American motorcycle legend Harley-Davidson announced the release of its latest Sportster model, the “Seventy-Two,” and Bullz-Eye.com was invited to ground zero of Latino motorcycle culture in East LA for the press launch and cultural immersion. The “72,” with its stylistic nod to hi metal flake custom paint and chrome so popular with the Latino low riders of Wittier Blvd., has made this one of Harley’s most splashy and eye-catching Sportster models to date.

Our first stop was the Harley-Davidson dealership in Glendale on the outskirts of downtown LA for a review of the Harley family of motorcycles for 2012 and our first glimpse of the new Seventy-Two model. This strikingly flashy Sportster is sure to get attention at any stoplight but is also within the most reasonably priced group of Harleys with a MSRP starting at $10,499. The “72” boasts a hugely attention-getting hi metal flake red paint job, in Hard Candy Big Red Flake, the Evo 1200 cc V- twin , mini ape handle bars and a peanut gas tank. Forward foot controls and a low 28” seat height give laid back rider comfort, and the high torque output (73 pd-ft) in the low/mid RPMs lends the bike to impressive acceleration on the low end of the spectrum.

Tipping the scales at a modest 545lbs, this bike feels even lighter than it is, with a chopper fork rake, aluminum head and cylinders, skinny white wall wheels and narrow frame. The Sportster family has always been my favorite, with its nimble design and attractive low price, and it was always the most fun to drive. This is a bike either sex can easily operate with ease, the low un-sprung weight and laid back low seat height making it fun to buzz around in on a whim.

Soon after the showroom tour we were given an informative presentation of the Latino and Harley cultural marriage here in East LA. For more than 50 years, Latin American Harley riders have been proudly calling themselves Harlistas, and we were about to go on an enlightening tour of Los Angeles, with all things Latin and Harley mixed in!

Latino culture has profoundly shaped California and LA in particular, and the Latino culture loves the concept of Harley as it symbolizes freedom, individually and a sense of family – the Harley family. We visited several cultural highlights of East LA, including the LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes, the Chicano murals of Boyle Heights, Candelas Guitars and a stop at Cities Restaurant, complete with authentic Mexican premium tequila tasting, courtesy of paQui Tequila! The food and subsequent tequila shots were delicious, and we boarded the tour bus for the afternoon stops.

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The new Hooters pageant is coming up soon, but here’s another great contestant that we photographed from the 2011 Annual Hooters International Swimsuit Pageant last year.

Allison Diehl is a beautiful blonde with an amazing figure, and here we have her in her bikini on a hot day in the South Florida sunshine. Hooters gave us poolside access at the Fontainebleau in Miami Beach where we met and photographed Allison and some of the other contestants. If you’re ever in Miami Beach you have to check out this renovated hotel.

Check back soon for our last sets of photos of Hooters contestants.

As a casino fan from Ohio, I was always content with jetting off to Las Vegas for some 24-hour fun at the tables. But as more and more states started allowing casino gambling, it became frustrating to watch Ohio voters consistently reject proposals that would permit casino gambling in Ohio.

Two things helped change that. First, we had the massive recession in 2008, and Ohioans saw billions of dollars leaving the state to casinos in adjoining states like Pennsylvania. Then, Cavs owner Dan Gilbert got involved. Gilbert knows how to get things done, and with his involvement the pro-casino forces finally got their act together and Ohio voters passed a constitutional amendment in 2009 that permitted the construction of four casinos in Cleveland, Toledo, Columbus and Cincinnati.

Phase 1 of the new Horseshoe Casino in Cleveland opens tonight, and I got a sneak peak last week along with some of the local media. As you can see from the photos I took, the renovation of the historic 81-year old Higbee’s Department Store in the heart of Downtown Cleveland has resulted in a beautiful and unique space that will become a featured attraction in C-Town for years to come. The designers were able to incorporate many of the classic features from the old department store and work them in with the Horseshoe brand, particularly the chandeliers and lighting fixtures. Also, most of the old bronze fixtures like the original Higbee doors were fully restored. The new casino blends a classic and modern feel, with high-tech, big-screen slot machines and gambling tables filling the historic space. It’s elegant but also inviting, and I can’t wait to see it when it’s packed with people with cheers coming from the craps tables.

