415-970-9670

News, Clues & Rumors
Volume XXVIII, Issue 6
Publication Date: June 22, 2010
On The Cover:
Sain bainuu! Greetings from Mongolia.
On the road waaaaay less traveled with
CityBike art director, Alan Lapp.
Contents:
News, Clues & Rumors. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Events. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Pashnit Tour of the Sierras. . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Two Geezers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Ghengis Gone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Chrome Bag Review . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Brenda Bates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Dr. Gregory Frazier. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Ed Hertfelder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Maynard Hershon. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Marketplace . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Classified Ads. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
AFM Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
CityBike Staff:
PO Box 10659 Oakland, CA 94610
phone:. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 415/282-2790
e-mail: . . . . . . . . . . . . info@citybike.com
Find us online: citybike.com
News ‘n Clues: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Staff
Editor-in-Chief:. . . . . . . . . . Gabe Ets-Hokin
Senior Editor: . . . . . . . . . . Robert Stokstad
Chief of the World Adventure
Affairs Desk:. . . . . . . . . Dr. Gregory Frazier
Staff Photographers:
— Robert Stokstad
— Gary Rather
Art Director: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Alan Lapp
Advertising Sales: . . . . . . . . . Kenyon Wills
Publisher: . . . . . . . . . . . . .EHW Partnership
Contributors:
Brenda Bates, Dan Baizer,
Craig Bessenger, John Bishop,
John Burns, Joanne Donne,
John D’India (RIP), David Edwards,
Mike Felder, Dr. Gregory Frazier,
Will Guyan, Joe Glydon (RIP),
Brian Halton, Maynard Hershon,
Ed Hertfelder, Harry Hoffman,
Otto Hofmann, Jon Jenseon,
Patrick Moriarty, Lary Orlick,
Bob Pushwa, Gary Rather, Mike Solis,
Ivan Thelin, James Thurber,
Adam Wade.
CityBike is published on or about the 15th of each
month. Editorial deadline is the 1st of each month.
Advertising information is available on request.
Unsolicited articles and photographs are always
welcome. Please include a full name, address and
phone number with all submissions. We reserve the
right to edit all manuscripts.
Web hosting and design by mojotown.com
©2010, EHW Partnership. Citybike Magazine is
distributed at over 150 places throughout California
each month. Taking more than a few copies at
any one place without permission from EHW
Partnership, especially for purposes of recycling, is
theft and will be prosecuted to the full extent of civil
and criminal law.
MOTO MELEE
CityBike Magazine Delivery Truck
Rescues 2010 Moto Melee Participants
From Certain Doom.
The CityBike Armored Magazine Carrier
was driven with relish and considerable
bouncing over the threeday, 800+ mile Moto
Melee course this year
as a chase vehicle. Along
for the ride was a threerail motorcycle trailer
with hydraulic dropdown ramp, put to good
use carrying air-cooled
vintage machinery
distressed by actually
being ridden out of their
respective zip codes.
for a night of feverish wrenching and beersoaked spectating/advice giving under the
beam of headband-mounted flashlights
until well after midnight.
With several unfortunate, but unsurprised
entrants taken out in the first day by
The event, open to any
pre-1971 motorcycle
(or scooter) (with favor CityBike Armored Magazine Carrier. Photo by Craig Howell
given to “interesting
mechanical issues, the CityBike Armored
machines”), started in San Francisco near
Magazine Carrier was completely full with
the Golden Gate Bridge with about 75
four dead bikes for the second day—a
bikes. Highlights included Lou Sullivan’s
journey across the state from I-5/Red Bluff
1966 Yamaha YM-1, Craig Howell’s
to Fort Bragg over the magnificently paved,
1959 BMW R50, David Fuller’s 1966
sensuously winding, and lightly patrolled
Benelli Wards Riverside, Les Baker’s
(!) Highway 36.
1955 MotoGuzzi Falcone, Mat Pretiss’
1955 Velocette Venom, Pete Young’s 1916
When they say “interesting” bikes are
Excelsior Model 16 and flocks of Triumphs,
welcome, interesting bikes do show up.
BMWs, Moto Guzzis, Nortons, and
Jamie Kerrick of Munroe motors was in the
Ducatis.
truck on day two after his Triumph Twenty
Day one consisted of a “paved” route with a One seized its shift mechanism. The
interesting thing about Jamie’s bike? It’s
tasty dirt road option. With the exception
been meticulously restored to a 100-point
of the washboard road out to the Bodie
show bike, has participated in “The Art
ghost town off highway 395, News, Clues
of the Motorcycle” at the Guggenheim,
has not seen a road worse off than the
surfaces encountered on middle of the first and was now in the process of having the
veneer of perfection worn off by actual use
day, requiring speeds below 25 miles per
hour for safety and filling retention - a true in the real world—a fate that sadly does
not await most spit-and-polish restorations.
adventure which is probably far easier on
Motorcycles being what they inherently
two wheels with 4000 lbs less weight. A
are, NCR fully endorses real-world use of
true challenge to both rider and machine
all machines. We were also impressed by
through stunningly beautiful & empty
the camaraderie, generosity, and patience
areas of the state! For more on that, use
present in the group when someone’s
a map online and check out Berryessa
Knoxville Road (Napa) and Leesville Road machine failed to continue working. Rather
than going on for a personal best on the
(Williams) the Google street view was
course, a broken bike generated a swarm of
available on each road when News, Clues
concerned participants all willing to help,
last checked.
with explanations about how a potato could
Reports from the (optional) dirt section
be used as a condenser
claimed that the unpaved sections were
in a pinch and other
good for high speeds - the vintage bikes
old mechanics’ tales.
which emerged looked simply fabulous in
the tan dust from that segment. After the Day Three was a
spectacular
dirt track or suspension proving ground
run
roads were
down
traversed, all
participants
proceeded
north
through the
scorching
heat of the
central
valley to
Red Bluff’s
famous Super
8 discount hotel
August 2010 | 3 | CityBike.com
the California Coast through the redwood
empire and back to the more familiar areas
around Tomales and Point Reyes. Attrition
was comparatively light—if your air-cooled
monster can survive the heat and climbing
found in the first two days, day three is a
comparative cake walk. Congratulations
went to Keith Munroe of Hampshire,
England, who’d flown in, borrowed a bike,
and had ridden the chase truck most of the
first two days, with fiddling being done on
his borrowed Triumph T140V in between.
Third time was the charm and he made the
entire day with the only complaint being
some monkey-butt symptoms.
The entire event was capped by a gettogether at Chenery Park restaurant in
the Glen Park area (worth a visit!) for a
really enjoyable awards banquet. Event
gets five out of five stars for organization,
quality of the experience, and choice
of obscure and fun-to-ride California
back roads. Motomeelee.com for more
information and photos.
I LOVE MAN
Moto Melee participant Andrew Holmes
returned from dinner in Red Bluff in the
heat with his shirt off and displaying his
recently added tattoo of the crest from
the Isle of Man (which hosts the famous
Motorcycle Time Trials annually). As soon
as he entered the compound, someone
immediately twisted the pronunciation
of “Isle of Man” into “I-LOVE-MAN”,
and got most of the group to chant that
repeatedly whenever he walked by, proving
that even the most dedicated of us are
always subject to some good humored
hazing if we give our buddies even the
slightest opening to do so.
ERRATA
In our story “Yelp? Help!,” (July, 2010) we
erroneously reported Jenn Bromme, owner
of Werkstatt Motorcycles (werkstattsf.
com)admitted Yelp contained bad reviews
of her shop “from former employees and
customers with unrealistic demands,”
when, in fact, she never said anything
of the kind. This statement implies she
has disgruntled former employees—
extrememly unlikely, as Jenn goes out of her
way to provide excellent pay, benefits and
working conditions for her employees—
and that she feels her customer’s demands
are unreasonable in any way, which is
simply not the case. CityBike regrets the
error and will work harder at checking
facts and confirming quotes in the future,
except for the stuff we just make up.
SUZUKI COME-BACKI
Did you miss the opportunity to buy
a hot-off-the-assembly-line 2010
GSX-R or V-Strom? If so, take
heart: on July 19, the company
announced a limited return
to the USA market after
shipping next to nothing to
dealers for the 2010 model
year.
As of right now, the only models Suzuki
announced for 2011 are the 2011 V-Strom
650 ABS, 2011 DR650SE, 2011 DRZ400S, 2011 Hayabusa, 2011 Boulevard
S40, 2011 RM-Z250, 2011 RM-Z450, 2011
TU250 and the 2011 Boulevard M109R
and Boulevard M109R Limited. The R85
motocrosser will also be available, as well as
a number of quad models.
These models doubtless give a snapshot of
Suzuki’s best-selling models; everything
in this list was available in 2009 (and 2008,
for that matter), although the RM-Z250
and RM-Z450 motocrossers are updated.
But the release states this is the “first big
wave” of new models, implying that there
is more to come; good news for roadracers
and sportbike enthusiasts craving a new
GSX-R.
spent months in the hospital and lost a leg.
Felicia...well, she’s still driving around.
She’s hired defense attorney Rob Amparan
(who defended accused Jon Benet Ramsay
killer and kiddie pornographer John
Mark Karr), who managed to delay the
preliminary hearing for something like
18 months. Finally, Judge Cynthia Lee
started getting annoyed and scheduled the
preliminary hearing for July 14th.
At the hearing—attended by Astrid
and a dozen of her helmet-clutching
supporters,—Amaparan managed to
secure yet another continuance, this one
until August 25th. The word is Amaparan
wants his expert to examine the wrecked
scooter as well as three years of accident
reports from the intersection.
Was it a good strategy to wait out what
may have been the worst year of the
Great Depression by almost completely
withdrawing from the market? Since we
don’t have access to 2010 motorcycle sales
numbers, that’s a tough call to make, but it’s
clear Suzuki is still alive and kicking. And
that’s good news for the industry as well as
motorcycle consumers. www.suzukicycles.
com.
In the courtroom, News, Clues saw Stenson
for the first time—a perfectly normallooking person, which triggered much
internal dialogue about the banality of
evil—with a friend and an older woman,
presumably her mother. We asked a
paralegal friend of Astrid’s about the case,
as she follows it very closely, and she told us
that Stenson has no money of her own, and
so will pay nothing aside from basic liability
insurance coverage. And yet, she is free
on $50,000 bail and has managed to pay
tens of thousands of dollars to Amparan,
who probably doesn’t work cheap—$400
an hour, is what another attorney present
speculated.
We feel that justice will be at least partially
served, with Stenson getting prison time
and her family probably $100,000 poorer
thanks to Amparan. We will continue to
keep you updated.
JOY OF SIX
BMW isn’t happy blowing your mind
once every 20 years. Now, it’s once a year.
Last year, it was the totally un-BMW-like
S1000RR superbike, and while we should
have seen it coming last year when the
company showed its six-cylinder prottype
musclebike (“Milan Madness,” 12/2009),
we didn’t think an actual streetbike would
come of it in less than a year.
JUSTICE DELAYED IS
JUSTICE DENIED
For those of you just joining us, last January
scooter enthusiast and journalist Astrid
Gunter-Molzow was struck and badly
injured by allegedly intoxicated Felicia
Stenson, an Oakland woman with a history
of DUI-related injury “accidents.” Astrid
Felicia Stenson on trial, artists rendering.
Well, here it is: BMW has announced two
touring models with the compact 1600cc,
160 hp motor. There will be a GT and a
more-luxurious GTL. Unlike the 1000,
these bikes are dripping with BMW-iness.
Comfortable, wind protection, luggage,
and farkles and features galore, including
active headlamps that track the road as the
bike leans. No word on specs or pricing
(now this bike will be expensive!), but you
can visit BMW’s K1600 microsite at
tourer-2010-en.com.
BLOWING THE LID OFF
Motorcyclist Fires Dexter Ford Over
Helmet Standards Articles
Hell For Leather’s Wes Siler did an analysis
of the recent firing of long-time Motorcyclist
editor Dexter Ford (Editor at Extra Large)
recently. Read the full piece here:
hellforleathermagazine.com/2010/07/
leaked-docs-show-motorcyclist.html
Some may recall Ford’s scintillating expose
on helmet safety standards published
in Motorcyclist in 2005. Ford’s findings
questioned long-revered Snell helmet
standards and indicated that a cheapo $79
Chinese-made DOT-standard helmet may
actually be safer in a direct-impact crash
than an expensive Snell-certified one. This
got a lot of people’s attention.
It would appear from the piece that Ford’s
findings also ruffled a few well-established
feathers among Motorcyclist’s helmet
advertisers who charge a premium for a
helmet with Snell certification. In a second
Motorcyclist article in 2007, Ford indicated
that the Snell testing standards allow a
more-rigid helmet that could transmit
too much deadly force to the brain in a
crash rather than absorb and deform as
intended. You can review Ford’s articles at
motorcyclist.com.
Two years later, in 2009, Ford did a third
related article for the New York Times. By
this time Snell had, without ever admitting
its standards were outdated or flawed,
stated it was revising its testing methods
and standards.
Did this change the tune coming from
Japan’s helmet industry? Ford knew
about Snell’s proposed changes before he
penned the N.Y. Times piece but pursued
Snell nonetheless—and with a vengeance.
Apparently this was too much for the
honchos at Motorcyclist (or their parent
company, Source Interlink) to bear, and
Ford’s freelance relationship was ended.
All this is detailed in Wes Siler’s Hell
For Leather piece, including a series of
email exchanges from Brian Catterson,
Motorcyclist’s Editor (and former CityBike
contributor) to Ford. Here is an excerpt
from Siler’s piece:
“The emails, which Ford confirmed for
us are the real thing, include an apparent
assertion by Catterson that major helmet
makers threatened to withdraw advertising
in his magazine due to Ford’s New York
Times piece. That same email then quotes
Catterson as saying, “I’m getting serious
heat over this, to the tune of threatening
my job unless I do something about you.””
they also have a very close (and dependent)
relationship to helmet manufacturers.
In fact, Snell staff are flown to Japan
every year to do research. They also visit
manufacturers in Italy and Korea.
It’s clear the Snell-labeled helmets’
dominance of the helmet market has been
put at risk by Dexter Ford’s articles. But
since Snell has now revised its testing
standards to allow a less-stiff shell and
other alterations indicates Ford may have
been on to something; these changes mean
helmet manufacturers have had to revise
their manufacturing methods and possibly
materials to conform to new standards,
all because of one nosy journalist and
his unrelenting effort to open a can of
worms—and prove a point.
adventure model since the current
1050cc Tiger. It’ll be based around
the 675 Daytona’s Triple, punched
out to 770cc. It’ll be pretty dirtoriented, with a 19-inch front
wheel and just over 400 pounds of
heft to schlep around. There will
also be a revision of the 1050 Tiger,
which like the current model, will
be more pavement-focused. We
can also expect a replacement for
the 6-year-old 1050 Speed Triple.
Expect to hear more about these
models in the coming months.
NEXT NINJA
The Japanese Big Four have
been quiet lately, especially
in the sportbike category.
Website MotorcycleUSA.
The real focus of Siler’s Hell For Leather
com almost skipped its annual
piece is on journalistic integrity. It makes
supersport shootout because
the case that Motorcyclist’s Catterson
there were no new 600-class bikes to
sold Ford out, an unwise move and one
test for 2010—something that hasn’t
Motorcyclist might pay for in credibility
happened for a long time. But Kawasaki
(and eventually advertising revenues)
has stepped up to the plate with a new
in the industry and among readers. The
ZX-10R, rumored to be lighter, faster
Ford firing also implies that both Shoei
and boasting just as much electronic
and Arai may have been complicit in the
firing or meddling in editorial content and wizardry as the BMW S1000RR,
influence peddling. This is a big No No, and currently king of the sportbike hill.
