Tires are where the rubber meets the road in adventure riding. The right set if Tres can be the difference between your adventure coming to fruition, or you being forced to tuck-tail and head home early. I’ve seen the right set of Tres propel heavy bikes up steep, unexpected detours, and I’ve witnessed the wrong set of Tres lead to dropped bikes and cracked ribs during an unexpected downpour.
So sold was I on the obvious superiority of the new technology that I’ve recently joined the company that creates the so[ware I’d been using, Gaia GPS. Some of you probably saw my post about it in our Facebook group. With that background, I hope I can offer tips to evaluate your existing phone or tablet as your adventure GPS device.
Traditionally, I have used a Garmin GPS (Zumo 550) for my motorcycle navigation. It has worked well for me the past 8 years. Most motorcyclists I know who use a GPS also use a dedicated Garmin or TomTom device. During a recent IAMC GPS Clinic (March 26, 2016) put on by Ron Schinnerer, I had an “aha moment” when David O’Neal discussed the use of smart advices (phones and tablets) as a dedicated GPS device, and he reviewed some of the so[ware apps available for this.
Almost without fail, every club member responding mentioned that they routinely use either the website of one or more of our sponsors and then pick up the item in which they are interested at the physical address of the sponsor. Happy Trails Products was number one on this list followed by Carl’s Cycles and Big Twin.
by Carl BoockholdtOriginally Published in the IAMC Newsletter, January 2018 [Editor’s Note: If you haven’t already, it is time to think about winter maintenance and storage of your bike. This article originally appeared in the Big Twin Newsletter, November 2017,… Read More »Winter Storage & Maintenance Tips
… And no I am not talking about the one others pull to get your attention. I am talking about the one that makes the rear wheel on your bike go around. Without it you aren’t going anywhere. Neglect it long enough, and it can really bite you bad by suddenly failing (breaking) that leaves you stranded in a remote inaccessible area, causes your rear wheel to lock up resulting in a nasty crash, or does considerable damage to your engine when it balls up around the countershaft and front sprocket.bike go around. Without it you aren’t going anywhere. Neglect it long enough, and it can really bite you bad by suddenly failing (breaking)
that leaves you stranded in a
remote inaccessible area, causes your rear wheel to lock up resulting in a nasty crash, or does considerable damage to your engine
when it balls up around the
countershaft and front sprocket
Many assume their new bike is ready to ride as delivered from the factory to the showroom floor. Then, to increase performance most riders focus on adding power, but do little to actually tune their suspension. Motorcycle manufacturers commonly build bikes using a “one size fits all” approach. But you can often significantly transform a bike’s ability to perform, as well as improve safety, by making a few simple adjustments to the suspension and geometry.