Holy crap, I saw a Bimoto Tesi 3D in person today (crappy iPhone photos to prove it). Some crazy ass fool with too much money and apparently a butt of steel bought one of these ultra exotic bikes and actually rode it Sport Bike Night. Very cool. Me and some South African guy named Paul were the most taken with it.



Technically, any Bimota is bike porn on two wheels, but this thing didn't even look like it was from planet Earth. UBER cool.

It was a fun-filled Mother's Day weekend. We took Renee's mom to a play and dessert on Saturday (we took my mom the previous Saturday), then while Renee took her mom to brunch on Sunday, I did the same for mine -- awesome Chile Verde and Sierra omelets at Mary's Gold Miner Cafe by the way. I then took my mom on a long meandering excursion to the Sierra as a photography road trip -- me on two wheels, and she on four. We got caught in a nice downpour along the Mosquito Ridge, but that didn't hamper our fun one bit.

Today marked the end of my long-standing love affair with a certain Suzuki V-Strom 650 motorcycle. It's treated me well since 2004 and we've had many an adventure. At 10pm this evening an upstanding gentleman rode away on my baby with a giant s%7t eating grin on his face. He seemed like the right person for such a fun, yet practical bike, so I've no doubt it's gone to a good home. I'm a little misty-eyed, but it was time to move on. To you, my lovely V-Strom, I say "so long, and thanks for all the fish."

Now it's just me and my Yamaha FZ1000, which is to say, I'm still in good hands. ;-)

Here are some shots taken with my Nikon D40 between Sacramento and Bodega Bay. A day for seaside breezes, sauteed calamari, and family memorials taken in via a motorcycle ride.

Nuclear stacks hold a place both dear and fearful to my heart. How could I pass up this Mad Max meets Fallout photo, sans the mohawk and ash-colored sky.

A bit of perspective: As a child growing up during the super escalation of the Cold War, both sides promised they'd would leave the world in cinders -- two suns in the sunset so to speak. Impressionable as anyone, my youth was spent convinced we'd all die long before 2010 came around. This wasn't debatable in my mind for many years. Thus, as a coping mechanism to an inevitable doom propagated by popular culture and governments, I became a fan of post-apocalyptic science-fiction. Unrealistic...sure, but it makes for great adventure and exploration of the human spirit to survive all odds. Unlike some dystopian future fiction, post-apocalyptic fiction is gritty and more about pure survival in a world run amok. From films, books and games, I've probably watched, seen or played them all -- with the Fallout series being one of my favorites -- but also including The Road Warrior, The Terminator, A Boy and His Dog, Wasteland and too many others to list.

Suffice to say, my birthday this year is a pause for reflection, as mutually assured destruction -- at least between Russia and the United States -- seems to have been avoided. For this, I call this my Fallout birthday, because I'm, make that WE'RE, still here in 2010. Who'd have thunk. ;-)

Of course, the Cold War may be over, but tensions religious, racial, eco, biological and territorial seem to be rising. It's hard to say when we'll kill ourselves, but if we don't the planet probably will. For now however, I'll enjoy the fantasy that is post-apocalyptic and that fact that I don't need to use my plasma rifle to fend off mutants. Tomorrow's another day.

Mike Summers is back on track (above: Mike on the left, with son Shaun on the right) with Sport Bike Night. After a long hiatus, he had the first Sport Bike Night at the Sacramento Hard Rock in Sacramento on Feb. 22. It was a good show…mostly talking tech stuff -- a snore for the squids I'm sure -- but good info for yours truley. I got some tire questions answered and the mystery of why my TechSpec tank grips never stuck right last year was solved (bad batch of adhesive). Again, it was a night for the moto geeks.

Of course, since the Sacramento Hard Rock is closing at the end of March 2010 -- which is a good thing given the crappy service I got last night for such overpriced food and beverage -- SBN is moving to Hot Italian as a venue next. Personally, I can't imagine a more suitable place.

Well, it's been an interesting year for the motorcycle industry. Suffice to say that like all other businesses, the world economy has really slapped the moto industry around, but especially so here in the United States, where motorcycles are seen as less a functional machine, and more a toy.

