NetworkCycles launched its online social community in 2006, that caters to both motorcycle riders as well as motorcycle businesses tailored for the urban rider.
Stockbridge, GA - January 12, 2009 – In 2006, NetworkCycles owner took its approach to motorcycle clubs and rider communication, and expanded the idea into a full blown motorcycle social network community. Have you ever tried looking up a motorcycle club website? It can be communication nightmare. First of all, how do you spell that web address? Is it riders, rydaz, riderz or ryderz? Sorry, web address doesn’t exist. Page is downloading. This domain is for sale. Another club site filled with page ads. Page is downloading. If you’re the owner of this domain, contact us. Page is still downloading. And this list goes on and on. Get my point? And what about motorcycle clubs falling out over event dates?

Kenneth “Big Ken” Cobb, the founder of IMARIDER, believes wholeheartedly in a better way to communicate for urban motorcycle clubs around the nation.  He has transformed the needs of motorcycle clubs, social clubs and individual riders into a clean, colorful and attractive motorcycle social website – www.IMARIDER.com, also known as UrbanRidersWorldwide.com.

IMARIDER.com (formerly NetworkcyclesPortal.com) - is a new online motorcycle social network community that’s already proving to bring urban motorcycle riders closer together. Not only can east coast riders and west coast riders communicate better, but they can also have their own free club page, riders can communicate with businesses, promoters, and celebrity riders, directly on the site.

IMARIDER proves to differentiate itself from other social networks by operating and promoting within the urban community. The urban motorcycle community does not see social networking sites like MySpace or Facebook, live, in their very own community, attending their events.

Big Ken feels the success of IMARIDER will be in its social network team actually visiting and interacting within the urban community and getting their stories, videos and images onto the site itself.  “Who wouldn’t want to read or to see pictures of themselves in a social network that’s all about them and what they love to do – riding motorcycles?” He asks.

All the bells and whistles of other social networks can also be found on IMARIDER, such as profiles, photos, music, video, blogs and more.  However, IMARIDER is committed to presenting additional and full featured modules and widgets custom designed with the urban motorcycle rider in mind, compared to other social networking sites. “I want urban riders to feel comfortable about calling IMARIDER.com their home,” states Big Ken. When riders join IMARIDER, they are bound to find more than one friend that they know or have seen at local events. Big Ken will greet you as a friend and welcome you to the worldwide ride for urban riders.

Visit and join Urban Riders Worldwide and spread the word about www.imarider.com

Contact:
Kenneth R. Cobb
IMARIDER.com
P.O. Box 2521
Stockbridge, GA 30281
Phone: 404-435-0815
http://www.imarider.com

TEFLON434   Form to follow Function, or is it the other way around? As per request and thoughts, I have been tasked with making the Ducati 848 a bit more appealing to the eyes. When I’m usually put to the test I always consider the basic questions of what it takes and helps to go racing…

1)  How much does it COST?

2)  Will it make me go FASTER?

I’m definetly not the man of “all show & no go”, so some things aren’t high on my list, “paint” isn’t one of them. The bike is “setup” to the WERA Rulebook Standards, as far as numberplates and required decals… I’m GOOD with it!!! Besides, where I’m from, a pretty motorcycle is like a pavement magnet. This, I’m NOT good with. I do believe painting the bike will give a more professional appearance. For this I’m willing to talk with my bean counter to find funding.

Our TEAM colors are RED, BLACK and WHITE, So these are the colors we are working with. WERA rulebooks states my numberplates have to be black numbers on a yellow background so there is NO OPTION with this, lets see how we can make it all work together.

Being that I’m a “PEOPLE PERSON”, I want to include your opinion, so let’s try this. If funds become available… what pattern do YOU think I should use and why. Let me know in the comments section.  If we pick the same pattern you choose we may put your name on the bike in our grouplist section….. HMMMMM……

The bodywork shown is STREET bodywork… I’m using these pics for an idea of the paintjob.

Option A

Option B

Option C

TEFLON434    Trying my best to keep good form on the bike. Gettn as low, (tucked) as possible while staying on my toes to enter the next corner.

Check out the lower bodywork, Check out the Boot… I scraped them to bits…. Yes I’m on my toes….. So I raised my footpeg for the next race…….. WRONG MOVE!!!!

