Utah Motorcyclist

How to Help Your Lady Enjoy the Ride

2012-01-14T09:17:00.003-07:00

You might be thinking you just accidentally accessed your e-mail’s junk folder. But this is not an article about a magical, blue pill. All joking aside, many of us have a friend or significant other who we want to ride with us but who is somewhat hesitant. Whether the hesitance is due to fear, discomfort, or disinterest, here are a few tips to help him or her have a better experience.
SEAT
Many novice riders don’t realize how uncomfortable the vibrations of even a smooth bike can be on a longer ride. For a passenger, who is often less engaged in the ride, the discomfort can be difficult to ignore. One of the best ways to ease this discomfort is with a good seat. There are several different options and since every bike and butt is different, it is a good idea to try one out before purchasing, perhaps by sitting on a friends bike (with permission of course).

While you’re looking at seats, make sure you get a backrest (sissybar) too. For those of us who are always in the pilot’s seat, it can be difficult to realize how unnerving sitting on back without one can be. Having to keep a grip on the passenger or handrails unceasingly can be very tiring, especially for a fearful passenger. You’ll notice your passenger’s death grip loosen up as she realizes she’s not going to fall off the back if she relaxes a bit.GEAR
Even with a backrest, many passengers will still feel vulnerable unless they have protective gear. Often the more and higher quality the gear is, the safer your passenger will feel. As a minimum, your passenger should have a good helmet. Consider a full-face because, with the passenger seat a little higher than the driver seat, the wind buffetings often hit her harder, even with a windshield, and a full-
face will help. Additionally, many passengers will feel more comfortable with a good jacket, protective pants/chaps, good riding boots, and gloves. If your passenger will be riding with you often, let her choose his gear to ensure a proper fit and help encourage her to wear it. And don’t forget rain gear. Being unprepared during that inevitable rainstorm could ruin anyone’s day.PASSENGER FLOORBOARDS
Most touring bikes already have passenger floorboards, but if your bike doesn’t have them, this is something you should definitely consider adding. Floorboards increase the range of secure foot placement for your passenger, which is especially important because they are more susceptible to leg cramps than the driver is (since they do not have to regularly move their legs to change gears or brake).INTERCOMS
One thing that is a bit of a luxury but that really changed the riding experience for my wife was a good intercom system. Being able to communicate with one another—chat about the scenery, the destination, whatever—without having to scream, will make a huge difference for the passenger. Our Scala unit also allows us to answer phone calls and listen to music.SAFETY/TRAINING
Motorcycle Safety Foundation (MSF) classes are not just for the driver. Because a passenger will change the characteristics of how the bike moves, the riding techniques needed to safely maneuver the bike should be understood by the passenger as well as the driver. The MSF manual says “passengers should be considered as a second ‘active’ rider so they can help ensure that safety and procedural operations
are correctly followed.” Here are a few basic procedures recommended by MSF:
a. Complete personal protective gear is properly in use.
b. Hold operator’s waist or hips, or motorcycle’s passenger hand-holds.
c. Keep feet on footrests at all times, including while stopped.
d. Keep hands and feet away from hot or moving parts.
e. When in a corner, look over the operator’s shoulder in the direction of the corner.
f. Avoid turning around or making sudden moves that might affect operation.
g. If crossing an obstacle, stand on the pegs with the knees slightly bent and allow the legs to absorb the shock upon impact.Unlike some junk mail ads, I can’t guarantee a successful result or your money back. But I can give you my testimonial that the foregoing tips worked well for my wife and me—no medical precautions attached and no need to consult your doctor for elation lasting longer than 6 hours.

And if all else fails, buy her her own motorcycle.

The back of a frozen Utah Lake

Deals Gap, North Carolina (318 turns with 11 miles)

Daytona Beach, Florida

Risers on a budget

2011-12-29T23:37:00.001-07:00

Your bike already has risers, but they’re only 1.5" high. You may feel like they don't provide quite enough rise or pullback but spending $150 on some risers isn't in the budget. Here's an option that has worked for me for the last 15,000 miles:

What you'll need:

1. Two 19mm sockets (your choice of how deep. I used Craftsman 2.5" deep sockets)

2. Two 3/8" (grade 8) bolts. (The length depends on socket depth. Measure the stock bolts and add the depth of the sockets to determine the correct length)

3. Two 3/8" lock washers

4. Two 3/8" self-locking nuts

5. Red Lock-Tight

Installation instructions:

1. Place towels over your tank and fender to protect them and then remove the chrome caps and loosen the 8mm Allen-head bolts on the top clamp of the risers. Once the upper riser clamp is completely removed, carefully place your bars on the tank.

2. With a 17mm socket (helps if you have an extension), remove the nut directly under each riser on the bottom side of the upper triple tree clamp. After the nut is removed your riser will be off.

3. Remove the 17 mm bolt inside the risers and replace with your 3/8" bolt. With the bolt going through the riser, socket, and the triple tree clamp. Tighten it with the washer going on first and then the Lock-Tight-coated nut. Tighten and put the bars and upper clamp on the same way as they came off.

No such thing as too cold

2011-12-08T19:42:00.007-07:00

In all honesty, I don't ride nearly as much as I wish during the winter months. I probably ride less over the winter than I do in a week or two during the summer. But when the roads are clear and have been for a few days, I try to get out an enjoy a ride.

Today I had the chance to get out for a few hours and I was pleasantly surprised at how much warmer I was with my new fairing. In the past I've had a windshield, which helps a lot, but the fairing makes just that much more of a difference.

I knew I would be out for a few hours, so I bundled up with the following:

Feet: Wool socks and tall leather boots

Legs: Thermals, jeans, and leather chaps

Torso: Thermals, fleece shirt, and leather jacket

Head: Bavaclava and full-face helmet

Hands: Gerbing G3 heated gloves

After two and a half hours in 35 degree temps, at various speeds, I was still just fine. The only part of me that was even cold was my feet. I have some engine guard chaps that I should have put on the bike which I'm sure that would have taken care of my feet.

(December 8, 2011)

(31 degree ride on December 24, 2011)

(February 14, 2010)

(November 14, 2010- Aprox. 10,000 elevation)

Motorcycle Quotes

2011-12-05T19:40:00.006-07:00

If you know of some good motorcycle quotes or sayings, please share them as a comment below.

Four wheels move the body. Two wheels move the soul.

Saddlebags can never hold everything you want, but they CAN hold everything you need.

The only good view of a thunderstorm is in your rear view mirror.

Don't ride so late into the night that you sleep through the sunrise.

Sometimes it takes a whole tank of fuel before you can think straight.

Never hesitate to ride past the last street light at the edge of town.

Never do less than forty miles before breakfast.

One bike on the road is worth two in the garage.

New riders pick a destination and go. Experienced riders pick a direction and go.

Whatever it is, it's better to do it in the wind.

Two-lane blacktop isn't a highway, it's an attitude.

People are like motorcycles; each is customized a bit differently.

The best alarm clock is sunshine on chrome.

Catching a yellow jacket in your shirt at 70 mph can double your vocabulary.

If you want to get somewhere before sundown, you can't stop at every tavern.

There's something ugly about a NEW bike on a trailer.

A long ride can clear your mind, restore your faith and use up a lot of fuel.

If you can't get it going with bungee cords, wire and electrician's tape, it's serious.

Never try to race an old geezer, he may have one more gear than you.

You can forget what you do for a living when your knees are in the breeze.

Only a biker knows why a dog sticks his head out the car window.

There are two types of people in this world; people who ride motorcycles and people who wish they did.Four wheels move the body. Two wheels move the soul.

What a cool gift! And it's not even Christmas yet.

2011-11-30T15:23:00.005-07:00

My wife recently gave me this painting/drawing of my motorcycle. Pretty cool, huh!?

2011-11-24T10:01:00.000-07:00

ACCELERATE MAGAZINE

A Friend in Need, Is a Friend Indeed Sept 2010

Making It Mine Nov 2011

VULCAN BAGGER ASSOCIATION

Winterizing. A Sad Fact for Many Northerners

Making It Mine

2011-11-24T09:47:00.004-07:00

I recently had an article on my bike build published in Kawasaki's Accelerate Magazine. Check it out and let me know what you think!

http://accelerate.presspublisher.us/issue/nov11/article/customnomad

Fantasy Garage

2011-11-14T23:12:00.011-07:00

If you had unlimited funds and could have 7 bikes, one for everyday of the week, what would they be? Please share your dream bikes as a comment at the bottom of the post.

Here is my list, in no particular order. Some even surprised me.

2012 Harley Davidson CVO Road Glide Custom: I absolutely love the looks of the 2012 CVO RG. I think it is the hottest factory bagger on the road.

BMW GS1200: I have a dream of someday taking a cross country trip on dirt roads, only seeing pavement in order to get gas. I don't know a lot about dual sport bikes, but the GS has a great reputation among those Adventure riders.

2012 Kawasaki ZX14R: The new, worlds fastest factory motorcycle, with more than 200+ horse power. This beast would be amazing to take to the track! I'd probably kill myself, but do so with a smile.

MY Kawasaki Vulcan 1600 Nomad: I have had three Nomads and love them. They are not great at one single thing, but they are good at just about everything you could as from a bagger. Coming from the factory with with more bang for your buck than any other cruiser.

Big Bear Chopper Merc: I have no idea why I would want one of these except that they seem intriguing to me. Having never ridden one, and this being MY fantasy garage, I think I'll have one.

Indian Chief Ventage: I really like the looks of the large skirted fenders and look forward to seeing what Victory does with their new ownership of Indian Motorcycles.

Triumph Bonneville Bobber: I would like to buy an old Bonneville and bob/chop it up, so this bike would HAVE to be one I built, otherwise it wouldn't be anything special. I like the looks of this one, but I would have a lot of detailed striping done as well. The Bonneville would be my first choice of bike to bob, but if one wasn't available I'd go with a Sportster.

Utah Motorcyclist is on facebook!

2011-11-14T16:14:00.007-07:00

I recently set up a facebook page for UtahMotorcyclist.org. I have recently uploaded 45 pictures of places throughout the country and will try to post daily activities and events there. Please show your support and by "liking" the page and sharing links.

To find the page, click on this link HERE.

Or on the tab at the top of the page that says "Facebook"

Thanks!

-Jared

Why Do You Ride?

2011-11-11T22:08:00.002-07:00

Why do you ride? There seems to be endless reasons why you shouldn’t and yet every year more and more people choose two wheels instead of four. What’s the reason?

When I purchase my first motorcycle, my wife told me I just paid for my death. Now, she is a seasoned passenger who has logged well over 20K miles, throughout the country.

I came across this today and I think it describes why I ride about as well as anything I’ve read.

A motorcycle is not just a two-wheeled car; the difference between driving a car and climbing onto a motorcycle is the difference between watching TV and actually living your life. We spend all our time sealed in boxes and cars are just rolling boxes that shuffle us from home-box to work-box to store-box and back, the whole time, entombed in stale air, temperature regulated, sound insulated, and smelling of carpets. On a motorcycle I know I’m alive. When I ride, even the familiar seems strange and glorious. The air has weight and substance as I push through it and its touch is as intimate as water to a swimmer. I feel the cool wells of air that pool under trees and the warm spokes of sunshine that fall through them. I can see everything in a sweeping 360 degrees, up, down and around, wider than Pana-vision and IMAX and unrestricted by ceiling or dashboard. Sometime I even hear music. It’s like hearing phantom telephones in the shower or false doorbells when vacuuming; the pattern-loving brain, seeking signals in the noise, raises acoustic ghosts out of the wind’s roar. But on a motorcycle I hear whole songs: rock ‘n roll, dark orchestras, women’s voices all hidden in the air and released by speed.

Irate Custom Radiator Grills

2011-11-06T19:42:00.005-07:00

I recently had the opportunity to meet with Martin Mcallister, the owner of Irate Customs. This company makes beautiful, extremely detailed, custom radiator covers/grills.

If you are wanting to add a little shine to the front of your bike, check out his products!

Irate Grills is offering discounts now! Send me a message and I'll give you the information needed!

www.iratecustoms.com/

How to winterize a motorcycle

2011-11-03T14:15:00.008-06:00

When the first snow falls, the question "how to winterize a motorcycle" gets brought up all over forums. For those lucky people in the south, enjoy your winter, but for a lot of riders who enjoy all four seasons, it is a good idea to winterize your motorcycle, or store it properly. Although there is no exact way to store your bike, the following guidelines will assist you in assuring that you will have a running bike come spring time.

