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Thursday, July 6, 2006 4:23 PM : MotoGP: German Grand Prix
2008-01-11 00:00:00
Last week, MotoGP rookie Dani Pedrosa took the win at Donington Park in England on his repsol honda motorcycle. It was Pedrosa's second win of the season, which already equals Rossi's debut season in 2000, and there is still half the season remaining. Pedrosa's win last Sunday also brought his career win total to 25 equalling the number of victories of the legendary Kevin Schwantz. Next weekend (07/15/2006), Pedrosa will take his aim at the podium again in the German Grand Prix from Sachsenring, Germany. Pedrosa is second in the world MotoGP standings, trailing repsol team-mate Nicky Hayden by 25 points and is closely followed by world champion Valentino Rossi who is only 9 points back. The course at Sachsenring consists of 14 tight corners which makes it one of the slowest tracks on the MotoGP schedule. This means its going to be a technical, tight race with plenty of action. The race will be aired on Speed TV on Sunday, July 16th at 4:00PM. - Richard
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Wednesday, July 5, 2006 3:59 PM : Fourth of July
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Fourth of July was awesome. I rode out to Laughlin, NV to watch the fireworks display on the river as well as have a little bit of fun gambling. I broke even... Well, I came back with exactly $1 more than I left with, so not completely even. The ride out there was nice, it was pretty humid and there was a lot of bridge construction on the I-40, but otherwise a nice trip. As far as I know there isn't much going on in the Valley. The same tired fireworks displays with obscenely large crowds of drunk people. - Richard
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Saturday, July 1, 2006 1:02 PM : SportBiker Blog
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Hey folks, this is my first blog entry on SportBiker Blog . I figured I would introduce myself and let everyone know what this blog is all about. My name is Richard Silvers and I live in Palm Springs, CA. I ride a 2005 Yamaha YZF-R1 Valencia 2005 M1 replica. I've been riding for years on streetbikes and dirtbikes in southern California. I wanted to create this site to showcase some of the local biker happenings, post photos, and comment on news thats going on in the world of motorcycles... Despite what you may think, there is a huge biker scene in the Coachella Valley; I ride with guys on EX-250s all the way to MV Augustas. On cooler Sundays there will be 30+ sportbikers on Highway 74, and on the weekends downtown Palm Springs is always packed at night. I plan to use this blog to comment on pretty much everything that goes down. I'm just that kind of guy. - Richard
More About: Saturday , July

Wednesday, January 2, 2008 9:45 AM : Not a Good Way to Start the New Year
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. CHP has not released the name of the victim, but the story goes that a group of motorcyclists were traveling down a two-lane road when a car going the opposite way lost control of her vehicle, rolled over, and then slammed into the motorcyclist. I can't even tell what type of bike that was, but obviously it was consumed in flames for quite some time after the incident. Just goes to show you that you can be doing everything right out there and still have no control on whether you come back in one piece or not. CHP is still investigating the crash, which I'm sure is going to include a BAC test to determine if the driver was inebriated. Hey, it's New Year s, right? - Richard
More About: January , Start , Good , Wednesday

Thursday, July 13, 2006 12:08 PM : Red Bull Grand Prix to air on ABC
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. The program will air on ABC in an hour-long special on July 30th at 1-2pm EST and 3-4pm PST. ABC will add content that will not otherwise be broadcast on the Speed channel, including exciting features, news, and interviews with the racers. MotoGP currently reaches 207 countries and has 311 million viewers around the globe. It is one of the most watched sports - except in the United States. Like Soccer and Formula 1, MotoGP hasn't really caught on here in the states. Having network coverage should help with that, but in a country obsessed with a bunch of drunk guys who enjoy turning left, you can never be too sure... Last year, MotoGP returned to the the US after an 11 year absense. 157,000 fans were in attendance with over 1 million US viewers watching on the Speed channel. That number will no-doubt skyrocket when the race airs on network television, which, unlike that stupid new show Superbikes, will do nothing but good things for our sport. - Richard
More About: Bull , Thursday , Red Bull , Grand

