BMW Recalls 2008 F650GS Motorcycles for Brake Disc Fastener Defect

BMW has issued a recall of certain 2008 F650GS motorcycles.

Due to production and assembly tolerances, the length of one or more of the front brake disc fasteners may be insufficient. If the length of a fastener was insufficient, this could result in the fastener not being tightened according to specifications. If this happened, the fastener could work loose from its threads. In some cases involving multiple fasteners, the brake disc could loosen, increasing the risk of a crash.

373 units are affected.

Check out my Motorcycle Recalls feature for more details.

BMW Recalls 2008 F650GS and F800GS Motorcycles for Chain Sprocket Problem

BMW has issued a recall of certain 2008 F650GS and F800GS motorcycles.

The tightening of the chain sprocket fasteners may have resulted in various levels of torque being applied. It is possible for the fasteners to work loose from the sprocket, increasing the risk of a crash.

509 units are affected.

Check out my Motorcycle Recalls feature for more details.

Mr. Motorcycle's word challenge game

I have a challenge for you.

Rules of the game. I pick the word, you get to tie that word into motorcycles in as few words as possible. The most creative one in fewest words wins bragging rights.

The word is Potato.

I'll go first since it's my blog.

"The sound a Harley makes while idling is Potato, Potato, Potato. "

(Of course I picked the easy obvious one! It's my game!)
However, this most likely guarantees me no bragging rights.

I'll do a poll on the best one after some entries are done in comments.

You'll have three days starting tomorrow morning.

Good Luck!!!!!

Triumph Recalls 2008 Rocket III Touring Motorcycle for Pannier Rail Weld Defect

Triumph has issued a recall of certain 2008 Rocket III Touring motorcycles.

There could be a missing weld on the back of the pannier rail. The pannier rail may, after time, be weakened leading to a full fracture of the rail and possible loss of pannier and rail from the motorcycle, increasing the risk of a crash.

8 units are affected.

Check out my Motorcycle Recalls feature for more details.

Top 10 Motorcycle Pictures of the Year 2008 from Motorcycle Views

The top ten motorcycle pictures were picked from pictures submitted to Motorcycle Views in 2008. The pictures are not ordered. They include three pictures of women on motorcycles, four pictures of men on motorcycles, and three pictures of motorcycles only.

The pictures were chosen for a variety of reasons. I looked at each picture, read each description, and picked those pictures that held my interest.

Check out the Top 10 Pictures for 2008.

Hope your holiday's were filled with cheer!

I hope you all had a wonderful holiday experience. I am truly blessed, and can say that I have nothing more that I could ever want, (except some not so important materialistic things) of course!

Seeing as I don't post pictures of my wife or kids, I'll share a couple of Christmas pictures of the cats and dog.

I don't have pictures with cats and their new mice, 'cause, well, they get them every year. I do have a few good ones though.

Can you find Beethoven the cat in this picture?


How about now?


(Wolfie on lower step, Beethoven on upper step)
Did anyone say Cheese????


Cy's new walkin boots (first time on his feet).
Doesn't look too happy does he???


Cy's new hedge hog


Cy's new moose


It was a joyous day with friends and family.
I hope yours was as well.

Harley-Davidson Guarantees Sportster Trade-in Value

Even in these tough economic times, Harley-Davidson has found a way to lure more customers into their showroom: Allow trade-ins at the original sale price.

Harley has a plan to allow their customers who have already purchased a recent Sportster to trade it in on a larger model but essentially cancel the depreciation on the Sportster. Here's an excerpt from an article by Rick Barrett of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:

"Harley-Davidson Inc. (HOG) has announced a new motorcycle purchase program that guarantees the trade-in value of a Sportster when traded for one of the company's more expensive bikes.



