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  

Instructional Video from Simon Crafar

I will definitely be getting this video.  Instructional video from a great rider on how to ride better, what's not to love about that.  Motorcycle racing is something that I find amazing and thrilling.  To me, it's much better than any car racing, even with F1 being extremely cool.  The lean angle is the one thing that just sets it apart as far as I'm concerned.

This promotional video is a bit lacking but I will share it anyways since it at least gives an idea of what is going to be on the DVD.

Your Ideas

Have you ever come up with a cool idea for an accessory for your motorcycle but just didn't know how, or have the time, to get it started.  It's a very challenging process and it takes a lot of time that's for sure.  Coming up with the idea is crucial for getting it started but it's only a very small part of the whole process.  You then have to engineer all aspects of it so that it functions and to truly be successful it'll have to function very well.  Manufacturing it comes next and then marketing and selling it.

I am working on two different products currently and have found that I thoroughly enjoy doing this.  If you have come up with an idea and think you'd like to get some assistance in making it happen, let me know and if I agree that it could be a great product and that we could make some money producing it, I would be more than happy to do the other aspects of making it come to fruition.

James

Amazing Save

What an Amazing save by Gino Rea.  It's unfortunate for Parkes that he got caught up in the situation however. Take a look at what I mean: 

 

A Damaged Finger?

Big Congratulations to Casey Stoner in clinching the 2011 MotoGP Championship.  What an amazing racer he is and he definitely deserves the title.  Phenomenal race to watch as far as being dramatic too.  Got myself pumped up a bit.

Very disappointed in Jorge Lorenzo however.  It's difficult to believe that after hurting one of his fingers on his left hand that he couldn't still race.  I don't know all circumstances but just feel that the effort was lacking.  Part of me questions if he didn't simply puss out due to the fact that Casey Stoner has been able to consistently dominate him and attempts at taking back the Championship felt futile.  I surely hope not.  The idea of it just infuriates me.  Being a Yamaha fan as I am, I'm also frustrated with the misfortune of both Factory Yamaha riders being completely out of the race at Phillip Island.  Seems that Ben Spies was able to ride decently well after his fall but I'm sure the issue is the sustained race time.  Very unfortunate instances in both cases.

I was really expecting much better racing this year with the line-up but with Casey dominating so much and Jorge seemingly the only one to be able to stay somewhat close, I feel that we as fans have been slightly cheated.  Hopefully, next year with the change to 1000cc bikes will be a little bit more fulfilling on the side of competition.  It's an amazing sport and I'm hoping that others will catch on to that fact and the popularity rises and we can enjoy some great action filled motorcycle racing.

Excited to see how next week goes.  Goodnight.

James

MotoGP Crash caused by Irresponsibility

Just to speak with my opinions, I am very glad to hear the FIM gave Marquez the penalty.  He definitely was being a irresponsible jack ass.  The speed difference between Marquez and both other riders that were in front of him makes it very apparent to me and I'm shocked that his team tried to appeal the decision.  WTF!!!  The checkered flag means the racing is done. Not, get another good lap in just to make sure.  Having missed seeing a flag before on the track, I can understand if possibly he wasn't completely aware but that is nobody's fault but his own and should have accepted the penalty without further question.  It would be interesting to know if that was the case or what else was going through Marc's head just prior to the incident.

Here is the exact wording from the MotoGP site:
"Team Catalunya Caixa Repsol rider Marc Márquez will have one minute added onto his best lap time in Saturday’s qualifying session at the Iveco Australian Grand Prix, after being penalised by Race Direction for an incident involving Ratthapark Wilairot during the Friday morning practice session at Phillip Island.
Márquez and Wilairot collided at the end of the session once the chequered flag had been passed by both riders, in an incident in which Márquez crashed into the back of the Thai rider. After reviewing the incident Race Direction decided to hand Márquez the one-minute penalty.
In a statement the FIM said that Márquez had ridden in “an irresponsible manner, causing danger to Wilairot which is an infringement of Article 1.21.2 of the 2011 FIM Road Racing World Championship Grand Prix Regulations”.
An appeal was lodged by Márquez’s team, following which FIM Stewards confirmed the decision of Race Direction. The decision of the FIM Stewards is final."

My Motorcycle Mechanical Problem

Early September I made a trip to Wisconsin to be there for my Uncles wedding.  A beautiful wedding it was and an amazing visit with my Uncle whom I hadn't seen in too long of a time.  Got a chance to meet his Bride and her family and everything about the visit was super wonderful.  She's a great person and so is all the friends and family that I got the pleasure to meet.

The visit was great but for money saving reasons I was flying out of Oakland (about 6.5 hour drive from here) and decided that I would ride to Napa.  Napa is the home of some of my extended family and I planned on driving, actually riding, to visit them in the process.  Plan: Park Bike at W & R's house, get ride to Oakland airport, fly to WI, come back and visit multiple people that I know in and around that area.

During preparations to head out I just had one more stop to make aboard "Silver Monkey" and sitting at a traffic light, I hear a relatively loud pop that seemed to come from my bike.  Check it out real quick and everything appeared to be fully functional and nothing leaking etc....  And since I am in somewhat of a hurry to get going, I decide to get a move on and not look into it any further.  That is nearly always the wrong answer.

Approximately 30- 35 miles into my trip I get caught up in road construction which kills about 25 minutes of time and still concerned about what that noise was, I got off the bike and looked around it still not finding anything.  The gentleman ahead of me gets out of his vehicle to stretch his legs and we end up in a conversation and it was nice.  Other direction traffic is starting to come by so he returns to his vehicle and I begin putting my gear back on.  When I press the start button for the bike it seems oddly unfamiliar in character but she starts up.  Not 5 miles past the construction area, she starts acting like she's out of gas and then dies out altogether.

