Easing Into Riding Routine

The weather forecast for yesterday was spot-on. It was 55ºF (13ºC) at oh-dark-30 when I leave my home to drive to the downtown of my hometown where I work. Time to get the Harley out and ride!

But preparation for a safe ride is the key to a pleasurable commute.

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Who May Legally Ride a Police Motorcycle

I read an interesting internet search that landed a visitor to this blog (but on a page unrelated to this question...). The question was, "is it legal to ride a police motorcycle if your not a cop?"

Good question! And the answer is....

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Twice Riding

Woo-hoo!  Sunday (yesterday), I spent the day on my Harley having fun!

The day began early with some motor officer buddies who are practicing for a major competition next week. I watched their practice and judged their riding like I would judge it in the actual event (which I will do next week.) It was great to observe such graceful handling of heavyweight motorcycles. I will post photos of the actual competition when I participate in judging it.

Then later in the morning yesterday, I led a motorcycle ride for my club through the Maryland byways and back roads. It was perfect "leather-weather!" Nine brave souls had the courage to follow me on a ride. (I say "courage" because my reputation for getting lost is legendary.)

We swooped through curves, rode up and down gentle sloping hills, and beheld vistas of the late-summer farm fields, barns, horses, and dairy cattle. It seemed like every turn brought another view of my lovely home state that was better that the one before it. I tell ya, it was stunning.

What did I wear? With mild but coolish temperatures, I chose to wear my retro leather chaps over a pair of lightweight leather jeans. I had the leather jeans tucked into Wesco Motor Patrol boots, which are very comfy. On top, I wore my gray short-sleeve leather shirt (with black accents) and my motocross jacket, which has my club colors on the back. I was perfectly warm, but not too hot.

Did anyone say anything to me about my wearing all leather? Nope, except for one guy who admired the shirt and jacket and asked me where I got them.

I had a great late summer but Fall-feeling day on the Harley with my friends.

Life is short: get out and ride!

Bigger Isn't Necessarily Better

Harley has introduced its new 2012 lineup of motorcycles, and despite the hype wrapped around new motorcycles, I have some concerns.

The new touring class bikes, among a few others, will come standard with 103 cubic inch (1688cc) engines. They promote this engine as having more power and will cruise at lower rpm. What they also don't say but another on-line article says that these engines will be water-cooled (for the first time) which means that they will have a small radiator.

I thought that the larger engine and radiator would mean that the new bikes would be heavier. So I did some sluething, comparing specifications of the 2012 Road King (812 pounds on-the-road weight) with my 2008 RK (775 pounds on-the-road weight). 37 pounds heavier. Hmmm...

Will 37 pounds make that much of a difference? Well... it could.

One of the first things that I noticed on my 2008 Road King when I brought it home was how much harder it was for me to handle -- not while riding, but while trying to park it or even move it around in my garage. Its weight and physical size makes it a bear to move when it is not running. I worry that the newer, bigger engines (and radiator) will make the new bikes beyond my ability to handle.

Frankly, I had no trouble achieving cruising speed on my old Dyna Low Rider, which had an 88 cubic inch (1422cc) engine (and no radiator). That bike was sooooo much easier to handle when it was not running. Its on-the-road weight was 630 pounds -- 145 pounds lighter than my current Harley. (Of course, it was a cruiser, not a touring bike, and that is a huge difference. I know that I am comparing apples and oranges.) However, my partner and I rode two-up on that Low Rider regularly and we rode cross-country three times (with a week's worth of clothing packed aboard!) The bike did fine; a larger engine wasn't needed (in my opinion.)

While I have no intentions of getting a new Harley any time soon -- I'm happy with my 2008 Road King, and want to get the investment out of it that I put into it to make it fit me comfortably -- when it comes time to consider a new bike, I'm not so sure I would get another touring-class Harley.

