John Ryan, Super-Rider 14 October 2013

 I didn't write the following text, but I love it. So it's copied here with deep affection.

John Ryan was not just a great motorcycle rider, he was extraordinary like Davo Jones (or the very-much-alive-and-riding Dan Simmonds). What these guys achieve on a motorcycle goes waaaaay beyond the ordinary. So here goes:

"The Promised Land"

“John Ryan died today in a motorcycle crash.”

What? This can’t possibly be true. John Ryan, the guy who was one of the best long distance motorcyclists ever, and a friend of mine, is dead? And he died on the freeway near his house, not at the tail end of some monstrous ride. It doesn’t make sense, yet it’s true.

After the initial shock and grief, the next thing I thought, probably what everyone thought who knew John, was, “If it can happen to him, it sure as shit can happen to me. I better re-think some things.” I had to tell Sally the news about John. It was not a happy day in our house with regard to my motorcycling career.

Then Bob Mutchler put a different spin on it. He said, “I’m changing my riding habits because of John’s death. I’m increasing my riding. I’m riding today and tomorrow and the next day.” Bob’s older and wiser than I am (much, much older) and he has outlived his doctor’s death sentence by decades. Maybe he’s on to something.

This also happens to be the time of year for the IBA Memorial Ride – a couple weeks in the fall where people are encouraged to do a certificate ride in honor of someone who has passed on. On Wednesday I said, “Maybe I’ll do one for John. It’ll help me heal.” On Thursday I fooled around with some maps. On Friday I rode. (One of the LDRiders is making some memorial stickers that say JWJR – John Would Just Ride. No need for detailed prep and months of planning. Just ride.)

John was remembered for frequently saying, “Cars suck.” How ironic that he was killed by one. He didn’t own one, though, and hadn’t for years. This is pretty hardcore when you consider that he lives in New Jersey, which has a thing called winter. I planned a route that featured many small roads between nowhere and nowhere else, to avoid cars. It did have some interstate at the beginning and end, which is a necessary evil unless you want your Saddlesore to take all 24 hours. I didn’t. I’m not as hardcore as he was.

Friday morning, as I rode along, I intermittently talked to John. It was as though I was taking him for a ride and showing him what I saw. “Hey John, check out this cool road. Woah, what a view over there!” I mostly avoided stopping for photos because JWJR. We really dug the small highway between Delano and Wofford Heights – also known as nowhere and nowhere else. It was many miles of lightly traveled mountain roads. A bit hairy in spots because Caltrans lays down a lot of sand during the snow season. We were careful and it was fun.

In Kernville I had a nice visit with Wendy Crockett. She is one of the most real, down to earth people I know. Also she runs her own motorcycle shop. She’s a very skilled mechanic, and has worked on my FJR (which is now Derek Dickson’s FJR, and you know how that worked out for him.) Oh, and the wall of fame in her shop includes her THIRD PLACE TROPHY from this year’s IBR. No biggie, just THE FRICKIN’ PODIUM! Highest finishing woman since Fran Crane. You go, girl. And I love your dogs. (2019 update: Wendy has updated her garage bling considerably.)

From Wendy’s place I took John to Death Valley. I thought he might appreciate the solitude and grandeur. The eastbound road from Highway 395 crosses two mountain ranges before hitting the valley floor. That highway was perfect! Brand new pavement, smooth and perfectly banked. Sharp drop-offs (with guard rails) that gave way to dramatic vistas. I peeked at the views but mostly watched where I was going, and talked to John. “Wow, dude, isn’t this road awesome?!”

We had gone from over 6000 feet in the lower Sierras outside Kernville, to -21 feet on my GPS in DV. The temps had changed from high 40s when we left to 85 on the valley floor. We had seen the fall colors and the harsh desert rock. It was a great palette of motorcycling to enjoy. I was happy and I think he was too.

