2008 Nominations

The nominations and their content are the opinion of the submitters, and not necessarily the opinion of MBI or its members.

A rider’s dream
Submitter’s name	The dream	Additional information	URL	Photo
David Percival	To travel the Moroccan High Atlas mountains and Sahara	I’ve always wanted to ride the High Atlas and the Sahara but it takes too long to get down there. These guys solve that by shipping your bike down there and back. I can’t wait, my dream of off roading in the Sahara is coming true!		....
Marc	Riding around the middle sea following the traces of the old roman empire.	It would be an interesting journey. Starting from germany through france to spain, setting over in gibraltar to marokko. Then riding to Egypt, Israel, to Greece finishing the tour in Rome, Italy.
April	Travel to all of the Moto GP races with full paddock access.	I’d love the chance to travel around the world immersed in the Moto GP experience.
Brigitte	To own one of Cyril Huze's one-off custom motorcycles.	Who didn’t dream of riding one of Cyril Huze one-off custom motorcycles. At a minimum cost of $85,000 to well over $100,000 and only a maximum of 12 bikes hand made every year I guess it’s going to remain the rider’s dream of too many.
Cecilie	To ride the Silk Route, from Istanbul Turkey to Xian, China.	Helge Peterson, author of Ten Years on Two Wheels, has a company, Globe Riders, that offers this ride as a service. The dream has prerequisites: acquiring the skills needed to accomplish the ride, and saving the money. If I could do those two things, making the time would be no problem.
harleyghost	Writing for Motorcycle Crusier magazine.	Wouldn’t it be cool to wake up everyday and think ... I get to ride a new bike today! And don’t even have to pay for it. Take long road trips and write about it on the way.
Highsider	Travel with Sjaak "R1-Sjaak" Lucassen around the world.	Great guy doing what we all want to. Instead, we let him do his thing and vicariously follow his journeys.		....
Jesper Bram	To build a classic race motorcycle and test it on Bonneville Salt Flats	Continue in the foot steps of Burt Munroe and others, and test a home built classic salt flats racer on the Bonneville Salt Flats.
JimT	A ride on the back of the Ducati Desmosedici MotoGP bike.	I think that most any sportbike enthusiast would jump at the chance to feel the power of one of the pinacles of motorcycle racing technology. Since few of us have the skill to take advantage of the bikes abililty, I’ll settle for a ride on back.
karl heinz Pfarr	To ride from Europe across Africa, America now and Australia next....and then who knows	Simon and Lisa are the perfect balance to be a traveller. Not freaks and great humble persons. Among the ten most in my personal list! Enter their site and you will know why.
Marc	To join the Amazing Voyage.	Traveling with these two riders would be fun. They’re riding around the world on two 125cc bikes. And they’re riding without any money.		....
Mike Werner	Ride the Dakar race	The legend, the dream, the passion!		....
Nicklas	Sun, mountains, a cool breeze and an old Harley.
OldGuy	To join Ewan McGregor on his 2007 “Long Way Down” trip from Scotland to Cape Town, South Africa.	I would get the adventure plus the benefit of an accompanying support team which, at my age, is not to be sneered at. :-)
PerrydaSavage	Ride the "Mother Road," Historic Route 66	Have a fascination for classic mid-20th Century Americana ... would love to Ride the “Mother Road” with a few of my Riding pals as company!		....
Racer	Participate in the Red Bull Romaniacs	5 days of hell, riding through Romania under the toughest conditions known to mankind.		....
urindar d orange	Cars are forbidden by law all around the world	The lack of petrol and a general sense of boredom around the car industry makes people turn to motorcycle riding by the millions. The few car drivers left are deemed as dangerous to motorcyclists and so laws are passed where cars are forbidden all around the world. Only motorcycles and trikes are allowed, with a few big automobiles for family trips.		....
Best concept motorcycle or scooter
Manufacturer	Name/model	Additional information	URL	Photo
Ducati	Desmosidici RR	C’mon, do I really have to explain.... A moto gp bike for the street!		....
Electric Moto Corporation	Blade T-6	I think these guys have it “going on”. If this bike is everything they say it is ... it is a smart new addition to alternative fuel and fun.		....
