MotoGP-style gyrocams — which stay upright as the bike leans — are helping to bring a new dimension to onboard bike videos. Somehow, the counterintuitive perspective better conveys the experience not only of leaning, but the rest of the ride too. Here, Bridgestone tire development rider Tim Röthig throws doen an eight minute lap of the Nurburgring aboard a 2011 Kawasaki ZX-10R. We gotta get us a few of these things. And a trip to the ‘Ring.
Big Dog Motorcycles, the high flying beneficiary of last decade's go-go economy, is dead.
Intrust Bank foreclosed on the company at 1520 E. Douglas on Wednesday, and now owns the company's remaining assets. Founder Sheldon Coleman Jr. has dissolved the corporation.
Coleman has formed BDM Performance Products and is bringing over the 22 remaining Big Dog employees, said Mike Simmons, the new company's president.
The company will supply parts, accessories and gear for the more than 25,000 Big Dog motorcycles. The operation will be based in Big Dog's former service and research and development buildings and the former Johnstone Supply building, just east of downtown.
Simmons said the move will happen as soon as possible, but could take weeks, he said.
The company informed many of its dealers this week that it is shutting down.
Big Dog Motorcycles of Tampa dealer William "Tank" Sherman said his biggest concern was whether the company would honor the warranty claims of Big Dog dealers and customers.
The answer, Simmons said, is no. Big Dog Motorcycles has dissolved, along with any claims and debts.
While there have been some hard feelings as business has soured, he said, the company hasn't ruined its relationship with its dealers.
"We've been up front about the business and more than fair with our (dealer) network," he said.
It's been a crushing finale for a company that rode the spectacular rise of the housing boom.
Coleman — heir and once CEO of the Coleman Co. —started customizing Harleys in his garage in 1994. He quickly moved into production, selling 100 by 1996.
The market seemed insatiable. The company saw its annual growth rate hit as high as 80 percent.
In 2005, at the height of its popularity, the company built more than 5,000 bikes, had more than 300 workers and more than $120 million in revenue.
That year it held its first Tornado Rally, which brought thousands of Big Dog aficionados to Wichita. Coleman bought 106 acres on Greenwich Road with the expectation of possible expansion.
The housing and credit booms created tremendous windfalls for homeowners and homebuilders. Luxuries suddenly became affordable — or at least could be financed — and those included the $30,000 to $40,000 gleaming, stylish, powerful V-twin rockets made by Big Dog.
The models often were bought by men in their 30s and 40s suddenly flush with cash who wanted something with more pizzazz than a Harley-Davidson.
Company officials once said that one of their key customers were the small building contractors so busy in Florida, California, Nevada and Arizona, where the housing boom and bust was most prevalent.
The first layoffs came in early 2007 after disappointing sales. Sales continued to drop and more layoffs followed. Coleman started borrowing to keep the operation running — but the slump was just too long and too deep.
When asked whether he thinks a Big Dog-like motorcycle manufacturing company would ever be resurrected, Simmons wasn't interested in speculating. The present is too complicated and painful.
"I can't predict the future," he said.
Like any one of the songs from the iconic American rock band, The Eagles, that played from the in-faring compact-disc player as I rumbled up California’s Hwy 1, a Harley exemplifies something uniquely American. Not only is an image of America tied to a Harley, the idea of Freedom, the unique freedom found only on a motorcycle, is inexorably linked to the image of a V-Twin cruiser.
I can’t recount how many times I’ve ridden any other brand of cruiser and been asked by non-enthusiasts, “That thing a Harley?” The concept of motorcycles or motorcycling is largely, and likely forever, tied to Harley-Davidson.
2009 Harley-Davidson Street Glide“So put me on highway And show me a sign…”
It was time for me to get my piece of the American motorcycling dream (albeit a short dream), and so I set off for a long weekender on the Street Glide.
Being a new-for-‘09 model, we now know that as a touring model the Street Glide, along with the other eight machines in the FL line, gets the much improved chassis, new two-into-one exhaust and new wheels that carry a new dual-compound (rear only) Dunlop tire - developed exclusively for H-D touring sleds.
No longer just a collection of hand-welded steel tubes, the new two-piece frame is now robotically-welded and made from various investment cast, forged and stamped pieces. Total parts count for the new frame numbers 40 pieces; a big reduction from the 90 pieces that made up the previous frame. Also, the swingarm is slightly wider and more rigid.
