/// MOTO CHRON ///

You cannot stand in the eye of a hurricane and live to tell about it, but you might be able to imagine how it feels - a discord of a million raging particles blurred into a singular abyss of raw energy. Kinda how it feels standing alongside  Laguna Seca's famous corkscrew as a ribbon of 4,600 horsepower plunges three stories down the track in a spiral of steel and heat. Two dozen riders fighting for position over a cliff, their bikes at the razor's edge of control. A cataclysm of raw energy amplified by the summer sun reflecting off the tarmac, reflecting back towards the fire-breathing machines, then back again exponentially turning the atmosphere feverish. The track itself seemingly come to life in palpable waves of heat, now a river of molten rubber swallowing a rider whole and tossing his bike aside off its surface in a heap. I'll never forget that first time watching a motorcycle race live. It was almost too much to process at once, but it was a glorious overwhelm. Som

In the last installment of JDM, I featured a Honda Ape and gave a peek into the custom mini-bike culture here in Japan. This week I feature another bespoke Honda mini-moto, and although the Monkey isn't a Japan-only model, I'm filing this under the JDM tag on the virtue of its custom details, not the least of which is that sweet koi fish saddle. If you get the sense that I like small-bore bikes, you'd be right. I first fell in love with riding on a 50cc Super Cub, much like the ones used by Japanese postal workers . With the rural back roads of Gunma, Japan as my playground, I spent every moment I could spare scooting up and down mountain passes in utter rapture at full throttle. If you get the sense that I have a thing for retro bikes, you'd also be correct. There's something timelessly beautiful about a naked bike with a tear-drop tank and simple round headlight. No amount of molded plastic fairings or angry LED transformer headlights could stir my heart the way

NEWS FLASH "She flies with her own wings" - Oregon's inspiring motto. Some say it represent the spirit of independence, resilience and ingenuity embodied by its residents. In a step towards giving motorcyclists a new set of wings, Oregon has become the next in a series of states to move towards legalizing lane filtering. State Bill 574 will allow motorcyclists to pass between cars moving at up to 10 mph, but no faster than 10 mph faster than traffic - essentially parking lot speeds. Overwhelmingly approved by the state Senate, the bill must now be approved by the House then signed by the Governor before it can become law, but things look optimistic. In fact, things are looking more and more optimistic for American lane filtering advocates in recent years, as states move toward introducing and passing similar bills. California, Utah and Montana have all officially legalized lane filtering in some form or another, passing legislation in 2016, 2019 and 2021 respectively. Was

BIKE ENVY The local motorcycle parts store always has a few interesting bikes parked out front at any given time. I happened to spot this gem while driving past the shop and decided to pull into the parking lot for a vending machine coffee and a closer look. It's not everyday you spot a vintage Katana in such good condition. Though I was never a fan of the design, examining a pristine example up close definitely started warming my heart. What was this tingling sensation? Heartburn from the deep fried pork cutlet I just ate? Perhaps. Or perhaps this was a case of unexpected BIKE ENVY! Hate it or love it, the first Suzuki Katana was an undeniable watershed moment for motorcycle design and arguably for industrial design in general. Prior to the Katana, most production motorcycles followed a fairly similar style brief and to the non-rider it might be difficult to tell a Honda from a BSA or a BMW - don't believe me, just google-image the phrase "1975 motorcycle" followed b