Currently on display at Big Valley Honda.

We have two restored vintage bikes by Peter Beers with help from Peter Hipp. A vintage XL250 and SL350. We also have a deconstructed 2012 Honda Rancher AT. This display is part of a national Honda display contest.  Both will be on display for a limited time so stop by today and check them out.

We are closing out all trailers in stock. All prices drastically reduced to move. Sale is limited to trailers in stock. So hurry because they won’t last.

See a better price somewhere else? Call us we’re willing to negotiate.

*Sale prices do not include tax or fees.

2006 Shorelander
Model BK1200
Three rail motorcycle trailer.
Was: $1,099.99   *NOW: $799

2007 Shorelander
Model UT215
ATV Trailer.
Was: $1,999.99   *NOW: $1,199

2006 Zieman
Model F68 SL
ATV Trailer.
Was: $1,499.99   *NOW: $999

2007 Shorelander
Model BK1200PWC
Single watercraft trailer, jack, 10″ wheels.
Was: $1,399.99   *NOW: $999

2007 Shorelander
Model UT324S
ATV Trailer.
Was: $2,099.99   *NOW: $1,599

2009 Shorelander
Model PS5X10
Deluxe ATV Trailer.
Was: $2,499.99   *NOW: $1,699

USED 2007 Shorelander
Model: Voyager
Deluxe two place watercraft trailer. Spare tire, jack, 14″ wheels, storage platform.
Was: $1,999.99   *NOW: $1,499

CBR1000RR Visualize the Passion, Behind the Scenes & Additional Images.

Additional photos from the shoot. Desktop Wallpapers. Plus a quick look into what it takes to make our print ads. Why we go to such lengths. Why we love what we do.

by: Zach Settewongse (there may be spelling errors, get over it)

Visualize the Passion

Each ad begins with chocolate. What? I know you’re already confused; let me explain. The deadlines for the ads is short and to create something unique each and every other week takes creativity, dedication, a lot of hours, love for the work, and chocolate. One large chocolate bar and the sugar induced creative process begins.  So for our latest ads I was inspired by the look of the current minimalist fashion ads. We’ve all seen ad after ad of the girl in the bikini posing all sexy with a bike. They are nice to look at but not much of a creative challenge.  Plus there is something way sexier about an empowered woman shrouded in a hint of mystery. If each person that looks at the ad takes away a slightly different feeling it’s successful. If it makes you think about it, even for a second, positive or negative it’s successful. OK enough of the creative mumbo jumbo.

The Process: I knew I wanted to do a sportbike ad with some sex appeal. The black 2011 CBR1000RR definitely fits. The silver accents throughout the bike make it one of the best looking sportbikes on the market. So with a bike that screams handling, power, passion, and sex appeal I set out to find it’s seducer. Once again we use Amanda Pollard; who we will most likely continue to use. She seems to always put that extra effort into each project and that’s what our dealerships are about. It’s harder than it seems to help unload all the gear, the bike, set up, change into a sexy dress, and then pose for four hours on a unseasonably cold night. Most professional models I have worked with would never help set up. Amanda has a passion for the projects, and does what it takes to make the ads perfect. This is something we see with her everyday as she works the parts counter. It’s why when you come into our dealership you know every effort to get it right has been taken.

The Dress: We spent a few hours searching for the right dress. I knew the dress used was going to be key. It had to compliment the sexy black CBR1000RR. We found it and it was stunning; unfortunately so was the price tag. It was far beyond the very modest budget for the ads. However if you’re going to do something there is no sense in not doing it to the fullest. So out with my personal credit card. What is a few hundred dollars when the results are exactly what I imaged. I love what I do and I had to have that dress.

