actually is. The lining was a little sticky, but it actually felt quite cool, and broke the wind a lot better than I was expecting. I almost went for a warmer riding jacket that had a plush vest inside, but most of the riding I do is during the summer and I needed my jacket to breathe. Besides, there was a $50 price difference. :P
Some repairs to do. The bluetooth in my helmet somehow became disconnected. Some minor rewiring to do. Although, I must tell you, in the event I were to purchase a new helmet, I would probably buy something different, or just skip the bluetooth all together. The bluetooth is too quiet. While riding it is next to impossible to hear the speaker, and I am on a pretty quiet bike. Also, after a single season riding with that helmet, the rubber on the button became hard and brittle and it cracked rather unceremoniously when I tried to use it the first time this summer. For a plain helmet, it's still pretty decent. It doesn't fog much, though on a wet day it does love to spit water at me where the visor meets the lip. Good ventilation and it's comfortable. When it was brand new, going full throttle on the tarmac, it used to push hard into my forehead and hurt, but I think that's just break-in. It doesn't do that anymore.
Up next: Test ride on the new 2011 Honda CBR 250. I will say, that despite the pictures and my original distaste for the look of the bike, in person, I was fully swooning. The headlight area is still not as attractive as the previous 125 line, but it is still pretty. The seat is a little wide in the thigh department (at least for me) but with legs up it was pretty comfortable. Squishy seat, though it had back handles and no bar (the 125 had a removable seat bar).
Got on a Ducati 848 today. I almost had to be wrenched off of it with a crow bar. Just sayin'. That bike was just shy of a sexual experience.
Well, winter is upon us. We recently embarked on a trip to Honda Powerhouse to sit on the pretty, pretty bikes and check out the new Honda CBR 250. Though we should have expected it, we were surprised to discover that they actually won't be in the showroom until spring. At that time we will be going in to the showroom and taking some coverage- if they will allow us to photograph or take video. We may even go for a spin! Oo.
The redesign of the CBR line is actually growing on me. I kept imagining it worse in my head than it actually is- and I am assured that they are actually more aggressive looking in person than they are in the photos. I've never been a fan of the single headlight, and I really loved the hornet-inspired look of the previous line of CBRs, so the new unified headlight really took away the fierce look it had before.
We also learned that the 250 and the 125 are now physically the same size- the difference is merely in the engine. You will likely find the speed capability on the new 125 is slightly less on the newer model, because of the weight difference. However, I'm told that the handling and comfort are improved by the increased body size.
Now, the debate is ongoing- because we love Honda's products, and performance wise, Honda definitely outperforms Kawasaki. That said, you are paying the extra dime for that improvement. Kawis are also carbureted, whereas Honda has been using a computerized system that is more accurate for quite some time. Oh Honda, why don't you have a 400CC model in North America?
Cost-effectiveness is very important to both of us, so weighing the tag and the cost of running the machines (gas, insurance, maintenance) is a very important factor to the both of us.
We have spoken to some reps at Honda (which is excellent news!) and we have been asked to write a letter and make a proposal (we're planning to film a short video) for our trip. The proposal will then be sent to the big men upstairs and we just might have some bikes for the trip! If anyone wants to contribute to the trip, we will likely be setting up a paypal account. We don't want to make money from the trip- but we do need to make sure that we don't lose our house, and we have food to eat. We'll probably be shelling out for our support vehicle (a motorhome) so we can avoid staying in hotels or hefting tents on our backs, as it is. Costcutting! Next post, we will be bringing you some valuable links for the charities we are hoping to raise money for on the trip.
We are looking around for a radio/bluetooth system for our helmets. I have a bluetooth Sigi helmet, but the speaker is this cheap thing that sits next to the ear in a fabric pouch. With wind and road noise, hearing anything that comes out of it is a joke. Great sound indoors, when not on the bike, but used where it was meant to be used: Sorry Sigi- but your volume levels suck. Also looking for affordable helmet cams, preferrably ones that are fairly small- we don`t want conspicuous add-ons that will have people trying to saw our helmets off of our bike locks during the trip.
We need to contact Unicef for donation envelopes to distribute, so that the people we meet may write cheques or money orders to Unicef and mail them off themselves.
Next major project: The Long Way Across on Facebook! Conquering the world, one social network at a time!
News first hit the internet at the end of last month that Honda Motorsports was planning to release a 250CC bike in the UK. Initial reports listed a rendering of the bike:
Image used courtesy of Honda Motorsports. Concept paint created by TopSpeed.
Website Topspeed.com reported that the bike would still be built to cater to new riders interested in a sport-oriented ride, and built around an aluminum frame. The engine was said to be powered using an upgraded version of the 250cc V-Twin engine that currently powers the VTR250.
However, shortly thereafter, Honda unveiled the 250RR on their website. Here is the 2011 Honda CBR 250RR:
Image used courtesy of Honda Motorsports.
