She has a name!!

Well after a few weeks of running a contest, some debating amongst my esteemed panel of judges (read-drinking buddies) plus an online poll of the best contenders one name has emerged victorious over all others.
I shall now refer to my new bike as Wild Blue Mama - Road Seductress or Wild Blue or Wild Blue Mama for short.
A close second was Touresa, which had a nice ring to it, but did not follow the contest rules. The first letter of the bike's name had to come from one of the letters in the factory monicker (K1200RS). Hmmm, no T in there but Touresa  is a cool name none the less. Perhaps I'll use it for my second bike I plan on buying in the fall. One can never have enough bikes.

Road Seductress...I suppose so as I have already put almost 10,000 km on her since getting the plates and registration done just a month and a half ago.
Her first trip was a helluva test for an unknown bike. We just released the video of the maiden voyage.

Episode 12,  the return leg will be out soon.

This week I'll be riding Wild Blue Mama out to the KGB show in Crawford Bay, BC. Come join me for the funniest outdoor show this summer. Maybe we can go for a ride and you can chase Wild Blue Mama  thru a few twisties?

Once she is parked for the night I'll be at my campsite sipping a few cold ones. Please bring more ! It can get very dry around a campfire.

So far I have been very impressed with the bike.

 It has great power with the same fuel economy of my old bike. It handles like a dream. The comfort level is much better than my old bike and I cannot say enough about how awesome it is to have real cruise control for the straight sections. It gives much needed relief to the right wrist after holding the throttle down for hours.

I do have one small niggling complaint and it is one I have with many motorcycle manufacturers. The windshield (or windscreen if your prefer) is made for a runt! I'm talking a runt of 5'9" or shorter. Have the factories not clued into the fact that many many riders, especially in North America, exceed 6 feet in height? Because of this too low windshield I am constantly buffeted and putting up with excessive wind noise. Even with earplugs it is a bit much on a long day and this bike was designed for long days in the saddle (which is a very comfy saddle for my meatless arse).

Currently I'm seeking a solution. I purchased a Laminar Lip that gave some relief but not enough. I am now looking into a taller windscreen to test. If you know of any progressive thinking company that makes one please let me know.

Cheers

Daryl and Wild Blue Mama

You'd think the city would be more advanced?!?!

I recently did a trip through beautiful (but often pricey) British Columbia to the coast and Vancouver Island. 3 great days in Victoria, the provinces capital city, with great audiences at Hecklers Comedy Club. My room was nice, comfortable, flat screen TV, mini bar, comfy bed, all the things you'd expect from a nice hotel but no internet... at least not in my room. Lets chalk up a FAIL for the Ramada Inn.

Granted it was a technical glitch with a downed router in my wing of the building forcing me to spend hours on the lobby couch to grab a wifi signal, update my web sites, answer tons of emails while collecting a lot of stares from the other hotel guests. I suppose pants would have been a good option.

After my shows I had a full day to kill so I trekked out to Salt Spring Island which was just off the coast of Vancouver Island. Salt Spring had been beckoning me for some time now as I had heard stories of its beauty, nice towns and remote feeling from society's matrix of a jungle. Hippies, artists, recluses and nature lovers. Sounded fun and I needed a day to decompress after all my couch time in the lobby.

I made the ferry crossing at Crofton BC which smells like a big fart due to the pulp mill on its shore. Like a mechanical sore it made the otherwise pristine coast line look industrial. When facing the water, waiting for the ferry, my advice is don't pan left with your gaze as the belching smoke stacks, cargo ships and cranes ruin the coastal retreat image.
Waiting for the ferry, whose schedule was more like a list of unaccomplished goals, I used the local restroom which had a sign telling people to not steal the toilet paper. I suppose the pulp mill was over charging for paper goods and there was an underground market for butt-wipe? Luckily I was not in need of this highly sought after paper product.

Nothing would be worse than sitting in a stall worrying about TP muggers!

The ferry, once it finally showed up, took me to a quaint town called Vesuvius. A name also shared with a famous volcano that once wiped out the cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum in AD 79. I only hoped this Vesuvius would not turn out to be as deadly.
20 minutes later the ferry deposited me on the shore of Salt Spring and this small town which I quickly rode through before realizing the few buildings clustered at the shore was the town. Oh well, there was more island to see.

  
The roads have lots of corners to enjoy but the pace needs to be a bit relaxed. My 1200cc machine was a bit large for the roads and never got over second gear...but it was fun. Watch out for deer and wild turkeys on the road!
I had yet to camp this summer and my quest was a campsite, on the island, within short distance of food. I don't bring cooking gear on my motorcycle trips so nearby eateries are a must.
A place called Moby's won my vote. A view of a harbour filled with sailing vessels, owned by other travellers out seeing the world via their favourite mode of transport, a boat. Sea Bikers I silently dubbed them.
It was wing night so I requested 2 orders and a salad to counter the guilt. What was served was unlike any other pub order of wings. Presentation is a thing of pride and Moby's made my pub food look like a proper dinner.
I dined alone on a magnificent deck, looking at the Sea Bikers and wondering why the locals were inside, where it was warm and stuffy, instead of out on the deck with the warm, fresh air? Perhaps they had grown weary of the outdoor beauty or they were drunk. I munched on the bird limbs and felt I was winning and they were losing.

