My boots are squishy. My leather jacket is soaked. The liner in my helmet has been reduced to smelling like a damp wash rag. Yes I was riding in the rain today. It’s not something I normally do, as I would classify myself as a fair weather rider. But there was an event today at a dealership that I wanted to attend and despite trusting my better judgment, weather forecasts and ignoring my aching knees, I went anyways.
They say real motorcyclists ride in the rain. I’d like to know who ”they” are so I can hunt them down beat them senseless with a blunt instrument. Motorcycles are no matches for rain… nor are their riders. OK, OK, before the hate mail comes flooding in, I do recognize that there is a certain breed of rider (a much heartier breed than I) who takes riding in the rain and even snow in stride and hardly slows them one bit. But for me, the sheer misery is contradictory to the enjoyment I look forward to when I want to ride.
Now had I a proper rain suit, a windshield so big, one would think it came off a Greyhound bus, heated gloves and boots, and a proper full-face helmet, then certainly the ride would not have been so bad. But I don’t want to wear a day glow rainsuit. I don’t want a windshield on my bike. I don’t want to plug-in my gloves and boots. I want the simplicity of throwing on my jacket, strapping on my helmet, slipping on my gloves and hitting the road. If I have to dress-up like I’m going commercial fishing in the North Atlantic… then I might was well go fishing.
When I started out, the skies were overcast and it was rather muggy. I had on my favorite brown leather jacket, my work boots, gloves and my open face helmet. I also carry a bandana with me because you never know then you’ll need to wipe something off the bike or yourself. I made my first stop without any foul weather. And as I was nearing the dealership, I felt the first drops of rain. I also witnessed a mass exodus of riders coming from the direction of the dealership, so I knew bad weather was on the way.
I made my stop at the dealer’s open house, said my hellos and took a leisurely walk around the property to check out what few bikes were still around. Not many. The slight drizzle is now a little stronger and it was obvious that the event was winding down, so I decided to leave. Knowing that I was going to be riding about an hour in the rain, I decided to wrap the bandana around my face before strapping on the helmet. A rider next to me watching me tie-on the bandana commented to me that “I’ve done this before” inferring that I ride in the rain a lot. I took off and not more than a mile down the road the skies opened up with a torrential downpour.
I was soaked so bad that when I stopped at a traffic light and lowered my arms to my side, streams of water came pouring out of both sleeves. That wasn’t so bad, but the bandana made it very hard for me to breathe. When I wear it over my face in fair weather to keep bugs & dust out, it works great and I have no problems breathing. But soaked in water, the cloth would not breathe, so I had to pull it away from my face just to draw a breath. At one point I pulled the bandana down to expose my mouth and nose. At 45 mph, the raindrops felt like little needles poking my skin. We’ve all experienced that. I kept thinking of the news reporters down on the gulf coast reporting on the hurricanes and what that must of felt like.
I made it home in one piece. The bike is in the garage drip-drying. My leather jacket, gloves and boots doing the same in the laundry room. A hot shower and a warm meal drove the chill out of my body. I’m not saying that I’ll never ride again with a forecast of rain, but don’t look for me shopping for rainsuits and windshields any time soon.
The last days of summer are winding down. I love this time of year here in the Mid-west. The temps are mild in the 70s and the fall color change has begun. It’s a great time of year to ride and that is exactly what I did today. I’ve been chomping on the bit for the last week to take a long ride.
Last Wednesday I picked up my freshly painted seat pan for my Silverstone SC bike. I had left the seat with John from Prism painting at last weekend’s Battle of the Brits show with instructions to paint it black. I ran into John last Wednesday night at a local restaurant and he told me the seat was done. Knowing I would pick it up Thursday afternoon, I earlier in the day swapped-out the stock CVK carbs for a set of Keihin CR-II’s. So I have the last part on the bike painted and a new set of carbs to experiment with. Point me to the open road!
Saturday was a rainout, so I used the time to catch-up on paperwork. Amazing how it can stack up on you when all that is on your mind is riding motorcycles. I’ll be snowed-in soon enough, so you’ll understand if I prioritize time for personal enjoyment over professional growth every now & then.