Now I'm on the side of the road a bit upset and trying to add up the information I have to figure out what happened.  My display is now showing an error code (46 on a 2004 Yamaha R1) meaning that the fuel injection system is not working properly which makes sense on the "running out of fuel" feeling I got just before.  And it's seeming to me that there is a charging system issue which I'm guessing is stator or reg/rec.

Well, I start making calls because as of now I'm going to end up very short on time and will now have to travel through the night to get to the airport in Oakland on time.  Thanks to the great friends I have, S picks up my motorcycle and takes it to his house, E picks me up and takes me to W's place where W proceeds to let me take his motorcycle to complete my trip.

Get back after about 2 weeks of a much needed vacation and start to work on "Silver Monkey" to find out for sure what needs to be fixed and so first thing I do is take the cover off for the stator and find that the stator is find but Yamaha used a very cool but "special" system and that the magnets are affixed to the Rotor not the stator, well at least they are suppose to be.  Mine have not been able to hang on any longer and the loud pop I heard was the breakage of the setup that has them there.  The battery was able to keep me running long enough to get out of town and stranded but no more than that.

The other bad news to that is just how much the new Rotor Assembly is because of how "special" it is.  Retail price of $540.  Goodness gracious.  So, I track a used one down and manage to get a great deal on it (in fact I purchased the part I needed and the stator, stator cover and bolts, and starter clutch all together.  I now have an extra stator just in case.  I found a couple minor little tidbits that were not mentioned in the service manual that if not properly completed could cause additional problems.  But tested everything, put it all together and my baby was once again running and I couldn't wait to go for a ride.

This Sunday, I will be going on a very nice ride to truly break her in and I'm very excited for it.  If anyone out there has a 2004-2008 Yamaha R1 and gets the error code 46 and finds they have the same problem as myself.  Contact me for more information and also I may be able to help find a great deal for you on the parts and I will also give you all information to assist a smooth and successful operation.

Have a great day and keep riding.  And stays safe too.

James

Aaaaay!!! ~ The Fonz

Below is my original post in regards to the TR5 Triumph going up for auction and the reason I am re-awakening the post is because I just got word that the very same bike is going up for auction....again? Does anyone know what happened? Did it not fetch what they wanted, did it sell and the new owner has decided to see if he can turn it around for a little extra by adding the information that it was previously owned by Bud Ekins who was Steve McQueens good friend? I'm at a loss and will now be researching to see if I can find out. If you have any information, I would greatly appreciate it if you helped me out.  :) 

Thanks,  James

The Fonz from "Happy Days" was one of those iconic figures that sometimes makes me wonder how?  lol  He was just simple and "cool" and of course it helps that he was a biker ;)

Well apparently they are going to be auctioning off the motorcycle he rode on the show next month.  It doesn't run but it's a very famous 1949 Triumph Trophy TR5 ridden by Henry Winkler as Fonzie in the sitcom show "Happy Days".

The bike on topic has not been ridden since 1984 and has been collecting dust for the last 15 years with a broken speedometer.  Poor thing.  Hope it will find a great home where someone will take care of it, fix it up and make it all pretty again  :)

MV Augusta F4R, I want :)

This is my third blog entry of the day.  I need to stop roaming the internet and get some actual work done.  But I couldn't help but put this up.  This thing looks great and I am one of those guys that believes Harley Davidson made a mistake when they cut-off Buell motorcycles and also sold the MV division.

Buell
First, they decide to just simply cut Buell and now Erik Buell is back at it and is looking great.  I am anxious to see what his 2012 bike is going to look like and also the data on it.  Super Excited.

MV Augusta
And then they sell of the MV Augusta line right back to the guys that they bought it from in order to focus on their tradition.  MV has always had some great looking bikes and now I see this one and drool.

I will make the rest of this post simple:  Click here to read all about it!

James

Steve Jobs Is a Biker

Steve Jobs, Co-Founder of Apple/Computer Genius, has left this world for another as of yesterday, October 5th, 2011.  He left this world after a great deal of success and some amazing products.  Someone to live like as an example.  Immediately, many people were posting up quotes from this Silicon Valley success story and the main theme was about living life outside the realm of what people say is possible but rather following your heart and mind to achieve everything that you can.  Great words from a man who proved it to be true. 

The thing that I stumbled upon that struck my interest enough to add a post to my blog about Steve was the fact that "Steve Jobs Is a Biker".  I understand that I put is when it really should be was but to me when you are a biker (someone who has found his place amongst the "dreamality" of 2wheels), you never stop being a biker.  All information about Jobs' riding has him riding sans helmet and even sans socks in his ADIDAS shoes and jeans and Plaid shirt.  Riding appears to be his preferred means of transportation during the early periods of his success.

