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[Snuffysmith]

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Dogs dressed to the nines for cause
South Fort Myers event benefits cancer society

By PAT GILLESPIE
pgillespie@news-press.com
Originally posted on January 21, 2007


VALERIE ROCHE /news-press.com
From left, Anna Dance with her Yorkie named Nellie, Sherry Wulf with her lion dog Sweet Pea, and Tammy Hester with her miniature poodle Zoe line up for the "prettiest dog" competition Saturday during the Grand Cay American Cancer Society Dog Show at Gulf Harbour in south Fort Myers. Nellie won first place in the category.


Interested in helping the American Cancer Society? Donations can be made to the local office, at 4575 Via Royale, Suite 110, Fort Myers. Call 936-1113. For information, visit cancer.org.


What do you get when you mix a cheerleader, a biker and a wiener?

Well, Saturday, you got a dog show in the Gulf Harbour community in south Fort Myers to raise money for the American Cancer Society. In addition to a dog wearing leather chaps and another in a colorful pleated skirt, about 100 dogs dressed like their owners and sported tutus, camouflage, hula skirts and designer dog clothes. They strutted their stuff and won prizes in a dozen categories to raise money for Fort Myers Relay For Life, which benefits the society. It was the first time for this event.

Jenni Cavenago of Fort Myers brought Chloe, her mini dachshund, the original wiener dog, dressed as a wiener. With fake hot dog buns on each side and a spread of fake mustard on her back, Chloe marched in the parade portion of the event held in the Grande Cay area of the gated community.

"A lot of people call her a wiener dog, so I thought, 'Yeah,'" she said.

Other, much larger dogs, also might have believed Chloe was a hot dog, as three came over at one point to sniff her.

"She's like, 'Oh my gosh, they're eating me,'" Cavenago said, laughing.

Owners were able to enter their dogs in contests ranging from prettiest and most handsome to largest and best talent. Trophies and ribbons were awarded for first, second and third place. Kathy Newes, who helped organized the event, said participants raised about $4,500.

Tony and Kristi Maro of Lehigh Acres brought Jackson, their St. Bernard, after hearing about the show. Jackson's uncle has participated in the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, they said. Although they don't normally show Jackson, they wanted to bring him out to have fun with other dogs.

"We figured we'd benefit the cancer society and show him," Tony Maro said. "I think it's great for social skills. It's great for what it's for."

Chris Price showed off her dog Duley, a yellow labrador retriever, who was wearing a hat and a shirt that read "favorite child."

Price said her daughter Jamie in Chicago probably wouldn't want to settle for second favorite.

"(Duley's) got different looks for different seasons because looks are everything, you know," she said. "It's fun to see all these dogs dressed up and we're crazy here in Gulf Harbour."

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Anthology honors much-maligned region of California
By Daniel A. Olivas / Special to the Times
El Paso Times

Long the Rodney Dangerfield of Southern California, the Inland Empire sits about an hour east of Los Angeles and encompasses the fast-growing counties of Riverside and San Bernardino.

Far from the beaches of Malibu, it is a tough land, some say, the home of biker gangs and urban sprawl, a land buffeted by the unrelenting Santa Ana (or "Devil") winds that can flip cars and jangle nerves. Tell an Angeleno that you make your home in the Inland Empire and be prepared for the condescending half-smile followed by a wisecrack: "Oh, the methamphetamine capital of the world."

But this era of insult might have come to an end, if Heyday Books and Santa Clara University have any say in it. "Inlandia: A Literary Journey through California's Inland Empire," meticulously edited by Gayle Wattawa ($18.95 paperback), is an ambitious collection that finally gives the area its due as a culturally and historically vital component of Southern California.

In the anthology's introduction, Riverside native and National Book Award finalist Susan Straight tells us that she has striven to infuse her writing with "the fierceness we retain in these small places where people loved their own with the vehemence, the stubborn and suspicious and inventive qualities required to survive this part of Southern California."

Straight is not alone in attempting to depict all the complexities and beauty of the Inland Empire and its people. More than 70 authors are represented in fiction, poetry, native legends, journal entries and other writings from the 1700s to the present.

Some of the writers enjoy worldwide fame and have been translated into many languages. We're treated to an excerpt from a 1930 tough-guy novelette, "Blood-Red Gold," by Erle Stanley Gardner, the creator of Perry Mason. And there's the exquisitely creepy essay, "Some Dreamers of the Golden Dream" by Joan Didion, concerning a woman accused of murder in the 1960s. Other "big names" abound, including Norman Mailer, John Steinbeck, Joan Baez and Raymond Chandler.

Wattawa includes newer voices, writers who have lived or are living in the region and who feel compelled to chronicle the history and culture of their home through fiction. Kathleen Alcalá, who grew up in San Bernardino, offers the short story "Gypsy Lover," a haunting tale of one girl's attempt to come to terms with her older sister's mysterious disappearance. And in "Georgie and Wanda," Michael Jaime-Becerra skillfully fictionalizes the racial bigotry faced by a young couple in Riverside circa 1956.

Many of the nonfiction pieces are simply heartbreaking. Diary excerpts from George Fujimoto Jr. starkly recount the federal government's rounding up of his family members, who were housed in Arizona internment camps for the duration of World War II. Similarly, Malcolm Margolin's "The Cupueño Expulsion of 1903" details the removal of a native people for their valuable land.

Smaller-scale tragedies are perfectly rendered here, too, as in Alex Espinoza's powerful short story, "Santo Niño," that brings us into the lives of two young women as they battle economic hardship, infertility and strained relationships. And in "hap & hazard highland" by Keenan Norris, a young ex-con tries to reconnect with his old neighborhood as well as with his youthful dreams.

At the turn of each page, there surprising little shocks as we enter themes radically different from the one before. For example, after the essay "909," Percival Everett's wry and provocative contemplation of Riverside County, out of the blue follows Sholeh Wolpé's poem, "Morning After the U.S. Invasion of Iraq," in which the community of Redlands seems unfazed by the beginning of the war: "The chatter is as always, quiet, / The smiles as always, broad."

No review can fully capture the breadth and spirit of this remarkable anthology. Suffice it to say that each author surprises, informs and entertains. "Inlandia" paints a complex and compelling portrait of a region that is simultaneously beautiful and harsh, multicultural and alienating, vibrant and destructive. Without question, it is a portrait that commands our respect.

Daniel A. Olivas is the author of four books including "Devil Talk: Stories" (Bilingual Press). He is the editor of "Latinos in Lotus Land:An Anthology of Contemporary Southern California Literature," forthcoming from Bilingual Press. His Web site is www.danielolivas.com, and he may be reached at olivasdan@aol.com.

[Snuffysmith]

King of the choppers
NESS CUSTOM CREATIONS HEADED TO SAN JOSE SHOW
By Matt Nauman
Mercury News
Arlen Ness stands in the showroom of his store in Dublin. Ness is a legendary builder whose trendsetting designs have been at the forefront of motorcycle customizing for decades.

For many, motorcycles are all about the sound, the throaty rumble, the chucka-chucka vroom of a V-Twin motor as it kicks to life. Or perhaps it's the nostril-burning smell of exhaust as a bike roars down the road that ignites a visceral response.

But walk in the door of Arlen Ness Motorcycles in Dublin and your eyes are the venue for sensory overload. More than 200 bikes fill the first-floor sales showroom and the second-floor museum of the 70,000-square-foot facility. The glint of chrome bests a Rodeo Drive jewelry store. The sweeping flash of colors tops any wall of paint swatches at a Benjamin Moore store. And the multimillion-dollar collection of two-wheel machines -- new bikes cost $25,000 to $50,000 and some of the customized machines are worth $250,000 -- rivals a Ferrari dealership for cash and cachet.

It's easy to see how Arlen Ness has earned his title as the king of the choppers, the godfather of customizers. His glass-walled, granite-floored store and museum, which also serves as a production facility, a repair shop, an apparel outlet, an online and toll-free-phone parts operation and world headquarters for all things Ness, reflects the grandiosity of his career.

Ness and his son Cory, who heads the day-to-day operation of the family's business and who is a well-known bike customizer himself, are coming to San Jose this weekend. The two-day Arlen Ness California Style Bike Show runs Saturday and Sunday at the downtown San Jose McEnery Convention Center.

Some Ness bikes, plus 150 more from West Coast professional and amateur bike builders, will be on exhibit. The Nesses will be signing autographs.

``There's something about motorcycles that gets in your blood,'' Ness said in an interview in his memorabilia-filled office. ``It's kind of like you're on the edge a little bit. It's more exciting, a little more dangerous. I always loved it.''

Mike Avila considers himself both a customer and a friend of Ness. Avila lives in San Jose, runs his family's Monterey-based construction company and is considered one of the best water-ski boat drivers of all time. He now owns four Ness bikes.

``All the guys that are making bikes today are copying something that he did in the past,'' Avila said. ``And every time they copy it, he comes up with something new.''

Avila's favorite is Warpath IV, a custom bike with an orange body and graphics that match his racing boat. It'll be on display in San Jose.

Wandering through his collection -- which is free and open to the public -- Ness tells stories about some of his famous bikes. There's Ness-tique, a spare Harley-Davidson bike that looks like something from the early 1900s. There's the red Ferrari bike, created after he visited the factory in Italy. There's the Hulkster, an over-the-top model built for the wrestler-actor Hulk Hogan.

He points to concept bikes he and Cory built for Victory Motorcycles, as well as the two bikes they created for the Discovery Channel's ``Biker Build-Off'' in 2004 and 2005.

``The styles changed in the last 40 years,'' Ness said. ``I don't try to do the same thing all the time.''

David Edwards, editor in chief of Cycle World magazine, offers unrestrained praise for the influence and status of Ness.

``He's called the godfather of custom motorcycles, and that's for a good reason,'' Edwards said. ``He's important because he's a bridge from the old days of choppers through sort of the fallow period to the last five years when they've been the hottest things going.''