Saturday, July 8, 2006 11:42 AM : Speedfreaks
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According to the California Highway Patrol, the stretch of our freeway between Cabazon and Coachella has among the highest number of citations written for 100+mph speeding in California. The wrote an article today about the . I read this story after I took my motorcycle for a brief ride today up Highway 74 (where I summarily smoked some guy riding a BMW K1200RS.) and both times I was on the I-10, I had cars and trucks following and passing me. My average speed was around 95mph and I saw only one CHP officer who was pulled off the side of the freeway. If I crash my bike at 95mph in leathers, I may get injured or die, but I won't likely hurt anyone else. There were only 3 cases in the entire country last year where an accident involving a motorcycle and a car injured the car driver. On the other hand, if you crash your overloaded, underinflated SUV at 95mph, you will very likely die and possibly kill anyone else in the path of your vehicle. I'd like to point out that I-10 driv...
More About: Saturday , July

Saturday, July 8, 2006 11:49 PM : Rider dies at Open Trackday
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at an open trackday at La Junta Raceway in Colorado. Aaron Aikin, 25, apparently was trying to exit the track after missing the paddock exit and was t-boned by another motorcyclist at more than 100mph. Aikin was killed, and the other rider, Gene Bazyl, 22, is hospitalized in serious condition. La Junta Raceway runs its own track days, but isn't required to have cornerworkers or medical staff on site. There was no ambulance immediately on hand to treat Aikin's injuries or he may very well still be alive. Any of you guys that are thinking of attending trackdays at La Junta may want to give this some serious consideration... - Richard
More About: Open , Saturday , July , Dies , Rider

Sunday, July 9, 2006 6:32 AM : Riding Safe
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today. It's part of an ad campaign airing in South Africa instructing motorists to be aware of bikes on the road. It goes to show you just how fast you can be involved in an accident on a motorcycle. The only one that's looking out for your safety out there is you. which, though very graphic, gets the point across on how dangerous our hobby is. I remember when I took my Motorcycle Safe ty Foundation (MSF) course a few years back the instructor kept mentioning that you are 16 times more likely to be involved in an injury-causing crash on a motorcycle. However, don't be fooled, he got this number is from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) stats from 1994! According to the most recent numbers by the NHTSA, you are more likely to be injured or killed on a motorcycle What does "per mile driven" mean? Well, for one thing there are more bikes on the road in 2006 than in 1994. Per mile driven takes the number of bikes out of the equation. Simply put: For ever...
More About: Sunday , July , Riding

Friday, August 18, 2006 8:46 PM : Big Pines Highway - Largo Vista to Jackso
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Still in search of an adequate replacement for Highway 74... I decided to take a short trip outside of Victorville to a road I heard about on the internet. The directions were simple: Take the 15 to the 138 to Largo Vista Rd. and make a left... Largo Vista is a road that intersects Pearblossom Highway and runs up through the mountains and connects to Big Pines Highway in the Angeles National Forest. I'd never been on this road before, but the mapquest map looked pretty enticing... It took me a solid 40 minutes to get to the Largo Vista turn-off from Apple Valley. And the first few miles on Largo Vista are very, very straight. As it gets higher into the mountains the road curves into some nice sweepers. However, there driveways on some of the curves and the potential for deadly crosstraffic if you carry too much speed through there. The road comes to an end at a T-Junction with Big Pines Highway running either right or left. The destination for my trip was Jackson Lake, so I turn...
More About: Friday , August

