January 29, 2010

We're all moved and set up! It was especially nice to have an entire week of sunny 60 degree weather right away! I've been steadily filling sticker orders and doing rough designs on 2010 shirts. There should be some great stuff coming out later this season, so save your money and buy all of it! The new race operation is coming together quite nicely too. With the lack of Supermoto here in Texas, we're going to dive back in to the Texas State Enduro Championship. I love this format of racing, and the crew that I race with is an absolute blast. I'm planning to race the entire series, as well as supplement some of the Oklahoma Supermoto and possibly sneak up to Colorado for a round or two of the Supermoto5280 Series. For more info on the Enduro Circuit, visit http://www.tscec.org/

January 6, 2010

Welcome to 2010! The New Year brings yet another new life! I'm relocating to North Texas once again to be closer to my family. "Uncle J" is coming home! As difficult as it is to leave the amazing life we've built in Colorado, my roots are in North Texas. I've got a handful of beautiful nieces, a wiry nephew, and an always growing family that I'm really looking forward to being close to. To all of you racers and friends here in Colorado, I'll miss you. You'll never know how much this year has meant to me. 2009 was the best year of my life thus far, and I thank you all for that. Now it's time to one-up it in 2010. Watch the expansion this year. A full race team is in the works, as is an incredible product launch, and additional retail locations! Vita Brevis will continue to grow and expand in 2010, but at a rate never seen before. I'm looking forward to 2010, and I hope each and every one of you are as well.

Happy New Year everyone!

November 14, 2009

Wheels are on, suspension rebuilt, bike looks great! Once again, huge thanks to Epic Motosports and Supermoto 5280!

New Epic Motosports Chain Guard also installed!

November 10, 2009

What a GREAT night! The Supermoto 5280 awards banquet took place Saturday night at Brooklyn's by the Pepsi Center. Great attendance, nearly all the faces from this season's racing were there! Great food abounded, and cold drinks flowed nicely as we all kicked back for some great awards presented by Epic Motosports, Warp 9 Wheels, Skull Candy, American Supercamp, Sisneros Speed Works, MrD Exhausts, and others.

Yours truly came through with a season championship in the Novice Class! I was incredibly pumped just to get the trophy, so when they handed me a trophy, plaque, champagne, AND a free pass to an American Supercamp of my choice, my grin was ear to ear. Huge thanks to Supermoto 5280, Epic Motosports, and all the fellas at American Supercamp! It felt great to stand up there with my buddies holding first place. I remember last Spring coming into the series without ever having raced supermoto, and the only thing on my mind was going for the novice championship as a beginner. Feels great to reach a goal! And hopefully with a heavy dose of learning at American Supercamp, I can be competitive next season too!

After trophies were handed out, one of the deepest raffles I've ever seen took the stage. I should have bought a lottery ticket that night, because the first number called up for the raffle was mine! And it was for a BRAND NEW set of Warp 9 Wheels! Needless to say, I had an ear to ear grin going up to the front and getting them! I'm heading to Epic today to get them installed on the race bike, pictures to come!

HUGE thanks to Epic Motosports and Vita Brevis Clothing. This season was amazing, and I can't wait to do it all again!

More Awards Banquet Photos at:

Supermoto5280.com

September 28, 2009

Round 9 a success! Our Supermoto 5280 Series is steadily winding down, with the 9th round taking place this weekend at Pikes Peak International Raceway in Fountain, Colorado. I was definitely nervous coming into this one, paranoid about the aches and pains from this season's spills. I've been moving slow for two weeks, and still favoring my right knee that's already been rebuilt before. But I needed the points this weekend to stay in front for the series. I decided to call it an early night Saturday and drive down Sunday morning to give it a shot.

I braced it all up with every piece of equipment I could get on to my leg, and hit the track for practice. The bike was running crisp and looked great until about halfway through my first lap when the clutch lever decided it wasn't going to stay on the bars. I must have knocked it loose from that highside 2 weeks ago. I got back to the pits and found a solution just in time to grid up for my heat, no practice so far! We launched and I worked my way up to fifth so I could secure a front row position for the main and settle in to feel out the course. This track was a true parking lot race like old school supermoto- cones and tires mapping out the course. It was tight and technical, with several opportunities to pass throughout a single lap. The new dirt section was refined from the first time with an extended whoops section. I felt it out and found my lines for a few laps, then checkers flew and the heat was over. As I rolled back in to my pit, it was nice to feel no pain- everything was fine!

