Rocksmith Events

Posted on December 20, 2011 by Freejack

That was great fun. I’ve been mostly playing sitting down and now I’m practicing at least an hour a day and several hours over the week. Perhaps not on the lesson plan provided by Zack but hopefully he’ll understand 🙂

This time it was playing In Bloom by Nirvana and I Can’t Hear You from Dead Weather. I did pretty well with both songs although the lead stuff still gets me because it’s a drop from the lower strings to the upper strings and higher notes. So I have to relocate my fingers to get to that point. I’m getting there but it’s not like the rhythm bits which are the same groups over and over.

Once I finished the Nirvana song, Rocksmith wanted me to play in an event. I had to go back to the song list to find I Can’t Hear You and practice it three or so times before I was ready for the event. I did pretty well, getting in the 40’s for I Can’t Hear You and the 60’s for In Bloom. Then it went for an Encore. The Black Keys, Next Girl. There were a couple of spots where I got lost but the main rhythm parts I nailed and got like 70k points for a total event of 190k points. I’m up over a million now.

For events though, you need to practice the songs before going on. I flubbed the last one badly because of that.

Another weird thing is you can’t go back to events. Once you’ve played it, they’re gone. Hopefully later, once I “beat” the game, I’ll be able to go back to try the events again.

Pretty cool. My shoulder and wrist are a bit on the sore side. Right side exercise 🙂

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Rocksmith Listing

Posted on December 19, 2011 by Freejack

This is a listing of the three main lists I can get from the main menu. I don’t have a list of Venues yet but I’ve only been to two.

Games

Ducks – Ok so far. Just pluck the note to kill the duck.
Super Ducks – Locked.
Scale Runner – Locked.
Quick Pick Dash – Locked.
Big Swing Baseball – Play the note at the right time to hit the ball. I’m not too impressed by it.
Super Slider – Tetris by notes.
Dawn of the Chordead – Play chords to kill zombies. Most were ones I knew. There were a few new ones, especially Cmaj7 that I didn’t have down well enough yet.
Harmonically Challenged – Locked.

Techniques

These were mostly ok. The Palm Mute is really bugging me, both here and in the songs. I’m muting and it even sounds muted in the playback but it keeps telling me I’m missing the palm mute.

This is also the one where you get Bronze, Silver, or Gold achievements when you reach certain scores.

Sustain Challenge – Did pretty well; Silver
Shifting Challenge – Did pretty well; Silver
Hammer-ons &pull-offs Challenge – Did pretty well; Silver
Slides Challenge – Did pretty well; Silver
Bends Challenge – Did pretty well; Silver
Harmonics Challenge – Haven’t tried.
Palm mute Challenge – Sucked on this.
Tremolo Challenge – Haven’t tried.
Chord Challenge – Did superb at 90k, not quite master yet (100k + 98% accuracy).
Double stop Challenge – Did pretty well.
Power chord Challenge – Sucked on this.
Barre chord Challenge – Haven’t tried.

Song Listing

It’s song – band – album – year – versions – dlc. Some of the songs can be purchased as part of a pack, generally a few cents less than buying each song separately. The Packs are also more likely to be of the same artist although for the Christmas one, that’s not quite right.

[1] – Megadeth Song Pack
[2] – Free Holiday Song Pack
[3] – The Black Keys (Singles)
[4] – Blink-182 Song Pack
[5] – Heavy Metal Gear Pack (not listed below)
[6] – 3 Doors Down Song Pack
[7] – Blues Song Pack
[8] – Judas Priest Song Pack
[9] – The Police Song Pack
[10] – The Offspring Song Pack
[11] – My Chemical Romance Song Pack
[12] – Queen Song Pack