1. Decide where you are going to store it. In a garage or covered location away from the harsh elements is best. If you don't have a garage, ask your biker friends if they have space or check your local dealership to see if they offer winter storage. Keeping your bike away from the elements will drastically increase the life of rubber parts especially.

2. Change the oil and filter. While you are at it, now would be a good time to do any of the maintenance that you have been neglecting during the riding season.

3. Fill your fuel tank and add a fuel stabilizer. Generally you add one ounce of stabilizer per gallon, but follow the manufactures recommendation. Two brands that I recommend are SeaFoam and Stabil. Both are available at any auto store. If you have an older bike, you will need to drain the carburetor and fuel lines.

4. Connect your battery to a trickle charger or tender. Some people remove the battery from the bike and store it indoors, but I choose not to do this. If you don't keep your bike on a tender, the life of your battery will be drastically shortened and you will most likely not be able to start your bike come spring time.

5. Fill both front and rear tires to the maximum recommended pressure.

6. Clean and wax bike thoroughly. If you are extra particular, spray the bike down with a light layer of WD40. Cleaning the bike and putting a protective layer on it will protect it from corrosion and rust.

7. Park the bike on a 1/2" layer of plywood or jack it off the ground. This keeps it off the frozen ground and prevents it from getting flat spots on the tires. Cover it up with a motorcycle cover or sheet and you're done.

Mount St. Helens Ride

2011-10-25T18:10:00.001-06:00

A free Saturday!

2011-10-15T21:08:00.008-06:00

With the weather turning cold and the riding days of 2011 being limited, taking advantage of a free Saturday is a must. The night before, I browsed Facebook and discovered that there was a appreciation event at Timpanogos Harley, which included breakfast, a show, and a ride. After my awesome pancakes, I enjoyed checking out all the custom bikes.

A majority of those who showed up to the event went over a very narrow mountain pass as the group ride. I have been riding long enough that those type of rides aren't fun anymore. So, a friend and I took off in a different direction, going to Camp Floyd and getting our $2 history lesson.

After leaving Camp Floyd we took a scenic route, going along the back side of the Oquirrh mountains, stoping in Ophir and then continued to SLC for lunch with a group of VROC (Vulcan Riders Owners Club) friends.

With a wife going through law school and a 8 month old, free Saturdays seem like they are less and less common. It was nice to be able to ride 175 miles, see some beautiful bikes, and enjoy lunch with a great group of fellow riders.

Jared M. Gant

2011 West Coast Trip

2011-10-06T22:03:00.002-06:00

DAY ONE:
Saturday, August 20th, Jason Mohlman (JMAX), Quin Farmer (QFarmer), Ken Whetstone (Tombstone), and myself started our West Coast Trip. Our destination was Crescent City, CA, but we had decided to take quite the detour to get there-through Washington.

Leaving SLC, we took the most direct route to Pendleton, OR. If it wasn't for the 3 slight bends in the road, I think I could have set a cruise control and taken a nap. We blasted along I-15 and I-84, seldomly being passed by anyone and, in the early evening, we arrived at our destination, Pendleton.

We unloaded our bikes and then walked into town looking for a place to eat. After walking around and looking at all the mom and pop restaurants, we settled on Denny's.

After dinner we promptly returned to our motel and went to sleep in preparation for the next day.

Me taking off at 6:00AM

Quin Farmer-QFarmer

Jason Mohlman-JMAX

Ken Whetstone-Tombstone

The view from above Pendleton

DAY TWO:
We left Pendleton at 8:00 A.M. and continued up I-84. After just a short time, we started riding next to the Columbia River Gorge. The Columbia River is the borderline between Oregon and Washington. Its massive size and the cool, breezy air are welcoming after hours in the desert. We crossed the river near White Salmon and then continued on the river's northern shore until Carson, where we headed north on Wind River Road to ride around Mount Saint Helens.

The roads around St. Helens are amazing! Very twisty and scenic. However, they weren't amazingly marked and we got a little off track, but it was nice to see more and ride longer. St. Helens is an amazing site to see. It's incredible to see a massive crater in the side of a mountain and to read about those who witnessed it first hand.

After we got are share of St. Helens, we hopped on Hwy 5 and headed for our hotel near Portland.

Riding along the Columbia River Gorge

Columbia River Gorge

Mount Saint Helens

Ken, Jason, Quin, and me-Mount Saint Helens

The hike to the view point

DAY THREE:

We woke up to a bit of fog and expected it to get worse the closer we got to the shore, which it did. After just a short time on the road, Ken had to take off and continued on his own trip back home. When we arrived at the coastline in Lincoln City, most of the fog had dissipated. We had a blast slowly riding down Hwy 101, taking in the awe-inspiring scenery and stopping a lot for pictures. At about 3:00PM we realized that we were still only about half way to our destination!

We started to cruise at a quicker pace after that, still enjoying the scenery, but at 60MPH.

Me (Jared Gant)-Oregon Coast

Quin Farmer-Oregon Coast

Oregon Coast

Me (Jared Gant)-Oregon Coast

Not too sure what this was, but it kind of freaked me out when it started to crawl

Me (Jared Gant) on the Oregon Coast

Quin Farmer- Oregon Coast

Jason Mohlman- Oregon Coast

Catching a starfish

DAY FOUR: KAWANOW.ORG RALLY

Our excuse to ride these roads again (Quin and I did this trip two years ago), was to attend the KawaNOW rally in Crescent City. KawaNOW (Kawasaki Nomad Owners Worldwide) is an organization with a website and forum that I participate a lot on.

On day four we rode through the Avenue of the Giants, which was incredible. These massive trees seem to climb forever, touching the clouds.

KawaNOW.org group

Jason, Quin, and Jared-Avenue of the Redwoods

Quin pointing the the ring the represents his birth year

Motorcycling in the dark of the redwoods

Jared and Quin next to a hollowed out redwood

Coastal Redwood-tallest trees in the world

Jared and Quin-Avenue of the Giants

Jared, Quin, and Jason-Redwoods

DAY FIVE: KAWANOW.ORG RALLY

At this point we had been on the road for several days traveling anywhere between 300-600 miles each day. So, on our fifth day, we decided to sleep-in, do some laundry, and see what Crescent City had to offer.

Crescent City Coast Line

Playing with the wildlife

Crescent City Coast Line

Quin Farmer-Crescent City Coast Line

DAY SIX: KAWANOW.ORG RALLY

For the last day of the rally, we had a lot scheduled. We started the day with a long ride through the northern part of California, including a long portion of Hwy 101, the Redwoods, and Hwy 199. The first part of the ride was scenic and relaxing and was especially enjoyable with a group of 20 or so Nomads. After lunch, a small group of us took off to finish the ride at our own pace, and we had an awesome time, throwing sparks through several turns of Hwy. 199.

After the ride, we headed over to the local casino for a rally banquet. After having an awesome dinner, we participated in a raffle where the proceeds went to the local little league association.

Group ride-KawaNOW.org

Quin Farmer

Joel Schneekloth, Teri Conrad, and Kris Olsen

DAY SEVEN:

Last year, on a whim, I rode to San Fran on my way to LA for the sole purpose of seeing the Golden Gate Bridge, but because of unforeseen weather issues, I wasn't able to see it. Quin had also never seen the bridge so, for our route back to Utah, we decided to ride the coastline to San Fran and to cross the bridge. Along the way we saw a few different signs advertising the drive-through tree so we had to make a stop at the Chandelier tree as well. After seeing the bridge we jumped on I-80 and burnt as many miles as we could, finally stopping in Sacramento.

Quin and Jared barely fitting side-by-side

Chandelier tree

Finally making it to the bridge

Crossing the Golden Gate Bridge

DAY EIGHT:

Our original plans were to take two days to get home, but we all had our own motivations to make the last 700-mile push in one day. Leaving Sacrimento at 4:00AM, to make up for the hour we would gain, we hopped on I-80, set our speedometers at 80MPH and only stopped every 150 miles. By the end of the day, we were all exhausted but happy to be able to sleep in our own beds.

Jared M. Gant

THE IRON BUTT RIDE -May 4, 2009

2011-10-05T21:26:00.002-06:00

The Iron Butt Association is an association that promotes long rides for the toughest riders in America. They honor riders who can complete what they call the "SaddleSore 1,000 mile ride". To qualify, a rider must ride his motorcycle 1,000 miles in less than 24 hours.

On May 4th, 2009 we (Mike Jarvis, Brad Stone and myself) started the ride at 4 am. It was COLD!!!! but we only had 24 hours to go 1000+miles.

On May 5th at 12:30am we finished the ride, which took us from Orem or Salt Lake City, then to Wendover, Nevada via Interstate I-80. Then we followed Hwy 93 south, through Ely, NV, and Hwy 6 southwest to Tonopah. From Tonopah, on Hwy 95 southwest, we passed on the northeast border of Death Valley, and on into Las Vegas. From Las Vegas it was a straight shot home on north I-15. 1,083 miles in a little over 20 hours!

Jared M. Gant

Fall Colors 2011

2011-09-29T22:16:00.005-06:00

I lived in Florida for about half of my life. Although you can motorcycle all year long in Florida, you don't have the awe factor of riding during the different seasons (yes even winter!). Here in Utah, it has been unusually warm for this time of the year, still in the high 80s and low 90s, but at 8,000+ feet elevation, the leaves have started to change to their spectacular red, orange and yellow fall colors.

I left early enough to make the complete 300 mile loop through some of the highest roads in the state going up to 10,850 feet (according to GPS). Besides the few other bikes and about 200 cows, the streets were clear and incredible. Next week I plan on riding up to Sundance, where there is a huge Aspen Grove.

Jared M. Gant

Top Loading or Side Loading Saddlebags?

2011-09-21T08:40:00.023-06:00

Last Sunday I went out to enjoy a nice leisurely ride through the beautiful Utah mountains. At one of my first stops, a lookout over the large Jordanelle Reservoir, just south of Park City, I had someone walk up to me and say "They sure screwed up on those bikes, didn't they?" Being a huge fan of the Nomad I was a bit confused about what he was referring to. Was it the lack of ground clearance? Or possibly the underpowered engine? Or maybe the unimpressive fuel economy? No, none of the thing that I had felt the bike may have lacked was what he was referring to. I asked him, what he was referring to and he said, "those side loading saddlebag".

I always thought that the Nomad's 9.6 gallon each (only outsized by Victory's Cross Country bags, which hold 10.5) saddlebags were what made the bike stand out and I consider them one of the best looking bags. Harley's hard saddlebags are top loading, as are most cruiser-type motorcycles, but hold a gallon less. Larger, sport touring type bikes, such as the Goldwing, Concours, etc are all side loading.

What makes more since top or side loading bags? What are some of the pros and cons you have observed? Why would Kawasaki go to top loading bags and then 2 years later go back to the old side loading with the Vaquero? Would you ever consider side loading bag the result of a screwed up design?

Jared M. Gant

Oil Fitler Options for Metric Motorcycles

2011-09-05T20:29:00.011-06:00

When it comes to oil filters, don't limit yourself to over-priced OEM filters or "motorcycle specific" filters. Any filter with 20 X 1.5mm threads will work for your Kawasaki Nomad (or most metric bikes, for that matter). The shorter 2.5" stock filters will work, but after checking to make sure your bike has enough clearance, like the Nomad has, your better off using the3.5" filters.

All of these filters offer a 14 psi by-pass valve, an anti-drain back valve, a 2.3" O.D. gasket and are 2.5" or 3.5" long.

I have been using the Supertech 7317 filter for the last 20+ oil changes with great results. I choose to use it because of its value and availability (Walmart).

Motorcycle Filters that will fit:

NOT RECOMMENDED

AC Delco PF2135
AMSOil SMF103
Carquest 85358
FRAM PH6017A
Honda 15410-MCJ-000
K&N KN-204, about $13.
NAPA Gold 1358
Purolator ML16817. Imported, not made by Purolator.
STP SMO 17
WIX 51358

RECOMMENDED

(2.5" FILTERS)
Purolator Pure One PL14612, about $6.
Mobil M1-108, about $12.
Made by Champion.
Bosch 3300, about $6.
Made by Champion.
(3.5" FILTERS)
Purolator Pure One PL14610, about $6.
Mobil 1 M1-110, about $10 Made by Champion.
Bosch 3323, about $6.
Made By Champion.
WalMart SuperTech ST7317,
about $2. Made by Champion.

Below are pictures comparing Mobil 1 M1-110 ($12.99) VS SuperTech ST7317 ($2.77). Both are made by Champion Laboratories Inc.