We sat back and waited a while for the mains, and after a quick rider's meeting it was time to grid up. As the green flag waved, I got the holeshot and held control of the entire first lap. Halfway into the second lap, my buddy Grant Fuller (#15) pushed inside and took my lead over. He was on it all day, showing speed all over this course. I chased him for a while, but my lack of preparation got the better of me and I started getting winded as I battled with a few other riders. I finished strong and took fourth for the day, giving me a solid points lead going in to the final round in October! Needless to say, I'm way amped for that race. It's at our local track in Dacono, CO and it's the day after my birthday! Hopefully all will go well and I can lock down a series championship for my birthday present!

To anyone in the area- come out for that race! It's going to be a great all day event Sunday, October 11th at IMI Motorsports Complex in Dacono! $10 gate fee and a great track for spectators!

In the pit about to hit the track:

Me and Crew watching some racing

Up front, but not for long!

Alan fernandez takes the win in the asphalt class- Ryan Glynn repping the gearhead shirt!

September 26, 2009

Go Brantley Go! One of our Vita Brevis Originals, Brantley Blackburn is gearing up for a 30 mile road bike race on October 3rd! It's for the Make a Wish Foundation, and he needs donations! He's riding for the Brakebill Vet hospital team, and as always reppin the VB. To make a donation, go to www.wish100.org and search for Brantley under the Donate tab! If that's too much, just follow this link: Sponsor Brantley! Only a few days left to help out, so get on it!

Brantley sent me these earlier this week: always good to see someone repping the VB, especially when they're standing for something good!

Good luck Brantley, and ride strong! Looking forward to pics and an update from the event!

September 14, 2009

My body hates me. Just got back from round #8 for the Supermoto 5280 series in Grand Junction. Just me and Gracie this time, and she did great for her first solo road trip! We've been catching up on The Dog Whisperer, and it's paying off. We loaded and left saturday afternoon, and pulled into GJ Motor Speedway around 5 pm- just in time to watch the last practice laps and settle in for a great sunset and night of camping. The wind picked up, but after some of this summer's adventures I was ready for it. Great turnout already for a practice day- more than we had at the last GJ race already! We set up the Element in full Race Pit mode, knocked off a few drinks with Hans and Paulo, and visited with others that were in for the evening. Gracie was cashed out, so we settled into the Element and fired up a movie. About a Snickers and half a Gatorade later, I was sleeping too.

Woke up a little early Sunday morning and slipped in another nap- looked to be a great morning, clear skies, and the previous night's wind and lightning hadn't destroyed anything. With a cold lick and a paw to the face, Gracie let me know it was race day. We got up, had our walk, and made our greetings. Full pits bustling with new and old faces from all over the region. You could tell the ones that had ventured out to Miller the week before by their stinky gear, dirty bikes, and limps. Back for more.

I wasn't feeling too confident yet- my chest still hurt from last week, and it seemed like everyone that had beaten me earlier this season was here. But it's time to shake it off and ride a bike. Rider's meeting went by, we geared up, and hit the track for practice. This track is notoriously cold and slick in the mornings, with the dirt section saturated and too slick for practice. We ran a few asphalt laps and then it was time for heats. They decided to give two sighting laps so we could see the dirt section, but I decided to skip the dirt on lap two so I could warm my tires and keep them clean. I had an incident earlier this year with slick tires at that track that put me up the bank and into the haybales.

The flag dropped and we were off. I hadn't felt the slightest bit of confidence yet, nor had I hit the dirt section at full speed yet, but it's race time. I nailed the start and avoided a second turn crash in front of me, giving me a gap to work with. All I need is fifth or better to get a front row position on the grid, and I was comfortably fourth. Time to zone in and get this track dialed- after some issues in the dirt section, I was flowing through and feeling much better.