Song Name Artist Album Year DLC Date
Arrangement Score Notes
Don’t Fear The Reaper Blue Oyster Cult Agents of Fortune 1976 1/17/12
Combo 45,000 e8
Combo 2 46,579 e3
(Can’t Get No) Satisfaction Rolling Stones Hot Rocks 1964-1971 1965 Original
Chord 108,847 e6
Single Note 79,934 e19
20th Century Boy T.Rex Tanx 1973 11/29/11
Single Note 112,756 e2
Combo 111,734 e7
A More Perfect Union Titus Andronicus The Monitor 2010 Original
Combo 82,977 e2
Single Note 42,304 e2
All The Small Things Blink-182 Enema of the State 1999 2/21/12[4]
Combo 2 90,853 e5
Combo 95,211 e5
Angela Jarvis Cocker Further Complication 2009 Original
Single Note 82,703 e2
Combo 17,779 e1
Are You Gonna Go My Way Lenny Kravitz Are You Gonna Go My Way 1993 Original
Combo 0 e1
Single Note 46,603 e6
Barracuda Heart Little Queen 1977 1/17/12
Single Note 87,197 e6
Combo 84,644 e7
Between The Lines Stone Temple Pilots Stone Temple Pilots 2010 Original
Single Note 90,788 d2
Combo 71,813 d8
Black Pearl Jam Ten 1991 2/7/12
Combo 50,014 e2
Chord 101,601 e3
Bodysnatchers Radiohead In Rainbows 2007 11/1/11
Single Note 41,840 d1
Combo 18,906 d2
Bohemian Rhapsody Queen A Night At The Opera 1975 6/12/12[12]
Combo 25,323 e1
Combo 2 0 e1
Combo 3 0 e1
Born Under A Bad Sign Albert King with Stevie Ray Vaughan In Session 1983 3/20/12[7]
Combo 73,896 e10
Combo 2 34,791 e5
Boys Don’t Cry The Cure Boys Don’t Cry 1979 Original
Single Note 144,567 e40
Chord 19,029 e9
Combo 93,078 e32
Breaking The Law Judas Priest British Steel 1980 4/17/12[8]
Combo 2 97,122 e17
Combo 200,122 e34
Breed Nirvana Nevermind 1991 Original
Single Note 187,319 e9
Combo 100,894 e17
Bring Me To Life Evanescence Fallen 2003 4/3/12
Combo 95,489 e2
Single Note 98,256 e5
Burnished White Denim D 2011 Original
Combo 44,537 e14
Combo 2 11,425 e1
California Brain RapScallions RapScallions 2011 Original
Combo 7,636 e1
Single Note 40,975 e3
Carol of The Bells Seth Chapla Carol of The Bells 2011 12/20/11[2]
Combo 0 e0
Single Note 7,910 e1
Chimney Yellow Moon Band Travels Into Several Remote Nations of the World 2009 Original
Combo 0 e1
Single Note 22,602 e1
Come Out And Play (Keep ’em Separated) The Offspring Smash 1994 5/15/12[10]
Combo 2 9,732 e2
Combo 9,026 e1
Single Note 36,341 e4
Cousins Vampire Weekend Contra 2010 11/29/11
Single Note 50,145 e14
Combo 44,113 e3
Dammit Blink-182 Dude Ranch 1997 2/21/12[4]
Combo 50,858 e5
Combo 2 0 e2
Do You Remember The Horrors Primary Colours 2009 Original
Chord 39,625 e1
Single Note 116,766 e5
Combo 51,066 e1
Fat Bottomed Girls Queen Jazz 1978 6/12/12[12]
Combo 25,620 d2
Single Note 41,063 d1
Free Bird Lynyrd Skynyrd Prounounced Leh-Nerd Skin-Nerd 1973 11/1/11
Combo 22,243 e4
Chord 73,642 e2
Go With The Flow Queens of the Stone Age Songs For The Deaf 2002 Original
Combo 81,997 e2
Single Note 115,826 e9
Gobbledigook Sigur Ros With A Buzz In Our Ears We Play Endlessly 2008 Original
Combo 61,700 e13
Single Note 35,902 e4
God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen Brian Adam McCune God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen 2011 12/20/11[2]
Single Note 32,554 e3
Single Note 2 0 e0
Godzilla Blue Oyster Cult Spectres 6/26/12
Single Note 100,285 e3
Combo 14,900 e1
Combo 2 0 e2
Gold On The Ceiling The Black Keys El Camino 2011 12/27/11[3]
Combo 98,100 d7
Gone Away The Offspring Ixnay on the Hombre 1997 5/15/12[10]
Combo 16,142 e1
Combo 2 0 e0
Single Note 83,315 e1
Good Enough Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers Mojo 2010 Original
Combo 47,822 e2
Single Note 36,699 e1
Chord 56,036 e2
Hanger 18 Megadeth Rust In Peace 1990 12/14/11[1]
Combo 2 0 e0
Combo 3 0 e0
Combo 13,765 e3
High and Dry Radiohead The Bends 1995 Original
Single Note 74,773 e2
Chord 73,912 e2
Combo 82,507 e13
Higher Ground Red Hot Chili Peppers Higher Ground 1989 Original
Single Note 73,280 e7
Combo 57,337 e8
Combo 2 29,461 e2
Hit Me With Your Best Shot Pat Benetar 6/26/12
Single Note 94,164 e3
Combo 16,550 e2
Combo 2 0 e0
House of the Rising Sun Animals Retrospective 1964 Original
Chord 18,428 e1
Combo 55,754 e9
I Believe In A Thing Called Love The Darkness I Believe In A Thing Called Love 2003 7/10/12
Combo 50,220 e1
Combo 2 0 e0
Single Note 0 e4
I Can’t Hear You The Dead Weather Sea of Cowards 2010 Original
Single Note 92,468 e17
I Got Mine The Black Keys Attack & Release 2008 Original
Combo 57,382 e8
Single Note 38,015 e3
I Hate Everything About You Three Days Grace Three Days Grace 2003 11/29/11
Combo 78,893 d10
Combo 2 67,039 d2
I Miss You Incubus Make Yourself 1999 Original
Combo 55,052 d16
Combo 2 103,417 d5
I Want Some More Dan Auerbach Keep It Hid 2009 Original
Single Note 91,800 e18
Combo 68,007 e5
Icky Thump The White Stripes Icky Thump 2007 Original
Combo 55,512 e7
Single Note 53,103 e2
In Bloom Nirvana Nevermind 1991 Original
Combo 90,269 e34
Single Note 98,376 e18
Islands The xx xx 2009 Original
Single Note 0 e0
Combo 22,714 e8
Jeremy Pearl Jam Ten 1991 2/7/12
Combo 48,021 e3
Combo 2 56,959 e3
Jessica The Allman Brothers Band Brothers And Sisters 1973 11/15/11
Combo 30,847 e6
Just Got To Be The Black Keys Magic Potion 2006 12/27/11[3]
Combo 37,879 e6
Keep Yourself Alive Queen Queen 1973 6/12/12[12]
Single Note 83,205 e1
Single Note 2 61,315 e1
Combo 33,035 e2
Killer Queen Queen Sheer Heart Attack 1974 6/12/12[12]
Combo 19,426 e3
Combo 2 0 e2
Single Note 61,084 e1
Kryptonite 3 Doors Down The Better Life 2000 3/6/12[6]
Combo 50,939 e10
Combo 2 53,775 e2
Living After Midnight Judas Priest British Steel 1980 4/17/12[8]
Combo 75,727 e7
Combo 2 72,256 e2
Loser 3 Doors Down The Better Life 2000 3/6/12[6]
Combo 2 49,822 e2
Combo 53,529 e6
Me and the Bean Spoon Girls Can Tell 2001 Original
Single Note 075,915 e6
Combo 68,316 e9
Mean Bitch Taddy Porter Taddy porter 2010 Original
Single Note 42,873 e4
Combo 58,304 e3
Combo 2 75,768 e7
Message In A Bottle The Police Reggatta de Blanc 1979 5/1/12[9]
Combo 34,172 e4
Combo 2 37,022 e1
Mind Eraser The Black Keys El Camino 2011 12/27/11[3]
Chord 9,289 e1
Combo 97,075 e3
More Than A Feeling Boston Boston 1976 11/15/11
Combo 2 78,241 e15
Combo 45,369 e2
My Sharona The Knack 6/26/12
Combo 26,995 e1
Combo 2 0 e1
Single Note 105,571 e2
Na Na Na (Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na) My Chemical Romance 5/29/12[11]
Combo 41,401 e1
Combo 2 0 e0
Next Girl The Black Keys Brothers 2010 Original
Single Note 76,134 e4
Number Thirteen Red Fang Murder The Mountain 2011 Original
Combo 0 e0
Single Note 41,447 e9
Outshined Soundgarden Badmotorfinger 1991 Original
Single Note 98,754 d36
Combo 80,345 d12
Combo 2 70,267 d19
Painkiller Jusas Priest Painkiller 1990 4/17/12[8]
Combo 19,202 e6
Combo 2 24,976 e2
Panic Switch Silversun Pickups Swoon 2009 Original
Combo 83,862 e4
Single Note 79,881 e1
Paralyzer Finger Eleven Them vs. You vs. Me 2006 7/10/12
Single Note 42,220 e4
Combo 2 0 e2
Combo 0 e2
Planetary (Go!) My Chemical Romance 5/29/12[11]
Combo 44,180 e2
Combo 2 87,787 e6
Single Note 211,229 e14
Play With Fire Rolling Stones Big Hits (High Tide And Green Grass) 1965 Original
Single Note 17,815 e1
Combo 41,512 e7
Plug In Baby Muse Origin of Symmetry 2001 Original
Single Note 59,182 e3
Combo 54,290 e12
Public Enemy No. 1 Megadeth TH1RT3EN 2011 12/14/11[1]
Combo 2 0 e0
Combo 42,965 e7
Pumped Up Kicks Foster The People Torches 2010 4/3/12
Combo 35,661 e2
Combo 2 0 e0
Rebel Rebel David Bowie Diamond dogs 1974 Original
Combo 54,436 e7
Chord 99,658 e2
Single Note 56,954 e2
Redneck Lamb of God Sacrament 2006 7/10/12
Combo 2 0 d0
Single Note 0 d0
Combo 0 d0
Roxanne The Police Outlandos d’Amour 1978 5/1/12[9]
Combo 40,994
Single Note 105,007
Run Back To Your Side Eric Clapton Clapton 2010 Original
Single Note 41,022
Chord 103,377
Self Esteem The Offspring Smash 1994 5/15/12[10]
Combo 67,345
Combo 2 0
Slither Velvet Revolver Contraband 2004 Original
Single Note 22,903
Combo 23,607
Slow Hands Interpol Antics 2004 Original
Single Note 0
Combo 0
Combo 2 49,164
Smoke On The Water Deep Purple Machine Head 1972 11/15/11
Combo 65,562
Single Note 83,130
Song 2 Blur Blur 1997 Original
Combo 85,138
Single Note 232,826
Soul Man The Blues Brothers Briefcase Full of Blues 1978 3/20/12[7]
Combo 2 0
Combo 13,400
Space Oddity David Bowie Space Oddity 1969 1/17/12
Combo 44,901
Chord 0
Out Of Our Head Rolling Stones Out of Our Heads 1965 Original
Chord 0
Combo 0
Combo 2 45,825
Step Out Of The Car The Boxer Rebellion The Cold Still 2011 Original
Single Note 64,738
Stone Cold Crazy Queen Sheer Heart Attack 1974 6/12/12[12]
Combo 22,474
Combo 2 0
Sunshine Of Your Love Cream Disraeli Gears 1967 Original
Combo 61,677
Single Note 77,089
Surf Hell Little Barrie King Of The Waves 2011 Original
Single Note 62,840
Combo 28,245
Sweet Home Alabama Lynyrd Skynyrd Second Helping 1974 Original
Single Note 15,960
Chord 0
Combo 18,220
Symphony of Destruction Megadeth Countdown To Extinction 1992 12/14/11[1]
Combo 27,792
Combo 2 0
Synchronicity II The Police Synchronicity 1983 5/1/12[9]
Combo 47,159
Combo 2 0
Take Me Out Franz Ferdinand Franz Ferdinand 2004 Original
Single Note 41,728
Combo 97,086
This Love Maroon 5 Songs About Jane 2002 4/3/12
Combo 2 20,764
Combo 34,089
The Thrill Is Gone B.B. King Completely Well 1969 3/20/12[7]
Combo 59,312
Tighten Up The Black Keys Brothers 2010 11/1/11
Combo 0
Combo 2 27,494
Under Cover of Darkness The Strokes Angles 2011 Original
Combo 2 0
Single Note 35,653
Combo 29,129
Unnatural Selection Muse The Resistance 2009 Original
Combo 39,139
Single Note 65,478
Use Somebody Kings of Leon Only By The Night 2008 Original
Chord 0
Combo 35,598
Vasoline Stone Temple Pilots Purple 1994 Original
Combo 69,927
Combo 2 0
Single Note 72,293
We Share The Same Skies The Cribs Ignore The Ignorant 2009 Original
Combo 2 0
Combo 29,457
Single Note 38,381
We Three Kings Versus Them We Three Kings 2011 12/20/11[2]
Combo 0
Welcome to the Black Parade My Chemical Romance 5/29/12[11]
Combo 0
Combo 2 0
Well OK Honey Jenny O. Home 2010 Original
Combo 38,594
Single Note 39,799
Chord 0
What’s My Age Again? blink-182 Enema of the State 1999 2/21/12[4]
Combo 2 25,939
Combo 65,711
When I’m Gone 3 Doors Down Away From The Sun 2002 3/6/12[6]
Single Note 62,414
Combo 2 0
Combo 56,062
When I’m With You Best Coast Crazy for you 2010 Original
Single Note 93,402
Combo 42,957
Chord 0
Where Is My Mind Pixies Best Of Pixies: Wave Of Mutilation 1988 Original
Combo 60,233
Single Note 93,129
Chord 0
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VisualDNA

