Sal Paradise
Hooligan
There is so much that I really like in this article, from tech to culture, to wrenching your own cheap bike to electric , new innovation in every line.....and fun. I wish it was like this around here, but all we have here are pirates and racer boys.... anyway, its a cool read,,, check it out -
http://www.baycitizen.org/transportation/story/bay-area-motorcycle-culture-wilder-ever/
On any given day in the Bay Area, you’re bound to see a wild array of two-wheeled motorized vehicles whizzing around the streets.
While the image of a rebellious Marlon Brando in his dusty leather jacket in the 1953 biker classic “The Wild One” still resonates, the Bay Area’s historically important scene is outrageously diverse — and growing more so, as electric vehicles take their place alongside idiosyncratic homemade “dirtbag” creations.
The Bay Area obsession with motorcycles dates to 1904, when the San Francisco Motorcycle Club was founded. (It’s the second oldest club in the country; the Yonkers Motorcycle Club of New York began in 1903.) Initially concerned with improving the paved road network south of Army Street (now Cesar Chavez), the club currently sponsors regular rides, makes its Mission District clubhouse available to groups like the San Francisco Scooter Girls and otherwise promotes the sport of motorcycling.
The range of two-wheeled vehicles allows for much personal expression, and community events are thriving.
“You can find some sort of social activity five out of seven nights a week,” said Dennis Kobza Jr., owner of the Bay Area Riders Forum, which has about 42,000 members.
“It’s primarily about doing what you want, how you want it, when you want,” said Poll Brown, who fell in love with the motorcycle life in San Francisco 16 years ago and stayed.
To further the freedom culture associated with motorcycles, Mr. Brown created the Dirtbag Challenge, a contest to build your own chopper for less than $1,000 in 30 days. With the cost of custom motorcycles rising to tens of thousands of dollars, Mr. Brown wanted to remind people they could achieve their dreams.
On Sunday, the ninth annual Dirtbag event will be held at a warehouse in Bayview. An estimated 30 contestants will ride their custom-built creations — some looking like vintage “bobbers” (stripped-down motorcycles that resemble choppers) , others like steampunk or postmodern sculptures on wheels.
Mr. Brown said that Dirtbag attracted more than 2,000 people last year. Brian Van Horn, a veterinarian who is competing this year, remembered meeting someone from “the Hells Angels, Bikers for Christ and an engineer from Tesla” at last year’s event.
In an increasingly regulated world, it seems the sense of freedom, real or imagined, offered by motorcycles on weekends or commuting to work holds enduring appeal.
“I’m no tea partier,” Mr. Ets-Hokin said. “But it’s fun to not be told what to do.”
http://www.baycitizen.org/transportation/story/bay-area-motorcycle-culture-wilder-ever/
On any given day in the Bay Area, you’re bound to see a wild array of two-wheeled motorized vehicles whizzing around the streets.
While the image of a rebellious Marlon Brando in his dusty leather jacket in the 1953 biker classic “The Wild One” still resonates, the Bay Area’s historically important scene is outrageously diverse — and growing more so, as electric vehicles take their place alongside idiosyncratic homemade “dirtbag” creations.
The Bay Area obsession with motorcycles dates to 1904, when the San Francisco Motorcycle Club was founded. (It’s the second oldest club in the country; the Yonkers Motorcycle Club of New York began in 1903.) Initially concerned with improving the paved road network south of Army Street (now Cesar Chavez), the club currently sponsors regular rides, makes its Mission District clubhouse available to groups like the San Francisco Scooter Girls and otherwise promotes the sport of motorcycling.
The range of two-wheeled vehicles allows for much personal expression, and community events are thriving.
“You can find some sort of social activity five out of seven nights a week,” said Dennis Kobza Jr., owner of the Bay Area Riders Forum, which has about 42,000 members.
“It’s primarily about doing what you want, how you want it, when you want,” said Poll Brown, who fell in love with the motorcycle life in San Francisco 16 years ago and stayed.
To further the freedom culture associated with motorcycles, Mr. Brown created the Dirtbag Challenge, a contest to build your own chopper for less than $1,000 in 30 days. With the cost of custom motorcycles rising to tens of thousands of dollars, Mr. Brown wanted to remind people they could achieve their dreams.
On Sunday, the ninth annual Dirtbag event will be held at a warehouse in Bayview. An estimated 30 contestants will ride their custom-built creations — some looking like vintage “bobbers” (stripped-down motorcycles that resemble choppers) , others like steampunk or postmodern sculptures on wheels.
Mr. Brown said that Dirtbag attracted more than 2,000 people last year. Brian Van Horn, a veterinarian who is competing this year, remembered meeting someone from “the Hells Angels, Bikers for Christ and an engineer from Tesla” at last year’s event.
In an increasingly regulated world, it seems the sense of freedom, real or imagined, offered by motorcycles on weekends or commuting to work holds enduring appeal.
“I’m no tea partier,” Mr. Ets-Hokin said. “But it’s fun to not be told what to do.”