The casino takes up 4 floors of the old building. The main floor is located at street level and will be the primary floor for gambling activity. This was the featured floor of the old department store with big columns, high ceilings and amazing chandeliers, and it provides the perfect space for loads of table games and slot machines. It also features a small but elegant bar area called Legends at Horseshoe. The next floor up features more table games and slots, along with a much bigger bar area in the heart of the space called Vintage 51 that will likely become a popular nightlife spot. This 2nd floor area also features a food court area with three local eateries, including Iron Chef Micheal Symon’s B Spot (burgers), and a high limit gambling area. The ceilings are lower on this floor so it has the cozy feel of an old-school Vegas casino.

Vintage 51 at Cleveland Horseshoe Casino

The new casino is owned and operated by Gilbert’s Rock Gaming LLC, and Gilbert struck a deal with Caesars Entertainment’s Horseshoe brand to handle the day-today gaming operations. With that comes the Total Rewards players club featured at all Caesars properties, so players can rack up points in Cleveland and use them in Vegas or other Caesars location around the world or vice versa. Players can sign up online or at the casino for free. Benefits at Horseshoe Cleveland include 24-hour free self-parking for Total Rewards players who play for 30 minutes and earn at least 15 Tier Credits. Unfortunately, Ohio law prohibits complimentary drinks, but Total Rewards members can earn discounts, and the new, high tech slot machines let you place your order right on the machine as opposed to waiting for a waitress.

I like the way the tables are laid out on the two main floors, and was encouraged to see traditional Blackjack tables. One disturbing trend in Vegas has casinos pushing one-deck Blackjack games that only pay 6-5 on Blackjack, which seriously affected the odds in the casino’s favor. It’s a game for suckers, but all the tables at the Horseshoe Cleveland seemed to have standard shoes and traditional 3-2 payouts on Blackjack.

The top floor of the new casino features a 30-table World Series of Poker Room that is beautifully laid out. I can see spending a lot of time there in marathon poker tournaments, and poker should draw plenty of players to the casino. This top floor also features a stunning VIP players lounge for Diamond Club and Seven Stars Total Rewards members that you can see in photo #7 in the slideshow above. It’s beautifully laid out and it will be interesting to see if they ever permit others to come in with a cover charge, as it has the potential to be destination spot for big spenders.

Poker Room at Cleveland Horseshoe Casino

The new casino is accessible from multiple entrances, including several from the adjoining Tower City complex, a massive mall created from a previous renovation project of the Tower City subway station. The bottom floor of the casino can be accessed directly from the Tower City mall and features 400-seat buffet but no gaming. Additional entrances are available from the main floor of the mall.

The casino will likely breathe new life into this beautiful urban mall along with the rest of the downtown area. The Horseshoe Casino has numerous alliances with restaurants and hotels throughout the downtown area that will benefit players and also spur more economic activity. The Cleveland casino wasn’t developed to be an entirely self-contained entertainment complex like others around the country that you find off of a freeway. Instead, players will be able to easily venture outside and enjoy everything Cleveland has to offer, including nearby Cavs and Indians games. You can follow the casino on Facebook and Twitter for updates and specials.

Cleveland is buzzing over the new casino, and I expect it to attract many players from the Cleveland metro area along with becoming a destination spot for the region. It should also breathe more energy into the Cleveland nightlife scene. I can’t wait for my first roll of the dice!

Hewlett-Packard (HP) presented a special sneak preview of a number of upcoming products on the evening of April 18 at Studio 450, near Penn Station in Manhattan. Most of these products are officially premiering now or in June, but HP provided an elegant showcase to whet the appetites of consumers and professionals alike, with a variety of simulated environments ranging from a college dorm room to an elaborate in-flight setting. At this particular event, even the food was high-tech, with Nova Catering & Events providing a variety of delicious offerings, including a caprese salad hors d’oeuvre speared on a small capsule of vinaigrette which is then injected directly into the mouth.