Posted on December 17, 2011 by Freejack

Another one of the personality exploration sites out there. You view an array of pictures and pick the one that represents your answer to the question. I’m not sure that it’s the best way of getting your personality information though. Pictures can tell a thousand words and everyone has their own thousand to tell about a picture.

I was identified as a Harmonizer. There are some interesting interpretations of my selections. I think it may be about 50% accurate, but that’s my view as well. Others may have different views. Here are the sections that came up after I was done with the picture selections:

Spirit

You’re a Harmonizer. You’re ambitious and determined with impressive energy levels. When you decide that you want something, you put your mind to achieving it. Reliable and trustworthy, you seek harmony and balance in your life. You forge strong, long-lasting friendships, and your friends value your honesty and frank opinions. You tend to value routine and security. Sometimes life can get on top of you and it seems like you’re on your own. Don’t forget that your friends are always there for you, and will offer all the support you need. Don’t give in to your natural tendency to hibernate when you’re feeling low. A healthy relationship really is the bedrock of a happy home, but it also takes a lot of energy and commitment to maintain. Make sure that with all the other distractions, your love life doesn’t end up at the bottom of the list. Have you ever written a list of your positive features or asked your friends to do the same? It’s a great exercise, and it might just surprise you. As a Harmonizer, it’s important to learn to trust your intuition and to know that everything will work out for the best. Learn to say yes to new experiences from time to time. Your confidence and self-belief will continue to grow. Sometimes a challenge or a change of scene could be just what you need. You like to have regular quiet time to listen to your inner voice. Being alone in the open air is a great way for you to connect to what really matters. Make sure you don’t neglect your spiritual needs and carve out some alone time as often as you can.

Relationships

You like to feel protected and cared for. It’s important that your partner is someone whose advice you really value and a loyal ally you can lean on through anything. As a Rock Steady, it’s important to you that your relationship feels secure. You tend to be realistic about what makes a lifelong relationship work and understand the value of forging a love based on friendship and respect. You believe that a true partnership is about sharing responsibility and being able to count on one another through whatever life throws at you. This feeling has probably grown even more since the kids arrived. Creating a true sense of honesty and support means your love will grow as the years go by.

Relationship tips:

So you’re a Rock Steady but what tips can we give for keeping the magic alive in your relationship?

