ROAD RACING . DRAG RACING . STUNT RIDING
CUSTOM BIKES . Moto tECH
december 2012 Vol 3 Issue 3
SPORTBIKESINCMAG.COM TM
JOSH HAYES
photographed by michael spain-smith
ZERO MOTORCYCLES | MINIGP | IMS - SELL ME A BIKE! | How to have a successful M.C. event | the mid section connection
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Rule the Road The Streetfighter 848 delivers the power, precision handling and agility you would expect from a Ducati Superbike, perfectly balanced with an assertive riding position designed for maximum rider comfort on the street. The reign of the new Streetfighter 848 has begun. ducatiusa.com
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THE FEATURES The 2012 Zero S
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josh hayes
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How to have a successful M.C. event
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mini gp
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ims: sell me a bike!
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the mid section connection
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THE USUALS
december 2012 - VOLUME 3, ISSUE 3 INTERACTIVE
http://issuu.com/action/page?page=8 8 EDITOR’S LETTER
http://issuu.com/action/page?page=10 10 THE PRESS ROOM http://issuu.com/action/page?page=28 28 SHOP SPOTLIGHT - medusa fabrication http://issuu.com/action/page?page=30 30 THE GRID NEWS http://issuu.com/action/page?page=34 34 THE INSIDE TRACK - By Corey Alexander http://issuu.com/action/page?page=64 64 The youngest in charge - By Dystany Spurlock 68http://issuu.com/action/page?page=68 CAPO’S CUT - By Ashon CAPO Dickerson http://issuu.com/action/page?page=78 78 VIOLET STARS & HAPPY STUNTING - By Leah Petersen http://issuu.com/action/page?page=92 92 FEATURED CLUB - jer-z jewelZ m.C. 96http://issuu.com/action/page?page=96 KNOW YOUR ROLE - how to have a successful M.C. event 100http://issuu.com/action/page?page=100 FEATURED RIDERS http://issuu.com/action/page?page=104 104 MOTO TECH - A tidy workspace http://issuu.com/action/page?page=110 110 IMPROVE YOUR SKILLS - the mid section connection http://issuu.com/action/page?page=122 122 SPORTBIKES INK!!! http://issuu.com/action/page?page=126 126 THIS LIFE - By Tyson Beckford http://issuu.com/action/page?page=128 128 THE NEW ISH http://issuu.com/action/page?page=134 134 STAFF STUFF
CLICK ON NUMBERS TO JUMP TO A PAGE
FEATURED RIDER Travelyon PAGE 100
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EDITOR’S LETTER EDITORIAL
THE TEAM
My homie Snoop, representing SportBikes Inc Magazine in Arizona. Salute!
amazing. In addition to providing the incredible quality content that you have come to know and expect from SBI, they deal with, put up with and tolerate me! Need I say more...
Props to all of our readers and supporters. We do this for you, the global motorcycle community. The support continues to grow to my amazement and wonder. My good buddy Snoop is the President of the Outsidaz M.C. in Arizona. He recently sent me the above picture of himself representing SBI on full in Arizona with his SBI vest patch. Snoop is one of those cats that when he says he down, he really means it. He’s been down since day one. You gotta’ love it! It means a lot and I respect that. So as we close out another year and prepare to face the challenges of whatever comes our way in 2013, I want to give props to you all. Thanks for joining us on this ride. Ya’ dig?
ART & DESIGN
hat a year... What a year... What a year! W We’ve made it through another one and I must give props where props are due. The staff of SBI is
Editor in Chief: Allan Lane Lifestyle Editor: Tyson Beckford Moto-Tech Editor: Mark Rozema Technical Advisor: Thomas Campion Drag Race Editor: Ashon “Capo” Dickerson Riding Editor: Eric Wood Contributing Writers: Dystany Spurlock Corey Alexander Michael Lawless Leah Petersen Kim Roper Copy Editor: Angela Lane
Creative Supervisor: Leon Brittain Graphic Designer: Baz Contributing Photographers: Leon Brittain, Michael Spain-Smith, Kwame Olds, John Hanson, Benjamin Loyle Cover: Michael Spain-Smith
SportBikes Inc Magazine - December 2012 Volume 3, Issue 3 To receive SportBikes Inc Magazine’s 2013 Media Kit and Advertising Rates, please email: info@sportbikesincmag.com. SportBikes Inc Magazine (ISSN 2158-009X) is published monthly by Hard Knocks Motorcycle Entertainment. 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.
Happy holidays!
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.
Best, Allan
SportBikes Inc Magazine is not responsible for any advertising claims made by its advertisers or partners.
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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.
The press room New Jersey Motorsports Park announces partnership with SportBikes Inc Magazine NJMP has announced a marketing partnership with SBI for the 2013 season that will focus on the new AHRMA vintage bike festival and the returning AMA Pro Racing event. “We’re looking forward to working with Allan and his team as we approach the exciting motorcycle events we have in store for our fans next season,” said NJMP general manager Brad Scott. “Allan has built a very impressive bank of partners in the industry and he’ll be a tremendous asset to us in more ways than one.” The inaugural Vintage Motorcycle Festival featuring AHRMA Racing will take place August 2nd through 4th, while GEICO Motorcycle AMA Pro Road Racing returns to New Jersey Motorsports Park September 13th-15th.
TRIUMPH LAUNCHES NEW ONLINE SHOP FOR APPAREL AND ACCESSORIES Triumph has recently launched their online shop making it easier for their client base to get a hold of Triumph gear and accessories. The site is an online compliment to their well established dealer network. Click below to check out the site:
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The press room ERIK BUELL SECURES SUPPORT WITH GE FINANCIAL Erik Buell Racing LLC has locked a deal with GE Financial that will support the expansion of Buell’s U.S. dealer network. Dealers will now be able to stock the EBR line of motorcycles, thus broadening the market scope. “As we ramp up our production capabilities and introduce other models, it’s great to know that we have a finance company that can support us as we expand. I’m pleased that GE Capital, with its decades of experience in the motorsports industry, continues to support emerging manufacturers like EBR.” - Erik Buell.
More than 7,500 Ducati 1199 Panigale motorcycles sold in 2012 Numbers do not lie. Ducati’s 1199 Panigale hit the 7,500 plus sold mark in 2012, solidifying that the Italian manufacturer’s hard work and extensive reinvestment into its products and market are paying off. Despite the global economical situation, the Panigale has risen above the difficult, slow market to shine. And for a new product, that’s impressive.
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FRICTION ZONE: ducstock 2011
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words: ALLAN Lane images: Courtesy of Zero Motorcycles SPORTBIKESINCMAG.COM | 17
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T
he world is changing. Technology is advancing at unprecedented level. If you think you have the latest and greatest bit of tech or gear... Wait five minutes and you’ll find that you’re holding yesterday’s news. But that’s the joy and wonderment of technology. It’s about keeping up with the “Nano” Joneses. It affects every bit of our lives and that includes how we ride. In recent years, tech has given way to the birth of zero emission, electric motorcycles. It took a little while to gain some traction but the next thing in motorcycles is gaining speed. Let’s be honest, no one is reinventing the wheel. However, they are reengineering how the wheel gets from point A to point B. If you’ve paid any attention to the evolution of the electric motorcycle, it’s a safe bet to say that none of the companies that were involved at the dawn of these machines were looking to win a beauty contest. They were all bulky and awkward looking machines... and quiet. My thoughts the first time that I saw one was, “Where are the pedals? It’s a
moped, right?” But as with all things, if you give it time to mature and blossom, give it time to grow... You may find yourself delightfully surprised. The concerns of the electric motorcycle pioneers were not aesthetics. They were concerned about efficient, battery powered two wheeled vehicles that were not only safe to ride but harmless to the environment. That was a challenge. Looks would be addressed a little further down the road. How could a battery powered bike compete in a fuel driven market where horsepower, torque and speed dominate? Competing with gas powered machines was never the issue to the pioneers of the electric, either. Interestingly enough, a by product of focusing on the real issues at hand would bear the fruit of power, torque and speed. Since 2006, Zero Motorcycles have remained focused on the issues at hand. They set out to design and build safe for you, safe for the earth, performance driven machines that would
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revolutionize the two wheeled market. They were going to achieve this through their Z Force Air Induction System. Z Force Tech maximizes the air flowing into a compact and very light weight electric motor, resulting in more horsepower. The Zero S has a max speed of 88 miles per hour and a sustained top speed of 75. Remember, this is in comparison to Brammo’s Empluse (Max sustained speed of 70 miles per hour). This tech has propelled Zero to the forefront of the electric bike market. Factoring in their power source, a patented lithium ion battery pack, it would be a tough argument to say that they are not leading the pack. If Zero were true revolutionaries in the motorcycle industry and were really looking to turn it on its ear, they were going to have their machines not only be powerful, they would have to be lighter than anything else on the production line... battery or gas powered. 14.5 pounds. That’s the weight of the Zero X’s aircraft grade aluminum frame. The Zero S’s frame is a heaping 22 pounds. Designed by a former NASA engineer, Neal Saiki, the Zero frame is made to be stronger than most yet lighter than all. It is currently the world’s lightest motorcycle frame. Ok. So they’re light and they’re fast... as far as electric motorcycles go. But is it cool? Coolness is measured in the throttle hand of the rider... In other words, it is best recommended that you take advantage of Zero’s demo ride program and throw a leg over one for yourself. But since you’re asking, I’m happy to share with you my thoughts. It is cool? Yes. However, you must take into account what you are riding. It’s pointless to compare the Zero experience to a Desmosidici, because it isn’t one. You can’t compare a Prius to Bugatti Veyron no more than you can compare a boot to a door knob. The Zero is not the bike that you are going take on that cross country expedition, unless you have strategically plotted every plug in station on your route. 20 | SPORTBIKESINCMAG.COM
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the 2012 zero S 22 | SPORTBIKESINCMAG.COM
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The charging system is something to take note of, as well. Zero’s bikes utilize a permanent magnet, maintenance free electric motor that works in harmony with their advanced battery cell monitoring system. The braking system is regenerative. The result is greater range, more power and a longer battery life between charges. When you do have to recharge, find any 110 or 220 volt socket and plug in. Comparable to a float charger, the charging system brings the battery where it needs to be and lets it float. You cannot over charge the battery. Batteries, over time, lose power and even rechargeable batteries eventually lose the ability to keep a charge. While the lithium ion battery pack has an extended life expectancy over the typical bike battery, it will eventually fade. Thinking ahead of the curve, Zero has implemented and is constantly striving to improve their battery recycle program. In not so much a sidebar but sidebar nonetheless, it is refreshing for a company to take responsibility for their carbon footprint left on the planet. The Zero S has a commuter vibe to it. The body style isn’t sporty as in sportbike. It hints at hybrid but remains something all together different, but leans toward off road or motard. Aesthetics are at work here and I get it. It serves the purpose. It reads very well as a city machine. The seating is slightly tall but not uncomfortable. Those who have experience with motor cross bikes will feel at home behind the handlebars as the ergonomics are derivative of larger off road bike, as mentioned. Handling is smooth but there’s room for growth here. Coming to stops, a bit of sponginess could be felt in the front end but only momentarily. The rear end was firm, not stiff. I was happy to notice how well the bike cornered. It really is light and nimble. When discussing acceleration, it’s imperative that you remember that you are not comparing this bike to a gas powered machine... imperative. There’s no throaty rattling of the exhaust as you idle 24 | SPORTBIKESINCMAG.COM
anticipating the rolling of the throttle, releasing the pent up frustrations of whatever many horses you have ready to disseminate on the asphalt beneath your feet. Honestly, I had to remind myself that the bike was running for the first half of the ride. As I rolled on the throttle the bike emitted only monotone humming as the power came on. There’s no clutch lever to fiddle with. It’s simply roll throttle and go. The throttle response was on point with no hesitation. Aside from the advanced technology that produces arguably the highest level of performance from an electric motorcycle in production, the hybrid crossover sort of visual appeal and the virtual weightlessness of the Zero S, it was the silence of the machine that was deafening. That is something that you have to address and get accustomed to. It was a distraction. I can’t imagine any rider that isn’t in love with the roar of their bike’s engine and the crackling thunder of their exhaust. It’s comforting to know that there is a level of audible awareness that surrounds you like a pseudo cloud of protection. The absence of that is unsettling. Thus, you again must remind yourself that you can not expect that from this an electric motorcycle. What I found was that I was more aware of my surrounding as I rode as I feared, no... knew that the auto drivers were never going to hear me coming, going or even sitting next to them at the light. Yet, the Zero S remains cool. Is it for every one? No. It serves a purpose for the market of rider that Zero is targeting and like I said before... I get it. The technology involved with it’s engineering, design and execution is a forethought of tomorrow’s world of transportation. We will depend less and less on fuels as these bikes move more into the mainstream. They will become faster and stronger and visually more appealing, more captivating. They will shift from “cool” into the “I need that in my life” category. Zero has created more than an electric motorcycle. Their machine has offered all those who are paying attention a glimpse into the future of how we get from point A to point B. And that’s pretty cool.
