Thursday, March 29, 2012

Book Giveaway


Someone gifted me Bodies in Motion, Evolution and Experience in Motorcycling. (Steven L. Thompson. 2008. ISBN-13: 978-0-9819001-1-7. 417 ppg.). I had been given a review copy by Aerostich shortly after its publication; my review is here: http://bit.ly/GYvfUL. So if you'd like to have a brand new, still in the plastic wrapper copy, mailed to your USA address at no cost, just send me an email ("doug at tiltedhorizons dot com") with "Bodies in Motion" in the subject line. I'll draw a winner over Easter weekend.

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Tuesday, March 27, 2012

March Madness

After a couple of weeks of unseasonably amazing weather and record high temps, this morning was in the high 20s F, as if Ma Nature was saying "don't take me for granted buddy."  I knew I shouldn't put my winter gear away quite yet (but did anyway), as evidenced by my posts from some other Marches:

2008
In my neck of the woods, March can be tough on the ol' motorcycling psyche.  Blacktop roads are potholed and crumbled from freezing, and won't be repaired for months.  Clumps of road salt residue and sand dot the roads.  On the back roads, gravel and mud, washed out of the gullies by heavy rains and snow melt, have a nasty habit of accumulating on blind corners.  Unlike the peak of Summer or dead of Winter, it's difficult to get into a rhythm, either on the road of off.  Just gearing up properly can be a tough decision as the weather can vary wildly.   I've ridden 5 of the 6 days of March so far, and I've already dealt with temperatures from 22F to 62F, and from snow flurries to rain showers to beautiful dry, sunny conditions.  I'm not whining (well, not much) mind you:  that which many motorcyclists consider obstacles to riding are seen as challenges to die-hard (or crazy; you choose) year-round riders.   Although, while overcoming challenges is satisfying, I'll be a lot happier in about six weeks when the challenges will be more about the broader riding experience and much less about merely surviving the weather and road conditions.

2009
I just re-read this post from March '08, and it's eerily accurate so far as to March '09.  Last Sunday about 8" of snow got dumped on us; tomorrow when I head out on my ride shortly after sunrise it'll already be over 50F.  I may hit some rain on the way, which ain't necessarily a bad thing as it may wash off some of the "protective coating" of salt reside and road grime my ZR-7S has accumulated this winter.









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Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Ever drag your knee...on ice?

Take an R1. Add tires that'd make a punk rocker jealous. Get a few buds with cars and dual sports to meet you at the frozen lake and have some fun.

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Thursday, March 08, 2012

RevZilla March Giveaway



Who couldn't use a new pair of top-notch all-weather motorcycle boots? And who wouldn't like to get them for free, eh?Click over to RevZilla's March contest page, spend about 30 seconds creating a Rider Profile, than sit back and wait for the monthly winner to be drawn. The First Prize winner this month will receive a pair of TCX Infinity GTX boots, long a favorite of serious riders (GTX = Goretex after all), valued at $324. Two Second Prize winners will receive $50 Revzilla gift certificates.

While you're on RevZilla's site, take a look around at what RevZilla has to offer the serious adventure or sport-touring motorcyclist. Why shop RevZilla? I can tell you why I do: fast, free shipping for orders over $39.99; TeamZilla cash back program; "no  hassle" exchanges; price match guarantee; and above all, RevZilla's top-flight reputation among riders I know for its customer service and product knowledge. Let 'em know Tilted Horizons sent ya!

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Sunday, March 04, 2012

Seen at Ephrata "First Sunday" Event, March 2012

There were only a couple of dozen motorcycles in the lot when I arrived -- maybe it was the 34F temp that kept smarter folks than I away initially; however, within a couple of hours Ol' Sol had warmed things up a bit and brought out 200 or more bikes. Small, considering this event sometimes draws 1,000+, but not bad at a time of year when many bikes are still in hibernation. As usual, the bikes ran the gamut from common to exotic, heavily modified and the downright weird. Kinda like their riders. For more info about this event, click on the "Ephrata" tag below. Click on the photos to enlarge.

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