By the time my main came along, the temperature had risen and the track was feeling much better. As we rolled out for our sighting lap, I felt much better. Skipped the dirt again and got to the line. Need a good start here, and that's what I got. A mean holeshot through the first turns, then passed by two of the usual suspects. Battled for third all the way through the last lap. he went outside and over horsepowered me to a turn, and I tried to slide in under him. Mis-timed it and went too deep into the turn, so he cut in just right. Tried again coming out of the dirt section, but got overzealous on the gas and spun too much. Came around to the finish line for fourth right in time to see third place go looping off at full speed from a failed wheelie.

Exactly what I needed for the points standings, just need to hold strong for the next two rounds! But I made a stupid mistake later. I decided to hit the track for some more laps since I hadn't fulfilled my urge to ride for the day. After some good laps and some great photos, I decided it was time to send "one more". This is where I broke my own personal rule: NEVER call one more run, last lap, etc. And it bit me. Came in hot with the bike pitched to the left. Everything was going right, then it pitched right, left again, and on the pitch back to the right it threw me highside. Very crappy way to crash. All I know is it felt like I was riding a large fish, then my forehead was hitting the ground several yards away. Helmet's scuffed up, but my head and neck are fine. Both hips, lower back, and my right leg got dominated though. Took me a couple tries to get up, but I made it a few steps, back onto the bike, and back to the car. Needless to say, I'm not moving too well right now. Was a long, painful drive home, but I got here and have been steadily rehabbing since. Definitely my hardest crash since the big wreck in 2006.

Gracie in travel mode:

Photos Courtesy of Michael Hill. Absolutely amazing with the camera! Check out his work at www.michaelhillphoto.com

More of his work at www.michaelhillphoto.com!

September 8, 2009

I'm absolutely worn out! We just got back in from Miller Motorsports Park outside Salt Lake City, Utah for the AMA/ XTRM Supermoto Season Finale. We loaded up Thursday night to get there in time for Friday's practice. The Element was fully loaded and worked great- much thanks to the top box, it was a lifesaver! The drive went smoothe and I arrived with a clean bike ready to see what an AMA track was all about. And I found out quickly. For those that haven't been, Miller is a world class facility unlike anything I've ever seen. Several circuits out there, with amazing paddocks and buildings. They recently hosted AMA Superbike, which isn't a small undertaking. I was excited to see a full and bustling pit due to the other events this weekend. Vintage races and local sportbike racing were on the other track while we hammered it out on the best supermoto track I've ever been on.

The asphalt was perfect, with a great layout for tight and technical racing, capped with a top speed 900 foot straight. The track crew prepped two dirt sections, both of which were fantastic. Everything was well packed, maintained, and had a great blue groove through the jumps and enormous bowl berms. I hit the track for my first session at noon to try and figure out the flow and find some speed. Right away, I loved the turn after the straight- there's nothing like pitching a bike sideways at that speed! I steadily tried to trust the dirt and began hitting the gaps. They did a great job giving multiple lines through the dirt sections, giving the opportunity for some great racing. Once I got a rhythm, I tried several lines and got comfy in the air and huge turns. Throughout the afternoon, I pushed more and more, finding my way onto the ground thrice. One stall that bucked me, a lowside off a double that sent me sliding and gave me a little knee scare (turned out fine), and finally a spectacular bail over the lip of a head-high berm that landed me in a ditch 30 feet away. I came through the jumps sloppy and missed ALL my braking, going straight up and over the berm. I came down hard on the bars with my chest, then somehow got off the bike safely as we flew into the ditch. It winded me, but I was pleasantly surprised that I escaped with only some bruises across my chest.

Race day: I took care of tech and registration Friday, freeing some time on Saturday morning to prep and practice. I played with some settings on the bike and hit the track, dialing in a couple passing lines that I hadn't tried yet. I got mega nervous in practice until I found out the pros were on the track with me- unbelievable how fast they are (20 seconds faster than me on a 2 minute lap!)

My heat was 6 laps, and I was 9th on the grid- decent start, but I was passive in the first dirt section, letting the top 7 slip away. I managed to reel in and get 8th, which put me second row for the 8 lap main's start. Much better start, much more aggressive. I found myself in a 7 lap battle with a local, and had a blast! We collided a few times and got to do some great racing, which had my crew pumped on the sidelines. I finally pushed by and he crashed out on the last lap as I took 7th place. Great racing, I always love earning my spot whether it be first, last, or in the middle.

