My Story: The new guy in Citrus Heights (Long, With Pix!)

Hi, I'm Carl O. I was referred to this site by a post somewhere on BARF. I moved to the Sacramento area about three years ago but never actively tried to find a local forum.

I'm 28 and I've been riding since I was about 15. I got my first streetbike when I was 17, a mint 3200 mile 86 Nighthawk S, and things went from there.

When I was 18 I started working for Cycle Gear in Concord as a mechanics assistant. The mechanic quit my second day there, coincidence, and I ended up just doing tires for the next six months. I was then moved inside to work as a Sales Associate and then became the Assistant Store Manager. I became disenchanted and moved on to California Speed-Sports in Livermore. I helped open the first storefront that they had and I enjoyed it a lot. Unfortunately we happened to open on September 9th, IIRC, and two days later business was in the toilet. Three months later I moved on due to lack of hours but have always maintained contact with the owner and manager.

I eventually found my way back to Cycle Gear, first as a regular associate, then as a keyholder only and then I moved to the Benicia warehouse and started working with my buddy Dave doing new store development. I did that for about another year and it was very gratifying. All told, I have about six years of my life that were spent with "The Gear" and most of it was very enjoyable.

A few years down the road I got hooked up with OnOneWheel.com and became a wheelie instructor. I ended up travelling all over in addition to managing my own NorCal region. This was the most fun I have ever had while getting paid. Probably the most stressful as well but it was worth it. I got to meet a lot of really cool people and have an impact on how safely they ride.

I currently work for a Canadian IT consulting company as a facilities manager in Rancho Cordova. I have seven cars, mostly 60s GM, and about eight bikes in various states of repair. I play rock guitar, bass, piano, and I sing. I'm also into photography although I don't have the best gear.

This is me shooting at the 2009 Optima Ultimate Street Car Invitational.

And one I took.


In 2001 I took a class at Laguna Seca with the California Superbike School. Although my day ended with a lowside in T10, and a not too badly tweaked CBR F2, I was hooked. My next bike was a 97 YZF600F and I took it to Thunder Hill the first month I had it. Somewhere along the line I started turn-working for the California Superbike School which allowed me access to even more track time.

In 2003 two of my buddies talked me into going to Las Vegas with them for a CCS race. They were both licensed and they talked me into bringing my track only F3 and taking the new racer school. I agreed and we were on the road. As a NRS student I was given a coupon for three dyno pulls for $10. I knew my F3 was pretty quick but I still wanted to know what I was running. 10 minutes later I had a sheet in my had declaring that my little old bike was pumping 99.8bhp to the rear wheel! No wonder I was pulling the new GSXRs down the straight aways!

I passed the NRS with flying colors and in my race I moved up three or four positions. I was in heaven!


Unfortunately the next round at Streets of Willow didn't go as well and my fastest lap was in the back of an ambulance. I high sided myself to the moon coming out of the bowl coming down with a crunch. One broken clavicle, one broken scapula and three cracked ribs later I realized it was probably a bad idea to go racing without a pit crew. Oh, and I realized that Morphine is fun but it also makes me uke:

I continued riding but couldn't afford to go racing again for several years. In 2006 one of the previously mentioned friends hooked me up with a 2003 GSXR 750. We sent the forks out to be valved and I did two days at Laguna and two days at Sears Point before we headed to Buttonwillow for my first, and only, AFM race. I had never been to Buttonwillow but I grew to like it immediately. I was dog slow, but I was having fun and dropping time where I could.

The front end felt vague to me, much like it had at the track days but whenever I brought it up no one really believed me. They kept telling me that you had to ride a Suzuki different than the Hondas that I was used to so I just kept my complaints to myself. Pushing the front end wide out of the bus stop and running into the dirt I began to wonder if I was maybe the one who knew what I was talking about. I managed to survive the day and somehow landed 10th spot in one of my races. It was SS or SB, I don't remember which.

A bit about the bike: It was box stock with the exception of the rear shock being switched for a stocker off a 1000. The forks, it turned out, hadn't been revalved, only fitted with new seals and fresh fluid, and had in fact been goofed up internally. The shop shall remain nameless but I was very disappointed. My friend ended up racing that bike later in the season and after three laps he came in, called me and asked how the hell I had been riding it with two pogo sticks on the front end. Also, we were on a tight budget and couldn't find a full set of fairings, I ended up with Dave Stanton's #1 plate upper and tail and we rigged the lower off a 99 F4 to fit the bottom. It looked different but it was functional, safe and we actually got some compliments on the look.


There endeth the tale. I continue to work corners for Keith Code as often as time permits and I street ride a little but not near as much as I used to. The current steeds are my 00 RC51 (02 swing arm, Kevlar lines, PCIII) and my newest which is a 91 CBR400RR.

Hope to meet a few of you soon,
Carl
:avatar46582_9:

 

Thanks, Everyone! I appreciate the welcome.

I like the big twin, it's a big change from the I4 but I dig the torque and the sound is delicious. I have something in the works for pipes so maybe there will be a future post about that.

Steve, since you like that Camaro, here's another shot. I got a few of this car for my buddy who is the wheel designer.

 

Thanks guys. Maybe I'll come out this week, I just need to track down where I hid my blinker fluid when I moved a couple months ago. My clutch M/C is low; a grabby clutch on a RC51 can be a bit interesting.

 

I find it interesting that I've found a motorcycle forum that likes pictures like these:
http://i699.photobucket.com/albums/... Invitational 2009/rIMG_0709.jpg?t=1259623644

http://i699.photobucket.com/albums/... Invitational 2009/rIMG_0876.jpg?t=1259624112

But I have a feeling, and hopefully I'm right, that there isn't much love lost on stuff like this:
http://i699.photobucket.com/albums/vv352/wingnutthehutt/SEMA Misc 2009/rIMG_0636.jpg?t=1259624334

 

Not my car, I took the photo, but a very nicely sorted one for sure. I have a big block 69 El Camino that I can't talk about until spring.