 The robust new frame used on all Harley touring models offers big improvement to handling. The frame's stability breeds confidence in virtually every riding situation. |
What I experienced during my short ride time at the new model intro for these bikes in mid-summer was only reinforced by my extended ride on this Glide. This new chassis is very stable compared to the previous frame; no more vagueness or flexi feeling. It instills confidence in the rider that the bike will continue to track through a turn or stay rock-steady in a straight line at wacky-fast speeds.
Equally as notable is how agile and purposeful handling can be. For such a hefty bike (810 lbs.) it is surprisingly nimble at very low speeds when, say, picking your way through a crowded gas station. With only a couple of miles per hour showing on the speedo, the bike’s weight becomes largely transparent, and it’s easily flicked left to right, or held at a standstill without putting a foot down.
Though the engine is unchanged for 2009 I was still impressed with how much linear power, especially above 4, 000 rpm, the 1,584cc Twin Cam 96 mill produces. Even in sixth gear, the bike pulls with great strength all the way to 90 mph and beyond. Impressive, considering claimed peak torque of 92.6 ft-lbs comes in at 3,500 rpm. Cruising down the interstate or a lonely back road at well beyond legal speeds is child’s play for this minimalist bagger. Fueling was flawless, and response very good from the throttle-by-wire system.
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 As American as diners and the Eagles. |
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My test unit came with the very capable Brembo ABS front brakes that stop the bike with good feel and power. This is one of the best improvements Harley has made recently, and it’s my hope we’ll see this simple but effective system on all H-Ds one day. I don’t think I’d own a touring machine without ABS.
Ergonomically, the Glide is essentially a perfect fit for my 5-foot-8-inch frame. The reach from seat to bars and seat to floorboards is spot-on. The saddle is slightly sculpted and was comfy for each 400 mile leg of my journey. About the only check mark in the negative column I would give the bike is for the excessive wind buffeting I experienced from the handlebar-mounted Bat Wing fairing. Though the fairing is a styling coup, the diminutive windscreen may give you the same buffeting.
Instrumentation is classic with numerous chrome-ringed analog gauges that add to the overall classic appearance of this model. Inlaid in the speedo is a small but informative LCD display that offers odometer, dual trip meters and a low-fuel countdown. Speaking of fuel, despite my constant flogging of the right twistgrip, the bike achieved an observed 36 mpg from the 6-gallon fuel tank.
Finally, my ride also came with optional cruise control and premium Harman/Kardon sound system. Not once during all my miles did the Eagles Greatest Hits ever skip a beat as I daydreamed of being a Desperado. And only once did the cruise control disengage. But this had everything to do with the fact that I went sailing over a large bump at over 80 mph. Not the bike’s fault!
Near-perfection in a not-so-perfect world
There just isn’t too much for me to find fault with on the 2009 Street Glide. Though, if I could have a perfect world, I’d love to see this (and most all other Harleys) shed some serious pounds. I have to believe in this day and age that new technology materials can be used to lighten a bike without raising the retail. Also, some type of handle on the hardbags would be a nice addition, though not at the cost of screwing up their clean look.
The Dzus fasteners that keep the bags attached are secure and easy enough to remove, but I’d like to be able to carry the whole bag off to the hotel room with ease. Yes, I know hardbag liners are available, but sometimes I’d need to use every conceivable ounce of storage in those bags, sans liners.
More than all the useful power from the V-Twin, or how well the ABS-equipped brakes perform, or the competency of the new frame, more than all of that, to me, the Street Glide in the metallic-flake Black Pearl color scheme simply looks like the American icon that its namesake says it is.
This bike cuts a sexy but tough profile. It looks the definition of cool parked on its sidestand, the sun gleaming off just enough chrome parts to catch your eye. The whole machine seems like one fluid piece thanks to brilliant styling use of single-color paint that includes color-matched hardbag latches.
If I had the spare $21,089 (includes options, CA emissions and freight) to acquire this sexy beast, I’d take the plunge. I like it that much.