Monday, September 11, 2006 8:18 AM : Mother of Three Dies in Motorcycle Acc
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on Sunday, September 10th, when the motorcycle she was passenger on ejected her onto I-280 near San Francisco. After she was ejected, she was then struck by a Toyota Corolla driven by Glenn Ibarra, 33, who was not charged in the accident. The motorcycle driver, David Barry, was not hurt initially. Calderon simply fell from the back of the bike. Barry then pulled to the side of the road and attempted to walk onto the highway toward Calderon's body when he was struck by a Lexus driven by 20-year old Xiaochen Ji. Ji then lost control of his car and struck a Ford Mustang driven by Sergio Moreno. Xiaochen Ji was arrested on the scene for a felony DUI charge. It was not clear whether David Barry was intoxicated or not, but CHP Officer Mark Johnston said that he will be arrested when released from the hospital. Nektari Calderon was the mother of three children: Rico, 5, Michael, 12, and Daniel, 16. She was married to Carlos Calderon for the past 19 years. Carlos Calderon said he did...
More About: Motorcycle , Mother , Monday , September 11

Monday, September 18, 2006 11:30 AM : Driver held on suspicion of Motorcycl
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, is being held on suspicion of Murder after a collision with Chino resident Earl Nathasingh. Nathasingh was riding his 2001 Honda CBR motorcycle on Sunday about 9:45pm when he ran into the passenger side of the 1990 Honda Accord driven by Palmer. Nathasingh was taken to California Hospital Medical Center in critical condition where he was pronounced dead early Monday . Palmer attempted to flee following the accident, but was detained by local residents. Normally, a story like this wouldn't make any sort of headlines. Driver hits Motorcyclist? Big deal. It happens all the time. What makes this one different is that Palmder was arrested and they are holding him on suspicion of murder. Palmer was driving under the influence Sunday night when the accident occurred. However, this wasn't the first time he had been convicted of DUI. So instead of booking him for yet-another-DUI, he was arrested on suspicion of Murder. Hopefully the Judge will deal out a just prison sentence.... But,...
More About: September , Held

Tuesday, October 9, 2007 9:12 PM : The Move
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There hasn't been an update to the site in a while, but I have a pretty good reason. I got married and we recently bought a new house and moved to Pahrump, Nevada. It's about 4 1/2 hours out of Palm Springs, and only 40 minutes outside of Las Vegas. I still have a lot of family out near Palm Springs, so I'm sure I'll be out that way a lot. We're really liking it so far and the best thing is that my house is less than 3 miles from the Spring Mountain Race track. Woohoo. - Richard
More About: Move , Tuesday , October

Tuesday, October 16, 2007 3:49 PM : This is Justice?
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, 23, of Sebastopol was sentenced today to 8 months in jail and 200 hours community service. You may not remember Mr. Almaguer, but he was charged with the hit-and-run death of Bryon Pokopowich on March 13th, 2007. Pokopowich was riding his Ducati motorcycle eastbound on Occidental Road when Almaguer, traveling westbound, made a left turn in front of him. Bryon Pokopowich died at the scene; his body was found 500 feet from his motorcycle. It's a pretty disturbing case and I feel the defendant got off way too lightly (which seems to be a trend in our legal system lately). Mr. Almaguer not only fled the scene of an accident, leaving Bryon to die on the side of the road... But after the accident he went to . How callous can someone be? And was Mr. Almaguer a responsible driver with a clean record, full coverage insurance, involved in this horrible accident by no fault of his own? NO. He was driving on a , , driving his car, and, of course, he was prior to the accident. He shoul...
More About: Justice , Tuesday , October

