I am an ordinary guy who enjoys riding motorcycles. I love riding all makes and models. I love short rides, long rides, and multi-day road trips. I lead an annual summer tour in various parts of the USA. I post reviews about motorcycle gear, motorcycles, roads, restaurants, sights, gadgets and more. Check out the "Motorcycle Facts,Trivia and History" page, the "Oz on Pods" page and the other pages for other useful and fun information. Ride carefully and Prayerfully, Oz.

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

Top Motorcycle Cup Holder

I resisted at first.  I thought, "I don't need a drink when riding."  Well, last summer I rode on a friends bike for a few days and he had a cup holder.  Before I knew it I started using it and I liked having a beverage available while riding.

After I gave his bike back I started missing the convenience of having a readily available drink.  I ordered an inexpensive black plastic cup holder and it worked great.

After purchasing the Venture in May I put the cup holder on the bike, but it sure did not look quite right on the new shiny Venture.  After looking at some other options I ran across a great deal on a Kuryakyn universal cup holder while at the Jeff Williams Motorcycle Swap Meet in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.


The cup holder mounts on either clutch or break perch mounts, or if you use a clamp it can mount to the handlebars.  The cup holder accepts a wide range of cup/bottle sizes.  The chrome C-ring has rubber nipples that accommodate various sizes and keeps a good grip on the cups.  A sturdy nylon mesh net with leather-like material makes up the bottom portion of the cup holder.


The chrome ring, attachment, and bolts look good and are very sturdy.  Kuryakyn provides three pairs of extra bolts and two bushings to make mounting easy.  I chose to use one bolt and not have the cup as high up as it would be if both perch mounts bolts were used.



I have found the cup holder convenient, reliable on corners, and good looking.  I recommend the Kuryakyn universal cup holder for your bike.  I think you will like it.

Ride carefully and prayerfully!    
  
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* I have personally ordered from and/or visited these businesses and based on my experiences I recommend this company.  I have an affiliate relationship with the businesses, which means if you follow this link and purchase, I will receive a small commission and will get to ride more!
 
Feedback on these businesses is appreciated.  You may comment below.
 
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight." - Proverbs 3:5-6 


Wednesday, June 9, 2010

Quality Motorcycle Riding Jeans

Two years ago I read about jeans that had strategic Kevlar reinforcement.  I bought a pair of jeans that had the reinforcement and stretch material in the crotch and above the knees.  They were OK, but not as comfortable as I had hoped.

Well, I decided to give a different brand and style of the protective jeans a chance.  I visited the Riders Discount and ordered a pair of Shift Lodown Street Jeans.

The Lodown jeans come in "dark indigo" (lightly faded black) and "light indigo" (faded blue).  I ordered the dark indigo.  The jeans have five pockets, two front pockets, two back pockets, and one key pocket.  Kevlar reinforcement is included in the knees, butt, and hips.  The seams for the extra protection is not too noticeable so the jeans have a traditional look.

Quality of the fabric and the stitching is very good.  Snaps and zipper looked good and worked great.  There are limited waist sizes (30 - 40) and no options for the inseam length.  When I received the jeans they had to be cut and hemmed (I am 5'6").

Once I had them altered I was ready to test them.  I have worn them on 4 different rides of various distances and I have found them much more comfortable than the other jeans.  The Lodown Jeans have a loose and comfortable fit.  The pockets are slightly bigger than traditional Levi or Wrangler jeans.  I was able to move and squat/sit without any problems or discomfort.

Time will tell, but the jeans seem very well made and durable.  I know that I love them and will be purchasing more.  They look good enough to wear even when I am not riding.  I highly recommend the Shift lowdown street jeans.

I also took a chance on some "transition" sunglasses, they are suppose to go from near clear to dark based on the amount of light.  I ordered the Bobster Phontochromic Hooligan Sunglasses from Riders Discount.

The glasses are very comfortable and the workmanship is top-notch.  The glasses fit well and protect my eyes from the wind when riding.  I really like them for evening and/or night riding.  They do not get dark enough for me in the bright sunlight.  I found that the glasses were slow in darkening and that they just did not block enough of the bright light.