Jared M. Gant

Hoppe Industries - Quadzilla Fairing

2011-07-26T21:29:00.012-06:00

My newest Nomad came with a fairing. When I purchased the bike, I wasn't positive what brand it was but, after a bit more investigating, I've found out that it is a Hoppe Industries Quadzilla fairing.

The Fairing fits the bike perfectly, like OEM equipment, using the same mounts as the windshield it replaces. Mine features four 5-inch, marine grade, chrome speakers that match the loads of chrome I've added to the bike. The stereo is a cheap, Eclipse, 50 x 4-watt stereo that sounds good but tends to skip on bumpy roads. I do plan on replacing it with one that has a USB port when funds allow. I also have 3 shields of different sizes and tints. I currently am using the shortest (5"[?]), solid black shield which looks great and still provides great protection for my 5'8" stature. I also have the solid chrome windshield strip that breaks up the fairing and the shield nicely.

One complaint I have with this fairing is how the inner and outer fairing meet together. Their edges don't match up perfectly and, although it must be close enough for 99% of people out there (Hoppe has won a number of awards for these fairings), I'd like to see them match up perfectly so that a single piece of door edging could seal both edges together.

This fairing package new would cost over $1900, which seems rather steep. I am glad it was already on the bike when I bought it. It was actually the main reason I bought it.

Jared M. Gant

My Experience Working at a Dealership

2011-07-13T20:27:00.032-06:00

Let it be known that this is my experience working at a dealership and I sure hope it's not the norm.

In the spring of 2011 the owner of a local Honda dealership contacted me offering me a job. Previous to this, I had never known the owner but he knew me because of a Facebook group that I created and moderate and because of my efforts to promote various motorcycle related events in Utah.

A few days after he contacted me, I met with him for an interview and to discuss the position. He talked about how much he wanted me because I was a biker. I actually rode (unlike most of the sales guys) and could relate with the customers-making me feel all good and warm inside. I made it clear that although I loved the motorcycle industry I would only be interested in the position if it could support my family. I told him I needed to make $3k monthly, or 36K annually. I was not unemployed, but was looking for better employment.

The owner offered me this (on a sticky note, nonetheless):

Salary = $1500/month
Commission =
1-15 sales/month-$0
16-20 sales/month- $35 each
21 sales/month-$500
22+ sales/month -$100 each
(this is NOT retroactive)

It seemed rather low to me, so I expressed my concerns and was assured that 21+ sales was easily doable. That being said, I still was hesitant so the owner offered me an additional $200 salary per month and said that if there were still concerns we could make changes.

I accepted and during the next few months, I sold very, very well. In fact, both the sales manager and the owner commented to me how well I was doing. I sold 26 units the first month and 27 the second.

Within the first two weeks I had sold my first 15 (non-commission) units and was excited that I would be making commission for all the additional sales of that month. The owner was apparently not quite as excited. He tried to dupe me--buttering me up by congratulating me on almost making a commission in my very first pay period! He was trying to make me think our agreement was 15 sales per pay period rather than per month! I, without hesitation, corrected him and told him that if that was his understanding, I wouldn't be finishing the day. An hour later he came to me and told me I was correct, pretending he had just made a mistake. I'm convinced he was just testing me to see if I'd slip.

While selling as well as I did, I still did not make the $3K per month that I expected. This was even during the best selling months! As summer went on, I noticed the number of sales decrease and started trying to determine how many sales they would have in the winter. There was no way that the pay scale I was given was going to work. With this in my mind I started to think of a better pay-scale that I could approach the owner about.

I didn't expect to leave or bring up my pay when I did, but I asked for a couple of days off to go to attend a family event and was told that I was not allowed time off (sick, personal, etc.) without docking my salary. I had been required to work 5+ hours a week of overtime, with no compensation. I had never questioned this because I was on salary, but when I asked for a couple of days off, I was treated like an hourly employee and had my pay cut and prorated. Having put more hours in overtime in the last month than I was even asking off, I couldn't believe this! I was told that, after a year, I could have 3 paid days off.

With this being brought up when it was, it segued into my concerns about the winter months. The owner told me not to worry about the winter, that they had never sold fewer than 50 units a month. He must have forgotten that in the back room we keep track of our sales and, even during the peak July 2010 month, and with three salespeople, they only sold 48 units. I pointed this out to him and he quickly said it was a slow month and moved onto another topic, expecting me to accept his excuse with no hesitations. I also told him I didn't feel like it was fair that he could require me to work as much as he wanted as a salary employee, but I was not given any (or accumulating any) paid time off. I told him that if that was how it was going to be, I was not interest in being a salary employee and that hourly would be better, because that way I'd be getting compensated for the overtime.

Now it needs to understood that the owner is extremely clever and charismatic. He has been lying to people for years and is very good at it. Most people are probably so excited about getting that nice new motorcycle that they don't even question the things he said.

So, he tells me that he needs the sleep on a solution and that tomorrow we'll discuss it. The next day he hands me a hand written note with the following on it:

Base = $10.50 hourly
Commission =
0-7 sales/bi-weekly -$0
8-11 sales/bi-weekly-$35
12 sales/bi-weekly-$250
13+sales/bi-weekly-$50
(Again, NOT retroactive)

If you do math you'll see that his solution, the one he had to sleep on, was to take my pay scale and divide it in half (probably so the numbers looked more achievable). Many aspects (e.g. 24 sales in 4 weeks rather than 21 sales in a full month to make the $500 bonus, hourly wage of $10.50 rather than the equivalent of $10.63, etc.) were worse. Perhaps he thinks I'm stupid(?) Perhaps he forgot that I've studied, and have a degree in, Business Administration(?)

To me, this was quite insulting. I had spoken with him in person about my concerns, had listened to him lie to me about sales volume, and then his solution was to offer me less.

I spoke with my department manager and explained my frustrations. He agreed, but didn't know what advice to offer me. During my lunch break, the department manager called me and told me that he had the impressions that the owner was "just starting." That he wanted to bargain back and forth about my pay until we could strike up some sort of deal. The department manager told me this because he thought it would relieve some of my frustration, but it honestly did the contrary. It made me recognize that the owner didn't really value my time in any way whatsoever. He just wanted to get as much out of me as he could for as little as possible, with no intention of actually resolving my concerns.

After discussing it with my wife, we decided it wasn't a company that I wanted to be associated with and I sent the owner the following letter:

[Owner Name],

After much thought, I have decided that [Dealership] is not the right place for me. Please accept this letter as my resignation.

I feel like I expressed some of my concerns to you, including the need for a better financial situation. In return, it seems like I was given an offer that was manipulated in such a way as to make it look better at first glance, but, after crunching the numbers, it was obvious that it was an even lower offer than what I was already making. I know you said you just threw it together and that you were willing to talk about it, but you also had already taken the whole night to think it over, so I question the sincerity of that statement and of the offer.

I also feel like it is unreasonable for a salaried position not to include any vacation time or sick leave, because these are customary in any other company. This is especially true when you add the amount of overtime I've been required to work without compensation.

In our very first interview I expressed my need to make $3000 a month. I have not made that even during the peak months of the year. I love the motorcycle industry and have really enjoyed the sales aspect of this position, but I feel like there is not much room for growth in the position and that the negative aspects outweigh the benefits.

I'm not interested in striking a deal or bargaining back and forth about how much I should get paid. I was hoping you would make an offer of how much you felt the position was worth and then that I could decide if I felt the same way or not. Bargaining makes me feel like I am a customer trying to get the best deal (and, perhaps, an unfair deal). I just wanted to be treated fairly, and wanted you to be happy with the amount as well.

I would be willing to give you two weeks, but, because I am already scheduled to take next week off, it doesn't really seem practical. However, let me know if you would like me to.

I am glad that I had the opportunity to work at [Dealership] and I did learn some valuable things. I hope you are able to find someone great to fill the position.

-Jared Gant
After emailing him my resignation letter I let him know that I had sent it and asked him to let me know, after he read it, if he would like me to come into work the next day. He later sent me a text asking me to come into work so I got ready and started on my way there. I was just getting in the car when he sent another text that said, "received letter. sorry you feel that way. Never mind about coming in today afterall. Thanks for your honesty."

That sounds grand and all. He even said "Thanks," but my department manager, who I had read the letter previous to sending it in, called me and told me that the owner told all the other employees that I just didn't show up. What a loser!

Not only did I feel mistreated myself, but I often felt like the customers were being taken advantage of too. For example, I was told to add multiple "taxes" such as the "Carbon Footprint Factor" or the "Environmental Protection Factor" to customer orders. I heard the owner tell customers on multiple occasions, "you can thank Uncle Sam for that one." But these fees, along with several others, were completely fake. The amount wasn't even set; it would change depending on how deep a customer's pockets looked! Just another way for the owner to trick people. Who can argue with Uncle Sam, right?

Also, the service department charges $78/hour. Well that doesn't sound too bad, until you know that no one officially sets how long it should take to do something. There's no official book rate or documentation. They just charge whatever they want. They don't even clock their time on projects. For example, they usually charge 1 hour just to install a backrest. I can't imagine how it would even be possible to take a full hour to install a backrest. This is just one simple example, but it's all too often just that extreme. If you are unfortunate enough to get the new guy, plan on paying even more for less!

Although I loved talking with people on a daily bases who shared my same passion for motorcycles, I am glad that I have severed my ties with such a corrupt company.

Jared M. Gant

A ride out to the Japanese Relocation Camps

2011-06-15T10:43:00.010-06:00

While riding out the Japanese relocation camps, my mind wondered (still riding safely, just thinking) about the turmoils that our country is currently facing and some of the huge mistakes our country and it's people have made in the past. I hope by educating myself on such issues, I can be prepared and will recognize such mistakes in the future.

You aren't likely to find mention of these camps in any history book. At least I never learned about them in my public schooling experience. You could drive past Delta or Topaz Mountain and never even know what happened there and in fact, I asked a gas station employee for direction to the camp from Delta and she had no idea what I was even talking about. It's obvious the most people would like to pretend it never even happened.

On Septemeber 11th 1942 Topaz Camp opened in Millard county, about 150 miles from Salt Lake City. At the time, it was one of the largest cities in the state, housing about 8150 prisoners. For these thousands of Americans, their crime was being of Japanese decent. While American soldiers were fighting to liberate Jews from concentration camps in Europe, the American government was busy running several of their own concentration camps.

To our disappointment, there isn't really much to see at the Japanese concentration camps, just a vandalized monument. In Delta, a non-profit museum has been opened, but with little to no donations or funding, it too was lacking.

The ride out to Delta is full of desert and a few small towns. Except for one small canyon, the ride was rather bland. We made a quick stop in Eureka to make a phone call and to give our saddles a break and then continued home.

Jared M. Gant

Proformance air Intake

2011-04-18T22:37:00.008-06:00

There are several different types of air intakes but they tend be rather pricey, generally around $250-$300. I had modified my intake slightly on my first Nomad, but it provided little, if any, performance improvement.

I didn't care for the looks of the hyper-charger, nor the tornado/spiked air kits, and I had pretty much decided to go with a Barons Big Air Kit, until I heard of Joe Norris and his kits. Joe Norris (CHUCKSTER)is a machinist who makes beautiful custom accessories.

I decided to get Joe's double, and then later went with his single plate kit. The double plate kit allows you to continue to use the stock "dog bowl" cover, and is a bit quieter, but the single plate is more free flowing and more custom looking.

For $100 this intake is an amazing value and adds a tremendous performance increase to the bike.

To check out more of Joe's stuff, go to http://www.chucksterscustoms.com/Products

Jared M. Gant

Customizing MY Nomad- Part one

2011-04-02T08:39:00.009-06:00

BEFORE

While I was shopping for my most recent Nomad I was looking for one that a few specific accessories-mainly a full fairing. My newest Nomad is a 2006 (17,000 miles) with the fallowing accessories already added:

Hoppe Industries Quadzilla fairing with chrome package

Vance and Hines exhaust

Cobra light bar

Top and bottom saddlebag rails

Some cheapo highway pegs (sold)

Mutazu trunk (for sale-make me an offer!)

The day I got the bike home I started to pull the bike apart, order accessories, make modification and catch the bike up on maintenance, which had been somewhat overlooked.

The biggest change I will be making to the bike is painting it. After having a custom paint job, it's difficult to go back to stock paint. After much thought I have decided to got with House of Kolor, Kandy apple red- like my last Nomad- but with some dry metallic flakes mixed into the mid coat. The metallics will give it more pop in direct sunlight.

