The Cockroach

Year one when we decided to give out awards for certain EDR riders, we came up with the "La Cucaracha" designation for the one who makes it on the rattiest looking roach of a bike. Not some heap with a bunch of fake patina and grungy doo-dads all over it, but real, ridden machines with more character than hope. Machines held together with equal parts love, safety-wire and reckless abandon. The winner that first year was none other than Nick McClean who made it about 25 miles on his 49-51-53-ish BSA before it crapped out for the first time on that first EDR. Not one to give up, old Trumpnut Nick tore into the beast's clutch in San Felipe and between fixing everyone else's bikes, got it going again. The only thing tougher and more endearing was Nick himself. So, in 2007 we made a betting pool online and everyone bet a dollar per mile on how far Nick would make it. Much to our satisfaction, the old Beezer chugged the entire route under it's own steam and Nick pocketed 400+ dollars and gained back his pride as the savant mechanic we've grown to love.

The coveted winner of the 2007 La Cucaracha award was our new friend Riverside Eric. His purple XS650 never missed a beat, and neither did it's rider. This award is about soul, and Eric has it in mega-doses. The kid got told by his boss that his future employment would be determined by his presence at work over the EDR weekend and Eric came to the pre-party just to see what the crowd was like. Of course, once he showed up in Temecula, he knew he was in it to win it, and 'ol Riverside turned his back on the J-O-B and headed south with a bunch of like minded idiots. After Eric washed his leaky gas tank out in the Sea of Cortez on Day One, Nick welded up the offending pin hole and the torch was passed. Eric won the cockroach award and rode off into the sunset. He got his job back and went with us later in the year to the Smoke Out.

EDR 2008- Nick and his wife have had a bouncing baby boy for about six months now, and Eric is still riding the piss out of his barney-hued Yamaha. We don't know who'll get the award this year, but we do know what the trophy will look like. You see, Breeanne, the better half of the McClean clan had to stop painting when she got pregnant and dedicated her spare time to the less toxic work of leather working. Her company is called Cycle Cosmetics and she's been a sponsor of this year's event since the day Nick made it home to Nevada. She volunteered to do this year's trophy for the title invented for her husband, and it rules. Bree is going to stay home this spring and take care of the baby, but Nick will be there to give welding clinics and Mrs. McClean's work will ride home strapped to the back of some fortunate soul's rusty fender as a homage to that rider's ability to keep some homeless wretch of a motorcycle on the road...


Purple rain, purple rain...


Trumpnut. Make friends with this dude, you may need his skills!

Shawn can paint!

Shawn is a badass! If you want this one or just to see More Work Click Here

Last Call for Banner Art

Among other perks associated with the position, El Diablo Run sponsors are entitled to have a free banner for display on their palapa hut, at the hotel in Ensenada, and to commemorate their involvement after they head home.

I'm only short on artwork for two EDR sponsors:

Warren's Cycle

After Hours Choppers

If you are friendly with either of these great folks, please ask them to email their artwork so we can print their free banner.

And to last year's EDR sponsors, please bring your banners and put them on display at Ruben's Camp and the Hotel San Isabel. Thanks to one and all for your support.

Last Call for Banner Art

Among other perks associated with the position, El Diablo Run sponsors are entitled to have a free banner for display on their palapa hut, at the hotel in Ensenada, and to commemorate their involvement after they head home.

To date three EDR sponsors still need to send us artwork for their banner:

Warren's Cycle

After Hours Choppers

Cycle Cosmetics

If you are friendly with any of these great companies, please ask their leaders to email us the requisite artwork required to generate their complimentary custom full-color banner.

And to all 2007 EDR sponsors, please bring your banners and put them on display at Ruben's Camp and the Hotel San Isabel. Thanks to one and all for your support.

Trophy Killer

Anyone remember the dude on my non-descript modern Triumph T100 last year on the EDR? You know the one fixing Keith's primary while everyone else was chasing the beer bong girls? Or maybe you saw him up kinda early in Ensenada rescuing me as I struggled with the magneto on my bike? Well, in case you didn't he's getting harder to ignore these days. See, EDR sponsor Wes White has been quietly building custom bikes for a long time at his small independent Four Aces Cycle shop up in the valley, but is really starting to get noticed, especially for the 45" HD he and the bike owner Jeff built (along with a cast of others) for the Horse magazine's annual Smoke Out West this past October. That bike won the SOW and now it's captured the "Best Early Chopper Bike" at the Grand National Roadster Show in Pomona, CA. Good for you Wes, you will have earned your vacation by the time you hit San Felipe this year, that's for sure! You can check out this sweet unit in this month's issue of the Horse. I'm sure Jeff's not going to ride that thing on the EDR, but I know Wes is cooking up something good...

Rain Check

OK, weather.com and skies outside say Sunday just aint gonna happen. I'm bummed but have lots of work to do on El Cheapo anyway, so I guess I'll do my best to get busy on that thing instead of riding. The following weekend we're going to be in Cinci so no riding then either...

