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Articles, and ride reports related to rides, road trips, events, and other rides by California Motorcycle Accident Attorney and Biker Lawyer Norman Gregory Fernandez

Rush Slip On Mufflers for Harley Davidson Touring Motorcycles; My Review

Written on June 9, 2010 by Norman Gregory Fernandez in Articles, Editorial, Education, Motorcycle Product Reviews, My Harley Davidson Electra Glide, Norman Gregory Fernandez Ride Reports, Videos

California Motorcycle Accident Attorney and Biker Lawyer Norman Gregory Fernandez's Halrey Davidson Electra Glide with Rush Mufflers

My Harley Davidson Electra Glide

See below for a video demonstrating how the mufflers sound.

Many of my friends have aftermarket exhaust systems on their motorcycles which sound great and are not too obnoxious. Some have exhausts which are so obnoxious, that they would cause strain on long rides.

Through the years I have tried many different types of mufflers on many different types of motorcycles.

For about 5 years, I have run Screaming Eagle slip on mufflers on my Harley Davidson Electra Glide, with a stage 1 setup on my carb. and air filter. It is basically a Screaming Eagle stage 1 setup. Other than that, I am running a stock Harley Davidson 88 c.i. Twincam engine.

My right muffler developed bluing where the head pipe met the slip on muffler, very soon after I put the Screaming Eagle mufflers on the motorcycle.

I recently decided to try out some new slip on mufflers. My criterion was that I wanted my mufflers to have some bark, but not be too obnoxious.

As I have said many times before, I am a Biker Lawyer and Attorney, not a mechanic.

In the past, I have had my slip-on’s put on by the dealer. However, now there are many dealers who will not install slip-on’s due to E.P.A. regulations.

I almost pulled the trigger on some slip-on’s at the Laughlin River Run, but they were gouging the prices a bit, plus I did not want to wait any longer than I had already waited to get repairs done to my motorcycle.

After doing research on the internet, including watching some YouTube videos of guys installing slip-on’s, I decided that I could do the install myself this time which would save both time and money.

Some guys are running mufflers with no baffles. This is not only obnoxious and loud as hell, it is illegal. Further, unless you have some serious engine modifications, and/or carb. jetting, or fuel injector mapping modifications, running with no baffles will make your engine run too lean, and can burn your engine out.

Read the rest of the review below the video.

On top of that running open pipes without mods. will actually decrease your power output.

Baffles are encasing’s in the mufflers which decrease or muffle the sound of your exhaust/motorcycle. The smaller the baffle diameter, the less sound that is supposed to come out of the muffler.

Conversely, the smaller the baffle diameter in the muffler, the less exhaust flow you will have through the muffler, and the less power you will get out of your motorcycle engine.

Although in the past, I would just buy a set of mufflers for my other motorcycles, and just go with whatever I bought, this time, I decided to do a significant amount of research on the internet to determine which set of mufflers I would put on my Electra Glide.

One thing I have learned with Harley Davidson’s as opposed to other types of cruiser motorcycles is that you have a huge selection of options. Further, the sky is the limit as to how much money you can spend as well.

There are slip on mufflers out there such as the Vance & Hine wide ovals that run around $700.00, or you can get a set of LaRosa Design mufflers on EBay for $99.00.

It is reported that each of the above mufflers sound great.

After doing a bunch of research, I decided the best bet would be to get some muffles on eBay, because I could save money on used mufflers, and if I did not like the mufflers I could simply sell them again without taking a loss.

I also did not want to spend $400-600 dollars on new mufflers that could be a hit or miss with respect to being too loud, or that had an exhaust note that I did not like.

Many guys on the internet forums recommended Rush Mufflers as being a good sounding muffler, and not too expensive. I also read good things about LaRosa Design Mufflers, which were also supposed to have a great sound at a low price.

California Motorcycle Accident Attorney and Biker Lawyer Norman Gregory Fernandez's Halrey Davidson Electra Glide with Rush Mufflers 2 I decided to buy a set of Rush Mufflers with 2 inch baffles, and a set of LaRosa Design Mufflers with 1 7/8 baffles to test out.

This review is of the Rush Mufflers with the 2 inch baffles.

I scored a set of chrome Rush slip on Mufflers for 95-10 Touring motorcycles, slash up, part number 15302 on EBay for $142.51. The mufflers were almost in new condition.

I saw many guys bidding away on almost the exact mufflers in other auctions. Hell some guys were paying about $300.00 for the same used mufflers in other auctions. I just got lucky in my auction. The secret was to go with someone who was not too savvy with their auction design on eBay so that it was not too flashy!

The list price for these mufflers from the Rush website is $398.95, so you know I scored on EBay. Click here to go to the Rush website to see the mufflers I purchased.

Another excellent feature of these mufflers is that the Rush mufflers feature removable baffles, and you can buy different size baffles from them at their website here. I am running the 2 inch baffles. If I want to quiet it down a bit I can buy smaller diameter baffles.

The baffles can be removed and replaced with one bolt on the bottom.

When I received the mufflers you could tell they were used by looking inside of the pipes and seeing the grit, but the Chrome on the outside was in surprisingly good condition, they were basically new. The mufflers were heavy duty, and actually heavier than the Screaming Eagles. They appear to be longer than the Screaming Eagle mufflers as well, and protrude further out of the back than my Screaming Eagles did.

Now I could see why the guys on the forums were recommending them, these are top quality mufflers for a better price. But did they sound good?

The slash-up design fits the taper and shape of the back of the Harley Davidson hard saddlebags, I like the look. My Screaming Eagles were slash downs.

The install was kind of a bitch to say the least.

The easy part was removing the hard saddlebags on each side to get to the mufflers, which I did.

I decided that the install would be easier if I removed the heat shields on each side, so that is what I did, I removed the right and left heat shields which butt up next to the mufflers for easier access.

I then unbolted the muffler on the right hand side from the clamp at the head pipe, and the two bolts below the saddlebag bar, no problem.

I then tried removing the Screaming Eagle muffler on the right hand side; it would not budge. I tried twisting and pulling, it would not budge; it was stuck on real good. This is the muffler that blued so I was worried that the damm thing was welded on to the head pipe.

I decided to take a break and do the left side pipe. This one came off easy.

After trying everything to get the muffler off and failing, I in the end, went to Home Depot, and purchased a strap wrench to get the right muffler off. It worked like a charm, but I still had to use some heavy elbow grease. It finally came off.

The strap wrench is basically a rubber strap that wraps around the muffler and attaches to a special handle which allows you to get rotational torque around the muffler without damaging or scratching the chrome.

The install of the left muffler was no problem at all, it slipped right on; the right muffler did not seem to fit. It would not slip on!