Gilera	Fuoco 500 ie	3 Wheels, 500cc’s, Speed and Stability = Perfection!		....
Moto Morini	MM3	The MM3 is a Triumph Tiger killer. 100cc V-Twin, drive-by-wire, ABS. Expected to be available 2008.		....
TECAtech Design	TECA Concept Motorcycle	Saves loads of fuel, bike of the future		....
Best exhibition of 2006
	Name and location of the exhibition	Additional information	URL	Photo
	EICMA, Milan	Best girls ever!
	Intermot, Köln Germany	Biggest motorcycle exhibition in the world. Held every 2 years. Anyone who is anyone exhibits here !
	Rats Hole Custom Bike Show	Rat’s Hole has always appeared to be one of the best organized bike shows and sets up annually at most of the major motorcycle events around the US.
	The Indi Dealer Expo	Because it’s the best place to see new scooters in the USA! It’s no EICMA, but at least I can afford a ticket!
Best looking new in 2006 motorcycle
Manufacturer	Name/model	Additional information	URL	Photo
Benelli	TNT Cafe Racer 1130	A well executed modern twist on the Cafe Racer movement. Mean looks with adjustable performance for aggressive or passive riding.		....
BMW	R1200GSA Adventure			....
Triumph	Daytona 675	Its light, it has sort of a no BS just go appeal to it, and its a three cylinder. There’s nothing matching it in the mid-range sport bike category.		....
Harley-Davidson	FXD Street Bob	Love the minimalist 50’s Bobber styling of Harley’s new Street Bob ... the flat-black paint treatment is way cool!		....
KTM	950 R	I think that the enduro travelling sector has been forgotten! No more Africa Twin or Supertenere. Only the new GS. So KTM is a racer bike but has all the sex apeal of a big travelling bike!		....
Best manufacturer’s website
Manufacturer	Website title	Additional information	URL	Photo
BMW	BMW Motorrad	Great information and very easy to use. Wish Honda could advertise and inform about their products as well as BMW.
Buell	Buell motorcycles	Has useful information about the bikes and the design goals.
Ducati	Ducati.com	Easy to use, all the info you need, community area, and the CEO blog.
Harley-Davidson	Harley-Davidson	Comprehensive website. Great layout, intuitive navigation, very specific towards their audience.
Best motorcycle or scooter blog
Blog author’s name	Blog name	Additional information	URL	Photo
Beach Cruiser	BeachCruiser.com	Daily updates on news about the custom motorcycle industry. They have audio interviews with top builders and take the time to reply to comments from fans. They are #1.
Bryan Bedell	2 Stroke Buzz	Crack for the scooter addict. Not just pictures of people on scooters. The actual industry, the state of the scene. Self-deprecating, but with his finger firmly on the pulse of a worldwide phenomenon.
Cecilie Hoffman	Cecilie’s Moto Journal	Intelligently written, it records Cecilie’s journey from newbie to experienced rider as well as a kind of objective introspection about the learning experience. It is also, by its nature, a part of and a comment on women in motorcycling.
Crystal Waters	Girlbike	Crystal writes about scooters, safety, gear and anything two-wheel related. She gives good advice, passes on others’ advice, calls our attention to bargains and encourages fellow riders.
Cyril Huze	Cyril Huze Blog	The blog of master builder Cyril Huze. All things custom motorcycles.
David Emmett	Kropotkin Thinks	Nicely crafted pieces on MotoGP racing. Opinion articles are well researched and well written, and the opinions are backed-up with evidence, as opposed to just being an opinion for opinion’s sake.
Dennis Haeselich	Moppedblog
Erin Baker	Erin Baker	Nice and fresh blog of a young woman on her journey to learn riding a motorcycle, buying a Harley, and riding it in the UK.
Federico Minoli	DesmoBlog	Ducati’s CEO writes about the behind the scenes of Ducati. Very informative and good insight on the company, their products and their top man.
Gary Charpentier	Rush Hour Rambling	Gary constantly encourages his readers to ride their scooters or motorcycles to work. His writing and photography from his daily ramblings cause readers to want to get out a ramble as well.
