Motorcyclists

EL CAJON, Calif. -- Clad in black leather vests, jeans, boots and bandannas, the bikers stood at attention as pallbearers carried the casket of Army Staff Sgt. Sean P. Fisher inside St. Kieran Catholic Church. Fisher, 29, who was killed Aug. 14 in a helicopter crash in Iraq, did not know any of these particular mourners, but that did not matter to any of them. They were at the service to show respect, hoist the American flag and support Fisher's family.

Sy Nazif's new workplace is not your Wilshire Boulevard law firm. The pinstriped suit he wears to court mostly lives on a hanger in an office lacking adornment, unless you consider the helmet, saddlebag and leather jacket stacked on a filing cabinet to be installation art. The Canoga Park firm's seven lawyers prowl their warren of cluttered rooms in jeans and sport shoes, few showing up much before noon to cater to a clientele with few morning persons.

Capitola, Calif., police say that when they warned Steven Harris not to drive because he appeared intoxicated the night of July 3, the 51-year-old motorcyclist ignored the order and sped off on his 1999 Harley-Davidson. With the CHP joining the pursuit, Harris' bike reached 90 mph as he raced along State Route 1 in the Santa Cruz area, says CHP spokeswoman Kim Bonfilio.

A 19-year-old motorcyclist was struck and killed Wednesday by a driver making a left turn onto South Coast Highway, police said. Shirley Lademan, 72, of Laguna Beach was leaving the main gate of Emerald Bay about 11:30 a.m. when she collided with Aron Negron of Garden Grove. Lademan had not been cited, police said. An investigation was continuing.

A range war has broken out between environmentalists and off-road motorcyclists over an illegal 3-mile dirt trail that cuts through prehistoric burial grounds and runs past a cave believed to have been used by Native Americans.

Thousands of motorcyclists rolled into Laughlin on Friday for a biker rally shadowed by a deadly brawl two years ago. Police reported one serious crash in Arizona but few other problems as they braced for a full weekend of two-wheel, see-and-be-seen cruising in the Colorado River town about 100 miles south of Las Vegas. "We're early in the rally yet," said Carrie Conner, police spokeswoman in nearby Bullhead City, Ariz. "The highway is full of bikes."

It will be one of the more unusual White House photo ops. And perhaps one of the loudest. On Sunday, amid a weekend of veterans events, a procession of Harley-Davidsons will make its noisy way up to the White House's South Lawn and the riders -- members of the Rolling Thunder veterans group -- will get an Oval Office tour from the president. "It's kind of a new thing," said Michael "Rattlesnake" Cobb, chairman of Rolling Thunder Inc.

It's obvious the instant a motorcyclist flips his lid and gives another rider the once over: Uncreased leathers straddling a Ducati 996 with center-worn treads? Sport-bike poseur. Clean-shaven mug all geared up on a Harley, rumbling fresh from the showroom floor? Rich Urban Biker (or more sneeringly, RUB). Flip-flops and shorts weaving through traffic at 90 mph on a Yamaha R1? Squid.

Twin 23-year-old brothers were attacked by a motorcyclist Tuesday evening on an offramp from the Foothill toll road in Rancho Santa Margarita, officials said. One brother was shot and is in critical condition, said Jim Amormino of the Orange County Sheriff's Department. The other brother was stabbed and is in serious condition. Both were taken to Mission Hospital Regional Medical Center in Mission Viejo. Authorities did not release the names of the two men. The motorcyclist fled.

The rain and sleet beat a staccato on my motorcycle helmet and penetrated my protective clothing, while the wind drove the icy little daggers deeper into my skin. My hands ached from clinging to a cloth strap that kept me attached to the back seat of a BMW motorcycle. John Valentine, my friend and business partner, was doing the hard work, maneuvering the curves of this Italian alpine road.