Me on Mulholland Drive

Nestled deeply in the joy of riding, is the love affair we have with our bikes. Being in love with our bike includes a collection of photos. Right? Any rider worth his or her salt likely has a host of pics of themselves with their bikes, their bikes in front of everywhere they have ever ridden, other people sitting on their bikes, their bikes after being freshly detailed, and the list goes on and on. The bummer though is we rarely get that awesome photo of us while actually riding. Sure some of us have been lucky enough to have someone riding pillion on another bike snap a few. But we rarely get to see ourselves in motion, in the perfect riding position, looking cool and well… you know what I mean.

It’s not some self-glorifying, vanity thing. Not at all. It’s seeded in the fact that our bikes are cool and we like to see ourselves when we’re looking cool. Human nature! How many times have you been riding past some strip-mall and watch your reflection on the store front plate-glass windows? Come on… admit it. You’ve done it! I know I have! Okay, maybe there is SOME vanity there but hey… we’re only human!

Well, if you ever get out to Southern California and find yourself riding through the hills of Malibu you simply MUST ride the famous Mulholland Drive up to The Rock Store . In July of this year I took such a ride (See my article on the Hills of Malibu), and on that route, as I negotiated the twisties, digging the feel of my floor boards dragging, was a pair of guys, strategically positioned on one or the other side of a rather nice bend in the road popping off pictures with their pro gear and logging hundreds and hundreds of incredible images. Each made available at Rock Store Photos (for a price of course).

Look at the picture at the top of this article. That handsome rider poised on the big Triumph in that cool riding position would be me! Note the detail in the picture is so clean that you can see I didn’t shave that day, and you can see a few scratches on the side of my tank. Heck, you can even see my pal Marvin the Martian clearly on the windscreen!

Photos are priced individually by the photographers themselves and are in fact quite affordable. They go through the painstaking process of cleaning up images, correcting color, and essentially bringing out your spirit as you ride by them. Thus satisfying the need for the much coveted “in motion awesome shot.” I took it a step further though and after receiving my images (delivered digitally right to your computer), I ordered a large print on canvas to hang in my office at home. Yeah… yeah, I know… vanity. But it’s a cool shot!

Note here that I am not receiving any compensation or commission or even a discount for my own image with the writing of this article. I’m posting it here because I know what riders like. And in my quest to point you all to the things I think are cool, I am presenting this to you just because it’s really bloody awesome! So, get your wheels to Malibu, jump on Mulholland, and get your image immortalized so you to can show people how bitchen you are while straddling your machine and digging into the twisties!

Product Reviews, Raves

There is a big misconception about Southern California, with respect to choice motorcycling locations. Given that SoCal is home to Los Angeles, Hollywood and other “big city” places, most believe there aren’t any decent “out in the world” rides left for the true motorcycle enthusiast. Well, let me share something.

For about a year and a half I have been a member of the Southern Cruisers Riding Club (MT. Baldy Chapter). With them, I have had the benefit of being in the company of a lot of good folks, who know a lot of great places to ride. Yesterday was one such ride. In fact, I’ll even go as far as to say, the absolute best, to date, ride I’ve taken with the SCRC! 

First, a slight mishap. I dropped my bike trying to turn around in the parking lot. I put my foot down, slipped on something, and down it went. No damage except a tiny, superficial scratch on the underside of one of the pipes. No biggie at all. 

We left San Dimas mid-morning, and headed east on the super-slab. Yeah, we burned about 55 miles on the freeway to get where we were going. Which was US Highway 101, north along the coast toward Ventura County. From there we took the ever-famous Mulholland Drive, a road with smooth sweepers and tree-top canopies, skirting the Malibu Mountains.

First stop, The Rock Store. The Rock Store, is a well-known stop-spot for motorcycling enthusiasts of all kinds. From the hard-core Harley guys, to retirees with their vintage British bikes, to the sport-bike crowd, to celebrities, to the simple joy-rider, the Rock Store is an attraction that you simply must visit. Great ride getting there, the people are cool, and you’ll have plenty of opportunity for good-old-fashioned motor-head conversation.

From there, lunch at Malibu Seafood for some tasty fish-n-chips and onto Latigo Canyon road for about 20-odd miles of some really hairy twisties! What an awesome ride! No traffic to speak of, few bicyclists, great weather which lead to great visibility, and a group of folks who know how to negotiate their big cruisers through those tight switch-backs! And me at the back of the pack, digging into the turns and occasionally dragging the floor-boards! Yes!

Riding home was south from the LA/Ventura County line on the Pacific Coast Highway, all the way into Long Beach and eventually, home. A coastal ride with the waterline to our right and weather that couldn’t make up its mind. We rode through warm and energizing sunshine, to brrr, chilly and damp air, and it even rained for about 30 seconds! What?!

In the end, I had enjoyed freeway, sweepers, twisties, tight switch-backs, and a wonderful coastal ride. We actually hit every venue I enjoy. And surprisingly, I came in at just under 300 miles for the entire day.

So to those who will assert that Southern California doesn’t have any nice rides, I’d like to suggest you check out the hills and coastal rides of beautiful Malibu! I promise, you’ll soon change your view.

Raves, Rides