Ride it like you Stole it Ride it like you Stole it Daily blog of a Motorcycle Riding U.S.Army Veteran and IT Engineering Manager. Articles
Bob Dylan's Motorcycle Wreck on July 29, 1966
2008-05-30 16:00:00 On July 29, 1966 , Bob Dylan was injured in a motorcycle accident outside of his home in Woodstock, NY, suffering injuries to his neck vertebrae and a concussion. Details of the accident remain elusive — he was reportedly in critical condition for a week and had amnesia — and some biographers have questioned its severity, but the event was a pivotal turning point in his career. Since 1961, when he had arrived in New York, Dylan’s life had moved quickly. In 1965 and ’66 the pace only increased. As one observer put it, Dylan wasn’t merely burning his candle at both ends; he was using a blowtorch. His incredible productivity—perhaps his three best albums, Bringing It All Back Home, Highway 61 Revisited, and the double album Blonde on Blonde, were recorded within a 14-month span—was very likely fueled by methamphetamine; bone-thin in ’66, Dylan had the giveaway look of a speed freak. I was blinded by the sun for a se... More About: Motorcycle , Wreck
Mark Twain?s Tips for Living a Kick-Ass Life
2008-05-30 15:04:00 Twain is known for his many – and often funny – quotes. Here are a few of my favorite tips from him. “It’s no wonder that truth is stranger than fiction. Fiction has to make sense.” “Let us live so that when we come to die even the undertaker will be sorry.” “When your friends begin to flatter you on how young you look, it’s a sure sign you’re getting old.” 1. Approve of yourself. “A man cannot be comfortable without his own approval.” If you don’t approve of yourself, of your behavior and actions then you’ll probably walk around most of the day with a sort of uncomfortable feeling. If you, on the other hand, approve of yourself then you tend to become relaxed and gain inner freedom to do more of what you really want. This can, in a related way, be a big obstacle in personal growth. You may have all the right tools to grow in ... More About: Life , Living , Tips , Mark Twain , Mark
Commuting in FlatLand - May 30
2008-05-30 13:59:00 This fine Friday Morning in FlatLand was a great time for the Motorcycle Commute to Tampa. 72 degrees f. with no wind or clouds, just glorious sunshine to be enjoyed. Traffic was a little heavier than normal on the Surface Streets for a Friday Morning. The normal morning feeding of the LEOs by those who don't use Radar Detector/Locators such as the Valentine 1 which has paid for itself repeatedly, time & time again. Traffic move very well on the Toll Roads considering the active FHP presence. Well, this is my exit. Have a great weekend everyone and Ride It Like You Stole It! LATER Technorati Tags: RilySi,Ride it like you stole it,Motorcycle Riding,Motorcycle Commuting ,FlatLand,Florida More About: Flatland
Lane Splitting 101 - A Reason to Envy Californians
2008-05-29 16:01:00 The Breakin' the Law crew have been sprung from jail and are at it once again: The latest installment -- Lane Splitting 101 -- carries on the quest to bring you the finest in immoral, unlawful (in most states) and idiotic motorcycle entertainment. As always children, don't try this at home (even if you do live in California) or at least don't do it because you saw it here. We have good lawyers and we'll chain whip you if you sue us because you got hurt doing something stupid. It wasn't our fault, you were an abused child or something. Basically, the voices in your head aren't ours. What follows is a work of fiction, and all visual representations were rendered using our really big, air-cooled SGI computer that makes a scary humming noise like the ones they used to make dinosaurs in "Jurassic Park". In some of the heavily congested areas of the world, motorcycle commuting has mutated to cope with obscenely high traffic levels. This perversion is known as ... More About: Satire , Reason , Envy
Motorcycle Accident Causes & Factors
2008-05-29 16:00:00 In 2006 about 4,935 people were killed riding motorcycles of different kinds. A major Motorcycle accident study analyzed information from thousands of accidents, drew conclusions about the causes and looked for ways people can avoid accidents. The "Motorcycle Accident Cause Factors and Identification of Countermeasures," was a study conducted by the University of Southern California, with funds from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, researcher Harry Hurt investigated nearly every aspect of 900 motorcycle accidents in the Los Angeles area. Additionally, Hurt and his staff analyzed 3,600 motorcycle traffic accident reports in the same geographic area. Below are some of the findings. Motorcycle Accident Study findings: Approximately three-fourths of these motorcycle accidents involved collision with another vehicle, which was most usually a passenger automobile. Approximately one-fourth of these motorcycle...
