Garmin Introduces the Zūmo 660

Garmin has announced their newest motorcycle-specific GPS, the Zūmo 660. They claim it "integrates the slim and sleek design of the Nüvi with specific features made exclusively for motorcyclists." I wonder about that, though, seeing as how the handy left-handed buttons of the original Zūmo 450 and 550 models appear to have been dropped. It sounds like the unit has a lot of nifty new features, though, not least of which is the implementation of the A2DP standard for Bluetooth, which yields true stereo sound.

I've been extremely pleased with my Zūmo 450. If I was in the market for another GPS, I wouldn't hesitate to buy another Garmin and would definitely be looking at this new model.

Check the Garmin release here for more information.

Canada or Bust!

Sort through your crayon box ... find just the right one ... yeah, that's it ... the one labeled "gone." Color me gone.

This'll be the first time I've ever ridden with a two-way radio piped into my helmet. I can talk to truckers ("Get the hell outta my way, Road Hog!"), ask about important points of interest ("Where did you say that friggin' cop is hiding?!?!"), and keep in touch with my riding partner ("Greg, I gotta stop to pee!"). It's a Midland 40-channel citizen's band and weather radio combined with a J&M headset. I had some reservations about hacking up the interior of my Scorpion helmet to install the headset, so I went back to the old Shoei that I quit wearing a year or so ago. No worries, though; everything went in just fine despite some insane Styrofoam-hazy moments between me and the Exacto knife. Seems to work like a charm, but this'll be its first true road test. I can use the headset to pipe my iPod tunes into my helmet, too, but I suspect at speed I'll need to switch to my earbuds. Pink Floyd and the drone of hundred mph wind just don't mix all that well.

My friends Greg and Elaine will be on their luxurious new Goldwing, relaxing, playing ping-pong in the rec room, watching satellite television on the bigscreen, and so on. Damn thing probably has a trunk monkey that fixes margaritas and nachos en route. When the ZZR and I are shivering in Glacier National Park, Greg and Elaine will be toasting their fannies on heated seats while the trunk monkey passes them hot chocolate -- complete with those little marshmallows bobbing like exclamation marks on the sea of euphoria that follows a truly epic ride. Some people are just spoiled, I tell ya!

Full ride report when the ZZR and I get back, approximately four thousand miles older and wiser.

Cruisin'...

Last thing and the Mighty ZZR is ready to rock-n-roll all the way to Canada and back (with scheduled stops in Rocky Mountain National Park, the Grand Tetons, Yellowstone, Glacier, the Little Bighorn, Mount Rushmore, Devil's Tower, the Black Hills, and anything else interesting I find along the way!): cruise control.

More accurately called "throttle locks," I've never been a real big fan of cruise control on my bikes. I still remember Gary Miller (you out there reading this, Gary?) accidentally engaging the throttle lock on his KLR while off-pavement in Arkansas a few years ago. He wound up taking a wild (albeit brief) ride into a ditch, damaging his knee, and spending the rest of the weekend icing it down instead of riding. Of course, the bar end types that you have to give a real good twist (like the Throttlemeister unit shown above on my ZZR), versus the type where you simply thumb down a lever, aren't easily engaged by accident, so I'm not particularly worried about being a goober like Gary. (Now that I'm calling him names, someone will tell him and he'll come read the blog ... that's my theory anyway.) I mean, that sounds like something ZRod would do. (There, maybe I'll gain another reader. Ha!)

There's something about having the throttle out of my control that unnerves me. It's nice to be able to shake the numbness out of your throttle hand on those long straights. Flex your fingers. Scratch your right leg. But I'm always a bit leery of having the bike hurtling along at my usual speeds without my hand right there ready to shut it down. Things happen fast on a motorcycle. Think about it: at my usual ZZR cruising speed of 100 mph (okay, so maybe I should slow down, eh?) that's almost 147 feet passing under my wheels every second. If it takes me 2 seconds to put my hand back on the throttle and disengage the lock, that's almost the length of a football field that I've covered -- more than enough time to hit a deer or t-bone a careless soccer mom's minivan -- and I haven't even started braking yet!

