Roadside Reading: 'Motorcycle Touring'

Gregory Frazier and his mount.

Gregory Frazier's book will either fire you up and prepare you to ride to the ends of the Earth on your motorcycle, or else convince you that you're really not up for this.

Frazier, described as a "professional motorcycle adventurer," has circumnavigated the globe on two wheels, so he's more than qualified to instruct you in the best way to go.

His is a penny-stretching approach to touring. He skips the fancy equipment, saving his money for travel expenses such as food and lodging, or unexpected ones, such as bike repairs. In one example, he shows a tourer who used an old refrigerator rack rather than paying for an aftermarket luggage rack ("He laughed when I asked him about it, saying he could also use it for a cooking grill over the campfire"), and in another, suggests using pop bottles with duct tape to fashion functional handguards for wind-and rain protection rather than buying the kind manufactured for dirt bikes.

"Forget the looks and remember your budget when considering spending hundreds of dollars when $10 will work as well," he counsels.

Choice of bikes — and even whether you want to take yours at all, or rent one when you get there — and how to pack it for your trip are some of the first things he addresses.

He recommends using an "A," "B" and "C" checklist of necessities, noting your list may differ from his. For instance, he doesn't see the point of a GPS unit, heavy laptop or cell phone. Even with GPS he still needs maps, and he'd rather have his eyes on the road than on a GPS screen, he says. Cell service may fail, and Internet cafes serve him as well as a laptop.

Riding with others is a matter of choice, he says, and having a companion can be a help or a hindrance, as he notes in several examples: You are responsible for your companions, not just yourself, he says, and it will affect your pace and maybe your ability to do what you want in the places you visit.
His book is packed full of tips you might otherwise miss. For example, there's no cotton clothing in touring wardrobe, nor wool, because neither dries quickly, he says. He carries spare parts, such as lightbulbs, inner tubes and electrical components, to save time and money. And as for dangerous roads, he notes that I-405 in Los Angeles frightens him more than many "bad" roads elsewhere.
"I am always surprised at how little time travelers put into planning for the possibility of a crash," he writes. "In part I think it's ego overriding common sense for them to think they might make a riding mistake. ... Of course this is foolishness because it fails to take into account those accidents that ... can't be avoided."

If that happens, do you know how to pick up your own bike? What would you do if you cannot?

And what about the risk of theft? Mainly he avoids that by not carrying anything valuable he cannot afford to lose. He also includes a list of items for a survival kit, a first-aid kit and a number of other books you may consider reading.

His detailed book covers just about anything you'll need to know before you depart. I say "just about," because at a couple of points I wondered, "HOW did he pack all of those tools?" or "Where do I buy medical evacuation insurance?"
Of course, you can ignore his advice. The point is, prior to reading his book, I might never have considered these questions. It's not as simple as jumping on the bike and going. And traveling in foreign countries with little to shelter you but your Visa card is not something you need to learn the hard way.




"Everything You
Need to Know:
Motorcycle Touring,"
by Dr. Gregory
W. Frazier,
Motorbooks,
2005,
159 pages

I give it 5 Revs out of 5

Friday Film: 'Choppertown the Sinners'

Life is good for the Sinners.

The members of this South Cali motorcycle club know it, too: “The whole idea of having your buddies hang out, you know, and just wrenching on bikes and drinking beer ... it’s like you never have to grow up.”

They're not making money off their bikes, unlike the Orange County guys. They do it just for the pleasure. And it is a pleasure to watch these guys working in harmony together, cutting, welding, planning their project. They're building a new chopper for their buddy, Kutty.

But there's something a little creepy about guys who would rather be with their buddies than spend time with their significant others.

“It’s hard to explain. Your girlfriend doesn’t understand why you’re always hanging out at the shop, working on your buddy’s bike, going for rides with your buddies on the weekend, not paying attention to (her) ... it’s a love and a bond you can’t really explain,” another Sinner says.

Probably like any other tight motorcycle club.

