tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-74254562012-01-25T08:53:45.937-07:00<center> "I don't smoke, drink, gamble, do drugs, or consort with women of easy virtue; I just ride motorcycles."</center>Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16120274946344780566noreply@blogger.comBlogger3181100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7425456.post-42152367665877716942012-01-08T23:34:00.002-07:002012-01-09T21:05:21.592-07:00

For a few years now people wandering about the planet unattended have been able to carry GPS emergency locating devices.  Should something bad happen they can put a button on the unit and the system will send an emergency message to the appropriate people.  The draw back was/is that units are in the $100 and up price range and require an annual a subscription service.  Now there is a free

Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16120274946344780566noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7425456.post-10551040060887086642011-12-31T11:00:00.003-07:002011-12-31T11:00:00.101-07:00

2012 looks promising, another new-to-me bike to amble about upon (the V-Strom) and a fresh start in other important areas.   I hope 2012 is good to you and if it's not, keep your sense of humor, it will make all the difference.  Happy New Year, folks.

Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16120274946344780566noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7425456.post-61431653853456163582011-12-22T14:09:00.001-07:002011-12-22T14:12:23.665-07:00

My pal Gromit and I wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.  May the new year bring you lots of smiles, love, and great rides.                                                     - Doug                     

Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16120274946344780566noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7425456.post-79779621144938409792011-12-11T06:00:00.003-07:002011-12-13T03:26:05.368-07:00

My t-shirt saga in the last blog entry struck a note with a few readers who began to worry that soon I'd be riding naked from the waist up and just the thought of that left them horrified.  BobScoot said he'd be on the look out for another Bultaco shirt for me (thank you Bob) and my old VW engineering colleague and fellow blogger, Jac B. actually came through with a new shirt.  Thanks, Jac! Back

Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16120274946344780566noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7425456.post-19254113487410228792011-11-30T06:00:00.018-07:002011-11-30T23:50:46.580-07:00

Few things in life are as comfortable as an old motorcycle t-shirt.  They have stretched where they should, get baggy where they need to, sometimes display stains of oil changes past, and generally present the rider as someone who has been around and doesn't give a rip or tear about fashion.  Most of my regular wardrobe is made up of shirts like that.   My "good t-shirt" for riding

Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16120274946344780566noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7425456.post-29650344033048468922011-11-23T06:00:00.005-07:002011-11-23T21:11:43.589-07:00

Y2K Jet Turbine bike.  Sounds like a jet, smells like a jet, will empty your piggy bank like a jet. When my buddy Keith was here our wanderings took us up to Scottsdale, AZ for the weekly car / bike gathering that takes place at the Pavilions Shopping Center.  It's not your typical gathering in that it's been going on for more than twenty years now and attracts sometimes a couple of hundred

Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16120274946344780566noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7425456.post-1964085341450147212011-11-08T15:39:00.003-07:002011-11-09T00:51:20.658-07:00

Satellite view via GoogleEarth Sunday I hopped on the V-Strom and went for my usual ride. It was the first time since probably March that it was cool enough to wear my leather jacket. I made my usual stop at Coolidge Airport, a former WWII military transit field. The airport was nearly abandoned, but is now coming back to life as a haven for interesting antique, vintage, and old

Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16120274946344780566noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7425456.post-30649478032759548032011-11-02T14:14:00.002-07:002011-12-20T16:10:40.726-07:00

When I set out to replace my '06 Kaw 1600 Nomad I didn't plan on making it a mystery here but it sort of worked out that way, a small bit of fun with my twelve regular readers. Yes, I decided on the 2006 Suzuki V-Strom DL1000 "adventure bike" despite the 30k miles on the odo.  The bike has been wonderfully cared for by it's previous owner since new and it showed when I looked at the bike. 

Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16120274946344780566noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7425456.post-11825452703139881902011-10-29T14:10:00.008-07:002011-10-30T14:19:59.692-07:00

A few of blog entries back I wrote about selling my Kawasaki 1600 Nomad without really thinking it through the immediate ramifications of selling the bike.  I tend to be a little impulsive about selling my bikes and usually less impulsive about buying them.   So the big Kaw left just two days before my buddy Keith was due to arrive from California with his Honda VFR 750 and expecting us to go

Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16120274946344780566noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7425456.post-56628737831371590082011-10-19T14:13:00.000-07:002011-10-19T14:13:17.361-07:00

Dumb luck meets a little knowledge.  My buddy Keith arrived last Wednesday and we've been wandering about a bit on our bikes.  We stopped at Coolidge Airport at sunset on the off chance there might be an interesting vintage plane or two still sitting out.  Keith parked his '95 Honda VFR 750 and walked over to look at the old wooden hanger, one of the last of it's kind in the US, a relic now

Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16120274946344780566noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7425456.post-21340663351473269582011-10-12T18:11:00.002-07:002011-10-12T21:45:34.187-07:00

Why do people put OBO?  Why not just say how much you really want for it?  Sunday was my third time visit to the Casa Grande motorcycle swap meet and it was definitely worth the $5 to get in.  The turn out in vendors and people was smaller this year and there seemed to be more junk and fewer bikes, maybe a sign of the weak economy which is even weaker in Arizona.   From a browser's standpoint

Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16120274946344780566noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7425456.post-73897320830629346842011-10-10T06:30:00.012-07:002011-10-10T12:37:57.767-07:00

So I'm walking through the annual motorcycle swap meet here in our little town and I'm taking pictures, browsing the junk, and generally enjoying the day. As I walked past a large ladder jutting into the sky from one of the vendor booths I here someone say "Hey Bultaco man, you wanna climb the ladder?"  As I was pretty much the only one around wearing a red Bultaco hat as opposed to the

Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16120274946344780566noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7425456.post-30391170727699995962011-10-08T14:13:00.005-07:002011-10-08T18:41:35.886-07:00

I did it again.  With little thinking involved (and I'm usually much better about that) I stuck an ad on Craig's List for my 1600 Kawasaki two or three weeks ago.  I'd sorta kinda been thinking about moving the bike along since I wasn't really in love with it.  Nice bike, very nice, but something was lacking.  I put 2000 miles on it though.  So with too little cogitation involved I placed an ad

Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16120274946344780566noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7425456.post-32579742528914364352011-09-29T17:27:00.002-07:002011-09-30T20:34:36.255-07:00

Just a simple shot from a ride to the old copper mining town of Globe, AZ back in May. Yesterday I finally washed the dust storm off of the bike, checked the tires, and got ready for the beginning of riding season here in Arizona.  Hopefully there will be lots of riding this winter and lots of photo opportunities.

Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16120274946344780566noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7425456.post-5035142600704633672011-09-10T16:57:00.009-07:002011-10-01T21:44:01.502-07:00

How far would you go to make your motorcycle riding friends feel welcome in your home?  Stock up on their favorite beverage (or hide yours)?  Push aside the rubble in your garage to park their bike?  Throw a clean sheet over the ol' leaky air mattress so they can sleep in style?  Up in northern Arizona my friends Dean and Pam went a little further than most of us do.  The veranda on the main

Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16120274946344780566noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7425456.post-22069831029067451592011-08-31T15:47:00.003-07:002011-09-01T19:19:29.034-07:00

  I couldn't stand not riding, the heat and life events have conspired to keep me off of the bike for nearly two months now.  So despite the fact that the thermometer said it was 110° outside I figured "How bad could it be?  It's almost sunset, it will cool off to 108° soon." I grabbed my camera, put on my boots, helmet, and gloves and hit the road.  It didn't seem all that hot, you do

Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16120274946344780566noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7425456.post-84777279433197198982011-08-20T01:23:00.001-07:002011-08-20T01:24:41.085-07:00

2001. Riding Highway 1 in California. This is by God America and everyone is entitled to use their motorcycle as they wish, wash it or not, ride it hard, stick decals on it, paint it with a rattle can, or just ride it until it's a proud old worn out warhorse.  But even in America, land of the free, home of the disposable everything,  I still believe there is no excuse for being

Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16120274946344780566noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7425456.post-55826109243855550552011-07-24T21:45:00.001-07:002011-07-24T22:32:47.993-07:00

thermal image. 9:45 at night in the city "But you can ride year round in Arizona!" is something I've heard from snow country friends ever since I moved here.  You can ride year round in southern California, not central Arizona.  It's 9:45 PM here and 94°F outside, guess what it's like at mid-afternoon.  Of course it's not very humid, 30% - 50%, but it's still too hot to ride.  We do have an

Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16120274946344780566noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7425456.post-45145161135119244682011-07-09T15:15:00.000-07:002011-07-09T15:15:02.146-07:00

Indian Chief.  Camera: Nikon CoolPix 8800 To me this photo I shot back in 2008 of an exceptionally nice Indian Chief proves two things.  The first is that you don't have to have a fancy DSLR to get nice pictures.  The second is that I couldn't remember what model year the bike is. Something I was slow to catch on to when shooting pictures at vintage bike shows was to take one shot of the

Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16120274946344780566noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7425456.post-71917845706533046042011-07-02T14:45:00.002-07:002011-07-29T23:45:06.348-07:00

I've spent a lot of time lately visiting my mother who just turned 90 years old.  She lives now at an assisted living residence, or as we used to say "the old folks home."   Mom’s had a good life, is well loved by her family, and she and my dad traveled quite a lot over the 64 years they were married.  I like to ask the people I meet at the retirement place about their life and give

Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16120274946344780566noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7425456.post-75971698726439343102011-06-25T09:00:00.066-07:002011-06-25T22:33:56.849-07:00

2004. I miss that bike. Today marks the 7th anniversary of Forty Years On Two Wheels.  Gadzooks, where did seven years go??   Seven years ago I was young, skinny, single, had a full head of curly hair, and rode like the wind on exotic motorcycles.  Really.  Would I make all that up?  Okay, some of it is made up. Rather than expound anew on life and motorcycles (same thing to me) for this

Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16120274946344780566noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7425456.post-46736588986064777562011-06-19T01:09:00.027-07:002011-06-19T23:20:43.403-07:00

1980 Honda CBX engine. Nikon D90 There have been a few one-off street bikes built with more than 6 cylinders busily creating noise and horsepower, the Morbidelli 850cc V8 comes to mind along with the Drysdale 1000cc V8.  No, I won't count the Boss Hoss, as they use a car engine in their two wheeled extravaganza. For real production bikes no one has gone beyond the 6 cylinder machines that

Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16120274946344780566noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7425456.post-24559198227387872472011-06-12T09:00:00.003-07:002011-06-13T00:18:32.321-07:00

1927 Indian Scout 45 Switching photos from our Triumph theme we are back to my favorite brand, the Indian.  In this case a very nice 1927 Indian Scout 45 I've seen at different times here in Arizona. There is not a more storied motorcycle brand than Indian, it has it's own mystique, a grand history in racing, and some legendary styling.  Decades of missteps by Indian management finally

Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16120274946344780566noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7425456.post-68593047573698135032011-06-02T22:11:00.001-07:002011-06-03T01:26:12.658-07:00

Continuing our Triumph photo theme, a nice 1969 Bonneville with a correct "Olympic Flame" orange metal-flake over silver paint job. And below, a color shot of last week's '66 Bonneville. I believe the Triumph Bonneville is one of the most photogenic and sexy stock motorcycles out there.

Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16120274946344780566noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7425456.post-66143968968445887652011-05-26T21:02:00.001-07:002011-05-27T23:54:27.874-07:00

Another photo from my personal archives.  This one was taken in 2009.  The bike is a lovely 1966 Triumph T120R Bonneville owned by Wayne Hamilton.  The bike color doesn't lose much in this black and white shot since the bike really is white. For you photo guys that might care, the sparkles are from the camera (Nikon D90), not added in the computer.

Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16120274946344780566noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7425456.post-47972624124665009652011-05-18T21:41:00.000-07:002011-05-18T21:41:23.140-07:00

Lately I've had some interest in photographing old neon signs and the Gallopin' Goose Tavern and Grill is a fine example of one. "The Goose" has been around since 1935 over in Coolidge, AZ, and is pretty much the quintessential Arizona honky tonk.  One can only guess at how many beers have gone down there along with new romances, broken hearts, and busted heads.  Story goes that Waylon

Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16120274946344780566noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7425456.post-85632817282860450702011-05-05T16:00:00.008-07:002011-06-19T23:16:24.702-07:00

Mail box with flames, Casa Grande M/C Swap Meet, 2009 Continuing my recent theme of not feeling like writing, above is a shot of an H-D and flames custom mail box sitting amongst some parts at the annual motorcycle swap meet.   It's not hard to imagine that mail box sitting atop a post outside a old house that has a Shovelhead parked on the front porch. I don't know how it is in other

Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16120274946344780566noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7425456.post-74891047993143212672011-04-27T01:24:00.001-07:002011-04-27T09:50:09.690-07:00

The Magma Hotel.  Superior, AZ.  2005 I've been rummaging through my old photos lately since I don't feel much like writing.  This shot from 2005, my late, great Aprilia Caponord in the picture.  I never should have sold that one. The towns of Globe, Miami, and Superior, Arizona were once thriving copper mining towns but time, markets, and who knows what have left them only shells of what

Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16120274946344780566noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7425456.post-71553089987308764732011-04-15T19:10:00.002-07:002011-04-15T19:11:17.381-07:00

Rain storm on the horizon.  Nikon CoolPix 8700 Most of Arizona being a desert, it follows that we don't get a great deal of rain over the course of a year.  Seven inches a year is about normal for where I live.  I rarely even carry a rain suit unless I'm wandering further afield than my local area.  When it does rain here it comes down in buckets for a short period of time, usually in a

Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16120274946344780566noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7425456.post-80235743253645097772011-04-08T06:00:00.004-07:002011-04-15T18:00:24.193-07:00

I'm not afraid of a little rain In the nearly seven years since I started 40on2 I've only met in person one other moto blogger.  Apparently my part of Arizona is the part that no one in their right mind normally visits. Some have passed through but either I didn't know about it, was otherwise engaged, or they were purposely avoiding me, not wishing to tarry in in a really boring small town.

Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16120274946344780566noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7425456.post-9246964192297558962011-04-01T06:29:00.001-07:002011-04-01T17:32:21.434-07:00

MotoGP racing live on my 23" monitor  Over the last couple of years I've become a bit of a fan of MotoGP racing and exactly how that happened, I couldn't say.  I used to be a NASCAR fan back in the '80s and I have no explanation for that either, I'm not even sure I should admit it and I got over it long ago. MotoGP racing in the motorcycle world is pretty much the pinnacle of

Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16120274946344780566noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7425456.post-83789211332508150172011-03-28T06:17:00.007-07:002011-03-28T16:37:47.516-07:00

At sunset and trying out a 20mm f1.7 Panasonic lens on my Olympus E-PL1 camera body.  The f1.7 part means it works well in low light conditions.   It's camera geek stuff for sure so, yeah, you're all asleep now.  That didn't take long. The photo above is a local joint a few miles from my house.  I know a female paramedic who's husband is a cop and she was under strict orders not to respond

Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16120274946344780566noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7425456.post-43292525892957816192011-03-21T07:00:00.011-07:002011-04-09T17:00:22.553-07:00

A unique air cleaner cover on an unusual vintage Indian. At the annual vintage bike show in Phoenix 2010.   I imagine that cowboy movie star legend Roy Rogers would have gotten a chuckle out of it.  He was a fan of Indian motorcycles and there are several pictures of him astride his Indian bikes.

Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16120274946344780566noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7425456.post-32282842741777678262011-03-12T07:00:00.004-07:002011-03-12T11:45:20.846-07:00

Some shots from past vintage bike events.  I always enjoy seeing people teaching their kids and grand-kids the beauty of the old machinery and hopefully sharing stories of their own adventures.   Kids need to learn that there are things more exciting and more rewarding in the long run than a game console. 1977 CB400F. Memories for both. Planting the seed. Bob and his grandson

Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16120274946344780566noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7425456.post-88754657019227037362011-02-22T17:15:00.002-07:002011-02-24T16:08:52.027-07:00

It's not uncommon to look down while walking and see a penny on the ground.  For adults, old pennies are noticed but then usually ignored, left behind for small children to discover and enjoy.   But a shiny penny laying there seems to compel us to stop a moment to investigate, maybe pick it up.  It shines, it could be more than a penny.  As with raccoons, we humans are attracted to shiny things

Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16120274946344780566noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7425456.post-2020647201737924862011-02-14T09:00:00.010-07:002011-02-17T20:27:06.658-07:00

2007 Kaw 900 I tried to resist, really I did.  I'm retired now, mostly don't have much money.  The 2007 Kawasaki was supposed to last me for a long time but it's been over a year since I bought the Kawasaki 900 and so bike fever set in again.  I am a weak man. I've enjoyed the Kaw 900, it's an excellent all around cruiser with only two real shortcomings for my purposes.  The suspension,

Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16120274946344780566noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7425456.post-13971755818836980152011-02-06T12:54:00.002-07:002011-02-14T11:21:54.558-07:00

BMW R90S, somewhere on CA Highway 49, 1974 A simple shot of my R90S parked by the roadside next to some walls and large steel doors from the California Gold Rush period of the mid-19th century.  I was very interested for a long time in that colorful period of history in California and made many rides up and down Highway 49 which runs through the heart of Gold Rush country.  49 then was a fine,

Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16120274946344780566noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7425456.post-89185521248527960972011-01-25T00:05:00.001-07:002011-02-14T11:20:36.825-07:00

A couple of more shots of the little Ducati I photographed at the Euro bike swap meet three weeks ago.  

Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16120274946344780566noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7425456.post-3428746474243855162011-01-22T00:28:00.000-07:002011-01-22T00:28:43.473-07:00

For me 1951 was a banner year. To be specific, January 22nd of that year was significant for me.  Today is January 22, 2011, and by some odd quirk of fate or an act of Divine mercy, I have reached my 60th birthday. There were those who might have bet against me lasting this long and I would be one of them.  As a friend told me once, long ago, after we stopped for a break during a brisk ride

Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16120274946344780566noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7425456.post-80244699573938068402011-01-14T14:13:00.002-07:002011-02-16T12:31:35.951-07:00

Another from my personal photos Wayback Machine.  This one a street legal Honda 750 powered "kneeler" sidecar outfit owned by sidecar guru Doug Bingham.  Photo taken at the Griffith Park Sidecar Rally in 1977.   Looks like an E-ticket ride to me. Update: See comments below by "Ruckus."  The rig was built by Doug Bingham but owned by others.  Also Ruckus comments "On the left handlebar you

Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16120274946344780566noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7425456.post-22055686963349092742011-01-04T23:00:00.005-07:002011-02-14T11:28:12.614-07:00

Very nice '74 Norton still in the hands of it's original owner and clearly marked "Not for sale." The 2011 Arizona motorcycle season kicked off Sunday with a very small Brit and Euro show and swap meet in North Phoenix.   I'd been a couple or three years ago and saw some exceptional Bultacos road racers.  This year the offerings were thin but there were still some nice bikes to be seen.

Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16120274946344780566noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7425456.post-12543092407899433632010-12-27T22:12:00.004-07:002011-02-14T21:06:09.440-07:00

San Joaquin Valley, 1979 Found this one when I was rummaging for a different picture.  My old business partner Chris and his wife, along with someone from my distant past.  Of more interest are the bikes, of course.  Brand new matching 1979 Suzuki 850's fully equipped with the best add-ons of the time: Vetter Windjammer fairings, Bates saddlebags with chrome bag guards, matching top boxes, and

Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16120274946344780566noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7425456.post-23156815892520970372010-12-18T00:59:00.001-07:002010-12-18T01:02:29.563-07:00

Or maybe this business is owned by Mr. Biker?

Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16120274946344780566noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7425456.post-61809062591905885262010-12-07T21:29:00.001-07:002011-02-14T21:10:20.702-07:00

It's getting a bit chilly in the mornings, at least by AZ standards, and I'm getting old and soft, so I hadn't planned on riding the bike out to Coolidge Airport this past Saturday morning.  But the Mrs. had her heart set on going yard sale'ing Saturday morning so I did the honorable thing and rode the bike so she could have our only car for her own adventures.  I had suggested she take

Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16120274946344780566noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7425456.post-13909845217405263172010-11-24T13:07:00.001-07:002010-11-24T13:11:55.884-07:00

One of the great things about blogging is making new friends but maybe the best thing is when someone I knew in the past finds me and they are still a good soul.   In this instance an e-mail in my in-box that just said “Cecils” in the subject line brought a message from Lee Holth.  Lee had come across my previous blog entry mentioning Cecil’s Cycle Center and it’s place in my life as a

Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16120274946344780566noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7425456.post-89974896496388868902010-11-03T17:38:00.005-07:002011-02-14T21:13:44.122-07:00

Like a lot of families in 1966 my family and I went to church every Sunday no matter what.  Not just to church, either, but to Sunday School too.  Unless the Ruskies dropped The Bomb on us we'd be in church.  For my dad, nuclear war or obviously communicable diseases where the only acceptable excuses for not being in church. Sunday morning for me was all well and good until I discovered

Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16120274946344780566noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7425456.post-40657681968324440522010-10-25T20:25:00.000-07:002010-10-25T20:25:19.110-07:00

  Seen in a barbershop window in Memphis, TN.  Photo by Bill over at The Motorcyclist Cafe Forum.

Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16120274946344780566noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7425456.post-45303715406749640752010-10-17T18:51:00.010-07:002011-02-14T21:28:44.468-07:00

Debbie and wandered on out the annual swap meet at the Pinal Country Fairgrounds.  There wasn't anything in particular I needed but the chance to browse bits and pieces and old bikes and non-standard people is always worth the $5 each to get in. First, of course, going in you have to get your hand stamped at the gate.  No silly picture or symbol but a proper skull as befits a biker event.   I

Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16120274946344780566noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7425456.post-73002393719567038212010-10-11T20:31:00.006-07:002011-02-14T21:34:29.253-07:00

Most of my rides for the last couple of years have been short ones, 60 - 100 miles, once in a great while I'll do 200 miles, but the 500 - 900 mile days of my youth seem to be well behind me.  I did do 430  miles on the Gold Wing a few years ago but the Kaw 900 is no Gold Wing. So Friday I set off to ride 200 miles and see how I felt, thinking that in the next week or two I might head over to

Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16120274946344780566noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7425456.post-41849568064774354012010-10-04T22:06:00.013-07:002011-02-14T21:45:35.580-07:00

A couple of blog entries back I laid out the choices I had in mind for a new camera for Debbie and one that I borrow from her and carry more easily on the motorcycle than my Nikon D90. It finally came down to two cameras, the new Canon S95 and the new Sony NEX-3. I'll spare you the techie crap, there are lots of reviews out on the 'net with that stuff.    I couldn't decide which to get,

Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16120274946344780566noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7425456.post-44889673610050536242010-09-30T20:46:00.010-07:002010-10-03T17:06:58.580-07:00

There's a legal storm brewing on the 'net. The owners of a large newspaper, through a partner firm, are running around suing small websites, forums, personal blogs, and a few larger sites too, over copyright infringement.  They don't care if it's a liberal site, conservative site, a non-profit site, a hobby site, or a blog that gets just a dozen views per day, the goal is to get money.

Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16120274946344780566noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7425456.post-13865256417736201082010-09-21T00:37:00.000-07:002010-09-21T00:37:00.044-07:00

Will there be offspring? Back in December of 2009 I commented on the purchase of Suzuki Motor Corporation by my former employer, Volkswagen. "Volkswagen and Suzuki Do the Deed". That blog entry is here. A friend in Germany sent me a link to an article entitled "Mit Ferdinand Piëch im neuen Phaeton" on the German news site FAZ.NET.  He thought I'd find the piece interesting as it has to do

Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16120274946344780566noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7425456.post-9951997409630135052010-09-11T01:15:00.004-07:002010-09-12T16:21:14.088-07:00

2001.  Morro Bay, CA.  Camera: Nikon CoolPix 990. Click for larger, better looking image I haven't owned as many cameras as I have motorcycles but that isn't for lack of wanting.  Actually, when I was still working, my employer typically provided me with better equipment, upgraded more often, than I could afford.  Besides, I spent all my extra money on motorcycles.   Since 2008 I've been

Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16120274946344780566noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7425456.post-57391742241053628132010-09-05T00:56:00.004-07:002011-02-14T21:46:21.805-07:00

My BMW R90S. California, 1974 The picture above of the R90S, my all time favorite motorcycle, has nothing to do with this post.  In fact, it's pretty much the only motorcycle content.  Family matters have dragged me away from what Debbie refers to as my "rich on-line life" here at the blog and elsewhere.  I suspect sarcasm on her part. For the last three weeks my little world has revolved

Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16120274946344780566noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7425456.post-32226043770839670762010-08-18T14:13:00.001-07:002011-02-14T21:47:39.875-07:00

Old timers flying an old timer. Model design from 1939. Pilot, seated, slightly newer.  The magazine is Model Aviation, the monthly publication of the Academy of Model Aeronautics.  Circulation is about 175,000 per month.  I shot the photo along with a bunch of others back in January and the fellow who writes the "Old Timers" column for MA liked the shot well enough to use it for his

Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16120274946344780566noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7425456.post-20036401696796127022010-08-08T14:13:00.004-07:002011-02-14T21:53:44.280-07:00

Photos are clickable and look better full size. The weather forecast for today was for morning low temp of 80° so I decided to drag myself out of bed early and go for a ride.  The bike has been parked for about 3 weeks now, my last ride being a run up to the Kawasaki dealer in Mesa to have a new rear tire fitted (got a Pirelli, works well). With the temp starting out at 80° I knew the ride

Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16120274946344780566noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7425456.post-46543335612816150152010-08-05T14:48:00.001-07:002010-08-05T17:54:29.238-07:00

Link:  Foundation Against Distracted Driving In my darker moments sometimes I feel that a little vigilante biker justice could be a good thing to instill a useful fear of of motorcyclists into a willingly ignorant driving public and a brain dead judiciary.  Okay, I'm not really advocating actual violence against anyone, repaying wrong with wrong solves nothing and drags us to the level of

Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16120274946344780566noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7425456.post-37536628903085589322010-08-03T23:36:00.003-07:002011-06-19T23:15:44.591-07:00

The Kaw 900 has been around for a year now and I've put a couple of thousand miles on it, mostly with short rides.  I have no major complaints about the bike except the rather harsh and limited rear suspension. Since Kaw has been around a whole year I'm afraid my thoughts have strayed once again to other possible bikes.  I can't help myself, it just happens. Debbie told me I'd go blind if

Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16120274946344780566noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7425456.post-11953393424092394202010-07-27T00:05:00.002-07:002010-07-27T13:23:57.085-07:00

The above photo is of a Dellorto carburetor on a single cylinder Ducati.  You younger readers will put the carb in the same category as vinyl records and kickstarters and you'd be correct.  It's what real men tuned and fettled (fettled is a technical term, not a dirty one) before some idiot with a computer invented digital fuel injection and made bikes easy to start.  No, there's no air

Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16120274946344780566noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7425456.post-22132936435629155582010-07-22T13:42:00.002-07:002010-07-22T20:10:21.655-07:00

Well, that wasn't as bad as I thought.  Since I last tried to upgrade 40on2 to the new version of Blogger, the Blogger people have further improved the new interface so elements from the old page ported into the new one without much fiddling around.  I think I spent more time trying to decide what to use for a header photo than anything else.  Still not entirely happy with the header pic but it's

Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16120274946344780566noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7425456.post-71203138008997772422010-07-21T16:08:00.002-07:002010-07-22T01:43:32.621-07:00

40on2 is still running on the old version of Blogger and it seems like it's time to upgrade to the new, modular version of Blogger that supposedly makes it easier to customize the blog.  If I was smart I'd buy my own domain and switch to WordPress but I tried that once and it didn't go well. WordPress blogging software is very powerful, assuming you can figure out the code which is explained

Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16120274946344780566noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7425456.post-2008169051798626752010-07-19T06:00:00.014-07:002010-07-29T18:37:21.657-07:00

My Internet friend Dean L., an avid BMW enthusiast to the point of possibly needing an intervention, was on his way from Arizona to the BMW Motorcycle Riders of America national rally up in Washington State.  Rolling along on his new BMW R1200GS Dean spotted an old BMW parked at a small town cafe. Ever curious and always ready to make a new friend, Dean stopped to see who was traveling on

Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16120274946344780566noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7425456.post-54387319805776679202010-07-15T16:57:00.002-07:002010-07-18T14:14:32.824-07:00

