Pulsar Mania- Awesome Advertisement video of Bajaj Pulsar motorcycle

Really cool advertisement you gotta see this motorcycle stunt mania.

These guys have some serious skills, and the choreography is incredible.



click on the link below to watch the video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=caOInhi5e8c

Motorcycle Puzzle has whole family puzzled.

When My family and I went to Glacier National Park for a family vacation, I was really bummed out that I did not have my motorcycle with me, as it would have been a beautifull ride. That is another post all together.


We did get a souvineer called scramble squares. It consists of 9 square cardboard puzzle pieces that make a perfect square when assembled together. All 9 pieces are the exact same square shape, just the picture is different. The object is to line up all nine pieces so the pictures all match up. It comes with no photo of it completed, so it is truly mind boggling.

I know it can be done, because we saw it put together at the gift shop. That was the only time it has been together. We've all tried but to no avail.


Of course the puzzle I bought was of motorcycles.


I took a picture below.




It is not together properly in my photo of course.


Everytime we think we got it together, we realize we are off a piece or two.


Gaaah!


P.S.

Anyone interested, should click on the picture to expand it to full size, copy and paste it, and print it out, and cut out the pieces to make your own puzzle. Then try to solve the puzzle. Be prepared to waste some serious time trying, as the hardest most frustrating part is you have no idea where the correct starting pieces are, etc.

If any one does solve the puzzle, PLEASE take a picture, and e-mail it to me. I want proof, and I'll post it on my site. Also I want it for myself so I can cheat and put my own puzzle together.


Good luck!



Mr. Motorcycle

Free Smells ... Ooh Yeah

As much as I like motorcycles, and the motorcycle lifestyle, I like motorcycle shops.



Why you ask?


Because there is only one kind of person you will ever likely run into at a motorcycle shop of any kind.......another biker, or person with similar interests, or obsessions if you will.


It's like hanging out at a bar. My wife actually refers to a local bike shop I hang out at as "The Bar".

I think She is O.K. with me going there 'Cause it keeps me out of the real bars "for the most part".


I labeled this post free smells, because it reminds me of a hoagie restaraunt nearby called Jimmy John's . This is where they advertise that they deliver subs so fast you'll freak.

Anyway, they have a sign on the front door that says "Free smells".

I chuckle inside a bit when I see the sign, because I'm always tempted to walk in some day through the front door and take a REALLY big sniff. When they ask me if they can help me, I want to say, no thanks, I just came in for a free smell.

(LOL). I crack myself up sometimes. Just ask my wife an kids. They find it funny that I make myself laugh.


This brings me back to the bike shop. I many times have no reason to go there except for my free smells. In other words, not to purchase anything, but just to talk smart, and hang around with the guys in the shop, drink a beer or two and shoot the sh*t if you know what I mean.


Where do you get your free smells?


Mr. Motorcycle

She snows, and she blows

Not that this is great post material, 'Cause weve all read about it so many times before, but it cannot go without mention.




It is April 26th, 5:39 A.M Central time zone, and it is now blowing I would guess up to 40 M.P.H. wind gusts (Maybe more), and it is snowing.


I know this is Minnesota, but this is not typical to have snow this time of year. I know it won't last, and I'll be riding again soon, but it still frustrates me because I've only had my motorcycle out a handfull of times. Many other years, I'd have had it out plenty by now.


Guess I'll work today instead of ride.


Have a good weekend, and hopefully some of you will get out and enjoy some decent weather.

Maybe I'll live vicariously through you.


Mr. Motorcycle

Great John Travolta "Good things happen on a Honda" advertisement

Click link below to go to Youtube video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d1CuZRPM0Aw

Exactly when did I fall in love with motorcycles?

I must first say that I have been planning this post for quite some time, but fellow motorcycle blogger, FLHX Dave from http://roadgritscafe.blogspot.com/ beat me to it. I’m sure he is not the first to post this story in his own version, and I certainly hope he and I will not be the last. It makes such good reading.
The link to his post is something you should make sure to read as well. It is heartfelt, and funny. http://roadgritscafe.blogspot.com/2008/04/no-one-forgets-their-first-time.html

I’m not sure, but I know before the day I was certain, there were a lot of influences. Some were subliminal, some were not.