Accessories I've added or have ordered and have on its way:

Harley Davidson king tour pak

New front a rear tires

3 piece mustang seat (from previous bike)

Ultimate baffles

Tubular solo rack

New speakers for the fairing

Chromed inner engine cover

Chromed drive shaft cover

Chrome choke nob and other small odds and end

Spike axle tips

Kuryakyn ISO grips with stiletto tips

Custom hidden key

Kuryakyn off set highway pegs

Kuryakyn turn signal bezels

Shock balance kit

Garmin gps with ram mount

Kuryakyn Voltmeter

Throttle flip lever

Fuse block

Additional driving lights

Multiple replacement shields, all different tints and heights

A few more things that I will add soon:

Air intake

Fuel processor

Tour pak rack

A few things I am looking for:

Chrome water pump cover

OEM lowers (yep, the previous owner tossed them in the trash....?)

Maintenance I'll be doing soon or have done:

Clean and re-gap plugs

Lubricate drive shaft and swing arm

Correctly wire accessories

Final drive oil

Clutch fluid

Brake fluid

New tires

Spiked Axle Caps

2011-03-19T19:43:00.011-06:00

SPIKED AXLE CAPS

I had been looking for a nice way to dress up the axle bolts on my Kawasaki Nomad. I searched around online and couldn't find anything that I like, so I've made some. These are designed to work specifically with hollow axles, which are on many metric models

Material: High quality anodized billet aluminum

Condition: 100% Brand New

Easy installation! Screw directly into your existing axle.

Color: Chrome

These axle tips are $55 shipped within the U.S.A. Please contact me about shipping outside the U.S.A.
I accept Paypal and checks. The axle tips will not be shipped until the money clears.
Please email me at utahmotorcyclist@gmail.com if you would like to place an order or you can place an order using Paypal.

Jared M. Gant

Autorama 2011- Salt Lake City

2011-03-17T01:37:00.009-06:00

Unfortunately, Utah does not get any all-bike expos or shows. The only thing close are the car shows that allow people to enter their bikes.

For my birthday, my wife surprised me with tickets to go see the Autorama show. They had some amazing cars, but it was the bikes that really grabbed my attention.

One thing that I noticed here, and always notice at just about any show, is that there are hardly any custom metrics. Why is that? I think that there are some metric bikes that would make for an amazing platform to build off of.

Jared M. Gant

From Texas to Utah

2011-03-16T22:03:00.016-06:00

After flying out to Texas to pick up a new Nomad, I had a late start, leaving El Paso at around 4:30pm. My good friend, Ken Whetstone, rode out to the area and we decided to meet up in Lordsburg, NM.

The next day we took off, heading toward The Coronado Trail (U.S. 191, formerly known as U.S. 666 or The Devil's Highway). On our way there we stopped in Clifton for some breakfast. While in Clifton, we got the inside scoop from our waitress on what to check out while there. The train, jail, shovel, and down town arches.

The roads started to twist shortly after leaving Clifton. The Trail took us through the two million-acre Apache Sitgreaves National Forests. Just before we entered the forest, we stopped and looked over the edge of the Phelps Dodge Copper Mine. And again, a ways later, we stopped at Blue Vista. This viewpoint/rest stop offers a great photographic opportunity. While at Blue Vista, Ken spotted some random roses on the edge of a cliff? Must have been "lovers leap".

Continue down the road and you run into Hannagan Meadows lodge and a small country store. We stopped for a brief moment and then continued on our journey. While stopped we both mentioned how it would be an ideal location to host a rally.

We stopped in Alpine and picked up an "I survived the Devil's Highway" patch and then continued to where we would be staying for the night, Pinetop, AZ. Check out my awesome, homemade dinner!

Because of family circumstances I left a few days earlier than Ken. I had a 600+ mile trip home and the weatherman was predicting rain in the afternoon, so I left early. It was dark, and there was even ice on my seat. I never knew it could be so cold in AZ. On my way out of Pinetop I got my kicks on route 66.

After Route 66 I rode through a couple hundred miles of Indian reservations. Once I got to Monticello, all the rest of the roads home were familiar.

Ken told me about this monument made out of blocks in Green River. I had seen pictures of it and it seemed intriguing. Here is the story behind the whole thing.

My last stop before driving into my driveway was on Soldier Summit. This road is the most dangerous road in all of Utah. 13% of all Utah automobile accidents happen here!

This trip was great! I wish I would have had a few more days to explore Arizona, but I guess that will have to wait until another day. The highlight of this trip was definitely the Coronado Trail. I would rank that road as one of the best in the country for motorcycling.

Jared M. Gant

New Nomad

2011-03-16T21:13:00.009-06:00

As you can read in a previous post, I sold my Nomad. I had no intention to sell it, I never do have intentions to sell my bikes, but the amount offered by the buyer was enough to make it a no-brainer.

Shortly after selling it, I started looking for a new bike. After a bit of searching I decided it was going to be another Nomad. That would be number three! With all the experience with Nomads, I knew exactly what I wanted with this new bike. I wanted a 1600cc, less than 20K miles, fairing, as many other accessories as possible and under a certain price. Price was big issue.

After a few weeks of searching I found a 2006 with under 17K miles, a Hoppe Quadzilla fairing with the audio and chrome package, Vance and Hines dual exhaust, light bar, top and bottom bag rails, a Mutazu trunk, front fender rail, highway pegs, and a few other odds and ends, all at an amazing, amazing price! Only difficult part was that it was in El Paso, Texas.

I had a fellow VROC-er go look the bike over and he gave me a BIG thumbs up. That was all I needed, so I advanced a small amount of money to the seller to have him hold it for me and I bought a one way plane ticket to Texas. After a quick look-over, finding what I had anticipated--a rock-solid bike--I bought it and rode it home. The rest is history and can be read under the "trips" tab.

When all is said and done, I purchased the same bike, with less miles, more accessories, and after all the expenses of flying out to pick it up, I will still have $2K+

My immediate plans for the bike:
-Mustang seat(still have from previous bike)
-Full size, Harley Tour-Pac (already purchased and on it's way)
-Repaint(still undecided which color)
-Chrome inner engine cover (if I can find one or have the stock cover chromed)
-ISO grips with stiletto tips
-Home made stiletto axle tips
-Kuryakyn offset pegs

Jared M. Gant

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE FINISH PRODUCT!!!

Summer Road Trip 2009

2011-03-03T23:14:00.021-07:00

We were both recent college graduates with plans to start graduate school and work. This seemed to be a perfect time in our lives for a long trip. I have family in Florida and the many scenic routes from Utah made it a perfect destination. We started our trip on Saturday, June 27, 2009 at 5:00 a.m. Our destination for the day was Cortez, Colorado. Riding from our home to Moab, Utah, the roads were all familiar. Shortly after leaving Moab we stopped at Hole in The Rock. It was a tourist trap at its best, but still a fun, quick stop. The route from Moab to Cortez was beautiful! The prehistoric, red rock scenery quickly changed to flat, prairie-like, farm land. We arrived to Cortez by 1:30 p.m. We unloaded the bike, set up camp, and rode to Mesa Verde National Park to take a quick tour. Although we didn’t hike to any of the cliff dwellings, we were able to see a lot from the road tour. These dwellings are simply amazing! Why would someone build a house on the edge of a cliff? It sure made me appreciate our cozy little home. After our nickel tour we went back to our camp to relax and get ready for the next day.

(Hole in the Rock. A tourist trap at it's best!)

(One of the many Mesa Verda cliff dwellings)

For day two our destination was Roswell, New Mexico. We left our camp at 6:00 a.m. and rode through the brisk mountains. The temperatures got down into the 40s and it didn’t begin to warm up until after we had gone through Durango. Then, as we entered New Mexico and quickly descended in elevation the temperature got hot. Santa Fe was a nice city to drive through. The buildings were covered with southwestern artwork, and, except for the rush of traffic and a few wrong turns, the city was enjoyable. When we arrived at Roswell, it appeared as though we had entered a theme park. Everything, and I mean everything, was covered with aliens or UFOs. It was out of this world :P. We got to our camp spot, set things up, and returned to the city. To our disappointment, the city known for extra terrestrials closes at 5:00 p.m. Almost nothing was open! We were able to go into a few tourist shops and that was about it.

So, if you are traveling to Roswell, make sure you get there early. Our sleep in Roswell was restless, to say the least. What appeared to be a clear summer night at 9:30 p.m. turned into a desert monsoon that dumped gallons of water on us throughout the night. Soon after it quit raining, we hit the road again. Destination for day three was the Dallas, Texas area.

(Alienlandia! Everything was UFO or Alien themed.)

(The rainfall that kicked us out of our tent.)

Leaving early gave us the opportunity to have the road to ourselves. I have a rule about 40 miles before breakfast and the sunrise over the desert of New Mexico was amazing, but the beauty didn’t last too long. By about 11:00 a.m., we were back in that monsoon. The middle of the desert isn’t the best place to find shelter, so we put on our rain gear and kept going. This was definitely the heaviest rain I have ever motorcycled in, and the first time riding in the rain for my wife. When we finally got to a place where we could hunker down and wait out the storm, we did. After watching it rain from the inside of a gas station for an hour, and not show any signs of stopping, we decided we would just have to weather the storm.
When we arrived in the Dallas area, we check into a hotel to dry ourselves and all our gear out. It was a well deserved rest.

(Rain rain go away!)

The next day, day four, our destination was New Orleans, Louisiana. Again, we left early in the morning. The area outside of Dallas and throughout the “hill country” was clean and the people were kind. My wife and I both commented on how we could imagine ourselves living there someday. After about mid morning, the triple digit heat began to take a toll on us. When we finally arrived at New Orleans, I had heat rash across my chest and thighs. Normally we would have unpacked the bike and gone into town, but we decided that we would just soak in the swimming pool for the evening and spend the whole next day enjoying the French Quarters of “N’awlins”.

On day five, in the French Quarters, we didn’t do any motorcycling, so I won’t comment too much on how we spent the day, but I will say that everyone should try to get to the French Quarters at least once. It is definitely a bucket list location.

(Amazing roads/bridges while getting to New Orleans)

(Etouffe)

After a nice, well deserved, day of resting, we headed for Grandma’s house, in Dothan, Alabama. We don’t get to the south as often as we would like so there was no chance we would pass Alabama without stopping in for some good ‘ol southern cookin’!

(Never travel less than 40 miles before breakfast!)

(Open roads in Alabama at 6:00am)

We enjoyed our time with Grandma and Grandpa, but anxiously continued our voyage the next morning. I was especially excited to get back to Florida, my home state, and see my folks. In anticipation for the July 4th traffic, we, again, left very early in the morning, arriving at my folk’s house just in time for the hamburgers that were fresh off the grill. With friends and family already swimming in the pool, we quickly made ourselves at home.

With a week to spend with my family we had plenty of time to relax. We went to Disney, went out to eat at some fantastic restaurants and just caught up. While there, my good friends at KawaNOW.org, organized a get-together. We met-up at one of my favorite restaurants, Dixie Crossroads, and then enjoyed a ride through a national wildlife refuge. It was nice to finally put a real name and face with the profiles. Unfortunately, the following day, when I went out to the bike, it had a flat rear tire. At closer inspection I found two nails. I had all the tools to pull the rear tire except a jack, so I contacted my KawaNOW friends and, within just a few hours, I had one at my disposal and another couple had been offered.

(Can't got to Florida without a quick stop at Disney!)

(Lunch with KawaNOW buddies.)

(The culprit to my flat tire.)

After the week with family in Florida, we decided it was time to hit the road and head north. We rode the interstate as far as Daytona (only about an hour) where we wanted to stop to take a picture of our iron stallion on Daytona’s famous beach. Unfortunately, we were too early and the gates allowing vehicles onto the sand were still locked. So instead we just parked the bike and walked onto the beach—reaching the shoreline shortly after the sun started to rise. The morning waves crashing on Florida’s white sand was an incredible site. We could have spent the whole day, just taking it all in, but we had miles to put behind us. We continued up the Florida coastline on the A1A, something that I had never done while I lived there. These roads from Daytona to St. Augustine are full of spectacular views, especially at 7:30 in the morning! After getting to St. Augustine, and seeing the lighthouse, we hopped back on the Florida turnpike and continued north. We made it as far as Jacksonville before we hit the first rainstorm of the day. We put our rain gear on and kept on riding. Every 30 minutes or so, the sun would come out long enough to trick us into thinking we could take our rain gear off but then, sure enough, as soon as we did, another rain cloud would find us.

(Daytona Beach)

(Daytona Beach)

(Daytona Beach)

We made it to our destination, Charleston, South Carolina, in the middle of the afternoon. We set up our tent under some tall pine trees, unloaded the bike, and then rode into town to find some dinner, and breakfast for the next day. After finding an acceptable meal, we came back to our mobile suite and just relaxed for the evening.