Hell, I had my wife hold the front of the motorcycle, as I tried to force the muffler onto the head pipe. I sprayed WD-40 and Silicon lubricant onto the damm thing, but it was a no go. The muffler simply would not fit onto the head pipe. I pushed and twisted so hard, I was worried that I would damage the head pipe or the connection between the head pipe and the cylinder.

I went on the forums to see if I could find a solution. As usual there were many good solutions from buying a tool to expand the muffler pipe, to using other creative methods.

I decided that the best solution would be to take the muffler to an automotive muffler shop the next day, and have them expand the muffler pipe where it slips onto the head pipe.

I found a place close by. They charged me $10 bucks to expand the muffler pipe. This solution was cheaper and faster than buying a tool to do it, and it took no time whatsoever other than driving down there.

When in doubt, use professionals who know what they are doing.

I decided to run by the Harley dealership to buy a new muffler clamp for the right side as well. These are supposed to be single use items. They only had one left. I reused my old clamp on the left hand side and have no problems with it.

When I got home the muffler slipped on very easily, probably too easily. I was worried that the muffler guy may have expanded the muffler pipe too much.

My worries were unfounded. Once I tightened up the clamps and bolts on the slip-on’s, and checked very carefully, everything was great, with no apparent leaks.

After I started my Electra Glide, I first felt that the mufflers kind of sounded like my Screaming Eagles or just a tad deeper and louder.

When I did my ubiquitous test ride down my block with no helmet on, it sounded a bit louder and deeper. However, when I got back in the garage, my wife said they were much louder and deeper. I could not tell.

However, I then went on two day riding binge and discovered that these pipes are much louder and deeper than the Screaming Eagles, no doubt about that. I am quite satisfied.

Hell with ear plugs in; my ears were ringing pretty well after the two day jaunt. I do have tinnitus or ringing in my ears that gets worse at times with loud sounds.

I have decided to keep the Rush slip-on’s, and to sell the LaRosa mufflers that I purchased brand new without installing them. Why play around if I am satisfied.

As of right now I have a pair of stock mufflers, a pair of Screaming Eagles, and the LaRosa’s.

I give the Rush slip-on mufflers a big thumbs up and would recommend them above all.

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Just another Sunday Ride; NOT!

Written on May 29, 2010 by Norman Gregory Fernandez in Articles, Editorial, In The Wind, Norman Gregory Fernandez Ride Reports, Travel, Videos

My GoPRo Video Camera on my Modular Helmet

Last Sunday, May 23, 2010, I decided to take a bit of a ride here in Southern California.

The ride was not only for pleasure, but I wanted to check out my new Rush Slip on mufflers, my new Sony HD Stereo, and my new GoPro helmet camera. (I will write reviews about all of them later on)

My plan was to meet some of my friends in Chatsworth, CA, ride to Simi Valley Harley Davidson in Simi Valley, CA, and then ride with them to Bartels Harley Davidson in Marina Del Rey, CA. I ended up doing a local 300 mile all day ride minus the time I spent at Simi Valley Harley Davidson.

My ride started out early Sunday morning on May 23, 2010. I got on my motorcycle at around 8:30am to take a bit of a ride before I met my friends. I captured the vast majority of my ride on my new GoPro helmet cam, a picture of which you can see to the left.

I have the helmet cam mounted on the side of my helmet rather than the top of my helmet, because I have a modular flip up helmet and the top mount would not work with the flip up aspect of my modular helmet. I will discuss this more when I review the camera.

Suffice is to say, it was a great day. My total riding hours in the saddle riding last Sunday was around 9 hours plus, and I have plenty of video footage of my ride. I am showing 30 minutes of the ride here. It was very hard for me to select which video footage to show here.

I met my friends in Chatsworth at around 9:45am after taking about an hour ride. We then rode together to a little event at Simi Valley Harley Davidson. There was a band, food, and vendors at Simi Valley Harley Davidson.

I took advantage of being at Simi Valley Harley Davidson. It turns out on the ride over there, I discovered that my left spot light was out, plus I needed some bushings and bolts for my removable Tour Pak. I was able to get all of the parts I needed at the dealership which made me very happy notwithstanding the fact that I paid $57.00 for a spot light replacement, two bolts, and two bushings.

I decided to replace the spotlight in the street while I was there. It was probably a good idea, because once I got the spot light off, I could not figure how to get it back on. There is a rubber strip, a backing that the spotlight goes into, as well as a metal ring. I walked the separated parts up to the service desk, and even though they were closed, there was a guy in there who obviously worked there, who packed the rubber back into the housing, and showed me how to put the pieces back together which I did. Repair completed right there in the street.

My friends and I walked around a bit and hung out at the Harley Davidson dealership until at least noon by my estimation. I purchased a $5.00 lemonade – 5 friggen dollars for a large lemonade. After complaining a bit about the price, the guy agreed to give me a free refill. I don’t know but if I was putting on one of these events, I would talk to my food and drink vendors to ensure that they were not gouging my customers and guests. This is a whole other story.

At some point, the guys decided to take off. When I got on my motorcycle to leave with the guys, I found an electrical problem from my earlier spotlight fix, and my motorcycle would not start. I waived my friends off and told them I would meet them later.

I opened the spotlight back up and everything seemed OK. The light powered up when I put the ignition switch to the run position, but the bike would not start. Then I had a stupid me moment, I engaged the kill switch before I did the repair which I forgot about. Once I disengaged the kill switch, the motorcycle started. I then buttoned the motorcycle back up and was ready to roll. It was by now a half hour later or so. I knew my friends were probably already very close to Bartel’s in Marina Del Rey.

By this time I was hungry. I had not had breakfast that morning, I did not eat the food at the Simi Valley event because I did not want to have acid reflux all day, so I decided to take a detour off of the 118 to go to Jerry’s Deli on Ventura Blvd. in Woodland Hills, CA to get some Matzo Ball soup and some Kosher Dills. I knew if I rode to Bartel’s in Marina Del Rey, they would probably have the same greasy spoon type of food that they had at Simi Valley Harley Davidson, and that I did not want to wait to eat.

I rode to Jerry’s Deli which is a San Fernando Valley hotspot eatery where many celebrities can be seen from time to time, and thoroughly enjoyed my meal, although it took quite a time to get my meal. There is nothing like Matzo Ball soup when you are on a run where the weather is kind of cool. It will open up your sinus every time. Matzo Ball soup is a Jewish remedy!

By the time I finished my meal at Jerry’s Deli, it was already around between 1:30 and 2:00pm, and I did not have my friend’s phone numbers with me, so I decided to skip Bartel’s Harley Davidson. I figured that by the time I rode there with traffic, I would not make it until around 3pm or later, and to be frank, I wanted to ride rather than sit around hanging out at another Harley Davidson dealership, so that is exactly what I did, I rode; I rode my ass off : )

I decided to ride to the Rock Store by way of Topanga Canyon to Mulholland Highway, the long twisty route. You can see some of the video from my GoPro here. It was a fanfuckentastic run. You see we absolutely have the best and most beautiful riding in the world right here in Southern California. It does not get much better than this anywhere in the world. Most Angelinos (Los Angeles Residents) have no clue about the beauty just outside of the concrete jungle here. We have great mountains, great coastline, and twisties that are just as radical as any in the world here.

