The Great Motorcycle Pizza Tour

Funny Moto-Habits

noreply@blogger.com (Lucky) — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 16:44:00 +0000

This morning Lady Luck and I wound up behind a commuter on a KLR. He was wearing motocross armor and would have looked delightfully post-apocalyptic if it hadn't been for his clearly visible work clothes. It obviously worked for him, though, so I won't comment further on his personal style.

While I stared out of the car in my usual zombie-like commute daze, I noticed something about his behavior was a little odd. Synapses began to fire, my eyes focused, and I slowly recognized a pattern to what he was doing: he was looking into each car he passed.

For the rest of our commute along the freeway, I watched as he continued peeking into every car he rode by.

Was he looking for a friend?

Trying to pick up chicks?

I'm going to be wondering about it all day. I wonder if he even realized he was doing it.

Why I'm Not Going to See The Dark Knight

noreply@blogger.com (Lucky) — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 15:45:00 +0000

Because I'd spend the whole movie marvelling at the motorcycle, and planning how to build one in my garage.

Here's some info on how they built the bike, and a bit about riding it.

Do You Still Stop to Help?

noreply@blogger.com (Lucky) — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 16:42:00 +0000

This morning I had to ride to work. Again. Poor me, eh? Anyway, along the way, I saw a guy broken down on the side of the freeway. I stopped to make sure he was all right and see if he needed any help.

The conversation went like this:

Me: "Are you OK?"

Him: "Yep, fine."

Me: "Have you got help on the way?"

Him: "Yep, thanks."

Me: "OK, take care."

I always stop for broken down motorcycles if I can safely do so. So far, no one has actually needed help, and they've always already called someone for assistance.

It kind of makes me wonder if stopping is necessary anymore.

I'm going to continue stopping, because I'd rather stop for someone who's OK than ride past someone in trouble.

What have your experiences been?

Success With The VX800

noreply@blogger.com (Lucky) — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 04:56:00 +0000

So today I had a small success with the VX800: The tool Wycked made works a treat. The bolt is, in fact, not stuck.

It is still hard to get to, and a real bear to work with, but there is hope.

Perhaps it'll be fully tight tomorrow.

Perhaps it will hold coolant.

And then (dare I say it?), perhaps I'll get the damn thing running.

Weekend Moto Plans

noreply@blogger.com (Lucky) — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 14:19:00 +0000

I got to ride in to work again today.

I was going to ride in Lady Luck's Vespa, since it hasn't seen any action in a long time. Wouldn't you know, it's been long enough between rides that the battery is too low to start the motor.

So, I had to ride the Triumph instead. Poor me.

This weekend, I'm going to have to charge up that battery. I'm also going to get the VX800 all ready to list on eBay.

Did I tell you about the latest fiasco with that bike? UTMC brothah Wycked (who comments here on occasion), hooked me up with a sweet tool to get the troublesome bolt tightened down. It's an 8mm socket with holes he drilled in it so one can slip a hex wrench in the hole and turn the socket. I owe him a beer.

The tool worked pretty well, too. Wycked was able to get the troublesome-bolt-of-massive-annoyance tightened right up, after we took off a coolant hose that was in the way.

The problem? The bolt tightened up about 2mm away from actually holding down the piece it keeps in place.

If there hadn't been an audience, I would have thrown a complete hissy fit. I've been trying (sporadically) to deal with that stupid bolt for 6 months. The bike itself has been sitting in my garage for two years.

I dunno. Maybe this weekend I'll get up early and work on the bike a bit one last time. I can probably saw down the bolt to make it fit. Or maybe I'll just sell the freakin' thing as a project/parts bike and get my garage back.

A Day Late, But It's OK

noreply@blogger.com (Lucky) — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 14:09:00 +0000

Lady Luck woke up early today in order to push me out of bed and tell me I'd better ride to work or there would be hell to pay.

We don't wake up early for anything, so I guess she's serious about me being too grouchy lately.

Anyway, I rode in to work. It was good. Traffic was light, and somehow I actually got to the office ten minutes early today. I didn't think I rode that fast...

Why I Didn't Ride To Work Today

noreply@blogger.com (Lucky) — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 02:14:00 +0000

So today was Ride to Work day. If you need a reason to get the bike out, it's as good as any.

Although I ride to work as often as I can, I have yet to actually ride to work on "Ride to Work" day.

Lady Luck has been getting after me to go out riding because, frankly, I get grumpy when I've been away from the bike for too long.

I really meant to ride to work today. But then I woke up late, and Lady Luck tempted me with donuts from Rainbow Donuts (the best donut shop we've found in Phoenix). And then blah, blah, blah, I've become everything I hate.

