Scenic App News, Best 2019 Helmet, Alaska, Tire Pressure Gauge, Skid Plates and riding the Suzuki GSX 250R
June 7, 2019
INTRODUCTION
In the week the 5-millionth Harley Davidson was sold , a report came out with new motorcycle sales figures for Q1 of 2019. All regions in the world show a decline, except Europe, with a growth of almost 24%. Why? Nobody seems to know. If you have any ideas, let us know!
Meanwhile, after more then a year and 200,000 lines of code, Scenic’s big update is in the final stages of development. A few lines of code to add, a bit more design polishing to do, and then it’s on to beta test. Below you’ll find another teaser showing off a great new feature.
Further, in this week’s MIR, Tom rides the Suzuki GSX 250R and contemplates a helmet replacement, Jasper dreams about Alaska and measures his tire pressure, while I consider a mod to prevent fatal damage to my bike.
Now, without further ado, let’s get rolling…
Jasper, Tom & Guido
EPIC RIDES
Denali Highway, Alaska
A part of the world we haven’t covered yet is Alaska, one day I would love to ride along the Denali highway, riding along the Alaska Range through America’s ‘Last Frontier’. Over 120 miles (193km) of untouched, pristine landscapes that you cannot find anywhere else on the continent. There are loads of off-road possibilities for some hardcore adventure, so you better bring an adventure bike! More here.
Jasper
MODS
Skid Plates
In Mexico we have ‘toppes’, which are hugely inconvenient speed reducing obstacles on the road. They are basically an elevated strip in the pavement put there on purpose to slow traffic down. Some of them make sense, others don’t. Some of them are placed by the government, others are made by locals trying to slow you down so you’ll see what they have to sell. Some of them are wide and low, others are narrow and high. Some of them are painted, others are not which makes them hard to see, consequently being catapulted a few inches into the air. Not only are they inconvenient, they also cause damage to cars and motorcycles alike.
I found that my 2016 FJ-09 / MT-09 Tracer does not have enough ground clearance to pass all of them, without the engine, exhaust and oil pan scraping over them. Needless to say this can cause serious damage. So now, I’m looking into a skid plate. Not only for the toppes, but we also like to do some mild offroading every now and then. Missing a big rock can cause the same damage or worse.
I was surprised by the prices. Between 200 and 300 USD for a piece of bended metal seems a bit high, but I guess the manufacturers put significant time and effort into the design and durability of their products.
My eye fell on the above one from T-Rex racing. From what I saw on google, this seems to be the most sturdy one, covering the most parts. But unfortunately their support let me know that it doesn’t fit if you have the Akrapovic exhaust, which I do. The SW-Motech skid plate seems to have the same problem. If you have any recommentations, please let me know!
Guido
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MOTORCYCLES
Suzuki GSX 250R
A few months ago, I reviewed the Yamaha R3. Perhaps not the most powerful bike I’ve ridden, but sure a lot of fun, and at $4,500, quite a bit of bike for your money.This week, we got a contender in the light segment, the Suzuki GSX 250R. Just before the rainy season started, I had a bit of fun on the brand new one my neighbor just bought. With this model, Suzuki managed to create a motorcycle that is comfortable for daily use with an engine that spreads out the power quite well over the entire torque range.
Aesthetically, the bike looks gorgeous, but this wasn’t good enough for my neighbor Alfonso, who has opted for a gunmetal grey matte finish. The full-LCD dashboard works instinctive and just looks cool.
The cons then. Its weight, longer wheelbase and soft suspension can be seen as a weakness, but honestly, the extended range, comfort and looks make up for it. The bike doesn’t feel top heavy, and while the handling in the twisties may not be as sharp as the Kawasaki Ninja 250 or Yamaha R3, the Suzuki did put a smile on my face.
Tom
MOTORCYCLE GADGETS
Pressure Gauge
Let’s face it, we all would prefer to spend our hard-earned cash on gas money, right? We are here to help you find the best deals out there and because tire pressure is immensely important I am going to recommend one of the fastest pressure gauges out there. The Tacklife TG01 is a digital tire pressure gauge with 4 settings (0-150PSI / 0-10Bar / 0-10Kgf /cm2 or 0-1000KPA) and backlight LCD display that gives you a reading in under 2 seconds! For only 7 bucks this highly accurate digital pressure gauge is yours, including batteries! It takes two seconds and off you are.
Jasper
BIG SCENIC UPDATE
Highly Requested Features – part 8
If you followed the ‘big update’ journey you know it has a completely new design and loads of new features. Here, I report on the progress and show you some of those new features. This time: Creating a route on the fly and changing a route during navigation!
One of the biggest asks over time, has been to add a stop to a route while you are already navigating it. For example to add an unplanned gas stop. With the big update this becomes possible. And not only that. I’ve also added a way to create a route on the fly, right from the start screen. See the screenshots.
Guido
MOTORCYCLE GEAR
Helmet Replacement
Replacing your motorcycle helmet is something you probably should do somewhere between 4 and 5 years of usage. Currently, I’m wearing an all carbon X-lite which is a bit noisy, but lightweight. I mostly combine city riding with high-speed highway riding, and especially on the highway, the noise comes through via the neck.My current short-list? The Scorpion EXO-ST 1400 Carbon, The Schuberth C4 Pro and the Shoei RF-1200. The Shoei is an old model, but given the tons of positive reviews, it’s worth considering. The Schuberth may be the most silent and premium helmet on the list, it’s also the one that breaks the bank.
Lastly, the Scorpion. While I’ve never tried Scorpion products before, I am considering ordering one right now as it seems to tick all the boxes. Silent, lightweight and durable. Fortnine’s video review makes it seem like a no-brainer…
Tom
PIC OF THE WEEK
49 States
This picture was sent in by Mark. It pictures his 2019 Tracer 900GT and his 79 year old uncle’s 1998 Goldwing that has done 49 states. The picture was taken on the Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina, 4000 ft / 1200 m high.
What’s your most beautiful / funny / crazy motorcycle story? Share your story with us and we might just put it in the next Moto Intel Report.
When are you releasing the big scenic update? It’s June already and I’m really excited!
Chris
I won’t name a date, but I’m currently in the final stages of development. After development it’s on to beta test. So, it will be in the app store later then the earlier mentioned June release, but I think/hope you’ll find it’s going to be worth the wait. ?
Quick question, it may be too early to answer but if I buy lifetime license via iPhone will it also transfer to Android when that app is out. Android is my primary phone and I currently only keep an iPhone around to use on the bike with Scenic.
Yes. I’ll make sure all your data, including purchases, will transfer. If you have the subscription you might have to cancel it through the app store at that time, and then get a subscription through the play store. Of course you’ll keep Premium until you subscription end date is reached in that case.
I’m afraid an Android version is going to be a while. I’m currently focusing on the big update for iOS. After that I will point my attention to Android again. I aiming for second half of 2020 for Android.