Wednesday, January 23, 2008

Absence Makes the Heart Fonder: 1.2 weeks without my STX1300

















Landed at Beijing airport, People's Republic of China (PRC).


















I failed to notice the thick clothing the airport ground crew were wearing, to protect them against the harsh cold of Beijing's winter. I paid the price later suffering from brain freeze and hyperthermia, walking a mere 100 meters in the open air.

















China is huge siah. Look at the mountain range below.
If Osama can speak mandarin, he hide there confirm nobody can find.


















China is gearing up for 08.08.08, the date of the next Olympics to be held in Beijing.


I had to travel to China for one whole week. Not to go find china wife or mistress; or to import Geylang "Foreign Talents". But to zho kang, to work.

I decided to take this opportunity to send my Vice, my beloved STX1300 Pan European, into the workshop to do some servicing work.

To have the hydraulic fluids in both brake reservoirs replaced (over 1-2 years, hydraulic fluids will absorb moisture from the air and caused the brake feel to feel soft and spongy) and the brake pads replaced.

I had actually just changed the whole 3 set of brake pads just 2 weeks ago. At a particular famous motorshop in Alexandra Village that even does dyno testing. My original brake pads were worned out. The chief mechanic there recommended changing to a particular aftermarket brand of brake pads as they are cheaper than OEM Honda brake pads and give better performance. Trusting him, I said ok.

But later regret. Even after 2 weeks and over 1,000 km of riding of baking the new brake pads, my STX's brakes no longer feel jiat, strong. I need more effort on my fingers, braking distance is longer, I can no longer brake to a smooth stop using just the front level. The new brake pads were disappointing.

So I decided, instead of living with a pain over prolong period of waiting for the brand new set of brake pads to be replaced, I decided to have them replaced immediately.

I send my bike to Planet Motorcycle at Ubi Avenue. Boss is Ah Cheong.

China

Some highlights of my china trip:

















I tried out the new Changi Airport's Terminal 3. The airport is so new, the fur on the carpet is still so brand new and long that when standing on the carpet, I felt a bit wobbly.


















If you think China is ulu, think again. See the tall modern and fancy buildings in the cities.
















The city of Guangzhou.

















The busy streets of Beijing.


- Whenever I stepped out of even my highclass Shangrila hotel at Shenzhen, pimps will come and approach me to offer girls. Some of the pimps are women. Sorry, I forgot to ask the rate, so no need to email me to ask.

- Beijing is one of the coldest places I have visited. It is winter in Beijing and the cold felt worse than it's -6 degrees celsius. Walking with a heavy jacket without gloves, in the open air at night, within 100 meters, I start to shiver and I developed brainfreeze--headache from drinking cold water too fast. I realised the cold there can be lethal. If don't wear enough thick clothing, can literally die cock stand. Also, don't think China govnmt will have problem enforcing Beijing citizens to limit to one child policy. The place is too cold to get naked to make babies.


- I stayed in 5 different hotels within 7 nights. Beijing, Guanzhou, Shenzhen, Hong Kong. I changed hotel until blur. Once, forgot what room number because thought it was the previous hotel room number.

















My Beijing Intercontinental room's toilet. Big and nice enough I could just sleep in it.

















My Guangzhou Westin room.



















My room in Guangzhou Westin. Note you watch your girl bath from your bed.



- I actually think the hotel service was first class, best even Hong Kong's. I like the service at Beijing Hotel Intercontinental and Guangzhou Westin.

















The customer service in Beijing and Guangzhou hotel impressed me. When I stepped into the room the first time, the TV screen flashed a greeting with my name on it, "Mr Tay".

















I get chauffeured around in a Benz C- and S-Class. China is left hand drive.



















Want to know what I look like on my working trip to China?
Check out my Tai Kor Tai dressing. Cool or not?



















Look like Chow Yuan Fatt's dressing in the movie A Better Tomorrow? Just needs a some wind to blow my hair to make a grand entrance. Plus must remember to walk slow-mo.


















At one of the Char Chang Ting, or tea restaurants in Hong Kong.
Hong Kongers are like Singaporeans. Eating is a passion.


















Look at the amount of fat in this roasted meat in Hong Kong. But must try! The roasted crust is crispy. The meat inside is soft and juicy. Super nice! (Make Makansutra Sitoh's orgasm face)


















Do you know this guy?


















At Hong Kong's Avenue of Star.



Reunited with Vice

When I landed back at Changi airport, my chio bu was there to pick me up from the airport. After been to 5 cities in China, my chio bu is still the most tok kong one.

She sent me to Planet to collect my Vice. Ah Chong did a good job and charged me a very fair price. When I rode my STX, the familiar progressive feel of the brakes came back. I was so happy. Morale of the lesson learnt: Don't anyhow change to aftermarket brake pads. Stick to OEM Honda brake pads. At least for Honda STX1300's case. Also, for my previous Honda CBR954 FireBlade case. Echoed by the owner of Honda Blackbird.

