The one thing about riding during the day in Ramadan is that I used to get very thirst so now for the first day I wanted to take full advantage of being able to ride during this beautiful weather. Its really cool to be only 34C during noon and towards 4 pm the weather is really cool and as long as I’m moving I feel a cool breeze. It was really nice that there weren’t a lot of people on the road and I was really enjoying myself. There were a few nut cases on the road but I managed to get away from them.
I updated my playlist on the mp3 player and it just feels so good, it gets my blood pumping and I start pushing the bike more. The rumble from from the engine, the feeling of the cool breeze, and the beat of the music really gets me going and all of my senses are concentrated on riding and the road around. Funny I ride I see lines on the road that I want to follow and my body just reacts to it, its fantastic when I’m so entranced by the riding that all my reactions turn into instinct. I still think while I’m riding but I’m enjoying myself so much that I’m just happy on a bike.
At last this machine has been introduced, there has been a lot of interest from people after seeing the concept version of this machine. It will be going on sale towards the end of November, and it is one hell of a machine from Suzuki. They really took their gloves off for this machine, it has aggressive styling and the suspension and engine to match the looks. This machine is going to be the most powerful naked bike on the road with the a detuned new Hayabusa Engine with 180 bhp available for your entertainment.
I was happy for a while that my K1200R was the most powerful naked bike and I knew it was only a matter of time until something more powerful comes out. Suzuki came out shooting with this machine, and they tuned the machine to concentrate on mid-range, this is just one hell of a machine. It will be selling for around $13’000 and there might be some options for it.
Link: The Kneeslider
For a unique machine Exile Cycles built the RX-StreetFighter for the biker build-off in 2006, and this machine is currently on sale on any consumer for a hefty price. It is a very unique looking machine with exquisite craftsmanship to make this machine. If you like carbon fiber then you can only love this machine and its unique appearance. This kind of work comes with a price tag to match.
Features
- Carbon Fiber:
- Wheels
- Fenders
- Gas Tank
- Air Cleaner
- Points Cover
- Belt Guards
- Muffler
- Side-Panels
- Belt Piece
- Engine Jims 120 Twin-Cam coupled to their 6-Speed Transmission
Price $65’000
Link: Exile Cycles
Since we are going back into riding season I have a few recommendations for gear. Just wearing the protective gear is good to a certain extent, getting a back protector helps deflect damage from your spine upon impact. This type of protection helps decrease the possibility of extreme damage to your back, it can only lower the risk. This type of protection is important, and when I have mine on it feels nice and comfortable when I’m riding.
I have gotten my armor from Knox since they specialize their equipment for fast riders and exceed all regulatory levels of testing. They have their own level of testing so this the product I would recommend.
Price: £99.99
Link: Planet Knox
I have ridden and owned a lot of bikes over the years and I can still remember the feel of each machine. And I remember why I loved each and every one of them, each machine is unique and has its own character so I decided to rank them against each other even though some are different kinds of machines, but for each machine I say what are the likes and dislikes of each.
My Ranking:
07 Ducati 1098s
- Fantastic power delivery, you feel the grunt form the bottom, great handling and brakes
05 Yamaha R1
- Fantastic machine, it was a little tamer with a solid feel to it but it was a bit lacking on power but very enjoyable
07 Yamaha R1
- A different creature from Yamaha, they have improved in the handling and top end power, but the low end really feels missing, and fantastic breaks
06 BMW K1200R
- Lots of low end grunt all through to the top, good power delivery, handles its’ weight great
01 Yamaha R1
- One hell of machine, it took all your strength to keep the front wheel on the ground. So much attitude, I loved it
06 Triumph Daytona Speed Triple 675
- Great low end power and handling, the finish is a bit lacking but still a very fun bike
04 Yamaha FZ6
- Great bike to learn on but lacking in power delivery and handling, forks and brakes needed to be upgraded to be more enjoyable
It has a been a little while since I have gone riding at night, and I had some work to go do in Shuweikh so I decided to go on the bike. I headed out early so that I could go for a nice enjoyable ride. The humidity makes things interesting since its a little warm, but the weather is just perfect at 30C – 32C at night. With the humidity as your moving the breeze feels cool. It has been a little while since I went riding on Robo and I felt like going for a different kind of ride. And I love the feeling that I get from this bike, the raw power at the wheel, the brute strength. Robo can handle those corners, but I also feel like I can rip through anything with this machine. Its an intense feeling, and I took the highways because I didn’t want to slow down or stop at any point.
The only issues I ran into was the idiots on the road, its funny even when I’m sitting in my lane holding my speed somebody always does something stupid. In these kinds of situations I tend to push forward and get out of the way of these idiots. I have also come to the conclusion that women do not see anything on the road, and I really do mean anything. Why is it always women that swerve into a lane without a look, the problem is that it isn’t intentional and when they find out there is another object next to them they panic. I’m always fair to who ever is driving but this is a trend that I always run into. Well at least I manage to react fast enough to get out of the way and my mood wasn’t affected at all. The perfect weather, the rumble of the machine, and the good music pumping through my headphones kept me smiling all ride long.
