Ghost Rider Busa
A fully custom Busa complete with on-board entertainment
By Stephen W Clark
When Ronn Davis first got into motorcycling he bought a cruiser. “I thought I was getting a little too old to be on a "crotch rocket".....ha ha ha....it took maybe 2-3 weeks for me to get sucked right into the sportbike world.” Said Ron. He then bought a Hayabusa, but being a self-proclaimed “poser” it was inevitable that the Busa wouldn’t stay standard for too long. Ronn enrolled the help of Fastlane Cycles and began transforming his stock Hayabusa into something a bit more unique. On the first round of modifications the bike got a 12” stretched swingarm, 300 rear tire, chrome wheels and a ton of chrome and billet goodies. “After a couple of years of doing shows and promotions and lots of compliments, I decided it was time for another change. I had the idea for a theme for a while but couldn't find the right painter. Finally I went to the "World of Wheels" show and met a guy, saw his work and knew he was the guy to do this theme for me.” Said Ronn
Eric Ward and Indy Body Works took on the project of painting the Busa in a Ghost Rider theme. Indy Body Works started by painting the bike Cadillac Pearl White and then the bike was handed over to Eric Ward for airbrushing. Eric painted an incredibly detailed Ghost Rider design on the bike, the design even extends over the windshield and seat. On the seat an elastic clear coat was used to prevent cracking. Ronn was cutting it a little tight but wanted to have the bike ready to show at the Indianapolis MotoGP. “The guys…. pulled out all the stops and made it happen. With literally no time to spare I rolled my bike out on Friday afternoon” said Ronn.
The MotoGP weekend went really well for Ron and he received lots of compliments on the bike. And the icing on the cake for the weekend was getting a picture of the bike in 2 Wheel Tuner magazine. After the MotoGP weekend Ronn had Elite Auto Image add some electronic entertainment to the bike. A Pioneer Advanced Multimedia Navigation System with voice recognition for IPod, Hands free calling, 5.8" WVGA High Resolution touch screen and built in Bluetooth. Three speakers are installed on the bike, two 4” JL’s mounted on the inner fairing by the dash and one 6” midrange speaker mounted in the swingarm. Check out the video (link to video) on Ronn’s page to see all what the electronics on his bike can do. It is pretty amazing.
Unfortunately recently there was a mishap with the bike falling over on a trailer. The damage has since been fixed and the paint scheme was changed slightly. Ronn still has a few small details to finish on the bike and his ultimate goal for the bike is to have it featured in 2 Wheel Tuner. As far as future plans Ronn told us “I do also have a Kawasaki ZX14 that I haven't quite decided what to do with yet. So I'll be working on that later next year.” So stay tuned to Ronn’s profile to see what he comes up with.
A Few More Great Shots You Cannot Miss. . .
Its funny how things don’t always turn out the way you expect them to. I arrived at Glendora Mountain Road (GMR) in Azusa, CA, last Saturday morning with the expectation of writing an inspiring story about bridging the gap between older and younger riders. It had taken me nearly a month to plan a large group ride that would take us to ‘Kodak Point’ near the summit of GMR. I had a vision of the perfect group photo, along with an imagined outcome of motivated youth after receiving instruction from their senior counterparts.
However, law enforcement had a different idea and it was obvious this fairy tale melting pot story was not going to happen like I’d planned. Though our misfortune mirrored a reality show gone awry, the clashing of suppressive events served to be the perfect catalyst for a few good laughs and a united effort against a common gripe: law enforcement.
Morning
We were forewarned. As soon as I arrived to the meet spot with my fiancé and dad, we parked our three bikes and were immediately approached by a motor cop, who had been sitting at a gas station down the street. He pulled his bike up on the sidewalk and told us that the California Highway Patrol (CHP) was going to have strong presence on the mountain this day and they would be writing up violations for anything they could find. The officer was cool about the warning, but of course that didn’t soften the blow, with all the planning that had gone into this ride. Since my fiancé’s bike is basically one giant violation (with there not being a stock part on the thing), he immediately departed, saying “Honey, I love you, but I’m going home.” But don’t blame 
him! I would have done the same thing! Anyway…
Just before we were about to leave the meet spot, we saw an Azusa city patrol officer pull up to the mini mart to get some coffee. In an effort to give ourselves some good karma points, a member of our group, Ivonna (LAPD officer by day, Triumph Speed Triple kitten by weekend) approached him and convinced him to talk to our group about what to expect. The officer was only city police, and could not speak accurately for the CHP, nor could he specify what their exact intentions were, but he assured us if we watched our speed, we would be okay. Unfortunately, this was not the case, making him the scapegoat for our bitching later on. It was joked that while he was giving us his speech, his CHP buddies had ample time to write down our license plates.
As soon our group of about 30 riders rolled out of the driveway, another motor cop eye balled us like he was salivating over a porterhouse steak, shaking his head like he couldn’t believe we were still going to attempt the ride up the mountain. We passed another motor cop a block further down and two additional patrol cars that had a vehicle pulled over. One of the patrol cars pulled away from the curb as our group passed by and the officer began following us. The leader of our group caught up to yet another CHP patrol unit, who must have expected us to continue up Highway 39. Because after we made a right on Sierra Madre instead of continuing straight, the patrol car ahead flipped a U-turn.
We continued on Sierra Madre, riding at the speed limit in hopes the CHP would leave us alone, but more and more patrol cars were parked curbside and additional motor cops and patrols began emerging from side streets like a pack of sharks circling a school of fish. There were at least ten of them, all positioned to go in for the kill when ready.
It was evident there was no escaping them. One by one, they began to cut into our group and turn on their lights, aggressively cutting off other riders while commanding on their p.a. speakers for the slower vehicles to move over so they could catch up to the riders ahead. Though the interruption in traffic and apparent lack of manners was disappointing behavior for the CHP, they still managed to 
pull over about half of our group, several riders at a time. When they were done, they'd written about six fix-it violations to our group members for things like no mirrors, no reflectors, fender eliminator kits, aftermarket exhaust pipes and turn signals. The CHP even pulled over riders whose bikes were completely stock-equipped; but only let those riders go after they were sure there was nothing that could be written up.
It became obvious the CHP was simply trying to discourage riders from heading up the mountain, which made us wonder what happened to cause such a sting. Even after Jim, a.k.a. “Grom” (one of our lead riders) tried to explain to the CHP that we were doing a safe mentor ride, the officer remained unmoved. He gave no ‘keep it safe’ speech, nor 
did he say ‘good job’ on the effort to do the right thing. Grom was pleased, however, that when mentioning OC Moto, the officer had no preconceived notions, as our reputation for being a responsible community had preceded us. Another rider from our group - Jeff, a.k.a. “Snapshot” - said he had never seen anything like it and mentioned he could sense the frustration of the patrol car behind him, when Jeff could not pull over to let him pass. Some believe this was harassment, others just say the CHP was doing th eir job. Either way, we were pist.
We ended up avoiding the mountain all together and headed for another gas station on Lone Hill, where we waited for our demoralized friends to arrive with fres
hly written tickets. Jon, SBC’s own Community Manager, and “Motosikal” (who came in a Hummer with drinks and snacks by the way. Good man!) headed up the mountain in their “chase vehicles” (cages) to check out the scene at Kodak Point. It turns out a crowd was accumulating at the turn out to “wait out the cops.” The majority of them had already received fix-it tickets as well. Three older European gentlemen in full leathers remained optimistic despite the armada of black and whites. “It was amazing. They just considered the fix-it tickets like an admission to ride the mountain,” Jon reported. “They and everyone else were just hanging out up there waiting for the cops to leave. It was like a big party. Even skateboarders were written up.” After hearing about the lack of discrimination the CHP was showing 
everyone (regardless of what type of wheels), it made us feel a little bit better, but not by much.
Lunch time
With our heads hanging low and a common somber air of disappointment looming over our dissipated group, we headed to a café in Azusa to share our common complaints about law enforcement. Many conspiracy theories about the day’s events were tossed around, along with candid emotions about the CHP.
I really wish everyone could have been there to hear the bench racing and the stories of 
video-recorded driver side door smashing, vigilante chases after hit and runs and mobile hand language communication exchanged with motor cops after tense encounters. But I guess you’ll just have to take my word for it when I say that I nearly laughed until I cried.
But jokes aside, this is where I realized that the gap between old school and new school riders had been bridged without any effort on my part. Nikolai Z., an OC Moto member and young rider, received a fix-it ticket for not having the proper reflectors on his bike. “One of the older riders actually defended me when my friend started giving me crap,” he says, “He even bought my lunch. That was really cool.” So cool in fact that he said he’d do 
it all again if given the chance.
Grom and Jeff also shared their advice to the younger riders, now that we were all comfortable in an air conditioned banquet room. “Just be patient,” Jeff urges. Jim added, “Younger riders need to know that they don’t have to be fast today. They have plenty of time to improve. You have to get a rhythm going.”