| |  | | | In a message entitled "Something We Never Want to Lose" on his company's website, Harley-Davidson Motor Company President and CEO Jim McCaslin tackles the issue of motorcycle noise and the increasing backlash motorcycling is experiencing as the result of loud pipes. Citing a four-fold increase in negative media coverage during the last decade, bans on motorcycles in some communities, attempts to curtail major motorcycle events, anti-tamper legislation, and other limitations of freedom for motorcyclists as the result of complaints about loud pipes, McCaslin says, "We all, every Hog lovin' one of us, must do everything we can to protect our sport and keep it as strong as it is today." In other words, it's time to pipe down. This is the second stage of Harley-Davidson's campaign against loud exhaust pipes. Its initial effort last year was directed at and through dealers, with posters and literature that attempted to educate dealers and riders about the negative consequences of loud pipes. Harley-Davidson spokesman Paul James also told Motorcycle Cruiser that during the next few months Harley will cease shipments to dealers of racing exhaust systems that can be fitted to street models. We could no longer find any racing exhaust systems listed on the company's accessory website. However, Harley-Davidson still offers dozens of accessory exhaust systems that are street-legal (and therefore acceptably quiet), including for use in California. Industry concern over the problem of loud exhaust pipes is nothing new. The American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) has long warned riders that attitudes shaped by complaints about loud pipes frequently compromise the AMA's efforts to battle anti-motorcycling legislation and regulation. That same concern was echoed by the Motorcycle Riders Foundation a few years ago when it adopted the AMA's stance against loud pipes. The Motorcycle Industry Council has conducted anti-noise campaigns for over 30 years. These days, the loud motorcycle you hear roaring past is likely to be a modified Harley-Davidson. This is somewhat ironic because Harley was among the first motorcycle makers to tackle exhaust noise a century ago. In the early days of internal-combustion vehicles, many vehicles were annoyingly loud as delivered, but the threat of anti-motor-vehicle legislation soon had automakers fitting mufflers to their vehicles. As McCaslin's message points out, quieting motorcycle exhaust pipes posed greater difficulties because there is no room for a bulky muffler on a bike. However, Harley engineered an effective silencer, and the resulting bike became known as The Silent Gray fellow. Its relative quiet contributed to its reputation as an elegant, advanced machine and helped distinguish Harley-Davidson Motor Company from dozens of rival American motorcycle makers. Changing to an aftermarket exhaust system has become almost a knee-jerk reaction for many cruiser buyers. However, unless labeled as meeting federal and state standards, all of these exhaust systems are illegal and virtually all are illegally loud. There are exceptions, such as systems offered by Harley that meet requirements for all 50 states or all states except California. Exhaust pipes are changed for a variety of reasons. One is the search for performance improvements, although, as McCaslin and the AMA point out, not all deliver--and some increase power in a portion of the power band while reducing it in others. Some motorcycle owners change exhaust pipes to personalize the appearance. And many who modify their bikes' exhaust systems simply want the noise, often for vanity's sake. Some motorcyclists profess to believe that "loud pipes save lives," although research tends to contradict that popular axiom. (Few of those who say they want exhaust noise for safety's sake use other means--such as brightly colored apparel--which have been proven effective.) Harley-Davidson's current stance actually puts it on the cutting edge of corporate responsibility regarding exhaust-noise. It is the only company that has both taken an anti-noise stance and offers street-legal accessory exhaust systems as an alternative to loud aftermarket pipes. Honda, Kawasaki, and Suzuki have never offered nor endorsed accessory systems for their cruisers. Both Victory and Yamaha offer exhaust systems that are not illegally loud as "racing" modifications, though no effort is made to qualify customers by asking for racing credentials. You have to find and click on footnote notices on their sites to learn that that the systems are not legal for the street, and the disclaimer page on Yamaha's site was not working when we visited. Neither company offers legal accessory exhausts. We also asked Yamaha if it had any plans to follow Harley-Davidson's lead on this issue, but we had received no reply to our email a few days later. As the leader in the cruiser market, Harley's public stance on loud exhaust pipes may finally signal a turning point for an issue that continues to put motorcyclists in a very bad light and prompts increasing calls for restrictions on motorcycles and motorcyclists. Though some riders will try to contend that their noise doesn't really bother anybody, that they have some sort of right to annoy everyone they ride past, or that their noise protects them, such arguments have to sound increasingly hollow when the biggest cruiser-motorcycle maker points out that they are actually risking all motorcyclists' freedoms and asks them to "think about the consequences our actions have on others, before others take action against us." Harley-Davidson is not simply speaking out about the problems that illegal loud pipes cause for the entire motorcycling community. The Motor Company also offers street-legal accessory exhausts systems and exhaust components for its various motorcycle model families. An alternative to universally loud aftermarket exhausts, the Harley accessory pipes, such as the these 50-state-legal slip-ons for Dyna models, provide a legal option for riders who want to customize. |
SAVANNAH, Ga. - The plan was simple. I would come to charming, antebellum Savannah, I would hop aboard Honda's new Shadow RS, the most radical of all Honda's middleweight cruisers, and then be overwhelmed with the charm of prowling this historic downtown cobblestone district aboard a new Honda that all but mimicked the style, feel and substance of a circa-'70s Harley. The RS is Honda's big news for 2010 in the middleweight category and my job was to be impressed with its Sportster-esque charm.