On the Nevada side of Death Valley we visited Beatty (where I left a geocache for Mitch Palmer and Del Brand, who are doing a JR memorial ride the day after mine.) Then we took Lida Pass and Westgard Pass back into California. These two passes were more endless miles of whoop-de-do’s and mountain twisties. It was a ball. We saw five cars the whole time.

We went north on US 395 toward Carson City. That’s one of my favorite California roads because it’s beautiful, fast, and lightly traveled. Sensing a theme here? We started seeing signs for 7000 and 8000 foot summits. The desert changed to pine forest. It got chilly again. We smelled hay, skunk, and cow turds. More variety for my riding partner.

At dusk I looked to the east and saw a gorgeous full moon rising into the sunset colors. It was so pretty I had to stop for a quick photo. Right after I took the photo and resumed riding, we came upon Mono Lake. After Lake Tahoe, this is the prettiest lake in California. And it’s right by the highway, how convenient. Mono has these distinctive salt towers sticking up out of the water, called tufa. The moon was behind the lake, reflecting in the still water. The sunset colors made the tufa look magical. It was one of the most gorgeous sights I’ve ever seen while motorcycling, like I was living inside a postcard. These words are not doing it justice. It was magnificent, and I was moved. I make it a habit to never stop and photograph sights like this because it spoils the moment for me, and the photos don’t ever capture the sights. So I kept riding. I marveled to John, “Look at that. Wow! Just wow!” Then out of the blue I said, angrily, “But you’re not here to see it, you A-hole! You’re dead! Can you even see this?!”

Then it got interesting. John said back to me, “It doesn’t matter if I see it. You see it. You are in the world. You saw everything today. You smelled everything, you felt the warmth and coolness. You leaned the bike, you hit the gas. Enjoy it!”

Wow. I finally understood what Bob meant when he said he was riding more instead of less. Life is here to be lived! Whatever a person’s passion is, they should follow it and enjoy it. Life on this Earth is our gift, not to be frittered away by worrying about this and that, or wasted on fluff and negativity. Make every minute count. It seems so simple, yet I am somehow blown away by this epiphany.

I named this story The Promised Land after a Springsteen song. The chorus goes:

"The dogs on Main Street howl ‘cause they understand

If I can take one moment into my hand

Mister I ain’t a boy, no I’m a man

And I believe in the promised land."

In the Bible, God gave Canaan to the Israelites as their promised land. They took it and they lived in it. It was their “now.” The promised land that Bruce is singing about is our life right now, today. Take it, live in it. And howl like a dog, who has no pretense but lives in the moment. Take this moment into your hand, ride your motorcycle, and howl, baby, howl. It’s just what John would do.

The Promised Land: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tJx0HftF6Vk

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 Why do People Ride Harley Davidson Motorcycles?

Well, why do you? 

I am wrestling with this question seriously. I have owned five new Harleys over the last 21 years, and just sold my latest one yesterday (a 2018 CVO Streetglide). I loved it, being the best HD I have ever owned, but the miles were gettting up there, and the offer was too good to refuse, before it turned into scrap metal.

Harley Davidson motorcycles are not the most beautiful (Ducati), not the most reliable (undisputably Honda, especially the Goldwing), not the best engineered (probably BMW) not the cheapest (Enfield or Ural), not the fastest (Yamaha or MV Augusta), not the most classic (Indian or Triumph) and I could go on... So what is it about Harley Davidson that attracts buyers - seriously?