Both Jeff and Jim, two of our group’s veterans, insisted that slow development is important to making it past the famed three-year mark. “If these younger guys could learn from the more experienced riders,” Jeff says, “They could avoid becoming one of the ‘I had a bike, but I sold it,’ crowd.” Even though the distaste for the morning’s ambush was bitter sweet, Grom still encouraged the younger riders to be patient and respect police. “Hate is useless,” he reminded. “You have to think of it as a learning experience.”
With full bellies and a renewed sense of self-esteem, we decided to give the ride one last try, but as soon as we got up from our chairs, we could see through the window of the café that GMR was literally on fire, a fresh plume of smoke blocking out the mountain with gray. We all went outside to watch the melee as sirens sounded off in the distance and a fire department helicopter dumped fire suppressant from its belly, the red mist draping through the sky like a curtain closing. We looked at each other in disbelief, the rainy clouds quickly forming over our heads again. “This is funny,” Jon said, taking photos of the fire and the helicopters flying overhead. His optimism made me chuckle. “Just wasn’t meant to be 
today,” someone else chimed in; though I was too busy being depressed to notice who said it.
The Ride Home
Our group split up at that point, some of them heading to the base of the mountain to check out the flames from a safe distance, while others headed to the neighboring mountain road, Angeles Crest Highway, which was another half hour or so down the 210 freeway. Some hung out for a bit longer at the café, while dad and I headed home. We were overheated, tired and parched, but thankful to God that whatever else could have happened, didn’t. Even though I felt responsib
le for my friends’ tickets, dad wouldn’t let me beat myself up; reminding me that they still had a good time and that there is always other days, other roads and other rides.
To be continued…
Words by Rachael Westfall
Photos by Jon Nguyen and Motosikal of ocmoto.com
Sportbikeclub member Jaime Snyder (ninjachick19702) has been around motorcycles for most of her life. She grew up on the back of her Dads bike and when she became old enough got her own bike. Jaime has owned this Kawasaki for a couple of years but it was far from custom when she took ownership of it.
“When I got it, it was stock and the fairings were all scratched up” said Jaime. This 2002 ZX-6R has since had a serious makeover. Basically the whole back-end of the bike is from a Hayabusa, with a stretched swingarm and 240 tire kit. There is also air-ride on the rear allowing Jaime to lower the back of the bike when needed. The front is also lowered a few inches.
Pretty much every part on the bike is either chrome or color coded green. The frame, sub-frame, engine cases and swingarm are all coated to match the amazing paint job by Fred Scioli of Killer Kreations. Most of the other parts on the bike are either aftermarket chrome parts or stock parts that have been chromed. Even the plastic parts like the front air scoop and air duct covers have been chromed.
This bike has about every custom part available on it. Flush mount turn signals, faring stay, steering damper, license plate screws, chrome kickstand, the list goes on. Jaime estimates the bike has about $40 k into it and she tells us it isn’t finished yet. It is about to under go another makeover where in addition to the “good” angel on the tank, a “bad” angel will be painted on the windscreen. Jaime says this will create a Good Girl/Bad Girl paint scheme that matches her personality
That isn’t a model pictured with the bike that is the bikes owner Jaime herself. Understandably a beautiful girl who owns and rides an amazing custom bike like this gets no shortage of attention. The bike has been featured in several high profile shows, like the Philadelphia International Auto Show, Clutch Control Show, Philadelphia Custom Bike Show and the Atlantic City Dub Tour show. This isn’t just a show bike though and Jaime rides it quite a bit. “I just ride for fun, usually with guys, I have one girlfriend who rides and the rest are guys. Not many girls in Delaware are into the custom bike scene, so I usually hang with the guys. We ride to the beach or Philly or just around Delaware.” said Jaime.
The Ninja 250 is one of those iconic sportbikes. The original model was launched in 1983, has proven to be a good seller and is in a class of its own with little competition from other manufacturers. In 2008, Kawasaki launched an all-new redesigned Ninja 250, which looks a lot like its bigger Ninja brothers but is much lighter and easier to ride, therefore appealing to new riders.
Mark Tempesta from Breaklites takes great pride in overcoming the impossible. When customer Alicia King was looking for a big rear tire conversion on her '08 Ninja 250, Mark and his team jumped at the opportunity to be one of the first shops to pull off such a modification. "The stock back tire is like a pizza cutter. We wanted something bigger, but not so big that we would need a jackshaft," he said.
Mark worked with the guys at Trac Dynamics to build a longer and wider swingarm that would accept up to a 6"-wide rear wheel. A rear wheel, brake caliper and brake hanger were sourced from a ZX-10. While working on the rear of the bike, Mark also installed a Two Brothers Carbon Fiber muffler. Currently, the bike has a mounted 190 rear tire. Once the bike has some miles on it, Mark plans on switching the tire to a 210.
The main catalyst in getting the project started was that a friend of Alicia's had gotten into an accident with the bike. Instead of using the insurance money to replace the stock bodywork, Alicia took the bike to Breaklites and had them do some customization.
Along with the rear tire and swingarm modification, the damaged bodywork was fixed and painted and the front fairing cowl and the windshield were molded together and lowered. The rear of the bike was cleaned up significantly with a custom fender eliminator kit. Turn signals were removed and replaced with LED light strips on each side. Front turn signals were also replaced with flush mount turn signals to further clean up the bike. To finish of the bodywork, a pink graphics kit was installed by Cutting Edge Graphics (CE). As far as we can tell, this Ninja 250 is the first of its kind with a fat tire conversion. The bike has only been finished for a week or so, but it is already getting great feedback.
At the second annual Boston United Bike and Car Show, the bike took two awards: Best Female Bike and Best Swingarm. Considering the bike had been partially assembled at the show, Alicia was very pleased with the honors.
Mark is looking forward to doing similar modifications on Ninja 250s. He estimates that the price for the swingarm and wheel kit, including labor, will be around $1,750. The finished the bike looks great, and with several highly customized areas, it is subtle and practical.
The owner of this tastefully modified R6 is SGT Ramos, a soldier and motorcycist currently stationed in Ft. Campbell Kentucky. Sergeant Ramos or Short as he is known in the Army has had this bike for a little over a year and in that time has made quite a few modifications to the bike. This bike is a replacement to a previous bike that was totaled.
Ramo’s previous bike came to a sad end when an elder couple failed to yield at an intersection. Ramos t-boned the car and the impact launched him up and over the car leaving him with two broken ribs. While Ramos body faired the accident pretty well his bike did not. The bike his pride and joy was completely destroyed.
The accident didn’t curb Ramo’s appetite for sportbikes and we was soon back on the road again with a 06 Yamaha R6. The R6 chassis has been modified with a LRC six inch extension and 2” Vortex lowering link. The wheels have been chromed and the body work is custom painted black with blue pearl ghost flames. For performance a Power Commander III was added along with a slip-on exhaust from Hotbodies. Other modifications to the bike include, mirror block-offs, tinted headlights and screen, a neon light kit, chrome frame sliders and a chrome spike fairing kit.
Ramos told us that his future plans for the R6 include installing a 240 tire and swingarmkit and a nitrous system. Ramos is the president of a motorcycle club called Mil*Spec Ryderz in Clarksville Tennessee. “The club was formed from mostly all military members who love to ride.
"A never before seen police dash cam video was shown in court today in the trial of an Ottawa Hills police officer accused of shooting and paralyzing a man during a traffic stop.
The video shows Officer Thomas White following Michael McCloskey and his friends on their Harleys. At one point, McCloskey takes off at a high rate of speed. Officer White hits his siren and McCloskey stops his bike.
Officer White ends up shooting McCloskey. Attorneys for White say he believed McCloskey had a gun. However, McCloskey was unarmed and appears docile in the video.
The jury will have to determine if the shooting was justified. White is charged with felonious assault and faces up to 11 years in prison."
http://abclocal.go.com/wtvg/story?section=news/local&id=7433661
"The trial of an Ottawa Hills police officer accused of shooting and paralyzing a motorcyclist during a traffic stop continued today.
Today, the shooting victim, Michael McCloskey, took the stand. He says he didn't realize an officer was behind him right before he was shot. He says he heard someone yell out but couldn't make out what was said. Then he heard the gunshot.
After being shot in the back, "I remember begging for help. I remember having my arms out, so he fired out another round. I remember explaining to him I didn't have a weapon and that he was in the wrong for shooting me."
McCloskey's best friend testified that, after he called 911, Officer White didn't help him pick the bike up off of the victim. "I was telling him to get the bike off me. I was worried it was going to ignite on fire. I could tell it was leaking gasoline. I knew I was paralyzed, and I knew, if the bike was going to light on fire, I was going to burn alive," remembered McCloskey.
Office White never seemed to look at McCloskey as he testified. White's lawyer tried to pick holes in the victim's testimony, but McCloskey claimed he never took his hands from the handlebar and was simply putting the bike in neutral when he was shot. However, he admitted to smoking marijuana and drinking prior that night.
