Catman

Z Custom Testimonials: Mitch Boehm, Motorcyclist Magazine This article appears courtesy of Motorcyclist Magazine It's new bike time again and while I'm psyched about the new-for-2002 models (see "New Bikes 2002" on page 33), I've gotta admit it's cowhide that's really got my attention. (Motojournalists are to new leather goodies as junkies are to dope, and I'm no different!) See, I've finally retired my trusty black-and-gray Vanson race suit, a suit I've had since late '93, and one that's followed me through eight years of track tests, photo shoots, and AHRMA (American Historic Racing Motorcycle Association) race meetings. It's also a suit that, according to certain staffers who'll go unnamed but whose initials are M.C. and J.N., has appeared for far too many years in the pages of this magazine. I'm not really sure what the fuss is all about. I love that suit, mostly because it fits my strangely shaped body and isn't skin tight and/or weirdly colored. I've also not crashed in it, a nearly miraculous fact given all the track miles it's seen. I've become almost superstitious about wearing it-as if I simply can't crash with it on. Plus, like all Vanson gear, it's built tough enough to survive an Iraqi battlefield, circa '91. Despite all that, I finally heeded the vulgar catcalls and dramatic nose-pinching that accompanied every public display of those well-worn Vansons and took the folks at Z Custom (714/890-5721; www.zcustom.com) up on their offer to build me a brand-new custom suit. Z Custom's Debbie measured me in the company's Huntington Beach, California, office, where we spent a half-hour choosing a design and colors, and roughly two-weeks later I found myself back there trying it on. Standing before the mirror in the showroom to see how successfully the suit's hourglass stripes hid my substantial girth (not as much as I'd hoped), I realized I'd forgotten how cool it was to step into a new set of custom leathers for the very first time…the clean lining, the smell of the hide itself, the perfection of the lettering and, hopefully, the perfect fit. The whole experience had me flashing back to my very first set of "leathers": a pair of Wheels of Man (remember them?!) vinyl MX pants I used in '75 on my XR75-my first, full year of motocross. Things improved the following year with a pair of buttery-soft Pierre Karsmakers-replica customs Bates pants; I can still remember their smell when I opened the Bates box Christmas morning. Real street leathers didn't come until '84-a secondhand Bates suit purchased originally by a budget-conscious club racer. They were linerless, which put the rough side of the hide right against my skin-so removing them after a race at Willow Springs on a 100-degree-Fahrenheit day took some doing. (Today it's called exfoliation.) They were stinky, sweat-stained, ill-fitting, and, without a liner, would've been extremely tough on my epidermis had I fallen off in them, but I loved 'em anyway. Actually, the incentive to get a new suit went above and beyond bad odors and worn, faded hides or the constant taunting that went with them. The Z Custom suit, like most of the top-shelf leathers coming from today's established makers, is both highly protective (even more so than the bulletproof Vanson suit it replaces) and superbly detailed, offering such features as venting, stretch sections in key areas for ease of movement, improved armor, a built-in back protector, etc. So the catcalls and the nose-pinching have stopped. But that doesn't mean I'll be tossing those crusty old Vansons. I figure I'll pull 'em out on wet race days. Just don't tell Cook or Norem. Mitch Boehm, Editor in Chief bwahahahahahahahahaha I made ya look ! !!

I wanna sell my XR. It is a great bike, lots of cool shit, well maintained. recent rebuild ! Hasn't been raced since. Only thing wrong is the can worked loose felll off and my buddy ran it over. So the can is ugly and bent. LOL I'll take $1,200 or best offer or .........trade ??

Sorry IT"S A SIZE 44

well here they are, Damn thier perty ! LOL price is firm ! $450.00

now that I got my post count up, I got some shit to sell ! LOL I have a zcustom 1 piece leather suit that is a size 46. This suit is brand new and never been worn. I won it 3 years ago. The owner of z customs and leather GURU Adolf made this for me and i regret to have put a few pounds on since then ( 25 ) and can't fit it anymore. I will post up pics later. If you know suits and leather, than you know this guy is the one that all the manufactures look too for quality comparisons. they are all hand made and nothing off the shelf ! he works close and personal with the racers gets input and makes changes constantly. He's the MAN ! It went for 900 or so, I'll take half that !!! I'll post up pics when I get off work ! It's blue and white and was made to match my gixxer ! I did not have the name done so , it's a blank canvis. PM me if your interested !

Welcome !!! I'm new to the site too. Good choice of bike to learn on !! but your screen name is as bad as mine ! LOL Just playin !

I like this one !

Damn..... all the Good smart ass answers are already taken !

THOSE .. are the bestest grips made !!!!

My insureance did the same thing last year so I took it off my home and car and got the bike seperate through progressive and saved alot of loot.

Nice pics !1 i grew up right thar in venice beach !

wooohooo michelle Smith !! The queen of the tv camel toe !!

You'll get it straight brother ! If not, keep postin up questions and folks will walk you through what you need help with !! these guys here seem geuine about helping out ! On a side note. These bikes are anything but money pitts , like a boat or something gay like that. Every Car or truck new or not, I have ever owned, has left me stranded at least once. But I can't say that about my bikes. I have only been left stranded twice, and it was because I blew my shit up oil starving my bike once and the other, I was way far from home on a hooptie. That is 25+ years on the street and dozens of bikes. Chin up, and it will come around for ya! oh yea.....Cars suck !!

^^^^ I like how you think ^^^^ I'm in it to progress and better my skills. I'm competeive and just like anything else, If i get to the point where I'm regressing then, You will find me in the garage wrenching on them for someone else to abuse. I Love performace based machines. But Harley's are cool. I'm building something like this next !!!! Wooohoooo I think it is exile's creation ? This may even handle and brake and not weigh a metric ton !

My 1,000 was better for highspeed wheelies and if I was already rolling, I could bait about anything and smoke it ! after a few years on it , I was a force to be reconed with in the twisties too !! LOL But, I fell in love with the 750 motor soooooo, That's what I went back to and kept !

The tail light, brakelight should be 3 wires when both are wired togeather. You gots what you need ! Look at the stock set up and you'll finger it out.

I wreck all the time !! that was V-day so I had to stay home and try on that day !! That place has been dozed so many times it's down to the clay now and when it rains, it gets fooked up ! that's a blast when it's warm too. PM sent

Flag it ! he's located at the lewis center. that's a half way house on liberty ! LOL 30lb. I wanna see his box of extra parts !

Please Don't flame me or negative rep me for givin my opinion , but they are gay, the negative space looks better. spend your money on something that will make a difference. shave weight, don't add more parts ( 2 cent smiley goes here )

you mean that fucker is still racing ?

that's a radial master right ?

It didn't even come with the plug for the tail lights already wired ?? that's wierd ?

If your sure you can't get an extractor in there, or weld a bolt head to the top, wich is what i would have suggested, what other choice do you have other than drill and retap it ? Is that even possible ?? Oh and CARS SUCK !!

You mean ther's bad rep to be given out ?? I better start behaving ! I'm finna pop a wheelie

I also have a 2000 yamaha blaster just rebuilt , That I have extra. I need a car for my stepdaughter !