Milwaukee Moto

This is a short piece I wrote to Iron and Air, a new online motorcycle publication. They are searching for contributors to their site so I threw my name into the hat. These are my feelings about motorcycling and the ride...

The destination is nothing without the ride. The ride blurs the separation of man and machine. The ride does not lie. Cold is cold, rain is rain, wind is wind, and danger is danger. There is no barrier from nature or God's will. The ride reminds you at every intersection how fleeting life is. It reminds you at every stoplight how small you are. The ride tells you everything because it cannot lie. That is why I ride.

I saw this video last week and was amazed. Jorian Ponomareff is a French stunt bike rider and is blowing up the scene right now. His technical riding is on another level and I would say only comparable to Chris Pfeiffer from Germany. Icon, Speed and Strength, or Alpinestars needs to get after this guy QUICK!

It is that time. For those of us less fortunate motorcycle owners to hook up trickle chargers and cover up our bikes for the next 5-6 months. Sadly the first flurries came and went today and I realized there will be no more hooligan fun on the road ways. There will be a few days here and there where the memories of sun and warmth will tease us. We will throw on layers of clothing, jackets, long underwear, and for a brief time before those short days erase the precious light, we will smile beneath our masked faces and full helmets. 

Project tear downs will begin and we will watch videos of our privileged brothers that are blessed with nearly year round seasons. The anticipation of next year's models, coveting of new gear, and plans for when the snow melts will begin. To me there is no off season for motorcyclists, only riding season and waiting. 

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I stopped by the Hogslayer movie premier a few weeks ago to snap a few photos of the event. I had seen the three engined Norton at Rockerbox a few weeks before. I was shocked to see a stripped down drag back with three Norton engines seated inside a stretched frame with a barely noticable fuel tank. There were over 80 bikes lined up in front of the Oriental Theater. The Oriental has a rich history and its central location in Milwaukee's East side was the perfect venue. Here is the trailer for the movie. The documentary profiles TC Christenson and John Gregory, the rider and crew chief team that piloted the Hogslayer. They both pushed the boundaries of technology and innovation and it led them to the title of "The Hogslayer." 

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Last weekend I spent Saturday afternoon in awe of the amount of craftmanship, creativity, and busted knuckles that produced some fantastic custom motorcycles. Every year Milwaukee hosts the Rockerbox, a gathering of cafe racers, brat styles, bobbers, choppers, and WTF bikes from all over the area. The event takes place in the Riverwest neighborhood, home to Fuel Cafe. The cafe is a amazing place to sip on coffee, lattes, or PBR while you eat delicious sandwiches and admire motorcycle photography hanging from their wall. I saw everything from beer can air filters to Lego tail lights.

The "garage built" movement was on full display and the examples of incredible home made motorcycles inspired me. The event showed that with enough determination, grease, and ingenuity anyone can build a unique and personalized motorcycle on a pea sized budget. The friendships, experience, and outcome of building a motorcycle in your garage with a few friends enduring sleepless weekends and slamming countless beers gives you unmatched satisfaction. Here are some photos from the Rockerbox event, I hope you enjoy them!

 Ducati ST4 and Hypermotard at Palermo's

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Last night we stopped by the Iron Horse Hotel for their annual vintage and cafe night to snap photos of old school machines. There were some beautiful old bikes that came out. We saw 40-50 vintage rides that have been returned to their old glory. Ironically, there was no mistaking where the Brit bikes were parked, as they had "marked their territory" with oil stains in parking lot. There was a great turn out and as always the Iron Horse Hotel is beautiful during the summer. They have an amazing great outdoor patio called "The Yard" that is packed on bike nights. Looking forward to heading down there again and stopping out a few other weekly bike night spots.

Next week we will head down to the Palermo's Pizzeria and Cafe for "Pipes and Pizza." The Tuesday night event draws cars and motorcycles including Ferraris, BMWs, and Maseratis. We may also stop by Cafe Lulu in Bayview for their Tuesday night gathering also. In the meantime enjoy the photos!