As I approached the last stop sign before arriving at the Rock Store, I ran straight into a friggen road block. You see the Tour De California Bicycle race was also being put on this weekend, and the Rock Store was on their route. I was a bit pissed. I wanted to visit the Rock Store and then do my hidden route behind Mulholland to some of the best 1st gear twisties, ending up at the coast. I ended up turning off my motorcycle and watching the bicycle racers, the fans yelling like screaming Durban’s, and the helicopters overhead, not to mention the bicycle rider chase trucks, and chase motorcycles on the route. When a CHP officer told me the route was to be closed all day, I flicked a U’ie and rode back to Malibu Canyon Road. I rode to Pacific Coast Highway, and ended up doing a straight coast ride all the way up to Neptune’s Net. I stopped at my old surfing grounds before Zuma Beach and cruised the coast a bit. I have some great memories on this strip of beach.

It was a great day to ride on Sunday. The coast part of my journey was fanfuckentastic to say the least. Look I love riding with my friends and my brothers, but I also like riding solo as well. There is no pressure to stay in the pack when you are riding solo, and you can ride wherever the fuck you want with no one bitching. It is freedom.

I rode real easy up to Neptune’s Net. I had many cagers waiving at me, and honking at me. I presume this was because of my helmet camera. I assume these people probably thought that I was filming for some kind of Hollywood movie or something. I literally had people in Mercedes Benz’s, Ferrari’s and beater cars all giving me the thumbs up. It was unique and I got many of it on the helmet cam.

When I finally got to Neptune’s Net there were a bunch of bikes and bikers there just like every Sunday. For me it is the same old thing, kind of like a routine if you know what I mean. I had a bunch of guys come up and ask me about the camera on my helmet. One of the guys was this Euro type who claimed to have shot all of the pictures for Harley Davidson’s new motorcycle line that was coming out. He was very interested in the specs for my camera and the mount. I ended talking to these guys for a half hour, exchanging business cards and what not. This is the good thing about being a biker, it is easy to meet and greet with new people. Something that cagers will never really get to experience. It is a biker comradery.

At this point is was around 4pm plus or minus an hour : ) I had a choice, I could take Kanan Dune, or Malibu Canyon to the 101 Ventura Freeway, and ride home, or I could cruise Pacific Coast Highway up to Santa Monica, then take the 10 to the 405 and cruise up to the snow via the Antelope Valley back route. Hell this time of year it stays daylight until at least 8pm; what would you do? : ) Well what do you think I decided to do? If you guess take PCH to Santa Monica and then cruise up the snow by way of the Antelope Valley back route you would be correct.

Look, my wife is in law school, she was at home studying for some freaking test, it was a great not too warm sunny day by this time, and I had nothing better to do. I was one of those great days where I could have rode 24 hours straight, all around my favorite spots.

So there I did it, I rode PCH all the way to the 10. It was a great costal ride. I noticed that there are many more homes along the coast which is a real bummer. When I was growing up, it was straight coast all the way up, now there are homes blocking the view for a substantial part of the trip. No biggie, it was a great ride. I got on the 10 to the 405 north. There it was bumper to bumper traffic; a good excuse to get off before Getty Center Drive, get some gas, and then take Sepulveda up the canyon until the traffic opened up. Once I got on the 405 I took it to the 14 east and then got off at Sand Canyon Road for a bit of dinner at Coco’s Restaurant.

In Coco’s a young 20 year old kid named Shane who was sitting with his absolutely fine girlfriend 19 year old girlfriend Tammy, and his 25 year old friend Steve, introduced themselves to me and shook my hand, they sat directly in front of my in another booth.

I had a good meal and good conversation with these folks. Hell we talked about everything from relationships, to career, to riding motorcycles, you name it. It has been a long time since I had such a good conversation with young folks. I thought to myself that these kids ought to be more careful about opening up to strangers like me the way they did because there are many assholes out there that might do them harm just because they were so nice. I did not have enough time to tell them what I thought, but I thought it as I saw them leaving. These were some good kids. They showed me respect which is unique these days. I think their parents raised them right.

After a really good steak dinner, I got back on the road. I took the 14 to Pearblossum Highway, to my secret turn off on the 138 and headed up to the still snow covered mountains.

At the turnoff I decided to change the batteries in my Gopro cam, and to check the memory card. Turns out I needed to replace both. The batteries were dead, plus I had already used up an 8GB SD card which records 6 hours of video. Whoops. I put in new batteries, and a 2 GB SD card to record this aspect of my ride.

To give a short summary I owned the road, I was basically all alone form the desert to the mountains. I rode to my spot where the San Andreas Fault line is, and then up to the Juniper Hills and beyond up to the snow. By this time I was freezing my ass off, and the sun was going down, so I decided to ride home.

When I finally got home, my wife bitched about me being gone form the early morning to the evening and wondered what I did for so long. I let her see the video’s of the day. I know the real reason that she was upset; because she did not ride with me, and spent a beautiful Sunday by herself studying all day. Been there; done that.

Unfortunately I lost the 2 GB SD card of the final part of my journey in my home office somewhere. Once I find it I will post some video from it.

So there it is, one hell of a great Sunday Ride in Southern California, from the desert to the sea, to the mountains.

Maybe I may take one of my lucky readers on this same ride someday.

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A Little Ride Video to Las Vegas

Written on April 30, 2010 by Norman Gregory Fernandez in Articles, In The Wind, Just BS, My Harley Davidson Electra Glide, Norman Gregory Fernandez Ride Reports, Other, Travel, Videos

In December 2009, I took a little ride to Las Vegas. I was supposed to meet up with some friends along the way, but I ended up not meeting up with them until we got to Nevada.

Now I know some of you cannot ride in December due to snow and weather. Well here on the South West Coast we basically have year round riding. The below video proves it.

For me as a true Biker Lawyer and Motorcycle Accident Attorney, just give me an excuse to ride and I will be there. Unlike some other poser attorney’s out there claiming that they are “Motorcycle Attorney’s.” I am the real deal.

I have literally met up with hundreds if not thousands of Bikers and Motorcyclist from all over the United States and Europe. I love riding my motorcycle just like you do.

I love riding my motorcycle to Las Vegas, Nevada. Not necessarily because I like going to Las Vegas, but I flat out like to ride my motorcycle, and Las Vegas is another excuse to ride.

I shot this video during a ride to Las Vegas in December 2009. Some of the video was shot while riding my Electra Glide, with me holding my HD camcorder in my left hand, while holding the handlebar and throttle with my right hand.

