Moto-Brian

It's a memorial fund. What about when a professional football player dies and they have a fund for the family? What about a small community that losses a fireman and holds one for a family that is left behind? It's the same thing. You were making assumptions which wasn't just putting out feelers. If so, you wouldn't have prefaced it with "I'm not cold hearted or anything"... You also were saying things not in question form, but in factual tone. You stated that the sport wasn't cheap and that his family (your belief as you put it) wasn't poor... Essentially, you were judging and that ticked me off. Again, you don't know much about the sport and the people in it. That's fine, but to assume they are all wealthy and do not need help is crazy. I didn't say it was going to charity. I stated it could go to a host of things. We had a young pup get paralyzed and his parents have had him in different hospitals and different centers since the accident. He's been very slow to recover and essentially, they were financially sound. However, they drained a LOT of money in trying to get their son help. A fund was established to assist in the costs. We also had a really well known racer get killed and they created a memorial fund and it was later sent over to another organization and was used towards creating a fund for racers that got injured, etc. The idea is that we don't want to let Peter fade away. Donating is a way to keep his amazing talent and aura going. That money can be used to assist the family in putting Peter to rest in a positive way. It can help them in the costs of getting this sorted, getting home, getting him put to rest, getting on with their lives w/o Peter, etc. Or, maybe they are set and they can give that money to someone in need... We don't need to know. We don't need to judge. We just need to support our family. To those that don't understand (I suspect this link won't get posted on the home page like requested), that's fine. No need to donate and understood. Just right now? It isn't the time to debate all this shit. Ben, I got pissed because I am reading all this shit about "too young", "Murder-cycles", etc. All coming from non riders, non racers, non enthusiasts. It's getting us all in a boil of emotions because we all have watched friends die from this sport. We all know what it takes, what it costs, what it can reward us with. We also know what can happen and when something like a simple accident occurs that turns deadly, the world chimes in with their opinion... I just didn't need to see someone making judgements.

I get it. I am passionate and have been in this sport for 16 years. I have a son that is close to his age. I have personally been around and hung with some VERY well regarded young athletes and know exactly the opinions of people when they see the trucks, the bikes, the fees they pay, etc. Usually, it is from outsiders that haven't a clue. But, it is easy to say that he shouldn't need a memorial fund because he was in a sport that is expensive. You're right, Ben. I need a break. From the morons that spout off on a topic like this w/o thinking first. You feel it is inappropriate for how I came across. I said the same thing as Dub did. Just with more emotion as we lost a comrade vs just a kid. You just changed a thread topic where you initially wanted to punch a "bitch in the face" for throwing dogs in water. Why is that fine, but I cannot talk with heart? Funny, huh?

Awesome. Awesome. Awesome. I think that a major issue is the fact that a lot of people just don't understand. People that look at motorcycle racing as dangerous because they never tried it. Or, maybe they know only of a friend or someone they knew that got killed on one and instantly feel they are death machines. Adding a 13 year old to the mix only makes them feel it is negligent on the parents part. I had our son riding at age 4. He asked. We are around it all the time. Hell, I haven't had a real job since college and ever since I started riding at age 18, I haven't been on anything else. We eat, drink and shit motorcycles and when it came time, he wanted to try it. We got him a PW50 and he's got a 65 now in the garage. I never pushed. I never forced a single moment. I might have pressured him to try again after a fall, but I never made him do anything. He asks to ride and we go. Simple. If I were a professional golfer, would it be crazy to think that my son would want to golf, also? It's a life style at times and sometimes, what we know to be a rather safe sport in general, we feel it is perfectly fine to allow a 4 year old the seat to a motorcycle. Just with anything, it is how we teach our kids. Peter's parents taught him well. He was a good kid, he had great skills, had proper help via professional riders, coaches, etc. He was always in good hands. It wasn't like they gave him the key and said go jump that 60' double and he crashed and broke his neck...