Sunday finally rolls around and the weather turned out to be perfect. Low 70s with slightly cloudy skies. The roads were dry and the bike was clean and polished. Now where I live near metro Detroit, one must ride well outside the city to ride anything close to what can be called a winding road. Thing straight N-S/E-W running surface roads with 90-degree intersections and massive potholes. Boring. There is however, one destination known to SE Michigan riders for it’s biker-friendly roads and pup, Hell, Michigan.
Hell is a quaint little town, with a novelty store (yep, you guessed it – “I’ve been to Hell” T-shirts and such), an ice cream parlor (with more T-shirts) and the Damn Site Inn. It’s the latter that serves as the hub of excitement. Typical biker bar with a ‘devilish’ flavor. Any decent weekend afternoon, you’ll find the place packed with Harleys and other V-twins. I love stopping there, especially if I’m on a Triumph. All those V-twin macho guys trying to look so cool… straining to sneak a peek of my bike without telegraphing to others that they’re giving a non-Harley the time of day. Pathetic, in an ego boosting way.
I lucked out and got a window seat today. I could see out into the lot were my bike was parked and riders milling about. They sure were a lot of riders checking out my bike. I watched several of them stroll laps around it checking out all the goodies. After lunch, I walked outside and glanced down the lot to where I was parked. The same group was still around the bike, and as I approached my bike to leave, they moved away. As I was putting on my gloves and helmet, they just watched be from a park bench like I was some circus act about to perform a trick. No one said a word. Creepy.
For you tech-o junkies out there; I installed CR-II carbs on my Silverstone SC (2004 T100), but I left the stock airbox in place. It’s got a UNI filter and both the internal plate and snorkel are still in-place. I’m using #58 slow jets and #105 mains. The bike started and idled immediately. In fact, the jetting seems to be spot-on. An interesting phenomenon occurred; the exhaust note dropped about an octave. The bike is running strong, yet the exhaust note is much deeper and hence, not as loud as before. As time allows this week, I’ll experiment with bigger main jets to see what happens.
It’s been over 24 hours and the adrenaline is still coursing through my veins. Yesterday was the Annual Battle of the Brit Car & Motorcycle show in Sterling Heights, MI. My local Triumph club, the Metro Triumph Riders organize the bike-end of the event. This is my favorite show for so many reasons. The facility, Freedom Hill, is a lovely multi-functional park, only 30 minutes from my home. The caliber of classic bikes is top-flight. From daily runners to world-class restorations & originals. And of course, an opportunity to hangout with friends.
This year’s show was particularly good because the weather cooperated, the turnout of bikes was excellent and I received a major dose of ego-boost. Any one who knows me, knows I’m all about external affirmation. I live for the 'pat on the back.' And I got more than my share yesterday.
The day started with noted classic bike & Triumph historian and author, Lindsey Brooks stopping by early as I was setting up. I brought with me my two latest project bikes; my Project eBobber and my Silverstone SC. The Silverstone is a T100 with a mix of Norman Hyde, MotoTwin and other parts to replica a 60s café/club racer. Lindsey has seen this bike before and was even more generous with praise this time around. He took some photos of the bike as I suggested once again that he should write a book about the NTB. I’ll leave it to him to pitch the idea to his publishers. Fingers crossed.
Next along was Peter from the Metro Triumph Riders. Pete’s a British chap and always complementary of my work. He introduces me to a producer from Speed Channel. They’re there to film the goings on for TV. “Would it be OK if we came by later and film a bit about you and your bikes?” [OK Mike… process the words… calm down and don’t freak-out… steady man…I’m just standing here not saying anything… answer the guy…] “Ahhh, sure” was my brilliant retort. Fingers crossed.
So now I freaking-out that I have to give a TV interview. Oh, I’ve done them before, but I was talking about someone else, or something not of my own creation. Now I have to talk about my bikes and my business. I was so keyed-up, I though my head was going to explode. I was on super overdrive all day. By the time the film crew came by hours later, I was totally wired. The interview went great, or so I am told. I can't recall a word I said. I’m not going to jinx the deal by getting into specifics of the show, but hopefully you’ll all be calling me the King of All Media early next year. Fingers crossed.
A special shout-out to what hopefully will be the future Michigan chapter of the Ton-Up Club, Tannis, Fred, Eric, Larry, and Brad showed up for our first official group photo and meeting. Fun was had by all… and it involved British motorbikes. Can’t beat that.