I have nothing against men hugging and kissing each other, bumping and play-fighting with on the dance floor of some local club. But can you blame me for thinking these guys are a bit closeted?

A nice lady named Kelli knows her place in the hierarchy. She’s “dating the king Sinner, Rico ... he’s unlike any person I know..."

 

Club brothers come before her every time. “He’ll answer phone calls even when he’s in the middle of humping me.”

 

OK for her if she'd rather be a hump than a life partner. Guess it all just depends on what you want out of life.

The guys seem nice enough. They get along without much hassle. And, of course, there's something to be said for loyalty.

 

 It's fascinating to see their workmanship and recognize their passion and knowledge of motorcycle design. The bike they build in this doc is a work of art. And the music used in the video is fun — hard rock, rockabilly and kind of a jazz-rock mix.

The official Choppertown website describes the movie thus:

"Featuring Kutty Noteboom, Rico Fodrey, James Intveld, Jason Jessee, Cole Foster and the rest of the Sinners, Choppertown is a garage-built film about garage-built motorcycles.  ... Adult themes, strong language, mild violence, light gunplay."

The DVD comes with a 12-page color booklet of pics of the guys and their bikes. 

Filmmakers Scott Di Lalla and Zack Coffman note that they wanted to make a movie about "the regular Joe building a bike in his back yard." Well, it actually was Rico's garage, but they have succeeded.


This movie is not chick friendly. So I guess it's up to you to decide what you want to see. But for me, it's not something I will want to watch again and again.




“Choppertown
The Sinners”
a documentary
by Scott
Di Lalla
and Zack
Coffman
Not rated;
93 minutes


I give it 3 Revs out of 5.

Roadside Reading: 'The American Motorycle Girls: 1900 to 1950'

Dot Robinson and her husband, Earl, set a record
for cross-country sidecar travel.

This book — written by Cristine Sommer Simmons, three-time Motorcycle Hall of Fame inductee, with a forward by Karen Davidson, Great-granddaughter of Harley-Davidson co-founder William A. Davidson — is a treasury of historic photos and information about the early days of American motorcycling and the women who rode.

Filled with newspaper and magazine articles, period advertisements and private photos, the book is an eye-opening document and a ton of fun to read.

One of the more amazing aspects of the books is the number of previously little-known women who weren't intimidated by these crazy machines. In fact, it was not an uncommon means of transportation in the early days of the 20th century, with many women driving their families in sidecars.

Even so, Mrs. H.G. Smith of Detroit was proclaimed "the only woman motorcyclist between New York and San Francisco" by the magazine MotorCycle Illustrated, in 1908. Similiarly, Vaudevillian Clara Inge was hailed as "one of perhaps 30 known women riders in the New York area in 1910."

But maybe these early journalists weren't really paying attention.

Margaret Gast, one of two women in the book called the "Mile-A-Minute Girl," set a record in 1901 by covering 2,600 miles in a little more than 12 days, eight hours. She also broke men's records, riding a motorized bicycle. She also campaigned for women's suffrage, and when she retired she became a massage therapist and physical trainer to the stars, surviving to the age of 92.

One photo, from 1907, shows "The Hazardous Globe of Death" ridden by Dr. and Mrs. C.B. Clark on single-cylinder Indian motorcycles going 35 mph. Their crowd-pleasing feat was accomplished at a lavish party in the Chicago Opera House.

You may notice that many of these women have been memorialized as "Mrs. His Name." Though their own names may have been obscured by history, their deeds are their own. Such as Mrs. John Lang, shown in a 1917 photo, replacing a tire on a Harley-Davidson at the mechanic shop where she worked alongside Mr. John Lang.

Another interesting aspect of this history is the large number of American motorcycles that were built in these days — marques that no longer run on the road, including Tiger ("the Ford of motorcycles"), Thor, Yale, Merkel, Emblem, Excelsior, Flanders, Henderson (made in Detroit) and the Feilbach (manufactured in Wisconsin).