White faces up to 11 years in prison if found guilty."
http://abclocal.go.com/wtvg/story?section=news/local&id=7435861
UPDATES!!!!
TOLEDO, OH -- Ottawa Hills police officer Thomas White is on the stand testifying.
The Ottawa Hills police officer who shot and paralyzed a motorcyclist takes the stand for the first time.
Officer Thomas White told jurors today he thought Michael McCloskey Jr. had a weapon. Officer White says he had met McCloskey once before and the two had a brief conversation.
The officer admitted to the jury he had no reason to start following McCloskey and his friend Aaron Snyder that night. He says as he was following the two, he noticed they were weaving and crossing the center line.
He says he thought something was suspicious so he turned on his dash cam and started to pursue the two men. He also testified that he did not see McCloskey's knife in his boot, but did believe he had a weapon.
White also admitted to the jury he turned off the dash cam video and re-wound it. He said he wanted to review it because he was shocked and wanted to make sure what happened actually happened.
At noon, White was still on the stand. We'll have updates on 13abc Action News beginning at 5.
White says he believed McCloskey had a weapon. He admits to turning off the dash cam to review the video to seen what happened. He said he was shocked and wanted to make sure what happened actually happened.
Why it's important to be conscious of our peers
It seems that lately, as motorcyclists, we’ve become anonymous to each other, especially now that our numbers are growing. With gas prices rising daily and warm summer weather encouraging more riders to swipe the dusty covers off their hibernating motorcycles, we’re taking over the streets like a swarm of bees.
We’re an eclectic bunch, riding all kinds of bikes from old school Honda CB750’s to fresh-off-the-showroom-floor Suzuki GSXR1000 sport bikes to classic Harley cruisers. But one thing that really bothers me about our increased presence on the highways is the lack of communication and etiquette. If you see another rider on the road, do you help them if they’re broke down? Do you let them by if they’re speeding up behind you? Do you wave when you pass by them? Do you thank drivers with a nice gesture when they make room to let you by? The principles or rules some of us try to live by aren’t highlighted in any book or DMV manual. So in case you weren’t aware of the unspoken code passed down through the motorcycling generations, maybe you can learn a thing or two about it here.
When is it okay to wave?
First and foremost, the “wave” is the all inclusive symbol of motorcycling. When we wave to other riders, we’re not just saying hello, we’re acknowledging them as part of the “moto-ing” fraternity. If you receive the wave, you’re being accepted into the community and if you’re giving the wave, you’re reaching out to your fellow motorcyclists, letting them know you’re happy to see them on the road. So it’s only natural that when we pass by other riders and they don’t wave, we feel robbed, maybe even offended, at being ignored. But just FYI, there is a time and place for everything. Here are a couple of examples of when it’s OKAY to wave:
1) Passing by one another on the highway (in opposite directions), at a safe speed (at or around the speed limit). Regardless of what kind of motorcycle the other rider is on, it’s always a good thing to wave. It seems that the cultural lines between cruiser and sport bike riders for example, are clearly still thick and divided. The only way to raise awareness of each other is to acknowledge one another, no matter what type of two wheels we ride.
2) Passing a slower rider on the highway or on the freeway. If you’re getting ready to pass another rider (or driver for that matter) and the rider/driver moves over to let you by, you should wave as a way of saying “Thank you.” Your lack of gratitude could create waves that leave a lasting and sometimes public impression. Take Adam Corolla’s rant about motorcyclists on KROQ, for example. (Please be forewarned Adam uses a lot of foul language.)
On the flip side, there is a time where waving probably isn’t the best idea and can be forgone, like in these situations:
1) Splitting lanes in heavy traffic. Sometimes when we’re focused on getting by vehicles safely (at least in the state of California), the last thing we’re thinking about is greeting other riders.
2) When riding through a corner on a canyon road. We’re looking through the turn, focusing on maintaining a safe line or trying to give a bicyclist room as we go by. In these instances, we might not notice a rider waving at us as they’re approaching from the other direction.
3) When we see a rider on the opposite side of the freeway. By the time we see the other rider’s greeting, they’ve already come and gone. I would say it’s ok to ignore it. But if you do see the rider ahead of time, of course it’s okay to return the gesture.
4) At a bike event, like a Moto GP race. If you’re going to hold your hand out to wave to other motorcyclists on the road, you might as well just duct tape it in place. There are literally thousands of riders at events like these. But if you have strong shoulders and arms, then wave away.
5) In adverse conditions. The key word when it comes to survival as a motorcyclist is safety. If there is any situation on the road where it would be unsafe to take a hand off the handlebar to wave at another rider, the ‘wave dismissal’ should be forgiven.
Now we know about the ‘wave.’ What about manners?
Other than acknowledging each other, it’s imperative we be courteous as well. Its bad enough we have to deal with negligent drivers who don’t pay attention, but to also have to deal with the same behavior from our peers is another frustrating ball game all together. Here is a glimpse into the etiquette followed by most motorcycle riders.
Stopping to help riders in need
I remember one afternoon when we were riding up Mt. Baldy canyon in Azusa, CA. A young guy on a Yamaha R6 had just had a head-on collision with another rider on a Harley. The Harley rider had apparently located a ride and was long gone, no doubt because he had a different cell phone provider than the guy with the R6. But four hours later, the R6 rider was still up there, waiting for someone to help him get his bike back down the mountain. We pulled over, gave him some water, and followed him as he rode his bike to the base of the mountain in limp mode, with the fairing pieces nearly dragging the whole way. We stayed with him and kept him company while he called someone and his friend eventually showed up with a truck and gave him a ride home. Luckily, he wasn’t hurt, but I bet those hours waiting were some of the longest in his life.
I know if you’re commuting on the freeway, it’s difficult to see the rider in time to pull over, but if they appear hurt or the bike appears to be wrecked, it might be a good idea to get off the freeway, turn around and see if they need help. Who knows how long they’ve been sitting there? The same principle should be applied if you see a rider pulled over on a mountain road, highway or anywhere else. I’ve stopped many times to help riders and more often than not, they were okay and waiting for a ride or just making adjustments to something on their bike. But I’d rather have that peace of mind than wonder for the rest of the day if that rider was okay.
Passing other riders
Whether it’s on a mountain road or on the freeway, it’s just good manners when the overtaking rider is polite about passing. Not giving a slower rider time to move over or “buzzing” the slower rider at a high rate of speed without warning is rude and disrespectful. You never know the skill level of the rider you’re passing.
If you pass recklessly, it could scare the slower rider enough to where they might crash or come close to crashing. They may be an experienced rider preferring to ride as safely as possible, within the limits bound by law. They shouldn’t have to be punished with a fly-by for doing so. So please be sure to give them a window to take notice of you in their mirrors if you’re riding faster than them. This also means riding slightly to the left or right of the rider so they can see you.
If they don’t see you, at least move to the next lane to pass. If you can’t, leave ample space between you and the slower rider, and wait until the next gap opens up so both of you can remain safe. Don’t try to squeeze by prematurely, as this could end very badly for both of you.
Ride Your Own Ride
Just as a faster rider coming up in your rear view should be vigilant of giving you space when passing, you should be vigilant of leaving some room for the passing rider. However, it’s understandable if you don’t feel comfortable moving out of the way. It’s pretty easy to tell when a rider is in panic mode as they can barely peel their eyes off the cars ahead of them. Riding in congested metropolitan areas can be overwhelming and the last thing you want to do when in panic mode is take your eyes off the road and be constantly checking your mirrors for faster riders coming up behind you.
If this is the case, when you check your mirrors the first time and notice a rider back there, just continue to focus ahead as usual. You know the faster rider is behind you now, so you don’t need to keep checking on them. If you don’t feel comfortable moving over, just know they’ll eventually get by. The key thing is to be consistent and not to do anything sudden or unexpected until the rider behind you has gone. If you continually check your mirrors on the status of the overtaking rider, this will make your bike unstable, as the constant head bobbing might cause you to meander around in your lane. This makes the situation worse for everyone around you, because now you’re a considered an unpredictable hazard.
It’s okay to focus on what you alone are doing. Ride at your own pace, and within your limits. If possible, check your mirrors occasionally, to be aware of other riders behind you. However, don’t focus on them so much that it is affecting your ability to ride safely. Hopefully, the rider behind you will give you the same courtesy you give them or they’ll realize that by you not moving, you’re not comfortable with an aggressive pass.
This means that reading each other’s movements comes into play. Therefore, we have to be more aware of each other, acknowledge and respect each other, so we can all ride safely, responsibly and vigilantly.
Being Noisy
Some of us try to rev our motors or install loud pipes on our bikes because we think it makes other drivers more aware of us. However, the throbbing decibels pounding through motorists ears only serves to really annoy them and make them more aggressive toward riders. It’s one thing to joyously over-rev at a bike night, another to rev W.F.O. while in neutral at a stop light, especially around other riders who don’t have the sound-proof walls to protect them from your cacophonous howling. Just consider this rule. If it’s enough to make your own ears sore without ear plugs, then tone down the roar.