And who knows, by the time I get around to considering my options about another motorcycle, one of these things will happen: 1) I may consider another type of motorcycle, more suitable for how I will use it (which is pretty much just riding around where I live, not going on long trips), or 2) not get another motorcycle at all. As I age, I find that my riding skills are slowly getting worse, such as slower reaction time and fear of riding in the dark because I can't see as well.

I am not ready to give up riding yet -- but I am open to ideas of downsizing to a bike that I can manage more easily. I had dreams of touring which, unfortunately, cannot be met. I can't ride more than 250 miles/day due to my chronic health condition, and my partner cannot ride as a passenger with me. I miss him so much, I find there are times that I choose not to go for a ride because I want to spend time with him.

uggh... listen-up Harley: not all of us want bigger, heavier, bikes. As we age, those things are harder and harder to handle. And no, I'm not ready for the ultimate "geezer-glide": a trike.

Stay tuned....

Life is short: evaluate your options and know your limits, too.

The Cost of Your Toys

I was joking around with a colleague the other day. He has an iPhone, iPad, iPod, not one but two e-readers, and several more of the latest electronic gadgets. He was moaning about the challenges of updating files across all of these gizmos, along with his laptop through "the cloud." I tell 'ya, he lost me with this cloud business.

I told him that I was cheap and wouldn't have any gadget like that (other than a laptop, I admit) because I will not pay exorbitant monthly service fees to companies that are rich enough already.

He then said, "but you have a Harley. Your toy is more expensive than mine!" As I got to thinking about that remark, I realized he was right. Later, I received an email from a fellow Harley owner who was lamenting about the high cost of routine service. He was right, too.

Yeah, we pay for our toys, alright. Initial acquisition costs notwithstanding, the ongoing cost to maintain it (service plans, maintenance, etc.) impose demands on the bank accounts.

I really have no defense, and admit it. I do not have to have a Harley. I don't even have to have a motorcycle. I have a four-wheeled vehicle, though driving it for any distance makes me crazy. I ride a motorcycle because it is fun, convenient, often free to park, fun, free, and joyful. Did I say, "fun"? Yeah, a lot of that. Also gives me a very good reason to wear boots and leather regularly. (But honestly, I would do that anyway.)

Back to the topic of motorcycle maintenance... yeah, it's expensive to keep a motorcycle operating safely and properly, especially if one follows the manufacturer's maintenance schedule. Tires, and even an oil change, can cost hundreds.

Some guys I know do a lot of motorcycle maintenance themselves, and more power to 'em. I have chosen to have my service done by a professional -- mostly because of space requirements (which I don't have). Further, the newer the bike, the more complicated it is, and sometimes doing something simple like changing the battery requires a huge amount of disassembly of other parts before you can even gain access to the battery compartment. It's an awful hassle.

Plus, when I bring my bike to a seasoned professional to have service done, I am assured that he knows what he's doing because he's done it before, lots of times. For me, I might miss a step or forget to check something because I do not do motorcycle maintenance for a living.

By the way, I choose to use an independent mechanic to do my work. Not only are his charges (a little) less expensive, I feel that since he knows me, he is taking care of me when he does maintenance on my Harley, as opposed to just repairing another bike in the long line of bikes to work on during any given day. And he can take me on a day's notice, instead of a week or more advanced scheduling required by the dealer.

Independent shops with skilled mechanics are hard to find, but when you find one, they want to do good work because they want you to come back and to refer friends. That's how I found out about the shop I use now -- referred by a friend. (I have to admit, I was motivated to go somewhere else when I experienced some problems at my dealership's repair shop when a new mechanic screwed up some rather simple repairs and I had to return three times to have those things fixed.)

In summary -- having toys is expensive if they require ongoing support, service contracts, and/or maintenance. It all boils down to choices -- "need" or "want" and for this class of things, you have to admit, it's all "want." No one "needs" an iPhone (or a cell phone for that matter). No one "needs" a Harley. However, if one budgets appropriately and has the financial resources with disposable income to pay the ongoing costs (or better yet, an employer who provides a stipend to offset monthly charges or directly pays monthly costs), then have your toys. (I wish I could find a way to convince my employer to pay for the maintenance of my Harley, but that ain't gonna happen LOL!)

