April 2012

Transcription

April 2012

News, Clues & Rumors
Volume XXIX, Issue 4
Publication Date: March 19 , 2011
PHOTO OF THE MONTH
On The Cover:
On the Cover: Bob Stokstad snaps his
shutter on CityBike reader Richard Harmon
showing off his shiny new 2012 Zero S in
front of Golden Gate Park’s freshly restored
Murphy windmill.
RASH DECISIONS
Contents:
NCR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
New Stuff . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Moto5ive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
eBikes: Zero and Brammo . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Renting and Riding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Hough: Rider Training . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Maynard Hershon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Ed Hertfelder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Dr Gregory W Frazier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Tankslappers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Classified . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Marketplace . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Call your Mother . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
CityBike Staff:
PO Box 10659 Oakland, CA 94610
Phone: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 415/282-2790
E-mail: . . . . . . . . . . . . . info@citybike .com
Find us online: . . . . . . . . . . . . citybike .com
News ‘n Clues: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Staff
Editor-in-Chief . . . . . . . . . . . .Frank Jeckell
San Francisco Police Officers Alan Hom and Rene LaPrevotte keeping abreast of the latest
CityBike at the Hoa Lo prison (aka the Hanoi Hilton) in Hanoi, Vietnam. One interesting rule is
stated in English on the sign behind Hom (right): “Smoking, moving artifacts are prohibited.”
Frolicking is also prohibited. It is a prison, after all...
GOLDEN GATE CYCLES
CLOSING
After 35 years, San Francisco’s multi-line
Japanese motorcycle dealership, Golden
Gate Cycles, is shutting its doors. Owner
Ray Nowakowski told CityBike he “got a
Nowakowski told us the buyer and sale
price are remaining anonymous for now,
although we assume it’s another dealer of
motor vehicles, as he told us he’ll try to
sell one or two of his brands along with
the building, in which case it’ll probably
keep operating as Golden Gate Cycles. The
Senior Editor: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pat Karwan
Contributing Editors: . . . Steve Mortkowitz,
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mark Gutowski
Chief of the World Adventure
Affairs Desk:. . . . . . . . . . . .Mick Mansuetto
Staff Photographers: . . . . . . . .Jerry Yester
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Glenn Lewis
Art Director: . . . . . . . . . Oscar Dominguez
Advertising Sales: . . . . . . . . .Floyd Marcus
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.
After 17-plus years of accident-free riding,
Publisher Wills managed to wash his
Superhawk’s front wheel out five feet from
a crosswalk in Berkeley at eight mph when
he was surprised by an oblivious bicyclist
and grabbed more brake lever than the
painted Stop mark on the road allowed in
traction. Wearing a two-piece Dianese suit
and boots, he fractured a bone in his lower
left leg when it got tangled up under the
falling bike, but credits wearing armored
gear with keeping him from avoiding a
broken shoulder and serious road rash,
since well designed gear does that sort
of thing. Hat tip to the Berkeley PD, FD,
and Meat-wagon for not once telling him
that “motorcycles are dangerous, dontcha
know?” The Berkeley PD Motor Pool gets
a free CityBike delivered for the motor
officers there as a reward.
A few days later, confined to the Armored
Magazine Carrier at speed on 880, our
Publisher saw a guy on a Buell float by with
a cheap helmet, cheap jacket, garden gloves,
and what looked like Velcro-strapped
baseball-umpire lower leg protection over
jeans. If you look around, you may see
similar (or much worse) out on the road.
After wrecking Editor Ets-Hokin’s K100RS
17 years ago during a swapperoo on a ride
and seeing his kneecap laid open during
the get-off, he’s a disciple of wearing good
protective gear, and wants to remind all of
the jeans-wearers out there that nobody’s
immune. Thinking/hoping it won’t happen
doesn’t change your odds or the outcome
when there’s a round in the chamber with
your name on it. Getting yourself some
serious gear if you’re serious about not
being turned into hamburger is the theme
of the month.
Now, back to our regularly scheduled
programming.
great offer on the building, things have
been slow, and I just turned 60.” In other
words, after decades in the industry (he
took over at GGC when he was just 29
years old), it’s time to do something else.
remaining brands he’ll try to sell to other
local dealers, or we may see a new player
on the scene. GGC will operate for at least
another 60 to 90 days, depending on how
fast the deal goes through.
Like what? Well, Nowakowski has other
passions, including personal fitness and
competitive bass fishing, and we didn’t get
the impression he’d miss the motorcycle
biz too much. However, he does have
lots of friends in the industry—he is also
head of the California Motorcycle Dealers
Association, a trade group that has flexed
some serious muscle fighting legislation
including anti-lane-splitting (an annual
thing, says Ray) and regulations to keep us
from fitting aftermarket exhausts and other
accessories.
When asked if he had any regrets about
leaving, Nowakowsky said, “I love the
industry, love the people
in it—dealers and
customers. I’m gonna
miss that. I may still
do some things in the
industry, but I want
freedom to do other
things. It’s been a lot
of fun--it’s been a great
time, but I’ve got the
opportunity to move on,
so I’m going to.”
April 2012 | 3 | CityBike.com
SO YOU WANT TO BUY
DUCATI?
We told you last month that Ducati’s
owner, Investindustrial, is considering
selling the company for a cool $1.3 billion
(reports since then put the purchase
price closer to $400 million, as Ducati’s
liabilities are less than what was suspected
previously). Much speculation about
who will buy has followed, with the usual
suspects—BMW and Harley Davidson—
rolled out.
The actual buyer may be a surprise. A
prime suspect is Indian motorcycle
manufacturer Hero MotoCorp, which was
also in the news recently for teaming up
with Erik Buell’s AMA racing program in
exchange for R&D support.
Hero is probably the largest motorcycle
company you’ve never heard of—and
one of the largest manufacturers on
the planet, with 5.4 million units sold in
2011. Previously called Hero Honda, the
55-year-old company once had a licensing
agreement to build Honda motorcycles in
India. That agreement will end in 2014, so
the company (with something like a billion
dollars in cash reserves) is looking for a
company with design chops and big-name
cachet to keep it up to speed and help it to
grow into new markets. “We’re talking to
a lot of people. Not just Ducati—whoever
comes to us, we talk to them,” said Hero
Managing Director Pawan Kant Munjal
in an interview. Hero wouldn’t be the
first Indian automotive firm to snap up a
European brand—Tata Motors bought
Land Rover, and Bajaj Auto now owns a
big chunk of KTM. These partnerships
seem to benefit both buyer and buyee, as
parts get cheaper, capital gets infused, new
customers start buying and the new parent
gets the branding and prestige benefit.
Mahindra and Mahindra may also be a
possible suitor.
Another possible buyer may be Audi.
As reported in the U.K.’s Car magazine,
Volkswagen Auto Group has been eyeing
the brand since the last time it was
teetering on bankruptcy—in 2008 CEO
Ferdinand Piech said it was a mistake to
not have bought it—and has secured a right
of first refusal should Ducati officially be up
for sale. That would probably work out well,
as VW has saved several auto brands, like
Bugatti, Bentley, Skoda—and yes, Audi—
from death or even extinction.
EXCELSIOR-HENDERSON TO BE
RE-REVIVED?
a former sewing-factory space over SF
Moto (275 8th Street in San Francisco) to
use as workspace for his design company.
Industry insiders expect that private equity SF Moto had been using the space to
firm American Investment Partners will
store sales inventory and customer’s bikes
formally announce on April 1st that it will waiting for service (there’s a large freight
invest $100 million to resurrect
the revived Excelsior-Henderson
brand name. Production on a new
series of motorcycles will begin at
the end of 2013.
The first model to be rolled out
will be known as the “New New
OLD AND BOLD?
Excelsior-Henderson Super
This nice note and photo came from the
New X All New,” a cruiserHayward Motorcycle Club:
styled sporty dirt bike with
a small windshield and extra
“The 65th annual Cowbell Enduro,
wheels, according to a press
hosted by the Hayward Motorcycle Club
release dated April 1. The design
took place in November, 2011. Phil Ray
competed and got the class win plus he was harkens back to the glory days of
recognized by the club for competing in the 1999, when Excelsior Henderson
motorcycles roared down America’s
Cowbell for 50 years, 1961-2011.
roads in select markets in the hundreds,
Phil is pictured receiving his award from
or possibly 1100.
Jim Donahoe of the Hayward MC, Phil,
Phil’s daughter Barbara and Bruce Kelley of Another model, the “New E-H Heritage
the Hayward MC. Phil is the retired owner Classic Late 1999 Soft-o-Rigid Sporty Tour
Classic Super Classic” will have an extra
of Kawasaki-Honda of Modesto.”
slathering of chrome and will include a
commerative umbrella stand made from an
elephant’s foot.
“We want folks to remember a simpler
time, when Gloria Estefan was big news
and we were just starting to get sick of
“South Park” said Rod Hurlickson, director
of Old-New-New Projects at the New New
Excelsior-Henderson Motor Company.
“The market is ripe for a late-’90s styled
retro-bike.” American Investment Partners
gained notoriety in business circles for
resurrecting such great names as Coleco,
Necco, Hupmobile, and George Peppard.
elevator to the street), but Anderson
realized it could be a great studio space
for local artists to show their work: “there
are tremendously talented people in San
Francisco’s motorcycle community.”
Jason Friend participates heavily with Bay
Area Vintage Riders, a discussion forum
for owners of older motorcycles, owners
who all had unfinished projects in their
garages and basements. Rather than wait
(forever) for these projects to be finished,
why not show them in their unfinished
state? Unfinished Projects 2011 was born.
UNFINISHED BUSINESS
Most custom-bike shows feature an array
of perfect, completed motorcycle projects
with polished chrome and perfect paint,
accompanied by squads of Hot Chicks
having photos taken with drooling middleaged men. But isn’t the process what’s
interesting about projects? Where the bike
came from, what the builder wanted to
accomplish, where the parts came from,
what it looked like before the building
began?
That’s why Jason Friend and Jason
Anderson came up with their “Unfinished
Projects” show around Christmas time
in 2010. It started with Anderson renting
Gallery Moto SF’s Unfinished Projects show got
so packed you couldn’t see the bikes on display.
Organized by Anderson, Friend and their
wives Lori (Friend) and Tara, the event
was a success, with 15 bikes on display and
work from seven artists on the walls.
But 2012 turned out even better. Twenty
motorcycles in various states of completion
lined the walls of the gallery and 10
artists showed their sculpture, paintings,
photography and other work. “News,
Clues” was on hand on the opening night at
the end of February, and we were stunned
by the crowds swarming through the
show and out on the street. Not only were
there large numbers of people (Anderson
guessed around 300, but he had no way
of really knowing), but they were much
younger (and more attractive) than the
usual gang of surly, pot-bellied middle-aged
men seen at most S.F. Bay Area motoevents (we love you guys, but can you at
least trim your ear hair every so often?).
We ain’t art critics, but we slept through
enough college art-history lectures to know
the art on display was cutting-edge, fresh
and interesting.
But we were really there to check
out the bikes, and this year held no
disappointments. SF Vintage Cycle
showed off a 1948 Triumph ST racebike,
there was a very cool BSA Rocket III cafe
racer, a 1936 Indian Four that “Red Fred”
Johansen is converting to fuel-injection (“I
should be the only one on the block with
this kinda shit”), a ‘65 Norton Atlas 750
getting the vintage racer treatment and an
original Arlen Ness Panhead Digger from
the ‘70s getting brought back to pristine
condition by Darren Lee Rowe. Groovy.
But the star of the show, if you ask us, was
Bob Guynes’ (star of “the World According
to Bob,” August 2012) incredible Benelli/
Honda hybrid. It’s a 750cc 6-cylinder
Benelli Sei grafted into an early Honda
CB750 frame with a CB72 front end. The
techniques.” Superbike Coach’s courses
start at just $49 and cover a large range of
topics, motorcycle styles and skill levels.
Find out more by going to the website or
calling 916/712-1817.
NO-SHOW SHOW
This note came from the organizers of the
Classic Japanese Motorcycle show and
swap meet that was scheduled for the end
of March at the Indoor Flat Track in San
Jose on March 31.
“Due to an unfortunate sequence of events,
we are forced to cancel the European and
Asian Motorcycle Show
scheduled for March 31,
2012 at the Santa Clara
County Fairgrounds (The
short-track racing and the
All-British show are not
affected and are scheduled
to occur).
