May 2012 - CityBike

Transcription

May 2012 - CityBike

News, Clues & Rumors
Volume XXIX, Issue 5
Publication Date: May 23 , 2012
inch motor on the air cleaner—suspicious
when H-D told us last year the 103 motor is
going in all the new big Twin models (a few
carryover models excepted).
PHOTO OF THE MONTH
On The Cover:
So we fired a quick email to H-D Media
Relations Manager Jennifer Hoyer. “Just
a dealership trying to get attention...
and it worked. A hoax.” She also told us
categorically there is no 2013 FXDX—
period. So it was a clever custom build.
Bob Stokstad captures a 2012 Aprilia Tuono
V4R resting in the shade, quietly digesting
its latest meal of drivers licenses and
helpless young vehicle code sections.
Contents:
NCR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
New Stuff . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Clubman Brit Show . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
San Jose Indoor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Tuono V4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
250s: 2 Big? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
CBR1000RR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
John D’India Book . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Melissa H . Pierson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Maynard Hershon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Ed Hertfelder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Classified . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Tankslappers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Marketplace . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Bankruptcy Notice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
CityBike Staff:
PO Box 10659 Oakland, CA 94610
Phone: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 415/282-2790
E-mail: . . . . . . . . . . . . . info@citybike .com
Find us online: . . . . . . . www .citybike .com
News ‘n Clues: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Staff
Editor-in-Chief:. . . . . . . . . . Gabe Ets-Hokin
Senior Editor: . . . . . . . . . . Robert Stokstad
Contributing Editors: . . . . . . . . . John Joss,
Will Guyan
Chief of the World Adventure
Affairs Desk:. . . . . . . . Dr. Gregory Frazier
Staff Photographers:
— Robert Stokstad
— Gary Rather
Art Director: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Alan Lapp
Advertising Sales: . . . . . . . . . Kenyon Wills
Contributors:
Dan Baizer, Craig Bessenger, John Bishop,
Joanne Donn, John D’India (RIP),
Mike Felder, Dr. Gregory Frazier,
Will Guyan, Joe Glydon (RIP),
Brian Halton, David Hough,
Maynard Hershon, Ed Hertfelder,
Harry Hoffman, Otto Hofmann, Jon Jensen,
David Lander, Lucien Lewis, Ed Milich,
Courtney Olive, Larry Orlick, Jason Potts,
Bob Pushwa, Gary Rather, Curt Relick,
Charlie Rauseo, Mike Solis, Ivan Thelin,
James Thurber, Adam Wade.
CityBike is published on or about the third Monday 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 manuscripts or use
them to wipe our large, fragrant bottoms.
©2012, CityBike Magazine, Inc. 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 CityBike
Magazine, Inc, especially for purposes of recycling, is theft and will
be prosecuted to the full extent of civil and criminal law. Yeah!
CityBike magazine is owned by CityBike Magazine, Inc and has
teams of sleep-deprived, coke-addicted attorneys ready to defend
it from frivolous lawsuits, so even if you see Lucien Lewis doing
one of his wheelies on the cover and decide you want to do that too
and then you hit a parked car and your bike is wedged under a van
and it catches fire and the Vallejo FD has to come and extinguish
the resulting blaze and four cars and your bike are melted into
slag and you suffer permanent trauma including a twisted pinkie,
sleeplessness and night terrors, it’s not CityBike Magazine Inc.’s fault
and we don’t have any assets so just suck on it. You know better.
sleeplessness and night terrors, it’s not CityBike Magazine Inc.’s fault
and we don’t have any assets so just suck on it. You know better.
Who did it and why? A call to West Coast
Motors was answered by the builder
himself, Bas Leek. When he set about
building himself a sweet-handling Dyna
ready for high-speed European roads,
he wanted it to look like a factory ride: “I
don’t like aftermarket parts,” he told us in
almost-perfect English. So the goal was to
build a bike that looked like it rolled out of
an H-D assembly plant. A stock XR1200
front end was grafted to the front, but the
rear swingarm was more work—it was
welded and modded by a local machine
Reader Mike Morlin shows us how low you will sink after reading CityBike: 282 feet below sea level. shop (where Bas worked while he was in
college), converting it to work with the
blogger, if not more. Not only did the fit,
right-side brake and left-side belt of the
A BEAUTIFUL HOAX
finish and design of the bike resemble a
Dyna. It was then powder coated to look
Those of us who don’t “get” the allure of
freshly built H-D, but the dealership—
like a factory finish. The swingarm got
Harley-Davidson often say they’d like to
West Coast Motors in Alkmaar, Holland— bolted to a set of modified fully-adjustable
see a Harley-Davidson that not only looked packed the bike for shipment in an actual
Öhlins dual shocks, with reservoirs
good, but handled and went good too.
H-D packing crate, complete with quality- removed to give the bike a more factory
Problem is, H-D doesn’t usually do very
assurance stickers, dunnage and VIN labels look.
well on the sales floor with models that
on the crate. The friendly local
meet those criteria—high-performance
XR owner, Richard Van Laar,
models like the V-Rod and XR1200X
snapped photos of the bike
make up something like a single digit
as it was being “unpacked,”
of total sales. If you want handling and
as well as additional photos
performance from Milwaukee iron, you
of the bike on the showroom
have to spend some time modifying a stock floor.
bike, especially if it’s big Twin power and
Photos of the bike showed
torque you crave.
us something intriguing, if
So imagine the surprise and hope stirred
imaginary. The front end
up among Harley faithful when a post
is quite plainly the largepopped up on the XR1200 riders forum.
diameter inverted Showa fork
An XR owner in Holland claimed a local
from the XR1200, complete
The finishing touch is the Akrapovic (at
dealer just uncrated a 2013 FXDX—big
with the 292mm brake discs and fourleast try to say “Ah-craw-paw-vitch,” but
news, as H-D hadn’t made an FXDX since piston calipers and steel brake lines. A
don’t
feel bad if you can’t, either: Bas
2005. AKA the Dyna Super Glide Sport,
snazzy chin spoiler provides subtle good
pronounced
it wrong, too) exhaust, cleverly
the 1999-2005 FXDX was the twin-shock
looks to the bike’s underbelly. In back,
finished
to
look
like a stock item. It’s loud
Dyna frame with a big-Twin Twin Cam
what looks like Öhlins shocks—longer
and
makes
good
power—Bas expects to
88 motor, adjustable Showa suspension
than stock—provide a better (and fully
see
over
100
horsepower
on the dyno—but
and dual front disc brakes with four-piston adjustable) ride as well as more cornering
it
also
has
an
optional
quiet
insert to avoid
calipers.
clearance, and they’re bolted to an XR1200
cast-aluminum swingarm. The stock Super trouble with the authorities when he takes
The alleged 2013 FXDX looked enough
it touring this summer.
Glide dual exhaust has been ditched for a
like a factory product to fool at least one
two-into-one
But why post it to his Facebook page as a
system with a
stock bike? He told us that he was “making
sportbike-style
a little bit of an April Fool’s joke,” but he
muffler with a
also wanted to “see if people are liking
plain aluminum something like this...we’d love to see it
finish. If it’s a
come from the MoCo.”
fake, it’s pretty
convincing, but We would too! A tip of the hat to Bas and
H-D discussion his crew at West Coast Motors for a job
well done.
forum
participants
SO LONG, WILLIE G
noted the fact
It’s the end of an era: after 49 years,
that there were
Willie G. Davidson, Harley-Davidson’s
two VINs on
styling chief, is retiring. The 78-year-old
the crate (one a
2013, one older), grandson of company co-founder William
A Davidson will continue to represent the
plus a label for
Motor Company as Brand Ambassador
the 96 cubicMay 2012 | 3 | CityBike.com
and “Chief Styling Officer Emeritus.” No
matter how you feel about the affable,
beret-wearing Davidson, his impact on the
USA’s biggest motorcycle company—and
on the motorcycle industry worldwide—is
undeniable.
Willie G. has seen Harley-Davidson
evolve as a conservative, relatively small
manufacturer (one source puts the
company’s 1963 total production at just
10,407 units) through the dark years of
AMF ownership, to the renaissance of
the 1980s and ‘90s. His sleek Superglide
of 1971 “established the ‘factory custom’
category,” the cafe-racer XLCR showed
Harley-Davidson wasn’t just about
cruising, and the Fat Boy became a
Hollywood superstar when it appeared in
the 1991 blockbuster movie Terminator II.
The question we have is this: how much
will Willie G’s departure change things at
H-D? Not much, we’d wager. Ray Drea,
director of styling, has established a new
direction for the company already with
the Dark Custom lineup and other models
designed to bring in younger buyers.
Still, Willie G’s departure does take a bit of
the family feel out of H-D’s cachet, making
it seem more like the large corporation it
is. How much impact will that have on the
Harley-Davidson faithful and potential
new customers? Time will tell.
DUCAUDI
Another manufacturer of traditional
air-cooled V-Twins, Ducati, may have
some big changes in store. After months
of speculation about who would purchase
the oft-traded company, including rumors
including Harley-Davidson, Mercedes,
and even Indian moto-maker Hero,
Volkswagen’s Audi Group bought the
company for something like $1.2 billion
to round out its portfolio of Italian exotica
that it feels it needs. To let Audi’s PR
department tell it:
“Alongside the traditional Italian brands
Lamborghini and Italdesign, Ducati
is now a third pillar for AUDI AG in
Northern Italy. Another building block in
the Company’s growth strategy thus falls
into place. Rupert Stadler, Chairman of
the Board of Management of AUDI AG,
declared: “Ducati is known worldwide
as a premium brand among motorcycle
manufacturers and has a long tradition of
building sporty motorcycles. It has great
expertise in high-performance engines
and lightweight construction, and is one
of the world’s most profitable motorcycle
manufacturers. That
makes Ducati
an excellent fit
for Audi.” The
progressive
control
systems
and special
combustion
chamber
process
of Ducati
engines, their
resulting sporty
character, and
Ducati’s extensive
know-how in
back with a new fuel-injected, air-cooled
lightweight construction thus offer great
potential for AUDI AG and the Volkswagen 49cc two-valve engine with Honda’s
promise of “ample power” as well as 117
Group.”
estimated mpg. There are some new
We’re not sure how Volkswagen is going to styling touches—a new headlight, taillight
use trellis frames and air-cooled V-Twins
and instruments, along with a different
to leverage its line of sporty yet economical handlebar. There’s also a storage bin large
cars, but still, this is a good thing. Ducati,
enough for a one-liter bottle, and there’s
so long as it keeps delivering racetrack wins a new parcel hook for your shopping
and doesn’t lose too much money, will be
convenience. Perhaps the best news is the
protected from the whims of the market
price—it’s $1999, $50 less than the 2009.
and benefit from even more R&D money.
Honda tells us the scoot will be available in
And Ducati customers will relax knowing
June.
warranty, technical and parts support is
No word on where this new Metropolitan
backed up by some serious muscle.
is made, but we’d put money on China—
MEAN
which is where the PCX as well as the
Elite 110 are made. Our experience with
MOTORSCOOTERS
the Chinese-made Honda products is
Honda started out its 2013
that they seem as well-made and goodmodel year early, showing
performing as Hondas built in other
two new scooters to
countries. If outsourcing to our
bolster its lineup. The
Chinese friends lets the masses
PCX 150 builds on the
get their asses on highsuccess of the sporty,
quality, good-performing
and economical
transportation, it can’t
be a bad thing.
BRAMMO
BLAMMO
PCX125, while an updated Metropolitan
50 provides a low-budget transportation
solution to those in inner cities.
The PCX 150’s main update is a bigger
engine with more power. The liquidcooled, four-stroke 150cc Single is now
freeway-legal in California. The top
speed we experienced on the 125 version
when we had a ride a couple of years
ago was around 60 mph indicated, so
expect more engine mods than just the
25cc displacement bump if this bike will
be able to
actually cruise
comfortably
at freeway
speeds. New
seat padding
promises better
endurance for
those longer
trips, as well. A
sleek new black
color option
rounds out
the changes;
USA pricing
hasn’t been
announced
(although the
bike will see dealers in the summer), so
we’ll see how much more you’ll pay for that
freeway-riding option over the 2011, and
we’ll see if the Chinese-built PCX bumps
the Italian-built SH150 out of the 2013
lineup.
Small-scoot fans will cheer the return of
the little Metropolitan 50, which hasn’t
seen Honda showrooms since 2009. It’s
May 2012 | 4 | CityBike.com
We are starting
to fall in
love (or at
least very
strong like)
with electric
motorcycles,
and 2012 may be
memorable as the
year the e-moto came
into its own. You read about the 2012
Zero S—the first production electric
motorcycle with a genuine 100-mile-plus
range, but you may have wondered about
the Brammo we tested with it. The Enertia
hasn’t received a major update since 2009,
eons in e-bike terms.
Well, you may have been following the saga
of the Brammo Empulse. It broke cover
in at Laguna Seca in July 2010, as a caferacer-styled naked sportbike with dual disc
brakes, inverted fork, alloy twin-spar frame
and 100 mph top speed made possible by
a trick liquid-cooled electric motor. Three
versions, with six, eight and 10 kilowatthour batteries, would go on sale to the
public in 2011.
So what happened? Focus groups. Where
the Enertia is aimed at “aspirational”
riders looking for a first bike, the Empulse
is aimed at you, the serious enthusiast.
And what a gearhead wants is
the ability to shift gears and
work that clutch, to feel the
power going to the wheel.
“Shifting is a big part of it,” said
Brammo CEO Craig “Brammo”
Bramscher in a video interview,
“if you grab for the clutch and
it’s not there, something’s not
feeling right.” So the quest for
a gearbox began. Developing a
gearbox that can stand up to the
demands of an electric motor
can be difficult—Tesla had a
hell of a time—and in the end, a
six-speed unit was chosen over
a two-speed one. Two speeds is
all you really need to be able to
select between smoky burnouts
or eye-watering top speeds when
it comes to an electric motor,
but Bramscher says “with the
6-speed gearbox, you can really
make it feel familiar.” But the
premium components—like the
Marzocchi Fork, Marchesini
wheels and radial-mount
Brembo brake calipers—will go
on the production Empulse.
Another big change from the prototype
is the lack of optional battery sizes. Only
one size, a 10 kWh, will be offered. A
modular battery design just didn’t work,
and anyway, after riding the bike—a
lot—Brammo decided it just needed a
full 10 kWh battery. That gives riders
the potential of going over 50 miles at
sustained freeway speeds, or well over 100
in an urban test cycle. Normal charge time
is 8 hours, but using a quick-charger—or a
public charging station, as the Empulse is
equipped with a J1772-compatible charge
port—cuts the time to 3.5 hours, or 5 miles
of range for every 10 minutes of charging.
The bigger battery means the bike will
probably be in the $14,000 range, but those
customers seeking a lower-priced urban
runabout can opt for the 8 kWh Enertia
Plus. And yes, you can switch your deposit
over.
Below: The Buell
1190R was awesome
to behold.
Left: Nickers Hayman
from Munroe Motors
in his usual rare form.
He finished both
SuperSport races with
great style, staying
upright and besting his
qualifying time. Photos:
Will Guyan.
ears must ring like
Quasimodo’s bronze
castings. Here, birds
of a feather potatopotato together.
This 24-hour
parade of dizzying
denizens makes its
way down Main St.
almost non stop.
Only the sidewalk
is more crowded,
as the walking true
believers ogle from
the sidewalk in full
concho-ed regalia.
The myriad stores,
sidewalk bars and
biker-style mobile
eateries go on for
block after block on
both sides of Main
On May 8th, two new models—dubbed
Street. And just
the Empulse and Empulse R—will be
a couple of miles
shown to the press and deposit-holders in
west, the high-tech
Los Angeles, with journalists getting demo race environment
units during the summer. The distinction
of Daytona International Speedway is
between the two models is unclear, but we getting underway, as the opening round of
were shown a snapshot of the redesigned
the 2012 AMA Pro Racing season has just
Empulse, and we think you’ll like it: think gone down with fanfare and excitement
a lighter, tidier-looking Suzuki SV650, with of another kind entirely. But the racing
clean, simple bodywork and a standard
tube handlebar instead of the racy-looking
clipons of the prototype. Of course, hataz’
gonna hate, so there will be no shortage of
juvenile jeering and cries of “fugly” from
those who don’t like change, but we think
a whole new generation will be turned on
(heh, heh) by this bike, and we wouldn’t be
surprised to find it is made bike of the year
by more than one publication.
superbikes are quieter than the parade
bikes on Main St.
The roadracing fans exist in far smaller
numbers, sadly. Racing is not a lifestyle for
most fans, unlike the cruiser generic, who
CITYBIKE DOES DAYTONA
Clearly, a trip to Bike Week in Daytona will
prove to anyone sentient that the USA is
Harley/cruiser territory. The phenomenon
is bewildering to a NorCal denizen who
lives for curves, appreciates suspension,
and who doesn’t quite agree that skin is
merely the canvas for art. This place is ruled
by people who disdain helmets, and whose
live the mysterious code of the V-Twin. The
highway is the prairie of the modern day
cowpoke, simply put, and shock absorbers
are a mere afterthought to riders who prefer
the look of a hard tail to the comfort of
shock absorbers. Ditto brakes. Rideable art,
Sold The Building
BUSINESS
CLOSING
Everything
Must Go!
All Motorcycles,
all Scooters
New & Used
All Helmets, Jackets,
Gloves, Pants, boots,
Oil, Exhausts, etc.
Golden Gate Cycles
1540 Pine St. SF< CA 94109
(between Polk St. and Van Ness Ave.)
Tuesday-Friday 9-6, Saturday 9-5:30, Closed Sunday & Monday
415-771-4535
All Sales Final
of becoming “the premier on/off-road
gathering for adventure motorcycle
enthusiasts in the West.” Activities include
hundreds of miles of paved and unpaved
ride routes, a Rawhyde Adventures
How has our ostensibly enlightened
adventure training camp, seminars
civilization devolved into gas-driven
with fabled adventure-rider speakers,
anarchy in the shadow of so many noblybarbecue dinners, live music, demo rides,
crafted and impressive technologies?
classes, vendors and more. Sounds like
Eschewing ABS? Image trumps technology anathema to the concho-and-chrome set
in the good old USA. At Bike Week,
but heaven for CityBike readers, so head to
watching the SuperBikes at the parallel
tahoeadventuremoto.com or call Mike at
universe of the AMA season opener, one
775/586-7700 or Carl at 530/541-2462 x
wonders.
101 for more info.
The track: huge race trailers emblazoned
with sponsors,
size and
splendor
proving the
wealth of each
team: Jordan
Motorsports,
Yoshimura
Suzuki, Graves
Yamaha. The
front-runners
FEMALE RIDE DAY
have mega-dollar mobile race shops
GRAND PRIZE
appointed with the best of everything, all
neatly stowed in sleek cabinetry and state- May 4th is International Female Ride Day,
of-the-art-design. The smaller teams have
so be sure to look at our Events Calendar to
box trailers, back doors are loading ramps. get more info about the festivities at Moto
Materials are stowed away tightly the best Shop (bayareamotoshop.com, 650/873way possible.
1600) in south San Francisco. Organizer
and moto-travel writer Carla King
The races are run with military precision
by the AMA Pros, and everything has to be (carlaking.com) wants you to know there
done this way so the races can be televised are some pretty fabulous prizes, including
a lavish weekend at the Lake Tahoe
on SpeedTV. I hate it when that racewinning pass is made during a commercial, Adventure Rendezvous. Don’t miss it.
that’s what this is. Paint jobs and groundeffects lighting completely over the top.
To one group, it’s about the scene. To the
other, it’s about the ride.
but the reality is that sponsors make this
stuff possible. Where’s Joe Camel when
we need him? He’s on Main Street, in the
incessant badass parade that carries on for
most of the day and night.
You can’t sleep near the
beach during Bike
Week without ear
plugs.
The series that
gave us Kenny
Roberts, Ben
Spies, Matt
Mladin, Scott
Russell, Gary
Nixon, and so many
others is alive and
well. Interestingly, both
AMA SBK races had good
top 8 finishes by the BMW riders, Larry
Pegram and Jake Holden. Larry took
4th and 5th in both races, without factory
support. Holden raced on a shoestring.