Life is short: enjoy your toys (provided you can afford them!)

Out Riding

Today I finally will break out those biker boots and leathers and go for a ride with a friend.  Each of us wants to get out to enjoy a short ride, each on his own Harley. I haven't ridden much since last fall, and I need some gentle reintroduction and experience, as does my buddy.

When riding for the first "real ride" of the season to blow out the dust in the engine (so to speak) and to regain experience in motorcycle operation, I need to be by myself on my own bike, so I can practice starts, stops, and emergency maneuvers. I have a friend who would enjoy riding with me as a passenger, and I'm looking forward to having him back in the saddle with me -- but not today. I need some time to regain my comfort in motorcycle operation, and the weight of a passenger and concern for his safety would make the day's agenda (regaining my comfort-level) too complex.

I am not sure how far or how long we will be out -- but just getting out has been long overdue for this biker whose cabin fever is just a few degrees shy of the cabin fever that a buddy is experiencing in Vermont. :-)

Pardon the dust, enjoy the rumble, and feel the throttle give thrust to my bike. Finally... April... It.is.about.time!

LC, hit me up and let's plan a ride soon! Can't wait to see you and ride with you again as my passenger.

Life is short: RIDE!

Back Support

Okay, I admit it, I'm not getting any younger. And as bikers age, they need more support when the ride.

Shown above is a new back rest that I installed on my Harley. I got a Harley gift card from my former employer as a going-away gift, so I used it to buy this back rest. It was easy to install once I stopped trying to decipher the pictographic directions.

I am wearing my Retro Chaps that I recently received. It's too hot to wear leather (other than boots) while riding, but I put them on for some photos for my website.

The new back rest feels great. My back definitely feels more supported as I ride.

Now... if I can only find the time to go on a ride!

Life is short: make accommodations!

Dehners' First Ride

For a long time now, Stompers Boots of San Francisco was offering a great price on Dehner Patrol Boots. I figured that the sale would have to come to an end, so I decided to buy a pair of these boots with a 1" wider calf and lug soles on them. Stompers doesn't carry Dehner Boots with lug soles, but can arrange to have the Dehner Company put them on and have the boots shipped to the buyer directly.

I like big lug soles on my boots because they help a lot when I need to maneuver my big, heavy motorcycle in tight spots. For example, yesterday I went to our local post office, and the only parking space available was on a slight downgrade. There was so much traffic around, I couldn't back myself into the spot. I knew when I came out, it would require a lot of strength and traction to move the bike out of the space. These boots performed superbly: like a snow tire, the soles gripped the pavement and helped me to push my bike out of the space. Had my sole slipped -- even a little bit -- it would have been very likely that I would have dropped the bike. That's enough of a reason why I wear lug-soled boots when I ride my Harley.

Now... to the video. Some readers may be "of a certain age" (like me) to remember the TV show "CHiPs" that was aired from 1977 to 1983. The show featured a couple of Dehner-booted bike cops. Every now-and-then, they would have a camera trained on one of the cop's boots from behind, as he was operating his bike -- usually chasing a bad guy.

I have that image in my mind -- of a Dehner Boot on a bike while riding. I have produced similar videos like this before, but this is the first one while I am actually wearing "Dehner" (brand) boots (not something else) on this model of Harley-Davidson motorcycle.

Enjoy the "bootcam" video. Try to figure out where my camera was. I assure you, though, that my hands remained firmly on the grips, and I didn't let go. Also, I didn't have a passenger or someone riding beside me. Okay -- go figure where my camera was. I'll reveal the answer later.

Life is short: get booted and ride!