For a business focused almost exclusively on motorcycles, Arlen Ness Motorcycles is very diverse. Much revenue comes from parts sales, items such as the Big Sucker line of air filters. The Ness name is licensed and found on apparel -- a flame beanie for $20, a leather jacket for $450 -- as well as on toys and models.

Both Arlen and Cory design and build customized bikes for wealthy clients, including celebrities such as Sammy Hagar.

For instance, they just built a bike for Xerox, the Nu-Ness, which the company will use to advertise its new line of Nuvera copiers.

And, in 2005, Ness Motorcycles became a manufacturer of production bikes, now sold at six dealerships, including ones in Las Vegas and Daytona Beach, Fla. They're sold at the Dublin store, too.

Three styles -- the sleek Low Liner, the Speed Liner cruiser and the High Liner chopper -- share S&S motors and six-speed transmissions. They're priced starting at about $45,000.

The company plans to sell 100 to 200 bikes a year, Cory Ness said. It'll remain an exclusive product, priced about $10,000 more than competitors. ``The brand Arlen Ness is 37 years strong,'' he said. ``This adds value to it.''

Other Ness family members are involved in the business. Arlen's wife of 47 years, Bev, and his brother Kevin were at the shop one morning earlier this week. Daughter Sherri and his granddaughter and grandson work there, too. In fact, a bike built by Zach, an 18-year-old freshman at San Diego State University, is on sale in the showroom. He also rode with Cory and Arlen to the big motorcycle event in Sturgis, S.D., the past two summers.

From painting his first bike -- a Harley-Davidson Knucklehead -- in his garage in 1967, Arlen Ness gradually built a career as a bike builder. As his business grew, he moved into bigger locations on East 14th Street in San Leandro. Then, in 2003, he moved to his new headquarters in Dublin, near the Interstate 580-680 interchange. He now has about 100 employees.

``Only in America,'' he said, reflecting on how he grew up poor and ended up the king of choppers.
Contact Matt Nauman at mnauman@mercurynews.com or (408) 920-5701.

[Snuffysmith]

Hells Angels in headlines again

By LARRY McSHANE, Associated Press WriterThu Feb 1, 4:18 AM ET

Bart Darling, his hair cropped close to his skull and his motorcycle club's colors on his back, explained the prerequisites for Hells Angels membership: Respect is earned, not given. Bad boys are welcomed, not rejected. And one last thing:

"We don't beat up freaking women."

The neighborhood around the Angels' Manhattan headquarters, long a flashpoint for controversy, was buzzing again this week after a brutally beaten woman was found outside the club's front door. But while police and local residents malign the notorious motorcycle gang, the Angels insist they're the victims.

"They're trying to put a bad jacket on us," said club member Brendan Manning after New York police in riot gear stormed the Angels' headquarters. "They're trying to say we're women-beaters. That's not our trip. ... They took something and made a big mountain out of an unfortunate thing."

The unfortunate thing happened to Roberta Shalaby, 52, of the Brooklyn borough, who was found unconscious outside the motorcycle club's East 3rd Street headquarters. Police arrested and released one of the Angels, who now plans a civil rights lawsuit against the NYPD.

That may sound absurd, but the Angels have collected more than $800,000 in the last seven years from lawsuits against the city.

A 1999 settlement over the police failure to obey a search warrant provided the Angels with a $565,000 windfall, while a September 2001 settlement of $247,000 came after police conducted a warrantless search of the headquarters.

"That's close to $1 million from the taxpayers of New York City to the Hells Angels," said their lawyer, Ronald Kuby, who expects to file suit next week against the NYPD on behalf of Angels member Richard West.

The Angels' history transcends its recent legal successes. During the 1960s, its California members memorably assaulted gonzo journalist Hunter S. Thompson and were blamed for a fatal stabbing at the Rolling Stones' Altamont, Calif., concert.

The New York headquarters has a history of its own. The chapter president, Paul Casey, pleaded guilty in 1987 to drug conspiracy, manufacturing and distribution.

Three years later, two Hells Angels were arrested after a Fourth of July party where fireworks ignited inside a metal garbage can, sending shrapnel flying and killing a 14-year-old boy.

Even Kuby, at a news conference where an NYPD sergeant took pictures and notes, acknowledged his clients were "scary guys." Neighbors along the generally quiet residential block where the Angels headquarters opened in 1969 agree.

Locals are apt to cross the street rather than walk past the headquarters, and no one dares park outside the club, say residents.

On a weekday afternoon, with nary a parking space in sight, a half-dozen motorcycles were sitting curbside outside the club with room for several more.

"No Parking Except Authorized Hells Angels," reads a large sign attached to the front of the Angels' six-story building. Four surveillance cameras hang above the first floor, and a red park bench allows the Angels to hang out in front of the building.

Reputation aside, it's impossible to argue with one thing: The Angels are sticklers for punctuation. In 1987, Manning was on trial for methamphetamine distribution along with Casey in Manhattan federal court.

The morning after opening statements, one of the Hells Angels in attendance — holding the day's newspaper — approached a reporter and asked if he had written the article inside. The reporter said yes, and the biker leaned forward.

"It's Hells Angels," he said quietly. "No apostrophe."

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[Snuffysmith]

Super Bowl ad machine hits overdrive


As the Woodstock of corporate America, the Super Bowl makes it easy to overdose on hype.

The cross-promotion can be dizzying. The U.S. Air Force will get a pop in a taped feature on CBS' pregame show from taking CBS analysts Boomer Esiason and Shannon Sharpe aloft Friday with its famous Thunderbirds. For CBS announcers Phil Simms and Jim Nantz, calling the game is just one of their Sunday CBS on-air appearances, which will range from appearing on Face the Nation to playing themselves on CBS' Criminal Minds after the game.

And in truly breakthrough marketing, the caveman character in Geico insurance ads will play golf with Simms' pregame All-Iron Team: Difference Makers show that will otherwise be devoted to analyzing NFL stars. (Talk about product placement for Geico, which will also be an advertiser on the show.)

But that's not enough: The cavemen should be sitting in with Simms and Nantz for a three-man broadcast team on the game — and no jokes about how he could pass as an ex-player.

Amidst all this, NFL Films President Steve Sabol is a throwback. He'll dispatch 18 camera operators — CBS will deploy 47 cameras — to shoot Super Bowl footage meant to stand the test of time. "It's the opposite of television, which is under the control of the director and producer," he says. "I want 18 documentary artists. Every year, I quote Teddy Roosevelt telling his troops before the charge up San Juan Hill, 'Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.' "

That footage will be edited into the official Super Bowl video, which is usually America's top-selling, non-theatrical video. From the start, Sabol says, that video sold itself. In 1985, he mentioned in a radio interview he planned that season to make what would be the first Super Bowl video; NFL Films got 500 phoned-in orders within an hour. The video of that Bears victory, he says, sold 625,000 copies: "It was ba boom! We thought we'd sell 20,000 copies. It caught us totally by surprise. Our cameramen ended up taking phone orders."

Sabol, 64, will be at his 45th consecutive NFL title game Sunday. In explaining there's not much new in his game plan, Sabol uses a line you'll never hear about the Super Bowl anymore: "It's just a football game."

Still, Sabol isn't just about art. NFL Films, at the game, will also supply the three camera operators that will shoot a star player for the instant I'm-going-to-Disney World TV ad.

What you will see

The Super Bowl is one giant on-air buffet. Among this year's spicier dishes:

• Miami chefs compete with celebrity chef Bobby Flay in an Iron Chef contest on CBS' Early Show Friday morning. Somebody will get burned.

• Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice weighs in on the Super Bowl on ESPN's SportsCenter at 6 p.m. ET Friday. By Sunday, the time for diplomacy will be over.

• In what's billed as the first complete rebroadcast of the most shocking Super Bowl, the NFL Network replays NBC's 1969 Super Bowl at 8 p.m. Saturday. Not to give away the ending, but New York Jet Joe Namath guarantees a win against the seemingly invincible Baltimore Colts.

• On CBS' pregame, Randy Cross reports from Iraq on the CBS-staged Baghdad Bowl — U.S. troops playing touch football — where avoiding war clich? to describe sports will be more appropriate than ever.

• CBS studio analyst Boomer Esiason will also call the Super Bowl nationally on Westwood One radio with Marv Albert. Esiason will wear a wireless mike so he can continue calling the game — perhaps from an elevator — after he leaves the booth early to be on time for CBS' field-level halftime show. Good time for Marv to ask him to analyze a replay.

• Need to hear the game radio broadcast in Russian? Chinese? Sirius Satellite Radio has broadcasts in those languages and others, including French, Japanese and German, as well as the two teams' local radio broadcasts.

• Sunday night, CBS' Late Show with Craig Ferguson will be at the Super Bowl for its first live show outside a studio. Taking no chances, the show will rely heavily on ESPN veterans. Mike Ditka, Michael Irvin, Joe Theismann and Monday Night Football singer Hank Williams Jr. will be guests.

• Monday, you can download Super Bowl highlights — on the iTunes Store — for the first time. Because you'll still be hungry for more.

What we'd like to see

What we'd like to see on Super Bowl TV is a no-brainer. How about an earlier kickoff, fewer TV timeouts, TV sideline reporters getting real access and, while we're dreaming, throw in world peace?

The NFL doesn't have much motivation to do anything new for its already slavish consumers. Sunday's game will almost certainly draw more than 40% of U.S. households — plus all those viewers in bars, dorms and other people's houses — and advertisers get bonus exposure from their ads being replayed and dissected as if they constitute news.

But there's still more we'd like to see:

• CBS, on TV, should ask viewers what they think about what's unfolding in the game — then direct them to cbssportsline.com to vote in instant polls whose results could become instant on-screen graphics.

Should a struggling Rex Grossman be pulled? Should the Colts have settled for a field goal on that fourth-and-1? CBS could allow a few minutes for voting, then flash the results on-screen. The voting would be completely unscientific, but would create novel talking points for Super Bowl parties.