It's a fucking memorial fund. Jesus Christ... What's with the douches on here lately with no compassion and no comprehension as to what happens in this sport, what happens when a family loses their 13 year old son so early, what maybe fucking other passionate enthusiasts want to do to say condolences and give something in memory for the family's loss? Am I going to be a prick for putting his number on my helmet so we all can remember? Jesus. Dude, you are a typical person that has no fucking clue. Just because people race or attend such "expensive sports", doesn't mean that the family has given up everything for their son's sport. I know kids that have parents that literally live on the road, work two jobs each and do as much as they can to support them and drive them all across the country. Peter isn't a club racer that works a Monday through Friday job. He was a kid that was going to be somebody or at least had a hell of a chance at becoming a really talented and rising star. It also doesn't mean that the family may take the money and give it to the Fallen Rider's Fund or to the Red Flag Fund, etc. Most cases, the money gets donated to a charity that was close to the family or goes into a fund that if needed by other racers, can be used. And even beyond that, sometimes, the money is used to create a foundation to assist in similar situations or to create an event that becomes annual to pull in money to give to a set fund. Some fucking people...

Again, the wear is so trivial if at all vs the right. I've seen guys that do serious sport touring and never saw a tire worn on the left more than right. Plus, it would be just a hair off center. Again, the banking at Daytona idea here. That link with the cords showing on the left and bald on the right. Stupid and honestly, not much more than the other side. I also question the pic because it is so far from center. But, that pic shows the right being so bald that it was probably so close to showing cords that again, very trivial. For someone to ride on tires in such condition, they obviously never maintain their bike and something else could have contributed. Roads all may have a slight crown. Some more than others. Some not at all. I am not going to sit and believe the wise tail you're spinning here. What I would do is maybe email your theory to Rider magazine or something and have them do a real world test. I'm going to say that the number of miles to show the difference is going to place you so far beyond the life of the tire that you are putting your life at risk.

I still don't buy it. That would mean you turn left more than you do right. The bottom line is that these guys with blogs are about as accurate as the weather man. Truth is found in what Serp stated where PSI has more to do with everything than the crown, the amount of turns, etc. Of course, there's no way to see if there are people that turn left more than right... The idea on wear and the back edges getting pulled up is true. We see it on race DOTs a lot, but again, that can be cured or changed with PSI. Tire pressure is a funny thing and when asking people, you'll get anywhere from 25-45 in what they run. Some guys run what is listed as cold max PSI on the sidewalls!!!

Any chance they can make this a sticky or place on the front page for folks to donate? We have a good contingent of track day riders here and I think if they are serious in what they do and as passionate as most I know, they'd donate the minimum of $10 to assist this well deserving family.

You guys that think you will wear the shit out of tires on the left side moreso than the right are insane. If you rode 20,000 miles solely on an interstate, maybe. Wear is going to be SLIGHTLY more left of center, but not by much. If you rode straight up and down on a 33 degree banking, you'd wear the shit out. Off a crown on a lane on a freeway or back road? Seriously... Cupping is just as Serpent stated...

That's great to hear you aren't leaving us! I still would look at being able to set up some type of RV style stuff inside. That box van is the way to go. I've seen fold up beds, showers, etc in them and still having more than enough room for everything else. They have it set up at almost the point it needs nothing. And for the price, it is a damn clean truck...