How can you ask for better service then this, I really don’t think that Tristar can really do better then they are. You really do pay for what you get with this company. You can always get cheaper bikes but I don’t think you could get better service.
I have had a problem with the clutch recently, I had the slipper clutch from Ducati installed as one of the modifications to the 1098s over 5 months ago. And recently after a little break there was an issue. They called me yesterday telling me that they installed the old clutch and they tried tweak the slipper clutch and a lot other solutions but nothing worked, the launch was still rough. They contacted Ducati and opened a case with them waiting to hear from them. So that I could ride Pyro for the weekend they have installed the old clutch and brought him back today to me, and I wasn’t charged for any of the work or transport. What more could you ask, they called and updated me, they told me what they were doing, and I told them I didn’t mind them keeping the bike but they went the extra mile to make sure I have the bike for the weekend. Tristar is one the top companies for service, when they can do something they do everything they can to make sure things are cleared up and the customer is happy, and I’m one happy customer.
After my Julia’a ride I had a few issues which need to be dealt with such as the Clutch. Something is going which is making it very difficult for the clutch to be engaged smoothly. luckily I contacted the TriStar technician and gave him a full description of what I was doing and what was the result. Even after a 140 Km ride I knew what wasn’t wrong so that we could rule a few things out. I ask him to take it for a test ride to see what I’m talking about, the clutch is a bit jerky so hopefully they can solve it for me because the weather is just too nice these days not to be riding. As soon as I shut the phone from the technician the Tristar driver called me up to pick up the bike, with them everything is automated and I love dealing with them. They make things really easy, and hopefully they can fix this so I can ride on the weekend. Now to try Robo out and see if he is having any issues which need to be sorted out!
A friend of mine texted me just before futoor telling me he wants a change of venue, I thought why not what do you have in mind. He wants to go for a drive to somewhere but with not traffic and get a coffee and then drive back, just to break the routine. The weather is nice, and I had some music I wanted to listen to so I thought why not. He said how bout we go to the new Starbucks in Julai’a, I didn’t know they opened one that far out.
So he came after futoor around 7:30pm, and he was going in his car and I decided to take a ride on Pyro since I haven’t been for a little while. I knew a few things were going to be odd since I haven’t ridden the bike for a little while and the ride is going to show me all the kinks. We went to gas station to fill up and check tire pressures before heading out. Then we got on Malik Fahad Highway going towards Julai’a, and it was nice & pretty empty. We were cruising between 140 – 180 the whole way there, I was listening to music enjoying the breeze.
The weather was just fantastic, it went from 35C all the way down to 28C when we got to Julai’a. At first we weren’t sure if the Starbucks was at Kempinski or else where, so we just decided to try our luck and head straight there. After getting there we were told it was by another resort up the road, and as we drove back down the road we found it next to a Sultan Center and a few people were there.
Then the hooligans showed up skidding around the parking lot on their buggies, and I was going to kill them if they even got dust on Pyro or the car. It was funny these kids had nothing to do, and so they kept going back and forth to that spot. The location of the Starbucks is nice, but it would be nicer to have outdoor seating, we moved a table outside and enjoyed the nice weather.
We were talking to the manager about this Starbucks and the expectations they had for it. During the week it gets very low sales, but during the weekend it would get between 3-4 times the target set for the store so it is doing well. They are open from 6 am to 12 am during a normal week, and maybe during winter on the weekends they might be open 24 hours. He was also telling us about lots of interesting stories, he told us bikers come out every Monday or Tuesday in about a group of 12 – 15 from 8pm to 10pm which is nice. Then he was telling us the stories of drunk guys coming in the morning and drinking lots of coffee, and about the girls that come park their cars there and leave with guys, and how when the place is full of girls the guys come by the truck loads later. It was hilarious listening to all the stories and what goes on, it was fun talking to him and after we were done with our drinks we decided to head back, and we were really enjoying the beautiful weather and the mostly empty roads back. We got back by 9:45 pm, and it was a nice change in the routine. The only thing I need to do is adjust the clutch on the bike, its a bit stiff and needs some tweaking.
I haven’t been riding for the last three weeks before traveling so my bikes were parked for a month and a half. I called up TriStar to pickup Robo and Pyro to give them a quick check and to charge their batteries overnight. I thought they might be busy since riding season is coming up soon. They called me back up the next morning since I called at night and sent the driver that day to pick up both bikes.
They brought back both bikes ready and kicking, they have a check list which is important checking on a motorcycles vitals.
The List:
- Tire Pressure
- Oil Levels
- Coolant Levels
- Adjust Chain tension and lubricate (K1200R doesn’t have chain)
- Charge Battery
There service is always good, and its nice to see the boys back in shape and I will be riding soon again. I won’t be riding to work any more since there no longer is a half Thursday and I’m happy I get to ride a more and also get to sleep in a bit as well. I missed riding both these machines, and I thought how they would be different to ride in the highways of California but I don’t know when that would happen and if that would happen. It would be nice to ride these machines in the cold weather again.