“Many issues have
converged forcing us to
postpone the event for
one year. An unexpected
conflict and travel out
of the country for the
full week surrounding
the show, stumbles the
God-like fabricator Bob Guynes contemplates his Benelli-six/
coordination and support
Honda CB750 hybrid. No big deal, right?
that the show requires with
its small army of volunteers,
fabrication and engineering work that went
into the finished (is that cheating?) project that are recruited every year for the several
days of setup, assistance on show day and
is incredible, made even more staggering
when you consider the 70s-ish Guynes put the following day for break-down.
the bike together in a month.
“Secondly, our space sign-ups are at less
than 10% of where they were in any of the
Clearly, the event needs more space for
last years at the same time (as an example,
next year, and Anderson told me they’re
working on it. In the meantime, the gallery the entries for the show number 8 (3 for
will be used to showcase local moto-artists the Japanese and 5 for the Euro at this
and will be open to the public. Even though point). Last year at this time we had over
85 pre-registrations (40 Japanese and 45
he’ll be at work, he told us “I always love
European). Hans and Allen fund this event
to have an excuse to put my pen down
on their own. It costs several thousand
and have a chat about bikes or art.” You
dollars to rent the hall, purchase insurance,
can go to the Galley Moto SF website
buy trophies and coordinate the event.
(motosf.com) or Bay Area Vintage Riders
With pre-registrations at this unexpectedly
(bayareavintageriders.com) for more
information about gallery shows and hours. low level we believe that this may be a
significant money-losing event for us.
KARI’S KORNER
She reveals her curves with a timing that
teases and taunts me to turn up the wick,
Kari’s Korner is a regular feature we started in
honor of Cal Moto BMW/Triumph founder Kari and run just a little harder. But I know
my limits, and know when, and where,
Prager. It highlights poetry, music, prose and
and what pushes them, and it’s not luck
other artistic expressions of CityBIke readers.
This month we have two submissions: a prose
or stupidity, because for me, respect will
piece from Marin Sunday Ride regular Jeff Latta. always remain as lesson one.
My Monster
On the outside you feel the wind, heat,
and the engine, but on the inside, you
By Jeff Latta
could hear a pin drop, as your body
I start to giggle in my helmet, as I wind
absorbs the load and forces from the road
out all of third gear, and feel the hair
passing by inches underneath you. So I
on my arms stand up, and rest of me
listen with my whole body, because she is
becomes alive.
telling me her secrets in a language that
can only be heard by feel, attempting to
My internal tachometer then indicates
decipher an ocean of feedback, making
the right rpm, so I click fourth gear, and
adjustments, all within a split second.
twist the throttle wide open again. Out of
There is no room for anything else at
the corner of my eye, I check my gauges.
this speed. So I release my thoughts as
We are way past a buck and change, so my
quickly as the road passes by, and let it all
giggling continues.
disappear into my mirrors. Everything
Whatever mental luggage I was carrying vanishes into the past behind me.
got dumped the second this road began,
Welcome to my favorite place in the
and I am now totally consumed by
world. The horizon’s tail.
my passion, in my version of heaven,
as the high-speed rhythm of the road
This is my place that I found. I spend
hypnotizes me, unfolding herself, corner as much time here as I can. It is the
by corner.
only place I have found that makes
being anywhere else worth it. There is a
I focus only on the creation point,
monster inside of me, always has been,
coveting the rest of my view peripherally,
and all it wants to eat is asphalt
chasing the horizon, as my helmet slices
my view, as it goes blurring down each
side of my visor.
Just let us know how you want us to handle
it.”
extreme
longdistance
Contact the Classic Japanese Motorcycle
rider John
Club at cjmc.org. We’re dissapointed, as
Ryan.
we were going to enter an editorial project
Ryan’s
in the show, but we’ll still attend to check
claim to
out the Clubman’s show and the awesome
fame is
indoor racing. See you there!
riding from
Prudoe
AT LEAST STOP FOR THIS...
Bay,
If you weren’t at the Combustion Event
Alaska—
book-reading at Addiction Motors on
on Alaska’s
March 4th, you missed out. The event
north
was packed (about 100 people), and put
coast, and Melissa reads from “The Man
together in a first-class way, and even
Who would Stop at Nothing.”
we didn’t
though
it
was
five
hours
of
sitting
on
folding
Photo by Bob Stokstad
NEW SCHOOL
realize
“We plan to carry on and hold the event
chairs
and
listening
to
people
talk,
there
Alaska even
When we’re made aware of a new
next year, and if you are able to help and
wasn’t
a
bored-looking
visage
in
the
shop.
had a north coast—to Key West, Florida
motorcycle-training opportunity, we
volunteer for next year please let us know!
in just 86 hours, 31 minutes, 9.5 hours less
want to let our readers know about it. Can We can use the help. Also, please remember The event’s purpose was to let Bay Area
than the prior record.
Akkaya, former German Superbike racer,
riders
(and
readers)
meet
writer
Melissa
to sign-up early for next year!
author and founder of Superbike Coach.
Holbrook-Pierson (author of The Perfect
After a gourmet lunch, time to mingle and
Superbike Coach (superbike-coach.com) is “For those few who have sent in checks,
Motorcycle and The Man Who Would Stop at a raffle for door prizes, Pierson gave an
a Sacramento-based school with programs they can either be destroyed or sent back.
Nothing) and the subject of her latest book,
for everybody from basic street riders to top
racers. He teaches both street and racetrack
classes, and seems excited to announce his
first classes at Laguna Seca on May 28th.
He is also fearless enough to offer a wheelie
course, which the Editorial We might just
need to take, as covers have been getting
kind of boring lately.
“Superbike Coach courses don’t require a
fancy track bike or tons of experience.” the
school tells us in a press release. “Riders
can use their own motorcycles or rent
one of the school’s specially designed
instruction bikes, and every class is
personally tailored to the needs and skill
levels of the individual students. Beginners
and professionals alike have benefited
from Coach Akkaya’s years of experience
and professional one-on-one training
inconvenient distractions. The Interstate
highway system is the preferred method
of travel. Some interesting surprises: Ryan
doesn’t break the law and didn’t rely on the
expanded tank on his Yamaha FJR1300 as
much as you’d think—he gassed up every
250 miles or so on average. He discussed
managing his diabetes on his rides, and
it was fascinating to learn it actually
helped him manage his time and fuel-stop
schedule. Ryan seems to treat his body as
another piece of machinery, to be managed
and maintained on a regular schedule.
Also of interest: Ryan rode a 1400-mile day
completely within the City and County of
San Francisco (he just rode back and forth
on I-280).
Above: John Ryan enjoyed answering the many
questions from the audience about longdistance riding and was willing to talk a little
about himself as well.
Top right: Wrappping up the afternoon, Ed
Milich read from “Wrenched” and from his new
event organizer Nicky Yeager). As good as
book, “Fueled.”
Bottom right: Christina Shook tells about the
new book “Live Full Throttle”
by Tamela Rich. It’s about motorcycling and
surviving cancer. Christina
did the photography. Photos by Bob Stokstad
1204 PORTOLA AVE
925-371-8413 • WWW.MOTOWRX.COM
excellent and emotional reading from The
Man Who Would Stop at Nothing, followed
by a Q-and-A session with Ryan himself
(both Pierson and Ryan were flown in
and hosted at considerable expense by
Pierson’s reading was, Ryan’s time at the
mike was memorable, as he revealed many
details of the logistics and strategy of the
long-distance rider. Also in attendance
(although he didn’t speak to the crowd)
was LD champion Dave McQueenie, with
1.7 million miles under his belt.
What was remarkable is how focused and
disciplined Ryan is. The clock is what
rules his life on the road—meals, sleep
and waste elimination are treated as
Pierson and Ryan were preceded by
photographer and author Christina Shook
(Chicks on Bikes), who gave a slideshow
of her work from a new book by Tamela
Rich, Live Full Throttle: Life Lessons From
Friends who Faced Cancer. The book tells
the story of women cancer survivors raising
awareness for cancer research by riding
motorcycles around the country. The
program was wrapped up with CityBike
contributor and man-about-town Ed
Milich reading lively poems and prose
from his collections Wrenched and Fuelled.
It was a classy event, well attended and
enthusiastically received, a kind of onlyin-Northern California sort of thing
that reminds us why it’s good to be a
motorcyclist here. Combustions Event
and Addiction Motors both indicated they
want to do more stuff like this in the future,
so be sure to read our events calendar to get
the latest information.
NEW STUFF
NONE OF YOUR LIP
Excited about Suzuki’s new V-Strom? We
are too, but we’ll bet the wind protection
could use improvement. Fortunately,
Laminar Industries is offering one of its
LIPs just for the new model. It installs
with included adhesive in minutes, is
easily detachable, and if it works like
other LIPs we’ve tested (for a Triumph
Speed 4 and Kawasaki Versys, if you want
photo: Steve Burton
photo: Hana Krulova
photo: Steve Burton
THE QUAIL MOTORCYCLE GATHERING
Saturday, May 5, 2012
The Quail Motorcycle Gathering
10:00am – 3:30pm
Celebrating the Evolution of the Motorcycle
Friday, May 4, 2012
The Quail Ride
specifics), it will expand wind protection
without adding turbulence or noise. Cool
products—check them out at
laminarlip.com or call 714/540-8006.
Tickets and information
Phone: 1 (831) 620-8887 Toll-free: 1 (877) 734-4628
[email protected] www.quaillodgeevents.com
I just got a Harley last year after riding
mostly Honda street bikes. It is a
different animal, and I wasn’t aware
how much until I got one. So here are
5ive things I learned about Harleys:
5. Non-Harleys are called
Metrics.
‘Metric’ is a somewhat derogatory term
for a bike that isn’t American. There
actually are some metric bolts, especially
with aftermarket parts, but whatever.
Also, they refer to models with names
instead of numbers. Sportster, Super
Glide, and Road King instead of GSXR
(gixxer), FZR, or CBR, for example.
When there is an R in the name it means
a rubber mounted engine, not Racing.
4. They make a signature
noise.
The sound of a Harley is unique. It’s
a deep whup-whup sound that is very
pleasing. I never completely grokked
the differences before riding one. Also
the thing rattles so much that if you
take your hand off the handlebar, the
mirror shakes so much you can’t see out
of it. It sets off car alarms. And actually
it feels pretty good.
2012 FZ8’s Are Here!
3. They are simple machines
At least until fuel injection in the late
90’s early 00’s, you can just look at the
engine from the side of the bike and be
able to tell pretty much what’s going on.
Air sucks in here, mixes with the fuel
there, and I can tell by the rattling that
explosions are happening near the top of
the engine at the spark plugs right there.
2. Harley riders don’t do
peace signs
carmel c aliforni a m aY 5 , 2 0 1 2
Vintage and modern motorcycles welcome
Early Bird Departure / Regular Departure
Featuring parade laps at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca
by Torrey Nommenson
Photo courtesy Harley-Davidson.
CityBike neglected to run a by-line for last
month’s Moto5ive by Torrey Nommenson. We
regret the error and assure readers that “Torrey
Nommenson” is actually a real person, even if
he lives in L.A.
When I was riding a crotch rocket,
I noticed that when I gave the twofingered deuce to guys on Harleys, they
usually didn’t respond. Turns out it’s
a different kind of salute. It’s a sort of
a low wave: you stick your arm out at
about 45 degrees or less, palm facing
down and parallel to the road.
This bike screams attitude!
1. Chicks dig Harleys
BERKELEY YAMAHA
No, really. I have been getting a ton of
looks and interest from this bike. I don’t
have a rear seat and I’m in a relationship
so it does me no good. But I can’t help
but notice that I’ve been getting more
attention from the ladies, oh yes.
Always wear a helmet, eye protection, and protective clothing.
Please respect the environment, obey the law, and read your owner's manual thoroughly.
735 GILMAN STREET
BERKELEY (510) 525-5525
www.berkeley-yamaha.com
Tues.-Fri. 9-6, Sat. 9-5 — Sun.-Mon. Closed
SHOCKING NEWS
new model gets redesigned side-by-side
damping adjusters, and the sum of the
Do we really have to tell you that Öhlins
improvements means “less hysteresis,
makes the best motorcycle
freedom from cavitation, and completely
suspension in the world?
isolated rebound and compression
Well, if it’s not
damping functions.” Well, for $1457, it
the best, it’s
better, (and it probably does) that’s all we
certainly
can say. Head to ohlinsusa.com or call
the most
828/692-4525 to find out if “all current and
desirable.
many late-model sportbikes” includes your
Its
ride, and if there’s a CityBike discount.