I don't usually post just a video unless it's germane to whatever I'm rambling on about, but this one is too good not to pass along. If you love motorcycles and this doesn't choke you up a little bit you need a new heart. The Norton Project from Jamtron on Vimeo. Via The Motorcyclist Cafe

Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16120274946344780566noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7425456.post-48522289807602667772010-07-05T15:00:00.009-07:002011-02-14T21:58:05.755-07:00

If you stood in the middle of the the very large meadow outside of Laurel, Maryland, you would only think that it had perhaps been a farm field or cow pasture.  Or maybe the large earthen berm around parts of it's perimeter indicates there had been a large pond there at sometime in the past. The meadow, flat and green with spiderwebs across the grass reflecting the morning light, gives no

Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16120274946344780566noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7425456.post-35820529740586682492010-06-28T02:17:00.004-07:002010-07-23T02:45:46.474-07:00

TT Zero is one of the names used for the "zero emissions" electric bike race at the Isle of Man TT races.  Never mind that electric vehicles are not really zero emissions, they merely relocate their pollution to some other part of the planet that no one cares about except the people who live there.  Calling them "zero emissions" makes people with little common sense in technical matters feel

Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16120274946344780566noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7425456.post-24053120963896012602010-06-24T00:01:00.016-07:002011-03-31T16:16:23.944-07:00

In the movie "Papillon" when the protagonist anti-hero played by Steve McQueen finally escapes Devil's Island and is floating out to sea on his raft made of coconuts in lashed together burlap bags, he shouts back at his tormentors and the world "Hey you bastards!  I'm still here!"  I kind of feel like that sometimes. That has little or nothing to do with this blog entry except that I'm still

Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16120274946344780566noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7425456.post-68296177707027592982010-06-17T00:01:00.009-07:002010-06-17T19:58:27.991-07:00

If you're not up, at least a little, on the annual Isle of Man TT races and you love motorcycles, your motorcycle education is remiss.  Read about it, watch videos, look for coverage on TV, or get completely crazy and buy a DVD of this years race. The TT race is very much part of the heart of motorcycling and has been going on since 1907 and virtually no motorcycle events have such a colorful,

Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16120274946344780566noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7425456.post-80922750276536127232010-06-08T00:01:00.009-07:002011-03-31T16:17:13.325-07:00

Debbie and I just returned from a week of visiting family and friends in California.  Sandwiched between the usual stuff was a visit to a vintage glider gathering in Tehachapi, CA and also a dog show in Pomona where we met up with the breeder of my Corgi pal Gromit.  Motorcycles played only the slightest part in the trip but provided one of the more interesting moments.  A couple of blog entries

Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16120274946344780566noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7425456.post-48666338594362918832010-05-25T19:17:00.002-07:002010-05-25T19:18:30.623-07:00

You might recall that a month or so back your's truly was the winner of the prestigious MotoHistory.com quiz number 77.  The redoubtable Ed Youngblood, moto history grand vizier, rider of fine motorcycles, past President of the AMA, and all around bon vivant, sent me my official MotoHistory Know-It-All Certificate not long ago and I knew you'd all want to see it. The certificate is an impressive

Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16120274946344780566noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7425456.post-41887535177168732792010-05-07T19:32:00.019-07:002011-02-14T22:02:36.986-07:00

It was just a few years after WWII ended, the year after the infamous "Hollister Riot" that would spawn the movie "The Wild One." Young men in California, some just home from the Army, buy new Harley-Davidson motorcycles. The urge for adventure strikes and they set out down the road together taking the long way around to a small coastal town and the fun that young men might find there. Imagine

Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16120274946344780566noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7425456.post-90388201038281294692010-05-03T23:38:00.001-07:002010-05-04T08:59:13.875-07:00

I was reading UK rider Gary France's blog USA Tour On A Harley-Davidson and saw that UK motorcycle insurance broker Carol Nash [company] had listed Gary on their list of Top 20 Biking Blogs.  Cool for Gary! Way to go!  He's an avid rider, does an excellent job on his blog, and as you might guess, is planning a tour of the USA on his Harley this year.   I clicked on over to the Carol Nash site to

Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16120274946344780566noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7425456.post-52892271732923589782010-04-24T23:49:00.007-07:002011-02-14T22:03:40.716-07:00

I was out on my usual ride a few days ago on the Kawasaki and stopped at the old Adamsville Cemetery again. It's been there since 1875 or so and now is owned by the City of Florence, AZ but is essentially abandoned. It's on a back road in a farm area and one of the those places you'd never know was there unless you looked real close through the desert brush. I stop at the cemetery every

Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16120274946344780566noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7425456.post-53024772333388919892010-04-24T10:44:00.002-07:002010-04-24T22:02:46.126-07:00

Arizona is much in the news this weekend with the passing of a strong anti-illegal immigration law and it's signing by Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer. The sign above is one I spotted on a ride a few years ago, it was outside a park in Madera Canyon here in Arizona about 20 miles north of the US/Mexico border.  Imagine if such a sign was put up by the government at the beginning of the Blue Ridge

Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16120274946344780566noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7425456.post-68853415620493079522010-04-19T00:01:00.012-07:002010-05-01T00:29:31.007-07:00

When the fair and lovely Debbie and I got married in 2005 she knew little about motorcycles except what she'd experienced during our very brief courtship. After it was too late and we were hitched I set about corrup....I mean educating her about motorcycles and motorcycling in general. As part of her continuing motorcycle education, for Christmas I got her a little stocking stuffer in

Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16120274946344780566noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7425456.post-931958951259744512010-04-10T18:14:00.000-07:002010-04-10T18:14:58.381-07:00

Man, some guys always figure out how to get rich while I just struggle to pay for the next oil change. This man is a genius because admit it, now and then we all get tired of waving at other riders:

Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16120274946344780566noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7425456.post-15758486856919234062010-04-07T00:01:00.008-07:002010-04-09T01:13:50.331-07:00