Not a lot of official info about the
Motorcyclist knows this.
bike—except a teaser site at kawasakiIt’s no surprise to long-time CityBike
challenge.com—but NCR chatted
readers that magazines like Motorcyclist
with a secret source in Kawasaki who
do the bidding of corporate interests and
confirmed that indeed, it is all that.
will never enter into controversy without a
trap door way out to cover their corporate
BRAMMO BLAMMO!
bottom line. Was Dexter Ford sacrificial?
Dirck Edge at MotorcycleDaily.com had
this to say about the Brammo Empulse, the
Dexter, there will always be an open
company’s new streetfighter-styled, 100
desk for you at CityBike. (He can’t have
mph electric roadster:
mine! -ed.)
—Pat Moriarty “Tired of reading about electric
motorcycles that can barely keep up with
Moriarty emailed both Bret Milan and
boulevard traffic? Bikes that might travel
It would appear Catterson hung Ford out
Rick Menapace, Shoei and Arai’s respective 40 miles, or less, before dropping dead at
to dry after previously encouraging him
P.R. reps, for responses. They both
the side of the road? We all knew electric
to go ahead with the articles. Lots of back
vigorously denied that their companies
motorcycle technology would march
peddling and revision going on here, as you had anything to do with the firing, and
forward quickly, sort of like having to
can imagine.
that they would never attempt to exert that replace your computer due to obsolescence
kind of pressure—or even threaten to pull every year or so (at least in the old days).
In 2006, after the first of Ford’s three
advertising. After all, writes Menapace,
Now it’s your cell phone that’s obsolete
articles, CityBike interviewed the Snell
Arai ran ads in Motorcyclist—both in print every six months.
folks, spending the the day in Sacramento
and online—when Ford’s story was on
at their testing and research facility. Ford’s
Let’s hope the Brammo Empluse has
the website. “Why would we advertise
first piece was brought up and we were
a longer shelf life than modern cell
in the place where the story appears, but
given detailed explanations as to why it
phones. This is starting to look like a real
then “threaten” to pull our ads unless the
was, in their opinion, not strictly correct.
editor is fired for publishing a rehash of it in motorcycle, with decent range and plenty
Not being experts, we couldn’t comment
another publication completely out of their of speed—even for enthusiasts. Brammo
on the veracity of Snell’s assertions, but
announced the Empluse earlier today in
control?” Rick has a point.
keep in mind Snell’s testing is partly funded
three variations, including the 6.0 (capable
by the helmet industry and the foundation TRIUMPH ADVENTURERS
of a 60-mile range), the 8.0 (80 miles),
gets a small fee for every “Snell”-labeled
and the 10.0 (100 miles). These ranges
If you want to travel more minimally,
helmet sold. Snell’s standards and testing
come from a single charge from a normal,
Triumph
is
announcing
its
first
new
methods may have been understandably
standard U.S.
influenced by Shoei and Arai, among the
electrical
first helmet OEMs to really use serious
outlet.
science, super high quality materials and
sophisticated testing methods in the
More
construction of their helmets. Snell simply
important, and
follows their lead in an effort to establish
impressive, is
standards to make the safest helmets
the Brammo
possible.
claim that
each Empluse
But Ford’s points and subsequent tests
model “will
have validity too. One major criticism
be capable of
was that Snell helmets did not allow for
sustaining 100
differences in human head size and weight,
mph.” This
which can affect children and other small
may not be
riders. And while the Snell foundation is
Hayabusa/ZXhonest and serious about testing helmets,
14 territory,
August 2010 | 4 | CityBike.com
August 2010 | 5 | CityBike.com
but it is plenty for most riders in the real
world . . . something you could not say
about most of the electric motorcycles
available up to this point.
Brammo says Empluse deliveries will start
next year at prices of $9,995 (for the 6.0),
$11,995 (for the 8.0), and $13,995 (for the
10.0). According to Brammo, “the Empluse
10.0 may cost as little as $7,000 in certain
states after Federal and State incentives.”
Your CPA has all the details.”
Moto-Blog Hell for Leather (hellforleather.
com) ran a very in-depth story about the
Empulse, pointing out that the bike has a
power-to-weight ratio similar to a Suzuki
SV650. There is no mention as to charging
time, but one of Brammo’s engineers
From 3:14 Daily
Valencia @ 25th
415-970-9670
pointed out that even a short-duration
charge session will be enough to get you
home. Still, it’s not a long-distance bike,
but we’ll bet it could work for a 150-mile
Sunday ride, and you rode really slowly.
News, Clues predicts that by 2020, e-bikes
will have 300-mile ranges, 150-mph top
speeds, 10-minute recharge times (at repurposed gas stations) and cost less than
gas-powered models. Will anybody buy
internal combustion vehicles if that comes
true? Not many, we’d wager.
SB 435
More from the It Could Happen Here
department: California Senate Bill 435,
authored by Senator Fran Pavley (D), has
dropped the requirement that motorcycles
get smog checks. Instead—and this may
be worse—motorcycles 2011 and newer
must retain stock mufflers and emissions
systems. Find out how to fight it by calling
ABATE at 760/956-1669 or go to abate.
org.
MIGUEL RETURNS TO LAGUNA
designed Highland
V-Twin motorcycle in
the USA. On July 10th,
three members of its
executive management
team perished in a fatal
plane crash. According
to the company, the
three men wereì41year-old President Mats
Malmberg, 51-year old
Chief Operating Officer
Chase Bales and 37year old Chief Financial
Officer Damian Riddoch.
The three were returning
from a business trip to
Detroit, when they had
asked to make an emergency
landing at Tulsa International
Airport, but went down instead in
a wooded area of a city park northwest of
the airport, killing all three aboard.”
CityBike sends its deepest sympathies to
the families of the fallen men and
wishes all the best to the company.
You can find out more about
Highland online:
ushighland.com.
The Thunder ($80) is made of
polyurethane and mesh to
keep you extra-cool, but it
also armor and padding for
protection. Find out more at
alpinestars.com.
AEROSTICH
POWER
MODULE AND
WHEELCRATE
WORKSTAND
A couple of
new ideas from
Aerostich: the first is one
that would make our own
Gutter Mechanic weep
with joy. It’s the WheelCrate Workstand, and he’s
probably kicking himself for
not thinking of it first. It’s basically a ramp
that fits securely onto two heavy-duty
milkcrates, raising your bike 11 inches off
More evidence that AMA Pro Racing may
not be as lame as we all initially thought.
AMA mega-champ Miguel Duhamel will
be making his return to the sport at the July
23 - 25 Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix at Mazda NEW STUFF
Raceway Laguna Seca, his first AMA Pro
ALPINESTARS GLOVES
start since the 2009 Daytona 200. He’ll
It’s starting to get hot out there, eh?
be riding with the Moto Forza NovaTac
Alpinestars agrees and releases two
Racing Ducati.
new sport-oriented shorty gloves,
the Thunder and the SPS. The SPS
HIGHLAND DEATHS
($90) uses perforated goatskin for
Sad news from US Highland, a start-up
comfort and armor for protection.
company that’s building the Swedish-
the floor so you can work without cramping
your back too badly. When you’re done,
just lean the contraption against your wall,
or toss it into your truck—it would be
great for club racers to take to the track.
It’s available in steel ($237) or aluminum
($267). Milk crates not included.
Also in the Aerostich catalog is the new
PDM60 Power Distribution Module
($109). It lets you wire up six separate
circuits for electrical accessories cleanly
and safely, even with complex CANBUS
wiring systems. You can program the
different circuits for different functions
(like leaving some powered when the key
is off) and it’s waterproof. No more blown
fuses!
Both are available through Aerostich
RiderWear House: 800/222-1994 or
aerostich.com.
SCHWANTZ APPAREL
One of our greatest American racers,
Kevin Schwantz—a CityBike subscriber,
if you don’t mind a little namedropping—has just announced a
line of clothing branded with his
racing number, 34. Brand 34 shirts,
sweats and ballcaps are available
at the Kevin Schwantz School
website: schwantzschool.com.
WILEY-X GLOVES
Not to be outdone in the summerglove department, sunglasses
maker WileyX (a veteran-owned,
Bay Area business) introduces
the Hybrid glove. Designed for
tactical work for soldiers and
police, it should work well for riding: it’s
made of goatskin in high-wear areas, with a
Nomex/Kevlar blend elsewhere. The cool
part: an injection-molded removable plastic
knuckle guard can be slipped on our off in
seconds. wileyx.com.
IRON MAN
Angry you only get to dress up like a
superhero once a year?
Apparently, so is UD
Replicas, makers of the
Batman motorcycling
suit. The company
now offers the
Iron Man suit,
styled to look
like the suit
worn in the
movie Iron
Man II. But
it’s fully
functional,
with
heavyweight
cowhide,
Cordura and
Spandex inserts
for comfort, and
CE armor at the
impact points. An
entire suit—jacket,
pants, gloves
and boots—is
available at
udreplicas.com
for $1099. Please
stop rolling your
eyes.
August 2010 | 6 | CityBike.com
August Events
Every Wednesday Night
6:15 Top Shelf Motorcycles shop ride.
Highway 1, over Mt. Tam, then down
to Bolinas for dinner. “A night ride that
many of used to do 20 years ago.” All
are welcome. Top Shelf is at 757 Lincoln
Ave, Door 19 in San Rafael.Call 415/453MOTO or go to the Top Shelf website:
topshelfmotorcycles.com.
Every Friday night ‘till
Thanksgiving: TT and Short
Track at Sand Hill Ranch
5:00 pm to 10:00 pm: Get out to
Sand Hill Ranch (50 Camino Diablo,
Brentwood, CA 94513) with your
dirt-tracker and ride under the lights.
Cushion track, knobbies work best.$25
for motorcycles, $25 for PeeWees and $5
for spectators. sandhillracing.com or call
925/240-6247.
First Saturdays (August 7,
September 4, October 2)
Mission Motorcycles (6292 Mission
St. Daly City, missionmotorcycles.
com 650/992-1234) has Brown Bag
Saturdays: 15% off all parts and
accessories you can stuff into a brown
paper sack.
Third Sunday of each month
(August 15, September 19,
October 17)
Moto-Sketch at Tosca Cafe: come and
sketch a live model draped over a custom
bike. $7 to sketch, free to just watch.
Tosca Cafe, 242 Columbus Ave. in S.F.
Thursday, July 23rd to Sunday,
July 25th
2010 Red Bull USGP and AMA Pro
Racing Road Racing
Gigantic schedule combining MotoGP,
Moto2, AMA SuperSport, Daytona
Sportbike, and American Superbike
action at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.
Monterey’s Cannery Row turns into
a huge sportbike-themed party with
thousands of fans.
Friday and Saturday nights will be the
Leo Vince USA and Mazda Raceway
Movie Night; watch short films from the
Bostrom Bros, Michael Jordan as well as
the documentaries Faster and The Doctor
will be shown on the giant 30-by-10-foot
scoring tower, visible from Corkscrew
Hill. It starts at 8:00 pm, and it’s free!
You can also pick up discounted tickets
to the event at Mission Motorcycles:
missionmotorcycles.com or call 650/9921234. The full event schedule can be
found at mazdaraceway.com or call
831/242-8201 for updates.
Saturday, July 31st, 2010
Calistoga Half-Mile National
Flat-Track
Napa County Fairgrounds, 1435 North
Oak Street, Calistoga. AMA Pro Flat
Track, the big boys come to battle it out in
Sonoma! calistogaflattrack.com
Monday, August 2nd, 2010
NORCAL Guzzi Bike Night
Point
Arena
Here there be
soul-sucking,
spirit-crushing
Interstate 5
Mountains
Cool
6:00-8:00 pm, Applebee’s in Milpitas (84
Ranch Drive, off N. McCarthy Blvd.). All
motorcycles welcome! Call John 510/3775575 for more details.
Saturday, August 7
The Land of
Good Riding
Land
Governator
Here there
be wineauxs
th
Valley
Hot
First Annual CityBike
Mojo to Zen Ride
9:00 am-5:00 pm: Leave from Mojo Town
(1345 East Francisco Blvd. in San Rafael)
at 9:00 a.m. and ride up to Zen House in
Point Arena. After a lunch of legendary
Chile Verde tacos—provided by the good
folks at Zen House to the first 50 riders—
we’ll tackle the fabled twisty deliciousness
of Skaggs Springs Road. Some of your
favorite CityBike staffers and contributors
will be along for the ride, we’ll have
T-shirts and other goodies to give away,
and we’ll even have a bike show/judging.
For more info, email info@citybike.com,
or check our website and Facebook page
for updates.
Thursday, August 11th to
Sunday, August 15th
Oysters
Famous
Lighthouse
Salt
Water
Buncha
Bridges and
Prisons
Oakland
San Francisco
Here there
be riots
Here there
be traffic
Flux
Capacitor
Search
Engines
nual CityBike
First An
Mojo to Zen Ride
Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance
The classiest vintage car show in the
world, the Pebble Beach Concours
d’Elegance, has fallen in love with
motorcycles. For the second year in a
row, there will be a motorcycle class out
on the 18th fairway this August 15. You
can expect to see a stunning collection
of vintage American bikes through
1959 spread across a variety marques.
Admission is on the pricey side—$150 in
advance, but you’ll see some incredible
cars at this 60th anniversary show, too.
831/622-1700 or pebblebeachconcours.
net
San
Rafael
Join us for our first-ever
Mojo-to-Zen CityBike ride!
8:30 am, Sat. August 7th, 2010
Meet us at MojoTown, 1345 E. Francisco Blvd. in San Rafael.
At 1:00 pm at the Zen House, we'll provide a taco lunch for
the first 50 riders, as well as prizes, a bike show and more!
Visit CityBike on Facebook to confirm or email us: info@citybike.com.
Monday, September 6
Open House at Dudley-Perkins H-D, 333
Corey Way, So. San Francisco. dpchd.com
or call 650/737-5467.
NORCAL Guzzi Bike Night
6:00-8:00 pm, Applebee’s in Milpitas (84
Ranch Drive, off N. McCarthy Blvd.). All
motorcycles welcome! Call John 510/3775575 for more details.
October 9th – 11th
Always wanted to know more about
motorcycle maintenance, but didn’t
want to sign up for a three-year course?
DUBBELJU Motorcycle Rentals in San
Francisco and Master Mechanic David
Harris of the Motorcycle Zen House
in Point Arena have teamed up for the
first PCTT—the Pacific Coast Toolbox
Tour. Join us for three days of riding on
N-CA back roads, two nights lodging in
Elk and a crash course of wrenching on
motorcycles.
Riders of all experience levels are
welcome. The tour is limited to five to
nine riders. $390/Person dubbelju.com or
call 415-495-2774
August 2010 | 7 | CityBike.com
You Meet the Nicest People on a Pashnit Tour,
While Discovering Your own Backyard
silver Hayabusa. Four of the
magnificent seven are women.
Finally, all have professions
that make you want to ask,
“Now just what the hell is it
you really do?” Economist,
Consultant, Psychology
Technician, Professor,
Fire Department Captain,
Physicist, and Motorcycle
Tour Leader—these are the
job titles that follow the names
on the rider manifest.
Story by Bob Stokstad,
photos by Tim Mayhew
and Bob Stokstad
A
lot of snow fell in the
Sierras this winter, so
much that Tioga Pass didn’t
open until June 6th. The
snowmelt makes the falls in
Yosemite full and furious, and is
reason enough for a motorcycle
tour of the Sierra passes.
Pashnit’s was scheduled for June
11-13. I signed up, remembering
that I’d had a good time five
years ago on the Central
California tour.
