SportBikes Inc Magazine April 2015

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ROAD RACING . DRAG RACING . STUNT RIDING

CUSTOM BIKES . MOTO TECH

APRIL 2015 VOL 5 ISSUE 7

SPORTBIKESINCMAG.COM TM

THE TAO OF

BAD KARMA

TOCE PERFORMANCE: SHINOLA | THE LION’S DEN | WHAT I LEARNED IN STURGIS | AN EVENING OF ART AND MUSIC | SHARING OUR PASSION | FEATURED RIDERS


Ahead of the Curve

The New Ducati 1299 Panigale S

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Professional rider on a closed course.

Official Sponsor Developed with

Powered by


ducatiusa.com

Unprecedented technical excellence meets the pinnacle of design and performance in the new Ducati 1299 Panigale S. With its new 205 horsepower Superquadro engine, cutting-edge engine management system, Ă–hlins Smart EC semi-active suspension, Bosch inertial platform and new Ducati Quick Shift that allows for both clutchless upshifts and downshifts, this new Ducati Superbike is far ahead of the curve, empowering you to confidently power through it.

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THE FEATURES THE SHOW: SHINOLA

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THE LION’S DEN

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WHAT I LEANRED IN STURGIS

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THE TAO OF BAD KARMA

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AN EVENING OF ART AND MUSIC

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SHARING OUR PASSION

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THE USUALS

APRIL 2015 - VOLUME 5, ISSUE 7 INTERACTIVE

http://issuu.com/action/page?page=14 14 THE PRESS ROOM http://issuu.com/action/page?page=20 20 DEALERSHIP SPOTLIGHT - MARTIN MOTORSPORTS 38 THE GRID NEWS http://issuu.com/action/page?page=38 44 MOTOGP WITH B.T. - By B.T, http://issuu.com/action/page?page=44 50 THE ROCKET - By James Rispoli http://issuu.com/action/page?page=50 http://issuu.com/action/page?page=56 56 TURN ONE - By Sandra Stammova 66 LINES OF A LEGEND - By Rickey Gadson http://issuu.com/action/page?page=66 76http://issuu.com/action/page?page=76 THE MAIN POINTS - By Dena Sodano 86http://issuu.com/action/page?page=86 FEATURED CLUB - ELITE EDGE M.C. 100http://issuu.com/action/page?page=100 THE LION’S DEN - By Lion James 108http://issuu.com/action/page?page=108 FEATURED RIDERS http://issuu.com/action/page?page=120 120 IMPROVE YOUR SKILLS - By Eric Wood http://issuu.com/action/page?page=148 148 DIRTY LITTLE SECRETS - By Billy Morrison http://issuu.com/action/page?page=154 154 THE NEW ISH http://issuu.com/action/page?page=160 160 STAFF STUFF

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FEATURE STORY

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THE TAO OF

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EDITOR’S LETTER

IMAGE BY KIM PACE

W

hen it comes down to it... I’m just a street rider.I learned how to ride the streets. I’ve crashed in these streets and I’ve picked myself up and rode home in these streets. I love the streets for the type of rider that they have made me. I don’t think that will ever change. But what has changed is my perspective on what being a rider is all about. While my asphalt education began on the highways and back roads of Southeastern PA, the truth of the matter is that they provided me with a wonderful foundation and thirst to become better, to elevate myself, to sharpen my skills...

when compared to riding on a closed course. But what I found was that the skills that I was learning on the track translated to the street. If the track allowed me the opportunity to become more “one” with my bike, then I should be one with my bike in any situation, closed course or open highway. I actually tend to go slower now on the streets and I save the speed for the track. But it’s refreshing to know that I can get the hell out of Dodge if I need to.

I see no reason to ever stop riding on the street no matter how much I ride on the track. It’s how I commute, how I unwind and how I relax... It’s how I get from point A to point B, C, D and E! I I quenched my thirst for higher learning on love to ride and will take any and all opportunities the track. I began doing track days with Team to do so... Be it on the track or the street, from the Promotion at Pocono Raceway and New Jersey hood to the woods... Hollywood that is. Motorsports Park. What they say is very true. Track riding is highly addictive. I found not a new Welcome to the RIDERS ISSUE of SBI. Enjoy home, but more of a second home on the track. yourself. I saw that many people were choosing to pick one or the other... They were either strictly track or strictly street. My thought was... Why do you have to pick? Why can’t you do both? Best, Allan I get it that the streets are extremely dangerous allan@sportbikesincmag.com 8 | SPORTBIKESINCMAG.COM


BMW Motorrad USA

©2015 BMW Motorrad USA, a division of BMW of North America, LLC. The BMW name and logo are registered trademarks.

2015 S 1000 RR

The Ultimate Riding Machine®

DON’T JUST SEIZE THE DAY. LEAN INTO IT. MAKE LIFE A RIDE.

Not everyone takes the chance. Even fewer have the passion and the courage to make the most of it. But for those who can, for those who do, there is the all-new 2015 BMW S 1000 RR. bmwmotorcycles.com.


THE TEAM Publisher/Editor in Chief: Allan Lane allan@sportbikesincmag.com

EDITORIAL

Drag Racing Editor: Rickey Gadson rickey@sportbikesincmag.com Fashion Editor: Kiana Gadson kiana@sportbikesincmag.com Moto Tech Editor: Thomas Campion tommy@sportbikesincmag.com Riding Editor: Eric Wood eric@sportbikesincmag.com Rev Limiter Editor: Dena Sodano dena@sportbikesincmag.com Bike Life Editor Lady Kim ladykim@sportbikesincmag.com Senior Staff Writer Red Spade redspade@sportbikesincmag.com

Staff Writers: Billy Morrison billy@sportbikesincmag.com Dystany Spurlock dystany@sportbikesincmag.com Michael Lawless lawless@sportbikesincmag.com Lion James lion@sportbikesincmag.com Meekail Shaheed meekail@sportbikesincmag.com Sandra Stammova sandra@sportbikesincmag.com B.T. bt@sportbikesincmag.com James Rispoli james@sportbikesincmag.com Contributing Writers: Bobbi Booker, Dave Raimondo Copy Editor: Angela Lane angela@sportbikesincmag.com

ART & DESIGN Creative Supervisor: Leon Brittain leon@sportbikesincmag.com Graphic Designer: Baz baz@sportbikesincmag.com Staff Photographer: Meekail Shaheed meekail@sportbikesincmag.com Cover Photographer: Michael Spain Smith Contributing Photographers:

Leon Brittain Michael Spain Smith Brian J. Nelson Robin Spurlock Impact Images Eric Miller

Craig Sutter Kim Pace Rick Hentz Johnny Mapp Steven Spoons Rey Josue

SportBikes Inc Magazine - April 2015 Volume 5, Issue 7 To receive SportBikes Inc Magazine’s 2015 Media Kit and Advertising Rates, please email: info@sportbikesincmag.com.

In no way can any part of this magazine be reproduced in print, digital, broadcast or any other manner without the expressed written permission of the publisher.

SportBikes Inc Magazine (ISSN 2158-009X) is published monthly by Hard Knocks Motorcycle Entertainment.

SportBikes Inc Magazine is not responsible for any advertising claims made by its advertisers or partners.

Any and all items submitted to SportBikes Inc Magazine will become the sole property of SportBikes Inc Magazine and are subject to, but not limited to edits, comments and titles.

Sportbikes Inc Magazine, staff and partners are not responsible for injuries, loss or damage to their being, vehicle or property, including death that may result from contest submissions.

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THE PRESS ROOM BLACKMANS CYCLE CENTER KICKS OFF THE 2015 SEASON WITH AN OPEN HOUSE The largest powersports dealer in the Pennsylvania Lehigh Valley, Blackmans Cycle Center kickstarted the 2015 season with an open house at their Emmaus, PA store. Best described as a party, the evening was enjoyed by a packed parking lot of bikes. Entertainment

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for the evening included fashion shows, music, food activities for the entire family. On display were several new 2015 models but it was safe to say that evening belonged to the all new 2015 Yamaha R1M and FZ07.


INTERNATIONAL FEMALE RIDE DAY 2015 May 2, 2015 marks the annual International Female Ride Day. Females riders all over the world are encouraged to mount up and ride. This year’s theme is “Just Ride”. Groups and organizations are putting together events globally to celebrate the day. To find one near you or to organize your own event, please visit the official facebook page by clicking HERE...

TRIUMPH RETURNS TO THE AIRWAVES WITH FIRST TV AD SINCE 2013 Triumph Motorcycles has just debuted their first TV commercial since 2013 on national networks. The first commercial to drop is a 60 second ad entitled “Voices” that features a rider on Bonneville riding through the streets of Los

Angeles and eventually riding on the Salt Flats of Bonneville. See what they did there? Very witty, Triumph... The ad is part of Triumphs national “For the Ride” campaign. Click on the image to view the commercial in its entirety.

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THE PRESS ROOM RECALL ROUNDUP: THE LATEST FACTORY ALERTS BMW is recalling about 49,000 bikes, model years 2005 through 2010. The rear wheel aluminum mounting flange can crack if the rear wheel mounting bolts are tightened more than they specified to. If the flange cracks, the rear wheel can come loose from the bike. The affected models include: 2005-2010 R1200GS and R1200RT, 2006-2010 R1200GS Adventure, 2007-2010 R1200R, 2007 R1200S and K1200R Sport, 2005-2007 R1200ST, 20082009 HP2 Megamoto, 2006 HP2 Enduro, 20082010 HP2 Sport, 2005-2008 K1200S, 20062008 K1200R and K1200GT, 2009-2011 K1300S, 2010-2011 K1300R, 2009-2010 K1300GT motorcycles. Yamaha has issued a recall and a “do not operate until repaired” alert to owners of the following 2015 models: FJ09, FZ09, FZ6R, Super Tenere, Super Tenere ES and R6. This issue is a faulty shift cam segment stopper that has a sharp edge instead of a smooth radius and could crack, preventing proper shifting. The faulty shift cam segment stopper will be replaced with a new one via the dealership network at no charge to the biker owner.

Ducati has recalled 5962 Mulitstradas, model years 2010 through 2014 for throttle issues. The inner sleeve of the opening throttle cable could move and stop the throttle from completely closing. The dealer network has been alerted and will make the repair free of charge. Notices to customers will begin in May. 16 | SPORTBIKESINCMAG.COM


ERIK BUELL RACING CEASES OPERATIONS Erik Buell Racing has officially ceased operations, announcing that the company is preparing to file for bankruptcy. EBR was the reboot of Erik Buell’s passion for designing and building motorcycles after cutting ties with then partner Harley Davidson in 2009, ending the Buell Motorcycle Company. Erik Buell was able to launch Erik Buell Racing a short time later. In 2013, the Hero MotoCorp invested in EBR, acquiring a 49% stake in ownership. EBR had made generous strides in road racing in the AMA Pro Racing and more recently in World Super Bike. In 2014, EBR made history by being the first American manufacturer to score championship points in World Super Bike on an 1190RX that was piloted by race wildcard, Larry Pegram at Laguna Seca Mazda Raceway.

The news was drastically different on the consumer side of EBR’s operations. With stiff competition from established Japanese and European brands, EBR struggled to make serious headway in creating and maintaining brand awareness in the consumer market. “The turn we recently took, after we thought we were moving forward, was unexpected. We thought we had secured funding, but in the end, we were not able to get the funding in place. Therefore we need to do the best we can under the circumstances for all parties in interest.” – Erik Buell. On April 15, 2015, the Erik Buell Racing website was removed, 126 employees have been left without jobs and a debt of over $20 million in liabilities remains.

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THE PRESS ROOM MAY IS MOTORCYCLE SAFETY AWARENESS MONTH This year’s message is simple and clear... “Share the road.” The campaign is to spread awareness that bikers have all of the same rights and privileges as any other vehicle on the road. All motorists are encouraged to

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be mindful, to stay alert and be aware of motorcycles. More specifically, pay attention to the road and not your phone or any other distractions that may deter your focus.


INNOVATIVE

AK TURBO SERIES

INCLUDES HYDRATION BLADDER, INSULATED HOSE AND BITE VALVE

TURBO 1.5 LITER AVAILABLE IN BLACK, WHITE, HI-VIS, & PINK / MSRP - $110.00 Much more than your standard hydration pack, the Turbo 1.5 was designed to race with you. The slightly smaller frame works well to limit any unnecessary weight. This is truly the fly-weight version of hydration. The fittings and adjustments make sure it's in the same place when you get off the bike as when you got on and tightened it down. This pack would also be perfect for any youth that really likes to keep up.

AVAILABLE AT YOUR LOCAL AUTHORIZED AMERICAN KARGO DEALER AND ONLINE AT AMERICANKARGO.COM

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SHOP SPOTLIGHT: MARTIN MOTORSPORTS

Words: Allan Lane Images: Courtesy of Martin Motorsports

CONTACT:

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Dealership Name: Martin Motorsports Location: 567 Route 100 North, Boyertown PA 19512 Hours: Tuesday & Friday 9am - 8pm, Wednesday & Thursday 9am - 6pm, Saturday 9am to 4pm Year Established: 1996 Brands Sold: Yamaha, Kawasaki, Triumph, Suzuki Celebrating 19 years in 2015, Martin Motorsports continues to excel in delivering memorable experiences to their customers. They are a multifaceted dealership, selling motorcycles and engaging the community with events that make them a true destination dealership. Martin’s annual Modern Classics Vintage Bike Show, which began in 2011, is a marquee event for the dealer where the showroom is transformed and over 100 vintage motorcycles are displayed. They even have a full photography studio, with a rotating floor set up inside of the showroom to accompany the customer lounge that houses a movie screen, couches and free internet access.

Their service department features a drive in reception area for ease of service. On staff are two Yamaha Gold Certified Techs to cater to all of your Yamaha repairs and maintenance. They have achieved Pro Yamaha status for the last six years with their stellar sales force. In addition to monthly demo days, Martin actively engages their customers with riding and safety workshops. Martin Motorsports really is about the people and it shows. They open up their dealership for use by local bike club, host family friendly events that are entertaining as well as educating. Their dedication to not only customer service, but customer satisfaction really sets them apart.

Want to see your shop or dealership featured here? Drop us an email!