The bike is fuel-injected and light weight. It will be available in two versions: the CBR250R and the CBR250R ABS (with Anti-Lock Brakes). The bike is a single-cylinder machine, thus also narrow, and is low-seated with a 30.5" seat height and a light 259lb curb weight. The claim is that this will make putting your foot down at stops easier- however, I have a 125- and it is already too small. Hopefully this will be a bit more comfortable. The bike also has double-overhead cams and counterbalancers. It hits the market in Spring 2011.
Computer-controlled digital transistorized ignition with electronic advance
10.7:1 compression ratio
DOHC Valve train with 4 valves per cylinder
6-speed transmission
25 Degree Caster Angle Rake
95mm (3.74") trail
53.9" wheelbase
30.5" seat height
360lb curb weight, including all standard equipment, required fluids and full tank.
3.4 gallon fuel capacity
Meets current EPA standards
Available in metallic black and red/silver.
The major question right now is the TBA price tag that will be attached. Kawasaki's Ninja 250 retails for $3999.99. First off- I'm not loving the limited color choices, and I actually really hate the single front headlight. It looks way too much like a step back toward the early nineties models.
Read more...
A Nanaimo couple is dead after their motorcycle veered off the road in a confrontation with another driver yesterday. Nanaimo RCMP were called to the crash on Nanaimo Parkway between Jinglepot Road and College Drive exits, around 3:30pm, Saturday. According to Const. Kate Mooney, the fatal incident occured as follows:
A 17-year-old Victoria boy was driving the stretch of highway in a truck going southbound. He went to switch from the right to left lane. When he saw a motorcycle in his blind spot he refrained from switching lanes and corrected his course. The 51-year-old driver of the black 2006 Harley Davidson motorcycle pulled up beside the young man and was looking at him. The motorcyclist, with a 40-year-old female passenger on the back, had accelerated and was not paying attention to the road - according to Mooney. As the road curved to the right, the motorcycle continued straight and crashed to the left of the road. Both passengers on the motorcycle were taken to Nanaimo Regional General Hospital with life-threatening injuries. The man died at the hospital and the woman later died at Victoria General Hospital. Both were parents to children from previous relationships.
Mooney pointed out the deceased pair were wearing beanie motorcycle helmets at the time of the crash. She reminded the public to wear full-coverage motorcycle helmets for safety, but could not confirm whether the beanie helmets in this incident were DOT-approved or not. DOT is a safety standard by the American Department of Transport. Canada does not have a helmet safety standard certification. "It's illegal to not wear a helmet in Canada," she said. "The beanie helmets are not illegal but they clearly only cover part of the head with minimal padding and no face guard."
Another motorcycle crash this weekend, another two deaths where beanie style helmets may have been a factor and still no action from the province. While BC has plowed ahead with stiffer penalties for drivers who drink or speed, as far as I can see there has been no movement to enact regulations promised last spring to finally enact an enforcible standard for motorcycle helmets. Amendments to the BC Motor Vehicle Act were passed at the same time as the well publicized changes to the penalties for drinking and speeding. But they depended on regulations which still have not been enacted.
The story on the fatal accident this weekend from the Victoria TImes Colonist refers to DOT regulations, which are just one of several standards that could be enacted. BC's regulations haven't been updated for more than 20 years and are not enforcible, which is why we are one of the only jurisdictions that I know of that require helmets but that do not specify what standard they must meet.
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Comments on these articles are as follows:
"I find it interesting that a helmet (approved or not) would make any difference to saving a motorcyclist at highway speed, or even less, for that matter. But with the great damage that would occur to the body, a helmet of any type would make no difference. People in cars still perish at highway speeds. A helmet isn't going to help. Drive smart."
"Why do so many people think it's their job to tell another adult what they should or shouldn't do? This is a tragedy that cost two people their lives. A full-face helmet may not have saved either of them. Let people make their own decisions for themselves."
"Your helmet tirade seems to be more directed at the implied social status of the biker. You don't like his lifestyle choice so you want to regulate him out of it. If you hit a tree with your chest the helmet makes no difference. Punctured lungs and ruptured internal organs are the cause of death. This story is fishy, and I wouldn't be surprised if the kid driving didn't [cause the accident]. We will never know."
"I have an idea! Let's just put us all in a bubble, that way nobody moves, enjoys life or gets hurt. It will be perfect! All we need is a few hundred more laws to get us from the cradle to the grave safely, yet in a strangely obese fashion. After all, exercising is moving and therefore dangerous..."
Someone else mentioned that the Officer giving the report must have been trying to perpetuate anti-beanie news because she didn't know if the helmets were DOT approved. Guaranteed that if they were approved, the riders removed their DOT approval stickers (which is illegal to do). Sorry, but all of these people are more occupied with how they look than protecting their own lives, or looking out for the lives of others-- so much so that they are willing to blame a fatal accident on a bystanding motorist who got stared down by some motorcyclist who didn't realize that physics mean a bike will never win a game of chicken against a truck.