(Studying for Law School even while on vacation)

The next day, we were going to be riding to the Smokey Mountains! Although I currently live in a very mountainous region of the world, the Appellation Mountains in the east are very different from the Rocky Mountains back home; they are small and full of vegetation. Every tree, fence, power line pole, anything stationary really, had green vines growing on it. To me, it looked like a jungle. The roads throughout the area were tight and curvy, a motorcyclist’s dream. That would explain why every fifth vehicle was blessed with only two wheels. After making a few enjoyable wrong turns (should have gotten a GPS) and spending a few breathtaking hours on the Blue Ridge Highway, we finally made it to The Iron Horse Inn, a motorcycle resort about an hour from Deals Gap. Staying at the resort was entertainment by itself. A mini Buffalo Chip, so to speak.

The next morning, when we woke up, it was obvious how the Smokies got their name. The fog had come in and made visibility limited to just a few hundred yards. We packed up our damp gear and continued to Deals Gap, the motorcycle mecca. But then, just as we arrived, it started to rain again so we spent some time shopping and eating lunch, trying to wait out the storm, but to no avail. After three hours of waiting, observing all the different bikes and groups arrive, we noticed a speck of blue in the sky and took the chance to get back on the road. Fully geared, two up, and still in the rain, we rode all 318 turns of the 11 mile Tail of the Dragon. What a blast! After taming the Dragon, we continued to Nashville, riding with a nice group of riders along the way, where we checked into a hotel and dried out.

(Riding the dragon, in the rain, two-up, with lots of gear strapped on? FUN!!)

(Riding the Dragon)

(We made it without crashing)

The next day we headed toward the Gateway to the west—Saint Louis—where we would be staying with some friends. On our way there we rode through Tennessee, Kentucky, and Illinois which were enjoyable. We did make the mistake of riding through the city. We had to see the archway, right? Well, because of our city detour, we spent several hours only going a short distance, and by the time we got to our destination, we were exhausted.

At this point in the trip, the ending was in sight, only about 1,000 miles away and, for the most part, one road. The next day we took just a short trip though the beautiful state of Missouri, where we met up with some other friends on the west side of the state, in Kansas City. We spent two days with them, visiting some of the Amish villages, going fishing, and eating at the famous Arthur Bryant's BBQ.

(That's what I call horse power!!)

The following day was our longest day in distance traveled. We were planning on riding 640 miles to Longmont, CO, where some of my family lived. We left Kansas City area at 5:00 a.m., while it was still dark, and pointed the bike west. I-70 through Kansas was just the opposite of the Tail of the Dragon. It was 318 miles with only 11 swerves. I set the speedo at 80 and blasted through a state that, to me, had very little to offer someone traveling on a motorcycle. We did see about 20 signs advertising the OZ museum and a lot of beautiful corn fields, but that seemed to be about it.

(Leaving Kansas at 5:00 a.m.)

After spending two days in Longmont, we left for our last day of the trip. We saved one of the best rides for last—The Great Rocky Mountains. Traveling over the 12,000-feet-above-sea-level summit was incredible! At about 10,000 feet we rode through the clouds and came out on top of the world. We put on some of our warmer gear, because, even in July, it was quite chilly. We stopped a few times to enjoy the snow capped mountains and the elk and other wild life that made this National Park their home. After riding through the park, exiting on the west side, we rode though familiar territory and soon saw the familiar sign, “Welcome to Utah”. Traveling past the Dinosaurs in Vernal and the reservoirs that dot the Utah landscape, we soon found ourselves driving into our own driveway.

(Above the clouds)

The trip of all trips quickly came to an end. After all was said and done, we loved it and can’t wait to do the northern states!

Trip Statistics-
Days on the road: 23 days, June 27-July 20, 2009
Nights camping: 6
Nights with family: 14
Night in a Hotel: 2
Days we traveled: 13
Traveled day with rain: 4
States we traveled through: Utah, Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee, Kentucky, Illinois, Missouri and Kansas
Miles: 5750
Average Fuel Economy: 37
Highest Fuel Economy: 48mpg
Lowest Fuel Economy: 31mpg
Oil Changes: 1
Flat tires: 2 nails
Subs eaten: 11

Jared M. Gant

She is gone!

2011-02-14T09:41:00.006-07:00

In the Spring of 2010 I came out to a business card on my motorcycle. On the back side of the card someone had written, "I want to buy you bike". I was somewhat shocked that someone would be so forward about it. There are a lot of beautiful bikes out there, but I figured it couldn't hurt to give the guy a call. After talking with him, and giving him a price, I felt like would be fair, he agreed. The next day he called and explained to me that his wife and talked him out of it and that he wasn't quite financially prepared to purchase it. Oh well, I thought. It wasn't like I was trying to sell it anyways.

Last Monday I got a text message asking me if it was still available, and of course it was, so he made me an offer on it. I told him that the bike isn't something that I am trying to sell. It has never been listed for sale and that I would only let it go for my original amount. He told me he wasn't sure if he could spend that much, and I explain than maybe this isn't the bike for you. Later that night, at 11:30pm (you know he could sleep:)), I got a text message saying he'd take it.

So needless to say, my beautiful Kawasaki Nomad has a new owner. I had a lot of fun with this bike, but I look forward to finding a new bike to customize.

Here are a few pics of my last ride.

Jared M. Gant

2011 Kawasaki Vaquero

2010-12-13T15:18:00.013-07:00

*This review was written up by a fellow KawaNOW.org friend, Todd Frazier.

2011 Kawasaki Vulcan Vaquero

If you are a cruiser bike fan, touring bike fan, or both, there isn’t much not to like about the new 2011 Kawasaki Vaquero.

I heard this bike described by Kawasaki as the Ultimate Solo Cruiser. After having the opportunity to take the Vaquero for a long test run through rural roads in southeast Texas, I think the new Kawasaki designed bike is just that, and then some. It is an impressive addition to Kawasaki lineup that falls pretty solidly into the bagger category, with some nice touring features.

The first thing you notice about the Vaquero is its stylish design complete with frame mounted fairing and side loading hard bags with a design borrowed from the 1998-2008 Nomad. The lid on the bags is now smooth versus having the three lines familiar to fans of the earlier generations of the Nomad. The bags also now have a side reflector mounted on the bottom rear of the lid. On the front, the fairing has an aggressive look that comes stock with a short, 5” black wind deflector and louvers on each side of the headlight. The front end look puts me in the mind of the late 60’s Camaro and Mustang muscle cars. On the inside, the fairing comes with amber backlit fuel gauge, temperature gauge, speedometer, tachometer, LCD information screen, and a full feature audio system. The speedometer, tachometer, and other gauges and information are positioned well and easy to see with a quick glance downward onto the fairing console.

The saddlebags are integrated into the rear design via a color matched rear fender molding that make a smooth transition between the fender and bags. The seat on the Vaquero has a lower profile, tapered design. The seat height is 28.7” which is about ½ inch taller than my 2006 Nomad. The rear engine guards are a horizontal, flat design that goes along with the overall low profile image of the bike. The bike comes standard with footpegs for the passenger, but again, this bike off the showroom floor is aimed primarily at the solo rider. Don’t stop reading here though if you ride 2 up a large percentage of the time like I do. Kawasaki has some plans for us and the Vaquero too.

Let’s go back to the front of the bike. I must admit that I had not really consciously noticed the lower chin fairing on the front of the bike until I was making a closer personal inspection. I think the addition of the chin spoiler gives the bike a flavor of Kawasaki sport bikes and definitely gives this cruiser/bagger a sporty look. I again go back to the comparison to the late 60’s muscle cars that had bold and aggressive fronts ends with lower spoilers.

The engine has an integrated look to it with a black finish and some minor chrome/bright accents. The wheels, forks, tank cover, and air cleaner are all also finished in black giving the Vaquero a real custom look. The graphics on the 5.3 gallon fuel tank are very simple and use low contrast colors. Kawasaki’s intention here was to raise interest enough to make someone look just a little closer.

The bike comes powered with Kawasaki’s 1700cc (103.7 CID) V-twin with max torque reported at 108 ft. lbs @2750 rpm. The intake on all of the Kawasaki 1700’s for 2011 have a redesigned shape to increase volume, improve idle, and have a more constant throttle response. For the Vaquero only, a 2nd piston ring has been added for more durability. The 1700 is coupled with a 6 speed transmission and Kawasaki reports 1st gear has gone from a 40/13 (3.077) ratio to a 44/15 (2.933) ratio to reduce shift sound. Also on the Vaquero only, 3rd and 4th gears have a taller tooth profile for smoother torque transfer and reduced shift noise. The carbon fiber drive belt has been reduced from 28mm wide to 26mm to help reduce the possibility of any noise.

The stock exhaust has a new taper tip that goes along with the Vaqueros low look.

For comfort, the Vaquero has its frame mounted fairing, 45mm forks, air adjustable rear shocks, and an expanded rider area. The rear shocks are adjusted by way of air valves located under the seat and also have 4-way adjustable damping. The seat is a one-piece design with a low-slung look which comes already slotted for a driver backrest which Kawasaki plans to have available in the near future. The floor boards are positioned slightly forward comparable to the Nomad, and the seating position is similar to the Classic. Here is the Vaquero with the seat removed showing the air valves for the rear shocks.

A 36 Month Warranty comes standard on the Vaquero and the Good Times Protection Plan can be purchased for up to an additional 36 months giving an available 72 months of available warranty.

So what about folks like me that ride 2-up a lot? Kawasaki’s accessories department has been working on the Vaquero through the initial design as well. They will have quite a few accessories available immediately. To begin with, a quick release backrest to add to passenger comfort already has a video available on the Kawasaki website @ http://www.kawasaki.com/Products/product-specifications.aspx?id=495&scid=7 . A new wider gel seat for 30% added passenger seat coverage is also available for just under the $300 MSRP mark. Other accessories already available include luggage rack, passenger floorboards, headsets for intercom and entertainment, chrome engine cover trim, billet GPS mount, billet handlebar clamp, chrome saddlebag top rails, chrome saddlebag side rails, saddlebag liners, and a premium Vulcan custom fit cover. More accessories on the entertainment side include iPod connector kits, aux/mp3 Connector Kits, Sirius/XM satellite radio, CB Radio (however, as I understood it, right now you can have either satellite radio or CB, but 2nd generation will allow for both). Also available now is a larger, 6.5”, smoked wind deflector and clear windshields which come in 12”, 14”, 16”, and 18” lengths. Kawasaki’s “accessorized” bike at the press intro also had spotlights in place of the louvers on the fairing. Kawasaki is also working on several other accessories for future release like the driver backrest mentioned earlier.

So, let’s get to the ride and my impressions. I am comparing the Vaquero primarily against my 2006 Nomad which I have ridden since it was new. Before that, I rode smaller cruisers in the 1100cc range. I am around 6’4” with riding boots on with a long torso and about a 33” inseam so I sit very high in the saddle.

The first thing I noticed when I mounted the bike was how comfortable it was and how natural I felt on it. The seat was very comfortable to me and felt as though I was sitting down in it just slightly. There was a lot of lower back support from the design of the seat. While I am talking about the seat, I usually ride with a driver backrest and it was not until after the ride was over and I was having a discussion about accessories that it actually came to mind that I had ridden around 170 miles without a backrest.

The standard controls were pretty usual with the main switch in the middle just below the handlebars. The handlebars were at a very comfortable distance and angle with the seating position. As a side note, I have 4” risers on my Nomad to bring the bars back a little. On the left side you will find the normal signal switch along with the controls for the radio/entertainment/CB system. I found them to be easy to operate even with my bigger riding gloves on due to the 58degree high forecast for the day. On the right was the standard starter and kill switch along with the cruise control buttons. Again, these were easy to find and operate without distraction or taking my hand off of the bars once I learned where everything was located.

I fired the bike up and it was very smooth without much vibration through the chassis. The sound was that of a stock bike. It was not loud, but did have a nice sound at idle. On the road, the pipes do liven up a little when you call for some extra horses and give off a nice low rumble, but they are far from loud. At normal cruising speed, you hear a nice low sound also, but again, not very loud. Kawasaki claims that the new taper pipes reduce the db very slightly but I am not sure I was able to make a lot of distinction between these and the stock pipes on earlier Kawasaki’s of similar displacement. Those that want a louder sound will want to look into alternative pipes or modifications.