  • Rekindle the romance. Get up with the lark and meet at a local market to buy beautiful flowers and feast on a yummy breakfast
  • Do something different. Take a cocktail-making class together at a local bar. It’ll be lots of fun with plenty of tasting to be done!
  • Take it easy. Imagine you’re on holiday in your own city. Do the fun things tourists would do and capture it all on film with a disposable camera.
  • Let your inhibitions go. If it rains, grab the chance to run wild in the puddles and have lots of fun getting soaked to the skin and then warming up afterwards!

Money

The way to your heart is through your stomach! While you’re happy to get creative in the kitchen, you’d love to be able to eat in amazing restaurants whenever the mood strikes. You have a very healthy approach to life. You know that true happiness doesn’t come from material things or possessions. It goes much deeper than that and is all about valuing those things you can’t put a price on. You like to care for those around you, and if they’re happy, you’re happy. You appreciate that both highs and lows make up the balance of life and you always try and stay spiritually strong and focused.

Health

You’re an upbeat and active person with the right attitude when it comes to feeling great. You’re an endorphin junkie, and nothing beats exercise to make you look and feel fantastic. You have excellent reserves of energy and live life at a fast pace. Anything else would feel like slow motion. You probably grab every opportunity to do a little extra exercise – walking up escalators, jogging home from the store. And if you don’t get your heart rate up regularly, you can end up feeling like a bit of a slob. Just be careful that you don’t get too obsessed. No one wants to hear how many sit-ups you’ve done!

Home

You’re a free spirit, and the idea of just packing your life up and taking to the open road has probably crossed your mind. You love positivity and romance and are drawn to the spectacular scenery of nature. Stress and deadlines just aren’t for you. If you had your way, every day would be an adventure full of new discovery.

Entertainment

Asking about the latest book you’re reading is probably the best way to get you talking! What better way to chill out and unwind than a good book that takes you far away from everyday life? Escapism at its best!

Style

You like to take things easy. Life’s busy enough without having to worry about getting dressed up every day. It’s about maximum comfort with a splash of style, so it’s hard to beat your favorite pair of jeans. But don’t forget how good it can feel to give yourself a makeover every now and then. It can work wonders for your self-esteem to refresh your wardrobe, spruce up your hair and put on a great. So make sure you schedule a shopping trip every few months. You deserve it!

Travel

You’re intuitive and find the beauty of nature visually inspiring. For you, getting away from it all means just that. Escaping into nature and heading off the beaten track is what you live for. It’s the perfect way to unwind and recharge those batteries. And let’s face it: Sitting out under the stars can be very romantic!

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More Rocksmith

Posted on December 17, 2011 by Freejack

So doing more practice tonight.

I was told what the > is on the wireless controller. See in the menu, you can go forward A, back B, quit Y, or go to the main menu >. But there isn’t a > on the controller. So it’s the Start button.

Tonight I hit it and found I could go back to the songs I played earlier. So I gave Satisfaction a try again.

I did pretty well and learned something new again. When you finish a track, it shows you your longest streak of accurate notes and your accuracy rating. It also starts the track again in the background. It seemed like just a background thing but tonight I realized it was playing your playing back at you. So I could hear all the missed frets and the total get lost moments. Pretty cool.

I went back again and found there is a chord mode. So I played Satisfaction in chords. It started with just E for several strums. Then a D chord was inserted halfway between two E chords. Then an A chord. I did pretty well with the E to D and back but the A was coming a bit quick.

Back at the menu I found Ducks, a note game. You just had to hit the right note when a duck note appeared. But there is a countdown and eventually you miss enough to end the game.

So a few new discoveries. I think it’s time to access the on line docs now that I’ve messed around a little.

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More Learning Guitar

Posted on December 15, 2011 by Freejack

So Zack has been teaching fingerpicking this quarter and altering chords. So I play a Fm chord and drop my pinky to get a different tone from the fingerpicking. I just need to coordinate the transitions so I don’t stop picking with my right hand when changing chords. That takes practice.

I’ve also been requesting more theory so I understand what I’m doing. Some of it is seeping through which is good. I just had a little *ping* moment too. When I look at a chord, I’m seeing that I need to get my fingers down in a certain position. Recently I’ve been checking out a chord book and seeing that there’s multiple ways of playing the same chord which was enlightening. Each chord isn’t quite the same, some having extra strings or notes at the bottom of the box. I was reading the Telecaster forums and they were discussing chords and someone mentioned the Cmaj chord as in how many shapes are there to play a Cmaj chord. And the reply was, “anywhere I can grab a C E and G.” The shape comment was “oh, shape of the fingers on the frets” then the “anywhere” comment tied it together with a click. Now when I look at the chord book, I’ll look at it with a different point of view.

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Rocksmith Day Two

Posted on December 15, 2011 by Freejack

Just finished playing it again and have some more observations.

I can see that it’ll be a big help with speed but also with transitions. If I’m on a specific position, I can get some speed out of it, but if I need to jump to a different area (fret 3 on E vs fret 14 on D or G), it takes me too long to figure out where I need to be and I lose a couple of notes.

There’s a section on techniques with grades; Bronze, Silver, and Gold (“Go for the Gold!”). It starts with Sustain and finger position on up through double stops, bends, hammer-ons, pull-offs, and more. You need to hit the techniques early even if you just get to Bronze so you’ll know what they’re throwing at you during the more advanced stages of the songs.

For instance, the double stop display is a blue square that encloses both notes vs a single note. An open string is indicated by a long colored line. The sustain display is a note with a streak behind it. You hold the note until the streak ends. Hammer on and Pull off are indicated by a note with a darker internal square and a V cutout or upside down V cutout for Hammer on and Pull off. A new one last night was an open string with a little box at the center with an X from corner to corner. No idea what that is yet.

And I haven’t been able to figure out how to go back to practice the earlier songs which is annoying. There’s a ‘Main Menu’ option at the bottom but it says to hit the ‘>’ (vs A for select, B for back). There is no ‘>’ on the wireless controller so I’m puzzled as to what to do.

But I am up over 300,000 points and I’ve unlocked another venue.

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Rocksmith!

Posted on December 14, 2011 by Freejack

Rocksmith is a new “game” from Ubisoft. It lets you plug your electric guitar into a game console or (eventually) your PC in order to learn how to play guitar.

I heard about this months ago and started paying attention to the folks reviewing it from their point of view. Gamer folks weren’t too impressed with it but many guitarists liked the motivation to practice it provided. An alternate to sitting down and practicing which can be good as long as the “lessons” are helpful.

The PC version keeps getting pushed out, originally meant to be out by now (middle of December) but now estimated for the end of May 2012.

I was resigned to waiting until May but then work provided. I received a nice thank you award from a coworker for some exceptional work I did for his group. Since it’s the holiday season, Best Buy was also offering Xbox360 combination packages which included a $75 gift card (can’t use it to knock the Xbox360 price down though 🙂 ).

