Ripped,

I feel your pain. I took my wife to a Pink concert recently and went through the same range of emotions you likely did. At first I rationalized the price of the tickets because I knew my wife would have fun. Then the tax was added on to the price and I cursed the state of California because I knew they would waste that money on something stupid anyway. Then the Ticket Master clowns took their cut and I beat my forehead into the screen of my computer until I had almost drawn blood. And then, just when I thought the raping was over, Ticket Monster hit me with a convenience fee. A convenience fee? What kind of ridiculous excuse is that to charge me more money? After taking out a small business loan and selling a few pints of blood I was able to see Pink in concert and we had a nice time. I snuck some licorice and a soda into the arena so I feel like it was wash, dollar-wise. At least that's what I'm telling myself. Hey, I know I'm fortunate to get a media pass to the races every year and it must be a kick right in the cash-and-prizes to pay those fees every year. The best thing you could do is ask someone who is racing to buy some tickets for you… they love doing that, I promise.

PING

 

Hey Ping,

I was wondering why the 4 Japanese manufacturers don't use electric starters on their mx models? KTM doesn't seem to be effected by the extra weight.

Thanks for any information.

Tim, Santa Barbara

 

Tim,

I just rang up one of my business contacts at Honzusakiha and gave him a good what-for about this electric start business. My Japanese is super rusty but I'm pretty sure he was saying something about the cost involved in adding electric start to the bikes. It seems their budget has gone to bringing the air fork to the market instead of focusing on things that would actually make the bike better. I'm sure they have a host of ideas they would love to try on the future models in their lineup but they are trying to keep the cost from going up any more, which I think you can appreciate. Maybe we'll see it down the road. Or maybe he was telling me what kind of sushi he had for lunch. I can't be sure.

PING

 

Ping,

With today's moto stars predominantly being influenced by the current media, music, tv stars  and musical entertainers… does it annoy you as much as me when you hear riders interviewed and they have a slight twang to their speech like they came out of the  hardest ghetto you can find in America?  Why are the young kids these days trying to sound like a gang-banger straight out of Detroit?  You know what I mean, Ping, don't act like you haven't noticed it!!! I listen to the Pulpmx show and every single time I hear Enticknap come on I just shake my head. When he is just carrying on normal conversation I love him. But then he tries going all "cool guy" and starts talking like a rapper I go from loving the guy to wanting to slap him upside the head. Really guy?  Really?   He grew up in a small little town in California and I highly doubt that is the standard accent in Lompoc, or however it's spelled. Why can't these riders just be who they are?  Why do they feel the need to try to speak and sound like their favorite rap star, who may or may not have grown up in the ghetto somewhere...

Joshua mccollum

Greensboro pa.