1. The Sound; yep because of that engineering structure, the engine has a very distinct sound - and yes it's great! It comes from the 45 degree cyclinder angle combined with a firing sequence that includes a pause created by a 315 degree to fire the second cylinder, then a 405 degree (the pause). The potato potato potato certainly will attract some and that I do understand.
2. It's Loud; well no the standard Harley is NOT loud at all, but many people change the exhaust pipes from day one - why? because the Dealer tells them to do so, and the margin on those little suckers is so much that any Dealer worth their salt will try very hard to ram them down your - manifolds! And of course, some people want to show off their bike by attracting attention. But real riders who cover any distance do not want this at all.
3. It's American. If you were born a Yankee or live elsewhere in the USA, then there is definitely an attraction to buying a bike made locally - even if it is just that there is a Service depot in almost every reasonably large US City. I get that. But if you live in Europe or Australia - that cuts no ice.
4. The Paint and Finish; well yes the paint is done very well, and overall the finish is not bad - but it no longer compares with any major manufacturer's offering. Just look a the paint job on a BMW "Option 719" model, their equivalent to a CVO from Harley - there is no comparison. And frankly, and I am very strong on this, the colour options from Harley Davidson are (currently) appaling! Black, Gray, Green-Gray and many other variations of gray - when many riders just want orange (which is sometimes available), royal blue or red, or even white which are hard to find. 
5. The Range of Accessories; - well yes, the range from Harley, is truly extraordinary, just flip through that very thick paper catalogue (Seers or IKEA style) that HD provide to every buyer - there is a huge range - if you want to buy from Harley Davidson. But that is no longer a leading point - for example the range of accessories for BMW is also extraordinary - especially from third parties. The quality and range of products from Touratech, Clearwater, Illium Works and a host of others is magnificent. More importantly this is a competitive market and the quality has become insanely good nowadays - just look at anything from those three companies! (And many others)
6. The HD Marketing; Harley does a great job of selling their stuff. Some of their TV adverts are paritcularly wonderful and cheeky. It all started with that "Number 1" logo from Willie G Davidson and went on from there. But do you really want to buy the Sizzle and not the Steak? Or purchase another T shirt for $60?
7. Modern Engineering; Let's face it, a pushrod engine is hardly "modern". True, the new "Revolution Max" engine in the Sportster and the Pan America Adventure bike is a huge step forward, but really - HD is about 10 years behind other manufacturers.
8. The Look, There was a time ten years ago, when everyone rode HD Softails, Dyna's and stripped down bikes with Springer front suspensions, so they DID look like bikies and that was an attraction for some - the "Tough Look". But if you ride a bagger, tri-glide or a sportster, then you dont have this look!

So if the performance of your new Harley Davidson is average at best, the power is low, the engineering is genuinely antique, the look is old fashioned, the reliabilty is questionable, the finish is just average, the paint options are minute - then would any of the points above change your mind and drive you to buy a Harley?

2nd Ride Review - HD Pan America - Fixes?

 Harley Davidson's Pan America adventure bike is taking the world by storm. 

Pan Am sales are a closely guarded secret, but "they" say it has sold at four-times expectations, (which in itself is creating some new challenges for the MoCo).

But is it really as good as all that? And what can be changed or added to make it "the perfect bike"? Following my first ride, and comparing it to the four BMW GS Adventure's that I have owned, I have to say that this motorcycle surely has some secret-sauce. So I am really trying very hard not to order one right now, as I think Harley will make some small but VERY significant changes in the next version of the Pan America. So what would should you consider and what might you change or add?

Accessories: Harley has a REAL problem with lack of availability of accessories for this bike right now. They just dont have enough. And that is a problem on an adventure bike. Even the really "mandatory" items like the handlebar risers and the wire wheels are in very short supply. If I buy this bike, I want immediate access to a good range of these items as HD OEM, or third party. An example is the black top-box plus and the bash-plate (at $540!) to make it complete. To make matters worse, HD did not work with the other accessory makers such as Touratech from early days, so those companies are all racing to get stuff made to fit the Pan America starting with a reasonable, small and lower exhaust system!

The Starter "Whine": This is the most commonly reported issue, is a strange sound when starting the bike. Because the bike works on a "Can-Bus" electonics system, you MUST only touch the starting button to get it going. If you hold it down, you can cause a problem. Permanently fixing the whine is a big focus from Harley right now, as it is in part due to the compression created when one cylinder as at TDC and can be aggravated by a low battery. Note that it is intermittent and not a problem on all bikes. 

