Warm weather must include vigilance
Sometimes, whether you’re just walking down the street, riding down the highway or trying to put the next issue of Throttler Motorcycle Magazine together, bad things happen. It can be sudden and devastating and no matter how much preparation you think you may have taken, there are unfortunately some things you simply can’t prepare for.
Remember the news story last year about the poor guy who was riding his motorcycle on a rural Iowa highway when a mattress flew out of the back of a pick-up truck and killed him? It was one of those tragic freak accidents that no amount of preparation could have helped.
How about the four bikers heading home from the Sturgis Rally last year on Interstate-29 who were killed. From the police reports and news coverage, they seemingly didn’t have a chance to react fast enough to an oncoming truck.
Last year in particular seemed full of these horrific motorcycle events. This passion of ours can be a dangerous hobby, and unfortunately sometimes bad things happen.
Even in the safety of the offices of Throttler Magazine, bad things can happen. This month, in the process of putting together our April issue, our entire computer system crashed.
Although, we take great caution and preparation to maintain the integrity and security of our systems, this month, merely moments before going to press, we had a system meltdown. Everything was gone!
The stories, the photos and a month’s worth of hard work, zapped into cyberspace (or so it seemed). Fortunately, this was just a computer OS problem and not a heart wrenching tragedy and we were able to revive our systems with a bit of CPR on our CPU (thanks in large part to the magic and know-how of our new best friend Josh at the Apple Store).
Even though, we did lose a full day of productivity and worked many more hours than planned on this month’s issue, this presented a unique opportunity to get some riding in during the warm temps this spring while our systems had a life saving operation.
And what a relief it was to get out and ride as if it were our last days on earth. The thought of bike nights, blessing of the bikes and rallies brings some nostalgic feelings of the good times last year.
And with thoughts of our loved ones we lost last year we need to keep in mind that our exuberance for getting out to ride needs to be toned down and put in check. We must remember that “they” are not looking for us, yet. The automobiles, that is, are still in their winter mode and not expecting motorcycles sharing the road.
In our area last week we had our first accident between two street bikes and a car. Which, shows we have to be vigil in our defensive riding keeping our eyes peeled for the driver not paying attention.
Let’s hope there are far fewer tragedies during this year’s riding season. Ride safe…
And as always…. Ride Hard
R. & S. Kabel and Scott Chambers
April 2011 online edition:
Click on the cover above for a page flipping version or the iPad for your iPad/phone of the magazine
Kevin Schwantz Desire, determination and raw courage
For just the next few minutes, imagine going to a club level motorcycle road race in 1984 as a leading competitor in your region. It’s mid-season, you’ve got your bike dialed in pretty well, you’re riding well, you’re pulling into the track, looking at all your competitors from the last few years thinking you’ve got this covered.
You line up on the pole position because of the points you have accumulated over the year so far. The green flag is thrown, you easily pull the hole-shot, the first turn comes, you arc gracefully through it, no slips or bobbles, you tip it into turn two and suddenly there is a tire up the inside of your bike, and you thought you had it covered.
Some guy passes you like you’re anchored to the apex. That was the last time you got to see this lanky rider for that race, he just plain left you. After the race you find out that this retired motocrosser, just 20 years old, is in his first year of road racing.
We first met FieryPinkGirl via her Twitter feed coming through on our Throttler Twitter page. From the beginning, her posts and Twitter icon intrigued us. With blazing pink hair with an outlandish “take me as I am” attitude told us this was a gal that walked to a different beat than most of us.
Kelly Rogers aka FieryPinkGirl doesn’t believe we’re supposed to blend in to the crowd. “We are all unique, and I think we should express ourselves accordingly. Whether by how you dress, what you ride, drive, etc,” Rogers says. “Fiery is representative of passion. Passion for life. For what you do. Who you are. Pink or Pinkie, which is my nickname for obvious reasons.”
A self-proclaimed night owl, Rogers’ day job is operating the computer production and design departments for the oldest ad agency in town. When she leaves the office it’s off to work at her fiancée’s (Jason Sarratt) business Hellcat Customs for the evening. Being the fiery chic attached to a kick-ass bike builder has its perks.
