BYE FOR NOWÉ

The day has come for me to step down as editor of Hot Bike magazine…sort of. In order to better utilize our staffing in a struggling market for all media—not just motorcycles—we have reorganized the way we do business at Bonnier Corp., our parent company. In that reorganization, I will now be leading a team that handles all the social media for all Bonnier Motorcycle Group brands. That’s where the “sort of” part comes in.

After more than four years working on Hot Bike, many of you have become like family to me. I’m a pretty weird dude in person, and those of you who get me tend to like me. Those who don’t can go…just kidding. I’ve traveled all over the United States and seen most of this country thanks to the awesome experiences like the Hot Bike Tour. I’ve gotten the opportunity to ride almost every type of V-twin I’ve wanted and been the envy of all my non-media friends.

I’ve managed to shoot 85 magazine covers and thousands of features, and I’ve written countless stories throughout my 11 years as an editor. I’ve kicked back more than one frosty beverage with lots of you and probably talked your ear off about bulldogs, lowriders, and more beer. I’ve been fortunate to spend some quality time with many of you and gotten to know you and your families. If we have ever shot together, you learned really quick that my weirdness tends to fade away when I’m doing “what I do.”

I hope I left behind my stamp during my time at Hot Bike and helped open up the world to the lowrider style of motorcycles. I think it’s amazing to see features coming from every corner of the earth with the slammed bikes, wire wheels, and old-school paint jobs.

But before I get too tired of patting myself on the back, I want to say I’m not really going anywhere! I imagine I’ll still be clicking the camera, hiding at events, and popping up again and again like a bad rash. I’ll still be here helping Hot Bike and the other brands showcase the greatest stories and photos anywhere in the world. Hot Bike is the leader in all things V-twin, and this team is a village with Jefe Holt as the mayor.

There are a few people I want to thank for making the past four years some of the best of my life: Jeff Holt, for being our leader at Hot Bike and always sticking up for us while allowing us do what we do best. It’s much easier to hide behind a leader than be the face everyone instantly recognizes. Trust me—I did my best to hide in the shadows and behind a lens! Robert Martin, one of a few unsung heroes at Hot Bike. Robert is personally responsible for making every page of Hot Bike look amazing and saving my ass on more than one occasion. Mark Masker, another true unsung hero. Mark has been our go-to do-anything guy who makes the Hot Bike machine run, and literally no one could pick him out of a lineup. Ed Subias, the king of social media. Ed’s been reinventing what can be done online every day while others are still trying to figure out how he’s got his content up, with videos, before the event is even over. While we are getting broken up into teams, we are still part of and always will be team Hot Bike.

So with this final editorial, spoken in an Eric the Actor voice, bye for now. HB

JOHN ZAMORA EDITOR

JOHN.ZAMORA@BONNIERCORP.COM

FACEBOOK.COM/HOTBIKEJOHN

@JOHNZPICS #SOCALRPM #SOCALRPM

BLACK BRAND CARRY-ON JACKET

Black Brand is quickly gaining a reputation for having good products for real people who ride. And this jacket is no different. The Carry-On Jacket was designed with built-in straps on the back of it, which allows the garment to roll up and be strapped to the handlebars or sissy bar of your bike. Wait. What? Yes. When the weather warms up (as it usually does) and a jacket may no longer be needed, one simply folds up the sleeves, rolls it up, and straps the jacket down with the built-in straps.

Don’t think this is some sort of gimmick garment. It has all the same quality components all the other Black Brand jackets have, such as top-grain leather, a concealed carry pocket, quilted removable liner, armor pockets, YKK zippers, and stretch panels in the shoulders. Although this might seem strange to some, we do think this idea is very handy for folks who really ride and would like to see more offerings like this in the future.

$370 // blackbrandmc.com

DIXXON FLANNEL CO. BRAWLER GLOVES

These motocross-inspired gloves have a hook-and-loop closure system and a moisture-wicking twill span top that feels like a second skin. The Brawler gloves also do their intended job well without a ton of bulky padding. Instead, Dixxon designed these gloves with a double-stitched palm and thumb for maximum durability. Overall we really like the fit of these gloves and the fact that they have a touchscreencompatible forefinger and thumb to keep our selfie game strong.

$34.99 // dixxonquality.com