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2013 Honda CRF250L - Expert Specifications
| Model: | CRF250L | |
| Engine Type: | 249.4cc liquid-cooled single-cylinder four-stroke | |
| Bore and Stroke: | 76mm x 55mm | |
| Compression ratio: | 10.7:1 | |
| Valve Train: | DOHC; four-valve | |
| Induction: | PGM-FI, 36mm throttle body | |
| Ignition: | Computer-controlled digital transistorized with electronic advance | |
| Transmission: | Six-speed | |
| Final Drive: | #520 chain; 14T/40T | |
| Suspension | Front: 43mm inverted fork; 9.8 inches travel Rear: Pro-Link single shock with spring preload adjustability; 9.4 inches travel |
|
| Brakes | Front: Single 256mm disc with twin-piston caliper Rear: Single 220mm disc |
|
| Tires | Front: 3.00-21 Rear: 120/80-18 |
|
| Wheelbase: | 56.9 inches | |
| Rake (Caster angle): | 27°35 ‘ | |
| Trail: | 113mm (4.4 inches) | |
| Seat Height: | 34.7 inches | |
| Ground Clearance: | 10.0 inches | |
| Fuel Capacity: | 2.0 gallons | |
| Estimated Fuel Economy**: | 77 MPG | |
| Color: | Red | |
| Curb Weight*: | 320 pounds |
**Honda ‘s fuel-economy estimates are based on EPA exhaust emission measurement test procedures and are intended for comparison purposes only. Your actual mileage will vary depending on how you ride; how you maintain your vehicle; weather; road conditions; tire pressure; installation of accessories; cargo, rider and passenger weight; and other factors.
For more info: http://www.honda.com/newsandviews/article.aspx?id=6696-en
Attn: Female riders... make your presence known!
Women face the wind as motorcycles hit the road
Female ridership up as women's clubs flourish
Danine Dibble's second Harley-Davidson is a 1550cc Softail Deuce.
Dibble who lives in Danby and works at Ithaca College, has been riding
since 1994. / SIMON WHEELER / STAFF PHOTO
“And then you date boys that have bikes, and then you don’t want to ride on the back,” Dibble said. She bought her first bike, a 250-cc Kawasaki Ninja, in 1993, but soon after decided it was time for a Harley-Davidson. She sold the Ninja and bought a Sportster.
“I’m more independent than anything,” Dibble admitted. She now owns a second Harley, a Softail Deuce. The license plate reads “GIGGLZ,” her roller derby name.
The number of female motorcycle operators in the U.S. has increased slowly to about 7.2 million of about 27 million overall riders in 2009, according to the latest survey by the Motorcycle Industry Council. About 1 in 10 owners are women, said Cam Arnold, a vice president for the trade group.
“I hate riding on the back of a bike,” Arnold said. “It’s a lot more fun being in control.”
The American Motorcyclist Association has about 225,000 members. Women make up fewer than 10 percent, but the number of new female members has increased, driven in part by a higher profile for women on two wheels, more training opportunities and better equipment, said AMA board member Maggie McNally.
Dozens of female-only motorcycle clubs have joined established groups like Women on Wheels or Ladies of Harley. The makers of bikes and gear are reaching out to women like never before through special events and marketing campaigns that include Harley-Davidson’s “No Doubts. No Cages” program.
Women no longer have to endure jackets, gloves and helmets designed for men. And it’s easier to find or modify bikes for shorter bodies, said McNally, the AMA’s vice chairwoman and the highest-ranking woman in the group’s 75-year history.
“I’m only 5-1,” she said. “I wore boys’ work boots for years and found the perfect gloves only three years ago. Things have changed a lot. Manufacturers today have realized that women are a huge part of the market.”
McNally started riding in 1981 after hanging out with friends, thinking up dream cars, in a Troy, N.Y., parking lot, the same lot where she now teaches newbies of both sexes to ride safely.
“I said that I wanted to get a motorcycle, and one of the guys said, ‘You can’t, girls don’t ride motorcycles,”’ she said. “I thought, ‘He shouldn’t be telling a temperamental redhead what she can and cannot do.’ I had my permit within a week.”
Caroline resident Edie Spaulding began riding after she met her husband, who also rides. Her first bike was a small, two-stroke 350-cc “you had to kick-start,” Edie said. “That didn’t last long.” Over the next decade, she bought and rode several bikes, each bigger than the last.