Camp was only a 5 minute commute back. A well kept place called Mowhinna Creek Campground.
The native name had me thinking I could maybe trade pelts for a site, commune with the indigenous people and get back to nature. While I day dreamed of going back in time and meeting the locals it was not to be.
What was surprising is, after setting up my nylon condo I discovered I had, in my campsite, what The Ramada could not provide. High speed, wireless internet! The whole campground was wireless! A six pack on ice, purchased on the way to camp, was my mini bar, my inflatable mattress pad and sleeping bag was my comfy bed and my laptop was my flat screen TV. I then took a pic with my laptop and uploaded it to the web right from my site! Take that Ramada, a campground has you beat!
In case you are wondering what that is on my knee, I had to use my glove to hide the glare from my mirror. I knew the pic was not going to win awards but it was something I was unable to do from my hotel. Chalk one up for camping with technology.

Nature provided the wake up call with song birds at Kick-the-rooster-in-the-head-to-wake-it o'clock in the early morning. I just soaked it in and went back to sleep for another hour or 2 I could brag I slept in until 8:00AM.
I was packed and out of there by 9:00AM (a personal record for early camp departure) and took the ferry back to fart town vowing to come back to Salt Spring soon but not for a mere night.
Soon it was back to the mainland, via another ferry from Nanaimo to visit friends and continue my journey while trying to figure out a way to return to Salt Spring soon. It was just a tease to spend one night there.
Cheers
Daryl Makk

Maiden Voyage (Mother Nature you can sure be a bitch at times)

I have just completed a 4 day, 2000km trip on my new (to me) bike, a BMW K1200RS. It was a nerve wracking to think I was about to do this on a bike I didn't know very well but I had to go, there was a gig waiting.
Here is the map link of the trip.
Here is the story:

Day 1
I was greeted by chilly grey skies with light on and off rain. The electric liner Synergy jacket was out of the side bag shortly after hitting the highway. With just 2 light layers under that I was toasty in the wind chill my speed created in the +8C air. I made it to Canmore where I usually stop for breakfast. I am not one for making a big meal early in the morning but I'll eat if someone else prepares and an hour of riding had my appetite turned on full.
Leaving Canmore AB with myself and the bike freshly fueled I soon hit more rain. It was going to be one of those kind of trips I started to think then it stopped...and started...and stopped. At least the temperature had gone up slightly then the rain started again...then stopped.
I turned onto the Icefield Parkway, bought a park pass and settled into dry roads for about an hour then it rained some more, complete with a drop in temperature down to +5C. It was a light mist, just enough to keep building up droplets on my helmet visor. Annoying. The new tires felt good and gave me confidence with their traction. I had Metzlers on and had never owned a pair before now. So far so good.

The Synergy heated liner was keeping me warm and it was only set on low. It was nice to know I had 2 higher settings should I need them.

My winter gloves combined with the heated grips and the good weather protection the bike's fairing gave me made me feel warm. The weather protection was much better than my last motorcycle (see blog post on Bandit review) but was not in the spoiled category some of the big touring rigs offered. No worries, I like a bit of sport in my touring.

The bike felt amazing and pulled strong. Passing was a breeze and on dry stretches I tried out the cruise control. Yes it has cruise, not a throttle lock but high end, electronic, hit the switch and let it maintain a steady pace. This feature I liked because it was easy for this machine to build speed so smoothly that you suddenly found yourself at a rate of velocity that meant a speed tax. The whole concept of some abitrary number posted on a sign really is silly as different conditions and different vehicles had different safe cruising speeds...but I digress.
I had no desire to meet one of those tax collectors with a badge and set the speed where I thought would be within the range of "okay". A good cop will let you fudge a bit over but a bully that hasn't been laid in awhile may choose to write you up. I'll save that discussion for another post.
As I climbed the mountain pass to the icefields themselves, expecting things to get worse, the temperature started to climb. Huh? Grey skies + increase in altitude usually create the opposite effect but it was getting warmer and the skies, almost as if they were constipated, tried to grunt out some sunshine and then... there was light grey. Ahhh.
I was treated to brief moments of sun for the rest of the day and the rain was over. I made it to Grande Cache as dusk was arriving to close the day. Including stops for shooting video I had been on the road for over 10 hours yet it felt more like I had just been out for an afternoon ride. I was really beginning to like this bike.
Day 2
I had opted for a bed and breakfast and after some coffee and a quick meal I had the bike loaded up with a smile. The clouds had parted and big patches of blue framed in glorious sunlight greeted me for the day's ride. The Synergy liner was stored away. Time to do some real riding with warm roads.
The highway north out of Grande Cache is lightly travelled so I was able to open the throttle a bit on the corners. She handled like a dream. Rock solid and smooth. It is the refined smoothness of the bike I was really enjoying. My only peeve was the wind buffeting. Although the fairing and windscreen gave good protection the windscreen was designed for a shorter rider, as far too many motorcycles seem to be.
As such it was tossing the airstream right at my head causing noise and turbulence. The only relief was to do speeds that would put my license in severe jeopardy, uh, er...  so a little dial told me...once or twice. This machine was built in the land of autobahns and no speed limits. Over here in North America we have too many duckass drivers to allow this freedom. I made a note to look into windshield modifications like an add-on wing deflector, like I had seen in a few bike magazines, to fix this slower speed buffeting.