I waffled for a few days and then pulled the trigger and picked one up. I chatted with the Best Buy guy to make sure I had everything I needed to get the system set up. I didn’t want to have to come back to get some idiot piece that I should have picked up initially.

In getting it home, I opened up the boxes to check stuff out. The Xbox360 is pretty small. There’s a cable to connect it to the TV and the power cord. The controller is wireless and you use it to power up the system. I got it plugged in with no issues and spent a good 20 minutes going through the setup process which included downloading some patches. The system came with 3 free Microsoft Live months but I plan on holding off for a bit until I get used to the system.

Once done, I put the Rocksmith DVD in and got my guitar (I have a Fender Telecaster and a Fender Stratocaster). I plugged it in and got it tuned to the game.

It has you tune the guitar, which is fine. It is annoying that every time you get ready to perform an exercise, you have to check your tuning. Certainly it’s getting you trained to check the tuning between every song 🙂

The string identification is different. Instead of EADGBE, it’s Red, Yellow, Blue, Orange, Green, and Purple. Good from a visual perspective I suppose but it’s certainly different. I do know you can buy colored strings 🙂

When playing, it shows all the strings with a long road like view (I call it a ‘fret road’) of the incoming notes. The view numerically identifies the dotted frets (3, 5, 7, 9, 12, etc) and the game came with a set of stickers you’re supposed to put on your guitar. Yea, not going to happen 🙂

The first song to play is The Rolling Stones’ (Can’t Get No) Satisfaction. The program throws just one or two notes at a time at you while it plays the entire song. So you’re learning timing as well as the notes. You have to make the mental connection between the incoming yellow squares, the ‘fret road’, and playing at the right time. As you get it down, it throws different notes at you. So A string (yellow), 2nd fret, then 4th, then 5th and back. You just need to hit the string when the yellow box gets to the on screen string. If you fumble a bit, it backs down to just the one string until you recover.

There are supposed to be 50 songs on this along with games and technique exercises. There are also events where you play on stage in front of a virtual crowd.

I played Satisfaction just once and missed the “play it again” option and continued on to the next song. It was a bit more bluesy, lots of E (red) playing. I also tried the anchor point exercise. The incoming string layout highlights four strings at a time. So if you’re playing notes in the 3456 fret area, those four strings will be highlighted. If you shift to the 78910 frets, the highlight shifts to there. The exercise is trying to train you to move your hand to this guitar ‘home row’ so you aren’t using your index finger to play every note. With the two songs I’d been playing, I was pretty much playing the 3 or 7 fret anchor points but the exercise also threw in a fret 12 anchor point which threw me off.

After that exercise, Rocksmith wanted me to get on stage and play. I did Satisfaction, then the blues song. I guess I hit enough points because it threw an encore at me, a song I hadn’t tried yet. I muddled through until it got to an orange, green, purple lead bit that I totally flubbed. The crowd was actually booing until I got back to the rhythm part.

There are several exercises you can do. They have technique exercises where you can practice pull-offs and hammer-ons or like the one I mentioned above with the anchor point exercise. There are games too although I haven’t tried it yet.

The tuning seems off a little as even though I hit the right fret, it’ll occasionally tell me I’m on the wrong one. I suspect I’m either pushing the string a little or I’m not exactly at the fret.

It’s interesting so far. I think it’ll help me speed up my playing a little, probably where I’m shortest in practice. I know the notes and have several scales under my belt with a few others I can recall with prompting. On the plus side, I did practice for 90 minutes. 🙂

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Cat Litter Boxes

Posted on December 14, 2011 by Freejack

My cat, Niki (female, 17, tuxedo cat) has been peeing in the room where the cat boxes are for at least 10 years if not more and in different houses. She refuses to pee in the cat box. She also poops on the floor but that’s really a minor issue.

In our current abode, which we’ve been in for going on three years, she’s peed next to the couch leaving a big nasty crusty pool, behind the TV, on rugs in the bathroom, and in the laundry room where the cat boxes are. We snagged a mini-black light from the pet store. I found several interesting spots around the house including where the male cat is spraying my books.

Since she refused to use the cat box and would pee on newspaper or throw rugs, we’d put newspaper down and make sure any throw rug she found peeable was either off the floor or the door closed. It’s such a routine, we have a weekend plus Thurs and Fri editions of the Denver Post just to keep in stock of newspaper.

I actually figured it was because she was picky about the litter box. We had up to 6 cats at one time with three litter boxes with four male and two female cats. Now we’re down to Niki and the black cat (Ariel). So we figured pheromones or something, that she just didn’t want to pee in a box where another cat had peed.

So a few weeks ago, Rita went to stay with her daughter who is pregnant (she’s sticking around for a couple of months to help) and weirdly took her cat along on the trip. This leaves Niki alone with me.

Ok, I super clean the laundry room. Put fresh pine pellet litter in the box. I even put a recent poop in it to prime the pump so to speak. Nothing changed. She just peed on the floor. I cleaned up again and put rugs down so she could pee on something besides the floor. It’s easier to manage. I don’t have to hunt around to find where she peed and I just need to throw it in the wash to clean it. I did leave the box in place too, just in case.

Last night I had one of those brain spark things.

See, Rita is a healthy organic, green, outside hippy type person. So the cats get organic food, alternate medicines, taken to the alternative medicine vet, and even the cat litter is that pellet pine stuff. Size of a Good & Plenty or Mike & Ike. And she and I married 11 years ago.

Niki doesn’t like a lot of different stuff. She and I are a lot alike. The difference is, I keep quiet about my dislikes and eat the natural foods Rita puts out. Occasionally when not under the watchful eyes of my wife, I’ll have some bacon or eat at Wendy’s. Niki is a cat, an animal. If she doesn’t want to eat something, she just doesn’t. You can’t make her do stuff; well you can refuse to give her what she wants and she’ll eventually eat it because she doesn’t have the option to go to Wendy’s.

So my thought? You probably guessed it.

See, back when I retrieved Niki from the shelter, she was an only cat. She had her own box and I used one of the scoopable clumping litter. Tonight I went to Wal*Mart and got a small box of Fresh Step. I cleaned out the litter box of the pellets. Picked up the soiled rugs. Put a fresh rug down, just in case, then filled the box with Fresh Step. I went to wash my hands and on my way back, decided to just look in the laundry room.

Is that, is it, footprints in the litter!?! Walk over and she’d peed in the fricking box! In the 10 minutes I spent in the bathroom, she’d peed in the box!!! She also pooped on the floor, but hey, I’d rather pick up a little poop than deal with pee which gets into everything.

I imagine she was much happier, “took you long enough to learn.” 🙂

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Riding in Inclement Weather

Posted on December 6, 2011 by Freejack

I really enjoy riding and will ride in all sorts of weather from high heat (120 degrees is the hottest) on down to cold temps (3 degrees is the coldest commuting temp, 26 degrees is the coldest touring temps).