The Results: Below are the result of the ad shoot. In the end we shot 467 RAW 25MB images. Narrowed those down to twenty or so images and then I chose two for the ads. It was a very hard choice, but the deadline to submit the ad had to be met. The ads can be seen in print in September/ October (depending on the market; we have multiple stores). Included below are several of the best shots (untouched) and a few desktop background size images for you to download. Enjoy

The Final Ads:

1680×1050 Desktop Wallpapers:

Additional Images from the Sept shoot:

Around the World on a Honda XR250

Without much of a plan, just a desire to explore the world one man sets out on a Honda XR250. Sometimes it doesn’t take much but a sense of adventure and a motorcycle, to have the experience of a lifetime.

by: Zach Settewongse (there may be spelling errors, get over it)

And you thought you were hardcore.

Tuesday morning, June 9^th, 2009 I meet Fujimoto Shuzo. “Call me Mr. Moto” he said as he bowed his head. He was a humble man from Japan who walked into Big Valley Honda looking for a new set of tires. It wasn’t until I went outside and looked at Mr. Moto’s motorcycle that I realized I was witnessing something special. There in front of me was a fatigued Honda XR250R with what looked like the entire contents of Mr. Moto’s house strapped to the back. As I looked at the Japanese license plate I was in awe.

While our service department went to work replacing the tires and oil on Mr. Moto’s motorcycle I couldn’t help myself from conversing with him. It was at that time I asked Mr. Moto to be my guest for the night. I had to learn more about his journey.

Mr. Moto is a 58 year old retired kimono/ samurai costume maker for the Japanese theater. He set out on his journey from Toyama Port in Japan in January of 2008. His goal; to travel around the world and see it all. His plan? He really didn’t have one except to let the sights and the people along the way guide his journey.  With a top speed of only 65mph downhill and an average speed of 40mph he began his journey into Siberia. Amazingly Mr. Moto on his meager Honda XR250 would cross Russia, Kazakhstan, Finland, Sweden, Norway, Germany, Poland, Belarus, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Austria, Italy, Switzerland, France, Spain, and then by boat to Cape Horn in South America. From there he traveled up the west coast of Chile along the Andes Mountains, back across to Argentina, and then Brazil, Peru, Equator, Cayenne, Suriname, Guyana, and Venezuela.

The Darien Gap was next and Mr. Moto said he considered trying to cross this 100 mile swath of undeveloped jungle with no roads but he was convinced otherwise. Fearing being kidnapped by gorillas he decided to make his way around the gap by boat to Panama. From there he journeyed though Panama, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico, and up the coast of Baja.

“Do You have Marijuana?” is what Mr. Moto said the US customs officers at the border kept asking him. Entering into the US was his most difficult border crossing. Until then he was able to bribe the officers along his journey with money and pass without hassle. After dismantling and searching his entire cargo he was finally able to enter the US.

Into LA and then through the mountains to Yosemite National Park, Mr. Moto eyes lit up as he explained that this was the most beautiful place he had seen on his journey. Finally Mr. Moto made his way to Big Valley Honda in Reno where our paths crossed and I was able to meet this amazing adventurer.

As I watched Mr. Moto leaving Reno in the rearview mirror traveling at 50-55mph on the freeway with a line of cars behind him, I had to chuckle to myself in disbelief of what he had accomplished so far on that strained 2006 Honda XR250. One day I thought, one day I’ll set out on a similar journey. For now I will dream through Mr. Moto’s stories.

Mr. Moto planes to continue north to the California Redwoods and along the scenic Highway 101 to Seattle. Then north to Vancouver Canada where he plans to see Canada, get a glimpse of Alaska and travel from a port in Canada to Australia. After traversing Australia he finally plans to head home to Japan and share the stories of his adventures with his two daughters.

UPDATE: Original article was written in 2010. Since leaving Mr. Moto continued on his journey until he had a mechanical failure in Portland, OR. Another great dealership in the Honda family took him in. Because his bike is a Japanese model they could not get the specific parts necessary to fix it. So at no cost they had the parts machined and Mr. Moto was on his way in a few days. In my correspondence with the dealership in OR they told some great stories of the slide show party they hosted featuring Mr. Moto’s photos.