• The criteria for halftime performers — Prince this year — seems to be whether their hits are already Muzak. The upside is such artists — getting night sweats about Hollywood Squares— might be so desperate for attention we end up seeing, say, amusing costume malfunctions.

The NFL, however, can do better. There's no need to shock, fielding chorus lines of mimes or bringing back an Up with People halftime songfest. But a Vegas-style animal act, an on-field Civil War battle re-enactment or even a plain old motorcycle jump over a bunch of buses would beat lip-synching golden oldies.

What we don't want to see

You never know how things will play out. But at least one thing in CBS' pregame playbook doesn't seem promising.

It's fair enough that CBS wants to hype Katie Couric, its recently acquired news anchor. But talk about recycling: Couric will do a pregame feature on Pittsburgh Steeler Hines Ward and his Korean heritage, which was one of the biggest stories wrung to death at last year's Super Bowl.

Oh well. Couric might as well get going on what she'll do next year. How about something on the first Super Bowl with two African-American coaches?
Posted 2/2/2007 1:43 AM ET

[Snuffysmith]

Jett, music partner tell their story on Web site
By Kevin Amorim
Newsday
Jett

When you hear the stories about Joan Jett and her longtime music partner, Kenny Laguna, selling their records – vinyl, baby – from the trunk of a car, that car was a Caddy.

Rock ’n’ roll never forgets, and neither does the world’s coolest rock chick.

Jett and Laguna tell their story in a new Web documentary at www.mycadillacstory.com: the 23 record-label rejection letters; Laguna’s ’76 DeVille, their office on wheels; and that cherry bomb of a hit, “I Love Rock and Roll.”

There’s also an exclusive video for “Change the World,” off Jett’s fine 2006 album, “Sinner” (Blackheart). The clip, filmed last summer on the boardwalk in her adopted home of Long Beach, N.Y., opens with the band pulling up in various Caddies.

“I just love my Cadillac,” she said the other day. She’s been driving an STS for a few years now and she is waiting for a Caddy hybrid model.

But you don’t have to log on to get your Jett fix. She’s also hyping the arrival of “American Chopper” on TLC by singing “Bad Reputation” as the burly-biker Teutul men whiz by. (The TV folks wanted Jett to change some of the lyrics to, “American Chopper’s’ on a brand-new station,” but she refused, Laguna said.)

If that’s not enough to cool our Jett love, the soundtrack for a Chase commercial is a rocked-up version of “Love Is All Around,” the “Mary Tyler Moore Show” theme.

Of course, Jett rocked that one up years ago and much better.

[Snuffysmith]

Calling all old, bold bikers
Sloan seeks items for exhibit on motorcycling
FLINT
THE FLINT JOURNAL FIRST EDITION
Sunday, February 04, 2007
By James M. Miller
jmiller@flintjournal.com • 810.766.6318

Items that Sloan Museum in Flint wants for its upcoming motorcycle exhibit.

# World War II Harley-Davidson military motorcycle

# 1948 Indian Chief

# 1950s Cushman Eagle

# 1957 Harley-Davidson Sportster XL

# 1970s Ducati 900 Super Sport

# 1976 Moto Guzzi LeMans 850

# 1982 Suzuki Katana

# 1984 Kawasaki Ninja

# 1986-89 Honda

Hurricane 600

# 1990s Yamaha 600R6

# Motocross bikes

# BMW R69, 1950s-60s

# BMW cruiser, 1980s-90s

# Harley-Davidson soft tail, hard tail and cruiser

# Harley-Davidson Electra Glide police bike

# Harley or other "Easy Rider" style 1960s chopper

# Other choppers and customs

# Honda 90 or C100 Super Cub, 1963

# Honda Gold Wing 1000cc, full dress

# Honda 750 K1 or K2, 1960s-70s

# Norton Commando, preferably w/combat engine, 1970s

# Vespa scooter, late 1950s, early 1960s

# Yamaha TZ 250

# Plus leather jackets of all types, helmets, riding and racing gear, artwork and advertising.

FLINT - The Sloan Museum would like to borrow some motorcycles, leather jackets, photos, riding and racing gear, artwork and advertising for a motorcycle exhibit the Flint museum is planning.

The exhibit, which would open in May, primarily will cover the postwar years, though the museum would like to find a World War II era Harley-Davidson military bike.

Jeff Taylor, curator of collections at the Sloan, said the exhibit will have a lot of bikes, but won't be the traditional motorcycle exhibit.

"It's more about the image of motorcycles," he said. "Its not about the art of the motorcycle - it isn't about design - it's about all the things that go along with the motorcycle."

Jane McIntosh, Sloan's registrar, said the exhibit primarily will be about the lifestyle.

"The flyboys who came back from World War II weren't ready to settle down," she said. "They started riding motorcycles and forming clubs."

McIntosh said the impact of motorcycling can be seen in the fact that a simple piece of protective clothing - a leather jacket - has become the ultimate icon of "cool."

Staff members working on the exhibit have put together a wish list of bikes and other things they'd like to borrow.

"We've been offered a few leather jackets, but I want more - I want a whole wall of black leather," she said.

"We want things like Vespas ... I want a Honda 90. We've been told that can be hard to find."

The motorcycle world has many sub-groups, including choppers, cruisers and racers of many kinds.

"We're going to bring some of those sub-sets together,"

Taylor said.

If you've got a bike or other material to loan, Taylor is at (810) 237-3435; McIntosh at (810)

237-3434.

***

[Snuffysmith]

SPEED TV Launches New Program

Feb 05, 2007

From a press release issued by SPEED TV:

NEW SPEED SERIES, EPIC RIDE, CAPTURES THE MANY FACETS OF TWO-WHEEL ADVENTURE LIFESTYLE SHOW TARGETS MOTORCYCLE ENTHUSIASTS

SPEED today announces its new motorcycle lifestyle series, Epic Ride. Hosted by seven-time Motocross and Supercross champion, Ricky Johnson, and produced by Pipeline Digital Media of popular network series, The Motocross Files, the show makes its premiere Feb. 20 at 9:30 p.m. ET/ 6:30 p.m. PT.

Each episode, Johnson will be leading a diverse trio of unsuspecting celebrities or famous motorcycle personalities on a variety of two-wheel adventures throughout the United States and abroad. What’s an Epic Ride? How about a cruiser ride to Las Vegas or an off-road excursion through the Baja? Every episode is designed to take on a life of its own.

“Perhaps more than any other motorcycle program SPEED has yet commissioned, this one is most specifically designed to convey the sense of outright fun and freedom of the open road,” said Robert Ecker, SPEED Vice President of Programming. “The look, the feel, the entire concept and execution of the show is intended to inspire the audience to get up and get out there.”

“When viewers watch this show, I want them to say, ‘Man, I wish that was me,’” Pipeline’s Todd Huffman said. “This is an opportunity for the audience to witness all the different activities, breath-taking backdrops and amazing roadways or venues where enthusiasts can enjoy their motorcycles.”

The ‘Epic Riders’ will also be trying out some of the newest two-wheel creations from leading motorcycle manufacturers, while outfitted in the latest riding gear from industry leaders. According to Huffman, he wants the show to reveal a total experience.

“I also wanted a show that we could integrate a lot of the great motorcycles and products that some of our partners are offering,” Huffman continued. “This is definitely a show for the motorcycle enthusiast.”

In addition to Epic Ride, the network offers a variety of popular motorcycle lifestyle programming, such as Super Bikes!, American Thunder, The Motocross Files and V-Twin Motorcycle TV. On the competition side, the Amp’d Mobile Supercross Series, MotoGP and World SuperBike also have a home on SPEED.

SPEED is the nation's first and foremost cable television network dedicated to motor sports and the passion for everything automotive. From racing to restoration, motorcycles to movies, SPEED delivers quality programming from the track to the garage. Now available in more than 74 million homes in North America, SPEED is among the fastest-growing sports cable networks in the country, the home to NASCAR on SPEED and an industry leader in interactive TV, video on demand, mobile initiatives and broadband services.

[Snuffysmith]

Burning up the snow

By STEVE SZKOTAK/Associated Press Writer
The snowmobile comes upon tough times.

Daily Citizen layout

The snowmobile comes upon tough times.

RICHMOND, Va. - It's a cruel irony of climate, attitude and geography. When I lived in western Massachusetts, home to Red Sox Nation, the culturally rich Berkshires and rarified colleges such as Smith and Williams, I was a closeted snowmobiler. I rode my machine (the preferred nomenclature) at speeds of 60 mph over snowy fields and dodged trees through twisty wooded runs.

But it was not a sport I openly celebrated.

While not universally reviled, snowmobiling was viewed by the Tanglewood set as the provence of a boozy class of speed freaks. The machines fouled the pristine woods with their gassy, oily fumes and terrorized cross-country skiers solemnly gliding through virgin snow.

Now I live in NASCAR Nation, where the combustion engine and fossil fuels are celebrated and speed rules. The attitude is in place but the prime ingredient - snow - is not. (Of course, this winter, there's even been a shortage of snow in colder parts of the country.)

But the greater Richmond Yellow Pages doesn't even list a single snowmobile dealer. And several inches of snow can cripple this city of 200,000 for days.

Ed Klim isn't troubled by either attitude or climate. The president of the International Snowmobile Association lives in snowy Michigan, which ranks as the No. 1 state for snowmobiling with 381,157 machines registered there, and he has four snowmobiles from which to choose: Arctic Cat, Polaris, Yamaha and BRP, the big four in the business.

Klim said the snowmobiling I recall - mixing oil and gas, screaming two-cycle machines and back-wrenching pull cords - have been replaced by a new generation of sleek, high-powered sleds. Much of the engineering is based on motorcycles.

The price of a snowmobile ranges from $5,500 to more than $10,000. They have quieter, cleaner four-stroke engines, heated seats and hand warmers and outlets for cell phones and other gadgets. Some even come equipped with global positioning systems, a great feature for riders who prefer to explore deep woods.

