Epic Editorials

Sometime last year I got together with Wobblycat and Mark Gornik and took part in something amazing. Us three lucky guys found two extremely talented and beautiful young women who started contorting and making our jaws drop literally all day long. The performers were Danielle and "G". Wobbly flexed his camera as the "bendy girls" (Mark's words) did contortion and acro all over Mark's custom built Harley and my stock-is-cool-too Suzuki. The photo shoot has been a hit ever since.

This question jumped into my mind at 5 AM. So much for getting any sleep tonight. Think about your motorcycle. Now think about your dream motorcycle. Now look back at your motorcycle. It's not your dream bike, is it? Maybe you don't even have a dream motorcycle. Maybe you have a list of a few you'd really. I know I do.

I've been riding for 6 years now. In that short time I've owned 11 motorcycles or scooters. I've owned everything from a stable of midsize cruises, to a heavily modified 1990 Honda Hawk GT650 N, to a couple two-stroke scooters. I'm still trying to get it right, but along the way I'm learning what I like, what I dislike, what I keep coming back to, and why.

The only question left for you and I now, reader, is what are we going to ride next?

I've come the conclusion that you can either love motorcycling, or you can work in the motorcycle industry, but not both.

Maybe there are a few exceptions. Who wouldn’t mind being a journalist flown to Spain on someone else's dime to test ride the latest and greatest new motorcycle at a press launch? I can tell you first hand the media doesn't have it easy, either. I’ve seen journalists braving out freezing cold storms on machines I wouldn’t want to ride anywhere but the track on a warm sunny day. These guys are tough.

Not so long ago, a young woman who's boyfriend just crashed on a motorcycle asked the internet, "Internet, how do I stop my boyfriend, a motorcyclist, from showing off on his motorcycle?" She asked a little late though, as her boyfriend was already in the hospital, the end result of having under-valued a corner, and over-valued his own skills in approaching it on a group ride.

Countless riders chimed in on the evils of showing off on your motorcycle. Only one dared to stand up for the nation of loud and proud motorcycle show-offs. Naturally, that one voice was my own.

The last post on our Motorcycle Contortionists Photoshoot we heard from G who told us exactly what it meant to be contortionist, and how the shoot came to be. If you haven't seen the pics already, take a look. G's performed internationally including as far away prestigious events in Rome, Italy for the National Ballet of Milan. She and fellow performer Dani took their talents of flexibility and strength and got to work at bending on, around, and all over motorcycles.

One of Mark Gornik's motorcycles, a rigid framed Harley-Davidson Sportster based chopper was a centerpiece for our contortionists. Mark has been building hot rods and motorcycles since he was sixteen years old and was willing to let the girls put his steel to the test.

Sometimes in life good things happens. Things you never could have imagined, like a girl doing handstand push ups in your condo asking you about doing a photoshoot on motorcycles. Did I mention she can put her feet behind her head?

I reached out to the world famous WobblyCat, an avid motorcyclist, photographer, and superhero. What followed was a full day's event, a first ever motorcycle photoshoot. Two girls on motorcycles doing very interesting things.

Almost a year ago I adopted a neglected, overweight, out of shape, socially awkward, dumb little dog. Her name was BikerPup, a Pug and Jack Russell Terrier mix. In the weeks and months that followed BikerPup flourished. Her coat was sparkling and soft. She lost weight and built up her cardio and her energy. She became a smarter dog, with a keen ability to recognize and differentiate the sounds of motorcycle engines, and a love for hanging out, listening to music, drinking beer and wrenching with us in the garage.

For my Dad, who said - among countless other words of encouragement - “That’s a great site!”
This post is just for you. My father hasn't been permitted to drive for the past few years on account of having had brain cancer, leaving him prone to potential seizures. He beat his brain tumor only to be hit with cancer in the central nervous system in his spine. This isn't a sad story. Au contraire, it's my answer to not only what was my greatest motorcycle memory of 2011, but also a day I will remember forever.