I keep the glasses on the bike to use when riding at dusk, dawn, and night.  Bobster makes comfortable sunglasses, but I would not recommend the Hooligan Sunglasses for everyday usage, but they are great for the times when the light is low.
 
Ride carefully and prayerfully!    
  
Connect and follow Biker Oz on the following:

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* I have personally ordered from and/or visited these businesses and based on my experiences I recommend this company.  I have an affiliate relationship with the businesses, which means if you follow this link and purchase, I will receive a small commission and will get to ride more!
 
Feedback on these businesses is appreciated.  You may comment below.
 
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight." - Proverbs 3:5-6 

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

Yamaha Royal Star Venture

I have posted a review on my V Star 1100 and I posted when the V Star hit 100,000 miles.  I now want to announce that the very reliable, ridable, maneuverable machine has been replaced.

After a lot of looking and research I am now riding a Yamaha Royal Star Venture. I looked at almost every bagger out there.  One of the big factors in my decision is that the Venture comes with a 5 year unlimited miles warranty.  That is hard to turn down, especially considering how much I ride.

I picked up the bike Saturday May 22, 2010 from Motion CycleSports and I am looking forward to riding it for 100,000+ miles.
I got up early Sunday morning and went riding prior to attending church.  I stopped on CO 331 aka Woodlawn Road on the east side of McKinney and took these pictures of my bike.
Needless to say I am pretty excited and I am really enjoying the Venture.  Later on when I get 10,000+ miles on the bike I will post my thoughts and impressions.  In the mean time I am riding every chance I get.
Ride carefully and prayerfully!    
  
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* I have personally ordered from and/or visited these businesses and based on my experiences I recommend this company.  I have an affiliate relationship with the businesses, which means if you follow this link and purchase, I will receive a small commission and will get to ride more!
 
Feedback on these businesses is appreciated.  You may comment below.
 
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight." - Proverbs 3:5-6 

 

Monday, May 17, 2010

A Must Visit National Park in the American West

I know that there has been a lot written about Arches National Park in Utah, but I am going to share my thoughts anyway.

In June 2009 part of our 4 state trip included a day of riding from SW Colorado into Utah and up to Moab to visit Arches NP.  As we rode up US 191 from Monticello, UT we saw many formations that gave us a small preview of what was in store for us.

Church Rock lies to the east of US 191, south of Moab, UT
 
Along the way we stopped at Wilson  Arch, a popular formation right beside the highway with paved parking provided on both sides of the road.  Hiking to the arch is allowed and the view from the arch is great.

Wilson Arch
The boys on the arch, what a view!
View from Wilson Arch and one of the group on the arch.
Parking lot as seen from the arch
 
The hike up the arch is short, but steep.  We made the hike in our riding boots and I am glad I went up.  It was really neat.

We continued to Moab and then to Arches NP.  The park is just north of Moab on US 191.  There is a gift shop with facilities at the entrance of the park.  We rode  17.7 miles to the farthest part of the park, Devils Garden Trailhead.  Along the way we viewed the desert landscape and the saw many of the 2000+ arches in the park.
 
One of the arches along the way.
 
There is numerous trails and we had limited time, so we decided to visit this area the most.  One arch we hiked to was Pine Tree Arch.  There were many in the area, but the hikes to them are longer.
 
Look closely and you can see me and my son at Pine Tree Arch.
 
There are many unique formations that are not arches.  The Devils Garden area had some neat formations.
 
 Elephant Rock - not the best angle, but you can see the elephant head and top of his truck.
Another unique formation.
 
We left Devils Garden Trailhead and road to Delicate Arch Viewpoint.  Due to time we did not hike to the famous arch, but we hiked a short distance to a great viewpoint just south of the arch.  It is an impressive site.
 
The iconic Delicate Arch
Delicate Arch
 
After view Delicate Arch we headed out of the park and on to Grand Junction, CO by way of an awesome road UT 128 (see previous post about the road).

Arches National Park is a worthy destination.  Allot plenty of time to hike to some of the sites.  Take plenty water, snacks, and sunscreen.  I look forward to visiting the park again in the future.
Ride carefully and prayerfully!    
  