Software I, No Apple CarPlay: Harley is updating the software every few weeks (it seems) which is great to see, but there are a few interesting glitches. While I have no doubt that they will fix them asap, it is frustrating to have a clock that wont keep time, or a GPS that does not work reliably. To drive the GPS and other features, you need to download the PROPRIETARY Harley Pan Am app to your phone and synch it. Sometimes it works and sometimes not. Moreover, you cannot use Apple CarPlay or the Android equivalent - sorry Harley Davison, that is just not acceptable. 

Software II - Poor GPS: A GPS is a critical item for me, and the one on this bike does not work quickly or properly - this is a software problem that will get fixed, but until it does, I wont ride a Pan Am. 

A S*** Sidestand: I use that word S*** advisedly, but this is one area that needs immediate attention on the Pan America. The bike is tall, so that moving it around on the sidestand as a pivot, is a key requirement when riding off-road. But it flexes - a lot, even when the bike is not loaded with gear. Additionally, if you set the bike up on the centre-stand, then the side-stand will not close up properly and is a hazard - catch your trouser leg on this, and you will have a fall. 

Battery Charge: The battery can, in some cases, run out of charge over-night. This is a problem that you dont want, if you are out in the desert, or in my case living in an apartment where I cannot get ready access to a power-point, to charge the bike every night. There is a software fix, but this is a problem I do not want to worry about - ever.

Tank Size: The fuel tank is too small IMHO. It has a range of about 400km, which is fine for the latte riders but not for those who actually want to go places. Australia (and America, Canada, Finland, Africa) are big countries, with common distance between gas stations over 420km, so you need decent fuel range. While I am sure that HD will bring out an "Adventure" version of this bike, with a big tank (say 30-35 litres), I can't wait that long, and may well cut my tank and build a bigger one.

Finish: This is an Adventure bike, so it's going to get some rough treatment, and HD is not really ready for that. There are a lot of plastic covers on this bike (just go tapping around the engine) and also some close fits. For example, the radiator hose is very close to the exhaust pipe - not an issue if it is all fitted up nice and tight, but worth watching out in the bush. 

Image: A few of the older world Harley riders are really jealous of it. Some years ago, I rode my BMW GSA to a HOG ride with 25 others, and received an absolute caning for even DARING to join them. I didn't give a shit then and I don't now - I happily rode off on my own from that encounter, but I do expect to get some criticism from the "old HOG crowd" when I buy this bike. Stuff-em.

So What would I add? If the items were available, I would add the following items:

1. The Black Bike; Why pay more for colour? Seriously HD, the extra cost for the coloured bike is excessive over-charging. For the $650 I save, I can get a really cool paint job done, to my liking.
2. A proper bash-plate, for running over dead kangaroos, which I do. There will be lot of options here, in due course, and they will be a lot cheaper than $540.
3. A new muffler. Yes, I would like a lower option so that I can fit bags closer to the bike, but also something with a little more sound, for those moments when I want to pin-it past a StreetGlide.
4. Bar risers: the HD ones are good, and dont flex, but ROX will come up with a more competitive option I am sure. I like to stand when on the gravel, or stretching my legs coming into town.
5. A Quad-lock mount to attach my mobile phone, and probably an extra GPS, preferably above the current digital display (and yes there are already people out there with a new mount for this
6. A stonger Side-stand with a wider foot: which will problaby come from Touratech and camel-toe, unless Harley Davison provides a proper fix in time - which is inevitable.
7. The SW-Motech BLACK Top box from Harley. I like the look of this one, and it will bring the rack with it. 
8. Driving Lights from Clearwater (or the HD ones). I already have a set of "Erica's" ready to go - with real lighting for night riding.
9. Better Hand Guards: the Harley ones are super-light and will not last through the first off-road fall. I would also add Grip Puppies, to bring the diameter of the grips up to a size that fits winter gloves.
10. A Screen Extension: I would try the standard screen for a while to see if it is sufficient (as many riders have found) but add an extension if needed. 
11. A Scott Oiler: maybe, to keep the chain in good order. 