Women Bikers

I enjoy riding my Harley, and I enjoy riding with other people. It is fun to share experiences and the open road with a group. I particularly enjoy riding with the group with which I ride now, which is composed of men and women who share the same goal: "ride and have fun."

There are a number of women bikers in this group. I see more and more women riders each year. I think that's great! Certainly the "motor company" (Harley-Davidson) has observed that women riders are a large and growing market. They are much more attentive to the needs of women riders nowadays than years gone by where they pretty much made "one-size fits all men" motorcycles.

I share the joy with my friend Sue who lives in Australia. She rode a motorcycle when she lived in the U.S., and when she moved back to her home country, she set a goal to get herself a Harley. She just bought herself a beauty -- a 2010 Dyna Street Bob! I envy her, in a way, being able to ride those lovely roadways Down Under. I shan't forget my experience riding a (rented) Harley along The Great Ocean Road from Melbourne to Adelaide. Wow, that was an experience!

I also share joy with a former next-door neighbor who knew me when I was born. She actually was my sister's childhood best friend. As we've moved around, aged, and such, we sorta lost touch. But my sister found her on Facebook, and a couple years ago when my sister was visiting, the two of them (her old friend and my sister) came over to our house to transfer some old reel-to-reel tapes onto cassette so they could hear themselves as children. Their laughter filled our house, and my heart.

My sister's friend is a biker. Like my friend Sue, she had set her goal to get herself a Harley this year. She enjoyed riding her smaller, Japanese bike, but she wanted to move up to a Harley. She bought a 2008 Fat Boy, and took delivery last week. She has been riding and sharing her joy with me and others. I can't wait to go riding with her as soon as my doc says that I can.

The enthusiasm, the fun, the joy -- all of it -- is wonderful for me to observe, and to participate (when I can.)

Now, we'll have to work with those boot manufacturers to get my women biker friends some decent biker boots. But one step at a time: ride and have fun! Share your joy! Show your enthusiasm! You go, girls! Grrrrrrrrrr!

Two Guys on a Harley

I belong to a Harley-Davidson motorcycle-related discussion forum on the internet. Recently, someone posted this question:

Would any male motorcycle rider make a trip (say a few miles) while allowing a man to ride (seated) behind them on the their bike? Or vice versa?

You can tell from the way the question is worded that it is already prejudged against two guys riding together.

As of the time I was writing this blog post, there were 30 replies. There were three types of responses:

1. "Only in an emergency" such as this: I would ride a guy ONLY if his bike was broken down. I would need an excuse to spout verbally.

2. "Give a ride to share the fun" such as this: I have given those less fortunate to own a Harley or any bike for that matter the thrill of being on one. Takes a few days for them to get the grin off their face...lol. None of them had any issues with their ego and I am comfy with myself.

3. "Incredulity" such as this: back in time it was normal to see two guys on a bike.....man how times have changed. Other related statements included riding with male family members (family doesn't count) or two males riding in Europe -- apparently it's not an issue Across the Pond as some people make of it here in the U.S.

This thread of dialogue is, to me, a demonstration of the ongoing tension felt by straight guys who are insecure with their own sexuality and gender that they feel that they have to demonstrate the hypermasculine male image on a Harley, which means never carrying a male passenger unless the passenger is your son or nephew, or a friend who had an emergency. There were, unfortunately, a number of homophobic responses to that discussion -- and some who even said that they were proud of their homophobia. Pity their small little minds....

In my opinion -- it shouldn't matter if a guy rides as a passenger on a Harley being driven by another guy. My partner and I rode all over the country that way, and never once -- even in the Bible Belt where homophobia is omnipresent -- did anyone say anything. We weren't waving the rainbow flag or strutting around in our chaps (without any other clothes on), but we also weren't hiding the fact that we were very close; staying in the same hotel room; speaking with words like, "our", "us", "we" and so forth. It was pretty clear that we were not related (such as brothers).

