This is a film I shot for the launch of Organicism Farms and Foods, an East Tennessee catering company focused on incredible local food.

Being a sound engineer first and foremost, I’m really pleased with the way that the audio turned out.  I used a small diaphragm condenser microphone just outside of the interview shot to capture crisp, clear audio.  I recorded the audio straight into Pro Tools on my Macbook Pro and synced everything in post.  While syncing in post can take a little extra time, the results gained with the use of external microphone and recorders is can really make the difference between something that seems amateur and professional.

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I shot and edited this film after a fun father’s day with my pops at Ashway Speedway! I used a Pentax KX along with a GoPro Hero to shoot the video.  I had already decided that I wanted to use part of the soundtrack of Bruce Brown’s classis documentary, “On Any Sunday” and I edited the footage accordingly to give it a retro feel.  This was my first experience using Final Cut X and I have to say it worked well in the sense that I could focus on my shots and the story instead of the editing software.

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During a weekend off from his AMA Superbike duties, Josh Herrin (8) won SEMRA’s Supermoto class in his first attempt at round two, hosted by Middle Georgia Kart Track in Dublin, Georgia.  Herrin grabbed the holeshot on his Graves Yamaha YZ450F and led the race from start to finish.

Herrin showed that he had practiced at this track by setting the fastest lap time of the event at a blazing 31.7 seconds. Close behind Herrin was Supermoto season points leader Ben Robinson, and rounding out the podium was another Herrin, Josh’s little brother Zack.  With only a couple of years’ riding experience, the younger Herrin looked especially fast.

* ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN CYCLE NEWS MAGAZINE:

In typical SEMRA fashion, the Thumpstar/Motul Spec class was humongous. The class was so large that the Lightweight and Heavyweight divisions were split and run at separate times. In Spec Lightweight, SEMRA regular Nate McDonald just squeaked by Walter Ferreyra with a 0.351-second gap for the win. In the Heavyweight division, title favorite Bob Henderson was back in action after suffering a broken hand at the first SEMRA round. This class proved to be one of the best races of the day, with the riders in the first through fourth positions dicing back and forth until the finish. In the end, Rob McClendon beat out Stason Tyrell for first by just fourteen-thousandths of a second. Directly behind Tyrell were Henderson in third and John Hasley in fourth.

The return of Carlo Gagliardo and his wickedly fast Honda CRF150R in Thumper 150 action meant that most riders were relegated to a fight for second place. This was especially the case in the T150 main event, in which Gagliardo smoked the rest of the field and easily won. This class also contained one of the most interesting rides of the weekend, Walter Ferreyra’s 185cc air-cooled supermini on 10-inch wheels. Ferreyra was regularly backing the bike into the corners and proved once and for all that a budget bike can compete with the high-dollar CRF150Rs.

In the Kids Novice A class, it was yet another Herrin who dominated the field. This time it turned out to be Josh’s other younger brother, Gavin, who rode the wheels off his bike for a convincing win. Rounding out the podium were Caleb Smith and Josh Jovi.

With only two rounds completed, now is the time to experience SEMRA’s brand of fun, family-orientated and inexpensive mini road racing. For riders from 8 to 80 years old, SEMRA can provide all of the thrills of racing a full-sized motorcycle at small-bike prices. Don’t let the small size of the motorcycles fool you: The riders are fast and the competition is fierce. For more information on the madness SEMRA calls mini road racing, check out www.semra.org.

Results

KIDS NOV A: 1. Gavin Herrin (Yamaha); 2. Caleb Smith (KTM); 3. Josh Jovi (KTM); 4. Caitlin Harrelson (Honda); 5. Chris Walker (Honda).

KIDS NOV B: 1. Dylan Kelly (KTM); 2. Michael Wilson (KTM); 3. Preston Kling (Cob).

KIDS EX: 1. Palmer Kling (Cob); 2. Dylan Kelly (Honda); 3. Gavin Herrin (Yamaha); 4. Gavin Elstad (Honda); 5. Josh Jovi (Honda).