The social fabric of this trip
starts forming as bikes collect
at 7:00 am on a bright morning
in Livermore. The hardware
in the Starbuck’s parking lot is
diverse: four sport tourers, two
cruisers (including a genuine
Harley-Davidson), and a scarred
Triumph Tiger. Ogling the
other riders’ bikes and asking
penetrating questions like,
“pretty good on gas, huh?” is a
timeworn but proven icebreaker.
This turns out to be a special
tour for more reasons than just
that white stuff piled by the
side of the road and the melt
running across the asphalt.
We are a small group—only
seven riders including leader
Tim Mayhew, the ‘Pashnit
guy’ on his signature blue and
Pretty soon the riders’ briefing (rules,
safety, and the importance of a late apex) is
over and the grind across the central valley
begins. All this routine flies out of mind
once the interesting roads in the foothills
and, especially, the approach to Yosemite
begin. The Merced River rages in the
canyon, purple wild flowers grow on the
steep embankments, and the lack of traffic
makes the double yellow tolerable. Best of all
is the cool, pure mountain air we inhale.
The route through Yosemite Valley never
gets old—it’s one of the most beautiful
places in the world, and it’s in our backyard.
Not everyone in our group has been
here before, at least not on a motorcycle.
Watching someone experience Yosemite
this way for the first time and seeing his
or her reaction only heightens one’s own
pleasure. It’s not quite group sex, but sensing
the pleasure of
companions
definitely
enhances
the overall
experience.
At 9945 feet
of elevation,
Tioga Pass is the
highest point
we’ll reach on
this ride, and we
get to do it on
the first day. It’s cold, very cold by now, the
sky has darkened and snow flurries appear.
Then the flurries turn to hail, BB-sized
kernels of ice that first blow across the road
and then carpet it.
Riding on ice can be
exciting, but this is
not the time to test
the limits of traction.
By the time we arrive
at Olmsted Point,
the sky is once again
blue against puffy
white clouds and the
sun is getting low,
providing perfect
light for a hike in the
snow to get a better
view of Half-Dome
and the Valley in
the distance.
Lee Vining on
SR 395 has two
things going for
it—proximity to
August 2010 | 8 | CityBike.com
Yosemite and a stunning view of Mono
Lake. And these two things alone are
enough to command a king’s ransom for a
peasant’s accommodation. This irritates,
but is forgotten quickly after a carafe of
house red appears on the dinner table.
It’s time to resume the conversation from
lunchtime and find out more about each
other. Ages span thirty years, with the low
end not quite forty. Riding experience?
Five months to fifty years. Personal
histories? All over the map, judging by the
little information shared the first evening.
Most of all, the seven of us around the
table develop a mutual respect, rooted in a
common joy of riding.
Crossing the Sierra twice in a day, to end
up only 60 miles from where you started
that morning, might seem like an odd thing
to do, but it’s not that far to ride, and the
passes—Sonora
going west in
the morning,
and Ebbetts
and Monitor
going east in the
afternoon—are
a riding
experience to
match anything
offered in an
Edelweiss
catalog. The
day’s program includes a visit to Columbia,
a gold-rush town that becomes an open-air
museum on a Saturday afternoon. Not on
the schedule, however, was the dead battery
in one of the bikes when we returned from
lunch. Tim made a
few phone calls and
located a used but
serviceable battery in
Sonora, we borrowed
jumper cables from a
friendly young fellow
driving a car that
looked like it could
use them regularly,
and soon we were all
heading down the
road. We decided to
stay together to solve
this problem rather
than splitting up.
The social fabric was
nearly complete.
If you’re ever looking
for a place to stay
on 395, head for
August 2010 | 9 | CityBike.com
Getting Enough These Days?
Tim Mayhew is—Leading
Tours and Moving Product
The adorable, biker-friendly West Walker Motel.
the West Walker Motel in Walker (pop.
665). The place is lovingly decorated and
maintained by two ladies who have a
“Bikers Welcome” sign on the office door
and charge half the price you pay in Lee
Vining. There’s good barbecue and beer
across the street, too.
On our last day, we ride over Monitor pass
again, this time heading west. It’s not like
we’re repeating something we already
did. Traversing the pass in the opposite
direction and at a different time of day is
different experience. And this time we stop
at the overlook and climb a pile of rocks to
get a panoramic view of the Owens Valley,
White Mountains, and the snow-capped
peaks of the eastern Sierra.
Carson Pass on the Kit Carson trail is the
last bit of crisp, cold riding we have before
beginning the descent into the heat of
the Sierra foothills. It’s the first time I’ve
been this way in over 25 years of riding
in the Sierra and explains why taking a
guided tour is something even the more
experienced (mature, if you will) rider
should do. Another reason, regardless of
how long you’ve been on two wheels, is that
meeting interesting people from different
walks of life who share a common passion
is stimulating, fun, and educational. We all
realized this as we sat around the table at
noon and performed the final ritual of the
ride—exchanging photos. A gigabyte
here, a few gigabytes there—everything
fits on a thumb drive. The best part of
the ride can’t be captured on silicon, of
course, and those are the memories of
these three days and the nice people who
helped make them.
What would you do if your wife (or
girlfriend, partner, boyfriend, significant The tours, which Tim leads with this
tour-company partner, Tim Regehr, are
other, mother-in-law) told you to start a
financially sound and, after expenses are
motorcycle tour company? Would you
paid, even leave a little cash on the table.
say “No, not that, anything but that,”
But that’s not enough to pay a mortgage
or would you think you’d just been
and support a family of five, which is
told to embark on the career of your
where a day job comes in handy. Tim was
dreams? Tim
a mortgage
Mayhew’s
loan officer.
wife, Sarah,
Well, we all
told him, as
know what
he recalls,
happened
“to do
there.
motorcycle
Fortunately,
tours and
just when
start making
that job
some money.”
tanked,
Seems that
another
Tim had been
branch of
spending
the Pashnit
so much
empire
time riding
took off.
California’s
Subscribers
magnificent
to California
motorcycle
Motorcycle
roads and
Roads and
describing
participants
them on
in the Pashnit
the web
sport-touring
that Sarah
forum would
thought it
occasionally
was time not Tim Mayhew - The Pashnit Guy
ask
to Tim
only to share
to
set
up
a
“group
buy”
for
hotly
soughtthe joy but also bring home some cash.
after
items.
And
so
Tim
became
a reseller
Pashnit Motorcycle Tours was born.
of motorcycle accessories. He began,
Real life begins when you get out of
in his words,”to move product,” and
high school. Mayhew’s first 10 years
rather successfully. Pashnit Moto has
as measured on this clock were spent
since sold over a million bucks of stuff,
riding and wandering—discovering (or
varying from accessory power sockets to
developing an addiction to) motorcycle
Zero Gravity windscreens. Tim works
touring. A 6000 mile across-the-U.S.
12-hour days to keep up with e-mail
ride started in mid-winter, followed by a
orders, shipping and invoicing. But that
10,000 mile trip to Alaska in the spring
pays the mortgage and will put at least
were Mayhew’s introduction to serious
three kids through college. There’s also a
riding—single-malt scotch whisky for an Pashnit website devoted to aftermarket
emerging ride-aholic. From Mississippi
goodies just for the Hayabusa, Tim’s
to the middle of Texas in 36 hours,
touring and commute bike, which now
catnaps sitting on the bike at 2:00 am:
has 90,000 miles on the odo. Such was
this intense focus on riding defined his
Mayhew’s second decade, which began
first decade. Mayhew joined the Marines in 1998 with the founding of pashnit.
and landed a day job that required him
com and then morphed into a successful
to travel (ride, that is) all over California. tour company and on-line motorcycle
He’d lay out his business and recreational accessory sales business.
rides with a Thomas Bros. Road Atlas
and a highlighter, systematically crossing What’s next for Tim Mayhew? Looks
like he’ll need to hire some help with
off roads already traveled.
product packaging and invoicing as
The Internet arrived during this period
Pashnit Moto’s sales continue to increase
and Tim started posting his photos and
(he already gets plenty of resumes from
route descriptions. At 30,000 visitors a
folks who’d like to help lead tours, thank
month, the website was flourishing. Then you). California Motorcycle Roads has
it became 75,000 a month. At 100,000
matured, and the tour business is stable,
per month Tim stopped counting.
having bounded back this year after
Last time he checked, the annual total
2009, an annus horribilis. The future is
topped six million visitors. With all
hard to predict, of course, but it’s for sure
this road knowledge and net notoriety,
that this friendly, gregarious ex-Marine
offering guided tours was a natural. It
will continue to charm tour participants
has become, indeed, a dream career.
with his enthusiasm for California’s
Pashnit (as in “Passionate) tours is now
motorcycling paradise and also help a
in its seventh year, and Tim’s approach
wider clientele spend money on their
to each ride, even though he’s done the
favorite pastime, motorcycling. A winroute maybe 15 times before, is still
win situation if ever there was one.
fresh and inspiring. It doesn’t get old for
Want more info? The gateway to everything
him because the roads are the best in
Pashnit is at pashnit.com.
the world, there are always new people
August 2010 | 10 | CityBike.com
Two Geezers
to meet, and the route changes—just
a little—each time. In fact, it’s perfect,
except for that part about “making some
money.”
Honda introduced them. He knows them
inside and out.
But Bob is no one-trick pony. In his living
room there was a small but stunning
formula-style racecar clad in handhammered aluminum. Above that was
an impossibly detailed model sailing
ship three feet in length. He showed
me pictures of miniature submarine
models he made for the WWII movie
Das Boot
Boot. There was a miniature cannon,
complete with muzzle rifling, a tiny
axe and Lilliputian engravings. He was
commissioned to make three others just
like it. By Ferdinand Marcos.
After the tour Bob trued my tired wheels
as best he could and declared them to be
“totally fucked,” but useable for my first
build. Next time, he told me, I could check
a wheel’s condition by holding if flat against
a plate glass window. Bob seems to have
taken me on as a project, a fixer-upper, and
has since spent countless hours passing this
kind of knowledge on to me and dragging
me around the Bay Area to introduce me
to his friends; decorated bike builders,
wheel wizards, pillars of the racing
community. One guy was a mechanic for
Rothman’s Honda during Wayne Gardner’s
championship Grand Prix year.
Bob is immensely talented himself but
would mock anyone who would call him
a “craftsman.” He is fond of saying that
“it isn’t rocket science, I just beat it with a
GEEZER #1: BOB GUYNES
The World According to Bob
By David Lander,
Photos by Chad Katoff,
Historic photos courtesy
of Bob Guynes
Y
ou know Bob Guynes likes you if he
calls you “no-talent,” “Quasimodo”
or simply “Claude.” He’s a burly, blustery
man old enough to be my grandfather.
On the night I met him he was dressed
like a lumberjack; jeans and a red flannel
jacket. Within just a few minutes he
gleefully diagnosed my problem. “You’re
a goddamned pencil-neck engineer.” He
added the he would help me overcome that
handicap. Lucky me.
I was rebuilding a rusted, forgotten
Honda CB160 and preparing it for
vintage racing. I had just re-laced the
rims, a first for me, and an acquaintance
recommended I take them to Bob to get
them trued. Never one to turn down
experienced help, and largely because it
was free, I duct taped the wheels to my
bag and rode down to Bob’s house in
Foster City.
Three projects occupied the center of
Bob’s small garage shop: two ‘60s-era
Honda CR-style racers and a conjoined
pair of CB175 engines he was building for
Bonneville. He has lived and breathed,
built and raced these early twins since
August 2010 | 11 | CityBike.com
Bob’s unique abilities qualify
his as probably the only one
who could. And in a world of
“assholes,” “users,” “morons,”
and “pencil-neck geeks,” Bob
Guynes truly stands out.
GEEZER #2: JIM REGER
A Man with a
(Honda) Dream
Honda scooters from Santa Cruz to San
Francisco and back just for half-day
visits. They raced each other hard down
Highway 9, then switched to coastracing the same road after one too many
crashes. His stories are populated by
motorcycles and by people, recalled with
near equal fondness.
Road racing,
Jim’s long-time
aspiration, was
out of reach. It
was prohibitively
expensive and
he had a family to consider. His unrequited
love finally found an outlet in the machines
themselves. He began to build road racers,
many of them ‘60s Honda factory style
motorcycles. He builds these bikes for one
reason: he loves to. And while he brings
some of them to bike shows for fun once
in a while, and regularly takes top prize,
Jawa Cezeta scooter (now illegal to remove
from that country) and a gray-market
Honda CBR250RR. One unremarkable
cardboard box, half hidden in an unlit
crawlspace beneath the house and huddled
among many others, contains a very rare,
early Honda Twin prototype engine. Just
there. In a box.
Jim led me through his open, sunny living
room, past a pair of reissue Honda Dream
Photo: Chad Katoff
During a Sunday afternoon
desert race nearly 50 years ago,
rock,” and “how bright do you have to be?
Jim
Reger cornered too close to a
Any moron could do this shit.” He made
large
rock, which violently ripped
the smoke stack of his model ship from tin
his
foot
off the peg. In searing
cans and scotch tape. On his aluminum car,
pain,
blood
filling his boot and
the velocity stack filters are tea strainers
spilling over the top, he loaded
and the steering wheel is made of Harley
his bike and drove his van eight
spokes. He overbores crankcases with a
hole saw (gasp!). Brutal and inelegant, but miles to the doctor. He had broken one of
faster than a drill press and you don’t have his toes and ripped his big toe clean out
of its socket. And on Monday morning he
to dismantle as much of the engine.
showed up to work.
He is dedicated to making his bikes
“Those were really the best times to be
look period correct, to which end he
a rider,” he said with sincerity. Jim is a
employs the cheap and mundane instead
gentleman: soft-spoken, the product of an
of overpriced OEM parts from Ebay.
America where even motorcycle hooligans
This is in some small part because he’s
kept their hair neat, as his is to this day.
a staunch Luddite and doesn’t own a
His irrepressible enthusiasm is still shot
computer. He has turned bicycle pedals,
ATV rims and GM oil filter housings into through with simple wonder and delight.
gleaming gems, often searching for just
Jim’s stories describe an era filled
the right item for months. I once noticed
with a close-knit riding community.
the trick shift mechanism on one of his
“Everybody knew everybody else.
Superhawk builds was made from a 10
That’s just how it was.” Instead of
mm combination wrench.
message boards, local riders hung out
at dealerships like Santa Clara Honda,
Wrench aside, you would never guess
where Jim would eventually work as
at the origin of his parts. The truth is
parts manager. They rode packs of 50cc
that not just any moron can pull this off;
Photo: Chad Katoff
wage of 25 cents
for high school
kids, power
was built, not
bought. By 1964
he was racing a
305 Superhawk
at TT and short
track venues
in Salinas,
Lodi, Fremont,
Alviso.
50s, a hand-made vintage racer, black-andwhite racing photos and trophies into a
small, crowded side room. There sat a pair
of bikes—unceremoniously shoehorned
in among six or seven others—that have
landed him in motorcycle magazines a
dozen times over. One is a grotesque black
Moto Guzzi Falcone, pinstriped by Von
Dutch. This one Jim bought as-is.
There is nothing like riding a professionally set up track bike,
it will definitely make you...
PRO
Photo: Chad Katoff
FEEL LIKE A
RACE-PREPPED 250 NINJA RENTALS!!
For trackdays with ZoomZoom, Pacific Tracktime and
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Championship Racer,
Brian Bartlow
559-273-4429
For the entire 2010 schedule and all the info go to
www.feellikeapro.com
Comes complete w/
Jim got his first bike in 1957, a secondhand
Cushman “bathtub” scooter, and
quickly began searching for more power.