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THE SHOW

S H I N O L A

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WORDS: ALLAN LANE IMAGES: LEON BRITTAIN SPORTBIKESINCMAG.COM | 25


THE SHOW: SHINOLA

T

OCE Performance is no stranger to the custom bike building world. Their designs have had a major impact on the sportbike culture in recent years. A manufacturer of sportbike components, TOCE created an avenue for the consumer market to acquire their specialized wide tire kits, accessories and more specifically, their very distinct sounding and unique looking exhaust systems. Their components have been game changing, offering something different in a culture where being the most unique and iconic is what the game is all about. Seeing the effect that they were having on the custom bike community, TOCE returned to the lab to cook up another game changer. What they designed and engineered was not about a simple bolt on parts and a snazzy paint job. It was more than a stretched swingarm with a fat rear tire or molded plastics that house screens or speakers. No, they were after something else all together. What they produced is a machine that takes on a life of its own in terms of design and execution of aesthetics. TOCE employed their highest quality components and hand built a true one off custom named Shinola. The bike’s entire body is hand rolled aluminum applied to a modified 2005 Suzuki GSXR 1000 frame. Shinola’s profile offers an interesting perspective of the ergonomics of the bike. An aggressive front end with sharp lines that race to a robustly shaped fuel tank that drops dramatically to a lowered seat height before joining a rear tail section that 26 | SPORTBIKESINCMAG.COM


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THE SHOW: SHINOLA

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THE SHOW: SHINOLA

mirrors that front end’s edges. Shinola is low to the ground in a stance best described as intimidating. From the front, Shinola’s presence is just severe, almost sinister. Side by side headlights take the point from a low profile upper section giving a serpent like appearance. In fact, as you pull away, the bike takes on a dragonesque feel, a snake like creature that primed to attack. Like a rattle snake whose tail rattles, Shinola rear 30 | SPORTBIKESINCMAG.COM

end is marked not only by the 310 hand carved “TOCE” rear tire, but also by the TOCE Suzuki Hardcore Exhaust that features a Suzuki emblem outlet. Shinola is truly an original build and will not be repeated be imitated. A daring design with an aggressive and successful execution, lands this bike in a league of its own.


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THE SHOW: SHINOLA TOCE PERFORMANCE “SHINOLA” 2005 Suzuki GSXR 1000

Engine: Lews Cycle Shootout Motor. Brakes: TOCE Machined Rear Brake Caliper, Hawg Sprocket Rotor. Exhaust: TOCE Suzuki Hardcore Exhaust. Suspension: Ohlins Forks, TOCE Machined Triple Trees, Air FX Air Ride Rear Suspension. Swingarm: TOCE Chro Moly Single Sided “No Jack” Swing Arm. Wheels: TOCE CNC’d Machined Offset 12” Rear, 8” Front. Tires: “TOCE” Hand Carved Tread 310 Vee Rubber Rear. 180 Front. Custom/One Off Accessories: Complete Hand Rolled Aluminum Body built on a split and widened 2005 GSXR 1000 Frame, No Kickstand, Concealed Kicker Stereo System, Custom Seat by Lou Meloni. Builder: TOCE Performance. Paint: Ranco. Owner: TOCE Performance.

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S H I N O L A

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THE SHOW: SHINOLA

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NJMP

2015

NEW 1 DAY CLINICS $999 MAY 30 RIDERS 7 8

PER DAY

$1200 WITH YCRS YAMAHA

MAY 5 6

2 DAY SCHOOLS $2395 JUNE JULY AUG SEP 2 3

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Expert-level motorcycle training keeps riders healthy, and healthy participants always grow an industry. The Yamaha Champions Riding School (YCRS) approaches the complex task of motorcycle riding very simply: Who designed the bike and how does that (expert) rider ride? Even the name "Champions" speaks to this approach because a champion must have consistency and speed, but most importantly consistency. In every two-day Champions school riders of all levels immerse themselves in the intricacies of championship-level riding, no matter what bike they ride or where they ride it. The curriculum is precise and exact because this sport is precise and exact. When the "pace is up or the grip is down", the precision of our curriculum becomes crystal clear. YCRS is growing motorcycling by training riders to ride like champions.

RIDELIKEACHAMPION.COM

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ALL-NEW YZF -R3 ®

TM

56mpg estimated*

TT-R230

WELCOME TO THE R WORLD. • All-new model • The easiest way ever to enter the world of Yamaha R-series supersport performance • Class-leading, fuel-injected 321cc, liquid-cooled twin-cylinder engine • Slim, lightweight chassis for agile handling • Yamaha supersportinspired styling with full fairing • Low 30.7” seat height and a flat seat design to get both feet firmly on the ground for added confidence. • Perfect for 1st time riders or experienced riders who prefer an ultra-light, nimble machine

See these participating Yamaha dealerships for more information

4911 Buckeye Rd. Emmaus, PA 18049 610-965-9865 www.blackmanscycle.com

8738 West Chester Pike Upper Darby, PA 19082 610-446-2002 www.crossroadpowersports.com

1037 Unger Lane Boyertown, PA 19512 610-369-3120 www.martinmoto.com

2901 Bethlehem Pike Hatfield, PA 19440 215-712-7433 www.montgomeryvillecc.com

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*Fuel economy estimates are based on US EPA exhaust emission certification data obtained by Yamaha. Your actual mileage will vary depending on road conditions, how you ride and maintain your vehicle, accessories, cargo, and operator/passenger weight. Professional rider depicted on a closed course. Dress properly for your ride with a helmet, eye protection, long sleeved shirt, long pants, gloves and boots. Do not drink and ride. It is illegal and dangerous. Yamaha and the Motorcycle Safety Foundation encourage you to ride safely and respect the environment. For further information regarding the MSF course, please call 1-800-446-9227. Pre production model shown. Specifications subject to change. ©2014 Yamaha Motor Corporation, U.S.A. All rights reserved. • YamahaMotorsports.com


THE GRID: NEWS CASEY STONER IS SCHEDULED TO RETURN RACE ACTION AT THE 2015 SUZUKA 8 HOUR RACE Casey Stoner will participate in the 2015 Suzuka 8 Hour Endurance Race as one third of Honda’s MuSASHi RT HARC PRO team. Stoner is joining Michael van der Mark (WSBK) and Takumi Takahashi. The race will take place on July 26, 2015 at the Suzuka Circuit in Japan.

VETMOTORSPORTS’ PETER CLINE RECEIVES THE 2015 AMA HAZEL KOLB BRIGHTER IMAGE AWARD Peter Kline, founder of VETMotorsports was the recipient of the 2015 AMA Hazel Kolb Brighter Image Award which he received at the Road Atlanta MotoAmerica in April. The award is given to those individuals that strive for and

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achieve the upward movement and increasing of positivity in motorcycling. To learn about Peter Kline and his VETMotorsports, read the feature on him in the March 2015 issue of SBI by clicking HERE...


MOTOAMERICA IS OFF AND RUNNING! A new era of American motorcycle racing launched in Austin TX at the Circuit of the Americas. MotoAmerica’s highly anticipated 2015 season opener kicked off with no lapse in action. The eventful first set of race happened under heavy clouds and rain. A wet track can became a major equalizer and that’s exactly what happened in the Saturday supersport race. Several front runners simply were washed out, including Josh Herrin, Joe Roberts and Bobby Fong. It was JD Beach crossing the line for this first win. In second and third places were Garrett Gerloff

and David Anthony. Josh Hayes toke the win in Superbike race 1, making it a total of 49 superbike career wins. Hayes was joined on the podium by team mate Cameron Beaubier who took second and Roger Lee Hayden in third.

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THE GRID: NEWS DANNY ESLICK MAKES THE DAYTONA 200 TWICE AS NICE WITH HIS SECOND WIN The 74th annual Daytona 200 was nothing short of a dog fight for the front runners. The hunger was noticeable all the way up to the middle pack of competitors but it was in the front where all of the action was happening. Josh Herrin, the 2010 Daytona 200 winner, gave an incredible performance as he traded paint with Danny Eslick. When the checkered flag waved at the end of the 57 lap race, it was Eslick on his TOBC Racing number 69 Suzuki GSXR 600 that crossed

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the finish line first after draft passing Herrin coming out of the final turn. Herrin crossed the line a mere .086 of second after. Rounding out the podium was Geoff May. This was Eslick’s second win of the Daytona 200, placing him in a small class of competitors that have repeat wins in consecutive years. Prior to Eslick, Mat Mladin was the last to repeat consecutively in 2000 and 2001.


NICKY HAYDEN COMPETED IN HIS 200TH GRAND PRIX The second round of the 2015 MotoGP season occurred in Austin, TX. A fitting circuit for American and former MotoGP Champion Nicky Hayden to celebrate his 200th start in the premier class. Hayden would finish in 13th place for the race after qualifying on the grid in 22nd position. That result earned him points toward the championship.

“Thirteenth place is not spectacular but I am happy because we have finished the weekend moving in the right direction and hopefully we can keep it going from here. I want to say thanks for all the support from everybody in my 200 GP.” - Nicky Hayden.

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THE GRID: THE 2015 MOTOGP PREVIEW

MOTOGP WITH B.T. WORDS: B.T. IMAGES: MOTOGP.COM

QATAR: UNDER THE LIGHTS

First up was Moto3. Always a street fight with as many as half a dozen lead changes before Frenchman Alexis Masbou emerged victorious by a mere 0.027 seconds with what is sure to be a wide open season.

I can think of no better way to start a season than being under the lights. The night makes it special. This isn't just any old race, this is the start of what many consider the most anticipated season in the past ten years. Actually one of the main reasons the race is held at night is because its in the desert and in the day it tends to get close to a billion degress! The season opener did not disappoint as riders took to the desert night under a beautiful clear night.

Surprise early exits in Moto2 made this race exciting from the start. Sam Lowes and Tito Rabat all retired early and Frenchman Johann Zarco looked to have victory in hand before a gearbox issue forced him to surrender first place to German Jonas Folger.

There's something about an athletic event being held at night that makes it special... Monday Night Football, game seven of the World Series, the World Cup and MotoGP!

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And then there was the premier class, MotoGP! This race lived up to the hype and then some as Rossi and the return of Ducati provided the desert thrills.


The most surprising outcome of the night? Four Time World Champion Marc Marquez finished off the podium and Jorge Lorenzo was failed by his helmet! Truly a bizarre set of circumstances have set this season on fire and has whet the appetite of even the most ardent MotoGP fan. Valentino Rossi’s performance was a masterpiece that had to be seen to be believed! This first round has produced a great opening act for a movie that will be played over the next eight months. Grab a seat and get some popcorn! This one is gonna be good! SPORTBIKESINCMAG.COM | 45


THE GRID: MOTOGP WITH B.T. AUSTIN: IT'S A FAMILY AFFAIR

Imagine a family reunion with only your coolest relatives and they all ride and a couple of “A” list celebrities just happen to drop in and then throw in about as much unpredictable crap you can imagine and you just might have a glimpse of what the Austin GP was like. First of all, one of the greatest things about going to a MotoGP event is that you are surrounded by motorcycle geeks like yourself. If you're like me, you have somebody who knows just what the hell you mean when you tell them "this Fabio kid looks like the real deal..." and they know you're not talking about the buff guy from the 1990's! MotoGP weekends are full of motorcycle enthusiasts, race fans and just plain good old fashion fun! Everyone is there to have a great time, hopefully see a great race and maybe catch an autograph or picture with your favorite racer. It’s a Star Trek convention for the two wheel set! Easily the greatest race track America has

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produced, Austin provided a great weekend for all. I arrived Friday at the start of a delayed practice that was met with rain and a red flag. As I watched one of the jumbotrons, praying I wouldn't see an injured rider... I see a dog running across the track! That's when I should've known this weekend was going to be a little different. The entire weekend played fits with the race. Is it going to rain, is it not, what other animal will attempt to play chicken with the riders? When race day finally arrived, everyone had their fingers, toes and eyes crossed that the skies would cooperate. And they did to a certain extent but what occured was a track devoid of grip and made every corner a minor victory if you came out still on two wheels. As much as I brag on Moto3 being the best racing, it was a minor disappointment only in the sense of Brit Danny Kent destroying the field and winning by over six seconds. The real story was


rookie sensation Fabio Quartararo living up to his preseason hype by finishing second in only his second race. Before mid season I can honestly see him in contention for the championship.

climbs over the wall, sprints back to his garage grabs his B bike and with time for only one attack lap, Marquez proceeds to blaze an uncanny trail and take position one on the grid for the race.

In Moto2,Sam Lowes demonstrated that you can't keep a good man down. Trust me when I say he was down and that was only because of the viscious high side he suffered he had no place to go but down. To add insult to injury his own bike hit him while he was down! That's like being shot, stabbed and then kicked in the groin! I mean, enough is enough. Unable to even tie his shoes on Saturday morning, Lowes demonstrated the toughness of a racers mentality and did the business on Sunday morning when it counted by dominating a race that beforehand, I honestly saw as a toss up between four riders.

I realized that the true race battle would be for second place. Once Marquez grabbed the lead from Andreas Dovizioso it was over!The battle between Dovizioso and Valentino Rossi was well worth the price of admission, with both swapping positions a half dozen times and Rossi nearly crashing the two on a risky move by the nine time Champion.

MotoGP was the cream of the crop, the main event or as I like to say, "Tha’ shit!" I cannot talk about the race without talking about what happened during qualifying. Rarely do we have the opportunity to witness a legend being born right before our eyes. It’s something you can't describe but you know it when you see it. On Saturday afternoon with less than three minutes left in qualifying, Marquez's bike develops a technical problem and with time running out, he lays his bike against the race wall,

It was Dovizioso who won this slugfest and exacted revenge on Rossi for two weeks prior when it was Rossi who emerged victorious! It was only at the post race press conference did we find out that the race was not much fun for the riders because of track conditions and that tire wear was Rossi's main rival that afternoon. For the fans, the Austin GP was definitely the most entertaining since its inception.We saw the birth of a legend, a hall of famer who still has plenty of kick left in him, the continual rise of Ducati and a British invasion of talented riders who are all poised to take down the Spanish Armada.

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THE GRID

Images: Courtesy of Tim Hunt

THE NUMBERS EVERY MONTH, WE ASK PROS AND AMATEURS WHY THEY CHOSE THE NUMBERS THAT IDENTIFY THEM ON THE GRID...

