The author rides a 2008 Victory Vision Tour

Sunday, March 28, 2010

Gas discounts: Do you clip the coupons?

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How do you feel about those gas-and-groceries discounts offered by major retailers? Do they get you into their gas station, do you go somewhere else for convenience, or do you travel somewhere for the lowest price?

Does saving 3 cents, or 10 cents a gallon after you spend a bundle on groceries, steer you towards the Freddys or Safeway for your gas purchases?

Or do you have lots of extra time, and go sit in the lines at Costco for 10 minutes or more in order to save a few cents per gallon?

In Costco's case, it all boils down to what is worth more to you, time or money. If a Costco gas station is on your way to work or shopping, it takes no extra money to get there, just time spent waiting in line. If it's not on your way, it costs you gas to get there and back AND the extra time. That's why you see people fill up elsewhere, because it’s simply not worth it in terms of time, money or convenience to drive to the low-cost leader.

My family shops a lot at Freddys, so we take advantage of the 10 cents per gallon discount we earn after buying 100 bucks of groceries. That brings the price down to a couple of cents more or less than Costco. And at Freddy's it is extremely rare to wait for a pump.

Of course on a motorcycle, it seems it uses so little gas, and in the case of the Victory---premium gas, that worrying about price is secondary. When I am low, I simply pull into the nearest station and fill up. Enjoying the ride is too important to ruin it worrying about gas prices!

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Friday, March 26, 2010

The left lane is for passing...

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You should be familiar with the phrase "keep right, pass left" or something similar. Many states require that you stay in the right lane unless you're passing. This is likely one of my biggest pet peeves, and I've noticed that increasingly, the left lane is becoming the new right lane.

It's 5:30pm, and I'll be on my motorcycle on the highway, three lanes wide, sometimes clogged, sometimes medium traffic, when I'll be doing the speed limit and I come upon a vehicle doing at least 10mph slower, occupying the left lane. Usually I'll give the driver a chance to move over (a few seconds at least, if not more)- that way they have adequate time to check their rear view. If the lane immediately to the right is free, sometimes they'll move over, but more often, they won't.

Cell phones, food distractions, whatever the case, sitting in the left lane but to pass is illegal, and perhaps it's time we cut down on those who simply occupy the lane with no intentions of passing. At least you don't see a motorcycle rider talking on a cell phone on the road! I can't be the only one bothered, my local Department of Transportation has been adding signs that clearly state the left lane is for passing. We even have huge electronic signs that also request slower drivers to keep right, but do they work? Hardly.

I guess it's just something I'll have to deal with until people understand what the left lane is actually for. I typically just accelerate the motorcycle around these people and try to make them aware of whats going on. Many times, I'll look back and see the driver I just passed moving over. Great! I'm glad some get it.

At least we aren't in Europe where passing on the right is a pretty major offense. The huge difference is that people over there understand lane usage and passing on the right is not necessary. Here it's becoming more and more necessary. I don't think its too much to ask drivers to stay aware of their surroundings and move lanes if they find themselves holding up traffic.

So- are you a left lane addict, or do you only use it to pass?

This was originally posted on my favorite mpg website Gasbuddy.com

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Sunday, March 21, 2010

Heated motorcycle gloves or heated grips? Part II

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Every motorcycle rider has had cold hands at one time or another. Keeping the hands warm can make your motorcycle riding more comfortable (and thus more fun) and extend your motorcycle riding season. But which is better? Heated motorcycle gloves or heated grips? I've used them both, and the verdict is....

Heated motorcycle grips: Are they worth the bucks? I have heated grips on my Victory and swear by them. They have a low and high heat position: the high can be too warm but I just flex my hands and loose my grip and they instantly cool a bit. Typically I set the heat and go, no fuss when I stop and hop off the bike like I had with my Widder wired gloves. Heated grips beat heated gloves:

Pros: No wires, batteries, connectors to mess with. Do not underestimate this advantage!

Pros: Easy to adjust heat while riding the motorcycle. Too hot, flex your hands open on the grips. Too cold, well most heated grips crank out more than enough heat to do the job.

Pros: No bulky wired gloves required for cold weather riding.

Cons: Hard to keep your thumb warm because the hand position on the motorcycle grips tends to keep one's thumb slightly off the heated surface. Adjustment while riding to touch my thumbs to the grip works.

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Saturday, March 20, 2010

Heated motorcycle gloves or heated grips?

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Every motorcycle rider has had cold hands at one time or another. Keeping the hands warm can make your motorcycle riding more comfortable (and thus more fun) and extend your motorcycle riding season. But which is better? Heated motorcycle gloves or heated grips? I've used them both, and the verdict is....

I've had heated motorcycle gloves from Widder for years. This was an excellent company, unfortunately they went out of business a couple of years ago so their products are getting increasingly harder to find. Other good brands exist, and you will find some of the same pros and cons with them.

Pros: Lots of heat

Cons: Fumbling with wires before riding, after riding, stopping for gas.

Cons: uneven heat, backs of hands too hot, ends of fingers too cold

Cons: limited adjust-ability of heat

Cons: dangerous to fumble with heat adjustment while riding (IF gloves are adjustable)

Next post will cover the pros and cons of heated motorcycle grips.

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Sunday, March 14, 2010

It's the middle of winter but...motorcycle!

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Today was one of those February days in the Pacific Northwest when the sun comes out, the mercury climbs to near 60 degrees, and we grab the chance to ride our motorcycles. The window was brief, from after work until sundown when the temperature plummets, but I saw dozens of motorcycle enthusiasts leaping through that window today. Here's to all of you who set aside some of your everyday chores just long enought to shake off a little of that cabin fever.

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