Geek Bikes get iPhone Capabilities.

Thanks to a Ram Mount (Finger Grip) my friend Mike gave me, a bluetooth dongle, and replacing my 12v to USB adaptor with one rated at 1Amp for both my bikes, my bikes are now iPhone compatible (to my friend’s dismay)!

One of the reasons why I wanted an iPhone was because my GPS was getting insanley annoying and doing stupid things like insisting I exit a FWY just to get right back on at the next entrance! Uh, wait, what??? Oh and here’s the weird one, the iPhone screen is easier to see in sunlight than the GPS’s! Go figure! I thought glass would be harder with the glare! (well, as long as the sun is not reflecting off of it I guess).

Once the new iPhone was released with GPS and I noticed that – even tho it doesn’t do turn-by-turn (yet) or tracking (yet), it is enough to replace my previous GPS for my everyday needs. Until the iPhone gets tracking abilities I’ll need to swap it out with my old one when I lead rides on Fridays. No big deal.

Plus with a bluetooth dongle and my Chatterbox Bluetooth Helmet Headset, I can listen to my tunes and take a phone call without wires — altho wind + road noise may make me pull over for the call, which is a good idea anyway!

And yeah, I’m not very happy with Apple that I need a separate bluetooth dongle to listen to tunes. But at least the dongle was cheap enough. For those interested, it’s a Jabra A120s available at Fry’s in Burbank for $25.

---

Links:

• Chatterbox X1 Bluetooth Headset
• Jabra A120s Bluetooth Stereo Adaptor with 3.5mm Connection for music
• FingerGrip Mount
• Hummingbird 12v USB

(I also had to replaced one of my bike’s built in 12v power port, and add one to my other bike)

Winter Wonderland Suprise while riding up Angeles Crest

A friend and I went riding on Angeles Crest, to our surprise we encountered snow! 6 Inches of it! Being totally unprepared we retreated and came back the next day bright and early, on better bikes and warmer clothing.

Continue for more pics.

Scooter Chopper

Seen at Bert’s Megamall in Covina:

Anyone know what it was originally?

Love Ride 07

Mike and I invade the Love Ride!

Overheard someone describe Mike’s bike: “It’s a Stainless Steel Vespa!”

Overheard someone describe my bike: “Hey look! It’s a… a… uh… huh?” and walked off with a confused look. heh

More Pics
Video

How the geek roll…

My ride is a 2007 Kymco Xciting 500.

So much hatred in this world.

I just don’t understand why there’s so much hatred in this world,
it makes me so very sad when I encounter it. Not for myself, but for those that express it.

In this case, racism.

I was slowly passing traffic by lane-splitting on the left lane of the freeway, which was almost a parking lot. I noticed a couple of girls in a car stuck in traffic, I get stuck beside them – I noticed one of them saw me looking and I smiled (no idea if they can see my face/smile under my helmet, but I smiled anyway). They where able to creep up ahead of me a few feet before I could continue, as I passed I heard one of them yell out “WET BACK!”.

WTF?
*sigh*

Here I was wondering if they could even see my smile, while what little of my skin was exposed was able to clue them in as to what race I am to shout such an insult at me? Wow!

Now I’m not offended too much by the actual word, but the hatred in it is what makes me so very sad. Not only is it completely closed-minded (I’m American-born with Aztec Indian/Spanish blood from Mexican-born parents AFAIK) as their parents or ancestors crossed a big body of water, while most of mine – the land was acquired and the natives ran off by invading people.

If anything I would have expected to hear “ass hole” for passing them in traffic or even a comment about my weight… but “Wet Back”? Just…. wow!

Maybe it’s the Buddhist in me (ok, that’s probably exactly what it is), but – I have no reservations against any one kind of people. I love everyone!!! I know not everyone might feel the same about me, but I guess it still shocks me that there is so much hatred and racism in this world. Especially in this country.

Why can’t people just accept everyone else for who they are and respect them – no, love them? We are all equal, we are in this world together! Why not try to make the best of it?