Motorcycles - Page One
My love of motorcycling began when I was about 12 years old. Growing up in the rural south provided plenty of opportunities and space to enjoy off-road riding. I have distinct memories of taking a friend's father's 250cc Kawasaki street bike through fields and over small jumps. As a teenager, I dated a young man who raced motocross. That was just too cool. When he bought me, a struggling college student, a brand new Honda XR200, what else could I do but marry him?! We've been into and out of motorcycling over the years, until a few years ago my husband, Speedy, was asked to help build a quarter-mile flat track just a few miles from our home. It wasn't long until he and our son began racing there, and I tried a few powder puff classes. I was too scared of getting hurt while racing and not being able to work, though, so it wasn't long before I retreated back behind my camera when on the track. I love riding streetbikes, though, especially in the mountains of western NC.My current ride is a 2004 Triumph Sprint RS 955i. It is just the total package. It's got that torquey Triumph triple engine with its famous growl and smooth power delivery, and is such a blast to ride. It is vibration-free, all-day comfy, and the faster you go, the better it feels. It is just a howling good time and is by far my favorite bike to date. Prior to that, I rode a 2007 Yamaha FZ6, a great "do-it-all" 600cc street/sport with an R6 engine tuned for the street. For over 4 years prior to the FZ6 I rode a Kawasaki Vulcan 800A cruiser. The Vulcans are called "bulletproof," and with good reason. It never gave me a lick of trouble. I had a Corbin seat with a backrest on that thing and could ride for days. But when I started dragging the pegs pretty often on the Vulcan, I moved away from cruisers to standards and sport-tourers. The riding position on those is much better on the ole' bod, and at my skill level I can rail thru the mountains all day without worrying about dragging the pegs. I also have a 1983 Honda FT500 Ascot single that's been sitting around for 25+ years that I'm thinking of selling; email me if you're interested in it. The Ascot is AHRMA-legal for flat track and road racing.
In 2003-2005 I was able to enjoy combining my photography with motorcycles by shooting a good bit of the races at Mid-Carolina Speedway. I'm working full-time now and no longer shooting races, but am leaving these pages up for the enjoyment of others. I'm not actively pushing print & DVD sales (as discussed below) any longer, but hey, if you see yourself on here somewhere and want a print, let me know.
In 2004 at Mid-Carolina Speedway I shot stills during the heats and video during the main., putting a handful of the best shots from each race on here, but also producing a DVD movie of each race ($20 each) which combined slideshows set to music plus video of the main. I did seven DVDs in 2004: one of The Heritage (described a little further down on this page); one with all 3 South Carolina May '04 races (Conway, Ladson & Mid-Carolina), slideshows only; and the June 19, 2004, the July 17, 2004, the August 21, 2004, the September 25, 2004 & October 16, 2004 races at Mid-Carolina (one DVD of each race containing video of the entire main plus a photo slideshow). These are still available for purchase. If I have a photo of you, a DVD case cover can be personalized at no extra charge.
I have free slideshows available via email of these 2003 races at Mid-Carolina Speedway:
4/19/03, 5/31/03, 6/21/03, 7/25/03, & 10/18/03 EMAIL LAURA
Motorcycle Links:
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