Motorcycling in My Past

Bikes I've Owned and Loved (a lot or a little)

Click on any picture for details and my history with the bike

1963 HD 250 Sprint

1971 Kawasaki 350 Bighorn

1974 Rickman 125 SDT

1974 Suzuki RL250

1974-76 Ossa dirt bikes

1980 Honda CX500

 

 

 

1982 Yamaha XTZ550 Vision

1986 Kawasaki KLR600

1986 Yamaha XT350

1983 Yamaha XTZ550 Vision

1986 Yamaha TY350

1992 Yamaha 850 TDM

1989 Honda VTR

1999 Suzuki SV650

Polaris Electric Scooter

2004 Suzuki DL650 V-StromKawi KL250 Super Sherpa2008 Yamaha WR250X

 

 

  

Accessories and Stuff

MSF with a Geezer Here's your chance to learn everything I know about motorcycling in two moderately painful afternoons. Maybe you'll even learn more than I know, there is another instructor teaching the class with me and he or she probably knows something useful about motorcycles. This link takes you to a page listing all of the BRC and ERC classes that I'm teaching this summer.   

Previously Published Motorcycle Articles

Geezer with a Grudge Articles All of these were originally published in the Minnesota Motorcycle Monthly magazine. This monthly column gives me an opportunity to piss off a whole collection of people who, otherwise, wouldn't know I exist; and get paid for doing it. The intention of this column is to produce irritation and reader response. I've been told that it's been "successful." 

Product and Media Reviews - Some of these were originally published in the Minnesota Motorcycle Monthly magazine. The rest ended up on my blogsite: Geezer with A Grudge Blog.