I hear from lots of folks who can’t seem to get a grip on riding in inclement weather though. They see me riding in snow, rain, and freezing temps and just aren’t able to grasp how I can do such a thing.

I’ll give you the secret: Preparation.

I like to ride and go touring all over the country. But I don’t want to find myself stuck somewhere simply because it’s raining or hot or whatever. So I commute in all kinds of temps. There’s an endurance factor as well as the testosterone factor (I’m a guy 🙂 ) but another factor is just being able to identify when I need to stop vs when I want to stop.

Rain is pretty easy. You can get rain suits from many places. Tour Master sells a nice set. Frog Togs. I have a Joe Rocket Alter Ego 3 jacket which has a zip out rain liner and waterproof pants that zip to the Alter Ego. It comes with a pants liner so you’re even warmer. The problem with it is you have to put your boots on after you put on the pants which is cumbersome. I also have an Aerostich (when I can fit into it). It has a Cortech liner so it’s water resistant. Since it’s a one piece suit, water pools in you lap and seeps in soaking your crotch. I typically use the Joe Rocket liner as an over-rain coat for the Aerostich when I’m out on tour. It keeps me dry and is a great windbreaker so I can stay warm. Add in that it’s fairly tiny when packed and it’s essential when out on tour. I also have rain covers for my gloves and the left thumb has a mini squeegee so I can simply wipe from right to left to clear my vision.

For cooler weather, I have a fog city liner which is stuck to the inside of my face shield. It provides a thin air barrier between me and the outside which prevents fog build up so I can see. It’s a delicate device and scratches easily so it’s only good for a season or two even if you’re careful. You must clean it with soapy water and not a shield cleaner like Plexus. Not because of the Plexus but the rag you use to wipe it off. It has fine particles that scratch the liner.

For cold weather, I’ve installed heated grips. They’re pretty easy to install. The only failing is that if you have a twistier throttle (where you have to turn it more to get power such as on a 250 or maybe a 600 cc bike), you’ll break the wire connection to the heating element and will need to replace it. Note: the left element has a more elements than the one that goes around the throttle. This is because the left one is directly on the clip-on (the bar) where the right one is placed on the throttle which is typically a plastic bit that doesn’t touch metal. So it doesn’t have to get as hot as the left one.

Another good item are the Gerbing heated gear. I have heated gloves and a jacket liner. The gloves plug into the jacket sleeves and the jacket plugs into a wire that’s connected to the battery or a fuse box if you’ve installed one as I have. You can also get a thermostat however I find that I can ride well enough to a certain point and then I just need heat. You may have different needs.

For the helmet area I have a scarf I use to keep my neck and chin warm. In temps approaching 15 degrees, the fog city liner doesn’t work as your condensation freezes on contact with the shield. So you either have to go with a Froggy face shield which doesn’t work well for me or just chase down a couple of straws and breathe out through them.

As it gets colder, don’t forget to keep an eye on the bike. The battery will drain easier so keep it on a trickle charger if you’re not going to use it for a few days or more. The tires will pretty much stay cold without lots of riding which make cornering a bit more hair raising if you take things too fast. And don’t forget to avoid the crosswalk strips. They are dangerous in the rain and cold even in the best conditions. You will slip and fall. One of the riders on one of the forums I’m on hit a corner too fast and slid sideways. His jacket was too large so the pad didn’t stay in place and he wore down the little side bone at his elbow to the point that he almost lost the use of it.

Be careful but be prepared. Riding in the rain can be fun.

Posted in Motorcycles | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Preparing For Long Distance Motorcycle Touring

Posted on November 28, 2011 by Freejack

Choose The Right Bike

It may seem obvious but choosing the right bike for you is important for comfortable motorcycle trips. You want one that will go the distance and carry (or tow) the gear you want to take along. You also want one that will take you where you want to go. If you want to go off-road, a dual sport or adventure bike is the way to go. In preparation for the longer trip, make shorter day long or weekend long trips to see if the bike you ride is going to be appropriate for taking that week or multi-week trip. Those little things that bother you on a day long ride will become intolerable in a few days and after a week or two, will have you parking the bike and taking an airplane or bus home.

Be Comfortable With The Bike

You should be comfortable working on the bike. Not tearing the engine down of course, but little things like standard maintenance stuff. Adding fluid such as oil, radiator, and brake/clutch fluid. You should be able to clean, apply lube, and adjust the chain if you have one. You need to know where fuses are and how to get to it. You need to know how to change all the bulbs on the bike. Especially the headlight bulb. The first time I changed the low beam bulb on my Hayabusa, I had to tear down the entire front end. I’d never changed it before and couldn’t figure out the release mechanism. Once I’d seen it and played with it, I understood how to change it and it now takes me just a few minutes and I only have to remove the right side dashboard.

Preparing Your Bike

After taking a few day or weekend rides on your bike, you’ll figure out what’s missing. A better seat with a backrest for instance. The Harley Softail Standard I once owned had an atrocious seat. I couldn’t ride for more than 45 minutes without feeling very uncomfortable. I replaced the seat with a Corbin two up seat and a pair of backrests which made all the difference. My first long distance ride on it was from Virginia to Idaho, up to Canada and back to Virginia through Buffalo NY.

Check all the fluids on your bike before departing on a trip. The brake fluid should be clear and not yellow. The clutch fluid (if you have it), may actually be gray instead of clear due to chain grease getting into the fluid from the lower piston. Open both reservoirs to make sure the rubber cap hasn’t popped and your fluid is lower than you thought. Clean, lube, and adjust your chain if you have one. Check the air in your tires. Do you know what the correct pressure is for your bike? And remember, the maximum pressure indicated on the tire isn’t necessarily the recommended pressure. You should have a sticker on the side of your swingarm that tells you the maximum tire pressure for one up and two up riding.

For additional capability, I’ve added a few farkles to my bike. First off, a Blue Sea fuse box under the seat so I can properly manage the other farkles. It’s set up so I don’t have a bunch of wires hanging off the battery. I just have the two wires going to the fuse box and then I can add more stuff without disconnecting the battery plus add fuses to protect the electronics on the bike, especially for items that may not have their own in-line fuse.

I added a waterproof accessories plug so I can plug in various car adapters to charge up my iPhone or iPad. I’ve also added heated grips and the plugs for my Gerbing heated gear (gloves and jacket). I added a small multi-item display primarily for the temperature gauge and a voltmeter to keep an eye on the draw my other farkles are pulling from the system.

