You meet the nicest people...

...on a Honda!!
Everyone knows that old advertising slogan...well, at least you should. Brian Wilson (The Beach Boys) even wrote a song for the 'Hondels'?? about a 'Groovy Little Motorbike'

Anyway, yesterday I got an e-mail from an old friend, an article in the London Telegraph Newspaper (www.telegraph.co.ok/motoring/columnists/jamesmay/) about the Honda Cub motorbike. It was a wonderful surprise to get this e-mail from my friend for a number of reasons.
First, I have a Honda Cub...not just a Cub, a 'Super Cub'!!! 1959 C110. A whopping 55cc, I think about 8 horsepower..I'd bet on the 8 horses in a race however...second,my daughter learned how to ride a motorized two wheeled vehicle on that little motorbike, she made her basketball player (read, TALL) boyfriend ride passenger on it and thirdly...my friend Terry (who sent the article) crashed our little Super Cub in a garage at Willow Springs. It was the first time she was on a motorbike..I guess I wasn't a very good teacher. Sorry Terry.

The little Super Cub was the coolest little pit bike at Willow Springs..going for gas, new tires, lunch, visiting friends...it didn't matter, the little Honda was always there. My friend Jay (another derelect 500cc singles racer) had a Bridgestone 50cc pit bike. We used to race around the access roads of Willow Springs between races for fun..that's how we met World Champions Eddie Lawson and Wayne Rainey one day. They were racing Go Karts on 'The Streets Of Willow' course,but,that's a story for another time.


I still have that little motorbike..needs a battery, but other than that, it runs great. It's been sitting in my barn for about four years now. My daughter moved home recently and receiving the article got both of us to thinking...for puttin' around town, to the grocery store, the auto parts store, Radio Shack...nothing better than the little Super Cub. A high 'Giggle Factor' ride if there ever was one. As you can tell, it needs a bit of TLC. OK, a lot of TLC. I'm having a guilt attack right now about that little bike, so I think I'll go out to the barn and get the 'Super Cub' back on the road. I'll keep you posted. You know what..I need to cruise E-Bay first to see if I can find a basket to put on the front...how cool would that be!

Have a good ride today and don't forget to vote tomorrow.

Go to school

Time to go back to school. Riding school. I know some of you think I should go to writing skool but my grades aint gud enuf. Oh well.

A lot of years ago I attended the Original California Superbike School run by Keith Code out at the now long gone Riverside Raceway. It was a great day. I was just making the transition from desert racing to roadracing and what an eye opener it was. The day was spent on a Kawasaki KZ550 and in a make shift classroom. At the end of that day I had my AFM roadracing license in hand. I also had a head full of info that I still use to this day.

Years later, a lot of years later, I put my son in Superbike School. He was a good rider when he went in, he came out a much better rider. He too went on to roadracing with some moderate succeses...he and I and a couple of friends got 3rd in Middleweight Superstock at the WERA 24 Hour race at Willow Springs.

At this years MotoGP race at Laguna Seca I ran into Keith and told him how much I remembered and still use from his school...27 years ago!!!...he told me that he had met a couple others that had attended the school way back when. He was pretty stoked. Before we parted I told him about our podcast and asked if we could get together for an interview, he was up for it, I gave him my card and hoped for the best.

The Tuesday after the race my phone rings and on the other end is Keith Code. "When would you like to get together for an interview?" "Whenever is good for you" says I. A couple of days later I spent the morning with Keith at his home office. I took the picture of me at school that day back in 1981, he was pretty surprised. I was riding bike #5..he told me that they had recently found and bought bike #1 from back then.
We had a great interview, a great time and I truly believe I have made a new friend.

Keith Code is a very interesting man. He is constantly thinking of ways to improve the Superbike School and riders riding skills. His greatest joy is the success and happiness of his students. I admire Keith Code a lot, I have for 27 years.