In Boulder Creek, California, with a
population of 310 and an average hourly
this is not the point. To give you an idea of
the depth of Jim’s commitment to building
his bikes just right, I spent a weekend with
him, traveling by van from the Bay Area to
Redding, California and back. We picked
our way through a motorcycle salvage yard,
raided the OEM stock of two dying Honda
shops and dug through dozens of crates of
parts at a friend’s house. He was after a hardto-find brake lever for a current build, but
came home empty-handed. I guarantee he
will find it.
Recently, I visited Jim on a clear Sunday
afternoon. He lives atop an isolated peak
in the Santa Cruz mountains in a 1960s
wooden geodesic dome in 10 acres of dense
green forest. He guesses he has over 150
motorcycles surrounding and occupying
his home and each of the handful of smaller
structures on his property. He regards
them not as items in a collection, but as
family who came to visit and never left.
Most of his bikes are ailing vintage Hondas
that he uses as donor bikes, but he also has
such curiosities as a rare Czechoslovakian
August 2010 | 12 | CityBike.com
Beside the Falcone is the real heavyweight:
a near-perfect replica of Mike Hailwood’s
famous Honda RC-166 6 cylinder GP
racer—built around a Honda CBX engine.
Jim constructed it over three years,
attending to each detail with a dedication
bordering on obsession. To produce the
stunning full fairing, he taught himself how
to form aluminum and hand hammered
it over the course of a year while watching
TV at night. He worked for half a year on
the impressive six-megaphone exhaust
system, a glacial black slab of three cones
jutting from the trailing edge of each side
of the fairing. Every detail is purposeful,
organic, and elegant in its conception and
execution. He understandably considers it
one of his best.
and profane graphic
on the back.
* if you are hirsute and
have a pathological
inability to look people
in the eye, avoid airports
while wearing this shirt
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What’s next for Jim Reger? In one
motorcycle-crowded in-law unit he slowly
rubbed his palms together, giddy, and
nodded toward a beautiful teal frame
on the floor. “I’m getting ready to start
building that bike. It’s a Ron Grant Suzuki.”
After a thoughtful pause, he added, “Well, if
I live long enough, anyway.”
“And if I keep myself busy building enough
bikes, I just might make it.”
David Lander is mechanical engineer who builds
robots and motorcycles in his spare time. He fills the
other 3 hours of each day sleeping. You may contact
Mr. Lander at info@citybike.com
August 2010 | 13 | CityBike.com
We promised the road crew that there
would be a bottle of vodka and a carton
of cigarettes in it for them if our bike was
mostly still there when we returned in a
week. We brought the spare tire into the
round felt tent (called a Ger), and locked
the bike with a skimpy little chain. We
piled into the Forgon to continue our
journey. The sights were wonderful, but I
had a nagging feeling that I’d have enjoyed
it more on the Ural.
Ghengis Gone:
Seeing Mongolia from a Sidecar
July, August and winter), we rode it
frequently in the city, and out into the
nearby countryside for picnics. Toward
the end of our stay, we made plans to
take a roughly 500 mile trip for a week,
making a loop around the Buddhist
monastery at Kharahorin, the Orkhan
Khurkruu waterfall, and Ogii Nuur lake. In
preparation for the trip, Zina and I went to
the gravel pits just outside town to get her
acquainted with driving the hack.
Words and Photos:
Alan Lapp
M
y wife, Zina,
won a 1-year
fellowship to Mongolia,
and we lived in the
capitol, Ulaan Baatar
(U.B. for short) in
2002-3. While we were
there, we bought a used
“domestic production”
Ural sidecar, a very basic
model. Kick start only,
single-wheel drive, drum
brakes, leading-link
forks, and a funny little
stamped sheet brass
carb slide. Our example
delivered surprisingly
poor fuel economy,
unresolved by repeated
tune ups. Despite its
shortcomings, it’s
howling good fun
to ride—all hacks
require certain mental
adjustments be made:
when the chair is on
Our friend, Batlai, my wife, Zina, and myself.
the ground, it “tricycle
steers” —point the wheel
anywhere without tools. Over the course
where you want to go. However, when
of the year, we had a variety of maladies
the chair wheel comes off the ground, it
stop the bike: contaminated gas, the
“motorcycle steers”— counter-steer to go
kill switch shorted internally, a broken
where you want. Part of the fun of a sidecar battery box shorting the battery to the
is flying the chair around turns: it’s the
frame, the condenser wire broke off, the
hack equivalent of wheelies. But, and this is alternator bolts fell out, the carb tops would
a big one: you must mentally switch gears
mysteriously back off, causing the motor
about how to steer it the instant the wheel
to idle too fast, the sheet-metal hack fender
leaves contact with Terra Firma.
kept breaking from the vibrations and the
plugs would foul with regularity
Another thing to understand about
that would please
Urals is that they’re 100 percent
a Swiss
reliable: you can absolutely count on
the fact that at some
point, it will stop
running. I
never
went
Mongolia is twice the size of Texas, has the
population of Philadelphia, and half of that
population lives in U.B. Ironically, if you’re
on a road, you’re not far from help, despite
the thinly-spread population. In part, this
is due to the weather: nobody drives past
a stranded vehicle, as it’s a matter of life
and death in the winter. The second thing
to know is that at the time we were there,
Mongolia had over a million miles of roads,
with fewer than 500 of them paved. Riding
a motorcycle beyond the city limits is by
default an adventure ride. With that in
mind, I stocked up on spare tubes, patch
kits and spare spark plugs and points.
watchmaker. I learned to ask for “Orsiin
“Orsiin
hamgeen sain”
sain” spark plugs—“From
Russia, most good quality.” There
is no force in this universe that
will resurrect a fouled 30-cent
made-in-China spark plug.
Plugs are like White Castle
burgers; one won’t get you
far, better get six.
When the weather was
above freezing
(as an aside, the
four seasons of
Mongolia
are
June,
Forgon—a
We left U.B. following behind a Forgon—a
Russian mix between a four-wheel-drive
military jeep and a V.W. van, which seem
invariably painted olive drab
to be
or slate gray. Inside
this Forgon
were our
friends
from
the
When we got back to U.B., I headed over
to the Technikiin Zak, or technical market.
The Ural “dealer” had new replacement
parts for everything from the head gasket
up in stock. The total cost was $80, and that
was probably the higher, ‘foreigner’ price. I
imagine doing the same repair on a BMW
GS would cost many thousands of dollars
here in the states, and you’d probably wait
three weeks on back-ordered parts.
Busted flat in Ulaan Baatar. Notice that the crash bar is bent nearly to the footpeg, and the Toyota paint on the shin guard.
States, Cory and Dan and their girls,
Claudia and Carleen, and a fellow scholar,
Ben. We carried fuel, spares and tools—our
ordinary luggage was stashed in the van.
The first part of the ride was on the
highway, and I use that term loosely.
It’s a paved road that leads north, and is
in miserable condition: narrow, highly
crowned, littered with potholes. It’s
impossible to go faster than about 40
mph on this road. Both comfort and ease
of driving actually improve when the
pavement ends just beyond a town called
Luun. After a short break to switch pilots,
Zina took the helm, and quickly caught
up to the Forgon just as the pavement
ended. As we crossed onto a narrow gravel
bridge over a large culvert, an oncoming
Toyota Landcruiser startled Zina by
moving toward the center of the road.
Zina’s well-developed motorcycle brain
overwhelmed her fledgling sidecar brain,
and counter-steered us directly into the
side of the Landcruiser, shearing off most
of the left-side cylinder head, littering the
road with smashed aluminum bits and hot
oil. It happened in an instant, and was over
quickly, but I tasted the tinny flavor of a
massive surge of adrenaline.
If you absolutely must hit a brand new
Landcruiser, Mongolia is the place to do
it. The driver was more concerned about
our well-being than the nearly full-length
scrape in his truck. We agreed that it was
our fault, and the driver suggested $50
to replace the gouged rear tire, which we
were happy to pay. We towed the hurt and
bleeding Ural to a road construction crew
about two miles further down the road.
They were working on the Millennium
Road, a joint Mongol/Chinese boondoggle
to allegedly improve trade between the
countries. Inexplicably, the road is 75 miles
away from any population center.
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August 2010 | 14 | CityBike.com
Once home again, we endured another
long slog in the Forgon over the horrid
paved road to Luun, where we delivered
the vodka and smokes as promised, as
the bike was unmolested. In keeping
with the tradition of helpfulness, the bike
was quickly surrounded by a Mongolian
Horde of mechanics, and I was relegated
to handing wrenches into the huddle. The
bike was quickly repaired, a great cheer
August 2010 | 15 | CityBike.com
Tankslapper
NO FAT BIKES!
Maynard,
I’m 100 percent in agreement with you
regarding the global motorcycle obesity
problem you so eloquently pointed out
(“An Eleven and a Three,” July 2010). I
believe choice is good and everyone should
be able to buy a steed that speaks to them
but lately it feels like the industry might be
The Mongolian Horde of Mechanics.
went up when the bike fired, and we got on
the road back home.
has value to me. On the other hand, the
fates had dealt us a pretty sour hand, and
we deftly recovered with no real loss other
The motor was running like crap, and we
than wounded pride and a serving of regret.
made frequent stops: I adjusted the valve
It occurs to me that there are a variety of
clearance, still crap. I adjusted the point
vectors that go into producing the outcome
gap, still badly missing on the damaged
of an adventure ride.
side. I pulled the plug,
Personal disposition,
and discovered that a
riding skill, wrenching
recently-new plug was
skill, preparation
oil fouled, and I’d left
of spares and tools,
all my spares at home
adequate money and
with our luggage. I
time, the number
cleaned it to the best of
and character of
my ability, closed the
riding partners, and
gap significantly, and
support vehicles.
the motor propelled us,
And luck—one must
shuddering, homeward.
never underestimate
Ever fickle, the Ural
the value of luck.
blew its main fuse
If one vector is
just as we reached the
lacking, another can
city limits. Mongols
compensate. We
have many wonderful,
were fortunate that
friendly, generous
our inexperience was
attributes. A sense of
balanced by having
civic pride isn’t among
a support vehicle. If
Traditional Mongolian jacket called a Del.
those attributes: the
you’re a chronically
place is evenly strewn
bitter disappointment
with a thick mantle of litter. This worked
magnet, the quality of your experience will
out pretty well for me in this case, a strip of be improved by increasing the values of all
cigarette wrapper bridged the fuse, and the the other vectors.
aluminum coating restored conductivity.
Alan Lapp is a soul-singing, hash-slinging,
Back home, I had time to consider the trip.
trash-talking director of art and crusher of
On one hand, it had been a bust—we only
bones. Send feedback about your Asian riding
got half-a-day’s drive away from home,
adventures to him: info@citybike.com.
barely even got off pavement, and didn’t get
to see the sights from a motorcycle, which
your horrific use of that slogan “Ride Fast
Take Chances.” I have never ridden over 85
in a Catholic school zone in my life, nor do
I do pop-a- wheelies, or burnt-outs on my
Zundap ACLU 1235cc unsportsman-like
bike! I do however leave it at full gas-on
mode in the garage at all times, so when
I am ready, she’s ready! And I ride with
all my gear: Birkenstocks, condom on my
gimmick and my hockey helmet from my
I have never ridden over 85 in a Catholic school zone
in my life, nor do I do pop-a- wheelies, or burnt-outs
on my Zundap ACLU 1235cc unsportsman-like bike!
heading towards adding a roof as an option.
Numero uno on my list of criteria for
determining which motorcycle to purchase
the last two times has been a road-ready
weight of under 500 lbs. I’m always willing
to compromise assorted creature comforts
in lieu of tossability, my ability to pick her
up and technical simplicity. I always find
that I’m nodding my head in agreement
with your view of things motorcycle-related
or not, keep up the great work.
shortbus days, oh yes and dishwashing
gloves so to you I say, “ride like a maple bar
is on fire in your colon, take Prozac.”
Alan Anttila
‘09 Wee 480lbs. fully fueled
Dear CityBike:
RIDE FAST TAKE CHANCES
HORSE GETS MORE BEATINGS
CityBike:
Right On!
How did Gwynne ever learn those skills
(“Tankslapper,” July 2010) boasted?
Most times when another motorcyclist’s
foolhardy riding behavior pisses me
off—when I sit back and think about it—it
reminds me of me 20 years ago.
Godspeed brothers , sisters and wolf in
Andrew Jackson’s clothing!
James Willard McD
Oakland CA
James, you confuse and frighten us.
And we like it.
What is this world coming to? Who is this
person? Their political correctness chips at
American freedom.
Ride Fast Take Chances, offensive? What
part is offensive? The “ride fast” part or
the “take chances” part? I remember when
I was 10 years old, taking my buddy’s
Honda 50 and going for a ride without my
mom’s permission. Then in college I would
go to the beach on my girlfriend’s Vespa
with nothing on but trunks and flip flops.
Stupid, I admit; but youth is wasted on the
young.
Keep the motto please, for all reason stated. Now in my forties, I look back at those
days of riding, at what seemed to be insane
BT
speeds with reckless abandonment to my
Marin
own safety, with apprehensive nostalgia.
I wouldn’t want my two boys to live like I
Editors,
did. No son, do as I say, not as I did. But for
I am extremely and prematurely offended
us, wanting to ride fast and take chances is
and defended, upended and suspended by as a visceral yearning as wearing pink is to a
little girl. (I use “little girl” metaphorically,
I don’t mean females.)
I am saddened by those who can’t admit to
themselves they really want to live the life
we chose. I think your rag advocates safety
effectively, even though your motto is Ride
fast Take chances. Life comes down to
basically a handful of decision; so take off
your dress and ride like I know you really
want to.
Bob Beck
The Bay Area
Bob, we think Gwynne does indeed remove her
dress when she rides, although she replaces it with
leather.
Please send your thoughts to CityBike, PO Box
10659, Oakland, CA 94610 or do that email
thing: info@citybike.com.
August 2010 | 16 | CityBike.com
Chrome: All Business, No Bling.
When Chrome launched their now-iconic messenger
bags in 1994, they squarely hit the mark. In 2009, with
the introduction of their Berlin bag, they pulverized it.
massive loads with ease. To that end
the Berlin’s total volume is a staggering
52 liters, over 25 percent more than the
In The Beginning
Metropolis. The side pockets have been
relocated to the front and now feature a
hrome, started by two guys sewing Velcro closure flap of their own as well
junkyard fabric in a Colorado
as one small zippered pocket. Gone are
garage, made its name building impossibly the Velcro laptop attachments and secret
tough bicycle messengers bags, and its
pocket; the Berlin is all business.
focus hasn’t shifted in 16 years. Chrome
One of the bag’s most noteworthy features
bags are ridiculously sturdy, 100 percent
is its harness system. The main shoulder
waterproof, offer generous carrying
strap is an EVA padded design similar
capacity, ample comfort, and are backed
to that of the Metropolis, with a
by a lifetime guarantee. Also, they’re
cross-chest stabilizer. The Berlin
undeniably cool.
steps up the shoulder-strap
The Metropolis ($160), Chrome’s large
concept from there by offering a
sized messenger bag, has been my beast
second padded stabilizer, which
of burden for the past six years. Here are
can be untucked from a pocket
some of the things I have carried in or
within the main flap and
otherwise secured to my Metropolis: an
pulled over your other
armored Vanson roadrace suit, a CBR
shoulder. The net result
wheel, bags of dog food, bags of groceries, a is an X-type harness
rearstand…you get the idea. Chrome’s bags with an incredible
are obviously designed by the architect of
amount of stability
Dr. Who’s Tardis—time travel and scarf
and four points of
not included.
adjustment to
Chrome’s products are constructed with an keep the load
where you want
18-ounce independently suspended truck
it (which may not
tarp liner; basically a fully waterproof bag
suit the physique
within a sturdy Cordura shell. The inner
of some women).
bag is sealed with mil-spec seam binding
that renders it truly waterproof. I remember This model also
riding throughout the rainy season of 2005- includes a feature
curiously absent from
2006, and despite a staggering 35 inches
the messenger bags: a
of rainfall over 104 days, not one drop
penetrated my bag. I wish I could have said foam back panel.
