Only Gods Can Ride Like This in the Rain...

I give you Japanese World Superbike rider Ryuichi Kiyonari:

The Dakar Returns!

Screw you, terrorists!

The Dakar Rally -- canceled last year because of terrorist threats against contestants -- returns this year. Yes, they've got a new location/route in South America, but it'll still be the same exhilarating racing action and I, for one, can't wait.

Here's an excellent article on the Technical and Administrative Scrutineering (basically the technical evaluation and sign up process competitors go through before the race gets underway in January) which just took place in Le Havre, France. You get a sneak peak at some of the bikes and lots of insight into the rally preparation process, courtesy of Bikes in the Fast Lane and author Mike Werner.

(Route map courtesy of the Dakar Rally website.)

Iron Butt ... Soft Noodle?

A survey of more than 230 motorcyclists who ride for about three hours every weekend found that almost 70 per cent had problems getting an erection or emptying their bladders.

Original story here.

I'm, uh, looking at my motorcycles in a whole new light. Good thing today, on the dirt bike, I was never actually sitting on the seat!

Trials Riders Continually Amaze Me

And You Thought Stunting was a Recent Phenom...

Check out this video from 1938.

More Marines Die on Motorcycles Than in Iraq

As if I'm not already hassled enough getting on base with my bikes, this CNN article gives them more ammunition to target military (and Civil Service employee) motorcyclists.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/10/30/marine.motorcycles/index.html

"Twenty-five Marines have died in motorcycle crashes since November -- all but one of them involving sport bikes that can reach speeds of well over 100 mph, according to Marine officials. In that same period, 20 Marines have been killed in action in Iraq."

Any idiot can drive any old rattletrap POS automobile on base with no questions asked and certainly nobody worrying about whether the operator has been properly trained to pilot his 3,000 pound Instrument of Death, but before too much longer riding a motorcycle on a military installation will probably require a notarized writ of Congress or something equally absurd. Bad enough I have to wear one of those ridiculous vests and carry a special "I've been trained to dodge stationary traffic cones" card ... what next?

Deer Related Fatalities Doubled in Last 15 Years

October 30, 2008, WASHINGTON (AP). A study by a car insurance-funded highway safety group finds deaths from vehicle crashes with deer and other animals have more than doubled over the last 15 years.

The report by the Highway Loss Data Institute says 223 people died in animal-vehicle crashes last year. That's up from 150 in 2000 and 101 in 1993.

South Dakota had three such traffic deaths last year and 36 over the past 15 years.

Since 1993, Texas had the most deaths from such crashes, with 227, followed by Wisconsin with 123 and Pennsylvania with 112.

Let's all be careful out there!

Source: http://www.ktla.com/landing_national/?Study-finds-more-fatal-deer-vehicle-cras=1&blockID=121236&feedID=23