It's not simply another reason to ride your bike. Ride to Work is an organization who's soul purpose is to advocate riding motorcycles for everyday use. To promote the idea that you can and should ride for fun, ride to work and ride instead of drive.
Another good reason to check them out is for their support of issues that effect all of us. Whether it's a lack of parking at work or maybe downtown or maybe restricted use of HOV lanes and toll bridges the Ride to Work folks will help you out.
It's also about getting off the couch and being proactive about motorcycles and motorcyclists. There are a lot of dangers out there when you ride and there are even more in the insurance industry and political arenas. Get involved today!
I've never been a big join-the-club kinda person but I've found the Northstars are different. The club is made up of a variety of interesting riders from all walks of life. Their focus is on sport riding and sport touring. With a minimum of two rides a month they offer a wonderful mixture of rides and events throughout the year.
Take a look at the website and see for yourself. If you are interested in attending a meeting or making a ride email me. I can hook you up!
Having just graduated from Rich's Fun Camp I'm a believer in mini-bike training! Spending the weekend riding a TTR125 in the dirt with Rich is more fun than you can imagine plus it teaches you some valuable real-world skills. Don't take my word for it, go try it and see!
I met Tom Grenon on a dual sport ride up in the Yukon Territory of Canada. He's a heads up rider with that special drive to go further. Yeah, I mean further. Like just past the half-way point in your tank of gas to see if you can get to one of those places no one ever goes. He's got some great stories and pic's of his adventures along with tours that you can join him on.
Helmut Kluckner has been around the bay area for quite some time now. I met him way back when, when he was selling leathers, gloves and boots practically door to door. Now he's got a booming business producing his own leather accessories. Someday I'm going to break down and buy one of his leather suits. They're awesome! But for now I'll console myself with a pair of his Buffalo 365 gloves. Hands down the best glove on the market. Don't believe me? Go check them out for yourself!
Christina Shook is a local photographer and motorcyclist. She is currently working on a book on local riders and their bikes. The website has an interesting gallery with some wonderful photos and info on the riders. Check it out!
I'm a sucker for goodies and gadgets. This is the ultimate website for me! In my 300,000+ miles of riding I've spent probably 90% of those miles wrapped in the comfort and safety of an Aerostich Roadcrafter suit. In fact my friends claim they don't recognize me if I'm not wearing it. But there's more than just suits here. Everything and anything you can think of that's used for riding, repairs, camping, exploring, navigating and more! Go there at your own risk! Your wallet isn't safe here!
The American Motorcyclist Association is the only motorcyclist advocate with the funding and punch to provide legal support nationwide for motorcyclists. Their legislative activists help to prevent discrimination against motorcyclists in many arenas. I highly recommend joining if you care about your right to ride and share the roads with others.
Back in 1998 I went on a tour of the Yukon courtesy of Arctic Motorcycle Tours and Rentals. I had a blast. You can read about it in my Canol Road article. Jamie offers great tours of the Northwest including rides to the Arctic Circle and beyond. You can also just drop in and rent a bike if you choose to have your own adventure. Well worth the visit.
Tales From Over the Edge is a book about the Sunday Morning Ride. I was fortunate enough to provide a couple of stories of my own from my days on the ride. It's a great collection of tidbits from the many years of the ride. Published by BT Bullet of Bullet Press it's a fun book to add to any motorcyclist's collection.
Helge Pederson is one of those amazing individuals who turn their back on corporate living and just hit the road. In this case Helge spent ten years wandering around the world on his BMW exploring far away places and living off the land and by his own wits. The photos are captivating and the story amazing. He now lives in the Pacific Northwest and sponsors tours of his own.
How tough are you? Ever ride 1000 miles in 24 hours? How about 1600 in 36 hours? How about coast to coast and back in under 100 hours? How about all four corners of the US in 11 days? This is one of the toughest associations to join because you really do have to love to ride...a lot!
Horizons Unlimited is a great resource for touring riders. They offer a monthly newsletter with stories and photos from folks all over the world. There are some great links for touring companies and travel sites too!
Almost as addictive as the Aerostich catalog the Whitehorse Press site has an amazing list of books and goodies for and by motorcyclists. I've ordered a number of books from them and am constantly browsing the catalog for more!
I absolutely love my RKA magnetic tankbag. Not to mention the fantastic support I've had from RKA in updating this bag not once but twice in it's lifetime with no extra charge! I recently replaced my tailbag that was cooked in the fire with a new one. Superb quality and highly recommended. Check them out! I insist!
My buddy Patrick Ho has been into bikes for ages. He used to have a shop in old town Richmond and built some killer bikes for some local racers. Now he's out on his own doing even better. Check out his website to see what he's up to. Wanna go fast? How much cash do you have?
Some folks have a special place to hang out and be a pest. This is mine. Located just down the street from work I'm there on practically a daily basis. Doesn't hurt that they stock most everything I need to maintain my fleet. Tires, brakes, fluids, and tons of accessories. Can't beat their prices either! Check them out! Tell them Craig sent ya!
Another one of those websites with way too many cool goodies for sale. I've spent plenty of time browing through all of the RAM mounts, Garmin GPS units and other goodies. My favorite item is the bar mount mapcase. I use it on all of my trips! Well worth a visit if you like to travel with goodies!
Good stuff for dirtbikes! I've converted a couple of Honda XR's to street use with their lighting kits. They work great and are easy to install. Tons of other great goodies too!