Both Superbike teams removed the BMW
Roundel from their bikes protesting zero
support. It was a delight seeing local girl
Elena Myers take a historic win (first
woman to win a pro-level Daytona event).
She can throw elbows as good as any of the
boys, make no mistake!
RIDE TO WORK, YOU
Yep, you’ve got that expensive thing in
your garage, and you’re no girly-man (or
girly-woman), so ride it to work, say the
folk at Ride to Work, the non-profit
working hard to sponsor the
National Ride to Work Day,
which this year is June 18th.
If you want to get even
more involved, head to
ridetowork.org to lend a
hand.
QUAIL GATHERING
COMING
Class returns to the grass
for the fourth year running on
Saturday, May 5 at Quail Lodge in
Carmel Valley. The Quail’s “Motorcycle
Gathering” is the place to spend a relaxing
day enjoying the best of motorcycling—a
ride down to the Monterey Peninsula with
lots of beautiful, interesting, historic and
occasionally weird bikes to admire when
you arrive. The white picket fences and
medieval-looking tents surrounding the
Clubhouse lawn plus gourmet barbecue
lunch and funky live music only add to the
sensory overload of this event.
If you’ve taken in one or more of the past
Quail Gatherings, you’ll know what to
expect in general. But in particular, there’s
TAHOE RENDEZVOUS
always something new—organizer and
If you’re still planning your summer riding, founder Gordon McCall sees to that.
give a thought to heading to Lake Tahoe
Here’s some of what’s lined up:
the weekend of August 23rd. The area’s
Thirty-two historic MV Agustas are
business community (spearheaded by
on their way from collector Gary Kohs’
riders Mike Bradford and Carl Ribaudo)
Michigan home base. (Yes, thirty-two!)
is sponsoring a “unique adventure
This marque portrays the evolution of
motorcycle gathering,” with the objective
—Will Guyan
Photos: Jim Wheeler
many collector’s items, but no
lasting lineage.
If you’d rather view iconic
British hardware, the 1948
Vincent that set Bonneville
records in the ‘50s (the “Blue
Bike”) will be on hand, along
with the man who rode it,
Marty Dickerson.
the motorcycle industry in post-war Italy,
according to Kohs. Whatever. This is
guaranteed fascinating.
Speaking of evolution, this year it’s the
Indian Motorcycle’s turn to be featured in
the Evolution-of-the-Motorcycle theme
class. It was a hundred years ago that the
Indian was born. It’s now a born-again bike
(and again, and again). Both originals and
retro reincarnations will be on display.
Innovation is the way of evolution (at least
for species that survive) and so it is with
the motorcycle. Ever hear of the “Alligator
Motorcycle?” The brainchild of racecar
designer, Dan Gurney, it came on the
scene in the early ‘90s. Like an alligator’s,
its center of gravity is especially low to
the ground for greater stability. How
so? Because the rider is in a recumbent
position, as with a recumbent bicycle. A
limited-production run of 36 produced that
There are many similarities
between the Quail Motorcycle
Gathering and the tony
happenings during Monterey’s
Classic Car Week in August.
For example, there’s a rally
on Friday, May 4th - a
100-mile ride through the
scenic Monterey Peninsula
culminating with parade
laps around the Laguna Seca
track, much like the ones held
during Car Week. (A few slots
are still open.) And the venue
and classy atmosphere is the
same as for August’s Quail
Motorsports Gathering. But there’s one
big difference, and that’s the cost. During
Car Week, the price of tickets and a motel
room are up in the clouds, while the Quail
Motorcycle Gathering is still only $65
(including lunch and convenient on-thegrass parking). That’s class, too.
Arco station in Tam Valley to meet up with
Eric and 300 other crazy bastids. Should
have left the station a little earlier; when
we finally got going there were too many
people too pass, so we just kicked back and
did the parade thing up the mountain—it
was painfully slow.
At least this year the State Park rangers
had the gate open by the time we got to the
parking lot. Some people were paying the
fee, but it didn’t look like the rangers were
asking anyone for it. I paid, as I appreciated
the fact that they had the gate open. We did
our traditional walk to the lookout at the
top, waited for sunrise and then said, “let’s
head to breakfast at the Two Bird Cafe in
San Geronimo.” We decided to ride via
Stinson, up 1 to Olema, then go inland.
Had a great breakfast at the Two Bird as
usual and all made the same comment—it
didn’t rain this year and that’s a good thing.
To buy tickets or get a spot for the Quail
Ride, visit quaillodgeevents.com
EASTER RIDE
CityBike couldn’t drag its editorial carcass
out of bed at zero dark thirty for the annual
season-opening Easter Ride up Mount
Tamalpais, so we have to rely on a ride
report from reader Jim Wheeler, who sent
in these fine words:
Got up about 3:00 am to meet my buddy
Jeff and his faithful dog Badger at his house
in Nicasio. Went the back way out D street
from
Petaluma
and it was
chilly and
bright, due
to the full
moon; only
a little fog
where you
dipped
down by
the Cheese
Factory.
We had a
cup of joe
at Jeff’s and
we hit the
road to the
HATTAR MOTO
The Hattar family, owners of Hattar Moto
in San Rafael for almost 10 years, has sold
the popular Triumph-Ducati dealer to Ace
Motorsports. At first, we thought it was
going out of business—the entire business
moved into the building behind the main
dealership at 601 East Francisco Blvd. in
San Rafael. Outgoing principal Adeeb
Hattar posted this message to the Bay Area
Rider’s Forum (which we had to edit down
a bit):
“I just wanted to make it very clear that the
shop is very much alive and kicking and it
has a cooler vibe than ever. If you haven’t
seen the new location, please go check it
out. We worked very hard on creating a
kick-ass moto shop environment...The new
owner is adding his own touches that will
make it even better in time.
All the same guys and gals are there which
is really what made Hattar Motorsports.
Go support them and see what they helped
create and why people have supported
them for so long. I’m off to go play with my
dirtbike now...I thank everybody for the
years of support and I’m looking forward to
just being a motorcycle enthusiast again.”
The shop’s new name, according to the
Hattar Moto Facebook page, will be
“Marin Speedshop.” The new showroom,
with polished floors and an upstairs lounge
area, sounds worth checking out as well.
Give them a call at 415/456-3345 or go to
hattarmoto.com.
actually be more protection than you’ll
likely need if most of your commuting is
done at legal speeds in dense urban areas.
So why not shed a few pounds?
The lighter fabric means Aerostich could
make a much lighter suit, but there were
some other changes as well. A new tightertolerance zipper, from RiRi in Italy, along
with new seam construction, improves
waterproofing. The satiny inner liner
has been ditched as well, and the spongy
Aerostich TF3 armor (an extra $100 option
for elbow, shoulders and knees, and you can
add chest armor or a back protector for $75
each, or hip pads for $35 or $30 depending
on if you want the TF3 or the firmer TF4
compound) is held in place by Velcro-ed
pouches instead of in the liner.
the tightly-woven, PTFE-lined Gore-Tex
material doesn’t flow much air, but the
thinner, liner-less Light doesn’t insulate
as well, either. That’s okay—thanks to
the baggy fit, you can layer underneath,
and there are Velcro points to attach an
accessory chest-warming pad, in either
electric ($97) or wind-blocking fleece
($32). Still, the suit’s light weight and
increased freedom of movement make
it more comfortable and practical for us
everyday riders.
for in comfort and convenience. After all,
the most protective suit in the world does
you no good at all if it’s hanging in your
closet because you won’t wear it.
—Thanks to Lawrence at Addiction Motors in
Emeryville for helping with the suit review.
AEROSTICH FALSTAFF
TROUSERS AND PROTEKT
KHAKIS
Also from Aerostich: new pants! For the
more traditional among you, check out
the Falstaff waxed-cotton riding trouser
($487). These are made of 100-percent
English waxed cotton, just like your old
Belstaff. We’ve tried the Falstaff jacket
and it was a real joy to wear—comfy, soft,
fairly weatherproof and brimming with
nostalgia.
Finally, let’s talk price. To compare apples
to apples, the Light is $767 with armor:
$110 less than the one-piece Roadcrafter.
I’m not sure that’s enough of a price drop
AEROSTICH ROADCRAFTER
to spur the Without Aerostich people to
LIGHT
buy, but I’d like to let that group to know
The main criticisms leveled at the
that the Roadcrafter was priced at $667
Roadcrafter by the Without Aerostich crew It’s also cooler—in both hot and cold
in 1998—this is not a company making
conditions, a good and bad thing. Further
are that it’s heavy, spendy and not truly
The matching
huge margins. You should also know
waterproof. That’s probably why Aerostich changes include a new cellphone or wallet
trousers are cut like
that the Light is made in Viet
pocket inside the huge main front pocket (if Nam, but you wouldn’t know by
developed the new Roadcrafter Light,
Aerostich’s AD-1
you’ve ever lost anything out of there after looking at the suit’s materials or
which we’ve now been using for about six
(Advanced Darien)
months. It’s made from lighter fabric and is forgetting to zip it up you’ll appreciate this), construction.
pants, which means
incorprated with many changes intended to a hideaway carabineer on the chest pocket
a jeans cut, but
Sizing and coloring is familiar
for hanging your helmet or gloves from at
improve utility, cost and comfort.
with full-length
rest stops, removable rare- to Roadcrafter wearers. The
side zippers for easy
The new Roadcrafter Light
earth magnets to hold the standard sizes—36 to 52
donning and doffing.
suit ($667) is made from
collar open in hot weather, chest in short, regular and
The trousers are fully
200-Denier high-tensile
long—fit like the old suits, but
and Velcro to mount
lined with soft cotton
(HT) nylon Gore-Tex.
stowable emergency boot because the suit is imported,
plaid fabric, so they are
Aerostich tells us that the
custom colors and sizing isn’t
covers ($57).
comfy as overpants
200-Denier HT nylon
possible. However, an “Ultra
or commando-style.
Yes, it’s waterproof. We
in the Roadcrafter Light
Lightweight” suit ($797), which
Safety features
rode in the rain many
(and Darien Light twodeletes the double material in
include Scotchlite
times, sometimes over
piece trousers and jackets)
impact areas to save even more
reflective tape at
an hour, and could find
provides about 2/3rds the
weight, is made in the USA and
the ankles and
no leakage attributable to can be customized.
abrasion resistance of the
removeable TF3
the suit. But is it warm?
much heavier 500-Denier
foam armor. And
Should you trade in your old
It’s noticeably cooler, not
fabric used to make the
though waxed
just because of the lighter Roadcrafter for a Light or spend
standard Roadcrafter. A
cotton
doesn’t resist
the $767 to become yet another
fabric but also because
Roadcrafter is designed to
abrasion
like the 500
Aerostich acolyte? We’d say yes,
of the missing liner. I’ve
protect the rider at fairly
Denier Cordura in the
if your old suit is worn out, you ride
found that you notice it
high speeds, so if you don’t
Darien
pants,
it’s “ better in a
more in cold weather than in the rain a lot and you’re okay with a 33
think you’ll be crashing
crash
than
you’d
expect,”
they
say. Okay,
percent reduction in abrasion protection, a
hot. The venting is the
very much, it could
but
be
warned:
old
dudes
will
corner
you
reduction which is more than compensated
same as the old suit, and
in the men’s room at the gas station to feel
your garments. It’s awkward. Sizes: 30-44
waist, regular or long inseam.
NEW STUFF
But wait,
there’s
more
for your
casualriding
needs: the
Protekt
Khakis
($97).
Made in
USA, these
look like
your Casual
Friday
khakis,
except you
can ride with
a little more
confidence.
The seat and
knees have
triple layers
of fabric—the
100
percent cotton twill of the pant bottom
and top, sandwiching a layer of 200-Denier
“High Tenacity” Nylon. There are also
zippered knee compartments that hold
optional TF3 foam armor ($27). Double
and triplestiched seams
for security,
Aerostich tells
us these are “as
boring-looking
as regular
khakis,” and
sometimes
you need
that to get
out of a
ticket. Sizes:
Waist
32-42,
inseams
30-36. Get
a catalog
(with an
image
of Editor
Ets-Hokin
looking
lumpy in his
Roadcrafter
on page 29)
by calling
800/2221994 or visiting
aerostich.com.
HYPERPRO
We’ll bet you
didn’t know
how much choice
you had in the quality
aftermarket suspension
market. Case in point:
Hyperpro, a Dutch
company that’s been
making high-quality
shocks, springs and steering
dampers since 1992, makes
products for over 1500 motorcycle models,
including this innovative Hyperpro 462
shock. Fully adjustable for low and highspeed compression damping and equipped
with a rubber bladder to separate the
nitrogen from the damping oil (rather
than a floating piston), the shock retails for
just $969 and will be set up by exclusive
USA importer EPM performance to each
customer’s specs. Made in Holland. For
more information, go to
epmperf.com or dial
877/786-6543.
SCHUBERTH S2
Here in the USA helmet market, we know
all about the usual suspects: pricey, highquality helmets from Japan and Italy and
the more budget-oriented (but often very
high-quality) lids from Taiwan, China and
South Korea. Of course, if you’re one of
those matching-suit-wearing BMW riders,
you might have an ancient BMW-branded
Schubert “System” helmet from the ‘80s or
‘90s, which you wear even if it’s probably
no more protective than one of those
cheese hats Greenbay Packers fans wear.
Do not fear—new and old Schuberth
fans can now purchase these innovative,
comfortable and high-quality helemts,
with the new C3 flip-up and S2 full-face
model now available. The $699 C3 is older
news (but is claimed to be the lightest and
quietest flip-up on the market), but the also
$699 S2 replaces the S1, which has been on
the market since at least 2004.
The S2 has some impressive features.
The all-new shell design is made from a
composite Schuberth calls STRONG,
claimed to be lighter and, um, stronger
than other composites and fiberglass, and
it’s been extensively wind-tunnel tested to
be as quiet, well-vented and aerodynamic
as possible. It includes an integrated flipdown internal sun visor, patented antirolloff system, “turbulators” on the face
Pinlock-equipped faceshield, microlock
chinstrap clasp and anti-microbial
ThermoCool comfort liner. Even more
interesting is the world’s first built-in dual
antenna for FM and Bluetooth reception,
designed to work with Schuberth’s
$399 SRC Bluetooth communication
system. Another cool bonus feature is the
Schuberth Mobility Program. If you crash
and damage your helmet within three years
of buying it, Schuberth will replace it for
1/3rd the original MSRP.
KARI’S KORNER
I Sold my Dirtbike in Midair
By Art Sirota
I got in the dangerous habit
of spending each weekend away
over hills chasing glory and rabbits.
with my friends on our dirt bikes we’d
play.
Cause way down below me a river
was making its way through large
boulders.
Down my spine I could feel a cold shiver
from my feet running up to my shoulders.
Then suddenly I was suspended
and time seemed to crawl to a stop
I thought to myself if life ended
then certainly mine was a flop.
I rode an old BSA Thumper.
dead stock with a bright-yellow tank.
Strapped on to my Volvo’s front bumper,
off we’d charge for the nearest mudbank.
In the distance I saw an outcropping
the direction in which I was flying
while both of my eyes were out popping
at the prospect of violently dying.
Fred always brought his Bultaco,
with kickstart where sidestand should be
On a Honda was my old friend Paco
who always wound up in a tree.
Then I recalled Fred being serious
wanting my Beezer—was he nuts?
yet by this time I was delirious
and considered his offer—though
peanuts.
No mountain was ever too steep for us.
Our dirt bikes could climb any hill.
No river was ever too deep for us.
As we recklessly showed off our skill.
Until that bright Sunday last summer
while chasing Ol’ Fred up a trail.
I gave ‘er the gas—what a bummer.
As over a cliff I did sail.
For just as the hilltop was crested
Ol’ Fred disappeared from my view.
And suddenly I was invested
with an outlook on life that was new.
I sailed like a ship with no rudder.
No footing beneath my old knobbies.
I heard myself cry out.”Oh Brudder!
I need to find some safer hobbies!”
And right then and there I saw clearly
if I lived through this awful nightmare
to show Fred how I loved him dearly
so I sold my dirtbike in midair.
My front wheel touched down on the
gravel
I had jumped across that canyon wide
I was more than a little unraveled
when I plonked down on the other side.
Now you may think I was a chicken
to sell my ol’ Beezer to Fred
But I am alive now and kickin’
and in no frantic rush to be dead.
©2012 Art Sirota
2012 Super Ténérés are here!
We’re going to be testing both helmets
soon, so stay tuned for a full review.
We’re looking for the quietest full-face
and flip-front helmets, so we have high
hopes for this Teutonic brand. Get more
info by rolling over to your Schuberth
dealer at schuberthnorthamerica.com or
your nearest BMW motorcycle
dealership, as most of them
are also Schuberth
dealers.
Ready to go anywhere!
Always wear a helmet, eye protection, and protective clothing.
Please respect the environment, obey the law, and read your owner's manual thoroughly.
BERKELEY YAMAHA
735 GILMAN STREET
BERKELEY (510) 525-5525
www.berkeley-yamaha.com
Tues.-Fri. 9-6, Sat. 9-5 — Sun.-Mon. Closed
EVENTS APRIL 2012
First Monday of each month
(May 7, June 4):
2:30 – 10:00 pm: Northern California
Ducati Bike Nights at Benissimo (one
of Marin’s finest Italian Restaurants), 18
Tamalpias Dr, Corte Madera.
NorCalDoc.com
6:00 pm: American Sport Bike Night
at Dick’s Restaurant and Cocktails,
3188 Alvarado Street, San Leandro.
Bring your Buell and hang out with
like-minded riders. All brands welcome!
Our meeting of Buell and Motorcycle
enthusiasts has been happening the first
Monday of the month for the last 12 years,
without ever missing a meeting. We have
had many local and national celebrities
from the motorcycle world grace our
meetings. It has been fun and exciting.
americansportbikenight.net
6:00 pm: California (Northern, East
Bay) NORCAL Guzzi Bike Night at
Applebee’s at McCarthy Ranch Mall, off
880, in Milpitas, California. All MGNOC
members, interested Guzzi riders, and all
other motorcycle riders always welcome.
More information, contact Pierre at:
408/710-4886 or
[email protected].
Second Tuesday of Each Month
(May 8, June 12)
6:30 pm to 10:00 pm: East Bay Ducati
Bike Night at Pizza Antica (3600 Mount
Diablo Blvd., Lafayette, 925/299-0500)
Bike parking on the
street right in front of
the restaurant, indoor
and heated outdoor
seating, excellent wine
list. All moto brands
welcome. Bring your
appetite and a smile,
be prepared to make
new friends.
Every Friday
Through September
2012
5:00 pm: Primetime
Classic Autorama
show (1551 Sycamore
Ave, Hercules: Home
Depot parking lot)
Always FREE to
show/attend. Bring
all your classic
rides: cars/ trucks /
motorcycles / big rigs
/ military. ALL ARE
WELCOME! BBQ /
vendors / and a raffle.
Call Professor J at
510/455-3093 or hit
professorj.biz
visitors until July, 2012. There is no
charge to view the exhibition. For more
information, please visit flysfo.com/
museum.
The Dainese D-Store San
Francisco will be partnering up
with Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca
this 2012 MotoGP season, giving
local fans a place to purchase
tickets directly. The D-Store hosts
race viewing parties on its big
multi-screen video wall for the
entire season and Mazda Raceway
will be present at the store on
specific race viewing days to sell
general admission tickets.
Saturday, April 28th and
Sunday, April 29th:
10:00 am-4:00 pm both days:
22nd Annual Pacific Coast Dream
Machines Show (Half Moon Bay
Airport, 9850 N. Cabrillo Hwy
on Hwy. 1, 5 miles north of Hwy.
92) Half Moon Bay’s spectacular
showcase of motorized mechanical
marvels from throughout the 20th
and 21st centuries—more than 2000
beautiful flying, driving and working
machines on display for public
viewing—motorcycles displays include
everything from antique turn-of-thecentury models, high-performance
sport, racing and off-road bikes to the
hottest custom bikes of the modern era.
Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca will
sell tickets at the D-Store from
noon–3:00 pm on the following
dates: April 8th and 29th, May
6th, June 3rd and 17th, July 8th
and 15th and you’ll save $20 over
paying at the gate.