The new products on display were every bit as impressive as the catering and, of course, the demo environments in which they were presented. One of the more popular environments was the “cafe” setting, wherein a variety of stylish new HP ENVY laptops were displayed, including the Sleekbook and its slightly larger counterpart, the Ultrabook. Both are made of natural materials and designed to be thin and lightweight, without sacrificing connectivity, usability or high quality picture and audio. In fact, despite being as thin as 19.8 mm and weighing less than four pounds, these laptops are equipped with Beats Audio and feature subwoofers for top sound quality. The HP ENVY Spectre, also displayed in the cafe setting, is even thinner and lighter at only 14.5 mm and 3.07 pounds; made entirely of aluminum, it is the younger cousin to the all-glass Spectra, launched in January.

The very impressive “frequent flyer airline cabin” setting also showcased a number of new HP laptops, including the EliteBook 8470p/8570p (expected to be available June 4), as well as a new mobile printer, the HP Officejet 150 Mobile All-in-One. Purported to be the world’s first inkjet mobile all-in-one, this handy device weighs in at only 6.8 pounds and features built-in Bluetooth and a 2.36 inch color touchscreen to manage print, scan and copy tasks. Coupled with the EliteBook or one of HP’s other new laptops, this device gives the user an entire portable office weighing only 10 pounds, and the copy quality is surprisingly sharp, with very little degradation from the original.

Perhaps not surprisingly, the least popular demo environment was the standard office setting, despite an elaborate set-up that included a large San Jose Sharks banner (presumably the HP staff didn’t’ have time to switch it out for New York Rangers memorabilia). The home office “where I work” simulations fared better, and perhaps the most impressive product that I saw all evening was the HP Z1, an all-in-one workstation with an eye-catching display that snaps open and shut using a hydraulic system, and that allows the user to swap out parts and make upgrades without the use of any tools. As spokesman Jim Christensen said of his own fast learning curve with the workstation, “If even a marketing guy can figure it out, it must be user-friendly.”

Florida’s largest music, art and waterfront festival, SunFest, kicked off last night in West Palm Beach and Bullz-Eye.com will be there this weekend to cover the festivities. Counting Crows kicked things off last night and an impressive lineup of acts will follow throughout the weekend.

Highlights include Snoop Dogg, who will perform on the Bank of America Stage tonight. Other notable acts include Creed, Pitbull, The Fray, Wiz Khalifa, Passion Pit, Paul Rodgers, Third Eye Blind, Girl Talk, Foreigner, Joan Jett & The Blackhearts, The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Michael Franti & Spearhead, Herbie Hancock, Matisyahu, Coheed & Cambria, All American Rejects, NEEDTOBREATHE, SOJA, The Marshall Tucker Band, The Outlaws and Fab Four. Check out the website for show times and more information and enjoy the music!

The South has played a large part in forging the identity of the United States. Its influences include BBQ, country music, NASCAR, and taking life a little bit slower than those in the north. It is the region of good times and good old boys. And if there’s one segment of motorcycles that defines the entire U.S. industry, it’s the heavy cruiser. Nowhere else do these big, bellowing beasts sell in such large numbers.

They’re so important, in fact, that 50% of all motorcycles sold in the U.S. are cruisers. And with all that money on the table, the segment is crucial for many brands to be successful in the United States. Yamaha knows this too. Since 2004, Yamaha’s Star brand has had a double-barreled focus on selling more metric cruisers. So here we are, deep in the heart of Dixie to test Star’s newest motorcycles, because if you find success here, you can make it anywhere in the U.S.

Origin of Star

Yamaha is not new to selling cruisers, and neither are their Japanese competitors. Termed “Metric Cruisers,” these Japanese bikes have been available for some time, but like the metric system as a whole, adoption has been spotty at best. Reason being, many of the metric cruisers didn’t have the qualities customers wanted. They may have been more reliable, but they looked flimsy, had plastic instead of metal in most places, and didn’t offer the attitude that cruiser customers wanted. Star’s goal is to create bikes that change those perceptions.

Since 1978, Yamaha has sold cruisers. However, customer research showed that this dissuaded many potential customers since they didn’t want to be associated with Yamaha’s supersport products like the R1. They were into style, not speed. So for their more basic tastes and needs, Yamaha branched out their cruisers under the Star banner in 2004. Star has its own team inside Yamaha devoted to giving their customers the experience they want: high style, large customization and a reasonable amount of refinement.