It's 7:00am EST. I've been up for about an hour or so. This is my most productive time of the day. No incoming calls or UPS deliveries to distract me. Just peace & quiet. It's also the perfect time of the day to call my suppliers in Europe.
I just got off the phone with Tim Cole of MotoTwin. He and his brother Oliver are wonderful chaps. It's always a pleasure to speak to them as both of them have a great sense of humor. A trait I hold in very high esteem. For those of you new to the New Triumph Bonneville community, MotoTwin is a UK based parts & accessories specialist for the NTB. Both Tim & Oliver have engineering backgrounds and share my passion for the Hinckley twins. I'm very proud to be their US stockist. Tim tells me that he and Oliver are off this weekend for the Rocker's Reunion at the Ace Cafe in Brighton. Lucky dogs!
While I'm on the subject of praising my Brit suppliers, I'd be remised if I didn't mention Norman Hyde and Peter Jenks. 'Ol Normy, as I fondly refer to him (but not to his face) is a sweetheart of a guy, as is Alan & Dave in his shop. Norman's son recently married an American gal and I believe they live in PA somewhere. Norman's experience with the older Triumphs is quite legendary and his bits & pieces for the NTB are equally impressive. I drive him mad with my anal-retentive demands on how things should be boxed and packed, and he takes it all in stride.
And Peter Jenks... now here's a character. And I mean that with the highest respect. Peter's foray into the NTB aftermarket mirrors my own history in many regards. He too is a veteran of the Delphi NTB Forum. Peter's a tinkerer. Not by trade, but as a hobby. I'm sure most of you know him for his seat bolts, but there are many other wonderful products he's developed. He makes his own prototypes in his personal workshop and then farms-out production to machine shops that product Formula 1 racecar parts. No wonder the quality is unmatched. Peter and I have been doing business for a year or two before we finally met in person last year while Peter & I were visiting Chicago. Peter was on business and I was visiting an ill friend. As an American, and having worked with Brits, Aussies and Kiwis in the racing business for so many year, I had a very clear mental picture of what Peter would look like just having only spoken to him on the phone prior to meeting him. He didn't disappoint. A quintessential British gentleman. Think of a shorter Tony Blair with silver hair and glasses.
Our first meeting was a painful one for me... quite literally. While walking to Peter's hotel, I tripped on some irregular pavement, fell and broke two ribs! Peter had no idea at the time and thank heaven I had three of my friends with me at dinner to carry the conversation as I just sat there moaning & groaning. BTW... we ate at Webber's Grill in downtown Chicago. I highly recommend it.
Blogs are all the rage these days, so it's understandable that I would want to start one of my own. My intentions are to merely promote the goods and services I offer to the New Triumph Bonneville community, but rather to offer some behind the scenes insights and observations that my customers can enjoy... or not.
I am a total neophyte when it comes to blogs. I'm not sure exactly what to do, so I ask your indulgence while I muddle my way though all of this. You comments are always welcome... HOWEVER... I retain the option to delete anything that I feel is hateful, racist or in any way posted for the express intent to hurt anyone, especially me. Those of you knowledgeable with the history of the Delphi NTB Forum will understand exactly what I mean.
The notion of providing a little history about myself just popped into my head, so here's a not-so brief resume:
My name for those of you who don't know is Michael Selman. I go by Mike. I was born in Detroit in 1956, the youngest of three children of Isadore and Belle Selman. My father, who passed in 1960 was an Air Force vet and served as a meteorologist. It was his final say-so before the air groups flew their missions. He also ran a successful automotive & residential paint manufacturing plant here in Detroit before his death. My mother Belle (Bella) was a Romanian immigrant and holocaust survivor. She sadly passed in 1997, but not before running my father's company, selling it and starting her own engineering company and raising three successful children. My brother and I worked for her in her final years at the engineering company she founded. It was her who inspired me to start my own company which bares her name; Bella. As a child, she and her brother rode motorcycles. She told me once she fell off an NSU which left her with a small scar on her chin. She never liked the idea of me riding motorcycles, but she never forbid to ride either.