You might also consider adding or replacing your windscreen. I pretty much ignored replacing my windscreen for the longest time because you never know if the new screen will be appropriate or even make it worse. Adding a double bubble screen to my wife’s 650 Ninja made the ride better for her but it put my head right in the turbulence causing it to be bounced around making riding her bike for any length of time pretty uncomfortable. I did finally replace mine with a Double Bubble and it didn’t make it worse and I can see more of my dash board.

Another thing would be some sort of cruise control. If your grips have a small gap between the bar ends and the throttle, you might be able to use a thick 7/8″ O ring. Slip it over the bar end and roll it into the gap for a friction stop of the throttle. Just roll it out when you need to return to normal throttle control. Be careful though as I had one slip between the throttle and bar. It’s friction so I had to twist in both directions until I could stop and remove the O ring. You can also get a couple of thumb locks. You can go with a Crampbuster but be careful on the higher performance bikes. I tried using my wife’s and the really fine throttle adjustment on the Hayabusa made it difficult to use. I likely would have gotten used to it after a while. The Vista Cruise throttle lock is a nice one although it does shorten the grip you have on your throttle. I prefer the Throttlemeister’s. I picked up a pair and replaced my bar ends with these. They work real well even if they’re a tad pricy.

How Much Gear To Bring

There are different schools of thought on this subject. On one side, you have the minimalist who thinks a couple of credit cards is all you need to take a trip. On the other side you have the riders who don’t want to stop to hunt down a fresh pair of socks or toothpaste or even a replacement light bulb. I’ve honed my list down pretty well however if you’re new to this, you might try getting all your gear together and then trying to cut it in half. Take fewer clothes. Do you really need 14 pair of socks?

Think about the trip you’re making and what sort of trip it’ll be. For some folks, they want to see the sights. Stop in at old towns and experience the ambiance of small town living. Eat at mom and pop diners. For others, they want to just ride and see the sights from the seat of a motorcycle. You have to think about this as you make your shorter rides.

You also want to be aware of the weather where you’re going and either pack appropriately or be prepared to exchange gear. When I rode from Colorado to Labrador, it was quite hot and humid in Kentucky. I was literally dripping with sweat in my tent. But as I headed north, the weather got colder. Fortunately I was visiting family and friends on the trip. I called my wife and had her FedEx my cold weather gear to my last friend stop in Connecticut. This was good because as I traveled through Newfoundland, it was chilly and foggy and after getting off the ferry in Quebec, it was downright cold. It would have been mighty uncomfortable without my heated gear. On the way back, I ran into the tail end of a hurricane and rode the bike briefly through torrential rains in Maine. Having my rain gear was important, again for comfort. And put it on early, before you get into the rain. It’s no fun to put on rain gear while wet. It’s generally rubber or coated plastic which sticks to everything when wet and hold moisture in as well as keeping it out.

Gear Recommendations

In general, you’re going to have to be comfortable with the gear you want to take along. Here is a short list of the gear I like to take along.

Containers – This is what holds your gear when on your ride.

  • Tank Bag – I like having a tank bag. I put a sweatshirt in the bottom compartment, a map in the top and all my important little things such as my cell phone, iPad, and camera. I also put my pens and paper here along with a note pad. When you stop for gas or food, take a few notes on the last couple of hours. A tank bag is also perfect for leaning on when riding. You can rest your body on it and your elbows on your knees and be good to go.
  • Saddle Bags – I have a pair of four point saddle bags. The front and back of both have a snap that holds it to the bike so it doesn’t flap around. I also pack my heavier gear in here to help with maintaining a lower center of gravity. If you have heavy gear up high, it makes the bike top heavy and difficult to control. I’ll also have my chain wax and plexus sitting right at the top of the right had bag as it’s higher when parked.
  • Tail Bag – A tail bag sits higher on the back of the bike so lighter gear should go here. I generally pack my clothes, toiletries, and other non-riding gear here. Use a plastic trash bag and pack your clothes in it. Not only does it keep the clothes dry, it keeps them from getting dusty and dirty.
  • Locking Trunk – It’s nice to have a lockable trunk to hold gear. If you keep it empty, you have space for souvenirs, you have space to put your tank bag so you can go on a short hike without worrying that your iPhone will disappear.
  • Smaller Bags – I use a modular system for packing. I have three small soft CD bags to hold various things; 1 for cables and connectors, 1 for toiletries, and 1 for small miscellaneous bits that might get lost in the mix such as chapstick or eyewash.
  • Mini-Backpack – My Joe Rocket Alter Ego jacket came with a little backpack meant to hold the liner and zip out shell but it also works great for holding a CamelBak for hydration. Sure you can grab a drink of water when at a rest stop but there’s nothing like a shot of cold water to help keep you alert.

Toolkit – This doesn’t have to be a super extensive kit. There are several mini kits available in their own carrying case. I have an old CruzTools kit which looks to have been upgraded. My kit looks similar to the EconoKIT M1 although I don’t see the wire mine has. In addition to this kit, I add in my rear axle wrench and extension from the bike’s kit and leave the bike’s kit home.

Quick Stand – To get my rear tire off the ground, I also have a Quick Stand. This lets me quickly and easily clean and lube the chain. It does require swingarm spools installed on the bike but I find them important for maintenance tasks in the garage anyway.

First Aid Kit – You can pick up a nice little kit at any Wal*Mart or hit up the Aerostich site for an assortment of motorcycle specific first aid kits. I picked up the Aerostich Touring Kit but honestly, in the 7 years I’ve been carrying it about with me, I’ve only opened it once for a band-aid. It’s nice to know I have it in case of emergencies though.

Tire Patching Kit – Get a tire patching kit for your bike. I picked up one from the Aerostich catalog along with an air pump that plugs into my accessories socket. I prefer the strings over the plugs in part because of a flat I got in Alaska that was the size of my little finger. A plug kit wouldn’t have helped but having a string kit along with some extra strings (I bought two packs of extra large strings just in case) will fill pretty much any hole. With strings, even if you have a big puncture, you can continue to add strings until the hole is sealed; or sealed enough to get you back to civilization.

Camping Gear – This consists of gear such as your tent, tent poles, tent pegs, sleeping bag, sleeping pad, camp pillow, tent stool, camp stove. I don’t take a stool any more but I did on the three week trip to Labrador (visiting friends, Sport-Touring.Net national meet, and the actual trip). It seemed unnecessary so it’s been sitting home since then. As to the tent, you really don’t need a gigantic one, especially if you’re riding by yourself. I do find a pad of some sort a requirement. It’s almost impossible to find a totally flat campsite and sometimes I’m setting up camp in the dark. Recently we picked up a pair at REI. Mine was the extra wide, extra long version. I still need to test it in my tent just to make sure it fits. Otherwise I’ll use the one I’ve been using. I also picked up a camp pillow. This thing compressed down to almost nothing (sun glass case size) and as a pillow works excellently. As to the camp stove, I generally just grab something to eat before hitting the campsite for the night so never need a camp stove. I also have a bag of nuts for snacks when traveling. I can dip in and grab a handful or two and be pretty good. I generally lose 5 or 10 lbs when touring 🙂

Electronics – This is your choice of gear for keeping in touch, keeping amused and entertained, getting pictures, and not getting too lost. I bring my iPhone and check in daily when I can. I bring an iPad both for entertainment and as a backup device for the camera. I also bring a camera. Finally a GPS is a nice to have. It can be fun to get a little lost but you need to be able to get back to where you were before the rangers are out looking for you. Don’t forget your various cables; both the adapters to plug into the bike and the cables to plug into the wall outlets either in motels or in the camp bathrooms if you’re camping. And especially don’t forget the data cable between the camera and the iPad and the iPad adapter.