TIM HUNT

“I

#71

raced midgets before motorcycles. Number 71 was handed down to me from my mentor and it just stuck. Just ask James Rispoli who the the real 71 is !” 48 | SPORTBIKESINCMAG.COM


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THE GRID

THE ROCKET: THE QUIET BEFORE THE STORM PT. II

WORDS: JAMES RISPOLI IMAGES: IMPACT IMAGES

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I

have just spent my first month traveling around Spain and the U.K. getting ready for the new seasons test period. We first went to Spain to test for season days at two tracks. We had all brand new bikes and new equipment to try and it was a good time to shake off the cobwebs. The first day in Spain we drove to a track called Cartagena where we tested last year during preseason so that track wasn’t new to me. We got straight to work dropping lap times trying the new bike and suspension. We worked on just trying to make the bike feel as comfortable as possible. We spent our days at this track trying lots of different techniques. I also have to comment on the food in Spain. The food is actually very good if you like eating red meat and loads of carbs. Pretty much bread, bread and bread is served with every meal. I have no idea how anyone can be thin living there. After four days at Cartagena, we then headed to a new track called Guadix. This track was way up in the mountains and it reminded me of Colorado. You could see the snow at on top of the mountains. The track itself was really fun with a lap record of a 1:14.9 so you could imagine how many laps we were getting. At the end of day two we had completed the same number of laps as we did doing four days at Cartagena. We were really happy with SPORTBIKESINCMAG.COM | 51


THE GRID: THE ROCKET the bike completing some competitive lap times and doing long runs.

stay in shape. I stayed there until the Donington Park test.

When we came back to the U.K. I went down to hang with the team for a couple days then decided to spend some time in Ireland with my teammate Andy Reid. It’s always so cool to experience different cultures and to be able to train with fellow riders is always good thing. We ended up doing tons of mountain biking, learned and played a new game for me called Squash and some of the standard gym stuff to

Going to Donington park this early in the season we knew it was going to be cold and either rainy or windy. As luck would have it, the weather did all three in one day. It started off with rain and cold then went to windy and cold. We ended up getting out for a couple laps to make sure gearing and GPS locations were working. We also got to try a few new EBC strategies which are new for this year

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and part of the rules package. During the test we also had to do pictures for media as well as video interviews to mingle with the fans that show up. We are always busy at these official test events since they are as much about promotion as they are about testing. I ended up back in Ireland for the following couple of weeks until the first round of the season. It was really cool hanging with Andy because we have the same goals and we share a strong passion for training. He took me all around Ireland showing me all his favorite spots to eat, hang out, ride and just chill. We had such a blast. I got to see a real castle that was really old and one of the coolest things I’ve ever seen. SPORTBIKESINCMAG.COM | 53


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THE GRID

TURN ONE: NO PRESSURE PART 2

WORDS AND IMAGES: SANDRA STAMMOVA

I

was just leaving England after completing my first test in the U.K. with the MSS Kawasaki team. I didn’t know what was going to happen but I left for Slovakia to visit my family with a little hope that I would get the opportunity to race in England. It was an amazing experience for me and I learned a lot. I also liked the guys from the team as they were treating me well and were very helpful and encouraging. They probably thought, “This Slovakian chick with the funny accent coming to England from Ozzy land to test and crash our bike must be completely crazy!” Oh well, I guess I proved them they were right. But maybe not as eventually I got to ride. I had a Skype conference with Nick Morgan while visiting my family in Slovakia and he told me he would like to do something with me in the British series. At the time he wasn’t sure which championship I should do and what class I should race. He believed that I had the talent and with the right support we could get there. He believed it would be a five year project to get me to the top level as the championship is extremely competitive. There would be lots to learn in every possible way to become a complete rider. It was going to be a massive challenge for myself and the team! I didn’t know the tracks nor the team and there was a new 2011 Kawasaki ZX10 coming out which needed some development time also. There is one thing that we never mentioned to anybody before I entered the British Superbikes in Superstock 1000 class. That was that I had 56 | SPORTBIKESINCMAG.COM

only competed in seven races in New Zealand in my entire career... We didn’t want anybody to know that we were kind of insane! Imagine how much pressure we put on ourselves! There was MSS Kawasaki with the top superbike riders on board and this new girl from Slovakia coming out from nowhere. We knew I really wasn’t ready for. Superstock 1000 was a class with the biggest grids. Most of the time there were more riders than the size of the official grid and that’s why there was always a shoot out race to give the top few riders a chance to get on the main race grid and the rest of the riders had at least one race under their belt instead of leaving after two qualifying sessions. Obviously, I was brave and I wanted to race B.S.B. instead of starting in the smaller championship to learn the track and gain some racing experience as well as race craft. I wanted to run before I could walk. I believed I could! I wasn’t scared of anything. I just wanted to go fast and I thought there was nothing that I couldn’t do! I honestly, deep inside my heart felt “If they can do it... I can do it.” Sometimes it’s better to not know what to expect so you don’t know what to worry about. I had no plan for my future in England, all I knew was that I wanted to race and I wanted to be as fast as I could be in the shortest possible time. I followed my heart and passion. There was no brain involved!


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THE GRID: TURN ONE

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I went back to Australia in December, packed

few boxes of my clothes and moved to the U.K. in January. It was a big change for me after more than three years living in New Zealand and Australia. The season was supposed to start with a few days of testing in Spain at the end of March. I was so motivated, I trained every day to get as fit as possible and I also started studying mental game coaching through the International Mental Game Coaching Association in the U.S. That was the maximum that I could do outside of being on the bike which was going to be only way to improve my skill as a rider. I wanted to be prepared in the best possible way for the first test. I believe preparation is everything. If you fail preparation you prepare to fail. I think it was a beginning of March when my mom suggested to meet her and my brother in Italy for a skiing holiday. We didn’t spend much time together as I lived overseas and it was a good opportunity to have quality time with my family

before the season started. I used to be professional Alpine skier and I had five knee surgeries due to overtraining at a young age. I recovered and I was able to push just as hard as before so I didn’t see any risks to go for a relaxed skiing holiday. I knew I couldn’t do anything silly and I promised myself that I wouldn’t hurt myself because I had testing in a few weeks. I often struggle with my brain when my heart takes over. On the last day, on my last run down the slopes, after one week of avoiding the fun parks and jumps where my brother was having fun and I was watching him, being so jealous... I made a very wise decision. Without any practice, I hit the double jump too fast and over jumped the steep landing area. I landed on the flat area on my ski tails, trying to keep balance to not fall. The pressure in that angle was so high that the front and rear ligament in my left knee collapsed. I still managed to stop on one ski but it was too late. The holiday was over and so was my first big test in Spain, befrore it even started. SPORTBIKESINCMAG.COM | 59


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THE GRID: ON THE COME UP

Images: Courtesy of Josh Gerardot

JOSH GERARDOT

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NAME: Josh Gerardot HOMETOWN: Monroeville, IN. AGE: 30 ASSOCIATION/AFFILIATIONS/SERIES: Widow Wax, Klotz Synthetic Lubricants, WERA, MotoAmerica. GOALS: In 2015 I am aiming for four WERA National Championships. ACCOMPLISHMENTS:

2014 - 6th 750 Superstock WERA Finals 2012 - 3rd 1000 Superbike Championship 2012 - 4th 750 Superbike Championship 2012 - 4th 600 Superbike Championship 2010 - 3rd 600 Superbike Championship

DEFINE YOUR PASSION IN ONE SENTENCE: When I am racing, everything seems to stand still. The track is the only place I feel I’m in complete control. CONTACT: WWW.JOSHGERARDOT.COM

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THE STRAIGHT LINE

LINES OF A LEGEND

WORDS: RICKEY GADSON IMAGES: RICKEY GADSON//VELOCITY CHANNEL

MONEY COULD NEVER BUY THIS SENTIMENTAL PIECE OF HISTORY

T

hey say money makes the world go round. But as cliche as it sounds, it's true that money can't buy you happiness and money cannot replace things of sentimental value. Back in the 1970’s my father was one of the most charismatic motorcycle riders you could ever meet. His vehicles and color combinations expressed his charisma. My dad would stop at nothing to have the only one of something or the one that caught the most attention. From his custom $10,000 paint job on his fully customized van that was complete with a T Top, which was never offered on vans, to the power windows which was not offered back in 1979. His motorcycle of choice was the 1970 Kawasaki KZ1300 which was coined by Kawasaki as being the biggest and baddest bike of its time. My dad had to have it. So to be the "first", his was ordered at the end of 1978, just so he would have the very first one to hit the East Coast. And the "first" one is what he got. The very first place my father took his motorcycle was to the same custom paint shop that painted his van and it received a matching paint job to coordinate. Suicide, as they called him in the motorcycle world was extremely well known by all of the clubs up and down the East Coast and received a lot of respect every time he walked into any motorcycle clubs. He always joked because of the ten foot picture 66 | SPORTBIKESINCMAG.COM


of "Morris the Cat" on the side of his bike and van, that he had the biggest "PUSSY" in town. My father loved to race and most of the time I was on the back of the bike with him as a kid on the highways when we ran away from these clowns who thought they could beat my dad "Suicide".

we went out and destroyed some Honda CBX1100’s Hondas on the N.J. Turnpike on the way home from a trophy party in Paterson, N.J. We were riding two up and the CBX was riding single. My mom, with her matching outfit and matching paint job would be behind us trying to keep up on her Honda CB550... As we ran out of site of her.

I remember the time when my dad was head hunting with his new Kawasaki weapon and

My pop would ride beside the guy, tap me on my leg, down shift a gear as I tucked my head

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THE STRAIGHT LINE: LINES OF A LEGEND

SUICIDE AND VICTORIA GADSON

down on his back and we were out! As a 12 year old kid, I would be cracking up laughing in my helmet every time I watched my dad drive away from guys. I loved it just as much as he did! Unfortunately, that same year while riding home on his motorcycle, a 17 year old kid driving a car pulled out in front of my dad and took my 68 | SPORTBIKESINCMAG.COM

father's life. At the funeral, hundreds of cyclists from all around the country surrounded my dad's bike to get one last glimpse of this one of a kind paint job on both the van and the motorcycle, which was in tow at his funeral. When my mom decided to get the bike fixed, she painted it just plain blue because replacing the paint job was too time consuming and expensive.


When I was 15 years old my mother gave me my dad's KZ1300 and it was my daily driver to school every day. I probably went out and got as many traffic violations as I could as a young rider with all that power underneath my belt. The very first time I went to the ATCO race track to race, I was riding his motorcycle and the engine blew up that same night. So after my brother took the head off and found out how bad the damage was my mom decided to sell it and get me a bike that was better suited for what I was trying to do. It was really obvious to us that my dad didn't want me racing on his baby. We sold the motorcycle in 1983 with the motor in boxes. Fast forward to 2007 when someone showed up at a shop I owned at the time called Sportbike Zone and said, “I have something outside that rightfully belongs to you...” As soon as I stepped outside my shop doors and saw this thing on the trailer, I began to tear up because I recognized it as the motorcycle that my father died on. Now it had resurfaced and returned back to me. This guy from Philadelphia didn't want anything except to return this motorcycle to me and he must of apologized ten times for how bad of a condition the bike was in from sitting outside for the last twenty years. It was still apart just as we had sold it twenty five years earlier. I immediately started searching eBay for 1979 Kawasaki KZ1300 parts and was shocked to realize how many parts were still available. I bought everything I could to restore this bike back to its original condition. In 2011, I approached the "Café Racer" TV show about covering the restoration of such a historic motorcycle and they said yes. It took another three years before I'd be ready to put it all together. Every step was documented and SPORTBIKESINCMAG.COM | 69


THE STRAIGHT LINE: LINES OF A LEGEND

recorded for the show. The show was taped over a six month period and it documented all the trials of restoring a thirty five year old motorcycle back to its original condition and the challenges of trying to match a custom paint job that I only had faded distant pics of. The show finally aired on February 18, 2015 on the Velocity Channel and according to producers, it was the most viewed show since "Cafe Racer/Naked Speed" started which was five years ago! I want to personally thank everyone who tuned

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in to make this their most watched show ever. A special thanks to Cafe Racer and Naked Speed for allowing me to put my dad’s priceless and irreplaceable bike on center stage for all to see! I would also like to thank the following: Brendan Corbin, Al Depiano, Marcello's Auto Body, Killer Kreations, Carpenter Race Engines, Wicked Powder Coatings, Bikemaster, Shinko Tires and last, but not least, my family and friends for your support throughout this entire project.


2015

schedule

april 24-26, 2015

Maryland International Raceway

may 29-31, 2015

Maryland International Raceway

july 24-26, 2015

Maryland International Raceway

september 11-13, 2015 Atco Dragway

october 2-4, 2015 Maryland International Raceway

RaceIDBL.com

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THE STRAIGHT LINE: ON THE COME UP

Images: Johnny CourtesyMapp of Brice Lloyd

CURTIS ELLERBE

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NAME: Curtis Ellerbe HOMETOWN: Hamlet, N.C. AGE: 40 ASSOCIATION/AFFILIATIONS/SERIES: Brocks Performance, Ape, MagicBullet, Cycle Concepts, Wallace Motorsports. GOALS: To win a championship before I retire. ACCOMPLISHMENTS: 2013 Pro Street Top Ten Qualifier. DEFINE YOUR PASSION IN ONE SENTENCE: The love of 200 miles per hour in 7 seconds. CONTACT:

SPORTBIKESINCMAG.COM | 73


The pursuit of refinement is the road to perfection......