Other members of the Epic crew did great. Jim Jones, Doug Wood, and Eric Stockton all left with trophies while Brian Stephenson and Kevin Bland left with broken bikes. John Sears scared all of us when he collided with a stalled bike at the start of his race, but he was ok after they examined him. Heal up quick, bro!

After a well deserved night's rest, we went to watch the pros on Sunday- amazing. Those guys push every inch of the track, and it's absolutely humbling to see them at work. Good times were had, then I headed into Salt Lake to meet up with Candice and her friend, Sara, that she was visiting. Too tired to make the drive Sunday, we settled down for the night (much thanks Sara and Brian!), then made our way back home Monday. Great weekend, great friends, great riding!

and p.s.- Thursday is your queen of Vita Brevis's birthday! Make sure you wish Candice the best and celebrate her survival after another year of the good life!

Loaded & ready to go:

Gracie's spot:

Candice and the pups in our home away from home:

Jim, John, Brian, & Connor in the pits:

Between heat and main:

Me bringin it down the straight:

June, July, & August 2009:

Rock and Roll! It's been a busy Summer in the world of Vita Brevis! Winter Park is offering some of the best downhilling and all around mountain bike trails I've ever been on! That combined with the endless street riding in Colorado, as well as the Supermoto 5280 series has kept me on two wheels a lot lately!

Round #5- Pueblo- Dusty and Fast! We all got after it pretty good on a large, very wide open course. It was incredibly dusty to the point that a jump deteriorated bad enough that we removed it. I had a good run, but it wasn't quite enough- I got passed in the second dirt section and ended with a fourth place finish.

Round #6- Took place at IMI Motorsports Complex, and proved to be a great round of local supermoto racing! My Dad was actually in town for this race, so I had an excellent pit crew and cheering section! I had an absolute blast getting to race in front of the man that got me into bikes. I didn't find my way onto the podium, but after a hard fought heat where my bike stalled, I scored a front row position on the grid. In my main, I got out and did a little bit of racing, but soon found myself with a cushion behind me and the top three way ahead of me. I settled in for a fourth place finish on the day.

Round #7- IMI Motorsports Complex. We love this track, and when Pueblo decided not to let us back, we moved to IMI. I finally had some time to go out and practice the new dirt section! It's amazing- definitely a playground for some great racing to occur! But this race was strange- I had a weird feeling all week that something was going to happen, I was just hoping it wouldn't be too bad. In my heat, I started with a rough grid pick, then worked my way forward through the deepest grid we've seen all season. But on lap 2 everything changed- I came out of the whoops wrong and me and the bike disconnected midair as we hit the exit jump. Of course she stalled, so I ended up in the back. I used my two laps to get back up to 12th, giving me second row in the main. As we lined up for the start, my blood was pumping. I needed a good launch and drive. But then it happened- everyone took off and there I sat with a stalled bike. Dead last by 50 yards going into the first corner. I cranked it up and salvaged what I could, putting together some good passes and ending in 11th.

To all my downhillers: I haven't abandoned the mountain bikes! Been on the lifts weekly so far, loving every minute of it!

We even tried our hand at flattracking! Went out to IMI for the Bangin Bars Promos flattrack series and had a blast! Huge grid for the Supermoto class, lots of fun had by all racing under the lights! Now if we can just get a Supermoto track fully lit we'll be on to something!

May 3, 2009:

We came to race! Rain almost claimed our Round #1 makeup race too! It poured all night, leaving the recently restructured dirt section flooded and useless. A rule was stated in the rider's meeting that if you touched the dirt, your race was over. It was that bad. IMI Motorsports Complex is only about 20 minutes from Denver, so I opted to set up in the morning this time. Everything was going smooth, but my nerves were shot. Why am I so wound up? Where is all this energy coming from? I was psyched in every direction. My t-shirt promo was going great, several of my friends were there having a blast, my practice laps were fast, and the bike felt great.

