Never park behind an SUV (or a truck)

Jason told me never to park behind an SUV. But I forgot.

:(
I suck.

It was so quick. After going into the spot, I even moved the bike farther away from the SUV. I also looked in front of the car. There was a lot of space there. I should have parked there. Instead I parked on the other side, because it was in front of my friend's garage, and I thought it would be safe there. I went into the deli across the street, ordered a sandwich, and when I came out, Georgia was on her side.

Eyewitnesses said the person came to his vehicle from the front, never seeing the bike on the other side. In spite of all the space in front of it, the SUV backed up, right into Georgia. A neighbor ran to the driver banging on his window, but I think that scared the guy and he drove off, probably never realizing what happened.

I looked at it as an opportunity to see if I could pick her back up again. I tried the way most people would probably try to lift a bike. Then a guy came over who said he used to have a CB350 and he helped me put Georgia back up.

Thank God there was very little damage. The front left blinker had a small chunk broken out. The exhaust was bent up slightly, but it had been missing a bolt at the top of the frame, so it can be bent back down.

Later, Jason showed me how to lift a motorcycle:


Legs, especially for women, have some of the largest muscles in the body. We probably all know from experience to never lift with the back. Instead, use the leg muscles, as if doing squats. Put your back against the bike and you will avoid using it. That will give your legs room to bend. (Like my art? Illustrator rocks.)

I learned my lesson. *sigh*

Slow riding

I practiced slow riding for a while before getting on the busy NYC streets. The reason is, the better you are at riding slow, the more control you have over your bike. This is basically what I did and a suggestion on how to practice riding slow...

First, your bike must have a wet clutch. You will want to be in the friction zone while practicing slow. (That's the zone where you can "ride the clutch," which you can't do in a car. Oil makes the clutch "wet" and makes it possible to keep gears moving while the entire bike goes slow, like less than 10 mph.)

On a paved, flat surface, work on starting slow in the friction zone, hand always on the clutch, and get to about 5-8mph. Then come to a complete stop before putting your feet down. Practice stopping completely before putting a foot down. The more comfortable you are with this, the easier it will be to make slow turns.

Once you feel comfortable with having your feet off the ground as long as humanly possible, go back in motion and practice making U-turns by counterbalancing. Start with a road width of about 20-25 feet. At a steady, slow pace, look at the spot where you want to end your turn, turn your wheel, keeping in motion. Avoid using the brakes, pressing the clutch halfway, engaging the gears carefully. Move your shoulders in the opposite direction of your turn to counterbalance. The slower the turn, the more counterbalance you will need. If you have to, put weight on your foot pegs and move your entire torso opposite the turn.

If you feel you are going too fast, squeeze in the clutch to slow down. Try not to use your front brakes. You may use your rear brake to help keep a steady pace if your clutch is sensitive.

As you get better at making the U-turn (turning left and right), decrease the radius of your turn.

Hint: as long as your bike is in motion at slow speeds, you can counterbalance it. You should only need to put your foot down at complete rest.

People behind the Art of Rebellion show

There's nothing like the camaraderie of a community. A lot of people from the biker community and enthusiasts attended the Harley-Davidson art show. The common thread, two-wheeled motorized vehicles.

I had the opportunity to meet many of the artists who were part of the Art of Rebellion show. Each person's work inspiring or inspired by biker culture in his or her own way. Here are some photos of artists and their works:

Dirty Donny

Frank Kozik

Frank Kozik's tank and fender

Tara McPherson

Harpoon

The Pizz and Harpoon with Harpoon's art

Art by The Pizz

Art by Lindsey Kuhn

Art by John Van Hamersveld

Art by Brian Ewing

A choppered-out 883 with a tank by Jaymes at Blue Moon Kustoms

It was fun seeing my old friend Poull, who promoted the party...

Promoter Poull Brien

...and making new friends

Angela Maria Nardolillo, bike enthusiast and video game designer

Unfortunately, I didn't get to meet all the artists or any of the photographers. Check out the Art of Rebellion website for the tour and more photos. Cool stuff.

Thanks to Pabst Blue Ribbon for the beer, Poland Spring for the water, all the artists and photographers for the beautiful art, and Harley Davidson for the rockin exhibit.