Quality Sportbike Accessories www.compwerkes.com

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800 736-2114


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THE REV LIMITER

THE MAIN POINTS WORDS: DENA SODANO IMAGES: STEVEN SPOONS

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C O R E Y GUSHWA C

orey Gushwa is a Texas native who enjoys building and setting up stunt bikes as much as riding them. Kind of like there’s not going to be enough daylight, or until something breaks or faults on it... Either way, Corey just likes to ride his bike. DS: Tell us about some of the many trials and tribulations you've had with some of the bikes you've owned. At one point in time it seemed like you had a never ending string of bad luck: broken bikes, blown motors, and constant maintenance! CG: Where to begin? It's just part of learning to stunt ride and abusing the bikes. Pretty much everything is going to break that is bolted to the frame at some point including the frame itself. The trouble comes with the ups and downs of parts availability and the production and delivery of the companies that provide them. So here the headaches come when a small part creates a big gap in your attempts to ride consistantly which is what developing the technique is all about... Seat time! So bad luck? Maybe. But I guess that's part of it. I have learned to be prepared with spares and never close my wallet. DS: Were motorcycles something that you grew SPORTBIKESINCMAG.COM | 77


THE REV LIMITER: THE MAIN POINTS up with or something that you just got into a few years back? CG: I did not get the chance to start riding young and grow with it. My family did not share my enthusiasm for two wheels. But the week I turned eighteen, I got my hands on the 2004 Kawasaki ZX636 which turned out to be a good choice in the long run. It all started off with just custom paint and then night cruising on the bike, then onto back roads, which soon led to track days and further leading the way into stunt riding around 2009. I actually still have the original seat plastics and front wheel from the bike running on my 636 now but that's all that's left! I've always been inspired by competition. It's what motivated me to spend the money, time and take the risks. Nick Apex is a complete package and Ernie Vigil simply has jaw dropping aggression. While Jason Britton is such a smooth rider with an enormous bag of tricks. Luke Emmons’ ability to seemingly never lose it and always hang on even when you're just about certain it's not possible. DS: Tell us about your track days. Do you find that you like it more than stunt riding? CG: I have an 2009 Yamaha R6 fully setup aside from motor work and it is indeed a blast. It's what these bikes where designed for. But when you want to speak about being competitive on that bike you need to speak with money and then some more money! I'd say it's equally fun but more "oh crap" moments with much steeper consequences and that's kinda what really gets the blood pumping. DS: You recently bought a Honda Grom. How is the "Grom Life"? CG: Probably the best investment I have ever made. Ever! If you don't have one, correct yourself and join up! 78 | SPORTBIKESINCMAG.COM

DS: Any nasty spills or brain rattling experiences with our sweet friend "the pavement"? I've witnessed you land a few good ones while riding at the old Jacksonville, Florida spot. CG: Luckily only pretty mild injuries. Mostly just broken toes, fingers, ribs, ankle sprains and rolls. Some really good bruising. I have run myself over with my own bike at least a half dozen times but, knocking on wood, now I have kept my nose pretty clean for a good while. DS: If you could start from scratch on any stock motorcycle and set it up stunt ready, which would you go with and why? CG: If we're talking new, I'd say the 2014 Kawasaki 636. They got it right the first time then they brought it back and I have heard nothing but great things about the bike. A second place choice would be Yamaha's R6. I think it's a pretty good comparison to the old school 636 and may even pull a bit harder. I’ve always been a bit curious of those bikes. DS: Future plans? What will you be up to next in your two wheeled world of fun? CG: My future plans involve much more riding than the two years back when I was plagued with a never ending, one after another, mechanical issues and slim availability of parts which I needed with even more trouble


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THE REV LIMITER: THE MAIN POINTS

COREY’S 2004 KAWASAKI ZX636

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in getting them into my hands. Last year was a heavy amount of "grown up", work which has tapered to a very manageable amount this year. I may start some dirt play but first and foremost, I will be on the ol‘ 636 with some new jazz in the works! SPORTBIKESINCMAG.COM | 81


THE REV LIMITER: ON THE COME UP

Images: Rey Josue

SCOTT SEGUINE

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NAME: Scott Seguine HOMETOWN: Long Island, N.Y. AGE: 30 ASSOCIATION/AFFILIATIONS/SERIES: STUNTarmy, Kevtek, Badass Industries, GoGoGear LA, Myrtle West Cycles. GOALS: My main goal in riding is to have fun meet new people and to push myself to do things I did not think was possible. ACCOMPLISHMENTS: My biggest accomplishment in riding was doing my first high chair circle, both feet over the front doing a circle wheelie. I worked for a long time and never thought I would be able to pull it off. DEFINE YOUR PASSION IN ONE SENTENCE: I would rather live my life doing what I love then grow old and wonder what I could have done. Contact:

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Fi n d yo u r fa v o rit e loc al de ale r on w w w.t a w p e r f or m a n c e .c om / d e a le r s SPORTBIKESINCMAG.COM | 85


THE LIFE: FEATURED CLUB

Images: Courtesy of Elite Edge M.C.

ELITE EDGE M.C. Rocker interpretation: The club’s rocker offers insight to their commitment to remaining authentic in today’s world. A lone rider, bearing the number one plate riding through the city represents the club’s elite state of mind while on the edge. Club history: The club was founded in 2012 as a non profit organization by two close friends. The foundation was simple and clear, they wanted the Elite Edge M.C. to impact the bike community in a positive and constructive manner. Their mission would be to maximize relationships between bikers and the community via a variety of charitable efforts.

CHAPTER: Baltimore, MD. FOUNDED: 2012 MEMBERS: 6 ELECTED OFFICIALS: PRESIDENT: Dre VICE PRESIDENT: Trouble

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Club milestones/memorable moments: The club is currently the adopted caretaker of two highways in Maryland. They are gearing up to celebrate their third anniversary as a motorcycle club. Among their many memorable moments, one that stands out is being presented with Most Supportive Club trophy by the Baltimore Bloc Burnaz M.C. in 2014. Future of the club: EliteEdge M.C. is focused on staying the course with their original mission: to show love, support and respect to the bike community not just in Maryland, but across the nation. They are hoping for national recognition as a forward moving, positive and progressive club.


Want to see your club featured here? Drop us an email!

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THE TAO OF

BAD KARMA

WORDS: ALLAN LANE//IMAGES:MICHAEL SPAIN SMITH SPORTBIKESINCMAG.COM | 89


THE LIFE: THE TAO OF BAD KARMA

B

ad Karma. He’s just one of those riders that has always seemed to just be around. No beginning. No end. It seems fitting because Karma falls somewhat into the category of legend in the street of Philadelphia. He is what you call a rider’s rider. A no bullshit, no nonsense, it is what it is type of rider. He’s intelligent. He’s skilled. He’s fast. He’s dangerous. Dangerous for all the right reasons. His love for motorcycles is deep rooted. As a kid, Karma started off riding ATV’s and dirt bikes in the street and inevitably had situations with law enforcement. Negative interactions with police had a shelf life so when those who were older than Karma began to get into street bikes, it didn’t take long before the fever got a hold him as well. “To me, being fast isn’t about you going out and buying the latest and greatest sport bike that can do 200 plus miles per hour,” Karma explains. “I tell a lot of people that just because you have a faster bike doesn’t make you a faster rider. Most times I have to do more showing them this truth than telling them.” The blur that a lot of car drivers often speak of that blaze by their doors, carving up traffic at speed as it moves in between whatever vehicles are in its path... The blur that does not just split lanes, it disintegrates them... That ‘s Karma. His uncanny street riding survival skills are self taught, forged over 17 years as he studied his craft and refined his methods. He’s never done a track day nor has he ever completed any formal motorcycle riding training course. To say that he is a natural is one thing. To say that he is gifted is another. Karma is a combination of those elements and then some, a perfect storm. “If you take the time to sharpen your skills and perfect your craft you can beat someone on a faster bike by learning how to turn, braking, body position, understanding tire patch limits, shift points, etc… To me when you ride like you are one with your bike, that is what makes someone fast.” I might even suggest that Karma possesses trace amounts of clairvoyance. His monicker, Bad Karma was chosen not because of its ominous tone. “Bad Karma is something I came up with a long time ago in boot camp. In our make shift war games I use to say what could possibly happen and then it would happen. And after it happened a few times people started to say that I gave 90 | SPORTBIKESINCMAG.COM


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THE LIFE: THE TAO OF BAD KARMA them bad vibes among other things. Ultimately I became known as Bad Karma.” Karma understands the dangers of riding at these speeds in traffic and does not take the perils lightly. He gears up each and every time that he mounts his bike. “Over the years I learned to gear up a lot more as I became a more aggressive.” His kit includes his helmet, chest and spine protector, leather jacket, knee and shin protections, leather jacket, gauntlet gloves, race boots, ninja mask and around his neck, a silver chain with a crucifix. He continues, “When selecting gear its best not to go super cheap, but you don’t have to sign a mortgage either!” Regardless of how you feel about street riders, lane splitters, highway slayers, turnpike assassins, etc... It is undeniable that there is a heightened level of talent and intuition involved with riding at

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this level. Riding at his level requires dedication and “practice, practice, practice... I can’t say it enough. Without repetition and constant practice, last second lane changes and braking won’t become second nature. Learning to looking three to five seconds through your turn, plotting out your next move, even anticipating what drivers might do takes awhile to pick up on.” Karma’s toolbox also includes the artful skill of knee dragging. It’s something that he can do at will whether he is riding the on or off ramps of the highway, his favorite round about or even if he is just changing lanes. That’s correct, Karma drags his knee as he moves from the right lane to the left lane... On the street... At will. Thanks to his modified spiked knee pucks, Karma literally makes sparks fly. “I studied a lot of MotoGP action, motorcycle magazines and YouTube videos on proper body positioning, suspension setup, tires, etc. Afterwards I went out and saw what other riders were using to knee drag. I started putting together different gear that was more about me and my riding style. I believe with the proper instructions and instructor just about anybody can do it.” This is where being one with your bike come into play. Karma continues, “You just have to trust your tires and bike. The first time I touched down was amazing. I was coming in hot off the turnpike on an exit turn and at that point I was already committed. My braking was done, my ass was off the seat, entry line picked out and all I had to do was remember what I learned. I leaned my bike over and the rest was history. Your first instinct is to pull your knee in, but once it touches and you’re not burning through your jeans to your knee, you kind of realize that you’re really doing it and the feeling is something you’ll just have to experience for yourself.” He’s had his share of close calls, though. “I’ve taken off a side mirror with my shoulder because someone tried to do a last second lane change, Tank slappers, tire slippage while knee dragging, riders going down around me or taking turns wide, etc… I’ve seen a lot over my 17 years. I’ve went down a few times. That’s why I can’t stress enough for people to wear their gear. Let’s be honest, falling comes with the sport and even the best MotoGP riders are guaranteed to go down once or twice a season. Four years ago, I went down at 150mph while in a turn due to cold tires. Thank god I was able to get up on my own and walk away, but that made me switch back to good ol’ Super Corsa tires. It also pushed me towards hitting the track even more.” SPORTBIKESINCMAG.COM | 93


THE LIFE: THE TAO OF BAD KARMA

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“S

how me a nice road, a full tank of gas, and some fresh tyres and anything’s possible.” SPORTBIKESINCMAG.COM | 95


THE LIFE: THE TAO OF BAD KARMA Over the years, Karma has owned more than half a dozen of bikes but has ridden just about all that there is to ride, in terms of sportbikes. In his current stable along with the 2002 Yamaha R1, the 2008 Kawasaki ZX10R and the 2007 Honda CBR 1000RR is a 2007 Yamaha V Star 1100. “That V Star has a lot of sentimental value. It was my older brother’s first bike that I helped him get. He loved that hell out of that bike. He was a member with Twisters Motorcycle Club, the North Philly Chapter. He recently passed away from cancer in 2014 and my parents said that he wanted me to have it. I ride it from time to time, but… Some days are harder than others because of the memories we shared. Memories of us riding together.” Karma’s is hard pressed to put a measurement of time on how long it took him to develop his skill set. “I’m constantly picking up a new skill here and there that I add to my particular riding style. It’s a constant learning curve, not with just riding but knowing the differences between tire compounds and how they perform, tyre pressure, how different road surfaces affect your ride handling, throttle control, lean angles, tyre limits in the wet compared to dry, body positioning, etc… I’m constantly striving to get better in all areas. I won’t say that I’m done with street riding, because that’s where I started and my heart is still in the street, but right now for 2015 I’m leaning more towards the track and taking things to the next level.” A rider as talented, as skilled and as dedicated as Karma understands that in order for him to ascend to the next level he needs to set his eyes on the next goal, the next challenge... the track. Karma has dominated the streets, highways and back roads. He is still hungry. He’s still striving to improve himself as a rider. His thoughts on defining what composes a real rider are very simple. “A real rider is someone that can adjust to all riding conditions. Someone that can move between different motorcycles classes and still be a lethal contender. Someone that has been down before and learned from their mistakes and continues to get back on and ride even harder. Someone that treats this as a lifestyle and not a hobby. Someone who constantly strives to perfect their craft and get better.” Street riding on this level is not for anyone and by no means does Karma represent himself as a role model. However he understands that there will always be someone else on the come up looking to capture their moments of speed. He reminds any and all, “Wear 96 | SPORTBIKESINCMAG.COM


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THE LIFE: THE TAO OF BAD KARMA

your fucking gear as if you plan on falling. Ride your own ride meaning if the group you’re with wants to go faster than you are capable of or comfortable with, then you need to fall back and meet them at the destination. Don’t allow other riders to take you out of your comfort zone before you’re physically or mentally ready. Last but not least, just because the guy in front of you is taking a turn fast doesn’t mean you can too. So slow your fast ass down, Rossi. No one wants to tell your mom why your ass went sliding off the highway following someone on a turnpike exit." 98 | SPORTBIKESINCMAG.COM


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THE LIFE

THE LION’S DEN: SOLITUDE, FELLOWSHIP OR BROTHERHOOD? WORDS AND IMAGES: LION JAMES

I

’m sure there are several other categories of two wheel socialization but the three in which I have been classified in my 10 plus years of riding motorcycles are solitude, riding alone, just you and the bike on the open road in tune with the machine and no distractions or obligation; fellowship, riding with whomever you want to whenever you want to