I got a great grid pick, holeshotted and won my heat, and secured a nice spot on the front for the main. I was getting such great launches, I opted for the outside line. It's time for the main, and I'm running well. The only problem- my buddy Grant (who sold me my first supermoto bike) was also feeling great that day. I knew exactly how this race would be: same as it always is when I practice with Grant. We'll run the exact same pace (just a touch faster than we should be going)until one of us makes a mistake. I love riding with Grant- he's the same size, similar style, similar mindset, and same bike as me. Plus we're good enough friends that we like scrapping a bit. But neither one of us expected this race.

Flag waves, I see his fender jump out, but he misses his shift. I pin it, bank all the way across the grid, and take the first position going into turn one. Race is on. Every turn, there's Grant's yellow fender. It had to be fun to watch. We come down the back straight, both pitched sideways, and into another turn. Then it's across the front straight full speed, fighting for traction. We dive into turn one again, both of us scraping hard parts on the pavement, giving it all. I feel this weird sensation and realize my elbow is in fact on Grant's fender. Talk about a crowd pleaser. There were twice as many people on the fence watching as we came around for a repeat the next lap. And so it went, doors opening and closing, a battle in every turn. Until lap 7. Grant was still right there, putting the pressure on me to push just a little harder in every aspect. So I did, and as I went into a two wheel slide towards the outside, he nailed his inside line and grabbed a perfect shift coming onto the straight. I fought as hard as I could, but he was on fire. We came across the finish line about a bike apart with him in front. It was a great race, and I can't wait to do it again!

Full Race Report available at:

Pictures available HERE.

April 2009:

Gypsy Camp 2009! I loaded up the Element, strapped the race bike to the back, and even found room for the Downhill rig in the back. I left the house with two-wheeled intentions for both the season opener of the Supermoto 5280 and a Monday off. It's about a four hour drive to get to Grand Junction, and every mile of it is crossing the Rocky Mountains. That John Denver wasn't full of sh*t after all! It was a pretty intense drive with snow, ice, rain, ridiculous winds, some close calls with deer, and even a rockslide to avoid. I finally rambled off the last mountain and into Grand Junction. The bike and rig, which were immaculately clean before, were now caked in mud and grime- I tracked down the nearest car wash and got to work some time around midnight. After a couple calls, I finally found the gate and got settled in at the track, warm and cozy inside my gypsy prepped Honda Element.

Morning came, and rider's meeting went well- great turnout after being rained out of Round 1. I had a hard time adapting to the track, but after a few laps I got feeling better. Had a great heat regardless of a poor grid pick. In my first main event, I managed to make several passes and finished up 6th overall- felt good! Full race report available at supermotoonline.com- (click their logo to read the report)

Pictures from Race Day also available HERE.

After awards, most of the racers loaded up and headed back east. I, however, had a different plan. There's been a lot of talk about Porcupine Rim this season, so I thought I'd go check it out with my day off. It's been referred to as the best trail in the US, so I began my ramble out to Moab (about 2 hrs from Grand Junction). As I rolled in Sunday evening, I was absolutely mesmerized by the red glow of the area, and all the amazing rock features along the road. I knew I was in for a treat. I located the shop that I was going to use as a shuttle, and then put some distance between me and the rest of civilization. I found a perfect spot on the Colorado River banks down in a canyon, and set up camp. It was time to knock the dust off my mountain bike for 2009, so what better way than one of the most epic trails in existence? Word was also spreading that another trail just about the rim was clear now...

Camp was set, and I annihilated a peanut butter and jelly sandwich that had to weigh in around 4 lbs. I sat back, watched the sun cross the horizon, and fell madly in love with this place. It's so pure, so clean, zero stress, zero compromise. No hustle and bustle, no suits, no horns, lights, or sirens. Just a vast chunk of ground pepperred with enthusiasts with the same mindset as me. Bikes, kayaks, atv's, and tents replaced the usual office buildings and concrete. I sat there pondering how this very place was a destination for riders around the world. It's such a mystical feeling looking around knowing that this place is full of what makes so many of us tick. Adventure everywhere, and an endless array of testing grounds to see what you're capable of. At the same time, I soon realized that the rush owes much of itself to the fact that this new world can destroy you in seconds. You are unbelievably insignificant in an environment like this. These rocks don't need you, this trail cares not about you, your machine, your gear, the car you drive, the house you live in, or how much money you make. All that matters is you have developed the skillset and sharpened yourself well enough to make it down in one piece.