We rolled out of the parking lot and the first thing I noticed was how light this bike felt under me. Yes, I know it has a curb weight just under 836 lbs, but it really felt lighter than that. Then I started measuring up how I felt on the bike. In anticipation of my “next bike”, one of the things I have been looking for since Kawasaki went away from the Nomad 1600 design was a bike that did not make me feel cramped for space when I was on it. I felt like the 1700 Nomad and many other larger cruisers and touring bikes left me in a bit of tight riding posture but the Vaquero did not. The driver floorboards are moved forward about 30mm and with a seating position close to that of a Classic. I felt like I have room to spread out a little and my legs were not crowded. There was not as much room as I have on my 1600 Nomad, but it was very close.

It was a short distance of some stop-and-go riding in medium traffic until we reached some open road and I had become accustomed to the feel of the Vaquero. We came up to highway speed on some rural roads with some long sweeping curves. Approaching the first big curve I threw that bike into it like I normally do my Nomad and learned really fast that I did not need nearly the effort to get this bike to respond. Now the Nomad is not hard to ride in my opinion, but I could feel the Vaquero wanting to lean into the curve with very little effort from me. The bike tracked through the curves very nicely and felt very stable in the turns. The Vaquero has a little bit of a sport bike feel to it in my opinion. The word that kept coming to mind was “nimble”, especially for such a big bike.

Sitting as high as I do in the saddle was a bit of an issue for me with the stock wind deflector on. The wind hit me just about chest high. Riding down the interstate I felt like my helmet was trying to pull itself off of my head due to the fact that the wind was sweeping up from my chest under my helmet. If you are used to riding with no windshield and used to this much wind, this would probably not be as big of an issue for you. I do ride with a windshield and this was too much wind for me, so the Kawasaki folks offered to put on the 14” clear windshield on for me to try. This made a huge difference for couple of reasons. First, the wind was now being deflected up and over my helmet which made for a much more comfortable ride. The ride was even smoother now with no buffeting at all. The fairing and trim on the front of the bike did a nice job of keeping the wind from coming up from below my leg and knee area to cause any turbulence. Second, the sound from the entertainment system was audible at speed. Prior to installing the windshield, the audio was good up until the 50-55mph range and after that; the volume had to be increase close to maximum level in order to hear much at all. After installation of the windshield, the audio from the entertainment system was superb. In fact, many times I ride with earbuds in to listen to music on the open road, and I had to keep reminding myself that I was listening to music from the Vaquero’s fairing speakers because the sounds were so crisp and clear. I am sure that I would want a windshield on the bike for most rides that involved major distance or speed, but it is an easy transition to remove the windshield and put the short deflector back on for cruising in town. Here is a photo with the 14" clear windshield on:

The power of the Vaquero is more than the Nomad and it is more responsive and is very quick to accelerate when you twist the throttle. Kawasaki describes the power somewhere between the Nomad and the Classic. I felt comfortable cruising at a RPM range around 2500, which is just under the point where the Vaquero produced maximum torque (2750 rpm). This meant that I reserved 6th gear/overdrive for interstate speeds up around the 65-70mph range. A wide open throttle from a stopped or slow speed will require you to hold on pretty tight because this bike wants to go.

Bringing the Vaquero down from highway speeds was a snap. The dual front disc and single rear disc were able to stop the Vaquero without issue even under some simulated emergency stop situations.

Activating the cruise control is simple and easy with the controls on the right side grip position. The cruise can be activated and used at any speed between 30mph and 85mph and in any of the top four gears. There is a push button on/off switch and the cruise is set by moving a slide switch to the left with your thumb. The slide switch is also used to increase the cruise speed slightly when set by bumping it slightly to the right, or decreasing cruise speed by bumping it to the left. The cruise is deactivated by pulling the clutch in, activating the front or rear brakes, or twisting the throttle down past the full closed position. There was a slight surge when in 6th gear using cruise control and starting up inclines even at interstate speeds. This was nothing major but noticeable. I tried the cruise in similar terrain situations while in 5th gear and it operated very smooth. In either situation, the cruise control maintained a steady pace and it held its speed well.

The entertainment system can be controlled from the left side of the handlebar and easily reached with your thumb while your hand remains on the left side grip. The bike I was riding was equipped with Sirius/XM, Ipod, and of course AM/FM. Each worked well and it was easy to switch modes, channels, and adjust the volume without taking your attention away from the road. As I said earlier, I found the sound to be superb at slower speeds without the windshield. After the windshield was installed, the sound was great at any speed.

In my opinion, Kawasaki has a hit with the Vaquero and it will be a contender for today’s popular bagger market of cycles. I was really unable to find any negatives about the bike. The Vaquero is a big cruiser with an aggressive look and sporty feel. It also has a lot of the conveniences of a touring bike and accessories available to make it a nice 2up machine.

What would I add to the bike if I bought it today? Immediately, I would put a 14” or 16” clear windshield on because I do not like fighting all of that wind on my chest. I would keep the stock deflector handy to change out for short distance, lower speed cruising. I would add the quick-release passenger backrest and wider gel seat for my wife. Finally I would add the Sirius/XM option just because I am addicted to satellite radio. Eventually, I would change out the pipes for a louder exhaust sound, but that is personal preference. Many riders will love the quiet rumble offered by the stock pipes.

I have been wondering where I might look when I am ready to replace my 2006 Nomad because there was not much on the market with the drivers’ area big enough for me to feel comfortable, or the reliability that I have become accustomed to with Kawasaki. I looked at the new Nomad 1700, and while a very nice bike, it felt a little cramped for my size. There were really no other bikes on the market that had my interest or felt comfortable until now. I think I may have just found my next bike when it’s time to put the ’06 Nomad out to pasture.

Ride to eat lunch, eat lunch to ride.

2010-11-01T09:19:00.008-06:00

*I stole this blog post word for word from Kens blog. He's a better, more diligent, more creative blogger then I am, so check his blog out too! http://2mbstonestravels.blogspot.com/

Looking out on the deck Thursday Oct 28.
I get a text from Jared..."Friday weather is supposed to be good......"
Sounds good to me. time for a ride!

At Fish Haven, in Idaho there is a little place that makes a delicious sandwich. That will be our destination. We head north, leaving my house at 9:20 or so Friday morning.

Our route will be north to Ogden canyon, over the Mountain Green road, stop in to see the Monks at the Trappist Monestary, north on Monte Cristo scenic highway, left at Woodruff, Utah, through Randolph, past Bear Lake, to Fish Haven, Idaho.
A stop at a RR bridge for some pixs.

Jared's baby...but he has an even better looking baby at home and another one on the way!

The weather is pretty good, but just a bit nippy. Jared hasn't seen much of this area and I had a hankering for some of the Monks delicious jam.
The monastary is on a typical country road, not much traffic, but when we stopped to take this pic I saw a lady approaching in a mini van and that we would be blocking her. I started to hurry so as not to delay her any longer than necessary, but she rolled down her window and implored us to "take your time"... Then as I was snapping the picture, I could hear her (on her cell phone) explaining what was happening; 'I'm waiting for two guys on motorcycles to take a picture of their gorgeous bikes with the beautiful mountains and fall colors in the background'...etc Except her verbal explanation of the picture was so descriptive and eloquent I knew my feeble camera skills would not be able to match her portrayel of the scene. And I was right, but this is all I have.. :)
When we finally got out of her way, she wished us a safe ride and a good day. You meet the nicest people...in a mini van, it might have been a Honda...
http://www.4strokes.com/articles/honda/youmeet.asp

Jam purchased, a dime tour to the chapel given, and we're off again. We run into these fellows and a bunch of their friends a few miles later. Mid term elections are in a few days, I hope they aren't heading to the voting booth.

Jared enjoying the Monte Cristo curves.

Photo ops abound.

Smiley faces!!

Going down a hill toward Bear Lake.

It's a steep road and can be treacherous for big trucks.

This is a 20 mph (posted speed limit) corner at the bottom of the hill. The last time I was here I was coming the other direction and a Suzuki C 90 coming down the hill, crashed on this corner right in front of me. The guy wasn't hurt, 'cept his pride, the bike was a little beat up, it can be a tricky corner. You can see the truck run-a-way lane going up the hill.

Entering Idaho.

And we make it! I get a turkey avacodo concoction....wonderful!

We've spent more time getting here than we planned so we need to take a faster route home. Logan Canyon, past Brigham City, and onto the super slab should get us home in time.

Still in Logan Canyon.

Logan. The motor cops are out, I have twenty layers of clothes on, and they are in short sleeves.

Mountain shot from the freeway; there was LOTS of traffic, We had to watch the road.

A pic taken off the Legacy Highway, and I'm almost home. Sure glad Jared suggested we get out for a ride. The company, roads, and sandwich were all super!

Life is good.

Golden Gate Bridge

2010-09-24T10:22:00.006-06:00

I woke up at 5:30am with the goal to travel 800 miles, from Orem, Utah to The Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, California.

At 6:00am the air was cold and crisp at around 40 degrees. As I traveled across I-80, and the great salt flats, the sun began to rise and I began to finally wake up.

I arrived to Windover on fumes, and slightly concerned with my tripometer showing 186 miles. That was the longest, straight run on the Nomad that I have ever traveled. I'm sure glad that I didn't run out of gas on the first leg of my trip.

After leaving Windover it was all boring, hot, desert that I raced through, averaging 85-90mpg for about 400 miles.

When I arrived near Tahoe area, the temperature dropped back down to the 60s and the scenery considerably changed. It is amazing how beautiful and variegated America is.

I continued toward the bay area with caution as the traffic thickened and worsened.

As I was getting closer to the bridge, I notice a large, thick cloud of what I first thought was smoke. As I got closer I realized it was the thickest fog that I had ever seen. As I entered into the fog, visibility diminished to about 20 feet.

I only had about 40 mile until I reached the bridge, so I decided to carefully manage my way though the fog and traffic.

When I arrived to the bridge, I didn't even know it. My GPS told me that I was about 100 feet beside the bridge and in a perfect location for a picture, but I couldn't see a thing. I could hear the ocean and the traffic, but couldn't see anything. What a extreme disappointment.

I decided to stay there, in hopes that the ocean breeze would blow the fog away and that I might be able to see something in the morning.

The next day everything was completely soaked, but it never rained. The fog didn't dissipate, but instead it thickened. I slept in and waited until 10:00am to cross the bridge. As I motorcycled, water was beading up on my windshield and flying over me as if it was raining, but it wasn't! It was so foggy that as I was crossing the bridge I was barely able to see the sides of it!

After a disappointing morning I continued to ride down the coastline until I reached Ventura, my destination.

Jared M. Gant

KawaNOW Southwest Rally

2010-08-31T16:52:00.020-06:00

KawaNOW.org is a website and forum created by Robert Hilliard “Trip” back in June of 2007. It was created to bring Nomad riders together, hence the name Kawasaki Nomad Owners Worldwide.

Every year there is a rally, alternating between regional rallies and national rallies. This year we had regional rallies. The Southwest Region, including Utah, Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada, and California, decided to have their rally in Cortez, Colorado.

Mostly everyone showed up on Sunday afternoon, riding in from varies areas of the southwest, and even some from as far as Pennsylvania and Washington. The first evening was just a chance to relax and get to know everyone. As people were arriving and un-packing their bags, others were chatting and getting to know real names and faces instead of profile names and pictures.

After everyone arrived and was un-packed the group rode down to Blondie’s for dinner. The food was great, but the conversations were even better!
After Blondies, we came back to the hotel and situated chairs in front of our rooms and behind our bikes. It was an ideal location to just shoot the breeze, enjoy some drinks and talk bikes.

The next day, Monday, the group woke up and hit the road at 9:00 am. Destination…Arches National Park. Except for the 2 or 3 miles of construction and gravel that we had to ride through, it was a great 120 miles, through green lush farm country that drastically changed into Utah’s famous slick rock.

Driving through the 40 mile loop in the park we were able to see amazing red rock cliffs and giant panoramic arches. The area seemed so prehistoric and definitely something that everyone should try to see.

After the long ride to and throughout Arches we chowed down on a late lunch at the Moab MicroBrewery and then rode back to Cortez.

Because of the late lunch, the group decided to order a few pizzas late in the evening and just enjoy conversation and drinks.

Tuesday we left at 9:00 am to ride the famous Million Dollar Highway. The road took us through hair-pin twisties, next to 1000 foot drops, past waterfalls, under an avalanche guard, and up past 11,000 feet above sea level. The scenery was jaw dropping and the riding was peg scraping!

Lunch was great in Ridgway at Kate's Cafe. And except for the thousands of bicyclist that we had to dodge in town, the area was beautiful.

We took an alternative route back called Lizard Head Pass. It too was amazing scenery through the Great Rocky Mountains.

