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SLOW A KIDS & COBRAS MAGAZINE

RIDE FAST DRINK SLOW COFFEE & GOODS FOR BACKROAD PEOPLE.

A DYING BREED

ISSUE 012

Bartel Moto

Wrenching Riding & Dreaming With

KIDSandCOBRAS.com @kidsandcobras

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SLOW

012

Mag

Collecting Stories about People who love motorcycles & Coffee.

Slow Mag is our unique way of inviting you to slow down and enjoy that brew. With a heavy emphasis on photography, each issue captures the sexuality, danger, rebellion, freedom, and adventure that motorcycles bring to our lives. So pause. Sip some coffee. And enjoy.

Photographers: Sean Benesh Sam Wake Thomas Neal Brennan Bartel COntributors: @gofastdontdie @louskid_ @dentistpdx_ @thomasneal @bartel_moto @layzee_bones @larryscornerbar @legionmotoco @samwake_

A few words from us to you

I recently watched the new Mary Poppins movie with my daughters when I was captured by a quote from the oldest character in the playwright. Towards the movie’s end, 91-year-old Dick van Dycke climbs up on a desk and does a dance number while singing. It’s pretty impressive to see a 91-year-old do a jig, But what really captured my attention was a line from the song he sang. “So when they tell you that you’re finished, and your chance to dance is done. That’s the time to stand, to strike up the band, and tell them that you’ve just begun.” Sitting there on the couch with my daughter, I found my eyes all glossy, holding back tears. These words resonated with me deeply because I know what it feels like to experience the death of a dream and the identity crisis that flows from the loss. In that random rubble of defeat, Kids & Cobras was born. I wanted to share this with you because you are currently holding issue 12 of the slow mag in your hands. This magazine started as a way for us to share our brand, but we have discovered it to be the best tool for beating the drum for the culture we want to create and the community we want to form. At our heart, we want to come alongside people like you who are imagineering a life you deeply desire to live. In particular, we have a big heart, for all you backroad people searching for the deeper meaning that exists just outside society’s parameters on how we should and shouldn’t live. 3 years ago, I knew nothing about magazines. I did not own a motorcycle. I did not know how to make an espresso shot. Pour overs seemed like a waste of time. & I had zero clues on how to roast coffee. But, here we are doing all those things people said we couldn’t do. With that said, we wanted to say thank you! Thanks for being a part of this family. As we round the corner of 12 issues, stay tuned for what the future of the Slow Mag holds! Full of Heart,

Sam Wake

5 THINGS YOU CAN DO TO UP YOUR COFFEE GAME

24 DENTIST PDX POSTER FOR YOU TO SLAP ON YOUR WALL

Editor letter Enjoy the brew DENTIST POSTER

A FEW WORDS FROM US HERE AT KIDS & COBRAS

“A FEW WORDS FROM VIKTOR”

46 CHECK OUT THE GFDD COFFEE COLLAB!

A DYING BREED KAPERNICUS GFDD Collab

WRENCHING RIDING & DREAMING WITH BRENNAN BARTEL

Let’s get it on you! LOUSKID.COM 765 .246.1600 @LOUSKID_

Enjoy th #1 5 EASY THINGS YOU CAN DO TO UP YOUR COFFEE GAME

BUY FRESH COFFEE

One of the first steps you can take to up your coffee game is to make sure you are buying fresh coffee from a specialty roastery. Coffee tastes dramatically better when it is fresh. Though this may sound like a no-brainer, most people have never drank coffee that was roasted within the week of purchasing it. Here are a couple reasons why freshly roasted coffee can dramatically impact your coffee experience. 1.

2. 3.