BELLS AND WHISTLES
Z-Force™ Technology: 100+ Mi Range / 300,000+ Mi on a Power Pack Brushless Motor and Regenerative Braking: 88 mph Top Speed Frame and Bodywork: Lightweight and Stealthy Lightweight 10 Spoke Wheels Maintenance Free Belt Drive MOTOR Type:....................................................... High efficiency, double-stator axial flux permanent magnet, .............................................................. brushless motor with integrated forced air cooling Controller:............................................... High efficiency, 420 amp, 3-phase brushless controller with .............................................................. re-generative deceleration Top speed (max):...................................... 88 mph (142 km/h) Top speed (sustained)............................... 75 mph (121 km/h)
SPECIFICATIONS
DRIVETRAIN Transmission:........................................... Clutchless one speed Final Drive: . ............................................ 132T / 28T, Poly Chain® GT® Carbon™ belt CHASSIS Front suspension system: ........................ 38mm inverted forks with adjustable compression and rebound damping Rear suspension system: ......................... Direct-link shock with adjustable spring preload, compression .............................................................. and rebound damping Front brake: . .......................................... 2 piston hydraulic, 310x4 mm floating disc Rear brake: . ........................................... 1 piston hydraulic, 220x4 mm disc Front wheel: ........................................... 3.00x17 Rear wheel: ............................................ 3.50x17 Front tire: .............................................. 110/70-17 Rear tire: ............................................... 130/70-17 DIMENSIONS Seat height: . .......................................... 33.1 inches (841 mm) Rake: ..................................................... 23.1 degrees Trail: ...................................................... 3.0 inches (76 mm) Wheel base: ............................................ 56.6 inches (1438 mm) Frame weight........................................... 22 pounds (10 kg) Dry weight............................................... 297 pounds (135 kg) Carrying capacity: ................................... 384 pounds (174 kg) POWER SYSTEM Type:....................................................... Z-Force™ patented Li-Ion intelligent power pack Estimated pack life to 80% (city)............... 205,000 miles (330,000 km) Charge time (standard)............................. 6.0 hours (100% charged) / 5.3 hours (95% charged) Input....................................................... Standard 110V or 220V
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Shop Spotlight: Medusa fabrication
Words: Allan Lane Images: Courtesy of Medusa Fabrication
CONTACT: Medusa fabrication’s 2008 custom triumph thruxton
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Shop name: Medusa Fabrication Address: 11707 West 99th Street Overland Park, KS 66214 Hours: Monday thru Friday 9am - 5pm Year established: 2011 Brands serviced: All
T
here is a resurgence of proper custom bike building. This has nothing to do with pre manufactured parts being bolted on to bikes. We are talking about bikes being built from the engine up. If there is a part needed, you make it. What should fit or work, you make it so in a glorious fashion. The definition of the word “fabricate” is to invent or create... Enter the guys from Medusa Fabrication. Chad and Theo launched Medusa Fabrication in August of 2011 in their garages to design and create custom motorcycles and parts. Utilizing their backgrounds in blacksmithing and precision
fabrication, it wasn’t long before the two were creating two wheeled art. These two artists build by the credo “Fortunae Meae, Multorum Faber.” Translated, it means, “Artisan of my fate and that of several others.” Medusa Fabrication excel in creating high quality motorcycles and fabrications for their clientele with an attention to detail and precision that rivals the goods of craftsmen from earlier generations. These metal heads may be old school, but in today’s over rushed and pre packaged world... A little bit of old school just may be what we all need.
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THE GRID: news In Memoriam… Chris Klinefelter
Chris Klinefelter passed away in a car accident, following the Timonium Short Track Racing event in Maryland in early December. Only hours prior, Klinefelter along with Jake Shoemaker helped SBI Staffer Mike Lawless with his first Indoor Short Track Racing debut. Klinefelter was a racer and a friend. He shall be missed. The staff of SportBikes Inc Magazine offers their condolences to Chris Klinefelter’s family and friends.
“History of Sic” opens in Super Sic’s hometown The Italian hometown of the late Marco Simoncelli had recently opened the “History of Sic” exhibition that will span the life and times of the fallen rider. The exhibit will include personal items and artifacts such as his very first set of race leathers. The exhibition opened on December 12 at the Palace of Culture in Coriano, Rimini.
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New Jersey Motorsports Park to host AHRMA 2013 Vintage Bike Fest, August 2-4, 2013
2013 MIRock Schedule In a press release, NJMP announced that the American Historic Racing Motorcycle Association (AHRMA) will bring North America’s largest tour of vintage and modern alternative racing motorcycles to Thunderbolt Raceway on August 2-4, 2012. AHRMA is a not for profit organization focused on the restoration and competition of vintage motorcycles. The organization is best known for their
annual Barber Vintage Festival. “We’re looking to put together a festival-type experience with AHRMA, similar to what they helped build at Barber. We want this to be a premiere event on our schedule for years to come. Swap meets, bike shows, auctions, vendors, all in addition to the racing; two-wheel fans of all ages are going to be very pleased with this announcement.” – Brad Scott NJMP General Manager.
The fast paced drag racing action of the MIRock Series returns in 2013 with an exciting schedule that hits some favorite tracks and some new ones as well. FBR Shop Spring Bike Open March 22 - 24, 2013 Rockingham, NC Fast by Gast Spring Nationals April 26 - 28, 2013 Budds Creek, MD Fast by Gast Summer Nationals May 31 - June 2, 2013 Budds Creek, MD Adams Performance Sportsman Summer Sizzler June 28 - 30, 2013 Rockingham, NC WPGC Bike Fest July 19 - 21, 2013 Budds Creek, MD Dragbikelive.com Sportsman Showdown August 9 - 11, 2013 Rockingham, NC Orient Express U.S. Nationals September 6 - 8, 2013 Atco, NJ Fast by Gast Fall Nationals October 4 - 6, 2013 Budds Creek, MD Lee’s Performance World Finals November 1 - 3, 2013 Rockingham, NC SPORTBIKESINCMAG.COM | 31
THE GRID: news MV Agusta returns to World Supersport with ParkinGo The MV Agusta F3 675 will return to the world racing stage in 2013 with the ParkinGo Team. MV and ParkinGo have signed a three year contract with the F3 race machine to be developed by the 2011 World SuperSport Champions. “It gives me great satisfaction to announce this agreement with Team ParkinGO. Personally speaking, for me it is a big and exciting challenge as I have inherited from my father the passion for racing. I am convinced that with the experience of engineer Massimo Bordi, who is involved in this project as well, we have all the right components needed to get important results.” -Giovanni Castiglioni, President of MV Agusta.
Meet Ana Carrasco… Moto3’s first lady Ana Carrasco is 15, a native of Spain… and just inked a deal to make her not only the youngest Moto3 competitor but also the first ever female to compete in the series. Carrasco joins her teammate Maverick Vinales on the JHK TShirt effort for the 2013 championship in the new series. The required minimum age to compete is 16. Fortunately for Carrasco, she turns 16 in March of 2013. Carrasco has made history before by being the first female to earn points in the CEV 125 Championship. “I am very happy about this opportunity Jaime and my sponsors are giving me. To debut in the World Championship is the dream of every rider. I was not expecting it and I am very enthusiastic about it. I can’t wait to get into pre-season testing and do my first race. In Almeria I didn’t ride an official KTM, but the feeling I had with the standard bike was good and I’m pretty happy. The chassis is very different from what I’ve ridden this year and I rode over a second faster.” – Ana Carrasco 32 | SPORTBIKESINCMAG.COM
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THE GRID
The inside track
Words: Corey alexander IMAGE: john hanson
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n the racing world, the down time between two seasons is often the most hectic. From an outsider’s perspective it may not seem this way but to a racer it’s known as “The Silly Season”. This is because it’s usually the period of time where teams get overhauled whether it is with new riders, new sponsors, new manufacturers, new mechanics, and anything else you could imagine possibly changing within a motorcycle racing team.
Fortunately, in my past 3 seasons I’ve had my uncle to do the majority of the work. Not many people have someone in their arsenal as important and well respected as him. Though, even with that said, even this year has been a stressful silly season, finding new sponsors, hoping old ones come back, and many more scenarios I’m probably not allowed to talk about.
The other side of “Silly Season” is primarily focused around the rider. It seems like The “Silly Season” becomes it’d be nice to take a break very stressful for most, whether and do as you please for a your riding for a team or few months after a season working for a team, that is of traveling and in my case unless you have a multiyear injury, but in reality that’s not contract and some solid how champions are made. It funding for you and your is crucial that during the off team... that’d be ideal. season you get the majority of In today’s world with the your training in. How well you economy as it is, the “Silly train in between the seasons Season” has become more will make or break you for the and more of a challenge; even following year. This is mostly more of a nerve wrecking because you don’t really have experience for everyone time to train in between races involved. Unfortunately, with during the season, you have the total lack of well funded to travel from coast to coast racing teams in the world, it is and back again within short often a scramble to either find periods of time. It makes it a team or bike to ride or to hard to raise the level of your find the funding to personally fitness once the season has do so. already begun.