Tank by The Pizz

The Art of Rebellion Harley-Davidson show

Harley-Davidson is sponsoring a traveling art show that benefits the CUE Art Foundation. Last night the event was open to the public in New York City.


Harley showcased their new 883 Sportster, which happened to fit me very well :) Hmm, maybe this will be my next bike.


More on the art to come...

"Organ Donor"

Motorcyclists are sometimes referred to as "organ donors" for an obvious reason. There's most likely nothing more dangerous on the roads and streets than riding motorcycles.

The reality is, few people with driver's licenses sign up to be organ donors, yet there is a waiting list of people waiting for organ donations. Regardless of the type of vehicle we operate, if we have a driver's license, we should all consider signing up to be an organ donor should we be involved in a fatal accident. Each of us can still save or better another person's life post-mortem.

When I went to the DMV to turn in my sold car's plate, there were no reminders for drivers to sign up. Thing is, after we die, unless we prepare beforehand by giving legal consent to organ banks to take much-needed live tissue when we pass, our next of kin can prevent it from happening. It's sad to think that another person could lose a chance to receive a kidney, bone, liver, or something else we're not going to need anymore.

I don't mean to be morbid. Just realistic. I know I'm going to die someday. I might as well be able to offer something to someone at that time.

Prepare to give. Be an organ donor.

*sigh*

I sold my car today. It's sad. My car took me across the country and back. Lots of great memories. But now that I'm riding a motorcycle, the car isn't needed anymore. I don't have to take the subway for $2.25. And if I need an automobile, I can rent one through Zipcar.



Thanks for the rides, Spunky! I'll miss you.

First highway trip

For this past weekend, we had planned for me to take my first highway ride out to Pennsylvania to visit Jason's family. All week, I went back and forth between riding Georgia and riding bitch with Jason. I hadn't yet ridden on a bike more than a couple miles at a time at high speed. So, I thought about the 70-mile trek on Route 78, a six-lane highway, to a little hamlet on the Delaware River called Riegelsville. We talked about making pit stops on the way to take rests, since riding on a light dual-sport bike with semis can be taxing on a rider's body. The wind pattern caused by the shape of trucks can push a bike out or in across a lane depending on where the bike is positioned near a truck. A rider would have to maintain speed while keeping the bike straight, using arms, shoulders, and body leaning against wind thrusts. In the MSF course, the instructor said, "Stay away from trucks." Unfortunately, that's virtually impossible on a highway like Route 78.

I'd only been to Jason's family's place once, and certainly didn't know the roads out there. While I looked forward to the highway experience, I finally decided not to ride Georgia. So I told Jason that I thought it would be more fun to ride with him on his bike instead of have to constantly check for directions-- less fun. All in all, I'm still an inexperienced rider. It's better for me to ride my first highway on a more familiar route to a more familiar destination.

In addition, on Friday, about to make a turn onto my street where we live, poor Georgia died because of her under-sized battery. This added to my discomfort about riding long distance. We had changed the oil and bought a new and properly-sized battery, which was fully charged in time for the trip. However, it's difficult to tell what else might cause problems with a bike that's 34 years old, especially when taking a long distance ride.

It was a good thing I rode with Jason. We left at 1pm on Saturday, when traffic is lighter than on a Friday. (Columbus Day weekend.) In spite of the lighter traffic, the wind was blowing at 30mph with gusts coming from all different directions. I could feel the wind pushing us, and I watched Jason's arms as he pressed to keep straight. His bike is also a dual-sport, but it's at least a hundred pounds heavier than Georgia. It was a head wind. So, riding at 70mph, the wind felt like 100mph. Since I could see Jason working hard, I stayed still the entire ride, keeping legs and arms as close to the bike and to Jason as possible.

We took a break about 45 miles into the trip. Jason's arms needed the rest, and I needed to stretch. The wind was so brutal, there was no way I would have been able to ride Georgia without getting blown across a lane. She's too light and I'm too light.

I'm really glad I got my new helmet in time for the trip. Had I worn the old one that feels like it might lift off, I would not have enjoyed riding the highway at all. But the new Shoei helmet stayed put. I could feel the gusts coming at different angles, but the helmet is aerodynamic enough that it's easy to resist the wind. I felt much more comfortable riding at high speed than with the old helmet. Now I'm really looking forward to riding the highways.

