Road Captain USA

These are Sonny Barger’s essential beliefs gleaned from years of living the club life; sometimes behind bars. “The baddest man on two wheels” brings us 50 nuggets of wisdom. If you have read Sonny’s other books than a few of these creeds will be familiar such as chapter one: Treat Me Good, I’ll Treat You Better. Treat Me bad, I’ll Treat You Worse. As usual Sonny delivers an easy to read no-nonsense straight from the hip book. It’s a small 5.25″ x 7.5″ hardcover from one of the most interesting individuals in American history. These are the philosphies of a man who has given up his freedom on more than one occasion to stand up for his beliefs. How could you not want to know what is on his mind? I enjoyed this book and so will you. It’s an original just like Sonny. Click here for more information on this book.

Tags: Books, Movies & Music by Jay Green
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I grew up on dirtbikes and BMX bikes. Us dirtbike kids always covered the brake levers with two fingers while riding. Most of us had special little “dog leg” levers that only allowed room for two fingers. As a motorcross, trail and enduro rider I constantly worked the front brake lever with just two fingers. The remaining fingers allow you to hang on for dear life over bumpy terrain and control the throttle at the same time. Later in life I returned to motorcycling and bought a Harley-Davidson. I took the beginner and experienced MSF courses where I was instructed over and over to use all four fingers! I was even shouted at by instructors! Anything less than four fingers is frowned upon!

During the first cold weather ride of the 2010 season with my HOG Chapter I wore bulky winter gloves. Not being used to winter gloves the slight weight of my two fingers on the brake lever was just enough to engage the brake light (but not the brakes). The brake light stayed on and caught the attention of the other riders. They thought I might have a blown fuse or something and became concerned. When I explained to some of the other Road Captains that I often cover the front brake with two fingers I was told that what I was doing was contrary to all the instruction they heard. I argued briefly that covering the brake and being ready to stop at anytime allows me to stop quicker than someone who is waiting for the full four finger method taught in the MSF classes. I dropped the topic because I felt dumb. But the debate continued in my head. Did I have a bad habit that I needed to break? Or was I right and covering the front brake at all times while still controlling the throttle with my other fingers was an advantage? I often thought I should write a blog post about this skill set… but then I decided that it is probably just something that works for me and I should keep it to myself.

Then I read the chapters called Braking Techniques and Still Bringing Up the Rear in Ridin’ Safe by Larrry Grodsky and was relieved to find out I was right all along. Hopefully you already know a motorcycles stopping power is in the front brake. According to Larry the rear brake is not neccasary for stopping the motorcycle however it is a valuable aid in controlling the bike. Regarding my two finger braking here is what Larry says: “Two fingers are enough-if yours are long and strong enough, and if the lever hasn’t so much travel that it’s trapping your unused fingers against the grip.” I have been vindicated!

Click the below picture for more information on this book.

Tags: Books, Movies & Music, Rider Skills by Jay Green
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After reading the collection of short articles in Street Strategies by David Hough I started to think that the scope of motorcycle safety was simple and that perhaps I already knew it all. I have taken the basic and  experienced rider courses, read many books, watched a handful of training DVD’s and attended numerous Road Captain meetings so maybe I have heard it all. Maybe it doesn’t get more technical than “search, evaluate and execute”. But then I started reading Stayin’ Safe - The Art and Science of Riding Really Well by the late Lawrence Grodsky. I was wrong! There is more information out there!

This book is also a compilation of magazine articles by a motorcycle safety guru. The book is structured like a memorial to Larry and his work. Each article/chapter has an introduction written by someone from the professional motorcycle writing or teaching community who knew him. There really is an art and a science to riding safely! I am constantly searching for more information on both. I’m glad I keep looking because I found this great book which confirms what you already know… I don’t know squat about motorcycle safety! There IS more technical information out there and it can get as complicated and scientific as you care to make it. For example this is how Larry’s father instructed him to ride a two wheeler when he was 6 years old: “Son, when assessing the response lag between steering torque and roll-angle amplitudes, a higher phase angle indicates a greater delay between input and output values and thus, an unmaneuverable bike”. So I guess it can get scientific and complicated.

From reading this book my eyes have been opened to some of the behind the scenes looks at why the MSF preaches certain things. They definitely have to take into consideration what message they can teach to the masses. What will the average person take away from the brief MSF classes? What is easy to teach? What is easy to understand? I definitely think many techniques are dummied down and more advanced techniques are held in secret because they will confuse the average rider.

