Not since I saw Chitty-Chitty-Bang-Bang have I been this excited about a flying car. A british inventor has cobbled together a dune buggy and a paraglider propelled by a fan powered by a Yamaha R1 engine. The car will travel form London to Timbuktu all under its own power. Street legal, it drives on public roads and when it gets to places normally impassable on four wheels, you unfurl the parachute and crank up the fan. The car will fly over the English Channel, The Straight of Gibraltar, and parts of the Sahara.

If the car survives its maiden voyage, you can expect it to go on sale for about $75,000US. This could be better at avoiding traffic than splitting lanes.

Before Bikefest in Vegas, I decided I would ride my Kawasaki through Death Valley on the way down. From Oakland, CA I took 580 out to the Central Valley, then 108 over Sonora Pass and the Sierras. 395 then hugged the eastern Sierras past Mono Lake and the east entrance of Yosemite to Lone Pine, CA in the shadow of Mt. Whitney. I spent the night in this historic town and rested up for my trip through Death Valley the next day.

I was up before sunrise and the temperature was about 50 degrees, normal for early October in Lone Pine. Gas is conveniently located on the south side of town right before the turnoff to Death Valley. As I rode past the mining operations just outside the park a coyote ahead in the distance crossed the road. The ride down is spectacular especially with the sun rising through a thinly veiled sheet of clouds hovering over the valley floor. Other than a few well-marked switchbacks the turns are sweeping and there are hardly any you cannot see all the way through. The road is in great shape and I only came across a few cars that I had to pass. After descending 4000 ft in two hours, the temperature was 90 degrees - and it was only 8am. But the dry heat was not oppressive and while riding I was comfortable in my leather jacket and jeans even though I stuck out with everybody else in shorts and bikini tops. It is $10 to enter the park for motorcycles and it is good for a week. There are automated kiosks and after paying by American Express I was on my way. Gasoline in the park is plentiful; I saw pumps at Stovepipe Wells and Furnace Creek. After heading south to Shoshone the road follows the eastern side of the valley. Long sweepers allow for a quick pace. The speed limit for much of the park is 45mph but I was hard pressed to find myself doing less than 65.

A true desert, the vegetation is sparse, sand dunes, and the eroded valley walls give color to an otherwise desolate landscape. As I left the park and entered Nevada I promised that I would return and take more time to explore what Death Valley has to offer.

I was fortunate enough to get my hands on a copy of the DVD “Why They Ride”. The “They” refers to me and all motorcyclists, and why we ride. It documents two brothers’ journey from Indianapolis to Deals Gap, a mecca for bikers. Also known as the Tail of the Dragon, there are 318 turns in a stretch of 11 miles of Highway 129 that runs between Tennessee and North Carolina through the Smoky Mountains. Along the way they meet and interview bikers and what riding means to them. There is a young father and his son, an older father and his retired son, a couple on their way to see a dying friend, a father that lost his daughter, a track chaplain, and a few of the people who work at Deals Gap and keep the bikers happy.

The movie is targeted towards bikers. At times I found myself explaining to a friend what a super moto is and why as bikers we hate the “super slab” but it is a necessary evil. It deals with terms and ideas that have little meaning to people who don’t ride and haven’t experienced them. But for those who know bikers it may help you understand why we spend our money, time and effort working on and riding our motorcycles.For bikers, the documentary reminded me of the little decisions that we take for granted every day when we mount our ride or hit the streets.

One of the 300+ curves on the Dragon

If you ride you will definitely connect with this film, even if you have never been to Deals Gap. The brothers that made this film really captured the stories of the people at the Dragon and as a result captured the passion that they have for the sport.