I think the on-line Forums tend to bring out the most outspoken, and do not necessarily demonstrate the majority of the thinking in the country, or the world for that matter.

My perception: secure men don't care. If you worry about whether anyone is going to question your sexuality or gender by giving a male passenger a ride on your Harley, then get some professional help to work through your gender identity issues. Secure straight men as well as gay men have it figured out already.

Life is short: stop worrying about what other people think, and be yourself.

This is a photo of me with my best friend. I couldn't find one of me and my partner in digital format that would illustrate the point of this post.

Bike Cop Surprise

After work yesterday, I got on my Harley at the Metro station and began my ride home, as usual. I stopped at the light near the station, signaling a left turn. When it turned green, I carefully executed the turn. Knowing that the next light would be red due to the timing of the traffic signals, I proceeded slowly and stopped at that light. When it turned green, I slowly accelerated and maintained a steady pace until I reached my cross-street, where signaled and turned left. I stopped again at the next light. Then when it changed to green, I slowly accelerated until I reached my street, signaled, and turned right.

It was then that I noticed a bike cop riding behind me. I thought to myself, "what did I do?" which is a natural reaction, even though I know that I was riding well within the speed limit and didn't run a red light.

I stopped, and the cop pulled up next to me. He smiled and said, "I followed you from the Metro as I was headed out this way anyway. I thought I would tell you that I thought you were the most graceful motorcycle rider I have seen in a long time."

WOW!

Who, me? "graceful?" The guy who would trip over his own shadow if it were possible? Who trips himself walking on a flat sidewalk with no obstacles? Who calls himself a quarantasinestrapede when it comes to dancing? Who, as a kid, was always picked on for being such a klutz and uncoordinated?

The cop said that he sees a lot of bikers, and few ride the way I did. He then ticked off each maneuver I made: gentle stops, smooth acceleration, steady pace, sweeping turns well within the intended lane of travel, and using my turn signals where appropriate.

The cop and I had a nice discussion about motorcycle riding. I explained that I had been riding for more than 30 years, have participated in many training courses over the years, and continue to practice my skills from time to time. I like to ride with safe riders in my club, and continue to learn a lot from them as we ride together safely.

This "bike cop surprise" was delightful, and made me feel better after a rather difficult day at work. When my partner arrived at home, I told him what happened. He smiled, hugged me, confirmed his belief that I am a good rider, then asked (because he knows me so well), "what kind of boots was the cop wearing?"

Life is short: ride gracefully!

N.B.: the photos accompanying this post were captured from a video that I put on my YouTube Channel a while back. I was dressed more warmly yesterday (tall boots, chaps, motorcycle jacket, gloves) than I was dressed in that video, which was produced in the heat of summer.

Picking Up a Heavyweight Motorcycle

No matter how careful a rider is, no matter how skilled, no matter if he is a professional or someone like me who rides for freedom and fun -- there may come a time when the rider drops his bike.

In the case shown above, the officer was attempting to ride very slowly through a course, lost control, and dropped his motorcycle. That happens even to the best of them.

What the officer is showing is what we are taught in advanced motorcycle safety training courses. Here is how to lift a heavy motorcycle if it is dropped:

1. Stop the engine and if you can make sure the bike is in gear (so it won't roll once it is righted). If the bike is on it's right side, put the sidestand down before trying to lift it. If the bike has a gas petcock, turn the valve to the "off" position.

2. Back up into the bike with your body. That's right! Don't face the bike to try to lift it -- use the power of your legs to lift it. It is safer for your back and your body to do it this way.

3. Place your butt in the mid-section of the seat (back toward the motorcycle), not too close to the edge. Keep your back straight and your head up.

4. Grab the handlebar grip with the hand closest to it. Pull the handlebars as close to the gas tank as you are able. Find a place to grab with the other hand.

