Go here now.

http://sideburnmag.blogspot.com/2013/03/digger.html
A couple of cool pics of Wayne Gardner's Moriwaki Kawasaki in action back in the day. Oh, and he's beating Barry Sheene.

Gotta go.

A little teaser

 Scene from the GrumpyUnk motor pool.

I'm on Vacation this week. Well, one third recovery and one half vacation. Full update in a few days after all the coolness has ended. Stay tuned.

Now That's what I'm talking about.

My favorite racebike, color scheme, rider, and number in no particular order.

Look at all the groovy details on that thing. Fox shox, gold mag wheels (Lester's?), number plates straight from Ed's dirt track days, Lockheed brakes. The stock seat cut down so his tiny ass could actually touch the ground. Braced swingarm, covers modified for ground clearance, oil cooler, steering damper. Those forks were a huge diameter for that time. Check out that tach. Better yet, how about the knee slider made out of 200mph tape? That shit was the shit. I got to meet Ed at Road America around this time. He was sitting in his pit in a director's chair in his leathers. The old man handed me a pen and a program and gave me a push. I remember that like it was yesterday. Thanks Dad. Don't lose that autograph, by the way if you're reading this.

If somehow I could only see motorcycles looking a certain way (you know like guys that hang around Harley dealerships all fucking weekend), they would all look like this. Pole growing out of Ed's head and that Chris Hillman looking dude creepin' me out notwithstanding.

Stolen pic stolen from Slideblog

Is it wrong?

O.K. so I bought a new bike. I really like the new bike. I don't like that my friggin hands hurt after a 20mi ride to work but that's a rant for another day. I got the new Cycle World magazine the other day and there is a review of the new Kawasaki Versys. The bike is calling me. It's singing the siren song of new motorcycles. I've only got about 210mi on the Suzuki and I haven't made payment one yet. I have an overwhelming desire to take a new Versys for a ride. Of course it's an 08 model and I'm sure there won't be one on a showroom floor for a while. The MSRP is only a few hundred bucks more than the Zook. Is it wrong for me to be wanting this bike? Is it my hurting wrists and more practical nature urging me in that direction or is it just new bike envy. I was leaning toward the V-Strom anyway and the Versys is the direct competitor to the V-Strom but much cooler looking. This is like trying to find a girlfriend and striking out all over the place, and then after you have a steady girl all the chicks some sniffing around. What the hell? I could sell the SV when the Versys hits these American shores and I'd probably be happy with either bike but... I should probably take my own advice and just go ride.
But it's so much more practical... Hmmmm.... Most of the bike guys I know would just buy it and park it next to all the other bikes. If I see one, I'll let you know. Opinions?