I have not finished this book yet but it is a must read for those of you who want to know everything about how to ride safely. Click here for more information on this book. Read it NOW to get ready for riding season.

Tags: Books, Movies & Music by Jay Green
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Harley-Davidson And Philosophy Full-Throttle Aristotle is published by Open Court as part of their Popular Culture and Philosophy series. This series brings fans of under appreciated pop culture icons together with scholarly writings about their favorite topics such as Harley-Davidson, Quentin Tarantino, The Grateful Dead and a number of interesting pop culture related titles. Click here to check see the whole collection. The author of this book is Bernard Rollin but the book consists of 14 chapters that are Philosophy essays by 12 different “die hard bikers” who also happen to be philosophy professors.

This book was more than I bargained for. I was expecting the usual easy reading biker paperback to take on vacation. I was also expecting easy to digest nuggets of wisdom gained from interesting travel chronicles. But Full-Throttle Aristotle was alot more than that. The collective authors are actually true scholarly professionals in the realm of philosophy. As I started into the book I wasn’t sure I could even follow the professors as they rambled on about Taoism, zazen, genjokoan, stoicism and Hegel’s dialectic. What does Nietzsche have to do with Harley’s? While sitting at a swimming pool in Jamaica soaking in the sun, listening to Reggae music, drinking rum drinks and just chillaxing I didn’t give up on the book. As I got into it I must admit it is probably the most interesting and thought provoking reading I have done in a long time. How can you go wrong with chapters like: Leather-Clad: Eroticism, Fetishism, and Other -isms in Biker Fashion? Or Motorcycling, Nihilism, and the Price of Cool? Although I enjoy reading books by authors who come across as my peers this book was challenging in that the writers are intellectuals writing on a higher level than my educational background. However I was able to follow along and found the comparisons and concepts exceptionally interesting. It is refreshing to go from one writer to another in this deep collection of views on motorcycles, motorcycle culture and bikers. The slight shift in writing style and the angle each writer takes makes the book palatable.

You deep thinkers out there will love this book. It’s like taking our many blog posts on such topics as “Who Is and Who Isn’t a Biker” to the next level. At $17.95 it is a bargain because if you are like me, you might have to read it twice to digest it. You get twice as much reading for your money! Click here for more information on this book at Amazon.

Tags: Books, Movies & Music by Jay Green
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Sorry, no Aril Fools Day jokes here. I do have a book review for you. I recently read Street Stragies - A Survival Guide For Motorcyclists by David Hough the Author of Proficient Motorcycling and More Proficient Motorcycling. David Hough is a columnist for several motorcycle magazines who writes safety tips. He is also an illustrator and photographer.

This book is written and manufactured to be something a rider keeps in his saddlebag and takes along for the ride. It is compact in size at 6″ x 9.25″ and made to withstand the rigors of travel. It is not a hard cover book but it is not the typical paperback either. It has a special doublethick cover that extends beyond the edges of the text pages to protect them from getting bent or damaged during travel. At least that’s my oppinion of the cover. The cover also has entended endflaps to hold your place in the book. The text pages themselves are printed in sharp black ink on high quality matte coated stock which compliments David’s illustrations and B&W photography.

This book is a collection of 73 safety articles that have been collected and published. Each is written in a unique story format that is short, reader friendly and to the point. First it will tell a story staring with something like: “You are out for a Sunday cruise on your favorite road when…” Then it will provide a short paragraph or two about what could be done to avoid an accident in the illustrated example. This is perfect to take along and read a paragraph or two when you need to rest or kill time.

You are on a long distance trip and it starts to pour cats and dogs. You pull over to a friendly roadside diner and get a cup of coffee. You pull out your copy of Street Strategies and read a few safety tips while you wait for the initial slippery oils to wash off the road top. When things are a little less slippery, you put the book away for another time. As you leave the parking lot you notice the road is less slippery now and congratulate yourself for reading the book reviews on Road Captain USA and purchasing this great little book. You also pat yourself on the back for being smart enough to get off the roadway during the first thirty minutes of rain when the road is most slippery.

At $19.95 it is a small price to pay for something that could save your life. It is an easy reader and not technical which might appeal to many riders. This is a collection of short artcles and sometimes the same themes start to repeat but with a slightly different angle. You can pick it up and read any safety tip in any order. It will put you in the right mind set to get out and ride safely.

If you’re looking for more in depth technical information and have the patience to read more material and are not looking for a quick read, maybe this book is not for you. I have not read David Hough’s Proficient Motorcycling and More Proficient Motorcycling but they may be the more in depth companions to this book.