A quick photo opp at Mile Zero in Dawson Creek BC was in order.
Here I was, on a bike that came from Florida and I was now at the beginning of The Alaskan Highway.

The bike almost looks like it is smiling in the pic.
I was making good time, the bike was running great and just before the last 25 km stretch I had to stop above the Peace River. Normally a nice view but Mother Nature decided I was having too much fun so she hit the storm switch. I just had enough time to zip my waterproof vents shut and change gloves.

Rolling into my destination, Fort Saint John, was less than fun. Large trucks, (of which the north seems to have an endless supply) were kicking up spray with mud that seemed imbedded in the road too. I think it even wiped the smile off the face of my bike, I know it did for me.

Although my gear kept me dry as I rolled into "The Fort" it was not how I expected the day to end and I was a bit grumpy. I unloaded the luggage and covered the bike. I had brought my bike cover as shiny  Beemers of this type are rarely seen so far north. Let's just say towns with the word Fort in the name sometimes have people with little respect for others or other's their property and they have most likely been drinking. I've seen people roll out of bars in small towns and just turn nasty. Best I put my sun faded, bird poop stained cover on my motorcycle so she blends in I figured.
A quick shower and dinner then it was off to the gig. A small dinner theatre, full of women (from some social club), was the audience. Usually those can be fun but when it is a group of women that live in a town with the word Fort in it, some etiquette goes right out the window it seems. Little things like, you paid good money for the show why not shut the fuck up and listen? Stop texting from the front table? You can gossip, gab and yak after you've had a good laugh.
Not this gaggle of gals, or at least 40% of the crowd which ruined it for the ones that actually had some class. I managed to do my hour but it was like riding a bike with square wheels. Thankfully my BMW was under a cover, back at the hotel unable to witness the half-birth, half-abortion of my jokes as I desperately tried to hold their nano second attention spans. Mouthy, young trophy wives who felt their shit didn't stink, but it did. I felt sorry for the men who had to sleep with them on a regular basis. Meanwhile I kept doing my act feeling like I was drowning

I kept thinking "I rode 2 days to do this?" Then I remembered the warm sunny day, winding roads and changed my thought to "They paid for my bike trip and I just have to make the ladies, that are listening, laugh." Thanks all 43 of you. You other broads need to learn manners.
Day 3
At least the hotel was nice with a bed that was comfortable because I slept solid and dreamless. However, I awoke to a bitch. Drawing the curtains back I saw dark grey clouds then rubbed my eyes as I thought I was still sleeping. Did I? Yes I just saw snow falling. Its #@*#ing June!?!
There it was, slushy, sleety, wet snow. I looked down on my bike where a small amount was starting to build on the cover. This was going to be a long day.
I was up fairly early so decided it may be best to have breakfast and let the sun do its thing overtop the clouds and maybe the day will warm up. Several cups of coffee, 3 eggs, bacon, toast and hash browns later it had not. I started packing to get a jump on this as it would have to be warmer south of here and that was where I was headed. The snow was melting as it hit so, the roads were wet but no accumulation ...yet.
Clicking the side bags on and strapping down my duffle full of camping gear (which I was sure I was not going to use as I had planned) my thermometer needle was hovering just above zero celsius which is where water starts to freeze.
I put the key in and hit the starter. She fired up right away and settled into a steady idle. Not bad for a bike I was sure was feeling snow for the first time.
The weather was to be like this no matter which way I went home so I opted to not do the mountains again. Weather reports only give you average temperatures and with mountains there are too many elevation changes where this wet snow could freeze and I preferred to keep the bike upright.

Within a few hours I should be out of this snow and perhaps just rain I thought. Mother "The Bitch" Nature only agreed with me for about 30 minutes. It turned out to be an all day
sleet/snow fest.
My electric liner was turned to high, the heated grips were put on high and so, I pushed on, occasionally wiping slush off my visor. The ground had retained heat from the previous day to keep the snow melted, my wind chilled helmet visor was not as effective.
The bike hummed along as though this was normal and never skipped a beat.
About 6 1/2 hours into this wet day my gear developed a flaw, or rather I helped it. Slush was building up on my arms, which was fine. The Tourmaster jacket was waterproof. I even left some napkins and tissue in one of the front pockets to test the waterproofness. They remained dry for the whole trip. however the jacket was not "take things for granted" proof.
Heat from my sleeve melted the slush underneath where the wind could not blow it off and water started to run down my arms and into my gloves. I felt my hand get wet then my finger tips filled with a bit of water. Heated grips or not this became cold in the wind blast. The last hour was hell and my feet were feeling chilled too as I tried to convince myself that my Tourmaster Solution waterproof boots were not leaking. The cold, wet numb report I got back from my feet had me doubting them.