Some of the things that happen when you have to work on the bike as well as RIDE it. So I needed more ground clearance…. raise the footpeg up a notch in the rearsets and lean off the bike more. SURE!!! I’ll concentrate on the pegs for now. Wrench here, twist there…. tighten it all up and I’m  done!!! NOT!  Third Call, Engine is up to temp, Pull the tire warmers off, Remove front stand, Remove rear stand (while balancing bike), jump on, Engage first gear, push down on the shifter, CLICK……  Its all working, now get out there for that warm up lap……. BUWAHHHHHH the distinctive sound of a well tuned twin, Prepared by Michael Long, with final Dyno Tuning touches by Huffdaddy at HFD1 Motorsports. Twist the throttle the engine growls… lets go TEFLON!!! Its an early shift for the L twin at about 10,400 rpms as compared to my inline 4 brethrens high pitched SCREAMS of 16,000+ rpms. Moving my scarred and torn boot under the shifter for an upshift into second gear.. I go for it… toes up…. swoosh….NOTHING….. remember…. time doesn’t STOP, its still moving jus like my rpms, as I think what’s going on, I better be thinking fast!!!! BANG!!! Too Late!!! Into the rev limiter… for the folks that do not know…. on a Ducati Twin, this is not a gentle thing, its exactly as exclaimed. BANG!!! STOP THE WORLD!!! VIOLENTLY!!! I hold on as the bike feels like its stopping and my body isn’t, My chest moves forward scrubbing the windscreen….. I got it… SHIFT AGAIN!!!! My left foot quickly looks for upshifts, with a bigger arc in movement until I have to lift my leg completely, in a knee to chest fashion jus to get the next gear….

WHAT IS GOING ON!!!

…..IT WAS THIS CLOSE..

I had a conversation with my Father last night. Probably, just me listening to him talk. He was like, “What is reality”? I didn’t understand what he was talking about. All I could think of was the banking of Daytona, the Back Straight at Road Atlanta and The Streets of Willow. Is racing my passion, my life’s calling? Or is it the thrill of speed, the liberation of defining living my dream? I remember building down hill go-karts with Kamau behind my grandmother’s house in NE DC, collecting stacks and stacks of racing magazines from “Super Chevy” to “NASCAR” to “Road Racing World”. Rebuilding mopeds in my Grandmother’s garage in Clinton, Maryland with TJ and Melvin. Drafting plans for a lawn mower-powered Junoir-Dragster on Temple Hills RD. Having the fastest remote control cars in the neighborhood, when living  in Branch Wood Estates, no one could touch the two-speed transmission I had. Is TrackStar Road Racing just a fantasy of Teflon, and myself. Does racing run through my veins?

As a kid I remember being very creative. I remember making Bows and Arrows, sculptures like the Planters Peanut man out of newspaper, wire and, clay. Diagrams for steam-powered engines, strategies for how to run a racing team, plans for getting money to go racing, shoe designs for racecar drivers, and saving for that brown and white hamster.

Racing, the only thing I can think of.

What is reality? What am I good at? What are my talents? Who am I? “Little Giant”, the embodiment of heart, fearlessness, discipline, desire, determination is what they call me.

Am I an athlete or intellectual, just another label to me. I got good grades not because I liked it but because I know it would put me one step closer. On to college and majored in computer science, not because I wanted to, but after graduation there wasn’t much to do. The Marines was not an option. IT, Information Technology, “that’s where the money is”, maybe I’ll try that. Is Computer Science where my heart lies? Na!

Overcoming obstacles, accomplishing task set before me, such as, boxing, working in the corporate world (USDA, three years Beltsville, MD, International Labor’s Union Pension Fund, Washington, D.C.). Only one thing left, taking my place on the podium. Is it my life’s passion, I am good at, is it fear, maybe the silver spoon I’ll never have.

Old memories of my father taking me to Clinton Cycles on the dirt road in Granddaddy’s Blue Bug, to going to, Bladensburg in the brown 280z, sitting on the dirt bikes dreaming about crossing the finish line first. 5th grade playing with cut outs of motorcycles in the desk. That’s all I ever wanted to do. Was racing bred into me. Uncle Tommy telling stories about the 57 Chevy. Projects we never finished fuels my desire. Racing is the “I can”, “I will”, “I am”. It’s my existence. The love of my life, the women I never touched, her embrace, her heart is what I desire.

Is it something I could never believe…

Or is it something I could never achieve…

Is it beyond my means…

Is it inside my dreams…

Racing my story…