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Cecilie's Moto Journal References to Motorcycle Related Stuff Here are references for stuff I've found useful. |
I'm open to suggestions, just be forwarned, I'm picky about what I recommend. If I don't have personal experience with the product or service, it is highly unlikely that it will appear here - I'm not trying to earn a living from this information.
From a variety of music genres. Lyrics for the ones I could find.
Please let me know if I missed any.
Books and videos I have read/viewed that are available on Amazon
Adventure Rider's Book List
Adventure riding books on AdvRider, the adventure riding community online forum
Adventure riding videos in India from filmaker/rider Gaura Jani
A web-based tool to record your trips so you can share them with others, and find other people's trips that are interesting to you.
Pashnit (say it slowly)
This site started out as one guy's list of all the great rides in California. He is thorough - good maps, good pictures, good description. Then success hit him, his passion was consuming all his time so he made the leap and made it his business. If you are coming to California and don't know where to ride, you want to register (free) to access the wonderfully organized information about riding in California.
Globe Riders
Want to tour Japan? IndoChina? Africa? Having you been dreaming for years how to cross the ancient Silk Route? GlobeRiders can make your dream come true.
What I'm wearing for street/highway riding
- All the time
- Frey Daytona Lady Star boots - good for riders with inseams less than 32", that extra 3/4" helps a lot!
- Shoei or Arai helmet - choose a model that fits your head
- Dry conditions
- First Gear leather pants (they have saved my skin, they tuck into my boots)
- BMW textile jacket (old, torn, love it)
- Icon leather gloves - they have women's sizes!
- Wet conditions
- BMW textile rain pants (farmer-style, and they go over my boots)
- BMW textile jacket (same as above)
- Alpine Stars wet weather gloves - they have women's sizes!
- Seirus StormSocks (for extreme conditions)
- Cold conditions
- Gerbing heated jacket liner - be sure to get the rheostat so you can control the heat. Love the jacket liner!
- Gerbing heated gloves - if you have small hands, think about getting the gloves, not just the heated liners. The bulk of the heated liners plus the external glove itself makes it difficult to move your fingers, not good for control.
- Gerbing heated socks - nice if your boots aren't tight, otherwise you will be able to feel the wires, I find that distracting.
- Under Armour tights and top
- Hot conditions
- BMW air flow jacket - I love it!
- Textile dirt bike gloves (textile top, leather palm)
- bicycle shorts with gel crotch - worn under the leather pants
Where to get the gear
Riders DiscountAn online store. The manager of promotions assures me that the customer service staff are not just riders ; they take pride in their knowledge of the products.
Helimot - in San Jose, CA
They sell Frey Daytona boots. Helmut is a leather tailor - he custom-sews track suits for the local racing community. Even though I don't ride the track regularly anymore, I use the suit for the once-a-year ride at Thunderhill - I feel safe in Helmut's durable work of art and craftmanship.
Recreational Equipment Inc.
Excellent source for socks, bicycle shorts, tights, tops, general sporting equipment.
RoadRider in San Jose, CA.
Great cement and glass shop with a huge inventory of women's gear.
I have attended each of these schools except Zoom Zoom. If I haven't gotten to providing the links to each of my blog entries for each school, just search on the name of the school on the Balsamfir site.
| Track Schools | Off-Road Schools |
| Keigwins@TheTrackYou have to learn to ride slowly to learn to ride fast.
There's no safer place to test your control than at a track. Perfect tarmac, no cops, dogs, kids, cars (on the track). There's an ambulance ready and waiting, just in case. And, Keigwins was the best track day organizer.
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Rich Oliver's Mystery School I recommend this southern California area school to street riders who want to improve their riding skills. The fundamental skill trio is street-track-dirt. Learning to ride on dirt gives you more understanding of how you and the bike can work together for better control.
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| Zoom Zoom's Riding 2.0 This class is the next step for riders who have taken the Motorcycle Safety Foundation class. Riders who would like to gain more skill and confidence in their street riding but don't feel ready for a track day...yet... will love this class. My friend Karolyn teaches for Zoom Zoom Trackdays in northern California. If you've read this journal you know how significant her coaching was to my early riding years. |
RawHyde Adventure Riding Are you a middle-aged guy who used to ride dirt (back before you needed to shave) and now you're riding a big bike, and want to get off-road again? Want to try out BMW's offroad bikes? Come to Rawhyde Ranch. |
Honestly I don't know how other bloggers keep up with each other's blogs. Here are the ones I check on periodically. If you want a list of all the motorcycle blogs out there, scroll down to the Special Interest section below for motorcycle blog amalgamator sites.
Motor BikerMike Werner's motorcyle industry news is the only moto blog I check daily (work days). Yes, if you subscribe to all the moto trade magazines, you would see the news items he posts. Mike has some great resoures on his site, such as reviews of all the Bluetooth-enabled helmets. His article on riding in France made me laugh out loud. He does a good job of amalgamating the world-wide news of everything on two and three wheels. And, I like his industry prognostications, and the great collection of silly motorcycle pictures.
1200 GS
Moderated by Mr. Mica Peak - everything for the 1200 GS. Great resource.
Motorcycle Misadventures
Carla King started the phenomena of posting her daily musings while on the road.
40 Years on 2 Wheels by Doug Klassen
I wish I had known about this when I started riding. How to buy a helmet. How to pick up a dropped bike. How to buy your first bike (yes, it should be a pre-owned bike)
How do I learn to ride a motorcycle? Motorcycle Safety Foundation
Find a class for a new rider, or, for a smart rider who wants a refresher course (in the US).
Savvy Guide to Motorcycles by Shirl Kennedy
Motorcycling-for-Women-Beginner-Bikes
How do you choose your first motorcycle? Here are some suggestions from six categories: standard, cruiser, sport, dual-sport, off-road, and scooter. Carla King, Motorcycle Misadventures
- Old Guy's General Links Resources for women riders, disabled riders, buying and selling a bike, motorcycle art, and more.
- International Journal of Motorcycle Studies
Check out their Resources page. If you are an academic, you might like this site. - "Two Wheels and an Engine"
Has a good (similar to my interests) list of blogs - She Rides a Beemer
One woman's idea of what it is to be a motorcyclist; Mom and Daughter have riden around the US together. - Mica Peak - Huge List of Motorcycle-related blogs
Mr. Mica Peak tracks the frequency of a site's update. - David's Comprehensive Motorcycle Web Index
This guy likes to sort things. Some people sort screws, some people sort buttons. This guy sorts information about motorcyles. - Cult of Dual Sport
Good references for dual sport riders.
- 2009 Female Mechanics Calendar The third in series. A collector's item.
- How to be a "Track Buddy" Thinking about getting on the track? Start here.
- MotoGP Matters
This site used to be called Kropotkin Thinks. Well-informed, well-written thoughts on MotoGP, good enough for for some who is generally interested, great for the rabid MotoGP fan.