Ken "CBO" Rodin and the rest of his Iowa-based Bad Kids crew launch the DVD that they hope will put Midwest stunters on the map
When history looks back at the evolution of the American stunt scene, it might seem that seawater is the key ingredient to success in the stunt world. The big riders, big events, and big advancements almost always happen within a few hundred miles of either coast, while everyone in the middle of the country is keeping it firmly planted on both wheels. This isn't actually the case, of course, especially not in corn country: Almost smack-dab in the center of the nation, 1400 miles from Florida and 1800 miles from California, sits Des Moines, Iowa, where a revolution in stunt riding is forming, and it's led by a heavily tattooed DJ, webmaster and stunt rider extraordinaire Ken "CBO" Rodin.
Twenty-six-year-old Rodin has become the spokesperson for a dying breed of riders who prefer to rock out on basically stock sportbikes. Rodin is hard-core a fan of the old-school stunting and is one of the last holdouts who hasn't installed a hand brake, an oversized rear sprocket or other stunt aids to his stuntbike. "Hand brakes make poor riders great riders in a month," claims Rodin. "It takes some of the skill out of it, and looks strange, too. When you pull up to bike night, the hand brake looks a big gadget that's not supposed to be there." Instead, Rodin's bike looks more like something you would find in the showroom floor. After it's been crashed a lot, of course. No one will ever accuse Rodin of being a glamma stunter.
Rodin has been riding since 1998, when he started on a Kawasaki Ninja 250, and he's been attracted to the underground street scene since day one, inspired by groundbreaking DVDs by the Starboyz and the Stone Brothers' classic 12 O'Clock. Now Rodin, who is well-known himself in the video world from his previous work with DM Extreme (Way of Life) and Stunt USA video releases, is looking to make his mark in a big-time way with his latest DVD offering, Bad Kids. Filmed in conjunction with the Bad Kids crew that includes Des Moines heavies like Big D, Tyler Card, Big T, ZX-Chris and Felix the Cat, the release is filled out with just exactly the raw, dirty street-stunting footage that inspired Rodin back in the day and keeps him motivated even now. In addition to sick stunt action, Bad Kids also features a host of scripted skits, practical jokes and story lines that range from crushing cars with big trucks to ghost-riding a brand-new 2005 Suzuki GSXR-750 off the roof of a 10-story building. Why would anyone willingly destroy a brand-new bike? Rodin wanted do something in this video that was truly shocking and never seen before, and that was what he came up with. If that doesn't qualify as bad behavior, we don't know what does. Not to mention that the Bad Kids has attracted the attention of Sony, which has expressed interest in picking up the title for possible mass-market distribution.
While the final distribution and credits were being completed, the Bad Kids premiere was held at Crush Nightclub in Des Moines, and we stopped in to get some photos and check out the Midwest scene. The party was an all-star blowout that included entertainment by DJ Rex of Boston and Sid Wilson, turntablist for the Grammy-winning metal band Slipknot, who happens to be a close friend and neighbor of Rodin. The two collaborate regularly-Wilson advising Rodin on his passion for DJing and Rodin helping Wilson with his moves on the bike.
In addition to his work on the bike, behind the turntables and at the editing console, Rodin's final claim to fame is one of the largest stunt-related web sites on the Internet: StuntUSA.com. Created by Rodin two years ago as a hater-free forum for stunt riders from around the country, StuntUSA.com sets itself apart from the dozens of other stunt sites out there by also focusing on the off-the-bike stunter lifestyle. "We can all do a wheelie, but what else do you like to do?" is the site's motto. Rodin would like to see the site, over 5000 members strong, continue to grow without losing its underground attitude and appeal.
