badwolf.j

Asking $180 shipped within USA. New with tags, complete in original box, with Gaerne sticker. Front and rear elastic inserts on instep area Reflex yellow fluro details Thermoplastic protectors on ankle and shin Gear shift protection pads Double closure system with YKK zipper and Velcro strap Anatomic and removable insole Rubber sole CE Certified motorcycle footwear

Asking $180 shipped within USA. New with tags, complete in original box, with booklet and Forma sticker. Tried on once - they don't fit me quite right. Very interesting design. The front of the boot folds forwards for super easy access. The gaiter is adjustable with two thick elastic bands - the lower one is fixed on one side, while the upper band is totally adjustable or could be removed all together. The pics below speak for themselves - these boots are in new condition. Full-grain leather upper Reinforced ankle protection with PU injected directly underneath the upper Plastic gear pad protection on both left & right Adjustable double velcro closure Rear reflective insert OutDry waterproof / breathable membrane, 3D laminated directly to the upper Padded inner lining Shin and ankle TPU moulded plastic protections Soft polymer padding with memory foam TPU Dual Flex with anti-shock felt midsole Anti-bacterial replaceable footbed with A.P.S. (Air Pump System) and microfiber covering

bbolesaz - That's the part I'm primarily interested in. It makes no sense to be stuck at the back of the line waiting to be rear ended by an inattentive driver when you could filter to the front, placing yourself in a prominent position that is both more visible to other traffic and protected from a rear end collision.

I live in Illinois, but have enjoyed lane splitting / filtering when riding in California and in other countries. I'd like to see the practice become legalized and more broadly accepted across the United States. For those on here that live or ride in Arizona, now is the time to speak up. State Senator David Farnsworth has introduced SB 1007 into the Arizona State Senate. Links: Motorcycle.com article. LegiScan entry on AZ SB 1007. Senator David Farnsworth's Twitter: @DaveFarnsworth_ Senator David Farnsworth's Email: dfarnsworth@azleg.gov I would also suggest contacting your Arizona State Representative to express support for lane filtering to get a head start if / when SB 1007 makes it through the State Senate. You can find your Arizona state legislator here.

Today I found the limits of cornering clearance... at least around left hand turns.

Last week: Swapped springs between the saddle release cable and the high-idle cable. Both work properly now. Installed missing trip odometer reset knob. Much easier to determine when to stop for fuel now. Raided my Aprilia spares and replaced a few missing screws & nylon washers on the side covers. Yesterday: Got stuck in 3rd gear a few miles into my ride to work. Is this the authentic MG experience? Raided the spares for an M6 screw and washer with a dab of Loctite.

footgoose - West / Northwest Chicago 'burbs. Near Schaumburg if that helps - I've run into a remarkable number of people in other parts of the country that know Schaumburg for some reason. #122 isn't here quite yet. Somewhere in transit. Shipping company was late picking it up, missed their 5 day window and their attitude is: Last time I saw it was on Monday July 10th at Seaside Superbikes in Monterey parked next to Mike Martin's R1M.

Footgoose - I too was at the inaugural MotoGP in 2008 when the remnants of Hurricane Ike came tearing through Indy. Parts of the infield became a mud pit, and I really learned to appreciate the benefits of investing in quality rain gear. I rode there on my Futura. Aprilia hosted a free BBQ for owners, and they were shocked at the sheer quantity of Futuras that showed up. When new, they were considered a sales flop. I seem to remember one of them saying "we couldn't give these things away." I remember some goof parked in the Ducati area put a cover on his bike that just turned into a sail which resulted in a Duc domino effect. And didn't the Yamaha display tent in the infield get blown over? About buying yours twice... I wish I could buy back my Ducati 900Sport. I made two mistakes with that bike. I bought it too soon - too much bike for me at that point in my riding career; and then sold it too soon - when I should have just held onto it for a few more years until my skills grew into it. I never was able to track down the guy who bought it from me.