Are you fucking kidding me? Listen, tool box. The kid crashed, was spilt and another young pup t-boned him and killed him. Had dick to do with the track, with the riders being too young, on too big a bike, etc. People like you that don't understand a single thing as to what it means to race, to be a competitor, to be doing what you love and be good at doing it. Peter was a great kid. He was a great rider. He had a great family and was doing what he and his family LOVED. Every time every racer slaps on their helmet and rolls out of the pits, they understand fully what can happen. It's what they all are dealt with. This isn't a video game. I have seen a good friend die in front of me in almost the same manner. He hit the guard rail at Putnam Park (his death is why they moved the rail back further coming out of 10) and bounced back into the race traffic. Another racer hit him square and killed him instantly. I saw him laying in his own blood. My son is 2 years younger than Peter was. I don't know how I would handle the situation. However, I do know that if he wanted to race and he was good and I felt his abilities were such to warrant such a race, he'd be out there. If he got killed doing it, that would be something I am not sure if I could handle. But, I wouldn't be such an ass to blame the track or something else if in fact, it wasn't due to any of those things. I suppose it was the rider that hit him that was really at fault in your ignorant mind. God speed Peter. And, to the young pup that hit him - there was nothing you could have done. Get back on the horse if not for yourself, for Peter. Carry his memory with you and channel him into your mind and race with passion for the sport. It was a race incident that couldn't have been done differently. You have a lot in front of you and I wish you the best. To Peter's parents... I hope to never know what you are feeling, but from one parent to another, I cannot tell you the sadness I had yesterday after the race. I think what it would be like to come back and pack up all of his stuff and go home to an empty room... I welled up with tears. We are racers. This is what we do. We compete because we want to. It is a feeling that cannot be explained to most people. They think that we are all crazy and cannot comprehend what it means to do this under the idea that every time we head out, we flirt with the chance of death or serious injury. Please do not blame the things that are not at fault here. Don't be an armchair quarterback that spouts off crap that you haven't a damn clue about. If you cannot provide a positive wish for the rider or family, simply do not post. Give some damn respect and provide strength to those that are left behind. God speed, Peter. See you on the other side.

Shit. I know 100% that I am. Dude, you've seen my scooter. It's got a pipe. That just happened.

Doesn't make it the fastest...

The box van Ryan is selling is awesome. Plus, at just under $5k, it is a WAY better deal than a van. Think about it, you can BARELY get a bike and gear and such in a van. Plus, when at the track over night, you'd have to unload at the early morning hours to sleep in the back. With Ryan's deal, you could have a fold down bed (if it doesn't already) and have the bike secured on one side and simply open the back up and crawl in. Plus, that box van isn't going to get much worse fuel mileage than a standard extended length E series van... Enclosed trailer is the way to go for sure, but you'd pay $2500-$3k minimum for an enclosed and have to get a pulling truck. Again, the box van kills the whole deal. My personal opinion is if you can get a box van that cheap in that good of condition, it is a better deal... Didn't you just recently state that you were taped out of funds for track days and such? Things change?

Pegram isn't riding Duc next year anyways.. As far as Duc pulling out of WSBK, not sure if I believe that just yet. I am willing to bet that they do what Honda does via Hanspree. It won't be "factory", but it will be factory. Know what I mean? Haga was gone anyways... But, I am betting they are still going to be there, but just not officially...

Any way to get away from the white background? It's too plain... I like sites with black or solid backgrounds. Using that red with a dark color would pop quite a bit...

Hard tails are fine. Discs are for more serious riders and if just casual riding, they aren't needed. Fork, yes. The Trek shown on CL is really old, too. Too high priced and more applicable to a collector, I suspect due to the good condition. I'd go to spending $500 and look for a higher end used or a good new one. Trek, Fisher, Specialized, etc are good choices in that range of money. There's a TON of great deals on Ebay, too. Just need to research what you're looking at. Check out www.MTBR.com and check the forums and the reviews section. Best site for MTB bikes...

Well, I can speak from experience on going from road race to MX, etc... I retired back a while ago and thought that MX and Supermoto racing would fill that void. I could still compete - doesn't matter what we do, we like competition - and still be on two wheels... I was racing some C MX events. Did about mid pack on all of them. The Supermoto stuff was fun for sure and was up front with most of the local stuff and did OK at some outside orgas at places like Beaver, etc... HOWEVER, two things became apparent. 1) Injuries. Got hurt more on MX bikes than road racing for 12 years to that point. Off road racing and riding are going to get you injured and it is simply a part of the process... 2) it wasn't remotely the same. Even supermoto. Just didn't fill the need or the desire... Off road riding and racing is awesome. I am part of it even more than ever before with the job I have and would recommend it to ANYONE. But, for me, my heart is where there is pavement on a closed course. Will never be able to fill that void. Can you muster through for a few years? I am sure you can and you can find that off road riding and MX, etc will give you so much more respect to the guys that do it well. It's like taking a woods guy or an MX guy and slapping them on a GSXRR6ZXCBR and throwing them out at Mid-Ohio and asking them to run sub :30 times... I'd say do whatever you need to do. Who knows? Maybe it will be what you hoped for and will want nothing more to do with road based stuff... Won't know til ya try it!