The other thing that's always bugged me about throttle locks is that they're not a true cruise control. On long, straight, level stretches of road, you cruise along just fine at a steady speed, but how often am I on that type of road? The Interstate is about all I can think of that qualifies (well, okay, so there's also Highway 50 in Nevada and every bit of pavement in Kansas), but I avoid riding the Interstate (and Kansas) at all costs, generally only grabbing the superslab for when I just want to get home lickity-split quick. And at those times, when I'm really hauling ass, I'm generally the least comfortable locking my throttle. All it would take is some bonehead coming over into my lane as I flew past him. Most roads, of course, have grades -- up, down, up down -- and on those roads your bike is either speeding up or slowing down the whole time with the throttle locked. I find that very aggravating. It grates to no end on my anal-retentive, obsessive-compulsive, need-to-be-in-control-dammit! mentality.

So, if I'm not a big fan of throttle locks, why did I just put one on my bike for this trip? Well, there are those times, when road and traffic conditions permit, that it's nice to engage it for a minute or two in order to give your hand a break. Especially on a ride like the one I have coming up, one that covers so many miles and will see me on the road for 11 days straight. But, more to the point, it's been 3 or 4 weeks now since I followed Cricket up that nasty hill at CrossTimbers, got thrown off my dirtbike, and landed on my right thumb. The damn thing still won't bend like it should and aches incessantly. Yeah, I should have had it x-rayed, and it ought to be in a splint or a cast or something, I guess. But then I couldn't ride at all! I would, in fact, have to postpone the trip ... and that just ain't gonna happen.

I might be riding all the way to Canada with my throttle lock engaged and my thumb stuffed in a bag of ice. LOL.

Wish me luck.

---

Photo Note: Yeah, I know that's the clutch side (in the photo above), so technically you're not even looking at the actual throttle lock, but that's the bar end that had the Throttlemeister logo on it, so I featured it instead. The throttle side looks exactly the same (you can see it in the photos below). While they're not cheap (for the ZZR, the cost is $125), in my opinion, the Throttlemeisters are the nicest and most functional cruise control on the market. I had them on my original Triumph Tiger and also have them now on the new Tiger.

Poor Man's Cruise Control: Don't want to spend $125 for cruise control? Being a cheap SOB myself, I can relate. Here's an option for you. It worked for me for years. This is a Caterpillar o-ring. I used to have the part number, but I've long since lost it. Probably doesn't matter; if you walk into the Caterpillar place and tell them what you're looking for, they've probably sold more of these to motorcycle owners than anyone else, so they'll know what you need. The o-ring is sized just right to slip over most motorcycle bar ends. If you slip it into the space between the bar end and the lower edge of the grip, friction will lock your throttle in place. To disengage, just use your palm to roll it back down onto the bar end. I've used these on various motorcycles with mixed results. Eventually, it tends to let your throttle slip a bit, so you have to make minor adjustments while riding. Since I never leave my throttle locked for very long anyway, the slipping was never a real big deal for me -- your tolerance/aggravation may vary. Here are a couple photos with the o-ring on the bar (disengaged) and slipped into the groove (engaged). [Addendum: the Caterpillar part number for that o-ring is 8M-4991.]




Another Option: I often use a Throttle Rocker on my bikes. By allowing you to stay on the gas by using the weight of your hand focused through your palm (versus actually gripping the throttle), it greatly reduces hand fatigue. Trust me, this is the best $11 you'll ever spend on your motorcycle. Just remember to remove it when you hit the twisty stuff, as it does tend to get in the way of the really fine throttle adjustments required to be fast and smooth in the curves. Again, here's a photo:


Safety Disclaimer: Use any of these things at your own risk, of course. I ain't responsible if you go out, lock your throttle, plow into a barn or fly off the side of a cliff at 100 miles per hour, and remove yourself from the gene pool. These things probably make riding a motorcycle even more dangerous that your mama already told you it was...

"Just Rub a Couple Sticks Together..."