KIDS SPEC: 1. Michael Wilson (Thump); 2. Preston Kling (Cob); 3. Zachary Larkby (KTM).

S/MINI: 1. Carlo Gagliardo (Honda); 2. Grant Singley (Honda); 3. Jose Henao (Honda); 4. Walter Ferreyra (Thu); 5. Michael May (Honda).

S/MOTO: 1. Josh Herrin (Yamaha); 2. Ben Robinson (Honda); 3. Zack Herrin (Yamaha); 4. Jose Henao (Honda); 5. Justin Smith (Honda).

F-1: 1. Bob Henderson; 2. Nate McDonald (Kawasaki); 3. David Thomas (Honda); 4. Nigel Smith (Honda).

F-2: 1. Carlo Gagliardo (Honda); 2. Nate McDonald (Kawasaki); 3. Palmer Kling (Cob); 4. Bob Henderson (Thu); 5. Richard Miller (Honda).

GP 85: 1. Kenneth Fischer (Honda); 2. Walter Ferreyra (Thu); 3. Palmer Kling (Cob); 4. Courtney Grey (Honda); 5. Nate McDonald (Kawasaki).

THUMPER 136: 1. Carlo Gagliardo (Honda); 2. Bob Henderson (Thu); 3. Chip Larkby (Honda); 4. David Thomas (Honda); 5. Mark Theberge (Thu).

THUMPER 150: 1. Carlo Gagliardo (Honda); 2. Grant Singley (Honda); 3. Rob McClendon (Honda); 4. Walter Ferreyra (Thu); 5. Jose Henao (Honda).

SPEC L/W: 1. Nate McDonald (Thu); 2. Walter Ferreyra (Thu); 3. David Clark (Thu); 4. Mark Theberge (Thu); 5. Kenneth Fischer (Thu).

SPEC H/W: 1. Rob McClendon (Thu); 2. Stason Tyrrell (Thu); 3. Bob Henderson (Thu); 4. John Hasley (Thump); 5. Chad Walton (Thu).

ADULT NOV: 1. Gavin Herrin (Yamaha); 2. Nick Kosan (Honda); 3. Chris Warner (Honda); 4. Chris Kosan (Honda); 5. Paul Shickey (Honda).

In typical SEMRA fashion, the Thumpstar/Motul Spec class was humongous. The class was so large that the Lightweight and Heavyweight divisions were split and run at separate times. In Spec Lightweight, SEMRA regular Nate McDonald just squeaked by Walter Ferreyra with a 0.351-second gap for the win. In the Heavyweight division, title favorite Bob Henderson was back in action after suffering a broken hand at the first SEMRA round. This class proved to be one of the best races of the day, with the riders in the first through fourth positions dicing back and forth until the finish. In the end, Rob McClendon beat out Stason Tyrell for first by just fourteen-thousandths of a second. Directly behind Tyrell were Henderson in third and John Hasley in fourth.

The return of Carlo Gagliardo and his wickedly fast Honda CRF150R in Thumper 150 action meant that most riders were relegated to a fight for second place. This was especially the case in the T150 main event, in which Gagliardo smoked the rest of the field and easily won. This class also contained one of the most interesting rides of the weekend, Walter Ferreyra’s 185cc air-cooled supermini on 10-inch wheels. Ferreyra was regularly backing the bike into the corners and proved once and for all that a budget bike can compete with the high-dollar CRF150Rs.

In the Kids Novice A class, it was yet another Herrin who dominated the field. This time it turned out to be Josh’s other younger brother, Gavin, who rode the wheels off his bike for a convincing win. Rounding out the podium were Caleb Smith and Josh Jovi.

With only two rounds completed, now is the time to experience SEMRA’s brand of fun, family-orientated and inexpensive mini road racing. For riders from 8 to 80 years old, SEMRA can provide all of the thrills of racing a full-sized motorcycle at small-bike prices. Don’t let the small size of the motorcycles fool you: The riders are fast and the competition is fierce. For more information on the madness SEMRA calls mini road racing, check out www.semra.org.