Well, ok, that's not true at all. I'm not riding because I'm carpooling, which is as noble as riding to work, if less thrilling. By carpooling with Lady Luck, we both get to enjoy the carpool lane, as opposed to just me.

On the other hand, I get ornery when I've been away from the bike for too long. And I've been away from the bike for too long. Lady Luck is getting annoyed with me, and mentioned she misses the way I'd come home from work smiling when I rode every day.

To make an awful metaphor, my general mood is like a big rubber ball, and I'm playing an endless game of "keep the ball in the air." I can keep it up so long as I'm paying attention and moving fast, but distractions abound, and before I know it I've dropped the ball and it's rolling away. Now, when I have a positive experience it's like catching the ball and giving it a good hard throw straight up.

Riding is like drop-kicking that sumbitch in low gravity - it takes a long, long time for the ball to come back down.

Anyway, maybe I'll ride to work on the designated day next year.

Sweet, Glorious Rain!

noreply@blogger.com (Lucky) — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 03:01:00 +0000

Yesterday I made a point of not wearing my rain gear. It rained like crazy.

...Not that I got out riding

In the last couple days, we desert-dwellers have already gotten more rain than we got all last summer. Hooray for over 5 inches of rain!

On the news, they interviewed some poor, soaked, incoherent biker who made NO sense. Had they stopped me (more correctly, had I allowed them to talk to me), I would have said something like "HELL YEAH! RIDE IN RAIN! RAIN AWESOME! YOU NO RIDE, YOU TOTAL WUSSY!"

That's how you win people over to year-round commuting.

So freakin' busy!

noreply@blogger.com (Lucky) — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 16:09:00 +0000

Hey kids! Sorry to leave you without a quality post this morning, but I've got a million things to get done at work.

Also, I have huge blisters on the tips of my fingers from playing the bass after a long time away from it, so typing is disturbing and uncomfortable. With all the typing I have to do at work, I sure picked the right career to support my hobbies...

Anyhow, I'll post something good tonight when I get home.

My Magical Rain Gear

noreply@blogger.com (Lucky) — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 14:07:00 +0000

I dislike my rain gear. It's hot, it doesn't breathe, and worst of all - it stops the rain altogether, thus making the struggle into it pointless.

Last night we had an awesome rainstorm. This morning I got up and everything was still soaked and cloudy. That's good news down here. Plus, I got to ride in to work this morning, which makes any weather good.

So, I wrestled with my rain gear until it finally gave in and covered most of me, and set off.

There was no rain, but plenty of heat, so I got to work soaked with sweat.

You all know what would have happened if I hadn't worn my rain gear, right?

Grah?

noreply@blogger.com (Lucky) — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 14:27:00 +0000

Sorry for the lack of posts this week. I'm still recovering from the most AWESOME TRIP EVER (see below).

I've also got a TON going on at work. I'll post something tonight, though.

Pictures from Oregon

noreply@blogger.com (Lucky) — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 00:22:00 +0000

This morning Lady Luck and I arrived back in Phoenix. We took a red eye flight that required us to get up at two in the morning, and we arrived at the Portland airport at about three.

Oregon is, according to my calculations, the single coolest state in the union. Needless to say, we were bummed about having to go home.

Anyway, here are some photos from the trip.

Lady Luck and I arrived in Portland on Friday night. We spend the night at the airport Red Lion Inn. We saw a bunny. The next morning we hustled down the I-5 to Crescent City, California. In CC, we found the above crab remnants all over the beach. Apparently, it's that time of year where crabs molt. Ewww.

We spent the night at the Curly Redwood Lodge, which reminded me of my grandparent's basement. In the good way. If you're in the area, and need a place to stay, I'd recommend staying there. While there, I met a couple bikers (on a Ducati and a BMW 1200R) who had ridden all the way from Pennsylvania.

The next day, we got up bright and early and went up to Gold Beach Oregon. We went on Jerry's Rogue River Jets boat tour. Seriously, if you can, take the 100 mile trip. Freakin' amazing and absolutely worth the time and money. Along the way, we saw Sam the Eagle (above) along with some other critters. I also realized, as the other passengers around me screamed every time the ride got interesting, I have a much higher thrill tolerance than I used to. I blame Triumph.

We saw these signs along the coast. What are they trying to explain? Looks to me like, "In case of Tsunami, Superman is getting the fuck out of here!"

This is Haystack Rock. I shouldn't have to explain why this was exciting to see, but just in case you didn't know - they were a significant part of the Goonies mythos.

And if you didn't know, this is the Goonies house. I gather there used to be a sign at the end of the driveway asking Goonies fans to please approach on foot and not be dicks, but the only sign I saw was one reading "Private Driveway." So, I stood at the bottom of the hill (where the RV was parked as the kids rode their bikes away from the house early in the movie) to take this picture.