 
  1. Live to Ride (The Rumbling, Roaring World of Speed, Escape, and Adventure on Two Wheels), by Wayne Johnson, 2010. Johnson clearly loves being on a motorcycle and that shines through the slower parts of Live to Ride (your mileage will probably vary along with your opinion of what parts are "slow").
  2. Attack the Block written by Joe Cornish and directed by Joe Cornish, 2011 Attack the Block is a weird sort of science fiction, horror flick, action movie where the main characters are mostly kids.
  3. Peaceful Warrior written by Kevin Bernhardt (screenplay), Dan Millman (novel) and directed by Victor Salva, 2006 This is an odd sort of movie, bits of mystical Karate Kid blended with a love story and a little smidgen of Rocky.
  4. 2008 Yamaha WR250X Supermoto Near the end of my farkling, it appears that I have a tiny touring bike and the coolest commuter machine I've ever touched. Based on the wild variations of modifications I've seen from other WR owners, it's obvious that the WR250R/X is a farkle magnet.
  5. 2011 Honda CBR250R The CBR250R is a 369 pound, single-cylinder, small sportbike with a lot of technology under the tank.
  6. Aerostich Repair Pack - Complete When something as dependable as an Aerostich riding suit breaks, it's a reminder of how much we rely on the product as part of our everyday routine.
  7. Aerostich Ultralight Bike Cover Putting a cover on your bike can insulate you from less-than-precious memories.
  8. Grand Loop Coyote Saddlebag, Dry Bag, & Diablo Tank Bag My 15 year old Eclipse P-38 saddle bags were pretty leaky when i bought them, but now they provide as much weather protection as a fishing net. It was time to step up to something more serious.
  9. One Week written and directed by Michael McGowen, 2008. The Internet Movie Database called One Week an "adventure, drama." Netflix (which currently has One Week on Instant Watch) categorizes the movie as "Indie Dramas, Romantic Dramas." I would have called it a dark comedy.
  10. Odyssey to Ushuaia by Andrés Carlstein, 2002. Honestly, I kept at the book to the end because I wanted to find something about this guy that I would like. To that end, I came away disappointed.
  11. 2011 Honda VT1300CT Custom Interstate Outside of passenger accommodations, Honda knows how to build a bike for the cruiser  market. The fit and finish are retro-excellent. Our review bike wore a perfect "dark red metallic" paint job (a macho-black option is available). I'm no chrome expert, but the chrome job on the Interstate looked flawless and robust.
  12. Red Tape and White Knuckles, by Lois Pryce 2008. The red-haired, motorbike explorer goes places ordinary men would fear to tread, even armed to the teeth, with nothing more than her famous optimism, quick wit, courage, and British stiff upper lip.
  13. Shoei X-Twelve Full Face Helmet Here's the question I think you want answered, "Is the X-Twelve worth nearly three-quarters of a grand?" The answer is, "You got me, dude. Seriously."
  14. GIVI E36 Touring Cases Convenient, tough, and "yes, they do make your butt look big." 
  15. Aerostich Lane Share Tool Some laws don't make sense regardless of how prevalent common practice may be. Restricting two-wheel vehicles to lanes designed for 4-18 wheel vehicles is one among many such nonsensical laws.
  16. Thor 50/50 Motocross Boot "The ultimate motocross boot to meet the demands of professional riders." Yeah, that's what I need for touring backroads on my 250 enduro and a V-Strom 650 because I'm obviously a "professional rider."
  17. Aerostich AD1 Pants For as little as $120 I could have had more pockets, a zip-out liner, an MP3 player pocket, and probably an insulated cup-holder with any of the above brands, but the zippers were lightweight, the material is flimsy, and the construction quality and workmanship is not even in the territory.
  18. REI Luggage Tag/Key Case A solution to a problem that probably only I have experienced. 
  19. Ride-On Tire Sealant A real engineer would have intentionally punctured a perfectly good tire a few times to test this stuff, but I have abandoned my real engineer credentials in exchange for a moto-journalist's whims. I just figured, if my usual luck held, I'd find a way to test Ride-On somewhere between Alaska and home.
  20. Elka Street Motorcycle Series Shock Absorber These are custom shocks, designed and setup for your bike, your weight, and your riding style.
  21. Techmount Mini Handlebar Mount One way to mount farkles to your handlebars.
  22. Aerostich Kanetsu Electric Warmbib This spring (2010), I discovered Aerostich came up with yet another warm electric product, the Kanetsu Electric Warmbib.
  23. GIVI E21 Commuter Side Cases Small cases, small applications.
  24. Aerostich Compact Tire Repair Kit with Mini Compressor Aerostich has stuffed at least 10 pounds of kit into a 5 pound bag, with accommodations for even more if you have the space.
  25. Suzuki 650 Gladius For the record, a "gladius" is a "short, thrusting [Roman] sword . . . designed both for thrusting and for cutting in close-in combat."1 The Suzuki Gladius is a short (56.9" wheelbase, 30.9" seat height) Japanese motorcycle designed for thrusting and cutting through urban traffic combat.
  26. Suzuki TU250X With a pin-striped red paint job, it reminds me so much of old small-bore BSA and Triumphs that it gives me flashbacks.
  27. Road Gear Toolbag The bag is made of heavy duty nylon that comes in a variety of colors. I picked gray, to match my 'stitch and my personality.
  28. Aerostich Riding Shorts Nothing will ruin a long trip faster than a bad case of butt rash.
  29. Murderball Both the movie and the Jackass scenes gave me flashbacks to Tex describing how he ground off his finger at the racetrack. Only one guy could make that story seem funny. Also found at: http://geezerwithagrudge.blogspot.com/2009/07/review-murderball.html.
