Flying Wing

 The two sportbikes clawed at the asphalt. It was a good day for the leather-clad riders. The sun was shining, the road was finally dry after two days of rain, and the mountain pass was the perfect locale for some spirited riding. This was sportbike territory, a never ending series of tight mountain curves as far as the eye could see. The riders were enjoying every minute of it, until they saw in their mirrors our headlights, rapidly catching up to them.

 Our group consisted of touring and sport-touring motorcycles. A Honda GoldWing, BMW K1100LT, two Honda Pacific Coasts, a Kawasaki Concours, and me on my Kawasaki Zephyr. Tim, on the Wing, was leading the pack. His wife, Doris, was riding pillion, pointing out interestingscenery to her husband as he skillfully leaned the Wing over on the tight corners, footpegs sending up small showers of sparks as they contacted the surface. Tim is the best rider I've had the pleasure to see, and on this day he proved it.

 When we drew closer, the sportbikes took off. They were not about to be passed by a bunch of old timers on "comfortable" bikes. Time immediately surged forward and entered pursuit mode. In a second he was gone around the next bend, the sound of six cylinders working towards redline the only clue that he had been there. I looked over to Hack on his BMW and he just nodded at me. Tim was going hunting.

 Agile is not a word normally associated with the GoldWing. It's a six-cylinder beast of a tourer meant to coddle it's passengers, but in Tim's hands that day it was more like an avenging angel, ready to strike down the non-believers. Keeping pace with Tim was a lesson in controlling a bike at the edge. Most of my skill is a direct result of observing Tim, and he generously shares his knowledge of riding, but I don't think I'll ever be as good as he.

 A mile down the road we saw the two sportbikes sitting on the shoulder of the highway. The rider's helmets were off, an expression of shock on their faces.

 They had been passed.

 By a GoldWing.

MR2 @ 02:03:10 AM 

Looking For This?

 Someone was trying to find this image, so here it is...

MR2 @ 01:56:18 PM 

Cold wash
 I'm having withdrawal symptoms. The Probe is sitting in the driveway, desperately in need of a good washing and wax job, but it's too damn cold outside. I yearn for warmer weather where I can spend a lazy afternoon pampering my baby. Hey Spring, faster please!

MR2 @ 04:11:58 AM 

A Corvette In The Driveway

 She snarls at me every day. Defiant in her stance, the passage of time has dulled her paint but not her spirit. She's a '70s Corvette I pass on my route to work, and she never fails to bring a smile to my face. Sitting in the driveway of an unremarkable home, she's the American dream embodied in fiberglass and steel.

 As American we live our lives the way we choose. We have limits, but only the ones we accept. Anything is possible here if you are willing to put forth the effort to earn it. Status is not something we are born into, it's something we achieve. The Corvette is the automotive expression of this ideal, and that makes it unique in the world.

 The average working Joe will probably never make enough to purchase a Lamborghini Diablo, but if he sacrifices enough and works hard, one day a new 'Vette can be sitting in his driveway. It's the exoticar for everyman, performance equal to the All-Stars of the auto world but with an attainable price tag.

MR2 @ 01:25:54 PM 

Wallpaper Site
 I just found a site that has some kick-rump automotive wallpapers, go check it out.

MR2 @ 06:19:46 PM 

Rolling Organs Rolling Organs

 The AMA has expressed its outrage at a proposed law in New Mexico that could make some motorcyclists into forced organ donors.

The proposal, introduced in the New Mexico Legislature by state Sen. Allen Hurt (R-Waterflow), would allow the harvesting of organs from any motorcyclist who doesn't wear a helmet and is declared brain dead as a result of an accident. Hurt's bill, designated Senate Bill 239, specifically states that: "a person operating a motorcycle without a helmet and who, as the result of an accident, is pronounced brain dead pursuant to Section 12-2-4 NMSA 1978 by a licensed physician shall become an organ donor regardless of whether the person made an anatomical gift by completing the organ donor statement…"

MR2 @ 02:57:55 AM 







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