All Hail Our New Robot Overlords!

One of the primary enemies of the motorcyclist is the distracted driver.  Busy destroying bird houses on their cell phones or working off that buzz they got from the bar, car drivers or "cagers" as many of us have come to affectionately call them often forget that they are responsible for this two ton combination of metal, plastic and rubber hurtling down the road at speed.  Unfortunately, despite any amount of legislature, we seem to fall victim to these machines and countless incidents between cars and motorcycles occur year after year.  It often comes down to the fact that drivers have better things to do than to be preoccupied with the mundane ritual of having to remain aware of their surroundings as well as stay within the painted lines.  Unfortunately, asking those who already have the privilege of owning their own personal vehicles to renounce it for the luxury of public transportation or taxi service would probably be fruitless.  For the last few years, Google has been working on a system that would allow an individual to relinquish the responsibilities of operating a motor vehicle while retaining the freedom of having personal access at their convenience. 

Newark Knights' 2015 Bike Blessing

Since 1976, the Newark Knights MC have hosted their Mother's Day bike blessing in front of their club house on Springfield Ave in Newark, NJ.  Riders from near and far come together on this strip of asphalt where cars are detoured and any two (or three) wheeled vehicle is welcomed with open arms.  True to tradition, there was a chaplain making his way around to bless bikes and riders alike.  Although a bit overcast, the weather held out for the day

Fighting For Position: Popping The Cherry

Getting started in racing typically mean going for a race license.  Receiving a club racing license is simply a matter of taking a course at a track day, passing a written test and then participating in a mock race without crashing.  The Champion Cup Series (CCS for short) has made agreements with various trackday organizations to conduct tests and award vouchers which allow riders to purchase licenses.  As I had a bit of history with Absolute Cycle Experience, I opted to take the race licensing course with them.  If ACE schedule doesn't work for you, other organizations like N2 also offer courses in the northeast. The course doesn't actually teach you how to race as it's up to the rider to develop racing techniques. Rather, the focus of the course is to make you aware of what to expect and familiarize you with the rules of racing.  Upon successful completion of the course, you receive a certificate which states you are eligible to purchase a license.  Typically, you would mail the certificate to CCS headquarters in Texas and wait for your license to arrive in the mail, but as I had taken the course one week before the race, I opted to simply purchase my license the day of the race.