RideLust

For those of you who have never had the privilege of piloting a motorcycle through the streets of New York or Los Angeles, let me give you a little idea of how it goes. Your first few times will most likely be ok. You’ll be confident, careful and will hopefully enjoy the ride. However one day when you least expect it, WHAMMO – you’ll be on your ass in the middle of the street, totally embarrassed and hopefully not injured. I’ve ridden extensively in both cities, however after being blasted by a driver who wasn’t paying attention and then undergoing two surgeries and two years of physical therapy, I decided to hang-up my intercity leathers. Riding in urban environments can be an absolute blast if you’re experienced. However, as with any activity that involves risk, even the most experienced individual can have an off day.
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This is the cover of the new Lady Gaga album.

I gotta tell you, I haven’t seen such foolery in a long time so I thought I’d pass it along.  I can’t even begin to wrap my head around this one. Why now a motorcycle?  What the hell does it mean?  Why are her arms the fork?  That can’t be very good for handling.

Is this a response to rumors that she’s had a few mods here and there?  Why does she have hair in her mouth?  How loud is her exhaust?

I have a feeling it’s supposed to be “high art,”  but the cover seriously looks like something I’d make after I’ve had a few and I’m messing around on MS Paint (don’t pretend like you haven’t).
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For those of you into motorcycles and or motorcycle racing then you’re surely well aware that the Isle of Man TT is probably the most insanely dangerous event on the planet. Riders race shoulder to shoulder down some of the tightest, twistiest back roads on the face of the earth at speeds exceeding 200 mph. For some the thrill of running in the Isle of Man can be a dream come true, yet for others, it can turn out to be one of the most harrowing experiences of a lifetime. Closer to the Edge is a film that follows working class rider Guy Martin in his quest to win what some call the most dangerous event in all of motor sport. In his time running the TT, Guy has been on the podium 8 times, however none of them have been victories. The movie promises to not only be an adventure, but is one that will surely bring all those who have never ridden, a little insight as to why these two-wheeled machines are so wonderful.
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Chris Pfeiifer saves money on front tires.

Chris Pfeiffer is a world class stunter and BMW spokesman; you’d think that the two would be mutually exclusive, since BMW is a respectable motorcycle brand known for their slow but reliable sport-touring bikes. At least they used to be, until the boys from Berlin launched the S1000 RR, proving that Germany can build a sportbike capable of kicking sand in the face of the Japanese. They followed this act with the hoon-flavored F800 R “urban bike”; in other words, a bike designed for things like wheelies, stoppies and general disregard of traffic laws. In the video below, Chris Pfeiffer uses his heavily modified F650 to teach us how to do wheelies, after an eleven second disclaimer from BMW telling us not to try this at home, and especially not in a parking garage filled with concrete pillars. Read More…

Watching video’s like this one remind me why I love vintage iron. These machines are fun, quirky, exciting and most of all, hands on. They’re simple to work on and very rewarding when you get them sorted out, they also have the uncanny ability to take you back to a time when things were a little less complicated. Riding September was put together by Hysteric Studios and is beautifully shot. There is no fancy story here, nor is there a plot, just a bunch of guys riding around on cool old vintage motorcycles set to a song by The Felice Brothers called, ‘Frankie’s Gun’. This video contains nothing but oodles of open road goodness, so click play and enjoy.
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To me, just about every motorcycle out there is beautiful. I love the way they look, how they sound and at the end of the day, the feeling of complete freedom that they provide to their riders. Generally bikes come in one of three flavors; sport bikes, cruisers or dirt bikes. However there is also another little known cult of riders that are into the café racer style of motorcycle. These were custom bikes that were made famous during the 1960’s and ridden by those who wanted something different. Most were stripped down Truimph’s or Norton’s, but truth be told, a good café racer can be made from almost anything. This BMW R45 is a perfect example of that. The R45 was produced by BMW from 1978-1985 and came stock with the same horizontally opposed 473cc boxer engine that you see here. This however is a far cry from anything that left the showroom.
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Unless it's part of a Halloween costume, pass.

Nowhere on earth does the old cliche “you get what you pay for” ring truer than when it comes to motorcycle helmets. There are safe motorcycle helmets, there are cheap motorcycle helmets and there are comfortable motorcycle helmets, so go ahead and pick any two of those three choices. Want one that’s safe, comfortable and affordable? Good luck with that, because in all my years of riding, I haven’t found one.

I’m going to start with some advice (and a disclaimer) up front. First, I don’t recommend anything other than a full face helmet. They’re structurally stronger than an open face helmet, and if you should happen to find yourself skipping across pavement face first (like I did), you’ll come to appreciate the wisdom of your choice. Are they uncomfortable in the summer heat? Not if you spend the money on a helmet that vents properly, and even a little sweat is a whole lot more pleasant than skin grafts. Call me weird, but I don’t want a plastic surgeon making me a new chin or nose from ass skin. Read More…

If you’re into motorcycles then you probably know what the Can-Am Spyder is all about. For those that don’t however, here’s a quick synopsis. The Spyder is a three-wheeled motorcycle that utilizes a single drive wheel out back with the other two wheels mounted traditionally up front as you would see on an automobile. The engine is a 106-hp, 998-cc Rotax V-twin which is similar to the one first used in the Aprilia RSV Mille motorcycles built from 1998-2003. The Spyder is big, comfortable and perfect for long hauls which may explain why Can-Am is developing a hybrid plug-in of the bike. The Can-Am Spyder is built by Bombardier Recreational Products (BRP) and in hybrid form is said to consume half the amount of fuel as its solely gas powered sibling. Right now BRP is working in conjunction with the Canadian Government and Sherbrooke University to develop a hybrid Spyder that is powered not only by traditional fuel, but by lithium-ion batteries as well. The bike is said to have a range of up to 375 miles. For those long haulers that want true comfort and versatility this may be exactly what they’ve been looking for.

Source: ConsumerReports.com

If you’ve ever been to San Francisco then you know that these people ride their bicycles. They take them on the train, into restaurants and even into the stores with them. In fact I don’t think I’ve ever seen more people using pedal power as their main transportation than in this City by the Bay. I mean I thought that New Yorkers rode their bikes, but these west coast granola crunchers take it to a whole new level. One thing that you won’t see in San Francisco however are bicycles that are powered by anything but human legs. That hasn’t stopped the 2011 PiCycle from hitting the market though. The PiCycle is an interesting machine for a few reasons. First off it’s electric, second it’s two-wheeled drive and third, it has a built in theft recovery system that updates its location on your smartphone. Personally I don’t believe in bicycles that power themselves, but I do believe in getting back at the bad guys that stole them. The PiCycle is currently being sold through Best Buy for $2,495.00. It’s not cheap, but with up to 20 miles on a single charge and a way to get it back if it gets nicked, it’s actually not a bad way to get around.

Source: PiCycle.com

Image: Victory Motorcycles

In biker speak, a “bobber” is a bike that’s had everything you don’t absolutely need removed to save weight. The front fender is usually the first to go, followed by the rear fender being cut short or “bobbed”, hence the name. Bobbers use a stock frame, as opposed to choppers, which generally have their frames modified to increase fork rake. Forks on bobbers are generally stock, while forks on choppers are usually stretched to provide a custom look (at the expense of handling). On the evolutionary scale of the motorcycle, bobbers represent the first climb out of the primordial stock bike-only-ooze, and they’ve still got a loyal following of riders. Read More…