Gianluca Valsecchi	motoblog
Harvey Binder	Midwest Scooter Enthusiast	This blog isn’t about exotic adventures, it’s not about new bikes, it’s all about going out and enjoying riding whenever and wherever possible. Harvey writes well about the simple, yet sublime, pleasures of the road.
Jan Dirk	Horizontaal	After eight months trying to get pregnant without results, I start reading HorizonTaal. The same month I was pregnant. Fantastic. It also helped me in other cases. I hope in the future HorizonTaal may also help many other persons!
Liam Shubert	Motoliam	Liam Shubert is an American who one day decided to give up everything to try and make it in MotoGP. So he sold everything he had, moved to Barcelona in Spain, despite not speaking any Spanish, and try and get a job. This blog charts his progress through the world of MotoGP, offering fascinating insights and behind-the-scene glimpses of the glamorous world of MotoGP.
Lois Pryce	Lois on the Loose	Currently in Africa, she has been “on the loose” in the Americas as well and written a book about her journeys. Very inspirational for anyone considering a long ride. And very inspirational for women riders all over the world. You go gurl!
Mike Newbern	DynaMike’s Biker Blog	Mike is a patriot and a biker. He often says that his blog isn’t for the weak hearted and that he is politically incorrect. That couldn’t be farther from the truth. Not only do his thoughts come out clearly in his blog, but he says what most of us are thinking!
Mike Werner	Bikes in the Fast Lane	Bikes in the Fast Lane provides daily information about everything in the motorcycle world: the bikes themselves, racing, gadgets, movies/videos/books, news, opinion, lifestyle, safety, and of course, humor. A few weeks after I began reading this blog with my morning coffee, I realized that in a pinch, I could do without the coffee, but I got really cranky if I couldn’t get my morning fix of Bikes in the Fast Lane.
Nick Boseley	The adventures of Boz	The story of a Brit that got enough from daily routine, packed his stuff and travelled South America. Perfect views of Latin American landscape and people. Lots of personal feelings are unpacked like no other blog before!
Orin O’Neill	Scootin’ Old Skool: my Vespa PX 150	It chronicles a scooterist’s transition from a modern twist ’n go Vespa to a classic 2-stroke Vespa, in hopes of making the transition easier for other PX and Stella riders.
paul blackburn	el cantar de la lluvia	I like the combination of tales and pictures of a young rider in a Chilean city!
Paul van Hooff	Guzzi Galore	A guy riding from the top of Alaska to the tip of South America on a 30 years old Guzzi V7. Great stories of how a one year planned trip stretched to a still ongoing odyssey with crazy events all over. From cheating wives to gun toting bandits. With strange rides to the top of a volcano, caught on tape and put on Youtube. Priceless!
Ralph Couey	Chasing the Sunset	A wonderfully ethereal collection of writings delving deep into the spiritual side of motorcycling. An honest attempt by a rider/writer to reach into the secret place in the heart where the true passions of life lie sheltered from the stultifying mundaneness of normal life. It is part travelogue, part spiritualogue; a place truly for the soul.
Scooter Dave	Scooter Dave	If it involves scootering, Dave will usually make mention of it. A great job of documenting scooter rides & rallies. One of the best personal websites I have seen discussing scootering.
Shreve Stockton	Vespa Vagabond	Following a house fire, A 29 year old woman travels solo from San Francisco to New York City on a Vespa ET4 scooter. The photos are amazing and her writing will make you long for adventures of your own. Be forwarned -- you may be inspired to get a Vespa for yourself. “Vespa Vagabond” is directly responsible for that little red ET4 in my garage!
Steve Guzman	The Scooter Scoop	Steve has a REAL passion for scooters and it shows. I’m addicted! I show up EVERY DAY!
Steve Williams	Scooter in the Sticks	A wonderfully personal journal about the experience of everyday riding. The main attraction is his excellent photography, but there are times when his written wisdom overshadow the artistry of his images. You get the feeling that you are right there, riding with him, and that is rare amongst moto-blogs.
Wendy Moon	Moonrider’s Motorcycling World	There is no other resource than comes close to offering the wealth of well researched information about safety, rider education, rider training and the shenanigans of industry insiders in the USA. Wendy provides the facts (with an occasional dose of speculation for good measure) about what is going on behind the scenes. She is a college teacher, free lance writer and contributor to motorcyle magazines who does her homework.