Here is the section out of a National Geographic Article that pertains to Steve Jobs:

Steve Jobs is pleased with the falling prices. He hopes that his computer will become the Volkswagen of the industry, the computer every family can own. The 27-year-old co-founder of Apple Computer, whose typewriter-size instrument is pioneering the incorporation of the computer into daily life, bristles a little, too, as he reminds, “We’d rather call the Apple a personal than a home computer.” Although 1981 and 1982 have been the “years of the personal computer,” with giants like IBM jumping into the market and about two million now in use in the United States, predictions that computers would be the nerve centers of our homes by the early 1980s have proved premature.
“It’s no more difficult than learning to cook, but people are afraid they can’t handle it,” says Jobs’s Silicon Valley neighbor Dan Fylstra, whose VisiCorp software packages are simple enough for use in the home. The machines are just not yet “user friendly” enough. Though research labs all over the valley are struggling to solve the elusive problem of speech recognition, we are a long way from marketing a computer that can respond to ordinary conversation—the ultimate friendliness.
So Jobs and his growing host of competitors have directed their sales efforts to office uses. But the Apple has inspired a dedicated cult of hard-core enthusiasts who trade new uses for the computer in the columns of Apple magazines; one engineer has programmed his Apple to activate a small motor that rocks the crib when his colicky baby cries or wriggles. And Jobs has become a potent role model for a new breed of bright kids who are writing and selling software programs and, with their arcane computer skills, gaining the prestige formerly tasted only by the high-school football team.
Over herb tea in a vegetarian restaurant, Jobs explained to me, “For us, computers have always been around. That’s what separates us guys from you guys. You were born B.C.—Before Computers. And it’s because of this place. I was born here. When I was 14,1 was asking famous computer engineers here questions. Apple came out of the microprocessor, created in this valley just five miles from here.”
Jobs’s passion has paid off handsomely. With Steve Wozniak he built his first Apple in 1976 in his parents’ Los Altos garage because they couldn’t afford to buy a computer; now he owns Apple Computer stock worth 100 million dollars. While the chip companies suffered this spring, Apple’s revenues soared 81 percent over last year’s. Apple now occupies 22 buildings in Silicon Valley and plants in Texas, Singapore, and Ireland, which is bidding to become Europe’s Silicon Valley.
Although Jobs drives the requisite Mercedes, success seems not to have spoiled the first folk hero of the computer age. In plaid shirt and jeans, he still prefers, as a friend said, “to drive his motorcycle to my place, sit around and drink wine, and talk about what we’re going to do when we grow up.”

I think that's very cool.  Also, I'd like to say that, not being a fan of Apple, that the first part of this section in the article says that Jobs wanted his Apple to be the "Volkswagen of the industry, the computer that every family can own."  For me Apple was always too expensive, therefore, it was more of the "BMW" of computers and that's not a bad thing.  Great Job Steve, I will definitely have to ride with you on the "Great Road in the Sky" one day.  Till then I will strive to follow your quotes to attempt similar success.

James

New World SuperBike image

After 25 years of being the world class leader in production-bike road racing, FIM is redesigning their look and feel reflecting the extreme sport and increasing awareness around the world.  InFront Sports & Media is the media company that will be taking the Superbike World Championship to a new level. 

Paolo Flammini, CEO of Infront Motor Sports, commented: “Passion, competition and accessibility are three key values that we continuously endeavour to communicate to our audience. People perceive and recognize them appropriate for SBK. The road is our origin: SBK comes from the roads, our bikes are production-derived bikes, our races are competitive and exciting and enable fans to identify themselves with the riders. This is why we have chosen to further develop the chevron, a familiar icon from the roads worldwide, as a key visual element for the new SBK brand family and bring it to life wherever we can.”

This is such a great thing for the success of motorcycles on the road accross the world.  Many countries have definitely found motorcycles to be a more-than-viable means of transportation, from scooters to rockets on two wheels but here in the states and many other countries I feel there is still a very large space to fill in this area.  Popularity is the means to that.  Between fuel prices, the effect on the roads physically, the congestion aspects, and just simple fun and enjoyment, motorcycles are the place to sit your butt.  Whether in cars or any other vehicle, some people are going to be excessive and cause "trouble" so the argument of safety is silly to me.  For those concerned about trying your hand at "Riding", "Don't knock it till you've tried it". 

James

Read more about the new look at:  InFront Sports & Media, RoadRacingWorld, and/or TwoWheels Blog

Another Step Towards Success

The accessory that I am currently developing for motorcycles has been consuming my time and thoughts much of  the day and if I previously made it seem like something that was going to be simple and not take much time, I didn't mean to.  Today was another step towards completion after a "problem" was causing my brain to overheat.  However, today that problem currently has a solution that I hope will a successful one.  It's one that has got me very excited for the design process (since I have to design a part to be built to accomplish the "fix").  The design will be finished tomorrow.

The great part about this project is just how much my excitement increases the more I think about it.  It really feels like this is going to be something that you all will appreciate and desire to have.  It will make riding more enjoyable and comfortable for you, and me as well for that matter.  And the fact that it could be a great start to my success in this "dream business" of mine makes it that much more exciting.

Along with the "problem fix" today, an additional benefit to this products arose and it's pretty cool.  Not as great of a benefit as the main aspect of the product but cool none-the-less.  I really hope that with the next few months I can get to the point where I will have the idea "protected" and I can begin to share with you the details so that you can be as excited as I am. 

Thank you soooo much for following my blog and listening to all my jibbering.  I never did well in English class because I'm not much of a writer, so the idea of a blog really didn't feel like something I could do.  Now, it is a great project for me because I know that I have people "listening" to me which feels really good.  So, THANKS.  I will keep you up to date on this new product and also the normal things that I discuss on here.

James

PS  Click to Follow and when the product is available, if you are interested in it, I will give you "Best Pricing".