Words and photos,
David Lander
C
the same of my other “waterproof” gear.
Initial Impressions
Okay, it’s got all the features I want in a
bag, but could it possibly be as rugged as
claimed? The 1000-denier Cordura outer
shell has survived six years of daily abuse
with not a single rip, tear, or abrasion of
any sort, despite having been down in
two crashes. Not bad. The buckles and
hardware are all in great shape (save a
few small spots of rust on the seatbelt
buckle), and the inner liner is also still
intact and tear-free. If that’s not impressive
enough, consider that I’ve worn this bag
nearly every day since I got it—roughly
1500 days. While the liner hasn’t torn,
it did begin to admit moisture this year,
so I dropped it off at Chrome’s 4th Street
flagship store in San Francisco, a bit
skeptical of their warranty. Two days later,
and without fuss, they presented me with a
brand new Metropolis. Pinch me.
In order to get a sense
of how well the Berlin
would work as a
messenger bag for
the non-messenger
set, I temporarily
substituted it for
my Metropolis
for day-to-day
duty, and the experience is undeniably
different. The first thing that crosses my
mind each time I reach for the Berlin is,
“Jesus, that thing is a monster.” It feels big
when I put it on but it doesn’t look clownish
on my 5-foot-8 frame; the fact that I chose
it in black probably helps. The bag is also
a bit more cumbersome to operate than
the Metropolis, but necessarily so. The
Berlin offers substantially more in the
way of straps and adjustability, and the
straps themselves are more complex.
For example, the two straps
that secure the front flap are
extra long so that they can
secure large loads. As a
result the extra length has
to be reined in, which the
Berlin accomplishes with a
combination of hard plastic
loops and elastic.
Sack Up
Recently a new bag caught my wandering
eye. The “Pro Series” Berlin ($220) takes
the basic messenger bag platform and turns
it up to 11. While the standard messenger
bags are perfectly suited to urban life, the
Berlin’s no-holds-barred design suggests
a more focused raison d’etre: carrying
August 2010 | 17 | CityBike.com
never felt hollow. Heavy loads are still
heavy, but feel much lighter than they
would in the Metropolis or any other bag.
Another surprise was how well it handles
irregularly shaped loads; I bought a small
café-racer style half fairing at a swap meet,
The Berlin performs packed it into the Berlin, and on the ride
as advertised, and briefly panicked because I was sure I had
I wouldn’t expect forgotten it.
anything less
If you need a cavernous, top-of-the-line
from Chrome. messenger bag, the Berlin is a no-brainer.
What came It will handle both light day-to-day duties
as a
and huge loads with ease. You may want
surprise, to consider the Metropolis (or one of the
however, smaller messenger bags) if you are looking
was the
for something easier to handle, if you carry
way the
a laptop frequently, or if you prefer a sleeker
bag feels look. Then there’s the price, to which,
like a
frankly, I wouldn’t give a second thought:
cloud
you buy a Chrome bag for life. How much
on my back even
is $160 or $220 divided by your life? I’m
when carrying
currently at about $1.50 a month for my
moderately heavy Metropolis: peanuts.
loads. Loathe
I’d like to say that I would buy either of
to peddle
these bags again, but the point is moot:
hyperbole, I
kept this word with a lifetime guarantee that Chrome
stands behind, I’ll never need to.
in mind each
time I took
Chrome bags are available online
the Berlin on (chromebagsstore.com), but if you live in the Bay
an outing,
Area you can visit their new and expanded store at
and it
580 4th street in San Francisco.
brenda BATES
Clinicians are using such techniques as
rhythmic sounds that produce pulse-like
beats while the listener uses headphones.
Clinicians have long known that there is
Other instruments used to induce the
a link between stress and illness. Dr. Carl
relaxation response include biofeedback
Simonton, author of the book Getting Well machines and even rhythmic flashing
Again and founder of the Simonton Cancer lights. However, when it comes to
Center in Santa Barbera, California,
encouraging the relaxation response,
posited that illness can be predicted by the motorcycles fit the bill. They produce a
amount of stress in a person’s life. The good rhythmic engine sound and beat that can
news is that stress-releasing activities help be both heard and felt by the rider. Also,
to return the body to normal functioning,
as motorcyclists know, a concentrated,
thereby minimizing the chances of stressfocused frame of mind is necessary to ride
induced illnesses. Motorcyclists are aware safely. All of this combined replicates the
that after a good ride, a sense of well being primitive form of a Zen-like state, maybe
sets in that can indeed last for days. So,
even allowing the rider to
motorcycling can be
get rid of built-up stress
considered to be a stresschemicals in the body.
releasing, potentially
Apparently, we have a
healthful activity that
deep-seated need for
may actually help to
such sounds, rhythms
prolong one’s life due to
and even motion (such as
the relaxation response.
dance or motorcycling)
The connection between
because they do indeed
beats, trance, Zen-like
naturally induce the
relaxation, elation and
relaxation response.
motorcycling is obvious.
Jungian psychologists
How many times have we
(those who follow the
all heard the phrase, “the Zen of the ride”
ideas of the Swiss psychologist Carl Jung)
or something similar? Zen is a concept
theorize that pulse sounds are primordial
related to trance in a hypnotic sense, that
and are simultaneously comforting and
is, a concentrated, focused mental state
ecstasy producing. The theory is that
accompanied by relaxation. It is interesting this is because these sounds and beats
that we are now using primitive methods,
are encoded in our brains due to our
modified by modern technology, to induce environmental heritage.
the relaxation response. Technology of this
Today we can actually measure brain
sort returns us to a calmer state of being,
wave patterns that produce the relaxation
similar to the relaxation response felt by
response. Clinicians know that the brain
people involved in primitive rituals.
released from stress, filled with a sense of
well being that may last for days.
R
hythmic sounds such as the beat
of a drum, clapping of hands and
foot stomping are primordial in nature.
Primitive societies (which includes our
ancestral heritage) tend to have rituals
that involve the use of a beat and are
often accompanied by dance or physical
movement. Beats are not only heard but
also felt, thereby creating the emotional
experience of both comfort and elation
in humans. This produces a sort of
ecstasy within the participants which is
usually considered necessary in primitive
ceremonial practices. The people engaged
in such rituals tend to feel viscerally elated
while being simultaneously relaxed. This
enables them to go into a keen, mentally
concentrated and focused frame of mind.
In such a state, the body is able to release
built-up stress hormones. This is at least
one reason why after such a ritual, the
participants feel healthier, happier and
Beats
and
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has four specific waves: Beta, Alpha, Theta
and Delta. Beta is our normal waking state.
Alpha is a more relaxed brain wave which is
necessary for the immune and the mental
health system to repair itself. Theta is a
deeper, more relaxed state that hypnotists
induce for a hypnotic trance state of mind.
This is a very peaceful state and not at all
like Hollywood movies, where a person
is unaware of what they are doing. Theta
waves often come just before sleep. Delta
waves are very slow and occur during sleep
or unconsciousness. Alpha and Theta are
the brain waves primarily responsible for
the relaxation response while a person is
still in a waking state. Or, possibly, it’s the
relaxation response that causes Alpha and
Theta brain waves. Which came first…the
chicken or the egg? It’s an age old question
that we probably will not be able to answer
any time soon.
If all evidence is tallied up, it’s reasonable
to assume that after a good motorcycle
ride, Alpha and Theta waves are more
frequent, thereby helping to induce the
relaxation response. So keep on searching
for those twisty mountain roads and ride
as often as possible. It may very well keep
your immune system and mental health in
top condition. In short, motorcycling may
prolong your lifespan or at least encourage
a healthful, happier one.
dr. gregory w. FRAZIER
U
glier than a mud fence. That was
what I thought the first time I saw
a 1980 R80 G/S. “Better throw a tarp or
blanket over that one,” I said to the shop
owner, “It’s so ugly
it’ll be breaking
mirrors here in the
showroom.”
comprehend its use, let alone see any
artistic qualities in its design. The dealer
told me that it was ideal for my riding style.
He pointed out that I liked to get off the
main highways onto gravel roads (I had
broken several of the clear windshields on
my R100RT from washboard vibration
on gravel roads) and the R80 G/S was
designed with an off-road purpose in mind.
He also pointed out the G/S would take on
sand, mud and water, unlike my touring
R100RT.
All this made little sense as I was used
to dirt bikes being light and small
I had been a BMW
rider for nearly 15
years at that time.
My motorcycling
experience to that
point had been
mostly road riding, some long distance
touring and road racing. The motorcycles
displacement, not over 400 pounds
and 800cc as was the R80 G/S. When I
asked about a factory windshield I was
told “Nope, not
available.”
The deal killer was
the one saddlebag
option—for the
right side only.
I was told that
because the
muffler angled up
the left side, a left
saddlebag would
stick out too far
and therefore none
were available.
Imagining a R80
G/S with one
saddlebag on the
right stopped at
a stoplight killed
any thoughts I
had at the time of
ever owning a G/S
Tales from Over the Edge
A Madcap Collection
of Memoirs from Marin
County California’s
Sunday Morning Ride
pacificcoastpowersports.com
1433 El Camino Real • Santa Clara, CA 95050 • 408-280-7277
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August 2010 | 18 | CityBike.com
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Another
contributor to the
death of the deal
that day was the
new Monolever
rear suspension.
I felt it was not
only unbalanced
Ugly Duckling:
the BMW GS
Brenda Bates is an enthusiastic motorcyclist,
therepaist and author. Her latest book, Back in the
Saddle Again: How to Overcome Fear Riding After
a Motorcycle Accident, can be purchased online at
bikepsych.com.
Sales, Service &
Performance Upgrades
model. Not only
did I see the R80
G/S as being buttugly, from the rear
with one saddlebag
I imagined it looked
like a one-legged
ostrich trying to
hop down the road.
I had owned other than BMWs were
Japanese, a couple of Indians and one
Harley-Davidson. The touring I had
done led me to the BMWs because they
were comfortable and needed little or no
daily maintenance, quite the opposite of
the Indians or the Harley. The Japanese
motorcycles were small and since our dollar
was favorable to the German Deustchmark,
a BMW was, in my opinion at the time,
a better deal than something Japanese
(rumored in my Indian and Harley circle of
friends to have been pressed together from
used American beer cans).
My latest purchase was a 1000cc BMW
outfitted with a full fairing and Krauser
saddlebags. It was ideal for my long
rides around the United States and into
Canada and Mexico as long as I stayed
on macadam roads. Once I took it off the
pavement it would wallow and flop like
the Indians or Harley, testing my strength
or mettle as well as my wallet when
replacing broken parts.
Looking at the R80 G/S the dealer was
encouraging me to purchase, I could not
ER
H
T
A
E
L
E
FRE
ASE
C
P
O
T
P
LA
e
50)
Over $1
s
Purcha
y
n
A
With er $500!
Ov
alue
(Retail V
but also looked too
weak to hold the
rear wheel. Another
reason I passed on
the purchase was
the orange seat, a
color not matching
anything on the rest of
the motorcycle. Nothing on the R80 G/S
appealed to me except for the air-cooled
flat-Twin engine. I had learned from my
previous BMW touring and racing that this
design was reliable.
As I walked out of the BMW dealership,
shaking my head at the ugliness of the R80
G/S and how some fool would part with
$4800 to own one, something the dealer
had said was zoning in and out of focus in
my cranial cavity: “Adventure Touring.”
That term piqued my interest.
Now, 30 years later, I am a confirmed
“Adventure Tourer,” having circled the
globe five (and one-half) times, doing many
of the miles on a 1981 R80 G/S. I have sat
on GS models for over 300,000 miles, sunk
one in a 12-foot-deep river, jumped one
over a barbed-wire fence, and slept next to
them on six of the seven continents. I feel
those GS years and miles have given me a
clear definition of “Adventure Touring.”
The evolution from tourer to Adventure
Tourer pushed me into the universe of
dual-purpose motorcycling, another catch
word for the GS functionality which later
entered the promotional material for the
GS models (coupled with “enduro riding”).
I have often stripped my GSs of their
touring gear and ventured significantly
off roads, sometimes onto goat trails or no
trails. Several times I have stripped them
even further to be first to checkered flags
on race tracks.
Looking back at my initial acquaintance
with the G/S model and the suggestion
to cover it with a tarp or blanket I have
to laugh at myself. The R80 G/S, in the
newbie eye of the beholder, was ugly at
the time, but eventually blossomed into
two wheels of beauty, and as I look at them
today, the appeal to me is just like an ugly
duckling that grows into the bird of beauty,
but that’s just my opinion after growing to
appreciate them after 30 years.
Dr. Gregory W. Frazier is a professional motorcycle
adventurer and has circumnavigated the globe five
times by motorcycle. His latest book, Motorcycle
Adventurer, is about the first motorcyclist to
circle the world in 1912-1913, and can be found
at motorcycleadventurer.com. His home is in
the Big Horn Mountains of Montana, but he
travels extensively by motorcycle around the globe
during the year. He says of his wilder motorcycle
adventures on the planet, “I hate adventure that has
anything to do with snakes or sharks.”
Tell us your BMW G/S story: info@citybike.com.
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August 2010 | 19 | CityBike.com
HERTFELDER
S
A rider in this shape can’t possibly have
enough energy left over to get his brain
in gear.
the cable is wound nice and tight around
his countershaft sprocket. Just start your
engine in neutral, get the motorcycle
rolling forward and toe the transmission
into low gear. The engine will stall any time
you come to a complete stop, so the trick is
to keep rolling.
Once I came across a rider pushing a
motorcycle that had the entire left side of
the handlebar broken off. He was tired,
maybe still shaken up from the crash, and
his brain was not operating on all channels. Now let me tell you about a trooper who
got himself so worn out he wasn’t sure
I’m not even sure if it was operating on
which way was up but sure knew which way
any channel.
was down: down was where you came to
those sudden stops and didn’t have a cool
This rider had convinced himself that the
breeze blowing into your jacket anymore.
motorcycle could not be ridden. It took
some doing, but I finally convinced him to
Chained
Brain
o there I was, pushing a broken
motorcycle uphill and slamming a
shin into a footpeg every 58th step or so.
My heart rate had already gone off the scale
and it had settled into the pump cadence
of a really big steam engine pulling a string
of fully loaded coal cars up a steep grade
somewhere in Colorado, where there is so
little level ground the city of Denver had to
move the airport out to Kansas when they try riding with the broken handlebar under
needed longer runways.
his butt.
It is not good to have your heart beating so Last I saw of him he was motoring down
strong that it stretches your Adam’s apple
the trail, steering with one hand and
and makes it hard to think.
working a clutch that was back near his left
A really trashed rider can get so worn
down that he can’t twist his head fast
enough to fling sweat out of his eyebrows,
so he merely closes his eyes and keeps
pushing as the drops roll down his face
and he hopes there are no six-feet deep
washouts to drop into.
I had to con Glamorous Shirley (GS) into
letting me use her motorcycle because
her 1974 Honda XL175 would qualify for
the Vintage class. Her rental fee (really a
ransom) was a new set of pots and pans.
When I saw the bill for these things I
realized, too late, that it would have cost me
less to buy two XL175s and a microwave
oven. When GS says there is a lot of give
and take in a marriage she means it.