Toward the end of the video, I took some video of me riding with my friends in a pack. This video is unique in that you can get in the saddle with me and see what it is like ride an Electra Glide solo and in a pack.

I am planning on taking many more videos of my rides in the future.

Enjoy!

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Tags: baker, biker lawyer, california motorycle accident attorney, california personal injury attorney, electra glide, interstate 15, las vegas, Noise Laws, pack riding, ride video

Lucky to be alive after the Laughlin River Run 2010; however, we still had a good time!

Written on April 27, 2010 by Norman Gregory Fernandez in Articles, Editorial, Events, In The Wind, My Harley Davidson Electra Glide, Norman Gregory Fernandez Ride Reports, Product Defects, Riding Your Motorcycle, Tires, Travel, Videos

California Motorcycle Accident Attorney Norman Gregory Fernandez at the Laughlin River Run 2010

See Videos Below

Well the title says it all, my wife and I owe our lives to god after this years Laughlin River Run. I will explain below.

If you did not know it, it is said that the Laughlin River Run is the largest motorcycle rally in the western United States, and some people say that it is the second largest motorcycle rally in the nation next to Sturgis. It is a great time.

You can read an article I wrote about a previous Laughlin River Run that I did by clicking here.

This year’s run began when we packed up my Harley Davidson Electra Glide to go to the Laughlin River Run 2010 on Friday, April 23, 2010.

Since I had to be in Court early Friday morning in Victorville, CA, we could not leave for the Laughlin River Run until Friday afternoon. Many of my friends left on the Thursday, the day before, but I could not go with them because I had to be in Court.

Therefore my wife and I planned on riding alone to Laughlin. By the time I did my pre-ride routine, and we got the motorcycle all packed up, it was very late. We did not get out of dodge until around 7pm; it was already dusk. I had to make a couple of stops along the way before we got on the road. Read the rest of the article below the videos.

By the time we hit the Pearblossom Highway, it was almost dark. We made good time to Victorville and onto the I-15 east. We stopped at Denny’s in Barstow and had dinner because we knew we would not get into Laughlin until around 1am or so according to the GPS.

Once back on the road we made good time from the I-15 to the I-40 split. If any of you have ridden on the I-40 between Barstow and Needles, you know that this is amongst the most isolated and desolate places in the United States. This is the Mohave Desert and there is nothing there except Rattlesnakes, Scorpions, and a couple of gas stations along the way.

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The Yuma Prison Run 2010; a Great Time

Written on April 20, 2010 by Norman Gregory Fernandez in Articles, Editorial, Events, In The Wind, My Harley Davidson Electra Glide, Norman Gregory Fernandez Ride Reports, Travel, Videos

California Biker Lawyer and Motorcycle Attorney Norman Gregory Fernandez with wife at the Yuma Prison Run

California Biker Lawyer and Motorcycle Attorney Norman Gregory Fernandez at the Yuma Prison Run

*** 4/21/10 Update – See the Short Video Below!

Living in Southern California we are blessed with year round riding. However, when April comes along there are several west coast biker rallies that take place every year. The Yuma Prison Run is one of those rallies. This is my review of this years rally.

This year the Yuma Prison Run was scheduled for the weekend of April 16-18, 2010. You can check out the Yuma Prison Run website by clicking here now.

The Yuma Prison Run is put on by the Norwalk Motorcycle Club, and has been an ongoing charity event since 1961; two years before I was born! The run is in Yuma, Arizona, and is located at the Yuma County Fair.

I decided to ride to this rally months ago. The rally location is approximately 300 miles from my home one way, or around 600 miles round trip, not including the miles I put on at or near the event once I get there. I consider this to be a medium distance sleepover run.

If any of you have read my blog, you will see many articles where I mention my fiancé. Well since we got married on January 31, 2010, she will now be referred to as my wife. I am still getting used to saying it! We have been together for 9 years, but wife is a new term in my life.

As usual, I started getting anxious and excited the night before we took off for the rally. I have been riding for many years, but it does not matter. Any of you who ride like I do know exactly what I am talking about; biker rallies are analogous to going to an amusement park when you are a kid.

There are not too many things that adults can look forward to that are fun and exciting like a good old fashioned biker rally. Unlike vacation travel, riding to a biker rally is different. It involves physically getting on your motorcycle and riding to and from the event. It is a much more involved and physical experience than just jumping on a plane and going somewhere. I am not going to even mention the ubiquitous trailer queens who don’t actually ride to an event; they are not worth mentioning!

My wife and I packed up my Harley Davidson Electra Glide on the Thursday before the Yuma Prison Run. The Harley Davidson hard saddle bags and tour pak really makes it much easier to pack up and go then in the past where I have had to squeeze everything for two into special motorcycle travel luggage. (Which I still have)

Since this is a 3 day, 2 night rally we try to pack as light as possible. As usual, I had reservations at one of the two Motel 6’s in town. Motel 6 is set up with laundry rooms, so worst case scenario; you can wash your clothes if you have to. What this means is that you do not have to pack as many clothes, which saves room on the motorcycle.

Hell if you are like me and are toting along your wife, you will need the extra room, because she will use it up

Basically we had the motorcycle mostly packed up on Thursday night, the day before we left.

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Who is that Doggy in the Window?

Written on February 12, 2010 by Norman Gregory Fernandez in Articles, In The Wind, Just BS, News, Norman Gregory Fernandez Ride Reports, Other

Norman Gregory Fernandez age 20.

I went to a party during the holidays where we were supposed to bring a picture of us when we were younger, and everyone would try to guess who was in the picture.

This party prompted me to look at some of my old pictures which I have not seen in years.

While looking through some of the old pictures, I came across this one which is me circa 1984; about 26 years ago, during a time when PC’s were just coming out, there was no such thing as the Internet as it is known today, and there was no such thing as scanners.

I was approximately 20 years old in the picture. This picture was taken long before I went to Law School; hell it was before I even went to college. This picture brought back lots of memories when I saw it that is why I am sharing it with you.

This picture was taken in my single apartment in Palo Alto, California (Northern California, Bay Area) by my old lady at the time. The apartment sure looks small in the picture, but we had some great times there. They say everything looks smaller with time.

Notice the vintage black light Harley Davidson poster on the wall in the background.

Well I scanned the picture in and I am now sharing it with you.

During this time, I had an old H.D. Iron Head motorcycle. The only way to get the darn motorcycle started was to basically run with it, jump on it, and pop the clutch. One time while trying to pop the clutch in a parking lot, I popped the clutch before I jumped on, the motorcycle started, and it got away from me. It started to ride by itself in circles in the parking lot in first gear. It literally ran in circles for about 5 minutes before it crashed into the fence. I was not able to jump on because it was going too fast.