My very first brand new bicycle had baby ape hangers. This was just the style back in the early 70’s. In the photo, you can see, I’m the littlest one up front. My sister hiding directly behind me had ape hangers on her new bike as well, and my big brother, well, he wanted a five speed, so he got the beach cruisers. Notice my big brother's Vikings belt buckle! Too funny.





My second bicycle was a Huffy Thunder Road. This was like a motorcycle as far as I was concerned. Couldn’t imagine how many times I put playing cards in the spokes to get the potato potato potato V-twin motorcycle sound out of it. I used to pretend it was a motocross motorcycle too. (No that is not me on the Huffy.)



I remember getting a ride on my older cousin Gary’s Harley like it was yesterday. I’m not sure if he went super fast, or if it was my imagination taking hold because it was my first real motorcycle ride ever. It sure felt fast. I was in love with it and the adrenaline rush it gave me.

I remember getting a ride on the back of one of my older brother’s friend’s crotch rockets. This is when they seemed to be pretty new on the market for street legal bikes, and I know he went way too fast for having his friend's kid brother on the back with no helmet. I also know I egged him on to "go Faster - Faster!". He said we were doing about 100 MPH. THAT was cool. I was again in love with motorcycles and the adrenaline rush.

I never had a motorcycle as a kid. My folks wouldn’t have it. Too dangerous, and too much money. I had a few friends with three wheelers, mini bikes, dirt bikes, and such. I got to ride their stuff plenty. This scratched my itch, until I was a little older.

When I was 15 years old, my folks let me buy a moped with money I’d saved from lawn mowing jobs around the neighborhood. I believe, but can’t say for certain that this was when the true obsession started.

I got my driver’s license at 16 years old, and drove a car. Moped too slow, too dorky, not 18, & my folks wouldn’t let me have a motorcycle. (YET).

My mom and dad said you can’t have a motorcycle unless you are 18. I believe there was implication that I did not live with them as well, but shortly after I turned 18, ( I was 19). I bought a brand new shiny Honda Rebel 250. Burnsville Motor Sports was going out of business. The owner’s wife was selling it. It was hers. She had about 200 miles on it. Mostly from learning how to ride. She was afraid of riding so she wanted to give it up. They said I could take it home for $850.00. I paid cash that day. I had never ridden a real motorcycle on the road or anything yet, and did not really know how to ride, let alone shift. I had my buddy Johnny drive it home for me. I followed in my car. When we pulled up the driveway to my house together, my mother had just come home from work. Se said ”Hey Johnny , nice motorcycle, did you just get it? It looks brand new!” Johnny said, ”nope, it’s Mark’s. He can’t ride it yet, until I show him how.” I think my mother almost fainted when she realized he wasn’t kidding. This was similar to the reaction she had with my first tattoo. She wanted me to wash it off. (The tattoo was exactly three days after my 18th birthday.)

Anyway, back to the motorcycles. More bikes later, more stories to tell, here I am today.
I am a true obsessed motorcycle enthusiast nut. I LOVE EM!

You other motorcycle bloggers out there should share your story. Do your own post on this topic, or please feel free to write it in my comments section.
I’d love to hear your story.

Mr. Motorcycle

Ever wonder what happened to Vinnie after he left Orange County Choppers?

Ever wonder what happened to Vinnie after he left OCC?
And where in the Hell is Cody?
Vinnie Dimartino and Cody Connelly have started Vforce Customs.

It’s about time!
I knew it would happen eventually. Glad to see it materialize. I wish them both the best of luck in their new venture.

The posted photo here was borrowed from their site.

Check out their website.
http://www.vforcecustoms.com/

Beautiful 1974 Kawasaki 900

I was just at a client’s house.
We got to talking about cars and motorcycles. He showed me his 1974 Kawasaki 900 with only 19000+ miles.





The client of mine was the original owner.

The bike was pretty. It was in beautiful condition. It was all stock except the pipes which were replaced as the originals had rusted.