Recently roasted coffee beans have not lost all their natural aromatic oils. The cells are strong, and therefore the flavor is rich. After about three weeks, you can begin to taste the age of the coffee because the structure begins to break down, causing the coffee to lose its bold taste. Fresh coffee can surprise you with how robust and flavorful the taste can be. It can have the enjoyable sweetness of blueberries, honey, nuts, and chocolate. Coffee purchased from a smaller specialty roaster (like Kids & Cobras) care deeply about the process of how coffee is sourced, roasted, and distributed. A smaller roastery has more time for craftsmanship. And like with anything else, this always yields a richer experience.

he brew

Give you reality

ur coffee prime on the counter This may seem silly, but it is entirely true. Humans are creatures of habit, and we are constantly doing things based on the environments we find ourselves in. For example, if you have a bag of chips open in your room, your brain will likely detect that those chips are there and then desire to eat them. It won’t take long for your hand to reach in and grab one to devour. However, If the bag of chips were stored away in the pantry, you would be less likely to have one. It’s the idea of “out of sight

out of mind.” The same goes for just about everything. We do things because they are visible and accessible in our relaxed environment. If you have a record player but don’t use it very much, but you wish you did, try putting the record player in a different, more accessible location. You will likely use it more often. The same goes for coffee. If you place your freshly roasted coffee beans and your coffee maker in an area of the kitchen that garners more attention, it is likely you will use it more often.

GRIND YOUR COFFEE BEFORE BREWING This sounds like a lot of work, and if you are not used to slowing down to make your coffee, this tip alone could change your whole experience. Once you grind your coffee and open the bag, the coffee only has about 30minutes of freshness. As crazy as that sounds, it’s true. When you grind the coffee, you are speeding up the cellular breakdown, and the oily aromatics are escaping at a faster rate. The same thing happens to bananas when you break one off the bushel or bread when you leave it sitting out. Coffee is no different. Adding this step will dramatically impact your coffee flavor, and, likely, you will never go back. The best grinders are burr grinders, and you can get them everywhere. Some are better than others, so definitely do your research to get the most out of the cup that you can.

JUST IT

Make y coffee

This is a huge step in an exciting direction. In the world of coffee machines, microwaves, instant coffee, and Keurigs, we rarely slow down to enjoy the process. If you really want to get more out of your coffee expeirence, make the commitment to make your coffee manually by using a manual coffee brewer. Going manual is empowering and can open you up to a whole new world of coffee. Here is a list of different manual options. 1. Pour over cones (Chemex, v60, etc.) 2. French Press 3. The Aeropress

The reality is that coffee machines don’t really do the best job making coffee at home. They often have temperature issues or don’t pour water most effectively. Sometimes they even catch on fire. Ha!

your manually

SLOW DOWN

This one is our favorite because coffee is an invitation to slow down. In the U.S., everything is fast-paced. Our food is fast, our cars are fast, and our attention spans are short. It is really easy to get disconnected from the present moment by moving from one thing to another at lightning speed. We do this with coffee too. We hit the Starbucks drive-through and slurp down our jo before getting to work. But coffee is more than a legal narcotic that wakes us up. It’s a drink that is best enjoyed slowly. It’s made for sipping and conversations. It’s the best companion to your morning Devo or meditation before starting your day. One of the best things about specialty coffee is that it reminds us that we are more than our work and our schedules. So slow down and enjoy the brew so that when you speed back up, you have the right mindset to live that dream life you are dreaming of living.

RIDE FAST DRINK SLOW

ITS NOW TIME FOR A WORD FROM KAPERNICUS Your friendly motorcycle riding, coffee drinking, philosopher!

icus apern kap!

m ll Hi I a can ca you

, but

“Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms—to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.” - VIKTOR FRANKL DURING WWII VIKTOR FRANKL LOST EVERYTHING. Nazi’s invaded Vienna in 1938. Because he was a jew, he was taken captive and drug off to the horror of a concentration camp. They separated him from his wife Tilly, pregnant with their child. Tilly was soon after murdered. He later received word that the Nazis had also murdered his parents. The amount of suffering he experienced is hard to fathom. He never allowed his captors to strip him of his sense of purpose entirely, even amongst all the death, torture, and forced labor that surrounded him. Miraculously Viktor survived the war and later began to tell his story. Eventually, he wrote a famous book titled “Man’s Search For Meaning.” In it, he wrote things like the quote above. In this life, we will undoubtedly face hardships. But no matter what you’re going through, Viktor is proof that even the most treacherous of experiences cannot rob us of the freedom to hold tight to our dignity. Thank’s for reading, - Kap

