Author: Matthew Cashmore

Garmin Zumo – Initial Review

I promised a short review of the new Garmin Zumo after my visit to the NEC and the 2006 Motorcycle and Scooter show.

Garmin Zumo at NEC

I was really looking forward to getting my hands on this device, not least because I was expecting something special – a year after Tom Tom released the Rider Garmin had the perfect opportunity to pick up on the bad points of the Rider (bad mount) and release something that was sturdy, had even better mapping, and more intuitive interface.

They’ve failed on all but one account. The mount for the Zumo is great – it’s strong, lockable and I can’t see if releasing the Zumo without a fight – and that’s great – something the TomTom Rider falls down on badly. But then you look beyond the build quality and realise that it’s totally un-usable. The ‘glove friendly’ interface is a pain in the bum – it’s very slow to use and in most cases offers no better usability than the Tom Tom.

It has a silly slider system, as you can see above, for inserting addresses etc – it’s slow, difficult to use, and is not sufficiently big to adapt to my winter gloves… TomTom addressed this by ignoring it – they put in a standard on screen keyboard that unless you’re wearing the smallest of summer gloves you have to remove your gloves to use – but made everything else work perfectly with even the thickest winter gloves – in other words – when I’m setting off, before I put my gloves on I put in my destination (or itinerary) then when I pull off, every function is a nice big button towards the centre of the screen.

Which brings me to my next point – interface design – without being unkind… did they get a 3 year old in to do it? It looks like my nephews first attempt at building a GPS unit…

I don’t want to be ‘down’ on this unit before I actually use it – so I’ll stop now –  but my view at the moment is that if you’re looking for a GPS unit for the bike – go for the TomTom Rider or if you really want Garmin go for the Quest2 and get a mount from TouraTech.

The importance of a decent garage

I can’t stress enough how much I’m looking forward to getting to my new house, and more importantly my new garage.

Back of new house

The one on the far left is mine – my new flat is above it – and there’s another garage out to the right you can’t see – we own the whole building but are renting out the other three garages, knowing how important they are and that the three houses next to us don’t have one.

The important thing about my new garage is the fact that it has electricity, gas, hot and cold water and a large cupboard that runs under the stairs to the flat. It will also house our washing machine and the dryer. The most impressive thing about this list is the gas… I can put in a radiator!

My wife wants me to take it one step further and instal a couch, TV, bed… because then I can stay there!

The point I’m trying to make is that when I have stuff to do on the bike (my 16k service for example) it’s very hard to motivate myself to going outside in the cold, scrambling around in the dark to find my tools, and not being able to boil the kettle because I’m 500 yards from the house!

Motorcycle and Scooter Show – NEC 2006

Got back from the 2006 Motorcycle and Scooter Show at the NEC quite late on Friday night and have just started going through my swag bags. I’m quite pleased to say I managed to bag 8 side-stand pucks, 24 sweets, 12 pens, 4 key rings and a free poster of a topless girl on a bike…!

My Flickr set for the show is HERE

I did buy quite a few things too… some Scottoiler protection spray and de-greaser, a BSA key ring for my Grandfather, 2 calandars for the garage, I even manged to get Charlie Boorman to sign a copy of his latest book.

Charlie signing my book

This pic is from Lee Harkers B&W set from the show. Lee is a really good photographer and took some stunning shots of the day.

The show was fantastic this year, much better than last year – even though many of the stands where the same as last year, there seemed to be much more to see. I admit we did pay extra to go on the preview day so it was fairly quiet, we got to sit on a lot more bikes than normal.

Highlights included the Two Wheels Only girls, Becky in particular!
TWO Girl

We also spent a lot of time on the Triumph stand – I must admit I’m starting to pay serious thought to the new Triumph Tiger rather than the CBF1000 – more on that soon, must book a test ride.

Lee had a wonderful time…

Lee with Pint

I also spotted something the new Garmin GPS unit aimed at bikers… I have to say I’m really disapointed with it – I’ll post more about this when I sit down and go through all the literature properly.

Garmain GPS Unit

So all in all a very good show – well worth going to see – I could have done with another day to really get around it properly – but it was very very entertaining.

We’re all in little boxes

Amid all my concern over my friend Ian buying another scooter it got me thinking about the boxes we put ourselves in.

I’m a mac using, real ale and malt whiskey drinking, Honda and BMW buying, IAM training, living in St Albans, London, cigar smoking, Biker. And you’d be surprised at how many others are too.

I buy into the whole thing you see, riding a bike is about more than just transport. That’s really where my problem with scooter riders starts, for the vast majority of riders a scooter is just transport, there’s no romance, no love, no depth to the experience. I know a lot of bikers have scooters too… not for fun… but because they’re perfect for cutting through the traffic.

So is being a biker about more than just transport? Yes it is! It’s the same with computers, using a computer is about more than just getting the job done, for that matter any tool is about more than just getting the job done… it’s the reason why I use a mac, why I smoke cigars and not cigarettes, why I drink REAL ale, not the trash Burton Upon Trent chucks out today, and savour MALT whiskey… and why I may buy a BMW next.

But all those things also point something else out… I don’t like to follow the crowd… well not the main crowd… the smaller slightly more interesting crowd I’m more than happy to follow – I quite get on with them.

My friend is a mod…

I really don’t know what to do about this… Ian Forrester is a mod… he’s just bought this.