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Connect with Corey...
Though it often is nerve wracking being a racer during “Silly Season”, if you’re a fan it can be quite exciting. I know from some inside knowledge that there are tons of exciting things going down during this “Silly Season”. I think that 2013 has the potential to be
one of the best seasons in a long time for both the riders out there and the fans. I know I’m pumped for it. Since I’m still recovering from my broken leg I’m super excited to ride again, especially knowing what the future holds!
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THE GRID
MiniGP
words: Michael Lawless Images: Benjamin Loyle
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H
ave you ever wanted to go road racing? Work on your skills? What’s holding you back? Maybe you don’t want to crash that beloved motorcycle. Factor in the cost and time, right? Others contemplate what could go wrong at speed. Make a small error at 160 miles per hour and it can be a big thing. Speed does not kill, but it does magnify mistakes. Even MotoGP aces like Nicky Hayden run out of track as it happened at Aragon. A while ago I was at New Jersey Motorsports Park and happened upon a MiniGP event. MiniGP is the racing of small displacement dirt bikes, under 150cc’s on road tires or slicks on a paved kart road racing track. Consider it road racing on a smaller scale, same excitement of battle and high lean angles but at lower speeds. MiniGP is a great, low cost way of getting track time and working on your skills in a safer environment. Before you dismiss MiniGP, take a look at who races these events. Professional road racers such as PJ Jacobsen, Eric Stump and professional flat track race winners and champions Jake Shoemaker, Jake Johnson and the Texlers, young champions to be and even old guys like me. I must admit I was humbled the first practice session when I got passed at the entrance of a corner by a pro flat track racer backing it in, sliding sideways. I found it interesting to watch the different riding styles: road racers with knee down, flat trackers foot down backing it in, racers riding traditional style, up right with the bike doing their best Mike Hailwood impersonations, all approaching speed and high lean angles differently. The racers are friendly in the pits, but on the track... it is on. When I ride on the street I rarely push hard for more than a few corners without coming up on traffic or something. But here in the world of MiniGP I can push as hard as I can, holding the bike wide open repeatedly which
I find liberating after so much street riding. My favorite of the sprint and endurance races is the four hour endurance race. A great excuse for four friends to get together for an afternoon of racing. Each rider runs a 30 minute session in rotation and the race starts with a “Le Mans type” start. It’s a fun way to spend a day at the track with your friends. Good times, indeed. My life is crazy. I work 60 hour weeks in an industry very non motorcycle. I have a beautiful wife Amy and a lovely 7 year old daughter Olive. I am incredibly “time poor”. Most of my riding is back and forth to work. When I get the call to go MiniGP racing my wife always does her best to help me get it together. Amy always says I walk taller and smile easier after a day at the track. The week leading up to the race, Hurricane Sandy hit. We made out better than most but still no power or heat till Friday. Wifey was not amused. As a matter of fact, our neighborhood postponed Trick Or Treat until Saturday which also happened to be race day. I got an email saying that our four hour race was still on, Trick Or Treat was on, and my wife was working. Perfect. The only clear solution was to have me ride first in rotation and leave after my second session before the race ended so I could make it home in time for Trick Or Treating with my daughter. I was told “Do not be late!” The best laid plans of mice and men... Finally race day dawns very cold and windy. This will be the first time I try out slicks too. Practice goes well and I am very happy with the tires and bike. I tell my teammates I know full well how careful I have to be on cold slicks. I mean, I’ve watched hundreds of races, literally. I’ve seen what happens when cold tires fight back. Out I go for my warm up lap swerving left and right and braking to build up heat. As I accelerate out of the second corner... Blam! Next thing I know I am belly flopping onto the SPORTBIKESINCMAG.COM | 39
THE GRID: Minigp
“A
s I accelerate out of the second corner... Blam! Next thing I know I am belly flopping onto the asphalt, sliding face down into the dirt with the wind knocked out me!”
asphalt, sliding face down into the dirt with the wind knocked out me! The race hasn’t even started yet! I struggle back to my feet and pick up the bike but can’t get it started so I push back to the pits nearby. The team starts the bike and straightens out a few things while I start to realize how badly my ribs hurt. We still get me out to the line on time for the “Le Mans” type start. A “Le Mans” start is where the riders line up across the track from the bikes and when the flag man waves the green flag the riders race across the track, start their bikes and take off. I started off slowly but cautiously until I knew the tires were warm. By the end of the first lap I felt confident again and started to work my way forward. My 30 minute session passed quickly and before I knew it I was pulling into the pits to hand off to the next 40 | SPORTBIKESINCMAG.COM
rider. During my break I had some water, a Red Bull and a few aspirin. I relaxed but was wondering should I text my wife and tell her about my off? My friend Bud Nixon says “No way!” But I do it anyway. The text read: “All is well. Fun racing. Hurt my ribs a little but OK. See ya’ soon.” My wife is working and she does not get the text till later. My time in the pits passes quickly and I help refuel during one of the stops. Before I know it I’m getting suited back up to head out for my second and final session of racing. The Red Bull and the aspirin are working. I feel good. After a quick lap I feel fantastic again. I love this track and this bike. Big fun! I battle
“I
relaxed but was wondering should I text my wife and tell her about my off? My friend Bud Nixon says ‘No way!’”
with several racers while getting lapped by the really fast guys. Two laps from the end of my session I struggle to get by another racer, finally drifting pass him in the outside in one of the faster corners only to lock up the front brake and crash a few corners later. Sliding to a halt I realize the bike is still running. So I pull in the clutch and pick her up. The peg is jammed and the protector for the left lever is broken loose but I still ride her back to the pits to hand off to the next rider. I apologize for the damage to the bike and having to leave now to make Halloween on time. Team Owner, Bill Martin thanks me for riding and says if he was worried about the bike he would not have raced it. I hated to leave before the end of the race but my next race begins... I had to race home in time for Halloween.
Although daddy was hurt we did make it out in time for Trick Or Treat. My wife was concerned for my health and maybe less than amused about me crashing, but all was forgiven. I am blessed by a great lady. All in another day for a rider. The Team Bill Martin - Owner of the Yamaha TT125. Bill’s efforts bring us together. He was a successful road racer in the eighties and later a successful crew chief for Team Hooter Suzuki. Bill is an avid sport bike and racing guy. John Lawless - Racer. Successful racer in WERA and AHRMA for the last 20 years. Currently racing a Norton Manx in AHRMA events. Ron McGill - was supposed to be our fourth guy but could not make it at the last minute due to a business issue. He is a former AMA Superbike Racer and Instructor.
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AHRMA The American Historic Racing Motorcycle Association Festival
AUGUST 2 - 4, 2013
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AMA PRO AMA Pro Road Racing
SEPTEMBER 13 - 15, 2013
Sponsorship and vendor opportunities available. SPORTBIKESINCMAG.COM | 43
JOSH HAYES
WORDS: ALLAN lane 44 | SPORTBIKESINCMAG.COM
iMAGES: michael spain-smith
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THE GRID: Josh hayes
J
osh Hayes is going to get faster. It’s not a question of if. It’s really not a question of when. It’s a reality. It’s the next step in his evolution. It’s progress. Race 1 of the New Jersey round of AMA Pro Road Racing in 2011, Josh won by 2 seconds. In 2012, Josh won the race by a gap of 22 seconds. But that wasn’t a testament to Josh’s physical speed. His race times between 2011 and 2012 only differed by half a second. Where was everyone else? While physical speed can be a by product of the ideal elements being in line, the theory of mental speed can give way to an uncanny consistency. Uncanny and more likely intimidating. Josh is getting faster in all regards. He knows it because it is his goal and he works hard at it. If Josh was within half a second of his winning time from the previous year, then everyone else was off pace. Josh Hayes is a problem... For everyone else on the grid. SBI: I was in the timing booth in New Jersey. At one point, to me it seemed liked the gap had reached 30 seconds. We were counting them off. Waiting. You would go by and it seemed like we were counting to 30 before we saw anybody come around the bin. But then, I went back and I looked at your times from 2011. You were just extremely consistent, if not better, a little bit. Everybody else just seemed to slow down for whatever reason. Josh Hayes: My race time from Race1 in NJ 2011, I beat Ben Bostrom by 2 seconds. My race time from start to checkered flag in 2012, both races were within half a second of that complete race time from green flag to checkered flag. A half second over 35 minutes. Last year I won by 2 seconds, this year I won by 22 and 17 or something. That had nothing to do with me. The only thing that had to do with me is that those boys were just focused on the wrong thing. If they don’t change their game for 2013, then you’re going to see the same kind of season. 46 | SPORTBIKESINCMAG.COM
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THE GRID: Josh hayes
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SBI: So they need to step their game up if they want to keep up? JH: I’m just gonna go out there and I’m gonna try. I’m working hard to improve me as a professional. I’m trying to increase my capacity to do what I have to do to stretch my limits so that I can be better in 2013. If they catch up to where I was in 2012, they may have another step to get to me in 2013. That’s my hope and my plan. It’s kinda up to them and what they do. I don’t know how to control them. Josh Herrin has all the keys to the castle. What he chooses to do with them is, I don’t know. The same goes for Blake Young. He has a great team behind him. I’m sure they can analyze what he did right and wrong in 2012 and figure out what to do next. We’ll have to see what they decide to do. But I know what my program is and I know what I did to make my improvements this year. Can I do it again? I think I can and I’m gonna try to. SBI: You mention training. I know that it’s not just about show up, get on the bike, twist the throttle, hope for the best. Can you shed some light on your training? How you prepare your body and your mind? How does Josh Hayes pregame? JH: I think everybody might be very close to the same, but everybody’s a little bit different at the same time. I can tell you having Melissa (Paris) in the house, we are quite different. We do so many of the same things that our outlook and attitude toward it can be quite a bit different. You kinda have a basic idea of a plan. It’s not drawn out to be very specific. So many cycling plans are like you go out and you do these intervals and you do this and spend this much time, blah, blah, blah. Mine is not really that hard nosed and drawn in the sand like that. We know that December is a volume month for me, but basically on my bicycle I’m gonna go out and get as many hours in as I can probably stand without breaking my but in half on a bicycle. It’s easy for me here, being in Southern California because there are so many opportunities. There are so many bicyclists here, so many people out riding. Basically I’m going out to do a 3 hour plus peddle every single day. I’m riding around with a high end cycle, so you know it gets very
hard to actually get an easy day. But I’m not necessarily going out there with a training idea of hey, today I’m gonna go bury myself. Then you start getting into the beginning of February and you start getting into those high end rides, more and more. I’m not really good with intervals. You give me a plan to go out and do this many intervals or this many intervals. I don’t really follow it that well. I don’t enjoy it. If I don’t enjoy I’m not gonna do it. So, basically my hard days are I’m gonna go out and ride with this group ride and I’m gonna turn myself inside out trying to keep up with a bunch of professional cyclers. So you make those your hard days. SBI: Besides cycling, what other forms of training do you indulge? JH: I like motocross. Tennis has been another thing. It’s just something that’s physical. It’s something that I enjoy. What I’ve been actually learning from it is a little bit about the mental side of the game. It’s so much different than what we do. Anything motorcycle commands your attention. You cannot do it at a high level without a focus that is just out of this world. Tennis is something that is a little bit different. You have to control that because every point you play, is for a single point. Then you have to have a very short memory you have to put away whatever just happened to go back and start over and play again for another point. That’s been quite the challenge for me because I have a really bad tendency to get hung up on a mistake and let that affect the next 4 or 5 points. You’re playing halfhearted thinking about how to fix the last 3 or 4 points so, It’s been quite the learning experience for me. But, these are like the majority of the things: the road cycling, the mountain biking, motocross and tennis. These are the things that I like doing but I typically don’t make any of these super competitive. I keep it light hearted. I’m a good motorcycle racer and I get extremely competitive when I get on a motorcycle. SBI: I’d have to agree. You’re a good motorcycle racer. After 3 championships, I’d argue that you may be slightly better than good. JH: I think maybe because being a hotshot on a motorcycle, or being really good at something SPORTBIKESINCMAG.COM | 49
