Super Clean ~ 1979 Honda CB750-F

Been way too long since I've kept up on my blog.   *Slaps self in face*

Travis did a trade with a friend of his and got himself another motorcycle and it's really cool.  That gave me a little spark to get back to blogging about my passion.

Well, this bike he picked up is the 10th of a series that is considered the first "Superbike".  Honda decided to offer on a mainstream level some of the technologies being used in racing that had not ever been offered prior.  The overhead cam (transverse) Inline 4 cylinder was introduced to the market and it was taken in with open arms.  And it would seem to me that it is the father of basically all of Honda's "Superbikes" due to the continued use of it's nomenclature.
A 1979 Honda CB750-F is now sitting here at the shop for me to look at and it is definitely something to look at.  It's in amazingly clean condition and it's been modified to increase it's "race" capabilities with aftermarket adjustable rear suspension and stabilizers on the front forks to decrease the shaking due to the small diameter forks.  It's a very cool bike and nice to see that it's been so well taken care of over the years.

Now it's time to do some fluid changes on this bad boy and some re greasing/lubricating of some bearings and other moving parts and get it out on the road.  Not sure yet what Travis' plans are for this bike and it's likely he will just turn around and sell it.  But for now I will enjoy it's presence and get it freshened up from it's long nap.  I will supply a better picture once it's all done.  :)

Thanks Travis for the inspiration  :)

James

Not "Fastest" but I want one

Yamaha showed a concept bike that I think is just a fantastic idea.  188 mpg and it just looks cool.  For getting around town I definitely want one of these.

Get more information and more pictures HERE

FASTEST

Fastest the Movie is out and ready for order.  I will be getting the movie in before the New Year and setting up a "Movie Night" for everyone interested to come and watch to ease the pain of not being able to ride.  The details are still unknown but I will update when I figure it all out.  :)

Until then, Head on over to their site to see a preview.  I'm excited to see it myself.

MotoGP 2011 ~ Eventful and Emotional

I was really hoping for more of a fight for the championship with 14 previous world champions all racing in this years MotoGP.  Instead, Casey Stoner stole the show and did an amazing job at securing the Championship for 2011.  However, that does not mean it wasn't an intense year in MotoGP.  There were lots of great battles to watch and it was obvious that these highly skilled motorcycle racers were pushing these bikes to the very edge.  Jorge Lorenzo showed us all why he was the Champion that Stoner had to take the title from, being one of the very few that could run with Stoner aboard his very potent Honda package.  Honda definitely showed their might throughout the season with every rider having amazing lap times aboard their Honda.

Watching these "superheroes" push their respective equipment to the limits is what makes it so enjoyable to watch, but it has inherent risks that presented itself in a horrible way this year.  Last season during the 11th round of the Moto2 race, motorcycle racing lost a very young and rising star in Shoya Tomizawa and this was the first on-track fatality at GP level since Kato in 2003.  And this year we lost Marco Simoncelli who was sure to make great things happen.  He was such a character, from his hair style to how he dealt with people.  On track he was unforgiving and extremely determined and pushed 120% at all times.  Sure to be a legend on the race field he is a legend in our hearts.  SuperSic's death came during the 2nd to last race of the season with only Valencia left to race and his Team was unsure of participation in any category.  However, they decided that the best way to honor Simoncelli would be to race and what an honor it ended up being.  Michele Pirro won the Moto2 race, very first win for him in the Moto2 class and dedicated it to Simoncelli saying, “After setting pole yesterday I just had to do well today. The conditions were really difficult for the race but I tried to stay focused and then Marco did the rest from on high. He was with me throughout the race and on every lap I was asking him not to leave me alone. It was a long 27 laps and being out there riding alone isn't easy. This victory is dedicated to his family, who are suffering more than anybody right now, to his girlfriend and also to the guys in the team. It hasn't been an easy year for us but a victory at the end of it is a nice tonic. We had a tough time after Malaysia but we managed to convince Fausto to come to Valencia and I am sure it was the right choice because it is what Marco would have wanted. Racing was his life and this was the best way to honour him and remember him.” Whether your a fan like me or not, that is pure awesomeness.

Also, Loris Caparossi wrapped up his racing career this year.  After a 22-year career with 328 races and 99 podiums under his belt has decided to hang up the leathers and retire from racing.  Today, I heard that he will still be working with MotoGP but instead of as a racer, he will use his extensive experience as a racer to assist in matters of safety having been appointed in an advisory role for safety in the MotoGP World Championship.  Also, in recognition of his contribution to the sport throughout his career, it has been requested to retire his number 65 from use in the MotoGP World Championship.

Now, with new regulations and MotoGP going back to 1000cc motorcycles we wait with heavy anticipation for 2012 racing season to start.  I'm very excited and I know that you are too, just admit it.