5. Put your feet fairly close together, about 12" (30cm) apart. Press the bike using your legs and rear to lift it up. Your hands will guide it. Take small steps backwards. Once you have the bike sufficiently lifted, reach the hand that is not on the handlebars over and grab the other grip. Straighten the handlebars.

6. Be careful to go slowly enough that you don't push the bike over onto the opposite side.

Before remounting and restarting the motorcycle, check it carefully for damage that may interfere with safe operation. Cosmetic damages like a broken turn signal lens or scratched paint do not interfere with your ability to ride the bike. However, damage to steering alignment, brake pedal, gear shifter, or other parts may require that the bike be towed to a repair shop to be fixed before being ridden again.

That's it! Don't be embarrassed, because it happens to almost all bikers eventually. Using this method, you can lift the bike yourself -- even a bike that weights many times your own weight. The trick is using leverage to your advantage, not mere physical strength.

Life is short: ride safely!

All American Biker

Yep, that's me, in a photo that I set up and used a tripod and self-timer on my camera to take yesterday:

• All American Blue Knight Patrol Boots, made by All American Boot Mfg. of Sun Valley, California.
  


• Full leather LAPD uniform, made by 665 Leather of West Hollywood, California


• Harley-Davidson Road King motorcycle, built in the USA.

I have traveled the world, but love living in the good ol' USA, with all her faults and strengths. I prefer to wear American-made boots and leathers, and ride an American motorcycle. I'm not saying that bikes and boots made elsewhere are bad; these are my preferences.

Life is short: enjoy it where you live!

Ready to Navigate

I blogged not that long ago about the fact that I get lost in a paper bag. That is, my navigation skills while driving are not all that good. I decided not to offer to lead a ride for my club for the specific reason of being afraid that I would lose the group by taking a wrong turn. I had tried to ride the route in advance, but got lost.

My partner is a reader and a thinker. He is also a great listener. For the umpteenth time, he heard me share my concerns about getting lost while leading rides. In his considerate style, he put thoughts to action and bought me a top-of-the-line GPS unit, specifically designed for motorcycle use. He said it was an early birthday present (my b/d is six weeks from now).

That man of mine is so thoughtful. He applies what he hears to action, and makes it happen. While I am apprehensive about distracted driving, I am assured that when used properly, it will aid me in my navigation. It has a voice feature that when connected to an earphone will allow it to "tell" me the turns, so I don't have to stare at the GPS' screen.

I had arranged to drop off my bike for regular service on Monday evening. My partner followed me so he could take me home. That's when he gave me the GPS, right there in the car. He suggested that I have my mechanic install it while the bike was being serviced.

When I picked up the bike, the GPS was installed and working. I punched "home" and tested it ... and it took me on the precise route that I usually drive between the shop and my home. It worked great!

Isn't my man thoughtful? Now, no complaints from me in getting lost. And no complaints about spending a lot of time on what my partner wants done: our home renovations.

Life is short: show those you love that you love them.

Best Friends Ride to Sedona

Today my best friend and brother-in-heart, AZ, and I rode 330 miles round trip from Phoenix to Sedona, Arizona. Man, what a wonderful day! The scenery along the road was spectacular (once we got out of the city and the traffic.) The highway itself was smooth as silk. The skies were clear and riding through the mountainous areas brought new wonders of the landscape along each mile of the highway. I was in a continuous state of awe and amazement.

It was great having AZ right there with me as my passenger on this ride. As we were going further and further and higher and higher in elevation, the temperature dropped somewhat. We rounded a curve and saw snow-capped mountains in front of us. We were riding for such a long time that I shouted back to AZ at least twice, "are you sure we're not riding up to see Clay in Calgary?" AZ would laugh and say, "not yet, we haven't even crossed out of Maricopa County, much less Arizona!"

We met a friend of AZ's who lives in Sedona and had lunch. The conversation was interesting, and we all regretted that we had to leave so soon. But it was another three hour drive to get back and return the Harley to the dealership from which I rented it before it closed.