Best new in 2006 every day motorcycle
Manufacturer	Name/model	Additional information	URL	Photo
BMW	F800S	Great all rounder		....
Kawasaki	650 Ninja	Nobody else really brought out an everyday commuter.		....
Quantya	Evo 1	A good and sturdy electric motorcycle. Swiss engineering. Gets a good mileage from one charge, and is clean for the environment.		....
Best new in 2006 motor scooter
Manufacturer	Name/model	Additional information	URL	Photo
Yamaha	Morphous	Not a cookie cutter version of another model. Twist and go style that looks like nothing else! Not something out of Roman Holiday and doesn’t pretend to be. Remember, its all about the ride. Not what others think. Ride one and you will be hooked. If you buy one. Prepare to have a lot of conversations with strangers.		....
Genuine	Buddy 125			....
Piaggio	MP3	Great idea for a stable ride.		....
Vespa	GTS 250ie	The GTS is the largest Vespa ever made, but is also the fastest and most technologically advanced. Smooth ride, great handling, and ultra quiet engine and exhaust make for an experience that is second-to-none among in the scooter world. Easily the best all-around, do-it-all scooter ever made.		....
Best new in 2006 motorcycle
Manufacturer	Name/model	Additional information	URL	Photo
BMW	F800 ST	Perfect bike, long distance, fast, reliable.		....
Buell	XB12X Ulysses	This is an innovative machine that provides a fun and versatile platform for a wide range of riders and riding conditions.		....
Moto Guzzi	Norge 1200	Legend, beautiful, sleek, fast, reliable.		....
KTM	990 Adventure	Lighter, slimmer, fitter, better looking and more fun than a GS. If your adventure will take you off the road, the 990 is “the” bike. Videos: www.990adventure.com		....
KTM	990 Super Duke RR	Woooow!		....
Yamaha	MT-03	It's not better than ALL others, but its the best “new to 2006” motorcycle I have tried.		....
Object of lust
Manufacturer	Name/model	Additional information	URL	Photo
BMW	HP2	Pure power and design, as an XR rider this is the shot of power and technology I like, but keeping it at a naked level.		....
Ducati	1098	Sexy, super fast, seek, hightech!		....
Ducati	Desmosedici RR	Most beautiful race bike manufactured since the MV Agusta F4 and produced in very limited editions. Which make it very unobtainable; a well know feat for objects of lust		....
Harley-Davidson	VRSCSE Screaming Eagle Vrod (CVO)	Harley Davidson’s ’Custom Vehicle Operations’ bikes are all very special and very expensive.		....
Harley-Davidson	XL883L Sportster	I pine after Harley’s new Sportster “Low” ... absolutely love that Bike!		....
Honda	2003 GL1500C Valkyrie	Incredible balance for a bike of this size. The comfort meter with the stock seat is “off the chart”. Lot’s of fun to ride and look at.		....
Royal Enfield	Royal Enfield Bullet 500	The Royal Enfield Bullet has not really changed since the fiftys. This bike is more than “retro”. It’s an new oldtimer and still a very british lady which requires special treatment.		....
Triumph	Bonneville T100	Beautiful retro styling, with quality of today’s manufacturing. Great handling and fun to ride as a motorcycle should be.		....
Vespa	GTS 250ie	It is the first fuel injected scooter made under the venerable Vespa badge. The best performing motor scooter in the 60 year history of the company and easily the smallest and most nimble of any stock 250cc motor scooter made in 2006.		....
Yamaha	XT 500	In 2006 the YAMAHA XT 500 had her 30 years anniversary. And the XT 500 is defenitly still an object of lust for many bikers.		....
Thumbs down
Nominee name	The deed	Additional information	URL	Photo
American Motorcyclist Association	Failing to make up their minds about the legality of traction control in AMA Superbike	The AMA spent the first half of the 2006 Superbike season trying to deny the existence of traction control. Finally, in May, the AMA caved in and adjusted the rulebook to reflect reality, legalizing traction control. The worst part of the sorry affair was that the AMA’ss initial resistance to traction control is probably the major factor in Ducati’s decision to pull out of Superbike racing in the US. By the time they changed their mind, it was too late.
