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            It happens to all of us sooner or later. Your time will come as well. I remember standing on the sidewalk in front of the house watching a friend drive off on my last bike…as its new owner. He drove up the sidewalk and onto the road, taking a piece of my heart as he piloted the sleek black Ninja 750R away from me and into the sunset. I watched until he was out of sight and I could no longer hear the turbo-like drone, the heartbeat, of the vertical four. For a long time I stood motionless, holding the check from the sale of my geisha, as

            It all ends here – in the junk yard and then the recycle bin.  The motorcycle graveyard is the final destination for most bikes.  It’s a sad affair, the death of a motorcycle, but a few of the steel steeds manage to escape this fate and are resurrected through a total restoration.  Instead of being dismantled, crushed and melted down to create new commercial products, their restorers give them a second life and honorary titles as motorcycle classics.  This transformation is usually a time-consuming, expensive and tedious process for each restorer.  Yet each has his or her own reasons for undertaking such a rigorous and demanding task.  The project is a labor of

I came across an interesting article in The Week magazine, December 18, 2009 issue. The following information was derived from that article. I believe it is pertinent to motorcycle safety and worthy of all motorcyclists’ attention. Here’s a reiteration of its content.

Hugh “Harry” Hurt, Jr. was a safety engineer at the University of Southern California (USC) during 1981. He is famous for having conducted a groundbreaking study that involved the investigation of 900 motorcycle accidents in the Los Angeles area. The study pioneered the field of motorcycle crash research. Its findings doubtless contributed to saving numerous lives.

Mr. Hurt was also an avid motorcyclist. Harry’s first bike was actually a Cushman scooter; later he graduated to a heavyweight ‘47 Harley Davidson.

He studied vehicle safety as a graduate

It’s called the Roehr Motorcycle. More specifically, it is the 2009 Roehr 1250 sc, 180 horsepower sport bike. Walter Roehrich began building his dream bike in 1995 when he founded his Roehr Motorcycle Company.

He built it light, gave it plenty of power and ensured that it had superb handling. And although it uses a Harley Davidson V-Twin engine, the two companies are not affiliated with one another.

“Harley-Davidson” and “Revolution” are registered b55 trade names of the Harley-Davidson Motor Company. Roehr Motorcycles LLC is in no way affiliated with the Harley-Davidson Motor Company.” Quote from www.totalmotorcycle.com/Home — 2009 Models— 2009 Roehr Motorcycle Models.

Mr. Roehrich created a new American beauty and future classic. It is, as he says, a true “American thoroughbred . . . a dream come to

For those of you who don’t already know about Buell going out of business, here’s a quote extracted from the Hog Radio Newsletter, October 28, 2009:
By-By Buell It’s with heavy heart we bid Buell Motorcycles good-by. By now all of you have heard the news concerning the Harley-Davidson Company decision to close down Buell Motorcycles. It’s always sad when any business closes its doors but having to close the doors on Americas one and only Sport Bike Company is a sad chapter in motorcycling history. Good luck to everyone who have been laid off. Thanks Eric and crew for bringing us 25 years worth of cutting edge two wheeled technology, you’ll be missed.
The really sad part of it all is

     Road rash and vehicle accidents are things to be avoided, because they are “show stoppers.” A carelessly driven bike is an open invitation to self-annihilation. So how do you enjoy the positive aspects of motorcycling and prevent these adverse things from happening? Would-be and novice motorcyclists, as well as seasoned bikers, are invited to read on and receive a practical indoctrination on the world of motorcycling. Consider this article to be a review of safe and responsible bike-driving techniques, rules and dangers of the road, practices to avoid, courtesies to extend, and the proper example to exhibit as a motorcyclist and true knight of the road.

     As a first step toward safe and responsible motorcycling, do your homework. Read

They were dead and gone, or so we thought. Personally, I’m glad they are back. The great monikers should never fade away. Names like Triumph, Norton, Royal Enfield, Indian and others should live on and achieve  future accolades and not simply be relegated to the historical archives. Well, some of the old motorcycle legends have returned in a new suit of clothes, and boy do they look great. I call them “the new old bikes”; others might prefer the term “modern classics.”

Triumph came back several years ago. The latest Triumph offering is the  2009 special Limited Edition 2009 Daytona 675SE. It features a 126hp three-cylinder engine and high tech chassis with Nissin monobloc front brakes and Pirelli SP tires. This is just one of Triumph’s new models amongst  an assortment of newly

Hello! Is anybody home?

What’s wrong?

Why the sudden silence on the blog over the past month or so?

Come on folks, we need some input even during the doldrums of summer. I’m working on a couple of articles that will be posted soon, but where did all of our other contributors go? Is it work, vacation, burn out, loss of interest, or something else perhaps - something more ominous?

It’s strange that new posts have stopped “dead in their tracks” lately. No new items have been posted for too long a time. That’s most unusual.

This isn’t the only odd incident of late. Note the recent closing of the only Honda Motorcycle manufacturing facility in the United States; the closing or consolidating of several print motorcycle magazines, or their

The 25th Annual Antique and Classic Motorcycle Show and Swap Meet sponsored by the Arizona Antique & Classic Motorcycle Enthusiasts Association will be held on 5 April 2009 from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm at the El Zaribah Shrine Auditorium and grounds, 552 North 40th Street, Phoenix, AZ. For more information call Karen at (623) 849-3049. It’s a good show; make it if you can.

Skid Lid

     What is it about the motorcycle that makes us want to own it? Why is it the centerpiece of our material, secular lives? What’s the attraction?

                                                  The universal motorcycle . . .

      The look, sound, power and control, the freedom, mobility and  individualism, and finally the enjoyment that the motorcycle provides us are all part of the attraction to the two-wheeled beast. It is the same kind of natural enticement felt by the pony express riders of the early west. There is a sense of danger, speed, bravado, and uniqueness that accompanies the attraction. In addition, the skill, adroitness and finesse with which an adept rider handles the steel horse is akin to creating a work of art. Carving a