Bartel A DYING BREED Wrenching Riding & Dreaming With Brennan Bartel

INTERVIEW: BRENNAN BARTEL WORDS & PICTURES: SAM WAKE

l Moto

@BARTEL_MOTO @LAYZEEBONES

Bartel Moto

A DYING BREED Wrenching Riding & Dreaming With

INTERVIEW: BRENNAN BARTEL WORDS & PICTURES: SAM WAKE

I h av e b e e n e x c i t e d a b o u t t h i s article for months, and the time h a s f i n a l ly c o m e ! H e r e w e a r e , yo u a n d I a b o u t to s p e n d so m e t i m e to g e t h e r e n j oy i n g t h e l i f e t h at b e l o n g s t o m y f r i e n d B r e n n a n . W e t i t l e d t h i s i s s u e a Dying Breed because Brennan represents a set of skills and a w ay o f l i f e t h at i s h a r d t o c o m e b y i n t o d a y ’ s t e c h n o l o g i c a l ly a d va n c e d d i s p o s a b l e t e c h c u lt u r e . At 2 9 y e a r s o l d , s o o n t o b e 3 0, h e k n ows h ow to wo r k o n o l d m oto r cyc l e s a n d h a s a m i n d set of “I will figure it out” when building things.

F o r a b o u t 6 m o n t h s , I h av e h a d a f r o n t - r o w s e at t o w at c h i n g B r e n n a n s h ow u p to t h e s h o p d ay i n a n d d ay o u t t o w r e n c h o n b i k e s . I h a v e w at c h e d h i m d i a g nose every kind of problem, from a n a ly z i n g f r u s t r at i n g e l e c t r i c a l g r e m l i n s to r e b u i l d i n g e n t i r e e n gines. We share a love for metric bikes, and where I am more of a h o b by i st a n d o b s e rv e r , h e i s t h e t e c h n i c i a n . H e c a n a c t u a l ly t a k e a b a g o f m o t o r c y c l e pa r t s a n d t u r n i t i n to so m e t h i n g yo u wa n t p eo p l e to s e e yo u r i d i n g. W at c h i n g B r e n n a n w r e n c h i s o n e t h i n g , b u t w h at r e a l ly m a k e s m e a p p r e c i at e h i m d e a r ly i s t h e c o n v e r s at i o n s I h a v e b e e n b l e s s e d t o h a v e w i t h h i m at o u r c o f f e e b a r . W e h av e ta l k e d a b o u t e v e ry t h i n g f r o m p o l i t i c s to t h e proper pressure needed for a g o o d e s p r e s so s h ot ex t r act i o n . To m e , h e i s a dy i n g b r e e d. T h e r e wa s a t i m e w h e n p eo p l e k n e w h ow t h i n gs wo r k e d a n d h ow to f i x t h e m w h e n t h e y d i d n ’ t. T o d ay t h at ’ s r a r e t o f i n d . H o n e s t ly , Brennan reminds me most of my G r a n d p a J i m . F a m i ly l e g e n d h a s i t t h at J i m o n c e b u i lt a n e n t i r e a i r p l a n e t h at h e f l e w f r o m a p i l e o f s c r a p m e t a l . T h at t a l e w i l l h av e t o b e t o l d o n a n o t h e r d ay , t h o u g h . Nonetheless, Brennan reminds m e o f a n e r a m y g e n e r at i o n h a s l o s t t o u c h w i t h , a n d I h o p e t h at he and I can unearth the lost sto ry b e h i n d w r e n c h i n g, r i d i n g, and dreaming in this article.