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* I have personally ordered from and/or visited these businesses and based on my experiences I recommend this company.  I have an affiliate relationship with the businesses, which means if you follow this link and purchase, I will receive a small commission and will get to ride more!
 
Feedback on these businesses is appreciated.  You may comment below.
 
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight." - Proverbs 3:5-6 


Monday, May 3, 2010

Awesome Customer Service at Custom Accessories

Review furnished by avid rider, trusted friend, and JAOB blog reader.  See J. Horn's first review about a quality jacket and his review about riding the Alpine Loop.



Custom Accessories - An Example of Great Customer Support


My used VStrom 650 came with a 12-volt weather proof power socket made by Custom Accessories  that had been installed by the previous owner. However, there was no power at the socket. I traced the problem to a bad ground connection. I removed the socket and found that the connection between the ground sleeve and the connector pin was open.

I emailed Custom Accessories about the problem, and they responded the next day with instructions to return the socket to them. So, a couple of days later, I boxed it up and sent it with a note explaining that I was not the original purchaser and would gladly pay for a replacement, since I had not been able to find a local supplier who had one in stock.

To my surprise, on the following day, I received a UPS package, containing a brand new socket! They must have sent a replacement before receiving the one I sent in. This is what I would call EXEMPLARY CUSTOMER SERVICE, and STANDING BEHIND A PRODUCT!!

Custom Accessories markets various kinds of automobile accessories, from HID light kits to seat belt pads and steering wheel covers. They will be at the top of my list of suppliers when I need any of these kinds of items.

Custom Accessories does not sell direct to end users, but you can find a list of retailers who carries their products at their web site.
J. Horn on the Alpine Loop - California Pass elevation 12,930
 
Ride carefully and prayerfully!    
  
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* I have personally ordered from and/or visited these businesses and based on my experiences I recommend this company.  I have an affiliate relationship with the businesses, which means if you follow this link and purchase, I will receive a small commission and will get to ride more!
 
Feedback on these businesses is appreciated.  You may comment below.
 
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight." - Proverbs 3:5-6 

 

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Yamaha Motorcycle Milestone

On Saturday April 24, 2010 at 10:20 on TX 5 at the south edge of Howe, TX my 2003 VStar 1100 reached 100,000 miles!
100,000 miles on an air-cooled v-twin

It was a pretty spring day in Texas
Just wanted to share the milestone.  Bike is running great although I have a small oil leak that I am trying to track down.  I think I know where it is and how to fix it, now I just need to do it.

I decided to "celebrate" by take one the best roads in our area to Sherman, where I had a scheduled meeting with the area Christian Motorcyclists Association (CMA) leadership.  I continued north on TX 5 into Howe where I turned east on FM 902.  There is a nice duo of sweeping curves a little way out of Howe and the small country road is in good shape and lightly traveled.

FM 902 end in Tom Bean where in intersects TX 11.  I turned east for one block and then turned north on FM 2729 and head to FM 697 known as Old Ida road.  Old Ida road is an eleven mile stretch of great curves and hills with some great views of the area.  I missed about 3-4 miles of the eastern most part of FM 697 but I greatly enjoyed the ride.

It was a pretty day and there was no traffic.  I even pulled a U-turn to go back and take some pictures of the donkeys that were grazing.  There was a herd of about 20.  I have seen a lot of donkey, but it just seemed like a good time for a photo.
Momma and baby away from the herd
FM 697 a great road in the NT area.
FM 697 is not the Tail of the Dragon, but it is a great road and I enjoyed the celebration of the milestone by dragging some floorboards on the curves and enjoying the scenery.
 
Ride carefully and prayerfully!    
  
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Please visit the following great companies:

 

* I have personally ordered from and/or visited these businesses and based on my experiences I recommend this company.  I have an affiliate relationship with the businesses, which means if you follow this link and purchase, I will receive a small commission and will get to ride more!
 
Feedback on these businesses is appreciated.  You may comment below.
 
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight." - Proverbs 3:5-6