Dog prefers 'rides' on motorbike

He can pull 6 Gs. He's been the centerfold for Cycle News and poses regularly for fan photos. He's a survivor of the grueling Baja 500 and has racked up more than 10,000 hours on a dirt bike.

Sometimes, you can barely see the 70-pound pooch - a blue merle Australian shepherd - through the dust on his goggles and his custom helmet, complete with cam.

"I am his biggest fan," said Mike Schelin, Opee's owner, race partner and a purveyor of used motorcycle parts from a shop next to his mobile home.

Schelin got the dog in 2001 shortly after his divorce. He raises him with other dogs and two horses at a spread he calls Miracle Flats. Known as "The Dogfather" to some in the sport, Schelin always takes a back seat to Opee. 

Text & Images: AP

Image: This photo taken on January 13, 2010 shows Mike Schelin riding a motocross bike with his dog Opee, a 8-years-old blue merle Australian shepherd in Perris, Calif.

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