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and wherever you want to just being about bikes with those who are also about bikes; and thirdly brotherhood, being a part of a Motorcycle Club or riding organization where self-governing order, bylaws, family and formal order are ever present. In my experience they all have their individual merit and pitfalls that make choosing which one is right for


you a harder task than it might seem without looking at them in depth. I’ve been fortunate in my riding to be able to engage in all three, simultaneously at times, but some people keep exclusively to one and find it difficult to recognize the appeal in the others. There is no shortage of people out there in the Sportbikes, Inc. Nation choosing solitude, fellowship or brotherhood as a motivation to ride but it took me a while to find three people to talk to me about it whose stories were captivating enough for me to write about. Last spring on my way to a motorcycle event I attended, I met a young woman at a gas station in northern New Jersey filling her tank who called herself “Tea.” Tea, I never did get her real name, was one of the riders I’ve met who subscribed to the solitude school of thought when it comes to riding motorcycles. She was a very attractive, late twenties or early thirty something, slender woman of Latino ethnicity who had a swagger of confidence and outspokenness about her. It was she who approached me as I was filling my motorcycle’s tank. She was dressed in denim jeans, textile motorcycle jacket and top of the line premium quality motorcycle boots and as she dismounted her, not quite sure of the model year but I would say 2005 to 2007, Suzuki GSXR 1000 she removed her helmet. I swear it was in slow motion and there was theme music playing. It was evident that despite looking like a model out of a motorcycle magazine she was more concerned with the dead bugs on her windscreen and gravel sticking to her front tire than she was about her makeup, hair or outfit. After my initial thought of “wow she looks good” I said to myself, “this girl must know how to ride.” I thought she was walking into the convenience store at the gas station to perhaps prepay for her gas, use the lavatory or grab some refreshments but she was headed to the bin near the pump I was using to get herself a paper towel and some glass cleaning solution to clear off the debris from her bike’s windshield and helmet’s face shield. As she walked back to her bike past me she said “nice bike, I’ve demoed one of those and loved it.” I was a little surprised that she even spoke to me to be honest because I have experienced many times when out riding in my MC colors other unaffiliated riders will not speak to me taking me for some sort of unapproachable anti-social biker instead

of the friendly easy to talk to motorcycle enthusiast that I am. I thanked her for the compliment and repaid the sentiment in kind. Exchanging niceties turned into a full blown conversation, quite an enjoyable one, about everything from riding gear to motorcycle makes and models to ladies riding and more relevant to this text, riding in solitude as opposed to riding with a group or to social gatherings and riding with a Motorcycle Club. Tea explained to me the reasons she preferred solitude when she rides in a way that painted it in a light that made me wonder why I had bothered to ride with anyone else all these years. It was simple and logical and it was what had always worked for her. She described the unity between her and the bike and although maybe not as eloquently as I would have, she did so with the same passion that I describe my own love for riding almost every installment of The Lion’s Den. We talked about how she had depended on others most of her life to her own detriment and that she had let an abusive relationship, not so much physically as mentally abusive, dictate how she filled her free time and how she let her partner who rode with a Motorcycle Club prevent her from pursuing her own desire to ride and join a Motorcycle Club. Tea had lost the love and respect of her partner’s Motorcycle Club who had previously been like family to her when she and her boyfriend went their separate ways. For almost a year she had let her ex-boyfriend’s words scare her into riding only locally and kept clear of highway riding even after she had found the strength and resolve to ride on her own. It was clear after speaking with her about it in detail that her distaste for riding with others and specifically with a Motorcycle Club had more to do with emotional baggage from a bad relationship but she insisted that her past had less to do with her two wheeled solitude than reasons like independence, empowerment, selfreliance and setting then surpassing her own limits. Tea also mentioned something that as a man riding in this often male dominated sport/lifestyle I had never given much thought to. She spoke about how female riders especially in groups of motorcyclists and Motorcycle Clubs are assumed to have loose morals or be promiscuous sexually. She had seen and heard of so many women who ride being thought of as only riding to gain the attention of men, being passed around the club, only being accepted among their two wheeled peers in order to add sex appeal and SPORTBIKESINCMAG.COM | 101


THE LIFE: THE LION’S DEN eye candy to the group or being disrespected by the very men who were supposed to accept and protect them. One thing she said to me that resonated with me and sort of slid out of her mouth as if written in some ancient text was “My motorcycle never disrespects me, we have an understanding that when it’s just her and me out there we need each other to get where we’re going. I mean it’s not like either of us is getting very far alone.” Tea genuinely had no desire to ride with anyone and was content, no she was elated to be able to come and go on two wheels without having to depend on anyone else, be under anyone else’s rules or on anyone else’s time. I respect her for that and was not one bit surprised when she turned down my offer to go for a ride together. I felt a real connection and despite what you may think it really was because of the stimulating conversation and mutual respect we had with and for one another and not because I managed to squeeze some flirting in between the motorcycle riding banter and was definitely attracted to her. She may very well have been attracted to me as well, I mean she certainly seemed to be flirting back but I had to respect her sticking to her guns on this one. It would have been nice to share the road with her, not only for the killer view from the back, but because she was a genuine person and had a passion for riding very similar to my own. I was in Austin, TX this past February for a completely non-motorcycling vacation. Some who know me know that I am a bit of a firearm enthusiast and outdoorsman. I discovered that Austin, in addition to being a really fun town with a lot going on, has a big population of motorcyclists. I shouldn’t have been surprised after all great weather, awesome roads and plenty of social hotspots with young vibrant energy. While there I wished I had my motorcycle with me. Every time I saw someone on a motorcycle, saw a bike or group of bikes parked outside some bar, restaurant or shop and every time we navigated some sweeping turn on our way from Austin, TX to Llano, TX and back, I thought to myself, and probably said aloud several times too, “Man I wish I had my bike!” Among the motorcycles I saw in town many, actually the majority of them, were café racer styled bikes. As a Triumph rider I have an affinity for café racers so naturally I was in naked bike heaven. The 102 | SPORTBIKESINCMAG.COM

one bike that stood out the most and the one whose owner I just had to speak to was a beautiful white, black and red Moto Guzzi V7 Racer. It stole the show and drew my attention immediately parked among a Triumph Speed Triple, a Ducati Monster 620 Dark and a matte black rat bike the make and model of which I could not discern from the missmatched parts and obvious home or garage custom fabrication done to it. The bike’s owner was AJ, a young blond haired baby faced care free man that seemed to know more about the local cuisine and night life than he did about his own motorcycle. Almost uninterested in the motorcycle or the two wheeled culture of Austin, TX he spoke about the bike as if someone had simply given him the bike one day and since he had nothing better to do he decided to start riding it. “I thought it looked cool” was his response to my asking him what made him choose that particular motorcycle. Before I get into the meat and potatoes of my conversation with AJ I have to tell you that his lack of knowledge about the sport of motorcycling or the beautiful machine he had the fortune of holding the key to made me want to liberate the motorcycle from this naïve, inexperienced and frankly ignorant kid’s possession and give it the respect, attention and love that it deserved. Okay, time to step down off my high horse. His sort of arbitrary decision to buy a Moto Guzzi, let alone the V7 Racer, and his lack of appreciation in my opinion aside, he was a good kid who liked motorcycling for some of the more superficial reasons you often hear from people but also enjoyed the fellowship he got out of it. He and his friends, one of whom he had met that day, regularly attended bike nights, bars or cafes, the movies and other venues where motorcyclists and motorcycle admirers congregate. AJ told me how much he liked the feeling of acceptance and camaraderie he felt when around other motorcyclists and that not since being on the swim team in high school and playing baseball in college had he felt as close to a group of guys and enjoyed a common interest with so many people. For him the motorcycle was the secret handshake that gained him entrance to the exclusive party represented by riding and hanging out with his, as he put it, “biker buddies.” In addition to the fellowship he enjoyed with his friends and those like them, the allure of the attention he got when on his motorcycle was a major


motivator to throw a leg over. “You wouldn’t believe how much girls like motorcycles”, he said to me either forgetting or not acknowledging that I too ride motorcycles. I wish I had my bike. “Even this guy gets girls on that piece of shit when we go out man”, he said gesturing to his friend whose name I did not ask who owned the rat bike. Try as I did to not focus on AJ’s aloofness and carefree attitude it was hard to take much of what he said seriously but he did have something to say about riding with friends as opposed to alone or in a club. He told me that while he didn’t know his motorcycling friends since

childhood, the common interest of motorcycles bought them together no different than a treehouse would a group of children and that when he was with his friends on their bikes all the obligation and mundane minutia of the real world faded into the background and there was only “the fellas” for those few hours that they were out in the street hanging out or riding together. He and his friends had all decided to get motorcycles around the same time and had only ever ridden with one another. He had no desire to ride alone and in fact I got the impression that if he hadn’t the friends he was with that day, perhaps he would

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not be riding at all. He told me that he rarely rode alone and when he did it was either commuting to work or when headed out to meet with his buddies. The only thing he had to say about riding with a Motorcycle Club was “what’s the point?” My attempts to compare Motorcycle Club affiliation to being on a sports team fell on deaf ears and he maintained that there was nothing to be gained from motorcycling with a club that was not present with his friends. He said that he didn’t need a patch or a hierarchy and certainly not the payment of dues to have fun on his bike and hangout with his friends. I shared with him my “not needing a jersey to play a game, only to be on a team” analogy for being in a club versus riding with like-minded friends to which he replied “see, you get it.” To AJ riding motorcycles 104 | SPORTBIKESINCMAG.COM

was an activity best done with friends and to ride alone was indeed lonely. He was no more interested in riding with a club than he was in riding alone. He was happy to have his friends to ride with, happy with the attention he got from the ladies and the fellowship to be gained from riding with others who sought his company. His view of riding motorcycles was simple and it worked for him. No complicated rules to govern his behavior and no solo rides getting to know himself and his motorcycle. For him riding motorcycles was one big party and he and his friends were on the guest list. A little closer to home is where I spoke to a motorcyclist who was in favor of brotherhood when riding motorcycles. Apollo, an older gentlemen in


his late 50s or early 60s if I had to wager, was a well-known and respected, or feared…or perhaps a little of both, outlaw biker in Philadelphia, PA who has been with his Motorcycle Club for over 20 years. I’ve only known Apollo for about 4 years but have known of him since I was a teenager. Growing up in West Philadelphia, PA in the 80s certain people and entities in the neighborhood gained notoriety and Apollo was one of those people. He was the local badass or at least one of them. He was the guy you heard coming when on two wheels and the guy you knew was around when on two legs. While I never had anything but respect for him and his Motorcycle Club, I knew to keep my distance and generally walk the other way if I saw him coming. As an adult and later as a club rider in my own right I sought out his council and took heed to what he had to say. In one of a few conversations he and I had about club membership, the pros and cons of affiliation and probably his favorite topic of conversation, the differences between the Motorcycle Clubs of old versus these new school MC’s that pop up left and right in the city as well as beyond, we discussed why he chose to ride with his club as opposed to riding alone or with friends minus the back patch. He told me with a sort of stern “listen to what I say boy” attitude that the most important things in this life are in the interest of God, Family and country and in that order. Presumably a Military Veteran, this older gentleman had the type of calloused hands, scruffy beard, sage tone to his voice and ever present scowl that let you know that he had seen and done quite a few things in his life without him having to utter a single word. He went on about how when he was growing up in the city a young black man didn’t dare go about doing much by himself let alone attend social gatherings or ride around on two wheels. For him it was just as much a self-preservation technique to seek out strength in numbers as it was a way to commune with friends who share his interests and find a family outside the walls of his home. He described that there are laws of man, laws of God and laws of the club. Less interested in following the laws of man as he was the laws of the club, he made mention of the fact that membership may come and go but the club remains. The law of the street and by extension the laws of the club are what governs and dictates behavior, consequence and reward. When he spoke of family it was apparent that he meant his

two wheeled family and no one else. Apollo saw club membership as being the best of several worlds as he enjoyed the fellowship of his brothers in the patch as well as riding by himself when he needed or wanted to. To be in an MC was to be a part of something that was truly greater than the individual. To be in an MC was to live a life in constant celebration of the motorcycle and the lifestyle, freedom and joy that come along with it. “We are not anarchists or common street thugs.” he said. “We are just like you ‘cept that we recognize, accept and honor the code of the club and the family that has been bought together by these two wheels.” He delivered all this and more in a speech that seemed to belong in a church somewhere or from behind a podium addressing a congregation of motorcyclists undecided as to whether to join a club or not. As we spoke about my own Motorcycle Club affiliation he seemed to have more respect for me as a motorcyclist than he had for my club, not much in the way of recognition for my club as being of the same caliber as his own. I did not take it personally nor did I feel disrespected by this sentiment, a lot of the older MCs around don’t think of some of the newer clubs out here as being on their level or as close to the origins of the MC as they are, but instead appreciated that he was as comfortable as he was even speaking to me about such things. For those of you unfamiliar with Motorcycle Club culture especially outlaw MC culture, much of what goes on behind closed doors and much of the club conversation is guarded from outsiders. For Apollo to talk to me in such a manner, not really as equals but pretty damn close, is a rarity between old school and new school, post Biker Boyz era*, club members. As we spoke it became clear to me that he was speaking to me as if I was a fellowship motorcyclist as opposed to a brotherhood motorcyclist. His words were more of an argument for brotherhood as opposed to fellowship when my intention was to simply get his perspective on riding with a back patch instead of solo or with a few friends minus the club. “There isn’t a time BEFORE the club and membership means never riding alone”, he said. “If I’m riding some place by myself, it don’t matter where, as long as I fly colors I got my club with me.” I wanted to know what he thought specifically about those who chose to ride alone and those who chose to ride with friends socially without the benefit or obligation of club affiliation. “There’s SPORTBIKESINCMAG.COM | 105


THE LIFE: THE LION’S DEN cats who ride by themselves and there’s packs of riders out there without rocking a club cut for a very simple reason young brother”, he said waiting for me to ask him what that reason was. When I asked him why, drawing smoke from his cigar he replied leaning back in his chair outside the Philadelphia bar where we ran into one another and had our impromptu heart to heart chat, “because this shit ain’t for everybody.” For the first time in our conversation, and possibly the only time in any subsequent conversation since, I felt as though he was in some way acknowledging my MC status and knew that I knew what his reply meant without having to go into detail or explain any further. Playing Devil’s advocate, fully aware that I was stirring up a proverbial bee’s nest with my remarks, I said to him in the same way that brotherhood wasn’t for every motorcyclist so too was solitude and fellowship. “Not every motorcyclist is comfortable always riding alone and we both know many club riders who only socialize with their club and in club settings but would otherwise play the wall flower were it not for the social lubricant that sharing a club cut provides”, I said to him expecting a rebuttal further in favor of club affiliation. “Shiiiiiiit man, what biker you know who can’t ride alone? If a joker is scared to get on his horse and cruise for self then I don’t want him next to me on any street!” he said this with disdain for the fellowship rider. I’m not sure if it was just because he was then viewing fellowship riders as being cowards for not choosing to ride alone but he certainly didn’t mind that they did not seek out the brotherhood of a Motorcycle Club. As for the rider who chooses solitude over the company of fellow motorcyclists or the familial bonds of the patch, it was in his feelings towards them that we were in agreement. “Every time we ride it’s always gonna be us and the bikes right? The brother to your right or left can’t do nothing for you from his bike so at the start of the day and end of the night it’s just you.” I wanted to go further into our conversation but after he dropped that last gem on me someone inside the bar called him in for something. After about 5 minutes or so he came back out to his chair, picked up his mug, I never knew if it was coffee or something stronger in it, and walked back inside without so much as a “see ya later” or glance at me. I guess that was the end of our conversation because 106 | SPORTBIKESINCMAG.COM

I waited there on the corner dumbfounded for another 10 minutes before I accepted that he wasn’t coming back. I looked back and forth as if someone was gonna walk up to me and let me know it was okay to leave now and thank me for my time. I shouldn’t have expected much more from him in the way of manners, I was lucky to have gotten the consideration I had, but I walked away thinking “that was an excellent conversation but damn that was rude.” My conversation with Apollo was over three years ago but I remember it like it was yesterday. We spoke about a few other things that did not pertain to this installment of The Lion’s Den but they were words that I have applied to my approach to my Motorcycle Club, my interaction with others in the two wheeled community and even my own family. I appreciate him for that and respect him as a leader in the motorcycle community. He and I have run into one another again from time to time and despite not having had another in depth or substantial conversation since there has always been a mutual respect and acknowledgement which has always been good enough. As I sat down to put these three motorcyclists’ perspectives on riding together for this article I thought about which of the three, solitude, fellowship or brotherhood, I would choose if I had to pick just one. I really do fall into all three categories and all three appeal to me for most of the reasons they do for Tea, AJ and Apollo respectively. I guess I realized that since I don’t have to pick just one I can enjoy all three and hope that at some time or another I serve as an example to someone else as to why solitude, fellowship and/or brotherhood is a great way to ride. Never be afraid to ride alone. Motorcycling should be enjoyed with others. There are many types of family and the family you choose can often times be as rewarding, if not more, than the family you were given. Special thanks for sharing their stories, experiences and points of view to “Tea,” Andrew “AJ” Jarvis and Cassius “Apollo” Peltier Jr. *Post Biker Boyz era. See The Lion’s Den: We Are Everywhere in the September 2013 issue of SBI.