Conclusion
Life is hard enough as a rider with constant obstacles being thrown at us like traffic, gravel, construction zones, heat, etc. When we see each other, it should be like a breath of fresh air. We should be relieved and comforted to know we’re not alone and there are other riders going through the same thing we are. If we respect each other, we can find comfort in knowing that if anything were to happen, other riders would help us and comfort us if we needed it. That united sense of support and belonging is priceless and one that only motorcyclists can have.
Sidebar:
Sometimes you might see other riders use hand signals in addition to the infamous ‘wave.’ Here is a pretty funny you tube video that gives a break down of the hand and body gestures you might see on the road. Enjoy!
By Rachael Westfall
Photos courtesy of ocmoto.com
hey everyone...its almost time for Daytona 2010 and we are setting up meet and greets with everyone here at SBC....if you plan to attend, holla at John or me....we would love to meet everyone...below is a list of SBC members we know will be in Daytona this year..please add you name if you are going..
Myrtle West Cycle (Jon Martin & Tori)
Airfxgirl(Dee)
Airfxride(Kent)
1Reaper(Lloyd)
Derena Starr
Hardwood(Jay)
730BOYZ
Cleeo23 & Angi(730BOYZ)
jrehmbo(John)
Summerschyna(me)
Custom ZX-14 Busa Killer
Article Courtesy Stephen W. Clark
In a custom sportbike world where the Hayabusa gets a lot of the attention, the Busa’s only true competitor the Kawasaki ZX-14 sometimes gets ignored.”The ZX-14 held an interest for me as it seemed to be overlooked and I thought the bike had great lines and I could make a hell of a bike” said Rocco Macri. After buying a brand new 2009 ZX-14 the project quickly became a challenge for Rocco to build something truly unique.
One of Rocco’s primary objectives for the ZX-14 was to increase its straight-line performance. Turbo-charging is one of the most effective ways of significantly increasing power but Rocco knew that to have long term reliability with a turbo on the bike the engine and transmission would have to be beefed up. As soon as Rocco took delivery of the bike the engine was removed and stripped apart. It was then rebuilt with Carrillo rods, JE pistons and an adjustable CAM sprocket. The transmission was also undercut to prevent the transmission from slipping out of gear under the increased acceleration that the turbo would bring. Once the mechanical upgrades were complete and the engine was back in the bike a Stage 1 Turbo kit from Mr Turbo was installed.
Rocco runs a sportbike shop in New York called Estate Cycles who specializes in big tire conversions, so his own bike had to be wide and low. A +12” swingarm that is wide enough for a 330 tire kit was installed along with a set of RC Component Chrome Rims and Avon tires. The front is lowered an inche and a half with a set of cut Race Tech springs and the rear is lowered with air ride suspension from Arnott.
The valve cover, engine mounts, triple clamps and radiator have all been powder-coated to match the factory paint. Rocco claims every bolt has either been chromed or powder coated. The side grills, mirrors, windscreen, ram air covers and Hot Bodies under-tail have all been painted to match the factory paint. The overall paint scheme is subtle and made up of mostly factory paint but it has the effect of drawing your eye to the chrome on the bike. To finish off the bike Rocco installed a set of chrome brake rotors from Galfer and a set of stainless steel brake lines.
The ZX-14 took Rocco about 10 weeks to build and the finished result is a show quality bike that produces 280 HP (at 12 psi) at the rear wheel. And as Rocco says “believe me when that Turbo kicks you fly!!”.
I find that we really look in to the lives of celebrities as a reflection of our own lives. For instance, we watch television shows based on the houses, lives, hobbies, relationships, etc of celebrities. They're real people with real lives that reflect parts of our own lives - thus making watching them interesting.
Here are a few Celebrity Riders that have been seen or known to ride off-screen. I know I haven't compiled a complete list but these are just a few familiar faces.
In no particular order:
Joaquin Phoenix
Orlando Bloom
Brad Pitt
Angelina Jolie
Keanu Reeves
Leonardo DiCaprio (not a sportbike...but worth mentioning)
Ryan Reynolds (skull cap... but a nice vintage racer)
Ewan Mcgreggor
Jillian Michaels (Biggest Loser)
Matt LeBlanc
Ben Affleck
Courtney Cox (not a sportbike but also worth mentioning)
Alanis Morrisette
Catherine Bell
Hunter S. Thompson (one of my favorite satirical authors and writer of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas)
Clark Gable (Not a sportbike...but it sure was in the time period)
James Dean (of course)
Steve McQueen (The one and only)
Shia Lebouff
Lawrence Fishburne
Antonio Banderas
Bob Dylan
Adrian Brody
Bono
Michael Jordon
Mark Rufalo
Matthew McConaughey
Tom Cruise (duh)
Tori Spelling
Christian Bale
Vanessa Marcil (amazing)
Prince William
Pics from the locals at SVRider.com
By Stephen W. Clark
With the end of the year rapidly approaching we thought it would be fitting to reflect back on some of our favorites and most popular out of the thirty bikes that we have featured this year. There has been no shortage of variety in the bikes that is for sure. From a 1960’s Honda CB160 to a cutting edge 2010 SRT MMX Moto2 race bike and about every other imaginable sportbike in between.
Ronn Davis’s Hayabusa rocketed to the to top of the most viewed list shortly after it was posted making it the most viewed blog on the site. This Busa has it all; it has been completely customized using top grade parts and beautiful craftsmanship. The owner has not only done a fantastic job of building the bike but has gone out of his way to get great photographs taken of the bike and has even created a video to show some of the unseen features of the bike. Busa’s are extremely popular on the site and a bike as beautiful as this one photographed with a beautiful model is a recipe for success.
When Kawasaki launched a revamped version of the Ninja 250 Mark Tempesta from Breaklites wasted no time in creating a custom out of it. The bike was built for a female customer and features some nice modifications that are fitting to this smaller bike. It has a custom stretched swingarm with a wider rear wheel from a ZX-10. The bike was finished off with some body mods and performance parts. The wide rear tire is the perfect size giving the bike a great look that it isn’t too over the top.
Never underestimate the power of controversy on the internet. One thing that really gets people clicking is a good debate, as was the case with this ZX-14. It seems there is Yankee’s Red Sox type rivalry between the two top dog sportbikes and all the Busa fans didn’t take to kindly to our “Busa Killer” headline. Nevertheless this bike is deserving of all the traffic it generated. This bike has all the ingredients of a show bike plus a turbocharger. No matter which side you stand on with the Busa versus ZX-14 debate it is hard to argue that all the trick stuff on this bike isn’t really cool.
A GSX-R 600 that beat liter bikes and Italian Exotica
Every once in a while I get the opportunity to see and ride the bike we feature for Bike of the Week as was the case with this GSXR-600. While on a trip to the UK I met up with the builder Richard Vanags and listened to his incredible story of how the bike came to be. After that I had the opportunity to ride the bike. Totally confused by riding on the left side of the road I followed Richard on a short blast along winding roads in the English countryside. The bike was fast, stiff, tall and begged to be thrashed but unfortunately all I could think about was not crashing and avoiding cars. A crazy but fun experience.
It has been a great year for SportbikeClub and in just over seven months the site has grown incredibly. You guys, the members have embraced the interactive concept of the site and done a fantastic job of sharing stories, pictures and videos. We look forward to another great year in 2010 and can’t wait to see more of your custom sportbikes.
The Nürburgring record holder
A GSX-R 600 that beat liter bikes and Italian Exotica
By Stephen W Clark
Built in the twenties in the German Alps the almost thirteen mile long Nürburgring is widely considered to be one of the most challenging race circuits in the world. Formerly the Nordschleife Section of the Ring was used for racing but these days most of the racing is done on the shorter GP track. Today the Nordschleife or “The Ring” is a one way toll road with only two small sections of speed limits. Because the circuit is so long and challenging it serves as one of the worlds most respected testing grounds for performance cars and bikes.
Stuck in Germany during a magazine test at the Ring with Performance Bikes magazine, Richard Vanags and a few journalists from PB began brainstorming what the ultimate Ring bike would be. The beer flowed and the ideas became wilder and wilder. Richard argued he could build a 600 that would be capable of lapping the Ring quicker than any bike had previously by using only bolt-on modifications. With a crashed 06 GSXR 600 in his garage back in England Richard had a starting point, he just needed to figure out the recipe of parts needed to make this bike really work.
After returning from Germany Richard got on the phone and began discussing the ideas with some knowledgeable contacts. As 
the owner of P3 Unlimited and the UK importer for ISR brakes and a few other high-end aftermarket lines Richard has an impressive Rolodex of industry contacts and a few who are no strangers to the Nürburgring and the challenges of this monster track. After Some planning and Fast Bikes Magazine agreeing to run a series of articles on the bike it was decided the project was a go. Richard wanted to build a bike that could beat the stock time around the ring, one that could beat the time of a GSXR 750 or GSXR 1000. But the ultimate goal was to build a bike capable of breaking the current record of 7:21 that was set on a MV Augusta F4-R 312. No small challenge, especially when starting with what is considered by some to be the least capable of the 2006 600 class bikes.
