Kick Stand Down Blues

Kick Stand Down Blues

By Torch 2010

(To the tune of Born Under a Bad Sign)

Got the Kick Stand Down Blues

Ain’t been able to ride since late Fall

If it wasn’t for Spring an’ Summer time

I’d get no ridin’ time in at all

Three inches of snow & ice on the drive

Keeps my baby all locked up inside

Got the Kick Stand Down Blues

Ain’t been able to ride since late Fall

If it wasn’t for Spring an’ Summer time

I’d get no ridin’ time in at all

I've installed all the chrome an’ polished it bright

I’ll be dreamin’ ‘bout her tonight

Got the Kick Stand Down Blues

Ain’t been able to ride since late Fall

If it wasn’t for Spring an’ Summer time

I’d get no ridin’ time in at all

Done all the maintenance an’ Mods I could

Installed fuel stabilizer in the tank just for good

Got the Kick Stand Down Blues

Ain’t been able to ride since late Fall

If it wasn’t for Spring an’ Summer time

I’d get no ridin’ time in at all

Rubbed her down with a nice coat of wax

She’s so much sexier than a Cadillac

Got the Kick Stand Down Blues

Ain’t been able to ride since late Fall

If it wasn’t for Spring an’ Summer time

I’d get no ridin’ time in at all

I’ve read all the Forums and all of the Blogs

She’s just waitin’ for me to blow out the cogs

Got the Kick Stand Down Blues

Ain’t been able to ride since late Fall

If it wasn’t for Spring an’ Summer time

I’d get no ridin’ time in at all

But, Just as sure as the Rapture Day

Ha, Spring is on it’s way…

Ride on,
Torch

Fog Off! Review

Fog Off! Review

This winter on my daily commute ride I got to experience something new to me. Being blessed most of my life with good vision; I’d never had to battle fogging glasses before. Now at the start of my middle ages I found myself having to hold what I was reading farther and farther away to read it and having a hard time with small text. Alas, I’m getting old. Now I wear reading glasses, even as I’m writing this. I currently ride my V-Star 1100 wearing a half helmet and I wear either sunglasses or goggles with various colored lenses, depending on conditions, for eye protection.

As winter pulled us farther and farther away from the sun, the temperatures started to drop. It wasn’t long before I started observing a strange phenomenon, usually in the morning. I was riding with clear riding glasses because it’s dark in the morning when I leave for work. Every time I slowed down and came to a stop my glasses were fogging up on the inside. It would clear up when I started moving but eventually you just got to stop.

My ability to see got poorer as the temperature dropped. I finally purchased a neoprene riding mask to keep the icy wind of my face and that made it even worse. The mask seemed to direct my breath strait onto the inside of my glasses. Now even moving it would fog. I remembered back to the days I had a diving mask and you could apply spit to the inside lens of the mask to keep it from fogging. So, I tried it. It did not work of course. I switched to goggles and it did not help. It got to the point that it was scary to have to slow down and stop. It was time for me to do something if I was going to continue to ride.

I remembered reading an anti-fog test comparison once on web Bike World. So I decided to stop in at Cycle Gear and see what they had. The helpful salesperson handed me a bottle of FOG OFF! It came with its own small microfiber applicator cloth. It comes in a small 29.5 ML pump spray bottle and states MADE IN U.S.A. The bottle claims it is made with Exofogonium 3, whatever that is. The directions simply read:

SHAKE BEFORE USE:
APPLY FOG OFF TO
SURFACE, COVERING
COMPLETELY BUFF WITH
SOFT CLOTH UNTIL CLEAR.

I applied some to my clear night riding glasses according to the directions before my morning commute. Well, I don’t know what is in FOG OFF, but it worked. After riding about a week I started noticing some dampness distortion on the inside of my riding glasses, so I reapplied FOG OFF and it went away. One application seemed to last about a week for me. I cannot say this is the best anti-fog solution out there because I have not tried any others. I will say that it performed and lasted as well as I expected. I now keep the bottle of FOG OFF and cloth in my saddlebag. Torch gives FOG OFF! a M.M.M Rating of 8 out of 10.

Ride on,
Torch

Cold Riding Hands are Sluggish Riding Hands

River Road Cheyenne Cold Weather Gloves Review

This December my fingers were really getting cold during my morning commutes to work. I had been wearing a pair of inexpensive leather gloves purchased at Wal-Mart that had a thin Thinsulate liner. They worked great for driving a cage and if you were out of the wind. On a cold winter’s day though, at any speed over 40 mph, the cold wind sliced right through the seams. These gloves were not designed for motorcycling. I needed a pair of cold weather gloves.

I was off for the Christmas and New Years holidays and taking some vacation time from work and decided to take my V-Star in to get the front tire replaced. So, I was browsing my local Bikers Bay store while they were mounting a new front tire on my Mistress early on a Saturday morning. I looked at the gloves rack and found the River Road Cheyenne Cold Weather Gloves. The pricing was fair so I tried a pair on. They fit well despite my large hands although they sure felt bulky as all cold weather riding gloves will. I bought them and a neoprene face mask when my bikes front tire installation was complete.

The Cheyenne Cold Weather Gloves by River Road got their first trial as soon as my vacation and holiday time was up and it was time to get back to work. These gloves had a reinforced leather palm with good grip traction. The back side of the glove is made of a durable looking textile material. They have a breathable windproof Hipora liner they claimed was waterproof. These gloves are also equipped with a Thinsulate layer for warmth as well. They have two hook and loop adjustable fasteners one for the wrists and another for the cuffs. This makes them very adaptable. On top of that, they have reflective piping in several places on the seams for safety.

I have now ridden with them through our short Texas winter. These gloves kept my hands and wrist warm down to about 35 degrees Fahrenheit at 60+ mph. If it gets colder than that your fingers will still start to get cold. I would recommend a thermal glove liner to go with them when riding in temperatures freezing or below. I will invest in a pair of these for next winter. The gloves do an excellent job of blocking the wind. Finally, I also had the chance to wear them in the rain. I had my doubts, but the Cheyenne Cold Weather Gloves are indeed water proof. These River Road Gloves in conjunction with my frogg toggs kept me completely dry. The fact that I had dry and warm hands really impressed me.

The bulkiness of the gloves does have its cons, but the pros far outweigh them. If you have ever been caught in the cold without gloves, or just too lazy to pull over and put them on, and had to ride, you know what I mean. It takes a little adjusting to, to ride and use your motorcycles controls with the gloves on. The hardest thing to get used to for me was the starter button. However, I found that if I just kept moving my thumb around it would eventually make contact. They have held up good for the first winter riding season, although some may debate that Texas really does not have a winter season. Torch gives the River Road Cheyenne Cold Weather Gloves a M.M.M Rating of 9 on a scale of 1-10.

Ride on,
Torch