Ride to work

In case you need an excuse... Ride to Work Day.

Graham Tool

For specialty tools for Fabricators, Machinists, Painters, etc. and even cooler artwork, check out Graham Tool.

Shop Class as Soulcraft

Ran across an excellent article by Matthew B. Crawford, which was adapted from his book “Shop Class as Soulcraft: An Inquiry Into the Value of Work”:

"Seeing a motorcycle about to leave my shop under its own power, several days after arriving in the back of a pickup truck, I don’t feel tired even though I’ve been standing on a concrete floor all day. Peering into the portal of his helmet, I think I can make out the edges of a grin on the face of a guy who hasn’t ridden his bike in a while. I give him a wave. With one of his hands on the throttle and the other on the clutch, I know he can’t wave back. But I can hear his salute in the exuberant “bwaaAAAAP!” of a crisp throttle, gratuitously revved. That sound pleases me, as I know it does him. It’s a ventriloquist conversation in one mechanical voice, and the gist of it is “Yeah!”"

TWIST

TWIST - Two-Wheel Inspired Secondary Transportation from Cycle World

Long Way Down

Just finished watching Long Way Down on DVD:



While a lot of the sense of adventure is definitely compromised by the camera crew and support team following in SUVs, this renewed my desire to take another long distance motorcycle trip. Definitely worth viewing.

If I ever get a van...

Brand Snobs

I ran across the quote below a few days ago:

"...even though we boast of our "good fellowship" spirit, there still seems to be a tendency among a good many motorcyclist to slight the fellow riding another kind of machine. Motorcyclist are all bound together by a brotherhood tie through their love of the sport, and what difference does it make what make of machine he rides as long as he belongs to the clan?"
- Walter Davidson, December 1920 edition of the H-D Enthusiast

I found it particularly ironic, considering I've found Harley owners more often guilty of this "exclusivity" than any other brand owners...