In 2009, she broke her leg in a bike accident when she hit loose gravel on a corner. While her leg was still in a cast, she bought her 2009 Harley Road King. As soon as her cast was off, she went to Maine to ride it back from where she bought it.
And she’s been riding it ever since. Edie is a real estate agent for Audrey Edelman Realty USA and is a Ladies of Harley officer, an affiliation of the Harley Owners Group. She organizes women’s rides, “but I don’t care what women ride. All are welcome.”
Whether they prefer dirt or the open road, a scooter or a Harley, thousands of women will gather Thursday through Sunday in Carson City, Nev., for the AMA’s sixth International Women & Motorcycling Conference. Many will be mothers, an anxious status for some when it comes to riding.
“People were shocked that I didn’t sell my bike when I became a mom,” McNally said, “but I knew that once the bike was gone, I might never get back into the sport.”
When her second child came along, she and her husband bought a sidecar. “Riding and motorcycle camping became a family activity that probably wouldn’t have been possible otherwise,” she said.
Nancy Sabater, in southern Maryland, is an off-roader and street rider. She was chosen as AMA’s motorcyclist of the year in 2011 for fighting a federal anti-lead law written so broadly as to ban dirtbikes and ATVs intended for kids 12 and younger. President Barack Obama fixed the law in August.
“It’s definitely about skill, pushing my own limits, trying to climb a hill, trying to get through a tricky rock section, that kind of thing,” she said.
Women are generally more interested in formal safety training than men, with 58 percent of women taking a rider course, compared with 44 percent of men, the AMA says.
Harley-Davidson, based in Milwaukee, is the market leader in sales to women. The company travels around the country offering training and safety tips for women.
“We’ve heard from enough women who think they might like to do it but don’t know how to get started,” said Claudia Garber, director of women’s outreach for Harley. “They’re worried about things like ‘the bike seems too big and too heavy for me,’ or ‘maybe I don’t know other women who ride.’”
Roshani Dubel, 33, an eighth-grade math teacher and mother of three in Gilbert, Ariz., was more than ready, but she had to face those fears after winning an essay contest telling Harley why she wanted to learn to ride. She and three others were flown to Milwaukee for mentoring and training last summer.
A video documenting her struggle shows her breaking down emotionally as she tries to walk the bike back and forth. “I’m 5 feet tall. I kept thinking to myself, ‘How am I going to ride if I can’t even walk this monster?’”
Things clicked eventually. She’s logged more than 800 miles on her Harley since, cheered by her students and fellow teachers when she rolled up to her school on it for the first time.
For more info: http://www.theithacajournal.com/article/20120723/NEWS01/307230041/Women-face-wind-motorcycles-hit-road?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|FRONTPAGE&nclick_check=1
An Apartment for Motorcycles
Some of us dream of designing a home centered around a generous walk
in wardrobe to house our designer goods. The rest of us want to live in
close proximity to our grown-up toys.
The Japanese are renowned for their efficient space saving solutions.
On a tight plot in Suginami, Tokyo, a 3-story, 8-unit apartment
building, the NE Building, was proposed to take care of the latter group
of grown-ups. The standard parking bay (approx. 2.4m x 4.8m in Japan)
would have hogged too much space for car parking. So, the collaborative
team of Japanese architects Yuji Nakae, Hirofumi Ohno and Akiyoshi
Takagi got clever.
The NE building is designed exclusively for motorcyclists. Calculated precisely around the turning circle of your above average motorcycle, the apartments hug a curved central courtyard where you can drive your machine into your downstairs entrance-come-bathroom-come-garage to park up for the night.
The building’s entire load is supported on internal walls that free up the curved facade for vast expanses of uninterrupted glazing. Internally, exposed concrete is the order of the day, perhaps in keeping with the parking lot vibe but most likely due to its thermal properties.
I’m not sure such a niche-based design would have won the backing of any dragons but this residential block gets the thumbs up from us, and probably anybody who has ever been on a motorcycle, low rider, scooter or skateboard.
By Gem Barton
Photos by Hiroyasu Sakaguchi
For more info: http://www.wearedesignbureau.com/projects/an-apartment-for-motorcycles/
The NE building is designed exclusively for motorcyclists. Calculated precisely around the turning circle of your above average motorcycle, the apartments hug a curved central courtyard where you can drive your machine into your downstairs entrance-come-bathroom-come-garage to park up for the night.