Advertisements for women-specific riding outfits and spring-built cycles that promised smooth out rough roads show that the women's market was alive and well, if small. There's even a "motor wheel" people could buy for $60 to mount on a bicycle to turn their standard bike into a motorized three-wheeler.

In 1916, actress Ruth McCord famously attempted a 25,000-mile circuit to the "four corners" of the United States as a publicity stunt for Triangle Motion Pictures and Indian motorcycles.

In the '20s, many other silent film stars were drawn to this exotic pastime — Norma Talmadge, Ruth Roland, Easter Walters, Helen Holmes and Mabel Normand. And later, buxom beauty Jane Russell had to convince her husband that she would look just as lovely on the saddle of her Indian.

Of course, no history of women's motorcycling would be complete without a tribute to the "First Lady of Motorcycling," Dot Robinson, founder of the first women's motorcycle club, the Motor Maids. Born in Australia, and raised in Michigan, she bought her first motorcycle at age 16. With her husband, Earl, she set a sidecar record in 1935 for a transcontinental crossing on a Harley-Davidson in 89 hours, 58 minutes.

And Augusta and Adeline Van Buren, sisters who in 1916 rode from New York to San Francisco, across a countryside with few paved roads, on solo Indian motorcycles. No man had made such a journey.

Or Bessie Stringfield, the "Motorcycle Queen of Miami," who fought gender and racial prejudices to ride as a military dispatch driver during World War II.

Or Cookie Ayers Crum — yes, Cookie Crum — who rode the "Wall of Death" in a carnival as a teen, beginning in 1949.

These photos and stories are enlightening. The pioneering women of motorcycling are a joy and an inspiration to fire the imaginations of those of us who long to stretch our boundaries.


"The American
Motorcycle
Girls 1900 to 1950:
A Photographic
History of
Early Women
Motorcyclists,"
240 pages
Parker House


I give it 5 Revs out of 5

Friday Film: 'She-Devils on Wheels'

Queen (Betty Connell) calls for the Man-Eaters to "Burn rubber!"

Director/producer Herschell Gordon Lewis believes this to be the only all-female bike gang picture ever made — or perhaps just the best he's one ever made.

You know you’re in for a certain kind of treat when before your video begins you’re subjected to violence, gore, lurid sex and drugs in a preview trailer for other films.

Herschell Gordon Lewis has an inexplicable following in the underground film world. He trades in schlocky shock movies with cheap sets, cheap actors and lousy dialogue. Several of his low-budget exploitation movies made it into the pantheon of drive-in movie critic Joe Bob Briggs’ “Sleaziest Movies in the History of the World” (issued only on VHS) and a box set from the Something Weird video company.

The pop singer Natalie Merchant even named her band 10,000 Maniacs after his movie of the same title.

You know it’s exploitation when the package warns that “She-Devils on Wheels” contains “graphic violence” — and the boast is not misplaced. So let's add it up. This movie contains male objectification, wanton lust, loose morals, at least three savage female-on-male attacks, two kidnappings, one body dragging, partial nudity, pints of stage blood and a decapitation (one of the best scenes, in fact!).

Here's the story. Pretty young Karen leaves home with an overnight case, telling her mother she’ll be “at Bonnie’s” — oh, but her mama doesn’t have Bonnie’s number! Karen waves and smiles and keeps on walking, then drives away in her Chevy Impala. Next we see her pulling into a garage and closing the door behind her. When she emerges, she’s changed out of her simple dress into knee-high boots, hot pants and — *GASP* — she’s RIDING A MOTORCYCLE!

Well ... it is pink ...

A patch on the back of her cloth vest proclaims her to be a Man-Eater. She meets up with other members of her "gang" and the girls race each other for the right to pick the best “stud” for the night.

Whitey (Pat Poston) sizes up the "studs."

Karen (Christie Wagner) is the sensitive one: “We treat men like slabs of meat hanging on a hook in a butcher shop. It’s about as romantic as buying a hunk of baloney.” The others laugh at her parochial attitude.