I had set a time to be off the road and made it to Whitecourt Alberta at almost that exact time give or take 15 minutes. Wet snow was still coming down and the chill from wet gloves was taking its toll as my hands seemed to suck cold from my body or was it send cold into my body? No matter, I was feeling the effects.
It took only 90 minutes to change me from toasty and dry to cold and miserable. I felt like my first highway tour I did many, many years ago with improper gear. It sucked to feel like this.
I found a cheap mom and pop motel with a room I could park my bike right in front of. I prefer these when on a bike trip as it makes loading and unloading easier plus the piece of mind that I can keep an eye on my ride. How I would do that while sleeping like a log had not been worked out but I felt confident she would honk and wake me if any bad people came.
I opened my room and was greeted with a blast of warm air. The base board heaters were doing their thing and I needed to warm up and dry out as my teeth had just started to chatter. My oasis of salvation was in a cheap motel in Whitecourt. Who would have thought?
Taking off my boots I felt my socks and they were dry as a bone. I blame the cold wet hands for sharing their nerve readings. The boots did fine but my body had to fight too much heat loss with my wet hands so the feet were starved of warm blood too. One could buy heated socks but I don't plan on riding like this ever again...or at least not often.
I had to keep my helmet visor cracked most of the day as the cold, dampness kept fogging it up and glasses were impossible to keep clear. I had ridden in cold weather before but not quite like this. Lucky I am farsighted and don't require glasses for driving but it does fatigue the eyes a bit more.
I had my Oxford Comfy neck tube and an Oxford balaclava on to keep my face warm. Even when a bit damp these did a great job of fending off cold.

Did my gear fail?
No. It held up admirably keeping me warm and dry for over 6 hours of horrible riding conditions. A day most sane riders would have pulled off the highway long before they had slush build up on their arms and melt down into the gauntlet of their gloves. I had to make a certain distance if I was to make my next gig so I rode for about 3 hours longer than I would have liked, if I can even say  "liked"about that ride at all.
Once that cold water hit my hands the chill was on. I had been dry and had I not been so reluctant at clearing slush off my arm, that last hour would not have been hell. I hung the gloves over a radiator and let them drip as the heat dried them out and drip they did as a lot of water had flowed in. The stiffness I had reported in my earlier blog seemed to have gone out of them and I'm sure this good soaking helped. I hoped they did not stiffen up while drying.
I then treated myself to a hot shower, ordered pizza from across the lot , ate and watched a movie. I tried to do email but lucky for my tired eyes there was no internet. Sleep came early and I hoped "The Bitch" was out of snow by morning.
Day 4
I awoke and reluctantly pulled back the curtains. It did not appear as though the sun was up judging by the dim light sneaking thru. I was right. Cold grey skies met my eyes but no snow or rain. Things were looking up! My duffle, with the camping gear, had frosty snow frozen on it so that was exciting.
A nearby restaurant had internet so I quickly checked the forecast. No rain expected but I'd have to go further south to get an increase in temperature. The gloves were almost dry so I made sure the grips had a chance to warm up before leaving.
A few hours later I was in Rocky Mountain House, AB and for the first time in over 24 hours my thermometer started to climb. A quick lunch and back on the road with 11C on the dial.
By the time I got close to Calgary I had to peel off a layer of clothing as "The Bitch" turned back into good ol' Mother Nature again.
After 4 days, 3 seasons and 2000 kilometers what did I think?
I was impressed with the bike. She ran wonderfully and had similar fuel consumption to my last ride but with more power and comfort. I had bought a good machine. Phew!
All my riding gear worked very well, so despite the day of bitchy snow, I was a happy rider. I even had enough time for a nap before my show that night.

Maiden voyage report is complete.
 Thanks for reading along.

Daryl Makk

It is the eve of the maiden highway voyage for me and my new ride and she put a scare into me last night. Pulling away from a traffic light the bike just died after half a block. No power, just coasted to a stop.
To say I am a bit nervous about this trip would be an understatement.
I still do not know her very well, there is no warranty, I have a 4 day trip coming up and the motor just quit. I felt like I was sinking into the road. This cannot be happening!

 I have a corporate gig that is up north and it would allow me to ride up through the Icefield Parkway en route to it. The Icefield Parkway is a ride I wanted to repeat after last year (see episode 9) and now it is to be the maiden voyage complete with new gear..,if I can get the bike fixed.

The forecast looks like it will be fine, not great as mother nature would never want me to have a sweet warm day to kick off the 2011 riding season, but it should not snow. If you ride through the mountains you know this does not sound out of place in early June and that is good enough for some riders and I am one of them. No snow means its biking weather.
I have been itching to do a highway trip and test out my new to me K1200RS and this is to the christening. When I toured on Suzy B I had the piece of mind of having a warranty the first 2 years. This bike's warranty has long since expired. It is luck and'or my wallet that will get me home should anything go wrong. I keep telling myself it won't but the little voice that disagrees is now pointing at my dead bike and getting louder.

I just had installed a new set of spark plugs with a bit of help from my riding pal Carl. Carl had recently rebuilt a very nice Honda Blackbird from parts and the bike is one sweet ride seen here next to my K bike.