Commuting in FlatLand - May 29
2008-05-29 13:26:00 A beautiful morning best describes the conditions for the Motorcycle Commute to Tampa. 70 degrees f. with no wind or clouds; just glorious sunshine, with a little traffic to mix it up a bit. There were some LEO's pacing traffic on SR54 and that kept the commute to a slower pace than normal, but not bad at all. There were several other bikes on the road this morning along with a liberal amount of distracted drivers dick-knobbing around with their cell phones while pretending to actually drive their cages. Traffic on the Toll Roads was light in Pasco County and built steadily all the way to my exit in Tampa. What a great morning for a Motorcycle Ride here in FlatLand. A Hillsborough County SD Cruiser feeding on a cager. Well, this is my exit. Have a Great Day everyone! LATE... More About: Commuting , Flatland
Fashion and Safety Can Cruise the Road Together for Women Motorcyclists
2008-05-28 16:00:00 If Kristina L. Jones wrote a book, it might be called "When Fashion Met A Motorcycle." For now, though, Jones is content to be the owner of Cameleon Power-Sport Apparel, a company out to show that women who ride motorcycles can stay safe and look good at the same time. "All of the apparel in the Cameleon Power-Sport line must be functional on a motorcycle, and transition women into the many other environments they move through each day," says Jones, who started Cameleon out of frustration as much as anything else. The Indianapolis entrepreneur is an avid motorcycle rider who performed an endless search for stylish protective apparel and fashionable clothing to wear on her rides. Necessity became the mother of invention. "My goal is to develop figure flattering, fashion-forward protective apparel that allows women to integrate their personal wardrobes into riding motorcycles without compromising safety," Jones says. ... More About: Women , For Women , Safety , Road
Road Rage and You
2008-05-28 15:05:00 But as this charioteer lurched over towards me I struck him in my rage... He was paid back, and more! Swinging my club in this right hand I knocked him Out of his car, and he rolled on the ground. I killed him.... I killed them all. - Sophocles, Oedipus Rex, 430 BC You're on your brand new Super Moto bike and you want to go for a ride. You call up your friend, and you meet for coffee. You talk about your new KTM and how fast and fun it is, how it will give you an edge over the plodding, inattentive masses in their Volvos, rental cars and SUVs. You roar around the car on the shoulder of the road, scream a few choice obscenities at the girls and do a wheelie around the bend. You head out to the beach, the thumper's motor roaring in your ears and the cool salty air filling your lungs. As you come up to a stop sign, two young women in a sedan hesitate in front of you, looking at the water. You honk at them, and one of them waves a saucy middle fing... More About: Rage , Road , Road Rage
Commuting in FlatLand - May 28
2008-05-28 13:27:00 This mornings Motorcycle Commute to Tampa was in 68 degrees f. and with out a cloud in the sky to hide the glorious sunshine of this fine FlatLand morning. I counted 22 other Motorcycles on the road this morning and only one Pasco County SD Cruiser that kept the pace on SR54 kind of low. Traffic moved well on surface streets as well as the Toll Roads this morning. Have a Great Day everyone and Ride it like you stole it. LATER Technorati Tags: RilySi,Ride it like you stole it,Motorcycle Riding,Motorcycle Commuting ,FlatLand,Florida More About: Flatland
The Paranoid Motorcyclist
2008-05-27 16:00:00 "They are the scourge on our highways." "They are an epidemic." "They continue to clog the trauma centers of America." Those are quotes from Dr. Jeffery W. Runge, Administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), while speaking at the Lifesavers Convention, Charlotte, NC, on March 14, 2005. And just in case you hadn't figured it out yet, the "they" being referred to is you and me - motorcyclists. Dr. Runge and other "authorities" making these statements always back up their comments with hard scientific evidence like, "motorcycle fatalities have increased 12% in the past two years." Of course, what they never include in such statements are modifying facts, like maybe, "the number of people riding motorcycles has increased by 18% in the past two years." We wouldn't want to confuse people with too many facts, so we'll just give them the ones that sup... More About: Paranoid , Motorcyclist
