CB500X Acropovic Knockoff Upgrade

Trinity has a new pipe!

This morning Trinity and I rode over to my friend Mike’s place. He helped me swap out the old OEM exhaust for a smaller, lighter, and throatier aftermarket slip-on I had ordered. The new exhaust is basically a knockoff of a popular product by Akrapovic. Click Here for a link to the item.

The retailer is out of Kentucky. So the exhaust arrived in just a couple days. Installation was a breeze, except for the fact that the Givi pannier rack I had previously installed made fitting the final bolt into place REALLY tight!  Since I carry a lot of heavy camera gear in the panniers on my way to photo shoots, I was advised to find ways to reduce the weight of Trinity’s *ahem* rear end.  One of the biggest weight savings was replacing the OEM battery with a new lithium ion one last year.  The new carbon fiber exhaust saves at least half as much in weight over the old factory steel can. So the weight is much more balanced now.  Plus the new pipe sounds great. I’m very pleased with the addition!!!

After the install, Mike, Stacy, and I went out for a celebratory brunch at Madra Rua Irish Pub. Then it was off to a beautiful Sunday afternoon ride… 🙂

Horizons Unlimited Virginia

Founded by Susan & Grant Johnson, Horizons Unlimited has been inspiring, informing, and connecting overland travelers since 1997.

Their events are all about overland adventure! Whether you’re a seasoned veteran with wisdom to share or a complete novice that’s hungry for ideas and guidance, it doesn’t matter if you ride a motorcycle, a bicycle, or drive an expedition vehicle…Horizons Unlimited meetings are for everyone who dreams of adventure along the road less traveled.

Each year Horizons Unlimited hosts 20+ events around the globe. I’ve had the pleasure of teaching photography workshops and presentations at the meeting in Virginia, and at the one in North Carolina. It seems adventure travelers are always keen on improving the quality of the images they take while they are riding around the globe on their epic RTW, or “Round the World” trip. This year, instead of presenting, I got to photograph the event in Virginia. The photos were so well received, I’ve already been hired to photograph the event in North Carolina this fall!!!

Here then are some of my images from the Horizons Unlimited VA event. I’ve also included a number of behind-the-scenes snapshots from my phone, depicting my personal experiences at the event, as well as my travels to and from. Enjoy!!!

Portrait Studio on a Motorcycle

“How do you fit all your gear on THAT?!?”  This is a question I get a lot.

Most of my friends know that I’ve been riding motorcycles since I was about 15 years old. Aside from being a joy to ride, there are many practical reasons for using a motorcycle as a means of transportation. Not the least of these is the fact that my current bike, a Honda CB500X, gets 60-70 miles per gallon. That’s THREE TIMES what I get out of my SUV!!!

According to Honda: “Our objective when developing the engine for the CB500 series was to produce a global, kind-to-the-environment parallel twin-cylinder engine that looks ahead to the next generation and, by being both sporty and easy to handle, transcends regions to appeal equally to those in both developed and emerging countries.”  In other words, this bike produces plenty of power, while putting out very low emissions into the environment.

It feels good to know that I’m doing my part to save the planet.  🙂

Aside from being fun, economical and environmentally friendly, motorcycles are more maneuverable in tight traffic. While driving to photo shoots downtown with its narrow streets, it’s not uncommon to have a delivery truck stopped in the middle of the road blocking most of the traffic. Plus parking spaces are hard to find and tight to get into. Such issues are more easily managed when on a small vehicle like my CB500X, which has been affectionately named Trinity.

As an adventure-style motorcycle, Trinity has been accessorized with Givi locking panniers and top boxes made out of aircraft grade aluminum. I use ThinkTank camera bags, with excellent padding, and professional grade material, that slip perfectly into each box. This allows me to carry my valuable equipment securely and safely.

Adjusting my luggage system into any number of configurations according to the job requirements is literally a snap!  The Italian-made boxes clip on or clip off with the turn of a key.  Sometimes I just need a top box with a single camera bag that holds 2 bodies, 4 lenses, and a couple of flashes. Switching to two panniers works better if I need a little more lighting gear. For really complex assignments, I can mount all three boxes.

In this assignment at the Center for Birds of Prey, I was photographing head-shots of the staff using the natural wooded environment of their beautiful facility in Awendaw. For the first day of photography, I took my SUV. For the follow-up date, I took Trinity (see picture below). One pannier carried a Nikon D5, Nikon D500, Nikkor 24-70 f2.8, Nikkor 70-200 VRII, Nikkor 300mm PF, and 2 SB-500 flashes. The other pannier held 2 SB-800 flashes, a MeFoto carbon fiber tripod, a 24″ softbox, 2 sand bags, and various other accessories. A 48″ softbox and 2 9-ft Manfrotto light-stands were strapped to the top plate where the top box would normally be.

I didn’t use all the gear I brought, of course. But I like to be over-repared! I ended up using the Nikon D5, the 70-200, and both SB-5000 flashes. One flash was fired through the 48″ softbox on a light-stand to my right. The other was given a 1/2 CTO gel and placed on a stand behind the subject to my left as a warm rim light or kicker light.

I truly love working with the Center for Birds of Prey! They are a wonderful organization, staffed by people of integrity, who are doing good work for our planet and the beautiful creatures we share it with! I HIGHLY recommend visiting their world class facility just 30 minutes from Charleston. It’s a great place to take a date, bring the family, or enjoy a peaceful outing on your own. Learn something new on the walking tour, be fascinated by the huge variety of species on display, marvel at the aerial acrobatics during the flight demonstration, and enjoy the great outdoors. You won’t regret it!!!