The building’s entire load is supported on internal walls that free up the curved facade for vast expanses of uninterrupted glazing. Internally, exposed concrete is the order of the day, perhaps in keeping with the parking lot vibe but most likely due to its thermal properties.
I’m not sure such a niche-based design would have won the backing of any dragons but this residential block gets the thumbs up from us, and probably anybody who has ever been on a motorcycle, low rider, scooter or skateboard.
By Gem Barton
Photos by Hiroyasu Sakaguchi
For more info: http://www.wearedesignbureau.com/projects/an-apartment-for-motorcycles/
Arkansas Highway 27 from Russellville to Harriet
C'Mon Arkansas Riders... Log your favorite rides and get Arkansas some more national credit for our roads in the beautiful Natural State!!
State: Arkansas
Date Submitted: April 29, 2012
Submitted by: donniejoe
Motorcycle Road Length: 85 Miles
Written Directions
This review is for the section from Russellville to Harriet. The Ouachita Mountain section of Arkansas Highway 27 has a separate review on this site. From Russellville, Highway 27 runs with Highway 7 to Dover. Turn east at the north end of Dover towards Scottsville and Hector. At the north end in Harriet you can continue your fun on Highway 14 in either direction and enjoy much more great riding.
Scenery 
The
first section from Russellville to Hector is in the foothills where
you'll see rolling hills and family farms. Once you leave Hector, you
enter the Ozark National Forest. You cross a mountain stream and climb
about 1,000 feet into the Ozark Plateau. The scenery is rural mountains
with occasional scenic overlooks. The trees are mostly hardwoods and
they look great in fall colors. There is a nice mix of sweepers and
straights with light traffic. (Twist the grip) As you go down the
plateau near Marshall the road levels out and follows another creek
bottom for a few miles. The family farms are great scenery. There are
no real towns from Hector to Marshall, just a few rural communities and a
couple of country stores. This is one of the most remote areas of the
state. The town of Marshall is frozen in time. The buildings are old
and the big stores killed the downtown area years ago. From Marshall
you get some good curves and a few hills until you get to the end in
Harriet.
Road Quality
The surface is above average with minimal pot holes. Watch out for gravel on the road after large rainfall events.
Roadside Amenities
Being
a rural road in one of the most remote areas of the state, amenities
are few and far between. Fill up before you leave Dover. There are no
public restrooms from Hector to Marshall. There is a burger joint on
the north side of Marshall that's pretty good, but that's about it as
far as the food goes. If you're looking for a GREAT burger, take Hwy 74
east instead of staying on 27. Go to Timbo. It's the only place in
town to eat so you can't miss it. If you're on a cholesterol restricted
diet, you picked the wrong state to visit.Additional Info
The rural roads of Arkansas are used by farmers and timber people to get their goods to market. Traffic is light in most places and it is not hard to find a place to pass. Many times they will pull over and let you get around.Give them a nice wave as you go by. Please be patient if you do get stuck behind someone for a while. They're just trying to make a living.
Nickname (optional) DonnieJoe
For more info: http://www.motorcycleroads.com/75/1125/Arkansas/Arkansas-Highway-27-from-Russellville-to-Harriet.html
The Best Motorcycle Rides in the Arkansas Ozark Mountains - Share your input!!
One would believe that locating the best motorcycle rides in the Arkansas Ozark Mountains
would be a simple undertaking, but such is not the case. Really just
about any road you are riding in the Ozarks is more fun than any road
you have ridden before. So trying to discover the best motorcycle ride is a discouraging task.
Being a relocated Chicagoan to the beautiful Arkansas Ozarks I know that of which I speak. As I started to ride through the Arkansas Ozarks I was simply astounded that I could simply begin from anywhere and ride with no particular destination in mind and experience some of the great motorcycle roads I had ever traveled. Then I started meeting with other riders that shared their favorite motorcycle rides.
Many motorcycle websites have articles on these roads that give details and anyone can just search for any of these roads on YouTube
to see videos of these motorcycle rides. Because this information is
readily available I will not get into the details of these particular
roads. Instead, I will share a few of the lesser known Arkansas motorcycle trips I appreciate.
Being a relocated Chicagoan to the beautiful Arkansas Ozarks I know that of which I speak. As I started to ride through the Arkansas Ozarks I was simply astounded that I could simply begin from anywhere and ride with no particular destination in mind and experience some of the great motorcycle roads I had ever traveled. Then I started meeting with other riders that shared their favorite motorcycle rides.