3-day (Fri/Sat/Sun) General
Admission: $80
2-day (Sat/Sun) General
Admission: $75
Friday General Admission: $35
Saturday General Admission: $45
Sunday General Admission: $55
First Saturdays of
each month
(May 5, June 2)
Mission Motorcycles (6292 Mission
St. Daly City, missionmotorcycles.
com 650/992-1234) has Brown Bag
Saturdays: 15% off all parts and
Reader Peter Mars sent us this snapshot of the incredible Ducati 125
Gran Sport with handmade “Dustbin” fairing.
accessories you can
stuff into a brown
paper sack.
Third Sunday of each month
(May 20, June 17):
9:00 am: California (Northern)
Moto Guzzi National Owners Club
(MGNOC) breakfast at Putah Creek
Cafe in picturesque Winters, California
(Highways 505/128) MGNOC members
and interested Guzzi riders meet for
breakfast and a good time. The Putah
Creek Cafe is located at Railroad Avenue.
More information contact: Northern
California MGNOC Rep, Don Van Zandt
at 707-557-5199.
Evenings: 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.
Every day through July, 2012
Moto Bellissima Exhibit at SFO
$20 ($30 for 2-day pass) for adults, $10
($15 for 2-day pass) for ages 11-17 and
65+, and free for kids age 10 and under.
for more info call 650/726-2328 or
visit miramarevents.com.
1:30 pm: First Aid Class for
Motorcyclists at Moto Shop
|(325 South Maple #20, South
San Francisco, 650/873-1600,
bayareamotoshop.com)
This class will teach Basic Life Support,
or BLS, as it applies specifically to
motorcycle-related injuries. Topics
covered include:
The Ultimate Sport-Urban-Adventure-Tourer
150 horsepower
15,000 mile service intervals
Traction Control
Plus available ABS
Electronic Suspension
Luggage System
• Howtomanagethesceneand
ensure that additional injuries do
not occur
• Howtoworkasasinglerescueror
as part of a team
The Italian propensity for artistic
design, historically demonstrated in a
wide range of manufactured goods, has
perhaps never been better exemplified
than in the beautiful motorcycles
that graced Italy’s racetracks and
roadways in the 1950s and 1960s.
Over the course of two decades, an
unprecedented number of Italian
firms, many of them lost to history,
produced a dizzying array of smallsized motorcycles for a country with a
desperate need for mobility after World
War II. These machines were created
at a time of impoverished resources,
but consistent with a characteristically
Italian insistence on producing, and
demanding, objects of extraordinary
design and beauty. Nineteen
motorcycles, ranging from singularly
produced racers such as Carlo Ubbiali’s
1951 Mondial 125cc Bialbero Grand
Prix to 50cc production bikes from
the late 1960s, demonstrate that while
necessity breeds invention, the results
can be truly stunning.
• WhatinitialstepsMUSTbetaken
before anything else
Moto Bellissima: Italian Motorcycles
from the 1950s and 1960s is located presecurity in the International Terminal
Main Hall Departures Lobby, San
Francisco International Airport. The
exhibition is on view to all Airport
Friday, May 4th
• Whatmustneverbedonetoa
“down” rider
• Howto“field”stabilizeandtreatlife
threatening and non-threatening
injuries
• Howtomonitorapatientandwhat
“simple” signs and symptoms might
be telling you.
This class will be taught by Michael
Carion, who has 18+ years experience
as a State- Certified EMT with the
SF Fire Department, and an avid
motorcyclist for over 24 years.
Volunteers from the class will be used
for demonstrations and practice. The
techniques taught are informational
and no certificates are being issued.
This class is intended to give you extra
knowledge and skills to carry with you
to make your motorcycling lifestyle
even safer for yourself and those you
ride with. Price: $25
1:00 pm to 7:00 pm: International
Female Ride Day San Francisco
Ride and Party at Moto Shop (325
South Maple #20, South San Francisco,
Call to schedule a private demo ride
412 Valencia, San Francisco
www.munroemotors.com
3600 Soquel Ave, Santa Cruz
www.motoitaliano.com
1289 W. El Camino Real, Sunnyvale
www.hondapeninsula.com
(415) 626-3496
(831) 462-6686
(408) 739-6500
650/873-1600, bayareamotoshop.com)
Group ride from 1:00-4:00 pm, then
party at the Moto Shop in South City.
The fun will include door prizes for some
lucky ladies, including a set of Kriega
hardbag liners and passes to the upcoming
Adventure Ride and Rendezvous in
Tahoe (including lodging for two!) and
passes to the Bonneville Speed Trials.
Check out facebook.com/IFRDSF for
more info.
Saturday May 5th
6:30 - 7:30 pm
Meet Josh Herrin and celebrate
Mojotown’s 3rd Anniversary
(Mojotown Motorcycle Gear Shop, 1345
E. Francisco Blvd. San Rafael, 415/4576656 or mojotowngearshop.com) Come
meet AMA Superbike Rider #2 Josh
Herrin and AMA Supersport Rider Zach
Herrin. Bring your swag in to get signed
by the Herrin Brothers and help celebrate
our gear shop’s 3rd year of business!
Take advantage of storewide discounts
and enjoy refreshments courtesy of
Mojotown and Stang’s Hotdogs of San
Rafael. Open House hours 12:00 pm ‘till
closing.
10:00 am-3:30 pm
on the pristine lawn of the Driving Range
at Quail Lodge Golf Club.
This year’s event showcase the finest
motorcycles from the past, present
and future. As always, to enhance your
experience the Quail Lodge Culinary
Team will serve an irresistible BBQ lunch
prepared with the most fresh and savorful
ingredients from our local farms and
purveyors. Tickets to The Motorcycle
Gathering are $65 per person, $15 for
children 12 and under, and inclusive of a
complimentary gourmet lunch and live
music.
More info: [email protected].
Friday, May 4 through Sunday, May 6
AMA Pro Road Racing West Coast
Moto Jam at Infineon Raceway
(Highways 37 and 121 Sonoma) The
two-wheel excitement of AMA Pro Road
Racing returns to Infineon Raceway
for the West Coast Moto Jam, May 4-6.
Celebrate your Cinco de Mayo weekend
with the ultimate motorcycle fiesta! In
addition to six AMA Pro Road Racing
main events on the road course, you’ll
be treated to Supermoto USA on the
karting track and the return of the TTXGP
Electric Motorcycles. And, don’t miss free
Quail Motorcycle
Gathering (Quail
Lodge Resort, 8205
Valley Greens Drive,
Carmel 888/828-8787,
quaillodgeevents.com)
The 4th annual Quail
Motorcycle Gathering will
celebrate The Evolution of
the Motorcycle featuring
Indian Motorcycles.
demo rides in the expanded Motorsports
Midway, appearances by the Infineon
Raceway Girls, autograph sessions and
more!
Sunday, May 6th - 9:00 a.m. (Time and
meeting place subject to change)
CityBike Magazine’s Ride to the Races:
Ride with CityBike contributors, staffers
and members of the major Bay Area
motorcycle clubs to the West Coast
Moto Jam at Infineon Raceway, featuring
the best in AMA Pro Road Racing and
Supermoto USA.
Meet us at 9:00 am on your insured,
street-legal motorcycle at the Fort
Mason gates (across the street from the
Marina Safeway in San Francisco) for
an individual ride/mutual destination
caravan to the Infineon Raceway front
gate. This is an individual ride with group
destinations, so you bear your own risk
and will ride your own ride. Purchase
your Race and Ride Ticket now and save
$15, call (800) 870-7223 ext. 161 or visit
infineonraceway.com/citybikeride.
Friday, 9-6 Saturday, 10-5 Sunday:
Road Rider Motorcycle Accessories
34th Anniversary Weekend (2897
Monterey Highway, San Jose, CA 95111,
roadridermca.com
roadridermca.com,
800/331-6684). Road
Rider is turning 34! Join
us for great savings on
new and closeout items.
Swing by on Saturday
and you can pick up a
free hotdog and hobnob
with manufacturers and
industry specialists.
Saturday, May 12
9:00 am-4:00 pm Ascot
Flat-Track Reunion
(NHRA Motorsports
Museum at the Pomona
Fairplex, 1101 W.
McKinley Ave. Building
3A, Pomona, CA) Firstever reunion of riders,
Building on the success
of its Automobile
counterpart, The Quail
Motorcycle Gathering
will offer a spectacular
display of classic sports
and racing bikes lined up
33rd Anniversary Sale!!
20% to 50% off
stock items, excluding Forcefield Armour.
May 1st - May 31st
We stock a large selection of heavy duty jackets , pants, chaps, & bags.
Custom garments and accessories. We repair, alter and clean leather products.
Our leathers are guaranteed against defect for life.
1833 Polk St. (@ Jackson) San Francisco - johnsonleather.com
(800) 730-7722 • (415) 775-7393
We make
custom 1 & 2 piece
leathers!
Forcefield Body Armour, The worlds
leading “Soft armour technology”
Body protection system specialists.
tuners, fans to commemorate those wildass dirt track racing days at Ascot Park in
Gardena, CA, from 1957 to 1990.
Lots of NorCal riders are coming to
the Reunion, including legendary Joe
Leonard, the first AMA Grand National
Champion. Big show with Dirt Track
bikes and memorabilia on display. ALL
proceeds benefit Aid to Injured Riders a
501(C)(3) nonprofit for injured pro Dirt
Track racers.
Autograph session, memorabilia raffle,
limited edition posters, tee shirts, hats,
decals, six hours of unearthed Ascot
race footage will be shown for the first
time ever, and an 80 page souvenir Rider
Program with 250 original Dan Mahony
Ascot racing photos. See our Facebook
page, ascotflattrack.com, or call Jerry
Greer: 805/927-5697. Admission $10 at
the gate. See ya there!
10:00 am-3:00 pm: Livermore
Motorcycle Safety Event (Carnegie Park,
Fourth St. at S. K St. in Livermore)
Take your Saturday ride to Downtown
Livermore! Stop by Carnegie Park and
check out the local Vendors, Dealers
and Displays! Try out our Civilian Rider
Course and watch Livermore P.D. Motor
Officers show off their riding skills! This
event is free to the public. Slow Race,
Free Inspections (no citations) and more.
For further information please contact
Livermore Police Officer Justin Lash at
925/371-4847
Friday, May 18
Friday, May 25 to Sunday May 27
Activities include-Friday: Swap Meet,
Vending, Technical Seminars, Bike Corral
River City Beemers Spring Ridefest:
and an evening Banquet. Saturday: Swap
(Gold Country Fairgrounds, Auburn, CA) Meet, Vending, Technical Seminars,
Daily poker runs, door prizes, camping,
Bike Corral, Field Meet and National
food, nightly entertainment, event pin,
Judging with Awards. Food, T-Shirts,
50/50 drawings, daily dual-sport rides and Commemorative Pins, Camping and RV
BMW rally-like event. The event includes hook ups also available at the event.
camping at the Gold Country Fairgrounds
NOTE- National AMCA Judging, All
in Auburn (off-site hotel options exist
entries must be 35 years old or older.
for the non-camping set), breakfast and
Vendors must be AMCA members.
dinner each day, plenty of self-directed
Public invited to attend. Spectators free,
riding (both road and off-road routes
donations accepted.
available), optional entertainment each
evening, and opportunities to win awards
For complete details please visit
and prizes.
amcafortsutter.org or call 209/368-7259
or 916/452-9847
Participants will pay $85/person and
receive a commemorative pin. T-Shirts
Monday, June 17th
are available for an extra cost. More
information at rcb.org/ridefest.
21st Annual Motorcycle and Scooter
Ride To Work Day
Saturday, June 16th
To encourage record setting numbers
9:00 am-3:00 pm: Primetime Classic
of riders to participate in the 2012 Ride
Autorama show at Infineon Raceway
To Work Day, spread the word by every
(Hwy 37 & 116, Sonoma) Always FREE
means possible—word of mouth, print
to show/attend. Bring all your classic
ads, web banners ads, blog posts, news
rides: cars/ trucks / motorcycles / big
and magazine articles, press coverage,
rigs / military. All are welcome! BBQ /
Facebook, Twitter, YouTube...Together we
vendors / and a raffle. Call Professor J at
can make this the largest, most impactful
510/455-3093 or hit professorj.biz
Ride To Work Day to date!
Friday, June 15-Saturday June 16
Public service ads, web banners, posters
and other free downloadable propaganda
Both Days: Fort Sutter Chapter of the
material is available at: ridetowork.org/
AMCA National Antique Motorcycle
ride-to-work-day-ads
Swap Meet and Show (Dixon
Fairgrounds, 655 S. 1st Street, Dixon, CA)
Pease help spread the word. Thank you
and safe riding!
7:00 pm: Big Time Speedway Hang’em
National Night Races at Prairie City
SVRA-OHV (13300 White Rock Road
Rancho Cordova). Methanol-burning
madness as top-ranked national racers
battle it out on these fast, light machines
with no brakes or suspension, under the
lights! Adult Tickets are $20—go to
bigtimespeedway.com or call 925/7863263 for more information.
Sunday, May 20
FREE Cycle Swap Meet
in Sacramento (Hwy 50 at
Bradshaw Road, 9616 Oats Dr.
Sacramento 800/762-9785
sacramentocycleswapmeet.com)
The Sacramento Cycle Swap Meet, held
at the West Wind Drive In, is an “All
Brands” event with over 100 vendors
and over 500 bikes for show and sale.
Riders and collectors from all ends
of the bike hobby, including Harley,
cruisers, choppers, vintage, British,
race, Off-Road, Japanese, Euro, and
bicycles get together to buy, sell, trade,
show off, and talk about new, used, and
vintage parts and accessories. From
professional shops and manufacturers
liquidating excess inventory to the
hobbyist selling off leftovers from his
latest project, you can find smokin’
deals on hard-to-find parts and
accessories. Ride out and park your
Bike in the FREE Bike Corral to sell it,
swap it or just show it off or get a vendor
space and unload those old parts from
your garage.
Sunday June 24th
9:00 am-4:00 pm: Bikes on the Bay,
Capitola (Capitola Mall Parking Lot
off 41st Avenue in Capitola) Bring the
family and check out hundreds of pre1988 American, British, European and
Japanese motorcycles and scooters. Find
the part you’ve been looking for at the
Motorcycle Swap Meet or purchase your
dream motorcycle in the Bike Corral
where used motorcycles and scooters will
be for sale. Vendors showcase the latest
in bike accessories, clothing, parts and
services. Enjoy entertainment, food and
awards. Admission is FREE! More info:
bikesonthebay.com or call 831/475-6522.
Saturday, June 30 and Sunday,
July 1, 2012
17th Annual Classic Japanese
Motorcycle Swap and Show At the Gold
Country Fairgrounds, Auburn (Hwy.
80, between Sacramento and Reno).
Enjoy food, fun and the fantastic bikes at
the West coast’s largest strictly Japanese
motorcycle event. Presented by the
Classic Japanese Motorcycle Club. Details
at cjmc.org (see our calendar section).
Saturday: The Swap Meet
(Starts at 7:00 am and continues through
Sunday) Find the parts you need Bikes for
sale at the Corral. Hear the sweet sounds
of Japanese horsepower (new event)
Learn at the afternoon tech sessions (new
event) Don’t miss the sunset group ride.
Swap info: Chal at [email protected] or
530/559‐0350.
Sunday: The Bike Show
(10.30 am –2:00 pm)
Madonna County Park Manzanita Camp
Site 7850 Pole Line Rd Watsonville,
408/842-2341)
The 2012 NATA-RALLY is a non-profit
Not-A-Rally gathering of motorcycle
See Vintage, Classic, Race, Café, Custom, enthusiasts organized by a group of
Off‐Road, Future Classic and other bike
mature and experienced Moto Guzzi
categories (people’s choice voting with
riders and enthusiasts. There will be
awards to follow). This year we will feature plenty of motorcycle rides and camping
Bridgestone Motorcycles. Pre-register and surrounded by the local redwoods. All
get a gift bag filled with moto-goodies!
proceeds will be benefiting the Children’s
Hospices & Palliative Care Coalition
Bike Show entry forms: Roger
located in Watsonville.
at [email protected] or
408/933‐8784
Pricing is $18 per motorcycle each night
Friday, June 29-Sunday July 1
2012 NATA Rally at Mt. Madonna
County Park in Watsonville (Mt.
(Friday and Saturday). Due to limited
space, camping is by pre-registration
only. Please register for camping at
the Manzanita camp site by emailing:
Doc Wong Clinics!
2012 AFM SCHEDULE
CityBike says if you haven’t done a
Doc Wong clinic, go do one ASAP.
It’s fun, free and will make you a
better/safer/happier rider. Register by
emailing [email protected] or call
Full Motion Chiropractic at 650/3657775.
Take it to the track! Catch some of the
best, most varied, most competitive
roadracing anywhere with our local
racing club, the American Federation of
Motorcyclists.
Friday and Sunday April 27-29,
2012 “Dual Sport Adventure
Riding Clinic” 7:15 pm Friday, 9:00
am Sunday
Friday night May 11 “Basic
Suspension Part 2” 7:15pm
Friday, May 18 “Riding Position
and Ergonomics Workshop” Fri
7:15 pm
Sunday, May 20 “Cornering
Confidence - Lines of Travel (2
Step)” 9:00 am-2:30 pm
Friday night June 8 “Basic
Suspension Part 1” 7:15pm
Sunday June 10 “CPR and First
Aid for Motorcyclists Class” 9:00
am-3:00 pm
Friday June 15 “Riding Position
and Ergonomics Workshop” 7:15
pm
Sunday June 17 “Smooth Riding
- Body English-Weight Transfer”
9:00 am-2:30 pm
Friday 7:15 pm and Sunday
9:00 am June 22-24 “Dual Sport
Adventure Riding Clinic”
More info: docwong.com
[email protected]. Day visit
is $6 per motorcycle each day (Friday,
Saturday, and/or Sunday). Day use
visitors are very welcome all days. RV
and/or Yurt camping also available,
go to gooutsideandplay.org to make
reservations. We will be adding more
information about guided rides,
activities, games and food as it becomes
available: nata-rally.org.
Saturday, July 7th
10:00 am to 5:00 pm: NorCal
Knockout (Solano County
Fairgrounds, Vallejo, just by I-80 and
For racetrack and spectator info or
to find out about corner-working
opportunities or how to get your race
license, go to afmracing.org or call
510/796-7005.
May 12 and 13: Thunderhill
June 2 and 3: Thunderhill
June 30 and July 1: Infineon
August 4 and 5: Thunderhill
September 1 and 2: Infineon
October 6 and 7: Thunderhill
CA-37). A nostalgic rock’n’roll bike and
car show. Pre ‘70 American-made hot
rods, customs, race cars, bombs. ‘40s
to 60s traditionally styled motorcycles.
Displays, exhibitions, lots of vendors,
hot food, cold drinks, tattoo artists,
pinstripers, live garage rock’n’roll
and rockabilly. Moustache contest,
speedboats, trophies, food vendors, more!
Kick back among the many shaded tree
areas, enjoy live music from the stage and
great dj’s.
The Great Indoors
By John Joss
Photos by Bob Stokstad
S
urrender, now! Lay down your
arms. We Brits are re-colonizing the
United States, after that trivial 1776
misunderstanding. Behave acceptably and
you will be spared. The rest of you? Off
with your heads.
Indoor flat-track and Clubman Brit-bike
show at the San Jose Fairgrounds.
Proof? Limeys for a day: the BSA
Owners’ Club of Northern California
Clubman’s All-British Motorcycle
Show and Swap Meet at the Santa Clara
County Fairgrounds in San Jose, its 25th
anniversary celebrating—what else?—
BSA, 31 March-1 April 2012. Note the
brilliantly logical day-month-year notation,
vs. the hiccupy month-day-year beloved of
you colonials.
‘All British?’ We accept
you, anyway.
Many of us (Old Sodders) suggested proof
of Britishness as an admission criterion,
but that would have reduced the gate, so we
let you in. You colonials like British bikes,
so you belong. Cousins. “Two countries
divided by a common language” (thanks,
Entrance for walk-ins is $10, Preregistrered vehicles, $20, at-the-gate fee
$25. More info: norcalknockout.com
Saturday, July 21
son and daughter in Britbike heaven. They
braved the rain (authentically British, of
course) to share the unique ambience. A $1
raffle ticket could capture a 1957 BSA Gold
Star, won by David Hunter of Hong Kong.