With this focus, Star has a full lineup of cruisers to fit a bike for every person and every need. From the starter bike V Star 250, all the way up to full baggers like the Stratoliner Deluxe, Star has a full portfolio that drives home their brand values. Star had all their products available to ride in Atlanta, but one stuck out in particular to show what they are trying to accomplish.

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I’ve had some memorable times in Las Vegas over the years, as Sin City has always been about creating over-the-top experiences with all the gambling and wild nightlife. But on this last trip I tried something new and exhilarating that I’ll remember for years!

I was invited to check out the all-new Machine Guns Vegas (MGV), a unique attraction that will soon be on most to-do lists for guys visiting Vegas. MGV combines a VIP ultra lounge setting with the ultimate firearms experience. The selection of guns you can shoot will blow your mind, so it’s perfect for gun enthusiasts along with first-timers who want to feel the thrill of firing these powerful weapons.

I’m the latter. I’d never shot a gun before even though I’d always wanted to try it. Now I’d get my chance, but it wouldn’t be with a simple handgun. I was going to shoot three badass, fully-automatic machine guns, and I couldn’t wait to try it.

As soon as you arrive at MGV you enter into a spacious and comfortable lounge area where you can relax and get ready. The staff is very professional and you can pick all sorts of packages for your experience. Guests are matched with a shooting host who uses interactive multimedia displays on an iPad to showcase each of the shooting experiences offered. Long lines are not an issue here as you can relax in the lounge while you pick your experience and wait your turn. My experience would consist of three machine guns – the M4 5.56 (US), the MK-47 (Russian) and the HK MP5 9MM (German).

After talking to my instructor, we decided to go with the biggest gun first, the M4 5.56 carbine fully automatic machine gun. The M4 is a shorter and lighter variant of the M16A2 assault rifle, sharing 80% of the parts, but it’s still a beast. It’s used by the U.S. military and is slated to replace the M16 for many combat units in the army. The instructor explained the proper way to shoot the gun. The stance is critical, as you don’t want this thing to knock you back when you fire. Balance and leverage is important as you keep your right foot back and prepare yourself to lean forward as you press the trigger. The instructor then sent out the target and I was ready to go.

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I’ve been going to Las Vegas for over 25 years, so I’ve stayed in every type of casino Sin City has to offer, from the high end resorts to the $25 per night temporary motel rooms behind the old Stardust when they were renovating it years ago. No matter where you’re staying, Vegas has so much to offer that you’ll always have a blast. But my recent weekend in Vegas staying at the amazing Aria Resort & Casino was a very pleasant reminder that a first class weekend in a luxurious hotel makes all the debauchery Vegas has to offer that much more enjoyable. It’s also so much easier to nurse a hangover in a comfortable bed in a beautiful room where you can shut the curtains and get total darkness with the press of a button from your bed!

Bullz-Eye was invited by Aria to cover the Michael Jordan Celebrity Invitational that was being held at Shadow Creek. Naturally I jumped at the opportunity to cover MJ and his celebrity pals while experiencing a weekend at Aria with everything it had to offer. I was lucky to have a fun and beautiful companion with me so everything was teed up for a great weekend.

The first thing I noticed about Aria was the amazing architecture and design. Everything about this place has been meticulously designed with a modern and original look. Of course Vegas has always featured upscale resorts and hotels, but they always had that gaudy Vegas feel. Instead of going with a themed hotel, the style of Aria is much more like a trendy, luxury hotel. The amount and different types of glass used at Aria is just stunning. The Jean Philippe Pâtisserie is just one of many things that stand out, with the artistically packages chocolates and gourmet pastries in an ultra modern corner of the casino. If you’re with a date the visual stimulation alone will set the mood for a memorable trip.

Like many of the large resorts in Vegas, Aria has practically everything you could need from an entertainment point of view. The pool is amazing and the attached shopping mall offers the best shopping in Vegas. The spa also offers a perfect getaway for couples, with the “Ganbanyoku” heated-stone bed and “Shio” salt room, outdoor therapy pool, Las Vegas’ only co-ed balcony with a stunning view of our beautiful pools. Your wife or girlfriend will love it!