W h e r e a r e yo u f r o m ? My Name is Brennan Bartel. Born in California, Reborn i n t h e P N W, b e e n g o i n g b ac k and forth ever since. Rec e n t ly m o v e d t o P o r t l a n d i n April of last year. H o w h av e m o t o r c y c l e s i m pa c t e d yo u r l i f e ? For better or worse, moto r cyc l e s c h a n g e d m y l i f e f o r e v e r . At 2 1 , I m o v e d t o Los Angeles with no job and landed myself a gig as a mechanic on a whim. The shop s p e c i a l i z e d i n V i n ta g e H o n d a s . N o t s o o n a f t e r s ta r ting, I traded my un-smoggable 1998 Chevy s10 pickup with 3 plexiglass windows, b a d ta g s , a n d a b l o w n h e a d gasket for a 1983 Honda G L 5 0 0 S i lv e r w i n g . I s l o w ly b u i lt i t u p w i t h w h at e v e r p a r t s w e r e a v a i l a b l e at t h e s h o p. I f l i p p e d t h at b i k e f o r c l o s e to 4 k , a n d t h e s i c kness began! W h e n d i d yo u s ta r t r i d i n g m o t o r cyc l e s ? W h y d i d yo u s ta r t ? I g r e w u p r o u g h , i n t h e o u tskirts of Inland Empire,

Ca l i fo r n i a , i n a s m a l l tow n c a l l e d H e m e t. I d i d n ’ t r e a lly l i v e i n t h e t o w n i t s e l f : w e w e r e i n t h e fo ot h i l l s a r o u n d D i a m o n d Va l l e y L a k e , w h at w a s c o n s i d e r e d D i a m o n d Va ll e y , u n i n c o r p o r at e d H e m e t . N ot h i n g b u t d i rt r oa ds a n d hills for miles. My older b r ot h e r M a so n g ot i n w i t h a g r o u p o f f r i e n d s t h at r o d e dirt bikes. I must’ve been 1 3, so h e wa s 1 4 o r 1 5. F r o m t h os e g u ys, I g ot i n t r o d u c e d to m y g o o d f r i e n d Da l e w h o had a few small dirtbikes in h i s f a m i ly . I h a d a f e w r i d ing experiences before then b u t m o s t ly o n q u a d s . O n c e I g ot o n t wo w h e e l s, I n e v e r went back. Dale and his Dad s p e c i f i c a l ly w e r e a w e a lt h of knowledge on all things m oto r i z e d, so I l e a r n e d m o r e and more through them through the years. W h a t wa s y o u r f i r s t m o t o r cyc l e ? M y f i r st r oa d b i k e wa s a bobbed 1983 Honda Vf750 Magna. I bought it for 700 bucks. I had never ridden a r o a d b i k e at t h at p o i n t , s o I h a d m y b u d dy Da l e c o m e

d ow n w i t h m e to c h ec k i t out and ride it a few miles bac k to h i s h o u s e . H e h a d a 74 C B7 5 0 i n h e r i t e d f r o m h i s D a d , s o i n t h o s e e a r ly d ay s , w e r o d e a l o t t o g e t h e r . T h e M ag n a wa s a V4 6 s p e e d . D e f i n i t e ly , t h e f a s t e s t t h i n g I h a d e v e r r i d d e n at t h at p o i n t. I s t i l l h av e s o m e s h ot t y v i d eo o f m e b r e a k i n g 100mph on it somewhere! T e l l u s a b o u t yo u r b i k e ( s ) ! W h at d o y o u r i d e ? W h a t m a k e s i t u n i q u e to yo u ? ANSWER: I’ve had so many over the years, sport bikes, b o b b e r s, ca f e s, e tc. I wa s i n t r o d u c e d to K awa sa k i K Z1 0 0 0 Police Specials through a d e a r f r i e n d , M at t h e w F i e l d i n g , w h o t r a g i c a l ly p a s s e d a w ay i n 2 0 1 8 o n t h e s a m e b i k e . H e h a d o n e p a r k e d at t h e s h o p I s ta r t e d at a n d i n s t a n t ly f e l l i n l o v e w h e n I m e t h i m . H i s wa s s l i m m e d o u t with no bags but kept the f u l l fa i r i n g a n d h a d s u p e r rough homemade T Bars and a shovelhead rear fender. It r e a l ly b r i d g e d t h e g a p b e tween so many styles, and I j u s t t h o u g h t, “ T h i s d u d e