The tracks - deeply grooved rubberized belts - are wider, more pliable and quieter, and metal skis have been replaced by space-age compounds.

High-tech snowmobile suits come with heating elements and helmets with just about every feature NASA could cook up.

Despite the creature comforts, worldwide snowmobile sales have been in a steady decline, according to Klim's association. Since 2001, snowmobile sales have declined from 208,297 units sold to 164,860 in 2006. In the U.S. in 2006, 91,670 units were sold. Worldwide sales peaked at 260,735 in 1997.

"The snow conditions have not been good," Klim said of declining sales. "There's no snowmobiling if there's no snow."

A bright global spot: Sales have increased in Scandinavia.

Klim acknowledges a certain elitism among winter enthusiasts and their views of snowmobiles and those who enjoy them.

"They think the only way to enjoy the outdoors is their way or the highway," he said. "That's fine."

Conditions aside, the anti-snowmobile sentiment is pervasive, and not limited to certain segments of the Northeast, either.

Disputes erupt periodically in parks and other public areas over whether snowmobilers should have access. The West Yellowstone entrance at Yellowstone National Park bills itself as the "snowmobile capital of the world," but confusion about snowmobile use in the park caused by competing court rulings has put a crimp in businesses there in recent years. The temporary rules, in place through 2007, allow a maximum of 720 guided best-available-technology snowmobiles in the park each day, including a limited number through the east entrance; there were 6,050 snowmobilers counted in the park in December 2006.

In Idaho, snowmobilers are fighting a wilderness proposal on Mount Jefferson under which the U.S. Forest Service would close the area to motorized vehicles. Conservationists say the proposal would protect wildlife and bring in tourists looking for quiet recreation, but local businesses that depend on snowmobilers, along with U.S. Rep. Mike Simpson, R-Idaho, have asked the Forest Service to alter the plan so the snowmobilers can keep coming.

Snowmobilers are under fire from other quarters as well. Slate, the online magazine, once called the sport "the most noxious of the lot" of winter pursuits. The typical snowmobiler, Slate wrote, "is a grunt from Michigan's Upper Peninsula, a man who pauses on 100-mile rides to hit a circuit of boozy 'pit stops' with names the Hoop 'N' Holler (an actual destination)."

Joan Livingston, a novelist and avid snowshoer and former cross-country skier, learned to co-exist with the men and women who prefer motorized sleds when she lived in Western Massachusetts. She and her husband, Hank, discovered that the trails groomed for snowmobile use formed a great base for skiing or shoeing there.

"The trails are there thanks to the good graces of local landowners who consent to let the local snowmobile club maintain them," she wrote in an e-mail. "At the end of the year, the Worthington Snowmobile Club has a dinner for the landowners in that town."

The club, she said, has a groomer that packs the snow in "a nice aisle through the woods." She added, "The trails give you a unique perspective on a town's innards, and I can see why the snowmobilers like zipping through these frontier-like parts."

Livingston, who now lives in Northern New Mexico, where there is plenty of snowmobiling and other winter sports, recalls getting along just fine with her speedier neighbors back in New England. If she was on foot on a snowy trail, she'd just hop aside to let them by, and found that "unfailingly," they'd wave as they passed. The only drawback, she said, was "the smell of exhaust" left in their wake.

In my snowmobiling days, I had access to hundreds of acres of forest and field. Trails I carved with my sled would leave a packed surface that my wife, Mandana, would use to silently retrace my tracks. I occasionally would don the narrow skis to join her.

Owning a sled without immediate access to trails is a bit like owning a boat without a marina. Throughout destinations that typically receive a fair amount of snow in the winter, like Maine, upstate New York and the northern Midwest states such as Wisconsin and Michigan, enthusiasts can be seen on the highways hauling their machines on ramps to wilderness areas. These can run anywhere from $600 to several thousand dollars.

If you can haul your sleds, there are more than 225,000 miles of groomed trails throughout the U.S.

For beginners, getting the hang of a snowmobile is a somewhat like riding a motorcycle or a horse. You lean into turns, look ahead to where you want to go rather than down at the skis, and stay alert to hazards - - low tree limbs, fences hidden by deep snows.

In states where snowmobile use is high, deaths related to the machines' use routinely number in the double digits. Wisconsin, for instance, records an average 25 snowmobile deaths a year.

Klim recommends newcomers to snowmobiling "go with someone who's done it" rather than attempt a solo trip. He also advise contacting a local snowmobile association, such as the Worthington, Mass., group to learn the ins and outs of the sport.

As for children, many states and provinces regulate the operation of snowmobiles by young people. The industry also offers mini versions of the powerful machines that top out at speeds of 7 or 8 mph, Klim said.

I haven't been on a snowmobile for a half-dozen years, and I do pine for those cold, blindingly sunny winter days when I would hop on my machine and gun it through a fresh snowfall.

But NASCAR's the sport here in Richmond and maybe it's time I switched to a warmer version of a spee

[Snuffysmith]

H.O.G. Tour Headed to the Rockies
2/1/2007
Courtesy of Harley-Davidson

H.O.G. members will ride into thin air during Ridin' the Rockies, a 2007 H.O.G. Touring Rally, June 25-28, 2007. This high-altitude adventure will take riders from Fort Collins, Colo., to Breckenridge, Colo., on mile after mile of scenic roads that wind through the clouds.

After departing Fort Collins, enthusiasts will wind their way through the forests and valleys of Rocky Mountain National Park before twisting through the 71 peaks topping out at over 12,000 feet. The road continues to Trail Ridge Road, the highest continually paved road in North America, where riders will climb 4,000 feet in a matter of minutes before descending into Breckenridge.

With Breckenridge as home base, the tour continues on the Cripple Creek Loop, which snakes through Pike National Forest, toward Cripple Creek. Once in Cripple Creek, an old gold-mining town, participants will have the opportunity to dismount and explore the town. Whether touring a gold mine, exploring the fantastic roads surrounding the town or taking a ride on the scenic railroad, it's sure to be a priceless experience. After the stop in Cripple Creek, riders can take a quick trip to the Royal Gorge, the highest suspension bridge in the world. For 1/4 of a mile they might feel like they are riding on air.

The last day of the tour, the Aspen Loop, meanders through White River National Forest, a two-million-acre forest and the oldest in the Rocky Mountains. As the ride continues into Aspen, enthusiasts will have the opportunity to explore the town and experience some of the finest shops and restaurants around. The final leg of the loop is the Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness, where riding among the granite peaks and through mountain passes creates the perfect opportunity to view the beauty of aspen groves, jagged peaks and meadows.

Thunder Mountain Harley-Davidson in Loveland, Colo., will host a dealer party on Monday, June 25, from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. and the public is invited to attend. Time and date is subject to change. For the most updated information, visit thundermountainharley.com .

Registration is open to all H.O.G. members beginning Jan. 31. Event capacity is limited to 1,000 people. Cost is $175 plus $7 shipping and handling per person. To register for the H.O.G. Ridin' the Rockies, enthusiasts can visit www.members.hog.com or call 1-800-CLUBHOG.

Founded in 1983, the Harley Owners Group (H.O.G.) is the official riding club of the Harley-Davidson Motor Company. H.O.G. currently has more than 1 million members and more than 1,400 chapters worldwide, making it the largest factory-sponsored motorcycle organization in the world. H.O.G. rallies are held around the globe to celebrate Harley-Davidson motorcycle riding.

Harley-Davidson Motor Company, the only major U.S.-based motorcycle manufacturer, produces heavyweight motorcycles and a complete line of motorcycle parts, accessories and general merchandise. For more information, visit Harley-Davidson's Web site at www.harley-davidson.com.

[Snuffysmith]

Queer biker poet extraordinaire writes, reads and rides
By Casey Bell
PGN Staff Writer
© 2007 Philadelphia Gay News

In her early 20s, Samantha Barrow bade farewell to everything she knew, straddled her motorcycle and set out for a solo journey to the West Coast.

Today, with three cross-country treks under her belt, the 32-year-old Philadelphia-based poet/activist has a lot to share with the world.

Barrow tours the open-mic scene reading poetry from her travel-inspired book “Grit and Tender Membrane” (Plan B Press), leads erotic poetry workshops for sex-abuse survivors, guest lectures at local schools and organizations and teaches poetry to children.

“I guess I got started writing because of my desire to be understood,” Barrow said.

Born in the Bronx and raised in Worcester, Mass., Barrow developed a love of language early in life.

“I was one of those kids whose mom had to tell her ‘lights out’ at night because I’d be up reading.”

Barrow attended Eugene Lang College of New School University in Manhattan and earned her bachelor’s degree in writing.

After graduating, she shied away from desk jobs and wrote when she wasn’t waiting tables.

“My parents thought it would make sense for me to be a teacher,” she said. “But I had these moments where I thought I had too much to throw away. With waitressing, I could quit when I needed to. And even though I might have loved some of the places I worked, the job kept me pissed off and tired. It was enough for me to get by without becoming complacent. Ultimately it’s easier to have to stare at a blank page than it is to convince yourself that you’re doing something with your life.”

Barrow said she was fired from her last server job after she refused to wear lipstick.
Samantha Barrow Photo by: Jacques Jean Tiziou / www.jjtiziou.net

“I thought, ‘What am I going to do now?’ I had so much fun the first time I rode my bike across the country that I decided that was what I wanted to do. But I couldn’t afford to do the traveling. By that point I’d read enough poems in public to know that open mics were everywhere throughout the country. The trip was all about taking myself seriously as a writer.”

Barrow worked with Larry Robin, owner of Robin’s, Philadelphia’s oldest independent bookstore, and applied for grants to fund her trip.

“Larry has this way of being able to achieve the impossible,” she said. “He helped me break down the grant-application process into little chunks. Really, he showed me that any problem is fixable in small steps. But getting the grant was agonizing, just like the process of getting a job. It’s like having to justify your existence to people you don’t know with a dream that doesn’t make sense to you yet.”