It’s was really nice to see a 99% original, well kept bike.

Got air? Tech. tip #2

Tech. tip #2.

I don't want all of my tech tips to be of the paint side of the motorcycle industry, so I thought I'd ask some advise of a motorcycle mechanic / bike builder. Scott Storms of Stormy Custom Bike Works in Blaine, MN. I reference to him as he is a friend of mine and local from where I come from, and I think one Hell of a Mechanic.

Scott, AKA Stormy, said he'd keep me in mind as he is wrenching, as ideas come up, he'll try to write them down.

He said the first thing to note that he sees far to frequently, is that 98 % of the bikes that come into the shop have underinflated tires. He said even my tires were low on air when I brought the bike in. He states that the average optimum P.S.I. for rule of thumb, should be at about 40 P.S.I. for motorcycle tires. Scott states that you should have a tire pressure guage with you when you ride for any long distances. Every so often, when you fill up with gas, check your tires. It only takes a second.

I'll keep this in mind, as I know, I'm guilty of sometimes just getting on and riding without checking my bike over properly, which scares the crap out of me after the Big Bear Chopper recall for frame welds failing.

The whole thing about low air pressure in motorcycle tires was just recently re-inforced by a blog post that Crusty the Biker http://crustythebiker.blogspot.com/ did that mentioned low tire pressure. I can't remember exactly what post, but I remember reading it and thinking that it was an important point to make as he owns a bike shop and he stated the same thing I had just heard from another bike shop the previous day.

So my Tech. tip is simple.

Make sure you check your tire pressure before you ride. I'ts your bike, and it's your life and safety we're talking about here.

Mr. Motorcycle

Condor Lifts, chocks, and stops at the 2008 Donnie Smith Bike Show

I've been meaning to post about this for a while but can never find time to squeeze all of the post ideas in.


When I was a t the 2008 Donnie Smith Invitational Bike Show recently, I ran into these guys from Condor. I was thoroughly impressed with their line of products that they were demonstrating.


They have fair prices, and really cool lifts, chocks, trailer stops, etc. plus the line of products was extremely user friendly, which is what I liked about them.


Here is a picture of the Pit Stop/Trailer Stop (PS-1500) I'm thinking about getting, as my wife wants me to build a smaller bike trailer.




All you have to do is roll the front tire in and it automaticly self locks the bike into place.
Secure the back, and you are ready to roll.


If you want to check out their site, here is a link.
http://www.condor-lift.com/

First decent ride of the year. I saw something interesting

I was finally able to get out for a nice long ride yesterday. The weather was beautiful. Bikes were everywhwere. I did not go anywhere special, just rode through Carlos Avery wildlife preserve, and putzed around. One of my riding buddies was doing projects trying to get the house ready for sale, another was getting ready to head out of town, and another didn't anwer his cell. I'm guessing he was out before me, and couldn't hear it over the sounds of the bike. So I went for a solo ride.

I did manage to stop at FatBoys Bar and Grill for a beer.







And then I spotted this thing rolling in.



I'm not going to say good or bad about it, as It is what it is, Just plain interesting.

All in all I had a good day riding. It was nice to be back on the road again.

2008 Spring Flood Run

I know I said I don't usually post on weekends, but I'm kinda rained out.
I woke up this moring to rain, and the weather forcasts state 90% to 50% chances of rain showers throughout the day along the St. Croix River areas, which is exactly where the Flood Runners will be riding today.

It will not be a Flood Run day for me like I stated I was going to do today. The weather is not cooperating, and I am a fair weather rider. The ride follows the St. Croix river, which seperates Minnesota, and Wisconsin for the majority of Minnesota. This is precisely, where for the last few days, we have had a wet pattern stall out due to the jet stream remaining far North. It's not pushing the storms through, so they are just kind of stalling out here. Bummer. I'll try to ride a bit today a little closer to home. I've not had much good luck with this run in the past. When I risk bad weather, I hit it. When I stay home due to bad weather, it decides to only tease of it, and I hear some of my buddies say, "you should have come, it was great."

Anyway, it's early in the year still. Plenty of good riding ahead yet.