So forget for a moment about all the East Coast/West Coast business and consider the no-coast scene and check out Rodin and the Bad Kids crew, who are doing what they need to in order make the Midwest a more prominent spot on the national stunt map
Two wheels too many? Not so in Europe, where sportbike-powered quads are on the come-up.Lazareth Quadrazuma Words and Photos: Sabine WelteLudovic Lazareth is one of France's most outrageous custom motorcycle designers, known for outrageous hand-built bikes like his supercharged,Honda Superhawk V-twin-based streetfighter or his radical, hub-steered Yamaha V-Max. Both bikes have previously appeared in this magazine and are full of wild ideas and finished with such skill and fabrication excellence that they look as if they just came from an OEM's design studio. Quadrazuma is Lazareth's latest exercise, and it's a slight departure from his typical two-wheeled stock-in-trade, as he sought with this machine to combine "the freedom of a motorcycle with the stability and cornering prowess of a four-wheeled vehicle." Debuted at the 2006 Paris Tuning show, the Quadrazuma is powered by a 120-hp Yamaha GTS1000 four-cylinder motor housed in a chassis that is made from the GTS mainframe with a tubular superstructure welded around it. The bodywork is made from carbon fiber and fiberglass pieces, and the suspension is an inspired concept that uses two Triumph Speed Triple swingarms (one in the front and one in the rear), with axles welded to either side of the hub to support the 17-inch IMC Indy wheels and Yokohama tires. Lazareth has started limited production of the Quadrazuma and has already sold the first one to the King of Bahrain-if you've got to have one for yourself you can make contact through his web site at www.lazareth.fr.
Sprechen sie WTF? That was the first thing that came to mind when I first eyeballed the oddball GG Quad in the parking lot outside of our L.A. office. Working at Super Streetbike, I certainly get to see a lot of unusual-looking motorcycles, but by far the strangest "bike" I have ever seen (and ridden!) is the GG Quad, a street-legal superquad powered by an 1150cc BMW flat-twin engine that is mounted in a Swiss-designed, 880-pound billet-aluminum chassis and now available in the United States through www.GG-quad-northamerica.com.
Looking like the bastard child of a Star Wars Storm Trooper and one of the faceless children from Pink Floyd's The Wall, the GG Quad certainly attracts attention. It also moves out pretty well, too (compared to most cars, at least), thanks to a decent power-to-weight ratio that allows it to accelerate from 0-60mph in less than five seconds and reach a top speed of 115 mph. The hand and foot controls are straight off of a motorcycle, and yes, the six-speed transmission also has reverse. The 195/40-16 tires up front and 225/37-17 tires in the back wrap around OZ aluminum wheels to keep it on the ground. We are disappointed to report, however, that it won't wheelie-a tall first gear and low center of gravity keep the front wheels from going airborne (at least not on the quiet residential street behind the Primedia office building), though perhaps more time behind the bars would produce different results...
"Riding" the GG Quad is closer to driving a car than riding a bike-in fact, it's a lot like driving a car with the doors and roof removed. In other words, it has all of the inconveniences of a motorcycle and none of the benefits of a car! It costs more than a high-end auto too, with a $49,500 base price. Who, then, would be the ideal buyer for such a big-bucks plaything? We're guessing the same guy who would buy a three-wheeled Campagna T-Rex or a similar vehicle. In fact, the GG-Quad could be the ultimate bike-night ride for the Dub dude afraid to ride a motorcycle but anxious to drop $50K on this quad and $10K on a set of wheels. In a sea of tricked-out two-wheelers, you can bet you'd be the only one rolling on fours.
MMC KamikazeOK, so the Martin Motor Company Kamikaze "Integrated Performance Vehicle" isn't technically a quad-it only has three wheels-but with an 18.5-inch wide Hoosier Pro Street radial rear tire out back, this sucker puts more rubber on the road than most four-wheeled vehicles! And yes, the wheelie bar is standard equipment-with all that traction and a 400-horsepower, turbo-charged and air-to-air intercooled Suzuki Hayabusa motor providing motivation, wheelies are a distinct possibility until the Kamikaze gets up to speed, and then the outboard-mounted fuel cells that double as downforce-producing wings conspire to keep the Yokohama racing tires up front in close contact with the ground. MMC describes its IPV as "part go-kart, part chopper and part dragster, combining the stability of a race car with the acceleration of a superbike." Want in on this? MMC plans to build 100 of these wild rides at a cool $80K each-find out more at www.martinomotorcompany.com.