In 2002, Barrow received a grant from the Leeway Foundation, a privately owned organization that promotes the welfare of Philadelphia’s female artists.

She set off determined to return home with a book of poetry inspired by her experiences.

The result, “Grit and Tender Membrane,” received critical acclaim.

“The ‘grit’ part is the idea of being able to suck it up and keep going, despite the freezing cold or the mental demons eating you alive. That’s the grit – the dirt. But the flip side of that, which is what I most wanted to maintain in this project, is that you never wake up every morning feeling tough or accomplished. You need that tender, self-loving side. I wanted to portray the importance of being involved in one’s own self-care. To be your own cheering squad and remain balanced is the really difficult part. It seems like women’s knowledge or emotional knowledge get discounted. They don’t receive that kind of time on the mic.”

Barrow tunes in to her seemingly immense emotional knowledge by transforming her personal experiences with sexual abuse as a child and later as an adult into powerfully expressive poetry.

She leads erotic poetry workshops for survivors of sexual abuse that focus on reclaiming the body, and will use selected poems by workshop participants to create a chapbook for anti-violence education and support groups.

“Anyone who perpetrates sexual violence is out of touch with his or her own sexual creative urges,” she said.

Barrow takes pride in being able to tap into those creative urges through her writing. Much of her poetry deals with sexual themes and imagery, and part of those themes deal with her orientation.

“I describe myself as a ‘half dyke,’” she said. “Bi means two, and that doesn’t really make sense to me. I can’t use that term. I’m fussy about a lot of things, but not about gender. I don’t limit my attraction because my attraction doesn’t have much to do with genitals — it has to do with who the person is.”

Today, Barrow is planning a fourth cross-country bike tour.

In the meantime, she’s focusing on teaching and running poetry workshops.

“I try to let kids know that poetry doesn’t have to suck,” she said.

Beyond building children’s interest in poetry, she says a large part of her work is to be a cultural interest maker and bring different scenes together.

Barrow will read erotic poetry “Love, Lust and Lullabies,” at 8 p.m. Feb. 10 at The Rotunda, 4014 Walnut St.

She’s also hosting a multi-media event showcasing the work of GLBT artists at 8 p.m. Feb. 16 at Kaffa Crossing, 4423 Chestnut St.

The event features a spoken word performance by trans poet Katz; a premiere screening of “Birthmarks” by Naima Lowe; a presentation by trans African-American queer media activist C. Riley Snorton and a musical performance by trans writer and musician Natalie Joy.

“They’re all seriously smart artists who work in different mediums to express their worlds,” she said. “But they’re all beautiful and amazing.”

[Snuffysmith]

Press Release Source: Carla King

New Book Describes a Woman's Solo Journey Around the USA on Cranky Russian Motorcycle
Friday February 9, 8:15 am ET

SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 9 /PRNewswire/ -- Breakdowns in small towns all around America is the theme of a new book titled AMERICAN BORDERS by Carla King, which describes her solo journey around the United States on a Russian Ural sidecar motorcycle.

ADVERTISEMENT
A motorcycle journey to explore the borders between the United States, Canada, and Mexico quickly becomes a comedy of mechanical, social, and natural disasters. King's four-month, ten-thousand-mile solo test ride of the newly imported Russian Ural sidecar motorcycle is punctuated by cracked welds and electrical gremlins, evil tow truck drivers, roadside romances, tornadoes and hurricanes.

Woven into the narrative are the intensely personal reflections of a woman traveling alone, the Zen of motorcycle maintenance, and keen observations of America's diverse landscapes and population. From B.C. to the Blue Ridge, Boquillas to Beverly Hills, American Borders is a unique and intimate exploration of the United States and its neighbors.

"A great read!" says Lonely Planet founder Maureen Wheeler. "Carla takes every breakdown, every weird encounter in her stride with a sense of humor, an eye for the ridiculous, and incredible stoicism. All this, and sex and relationships, too!

"Heartwarming and revealing, readers get to know and love Carla, and get to know themselves a little more in the process," says Genevieve Schmitt, founder of WomenRidersNow.com. "She's a true hero, smiling every mile of the way and finding humor in the worst of circumstances."

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Carla King is the author of the popular realtime Internet dispatches American Borders, China Road, and Indian Sunset. Her writing has been published in Wild Writing Women: Stories of World Travel, Travelers' Tales anthologies, and In Search of Adventure. Her book, American Borders, is the first in a series of Motorcycle Misadventures travelogues. She lives in San Francisco.

BOOK DETAILS
American Borders: A solo-circumnavigation of the United States on a
Russian sidecar motorcycle
Author: Carla King
Paperback; 228 pages ($16.95)
ISBN: 0964644509
Find high-quality press photos, news, reviews, and calendar on
http://www.MotorcycleMisadventures.com.

EVENTS

Currently the USA tour includes Chicago, Atlanta, Santa Cruz, Los Angeles, San Francisco and the Pacific Northwest. More cities will be added later in the year. See calendar for details.

CONTACT

Please contact the author for a review copy of the book or personal interview (including motorcycle ride with interviewer).

Carla King
Phone: (415) 379-7372
Fax: (415) 520-5749
Email: carla@carlaking.com
Website: http://www.MotorcycleMisadventures.com

This release was issued through eReleases™. For more information, visit http://www.ereleases.com.

[Snuffysmith]

Left with stories and my memories
By Ron Maloney
The Gazette-Enterprise

Published February 11, 2007
I guess those of you who know me know my father died a couple weeks ago.

In getting the word out to the relatives, I’ve talked to people I haven’t seen in 25 and, in one case, 35 years. Every phone call, coast to coast, I’ve listened to stories friends and relatives tell about my father.

And, of course, I have plenty of my own.

In his day, my father was one of those colorful guys few folks could forget. He also was one of those guys who would do anything he could for you.

I like fast cars and motorcycles, even though I don’t drive them fast, and that came from dad, who was driving for my first two motorcycle accidents, both of which occurred while I was riding in the sidecar of his Indian Chief — at the age of 4.

Crashing a motorcycle with a sidecar isn’t easy. But dad came from a poor farm family and never had a bicycle. And he never learned to ride one because he couldn’t get the hang of pedaling and balancing the bike. Of course, on a motorcycle, you twist the throttle open, and once the wheels start turning, it balances itself.

I can remember the second accident and my terror at seeing the sidecar lift up over the bike because he hadn’t quite taken the railroad crossing straight on and the front wheel had caught on a rail.

I remember better still what happened when we got home because dad was given a choice between his family and the motorcycle.

He sold the bike to the neighbor and buried the sidecar in the front yard because the neighbor wouldn’t give him what he thought it was worth.

Dad never rode on a motorcycle again, although a few weeks before he died, I nearly talked him into taking a ride on the back of my Road King, riding it right up onto his porch where the noise rattled every window in his house.

When I was young, dad worked for the railroad, and we lived on a hill overlooking the tracks. When the crew was in town, mom used to bring his lunch down to the “carhouse,” the shack where the local work crew stayed out of the weather, which can be brutal in Vermont.

I wanted to work on the railroad because it looked like a great job.

You sat in the carhouse, swilled coffee and played cards. There just couldn’t be a better way to make a living.

Later, my brother and I played a little baseball, and dad became a baseball coach. We were surprised because, while we had no aptitude for the sport, we learned he’d been a pitcher in high school — and a pretty good one.

He trained several pitchers in my hometown. His best, a guy dad always called “Stonefingers,” became a high school varsity star who seemed headed for college ball and more, except he died in a car accident when we were seniors.

When I was a kid, dad raced cars for a while in the minor leagues of NASCAR — something my brother and I both tried and I failed dismally at — later building cars for other drivers when he realized he was a better mechanic than racing driver. My best racing memory of my father was watching one of his cars, a 1960 Thunderbird, pass 11 others in a single lap around a one-third-mile oval track, driven by a guy the announcers always called “Jackhandle George.”

During summers while I was in high school, I worked for the guy who owned the racetrack and a local radio station. He was the CBS TV and Motor Racing (radio) Network “Voice of the Daytona 500,” and he was well-connected. As a teenager, I got to drive some of the best cars in the world — with names like “Corvette,” “Ferrari” and “DeTomaso” on them — and got the speeding tickets to prove it.

I spent a weekend once with Richard Petty back in the days when he was “The King” of NASCAR and no one had ever heard of Darrell Waltrip or Dale Earnhardt. Dad met Petty, too, because my job that weekend was to make sure Petty had food, soft drinks and pens to sign autographs, which he did for hours. Folks would hand me their hat, shirt or program, I’d hand it to him and he’d sign it — with a signature that itself looked like it was racing at 200 mph. All the while, Petty talked to me about school, cars, my dirt bike or his own son, Kyle.

If dad was impressed, he never said, but it didn’t matter because I was impressed enough for both of us.

The other day, I was talking on the phone to my cousin Tommy. We hadn’t spoken since 1980.

Bar none, Tommy had the best story about my father I’d ever heard — or actually never heard. Tommy’s career was in the military and, in 1976, Queen Elizabeth — yes, the Queen Elizabeth — visited the United States, and Tommy was part of her honor guard, another story I’d never heard.

“You know, Uncle Wes met the Queen,” my cousin told me, recounting the story. “Dad wasn’t feeling well, so Uncle Wes drove my mom and I to the airport.”

“No way,” I said.

“True story,” said Tommy. “My mother still has the pictures to prove it.”

I asked if I could see one, and Tommy will work on it.

“Bear in mind, though, that what’s hers is hers,” he said, laughing.

True? Probably. If you knew my cousin you’d know, like his father and mother, he’s a no-nonsense kind of guy. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised if dad never mentioned it. If “The King” of stock car racing wasn’t worth mentioning again in 33 years, who cares about the Queen of England?

I miss my father, but I still have my stories.