Imagine a motorcycle in the San Francisco Bay Area that you had to run and pop the clutch to start! This was a freaking nightmare in some locations where you might be on a one way street facing uphill on one of San Francisco’s famous hilly streets.

Suffices is to say I got rid of the Iron Head shortly after the picture was taken, and bought a Kawasaki 750 which was a much more reliable motorcycle at the time.

Man oh man did I have a great time during the 80’s (90’s too)

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Tags: Articles, norman gregory fernandez, vintage pictures

Kuryakyn Premium ISO Grips with Throttle Boss, Model 6212; My Review.

Written on September 29, 2009 by Norman Gregory Fernandez in Articles, Editorial, Education, Motorcycle Product Reviews, My Harley Davidson Electra Glide, Norman Gregory Fernandez Ride Reports, Riding Your Motorcycle

Kuryakyn Premium ISO Grip

I installed these grips on my Harley Davidson Electra Glide back in May of 2007. I am just now finally getting around to writing my review over two years later. It has been two years of great riding, and the grips are no worse for wear.

First off I have used Kuryakyn Premium ISO Grips on various motorcycles that I have owned for the last decade. I have used these grips not only on my Harley Davidson Electra Glide, but also on some Japanese cruisers I have owned as well.

As far as I am concerned, there is no other more comfortable and good looking grip on the market from any company, and for any motorcycle. No, I am not a paid spokesman for Kuryakyn. These grips to me are a mandatory upgrade.

I have used stock grips, Buffalo grips, and other types of grips. Nothing compares to the Kuryakyn ISO grips. They are wider than most stock grips which make them easier to hang on to, and the rubber pads on the grips really help out on long runs. With respect to aesthetics, they look awesome.

I have seen some guys with totally chrome grips. All I can say is that they must not ride far. Without good soft grips your hands will be going numb and hurting in no time at all. The Buffalo grips literally chewed my hands up, even with gloves on.

With respect to installation of these grips, I am only going to discuss the installation on my Harley Davidson Electra Glide in this article.

I am a biker lawyer and a motorcycle accident attorney here in California. I am no mechanic by any means. If you read through the Biker Law Blog, you can see that I am a proficient bolt on accessory type of guy to a certain extent, but I sure am no wrench head. What I am trying to say is that if I can do the install, anyone should be able to do the install.

California Biker Lawyer Norman Gregory Fernandez's Harley Davidson I ordered and installed the Kuryakyn Premium ISO Grips for the Harley Davidson with the dual throttle cable controls, part number 6212. There are also Kuryakyn Premium ISO Grips for metric bikes, and the new Harley Davidson wire guided (electronic) system. Click here to see the grips that I ordered.

Rather than re-write the installation instructions for these babies, you can read them by clicking here now.

Now I must admit the installation of these babies was much worse than the installation of the Kuryakyn Premium ISO Grips on my metric cruisers. On the Harley Davidson, you first have to loosen the throttle cable, the throttle housing is kind of a bitch to open enough to get the two throttle cables out, and there are brass ferrule’s which connect the end of the throttle cables into the housing which are a real bitch to work with. I dropped one and almost could not find it.

After you get everything together, you have to remove your air cleaner to adjust the throttle cable.

On top of everything else, you have to pull open the brake lever a bit, and put a shim into the slot on the back of the lever that opens otherwise you can do damage to the switch inside.

I will tell you one thing, I was so excited to get these things installed, that I did not fully realize how difficult the installation would be on a Harley Davidson as opposed to the metric cruisers.

Unless you are a mechanic, I strongly suggest that for this installation, you take the motorcycle to a Harley Davidson dealer, or a 3rd party Harley Davidson mechanic, and let them do the install. It took me quite a bit of time, whereas a trained mechanic could probably get these things on in a half hour or less.

Suffice is to say, I got the grips on. I did however have a hard time adjusting the throttle. I even got to a point where the throttle return was not adjusted correctly and the throttle started sticking. I have long since fixed the problem.

If you are using the fly by wire setup on the 2008 and 2009 Harley Davidson models, don’t worry, the installation is super simple because you don’t have to worry about any cables. Click here to see a video of how simple they are to install.

The throttle boss is a device that connects towards the end of the grip and allows you to either use your fingers or palm to throttle up rather than constantly having to hold the grip. You can see what it looks like in the top picture above. It is the piece at the end of the grip that sticks out. I have been riding with the throttle boss for so long now that I probably would have to get used to a motorcycle without it.

I give these grips a huge thumbs up! I recommend them for anyone that wants a comfortable ride, and good looks to boot.

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Tags: biker lawyer, california motorycle accident attorney, california personal injury, harley davidson customization, kuryakyn iso grips, motorcycle customization, motorcycle grips, Personal Injury Resouces, pictures

On the Lighter Side of Things; Some Great Riding.

Written on September 27, 2009 by Norman Gregory Fernandez in Articles, In The Wind, Just BS, My Harley Davidson Electra Glide, Norman Gregory Fernandez Ride Reports, Other, Travel, Videos

You may have noticed that the last couple of articles on here have dealt with horrendous motorcycle accidents and crashes. Unlike most of you; my dealing with motorcycle accidents on a daily basis as a biker lawyer and motorcycle accident attorney takes its toll on me mentally, meaning sometimes I think of my clients and their accidents while I ride my Harley Davidson Electra Glide. It is kind of like a mind fuck.

However, after a few miles the bad thoughts leave my mind and I enjoy the ride. Handling motorcycle accident cases throughout California makes me extra careful when I ride, but that is a story for another article.

Lately I have been caught up with both my parents having serious medical issues, my fiancé starting law school, and then herself having a potential serious medical issue pop up, and of course working my clients cases here at the firm. I have not had as much time to ride this summer as I usually do.

However, over the last couple of weeks, I have managed to squeeze in a couple of really decent rides. Last weekend, I jumped on my Harley and rode from Chatsworth, to Palmdale, and then to Lompoc, CA to participate in a Karate Tournament with Grandmaster Vic LeRoux in Lompoc, CA. It was one hell of a long one day turn-around ride, and a great ride if you know what I mean.

The Lompoc run is a great run. Lompoc is above Santa Barbara near Vandenberg A.F.B. off of Highway 1. The only problem with this run that is that lately the traffic has been real bad south of Santa Barbara. They are doing construction or something. I have had to split lanes every time I have done this run all summer on the 101. It really kind of sucks, especially when a big rig truck driver purposefully cuts over so that you cannot pass him in the split. I discussed what happened in an article I wrote below.

Last night; Saturday night, I rode with my fiancé to Hollywood to attend a benefit for a friend in need of surgery. Although it was not a long ride, it was a fun ride, except for being followed by a Los Angeles Sheriffs cruiser for about a mile and a half on Santa Monica Blvd. Hell here I am a law abiding attorney, nothing at all to worry about if I am stopped, I am clean and sober, no tickets at all on my record, and this Sheriffs cruiser is following me for no reason at all other than the fact that I am a biker on a Harley Davidson in Hollywood at 2:00am. I wanted to pull over and just ask him “what the fuck,” but obviously I am not that stupid.

