I’m launching into this editorial with no small measure of hesitation - but here we go.  Two recent events got me thinking about the message inherent in the Confederate flag.  The first event was an American Legion custom motorcycle show.  At the show, I was struck by an African-American Vietnam veteran who stood studying a chopper that was heavily adorned with images of the flag of the Confederacy.

One of the most important safety tips that you can get for riding a motorcycle is to always make sure that you're visible. Whether it's changing lanes, giving a little honk, or wearing reflective clothing, making sure that other drivers can see you is one of the best ways to stay safe on a motorcycle.

Attendance for this year’s Daytona 200, like every year, was crap. I might have been able to start a flag football team with the amount people in the stands. This is one place where the AMA bites it hard. They should try and get off the self righteous AMA bandwagon and make the races about the racers, and not the oh so mighty AMA. Nobody outside of racing knows who Jason DiSalvo is because the AMA doesn’t tell any story. He’s a racer for the AMA. That’s it? Awesome.

I was having lunch recently at a roadside diner when a motorcyclist rode by with handlebars that placed his hands at least a foot over his head. That got me thinking about the safety and legality of mimicking a primate on two wheels.

I went on a 500 mile ride this weekend on roads that draw a lot of motorcyclists. Just as a mental exercise, I decided to take an informal tally of riders that responded back to my “biker's wave”. The results were interesting. Before you jump on me for being trivial, I know waving is a miniscule part of motorcycling, but it is a time-honored tradition.