What is Bama Rides?

Bama Rides is a motorcycle community and Alabama-based group of motorcycle junkies, sharing information about bikes, roads, rides, trails, and anything to do with motorcycles in and around Alabama.  If you want to find out what is happening in Alabama, check out the forum and sign up for your free membership.  All brands, styles, makes and models of motorcycles are welcome.

Motorcycle Flattrack Racing in Alabama

Is it for real?  C’mon, this can’t be for real, unless it is a bunch of old rednecks in a cornfield?  Dirt track racing died out in the 70′s did it not?  I picture the old-timers drifting sideways on the old Harleys and Triumphs, smacking into those old wooden fences and tumbling into the crowd.  So I always assumed it died out because all the riders died out, from crashing or old age.  Sanity prevents newer riders from engaging in this activity – right? Read more flattrack racing

AlabamaSportbike.com – alsportbike.com closes the doors

They announced earlier this month they would be going offline today.  From what I gathered it was due to lack of interest and participation from members, declining membership and other factors.  There was some mention about a period of hurt feelings, possibly similar to what we have experienced recently, and maybe that had something to do with the changes in activity.  I have been a member since shortly after discovering their existence (pretty sure they started around the same time we did in ’07).  Even went on a few rides with them.  Seemed like a pretty tight group that even had a good amount of activity in other parts of the state.  We welcome all the former members in this community, and hope they find some of what they are missing from those days. Alabama Sportbike Forum

Riding with other people – why consider it?

There are many great rewards you get from riding with others that make the occasional pain well worth it.  The only way to experience the rewards is by doing them.  Sure you can read about someone else’s rewards, adventure, experience, but you can never “get it” until you do it.  The rewards are many. READ

Ode to my buddy, Beefcake

Since I bought the WRR and started modifying it, I’ve been neglecting my big buddy.

You see, “Little Rascal” (i.e., the WRR) is a lot of fun. It’s small, light, nimble, spritely (not to mention gender-neutral), and it couldn’t care less that people don’t respect it or think it belongs on the street. But Little Rascal is a toy. My real buddy is “Beefcake”.

Let me tell you about Beefcake. Beefcake is also gender-neutral, but that’s because it’s a beast. When the monster is tearing at your neck, you don’t ask if it has balls or not. Beefcake turns heads, too, because it’s a sexy beast. With a six gallon tank and a six-speed transmission, Beefcake has got legs too. The Heidenau tires are the claws, grabbing well at both the dirt and the pavement . The cases give it bulk, but the engine guard looks like a rib cage. When you can see the ribs, you know the beast is hungry. Even the eyes look intense and menacing. More

Are you a biker or a rider?

I have heard the phrase many times – “I am not a biker, I am a motorcyclist!”, mostly spoken with an air of indignation, as not to be associated with “those fools”.  Most others are excited to be labeled “biker”.  I use the term to describe everyone that rides a bike, as “motorcyclist” seems so unnatural, uptight, and rigid.  So maybe we should have another alternative to motorcyclist – a rider.  The term “rider” implies more than just enthusiasm for motorcycles, and moto-culture,  it implies enthusiasm for riding motorcycles, a hobby mostly overlooked in the age of OCC and chopper build-offs.  So for the purpose of this article, rather than labeling everyone motorcyclists, I will label all enthusiasts – BIKERS, and all others, that in addition to having a love for the machines and culture, also love to ride – we will call them RIDERS.   -MORE

Riding with the new guy

If the first question out of your mouth after the handshake is “How do you feel about riding farther, faster and longer and coming back when it will be darker and colder?” and the reply is “What are you thinking” instead of “no,” you know you are in the company of someone who isn’t afraid to ride.  You could call what we did meandering, though we had a very specific goal: I needed to scout a campsite at Payne Lake for an upcoming trip. I looked at the roads and connecting roads on the map and laid the tape on the tank before leaving for Tip Top. We shot the breeze for a minute before heading out. Read

The Double-Yellow Lesson

After riding last week with some new guys, and watching some common mistakes witnessed on some of the tight, twisty roads we were enjoying, I started wondering – Why are these guys making the same mistakes, over and over? – The answer seemed clear after some thought, and I wished I would have had the chance to share my thoughts with them.  More

 

Giant Chicken ride to Dothan

These getaways usually happen a couple times each summer and include lakes, beaches, beer, wine and all varieties of good time. This year I got wise and decided to go down for a couple days and we’d take the kids to the beach. I’d get in on some of the fun and I’d get to spend some time in the saddle.  Read the story

River Rendezvous

Bart Jones and I made a somewhat spontaneous ride down to the Coosa River, below Selma, to meet another member, who is paddling his canoe, from the north end of the state, down to Ft Morgan, and writing a book about it. MORE

 

 

Doug Wothke – Alabama Motorycling Legend

My guess is that Doug would chuckle, and probably argue about the “legend” title, as he does not really see the scope of his accomplishments on a motorcycle as legendary.  Riding around the world on a 1948 Indian does not seem to be that big of a deal to him – he is prepping the Indian for yet another ride into foreign lands.  Read more

 

Track Day at Talladega Gran Prix

The new Power Commander makes the R6 have sort of a loping reggae rhythm when it first cranks, until it gets up to temperature. Bump the starter…the engine lopes to life. I like the sound of the Yosh RS-3 exhaust. The engine warms up while I put on the rest of my gear. This will literally be the first time I’ve ridden the bike at speed since I did all of the work to it. I have NO idea what to expect. I take the bike off the paddock stand, mount up, snick it into gear and roll towards pit-out, along with 24 of my soon-to-be closest friends. I now LOVE the sound of the Yosh RS-3. It sounds raw and edgy.  Read the Article

Alabama Ghost-Town Project

The Alabama Ghost Town Project is underway.  If you would like to be involved in this project, sign-in or sign-up and get started.  The only requirements are that you make your adventures and post your pics from the back of a motorcycle.  A great excuse to ride, an interesting subject, and a fun way to spend a day, searching for historical and forgotten places in Alabama.  Details

Ride to Davis Ferry

As the craft landed, Bart rode his Triumph Tiger onto the ramp like a Marine landing on the beach on D-Day.  He was the only traveler, and quickly turned around to board the craft again with us.  On board, we hardly felt movement, but the craft moved us to the other side quite quickly, maybe 200 yards across.  Upon landing on the other side, the operators hustled us off, and we wandered through the park that ran along the side of the river.

This is where our trouble began……….  Read the article

Dual Sport riding in Alabama

A nice day to do some off-roading  in the urban areas of Homewood, we decided to do a tour of the old Sloss mines just off Lakeshore drive.  The mining ruins of the previous iron industry still exist in their rotting forms.  Enough to make an interesting  day of riding and exploring to the area known to THE DIRTY DOZEN as – The Shire          READ MORE

Upcoming events

There are quite a few upcoming events in the next few weeks, many we have placed on the calendar and posted details about, and many other that we do not know about. If you have any event, rally, or interesting bike-related activity you would like posted, take the first step and sign up for a free account here , or if you simply want to tell us what is going on, call or email us

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