If I don't post tomorrow, have a good weekend!

Mr. Motorcycle

electric dirt bike

Californian manufacturer Zero Motorcycles has launched the Zero X, an electric MX motorcycle that it says combines excellent performance with low noise and zero emissions.


Giving credit where it's due:
I got this information from my friends at Custom Motorcycle Talk by BeachCruiser.

I thought for those of you who don't read their site, this was too good to pass up. It is really cool.

They have a really good post about an electric dirt bike from Zero Motorcycles. The bike is called Zero X. I don't want to say much more about it as this is not my post. Just click the link below to go to Beach Cruiser's site to read about it. http://www.thebeachcruiser.com/blog/2008/04/18/new-american-electric-dirtbike.html

Thanks Train for posting this.

Mr. Motorcycle

A preview into the weekend, and a Friday Funny

If weather permits, I'll be going on my first biker run of the season. I missed the first big one here this year due to cruddy weather. I will do my best to get some good pictures and post them next week sometime. I don't typically post on the weekends, so untill next week, I give you my Friday Funny.







I've got a pretty good biker joke that a friend sherry Hoskins from Stormy Custom Bike Works shared with me.


The gynecologist:

A gynecologist had become fed up with high cost of malpractice insurance and was on the verge of being burned out. Hoping to find another career where skillful hands would be beneficial, he decided to make a major career change and become a Harley mechanic. He found out from the local community college what was involved, signed up for classes and learned all he could. When the time for the practical exam approached, the former gynecologist prepared carefully for weeks and completed the exam with tremendous skill. When the results came back, he was surprised to find that he had scored 150%. He called the instructor, saying "I don't want to appear ungrateful for such an outstanding result, but I wondered if there was an error." The instructor said, "During the exam, you took the engine apart perfectly, which was worth 50% of the total mark. You also put the engine back together perfectly, which is also worth 50% of the mark." The instructor went on to say, "I gave you that extra 50% because you did all of it through the muffler."

Beer - How many miles per gallon do you get?

This is my own little twist on some stats that have been around for a while, but I still thought it was good enough to share.

There was a study that found the average American walks about 900 miles per year.


Another study found Americans drink, on average, 22 gallons of beer a year.


I know I must fall somewhere in this category, as I am an avid beer lover and drinker.


That means, on average, I must get about 41 miles to the gallon.


That's right up there with my Harley.


Kind of makes me proud to be an American Beer Drinking Biker.

cool movie clips

I've been in a computer software training class for work for the last two days which have completedly consumed my life and time. Please excuse my lack of a real post today, but here is a YouTube video clip I enjoyed.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dc7VC-xy9UE Semo Cycles presents Hyosung Motors (Great add!)

Enjoy,

and I'll talk to you all later.

From the twisted mind of Mr. Motorcycle, I give you…

Mr. Motorcycles twisted sense of humor. Post #1

As I was watching the weather get warmer yesterday, and loving the warmer weather again today, The first thing that came to my mind is how I will fit in a motorcycle ride into my busy schedule today.

When I fly solo for a short ride, I usually don’t have anywhere special to go. I often end up at one of two of my local watering holes. I’m not much for drinking and riding, so I typically limit myself to one beer, which leaves the question…
What else is there to do while at a biker bar than drink?

Of course, eat.

Now that it is warm, the local watering holes will be sure to be grilling outdoors.

Thus, this post of a magnificently twisted picture of something I’ve been saving for all of you.

I give you “the wiener roaster”.

Anyone care for a wiener?

blog directories

Blog directories,

How important are they and do they really direct more traffic to your site?

This is a " blog age" old question. I've listed with several different motorcycle blog directories, and ones not related as well. I'm not sure how much more they really help.

My motorcycle blog is listed with Technorati, which I think is probably one of the biggest ones out there. I am pretty low on their list, as my blog listing with them is brand new as of (4-13-08) last night.

I think I've got some really good content and usefull information for readers interested in motorcycles, custom motorcycle,s and custom paint. I have plenty of contacts out there with a vast array of motorcycle knowledge from the mechanical side, to the builder side to the custom paint side of the industry.