  30. Added Insurance There is a type of insurance that appears to be designed for adventure touring; Emergency Medical Evacuation Insurance, also known as "Supplemental Medical Coverage for Travelers."
  31. Aerostich Earplug Sample Kits Sometimes a product is more than a product. A really good product can even be a public service. Also found on the Geezer blog.
  32. Shop Class as Soulcraft, An Inquiry into the Value of Work If you work on your bike, fix up your house, do carpentry work, can clear a clogged drain, know how to use a multimeter, and can change the oil in your car, you'll be reinforced in your activities and your opinions by Shop Class.
  33. 2009 Kawasaki Versys 650  I think there is an adventure touring bike barely under the surface of the KLE650's sportbike veneer.
  34. Top Dead Center (Book Review) Kevin Cameron's first book, The Sportbike Performance Handbook, has been in my library since 1998.  Between that first book and his columns and articles in Cycle and Cycle World, much of my motorcycle engineering education has been provided by this one author.
  35. ICON ARC Lightweight Street Gloves The problem is that my fingers are short, my palms are large, and the whole mess is freaking thick. That means I have a terrible time finding riding gloves that fit and are comfortable.
  36. Aerostich 92 Piece Molex Connector Kit I've used all of the small connectors and about half of the medium connectors on my V-Strom, wiring the bike for accessory 12V lighter connections, GPS, radar detection, camera chargers and battery substitutes, and a laptop computer charger.
  37. Sargent Motorcycle Seat "This may be another American company that is suffering from too much success."
  38. A Cure for Gravity, by Arthur Rosenfeld  (Book Review) Is it a mystery? Is it a ghost story? Is it one of the best, funniest, most complicated novels I've read in years? Yes. All of those. And a motorcycle trip is in the mix.
  39. MotoFizz Camping Seat Bag Revisited "When I needed to find a tailbag for my 250 Super Sherpa, there was no contest. I bought a small Motofizz bag and found that everything I liked about the large bag was there in the small size . . ."
  40. Chase Harper Sport Trek Magnetic Tank Bag A lifetime warranty that might actually last a lifetime.
  41. HJC CL-15 Full Face Helmet I'm stuck in Seattle with a smashed up helmet and, while the folks at this bike shop have been good to me, asking me to pay full list for anything is a life-threatening gesture. After taxes, a new bottom-of-the-line Shoei will be more than $450 . . .
  42. Aerostich Darien Jacket and Pants  "Seems like a lot of clothing on a hot summer day. Couldn't you get by in something a little more comfortable?" the lady says.
  43. MotoFizz Camping Seat Bags "I, however, kept bringing him back to the strongest selling point of the MotoFizz bag; 'this one has a coffee thermos holder.'" A really big seat bag that has a coffee thermos holder and leaks like G.W.'s mind.
  44. Hyosung GV650-Avitar Years ago, a friend was visiting our home and my wife was trying to feed him. She'd made some guacamole dip and salsa and she was shoving it at him, assuming that everyone loved guacamole. He took a scoop and tasted it. Then he said, "I hate avocado, but this is pretty good for what it is."
  45. 2008 Riding High Again I had a downed maple in the driveway waiting to be to cut into firewood, the last bits of kitchen remodeling to finish, and income taxes still unpaid. There was snow on the ground, ice on the roads, and flim in my sinuses as I set off to test ride the shiny new "Blue 21" KLR650 (Candy Lime Green & Sunbeam Red are available, too).
  46. MSR Whisperlite Internationale™ Multi-Fuel Backpacking Stove When I began to plan for my exodus across the northwestern portion of this continent, I wanted a stove that could serve some other multiple purposes.
  47. Dirt Skins Fork Seal Skins A couple of days later, I tried to install them, again, and figured out the precise tension balance between the inner fork tubes and the outer fork tubes. It's a little bit of a trick, but when you get it right the Dirt Skins stay in place for thousands of miles, hassle-free.
  48. Long Way Round - Ewan McGregor and Charlie Boorman circle the world in 4 months on motorcycles. This video series was a good bit of the inspiration/motivation for my 2007 trip to Alaska.
  49. Suzuki DL650 V-Strom Review A semi-critical look at my latest ride, along with The Iron Butt WeeStrom (a less critical look at Jim Winterer's LD DL-650). The published version of this article is much shorter and can be found on the Reviews page of The Minnesota Motorcycle Monthly magazine's webpage. However, I have been adding to this article since publication, putting all of my new finds for the V-Strom on the page as I identify them. 
  50. The Iron Butt WeeStrom This is a look at LD Rider Jim Winterer's DL-650 all rigged out for Iron Butting.
  51. Scottoiler Mark 7 Universal Kit Automatic Motorcycle Chain Lubrication System After 11,000 miles, including 2,000 miles of dirt road torture, I electively replaced the original chain because I had to adjust it three times in the last 2,500 miles and the chain exhibited significant side-to-side play.
  52. Dust to Glory - (movie review) Desert racing done right. Everything you should want to know about the Baja 1000 and the people who brave that desert.
  53. Cortech DSX Jacket and Zooke Totally razoo article on the razoo and ratty stuff I bought at the 2006 Cycle World Bike Show.
  54. Faster; Two Wheels. 200 mph. Every man for himself.   (movie review) If you weren't a GP500 fan before, watch this documentary and you will be
  55. The World's Fastest Indian (movie review) I almost missed this movie because of the dumbest review ever written. This might be the coolest movie about a motorcycle fanatic ever.
  56. Lawson Blue Ridge Camping Hammock (one of my favorite camping luxuries)

