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Fall has arrived with a vengeance here in the Northwest. A couple nights ago, it was storming pretty good. Heavy, inky black clouds lingered menacingly to the North, lightning flashed and the wind swirled. Still, I need to ride. It had been one of those days. I felt and heard the first fat drop of rain slap my helmet as I paddle-walked the bike down the driveway. Just for a moment, I reconsidered going for a ride. No, I needed this.

I eased the bike to the end of the cul de sac as the skies opened up and the rain began to fall in earnest. Big, heavy drops. As I turned onto the street the wind gusted and

Sunday night, July 20, at 9:00 pm I will be interviewed on HogRadio. HogRadio is a one-hour weekly radio show emphasizing customs, V-Twins and Harley-Davidsons. Hosted by Walt Fletcher and produced by Steve Johann, HogRadio is heard every Sunday night at 9 pm on TriRockRadio.

Previous guests include Craig Vetter, Genevieve Schmitt, Jay Ridley, and Dave Nichols. You can download previous shows at HogRadio.

I hope that you will check it out.

You have made my life so much easier. No longer do I have to try to convince people that motorcyclists do not have death wishes and are, in fact, a safe and responsible bunch. You have finally revealed the truth for all to see: motorcyclists really are the irresponsible, reckless, speed-demons that the general public has always thought.

I am glad that a group of motorcyclists has finally stood up and let everyone know that the roads and highways are our personal playgrounds and that we don’t give a whit about the safety or convenience of others on the road.

Now that the truth has been revealed, I am sure the non-riding, voting public will simply quake with fear and

Akio Hamada, CEO of Honda of America, announced this morning that Honda America Manufacturing will cease production of motorcycles at its Marysville, OH plant in 2009. All motorcycle production will be moved to a new facility in Kumamoto, Japan. “This move allows us to improve the competitiveness and appeal of our products,” said Hamada.

The Marysville facility was Honda’s first U.S. production facility and has produced more than 2 million motorcycles and ATV’s since 1979. It is the only facility in the world to produce the Gold Wing and VTX models. The facility employs 600 workers who, according to Hamada, will be reassigned to other area Honda facilities.

I was expecting something between Real World and Jackass. Instead, I was very pleasantly surprised.

Looking more appropriate for SPEED or ESPN than MTV, The Kentucky Kid is a surprisingly unembellished 2-hour look at former MotoGP world champion Nicky Hayden. The show began with the start of his MotoGP championship season and his collision with teammate Dani Pedrosa. Following Hayden through his championship-winning season you see him and his family, including racing brothers Roger and Tommy, at home and on the track.

Hayden comes off as down-to-earth and resolute in his career. His litany of injuries and the collection of metal hardware holding his bones together are counterbalanced by the fire in his eyes and determination to win.

Art Friedman has detailed a dozen motorcycling myths over at Motorcycle Cruiser:

1. Other Drivers Don’t Care About Motorcyclists
2. Loud Pipes Save Lives
3. Motorcycle Helmets Break Necks
4. Helmets Block Your Ability to See or Hear Danger
5. A Helmet Won’t Help in Most Crashes
6. A Helmet Will Leave You Brain Damaged in an Crash When You Would Have Simply Died
7. A Skilled Rider Should Be Able to Handle Almost Any Situation
8. If You Are Going to Crash, Lay It Down
9. One Beer Won’t Hurt
10. It’s Better to Stay in Your Lane than Split Lanes
11. I’m Safer on the Street than on an Interstate
12. A Skilled Rider Can Stop
    Keep reading >>

The death of Shane Chapman is a tragedy. Like many motorcyclists, Shane left behind a wife and young children. One of those children, 10-year-old Emily, has decided to do something about it.

Shane Chapman was killed when a car pulled out in front of him. He was not wearing a helmet. Shane’s home state of Idaho does not require him to do so. Emily wants to change that. She has started a petition to change Idaho’s helmet law to require all riders to wear helmets.

It is easy to see how a 10 year old could draw the connection between her father’s death and the lack of a law requiring him to wear a helmet. She is still learning the concept

On June 19 Raquel Cherie Lemos, 24, pulled out into traffic at the intersection of Tieton Drive and 15th Avenue in Yakima, WA. She did this despite being unable to see through the heavy traffic.

Dean Wilson, 41, was riding his Kawasaki motorcycle when Lemos pulled into traffic directly in front of him. Wilson struck Lemos and suffered massive head injuries that led to his death at Harborview Medical Center four days later.

City prosecuters concluded that criminal charges against Lemos were not warranted. Instead she was issued a citation for second-degree negligent driving; an infraction that carries a maximum penalty of $538.

Lemos is scheduled to appear before Judge Susan Woodard on November 13. Not to contest the

I and one other rider rode to work today. I guess the rain kept others off the road. Although it hardly qualifies as rain for this area.

Did you ride today? Any special activities planned to mark the occasion?

Maslow Magnotti is one lucky idiot.

Who is Maslow Magnotti? He’s the 20 year-old student who crashed his newly purchased YZF600 on I-90 last month within minutes of picking it up from the seller. He is also the subject of Monday’s page one article in the Seattle Times. Headline: Motorcycle ridership grows; rider death rate grows faster

That is the kind of headline that makes lawmakers salivate and scream, “Something must be done!” 

Magnotti had never owned a motorcycle in his life. He had no training. He had no endorsement. (He says he was unaware of the requirement for an endorsement.) Nonetheless, when he got on that bike, he was a natural.

“When