Hey, is that Irondad and his son Clinton? Why yes, we met at the McMenamins Edgefield pub for lunch. We had some killer burgers, tried some tasty beer and generally had a great time. They're great guys, and I wish we could have gone out riding. Maybe we'll all be able to go out riding when we move up there.

We passed the Dunes on our way up the coast, and had to stop and rent quads for an hour. Riding on the dunes was exciting, and I'd love to spend a whole day out there playing in the sand.

We got breakfast in Yachats (pronounced Yawhots) at Leroy's Blue Whale.

Best. Pancakes. Ever.

We visited the Sea Lion Caves. It wasn't really worth the money, though it did offer some interesting photo opportunities.

THESE GIGANTIC CRABS WILL DEVOUR US ALL!!

This is why I love Portland. Glass of PBR? $1.25.

At the Portland Saturday Market, this living statue graciously let me photograph her before she began her performance. I stopped back a bit later to watch her perform for a minute and give her a tip. There were a couple of kids who were mesmerized by her - it was fun watching their reactions as she changed poses (and gave them a big wink at one point).

Oregon Rocks!

noreply@blogger.com (Lucky) — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 16:43:00 +0000

Man, have I got a lot of pictures to post. Of course, I haven't figured out how to size them on Lady Luck's Mac yet, so you're going to have to wait a bit.

Last night we reached Astoria, which is where Goonies was based. We got as close to the Goonies house as we could without trespassing to take photos. Apparently we aren't the only Goonies fans to try and see the house from the movie, because there was a sign saying "private driveway."

For Lady Luck and I, Goonies was probably the most important movie of our childhoods. We've both been highly entertained knowing we were sleeping in the shadow of the Goon Docks.

Today, we're traveling on to Portland, where beer and pizza await us.

Motorcycles CAN save the world

noreply@blogger.com (Lucky) — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 14:50:00 +0000

Found a great new blog this morning, you should check it out: Motorcycles Can Save The World

In other news, Lady Luck and I are headed for Oregon today. We'll have a laptop and a camera, so I should be able to keep posting next week.

Does anyone know if the pizza place from Goonies is still around?

The People In Your Neighborhood, pt. 2

noreply@blogger.com (Lucky) — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 14:19:00 +0000

I really wish I had photos of these folks, but here goes.

For the last couple of mornings I've noticed some new faces in the moto-commuting scene. First up is a woman on a Hayabusa. That is just cool as hell. You all know why.

Next up is a guy I've dubbed the Harley Ninja. He's on a Sportster, with a do-rag and a handkerchief covering his nose and mouth. He doesn't maintain a constant speed in the straights, and slows in the curves. Maybe he'd ride with more confidence if he just put on a helmet with a face shield. Maybe not.

I disagree...

noreply@blogger.com (Lucky) — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 16:38:00 +0000

I think lifted pickups are the tool's ride of choice, followed by SUVs.

Remember folks, a guy on a motorcycle is not automatically a jerk, but a jerk on a motorcycle is the one who gets noticed by the "ZOMG DONORCYCLE!" crowd.

Remember Ghostbusters?

noreply@blogger.com (Lucky) — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 15:59:00 +0000

This thing looks like Slimer.

You Can Tell Me You're Good When You Can Do This

noreply@blogger.com (Lucky) — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 01:45:00 +0000

Seriously, if I had the time, drive, money, time... drive.... time...

I'd be a trials rider. Freakin' Amazing.

Midsummer Moto-Rituals

noreply@blogger.com (Lucky) — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 14:13:00 +0000

OK, so I probably should have made this post last week. Luckily, this is a blog, so I'm not required to post "timely" news. Ho ho.

Anyhow, pretty much every culture has a Midsummer ritual of some sort. There are tons of different rituals, and people keep coming up with more. I mean, Google "Midsummer Ritual." Good grief, I think I saw a "ritual brainstorming" page.

A couple biker-types that I know pour a beer on the road for their fallen homies. I think it's a nice gesture, but I say the dead shouldn't drink and ride either. That's how one ends up reincarnated as a cephalopod. Do you want to be responsible for that?

My new Midsummer ritual is cutting off all that superfluous hair which doesn't do anything except keep my head hot in my helmet. I mean, the heat is just starting at Midsummer...

Call for Guest Pizza Reviews

noreply@blogger.com (Lucky) — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 15:01:00 +0000

I realized something important the other night as I was walking past the library: I'm probably not going to get to Michigan to review pizza any time soon. Nor am I likely to get to Maryland, Georgia, Texas... you get the idea. But these places all have their own unique pizzas, and some of those are surely worthy of a review.