Thanks for reading. I’ll see you around town.

Ron Maloney is the senior writer for the Seguin Gazette-Enterprise.

[Snuffysmith]

Caught by their own stupidity
There are limits to YouTube



Caught by their own stupidity

By Ben Way

February 12, 2007 02:00am
Article from: The Advertiser

SOUTH Australian police are reviewing hoon-driving videos posted on
internet websites such as YouTube in their battle to track
offenders.

Police said they had used videos to identify hoon hotspots.

"From time to time we see videos of completely reckless behaviour," Traffic
Support Branch Inspector Trevor Lovegrove said.

"We might then be able to identify a location or vehicle from that."

Independent MP Bob Such, who introduced a private member's Bill to State
Parliament in 2004 to combat hoon driving, said police should make "more use of
the technology at their disposal".

"I think as a society we've been slow to use the internet and other
technologies in our fight against crime," he said.

Covert speed camera operations were established in at least one of the
identified video locations and led to a police crackdown on hoon driving in the
Adelaide Hills.

Motorcyclists were caught showing off their "sheer stupidity" on popular
website YouTube.

Insp Lovegrove said the amateur video "confirmed what (police) already knew
was happening in the Adelaide Hills".

"From the footage we were able to identify the location and accurately direct
our operations already existing in the area," he said.

During a two-day covert operation in the Adelaide Hills last October, 367
drivers and motorcyclists were caught speeding.

Of the 27 drivers and riders caught travelling more than 45km over the speed
limit, 19 were motorcyclists.

Insp Lovegrove said motorcycle clubs were known to conduct "time trials" on
Hills roads.

[Snuffysmith]

THROTTLE JOCKEY / SUSAN CARPENTER
Big kids' trikes
It's a different kind of triple threat as two new three-wheelers take on America.
By Susan Carpenter
February 14, 2007

ANY rider who's cracked the binding of a motorcycle magazine in recent years knows we're living in the golden age, but if the faithless are looking for more proof, the new three-wheelers would be it.

This year marks the entrance of two new trikes to the market — one motorcycle, one scooter — each with twin wheels out front. Yes, similarly configured three-wheelers have been roaming Europe for years, but it's a foreign concept for the U.S. — so foreign that both new bikes are from other countries. Bombardier Recreational Products' 998cc Can-Am Spyder is Canadian. Piaggio's 250cc MP3 is from Italy.

Both are attempting what seems impossible: to simultaneously lure riders with years of saddle time and newbies who've never thrown a leg over. Already, that makes the new three-wheelers doubly radical. But what's even more radical is how differently each bike is going about achieving the same goal.

2008 BRP Can-Am Spyder

The math of 1 picture = 1,000 words doesn't add up with the Spyder. It's so different from anything else on the road that words don't really suffice. You have to ride it to believe it can do what it's doing because it doesn't just defy logic, it challenges Einstein. As a two-wheel traditionalist, I didn't think it was possible to take a high-speed turn on three wheels while sitting straight up, but after a day with the cutting-edge technology of BRP's Canuck creepy crawler, I'm a believer.

Unlike a traditional motorcycle, the $14,999 Spyder does not lean in turns. Any leaning a rider may do is a matter of style and discretion because it isn't necessary with a trio of stability systems keeping it glued to the ground. Anti-lock brakes, traction control and stability control make up the bike's Vehicle Stability System or, as BRP likes to call it, VSS.

I call it HAL.

For the anti-lock brakes, there are sensors on each wheel that monitor their rotation and reduce brake pressure if there's any variation that may lock up a wheel. The traction control system takes care of the rear wheel, checking to see that its rotation speed is in sync with the front and reducing torque if it isn't. Then there's the stability control system, which analyzes motion forces and, if the outermost front wheel is in danger of lifting off the ground during aggressive maneuvers, reduces torque and applies the brakes independently to each wheel.

The entire stability package was engineered in conjunction with Bosch — the same company that designs traction control systems for cars. That makes sense since the Spyder is designed to cover the middle ground between a convertible sports car and a motorcycle. In California, that means only a regular Class C driver's license is required to operate the Spyder, although the DMV will register it as a bike.

BRP has never made a motorcycle before. Its biggest claims to fame: ATVs, Sea-Doos and their snowbound compatriot, the Ski-Doo, which explains why the Spyder rides like a quad and looks like a snowmobile. With its Spyder, BRP is hoping to open an entirely new market segment with a fun-to-ride product that lets a rider get some wind in his face without bringing his knees anywhere near the pavement.

It's really a hop-on-and-go sort of thing. I found it extremely easy to operate. The steering is dynamically powered. The hydraulic brakes are fully integrated but use only one, foot-actuated pedal, like a car. Because there are three wheels, there's no need to put a boot down when stopped. Riders who don't want to futz with a clutch even have the option of a finger-operated, sequential electronic transmission to move through the bike's broadly powered five gears. And when it's time to roll this 697-pounder backward, think Gold Wing: There's reverse.

Going backward under power felt a bit "Mission: Impossible II" to me. Good thing it maxed out at 8 mph in reverse, because I was having a little too much fun. Not as much fun as I was having going forward, but still. It was such a cheap thrill. Powered with a Rotax 990 engine, the V-twin Spyder is capable of 110 miles per hour. Rolling on the throttle? Pure tarantula. It's got some venom, with 77 pound-feet of torque and 106 horsepower.

That could have translated into cruddy gas mileage, but the BRP claims 30 miles per gallon, thanks to fuel injection and a catalytic converter. Pack your favorite socks into the Spyder's 11.6-gallon front-loading trunk and you're off.

Just don't expect to split lanes. At 59.3 inches, that's out of the question. So is owning one of these babies — until fall, when they start showing up at dealers. The Can-Am Spyder is a 2008 model that won't be out until October, though the company will be touring the country all spring and summer offering test rides (and taking deposits). If you're among the few to get your hands on one of the 1,000 units that will be out this year, just be happy for the screwdriver-proof, computer-chip key 'cuz this Spyder's going to be a hot ticket.

*

2007 Piaggio MP3

Like the Spyder, Piaggio's MP3 also puts its twin wheels in the front 40 rather than the back pasture, but that's where the similarities end. Unlike on the Can-Am three-wheeler, riders can't see the front wheels because they aren't as far forward or as spread out. They're also tucked under the bodywork, keeping it a slim and lane-splittable 29.3 inches wide. Most significantly, the two wheels lean — up to 40 degrees and in tandem — which is why this scooter may actually hold more appeal for hard-riding two-wheelers than the Spyder, which stays upright.

So how is the $6,999 MP3 also able to snag an entirely different audience at the same time — the mileage-conscious rider wannabes who've dreamed of two wheels but shied away for safety reasons? Stability. Having two wheels out front provides additional control in hard-braking and other situations where traction is compromised.

It may not have the triptych of high-end, Bosch-designed stability systems of the Spyder, but its front suspension is patented. It's a parallelogram design, made up of four aluminum arms that are cantilevered off the frame to support two steering tubes.

That gives the scooter the ability to lean the two front wheels together but travel up and down independently as road conditions warrant. I have to say I was surprised at how well it handled. And having that extra wheel gave me the confidence to push it a bit, dropping down lower than I would normally on a scooter because I felt like I had a safety net. Taking turns, it was like being locked out of your house and realizing there's an extra key outside.

At its maximum speed of 80 mph, the MP3 was stable, even on scooter-averse freeways. Slowing down, it also had the goods. The MP3 doesn't have anti-lock brakes, but it has twice the stopping power of a regular scooter: Double the wheels and, basically, you double the brakes.

Slowing and stopping, the suspension is equally trick. To park the scooter, there's a parking brake on the steering column that's operated with a lever. Flip it up, and the front wheels are locked upright so there's no need to kick out a stand. Travel to San Francisco, and you can even park it on a hill. Pull the lever down, and the suspension is unlocked.

You can tell if the suspension is locked based on whether the scooter wants to tip over, but there's also a dummy light.

A couple of neat features: The front suspension lock automatically turns off when you roll on the throttle. It can also be turned back on as you coast into a stop so you can put your feet up on the floorboard, provided you're going 3 mph or less.

A less neat feature: Each time the lock button is pressed, it beeps. What started as a good tutorial quickly grated on my nerves because I could tell if the suspension was locked or unlocked based on whether the scooter tipped. I asked Piaggio if the beeping could be disabled, and it can't.

So it beeps like a microwave. Storage wise, at least, it holds more than a Stouffer's. It's got 15 gallons of space, which is accessible through the rear trunk or by flipping up the seat. So pack a set of golf clubs or an overnight bag and fill the 3.2-gallon tank: You're good to go for about 180 miles. Piaggio claims an average 60-plus mpg for this fuel-injected and catalyzed, single-cylinder 250. The company just isn't playing up the usual scooter benefits. It's the extra wheel Piaggio wants us to look at.

In the U.S., Piaggio doesn't have the same name recognition as Vespa, which has become the Kleenex of scooters in the 61 years it's been on the market. But it was Piaggio that invented the Vespa scooter. With its MP3 (short for Moto Piaggio 3), Piaggio is hoping to find its own audience and create a separate identity.

In the competitive and growing scooter market, what better way to differentiate itself than to do something a little, well, strange? For scooter riders who like a little look-at-me action along with their fuel savings and lane-splitting, the MP3 delivers. And with its extra wheel, it out-cools most other scooters, maybe even the Vespa.

*

susan.carpenter@latimes.com

[Snuffysmith]

Easy L.A. Rider

Nearly four decades after riding his Captain America chopper to
fame, Peter Fonda is still bucking trends. By Susan Carpenter.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBI...Io30G2B0IK3e0EV

[Snuffysmith]

THROTTLE JOCKEY / SUSAN CARPENTER
A Harley beats Old Man Time
SUSAN CARPENTER
February 21, 2007

IT isn't easy being old.

