Adding Some Amazon Stuff to the Page Yall

Hey everybody that visits Amazon has a friend. I would like to be that friend. In other words, if you know you are going to search or buy something on Amazon, come to my page first. I would appreciate  the referrals. It helps build page traffic and adds a little money to the site so we can stuff to give away on raffle and random drawings. We really want to get Moto Mania off the ground, so please help us out.

Also, I know many of you ride CBRs and Vintage Honda bikes. Check out the links below to Honda Parts House. They can get you hooked up with everything you need for that project that has been sitting in your garage for too long.

Also find the link for Argo Cycles. If you are looking for some nice bikes coming off salvage title, these guys have bikes galore. Too many to mention. I have spent hours paging through their inventory. Some really nice bike in the 3-5k range as well. Go buy one and tell em we sent ya!

1972 CB 350 Gets a New Home.

I love the classic Japanese bikes. I mean, who doesnt? You dont have to answer that. I know these small bore classics are not for everyone, but they are for me. Here is a "fresh off the truck" photo for you guys and girls. Gather 'round boys and girls, gather 'round. This is the bike that powered the '70s. Dig it!

Cute Little Stuffed Animals. Buy Em or Die!!!!

Great new site by a great artist.  Buy something cool for your girlfriend you motorcycle obsessed pig. Maybe she won't complain so much about how you smell of gasoline, beer, sweat, and cigars if you send her a little gift from this great website. Sabrina is a very hip artist. BUY SOMETHING.

Link to cool dollsBuy my girl something cool. Click Here

John's Got Bikes for Sale

My good buddy John has a couple of really nice Harleys for sale. John is very meticulous with bike care. You would not find nicer machines on a showroom floor. Email us a pacemakerman@hotmail.com and I can get you in touch with John.

Now Matter How Many You Ride

Are bikes like good beer? No matter how many you have tasted, your always down to try something new. I think that they may be.
I had the opportunity to take a new KTM through its paces. Im not usually a Motard kind of guy, but this bike looks and rides amazing. As I tooled around some local back streets, it dawnned on me that I love all kinds of bikes. Maybe not all of them are my style but all of them are motorcycles, and for me, thats enough.
Get out this weekend to your local shops and check out some new or used bikes. Different bikes than what you have typically been drawn to. Im not saying its time to buy a different bike. Im suggesting that there is a lot of cool iron out there to be admired.
Ride your bike out to a bike night or rally or race and check out variety. You find yourself enjoying a type of beer you have never had with a new friend you just met, admiring a bike that you new nothing about. Sounds like a good way to spend a Saturday to me.

The Joy of Hearing it Run.

Many of you know that I have been getting a vintage MXer ready for the Fall season. Struggling to get it ready is a more accurate description. It is a Yamaha MX125 from 1975. It qualifies for the sportsman class with a petition because it is the same bike that Yamaha made in 1974 with only a graphics change.
Not really a highly prized vintage project but it fell into my lap at the right time at the right price.
I have been working on it on and off, ordering parts and generally dragging my butt to finish it up.
A couple of nights ago I just pushed myself to get a few final parts on and forced myself to stay in the garage until the project was at a point where I could try to start it up.
After a couple of attempts at kick starting it and a few thousand yards trying to push start her, a few trouble shoots, a few swear words, a few busted knuckles, a few bruised shin bones, a couple of sweat soaked t-shirts and a thrown screwdriver, she started! And she sounded good!
There was fuel pouring out of a carb that clearly is not worked out, but it was running. God, the joy of hearing a bike start! It lives!

Ride Em, Don't Hide Em

"Just look at that sustain" Nigel, Spinal Tap.
That scene always comes to mind when I am in my garage admiring one of my bikes. Its fullfilling just to look at bike. How can that be? Well, like Nigel and his guitars, I simply love motorcycles.
However, I don't want to become what Nigel was in that hilarious scene. I do not want to get to the point where my bikes are so precious that I can't take them out to ride. Granted, I do not have any classic, mint bikes. Still, If I do get a 1958 Bonneville or a mint Tiger Cub, I hope that I have the soul and the stones to hit the drag with it.
If motorcycles have spirits (we all know they do), I believe that spirit cries to be on the open rode, or on the sandy loam, or on the steamy asphalt.
The beauty of a bike can never be fullfilled in the garage. I saw a classified ad or maybe it was an article about a 1974 YZ 360 that a guy owned that had never been started! That does not impress me at all. At least not in a positive way. It is a sad story to be sure. Like a quarter horse that was never saddled or a Les Paul that never had strings put on it. It does not make the piece more precious. To me, it makes the piece pathetic in a way.
To bring the spirit of the machines to their fullest potential, we must ride our bikes. There is a dude in my neighborhood that has a sweet Interceptor. Like a real Tom Cruise replica. It oozes Top Gun. Perfect shape. The thing that makes the bike so damn cool though, is the fact that the dude RIDES IT. He goes full tilt. Jeans, black boots, pilot shades, white T-shirt, its awesome.
So go buy a pudding bowl helmet if you have an old BSA and take that beauty out for a spin. Not just today, but as many days as you can.
Nobody will ever lay on their death bed and say, "Gee, I wish I would have ridden less".