My mother bought my brother and I mini bikes when we were maybe 10-12 years old. We terrorized the neighborhood on those things. The love for all things on wheels and self-propelled began early for me. My first real motorcycle was a 60s Montgomery Wards Binelli 175 street bike. I wrecked the thing riding off-road on the land where the Pontiac Silverdome is now located. In highschool, I had a 71 Norton Commando which I built-up as a little street hotrod. Bobbed the rear fender and installed the same aluminum tail light I sell today for the NTB. Added Mikuni carbs, K&N filters, Boyer ignition, S&W shocks, Tommaselli controls, Dunstall mufflers. Now you understand why I do the things I do to the NTB. I sold the Norton in the mid-80s to buy my first Harley. I've regreted that day ever since, even though I loved the Harley and still own one today.
After college I worked several years in the consumer electronics industry. One position I held and enjoyed immensely was National Sales Trainer for Harman/Kardon-JBL of Woodbury, NY. You audiophiles out there will recognize the name as a leader in the industry. To this day, I'm rather an audiophile myself and even build a rather sophisticated recording studio and home theater in my home.
While working for h/k-JBL, I was also racing sportscars in the SCCA (then) Division 5. h/k-JBL sponsored my car, a 1986 Mustang GT in the Showroom Stock GT class. I also worked as a tech scrutineer at the Formula 1 races held in Detroit from 1981 to 1987. It was at these races I met several influential people in the professional motorsports community that ultimately led me to leave the consumer electronics industry and focus on a career in auto racing.
My first full-time gig in racing was as the marketing manager for a Detroit-based engine component manufacturer. I won't name their name, as the owner was a total prick and racist. The job only lasted a year before the pressure to leave became too great. It was my first taste of racist hate, and unfortunately not my last. It really put my mother's holocaust experiences into perspective for me. But from this bad experience, came a good outcome. I drove down the street to their competitor; Roush Racing and went to work for them. I also used my ties with h/k-JBL to work a sponsorship deal, which set the tone for my future racing endeavors.
Open-wheel racing is my true passion. In the late 80s I met a local CART Champcar owner, and went to work for him as Team Manager. I didn't know squat! But (at that time) CART was very much like a family with teams helping-out other teams... loaning parts... sharing set-ups... and some very knowledgeable and generous people took me under their wing and gave me the education I so dearly needed. The team I ran was a back-runner, run on a shoestring budget. The owner was as passionate about open-wheel racing as me (possibly more-so), and we had a hoot fielding a Cosworth-Lola against the Chevy-powered teams. I could fill a dozen blogs with war stories... but not now. After the funding ran out and the team folded, I bounced around from team-to-team. The last team I worked for fielded an Indy Lites car. I served as an engineer for a young Mexican driver who had backing from Corona beer. I recall coming home from a race with about 40 cases of beer in the back of my car. Best damn job perk I've ever had. I also worked for Lola Cars as a software developer, Knight-Ridder as a media consultant and finally for a race transporter/trailer manufacturer as their sales rep. It was all a ton of fun while it lasted. But racing is a young man's game. As I got older, my knees got weaker, my back got sorer and it was obvious that I wasn't going to be able to drag my fat ass around the tracks like I once did. 9/11 pretty much killed-off my racing activities, as the trailer company I worked for was bought-out and they no longer build race transporters. And traveling became a nightmare for me.
So here I am in early 2002 wondering what I'm going to do with myself. I had bought my first new Triumph Bonneville in April of 2001 and had already started customizing it. I was active on the Delphi New Bonneville Forum and some members had asked me to help them purchase some of the parts I had installed on my bike. So starting my own on-line mail order shop was no great stretch of the imagination. Officially on March 4th, 2002, BellaCorse was launched. Bella; my mother's name, and also meaning beautiful... and Corse (pronounced Cor-sa), which means racing. Oh yeah, and the RaceDweeb moniker; while working in CART, I was honored by my peers for my contributions to the sport as a "DAG" (data acquisition guy or geek). I joked, that this acknowledgement has elevated me from Data Geek to Race Dweeb status. The name stuck.
Fast forward to the late summer, 2005 and I'm extremely proud to say that BellaCorse has grown exponentially over the last few years. I've expanded my product range from a set of fork gaiters (BCC-001) and an 18-tooth sprocket (BCE-001) to now offering almost 200 parts & accessories for the Hinckley twins. The popularity of the Bonneville range has not diminished, so the future looks quite bright for BellaCorse.
I thank you for indulging me as I rambled-on in this opening blog. I hope to bring you interesting insights and stories that you may or may not find interesting and/or relevant. Your comments are welcomed. Thank you for visiting.