Glory be!
‘Velocette’ came from the company’s ladies’
machine, branded as the diminutive of
Multiple (53) judged classes required fifty ‘Veloce,’ and it stuck. Consider a typical
judges, supervised by Chief Judge Jeff
visitor-enthusiast, Seattle’s John Bundy:
Sunzeri. These experts were busy: 120-plus “I’ve owned my 1959 MSS since 1977. I
machines, with fractional differences in
know each of the four previous owners, one
near-perfection between them, judged in
of whom is no longer with us.” The MSS, a
two hours.
All riders and guests welcome to OMC’s
big social event of the year! Barbequed
burgers, live band, 50/50 raffle, trophies,
poker run! $20 ticket includes food and
music. Sign-in starts at 3:30 at the OMC
HQ: 742 45th Avenue, Oakland. Call
510/537-5392 for more info or email
[email protected] for more info.
Genuine Britishness prevailed—
history-making concepts, slightly mad
engineering, puny front brakes striking
fear into riders’ hearts, bum-slicer front
license plates, oil leaks (mandatory),
mountains of rare parts from mudguards
(your ‘fenders’—we hang such things off
boats) to carburettors and cylinder heads,
crankshafts to con rods, brake drums to
wheel rims, posters to brochures, arcana for
every Britbike need or whim under the sun.
On view: motorcycling’s golden age.
Save the Date: Sunday, July 22nd
The hundred-year-old Veloce
9:30 pm: Oakland Motorcycle Club
Three-Bridge Run
CityBike’s 2nd Annual CityBike Day
at the Junction, our regular excuse to
ride Mines Road and meet our readers.
Food, music, trivia contests, bike show,
questionable prizes, seminars, bad
jokes, seminars and much more.
Check citybike.com/events for more
information as it’s posted.
George Bernard Shaw, Winston Churchill,
Oscar Wilde or Bertrand Russell,
depending on your preferred reference).
This year there was no, ahem, pandering
to machines
from other, um,
sources. No
Italians, Japanese or
Germans. Be Brit or
be gone.
Motor Company’s earliest machines, under
restoration. He also brought his superb
1938 KTT, an Isle of Man TT and 350
World Championship winner.
Well, almost. Try 99. Genial John Ray,
‘Mr. Velocette’ in the colonies—Chairman
of the Velocette Owners’ Club of North
America—showed the oldest machine
present, a 1913 Veloce, one of Veloce
The usual bike
suspects were
there, from AJ.S.,
Ariel and BSA to
Triumph, Velocette
and Vincent, mostly
well restored (a
few, sadly, overrestored), dozens of
vendors, but most
of all enthusiasts,
wearing patriotic
Britbike tee-shirts,
sweaters, jackets and
caps, every mother’s Pete Young and his 1913 Veloce.
Master metal-former Evan Wilcox tells how it’s
done.
mid-’30s original design, was resuscitated
in the 1950s.
Visitors slavered over collector-craftsman
Paul Adams’ 1924 Norton Model 18,
restored to original. It won the People’s
Choice award, along with Oldest
Bike (judged) and Oldest Norton.
This 490cc OHV single, designed by
James Lansdowne Norton himself, set
The wonders never stopped, including
marques and models seen only at such
great classic events: more BSA Gold Stars
and parallel Twins than you could count,
numerous Nortons, a Triton (Triumph
twin in Featherbed frame), rare Cottons,
DOTs and Greeves, Triumph’s Tigress
scooter, a Sunbeam S7 487cc in-line/shaftdrive twin, Ariel Square Fours from preWWII ‘iron heads’ to the last aluminium
four-port, even an American interloper, a
Royal Enfield 750 parallel-twin, U.K.-built,
badged as an Indian.
Infinite Pains
Above: John “Mr. Velocette”
Ray brought his 1938 KTT.
Left: Greg Beck wheeled his
1950 Thunderbird over for a
photo op.
Every bike, every vendor, every visitor had
a story. Master craftsman Evan (“Hand
Formed Metal”) Wilcox brought stunning
examples of aluminium tanks, tail sections
and a work-in-progress ‘dustbin’ fairing for
a MotoGuzzi, its vee-twin cooling tunnels
still unopened. His art drew profound
respect, as did his eight-month order
backlog.
Evan told his tale and showed stunning
photos: “Jack Silverman, a Colorado
collector, found a rare 1950s Ducati 250twin racer John Surtees reportedly raced.
The factory wanted it but Jack wrote a
bigger check. The dustbin fairing and tail
section were long gone. The factory had no
drawings. I found photos and scaled them,
built wooden bucks and recreated the
originals. It took years.”
world 500cc records
at Brooklands—89.22
mph over the measured
kilometer—and
underpinned Norton’s
racing successes through to
Wilcox exemplified what classic-bike
the 1950s-60s’ Featherbed
owners have discovered. Get hooked, and
350s and 500s.
you find yourself in your garage facing two
thousand hours’ hard labor. Or labour, if
it’s British. That doesn’t include Internet
search time for rare parts, haggling
with those bloody Brits over prices and
shipping, or final negotiations with your
divorce lawyer (be sure to get the bike).
We’re not being sexist—many sensible
women collect and restore.
“Gobsmacked”
Jim Tomich, BSAOCNC President, was
amazed (American term for the correct
British term ‘gobsmacked’) and delighted
at the event’s success: “We set up the bikes
and vendors from 6:00 to 8:00 am, always
a busy time. By our 8:00 am opening we
had crowds that never stopped coming,
well over 2000. The place was jammed, a
zoo. The club is very pleased.
“You never know what you’ll see here. One
year we had great weather and someone
brought a mint Matchless Silver Hawk.
Half an hour later another arrived, yet
neither owner knew the other. These are
rare ‘30s bikes. Only enthusiasts know
them.
“Our (club) members are genuine
enthusiasts, restoring and riding. We
participate in rallies all around the
world—England, of course, and here in
the U.S., but also the other colonies, such
as Australia and New Zealand, hotbeds of
classic Brit-bike enthusiasts.
“Come see us in 2013. The last weekend in
March, unless Easter falls on that day.”
You are now an honorary Brit. At least for
a day.
Just spell ‘aluminium’ correctly. And
‘colour.’ And ‘centre.’ And…
Sixth Annual San Jose Indoor
finishing second behind Alves, who has
now won every year since 2008.
Karen Gould, words and photos,
checkeredflagphotos.com
Twenty-three riders contested the
Open Pro 20-rider main event, with the
chance to win the $2000 first prize or
the $1350 second. The winners of six
heat races and four semis made the class.
With that much money on the line, last
year’s winner Jared Mees was looking for
another victory.
The 6 -Annual San Jose Indoor
was a standing-room-only event to
remember. The indoors pits allowed
spectators with a pit pass to mingle
with the riders and enjoy the day
without the threat of rain outside. The
track remains the same as it was in the
‘60s—a bullring short track inside a
chain link cage/fence with bleachers all
the way around.
th
The event wouldn’t have been possible
without the long list of generous
sponsors: Motion Pro, who provided
shirts to our infield workers, Motor
Café (AKA Ducati-Honda Peninsula),
who provided the generator for the start
Above: Open Pro Main winner Jethro Halbert (69) leading
Kayle Kolkman on the tiny concrete track.
light, Faultline Power Sports for the
die-cast models auctioned for the Dashfor-Cash purse, Frank Nye/Engines
Only for sponsoring the 150/230 class
payout and San Jose Harley Davidson
and Jerry Kennedy/Kennedy Trucking
for sponsoring the Dash for Cash, Bob
Bellino/Circle Bell Racing, Honda
Kawasaki of Modesto and all those who
put ads in the program and provided
throw-outs for the crowd. And, of
course, the family of P&D Promotion
workers, volunteers and officials who
served as foot soldiers to make the
event work.
The event started Friday afternoon
with a practice to put rubber down
on the concrete for Saturday’s racing.
Following the practice, the riders and
spectators enjoyed an old-fashioned
catered race barbeque; oh the stories
and memories that were shared…
Brothers Robert and Larry Silva each
shared a heat race victory, starting side by
side in the Legends A main. After a singlefile restart lap, Robert Bacosa got past two
others to take second spot and in lap five
Don Baily had moved up from his secondto-last position to third. Robert Silva, a
multi-time Legends winner was proud to
finish first again.
John Larson, after winning his heat, held
off Perri Turner and Harold Raggio in the
Legends B main event. Larson led all 10
laps of this six-rider pack.
Halbert gained ground, putting a bike
length between himself and Kolkman,
Left: Tony Alves (16) paced by Brook Shaw (110) and Chris
Mees was pressing Rush after a crash and
Canepa.
single-file restart on lap five. With 15 laps
Below: Legends “B” winner John Larson (91) interviewed
to finish, Halbert maintained his lead and
post-race with number-two man Perri Turner (44) and thirdKolkman stayed on him. Rush worked
place Harold Raggio.
hard to maintain third, Mees was pushed
out in lap eight, allowing Cose to pass
lead with Chris Canepa behind him for
him for fourth. The race finished Halbert,
Silva on
eight of those laps.Kerry Puccio was taken Kolkman, Rush, Cose and Colindres.
is back
out in lap three and the race was called
wheel.
th
after Canepa—who had been bumped— The 7 Annual San Jose Indoor will be
held next year on the last weekend in
After a
lost control of his bike, taking himself,
March, in conjunction with the British
single-file Anthony De Mario, the start light and
Bike Show. The show’s organizers hope to
restart,
some of the track workers out in lap ten.
Robert
Brooke Shaw got around Canepa just prior see many of you there and thank you again
for your support.
Bacosa
was working his way through the pack
to take the lead from Baily in lap six.
Behind him, Robert Silva was battling
back to the front. Meanwhile Roy
Taboda was working hard to claim third
from Larry Silva. The race finished
Bacosa, Robert Silva, Taboda and
Robert McDonnell, who had come
through from the back for fourth. Past
winners are 2007 Paul Herman, 2008
Tony Alves, 2009 Rod Spencer, 2010
Robert Silva, and 2011 Dana Perri.
As usual, the Dash for Cash was the
first main event. Six riders, the winners
of each of the pro heat races, competed
for $1000 cash. Dominic Colindres
made a name for himself when he
withstood four good moves from Jared
Mees. Mees was later bumped and
finished third behind Jethro Halbert.
Saturday’s racing included a brakeless
class for the first time, featuring a battle
between Chris Rudy, Joe Simas and
Richard Luhdorff. After 10 laps Rudy
led at the checkers after capturing
the lead from Luhdorff in lap seven.
Luhdorff and Simas followed.
Young and upcoming Andrew Luker
showed the rest of the Juniors the fast
way around this little polished-concrete
track, winning both the heat and main
events. Bronson Bauman and Chris
Corbari finished the main second and
third respectively. We will see more of
these fast youngsters in years to come.
Sixteen riders rode the vintage class,
competing in four heats for a spot in the
10-rider main event. The first two from
each heat race and the winner of each of
two semis gridded for the main. Robert
Silva got the holeshot, but Baily had taken
the lead by the end of lap one, with Larry
The competition was stiff, with GNC
riders Kayle Kolkman, Mikey Rush,
Jethro Halbert, Chad Cose and Dash for
Cash winner Colindres on the grid. The
light went green and it was Halbert, Mees
and Briar Bauman into turn one. By
the second lap, Kolkman and Rush had
gotten by Bauman and Mees and it was
Halbert and Kolkman wheel to wheel
with Rush on the back end.
Four heats of four riders competed for
the 150/230 ten-rider main event. By
far the roughest race of the night, it was
a bar-banging, pushing-and-shoving
and taking-each- other-out struggle,
start to finish. Tony Alves missed all
the excitement, riding all ten laps in the
CityBike Double-Take: 2012 Aprilia Tuono V4R
lets you eyehump all the
If He had priced it under $15,000.
sexy details—
Thanks to Scuderia West for
that compact
Dayenu!
generous use of the demo bike.
V-Four, the
If He had given it a quick-shifter,
Gabe Ets-Hokin:
vast aluminum
electronically controlled slipper clutch,
Kosher for Passover
radiator,
wheelie control for racetrack starts and
giant, braced
t was appropriate that we tested the
adjustable traction control at no extra
swingarm,
new Aprilia Tuono V4R on the first
charge.
deep, angled oil
day of the Jewish holiday of Passover.
sump. Plenty
During the ritual holiday Seder meal, Jews Dayenu!
of internetsing a 1200-year-old song called “Dayenu,”
If
He
had
re-tuned
the
powerplant
for
more
forum haters
which means, roughly, “that would have
midrange
while
actually
adding
power
to
unimaginatively
been enough for us,” referring to the
the
top
of
the
rev
range
compared
to
last
typed “fugly!”
miracles God performed for Moses and his
year’s
model.
when they first
flock—freeing them from bondage, parting
saw photos, but
the Red Sea, sustaining them in the desert Dayenu!
in person—
for 40 years (of course, He also made us
Passover
has
passed
over,
but
you
get
especially with
wander in the desert like schmucks for 40
the picture—this is a kick-ass, highly
the glittery goldyears in the first place, but hey, we’re not
entertaining
machine.
In
fact,
it
may
painted example
complaining, just sayin’), and so on. We
represent
the
high-water
mark
of
the
we had—the
could sing a similar song for the Creator at
gasoline-powered
motorcycle.
bike triggers
Aprilia’s design studio:
desire.
It’s based—heavily—on Aprilia’s World
If He had made us a top-spec naked
Superbike-winning RSV4R. We rode that
Nobody will
sportbike.
bike not too long ago (“Viffer Swiffer?”,
use “fugly” to
Dayenu!
January, 2010), and though we liked it—a
describe the riding experience. Actually,
lot—it
had
limited
utility
as
a
street
ride.
there aren’t a lot of words to describe it—
If He had slotted in a 167-horsepower
The
seating
position
is
race-oriented,
it’s that good. The motor is unbelievable:
V-Four engine.
gearing is tall, and the powerband is
smooth, packed with torque, and strongDayenu!
weighted toward very illegal speeds, even
like-bull in any gear. In fact, the Aprilia
in first gear.
“In Any Gear” is what they should have
If He had given it a comfortable, upright
called this bike, as the brilliant ride-by-wire
handlebar.
What to do? A Japanese manufacturer
throttle makes it so smooth and tractable
would take the motor, castrate it to about
that trolling around town in first gear is
110 hp and stick it in a cheaper, heavier
very practical. Second or third is fine for
chassis with low-spec suspension and
tight, twisty roads, and on in smooth, highbrakes and slice an ‘R’ or two off the name.
speed sweepers, fourth or fifth is fine—just
That’s not how Aprilia rolls, though: to
roll on and off the gas to go as fast as you
create the Tuono V4R APRC, Aprilia
want. Just be careful—it goes really fast,
designer Miguel Galuzzi (who also penned
and it’s so smooth and refined it doesn’t feel
the original Ducati Monster, if the name
like the 160 hp getting fed into that fat 190
sounds familiar) left the frame, suspension
behind you. The electronic wheelie thing
and brakes alone, but street-o-rized the
does its job keeping things under control,
65-degree liquid-cooled, four-valve, dohc
but this bike is still a wheelie machine. No
V-Four by extending the inlet tracts,
surprises there.
changing valve timing, increasing flywheel
inertia and shortening gear ratios in the
first three gears. He lopped about 12 hp off
the top end compared to the (also retuned
for 2012) RSV4R motor, but also moved
power and torque peaks 1000 rpm down
from the 12,500-rpm redline.
CityBike Staff, Photos by Bob
Stokstad
Dayenu!
Before I took this screaming
yellow zonker out, Scuderia’s
Don Lemelin said something
that stuck in my mind: bikes
are getting so good it’s almost
as if the factories are forced
to engineer in character, as
the electronics—traction
control, ride-by-wire, digital
fuel injection, selectable
fuel-mapping modes—make
the riding experience so
seamless. If that’s so, has
the gasoline-engined bike
reached its developmental
zenith? How much better can
things get? If they don’t get
any better, that’s okay—this
bike is far better than I will
ever be as a rider.
I
Service & Repair
While we are well-known
for our work on Ducatis, we
provide outstanding service
on all brands and all models!
Plus, it’s a friendly place...swing
by on a Saturday for a cup o’
coffee and some bench racing.
There are other changes from the RSV4R.
Chassis geometry is more relaxed than
the sportbike’s: steering-head angle is a
half degree more, to 25, the wheelbase
is 20mm longer, yielding 2.5mm more
trail. The bodywork is unique, but has
an interesting continuity with the
RSV4R’s aggressive shapes. There’s
a tiny passenger seat and shrunken
windscreen, and the minimal
bodywork
Nichols Sportbike Service
913 Hanson Court
Milpitas, CA 95035
has signed up for five seasons
of a new series based on the
Ducati Multistrada 1200
owner’s manual, starring Téa
Leoni and David Duchovny,
but you won’t need basic
cable to adjust the eightlevel traction control on the
Aprilia—just thumb the
paddle by your left handgrip.
Handling, brakes and suspension are
as you’d expect: good. The chassis is
balanced, and I’m sure the frame is as
rigid as you need, if Max Biaggi can win
SBK races on it, and he can. As delivered,
the springs and damping felt stiff but
they’re fully adjustable, and what setup
is perfect out of the box? A cheap fix if it
isn’t. The high, wide bars help the bike
steer as quick as any standard (though
Al’s DR-Z supermoto felt like a bicycle
after the Tuono), but Galuzzi’s tweaking
of the chassis numbers keep things
feeling natural and stable—no mean feat
in a streetfighter. The brakes are plenty
strong, but they’re not the Brembo Racing
monoblocs we know and love so much
around here—but hey, Aprilia has to do
something to make the inevitable highspec Factory version worth buying, right?
The electronics package is also remarkable.
Bang multiple up and downshifts like
a superbike racer without damaging
anything all
morning and
you’ll want a
quickshifter and
slipper clutch for
your everyday
ride, too. The
traction control
and wheelie
control are
also nice to
have, and easy
to adjust as
well—kudos
for Aprilia for
not being too
Italian about
user-friendliness.
I’ve heard Lifetime
Network
Okay, now the not-so-good things about
the new Tuono. First: No ABS? WTF?
This is nonsensical. The electronics and
wheel-spin sensors are all there—isn’t ABS
sort of traction control in reverse? We get
it that it’s fun to not have it, but sometimes
you really wish you did—just give us an off
switch. There’s also that awful seat-shaped
thing behind the gas tank which, combined
with the very high footpegs, makes the
bike not-so-great for longer rides. The bike
is also pretty heavy—Cycle World’s scales
registered 480 pounds for its test bike.
That’s not such a problem, as the bike is so
balanced and easy to steer that it doesn’t feel
heavy, but you don’t doubt that you’re on a
big bike, though it feels small physically.
www.nicholssportbike.com
Just feed it your driving license, which will
promptly be sliced, diced and spat out the
exhaust pipe. If you buy this bike, while
you’re getting title and tags at DMV, you
might as well just hand over your license to
save a trip later.
Yes, it’s that much fun. Stupid giggling,
gasping, eye-popping, OHMYGAWDshouting-inside-your-helmet fun. That’s
with the electronics-package features set
to mid ranges. Lower the values just two
clicks, and you’d better be on your A-game.
The unmistakable first impression is that
Still, most of those negatives can be
fixed—or willingly lived with as the price
of riding such a sex machine. This bike
isn’t for some drudge seeking maximum
value and economy so he can commute
for pennies a day. It’s for an expert rider
who wants uncompromised ability and
performance with some measure of riding
comfort. If those are your criteria, this new
Tuono meets it, with a dollar change from
your $15,000.
Dayenu!
Alan Lapp: The paper shredder
you can’t buy at Costco.
T
For Ducati product info, please go to:
The only thing the electronics can’t fix is
bad judgment—for example, whacking
the throttle open mid-corner to explore
the lean-angle-sensor-equipped traction
control, while your boss is slowing down to
pick out photo locations. Good thing the
brakes are excellent, with crisp, linear feel.
Maybe the biggest fly in the Italian
ointment is the horrendous fuel economy.
