PegMonkey Bad Monkey!

Life changes you as well as your interests. I have been riding sportbikes since 1988 and I think I am done with that stage of my life.[For now] I have not left motorcycling altogether I am just on a different track now; I bought a 1998 Yamaha WR400F to do some woods riding once again. I seem to remember when sportbikes were rare and the Harley(clones included) were the rage. Harleys and clones are still pleantiful but sportbikes and their trickster riders are becoming overwhelming also. It seems that with the population increase in sportriders comes the attention of the local police that think everyone on a sportbike is doing stupid stuff in crowded areas, even though that is hardly ever the case. Most of us save our stupidity (i.e. fun) for the unpopulated back roads that will only injure us and our bikes if we crash. Oh well. I am going to attempt to ride in the woods again and attempt to miss trees instead of cars. Oh, I forgot to mention my WR has tags, so most of my time in the woods. I will welcome the change of senery an sharpen my reflexes as only a dirt bike can do.

Has anyone noticed that there is slowly less and less riding areas? I have.
One of the prime riding areas this side of Hagarstown happens to be in my neck of the metropolis we call the Cumberland area. For years I have been riding in the Klondike area. When I was young there was a small select crew that had free reign of all the trails in the area. If I stood outside and heard a dirt bike it was either me, Shawn or Darryl. So, If I was the one listening I guess that would eliminate me from the one riding. it was'nt hard to figure out who was riding in those days. I enjoy riding in this area so much I talked my wife into building a house up there when I grew up. ( and for you guys that know where my house is, you know that was no easy feat. )

Once upon a time there was a playground in western Maryland that could be enjoyed by all. It was wonderful place full of wilderness and adventure. It was a good place to ride your mountain bike, your dirt bike, your horse, your 4 wheeler or just hike by foot. It was a place where everybody got along and shared the trails. It was a great place to go and spend an entire Sunday just enjoying the natural beauty of the terrain and the well maintained trails through the wilderness.

While ear plugs may not be able to save you from a life threatening injury, they can sure go a long way to helping you maintain an enjoyable life. If you ride on the street at speeds greater than 40mph, then you should be wearing ear plugs. The noise inside most helmets at 60mph is greater than 100db, if you are like me and spend most of your time over 100mph, then the noise in your helmet can be up near 115db. That's louder than the straight through glass pack on your crotch rocket or the drag pipes on your hog. Most of you probably don't even notice. Next time you are out, actually pay attention to the wind noise. Quite loud isn't it? Over time, your hearing will be damaged. How much time? Measurable damage can occur after 15 mins at 115db and after 60 mins at 100db.

I was flying up the freeway, minding my own business, when I noticed the RC was experiencing a slight wiggle when making directional changes. It was nothing major, but noticeable. It felt like the wind was buffeting the bike around a bit. I observed the trees and didn't see the branches moving that much. I didn't feel anything against my helmet either to indicate that there was much of a breeze at all. I had felt that feeling before and was dreading my conclusion. Thoughts of having the bike hauled back in the back of a truck came storming distastefully into my mind. I eased over to the side of the road disappointed that my 110 mph cruise was interrupted so rudely.

This project started out the way most projects do. Ashley, a friend of mine, was looking for a dirt bike to learn to ride. She started riding last year on a bike that was a little tall for her in the woods. She was riding a Honda NX250, not the most dirt worthy mount. The NX is also a bit of a porker for a short newbie. It was however very entertaining watching her fall over on the trail... repeatedly. }:) Needless to say, discouragement set in.. or was it common sense.. and she decided to locate a smaller machine to learn on.

Back in the early 1980s, when I had my summers off, I'd go riding all summer. There were lots of places to ride. I couldn't cover all the area in a day. Fast forward to today. I can go riding now, and cover just about every trail from Westernport to Frostburg in a day. At first I couldn't put my finger on it. I thought, hey, I must be getting pretty fast. But just yesterday I figured it out. The riding area is shrinking.

Mat Mladin says he will race at Daytona this year. He said his priority will be to stay safe.

"I'll be at Daytona, whether I'll be competitive or not is another story. I'll certainly stay safe, let's put it that way."

According to a press release by the AMA http://www.AMADirectlink.com/ the EPA is going to be cracking down on motorcycles. Not only are motorcycles currently the nations smallest producer of pollution, they are currently some of the most fuel efficient means of reliable transportation in this country. Leave it to big government. So how do they get away with it? They find a job that doesn't need doing and then convince the public that it's necessary. Divide and conquer. Take shots at smaller groups, clamp down on the little people, all in the name of the greater good. When will people learn.. ok.. rant over... onto the news.

Tire tests at Daytona for the super bikes were cut short by Dunlop due to a bout of tire failures. Mat Mladin has reportedly been considering a boycott of Daytona until something can be done to remedy the problems. After several others have crashed at over 170mph who can blame him. There have been an increasing number of failures in the past few years.

Ahh Winter.. the scourge of the motorcyclist. Sure many of you who live in warmer clients don't fear it. The endless hours of boredom, trapped in the house, watching the wind howl and stinging frozen drops of water fall from the sky. It's as if some god is wreaking vengeance on his subjects. But are we really trapped? Hell No.

It seems that most modern race bikes are being equipped with slipper clutches. Slipper clutches make the bikes easier to ride fast. You can bang downshifts without paying attention to the throttle position which leaves your right hand free for modulating the front brake. This cuts fatigue which improves endurance and the more controllable braking allows riders to shave their times.