The 7th Annual AHRMA Vintage Motorcycle Festival

This past weekend was the most anticipated vintage motorcycle event in the east coast, the 7th Annual AHRMA Vintage Motorcycle Festival. Let the drooling commence.

This is the day my salivary glands go into overdrive looking at the legendary motorcycles of yesteryear. This is also the event where you will find inspiration watching senior citizens (people my age and older) racing vintage motorcycles. You can read some of their stories HERE.

Finally met my friend Danno in person, we've been interacting in several ZX-14 online forums for years. He was in New Jersey Motorsports Park giving a helping hand to #179 Electric Supersports Champion Arthur Kowitz.

I also had the pleasure to meet a 75 year old gentleman who happens to ride his Kawasaki Ninja 1000 all over the country. I could spend days listening to his traveling adventures. Before we parted ways, I told him that when I grow up, I want to be just like him. 

On a different note, recently purchased a Hohem iSteady Pro 3-Axis Handheld Gimbal Stabilizer for my GoPro HERO4 Black, to try to eliminate some of the vibration issues that often occur with GoPro videos. Need to get used to small nuances and subtleties as I'm learning recording video with a gimbal. For a first-time gimbal user, I am very happy with the end results. 

Enjoy the pictures!

[Video motorcycle action starts at 1:47]

Postcards Pics Just For Shits And Giggles

This morning, I was surfing the web looking for ideas to title this blog post, when I ended up in Instagram to this invitation:

"Hello, I am looking to make quick money online. I am selling tons of xxx photos which are waiting to be viewed for your pleasure. If you are interested, message me for more information and the prices xxx."

I am not a prude, and I'm not ashamed to admit it, but that's just not my cup of tea so I exited the website pronto. But I digress.

A while back, a friend suggested to create my own personalized photo postcards from my prints. It makes sense to print some of my images, a lot of my pictures are just sitting on Flickr, waiting to be viewed (for your pleasure). Unless I send a link to my friends, they'll never see them.

Behind The Scenes Photography

It's getting warmer in Philadelphia, but we're getting drenched every weekend. So there is no motivation to ride my motorcycle, at least not yet.

Last night I visited the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Afterwards, I decided to walk a few blocks and try to shoot one of the locations I always have a hard time photographing, the Philadelphia Boathouse Row. Even if my life depended on it, I can't get a decent photograph of this place.

It didn't help that the cloudy overcast makes the sky look dull and gray. But hey, I've got nothing to lose so I might as well take a couple of pictures. Who knows, I might just get lucky.

It seemed as if it was going to rain again, so I hurried setting up my camera underneath the Fairmount Water Works gazebo used for wedding ceremonies.

I was so put off by the lousy weather, that only took 5 or 6 pictures of Boathouse Row, including a couple of behind the scene images. The timing couldn't be more perfect. By the time I packed my camera gear, it started to drizzle and the SEPTA bus arrived.

Another photo shoot, another lousy Boathouse Row picture.

Ricardo Rosello Continua Rogandole Al Presidente Trump

Hace dos meses, nuestro ilustre gobernador despues que se canso de besarle el trasero al racista xenofobico presidente Trump y amenazarlo con darle un puño en la boca, lo acuso de tratar a nuestro pueblo como ciudadanos de segunda clase.

El dia de ayer, nuestro flamante gobernador se desperto con deseos de continuar arrodillado ante su amo y le dijo a la prensa de nuestro pais que lo unico que le pedia a Trump era “empatia” hacia nuestro pueblo.

Como dije hace unos meses atras, este arrodillado continua suplicandole a Trump que “es momento de darle trato igual a Puerto Rico”.

Han pasado mas de 120 años de explotacion hacia nuestra isla, y todavia este vende patria no entiende que los Estados Unidos jamas va tratar a Puerto Rico como nuestro pueblo se merece.

Eso de estar exigiendo reuniones con el presidente y haciendo mas plebiscitos para rogar por la estadidad es una perdida de tiempo. El racista y xenofobico presidente de Estados Unidos lo que ha  hecho es ignorar e insultar por todo este tiempo a nuestro pueblo.

Mientras tanto, nuestro sumiso pueblo con mente de colonizado, el dia de las elecciones continuara dandole el voto a los rojos y a los azules, los dos partidos principales de Puerto Rico que han llevado a la quiebra a nuestra querida isla.

Foto Cortesia de Daryl Cagle.

A Man's Got To Know His Limitations

Do you remember the line from Clint Eastwood's 1973 movie Magnum Force, "a man's got to know his limitations"? A blog I just read, reminded me about my growing physical limitations. People say that being healthy is a process; with my current limitations I have to remember to pace myself.

Living with rheumatoid arthritis I have come to somewhat accept my physical limitations. I'm 63, and yet I don't feel like a senior citizen. In my mind, I’m definitely still a child inside. The reality is that my body is the one that's giving away.

Last night during a random search, I found a 1995 Kawasaki KX-500 on Craigslist not far from me, and for the right price. Most good deals are usually too far. This is a great project to keep me busy in the garage. The problem is that this type of vintage dirt bike does not come with a electric starter, it has to be kick started. Team Green still relies on boot power to get its big motocross bikes running.

Therein lies the problem, for the past three weeks I've been experiencing inflammation and pain on my right ankle, and have to use ankle support. Do you think I am going to try to consider kickstarting a KX-500? As much as I would love to own this bike, I'll have to pass.

So the search continues.

The pictures included in this post were taken 6 years ago at Kawasaki Race of Champions in Raceway Park Motocross, Englishtown, New Jersey.