SUSPENSION
Suspension 
was high on the priority list of things to improve. The Nürburgring is long and bumpy. It is not like a racetrack where you can set-up the suspension specifically for the surface and style of corners. The Ring is like a road that is made up of 181 turns in pretty much every single imaginable configuration. Up hills, downhills, sweepers, hairpins, chicanes it is all there. So the suspension had to be versatile but at the same time very capable and more finally tuned than stock. For this Richard turned to an Italian company called Bitubo, he wanted to try something different and a brand that was available through distributors in the UK. The quality of the Bitubo components seemed to fit the bill and the front fork cartridge kit could be installed without any specialist tools. “It was somewhat of an unknown quantity going with Bitubo but on our first test day on the bike, I knew we were onto something good” said Richard. Bitubo had arranged for the British Superbike Hawk Kawasaki team to come up and help set-up the suspension at Mallory Park. To everyone’s surprise they found that the tires were hardly wearing at all. The test rider started running the bike quicker and quicker but couldn’t get the tires to show any of the typical signs of wear.
WEIGHT
Richard did some calculations on the power to weight ratio on the GSXR600 and compared that to the liter bikes. He then set a target of where the weight should be. The problem was that although the Nürburgring is essentially a closed course the strict German laws still apply to road safety parts on the bikes. To even get onto the Ring the bike had to have a working headlight, mirrors, kickstand, turn-signals, mirrors, license plate and brake light. Pretty much the only part that could be removed from the bike was the passenger seat. So Richard started going through the bike bit by bit and trying to find lighter replacements. The wheels were switched to a set of carbon fiber wheels from BST that when combined with the lighter Bridgestone tires, ISR brake discs and sprockets resulted in a 15 lb weight loss. The stock subframe on the bike was relatively heavy as it is built to be strong enough to support the weight of a passenger. The whole subframe was ditched and replaced with a single monocoque carbon fiber seat unit sourced from Durbahn. This seat unit is a similar to the ones used in MotoGP where the subframe and tail unit is all one piece instead of the stock style that is a metal frame with a plastic shell over the top. The upper and lower fairings were also built in carbon fiber saving even more weight. There is also a ton of trick smaller parts that further reduce the weight of the bike like a carbon fairing stay, billet mirrors, led turnsignals and brake light and carbon rear hugger. The finished bike weighs in at an incredible 335 lbs. That is 110 lbs lighter than stock and 13 lbs lighter than the minimum weight allowed in World Super Sport. Pretty impressive considering the bike is still road legal.
ENGINE
Deciding to go with a 600 to try and beat the record has been a matter of controversy all the way through the project. Many people argued that a liter bike would be a better choice or even a GSXR 750 (essentially the same bike with a slightly b
igger engine). Richard argued from the beginning that the 600 was the best option and still feels that the 600 would lap quicker than a 750 would. Why? RPM’s. A 600 revs about 1500 rpm higher than a 750. So they could gear the bike lower and it would still have the revs to pull to a high top speed. Obviously the 600 wouldn’t have the torque but that didn’t concern him. “All I was concerned with was horsepower, I didn’t even think about torque”. While it sounds counter intuitive at first Richards argument makes sense once he explains. Torque shreds tires and is harder for the rider to control. According to Richard the ideal scenario is for the bike to have just the right amount of torque for the rider to drive out of the corner at max throttle without worrying about the rear spinning up. So Richard set about maximizing the horsepower of the engine using bolt on parts. A number of exhaust systems were tested on the dyno. The majority of the exhaust
s added power but according to tuner most of them were approaching the maximum that they could flow. So if they did further modifications the exhaust would become a limiting factor in the performance. The Ti-Force exhaust added great power and still had room for more flow. Plus it saved 16 lbs of the bike. Any headwork to the engine was out of the question, as that would break the rules of only bolt on parts. So a cam was fitted with the same lift but with a different duration. This came from Kent cams. The headgasket was also modified to give slightly more compression. The throttle bodies were switched for a set of larger bore 750 throttle bodies with the secondary butterflies removed, as the 750 units were slightly bigger getting them to fit into the stock smaller diameter rubbers was a challenge but it did work. A foam air filter from MVR was added and finally a Power Commander and Dyno Jet ignition module. Then the hours of tuning on the dyno began to get everything dialed in. The result was worth it though as the rear wheel horsepower was increased to 120 hp from about 100. Not bad for only bolt-on modifications.
BRAKES
Both the front and rear brakes were replaced on the bike with components from ISR and Goodridge. This was done primarily to reduce weight but also to give better braking feel. The front brakes feature new discs and six piston calipers. There was the option of going to a larger 320mm rotor which would give more braking power but the sacrifice would be slightly more rotating mass. An adjustable rate ISR master cylinder was used so that the rider could dial in the brake feel to his preference. On the first test day of the bike at Mallory Park it became clear that there were some issues with the brakes on the bike. When sourcing the brake parts Richard had under estimated how much quicker the bike would be going. The brakes were getting so hot on the track that the discs were glowing and causing the brake pads to gas-off. This is happens when the pads get so hot they start to breakdown and let of gases, these gases would get trapped betw
een the disc and the pad under heavy breaking. The result was that the bike would brake ok initially but as the brake pressure was applied further the braking would go away and give the rider the sense that the bike was accelerating. After a few off track excursions and closer inspection of the brake discs that were now completely covered in black carbon it became clear what was happening. After testing a few different pad compounds Richard found one that pretty much solved the problem. However in hindsight Richard says if he was doing it again he would go with a 320 mm brake kit. The back brake was totally changed also with a bracket from Durbahn and a tiny ISR caliper that is hidden behind the swingarm. This set-up saves a lot of weight.
THE TEST
Richard had arranged for Andy Carlile to ride the bike at the Ring. Andy is a really fast rider who strangely has little race experience, however he is a control rider at the Ring and is one of the quickest riders around the track. Prior to riding the this 
P3 bike Andy had set a record time of 7:21.8 on an MV Augusta 312. Getting times at the Ring isn’t real easy though as the organizers don’t want you to do it and most of the time you come across traffic. Most times are set on the course starting at bridge near the start and ending at a gantry before the speed limit section at the end. The team set-up timing equipment and also used a video camera mounted to the rider to verify the time. Getting a good run on the track was proving problematic, scheduling was an issue, traffic and some unrecorded runs due to timing equipment failures. Andy went out on the bike late in the day and did a first lap to get warmed up, without tucking in and cruising Andy thought he did about a 8 min lap. The next lap he upped the pace a bit but still wasn’t going flat out. Andy thought this lap was about a 7:45. The third lap Andy went out and highsided the bike sending it sliding into a metal barrier. Game over. Shockingly when they went back through to check the times Andy had been a bit off on his estimates, his first “slow” lap was actually a 7:32 and the second lap a 7:17. The second lap was four seconds 
quicker than the lap Andy had previously set on the $25k MV. They had broken the record on a conservatively ridden lap but unfortunately broken the bike also. Richard knows the bike could have gone quicker but it still broke the record they were going for. Since then the bike has been rebuilt but hasn’t returned to the Ring. It is unfortunate but the full potential of what this bike is capable of in the right hands may never be know. But one thing is for sure. Richard proved his critics wrong and built a 600 using bolt on parts that not only set a faster time than a GSXR-1000 but beat the previously quickest MV Augusta 312. Not bad for a bike with only bolt-on modifications and a 400 cc disadvantage.
More Pictures To Enjoy
kvue.com
Posted on July 5, 2010 at 10:05 PM
Updated yesterday at 10:21 AM
"A recent traffic accident caused by an Austin police officer left one man in critical condition and others wondering if the rules of the road that apply to the rest of us, should apply to emergency personnel as well. The accident that occurred at the intersection of Lamplight Village and Magazine Street put the focus on on-board communication devices in city emergency vehicles.
Dash camera video from May 29 shows APD officer Damon Dunn driving on Magazine Street and approaching Lamplight Village. Police documents show Dunn thought he was idling as he looked at his computer data terminal. Instead Dunn ran the stop sign at Magazine and collided with motorcyclist Louis Olivier.
Police records indicate Dunn was traveling only about 10 miles per hour, but the force of the impact was enough to knock Olivier out of his shoes. The 74-year-old was taken to University Medical Center at Brackenridge in critical condition.
"I do remember seeing a motorcycle in the roadway," said Garry Durante, Olivier's neighbor.
Durante was out running with his dog that Saturday when he witnessed the accident.
"The police had the whole block, a city block of the neighborhood cordoned off," said Durante.
Title 12 of the Austin City Code addresses electronic messaging while driving. Item A reads, "A driver of a motor vehicle may not use a wireless communication device to view, send, or compose an electronic message or engage other application software while operating a motor vehicle."