TTX36
roadracing
BIG RACK ATTACK
shock has been
Black Dog Cycle Works sent us a press
adopted by racers
release telling us about its BDCW
worldwide, and
Multi-function Rear Rack
no wonder—its
($109 and up) and Winch
twin-tube design
Support Plate ($79), and
delivers consitent
we had to ask, “did you say
performance.
winch support plate?” Really?
Behold the tastiness Really. The racks are made
in the USA out of 1/4-inch
of the upgraded
TTX36 MKII. Aside hard-anodized aluminum
and have the ability to
from a number
mount the Rotopax one or
of improvements
two-gallon fuel or water
in piston design
carriers or the (wait for it)
and materials, the
Warn XT17 or RT15 electric winches with
the optional winch support plate. We here
in the editorial offices regard going to the
post office box an adventure most days, and
feel if we had to prepare for a ride by having
a winch on our luggage rack we probably
would stay home. But we hope many of you
would think this is the greatest expression
of adventure-rider manly-man cool ever
and will head to blackdogcw.com or call
208/263-0438.
EVENTS APRIL 2012
Every day through April 28, 2012
First Monday of each month
(April 2, May 7):
Moto Bellissima Exhibit at SFO
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
(April 10, May 8)
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.
Third Sunday of each month
(April 15, May 20):
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.
First Saturdays of each month
(April 1, May 5)
Mission Motorcycles (6292 Mission
St. Daly City, missionmotorcycles.
com 650/992-1234) has Brown Bag
Saturdays: 15% off all parts and
accessories you can stuff into a brown
paper sack.
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.
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
visitors from November 5, 2011 to April
28, 2012. There is no charge to view
the exhibition. For more information,
please visit flysfo.com/museum .
The Ultimate Sport-Urban-Adventure-Tourer
150 horsepower
15,000 mile service intervals
Traction Control
Plus available ABS
Electronic Suspension
Luggage System
Friday, March 30th to
Saturday, March 31st
Indoor Flat-Track Racing at the
Santa Clara County Fairgrounds
(344 Tully Road San Jose) Indoor
motorcycle racing on concrete is back
in San Jose. Come see one of the most
exciting races of the year! The machines
are 450cc flattrack bikes tearing up the
fairgrounds in San Jose. Handlebar
bashing, elbow-to-elbow racing in a
cage.
Friday: Practice and optional
barbeque. Practice starts at 2:00
pm and runs till 6:00 pm, then the
barbeque will follow. Invite all your
friends to join us for practice, dinner
and a night of bench racing and
remembering the “Good Old Days.”
Saturday: 2:00 pm-10:00 pm: Calling
all spectators: don’t miss this; come
out to see 3-4 hours of close racing
inside the Expo Building at the Santa
Clara County Fairgrounds Saturday,
6:00-9:30 pm. Experience Pro Racing
at its best! Spectator’s seats will make
you feel like you’re almost on top of the
action.
Call to schedule a private demo ride
Pit pass: $30, Spectators: $20. Riders:
$30 for Friday practice, $50 to race first
class, $35 for each class after that.
Info: sanjoseindoor.com or call Pete at
408/249-4336 or email: heartoncl@
aol.com.
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
machines competing for
trophies in various classes,
motorcycle celebrities,
vendors, a swap meet and
throngs of adoring fans. This
all-indoor show is the largest
All-British Motorcycle Show
West of the Mississippi. And
it’s right here in our backyard,
in San Jose.
8:00 am-4:00 pm: Clubman’s AllBritish Weekend, also at the Fairgrounds
(see above). An amazing all-volunteer
show that attracts over 150 pristine classic
This is a great opportunity
to see so many rare and
interesting classic British
motorcycles all in one place.
These include vintage machines all the
way back to the turn of the last century,
pre-war and post-war classics, military
machines, racers, customized choppers,
bobbers and cafe racers, and some
modern-day British classics. It’s all under
one roof, the bikes are gorgeous, the
people are friendly, and they even serve
food, beer and wine.
Saturday, June 30 and
Sunday, July 1, 2012
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.
For more info, go to classic-british1, 5 miles north of Hwy. 92) Half Moon
motorcycles.com/clubmans-all-britishBay’s spectacular showcase of motorized
weekend-2012.html Admission is only $5
mechanical marvels from throughout
(and kids under 12 get in free).
the 20th and 21st centuries—more
than 2,000 beautiful flying, driving and
Sunday, April 1:
working machines on display for public
10:00 am: What could be better
viewing—motorcycles displays include
than viewing scads of classic British
everything from antique turn-of-themotorcycles? Only one thing: riding
century models, high-performance sport,
them! So, at 10:00 am the following
racing and off-road bikes to the hottest
Sunday morning, the faithful gather in
custom bikes of the modern era.
nearby Los Gatos for “The Morning
$20 ($30 for 2-day pass) for adults, $10
After Ride” through the Santa Cruz
($15 for 2-day pass) for ages 11-17 and
Mountains, the Redwoods and the
65+, and free for kids age 10 and under.
Coast. Contact the BSAOCNC (see
for more info call 650/726-2328 or visit
above) for meeting places and times.
miramarevents.com.
Sunday, April 8
Saturday May 5th
11:00 am: Watch live WSBK racing at
6:30 - 7:30 pm
the D-Store (131 South Van Ness, San
Francisco, 415/626-5478).
Meet Josh Herrin and celebrate
Mojotown’s 3rd Anniversary
Saturday, April 14
(Mojotown Motorcycle Gear Shop, 1345
Noon: Big Time Speedway Spring
E. Francisco Blvd. San Rafael, 415/457Opener at Prairie City SVRA-OHV
6656 or mojotowngearshop.com) Come
(13300 White Rock Road Rancho
meet AMA Superbike Rider #2 Josh
Cordova). Methanol-burning madness
Herrin and AMA Supersport Rider Zach
as top-ranked national racers battle it
Herrin. Bring your swag in to get signed
out on these fast, light machines with
by the Herrin Brothers and help celebrate
no brakes or suspension. Adult Tickets
our gear shop’s 3rd year of business!
are $20—go to bigtimespeedway.
Take advantage of storewide discounts
com or call 925/786-3263 for more
and enjoy refreshments courtesy of
information.
Mojotown and Stang’s Hotdogs of San
Saturday, April 28
Rafael. Open House hours 12:00 pm ‘till
9:00 am-3:00 pm: 5th Annual Vintage closing.
Sidecar and Motorcycle Rendezvous, Friday, May 4 through Sunday, May 6
Downtown Paso Robles City Park. Arts,
crafts, vintage sidecars and motorcycles! AMA Pro Road Racing West Coast
Moto Jam at Infineon Raceway
Call 805/238-4103 or email
(Highways 37 and 121 Sonoma) The
[email protected].
two-wheel excitement of AMA Pro
Road Racing returns to Infineon
The Dainese D-Store San Francisco (131 South Van Ness, San Francisco,
415/626-5478) 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.
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 demo rides in
the expanded Motorsports Midway,
appearances by the Infineon Raceway
Girls, autograph sessions and more!
Sunday, May 6 - 9:00 a.m.
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.
2-day (Sat/Sun) General Admission: $75
Friday General Admission: $35
Friday, May 18
Saturday General Admission: $45
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.
3-day (Fri/Sat/Sun) General Admission: $80
Sunday General Admission: $55
Beginning April 8 at 11:00 am, the D-Store will kick off the 2012 season with
a live viewing of the MotoGP season opener at Qatar. In addition to Mazda
Raceway Laguna Seca selling tickets, Riders for Health will be in store promoting
their Day of Stars event that happens on Thursday July 26th (the Thursday
before the races at Laguna Seca) which include a private pit tour, an exquisite
lunch, a ride around the track with Randy Mamola, and an auction selling rider
memorabilia. Riders for Health provides two and four-wheel vehicles to assist
health-care workers in remote African areas.
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 650/365-7775.
Thursday, April 12, 2012 “Riding
Position and Ergonomics Workshop”
7:15 pm
Friday April 13, 2012 “Basic
Suspension Part 1” 7:15 pm
Sunday April 15, 2012 “Smooth
Riding - Handle Bar Pressure” 9:00
am-2:30 pm
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: See Vintage,
Classic, Race, Café, Custom, Off‐Road,
Future Classic and other bike categories
(people’s choice voting with awards
to follow). This year we will feature
Bridgestone Motorcycles. Pre-register
and get a gift bag filled with motogoodies!
Bike Show entry forms: Roger
at [email protected] or
408/933‐8784
Save the Date: Sunday, July 22nd
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
Saturday, May 12
show, questionable prizes, seminars,
bad jokes, seminars and much more.
10:00 am-3:00 pm: Livermore
Motorcycle Safety Event (Carnegie Park, Check citybike.com/events for more
information as it’s posted.
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
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.
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).
Doc Wong Clinics!
AFM SCHEDULE
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.
For racetrack and spectator info
orto find out about corner-working
opportunities or how to get your race
license, go to afmracing.org or call
510/796-7005.
March 17 and 18: Buttonwillow
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
Friday and Sunday April 27/29, 2012
“Dual Sport Adventure Riding Clinic”
7:15 pm Friday, 9:00 am Sunday
Friday night May 11, 2012 “Basic
Suspension Part 2” 7:15pm
Friday, May 18, 2012 “Riding Position
and Ergonomics Workshop” Fri 7:15 pm
Sunday, May 20, 2012 “Cornering
Confidence - Lines of Travel (2 Step)”
9:00 am-2:30 pm
More info: docwong.com
chargers. The Brammo
charges in four hours,
the Zero in six. For
faster charging (as
little as 1.8 hours for
the Zero), you can
get accessory quickchargers, which may
Electric Boogaloo:
2012 Zero S and Brammo Enertia
Big Fun at Two Cents per Mile
bite and power and, as befits a supermoto,
the rear brake has enough grab to easily
skid the back tire. Decent stoppies are also
possible. Ride quality is very nice on the
Zero, and it handles quickly, but doesn’t
give up much in the way of stability—until
you get over 80 mph, when the front end
starts to feel vague.
The Brammo is more composed and
staid. The seat’s a little lower, the bars are
higher, and you don’t feel you have to pin
it everywhere. Acceleration—especially
midrange—is ample, plenty to maintain
your safety cushion in traffic. The brakes
have enough power and control to meet
your braking needs safely. A new rider
should be able to ride either of these
bikes with no difficulty, which I think is
a problem—a clutch and gearbox is just a
small part of operating a motorcycle safely,
and I worry about a flood of untrained
riders getting hurt on these things. Get
proper training before you buy or ride any
motorcycle. Please.
By CityBike staff
Photos by Bob Stokstad
First Take: Gabe Ets-Hokin
Age: 42,
Height 5’6”,
Favorite Electric Appliance: Toaster Oven (not
this one, the last one I had)
A
t some point, we’ll have to stop
saying “the electrics are coming,”
and start saying “the electrics are
here.” And I suspect we won’t realize when
that moment has come and gone. We may
already have passed it.
fork and an expensive-looking Elka rear
shock. Brakes are by Brembo. The motor is
a sealed, brushless AC unit with permanent
magnets—that means low maintenance.
There’s no clutch or gearbox, just a chain
and a big sprocket. It weighs 324 pounds,
and is wrapped in futuristic, rounded
bodywork that looks much more like a
flowing, integrated design than the Zero.
Zero’s offering is the techno-champ here,
to be expected from a three-year lead. It
uses the distinctive basic frame design we
first saw on the 2009 Zero (“Zero Electric
Motorcycle,” June 2009), a very light
I didn’t think we were there until last week, structure composed of aluminum tubes
when CityBike Art Director Alan Lapp and and beams. A large metal box conceals the
I spent a long afternoon cruising around
Z-Force power pack. Behind it is a doubleSan Francisco on a pair of battery-electric
stator axial flux (I don’t know what that
motorcycles, a 2009 Brammo Enertia and
means, either) sealed, brushless motor.
a 2012 Zero S ZF6. Let’s be clear: this is
Power goes to the rear wheel via belt—that
not a comparison test between these two
change and numerous others to styling and
vehicles. The Enertia is a four-year-old
components were made by former Buell
design, so in electric-vehicle terms the Zero engineer Abe Ashkenazi—and suspension
has a huge technological lead, as battery,
is from a nameless Asian supplier, but is
motor and software developments have
fully adjustable (the Zero is made in Santa
leapfrogged mightily every year. We rode
Cruz, but much of the parts list comes from
both bikes so we could get a feel for the
Taiwan, I was told at the factory last year).
different approaches the two companies
It weighs in at a reasonable 297 pounds.
use and see how well they’d hold up to
So they sound like pretty similar bikes, but
what’s a pretty tough environment.
show very different characters. The Zero
The $7995 Brammo is the slick and
is the hooligan. It has two drive modes—
polished product, and less expensive. That’s eco or sport—which gives you a choice
because it’s an older design, with a much
of good acceleration or better range and
smaller lithium-iron-phosphate battery—3 regenerative braking. It won’t stun you if
kilowatt-hours instead of the Zero’s 6 kWh you’re used to middleweight sportbikes, but
lithium-ion unit. The battery is wrapped in it’s more than enough to stay well ahead
an extruded-aluminum frame, suspended
of car traffic or to merge safely onto the
by a compression-adjustable Marzocchi
freeway. The no-name brakes have good
Actually, getting started on an e-moto
is harder than it looks. The Brammo has
a complex start procedure intended to
minimize accidental motion. Though
the Zero is easier to figure out, they both
have big green lights on the instrument
clusters to tell you the bike is energized
and ready to ride. Instrumentation on both
bikes includes the all-important ‘charge
remaining’ meter, with the Brammo’s
telling you how
many miles you
have before you
have to plug in
somewhere. Both
bikes include onboard chargers,
and have enough
storage space to
stash rolled-up
power cords.