Harley riders who either buy a new Sportster or trade in their recently purchased Sportster between Dec. 26 and March 31 will get the bike's original manufacturer's suggested retail price when they trade up to one of Harley's Big Twin or VRSC motorcycles." -- Rick Barrett, Milwaukee, Wisconsin Journal Sentinel

Read the complete story.

cool art that I came across

It's called The Motor Lisa

Harley-Davidson Recalls 2009 FXD, FXDB, FXDC, FXDF, and FXDL Motorcycles for Jiffy Stand Defect

Harley-Davidson has issued a recall of certain 2009 FXD, FXDB, FXDC, FXDF, and FXDL motorcycles.

The jiffy stand spring anchor may have been built with a defective weld that may allow the jiffy stand assembly to not retract as intended. This condition could lead to a crash which could cause injury or death to the rider.

3285 units are affected.

Check out my Motorcycle Recalls feature for more details.

winter project

It's cold outside in Minnesota. Too cold to ride up here in the Great Northwest, so I started a Red Neck project trike.



Just kidding. A friend of mine passed this along.
This is one of the strangest trikes yet.

Biker joke

The Sensitive Biker

Tara and a few of her friends decide to step out of the box. Instead of their usual meeting place, they decide to spice up the night and try going somewhere different. They choose a local biker bar in Charming, named Road Grits. They are all fairly prim and proper and completely out of their comfort zones. Most certainly not the biker type of gals.

Tara ends up sitting next to Jax, one of the bar's locals. They talk...they connect....they end up leaving together.

They get back to Jax's place, and he shows her around his apartment. She notices that one wall of his bedroom is completely filled with soft, sweet, cuddly teddy bears.

There are three shelves in the bedroom with hundreds and hundreds of cute, cuddly teddy bears carefully placed
in rows, covering the entire wall! It was obvious that he had taken quite some time to lovingly arrange them and she was immediately touched by the amount of thought he had put into organizing the display.

There were small bears all along the bottom shelf, medium-sized bears covering the length of the middle shelf, and huge, enormous bears running all the way along the top shelf.

She found it strange for a biker to have such a large collection of teddy bears.Although, completely drawn to his rebel side, she is quite impressed by his sensitive side as well.

They have a few drinks and continue talking. After awhile, She finds herself thinking, 'Oh my God! Maybe, this guy could be the one! Maybe he could be the future father of my children?'

She turns to him and kisses him lightly on the lips. He responds warmly.

They continue to kiss, the passion builds, and he romantically lifts her in his arms and carries her into his bedroom where they rip off each others clothes and have hot, steamy sex.

She's more overwhelmed with passion than she has ever known before.

After an intense, explosive night together with this sensitive guy, they are lying there together in the afterglow. Tara rolls over, gently strokes Jax's chest and asks coyly, 'Well, how was it?'

He gently smiles at her, strokes her cheek, looks deeply into her eyes, and says:


'Help yourself to any prize from the middle shelf before you let your self out'

Awesome artwork you must see...

I try not to post more than once a day because I often don't have enough material to post once every day. Today is different. I can't wait to share this with readers who might not catch this good blog I regularly read myself. I just popped over to Forty Years On Two Wheels, a noteworthy moto-blog, and read Doug Klassen's post about A Babe in the blogging Woods. I've noticed on Doug's blog that in the side bar he has a photo of a most spectacular water color painting of a motorcycle.


original watercolor painting by Debbie Klassen

I've seen it many times before, and studied it. The first time I laid eyes on it, I was in awe of how that much detail could be done with watercolor. From a distance, it looks airbrushed. I'm an artsy fartsy kind of fellow myself, and this kind of quality does not go unrecognized. Too bad that before today, I never noticed the link below the photo on Doug's blog. Salt and Light Studio Fine Art watercolor. Hell, until today's post on Doug's blog I never even knew his wife was the fine artist of the painting that I so many times have drooled over. Her name is Debbie Klassen. She's a great painter of high caliber in my opinion. If you like art, and you like motorcycles, go check it out! She obviously paints more than just motorcycles, but her husband Doug has a great passion for them, and She is recently sharing a love for a Honda Ruckus herself. Rumor has it she is starting her own blog. I look forward to seeing what she might have to say!

