Cult of Dualsport

The URL of this site is changing

Within a few days, I expect to change the URL of this site. Instead of visiting www.cultofdualsport.com, you'll have to get here through TypePad: http://cultofdualsport.typepad.com.

There will be no more posts to this site for the forseeable future. All the posts should be preserved, but if there's a problem you can probably figure out how to reach me. :)

The design will change,  but I'm not exactly sure what will replace it. I'll try to keep the three columns and the arrangement of blogrolls. Some of the plugins might also disappear, but I'm going to bet that won't matter.

It's been a pleasure working on this site. Thank you for reading and commenting. Keep the rubber side down.

Update: Cancelling the Pro account at TypePad removed the tag cloud, blogrolls and other custom features. If you're looking for something in particular, use the Search box to find it.

Long story short about dual sport bikes on the Great Divide

The Adventure Cycling blog has a good, short article about dual sport guys riding the Great Divide.

Now, while I would hate seeing the Great Divide get overrun with motorized vehicles, I don't think the occasional dual-sport motorcycle rider is anything to get upset about. After all, these guys and gals are not Hells' Angels; in fact, they share a spirit of adventure much like the one possessed by long-distance bikepackers.

MotoUSA 2010 Dual Sport Comparison

Results aren't available, but Motorcycle USA says they're testing four bikes. No update since June 25.

So we’ve collected four reasonably priced dual-sports from the Big Four Japanese companies. Honda has provided its $4999 CRF230L (learn more about it in the 2008 Honda CRF230L First Ride). Kawasaki is represented by its identically priced KLX250S (read about it in the 2009 Kawasaki KLX250S First Ride). Suzuki has its $4199 DR200SE. Lastly representing the upscale market is Yamaha’s $6390 WR250R.

Sounds like a Republican to me

Just ran across the Geezer's blog, and the first post I read seemed to indicate that he's not a Republican.

There are more things that I don't know than things that I do by such a large number that I consider it a divide-by-zero calculation. For example, I don't know why people like country music or why working class people vote Republican or why anyone listens to economists.

Then I read this:

We live in a victim-based, entitlement-sheltered, litigious culture where everyone is not only "created equal" but where many believe the legal system can overrule the laws of physics and common sense. My home state once attempted to legislate pi to 3.00 (actually, 3 without decimal places to keep the concept simple), for convenience and orderly-ness sake. Pi, however, remained its unruly self and the universe remained inconveniently hostile to simple minds.

Now, I don't know about you -- and lately I don't know about me, either -- but this sounds suspiciously Republican. At the very least, it's Libertarian. If it's indicative of a left-of-center point of view, I'll consider buying him a set of V-Strom tires. If anyone wants to go in with me on a bulk purchase, the Geezer says:

... 110/80 19 front and 150/70 17 rear.

But what do I know? I ride Honda and Kawasaki.

A motorcycle, a sidecar and a dog

Midnight at the oasis? Not quite, and obviously not as sultry as Maria Muldaur, but a dog and a motorcycle can be an attractive combination. I found this site linked over at Rugged Rider -- which I've been meaning to mention ever since reading about her ride to the Grand Canyon.

But, back to the oasis. For me, three words describe it: poetic, photographic, cathartic. There's something special about a guy when one of his favorite eating establishments is called Food Shark and the place serves its customers out of an old panel truck.

I'm reminded of my friend John, who has a similar truck; but he makes decals and window signs in the back of his, not Mediterranean-by-West-of-Texas food.

Blogging has been slow

As regular readers will notice, this blog has been sorely neglected of late. The reason is two-fold: 1) I'm getting married in February, and there is much to do before the day arrives. 2) Christmas and its lovely related travails, shopping, eating and partying. The parties are not the kind I used to attend when younger; thank Heaven for that. These parties include lots of kids and no adults vomiting or having sex in the foyer.

One of the marriage-related events was the purchase of a new-to-me 2005 Ford Expedition and the sale of my 2001 Nissan Frontier Crew Cab (after the sad but necessary removal of the Motherlode Dual Sport sticker from the rear window of the pickup shell).