A full tank—about 3.5 gallons without
reserve—got us just over 87 miles before
the ‘low-fuel’ odometer kicked on.
Seriously? I’m guessing you could ride like
an old lady—maybe even an old Italian
lady—and coax 35 mpg out of a tank,
but 25 mpg? Publisher Wills gets better
economy with his ‘97 Cadillac Fleetwood,
and I’m not even kidding.
he Tuono is less a motorcycle than
it is a piece of office equipment,
a paper shredder, in fact.
Specifically, a driving privilege shredder.
(408) 945-0911
is so smooth and unobtrusive that you
think it was your idea. The same with the
quick shifter – I have ridden for 35 years,
and can’t shift as quickly and smoothly as
it does. The TC, quick shifter and launch
control modulate the throttle and clutch to
execute their respective tasks flawlessly.
this bike makes incredible power and
torque. The amount of low- and mid-range
torque is just amazing and lovely to ride. I
am told that the Tuono has been detuned
for more mid-range and less top-end from
the sport version, the RSV4, which surely
must require genetic testing for superhuman riding skill prior to ownership.
Not that the Tuono is slow on the top end.
Everything in life is relative, right? Right.
I consider the Tuono V4R a good value,
especially considering how much
technology there is and how well it is
integrated. However, it’s only for a small
pool of riders. Clearly, it’s not a beginner
bike. Heck, it’s not even suitable for
average riders, though they could ride
it safely. Despite the hard, slippery seat,
the ergonomics are comfortable, and the
chassis and suspension are extraordinarily
competent. Even with the stock exhaust,
the V-Four makes a luscious soundtrack,
icing on the cake. It’s the equivalent of a
Giorgio Armani suit: it’s Italian, it’s stylish,
it makes you feel like a million bucks, but
you just don’t wear it to Costco. I see it as
an indulgence for experienced track-day
junkies or former road racers. I could see
one in my garage. Yellow please. Now, if I
could just get my license back...
In fact, it reminds me of my first ride on the
legendary CR500 in the mid ‘80s. Then, as Editor’s note: yes, we know Roy’s tiger (Mantecore)
now, I expected it to be fast. The Tuono will was trying to “protect” Roy by biting his head and
wheelie more or less anywhere, anytime, in dragging him offstage. We were just making a point.
any gear. There is so much thrust available
that clutch-dropping is a thing of the past,
it’s roll-on wheelies from here on out.
Gabe suggested not dwelling too much on
the technology,
but it’s impossible
to separate it
completely
from the riding
experience. The
mere mortal rider,
such as myself,
positively needs
the assistance of
the electronics
because without
them, like Siegfried
and Roy’s tame
tiger, it would be a
sexy, exotic beast
that would surely
savage its rider
in a moment of
inattention. The
electronics render
the bike useful
to a much wider
audience than
would otherwise
be possible.
And, I must say,
those electronics
interfere skillfully.
My daily driver
car, a 10-year-old
GM sports car,
has traction control that is as subtle as a
red rubber kickball to the face... it chops
the throttle abruptly and holds it closed
for a fraction of a second. Aprilia’s TC
CityBikers Speak: Size Matters
Why a 250
Ninja may
actually
be too big
a bike as large as
the Ninja 250.
oo big? How can Kawasaki’s fun,
The common
friendly and affordable Ninja
250R or Honda’s peppy, cute little argument to
this idea is that
CBR250R be too big? We liter-bike riders
have a hard time accepting the idea that the anything smaller
Ninja 250R or CBR250R aren’t small bikes. is too small to
be viable on the
They see a 250 and think ‘starter bike,’ an
freeway, and
unfortunate condition of our bigger-issince we are a
better, super-sized society. Ask yourself
society that lives
these questions:
on the freeway
Do you believe the Ninja 250 is a small
one must learn
bike? Did you know that it weighs 375
on a bike that is
pounds or that the Honda is 365? Did you
freeway- enabled. This is a contorted logical
know a Honda CBR1000RR weighs 440
process full of misunderstanding about
pounds? From a weight perspective, does
the true needs of the student rider and the
the Ninja, at 85 percent of the weight of the learning process. It also disregards the
CBR1000RR, still seem like a small bike?
inherent dangers of sending a new rider out
onto the freeway. A proper-sized learner bike
One of the hardest things to do is to
has many benefits. An important one: the
move outside our culture. Our culture of
temptation to take the bike on the freeway
super-sized bigger-is-better liter-riding
is reduced because it isn’t freeway-enabled.
Americans tells us that a 600 is a small
You wouldn’t let a child play in the freeway,
bike. This is reinforced by advertising,
and for the same reasons you shouldn’t let
machismo attitudes, and fear of being in
the out-group for even thinking that a 600 is a new rider do so either—they don’t have
a large bike. We are genetically evolved to a the skills to deal with the situations that can
tribal level where we desire to be in the in- arise.
group, for being
in the outgroup
in tribal times
generally
meant death.
Faced with
these cultural
and evolved
behaviors, it is
challenging for
an American
motorcyclist
to be open to
these ideas. The
desire to be in
the in-group, not
to be a pussy,
Kawasaki’s Ninja 250R is universally hailed as the perfect learner’s ride.
to prove you
But is it really a “small” bike? Photo: Bob Stokstad
are a real man
etc., poses great
A proper-sized learner bike will do much
challenges to accepting the ideas involved
to build confidence in the new rider. If
with understanding what makes a proper
she feels empowered she will learn faster
learner bike.
and better. Being stressed out by a heavy
A proper-sized learner bike would eradicate (and 375 pounds is heavy) bike places
many of the issues that arise from choosing unnecessary stresses into the equation.
By Rob from S.F.
T
Studies show
that as the
stress related
to the learning
increases,
the learning
performed
becomes less
viable and only
applicable to
that unique
situation. The
learner cannot
repurpose
the learning to related situations—this
‘connecting the dots’ and ‘building
relationships’ is an important factor in
learning.
fine,” or, the freeway argument. Certainly
a human, one the most capable animals
when dealing with adversity, can overcome
the challenges set forth by choosing a bike
that increases the learning difficulties.
If a study were performed on riders who
learned on larger bikes it would probably
demonstrate large learning gaps, extra time
taken to achieve levels of mastery, or maybe
a history of riding a dirt bike that could
have fulfilled the needs of a proper learner
bike. Of course it can be done. But should
it be done? Do we want to undermine the
learning process, or support it?
If we choose to support the learning
process, then we can finally address
the needs of the new rider and select an
A simple example
of proper learning
is the fire drill. Fire
drills take place on
sunny afternoons
when people are
relaxed. This lets
the learner use
learning from any
location in the
building, and to be
able to repurpose
that learning to
other buildings.
Under stressful
conditions the
learning would
only be viable from Author’s Derbi GPR50 is around 230 pounds, makes 10 hp stock and is
the location exited, a lot of fun.
and would be
fraught with challenges. Imagine learning appropriate machine. In Europe or Asia
this would be simple. Those riders aren’t
how to leave a burning building while the
victims of our super-sized, bigger-is-better
building was actually burning.
machismo attitude. Those markets are
While it may be hard for a super-sized
filled with viable options for learners. It
bigger-is-better liter-bike-riding American must seem nearly hopeless here because the
to see that the Ninja 250, at 375 pounds, is only models we see frequently discussed
analogous to putting the learning rider in
as ‘learner bikes’ are the Ninja and Honda
a burning building and expecting him or
250, but viable learner bikes have been
her to learn well, to a degree that is what
brought into the States, and anyone willing
we are doing. The 375 pounds inflicts
to take the time and effort will be able to
increased stresses that change the mode
find one.
of learning to stress learning, and away
Another option is to learn in the dirt. Dirt
from re-purposeful associative learning.
Counter arguments to these ideas come in bikes have somehow escaped much of the
the form of “I learned on a liter bike and I’m stigma inflicted by the super-sized, biggeris-better machismo attitude. There are
liter bikes in this arena, however there are
bikes for which learning is perfectly suited.
It’s easy to find a dirt bike that weighs
~150-200 pounds. That’s 34 percent of the
CBR1000RR’s weight, a big jump from the
near 90 percent bite the Ninja gobbles. This
low weight will do much to instill confidence
and remove stress for the new rider.
In our riding culture, in trying to find a
proper-sized bike for a new rider that allows
the learning to focus on techniques, we are
met with misinformation and malformed
ideas based on decades of bigger-is-better,
super-sized machismo attitudes. Education
is the first step in changing these attitudes,
which will help new riders become good
riders, ultimately serving the motorcycleriding community better.
by Neale Bayly
photos by Brian J Nelson.
N
2012 Honda CBR1000RR
Traction control through better suspension
o traction control, no variable
engine mapping, no ride-bywire throttle and no power
increase; could we possibly be at the
press introduction of a new 2012 openclass sportbike? With the technology
war that’s raged over the past few years,
it might seem mechanical and market
suicide to introduce a sportbike with
such a seeming lack of technological
progress. Not, however, if you are Honda
Motor Corporation, as the venerable
CBR1000RR has finished at the top, or
near the top, of most superbike shootouts
these last few years without a host of
electronic wizardry.
The introduction was at Infineon Raceway,
so the start to our test was delayed a couple
of hours waiting for the famous fog to burn
off. Once underway, the action was fast and
furious. Honda split us into two groups of
six, with a rotating schedule between the
new 2012s and last year’s model. It’s the
first time I’ve ridden a new model with the
previous year’s offering alongside for such
direct comparison, and it was positively
eye opening, not to mention an excellent
opportunity to feel the difference between
the two machines. Riding the new 2012
relying on memory alone wouldn’t have let
me recognize the improvements so clearly.
In the press brief we learned that the
new model uses a new Big Piston Fork,
and this Showa 43mm inverted Honda
Multi-Action System (HMAS) features
spring preload, as well as rebound and
compression damping. Once on the track,
heading up the short straight to the doubleapex Turn 7 was the perfect place to see
if the hype was true, as there’s plenty of
runoff if you overcook things. I saw 128
mph on the digital speedometer as I went
for the brakes, but I never saw more than
123 mph on the 2011 model, which would
have the rear end lifting and squirming as I
got ready to turn in.
to ride one of the new models equipped
with the new ABS, but I have no personal
objections to the Honda system, having
used it previously on the track and street.
Feeling rock solid, with the rear wheel
staying firmly connected to the asphalt,
turn-in was easier and my exit speed
higher. This stability
under hard braking was
confidence inspiring,
and with the fast run
down the hill to Turn
9a also requiring some
heavy application of the
radial-mount, four-piston
Tokico front calipers, the
new fork let me hold the
throttle open longer than
I could with the 2011.
The new CBR has a
softer feel over the
bumps and transitions,
but a sharper ride when
turning in and flicking
through the tighter
sections. The newly
patented, Balance-Free
rear shock is compliant and competent
over the bumps, with no squat or fuss when
hard on the gas, and it made yanking the
throttle open
more confidenceinspiring
out of the slow
corners.
Over-all,
the new
bike made
me feel like
a hero, as
I certainly
rode more
aggressively and went faster everywhere on
the track.
The brakes are unchanged this year.
They’re extremely
strong, though I had to
squeeze the lever harder
than I felt comfortable
with to reach the
monster bite zone. Once
in that zone, it was as
if the track suddenly
turned to Super Glue,
especially setting up
for Turn 1, where the
AMA race chicane was
in place.
You can choose your
new CBR with or
without electronic antilock brakes (C-ABS).
Honda’s linked frontrear system has been
revised, with the rear
brake exerting less pressure on the front for
more sport-focused riding. It adds $1000
to the base model’s $13,800 price tag
and cannot be turned off. During
the test I didn’t get a chance
On the ’12, even with the higher entrance
speed, there was none of this behavior.
With a piston nearly four times the
cross-section of a cartridge fork, the
damping control is improved at
lower suspension speeds—
for instance, when you
apply the brake and
the fork starts to
compress—and
this makes
all the
difference.
My first laps were interesting. The level
of steering input needed is less than
my recent long-term Ducati 848, so I
had to rethink my turn-in strategy so
as not to push the CBR too much to
the inside. As liter bikes evolve, they
become easier to ride and the CBR is
certainly one of the easiest. On the spec
sheet it doesn’t appear as if it should
threaten the other open-class machines
on offer, but howling round Infineon
Raceway, feeling comfortably within the
CBR’s limits, I didn’t feel it was missing
anything. Exiting the carousel, cracks in
the asphalt and a yellow line would get
the rear wheel spinning if I didn’t stay
away from them, but even as cold as the
track was I didn’t spin the rear Dunlop
anywhere else on the track.
The main reason for this is the fueling and
seamless power delivery. The connection
between the throttle and the rear tire is
the most precise of all the
liter bikes I’ve ridden
this year. I tested
the earliergeneration
CBR1000RR
in 2010,
and had no
complaints
about how
the bike
made its
power
anywhere
in the
rev range.
However,
coming
off the
slower
corners in
second gear, as
I re-acquainted
myself with the
track, a good fistful
of throttle exposed
a noticeable dip in
the power around
4500 rpm that
doesn’t exist on the
2012 under similar
circumstances.
rubber in the back
and 120-series,
17-incher in the
front. There is
also a MotoGPderived Honda
Electronic Steering
Damper (HESD).
This works so
seamlessly that
only the lack of
headshake and
drama under full
acceleration lets
you know it’s there
and working. A
slipper clutch saves
you if you are a
little too eager on
a downshift, and,
like the steering
damper, it works so
smoothly you are
hardly aware of it.
Later in the test, with the weather warming
up, I started using first gear as I was getting
more comfortable, and it was enlightening
to feel how much Honda has improved
the fuel injection this year on a bike I had
thought was faultless in this area.
For 2012, Honda gave the CBR new
instrumentation with an all-digital
display. As the engine screams its way
repeatedly to redline, a bar-graph
tachometer lets you know you are
approaching the 13,200 rpm limit. Speed
is shown on a smaller display in the center,
and to the left is the useful gear-position
indicator, big enough to read even if like
me you need reading glasses. All the
usual warning lights are found below in
a recessed area, and the digital display
features a clock, trip meters and fuel
gauge. There is also a lap timer built in and
a five-level shift indicator.
Sitting inside the elegant and refined
cockpit, we find changes to the external
bodywork. The overall look is similar, but a
new, layered fairing design creates a larger
area of calm air around
the rider. It also helps
to draw air through the
cooling system, and
the integrated chin
spoiler is said to reduce
aerodynamic lift and
improve handling.
As the two bikes are
still similar
visually,
the easiest
way to pick
out the new
2012 from a
distance is
the cutout
in the front
fairing
and the
differently
colored
lower.
Another
visual
difference
is revealed
by the new
12-spoke,
castaluminum
wheels,
which are
After our day on
Back at our hotel and climbing off the bike
it was time to reflect on Honda’s new liter
bike for 2012. While it might not be the
most technologically advanced, lightest or
most powerful on offer, it is certainly one
of the best for all the reasons it has always
been in this position. It’s comfortable,
precise, and so easy to ride it gives the rider
more time to focus on the road or the track
ahead.
Read more Neale Bayly at motorcycling.speedtv.
com
He's Back!
Former City Bike columist
John D'India has an essay
collection you won't want to miss.
Digital copies available on Amazon Kindle.
Hard copies available at www.blurb.com.
gorgeous. They are not
significantly lighter, but
supposedly provide more
consistent rigidity. They
come wrapped in the
usual 190-series, 17-inch
the track, we sampled
the CBR on the streets
for a few hours, and
starting the ride in
cold, wet conditions
just brought home the
user-friendly nature
of the big Honda.
Taking a 440-pound
motorcycle putting
150 horsepower to
the rear wheel on a wet, busy, public road
introduces trepidation. Not so with the
Honda, as the perfect connection between
the throttle and the rear tire makes light
work of even the slipperiest surfaces. The
!
E
B
I
R
SU BSC
C’MON, YOU KNOW YOU WANT IT.
Visit
CityBike.com
and use PayPal
Or consume dead trees with a check sent
to our postal address, also on CityBike.com
riding position avoids an extreme racer’s
crouch—you could spend a day in the
saddle on your favorite back roads without
needing a chiropractic visit the next day.
Book Review: The Best of John D’India
By John D’India, edited by
Maxine D’India Aeschleman. Kindle
e-book, approx 150 pages. $10
CityBike Magazine is pleased to announce the
publication of a collection of essays by one of
this publication’s finest columnists, the late John
D’India. John wrote for the magazine from the early
1990s until his death in 2007.
The book, edited and assembled by his daughter
Maxine D’India Aeschleman, is available as an
e-book for Amazon Kindle—go to amazon.com
and type John D’India into the search box—is
just $9.99 and is a great way to relive the thrill of
reading John’s brutally honest, yet very human
prose. Read the review of the book by fellow
columnist (and current CityBike Editor) EtsHokin, followed by an excerpt from the book itself.
I
of great moto-writing it has somehow
grown to become, and who influenced
my own turgid and self-absorbed prose.
His greatness is a reflection of what all
journalists should strive for, the raw
honesty of his worldview.
Without going into too much detail
and impeaching my own credibility,
motorcycle journalism in the USA isn’t
really, technically, journalism. We content
providers have to be careful about the
subjects we cover and be hyper-respectful
of the players in the industry, many of
whom contribute (or will contribute, or
have contributed) to our paychecks. We
can tell the truth, but we have to be careful
about how much truth comes out at once.
It’s not an ideal system, but it’s the only way
to keep publications and websites operating
in this environment. We also have to keep
the social and political commentary to a
minimum, as some readers bristle with
outrage when they encounter opinions on
those subjects that don’t mirror their own.
personally met John D’India a few
times, towards the end of his waytoo-short life. As one of CityBike’s
crack crew of regular columnists and
contributors, I was privileged to attend Old
Man Halton’s legendary staff meetings,
which were supposed to be fora to plan
future content, but usually devolved
into rambling (but entertaining) oneJohn could really care less about the
man performance pieces on various
industry or the sensitive feelings of graying
motorcycling—or non-motorcycling—
hippies and Bush-era Dittoheads. He
topics. John was usually quiet and reserved.
owned his home and was happy working
part-time as a parking attendant. That gave
His writing, however, was not. Along
him the freedom to say what he pleased,
with the also late and much-missed Joe
pointing out the vile waste, ignorance,
Glydon, D’India in my mind was one of
the three great writers (together with Brian hypocrisy and greed that propel and
Halton) that made CityBike the institution lubricate our impersonal modern world. In
1204 PORTOLA AVE
fact, he may have been too honest, plowing
past civilized discourse, through political
incorrectness and into what some may call
borderline hate speech. Hey, don’t get mad
at me—I just edits ‘em.
Yep, John’s writing borders on paranoid
ranting at times, and The Best of John
D’India is the raw feed. Publisher Halton
edited—heavily—the columns for
publication in this magazine, some of
them enough to change the point of the
pieces. One, “A Politically Incorrect
Neighborhood Assessment,” was rewritten and called “The Dead Zone”
in CityBike and
came off as a strong
condemnation about
the rudeness and
coldness of lowincome cityfolk.
In The Best of
John D’India, it’s
a Workingman’s
Party screed about
the loathsome
filthiness of Asian
immigrants. I know,
tough to take, and
to be clear: John’s
viewpoints were
his own, not those
of CityBike’s or any
current or present
staff or contributors,
nor does this review
or publication of
John’s writing constitute approval of his
somewhat extreme views. They can be
shocking—and tiring—to read, the same
kind of stuff you can read on any number
of Internet discussion fora, albeit much
better written.
publication a trusted (or at least willingly
read) name in moto-journalism.
—Gabe Ets-Hokin
From “The Real Wild Ones,”
By John D’India,
Illustrations by Mr. Jensen
The first motorcycle I ever owned was a
Harley Davidson, a 1947 61 cubic-inch
Knucklehead. It was jet-black with chrome
upsweeps, a suicide clutch, and a springer
front end. The engine had been blown
and the case badly cracked. It had been
welded back together, leaving a long, thick
metal scar. The damper on the front forks
didn’t work, so it
had simply been
removed, cut off,
and ground down
to appear clean
looking. It was rigid
in the back and
stiff in the front.
Suspension or
shock absorption
was strictly limited
to the air in the
tires. The original
gas tank had been
removed to make
way for a much
smaller teardrop
tank. This resulted
in the shifter being
cut short as the
slotted bracket
attached to the
tank went the way of the original tank. As
a result, the shifter flopped around just
under your left thigh. It was referred to as a
suicide shift.