The Honda might not be competitive
against all those Pentons and Bultacos
coming out of the woodwork, but, then
again, neither am I.
I only had two concerns: the first was
getting stuck behind Bevo Forti on
a narrow trail. The second was being
overcome with Blendzall fumes, then
being eaten by alligators and getting a
posthumous summons for poisoning
wildlife with Blendzall.
The XL175 had to be swamp-proofed
a little, so I covered the plug with a
The trooper was me. At the Daytona Beach rubber bootie and ordered a set of Jeff
Fredette hand guards. Then I went to the
Alligator Enduro I fried my brain and
forgot everything I’d learned since I was 11 hardware store and purchased three feet
of what they call sash chain, chain with
years old.
wide links used in double-hung windows.
The first stupid move was to even think of
I bolted the center of the chain to the
hip pocket. It didn’t look real graceful but it riding the Alligator; in three previous tries motorcycle’s down tube and fastened the
the best I did was houring out at the first
sure got him back to his van faster.
two ends to the brake and shift levers,
check after the gas stop. However, when
allowing just enough slack for them to
Put this in your memory banks—up front radio announcers in New Jersey are making
operate properly. The primary purpose of
where you get to it easily after an endo, a
the wind-chill factor sound worse than
the chain is to keep brush from jamming
side-o or a rap on the helmet from someone thermonuclear war and the cat wants to go
behind the foot pedals, but it also helps
else’s fork leg—your motorcycle will get
outside to chew on frozen starlings, Florida to prevent a pedal from being folded back
you home even if the clutch lever gets
looks real nice.
if it kisses a tree stump.
smeared into your buddy’s skid plate and
Here’s what happened to the world’s worst
dirt rider at the Alligator Enduro—a real
credit to his terrible reputation.
By the first checkpoint, where I was only
down 13 minutes, the Honda sometimes
needed a few extra lifts on the shifter
to catch the next higher gear. After the
checkpoint it got progressively worse, and I
was left with only low and neutral. This plus
the heat, humidity, whooped–out trail and
having to dodge faster riders must have put
my brain on hold. After the little Honda got
stuck in low gear I limped slowly into the gas
stop because I didn’t want to do one of those
Waring blender jobs on GS’s transmission.
What had happened was that the Florida
mud, which has so many tiny roots
mixed in that it looks like you could
make bricks with the stuff, had packed
into those wide links on the chain I had
attached to the shifter. Later upon layer
of it jammed in every time I up shifted,
finally reaching the point where the shift
lever just didn’t have enough movement
to shift the gears anymore!
Trail Tip: never use sash chain on
your shift lever, and never put your
brain on hold.
For a copy of Ed’s latest book, 80.4 Finish Check,
send $29.95 plus suggested inscription to:
Ed Hertfelder
P. O. Box 17564
Tucson, AZ 85731
ducttapes@yahoo.com
August 2010 | 20 | CityBike.com
spraying the inner bottom run of the chain
lightly, just like always.
maynard
I’ve been using Chain Wax, a Maxima
Racing Oils product, for years, maybe for
a decade. Chain Wax goes on clean and
mysteriously dry, and then disappears. It
doesn’t spatter the garage floor with overspray. After it sets up, it stays on
the chain and off my rear wheel. It
seems to protect the chain as well as
anything I’ve used.
HERSHON
F
irst, I admit that I can’t live with a
dirty bike. If I let my bike stay dirty
more than 24 hours, if I’m that careless
about its maintenance and appearance,
I must not be proud of it. Unless I’m far
from my bucket, sponges and brushes, I’ve
neglected my one and only bike. I must
be ungrateful for the joy motorcycling has
given me.
I must not love motorcycling.
I thought I loved it but apparently I don’t.
Perhaps I never did. A wrong-headed guy
My regularly Chain Waxed chains
generally last about 18,000 miles. My
Kawasaki single’s original chain, no doubt
the cheapest O-ring chain the company
could specify, lasted just that long. Maybe
some people’s automatically oiled or
enclosed chains last longer. I figure 18,000
miles is the natural life of a frequently
spray-lubed drive chain. Correct me by
mail if I’m way wrong.
When spring seemed days away, I put
the bike on the center stand outside in
sunlight—and realized to my shock that
my bright-plated rear spokes were as black
as if they’d been painted. Black full-length.
Embarrassed, (though no one could see)
I polished the spokes with WD-40 and a
rag and got them sorta clean. As I did so,
it dawned on me that my spokes had been
dirty with Silkolene residue since October,
the last time I’d been able to brush dilute
Simple Green on my spokes and rinse it off
with a hose. Dirty all winter...
As of this writing, I’ve done two washes
outside with a hose and a tapered spokewashing brush. The chain lube residue and
Chain Wax will wash off after hours
of riding in hard rain, but that’s its
sole downside. In 2005, I rode my fine
Kawasaki ZRX1100 from Tucson all the
way across Texas to western Louisiana
in hard rain, two full days of rain riding.
Chain Lube,
a Sad Tale in
Three Parts
My ZRX had no centerstand - meaning
like me probably never admired Mike
Hailwood or Joey Dunlop. Probably speaks no effective way to spray the chain. The
bike clanked and jerked so badly I thought
disrespectfully about Valentino Rossi.
surely the gearbox was broken.
Those precise words may not go through
my mind, but that’s the gist of it. Sad, huh? Soaking the chain with lube on a dealer’s
lift loosened up the kinks. Then, on a
Second, I’d like to talk about Denver
mechanic’s recommendation, I bought a
winters. You can ride your motorcycle once can of Bel-Ray SuperClean Chain Lube,
or twice during most weeks of winter here. the most tenacious, messiest chain lube
Alas, if you live in a high-rise downtown
imaginable. It did stay on but my chain
and wash your bike with a bucket and hose looked like it had been smeared with white
in the parking lot on the shaded, north side grease. Cleaning it off once I got home was
of the building where the hose hookup
hard work. I still have the can of Bel-Ray
lives, you cannot wash it in the old, familiar but I wouldn’t use it—even gun-to-myway until spring. Until spring the washhead. You’d have to shoot me.
water you splash on the pavement will
freeze at night and cause you or one of your This last winter, I replaced my KLR’s chain
and sprockets and noticed that the can of
neighbors to fall down in the morning.
Chain Wax was nearly empty. When I went
You can wash your bike with two buckets
to the good motorcycle accessory store,
over a drain in the underground parking
from whose employees I have never had
garage where your bike waits out the
bad tips, the young man recommended
winter. Sadly, you may find two-bucket
Silkolene chain lube. He said he too had
washing less than satisfying. Without
used Chain Wax until he tried Silkolene
a hose to direct rinse water at hidden
and found it to be better, more lubricious or
areas of your bike, you feel as if your bike
better penetrating or more preservative of
remains (despite your efforts) unclean
O-ring health.
in those hard-to-reach places. And you
Instead of buying Chain Wax, I bought a
feel imperfectly clean yourself, as if you
can of Silkolene Pro Chain 100% Synthetic
showered in a full-leg cast.
Racing Chain and Sprocket Lubricant. I
You miss the glow you feel when you
noted that the Silkolene product tended
achieve sparkling motorcycle cleanliness.
to coat my garage floor with spray that
Well, I miss it.
missed or passed through my chain. I
Now we can talk about what’s really going learned to cover the floor with a large rag to
collect that over-spray. I must’ve used the
on here: Chain lube. I want to talk about
Silkolene half a dozen times this winter,
chain lube. I hope you do too.
August 2010 | 21 | CityBike.com
stuck-on brake dust are gone. I finally have
a glistening, clean rear wheel. Maybe I love
motorcycling after all. Mike Hailwood’s
memory is safe with me.
I’m sure that lots of you reading this can
tolerate a dirty back wheel. I don’t have
that freedom, I’m sorry to say. Even if I
thought that some messy or runny chain
lube would prolong the life of my chain by,
oh, 25 percent, I could not use that miracle
lubricant - if it dirtied up my rear wheel.
How would that look after all? Like neglect,
right? Like disrespect. What would it say
about me? Next thing you know, I’d be
badmouthing Valentino Rossi.
Maynard lives in exile in Denver, CO. You can
reach him care of CityBike: info@citybike.com.
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August 2010 | 22 | CityBike.com
August 2010 | 23 | CityBike.com
CLASSIFIEDS AUGUST 2010
CLUB LISTINGS
Hyosung owners unite! I’m trying to organize a ride.
Email me if interested: bayareamoto@gmail.com.
HATTAR MOTORSPORTS in dazzling San Rafael
is the area’s largest volume purveyor of new Ducati
and Triumph motorcycles. We sell more bikes because
we’re nicer than those other guys, because our manifest
enthusiasm for motorcycles is infectious, because we have
cubic tons of inventory from which to pick from, because
we have cubic tons of lending sources from which to find
you a great financing deal, because we have cubic pounds
of money (OK, ounces...) to throw at you for your trade-in,
and because we have lots of cute, friendly dogs sprinkled
about the place. Oh; and one more thing... WE GOT
DEALS! And, evidently, poor grammar. But still, WE
GOT DEALS! So here are some snippets of information
concerning said DEALS we happen to got at the moment:
DUCATI SPECIALS:
Please note that Ducati dealers are not permitted to sell
any of their wares at any price other than M.S.R.P. except
at their dealerships! It’s a thoughtful policy, really, since
it helps preserve the value of these machines when it’s
time to sell or trade them in. But we do have some awfully
sweet deals (remember the “WE GOT DEALS!” thing
we chatted about earlier?) on new Ducatis we really wish
we could blabber about here. Suffice to say that a trip to
sleepy San Rafael will reveal a treasure chest’s worth of
savings on some bikes that aren’t normally savings-able,
while they last!
TRIUMPH SPECIALS:
Triumph does allow sale prices in ads, so I’m going to
town! For a limited time (like you thought we’d do this
for all eternity...) with every new 2010 BONNEVILLE’s
and BONNEVILLE SE’s purchased from our stock we
will give you a gorgeous looking and sounding Arrow
complete 2 into 2 exhaust system valued at $1199 fo’ free!
We just received one new ’09 DAYTONA 675 and two
new ’09 STREET TRIPLE 675’s from the factory at a nice
discount and can now pass these savings on to you (and
then some!). The first person with $8499* gets our lovely
all-black Daytona 675, and two lucky riders will be giggling
in their helmets since they just scooped up new Street
Triple’s for $7499* apiece! Dawdle at your own peril, you
dawdling taker-of-unnecessary-risks fiend! Another Special
Factory Purchase to let you in on is a resplendent all-black
new ’09 SPEED TRIPLE 1050 for a lousy $8999! I told
you we got deals, Mr/Ms Grammar Police! A few other
Triumph Specials to tempt you with include 1 new ’09
SPRINT ST 1050 at $2200 off MSRP, 1 new ’10 SPEED
TRIPLE 1050 15th ANNIVERSARY EDITION
that can be had at $(CENSORED BY EVIL CITYBIKE
THOUGHT POLICE! CALL!) off MSRP, a couple of
NEW ’09 ROCKET III mega-cruisers at between $4000
and $5000 off MSRP (depending on model), and a bunch
of other similar deals. If you don’t see your most-wanted
Triumph listed here, just give us a shout.
USED BIKE SPECIALS: People love buying their used
bikes from us since we inspect them thoroughly, take
care of any necessary repairs, and stand behind them for
30 days after the purchase. Takes a lot of the risk out of
buying used, does it not? Among our used bike gems is a
pristine ’02 HONDA XR650L Dual-Sport bike with a
mere 3.5k miles on the clock at an equally mere $3499, an
’06 HONDA CBR600F4i with fewer than 5k miles for a
crummy $5999, an ’07 DUCATI MONSTER S4RS with
a full Termignoni exhaust kit (big bucks!) among other
cool bolt-on’s at just $9499, an ’02 SUZUKI SV650S with
kinda’ high miles (43k) but super well-maintained by its
one-and-only owner who also lavished it with some tasty
extras like a Penske rear shock, P.S. fork springs, a full
Yoshimura exhaust system, and a bunch of other fun stuff.
It runs like a well-oiled top and is only $3499.
WE BUY USED BIKES! Not only do we simply adore
taking trade-in’s, but we will also make you a cash offer
on the spot for your bike even if you just want to pay
off your bookie or (this hurts to write) want to use the
money towards a bike we don’t sell. Almost every dealer
nowadays is shying away from acquiring used bikes unless
they can practically steal them. We are not like almost
every dealer, though; we will pay good money for good
bikes. Give us a try!
HATTAR MOTORSPORTS resides at 601 Francisco
Blvd East in scenic San Rafael (a little north of S.F. and a
little northwest of Oakland, to give you a little directional
perspective). The doors swing open sharply at 10 AM and
slam shut like a bank vault at 6:30 PM (unless someone’s
spending money here in which case we’ll stay open all
night if need be) Tuesday through Friday, and 10 to
5:30 on Saturday. Our website can be found anytime
at www.hattarmoto.com. You may email us at sales@
hattarmoto.com if you wish and we still use telephones
for old time’s sake with a number sequence of 415-4563345. The * you may have seen by the prices are there to
signify that other charges will be added to the sale price in
order to determine an out-the-door (or as the Brits more
appropriately say, “on-the-road”) price. For detailed info,
please give us a shout.
MISSION MOTORCYCLES
6232 Mission Street Daly City, CA
94014. 650/992-1234 or 415/333-1234
missionmotorcycles.com
1st Saturday of the month is BROWN BAG Saturday! Get
it in the bag and Get 15% OFF!
Any Parts or Accessories in stock are 15% off the marked
price! One bag per customer, so get in as much stuff as you
can and have fun while saving money!
Our Service Department will check your tire pressures for
free whenever you bring in your motorcycle, scooter, or
ATV for servicing or repairs.
Used Bikes:
2006 Honda Shadow Aero 750—U1088, Looks and
performance of Classic Cruiser Styling From Days of Old,
$5499
2004 CRF250R—U970, Newly rebuilt motor! Only
$2999
2004 CRF250X—U1101, Green Sticker, Only $3749
2002 Kawasaki ZX-12R—C432, Lots of extras! Just
$4999
2008 Kawasaki ZX10R—U1049, «Willie D. Custom»
With Lots of Goodies, only $8999 with this CityBike Ad!
2007 Kawasaki ZZR600—U1059, Great Commuter
With GIVI Top Case, $5999
2003 Kawasaki Ninja 500R—U1096, dependable, fun
to ride commuter with cushy Corbin seat! $3299
2007 Kawasaki Ninja 500R — C431, Fun, easy,
manageable first sportbike, 6 miles! $4499
NEW:
Zero Electric Motorcycles Available Here At Mission
Motorcycles. Call To Schedule A Demo Ride (650) 992-1234
See all of our bikes online at
www.missionmotorcycles.com.
Prices do not include government fees, taxes, dealer
freight/preparation(new vehicles only), dealer document
preparation charges or any finance charges (if applicable).
Final actual sales price will vary depending on options or
accessories selected.
TIRE SPECIAL!!!!
Now thru Aug 31st come by the shop and get your ride
equipped with a brand new set of Dunlop Q2 tires and
pay just $299 for the whole deal including installation! Of
course, there's always a catch (no?) which means you have
to pay a few bucks for tire disposal ($4 to be exact) and
we need to give the state its precious tax money so you've
got to pay that too. Otherwise two freakin' ninety nine!
Please call service at 415-626-3496 extension 3 to make
an appointment. If you skip this part you must bring us
something good to eat.
