Auxiliary headlights on a 2008 Buell Ulysses

When it comes to night flighting, TeamBoxer likes lights. Lots and lots of bright, lovely lights.

A pair of Hella FF50s have been on my shelf for more than a year, waiting for the right app. They were cheap, they are sturdy, and they come with a rat's nest of wiring and a relay to make mounting easy.

First, the right-angle mounts were handmade, and mounted off the turn signal stalks.

Wired them into the high beam switch. (Had already done the "low beam always on" Ulysses wiring trick.)

Here we are at rest:



Here we are one-eyed:



Here we are with all photon torpedos launched.



Detail of the Shock Racing LED turn signals from

www.newenough.com

(this picture doesn't do justice to how bright they are):



All in all, a very sano install. The shape of the Shocks and FF50s compliment each other, but still stand out from the stockers.

Creating the ultimate tool roll

Heading out on a long distance jaunt. Make sure you have all the proper tools in hand.

So here is the short list from upper right:
• Metric allens
• Sawzall metal blade
• Crescent wrench
• Tin with electrical and bailing wire, foam pad sand paper and gloves
•*Tin with spare bolts and nuts and clamps
• Wipes
• Tow strap
• Bicycle pump
• Motion Pro tire irons (wrapped with electrical and duck tape)
• Motion Pro Chain Tool kit with spare links
• Radio Shack electrical tester
• LED Flash light
• Shock adjuster
• Quick Steel and Quick Aluminum Epoxy
• Tie wraps
• Various sockets
• Various bits
• Leatherman Juice
• Versa Tool
• Microdriver
• Open end wrenches
• MSR 6 in 1 Tool
• Needle nose vice grips
• Lighter
• Stick loctite
• Tool roll from Aubuchon Hardware

The whole package is about 9 lbs

Also on board the bike is:

• Tire repair kit (Tube and tubeless)
• Battery jumper cables
• Dupont Teflon lubricant
• Tire downs

Lap dancer

Joke: Why do real motorcyclists use Apple computers?
Punchline: Because they hate to crash.

So, how do those guys at TeamBoxer do what they do?

Well, since they like stuff that works, they sure as heck don't use Microsoft Windows, or heaven forbid, Vista.

Here's a much better way: The 13-inch MacBook with Intel Core 2 Duo a 2.16 GHz processor running OS X Leopard.



Joke: Two bikers walk into a bar and ask if it has WiFi.
The bartender says "No, but we've got an upgraded Vista."
Punchline: "Wow, this IS a dive," one biker says.
"Yeah," the other biker says. "But let's go back to the Windows 98 bar. I didn't bring enough money to drink AND buy all-new peripherals."

I upgraded from an old PowerBook this year, and went small so it would fit in a saddlebag, and ease portability overall. But this little unit has got the power to handle everything from inDesign to Photoshop.

Battery life is excellent, and it's proven to be a tough little piece of gear.

We took it on our Colorado adventure, and it proved invaluable. We routinely war-rode or copped free WiFi. The lap allowed us to easily organize, execute, write, edit photos and text, and upload it all.

Joke: How can you tell two motorcyclists are using Apple products?
Punchline: They ride — instead of buying more software, constantly updating security patches, running virus software or closing pop-ups.

A lot of writing and photography took place out in the boonies. We did fast-pass edits and uploads as we passed through puddles of civilization.

We never shut the lap down; it never needed a reboot during the entire eight day trip. Not even when the temps dropped to near freezing in the mountains nor when we were scooting across the high desert in 120° F heat.



On that trip, we sometimes found ourselves fighting over laptop time to make the real-time report come together. One realization was that to truly work efficiently, we might need two laptops, next time. (But the trade-off in additional payload might not be worth it.)

Generally, one of us worked while the other tended to routine chores, shot pics, or slacked back with a cold libation.

We packed it on that trip in Michael's locking tail trunk, in a Buell shoulder sling bag. It often rides in my Airhead in my Buell bag, inside a BMW saddlebag.

Beefs? You bet. The white outside surface shows scuffs and insults way too easy. The keys get grungy fast, especially when you're working off the saddle of a motorcycle in the middle of nowhere. The screen is difficult to keep clean.

Pay hundreds more for a black one with same issues? Give us a break, Mr. Jobs; you're not a cell phone service provider.

Like all my techno-geek stuff, the charger's transformer should be smaller, much smaller.

Bonuses? Uh-huh. The most surprisingly useful feature is the built-in video camera. When you're routinely collaborating with a blogging partner who lives 60 miles up the road, the video conferencing has proven invaluable.

In addition, we're experimenting with taking over each other's desktops remotely, to make faster, better edits. Just one of a ton of new features in Apple's latest operating system, Leopard.

Joke: What's the difference between two Mac guys taking over each other's desktops to get more work done and someone taking over a Windows desktop?
Punchline: The Mac takeover is on purpose. The Windows takeover is by a Russian creating a computer zombie.


Next up: Figuring out how to replace the laptop completely with an iPhone.

The current hurdle: Inputting high-res photos directly into an iPhone.

Whiskey River take me home

OK, is it a tool or a crutch?

You decide.

The bottom line is, Todd likes to visit with ole Tennessee Jack at the end of an evening. When you hit the hotel room after 500 miles or so, the last thing you want to do is make an immediate trip to the liquor store. You want a snort and a shower, in that order.

But those cheap little plastic flasks don't last a week with friends along. So this plastic bottle, which originally held Canadian Mist, now capably holds Old No. 7 on the road.

It stashes neatly and flatly. It's indestructible. It seals tight. And it can serve up several fingers a day, over hotel ice, for about a week.

Need more than that?

Well then, friend, you need help, not a plastic bottle.

Making the circuit

It's a cosmic rule: The only tool you ever need is the one you left at home.