Charging is
something to
think about. A
full charge on the
Zero is good for
76 miles of slow,
around-town
riding going by
the EPA’s ‘City’
UDDS standard,
43 miles on the higher speed (cruising at
70 about half the trip) test. Opt for the
$14,000 ZF-9 and you may go 114 city
or 63 miles at higher speeds. The older
Brammo will do 42 miles on the city loop,
‘20-plus’ miles in higher-speed commuting,
according to Brammo. To achieve those
numbers on either bike, you’ll need a full
charge—easy to do with the on-board
to Munroe before the battery wore down.
savings of $1800 per year at 15,000
miles—spread over five years, that’s about But the charge was still well above halfway
by the time I rolled through Daly City, and
the cost of an entire motorcycle.
the experience of riding was not so different
Okay, that’s the practical, economical
from a gas-powered steed. Quick off the
argument—if you’re using your bike
line, and then midrange like a Twin, except
less than 50 miles per day (as are most
that there was no noise or vibration—at
moto-commuters), an e-bike may be the
all. That smooth, silent torque, that magic
way to go. But what
sensation is character, if a subtle one. I’d
about soul? Won’t
even call it soul.
you miss the roar
At the big 280 interchange, I lane-split
of the V-Twin, the
to the front of the pack, worried the bike
top-end hit of your
wouldn’t get up to speed quickly enough as
inline-Four, the
or may not make
your house burn
down, depending
on your wiring.
Check with an
electrician. Zero
offers an SAE
J1772 charging
socket so you can
take advantage of
public charging
stations (and
primo parking
spots).
Battery pack life
is more of an issue
with the Brammo—it’s rated for 2000 full
charge/discharge cycles, although topping
the charge off before the battery is flat will
prolong life. Two thousand cycles is about
eight years of Monday-Friday commuting,
after which the pack will still have 80
percent capacity and have core value (as
recyclable materiel or as back-up batteries
for solar systems, for example). A new pack
costs about $3500, and I’m guessing by the
year 2020, that pack will be a quarter the
price and offer four times the performance.
Tito Puente ritmo of
your Thumper? As
Alan points out below, isn’t an e-bike just a
rideable computer? An appliance?
That’s what I thought until I decided to
take the long way back to Scuderia with
the Zero. It was a 16-mile trip through
surprisingly light afternoon commute
traffic, and my main worry was getting back
The Zero, on the other hand, offers serious
battery life. Like 205,000 miles to 80
percent capacity, according to Zero, and
the ZF9 will go 308,000 miles, or about
my total moto-mileage for the last 20
years. If you want to geek out and do the
math, batteries and electricity are really
cheap for the Zero: at 40 miles per charge,
it’ll cost you about two cents per mile
before you have to buy a new battery in
the year 2032. My Triumph Street Triple
R runs about 14 cents per mile when you
factor in the expensive regular services
and $4.50 cent-a-gallon gas. That’s a
I silently rolled past dozens of grim-faced
commuters. The light turned green, I put
the cheesy-looking toggle switch to the
‘sport’ position, and pinned the throttle.
We took off, not blazing fast, but plenty fast
enough to stay ahead of any potential roadrager, and I experienced the weird feeling
of coasting uphill as I turned the throttle.
The speedometer reached 75 in a hurry,
and 80-plus was no problem at all. Again,
completely silent, the only noise the wind
rushing past my helmet.
Do you remember
your first high-speed
ride on a motorcycle?
It was like magic,
wasn’t it, the way a
movement of your
wrist translated into
effortless acceleration
as you whipped
past all the suckers
trapped in their
ugly rolling boxes?
That Zero made
me feel that all over
again. I had another gratifying moment
as I whizzed past a BMW K1600GT
rounding Hospital Curve. Sure, that
$25,000 motorcycle can do 160 mph and
go 220 miles on a ($30) tank of premium.
But the Zero, though slow off the line,
accelerates well between 60 and 80 mph,
where I spend most of my freeway time. It
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may have been that little rush of torque I
felt at higher speeds that really convinced
me e-motos are here. In fact, my Zero ride
was a transformative experience that made
me feel (for a change) very good about the
motorcycle industry’s future.
So: what got you into riding in the first
place and keeps you riding today, so many
years later? Is it the camshafts, carbs,
gears, clutchplates and exhaust pipes? Is it
the vibration, the leaking oil, the 14 cans
of almost-empty chain lube
in your garage? The passiveaggressive notes your next-door
neighbor slips under your door
on Sunday afternoon? (“I hate
to bring it up, but do you think
you could maybe push your
bike down the street before you
start it up at 6 am every Sunday,
instead of under my bedroom
window? Thanks!”) Yeah, I like
that stuff too, but what drew
me to two wheels was freedom,
and while two cents a mile isn’t
free, it’s pretty freakin’ close.
Rather than snubbing electric
motorcycles, enthusiasts should
embrace them, because they
represent the best chance we
have of getting a new generation
onto two wheels.
Before you assume I’m just pimpin’ for a
long-term test bike (Zero S ZF9 in black,
please), go down to Munroe, Scuderia,
Mission Motorcycles or another e-moto
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and feed the dashboard information about
remaining power level and current power
usage. What I find extraordinary is the
smooth power delivery: it is regal, refined,
and gentlemanly. With no interruptions
for shifting, and no coming on the cam
or peaky power delivery, acceleration is
velvet-smooth, and feels as if you are being
swept away in a fast-moving river. Because
the computer controls torque delivery,
you simply pin it and go. It’s the ultimate
beginner bike: there is simply no way to
do anything wrong with the throttle when
leaving from a stop, other than forgetting
it’s turned on. It’s not an on-off switch like
a two-stroke, but a rheostat that works as
smoothly and precisely as the volume knob
on your stereo.
dealer and test ride an e-moto on the
freeway. If you don’t have a huge grin when
you get back, if you’re not amazed at how
fun and practical these things can be, I’d
be very surprised. And if you think they’re
good now, what will five or 10 years bring?
I think we’ll get $5000 motorcycles with
125 mph top speeds, 250-mile ranges and
20-minute recharge times. And that’s when
you can have my gas-burning relic to use as
a lawn ornament.
Second Take: Alan Lapp
Age: old enough to know better
Height: 4.3 cubits,
Favorite Electric Appliance: Automatic Olive
Pitter
I had never ridden an electric motorcycle
before Gabe tapped me to help with
this review, so I was uncontaminated
by previous experience. I am a bit of a
technophile, and I have friends who are
avid e-bike fans who drip-feed tidbits of
information about the electric-vehicle
industry to me. So, even though I lacked
experience, I had opinions; some political,
some pragmatic.
Pragmatically speaking, the e-doubters
raise a number of issues: range, speed,
recharge times, etc. In other words, people
want the convenience we are accustomed
to with petroleum-fired vehicles. I fall into
the camp that see e-bikes as inevitable, but
remain skeptical about how useful they are
in real life.
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To find out what is it like to use an e-bike
for a day, I met Gabe and our staff lensslinger and Senior Editor Bob Stokstad at
Scuderia to pick up Don Lemelin’s personal
Brammo. Since Don’s Brammo is three
years old, it simply cannot be directly
compared to the new Zero S. The e-bike
industry is making improvements by leaps
and bounds, so three years is an eternity.
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Astride the Zero, we set off from Duboce
Street and headed uphill toward Twin
Peaks, then out to the Cliff House for
photos. The first thing I noticed is the
absence of a clutch lever. No transmission,
no gears... no clutch. Every time I hopped
on, I whiffed two or three times thinking
I’d missed the non-existent lever. It’s not a
problem, but it is disconcerting.
The next thing I noticed is that the bike
simply accelerates at its own pace, more or
less regardless of where you put the throttle.
All e-bikes have computerized controllers
that manage how much torque is delivered
to the wheels, handle regenerative braking,
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Speaking of sound, it is truly a unique
experience to ride next to another e-bike at
30 mph, and hold a conversation without
shouting. These bikes aren’t quite silent, but
nearly so. There is just the whir of the finaldrive belt and the tires on the road.
One perception I have harbored over the
years is that e-bike design has typically
put the emphasis on the ‘e’—the electric
power—and less emphasis on the ‘bike’.
Many early e-bikes looked like bicycles
with hormone problems, hampered by
spindly frames and weedy brakes. The
Zero S demonstrates that this company is
paying attention to the whole package and
have produced a comfortable, properly
suspended motorcycle equipped with
effective brakes. It was quite fun to toss
around the curves near the Cliff House.
My sole complaint about my brief time
on e-bikes is that they aren’t hooligan-y
enough. Sure, you can do stoppies all
day long, and skid the rear tire into your
parking space in front of the cafe where
you hang out for all to observe your
conspicuous conservation. But—and this is
big for me—you simply can’t wheelie one,
no matter what. Anti-social adrenaline
junkies need not apply.
However, I predict that e-bikes will
continue to improve, that eventually range
and acceleration will become comparable
to internal combustion bikes, and that
costs (if you evaluate the performance/
dollar ratio) will decline. I believe e-bikes
will offer a riding experience that will
satisfy nearly anybody.... except people
who are actually ideologically opposed
to conservation of resources, clean air, or
bikes not made in Wisconsin. Furthermore,
I believe that since e-bikes, at their core, are
computers, that hacking them will become
very popular. It is undoubtedly possible to
program the controller to execute perfect,
effortless balance-point wheelies. The Zero
S already has a two-position switch for
Sport and Economy modes. Why not add a
setting labeled “WHEELIE”?
How did I like my day on e-bikes? I’ll just
say that the first few aprés e-bike miles on
my KTM Enduro were dismaying: it felt
like it was shaking itself to bits, the noises
my brain had automatically filtered out
flooded into my ears—the rattling fairing
bolt, the clicking valves nagging me for
adjustment, the clattering gearshift, and the
bleating intake honk. My state-of-the-art
fuel-injected six-speed 63-hp dual-sport
bike suddenly felt like an antique.
Living with a Zero
By Richard Harmon
So what is it like living with a 2012
ZF9 Zero S? Two words, cheap and
easy—if you can get past the $14,000
MSRP, of course. The Zero requires
little maintenance. You don’t need to
change oil or filters, maintain and clean
a chain, replace sparkplugs, replace
batteries, adjust valves, balance throttle
bodies, adjust the clutch, or spend an
hour removing bodywork to get to all
that stuff. That really cuts down on
maintenance costs.
How about running expenses? The other
day I rode the Zero from my home in
Pacifica to the town of Fairfax to visit
my daughter, a round trip of 76.8 miles.
I adhered to the speed limit during my
ride. About 10 miles of my travel was on
the freeway and the rest was on surface
streets. Using a ‘Kill-A-Watt’ meter to
measure the power consumption needed
to recharge the battery pack, I used a
total of 7.6 kWh of electricity for the trip.
PG&E charges me 13.7 cents per kWh, so
the round trip only cost $1.04, or about
1.35 cents per mile. If I had ridden my
Triumph, which gets 42 mpg, my fuel
cost would have been $8.21, based on the
$4.49 a gallon price for gas at my local
station that day. A savings of $7.17 on just
that one trip. When you add the lack of
any substantial recurring maintenance
costs and the likelihood that the motor
and battery pack will outlast the chassis,
it shouldn’t take too long to recoup the
greater purchase price of the Zero if you
ride it a lot.
