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Richmond, VA. In a garage. In a quiet West End neighborhood:

After 10 pm I try to keep my grinds and cuts really short and quick. I've heard how those screeches sound in the dead of night. Like banshees. I ease up the garage door to let the welding smoke out -- as quietly as possible, but I'm sure I've already woken somebody up.

My neighbors are awesome, but still, I cringe at the noise.

I think I'm looked at as the guy with the compulsion. The guy who can't be helped. I'm sure an intervention is being planned.

I'm very new to the motorcycle culture, and I can't decide whether I regret not discovering it sooner. After all, if I'd known what I know now all my life, maybe it'd be old hat at this point. Instead, it's given me some kind of unreasonable enthusiasm and a sense that anything is possible.

The topic of this blog is enthusiasm, I suppose.

My Classified Moto blog is http://www.johnryland.posterous.com. (I think it's okay to post that link here, if not, somebody will let me know). It talks about the stuff I'm working — the stuff that generates smoke and sparks and dust.

But this thread will be less about the machines themselves and more about what's possible when you get a bunch of enthusiastic people together to do something moto-related.

I've already met so many great people through motorbikes, and have conversations that always lead to something cool and unexpected.

I'll try to get them down here. I'll keep it positive, and try to do the same if you chime in.

Stay tuned, and thanks for looking!

John Ryland
Richmond, VA

Hey there. Nice XS in the photo.

Thanks Nick. It was fun to work on. Needs a stator at the moment. Ha.

Here's another pic.


And more here:

http://www.bikeexif.com/yamaha-xs650-2

JR

Cool photos...cool bike...cool.

John, I like the blog, I like the photos, I like it a lot.

Keep it up.

Mike

Thanks, guys! Lord knows I'll never run out of bike stuff to blab about

JR

Leaves. Some homemade jumps. A fence. 50 cc's of raw Chinese Pantera power. Sometimes the best way to blow off steam is to fall flat on your back doing something stupid.

Nice cut man. It's all fun and games till someone gets hurt. Then it's just fun.

What did those forks come off of on your XS?

Ha, yeah ouch. The forks are off an '04 Suzuki RMZ250. I had all the internals shortened at my machine shop, so the forks don't extend like a trombone when you lift the bike. They work great.

ichmond, VA. In a garage. In a quiet West End neighborhood:

After 10 pm I try to keep my grinds and cuts really short and quick. I've heard how those screeches sound in the dead of night. Like banshees. I ease up the garage door to let the welding smoke out -- as quietly as possible, but I'm sure I've already woken somebody up.

My neighbors are awesome, but still, I cringe at the noise.

I think I'm looked at as the guy with the compulsion. The guy who can't be helped. I'm sure an intervention is being planned.

I'm very new to the motorcycle culture, and I can't decide whether I regret not discovering it sooner. After all, if I'd known what I know now all my life, maybe it'd be old hat at this point. Instead, it's given me some kind of unreasonable enthusiasm and a sense that anything is possible.

The topic of this blog is enthusiasm, I suppose.

My Moto blog is http://www.johnryland.posterous.com. (I think it's okay to post that link here, if not, somebody will let me know). It talks about the stuff I'm working — the stuff that generates smoke and sparks and dust.

But this thread will be less about the machines themselves and more about what's possible when you get a bunch of enthusiastic people together to do something moto-related.

I've already met so many great people through motorbikes, and have conversations that always lead to something cool and unexpected.

I'll try to get them down here. I'll keep it positive, and try to do the same if you chime in.

Stay tuned, and thanks for looking!

John Ryland
Richmond, VA

Hey John,
Nice Pic buddy i was looking at your blog it seems its not working anymore
can you link your blog again
thank you