THE GRID: Josh hayes is tough because I train around really, really advanced cyclists. I never want to put all my heart out there on the line. I get my heart kicked in out there on a bicycle, not being that good at it. It doesn’t sit well with me so I’ve learned as a safety mechanism to not put too much weight behind it and get too competitive. Because then I can take the fun out of it, extremely quickly and I won’t enjoy riding anymore. That’s not gonna make it very easy to train. Melissa is completely opposite. She goes out and races her bicycle. She doesn’t even like riding that much, but she loves racing. And it’s been great training for her to go out and race bicycles. I have no interest in racing the bike. SBI: With that type of insight on your training... Are you just that damn good? JH: No, I’m not. I don’t think that’s the case. To answer part of your question, you were asking about the training steps, one thing to wake up every day and even though I love what I’m doing and I don’t make that part particularly super competitive. I know that Yamaha doesn’t pay me to ride 11 races a year. They pay me for every day of my life and I try to treat that with respect. In everything I do. Whether it’s riding a bicycle, playing tennis, riding motocross, riding the mountain bike or getting rest, everything I do, I do with a purpose. And that purpose is about being a professional, being a good motorcycle racer at the end of the day. Even though there is not a direct correlation, I ride my bicycle this much and I’m a better motorcycle racer. One thing that I know from experience is when I act like a professional, when I wake up at 6:30 or 7:00 and get on my bicycle whether it’s cold, sunny, rainy, no matter what, I go out and I’m putting in my time and I do my work and act like a professional and I go out and act like a professional... it’s been proven that the harder I work, the better my results are. SBI: When you wake up in the morning to when you go to bed, is it just constantly go, go, go? JH: It sure seems like it is. Yes, it is always more things for me to do during the day than I can accomplish in a day. What ends up happening for me and Melissa is I wake up and I just go out and start training and I do whatever training I feel like 50 | SPORTBIKESINCMAG.COM
I need to do and is necessary to do and I come home and I deal with what I can with the rest of the day that I have left. And so there is always leftover. I can probably make a full time job of all the things I don’t handle during the race season. SBI: What about the off season? JH: And the off season is actually 3 times more difficult than during the race season. During the race season, everyone tends to leave you alone for races. You go do your business and they’re like, “Oh my God! It’s race season!” We better give him his time and space. So they leave you alone. As soon as your race season is over, family, the homes, dealing with bills, fixing automobiles, fixing their bicycles, all the little things that you just don’t mess with because you’re used to wearing all the pieces out training and doing the things through the season, everything catches up with you. All of a sudden, the RV needs more maintenance than I can keep up with, ya’ know? All vehicles need tires on them. I’ve got deals that I’m trying to do like the Long Beach IMS show for Yamaha, King Championship dinner and party for Yamaha. I’m trying to wheel and deal sponsorship deals and to help Melissa put her program together for next year. Then I’m training while I have all of these friends in town and all this stuff. Basically, I wake up and I have stuff that I can do from the time I wake up until the time I go to bed. It’s a matter of putting a priority on them. Most of the time, I still put my priority on training and then I just deal with whatever I can after the fact, until it comes to the holidays. Then it’s time with the family. Then of course, trying to get any kind of vacation. Melissa and I like snowboarding. I don’t know when we’re gonna get to go. If we get five minutes and we want to actually be away from home, which is tough too, we’ll probably try to go get some snowboarding in. SBI: Shifting gears a bit here. I want to formally congratulate you on the hat trick. So... Congrats! JH: Thanks! SBI: There have been previous champions who were not as kind as you are. Who were not as friendly, who were not as professional as you are.
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THE GRID: Josh hayes They were very great, obviously, they got the points, they won championships but there’s something interesting when your name is brought up. People smile. I know that plays into your professionalism, how you are representing Yamaha and your other sponsors. What’s the relationship like with the fans? How does that play into you as the racer? JH: One, I think there is a difference between professionalism and personality. The previous champion that you’re talking about, let’s just say they had a choice whether or not to actually be a role model or just be motorcycle racer and champion. Their focus and their interests were on being a motorcycle racer and a champion and to be the best motorcycle racer there was. That was their aim and their goal. I’ve met several competitors in my lifetime, and some of the best ones like Lance Armstrong... I’ve heard people who have worked with him. The guy who was the best in the business, sans recent revelations. But, he’s an absolute asshole. He would step on and use anybody and anything necessary in his way to get to the top. That was his focus. We have seen people like that in our own sport. They had no interest in being a role model to people. Honestly, we are all encouraged, including me, to have a little bit of drama because it sells. Reality TV sells. Everybody wants to see me pick a fight with Blake more than anything in this world, but that’s not who I am. I think the bigger thing for me is every day, everything, the choices I make, I actually… and this may be why I interact with the fans they way that I do…it first stems from my parents and the personality I inherited from them. Second, everything I do, in my work ethic and how I treat people around me, competitors, fans, everybody. I say, would my dad be proud of the way I’m handling the situation? Absolutely, everything I do. If I do that I feel I can’t do anything wrong, per se. The other side would probably be just …that I care about the sport. One of the things that I have a unique…that I understand, what I do for a living is not 100 percent motorcycle racing, it’s show business. It’s sport, but it’s also marketing and sales. That’s what it’s driven by. My job is not to just win on a motorcycle. It’s to increase, to bring motorcycle racing to the people… I think it’s the coolest freaking sport in the world. And I want everyone else to love it. Not because they think 52 | SPORTBIKESINCMAG.COM
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THE GRID: Josh hayes
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it’s daredevil or anything like that, but for the exact reason that I love it. It’s beautiful, it’s cool. It’s so fun to watch. I’m a fan. I like watching racing. It’s hard. It’s Ironman! It’s a cool sport! I want people to love it for the right reasons. I think that the sports that are successful in our country in the world, some of the people follow the personality and connect with the human being. Say, hey man I understand what he’s going through. You’re gonna be some people’s hero and some people’s villain. At the same time maybe I am playing the game a little bit. Maybe I am, if Blake say’s something mean or his fans come up and say something to me, they come up and mad dog me, I say, Dude, it’s good to see you guys. Our sport needs fans like you that come out here and act rowdy and come after me. But at the same time it’s so disarming to them, it kinda ruins the dramatic prospective. SBI: In Atlanta, there was a little rub between you and Blake. Afterwards, you went back and you checked on him. JH: Yes. SBI: I watched that and thought... I actually said it out loud, “That’s a class act.” It was just on the Jumbotron, you could just see your genuine concern for your colleague. To me, that was you putting all else aside,. It wasn’t about the race at that moment. You really wanted to make sure that Blake was okay. So when you are talking about disarming... You can’t hate on that. You can’t say, “That guy’s a jerk!” You’ve have to say, “You know what, things happen.” That’s what a champion does. A champion goes back and makes sure that his colleague, his competitors are good to go. If something occurs, you own up to it and you go and you handle your business. JH: I had a fresh example in my memory. You know what I mean? Of how I didn’t like a situation and how it was handled and how I would’ve handled it differently. After the deal happened in Daytona and Daytona Sportbike, with Josh Herrin, Dane Wesby and Taylor Mack. That was one of the scariest things I’ve ever seen. Whether these guys are 15 years younger than me, my age or SPORTBIKESINCMAG.COM | 55
THE GRID: Josh hayes older than me, the fact that we are all motorcycle racers, I consider them my peers. So if these are people, colleagues, peers, whatever, I care about each and every one of them. I think that we need every athlete that we have to be out there safely racing motorcycles. I don’t want Blake to get hurt, even if I hated his freaking guts. I don’t want the guy to get hurt. We need him in racing. So, I was extremely concerned, because I was involved in an incident. I did not feel that I had done anything wrong. Some people misconstrued me going over and saying, Blake, I’m sorry that we got together and you fell down, as an apology that I was taken on myself that I had did something bad. I did not feel that I did anything wrong. I mean, we had a racing incident that I hated that I was involved in something that could have possibly gotten one of my peers hurt on the racetrack. I care about this thing because I want for us both to have nice, long careers and finish these careers healthy, telling our stories. SBI: In Miami, you had a case of what we call a case of “slip and fall.” It was like Josh Hayes is a human. He does have those moments. JH: Yeah. Absolutely. SBI: But then you came back. So it was like, he’s human, but he’s not human. JH: The whole weekend was both sides of what I thought it would be. Both up and down. I actually saw that weekend as being our most difficult race weekend of the year. So, maybe, I even preempted it in some way. Because I had felt that way earlier in the season. Before the season had started rolling around so well for me that was going to be a difficult race weekend for me. When we showed up, with the playing of weather, I only got I think four laps of qualifying on used tire before qualifying. I never really got the opportunity to. I was not too far off. I wasn’t doing as badly as I thought I might when we showed up. I think I got a little bit of luck there. As far as Saturday’s race goes when I slipped and fell down, I mean I’m nice guy but I had put myself into a position that I was not too unhappy with. I was in the race and I was like OK. I’m here. This ain’t so bad. As long as I’m racing for the 56 | SPORTBIKESINCMAG.COM
league I’m a pretty happy guy. I will be unhappy the day that people start outracing me and riding away from me. I’m not gonna let that happen any time soon, If I can help it. I chose the wrong one and I got myself pinched off in the last one. I said I know how to correct that one. So I was just trying to look around Roger (Hayden) and look at the inside and the curb was really tall and I ended up, I’ve done it enough times in my career… It was no big surprise to me. I was riding hard. I wanted to win the race. I was going for it so... I was trying to make something happen. I can live with that every single time much better than I didn’t even try and I just got beat. I was happy for Roger. I thought it was a great deal for Roger. The next day was a total and complete fluke, if you ask me. I started the race. I had made a decision based on the information that I had from the warm up lap. The track looks kinda wet here, kinda dry there. My experience of how it’s gone this weekend, the track dries really quickly, I think we should just do this. I was actually on the grid when we were about to start the race and I told my crew chief. I might get lapped in this race. I have no idea what’s gonna happen. I’m gonna take this gamble and I’m gonna ride. I’m not getting hurt here. I did exactly what I told everybody I would do. Which is I’m not putting my neck on the line especially in the wet. The race just came my direction. I didn’t even have to go that fast. All of the other guys that chose rain tires on the front, those things were ruined so bad. It was gifted to me. It was the luck of the draw. SBI: 2013. Speak on it. JH: As far as 2013 goes, what do I see? I can’t imagine having a year better than 2012. It would be a hard act to follow to have the same season. 16 out of 20 races? I still I look at it and it just doesn’t compute. It’s incredible. It’s too crazy. It’s too much, but somehow it happened. I still look at it and I go, did that really happen? I don’t know. I feel like I’m missing a statistic somewhere. But it really happened. I think It would be foolish to think that I could follow that up again. That being said, as the season progressed, it kinda went a little slower than the year before. I kinda went a little faster.