Naff scooters

Which frankly scares me – it’s 600cc and has ‘twin exhausts’ – I felt too bad to point out that they where both the size of a gnat and that it will still sound like a scooter… but he has his heart set on it and how can you hit a man when he’s down!?

The funniest thing is that the photo on his blog has a stunning black fireblade behind it – how could he not see it! Does anyone know of any mod / scooter rider help centres?

Political might

Is the internet forum stronger than the lobbying group?

I only ask because over the last few days there has been a debate raging on londonbikers.com about what we can do to stop bike theft. That’s the actual aim… wipe out bike theft.

As ever with these things it was borne out of an emotional post on behalf of a loved friend who had their bike stolen – if you don’t own a bike you will never understand the literal love between the two of you, and when someone steals your bike – it’s like losing someone close. My wife is fully aware the bike comes first.

But my point is how on earth do you just ‘wipe out bike theft’? It’s stupid – you can’t – it’s an unobtainable goal… BUT… you can get councils to install more secure bike parking and put public pressure on the Home Office to put more resources and tougher sentencing into this particular area of crime.

The majority of the club members at the moment favour a very public, very noisy ride through central London – sending a message to the bike thief that “we’ve had enough… no more!”.

Yes that’s a very laudable goal… but who’s going to listen? The bike thief will just laugh at us, spot a couple of machines he fancies and follow us home to swipe dear Fireblade from my back garden.

But of course when people get caught up in the image of 200 riders bringing London to a standstill forcing the government to do something – they get carried away – about all we’ll achieve is getting arrested and giving bikers across the capital a bad name.

So how about this?

We get in contact with the BMF, use their help to lobby local councils – get them to install secure parking – get the bike press on our side and actually make something happen… then lobby the Home Office via our MPs to let them know how a significat number of their voters feel about this issue. Then, and only then, if we’ve been ignored we protest – properly.

So… is the internet forum stronger than the lobbying group? We should ride through London – perhaps that will achieve what people like the BMF have been trying to do for decades. What do they know?

Crazy American Bikers… where do you carry yours?

Passed to me via londonbikers.com this is the funniest thing I’ve read in quite some time…

I’ve read alot about how and why people carry their sidearm with them on their motorcycle. Read all the arguments about smashed spleens or where is the safe place to have it, needing a lanyard, etc.

I don’t carry my gun when i’m on my bike. No real solid reason, just haven’t bothered. I usually only bother to carry (i have a permit) when I’m with my family or going somewhere that’s not a very nice area or going into the woods.

That being said, having read the recent couple threads about people being chased, dodge rams trying to run people over and cornering them in canada, 4-door white hondas trying to knock people off a cliff in Utah, etc, I’m planning on buying a tank bag or a new type of holster and carrying on the bike.

I’ve also read alot of people saying things in those threads like “if i’d been there I’d have…”

i dunno what i’d do in those situations. I’d have urges like everyone else…we’re all human and get angry. Seems like the people that posted about their issues with these psycho’s have handled it rather well. What i’m concerned about are those that didn’t live to tell us about it.

I carry because I want to have a choice when and if a bad situation ever arises.

I will now carry on my bike for the same reason. It’s getting rough out there.”

“Be careful when carrying in the open. When I get stopped by the cops, I lace my hands on top of my helmet as soon as I turn my bike off, so’s they can disarm me.

I open-carry sometimes too. One of my holsters is an old-west style rig that ties on the thigh. You think YOURS is visible, I’ve got a whole row of cartridges going across the back of my belt.

When I get a new job, I’m going to get my CCW permit.”

“I’ve got my permit, too. I carry my Glock in a fanny pack when I’m riding.

I don’t anticipate using it while riding. Only after my kickstand is down will it be of any use.”

“I have been thinking about this alot since I started riding. The Glock came off my hip and I stuck a P3AT in my pocket when I got my first bike. I agree that the gun is not to be deployed while riding, only after I am off the bike would it be an option.

I was out in the forest the other day, alone and walking around off the bike. This is the only time I have felt under-gunned.


From

http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=171034

Jeremy Clarkson in this months Bike

Just read the (very good) JC article in this months copy of Bike (nov) – and I must say it’s really rather revealing… whilst saying that he wanted to string cheese wire across the road to stop bikers, he also says he always moves over to let bikers pass – and likes the feeling he gets when bikers say thank you.

Perhaps that’s something that we should all do more often, say thank you to cars who do move.. I always make an effort but I quite often forget and that results in yet another cage driver who thinks bikers are tossers.

Anyway back to my point, it seems to me that the only reason JC continues to dislike bikes is because he can’t ride them and because Richard and James both love them… sound reasons there methinks.

Whilst I mention Richard Hammond.. if you haven’t already go here and donate some cash.

Jeremy Clarkson in this months Bike

Just read the (very good) JC article in this months copy of Bike (nov) – and I must say it’s really rather revealing… whilst saying that he wanted to string cheese wire across the road to stop bikers, he also says he always moves over to let bikers pass – and likes the feeling he gets when bikers say thank you.

Perhaps that’s something that we should all do more often, say thank you to cars who do move.. I always make an effort but I quite often forget and that results in yet another cage driver who thinks bikers are tossers.

Anyway back to my point, it seems to me that the only reason JC continues to dislike bikes is because he can’t ride them and because Richard and James both love them… sound reasons there methinks.

Whilst I mention Richard Hammond.. if you haven’t already go here and donate some cash.