Picture Of The Month! The Beauty of Finland (Click Image for a Larger View)

Every month customers send us killer photos and I see no reason to keep them to myself so what better way to say thanks for sharing than to post them in this Picture of the Month spot..

Our May POTM was contributed by our good buddy, Jukka Reipas .. This spectacular shot was taken in 2008 in Vihti, a small town located some 40 miles away from Helsinki, Finland. Kiitos Sinulle, Jukka.

If you would like to contribute your own"worthy" shot for our newsletter, here's what I'll need. First.. just email me 1 or 2 of your best digital shots. It'll need to be at least 800x600 in size or larger and preferably A. Of a BMW K1200S, K1200RS, K1200R, R Sport, or any model year K1200GT and B. In focus.

Now Big Brother Is F#@*ing With Our Kids: Another Nail In Our Coffin: Part Four

My first experience on two wheels was on a ratty 50cc mini-bike back in 1965. The little sucker was death trap, I admit. The brakes were poor, sometimes the throttle stuck wide open, and more than once it caught fire while I was actually riding it. It was waaay too fast for a 10 year old and I knew nothing about safety gear yet for whatever reason.. my parents trusted me not to kill myself and I didn't let them down. They had faith in me. If I fell off it.. I'd learn from the experience. The 2 years I owned that thing were 2 of the happiest years in my life and probably set the tone for my future. I learned independence and responsibility and I learned to love the feeling of the wind in my face and a hot exhaust burning skin off my leg. ..IMHO..joys every youngster should experience on their journey into adulthood..

On August 14, 2008, Congress, in all it's wisdom, enacted the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 (CPSIA or Act). The Act was primarily in reaction to the recent influx of foreign made lead-tainted toys that resulted in numerous recalls and significant public outcry for more stringent government standards. Unfortunately, apparently in the subtext of the bill is a Sales Ban on Children's Motorcycles Containing Lead. Geezz.. I guess the mighty AMA was vacationing that day? How could they let this happen?

The CPSIA requires manufacturers of “Children’s Products,” defined as those products designed or intended primarily for children 12 years of age or younger, to meet increasingly stringent lead paint and lead content standards and to certify, based on third party testing, that the products meet the Act’s requirements. Products that fail to comply with the prescribed lead limits are considered a “banned hazardous substance” and cannot be sold or offered for sale.

The language of the Congressional Act is broad enough to encompass motorcycles containing lead in "substrate material" over 600ppm, which would impact certain motorcycles and ATVs even though paint on those models contains lead within acceptable limits. The ban would seemingly encompass any motorcycle or ATV "designed or intended primarily for children 12 years of age or younger." Violation of the prescribed limits can result in severe civil fines of $1000 per violation and/or criminal penalties. In fact, under the terms of the recently passed bill, dealers cannot even display these models on their showroom floor, distribute brochures, or advertise them on their website.

What all of this means, my friends is that without Congressional action to reverse this decision-- you will not be able to buy your child a small bike or ATV to learn to ride on. Aren't you glad the politicians are looking our for your best interests? They obviously believe that YOU are a moron and incapable of making crucial decisions as to what your child can or can not do. I hope you remember this come next election time. Lastly.. for those of you who are members and pay dues to the toothless AMA ..I'd suggest a sternly worded letter directed at it's directors asking how they could let this bill pass.. If it were me.. I'd be asking for my dues money back as obviously they were asleep at the wheel. My 2 doubloons. .

Product Review: EarFuze Custom Earphones

After the debacle which was my recent purchase (and return) of a pair of $200 custom made earplugs (story in our April Newsletter) it came as a welcome surprise when somebody recently turned me on to EarFuze Custom Earphones. After checking out their website I ordered a pair. At $35 they certainly looked like a viable, inexpensive alternative to high dollar custom ear plugs. In the EarFuze ads they say.. "Superb Sound!" and "Unmatched Comfort!" and "Won't Shift or Fall Out! I'd put those claims to the task..