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THE GRID: ON THE COME UP
“I
f they don’t change their game for 2013, then you’re going to see the same kind of season.”
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THE GRID: ON THE COME UP
Images: Courtesy of Cameron Hart
Cameron Hart
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NAME: Cameron Hart AGE: 28 Association/Affiliations/Series: AMA Pro Road Racing, AFM Goals: To race a full season in Supersport then move up to Daytona Sportbike. Eventually get to race a Superbike all while growing my own brand sponsors and awareness of the sport. Accomplishments: I’m the underdog of underdogs. I raced one AFM race in 2009. By 2011 with just a hand full of amateur races and track days I qualified 10th for my debut pro race at Miller Motorsports park. Followed by 22nd at Laguna Seca only to have mechanical issues at both races. With no sponsors and an empty bank account decided to sit out the 2012 season. 2012 was heart wrenching to watch. I knew I had to be out there. So I’m chasing support anywhere I can. Define your passion in one sentence: For me I’m not racing to survive, its reversed. That’s passion. Contact:
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THE STRAIGHT LINE
the youngest in charge Words: Dystany Spurlock IMAGES: Robin spurlock
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Connect with Dystany...
I
get asked tons of questions every day. Anything from my age, how I got into motorcycle drag racing, all the way to my love life. This does not bother me one bit. I love that others are eager to know who I am, not only as a drag racer but also who I am personally. I am one of the most open minded people that you could ever meet. So what I am going to do is answer some of the questions that I frequently get asked. This past weekend I got the opportunity to be a guest speaker at Village Motorsports in Unionville, Virginia. Three questions that really stood out to me were: “Is your mother scared when you race?” “Do you have a boyfriend?” And “What is your biggest fear?” Question number one... My mother seems to be pretty calm, cool and collected when it comes time for me to race. Even when I flipped my bike at Maryland International Raceway, shockingly she was very calm and attentive to me and the situation. She tells me all the time that the only time she gets a little nervous is when I am on a nitrous motorcycle. Other than that, she is good to go. To answer the second question, do I have a boyfriend? I always laugh and completely turn into a
shy giggly giggle box and then I get the biggest grin on my face, but no I do not have a boyfriend. I am focused on my goals and dreams. I have put in my mind to be not only a successful individual but also to lay a path for others to follow. Not particularly to follow in my footsteps but to show that you too can do whatever you put your mind to. I want to be able to help people in all types of situations. My goal is to stay humble when I get to where I’m going and to not give in when things get hard. Hard work pays off and I am going to do everything that I can to accomplish my goals. Third, but not least... What is my biggest fear? I will tell anyone, my only fear is losing my mommy. She is the air that I breathe. As humans if we have no air we cannot live. That is how much I adore my mommy. She is not only my mother but she is my best friend and “momager”. She is everything plus more. She has raised me to be the strong and determined individual that I am today. I am so thankful that I am in a position to be able to share a little bit about who Dystany Spurlock is. I love sharing my story with others. I am going to stay focused on my dreams and make them a reality.
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#62 would like to thank his sponsors for an incredible 2012 season: Kawasaki Motor Corp Speed and Strength Motul USA Continental Tires Carrozzeria wheels Brock's Performance Dynojet Comp CNC Vortex DME World Wide Bearings HotBodies JRI Shocks
“This has been a very successful season in dragracing and I’m grateful for an awesome team and important sponsors. My sponsors are an invaluable piece to my puzzle. Thank you guys for bringing it all together. I hope that this championship means as much to you as it does to me because I couldn’t do it without you.” - Rickey Gadson #62 SPORTBIKESINCMAG.COM | 67
THE STRAIGHT LINE
Capo’s cut
Connect with Capo...
Words: Ashon capo dickerson IMAgeS: KWAME OLDS
I
want to start off by saying I hope everyone is enjoying their holidays. I hope everyone has a blessed upcoming year. Looking at my year in my rearview, I think about the ups and downs of racing and of life itself. Through it all, we have to sometimes take a look back and appreciate our body of work because we move at such a fast pace speeding through life. Those of us that are motivated to get it done and fulfill dreams, hopes and aspirations, sometimes forget to say “thank you.” We forget to say “I love you.” We don’t realize that our children are growing up so fast in front of our eyes. Think about our loved ones and friends
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and the sacrifices that have been made to help us achieve our goals. Think about how our parents and grandparents are getting older. We are on the move so much that we might not speak or visit as much as we should. The stress my wife, in my case, goes through worrying about me in a dangerous sport or sometimes the headache of staying on top of the business side of things. I think about all the riders that I knew and lost on the street this past year, who passed away on these machines we love so dearly. I also think about how blessed I am to be here because I woke up out of that coma in 2003.
Daily emails from fans, fellow racers, and people that look at me as a positive influence for the inner city youth, always seems to uplift me when I’m down. I would like to share one with you guys: “Yo bra ! I’m writing you this cause I really wanna thank you for being who you are. I have a lot of bike racers on my page and the fact is none of them are as humble and as down to earth as you are. You are a blessing to those that ride and I truly mean that, I had the pleasure of meeting you at Atco Raceway. You even took my bike for two passes down the strip I have a video of it on my page. Just keep doing what you’re doing and God will continue to bless you. Never change the way you are ‘cause there aren’t many racers like you out there . God bless you and your’s.” That’s from a friend on my FaceBook page. Some
people are inspired by me and good people motivate me! So to all my readers, take the time out today and let the people that you know how much you appreciate them. Call someone you haven’t spoken to in a while and kick it with them or just make someone feel special. As I think about the year in hindsight, I look forward to an even more successful 2013, more giving and more involvement in my inner city struggles with the youth. A wise man once told me, a person doesn’t need the promise of anything to see the merit in good deeds. As we come closer to the Mayan prediction of 2012 being the end on December 21, 2012... with a cataclysmic event. If you are reading this it means it isn’t over yet! And I’m ready for the SBI Party after the NYC IMS show! See you there! Loyalty is everything!
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VictoryMotorcycles.com 72 | SPORTBIKESINCMAG.COM
Victory® and Victory Motorcycles® are registered trademarks of Polaris Industries Inc. Always wear a helmet, eye protection, and protective clothing and obey the speed limit. Never ride under the influence of drugs or alcohol. ©2012 Polaris Industries Inc.
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THE STRAIGHT LINE: ON THE COME UP
Images: Courtesy of Jaleesa Brice Lloyd Minor
Jaleesa Minor
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NAME: Jaleesa Minor AGE: 22 Association/Affiliations/Series: MIRock Superbike Series Goals: I would like to become a consistent drag racer who inspires kids and other women to drag race. I would also like to compete competitively in the House of Speed’s Crazy 8’s and receive a top 10 finish in the near future. Accomplishments: Runner Up in the 2011 Paint the 1/4 Mile Pink Race that raised $1000.00 for the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. Define your passion in one sentence: My passion in life is to always strive to do my very best in whatever I set my mind to do. Contact:
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The Rev LIMITER
violet stars and happy stunting Words & IMAGES: Leah petersen
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INTERNATIONAL MOTORCYCLE SHOW! ell S . . .
ike B a me
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The Rev LIMITER: VIOLET STARS...
IMS
... the International Motorcycle Show, a traveling motorcycle extravaganza, which crisscrosses the country each winter, touting the latest and greatest in the industry had finally come to my neck of the woods. While the IMS is served with a hefty side of motorcycle passion, the main course naturally, is consumerism. As a twenty something year old female, I was curious who would most convince me to buy a bike. All the major manufacturers were there with gleaming bikes and fancy displays. Which would invite me in personally and make me fall in love with their bikes and lifestyle? I started my adventure at the Kawasaki footprint. Their large carpeted area was scattered with bikes and cheery, green display stands, which contrasted nicely and didn’t distract me from the main point: the bikes! As a woman I was drawn to several “Kawi Girl” displays featuring exclusively female 80 | SPORTBIKESINCMAG.COM
apparel and gear. All the bikes on the floor were crawling with people, sitting on them, turning handle bars, compressing forks. Men, women and children were all getting a feel for how a Kawasaki rides. As a female consumer I couldn’t have felt more at ease. Could I see a new Kawasaki in my garage? Certainly! But I still had to hit up the rest of the show. Onto the KTM booth, this was on a raised diamond-plated platform, with an overhead seating area and a very private atmosphere! I actually wondered if you needed a VIP pass to walk up on the raised viewing area. KTM felt like a very exclusive club and one that I, as a regular female rider, did not have a pass to get in! Guess I won’t be rocking orange until my “cool” status gets raised a few points. Now onto the display that dominates the
landscape of IMS, Harley Davidson, in its all American grandeur. As a woman, I felt immediately at home. There was a large space that taught riders how to pick up their motorcycle safely if dropped which is a frightening consideration for a woman who weighs much less than her motorcycle. There was also plenty of women specific gear and the main attraction: the HD “Jumpstart” experience! This was a stationary, but very real, Harley-Davidson, where anyone can hop on and learn the basics of riding a motorcycle. Another great feature of the HD booth was their “fit shop” where someone helps you customize your motorcycle to fit your needs. I have to say, the Harley Davidson booth is the most female friendly space at the IMS. Sold!