I was so happy when reunited with Vice. Once again, I was struck by how agile the STX feel; how torquey and yet smooth and vibration free the V4 engine is; how powerful the brakes are; how comfortable the bike is; and how well designed everything is on the bike. Absence really makes my heart fonder for my Vice.

A Taxi Driver's Sex Adventure with a Masseur

While Vice was at the workshop, I travelled on taxi a little bit and I hear a few interesting stories from the taxi drivers. And this is one of the most intersting one.

The taxi driver is a Malay uncle in his 40-50s. He told me, one day he picked up a China girl in Singapore. The girl is very pretty to him. He see until his eyes steam.

He drove a little while. The pretty China girl asked "Uncle, you want a massage?" She starts to massage his neck and his shoulders as he continued driving. Unable to resist, the uncle taxi driver says agreed to $50 massage session. Drive the girl to her massage parlor.

At the massage parlor, the girl asked uncle lie on his stomach on a bed and massaged his back first. Then after that, asked uncle turn around and lie flat on his back. Girl sat on uncle to massage stomach, then move up to chest. Then, the girl sat uncle face. Uncle says girl not wearing panties.

Girl offered $100 for sex job. $50 for blow job. $30 for jerk job. Uncle is clever. Said he only got $20 niah. Girl said, ok lah ok lah. She accepted $20 for blow job.

And at this point, taxi uncle drive until almost missed the turn to my destinaton. "Ooi, ooi, ooi, uncle, please turn here!" I told him. "Don't get too excited until forget." Uncle said, "Sorry sorry." He said after he dropped me, after telling me his sex adventure with the massage masseur, maybe he go visit Geylang.


















Mind over matter. Finding stillness and tranquility in a bustling city like Hong Kong.

Thursday, January 10, 2008

Tourer Comparison: GTR vs FJR vs ST1300 vs R1300RT vs K1300GT

Stiff Upper Lips in Stiff Competition




















TourerGP: Has Kawa pulled off an upset against the mighty Honda?


Kawasaki just launched their high-powered high-tech 1400GTR tourer to go slug it out against the heavy weights of Honda, Yamaha and BMW. How does this new (big) kid on the block stand against the current market favours?

If you want to find out, go get the current issue of Bike Magazine from UK for the full story. The article is informative as well as entertaining.





















My favourite bike mag.

I'm not going to spoil the fun and the business of Bike by giving away everything the magazine commented on these 5 bikes. I would just give you some samples as appertizers and add my personal comments:

Kawasaki GTR1400 Review

Bike says:


Good points:
- Bloody hell this is fast. Set the fastest 0-100kmh recorded by Bike (broken by the new Busa 3 days later).
- Most gizmos after the BMWs.


Weak points:

- Screen too low when at lowest; buffers head when at highest.

- Hard work to corner fast, mid and low speed.
- Firmest suspension and seat. Fast motor not really needed for the job at hand.



Endless says:


This bikes are all at the top of the pyramid. Every manufacturer got to give their best shot and can afford to because these bikes are not on budget. So there are no bad bikes here. And no best bikes. Rather, it is what kind of rider you are.


The 1400GTR is for those who likes all the power to ride very very fast, in a straight line eg: NorthSouth highway--but first got to change to taller aftermarket windscreen or your neck gets blown off by the windblast.
1400GTR is for those who like the idea that they are owning a bike whose got more horsepower than the guy next to him, with the highest top speed, fastest 0kmh to whatever kmh.
May appeal to a mellowed Hayabusa or ZZ1400 owner.




BMW R1200RT and K1200KT

Bike says:

Good points:

- Put them in 1-2 pole positions in this long-distance riding shootout (I can't believe this).
- Comfortable. Brillian screen and fairing.


Weak points:

- Clunky gearbox. Need to get used to the telelevel fork shit thing. Need to get used to the separate left and right turn signal buttons shit thing.

Endless says:


BMW must have gotten Bike bribed with the most advertisement money. Don't tell Bike or I'm going get sued. How else is there to explain that "Buy this BMW bike, even though it is so expensive, it's got a worse gearbox feel than bikes a quarter its price"?


Sorry, I am very fussy about the gearbox feel as I am not those type of rider that just sticks my bike to top gear and than ride straight and at constant speed all the way to my destination without playing with the gears and engine revs.

Ok, Ok, to be fair, the BMWs here are designed and built by a manufacturer with amongst the most experience in building tourers. So they have got almost all the chinks knocked out by decades and decades of listening to thousands and thousands of owners and new owners. These experience are intangibles that cannot be substitued by the lastest gizmo or highest specs or more horsepower engines.