gets it!” Since my f i r s t o n e , I ’ v e c o llected a number of them, some for pa r t s , s o m e s o l d . The last one act u a l ly l i v e s o v e r s e a s n o w i n J a pa n . T h e y ’ r e i n c r e d i b ly v e r s at i l e . G r e a t i n t h e t w i s ti e s , g r e at o n t h e h i g h w ay w h e n y o u gear them down. I t t u r n s a lot of heads. I keep building them in the same style as M at t t o h o n o r h i s s h o r t- l i v e d l e g a cy. M i s s h i m e v e ry

d ay , b u t i t f e e l s like I’m riding with h i m o n t h e K Z P. Tell us about the moto community in Portland C o m pa r e d t o o t h er pl ace s. When I moved here, I wa s c h u f f e d to f i n d a m oto r cyc l e c o m m u n i t y t h at wa s v e ry m u c h alive and thriving at t h at. T h e r e w a s something here t h at I f e e l L A w a s missing, though: t h at r e a l s e n s e of community

with riders. There wa s n ’ t t h e t y p i ca l “co ol guy” exclus i v i t y p r e va l e n t down south. More “come as you are” here. The first 503 B i k e N i g h t I experienced helped s o l i d i f y t h at . I d i d n ’ t h av e a r u n n i n g b i k e at t h e time, and my now good friend Nick w h o m I h a d o n ly known a week or so, loa n e d m e h i s Sportster for the cause. Real cool t h i n g to d o fo r a g u y y o u b a r e ly

know! I ’ v e o n ly c a u g h t a handful of group rides since moving here. I know the popular route u p h i g h w ay 3 0 t h r o u g h to V e rn o n i a i s g o o d. H av e n ’ t m a d e i t u p t h e r e y e t, b u t d e f i n i t e ly w i l l t h i s summer. Hood is s u p p os e d to b e k i l l e r . D ow n to E s ta c a d a t o 2 1 1 … n o s h o r ta g e o f b e a u tiful roads here. M y fav o r i t e s o fa r has been coming

back from a trip to T r o u t L a k e w i t h the guys from Leg i o n . I to o k t h e WA s i d e o f t h e C o lu m b i a bac k to the 5, sun setting, w e at h e r p e r f e c t. I r e m e m b e r c l e a r ly h av i n g a m o m e n t of perfect bliss lo oking across the river and t h i n k i n g wow, T h i s i s H o m e N ow. I ’ v e f i n a l ly m a d e i t ! S e e S e e o n Sa n dy i s a l w ay s b u s t l i n g o n S u n d ay s ; S a n dy H u t s e e m s l i k e

t h e l o c a l h a u n t. L e g i o n i s a l w ay s a popular meetup s p ot to o. W h e n yo u a r e n o t riding motorcyc l e s , w h at a r e yo u d o i n g ? When I’m not rid i n g m o t o r cyc l e s … so NEVER?! HAH! I’ve been a musician all my life, so I t ry to s p e n d w h at e v e r d o w n t i m e I c a n p l ay i n g g u i ta r a n d w r i ting music, albeit l e s s t h e s e d ay s . I a l w ay s h av e s o m e

1996 Kawasaki KZ1000P Police Special - Commonly known as the KZP. One of the longest running production motorcycles, made from 1982-2005 with little changed in that timeframe. - Dual Over Head Cam (DOHC) 4-Cylinder - 88 Horsepower - 596lbs dry weight Modifications: -

Custom “Broomstick” Riserless T Bars Delkevic 4-1 Exhaust Lossa Engineering Cone Muffler Vance and Hines Baffle + Fiberglass packed Dynatek Ignition Components Yamaha R1 Nissin Master Cylinder 530 RK Chain Conversion, JT Racing Sprockets Progressive Suspension Rear Shocks Shortened Windshield Daymaker 7” Headlight + Daytime running amber fog light conversion EBC Carbon Fiber Clutch MotionPro cables