The Expedition seats 9 maximum, the Frontier only 5. I'm kind of inheriting two new kids (and their friends, of course) so whenever the family goes somewhere we need 5 seats minimum. When we go camping, the girls MUST bring friends, and the seat requirement rises to 7. With a Thule Rooftop Cargo Box my fiancee already has, and the new Valley 90590 Deluxe Hitch Mounted Basket Cargo Carrier (free shipping from Amazon), we should be ready to roll.

Here's the obligatory shot of the new SUV.

I hope everyone had a merry Christmas! And may the new year bring parts for my XR650R and a new resolve to begin riding again. Happy New Year to you!

IJMS

IJMS. Some of their stuff:

M. Shelly Conner, First-Wave Feminist Struggles in Black Motorcycle Clubs

David Lancaster, Another One Bites the Dust

Sushil Chandra and Sudhir Atreya, Lyricism in Design: A History of Motorcycles in India

Smart Girl Politics

Teri is cute. I like the "Smart Girl Politics" name. The latest comment about Charlie Reese's "545 People" is also good. Check it out.

Tax his work,
Tax his pay,
He works for peanuts
Anyway!
Tax his cow,
Tax his goat,
Tax his pants,
Tax his coat.
Tax his ties,
Tax his shirt,
Tax his work,
Tax his dirt.

Tax his tobacco,
Tax his drink,
Tax him if he
Tries to think.

Tax his cigars,
Tax his beers,
If he cries
Tax his tears.

Tax his car,
Tax his gas,
Find other ways
To tax his ass.

'It's everything, stupid'

I think I like Steve Baker, but I reserve the right to reserve judgment. However, with a statement like this, what's not to like? "It's not the economy, stupid. It's everything, stupid."

I also like this:

Today, I rode to church on my KTM 950 Supermoto, which revealed a couple of top tips I would like to share. On the ride home, I assembled these into an illustration of the clear choice in British politics.

Motorcyclists: you are responsible for detecting imminent inattentive, irresponsible or unthinking behaviour in other motorists.

Over-regulating causes resentment.

There is nothing sensible the Government could have done to prevent that driver turning left across me today. Banning bikes, banning cars or physically enforcing lane disciple are all either absurd, impractical or tyrannical. It was up to the driver to drive thoughtfully and responsibly and up to me to account for that person’s failure to do so.

Update: I forgot to mention that I went to high school in High Wycombe, where Mr. Baker is a Conservative PPC.

New fuel tech: Polis Injection

This post has been sitting in the queue since before Thanksgiving. My fiance and I drove to Washington for the holiday, and the Cult was forced to languish. So be it ... the Greeks would understand.

The ancient Greeks had a word: Polis. Today, some motorcycle enthusiasts are injecting the substance into their discussions about bikes. Over at The Kneeslider, Paul Crowe* asks a question and immediately answers it in the same pargraph:

Is it possible to look at electric motorcycles or any similar technology without immediately assessing the political motivations of the builders, supporters or critics? We can discuss whether they are practical without getting political.

Most of the commenters agree. But there are those who don't:

I know you want to keep the discussion civilized and focus on motorcycles, but the belief that our consumer choices are not political is absurd. The decisions we make as consumers have much farther-reaching implications than the decisions we make as voters. Vote with your wallet to ensure the type of world you want to live in; if you continually buy from companies that screw their workers by moving to a cheaper labour market, screw their consumers by abandoning product support when it is no longer profitable, and screw everybody by engaging in environmentally destructive business practices, do not be surprised when you get screwed.

Also:

Now I do not argue that politics should be included here at TheKneeslider.

But it is important to note that American politics has sunk below rationality and is often the deliberate sowing of falsity in an attempt to override facts with emotion, delude as many people as possible, and thus affect what happens in Washington. It is not sound politics. It is a cynical, low strategy bleeding out into areas of our life where it shouldn’t be. And one has to speak up (civilly) when the b.s. that passes for politics and entered into our lives is used to refute what is not political.

As for me, I like discussing politics (but not with my family). What do you think?

* I don't know Paul Crowe, and I don't frequent the Kneeslider, but it appears that Paul is THE Kneeslider.