TYRE PRESSURE LED GIZMO INFLATED SOLUTION

Recently I came across the promotion of a self-calibrating tyre pressure valve LED (light-emitting diode) cap. It’s marketed as such—“an item to save you money as under inflated tires can increase poor gas mileage" and by a motorcycle review writer "prevents you from having to get down on your knees every few weeks to check your tyre's pressure”—my goodness, is bending down or getting on your knees in order to check tyre pressure such an incredible task? Don’t motorcycles already achieve great fuel mileage? (product packaging uses picture of a car tyre --seems these were originally intended for automobiles).

There are various makes out there, valve caps made of plastic or steel are screwed on top of your normal air valves or completely substitute your current valve cap. When the tyres’ pressure drops 4psi, or by other brands, 8psi the LED light goes on, warning you visibly that you need to inflate your tyres.

Think about it, your motorcycle tyres are a key factor to riding performance and safety would you really trust this management to such a device? Right answer-- absolutely not!

Time to embrace the task of tyre pressure management and if you don’t yet see the pleasure and benefits in understanding its influences when riding—I suggest adding the topic to your list of personal rider skill development goals, right along side putting your knee down. It is one of the simplest tasks to comprehend and you’ll be pleased by the results. Understanding and managing your tyre’s pressure can make big changes to your steering and riding performance--there are many articles of information to read. Even the tyre manufacturer websites have in depth knowledge free of charge.

Picture this, you’re out riding, its a bright sunny day, you’ve just left your last fuel fill up stop and for the next few hours during your planned twisty touring road ride, have no intention of stopping. The LED light comes on; you can’t see it anyway—is this useful?
And we haven’t even explored all the factors as to how these devices work when tyres heat up over various road services and then cool down.
Think about it--and before your next ride just check your tyres with any number of effective, portable tyre pressure gauges. Be smart from the start--this is motorcycling.

SCOOTER RIDERS URBAN TACTICS

A few weekends ago I was invited to provide a practical workshop aimed around urban survival, for newly formed ScooToronto club, now 58 members. Members of the club also invited Pekka Jokiniemi training constable for the Toronto police operations. We were to work together to provide the club a Saturday filled with urban tactics.

I arranged to meet with Pekka the day before in order to coordinate our training methods and goals--all in sync and ready we were. Pekka trains the motorcycle police who start out learning on those big police motorcycles, either a Harley Davidson or a Honda.

Saturday, and only about a dozen of the club showed up (6 had canceled) we met at the 51 division Toronto police station (I was hoping to find myself a few police men or test ride a police bike, but no luck—this time) and used their training room facilities to talk traffic survival before heading out to the parking lot. One of the members of ScooToronto had designed a “think” causing slide presentation which challenged the members traffic smarts. What I really enjoyed were the many tales each rider had and how they were keen to relate and share —additionally interesting were their stories of challenge within the urban jungle of city riding. Plus many of the members, being that the club was so new, had not yet made acquaintance with each other—made for some real camaraderie.

So off we went – we made available some good exercises for slow speed control as one of the initial lesson start ups— on a scooter its achieved by keeping the rear brake lever applied as the throttle’s turned up to the friction zone. The scooters ranged from 50cc to 400cc. I had to depart within 90 minutes of our riding lessons to pick up the really cool KYMCO gift previously sent for everyone, and when returned (city traffic and a SKYDOME baseball game!) my time was up and had to head out for a prior commitment leaving Pekka to handle the group—high speed braking exercises were underway.

I took a few photos and even captured Glenda, one of the clubs founders on her brand new sea green beauty. If you live in Toronto, check out ScooToronto meet up page.
there's always a ride in the agenda be it short or long distance--and they're a super bunch of people.

A MOTORCYCLING RAVEN VISITED

Near 4 weeks ago a fellow female motorcyclist blogger discovered MOTORESS.com and wrote a wee morning complimentary, positive note about us in her blog/website. And there you have it; I met Linda Raven Moore the woman behind Raven’s Road.

In having a look around Linda's website/blog "Raven's Road--Living an Interesting life: the travels and musings of motorcycling author Linda Moore" and getting to know Linda by way of the content on her site-- it wasn't difficult to see her obvious pleasure as a rider in the lifestyle of motorcycling.

So here a reciprocal note and introduction via my blog to fellow female motorcycle rider Linda.

Also within her site and worth exploring are excerpts from her book titled “A little Twist of Texas” based on her solo motorcycle trip on 1400cc cruiser “Beastie”, April 2005 from Silicon Valley to Texas. Her goal was to reach Fort Worth, but plans didn’t quite work out. Her book is the story of that ride to “Texas-with a twist”.