Functioning parts that enhanced the
But two-thirds of the book is excellent, and handling of the motorcycle were removed
if you already like D’India, great. CityBike’s with wanton abandon for the sole purpose
archives aren’t digitized or even searchable of appearance or image. Hence the reason
these mechanical aberrations were called
(take it from a guy who has 29 years of
moldering newsprint stacked in his office), ‘choppers.’ Who cared if the range of
the motorcycle was limited severely by
so the $10 is well worth it to relive the
replacing the original tank? The lack of any
pleasure of re-discovering John’s brilliant,
kind of shock absorption made a simple
honest and gut-punching writing style.
ride from Bernal Heights to the old Mel’s
He’s honest, baring his soul like few other
writers, and sensitive, painting sympathetic Drive-In on South Van Ness seem like a
portraits of the many souls he encountered cross-country marathon, but it looked cool.
in his years. You may also wet yourself
I overlooked the flaws that would later
laughing as he describes the impossibly
bring me grief, but then again I was young,
idiotic motorists parking at his Union
naive, inexperienced, and taken with its
Square garage.
beauty. The same way one is smitten in his
The book’s warts go beyond the racist rants youth by the beauty at the bar, the party
girl, blinded by the sparkling white teeth
and repetitive political proselytizing. The
of her smile, framed so lusciously by her
table of contents isn’t hyperlinked (which
means you have to scroll through the whole soft, sensuous, brightly- painted Revlon
red lips; intoxicated by the scent of her
book, which can be tiresome on some
perfumed hair. You tend not to notice the
Kindle devices; Maxine says they will try
way she knocks back vodka rocks, chain
to fix this, hopefully before you buy the
book) and typographical errors run amok. smokes cigarettes, seems to have some kind
of sinus problem, and makes frequent trips
Maxine isn’t a professional publisher (and
to the powder room. It’s interesting how
who is around here?), but her emotional
the powder room went from a place where
involvement is obvious. She loved her
one dabbed powder on one’s nose to a place
father, warts and all, and maybe you did,
where one packs it up one’s nose.
too. Even if you never heard of him, and
925-371-8413 • WWW.MOTOWRX.COM
have only started to read CityBike recently,
I recommend this book to give you a sense
of the daredevil attitude that made this
It was 1965; I had just gotten out of the
Army. My younger brother had a 1957
Panhead Rigid Frame, a tangerine metal
The Five Horsement, by Mr. Jensen
flake beauty. I wanted one too. He told me
the two guys who built his were putting
together another one and that we could
go see it that night. After dinner, he rolled
the scoot out of the garage and fired it up.
Like a beast awakened, the pipes bellowed
out, echoing off the fronts of the houses,
filling the narrow little street. I hopped
onto what was then termed the ‘pussy pad.’
The passenger pegs were bolted up high
on the frame and my knees were almost
under his armpits. It was like sitting on an
earth tremor. I reached back behind me,
wrapping my fingers around the base of
the sissy bar and held on tight. Pressing
the clutch pedal down with his foot and
reaching behind his leg, his hand engulfed
the black plastic ball that sat upon the
shifter as he put it in first gear.
The big bike jerked slightly, twitching
like some primitive mechanical animal,
anxious with anticipation at the metallic
click from the gearbox. As his foot came
up it lurched forward, roaring to the thrill
of acceleration down the street. He let off
the gas as we approached the corner, the
upsweeps popped and cracked, doing their
compression rap. He looked with a cool,
confident sidelong glance up Cortland
Avenue to inform other drivers it was our
turn, under penalty of having their jaw
shattered, even if they decided to keep the
window rolled up. We made the right and
headed down Cortland.
Let’s see, where were we. We were taking a
putt over the hill to a garage that was down
around 23rd and Shotwell. When we got
there, a few choppers rested against the
curb out front. Two figures stood in the
driveway near the sidewalk, silhouetted by
the dim yellow light emanating from the
garage. Like thick shadows against a dingy
haze, they moved lazily to the rhythm of
their conversation. As we approached,
everyone nodded acknowledgment.
looked like they popped quarter inch nuts
and machine screws into their mouth and
chewed em` like peanuts.
I bought the bike for three hundred bucks
and rolled it out onto Shotwell Street. They
showed me how to kick it over. Then, one
of the guys that built it told me to get on
the back and he took me for a ride. We went
around the block as he went through the
gears and showed me how to shift. Back in
My brother: “How’s it going?”
Smoke puffed from the mouth and nostrils
of one who responded “Okay, man.”
He reached up with his thick fingers
and plucked a piece of tobacco from his
tongue. They wore sleeveless jean jackets
over leather ones. The jean jackets had
emblems affixed that identified them as
being affiliated with a well-known twowheel fraternity. Two more stood inside
the garage talking with and watching
the two men who were squatting down
wrenching on either side of the bike.
The bike was illuminated by a couple of
greasy droplights that lay on the gas and
oil-stained concrete floor. The drop lights
gave the 47 Knucklehead center stage
and created a strange lighting effect on
everyone standing around by enhancing
the already menacing persona of men who
Note: This now long-extinct technique of
defensive driving met its demise with the
onslaught of immigrants from Third World
countries. Having no historical knowledge
of the Harley or the rigid frame rider’s
mystique (and not having been exposed
to such classic films as The Born Losers or
that cinematic tour de force starring Peter
Fonda and Nancy Sinatra, The Wild Angels)
they mistakenly perceive the sidelong
‘threat of a painful death’ glance as your
acknowledgment of their presence. They
just grin even wider behind the steering
wheel, clinching with both hands at the
top, and quite simply run right over you.
Ignorance is bliss!
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front of his house, he shut it down, telling
me “Go ahead.”
I kicked it over, and stood over it for
a moment. The struggle between
apprehension and desire raged in my
brain. The ape hangers, like giant horns,
were vibrating in my hands. Staring at the
tank, I slowly lowered myself down onto
the seat, the way a cowboy at a county
fair slides his legs around the hump on a
Brahma bull. I pushed the clutch down,
mouth dry, and reached under my leg
to put it in first gear. One of the guys
standing behind me on the sidewalk
leaned over and said to me just before I
pulled away from the curb, “Always put
your right foot down when you stop.” That
completed my formal motorcycle training.
melissa holbrook
hair was blowing back in the wind; the tears
from my watering eyes were blowing back
into my hair. The rushing air, a harmonica
solo in my ears and the upsweeps playing
rhythm as the 61 cubic inch twin laid down
the beat for the Knucklehead Blues.
Within a month, I was riding like one of
the horseman of the Apocalypse. The one
Saint John the Divine neglects to reveal
in his revelations the first horseman:
STUPIDITY! Yes there are five horseman
of the Apocalypse: Stupidity always
comes before Conquest, War, Death and
Pestilence. It seemed every time I made
a right turn, I would scrape the frame on
the ground, causing the back tire to hop a
little bit, and every time I made a left, the
derby or some other damn thing would
smack into the street. I was becoming
I eased the clutch up and the bike bolted
disillusioned, and fast. The flaws were
forward, chugging and gasping. Quickly, I glaring far brighter than the chrome plating
pushed the clutch back down. More throttle on the upsweeps. I wanted to really ride.
I yelled at myself, the bike still rolling,
I wanted something that could handle
my right foot hopping alongside, trying
things a little more complex than an on or
to keep it up. I hoped the ride would be
off-ramp. This and the fact I was spending
further than the parked cars looming just
more time walking alongside the broken
across the narrow street. Clutch out again, down bike than I was riding on it led to
slowly, and I was off up Shotwell Street,
its sale for $275 just three months after its
the bike bouncing and bucking over every purchase. I added a couple a hundred to
cigarette butt, gum wad, and bottle cap in
the $275 and bought a used 1961 or 62 BSA
its path. I reached the corner and waited
350cc Thumper. I sold the Knucklehead
until nothing could be seen moving in any to my cousin, and three months later the
direction. Then I was off again, heading
engine blew up. To this day, every time we
down 22nd Street. I shifted to second gear, see one another at a wedding or a funeral,
made the right at the corner of Folsom
that subject comes up. Like they say, you
Street and headed for Bernal Heights.
never forget your first time. Some people
Across Army Street and out of the flatlands, won’t let you.
I headed up the hill, second gear past
Precita Park, third gear and twisting it. My
We Service European and
Japanese Motorcycles
415-454-7433
PIERSON
I
get the Man Cave concept. I even
appreciate it. It’s funny. It pokes gently
at the core truth of those simple,
primitive desires of many men—all I need,
mate, is my
machines, a
pretty calendar
to glance at
periodically
(the kind with
nice headlights,
if you know
what I mean),
the calming
aroma of
gasoline in the
air, and enough
time to work
on my grease
manicure—at
the same time
it’s bizarrely
pre-feminist,
and thus a touch repellent. It posits women
as the enemy, perennial naggers one must
escape.
world. There’s the Lario on the right and
the Teutonic Hornet on the left, ready for
an oil change. (Unseen behind them, under
its black shroud, is a friend’s old Kawasaki,
awaiting resurrection after two years—
oh, what a day that will be, anticipation
growing with each new arrival of parts in
envelopes and boxes.)
I love my small collection of parts and
tools and fluids; I love that they stand at
attention on the shelves, patiently waiting
for their moment. I rarely dispose of
anything once it has belonged in, around,
or on a motorcycle. So it’s a museum of
my own making, of my particular history.
(To throw a piece of it away would be like,
say, disposing
of a letter my
father wrote
me when I was
away at school.
Never. A part of
him, and of us.)
Also, you never
know when
something
might come
in handy. The
weirdest odds
and bits can be
just what you
need--they are
comforts for the
future. Who, for
instance, would
have thought that I’d ever have a Lario
again? Certainly not me. But in the bottom
of the toolbox I find bolts and sockets that
fit only her.
Girl
Cave
I am here to tell you, though, it’s women
who need a Girl Cave. Upstairs or down,
there’s nowhere to run: the dust bunnies
mock (they have a particularly wheedling
voice, too), the Lego-strewn boy’s room
weeps, the stovetop begs, the stack of
permission slips, applications, bills and
plans looks on dourly: I bet you’re not
going to deal with me today, either? I
thought so.
No, we’re going to the Girl Cave,
where we can escape into a world
of relative order (admittedly
because there is less stuff
than in the main house) and
where there’s supposed to
be dirt, so we don’t ever feel
a duty-shirker here. Some
kitty litter on the oil stains, a
quick broom, et voilà. Peace,
quiet, and motorcycles. Oh,
and whatever’s playing on
the college radio station. It
comes in on the radio
in the Girl Cave,
though not in
the house.
Magic, eh?
This is where I escape—from the place that
would hold me back, on a Sisyphean slope
where the same household tasks, done,
must be redone tomorrow. This is where I
escape—to the place of wishful dreaming
and forward motion.
How can you tell this is a Girl
Cave? Here’s a hint: see the
chandelier?
Melissa Holbrook Pierson rather
stupidly lives in the Catskill
Mountains of New York,
where snow, or sand
resulting from same,
covers the roads for
seven months of the
year; the remaining
time is heaven, though.
She is the author of The
Perfect Vehicle: What it
is About Motorcycles and
The Man Who Would Stop
at Nothing. Her other books
are inconsequential, being about
non-motorcycling subjects.
This is my
secret
www.marinmotoworks.com
44 Harbor St. San Rafael
Rabbits and Hats
maynard
At McPherson,
so that you can
choose a correct
period finish for
your restoration,
you learn the history of auto paint. You
learn about interior materials from the
last century-plus. You learn how
those little upholstery buttons
were made through the years. You
learn to use a complete machine
shop. You learn new-world and
old-world techniques.
HERSHON
While you’re working on a project, you
may travel to study original or restored
It’s Thursday night. I’m talking with my
examples to see how everything goes
friend Dennis at our local club meeting. I’m together—vital if you started with boxes of
describing my recent visit (with the Four
unlabeled, 100-year old parts.
Stroke Single National Owners Club) to
McPherson College in McPherson, Kansas, You can choose among six sub-majors
resulting in a Bachelor’s in Science or Art.
where you can get a degree in Automotive
You learn business skills and English skills
(and motorcycle!) Restoration, and to the
to help you conduct your business or that of
Kansas Motorcycle Museum in nearby
your employer.
Marquette.
Old bikes are rabbits
and top hats. The rider
was the magician.
At (four-year)
McPherson
College, we
watched six
guys build a
Model T Ford
from parts in
about 12 minutes. The engine/transmission
unit was together but the rest of the car
was in pieces spread around the floor. In
twelve minutes the car was completely
assembled, water in the radiator, the engine
crank-started, and the car driven a few feet.
Amazing to watch.
The next day
we rode 25
miles to tiny
Marquette
where we
walked
among what
appeared to be several million dollars
worth of restored and not-so fussed over
motorcycles. I could not have chosen
a favorite, but the U.S. four-cylinder
bikes, of which they had several, stick in
my memory.
The cast iron engine of the Indian inline
Four was entirely smooth on the outside,
not a fin to be seen. Knowing as we do
that those bikes were used for police
work, thus often ridden at not much more
than walking pace, how did they cool
themselves? All that heat-holding iron....
So I’m telling Dennis about the college
and museum, and it occurs to me to
mention that the Trailblazers, a club of
old Southern California racers and desert
riders, is having its annual banquet soon.
They’re honoring Sammy Tanner, ‘60s and
‘70s star flat-tracker.
Dennis didn’t seem interested in the
Trailblazers (pioneer motorcyclists
meeting annually since 1940) or in Sammy
Tanner, the celebrated “Flying Flea.” I
know that Dennis is interested in roadracing vintage motorcycles, owns several
Bultaco racers and other European bikes.
I realized at that moment that I’d rather
spend five minutes with Sammy Tanner
than five hours in a motorcycle museum.
I do like looking at old bikes, especially
models that I owned years ago. But a bike,
even an old MV, Harley KR or Manx, is
just a thing, a tool, only animated when
someone sits on it and makes it work,
conjuring up the magic.
Without the riders who used them so
brilliantly they’re just evocative furniture
you’re prohibited from sitting on.
Old bikes with racing histories such as the
Hailwood-Sports Motorcycles Ducati or
a John Cooper Manx or Sammy Tanner’s
(C.R. Axtell) Gold Star, are rabbits and top
hats. The rider was the magician.
All these years later, Gary
Nixon and I talked about our
prostate adventures and how
we were always aware of the
location of the nearest public
restroom. He was totally approachable and
ready to laugh. I could hardly believe my
luck at a chance meeting with one of my
heroes. I did not, you’ll be relieved to hear,
tell him about the race track in Ohio and
my old Ducati.
In the ‘60s when I lived in San Francisco, I
met lots of racing stars. I’ve written about
meeting Bart Markel. I had lunch with Evel
Knievel. I met Ascot standout Elliot Schultz.
I’ll never forget meeting those guys.
Now, Gary Nixon is gone. Marco Simoncelli
is gone, Bart Markel is gone, Freddie Nix is
gone, Calvin Rayborn is gone. You’ll have
names of your own absent favorites.
Can’t ask those guys how it was out there,
much as we might yearn to do so. It’s too
late to make a human connection with
them. We can however connect with riders
we encounter in our travels, at motorcycle
meeting places....anywhere.
A few weeks before the Kansas weekend,
I invited a sportbike-riding friend to ride
to McPherson and Marquette with me. I
told him what I’d heard about the college
and the 12-minute Model T assembly. I
mentioned the motorcycle museum and the
highly regarded Kansas barbecue.
The route isn’t challenging, I told him. It’s
450 miles each way on straight Midwestern
roads. But it’s a good bunch of guys, the
Four-Stroke Single National Owners Club,
I said. You’ll like ‘em.
I don’t really care about a good buncha
guys, he said. He knew as he said it that I’d
be taken aback, and I was. I was stunned.
In 2010 I got a press pass for the
Indianapolis MotoGP, allowing me access
to the paddock, if not the pits. In the
paddock, I stepped to the back of a line
at a porta-potty and realized that the guy
next to me was Gary Nixon. Imagine. Gary
Nixon.
I do care about a good buncha guys. I’m
not saying I don’t like old bikes. But when
I walk by old racing bikes on display
somewhere, I think of the magicians,
the good guys who made those magic
motorcycles famous—not for what the
bikes were, but for what they did.
I’d never met Nixon, only read about him
and his legendary exploits and wildman
attitude, but I’d been on the same racetrack
at the same time with him, in 1965 in Ohio.
He passed me in a corner as if I’d been on
a bicycle. I was riding a Ducati 250 single,
going as fast as I dared.
When I see those bikes or any bikes, I
think about the riders. So when I see
racers or recreational riders, motorcyclists
all, I try to create a place where their lives
can touch mine.
Design Geek
Graphic Design & Illustration
I’m Alan Lapp, a 25-year veteran designer & illustrator.
If you have a need for virtually any kind of printed work,
give me a call. I’m experienced in publication design (duh),
annual reports, catalogs, packaging, direct mail, glossy
advertising, collateral materials, logo and identity work,
stationery, or anything else you may need.
Great work to follow.
good things like tie-down straps, goggles
and gloves. One of these bags went to every
one of the L.A.-to- B -to-V riders, along
with a classy fanny pack holding first-aid
trimmings. It made sense to pass out other
first-aid gear at the start of the event, so
that’s what
they did. How
much of it was
used crossing
the desert is
anybody’s
guess but
looking out
over the
faces in the
istrict 37’s Jim Pilon’s power of
Hacienda
persuasion ranks right up there
with Adolph Hitler, the Pied Piper ballroom
after the event
of Hamelin and Tom Bodett ( of Motel 6
fame). Pilon lived up to his reputation and I had the
impression I
somehow, for the fourth time, he conned
me into dragging myself across most of the was speaking
United States to add some Eastern flavor to to members
of a semi-pro
his L.A.-to-B-to-V dual sport ride.
hockey league.
When I say drag I really mean it; I’d
recently parted company with my Honda Pilon
introduced me
XL600 at a Virginia event and wound
to a young lady
up bodysurfing on a dirt road covered
who had just
with loose rocks. It wasn’t as much fun
married the
as it sounds. Two weeks later I was still
fellow she rode
favoring a swollen knee while lifting the
with and claimed it was the 50th marriage
back of a Suzuki to swing it closer to the
she knew of that resulted from the intimate
tie down in the back of my van. The off-
ed HERTFELDER
D
If the east riders started in Hackensack,
New Jersey instead of Sunland they would
roll out of New
Jersey through
parts of New York,
Connecticut,
Rhode Island,
Massachusetts and
New Hampshire
to finish in the last
place in the United
States to feel the
economic slump:
Kennebunkport,
Maine.
L.A.
to
B
to
V
The off-center lift pinched a nerve in
my lower back, and I felt like I’d been
bayoneted—the only difference was
that I could still get my shirt off.
center lift pinched a nerve in my lower
back, and I felt like I’d been bayoneted—
the only difference was that I could still
get my shirt off.
togetherness of the long ride. Then I got on
the microphone and said that today’s ride
should cause at least 17 divorces. Nobody
laughed; maybe I hit a nerve.
Rainey is trying to convert that Suzuki
enduro to a dual-sport bike, and those turn
signal stalks made from galvanized water
pipe and copper 110-volt wires must have
added at least 40 pounds to his motorcycle.
Rainey claims that the turn signals work,
but when he uses them the added drain on
the electrical system shuts off the engine.
He’s working on that.
East Coast riders have no idea of the
distances that Pilon ribbons for the L.A.to-B- to-V. I’ve ridden it three times, and I
confess to wondering if it would ever end
and feeling a little like that drum-beating
rabbit in the Duracell battery ads that keeps
going and going. Just to give folks who
live on the morning side of the Mississippi
some ides of Pilon’s big Dual-Sport ride, I
took apart an old book of road maps and
transposed both days of the L.A.-to-B to-V
My job in Vegas was to pass along the
awards and door prizes that Pilon had
browbeaten others to donate. The gear he
gets his hands on is remarkable; up there
on the platform at the Hacienda were rows
of helmets and those expensive and really
practical ATK Bike Shoes that lock the
motorcycle so it won’t slam its handlebar
clear out the side of your van. These things
ain’t cheap!
route to the East coast. Half the good new
highways were just proposed dotted lines
on the old maps so it was no great loss.
