That is the attitude of the New Age superbike freak, and I am one of them. On some days they are about the most fun you can have with your clothes on. The Vincent just killed you a lot faster than a superbike will. A fool couldn’t ride the Vincent Black Shadow more than once, but a fool can ride a Ducati 900 many times, and it will always be bloodcurdling kind of fun. That is the Curse of Speed which has plagued me all my life. I am a slave to it. On my tombstone they will carve, “IT NEVER GOT FAST ENOUGH FOR ME.

Comar , now 62, has been riding motorcycles almost 50 years, and his last ventures were nothing short of amazing for their audacity and for their concern for his fellow man.

You see, Comar rides no-hands. You got that right. He rides without putting his hands on the bars of his motorcycle. Some might call it madness. I call it an inspired test of will.

He’s been practicing the “no-hands” technique for going on 20 years and he steers the bike with his legs and by leaning to aim the bike.

So why does he do it?

He does it for dad. His father, Robert Comar, was a car buff who, due to his struggle with Parkinsons Disease later in life, could no longer hold wrenches steady to work on his beloved cars. The elder Comar passed on in 2008, and it was that event which led Comar the younger to take on his series of stunts to raise funds to fight the debilitating disease.

Comar made a 500-mile-plus “Bridge to the Border Ride” to begin his quest, and then took on a nonstop ride from the Mackinac Bridge to Covington, Ky. The first ride raised nearly $4,000 for the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research last October, and the ride he made earlier this year covered 525 miles, proceeds of which also went to the foundation actor Michael J. Fox, who has Parkinson’s disease, started to develop better treatments for Parkinson’s patients and to find a cure for Parkinson’s.

“My father died from Parkinson’s disease and I wanted to do something personal to further the foundation’s work,” Comar said of his rides.

Though the rides are over for now, you can still help the cause by making your donation at the fundraising page Comar set up at www.teamfox.org. Just click on the “Support a Member” button and type in “Phil Comar.”

You can also check out all the details of his epic journey on Facebook at No Hand Man.

According to Comar, current treatments for Parkinson’s temporarily mask symptoms of the disease, but the negative effects continue to progress.

There is currently no “cure” for Parkinson’s, and some 5 million people worldwide are living with the chronic degenerative neurological disorder. Symptoms typically progress from mild tremors to complete physical incapacitation.

“Even if it’s just the cost of a pack of cigarettes, or a beer or a gallon of milk, if 100 people donate $3, that’s $300 and a good start,” Comar said. “We’re not looking for somebody to stick their whole paycheck in.”

Whether you ride a sport bike or an American cruiser, your insurance needs can get complicated.

We’re here to help you find the right motorcycle insurance, whatever you ride…

Tips for buying your motorcycle insurance, coverage you need:

• Collision to pay for damage caused to your vehicle in an accident with another vehicle or any stationary object.
• Comprehensive to cover such things as fire, hail, wind, vandalism, hitting an animal, etc.
• Towing / Pickup
• Medical payment or personal injury protection to cover the medical bills resulting from an accident.
• Uninsured or underinsured motorist to protect us when the other driver is at-fault and does not have coverage or assets out of which your bills can be paid.

A motorcycle functions entirely in accordance with the laws of reason, and a study of the art of motorcycle maintenance is really a miniature study of the art of rationality itself.

- Robert M. Pirsig
Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance

#39 Sean Duggan
California
1929 Harley Davidson JD

A 1956 Chrysler Imperial, and it was pristine in every way.

Source: Uploaded by user via Whitey on Pinterest

---

]]> http://www.motofotostudio.com/2012/09/18/the-stuff-you-see-out-riding-1956-chrysler-imperial/feed/ 0 http://www.motofotostudio.com/2012/09/17/the-120k-akira-motorcycle-by-masahari-teshima/ http://www.motofotostudio.com/2012/09/17/the-120k-akira-motorcycle-by-masahari-teshima/#comments Mon, 17 Sep 2012 15:24:55 +0000 Todd Halterman http://www.motorcycleinsurance.com/?p=16721 Masashi Teshima has made a life-size replica a cartoon motorcycle ridden by some cat named “Akira,” who I gather is a cartoon character.

The bike? Should you be interested in what makes this machine go, you can check out a whole page of speculation from the cartoon-drooler types here at this page…

It took Teshima-san seven years and $120,000 to build and it was ultimately displayed at the Katsuhiro Otomo GENGA Exhibition, a celebration of original artwork by the creator of this “Akira” dude.

Also cool, the proceeds go toward support for relief and rebuilding after the horrific 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami.

It seems this bike has the official imprimatur of Akira’s creator, Katsuhiro Otomo.

Teshima is riding the bike across Japan to raise money for children’s autism as well.