But she races and comes in first, making her “top mama” with first pick of the scruffy guys lined up against the clubhouse wall. “Or maybe you’ll really join the club and pick a filly,” Queen tells her, to squeals of approval from the other women.

She picks Bill: “What about it, Bill. Put up with me again?”

As the orgy ensues in the main room, Karen and Bill head to a private room. But she’d rather sneak out and take a walk than get it on. “Oh, Bill, that’s all you ever think of,” she says as he tugs at her top. Hmm... thought this was an orgy ...

Picking the same “meat” every time is against club rules. So to teach Karen a lesson, the women kidnap Bill and order Karen to drag him behind her bike. With tears in her eyes, she complies.

In addition to the nasty dragging scene, the Man-Eaters rumble with a group of men who dare drive cars onto the women's turf. They're obviously tougher than these guys, and leave the men bloodied (and Queen’s yellow pants dirty, too); then they pull down their pants and piss on ’em for good measure. Off screen, of course.

Queen rumbles with an intruding male,
using her chain belt as a weapon.

Later, in a scene shocking for its time, they pour gooey substances all over Honeypot for her lesbo-tinged initiation, and turn her loose on the studs. She repeats the Man-Eaters' bywords: “Sex, guts, blood and all men are mothers!”

The movie's full of catch phrases. Whitey (Pat Poston) likes to recite poetry, a peculiarity of this already peculiar film. This gang intimidates with rhyme: “We don’t owe nobody nothing, and we don’t make no deals. We’re swinging chicks on motors and we’re Man-Eaters on wheels!"

Because it’s meant to be shocking, the film is morally ambiguous at best. Karen’s ex-boyfriend, Ted, tries to get her to leave the gang, and even though she disagrees with their rules and seems to feel bad about it, she just can’t leave.

Karen (Christie Wagner, right) picks her ex, Ted
(Rodney Bedell, center), out of the stud line
when he comes to save her from her life of crime.

Because it's such a classic, it's available on special-edition DVD with audio commentary, original trailer (which you can see on YouTube), a gallery of exploitation art and a 15-minute short, “Biker Beach Party,” about a group of Aliens motorcycle club members hanging out at the beach, man. “Jesus died so we could ride.” Groovy.

In the commentary track, Mr. Lewis himself is interviewed by Mike Vraney of Something Weird Video, who adores the film. The sound is scratchy, as if it were molding in a drawer for 30 years.

You won't find much history on this cast of unknowns. Herschell Gordon Lewis appears to have been the only one who employed them. He describes how the women were cast — he wanted actual bike-riding women with some acting experience — and he says even some of the cops were actual Medley, Fla., police officers.

He shot the picture in two weeks, and he gives tips for how to make your own movie — something he notes he learned on the job (no kidding!). He made sure there were no actual swear words in the dialogue, and no nudity, so it could be released to a wide audience. On top of it, he notes that his costumes and subject matter really haven’t aged it out of the current market.

Ya gotta love a guy who thinks like that and has such passion for schlock movies. If you really love moviemaking, you won’t be able to resist this conversation.

It's hokey and the color timing sucks, but what do you expect from a movie like this? You can't say you don't know what you're in for.


"She-Devils
on Wheels," 1968
Directed by
Herschell Gordon Lewis,
Starring:
Betty Connell,
Nancy Lee Noble, 
Christie Wagner, 
Rodney Bedell, 
Pat Poston
82 minutes,
unrated


I give it 2 Revs out of 5

Bike Rally OK'd in Grand Rapids

Apparently, a proposed motorcycle rally in Grand Rapids, Mich., had some people a little nervous — just enough to turn the issue into a debate. It seems they were concerned about noise, traffic and disruption of business.

But this week, the city commission agreed to a shortened version of the rally, Michigan Public Radio reports. First proposed for July 17-24, compromise was reached cutting the River City Bike Week down to only three days, including just one business day — Friday, July 22, through Sunday, July 24. Special traffic routes are to be set up, as well.

The local hotels actually wanted the business, according to an earlier story.