Laundry Day

Saturday I had to suck it up and get laundry done or go without clean clothes.  So, I just sat around and did nothing............   LOL   Just kidding.  My son, Anthony, had his friends birthday party to go to and Elizabeth and Hailey came to hang out with me.  So, we all went and did laundry together, every kids dream.  Of course we went and played around in Fred Meyers, got some food and drinks and made it fun.  Here are a couple pictures of the fun we had:

On the way back, walking to the shop (Uncaged), Hailey nearly ran the whole way.  Anytime we walk anywhere she is insisting on running.  She tries to get everyone running and of course I make sure to let her win the running races and get the kids to do the same except on occassion they get to win too.  :)

Before the trip to do laundry, Hailey wasn't feeling good and had thrown up so Elizabeth and I let her sleep while we played some games.  I sure hope they both enjoyed themselves.  A lot of the times that they spend with me, I'm at the shop and doing stuff "fun" isn't easy.  I'll have to do some more activity stuff with them.

James



The "Drama" MotoGP Race

This has been a tough year for a lot of great riders in MotoGP and has made for some interesting races but none so filled with drama as the Motegi race that occurred less than 9 hours ago.  Casey Stoner has been doing an amazing job this season on board the Honda machine that is a thorn in all other machines out there on the track.  I for one am a huge Yamaha fan and so this season has been a little painful watching Jorge Lorenzo ride absolutely brilliantly just to fall short of the current leader.  Also, being American, Ben Spies is my #1 racer to watch and he has been doing an amazing job as well but just shy of where I and I'm sure his entire team would like to see him.  Rossi on the Ducati is currently not working as well as they expected by this time in the season and appear to be more focused on next season which I believe is a good idea.

That all said, the Motegi race was a thrill ride of Drama led by "Dovi" who had the chance to lead the race after Casey Stoner managed to avoid crashing but ran off track.  I would have been thrilled and would have cheered him the whole way through if it weren't for the "false start" ride through.  Definitely feel for him for the way this whole season has gone for him.  Then add to his false start, Simoncelli and Crutchlow also had false start penalties to deal with.  That alone makes for a drama filled start.  Add to that the drama in Turn 2 where Rossi and Lorenzo come together and causes Valentino Rossi, who had a great pre race practice sessions, to crash out.  Rossi has had a very difficult season and after the practice sessions, this race seemed to be his best chance to do some real good racing.  Along with Rossi going out he brought along with him Ben Spies off track with him but Ben Spies managed to stay upright and rejoin the race in 17th position.  Barbera has a bad crash where he fracture his right collar bone.  Dovi has a beautiful run through the first few laps before he has to complete a ride through penalty which he follows with some great riding before crashing out later in the race.

Simoncelli manages to get back into 4th place, Dovi into 5th place and Spies into 6th place.  All making a great performance, after the horrible start, to finish in these positions.  Stoner gets up to 3rd place after his run off and Pedrosa manages the race beautifully to finish off the race as the winner with Lorenzo behind him not able to compete with his Honda.

If you haven't watched it yet, you should.  If you want, I will re watch the race with you here at Uncaged Motorsports. 

Have a Great day,  James

A new Motorcycle Accessory

In the design phase currently, I (and a great friend) are working on designing and testing and inevitably marketing a new accessory that I have thought of many times but only recently made it a goal to accomplish.  Currently, we may be able to make a prototype as early as this winter and if all goes well I will be able to begin marketing and testing the waters for interest.  And of course be able to tell you more information on what this great new modification will be.

What I can tell you right now is that we are very excited because we honestly feel that you will all love it and want one.  It will make you wonder why it has not already been done.  There have been other products that had similar ideas and concepts in mind but were not as convenient and capable as what we will be offering. 

Excited?  Me too. 

More information to come, so stay tuned.

Track Day Withdrawal

Money is a necessary evil in this life and I for one am not real focused on it.  I find it more important to enjoy life and be respectful, kind, and generous to others.  However, that causes me to be a bit on the lacking side of the financial world.  And that causes me great distress when I desperately want to get my bike out on the track.  There is a Track Day coming up real soon that some friends are going to and I would love to go too but I would first need to get a chain and sprocket set.  With that and the fees for the Track Day itself, it looks like I just have to sit here wishing I could go.  Until I can go again, I will just dream of the next one and look back on the times I've going in the past.

In fact, here are some of my pictures from past Track days taken by

 

Getting Re-Setup after Hardship

Most of us have had some difficult times over the last few years due in large part to the war in Afghanistan/September 11th. I for one am very proud of our country for stepping up and doing what needs to be done and the quality of life we are fighting for and like everyone else, I SUPPORT OUR TROOPS 100%. Having spent 4 years in the Navy on Submarines, I would love to be a part of the cause. However, it's very unfortunate that our country is in the current financial state that it is in. I believe that we as a people will either find a solution (preferrable) but if we don't, we will still hold our own and come out of this with our heads held high. I support and firmly agree with the statement recently made by Warren Buffet and have many opinions as to what needs to be done to fix things but I also know that it's never that easy when there are so many people involved. Regrdless of the hard times, this business venture is very important to me and I intend to fight to make it work and I will fight just as hard to make sure that 100% of those who support my cause are 100% satisfied. Give me a chance and I will show you just how important it is to me

Kiddos ~ Bowling :)

Had a chance to get together with the kids yesterday.  They spent a bit of time here at the shop, Uncaged Motorsports, with me.  Helped me clean up and remove some tires (handed me tools) from a little Suzuki TU250X (very cool little bike).  After that we got a bite to eat and then headed to the bowling alley.  Anthony beat me in the first game, little brat.  I'm out of practice lol.