On the way to Hollywood, I ate crow a few times to get out of the way of asshole tailgaters who got way to close to me from behind. Unlike some, my ego is not so big as to put my ass on the line and stay in front of a tailgater who is behind me, just because I have the right of way. In any car v. motorcycle scenario, the motorcycle loses. Yes, I was pissed, but I let the car drive by after I switched lanes, took a couple of deep breaths, and everything was good.

My fiancé and I cruised my old stomping grounds in Hollywood. I lived in Hollywood for about 10 years, including my entire time in law school. I must say that there seems to be many more clubs and much more foot traffic on Hollywood Blvd. then there used to be. I think they have cleaned it up quite nicely.

We ended the night or I should say morning at the world famous Jerry’s Delicatessen on Ventura Blvd. in Studio City. There is nothing like Matzo Ball soup and coffee to end a great evening on. If you want to see celebrities, this is the place to go.

Unlike non bikers, we bikers and motorcyclist have a secret that the rest of the world only dreams about; we have our motorcycles to give us therapy. When shit hits the fan in our lives, all we have to do is jump on our trusty motorcycles and take a ride. I am not talking about posers who jump on their bike to ride a few blocks to a bar, or to ride a few miles to hang out at some event and pose, I am talking about really riding.

Riding a motorcycle at least for me, is one of the most pleasurable things I have in my life. I only wish that god will continue to give me great health and faculties so that I can continue to ride motorcycles for the rest of my life.

At the top of this article you can see a video I took with my fiance’s phone at the Roxy Theater on Saturday night on Sunset Blvd. in Hollywood, California. Unfortunately the audio got jacked up by the phone. You can however see that it was a great time!

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Tags: biker lawyer, california motorycle accident attorney, california personal injury, fiance, hollywood california, jerry’s delicatessen, karate, karate tournament, lompoc, motorcycle ride, motorcycle rides, News, Santa Barbara, vandenberg air force base, Vic Leroux

California Motorcycle Accident Attorney and Biker Lawyer Rides the Recently Re-Opened Angeles Crest Highway.

Written on June 28, 2009 by Norman Gregory Fernandez in Articles, In The Wind, Just BS, My Harley Davidson Electra Glide, News, Norman Gregory Fernandez Ride Reports, Videos

One June 13, 2009, one week before my 46th birthday, my fiancé drove me to my house to pick up my Harley Davidson Electra Glide so that I could ride it to our new home. Well, I decided to take a major detour so to say…… You know how it is

I heard that the Angeles Crest Highway to Wrightwood, which has been closed for basically the past 4-5 years was recently repaired and finally reopened.

This is one of my favorite runs of all time, and it is local. I thought that with the budget crisis in California, and the severity of how the road was washed out during storms many moons ago, that there was a possibility of never being able to do this run again in my lifetime. I have heard people spouting off about roads with twisties; well let them ride the Angeles Crest and tell me what they think!

I shot the below first person perspective video with my cell phone camera, a Samsung Memoir, in one hand, and holding on to the throttle with the other. I do not ever recommend anyone ever trying this or doing this at home. Although I am a motorcycle accident attorney and a biker lawyer, I have been riding motorcycles for over 30 years and let’s just say that I think I am a decent rider.

The beginning of the video shows some video of the staging area, a traditional stop before Newcomb’s Ranch, Newcomb’s Ranch, my secret spot at 8,000 feet above sea level, and then some kick ass first person riding footage. The end of the movie is kind of a surprise.

Tell me what you think!

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My Fiance and I Were The Victims of a Road Rage Incident Today!

Written on March 15, 2009 by Norman Gregory Fernandez in Articles, Biker and Motorcycle Law, Biker Rights, Brakes, Cagers, Criminal Law, Editorial, Education, In The Wind, Norman Gregory Fernandez Ride Reports, Riding Attire, Riding Your Motorcycle

Biker Lawyer Norman Gregory Fernandez discusses a road rage incident against him My fiancé and I had a great time riding with some of my club brothers and friends Sunday. It was a great Sunday. A friend and I decided to take off and ride to Angeles Crest from Marina Del Rey.

We rode the 10 freeway, east, to the 110 north, to the 5 north, to the 2 north, headed toward the 210 and the Angeles Crest Highway.

Some idiot for some odd reason seemed to intentionally almost hit me from behind. Maybe he does not like bikers? It happened so fast, the only thing I could do is turn my head to give the guy a stare. I was wearing a full face modular helmet, with my sunglasses on underneath, but I am sure the way I zipped my head around this guy knew that I knew what he was doing.

Instead of backing off, he kept coming. Mind you, my friend and his old lady were behind the car at this point and could see everything. My old lady was riding shotgun on the seat behind me. I moved to the extreme left part of the lane to avoid being hit by this asshole.

He then proceeded to pass me “IN MY LANE.” I looked over and saw what I think was a Korean guy. He proceeded to “stare me down” while he was in my lane and I was in the extreme left portion of the lane.

I knew if I kept staring this guy down, he would have probably swerved over and taken my old lady and I out. This asshole basically assaulted us with a deadly weapon. I am quite positive that under the circumstances, I could have used deadly force against this asshole because he almost killed us, and he used his car as a deadly weapon against us.

I slowed down, and he accelerated and took off. I tried to get his license, but I could not. He was in a Black Lexus.

If any other bikers near the 5 and the Glendale Freeway have been the victim of an Asian guy driving a Black Lexus, let me know.

I have been riding motorcycles on public streets for around 28 years, and have never had such a bizarre incident happen to me before while riding. Especially when I have my old lady on the back of my motorcycle.

My fiancé and my friend probably do not realize how close this asshole came to taking us out. Lesson learned and reiterated; motorcycle v. car = motorcycle losing. Thank goodness, I kept a cool head and simply let this asshole pass.

My friend’s old lady was not feeling well so they went home. My old lady and I ended up freezing our buts off on a ride up to 8,000 feet and Newcombs Ranch, for a late lunch next to their fireplace, alive to ride another day thank god!

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Tags: angeles crest highway, Articles, Brakes, Cagers, california motorycle accident attorney, Education, fiance, Maintenance, News, Riding Attire, road rage

A Video Taken by Me While Riding my Harley Davidson Electra Glide Motorcycle on Pacific Coast Highway.

Written on March 8, 2009 by Norman Gregory Fernandez in Articles, In The Wind, My Harley Davidson Electra Glide, News, Norman Gregory Fernandez Ride Reports, Videos

I went motorcycle riding yesterday with some of my brothers and a friend. My friend and I split off later and went to the Rock Store, and Neptune’s Net via a really nice twisty route that I know in the Santa Monica Mountains.

