after an extended lane splitting adventure past multiple accidents on Northbound highway 101 yesterday, including a brief inconsequential encounter with a CHP biker, I figured I should find out exactly what the law states.
Can motorcycle riders “split” lanes and ride between other vehicles?
Lane splitting by motorcycles is permissible but must be done in a safe and prudent manner.
so it is entirely up to the officer to judge your technique. just hope you don’t split past an officer having a bad day, because they can make up anything to smack it to ya.
the 2009 models have just started appearing on suzuki’s product website.
here’s the scoop:
colors:
- 2009 V-Strom 650 ABS comes only in gray, 2008 is flat black (here’s mine!)
- ‘09 WeeStrom non-ABS comes in orange and gray, ‘08 in flat black and wasp yellow.
cosmetic changes:
- gray version has matching gray rims.
- all have clear signals. (might have to pick these up an’ stick em on my ‘08..)
cost:
- 2009 models are universally MSRP $300 USD higher than the 2008 models.
spec changes:
- no technical changes (!)
I compared the ‘08 vs. ‘09 specs side by side both ABS and non, and the only differences are how weight and dimensions are listed :
2008 (both): Bore Stroke: 81.0 x 62.6mm
2009 (both): Bore Stroke: 81.0 mm (3.189 in) x 62.6 mm (2.465 in)
2008 (ABS): Dry Weight: 197 kg (434 lbs)
(no ABS): Dry Weight: 194 kg (427 lbs)
2009 (ABS): Curb Weight: 220 kg (485 lbs)
(no ABS): Curb Weight: 217 kg (479 lbs)
lastly, the 2009 v-strom DL1000 has not (yet?) been announced..
I’ve always had an issue sticking to doing push ups regularly due to my bum elbow (it’s like arthritus/tennis-elbow/nerve damage but not.) it’s always been something I’d like to accomplish - that is, being able to do a shitload and reap all the benefits (superficial and otherwise.) I’ve seen firsthand how effective they are as one of my best buds has immaculate pecs and push ups are basically all he does (for exercise.)
If you’re a lark, apt to wake as early as 6am, and go to sleep around 9 or 10 pm, you’re going to feel your nap need around 1 or 1:30 pm. If you’re an owl, preferring to go to bed after midnight or 1am, and to wake around 8 or 9am, your afternoon “sleep gate” will open later, closer to 2:30 or 3pm.
I am an owl. larks are weird, imo.
view the entire nap graphicy goodness at boston.com
By nate, Wednesday, June 18, 2008, 12:37 pm o'clock
quick-background:
I finally got my brand-spankin’ new 2008 DL650 last week (after writing about only one final contender and two months of waiting for it to arrive from the factory.)
I broke in the first ~50 miles (proper engine break-in is super important) using a combination of techniques found here, here, and the user’s manual (though not really.)
I changed my oil & filter yesterday, accidentally overfilled it then promptly drained the excess (very irritating thing to do..) I’m using a stock suzuki oil filter and valvoline 10w-40 oil for the next ~500 miles - until my 600 mile service which I expect will be by the mid-end of this month.
pros summary:
fucking fun. a very different experience than riding my ‘87 Yamaha Virago (a 700cc.) the handling is very tight and I generally always feel safe on my Wee. the breaks are astounding: I’m much more likely to fly off the bike by breaking than accelerating.
a few cons:
I can confirm that there is a lot of ‘helmet buffeting’ that is pretty headache inducing in large doses. I plan on tweaking to kingdom-come in efforts to fix but at this point, the issue is not so bad reducing the fun I am having is lessened any. milage during break in is crap. there is a lot of vacuum’y sounds from the bike at all rpms that I’m a little leary of. the dealership I purchased from is pretty shitty; also, I didn’t get a great deal on the bike.
my ride to work - through the woods, over the hills and straddle the cliffs overlooking the shore.
absolutely awesome ride for twisties:
for years an’ years, my go-to for translations has always been babelfish.altavista.com … today, on my way to look up “va te faire foutre” I am redirected! oh my, no more Altavista.
1.) “…AltaVista (part of Yahoo! since May 9, 2008)…”
2.) “After a long sojourn at babelfish.altavista.com [since 1995!], the site was moved in May 2008 to babelfish.yahoo.com.”
as much as I’d like to think I don’t need the Internet’s validation of a purchase in order to actually make one, that’d be fallacy. I grep the web for insight from those who’ve purchased what I want for any tidbit of information they wish to impart.
In general, this grepping does one of two things: 1) makes me ever excited to the point where I don’t really care what I pay anymore (to a firm degree..) or 2) discourages me from that particular model, brand, product altogether.
these twolinks lend to #1. I want it I want it I want it.
- watched Helvetica last night; many interviews with some extraordinarily passionate people; I especially enjoyed the quarky German fellow, Erik Spiekermann
By nate, Saturday, April 19, 2008, 11:12 am o'clock
- comfort: upright riding position, feet flat on the ground at stop, no major fatigue from just cruising
(fairly hard to judge from intarweb reviews and a brief sit on it at the dealership)
- great mpg: would love 60+
(concensus seems to be ~52)
- safety: high speed travel with crazy commuter cagers and the occasional lane splitting
(ABS! full frontal fairing.. additional safety accessories available)
- sports-like torque, great 0-60 - top speed no where near as important
(still need to test ride it… but reviewers and various tidbits from around the web show it on the slow side from what I’d like)
- love the way it looks: cruiser appeal with the protection of a touring bike, great color paint
(it almost has it all… it’s a teensy bit too bug-like lookin’ but compared to the alternatives hardly an issue)
- passenger comfort, storage
(the girlfriend wants to feel safe & secure too! laptop & lunch needs a safe place while I ride)
Big consideration: 75-90% highway travel (commute ~70 miles a weekday)
a concise video review of a very-similar model:
a short thread on how much I’m shooting for at the dealership.
…by running the application “…they [Navizon] “reward” users for the number of sites they find or even just confirm.
- You get more points for being “first to locate” and less for confirming locations.
- Even in my area which has already been fairly well covered, I’ve collected over $20 worth of points in less than a week without doing anything other than leaving the app running.
- The app is free and you can do this pretty much anywhere in the world.
- They also have a premium app that does more such as tracking (for your use), exporting to Google Earth and the use of the Virtual GPS (if you have someone with a phone lacking GPS).
- Phones that are supported for tracking include: Windows Mobile, Series 60, Blackberry (me!), UIQ devices, iPhone, Laptops…”
- from this slickdeals forum thread.
this is absolutely not a referal post; simply informative… if anyone has any idea if this is legit, or have any other deets (anecdotes welcome) do share. I may try it out though I am cautious as I value my privacy more than a few passive $’s…