I received a letter from Mr. Moto a few months ago thanking me for my hospitality. I should have been the one thanking Mr. Moto for his inspiration. He was back in Japan, doing well, and planning his next adventure.

SAVE $1600 on a Honda VFR1200f

We have ONE 2010 Honda VFR1200f left but we need to sell it before the end of the month. So we LOWERED the PRICE as far as we possibly could and YOU CAN OWN IT TODAY.

Normal MSRP $15,999

+ TAX, LIC, FEES

THIS MONTH ONLY

$14,399

+ TAX, LIC, FEES

Learn more about the Honda VRF1200f >

INSIDE our latest AD photo shoot.

Armed with new camera gear and a new parts associate/ model we set out to make a new Honda CB1000R ad. The FINAL AD is below as well as several photos from the shoot.

by: Zach Settewongse (there may be spelling errors, get over it)

This last week I acquired some new photo gear. Thank God for internet contest! I’m not saying the shops $200 snap and shoot that we normally use hasn’t suited us well, but it’s time has come. So armed with a camera package that cost more than my vehicle I set out to create our first full page ad. As luck would have it our new associate Amanda (Parts Dept. Reno location) is one of those people who looks great in front of the camera. Grr, don’t you just hate those people? We’ll we don’t hate her. She’s not just a stunning model, she’s great with customers and knows her stuff. Her daily ride is a CBR600RR but that’s another story.

So where were we? Oh yeah the photo shoot. I actually doubt anyone has read this far down the page; I’m assuming you’re all looking at the photos by now. However for those who are still interested. First part of making the ad is the concept. Usually I have the image in my head first and then find all the visual pieces. This time I came up with ”When The Zombie Apocalypse Happens, You’re Going To Need To Move Fast” first. From there the next step was visualizing the ad. I came up with two concepts, one of which is still being worked on in Photoshop. The second is the ad you see below. Next was finding a location. The plan was to use a parking garage but while driving to the location came upon this one. Then the easy part, the photos.

Luckily Amanda is one of those people who focuses and gives it her best. If the model or actor your working with is not dedicated it shows. Trust me I know. Since the ad is supposed to be 30 Days After a Zombie Apocalypse we decided that Amanda’s make up should be minimal. I then told her to bring a variety of clothing and I chose items that were intentionally mismatched. After all if you’re on the run from zombies you’re probably not planning out a matching outfit. It did take some convincing when it came to the socks but luckily Amanda trusted my vision. In the end I think the socks really worked.

So the last part is just to composite the piece in Photoshop. Even though it may seem like one photo with some text the final ad is actually four photos combined. Multiple focus points and f-stop setting for different elements. For example, I knew I had copy (text) that would occupy the top right, so the building in the background was shot at several exposures. Then there are all the corrections, textures, and elements added. The final ad is a composite of over 40+ layers in Photoshop. Sounds like a lot but not really. We’ll that’s it; enjoy the photos.

THE FINAL HONDA CB1000R AD

PURSUIT SKILLS

We all know the feeling of looking in the mirror and seeing those flashing lights. It sucks! However when it comes down to it Motor Cops are motorcycle riders at heart. Those that I have known personally are actually great guys. Think about it, chasing down people on your bike with lights flashing. The kid in most of us knows exactly the appeal.

So how good are the Motor Cops? We searched the web for some of the best Motor Cop Competition & Demonstration videos. Enjoy.

Japanese Motor Police Demonstration

2010 Southwest Police Motor Competition Winning Run

Grand Prairie Police Motorcycle Rodeo – April 30, 2011

Is Human Flight Here? The Jet Propelled Wearable Wing.

