Real or fake? Who knows but cool either way!

Posted March 15, 2010 - 11:13pm by pnelson

Oil change - Mobil 1 - Racing 4T 10W-40

Posted March 13, 2010 - 8:24pm by pnelson

Mobil1_Racing_4T_10W-40Changed the oil today after a nice morning ride. I used Mobil 1 Racing 4t 10W-40 which is designed for sport biles like the Bandit. With a new K&N filter I'm ready for spring.

My Bandit now has 9,259 miles on it and it's running great! Everytime I ride it, I'm still impressed at what a good all-around motorcycle this is.

New tires - Dunlop Roadsmart

Posted March 13, 2010 - 8:07pm by pnelson

Dunloop Roadsmart front tire wearCycleGear.com was having a sale on tires (Dunlop Roadsmarts $220 for front and rear...) and my front tire was starting to look strange. It wasn't just worn and getting close to the wear bar, there was a flat ridge right in the middle of the tire. See photo...

The Bandit has 9,200 miles on it with a fairly new rear tire so changing to a different tire would mean riding with an unmatched set. The sale at CycleGear offered up a Roadsmart front and rear combo. I decided to buy the set knowing that the new front tire would last longer than the current rear so I could put on the new rear tire later.

I like the way these tires perform, despite my front tire ridge. The rear tire has a longer wear compound in the center with a sticky compund on the edges. At first I thought this might be why the front tire was wearing strangly but it is a single compound. The bottom line is I have plenty of rubber on the bike for this summer for just $220 with an extra new rear tire in the garage.

Dunlop Roadsmart review at Motorcycle-usa.com.

Dunlop Roadsmart reveiw at Motorcycle.com.

Dunlop Roadsmart reviews at Motorcycle-Superstor.com.

 

Crown Point, Bridge of Gods PDX loop...

Posted March 6, 2010 - 5:43pm by pnelson

Today, Rich, Larry and I went for a ride. I was all set for Bald Peak but Rich said there was not much to see there. So, we, and about 10,000 other bikers, went up to Crown Point. We took exit 18 off of I84 and went up via the old scenic highway. After that we went down towards the east, crossed the Bridge of the Gods and came back to PDX via WA 114. From my house this morning where we met, it was a 125 mile ride and I got home in time to mow the gass.

My Bandit 1250 used 2.5 gallons at an even 50mpg which is pretty good. I figure with its 5 gallon tank, that gives me a good 200 miles range with some reserve.

MotorcycleRoads.com

Posted March 6, 2010 - 8:52am by pnelson

Motorcycleroads.comThis is a great site with road/route reviews from all over the country. Each route is rated for scenery, road quality and ammenities. There is a clickable map for all states. Very cool and useful.

MotorcycleRoads.com

Saturday ride 3/6 ???

Posted March 4, 2010 - 8:12pm by pnelson

It's going to be too nice to leave the bikes home. How about a ride on Saturday? I'm itching to go somewhere. I'll be on an airplane all day on Friday and I've been inside for the last several days, It's time for some fresh air.

It's going to snow Friday night over the pass to Kahneeta so it's too early for that ride. How about some place south of Portland? I was in my car the other day going over bald peak, with great views of Mt. Hood, does anyone know of a good route up that way? Any good places where we can setup for some photo ride-bys?

;-) Paul

Canby Run

Posted February 6, 2010 - 6:54pm by pnelson

Canby ferry rideI met up with Rich and Larry today for a quick run through Canby over the ferry to the Buger Hut in Hubbard and back. Twenty-six miles through nice country roads. The ferry is cool for $1 and the BBQ sandwich at the Buger Hut is great, comes with tots for just $6.

Canby Run

Oregon Iron Butt Route

Posted December 22, 2009 - 3:23am by pnelson

I was reading about the Iron Butt riders and thought it would be cool to create an Iron Butt course for Oregon. Using Google Maps and listing these destinations, I have a course of 1022 miles. I think the best time to go would be late June, before it gets too hot in eastern OR.

Portland >> 565 Rim Dr, Crater Lake >> Chiloquin >> Lakeview >> Burns >> Vale >> Pendelton >> Portland

Link to Google map of this route <<

 


View Larger Map

Royal Purple Max Chain Lube

Posted November 14, 2009 - 3:31pm by pnelson

Royal purpal max chainI've been out of it for the last three weeks with h1n1 and even in the hospital for six days. The whole time I was itching to get out on my bike. Today I finally felt good enough. I went for a quick ride to the auto parts store to get a filter for my Scion and to warm up the chain. When I got back I used my grunge brush and some WD-40 to clean the chain and then Royal Purpal Max Chain to lube it. It feels good to get some stuff done after being out of it for so long.

The Royal Purple chain lube goes on as a foam and then drys to a non-sticky film. This protects the chan and does not sling off like regular oil when used for chain lubricant. The Grunge brush makes it easy to clean all sides of the chain. Still, having come from a K1100, I'm not excited about having to lube the chain every few hundred miles. Perhaps I'll look into a Scott Oiler.

The last thing I did was fill my tank and add an ouce of Sta-Bil fuel stabilizer. It's going to be cold and rainy and I'm not sure that I'll be riding much between now and March when the weather starts to change. I use Sta-Bil in all my toys over the winter.

Marsee teardrop 20L tank bag for Bandit 1250

Posted October 18, 2009 - 4:33pm by pnelson

Marsee tank bagToday I scored a nice, like-new Marsee 20L tank bag for my bandit. It uses straps instead of magnets to attach to the bike but this is a big bag. Those straps give a sense of security, especially when the bag is expanded. It came with the rain cover and extra straps so it can be used as a backpack too.

This means that now I have two bags, a smaller magnetic Marsee and this one which will hold enough for longer trips. I'd been looknig on eBay for one for several weeks but managed to find this one on Craigslist for only $30. I'd call that a good deal.

Motorcycle video reviews