Harley-Davidson killed the Buell brand (bad move IMHO), and purged their ill-fated purchase of MV-Agusta (they should have never bought it). Even the big four (the Japanese manufacturers) have felt the pinch, and of course that means that every dealership, retail accessory/parts store, etc. is feeling the pain, since the big four are big business. Even the Euro brands like BMW, Ducati and Triumph are trying anything to get people to buy. I'd love to buy new, but I don't have 9k-12k to drop, especially when you can get a used bike CHEAP (I did this year). So, for now, I'll stick with my kick-ass 2005 FZ1000.

However, if you're in the market for new, Motorcycle USA's 2009 Motocycles of the Year will surely please -- I know both the Triumph Street Triple and BMW F800GS seriously call to me. Kudos to BMW for getting Motorcycle of Year!

Well, now that I have my Yamaha FZ1 and it seems to be working nicely, it's time to sell my trusty Suzuki DL650 VStrom -- I can't afford to own both. I have it listed on Craiglist, but if any of my friends are interested here are the pertinent details:

Click here to view hi-res photos. Click here for a review.

DETAILS:
2004 DL650 V-Strom (blue & black). It’s a fantastic all-around, universal motorcycle. It carves canyons surprisingly well, has a brilliant engine (same as the SV650), is comfy, and can carry a boatload of stuff and it's not bad in the dirt either. I’ve used mine mostly for touring, commuting and backroads, but done some dirt/trail riding with it.

CONDITION:
Of course it’s an adventure bike and it’s been used as an adventure bike and commuter by me for 5 years, so it’s in great mechanic shape and very well maintained, but it does have some scratches (no cracks) from a dirt spill on right side and a few other minor visual blemishes. Still runs like a top and looks good. I bought it with just 700 miles on it. It currently has 35k+ miles on it.

Full pro tune-up done at 32k by Richard Sims over at Suicycle Xtreme, with new sprockets and chain, throttle bodies synced, etc. Has Pirelli Scorpion Sync tires (good dry and wet performance on and off road): front has about 50% left, while the back has about 95% left. Oil & filter changed religiously every 4k. New battery installed late 2007.

ADD-ONS:

• Murph Kits Fork Brace -- radically improves front end feel by eliminating flex on and off road
• Sargent World Sport Performance Seat with underseat storage cylinder -- makes the VStrom uber comfy
• Pyramid Front Fenda Extenda - keeps debris off oil cooler and lower engine
• Pyramid Belly Pan - looks cool, moves air around and offers some protection
• Mad Stad Adjust Windshield Bracket -- totally adjustable and eliminates the VStrom buffeting at higher speeds
• BackOff brake light modular -- makes sure people see you from the back
• K&N Air Filter - breaths better and less expensive to maintain
• Frame and Swing Arm sliders - just in case
• Factory hand-guards -- good for trails as well as keeping hands warmer and dryer in winter

What more can I say. People love VStroms -- especially the 650’s. For my friends and family I'm OF COURSE willing to negotiate down from the current asking price of $4500, so drop me an email or give me a call if interested.

Well, it's been almost five years to the month since I got my last motorcycle -- a 2004 Suzuki VStrom 650. I've loved it. It's a great all-around adventure bike, but in recent years I've been yearning for more handling and power and finding I'm doing less dirt riding and more street. Basically, it was time for a change.

After searching for and testing riding a few different bikes -- most sport-oriented, sport-touring machines -- and given my strict budget constraints, I opted for a 2005 Yamaha FZ1 (i.e., a naked 1000cc sportbike with comfy ergos). Some people like plastics covering their engines, but I love seeing my engine -- it's one of the things I love visually about motorcycles. Virtually unchanged for 5 years, Motorcyclist magazine named it "Best Naked Bike" of 2003.

To stay in my limitied budget, I found one that had a minimal bit of road rash to fix up (all fixed now), but with just a little elbow grease and aftermarket parts, is now AWESOME. Very comfy, handles very well, and has oodles of power (can you say 140 horses before aftermarket mods). Installed aftermarket mods are a Scorpion slip-on, PUIG tall race windscreen and some stylish LSL frame sliders. All-in-all, a sweet ride worthy of replacing my venerable VStrom, which I'll be putting up for sale in the next week or two, since I can't afford to own both.