So for those of you who have found me, and those willing to continue to read, I pose the question to you, my captive audience at the moment. Do blog directories to those of you who have been at this some time longer than I help? I humbly ask your opinions, and your advise. I welcome any comments on this subject, including RSS feeds, etc.

Thanks,

Mr. Motorcycle

Motorcycle exhaust pipes. Choosing what is right for your bike along with some technical advise.

My blog post about Dyno. tuning and a comment I got from Lady Ridesalot
( http://ladyridesalot.blogspot.com/ ) A.K.A. Glider Rider, inspired me to write this post about exhaust pipes.

Lady R. told me she was looking into possibly getting some new pipes in black, but she likes chrome too. She needs to ponder it awhile.

I commented back to her that as for chrome, vs. black pipes, I like both.

At the 2008 Donnie Smith Invitational Bike Show I was looking at pipes that had black & chrome combined. Boy, were they cool. They were the best of both worlds. There were several different brands (I think). I know for sure there were Rineharts. Kind of spendy. I'm not allowed to so much as even think about new pipes. I just put Vance and Hines on about a year ago. I am happy with them though. They look sleek. Kinda quiet for me, but I get compliments on how they sound regularly. Maybe they are just quieter while I'm on the bike rather than what others hear while next to it.

My old pipes were not stock either, and were definitely louder than the new Vance and Hines I have now. People said my old pipes were loud, but I never heard anyone say how good they sounded. Maybe loud isn't always better. But I really liked loud pipes.
Can I find pipes that are loud and sound good at the same time?
Oh yea, I'm not aloud to look at new pipes anymore.

A friendly little reminder…
What ever you choose, your pipes should be about more than just looks and style. Each set of pipes will naturally change what kind of performance you can achieve mechanically. If you change you pipes, make sure to save some money for Dyno. tuning and a proper re-jetting if applicable. Call around your local shops to see who does the Dyno tuning, and what they charge. I found in my area prices varied from about $150.00 - $350.00. Yes the $350.00 was worth it. They did more as far as full cycle tuning. You need to figure this into the cost of changing your pipes, as baffles are different in all pipes, and pipe width, length, and curves all change backpressure, which changes everything as far as how your engine will perform.

If you don’t Dyno. tune, you can have the best high performance pipes in the world and actually decrease your performance. In worst case scenarios, actually damage your motor.

Mr. Motorcycle

Dear Mother F#@!*%, oops I mean Mother Nature

Please accept my letter and consider this a formal complaint about the way you've been doing business here in Minnesota lately.

You've been harrassing us bikers with teases of 50's, then snow, then 60's, then snow, then warm again, then snow again, then warm, and now tonight finally an icy, snowy, rainy, sleety mess.

Just exactly what time of year do you think this is? ... January?

I'm fed up. I've had just about enough of your funny stuff. How do you expect me to ride a motorcycle in this kind of weather?

Do you think you are funny?

Ha Ha, well jokes getting old now. Kicking a dead horse!, Tits up. Not funny any more.

I don't wanna have to say it, but if you keep this up, I'm likely to pack up my stuff and find Lucky.

( http://pizzacrusade.blogspot.com/2008/04/links-and-update-on-vx800.html ) He say's Arizona is getting hot. Even if he's stuck carpooling, He gets to at least ride evenings, and weekends.

What the Heck did he do to get special treatment?

What the Heck did I do wrong?

I expected more out of you by April 10th, and I want some resolve A.S.A.P., OR THE NEXT TIME I'M CALLING YOUR SUPERVISOR, and I won't be so nice.

Sincerely,

One very unsatisfied customer.

Mr. Motorcycle

I’m starting a series of Tech. tips. Here’s my first.

Painter’s Tech tip #1

What is wrong with this picture? No, it’s not the fact that it looks like a messed up watercolor painting. I did that on purpose.
I borrowed the picture off of the internet, and smudged it so as not to give away who the paint job or picture was from. I tried my best to make it not recognizable. I don’t want to slam anyone else’s paint work. In the original custom painted gas tank picture the paint was nice & flames were nice. There may not be anything wrong with the picture if the frame on the bike is Yellow.