Chaz Davies' epic return and remembering Nicky Hayden. This has been a very emotional time for the motorsports community. As most here are probably aware, America's last MotoGP world champion, Nicky Hayden, died in May of this year after a bicycling accident near Rimini, Italy. He was only 35 years old. Nicky has been dearly missed by everyone involved in the sport. Nearly every fan has a story about meeting Nicky and what a great guy he was. A hard working, dedicated sportsman who achieved his goal of becoming world champion through persistence and unrelenting commitment - a genuinely nice guy who always played fair and appreciated everyone in his life that made achieving his goals possible - whether it be his family, his team, his sponsors, or his loyal fans. Nicky always had time for us - his fans. I'm no exception. I had the pleasure of meeting Nicky twice. Once at our local Dainese Store a few years ago during his stint at Ducati, where he sat down for an intimate long form Q&A session where he was frank, funny, and endearing, I've had an autographed photo of Nicky from that day framed and hanging over my gear closet for years. When I learned of his passing, I was gutted and in shock for days. Even now - two months later - I can barely get through typing this without having to take a break to calm my emotions and gather myself. The outpouring of remembrances and support for the Hayden family from all members of the motorsports community has been amazing. Seeing Nicky's number appearing everywhere from young fledgling racers' MiniMotos to Formula One and NASCAR has been both heartening and heartbreaking. Nicky's funeral was on Memorial Day, Monday, May 29th. Four days later, his brother Roger was racing at Road America. I was there on that rainy Saturday in Wisconsin. I cautiously walked by the Yoshimura Suzuki paddock, glanced in and saw Roger. We had a brief moment of eye contact in which we just exchanged solemn looks. He didn't need to hear yet another fan verbally extend his condolences. I was there to watch Roger circulate Road America alone on what must have been the longest, most heart wrenching lap of the 4 mile coarse - a lap of honor on which Roger carried a flag emblazoned with his brother's number - a flag covered with remembrances of Nicky penned by fans - myself included. I was there to participate in the 69 seconds of silence, surrounded by fans, mechanics, marshals, track personnel, MotoAmerica officials, and team principles. I was there to watch Roger take pole during qualifying that same day. I was there to watch what appeared to be half the field set off from the starting grid wearing a Nicky Hayden replica Arai Corsair. Of course, This weekend at Laguna Seca was the first time World Superbike was back in the United States after Nicky's death. Laguna was such an important track in Nicky's career. 2005 was the first time MotoGP had been back in the United States since 1994. Not only did an American win that day - Nicky absolutely dominated the weekend. For those who have never watched it or would like to relive that epic weekend, MotoGP has put the entire race up for free on their YouTube channel. Please also check out The Doctor, The Tornado, and The Kentucky Kid - the feature length film documenting that weekend was made available for free on MotoGP's website on Memorial Day. Nicky's presence still loomed large at Laguna Seca. So many camp sites flew his number 69 flag. The giant billboard advertising the event prominently featured Nicky in the foreground - obviously printed months in advance - were still up on display. And then there was Chaz. I've been a fan of the 6 foot tall Welshman for a long time. I remember watching him race Aprilias and Kawasakis ten year ago in the AMA when he was number 57. At the previous WorldSBK round in Misano, Italy - Chaz had a crash in race one. It was a simple low-side in which he crashed out of the lead only a few corners from victory on the final lap. But Jonathan Rea - closely following Chaz in the battle for the race victory - had absolutely no where to go, and couldn't avoid running him over, leaving Chaz with a broken back. That was on June 17th. Only three weeks later, on July 8th, Chaz took victory in race 1 at Laguna, still suffering from the pain and discomfort of a broken back - but recovered enough to not only race, but win. I was absolutely elated for Chaz, and on his cool-down lap, he pulled over to pick up a very special flag. Saturday evening, Laguna Seca hosted a Nicky Hayden memorial track walk in which fans were invited to make a voluntary donation to the Nicky Hayden Memorial Fund. I'm at a loss for words to adequately describe what it was like to be on what could be considered hallowed ground of motorsports - twice in one day. First on my new V11, and then on foot, surrounded by hundreds of like-minded fans, circulating cathartically in remembrance of our fallen friend, hero, teammate, sportsman, and gladiator. I generally don't do "selfies," but...

I had to pack extremely light for this trip, which meant no big lenses or bulky cameras. Everything here was shot on my 4 year old mobile phone or my ancient slow-to-focus Panasonic Lumix with 4x zoom and clunky manual controls. So I don't have much in the way of action shots of the pro racers on track. Here is some of what I was able to get from around the circuit. Standing with the marshals at turn 11 Jake Gagne on the run from Rainey curve down to turn 10. The Corkscrew "Holywood" sign Chaz Davies out of the Corkscrew heading down to Rainey curve Overlooking the dry lake A real highlight of my trip - Not only did I ride my new V11 to Laguna Seca - but on Saturday July 8th, I did two parade laps of Laguna Seca. About an hour and a half before we went out on track, participants were required to be checked in and sign a release. Each rider was issued a wrist band and a sticker to place on your bike's windscreen. We were given a short rider briefing with safety instructions (which were all but ignored once we got out on track), and we staged our bikes to enter the circuit at turn 5. During the lunch break in the race schedule, we were released out onto the circuit behind the safety car, heading under the bridge into turn 6, beginning the climb up to the famous corkscrew. Turn 6 Corkscrew Rainey Curve Turn 11 crossing the finish line Andretti Hairpin Turn 4 Everything went fine. I was taking it easy on the V11, but still managed to get up to an indicated 90mph across the start / finish line. I did witness one close call in which the guy on the Aprilia Falco (wearing shorts and a T-shirt) was passed on the inside of the Andretti Hairpin by a two-up couple that nearly made contact. The Incident I was a little hesitant to do this, as I've seen riders take each other out doing lunchtime laps at Road America - but figured what the hell. It's probably a once in a lifetime opportunity for me to take a V11 Tenni around Laguna Seca on my birthday. I may or may not post the full video to YouTube at some point. My riding is crap, and so is the audio - nothing but wind noise. ... more to come ...