Distracted Driver + Air Horn = War Paint
2008-05-27 15:00:00 Never being one to ignore the tidbits of humor sprinkled throughout one’s daily life, I had a potentially dangerous and stressful experience during the commute that put a grin on my face. While in tight surface street traffic, the car in the Right Lane started slowly drifting into my lane. I slid over into the Left Tire track of my lane and glanced at the driver to insure they had seen me. The “Driver ” had cell-phone affixed to her Left ear while leaning forward, eye to eye with the Rear-view Mirror and applying eye make-up! The Driver Seat Occupant continued her incursion into my lane so I tapped the horn which obviously didn’t pierce her veil of dare I say ”concentration”. As she was now almost half way into my lane; I laid on the air horn as I braked hard to get clear of her car. She dropped the cell phone grabbing the wheel and jerked the car back into her lane. I rolled up next to her at the next li... More About: Paint , Horn
Commuting in FlatLand - May 27
2008-05-27 13:57:00 The morning Motorcycle Commute to Tampa was in 66 degrees f. under a beautiful blue sky with ultrabrite sunshine. I passed several other motorcycles this morning and found no FHP cruisers to slow the commute. Traffic moved well on surface street as well as the toll roads. It's nice being back home after the weekend trip to Biloxi Mississippi. A fine flatland morning indeed. Have a great day everyone! LATER Technorati Tags: RilySi,Ride it like you stole it,Motorcycle Riding,Motorcycle Commuting ,FlatLand,Florida More About: Flatland
New Buell Ulysses Police Motorcycle
2008-05-26 17:00:00 The new Buell Ulysses Police XB12XP offers government agencies and private security firms a quick and very nimble "special duty" patrol vehicle that is capable of travel over a variety of terrain, from open highways to city streets to unpaved back-country roads. Buell has released another version of its Ulysses motorcycle in the form of the XB12XP, an off-road capable version of the Uly aimed at police departments and security firms. Based on the versatile Buell Ulysses adventure sportbike, the Ulysses Police features long-travel suspension, generous ground clearance and aggressive tires that allow it to tackle roads too rough or narrow for confident travel in an automobile or on a traditional police motorcycle. On smooth pavement, the Ulysses Police is an agile sport motorcycle. The Ulysses Police can also accommodate a passenger. Available for order through Buell dealers as of May 27, 2008, production of the 2009 Ulysses Police is scheduled to begin in Augus... More About: Motorcycle
Triumph Bonneville - 50th Anniversary Edition
2008-05-26 16:00:00 Triumph will celebrate the 50th anniversary of Bonneville this year and has produced two Bonneville limited editions designed by Belstaff and Ewan McGregor. The Bonneville Belstaff is black with double gold color profiling and will be going on sale during the year. Now this may the Triumph I'll add to the stable! LATER Technorati Tags: RilySi,Ride it like you stole it,Motorcycle Riding,Motorcycle Commuting,FlatLand,Florida More About: Anniversary , Triumph , Edition
Hardly Angels - Female Motorcycle Drill Team - Heading to Japan
2008-05-26 15:00:00 A group of local female motorcycle riders -- a self-described "chorus line on wheels" -- is taking its act to Japan to perform during a rally at the base of Mount Fuji. It will be the women's third appearance there. "We're treated like rock stars over there," group member Jody Bernard said after a recent dress rehearsal. The women call themselves "The Hardly Angels " and have been performing together for 14 years. They left for Japan last week. Bernard said the women formed the group after getting interested in riding through their husbands, and they wanted to become more proficient with their bikes. What started with figure eights soon became more complex, and one rider, Lynell Corbett, who had a background in dance, pushed the women to organize an act, thus becoming the first all-woman motorcycle drill team. More than a decade later, the group continues to be the only such team, which is why they are... More About: Female , Motorcycle , Team
Nanotechnology and Cutting Edge Design Combine to Create Yamaha Exoskelton