side project going on. Wrenching on my own project bikes i s a l w ay s a g i v e n . I g e t h i t u p t o m a k e m y i n fa m o u s T B a r s f o r K Z P ’ s e v e r y n o w a n d t h e n . I r e c e n t ly f o u n d a n e w l o v e f o r b u i l d i n g f u r n i t u r e , m o s t ly l i v e e d g e t a b l e s a n d s m a l l p i e c e s , w i t h m e ta l b a s e s t h a t I f a b r i c at e a n d w e l d . I l o v e t o c o o k a n d c o n s t a n t ly t r y o u t n e w r e c i p e s o r m a k e c o n c o c t i o n s . P r i c k ly P e a r T e p a c h é i s m y m o s t r e c e n t c r e a t i o n ( d e a d ly g o o d ) . C o f f e e n e r d t o o ( y o u k n o w t h i s ) , S k a t e b o a r d i n g w h e n I c a n , B u r n s i d e i s a t r e at ! M y z e n z o n e i s a n y g o o d c o n c r e t e pa r k w i t h d e c e n t t r a n s i t i o n o r a k i d n e y bowl. W h e n y o u l o o k b a c k o n t h e c h a p t e r s o f y o u r l i f e , w h at w a s a defining moment for you? 3 e v e n t s i n p a r t i c u l a r , d e f i n i t e ly c u t m y p a t h t o h e r e . A s I m e n t i o n e d b e f o r e , m o v i n g f r o m S e at t l e t o L A . I ’ m n o t s u r e I ’ d b e h e r e ta l k i n g w i t h y o u i f I d i d n ’ t . I p o u r e d E V E R Y T H I N G I h a d i n t o l e a r n i n g t o w o r k o n b i k e s . 8 y e a r s l at e r , i t ’ s s t i l l m y fav o r i t e t h i n g . I c o u l d n ’ t i m a g i n e l i f e w i t h o u t riding. T h e s e c o n d w o u l d h av e t o b e t h e pa s s i n g o f m y f r i e n d M at t . W e w e r e r e a l ly o n t o p o f t h e w o r l d w h e n i t h a p p e n e d . H e h a d j u s t b o u g h t a h o u s e w i t h h e l p f r o m t h e VA ( h e j o i n e d t h e N av y o u t o f h i g h s c h o o l ) , a n d I w a s w o r k i n g o n m o v i n g i n w i t h h i m . I h a d s ta r t e d a b r a n d c a l l e d R i p p e r s W e s t C o l l e c t i v e b e f o r e I m e t h i m . H e w a s r e a l ly g o o d w i t h s o c i a l m e d i a a n d l o v e d w h a t I h a d s ta r t e d , s o I l e t h i m r u n t h e b a n d ’ s I n s ta g r a m . I t w a s s t i l l h u m b l e b e g i n n i n g s , b u t h e h a d s o m u c h pa s s i o n f o r i t. W h e n h e pa s s e d , i t s h o o k m e t o m y c o r e . I h a d e x p e r i e n c e d d e at h b u t n e v e r s o c l o s e . F o r t h e n e x t 9 m o n t h s , I r e a l ly s p u n o u t … d r i n k i n g a l o t , a m o n g s t o t h e r t h i n g s . M y b e h a v i o r w a s r e a l ly d e s t r u c t i v e . I d e c i d e d i t wa s t i m e to g e t r i g h t, f i n d c l o s u r e . M y l e a s e

