ESMB Third Tuesday Night Ride & VVMC Wednesday Meetup
August 16 & August 17

We had a great turn out on Tuesday for our weekly evening ride. We met at Tomato Pie Pizza Joint where ESMB was joined by friends Kat, Emma, Ivana, Lyvonne, Melanie, and Susanna. After enjoying some delish slices we had a great ride through Los Feliz, Elysian Park, Echo Park, and Downtown LA landing at One Eyed Gypsy (formerly Bordello). There we were joined by friends Heather, Jeremy, and Tandrew. Thank you all for joining us, and special kudos to Emma and Ivana who rode the furthest to join us (Long Beach and Rancho Cucamonga).




Then on Wednesday we met up with VVMC to celebrate Joe's Birthday and watch the VVMC debut on Cafe Racer. A super fun ride later we landed at Bigfoot West before heading back to the east side. It was a great 2-wheel evening, happy birthday Joe and thank you VVMC for once again welcoming ESMB!



If you like to join ESMB evening rides...we host weekly night rides on the 1st, 3rd, and 4th tuesday of each month. The 3rd tuesday ride is ladies only but all are welcome to hang before and after the ride. Gentlemen! join us for 1st, 4th and (occasional) 5th tuesday rides. Come hang out even if you dont ride! For weekly updates visit our facebook page.

ESMB at Moto Melee XIV

This past June 24, with motorcycles on tow, ESMB headed to San Francisco for Moto Melée XIV. The Moto Melée is a three-day, ~850 miles ride for pre-1971 motorcycles with a start/finish in San Francisco. The Moto Melée was established in 1998 by ESMB friends Jeff Guzaitis and Harley Welch.

We arrived in San Francisco late afternoon Friday, dined at Zeitgeist; a San Francisco pub with great burgers, pool tables, and a beer garden; and ended our evening at The San Francisco Motorcycle Club, the second oldest motorcycle club in the United States, for Chug-A-Lug meet and greet. We met old friends, made new ones, and picked up our Moto Melée packages before heading home to prepare for our Saturday departure.




After waiting almost a year The Melée had finally arrived! At 8 am, after loading up gear, attending the 80 riders' meet-up and picking up route map the first day started. We rode over the San Francisco Bay Bridge, Clearlake, Ladoga, Stony Ford, Paskenta. Lots of small winding roads, some water crossings, canyons, Lake Berryessa, Main Street Cafe in Clearlake for lunch. The afternoon brought dirt and gravel roads, beautiful scenic views, and an end of the day poolside in Red Bluff. Dinner, dancing, and good company were a perfect ending to our first Melée XIV day.




Day 2 started early with brake checking, oil tapping, gas filling. We were heading to Fort Bragg through famous highway 36 with 140 miles of twisties. Breakfast in Wildwood, continued through Wildwood pine forest, then majestic Sequoia Forest, canopies of arching oaks, hitting the coast thru Humboldt into Mendocino along Highway 1, finally landing in Fort Bragg. It was a challenging, amazing day; bumpy, twisty, gravelly. Our Melee host were awaiting at the Hotel with room keys, locally brew beer and great company. We dined, shoot pool, played shuffleboard, and enjoyed the evening with great company.







Day 3, return to San Francisco! Rode through Boonville, Point Arena into Sonoma, went through Stewarts Point, Healdsburg, around Bodega Bay, then to Highway 1 through vineyards and Petaluma. We finalized the day crossing the San Francisco Bay Bridge in traditional foggy San Francisco weather to arrived at the awards dinner. The Moto Melee XIV was a great experience and we are already planning and looking forward to next year!

Pismo Beach Motorcycle Classic Sept 18-19

This past weekend was the ride up to Pismo Beach organized by the Pasadena Motorcycle Club and the San Francisco Motorcycle Club to recreate the 1929 photograph on the beach.
The day started early.
At 7am ESMB, Cretins, and friends met at The Brite Spot for some eats and coffee and we set out for the 5 fwy at 8am sharp.
4 vintage motos and riders headed to Newhall for the ride map provided by the PMC.
One rider was meeting up at the first check point in Ojai and two riders overslept.
In Newhall the 2 sleepers got the info to meet up at the 1st check point, so 4 riders set out for the open road.

We hit the road and made one stop for photos along the 33.
It was a scenic ride on a nice road.
After nearly 3 hours of riding, it was time for a leg stretch, and we couldn't have picked a more beautiful place to stop.

It was just a short trip further to the first check point at The Place, where we met up with the other 3 riders and saw some friends too.

photo by Fred Conrad

After lunch, we set out for Pismo.
We continued along the 33 thru Los Padres National Forest to the 166.
Then came the highlight of the ride: Tepusquet Road, a newly paved, narrow, twisty road thru the canyons.
At the base was a vineyard where roads converged and it gave us a place to chill a bit.
Other SoCal friends on the ride also stopped and we had a laugh and finished the ride to Pismo Beach together.