VIDEO & PHOTOS

We look at Yves Rossy the Jetman and ask the question we have all dreamed of since we were a child. Is human flight possible? Simple answer yes. Will you be able to fly yourself anytime soon? That’s a bit more complicated.

by: Zach Settewongse (there may be spelling errors, get over it)

I’ve rode sportbikes since I was fifteen and from the first day I wanted to go faster, to push the envelope further. As I rode through the canyons I felt as if I was flying through them. I dove into the turns on more than one occasion pretending I was a jet pilot. I thought nothing could be better. Then in 2006 I saw Yves Rossy and his first prototype jet wing fly through the air. At the time I thought it was the coolest thing I had ever seen. How much longer till those wings are available to the public? Will that even happen? Will I be able to get one? Those were the questions I was asking and still am asking today.

Because of those questions I have been following Yves Rossy closely as he develops the jet wing. To date Yves has designed several prototypes variations of the jet wing. The jet wing constantly is improving, however there have been risk. Yves has had to deploy his parachute over twenty times during test. Test in which he lost control or became disoriented. Despite all the risk the wing is improving. Yves can now not only maintain level flight but climb during flight. In 2010 he stunned the world again by completing the first loop during flight.

There have been over fifteen variations of the jet wing prototype to date and Yves has gained several corporate sponsorships to help fund the development of the wing. With each prototype the wing improves and the dream of a jet wing for the rest of us looks at least possible. Best case is that there is a variation of the wing available for purchase in a few years. If not at least those of us that dream to can learn from Yves wing and emulate it by studying his design and attempt to build one ourselves. Of course even if one could purchase a wing the training to get to the level of attempting to fly it would be intense. While I think a wing for those highly trained individuals is only a few years off a wing that just anyone could operate is decades away. A wing for everyone would almost have to fly itself and have multiple computer aided safeguards built into it. For me I’d rather have the wing that requires serious training with the risk of death being very real.

Yves Rossy was born on August 27th, 1959 in Switzerland and started his career as a Swiss Jet Pilot. Later Yves worked as a commercial airline pilot and started spending his spare time working on his human wing. The first variation of the wing was a flexible inflatable wing. Yves then built a rigid prototype with two jet engines from a model airplane. With that wing he was able to maintain level flight. Then he added two more engines to the wing and was finally able to climb like a bird and achieve his dream. It took him 10 years and 15 prototypes to do it but he did. Yves can soar through the air for 10 minutes at a time and uses his body to steer the wing. He has an altimeter and throttle control in his hand and a parachute on his back. The most current prototype is carbon fiber and has been developed in a wind tunnel.

Yeves Rossy Achievements:

2002 Crossed the Lake of Geneva with an inflatable wing.

2006 First sustained level human flight of over 5 minutes with the first rigid wing.

2008 First official flight for the press in which he flew over 5 minutes and climbed in altitude.

2008 First flight over the English Channel.

2009 First attempted intercontinental flight.

2010 First human flight aerial loop.

2011 First flight over the grand Canyon.

You can learn more about Yves Rossy by visiting his website or by simply searching YouTube and watching the videos of his flights. Hopefully they will inspire you to realize that anything is possible if you just put everything you have into it. I know he has inspired me and for that I thank Yves Rossy for his achievements.

Jetman.com

VIDEO

Flight Over Grand Canyon

First Aerial Loop

First Flight in 2006

Ben Bostrom to make MotoGP Debut at Red Bull U.S. GP at Laguna Seca

Article By: Henny Ray Abrams 

Ben Bostrom may or may not be the oldest rider to make his MotoGP debut, but one thing’s unquestionable – he’s certainly the most enthusiastic.

The 37-year-old former AMA Superbike Champion and current Michael Jordan Motorsports Suzuki rider will make his MotoGP debut on the LCR Honda MotoGP Team RC212V as Toni Elias’s teammate in this weekend’s 10th round of the MotoGP World Championship, the Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.  Rather than being daunted by the challenge of racing on the Honda RC212V on Bridgestone tires against the best road racers in the world, Bostrom sees it as an opportunity and a chance to shine some light on the AMA Superbike Series.