Basic Specs | More photos of my FZ1

In a truly tragic, and somewhat confusing decision by Harley Davidson -- the owner's of Buell Motorcycles -- they've deciding to kill Buell right as it's on the cusp of massive success. It won some amazing AMA races this year with it's new and innovative superbike, which had little do with H-D, but a hell of a lot to do with Buell's technical and innovative team. Tragic, as they were and are America's only true sportbike company, so America looses yet another industry, while H-D continues to make more of the same. I'd considered buying a Buell Ulysses in 2008 and was really starting to love their new motor and 2009 models...but their association with H-D kept me from buying one.

In a less surprising move -- at least to me -- they're also divesting their MV Agusta division. Mind you, I didn't understand why or how Harley-Davidson chose to acquire MV Agusta recently, nor did I think they had the vision or backing to pull it off. MV Agusta will probably live on -- some rich Euro dude will probably by them -- but Buell is probably dead, dead, dead, unless Erik Buell retained ownership in some capacity.

Sad day for American motorcycling of the future, and not of the past. Shame on H-D for mishandling their money yet again. Chapter closed.

Fall is finally here in Northern California! I ride all year long, after all I ride an a Suzuki VStrom 650 -- an brilliant little adventure "sport" bike. However, many more casual riders seem to think the first drops of rain spell the end of the main motorcycling season in California. Rain..bah! Cold...bah! Only high winds and snow cause me to bite my nails and put down my helmet.



Anyhow, for my little Fall moto post, here are some tasty tidbits:

(1) First off, I'm actively looking to purchase a new "used" motorcycle. I love my VStrom and ride it for pleasure and communting daily, but I've had it 5 years and want something different and with more zoom. I have my eye out for one of these in good condition with intelligent aftermarket mods: Yamaha FZ1, Suzuki Bandit 1250, Triumph Sprint ST or Speed/Street Triple, Honda VFR, Aprilia Shiver, BMW F800ST, and a fairly large range of other bikes.

I'm finding I want more a sport-tourer now, but with true sporting/performance bent. So many choices. So little money. Hell, if Suzuki would just update the VStrom to an 750-800cc bike, restyle it a bit and give it a 17 in front wheel, I'd be happy. For that matter, I'd be on a Kawasaki Versys if it'd come in 750-800cc's.

(2) Speaking of Kawasaki Versys', here's a nice little travelouge of a journey through Japan.

(3) Cool ALL NEW bikes coming out include: Kawaski's Z1000 looks obscenely mean and right up my all. Honda's VFR1200 is rumored to be coming... not sure if I'd want this over a VFR800 or some BMW though. For pure unattainable lust factor, MV Agusta's new Brutale 1094RR, BMW's S1000RR, Honda's CB1000R and Aprilia's RSV4 R all look intoxicating.

Until the winter season begins, safe riding and keep the rubber side down!

Renee under the RedBull at MotoGP

Well we just got back in from an extended vacation to Carmel and Monterey, California to celebrate the 4th of July at the same time attending one of the things I've always wanted to, attend the MotoGP at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.


Carmel near sunset

Wow, what a great trip. Renee and I rode down and had a great ride (though the trip back wasn't as much fun as we ran into grid-lock road construction and a very hot section or tarmac). Our place in Carmel was decent... nothing fancy, but very convenient. Carmel and Monterey were gorgeous and the seafood de-lish! Our only major letdown was that we discovered the legendary 17-mile drive is closed to motorcycles. I know Pebble Beach is corporate, but come on... you let all other types of vehicles in.


We're both packed and ready to ride

Regardless, MotoGP was a BLAST! Being our first time at Laguna Seca, the long, winding ride in to motorcycle parking was a cool, plus the track's well organized. Pedrosa, Rossi, Lorenzo, and Stoner all raced their asses off (finishing in that order), along with other great racers. AMA stuff was cool too, but this was all about the MotoGP for me.


Rossi and Pedrosa preparing for post-race ceremony

One thing everyone had told me who's see it live is that the sound of the MotoGP bikes is insane. I can say that loud doesn't begin to cover it. They were louder than the military jets that flew over the event! Wanna hear it? Here's a little iPhone recording I made. They put out some insane level of decibels... something like 115 or 130 decibels PER BIKE, so multiply that and it puts the loudest rock concerts to shame.


