Ducati Monster Forum

Sorry guys, I forgot to post a link to this here last week.

Article I wrote for Revzilla recently about the Street Skills course and New York Safety Track.

DMF content - some pics of Jenn and her Monster at the event are included:

http://www.revzilla.com/common-tread/street-skills-riding-course (http://www.revzilla.com/common-tread/street-skills-riding-course)


(http://images1.revzilla.com/blog_content_image/image/30900/hero/StreetSkills_top.jpg)

 [thumbsup]

Beard's gone grey eh?  ;D

Not that I have any plans to write - but how'd that whole ting work for you? I see that's your only article on common-tread. Do you do other journalistic work for other outlets?

 [laugh]  YUP - 3 kids (one teenager, 5 y/o, and 2 y/o) will do that to you.  [drink]






Well, I spent the last 25 years of my career in publishing, though mostly for Chilton/Clymer/Seloc etc.

Years ago a buddy and I wrote Chilton's Motorcycle Handbook:

(http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRb77GLT_X4ZQDACQlsE-RPFB-uaRR5FKHMNiS0R5y_IaH8D6sF)

I'm looking to reinvent myself and sent some resumes to Revzilla and interviewed for some positions. They put me in touch with the Managing Editor (Lance Oliver) and I've been working on a number of other submissions - but yes that one was my first for CT.

OT, what's the bike on the cover of your book? Looks like a K-bike but must have missed that one!  :)

So now my curiosity is piqued. How's one like me, with no formal writing background, go about getting published in CT? At least the process leading to them telling me kindly your stuff sucks

It was a press bike, but if memory serves I want to say it was an early K1200RS.

Well, I told you my method.

I don't think a formal background is as important as ability.

Good photos are also key as it's a very visual format.

But if you have an idea, pitch it to him.

I read this article on CT and loved it! I definitely want to find more riding classes here in Central CA!

Thanks, glad you liked it!

I can't encourage you enough to find something like this.

Ride safe!

Kev

 [thumbsup] I've pondered writing up a set of basic how-tos/beginners guides as I see the same, or very similar, questions time and time again. While there's many on things like how to bleed/flush brakes, I see folks freaking out about pad -> rotor skimming noise many times. I actually made a tiny video for YouTube about it since it came up so much.

And perhaps some stuff about track days thought my experiences from slow noob to moderately fast guy with nary a crash in-between. Tales of a track day chicken

Decent topics? OR also-rans?

Lance is the man to answer that for you.

I'll say that my background has had me pondering more technical submissions for CT, but I don't know how much of that they want to do. I mean, they do have a sorta "why things are the way they are" series:

http://www.revzilla.com/common-tread/wtatwta-motorcycle-oil (http://www.revzilla.com/common-tread/wtatwta-motorcycle-oil)

And they do have a "How to" section with some basic tech stuff:

http://www.revzilla.com/common-tread-how-tos (http://www.revzilla.com/common-tread-how-tos)

http://www.revzilla.com/common-tread-how-tos?sort=oldest (http://www.revzilla.com/common-tread-how-tos?sort=oldest)

So you'd want to vet your idea by searching the CT archives first.

As for track thoughts, I think it comes down to can you give a new or interesting angle to it.

At least that's what I think, but it's not my opinion that matters.

Thanks for reminding me to check the topics back log... Not much point even pondering topics until I can see that it wouldn't be a total also ran.

And thanks for pointing out/reminding me that they are starting to do articles with a bit more of a silo'd focus these days. Checking out those areas and the flavor of the articles in there may well guide the process, or just tell me it's not worth it.

Thanks for the thoughts Kev.

Well, doesn't appear to be any articles on my notional topics yet.... so guess it's time to outline.

[thumbsup]

Im a complete NYST fan boy.  I corner worked for them last Saturday and Sunday :)

Cool, best of luck.
Sweet. Kinda wish I lived close enough for that. It's a sweet facility.

Did I mention that Street Skills booked it for another class on Columbus day (Oct 10).

Reserve your spot now local guys.

(http://images0.revzilla.com/blog_content_image/image/31379/hero/road_trip_top.jpg)

My latest ZLA article (my rules for an epic road trip, and a story about my little bro's and my trip to the Curtiss Museum last month) went live the other morning:

http://www.revzilla.com/common-tread/my-three-simple-rules-for-an-epic-motorcycle-tour (http://www.revzilla.com/common-tread/my-three-simple-rules-for-an-epic-motorcycle-tour)


Hope you guys like it!


(http://images3.revzilla.com/blog_content_image/image/31382/gallery/on_the_road.jpg)


If anyone is close to or wants to plan a road trip to upstate (or central) NY, I highly recommend the Curtiss museum. There's a lot to see and it's in a great location for riding.

(http://images2.revzilla.com/blog_content_image/image/31376/gallery/Curtiss_museum.jpg)