Seriously Dangerous???

I spotted this advert for Rocky HD over on the Road Captains blog and thought I would post it here. The Trewins up in Rockhampton are getting creative with their advertising...

Front Licence Plate Legislation

Well the Victorian Government is at it again - I really don't understand what they hope to acheive by forcing all motorcycles to display front number plates/decals. What, they think that they are missing out on a share of revenue from speeding motorcycles?? Get real fellas!

I believe there are some major flaws with this legislation such as the need to fix these plates to most bikes where there is nowhere to fit one of the proposed decals, which may require drilling somewhere on the front end. Us riders will then have more to worry about should the plate come loose or worse still, in the event of an accident. Most importantly, there is strong advice from industry sources suggesting that it was not technically feasible across the range of motorcycles now on the roads.

Oh, and guess what? The cost of fitting said plates/decals will be borne by the owner of the bike!

I understand that it is only Victorian legislation at this point, but if it is successfully passed then you can rest assured that the other Australian states will follow suite eventually.

Please support the push against the introduction of front plates on motorcycles by signing the online petition initiated by the MRAA here.

Motorcycle front license plates - another initiative from the Victorian Government

Mounting A Video Camera

I found this video which details an extremely simple and cheap method of making a camera mount for your bike. Another slightly different version of this mount can be seen over on The Ride Report - Chuck's variation provides a safe and secure mount for some of the larger video cameras.

Both very clever and simple and either way, they allow us to share our riding experiences with others!!

Simple Motorcycle Camera Mount

Yamaha's Raider

Well, Yamaha in the US have released a bike that I would seriously consider putting in my shed along side the Zook! It was actually released in September of last year, but I have only just become aware of it.

To me, the Raider is an agressive looking go-bike without the extra bits of plastic that make other Jap cruisers look big and heavy. By persisting with an air-cooled motor they have eliminated the need for a bulky radiator up front, and combined with the impressive rake, gives this bike a real custom look. On that point, the 1850cc v-twin is shared with the bulkier looking Roadliner and Stratoliner models but to be quite honest, I don't know how they will be able to meet the US EPA emission standards without liquid cooling - then again, there are many ways to skin a cat. This motor also utilizes a single pin crank shaft unlike Honda's VTX and Suzuki's M109, and in doing so, retains that real meaty v-twin sound and not something akin to a VW! Another standout for me is the single shock, hardtail-look giving the bike a real clean back end, adding to its already striking looks.

There is no mention of Yamaha importing them to us poor bastards down here yet, but if they do, I will be lining up to test ride one. As far as cruisers go, I like the M109 a lot, but think that Yamaha have gone one better with the Raider!

Read more about the Raider on Yamaha's US website here.

Swagumentary...

A cool little video from Biker Swag...