Ride Review - Pan America from Harley Davidson v1.0

I finally had a chance to ride and delight in, the Harley "Pan America" for 80 minutes yesterday. 

(I rode the "S" model with wire spoke wheels and auto-ride height ARH - this is the ONLY model to buy, the standard is a joke - my explanation below).

And yes, it's a terrific bike and Harley will sell a boat-load of them, without question.  If they get stock.

The first and most important point is that this bike is like no other Harley - traditional Harley riders are likely to question why they need to build it at all - and that would be totally missing the point. Adventure bikes are popular for two reasons - they can theoretically "do it all" and the ride position is the most comfortable.

But any serious buyer should take a careful look at the details, plus the pros and cons, because, there are some of both. To be open about it, I currently ride a 2018 CVO Streetglide that I love, but I have also owned four BMW R1200GS "Adventure" models, ridden over 200,000 km's, so I have a real comparison point.

The Pluses; 

1. Harley has gone out of their way to get this bike right from the start. It opens with the 1250 Revolution Max engine.  Without doubt this is a huge step forward for HD, with automatic valve timing adjustment and many other useful features. At 150 HP, the power is very usable at any point, but above 4000rpm, and well over the imperial "ton" it still has heaps to give - riders will be really wanting to watch out for their licenses! This engine will soon appear in other Harley models - I just wish they had built it three years ago, because it looks like it will rescue the company's finances. 
2. Brakes, steering and suspension are all excellent, particularly compared to any other Harley Davidson - there are light-years difference when you really need to stop, using the Brembo Brakes which are just superb. The suspension has on-the-go adjustments (for road, sport, rain and gravel) which I activated with considerable succes. On this model there is a steering damper, that works well, and makes it a requirement to give a firm nudge to initiate counter steering, but allows hands-free riding if you really must.  I like.
3. ARH stands for Automatic Ride Height adjustment, which is a genuine game-changer. It reduces the height of the bike, as you slow to a stop, allowing shorter riders to get their feet down safely. It was developed in conjunction with SHOWA and is patent to them and HD for a year. For me, at 6 feet tall, the bike was too low to extend my legs, so I will need to check with my Dealer on what setting it was at?  Locked in the design labs at BMW, Ducati, Yamaha, Honda and KTM, are a bunch of guys saying "Why didn't we think of that?" and working on their competitive replacement. 
4. Adjustable Seat and Screen - unlike other Harleys you can readily adjust both the seat height and Screen within a small range - this will be very popular with some buyers for good reason. For HD I would say its about time!
5. The price is fair at $31,995. It is for a very basic bike, without panniers, topbox or rack for example, so anyone who buys the Pan America, will option it up very quickly (as I would do) to the advantage of the salesmen - but the Dealers don't currently  have a full range of accessories in stock (here in Australia, or in America) a situation that HD needs to remedy smartly before Touratech, Clearwater and many others get in, on the act. 
6. The TFT Dash is bright, modern and looks the goods. I found the core data to be very easy to read. Harley are updating their software very regularly, and need to do so. For example some of the fine details are in tiny fonts, which is an easy fix. 
7. Protection from the screen and hand guards is fair. The screen is quite low, ideal for the Sunday rider or someone riding to work - or off-road. But for those who travel the highways and byways, it is too low - but it is adjustable. HD Offer a higher alternate. The handguards are useful, but about 2 cm too low for cold weather riding.
8. The Lights are clever, with the turn-directional headlight on the S Model - which I did not get a chance to try. But this bike needs additional LED lights for me, which I would add.
9. The Other Good Stuff also includes Heated Grips, lean-angle ABS, Tire Pressure Monitoring, hill-hold, separate power-outlets at the dash, engine braking and cruise control. Basically all of this is needed to be competitive in the hotest sector of the motorcycle market today. 