The reason for the photo is to show mount tabs are painted yellow like the front of the custom paint. Many painters, when custom painting gas tanks, etc, don’t take into consideration what color the frame on the bike is. Unless you’re building a one off chopper from the frame up, chances are you’re not changing the standard stock frame black color to the same colors as your new custom paint job. How does the painter know to paint the tabs black if you don’t point it out to the painter, and special request it, chances are they are going to paint it as is. The mount tabs should be the same color as the frame so they don't stick out like sore thumbs. I even see stock paint jobs this way. Hey, welcome to my mount tabs. Maybe I'm too picky. But I am into customs.


Mr. Motorcycle

To Dyno. or not to Dyno.. That is the question.

Let me preface this post by stating, I am not a mechanic, and I am not a Dyno. expert by any means, but here is what I can tell you.

A dynamometer is the technical term for Dyno.
A dynamometer is a machine which is typically used by a mechanic to measure rotational speed or (rpms) and the torque of a motor.

Having this type of measuring and testing system in place while tuning your motorcycles motor is typically referred to as Dyno. tuning.
Dyno. tuning can be done to most motors, not just motorcycles.

However, having a Dyno. tuning done by a qualified Pro. Isn’t cheap.
So, if you have a new bike, it is probably not necessary, but if yours is not running right it’s a good idea. If you’ve changed anything, such as the exhaust, re-jetted, new carbs, new chips, pulled out baffles, put in high performance air cleaner, etc., then this, in my opinion should be a must. Manually tuning your motor will likely only get it close, which could result in improper air to fuel mixture ratios, etc. If you neglect taking the time and money up front to have your bike properly tuned It could cost you bigger bucks for repairs down the road. I had mine done after I had my new motor built, and it runs better than when I got the bike. Unless it’s like 40 degrees Farenheight, I never have to use the choke, and I gained significant horsepower. I’m talking horsepower that I didn’t gain from the bigger motor.

Anyway. Keeping it simple. Dyno tuning is the best way to measure and tune your motorcycle's output to gain optimum performance. It can give you a smoother running motor, gain you horsepower, and save you fuel. Even if you have a bike that is running o.k., it's not a bad idea to Dyno. tune if you want to tweak it out to top performance, and gain horsepower, and fuel economy.

So the question is really, to Dyno, or not to ride.

Also, I welcome anything additional that anyone who knows more about Dyno. Tuning wants to add. Please feel free to comment.

By the way,
I’m not getting anything for this plug, but I figured it only fair to mention them, as they did an awesome job on my motorcycle, and they also verified for me that the information I just posted about was accurate. So if you’re anywhere near the Twin Cities in Minnesota, and looking for a reputable Pro. to do your Dyno. tuning, Call B&A Harley Performance, A.K.A. B&A Cylinder Head at (763) 427-7535, or stop by at 1520 99th LN, Blaine, MN 55449. They work on more than just Harleys.

Do you feel like we do?

Peter Frampton's 1976 classic, "Do you feel like we do" hit song comes to my mind every time I see dog with it's head out the car window. What is it about this? Is it that they get an adrenaline rush, a free feeling? Is it the same things that drives us to ride? Anyway, I was going down the road the other day, and spotted this dog loving the open road, wind in his face. He had the right idea. I happened to be in my car, wishing I was on my bike. I was jealous of the dog.


This one was classic Kodak moment. I had to have the photo, so I took it. The guy driving the car looked a little disturbed that I was taking a picture of him going down the road, as if I was taking a picture for evidence of something he may have done wrong or something. I blurred him out for integrity sake. Dude driving the red S.U.V., If you see this, you now know why I took your picture.



Hey, do You feel like "He" do? The dog that is.

Mr. Motorcycle

I got my bike "Kenny" back on the road.