Four of the top thirty-three roads in the United States are located in Arkansas. These are Push Mountain Road, the Arkansas Pig Trail, the Arkansas Dragon, and Arkansas Highway 7.
All of these are magnificent roads are full of hairpin turns,
switchbacks, elevation changes and beautiful scenery that makes for
great motorcycle rides. All of these motorcycle roads
also demand your utmost attention, or you might find yourself doing a
few unanticipated motocross stunts.
Push
Mountain Road is a famous motorcycle ride that many riders all over the
country have ridden or heard of. But, here is my preferred way to
create a busy day trip (or more) out of riding this challenging road. I begin my motorcycle ride
by leaving of Mountain Home on Highway 62
west in the direction of Yellville for thirty minutes. I pick up AR-14
Highway South toward my first stop, which will be the Buffalo River State Park. The park is close to 25 minutes from Yellville.
Soon after satisfying my appetite I once again head south for around fifteen minutes on AR-14S to the tiny town of Harriet. This portion of this Arkansas motorcycle trip will get the blood flowing in preparation for the Push Mountain Road run. Now I pick up E AR-14. It appears puzzling, but just follow E AR-14.
From Harriet to Push Mountain Road is roughly thirty minutes. You will pass by the tiny town of Big Flat, about midway through. Look for road signs signaling AR-341 North, which is Push Mountain Road. Turn left onto P.M.R. and prepare for a ride you can only imagine. On this trip I will be including the run on this route 2 times, so I simply kick back and take a relaxing trip while I appreciate the scenery this time around.
During this potion of my motorcycle ride I
pull over to visit with Chuck at Crossroads, a small gas station and the
only point on P.M.R. to find a snack, something to drink (no liquor),
or a Push Mountain Road T-shirt.
This is a nice break to get off the bike and visit with a great guy and
his dog Cooper. Visiting with interesting people always adds to a great motorcycle ride.
I continue my motorcycle ride Highway 5S down to Mountain View, about a 50 minute ride if you don’t get slowed down by a lot traffic. If you are new to the Ozark experience you should clearly make a visit to the Ozark Folk Center State Park. Lots of visitors share the point of view that the Ozark Folk Center is the most likeable tourist attraction in the state. The hosts are forever warm and friendly and the scenery is great. Mountain View also hosts a folk music festival every year, in most cases near the end of April.
There is a wonderful ice cream parlor in the square that would take your grandfather back to his childhood. I stop here to cool down with a tasty delicacy. This is in preparation for a more earnest run of Push Mountain Road and the most hair raising part of this motorcycle ride.
I get back on Highway 5N and ride to the intersection of Arkansas Highway 14, about a 10 minute jaunt. I head east on 14 for approximately thirty minutes to Push Mountain Road. Heading north on P.M.R., I brace myself for a more combative run at this challenging road. Take note here; only experienced riders should challenge this road. It’s a frequent occurrence to see accidents on this road every weekend.
I make my last stop at the White River Bridge just before the end of P.M.R. and take 10 minutes to sit by the river and let my adrenaline levels come back to a normal level. From here I head up Highway 201 north back into Mountain Home to complete this awe-inspiring Arkansas motorcycle ride.
For more info: http://arkansasmotorcycletrips.com/bestmotorcyclerides.php
Take advantage of The Natural State!!
My New Favorite Ride - Arkansas' Ozarks
|Articles|Articles RSS|Blog|Blog Posts|Blog RSSOur resident road warrior has earned his stripes covering the rally circuit, from riding the Black Hills of Sturgis to cruising Main Street in Daytona Beach. Whether it’s chopped, bobbed, or bored, metric to ‘Merican, he rides ‘em all.
We had no idea Arkansas' Ozark Mountains had such wonderful roads to ride and epic scenery to see until we embarked on our latest journey to the Bikes, Blues & BBQ rally. (Photo Courtesy of Arkansas Ozark Mountain Region).
But let’s go back before we go forward. Motorcycle USA first landed in Austin, Texas, where we picked up a 2012 Victory Cross Country to do a first ride article on. What better way to get solid first impressions of a bike than to stuff its bags and jump on for a 1700-mile, week-long journey through three states? With its potent Freedom 106 engine, a wind-deflecting fairing, a seat that’s all-day comfortable, saddlebags big enough to stuff a week’s worth of clothes, rain gear, a laptop, and several cameras in and a stereo system capable of cranking out tunes audible at 80 mph (because rockin’ while riding makes the time go by faster) the Cross Country was the perfect mount for our journey.