That’s the cheap part. But the bike is
also easy to use. You just turn on the
ignition key and ride off. You no longer
have to play with the choke and/or
wait for the motor to warm up. What
the Zero lacks in its ability to go long
distances it makes up with its ability to
do all those daily short trips (within a
40-mile radius) quickly and easily. And
of course, commuting to work is where
it excels. Plus, since the bike has no
transmission or clutch, getting stuck in
a traffic jam is a breeze. You can do the
‘beep and creep’ easily just by turning
the throttle slightly to move at a walking
pace, or you can ride between stopped
cars as the bike is very narrow. No
smoking clutch, overheating engine, or
cramping left hand. And if the bike gets
dirty it is easy to clean since it has no
exhaust system or chrome to polish.
You might ask if the lack of noise is a safety
issue. So far it has not been for me. No one
has moved into my lane any more than
usual and my only real concern is when
riding around pedestrians or bicyclists. I
tend to be very careful riding in an urban
environment since the bike is so quiet. But
that’s probably a good thing, no?
Finally, there is the issue of reliability of a
new product and customer service from
a small start-up manufacturer. I had a
minor issue with my bike twice stalling
at stoplights. The staff at Zero heard
about my complaint on the Internet and
called me to say that they would pick
my bike up at my home, take it to the
factory in Scotts Valley and return it to
me with their latest programming and a
new throttle assembly. They did as they
promised and the bike has been running
great ever since.
While an electric motorcycle may not be
for everyone, it works for me.
close enough to make Vegas by mid day
unless we kept going, so we wound up
riding through the last national park in the
dark. Pitch-black dark, the kind of dark that
points out the relative inadequacy of your
own headlight—something not usually
experienced in an urban setting. Driving
through the tunnels alone was a surreal
experience that, while fun, suggests that an
extra day would have been rewarding.
The Right Tool For
the Job: Using
Someone Else’s
Touring Bike
Better than Buying Your Own?
By Kenyon Wills
Photos by Margaret Pereira
I love my Honda Superhawk, which by
design is somewhere between sportbike,
aggressive sport-tourer, and hooligan
bike. It’s my third one, and I’m not really
interested in owning anything else. It’s
good for local Bay Area day rides, but
probably not the right thing for touring,
especially with
girlfriend Margaret
on the back.
gone, and were very easy to deal with and
helpful through each step of the process. If
you’ve ever rented a car, the experience is
pretty much the same, with a motorcycle
twist to it. We took our own gear and put
them into garment bags to avoid checking
them. Did not get hassled by the airport
people about that—the ‘one bag’ rule
didn’t seem to apply to garment bags, and
we got on with one carry-on each and one
itself, and I forgot
all about the
misery that being
still in desert heat
had brought.
A recent vacation
experience showed
me that you can
have your cake and
eat it, too. I booked
tickets to Las Vegas
and cashed in my
reservations at
Eagle Rider—a
motorcycle
rental company
with locations
worldwide
(including San
Francisco). So
he could live the
dream, my buddy
from New Zealand
(also along on
the trip) insisted
on a fully kitted
Harley-Davidson.
Margaret and I
opted for a Honda
Gold Wing.
garment bag with both sets of leathers.
The experience was incredible, and I loved Helmets went into the carry-on stuff and
the bikes for what they were when deployed got stuffed with clothing to maximize
space. Had we opted to travel light, Eagle
to do what they were designed for—long
Rider rents riding gear—gloves, jackets,
distance riding on open highways—
helmets—as well as Harley-Davidsons,
something that I’d never done much of
Honda Gold Wings and ST1300 sportpreviously, especially in the American
tourers and scooters.
Southwest.
Eagle Rider Las Vegas was happy to hang
onto luggage not needed while we were
leather suit and full-face helmet. I was
surrounded by numerous other patrons
sporting vests, T-shirts, shortie helmets,
and other regalia that said ‘biker’ rather
than ‘motorcyclist.’
They thought I was
out of place, and I just
kept looking at all of
that exposed skin and
wondering what it’s
like to have no fear of
asphalt contact. When
in stop-and-go traffic
(no lane-splitting
outside civilized
California), the leather
outfit was tough to
bear, but once on the
open road, a properly
designed suit cools
The strangest part of the experience was
showing up in the late-fall warmth of Las
Vegas and putting on a two-piece Dainese
settings pulled straight from the Road
Runner cartoons of my childhood. The
roads arced and curved delightfully, with
strange landscapes and unusual sights—
What did I get out of the experience? The
convenience of flying out of the region to
start the trip into a totally different area
was incredibly convenient. Getting a bike
tailored for long distance, with comfort
and good design, made all the difference.
Margaret was thrilled with the backrest,
hard bags, and giant back seat. The GPS
unit built into the ‘Wing made navigation
considerably easier, allowing us to skip
written directions/maps, which was a big
deal on the complex route that I’d mapped
out in advance.
Should you take a vacation from your own
bike without even needing airfare?
There are plenty of local rental
companies and they rent the big
battle-star touring bikes, electric
bikes, scooters, and middleweight
stuff too. Below is a list of what’s going
on locally, and presumably similar
competing choices exist elsewhere.
A visit to Eagle Rider’s website
(eaglerider.com) might be worth it for
the map and multiple destinations if
you’d like to leave town.
Here is a list of the local rental
companies (in alphabetical
order), in case you’d like to take
a vacation from your bike, host a
visiting buddy, or go out of town
altogether:
exactly the kind of thing one needs to feel
that they’ve truly gotten away from the
drone of life back home.
A hilarious surprise was the town of
Mexican Hat—I’d seen it on the map and
on the GPS screen as we approached it.
Starting in Las
I thought that was a funny name, until
Vegas, we made
we rounded a corner and saw a flattish
a loop down
rock with a bubble in the center top that
over Hoover
looked just like a sombrero perched atop
Dam to stay the
a pinnacle-point of similar rock. It looked
night on the
south rim of the just like a ‘Mexican hat’ sitting there, and
was good for a laugh inside the helmet as
Grand Canyon.
A lot of interstate we went by.
droning was
The roads were empty, totally devoid of
involved and
speed enforcement or other vehicles in
the people
general, just smooth ribbons of pavement
down there
that never taxed the bikes’ suspension,
think far too
brakes or engine. Both motorcycles came
much of Route
with sound systems and cruise control. The
66 for their
cruise control was really appreciated, and
own good. Too
while the sound systems stayed off for the
many trinkets,
most part (there was an iPod jack on the
not enough
Wing), playing music out in the middle of
preserved history to really warrant the
nowhere seemed acceptable to me. A far
pilgrimages that people (especially
cry from the annoying sound systems that
Europeans?) seem to make.
have popped up on some of the candycolored attention-needer bikes that blare at
Things didn’t get interesting until we’d
stoplights locally.
gone north and east. I’d suggest staying
north of the Grand Canyon. There is a
The best/worst part of the trip was having
desert region with Monument Valley at the
to make a dash from Utah to Las Vegas the
southern end, and Utah farther up north,
next-to-last day. We went through several
that was a motorcycling paradise. The
national parks that were simply gorgeous.
super-slab experience gave way to desert
By nightfall it was obvious that we weren’t
From 3:14 Daily
Valencia @ 25th
415-970-9670
Service & Repair
California Motorcycle Adventures,
Mountain View: Harley, Honda, BMW.
californiamotorcycleadventures.com,
800/601-5370
Dubbelju, San Francisco: BMW, Triumph,
Honda, Harley-Davidson, Brammo Enertia
e-bikes and more: dubbelju.com,
866/495-2774.
Dudley Perkins HD, South San Francisco:
Harley-Davidson. [email protected],
650/737-5467.
Eagle Rider, San Francisco, San Jose, &
Worldwide. Harley-Davidson, Honda,
BMW, Vespa, Piaggio MP3. eaglerider.
com, 888/390-6400.
Moto Haven Motorcycle Rentals, Novato:
Harley-Davidson. harleymc.com,
415/898-5700.
Oakland Harley-Davidson: Harley
Davidson. oaklandh-d.com,
510/635-0100.
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.
Spyder Rentals, Oakland and Los Angeles:
Can-Am Spyders. spyder-rentals.com,
877/518-1444
U.S. Motorcycle Rentals, Concord:
Harley-Davidson, Dirt, and ATV
usmotorcyclerentals.com,
925/980-0691
Businesses listed are not endorsed by CityBike and
are provided for our reader’s convenience. If we left
your shop out, let us know: [email protected].
Nichols Sportbike Service
913 Hanson Court
Milpitas, CA 95035
(408) 945-0911
For Ducati product info, please go to:
www.nicholssportbike.com
Lessons From Ug and Ag
By David L. Hough
M
ost of us would encourage new
riders to take a training course.
We have to assume that a basic
rider-training course will give the new rider
some tools to survive the ride.
Rider training in the USA got started
around 1980, a response to escalating
motorcyclist fatalities. Training caught on
slowly, but by the mid-1990s most states
had a rider-training program. Some states
(including California) have since made
training mandatory for younger riders.
Why rider training
may be causing
more crashes
For many years after peaking in 1980,
the fatality numbers declined gradually.
Motorcycle fatalities bottomed out in
1997 at 2116 nationwide, with a rate of
55.3 fatalities per 100,000 registered
motorcycles. Then the numbers went back
up, to 5290 fatalities in 2008, with a rate
of 68.23. The numbers dropped slightly
in 2009, but fatalities climbed while rider
training was expanding rapidly. What are
we doing wrong?
To help understand why rider training
might not be solving the fatality problem,
Ag’s brain commands his feet to get moving, without wasted
thought. Ag survives, passing along his genes to us.
One morning Ug exits
his cave, yawns, stretches,
scratches his ass and
suddenly realizes that
a saber-tooth tiger is
crouching behind a
boulder. Ug recognizes
the danger and quickly
evaluates his possibilities.
“Maybe I could pick up
that rock and conk the tiger
on the head. Maybe I could
jump up and down and
shout. Or, maybe I could
grab that piece of firewood
and use it like a club. Or,
Ug wastes too much time thinking through his options and is
maybe…” Before Ug can
deleted from the gene pool.
complete his thoughts,
the tiger leaps and Ug is
we must look back a few years—in fact a
breakfast, deleted from the gene pool.
few hundred thousand years, to a couple
of cavemen. Rather than using their real
Meanwhile, Ag leaves his cave, yawns,
names, I call them Ug and Ag, to avoid any stretches, and sees the shadow of a tiger
embarrassment.
about to leap from the rock overhead. Ag
instantly puts his feet in motion, like a
and BAM! was only 1.9 seconds. Crash
researchers also noted that the majority
of riders either froze on the grips, or
attempted a maneuver but didn’t pull it
off successfully.
Training developers decided that the
solution was to teach riders the correct
emergency maneuvers, especially quick
stops and swerves. Since the first ridertraining courses were developed, that
really fast Fred Flintstone. philosophy has been an integral part of
Ag escapes the slashing
curricula. Even today, you’ll find quick stops
teeth as he dashes back into and swerves included in training courses.
the cave. Let’s note that
Ag doesn’t waste any time Okay, where do Ug and Ag fit into the
thinking about his options. rider-training picture? Well, the concept of
teaching emergency maneuvers assumes
Some part of his brain
sends signals directly to the that a rider has time to consciously observe
muscles, without conscious what’s happening, decide on an appropriate
evasive action, and remember how to do
thought.
it—like Ug’s attempt to deal with the tiger.
The point of all this is
But thanks to Ag, our brains are ‘hard wired’
that we’re descendants of
to respond quickly and subconsciously to
people like Ag. Our brains emergencies—whether a crouching tiger or
function more like Ag and a left-turning SUV. In an emergency we just
less like Ug. “What’s this
act, and only think about it later.
got to
do with
riding a
bike?”
you’re probably
wondering. Well, here
we are today, riding
motorcycles through
traffic, depending upon
brains developed for
staying alive in a cavedweller’s world.
What Should We
Teach?
When the famous ‘Hurt
Report’ appeared in
1981, training gurus
quickly used the new
statistics to decide what
to teach. The statistics
showed that riders
who crashed reported
a very short time
between recognizing
an emergency and the
impact; the median
Training courses teach emergency swerves and quick stops,
time between awareness rather than focusing more on situational awareness.
Our eyes, ears, fingers and butts are sensing
too much information for the brain to
process consciously, so the subconscious
does most of the work, instantly taking
command of the muscles when needed. It’s
not just coincidence that the ‘fight-or-flight’
parts of the brain are positioned close to
the brain stem where they can instantly fire
signals to the nerves in the spinal column.