But just below that, item C reads, "This section does not apply to an operator of an authorized emergency vehicle using a wireless communication device while acting in an official capacity."
"We are really, really tasking our work crews especially our police force, fire, EMS and some of those folks with delivering almost too much data at a time to pay attention," said Durante. "So if we can learn from a minor to a relatively serious incident without a fatal injury then we have an opportunity and in this particular case it is a correctable opportunity and something we need to look at," said Durante.
Olivier remains at University Medical Center at Brackenridge, but he has been upgraded to good condition and could return home soon. Officer Dunn, a 10-year veteran with APD, returned to full duty a few days following the accident."
Here is a google view of the street. There is no stop sign on the motorcyclist's street. There is one on the officer's street.
Sportbikeclub member JSCustoms is backyard bike builder who has aspirations of starting a custom bike shop in the future. Judging from this custom R1 Justin certainly has the talent and know how to create a remarkable bike.
This R1 project started about two and a half years ago when Justin started buying R1 parts on eBay. The major components were pieced together; a salvage title frame, engine, suspension and plastics. The only parts purchased new were the custom parts like the wheels and single sided swingarm from Greggs Customs. The bike has been slightly lowered and the widened with a 240 series rear wheel. To match the look of the single sided swingarm one of the front brake rotors and caliper was removed and the mounts shaved off the forks. There are also several “psycho” LED’s on the bike including a R1 logo in the seat that glows.
The graphics on the bike were done completely with paint done done by Justin himself. The detailed paint scheme took four solid days of masking and spraying. The bodywork paint is accentuated with yellow powdercoating on the frame, subframe and swingarm. One of Justin’s goals for the project was to change every part of the bike and he achieved this by painting, chroming or powder-coating many of the parts. “There are only a few chrome plated parts. I feel that chrome should bring out the bike and not be the main focus.” Said Justin.
Like most projects of this magnitude the build wasn’t all plain sailing. Justin had a set a goal to have the R1 finished in time for Daytona bike week. The bike was in the final stages but an issue arose when it came to registering the bike. Because the parts had been sourced from different bikes and the frame had a salvage title, the department of motor vehicles had to inspect the bike and receive the correct paperwork before they would allow it to be registered for the street. Unfortunately Justin had no paperwork for the engine he had bought online and it wasn’t possible to get the paperwork either. “This was my grand appearance and I had everything done, new Icon helmet and jacket to match, the bike 100% flawless and I couldn't ride it….Needless to say not long after Bike week I got everything together so next year there should not be any issues” said Justin.
By building the bike from parts Justin had the freedom to do whatever he wanted to it and he is really happy with the result. “There isn't much that I don't like about the bike.” But he still has to adjust to the feel of it as it is a lot different from his last bike a GSXR 1000. Justin considers this R1 complete and at this time has no plans for further modifications. “I feel it is complete. More than likely it will be up for sale in maybe a year and I'll start another build” said Justin. Weather it be in the form of a personal bike or customers bike we bet it isn’t long before another custom like this emerges from JSCustoms.
By Stephen W Clark
Motorcycles by their very nature are dangerous but it isn’t common for motorcycles to cause accidents just because the bike is so eye-catching that it has distracted other road users. This is the case with Todd Frasier’s R1 that is covered with one of the most complex and wild paint schemes we have ever seen. Todd tells us that his bike has caused cars to rear-end each other just because the drivers are looking at his R1.
When Todd first thought about getting his R1 painted he wanted to do a paint scheme with a joker on dark knight but the more he thought about it the more he wanted to do something really different. Todd is a big fan of all the Childs Play movies and loves Chucky, so Todd choose to have the character Chucky painted all over the bike. Todd picked Jonathan Arreola to paint the bike and dropped the bike off at the paint shop. The first thing Jonathan did was to
create a digital rendering of the paintwork to get an overall feel for how the artwork would lay out on the bike. Then all the body parts were painted the base black color and mounted together on a parts tree. Then the freehand airbrushing began, the first section to be painted was Chucky on the windshield and upper fairing, then using reference pictures Jonathan painted the bride of Chucky on the side fairings. After the airbrushing was finished the parts were sprayed with several coats of clear and once dry were buffed and polished.
While the paintwork on Todd’s R1 is what draws the most attention there are growing number of other custom parts on the bike. Todd has decided on a chrome look for the metal parts on the bike and is good way through getting all the chrome work done, at the moment there are chrome wheels, levers, rear set, footpegs, oil and brake caps, kickstand and spike frame slider. Next on Todd’s list is to get a stretched swingarm with a 300mm rear tire and he tell us that by the time this bike is done almost everything on the bike will be chrome. On the performance side Todd has added a Two Brothers Exhaust and a K&N filter.
Todd has been riding for about four years now and belongs to the motorcycle club K9 M/C Inc.
As the bike is still in the process of getting finished Todd hasn’t started showing the bike yet but plans to in the near future. When asked what his long-term ambitions for the bike he told us “to someday have my bike on the cover of a big name magazine”.
EXTREME ROADRASH
ONE YEAR HAS PASSED
It’s hard to look in the mirror and think that my scars are already anentire year old. Touching my stomach and rib cage, I can’t imagine looking this way and feeling this pain for the rest of my life. I still feel as if at any moment I will wake up from this terrible dream and be comfortable in my own skin once again. Knowing that it’s real, that there is nothing I can do to change it, I am remindedof my mistakes every minute of everyday. I am also reminded how lucky I am to be alive as I close my eyes and remember why I still feel pain after an entire year of healing. Imagining that if I hadnot survived the accident, I wouldn’t have anything to touch at all, I smile when my fingers run over a thick layer of scar tissue in place of my once soft skin. I know my life has a purpose, and I strive everyday to live up to the task that has been placed at my feet.
THE ACCIDENT
It was a beautiful Sunday morning even through my blurred vision. I was on the back of my friend Shaun’s GSXR 750 and was excited to be on a sport bike, even if it was as a passenger, after a long streak of no riding whatsoever. I had shed my prescription glasses for a pair of sunglasses, my cowboy hat for an oversized helmet, and quickly thrown on a pair of capri jeans, tennis shoes, and a sweatshirt over my bikini. I thought nothing of the fact that I had practically no protection against the asphalt if anything were to happen. I figured that we couldn’t get into a wreck, it simply wouldn’t happen to me. It’s amazing how fast life came at me that day.
Approaching mile marker seven on highway 550, I noticed that I had to start fighting the wind to stay behind Shaun without pulling on him too much. I placed my hands on the gas tank and pushed myself into him as much as possible without crowding him. As we came around to the right and went down the hill, we kept accelerating. I was scared, but thought I could handle the force of the wind as it suddenly picked up much more than in the moments before. I started to slide back on the seat and felt the cool air fill the small space between my chest and Shaun’s back.
I felt a rush of wind hit my face like a brick and our bodies separated in an instant; my visor had come completely open. The force pulled on my face and helmet so hard that it sent my head up and backwards, ripping my entire body off the back seat with it. I remember thinking that if I grabbed Sean’s t-shirt I would pull him down with me, but it was already too late to try and grab a hold of him. I was only in the air for a spilt second, but an eternity of thoughts ran through my mind. I had no idea what excessive speed I was about to hit the ground at or the damage it would do to my body, I just thought about how my life had led to that point. I remembered the basics of surviving a fall from a horse without injury, which I had done a few times in the previous year, and simply let myself go. I knew there was nothing else I could do.
When I hit the ground, it was as if every breath I had ever taken rushed out of me in an instant. I could feel every inch of my body hitting the road; tumbling, sliding and grinding into the unforgiving surface. In my helmet, which seemed so small and yet completely empty, I could hear my whimpers as I fought to breath and my prayer to God as I gave into the asphault. In a matter of seconds, I had come to the conclusion that I was going to die, and I was ok with it. I knew this was far worse than anything I had ever gone through and I was convinced I would not live to see the next day. My eyes were closed as I finished my 522 foot tumble down highway 550. I never lost consciousness, but I remember wishing that I had.
At first I couldn’t feel anything. A few moments passed before anyone was at my side, and I had the chance to try and move myself. Immediately, I could tell that I had lost my left shoe as my toes were burning on the hot road. My right foot felt stiff, completely unmovable, and I thought it was probably broken. I noticed that my knees were uncovered when the little pieces of what I thought were gravel scraped against my skin, only to find out later that they were my actual kneecaps grinding against the pavement below them. My right arm was trapped underneath me and my shoulder felt hot. My left pinky was the most noticeable pain in those first few minutes, a throbbing and stabbing pain, as it bled profusely right in front of my face. I could smell my blood as it pooled beneath me on the road.
By the time the ambulance came and rolled me onto my back, removed my helmet, and called the helicopter, I felt as if I had been cooking on the street for hours. Every nerve ending in my body was on fire; tingling, scorching, and burning. I had not gone into shock, and the adrenaline had worn off almost instantly. Not being able to move was the worst of it. I wanted to pull my arm out from underneath me. I wanted to get off that hot road. I wanted the sun to stop shining so brightly on my naked back. I wanted everything to just go away. But it didn’t. The people who sat on that road with me and came to my rescue saved my life. I wanted to die, but they wouldn’t let me give up, they wouldn’t let me close my eyes and go to sleep.