Aim High. What's the worst that could happen?

Dedicated to my Nutso off-road blogger buddy Tony.

This is not so much of a balze of glory but a Wholly Sh*t moment!

Change is good for the soul.

Off topic, there has been a change on my BLOG due to a change at the Mr. M. household.

I am Mr. Motorcycle
I live at 1 Frozen place in, Minnesota, United States
My wife refers to me as Mr. Motorcycle. My real name is Mark. I'm happily married and I'm also a father to 6 children. I have two human offspring, two cats, one dog, and one custom Harley. I believe that makes 6 children. As my blog name states, I'm a biker. When not doing my real full time job, or going for a ride, I like to do art, custom paint jobs, and make posts to this blog thing
you're reading.



We have adopted a dog, a Senior 9 Yr. old Golden Retriever from RAGOM.
(Retrieve A Golden Of Minnesota).

If you've followed this blog for a while, you might remember that I'm a big sucker for pets, and animal rescue organizations.

I'd like to share with you a letter that my wife wrote so eloquently in an e-mail that she shared with our extended family to give the good news...
"For a very long time there have been wishes voiced around our house about another family pet; specifically a dog. There were years our living situation made it impossible and there were years that our schedules & hectic family life weren't ideal for dog ownership; however as we've settled into our new house and as the kids have gotten not only older but also more self sufficient and responsible we realized that we were finally "there". A lot of time was spent researching different breeds and talking to friends with dogs; every time we came back to the same conclusion, the quintessential family dog, a Golden Retriever. Once that decision was made we began working with a local rescue organization Retrieve a Golden of Minnesota (RAGOM) to match us with a dog in need of a home. It was important to us that we find a dog who was good with children of all ages, trustworthy with cats, a good learner, past the rambunctious puppy stage, and relatively healthy. We've finally found our match, and his name is Cy. Cy is a 9 year old field coated golden, which explains his curls. He is really well behaved in the house, loves to be petted, is attached to Mark at the hip, always has a toy in his mouth and is working on a friendship of sorts with the cats. We know that 9 is pretty "old" for a golden, but his health is stellar so we expect quite a few years of love & companionship from this guy. Cy is also a television star, although we didn't see it, Cy was on KARE11 one morning last month to showcase what wonderful pets senior golden retrievers make. If you are interested you can read about Cy & why he was surrendered to RAGOM at his web-page."



Change in this case, is good for the soul. Cy has made each of us at our house very happy.
My family of (now 8 if you want to include the Harley) feels complete. (Well almost...) I would not be heart broken if another dog needing a home found its way to our hearts and home and made a daytime pal for Cy whilst all others are working or schoolin. The cats are not much fun for the dog seeing as we don't allow him to chase them.

What a perfect way to kick off the holidays!

Cheers!

Ducati Recalls 2007-2008 1098 Models and 2008-2009 848 and 1098R Models for Charging System Problem

Ducati has issued a recall of certain 2007-2008 1098, 1098 Tricolore, and 1098R motorcycle models and 2008-2009 848 and 1098R motorcycle models.

The motorcycle charging system may be adversely affected by engine heat and stop operating. This results in damage to the voltage regulator and ensuing battery discharge.

7130 units are affected.

Check out my Motorcycle Recalls feature for more details.

2 cups of coffee

I've been really busy lately, and having a hard time finding time to do much more than work. It's been a while since I've posted, and this e-mail came across to me recently reminding me to take time for the good stuff in life. The folks I chat with on my blog are some of the good things in life, so I felt I should share this with you....

The Mayonnaise Jar
And 2 CUPS OF COFFEE

When things in your life seem
almost too much to handle,
when 24 Hours in a day is not enough,
remember the mayonnaise jar
and 2 cups of coffee.

A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of
him.
When the class began, wordlessly,
he picked up a very large
and empty mayonnaise jar
and proceeded to fill it with golf balls.
He then asked the students if the jar was full.
They agreed that it was.