I mean really? 102 points is all I got?  And that little brat that's about to be 8 got 116?  We had a great time and Epicenter here in Klamath Falls was hooking us up with such a great deal that we bowled another game.  However, in the second game I beat that monster but our scores weren't as high as the first game, wth, and I only beat him by 1.  And Hailey (4) beat her sister (9) in the first but it flipped in the second too.  Of course, Hailey was using the rolling assist device they had there too  lol.

It was very cool to be able to get out bowling with the kids.  A great friend just happened to show up and bowled next to us as well.  Such a great time.  We have to go more often so that I can get some practice in and show that dang boy who the real bowler is lmao.  Get out bowling and have fun too, till next time, Peace  :)

Successful Mission

"Silver Monkey" (my beloved '04 Yamaha R1) is back together after significant maintenance session and with new tires and rear brake pads.  Took her on a first very small 'break in' ride and it felt awesome.  The very slight stutter seems to have been the dirty throttle bodies and isn't there at a noticeable level.  Still want to run a test on a couple items but just for peace of mind. 

I'm getting more and more excited about my reopening of my shop at this great location.  It's unfortunate to see other small businesses in town closing their doors and it makes me nervous but I will just continue to work my second job as much as I can to support Uncaged. 

I will also be trying to put together a couple fun functions to raise money for both the business to grow and support the community and also for my passion to race.  If anyone has any ideas of local charities that I could check into and support with these motorcycle events please feed me the ideas.

Well, back to the grind.  Thank you for stopping by

Getting back :)

I'm working on getting back into business.  Have a new and awesome location and got it mostly setup and now I'm just waiting to be able to purchase my sign for out front.  My goal as far as making the business successful is to write down my ideas and then I will post up here the ideas in detail and if after all that I still feel it would be a great idea, implement it.  I feel I've had many great ideas over time but I don't usually remember when I get around to writing tools lol.

As for my personal satisfaction in the enjoyment of riding, I am going to be putting together some functions to raise money for me to be able to go to the track more and also I am hoping to do an "Open-Class Race" this year.  I will be sooooo thrilled to be able to accomplish that. 

That's about it for now but I will be adding more posts as much as I can manage with my very busy current schedule. 

In preparation of making my bike run better and last longer, I have tore it apart and cleaned the injectors/throttle bodies and also found 5 valves in need of slight adjustment.  Now, I just need to get enough funds together for just a few parts.  First of which is a set of "Sidewinder Sprockets" with their lifetime guarantee.  :)

Here are a few pictures I took of the current task at hand on my own bike:

Unfortunate but Inevitable Long Break

Sort of a long title but it explains it all in a nutshell.  I am soon to head out for a great (and I really mean great) weekend at the Reno-Fernely Raceway in Fernley, NV and will be headed back Sunday evening.  On Monday, I will be moving stuff from my current residence to a storage unit and then I will be living wherever possible.  At one point, I was looking for a place to live but have decided that, along with everything else that I have going on, cannot afford rent.  So, I will be relying on friends and what little family I have in the area for showers and such and other than that will be living as a vagabond.  Well, not completely.  I will be staying in this area and traveling will be a minimum but all-in-all it qualifies in terms.  Therefore, my computer and access to the internet will be locked away and therefore, it will inevitably be some time before I can post on here again.

Strangely, I am a little excited about this.  I plan on moving south sometime this year and although this life will make things challenging I believe it is what I need to do to continue on my desired path and also since the summer season is nearly upon us it will give me less constraints and less "reasoning" to not get out into the world that I love so dearly, more often.  I am also very nervous about it.  I mean, I still need to go to work to continue my financial requirements and it will definitely be challenging to make sure that when I go to work I don't look like (or smell like for that matter) a ruffeon. 

Well, anyways, wish the best for me and keep me in your prayers.  For both this weekend and for the rest of what is bound to be a very interesting life.  :)

James

Stressful Week

Just feel like getting my stress load off my chest.  The X is off on 'vacation' with her boyfriend and of course I agreed to have my children for the week.  So, I have my 3 children for the week, work all week, have to move for the last time out of my foreclosed on house by the end of the week, E flys in at 11pm on Thursday, and I have to get my bike ready for the weekend TrackDay in Reno.  With my work schedule I should have about 10 - 12 hours to spend with the kids total for the week and the rest of the time their in school or need to be with someone babysitting.  I have to still work out the babysitting aspect and also need to get a storage unit to move my stuff into because they are coming to lock up the house on the 25th (so I'm told).  I have a couple items I need to change on the bike and also look over a couple things.  I'm going to get very little sleep this week it seems and since it also seems nobody will be going to Reno with me, once again I will ride my motorcycle down on my own.  A mans gotta do, what a mans gotta do.  :)

I'm schedule to work Friday night but I'm hoping (I should be able) to find someone to cover my shift because I want to head out for Reno Friday night.  Angela is suppose to be back on Friday but she's not very good at keeping to her schedule.  Luckily my "Birth Certificate Dad" will be here late Thursday so he'll be able to take care of the situation till Ang does get back so that shouldn't effect my schedule.  We'll see I guess. 

My primary concern with the moving out situation is to get my belongings out of the house.  And the stuff outside the house I can gather even after they've locked up the house.  As far as finding a place to live, well, I'll have to deal with that after.  Of course, at that point, I will no longer have access to the internet to help me so I need to do as much as I can about getting some places to look at this week while I'm also trying to do everything else. 

So, there is my stressful week.  I know that I will get through it and be just fine.  I just need to relax and get through each thing step by step.  Time to go prep for dinner tonight.  There will be some personal time available tonight with the kiddos so gotta take full advantage.  Talk to you all later, have a great Monday.