Lets just say he knows his way around tools so I went to his shop to perform some basic maintenance and tap into some of his mechanical knowledge so the bike could get a good going over prior to the trip.

I learned the fairing panels on my bike take some getting used to, as those crafty Germans made it almost like a motorcycle Jenga game, but in reverse. The way the body panels fit together is bizarre to someone used to Japanese bikes but once I saw how they did it and why, the parts meshed with logic.
To get at the spark plugs requires the removal of the left body panels which opens access to a whole lot more. So we decided, to make sure nothing was amiss and pulled the fairing panels from both sides to inspect everything. Sorry that I have no pics of us ripping apart my new ride as time was tight so we focused on the task at hand.
To check the air filter meant unbolting the fuel tank but with 2 people it is not necessary to undo all the connections. You can however bump and loosen things while down there.

This I learned the hard way, on the side of the road. Since the sun had just gone down and the sky was losing light I was quickly on the phone to Carl. I was maybe 8 blocks from where we had just worked on the bike. He was on his way to diagnose it.
It had felt like it was fuel starved when it died so I checked all the fuses in case the one for the fuel pump had blown. Nope, I had a full set of operational fuses. "Now what?" I thought just as Carl and his buddy Tony pulled up.
Soon we had the seat off, grabbed the tools and were pulling the fairing panels off again but now it was right on the street.

Soon we found the connection we had bumped while moving the tank. There was a friction fit vacuum hose that had come loose and it  had something to do with the fuel delivery and I made a mental note to remember where they were. It was a simple push to seal the connection and the bike fired right up!

Hugh sigh of relief. 


No mechanical problem, just a goof up on our part.
I am positive she will be a reliable ride and think maybe that was just her way of saying "Gotcha!" just to mess with my head.

Its now late and I am going to attempt to ride over 7 hours on her tomorrow. I should be asleep, resting right now but these first voyages on new-to-me bikes are always like Christmas Eve to a young child. I don't want to miss anything by sleeping!
Maybe I should leave out some milk and cookies or some oil and spark plugs...just to make sure.

Review of the 2008 Suzuki Bandit 1250

As I get ready to unveil my new ride for the 2011 season of The Planet Tour I feel it is time to give my review and opinion of my 2008 Suzuki Bandit 1250 whom I dubbed Suzy B (R.I.P.)

I only had her for 3 seasons but managed to put just over 62,000 happy kilometres on the odometer. The riding season in Canada is short, 4 months and change...if you're lucky. Not all those days will be full of sunshine, trust me.
So how did Suzy B rate as a long distance machine? Very, very well with a few 'buts'.

Reliability 
I was never left stranded once. The only repair I had to do, outside of regular maintenance, was an oil pump seal that started to leak at 60,000km. Just over $200.00 to repair at a shop and something that a handy person could do on their own. I was 3 days from home so opted for paying a mechanic. She was still ridable and made the 2 hours to town without any more problem than a bit of oil mess.
Front and rear brake pads were replaced once. About normal for the highway kilometres ridden.
She ate 5 rear and 3 front tires in her lifespan. The stock tires it came with don't even deserve a mention as they were crap but thankfully wore out at 6000km so I could put something more worthy. I replaced the stockers with Michelin Pilot Road 2's and they had great traction and long life for a sport touring tire. The Bandit seemed to like them. This may seem like an odd statement to a non-rider but it is amazing how a tire can just feel right for a bike.

Economy
For a large displacement engine, weighing in with 1255 cubic centimetres to feed, she had respectable fuel consumption. I averaged 5.6 litres/100 km and could easily do 300km between  fill-ups with 320km being the norm from the 19 litre tank. Usually it had a couple of litres still in there even after having the low fuel icon blinking at me for 70 km. I would have liked a bit more range and had been trying to figure out how to increase the tank capacity but 300 km+ is still fairly decent. I usually ran mid-grade as I determined no noticeable improvement with the high octane. Suzuki did a great job of tuning the engine for real world riding as it would run on low octane fuel without complaining, for those times when you found yourself in a situation where no premium fuel was available. No need to carry octane boost with this bike.

The Engine
I've read many magazine articles that say its all about the engine on the Bandit. You fall in love with the engine. Once I started riding my Bandit I knew what they meant. Cold or hot she always fired up with barely any cranking time and would quickly settle into a steady idle. Smooth and powerful with bucket loads of torque anytime you need it. It had a lot of burly muscle but did not have to scream it like so many sport bikes do. You just knew it would give you all the grunt you needed when called on. And I do mean anytime. In the city as low as 2500rpm it will just shoot forward building revs quickly. On the highway you rarely have to kick it down a gear for passing. Cruising speed would have you at around 4000rpm and that is where the fun starts. Just roll on the throttle and big 4 cylinder just pours on the acceleration. Need more oomph? Click it down a gear and then hang on.
Sadly Suzuki put a Kenworth size muffler on it and I had it replaced after the first season. It was too quiet a voice for such a spirited motor. There are many after market pipes out there and I recommend swapping the stock pipe out. The Bandit deserves a voice plus you shed a few pounds off the bike's overall weight and most likely will gain more power. I opted for a Supertrapp but after hearing my buddies Bandit I think that Holeshot makes a nicer pipe.
I followed the maintenance schedule and although the valves were checked they never needed adjusting in 62,000 kms.

