This week rock band Crash Karma blew through town on tour supporting their self-titled debut album. Anyone who is passionate about music knows the band’s history. Another well known fact is that rock stars and motorcycles usually go hand in hand. Billy Idol, Gilby Clark, Motley Crue are just a few bands off the top of our heads that we can associate motorcycles to. Even piano man himself – Bill Joel – appeared on an episode of Orange County Choppers as they built a bike for him.

As we were familiar with the Crash Karma, we had some insight that at least one band member was a rider. We thought we would offer them some Kelowna hospitality and show them our landscape on a two-wheeled tour of the Valley. Guitarist Mike Turner and front man Edwin happened to roll into town a day early and were itching for something to do.

Edwin, a rider for about seven years, has spent some of his spare time reporting on motorcycles out East. Through a friend’s automotive journalism site painkillerz.ca, Edwin has covered Hondas, Harleys, BMW’s etc and is no stranger to custom  motorcycles either.

Edwin said, “I like to ride. It is just being on a bike. The typical phrases, ‘the open road’ the ‘wind in your hair’ – that kind of thing. I also like the feeling of flying a few feet above the ground. That feeling that you get sometimes.”

So we enlisted Jeff Vanderzalm of Kreater Custom Motorcycles to take a rock star for a ride while we documented from a pace vehicle.

Vanderzalm offered up a customized bike based on a Harley-Davidson Nightrain 208 with a stock 96 and some Thundermax pipes. Vanderzalm continued, “It will be an aggressive fun ride but for us riders that like the sun and the heat, we will see how long we last.”

Edwin didn’t mind as he layered up in leathers and headed out to the open road.

By the stroke of darkness, the motorcycle turned into a stage and this time, Crash Karma hosted us with a great show!