I lived in Austin for almost six years, so I met up with my old riding buddy Tony for a ride down memory lane. He’s got a Triumph America he’s turned into a touring capable mount so we started off with a warm-up ride on Old San Antonio road south of town. The amount of growth the area has experienced since I lived there is mind-blowing. We looped back into town to ride down Sixth Street then up Congress and by the state capitol. We then shot up the Drag across from the University of Texas before heading back to Lamar to get some grub at the Green Mesquite. Riding with my buddy was like winding the clock back 15 years, memories flooding my head as we passed familiar sights. Austin will forever hold a special place in my heart. We ended the night by taking in a jam session at the Gypsy Lounge on East Sixth Street before making the ride back down 35 to South Austin.
We spent the first night of our adventure in Austin, Texas,
where we enjoyed some cold Oktoberfest brew and
smooth jams at the Gypsy Lounge on East Sixth Street.
where we enjoyed some cold Oktoberfest brew and
smooth jams at the Gypsy Lounge on East Sixth Street.
Side note – One of the first things I did in Austin was drop my helmet and break off its visor. The plastic lock which holds the visor to my Icon Alliance Harbinger Helmet in place broke clean, rendering it useless, so instead of listening to it flap in the wind I pulled it off entirely. My search for a replacement at two different shops the next morning was futile so I charted my course north on a morning where the temperature was already creeping toward triple digits. The area has been mired in drought and the brown, dusty hills are starved for moisture. The road north of Austin is fairly chewed up and it’s blistering hot in the Hill Country. Without a shield, my face is getting sand blasted by a combination of heat, sun and debris. The temperature readout in the Cross Country’s display fluctuates between 102 and 105 degrees. The earth is scalded by the unrelenting onslaught of the sun and the air is still filled with the smell of smoke from recent fires. In full riding gear it feels like one of the lower levels of Dante’s Inferno as I press on, making frequent stops at Dairy Queens a necessity to bask in their A/C and cool off with chocolate dipped cones.
I have nothing but respect for our brothers and sisters of the big rig, but trucks clog up the I-35 stretch between Waco and Dallas. The road just isn’t wide enough to accommodate the volume of traffic. A trucker will get over to pass a slower driver then gets stuck in the fast lane because they can’t get back over for miles. By then, the line of cars behind them begins to grow and traffic bottlenecks. Combined with the heat, this gets old quick. Though I charted a course to circumvent Dallas altogether, I missed a sign somewhere and the alternate route I was on spit me back on 35 so I hit Dallas during rush hour traffic. Bad mistake. First there was that “Oh, Shit” moment we all dread. Coming around a blind turn in a pack of cars at 75 mph, traffic ahead had come to a dead stop. It was one of those situations where the brain is making the split-second decisions necessary to stay alive and both hands and feet are moving at once, sending the engine braking and brake calipers mashing, tires squealing as they try to grip hot pavement, the rear of the bike sliding out while countersteering an 800-pound motorcycle to maintain some semblance of control. Luckily, the brakes on the Cross Country were up to the task. They shaved off enough speed to keep me from bashing into the guy ahead of me and gave me an opportunity to jump into the next lane, which had just enough of an opening for me to squeeze into. With the sound of car tires squealing all around me, I wasn’t taking any chances with drivers behind me. I quickly dodged over one more lane, which was clear, and avoided the Dallas death trap. A quarter-mile up ahead, I pass by a three-car accident, one car facing the wrong direction, people standing in traffic directing drivers around the incident while others were on their phones calling in help. I give thanks those calls weren’t for me. The next hour would be spent in stop-and-go traffic trying to escape Dallas.
It was cool to ride in an area that embraced
motorcyclists openly
as Fayetteville and
Dickson Street rolled out the red carpet
for bikers.
I was looking forward to riding in Oklahoma for the first time but unfortunately hit it just as the sun was going down. I did keep catching glimpses of the moon off the many waterways along the route. Oklahoma has a lot more lakes and rivers than I would have expected. I also give their DOT props for lighting up the construction areas on I-40 well with a super system of reflectors. Luckily I hit the one-lane stretch at night so there was little traffic to deal with. I finally called it a night in Fort Smith after a 500-mile day.
A 'Hawg' on a 'Hog.' This piece of folk art was sitting roadside in the middle of nowhere and came with its own tall tale.