Ted Tries to Get out of Town
Imagine Triumph Ted leaving town,
thinking about the twisty back roads
away from the big city. Ted sees a pickup
truck on a side street to his left but doesn’t
consider it a threat. When it pulls out
suddenly, Ted is surprised. He has only 1.9
seconds to pull off an evasive maneuver.
When Ted got into motorcycling he took
a basic riding course, where he learned to
do quick stops. But when the truck appears
suddenly in front of him, Ted’s survival
reaction is to snap the throttle closed. The
bike doesn’t slow much before bouncing off
the truck’s rear bumper.
Why couldn’t Ted get on the brakes and do
a quick stop, as he was taught in the novice
class? The answer: just like caveman Ag, in
an emergency we resort to habits. Like lots
of other riders, Ted normally rides through
intersections without using the front brake.
His habit is to slow for intersections just by
rolling off the
gas. So, when
the truck
suddenly
appeared,
Ted’s
emergency
brain ordered
the muscles
to slam the
throttle
closed, but
didn’t order
the muscles to
squeeze the
front brake.
If our actions in an emergency will be
determined by our ‘muscle memory,’ is
there any point in thinking consciously
about what’s happening? Absolutely. In
fact, it’s the key to avoiding nasty crashes.
Let’s suggest that Ted had a lot longer than
1.9 seconds to realize what was happening.
Veteran riders survive not because of faster
emergency reactions, but because they
have learned good habits, including not
only braking and steering habits, but also
mental skills such as predicting the future.
It’s another characteristic of our brains
inherited from those caveman days.
Bernt Spiegel, the famous German man/
machine expert, suggests one important
skill is ‘hypothesis construction.’ A rider
approaching a blind corner constructs a
hypothesis about what might be lurking
around the corner. If something dangerous
could be lurking—say a stalled logging
truck, or a landslide—the rider begins
evasive action long before the situation
turns into an emergency.
Let’s go back to Ted, approaching the busy
intersection. If Ted is thinking ahead, he
can predict potential hazards—such as
that pickup preparing to pull out, or an
oncoming car turning left. He can ease on
some brake to shorten his reaction time
and stopping distance, even before he sees
the other vehicle moving. Or he could, as
many experienced riders do, ‘cover’ the
front brake lever habitually with his index
and middle fingers, further reducing his
reaction time.
Certainly you can think consciously about
what’s happening right now, but anything
close to the bike is already history. Like
caveman Ug, you can’t react quickly
enough to do anything about it. That’s why
you need to be looking and thinking well
ahead of the bike, not just waiting to react
to sudden emergencies. However, you
can’t predict
every dumb
maneuver.
Occasionally
you’ll
encounter
an Ug/Ag
moment
where you’ll
need to make
a quick stop.
That’s why
you should
ease on a little
front brake
approaching
every intersection—to give you the ‘muscle
memory’ to brake automatically and
perfectly without having to waste time
thinking it through.
Editor’s Note: This article is the opinion of David
Hough. CityBike magazine holds that rider
training is both essential and beneficial to new
riders. However, CityBike (and we assume, the
MSF) agree that further study and improvement is
necessary and that the MSF’s Basic RiderCourse is
not the final word in safety training.
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maynard
HERSHON
D
ay before yesterday I took my
Kawasaki ZRX1200 to an
independent repair shop that I’ve
used in the past for tire mounting and for
work the bike needed when I first got it
last year.
Last year, Bert, the lead mechanic and
service manager, put new seals in my forks,
replaced a scaryworn front tire
and did small jobs
around the bike
made necessary
by the previous
owner’s neglect
and/or ineptitude.
That
Lift-side
Manner
if he thought
the valves had
been adjusted
previously. Had
he noticed any
sealant that
didn’t seem
factory?
He
said he
hadn’t
and
suspected that
the clearances
had not been checked or adjusted before.
Then he looked at me and told me that
he’d noticed wear on the points of my
cam lobes. In 10 or 15,000 miles, he said,
we could install ZZ-R cams (from the
Kawasaki sport bike that used the same
basic engine) and high-compression
pistons...we could do a complete top-end
refresher.
He said all that as
if it were news I’d
be delighted to
hear.
The last thing I need
is more power. My
bike has more power
than I ever use.
I gulped mentally.
My 11,000-mile
bike had worn
camshafts. How
I was happy
happy could I be
with Bert, with
about that? And
his familiarity with my bike model, with
was
I
pleased
at
the
prospect
of doing a
his gentle ways with tools and with his
top-end
rebuild—for
more
power?
The last
reputation in the motorcycling community.
thing
I
need
is
more
power.
My
bike
has
Happy with Bert and happy with the shop.
more power than I ever use.
This week I took the bike in for a valve
Bert left the shop counter room. I turned
adjustment and carb synch. I’d set up the
to Jeff and asked him another question he
appointment two weeks previously under
couldn’t answer. He suggested I go back in
the vague impression that Bert himself
the repair area to talk with Tony—the guy
would work on my bike.
who had done the work on my bike. Oh.
A day and a half later the service writer, Jeff, Really? Tony did the work...?
called to tell me the bike was done. I got a
lift to the shop from a friend. When we got I found Tony and could see immediately
there, I could see my bike waiting for me. It that he was straightforward and easy to talk
looked fine. I worry about it when it’s out of with. He said two of my valves had needed
shim changes of a mere thousandth or so.
my care. Maybe you’re the same way.
If it had been his own bike, he said, he’d
I asked the service writer about my valves. have left it as it was. But I’d paid for a valve
He told me they’d only had to change two adjustment so he did it. Now all the valves
shims; the other 14 valves had been safely
were well within spec. Shouldn’t need
within spec. I asked him if he knew how
attention for thousands of miles.
badly out of balance my carburetors had
been and he said he didn’t know, but that I I asked him if he thought the cover had
previously been off and the valves adjusted
could talk with Bert.
by the previous owner. He said he didn’t
When Bert walked into the shop’s customer think so. He felt sure he’d lifted the cover
area, I asked him about the shims and
for the first time. I asked him if all the
rubber tubing
and vacuum caps
had looked good
and he said they
had.
In fact, he said it
looked like a fine
2004 ZRX1200.
Your carbs were
pretty badly
out of synch, he
added. I thought
to myself that
after 11,000 miles they had a right to be.
You’ll notice, as I did, that Tony did not
mention cam-lobe wear.
Tony, who’d been up to his elbows in my
ZRX, who’d been intimate with my ZRX,
did not notice cam wear. Or if he did, he
didn’t mention it to me or call attention to
it on the work order. Why, if he saw wear,
would he not say so? Your guess is as good
as mine.
So the service manager,
who did not work on my
bike, who perhaps never
even looked closely at the
exposed upper
cylinder head,
noticed wear
on the ends
of the cam
lobes. Or so
he said.
First I
reflected
on how
easy it would
be to say
something
like that to
a customer,
a guy who
probably would not himself be
removing his valve cover to look for wear
on his cam lobes. How easy it would be to
put the specter of doubt in that guy’s mind.
And how easy it would be to suggest
that the customer could use those worn
lobes for an excuse to rebuild the engine’s
top end with upgraded—need I say
expensive?—performance parts.
Then I thought about our relationships
with our mechanics. If we love our bikes,
we’d like to think they were well designed
and constructed, and they will last
practically forever—given good care. I like
to think those things anyway.
And I thought about how vulnerable
our bikes are under the ministrations of
mechanics, how we’d like to believe they
care about us and our motorcycles, that
we’re not just customers.
I do as much of my bike’s maintenance as I
can. When a job is out of my comfort zone
and I entrust it to a mechanic, I feel like
I’m dealing with a doctor. I listen carefully,
aware of every inflection, every nuance.
Worn cam lobes? Spoken like a throwaway
line, as if I were unlikely to mind very
much...? Oh, and we noticed spots on
your lungs in the pictures. Seen any good
movies lately?
All that said.... The work that’s been done
to my bike at that shop has been done
well. They’ve kept all their promises. It’s
the most generally respected independent
repair shop in our city. I’ll continue to use
their services.
I wonder sometimes if people feel they can
say anything to others, anything,
because in most
cases the other
person isn’t
listening or he or
she is only nodding
and pretending to
understand. While
standing there
fidgeting, in a rush to
get back to focusing on a
smart phone.
my cam lobes?
If you’re in a mood to
write a letter, write
the editor and weigh
in. If I take off my fuel
tank and disconnect
hoses and wires to
remove my valve
cover, will I find
wear on the points of
If I install a magnetic drain plug, will I find
tiny bits of metal stuck to it when I change
the oil?
Does my top end have a problem? Or the
shop’s bottom line?
Whaddaya think?
What’s your vector, Victor? Tell us: info@citybike.
com
ed HERTFELDER
Lost and Found
only one problem with this operation:
on a cold, windy day that thumb would
get cold enough to really hurt. From
sad experience I discovered that the last
thing you wanted to do was to warm it by
squeezing it between your thighs.
Because the can came to a point, more
or less, you couldn’t
stack anything on top
of it; you wouldn’t put
it on the bottom layer
lf-gallon metal
Lost: Antique two-and-a-ha
of cans on a gas truck
Oil.” Green
container stamped “Sinclair
and risk getting two
side. Much
with white letters SJER on
pints worth of dents
..
reward
sentimental value. Sizable
hammered into it on a
ve message.
Phone (520) 885-1951. Lea
I
’ve lost my old gas can and the left rear
corner of my van looks bare without
it. It was given to me by a Matchless
500 rider who insisted that anyone riding a
Triumph was a loser in general and pointed
out that my Triumph in particular was
squirting more fuel past the ‘tickler’ than
for locomotion. I gladly accepted the can,
but what I really wanted were his right
leg muscles; that man could kick start his
machine on cold mornings when other
“Matchbox” riders were looking around for
a car with an automatic transmission from
which they could beg a tow.
The top of
the can was
shaped like a
funnel with
a screw cap
covering a
thumb-size
hole. The
can could be
upended into
a motorcycle
fuel tank and
left on its own, as it would automatically
stop ‘glugging’ once the tank was filled.
A bent thumb, plunged in below fuel
level to seal the opening as the fuel can
was lifted, would produce one final half
‘glug’ without spilling a drop. There was
accent). I had been number 534, the
number 4 rider on row 53, and that’s where
old Gaitheroux put my can–534 yards up
the trail from row #1.
The lost can had been painted and lettered
by Colin Pilkington, a misplaced British
rider who said he had immigrated to New
Jersey so he could
sleep an extra
few
hours every
morning
for
the
road last resurfaced
during the Roosevelt
administration (that’s
Teddy Roosevelt).
It was also easy to find. The gas cans were
usually in some number sequence at fuel
stops, but when they were returned to the
finish area they often seemed to have been
pitched off a tall truck by a short driver
who bowls a lot. Then riders hurrying to
get home to find out whether or not they
were still married would scatter them
as they pawed their way into the pole
looking for the container they
came with.
At an enduro in Louisiana a man
named Gaitheroux (say ‘Gatrow’)
lined the gas cans in neat rows a yard
apart–1A, 1B, 1C, 1D, 2A, 2B, 2C, 2D etc,
depending
on how they
were tagged.
Gaitheroux
read the
back of my
tag and saw
the number
I had at a
Texas event
where they
used numbers
without letters (scorers yelling rider
numbers to the suffering backup sheet crew
discovered that they often couldn’t tell an
Austin-dialect B from a Beaumont-dialect
D, and they couldn’t understand any letters
pronounced with a Tucson, Arizona,
It was given to me by
a Matchless 500 rider
who insisted that
anyone riding a Triumph
was a loser in general...
We Service European and
Japanese Motorcycles
415-454-7433
www.marinmotoworks.com
44 Harbor St. San Rafael
rest of his life. Colin said the can color
(‘colour,’ that is) was chartreuse, but I
called it green. Apparently British people
can say words like chartreuse with no
problem, but every time I try it I get a
cramp on the bottom of my tongue. We
started out with identical green cans, but
Colin discovered my Triumph fuel didn’t
really improve the performance of his twostroke Can-Am at all.
The can means a lot to me because at times
I was so poor that the only money I had
didn’t fold, and I often had to empty the
dregs of fuel from the can into my Dodge
van just to get the thing home.
In the only picture I have of the late Jerry
Bolt he’s topping off his trials machine with
my old can.
The can wandered off somewhere
between New Hampshire and Florida
and I’d sure like to have it back, as I
intend to make a lamp out of it.
I told Len Lowe that the can was
missing and that I intended to reward
the finder at least a thousand fold,
maybe more.
Lenny thought about this for a
minute then asked why I thought
anybody would want a thousand
green gas cans?