I will cherish the memories of this day, and riding with my brother-in-heart, AZ. How blessed am I to share his friendship and have the opportunity to spend quality time with him and in sharing my passion of motorcycling with him.

Last Ride of the Season

As my loyal blog followers know, I am an avid motorcyclist. I love riding my Harley. I enjoy riding in groups. It's safer and more fun to ride with others.

Today I led a ride that went in a circular route through some untraveled, rural areas of Central Maryland. I have to be honest, if I weren't responsible for leading the ride, I probably would not have gone on it. Yeah, call me a "wuss" but when it's cold and really windy, then riding isn't quite something I look forward to doing. But I made a promise to lead this ride, and I always fulfill my promises.

It was quite windy and never got any warmer from the chilly 44°F (6.7°C) ambient temperature. Add the wind at our speed, along with some strong gusts, and the wind chill temperature was at least 29°F (-1.7°C) or colder. Brrrrr! I wore my LAPD full leather breeches and my H-D Police Enforcer boots, a long-sleeved t-shirt, long-sleeved leather shirt, and my motocross jacket on top of all that. Warm gloves helped, too -- though on my way home, I had to stop to put on even warmer gloves because my fingers were going numb. I had on a "throat coat" neck warmer, which when tucked inside my full-face helmet, kept me nice and toasty. My body never got cold at all.

The cold and wind didn't deter nine others from joining me on the ride along our beautiful Maryland byways. We rode for a couple of hours, then some of us had lunch after the ride to warm up while others returned home.

When I got home, I found that my partner had mowed the front lawn, and was waiting for me to finish the sides and the back. Okay, no problem. I picked up the remainder of the fallen leaves, too.

After that, I went to the University for an hour to swim. I need to pick up on my exercise since the outdoor gardening and lawn work has also been completed for the season. I have to get my exercise somehow. Swimming works best for me, and in a heated pool, helped thoroughly re-warm my chilled body.

A nice day! But I'm sure that I will sleep soundly tonight!

Odd But Fun

It was a beautiful day today in Maryland and nearby Delaware. I took a motorcycle ride to Bridgeville, Delaware, which was about 110 miles (177km) away, on the other side of the Chesapeake Bay. The morning started out quite chilly, so I wore my tall brown custom Wesco Harness boots, jeans, and my thick biker chaps and, of course, my warm leather jacket over a t-shirt and sweatshirt.

The reason for going to Bridgeville was to watch the World Championship "Punkin Chunkin" contest. At first I thought it was just a silly affair, but I see that lots of people take it very seriously. They spend all year manufacturing what they call "machines," which are large air cannons. And I mean LARGE! Some of the cannons were more than 50' (15m) long! One-at-a-time, a team would load their cannon with a pumpkin, and charge it up to fire the pumpkin across a large field. The winner, which will be announced tomorrow at the conclusion of this three-day event, is the team that fires a pumpkin the greatest distance. Today, one team fired a pumpkin over 4,200 feet! (1,280m)!

By early afternoon, the temperatures reached 75°F (24°C). That is quite unusual weather for this time of year in Maryland. It made for a delightful ride over the Bay Bridge and back, along Maryland's uncrowded highways. A beautiful day, a beautiful ride, great friends, interesting destination. What more could you ask?

Well, today would have been perfect if my partner could have been with me, but alas, his disability prevents him from riding with me. I missed him a lot as my passenger. But when I got home, he and I sat in the forest behind our house to watch the sun drop slowly toward the horizon, and I told him all about it.

Life is short: wear your boots, ride your ride, and enjoy!

Rain on the Chippewas

Yesterday morning, the local weather weasel said that it would cloud up, but remain dry all day, then perhaps rain a little in the evening, if it rained at all.

Considering that it was 50°F (10°C), I put on my red-piped leather chaps, favorite leather jacket, and a pair of warm gloves. I had already put on my Chippewa Hi-Shine engineer boots. Those boots are just comfy and good-looking as heck. I find I am wearing them often when I ride the Harley to Metro and then walk to work in the city.