I did a Flickr flash badge called (My bike “Kenny” with his new paint job) on the right side of my blog page that shows the bike re-assembled with a new custom paint job. I even got to ride a bit on Saturday. Boy was it nice, and It felt great, since this was the first real ride I got to take since last Halloween when I broke the belt, and started the rebuild. See post from Tuesday, March 11th, 2008, The foot bone is connected to the ankle bone,.... is connected to my wallet. This explains the rebuild. I’m sure many of you can relate. http://01mrmotorcycle.blogspot.com/2008/03/foot-bone-is-connected-to-ankle-bone.html#links

For anyone wondering why I named my motorcycle “Kenny”…..
I was inspired by Beach, from Custom Motorcycle Talk by BeachCruiser. http://www.thebeachcruiser.com/blog/ . His blog post Archie 2 from April 3rd, 2008, gave me inspiration to name my motorcycle. None of my bikes had ever had names before. Both my mother and father are alive and kicking & I wanted to honor them while they are still with me, rather than doing so in remembrance of them. I can’t call my bike Ken and Shirley after both my parents. That would sound stupid. People would want to put me in a mental institution if I ran around referring to my bike that way. Since I think the bike is a masculine thing, I chose to give it a Male name rather than a female name. My mother understands. I honor both of them. Since Ken sounds a little too serious, I named the bike Kenny. I felt since the bike rebuild project was now complete, and Beach so inspired me, this was the time to name it. Thanks for all you do Mom & Dad.

Mr. Motorcycle

I have a question for you readers regarding Forward controls and comfort.

The photo above is me 2 yrs ago with my old paint job, from photo shoot gallery called Joy of Harley Davidson by http://www.pegasusphoto.com.

When I started customizing my bike, I went with the “It’s all about the looks” theme. It is lowered about 3.5 inches lower than stock. It has a low profile seat, no windshield, no fairing, and forward controls. I do really love the look, and understand I gave up a great deal of riding comfort for this look. I can deal with the lack of comfort that my low profile seat provides to me, and I can deal with the winds resistance that having no windshield or fairing provides. I actually like it and prefer it that way. I like being “in the wind” as they say, but my thighs tend to disagree.

My forward controls put me in a riding position that I love. The look is right for me and it is very comfortable on short rides, and or lower speeds. However, when I ride on the freeway at higher speeds and do any long distance riding, I can get some pretty tired thighs. I’m regularly fighting the wind’s urge to spread my legs apart farther than the stance of the bike already puts them naturally, and fighting gravity as well. Due to my opinion that footboards don’t fit the look of my bike, they are out of the running as far a solution for me. On longer, faster rides, I often times find myself putting the passenger foot pegs down, sticking my feet back there and riding crotch rocket style to give myself a break, but this is not a good solution, because the second I switch back to forward position my legs get tired again. So, I was thinking about going with stirrups. I’m wondering, do stirrups really help that much, or do all you forward control riders all fight the same battle as me and just deal with it?

Any one out there who uses stirrups, and has got an answer for me would be greatly appreciated.

Mr. Motorcycle

"No comment" - "I plead the 5th"

I suppose you could say I spend far too much time blogging, and reading other peoples blogs and web sites. Doing so however, I've noticed one thing. Either people are shy or we all write a bunch of crap and people are going off of the rule of thumb, "If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all". I know since I'm a big commentor, I've held back a comment or two due to this rule.
.
I see some pretty well written posts out there, and some sites with high traffic, and many posts go with no comments at all, and some with just a few.
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Granted there are some sites out there that get tons of comments, especially if it is readers going back and forth to each other. This is what it is all about; for us to express our views; share thoughts, and let the writer know what you thought and readers to talk to each other through comments. I welcome comments on my site, positive or negative. I even encourage it. (Be nice.)
To me a comment is like a compliment, an acknowledgement that you read and enjoyed or did not enjoy.
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A comment does not have to be some profound statement, or well written article back to the writer. It can be a simple as "Nice", "Thanks", "Cool", "I liked what you had to say, Thanks", "Your a dough head.", "Nanny nanny boo boo Stick your head in doo doo", or it can be an addition to the post with factual knowledge, etc.
However, you are still always welcome to just read and not comment if you wish.
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I'm sure if you looked at the sites I link to, and read all their posts, and read their comments, that you will find I comment allot. I hope that those writers that I comment to feel the same as me.
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I hope I speak for all fellow bloggers, and web site post writers.
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Keep reading, writing, and commenting.
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Mr. Motorcycle

Ink, I think

I’ve wanted to do a post on tattoos lately, as I think tattoos and motorcycles kinda go hand in hand.