2008-05-26 14:00:00 California professor, Bumsuk Lim, has taken his passion for motorcycle riding and developed a new motorcycle design class, enviro-motorcycles. One of the first designs to come from this is an exoskelton style project vehicle called ‘Deus Ex Machina’ (God Out of a Machine). It is an electric, single passenger, vertically parking, and wearable motorcycle. The bike has a human muscular-skeletal system that allows the rider to become one with the vehicle. Seven artificial vertebrae behind the helmet support the rider’s head and control of the bike is done with the body via 36 pneumatic muscles and 2 linear actuators. Power comes from doped NanoPhosphate batteries and ultra-capacitors, with an in-wheel motor that gives acceleration of 60 mph in 3 seconds. Recharging takes 15 minutes with a cycle time of 60 minutes and a limited top speed of 75 mph. Source: azonano LATER Technorati Tags: RilySi,Ride it like you stole i... More About: Design , Nanotechnology , Cutting Edge , Yamaha , Edge
And the Ass Hat of The Week goes to:
2008-05-23 17:00:00 The Military Government of Myanmar Gareth Evans, the former Australian foreign minister who heads the International Crisis Group, made the case last week that the decision by Myanmar’s authorities to default on their responsibilities to their own citizens might well constitute “a crime against humanity,” and suggested that the United Nations might need to consider bringing aid to Myanmar non-consensually, justified on the basis of the “Responsibility to Protect Resolution” adopted at the 2005 U.N. World Summit by 150 member states. For not admitting foreign humanitarian relief workers to help the victims of Cyclone Nargis. The decision by Myanmar’s authorities to default on their responsibilities to their own citizens might well constitute a crime against humanity. With tens of thousands of people dead, up to 100,000 missing and more than a million displaced and without shelter, liveli... More About: Week
Is Senator Kennedy a Victim of Pot Prohibition?
2008-05-23 16:00:00 In the fourteen years I’ve worked in marijuana law reform, few events have struck me as so needlessly tragic as the federal government’s consistent and deliberate stifling of medical cannabis research. Nowhere is the Feds’ refusal to allow this science more overt and inhumane than as it pertains to the investigation of cannabinoids as anti-cancer agents, particularly in the treatment of gliomas. [C]annabinoids have displayed a great potency in reducing glioma tumor growth either in vitro or in animal experimental models. … [They] appear to be selective antitumoral agents as they kill glioma cells without affecting the viability of nontransformed counterparts. As noted in today’s wire stories regarding Senator Edward Kennedy ’s diagnosis, glioma is an aggressive form of cancer that affects an estimated 10,000 Americans annually. Standard treatments for the cancer include radiation and chemotherapy, though neither ... More About: Prohibition , Victim
West Australian company gives paraplegics the chance to ride a motorcycle a
2008-05-23 15:00:00 It’s a sad fact that if you ride motorcycles for any length of time, you’re more than likely to run into somebody who used to ride bikes but can’t any more due to catastrophic injury - often these are injuries sustained in bike crashes. I’ve known several ex-bikers who have sustained life-changing injuries through the sport, and a few common threads emerge: most have no regrets, most are getting on with life with strength and dignity, and most would desperately love to ride again one day. And not a trike, a proper, leaning-in-the-corners, motorcycle. Whether or not they should ride again is one question - a question upon which these folks’ families would probably have a fairly firm opinion - but thanks to West Australian company Dreamfit and its founder Darren Lomman, paraplegic riders can now have a motorcycle retrofitted to allow them to re-live the freedom of the open road on two wheels. The dreamfit retrofit addresses several differe... More About: Motorcycle , Company , Ride , Chance
Commuting in FlatLand - May 23
2008-05-23 14:00:00 This mornings commute to Tampa was in 78 degrees f. in steady rain for most of the ride. Traffic moved well for a rainy Friday in FlatLand. The camera stayed in the case and out of the rain this morning. Have a Great Day & A Great Weekend Everyone! LATER Technorati Tags: RilySi,Ride it like you stole it,Motorcycle Riding,Motorcycle Commuting ,FlatLand,Florida More About: Flatland
Motorcycle Simulator Under Development at Nottingham University