I had a very minimal, yet enjoyable conversation with a van full of spandex-clad internet combing IT department nerds from Seattle. They were out on their yearly adventure into the wilderness, and the day had come to "slay" this downhill trail. It was cute with their brand new bikes- the ones in the magazines- all decked out in color matching, top of the line components that shined perfectly, without a scratch or even a layer of dust. The tires were brand new, recommended to them by some forum they frequent while they spent months preparing for their "adventure". They had just enjoyed a full breakfast in the nicest condos Moab has to offer, and they were sipping their Starbuck's and eating their energy bars, bragging about heart rate monitors and GPS systems. I wobbled up, fully armored head to toe, wild eyed, pushing my haggard machine up to the shuttle, parts squaking and metal grinding. I checked the brakes, squeezed the tires, bounced the suspension once, and hurled it up on top of the van. My knuckles were bloodied from the night before. You see, a fast moving cloud in a canyon out in the desert isn't fog- it's actually a dust storm that wil destroy you. I had what one witness called "the best fist fight he'd seen since grade school" with my ez-up as the wind lifted me and it up into the air and up river about 30 feet. We came down and the fight was on- 20 minutes later, everything was crammed into the element and I was sitting in there panting, wondering how much it was going to be to repaint my car after this level of sandblasting. Hence, the wild eye.

I remember the loudest mouth nerd looking at me, scanning my equipment like the internet riders always do, and smugly cracking a joke: "I hope all that's overkill." Having taken a few spills over the years, all I knew to say was "me too." I crawled in the van and waited. They loaded up, talking the entire time about their spin classes, where they worked, etc. The poor girl in front of me was being swarmed by a van full of mid life crises. I just kept it civil and stayed to myself until the Texas jokes started. I smiled and watched the scenery.

At the trail head, we unloaded the bikes- as mine came off the rack, the back wheel stayed. Skewer's fried and won't hold. Apparently, in the Seattle IT world, that's a ride ender. As all my Texas boys know, it's just a moment to get creative. Two, rocks, a kick, and three good hits later, the wheel's on tight and true. Let's ride. Everyone's cracking jokes, looking at me like an alien, and I tell them to take off. I took a leak, stretched, and dropped in all alone about ten minutes after the group. Within a mile, they had all been passed and didn't have any more Texas jokes. I'm off, solo, putting down the first tracks of the day on America's best trail. It's rocky and technical with a flow unrivalled by any other trail. My logic tells me: you don't know this trail, it's the first ride of the season, you're all alone, the bike isn't in it's best shape, you don't know what you're doing. I double check the emergency contact info on my wrist, and quickly end my internal dialogue with a few hard cranks into a steep rock sectionI'm here to ride my bike, and I feel like doing it fast. End of story.

Most amazing views I've ever seen on a trail in my life. Several hours later, I come sliding around a corner to see the road. I'm sweating, bleeding, can't breathe, and my body is thoroughly upset with me- but my mind is completely clear. I just rode a sheer cliff edge hundreds of feet off the ground, sent jumps and drops sight unseen, and slid through corners that a highside could have been the end of me. I felt good. Time to begin the five mile pedal into town- no problem. Checked in at the shop, changed clothes, bought my pint glass, and went to lunch down the way. Had an amazing burger of triumph and a couple brews, then loaded up to leave town. As I came out of Moab, I saw the IT department coming down the road, a good hour and a half behind. I gave them a friendly wave and settled in for the drive home. Not a bad way to spend a Monday afternoon.

February 2009:

Thanks to Victory Circle Graphix and Epic Motosports, the Vita Brevis Racing flagship is nearing completion! This is a great time to discuss bike setup for any of you contemplating a jump into Supermoto. For those that don't know, Supermoto is the fastest growing form of racing in the U.S. right now. It's been huge in Europe, and is rapidly growing on a regional level here in the States. It takes place in parking lots, road courses, and shifter kart tracks. There's usually a 70 30 split in track design: 70% asphalt and 30% dirt setup with jumps, berms, and all around tire sliding good times.