I have a few, literally.

I’ve recently seen Dave Perewitz get a tattoo on video http://www.lifeatperewitz.com/ at ACME Tattoo in Minnesota while he was here for the Donnie Smith Bike Show, and I recently commented on a fellow blogger’s post regarding a Harley tattoo he got.
http://harley-davidson-mystique.blogspot.com/ The comment was "similar" to what I’m about to tell you here:

I have three tattoos, and only three for a very good reason. I had two before I got married. I decided I needed a third tattoo and got the blessing from my wife. So, a friend and I decided we were going to get tattoos together after work one day. I told my wife I was going to get a Harley tattoo, which I honestly did intend to do. She said, "Are you sure? I don't want anything evil!" Well, needless to say, I came home with an evil tattoo, not related to Harleys at all. It started out innocent enough, but the tattoo artist asked if I wanted it embellished after he got the basic tattoo done. He said he had no one else in line and he’d do it for free. I said sure, and he made it kind of portrait looking, like it was under my skin. It looks pretty damn evil. This was to be my last tattoo if Mama was to remain happy. We all know if Mama ain’t happy, ain’t no one happy. She was not happy with me at all for a very long time. You should know if a very long time turns into too long, you ain’t happy with half your stuff. Well, It took a long time for her to stop complaining about it. She hates it to this day. She'd say "cover it up, It's looking at me!" I love my wife dearly, and the fight over wanting to get more tattoos is not worth it. I got a Harley though, and she doesn't complain about that,(much). The Harley is a whole different story. Anyway, I told him to enjoy his "first" tattoo, and said I'm sure there'll be more to come.

By the way, I still don’t have that Harley tattoo yet. And I love tattoos as much as my wife, Harleys, and custom paint.

Happy Birthday

Happy Birthday Dad!

No this is not an April Fools day joke.

2008 Donnie Smith Invitational Bike Show

As Promised, a post about the show.



I have a Flickr flash badge of photos on the right side of my page with Pics. of some of the things I liked at the show.

I went to the 2008 Donnie Smith Invitational Bike show in St. Paul, Mn at the River Center on Sunday March 30th. The weather was beautiful. It was in the 50's which is like balmy for this time of year in Minnesota. People and bikes were all over, inside and out, and the weather was nice enough that people were ouside in t-shirts. Today I have about 6-8 inches of snow on the ground, and again ask myself, "Will I ever get to ride this year?" It was great to have such nice weather for all the bikes to come in and out of the River Center, and the warm weather brought a huge crowd to the show as well. There were bikes of all kinds there. Trikes, Harleys, Metric, old school, new school, and in general one off customs as far as the eye could see. There was a great swap meet, vendors, beer and food as always too.



The highlight of the show for me was seeing two of my painting idols. I stopped by the House of Kolor area and met with John Kosmoski, the legendary painter, and owner/creator of world famous House of Kolor Paint Products. http://www.tcpglobal.com/HokPaint/
John came to my Tech. School back in 1992 to do a custom painting demo. This was a day I'll never forget, because I was the most obsessed true custom paint enthusiast in the class, I got to be part of the hands on Demo with John. He taught me how to lay out my first set of scallops, and flames and I got to shoot his kandys on a snowmobile hood. Wow, what a memory.



I also got to meet with the legendary bike builder / custom painter, Dave Perewits breifly. https://www.perewitz.com/
Dave was in passing, so I did not want to intrude on his time too much, so I settled for a quick photo, and really quick small talk. I let him know how big of a fan of his I was. When I was a teenager, long before I could paint, I fell in love with one of his flame jobs, and have since revered him as a flame painting god.

Both John Kosmoski and Dave Perewits are class acts, and were gracious enough to be photographed with me and I was greatly honored.



Thanks John and Dave!