Independence Day Sierra Ride - Highway 88, Markleeville, Ebbets Pass to Angels Camp
July 5th 2008 was a beautiful early summer day, and a fine time to take a ride up Highway 88, through Markleeville, over Ebbets pass, and down to Bear Valley and beyond.
The weather was perfect if a bit on the warm side as we prepared for departure. Temperature was about 90 degrees Fahrenheit in Pine Grove at about 9:30 AM, and it cooled rapidly as we gained altitude. Smoke from the recent California fires lingered at 2,400 feet elevation. Barely 40 minutes later, we were in cool and mostly clean air, almost completely devoid of the smoke that plagued the lower elevations over the last few weeks. Some haze remained but it didn't seem much worse than on other visits over the years.
Click here to continue...Harley-Davidson buys MV Agusta for $109 Million
Harley Buys MV Agusta
So it looks like it's official - Harley-Davidson announced that they are acquiring MV Agusta.
Click here to continue...In a move to gain access to a broader, growing customer base in Europe and the U.S., motorcycle maker Harley-Davidson Inc. agreed to purchase MV Agusta Group, an Italian motorcycle company, for about $109 million.
Roadcarvin.com motorcycle photo galleries now PicLens enabled!
I've enabled PicLens support on Roadcarvin.com photo galleries. JavaScript-enabled web browsers will use the 'lite' version of PicLens. If you have PicLens installed on your web browser, you can cruise on over to our galleries and enjoy the full PicLens experience!
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California to cagers: Hang up and drive!
The California "hands free" cell phone 'laws' take effect today - cagers aren't allowed to use a cell phone unless the driver is using a hands-free device.
Personally, I don't see this as having a major impact on safety. But it certainly will drive sales of Bluetooth and other wireless devices.
Now, if I want to use my cell phone while riding my sportbike through the twisties, I guess I'll have to upgrade to the latest cell phone technology - my old trusty Nokia isn't Bluetooth-compatible.
Nice to see the California legislature has all that time on their hands.
Harley-Davidson's management looks forward: What are the 'next generation' of buyers looking for?
As the Times Online newspaper points out, Harley-Davidson management thinks that the next generation (post-boomers, that is) is probably looking for something a little less, shall we say, traditional.
Lots of talk about the future here. Lots of conjecture. From the sound of it, Harley Davidson management is looking for new places to sell, and new people to sell to. A new generation of buyers...
Click here to continue...Any changes will not happen quickly enough to compensate for the slide in domestic sales. The group is finding other ways to compete, splitting marketing into two, one concentrating on traditional, more mature Harley customers, as epitomised in last year’s Hollywood movie Wild Hogs, and the other aiming at young men and women riders.