I have no respect for motorcyclists who defy motorcycle safety or safety laws in the name of looking cool. I live in a part of town where chopper riders with straight pipes ride through residential areas doing 50 over the limit. I've seen two high-speed police chases involving noise complaints and riders in my area in the last month. I saw at least one rider this summer riding the dotted line on the highway and weaving in and out of traffic, and SHARING A LANE, and driving down the shoulder for a few clicks to get past traffic jams (which are all illegal in BC).
I realize that a lot of drivers aren't looking for motorcyclists, but it is more so that a lot of riders have given the rest of us a bad reputation for driving like asshats than people not approving of our lifestyle choices. It's one thing to ride a bike in a carpool lane- but completely another to ignore all safety regulations and standards put forth to protect everyone on the road. A 51 year old geriatric on a Harley is about as scary as an old lady on rollerskates. A beanie helmet and a leather vest aren't going to dress it up any.
Wear a proper helmet- there are open-face helmets that offer adequate protection to the neck, face and head. There are even superbadass ones, like this one:
So, shortly (we hope) we will have affiliate pages up on TuDiabetes and the Diabetes Hands Network. We're looking to join forces with these sites. I am a member of the community, which is an incredible support and information tool for diabetics who don't know other diabetics (or not many), which is common. TuDiabetes is also in affiliation with the Canadian Diabetes Association. Over time, we hope to be able to both learn and address information and questions regarding managing diabetes on the road, when you're largely unable to prepare your own food.
This is a limiting disease that needs constant attention and strict timing, but we're determined to prove that it can be managed even in most extreme environments. Although The Long Way... team is not travelling around the world on dual-purpose bikes, the road across Canada can take you a long way from civilization and medical care. The hope is that we can minimize the concern about that if we are able to fund the support vehicle to come with us.
In other news, we've been hearing whispers about a possible 400CC Honda CBR.This will be some major competition for Kawasaki, but also broadens our options. The last time a 400CC Honda motorcycle was available to buy or sell in Canada was 1989. But a lot of the starter riders who bought the 125 are upgrading and not buying Honda products because of the insurance penalty. They can comfortably upgrade to a 250CC street bike with Kawasaki without having to consider moving from a street bike to a cruiser (Honda has a 250CC Rebel-- which, for the record, has the most comfortable riding seat I've ever put my ass on).
The major difference (and concern) between a 400CC Kawasaki and a 400CC Honda CBR is that the Kawasaki sits their rider a little more upright (in a sport-touring position) as possibly opposed to the CBR, which has you leaning over quite a bit. That stance on a long-distance ride is pretty backbreaking. Though, Honda puts some serious competition into the mix, because they have great prices, great package deals, and exceptional customer service- not to knock Kawasaki. We've never dealt business with them.
Anyhow, no word back yet from Big Earth, but no rush. We're still just launching this idea off the ground, and realistically, there is no guarantee the ride won't be an additional year away. But this is our goal, and we're ambitious. Ride safe and enjoy the last days of summer!
Follow me on Twitter! █ ♥ █ Every day I am challenged by my husband to try new things, stretch my legs, reach new heights and push myself to the limit. With him, I've done things I never thought I could do, physically, and overcome some of my greatest fears. Not only am I completely in love with the Long Way series, but I am so excited to do this trip. My husband and music are my entire life. You can guarantee a pretty wicked soundtrack, if we can score the rights! Though my dream bike is a Ducati 848, I am hoping to be on a 2011 Honda CBR 250 for The Long Way Across.
Harry The Fish
Harry the Fish is a tech junkie with a love for anime films, particularly those made by legend Hayao Miyazaki. He, like the rest of the Long Way Across team, also loves Top Gear! He has always loved motorcycles, and finally got inspired to getting his own after Shadow got his bike, and he finished the Long Way series. He will be spending the next year learning how to ride and is well on his way to getting his Kawasaki Ninja 250R. He will be joining the Long Way Across team from Tofino to Edmonton.
Follow me on Twitter! Looking for new experiences - always. I keep my list of real friends fairly small, but very close, and would do pretty much anything for them. Leaning hard over in a turn and scraping the foot pegs while I'm rolling on the throttle brings a crazed smile to my face. Roll on the throttle, and lean it over! Let go, pull the drogue, flare at 10, and hit the ground running. If your sport can't make you bleed, then you're not playing hard enough.
The Uniceflogo is propert of Unicef Canada, the leading charitable organization for children.
The CDA logo is propert of The Canadian Diabetes Association, a support resource for people affected by diabetes, supporting diabetes research, education, service and advocacy.
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