The casino is also laid out nicely and I like the vibe on the casino floor. The beautiful venue definitely attracts the beautiful crowd! Having a nightclub like Haze at Aria also helps as gorgeous women in tight skirts and heels invade the casino around the midnight hour. Of course we also ventured out and indulged in the debauchery that Sin City has to offer, from a strip club to a cheesy after-hours lounge for late night food and more alcohol. But we always came back to this fantastic casino and resort where we could party some more or relax in the luxury rooms.

With all the amenities at the Aria, the restaurants stood out as some of the most impressive spots. We had the opportunity to try out many of them throughout the weekend as we indulged in a wide variety of incredible dishes. We started out the first night at Sirio Ristorante for some Tuscan-style Italian food created by chef Sirio Maccioni. We were tempted to go with one of the incredible veal or beef dishes on the menu, but we knew we had a big weekend ahead and we didn’t want to start off with serious food coma. So we ordered some delicious appetizers of jumbo prawns and seasonal oysters along with seafood entrees, including a pan-fried breaded Maine lobster that was incredible. If you’re a wine lover you’ll appreciate the selection of Italian vintages.

Sirio gave us the perfect start to the weekend and we were ready for our first night of heavy drinking. By lunch the next day we were ready for our first recovery meal, and lunch at Lemongrass was the perfect remedy. This modern Thai restaurant was incredibly comfortable and offered a variety of dishes. After some great appetizers including delicious pot stickers, we stuck with our seafood strategy and order several lobster dishes, including a special prepared by the chef. I can never get enough lobster so I was more than happy with this light lunch, and the specialty cocktails helped get us back in fighting form.

On Saturday night, after shooting machine guns (more on that in a later post) and getting a much-needed nap, we had dinner at American Fish by Micheal Mina as we geared up for Viva ELVIS and another night on the town. Our seafood diet was treating us well, and now wasn’t the time to change things given the name of the restaurant. We started out with succulent Tuna Tartare and I went with the Daily Shellfish entrée. Throw in some fun sides like Truffled Mac & Cheese and specialty cocktails and the entire meal was perfect.

We were full and buzzed and ready for our Elvis experience. Cirque du Soleil has had a string of hits in Vegas, and Viva ELVIS is their latest show. If you’re into Elvis’s music then I highly recommend it, as they covered his entire career from his early years, to his military service, to the movie years to the later years with the jumpsuits and the lamb chop sideburns. The show was visually impressive as we’ve come to expect from Cirque du Soleil with incredible acrobatics, and it’s in its final season so Elvis fans should be planning their trip! After the show we stopped for a cocktail and 80s music at The GOLD Lounge as we geared up for another late night. The lounge features a concept and décor that pays homage to the celebrated life of Elvis Presley. You can’t miss it with all the gold monkey imagery (Elvis was a fan) and it’s just another of the visually stunning venues in the Aria.

By our last night in Vegas we were completely spent, but we rallied to make it to dinner at Sage, which was one of our favorite places from the weekend. I knew I was probably going to pass out soon after dinner, so I went with the Snake River Farms New York Strip as switched from seafood. We also ordered the Wagyu Beef Tartare as one of our appetizers, which may have been my favorite dish of the trip! You’ll love the New American menu of Chef Shawn McClain’s first Las Vegas restaurant, which spotlights seasonal ingredients from neighboring California, just-picked produce, artisanal meats and sustainable seafood. The décor in Sage is also stunning and it’s located near the entrance of the resort.

You should check out the Aria whether you want a high-end place to party with your friends or a weekend that your wife or girlfriend will never forget. Located in the heart of the Strip, everything you could want is either in the resort or close by. You’ll definitely be able to party in style!

Car enthusiasm boils down to the enjoyment of the drive. All you need is a car you enjoy, a twisty road and some exciting scenery. But the scenery aspect always seems to be left out – the natural backdrop that turns an average drive into a memory. A drive through California will remind you just how important nature is to enjoying a car, and how to make cars not adversely affect the world we live in. No, this article will not be an environmental screed if you were wondering, but it will highlight how VW and other car manufacturers are keeping the joys of motoring while taking into account the preservation of the planet.