wa s u p o n m y p l ac e i n A p r i l o f 20 1 9. M y ot h e r g o o d f r i e n d M at t ( i k n o w , c o n f u s i n g , m y t w o b e s t f r i e n d s a t t h e t i m e h a d t h e sa m e n a m e , g o f i g u r e ! ) wa s wo r k i n g o n m ov i n g bac k t o F l o r i d a f o r a b i g j o b o p p o r t u n i t y . W e pa r t e d w ay s , a n d I b u c k l e d d ow n o n S o b r i e t y. M y c h i l d h o o d f r i e n d K eg a n wa s l i v i n g i n T u c s o n , A Z , at t h e t i m e a n d o f f e r e d u p a r o o m i n h i s h o u s e to m e , f r e e o f c h a r g e , w h i l e I to o k t h e t i m e to w o r k o n m y s e l f. T h a n k F U C K f o r h i m ! T h i s b r i n g s m e t o m y t h i r d e v e n t… D u r i n g m y t i m e i n T u c so n , I wa s so b e r , w r e n c h i n g, cyc l i n g, g e t t i n g b a c k i n to p h oto g r a p h y, g e t t i n g f i t… s o u l s e a r c h i n g ! A fav o r i t e b a n d o f m i n e w a s c o m i n g t o t o w n f o r a s h o w . T h a t b a n d w a s B l a c k M o u n ta i n . I s h o w e d u p e a r ly w i t h m y ca m e r a . A f r i e n d h a d g ot m e g u e st l i st e d v i a a g i r l I h a d n e v e r m e t , t h e n e w f e m a l e s i n g e r f o r t h e m . T h at g i r l w a s R ac h e l , t h e n ow lov e o f m y l i f e ! I s h ot a to n o f p h otos o f h e r d u r i n g t h e s e t a n d wa l k e d u p to h e r wo r k i n g m e r c h a f t e r t h e s h o w. I s a i d , “ H e y, m y f r i e n d h i t y o u u p, a n d y o u g u e s t- l i s t e d m e ; I ’ m B r e n n a n , c a n I h av e y o u r e m a i l , I s h o t 2 0 0 p h o t o s o f y o u . ” h a h a h a ! W e h i t i t o f f, a n d a f t e r a f e w m o n t h s o f D M ’s a n d m ov i n g bac k to L A ( AGA I N ) , I a s k e d h e r o n a d at e . I t w a s a T h u r s d a y , a w e e k ly b a r o f t h e m o n t h ride with my friends in the Cretins MC. I picked her up on a K Z P. S h e w i l l t e l l y o u t o t h i s d ay … s h e w a s s c a r e d s h i t l e s s ! I r o d e a l i t t l e fa s t e r t h a n s h e w a s u s e d t o , a n d s h e ’ l l n e v e r l e t m e l i v e t h at d o w n , h a h a . W e h a d a g r e at t i m e , a n d I wa s h o o k e d. S h e wa s n ’ t l i k e a n y o n e I ’ d e v e r m e t. A r t i s t i c , O u t s p o k e n , K i n d H e a r t e d , G e n u i n e . W e s ta r t e d d at i n g , t h i n g s g o t s e r i o u s , a n d t h e n t h e pa n d e m i c h i t. W e h a d b e e n

d at i n g j u s t a f e w m o n t h s before then. I lost my place o f l i v i n g d u e to s o m e s h ott y c i r c u m s ta n c e s a b o u t 4 months in, and she let me m o v e i n w i t h h e r . W e wa n te d o u r o w n p l a c e e v e n t u a l ly w i t h o u t r o o m m at e s a n d w e r e b o t h t i r e d o f t h e r at r a c e of LA. She asked if I’d ever c o n s i d e r m o v i n g to P o r tl a n d. I sa i d, o f c o u r s e , a n d a f e w m o n t h s l at e r , w e m a d e t h e j u m p. I w i l l f o r e v e r b e g r at e f u l t o h av e f o u n d h e r a n d ow e i t to h e r fo r p u s h i n g m e to m y f u l l p ot e n t i a l . I wo u l d n ’ t b e h e r e i f n ot fo r her! Lo n g sto ry s h o rt: I ’ m j u st g e t t i n g s ta r t e d . W h at a r e yo u d r e a m i n g a b o u t ? W h at d o yo u h o p e to b r i n g i n to t h i s wo r l d ? H o n e s t ly , m y s i g h t s a r e s e t o n t h e ta n g i b l e s r i g h t n o w . I j u s t t o o k a n e w f u l l- t i m e job, my first outside of mot o r c y c l e s . I t ’ s f i n a l ly p r o v i d i n g m e w i t h t h e s ta b i l i t y I n e e d to b u y a h o u s e a n d h av e a s h o p o f m y o w n , t o p u r s u e m y PA S S I O N f o r m o to r cyc l e s, n ot a s a m e a n s to a n e n d. Wo r k i n g a s a m o -