Results

KIDS NOV A: 1. Gavin Herrin (Yamaha); 2. Caleb Smith (KTM); 3. Josh Jovi (KTM); 4. Caitlin Harrelson (Honda); 5. Chris Walker (Honda).

KIDS NOV B: 1. Dylan Kelly (KTM); 2. Michael Wilson (KTM); 3. Preston Kling (Cob).

KIDS EX: 1. Palmer Kling (Cob); 2. Dylan Kelly (Honda); 3. Gavin Herrin (Yamaha); 4. Gavin Elstad (Honda); 5. Josh Jovi (Honda).

KIDS SPEC: 1. Michael Wilson (Thump); 2. Preston Kling (Cob); 3. Zachary Larkby (KTM).

S/MINI: 1. Carlo Gagliardo (Honda); 2. Grant Singley (Honda); 3. Jose Henao (Honda); 4. Walter Ferreyra (Thu); 5. Michael May (Honda).

S/MOTO: 1. Josh Herrin (Yamaha); 2. Ben Robinson (Honda); 3. Zack Herrin (Yamaha); 4. Jose Henao (Honda); 5. Justin Smith (Honda).

F-1: 1. Bob Henderson; 2. Nate McDonald (Kawasaki); 3. David Thomas (Honda); 4. Nigel Smith (Honda).

F-2: 1. Carlo Gagliardo (Honda); 2. Nate McDonald (Kawasaki); 3. Palmer Kling (Cob); 4. Bob Henderson (Thu); 5. Richard Miller (Honda).

GP 85: 1. Kenneth Fischer (Honda); 2. Walter Ferreyra (Thu); 3. Palmer Kling (Cob); 4. Courtney Grey (Honda); 5. Nate McDonald (Kawasaki).

THUMPER 136: 1. Carlo Gagliardo (Honda); 2. Bob Henderson (Thu); 3. Chip Larkby (Honda); 4. David Thomas (Honda); 5. Mark Theberge (Thu).

THUMPER 150: 1. Carlo Gagliardo (Honda); 2. Grant Singley (Honda); 3. Rob McClendon (Honda); 4. Walter Ferreyra (Thu); 5. Jose Henao (Honda).

SPEC L/W: 1. Nate McDonald (Thu); 2. Walter Ferreyra (Thu); 3. David Clark (Thu); 4. Mark Theberge (Thu); 5. Kenneth Fischer (Thu).

SPEC H/W: 1. Rob McClendon (Thu); 2. Stason Tyrrell (Thu); 3. Bob Henderson (Thu); 4. John Hasley (Thump); 5. Chad Walton (Thu).

ADULT NOV: 1. Gavin Herrin (Yamaha); 2. Nick Kosan (Honda); 3. Chris Warner (Honda); 4. Chris Kosan (Honda); 5. Paul Shickey (Honda).

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This VBB print was printed by my own very hands in Knoxville, TN and measures approximately 18″x24″.  It is two colors and is printed on .22 mil chipboard.  The 60s are long gone but you can bring them back in style with this folksy, fun, fact filled Vespa VBB art print.

The idea for this print was originally inspired by a print made by Yee Haw Industries that featured several old cars.  I really liked the look of the print and decided I wanted to do something similar just with scooters.  After a little design work in both Photoshop and Illustrator and a little about learning how to make a screen, these turned out really nicely.

This prints are still available for purchase for only $25.  For more information on purchasing a print please contact me via the contact page.  Get them while they last!

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Back in late 2008 I had noticed some tom-toms that were fashioned into overhead lighting for a pool table while out for a drink with some NAMM clients.  The thought dawned on me to make a whole series of rock n’ roll furniture based off of musical instruments.

