Feature Story

SCOOTING THROUGH GREECE
Story and photos by Neale Bayly

Battling west into a gale- force wind under the ink- black sky, an occasional rain burst slashing across my visor, I was seriously wondering what in the world I was doing.
With my friend Amy riding close behind me, I peered harder through the gloom, while checking my mirrors every couple of seconds to make sure she hadn’t blown off the road. A couple of tense hours later, arriving in the small town of Diakofto after dark, with the snarling, boiling Sea of Corinth threatening to break the town’s protective walls, we found a small hotel for the night. It appeared to be hosting a smoking convention, as a dozen Greek men attempted to see if it was possible to sustain human life without oxygen, but we gratefully headed for our warm room. Later, fighting to sleep on the oak plank that posed as a mattress as the storm outside threatened to tear the roof from the walls, I had to smile about our first day of traveling in Greece. It was nothing like what I had envisioned when we had first discussed the trip Stateside.
The first visual that usually springs to mind when one thinks about traveling in Greece is lazy, sparkling blue waters, sun-baked villages tucked along steep cliffsides, and brilliant white rooftops gleaming under cloudless skies. Long summer days filled with swimming, strolling and sunning among the multitude of small islands, where the pace of life has the opportunity to get off the rev limiter and high stress levels melt into the long, lasting sunsets. With good company, a new Piaggio MP3 and Vespa 250GTV to contribute to the laid-back pace predicted for this trip, I had packed my sunscreen and Speedos. Just kidding.

Interview:

ADRIFT IN A SEA OF RED
Interview and photos by Reid Libby

So what is in your garage? Have you got a long list of two-wheeled fantasies that you would give anything to have parked in there waiting at your beck and call?
Well, I certainly do. Sort of. I have, thanks to a pinch of foresight and a whole lot of luck, been able to latch on to at least a few of the machines, both the rare and the mundane, that keep the passion burning within me. May you be so blessed. Not all, unfortunately, in running condition. Never fear, Brian Larrabure’s garage to the rescue.
Garage in this case, however, is a term that utterly fails to convey the importance of what is sheltered within. Nestled in a complex of offices and plan rooms that is the base for Larrabure’s successful construction and framing company, this shrine of speed, this sanctum sanctorum of gearhead fantasies houses an incredible, living collection of sporting street bikes and road racers. The History of Going Fast lives here, at least from the seventies to the present day.
If you are put off by the lack of representation from the Big Four, you’ll have to get over it. No offense is intended, but this story is being told from the European point of view.
Larrabure has been indulging in his passion for racers for quite some time now, getting his start on a pit crew.
“I used to work with my Dad on a pit crew for the late Lance Weil,” Larrabure told Free 2 Wheel. “I liked to watch the Laverda SFCs and the Ducati Super Sports racing each other and that really drew me in. The seventies-era super bikes became my first big passion and that became a logical progression into the eighties and nineties. I started following Ducati and watched them evolve and grow as a company, continually getting their asses saved by one innovation or another.”
Ducati may have been a bit wobbly in times past, but a real connection was made with Larrabure. One can’t help but notice that Italian Red is certainly the primary color of his collection. The warm red glow is also cast down from above, courtesy of a large Ducati dealer sign that was obtained from a folding midwestern dealership. Unfortunately, Larrabure missed the parts and tools, but the sign was a real score.

For more on this story, pick up a current issue of FREE 2 WHEEL at your local dealer, or use the handy order form page found on our web site.

Ask the Sergeant:

What are the rules about parking motorcycles? I saw one parked parallel to the curb (with no wheel touching the curb) the other day. I thought you had to back into a parking place and touch the rear wheel of the bike against the curb. Is this correct and is this the only way to park?
What about fronting in and resting the front wheel of the bike against the curb? What are the rules on private property, like in a business parking lot? And are there any dispensations if the slope of the street makes leaning the bike on the sidestand difficult?

Andrew Hunsaker, Palms

As much as we love riding our motorcycles, there comes a time, usually around lunch, when we must park them and California law covers just how that shall be done on our roads. As with all things vehicle-related in California, location must be considered when answering this question and a distinct difference between public and private parking must be made and understood.
In general, making the distinction is pretty easy to do. If the road is a highway (this also includes city streets and local roads), it is public. Parking lots at government buildings like public schools, city libraries, the post office and the DMV are also public property since they are maintained by public funds. That is the key for determining what constitutes “public” property.
Private property is a little more difficult because it is often broken down into two categories. The first is referred to as “private off-street parking.” This description refers to a parking lot, open to the public, without fee, that can be accessed without a gate or closure. This is the typical parking lot you find at the grocery store, mall and restaurants. By contrast, there is truly private property, which is not available for anyone to use. Truly private property would include your driveway, an apartment complex and its assigned parking spaces, or locked, card-keyed or valet parking areas.
In order for parking laws to be enforced, the property must be subject to the law either by being publicly funded land, or, if it is private property, by having all of its entrances posted with signs stating that it is enforceable under the Vehicle Code. Your private driveway does not need to be posted, but the ability of the police to enforce laws on your driveway is limited and generally consists of only of violations of city or county codes, like disabled vehicles, boats/trailers/RVs, or unpaved surfaces under the vehicles.
Now that we have covered the basics, I can finally answer your questions. California Vehicle Code Section 22502(a) states that a motorcycle must park along the shoulder of the road with one wheel or fender against the curb. The code does not state which end of the bike can be against the curb, so it could be the front wheel or the rear wheel. This allows for grade/slope differences, since some bikes are more susceptible to grade than others. I know our current police bikes do not like a lot of grade and we have had a few embarrassing moments when the bike does not want to stay standing during a traffic stop. Also, once a wheel or fender is touching the curb, you can adjust the angle of the bike relative to the curb. Nothing in the code states that you must be perpendicular, so if you need to adjust it to make the bike stable, please do so.
With regards to private property, the property owner has some discretion about how he wants to establish his parking lot. As long as he has posted the required signs, he can require that you park in designated spaces only. This is a very common restriction in many parking lots and it means that you must park in a parking space no matter what vehicle you are driving. Parking in “end-caps,” parking in front of the store on the sidewalk, or touching a wheel to the curb are all illegal and you can be cited because none of these places are designated spaces.
In my private life, I often travel into downtown Los Angeles, Beverly Hills and the Encino area. All of these areas typically have closed, private parking for a fee. I have found by talking to the guys at the parking booths that most are very motorcycle friendly. True I wind up parking next to the trash bin or in some other unused corner of the facility, but they usually let me in without paying. It’s probably because many of these places are valet parking only, and they don’t want to be responsible for parking the bike themselves. Liability can be your friend sometimes! By no means does this mean you can just drive around a gate. The property owner or agent has the right to tow your vehicle if you do, so make sure you get permission. It’s not worth the risk.
I hope that this answers your question. I know there are other types of parking areas, (just ask anyone who has been to Cannery Row in Monterey, which has a Public, for fee, parking area) but these are the most common types you will encounter and the types that we most often enforce.
Ride safe, keep smiling, and take care of yourselves and each other out there.