The GTI and Golf R are pretty good examples of how far automakers have pushed the envelope, balancing performance with green friendliness. Don’t be mistaken, neither of these cars are hybrids. The GTI and Golf R both share turbocharged 4 cylinder engines, but the R dials up the power and is equipped with 4Motion AWD. But it was the GTI that I took the keys to start the day.

It was the early morning and everyone was scrambling to get into the car of their choice. Volkswagen had their full lineup here in San Francisco; so many journalists were trying to get into the newly revised CCs, Beetle TDIs and Golf Rs. So why did I pick the GTI? It may be three years old in its current state, but there’s something inherently right about a GTI on the roads of California.

Make note that I did not say the best driver’s car though. With 200hp, and a little bit too much weight, the GTI is not a go-to canyon carver, but it is perfect for those that want to enjoy the ride instead of making it go by as quickly as possible. The GTI is composed and refined where many competitors are always antsy to go faster and harder. It may not be the fastest car when compared to the likes of the WRX of MazdaSpeed3, but it offers a balance of speed and refinement that the others lack. Also, the GTI is exemplary of how far the environmental and performance goalposts have moved since the dawn of the catalytic converter.

Pulling off onto the shoulder to grab a picture of the scenery reminds you of just how large of an impact the quest for clean engines has had on the environment. My view of the rolling hills and vistas of San Francisco is clear and crisp – a nice break before taking off again. However, if this same picture was taken during the 1960s, the view I stopped at may have been covered by smog. Blankets of carbon dioxide used to coat California before the catalytic converter. Since its introduction, the clouds have lifted and the view is only halted by how far you can see, or the traditional San Francisco fog.

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We’ll use any excuse to hit Las Vegas, but covering the Michael Jordan Celebrity Invitational (MJCI) definitely qualifies as a trip we’re excited about. This 11th annual charity golf tournament will feature stars like NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers along with Ken Griffey, Jr., Wayne Gretzky, Roger Clemens, Brian Baumgartner, Brett Hull, Maury Povich and Chris Chelios. I’ll be reporting through the weekend here on the blog and you can also follow us on Twitter for photos and updates. I’ll also be staying at the incredible Aria Resort & Casino so this is shaping up to be a great weekend!

It’s also for a number of great causes, as this is a charity golf tournament. Proceeds from the charitable tournament will benefit the Make-A-Wish Foundation, UC San Diego Nevada Cancer Institute, James R. Jordan Foundation, Opportunity Village and Cats Care, the NBA’s Charlotte Bobcats’ charity arm. Since its inception in 2001, MJCI has raised more than $6 million for charity.

The tournament is being held at the incredible Shadow Creek golf course, which is opening to the public for only the second time with this tournament. I’m looking forward to getting some great photos.

Tickets may be purchased at any MGM Resorts International box office outlet or online through the links above:

Daily General Admission Pass $30/Thursday-Sunday
Weekly General Admission Pass $100/Thursday-Sunday
Daily VIP Pass $150/Thursday-Sunday
Weekly VIP Pass $500/Thursday-Sunday

VIP spectators will enjoy access to an unparalleled view of the course from the M life VIP tent, an openair venue featuring a “VIP Party Deck” overlooking the par-5, 18th hole, catering and a full-service bar. Discounted tickets are available for military service members with valid identification, and Senior Citizens 65 years of age or older with valid ID; both groups will receive 25 percent off a daily or weekly general admission ticket. Additionally, the tournament has created a special “Bring the Kids for Free” general admission ticket offer, which provides access to Shadow Creek for youth 16 years of age and younger when accompanied by a general admission ticketed adult (up to two children per paid adult).

With the golf tournament with MJ and then the Final Four semi-finals on Saturday night, this should shape us as quite a weekend. I also get to enjoy all the amenities at the Aria and will also see the Cirque du Soleil Viva ELVIS show which should be incredible. I saw the Love show featuring music from The Beatles last year so I’m definitely looking forward to this Elvis show!