If only it was that easy to stay warm on your motorcycle in the winter, right?

If you're like me, you want to ride your motorcycle year-round; none of this parking your baby until spring with gas stabilizer in the tank to keep her from waking up cranky, a plug in the exhaust to keep out the mice, and a nice warm blanky so she knows you still love her even though you've set her aside for the warm, dry cab of your pickemup truck. Of course, you probably also have a strong aversion to shivering, turning blue, and the occasional finger, toe, or other cherished appendage dropping off due to frostbite.

Oklahoma sees its share of cold temperatures -- and more than its share of ice and freezing rain. When there's ice on the roads, leave your bike at home; otherwise, you can ride if you know how to stay warm ... even when it's as cold as the proverbial witch's tit.

While it might not be the Great White North, Oklahoma sees its share of cold temps. This is December 8th of last year ... the number in the lower right is the outdoor temp. Yeah, it does say 8 degrees.

Keep in mind that you're generating your own wind while riding (no, I'm not referring to the gaseous emanations resulting from that chili you ate the night before). The effect commonly known as the wind chill factor will drain the warmth from your body faster than Dracula drains the blood from pretty girls in their nightgowns. For example, if you're riding at 60 mph in 35 degree weather, it's going to seem like it's 17 (reference the chart below), so plan accordingly. (For more information on the effects of wind chill, the National Weather Service maintains a great website here.)

Don't forget the wind chill factor when planning your ride.

How long you plan to ride is also important when choosing between your motorcycle or the embarrassment of borrowing the wife's minivan. My commute to work is less than 15 minutes in duration, allowing me to ride when many of my friends who have an hour-long ride are forced to seek alternate means of transportation (i.e., a vehicle in which I will not wave back when we pass). When traveling in extreme temperatures, plan for more frequent stops. You need to get off the bike and move around to keep your blood circulating. Don't expect to be able to match the distances you covered when riding in more temperate months.

What type of bike you've chosen is also a factor. It's much easier for me to stay warm on my sport-touring bike than my dualsport, because on the sportbike I have all that plastic to hide behind and the fairing naturally directs all the engine heat up toward my body. A cruiser with no windscreen leaves your upper body completely exposed. Both a cruiser and a half-faired bike will leave your lower extremities to the wind's not-so-tender mercies.

Independence Pass, Colorado. 12,095 feet and a balmy 32 degrees.

Of course, the most important thing to consider is the gear you wear. While leather is excellent for blocking the wind, in my experience most textile (i.e., Cordura and the like) jackets and overpants are better insulated. Generally, textile gear also features waterproof liners. Trust me, the only thing worse than being cold on your motorcycle is being cold and wet. In extreme temperatures, wearing rain gear over your regular gear will also aid in blocking the wind. It goes without saying that you should dress in layers. I prefer natural wool undergarments: they breathe well, retain warmth even when wet, and I've never seen a sheep shivering. The current crop of high-tech synthetic materials are also good, but make sure you find something that breathes well. You want the sweat that you generate to pass back out through the garment; otherwise you've got a layer of damp air trapped against your skin, working against you.

Gloves should be well insulated, but not so thick and cumbersome that you can't work the controls. An advantage to most dualsport or adventure bikes is the handguards, which not only keep you from snapping fingers against tree limbs, but also block much of the wind. Gloves with a gauntlet will seal off the sleeves of your jacket, keeping cold air from finding your armpits.

A scarf or muffler is a must, not only for its insulating value, but in order to block cold air that might otherwise find its way under the chin of your helmet. I prefer a balaclava, which goes over my head, completely covers my lower face, and then tucks under the collar of my jacket. I bought mine years ago at a local Harley-Davidson shop and it claims to be made of "turtle fur" ... I don't even want to know what part of the turtle yields fur!

Today in Oklahoma, 22 degrees. Snow and ice on the ground present a challenge that'll definitely help keep you warm.