There were no early activities scheduled for Bikes, Blues & BBQ the next day so I charted an alternate route for my morning ride. Harley blood runs deep in Arkansas as my father was raised on a farm there and my grandparents are buried in the McVay Cemetery outside of Paris, so I decided to stop by and pay my respects. The morning air is cool and the countryside is green, a welcome sight after the scorched lands of the previous day’s ride. The area is heavily forested and the flat plains have been replaced by rolling mountains in every direction. I stay on I-40 just long enough to get to 23 heading south. Within minutes I’m on a scenic trestle bridge over a wide river. A little further down the road I run across a hot rod shop in the middle of nowhere, a huge iron cross sitting atop a pole dressed in flames in the middle of a field to mark the home of Hunts’ Hot Rods. It seems like most tiny towns in these parts have small motorcycle shops, and finding folk art with some sort of motorcycle theme is common. This is my kind of country.
Heading back up 23, I see a sign for Pig Trail Scenic Byway through the Boston Mountains and opt to stay on that road. A few miles after intersecting I-40, it begins to climb. Not long after that, I encounter the “Very Crooked and Steep Next 3 Miles” road sign. They weren’t kidding. The curve-laden road is full of sweepers and switchbacks, some making 180-degree, 15 mph uphill bends. The road cuts through rich farmland as it varies between passes and valleys. The Ozarks are beautiful this time of year as the fauna wages the battle between summer and fall. While some leaves had begun to take on their autumnal reds, yellow and purple wildflowers were still thriving in the fields. There are plenty of scenic pullouts, including one at Pig Trail Falls, a small cascading waterfall which splashes onto the rocks below. I keep passing groups of bikers coming down from the other direction and my waving arm is getting tired. The brotherhood of biking is still strong here. I get lost somewhere near Goshen and run across a herd of elk in a field. I stop to enjoy the big bull calling out to his harem of female elk bedded down underneath the trees. The Ozarks are beautiful, rugged and wild, and the people are full of Southern charm. I would find out later that riding these mountains is a big part of the Bikes, Blues & BBQ experience. At the hotel, I find a brochure which chronicles and charts epic rides of the area, stating how many miles are in each day ride, including points of interest and a map. They even tell you how many turns there are on a specific route. Pigs Trail was on the list, but runs to Eureka Springs and Devil’s Den came highly recommended by locals as well. I rode to Arkansas with little expectations but came away with a deeper appreciation of the roads and scenery the Ozarks have to offer. Now I can’t wait until next year now to see how many more of those epic rides I can cross off my list.
I stopped by the McVay Cemetery
outside of Paris, Arkansas
to pay my respects.
For more info: http://www.motorcycle-usa.com/309/11223/Motorcycle-Article/My-New-Favorite-Ride---Arkansas-Ozarks.aspx
Honda introduces 2013 Big Red MUV and sport ATV lineup
Honda has released its 2013 side-by-side and sport ATV lineup, with three TRX models and the Big Red MUV.
The Big Red features a 675cc liquid-cooled, fuel-injected engine. The side-by-side’s handling, feel and ride come from multiple patents and numerous automotive-based technology features. It has excellent load-carrying and towing capacities, sophisticated suspension, a comfortable bench seat and a Roll Over Protection Structure (ROPS) that meets OSHA requirements, according to Honda. The Big Red MUV will be available in August for $11,699-$12,299.
Honda’s mid-sized TRX250X with a torquey powerplant and a SportClutch, among other features, will be available this fall at a price to be determined. The TRX400X features a 397cc RFVC, or Radial Four-Valve Combustion Chamber, engine with a five-speed transmission plus reverse and electric starting. It will also be available in the fall at a price that has not been announced. Honda’s TRX450R, which has amassed victories in the Baja 1000, doesn’t yet have a release date or an MSRP.
“This new release once again demonstrates the broad capabilities of Honda’s ATV and MUV product line,” Honda powersports press manager Bill Savino said. “These four machines — the TRX450R, TRX400X, TRX250X and Big Red — all hit distinctly different segments of the off-road market, yet each is outstanding in its class and they all remain extremely popular.”