Once we arrived in Pismo it was not difficult to find the rally.
Right off the highway was a huge collection of motos and a crowd of moto riders.
We pulled in and parked our bikes along the edge of a park with a pond and collected our thoughts before we went in.

The rally was fun, we even picked up another Cretin, but after all day ridin, we were all ready to check into the hotel, and find some eats.
So that is what we did.
Somehow we ended up at a seafood place supposedly recommended by a 'local' where the food was not so good, but the company was great.
We had a really horrible meal, but a very fun time.
After dinner we went to a party organized by PMC and saw some familiar faces and also met some new ones.
It wasn't a late night, as the next morning was the photo on the beach bright and early, and the ride home.
At 9am over 500 (some say at least 1,000) motorcyclist assembled on the beach near the pier to recreate the 1929 photo.

photo by Sandy Johnson

However many there were, it was a large collection of motorcycle riders and everyone was very patient and it was an incredible sight.
After they finally got everyone assembled, and they took the 12 shots, the mission was accomplished and it was time for breakfast and to begin our journey home.

ESMB, Cretins, VVMC, and friends
photo by Rick Carmody

Every ride offers tests and challenges, and this ride was no different.
There is always something to learn.
On this ride it seemed that we all agreed that while ridin is fun, it is the people that you ride with that make the difference.
We had a great crew on the Pismo ride that made it a really great weekend of ridin.
Can't wait for the next adventure.


This Thursday:
Two-wheeled Thursday // 9p meet at Tony's Bar (2017 E. 7th Street, 90021)
10p depart for Cretins Clubhouse (1460 Naud St, 90012, go up ramp)

This Sunday, September 26, 12p - 5p:
Cannonball Checkered Flag / Finish Line Party
Santa Monica Pier

Get your ESMB shirts while supplies last.

Bonneville Vintage GP

This past weekend was AHRMA's Bonneville Vintage GP at Miller Motorsports Park in Tooele, Utah. A couple of ESMBs were there to support our racing friends.

It was an incredible weekend.
The overall environment of the event was thrilling.
But it was the camaraderie between the racers that was inspiring.
It was clear that everyone was there for the same reason, to race.
There was clear competition between the racers.
However there was also a sense of sportsmanship.
Everyone was there for the same reason, for the love of vintage racing.
This quote, paraphrased from Theodore Roosevelt summarizes the weekend perfectly.

"In The Arena"
The credit in life goes not to the critic who stands on the sideline and points out where the strong stumble.
But rather, the real credit in life goes to the person who's actually in the arena.
Who's face is marred by sweat and dust.
Who knows great enthusiasm and great devotion and learns to spend himself or herself at a worthy cause.
If they win, they know the thrill of great achievement, and if they lose, at least they lose while daring greatly so that their place in life will never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.

follow this link to photos of the event:
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/album.php?aid=23657&id=107209335987160&ref=mf

fun double event for "Chicks on Bikes"

Last week we had a great double event for Christina Shooks book "Chicks on Bikes."

The first night was hosted by the Cretins at their clubhouse in downtown L.A. and the second night was at the Pro Italia showroom in Glendale.

At the clubhouse Christina was there with her camera photographing chicks that came on their bikes, and it was a great turnout. If you were there you know it was a lot of fun.
Lots of chicks came out to be photographed and had a chance to check out Christina's new book "Chicks on Bikes" and get a signed copy.

Pro Italia was generous enough to include our event in their Cafe Desmo cocktail party. Christina made an informative yet concise presentation about her book and the range of women riders she has met and photographed. There was plenty to eat and drink, Pro Italia always has nice events.

Photos taken at the clubhouse can be found here.

Christina's blog is here.

ESMB tshirts now available! get yours! women's and men's styles! black on white, white on black - $20
(just contact one of the friendly ESMB members and they can help you!)
eastsidemotobabes@gmail.com

ESMB...5 strong

Just another Thursday night hangin with the Cretins, photo by Dirtygunn.

Add a caption

ESMB...5 strong, hangin with the Cretins photo by Dirtygunn

In this photo from left to right: Jeannette Mekdara, Stacie B. London, Kelley Daily, Ezra Black, Ana Llorente.

summer is speeding by

It was just the Melee, which was incredible.
Now all of a sudden it it August.
Not sure how it speeds by so quickly, but it does.
East Side Moto Babes is growing.
We are now 5 proud members.
(There is a great picture of all 5 of us that i will upload tomorrow.)

MotArt just did a great piece on Stacie B. and the East Side Moto Babes.
http://themotart.blogspot.com/2010/08/stacie-b-and-east-side-moto-babes.html
Thanks to Frank at MOTart for the attention.

We are planning lots of events and rides,
so please check the blog regularly or become a fan on facebook where we are always posting.
\http://www.facebook.com/eastsidemotobabes
What an incredible summer.
Hope you are enjoying yours too.