Arnold Schwarzenegger	Riding without a motorcycle endorsement	Not a good role model! The former actor and current Governor of California rode for years without a MC endorsement on his drivers license. It was not until after his much publicized accident in 2006 that he obtained his endorsement.		....
Billy Lane	Fatal DWI accident kills fellow motorcyclist.	Famed chooper builder Billy Lane was charged with DUI manslaughter in October for a Sept. 4 crash after his test results showed he had a .192 blood alcohol level when he crossed a double-yellow line to pass three cars and hit park ranger Gerry Morelock, who rode a motorcycle.		....
Chinese drop shippers	Scooters and minibikes being sold like consumer products.	A motorized vehicle which hasn’t seen the light of day since it left China needs to be prepped by a qualified mechanic. They should not sold by someone who claims to be a dealer when all they actually have is a PC in the living room and a PO box. When is the government going to realize that this is a dangerous trend.
European Union / Federal Repubic of Germany	Forbidding new Motorcycles with carburetor.	In the European Union we have now (1.1.07) a new directive which denies to register a new motorcycle, which has not a fuel injection system, because they say it would pollute the air too much driving around with a motorcylce that’s using carburetors.
Fernando Alonso	Chickening out of a duel with Valentino Rossi	After Rossi did well in F1 tests, Alonso stated that he could do as good in MotoGP. Rossi challenged him, then Alonso backpedaled saying his quote was misunderstood.		....
Honda	Replacing the proven Africa Twin with the Varadero	Honda motors replaced the Africa for a more power ranger looking bike. For outdoor bikers Honda made a terrible decision. Be ashamed.
Motorcycle Safety Foundation	MSF sues Oregon State U. for M/C program infringement	(MSF is a USA organization) Review the overall material. It is a matter of misplaced ego and greed, not a legal matter. We all want the community to be “better”. The MSF should be a “non-profit” m/c safety training foundation. Instead, the group is a manufacturer's organization to help sell motorcycles. Read the fine print at moonrider.journalspace.com
Vespa	No longer a manufacturer. Just a marketing firm.	Vespa Boutiques - Demanded way too much while taking away their exclusive territories. Vespatition - Vespa Parking Petition. After the press releases, did this ever find its way to cities and states? Vespaway.com - Rolled out this “official blog”, patted themselves on the back and never looked back. Parts Supply - Parts? Who needs parts? We have better things to think about like a new marketing gimmick.
Thumbs up
Nominee name	The contribution	Additional information	URL	Photo
Ardys Kellerman	New record for BMW MOA women’s mileage contest	This 74 year old great grandmother rode 80,116 miles in the 6 month contest, setting a new record.		....
Charley Boorman	Having the courage to show that an average rider can have a go at the Dakar rally	Charley Boorman was backed into a corner when the "Long Way Round" book publishers wrote that his next challenge was to compete in the Dakar rally. In 2006 he rose to the challenge and produced a fascinating documentary that has roused wider interest in this gruelling event.		....
Patriot Guard	Honoring America’s fallen heros and bringing positive media to all bikers/riders	Over 74,000 bikers accross the country working together to honor American Heroes is a tremendous example of the power of all different kinds of motorcycle folks coming together. The positive media garnered for bikers is a nice side effect, but not near as important as the mission itself.		....
Performance Bike Magazine	Entering the Cannonball run	Riding first, police pursuits, crashing, quiting, re-entering, more police pursuits, fines, arrests. Everything which gave motorcycles a “bad” reputation. And writing a brilliant story about it.
Rodger Donaldson, director	Movie: World's Fastest Indian	Although this film of Burt Munro's life was released in 2005, it was only in 2006 that it was distributed in most of the world. Anthony Hopkins plays Burt Munro very well, and the movie must have made a lot of people more open to bikers !		....
Simon Milward	For bringing hope and a human face to motorbike riding	With very little he tried to change the suffering people on this beautiful world. He died excercising his work.
Valentino Rossi	Valentino Rossi	For making the 2006 MotoGP such an incredible thrilling event!		....
What were they thinking?
Manufacturer	Name/model or description	Additional information	URL	Photo
Caterpillar	Cat Chopper	fugly		....