 

---

]]> http://www.motofotostudio.com/2012/09/17/the-120k-akira-motorcycle-by-masahari-teshima/feed/ 1 http://www.motofotostudio.com/2012/08/24/a-well-preserved-body-the-bikeriders/ http://www.motofotostudio.com/2012/08/24/a-well-preserved-body-the-bikeriders/#comments Fri, 24 Aug 2012 14:25:30 +0000 Todd Halterman http://www.motorcycleinsurance.com/?p=16408

Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, in a cloud of smoke, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming, ‘Wow! What a Ride!’

- Hunter S. Thompson

Photo by motofotostudio at the 2012 Mount Garfield motorcycle hillclimb nationals…

]]> http://www.motofotostudio.com/2012/08/24/a-well-preserved-body-the-bikeriders/feed/ 0 http://www.motofotostudio.com/2012/08/17/old-skool-motorcycle-camping/ http://www.motofotostudio.com/2012/08/17/old-skool-motorcycle-camping/#comments Fri, 17 Aug 2012 21:06:53 +0000 Todd Halterman http://www.motorcycleinsurance.com/?p=16288

Motorcycle camping, the old skool way...

 
Sooner or later, you’re going to feel the urge to just get on the bike and ride.

There are lots of reasons for the itch. Relationship blew up. Bored with your nine-to-five. Changes of circumstances of all stripe.

And when you do, you’ve got lots of options on where to go and what to do once you’re there.

Here are a few tips on how you can make yourself comfortable – or not.

 

The Best of the Best Top Motorcycle Roads in America

 

Motorcycle Camping – The Guide To Traveling Light and Rough on Your Bike

 

Motorcycle Camping – The Guide To Traveling Light and Rough on Your Bike Part Two

 

Motorcycle Camping – The Guide To Traveling Light and Rough on Your Bike

 

The Top Fifteen Motorcycle Riding Trips in the USA – And Our List of Hidden Gems

]]> http://www.motofotostudio.com/2012/08/17/old-skool-motorcycle-camping/feed/ 0 http://www.motofotostudio.com/2012/07/19/the-best-of-the-best-top-motorcycle-roads-in-america/ http://www.motofotostudio.com/2012/07/19/the-best-of-the-best-top-motorcycle-roads-in-america/#comments Thu, 19 Jul 2012 13:36:57 +0000 Todd Halterman http://www.motorcycleinsurance.com/?p=15647 It’s been a pretty horrible couple of weeks for the American Motorcycle Association. The scandal over the AMA’s Hall of Fame induction process quickly gave the group a pair of black eyes and loosened up a few teeth, but the Hall of Fame isn’t all the association does with their time.

The also offer some excellent safety information, sponsor racing events across the nation in a variety of disciplines and offer their advice on a wide range of motorcycle-related topics.

American Motorcyclist magazine, the in-house organ of The American Motorcycle Association has released it’s list of the top 15 motorcycle roads in the United States, based on votes from AMA members.

If you ever get the chance to ride any of the roads in the list, do it, you won’t be sorry.

1. Beartooth Highway (Between MT and WY)
2. Blue Ridge Parkway (NC)
3. U.S. Route 129 – The Tail of the Dragon (NC/TN Border)
4. U.S. Route 550 (Ouray to Durango, CO)
5. California Route 1 – Pacific Coast Highway (CA)
6. Going to the Sun Road, Glacier National Park (MT)
7. Cherohala Skyway (NC and TN)
8. California Route 36 (CA)
9. U.S. Route 12 – Lolo Pass (MT and ID)
10. Angeles Crest Highway – California Route 2 (CA)
11. Natchez Trace (Natchez, MS to Nashville, TN)
12. U.S. Route 33 (Harrisonburg, VA to Seneca Rocks, WV)
13. California Route 58 (McKittrick to Santa Margarita CA)
14. Ohio Route 170 (Calcutta to Poland, OH)
15. Washington Route 129 and Oregon Route 3 (Clarkston, WA to Enterprise, OR)

But We Say the Best Rides Are All In the Midwest

I-135 from Bloomington, Indiana to the Ohio River at the border.

Most sections of the run include sharp turns which lead to breathtaking climbs and descents. The fall colors are awesome, and Brown County and the northern tip of the route is a camping and hiking mecca.

M 119 from Mackinaw City, Michigan to Harbor Springs, Michigan.

This ride follows the Lake Michigan lakeshore through what the locals call the “tunnel of trees,” and features perfect road surfaces and stunning scenery. Do yourself a favor and stop in lovely Wequetonsing, Michigan to see how the other half lives along Little Traverse Bay.

Want to forge your own path and ignore the excellent advice we’ve put together? Yeah, we know, you’re a rebel and you have to go your own way.

The AAA Triptik Travel Planner can give you an excellent starting point for your journey.

Now that you’re ready to roll and you’ve picked your route and destination, here are a few things to consider to make sure your trip goes off without a hitch:

]]> http://www.motofotostudio.com/2012/07/19/the-best-of-the-best-top-motorcycle-roads-in-america/feed/ 0