Thoughts from The Saddle

Ok, I get it. I understand why you like the bike that you ride. Maybe you are way into the saddle bags and the tassels. Perhaps you are stuck on the stupid amount of horse power your stretched drag bike generates. Maybe you can't get over the fact that you ride a restored beater that cost you what three modern sport bikes cost. Yeah, you are so into all of this that you think anybody that rides anything else is completely lost and missing it. That's fine. I would be the last person in the world to try to win you over to one style of bike or another. All I am asking is that you not hate.
Last weekend I rode a total of about 10 hours. Over that time period, I can't remember how many riders I saw not chunkin' a deuce to another rider that wasn't riding the same style bike.
Really guys? That is so stupid. It makes you look like a total ass. If someone shouts out to you, shout back please. This isn't about what bike you ride or how cool you think you look in your black vest with your pit hair hanging out. This about being a community of motorcycle riders that respect each other and look out for one another on the road.
I'm not saying I want to get an invitation to your backyard BBQ and wet t-shirt contest (I would totally be there though if you did). I'm just saying that when the helmets are on (or not,in your case) and the engines are revving, lets show some mutual respect.
Let's show the dudes locked in their mini-vans that we have something special. We have our bikes and THAT, somehow, makes us a family.

what do i do?

I want to step it up...buuuuttt im not sure what bike or size. right now im leaning towards a cbr 1000rr. I read last night that those bikes have a nice electric steering dampener. i like the overall look and style of the cbr's. i havent completly ruled out the yamaha. which way should i go ..which way should i go?

todd

Friday All You Good People! Time to Ride?

I like to think that the weekend is the time to ride. Just like every other day of the week. Every day is the day to ride. Like I have been trying to tell others, motorcycles can be a hobby, but for most of us, its a way of life. Not that we dont drive our cars or trucks to work. Its that we are almost always thinking of our bikes and when we might get a chance to ride.
So for all you boys and girls that save your riding for the weekend, I'm glad your time has come again. Go enjoy that open road. Oh, and...always...always...always watch out for the other guy.

Late Night Blood Shot Eyes Stupid Addictive Moto Game

The boys over at helmethairblog got me hooked on this crazy game. It MiniMoto GP and you can race for hours. Some of the tracks are sick! Cool S turn sections with oil slicks! I love it! Log on and race! Try this link. Come back and see us soon.

http://www.flashracingonline.com/online-game/moto/mini-moto.html

2002 Triumph TT 600 Review

I bought an older Triumph from a dude up near Killeen, Texas. Nice guy that also owned a CBR 600. I did a little homework before I made him an offer and learned some things about this little know line of Triumph sport bikes. Some good, some bad. I bought the bike because it had been well cared for and also because I just love Triumphs. Here is my post purchase review.
The real interesting thing about this line of bikes is that it was the first attempt of ANY manufacture to put fuel injection on a 600cc bike. These bikes are in-line fours by the way. The idea is a great one but this attempt by Triumph falls a little short. As other reviews have noted, there is a big flat spot from 3500-4500rpms. However, after that, the bike really rolls on nicely and if you are kicking the bike in the ass, you don't really notice at all. The problem is a bit more obvious coming out of slow turns, but still not a big issue to me. The truth is, unless you are in the top 5% of club racers in the world, you will never see the max performance of any 600cc or larger sport bike. So, this little Triumph delivers just fine when it comes to power.
The TT 600 has not disappointed me in the turn either. She does not have inverted forks and the front end seems a little stiff to me. I must concede that I am a heavier rider and I have not had the suspension set up yet. That may make all the difference. The shock feels very nice indeed. Nice damping when the power comes on and the spring compresses nicely powering out of turns. Good grip and steady power to the ground.
The ergonomics are fantastic for a smaller displacement sport unit. I have ridden CBR 600s, ZX10, Ducati 999, 955i Daytonas and a ZX14. The TT falls more towards the bigger bike feel. Not near as forward as a Ducati 999 but not as stretched as a 14. Nice upright position for a sport bike which allows for long rides with relative comfort.
One thing I have noticed is a little bit of vibration fatigue on my hands after about an hour or so. Mainly on the braking hand. Maybe its just me.
The bike looks great and the Triumph badge always gets looks and questions. Mine is silver and blue with a black seat. She looks really great in the sunlight and is a great addition to my garage. I picked it up with 12k miles and paid $2600. It insurance rate is less than my Triumph Bonneville.
I would say that this is a fine machine for brit bike fans that want a sporty ride in the 600cc class. You can find them cheap and in good shape. If you are ok with the flat spot in the power band, you will love this little bike.

Good Motorcycle Blogs Like Ours

www.helmethairblog.com
Is another great lifestyle blog for motorcycle riders and the people who love them. Check in with those fellows over there for bike reviews, safety tips, stories, news and humor. Good stuff.

The Stoke of Getting Stoked

You never know when it might hit you. That beautiful feeling of "The Stoke". Is it "getting stoked"? The verb or is it the noun? To me is is both. The verb leads me to the noun. Actions lead me to the state of being.
Maybe its looking at bike pics on the internet or hearing the whine of a bike on a nearby expressway. Sometimes it is seeing the Triumph jacket my wife bought me for Christmas hanging in my closet. Heck, maybe even seeing a cover of VMX magagzine or one of my helmets on the garage work bench. It starts the process of getting stoked.
Before too long, the jacket is on, the gloves and helmet are on, the bike is rumbling and your rolling down the driveway.
Now the verb becomes the noun. You are STOKED. The state of being. The joy of riding. The joy of being on a bike. The joy of being seen on a bike. The good life. Being Stoked.

Not Ready for what?

I will always remember the day I talked to Jonathan about the possibility of racing at Highlands Motocross Park for the first time. I made the sad excuse of not being ready to race, to which Jonathan simply replied, "Not ready for what?" LOL. I paused and said, "hmmmm ,ok......I'm not sure". It was simply a question that I couldn't figure out the answer to. I went to that race and had a blast. I hurt my shoulder really bad on a practice lap (which is totally gay). Still, when it was over I had a motocross race under my belt. Years later I gave up the dirt and started beatin' up the streets! Once again Jonathan got me started off right and helped me with an Honda CBR 600. Without him I wouldn't have wheels under me. Ok well I got to run ..Nathan wants to go outside. Later folks.

The Beauty of the Internet

It was the internet that caused the whole thing to begin with. Had it not been for the easy access to thousands of "for sale" ads, I would have never found the 1975 Yamaha MX125 that currently graces my garage. Yes, in its various pieces, all over the bench and garage floor. Why would someone want this you ask? Well, it was there. It was there and it was for sale. I almost had to buy it. I mean, you hardly ever see these things anyway, much less for sale and salvageable. Blame Al Gore or thank him, whichever you choose. My point is that the internet is a beautiful thing when you are looking for a bike or for parts to a bike or reasons why your bike is not running.
Take the MX125 for example. I found parts right away. More parts than I needed. I searched "1975 Yamaha MX125" and boom, dealers, parts, pipes, shocks, pictures, manuals. Bingo baby! I even found a dude that would build me a performance pipe for the bike. What? Trick parts? Bitchin'! Enter the next problem. That damn pipe does not fit. What in the heck? Again, turn to the internet.
Turns out, the new cylinder head and piston I bought for the bike also fit the 1975 YZ125s. However...and this is after pouring over picture after picture of both YZ and MX bikes...the pipe on YZ bikes route to the left while MX pipes route to the right. That is just enough of a difference that my tricked out pipe does not quite fit the YZ/MX cylinder head. Thanks Al Gore! I would have never figured that out.
Imagine how many stops you would have to make at local bike shops before you figured that one out?
So, I jump back on the internet and find a dude right here in my town that can cut the pipe and shape it to fit. It took all of 3 minutes to find him. Cool right?
Very cool. Just like these sweet backgrounds for my number plates from Vintage Iron.
Oh man, and some vintage jerseys and a Jofa? What? A Jofa?! Sweet! Look at those new bars too, and Works shocks, and......Damn you Al Gore!

First Post for Expanded Blog Page

Moto Mania is more than a passing interest of frame of mind. It is a state of being. An infection of sorts. As the profile of this site mentions, it started for me when the garage door of my childhood buddy, Pete Mahoney, raised to reveal an orange tanked Indian mini bike and a silver and red Honda XR75. I was sick. I was stunned. I was infected. The memory of standing in his driveway and watching him and his sister ride laps around his yard is still vivid and vibrant.
It took me many years after that fateful day to get a bike of my own. I started with a rolling basket case of a Honda SL100. I'm not sure what modifications my brother and his buddy made to that bike, but it would drain a battery in minutes. It wasn't long before that machine was retired to a spot in my dad's shack. It was replaced with a drool producing 1976 Suzuki RM100. Sweet. Metal tank, low pipe, 2 stroke beast. I remember doing the pre-mix in one of my mother's Mason jars because it had small quantity measurements on the side of it. This was a total necessity because the only gas I could get was the small amounts I could steal from my dad's mower or edger. I don't recall him ever asking me if I knew why his mower was always empty. I suppose he just figured it out. I rode the shit out of that bike. After school I was no longer a Tom Browne middle school student. I was Roger DeCoster or Bob Hannah or Broc Glover or Marty Smith or any other Sunday afternoon hero. That's how we did it back then. We scratched up whatever we could to put two wheels under our dreams.
What next? A 1981 Yamaha YZ125. Off the showroom floor. I paid for it by working day labor on my dad's construction sites one summer. That was the first bike I ever raced and I raced the wheels off of it.
Then came more YZs of various years, then the Kawasaki years, then another YZ. I borrowed and traded to keep my habit alive. What a life.
Now I love the Triumphs and the Ducatis and the vintage Japanese machines. Really, I love them all. I bet you do too. That's why your here.
I'm glad you stopped in today to check us out. Come back soon and often. We will always have alot to talk about. Bring a friend next time. The cold beer is on the house.