The bikes on the grid

Well, I'm just getting over a nasty chest cold and all that lovely stuff that coughs up with it. It started on a hectic Friday, but felt better the next morning, so having tickets to the AMA Kawasaki Superbike Showdown at Infineon Raceway for Saturday, I ignored the warning signs of impeding sickness and rode down for a great day at the races. Once there, I took the obligatory walk around to see the people, booths and bikes (see the Duc above), but since they were just running qualifying laps, I decided to go on a few demo rides. Free rides without sales pitches on new motos is hard to turn down.



The topper for the day was riding a bike I've been lusting after for a few years, the KTM 990 SuperDuke -- sadly, they didn't have the 990R to ride, but no complaints. License down, waivers signed and away I rode on a 20+ mile demo course with the hooligan bike from hell. Ironically, aside from monster brakes and rather abrupt throttle response, the thing was more manageable than I expected. Of course, had we be given more room to open things up I'm sure the beast is lurking. Nice bike, but it's not going to get my $15k just yet. All geared up from the KTM ride, I jumped in line to hopefully ride a Kawasaki ZX-14 or ZX-10R, but they were all spoken for, so I rode the bike my wife's been thinking about switching to. I hopped aboard the attractive, but unassuming Ninja 650R. Sadly, I wasn't impressed with the engine. It made my V-Strom 650 feel like 750, plus the Ninja's brakes and suspension were abysmal. Not a bike I'd ever own, but hey, that's what demo rides are for. Hopefully Laguna Seca in July will have some demos from Triumph, Guzzi, Aprilia or Honda.



Sadly, the day was hot and my cold kicked back in with a vengence, so I took a rest and watched the races while loopy from DayQuil and too much sun. Saturday's Superbike races was a treat...Mladin didn't win for a change. I ran into a fellow rider from Sacto and we rode back together. I paid the price for my day in the sun and my nasty cold kept me couch-bound for the next 2 days, but some chicken soup and dreaming of Super Dukes passed the time. Better now...mostly.

By the gods, I've been wanting a new helmet after using the same Scorpion EXO-700 Raider since 2005! That's a long time with one helmet -- as good and as it is. Fortunately, several visors and liners later, baby's got a new toy.

I just got a Shoei X-11 with the Kagayama 2 paint scheme in exchange for some design work I did for a motorcycle client. The X-11 is one of the finest helmets on the market and it sure is purty, but that means nothing -- there are A LOT of cheap helmets out there that look great -- I want to know the features and safety are there. I had my choice of Arai, Shark, etc., but I've always been fond of Shoei, so this'll be my third one.



The proof's in the puddin'. A good long and fast ride confirmed that Shoei remains my fav. It's the best venting, lightest helmet I've owned and after grabbing a light smoke visor it's now perfect. Safety? Well, if it's good enough for Kagayama riding in World Superbike, it's good enough for little old me. Plus, I've had a serious crash in a Shoei many years back and it definitely saved my head, so I have serious trust in Shoei's. I'll probably keep an Scorpion EXO as a my backup and for passengers -- they're great helmets for the price -- but I'm glad to be riding with an X-11.

At the local Sport Bike Night I was a lucky winner of a complete pro tune-up for my motorcycle at Suicycle Extreme who's now offering full moto service from the experienced hands of Richard and Ryan Sims. Richard was part of Muzzys for many years and has a ton of racing, tech and customizing experience. Anyhow, after my tune-up, all I can say is that my V-Strom runs better than when it was new, or when worked on by factory techs or my lame little hands. They guarantee their work, so anyone living the Sacramento area really owes it to themselves to make and appointment and let them tune your bike, whether it's basic work or major custom mods. You might be surprised by what a monster you have with a pro-level tune-up.

:::BREAKING NEWS:::

It was said by observers to be like an invasion of lights!

This morning, during the pre-dawn race at the World Free-For-All Motorcycle Races, participants and fans claim to have seen strange lights following the racers during the event. Details are still sketchy, but some describe them as faint glowing orbs not bigger than a golfball that seem to spin & flitter around the motorcycles during the race. At one point, racer Gordon Carlz fell off his motorcycle after something appeared right in front of him. He claims it said something to him is a strange buzzing voice, but medics on the scene say it was likely just a cause of him hitting his head. Fortunately, he suffered no real injuries from the crash. Fellow racer, Zoe Cho said she swore one of the lights stopped and blinked an eye, however, her press agent said she misspoke, having consumed too many energy drinks before the race and probably saw LOTS of things during an extreme sugar buzz.