My weapon of choice is a 2005 Yamaha YZ450F. It is an ex-Graves Motorsports AMA prepped race bike with a load of extras. Step one is of course wheels and tires- I chose to lace up excel 17" rims to stock YZ hubs with some heavy gauge spokes. From there you choose your rubber. I started off on DOT approved Continentals, but now have a set of grooved slicks by Dunlop thanks to Epic Motosports. Next is gearing- traditional dirt gearing is too low, so I opted for a 14/ 44 tooth sprocket setup and an o-ring chain. With the speeds and setup on these, you need more braking power up front. This can be done with a relocator kit that includes an oversized rotor and caliper relocation mount for the stock brake caliper. I got lucky enough to secure a Braking dual piston brake with oversized master cylinder and 320 mm rotor. You definitely want a steel braided brake line to keep the brakes from fading under hard riding.

Phase two is suspension. To avoid spending much money, just up the compression and slow down the rebound on both ends. When you start to get serious, a full revalve and new springs will be in order. Go as stiff as possible on the front to get better street inspired handling. Next, dial in your controls and add a step to your seat. This bike is equipped with a GYT-R step seat and Renthal riser bars. As you'll learn, these bikes hit the ground pretty often, and usually slide to a stop, doing it's fair share of damage. You'll want to add a set of handguards with the metal reinforcement. Acerbis makes a great set that bends low to give you more clearance during severe lean angles. Epic Motosports also makes axle sliders for front and rear- these are a great idea since they're cheap and do a great job of avoiding a lot of damage to your fork and swingarm. I also threw on a billet throttle tube to avoid shattering on higher impacts.

Now for the fun part...

Everyone knows it's cool to have a fast, loud, violent motorcycle. This ride is equipped with full titanium Graves exhaust, some top secret headwork, twinair filter, and a jet kit. Some day it will also have a high compression piston, cams, and a cnc'ed head. But it's too fast as it sits right now- I need my skills to grow before my horspeower builds up. It also has an STM slipper clutch, which makes downshifts much smoother and the always cool "backing it in" a little easier.

I know it all sounds expensive and difficult, but just take a deep breath and step back a second. Most series have a Sportsman class- where street legal supermotos from the factory race against bikes on knobby tires and basic dual sport tires on stock rims. Check with your local series and find a way to get out and try it! You'll be hooked in no time!

January 2009:

Great showing at the track this month! This year's supermoto series (now Supermoto5280) is going to be phenomenal. Bikes are looking great and everyone's getting faster! Check out the new series at www.supermoto5280.com . Props to Kevin, Bryan, and all the other boys that are making this a reality. The series is already getting a load of coverage and publicity, and is the largest in the nation as of right now! Also, new No Pain No Fame shirts are here, so get yours! Also, I have some Bikes for sale! Click to view: 2004 Yamaha WR250F Specialized Demo 8

December 2008:

Welcome to the Vita Brevis Rider's Blog! As a rider, I get absolutely disgusted with all the publications that are out today- all they are is advertisements and so-called product reviews. The old days of legitimate bike set-up (not just how much money you could spend) and riding tips are over- now it's just ads and shootouts of the latest and greatest products. I wanted to start this rider's blog to revive what i enjoyed about magazines. I plan to post up some great advice, riding tips, and how-to's that you can actually use. We'll use this page for news and local event coverage as well- the stuff that actually pertains to us weekend warriors! I hope you like what you see, and I'll admit i have a vision for a printed newsletter in the future!

Well, the new site is coming together, and snow is starting to fall here in Colorado. That means it's that time of year to start ordering parts and spending some evenings with wrenches and PBR in hand. My personal bike is coming together great, I have intentions of dropping the weight by nearly thirty pounds and upping the power by about 15%. Our Texas boys are hitting it hard in the TORO season, repping strong and placing well. I'm steadily getting decals to our team riders and we're all gearing up for an amazing 2009 season!

Follow the menuup top to check out our team. We ride for fun and the people we meet through riding, so come out and cheer our guys on- there's usually post-ride drinks in it for ya!