Weather or Not?

Looks like rain Friday and Saturday with 10% chance on Sunday. If it works out that way, we're still on for the Sunday jam out to the Salton Sea. If you have no idea what I'm talking about, scroll down a couple posts to the "Sunday Mornin' Comin Down" entry and see if you want to tag along.

Upload

Ed, Todd and FI Mike put together a little video of some of last years antics. Doesn't look fun at all, does it?

Haulin' Bass in Baja

Big weekend of chopper good times to report from EDR Central. Friday morning Bill, Chris and I picked up EDR alum Joel in San Diego and headed to San Felipe and Ensenada to TCB with our hosts at Ruben's Camp and Hotel San Isabel. Both gentlemen have assured us that everything is coming together smoothly. Aaron at Ruben's Camp in San Felipe told us that only there is still plenty of room in his palapa huts and on his beach for no-frills camping and fun. If you were thinking about waiting till the last minute to book your accommodations in San Felipe, better re-tool that notion... Kiki's Hotel next door to Ruben's Camp is at 100% pre-book occupancy. Bill will be posting information for alternate hotels in San Felipe for anyone who requires indoor accommodations, or you can simply strap your bedroll to your sissy bar and take your chances. All I'm trying to say is this: EDR 2008 is shaping up to be a big one, so you better move fast.

Speaking of moving fast, on our drive across Baja we encountered a new section of pot holes. A couple were so big you could fish in them after the rains. Chris didn't land the big one, but he got a couple nibbles. The four of us elected to screw down our pace on this year's ED, Doing so may spare our rims a serious bitch slapping, and it will give us a chance to take in the sights. All the rain has left the Mexican penninsula particularly beautiful and verdant this spring, so the views will be impressive.



We marked Baja Highway 3 with a Biltwell stencil in a couple particularly nasty areas. Keep your eyes peeled on this tricky section of tarmac and you might survive the westerly leg of the EDR on day three with little or no drama.



Returning to the subject of accommodations, Juan Carlos at The Hotel San Isabel in Ensenada told us that only 15 to 17 of his 57 rooms remain unbooked as of 1/21/08. It's January, Runners! If you haven't booked your room at the host hotel in Ensenada yet, do so immediately. Last year all 57 of the Hotel San Isabel's rooms were occupied by Diablo Runners. Something tells me by Valentine's Day every room at the Hotel San Isabel will be spoken for. If this is the case, contact Juan Carlos and tell him to reserve a room for you and your crew at one of the neighboring hotels on the Ensenada strip.

Sunday Mornin' Comin Down

Time for a shakedown! The weather has been bitchin' out here so if you are local and want to do a little ride next Sunday, a couple of us are going to head out to the Salton Sea area and back. We'll be meeting at the eastern end of Ortega highway at 0800. Then we'll head east up towards lake Hemet. The part of the route in town is boring but once you get out of town, it's one of the best roads I've ever been on. Some good elevation changes so dress warm and we'll have to check weather to make sure it's not snowy. We'll go down into Palm Desert. I did this road about ten years ago and if I remember right it is steep and twisty. Probably eat lunch in one of the fine towns of Thermal or Mecca. Scout the north east section of the lake for weird architecture and empty pools if it feels like we have time. Then down the 86 and hit the reverse EDR route all the way home. You don't need to call me, or order a t-shirt, just meet us in the parking lot at Ortega and Grand at 8:00AM and we'll ride the wild thunder for about 250 miles or so...

DicE, DicE, Baby

We are going down to Mexico next Friday to pay off local authorities, reserve the Hell Track, etc and are going to come back up through Dago and go to Matt & Dean's DicE Magazine shindig. You should too.

Iron Horse Rebuild

Our friend Todd "TI" from Iron Horse magazine is a one man army on a mission to make his magazine relevant and worth your hard-earned money. Not only does he scour the globe for good bikes and stories, he does the tedious stuff behind the scenes like build a new website over the holidays. I'm really looking forward to issue 12. Todd has been on both EDR's so far and we look forward to seeing him again this year. Ol' Flatiron Mike who's flathead is featured in the last blog entry is in this next issue with his Shovel he calls "Kinger". If you don't know what a Kinger is, ask some one on the East Coast. Our friend Greaser Mike's Triumph and Kuda's panhead are also going to be in this next issue. Good work, Todd, keep it up, we're into it.

Bikes, bikes and more bikes!

As we get closer, so do the projects we've all been working on. Lots of guys from all over seem to use the EDR as a spring deadline to have their machines done and ready to rock for the summer and beyond. If the recent EDR Bikes thread on the JJ is any indication we'll have some real bangers this year. I can't wait to see some of these covered in grime and lined up, ready for the Circlo de Muerte in San Felipe!


Florida


NYC



Washington


Wisconsin


NYC, Guess who?


CA


Canada!


CA


Dago


Denver

Countdown!

104 Days and a Wake-up...