One of my favorite things about World SuperBike is the fan interaction and accessibility. As in 2016, Michael Hill hosted this year's Paddock Show. It's a great place to grab a seat in some shade and enjoy interviews with racers and team bosses. The public can participate in Q&A sessions, there are raffles (with some great prizes), and you can keep tabs on everything going on around the circuit with two big monitors - one showing live video from the WorldSBKTV feed, and the other with live timing and scoring from race control. The MotoAmerica riders also participate! MotoAmerica SuperBike riders Toni Elias, Roger Hayden, and Cameron Beaubier MotoAmerica SuperStock 600 and SuperSport riders Jason Aguilar, Garrett Gerloff, JD Beach, and Benny Solis, Jr. World SuperBike riders Chaz Davies, Jonathan Rea, Tom Sykes, and Jake Gagne riding Nicky Hayden's Ten Kate Honda. Johnny Rea nabbed the fastest lap in both Race 1 and Race 2 - earning a pair of Pirelli Best Lap awards. Which leads me to one of my favorite stories of the weekend. A good portion of the front row of seats at the Paddock Show were reserved for a Make A Wish family. A wheelchair-bound kid who happened to be a huge superbike fan was brought up to meet all the top riders, shake hands, and get some photos. Tom Sykes gave him a pair of his gloves, Michael Hill gave him a "1st Place" Pirelli Podium cap, and Johnny gave him his Best Lap trophy immediately after it was presented to him. Afterwards, the kid was also getting a tour of the Kawasaki garage to meet the team and get some up-close time with the ZX-10RR. He was absolutely over the moon and half the Paddock Show tent was filled with choked up and teary-eyed grown men watching this kid meet his heroes. These MiniMoto kids were all over the place too, eager to meet the top-level pro riders that are their literal role models. And you never know who you'll bump into at the Paddock Show! I was waiting for the next program to start, when a thin guy in blue jeans and a fitted white shirt brushes against me. He's flanked by a group of people wearing VIP all access passes. Yeah... it was Ducati CEO Claudio Domenicali, at Laguna Seca this weekend for the unveiling of the 1299R Panigale FE. A few minutes later, I've got a pair of videographers practically in my lap shooting an interview with Claudio just a few feet in front of me. ... more to come ...

The marketplace. Where to go between sessions to meet riders, see new bikes, and spend some money. The Suter MMX500. (Caution - Motorcycle Pornography ahead) At the MV Agusta display. The Brutale 800 America was unveiled at Laguna Seca. The Reparto Corse editions of the F3 and F4 I got to meet MV racer Leon Camier. As a 6'2" (188cm) rider myself (Leon and I are the exact same height and within 2 kg weight of each other), I always cheer for the tall guys - as they seem to be an oddity in modern top-tier motorcycle racing. I also met Dale Schmidtchen (right) with MV Agusta USA - the new American distributor taken over by Australian company Urban Moto Imports. Hopefully MV can get their act together. I got a really good impression from Dale that as the new US distributor, they will help strengthen the US dealer network, increasing support and hopefully instilling confidence in customers. Assuming I could learn to cope with the upright riding position, I can easily see myself on a Turismo Veloce. Ducati unveiled the 1299 Panigale R Final Edition at Laguna Seca ... more to come ...

...at the track... I love motorsports. I've never been a fan of traditional "stick & ball" sports. Total snooze-fest... except for maybe hockey. But heading to the race track in the early morning is a magical experience. Watching the teams begin their day, the sounds and smells of the machinery coming to life, the sense of urgency swelling in the paddock as the beginning of the next session draws nearer, and intensifies over the weekend going from practice, to qualifying, to the race. The diversity of the players involved - from the full factory teams stationed in permanent garages to the independents running what looks like a track day effort deep in the paddock under a pop-up canopy. The hives of activity that are the Pirelli and Dunlop tents as technicians hustle, getting new rubber mounted and ready to be sacrificed to the gods of speed. The best part - the accessibility. Being able to just walk into the middle of it all. Mechanics darting through the paddock, gracefully dodging each other and spectators. At lunch time, you could be in line with FIM officials or sharing a table with a pair of grid girls. You could shake hands with the editor of Motorcyclist Magazine, or see one of your favorite riders having a casual discussion with a living legend of MotoGP, or literally bump into the CEO of Ducati and find yourself in the middle of a media scrum flanked by professional videographers and photographers. Nothing beats a weekend at the track. Getting there. I much prefer entering Laguna Seca from the North off of Reservation Road instead of from the South off of Hwy 68 - where traffic is usually much more congested. The North entrance offers a solitary ride along Fort Ord. The folks at the gate were excited to see me and asking if I spotted any other riders coming in behind me, as I was their first spectator of the day! Top Tip: Placing your ticket in the clear pouch on your tankbag with the barcode visible makes things quick and easy. Seeing the medevac Eurocopter EC135 just inside the gates reinforces that these racers are modern day gladiators, putting their lives on the line for our entertainment. Heading down the steep incline of Perimeter Road - Sunsirse over the dry lake for which the circuit is named. Visible are turns 2 through 5. Always fun seeing what other bikes show up. Hard core SPORT-touring from Ontario to Laguna Seca ... more to come ...