The helicopter ride was fast. The morphine had kicked in just around the time we landed at the hospital, and the rest is somewhat of a blur. I remember hearing a doctor saying I had lost my entire left breast. I remember another asking me if my family had been called. A third doctor asked if she could take pictures of my wounds for documentation. When it came time to clean off my skin, the doctors decided that a surgical debreedment of the dead tissue was necessary, along with invasive repair to my pinky, right big toe, and left side from hip to armpit. I don’t even remember being put under, and the rest is lost in the six hour surgery that followed.
THE HOSPITAL
I woke up wrapped like a mummy. I was on my back in an air bed, in a room I had never seen. Did I dream that Shaun had come and held my hand? Why were my parents here? I didn’t know what was going on, so I tried to sit up. Then I felt the intense pain on my back, my side, my shins, my feet, my thigh, my hip, my forearms, my wrists, my shoulder, my fingertips, my ribcage, my stomach, and my chest. It all came at me in one large rush, and I knew exactly where I was and remembered what had happened. I spent the next three weeks waking up to the exact same confusion, rush of pain, and realization of my surroundings. My condition never seemed to change for the better, no matter how many times I went through the process of attempting to sleep it off. The worst part about the pain was that it never completely subsided unless I was sleeping, and I had nightmares of the accident every time I slept. I couldn’t escape what had happened to me. On the rare good days, my Dad would brush my hair for hours; it was the only thing that helped me forget what I was going through.
My road rash was so severe that my skin was not going to grow back on its own.I had lost too much surface area for the doctors to simply suture me together and send me home. After the blood loss had been controlled, the skin loss needed to be addressed. I was to receive full thickness skin grafts. Literally, the doctors had only 2 places on my body to harvest healthy skin. My thighs were the only two places that had not received any abrasions. In order to help my open wounds heal, the doctors had to cut off a thick layer of healthy skin from my thighs and place it over my burns, surgically stapling the new skin in place. This was the only way to “fix” me, and I didn’t even have enough skin to graft all of my wounds at once. The doctors had to choose which areas to graft first, and which ones would have to wait.
Wound vac: a slang medical term that will give me goose bumps for the rest of my life. When a patient receives a skin graft, a suction cup is placed over the completed surgery in order to increase blood flow from under the new skin. These devices are called wound vacuums, and they ensure that the burn tissue does not die, but rather joins with the new skin to create a layer of dermis where none would have grown without the graft surgery. It feels like a leech, a constant sucking on the most painful abrasion you’ve had in your entire life. Multiply your worst skinned knee as a kid by 50, add it to 55 percent of your body, and then let someone suck on it with a handheld vacuum for 24 hours a day; only then will you know what it is to experience a wound vacuum on a fresh skin graft. Each graft received a dose of the painful sucking and after three weeks I was free from the noisy machines.
The only thing worse than the wound vacuums were the dressing changes. Even thinking about the pain today makes me sick to my stomach. In the areas the doctors were not able to graft within the first three weeks: my back, chest, rib cage, side, and stomach, they did daily dressing changes to make sure the wounds we being kept clean. My bandages acted as my skin where the graft surgery had not yet taken place. Every time the doctors changed my dressings, it was as if they were ripping off my skin. The oxygen hitting the open burns was enough to make me scream. Cleaning the wounds with water would send me into a rage. It is safe to say I would have rather been lying on that road again than go through a daily dressing change. This lasted the entire two months I spent in the hospital.
Physical therapy, as motivating as it was supposed to be, was just as painful as anyone can imagine. Struggling to sit up in bed, hold myself up without help, and lay back down without hurting the open burns on my back proved itself to be a daunting task. Attempting to stretch my skin, which was tough and thick as leather, once the grafts were slightly healed, made me wince and fear that I would lose all motion in my wrists. I remember getting dizzy just from trying to stand up, blacking out and throwing up from a wheelchair ride down the hall, and crying at night because I couldn’t get up to go to the bathroom on my own. All the abilities I took for granted in my everyday life had come back to haunt me, to teach me a lesson on why I should be thankful for every second I am breathing.
Everyday I would dread the moment the doctors came into my room. Whether they were coming to do a conscious sedation for my daily dressing change, whisk me off to another surgery, or put me through physical therapy, my attitude worsened everyday towards the people who were trying to save my skin. It drove me to act bitter towards the people who cared about me the most; my parents were there every day and I know it must have been difficult for them to put up with me. The pain I went through pushed me into a deep depression, but I refused to be put on medication for anything of that nature. I was taking 20 pills with breakfast and dinner every day, I didn’t need to add to that number. I was asked several times if I wanted to talk to a psychologist about the accident, talk about the nightmares my nurses always reported me having at night, but I denied the willing listener. In short, I made sure I paid for my mistakes dearly, not only physically, but emotionally as well, and everyone around me could see the old Brittany fading away.
After my final skin graft surgery on November 16th, I woke up feeling as if my back had been completely replaced. The noticeable difference between the open wound and the grafted burn was enough to lift my spirits. I was able to lay comfortably for the first time in two months. I knew the time had come for me to get out of thehospital and start the real healing: returning to my normal life. I had to beg my doctors to let me go home. I couldn’t stand the thought of returning to a physical rehabilitation hospital. With fresh donor sites on my left thigh and a throbbing pain worse than most I had felt, I walked down the hall on the fifth floor three days after surgery so I could go home. I cried with relief when they signed my release paperwork.
GOING HOME
I walked slowly into my house for the first time in over two months. The smell alone was enough to make me smile, as Thanksgiving dinner was being prepared for the next day. The warm air, the sound of my dog yelping at my return, the softness of my own bed sheets, and the glow of real sunlight pouring in through the bedroom windows gave me the most comfort I had experienced since the accident, and compared to the hospital, it was heaven. I was not on my own by any means; my Mom had to help me shower and give me my blood thinning shots twice a day in my stomach. Walking from my bedroom to the kitchen made me break a sweat, as my muscles had not been used in two months. I still had open wounds, was using a personal walker built for full body support to move around, and couldn’t even dress myself, but I felt a happiness that seemed almost unfamiliar.
Coming home was the best thing that could have happened to me. The doctors gave me a month before I would be walking without the walker, but I threw it in the back of my closet after the third day. I ditched my bandages after a week and started wearing jeans ten days later. I was determined to feel normal again, or at last appear normal to the unknowing passerby. I began driving after only two weeks out of the hospital and started living my life as if I had never fallen off that motorcycle. My friends and family could see how quickly I was becoming myself again. I truly believe being around such wonderful support helped me heal as quickly as I did.
I was still attending physical therapy, but was improving at speeds that amazed even my own doctors. I was walking up stairs without a second thought and riding the stationary bike with ease. It still hurt to do normal things, even bending my knees to sit in a chair would send pain up my legs, but I learned to ignore it all. I was so used to the way my skin ached, including the itching and burning I would feel every second, that it was as if I never really felt it anymore. My mind had blocked it out and unless I stopped to notice it, the sensitivity and uncomfortable nature of the healing skin grafts wasn’t even in my thoughts.
The morning my hair started to fall out I knew something was wrong. I had been out of the hospital for an entire month but the medication I was taking had just started to leave my system. The combination of chemicals that had kept me alive and comfortable in the hospital was now killing the living cells in my scalp and face. After a week of pulling chunks of my own hair out and watching my eyelashes and eyebrows fall to my cheeks, I felt like a cancer patient taking chemotherapy. I cut my long blonde hair short to try and save as much of it as I could, but it never stopped. You could see through the few thin strands left all the way to my scalp and I even had a couple completely bald spots. I finally had had enough and decided to simply shave my head and get it over with. I cried as the rest of my hair hit the bathroom floor that night.
After everything I had suffered as a direct result of the fall: 55 percent body coverage of third degree burns, severed tendons in my left pinky finger, a severely dislocated right big toe, and a large amount of blood loss; what really slowed the healing process was what I experienced in the hospital. Indirect results of the accident due to a prolonged hospital stay: pneumonia, urinary tract infection, pseudomonas infection, blood infection, a blood clot in my left leg, yeast infections, anemia, 3 blood transfusions with 1 adverse reaction, 8 surgeries, 31 conscious sedations, countless skin debreedments, and undiagnosed PTSD and depression. With these things in mind, the loss of my hair seemed minimal at most. My hair would grow back. I was alive, and thankful for that everyday. I knew that what I had gone through would give me the strength to survive anything else God had planned for me in the future. As long as I could walk, talk, and breathe, I was always happy to be on this earth and would never take the blessings in my life for granted again.
