Ride Safe...consider a motorcycle safety class this summer.

Motorcycle safety concerns many aspects of vehicle and equipment design as well as operator skill and training that are unique to motorcycle riding.

If you haven't been properly trained for safe riding; please consider reading the info here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motorcycle_safety

My favorite motorcycle riding photo

Peter Galea on his 1996 Harley - a bike with true 'cachet'

As I ride along the highway of life; I enjoy the site of those that represent the 'true spirit' of a genre of any type.

When I think of a motorcycle rider; I have to think of my old buddy Peter Galea and his 15 year old Harley....they represent the true spirit of motorcycle riding....and his bike truly has 'cachet'......

Here's my tribute to Peter and his bike.

I don't want a pickle; I just want to ride my motorcycle.

"Motorcycle Diaries" author dies in Cuba.

Che's "Motorcycle Diaries" companion dies in Cuba
Sat Mar 5, 5:10 pm ET

HAVANA (Reuters) – Alberto Granado, who accompanied fellow Argentine Ernesto "Che" Guevara on a trip immortalized in the film "The Motorcycle Diaries, died in Cuba on Saturday at the age of 88, Cuba's state-run media reported.

The report said his ashes would be spread in Argentina, Cuba and Venezuela.

The famous trip across South America, begun in late 1951 on Granado's old British motorcycle, supposedly awakened in Guevara a sympathy for the poor and desire for social justice that turned him into a leftist revolutionary.

He was one of the leaders of Cuba's revolution that put Fidel Castro in power in 1959 and was in the Cuban government for several years until leaving to fight, less successfully, in other uprisings.

He died in Bolivia in 1967 while trying to start a rebel force there.

"The Motorcycle Diaries" was based on Guevara's diary of the trip and on Granado's book "Traveling with Che Guevara: The Making of a Revolutionary." The 2004 film was directed by Brazilian Walter Salles.

At the invitation of his friend, Granado, who was a biochemist, came to Cuba in 1961 and stayed.

(Reporting by Esteban Israel; Editing by Jeff Franks and Eric Walsh)

Motorcycle Helmets for 2011

2011 Motorcycle Helmets
I never cease to marvel at the Free Enterprise Systen, When a product reaches the point where it's nigh on to impossible to improve its functionality, someone will still come up with a way to make people want to ditch their old one and get yours. Check out these motorcycle helmuts.

Custom Triumph Bonneville courtesy of BIKEEXIF

Triumph Bonneville custom


There’s a new issue of Greasy Kulture magazine just out, and editor Guy Bolton has sent us a teaser. It’s a clean 1967 Bonnie custom that started life as a T120R, the US export model with higher handlebars and a more compact fuel tank. Andy ‘Lucky’ Lindloff from Michigan built this very classy bike, and was only 20 when he finished it. He handmade many of the parts himself, including the seat pan, brackets, and oil tank—a ‘repurposed’ aluminum fire extinguisher. Lindloff bought the project from bike guru Steve Hatcher, who also threw in a hardtail rear section, a ribbed fender and a single-carb Tiger head. Despite the strong custom look, the bike retains the stock fuel tank, but there’s no battery—just a capacitor/regulator/rectifier hooked up to the stock coils. Completing the look are NOS fork covers, ‘Rocky’ headlight brackets and pipes with Superior tips. The talented Lindloff also painted and pinstriped the bike; we should look out for his name in the future. [Get your copy of Greasy Kulture for more of this goodness. Image by Aaron Lindloff.]

Nikon D80 | 1/80s | f/8.0 | ISO 500 | Focal length 31mm | AF-S DX 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6G IF-ED

PS: Get the latest from Bike EXIF via twitter and our Facebook page.

We wish you a great new year - Welcome 2011!

Always keep the rubber side down and be sure to be on the lookout for other riders!

New Member Cheshire Cat - Marilyn Elmore Bragg

Thanks.
Oh you can find my riding stories and photos at http://chessiestales.blogspot.com/ and...starting in Jan. 2011 my rides will be be in every issue of Iron Works Magazine for the 2011 year.

Thanks again for accepting my request. I look forward to enjoying the website!
Chessie

Lane Splitting - Legal or not

Traffic Q & A: Bikers need to keep to the lanes
Question: Lisa Jones of Tacoma wrote in about motorcyclists who ride in the space between lanes. She heard it is legal in California, but she’s wondering about Washington.

JOHN HENRIKSON; Staff writer,Tacoma News Tribune
Published: 09/06/1012:05 am | Updated: 09/06/10 9:15 am
“I’ve almost hit a few motorcycle riders due to this type of driving behavior, and while it seems stupidly dangerous, I was told it was OK for them to do this.”
Answer: Sgt. Freddy Williams of the Washington State Patrol looked into the issue and reports that so-called “land splitting” is allowed under certain conditions in California. “Specifically the motorcycles have to be doing less than 15 mph and it can only be done when other vehicle traffic is doing less than 15 mph,” he said.
Here in Washington, though, it’s strictly forbidden. RCW 46.61.608 states that “No person shall operate a motorcycle between lanes of traffic or between adjacent lines or rows of vehicles.”
Williams wouldn’t recommend lane-splitting anywhere.
“Your reader was very accurate when she states this type of driving behavior is stupidly dangerous,” he observes. “There are so many bad things that could happen when this type of driving is done.”
Got a question about traffic congestion, construction, spending or other transportation issues? Send it to traffic@thenewstribune.com. Include your name, hometown and daytime telephone number. We’ll answer as many as we can.