So, if you've got a favorite pizza place worthy of a Great Motorcycle Pizza Review, drop me a line with your idea and we'll get your review up. You can find my official pizza review guidelines here. Note the important rule: local joints are strongly preferred.

Email me here, then get out there, eat some pizza, take some photos, and write a review!

The Bad Thoughts

noreply@blogger.com (Lucky) — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 17:50:00 +0000

If you've ridden a responsive motorcycle, or any scooter, you've had the bad thoughts. They're always there, tempting you. Sometimes you win, and sometimes the bad thoughts win.

"That sidewalk is empty, maybe I'll take it"
"I can fit through that gap"
"Oh, you wanna race me?"
"I can pass this guy"
"What's redline in sixth gear like?"
"U-turn!"
"I can get away with it"

Please, share your own bad thoughts in the comments.

Don't Consider, Just Do!

noreply@blogger.com (Lucky) — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 14:26:00 +0000

Another insightful post coming your way tonight, but for now, here's a good post from Ride Like you Stole It.

Now, he says you should consider rider training. I say you should just get it already. Do it now! Rider's training protects your family from having to explain to others how your dumb ass rode into a tree and died.

LJ's Pizza - Official Review

noreply@blogger.com (Lucky) — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 03:53:00 +0000

I've been meaning to review this Mesa, AZ pizza landmark for some time, but I just hadn't gotten around to it.

LJ's Pizza Restaurant
1038 E. Main St.
Mesa, AZ 85203

LJ's Pizza has been around since 1973, which for a suburb of Phoenix is a hell of a long time. Of course, 25 years is a long time for any pizza place, but restaurants in Mesa have a knack for folding up and disappearing in record time.

You should know right off the bat that the charm of this pizza joint is half the reason for going. They've still got the original 1973 wood panelling up. They used to have a harmonica trio perform every Friday night (I gather the harmonica trio is no more). Oh, and they have a wicked pizza buffet, which is the real reason for going. It used to be that there wasn't a waitress under 60 in the place, but it seems they've recruited some younger talent. The old waitresses were more fun, between you and me.

The night we were there, a young lady with a guitar was performing while we ate. She played the kind of music one would expect from a young woman with a guitar. It was pretty good, for music that wasn't metal.

The pizza is surprisingly good. Keep in mind that this place is famous for their buffet. The crust, sauce, are toppings all pretty tasty. For a buffet. I wouldn't really recommend ordering your own pizza, because it's really intended for a buffet. It's not authentic to anything except LJ's. That's OK, however. They've found a style that works.

I used to go to LJ's on a regular basis for lunch, but then my company moved (and shortly after that I got a job that didn't suck in a different part of town), so I hadn't been there for a while. On this visit, I sampled my old favorites such as pepperoni and jalapeno, as well as pepperoni and barbecue sauce.

I also finally worked up the guts to try the sauerkraut pizza. I know you won't believe me, but it's pretty good. Not so good that I'd order a whole one, but good enough to eat a second slice. It works for the same reason canned pineapples and pickled jalapenos are good on pizza. So if you get the chance, and you aren't some kind of milquetoast wussy, I recommend you try it.

They also have a salad bar, if you want to waste precious pizza space on leaves. It looked OK, but I didn't bother with it.

Now, the extra special part of eating at LJ's is the soft-serve ice cream cones they bring out once you're done. They aren't fancy, but how can red-blooded American decline ice cream after a pizza feast?

LJ's gets 4 Crying Luckies. The pizza itself isn't extraordinary, but the entire experience should not be missed. I've never had a bad time at LJ's.

You Know You Loved the Bikes from Tron

noreply@blogger.com (Lucky) — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 14:14:00 +0000

Hey folks, I'm too busy to post this morning. I'll put up a good one after work tonight.

I don't want you to leave empty handed, though, so check out this Indian branded concept motorcycle. Finally, we can all pretend we're trapped in a computer...

...man that was a stupid movie.

Is Your Motorcycle A Green Machine?

noreply@blogger.com (Lucky) — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 14:19:00 +0000

This guy has a short post about whether or not motorcycles are "green." I'm not an expert, but I really think we have to take more into consideration than just emissions when we're trying to judge the environmental friendliness of a given vehicle.

For example, how many resources does a given vehicle consume when being produced? How many resources does it consume to keep it mobile? What happens when the vehicle is scrapped? How long will it last until it needs to be scrapped?

Another thing to consider is the impact of motorcycles on how friendly your environment can be. I don't see too many cagers with huge grins on their faces when they're sitting, alone in their cars and trucks, in commuter traffic. I don't know if it's measurable or not, but that mess has got to be bad for our national psyche. On the other hand, I haven't met too many grouchy bikers on my ride to work (though there are always a couple oddballs).