Purple Bonneville. After entering near the nice Bonneville, I walked into the testosterone filled area featuring ICON’s custom Speed Triple, rode by Nick Apex in their “Drift2” video. They also had the looming Tiger 800XC rode by Ernie Vigil in ICON’s Portland to Dakar off road feature, with both the videos playing in the background. The rest of the footprint was filled with lovely motorcycles, but I wasn’t struck with a sense of Triumph culture. Kawasaki, HD, and KTM had all clearly defined what it meant to ride their bike... what family you were joining but the Triumph space was noticeably void of a culture. Perhaps the unthemed décor was a statement in itself. Ride a Triumph… be who you want.
Next, I wandered into the Triumph area, where I was greeted by a very pretty
From Triumph I moved on to Yamaha a space which came off as pretty
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The Rev LIMITER: VIOLET STARS... inaccessible, since most of the bikes were display only or on raised platforms. Groups of Yamaha fans huddled around staged bikes, taking pictures from three feet away. The space was exceedingly masculine, with wood grained stages, giving the whole place a very “cigar smoking, boys club” vibe. While ironically, I own a Yamaha, the booth at the IMS wouldn’t make another Yami at the top of my “to buy” list. From Yamaha I moved onto BMW, a space that certainly didn’t speak to my age range! Yikes, I’ll venture back there when I’m 55. Finally it was time for the ultimate culture
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experience: Ducati. Admittedly, I’m not a huge Ducati fan, but they did a great job of making their space exclusive, yet inviting. Complete with a café and two espresso serving baristas, the Ducati space was undeniably cool. Cool… and a little sexist. Sticking with the European expo theme, tall, thin women in tiny dresses waited on Ducati buying men. As a female I didn’t feel invited to personally swipe my credit card, but all the pretty red things were fun to look at. At last I’d come full circle and walked into the final factory’s setup, Honda. Honda was all about the bikes, they jammed
as many as they could into the space and that was about it. There was no Honda culture, just the machine and the promise of a reliable ride. Can’t argue with that, but it’s certainly not as exciting as Italian looking baristas! We all get into riding for different reasons and the floor at IMS is a clear illustration of the dreams and fantasies fueling those reasons.
Maybe it’s the exclusive club, the American grit, the Italian polish or just the fact that your bike turns on every time, year after year. My stroll around IMS reminded me of my favorite part of motorcycle culture: the fact that so many diverse personalities are united under a common bond. Regardless of your preferred flavor, you’re certain to fall in love with at least one motorcycle at IMS. SPORTBIKESINCMAG.COM | 83
The Rev LIMITER: VIOLET STARS...
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“W
e all get into riding for different reasons and the floor at IMS is a clear illustration of the dreams and fantasies fueling those reasons.” SPORTBIKESINCMAG.COM | 85
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wake up. ride. keep riding... •world class service, maintenance & repair •parts, apparel and accessories •visit us online at www.nolimitms.com
Jason Britton’s No Limit Motorsports 14726 GoldenWest Street, Unit H Westminster CA 92683 www.nolimitms.com 714.891.8600 SPORTBIKESINCMAG.COM | 87
The Rev LIMITER: ON THE COME UP
Images: Courtesy of Robert J. Caldes
Robert J. Caldes
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NAME: Robert J. Caldes AGE: 26 Association/Affiliations/Series: Down For Life “DFL” Streetbike Freestyle Team Goals: Travel the world performing freestyle shows. Maintain my current level of awesomeness. Continue to charm and entertain people with my good looks and humor. Accomplishments: 2007 - 2009 StuntWars. 2008 - 2012 Performed shows at various local sponsored events including dealerships and local racetrack 2011 - 2012 Performed shows at New Jersey AMA events 2012 Participated in Kawasaki’s “Ninja Times Square Takeover” Event Define your passion in one sentence: To others it may be a hobby, but to me it’s a lifestyle. Contact: http://caldesfreestyle.com
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THE LIFE: FEatured Club
JER-Z JEWELZ M.C. REGION: New brunswick, nj FOUNDED: 2003 MEMBERS: 6 ELECTED OFFICIALS: President/Founder - Chokolate VICE President - Hunnie P.R.O. - Icy Secretary - Summer Reign
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Rocker Interpretation: The all female club has incorporated the symbol of Venus into their club logo and a lady rider to pay homage to their sisterhood. History/Origin of Club: Since the state of Georgia has its peaches... It is only fitting that New Jersey has it’s Jewelz. Founder and President, Chokolate started the Jer-z Jewelz M.C. with a select few ladies in NJ, each a precious gem in their own rights. Club Milestones/Memorable Moments: With their upcoming ten year anniversary approaching in 2013, the Jer-z Jewelz
have made a name for themselves as heavy community supporters of events and charities. Like any family, there are ups and downs but they always come back to center and “hug it out.” Future of the club: The number of clubs in the bike community grows daily. The Jer’z Jewelz look to the future with a serious goal of remaining true to themselves, unwaived by trends or what’s seemingly popular at the moment. Today and tomorrow they will strive be the club where rising, pride, trust, loyalty sisterhood, unity, class, sexiness and femininity are paramount.
Want to see your club featured here? Drop us an email!
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Indianapolis, IN Lucas Oil Stadium February 15 – 17, 2013 Charlotte, NC Charlotte Convention Center February 22 – 24 2013
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THE LIFE: Know your role
how to HAVe a successful M.C. event Words: Lady Kim ImageS: Leon brittain
ave you ever returned from a motorcycle H event and wondered why that event was so successful. Why was there a large turnout?
Was it the venue, the variety of attendees, the food, the trophies the entertainment or event theme? Common pitfalls are poor planning, bad presentations, insufficient notice of events and poor budgeting. If you want people to come to your event, then you must attend other clubs, organization, charity events also. Networking and establishing positive relationships with those organizations is crucial for a large turnout. Your organization event reputation is only as good as your last event. Planning a successful event can be intimidating but here are some tips to help guide your event planning and make it one to be remembered. • Organize volunteers and create a planning committee. Choose a leader that will motivate others to get involved and provide event ideas, event plans, handle public relations, plan recognition for members when the event is 96 | SPORTBIKESINCMAG.COM
complete and celebrate the event’s success. • Choose an event that you are passionate about whether it is an anniversary, charity, festival, racing or motorcycle run. Brainstorm as a group and don’t be afraid to step outside of your comfort zone and try something new. Determine how this event will impact your organization and the community. • Create a plan of action. Start planning at least 3 to 12 months ahead of time. Develop an organized timeline with deadlines for specific tasks, who will participate, where will the event take place, what resources are needed and when the event will take place. List the possible problems that might happen. • Create a budget plan. How much will the event cost? How will you fund the event? It should track your revenue opportunities (ticket sales, raffles, donations, vendors, cosponsorships) and expenses (media printing,
food, DJ, entertainment, advertising, permits, insurance, food, venue, decorations, and equipment rentals). Compare your budget to your actual expenses. Are you over, under or on track? What went well or didn’t and what do you need to consider next time? • Promote the event. Determine all media outlets to publicize your event such as social media which is FREE, email, MMS, newspapers, magazines, radio, TV, press releases, flyers, brochures and registration forms. Advertising materials should include the date, event name, purpose, dress code, time, location, price, directions and hotel details. Do not assume that everyone knows your organization or the details of your event within or out of state! Give your guests time to plan to attend your event by promoting it as early as possible. Clubs should promote beyond the motorcycle community to include friends,
family, and independent riders. Arrange media presentation to promote and enhance the event. • Conduct your event! Success of the event is a team effort and everyone should know their roles and responsibilities. Enjoy your event and document it by taking pictures. • Evaluate your event. Compare your success to your goals with measurable event objectives such as attendance, amount of money raised, items collected, what worked, what failed, what you would do next time, learning experience, attendee surveys and report your results to your organization. • Celebrate! Take the time to thank your committee and supporters in writing. Write an article and promote the success of your event within your community.
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FEatured THE LIFE FEatured LIFE:rider FEatured riderS riderS
Travelyon Briscoe, Jr. AKA “TreeBark” location: New Castle, DE Occupation: Motorcycle Mechanic Years Riding: 8 years, riding all year round. Riding stlye: Street riding. Stunt riding. Bike/s owned: 2005 Suzuki GSXR 1000 favorite bike modification/accessory: Everything! Favorite piece of riding gear: My helmet! Never ever ride without it! most memorable ride: Riding to Delaware State homecoming in the pack of 300 to 400 bikes.
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Mark Boxer location: Sydney, New South Wales, Australia Occupation: Television Producer Years Riding: Didn’t really do a heck of a lot of motorbike riding before the age of 16.
Riding stlye: Crappy stunt rider, crappy street rider, crappy track rider.
Bike/s owned: 1987 Kawasaki Ninja 250, 1997 Suzuki GSXR 750, 1998 Honda CBR900RR, 2004 Kawasaki ZX6R, Honda F2 CBR600, 1998 Honda CBR900RR Turbo Fighter, 1998 Honda CBR900RR. Yes, I like ‘98 900RRs!
favorite bike modification/accessory: I’d have to say a turbocharger. Bikes are fast, but faster is good too! Favorite piece of riding gear: To this day and always, my Icon Mainframe Hooligan Helmet. Bought off the Sacnuts when I first moved to the US for a working holiday in 2005. Still looks as mint to this day. most memorable ride: Big thanks to KTM in Austria for letting us take two SMT990s from Austria all the way up to The Netherlands last year. And as part of that experiencing the Stelvio Pass with my wife riding in front of me on such a big bike for her in the dark up one of the most amazing roads in the world. I was a very proud husband.
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FEatured THE LIFE FEatured LIFE:rider FEatured riderS riderS
Shawn Steel AKA “Seven” location: Welches, OR Occupation: Hoodlum Years Riding: 28 years. Riding stlye: Street and stunt. Bike/s owned: 2001 Honda CBR600 F4I, 2005 Honda CBR600 RR favorite bike modification/accessory: 520 Chain
conversion kit and my Euro racing throttle.
Favorite piece of riding gear: Icon Helmets. most memorable ride: This past Summer, me and the “Hoodland Hoodlums” rode to Kahneeta, Oregon. Epic ride!
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Michelle Silvaggio location: Edmonton, Alberta, Canada Occupation: Personal Consultant Years Riding: 6 years. Riding stlye: Street riding, stunt and lot bum. Bike/s owned: 2010 Suzuki GSXR 600 favorite bike modification/accessory: Definitely the
Pazzo Shorty levers. Love the variety of colors. It is a great way to change out the stock look on most bikes. Also, my Two Brothers Shorty Exhaust Full System. Not only does its this serve as my own personal warning for cagers, it’s loud dirty sound causes some rider envy. Favorite piece of riding gear: Love my helmets! I have always gone with Shoei and I don’t think I will ever switch to another brand. It delivers the most comfort, minimal noise and with removable inside lining, it is great to clean and keep lasting longer than most other brands on the market. most memorable ride: This past September, we had a fellow rider pass away. We organized a large group ride down to the site of his accident without the authority or permission of the Edmonton Police Department. We had tried to work with the City and got denial after denial for city permits to erect a memorial so we organized our own rolling car and bike blockade to get our message across. We had news coverage and reporters at the site as we shut down one of the major roads in Edmonton to bring awareness that fallen riders will be remembered and respected for the love we all share. RIP Ben Collins.