James

Electric Motorcycles ~ I want one or two :)

For the energy "crisis" I believe that electricity is the answer.  The reason for this belief is simple and probably is the same for everyone else, the sources for electricity are many.  Hydrogen is one of the means of producing electricity that I hope finds it's means and becomes the norm.  That way I simply will not need to plug my damn vehicles in for extended periods of time.  I have a difficult enough time remembering to plug in my cell phone on a regular basis.

However, that does not stop me from wanting one of each of the neat little electric toys I just read about this morning.  KTM's awesome little electric dirt bike for starters.  Check out the video and then get back to me.  It's alright, I'll wait.

I guess since I was nice enough to just post the video here for you, you didn't need to leave but I waited for you to watch it anyways.  Super Fun isn't it?  I definitely want one.  And I think I would ride it all over town too just to see how long I could get away with it.  

So, what about the other electric motorcycle that I want?  Well, there is a company out of California offering electric motorcycles next February which you can read all about them on their site here.  But the look of the 'Energica' is more my style and desire.  It looks fantastic.  CRP racing unveiled it and they could have done a little better marketing with more attractive women but the bike itself looks great enough so I guess that was their angle.  Read about the 'Energica' and see a couple pictures of it HERE.

Alright, that's all for that.  Have an absolutely great week and start invested in technologies of tomorrow if you can.  

James

Winter Storage

There's a great article at MCN about winterizing your motorcycle.  It lists many very important things to increase how long your motorcycle will be with you.  Especially in cold areas such as here in Klamath Falls, the winter can greatly reduce the longevity of your ride.  Considering this, I have decided to put together a package  that includes everything that is important for your bike and also storage in a secure location.

Basic Package = All required items to insure a great running back next season less Radiator fluid and Fork fluid since each are only necessary every two years.
Basic Package is $285 for all work, materials and storage for the entire winter season.

Radiator Package = Basic + Radiator fluids
Radiator Package is $315 for all work, materials and storage for the entire winter season.

Fork Package = Basic + Fork Oil change
Fork Package is $335 for all work, materials and storage for the entire winter season.

Premier Package = Basic + Radiator + Fork Packages
Premier Package is $375 for all work, materials and storage for the entire winter season.

If interested contact me.

James

Forgot to mention, the oil in this pricing is a full JASO oil that I personally fully believe in.  There is also an oil that I use in my machine that I obviously fully trust and believe in but is not JASO certified.  The prices with that oil would be a little less if your interested.

James

Motorcycle News/Stories

There was a great article written up in one of the Motorcycle Mags (I have it around here somewhere) about an amazing character in the motorcycle racing world.  He's not popular outside of the motorcycle world but I can say his name and find out if a person enjoys motorcycle racing and if a person doesn't know him than it's a safe bet that they aren't really into motorcycles as much as they should be (in my opinion haha).

Who the heck am I blabbing on about?  Guy Martin!!  He's got a great personality and a great track record but he has not yet been able to win a race in his chosen race format.  Hopefully, as your reading this you read his name and already knew what race he participates in and possibly a bit more about him than that.  But if not I'll tell you.  Guy Martin races in the worlds oldest and most prestigious, dangerous, amazing, crazy road racing event in the world; Isle of Mann TT.  It's the same place they held the very first Electric Motorcycle race event TTXGP.

There is a movie coming out this month that I will definitely be getting a hold of about the Isle of Mann and stars Guy Martin.  A preview:

And also starting this month, Guy Martin will have another TV show (he's had one other TV Show before) on BBC (hopefully on BBC).

The other story that I've already talked about but there is continuously additional stories is that of Marco Simoncelli.  What an impact his unfortunate incident has had on the world.  There is a man in Italy that has put "graffiti" on a wall in remembrance of SuperSic and has left a blank area for others to "sign".  What a great artist he is too, the wall looks great.

Also, MotoGP has a large wall at the Valencia circuit (Final race of the season) with Marco's number (58) on it and a space for fans to write their own message during their visit.  Another aspect I personally find very cool is that Sic's dad Paolo requested not a minute of silence but rather a minute of noise making.  And per his request, MotoGP will have a one minute of everyone revving their bikes and making noise.  AWESOME!!

It's unfortunate that there are going to be a few racers not participating in this race due to injuries but it's nice to see another American taking the place of Colin Edwards in this weekend race.  Josh Hayes has had a great year and I'm sure he's ecstatic about being Colin's fill in for this very emotional final MotoGP race of the season in Valencia.

Stefan Bradl also has an amazing final race to be excited about.  As long as he finishes 13th or better he will be the Moto2 champion  his rookie year in that class.  Great job Stefan.

And I guess I will just stick to one more "Story".  The images released for the new MV Augusta F3 675 looks amazing and some of the information on the engine and tech advances are very interesting to me.  I really like it and wish for a chance to try it out.  Here is a shot of it and a link to more information:

Thanks a lot for listening to my rambling.