True, but what it does is create a true top 10, let's say. Those true top ten teams play in 5 top bowl games... It's bigger than 5, I realize, but the potential is even greater if it is truly top 10 teams playing one another...

What I am saying is that it is a start. HOPEFULLY, they create a play off system...

My cousin went to MI for college and he stated that they didn't feel as strongly as OSU did towards the games. Now, when it was a game that determined a championship? Sure. Even when MI sucked and OSU was possibly going to win the championship, they wanted to beat them. Is there hate and distaste for each other? Sure. But he always said that it was more on the side of OSU fans and such than from the MI side... Also, have you met an OSU fan that wasn't psycho? I mean, over the top crazy psycho for the team. I went to OSU and hated it. I'm a MI fan and an FSU fan. The way OSU fans do things is so over the top. In general, they are a bit more crazy than most. As proof when they go to a bowl game. The amount of fans and the presence of OSU outweighs any other team they ever play - no matter how far away they travel... That speaks loads right there where this is all going. Psycho fans hate the split. The people that are normal and enjoy good competition and good football see it as a change that may lead to an actual play off and establish a true way to find the National Championship team out there...

All I know is that when asking for oil, you'll get every person stating what they use is the best. Guys running shit like Meijer Brand oil and they never change the oil and it's been in there for 20,000 miles without a glitch. The bottom line is that until you pull a motor apart and see what is actually happening, you'll never know what is great or what is shit. My belief is that if the oil has performed under severe stress and does not blue, glaze, etc. any major engine components, it's good for us. That being said, we have used Maxima Syn., Motorex Syn., ELF Syn., Repsol Syn., and currently, Motul Syn. with HUGE success. Success meaning we have had motors torn down to the cranks and had little to no oil issues. We've had National Endurance Superbike motors with over 60 hours on the bottom ends with no blueing from certain oils. Use what is approved for your bike. I feel a lot of the oil out there in synthetic land is really good. The biggest deal is the weight for your specific bike. My 1000 takes a different weight oil than a 600 should/could...

It's only the biggest rivalry here in Ohio... Again, MI perceives it differently and they actually have a stronger rivalry with MSU than with OSU... I'd also argue that there are stronger legit rivalries within college sports than with MI vs OSU...

So what you are saying is that they should still be letting coaches decide who is number 1, they should still wear leather caps vs. updated impact absorbing helmets, that they should still play on grass vs. turf, etc., etc. etc... Change is good. When it happens, it is met with resistance as people fly off the cuff with emotion based responses. Change is also needed. They really needed to add some better teams into the Big Ten. It creates more validation that the conference is one of the best in the country. They also need a play off system in place. When that comes, people will be pissed, too. Essentially, you can't win for losing... Like what Nate stated, if MI gets their shit back together and the Bucks can actually do well enough, they will meet and it will be epic. It hasn't decided much of anything when they've played each other over the last several years other than W-L records against one another. In MI, it isn't a rivalry as it is perceived here in Ohio - especially at OSU. It is tradition on campus, but we have new faces added to the Big Ten and it can easily become a deal where that alone makes changes enough to make some sort of shift.

So, isn't that a better deal? If Michigan gets their shit together like the old days, they'd face OSU for the final and have the title decided. I like it. Plus, it isn't really a big deal anymore...

Got the tow bar and ball, too? One for the Dually is probably a bit much and pretty sure it won't work on the FJ anyways... Correction, it will, but think it is overkill... Let me know. You got my number...