The California "hands free" cell phone 'laws' take effect today - cagers aren't allowed to use a cell phone unless the driver is using a hands-free device.

Personally, I don't see this as having a major impact on safety. But it certainly will drive sales of Bluetooth and other wireless devices.

Now, if I want to use my cell phone while riding my sportbike through the twisties, I guess I'll have to upgrade to the latest cell phone technology - my old trusty Nokia isn't Bluetooth-compatible.

Nice to see the California legislature has all that time on their hands.

Traditional styling, traditional colors, traditional customers: But is tradition enough?As the Times Online newspaper points out, Harley-Davidson management thinks that the next generation (post-boomers, that is) is probably looking for something a little less, shall we say, traditional.

Lots of talk about the future here. Lots of conjecture. From the sound of it, Harley Davidson management is looking for new places to sell, and new people to sell to. A new generation of buyers...

Any changes will not happen quickly enough to compensate for the slide in domestic sales. The group is finding other ways to compete, splitting marketing into two, one concentrating on traditional, more mature Harley customers, as epitomised in last year’s Hollywood movie Wild Hogs, and the other aiming at young men and women riders.

Jim Giuffra, ER HED, and the AFT Models prep for a hot shot

You simply must cruise on over to kbvp.com and check out this photo.

Our good friend Keith Breazeal of kbvp.com (he's the guy who helps us with video production) attended a very special photo shoot the other day.

Buzz on over to his site and check it out. He's adding a gallery with other photos from the shoot (not to mention the older galleries with photos from local events) so keep checking over the next few days, you never know what pleasant surprises you may find.

I've heard it said that one should not use synthetic oil during break-in, because it can impair proper wear-in of the rings and other moving parts.

Well, my daughter (lucky gal) just bought a new 2007 Pontiac Solstice, and lo and behold, the car comes equipped with synthetic oil from the factory. Corvettes, Vipers, and many others do too!

So, this must mean that, at least for some new engines, that it's perfectly OK to run synthetic oils from day one. Does this apply to motorcycle engines? Hard to say. I would assume that it depends on the manufacturing methods used, but these days, I assume most all automotive engines (including motorcycles, of course) use similar methods and are manufactured to close tolerances and require less rigorous break-ins than did engines made when I was a wee lad. So, the answer is: perhaps.

Enough of my uninformed rambling! What do the oil manufacturers say?

Oil filters are an important part of the proper operation of an engine - a quality oil filter is critical to engine longevity . While our choices are limited and budgets are tight, it's important to avoid falling for the false economy of a cheap oil filter.

Record Fuel Prices

As fuel prices soar, recent news reports describe increasing numbers of commuters showing a renewed interest in motorcycling as an alternative to travel by car. Motorcycles offer a number of advantages over cars -- if you are willing to ride a mid-displacement bike (600cc to 800cc) you can expect good fuel economy and reasonable power, comfort, and versatility.

I replaced my motorcycle battery last week. It stopped holding a charge sometime this winter.

The amazing thing about this is that the battery was manufactured in 1997. That's right - ten years ago. It was the OEM YUASA YTX12-BS battery that was in the bike when I bought my Honda CBR1100XX new in 1998.

Complicating the situation: the UNGO motorcycle alarm that I had installed when I bought the motorcycle. During periods where the motorcycle was left unused, it could drain the battery fairly quickly, due to the standby current draw.

Selecting a sportbike or sport-touring motorcycle tire

I read with great interest an editorial in a recent issue of Sport Rider Magazine in which Kent Kunitsugu laments extreme tire bargain-hunting among sport bike riders (We're a Legion of Cheapskates, Sport Rider, March 2008) - including buying 'cheap' off-brand motorcycle tires and used race tires ("take-offs") for street use.

Expensive skins

While I understand the need to put quality rubber between me and the road, I can sympathize with the bargain-hunters. The last time I bought a set of quality skins (Metzeler ROADTEC MEZ6 front and rear) for my '98 CBR1100XX, I paid close to $400 for the pair, including mounting, balancing, California and local sales tax, and the obligatory California tire disposal fee penalty. If I ride as often as I can, I can expect the pair of tires to last about a season.

Weary of uneven wear

And, as is often the case for those who commute to work, or live a long way from the twisties, I ride long stretches of straight-up highway or secondary roads - that being the case, I can expect to throw away over 2/3 of the useful rubber on the tire - the center strip wears out much faster than the edges, and I end up feeling like I'm throwing good money away. I live where there are lots of mountain roads, so I do try to get out as often as possible and 'balance' my riding style, and put some wear out at the edges - sadly, I'm may not get a chance to ride the desired 'back road' miles...

Ringtones, Ringtones, and More Ringtones

I'm sure you've noticed that there are "Ringtone" ads in various places on this site. This is because Google AdSense (which provides our main advertising revenue at present) seems to think that Ringtone ads are appropriate for a motorcycle-related site. Apparently, there are people who enjoy buying and downloading ringtones and are interested in seeing ringtone ads.

Are people visiting this site really looking for the "best ringtones"?

Buell Inside Pass Track Day - 2008 Buell 1125R: My 2008 Buell 1125R demo bike for the Inside Pass Track Day at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.It was a cold, rainy day for the Buell Inside Pass Track Day at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca on 12/18/2007. It was unfortunate that the Buell demo rides were cancelled and only a few media riders got to experience the Buell 1125R. Riders who braved the wet slippery track got a chance to practice SMOOTH riding. I'll be publishing my reviews of the 2008 Buell 1125R and the Buell Inside Pass Track Day soon.