2008 Yamaha V-star-110 Jet Black Metallic, 2,725 Mi, Luggage Rack,passenger Back on 2040-motos

Moto blog

Catalina Island (California) Grand Prix Slated for 2010 Return [video]

The Catalina Grand Prix was last run in 1958 on Santa Catalina Island, an island community situated approximately 22 miles south-southwest of greater Los Angeles. Efforts by the AMA, AMA District 37, Big6 (a smaller collection of clubs within the D-37 region) and promotional company My Cuz Vinnie Promotions LLC, have secured December 3-5, 2010 as dates for the event, with a 100-mile professional race held on the 5th. In 2008 vintage motorcycles were displayed on Crescent Ave.

I can die happy!

As an eighteen year old Kenny Roberts was my bike racing God.  I loved Barry Sheene but as a Yamaha FS1E rider I always wanted the little American to win simply because his bike resembled mine.  The coverage of Grand Prix in the late seventies was sketchy but I clearly remember watching the epic Sheene/Roberts battle unfold at the Silverstone GP on my council estate telly.  The Dutchman, Wil Hartog was hanging in there for a while but as the laps unfolded it became a two way battle with Sheene looking favourite to win.  Sheene lost the most time as the pair lapped a certain George Fogarty so my hero Roberts eventually won by just three hundredths of a second.  I’m not sure what happened next but being a Sunday we would no doubt be skidding around later in the day at the Pines chippie pretending to be Roberts and Sheene.  Fast forward thirty four years and a boyhood fantasy came true as I headed out on Chris Wilson’s 1980 Roberts machine for the Barry Sheene tribute laps at last weekend’s Moto GP.  It crackled into life instantly and felt as sharp as any of the more modern 500s I used to race.  The temperature gauge had a maximum marker on 60 degrees so to begin with I was nervous as it didn’t move but being a hot day (although still keeping my hand on the clutch) I convinced myself it wasn’t working.    The bike felt tiny, not helped by the fact I only just squeezed into my 1989 Marlboro Yamaha leathers.  It still felt rapid though as I played out the 1979 classic in my head while getting tucked in down the Hanger straight.  Steve Parrish was also out there on one of Barry’s 500cc Heron Suzukis so we did our best to copy the famous last lap at Woodcote Corner where Sheene came so close to winning his home GP. As a lad I would have said the chances of me riding round Silverstone on a GP winning Kenny Roberts machine were zero, but in the words of Gabrielle, dreams can come true!

Americade Begins Tomorrow, Saturday June 1st

The “World’s Largest Touring Rally,” Americade, begins tomorrow, June 1. For the first time ever, the event will be a week-long event filled with guided rides, parties, events, giveaways, and so much more. Centered in and around Lake George Village in upstate New York, Americade takes full advantage of being on the doorstep of the Adirondacks, providing gorgeous mountain vistas and plenty of activities on and off the bike.