RETURNING TO RIDING
My heart felt heaving knowing something I loved so much had almost cost me my life. I knew the mistakes I had made and the consequences I never wanted to face again. I couldn’t imagine not riding because it was one of my few joys. I knew I would never again ride without my gear. Even on a hot day and a short trip, my helmet would always be on my head and I would make sure it was functioning properly. I was back on a motorcycle as a passenger a few times before I was rid of the fear I felt. Once I was able to go highway speeds, I knew I was ready and able to ride again. I wanted to feel the freedom that comes with being alone on the machine and rolling on the throttle, putting the rest of the world on hold.
I bought my 2006 Yamaha R6s on June 22nd from a local dealer. With help from a very close friend, I was reminded of the basics of riding every morning for a couple of weeks in free lessons that were tailored to my needs as a rider. I was taught the importance of knowing that while on a motorcycle, literally anything can happen at any time. Riding prepared for the worst possibilities will always protect you from injury in even the smallest wreck. I know I never want to feel the way I did in the hospital again, and anything I can do to keep that from happening, I will do every time I get on a bike. I learned some new skills in that first month back on the road, but I also learned some important things about myself as well. I learned how strong I really am, especially after returning to the sport that changed my life after almost claiming it.
THE FINAL OUTCOME
My road rash will take several years to completely heal and will never look or feel normal again. I have conquered the only fear that kept me from riding and I will never put myself in the same position to receive such injuries as I have lived through this past year. I stress the importance of wearing full gear to each and every person I ride with, talk to, or even who happens to read my story. I believe that my experiences are a lesson to every type of rider or passenger. I would never wish the pain I felt and still feel today upon anyone in this world. It is completely avoidable with a few extra layers, and I can’t say it enough: it is undeniably worth it to gear up. Everything I have gone through this past year will not be in vain if my testimony is enough to save someone’s skin
By Stephen W Clark
Member Profile: kreeed1
Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F1aULd2pVto
Sportbikeclub member Ken Reid (Kreeed1 on sportbikeclub) has had a tough history with Hayabusa’s. His first Busa was totaled by a friend who was experimenting with the air-shifter. His second Busa also was involved in an accident when Ken was cut-off by a car on a busy city street in Baltimore. This accident did a lot of damage to the bike and himself. He couldn’t walk for about a month, during this time he thought about the dangers of riding a lot and discussed it with his wife. But Ken just wasn’t ready to get rid of the bike.
After recovering from the accident and getting the bike fixed Ken started riding again but he just didn’t feel comfortable while riding, he was nervous and would get sweaty palms and headaches. So instead of spending the time riding he decided to spend the time in the garage customizing the bike. This amazing Wolverine Busa is the result of four months of late nights working on the bike in the garage.
Ken isn’t a mechanic but learned a lot building this bike. He told us that lot of mistakes were made in the build but luckily none costly or serious. The bike is a 07 Suzuki Hayabusa with an 08 rear end. The rear swingarm is a custom built part that is 10” longer than stock with built in air tanks for the rear air ride suspension. The air ride is adjustable with a Dapincci remote control. Up front the suspension is lowered with a set of Brocks Performance lowering straps.
Originally Ken had planned a different theme for the bike but his twelve year old daughter was quick to point out that his idea wasn’t too cool. She had different ideas and came up with the Wolverine theme for the bike. The guys at Killer Kreations in Philadelphia did a one-off paint job on the bike bringing the Wolverine theme to life. The monochrome paint job with bright red blood extends on to the frame and swingarm.
The bike has a set of custom chrome Recluse wheels from All Things Chrome with a 250 Avon rear tire. There is also a lot of other chrome on the bike like the eagle beak mirrors, nitrous bottle and Brocks Performance Megaphone exhaust. A 30 hp ZEX nitrous kit with a pair of purge nozzles that look like machine guns that shoot nitrous out of slashes on the fairing. Even though it was an air-shifter that was partly responsible for totaling his first Busa he installed another air shifter from MPS on this Busa, we guess that Kreeed1 won’t be letting his friend ride this bike though.
Building this bike has solved Ken’s problem of not riding as much, as he now spends a lot more time showing the bike of at custom shows in the Baltimore area. The ultimate compliment of how good the bike turned out came when a guy at a bike function told him that he had the baddest Busa in Maryland. He started talking about his custom Wolverine themed Hayabusa. Ken listened to the guys story about the bike and the guy finished by showing a picture the bike he described. It was his Wolverine Busa. Ken was gracious enough to not call the guy out right there and then. “After all it’s his lie why not let him tell it” said Ken.
By Stephen W Clark
Photos by: Darryl Cannon www.Killboy.com
Randy Sautner has been riding motorcycles since 1972, his first bike was a Yamaha Mini Enduro. Over the years Randy has owned a few other brands of bikes but for the last 25 years he has owned exclusively Yamaha’s. He is about as die-hard of a Yamaha rider as they come. So when Yamaha announced the new 09 V-Max Randy knew he had to have one.
Randy ordered a V-Max and a few months later it arrived at the local dealer. The dealer allowed Randy to come down and help un-crate and assemble the bike. Helping put the bike together meant a lot to Randy and he says its like the V-Max is part of the family now as he had it from birth.
Randy was instantly impressed with how well made the VMAX was and how powerful it was in stock form. But he knew there was room for improvement and wanted to make some style changes. As big fan of Kenny Roberts and the legendary yellow and black vintage Yamaha race colors Randy decided to have a custom paint job done on the bike. Using House of Kolor paint the painter put down a design using the yellow and black colors but with sections of painted bare metal to give the look as if the paint has peeled of due to the speed of the bike.
The VMAX had ok cornering clearance but for the type of riding Randy wanted to do it needed to be better. Randy loves to ride the twisties and as the photos of Randy dragging a knee he is clearly pretty fast. By removing the stock exhaust and replacing it with a custom Scorpion system a lot of ground clearance was gained. The carbon fiber exhaust is actually designed to fit an 08 GSX-R 1000 and a member on the StarVmax forums designed a custom 4 into 1 headers to fit it. The EXUP is also removed with an FX Tuner eliminator and the headers are wrapped in black heat wrap giving the bike a unique look. Randy tells us that the exhaust sound great with a really mean and nasty note. A set of Monster Air Venturi stacks also from FX tuner were installed along with K&N filters. And to tune the engine to work with all the mods a Power Commander 5 was installed, Randy estimates the power is now up around 200 HP from the original 170 HP.
The bike was completed just in time for the 2009 MotoGP race at Indianapolis and it was displayed in the STAR tent. The bike was very well received by the public. Kenny Roberts one of the big influences behind the bike even stopped by and blessed the bike with his signature. The crew for Yamaha MotoGP rider Jorge Lorenzo also spent some time checking out the bike.
Randy has a small shop called Cruise Missile, his shop does work on bikes for people who want to show their bikes but still ride them. He feels that it is important to improve the performance in any custom and not kill the original design of the bike. At Cruise Missile looks will always follow function in the design process. When not working on bikes Randy can be found carving up the roads of Western North Carolina. “We has some of the best and most scenic roads in the country…and feel of this big bike carving the perfect line and accelerating out the other end is an experience like no other” said Randy.
Sportbikeclub continues to grow with new members joining daily. The majority of members on the site are motorcycle riders just like you and I but there are a few members who are involved in the motorcycle industry. This week’s bike of the week comes from a profile started by a custom bike shop and distributor from Kansas City called Ball Z Motorsports.
This 2008 Suzuki Hayabusa bike was built by Ball Z Motorsports for a local Kansas City customer ("Porter") in the summer of 09. He bought a custom 2006 Hayabusa from Ball Z Motorsports in May and liked it so much that he decided to have Ball Z take his new 08 Hayabusa to the next level.
During initial consultations Porter told Ball Z how he liked his zodiac sign the Aires ram and that he wanted the bike painted in different shades of blue including the stock Suzuki blue. With this information Ball Z teamed up with Fred Sicoli at Killer Kreations. After some bodywork that included molding in the windshield and turn signals Fred airbrushed this amazingly detailed paint design all over the bodywork.
Basically all the metal on this bike is chrome; including the frame, forks and fasteners. Even all the wires and cables on the bike have been covered with chrome sheathing. Any of the remaining stock parts that were left after the aftermarket parts were fitted were sent to Sport Chrome for chrome plating. Ball Z has their own line of billet sportbike accessories so they installed about every part the offered for the 08 Busa on this bike including a couple of prototype parts like the gauge bezel.
A one-off swingarm was built for this bike with enough width for the 330 rear wheel. The wheels and brakes are from RC Components and the bike is lowered with a RIS lowering triple tree and air ride on the rear.
This bike has its share of little tricks that keep interesting at bike nights and shows. A nitrous system with bottle built into the swingarm and for visual effect the dry nitrous purges out of the nose when actuated using a remote control. Also hooked a remote is the air ride system and a light system consisting of leds that light up the Airies ram and strobes.
The detail in this bike is amazing and it took Ball Z about 220 hours to build. The final result is a wild custom Busa that can take the abuse of everyday riding as well as bring home show trophies.
Modification List
See more photos and check out Ball_Z_Motorsports' profile
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