Laguna Seca Raceway

*I put several links related to the discussion in, check them out for additional info.*

For us motorcyclists (and for many others as well) here on the West Coast, Laguna Seca is a "Mecca" for greatness!  Why will none of us be able to travel down there for MotoGP this year?  Personally (and this is very unofficial), I believe it's because of the large number of ignorant, whiny, shithead people we have in this world anymore.  Originally, this track was built in 1957.  That's 56 years ago and there was nothing around it for miles because as is usually the case, they built it out in the middle of nowhere.  Then the area starts to grow, quite possibly in part due to the racetrack, and people start building their houses closer and closer to Laguna Seca.  What happens next is the ignorance I mention, people start whining about the noise because they live too close to the track.  Really people?  There are many of us who enjoy the noise and living close would be awesome, get a hold of me and I'll be glad to take that house off your hands!!

Right here in little ol' Klamath Falls, Oregon, we once had a small paved racetrack that lots of people had stupendously good times on.  It didn't bring in lots of extra cash flow to the city, or travelers because it was just an itty bitty thing.  But it did offer enthusiasts a place to go play and have a fun.  It's been no more for a long time now because of houses built too close to it with people who are worthless in my opinion.  If you live somewhere and all of a sudden they start building a racetrack in your back yard and that's not your thing, you have every right to complain.  But if you move your dumbass next to a racetrack that is already there and being utilized, suck it the F*(K up!!  Your life is a result of the choices you make, if your unhappy with it, make better choices and don't use that frustration to take away privileges from others.  It's 100% up to you to be happy, SO DO IT!!  Be happy.

I'm hoping that MotoGP will be back to Laguna Seca in the years to come but until then I will continue to enjoy the motorcycle racing that does still occur at this legendary racetrack until the day the squeaky wheel keeps squeaking from their unhappiness enough to shut the track down altogether.  For us who enjoy it, keep supporting the track, the track events, and the communities that don't kick it out.

Thanks for listening  ;)

"Circuit of the Americas" host MotoGP

I for one am very excited to hear this.  Texas has been working for a while now to finish their newest racetrack called "Circuit of the Americas" and they've been doing a lot of hard work to keep it going at a good pace.  Initially, there were rumors of getting MotoGP to race there this year even, however, there just wasn't a sure enough completion time and it couldn't be arranged.  Now, on the other hand, the track is progressing wonderfully and an agreement has been reached.  Therefore, these great states of America will now have a total of 3 events of the worlds most elite motorcycle racers in the world.  This is exciting for the fact of popularity of motorcycles in America.

The "Circuit of the Americas" has pushed the excitement of World Class Racing since they started building their dream with a large focus on F1 Racing and MotoGP.  It's a great recipe really.  Why build an amazing racetrack without setting your targets on the worlds best and most popular racing events?  That being said, I would like to know how they're going to regulate the every day riders/drivers that are interested in taking to this new offering of adrenaline creating road circuit courses.  Is it going to be over regulated like Laguna Seca?  Not that the majority of us couldn't get their tires heated at Laguna Seca but the neighbors of our World Class California racetrack have complained/whined about the noise so if you want to take your baby onto the track your going to need stock exhaust or other exhaust (in some cases stock isn't quiet enough) that will meet the sound limit requirements.

Well, for now I believe their focus is rightly on the Worlds best but I sure hope that the surrounding areas don't have a lot of people that have a lack of understanding that there are thousands of people that can and will enjoy the track and respect the fact that at times you can have a little discomfort in order to provide the thrill to those seeking it.

Thanks for reading my thoughts.
~James

The Man behind Uncaged

There is the man I used to be and the man I am now.  With that said, there are good things and bad things about that.  Either way, when I first started this blog I posted a couple personal entries and various business entries but it's been some time since I've written anything personal and so I've decided to change that.

I started up Uncaged Motorsports with the help of a friend back in September 2008 and went from a life of living as someone doing what was needed to survive to a man with a passion focused on the passion regardless of the cost.  I lost a lot since then and may continue to lose more in the pursuit of doing what I want and enjoy doing.  For the most part, people around me have no idea of my challenges due to the fact that I smile and am happy and today I thought about that a bit.

It came across my mind that I don't spend much time with friends and how much I don't like that.  Curious why my brain focused on that fact at the million miles a second it normally runs and it spotted that my stresses and maintenance of a positive attitude causes my "free" time to be consumed trying to escape my world and very little gets done.  I really really want Uncaged Motorsports to succeed and that focus has essentially put me in divorce (obviously, under the circumstances, she didn't "Love" me because Love does not fail) breaking up my family (3 amazing children), lost me my awesome truck (2005 Ford F150 Lariat Crew Cab), my house and much of my sanity.

After less than a year of opening the wife left due to stress because finances were extremely tight due to spending all money on the shop to get it going and grow it.  I lost everything else not because she took it but because my source of income was my own business and I was now spending so much of my time trying to save my marriage including flying to Alaska (where she ran off to and hooked up with an old friend) to get her to come back.  Roughly a year after that all started, I had to give up on the business just to keep my head above water (plus I didn't have a place to run the business anymore since I lost the house to the bank).

I went to work as a Waiter at Wingers restaurant and lived off the tips primarily, because child support took 50% of my paycheck.  Then a man, whom I feel I now owe way more than I could ever pay back, contacted me about working on his Benelli motorcycle because of several people recommending me and made me an offer of working to get the business going out of his shop free of rent.  This was an opportunity I could not pass up because getting the shop going is definitely something I wanted and even though I felt I wasn't financially ready, a free shop was offered and so it started.  The downfall is that I really wasn't ready financially and still had too many debts that I accrued through the past and now I'm back to running the shop which some months cost me to do even with free rent.  Now I'm working nights at Roosters Steak and Chop house (Wingers fired me due to complications in scheduling and Roosters is only open at nights) and some of that money earned goes towards growing Uncaged, the kids spending time with me, paying debts and current bills.

Now, the time has come that I have to find a shop of my own and I'm having a hard time finding the financial means to make that happen but I also do not want to give up on Uncaged.  I truly feel I can make this work and that it would already be doing fairly well if I had the funds to have a sign made, do a little local advertising and so forth.  So I am at a crossroads of decisions and I feel like I'm falling apart due to the type of stress it is causing me.  I am currently homeless and have been since a great guy was helping me out by allowing me to live with him until he found a special someone and is now married to that person.  So I've been sleeping in my car, the shop, and with my cousin.  And I feel like I could possibly, with lots of hard work and little to no play, afford to pay rent but I cannot come up with deposit and such in the time frame that I have.

Homeless and a bit battered up I still manage to keep my self positive but at the cost of not having a best friend or many friends at all that I can manage the time to hang out with and stay connected with.  So often I have to deal with my brain telling me how much of a failure I am and that I can't accomplish anything and that I don't deserve anyone special in my life.  I expend lots of time and energy in staving off those thoughts that it's taking away from more important things that I could accomplish.

In conclusion, I need to make a decision, possibly a very difficult one for me and one that could create a stronger sense of failure, in order to save myself financially and mentally.

Well, time to get back to it.  Thanks for listening to me vent some very substantial information out of my own necessity.

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