For more info: http://www.powersportsbusiness.com/top-stories/2012/07/03/honda-introduces-2013-big-red-muv-and-sport-atv-lineup/
The Big Red features a 675cc liquid-cooled, fuel-injected engine. The side-by-side’s handling, feel and ride come from multiple patents and numerous automotive-based technology features. It has excellent load-carrying and towing capacities, sophisticated suspension, a comfortable bench seat and a Roll Over Protection Structure (ROPS) that meets OSHA requirements, according to Honda. The Big Red MUV will be available in August for $11,699-$12,299.
Honda’s mid-sized TRX250X with a torquey powerplant and a SportClutch, among other features, will be available this fall at a price to be determined. The TRX400X features a 397cc RFVC, or Radial Four-Valve Combustion Chamber, engine with a five-speed transmission plus reverse and electric starting. It will also be available in the fall at a price that has not been announced. Honda’s TRX450R, which has amassed victories in the Baja 1000, doesn’t yet have a release date or an MSRP.
“This new release once again demonstrates the broad capabilities of Honda’s ATV and MUV product line,” Honda powersports press manager Bill Savino said. “These four machines — the TRX450R, TRX400X, TRX250X and Big Red — all hit distinctly different segments of the off-road market, yet each is outstanding in its class and they all remain extremely popular.”
For more info: http://www.powersportsbusiness.com/top-stories/2012/07/03/honda-introduces-2013-big-red-muv-and-sport-atv-lineup/
Less than 3 months until Bikes, Blues & BBQ!!!
A Letter from Executive Director, Joe Giles...
Just Making Plans
We’re already making plans for our next rally, Bikes Blues and BBQ 2012. It’s our feeling that this rally should always reflect what our attendees would like to experience when they show up in beautiful Northwest Arkansas. With that in mind, it occurs to us that the best way to find out what you’d like is to ask. So, if you have any suggestions about attractions, music, etc., just shoot me an e-mail at bbb.joegiles@gmail.com and tell me what’s on your mind. There are certain parameters with which we always adhere: It’s a family friendly rally (Need I say more?) , and we provide free music (Which means we can’t afford high dollar touring acts.). We may not be able able to act on your ideas, but we’d love to hear them and every one of them will be read and considered.
We’ve got Sept. 26-29 marked on our calendar; you should too. It’s going to be another grand time!
Joe Giles
Executive Director
Bikes Blues and Blues
For more info: http://www.bikesbluesandbbq.org/about/executive-director/
Honda Motorcycle in 2013 Dakar Rally
Honda Motorcycle in 2013 Dakar Rally
Honda confirmed that it will follow the rally of the world’s Dakar Rally which will be held in January 2013 in South America. Honda also bring a motorcycle races sketch.
Honda Motor prototype was developed and manufactured by Motorcycle R & D Center of Honda R & D. Take the base CRF450X motorcycle engine, the motor resistance is well known that combines ease of handling with power.
This bike will be ridden Portuguese Helder Rodrigues, who is third in the 2012 Dakar rally. Zanol will be accompanied by Felipe Rodrigues, Sam Sunderland and Javier Pizzolito (Argentina).
“Dakar Rally requires a motor that has the endurance to go as far as hundreds of miles per day for over 2 weeks. Rally takes a very different vehicle from motocross, trials and road races,” said President of Honda Racing Corporation Tetsuo Suzuki.
For more info: http://www.sportmotorcycles.info/honda-motorcycle-in-2013-dakar-rally/
Lesson of this story: Do you homework and read up before you ride!
Rio Rider: The Weak Link
By DAVID SALTER
In motorcycling the ability to learn from your own mistakes is a good
thing but only up to a point since misadventures on a motorcycle are
often painful. Learning from someone else's mistakes or better yet an
expert who shows you how to avoid the mistake in the first place is much
better since you can learn the lessons quite well but don't have to
deal with pain or other more lasting consequences.Then there are a few who won't learn no matter what.
I had a conversation one time with a young guy who had wiped out all by himself at a 4 way stop intersection with no other traffic around. He was inexperienced, not badly hurt and a little vague about what happened. He claimed the rear end for no reason just slid out on him as he approached the stop sign and tried to stop.
It turned out he was in the habit of using the rear brake only and not the front and when the rear tire skidded in the grease stripe in the middle of the lane down he went. His bike was rideable although scratched and dented and after a short conversation on Motorcycle Stopping Technique 101 involving lane position, as in stay out of the middle where all the oil is as well as stopping power and where to find almost all of it in your front brake, he mounted up and wobbled off still inexperienced, a little banged up but presumably wiser.
That turned out to be a wrong presumption.