Installing forward controls A few basic tools and mechanical abilities can make the change
First, do you really want forward controls? Many people feel they are the only way to go but it really depends on your riding style. I’ve had both and personally I would rather have mid-controls with forward highway pegs.
For years I rode a 1977 Low Rider with mid-controls and highway pegs. I used my heel to shift and brake and it felt perfectly natural. I could stretch out and still lift up off the seat when I was hitting a rough section of road. I think mid-controls give a better feeling of control and I prefer more of a performance feel than the long distance cruiser feel.
This install started out to be about forward controls on a Dyna…but I traded a Honda Civic tuner for a 2006 Sportster so I decided to make some changes on it first.
Changing the controls on the Sportster is a bit easier than a Dyna. Not that the Dyna is difficult. Any person with a few basic tools and basic mechanical abilities can make the change very easily on either.
First, get the bike in an upright and secure position. I use a “ride-on” lift with a roll-on wheel chock to get it locked in position. I safety-strap the bike down and lift the bike to a height that’s comfortable while seated on a rolling hydraulic stool (my back gets tired leaning over or working on my knees).
On the Road with Johnny & Jay Daytona Bike Week 2011
Our 2011 tour season officially began at the 70th Anniversary of Daytona Bike Week in Florida and we were knee deep in the middle of it. The week began rather inauspiciously as the crowds were thin. However by Wednesday the traffic was at a standstill.
As most of you know we were located on US 1 at the Hang Dawg Saloon right across from the Iron Horse. The cops there are pretty cool and let us do about whatever we wanted. That was, until we had the bright idea to put some very hot dancing girls on a fully functional strip pole mounted to the back of our Stripperglide. Well, that caused quite the commotion.
Cars, bikes and trucks were literally stopping in their tracks to take pictures and tip the scantily clad hotties in their g-strings and bikini tops. One dude actually got off his bike and made it rain (In stripper lingo that’s when someone throws a big pile of money into the air and lets it rain down where ever it falls). This cat tossed up about 100 one-dollar bills and the wind scattered them all over. Now, we had pandemonium!
We are mothers, career women, mechanics and the girl next door
Welcome to my new monthly column for Throttler Magazine, Pink 8 balls. What is a Pink 8 ball? Pink 8 balls is a reader’s column for women riders who ride all makes of motorcycles. They are winners in each of their own personal accomplishments that bind us in the saddle.
More and more women today are taking control of their lives and the handlebars. They are facing their fears and are stepping outside the box. They continue to follow their dreams and make dreams come true. They do not allow their gene to limit their horizons. They are mothers, career women, mechanics and the girl next door. These are the women that makeup- Pink 8 balls.
One of my many passions is to interview women in the motorcycle industry and write their inspiring life stories that have never been told. These women are the pioneers of motorcycling, yet we know nothing about them or their accomplishments to pave the way for new riders. I am here to bring their stories to you along with “icandoit” (ICDI) tech articles for women’s motorcycles, reviews on motorcycle products some aimed for women in mind, nationwide journeys, stories from the road, day trips, what it is like to ride solo and plenty more.
Off road helmets under $200…are they any good?
When it comes to motocross and off road riding, nothing is more important that protecting your head. Check out this statement from the latest study of off-road riding and injuries in Australia:
“Helmets have been found to reduce the risk of death by 40 percent and the risk of serious injury by 70 percent in motorcyclists.”
It would be foolish to ignore those numbers. You can fix a broken arm but you can’t fix a broken head.
With that in mind, we are going to take a look at some new off-road helmets from AGV, SHIFT and Scorpion. We have purposely picked helmets in the “mid-range” price point, as we’ve found that not everyone can afford a $300-$500 helmet.
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David Mann: Outlaws who
saved biker history
David Mann — an American icon
known for his depiction of motorcycles
and the biker lifestyle — learned as
much from Iowa’s outlaw bikers as
they did from him. CLICK HERE TO READ ARTICLE
Throttler Magazine's 2009 Hole Shot
at the Iowa Speedway.
Filmed by Jay Knoll
