Long Beach Swap

Nikki showing her true colors while relaxing in the Dice van
Jeremiah and T-Boss daring each other to check for spark
Lots of relaxing
Josh asked me what a woman looked like naked so I gave him Deans beginners guide to gettin' frisky
He skipped the sexy and went right to the chopper ads
after the swap Grant and Harpoon took us for Long Beaches wildest Burger. Chopper Dave met up with us to grab his own bacon blue cheese nightmare.

The Commune Art Show

After the Born free show, we all rode over to The Commune Art Show where many motorcycle artists had work on display. Adam Wright was also releasing his new masterpiece Road Course 3 which I am honored to have an image on the back cover of. Thanks Adam! The show was pretty low key except for the four 19 year olds dying for some coke and a ride on a motorcycle... I'll leave that story to Brian........




Adam Wright, myself and the new Roadcourse!


Chopper Dave's pan



SuperCo



A Chabott Engineering masterpiece



Shinya check'n out my bike!









A sweet Knuck

Rico's new direction

Rico just sent me some pictures of two recently finished builds..... looks like he's tired of horsepower and settling for something a little safer.  Too each his own......     







It was great seeing you last weekend.... love bunches

All work and no play

Josh managed to get some work done while we were in CA over the weekend. We spent a couple of hours on this cliff horsing around and catching smiles.
She's a natural
Bah hum bug
Nikki finds her animal spirit
Josh isn't afraid to get dirty

Another day at the office

destination unknown

California Sunshine

We found ourselves in California..... just ended there. The only goal was to ride the entire time and spend any remaining time with all our great friends.



Zac and I tare'n up the streets of Los Angeles



Kick'n



Will's and his fresh Pan


Dave and Brian



T-Bone just sold his Shovel so he rode Will's FXR




Bros



Leaving the Born Free Show



We got the pleasure of spending the entire weekend Troy and Nikki Both had great bikes and both just wanted to ride. I must say that Nikki jams harder than most guys I've ridden with and I'm not just saying that. The combo of Firestones, rain groves and rider/vehicle weight equaling about 110 lbs made for a really squirrelly ride down the 405. I'm not scared of to much on a motorcycle but I was definitely scared watching her. A closer glimpse revealed white knuckles lit by her big bright smile. I can't wait to ride with you guys again!



Matt's new version.... I love it!



Dave and Brian on the 405




Nikki waiting for the boys to get their shit together



I'll trade corn for Palms anyday



Willard



Brian surfing in Huntington Beach.


Chicago Willie and I rolling heavy through beach towns



Sunshine, an ocean breeze and miles of open highway



Nikki, the lizzard and the Pacific Coast Highway



Riding the Ortega Pass


Brian wondering why my bike just about did a summersault..... I didn't really have an answer.....



I caught wind that Duane Ballard had finished his Pink Taco..... yeah.... yeah.... sounds weird....... anyway we had to stop in Lake Elsinore to see it and say hi to Lisa, Daune and Wayne.



Troy blast'n on his sweet Pan. His bike grew on me so much over the weekend...... it became one of my favorites...... you just need to see it in person.


The Wilbur 3 craving Hot Dog Casserole on the 91



Nash and Mike D met us at the Fill'n Station leaving Grant and Harpoon's BBQ



Nash Forgot to take his pill before hitting the highway so we waited for him and Brian to sallow. While waiting I took the pills that Zac gave me and watched as Mike D turned into a spirit on the highway's edge.

Thanks to everyone!

Born Free and the right to be naked

We finally made it back to the city after two more days in the truck with Zack and Dave. Stopped in Des Moines to grab Josh's truck which Jeff at COC was kindly watching for us. We made it back to the Kids corn fields around 11pm and I bundled up for the ride back into the city. It was about 40 degrees and the last thing I wanted to do after crossing the country twice in a truck and riding in perfect california weather was power through the freezing corn fields for an hour and a half but after all this was the born free weekend and I wanted it to end on two wheels.

Josh borrowed me some chaps(yes I said chaps, they do have a purpose) and a helmet and I bundled up with everything I had. I warmed up on the kicker pedal until the sleeping minnow came to life with an irritable head light. I said my good byes to Josh and Papa Kurpius and reluctantly headed into the corn and the darkness. About two miles in my head light went from high beam to low beam to no beam. I didn't have a choice but to push on in my head so I followed the sillouhette of telephone poles against the moon light at the top of third gear. about 10 miles later I hit the truck stop for fuel, glove liners and a mig shift scarf to try and keep the bitter air from dancing down my back. I sucked down a marlboro with a quickness and jammed.

I figured I'd tuck in behind a big rig for some wind protection and a guiding light which led to fairy tale winds that the velocity stack wasn't having any part of. The holes in my boots became rats nests for more cold air to attack me through and I couldn't get close enough to the heat of the motor. Now on the open road with no lights and a shiver that barely let me hold onto the bars I tried to concentrate on the white lines flashing by. At first I thought I'd take it easy to limit the freezing air but after taking a couple land mines in the dark the adrenaline started to set in and I realized how much warmer I felt when I was white knuckling it so I cracked the right side grip in a race to catch the red lights ahead of me and scare myself warm. The pistons pounded the concrete with a song of reflection on the weekend and I sang along with verses of LA freeways, desert canyons and now loneliness. But it was the way I wanted it, I figured that in the last 7 days I'd had more fun and done more living than most people do all year and this was earning those memories.

As I closed on the city the skyline flickered like a campfire full of warmth, welcoming me home to my reality. Two lanes turned to five and with every thumbs up from truck drivers and third shift workers I went faster and harder beating the doubt to the back of my head. I hit the off ramp and rolled into an empty shop where more loneliness awaited me. I can't begin to tell you how much love I gave and received this weekend to friends old and new. Everywhere we went from start to finish we were greeted with the open arms of like minded folks from coast to coast. Dave and Zack thanks for making 72 hours in a car fun and fun. Troy and Nikki you are family from here on out, the 3 days we spent riding, laughing and killing time are very near to my heart and will be everlasting memories. Wil you already know how much I love you. Mike D, Grant and Harpoon you managed to pull something off that is unheard of for which I commend you and thank you for the hospitality, the friendship and the sloppy joes. Nash, you strange and awesome man, next time we go to the desert and we will show you our reality. Everybody else, thanks for the fun and we'll see you soon. To the 3 nineteen year old teasers, you missed out on one hell of a night next to a cactus.

My ass is kicked and don't feel like doing pics right now so stay tuned for the visuals. only eat half and give it 45 minutes, trust me.