Examples abound with TeamBoxer:

• Tow rope. Needed in Texas panhandle 20 years ago. Ever since packing one, never needed again.

• Jumper cables: Needed in Wisconsin 25 years ago. Never needed (by carrier, at least) again.

New example: This little puppy. It's about $25 at Radio Shack. It's a multimeter and circuit tester. It comes in its own cool little yellow shock-proofed case. It has leads that store in the case. It fits in an Airhead's tool box, or any old tank bag.

We needed one in Colorado this summer when Todd's Airhead had electrical tantrums. We didn't have one. When we got to the next town, we bought two at a Shack. (One each.)

Consumer tip: Check the batteries in the store. DAMHIK.

You might have a big, fancy multimeter at home. That's great. Use with pride. Showcase it in your Snap-On rollaway tool chest.

But stash this one in your road bag.

Next to the tow rope and the jumper cables.

And prepare yourself to become part of a cosmic mystery.

One body, one lens

More negatives, more positive

Riding and taking great photos has always been a challenge. First, you want a camera that is light and compact. Second you want both a wide angle to catch those great vistas — and a long telephoto to get in tight. Third, you want a camera that is instant on and can shoot photos in rapid succession.

All of that rules out most point-and-shoot cameras.

My old standard outfit was to carry a 18-70mm short zoom plus a 80-200mm long zoom lens. But this was an incredible hassle. The short zoom and camera, a Nikon D100, would fit great in the tank bag. But the longer lens had to be stowed away in the saddle bags.

So it completely ruled out shooting tight, fast shots from the saddle during quick stops.

But all of that changed this summer. I bought Nikon's new 18-200mm 3.5-5.6 G ED. All of the photos from the Colorado trip were taken with this lens. This is one of Nikon's latest lens with vibration reduction; Nikon says that makes it good for about four f-stops faster.

Basically that means you shoot in lower light, with less blur.

The equivalent 35mm focal length for the new lens is 27-300mm. Which covers everything from wide angle to long telephoto. So it fits great into the KISS principle (keep it simple, son): one lens, one body.

Plus the whole shebang slips right into a tank bag, where it is available for quick shots, secure, padded storage, and instant removal.

One other equipment suggestion for budding moto-photojournalists: A flip helmet.
Flip up the helmet, flip open the tank bag, and you're shooting.
No more stopping to take off your helmet to compose a nice shot, or catch that fleeting moment.

Here are a couple of examples that show the versatility of the new lens. Both of these were taken from the same spot. In the photo of the bike you can just make out Todd on the top of the rock.



Shot at the 27mm.



Shot at 270mm setting.

This lens just really gets the job done!

Some stats on the lens can be found here.
Ken Rockwell has an in-depth review here.

Bagged

It was that feeling in the pit of my stomach when something is very wrong.

Like looking down and realizing your tank bag is no longer covering your gas cap.

Flash memory instantly goes into overdrive – back to the gas station – where I broke my normal routine of staying on the bike to refuel.
So the bag ended up on the passenger seat.
Instead of the instrument panel instead of the GS where I normally put it.
And my riding partner didn't notice it.
And I rode off.
And the bag fell off.
Somewhere on U.S. 23, south of Dundee, Mich.

So how do you not notice a missing tank bag? Good question. I have a custom map case that holds my Garmin, but I wasn't using the Garmin. So I wasn't checking it. I was wearing a new helmet that blocked my downward view. I was hot and I wanted to get back on the bike and the cooling breezes.

Todd dropped something so I walked over to let him know about it.

It took 40 minutes to realize the bag was gone. A call to the gas station had the attendant doing a quick sweep of the grounds and the entrance ramp to the highway. A little more sweet talking had her driving down the highway in search of the elusive Marsee magnetic bag. No luck.

We rode back to the gas station scanning the opposite lanes. No joy. Twenty bucks to the attendant for her effort.

Then suddenly it sinks in what you have lost:
• Marsee 20 liter magnetic tank bag with electric hookup.
• Two shields with covers.
• Tire gauge.
• Sunglass clip
• Headphones.
• Power adapters for iPhone and Garmin
• And, yes, a Garmin GPS.

Those items add up real quick.
Plus the fact that your riding partner dings you every 20 minutes:
"Ya know I usually put mine on the driver's seat so something stupid like that won't happen to me."
"Oh, where did I put that? That's right, it's right here in my TANK BAG where it should be."

By the next day I was asking complete strangers if they had a handgun and if I could borrow it for just one second.
(Todd might have had one, but I was afraid he would tell me it was in his TANK BAG.)

So, hard lessons learned:
• Have a gas stop routine.
• Don't alter it.
• If you do break your routine have a backup (yes putting the bag on the driver's seat would have helped).
• Don't rush.
• If you're hot, tired and thirsty, be extra vigilant. (I was thirsty because I broke another routine: I didn't pack my Camelback.)

Spool forward two days.
The phone rang and Glen and Jerry from southern Michigan had found the bag. It had taken them a couple of days to figure out the Garmin to get my phone number.
The bag had made it 12 miles down the road from the gas station and was sitting in the middle of U.S. 23. It had taken a couple of hits. Stuff was all over the highway.
Sunglasses toast, tire gauge broken, the magnets in the bottom of the Marsee bag was reduced to chunks but the rest of the bag was in decent shape.
The Garmin GPS was untouched and worked perfectly. Both shields need to be replaced. They didn't break but bending them a little bit shows that the plastic was fractured.

In the end it could have been worse.

But you can bet I won't get "bagged" again.

Take a moment right now, and add up how much it might cost to replace one piece of your motorcycle luggage.

And then go make sure your business card, with address and cellphone number, are prominently placed in each piece.

And stick to your routines!