The only problem was that, as much as all that ambiance did work its charms on me, I was actually more impressed with Honda's other new-for-2010 but less flamboyant VT750 Shadow, the Phantom. Attractive in its own right -- though unmistakably Japanese where the RS looks positively Milwaukee-born -- the Phantom is another of the dark customs outfitted in so much black paint -- both matte and glossy -- one fears it might become its own black hole.
Nonetheless, it's an attractive little ride, sporting a phat 17-inch front tire, handlebar riders matched to a superbikelike handlebar and the thick front fork so common on cruisers today. Of course, because the Phantom is a budget bike (costing $9,099 in Canada), this last is the result of covering over a totally conventional front fork. It's not nearly as authentic as the stripped-to-the-bones RS, but I still find the Phantom's lead-sled look appealing, even if a few of its bits are obviously faux.
What really is authentic, however, is that the Phantom is the best of Honda's Shadows to ride. Perhaps it's the 120/90-17 front tire that adds a little gravitas to its handling or the new fuel injection that adds to its throttle response, but the Phantom performs beyond its smallish 745 cubic centimetres. The 52-degree V-twin should have little trouble keeping up with some of the competitors' 800-cc and 900-cc competition. Its only fault is that the twin's vibration gets a little too buzzy above 120 kilometres an hour. There's even a surprisingly authoritative bark from the staggered shorty mufflers.
Another area where Honda has managed to marry style with substance is in the Phantom's comfort. With the caveat that, yes, its footpegs really are fairly far forward and, yes, as comfy as that seems on the showroom floor it doesn't work quite as well on the open road, the Phantom is actually quite comfortable. Much of the reason for that can be attributed to the aforementioned handlebar that is an almost perfect bend -- both stylistically and functionally -- and a cushy broad saddle that coddles rather than punishes. And the Phantom will prove especially attractive to new and shorter riders with a 653-millimetre seat height that allows almost all to get their feet firmly planted on the ground at stoplights.
What sold me on the Phantom, however, is that it doesn't handle like a middleweight cruiser. Too often, smaller customs feel the part, their handling overly jittery like a car with over-boosted power steering. Thanks to that wider front tire and the accompanying fork geometry change, the Phantom doesn't feel darty at speed, even when challenged with gusty side winds. Of course, since it is a cruiser, there's limited suspension travel (117 millimetres in front and only 89 mm in the rear), meaning the ride/handling equation is compromised. The Phantom's single biggest failing is that the front fork is too soft, while the twin rear shocks are overly stiff. And, being so low to the ground, clearance during cornering is at a premium.
Here, the aforementioned RS version of the VT750 Shadow is a little more impressive. There's a little more ground clearance and the handling is a little quicker through corners (the major mechanical difference between the two bikes is that the RS gets a narrower 100/90 front tire, still 19 inches in diameter).
Ride the new RS for any distance and two things become apparent. First, though it is styled for the mass-market appeal of a cruiser, it rides like a standard motorcycle and, despite its hot rod styling, it's very much geared toward the entry-level market. Second, the RS's physical allusion to the Harley Sportster is more than skin deep. In fact, the Honda is such a comprehensive remake of the Sportster that nothing in the current Harley portfolio seems as authentic. There's a peanut tank, twin shorty mufflers, a skinny 19-inch wheel up front and the motor looks remarkably like a modern version of Harley's circa-'50s KH (the precursor to the Sportster and the start of the famed 883 designation).
Except, of course, it's a Honda. That means a couple of things. First, this Sportster, er, Shadow RS has a level of sophistication few bikes in this segment can match. Second, the basic VT750 on which the RS is based is one of the most reliable motorcycles ever sold, requiring scarcely more than an occasional oil change and a spark plug change every few years to guarantee years of trouble-free riding.
A few things have changed inthetransformation, however. Like the rest of the VT750s, the RS is now fuel injected, resulting in better throttle response. The front disc brake is on the left-hand side of the wheel, the opposite of the Phantom and the Sportster. The biggest change is that the RS is the first VT with chain drive, the rest of the VTs powering the rear wheel via shaft drive.
It all adds up to an authentically attractive package. But, while the RS will no doubt attract larger crowds, I'll remain in the minority and prefer the Phantom. I prefer my cruiser big and the new Phantom just feels more substantial.