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MOTO TECH Words: Mark Rozemo Image: Courtesy of Motion Pro
a tidy workspace
Words & images: Mark rozema
A
fter article and article about maintaining your motorcycle I think there is one thing that we have overlooked. How many times have you gone into the garage or your workspace for a screwdriver and had to dig through a pile of parts and tools lying around just to find one? Does your workspace look like the remnants of hurricane Sandy? Your motorcycle is a piece of precision machinery. Hundreds of moving parts, all made to exact tolerances, all working together at high speed. One of the most important things you can do when working on your motorcycle is have a clean, well lit and well organized work space. If you get the opportunity to tour a professional race shop one of the first things you will notice is how neat and clean all the areas are, how well the tools and equipment are organized and how the work areas are designed to “flow�. We painstakingly design our work areas to keep the dirty jobs away from the clean ones and to have a place that every part can go to stay clean and organized. We have stations for disassembly, cleaning, machining, welding, media blasting, final cleaning and reassembly. Every work area is designed to have an efficient flow from disassembly to final testing. I understand that most of you will not have the space to set up complete workstations but a few simple guidelines will help make the most of the space you have. Organize your tools. A small toolbox with well organized drawers will not only reduce the amount of time you spend looking for tools but will also allow you to easily identify when a tool is missing. We use rolling tool carts with a few drawers for our most used tools, they are inexpensive, (harbor freight) and can be rolled right to the work area for efficiency. 104 | SPORTBIKESINCMAG.COM
Have a clean and well lit area around your motorcycle. Two lights are always better than one! There is nothing worse than spending half an hour searching around on the floor for that one bolt that slipped out of your hand. Try and keep everything up off of the floor so it is easy to sweep the floor clean. Set up a shelving unit in a clean area to store all the parts that you remove. A great tip is to clean and inspect each part as you remove it from your motorcycle. This allows you to inventory and store all the good parts that are now clean and ready for reassembly. It also allows you to identify any damaged parts so that they can be repaired or replaced. This will save you the heartache of finding that broken piece when you are ready to reassemble.
Try to keep your cleaning or “dirty work� areas away from your clean areas. An old sink cut into the top of a workbench or a plastic wash basin with a bucket or drum under it to catch the waste is a great way to contain the mess of cleaning dirty parts. It only takes a few square feet to set up a cleaning station. The few hours and dollars spent will more than pay for itself. Once you have an effective cleaning station you will find that it will be easier to perform routine maintenance. Hang up a dry erase board (white board) to keep notes on. We use them all the time to record things like fork oil level, ride heights, parts that need to be ordered, when the last brake fluid and coolant flush was performed, torque specs and other readily needed information SPORTBIKESINCMAG.COM | 105
MOTO TECH: A tidy workspace
Set up a cabinet or shelving unit with all of your chemicals and small items. This is a great place to organize your cleaning supplies, oils, brake fluid, grease, oil filters, spark plugs and misc. supplies. Helpful tip: a cabinet between your cleaning station and work bench is a great buffer to help keep things clean, it’s easy to wipe down the side of a cabinet! Make use of the space high up on the walls. A row of shelving up high
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is a fantastic place to keep all of the infrequently used items that are cluttering up your workspace. Plastic bins with labels keep things nice and tidy. Once your workspace is clean and well organized you will be surprised how much room you actually have and how much easier it is to perform even the simplest of maintenance tasks. A clean and maintained motorcycle will pay you back with years of reliable service.
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SBK TECHNOLOGY FOR EVERYDAY ROADS. 108 | SPORTBIKESINCMAG.COM
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Improve your skills
The Mid Section Connection Words: eric wood IMAGES: Eric Wood/Allan Lane
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Improve your skills: the mid section...
A
nyone who has spent time in the gym knows the importance of building a strong core. In addition to injury prevention and the ability to produce more powerful movements, training the core has been shown to have a tremendous effect on sports performance. During my research on this topic I ran across the quote below, which I felt had a direct application to motorcycle road racing and the topic for this month's article. "Remember the body is just a chain of intricate systems. Think of the core of your body as the epicenter of the muscular system. A strong core can help you eek out that one extra rep or move that one extra pound...The core muscles move the upper body as a counterbalance for the movements beneath your feet. In other words, they control your balance and essentially keep you on your feet in changing environments." - Bodybuilding. com, Andre Farnell, July 2010 Many road racing and track riding coaches focus on teaching proper body position on the motorcycle in order to help their students progressively improve their individual riding skills. A key part of this process is to help riders understand how to support their body weight using the muscles in their lower body. Once this goal is achieved, riders experience the benefits of increased dexterity with the controls, improved front and rear traction and significantly greater
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feedback from the handlebars. The quote above talks about how the core of the body acts as the epicenter of the muscular, essentially linking the upper and lower body during athletic movements (like riding a motorcycle on a racetrack). Without properly engaging your core, all of the potential advantages of supporting your lower body with your legs are lost. It is critically important that this important link in the chain is allowed to stay engaged as we ride, otherwise we will have no choice but to use our arms to support our upper body weight and we will not be able to take advantage of any of the benefits mentioned above. In order to engage the core muscles of the body when on the track, riders must position themselves on the bike in such a way that their hips are able to roll under their torso. To better understand what this means, sit in a chair and straighten your back until your ab muscles are fully extended. This action will make you sit tall in the chair, and will effectively put a "reverse curve" in your lower spine and allows you to fully relax your stomach muscles. If someone were to push you in the chest from this position, you would not likely be able to regain your balance before falling over in the chair. From this upright, abs relaxed position, contract your stomach muscles and allow yourself to
FIGURE A: When riders slide to close to the fuel tank it tends to bring the upper torso into a more upright position, causing the “reverse curve”.
FIGURE B: Josh Hayes has created separation between his torso and the fuel tank.
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Improve your skills: the mid section...
slouch in the chair. This position allows you to regain control of your upper body and gives you a "rounded back" from the base of your neck all the way to the bottom of your spine. The contraction of your abdomen stabilizes your upper body, yet allows you the full and relaxed use of your arms. This is the position that you should strive to achieve while riding. In order to prevent the extension of a rider's ab muscles and the subsequent breakdown of the chain of body control, it is important to position your torso in 114 | SPORTBIKESINCMAG.COM
the correct position on the seat. When riders slide to close to the fuel tank it tends to bring the upper torso into a more upright position, causing the "reverse curve" in the lower spine shown by the red arrow in the FIGURE A. Even though this rider is gripping the tank with his legs, providing support for his lower body, the extension of his core muscles disconnects his upper body from this base. The disconnection then requires this rider to support the weight of his upper body with his arms, causing a lack of traction, confidence and feel.
Looking at FIGURE B of current AMA Superbike champion Josh Hayes, we can see that Josh has created separation between his torso and the fuel tank. This is an important base for most riders. Of course, the amount of tank separation will vary from rider to rider. The differences in rider heights and the distance in reach from the fuel tank to the bars requiring a different placement on the seat for everyone. The keys to proper placement on the seat are found in striking a balance between moving back far enough to achieve a "rounded back" while staying forward enough with your shoulders to ensure the ability to move in ANY direction while leaned over. This position is one that is held throughout the majority of the turn (while there is significant lean angle). It is important to note that this position definitely changes both while braking and under heavy acceleration. In my experience, a good starting point is to separate from the tank far enough that your outside leg contacts the tank at about mid thigh. This provides good leverage to allow riders to transfer from side to side by pulling on the tank with this leg and allows riders to achieve the "rounded back". The important check and balance on this rearward placement is that you should be able to fully manipulate the controls from lock to lock without straightening your
arms or contacting the tank with your chest. If your arms ever reach the limit of their travel when you are riding, you have officially lost control. Riders need to strive to achieve the "rounded back" while ensuring that their arms are always bent and relaxed all the way around the track. Of course, there are always exceptions to the rule when it comes to riding style. If you look at photos of top riders from around the world, there are always a couple riders who seem to be able to turn out fast laps with unconventional styles. However, if you look at a gallery of MotoGP or AMA Factory stars, you will find that photos taken mid corner or under acceleration will almost always show evidence of the rounded back. Many riders, especially those on high powered race machines, will slide forward on acceleration to help keep the front wheel on the ground, but look closely at the mid corner body positions of riders like Rossi, Stoner, Hayden and Lorenzo and you will be able to see the tank separation, rounded back and outer leg stabilization that we mentioned in this article. We may not be able to emulate everything that these great riders do, but the achievement of proper mid corner body position that keeps the link between our upper and lower body is an achievable goal for all. Until next time, ride fast, ride safe!
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FRICTION ZONE: Random
this page intentionally left blank in memory of those lives lost and affected by the tragedy at sandy hook elementary school.
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this page intentionally left blank in memory of those lives lost and affected by the tragedy at sandy hook elementary school.
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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.
Chris Pease! What’s on your hit list?
I listen to everything from underground neo soul to reggae to easy listening, but I’m a house head to the core. Any type of soulful house music to get me amped for working out and riding. Keni Bobien “Father”. One of my favorite house songs of all time. He’s got some serious range with his vocals. Mobb Deep’s “Shook Ones” This takes me back to my days in NYC growing up. I’m always playing the instrumental because it’s one of the sickest, grind hard beats to make me take on the world! Awolnation “Sail”. Another gem that perfect for cruising or just about anything else.
Join the SBI ONLINE COMMUNITY today!
VISIT THE SPORTBIKES INC FORUM
Chris Pease, Founder and CEO of Movoc 16:3
SPORTBIKESINCMAG.COM/FORUM
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FRICTION ZONE: SPORTBIKES INK!!!
Want to show off your SPORTBIKES INK? Please click on the icon to send clear, high quality, hi res photos.