  57. Total Control, High Performance Street Riding Techniques, a book by Lee Parks

  58. Riding High A Review of the Kawasaki KLR650.  Originally published in Minnesota Motorcycle Monthly, September, 2002.

 Interviews, Trip Reports, and other Articles - Most of these were originally published in the Minnesota Motorcycle Monthly magazine.

bulletVincents in Minnesota Thanks to an invitation from Denny Delzer, in mid-September I visited with a group of people who have the polar opposite of my wimpy plumbing attitude; the Vincent owners group.
bulletKevin Cameron Interview Article One of the coolest things about writing for a magazine is that I get to pretend I have an excuse to talk to some of my favorite people and get paid to do it. This was a highlight of that benefit (Kevin Cameron Complete Interview).
bulletGo East Old Man At this point, the first 2400 miles of this trip are logged and I have 3600 left to ride.
bulletMy $300 Rat Bike The difference between the CB450 and the 650 Hyosung is that I liked the Honda more at the end of the ride while I hated everything about the Hyosung after 140 miles.
bulletDuluth World Trials 2005 (The 2005 World Trials in Duluth, A River Ran Through It) Once again, into the Duluth/Spirit Mountain breech.  2005 was the best year yet for the world trialers.  The sections were incredible, the weather was British, and the riders were serious.  The spectators were few and far-between.  It was probably the last world event to be held in Duluth. This article never made it to print. Still, it's one of my favorite events and I'm still happy with the article.
bulletDuluth World Trials 2004 (Another Incredible Weekend in Duluth) Due to a website snafu of entirely my own making, this beautifully written, totally professional article (Geeze, I'm joking.) didn't see the light of day until nearly a year after it was written.  However, I still like it and proudly present it here, in its original glory for your consideration.
bulletCo-Rider Seminar A few years back, Pat Hahn asked me to write the bit for passengers on Minnesota's Department of Public Safety motorcycle page.  I took him seriously and did it.  He edited the crap out of my article and, mostly, published it here.  Click on the title of this column, though, for the original article.
bulletTrials in the World Court Originally published in Minnesota Motorcycle Monthly, July 2002 about the FIM Observed Trials World Championship rounds held in Duluth, MN. 
bulletHerding Chickens I wrote this for the Minnesota MSF (Motorcycle Safety Foundation) Newsletter, it appeared in the August, 2002 issue.
bulletMinnesota Montesa This was a wonderful (from my perspective) interview with one of my old heroes, Martin Belair.  Martin was a national level California trials in the 1970s.  Since then, he's moved to Minnesota and is the national distributor for Montesa motorcycles.  He was a great interview and I'm only sorry that I didn't publish all of what he said to me.  This article appeared in the June issue of Minnesota Motorcycle Monthly.  Check out the pictures, they're even better than the interview.
bulletThe Vandals Took the Handlebars This was an article I wrote for MMM that didn't make the cut, due to a lack of available space.  Roy's Repair Motorcycle Service does an annual bash that is a Minnesota institution. motorcycling institution.  Here's the story for the year 2000 biker bash.
bulletDuluth on the Rocks Originally published as "Trials Action" in Minnesota Motorcycle Monthly, October/November 2000 about the AMA/NATC Observed Trials Championship rounds (9 & #10) held in Duluth, MN.
bulletIntro to Trials 101: Look, Ma, No Feet! Originally published in Minnesota Motorcycle Monthly, September 1998 about the AMA/NATC Observed Trials Championship rounds (#8 & #9) held in Duluth, MN.
bulletSteamboat Springs Vintage Bike Week 1997 (aka: Geezers on Bikes)  Originally published in Minnesota Motorcycle Monthly, Winter 1997/1998 issue.  Also published in a slightly longer, more detailed form at The TDM User's Website. 
bulletTraveling on My Name This was an 1994 article I wrote for Rider Magazine.  I had it sold to the magazine, before I ever bought a trip map, I thought.  After it was all whipped together, I discovered my editor was gone and the magazine wasn't accepting any more trip articles. Bummer. Still, I made the trip, got paid an advance, and had an adventure.

Motorcycle Fiction (AKA 'Lies')

bulletEyes and Ohs that Sound like Ems A story about motorcycle racing, speedway to be exact. This probably doesn't belong in the fiction category, but what can you do?  

Some Interesting, Tasteless, and/or Informative Motorcycle Links

bulletMinnesota Motorcycle Monthly Magazine I admit to a preference for things that irritate other motorcyclists. Even more, I like stuff that I had a part in creating. In my opinion, this is the best motorcycle magazine in print. I'm in it, of course. Victor Wanchena turned a pretty good regional monthly newspaper into a magazine that readers all over the country wait anxiously to get their hands on. Victor is one of the few editors unafraid to take on unpopular topics and to keep his eye on the future of motorcycling.
bulletBlack Echo (GoingFaster.Com)  A real taste of anti-Harley attitude.  This guy truly dislikes phony patriotism and loud, slow, heavy motorcycles.  Here's a taste of his humor/tee-shirt philosophy: "There's a difference between being fast and powerful or just loud and annoying."  Maybe we should all chip in and buy a shirt or a Harley for G.W. Bush? Buy his tee-shirts and piss off every hillbilly you meet. Chek out Why A Harley Davidson Isn't A Real American Motorcycle for a serious laugh.
  

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