The evening ended with a nice dinner at Tequilas, raffle drawings and gifts. All those who attended donated money to a local charity in order to get a raffle ticket. Kawasaki donated several items to be given out as part of the raffle and then donated gift bags. Thanks Kawi!

Wednesday morning several of the riders had to depart early, so only half the group got to enjoy Monument Valley. The ride took us through 4 states, lots of desert, and out to see the incredible rock formations. In the middle of the afternoon a large wind storm blew in and threw dirt everywhere. We didn’t let that stop us from enjoying our ride.

The next morning, those who were left, took off in different directions.
I for one had an amazing time! It was definitely one of my favorite group events and I think everyone else also enjoyed it.

Jared M. Gant

A Friend in Need is a Friend in Deed

2010-08-31T16:36:00.006-06:00

Let me first start off by saying that I have owned three Kawasaki Motorcycles and they are incredibly reliable. One of the best parts of owning a motorcycle is the camaraderie that comes along with ownership. Shortly after purchasing my 2005 Nomad I joined a website/forum called KawaNOW. Forums like KawaNOW contain incredible amounts of information and generally encourage camaraderie and lasting friendships.

Stranded in Florida
In July of 2009 my wife and I took off on our very first cross country trip on a 2005 Kawasaki 1600 Nomad. We had taken several 2 or 3 day trips, but this cross country trip would be taking us over 6000 miles and through 16 states. Our plan was to camp and visit with family along the way while seeing as many scenic sites as time would permit.

One thing that was consistently on my mind while packing was, what’s going to happen if we get broken down, or if we have mechanical problems (which almost never happens)? I researched the internet and consulted my friends for the types of tools I should bring and I felt confident.

Just a few days prior to leaving, I was visiting KawaNOW.org and I noticed an emergency list. I read through it and noticed that there were several Nomad riders along the way who had listed themselves as being able to help out in an emergency situation. I printed off the list, folded it up, and packed it in my tool kit.
On our eighth day we got a flat tire. Luckily it was a day we were arriving at a family member’s house. I was going to call a tow truck and have the bike brought into a motorcycle shop, which would have hurt our trip budget, but before I got a chance, some of the members of KawaNOW found out about my situation and came to my rescue. With in just a short period of time, members were calling and offering to come help me. A member drove down to where we were (70 mile trip) to bring me a motorcycle jack. With the help of members, I was able to get my tire off, the bike repaired and back on the road in just a short amount of time.

Stranded in St. George
Last March me and two other friend towed (because of the SNOW) our bike to St. George, Utah, where we would be parking the truck and trailer at a family members Condo and riding out to Death Valley to spend a few days and riding back. We arrived to St. George late at night, unloaded the bikes and slept for the night. The next morning we packed the bikes up and took off. Before we hit the open road we stopped at a local diner for breakfast. After the meal we came out hopped on our bikes to take off. My bike wouldn’t start. At first I thought it was a dead battery. Did I leave my lights on, I was silently questioning to myself. I got the seat off in a matter of seconds and ran in across the street to an automotive store. They weren’t able to test it, but were able to point us in the right direction to a Kawasaki dealer. There dealer tested it and sold us a battery. Good things that all it was, right? Not so much. The new battery didn’t change anything.
I started yanking out all of the fuses as quickly as I could (my friends are waiting on my), but they all appeared to be in good condition. I asked my friends to go get the trailer and we’d bring the bike back to the Condo where I could work on it and try to catch up to them. I have worked on several bikes and feel comfortable with a wrench.

I got back to the Condo and made a few phone calls to some fellow Nomad riders to pick their brains and see if they had any good ideas. One of the friends posted the situation on the KawaNOW forum and within a matter of minutes I started getting phone calls offering advice. I tried everything that everyone could suggest, but to no ad vale.

It appeared as though the ignition had failed and one of the members came to my location and allows me to remove the ignition from his bike and test it on mine. With this provided no positive results I was at another lost. Not only was I not able to enjoy the ride out to Death Valley, but I was stranded in St. George with no way to get back home until the two returned from Death Valley.
The fellow Nomad rider, who allowed me to test his ignition, told me to take his bike. Now, where I’m from riding other people’s motorcycles is a no no. Only those you know very well would you ever trust with such a treasure.
I declined, but he insisted. Not only was he letting me take his bike, but he had found a local group that would be doing a day ride the following day and let them knows my situation and that I would be coming along with them.
I was completely blown away at this kindness!

The next day, I mounted someone else’s motorcycle, met up with an awesome group of riders and enjoyed an amazing ride through Zion National Park.
A friend in need is a friend in deed

I have motorcycled throughout the country and could give countless stories about friendly fellow riders. The instant camaraderie with motorcycling is one of the things that I enjoy most about it. I encourage you to be that friend who pulls over or goes out of your way to help. A friend in need is a friend in deed.

Kawasaki Nomad: House of Kolor, Kandy Apple Red

2010-01-23T14:09:00.006-07:00

The paint job is finally finished. I really enjoyed tackling this project, but doubt I will try something of this magnitude again anytime soon. I believe this is the only Kawasaki Nomad painted candy apple red.

A BIG thanks to Ori Martin for allowing me to use his paint booth, Travis Olsen for answering my hundreds of questions, and Jed Menlove for helping me spray the paint!

Nomad Make-over

2009-11-17T14:51:00.017-07:00

During my 2009 riding season, I toyed around with the idea of painting my bike. When the season started to slow down, and I didn't have any riding plans, I decided that I would post my bike for sale to see what would happen. My thoughts were that if I could sell it for what I was asking for, it would be worth it. If not, I would paint it and catch up on some maintenance. After 11 days, it sold.

I have ridden many different types of bikes (Honda-VTX 1300, VTX 1800, Fury, Gold Wing, Aero, Spirit, Rebel, Kawasaki- Nomad, 1600 classic, Mean Streak, Vulcan 2000, Vulcan 900, Vulcan 800, Harley V-rod, Sportster, Street Glide, Suzuki Boulevard C50, Yamaha Raider) and I feel that the Nomad is the best bike for my current riding style. After selling my 2005, I purchased a nicely accessorized, 2006 Nomad, with next to no miles on it, down in Phoenix. The color was green and silver. Although I got a lot of compliments on the colors, they weren't what I wanted and stock paint sucks!

My winter project is to redo my Nomad. I stripped off a few of the accessories that weren't what I wanted and sold them (1500 Nomad front fender tips, F&S luggage rack, Saddlebag strips, F&S tank bib). The things that I would like to do (I will update this post through out the winter as I accomplish these things) are:
-Re-paint the bike
-Add a clear fender protector
-Add a chrome inner engine cover (Done Dec. 2th)
-Add a chrome drive shaft cover (Done Nov. 20th)
-Add a Cobra luggage rack (Done Nov 2oth)
-Put studs and conchos on the pillion backrest
-Switch the non-studded Mustang seat with a studded one
-Add an open air intake system (Done Nov 5th)
-Make a lay-down license plate mount.
-Add lower bag rails (Done Nov 15th-$60)
-Make larger lower deflectors
-Add Vista Cruise control (Done Nov 2oth-$15)

Open air intake, and Reed Valve Coasters designed by Joe "Chuckster" Norris.

Stripped of all paintable parts

Drive shaft cover. Design for the vulcan 1500 and modified for the Nomad.

The tank's all ready for some paint.One of the challenging things that I will be doing to my bike is removing the brushed aluminum accents off the saddlebag doors and filling the indentions with a plastic filler. I really like how the smooth doors look below.

UPDATE 12-28-09
Several weeks have gone by and I haven't been able to do much work due to my schedule. I have the week off and I will hopefully be getting everything done. Today I sprayed the primer on the parts that had body work done

The fender came with a chrome trim. I really liked the way it looked but, since the previous owner didn't really do the research to find compatible trim, I was not able to find the same trim tips for the rear fender. I decided to remove the trim, weld the holes shut and fill them in. Eventually I might get the correct tips for my bike, but for the time being, I'll leave it how it is.
The original paint was a two-tone and I had to sand away the vinyl pinstripe. I was concerned that a little line might show where the pinstripe was, but luckily the primer is covering any trace of sanding.
The front fender is showing a line where the pinstripe was, so tomorrow I'll have to spend some time sanding it.
The doors originally had three aluminum stripes each. I wanted the doors to look smooth and clean, so I removed these. I had to fill the holes where the stripes were with an epoxy-type product (SEM 39767, Problem plastic repair) and then, afterward, filled and glazed the surface. It now looks as smooth as can be with no signs of the stripes.
12-29-2009

Today I finished spraying everything. I got to the shop bright and early and sanded down everything that I primed yesterday. The bike took a lot of work to sand because of all the little nooks and crannies. After I had the primer sanded, I sprayed one good coat of sealer over everything.

After the sealer dried, it was time for the base coat. BRIGHT METALLIC GOLD (Solar Gold BC 01)! My bike did not look its best in gold. I sprayed four coats of the House of Kolor Gold base. After the base dried, a friend of mine came and helped me spray five coats of House of Kolor KANDY APPLE RED KBC11. As soon as the red started to thicken I knew it was the right color. After that came three coats of clear (transtar) and I was done. It was a 13-hour work day, but I got all the painting done in one day, so I think it was worth it.

The pictures from a computer screen look like crap and don't do it any justice.
1-1-10
The bike is mostly put back together. I'm going to let the paint cure a little longer while I search for some sort of fender protector to put under the pillion seat before putting the seat back on. I really like how the bike looks when set up with the single seat and I don't want the pillion seat to leave marks on the fender.

The color turned out really cool. The candy has a definite pop that, unfortunately, you can't really see from the picture. When the bike is in the shade it looks like a dark, blood red and when it's in the direct sunlight, the gold and metallics pop through and it looks like a burnt orange.

Northwestern States Trip- Aug 2009

2009-11-01T00:44:00.016-06:00

Sorry, none of the picture in this post are in any order. Here's a link to a blog specifically for this trip. http://northwesternstatesmotorcycletrip2009.blogspot.com/

On August 20th myself and seven other friends loaded our bikes and hit the open road.

Red Wood National Park

Lehman Caves

Our campground also was local church...

Lassen National Forest

Push starting a F.I. Vulcan 2000 is not easy!

Redwood National Park

Watching the wind and kite surfers on the Columbia River

Mount St Helens National Park

The breath taking Oregon coast

Mount St Helens National Park

Oregon coast

Bike having problems at sea level

We made it 200 miles before the first flat

Waiting for the tow truck

To see the real blog for this trip, more pictures and more information go HERE

Jared M. Gant

www.kawanow.org

2009-10-29T17:26:00.008-06:00

Those who own a Nomad, or Vaquero need to visit www.kawanow.org. This website is specifically designed to give Kawasaki Nomad owners as much information as possible...all in one location. The forum is full of extremely knowledgeable people who are willing to help out.

Alpine Loop Scenic Byway

2009-10-22T10:36:00.004-06:00

This 20-mile drive winds through rugged alpine canyons of the Wasatch Range offering stupendous views of Mount Timpanogos and other glacier-carved peaks. The route follows Utah Hwy. 92 up American Fork Canyon and then continues through Uinta National Forest into Provo Canyon on U.S. 189. While you are there, you might want to stop and see Timpanogos Cave National Monument or Robert Redford's famous Sundance, which are both located along the route.

Although the Alpine Loop completely is paved, it is definitely narrower than most roads. Be careful for unexpected oncoming traffic.

Visitors must purchase a pass. A $6 is available and good for 3 days; a $12 pass is good for 7 days; there is also a $45 annual pass available. (www.utah.com)

HOW TO GET THERE:

Clockwise: From I-15 take exit 287 and go East on UT 92 through Highland and up American Fork Canyon. If you are coming from North Utah County you can instead go North on UT 146 (Pleasant Grove 1st East) through Pleasant Grove until it hits UT 92 at the mouth of the canyon.

Counter-clockwise: From I-15, take the Orem 8th North exit (exit 275) and go east. Once you cross State Street, migrate over to the left hand lane until you get to the mouth of Provo Canyon. There the road will split, and you want to take the left fork up the canyon. From Provo or Orem, take University Avenue North until it goes up the canyon. Watch for the turn for state route 92 on the left, marked for Sundance, etc. Ride up the canyon past Sundance and Robert Redford's house, and the road will start getting steep and twisty. It will take you back down the other side, then past a bunch of campsites to the mouth of American Fork canyon. There you can take UT 146 towards Pleasant Grove and State Street, or keep going straight past Highland to I-15.

