Feature-1 :

HEY, GOOD LOOKIN’
The 2006 Star Roadliner
By Tom Van Beveren
Photos Courtesy Yamaha Motor Corp.

Back in July, we gave you a glimpse of the Star Roadliner, a totally new heavy cruiser that made its social debut at a posh, invitation-only affair in a private mansion in Beverly Hills, dress code to match.
The party was just fabulous, dahling, and the lone Roadliner in attendance was lauded over by everyone. Members of the media were fed company-generated propaganda, along with tasty hors d’oeuvres and full-bodied wines, but no riding was allowed, even though Bond, James Bond, proved long ago that it’s possible to throw a tuxedoed leg over a motorcycle.
The coming-out party was an ogle-only affair, but it did serve to whet our appetite and had us fair bursting at the black-tie seams to jump aboard the beast and give it a good shaking out. Thank goodness we didn’t have to wait very long.
Star’s official “now you can actually ride it” intro into the neo-streamline world of Roadliner cruising involved another journey--this time to the Pacific Northwest town of Portland, Oregon. In keeping with the posh theme debuted back in July, the press was headquartered at an ultra-trendy hotel. The plan was to spend a day aboard the Roadliner, taking a trip out to and around Mount Hood, with great scenery along for the ride. And we could leave our tuxedoes at home.
Star had really loaded the deck in the Roadliner’s favor, adding top-notch lodging, gourmet food and drop-dead gorgeous scenery to the favorable impression created by the intro party. But could the bike match the hype?

For more on this story, pick up an October 2005 issue of FREE 2 WHEEL at your local dealer, or use the handy order form page found on our web site.

Feature-2 :

SIDE EFFECTS

Not all motorcyclists want a bit on the side. They’re cumbersome, riders whine. They slow you down. They change the dynamics of the ride. They stop you splitting lanes. But when it comes to smiles per mile, there’s a lot to be said for a sidecar.
And an awful lot got said about three-wheeled wonders at this year’s Griffith Park Sidecar Rally. The 34th Annual rally drew sidecar enthusiasts from far and wide. It drew sane and sensible sidecars. It drew quirky and different sidecars. And it drew sidecars that, frankly, had to be seen to be believed.
Like the electric-assist bicycle sidecar piloted by Sidecar Mike (more properly known as Mike Kolberg) of Sun Valley.
The purple and pink contraption was a labor of love, built by Kolberg to act as transportation for his sister in law who can’t drive.
“She was riding her son’s BMX bike when she went to the market and she didn’t have a way of carrying anything on the way home. I wanted her to be able to go to the store by herself without having to wait for someone to drive her, and be able to bring four or five bags of groceries back with her,“ said Kolberg.
Kolberg found the bike at a Thrift Shop, paid $12 for it, and took it home to start work.
The bike was in pretty good shape, but it still took Kolberg about a month to complete the transformation from kiddie cruiser to adult grocery hauler.
“I had built the sidecar to go on my wife’s bike some years ago. She wasn’t using it and it had been off that bike for some time, stored in a shed,“ said Kolberg. “I took it out and repainted it to match the bike. I just bought ordinary spray cans, so I knew it wouldn’t match exactly, but it’s close.”
Kolberg attached the sidecar to the Thrift Shop bike, but the work was far from over. In an effort to give power to the people, he dismantled an electric scooter and adapted the motor to fit on the sidecar.

Ask the Sergeant:

Dear Sarge:

This is a highly technical question, and it has two parts.
First, what constitutes crossing over the double yellow lines? Riding motorcycles, I often pass slow cars and trucks, not even touching the double yellow lines when there is ample room.
(a) In many instances, I have touched, and even crossed over, the one yellow line closer to me, riding a short distance between the two yellow lines, when there was just marginal room to complete a pass, until a safe return was experienced. This, of course, was never ever done in a curve or in a dangerous situation. I believe that this can be done because I am not crossing over the double yellow lines.
(b) In left hand curves, when not touching the yellow lines but leaning considerably at higher speeds, I have noticed that my upper body might have occupied a space that would be considered the “other side” of the double yellow lines. Again, this maneuver is not practiced when the slightest danger is present.
I consider myself to be an extremely safe rider and certainly would not like to break laws when riding, but I need to have these things clarified.
Thank you in advance.