Woke up early Saturday morning for some reason, usually I don't wake up early ANY morning since I retired, but I did Saturday and couldn't get back to sleep so I hopped on the bike and went for a little ride. Lovely, wonderful, perfect weather for riding. Wildflowers along side the road and the currently green desert made for nicer than usual vistas.  I tried to soak in the green of the

Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16120274946344780566noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7425456.post-7830109813928285212010-04-05T00:01:00.014-07:002010-04-05T14:38:45.519-07:00

I've never won a really cool prize, at least not until last week.  I did win the school science fair in the 5th grade when I built a transistor radio inside of a matchbox and later in life I was the fastest in Army Basic Training at reassembling my M-14 rifle but that's pretty much it for being a big prize winner.  Come to think of it I was that close to inventing the iPod Nano, wasn't I? Over

Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16120274946344780566noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7425456.post-16967446572638746942010-04-02T00:41:00.017-07:002011-08-03T16:09:50.810-07:00

Just so no one thinks I've taken up shuffleboard or bullfighting instead of bikes while it's been slow here, here's a few pictures from the 26th Annual Arizona Antique and Classic Motorcycle Enthusiast's event last Sunday.  My regular camera was visiting Nikon in CA so all these were taken with my five year old point n shoot; that's sort of like have your favorite riding jacket disappear and

Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16120274946344780566noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7425456.post-729617446078912242010-01-01T00:01:00.021-07:002010-01-13T01:07:01.695-07:00

I believe I have gone about as far as I can go with Forty Years On Two Wheels. I'm riding less for a variety of reasons and that means there is less going on that inspires me to write about motorcycles on a regular basis. Riding more seems to not be working out. I've also actually been riding motorcycles for about 44 years now and I think it's too late to rename the blog. By training and

Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16120274946344780566noreply@blogger.com30tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7425456.post-8830800807746176842009-12-24T00:42:00.003-07:002009-12-24T00:51:59.430-07:00

Yes, we do get snow in the desert here in Arizona, not often but it does happen. Above is a shot of the Superstition Mountains east of Phoenix a couple of years ago. Click to see the larger image.Merry Christmas to all of my twelve regular readers. If you can't go for a motorcycle ride on Christmas Day then do the next best thing and spend time with friends or family and eat lots of things

Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16120274946344780566noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7425456.post-55341740658869029092009-12-18T22:26:00.009-07:002009-12-19T00:16:59.952-07:00

...and post a couple of pictures from a 2008 charity run.Yipes, Stripes!Imo's Bike(click to see the full size images)

Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16120274946344780566noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7425456.post-31679918177168761852009-12-09T20:00:00.006-07:002009-12-10T16:24:27.598-07:00

I don't usually comment much on the motorcycle news stuff, there are other blogs that specialize in that so why duplicate the effort? However, Volkswagen AG and Suzuki Motor Corp. announced today that VW are buying a chunk of Suzuki and since I spent the best part of three decades laboring in the trenches for VW in the USA and once or twice have owned a Suzuki motorcycle I am then, of

Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16120274946344780566noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7425456.post-31380185194579735162009-12-07T00:05:00.004-07:002011-02-14T22:07:21.973-07:00

The title of this entry is a quote from my old friend Keith. He's a few years ahead of me on the highway of life and I think we're having a race to see who's body falls apart first and I think I'm winning.The poor Kaw 900 has been sitting for three weeks now while I have once again been brought up short in my meanderings by something called adhesive capsulitis, or as we laymen call it, a

Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16120274946344780566noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7425456.post-28244191368658645722009-11-24T17:50:00.003-07:002010-07-24T16:27:25.916-07:00

Everyone, whether they admit it or not, wants to look at least a little cool on their bike. We all know deep down in our little gasoline powered hearts that we do not look like Steve McQueen on his Triumph 650 or "Chino" from the movie "The Wild One" but we do hope we don't look like a complete noob paddling away from stop lights or dropping the bike in our own driveway. About four weeks

Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16120274946344780566noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7425456.post-39895303568527679652009-11-06T00:01:00.008-07:002011-02-14T22:10:30.212-07:00

I've rolled up 700 or 800 miles on the Kawasaki 900 now, about half that just noodling around the local area and about 300 miles on a ride with friends up to Roosevelt Lake a week or so ago. The 900 Kaw does a nice job of getting me around and is generally a solid ride which is what I expected. If it had another 10 hp, a slightly softer ride, and less wind buffeting from the bottom of the

Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16120274946344780566noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7425456.post-61415883922676883132009-10-27T00:01:00.007-07:002011-02-14T22:12:35.354-07:00

2007 Kawasaki VN900 Classic LTI should put a revolving door on my garage for the bikes that come and go. The previous '03 Kawasaki Concours was a great bike but the wrong one for me this particular time, or so I adjudged. I've been casting about looking for something interesting, something that would entertain to some degree on the shorter rides I mostly do these days. I toyed with the idea

Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16120274946344780566noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7425456.post-83074770432144367412009-10-11T20:50:00.008-07:002011-02-14T22:13:52.436-07:00

Every year there is a motorcycle swap meet at the county fairgrounds about twelve miles from where I live. For some reason I've never gone so this year I vowed to make it to the event. Motorcycle swap meets are great fun, full of interesting people, and with so much bike junk around there is lots of fodder for photographs.The gathering this year at the fairgrounds was billed as "Arizona's

Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16120274946344780566noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7425456.post-53939818272890411732009-10-09T00:57:00.007-07:002009-10-09T21:19:30.109-07:00

Yes, more stuff from the Bonneville Salt Flats, partly because I like it and partly because I'm too lazy to blog anything else at the moment.The "World Finals" are the last event of the Bonneville season so I thought I'd toss out a picture and a link. The picture is from "Seldom Seen Slim" who is reporting semi-hourly right from the Salt Flats courtesy of a Verizon AirCard. If you've a mind

Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16120274946344780566noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7425456.post-77092748059175781312009-10-06T00:01:00.000-07:002009-10-06T00:06:22.072-07:00

I love to go fast and nearly every bike I've ever owned I've pushed to it's top speed at least once. My Yamaha TW200 with the smaller rear sprocket will top at at 62 mph. Woosh!!! When I got the chance to drive fast cars home from work I'd usually try to make at least one top speed blast before I had to give them back. I only ever got to drive one car that I couldn't/wouldn't wind all

Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16120274946344780566noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7425456.post-45763291615879601182009-09-24T23:31:00.006-07:002009-09-25T21:39:53.565-07:00

photo by "Seldom Seen Slim", proprietor extraordinaire of landracing,comThe happy folks in the photo above are celebrating a new land speed record for motorcycles. At the Bonneville Salt Flats today the Bub Seven motorcycle streamliner driven by Chris Carr ran a two way average speed of 367.382 miles per hour* with a fastest timed speed during his first run of 372.742 mph.I've followed land

Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16120274946344780566noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7425456.post-3782090769244562082009-09-20T20:10:00.011-07:002011-12-21T18:00:36.625-07:00

I'm sure Debbie is beginning to think I'm insane. My neighbor Dr. Jim, the psychologist, is probably taking notes on my motorcycle ownership behavior for some future conference speech to be entitled "Abnormal Motorcycle Ownership Behavior In The Mature Adult Male" with yours truly as "Subject A." I blame it all on my very early childhood: I was one of those babies in the 1950's who chewed the

Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16120274946344780566noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7425456.post-66502425316889567932009-09-19T00:01:00.010-07:002009-09-19T15:49:02.414-07:00

Book Review: "The Vincent In The Barn" by Tom CotterPublisher: MotorbooksPrice: $26.00I was hopeful about "The Vincent In The Barn" because the "I heard about a Vincent/Indian/Harley in a barn" story really is classic story and a common thread in the imaginations of lots of motorcycle guys like myself. I was predisposed to like the book. In fact though, in the book there is no breathless

Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16120274946344780566noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7425456.post-35471868621646172342009-09-09T19:50:00.024-07:002009-09-12T12:42:49.703-07:00

"I rode one across America when I came home from 'Nam!""Oh yeah? I rode one over Hitler's foot in WWII!"A comment that I have heard now and again (sadly, not often enough) about my photographs is "Man, I wish I could take pictures like that!" The next question is "What kind of camera do you use?" The fact of the matter is that unless you are a professional photographer (and I'm not) the

Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16120274946344780566noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7425456.post-33966709092976459132009-09-02T22:00:00.002-07:002009-09-03T13:35:50.466-07:00

I suppose I should file this blog entry under "Wishful Thinking."I love the BBC TV show "Top Gear." If you are a car guy, even if only partially, you cannot help but enjoy Top Gear. The footage of the cars is dramatic, the music unconventional by American TV standards, and the three hosts are irreverent, educated, knowledgeable about cars, funny, and frequently bombastic. They are

Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16120274946344780566noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7425456.post-80962797713915902602009-08-08T16:30:00.024-07:002011-04-06T16:22:36.686-07:00

Moto Guzzi V7 Classic Few things are as fun as buying a new motorcycle or even a new used motorcycle. It is a wonderful combination of passion, expectation, excitement, and sometimes a twinge of fear. If you cannot buy a bike then the next best thing is helping a buddy buy one for himself. I like to think that when it comes to helping friends buy bikes I am not only a veritable cornucopia

Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16120274946344780566noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7425456.post-54595555513579754902009-07-29T22:48:00.005-07:002009-07-29T22:59:57.007-07:00

I found this on AdvRider.com. I don't usually post stuff I find on-line as the only content of a blog post but for some reason this video made me laugh harder each time I watched it until I had tears in my eyes.And then his buddies posted it on YouTube. Hey, what are friends for?(Note: Friends direct friends to an MSF class!)

Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16120274946344780566noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7425456.post-64758652436318279482009-07-21T22:39:00.016-07:002010-07-23T02:48:08.751-07:00

My old biker buddy Crash. (RIP) No, not that finger although I've received it more than once in my life and in my younger years and may have returned the gesture in an uncivilized moment of anger. Down below is a picture from last year of my ring finger. I was soldering a couple of wires for my brother and the iron sort of flipped the springy wire which tossed off a glob of solder which then

Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16120274946344780566noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7425456.post-28261072431032210972009-07-18T13:04:00.011-07:002009-07-24T14:18:08.360-07:00

I took my last four rolls of old 8mm movies and squished them into one last video. The motocross and scrambles races took place in 1970 in the Encinitas and Miramar area in San Diego County. As always I have no idea 39 years later who won or who lost. The most memorable part for me was a crash that landed me (with some embarrassment) and some hapless fellow from the Jackrabbits M/C, on the last

Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16120274946344780566noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7425456.post-4735648262440781562009-07-15T11:00:00.003-07:002009-07-28T21:46:04.410-07:00

ESO scrambler Back in the year 2000 I was still fooling around with vintage motocross stuff and my wanderings took me to California to shoot some pictures and do a bit of web page content for for Rick Doughty at Vintage Iron. The web page thing didn't work out well in the long run but I did get some nice pictures at the 2000 edition of the Vintage Iron World Championship races at Glen Helen

Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16120274946344780566noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7425456.post-2097409330617984962009-07-12T20:10:00.021-07:002011-03-16T17:21:07.892-07:00

The Mighty Ruckus has left the building. With the 50cc Ruckus there will be no more midnight rides burning up the country roads surrounding our little town. No more edging ever closer to being a 1%er and blasting down another stretch of lonely highway with 'Born To Be Wild" raging from  I-Pod headphones as the Ruckus engine thunders it's menacing four stroke music at the still night. No more

Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16120274946344780566noreply@blogger.com9