Concerts will be held at the Van Andel Arena over the weekend, including ZZ Top, The Doobie Brothers and The Steve Miller Band.

Michigan Public Radio (and NPR) noted that nearby Muskegon will have a motorcycle event — Muskegon Bike Time — the weekend before the Grand Rapids event, and Martin, Michigan plays host to Michigan Chopperfest the same weekend; so West Michigan will likely be revving with motorcycles for a week in July.

See ya there?

Ped Saunders / Flickr

Roadside Reading: 'Motorcycling Across Michigan: A Guide'

William Murphy is a Michigan resident, former
Marine and veteran of the Vietnam War.

William Murphy has spent nearly 40 years motorcycling, and retired from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and Environment. that makes him more than qualified to guide other bikers around the Thumb and U.P.

In his book "Motorcycling Across Michigan: A Guide," Murphy maps 27 routes around the Great Lakes State — scenic routes, historic routes — that he not only endorses but personally rode. He outlines the significant features along the way, and guides riders toward the highlights and low-lights of each route.

His criteria: "For roads to make it into this book as recommended for motorcycle touring ... they have to be paved and in reasonably good condition. ... Traffic on the roads has to be light, and the general touring area has to have something to offer in the way of interesting scenery, history, land cover, geologic features or other attractions. Third, the road has to have some character, that is, curves or hills or some other qualities that make it an attractive riding route."

In addition, he avoids highways except as short connectors.

"I only take expressways — I-96, I-94, and I-75 south of Bay City are on my blacklist — when I'm in a hurry and not on a pleasure ride."

Definitely.

He recommends buying a state parks entry sticker — the book was written before the state's
yearly vehicle license renewal included an option for a reduced-cost state park pass — and he gives just one warning, in the preface, about deer. That doesn't mean he considers it unimportant to be concerned about deer. Rather, he says he found himself repeating it in most entries, so decided to do it just once and warn readers to keep that always in the back of the mind.

The book is organized by themes: Lakeshore Routes; Small Towns, Vineyards, Orchards and Farmland; Historic Roads; the Great North Woods; Great Lakes Circle Tours; Some Good Local Rides; and DesirableD estinations. He also includes appendices of motorcycle resources, handy websites and emergency phone numbers for police, motels, Michigan laws and regulations and motorcycle repair shops and dealers throughout the state.

Each route is mapped with cities, lighthouses and crossroads clearly marked. One criticism is that the maps should have an outline of the state/coastline superimposed to orient the reader in space. It should have been easy to do, as most of these routes touch the coast at one point or along their length.

Murphy gives capsule histories of the areas through which he guides you, to add to the significance of the terrain. Native Americans, the Underground Railroad and Al Capone all find their way into the book — and eventually your own experience on the road. Small black and white images also give some idea of unique sites you'll see along the way.

It's a small paperback you can zip into a plastic bag and tuck inside your saddlebag for easy reference. There are even lined pages at the back to log your own journeys.

Since releasing this book in 2005, Murphy has written similar guides for Wisconsin, Indiana and Ohio. Every U.S. state and Canadian province should have a book like this.



"Motorcycling
Across
Michigan,"
Arbutus Press
(Traverse City),
pub. 2005
262 pages


I give it 4 Revs out of 5

Film Friday: 'One Week'

Here's something you don't often find in a motorcycle-themed movie: A gentle, meditative story with heart.

"One Week" is the story of a Toronto man who lives simply with a girlfriend he likes, works at an OK job, then finds his life turned inside out when he's given a diagnosis of cancer. His doctor tells Ben Tyler that his cancer is at stage four, and that he probably won't live more than two years — if he starts an aggressive treatment right away.

Before he has a chance to talk to his family and friends, he happens upon a man selling a Norton Commando motorcycle. Although he's not in the market for one — his girlfriend hates motorcycles — he quickly agrees to buy it after a short test ride.

Liane Balaban plays Samantha, the
girlfriend of Ben (Joshua Jackson).