The Shoei RF-1000

I spent the last 2 and a half months looking for the right helmet for me. When I first started shopping, I had no idea what to look for and didn't know how a helmet should fit. I also had no idea about different brands: Arai, Bieffe, Shoei, Bell, HJC, etc. I kept hearing about different brands from different people, but the one brand that seemed to get the most discussion was Shoei ("show-ee"). Turns out that was the brand that fit me best when trying them on at a store.

A few weeks of research on the Internet reading descriptions and comparing prices, I decided I would stick with Shoei, since I know what size I wear in that brand. Also, reviews talk about how the Shoei helmet stays put while riding. The helmet I had been wearing felt like it lifted up when riding at higher speeds. I finally settled on the RF-1000 and ordered it in light silver. This helmet also has vents located in places that allow air to flow, minimizing sweat.

The helmet came yesterday, just hours before a 70 mile highway trip to Pennsylvania. It was supposed to be my first highway ride on a motorcycle. Jason and I were planning to leave yesterday, but because of the chance of showers, we decided to leave the next day. I'm glad we waited, or else I'd be riding with an old helmet-- the one that feels like it comes off in high speeds.

I put the helmet on and read the guide. It says it should fit snugly around my whole head and i should be able to feel the cushion against the top of my head. I do. With the helmet on, while moving the helmet around left and right and up and down, my skin should move with the helmet. It does. With the chin pads in, the pads should be pressing in on my cheeks. They do. They press in so much that I practically bite the inside of my mouth, and I can barely speak. Supposedly, over time, the helmet will take the shape of my head and will feel less like making funny faces. Basically, this helmet fits snugly enough that if I fall at a high speed, it won't come off until I take it off.

I had only ridden on a motorcycle once at a speed of 70mph, and it was scary with a helmet that didn't fit me well. But today, while riding on the highway, the helmet was secure. It didn't feel like it was trying to come off my head in high speed. It was comfortable and comforting. Didn't even seem like we were going 70.

Oil change on a CL360

My bike is from 1975. It sat around for years, then the last owner never rode her. So, needless to say, Georgia needed some work. To pass inspection, the tires and fork seals were replaced, carburetors and fuel lines cleaned, and she got a new horn. What didn't happen at the shop was an oil change.

For some bikes, changing the oil properly is time intensive. Georgia is a CL360 with a 4 stroke engine, 2 cylinders, 2 carburetors, and 6 gears. It's hard to tell from a dipstick how dirty oil is, and since we know the bike sat around for years, I decided to give her a proper oil change. Jason and I downloaded the manual and got to work.

What we didn't know before we started was what exactly was involved in properly maintaining the engine oil. On cars and newer bikes, changing the oil is pretty simple: drain the oil, change the filter, fill the oil pan with fresh oil. Not so with this and similar old bikes.

It's very easy to overburn oil and destroy the cylinders in an engine. Proper lubrication is essential for an engine's long life, fuel efficiency, and smooth running condition. A couple days ago, I thought I could smell burning oil from Georgia's engine. Plus, she seemed to be running a bit rough. Hence, the urgent decision to change the oil.

I looked all over the internet to make sure we did it correctly but couldn't find anything aside from the manual, which doesn't give too many images to help. So, I decided to write it down here, and add some pictures.


On a Honda CL360 (and CB360), the oil is contained within the crankcase, which is where all the gears are. To filter the oil, it runs through a centrifugal oil filter, which spins forcing sediment to stick to the sides of a rotor assembly. The filtered oil then spits out of the rotor to recirculate into the engine. Larger particles sink to the bottom of the crankcase and are filtered by a metal screen. When the oil is changed on this kind of bike, both the rotary filter (centrifugal filter) and the metal screen should be clean. Otherwise, dirt in the crankcase will be recirculated and will bog down the engine.

First, you should warm up the engine to warm the oil to loosen it so it drains easier, but not too hot that parts cannot be handled. Then remove the oil drain plug with a 17mm socket wrench with a pan underneath to catch the old oil. Make sure you have the metal gasket (looks like a washer) with the plug. If the drain plug is too tight, try putting an iron pipe around the socket wrench handle for more leverage.