James

MotoGP Adding American Circuit

This is great news in my opinion.  It seems that MotoGP has signed a deal to add another American race track to the list of race locations.  We currently have two; Laguna Seca (only the MotoGP class) and Indianapolis (all classes).  And now we are adding one in Texas for all classes as well. 

Heres a link to the motogp site for this news!

What do you think?  Are you excited as well?

Now the interesting part of the whole article is the very end!  Apparently, the track isn't actually even built yet but it's expected to be done.  Seems scary to me but exciting still and good news for Americans and Great news for Texas.  Good job Kevin Schwantz and the rest of the people who worked hard to get this oppurtunity.

More information on the track can be found HERE and at their website HERE.
James

Race Event in Utah

I spend a decent amount of time on Facebook.  I guess you could say I'm a bit of a Facebook whore.  But it's a great medium for keeping in touch with long distance friends and family and I really enjoy it.  Even the fact of the advertising being more targetable to me specifically by using my interests and points of discussion.  Currently on Facebook the game I am enjoying the most is Zuma and just yesterday I believe it was, I went to play it and found an advertisement for BMW fans.  I'm more of a Yamaha fan but I really like BMW as well.  I checked it out and am now excited for this event.

BMW Fan Package
This offer includes a 3-day Grandstand Event Ticket with parking, facility and paddock fees*, access to the exclusive BMW Motorrad hospitality tent providing lunch and beverages daily, BMW Pilot meet-and-greet, personal autograph sessions with World Champion stunt riders Chris Pfeiffer and Chris Teach, premium concert viewing, PLUS a BMW Gift Bag valued at $60.

All of this for only $215/person!!!!  Really?  I personally think it's a great deal.  And it sounds like a lot of fun as well.  So, I'm pretty sure I'm going to have to make this trip! It's a pretty long trip at around about 11 hours but I think it'll be worth it.

Here's the google map for the trip from Klamath!  So, who else is going?  And where we meeting up?  :)

James

The Effects of Being Nice

I've been doing a lot of searching inside myself as some of my posts have already made clear I guess.  Tonight at work, I once again heard something I have heard many times before and this time I've been thinking about it and adding all the times up.  I am told very often how great/nice I am.  I make a strong effort to be "nice" to everyone.  Not just the people close to me or that I want to get something out of.  Everyone.  And it does take a conscience effort so it is very nice to hear.  But along with that in many instances it is followed with a descriptive on how when your nice your going to get screwed over.

Now, I believe myself to be a fairly intelligent man.  But I do not deny my ignorance to many things in life.  When I look back through life looking for the examples I can see many times where it shows that my being nice was taken advantage of.  Where I got metaphorically screwed.  I honestly don't care.  I would much rather spend my life being the poor, broken down, lonely, old man who has been nice and taken advantage of his whole life than to change that about myself.

This all leads me to wonder, why?  Why do we as a people allow this idea of being nice will hurt at some point be the truth?  Why do we take advantage of people who are nice to us?  Is it intentional or natural?  I mentioned being nieve/ignorant about goings on but I truly believe that everyone is a good person.  I truly mean that.  Every single person I've ever known or haven't known is a good person.  They've made poor decisions and had horrible things happen to them and have therefore had a different view which became harmful to others but inside of them is a genuinely good person.  If only there was a key or cleaning product to remove the fear, hatred, and hurt from them, the good would shine through.  Have I unintentionally "screwed" someone over that was being nice to me? I don't believe so but I have also learned that rarely do people confront others when they have an issue.  They prefer to "rumor" about it to their friends/coworkers/family.

I cannot find the answers to all these questions and I will not even try, if I'm to be honest.  But what an amazing difference it would make, I think, if we all put the extra effort in to not let the fear of being taken advantage of stop us from being nice.  Not let the resentment of past happenings of hurt cause us to in turn cause hurt to others.  It isn't easy but for some reason I think that it would be worth it for all of us if we could find the strength to do that.  I know I am going to make an even stronger effort of helping when I can and doing the right thing for others more.  It just makes me feel better and that is worth it to me.

James

Answers? Where and How?

There are so many darn questions in life.  Some seem simple enough and you just choose and down that path you go.  Others cause you to really wonder, what the heck is to be done.  If it were possible to look at a detailed timeline of your life you would find that many of the simple ones you chose led you to the very ones that really tear at you.  My life has been mess, most of it in fact, and the only reason is me.  The choices I've made from the options I was given.  So, now, it really makes me wonder, what will come of the choices I'm making now?  Should I be making slightly different choices (are much different for that matter)?  Puzzling when you think like me.  I've been convincing myself that I'm a raving lunatic.  LOL

I Love people, I really do but things have happened over the last couple years that is starting to shake that.  My trust in life is in a state of confusion and I feel like I'm being shaped into what the majority of people are but I don't want to be the majority.  I want to be me!  One of the things I pondered a week or so ago was this, There are many wonderous things in this life.  One of the amazing things that I really enjoy and most people do as well is Waterfalls.  So majestic and beautiful.  I've been to many different ones in this region.  Each one with their own beauty and power.  Each one different.  Some are very wide, some very tall, some tiny, some weak, some strong (you get the idea).  And everyone seems to enjoy them all with all their differences but yet we as people tend to judge each other harshly for each of our differences and over time (many many years) has shaped us to be generally the same.  Groups of differences yes, but generally the same and with each group looking at the other group like there is something wrong with them instead of enjoying their differences.