MY THOUGHTS: 7.5/10

This is a very common road for sight seers. There is a lot to see and do throughout this route (Timpanogos Caves, Cascade Springs, Sundance and Mt. Timpanogos). For this reason I give it a 7.5/10. It is a fun road, with lots of twisties, but there is a lot of traffic, the road is narrow, and the shoulder drops of about 10"(I have personally seen 2 accidents because of the high shoulder).

The best time to ride the Alpine Loop in October when the leaves are changing colors (and on the road).

Nebo Loop Scenic Byway

2009-10-20T13:55:00.010-06:00

This byway crosses the Uinta National Forest between the cities of Nephi and Payson. It climbs to over 9,000 feet in elevation and provides breathtaking views of Utah valley, the Wasatch Mountains and 11,928-foot Mount Nebo, the tallest mountain in the Wasatch Range.

The Nebo Loop Byway is a motorcyclist's dream with many overlooks. The brilliant fall foliage of the Uinta National Forest is hard to match anywhere in the nation.

Along the byway, numerous campgrounds, trail systems and popular horseback riding areas are available for exploration. A unique scenic feature is the Devil’s Kitchen Geologic Interest Site with picnic facilities, a paved trail and observation deck. The spectacular red color of this amphitheater, with its many spires reminiscent of Bryce, is a brilliant contrast to the mountain greenery surrounding it. The eroded sandstone formation’s startling red color adds contrast to the mountain greenery found through the rest of the byway.

The Payson Lakes Recreation Area, 12 miles south of Payson, offers hiking on paved trails, improved picnic areas, camping and excellent fishing. This byway also provides backcountry trail access into the Mount Nebo Wilderness Area.

The 38-mile byway takes about 1½ hours to complete. It is closed in the winter. (Info taken from www.utah.com)

HOW TO FIND IT

From I-15, take the Nephi exit (exit 225) and go East on State Route 132. About 4.9 miles from I-15 turn left onto a conspicuously marked Nebo Loop road. Follow the main road until you come back down from the mountains into Payson on 600 East. Turn left onto 100 North.

If you are headed north, then turn right at the Main Street light and hit I-15 at exit 254.

If you are headed south, you can, of course, proceed as above and head south from exit 254 or go through the Main Street light and follow the street around to the left until you reach the Texaco and 800 North (which was not marked as such at this writing), at which point you can turn right onto 800 North and proceed to I-15 at exit 252.

MY OPINION:

On a scale of 1-10, I'd rate Nebo Loop an 8.5. It is great for an after-work leisure ride or for an intense, peg-scraping ride. A word of caution-- watch out for cows! This is a free-roaming area and often times they are on the road. Ride safe, have fun and keep the rubber side down!

Riding on the Dark Side

2009-10-11T21:30:00.018-06:00

The "Dark Side" is a semi controversial topic among bikers. It is when a rear motorcycle tire is replaced with a car tire. The most common reasons for doing this are cost and durability. A good motorcycle tire is about $180 and on a bigger cruiser it might only last 8,000 miles. A car tire cost $75 and can last 35,000 or more. In May 2009, prior to taking a 6,000 mile trip back east, and after doing a lot of research on the topic, I decided I would give it a try. I purchased a Dunlop SP5000 car tire, which was the most common tire for my motorcycle, and I had it mounted. I have since ridden 16,000 miles on the tire, through all imaginable type roads, and I love it. I have zero regrets and don't plan on leaving the Dark Side anytime soon.

Here are just a few links to information about the Dark Side

http://darkside.nwff.info/
http://www.valkyrieriders.com/shoptalk/CarTire/home.htm
http://forums.delphiforums.com/DarkSiding/start
http://lifeisaroad.com/stories/2004/10/27/theDarkSide.html
http://www.tomfranken.com/Darkside/Default.htm

If you have any sincere question about the topic, I'd be more than happy to answer them.

UPDATE: 3/26/11- 30,000 miles later I finally wore my first car tire! I still love it and don't see a reason to go back! I just purchased my second Dunlop SP 5000.

I've had several people asking me about slow speed handling. Here's a video I made showing that it's not a problem.

Jared M. Gant

Utah Motorcyclists on Facebook

2009-10-08T13:57:00.011-06:00

In the spring of '08 I was looking for a local group of riders that I could ride with. I didn't want to have to deal with any obligations or fees. I didn't want it to be brand- or style-specific. I couldn't find anything of that sort, so I started a group on facebook called "Utah Motorcyclists". Since that time it has become relatively popular with around 300 members, and is growing. I haven't been able to do as many activities as I would like, but the few that we have done have been fun.

Here's a link to the page: http://www.facebook.com/share.php?appid=2530096808&src=box&tid=22386784576&u=http%3A%2F%2Futahmotorcyclist.blogspot.com%2F#/group.php?gid=22386784576

The Ultimate Baffles

2009-10-08T13:48:00.007-06:00

My Nomad came with the Vance and Hines Dually exhaust. Although they looked awesome, I was not satisfied with their sound. To me they sounded tinny and not very loud, and I wanted a low thudding sound. I did some research online, trying to figure out if others had the same complaint, and, to my surprise, there were several forum threads started for this specific reason. A machinist on the KawaNow.org forum shared his design with me, and after contacting my cousin who is a machinist, we tackled the project. They turned out great and the exhaust sound is incredible. I get compliments everywhere I go about the sound of my bike.

Jared M. Gant

Mustang seat, tank bib, saddlebag chaps

2009-10-01T15:45:00.003-06:00

The previous owner had kicked the top of the bag and left several deep scratches that I couldn't polish out, so I made these saddlebag chaps and the bib from scratch--similar to how I made the backrest for the 900 (see older post).

Also, I knew how much I love the mustang seat on my 900, so I purchase one for my nomad. I upgraded by purchasing one with a backrest. I can ride all day in this seat!

Picking up my 2005 Kawasaki Nomad 1600

2009-10-01T15:35:00.003-06:00

Picked up the new Nomad in Phoenix AZ. This was my first time strapping a bike down in a trailer but it ended up being a lot easier than I thought it would be.

The 900 sold in 11 day for $6800

2009-10-01T15:29:00.003-06:00

This is how my 900 looked when she sold.

SOME accessories added were:
Mustang touring seat
Cobra Backrest
Cobra luggage rack
Cobra Engine guard
Cobra Passenger floorboards
Cobra Speedster exhaust
Kury Iso grips
Kury Highway pegs
Memphis Shade shield
Fiamm Car horn
Leatherlyke saddlebags
V2K wide bars

Last long ride on the 900

2009-10-01T15:16:00.001-06:00

The last long ride I was able to make on my 900 was to Lake Powell and back. It was a long day but through some beautiful parts of this state. Without the addition of a Mustang seat and proper gear, I don't think I would have been able to make it. We traveled approximately 600 miles along with winterizing a boat.

Cheap or free mods

2009-10-01T14:56:00.002-06:00

1. Rear license plate relocation.
Just move it up over the reflector...it looks much better and it's a free mod.
2. Grip upgrade.
The hardest part of this upgrade is choosing the adhesive. I used silicone.
(The Kuryakyn grips are my personal favorite.)
3. De-badging.
Another freebie. It just takes a little elbow grease.
(Great sleek look if you have a single tone paint job.)
4. De-baffle the stock exhaust.
This can be complicated but it's well worth the time.
5. Reflector removal.
I was mixed on this one. I was concerned about the safety side of it, but I hardly ride at night so off they came. A definate improvement....especially to the forks.
(I've done this mod and it looks good, but be warned, the reflectors are there for a reason.)
6. Mirrors.
You can't beat the visabilty of the stockers, but a nice billet mirror looks great. You can pick up a nice set from $25-$50 usually. Watch out for plastics. Some mirrors have billet brackets but plastic heads...others have plastic mirror glass.
(You can also just rotate the mirror 180 degrees and it gives it a slightly more sleek and inline look.)
7. Air cleaner cover.
This is a simple mod that really changes things. Just find an "air cleaner insert" for an Evo Harley and install it on top of your cover. I've bought 2 from eBay from around $20.00 each. I also posted a thread on the mod in the cruiser section.
(I never did this but if I still owned the 900, I would have.)
8. License plate frame.
I can't believe how many bikes I see that just have a plate bolted on. A nice chrome frame really adds to the rear of the bike. I picked one up at Wal-Mart.
(I payed $5 for mine)
9. Redneck intake mod
The stock intake is very restrictive. Remove the bock and drill holes behind the filter.
(This was free and provided a huge performance increase!)
10. FIAMM Horn
The stock 900 horn sucks. Upgrade to a Napa Fiamm horn.
(Only cost me $12)

Crankcase Breather

2009-10-01T14:49:00.001-06:00

For those of you who have opened your air intake box, you've probably noticed that it had some oil drip/pour out. I have seen anywhere from a teaspoon to 1/2 cup of oil in air boxes. This is normal. It's just oil vapors from the crankcase ventilation system. The crankcase is connected to the air-box/breather so the fumes get re burnt and not vented to the air. Some oil will collect in the cover and not stay a vapor.

If you want to help your air filter last longer, and if you don't want the oil vapors to be re burnt, you can add a crankcase breather.

On the 900 it is very simple. Remove the coil cover on the left side. Disconnect the tubing from the back of the air box and Rotate it, keeping it attached to the crank case (approx 90 degrees). Attach a breather--you can either leave it straight up, supported by the tubing, or mount it to the bike like I have.

Crankcase breathers can be purchased online or at any auto parts store. They cost around $8-$15.

Vegas and Zion with a Harley V-Rod

2009-10-01T14:37:00.001-06:00

Travis (My Bro) flew in from Florida and rented a Harley Davison V-Rod. (Ol Blue)

The traffic and heat in Vegas was almost unbearable.
You can't go to Vegas without riding a few rides. We also saw the Beatles Live show.

The next morning we came back driving though Zion National Park.

Making a new, matching backrest

2009-10-01T14:27:00.002-06:00

After purchasing my mustang seat I wanted a studded backrest to match. The backrest that I had had a small hole in it so instead of just studding it, I decided to make one from scratch. I also found an old cookie sheet that I cut and sanded to clean up the back of the pad.

Brynne's first long trip.......MOAB, ARCHES, AND CANYON LANDS

2009-10-01T14:19:00.001-06:00

Brynne and I had been wanting to take a longer trip on the bike, but we weren't sure how far we could go. We decided to go to moab. Both of us enjoyed the trip and it opened our eyes and help us realize that we could travel a lot farther.

Mustang seat for a Vulcan 900

2009-10-01T14:12:00.002-06:00

This should have been my first modification! The Mustang seat provided all the form and comfort that I had bee looking for. I did rise and move me about an 1" forward compared to the stock seat. I had been considering buying pullback risers and the seat moved me right to where I needed to be.

Vulcan 900: Cobra VS Road House Exhausts

2009-10-01T13:45:00.003-06:00

I first modified the stock exhaust, then I purchased the Cobra Speedster Slashdowns, and then I went with the Road House 2 into 1. After only a short period of time I went back to the Cobras because the RH pipes were too quite for my taste.

The debaffled stock pipes weren't loud enough
The RH looked AWESOME but weren't loud enough.
The cobras were LOUD!

Road House

Cobra

After a LONG winter!!!

2009-10-01T13:16:00.003-06:00

Cobra engine guard, Memphis Fats shield, Kuryakyn grips and pegs

2009-10-01T12:57:00.002-06:00

The next mods that I added were a Memphis Shades FATS shield, Cobra engine guard, and Kuryakyn grips and highway pegs.

First three accessories - Cobra backrest, Cobra luggage rack, and Leatherlyke saddlebags

2009-10-01T12:30:00.003-06:00

The first three accessories that I purchased were a Cobra Standard backrest (part #02-5468), Cobra formed luggage rack (part #02-3601), and the LeatherLyke Saddlebags (part #t429)
http://cobrausa.com/access_detail.php?model_id=104&make_id=3&category_id=18&product_id=2072
http://cobrausa.com/access_detail.php?model_id=104&make_id=3&category_id=18&product_id=2154
http://leatherlyke.com/stores/showdetl.cfm?&DID=13&Product_ID=73&CATID=3

How the madness all began

2009-10-01T09:56:00.005-06:00

I had always wanted a motorcycle. I mentioned to several friends and to my girl friend that when I was able to get a bike, I was going to. They insisted that I was buying my death. Two months after getting married I purchased a 2005 Honda Rebel 250. It was cheap, and at the time gas was $3.50 per gallon and rising quickly. I kept the Rebel for 6 months and during that time I put 4500 miles on it. I realized very quickly that the 250 was not going to be sufficient and that I would need to upgrade. I had no idea at the time, what type of madness I had began.