RIDER// Ed 1000 BIKE// 2004 Kawasaki 636 TATTOO ARTIST// Ink Junction
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RIDER// Theo Lehman BIKES// Custom 2008 Triumph Thruxton TATTOO ARTIST// Amy Bug
RIDER// Ramzy Braud BIKES// 2010 Kawasaki ZX6R TATTOO ARTIST// Daniel Parra
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Ha
OUTSIDER
™
CONVERTIBLE JACKET
1.3mm Premium Grade Antique-Finish Brazilian Cowhide Sleeves and Trim // Resin Coated Denim Chassis // Icon® Sport Fit // D30® CE Certified Elbow, Shoulder, and Back Impact Protectors (Removable) // Zip-Off Leather Forearms // Oversized YKK® Zipper Pull // Quilted Satin Vest Liner (Removable) // Available in Black // SM-2X $525 // 3X-4X $575
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CHAPTE
1.1-1.3mm Premium Grade Antique-Fini D30® CE Certified Elbow, Shoulder, and Back Im Quilted Satin Vest Liner // Strategically Pla Pursuit Black , and Interceptor Grey, a
ICON ONE THOUSAND® JACKETS ARE EQUIPPED WITH FULL D3O® ARMOR. CE Certified Shoulder / Elbow / Back
Cutter Brown
P
armonic Red
ER JACKET ™
ish Brazilian Cowhide Chassis // Icon® Sport Fit // mpact Protectors (Removable) // Custom YKK® Zippers // aced Perforated Panels // Available in Cutter Brown, and Harmonic Red // SM-2X $600 // 3X-4X $650
Pursuit Black
Interceptor Grey
FEDERAL JACKET Womens
™
1.1-1.3mm Premium Grade Antique-Finish Brazilian Cowhide Chassis // Icon® Womens Specific Fit // CE Certified D30® Elbow, Shoulder, and Back Impact Protectors (Removable) // Custom YKK® Zippers // Quilted Satin Vest Liner // Waist Cinch Belt // Available in Pursuit Black // XS-XL $600 // 2X-3X $650
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This life
The End of days
Connect with Tyson...
Words: TYson Beckford image: The rockefeller center, ny
T
he end of days and long nights are upon us now as the year winds down. We look back at the days and year that have passed. We had a crazy year of racing and global warming. What we should do is give thanks for making it through another year and then start to plan for the upcoming year or motorcycle racing, riding, track days, bike weeks, bike
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washes... I personally don’t put running water on my bikes! Hell no! With Holidays around the corner we all need to say thank you for a year we made it through safe and still have a complete bike and all our limbs. I’m thankful for all and look forward to a great Christmas! Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!
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THE NEW ISH LUIMOTO • CUSTOM SEAT COVERS FOR THE 2011-12 TRIUMPH SPEED TRIPLE If you are looking to take your Speed Triple beyond the norm and really making it stand out, Luimoto offers a great way to customize your bike. Their seat covers are easy to install and look amazing. Available in a select number of color combos to enhance the seat and overall look of the bike. Price: $150.00 Contact: http://luimoto.com
ICON MOTOSPORTS • LEATHER WALLET Who says that hooligans cant keep it classy when it comes to their billfolds. Leather chassis and a satin liner makes it this wallet a bad ass way to keep track of your cash, credit cards and ID. Price: $45.00 Contact: http://rideicon.com
KRIEGA • FORCEFIELD BACK PROTECTOR INSERT It’s a backpack. It’s a back protector. It’s both. Kriega’s quality line of back packs have been upgraded thanks to a special insert that is available for their R15 though R35 back packs. The insert is designed and engineered to be used specifically for Kriega by Forcefield. Lightweight and sturdy, the insert features Repeat Performance Technology thanks to its special M15 material so it can survive multiple impacts. Size: S - M Price: $75.00 Contact: http://www.kriega.us 128 | SPORTBIKESINCMAG.COM
BELL HELMETS • VORTEX MONARCH The simple clean lines of Bell’s helmets are an understatement of the quality and level of protection that they offer. The Vortex helmet is a tier down from Bell’s Star line, however there is no shortage of satisfaction, especially when looking at the price. Sporting bold Monarch Butterfly graphics, the Vortex is one of the top ventilated helmets in its class due to Bell’s Velocity Flow Ventilation with Flow Adjust. Changing face shields are a breeze thanks to their Click Release technology. Colors: Pink, Tonal Size: XS - XXL Price: $179.95 Contact: http://bellhelmets.com OCTANE PRESS • BIKE EFIX 2013 CUSTOM BIKE CALENDAR
Do yourself a favor and pick up the 2013 Bike Efix Custom Bike Calendar. Beyond helping you remain organized and plot your course for world domination... this is a great collection of some of the most unique and finely crafted custom machines captured on film. Measuring 16.6 x 10.75 inches, this is more than a collection of months and dates... It’s a work of art. Price: $15.00 Contact: http://octanepress.com
CRG • RC2 ROLL A CLICK LEVERS Constructors Racing Group has made a name in the on the fly, adjustable clutch and brake lever several years ago. Their quality was unmatched whether they were used for performance or aesthetics. Their latest offerings continues their legacy in control options for your motorcycles. The RC2 takes things up to another level with an all new design that features a replaceable delrin lever tip, redesigned articulation in the lever and adjuster and new laser etched graphics. Available in the standard length and the very popular shorty sizes. Colors: Black, Gold, Red Size: Shorty, Standard Price: $109.95 Contact: http://constructorsrg.com
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THE NEW ISH TWO BROTHERS RACING • BLACK SERIES M2 SLIP ON EXHAUST FOR THE KAWASAKI NINJA 300 Two Brothers Racing Exhaust presents their M2 Slip On for the all new Kawasaki 300. available with either aluminum, titanium or high-temp carbon fiber canisters. The Black Series features black teflon coated cast magnesium end caps, billet aluminum inlets and outlets and canister reinforcement bands. Price: $459.98 - 559.98 Contact: http://twobros.com
RACEFIT • GROWLER2 EXHAUST RaceFit has been around for a number of years, widely popular in the UK. Now the firm is looking to make a larger splash in the U.S. market. One of their more noticeable offerings if the Growler2 Titanium exhaust for the Ducati Diavel. The pipe is completely constructed of Titanium, inside and out and feature a brushed finish to give it that “ almost done but done” look. A nice alternative to the stacked factory exhaust pipe. FORCEFIELD • Tornado+ Balaclava The Tornado+ Balaclava is a great example of quality technical gear that can greatly extend your riding season and offer comfort when experiencing extreme weather. The Tornado+ uses special material to block external airflow and minimize wind chill to keep core temperatures consistent. Taking Balaclava technology to the next level, the Tornado+ uses an antibacterial material to stop the spread of bacteria that is often caused by perspiration. Price: $44.00 Contact: http://motonation.com 130 | SPORTBIKESINCMAG.COM
Price: $641.20 Contact: http://racefituk.com
Cap it • SPORT TIRE WARMERS The Rage with the Machine gloves feature Speed and Strength’s trademarked Speed Dial touch screen technology that enables you to use your smart phone touch screen without removing your gloves. That comes in handy when out on and ride and have to pull over to check for directions or take a call. Composed of a leather and textile combination for comfort and durability, the Rage With the Machine gloves also sport a thermoplastic knuckle protectors, reinforced palms and padded finger protectors. Size: S - XXL Price: $89.95 Contact: http://ssgear.com
JOE ROCKET • Speedmaster 2.0 Back Protector Always staying up to speed with the rigorous needs of the today’s rider, Joe Rocket introduces their latest upgrade from the body armor department. The Speedmaster 2.0 Back Protector is a step up from most of the hard plastic back protectors that are on the market today. The Speedmaster 2.0 offers a slim, 3D sculpted and engineered high density foam armor with shock absorbing breathable backing. It’s designed to be non restrictive to give the rider maximum back protection while maintaining mobility and comfort. It features fully adjustable shoulder straps with pivot points as well as a double wide adjustable waist strap. ROARING TOYZ • BOLT ON SWINGARM EXTENSIONS There is a reason why Rickey Gadson only uses Roaring Toyz Swingarms Extensions on his personal drag bikes and his drag racing school bikes... Because quality is what it is. Rob Fisher’s Roaring Toyz has established themselves in the industry as not just custom bike builders but bike component manufacturers, as well. Their latest offering to the sportbike world are the CNC Machined Billet Swingarm Extensions for the Kawasaki ZX14R, model years 2006 through 2013.
Size: M - L Price: $69.99 - $79.99 Contact: http://joerocket.com
These extensions are bolt on components and ship with all necessary mounting hardware and brake hanger support bracket. They offer a total adjustment length of six inches. Whether you are serious about the quarter mile or if you just like your ZX14R dropped and stretched, Roaring Toyz Swingarm Extensions offer quality at a price that’s more than tough to beat. Price: $299.99 Contact: http://roaringtoyz.com SPORTBIKESINCMAG.COM | 131
THE NEW ISH: Featured Item MOVOC 16:3 • “GRANITE” MEN’S HOODIE There is no denying the comfort of the perfect hoodie. Whether it be in the early morning chill or the evening breeze... It may be just straight up cold! A great hoodie is an article of clothing that can really make a difference. The good folk at Movoc 16:3 have tapped into the hoodie inner secrets with their Granite Hoodie. Quite honestly, one of the most comfortable sweatshirts that you’ll ever pullover your head. Movoc 16:3 is made for the rider by riders to promote a healthy sense of motorcycle lifestyle. The Granite is a great example of what riders want: great graphics, cotton and poly blend fleece, tagless neck label... It’s stylish and sleek. Serves the purpose and gets the job done by keeping you warm.. Size: L - XXXL Price: $39.00 Contact: http://movoc163.com
Join the SBI ONLINE COMMUNITY today!
VISIT THE SPORTBIKES INC FORUM
SPORTBIKESINCMAG.COM/FORUM
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Premium garment
CLOTHING
STYLE FOR THE BRAVE SPORTBIKESINCMAG.COM | 133
Staff stuff SCHAMPA • Single Layer Fleece Neck Gaiter It was a chilly fall morning with temperatures in the low 40’s with wind chill riding temps in the 30’s… the perfect opportunity to test SCHAMPA’s Single Layer Neck Gaiter. I already braced myself with enough layers on my upper and lower body for the inevitable chill, but the neck area is always vulnerable to that little gap of biting wind that always manages to sneak in. I’m happy to report SCHAMPA’s Neck Gaiter shut down that biting wind like SBI’s annual Shut the City Down season ending ride! Made of 200 weight fleece this neck gear provided a snug, breathable and very comfortable fit allowing my neck to remain warm the entire ride. This of course provided me the pleasure to extend my ride further and further. Any product that can keep me riding comfortably is a must have especially since I don’t like being limited by the east coasts typical “riding season”. http://schampa.com Rating: 5 (out of 6)
BikeStyles • Hoodie sweatshirt Hoodies are like comfort food. In fact, that’s what they are... comfort clothes. A good hoodie in the right situation can turn a frown upside down. I am admittedly a Hoodie Junky/Aficionado so when I come across a great article of hood, I am ecstatic. My buddy Chubbz has been in the apparel game for a long time, He’s an OG in the game and the quality of his apparel is a testament to his longevity. The BikeStyles line of hoodies can be a bit edgy with sharp graphics that announce to any passerby that you are very much a motorcycle hooligan. Comfortable, durable and stylish, the BikeStyles Hoodies are perfect for wearing underneath your riding jacket, chilly days in the shop, and in between track/stunt sessions. http://bikestylesinc.com Rating: 6 (out of 6)
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THE BACK SHOT!
Image: Courtesy of Aras Freestyle Location: Lithuania
Wishes you and your family, a happy and healthy Holiday Season!