The lights are said to have disappeared immediately after the race was over, leading many to conclude it was some mass hallucination caused perhaps by the extreme decibels given off by the motorcycles, or a play of pre-dawn lights off the various metals and plastics on the bikes. Regardless, more far out speculation varies from ghosts and spirits, to sprites and fairies, to of course alien visitors or invaders. This reporter simply says, stay tuned for more information as it become available.

The World FFA Motorcycle Races are held each year to allow any type of rider to ride any type of motorcycle in a grueling multi-terrain track over 3 days. For each stage of the race, riders are allowed to switch motorcycles. Riders come from all over the world to participate, riding an amazing variety of motorcycles.

Joe Cranston of the Backroad Alley Sun, reporting.

I can't say I'm a full-blown adventure rider, because I'm not a true MacGyver-style mechanic who can fix a driveshaft with a toothbrush, but I do take my V-strom on quite a few adventures and can work on it when bits fall off. I'm still deciding whether my next bike's an F800 GS or Street Triple (the adventurer or the hooligan in me can't decide), but Mad Max fans... check out the Silverton Hotel and that fine looking Interceptor (with two F800 GS' flanking it).

It's adventures like two Long Dirt Track guys in the Down Under that always inspire me to get off the beaten paths for something more wild, and two-wheels are always more fun than four. It was Mad Max that first got me interested in motorcycles, so it sounds like one hell of a fine adventure – if you don't mind the heat and dingos. Now where did I pack that duct tape and bubble gum. ;-)

Are you prepared for the Go'Mo invasion? The FreeFrog has been busy creating Go'Mo critters for mass consumption. They'll be spinning around this world in March 2009.

Stayed tuned you hue-mans!

Motorcycle helmets are dime a dozen these days and affordable models are proving just as good as the expensive models in fit, finish and most importantly safety. I love Arai and Shoei, but I don't need the pricetag. I love full-face helmets, and from my first Arai, to my Shoei, to my Scorpion EXO 700, I like full cranial encasement (must be the sci-fi nut in me).

That said, it gets damned hot in Sacramento in the summer, so it'd be nice to have an open breeze in my face -- plus it's a bit stuffy to do dirt riding in my full-face helmet. Modular, flip-up style helmets have always been appealing to me, but I've never owned one, because they feel flimsy and cheap. I want something a bit more a combo of full-face and open-face -- not really a flip-up. Enter the Shark Evoline.

If webBikeWorld's intro of the all new helmet is accurate I'm thinking that if it fits my widdle head, a Shark might be in my future. I wanted a Scorpion to come out with a modular, since I'm a Scorpion fan, but a Shark it may be.

Too often the general media has a hate affair with motorcycling and motorcyclists -- often labeled as crazy hooligans or worse. Sure, the gas crisis did wonders for enticing a whole new group of people to discover the power good fuel economy 2-wheels offer, but the general public still seems to hold some stigma towards motorcyclist, regardless of the type of rider or motorcycle. Suffice to say it's always nice to see a main stream rag like SFGate write something about the whole reason people dig motorcycling and stay away from the negative cliches.

I love a great invention, and my new Madstad windscreen bracket for my V-Strom 650 is beyond fantastic. The V-Strom is infamous for its bad helmet buffeting if your around 6' or taller (that's me). Up until I had a minor spill that cracked my aftermarket Vario Touring Screen, I was stuck with the stock one again. Boo.

After so many positive reviews about the Madstad bracket (which works for any V-Strom compatible screen), all I can say is WOW, wowity wow wow. Now the stock screen works as promised and cuts through the wind like butter at any speed. Suzuki should license this and make it standard equipment on on V-Stroms, because it's that significant an improvement. See Madstad's own video below about why it's so groovy....

Very sad news in FIM Supersport World Championship racing, as Craig Jones passes away from head injuries sustained during a race. Read more.

Every few months the lust for another motorcycle hits me. I love my V-Strom 650, but I've had it for enough years, I just want something different.