He tells his girlfriend about the cancer, then tells her he wants to take a couple of days' vacation on the road while he thinks about his options. But as his trip stretches out to a week, he comes to some realizations about the meaning of his life and the cost of settling for less than his heart's desire.

The film stars Joshua Jackson, better known to many of us as Peter Bishop in the Fox TV series "Fringe" (he also appeared in all three "Mighty Ducks" movies). The bulk of the movie features gorgeous panoramic scenery as he drives from sea to shining sea — Canadian style.

As Ben rides from Toronto to Vancouver Island, British Columbia, he stops at landmarks along the way and talks with people who help him see things differently. He talks to a man who has survived cancer, and asks, "How do you know when you're in love?" The stranger tells him simply that if he has to ask, then he's not in love.

Written and directed by Michael McGowan, the film also highlights Canadian musicians in the soundtrack and cameo roles. Gord Downie of the Tragically Hip plays a bicyclist riding across the country on a bet. (Incidentally, Downie will appear in Ferndale, Mich., in April at the Magic Bag. See all of his tour dates.)



"One Week,"
2008,
94 minutes,
Canadian,
starring
Joshua Jackson,
Liane Balaban 
and Scott Campbell 
as narrator.


I give it 4 out of 5 revs

Motorcycle Swap Meet in Novi this weekend

Tony on his custom, Fat Ass Bagger

A swap meet being touted as the Midwest’s largest collection of motorcycle vendors under one roof is being coming Sunday, Feb. 13,to  the Suburban Collection Showplace in Novi, Mich., formerly known as Rock Financial Showplace.

Tony Lamantia of Tony Chrome Customs of Westland will display his newest creation, Fat Ass Bagger. "It’s an amazing one-of-a-kind bike,” says event director Chad Dutmers. “It has an air bag system allowing the bike to kneel to the ground supporting itself without a kickstand.”

Lamantia has had some fun with it even while parked.

“I have a remote control with actuators in the saddle bags’ lids and can make them open and close at the push of a button. People stop dead in their tracks when they see this bike move on its own,” he says. “It originally was a 2003 Harley Davidson Electra Glide standard that we completely stripped down to the frame. We widened the frame and swing arm six inches to allow for a 260mm rear tire, hence the name ‘Fat Ass Bagger.’”

For information, visit www.tonychromecustoms.com.

“With nearly one out of every four bikers in the U.S. living in Michigan and its four border states, the nine swap meets we sponsor give bikers the chance to be around other bikers and to support the economic interests that are vital to keeping the industry strong,” Dutmers said. “We love to showcase Michigan-made bike builders and suppliers as much as possible. Our bread and butter is the Michigan Biker.”

The audience will see new 2011 bikes as well as used bikes — street, dirt, metric, touring, cruising, trikes, choppers, custom bikes and trailers. Thousands of motorcycle buyers are expected to pack the 95,000-plus square foot exhibition area from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Admission is $10 for adults and $3 for ages 6-12. Car parking is $5. People who want to skip the lines and get in 30 minutes earlier can buy tickets in advance online at www.motorcycleswap.com.

The Giant Motorcycle Swap Meets company, with headquarters in Traverse City promotes several one-day events in multiple locations each year, at The Lansing Center, The DeltaPlex in Grand Rapids, The Birch Run Expo Center, the I-X Center in Cleveland and the Wisconsin Expo Center in Milwaukee.

So if you have cabin fever like I do, here's a chance to look for bargains to modify your bike, pick up new T-shirts or just say hi to old friends.

Roadside Reading: 'Biker's Handbook'

Jay Barbieri, bedecked with rally patches

Jay Barbieri has a reputation as a motorcycle expert — he's quick to tell you that himself, with 25 years of riding under his belt.

In his book, he claims you have to be "authentic" to be a biker. But I've gotta tell ya, if you need this book, you ain't authentic.

I want to like him — after all, Barbieri is kind of my homeboy. He and his friend John Villanueva partnered in a Traverse City, Mich., motorcycle shop, Old Mission Scooters. Don't look for it, it's not there anymore.

