Friday Fudge

Welcome to Friday Fudge. If it’s weird, funny, or strange motorcycle news, or it just plain won’t fit anywhere else on the site – you’ll find it here.


Breaking gridlock

Josefina Vazquez Mota arrives to register for the upcoming federal election via motorcycle. Photo: © REUTERS/Edgard Garrido

Politicians often use motorcycles as a way to boost their street cred – see Sarah Palin and Vladimir Putin as examples – but Mexican presidential candidate Josefina Vazquez Mota put a Kawasaki to another use last week. In a wild move rarely seen by the political set, she used it for transportation.

See, Vazquez Mota was stuck in traffic last week on her way to the Federal Electoral Institute, to register for the July 1 election. She had the sense, though, to see a solution to her gridlock woes; she hitched a ride to the ceremony on the back of an unknown man’s Kawasaki.

Will Vazquez Mota become Mexico’s first female president? We won’t know until July, but we can certainly hope she makes a strong showing. After all, motorcyclists everywhere could use a strong leader who realizes the true value of two-wheelers.


High-piped hijinks

The Triumph Scrambler is pretty versatile for a traditonally-styled motorcycle. Check out the video below to see pro freestyler Ernie “EDUB” Vigil put the bike through its paces.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CyJZQIViejQ

Trouble brewing

Is this the drug that's fueling outlaw biker violence?

Amphetamine-fuelled outlaw biker brawls used to be pretty restricted to seedy bars and dingy back alleys. But as we saw last year, the bloody set-em-up, knock-em-down fisticuffs are moving to a new arena: coffee shops.

And as it turns out, the caffeine-crazed crims are still at it. Orlando Jesus Rodriguez, an alleged member of the ‘Wanted’ motorcycle gang, is in trouble with the law in California after cops say he beat down an alleged Hells Angels associate.

The location of the alleged crowbar crackdown? Why, a friendly neighbourhood coffee shop. While we’ve all viewed coffee as a relatively harmless substance, maybe it’s time to revisit that idea – it seems to attract gang violence. Given the growing trend towards a nanny-state government, we wouldn’t be surprised if we see a government crackdown on java.

Still, we suspect you’re safe at your local Tim Hortons. It’s true that at this time of year, they start to get overrun with V-twin riders dressed like bandits, but rest assured none of them would harm you – dentists and lawyers and the like would much rather take your money by methods that society smiles on.

Story source: KTVU


A wild helmet

Motorcyclists, bikesploitation films tell us, are all animals. The maker of this custom helmet would agree.


Ride off to the sunset

Sick and tired of the rat race? Why not stick it to the Man, buy a motorcycle and ride off into the sunset? Check out this short film from Jon Beck that should inspire you to live your dreams, instead of boosting your manager’s stock options.

1 COMMENT

  1. Oh I dunno guys, that was a pretty cool video and I was impressed with the versatility of the bike.
    It’s more dramatic to see something perform where it’s not expected, than for something to do a job it was intended.

  2. The Triumph scrambler video has the reverse effect on me: it only serves to show how superior are dual-sports –  bikes like DRZ400s, XR650Ls, et al.   Compared to the Triumph there would be a lot less foot dropping and a lot more jumping, flying ability.  Less spills, more thrills.  But alas, you don’t get to feign McQueen when parking at the nearest ‘buckies.

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