I am confused also with myself.  I thouroughly enjoy helping people whenever I can.  It puts a smile on my face and gives me a place to belong.  I truly do love my "Born into" family.  My Mother, Sisters, even my brother.  My Aunt, Uncle, cousins, etc....  (My uncle I looked up to big time (still do) and I will have to do a whole post on him one day).  But, sadly, I never truly felt like I belonged amongst them.  I don't actually know why and I simply think it has to do with the fact that I'm different.  Like the ugly duckling in the story.  And no, I never felt as though I was adopted and I know for a fact that's not the case but I would imagine that I feel the same as someone who had been. 

So, I guess with all that, it's not very confusing to me why I grew up wanting to start a family of my own.  It was actually my dream in life.  I didn't want to be a doctor, or fireman, or police officer.  I wanted to be a father.  To this day I want to be and I know that even under my current circumstances I have every possibility to be a great father but it's much more difficult when divorced.  Throughout this week, I've decided, that I was going to tell my unfortunate stories to the best of my abilities in regards to why I am divorced and also of not being a part of my first born sons life.  Dustin Michael Mathlin is my first born son and I wish I had been more capable and strong enough to accept the circumstances and been closer to him like I am doing with my other 3. 

However, for now this is all.  I have many strange, possibly unique, philosophies about life that I will start documenting in my posts and would love to hear back as to how crazy you think I am.  I don't actually think I'm crazy.  In fact, I think everyone else is ;)   hahahahahaha 

James

Racing/Street Tires

Just a quick post for my favorite tires as of now!  I will be trying out some of the new tires available throughout this season and keep you updated.  However, for now, I have my favorite tire that will do an amazing job for anyone wanting to do some sporty riding!  The tires are the Bridgestone Battlax BT-003R  Racing/Street tires. 

My forms not great in this one but look at the lean angle these tires are capable of!

The tire size match up that I use is F:120/70-17 R:190/55-17 which if you get a set of that size from me is $285.  Rear size 190/50-17 $5 less and 180/55-17 $19 less!  If your ready to get your season started with some great tires for high performance fun just send me a message!  Uncaged Moto at googles mail will work.  Also, you can look for Uncaged Motorsports on Facebook.  I would truly appreciate the business.

James

More important than you may think, I do not order these in bulk and then have them sitting around trying to get rid of them like other stores.  That means you will not get old, expired, tires.  I have seen some come to me that someone purchased and then had me install that were scary. 

Being "Daddy"

It's funny that "now~a~days" I can think back to when I was a kid and unlike most people, I have not become a totally different person by being a dad.  When we were kids, our parents would want us to go to bed early so that we got lots of sleep and wouldn't be a pain to wake up in the morning.  Or to be extra careful when doing anything so we wouldn't get hurt.  Well, I was never very good at listening to those sorts of things.  I was very anti-social and did not have many friends but I rode my bicycle all over and there was never any "being careful" about it.  Cross the street through traffic, ride along the creek bed, jump off dirt hills as high as I could, do other stupid things that often seemed like I was purposely trying to hurt myself.  It was all a part of my growing up I guess :)

Anyway, as a Dad, I don't express all those concerns to my children.  Last night their mom dropped them off with me as soon as I got home from work around 7 or so.  Shortly after getting here they remembered that I had asked them to bring their pillows this time but they had forgotten and therefore did not have their pillows.  So, about 7:30 (which is 30 minutes before their bedtime with their mom) we set out for Wal-Mart to buy them pillows and since I have no car, we set out on foot.  I also decided that on our way I would treat them to desert at my workplace for having to walk so far.  Not long after walking (to the end of the street) one of them mentioned bedtime and I realized, oh oh, I'm going to have them up a bit later than their normal bedtime since it's a school night!  Great job DAD!!!  Not to mention the major streets we crossed without ever coming close to the crosswalk and the number of people that thought, "What the fuck is that guy doing walking his 3 kids across the street like that?"  I'm teaching them my ways and it does not go by the ways of society! 

It was a very pleasant walk.  We got to listen to frogs croak which they loved and my little Hailey Bailey saw the first star of the night and went on and on about how amazing that was and how it was coming to give her life.  *~ Side Note: I really need to keep a little notebook on me and write down some of the stuff she says.  ~*  LMAO (8:28), she just woke up in fact, literally, and said, "Dad, my skin is gone!"  Not making this up!  :)  Add in(8:35): "Dad, now we need to find a frog and listen to it"

We got to Wingers and went to our normal spot and Dad ordered a 22oz Porter and they got one Kiwi Lemonade and two Raspberry Lemonades.  Then I told Tosh to put a "Zookie" in for me.  When she brought out the pile of goodness the kids got very wide eyed with amazement.  It made it all worth it!!  Then we walked across the large parking lot and headed for the pillows.  Checking each one out, I grabbed one and Anthony says, "it's so soft, it's like a cloud.  My head is just going to fall right through!"  LOL  3 pillows and pillow covers and $50 later we're headed out the door and both Anthony and Elizabeth insisted on helping and were each carrying a pillow and did for the entire walk.  Can't be much happier as a father.  Well, we got home about 10 o-clock and I got their bed ready (right next to mine) and put all their pillows into pillow cases and off to bed!  Hailey was asleep first and I put a silly movie on for the older two.  Anthony was next and it was about 11:45 when he finally went to sleep and Elizabeth waited till about 12:15.  This morning, they woke up without problem and got ready for school!  I took them to the bus stop and then got back and started writing this post.  All a success!  :)

I'm not sure if society would agree with me or not, but I know that I am an amazing Father.  The kids seem to agree.  Thanks for reading!!

