 |
Like a lot of people I suppose, I think somehow I was born with a passion for riding motorcycles. It was'nt until I was 9 years old that I discovered it, and after 2 full years of moping my parents finally agreed to let me get my first bike -- a 1972 TS-50.
Since then I've owned dozens of bikes and have memories of a million rides. I grew up on dirt bikes and still love it. I spent the first half of my adult life riding sport bikes. Now that the folly of youth is wearing off a little bit, I like to go cruising with my friends.
Along the way, I did manage to capture a few of those rides on video. I surely did enjoy making them, so here they are in case you might enjoy watching them. -- Paul
|
1986 Sport Ride - Featuring "La Villa Strangata" soundtrack |
 |
I made this 10 minute video in 1986 using a vintage Beaulieu super-8 camera mounted on the tank of my 1984 Ninja 900. The film was edited with scissors and scotch tape until it matched the cassete recording I had of Rush's La Villa Strangata. Later it was transfered to VHS tape by playing the film on the wall and video taping it with my brothers very expensive and very large video camera. The video is bad, but is does capture some of the riding we did "back in the day" when I was a young man in Las Cruces New Mexico. Actually, this was filmed during a "reunion ride" after I had moved on to Albuquerque. I remember being bummed about it because we were riding so slow in our old age -- out of practice. I wished I had had a camera available a few years earlier when every weekend we were either racing in the WERA or absolutely scalding the roads in NM.
|
Sport Ride - Highland Valley Road |
 |
This 20 minute video was made on Highland Valley Road -- one of my favorite local rides that is only about a half hour from my house. The camera is mounted to the tank of my ZX-6R. My riding buddy is Xtreme Revolution president Rob Benson on his GSXR-1000. Fortunately during the filming of this ride, I was not totally smoked by any of the super-talented So-Cal riders that buzz up and down this road every Sunday.
|
Desert Ride - McCain's Valley |
 |
This 20 minute video was taken at McCain's Valley -- one of my favorite local off-road areas. It's kinda like a big hot-wheels track in the desert. McCain's Valley is right at the top of the Tecate Divide at about 3500 ft elevation. I think the reason I like it so much is that the riding is very much like the high deserts of New Mexico where I grew up. The camera is mounted to my helmet and I'm riding my XR-650. My son James is riding with me on his XR-250.
|
Dune Ride - Glammis Sand Dunes |
 |
This 20 minute video was taken at the Glammis Sand Dunes in Southern California. My son James and I used to go camping there often. It's a fun place to ride in the daytime, rather surreal. The dunes are huge and go on for a hundred miles. On a two-wheeler, you have to keep your speed up or you will just sink into the sand. At night the place always turns into a pretty crazy party -- sorta like a Mad Max movie. The camera is mounted to my helmet and I'm riding my (heavy) XR-650. James is on his XR-250.
|