2008-05-22 17:00:00 The motorcycle allows riders to operate controls and lean on the motorcycle as they would in the real world, said Dr Alex Stedmon A motorcycle simulator that consists of a Triumph motorcycle mounted on a rig surrounded by huge projection screens is currently under construction at Nottingham University . Once complete, the system will allow engineers to study aspects of motorcycle design as well as rider behavior, competence and safety. 'The motorcycle allows riders to operate controls and lean on the motorcycle as they would in the real world,' said Dr Alex Stedmon, a lecturer in the School of Mechanical, Materials and Manufacturing Engineering’s Centre for Motorcycle Ergonomics and Rider Human Factors By putting the rider into tailor-made scenarios and measuring both their and the motorcycle’s performance, the simulator will produce valuable data, both for academics and the motorcycle industry - manufacturers and road safety organizations have al... More About: Development , Simulator
Motorcycle Crackdown on the Taliban
2008-05-22 16:00:00 The Honda 125cc motorcycle has become to the Taliban what the Humvee is to the American military: the ride of choice. The government of Afghanistan and its US-led allies have launched commando attacks, sent out spies and paid bribes as part of efforts to subdue a bloody Taliban insurgency. But yesterday one province tried a new tactic - banning unregistered motorcycles. Authorities in Ghazni said the Taliban had been using motorcycles to carry out bombings and shootings. The Honda 125cc motorcycle has become to the Taliban what the Humvee is to the American military: the ride of choice. Ali Ahmed, director of the province's criminal department, said the ban was issued after gunmen on motorcycles killed the former governor, Taj Mohammed Qari Baba, on March 18. Mr Ahmed, whose police force has the task of approaching suspected Taliban militants and demanding motorcycle registration papers, said: "Today we stopped any motorcyclists traveling in or entering ... More About: Motorcycle , Crackdown
Motorcycle Gangs Ride Roughshod in Japan
2008-05-22 15:00:00 JAPANESE police plan to deploy mechanized motorcycle traps to snare teenage bikers who are terrorizing the country's other road users. The sight of bosozoku gangs (literally "violent running tribes") meandering slowly across the road, aggressively revving their engines as they block any traffic that wants to pass, is now commonplace in Japan . The police detained more than 96,000 bosozoku last year for traffic violations, a 17 per cent increase from 1998. Most gang members are high-school dropouts and delinquents who drift into the gangs in which they become recruitment targets for Japan's yakuza mafia. A few years ago the bosozoku were little more than a noisy nuisance, but recently they have been hitting the headlines for more serious crimes, from assaults to robbery and extortion. The police have had an inglorious history of combating the gangs, who can easily outrun patrol cars if it comes to a high-speed chase. Now the police force in the southe... More About: Motorcycle , Ride , Gangs
Commuting in FlatLand - May 22
2008-05-22 14:07:00 This mornings Motorcycle Commute to Tampa was in 80 degrees f. at 98% humidity with rain all around me. The lens of the camera fogged as soon as I opened it due to the humidity. Traffic moved really well on the surface streets as well as the toll roads. Didn't see another motorcycle on the road this morning. The normal FHP ambush point on the Veterans Expressway. We need the rain badly here in FlatLand as the East Coast counties are ablaze with wild fires. Have a Great Day everyone. LATER Technorati Tags: RilySi,Ride it like you stole it,Motorcycle Riding,Motorcycle Commuting ,FlatLand,Florida More About: Flatland
Sturgis-Bike-Week-2008-RilySi
2008-05-21 23:06:00 Sturgis Bike Week is just around the corner and down the block, so to help keep you informed on the Rally here's a handy little widget. .bg{background-image:url("http://stats.do 512.com/sturgis/sharer/imgs/bb_bg.gif");b ackground-repeat:repeat;display:block;mar gin:0 auto;padding:0;width:400px;height:500px;} .links{width:400px;height:50px;margin:0;p adding:4px 0 0 0;}.p_links{margin:0 auto;padding:2px;text-align:center;height :20px;}.links a:link,.links a:visited{font-family:"Garamond";backgrou nd-color:black;border-style:solid;border- width:1px;border-color:goldenrod;font-wei ght:bold;color:goldenrod;text-decoration: none;padding:0 2px;margin:2px;font-size:14px;font-weight :bold;}.links a:hover{background:LavenderBlush;font-siz e:14px;font-weight:bold;}2008 T-ShirtsBikerOrNot.comRock'n The Rally TixCustomize & Grab it!Do Stuff Media I'm looking forward to getting back to Sturgis, Deadwood and the surrounding area this summer. LATER Technorati Tags: RilySi,Ride ... More About: Sturgis