Maps – Bring a selection of maps for the trip you’re taking. Even if you’re taking a GPS. You don’t want to depend too heavily on a GPS and have it fail for one reason or another and not have backup maps available. I find that maps also give me a broader view at a glance of the surrounding area.

Toiletries – Bring what you want to use when traveling. I generally carry a few disposable razors, toothpaste, toothbrush, floss, q-tips, liquid soap, shampoo, and deodorant. If you’re hitting motels, you can snag their soap and shampoo on the way out the door.

Straps and Bungie Cords – I find straps and bungie cords are the best way. Bungie cords have give to them so things might fall off the bike. I’ll strap down the front half of my sleeping bag, tent pole, tent combination so they don’t get moved in the wind and bungie down the rear of these items so they have some freedom of movement. I also always use a bungie net over the tailbag. It’s great for tying a wet t-shirt or bandana to so it can dry on the road and serves as an anchor for things like the tent pole bag or tent bag which have drawstrings. I hate having things flap about so I tie them to the net. It keeps it from flapping and in case a bungie cord fails, it keeps the tent poles from disappearing in the distance.

Miscellaneous – There are always lots of little bits of this or that which are good to have but you don’t necessarily remember to snag it.

  • Ear plugs are important for preserving your hearing but also for keeping the trip comfortable.
  • Flashlights plus a headband flashlight (REI for instance although I have a Maglite headband which works fine).
  • Pocket knife. I bring my Leatherman with me and have a second in a bag stowed in the tail bag.
  • Writing implements; pens, pencils, highlighters, etc.
  • Reading material and reading glasses if you need them (take a couple for spares).
  • Passport. If you’re leaving the country (going to Canada), you’ll need your Passport in order to get back to the US.
  • Bandanas. These are great for quick wipes such as wiping the rain off your seat before you get back on. You can tie it to your bike so it’ll dry quickly.
  • Vitamins. And other little meds such as aspirin or Advil.
  • Batteries. If your gear takes batteries, grab a packet or two and drop it in your tank bag.

Tips And Techniques

When traveling out of country (Canada for instance), remember that you’re not in the US any more and international phone charges kick in which can be quite expensive. Either change your plan before leaving the US or simply turn off the phone when out of country. The iPhone and iPad have Airport modes. That way you can leave the phone on to take quick pictures without incurring phone charges.

Take a black sharpie and mark the current location on your rear axle nut (mark the nut down to the spacer). This gives you a good rule of thumb when tightening down your rear axle nut after adjusting the chain. This way you don’t have to bring a torque wrench with you on the trip.

Use your gear in the garage before leaving. Perform maintenance with your proposed tool kit. This way you can make sure you have all the tools needed to perform on the road work if necessary. Same with the spare tire kit. If you ever get a slow leak (like from a brad or small nail) or if your tire needs to be replaced, take advantage of the opportunity and use your kit to repair it. And don’t skip any steps in the process. Just because you have an air compressor in the garage doesn’t mean you should use it. I had a tire kit for my Harley which had a short bit of hose. You pull a spark plug, screw in the hose and fill your tire. I was riding my Hayabusa in Alaska when I got a flat. Unfortunately the kit for the Harley doesn’t work on the Hayabusa as the access holes are much smaller. Fortunately I was able to get a ride to town but it was an expensive lesson.

Bike balance is essential for a comfortable ride. When on the road, in a safe area (long stretch of no traffic), take a moment to let the bike balance itself. Shift your butt to the left or right and hold on to the bars without pushing on either one. You should be able to find the balance of the bike doing this. If you find it’s heavier on one side or the other, take a break at the next overpass or break area and shift some of the gear around. You’ll find you’re going to be a lot more comfortable if you’re not constantly pressing on the right handlebar in order to keep the bike going in a straight line.

Gear access is important. If you have to rummage around to get your chain lube or quickstand, you’ll be less likely to do the essential maintenance job when you’re stopped for a break. Put the gear you need at night towards the bottom of your packing and the gear you need on the road at the top.

Call your credit card/debit card companies before leaving to make sure they’re aware you’ll be away. It sucks to have your card blocked and have to find a spot to make a call to get it straightened out.

You know your bike’s limitations. Make sure your tires are able to take the miles. Sport-touring tires really do hold up well for traveling, I’ve put 14,000 miles on a rear Metezler Z6 tire. Chains can last 20,000 miles depending on how you treat them, otherwise they’ll last between 5,000 and 6,000 miles. My oil’s lasted through a 10,000 mile trip without a lick of trouble. Keep an eye on the level and keep topping it off. I find I burn about half a quart to a full quart on a trip.

I wear an Aerostich suit when riding. Under it I wear a pair of bicycle pants and a compression shirt. It’s very very comfortable and it makes a big difference on trips. Just make sure to bring a pair of pants and regular clothes for restaurants. I also have a pair of waterproof gloves as backup to my main riding gloves.

I don’t mind riding on the slab to get from one place to another. It can be boring and it can be a little crazy. When in an area with higher winds, pay attention to the bigger vehicles and especially the big rigs and buses. If they’re blocking, as you get into their shadow you’ll lose that wind push and move towards the truck. Same when you pass it. And the trucks have different profiles so the wind dynamic will be different when going by.

Check out the various helmet based radio or music options. I use an Autocomm but you also have the Chatterbox and others. I have smaller ear holes and more sensitive ears so wearing ear buds or in the ear headphones like the Etymotic is very painful after about 30 minutes.

Safety

While eating on the road is an enjoyable experience, be careful. Eating too much or eating the wrong foods can make you sleepy on the road. You’d think you couldn’t fall asleep when riding a motorcycle but it’s darned easy. Keep it light and take a break immediately upon feeling sleepy. Toughing it out is dangerous.

Riding With Someone Else

And don’t forget your passenger if you’re taking one along. He or she will, depending on the bike, have an even more uncomfortable ride.

Posted in Motorcycles, Ride Checklist, Uncategorized | Tagged , , | 3 Comments