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FEATURED THE LIFE FEATURED LIFE:RIDER FEATURED RIDERS RIDERS

Chase DiFebbo LOCATION: Phoenixville, PA. OCCUPATION: Nuclear Officer. YEARS RIDING: 17 years riding. RIDING STYLE: Street and track. BIKE/S OWNED: 2008 Yamaha R6 FAVORITE BIKE MODIFICATION/ACCESSORY: I would have to say my GPR V4 Damper and my Drippinwet decals. FAVORITE PIECE OF RIDING GEAR: My Alpinestars Orbiter race suit! MOST MEMORABLE RIDE: The first Hooters bike night I went to! We all met at the local West Chester street bike legends house Robbie and Ryan Miller. Robbie walked all the way down his street past all the bikes just to introduce himself to us and broke the ice! From that moment Robbie became another brother of mine. That first ride with Robbie, Ryan and the rest of the Rule #1 family that I later became a part of is the ride I hold the closest. RIP to my brothers Robbie and Ryan Miller. 108 | SPORTBIKESINCMAG.COM


Aymara Mejia LOCATION: Miramar, FL. OCCUPATION: Personal Trainer and Figure Competitor. YEARS RIDING: 3 years. RIDING STYLE: Street. BIKE/S OWNED: 2013 Honda CBR 500. FAVORITE BIKE MODIFICATION/ACCESSORY: The exhaust.

FAVORITE PIECE OF RIDING GEAR: My jacket. MOST MEMORABLE RIDE: My biggest trip was to the Florida

Keys with my friends.

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FEATURED THE LIFE FEATURED LIFE:RIDER FEATURED RIDERS RIDERS

HustleMan LOCATION: Philadelphia, PA. OCCUPATION: Multiple. I’m true to my name! YEARS RIDING: 19 years. RIDING STYLE: Street riding. BIKE/S OWNED: 2009 Triumph Daytona 675. FAVORITE BIKE MODIFICATION/ACCESSORY: GPR stabilizer. I got tank slapped so it’s a must have!

FAVORITE PIECE OF RIDING GEAR: Every piece! In 100 plus degrees, I’m always suited and booted... No exceptions.

MOST MEMORABLE RIDE: Riding with Brown Suga (RIP), Endless Curves, Dimples from Capital Punishment and Lion of Zero2Sixty from O.C. Maryland to New Jersey. Also blasting around Newark, N.J. with Mr2Bad (RIP).

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Casey Reed LOCATION: Philadelphia, PA. OCCUPATION: Radio Personality on Q102. YEARS RIDING: 2 years riding. RIDING STYLE: Street. BIKE/S OWNED: 20XX Kawasaki Ninja 250. FAVORITE PIECE OF RIDING GEAR: Alpinestars Leather Jacket. FAVORITE BIKE MODIFICATION/ACCESSORY: Frame sliders. MOST MEMORABLE RIDE: My first solo ride. It was from Langhorne to Malvern in Pennsylvania. Sunny, but very windy!

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FEATURED THE LIFE FEATURED LIFE:RIDER FEATURED RIDERS RIDERS

Thurman Shelton LOCATION: Detroit, MI.

AKA Gurm Ten

OCCUPATION: Mechaincal Desinger. YEARS RIDING: Over 20 years. RIDING STYLE: Street and track. BIKE/S OWNED: 2006 Kawasaki ZX10R. FAVORITE BIKE MODIFICATION/ACCESSORY: Race exhaust. FAVORITE PIECE OF RIDING GEAR: My M2R jacket. MOST MEMORABLE RIDE: Having fun with some Sport Bikes on the freeway while riding a Gold Wing.

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Kevin Nguyen LOCATION: Albuquerque, New Mexico OCCUPATION: Human Resources Manager. YEARS RIDING: 4 years. RIDING STYLE: Street and track. BIKE/S OWNED: 2007 Suzuki GSXR 600 and 2005 Honda CBR 600RR

FAVORITE BIKE MODIFICATION/ACCESSORY: CRG Adjustable Levers

FAVORITE PIECE OF RIDING GEAR: Alpinestars SMX Air 2 Gloves.

MOST MEMORABLE RIDE: First track day at Motiva Motor Speedway with the Sandia Motorcycle Roadracing Inc.

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FEATURED THE LIFE FEATURED LIFE:RIDER FEATURED RIDERS RIDERS

Alex Artega LOCATION: Dallas, TX. OCCUPATION: Quality Control Chemist for Ecolab YEARS RIDING: 7 years street. RIDING STYLE: Street and stunt. BIKE/S OWNED: 2004 Triumph Daytona 600 (street), 2003 Yamaha r6 (stunt). FAVORITE BIKE MODIFICATION/ACCESSORY: RSC lever and ZeusArmor stunt cage. FAVORITE PIECE OF RIDING GEAR: ICON Street Angel Jacket. MOST MEMORABLE RIDE: A few months ago I rode with the stunt riders from Albuquerque at a stunt spot they refer to as Footbraketopia. They were all so nice, humble and inspired me to do my absolute best and never give up.

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Kevin Bowers LOCATION: Bellingham, WA. OCCUPATION: Process Operator. YEARS RIDING: 8 years. RIDING STYLE: Street and track. BIKE/S OWNED: 2012 Ducati 1199 Panigale, 2012 Ducati Streetfighter S, 2014 Ducati Hypermotard SP.

FAVORITE BIKE MODIFICATION/ACCESSORY: The BST carbon wheels on the 1199.

FAVORITE PIECE OF RIDING GEAR: AGV Pista GP Soleluna Helmet.

MOST MEMORABLE RIDE: A few years ago,I took the 1199 on a 700 mile loop around Mount Rainer. Best ride I have ever done.

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FEATURED THE LIFE FEATURED LIFE:RIDER FEATURED RIDERS RIDERS

Earl Graddick LOCATION: Arlington, VA. OCCUPATION: Environmental Services. YEARS RIDING: 7 years. RIDING STYLE: Street. BIKE/S OWNED: 2005 Yamaha R1 Raven Edition FAVORITE BIKE MODIFICATION/ACCESSORY: Full Akrapovic exhaust system. FAVORITE PIECE OF RIDING GEAR: Speed And Strength Helmet. MOST MEMORABLE RIDE: The 2015 DC ShutDown ride.

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Tatiana Elizabeth Yushinskaya LOCATION: Moscow Russia OCCUPATION: Business Management YEARS RIDING: 19 years. RIDING STYLE: Street. BIKE/S OWNED: 2013 BMW R1100R FAVORITE BIKE MODIFICATION/ACCESSORY: GPS system.

FAVORITE PIECE OF RIDING GEAR: The gas handle AKA the throttle!.

MOST MEMORABLE RIDE: Travel by bike from Moscow to Spain and France. And riding to the high points of Alps.

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W

hen a professional racer comes to a new racetrack, one of the most important things to figure out is the gearing. Top race teams typically have at least 3 front and 8 rear sprockets to choose from and have a specific set of sprockets for each track. If we were to rank the relative cost/benefit ratio of all the different things that you can do to your motorcycle, having the proper set of sprockets ranks near the top, just behind having good suspension. Proper gearing is something that not only makes riders faster, but it helps keep them safer as well. This is particularly true in corners that lead on to the long straightaways. There are several common myths that have been perpetuated through the years with respect to gearing. The first one is that bikes should be set up so that they rev just shy of redline in top gear at the end of the longest straight. Let’s say that you ride a bike that revs to 14,500 RPM and has the ability to go 145MPH with stock gearing. However, on the front straight of your favorite track you only reach 12,000 RPM, 120MPH, in top gear. Doing a little math, you shorten up your gearing by changing your rear sprocket from a 42 tooth to a 49 tooth, a huge change. This will theoretically put your bike at 14,000 RPM, 120MPH, leaving you a 500 RPM buffer to redline. At a basic physics level, this does makes sense because bikes with shorter gearing accelerate better. However, this change might create problems elsewhere on the track. Let’s look at the pros and cons of changes like this. The longer the front straight and the slower your motorcycle, the more important it is to use all the rpm in 6th gear. Being off a tooth or two at a track like Daytona can add significant time to your lap, and top riders sometimes will make changes when the wind shifts, it’s that important. Being geared too tall will hurt acceleration in several corners on big tracks because the space between gears becomes too large. This can put bikes too low in the RPM in a critical acceleration zone. However, at many smaller tracks riders will gear their bikes to only use 5th gear, and in extreme cases like riders on 1000CC superbikes at short courses like Barber Motorsports Park, they may only use 1st through 4th. Since big bikes have significantly more power, SPORTBIKESINCMAG.COM | 121


IMPROVE YOUR SKILLS: GEARING... MAKE THE PADS TOUCH they have a much larger usable RPM range. As a result they can often roll through in a lower RPM and not suffer on the way out of the corner. With this said, a common reason riders don’t use all 6 gears is to reduce the number of downshifts entering a corner. Often times braking zones are too short to fit in multiple downshifts, and as a result the last shift upsets the chassis on corner entry and slows mid corner speed. There is a critical balance to be struck between acceleration and entrance stability. The most important place where gearing can help a rider is on the exit of a corner that leads to a long straight. The advantage gained in the first 50 feet will carry all the way down the straight, making the duration of the extra speed very long and hence very important. Up until the point where a rider gets wide open or makes the first upshift, power should be available without delay. Riders should never have to “wait” for the bike to catch up to the actions of their right wrist, as this is the number one problem for poor drives off the corner. Bikes that come off a corner in a gear too high or simply in too low of an RPM, have a lag between throttle twist and acceleration. This lag is bad, because it robs riders of massive amounts of time and it also puts them at risk. Let’s investigate why this happens. The rule of thumb is simple. If you are below the speed that you can spin the tire, what we call your minimal risk speed, then you should have all the power that you need to accelerate available at an instant’s notice. Every bike has a point at which it will no longer spin the tire because the faster you are going, the more power it takes to overcome the grip of the tire. Every bike has a point at which that risk of spinning the tire is virtually gone, regardless of lean angle. For example, a Ninja 250 may not spin the tire after 50mph unless the rider puts a ridiculous load on the bars at full lean and “twists” the bike into a slide. However, a ZX10 might have a minimal risk speed of 120mph. This is the single biggest reason why there is a difference in how big bikes and small bikes are ridden, the time to get to this minimal risk speed coming off a corner. Riders who exit in the ideal gear must initially roll 122 | SPORTBIKESINCMAG.COM

the throttle on smoothly and slowly. At the Penguin School we repeat the words “early and slow” many times throughout the day. This is the keystone concept of a strong drive. These riders have a direct connection between their right wrist and rear tire and can precisely control acceleration and rear tire load. Conversely, riders who exit at low rpm, often in a gear too tall, have so little power on tap that they can make big moves with the throttle with little consequence. Sometimes they can even roll the throttle wide open and wait for the power surge several seconds later, after they are already straight up and down. This may seem like a safety measure at first, but as these riders pick up speed as everyone does, the late corner power surge can become a significant danger. These riders often incur serious problems like unintentional flying lessons when the power surge arrives before the turn is finished. If you can make big moves with the throttle with no consequence in an important drive area, there are serious gains to be made. Most track day riders have this issue. Step 1 is to test to see if a lower gear will work on corner entry. Two simple things you can do to make this test easier are to make the final downshift as late as possible without messing up your turn-in and to let the clutch out smoothly as you let the final gear engage. There is no such thing as too slow with the clutch and it can be a big mistake to release it suddenly during turn in. As long as downshift does not scream the engine and over-slow the bike or upset the chassis on entry, then you should try to make this downshift. Again, it is critical to be early, slow and smooth with your roll on with the extra power on tap. The only time this lower gear tends to cause an issue is if you need to make an upshift too early in the drive zone. An early upshift not only upsets the chassis but can also interrupt the delivery of power and slow your acceleration. Watch for this on the exit of very slow corners first. If this downshift causes issues on either entry or exit, then the next step is simply to add a tooth or two to your rear sprocket as long as you are not at redline in top gear anywhere on the track. The selection of


a sprocket set is a trial and error process that often results in a little bit of compromise. To start, you can often get good advice from a fast expert racer on your motorcycle. If the rider is very fast, you may need to add one tooth to the rear sprocket until you build up enough speed. However, making sure that you are in the right RPM increases both

your speed and control on the motorcycle and is definitely worth the effort. Your top priorities are almost always the drives to the longest straights. Get this right and you’ll be on your way to faster, safer laps! Until next time, ride fast. Ride safe! SPORTBIKESINCMAG.COM | 123


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WORDS: BOBBI BOOKER IMAGES: MICHAEL SPAIN SMITH

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n what is undoubtedly one of the most unique shows to kick off the 2015 Philly arts and culture scene, rock legend and SportBikes Inc Magazine Columnist Billy Morrison’s “Evening of Art and Music” exhibited his paintings in an exclusive one man show at BLINK. With the stance of respectful appreciation, an audience of over 100 gathered for the mid-winter art assemblage that included an acoustic musical set performed by the artist on Philly's legacy South Street.

Without a lesson or a class under his belt, he proceeded to paint prolifically for most of the year and has now amassed a body of work that draws a customer base that appreciates his darker introspective imagery. The English rocker recalled his surprise at his innate talent, saying: “I've never been to art school, I never doodled...nah, I never did.”