Derbi	Mulhacen 659 X-Vision	This concept bike has built in TV and video cameras. The bike of the future? A motorized video game player? A good way to end your riding career--watching yourself on TV while riding?		....
Honda	CBR600F4i	Decision by Honda to abandon production of the CBR600F4i for 2007.		....
Iron Horse T-Shirts	Hog Ties	Some stupid items to hold down your pants while riding How low can you go? Tjeezus, this sucks!		....
MV Agusta	F4 1000cc	Once again a special, very special special of another very special F4 of Brutale. And please, please, not Agostini again to lift the curtain!		....
Speed TV	Superbikes!	Speed TV takes off their only show that actually covers motorcycle racing and replaces it with a stunter fest. The show should be on a differnt network not replacing a news show on a motorsport channel.
Tumi	Tumi+Ducati Luggage Collection	It’s not Ducati specific luggage and is not sold by Ducati.		....
Two Brothers Racing	Gold Plated Kawasaki ZX-636	Why stop at the gold plating? Why not go all the way and add some sparlking glitter?		....
Xtream Weather	SoEasy Neobag	Stupid idea to put a GPS receiver on your arm. "Let's see, what is my location"..."I don't know what happened officer. One minute I was riding, then I woke up in the hospital."		....
Wish we’d thought of that
Manufacturer	Name/model or description	Additional information	URL	Photo
ComingThrough	Goldwing Retriever	Using a Honda Goldwing to retrieve a broken down car. Priceless!		....
D-LockSystems	D-Lock	Very simple system to remember to take off your wheel locks.		....
Garmin	Zumo 550	Truly made for bikers.		....
Piaggio	MP3	3 wheels, but rides like 2!		....
Women riders booster of the year
Nominee name	Achievement	Additional information	URL	Photo
Alice Sexton, President WIMA USA	Reviving the USA division	WIMA, the world’s largest international women’s motorcycle association, was born in the USA in the 1950’s. But the USA division had ceased to exist until Alice stepped forward to revive and invigorate it. In addition to her duties as WIMA USA President, she serves as WIMA International Public Relations Officer		....
Ardys Kellerman	Still going as strong as ever in her 70's.	A humble 74 year old great-grandmother and motorcycling icon. She’s completed 4 Iron Butt Rallies, the last one when she was in her 70s. In 2006, she completed 80,116 miles in 6 months; once did four back-to-back Saddlesores (1000 mile days)! Energizer bunny. Role model for all women.		....
Bonnie Strawser, Femmoto	Provided an easy way to get more women on the track.	Started in 2001 as an all women’s track day. It has now grown to a 2 day event with bikes provided by manufactuers.		....
Frank at Superbike News in the UK	Has a web page featuring women racers	While the web page is a simple compilation of women racers, the effort will increase the visibility of these individuals and encourage more young women to give racing a try.
Worst manufacturer’s website
Manufacturer	Website	Additional information	URL	Photo
KTM	Any KTM site	Horribly bloated Flash throughout the site. Extremely slow loading. Small ’drop-down’ nav that requires precision mousing; difficulty in use. Page naming conventions that make no sense, and “dealer locator” that just flat never worked. This isn’t just a horrible motorcycle website, this is a horrible website in general.
Honda	Honda Netherlands	Try and find your bike among the cars and outboard engines. Just try it!
Icon Motorsports	Icon Motorcycle Gear	Glitzy, all Flash, animated, slow to download site that makes me dizzy when viewing it. A pain in the a$$ to navigate. Search...“who needs search?” Their website designer must be a Hollywood special effects artist. He or whoever made the site design decision should seek a new career.
Suzuki	Quad, ATV, motorcycle, scooter site	Other than being slow, lacking information, PITA to use, can’t get there from here, and not having anyway to contact Suzuki other than postal mail it isn’t that bad.
Triumph	Triumph UK	Badly put together, little info, bugs, and no response from web folks.
Vespa	vespausa.com	Vespa’s “official” blogs were a great idea but the volunteer bloggers never got any support from the company. Both were abandoned in 2006. There’s very little information at all. The ’news’ is outdated and (as of January) there’s no information the 2007 models which have been hyped extensively elsewhere. On top of that, their “World Club” has been ignored since its announcement in April, and it takes them three months to mail out a brochure.