Let’s see now:
riders would pay at
three toll booths
on the Garden
State Parkway,
then a big tip at
the Tappan Zee
Bridge because they
charge eastbound
traffic double and
traveling west
is free. Then….
Well forget it. You
couldn’t make the ride in two days; you’d
have to stop at so many toll booths it would
have to be a three-day ride!
For a copy of Ed’s latest book, 80.4 Finish
Check, send $29.95 with suggested
inscription to Ed Hertfelder, PO Box 17564,
Tucson, AZ 85731.
I had my eye on two things: a red enduro
jacket that looked to be my size—maybe I
was getting the longest distance award—
plus a pretty good-looking Ford van
hubcap. Just my luck that the jacket went to
rider #346, and when I spun around to put
the arm on the hubcap it was gone.
Story of my life.
510-295-7707 • www.levelfive.com
Beside the gear up on the stage were your
regular supermarket-size bags stuffed with
From 3:14 Daily
Valencia @ 25th
415-970-9670
CLASSIFIEDS
CLUBS
Ride with other local sport bike riders in the Bay Area.
• Mostly sport bikes
• Routes go to ALL parts of the bay area and focus on the
“twisty’s”
• We set a quick pace and newbies may get left behind ;)
• Group riding experience is highly recommended, as is
proper riding gear
• We also do track days, drag races, motorcycle camping,
and attend motorcycle racing events
http://www .meetup .com/BayAreaMotoGroup/
Leave your husbands, boyfriends or significant other
at home.
This is a place for women to ride with no ego’s present or
male testosterone to get in the way. Head-to-Toe gear is
strongly preferred, leather if you got it. And if you need gear,
then ask GearChic aka Joanne to help you find some.
• Mainly sport bikes.
• Scooters welcome, as long as they’re freeway legal (over
150cc)
• All skill levels welcome.
• We don’t allow crashing - so please ride within your limits.
• Our parent group is BAMG (Bay Area Moto Group).
http://www .meetup .com/BAMGirls/
Bay Area Sidecar
Enthusiasts (BASE)
•Whatdoesyourdogthinkaboutmotorcycling?(A:
Hard to tell without a sidecar!)
•Everdrivenintrafficwithafakemachine-gun
mounted to your rig?
•Wanttoknowhowto“flythechair”?
•Maybejustwanttofindoutwhatit’sliketobea
“sidecar monkey” for a day by catching a ride with us?
We are a facebook-based group in the SF Bay Area filled with
sidecars and the people who love them, and we’d be happy
to meet you.
Email pej12378@yahoo .com for more information.
Homoto is a queer and queer-friendly motorcycle club based
in the San Francisco Bay Area. Our rides are sport-focused with
an emphasis on safety and camaraderie.
For more info:
http://www .homoto .us
sanfrancisco@homoto .us
sanjose@homoto .us
The Northern California Norton Owners’ Club (NCNOC) is
dedicated to the preservation and enjoyment of the Norton
motorcycle. Membership is open to all British Motorcycle
enthusiasts and is currently $25 per year, you can join online.
Our monthly rides, meetings and tech session and events are
open to all members and guests see our web site calendar at
www .nortonclub .com .
Now celebrating our 40th year!
OMC
The Oakland Motorcycle Club is the fourth-oldest club in
the nation and celebrated 100 years of continuous operation
in 2007. The OMC is dedicated to supporting the sport
of motorcycle riding. We are a diverse group of male and
female riders with a wide variety of motorcycles, including
street, dirt, and dualsport bikes. We sponsor and organize
the following annual events to which all riders are invited:
Sheetiron 300 Dualsport, held in May; Three Bridge Poker
Run, held in July; Jackhammer Enduro, held in October.
Regular club meetings are held every Wednesday at 8:00
p.m. Guests are welcome. 742 – 45th Avenue, Oakland. (510)
534-6222. www .oaklandmc .org .
San Francisco Motorcycle Club
San Francisco Motorcycle Club, Inc., established 1904, is the
second oldest motorcycle club in the country!
Our business meetings are Thursday nights at 8:30pm, and
guests are always welcome. Our clubhouse is filled with
motorcycling history from the last century, a pool table,
foosball and pinball games, and people who currently
enjoy motorcycles, dirt riding, racing, touring, riding and
wrenching. Check our website for events such as club rides,
socials and events, and come visit us, no matter what bike
you ride!
San Francisco Motorcycle Clubhouse is located at
2194 Folsom St, @ 18th St in San Francisco.
www .sf-mc .org
415-863-1930
DEALERS
BSA Owners Club
The BSA Owners’ Club of Northern California was formed to
promote the preservation and enjoyment of the motorcycles
produced by the Birmingham Small Arms Company in
England. Founded in 1985, the Club now has over 500
members, and has produced the monthly newsletter, The
Bulletin, since the Club’s inception. Rides and activities are
scheduled each month in addition to two major activities:
The Clubman’s All British Weekend in the spring, and the
Northern California All British Ride in the fall. Membership is
open to all BSA enthusiasts.
For more information: www .bsaocnc .org
The Classic Japanese Motorcycle Club is dedicated to the
celebration and preservation of the Classic and Vintage
Japanese motorcycle. We have rides, meets, shows, swaps
and can help you find and sell parts, bikes and motorcyclerelated services. Members make the club function!
www .CJMC .org .
Exciting women-only motorcycle group in the SF Bay Area.
For more info visit www .curveunit .com
The Ducati Vintage Club was founded to assist vintage
Ducati MC (1987 and older) owners with information and
resources to preserve, resurrect and bring these MC’s back to
the road! Owners and enthusiasts are welcome to join. We meet
once monthly at the Ducati Bike Night event and we sponsor
the annual European Motorcycle Show and Swap held in March
at the Santa Clara County Fairgrounds, the La Ducati Day
Concorso held in LaHonda each October and more.
Visit us at www .ducativintageclub .com
2003 Harley Davidson Dyna Wide Glide, Model
FXDWG-Price:$11,499.00. Description: Pipes, Hi-Flow,
Bags, Removable windshield, Passing lights, 6 spoke split
wheels, Chrome Frontend Miles:34646, Color: Silver & Black
Anniversary
2010 ATK, Model GT 650R-Price: $5,595.00. Description:
80HP, Carb, Dual Disc front, single disc rear brakes, free flow
exhaust, 6 speed 1 year warranty Demo unit. 441miles.
2010 ATK, Model: GT250- Price: $3,995.00 Description:
250cc, 70+mpg,Color: Maroon 1 year warranty Demo unit.
870 miles.
2001 Harley Davidson Road King Custom Model:
FLHRCI- Price: $13,799.00 Description-95” Motor, Hi-Flow,
203 Cams, Pipes, Corbin Seat, with backrest, Tour Pak.
40,938 Miles
1998 Harley Davidson Fat Boy- Price: $10,299.00
Description- S&S Super B, Python pipes, Turquoise and
white custom paint on Fat Bob tanks, Bag Stand Offs.
2002 Harley Davidson Softail, “Deuce”, Model FXSTDPrice: $17,499.00 Description Custom Paint, V&H Sweeper
Pipes, Hi-Flow, Legend Air ride, Ness Wheels, 6 Speed,
23895 miles
2000 Heritage Softail Custom- Price- $13,999.00 Pearl
white with hard back kit added, Hi flow pipes, 95” motor, wind
vest shield, Custom Tach. 8,200 miles
2004 Custom STX- Price: $13,500.00 110 Rev Tech motor,
less than 1,000 miles Color-Red, white black and gray
2007 Sportster 883 Low- Price: $8,999.00- Added 1200
kit, Buell heads, 551 Cams, Screaming Eagle Exhaust, Heavy
breather. Color-Brown. 5859 miles
IRON HORSE
Consistently maintained by certified mechanics, SHOWROOM
QUALITY
2009 Harley Davidson Road King Classic, Model:
FLHRC, Price: $15,999.00 Description: Leather wrapped
bags, Luggage rack, Mustang seat w/backrest, S/E slip ons,
Hi-Flow 20755 miles.
2008 Harley Davidson DeLuxe, Model: FLSTN,
Price:$16,599.00 Description: Leather wrapped lockable
bags, luggage rack, removable windshield, 1934 miles.
Color: Crimson Red
2004 Harley Davidson Road King, Model: FLHR, Price:
$13,499.00 Description: Pro-Pipe, Hi-Flow, Removable
backrest, Corbin Seat, Hard Bags, Miles: 26,055, Color:
Black
2001 Harley Davidson Road King Model: FLHR, Price:
$14,199.00 Description: Vance&Hines, Hi-Flow, Touring Seat
w rider backrest, removable chopped tour pak. Too many
extras to list, come see it in person. 28692 Miles- Color:
Concord Purple
2002 Harley Davidson Custom WideGlide Price:
$13,999.00. Color-Red, White, and Blue on Silver. Miles:
5673, 95” Motor, Screamin Eagle heads, 211 Cams, 111 HP,
114 Ft/Lbs
2008 Harley Davidson, “1200 Custom” Model: XL1200C
Price: $7395.00 Description: ThunderHeader. Hi-Flow,
Removable backrest 6287 Miles
2001 Harley Davidson, “FatBoy” Model: FLSTF Price:
$11,999.00 Description: Chrome front end, Windshield,
removable backrest, Corbin seat, 1350 miles
2004 Harley Davidson Electra Glide Classic, Model
FLHTC. Price $13,499.00. Description: 95”, Flowed Heads
by Hannan, S&S 585 Gear Drive Cams, Rineharts, S/E
Clutch, Progressive 440’s, Racetek frontend, Too Much to
list. 48957 Miles
2011 ATK, Model GT 250R- Price:$3995.00. Description:
27 HP, Carb, Dual Disc front, single disc rear brakes, free flow
exhaust, 5 speed. 1 year warranty. Sales Tax, Freight/Setup,
License and Doc. Fee additional.
J&M Motorsports
1931 Old Middlefield Way
#201
Mountain View
www .jm-ms .com
650-386-1440
Good-used-motorcycle/Fair-price specialists—Sportbikes,
Cruisers, & Dirt Bikes
We are a licensed operation run by two brothers who love
motorcycles and specialize in newer, low-mile, affordable
bikes that are worth owning. We have in-house financing and
a wide variety of bikes all in one place.
Looking for your first bike? Your 10th? Come by and see why
people like us: Easy to deal with and we really enjoy our work.
J&M is not a giant dealership. When you call or visit, you’re
talking directly with the owner.
Come by and take a look! Open Tues-Sat - Closed Sunday
We buy (nice) used bikes. Trade-ins and consignments are
almost always welcome.
$4,495 1980 BMW R65 7,945 miles
$3,795 1997 BMW F650 15,629 miles
$2,795 1994 Yamaha Virago XV535 3,295 miles
$3,795 2003 Yamaha Vstar 650 Classic 4,894 miles
$3,995 2005 Yamaha Vstar1100 Classic 18,676 miles
$4,995 2007 Yamaha Classic Vstar650 3,840 miles
$4,995 2006 YZF600R Yamaha 5,541 miles
$5,995 2006 YZFR6 Yamaha 11,261 miles
$9,995 2009 YZFR1 Yamaha 2,501 miles
$3,295 2009 Suzuki GZ250 1,950 miles
$4,995 2007 Suzuki DRZ400SM 2,467 miles
$7,495 2008 Suzuki GSXR600 7,552 miles
$3,495 2001 Suzuki SV650 6,555 miles
$3,795 2008 Suzuki LS650 Savage 4,794 miles
$7,495 2006 Suzuki M109R VZR1800 5,280 miles
$6,495 2009KawasakiZX6RNinja 12,954 miles
$3,995 2009KawasakiEX250RNinja 51 Original Miles
$3,995 2009KawasakiEX250RNinja6,030 miles
$1,495 2006 Kawasaki KX100
$5,495 2009 KLE650 Versys 11,654 miles Warranty
$4,995 2007 Kawasaki Vulcan VN1500N 9,402 miles
$2,995 2006 Honda CMX250 Rebel 733 Actual Miles
$2,995 2002 Honda VLX600 Shadow 6,144 miles
$3,995 2007 Honda VLX600 Shadow 5,748 miles
$5,295 2009 Honda VT750 Spirit 2,078 miles
$5,795 2009 Honda XR650L 20 Actual Miles!
$2,995 2006 Honda CRF450R
$6,995 2008 Honda CBR600RR 13,110 miles
$18,995 2004 Chevrolet 2500 LT Duramax HD
for regular scheduled maintenance, crash repairs, or for any
accessory installation you may be thinking about. We will
check your tire pressures for free.
NEW BIKE SPECIALS
2012 Super Tenere Demo Rides! Please call to schedule
a ride (650) 992-1234. This is the ultimate adventure touring
bike with power modes, traction control, and ABS! Come and
see what all the excitement is about!
2012 Zero Electric Motorcycle S and DS have arrived.
Imagine where you can go with up to 114 mile range and a
top speed over 80 mph. It is very quiet, low maintenance,
and inexpensive to operate. Plug in and get charged with a
standard household outlet. Street models are eligible for the
$900 CA Clean Air Vehicle Rebate. Call for a Demo Ride and
mention Citybike.
2011 ZERO Electric Motorcycles savings available here
at Mission Motorcycles. Get Plugged In! The UX (Urban
Cross) and MX (Motocross) models are $1000.00 OFF!!!
Plus, select ZERO Motorcycles qualify for a $900 CA Clean
Air Vehicle Rebate! Call (650) 992-1234 for a Demo Ride.
TIME TO GET DIRTY! Wide selection of new and used
motocross and trail bikes in stock now! The rain is finally
here, it’s time to ride. Get your kids or significant other riding!
Easy to ride and fun for all.
2011 Kawasaki ZX-6R $9,499. New Supersport
Motorcycle! This bike has fully adjustable front and rear
suspension, excellent handling, and cornering capabilities.
Available in Black, Green and Blue!
2011 Yamaha FZ1 $9,990 Silver. Want a comfortable ride,
but don’t want to give up sport performance and handling?
This is the ride for you.
2009 Honda CBR1000ABS $12,999. Spectacular engine
performance with solid, confidence inspiring, handling.
Feels like a 600cc in the tight turns, yet open the throttle and
feel the acceleration of a liter class bike. Red/Black.
2009 Yamaha V Star 650 Custom Only $6,090 Blue
Flame. Perfect for the freeway or getting around town. Easy
to handle and big value for the price.
2009 Honda CRF230M $5,399 Supermoto fun with a low
seat height. Great for getting around town and having a blast.
2009 Yamaha T-Max $7,999 This 500cc sport scooter is
great for cruising around the bay or California! This scooter
can do it all!
PRE-OWNED VEHICLES
2005 Honda VTX1800F $7,699 Only 9,553 Miles! This bike
has it all! Comfort, performance, great handling, and it looks
great! Comes with a windscreen and saddlebags installed!
Stock # U1150
2007 V-Star 1300 in Blue $6,299 with 27,286 miles This
is a great bike to tour around the country on or just around
the city! Comes with cobra pipes, power commander,
saddlebags, passenger back rest and rear rack. Stock #
U1121
2007 Vulcan 900 Classic LT Black and Silver Only
$4,999 with 41,024 miles. Comes complete with
windscreen, saddlebags, engine guards, highway pegs,
corbin seat with rider back rest, Passenger back rest, and
cobra exhaust pipes. Stock # U1146
2009 Honda CBR600RR Limited Edition Phoenix $7,299
with 11,446 miles and ready to go! Leo Vince Exhaust,
adjustable levers, aftermarket mirrors with LED turn signals,
and fender elimination kit. Stock # U1154
2009 Yamaha FZ6R blue $5,299 with 2,500 miles! This is
a great bike for city riding and commuting as well! Great for
riders of all levels. This bike has been lowered, so it is great
for those of us who are vertically challenged. Lowering can
easily be reversed back to stock suspension height . Stock
# U1155
2004 Honda Silverwing 600 in Silver $4,499 Only 7,983
miles. Great all around scooter! Great for commuting in the
city or cruising down the coast! Stock # U1144
2010 Vespa GTS 300 Super Pearl White $4,599 only
1,504 Miles! Scoot around town or down the freeway in style.
Stock # U1147
2003 HONDA REFLEX W/ ABS $2,499 21,878 miles and
awaiting more! Plenty of power for two-up freeway riding
with Antilock Brakes, lots of storage with an extra Givi trunk.
Stock # C442
1988 Honda Elite 250 Black $2,199 Only 9,821 Miles
Classic, freeway legal scooter. Smaller, compact frame than
most freeway legal scooters, makes this scooter easy to
maneuver. Stock # C469
2007 Kawasaki KLX110 $1,699 The mud is here! Take your
kids riding with this three speed dirt bike. Easy to ride, just
twist and go. Very low hours. Stock # C466
Prices do not include government fees, dealer freight/setup
fees (new vehicles only), taxes, dealer document preparation
charges or any finance charges (if applicable). Final actual
sales prices will vary depending on options or accessories
selected.
Check out and compare our bikes online at
www .missionmotocycles .com!
THE MOTOR CAFE
Mission Motorcycles
6232 Mission Street Daly City, CA 94014
(650) 992-1234 www .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 as much stuff as you can and Have Fun while Saving
Money!
Our factory-trained technicians in our Service Department
have decades of experience. Rely on us to keep your bike,
ATV, scooter or generator in tip top condition whether it’s
1289 W. El Camino Real
Sunnyvale, CA 94087
408.739.6500
We are the south bay’s one stop shop for all your Ducati,
Honda, Kawasaki and KTM needs.
Ducati 1199 Panigale Premier Party and Honda Open House Fri/Sat April 27th/28th.
The 1199 will be unveiled at 3pm on that Friday.
Stop by and check out our clearance prices on our last 2010
and 2011 models, included a killer price on the 2011 KTM
250 SX-F (Not allowed to post these prices)
Sample of our current used inventory:
‘04 Ducati MTS1000S 7,437 mi $6,499
‘07 Ducati ST3 3,809 mi $7,999
’10 KTM Duke 690 500 mi $8,499
’07 Suzuki GSXR750 13,596 mi $7,299
‘06 Suzuki C90 13,752 mi $6,999
’07 Yamaha R6 3,929 mi $7,799
‘05 Honda CRF450R OHV $3,499
‘01 Honda XR400 OHV $2,699
‘07 CBR1000RR (Repsol) 10,036 mi $7,999
‘09 CBR600RR (Phoenix) 10,211 mi $8,499
‘10 VFR1200 w/bags 2,677 mi $11,999
‘11KawasakiNinja650 1,900 mi $7,099
‘11 KTM RC8R Demo 2,939 mi $13,995
‘11 KTM 990 SMR Demo 2,959 mi $12,499
Honda 90 Trail Bike – Yellow color – Low Miles.
$985 OBO
510-387-2624 or 510-893-4821
We are an exclusive BMW and Triumph dealer in the north bay
with genuine BMW and Triumph parts
Just 60 minutes north of the Golden Gate
Call today for a service appointment 707.838.9100
Honda cbr1000rr. Showroom condition.less than 100 miles!
Must sell asking 11690.00. Title in hand. Extras included.
Rae .SJSU@gmail .com
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
1999 Yamaha R1, blue, 4.6K miles, Öhlins, Race Tech,
Graves rearsets, V&H slip-on: $3950. Also, ‘97 Aprilia
RS250 & ‘99 R6 track bikes: prices negotiable. 408/3430381/921-9689.
TriQuest Motorcycles
*Motorcycle Service and Repair*
• Tires • Service •Insurance estimates
Monthly bike storage available
Come check us out
1135 Old Bayshore Hwy
San Jose, CA 95112
(408) 299-0508
jim@advcyles .com — www .advcycles .com
DUCATI SUZUKI KAWASAKI YAMAHA
AMERICAN CUSTOM
MOTORCYCLE PARTS
Large Parts Inventory for American V-Twins
Full service on all American-made bikes
Machine Shop & Welding
925-689-9801
2395 H Monument Blvd, Concord
SF MOTO
255 8th Street at Folsom in San Francisco: 415/255-3132,
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.
We also offer motorcycle storage! Includes battery tender to
keep your bike ready to ride! Call for rates.