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.
dr. gregory w. FRAZIER
So Many adventure
MotorcycleS-So Much debt
cement
from town
to my house
for post
holes. But
the three bags of cement weigh less than a
passenger and touring gear.
Driving the Lincoln to town and back
can be as much of
an adventure as
he new adventure motorcycles
on my adventure
can dig me into a deep hole. I
could easily spend $15-20,000 to motorcycles. The one
time I did it in July
join the club of heavyweight adventure
last year the casing
riders. Adding farkle, bling, OEM
came off the rear tire
adventure accessories, adventure suit,
and wrapped around
adventure helmet, adventure boots
the rear axle housing
and some electronic adventure devices
at speed. I spent two
and training programs will get the cash
register ringing at $30,000. Toss in sales hours in the sun on
the hottest day of
tax and insurance and my banker and I
are having the same discussion I had with the year changing
the tire. Less than
him about a new car. Whew!
20 miles later the
Where I call home, the good motorcycling alternator quit
weather can go south and stay south from
charging. I was able
October until April. The 42-mile trip to the to install a rebuilt
nearest town on my adventure motorcycle alternator in town by
is not a fun adventure when the road is ice
myself for $50. Net
or snow covered. Yes, serious adventure is
cost for the new tire,
involved—the risk of crashing or suffering rebuilt alternator
frostbite from the snowy, icy conditions.
and gas for the day of
running the Lincoln
After I talked with Mr. Banker about
was $250—to drive
a new car, my old car won my cranial
90 miles.
economic argument about better gas
mileage, onboard security systems and
Had I been on a
other features. I hate to admit it, but not
new heavyweight
considered in that debate was anything
adventure
to do with helping the economy by
motorcycle and had
purchasing a new consumer good or saving the flat, the $250 might have covered the
oil. My 1979 Lincoln Continental Town
rear tire and shipping to install it myself.
Car kept me from having to send a massive The alternator, which would have to be
check to the bank each month
to eventually dig out of the
hole of debt.
The downside of the economics of my
Lincoln adventure car is it does not like offpavement, though at 5000 lbs. it does better
in the mud than a Goldwing I used for
some adventures. Both, however, require a
Knowing the new motorcycle will not be
ridden three to six months a year unless
I relocate to a warmer climate at great
financial expense is forgotten when I
picture myself hammering the Rocky
T
I face challenges by using the motorcycles,
like when I have to carry a few bags of
installed at a dealer, could have set me back
$500 and I would have had to find a way
to deliver the motorcycle 100 miles to the
nearest dealer. A $1000 day could have
been my credit-card hit.
BULTACO NIGHT
Maynard:
Really great to read your Metralla article.
Between the Metralla and the Ducati
Diana is where I lived in fantasy through
my teen years. As an adult I managed to
acquire an early example of both bikes, but
find that I am more interested
in riding my Multistrada than
getting my hands dirty. Perhaps
you or someone responding to
your article could make better
use of my Metralla 200 than I
am; it languishes in the back yard
under a cover. It is a complete
track bike with an extras engine
and number of scarce and useful
parts. Good tank and strong
spark includes. $1500 seems
reasonable to me.
Bruce Sexauer
Wait a minute—did Sexauer just get a free photo
classified? Email us if you want to buy it: info@
citybike.com.
tractor to dislodge when stuck in Montana
gumbo—a bigger one for the Lincoln.
I suspect that one of the new adventure
motorcycles could grunt through the muck.
Driving the Lincoln to
town and back can be as
much of an adventure as on
my adventure motorcycles
My annual car-driving miles
usually fall in the 2-4000
mile category. At 10 mpg the
Lincoln looks better parked
from my wallet’s viewpoint
than rolling with me in it. My
motorcycles carry me 40,000plus miles each year, and most get 30 mpg
or better.
Tankslapper
Triumph, BMW, KTM, Honda,
and Yamaha all have new adventure
offerings. As they have unveiled their
new models I have been Jonesing
for each. When I looked at them,
the economics of a new adventure
motorcycle simply disappear from
rational financial thinking. Factors
like ‘job creation’ replace the ugly
word debt, as if when I buy a new adventure
motorcycle I will be helping someone stay
employed or even create a new job.
Mountains in July or August. Taking the
place of that great financial loss is thinking
that I will be saving oil, doing something
good for the environment, something
politically correct by getting 40 mpg on the
new adventure motorcycle versus 10 mpg
in my Lincoln lead sled.
I can even rationalize the deep hole of
new debt. If you listen to some bankers
and politicians, debt is a good word. My
increased debt would be helping some
loan officer keep their job if I stretch my
thinking far enough.
So what will it be for me? A new adventure
motorcycle or maintaining the old one
and driving the Lincoln to town when the
road is icy or weather cold? So many new
adventure motorcycles to choose from, so
much debt. Maybe the next trip to town on
a chilly spring morning when the Lincoln
blows a tire will help me decide. If I am
going to be cold for two hours on the side
of the road I could just as well be a happy
debtor smiling in my helmet with heated
grips, heated seat, heated gloves, pants and
jacket. I just have to somehow rationalize
that the deep muck of debt is good, and so
become a political thinker.
Dr. Gregory Frazier says, “As a motorcycling
economist I admit to being conservative. Add
to that a Quaker upbringing and I’m also a bit
frugal. Given those descriptions I have to laugh
at myself when looking at the way dollars fly
out of my accounts when pursuing motorcycle
adventures.”His latest book, Motorcycle Adventurer
can be found at motorcycleadventurer.com.
PICK UP LINE
Hi Guys,
bike to another. Both times were when the
bike(s) were moving as can be attested to
by my girlfriend. That is all.
Chess M.
San Francisco
Eat more fiber, Chess. Or less fiber. Or just ride
sweep.
ENOUGH, HOUGH
As an active MSF rider coach I read David
Hough’s article on mandatory training
(“Should Rider Training Be Mandatory?”
April 2011) with great interest. I, too,
would like to believe that rider
training makes a difference and,
anecdotally, I know that for some
people it does make a difference.
Last Sunday I had a young Navy
Seaman tell me that she wouldn’t
have wrecked her first motorcycle
if she knew then what she learned
in class over the weekend. It’s
comments like that which keep
many RiderCoaches coming back
weekend after weekend to stand
around in a parking lot and watch
other people ride. Having said that,
I don’t believe that mandatory
training is going to significantly impact
motorcycle accident statistics. To reduce
accidents a lot more than training needs to
change.
with it. As part
riding well. We’d
of the classroom
much rather let
introduction
people “do their
for the BRC I
own thing.” David
frequently ask
Bromfield wrote an
students if they
excellent article in
think riding a
On The Level (the
motorcycle on the
organ of the BMW
street is a risky
Rider’s Association,
business. I rarely
edited by CityBike
get anyone who
contributing editor
RiderCoach Rob Kong shows new riders how it’s Will Guyan—go
tells me that it’s
not and yet only a done. Alameda, 2011. Photo: Bob Stokstad
to bmwra.org/
small fraction of
otl for more info)
riders opt to take advanced riding courses
a couple of months ago on the reception
(which the MSF is starting to offer, but few
he got when he tried a little constructive
schools in the Bay Area offer—ed.)
offer—ed.). For
criticism with some of his riding peers. It
most people the BRC is the first and last
seems that it didn’t go well. In a culture
training they will ever get on how to ride a that valued riding well, David’s comments
motorcycle. As one of my peers frequently would have been met with a little more
tells students at the end of class, “As a
positive response. Training by itself
new rider you now have 17 miles of riding
whether mandatory or not probably isn’t
experience in a parking lot at no more than the answer. Training with a commitment
25 mph. I wouldn’t recommend hitting
to improving upon what you’ve learned
I-80 tomorrow at rush hour. Practice what would be a big step in the right direction.
you’ve learned on your own motorcycle
Unless the culture changes it’s unlikely that
and get additional training.” I know that
mandatory training is going to do much to
at our range we see maybe 2 percent our
reduce the statistics.
students back to take the BRC2, a class that
I would consider at best the bare minimum Scott Cory
in additional training. If even 20 percent
Scott responded to David Hough’s article last year,
but we failed to print Scott’s thoughtful response.
of the students who went through a BRC
Luckily, this month’s Hough article covers much of
followed up with an advance course, the
the same ground, so his writing seemed like a good fit.
MSF, Reg Pridmore CLASS Motorcycle
School, Lee Parks Total Control Riding
Send your traffic to [email protected]. Best
letter gets a CityBike T-shirt, and remember: we
Clinic, et al would be swamped with
business. I haven’t noticed that happening. now stock women’s shirts. Order yours by going to
In general, I don’t believe that our current
culture as motorcyclists values the idea of
Just wanted to say I love CityBike, and I
pick it up whenever I can. I also wanted to
send in a pic of my ‘71 CB500 up on Grizzly
Let me explain. I spent 25 years of my life
Peak the other day. This is why we love the
working in heavy manufacturing. For the
Bay Area!!
first 10 of those years we basically paid
lip service to safety. We met our OSHA
Cheers!
commitments, measured our incident rate
Gregg Rosenblum
and got along with the business of making
paper. About 15 years ago the CEO of the
Is your CB500 for sale? Sexauer’s in the market as
soon as he sells his Metralla.
company I worked for at the time made
employee safety his top priority and made
ICON GONE
the point that management was going to
To the person who stole my Icon helmet in “walk the talk.” He drove accountability for
working safely down through a company
Antioch,
with 55,000 employees. It resulted in an 90
Hope you show bone real soon. Think of
percent reduction in serious injuries and
me when you bump your head.
a complete shift in the company’s culture.
It didn’t come easy, but today you would
Thanks for printing this, CityBike.
be hard pressed to find an employee that
Jessica Grindheim
doesn’t understand what’s expected of
them when it comes to working safely.
5 JIVE
CityBike:
I finally got to see the CB issue and i just
have to say that I have debunked the
moto5ive #2 (“News, Clues,” March 2012)
as I have not only farted on the bike and
have had the passenger smell my butt burp,
but I have also performed the daring feat
of floating an air biscuit from one moving
So, how does that relate to motorcycle
safety? All of the employees of the above
company went through extensive training.
The training included a significant
safety focus, not unlike the MSF’s Basic
RiderCourse. Most employees understood
how to work safely, but the culture in place
didn’t support it. Once the culture shifted,
employees’ behavior shifted to conform
citybike.com/subscribe.
CLASSIFIEDS
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!
CLUBS
OMC
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/
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
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.
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
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
2003 Honda VTX 1300S, Model 1300S, Price: $5,999.00
Description: BUB Exhaust, Lindby Bar, Mustang Seat w
backrest, Floorboards. This is a beautiful bike that’s ready to
ride, nothing left to do. 20347 Miles Color: Black
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 $14,499.00. 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
2003 Yamaha V-Star Model 650-Price: $3499.00
Description: Windshield, Saddle bags, 11805 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.
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: $14,299.00 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
2008 Harley Davidson Street Glide- Price: $17,499.00
Description-Pearl White, Rinehart pipes, Hi Flow, Chrome
Front End, Profile Wheels, 12,409 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: $14,500.00 110 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
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.
$2,795 1994 Yamaha XV535 3,293 miles
$4,995 2006 YZF600R Yamaha 5,541 miles
$7,995 2009 YZFR6 Yamaha 1,297 miles
$3,795 2003 Yamaha Vstar 650 Classic 4,894 miles
$4,995 2007 Yamaha Vstar 650 Silverado 3,840 miles
$5,995 2009 FZ6R Yamaha 4,244 miles
$3,795 2002 Suzuki SV650S 6,134 miles
$4,995 2007 Suzuki SV650S 9,469 miles
$5,295 2009 Suzuki DRZ400SM 2,322 miles
$6,995 2007 Suzuki GSXR600 4,203 miles
$7,495 2006 Suzuki VZR1800 M109R 5,280 miles
$1,495 2006 Kawasaki KX100
$2,995 2007 Kawasaki EX250R Ninja 7,392 miles
$3,995 2009 Kawasaki EX250R Ninja 51 Original Miles
$3,995 2009 Kawasaki EX250R Ninja 6,030 miles
$5,495 2009 Kawasaki KLE650 Versys 11,654 miles
Warranty
$6,495 2009 Kawasaki ZX6R Ninja 12,954 miles
$4,995 2007 Kawasaki Vulcan VN1500N 9,402 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
$9,495 2009 Honda CBR1000RR 245 Actual Miles!