It is like the best-tasting chilli crab is still the best-testing chilli crab, even though there are other stalls that offer bigger crabs, more chilli, better service. The BMWs are for owners who wish to own something different. And not just another japanese bike. And for those people where the BMW brand means more prestige than Japanese brands (Japanese brands in motorcycling don't mean anything? They haven't been watching MotoGP)



Honda ST1300 (STX1300) Pan European Review

Bike says:

Good points:

- The smooth, mellow flavour of the longitudinal V4 motor. Feels like a sportsbike.
- Can handle and corner like a much lighter Hornet 600.

Weak points:
- Honda bland. Not outstanding in any one area.
- Looks like a scooter (it is not the Pan's fault. Those scooter builders went to build their scooters like the Pan.)


Endless says: I say exactly what Bike said. I love the V4. It is so relaxing when cruising in Singapore. And it grips the tarmac like a vice when cornering and accelerating. I also love the willingness of the ST1300 to corner.

The Pan is really very much like the BMW. Almost perfect and flawless as tourers/sports tourers like years of feedback from owners. If something is not there, you almost can be sure you don't need it, no matter how much you think you need it (eg: more horsepower).

People who go for the STX are people who trust the Honda brand for build reliability and design experience. And for those who go for finesse riding style over brute acceleration and top speed. And for comfort and refinement.




Yamaha FJR1300A Review

Bike says:

Good points:

- Sporty. Good engine

- Feels like what a proper motorbike should feel (versus the STX, a bike that accelerates but you can't hear the engine sound).

Weak points:
- Old tech.
- Screen a bit too low for long-distance touring.


Endless says:


I will put the FJR as a midway between the GTR1400 and STX.
It is for those trust the Yamaha brand. For those who likes to hear a bit of engine and exhaust sound from their bike. But some of those in the FJR camp may be attracted to go over to the GTR1400 camp because of the appeal of higher horsepower.




Conclusion

Touring and sport touring is one style of riding where higher horsepower, highest top speed don't mean as much. There is no one way of quantification that can measure a bike that is best for touring/sport touring, unlike pure sportbike. And for every strength, it necessites a trade-off.

Eg: To have more horsepower to ride at higher speed or accelerate faster, the suspension has to be firmer and harsher and less comfortable. The wheelbase has to be longer to give greater sense of stability at high speed at the expense of needing more effort to turn the bike.

So the conclusion is there is no best bike here. More like what is your style? What does your priority lie?

What someone else like may not be what you will like. Knowing yourself well is just as important as knowing the bikes out there.

Thursday, January 03, 2008

Ride Motorbike Also Can Play Golf

Happy New Year.

Golf is not just for the rich ang high class people. Even Endless me is also learning to play golf.

And you don't need a car to bring golf clubs. Ride motorbike also can bring golf clubs. How? Just buy a "sunday bag"--a soft case golf bag which can carry a good 7-9 clubs. I sling it across me and I can ride my bike comfortably with it.

If you think golf is a very serious and formal sport, then you have never play golf with Endless. Just watch these videos filmed by Endless.





Value-for-money golf game





Lang kor






Pot Mark


I think ESPN should hire me as a golf commentator. Don't you think I will give those ang mor a good run for their money?

Wednesday, January 02, 2008

View of 2007 from my side mirror

Achievements

1. Never get any demerit points!
2. Never claim any bike insurance. Yipee!
3. Still 100% safe.
4. Organised Traffic Police-Bukit Batok Safety Day ride, and HOV talk
5. My loudexhaust blog crosses 15,000 hits. Realised it was read by many bike enthusiasts.
Thank you for reading. Will continue to write more adventures.
6. Got chio bu Ms Huppy to be guest blogger. Only wrote 2 articles. Since then, she zhao lor liao.


Most Memorable Rides

1. Betong Thailand
2. Twin Peaks Faiser Hill and Genting Highlands
3. Pagoh Challenge. Need a 2008 version. Wrote this article for Motor Culture. All my school english teachers would have never guessed one day I would write for a magazine. But then, Motor Culture is such a beng magzine.


Interesting Events


1. Frost no more. Become, I AM VICE. Changed from Fazer1000 to STX. Honda's got to me again.
2. Hornet Nest to Moto-v. Have to keep telling people I don't ride with an engine oil company.
3. Learnt diving. Got advanced diving cert. Almost drowned.
4. Picking up golf. Start of a self-torturing sport.
5. Was there during the Indian protest rally at KL, tear gas, ang-chia, helicopter and all.
6. My STX peng san twice within one month and need to thank 7 people who helped to upright it.

Wishes for 2008
1. Maintain my 100% riding safety for my 12th year running.
2. Go on more interesting rides. Hopefully with less qiu-cheng (screw-ups).
3. Show you more chio-bu!
4. Organise more safety events to help more riders save their skin.
5. Do Pagoh Challenge 2008!

Happy New Year!