I have this new nifty touch screen phone called a Samsung Memoir that has an 8MP camera built in, with video capabilities.

Just for the heck of it, I decided to try out the video camera on the phone while cruising up the coast. I filmed from behind the dashboard of my Harley Davidson Electra Glide while riding. I then uploaded the video to YouTube. For those who have never ridden a Harley Davidson Electra Glide Motorcycle, this video kind of shows what it is like from a first person perspective.

The video came out fantastic, but the YouTube upload kind of sucks. Look at the videos below and tell me what you think.

More to come!

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Tags: biker lawyer, california motorycle accident attorney, california personal injury attorney, norman gregory fernandez, pacific coast highway, pch, ride video

A Motorcycle Ride With a Friend to Solvang California

Written on August 28, 2008 by Norman Gregory Fernandez in Articles, Editorial, In The Wind, My Harley Davidson Electra Glide, Norman Gregory Fernandez Ride Reports, Travel

California motorcycle accident lawyer Norman Gregory Fernandez discusses motorcycle trip to solvang California A couple weeks ago my old lady, and a friend and I rode our motorcycles to Solvang California. I thought I would write an article about the ride to Solvang.

As usual, I found myself on a Friday night contemplating where I could ride over the weekend.

One of my favorite rides has always been to Solvang California. Solvang California is a Danish town just off of the Pacific Coast Highway, approximately 114 miles from where I live in Chatsworth California. You can read about Solvang California by clicking here now.

Not only is a ride to Solvang usually an excellent motorcycle ride, there is some great food and partying once you get there.

I called one of my good friends on Friday night to see if he wanted ride with me and my old lady to Solvang. He said yes, and we agreed to meet on Sunday. My old lady was a back seat rider. I met my friend where the 118 freeway meets Topanga Canyon Blvd, in Chatsworth California.

solvang motorcycle accident lawyer Norman Gregory Fernandez We then jumped on the 118 freeway and rode to Simi Valley Harley Davidson, because I wanted to pick up a quart of oil to keep in my saddle bags just in case. You can see a picture of my friend and I in the upper left corner, at Simi Valley Harley-Davidson. Please note that my friend did not want his picture publicized to the world by way of the biker law blog, I have therefore smudged his face to conceal his identity.

Once we left Simi Valley Harley-Davidson, we proceeded on the 118 freeway, to the 23 Freeway, to the 101 N., and proceeded to roll to Solvang.

The weather was absolutely fantastic, and in the upper 80s with not a cloud in the sky.

The traffic however, was another matter. The traffic was absolutely horrible. As a matter of fact, it seems to get worse and worse every time I ride the 101 N. We ended up having to lane split pretty much from Camarillo past Ventura, and along a good stretch of the 101 before Santa Barbara. Once we got past Santa Barbara the traffic subsided.

The lane splitting was so treacherous, we ended up stopping for a rest in Carpinteria and grabbed a quick cup of coffee.

Once we got past Santa Barbara it was a great ride up the coast to Solvang. Both my friend and I were able to open up our throttles with the Pacific Ocean to the left of us, and enjoy the ocean breeze and the excellent views on this run.

biker attorney Norman Gregory Fernandez discusses motorcycle ride to solvang California When we eventually got to Solvang, we stopped at the first gas station to top off our tanks. We ended up seeing a whole bunch of bikers at the gas station. I assume that they were in some riding club because they were all riding together.

My friend and I then cruised the short distance to Solvang. At this point none of us had eaten anything all day. We had a short debate as to what type of food to eat. We were all hungry. We decided to eat at an out of the way Mexican restaurant in Solvang that ended up having excellent food. Solvang is not noted for its Mexican food, so it was kind of unexpected treat.

At this point my friend informed me that he had to be back in the San Fernando Valley by 6:00 PM for a meeting. My old lady and I wanted to check out the Chumash casino, which is an Indian casino just down the road from Solvang. We ended up parting ways so that my friend could go to his meeting, and my old lady and I could check out the casino.

Once we got to the casino, I was pleasantly surprised to find out that they had a special section right in front set aside for motorcycle parking. I parked my bike and we were ready to roll.

motorcycle lawyer Norman Gregory Fernandez We went into the casino and walked around a bit. As usual, my old lady wanted to borrow money so that she could gamble. It seems she never has money of her own when we travel. I gave her $40 to play on the slots. Literally, within five minutes she had won $600. I knew full well that she would gamble the entire $600 away in short order. I told her, “Let’s take the money and go.” At that point she continued to press the maximum bet button. For the first time ever, I walked up to the machine and pressed the cash out button, so that my old lady would be able to leave the casino with some money. The machine printed a ticket, and my old lady walked out of the Chumash casino with approximately $600. She was even able to pay me back the $40 that I loaned her. She was ecstatic to say the least. She knew in her heart that she would blow the money if she stayed at the casino, and was probably grateful to me for cashing her out, but she insisted that she would’ve won at least $10,000 had she remained at the machine. I have seen this lady at Las Vegas, ya right.

At this point it was getting late and we decided to ride back home. Instead of taking the scenic route around the Solvang area through the mountains, I decided to take a straight route to the coast. South on 101, to the 23, to the 118 freeway, to Chatsworth California.

We had a great ride home. The weather was cooling off a bit, and there was very little traffic. At around sundown, we decided to stop by the side of the road, and take in the view of the Pacific Ocean. We took a couple pictures which you can see here.

When we arrived at home, I parked my motorcycle, we got changed into our swimsuits, then jumped into the pool and later took a Jacuzzi. This was the end of a great ride and a great day.

The ride to Solvang which is approximately a 250 mile ride round-trip from my home is an excellent short local trip, and one of my favorite local rides to do on the weekend. Maybe as you read this article, you will want to ride to Solvang on your motorcycle too.

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Is There a Rivalry between Cruiser Motorcycle Riders and Sport Motorcycle Riders?

Written on June 11, 2008 by Norman Gregory Fernandez in Articles, Editorial, In The Wind, Norman Gregory Fernandez Ride Reports

California Biker Lawyer Norman Gregory Fernandez discusses the cruiser motorcycle sport motorcycle rivalry myth I have been getting many emails and comments on the Biker Law Blog, from all types of motorcycle riders in response to my articles.

What is truly disturbing to me is that a couple of self described sport bike motorcycle riders have commented on articles, where I have written that unlawful antics by a very few sport motorcycle riders on public roads are bringing heat down on all motorcycle riders by law enforcement, and that all bikers and motorcyclist should put peer pressure on these idiots to stop!

These self described sport motorcycle riders allude to some fictitious so-called rivalry between sport motorcycle riders and cruiser motorcycle riders. Heck one of them even accused me of being biased because I ride a Harley Davidson. What they did not know is that I ride sport motorcycles too.