Thursday, November 29, 2007 12:47 PM : All Moved In
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Well we're all moved in now, unfortunately the season is over for motorcycle racing at Spring Mountain. Which makes sense because the temps here are about 55-degrees mid-day; which is far too cold to maintain grip on racing tires. Not to mention freezing your ass off in leathers from the wind-chill at racing speeds. The next scheduled track day with is March 15th, 2008. I'll probably sign up for one a little later in the season; maybe April. If you've never heard of , check it out . It's mainly a Corvette/Camaro driving school, but they have a full compliment of Lotuses, and Radicals. They also rent the track out to clubs such as for the weekend to host track day events. - Richard
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Sunday, December 9, 2007 1:33 PM : NHTSA: Nearly 50% of all motorcycle fata
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released numbers this week showing that for 2006 nearly half of all fatalities involved motorcycle riders over 40 (i.e: baby boomers). Just a scant 10 years ago, riders under 40 accounted for almost 70% of all motorcycle fatalities. Looking at the chart, you can see the fatalities for those under 40 have remained relatively stable for the past 10 years. That number has increased less than 2-fold in ten years (though there is greatly more than a 2-fold increase in the number of bikes on the road).. But for those over 40, it's almost a five-fold increase in the number of fatalities. The median age for motorcyclists also rose from 27 in 1985 to 41 in 2003. What do these numbers mean? The NHTSA doesn't speculate. Fortunately for you; I do. Here's my list of reasons why baby boomer motorcyclists are dying at an astounding rate: 1) People that were considered young in 1985 have regained interest in the hobby thanks to shows like American Chopper, Orange County Choppers, etc. They...
More About: Motorcycle , Sunday , December

Monday, December 31, 2007 6:31 PM : Motorcyclist Hurt in Brentwood crash
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was injured in a motorcycle crash in Brentwood today. He was riding a new Harley Davidson motorcycle on a two-lane road when he came upon slowed traffic. Instead of slowing down (the smart thing to do), he decided to pass all the cars by moving into the left lane. Can you guess what happened next? If you said: You would be right! Instead of slowing down he ran his bike straight into a Chevy . I'm a bike guy, but off the top of my head I know I can name hundreds of cars that I'd rather crash into than a Suburban! People. You need to pay attention out there. Just because you're on a fast, maneuverable bike doesn't mean you are immune from traffic. Don't get me wrong... In some situations it certainly , but you also need to have the common sense to know when to slowly putter your bike along with the cars rather than try some some death-defying maneuver to save a few seconds off your ride. Besides, why on earth would you want to spend LESS time riding? Luckily this guy survi...
More About: Hurt , Crash , Monday , Motorcyclist

Friday, January 4, 2008 9:50 AM : Not a Good Way to Start the New Year Part
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. The last one happened in Brentwood, this one in Fairfield; but very similar incidents that both could have easily been avoided if the riders had just . It happened on Wednesday, January 2nd when Christopher John Goldberg was riding his 2006 Suzuki GSXR1300 southbound on Green Valley Drive. He came upon a Volvo station wagon that was slowing down and instead of tapping the brake and following it to see what it was going to do; he decided to pass on the left side. Unfortunately that mistake cost Christopher his life. The Volvo was making a left turn into a driveway and the motorcycle t-boned the Volvo on the left side, ejecting Goldberg from his bike and leaving him dead at the scene. Now it was unclear if the Volvo was signaling to turn or not. I would guess it wasn't. Personally, I know I normally don't use my signal when turning into my driveway... But maybe I should start. Regardless, it's another tragedy easily avoided if the rider had just slowed down and taken a coup...
More About: New Year , Start , Friday , Part

Monday, January 7, 2008 12:48 PM : California Motorcycle Safety Program (CM
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The California division of the Motorcycle Safety Foundation (MSF) is actively taking enrollments for the new year. They expect to train 55,000 motorcyclists per year on how to operate their bike at over 80 training facilities located throughout the state. If you haven't taken a MSF RiderCourse class, you're really missing out. I personally took one of their classes at the facility in Colton and it was top-notch. And they're not just teaching basic stuff either. You get to ride the courses through slaloms, avoid obstacles, go obstacles and plenty of other stuff you wouldn't want to do on your own bike. If you're into racing, a lot of stuff they teach you about riding on the street will carry over. One of the most common accidents in racing is high-siding because of losing traction on your rear wheel and having it "catch" and throw you over. Did you know that the MSF course teaches how to prevent that with hands-on training? You can get more information by going to the webs...
More About: January , Program