Morrison's Philly show garnered a wellrespected turnout of collectors interested Lauded as one of the world’s top rhythm in scoring a first editon original print (or guitar players, Morrison has been more) from the mid-winter debut of nascent forthright in sharing his ultimate success artist. Some guests gleefully displayed a story of overcoming addiction. However, it tattooed image (or two) of the artist, while is the late-in-life reveal of Morrison’s work others came offered their own portraits of as an artistic painter surprised both he and the rocker. After Morrison performed a trio his fans -- in 2014, Morrison picked up of tunes, he greeted and thanked each paint and canvas for the first time. guest for attending. Much like the Greek goddess of wisdom, Athena, sprouted from Zeus's head fullgrown, Morrison’s untapped art talent was "born" fully formed. “One time I went to a charity event and they had canvas and paint brushes and they asked me to paint something to auction off. I laughed, and said, 'Well, if you want a stick figure.’ I painted an amazing skull...it just came out of me. That was last year.”

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“Not only am I thrilled to be able to bring my art to the East Coast and to Philadelphia, in particular, but I am also happy to be working with SportBikes Inc Magazine," noted Morrison. "Philly is one of the major Fine Art cities in America and I’m excited that BLINK and SBI have chosen that amazing city to host the first East Coast showing of my work.”


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I

am fortunate to have had the extraordinary opportunity to be a first time Harley Davidson Motorcycle owner and journey to Sturgis, South Dakota for the largest biker rally in the world. All this happened in a three month span. This experience was overwhelming, exciting and educational. The following is a few pointers, lessons learned, adventures had and observations made from a unique new rider perspective. The chance to be part of this journey presented itself as I learned of a group of veteran biker friends planning a trip to Sturgis. I inquired as to what it would take for me to tag along. As luck would have it one rider backed out and a spot was available. I would then need a bike. The Road Captain of the trip knew a guy who knew a guy that had a 1994 Softail Custom for sale. Within a week of asking to be part of the Sturgis trip I was

a proud owner of that bike. At this point, Sturgis is two months away. The bike needed a tune up and fluid change. A trip as substantial as this requires the bike to be in tip top shape. Bike shops are very busy in the early summer. I was unable to get the bike back in a few weeks. It’s now the beginning of July and departure for Sturgis is August 8th. I had one month to get to know this bike and become comfortable enough to navigate the wondrous roads of The Black Hills. Staying local and riding around the neighborhood every night was the first step. A Saturday ride of 50 miles with a few other guys to the local motorcycle club was the second step. Being comfortable riding in a group is imperative. Before I knew it, it was time to load up the trailer with the

What I learned in Sturgis... Words: Dave Raimondo Images: Dave Raimondo//Allan Lane

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bikes. Destination... Sturgis. Some people ride all the way out. That being bit aggressive for our group, we loaded up a box trailer with three bikes. We strapped down the three bikes, packed gear, tools, coolers, leather, more straps and covered the bikes in moving blankets to prevent any banging together. We piled in the crew cab pickup truck and started our 36 hour drive to Sturgis, S.D. at 5PM from Philadelphia. Everything we did was the first time for me, so each and every movement is a learning experience understanding the how and why. Every task done related to motorcycling has a how and a more importantly, a why. After about 3 hours into the trip it was advised to

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FRICTION ZONE: WHAT I LEARNED IN STURGIS us, correctly so, to stop and check the straps. They loosen as you travel and it is very important to make sure they stay tight. We did make the mistake of waiting until we could feel the bikes bouncing before we pulled over to tighten them. We needed to do this fairly often throughout the trip. Packing a cooler with food and drinks is a good idea. We were getting 10 miles to the gallon so every 200 miles we needed to gas up. The plan was to have one guy driving, one riding shotgun and one relaxing in the back, hopefully resting up for the next shift. Each guy was expected to drive 2 full tanks of gas at the minimum. If he felt strong he was welcomed to drive further. The first night went quick, by morning rush hour we were approaching Chicago. Planning your route to not be near any major cities during high volume traffic times is a smart approach. You do not want to be battling traffic while pulling a trailer full of bikes, especially after driving for hours We chose a northern route which took us through Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota then South Dakota. Beautiful country, too many tolls, long quiet rolling highways. The southern route on the way home proved to be the better choice. Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois... fewer tolls and less congestion. We could barely hold our excitement as we passed the “Welcome to South Dakota” sign. Looking back we still had 8 hours of travel. Our excitement was premature and short lived. Either way, we were making progress and getting closer. The other members of our group arrived a few hours earlier and were bedding down for the night. We all stayed with a friend in Whitewood, S.D. Seven of us slept in a finished basement the first night. The snoring was unbearable. Multiple wake ups with the Road Captain searching for snorers with a flashlight ordering the snorer to rollover and pipe down, comical but tough sleeping conditions. The first morning is an adjustment period. 36 hours in a truck is a long time. We had to unload the bikes and give them a look over to make sure all 136 | SPORTBIKESINCMAG.COM

was good and nothing was damaged during transport. It is a good idea not to plan anything major the first day. Everyone can get adjusted and figure out the lay of the land. Whitewood is 4 miles outside of Sturgis. Once we were ready, off to Sturgis we went. We took service roads into town staying off Highway 90. As you get closer and closer to town, the amount of bikes on the road grow exponentially. The roars of the engines get louder. As you get closer to Sturgis traffic consists of just bikes, thousands of them. A true spectacle for all senses. Your head is on a swivel and a good camera can come in handy. There is so much to see. Just when you think there is a lull in the action something new and cool comes rolling down the street. We found parking on a side street in a line of endless bikes. We nursed a beer as we stood on the front deck of a restaurant and watched the street taking in the sights. Characters came cruising by in all shapes and sizes. It was a constant parade of unique and interesting bikes, trikes, rolling dog houses, Vikings, cowboys, buggys, the list goes on and on. Time flew as the scenery changed by the second. Soon, the afternoon passes and evening approaches. We headed back to Whitewood to regroup. With the adrenaline still pumping, half the group decides to head back into town to take in a bit of night life. This would be my first time on a highway. Out of the little town we go and onto Highway 90 it is, the fastest I have ever been on a bike. The crew of 6 takes off and I have a hard time keeping up. A tractor trailer is now bearing down on me so I have to let it get between myself and the rest of the group. I was not comfortable with the high rate of speed. I think for a minute…unsure of where they are going, afraid of losing sight of them, I roll the throttle back and proceed to pass the truck. As I pass the truck, being in the left lane, I look to my right and my group is getting off an exit ramp about 50 yards up. Nervous as hell, I probably cut it too close, veer in front of the truck and narrowly make it off the ramp to reunite with my guys. Talk about adrenaline and conquering fears. First time ever on a highway riding a motorcycle and I am


doing it in Sturgis. Baby steps but progress none the less. As we get into town a great tip to keep in mind is that the police do not mess around. Thousands of bikes are on the move and heading in every direction. Alcohol is being consumed and there is no room for error. Sturgis is made up of a grid of three main drags and 20 cross streets. Each cross street has a stop sign. Police presence is at almost every intersection. Temporary traffic dividers act as cattle shoots and force traffic into single file lines. Each biker should drive up to the stop sign, stop, put two feet down, look both ways and proceed with caution. Riding in any other manner invites

unwanted attention from the law. Ape hanging handle bars attracts more unwanted attention. You need to wear your proper eye protection and make sure they are not resting on your forehead but pulled down over your eyes. Back to the night life. As you pull into town you will find parking is at a premium. Local houses offer parking for a nominal fee of $5 or $10. The quicker you park the better unless your purpose is to putt around town. An important thing to remember is to make sure you drill into your head where you put your bike. There are thousands of bikes. Many houses and blocks look alike. It seems ridiculous but after a few beers and not being familiar with your SPORTBIKESINCMAG.COM | 137


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surroundings, it proves to be a challenge locating your bike. Pick a landmark, yell out the street name, do whatever it takes to safely get back to your bike and know how to get where you are going at the end of the evening. So as you would expect the bands are jamming, the bars are packed, the people are having a blast. I was unsure as to what type of people to expect. I came to find all walks of life are in Sturgis, from the crazy maniac to the refined doctor. The old lady wearing leather to the youngest of the young ladies probably also wearing leather and everything in between. It is part of the allure, part of the draw. You can find any and all types of people in Sturgis. A couple of common denominators: everyone there 138 | SPORTBIKESINCMAG.COM

is there to have fun or make money. An occasional trouble maker is sure to be found, but uncommon. Getting out of Sturgis or to your nighttime resting place safe, is very important. You have to find your bike, wear proper eyewear, complete stops at all stop signs, any and all things safe. Get home safe and sound is the goal. The next day is sure to be a long one full of big plans. Speaking of big plans, it is best to have a charted itinerary, at least a rough map of events and trips planned. There is so much to do in South Dakota. One could be there for weeks and not do it all. So prioritizing your destinations is very important. We did the popular planned trips like Devils Tower, Rushmore, Crazy Horse, Custer National Park,


Needles Highway, Spearfish Canyon, Deadwood, and a few others. Some sights can be seen in the same day, some days are nice to reserve for resting or hanging in Sturgis enjoying the hustle and bustle. The Buffalo Chip and Full Throttle are cool places to spend a few hours in and near Sturgis. Depending on what the group has agreed upon, getting an early start is a usually a smart play. Getting up early, eating a good breakfast, shower, check the weather, and lay out your gear. Here is where I relied upon the experienced guys to show me how to prepare. Cold in the morning, warm in the afternoon then cool again at night. Layers, leather, head cover, sunscreen, gloves, and whatever else they recommended, I was all ears and valued their advice. Kickstands up around 9AM, gas up, bottle of water and off we went. Destination... somewhere in South Dakota. To explain what these trips are like in words is not giving it proper due. The following is one of a million attempts: We had 9 bikes in our group. Imagine 9AM, cool morning air, sun just creeping over the jagged ridgeline up 4000 feet, exposing half the endless pine trees lining the cliff side, the sound of engines and the smell of gas and oil burning, mufflers thundering echoing off the rocky mountain hills. As you get into formation along a winding up hill smooth road splitting mountain range, you breath in the cool fresh air as hawks, eagles and deer disappear into the woods, up over the hill bend to the right, bend to the left, everyone in perfect formation communicating with a wink or a nod or a hand gesture. Each knowing exactly what the other is expressing, pointing out nests or elk trails or whatever catches an eye. As you come to the crest of the uphill, a valley on the other side comes into view, anything can be on the other side... a mile long lake, winding road taking you around the perimeter, jetting jagged cliffs on the other side, against the crystal blue sky with white clouds and big pine tree poking up. Down and around you go, up through another winding pass splitting low point in the ridgeline on the other side a cattle ranch with split rail fence, a barn with bulls, cows, horses, the smell of

livestock and tracks of a the heard with scattered hay bales, pickup trucks and a smoke stack lined with firewood. Just as you take in that one you’re doing 70 miles around leaning right, leaning left coming up upon another ranch, ranch after ranch, until there’s nothing but woods for a couple of miles. Down the hill and there you come up to a one intersection town, a bar, a hardware store, a bank and a diner. Motorcycles line the street as it is a perfect spot to stop, hit the rest room, grab a beer, burger, whatever. The group parks and we shuts off the bikes, cameras come out, conversation is brewing about what was just seen, how are the bikes running, most of us in awe of the visual stimuli that we just took in. Within minutes we are back in formation pulling out of town. Destination... Where ever we picked. One thing guaranteed, it will be awesome. That is a slice of time in any day that you are in the Black Hills. Each and every attraction has its own charm, feel and flavor. Taking it in and appreciating it for what it is is totally up to you. If you have eyes, ears, a nose and a heartbeat you cannot help but to enjoy understanding and appreciating what may lie ahead of you at any turn. Appreciating Americana, South Dakota, history, gold rush, Indians, farms, natural formations, legendary tales, gambling, drinking, shopping, eating, laughing, socializing and storytelling, is just scratching the surface of all that is offered. Collectively, these activities, sights and stories are what overload your senses. Putting a trip to Sturgis into words has been attempted many times, some effective and some not so effective. Either way, the task is difficult. If nothing else, I hope you read this article and have a few takeaways. Lessons learned: Make sure your bike is fully serviced and tuned up. Chart a well thought out travel path. Pack accordingly for many scenarios. Rely on experienced bikers for advice Pace yourself by not over planning. Bring a good camera. Don’t party too much when you have a long ride the next day. Take it all in. With the right preparation and correct mindset it is truly a life changing experience. See you in Sturgis! SPORTBIKESINCMAG.COM | 139


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Sharing Our Passion

Words and Images: Red Spade

S

haring a passion with your significant other is truly a beautiful thing. In a world with so many responsibilities and so little time for ourselves, having something that we can both look forward to and enjoy together, often feels like a rare treasure. As someone who didn’t ride since childhood I’m sure my experience is a little different. My Husband was the one that introduced me to the sport rather than being already capable. So for me personally he’s been a pillar of strength and support when I doubted myself or was too scared to try. I needed encouragement and he was there to give it.

I feel that because I was first and foremost a passenger, I had to learn to trust someone else with my life. This may sound like a silly concept because in reality we trust our lives daily to other people... Strangers at that. We trust that the bus lady won’t run off the road, that the other card driver doesn’t come flying into your lane, or that the pilot on your plane is doing his best. However there’s something more serious about the notion of trust when you climb on the back of a bike with someone for the first time, even a loved one. So I can say that this trust has built ten fold over the years and created an even stronger bond. But of course like with everything this can be a double edge sword. For some reason family 140 | SPORTBIKESINCMAG.COM

always as higher expectation than friends or strangers. For my husband it was a big learning process to be patient and understanding when I struggle. He has been riding his entire life, so certain things that feel natural or innate to him can be completely foreign to me. This is where learning compassion comes in and it’s important to remember not to measure others to your standard. The opposite is also very true. I tend to beat myself up and become overly critical when I struggle with technique or speed. I always have to remind myself that I am still learning and that two and half years is not enough time to be a seasoned rider like my husband. I will always be behind and that’s something I need to accept and be ok with.


