Dainese D-Store San Francisco
The Dainese presentation at the 2008 Legend of the Motorcycle show was impressive, so I decided to check out their new D-Store in San Francisco.
The store was easy to get to and there was ample parking available -- a pleasant surprise, and most unexpected in San Francisco. The store front resembles an old garage.
After meeting some of the staff I started checking out the store and product line. The store's layout and organization caught my attention right away -- there were tables with products in cages underneath. This provides shoppers a place to put their gear and lay out the items they like, allowing for more relaxed shopping. Overall, I think the store is nicely arranged, and there is adequate room to maneuver around the racks (unlike many motorcycle stores I've visited).
Click here to continue...AMA Test Day at Laguna Seca - June 23rd
Fans are invited to a free Moto Monday, June 23rd at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. Top AMA Superbike riders and teams will conduct important pre-race testing. Yamaha, Suzuki, Kawasaki and Honda factory teams will be testing to find the correct setups for two of the most important AMA rounds in the 2008 season. The AMA racing at the Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix (July 18-20) and the Corona AMA Superbike Finale (September 27-28).
Gates open at 8am and AMA testing is 9am-4:30pm. The first 100 fans will receive a free Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix Souvenir.
- Free Fan Parade Lap (bikes and cars in separate group) - Noon
- AMA Rider Q&A Session in the Pit Row Suites - 12:30pm
- Q&A with motorcycle racing legend Wayne Rainey - 1pm
- Supermoto USA demonstration - 11am and 2pm
- Latest Yamaha sportbike models on display
- Moto Monday-only ticket special - At the track, fans can buy one Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix General Admission ticket and get a free Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix hat and a Sunday grandstand ticket. On the phone, fans get the same ticket deal, minus the hat.
2008 Legend of the Motorcycle
If you want to see the best of the best in legendary vintage cars, the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance is the place to be; for motorcycles it's the Legend of the Motorcycle show held at the Ritz-Carlton in Half Moon Bay, California.
Attendees might be surprised to find this was only the third year of the Legend of the Motorcycle. The event's organizers do a great job, and the invitation-only selection of motorcycles provided endless opportunity for delight and amazement.
There were almost 300 motorcycles on display and the estimated crowd of 6,000 people raised raised thousands of dollars for charity. The weather was cool with some fog, presumably to make the British motorcycles feel at home. The featured marques of MV Agusta and Norton were well represented and MV Agusta factory racers Giacomo Agostini and Phil Read were on hand - creating an opportunity to meet legendary motorcycle racers while taking in the legendary motorcycles.
Sexy Models and AFT Customs' Latest Creation 'ER Hed'
Jim Giuffra, ER HED, and the AFT Models prep for a hot shot
You simply must cruise on over to kbvp.com and check out this photo.
Our good friend Keith Breazeal of kbvp.com (he's the guy who helps us with video production) attended a very special photo shoot the other day.
Buzz on over to his site and check it out. He's adding a gallery with other photos from the shoot (not to mention the older galleries with photos from local events) so keep checking over the next few days, you never know what pleasant surprises you may find.
2008 Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix - Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca
The 2008 Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, July 18th-20th will be here before you know it. Tickets are still available. Don't miss this premier motorcycle racing event featuring MotoGP, AMA Superbike, Supersport and Red Bull U.S. Rookies Cup.
Great News!
The MotoGP Championship contract has been extended for five additional years. Race fans will be able to enjoy this awesome event through at least 2014.
Synthetic oil during engine break-in? Here's what the oil manufacturers say...
I've heard it said that one should not use synthetic oil during break-in, because it can impair proper wear-in of the rings and other moving parts.
Well, my daughter (lucky gal) just bought a new 2007 Pontiac Solstice, and lo and behold, the car comes equipped with synthetic oil from the factory. Corvettes, Vipers, and many others do too!
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So, this must mean that, at least for some new engines, that it's perfectly OK to run synthetic oils from day one. Does this apply to motorcycle engines? Hard to say. I assume that it depends on the manufacturing methods used, but these days, I assume most all automotive engines (including motorcycles, of course) use similar methods and are manufactured to close tolerances and require less rigorous break-ins than did engines made when I was a wee lad. So, the answer is: perhaps.
Enough of my uninformed rambling! What do the oil manufacturers say?