tuesday

What I did before breakfast yesterday.

And that was just the road to get to the curvy road.

monday

Dear Automobilists,

Fer fcuk's sake, please take the time to turn your goddam head and look before you turn or change lanes. I'd like to come home from my ride unbroken.

Now, while I'm out riding, please enjoy these European (and one US remake) PSAs about not treating motorcyclists like road debris.

~

This one is from Norway:

In a perfect world:

~

UK version ("On yer right, mate!):

US version("But I didn't bother to look for...er, I mean I didn't see him, officer."):

Remember, it's a real dick move to kill somebody - even if you didn't really mean to.

Be careful, it's dumb out there.

monday

Today is Ride To Work Day.

Every day should be Ride To Work Day.

Someday we will be so ubiquitous as to remove the need for a quasi-holiday to raise public awareness of motorcycling* for on that day they'll see the bike like we do, as a practical means of daily transportation as well as an economical travelling platform that will often outperform all but the most prohibitively expensive sports cars. That time has not yet come, oh my brothers, but one day...

~

So ride to work as often as possible, and talk to people about it, encourage them to try it (with proper training). Lots of people have some serious misconceptions about motorcyclists and the level of risk involved (among other things). You can help them to understand, answer their questions. You might even be able to correct some of those misconceptions, but don't go on and on or harangue them, people hate that.

*Read: To remind the herd we're here.

tuesday

Isle of Man Tourist Trophy 2009

It's time once again for the IoMTT, the Paris-Dakar of roadracing (ie: intense, fast, dangerous, sometimes people die). The first practice sessions begin on Saturday 5/30. The all-electric TTXGP, a brand new class (no fossil-burners allowed) added for this, the 101st IoM, will run on Friday 6/12, the same day as the SeniorTT (the real race). Both will run on the Snaefell Mountain Course which is made up of 37 miles of public roads circling the Island - closed to traffic for the TT, of course - with average speeds on these two lane country roads being in the triple digits. The course record, set in 2007, is an average speed of over 130mph. No foolin', these racers are 75% balls and 75% crazy (crazy doesn't have to follow the rules of math).

Update - 23 September, 2009: Embedding of this video has been disabled by the uploader, but it's really good so go watch it HERE.

This clip is from the 2003 Sidecar portion of the TT and gives a good idea of what professional motor racing is like on narrow, bumpy, stone-walls-at-the-edge-of-the-pavement public roads, both town and country. At 2:51 when the announcer says "Oh! He was almost in the pub!" that's not a quaint britishism for crashing, the sidecar was almost scraped off the bike by an actual (open for business and full of drunken motorheads) pub. All motor racing used to be like this. Now only this is like this.

Some Background: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IoM_TT

Official Site: http://www.iomtt.com/tt-2009.aspx

tuesday

"Red hair and black leather,

that's my favorite color scheme..."

Richard Thompson - 1952 Vincent Black Lightning

Lyrics:
Oh, says Red Molly to James "That's a fine motorbike.
A girl could feel special on any such like."
Says James to Red Molly "My hat's off to you It's a
Vincent Black Lightning, 1952. And I've seen you at the
corners and cafes it seems, red hair and black leather,
my favourite colour scheme." And he pulled her on behind
and down to Boxhill they did ride.
Oh, says James to Red Molly, "Here's a ring for your right hand,
but I'll tell you in earnest I'm a dangerous man. For I've fought
with the law since I was seventeen, I robbed many a man to get
my Vincent machine. Now I'm 21 years, I might make 22 And I
don't mind dying, but for the love of you. And if fate should break
my stride, then I'll give you my Vincent to ride."
"Come down, come down, Red Molly," called Sergeant McRae.
"For they've taken young James Adie for armed robbery. Shotgun
blast hit his chest, left nothing inside. Oh come down, Red Molly to
his dying bedside."
When she came to the hospital, there wasn't much left He was running
out of road, he was running out of breath.
But he smiled to see her cry, he said "I'll give you my Vincent to ride."
Says James "In my opinion, there's nothing in this world Beats a 52 Vincent and a red headed girl.
Now Nortons and Indians and Greeves won't do, Ah, they don't have a soul like a Vincent 52."
Oh he reached for her hand and he slipped her the keys,
said "I've got no further use for these. I see angels on Ariels in leather and chrome, swooping down from heaven to carry me home."
And he gave her one last kiss and died. And he gave her his Vincent to ride.

Best fucking motorcycle song ever. No contest.

Chokes me up every time I hear it, and this is a particularly good performance.