Bostrom turned Pro in 1990 racing dirt track before later moving into road racing. Having spent most of his life at the race track, both on the dirt and pavement, as well as racing in World Superbike, Bostrom thought the chance to line up against the world’s best had passed. But with the collaboration of his Jordan Motorsports team, American Suzuki, and LCR Honda MotoGP Team owner Lucio Cecchinello, Bostrom is living a dream.

“We’ve had past offers and shots at riding,” Bostrom began, but added that contracts to a specific company meant “they just say no anyway, so I was very lucky. I mean, I can’t believe the effort and collaboration they put in together to make this thing happen [he said of LCR team owner Lucio Cecchinello, Jordan Motorsports, and American Suzuki]. “I’ve got to thank American Suzuki for letting me ride. It was beyond my expectation.”

Asked if he ever thought he’d get the opportunity to race a GP, he said, “No, for sure not . Even in the past when the things were put out there and offered and I was like, ‘No, I’m contracted to this company and that company.’ At one point I even asked and they were like, ‘Oh no. That can’t happen, obviously.’ And I just thought, well, it’ll never happen here, unless through some tragic crash of another rider where he gets hurt and breaks himself up and can’t ride that event on the same brand; what’s the chance of that happening? And you don’t wish that upon anybody, anyway. It’s unbelievable.”

He continued. “It’s crazy that it actually happened. When they first started talking about it, which was really recently, it was just kind of like a dream. ‘I doubt that’ll happen.’ It’s one of those things you just kinda entertain, but you don’t actually think it’s going to happen because you don’t want to get your hopes up. So that’s where I was at until just the other day, and I said, ‘Holy cow.’ American Suzuki let us do it and I can’t thank them enough. And, you know, Honda had to collaborate and tires and everything just had to come together and the Jordan Motorsports guys were amazing at taking care of it and working with Team LCR and making it happen.”

Last year, his Jordan Suzuki teammate Roger Lee Hayden used a weekend off from riding the Pedercini Kawasaki in World Superbike for a one-off ride in place of the injured Randy de Puniet. Hayden comported himself well, finishing a creditable 11th out of 17. Bostrom is hoping he can bring more fans to AMA with his ride.

“I’m only guessing and hoping that it’s really good for our sport, because you have an American AMA Superbike rider who gets to ride MotoGP,” Bostrom said. “Just from the rumor side, I got a whole bunch more Twitter followers. It keeps happening every day and I think just because we’re taking a little bit of those fans – ‘Oh, AMA Superbike’ – and they’re starting to follow us.” Once the rumor becomes a reality, “it might actually open up more eyes to our sport as well.”

For Sunday’s race, which precedes the AMA Superbike race, his plan is to “go out there and do my best to kick ass and put that bike up front and help put our series on the map.”

Bostrom has done well at Laguna Seca. His best weekend came in 2001 when he swept both legs of the World Superbike double-header on the L&M Ducati 996R. The wins came in the middle of his most successful stretch in WSB-the Laguna wins were the second and third of five wins in a row-and in a season in which he finished a career best third in the championship.

Bostrom also won a leg of the WSB weekend as a wild card in 1999 for the Vance & Hines Ducati team. On the AMA side, he won the Superbike race last year, passing Josh Hayes on the 15th of 23 laps and holding him off by .440 sec. Bostrom also won the Superbike race at Laguna Seca in 2004, a year in which he doubled by also winning the Formula Xtreme race. And he also has a Supersport win aboard a Yamaha in 2008.

Facing off against Stoner and Lorenzo and Dovizioso and Rossi and Spies on a motorcycle and tires he’s never raced doesn’t faze the hyper-fit Malibu resident. Targeting a top ten finish isn’t enough of a goal, he’s thinking closer to the top five.

“I’m expecting more than people think I should expect, but that’s alright,” he said.

Article from Cycle News

For more coverage of MotoGP, check out the digital version of Cycle News at http://cyclenews.coverleaf.com/cyclenews.

7-19-2011