Shocking news that the father of The Superbikers and promoter of the Carlsbad Gran Prix died in a reported car accident. Gavin will be remembered for all the positive influence he brought to the young sport of motocross in America and for single handedly inventing the Superbikers event. You can read more about Gavin here. In the photo from left are Gavin Trippe, Teddy Boyco, Debbie Lewis, my wife Gail, me and Todd Huffman. Photo by Scott Cox.
We watched this Captain America motorcycle auction carefully, thinking someone might make a last-minute bid to capture this crime-fighting motorcycle. Didn’t happen. The $100,000 opening bid didn’t attract any bidders, proving the buy-it-now price of $300,000 was a pipe dream. Maybe the bike will be relisted with more realistic asking values. The original story…. Times are tough for super heroes. Captain America, who lives off his meager social security checks and small payments from sporadic personal appearances, is trying to sell his beloved 1977 Yamaha. The bike looks like a…
Times are tough for super heroes. Captain America, who lives off his meager social security checks and small payments from sporadic personal appearances, is trying to sell his beloved 1977 Yamaha. The bike looks like a road racer with a full fairing, rearsets and aerodynamic tail section. That impression ends at the tires that are off-road knobbies. The asking price? The bidding starts at $100,000 or you can buy it now for only $300,000. You better act quickly, though. Rumor has it that Bruce Wayne is watching the bidding.
Relish magazine shows up in 15 million newspapers a few times a year. The June 2018 issue of the cooking, food and lifestyle magazine includes an advertisement from Lunchables. The ad depicts a young lady who has fabricated a motocross freestyle course out of Lunchable components. Motorcycle manufacturers are all worried about the aging demographic of their customers. Positive exposure to such a massive audience from an unexpected source is a much appreciated gift to motorcycling. My guilty pleasure is the Lunchable Turkey + Cheddar with Crackers. I always carry…
Mecum holds two motorcycle auctions in Las Vegas every year. The January auction (read about it here) is the big daddy and the June auction, while smaller than January, still packs in a lot of amazing bikes and, some would say, much better values for buyers. While I didn’t make the fear and loathing road trip for the June auction, watching the action on the live stream provided by Mecum and browsing the results gives a pretty good idea of what went down before the gavel hit the wood.
The Hanford Vintage Motorcycle Rally celebrated its 50th anniversary this year so I figured it was time to check it out. But first, you have to find Hanford. It is unlikely that you’ve ever passed through Hanford on your way to anywhere else because it is off the beaten path. The town sits in the south central portion of California’s San Joaquin Valley, 28 miles south-southeast of Fresno and 18 miles west of Visalia. This location could actually work in favor of vendors because the riders who attend are serious…
Has it really been 12 years since I last attended the Corsa Motoclassica at Willow Springs Raceway in Rosamond, California? A lot of things have changed and a lot of things have stayed the same. Willow Springs still feels (and looks) like the place I raced a box stock Suzuki GS550 in 1978. There are new attractions around the main road circuit (the Walt James Stadium, a kart track, skid pad, the Streets of Willow) but Big Willow is still the raceway’s heart and little has changed. It is at…
A buddy (thanks, Byron) found me an old Manco mini with a seized engine and some missing pieces but it had potential. A Harbor Freight 6.5 HP, 212 cc Predator engine fit in the frame nicely (once the fuel tank was removed) and a call to AZ USA Parts (thanks, Horton) got me all the little pieces needed (clutch, throttle and chain) plus they were really helpful people. I still need to find a gas cap that fits (my gas cap is cracked), but this thing is a torquey beast…
Just got the Cycle News 2018 Cruiser Buyer’s Guide and it is impressive. The CN Editors did a fine job of rounding up a comprehensive collection of cruiser motorcycles with pricing, specs and descriptions. But they didn’t stop there. They included a bunch of bike tests and an accessory guide as well. All that would have been enough, but the CN gang kept going and dug deeper. They include an extensive collection of motorcycle rallies including dates and what to expect from each experience. They detail some of their favorite…
Want to save bucks on your subscription to Motorcyclist? All you gotta do is toss the blow-in subscription card that fell into your lap (and lists a $19.97 price) and read the small print. The small print at the back of the mag (page 98 in the March/April 2018 issue) lists the subscription at $18. But wait, there’s more! You can go online and get the sub for $14.97 (that’s a 25% savings or a cool $5). Guess Motorcyclist is hoping you’re too busy or lazy to look this close,…