Luggage
The Canadian version of the 1250 Bandit had Givi side bags wearing Suzuki labels. They were roomy, easy to take off of the bike and water tight. I tested their ability to keep things dry for hours on end thanks to many rain storms that volunteered us for the test.
At 34 litres each you can pack a lot of gear in them and for weekend getaways they should be all you need. My plan was to put a top case on but never got around to that part of the project.
There is a small bit of underseat storage where I crammed a few extra tools to go with the factory set.

Fairing protection
The Bandit was more of a last minute, lets use what we have, improvised sport tourer that Suzuki seemed to slap together to get them in the sport tourer market. This was not a machine that had been designed from the ground up to be a sport tourer. Basically they added bags to an already existing street model and hoped it would work. It did....But, as such the fairing was just adequate for weather protection when compared to the offerings from the other Japanese motorcycle manufacturers. That being said the Bandit is several thousands of dollars cheaper, so a little sacrifice here seems acceptable.
As a tall rider I had to upgrade to a taller windscreen and had one from PowerBronze. It provided a bit more chest protection but it did create a lot of helmet turbulence for my 6'3" frame. Shorter riders should be okay. I was looking into an air foil add on such as a Laminar Lip to correct that. From some of the online forum listings I read, other Bandit owners had reported good results . If you are tall you may want to consider one.
The side fairings could have been made to provide more leg protection for wet/cool weather riding. They fit so close to the bike that little extra leg protection is to be found. If you ride in areas that are more prone to heat then this fairing and windscreen set up will be more than enough. I often found myself laying on the tank bag trying to huddle behind the small pocket of protection on the many cold days I experienced. A better touring jacket would have helped on this issue as well.

Seat and riding position

Maybe I'm a glutton for punishment but I did all my riding on the stock seat, which, when combined with the under padded stock seat nature gave me, there is room for improvement. Long days in the saddle reminded me and my butt that it was a just a factory seat. I suggest adding a gel or memory foam seat either after market or custom made. It was on my list of things to do. The great thing about the Bandit seat is it is 2 separate cushions making a custom saddle for the rider lest costly.  I would not worry about the passenger pillion as the bike is better suited for solo touring unless your passenger has short legs. The passenger pegs are a bit high for all day sitting, as reported by the privileged few I let ride on her, and those were just afternoon day rides.
Rider position is upright, hips and shoulders over the pegs (where they should be) and just a slight lean forward to the bars. At highway speeds just enough wind slips past the windscreen to hold your torso up. There is no strain on the wrists or back. The handlebars are old-school tubular ones so replacement ones are plentiful should you desire. For a little more arm room I merely loosened the bar clamps and rotated mine as far forward as possible to extend my reach. I then readjusted all the controls so they were at the right angle.
The seat has 2 positions and I chose the higher setting putting the seat height at just over 32 inches from the ground.

I did find the leg position to be a bit cramped for my long limbs but I also suffer from bad knees that ache if they have to be folded for long periods. Swapping the pegs to a set from Buell did the trick. It lowered my feet an inch and my knees no longer cramped up.
Suzuki had given me thick, rubber padded pegs which was overkill. The thinner Buell pegs sit at the same level with no loss of cornering clearance while forgoing the extra padding Suzuki felt necessary. Being unpadded was not problem as the engine vibration on the Bandit is almost nil. You do have to do a bit of drilling and grinding to make the pegs fit  and you will need bigger support pins but if you have long legs it is worth an afternoon in the garage to make this modifcation.

Controls and suspension

The suspension is fairly simple, offering preload adjustment only. The rear shock is not a fun one to adjust so I had set preload at the 4th highest level, for touring with full gear, and left it.

Controls are pretty much standard layout. The analog tachometer  is easy to read and the digital speedometer has large digits legible even at a quick glance. For some reason this gauge is not able to change between kph and mph. I blame the number crunchers for this omission. It would have been nice to switch to miles on my USA trips and given the low cost of today's electronics I was surprised this simple feature was not available.
The gas gauge could have had a bit more accuracy as it plays too far on the side of caution, informing you of needing fuel long before you actually do. It does this with a blinking icon that is not easily missed but is not intrusive either..
A gear indicator would have been nice as I often found myself forgetting which gear I was in, the engine so full of torque that it was not necessary to keep inventory of where the shift pedal was.
There are 2 trip meters which is handy. I used one solely for monitoring fuel range.
The mirrors were mostly vibration free until you hit extreme high speed. For tall riders they did a good job of showing you your elbows. I put on some extenders that solved the problem.


Final drive
Final drive on the Bandit is chain. Today's O-ring chains have long lives and are relatively cheap to replace when you have used up their lifespan. Some purists prefer chain. As a touring rider it was my least favourite thing on the bike. No matter what chain lube I tried there was always a bit of mess on the bike. It had to be lubed everyday when on trips, plus I had to carry that damn can of lube which took up the space of an extra T-shirt, or a couple pairs of socks or underwear. I loathed that damn can every time I took it out. There were also the periodical adjustments of the chain that just added to my dislike of chains for touring bikes.
There is a company called Scootworks working on a belt drive conversion for the Bandit and I was seriously looking into it. At last contact it was not ready for market. Contact them to find out. Suzuki would be wise to look into a belt version of the Bandit. Quiet and next to no maintenance is the type of thing that makes a touring rider smile. It would also be lighter and less costly to build than a shaft drive. Being less costly is what Suzuki and this bike seem to be about.