Wednesday, January 9, 2008 10:44 AM : CMSP announces plans for a 3-Wheeled
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. Three wheelers (or Trikes, as they're lovingly called) are registered as motorcycles in the state of California and up until now there haven't been any classes specific to their unique handling characteristics. The Motorcycle Safety Foundation (MSF) started developing curriculum for trikes in 2007 and hopes to have the class available in the first quarter of 2008 . The twelve hour class is divided into two parts; a four hour classroom instruction and an 8 hour riding segment that teaches the basics such as low-speed handling, braking, and cornering. The 3-wheeled Basic RiderCourse (or 3BRC) will be administered through the California Motorcycle Safety Program. For other states, be sure to check the website for details on where you can find the class in your area. - Richard
More About: January , Plans , Wednesday

Wednesday, January 9, 2008 11:36 AM : Vote for Moto GP on SpeedTV
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MotoGP, of course! Cast your vote on the website and feel great knowing that you did your part to ensure Speed's coverage of our sport for years to come! (Note: The poll is about mid-way down the page on the right.) - Richard
More About: Moto , January , Vote , Wednesday , 2008

Wednesday, January 9, 2008 1:40 PM : Corona Man dies in Motorcycle Crash
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died of his injuries Monday when the motorcycle he was riding hit a curb and crashed into a tree. Sell was riding his 2005 Honda CBR and the crash happened after 4 p.m. at the intersection of Liberty Street and California Avenue. Crash investigators say Sell was traveling at a high rate of speed when the crash occurred. The crash remains under investigation. - Richard
More About: Motorcycle , January , Corona , Wednesday

Thursday, January 10, 2008 10:46 AM : Bayliss Breaks Collarbone in Testing
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today in pre-season testing on Phillip Island. Bayliss had the second best time of the day behind Yukio Kagayama, but was thrown from his bike at the bottom of the MG hairpin. Bayliss was in the process of passing another rider. Unable to make the turn, Bayliss got on the rear brake hard and was high-sided off. Initial X-rays at Melbourne Hospital were inconclusive, but medics on the scene anticipate his injury will be healed in approximately 3 week -- enough time for Bayliss to be fit for the start of the season. - Richard
More About: Testing , January , Thursday , Breaks , 2008

Thursday, January 10, 2008 1:03 PM : For Sale: 2005 Suzuki GSXR600
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My friend Jessica is selling her 2005 Suzuki GSXR600. Click Photo for Larger Image The bike is located in the Palm Springs, CA. The bike is in great condition and I know she's always babied it. She's asking $6,000.00 for it, but may take less if you have the cash. You can message her on Myspace.com for more details. . - Richard
More About: For Sale , Sale , January , Thursday

Monday, August 7, 2006 8:59 PM : Hwy 18 to Big Bear Lake: Conquered!
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Yesterday (Sunday) I was in Apple Valley and was pretty bored so I decided to go for a ride on my bike. The roads around Apple Valley aren't very much fun. They are mostly straight and someone is always pulling out in front of you. There's certainly nothing like Highway 74 out here... Or is there? You see I had never been to Big Bear , but I had heard the road from Lucerne Valley to Big Bear Lake was fairly twisty. And it would be nice to get away from the desert heat... Well, I thought to myself, Lucerne is only 11 miles away, why not? I approached this mountain with a Highway 74 mentality. I was expecting fast, long sweepers with maybe some esses thrown in here and there... Big mistake. On the first turn up the mountain there is a yellow sign posted at 25mph... In contrast, 74 only has ONE speed advisory sign and its 30mph on a decreasing radius blind turn. I knew I was in for something different... This particular turn is a decreasing radius blind left turn followed...
More About: Monday , August , August 7