What’s New:
In the Service
department:
Please remember that our service department opens early
every weekday morning at 8:00 am.
Now we have a direct phone line into the service dept:
415/861-7196
LoJack is on SALE. Buy the LoJack anti theft system at SF
Moto and SAVE $250. (While supplies last or till August 31th.
2011.) Come in for details.
The Sales department
says:
We buy used motorcycles and scooters, we can also help you
sell your ride with our no cost consignment program.
Bring your bike, title (or loan statement), owners handbook
and keys. It’s OK if you still have a loan on your bike we can
still take care of you.
We will provide the safest way for you to get cash for your
motorcycle or scooter. It only takes about 20 - 25 minutes.
Sign up on our mail list to get NEW INVENTORY
NOTIFICATIONS in our weekly e mail newsletter.
MOTORCYCLES! BEST
USED SELECTION IN
S.F.!!!
2012 SYM Classic 150 wolf, $2995.00
2009 SYM RV250 Scooter, $3588
2012 SYM HD200 EVO scooter, $3499
2010 HYOSUNG GT250R, $4199
2012 SYM SYMBA (Honda Cub) scooter, $2398
2012 Hyosung GV250 Aquila, $3999
2007 Vespa GTV 250ie, 4,895.00
2007 VESPA GTS250 i.e., scooter $3995
2012 SYM Fiddle II scooter, $2298
2007YamahaMajesty400YP400 maxi scooter, $4295
1969 Vespa Primavera ET3 scooter, $2495
2008 HONDA Shadow 750 Spirit VT750, $4995
2007 YAMAHA V-star 650 Silverado, $4895
2007 KAWASAKI Vulcan 900 Classic VN900 VN-900,
$5295
2007 HYOSUNG GV650 GV 650 Avitar650 Avitar, $3895
2009 SYM Citycom 300i scooter, $3999
2008 Triumph Scrambler, $7298
2007 HONDA VT1100C2 VT 1100 VT1100 C2 Shadow1100
Shadow Sabre, $5695
2009 HONDA Shadow 750 Spirit VT750 VT750C2F $5895
2005 KAWASAKI Vulcan 800 Classic VN800, $4295
2006 HONDA Shadow 600 VT600 $3795
2010 Vespa GTS 300i $4995
2008 TRIUMPH STREET TRIPLE $7495
2007 BMW F800ST $8995
2009 HONDA CBR600RR $8495
2008 SUZUKI GSX-R750 $8495
USED MOTORCYCLES:
2006 Suzuki DRz 400 SM 9000 miles. Very tricked out:
436cc big bore, cams, carbs, exhaust. The suspension is resprung and re-valved for a 250lb rider. Gabe called it “really
well sorted”. Lots of spares, 18/21” dirt wheels available.
$4400. Al at 510-295-7707
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 PO Box 10659,
Oakland CA, 94610
ADVANCED CYCLE
SERVICE
Magazine collection - Cycle/Cycle World $800
Motorcycle Magazine Collection for sale. Cycle, Cycle World
from ‘60s to ‘90s. Also have Motorcyclist, Dirtbike, others,
$800/all. Email: frisbeedad@aol .com
Santa Rosa
BMW Triumph
CityBike Classifieds
NEW 2010 Ural Solo sT
Special ordered bike for show display. Custom factory
painted Maroon, with extra stainless steel & chrome bling.
Bike is sold as new with 2 year factory parts/labor/unlimited
mileage warranty
58km … equal custom 2012 list … $8649 … this one only
$6,500 plus tax/lic.
VIN X8JMH2382AU220346
Sold by CA licensed URAL dealer … TriQuest Motorcycles
408-855-8358
www .triquestcycles .com
RIDING SCHOOLS
Doc Wong
Riding Clinics
PERSONAL IMPROVEMENT
Come to the FREE monthly Doc Wong Riding Clinics.
www .docwong .com
Eighteen years, 40,000 riders!
Bavarian Cycles Works
EXPERT Service & Repair
Bavarian Cycles Works specializes in new and vintage BMW,
modern TRIUMPH and select motorcycle models. Our staff
includes a Master Certified Technician and personnel each
with over 25 years experience.
Nearly all scheduled motorcycle maintenance can be
completed within a one day turnaround time. All bikes kept
securely indoors, day and night. Come see us!
Bavarian Cycle Works
(415) 829-8235
501 Alabama Street (bet. 17th & 18th St)
San Francisco CA 94110
bavariancycleworks .com
Custom Design Studios
Mind-Blowing Custom Paint Since 1988
Visit Our Showroom!
Since 1956
Knucklehead
Panhead
Iron Sportster
Shovelhead
Evolution
Twin Cam
Multi Valve 450cc and up
Cyl. boring on H.D. only
21050 Mission Blvd. Hayward, 94541
(510) 581-5315
Introducing
Marin Moto Works!
Aprilia, KTM, and BMW Service and Repair
Located at 44 Harbor street, San Rafael
Open Monday-Saturday 10am-6pm
(415) 454-RIDE
MOTO GIO
Motorcycle Performance Parts, Accessories, Services.
Low price on Tires!!!
We will PRICE MATCH with any store.
Phone : 408-298-8887
1391 N. 10th St
San Jose CA 95112
Email: info@motogio .com
www.motogio.com
Please mention this ad and you will receive an additional 5%
off on your purchase.
V-Twin Service, Repair, Parts, & Fabrication.
Harley Factory Trained Tech.
MOTOSHOP
Garrahan Off-Road Training is California’s top school for
off-road motorcycle riding and racing. Located in Northern
California, our organization was founded by champion racer,
Brian Garrahan. Whether you are a seasoned rider wanting
to improve your technique, or just curious to check out the
sport, you’ve come to the right place: Come and train with
Garrahan Off-Road Training!!!
VISIT US ON OUR WEBSITE:
www .garrahanoffroadtraining .com
Use our shop workstations, lifts, & tools to fix your own
motorcycle!
We offer mechanical classes that teach new tricks and selfsufficiency.
Find out more online!
www .BayAreaMotoShop .com
(650) 873-1600
325 South Maple #20
South San Francisco, CA 94080
PARTS AND SERVICE
ADDICTION MOTORS
4052 Watts St @ 40th
Emeryville, CA
510.473.7247
www .addictionmotors .com
Addiction Motors is proud to present the latest addition to
our team, Ian Armstrong! Ian’s reputation as an experienced
and certified Harley-Davidson technician spans several years
throughout Florida and the San Francisco bay area. With a
focus on general maintenance, accident repair, accessory
installation and after-market performance enhancements,
we are pleased to offer his vast expertise as we continue with
our commitment to provide our clients with a full range of
motorcycle services. Please stop by our shop and join us in
welcoming Ian to our team of motorcycle experts.
Addiction Motors is a full service motorcycle repair and
maintenance cooperative in Emeryville CA. In addiction to
motorcycle service, we offer seminars, classes and events
of interest to the motorcycling community. Check out our
website for upcoming events.
Cycle Wizard, Bobby Simon
Full service on most Japanese and European makes and
models. I’m Bobby Simon, formerly of Subterranean Cycles
giving you excellent service in the East Bay.
LG MOTO, Lawrence Giardina
Servicing for dealerships since 1996, Lawrence Giardina has
likely kept your finer motorcycle running well for years. See
LG Moto for the experience you deserve.
SpaMoto, James Roberts
Let James at SpaMoto give you that Look, that Sound, that
FEEL. SpaMoto - Motorcycle accessorizing and detailing at
Addiction Motors in Emeryville.
ZBF, Ian Armstrong
Full service on Harley Davidson models. Ian is HD certified
and is happy to join the Addiction Motors team!
Cycle Salvage Hayward = Full Service.
People are surprised to find out that we’re more than just a
salvage yard.
•Full Service - All makes: We have 3 lifts and 3 full-time
mechanics!
•Tire installation (even if you bought tires elsewhere)
•Plastic Welding (fairings)
•Oil Changes
•New Tires
We buy used/wrecked bikes
Helmets, jackets, leathers, gloves, and all other apparel
Fair prices and easy to deal with.
Used parts -> broke yours? Call us!
Cycle Salvage Hayward
510-886-2328
21065 Foothill Blvd.
DNA Motor Lab, LLC
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.
DNA specializes in affordable scooter/motorcycle repair
(including Chinese) in the SF Bay Area. We provide services
on-site or pickup.
510-473-7349
www .dnamotorlab .com
FRISCO VINTAGE
Vespa Service &
Repair
2-stroke shifty only. 30 years experience. Great rates.
No job too small. In San Francisco. By Appointment.
info@friscovintage .com
City:
ROCKRIDGE TWO
WHEELS
Need new rubber? Rockridge Two Wheels is offering a $50
mount and balance with the purchase of two tires. Factory
techs. 40+ years experience. Full service facility.
510/594-0789
vespawalnutcreek .com
925 938 0600
rockridgetwowheels .com
510 594 0789
For all your Bay Area Vespa / Piaggio / Aprilia needs
Scotts Valley
Motorcycle Service
Center
All aspects of motorcycle service and repair
4865 Scotts Valley Dr., Scotts Valley
(831) 438-6300 Tues.-Sat. 10am-5pm
MOTORCYCLE TOWING
Enter these contacts into your phone now,
while you are thinking about it, so that you
will have them when you need them .
24/7 Service
650, 408, and 925 area code specialist
Jump Starts • Gas Refill • Tire plugs & fills • Motorcycle
Storage
Emercency Parts Delivery • Designated Driver • Easy-Load
truck
510-385-2374
650-260-2157
www .ambroztows .com
SAN FRANCISCO AND
BEYOND: DAVE’S CYCLE
TRANSPORT
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
Motorcycle & ATV
Hauling
Quality Motorcycles
235 Shoreline Hwy.
Mill Valley CA
(415) 381-5059
We’re not afraid of your old bike.
Sonoma, Marin, Napa & Mendocino Counties
24 hour Roadside Pickup
707-843-6584
Insured & Licensed
California Motor Carrier Permit
www .mcmotorcycletransport .com
mcmotorcycle@att .net
HELP WANTED
Galfer Braking
Rotors, Brake lines, Pads, Street, Race, Off-road, Super-Moto
PashnitMoto is one of the largest Galfer Braking dealers in the
USA. Colored brake lines, custom lengths, Wave Rotors. 50
Pages of part numbers.
www .GalferBrakes .net or call 530/391-1356
RABER’S BRITISH MOTORCYCLE PARTS AND SERVICE
We offer parts and service for Triumph, Norton, BSA, Amal, Lucas.
In-house cylinder boring, valve jobs, surfacing and much more.
1984 Stone Ave.
San Jose, CA 95125
Phone (408)998-4495
Fax (408)998-0642
Tues-Fri 11-6, Sat 8-5
www .rabers .com
State:
Zip:
e-mail:
AMBROZ TOWS
Garrahan Offroad Training
Cycle Salvage –
Hayward
Name:
Address:
Cycle Salvage
Hayward = Now Hiring
Experienced, Honest
People.
Do you have actual experience working on motorcycles at
a shop? Do you like solving problems and working with
your hands? Consider working at our salvage business in
Hayward on just about anything that comes in - scooters to
full dressers and everything in between. We offer full service
and an alternative to dealerships for bikes new and old, and
we’re growing. Please come by with a resume 10-6pm
Tues-Sat. We’d like to meet good people with experience and
a good attitude.
Lightning Express
Stories Request
Messengers ride in legend! Soliciting tales of Lightning
Express, 1983-2010. Contact Allan Slaughter, (650)-3643403, thanatoscycle@att .net .
Part-time or Full-time. Male or female. Immediate opening
for attractive, upbeat, intelligent, well-spoken individual with
flexible schedule able to work well both independently and as
part of a larger team. Must be healthy & fit. Many day-time
and weekend commitments, occasional evenings. Primary
location will cover much of Northern California and reliable
transportation is required; possible opportunity for paid air
travel at company expense within the continental United
States. Mileage and parking reimbursed in addition to regular
flat rate compensation or salary (not commission-based). No
sales or quotas. Well-respected company with established
reputation and services you can proudly represent. Easy
industry relationships. Relevant marketing experience and
excellent people skills are a must! Knowledge of motorcycles
is a plus but not required. Send resume or job history, current
photo and a list of your hobbies/ past-times. Company name
witheld by request. email to kenyon@citybike .com and
we’ll get it to the right person.
Small independent used motorcycle dealership located
in Mountain View is seeking an experienced, well
rounded full or part-time employee. We only sell gently
used bikes at fair prices, and do not have a service or parts
department. This position requires strong communication
skills, since you’ll be the sole point of contact with customers
(-we’re that small) when you are on duty. Verifiable sales
experience and current motorcycle licence seem like a
no-brainer to us, but we’re willing to listen to reason and
really want a good fit more than anything. Must be able to
perform general maintenance and minor mechanical tasks on
motorcycles. For questions please call: 650-386-1440. For
best results: submit a resume to: sales@jm-ms .com.
Werkstatt Motorcycles has an immediate opening for
an experienced Service Manager/General Manager
to join our dynamic team in a positive and professional
work environment in our independent San Francisco shop.
Requires previous SM/GM experience and broad knowledge
of Japanese, German and Italian Motorcycles. Sales, eBay,
or mechanic experience helpful. Salary based on experience.
Applicants with racing related experiences are encouraged.
Paid health benefits + bonuses + many other benefits (full
machine shop, racing support, and shop sponsored track
days). Please send a resume and cover letter to: Jennifer@
werkstattsf .com
WHEELS AND DEALS
ACCIDENT OR INJURY?
Call 415/999-4790 for a 24-hr. recorded message and a
copy of the FREE REPORT
EAT AT REDS JAVA HOUSE, SF.
“IT’S REALLY GOOD FOOD”
SAYS CITYBIKE MANAGEMENT.
EBAY SALES eBay sales. Specialist with vehicles, 12
years experience, and 5000+ 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.
SELL YER STUFF IN
CITYBIKE!
Yes, you can do that—it’s easy. Easier than calling your
grandson, having him post a Craigslist ad, then ask you for
$20, which you wind up giving him because you decided to
go riding instead of going to his high school graduation and
you feel guilty. We here at CityBike understand your guilt
feelings, so we will run your ad (25 words or less, please) ‘till
sold for just $15. Add $25 bucks to run a photo of your ride
so people believe you’re really selling something and not just
lonely.Subscribers get a free ad every month! Maybe you
should subscribe, eh cheapskate?
Tankslapper
HOUGH STUFF
Hello CityBike.
First off, much respect for printing an
article (“Lessons from Ug and Ag,”
April 2012) that may be in opposition to
the editorial point of view. Let nobody
accuse you of not being fair and balanced.
Discussion on the subject of rider
education can only be a good thing—
pushing the subject into the spotlight will
make Rider education develop according to
the needs of the riders.
Concerning the point of view that the MSF
curriculum only addresses the 1.9 seconds
before a crash; the MSF curriculum
encourages a continuing evaluation of 12, 4
and 2 seconds ahead of the proposed path
of travel for a motorcyclist.
Here’s a simple example of how I apply the
principle: When traffic is backed up along
a single lane, and there is a paved shoulder
on the right separated by a white fog line, if
a car could fit in that lane and drive down it
to the head of the line, then I will not do so.
Why should I get to do it if a car could do
it? Doing so would just be asshole behavior
(and oh yes, illegal).
This subject is addressed in the classroom
presentation along with situational
awareness at all times. The on-cycle part of
the MSF curriculum addresses the physical Other riders make different decisions,
aspect of riding, yet allows open discussion but this principle helps me make the right
decisions for myself and ride my own ride.
of how the learned techniques might be
applied to real time street situations.
Gerard Hopwood
Ridercoach and Ridercoach Trainer
HANS’ PRINCIPLE OF
MOTORCYCLE ADVANTAGE
Back in 2004 I began commuting full
time by motorcycle, first on a Harley 1200
Sportster and now on a Yamaha FJR 1300.
To date, I calculate I have logged more than
100,000 miles
commuting
around the Bay
Area.
Hans Gude
Concord
CLOSE ENCOUNTER OF THE
ELECTRIC KIND
I was coming out of Louis’ restaurant on
Point Lobos after lunch with an old friend
I’d never met before (long story), and spied
a Brammo parked at the curb and, beyond
it, a Zero S. Since I’d never seen either bike
But when I
first started
I was faced
with having to
make decisions
about what I
was willing
and not willing
to do to get
around traffic.
How far was I
willing to push
the boundaries
of legality and
obnoxious
behavior? I
came up with
Just the right amount of smart-ass? Art Director Lapp silently rounds the
my “Principle
corner by the Cliff House on the Zero S. Photo: Bob Stokstad.]
of Motorcycle
Advantage.”
in the flesh, I struck up a conversation with
It’s very simple and goes like this: “If a car
the two riders, talking two wheels and
can do it, it’s not a motorcycle advantage.
electrons. Turns out I’d walked into the
It’s illegal or just being an asshole.”
photo shoot for the April issue of CityBike,
and the two riders were Gabe Ets-Hokin
and Alan Lapp. Nice guys, with just the
right amount of smartass.
As a geek, I’m interested in electric bikes
from a technology standpoint, but, as a
longtime gearhead, I’m not sure I could live
without the primal sounds of combustion.
But I’ll keep an open mind.
Repair & Service
We Ship Worldwide
CALL
US
FIRST!
Salvaged & New Parts!
Tue–Fri 10–6 Sat 9–5
Some time later, as my friend and I walked
back to the car, Gabe whizzed back by
on the Zero S, almost soundless. Only
the whisper of rubber on asphalt and the
“zizzzz” of the chain announced him. I can
imagine the temptation to float up next
to a smug, Spandex-encased bicyclist and
whisper “Boo.” That would be cruel, of
course, giving new meaning to “Silent But
Deadly.”
Back home now in the wilds of Georgia, I’m
now a new CityBike subscriber.
Keep the smartass coming, boys!
Claudia McCue
motobroad.com
Gabe says if Claudia keeps talking about his ass,
he’ll sue for harassment. But check her blog out
anyway.
In Business Since 1978
All Makes
All Models
All Years
ENGINE DYNAMICS, LLC
Phone 707-763-7519
Fax 707-763-3759
www.enginedynamics.com
• Flow Bench Testing • Competition Valve Jobs •
• Valve Seat & Guide Replacement • Race Prep •
Cylinder Head
Specialists
2040 Petaluma Blvd. N.Petaluma, CA 94952
Serving the
Bay Area’s
motorcycle
needs
since 1988
Award-Winning Customs
Full Service Department
Paint • Parts
Fabrication
Insurance Work
All Makes Welcome
56 Hamilton Drive #A • Novato, CA 94949
415.382.6662 • CustomDesignStudios.com
[email protected]
• Porting • Polishing •
city bike ride to the
west coast moto jam
FREE!
ADMISSION & RIDE OUT
Sacramento Drive-In – Sacramento, CA
MAY 20 & JULY 22
(800) 762-9785 • WWW.TOPPINGEVENTS.COM
Ride To The Races with CityBike
Sunday May 6, 2012
Meet us at 9:00 am on your insured,
street-legal motorcycle at the Fort
Mason gates (across the street
from the Marina Safeway in San
Francisco) for an individual ride/
mutual destination caravan to the
Infineon Raceway front gate.
People who attend the West Coast Moto Jam will get the following bonuses:
■
■
■
■
■
Race-Day Ticket Costs Only $25 (See the ad on the right to get discounted advance tickets!)
Preferred Motorcycle Parking at Turn 2
Complimentary helmet and leather check at Turn 2
Great AMA Pro Road Racing, featuring four main events on Sunday
Supermoto USA, Vintage Motorcycle Display, Clint Ewing Stunt Show and more
THIS!
Join the City Bike team on a
scenic group ride to the
West Coast Moto Jam
@Infineon Raceway
•Ride over the Golden Gate Bridge
and through the Marin Headlands
toInfineonRaceway!
•West Coast Moto Jam Sunday,May6th:
AMA Pro Road Racing, Supermoto USA,
TTXGP Electric Motorcycles
•Race&RideTicketONLY$25
(A savings of $15 when you buy in advance!)
contact: scott hartwick
800-870-7223 ext.161 | [email protected]
infineonraceway.com /citybikeride

May 2012 - CityBike

Transcription

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