Modifications
Powerbronze windscreen
Oxford Heated hand grips. (For touring in Canada heated grips are a must!)
Supertrapp Exhaust
Buell Pegs
Oxford LED signal lights
12V power outlet for running accessories
Mirror extenders
BadBoy Airhorn 139Db

Overall I was very impressed with this bike. The engine pulls hard while maintaining some character as well. The engine has been used by Suzuki for years and they have tweaked and improved it for a bullet proof mill. This is a very quick, powerful bike but does so in a manner that you can live with daily. In the city or on the highway it is just a fun bike that does almost everything.
It was fairly comfortable, with great handling and braking. Factory ABS was a surprise given the low overall price tag.
Sure there are fancier rides out there with more creature comforts but you pay for that in the price tag. The Bandit provides a lot of bang for relatively few bucks and with a few upgrades you will be able get some of those creature comforts you desire with less strain on your bank account. If you are looking for a fun bike to take you over long distance then you may want to take a look at the Bandit 1250. There are some great deals on used ones out there.

In 2010 Suzuki changed the bike and gave it a new, albeit boring, name; GSX1250FA It is no longer the Bandit but it is the same motor, transmission and frame and some of the issues in the cockpit have been addressed. Now it has a gear indicator, optional taller touring screen with adjustable wing, wider fairing and now the luggage is more complete with a top case. It is still priced much lower than most sport touring rides out there but will do the same roads with them.
If you want a do all bike with some grunt that won't hurt your wallet, take a look at a Bandit. Many good used ones out there.
Happy riding and don't forget to wear your gear....all the time.

First test of the gear

I finally got in my first ride of the season. The bad news was it was not on my new bike as I am still going through a bit of red tape to finish importing it....but soon, very soon!
Lucky for me a riding pal, with several motorcycles, lent me his Honda VFR 750 for the day. I was very impressed with the bike although my 6'3" frame and bad knees found it a bit cramped. If you are a bit shorter and more flexible than I, take a look at a VFR as a sport touring mount. A very smooth and impressive engine with lots of power. That's it in front of me in the pic at the side of a still frozen lake. Welcome to early season riding in Alberta.

It was a Sunday quick trip out to Canmore for lunch and return. Nothing too long as the weather is still crisp in this area, the high only hitting 11celsius in Canmore with Calgary ringing in a few degrees more.
To my riding friends in the south USA that may seem like horrible weather to ride in but for a Canuck that's been holed up for 6 months of winter the blue sky beckoned for a ride. Carl had the spare bike and another riding friend Kelly came along.

It was also a great opportunity to do my first test of some of my riding gear that was provided by Gamma Sales.
Lets start with my new Zoan "Runner" helmet. Shown here in red but as you can see mine is in silver. I hear the silver ones make you smarter...at least that is the rumour I am starting.

This is the 3rd brand of modular helmet I have owned in that last 4 years. For the want of flip up convenience, which allows me to put on a helmet without removing glasses or, as important, to open it should I have to sneeze,  or the option of flipping it open for fresh air on hot days while in traffic, some sacrifices must be made.
While modulars give you full face protection they are a bit noisier than a regular full face helmet and some can even a bit drafty. The Zoan beat both of my previous helmets for wind noise as it proved to be much, much quieter. The under chin flap kept cool air from swirling in like my last 2 mod helmets and the removable nose cover kept my visor clear from fogging in the chill alpine air by directing my breath away. A problem I had with the my other helmets was fogging on cool days which is a scary thing to happen at highway speed, losing sight of the road just because you exhaled. On warmer days the nose cover can be easily removed.
There are vents to help with air flow on hot days but they were kept closed so I cannot comment yet on their effectiveness except for when I accidentally left one open I could feel a cold breeze coming in. Once closed the Zoan did not have the annoying swirl of air leaking in.

The internal sun visor control and the latch opening mechanism were easy to operate even with heavy gloves.
Which brings me to the next item, my  Scarab Winter Glove by Cortech.

Insulated and containing a waterproof membrane they proved to be quite warm with no need for me to switch on the heated hand grips for the 1 hour (each way) ride out to Canmore. Keep in mind we were at a spirited highway pace in close to single digit temperatures so the wind chill was intense. A non insulated glove would've had my hands clawed up in frozen protest but not with these guys on.
The only thing that bothered my comfort was the stiffness of these armoured gloves. They are very well constructed but will require a few wearings to break them in. Keep that in mind when purchasing a cold weather glove. Test them out and break them in prior to that long trip you've been planning. You don't want to have your first cool day cut short because your gear is too stiff and new. I can tell they will be a great glove down the road but for now they are a bit rigid so I plan to use them often to work them in. It reminds me of how I had to break in some good hockey gloves growing up. Those that required no break in usually lasted only a season.  I will also say they performed nicely at sealing out the wind at the cuff nicely. They were never drafty and the velcro flaps were easy to use even with a gloved hand.