By co incidence I found myself talking to him a couple of weeks later and noticed he was far more banged up than when we had first chatted. Sheepishly he admitted to duplicating the first accident with an almost identical second accident just days before while again trying to use only the rear brake to stop.
He just didn't trust that front brake. It seems because some family member who rode back in the day never used his front brake or maybe didn't have one and that was just how you were supposed to ride back then. "Lay 'er down if you have to but stay off that front brake!" seemed to be the lesson the young man had taken to heart from Uncle Bob or who ever. Having never gone through a Motorcycle Safety Foundation class he just didn't know any better.
We've come a long way from back in the days of no available training other than the stories of Uncle Bob and bikes with weak or no reliable brakes. Today bikes have reliable brakes both front and rear with the old drum brakes having given way to super strong disc brakes with computerized ABS (Antilock Braking System) which under most conditions prevents traction loss and skidding during those times when you really need to stop quickly and under control.
Mechanically motorcycles have never been better engineered, made or with more safety features, but today as always the the rider who does not know or will not learn remains the weak link.
To strengthen that weak link especially if you are brand new to two wheels, motorcycle or scooter, sign up for an MSF (Motorcycle Safety Foundation) beginners or experienced course. They are dirt cheap and locally available out at Carl Sandburg College and the best way to learn from others while not having to endure the pain of learning the hard way.
For more on the Motorcycle Safety Foundation see:
http://msf-usa.org/index_new.cfm?spl=2&action=display&pagename=ridercourse%20info
For more info see: http://www.galesburg.com/community/blogs/x749717940/Rio-Rider-The-Weak-Link
Stay cool and SAFE this 4th of July! Check out this video...
"Fool’s Gear, Cool Gear" Illustrates the Benefits of Personal Protective Gear
Hey Honda riders - any old pics to share such as this one?!
1964 Honda RC114 | The Bike That Changed My Life
Photography by Honda
RIDER: Kaz Yoshima
THEN: Honda R&D janitor
NOW: Reclusive tuning genius
I didn’t go to college when I was young. I went to work at Honda instead—you could say I decided to take Honda College. My position? When I started, it was sweeping the floor.
“Honda’s little 50cc Grand Prix bikes were pretty cool. That was the reason I went to Honda. The frst time I saw one, I knew I wanted to work there. This was 1965, maybe ’66. The 50cc engine spins like 22,000 rpm. The valves were so tiny, like 6mm. The stems looked like toothpicks. I never had the bike, but I collected lots of parts. Honda used to throw away the factory racebikes, so I’d go through the trash and pick out pieces. I used to have some 50cc pistons—they were so tiny, 25mm diameter. One time I even found a six-cylinder head!
“I started off sweeping the floors, and they moved me around so I could learn. I wanted to work on GP bikes, but they stopped that program in ’67. I went into the car program, did a lot of engine prototyping and spent lots of time in dyno rooms. Old-fashioned, but that’s the way I learned the engine, in bits and pieces.
“I had a lot of fun, but wanted to do something different. That’s why I came to America. I know I have an expiration date on my ass, so I’m going to move around. Those parts? I give them away to people I used to work with, and people who race my bikes. As a reminder, in case I don’t come back.”
THEN: Honda R&D janitor
NOW: Reclusive tuning genius
I didn’t go to college when I was young. I went to work at Honda instead—you could say I decided to take Honda College. My position? When I started, it was sweeping the floor.
“Honda’s little 50cc Grand Prix bikes were pretty cool. That was the reason I went to Honda. The frst time I saw one, I knew I wanted to work there. This was 1965, maybe ’66. The 50cc engine spins like 22,000 rpm. The valves were so tiny, like 6mm. The stems looked like toothpicks. I never had the bike, but I collected lots of parts. Honda used to throw away the factory racebikes, so I’d go through the trash and pick out pieces. I used to have some 50cc pistons—they were so tiny, 25mm diameter. One time I even found a six-cylinder head!
“I started off sweeping the floors, and they moved me around so I could learn. I wanted to work on GP bikes, but they stopped that program in ’67. I went into the car program, did a lot of engine prototyping and spent lots of time in dyno rooms. Old-fashioned, but that’s the way I learned the engine, in bits and pieces.
“I had a lot of fun, but wanted to do something different. That’s why I came to America. I know I have an expiration date on my ass, so I’m going to move around. Those parts? I give them away to people I used to work with, and people who race my bikes. As a reminder, in case I don’t come back.”
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