Take the Harley-Davidson Sportster, which at age 50 is the longest-standing nameplate for the company. Despite the 1 million that have been made, even the brass back in Milwaukee admit the 883 cc and 1,200 cc bikes have lost a bit of their mojo in this era of bigger motors making even more badass rides.

Enter the 2007 Nightster, a golden anniversary version Harley-Davidson just wheeled out in the hopes of bringing the sexy back. Geared toward riders who haven't yet found their first gray hair, the Nightster is for someone who's had enough saddle time that the 1,200-cc motor is unintimidating but whose credit will swing only a $10,000 price tag. Low to the ground, lean and black in all the right places, the Nightster is an aging beauty who's been under the knife. Most of the changes are cosmetic, but at least the plastic surgeon knew what he was doing.

Style-wise, the Nightster is pulling from two separate trends. It's a reaction against the chromed-up, blinged-out extremism of recent years and an embrace of the Spartan lines of long ago. Instead of shine, there's matte. The engine is powder-coated the same shade of gray as a government-issue filing cabinet. The rims and handlebar are black as a goth's lipstick. And the gas cap and dipstick cover are a new "silver satin" that won't gleam no matter how much it's polished.

Then there's the bobber detailing. The Nightster has a side-mounted license plate and bullet holes in its front fender clamps and rear belt guard — a look that was popular among fighter pilots looking for fast, two-wheeled action after World War II (and, more recently, among custom builders). Other custom touches: the gaiters on its fork tubes and rear turn signals that double as the tail and brake lights, only none of this stuff costs extra. It's stock.

So's the solo seat, which is a cool 25.3 inches low. Only the Softail Deluxe (at 24.5 inches) and Night Train (at 25.2 inches) are lower. Even a troll could fit on this bike, through there is a downside to the "slammed" styling, i.e., a bike that looks like an anvil fell in its lap. The rear wheel travel is just 2.4 inches, and the only part of the suspension that's adjustable is the rear spring preload, which felt stiff no matter how it was set. So big guys beware: This bike isn't for you unless you like bottoming out.

Developed side by side with Buell's XB12 powertrain, the Nightster's rubber-mounted Evolution V-twin engine features high-flow cylinder heads that allow more air, higher compression and, as a result, better power. Harley doesn't release horsepower figures, but the bike's 79.10 pound-feet of torque never left me wanting.

Twisting the grip when I got the greens, I found it had good off-the-line power that kept on coming. Even in fast-moving highway traffic, I was using only the first three of its five gears, which as of the '06 model year were upgraded to an un-Harley-like, quieter helical system.

This year is significant, not only because it's the Sportster's birthday, but because 2007 is the model year when all Harleys switched to fuel injection. Previously, it had been available for every other model family except the Sportster. For the least expensive bike in the Harley lineup, there wasn't a profit motive.

Now there's a smog-reduction motive for the fuel injection. Besides, people are asking for it, not only because it's so much easier and more efficient than a carbureted system, but because its effect on Harley's famed exhaust note has been worked out. Responding to customer complaints that fuel-injected Harleys didn't sound like the old-school, carbureted Hogs, the perfect idle was roughed up to retain its close-but-never-patented tiger purr. So there isn't a carb anymore. At idle, the slash cut dual exhaust still sounds imperfect and arrhythmic because a computer is calling the shots.

Before the Nightster, I would have said it was impossible to create excitement around a bike that's been around so long, but with a nip here, a tuck there and a few tried-and-true upgrades imported from other models, Harley's pulled it off.

*

susan.carpenter@latimes.com

*

(INFOBOX BELOW)

2007 Harley-Davidson Nightster

Base price: $9,595

Powertrain: Air-cooled V-twin, two valves per cylinder, fuel-injected, 5-speed

Displacement: 73.2 cubic inches

Bore and stroke: 3.5 inches by 3.81 inches

Torque: 79.10 pound-feet at 4,000 rpm

Seat height: 25.3 inches

Dry weight: 545 pounds

[Snuffysmith]

Dallas is hub for Chinese-made bikes

09:16 AM CST on Sunday, February 18, 2007

By KATHERINE YUNG / The Dallas Morning News
kyung@dallasnews.com

Chinese motorcycle, scooter and all-terrain-vehicle manufacturers looking to break into the U.S. market have turned Dallas into their American hub.
[Click image for a larger version] TOM FOX/DMN
TOM FOX/DMN
Sunl Group chairman and chief executive David Shan (left), president May Zhou and chief operations officer Jeff Boudreaux are focusing on the quality of the company's motorcycles and go-carts.

A dozen distributors have opened sales offices and warehouses around the area over the last few years. Most employ only a handful of workers, but they're rapidly adding hundreds of dealers.

May Zhou, a Chinese immigrant who settled in the Dallas area, started one of the biggest sellers, Sunl Group Inc. in Irving. But the majority are from mainland China, with several from Taiwan.

ATVs and scooters account for the bulk of these companies' small but growing revenues.

"My target is to expand sales and get more market share," said Peter Xie, the executive manager of Dallas-based American Lifan Industry Inc., a subsidiary of Chongqing Lifan Industry Group, one of China's biggest motorcycle exporters.

Whether these distributors thrive or fail in the fiercely competitive U.S. market could provide clues as to how Chinese automakers will fare.

That's because motorcycles have traditionally been a steppingstone to the sale of new cars, as demonstrated by the Japanese companies Honda Motor Co. and Suzuki Motor Corp.
Also Online

Chart: Racing to American shores (.pdf)

American Lifan's parent company already manufactures automobiles and plans to export them to the U.S.

Chinese motorcycles have a poor reputation for quality, but no one is counting them out. The Japanese companies that dominate the market – Honda, Suzuki, Yamaha and Kawasaki – overcame quality problems decades ago, winning prestigious motorcycle races such as the Isle of Man.

"It's very easy to forget how the Japanese entered the U.S. market," said Panos Kouvelis, a professor of operations and manufacturing management at Washington University's Olin School of Business. "They were not good quality. We used to joke about 'Made in Japan.' "

Chinese companies have already seized control of the market for small ATVs from the Japanese.

And China has become a powerful force in the motorcycle industry, too, producing and exporting more bikes than any other nation. The world's most populous country has more than 100 manufacturers.

In the U.S., they're keeping a low profile. Most distributors only advertise their products in industry publications.

In the classic pattern of immigrants following other immigrants to a foreign country, the companies trailed each other to Dallas, attracted by the city's location and low costs.

"This area is in the middle of the U.S., so it's good for shipping," said Bill Zhu, vice president of Chuanl Motorcycle Co. Inc., which operates a showroom and warehouse in Dallas staffed by eight employees.

Though imports of motorcycles and parts from China are growing, they totaled only $330.5 million in 2005, compared with almost $3 billion from Japan. That's because Chinese manufacturers mostly sell motorcycles with small engines, a disadvantage in the power-thirsty U.S. market.

Irresistable market

Despite formidable Japanese competition, these companies can't resist the lure of the U.S.

American consumers snapped up more than a million motorcycles and scooters for the third year in a row in 2005, according to the Motorcycle Industry Council.

Sales have risen every year since 1993, a performance likely to continue, thanks to fears of high gas prices.

"As long as you do the right things here, you are going to survive and grow," said Michael Yuen, vice president of Kinroad LP, a Carrollton distributor with 300 dealers.

But with so many entrants, some industry players expect to see consolidation in the years ahead.

"In the next three to five years, there will be a shakeout in this industry just like there was for the Japanese," said Jeff Boudreaux, Sunl's chief operations officer, who compared today's competitive environment to "being pecked to death by ducks."

U.S. regulations

One factor that could limit competition arose last year when new Environmental Protection Agency rules for imported motorcycles, ATVs and scooters went into effect. To obtain the EPA certifications, vehicles must undergo costly testing, which has deterred some Chinese manufacturers from entering the U.S. market.

Companies that meet the regulations hope to entice American buyers by offering extremely low prices. Some dealers sell Chinese motorcycles for $2,000 or less.

But the cut-rate prices have come at the expense of quality. There are dozens of stories on the Internet from consumers who can't find parts to repair their Chinese motorcycles, which broke down almost as soon as they were driven.

Repairing reputation

Bad experiences with Chinese-made ATVs and scooters have also sullied their reputation. The Better Business Bureau of Metropolitan Dallas has received more than 180 complaints against Best Price ATVs, an online distributor in Farmers Branch that has also done business under the names Freedom Scooters and BMX Imports.

The complaints ranged from delivery of damaged merchandise to difficulties getting refunds. Best Price did not return telephone calls seeking comment.

Another distributor, Dinli LP, which once operated out of Dallas, is appealing a $3 million verdict against it. A Philadelphia jury found the Taiwanese company liable for the death of a 31-year-old man who broke one of his legs when his Dinli ATV overturned after the right handle grip slipped off the handlebar. He died from a pulmonary embolism caused by his leg injury.

Quality concerns have become so serious that some dealers refuse to sell Chinese-made products.

"They are substandard," said Leslie Porterfield, owner of High Five Cycles, one of the largest dealers of used motorcycles, scooters, ATVs and dirt bikes in Dallas. "There's no way to fix them."

Others are willing to take the risks.

"A lot of it is junk, but you can pick out the companies that back their bikes up," said Hank Hankamer, who owns the Scooter Shop Inc. in Dallas.

He started selling American Lifan scooters, dirt bikes and motorcycles two months ago and hasn't run into any problems getting spare parts. He tells buyers who shy away from anything made in China to go online to find out more about the Lifan brand.

"They have been in China for a long time," he said.

Building the brand

Some major Chinese distributors are trying to improve their quality and service, eager to build valuable brand names.

American Lifan sells motorcycles only through dealers that have a repair facility with at least one mechanic, Mr. Xie said.

Rival Qlink LP gives two-year warranties on its street bikes.

"We really want to change people's image about Chinese products," said Johnny Tai, sales manager for the Taiwanese distributor based in Grapevine. "Americans like inexpensive products, but they don't want junk."