Next up is the boots.

 Solution Waterproof touring boots. While there was no real weather to test them in they were comfortable for this short jaunt. I never had cold feet but it was just a short trip.  
The main thing I was concerned about was foot comfort. I suffer from a slight ingrown nail on my one foot and my last boots used to give me a pressure point stab that would ache by day's end. It seems the problem is not to be with these boots. I'll write more when I can test them in rain, an all day ride and on a good hike off the bike. If you tour you don't want track boots as your feet will protest when walking around scenic outlooks, touristy stops etc. I suspect these boots will do fine for off  bike duty as well. 
Like the gloves they seemed a bit stiff and new but should break in nicely.




The main item I really wanted to test was my Tourmaster Epic series jacket.

For those that have followed my travels from last year you remember I went thru more than my share of cool, wet weather. Today's sunny but chilly demeanor was a good time to test the warmth of this jacket. 
With the quilted liner zipped in place I opted for minimal clothing underneath to make to give it a challenge. I wore a wick-dry,long sleeve microfiber shirt and a cotton T-shirt over top and nothing more. I was trying to simulate those days when we start out nice but the weather turns. Often riders willl "tough it out" rather than stop for another layer as they push on to their destination. Since it was not my bike I did not have the luxury of plugging in my heated liner jacket. The Epic jacket had to keep me warm on its own. 
I did bring a thin, pullover fleece as a back up just in case but it remained in my tail pack all day. The warmth of this jacket was superb. A few times the wind blast would press it tight against my chest and the cold would creep in briefly from the contact. One more layer such as a vest would have solved that.
I am confident I could go a full tank's distance dressed that way however, on a longer multi tank trip in such temperatures, I would probably spoil myself with the electrics just to reduce fatigue because you burn energy warming up and cooling down all day....and I have become a bit of a cold wuss. Why suffer when there is gear to eliminate it from your ride? With an electric vest or jacket underneath there is little need to bulk up in many layers which translates into many more miles each day in comfort while reducing your luggage needs. The outer shell is waterproof requiring only to close all vents. No need to carry a rain suit! (note- my Tourmaster pants are on back order so I was unable to give them a tryout)
The built in kidney belt, yes you read that right, built in kidney belt serves 2 purposes. Anytime an item can solve more than one problem I am a fan as I love multi functionality. Besides keeping your kidneys from being jarred the belt is a great way of stopping any cold air that had the nasty idea of creeping up your coat from the bottom. Once adjusted, which is easy with the velcro tabs, it cinches the jacket snug. My old jacket was notorious for letting the chill air climb up my back. Not so with this one from Tourmaster.
Since I will be using it for long tours I also wanted to test out the built in waist pack built into the back of the jacket.
Like a mini back pack you can stuff items you may need while off the bike. I filled it with a first aid kit, a small tripod, a point and shoot digital camera (in its own case) and a micro fibre balaclava. While it may  or may not have made my lower back look a bit lumpy when viewing me from behind, the items all road comfortably. I think this feature will be great for short hikes at scenic stops. The zipper closure can be worked easily with gloves too so you can seal your items safely away.
The jacket's outer pockets are waterproof and can hold a fair amount of items. My wallet tucked inside a waterproof chest pocket and my cell phone on an inside pocket did not even begin to strain the jackets capability to hold stuff. There are so many pockets it can be easy to lose something until you get used to where it all isl. I love the storage as it means my tank bag will not have to carry everything.
I look forward to warmer weather so I can try the jacket sans liner and test out the scoop vents that zip open for air flow. Until ma nature finds the heat in this area I'll be content with the warmth.

If you are interested in any of this gear contact  Gamma Sales to find a rep near you. In Calgary you can head down to Universal Cycle for purchasing.

I finally have an office which is ironic

Since 1993 I have been in stand-up comedy. Not full time at first, only someone with a deep pool of money to draw from could do that. It took 8 years before I was headlining clubs on a regular basis, which is a common span from what I hear.
In 2003 I was able to say goodbye to a regular 'civilian' job and immerse myself in comedy and entertainment as my sole source of income. I say entertainment because I do some acting, photo work and the occasional writing gig from time to time. I love being in the creative process and its like being retired and being paid to do my hobby. Not a bad way to live. I get up early not because of an alarm clock but because I want to get started on something! I have been blessed to do what I love and I am grateful everyday I don't have to show up to a regular job. Been there, done that and somehow did not climb the steps to the bell tower and go postal. I am not trying to insult anyone with a job but it is NOT for me.

This is why I find it ironic that my goal, to get out of a day job, has me now renting office space so I can go to work at my comedy hobby, like a regular job. I have left my house every day this past week to "report for work" and get cracking on producing The Planet Tour and lining up shows and sponsorships. It seems so weird yet... right...for now. Soon I'll have more funding for staff to take care of some of this work so I can just work on the fun...which for me means the creative aspects of it all. Until then you can find me doing the DJ (day job) disease...but loving it.

Stop in and say hi....let me know what is happening in the outside world.
Cheers