While the oil is draining, you can remove the parts that need to come off in order to get to the oil filter and screen. Since these parts are inside the crankcase, the crankcase cover must come off. To get the cover off, the rear brake lever, foot peg, and kick start lever must also be removed. (On a CB360, the exhaust pipe must be removed. Now are you starting to understand why motorcycle oil changes can get expensive at a shop?)

While removing these parts, it can help to take pictures of what you are removing to make sure you replace all the parts properly. Particularly, remember how the brake pedal is angled, since it can go on at a number of different angles. Also be careful that the brake light spring is not overstretched when you disconnect it.






After the oil is drained, the crankcase cover can come off. Make sure your oil pan is underneath it as you remove the cover as leftover oil will spill out.




When you remove the cover, you might have to loosen it by carefully striking the cover with a mallet. (We used a hammer and bunch of newspaper folded up to keep the case from getting scratched or dented.) Also make sure that you take the cover off at an angle, starting at the left edge. The gasket, which might be stuck to the cover can pull off the gear below the centrifugal filter. If the gear becomes loose, make sure when you put the cover back on to realign it with the filter gear. Also, make sure the gasket is in good shape. If it's torn or shredded, replace it.


Here's the inside of the crankcase and the location of the filter and screen:


The screen filter at the bottom is held by a metal assembly with 3 bolts. To clean the screen, the entire assembly must be removed. Then the rubber housing framing the screen can be removed.


This is what the filter screen looked like:

Since there was sludge and metal shards from the engine in the screen, it needed to be cleaned off. We used turpentine to loosen the sludge, then rinsed it with water and let it dry. (Remove the screen from the metal assembly before using solvents to clean the screen. When replacing the screen, make sure that the rubber housing wraps around the metal frame all the way. I used a flathead screwdriver to ease the edges around the frame.)


That was the easy part of cleaning the filters. Next, the centrifugal assembly...


Cleaning the oil filter requires dealing with several parts: the rotor cylinder, the rotor cap, a rubber gasket, and a metal clip holding in the cover. First, the metal cover clip must be removed by pinching together the two ends with needlenose pliers and pulling it out.


Then, the cap must come off. Some say to use pliers to remove the cap, but this did not work for us. Instead, we got it off by inserting a flathead screwdriver into the holes in the center of the cap, gently leveraging it off by rocking the screwdriver little by little around the circumference. Be careful not to shred the gasket, which is just behind the cap.


This is where the oil change can get time consuming...

Sediment from used oil collects onto the inside surface of the rotor, which should still be attached to the bike. This must be cleaned out, or else the sediment can continue to build up and cause the rotor to stick. I used a thin flathead screwdriver to scrape out the sludge, then used a rag with some oil on it to wipe it clean. (Don't use WD40 inside the crankcase. Use clean motor oil.)


After the sludge is removed from the rotor, put some clean oil in it so that when the engine is started, it will lubricate immediately. Also, wipe down the rest of the crankcase, removing any sludge. Replace the rotor cap with a good gasket pushing it in until you can see the ridge where the metal clip goes. Make sure the tab on the cap lines up with the line on the outside edge of the rotor. Then pinch the metal clip ends together to fit it against the cap to hold the cap in place.


Once the sludge is wiped off and the filter and screen are replaced, the crankcase is ready for fresh oil. Carefully attach the crankcase cover. Be careful not to dislocate that gear beneath the rotor assembly, as mentioned above. If the cover doesn't seem to go back on, that gear might be out of place.

Once all the screws are back in the crankcase, the oil drain plug is replaced with its metal gasket, and the kickstart lever, foot peg, and brake lever are replaced, fill her up! We used 2 quarts of oil for "older engines." The manual says to use an oil with detergent, and another vintage Honda owner recommended synthetic oil. I use synthetic oil in my CRX, so it makes sense to use it in these old classic bikes.

Oh, yeah. Be environmentally kind and put the old oil in the empty oil containers and take them to a service station where it can be safely disposed or recycled (we hope).

After the oil change, Georgia seems to run smoother. No more burning oil smell. Yay.

Lane splitting

Lane splitting is not legal in New York State, but I think it should be, especially because air-cooled engines need to be in motion to prevent from overheating. Did that once before. Riders split lanes anyway, passing slow or stopped traffic to get ahead. I haven't ridden between lanes yet, but today I passed traffic on the right-hand side, as if making a right turn (which I made).

