Mati Ride: Sep 16, 2007

Let there be no doubt about it.

The Agilas ride!

The 400 kilometer ride to Glan two weeks ago was followed by a 360 kilometer ride from Davao to Mati and back.

Fifteen motorcycles (plus 3 guest riders) comprised the fascinating caravan of bikes gliding through the twists and turns of the of the (sadly deteriorating) mountain roads like a snake gracefully slithering through the grass.

Special awards are due to Joy who rode pillion on hubby Roy’s sportsbike during the whole duration of the trip, and to Rez, who while also riding pillion to hubby Rene’s cruiser, still managed to catch a few winks, even if the roads weren’t exactly smooth.

Glan Ride: Sep 2, 2007

Approx. 400 kms from Davao to Glan and back. Ride details to follow real soon. Meantime, let us enjoy the pictures.

Motorcycle exclusions by Randy David

...."I suddenly became aware that a simple distinction based on engine displacement had quietly acquired a class undertone. The big bike is no longer just a heavy machine; it has become a signifier of social exclusion. The unverbalized resentment that this breeds may sometimes be felt in the awkward social distance that segregates big bikers from the small “underbone” riders in gas stations where they congregate for their Sunday rides. There is an easy camaraderie among big bikers that is symbolized by the quick friendly wave on the road, but I have to admit this is not something customarily given to fellow riders on underbones"...

The complete Inquirer article here.

GMall BikeWeek

I took a peek at the motorcycles on display (until the 9th) at GMall last Thursday and saw, among others, two new 1800 VTX’s, a Harley Davidson Softtail, and a VMAX, all shiny and new.

What got my fancy were a Honda CRF 450 and a CRF 250. The CRF 450 was going for PhP390K. The owner of the CRR 250, I was told, had no intention of selling it.

Most people, however, were clearly enamored and attracted to the modified underbones, with flashing lights, LCD monitors, and sometimes garishly spray painted frames.

Ohmar’s response on why he refused to go and see the show: “naka-display kasi di binebiyahe.” True. Pero, ingit pa rin ako sa CRF.

Something's just not right....

Interesting Links (Not Biker related)

How long will you live?
The Interactive Pistol

Places I scan daily: Arts and Letters Daily, Marginal Revolution, Freakonomics Blog, Davao Blogspace.

Also, visit Mabel’s new Blog.

Daniel the Dirt Biker

Not only does our club president enjoy zipping through the straights and leaning his Virago 1100 hard down the curves, he also loves doing jumps and wheelies on his XRL 200.

A dirt bike caucus for the Agilas is surely coming real soon now.

Calling on Mayong, Roy, Ohmar and the others. Gentlemen, let us hit the (rough) road.

The Agilas at the Kadayawan 2007 Parade

What happened was proof enough that we should not be joining parades.

We arrived early but the parade started late. And when the parade finally started moving, we would ride the bikes for a few meters then would have to stop again. (It seems the parade organizers were waiting for some VIP’s to arrive and occupy their exalted seats before allowing the parade to pass the reviewing stage.) The weather was warm, warm, warm and the road and engines hot, so much so that some bikes died because the engines had overheated or because the repeated turning on and turning off of the engines had drained the power out of the batteries. And took practically half a day to traverse the short distance from Magsaysay Street to City Hall.

On the other hand the parade was an opportunity to polish and show off the bikes and wear the complete biker garb. And with Solomon running the trike in reverse and making it do tight turns, and seeing Ronnie wearing a Greek-inspired helmet, all macho and wowing the crowd, one has to concede that being part of the parade also had its advantages.

So, it seems, the Agilas will again be joining these parades in the future.

Thanks to Lovelove for the picture.