to r cyc l e m ec h a n i c so u n ds r a d i f y o u r e i n t o t h at s o r t o f t h i n g , b u t t h e pay i s i n consistent more often than n o t : i t s h a r d t o s tay a h e a d o f b i l l s a n d s av e , n o t t o m e n t i o n ta x i n g o n t h e b o d y . W h e t h e r i t ’s m oto r cyc l e s, m u s i c , a r t, “ m a k i n g ” i n g e n e r a l … I j u s t w a n t t o l e av e t h i s wo r l d f e e l i n g f u l f i l l e d. L i k e I d i d w h at I w a s p u t h e r e t o d o , w h at e v e r t h at i s . F i n d a purpose. I’m a dreamer of many dreams, but life is s h o r t. M ay b e t o o s h o r t t o worry about making a mark o r l e av i n g a l e g a c y . P e r h a p s just finding the balance between significance/insignific a n c e i s t h e k e y. I j u st wa n t to b u i l d, r i d e , l au g h , a n d e n j oy m y t i m e o n t h i s e a rt h . F i l l e a c h d ay w i t h s i m p l e pleasures. Spend time with m y l a dy a n d d o g, ex p lo r e , indulge. Build shit I think is cool!! I w i l l m o s t l i k e ly b e f o r g o t t e n i n t w o g e n e r at i o n s : I ’ m j u st w i s e e n o u g h to k n ow my existence isn’t a prolifi c o n e , a n d I ’ m e n t i r e ly o k a y w i t h t h at .

W e l ov e c r e at i n g s pa c e f o r new riders to find their wa y i n t o the moto c o m m u n i t y. W h at a dv i c e wo u l d yo u give people w h o wa n t t o s ta r t riding but d o n ’ t k n ow where to s ta r t ? S ta r t s m a l l . M y m ot to h a s a l w ay s been “Dirt don’t Hurt” when it comes to l e a r n i n g h ow to r i d e . Find someone

selling the 50cc or 110cc d i r t b i k e t h at t h e i r s o n o r daughter grew out of and b e at t h e h e l l o u t o f i t ( a n d y o u r s e l f ) i n t h e D I R T. A s a seasoned rider, believe me, pav e m e n t i s u n - f u c k i n g - f o r giving! There are enough v a r i a b l e s o n t h e r o a d t h at can make you outside of yo u r ow n r i d i n g a b i l i t y. W i t h a wide-open trail, it’s just you and the machine and no clown on their cell phone e at i n g a s a n d w i c h n o t pay i n g a c e n t o f at t e n t i o n t o d r i v ing. Once you learn the idiosy n c r a s i e s o f r i d i n g a t r a i l without bailing, road riding i s s e c o n d n at u r e : y o u ’ l l a lr e a dy b e c o n f i d e n t i n yo u r riding ability which frees up t h e h e a d s pa c e t o pay at t e n t i o n , a c t a c c o r d i n g ly , a n d m a k e i t t o y o u r d e s t i n at i o n u n s c at h e d . To c l o s e t h i s o u t, S o m e o n e much wiser than I said somet h i n g t h a t r e a l ly s t i c k s with me.

“ I a m h u m b l e e n o u g h to k n ow I a m n ot B E T T E R t h a n a n yo n e e l s e … b u t W I S E e n o u g h to k n o w I ’ m D I F F E R E N T. ” T h a n ks fo r c o m i n g to m y T e d Ta l k ! - Brennan _______________________

Like I Said,

just a little bit of time spent with Brenn a n , a n d y o u w i l l w a l k a w ay with some fresh perspective a n d a g o o d sto ry o r t wo. B r e n n a n , T h a n k s f o r ta k i n g t h e t i m e t o pa r t i c i pat e i n t h i s m a g . I r e a l ly f e e l l i k e w h at y o u s h a r e d i s w h a t t h e S l o w M a g i s a l l a b o u t. Y o u are the real deal. M a d r e s p e c t f o r ya ! O u r unique and humble offering to t h e wo r l d o f m oto m agaz i n e s i s t e l l i n g t h e sto ry o f the people who ride. And you c e r ta i n ly h e l p e d u s d o t h a t . - Sa m Wa k e . . . S i g n i n g o f f !

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