#Trizzle-sTake

I’ve never been a fan of the mid-’90s – early 2000s Suzuki Katana. To me they were fat, underpowered, and hideously ugly – three traits that should spell instant death to any motorcycle. It’s an utter shame the Katana name – a once well respected and sought after model – was attached to that motorcycle in the end. I made my distaste of that bike well known when I met James for the first time. He laughed it off, even agreed with me on some points, then changed the subject. It was like he knew the Katana he was riding was bad, but didn’t want to dwell on it any more than he had to. Maybe he got it for free?

When you really think about it, one of the determining factors in whether or not someone sticks with the sport of motorcycling is the frequency with which they meet the ground. Crashing sucks, and if you do it often enough, it could be a reason to quit the sport. Keeping the motorcycle upright, then, leads to successful, enjoyable journeys, and having fun on two wheels inevitably is the reason why we keep doing this.

I must be getting older. It wasn’t that long ago I remember telling myself that cruisers weren’t my thing. Heavy and slow with limited cornering clearance, 20-something me really didn’t get the appeal. “If I wanted to go slowly,” I would say to myself, “then I’d just drive my truck.” And for the record, yes, I do drive my truck like a grandma. Mainly because gas is expensive around these parts, but also because I’ve learned to mentally compartmentalize my different modes of transportation. Two wheels means I’m free to be a little aggressive and wick it up a little (within reason, of course), four wheels means I’m either driving my truck or my wife’s Acura. And while the latter can be fun when the revs climb, my better half isn’t exactly impressed when I show her when the V-TEC kicks in, yo!

I spent several hours last Friday looking at cars. From replicas of the 1886 Benz Patent Moterwagen, one of the first “practical” cars (as its placard insists), to the 2017 Ford GT, cars were everywhere I looked – and I loved it. I was at the Petersen Automotive Museum attending media day, where several excited staff and board members were on hand to showcase the museum’s $125 million renovation. It’s strange for me to think that, despite being born and raised in Southern California, I’d only been to the Petersen museum once. And that was for a work trip.

Is it just me or are you glad the MotoGP season finale at Valencia is over? Finally we can stop talking about the Rossi/Marquez/Lorenzo drama (or can we?), congratulate Jorge on winning the championship (even if I do wish Valentino won the whole thing, personally), and start thinking about what 2016 has in store.

To summarize: a back-to-stock Grom was only marginally slower than the race winner… Tells you how much good a pile of expensive aftermarket parts do.. Think twice before you modify your bike.. It’s unlikely you’re more qualified than 100 Japanese engineers..

It’s hard for me to believe, but right around this time 10 years ago I got my start as a motojournalist, working for Rider magazine under the tutelage of Mark Tuttle, who still helms the magazine today. It’s been a wild and crazy ride this past decade, and every so often I still pinch myself just to make sure this isn’t all a dream. Over the past decade, I’ve been lucky enough to travel to some of the most exotic locations around the world and pilot some extraordinary motorcycles. To celebrate, here are some of my favorite memories from the past 10 years.

Maturity. For me, I look back at the point I became a mature human as the time in my life when my voice deepened, I was hungry all the time, and I was incredibly awkward talking to girls (some things never change). I’m guessing it was an awkward time for many of us, but the term “maturity” is also one I hear a lot when it comes to electric vehicles. As I noted in my long(ish)-term review of the Zero SR, my wife and I had contemplated an electric car for our daily transportation.

Flame on me all you want for the click-baity title, but hear me out. Earlier this week I saw a rider coming in my direction from the opposite side of traffic. As he passed, I noticed he was aboard a brand new Yamaha R1. He seemed content as he went by, but I couldn’t help but wonder if he made the right choice for his needs. As it turned out, I saw him again the following day, turning right onto another street, twisting the grip and letting the crossplane crank sing a little before shifting. While I didn’t see his face, I’m sure he cracked at least a passing grin afterward.

It is the Spanish MotoGP round at Jerez in 2011 that comes to mind right now. Valentino Rossi, aboard the nearly unrideable Ducati, dove to the inside of Casey Stoner and his Honda, hard on the brakes into the first turn. What would have been a spectacular pass resulted in Rossi tucking the front, lowsiding and taking the Australian out in the process.

By the time you read this, I will be off the clock and lost somewhere on an island, away on a much needed vacation, just the wife and me. The destination? Japan. I’m not bringing my helmet with me, and my only interaction with a motorcycle will be if I bump into one while darting from sushi joint to ramen house. Airplanes, bullet trains and our own two feet will be our method of travel this time around. It’s a little ironic in a way; me being in the middle of a country that has contributed so much to motorcycling, yet choosing to remove myself from two wheels as much as possible. Sometimes, however, the best way to recharge the batteries is to get away from it all. Luckily, there’s more to me than just motorcycles.

Many years ago, when I was working at another magazine, the company had a big box van we could use to haul tools, equipment, and most importantly, motorcycles. It was a Ford F450 if I remember correctly, with a V-10 engine and its fair share of miles. The driver’s seat had seen better days by this point, and I think the rear diff was starting to leak a little fluid, too. The “attic” portion of the box was where we kept tools, fluids and miscellaneous pieces, and the main cargo area was set up to fit three motorcycles. Straps were neatly arranged at each station, and when it came time to secure my first motorcycle, I discovered a strange phenomena: there are several ways to strap down a bike, and your way is wrong.

I’ll admit, I was one of the many who thought the 2015 MotoGP season would be a fight for second, with the phenom that is Marc Marquez destroying the world’s supply of elbow sliders en route to yet another title. If yesterday’s MotoGP season opener in Qatar was any indication, however, I should have remembered that Sundays are the only days that matter in racing. Here now are my thoughts on the race and the season to come.

While all of us at MO clearly like to wrangle the latest and greatest motorcycles, you might be surprised to learn that a larger percentage of our time is spent in a chair (or standing desk in my case), staring intently at a computer screen, typing away as quickly as our little fingers will go. It’s not glamorous, nor is it nearly as much fun as riding, but hey, the site doesn’t run itself.

For motorcycle road racing enthusiasts, the Isle of Man TT is perhaps the biggest spectacle our sport has to offer. In my opinion, it’s an even bigger spectacle than attending a MotoGP race. The action, drama, speed and aura of the Mountain course is what excites me about the race. And it’s the increased level of danger a natural road course entails that makes it an event I have no interest in participating in. It’s by that same token that I rate the athletes who do tackle the TT as heroes.