2010 Honda Stateline (vt1300cr) Cruiser on 2040-motos

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Type:Cruiser VIN:JH2SC6605AK000387 Phone:8773801382

Moto blog

A postcard from Moto GP Jerez

If the weather over the Jerez Moto GP weekend was dull then the atmosphere in the press room was the complete opposite.  After the carnage and chaos during the Moto 3 race, the amazing Romano Fenati (in only his second GP) had the Italian journalists celebrating as he crossed the line to win. I smiled as they simultaneously began singing ‘Y Viva Espana’ as if to signify the end of Spanish dominance in the junior GP class.

2012 Honda Gold Wing Tour: Day 1

The Honda Gold Wing is a veritable icon among touring motorcycles, offering an unrivaled blend of two-up luxury conveyance and a level of sporting prowess unheard of from a 900-pound bike. More than 640,000 have been sold since its introduction way back in 1975. The latest generation debuted in 2001, boasting an aluminum-framed chassis and stout and smooth six-cylinder engine that made it king of the long roads.

Schwantz and Mackenzie on the Nurburgring box

A 500GP bike never fails to stop me in my tracks and that’s exactly what happened when I spotted this Schwantz example from the early nineties, proudly displayed on the Arai stand at the recent Motorcyclelive show.  On loan from Crescent Suzuki and accompanied by a rostrum publicity shot from the 1990 German GP at the Nurburgring, I felt the urge to write a few words on that special weekend. I started the year running my own 250 GP team with fairly standard TZ Yamahas but was drafted in as Kevin Schwantz’s team mate after Kevin Magee suffered a serious head injury at the second Grand Prix in Laguna Seca.  With no testing and some major Spanish food poisoning I finished 8th at the next round in Jerez then followed that up with a 5th place in Misano. Next up was the Nurburgring and after qualifying on the second row of the grid, my crew chief Geoff Crust informed me he had a premonition of a race day rostrum finish. He also told me I better make it come true as he was already looking forward to a few post race celebratory refreshments. While I hoped Crusty was the new mystic meg, the truth was I would have been more than happy to buy the beers if I made it to the flag inside the top five. I had an outside chance of catching one major scalp as Wayne Rainey was riding with a nasty hand injury but I suspected adrenalin would see him through the day. I also followed Mick Doohan a fair bit in practice but he was beginning to find his feet on the Rothmans Honda so was going to be another problem.  When the lights went out Schwantz and Rainey went straight to the front I while I hung in behind Doohan and Pier Francesco Chilli, and then it happened. Coming out of the bottom right hand hairpin, Doohan and Chilli simultaneously high sided in one of the most spectacular crashes of the season. I never liked seeing any fellow riders crash but I made the most of this early race gift and rode my 160bhp/115kg RGV hard to the flag, claiming my first podium of the season.  We partied hard (win or lose we always did) that night and I went on to have my best ever season finishing fourth overall in the championship. After the last round in Australia, I finished second to Kevin at Sugo in Japan then won in Malaysia at another international race that KS didn’t attend. I also tested at Eastern Creek for the following season but then was flicked from the team for reasons that still remain a mystery. Hey Ho!