Gophers and Cheese

I've been neglecting the blog but I've still been busy riding, wrenching, and taking tons of photos this year.  I couldn't let October go by without acknowledging a very significant milestone.  I bought my first motorcycle almost exactly 10 years ago today and, yes, it is the same exact same bike that has the black and red lace rattlecan paintjob that I still ride today. I took this photo yesterday while riding through Wisconsin.  Yes, I swear it's the same bike.  I've just changed a few things and put a lot more miles on it. I thought it might be fun to take a look back and post some photos from the last 10 years, one year at a time.  While you may have seen some, I'll try to post a bunch you haven't seen before.  Some will be a little embarrassing, but that's half the fun of old photos. This is my 2004 XL1200C when it was brand new to me in October 2006. I considered starting with a smaller bike but am so glad I didn't as I never grew...

Moto Mania 2: The Big Deuce coverage is on Chop Cult featuring photos and a write-up by yours truly. Go check it out here: http://www.chopcult.com/news/articles/moto-mania-2-the-big-deuce.html It was fun having two bikes to play with this time... ...but I spent most of time ripping around the track (and the infield) on my 1976 Honda Z50 "Evil Monkey". By far, my favorite photo from the day was this one I took of Nate.  It sums up Moto Mania perfectly. Lots more photos are on the Chop Cult feature and, in case you missed it, a few more are posted on CROIG .

I did a brief write-up and submitted a few photos to CROIG (Cafe Racers of Instagram) that they used on their blog here: http://www.croig.co/blog/2016/7/11/moto-mania-2-the-big-deuce Did you know that CROIG is based right here in Minneapolis?  They share a home with The Moto Collective . You need to click/tap on the photos to see the next one and a couple are cropped funny.  In case you want to get a better look at the photos, I have included them below.  Don't forget to visit the CROIG for the write-up and all the other cool stuff on their site. This is just a small taste of the event.  If you can't get enough Moto Mania, I am working on extended coverage for ChopCult and even more photos will be posted right here on my blog... eventually.  :)