USED BIKES
2003 DUCATI MULTISTRADA 1000: Hey! Who
needs to spend $23K on a new Multistrada with all it's
Gameboy buttons and gizmos when you can get a great
low mileage pre-owned one for less than six grand? Okay,
so it's a different bike but still.....
This one has had just one owner who kept up on all
services and warranty items -- it's in great shape with
just 8000 miles on the clock. Fully equipped with a Givi
topcase, a centerstand, an extended windscreen and a
painted underbelly fairing. And it's Red! Very nice for just
$5995!
2009 DUCATI 1198S: Practically brand new Superbike
waiting for a rider! This bone stock bike has lots of
factory-installed race bits -- traction control, full Ohlins
suspension, forged aluminum wheels etc. One owner who
bought it here, only 2000 miles, absolutely perfect and
needs nada. Metallic black over bronze frame and wheels.
Full factory warranty good until April 2011 or extend it
five more years out to 2016 (wha?) for only $799. All this
and badass street cred for just $17,495.
2000 DUCATI MONSTER 900IE: Low mileage icon
for less than $4K! Red over bronze with a few minor
scrapes but only 4800 miles. Runs great and all set for a
summer in the city! Just $3995
2003 DUCATI 749 BIPOSTO: Another low mileage
Ducati. Just under 3500 miles since new. Fly yellow. (Bug
splats blend right in!) Termi slip on pipe for some more
boom. Great for the street or bust it out on the track and
show the 848 folks a thing or three! Only $6495
2009 HUSQVARNA SM510: Just about as new as you
can get without being new. Only gone 400 miles and
ridden to church seven days a week by a little old lady in
Ross. Never seen snow or sleet and never had a parking
ticket either. Did I mention it's almost new? (Ok there are
a few boot scuffs on the back fender -- little old lady quit
her yoga class....)
Was $8699 but, for you, special CityBike reader, it's only
$5995!
2006 DUCATI SPORT 1000: Super clean Mono posto
Sport Classic. The original design from Mr. Terblanche
with a dry clutch, shock on the left and pipe on the right.
7.8k easy miles put on by a careful owner and recent 6K
service. A few mods round out the package—Ducati bar
risers, open clutch cover and Shark 2-into-1 pipe for some
extra sound. Can't believe no one has yet stepped up and
taken control of this beast! Only $6795
NEW BIKES
MUNROE MOTORS
DUCATI
SAN FRANCISCO'S OLDEST AND BEST
MOTORCYCLE SHOP—SINCE 1958
Ducati and Munroe still have some great specials going!
Logomania didn't exactly set the world on fire (don't
ask...) and so the folks in Cupertino have switched gears
and come up with something everyone understands....
CASH! Or if you don't like CASH and would rather fritter
away your pennies each month, there's cheap financing
too. Any way you crumble the cookie, the deals are good
and summer is not yet half over so get on down here!
412 Valencia St. S.F. 415/626-3496
www.munroemotors.com FOR RACE FANS
Along with those somewhat quick guys from Italy, Spain,
Texas and Kentucky our very own Nicholas Hayman has
been invited to race at Laguna Seca!
That's right! Sir Nick has just a few races left including a
biggie at Laguna on the Saturday of Moto GP weekend
(rapidly approaching on Friday July 23rd, Saturday July
24th and Sunday July 25th for those of you napping in yer
cubes....) Since this is an AMA event he'll be riding a tried
and true 848 instead of his war-torn 999. Look for number
30 making his way to the front! GO NICK!!!! As always
you can read his shameless, self-promoting, snickering
stories on the amazing website we set up in 1992:
www.munroemotors.com
As usual we've got a great selection of demo bikes. Take
your pick of the new Multistrada 1200 Sport, the new
Monster 796, the Hyper 796, the Streetfighter, little
Monsters, big Monsters or Superbikes. Bring your
helmet, jacket gloves and M1 or you'll be forced to wear
one of our stinky loaner helmets! Best test ride time is
during the week before 2pm or Saturdays before noon but
we're pretty accomodating if that doesn't fit your schedule.
4:56 pm on Saturday tho, Fuggghetaboutit Jerky!
MV AGUSTA
Before we're all sold out come see and ride the amazing
new F4! We've got a Titanium colored demo and the
August 2010 | 24 | CityBike.com
other two colors as well (Black, or everyone's fav Red
over Silver). Unbelieveably, these incredibly sexy bella
machinas are just $18,500! Brutales are cool too -- come
ride one! And then, of course, buy one!
2007 Kawasaki Ninja 500R, silver, just 646 miles, $3895
HUSQVARNA
2007 Suzuki GS500F Silver, full fairing, liked by
CityBike! 4473 miles, $3695
Just arrived, the new, totally redesigned, more powerful
2011 SM 630 and TE 630s! Awesome new twin cam
headed engines and cool new color schemes! Sorry but
we're all sold out of the 2009s that y'all been calling
about.....You missed 'em, okay! We'll get you any 2010 or
2011 that's available to us. Just bring your checkbook.
TRIUMPH
The Bonnie Black is back! Come get the original classic,
a Bonneville dressed for the streets of San Francisco.
Basic, elegant and super retro with a black engine and all
black paint.
How about a cruiser? The Triumph Thunderbird just
won another award—Named Best Cruiser for the second
year in a row by Cycle World Magazine. We've got a Silver
and black one on the showroom floorand it looks pretty
darn good, even to the sportbike eyeball (gotta squint
and cough a little maybe) Americas, Speedmasters and
Rockets -- don't look anywhere else. We'll make you an
offer you can't refuse!
SCOOTERS!
2006 Hyosung Rally 3518 miles, 50cc fun, $1299
2002 MZ Moskito, 6172 miles, 50cc, just $750
2008 SYM HD200 777 miles, fast, fun, freeway-legal,
$3195
2010 SYM HD200 Cross-country rally scoot! Call for
pricing.
2008 SYM RV250 Big, fast, superscoot! 671 miles, $3395
1969 Vespa ET3 Primavera Classic! Runs! Cute! $2899
1983 Vespa PX200 1289 miles. Rare electronic ignition
model, CA plated two-stroke! $3995
2006 Vespa GT200 6157 miles, gray, $4295
2006 Vespa LX150, 4037 miles, red, $2895
2007 Vespa LX150, 71 (really!) miles, blue, $3695
And for the umpteenth time will someone please buy
our Matte Khaki Green 2010 Scrambler! Can't list the
deal here but go to our website and see the savings. It's
good! And, of course there are Tigers, Street Triple Rs,
Daytona 675s.......all amazing triples!
2008 Vespa LX150, 1496 miles, red, $3595
MOTO GUZZI
2007 Yamaha Vino 125 2913 miles, gray, cute! $2195
Excellent selection of the venerable V-Twins from the
shores of Lago di Como. Come see the retro styled V7
Classic and Cafe, the brawny Griso and Guzzi's entry
into the dual sport world, the Stelvio.
2008 Yamaha Majesty 400, Liquid-cooled maxi-scoot!
593 miles, $4395
SF MOTO
2004 Yamaha Zuma 50, two-stroke fun! 5118 miles!
$1295
255 8th Street at Folsom in San Francisco: 415/2553132, www.sfmoto.com. Located in the SOMA (South
of Market) neighborhood in San Francisco, California
we provide the bay area with new and used motorcycles,
scooters, service,and gear. We have an overflowing
inventory of used sportbikes, cruisers, supermoto, and
scooters. Lots of options for financing as well. Our Service
department has INCREASED operating hours. Every
weekday morning service now opens at 8:00 a.m. What’s New:
In the parts department: Sartso kevlar riding pants
(jeans) are comfortable, and a very good value. In stock
for both women and men. Look for pix on the website.
The SHARK Helmets RSI Carbon Collection has just
arrived and is most likely the lightest helmet you have ever
picked up. Check them out right here at SF Moto.
ALL in stock SPARX full face helmets are on sale for just
$100.00 while they last.
All outerwear from Armadillo currently on SALE at
CLOSEOUT / BLOWOUT prices !!!!!!
In the Service department: Service hours have
INCREASED! Every weekday morning service now
opens at 8:00am. We are getting fantastic response from
all of you on this one THANK YOU!! Now we have a
direct phone line into the service dept: Call SF Moto
service direct at 415-861-7186
A new tool just arrived from Europe that allows us to
make a working copy of your Vespa or Ducati key EVEN if
you LOST your MASTER KEY!
In the Sales department: Photos of the 2010 Hyosung
GT250R are now up. Find the link to pix on the
motorcycles page. Find our page on Facebook to find out
which bikes we just bought, and will soon be coming to
market. Just click on “Facebook” at the top of the page and
we will see you there! Check www.sfmoto.com for photos
and video of used and new inventory!
MOTORCYCLES!
2007 Honda Shadow 600, 1010 miles, blue, V-Twin!
$4095
2008 Honda Shadow 600 Blue, liquid-cooled V-Twin!
4360 miles, $4095
2006 Honda CBR600F4i, fast, comfy, 344 miles, $5695
2009 Kawasaki Versys 650, green do-it-all funster! 9969
miles, $5395
2009 Kawasaki Ninja 500R, blue 8114 miles, $3849
CityBike Classifieds
2003 Suzuki GSX-R600, Alstare edition, 8761 miles,
$4200
2008 Vespa LX150, 343 miles, silver, $3695
2006 Vespa GT200 6157 miles, gray, price reduced!
$3899
2007 Yamaha Majesty 400, Liquid-cooled maxi-scoot in
blue! 2816 miles, $3795
THE ZEN HOUSE
170 Main Street, Point Arena, CA 95468 707/882-2281
www.TheZenHouse.net
2001 Ducati Monster M900Sie: Arrow Aftermarket
Exhaust System, Bar Risers, 25,000 Miles, Fast & Fun
PRICED TO SELL!! $3,400.00.
2000 Bimota SB6R: Recent Major Service; Low Miles;
Clean, Good Tires & Chain; GXSR Power Plant; Exotic
Italian Trim; Best of Both Worlds; Ready to Ride! Own
the only one on the block for only $11,000
1996 Triumph Sprint: Very Clean, Factory Bags,
StainTune Mufflers, Good Tires, 8600 Miles. GREATLY
REDUCED! PRICED TO SELL!! $2,600.00
1990 Harley XL883 Sportster: S & S Carburetor and Air
Cleaner, Near New Avon Venom-X Tires, New Battery,
Recent Service Just Completed, Easy Starting and Great
Running, 24,000 Miles. Great Harley for only $2395
1985 Yamaha RZ350: Milled Head; Fresh Top End;
Mukuni Carbs; V-Force 3 Reeds; Ported & Polished;
Aftermarket Pipes; Spec II Full Faring; The Last of the
2-Stroke Road Bikes! $3,900
For additional info please visit www.TheZenHouse.net
Hyosung! GV650 Avitar, ridden and liked by CityBike,
fast, sweet-handling limited-edition V-Twin, FI, 2-year
warranty, $7499. 2009 GT250R, better than the 250
Ninja! $3799. 2009 SYM HD200, pick your color,
freeway legal, SALE! $3499!
1999 Yamaha R1, blue, 4.6K miles, Ohlins, Race Tech,
Graves rearsets, V&H slip-on: $3950. Also, '97 Aprilia
RS250 & '99 R6 track bikes: prices negotiable. 408/3430381/921-9689.
FREMONT HONDA KAWASAKI
1997 Honda ST1100. Fast & fun sport tourer with moto
bars, risers, Corbin & stock seats, Haynes manual, and
trunk. 76k and in excellent mechanical, good cosmetic
shape. All black. $3800 o.b.o. (707) 223-2064.
This month’s pre-owned inventory:
1999 Kawasaki Concours: 40k miles, plus upgrades,
never crashed. $2345 or ? Auburn 530/823-8480
2005 HONDA VTX 1300R $5,999 21,800 Miles, Black
Beautiful bike, hard bags,Vance and Hines exh. crash bars,
windscreen, dual back rest. Ask for Bill Keys
1955 Zundapp 600cc: Restored to perfection. National
award winner. Black. $25,000. Serious inquiries only.
415/781-3432
2009 HONDA SHADOW VLX DELUXE 600 $4499
bone stock, with windshield, like new.
2007 KTM 990 Superduke: Orange and black, 7500
miles. Great condition. $8900 707/971-0306
2006 VICTORY KINGPIN $8,999.00 21,000 Miles,
Black. Clean, well maintained. Corbin seat with dual
backrest. K & N oil cooler. Arlen Ness custom bag guards.
2002 Moto Guzzi LeMans: 7000 miles, Champagne
gold, factory titanium cannisters, factory ECU chip,
Corbin Gel Seat. $6000 Clay 510/758-7564, bmwclay@
prodigy.net
2009 APRILIA SR50 R FACTORY scooter only 18
miles!!! $2599
2003 HONDA RC51 $5999 ONLY 18000 miles, Sato
high mounts, superbike bar conversion, more
2008 HONDA CBR1000RR $8,999, 1500 Miles
Graphite Black/Pearl, Only 1500 miles. Never down. Just
like brand new out of the box fresh. You won’t find a nicer
used bike.
2006 HONDA GOLD WING PREMIUM AUDIO
$15,799 5,700 Miles. Black Extra low miles, like new
condition.
Call Bill Keys Tues. Wed., Fri. Sat. 510/661-0100 ext 115
or email: bill@fremonthondakawasaki.com
SCOOTERLAND!
ScooterLand US is leading the transition to newer,
greener forms of transportation for everyone; 100% Green
Technology Electric Bicycles, Eco Friendly Gas & Electric
Scooters and Electric Mobility Scooters. Visit us online at
www.scooterlandus.com or in our San Jose & Los Gatos
Locations 408/ 354-2999.
State:
check out our web site: www.dubbelju.com and see all the
things we have going on. 415/495-2774.
Zip:
SAN FRANCISCO AND BEYOND:
DAVE’S CYCLE TRANSPORT
ADVANCED CYCLE SERVICE
Ready-to-ride for summer? Stop by for a FREE
inspection, tires, chain, brakes! For all your motorcycle
needs. Next door to HELIMOT: 1135 Old Bayshore Hwy
San Jose, CA 95112. 408/299-0508, 408/299-0509 fax
Jim Davis (owner/mechanic)
2003 Suzuki SV1000S, silver. One original owner, still
on first set of tires! Just 3000 miles, like new. Other items
available. $4500. Ask for Otto: tthrnndz@yahoo.com
2001 Honda Reflex Scooter: 250cc, 8100 miles, new tags
in May, $1999. Call Jess in Belmont: 650/593-6763
2006 KAWASAKI KX450F $3,999.00, 50 Hours,
Kawasaki Lime Green / Black, Adult owned, well cared
for and clean. Nice bike.
Name:
Address:
City:
e-mail:
USED MOTORCYCLES:
NEW:
41545 Albrae Street in Fremont: 510/661-0100
fremonthondakawasaki.com.
Reach thousands of Northern California motorcyclists. Just $15 for 25 words,
25¢ each additional word. Photos add $25. Industry classifieds are a higher
price. Free 25-word listing for stolen bikes. Deadline is the 3rd of each
month. Just fill out the form, or copy and send it with your check, payable to
CityBike 69A Duboce, San Francisco, CA 94103
Three Trials Motorcycles for Sale! 70cc, 250cc and
350cc. Call 415/781-3432
2006 Yamaha FZ1: Under 13,000 miles, excellent
mechanical condition though will need tires soon.
Everything else is excellent: just some cosmetic wear
saddle bags / seat bag included $5000 or offer 831/9172227.
PARTS AND ACCESSORIES
THE UNDERTAKER: Motorcycle towing system. No
trailer, no tires, no tags. No parking or storing. Check it
out at www.TowYourBike.com. 925/413-4103. Dirt Bike
or Cruiser. The Old Man
The Old Truck
Dave is working
Dave’s Cycle Transport
San Francisco-Bay Area and Beyond...