The "It Depends"  Personal view of some features:

1. Visual Looks are a personal view. I love the fact that Harley did NOT copy the "Beak Bikes" but chose to go their own way. In the flesh, this bike may well be "different" but in my view it looks purposeful and overall looks great. 
2. The Sound and Feel are very different. This bike does not sound like a Harley Davidson, and nor should it. But it does FEEL like one, due to the gentle vibration from the V-twin engine.
3. The Muffler in my view is cheap, heavy junk. This bike, and certainly the S Model, should have started with the lighter, throatier and better looking Screaming Eagle pipe. But at $1,500 for the SE Model, Harley is about to learn the hard way that riders of Adventure bikes will look elsewhere for their best accessories, just as much to the Brand. 
4. Chain Drive will draw supporters and critics. Off road it will work well, and some of these bikes will see some challenging fire trails, but not "single track". It is clearly better than belt drive when on the gravel. Having ridden multiple bikes with shaft-drive, which is supposed to provide ultimate reliability - it does not! FJR's and BM's have all had failures. A chain is light, cheap and easy to repair and I like that. If you are really worried, just add a Scottoiler.
5. Weight: The Pan America is nearly 200kg lighter than my CVO! But offroade, this bike is on the heavier side compared to a dedicated dirt bike - which it was never designed to be. For any HD owner of a "Touring Model", this bike does feel VERY small and light.
6. Tank Capacity and Range is about 350km. For most riders this will be fine. For those who are used to the GSA's >500km, (with its bigger tank) this will clearly be a personal point of consideration - it is for me. 
7. No Quick-Shifter is a strange ommission, given that most bikes have one of these that allow you to "change gear without using the clutch". I do use the quickshifter on my BMW but not often, so I really dont care on the Pan Am. Others may have a different view. 

The Cons - What will Harley Be Working on Now?

1. The Fine Details - this bike is new and somewhat raw. There are some things that will be fixed in the coming couple of months - for example, the radiator hose is too close to the exhaust, so needs attention to make sure it does not get cooked through. Mine was firmly fitted and seemed fine for the ride. 
2. Software - CX at the Dashboard - The Customer experience at the Dashboard needs work, which I am sure HD is aware of. Some of the smaller fonts could easily be increased in size by altering a few lines of code. But CX says that you check this stuff with testers, before you release the bike - Harley is now doing so, and will make progressive improvements.
3. A slow GPS - if there is one thing that would definitively stop me buying the bike today (but not in the future) it is the GPS. I ride long distances and set up complex routing programs, but the GPS is simply too slow to respond. Again, a software update is sure to fix this in the medium term. Or I can mount a second Garmin XL540 or similar indepenent GPS to the bike. That is just another cost. 
4. The Gas Tank is too small for true adventure riding IMHO. While I think that others will find this to represent Olaf's personal view, so be it. I would replace it immediately if Touratech or another company came up with an option. Or cut it in half, increase the size to about 30-35 litres, and re-paint it, creating what is know amongs the long-distance-riding congniscenti - A Frankentank.

The Coming Future and What would I add?

1. Upgrades on Purchase. Firstly, I believe that Harley Davidson Australia have absolutely made the right decision to only sell the "S" Model with ARH and wire spoke wheels. It is seriously old-world technology to be unable to plug a punctured tire on the roadside, due to the use of tube tires on the standard rims. Secondly the ARH is so clever, that it will increase the sale value of second hand bikes in the future. 
2. I would add, at commencement, the rack and black metal, lockable top-box and risers. You need to be able to store some items like wet weather gear safely. I would also add the bar-risers for my height. I would supply my own Clearwater driving lights and a second GPS Bracket, from other manufacturers. 
3. I Might Add the SE muffler, a taller screen, more drop-protection and a larger petrol tank. 
4. I need to do more research on some features - bike availabilty and future upgrades on the software as a starting point. 

The Harley Davidson Pan America will probably save the company. It's a great ride - try it, you will like it. Harley, please bring plenty of them into the country asap. And keep working on the upgrades.