This Coffee Table was the first piece in that series and was built out of a real kick drum that I refinished with a newspaper print.  The original drum legs were removed and replaced by three floor tom style legs.  Finally I completed the look with a round plexiglass top.  At first I tried a glass top but it proved to be a bit too fragile for my application.

All and all I was really pleased with the final look of this project and this was my favorite piece of the Drumdelier series of rock ‘n roll furniture I created.

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* ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN HANDLERBARS MAGAZINE

The RD350 is a 1970s era Yamaha that is powered by a 2stroke, twin cylinder engine with a displacement of 348ccs.  The RD’s power band is very peaky thanks to its’ 2stroke power plant but in actuality the peakyness of the motor is one of the traits that makes the bike so fun to ride.  A single disc on the front and a drum brake setup on the rear stops the bike and at the time, its’ weight of around 350lbs wet was feather light.

As of most other bikes of the era the RD350 is fitted with 18” wheels which means that there is a pretty good selection of sticky vintage tires for the bike.  Noteworthy technical innovation on the RD350 include the first set of reed valves on 2stroke Yamaha and the addition of seven port cylinders which allowed the bike to put out 39HP at the crank.  While 39HP doesn’t seem like an excess of power, in its day the RD350 could embarrass 750cc bikes with the right rider onboard.

Out of the box the bike’s styling is classic Japanese 1970s standard which could either be great or boring depending on your likes.  Fortunately bikes such as the RD350 can easily be manipulated to look the part of a screaming café racer, buzzing dirt tracker, or even as a dual sport machine depending on your taste.  With just a few simple changes such as bars or a new tail the bike’s looks can easily be changed to suit the owner’s preferences whatever they may be.

Every bike does have its downsides and Yamaha’s mighty RD350 is no exception.  First and foremost the fuel economy is pretty abysmal (although 2strokes generally are known as heavy fuel sippers) as the bike only gets around 25 miles-per-gallon if you’re generous with the throttle like myself.  Secondly, the environmental aspects of the bike are iffy at best and downright bad in the eyes of the EPA.  Lastly, although the maintenance is easier on a 2stroke it is needed more often so if you don’t want to be wrenching very often the RD350 may not be the best choice for you.  Blue smoke aside, if you can get over the awful gas mileage there really aren’t that many downsides to owning a Yamaha RD350.

The RD350 was only produced between 1973 and 1975 before finally subsiding to its younger cousin, the cleaner burning RD400.  For a bike that was only produced for three years it has made quite an impact on the motorcycling community.  Calling it a cult bike would most definitely be an understatement as this bike is loved for its’ perfect combination of lightweight, agility, and power output.

As far as price is concerned, this is truly a workingman’s motorcycle with RDs in decent shape commonly going for around $1000.  A pristine example could fetch in the neighborhood of $2500 to $3000 but generally 80% of RD350s go between $1000 and $2000.  Being a 2stoke also means that the bike is relatively easy for everyday folks to work on (since 2strokes don’t have valves to worry about) which is as big of a money saver in motorcycling as any.

In the Knoxville vicinity I was able to find several RD350s for sale ranging from $400 for a non-runner to $2650 for a heavily customized bike with a fairing.  Of all the RDs I saw for sale, my personal favorite was a good running RD350 in Northern Alabama that looked pretty good cosmetically for the bargain of $800.  I would expect that with a simple carburetor cleaning that this particular RD would be about the best fun that $800 could buy.

Something about Yamaha’s 2stroke RD350 is definitely intoxicating.  I’m not sure whether it’s the smell of premix on a morning ride or the feeling of keeping the bike perfectly wound up in the powerband on a spirited ride, but the RD350 definitely delivers a riding experience unique to itself.  At the price point that you can find RD350s at on today’s market, it has the be one of the most fun bikes your canget for your dollar out there.

ADVANTAGES:

2Stroke Powerband

Easy to Work On

Great Handling

DISADVANTAGES:

Low Gas Mileage

Dirty Exhaust Emissions

More Frequent Maintenance

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