$7,495 2007 Honda CBR600RR 5,121 miles
$2,995 1983 BMW R65 10,946 miles
$18,995 2004 Chevrolet LT Duramax HD 145,243 miles
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
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. 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 $6,090 Blue Flame.
Perfect for the freeway or getting around town. Easy to
handle and big value for the price.
PRE-OWNED VEHICLES
2010 VICTORY KINGPIN $11,999 Only 460 miles! Twotone Ocean Blue/Sandstone, Kingpin cruising with an Arlen
Ness Stage 1 Kit Installed! Stock # U1114
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
2009 Yamaha VMax $15,999 Just 1,663 miles on this
limited edition power cruiser. This is #275 of 2,500. Can
you handle this 197 hp bad boy?
2006 Kawasaki Ninja 500R $2,999 Only 1,022 Miles!
Candy Red, all stock and perfect for beginners! Stock #
C472
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
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
2004 Honda Silverwing 600 in Silver $4,499 7,983 Miles
Great all around scooter! Great for commuting in the city or
crusing 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
1289 W. El Camino Real
Sunnyvale, CA 94087
408.739.6500
We are the south bay’s source for all your Ducati, Honda,
Kawasaki and KTM needs.
Big savings on all new 2011 and older inventory.
Financing specials as low as:
3.99% from Honda
3.95% from Kawasaki
5.99% from Ducati
3.99% from KTM
Stop by and check out our clearance prices on our last 2010
and 2011 models, including a killer price on the 2011 KTM
250 SX-F
Sample of our current used inventory:
’03 Ducati ST4S 22,150 mi. $6,499
‘04 Ducati MTS1000S 7,437 mi. $6,499
‘06 HD Nnigthrod 6,909 mi. $9,999
‘08 Honda Goldwing 52,667 mi. $13,999
‘01 Kawasaki KX100 green sticker $1,495
’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 Star 950 32,210 mi. $6,399
’07 Yamaha R6
3,929 mi. $7,799
‘03 Yamaha YZ450
OHV $2,399
TriQuest Motorcycles
ZBF, Ian Armstrong
Full service on Harley Davidson models. Ian is HD certified
and is happy to join the Addiction Motors team!
CityBike Classifieds
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.!!!
2009 SYM Mio 50 scooter, $1999
2009 SYM RV250 Scooter, $3588
2010 SYM HD200 EVO scooter, $3399
2010 HYOSUNG GT250R, $4199
2010 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
2010 SYM Fiddle II scooter, $2298
2007 Yamaha Majesty 400 YP400 maxi scooter, $4295
2005 Yamaha Majesty 400 YP400 maxi scooter, silver,
$3695
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 SUZUKI DR200 DR 200 200S 200SE 200 S E, $3395
2002 BMW R1100S R1100 S R 1100, $5995
2005 KAWASAKI Ninja 250R, Call for price
2009 KAWASAKI ZX600-P ZX600 ZX6R ZX 6R Ninja 600,
$7895
2012 SYM Wolf Classic 150 WolfClassic, $2999
2012 SYM HD200 HD 200 scooter, $3499
2012 SYM Fiddle II, $2299
2005 SUZUKI DR200SE DR200 SE DR 200, $2895
2007 HONDA VT1100C2 VT 1100 VT1100 C2 Shadow1100
Shadow Sabre, $5695
2009 HONDA Shadow 750 Spirit VT750 VT750C2F $5895
2009 SUZUKI GSX-R750 GSXR750 GSXR 750 GSXR-750,
$9495
2005 KAWASAKI Vulcan 800 Classic VN800, $4295
2007 SUZUKI V Strom 650 DL650, $5295
2009 YAMAHA R6 R6s YZFR6S, $6895
2009 YAMAHA R6 YZFR6, $8599
2008 YAMAHA FZ6, $4995
2006 HONDA Shadow 600 VT600 $3795
2010 Vespa GTS 300 Super scooter, $5499
2009 KAWASAKI EX250-J EX250 Ninja 250 Ninja250,
$4295
2009 KAWASAKI ZX600-P ZX600 ZX6R ZX 6R Ninja 600,
$7895
2006 SUZUKI V Strom 650 DL650, $5395
2007 KAWASAKI EX650A EX650 EX 650 Ninja650 Ninja,
$4995
2009 HONDA Rebel 250 CMX250, $2995
2009 YAMAHA FZ6-R, $5895
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
USED MOTORCYCLES:
Introducing
Marin Moto Works!
ADVANCED CYCLE
SERVICE
*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
2006 Suzuki DRz 400 SM 9000 miles. Very tricked out:
436cc big bore, cams, carbs, exhaust. The suspension is
re-sprung and re-valved for a 250lb rider. Lots of spares,
18/21” dirt wheels available. $4400. Al at 510-295-7707
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
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.
Honda 90 Trail Bike – Yellow color – Low Miles.
$985 OBO
510-387-2624 or 510-893-4821
Mind-Blowing Custom Paint Since 1988
Visit Our Showroom!
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
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
V-Twin Service, Repair, Parts, & Fabrication.
Harley Factory Trained Tech.
DNA Motor Lab, LLC
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
DUBBELJU
For sale, 3 antique motorcycles - part of estate being
liquidated in Los Altos Hills, Ca. These three bikes look old
with spoke wheels and chrome exhaust. Owner paperwork
says that they are Shadow model but they don’t look like
a Honda. They have “Vincent” on the tank. Not currently
running, not registered since 1960’s. No titles. Dirty but
seem complete. Unknown mechanical condition with
flat tires. AS IS WHERE IS. Need to be removed from the
property in April. 650-903-6771
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.
1969 Ossa Pioneer Lots of new, original parts, matching
numbers, $1000 as is. Owen at 831/426-5107.
PARTS AND SERVICE
MOTORCYCLE STORAGE AND
RENTALS IN SAN FRANCISCO
Never worry about theft, vandalism, weather damage or parking
tickets. DUBBELJU MC RENTALS, San Francisco’s oldest
motorcycle rental shop, offers safe storage for your bike in our
shop at 689A Bryant St. Not only is it a great shop to store your
motorcycle but we have cool rental bikes as well; BMW, Triumph,
Harley, Honda, Suzuki, and even Yamaha scooters. Keep us in
mind when your bike is in the shop or you have a friend come in
to town. Be sure to check out our web site: www .dubbelju .com
and see all the things we have going on. 415/495-2774.
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
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
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.
Address:
City:
e-mail:
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
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
Enter these contacts into your phone now,
while you are thinking about it, so that you
will have them when you need them .
AMBROZ TOWS
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
235 Shoreline Hwy.
Mill Valley CA
(415) 381-5059
We’re not afraid of your old bike.
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:
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
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.
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.
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
Quality Motorcycles
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.
Name:
MOTORCYCLE TOWING
Custom Design Studios MOTOSHOP
Honda cbr1000rr. Showroom condition.less than 100
miles! Must sell asking 11690.00. Title in hand. Extras
included. Rae .SJSU@gmail .com
Reach thousands of Northern California motorcyclists. Just $15 for 25 words, 25¢
each additional word. Photos add $25. Industry classifieds are a higher price. Free
25-word listing for stolen bikes. Deadline is the 3rd of each month. Just fill out the
form, or copy and send it with your check, payable to CityBike PO Box 10659,
Oakland CA, 94610
Motorcycle & ATV
Hauling
Sonoma, Marin, Napa & Mendocino Counties
24 hour Roadside Pickup
707-843-6584
Insured & Licensed
California Motor Carrier Permit
www .mcmotorcycletransport .com
mcmotorcycle@att .net
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?
THE UNDERTAKER
Motorcycle towing system. No trailer, no tires, no tags. No
parking or storing. Check it out at www .TowYourBike .com .
925/413-4103. Dirt Bike or Cruiser.
HELP WANTED
Lightning Express
Stories Request
ROCKRIDGE TWO
WHEELS
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
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
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.
FREE
HELP WANTED ADS
In our ongoing effort to support and promote local
motorcycling businesses that we rely on, all motorcycle
industry help wanted ads will be listed in the
CityBike Classifieds Section for free.
Contact us via email: info .citybike .com
Marketplace
city bike ride to the
National Organization of Regional
Motorcycling Publications
Notice of Receivership
CityBike Magazine, inc. (CBMI)
west coast moto jam
FREE!
April 1, 2012
On March 9, 2012, CityBike Magazine, inc. (CBMI)
was placed in receivership by order of the Judicial
District Court of Alameda County, California. On
the same day the court appointed the California
Commissioner of Motorcycle Journalism, José Miguel
deSilva-Colon, as Receiver. The Commissioner
has delegated his authority as Receiver to Special
Deputy Receiver (SDR), Jack M. Webb & Associates,
Inc. Also on March 9, 2012, Motorcycle Journalism
Association in your state was activated to pay claims
and provide continued coverage to CBMI claimants,
subject to certain terms, limitations, and conditions of
your state guaranty association statute.
ADMISSION & RIDE OUT
Sacramento Drive-In – Sacramento, CA
MAY 20 & JULY 22
(800) 762-9785 • WWW.TOPPINGEVENTS.COM
You are receiving this notice because the books and
records of CBMI reflect that you may be a reader,
subscriber or advertiser with CBMI or you were an
assignee of benefits under a CBMI contract on March
9, 2012, or maybe we just like how you smell.
The purpose of this Notice is to inform you of the
receivership, provide you information about filing
claims and paying subscriptions, and advise what
you may expect in the future.
Since March 9, 2012, your state Motorcycle Journalism
Association has been providing continuing coverage
to you, subject to certain terms, limitations, and
conditions of your state Motorcycle Journalism
statutes. Your state Motorcycle Journalism Association,
through the National Organization of Regional
Motorcycle Publications (NAMBLA) has negotiated
with a third party administrator, Administrative
Journalism Management Services, Inc. (YOMOMA), to
handle all policy and claims administration on behalf of
your state guaranty association.
Administrative Journalism Management Services, Inc
767 Forest Boulevard, Suite 124-425
Lakemont, TX 75244-7100
Award-Winning Customs
Full Service Department
Paint • Parts
Fabrication
Insurance Work
All Makes Welcome
Claim forms will be used to make a life-sized papiermâché model of a 1960 Chrysler Imperial, which will
then be burned.
Subscriptions: Please continue to pay your
subscription as before. Your subscription will
terminate if you do not pay your dues and you may
actually choke on your own saliva while watching a
rerun of Friends in your boxer shorts, which would be
tragic if it wasn’t so funny.
Questions: If you have questions about your
subscription, this notice, or what exactly happened on
the series Lost, please call the Richard Nixon Library
at: (714) 993-5075 (M-F 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. GMT)
56 Hamilton Drive #A • Novato, CA 94949
415.382.6662 • CustomDesignStudios.com
Cylinder Head
Specialists
In Business Since 1978
All Makes
All Models
All Years
ENGINE DYNAMICS, LLC
Phone 707-763-7519
Fax 707-763-3759
www.enginedynamics.com
2040 Petaluma Blvd. N.Petaluma, CA 94952
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
• Flow Bench Testing • Competition Valve Jobs •
Submitting Claims: You should submit claims for
damages caused by the appalling way CBMI treats its
readers to:
• Porting • Polishing •
• Valve Seat & Guide Replacement • Race Prep •
Serving the
Bay Area’s
motorcycle
needs
since 1988
[email protected]
Claim payment and Coverage Limits: Your state
guaranty association will pay all “Covered Claims.”
These are valid claims per the terms of your CBMI
agreement subject to the statutory limits, terms, and
conditions in your state moto-journalism statute. Your
state moto-journalism association is prohibited from
making additional payments once it has paid your
Covered Claims and may receive a spanking if it does.
If you submit claims that are not moto-journalism
association Covered Claims, these will be forwarded
to the SDR for processing as a claim against the assets
of the CBMI estate and then soaked in sardine oil and
fed to a cat. At this point the SDR does not anticipate
that there will be sufficient estate assets to pay
policyholder and general creditor claims against the
estate, as he doesn’t really understand any of this. In
fact, none of us do. My God, what’s happening to me?
THIS!
Join the City Bike team on a
scenic group ride to the
West Coast Moto Jam
@Infineon Raceway
•West Coast Moto Jam Sunday, May 6th:
AMA Pro Road Racing, Supermoto USA,
TTXGP Electric Motorcycles
•Race & Ride Ticket ONLY $25
(A savings of $15 when you buy in advance!)
•Preferred Parking at Turn 2
•Complimentary Helmet & Leather Check
contact: scott hartwick
800-870-7223 ext.161 | [email protected]
infineonraceway.com /citybikeride

April 2012

Transcription

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