Fitted the R1200GS Adventure with New Tires
2008-05-21 17:00:00 When I arrived home last evening I found that the Farkle Fairy had left me New Tires for the GS. I fitted the new tires to the GS and headed off to a stretch of road near the Casa where there is Sugar Sand along the roadside. I rode through the sand several times to completely scuff off the Mold Release and make the tires road safe. Here are the tires prior to scuffing them in. Here are the tires after scuffing them in. New Tires are not safe for normal Motorcycle Operation on the road until the Mold Release has been worn away. Mold Release is a lubricant covering the tire surface to aid in the tire manufacturing process and is used to prevent the new tire from sticking to it's mold when formed. ... More About: Adventure , Maintenance
Tranquility - Ben Franklin?s 13 Virtues
2008-05-21 16:00:00 TRANQUILLITY "Be not disturbed at trifles, or at accidents common or unavoidable." Every day we encounter a thousand little annoyances. Some jerk cuts us off on the way to work, we get a flat tire, someone takes our lunch out of the fridge, and so on. While each incident is seemingly small, they burrow under our skin and fester there. The mundane indignities of life threaten to snuff the very life out of us. We can soon find ourselves exploding at the smallest irritations. We become angry all the time. In Western society, anger has sometimes been associated with toughness and manliness. We secretly applaud the hothead who finally loses it on the nincompoop who screwed him over. But anger is often a blustery cover for a man who is insecure and weak and has no other recourse to solve his problems and make his point. Truly manliness means being as coolheaded and unflappable as possible no matter what the situation. Many men use two equally detrimental me... More About: Tranquility , Franklin , Ben Franklin
Orange County Choppers MotoCoaster - Branding 101
2008-05-21 15:30:00 Orange County Choppers MotoCoaster Grand Opening at Darien Lake Theme Park Resort in Western New York. The first official ride on this motorcycle themed roller coaster taken by Steve Moreau, Paul Teutul Jr. and Mikey Teutul of Orange County Choppers along with theme park General Manager, Christopher Thorpe and PARC Management COO, Curtis Parks. This is the first coaster of its kind to open in the United States. The OCC crew are getting as bad as HD about Branding products but a Roller-Coaster? LATER Technorati Tags: RilySi,Ride it like you stole it,Motorcycle Riding,Motorcycle Commuting,FlatLand,Florida More About: Orange , Orange County
U.S. Census Bureau Motorcycles
2008-05-21 15:00:00 Few things are said to be as exhilarating as riding a motorcycle with its sense of unencumbered freedom and the feeling that the vehicle is an extension of the rider. With the summer season starting, more and more bikers will take to the road. There are about 150,000 accidents involving motorcycles each year. While this number is down almost three- quarters since 1980, these accidents still result in 4,600 deaths of motorcycle riders annually. You can find these and more facts about America from the U.S. Census Bureau online at www.census.gov LATER Technorati Tags: RilySi,Ride it like you stole it,Motorcycle Riding,Motorcycle Commuting,FlatLand,Florida More About: Motorcycles
Commuting in FlatLand - May 21
More articles from this author:2008-05-21 13:46:00 This mornings Motorcycle Commute to Tampa was in 78 degrees f. with some hazy high clouds. Traffic was heavy all along the route but moved well even with the Pasco County Deputy putting along at the speed limit in the fast lane. I guess he was trolling for whomever had the cajones to pass him, but alas he did a U-Turn and headed back after a cager that had offended his sense of order. It's a fine Spring Morning in FlatLand, have a great day! LATER Technorati Tags: RilySi,Ride it like you stole it,Motorcycle Riding,Motorcycle Commuting ,FlatLand,Florida More About: Flatland 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 |
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