The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar.
He shook the jar lightly.
The pebbles rolled into the open
areas between the golf balls.

He then asked
the students again
if the jar was full..
They agreed it was.

The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar.
Of course, the sand filled up everything else.
He asked once more if the jar was full.

The students responded
with an unanimous
"yes."

The professor then produced
two cups of coffee from under the table And poured the entire contents into
the jar, effectively filling the Empty space between the sand.
The students laughed.

"Now," said the professor,
as the laughter subsided,
"I want you to recognize that
this jar represents your life.
The golf balls are the important things - God, family, children, health,
friends, and favorite passions -- things that if everything else was lost
and only they remained, your life would still be full.

The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, house, and car.

The sand is everything else --
the small stuff.

"If you put the sand into the jar first,"
he continued,
"there is no room for
the pebbles or the golf balls.
The same goes for life.

If you spend all your time
and energy on the small stuff,
you will never have room for
the things that are
important to you.

So...

Pay attention to the things
that are critical to your happiness.
Play with your children.
Take time to get medical checkups.
Take your partner out to dinner.
Play another 18.

There will always be time
to clean the house
and fix the disposal.

"Take care of the golf balls first --
the things that really matter.
Set your priorities.
The rest is just sand."

One of the students raised her hand
and inquired what the coffee represented.

The professor smiled.
"I'm glad you asked".

It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem, there's
always room for a couple of cups of coffee with a friend."

Will Shiftless Motorcycles Become Mainstream?

An article in the New York Times by Stuart F. Brown examines why shiftless motorcycles may bring new life to motorcycling. Consider the fact that many potential riders have never even driven a car with a stick shift. Riding a motorcycle without an automatic transmission becomes a daunting task. Here's an excerpt from the article:

"CAR sales, already in a deep funk, would probably be slower yet if automakers decided to offer no alternative to manual transmissions. Makers of street motorcycles have largely painted themselves into that corner. And with the effects of stalled credit markets flattening out a 14-year streak of steady growth — despite the allure of good gas mileage in a wobbly economy — it’s no surprise that manufacturers are mounting an effort to introduce more rider-friendly bikes." -- Stuart F. Brown

Read the full story for all the details.

Motorcycle Pictures of the Week - Mel and Comanche

Here are my Pictures of the Week as displayed on the Motorcycle Views Website. These are taken from the Moto Pic Gallery. See Mel on her 2004 Honda VTX1800. Also see Comanche with his 2008 Suzuki Boulevard C50T. Note the artistic treatment in this picture. For details, see Motorcycle Pictures of the Week.

If you'd like to see your bike as Picture of the Week, submit a picture of you and your bike along with a description of the bike.

Kawasaki Issues Recall of 2008 ZG1400 Models for Rear Brake Problem

Kawasaki has issued a recall of certain 2008 ZG1400A8F/A8FL and ZG1400B8F/B8FL motorcycles.

Trapped road debris may interfere with free movement of the rear brake pedal, preventing full release of the rear brake which can lead to overheating damage and possible brake failure.

4628 units are affected.

Check out my Motorcycle Recalls feature for more details.

Harley-Davidson Issues Recall of 2009 FXD Motorcycles for Fuel Leak Possibility

Harley-Davidson has issued a recall of certain 2009 FXDB, FXDC, FXDF, and FXDL motorcycles.

These motorcycles have a fuel tank vent tube assembly, part no. 27389-04A, which may have been produced with a defective ultrasonic weld on the anti-slosh valve. If the valve separates and the bike is tipped over, it may leak fuel. Fuel leakage in the presence of an ignition source could result in a fire.

349 units are affected.

Check out my Motorcycle Recalls feature for more details.

Triumph Recalls 2008-2009 Thruxton for Brake Caliper Defect

Triumph has issued a recall of certain 2008-2009 Thruxton motorcycles.

The installed front brake caliper bracket bolts may be too short, reducing thread engagement of the bolts into the brake caliper bracket.

87 units are affected.

Check out my Motorcycle Recalls feature for more details.