First off, as a biker lawyer and motorcycle accident lawyer, I represent riders of all types of motorcycles who have been involved in a motorcycle accident here in the State of California. I do not discriminate period. I have many clients who ride cruiser motorcycles, sport motorcycles, and other types of motorcycles.

Now as a biker who happens to be a biker lawyer and motorcycle accident attorney, I ride quite a bit both near and far. The way I see it, on the road, all motorcycle riders seem to give respect to each other with very few exceptions.

I throw out the biker hand salute to riders of all motorcycles, and they throw me the biker hand salute too. The biker hand salute is extending your left hand out and down while riding, with your palm facing forward. This is done to acknowledge another motorcycle rider who is riding past you in the opposite direction.

In the above picture, you can see an actual picture of me throwing the biker salute to a sport motorcycle rider on Mulholland Highway, riding away from the Rock Store. The picture does not show him waving back, but he did! The picture was taken by an ex girlfriend who was following behind me with her friend in a cage.

So what about this so-called rivalry; it is a myth. In my experience on the road a biker is a biker and a motorcyclist is a motorcyclist. Bottom line. Yes there are assholes who ride cruisers, there are assholes that ride sport motorcycles, and there are just assholes! It is the very few assholes that try to make a bad name for all.

The vast majority of bikers and motorcyclist who ride on 2 wheels share a comradery on the road that no cager will ever know. I have ridden in packs where there are sport motorcycles and cruisers. In the end we are all in the same boat as bikers and motorcyclist. We share the same pleasure, and the same potential danger.

So those of you in the motorcycle community, who are trying to justify your illegal street racing and stunt antics on public roads by explaining it away as some kind of cruiser/sport bike rivalry, go suck one. There is no rivalry!

When we stop at places after riding our motorcycles like the Rock Store, Neptune’s Net, the Rock Inn, Cooks Corner, Newcomb’s Ranch, and other motorcycle spots near and far, we all seem to get along just fine no matter what we are riding, except for those very few with some kind of chip on their shoulder. It is those few with a chip on their shoulder that live a miserable existence, and that will never know what being a biker is all about, or experience true happiness in their lives.

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A Ride to Newcomb’s Ranch with Reverend Chuck and the Old Lady!

Written on June 7, 2007 by Norman Gregory Fernandez in Articles, In The Wind, My Harley Davidson Electra Glide, Norman Gregory Fernandez Ride Reports

Motorcycle Lawyer Norman Gregory Fernandez with his fiance before riding the Angeles Crest Forest. A friend and client of mine, Reverend Chuck and I talked during the week about taking a little motorcycle ride on Sunday, June 3, 2007. Rev. Chuck is always busy doing weddings and such so we had some time constraints on the ride (which I cannot stand, but what can you do) whereby he had to do a wedding later in the day, and would have to end the ride at 2:30pm. We decided to meet at 9:00am and do as much riding as possible until he had to leave at 2:30pm.

Reverend Chuck had a bad motorcycle accident over a year ago, and still has pain and residual effects from his accident, but he is a trooper, and still loves to ride.

I decided to take Rev. Chuck on a ride through the Angeles Crest Forest up to Newcomb’s Ranch and beyond to a secret spot of mine up in the forest. Newcomb’s Ranch is a famous biker spot up in the hills and has a deep history. I always go by Newcomb’s on any ride through the Angeles National Forest.

Those who have ridden with me through the years know that my secret spot up in the hills past Newcomb’s Ranch is a must stop location for good luck. I always ask everyone who comes with me to do the wood ceremony at this spot for good luck, and because I have been doing it for well over a decade myself. No, I will not explain the wood ceremony unless you do this ride with me!

This particular ride is one of my favorites because you literally ride up to 8 thousand feet above sea level in about 24 miles, and the entire ride is basically nothing but hairpin twisties. On the weekends all types of motorcycle riders own these roads. When you ride past Newcomb’s Ranch, there is almost no one on the road. This ride consists of a two lane road, with some turnouts and intermittent passing lanes.

California Biker Motorcycle Lawyer Attorney Norman Gregory Fernandez with his Rev. Chuck before riding the Angeles Crest Forest. Groups and people that I have lead on this ride are shocked to learn that there is an Alpine Forest just a few miles from downtown Los Angeles, with ski resorts and the works. Everyone always tells me that they did not know!

This ride is usually snowed in during the winter; however, it clears up around March of each year. In March you can still see snow melting in the hills on this ride.

My fiancé (old lady) and I love doing this ride together because there are an infinite number of places to pull into and get frisky up in the hills. Matter of fact, about 5 years ago, I almost lost my motorcycle when I pulled into a hidden place that looked ok, but happened to lead to a shear cliff with a deep incline leading to it. Once I pulled in it was too late. Had my old lady not been there to help me pull the motorcycle out, the bike would have gone over! Suffices is to say, we found another spot.

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Hogtunes Speakers for Harley Davidson Baggers, Review.

Written on May 21, 2007 by Norman Gregory Fernandez in Articles, Education, In The Wind, Motorcycle Product Reviews, My Harley Davidson Electra Glide, Norman Gregory Fernandez Ride Reports

Hogtunes Speakers for Baggers reviewed by California Biker Motorcycle Lawyer Norman Gregory Fernandez. ** Update 5/22/07 See Below!

** Update 5/25/07 See Below!

Well I finally took the plunge and installed my Hogtunes speakers today. These speakers are supposed to be vastly superior to the stock Harley Davidson speakers that come with the Harley Davidson Advanced Sound System.

You can check out the Hogtunes Speakers which are specifically designed for Harley Davidson Baggers by clicking here now.

I guess some would call this a simple installation, however for me, it was a new experience. I am a lawyer, not a mechanic. I really freaked myself out thinking about removing the front outer fairing on my Electra Glide for the first time, but I knew that in the end it would be a good learning experience, and that I would save tons of money rather than having a dealer do it.

California Personal Injury Biker Lawyer Norman Gregory Fernandez Hogtunes Speaker Review. I went to Sears to buy a really cool Craftsman socket screwdriver set that has 9 sizes of Torx bits, and a whole bunch of other bits, so I could remove the outer front fairing on my Electra Glide.

Before I started to remove the outer faring for the installation of the speakers, I put socks on the spot lights, and a soft cloth on the front fender to protect the paint on the faring and the fender, just in case it fell.

The front 3 screws on the outer front fairing use a number T27 Torx bit, and the inner 4 screws of the outer fairing use a number T25 Torx bit.

Before I proceeded to remove the fairing for the Hogtunes speaker install, I hit the kill switch on the bike so that the inner part of the fairing was not electrified. It is recommended that you disconnect the negative off of the battery before doing work; however, I knew the kill switch shortcut would work.

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