EarFuze uses a 3 step system that enables the user to create a permanent pair of custom-fitted earphones in only minutes. Basically.. 1.You insert the the speakers into your ear canals.. 2. Mix the 2-part soft putty that comes in the kit. 3. Insert the mixed ear mold material into the ear, press into shape, leave for 15 minutes until it hardens and that's it.. Custom plugs. Sounds almost too easy, doesn't it? Well.. it was. I had Amber help me and it was easier than we thought.

On the road ..I quickly ascertain the plus's and minus's of the EarFuze Custom Earphones. First.. they are not as quiet as either custom made ear plugs or foam plugs as far as wind noise suppression. This is probably due to the fact that the actual rubber speakers are just stuck in the ear.. NOT molded into the canal like either custom plugs or even foam. But what do you expect at 1/5 the cost? If Hearos foam ear plugs rate a 10 on wind noise reduction and custom made earplugs rate an 8, I'd give the EarFuze product a 6. Not good.

Product Review: Park-n-Move™

I was recently contacted by my good buddy, Aaron at Legal Speeding.com (makers of the HARD) with news of his latest new product.. the Park-n-Move. At first it didn't sound like something I'd need or want as I'm kinda used to moving my 3 bikes around the shop for various pagan rituals, procedures, or rides. No idea if my customers would be interested, but I try to keep an open mind. He offered to send me a demo unit for testing and I accepted. Four days later I was in my shop putting it together. Sweet!

Prior to assembly, I watched all his very informative on-line instruction videos as if I was watching porn for the first time.. .except without the drooling or erections.. Taking it all in so I'd know what to do.. and what not to do once I had the opportunity to use it. Assembly took all of 4-5 minutes. The PnM is such a simple, ingenious design that I was kicking myself thinking.. "Damn.. I wish I'd thought of this." Every time I use a Baxley Chock (which has sold about 10 trillion units and made a gazillion dollars) .. I feel the same way, but... I digress... Where was I? O, yea..

Of my 3 bikes, only my 2006 BMW K1200S has a centerstand so I slid the PnM under her and quickly learned that the Park-n-Move will NOT work properly with a 190 series or wider tire. F@%*! Rather than blow off my product review, I figured out a way to actually get the K1200S on the PnM (not easy and not recommended) for evaluation purposes.

At first I was tentative not knowing how secure the bike would be on the PnM, but those fears quickly faded as I saw that not only was the bike rock solid, but it looked like it would actually be hard to knock the bike off it even if you tried. I rolled the bike around the shop and was instantly amazed at how good this device really is. This is one valuable shop tool and if it actually worked well with the bike..I would have gladly paid to keep it.

While the current PnM is, IMHO, another "must have" for anyone's shop .. the 2 prerequisites are...A. Your bike must have a centerstand and B. Your tire must be 180 series or smaller. The PnM is a hell of a product.. worthy of the Motorcycle Consumer News' "Innovation of the Month" award it won recently.

Follow-Up: As I said...the current Park-n-Move will NOT work on bikes with a 190 series or wider tire. That means it will NOT work with the BMW K1200S, K1300S, K1200R, K1300R, K1200R Sport. or HP2 Sport.. The good news is... a wider version PnM is in production that will accommodate tires up to a 210. We should have those on the menu by June 1st and I'll be first in line to buy one.

Product Review: Laser Stealth HotCam 2 Slip-Ons

While the sound of the stock BMW K1200S isn't half bad, the massive torpedo-like canister is a visual abomination and probably violates the Geneva convention. Leave it to the Germans to come up with something so visually challenged.