Long about noon, the weather weasel was proved wrong, wrong, wrong. It began to rain. The wind picked up. The temperature dropped to 42°F (5.5°C). Ugggh... I hate riding in the rain.

When I left work and arrived at the Metro station where I parked my bike, there was a steady, but gentle, rain falling. It was windy and cold. I wore my Harley jacket to work, so I had it on and it was warm (enough).

I walked to where I keep my Harley locked up, shook off as much rain as I could from the cover, and put it in a saddlebag. I got my chaps out of the TourPak, and put them on, along with the gloves. Thank goodness I had the forethought to have my full-face Shoei helmet, which provides better protection in wind, rain, and cold. I put it on and adjusted it.

I brought the bike to life and slowly walked it backwards to the exit drive. I also thanked myself for having lug soles put on those Chippewa boots. They were providing excellent traction.

Using only the rear brakes when it was necessary to slow down, I rode slowly home. Made it safely. Not a problem. I just don't like to ride in the rain, cold, and wind. But those are the risks you take when you are cheap (I don't have to pay for parking the motorcycle), when you like to ride as much as you can, when you have the gear that provides proper protection, and when you have had training in how to handle a big, heavy, motorcycle in the rain. I reduced the risk as much as possible. That's what the gear and the training is all about.

Keep riding as long as you can -- but don't trust those weather weasels!

The Temperature Threshold

This time of year can be frustrating. It has been cold -- almost freezing -- in the morning when I leave for work, yet pleasantly cool, but not cold, during the day.

As a "civic activist biker", I advocated strongly for a bill that passed a few years ago which provides free parking for motorcycles at any Metro subway station in our county. Being cheap, and also wanting to continue to take advantage of the bill that I joined with others to fight for, I really want to continue to ride my Harley to the Metro as long as I possibly can.

But every biker has his limits. Yesterday, when the thermometer read 32°F (0°C), I wussed out. That's an American expression for failing to participate in something due to lack of courage. Yep, I didn't have the courage yesterday to deal with the cold. Soon enough, I will become accustomed to the cold again, but at this time of year, such temperatures still seem to be a bit of a shock to the system.

This morning, it was a little bit warmer than yesterday. Wow, a whopping 3°F increase, making the morning temp to be 35°F (1°C). I was dithering a lot as to whether to scrape the frost off my truck and crawl into it, and just pay the cost of parking it at the garage, or steeling up my courage to leather up and ride.

Well, I chose the latter. That is, I put on thick, warm socks, my Chippewa Hi-Shine Engineer boots, which are lined and comfortable (and look good with street clothes at the office), my thickest chaps (my old Mr. S Biker Chaps were the selection), and several layers on my body. Undershirt, warm dress shirt, and a vest. On top of that, I zipped up my Taylor's Leatherwear cop jacket, which has a very warm Thinsulate lining.

I got my full-face Shoei helmet, which blocks cold better than my 3/4 SuperSeer helmet, and adjusted the vents to ensure that the face shield wouldn't fog. Then I picked out a pair of warm motorcycle gloves.

I do not have heated gear or heated grips as some people I know have. I mean, heck, it's only two miles to the Metro. How cold is it, really? Guys in Minnesota or Wisconsin are probably laughing like heck at this whole thing -- they ride all the time when temperatures are well below freezing (and probably in shorts and sneakers, to boot). But for us in the Mid-Atlantic, these temperatures are about the low limit of our tolerance, or what I call "the temperature threshold."

I continue to learn that the windscreen on my Road King really performs well in blocking the cold air. Having ridden a Harley for 15 years that did not have one, I was always having to bear the full brunt of wind chill. According to the National Weather Service Wind Chill Index, the temperature today on a bike without a windscreen at the speed that I ride to the Metro would feel like 12°F (-11°C). