Moike in the SJ Mercury...

The San Jose Mercury News (registration required: hit BugMeNot to get
around it) has an article featuring Moike today.

Parenthetically, I'd like to commend Moike for being the epitome of
calm, cool and collected: he represented himself and the motorcycling
community extraordinarily well. If we all conducted ourselves with
that much civility in this newsgroup and in the wider world, we'd have
fewer image problems.

Today's article:

http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/columnists/mr_roadshow/9598362.htm

The backstory:

In the August 28th Merc
(http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/columnists/mr_roadshow/9521922.htm),
Emily LaScola of Saratoga wrote to Mr. Roadshow to nominate someone
for the "Moron of the Month" award, with the following:

"How about a Moron of the Month award? I've got the nominee for
August. One night heading north on Highway 85, I saw a motorcycle with
a sidecar that was a small platform between the cycle and the third
wheel on which someone was lying face down, not eight inches above the
pavement. His legs extended out farther than the rear wheel of the
motorcycle."

Turns out that it was Moike she saw. See today's article for Moike's
rebuttal, and his surgical dismantling of the 'if you people would
only make yourselves more visible, you wouldn't get hurt' canard.

 

Yeah, I saw that and clipped it out! I was pleased to see that Gary
Richards let him talk for the whole column.

 

Alas, she clearly self-nominated. Strong candidate for the final ".. of the
Year" category, too.

....pablo

PS: Whoa, excellent restoration. Looks fun. Where does the waiting line for
a ride start?

 

http://moike.net/hackbux1.JPG

Tres cool! Hey, whatever happened to the 999?

-- Michael

 

Yes. Very clean rig.

Googling around reveals ol' Yamy 650's are a very popular for this
application. I always thought a Suzi GT750 engine (H2O buff) would make a
great hack motor. Gobs o' torque. In fact did see one at Laguna Seca back
in the late 70's, but it was running for shit and did poorly.

As for the visibility thing, I'm sure this rig would be a total hoot on a
nice back road with some good sweepers, but I would spend as little time as
possible on any freeway. It's one thing to be on a motorcycle, but quite
another to be on one that doesn't stand higher than the top of the license
plate on your typical suv. [shudder] I'd be in the right lane only with
two yellow Caltrans bubble gum lights duct taped to my butt.

nb

 

Not,

Didja even read the article?

Do ya ride at all around here?

NEWSFLASH: Cars around here do not see ANY motorcycle.

You MUST ride defensively, and with the attitude that they are
intentionally out to hit you.

Between cellphone, laptop, makeup, kids, hamburgers, radio, Television,
etc. etc. etc. Drivers are MUCH too busy to actually drive. And pay
attention to the driving? are you kidding?

I got lane changed yesterday, on my GINORMOUS silver Honda ST1100 with
hardbags, a bright purple jacket, headlight modulator, and I was following
a CHP with his lights on and flashing. We rode for 5 miles while he was
trying to get a soccer mom to pull over. Another Stupid Useless Vehicle
lanechanged me.

Cars do not see you, no matter what height, width, etc. etc.


--
Assuring you of my best intentions at all times,

Charles Statman
Rocket Scientist/Wonderboy/Women's Legs Shaven

DoD the Un-Numbered One

 

Yeah, I was, more or less. Pull your head out and get a freak tweak.

nb