Dad

Anthony just reminded me that on our walk we got to see an owl!  It was just sitting on a power line directly above the street where we were walking.  We got pretty close before it decided to fly away!  The kids thought that was pretty darn cool and Elizabeth started discussing how some animals are nocturnal.  Great times!  :)

First Track Day of 2011

Been just over a week since I have made a new post so I am slacking slightly!  :)

I just got back yesterday from my first "Track Day" of 2011 and am planning on sticking to my goals of doing at least 5 this year and also one "New Racer School".  As for this track day, it did not start of wonderfully for multiple reasons.  One of those reasons is that I did not get anyone to go with me, whether to spectate or participate.  That means no videos or pictures of me doing my thing out on the track!  :(  It also means that I ended up having to ride my motorcycle down to the track and back on top of using it on the track!  Don't matter a whole lot to me, I've done it before and I'll do it again but leaving Klamath Falls on Monday morning (due to working Sunday and barely having the time to get my bike ready for the track) was a bit scary .....

I left my house at just after 4am to attempt to get to the track on time but the roads were covered in snow and ice and I still had to stop at the store to get a couple things!  The fastest I could go in these conditions was 25.  Luckily, the roads cleared up shortly after I got out of town but it was so F'ing cold that I had to actually stop a couple times simply to warm up so I could continue to use my limbs for operating the motorcycle.  This was my 2nd stop to warm up and the sun had just started to come out and it was absolutely stunning.  (Cell phone pic doesn't do it any justice at all)

All this caused me to be late to the event.  Normally, you get 7 20minute sessions to get out on the track and have some fun but because I got there late I missed the first 3 and then I missed one other one due to technical difficulties with my baby. 

My first session out was very disappointing.  I felt super slow, I never touched knee even a little, and kept getting passed.  Came off the track a bit upset but calmed myself down and talked with some of the other guys there for Track day as well.  I gave myself the benefit of the doubt since I haven't been out on a track since November 2, 2009  and because of everything I was going through personally barely did any riding through all of 2010.  Well, apparently, I was right because my second session out went 10 fold better.  My body position felt better, the corners went by smoother and I was definitely improving my braking into the corners.  Yay!!!  It made the session when I broke 140mph on the straight and didn't even feel concerned of the 1st corner coming up.  :)    :)     :)    All worth it now at this point! 
The next out for my group I'm headed for the entrance and feel shaking in the front and that's when I realized my neck bearings needed to be retightened, so I missed that session. 
Last session of the day was another fantastic one, got to play a little cat and mouse with one of the guys I met there and it really added to the fun of the session.

One of the concerns of riding the bike down there that your using on the track is, since your pushing yourself on the track, the chance of going down is rather high and if you do then how do you get home.  Well, I did not go down, had a great time and rode home with much better temperatures and road conditions then when I rode down!  So, first trip to the racetrack this year...................SUCCESS!!!!!

Oh, and almost forgot!  A picture of the rear wheel after session 2!

Heaven

Been working a bit lately and also feeling extremely tired so that's why I haven't gotten here to write anything new.  However, I have a day off today (only one this week) and I came upon something I decided I wanted to write about.

I'm not one of those people who really enjoys watching the news but every time I open my browser I like to look through the headlines and when something catches my attention I check it out.  Today there was a story about a young boy, 11 years old, who at the age of 4 had his appendix burst and wasn't noticed for like 5 days and when they realized there were some issues, he was taken to the hospital but his chances looked bad.  Apparently, he "died" during this process because he says he was in "Heaven" sitting on Jesus' lap.  The young boy saw his sister in heaven (she was never born, she was a miscarriage that Mom and Dad never told this young man about) and also his Great Grandpa (on his dads side apparently).  This whole thing turned into a book, which I am thinking about getting, called "Heaven is for Real".

I have some very unorthodox beliefs but no matter what my beliefs are, this to me is an  amazingly beautiful story.  And it also is a somewhat familiar story to me as well.  I've discussed my childhood in regards to my father situation but I never mentioned how my "oma and ota" were such a very large part of turning me into the man I am.  For a time period (the amount of years I am unsure) I lived with them instead of my mom.  I looked up to them and I still believe my Grandma was the most wonderful woman in the world to this day.  But what I want to talk about comes from my ota.  He, a few times, had told me a story under the pretenses of proving to me that heaven was real, about how his father, at a very old age, was lying on his death bed and he and his mother were both there in the room (not sure who else).  His father passed away and his mom pounded on his chest in frustration begging him not to leave her yet.  After a minute, or roundabout, he did come back to life and he asked her why she did that.  He explained that he had been in heaven and it was so beautiful.  Why did she bring him back?  My Grandpa (ota) explained it very seriously and said that it was how he knew without a doubt that heaven existed.  His father lived for a little time longer but when he passed, I believe his story of heaven helped all his loved ones deal with the loss and possibly, as I believe it should for all of us, made them happy that he left one life to start his eternal life. 

One last short little story.  Last night I was talking to a wonderful woman who has attached her life to a man that I had given up on.  This man is a family member of mine and has chosen a path in life that is very hurtful to not only him but to many others and has spent lots of time behind bars because of it.  She turned to me for some advice which I am always all to willing to give my opinion even though I think I'm a bit crazy.  And through the discussions she gave me a huge compliment that made my heart smile.  My crazy, unusual beliefs were shared and somehow out of it she says, "right on i have never thought of it that way. you know i really like talking to you it is nice t talk to a person that makes things better makes people feel good about themselves."  It made me very warm inside and I hope that I have that effect on others in my life down my path.

Thanks for reading,
James