The producer of the Speed TV show "American Thunder," Barbieri says his book is geared to return biker culture to its roots, which he says were tainted by the influx of couch-potato baby boomers who bought motorcycles after seeing them legitimized on the Discovery Channel.

So he made it his mission to help the ignorant to fit in with the "real" biker crowd.

He spends a little time on how not to be an asshole. Not being an asshole is a matter of respect — seems to me you either get that or you don't. He also spends a large part of the book on rallies — which ones are best, how to get to them, who to go with, where to stay, what and when to drink, what to do when you get there, etc. That's great if your goal is riding to rallies.

To his credit, Barbieri gives some decent practical advice on what kind of equipment you need, and what you don't need — such as a leather vest, which as he knows offers almost no protection from road rash. And he counsels against buying brand-logo gear — even Harley, a brand that he nevertheless fully endorses. I've often wondered why companies don't pay us to wear their branded advertisements.

But if you've taken a motorcycle safety course — and paid attention — you should already know most of what you need to know by now. If you ride, and talk with other riders, you'll never need this book.

When I read motorcycle books, I read to learn what I don't know about my bike or my riding skills. Or else it's to be entertained by the adventures of other riders who've gone where I haven't been before. I'd put this book into the latter category. Barbieri has a sense of humor that makes his book interesting, at least.

Jay Barbieri may be authentic. But his book is not. True authenticity is getting on your bike and riding without caring what others think of you, not reading a book that tells how how you ought to think, ought to dress and ought to act. 


"Biker's
Handbook:
Becoming Part
of the
Motorcycle
Culture,"
by Jay Barbieri,
176 pages,
Motorbooks

I give it 2 Revs out of 5.

Friday Film: 'Ghost Rider'

“The legend of the Ghost Rider: Every generation has one; some damned soul cursed to ride the Earth collecting on the devil’s deals.”

That’s our introduction to The Ghost Rider.

We’re told that one GR went into a town to collect a contract worth a thousand evil souls, but he knew that contract was too powerful to hand over to Mephistopheles, “so he did what no other rider has ever done before. He outran the devil himself. ...

“The thing about legends is, sometimes they’re true.”

This is the story of Johnny Blaze (played as an adult by Nicolas Cage), who rides in a carnival motorcycle stunt show with his father. He loves Roxy (played as an adult by the smokin’ hot Eva Mendes), whose mother wants them to move away from Johnny.

Before he can run away with her, Johnny learns his father has cancer. A peculiar man (Peter Fonda) comes to see him and offers a bargain he cannot resist: His soul in exchange for his father’s good health.

Next day, his father is “healthy as a horse” — as promised — but crashes, burns and dies anyway at the next show.

But Johnny, who signed a contract with the devil, can’t die. He’s no good to Mephistopheles dead.

Nic Cage as Johnny Blaze (Awwww... ain't he cute?)

Johnny has a few quirks. He never drinks alcohol (“gives me nightmares”), but he does drink coffee straight from the pot and sucks jellybeans from martini glasses — and he’s hooked on Karen Carpenter. Or at least the song “Superstar.”

Meanwhile, there’s this really evil cat, Mephistopheles’ little boy Blackheart (Wes Bentley), who is quite the match for our immortal hero. He’s not real fond of his daddy, either.

One day, Johnny goes out to his bike and finds it’s been souped up as a long, lean, mean chopper with huge chrome pipes and flames ... shooting out of the wheels and out of his head and from a chain he uses as a weapon. He needs all of this to do Mephistopheles’ bidding and get rid of Blackheart.

The cast also includes perennial cowboy voice-over dude Sam Elliott. He explains to Johnny that “the rider is the devil’s bounty hunter.”

The plot’s a little convoluted, and the film is totally over the top, but it’s still goofy fun. Based on a Marvel comic book series, it’s a little bit Evel Knievel, a little bit western tall tale and a little bit supernatural superhero.