James

Great Weekend Ride

A group of us Southern Oregon Sport Riders all got together for a "Before Winter Ride" and the weather couldn't have been better not to mention the group of people. We only had one pull over by the "fun spoilers" and received 0 "fun ride bills".

Here are a few shots of the Saturday group of riders from multiple cities in Southern Oregon. These are from our meet up at a beautiful park in Grants Pass called Riverside Park:

 These are from our eat stop in Crescent City, CA on the coast which is where we split up and most returned home while us Klamath guys continued on to Fortuna, CA:

The food at Chart Room in Crescent City is awesome.  Clam Chowder bread bowl was extremely good and thanks to SingleTrackin for letting me try his Fish & Chips which were also super yummy.  

Next stop for us overnighters was in Fortuna where we stayed the night and we ate at a small Italian place in Eureka, CA called Mazzoti's and we ate a lot of their delicious that the serve before the meal.  We were able to park directly outside the window from where we sat.

Then we enjoyed a few beers at Eel River Brewery in Fortuna which was real close to our Hotel.  

In the morning we ate at Peppers Restaraunt and headed out on Highway 36 to Wildwood Rd. and 3 through Weaverville into Yreka.  I5 to Ashland and back home.  

All together we did just under 700 miles and it was super fun.

Tourmaster Synergy Gear Review

I'm not in a good financial position in life to try lots of different gear and accessories and give reviews on them but since it's something I eventually want to get to the point of doing I will start with some of the products that I have already tried.  I'm not a writer, or employed by anyone other than myself.  I am simple and fair and will review every product with the most understanding and real review I can.

The Synergy gloves that I have are a little too tight.  My hand measures 200mm/7-7/8" from the tip of my middle finger to the point right at the first line of the wrist.  The gloves I have are size Large/10.  If your hand was about 10 mm shorter than it would probably be properly snug.
The Velcro strapping is well placed and functional allowing you to get it to feel secure and the extra "sleeve" aspect is very nice for closing in the heat.
The heating is amazing and feels very uniform and in my opinion very much out does the Gerbing gloves that I also have but at least they fit (A little too big but doable).

The Synergy Jacket fits well at Large/44 but it would be really nice if it was just a little bit longer from neck to waist.  I'm 6'2 and not overweight at 205 and if I went up to the 46 I probably would have better length but I feel that it would then not fit around me as well.
Again the heating works very well.  Uniform and not to drastic.  At first it feels hot as it is getting up to temp but then just seems to smooth out and doesn't even feel like it's on but I'm not cold.  Tourmaster did a great job on this product line.

Same goes for the pants.  Great products at a fair price.  Very much recommend for anyone brave enough to endure the cold weather like I am.  And yes, I have ridden on the snow and in very cold temperatures on my R1.  Without the heated gear turned on it does a great job just as cold weather gear as well.  I've ridden in 40 degrees without it on and was fairly comfortable.  Great products!!!

I still need to try the socks and will be very excited to do so.  Have they made a Balaclava with heated neck area yet?  :)

Please post up any comments in regards to your impressions or reviews of the same product.

James

RIP Simoncelli MotoGP's rising star

It was so extremely difficult to watch Marcos crash and I can only imagine how horrific it is for both Colin Edwards and Valentino Rossi.  I got fairly emotional after seeing it and still have a hard time accepting that it really happened and wasn't just a bad dream.  Extremely unfortunate and definitely wish it didn't happen.

However, what really pisses me off is all of the talks and discussions of how it raises questions into the safety of Motorsports.  Many are saying that after the two separate deaths of both Dan Wheldon and Marco Simoncelli that safety is of great concern.  Are you FUCKING KIDDING ME?!?!?!  I can understand many of the discussions of the situation with Dan Wheldon referring to the fact that the specific race that had many "Noobs" racing because of a current lack of skill required in an open tire race at a full out 220 MPH around the entire track.  But the instance involving Marco in the MotoGP race is nothing like that.  I'm glad they will be reviewing the incident but it's pretty simple to see that it was a freak accident and very rare.

It is very rare for these types of things to occur and it would be nice if they never did but if it were me, I would much prefer to lose my life in a pursuit of my passion over many other options that I hear about much more often.  Let's see, walking across the street and not being noticed, heart attack because I was too fat and lazy to keep myself healthy, getting cancer and not discovering it till it was too late.  SHUT THE FUCK UP ABOUT THE SAFETY SHIT.  It was a horrible incident but safety in both of these cases and throughout the motorsports world is handled very well and should not be under such scrutiny.

RIP to both of you amazing gentleman and may I have the pleasure to one day have a fraction of the success that you had in yours in mine or my children's life.  You were both special and I definitely will always look up to you.

James