Sunday, August 6, 2006 8:03 PM : Celebrity Bikers
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First it was Kellen Winslow Jr, then it was Ben Roethlisberger, then Arnold, now add Steeler's offensive lineman Barrett Brooks to the list of celebrity idiots giving our hobby a bad rep. In the wee hours of the morning, Brooks rode recklessly around a police car. When the police officer lit Brooks up, he fled on his motorcycle -- with no helmet. The chase lasted five minutes, Brooks was reportedly riding at "unsafe" speeds and ran a red light and a stop sign. The chase ended with Brooks dropping his motorcycle in an intersection. He tried to pick the motorcycle up and flee when officers made the physical arrest. Brooks was charged with fleeing and eluding, reckless driving, driving at an unsafe speed, and other traffic violations. I just don't understand what is wrong with these people. Why do they think their money is a suitable replacement for having a brain? Was Barrett jealous of all the attention Roethlisberger had when he crashed into a windshield? Did he want...
More About: Celebrity , Sunday , August

Sunday, July 9, 2006 1:09 PM : New Photos of My Bike
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The painter finished my fairings a few weeks ago and now that I have everything put back together I figured I would share some photos of the bike with everyone. Overall I am very happy with the way it turned out. It's definitely something different, you know? - Richard
More About: Photos , Bike , Sunday , July

Sunday, July 9, 2006 4:55 PM : Motorcycle Insurance
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One of the most frequently asked questions on the forums I post on is where to find the cheapest motorcycle insurance. I know personally when I first tried to get my R1 insured, I was getting yearly quotes that were almost as much as the cost of the bike. GEICO quoted me $10,999, Allstate quoted me $9,879, Liberty Mutual quoted me $11,323! Is it any wonder that the majority of sportbike riders are uninsured? But there are things you can do to lower your insurance premiums: - Obviously if you already have your motorcycle you can't do anything about this one, but if you are in the market for a bike you may want to consider it. The newer, faster, and flashier the bike is the more money it's going to cost to insure it. Even getting a bike a couple years older will lower your insurance cost substantially. The size of the engine also matters - a literbike will cost more to insure than a 600cc bike. - This is one of the main factors in the cost of insurance and there is really nothi...
More About: Insurance , Motorcycle , Sunday , July

Monday, July 10, 2006 11:58 PM : Arnold Becomes Licensed Motorcyclist
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(along with his kid) into an SUV, he has finally received his M1 endorsement. In January, Arnold crashed his Harley into a volvo pulling out of a driveway. His son was OK, but Arnold received 15 stitches in his upper lip. He had been riding for years in Pacific Palisades and Malibu Canyon without having a license and was unlicensed at the time of the accident. There was some confusion about this as the LAPD "decided not to issue a citation" to the Governor. The reason they gave was that, with the sidecar, the motorcycle was actually a vehicle and the M1 endorsement only covers vehicles. The C endorsement covers cars and light trucks with two or more axles and they classified his Harley with a sidecar as a . How ridiculous is that? ... In any case, Arnold has apparently went through the necessary channels to get his M1 endorsement and can now ride his bikes without the fear (yeah right) of getting his bikes impounded or going to jail like the rest of us... - Richard
More About: Monday , July , Motorcyclist

Tuesday, July 11, 2006 12:25 PM : California Sportbiker Arrested in Oregon
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Jay Brooks, 25, of Grand Terrace, California was booked into Jackson County Jail after being arrested for riding his 2003 Suzuki motorcycle at speeds estimated over 120mph at 9 A.M. on Sunday. He was reportedly passing between cars as he sped down the freeway's center line during the chase. He was arrested on charges of reckless driving, operating a motorcycle without insurance, operating a motorcycle without a license, and his bail was set at $13,000. - Richard
More About: Arrested , Oregon , Tuesday , July

Tuesday, July 11, 2006 6:21 PM : Yamaha rider dies in Santa Cruz
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on Hwy 9 Tuesday afternoon. The accident occured at 3:58pm at the intersection of Hwy 9 and Hwy 35. The motorcyclist was riding a 2005 Yamaha and was travelling north on Hwy 9 when the Yukon made a left turn in front of him into a scenic turnout. The motorcyclist was ejected from the motorcycle and died at the scene. The driver and the four passengers in the Yukon were uninjured. Stay safe out there guys... - Richard
More About: Cruz , Santa , July