It’s fun, it’s funny (sometimes in a bad way), it’s scary enough for younger viewers and the effects are way cool. The regular edition DVD has a couple of making-of features and commentary. There's also an extended version, unseen by me.

And coming soon: "Ghost Rider 2: Spirit of Vengeance," also starring Nic Cage.

"Ghost Rider"
starring
Nicolas Cage,
Peter Fonda,
Eva Mendes,
Sam Elliott
Run time: 114 
minutes
Rated PG-13


I give it ... eh ... 4 Revs out of 5

VIZZIBL Clothing

Wait, what's that?

When it comes to safety on the road, I am all about visibility. That's why I took an interest when I connected with the Wisconsin company VIZZIBL on Twitter (@VIZZIBL).

Coincidentally, I had recently gone looking for a new winter coat, and one of my criteria was reflectibility. That's just what VIZZIBL offers in its line of T-shirts and hoodies.

Personally, I love a hoodie when I ride. When it gets cold, I put up the hood before I pull on my helmet, and that extra layer around my neck and head makes all the difference for a comfortable ride on a cold night.

But I don't ride without leather or armor between my skin and the pavement. Maybe you're willing to ride with just a shirt, in which case VIZZIBL products may be all you need.

I like the knifeheart design. Notice
the thin, slightly translucent material?

VIZZIBL uses 3M Scotchlite reflective material on sweatshirts, thermals, T-shirts and tanks that reflect brightly in headlights. The clothes are made from black cotton, so the emblems are all they'll see from a distance. Ever notice something bright bobbing on the road ahead of you? Tends to freak me out till I get close enough to see what it is, but it definitely is visible.

The nice folks at VIZZIBL sent me a couple of hoodies to check out — one medium size men's heavyweight and one medium women's, which is made of thin, stretchy material. Very comfy and lightweight. The men's is quite thick and warm, but big on me — my friend said I looked like a "gangbanger" — yet I could imagine slipping it on over a more protective riding jacket.

VIZZIBL CEO Billy Nahn says, "I do take out the drawstrings when riding on my Road King Classic." He rides, and skateboards, too.

The designs are meant to appeal to bikers and skateboarders, with lots of wings and skulls incorporated. But only the central portion of the back, the design on the front and the "VIZZIBL" logo on the left sleeve give the bright reflectivity that'll be seen a half-mile down the road.

The designs include a "babyskull" for women, "skull king" for men, "tribal sun" for both.

Babyskull T and Tribal Sun jacket

Skull King T on him, Tribal Sun T on her.

I found the website a little confusing to navigate. When I clicked on "products," I found a display of buckles, belts and bracelets & cuffs. Not what I was looking for, but hey, I did see this: Belt Buckle with built-in bottle opener mouth: $15.

Open wide!

When I clicked on "About," I found the product categories, including reflective clothing. From there, you can select "Women's" "Mens" or "Kids Athletic," which wasn't up yet. In the men's section, though, there was a picture of a teen boy wearing a heavyweight reflective "Surfer Purple Pull-Over Hoodie," which could easily fit in the youth category.

Oh! and you can find reflective bandannas for dogs in both the men's and women's sections. Hot dog!

Nahn says the company, which was launched on Independence Day, is making baby steps right now, planning changes to the site with back views of products and new products for youths. For instance, the women's section showed only one style of hoodie, the tribal sun style, but the one I received had a shield with wings on the left breast and a winged cross on the back. This, he explained, is a prototype that he expects to take off well.

They're also making progress with business relationships, putting VIZZIBL swag in stores around the nation. To see for yourself, visit them on Facebook or at www.VIZZIBL.com. Your order is secured by PayPal or Google Express Checkout.

One last note of warning: Just because you're visible to others on the road, don't think you don't have to watch for them, too. Remember that some drivers — especially the drunken ones — will fixate on an object, and may drive right into it. I've seen it happen. I know a woman who drove right into a motorcycle cop while she was drunk. So be on guard!

See me now?