I LOVE sportbikes, but unfortunately, my back and wrists can't take the full racer crouch anymore, so I'm looking for something more upright and practical for street riding. If I had the budget I'd probably opt for a KTM 990 Superduke or BMW F800ST. Alas, I refuse to spend over 10k on bike, so either the Triumph Street Triple 675 or Ducati 696 Monster are pulling right now. I want something light for commuting, with handling and performance that's truly sporty, but that can be nice for 400+ weekend ride, without being a fully-faired sport-tourer. Of course that may change, for now the new Street Triple 675 sounds like the ticket.

http://www.motorcycle-usa.com/

http://www.cycleworld.com/

Derbi's DH 2.0 moto/mountain bike looks like the fershizzle for casual trail riding around the woods, farm or as motorhome accessory. I hope it makes it to production.

A group of six of us rode down and had a very good time at the AFM races at Infineon Raceway last Sunday (4/27/08). There were 12 great races with a friend or two on the grid, including Shaun Summers (#341) of Sport Bike Night. Good time on two wheels.

Alas, a bit of fatigue & pilot error took me and my motorcycle into to dirt when I went into a corner too hot. I avoided a lowside slide by standing it up and trying to ride it out into the dirt. Didn't quite get it to stop upright.

No biggie, but my V-Strom's a bit scratched up and I shattered my windscreen. Fortunately, parts is parts, so it'll be good as new with some new ones. Glad I had all my gear on and my bike had sliders or we both may have come out worse for wear. Let that be a lesson to ya kiddies.

One of the coolest motorcycle commercial I've seen in years (YouTube) is for the Bajaj Pulsar in India. Others that come to mind that I can recall are the Ducati Hypermotard with Ruben Xaus riding, and some Japanese commercial for the KTM 990 SuperDuke flying through city streets.

Most of the ads in the U.S. just don't cut it, because they focus less on the riding experience and instead just talk over specs – I can look at a brochure for specs!

An old friend repainted his Honda Shadow with the logo I created for him a few years as a geometric accent. Looks sweet in metallic green and as an abstract shape. Purty.

In an update to the tragic news of the epic 2008 Dakar Rally being cancelled (previous post) just days before starting, the 2009 rally is moving to an all new continent, South America – Argentina and Chile to be precise. Exciting new adventures await in January '09. Diggity.

I picked up a set of Grip Puppies for my V-Strom and WOW do they improve my grip and comfort by reducing fatigue and vibration. Highly recommended! I got my from California Sport Touring.

In a tragic irony, the rally race I most look forward to every year, the legendary Dakar Rally, has be cancelled just days before its start, due to of all things... terrorism! It's run 30 consecutive years! Crazy f*ing world we live in.

Sad frog... I love my Dakar. *sigh*

A tragedy for many reasons, but perhaps the greatest is the loss of a positive spotlight for the African continent in light of recent turmoils. That said, given direct threats to the race (which covers such a massive area over many days that it would be impossible to police), and the recent murder of French tourists in one of the race-bound regions, the cancellation makes sense. The good news is the organizers are looking forward to 2009 and plan to have security precautions in place to make sure next year's Dakar lives!



IMHO it's the most amazing endurance motor race on the planet -- incorporating motorcycles, ATVs, cars, buggies, trucks and more -- all racing across continents at insane speeds, facing absurd obstacles, and doing it non-stop over 2+ weeks. It's hard not to cheer for all the teams in a race where just finishing is considered amazing.

Read the cancellation story here. Check out the Dakar on Wikipedia if curious about what the hell it is.

I'm a regular attendee of Mike Summers' Sport Bike Night events for motorcycle racing fans. Recently he asked me to make the SBN site professional looking on a very limited budget. Though still a bit barebones, it'll evolve over the next season to have some WOW factor, but for now, the goal was a clean, intuitive and professional design.

Aprilia makes brilliant motorcycles already, but their new 850 Mana sounds truly fun and exciting, with a new transmission/shifting system (you ca do it manually the old fashioned way too) and there's even storage for a full-face helmet under the tank. Sounds like the perfect city bike.

Well my old truck finally outlived its usefulness. I thought I could get by just owning/riding my Suzuki motorcycle, but the reality of having to get groceries en masse and wanting to take my kayak places left me wanting something with 4 wheels as well. Imminently practical, and already having a fun motorcycle I went to a car auction and found myself an awesome Saab 9-5 SportCombi (a wagon by any other name). Firecracker red and fast as fire, it's a great all purpose vehicle for people and stuff... especially for the times when 2 wheels aren't enough.