Supra kicks are dope

All of us are sneaker heads (some of us more than others). So what are THE dope kicks right now? One word. Supras.

Some of y'all know all about them. Some of you have never heard of them. They are skate shoes--kind of like vans but higher-end and higher quality. The reason they stand out is that they're built with the goal of protecting a skater's foot. So in addition to having a nice soft flat sole, they have good padding around the foot and a layer of neoprene padding above the toe which makes these shoes as great for riding as they are for skateboarding.

While the low tops look a lot like other skate shoes, the high-top versions such as the Muska Skytop and the TK Society are distinctive and the only ones I would actually buy--seeing as you're riding a motorcycle, you need the coverage anyway. I've just about worn my old Muska Skytops into the dirt and need a new pair asap.

The Skytops pictured are new for the 2010 holiday season and are FRESH! I'm a huge fan of suede Skytops and the black colorway with red accents is dope. The Skytop IIs just recently came out but I'm not sure what I think of them yet. I keep looking at them at the Zumiez in Tysons Corner but I'm trying not to act on my impulses quite yet.

Adventures in Sportbike Riding

I thought everyone might be amused by this exchange:

To Whom It May Concern,

Thank you for considering my application. As a former Baltimore City Public School Teacher, it has been a dream of mine to teach again--and a subject matter for which I am very passionate.

I am writing to explain the context of my receiving a ticket for going 10 mph over the speed limit on I-270 towards Washington. I was merging onto the I-270 express lanes from the Sam Eig ramp when a truck going about 10 mph over was dropping debris from his load. The debris appeared to be pieces of broken drywall about the size of small envelopes. I determined that this posed a serious hazard and began the task of passing the truck on the fast lane. Almost as soon as I began accelerating to pass I was radar gunned by a police officer on the shoulder. I explained my predicament to the officer and he told me that I would have to explain it in court. When I explained it in court, the judge told me that instead of passing the truck, I should have slowed down. When I explained that this would pose a hazard as it is especially dangerous to ride slower than the pace of traffic on the highway, he seemed unimpressed. In essence, he seemed like someone who had never ridden a motorcycle. I left the court defeated, and as I recall, $180 poorer.

What I didn't know, until very recently examining my record, is that the judge slapped me with 2 points. To make matters worse, I found out this could jeopardize my becoming a Rider Coach--something I've been dreaming of doing ever since I took the Motorcycle Safety Course myself.

In the two and a half years that I have been riding motorcycles, I have clocked over 35,000 miles on my Yamaha FZR and Honda VFR. Most of these miles are commuter miles on 495 and 270--highways notoriously treacherous for motorcycles. I feel I have something to contribute in the way of real world knowledge.

Please excuse this hiccup in my driving record. I am a safe rider and my otherwise unblemished record shows this. Thank you for your consideration.

Thank You,
-Stanton Byrd

Response:

Stanton,

I received your application from Shaun Anderson at Montgomery College. Thank you for your note with an explanation for your speeding ticket. I am going to accept your application, but you need to be aware that if you get another citation and additional points on your record you will very likely be dismissed from the Instructor Prep Course.

The situation you describe that resulted in your being cited is not uncommon. My guess is that how you executed your maneuver is what attracted the attention of Officer Friendly with the speed honesty checker. Sure, getting out from behind the truck to avoid the falling debris was a good choice, but going to WARP wasn't.

The fact that you were on a sport bike probably didn't help the situation either. However, you'd think that the fact that you pulled over might have been considered in your favor.

You've taken the BRC so you know that part of it addresses a road management strategy where you need to consider consequences. As an Instructor you will be a role model. Yellow lights mean stop and the contact patches of both tires will remain in contact with the road surface.

I'll be forwarding you an email about the IP BRC2 this Saturday.

Phillip S.

Manager
Motorcycle Safety Program
Driver Instructional Services Division
Motor Vehicle Administration

Flyboymotochic

The vision of my blog is basically this: Accept motorcycles for what they are to many of us--an outlet for self expression and the ultimate fashion accessory. My idea is to create a forum for sharing ideas about bikes, fashion and ever-evolving trends.

The inspiration behind this is our own motorcycle club, Fly Boys. We are a burgeoning club--we are small but we have a lot of heart. We recruit members by literally talking to riders in the streets at stop signs and chatting up folks at bike nights. While our bikes are shiny and a little loud like everyone else's, one thing stands out; our fashion efforts exceed those of most of our peers.

The blog, at least initially, will obviously reflect the latest obsessions of the club. However, as this will be an open forum for discussion, ultimately I want to invite submissions, pictures, whatever! I hope to be the curator of a collection of ideas and make this blog a destination for the intersection of motorcycles and fashion.