Most riders who spend a lot of time out in the cold wisely invest in electric warmth. Having used one for years, I can tell you that an electric vest is the ticket. Gerbing, Widder, or any other major brand will serve you well. I like the high, heated collar on my Widder vest, as it keeps the blood that pumps through the major arteries in my neck nice and toasty. The Widder also has electric sleeves that snap on and off. Though I own a set of the sleeves (as well as the gloves which connect to the sleeves), I've found that I rarely need them. If you maintain your body's core temperature by using the vest, your heart will keep sending warm blood out to your extremities. What happens with hypothermia is that the blood vessels in the extremities constrict in order to restrict blood flow and conserve body heat in the organs. This leads to frostbite, which is definitely not a good thing. Keep that warm blood pumping and you'll be fine.

The electric gloves I own (Widder) are thick and cumbersome, nearly impossible to ride with, so I don't use them. What I do swear by are heated grips. Though some manufacturers (BMW and Triumph come immediately to mind) offer heated grips on their bikes, they're generally an expensive option -- usually in the 200 dollar range. I've had good luck with the inexpensive filament type, the kind where the heating element is embedded in a mylar or plastic sheet that adheres to the handlebars, under the rubber grips. These generally cost only 25 or 30 dollars and are worth every penny. Wiring is straightforward and uncomplicated. Though the bars do tend to act as something of a heat-sink (especially on the clutch side), this type of heated grip delivers enough heat into the palm of your hand to keep you comfortable without having to resort to thick, unwieldy gloves. Don't get me wrong, the heated grips in which the heating element is embedded in the grip itself definitely perform better (I had a set on my Triumph Tiger a couple years ago and loved them) and are more durable (the exposed wires on the cheaper type eventually wear out), but in my opinion the benefits don't warrant the difference in cost.

Like any other electrical accessory you plan to install on your motorcycle, you'll need to compare the power requirements with the available wattage provided by your bike's alternator. The vest will require some sort of quick disconnect or DC outlet (I prefer the BMW-type sockets). Your wiring should be capable of carrying the necessary current without suffering a meltdown and should be fused. Switched power (power that is only on when the key to your bike is switched on) is always best; you don't want to find your battery dead some morning because you forgot to turn off your heated grips.

A BMW power outlet mounted in the fairing of my Kawasaki ZZR1200. Also note the hi/lo/off switch for my heated grips.

Another power outlet mounting option: this one is mounted in an aluminum plate near my passenger peg.

Yet another: this one is tucked away on the handlebars of my BMW Dakar.

The vest will require a power cord suited to the type of connection you've chosen. The cord will need a means of controlling the vest. While many riders prefer a thermostat, I've found that a simple on/off switch is sufficient. Typically, if it's cold enough to wear the vest, I've got it turned on all the time. If I get too warm, it's easy enough to switch the vest off for a few minutes.

Be sure and check the alternator output of your motorcycle before adding accessories. My CRF, for instance, doesn't have the wattage to power much.

Let me conclude with a few safety-related comments about riding in cold temperatures. Aside from the obvious danger of hypothermia and freezing off the family jewels, you should keep several other things in mind.

Those sticky tires that allowed you to drag pegs through the corners this past summer? They will take much, much longer to reach operating temperature in the cold. In fact, they will never perform as they did when it was warmer. Take it easy for the first couple of miles when you start, and even after your tires have warmed up, be careful of sliding. If road crews have been out recently scattering sand because of winter ice, be wary. Sometimes that stuff can linger on the road for weeks or longer, especially if we haven't had much rain.

Be prepared to have far more trouble with your helmet visor fogging up: invest in some anti-fog spray, peel-off strips, or a fog-free visor (one of the reasons I love my Scorpion helmet is its fog-free visor).

And last, but certainly not least, be extra vigilant when it comes to our 4-wheeled friends on Oklahoma's highways. Most people are too lazy in the winter to scrape all the ice from their windows or wait for their defroster to do its job (generally preferring to squint unsafely through a small hole they've chiseled in the ice), their own windows are fogging (especially side and rear windows), and they're probably paying even less attention to their driving than usual.

With the proper gear, attitude, and attention to safety, there's no reason you can't ride all year round. So what are you waiting for? Winter be damned, let's ride!