a message from Mr. JV

this is my brazilian friend, Mr. JV. we used to go out for SUSHI and SASHIMI, had great fun together. he moved to brazil last april and opened a restaurant in sao paulo. he says business is running good, very busy but he's got very good chef and servant lady, working hard.

a photo of his restaurant called AZUL BANANA or "Blue Banana" and the chef and servant lady.

right in front of the beach. beautiful location

he had some trouble with his employees. drinking a customer's beer...

when he is not watching... he said he fired the guy in red t-shirt and exiled him to japan. i told him that i will watch him when his is here.

i'll see you in brazil, Mr. JV.

dear santa...

i know that i haven't been a good boy, i forgot to change the water in the george's fish tank last week... but i really really need your help. i want a set of harley-davidson made screaming eagles camshaft for my xr1000. it's already 24th of december here but we are about 7hrs ahead of you so i thought i can still make it. please, santa, i will be a good boy... i promise...
last monday, my mate and i went to the circuit for the last ride of this year. it was cold but okay. after about 10min, i heard this dry hitting noise from my engine... today, we found #2 and #3 camshafts with missing gear tooth. the end. what a christmas!

PANHEAD

panhead... i took it today to see my friend who lives in nagoya, some 40miles away. i've been riding it last 3yrs and not giving me problems. it came to zero engineering from us as a custom-base-bike and i bought it as it was. i changed the exhaust, handle bar, foot-controls, cleaned up the welding and pate on the 1950 frame... the motor is running good. it's 1962 flh. i don't know what kind of surprises put in it since it came from america but i am not going to see it until it breaks down.

more pics from tsukuba

a couple of more photos from friends. because it's a clubman race so hardly ever gets on magazines. it's good to have friends around and taking photos.
it was the last race of this year. there was a big, big gap between 2nd and 3rd but it's still a podium finish.

i only started racing this year. in my last 22yrs of motorcycle riding i was never a person who would go for speed. i still think that if there wasn't zero engineering, if there wasn't kumagai-san (2nd on podium) working at zero engineering, i probably never thought about me racing.

a picture on the wall

i got a new year's card with woodcut japanese lady on the back... i really liked it and it's been hung on my wall last 10yrs.
just last week, i was told that the friend who mailed the new year's card past away november last year and someone is opening an exhibit for 1yr anniversory of her. so i went.
She was a silver accessory designer... and cute fine lady with lovely smile

something that I like about my country

a lot of people say, it's a beautiful country... no ague about it but i think when you come to something traditional, they are really beautiful.
everything is business nowadays but i appreciate people still carry out thisngs been done for long time.

my sister's wedding... nov 14, 2009

5hrs drive to Tsukuba

preparing to leave for tsukuba. 2 harleys and 5 people are pushed into the toyota for 5 bloody hrs trip. thanks to our friend, shiga-kun for driving all the way and back.

we got to tsukuba around 3:30am, put out my sleeping bag outside and closed my eyes. a guard came to woke us up at 5:00am for a stupid reason... so our suday started.

it was warm for november in tsukuba, north of tokyo.

got a photo from one of zero engineering customers' friend who came from fukushima and helped us all day. 3 harleys are headding out for the qualifying session.

having a good time with good people

i was asked to be an interpreter for an event organized by a city next to mine. i hesitated first because i had to do it for free but i thought about one of my friends who takes care of mentally disabled kids as her part-time job, i took the job.
it was a full day work, from meeting with city mayor to 2hrs newspaper interview... and reception party with beautiful dinner which i couldn't have because i had to come back for my real job.
Anyway, i was so glad that i took the job and met those sailors. i would love to see the city become the center of disabled sailing of Japan and Asia.


there was a lady from England, and she gave me that... knife-rest??? just like we have "chopsticks pillow." a beautiful gift, some 120yrs old... wow!

motivation and demotivation

about a week ago, i had a chance to visit my favorite place.

although i love my xr1000 and i still think that xr1000 has the best looking engine, nothing can beat the beauty of moriwaki monster... i am one of those people who wish to be born a few decades earlier.

my race already finished yesterday but i wanted to put my blog in time order.

me and my mate went to the circuit nearby for the last check before the race. and of course, there is a problem. the point picker roter broke... i have ridden the bike last 10years over 45,000miles so things are starting to give me a little shit like this. but it was lucky that happened not during the race!!!

Since my blog title says...

since my blog title says "everything but teaching", i should write something else than racing.
so, here is one... my very first paint job. not bad for someone never paint a signboard before.
i've been running my english conversation class for last 2yrs and i thought i better put some sign to let people know that i am here.

Back in business

after 4 months of absent, the XR1000 is now back in business. engine seems running good. i just took easy today and checked if everything is okay. next race in tsukuba is less than a month away...

it doesn't look good... should i go a little deeper to clean the goo off the edge? no. it was already shaky at a couple of corners when my foot peg was scraching the track. better get rid of the front fork springs i've been using last 45,000miles.

package had arrived

What the hell did I get...?

Yeeeeeeeeee yes!!!

4 pistons for 2 cylinder Harley?? It's just because the manufacturer can take minimum order from 4 pistons. but no worries. 2 of them are actually one-hundredth inch larger than other 2.

They came with precision laser measurement data!!!

It's a Christmas!!!!!!!

a harley at Fuji Speedway

When Valentino is taking another GP victory at San Marino, when Ben is finally taking the championship lead in Germany, a black ordinary looking Harley Davidson XL1200 was dominating Fuji Speedway track...

Watching a friend racing is fun but it's always better to be in the race. I gotta get that new pistons and get my XR1000 running...

i'm not ready yet...

...?