Remember, any time and money invested in improving your riding skills and knowledge is well spent. Forget the chrome, invest in yourself first. Then buy the chrome… or matte black. Whichever you prefer.

Click here for more information about this book or here for Proficient Motorcycling.

Tags: Books, Movies & Music, Rider Skills by Jay Green
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Bill Hayes’s The Original Wild Ones - Tales of the Boozfighters Motorcycle Club published by Motorbooks is the best motorcycle book I have read so far. As you can see by my archives I have read quite a few; including Bill’s second book American Biker. This book (Bill’s first) is the MOST fun, the MOST entertaining, the MOST nostalgic, definitely the MOST endearing and possibly the MOST educational even though it is not meant to be a factual retelling of history. These are “tales” after all. A good colorful depiction of the origin of motorcycle clubs told by a member of the current day Boozefighters. 

Okay, this may not be a history book-in the purest sense-but, like salt around the rim of a Margarita glass, there are a few important grains that just have to be attached to the good stuff to enhance the flavor.

You never dilute 80-proof gold; you simply add to it.

In a way, discussions of Hollister 1947 are like talks about good-looking women and bikes. Some subjects just never get old and there is always a new twist.

Hollister can’t be ignored because it was, without question, the linchpin of this entire lifestyle. It was like the Super Bowl I, the Packers and the Chiefs. It was like the first pizza delivery by Mama Theresa in 1889. It was like Irene “La Belle” Woodward, the first seriously tattooed American women, hitting the circus circuit in 1882. There are some things that have definitely changed the entire social structure of the U.S. of A.

The equation is easy: Hollister equals the American biker, and the Boozefighters MC is the sum total of both.

Shortly after returning from World War II vets started riding motorcycles and forming clubs to fuel their wild side. Traveling together like squadrons they formed the original MC’s. A few bikers stopped in a small town in Hollister, CA in 1947 and had themselves a good time. The usual drinking, racing and disorderly conduct ensued. Nothing big. No raping or pillaging of the citizens of the town. Documentation supports the most heinous crime was the urinating into a car radiator by a member of the Boozfighters MC. Yes another member of the Boozefighters MC did ride his motorcycle right through the front door and into a bar. But it doesn’t seem that the establishment cared except that they requested the motorcycle be moved to a wall and not block the patrons from the bar. A photographer staged a picture by piling up a bunch of empty beer bottles around a motorcycle and asking a drunk to sit on the bike. The picture made the cover of Life magazine and stories appeared in newspapers across the country about the riot that never was. In 1953 Stanley Kramer produced the original biker flick The Wild One sensationalizing the Boozfighters visit into Hollister and their fun loving antics. The movie was shown in theaters across the country. Art imitates life and life imitates art! Young men saw that film and related to, or envied, the characters played by Marlon Brando and Lee Marvin. A counter culture was born and the blueprint for today’s Motorcycle Clubs was formed!  This sequence of events is the origin of biker culture!

The founding Boozefighters-the original wild ones-definitely had an aura that primarily focused on good-natured fun, with all the serious, antisocietal criminal behavior of, say, Spanky and Alfalfa with a pack of firecrackers.

However, there was never a question that they were tough. The entire generation that emerged from World War II was. They had to be. Just look into the faces of FDR, Truman, or Eisenhower sets  the tone for the times. It took a very hard line to land at Normandy, blast through the Pacific theater, and then come home to fire up a flathead or a knuckle, grab a frosty Pabst, and head for the sunset.

“The Original Wild Ones” is a term reserved for the members and associates of the founding Boozefighters. “Wino” Willie Forkner and his friends fought to keep our country free and returned from war to ride their way into history and legend! Author Bill Hayes has unique access to BFMC Historian Jim “J.Q.” Quattlebaum, surviving founding members and club documentation. He wields his pen (or keyboard) in  a style that colors in the tales and history of the BFMC with blazing hues. This book is published by Motorbooks Publishing and like all their books is a superbly produced and bound ink and paper volume of reading pleasure for your octane enhanced biker brain. The forward is written by Editor-In-Chief of Easyriders magazine Dave Nichols. Visit www.BikerTruth.com  and purchase a signed copy of The Original Wild Ones by best selling author Bill Hayes before real books become a memory just like real bikers, bikes and tales from a time when men were men and squares were square! Click Here!

Tags: Books, Movies & Music by Jay Green
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