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However, even though there is a gap in our abilities, that in no way impedes us from sharing in the joy of riding. It’s always so exciting to plan an adventure together whether it’s just a day trip to the mountains, or a 4 day journey across 3 states. Our exact reasons and “whys” for riding may be varied, but in the end we still enjoy the ride the same. The really odd thing about riding with your partner is that even though you journey together and experience the same sights and sounds, you are still alone in your helmet. You are still focusing on the input you give the bike and just observing the other rider along with everyone else on the road. I find it a very awesome way to experience shared couples therapy. It’s a crazy concept to explain because we can feel together and alone all at the same time and place. A very similar thing happens when we do a trackway for example. Except there we 142 | SPORTBIKESINCMAG.COM


are very much focused on our own training and machines. I find we don’t talk much. Sometimes the experience is great when things are going smoothly and we are having great fun. But there are times when we struggle due to unforeseen mechanical failures or personal frustrations. It’s important to remember to give the other person space in such moments. We help each other when it’s possible but sometimes the battle is our own to wage and there’s nothing the other person can do. But at the end of the day there is nothing more rewarding than excitedly swapping stories and emotions of what we each took back from the day. I think the best thing about sharing this sport is being able to talk about it and to learn from each other’s experiences. I’ve come to realize my husband and I ride for different reasons really; but whatever they are, we both benefit from it together. The confidence I’ve gained from riding has made me a stronger person, which in turn is more attractive for my husband. There’s an independence that comes from piloting a motorcycle and I believe that brings confidence and self reliance into a relationship. But partaking in such a sport comes with it’s own heartache. Sadly it’s a rather dangerous experience and we both must be very aware that anytime we get on the bike could be our last. It’s a hard reality to deal with when you SPORTBIKESINCMAG.COM | 143


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really sit down and think about it. It shouldn’t be any different then when getting into a car or onto a plane, but for some reason it feels more immediate. Every rider knows the risks involved, but those risk seem to double when your loved one rides as well. Not only do you have to consider yourself but also the other person. These foreboding thoughts always stick in our minds and remind us to say our peace. This little bit of added risk into our lifestyle reminds us to never go to bed angry, say sorry more earnestly and listen more eagerly. In the end I feel sharing this passion has opened up so many new opportunities for us to cherish together and enjoy. I find riding to be very unique in the concept that while it’s a solitary sport, it still can involve other people on many levels, whether you’re just sharing the lane with them or competing against them. It all builds character, trust and a bond like no other. Dedicated to my loving husband.

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FRICTION ZONE ZONE:: ERIK BUELL SBI AT FIVE YEARS

DIRTY LITTLE SECRETS: NOISY, SMELLY AND LOADS OF FUN! WORDS AND IMAGES: BILLY MORRISON

wo strokes. A unique brand of two wheel fun that is now all but extinct. It’s a different engine combustion method to the standard road going four strokes. I’m not going to delve into the technical details as there are many way more qualified than me to explain it all... But basically the piston has a compression stroke and a return stroke while the four stroke has return and exhaust strokes, firing every other turn of the crankshaft. These motorcycles burn special two stroke oil that smells like the nectar of the Gods, make a noisy crackle that just begs for more throttle and power bands sometimes so narrow that the rider would get thrown from the bike if not completely ready for the power that kicked in. Seriously good fun. I have owned a few and grew up when MotoGP was running 500cc two stroke machines that had minds of their own.

T

tour of Australia and New Zealand, I visited my family in Melbourne. Regular readers know that my Uncle, Barry Ditchburn, was a Works Kawasaki rider and now he builds the Yamaha two stroke beasts, the TZ750’s in his own workshop. His son, Craig, races these things and builds them with Barry who I think has a stable of four race ready machines. The day I rolled up, they were just getting back from a race meeting that Craig had won. Now when I say “build” I mean 100% build, from scratch! So much so that Barry showed me a couple of engines that he had grafted an extra cylinder on. A twin plus a cylinder to make it a two stroke triple. That is not “build” as in here’s a bunch of money for some carbon fibre parts. That is “build” as in let’s start with this piece of metal and make it into an engine! I was suitably impressed.

I was reminded of just how amazing these bikes were last week when, during our current

In amongst the memorabilia, original Ditchburn race bikes, fairings, photos of Barry on the

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FRICTION ZONE: ZONE: DIRTY SBI ATLITTLE FIVE SECRETS

starting grid and their own Dyno room, there were race bikes. Lots of them! It didn’t take much persuasion from me, actually none at all because Barry offered, to start one up, and the engine crackled into life, waking anyone up in a 10 mile radius from their Sunday afternoon nap or post dinner lull. This thing is a bona fide animal and must be incredible to race. Power bands are areas in the rev range where all the power lives. Racers try to keep the bike in that power band the whole time, so that it’s there at the slightest twist of the wrist. Those of us without Superman powers and balls of steel would find the process of keeping a TZ750 race bike in that band very difficult to do. And as I said, back in the day when machines similar to these had headlights and license plates, there would be more than one rider sitting on the tarmac watching his pride and joy continue into a tree, wondering, “Well how the fuck did that happen?” These machines have pretty much been legislated into extinction now. Yes, you can get 150 | SPORTBIKESINCMAG.COM


an old one and run it on some kind of antique or vintage paperwork, but manufacturers have moved on, into the slick, reliable world of four strokes. The unpredictable nature of a big bore two stroke is something that insurance companies, big business and most parents would rather went away quietly. I can remember starting my RD, RZ in the states, 350LC on a cold morning and literally giving my whole street a heart attack. It had to be revved a little to keep it alight until it warmed up. And these engines don’t idle like a Prius. Clouds of smoke from the bean can silencers, silencers in name only seeing as I had taken all the insides out, wafted through the early morning dew and the snap, crackle and pop of the liquid cooled two stroke would be ringing in the ears of passersby way after I had blapped my way out of the street and into London traffic. Green it was not. But once alight, it put a grin on my face from the first corner until the last. I miss the two strokes and all their noisy, smelly, unpredictable and violent charm. SPORTBIKESINCMAG.COM | 151


FRICTION ZONE

THE HIT

LIST

Do you ever wonder what MUSIC your fellow riders are listening to when they are not on the bike? We do... So we decided to ask them.

Steve Blakeney! What’s on your hit list?

“Baby Beluga” by Raffi. Hey! I have a two year old and it’s her house. I just live in it. “Third Eye” by Tool. What can I say? This tune is almost twenty years old and at three minuets and fifty two seconds, yes it’s fourteen minutes long, into the song, I stand up and salute every time! “Finger Lickin’ Good” by the Beastie Boys. Basically, any early 90’s Beastie’s tune, at their funkiest, works for me. Steve Blakeney Marketing Director of Joe Rocket

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THE NEW ISH ICON MOTOSPORTS • MERC VITRIOL JACKET The legendary ICON skull makes an unapologetic appearance across the front of the Merc Vitriol Jacket, accompanied by double vipers, for dramatic effect. Simple yet complex in colorway, the black and white in harmony with the red accent is just enough to catch and hold your attention. Equipped with D3O armor in the shoulders, elbows and back, the Vitriol includes a removable hood. It features a level 1 waterproof chassis in a relaxed fit. Sizes: S - XXXXL Price: $175.00 Contact: http://rideicon.com

TIROX PRODUCTS • SNAPJACK The SnapJack is a portable lift for your bike that makes your rear wheel more accessible for light maintenance. The kit includes a brake locking strap and anti slip pads and when used in conjunction with your bike’s sidestand, the SnapJack lifts your bike about half an inch. At half an inch, you can clean your rear rim or lubricate your chain, with ease. Price: $49.95 Contact: http://thesnapjack.com

ALPINESTARS • NUCLEON KR 2 PROTECTOR The Nucleon KR 2 is a light weight CE certified level 2 back protector designed as adventure touring armor. Its flexible and breathable outer shell combined with its adjustability makes it optimum for longer rides. Price: $139.95 Contact: http://alpinestars.com

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GRAVES MOTORSPORTS • DIAMOND FRAME SLIDERS FOR THE YAMAHA FZ 07 The Diamond No Cut Frame Sliders for the Yamaha FZ 07 feature a shape and design that mirror the line work of the of the bike, making them a great selection when seeking protection for your ride. No modifications are needed for installation. Price: $119.00 Contact: http://gravesport.com

ZERO GRAVITY RACING • CORSA WINDSCREEN FOR THE KAWASAKI

Change the look of your Kawasaki Ninja 300 with the Corsa windscreen from Zero Gravity. The Corsa has a taller profile than the OEM windscreen to offer greater protection from the wind at speed. The Corsa is available in clear and light smoke color options and is a direct replacement for your factory screen with no necessary modifications. Price: $99.95 Contact: http://zerogravity-racing.com

VOODOO MOTO •

PERFORMANCE EXHAUST FOR THE SUZUKI GSXR 600/750

Voodoo’s Performance Exhaust is engineered to deliver a increase in horsepower, greater flow with a richer sound over you OEM stock system. The muffler has a sleek profile with a shape that compliments the over all look of the bike. More power, greater sound and improved looks for the 2008 through 2010 Suzuki GSXR 600/750. Price: $389.95 Contact: http://voodoomoto.com

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THE NEW ISH LIGHTECH RACING • BRAKE AND CLUTCH LEVER GUARDS Lever protection is a serious concern. As you may have seen on race spec bikes, the lever guard is mounted to the bar end to shield the lever in the event of contact with any bike, car or object. It prevents the lever from being struck which could result in the front brakes being slammed or the clutch being disengaged. Lightech Racing’s lever guards are made from solid aluminum billet and are available in for different colors and two different lengths. Colors: Gold, Silver, Black, Red Price: $157.10 Contact: http://tawperformance.com

COMPETITION WERKES • INTEGRATED TAIL LIGHT FOR THE PANIGALE Clear up the back end of your Ducati 1199 Panigale S with the integrated tail light from Competition Werkes. It completely replaces the stock assembly with DOT compliant turn signals and rear brake light. The kit features a plug and play installation process that does not require any wire splicing. Available in clear and smoke lens colors. JOE ROCKET • PHOENIX ION JACKET What began over ten years ago with Joe Rocket’s first armored mesh riding jacket has evolved into today’s highest level of visible mesh jacket that they offer. The Phoenix ION jacket is highlighted by Innolite ultra reflective weaved material shoulder regions, reflective piping, stripes and logos. The Phoenix is waterproof and warm via a full sleeve zip out liner and also houses a vest liner. The mesh outer shell keeps you cool when the weather is warm and the six point adjustment system ensures a proper fit. The Phoenix is equipped with an eight inch zipper plus two belt loops for attachment of the riding pants, such as the Phoenix Ion Mesh Riding Pants. Sizes: S - XXXXXL Colors: Black, Red, Blue, Hi Viz, Silver, White Price: $199.99 - $214.99 Contact: http://joerocket.com 156 | SPORTBIKESINCMAG.COM

Price: $234.95 Contact: http://competitionwerkes.com


BROCKS PERFORMANCE • VZ9 VELOCE FULL SYSTEM EXHAUST FOR THE NINJA 300

The new VZ9 Veloce system for the Kawasaki Ninja 300 features a 8.5 inch GP style megaphone muffler that is available in an Electro Black or a Titanium finish. The VZ9 system weighs half of the OEM system, coming in at 7 pounds. The Electro Black is product of a chemical process that colors, protects and maintains the look and lifespan of the muffler. The Titanium version offers a considerable higher amount of strength, lighter weight and resilience over steel. The systems is engraved with the Brock’s Performance logo, includes a set of block off caps and installs with no modifications necessary. Available for the Kawasaki Ninja 300, model years 2013 through 2015. Color: Electro Black, Titanium Price: $659.95 - $695.95 Contact: http://brocksperformance.com

MOTO D RACING • CLUTCH AND BRAKE FOLDING LEVERS

Moto D Racing continues to hit the market with amazing products at great prices. Their latest offering is a clutch and brake folding lever set made from billet aluminum featuring six point adjustability to dial in the feel to the rider’s liking. They are designed to fit your factory mounts and are interchangeable with your bike’s OEM levers. Price: $99.99 Contact: http://motodracing.com

DAINESE • FULL METAL D1 GLOVES

The D1 gloves offer maximum protection, style and comfort thanks to several key factors. The leather chassis is reinforced by kevlar stitching for durability. The D1’s feature titanium inserts on the knuckles and carbon fiber inserts on the back of the hand and at the joint of the fingers. The hidden gem on the FullMetal D1 Gloves is the Distortion Control found at the base of the little finger that minimizes the risk twisting or distorted the little finger in the event of an accident. Sizes: XS - XXL Colors: Black/White/Anthracite, Black/White/Red, Black Price: $399.95 Contact: http://dainese.com

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THE NEW ISH: FEATURED ITEM AMERICAN KARGO • HI VIS TROOPER BACKPACK

The Trooper was engineered and designed to meet the needs of today’s motorcyclist. There is plenty of room for everything that you might need on your daily commute or even a weekend road trip, perhaps even longer depending on well you pack. The Trooper has designated compartments to store your essential tools, first aid items, your laptop and even has drop down helmet storage for your helmet when not on the bike. It features retroflective panels that work in harmony with the highly visible neon yellow sections to aid your visibility factor when riding in less than optimal lighting. The Trooper stays in place on your back at speed thanks to its butterfly harness that also makes the Trooper one of the most comfortable backpacks on the market that riders can choose from. The Trooper also features lower back support that helps today’s sportbike rider enjoy their ride just a little longer. Price: $180.00 Contact: http://americankargo.com

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PERFORMANCE RIDING MOTORCYCLE ACCESSORIES

Strapless Transport Motorcycle Stands ● The Original Trailer Restraint System, Since 2004 ● No Stress on Suspension or Handlebars ● Bolts to Trailer / Long Bed Truck Floor ● Solid Steel, Axle Bar Included, 100% Secure

WWW.MOTODRACING.COM /MOTODRACING

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STAFF STUFF CRG MOTO • SHORTY CARBON FIBER CLUTCH AND BRAKE LEVERS Allan Lane

I replaced my stock levers with these beauties from CRG Moto and having installedCRG Roll a Click levers on my other bikes I was expecting the same quality of product and self consumer satisfaction as before. I was wrong... The CRG Carbon levers are a completely different type of lever all together. No, they don’t activate the front brake or disengage the clutch automatically via artificial intelligence. But they are pretty brilliant. They feature a beautiful matte finish on a continuous strand of carbon fiber that also makes them super light weight and extremely strong. They are sexy as only a set of carbon

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fiber levers can be. CRG moved the notch upward in the adjustability department. These levers are not only adjustable in its horizontal static position but its vertical position as well. You can really dial in your comfort level. The only issue I can take with them is that they do seem really short when compared to my other CRG shorty levers. Another half of an inch would make them the perfect. http://crgmoto.com Rating: 5.5 (out of 6)


MSRP $489

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THE BACK SHOT!

Image: Allan Lane Location: Circuit of the Americas, Austin TX


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