24 Hour Service
(415)824-3020/www.davescycle.com
WHEELS AND DEALS
MOTO TIRE GUY
www.MotoTireGuy.com
Motorcycle Tire Services
San Francisco - Bay Area
(415) 601-2853
Order your tires online, Zero CA sales tax plus Free UPS
Ground, then have a Preferred Installer in your local area do
the installation and save! Please visit website for details.
MOTORCYCLE RIDING LESSONS
One-on-one training! Motorcycles provided, advanced
rider training. Passengers/hills/freeway/refresher course/
dirt!
MOTOMIKE
13 years of one-on-one training: get out of the parking lot
and ride!
415/225-MOTO (6686), motomike1@yahoo.com.
TOWING
ACCIDENT OR INJURY?
Call 415/999-4790 for a 24-hr. recorded message and a
copy of the FREE REPORT
EBAY SALES
eBay sales. Specialist with vehicles, 12 years experience,
and 4000+ positive feedback rating. Flat listing rate. I can
produce auctions with 20+ large format, gorgeous, high
quality pictures with my dealer account and pro-grade
camera. Dr. Hannibal Lechter reminds us that «we covet
what we see.” Let me show people what you have and why
they should pay top dollar for it! Interested in larger lots of
identifiable, good-quality motorcycle and car parts to buy
as well. imperialist1960@yahoo.com or 415/699-8760.
STOLEN!
Help! My Suzuki DRZ 400SM was stolen in Pacific
Heights July 14th. Yosh exhaust, left rear blinker was
kinda hanging off, Acerbis front light, new back tire, no
graphics just totally black (except two EXCEL stickers
on front fork covers. License plate : 17X2436 Vin:
JS1SK44A662100477. Please no street justice, just call me
and the SFPD if you see the bike. (415) 982-9033
NORTHBAY: REDWOODS
MOTORCYCLE TOW & TRANSPORT
Stolen motorcycles are listed free in CityBike (if you didn’t
steal them)! Send info to info@citybike.com
Providing safe and reliable transport of your motorcycle!
REACH OUT TO THE MASSES!
SERVICES
Licensed and Insured
MOTORCYCLE STORAGE AND
RENTALS IN SAN FRANCISCO
Hold a California Motor Carrier Permit
Run your classified in CityBike and communicate with
thousands and thousands of Bay Area motorcyclists,
most of whom fear and loathe the Internet for the soulkilling time-sink that it is. For $15, we’ll run your ad ‘till
sold, and probably even months after that. You can ask
for free stuff, tell us why the world will end next week, or
publish your personal manifesto 25 words at a time...the
sky's the limit! Subscribers get a free ad every month!
We're practically paying you to run an ad! It’s like we’re
the government.
Never worry about theft, vandalism, weather damage
or parking tickets. DUBBELJU MC RENTALS, San
Francisco’s oldest motorcycle rental shop, offers safe storage
for your bike in our shop at 689A Bryant St. Not only is it a
great shop to store your motorcycle but we have cool rental
bikes as well; BMW, Triumph, Harley, Honda, Suzuki, and
even Yamaha scooters. Keep us in mind when your bike is
in the shop or you have a friend come in to town. Be sure to
Santa Rosa, CA
Serving
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August 2010 | 25 | CityBike.com
AFM Report: Round 4 at Thunderhill Raceway
with wins in Formula
40 Heavyweight, Open
Superbike and CityBike
Open Grand Prix on his
Mach 1 Motorsports
Yamaha. Once again,
Lenny Hale racked
up the victories in the
middleweight classes,
with winning finishes
in 750 Production,
750 Superbike, and
600 Superbike on his
Garage Endeavors tuned
Yamaha. Taking things
one step further with four
victories was Dan Sewell,
walking away from the
weekend with wins in
Formula 40 Lightweight,
650 Twins, Formula
4, and 650 Production
Twins on his Twin Works
Factory Suzuki.
By Mike Solis,
Photos by
Gary Rather
Pacific Track Time’s
Michael Earnest added
to his winning record for
the season, taking the
Formula Pacific victory
at Thunderhill Raceway.
American Honda’s Jeff
Tigert led early on his
CM Motorsports tuned
Honda, with Earnest and
BARF Racing’s Chris
Siglin both in pursuit. As
the race went on, both
Earnest and Siglin made
their way past Tigert,
exchanging positions a
number of times as Tigert
waited to capitalize on
any mistakes.
On the final lap, Earnest
slipped just out of Siglin’s
reach as Tigert set himself
up for one last run to the Ed Hazaar (45) out front on his famous Kawasaki in Formula Dinosaur.
checkered flag. In the end,
it was Earnest who took
“I just got lucky that Mike and Chris
the race win on his EDR Performanceheld each other up, and then Chris made
tuned Suzuki, his second of the season.
that mistake,” explained Tigert. “I don’t
Siglin appeared to have second in hand,
feel like I deserved it. It kinda baffles
but mistakenly rolled off the throttle at
me—Mike’s been racing all these years
the flag. With the actual finish line located and getting faster, and here I am after only
another hundred or so feet down the track, 10 years, not riding like I used to just four
Tigert was able to motor past for second,
or five years ago. I don’t feel like I’m going
relegating Siglin to third.
slower, but I don’t feel like I have that edge
that I used to have. Used to be if there
“The last two rounds were rough, having
was someone in front of me, I didn’t give a
to borrow a bike for Round 2 and then
fock—I was gonna come through and get
breaking a handlebar clamp in Round 3,”
‘em! I’d like to have the old Jeff back so I
said Earnest. “That’s racing though, ya
know? It’s the bad days that make the good could challenge him for more race wins.”
ones feel so good. It’s a privilege to ride
with those guys—hopefully we can do it
again in the next one. I think it was a really
good race for people to watch—I’m just
doing my best trying to represent the old
guys out there!”
After spending most of the race in third,
the former AFM Number One and current
Willow Springs Number One Tigert
explained how fortunate he felt for his
runner-up finish.
service
Thunderhill also saw
some new faces finishing
at the front. Open
Formula Pacific - 1. Michael Earnest 2. Jeffrey Tigert 3.
Chris Siglin 4. David Stanton 5. Martin Szwarc 6. Cory
Call
CT Racing Open Superbike - 1. David Stanton 2.
Martin Szwarc 3. Corey Sarros 4. Scott Wilson 5.
Wesley Kane 6. Harley Barnes
750 Superbike - 1. Lenny Hale 2. Kevin Nekimken
3. Jason Lauritzen 4. Greg McCullough 5. Timothy
Kamholz 6. Brian Stone
Pacific Track Time 600 Superbike - 1. Lenny Hale 2.
Tyler O’Hara 3. Travis Oghe 4. Jason Lauritzen 5. Greg
McCullough 6. Berto Wooldridge
450 Superbike - 1. Joe Sickle 2. Vlastimil Kotyza 3.
Aleksandr Anatichuk 4. Vik Anderson 5. Jake Kimball
6. Chris Barbour
250 Superbike - 1. Kirk Korenko 2. Charles Weaver
3. Brian Bartlow 4. Alex Florea 5. Mark McKinney 6.
Wesley Rundall
The Track Club Open Production - 1. Ken Casey 2.
Jesse Carter 3. Blaine Bessler 4. Patrick Corcoran 5.
Tim Scarrott 6. Michael Aaron Cohen
750 Production - 1. Lenny Hale 2. Kevin Nekimken 3.
Berto Wooldridge 4. Jason Lauritzen 5. Brian Stone 6.
Neil Atterbury
Keigwins@theTrack 600 Production - 1. Tyler
O’Hara 2. Lenny Hale 3. Berto Wooldridge4. Jason
Lauritzen 5. Greg McCullough 6. Jeff Greenberg
improvement in his results, “EDR
Performance built me a supersport motor,
and Terry Russell of KFG Racing has been
driving down here every weekend with
his trailer and rig to help us out. And of
course there’s Michael Earnest, who has
been helping me a bunch lately. I’m looking
forward to the next race.”
Frustrated with what may end up being
a costly mistake to his championship
hopes, Siglin described his thoughts on
the weekend.
Another first timer to the top step of
the podium was BARF Racing’s Berto
Wooldridge. After over eight years of
racing, the charismatic Wooldridge finally
took his first AFM race win, taking the
Formula 1 victory on his Fastline Cyclestuned BARF Racing Yamaha R6 after
a hard-fought battle with second-place
finisher Greg McCullough.
“I was so freaking pissed at myself,” said
Siglin, “I’ve raced at this track tons of times,
and know better than that. I brain farted for
whatever reason and it cost me a secondplace finish, and points that would have
tied me with Tigert for the championship
lead. Now, I’m nine points back. Trust me,
parts
AFM Round 4
June 11-12, 2010
Thunderhill Raceway
Results
650 Production Twins - 1. Dan Sewell 2. David Raff 3.
Robin Geenen 4. Thomas Dorsey 5. Alan Cunningham
6. Timothy Ames
Formula 40 Mediumweight - 1. Timothy Kamholz
2. Zdenek Mika 3. James Hendricks 4. Kelly Barnett 5.
Garry Bannister 6. David Ben-Jamin
250 Production - 1. Kirk Korenko 2. Charles Weaver 3.
Brian Bartlow 4. Mark McKinney 5. Wesley Rundall 6.
Robert Wetterau
Formula 40 Lightweight - 1. Dan Sewell 2. Jay
Avansino 3. Robert Campbell 4. Guy Hyder 5. Jay
Kinberger 6. Debra Barton
CityBike Open Grand Prix - 1. David Stanton 2.
Martin Swarc 3. Wesley Kane 4. Scott Wilson 5. Peter
O’Sullivan 6. Jesse Carter
Super Dinosaur - 1. Paul Rico 2. Guy Hyder 3. Ed
Haazer 4. Andrew Clay 5. Kevin Clark 6. Spencer Smith
Scuderia West Formula 1 - 1. Berto Wooldridge 2.
Greg McCullough 3. Jesse Carter 4. Eric Gulbransen 5.
Lenny Hale 6. Jason Butler
Formula 2 - 1. Brian Hoffman 2. Michael Altamirano 3.
Erik Kolstoe 4. Richard Denman 5. Andre Benguerel 6.
Gwyn Lewis
Adjustable Triple Clamp for Ducati 916 to 1198
Race proven and endorsed by World Champion Doug Polen (gopolen.com)
Ken Casey (196) takes his first AFM win in Open Production.
that will never happen again—I’ll ride my
bike into the grass before it does!”
Once again, a handful of racers came
away from the event with multiple race
wins. Former number-one David Stanton
continued his mid-season surge in form,
August 2010 | 26 | CityBike.com
Production saw Ken Casey of Race Ready
Motorsports take his first AFM race win,
scoring a decisive victory over second place
finisher Jesse Carter.
“The bike is working great,” Casey
explained when asked about the consistent
Clubman Heavyweight - 1. Michael Aaron Cohen 2.
Steve Erickson 3. Blaine Bessler 4. Brian Woodiwiss 5.
Micah Larson 6. Aleksandr Anatichuk
Formula 3 - 1. Debra Barton 2. Phillip Krenn 3. Jayson
Uribe 4. John Kreidle 5. Gwyn Lewis
Clubman Middleweight - 1. Adam La Vigna 2. Mike
Nigliazzo 3. Aleksandr Anatichuk 4. David Carpenter 5.
Micah Larson 6. Chris McCoy
Formula 4 - 1. Dan Sewell 2. Jay Avansino 3. David
Raff 4. Andrew Patterson 5. Robert Campbell 6. Jay
Kinberger
Clubman Lightweight - 1. Rory Kamper 2. Mitch
Joseph 3. Aleksandr Anatichuk 4. Kevin Clark 5.
Timothy Ames 6. Frank Shermoen
Desmoto Sport Open Twins - 1. Chris Siglin 2. Steve
Metz 3. Nick Hayman 4. Eric Gulbransen 5. Brendan
Walsh 6. Scott Miles
Tag Team Heavyweight - 1. Neil Atterbury, Harley
Barnes 2. Ron Bunten, Richard Stanco 3. Martin Ayala,
David Hutton 4. Tim Scarrott, Eric Morris 5. John
Gerard Henry
650 Twins - 1. Dan Sewell 2. Jay Avansino 3. David
Raff 4. Andrew Patterson 5. Robert Campbell 6. Jay
Kinberger
500 Twins - 1. Vik Anderson 2. Leonard Barker Jr 3.
Brian Bartlow 4. Patrick Aldinger 5. Dan Azar
Formula Singles - 1. Alex Florea 2. Adam Schindler
Formula 40 Heavyweight - 1. David Stanton 2. Peter
O’Sullivan 3. Ron Bunten 4. Anthony Manciu 5. Patrick
Corcoran 6. Patrick Blackburn
has it pretty dialed. I know he likes to ride
hard—I always just hope I can pressure
him into a mistake or something. We’ve
got a good program going with Mach 1
Motorsports, Pirelli, and GP Bike Parts—
the team owner and I are good buddies,
and it’s his bike I’m riding.”
Thunderhill also saw the premiere of
a new class of racing, referred to as
“Tag Team.” This new class—which
utilizes a Le Mans-style running start—
incorporates teams of two riders that take
Tag Team Middleweight - 1. Greg McCullough,
Jason Lauritzen 2. Jesse Carter, Wyatt King 3. Ricardo
Vizcaino, Oscar Fernandez 4. David Ben-Jamin, Justus
Hoffman 5. Lisa Wallace, Jennifer Lauritzen 6. Kyle
Schirrmacher, Sam Richards
Tag Team Lightweight - 1. Jay Avansino, Tom Dorsey
2. Mickey Fimbres, Robin Geenen 3. Jonathan Forman,
Joe Sickle 4. Alan Cunningham, Brad Gyger 5. Gwyn
Lewis, John Kreidle 6. Jake Kimball, Richard Appel
turns over the course of 60 minutes, with
pit stops allowed only between 20 minutes
and 40 minutes. The class appeared to
be a hit with the riders, with Keigwins@
theTrack instructors Harley Barnes and
Neil Atterbury taking the overall win,
after Ken Casey and Gabe Santa Coloma
were disqualified for a pitting outside of
the allotted time window.
“We barely made it out there—it was
interesting for everyone,” explained
Barnes. “My bike was overheating, I had
“This weekend was a dream weekend from
the start,” explained Wooldridge. “We had
a strategy, a plan of a risky nature, and we
executed on it perfectly. I love it when a
plan comes together! I’ve won a plethora of
races on jet skis, championships, state titles,
but nothing felt better than this win—the
monkey is finally off my back.”
performance
Formula AFemme - 1. Joy Higa 2. Christie Cooley 3.
Zoe Rem 4. Jennifer Lauritzen 5. Bess Keigwin 6. Lisa
Wallace
Young racer Tyler O’Hara was another
rider who managed to pierce Lenny Hale’s
domination of the middleweight classes,
taking the 600 Production win. After
exchanging the lead with O’Hara a number
of times over the course of the race, Hale
was forced to settle for second, with Berto
Wooldridge third.
“I think every time I go out, I’m learning
something from Lenny,” explained the
23-year-old O’Hara. “He’s been riding
these same tracks for the last five years, and
August 2010 | 27 | CityBike.com
to back off and let them pass me two laps
from the end. I wasn’t really sure, but in
the pits they knew because of the illegal
pit stop. My bike was overheating, I had to
back off and they passed me two laps from
the end. It lasted only one race on Sunday
until it let go!”
The next round of AFM action takes place in July
10-11, again at Thunderhill Raceway. Find out
more about club racing in Northern California at
afmracing.org.