On the Manhattan Bridge, traffic traveled at 5-10 miles per hour. I watched 2 other bikes go by splitting lanes, and thought about following, but I didn't feel confident enough. Geez, I've only been riding less than 2 months. But when getting off the bridge, traffic was backed up 2 blocks. So, I passed traffic as if about to make a right turn.

Passing traffic on the right is not safe, because in the right lane, drivers are not looking to their right, and because people in parked cars could open their doors unexpectedly. So, I rode slowly in the friction zone in first gear watching to make sure nobody opened their doors or tried to pull over to the right.

(The friction zone is when the bike is in gear and the wet clutch is ridden. So, the clutch is pressed halfway allowing for engine control, particularly when riding slow.)

I'm sure one day I'll be confident enough to split lanes. Who wants to sit in slow traffic?

Parking safety

Living in a town or city without a garage has an obvious danger for classic bikes on the streets: public exposure.

I parked my bike at the end of my street a couple days ago, close to where my car was parked, because I had an appointment to show my car to a prospective buyer. The next day, I went to the bike to ride, and someone had messed with her. The handle bar bag was moved, the kill switch on, the lights turned off, and the kick start lever pulled out. When I started the bike, the turn signals didn't work properly and the headlight would not turn on. I didn't have time to check the lamp to make sure it was connected, or check the battery, so I left Georgia for the day and went to my appointment by subway. It was depressing.

That night, I went back to the bike. Someone had messed with her again! Once again, the kill switch was on, and this time the seat had been bent back. This loser probably tried to remove my helmet from the helmet hook under the seat to get it kick started. Fortunately, this time the high beam on the headlamp worked (wires were loose), so I rode Georgia to a regular spot in front of our local watering hole and parked her there.

While I was out, I stopped at the Vespa store on Crosby Street in Manhattan and bought a 3.5 foot (110cm) OnGuard chain (the Mastiff 5019) to keep people from taking the bike. This length just fits around the front wheel and frame of my CL360.

After parking, I removed the headlamp from the fixture to check the wires and pushed tight any that were loose. The lamp itself was loose. Since I didn't have the proper hardware to fix it right, I used what I could find to at least keep the lamp from moving within its fixture. I got the low beam to work as well, then straightened the seat.

Whoever messes with someone else's bike simply is not cool. Respect, people.

Getting comfortable

I had my first solo ride to Queens today to see my brother on his birthday. I avoided Queens Boulevard as much as possible, taking Greenpoint Avenue all the way from Greenpoint, Brooklyn, to 48th Avenue in Queens. On the way, it rained a bit, but just spit. The pavement stayed relatively dry.

I wore my brand new white leather motorcycle jacket, bought on jackets4bikes.com.

The leather is nice and thick. It has back protection made with dual density foam, elbow and forearm pads, and shoulder guards with foam and PVC armor. It also has vents on the front and back that can be unzipped.

The best thing about this jacket is that drivers see me. It was a marked improvement between what I wore before and this white jacket. Before, wearing an earthy orange leather jacket, I had to constantly watch how cars crawled at an intersection, then slow down to make sure they didn't just pull out. With the white jacket on, drivers saw me right away and stopped-- no crawling.

People on the side of the streets see me too. Two guys today in different locations said something to the effect of, "Wow, you look hot on that bike." Never happened before, except from my boyfriend. I guess they could tell I was a girl, cause I wore a pink hoodie.

I was excited and nervous before getting on the bike today. But after riding for several miles and seeing how much better traffic responds to the white jacket, I feel much more comfortable. One guy, though, still didn't stop, however. And that was one block from home. The guy pulled out, didn't stop at the stop sign, didn't see me, even with the jacket on. I might have been camouflaged against a white van or truck. I gunned the throttle and escaped the possible accident.

Unfortunately, there's no nighttime reflective material on the jacket. So, I ordered some glass reflective beads, used on traffic signs and streets. I'll glue them on the jacket, on the stripes on the sleeves and make a star emblem on my back. Then, I'll feel a bit safer riding at night.

Be thoughtful about what you wear on your motorcycle!