And at Sunl, executives want to ensure that customers never run into problems ordering spare parts. They have stocked the company's enormous warehouse in Irving with enough ignition switches, throttles and other parts to fill several aisles.

The 5-year-old company, named after the word sunlight, is also reducing the size of its dealer group to include only those that can offer high levels of customer service.

With these efforts, the Chinese may eventually close the quality gap with the Japanese. Some experts say the Chinese will grab significant market share because of their lower prices.

"You have to look five and 10 years down the road," said the Olin School's Mr. Kouvelis. "It's a global market."
NEW WHEELS IN TOWN

Here are some of the distributors of Chinese-made motorcycles, scooters and all-terrain vehicles that have opened their headquarters in the Dallas area in recent years:

A&A Scooters Inc.
1-888-686-6868
www.aascootersinc.com

Adly Moto LLC
972-870-1572
www.usa.adlymoto.com

American Lifan Industry Inc., 972-698-7778, www.americanlifan.com

Chuanl Motorcycle Co. Inc.
214-553-8321
www.longboamerica.com

CPI USA
972-580-8100
www.cpi-usa.com

Fushin USA
214-420-7600
www.fushinusa.com

Galaxy PowerSports LLC
972-243-8668
www.jclusa.com

Goldenvale Inc.
214-239-9292
www.roketa.com

Keeway America LLC
1-888-553-3929
www.keewaymotor.com

Kinroad LP
469-461-8886
www.kinroadusa.com

Qlink LP
817-310-3338
www.qlinkmotor.com

Sunl Group Inc.
972-243-4555
www.sunl.com

[Snuffysmith]

Hilton HHonors® Piques Special Interests of Its Members with New Experience Rewards

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. -- The Hilton Family of Hotels today announced a new rewards category, Experience Rewards, for members of its highly popular guest reward program, Hilton HHonors®. Through several key partnerships, the Experience Rewards program offers a diverse range of extreme and lifestyle activities that HHonors members can redeem with their HHonors points.

Committed to providing a frequent guest program that recognizes the importance of customization and personalization, Experience Rewards represent a departure from what is currently offered by Hilton HHonors or any other hotel loyalty program.

“Experience Rewards is added proof that Hilton HHonors is the most attractive hotel loyalty program in the industry,” said Adam Burke, senior vice president and managing director of Hilton HHonors Worldwide. “It distinguishes us from our competitors by providing fresh, forward-thinking content and further engages our members, making HHonors the hotel loyalty program of choice.”

Through an exclusive partnership with Signature Days, an online provider of experience gifts across the country for every occasion, HHonors members can redeem points for a selected range of Experiences, from sky diving and hot-air balloon rides to private yoga lessons and wine tasting. Members can also redeem points for a Signature Voucher, a gift card giving members access to all that is available at www.signaturedays.com.

The Hilton Family of Hotels has also partnered with EagleRider®, the only organization licensed to rent Honda and Harley Davidson motorcycles, and Intrawest Destination Resorts, a world leader in destination resorts and leisure travel, increasing the variety of experiences available to HHonors members. EagleRider is the world's largest motorcycle tourism company specializing in rentals of motorcycles, ATVs, snowmobiles, watercrafts and a host of other exciting vehicles. HHonors members can redeem points for rentals and tour packages from EagleRider, or redeem points for lift tickets at nine of Intrawest's mountain resorts in the U.S. and Canada.

To find out more information about the exciting new Experience Rewards program, please visit www.hiltonhhonors.com.

About The HHonors Program
Hilton HHonors® is a guest reward program that gives frequent travelers a faster way to earn the rewards they want most. Enrolled members can Double Dip® to earn HHonors points and airline miles for the same stay, at nearly any rate, at more than 2,800 participating Hilton®, Conrad®, Doubletree®, Embassy Suites Hotels®, Hampton Inn®, Hampton Inn & Suites®, Hilton Garden Inn®, Hilton Grand Vacations™, Homewood Suites by Hilton®, Scandic and The Waldorf=Astoria Collection™ hotels around the world.

Due to the veritable flexibility, generosity and value offered by HHonors program features, as well as the many attractive promotions that HHonors offers each year, the program has been recognized with numerous travel industry awards.

Membership in HHonors is free. Travelers may enroll online by visiting www.hiltonfamily.com. Or, to enroll instantly in the program and make reservations, consumers in the U.S. and Canada may call 1-800-HHONORS. Outside the U.S. and Canada, travelers may call the Hilton Reservations Worldwide office in their area. Travelers also may enroll at any participating Hilton®, Conrad®, Doubletree®, Embassy Suites Hotels®, Hampton Inn®, Hampton Inn & Suites®, Hilton Garden Inn®, Hilton Grand Vacations™, Homewood Suites by Hilton®, Scandic and The Waldorf=Astoria Collection™ hotels around the world.

Hilton Hotels Corporation (NYSE:HLT) is the leading global hospitality company, with more than 2,800 hotels and 495,000 rooms in more than 80 countries, including 150,000 team members worldwide. The company owns, manages or franchises a hotel portfolio of some of the best known and highly regarded brands, including Hilton®, Conrad®, Doubletree®, Embassy Suites Hotels®, Hampton Inn®, Hampton Inn & Suites®, Hilton Garden Inn®, Hilton Grand Vacations™, Homewood Suites by Hilton®, Scandic and The Waldorf=Astoria Collection™ hotels around the world.

The Hilton Family of Hotels adheres to founder Conrad Hilton’s philosophy that, “It has been, and continues to be, our responsibility to fill the earth with the light and warmth of hospitality.” The company put a name to its unique brand of service that has made it the best known and most highly regarded hotel company: be hospitable®. The philosophy is shared by all brands in the Hilton Family of Hotels, and is the inspiration for its overarching message of kindness and generosity.

Hilton Hotels Corporation’s sponsorship of the U.S. Olympic Team will extend through the 2008 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Beijing, China, and includes the 2008 U.S. Paralympic Team(s) and the 2007 U.S. Pan-Am Team.

For more information about our company, please visit www.hiltonworldwide.com, and to learn more about our be hospitable philosophy, please visit www.behospitable.com.

The following service marks are owned by Hilton Hospitality, Inc.: Hilton®, Doubletree®, Embassy Suites Hotels®, Hampton Inn®, Hampton Inn & Suites®, Hilton Garden Inn®, Hilton Grand Vacations Club® and Homewood Suites by Hilton®, and The Waldorf=Astoria Collection. Conrad® is owned by Conrad Hospitality, LLC.

[Snuffysmith]

Getting lost is part of adventure


March 4, 2007
By Jeremiah St. Ours | Special to the Herald

Editor's note: Durangoan Jeremiah St. Ours is writing about his experiences as he spans the Americas via motorcycle. This is the 30th in a series of stories St. Ours has posted from the road.


Courtesy Wilson Carioca
Jeremiah St. Ours and El Viento enjoy a quiet moment getting lost in Brazil.Tracking Jeremiah
• Miles traveled since departing Prudhoe Bay, Alaska: 38,179

• Follow Jeremiah St. Ours’ pan-American odyssey on the Web at journeysofar.com

The site includes many photos and stories that do not appear in the Herald. He loves feedback; e-mail him at miah@journeysofar.com

BAIXO GUANDU, Brazil (Feb. 16) - Technology is a blessing and a curse. While it can allow you to be more independent, it can just as easily enslave you. The trick is to differentiate between the truly useful and the merely seductive.

"This GPS is amazing!" the American motorcyclist gushed. "It can pinpoint my exact location anywhere in the world!"

"And why on earth would I want to know that?" I chuckled, pun intended.

He recoiled, as though the answer was obvious, then quacked in disbelief, "Because you might get lost!"

"Precisely," I calmly intoned. "I might."

Call me a neo-Luddite if you wish, but I still cling to the notion that adventure is defined by the very ability to navigate on one's own. I purposefully don't use a GPS, carry detailed maps or guides, or even wear a watch. Yet remarkably, I've never been lost.

But the object of his infatuation, the Global Positioning System, is symbolic of a much larger issue: Americans are particularly risk-averse. They fear the unknown. They fear the unexpected. And most of all, they fear the uncontrollable.

Taking a closer look at the aforementioned traveler's checklist is illustrative. Not only does his cockpit sport the biggest GPS money can buy, so large it obscures his bike's much more important speedometer, tachometer and status-indicator lights, but his panniers overflow with small-scale maps and an entire library of heavy guidebooks. He procured evacuation insurance from a private jet service, in advance. His full-size, on-board computer includes video-conferencing gear. And he's never without his cell phone, which he uses daily to chitchat with family and friends back home, as though he never left.



Maybe it's just a difference in style. He believes he's on the "adventure" of a lifetime and is using technology to reduce his exposure to possible harm, loss or injury. I see no difference between what he's doing and signing up for an all-inclusive cruise ship tour: All services are provided, nothing is left to chance.

I prefer to allow serendipity some breathing room, and would argue that these things add far more cost, weight, bulk, complexity and risk of theft and breakage, than they add in value. Without them you're lighter and more nimble, it's quicker to pack and unpack, and your experience is enriched by what you find, rather than what you take.

Risk, after all, is better managed by your wits. Knowledge weighs nothing, requires no batteries, can't be stolen, and is much more adaptive than any bevy of gadgets. Though not for sale at the electronics store, it's an insurance policy more valuable than any jet service can provide.

Still, problems will arise. Just because I've never been lost doesn't mean I've always been where I wanted to be. But finding my way out has always proven at least as much fun as losing my way in. Striking up an impromptu conversation in a foreign language as you claw your way back on route is the best way to meet the locals, and one of the richest experiences traveling has to offer.

Maybe I'm just happier rambling lithely down the road in blissful ignorance. I don't want a GPS telling me that I will arrive at my destination in precisely 3.52 hours at the current rate of speed. I chose this road because I don't know where it leads - and I'm content to follow it for as long as it takes me to get there.