The Russian design company Good created several designs for helmets which could be popular among some of the more eccentric bikers out there — I want several of these!

It’s really too bad that designs like these rarely make it to the stores.  I’m sure many could be quite popular.

Check out some of their different designs

Up and down Athens-Boonesboro Road, Old 25, and Richmond Road, there were countless traffic stops of both cars and motorcycles.  Police cars were hidden, were out in the open, were speeding, were creeping, and were running in gaggles of twos and threes all night long.  Personally, I’ve never seen such a show of force by any agency.  Although I think it was somewhat of an overkill, I have to admit, it was a pretty cool sight to see.

On the other hand, I think last night had more motorcycles out cruising the roads than I’ve seen in a very long time – also a cool sight to see.  I assume all the activity of both bikes and police had a lot to do with the approaching long holiday weekend.

It’s nice to know the police have our backs (except when I called them over a stolen motorcylce, of course).

Paranoia goes to an all-time high when you’re out on the highway on a motorcycle.  It’s almost as if you have spidey-senses and can see every soccer mom, cell phone toting teenager, confused out of towner, line-crossing redneck, and every other type of cager hazard.  What you rarely anticipate, although there are certainly plenty on the roads, are drunks.

I followed this guy for miles and miles and assumed he was going to hit someone.  The photographer in me, admittedly, got a little excited thinking about how I’d get to digitize a tragedy (yeah, that’s bad, I know…but that’s business).  Fortunately, my helmet has a built-in bluetooth cell phone thing so I can make emergency calls.  I called the cops a couple of times on this guy, gave them detailed directions, and even gave them a perfect description of the auto — but, to my knowledge, no one showed in the span of 30 min.

At the very least, I got some cool footage.  I wish I had been a little closer since a wide angle lens can make one look really far away.

Of all the inexcusable road mistakes one can make, I place DUI at the very, very top.  It’s irresponsible.  It’s one thing to put your own life in danger, but it’s an entirely different deal when you are choosing that risk for other people.  Losers.

Of course, I don’t *know* he was drunk — maybe he was just a really bad driver and was having a hard day (nudge nudge wink wink).

The tire pressure monitors are notable because they’re wireless, allowing attacks to be made from adjacent vehicles. The researchers used equipment costing $1,500, including radio sensors and special software, to eavesdrop on, and interfere with, two different tire pressure monitoring systems.

Read entire article

I’m sure it’s only a matter of time before some of our motorcycles (Goldwings, anyone??) have similar technologies installed.

OK, so this has nothing to do with motorcycles but I just had to share it anyway.  I think you’ll like it.

Motorcyclist deaths by age, 1975-2008

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety released some interesting statistics in 2008 regarding  motorcycle fatalities across United States.  I think it is of interest that while automobile fatalities seem to be on the decrease, motorcycle fatalities as of recent seem to be on the increase during the same period.  also, contrary to popular belief, this article seems to suggest that in 2008 58% of all fatalities were wearing helmets.

I’m only posting this article because I believe it’s an interesting read.  Take from it what you like.

Read entire article here

HAHAHA… This has to be one of the funniest episodes of South Park that I’ve seen in a very long time.  This was from season 13 (last year??) and I had apparently missed the episode.  The plot, and I won’t give anything important away, is that a group of attention seeking Harley riders went to war with South Park so they could get their proper respect.

If you haven’t, you gotta watch the episode.

http://www.southparkstudios.com/episodes/251889

We’ve seen these designs before — awesome, futuristic, fit-for-Terminator bikes, but they never really seem to come to fruition.  This is really unfortunate.  Here’s yet another one of these mythical bikes for which I’d give away any of my future first borns to have (I hate kids anyway).

The two tricked out features which impress me the most involve a new fighter craft steering design and HUD helmet which communicates with the bike.  Check out this page and look closely that the grips.  Imagine riding this way — I think it could actually be pretty nifty.

Read the full story and look at the other photos on The Design Blog

WKYT reported today that a pink Harley was stolen from a local charity.

A custom motorcycle has been stolen from the Susan G. Komen Foundation’s office in Lexington. The bike was to be auctioned off later this fall and was expected to bring thousands of dollars to the organization.

“It’s more than just taking property,” said Penny Gilbert, the Executive Director of the Lexington office. “You’re taking hope and faith that something is going to get better with the disease you have that has a horrible name…cancer.” she said.

Read the entire story from WKYT.com here

As someone who has had his own bike stolen, I know how frustrating it can be.  Everyone is a suspect (especially if they have beady eyes lol), everyone has a theory, and the authorities seem less than interested.  Pass this story around a bit — a big, pink Harley isn’t likely to be hard to miss (until it’s cut up, parted out, and used to buy meth by toothless rednecks).

Anthony Graber, a Maryland Air National Guard staff sergeant, faces up to 16 years in prison. His crime? He videotaped his March encounter with a state trooper who pulled him over for speeding on a motorcycle. Then Graber put the video — which could put the officer in a bad light — up on YouTube.

Read more: http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,2008566,00.html#ixzz0vlcOkHw6