Attila d’Hun Gyarmati

The regulatory section that governs solid double yellow center lines is Section 21460(a) of the California Vehicle Code (CVC) and it is interesting to note that the word “passing” does not appear anywhere in this section.
Section 21460(a) prohibits driving left of the double yellow lines except when beginning or ending a left turn. When you pass a car over double yellows, the specific violation is crossing the lines, not the act of passing the other vehicle.
With that in mind, you can see that passing a car by squeezing between the car and the centerline is not a violation of Section 21460(a). It may be a violation of a number of other sections if the move is done unsafely, such as passing without sufficient clearance or unsafe passing on the left; however, if there is sufficient clearance and you can pass the car safely without crossing over the lines, then I do not believe you have committed any violation.

For more on this story, pick up an October 2005 issue of FREE 2 WHEEL at your local dealer, or use the handy order form page found on our web site.

Way2go

ALL FIRED UP!
Story and photos by Anne Van Beveren

You’re Fired! Nobody says the words “You’re Fired” quite like Donald Trump. But even The Donald can’t hold a candle to Mother Nature when she gets all fired up.
To see just what Mother Nature is capable of, and get a whole new appreciation for how lucky you are to have a home to live in and a green front lawn, come along as Free 2 Wheel rides the fire-ravaged canyons on the Los Angeles/Ventura County line. The canyons that were scorched to hell and back less than a month ago.
Fire broke out shortly after noon on Wednesday, September 28 in Chatsworth, just north of the 118 (Ronald Reagan) Freeway and just west of Topanga Canyon Boulevard. High temperatures, low humidity and strong Santa Ana winds did the rest. For almost a week, close to 3,000 firefighters from across the West waged an around-the-clock air and ground assault against the inferno, which burned west into Ventura County’s Simi Valley and south through the hills all the way to the 101 Freeway in Agoura.
Thousand of homes were threatened and mass evacuations were ordered. Fleets of water-dropping helicopters criss-crossed the sky, with thumping rotors that turned the quiet area into a war zone, and Super Scooper aircraft were called in from Canada.
When all was said and done, the burned area totaled around 24,000 acres, but most of it was open land. Despite all the structures it threatened, the fire managed to destroy only three homes, one commercial building, seven out buildings and about 40 vehicles. It injured seven firefighters.
But imagine what could have been. If the response had been less coordinated. If the resources had been fewer. If the wind had been just a little stronger and had lasted just a day or two longer.

For more on this story, pick up an October 2005 issue of FREE 2 WHEEL at your local dealer, or use the handy order form page found on our web site.

Article

SORRY DOESN”T CUT IT
Story by Reid Libby

I was once told that, when riding a motorcycle, if you failed to feel the occasional caress of death’s cold and bony hand, you weren’t experiencing the sport to its fullest. One rider’s opinion and he is welcome to it I suppose. My strategy has been to avoid situations requiring adrenaline overboost, muting a few of those “ultimate” two-wheel thrills perhaps, but I’ll gladly trade that rush if it will get me a few more years of safe riding.
But reality dictates that we must face a certain degree of risk when participating in our chosen sport. And we’re not the only ones with mortality issues, either. Those who schuss the slopes, gallop in equestrian endeavors, or slip the surly bonds all know that a mistake can have fatal consequences. Far more often than not, a reasonable degree of competence and good judgment will find you sipping hot chocolate at the lodge, slipping faithful Flicka a thank you carrot, or hearing the soft chirp of rubber on the runway as you grease that final landing of the day. If the unthinkable does occur, the unfortunate victim usually has only him or herself to blame for their abrupt and untimely departure.
Motorcycling has its own set of problems, however. It goes without saying that skill and judgment are paramount. The kicker when on two wheels is that you have to possess these skills not only for yourself, but also for every other driver that you are in close contact with. Sure, we’ve heard it all before, but how many of us ever take a time out to review what we know to be true. Incompetence is standard operating procedure on our highways and if you forget that, it can kill you. Rest assured that the offending driver will be sorry and will claim it was an accident. Well, that will just put everything right, won’t it?
Bitter? You had better believe it. I got to feel the Grimster’s chill a few weeks back when a left-turning driver failed to yield and swatted my brother-in-law to the street.
Keeping up with the headlines rates low on the list of priorities during a family crisis and it wasn’t until five days after the event that my attention was called to coverage by the local newspaper. The heading picture pretty much told the story. The truncated carcass of the Harley with the outline of its hapless rider taped to the pavement close by summarized the outcome with unquestionable finality. Any printed preamble seemed just so much worthless trivia.

For more on this story, pick up an October 2005 issue of FREE 2 WHEEL at your local dealer, or use the handy order form page found on our web site.