The first thing I did when I bought my 2006 K1200S a few years ago (besides crying about the ugly tail light which is also an abomination) was to toss the factory canister for an aftermarket. HP was not a concern or I would have gone with the Staintune as it's the only one on the market that adds a full 10 extra ponies.. No.. I wanted something sleek, dark, and sexy. As I had just about every brand in stock, I tried 6 different slip-ons to see which one looked the best with my new paint. I settled on the attractive Remus Carbon Fiber Oval Revolution for a while then switched over to what I think is the sleekest, sexiest K1200S slip-on available.. the Remus Black Powercone when it became available. It looks like nothing else.. it's exotic and it's very light at only 5lbs 4oz...The only downside of the Powercone is that it's the loudest on the market. Not obnoxiously loud, but close. For the last 2 years I've let my visual desires overrule my aural cravings just so I could have the best looking canister on the market.. All this time I've been waiting for an alternative. A slip-on that is every bit as sexy yet .. civilized.

The Good: The Laser Stealth HotCam2 comes in carbon fiber only and damn if it doesn't look good up close. I've seen and owned many carbon fiber canisters through the years. I have a CF Akropovic on my R1 and a CF QuatD on my Ducati, but the Laser carbon finish is the best I've seen hands down. The finish is smooth and deep as if it's got 3 layers of clear coat on top of the carbon material. Honestly.. it's impressive. The kit comes with an optional Silver & Black Laser decal. Use it or not. The connector piece (pic below right) is average and comparable to everything else on the market. I weighed the system on my shop scales and it's only 5lbs 7oz. complete. That's light. If you follow the well written instructions you'll have it on the bike in about 10 minutes. I generally don't like hex shaped canisters as I kinda think it's a fad or perhaps I'm just old school, but this one looks damn nice. Canister length (with end cap) is 20 3/4". You can compare that figure with the slip-on comparo chart I did in our April 2006 Cheesy Newsletter.

As for the sound.. ahh... just what I had hoped for. It's perfect.With the silencer in, it's just what the doctor ordered. Deep and throaty. I think that's the way I'll run mine for a while. It's a nice change from the small-animal-scaring Powercone. FYI.. I haven't taken the silencer out. No need to. Happy at last.

The Enigma: For reasons that I can't fathom, the furnished Laser hanger positions the canister at a weird, cocked angle. (pic at right) What the f#@*? This may or may not bother some, but it bugged the s#*t out of me and there's no way I could live with it. So what to do? Well.. as fate would have it, I sold a Stealth HotCam 2 to a guy a week before (who also hated the angle) and he designed a custom hanger that resolves the issue nicely. He made one for me and it corrected the angle to my anal satisfaction. Looks perfect now. Now ask me how it's hangin!! He's even selling the custom hangers to anyone who asks for about $20 + shipping. . Email me for contact info.

Ahh.. but the review doesn't end there, my friends. Lets insert a little drama.. As a vendor selling their product and as a customer with their product on my bike, I felt it was my duty to question the odd angle with Laser and offer some advice.. I furnished photos, showed them the simple custom bracket, offered pics showing the vastly improved look, and suggested they look into furnishing a similar hanger as they'd be cheap to produce and probably stifle possible customer complaints down the road. I told them that IMHO.. some.. many.. most people might prefer a more "visually correct" angle.

Not only did they NOT appreciate my idea, they freaked out with all kinds of warnings. This is the response I got (edited for saliva slinging content).."Your bracket idea is so wrong. When the Laser Stealth is installed correctly the integrity of the mount is guaranteed. It also looks better as it is canted inward. If you mount it differently - Neither Laser nor Foster RAD want to be part of any alternative design.. Laser R&D guarantees the stock CF clamp failure ONLY when used with the furnished hanger. Your customers should  understand this and the liabilities that you would be exposed to if a clamp breaks. These clamps are designed for the angle intended. May your family members all drown in lakes of blood ." O, well. So much for sharing my insightful ideas for making the world a better place to live. I told Laser I'd put a disclaimer on my website stating that if a customer modifies anything or adds a custom hanger Laser, FosterRad, nor I are responsible, but that's all I'd do. I would continue to offer information as to where a customer could purchase the custom hanger.. Personally.. I think Laser screwed up and I told them so. I wonder if they look at the leaning tower of Pisa and see anything wrong with that?