Roland Brown: Schools In Session

It's been a long time since I felt the blood pressure build up the back of my neck, raising hairs as it worms it's way through my brain to the backs of my eyes and to that vein that pulses in the center of my forehead.

I try to not let much get me, really, I do. It was not that long ago that many a man was called out to meet at 8th and Sycamore in St. Joseph for a showdown -

The keyboard cowboys that did make the journey are considered friends now, how things should work out.

Spring came, the birds and other little animals of the woods came to life, green, everything is green and nice.

Everything is nice, ohmmmmmmmmm. . . . . . .

BAM


Roland Brown

Lightning strikes, the ground splits as earthquakes rips through the soul of the switchbacks of hades itself -



Those, my friend, are fighting words!

 

The stock 919 was designed to be a modern UJM, no more, no less.

Comfortable enough to tour the county on, easily modified, simple to maintain, reliable as reliable can be.

The machine was exactly what I wanted in the early eighties, if I could of built it.

Well, almost, but the basic foundation was there, and it was the THE machine for me.

The flat black Asphalt Black paint, later to be seen on "Harleys" and other machines, caught my eye. The red coil spring, uh ah, a nice touch. Forks, find, handlebars, easy to change, bitchin' rims and meaty tires - underseat exhaust! Fuel injection, water cooled -

Insurance, full coverage, a little over a hundred bucks a year - icing on the cake.

For the first time in my life, I walked into a dealership and bought a brand new motorcycle, the 2002 Honda 919.

Flash back to my first motorcycle, the machine I learned to ride the streets on, a Kawasaki H1B - B for BAPTIZE and it is the machine that brought me into this world of motorcycling, back in the late seventies.

Z1R Turbo's, GT750's "cafe" style. GS1000S "Wes Cooley Specials is what I call 'em and I always will" motorcycles - the original KZ1000ELR, ohhhhhhh.

What is that called in your world, Roland?

"Mid School" bikes?

They rocked, in my eyes, those were and are the machines to end all machines, not these dainty yet totally uncomfortable single purpose race replica motorcycles that rival saran wrap in asthetic variation -

Ohmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

Imagine taking a "mid-school" machine and going wild with it.

What I would of ended up with would of been a 919, the 919, my 919.  

I made a few customizations to my 919, as any diehard UJM lover would do.

Cut the rear pizz guard off, 900RR 4-1 exhaust (after dozens of systems, ending with a Borla 4-1 Stainless header), Power Commander with custom maps, velocity stack, suburban machinery handlebars - Dunlop D616 tires 'cause the said 919 upside down, the list was long.

www.geocities.com/honda919rider is where I dumped most of my data, and a link to the true dumping grounds in the photo section of a yahoo site demonstrate the passion one can have for -

A motorcycle that was not dull in any way, shape or form, it was one mans dream.

 

The red powder coated velocity stack complimented the rear shock spring well.

Plus, it added an intake howl to live for -

Earlier on, a kid on a RC51 pulled from me at an indicated buck fifty. Thinking a ram air might help, I crossed a line with this attempt:



One ZXR1100 rider laughed, calling it the urinal-intake. And as it did nothing to allow me to venture much over the triple double nickle, it's in a box somewhere now, destined for eBay someday....  

Possibly the very first ever 900RR system adapted to the 919 -



A story in itself, maybe for another time. It worked, it rocked, and many others ventured this route using instructions distributed freely.

Good times

 

www.hondahornet.com
www.project919.com
www.919.org

The 919 is far from dull in the proper hands.

It's also somewhat unique, you do not see them everywhere, mark my words, collectors item potential.

I've calmed, whew, had me worried for a moment there Roland.

Ohmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

I'll be back  

Who is this Ronald Brown and who is he to think he has an opinion of anything anyone would want to hear?

What, of pray tell what could this person be thinking when they bash the balls of one motorcycle, when they should know good and well that when you smack one, you smack 'em all.

Where has this Mister Brown been to cause him to place his viewpoint of a motorcycle, I researched this.

When did this Roland character become able to
state "a machine was duller to ride than it was to look at" in a public publication such as the one I paid good hard earned money to read and be insulted by!

How could Mitch, no, I can not say it, much let think it. No one would of let that slip through if they had personally proof read the article...... Not my man Mitch, no way, never.......

Why was this allowed, and I researched Mr. Brown until my finger bled.

Claim to fame, qualifying rides, what did I find -

Here is what I found, here is what trips the trigger of a one Roland Brown, this is his excitement, what rocks his world -



 

What I really love about that picture is that I feel I  can somewhat relate to the emotions he is feeling.

Good stuff.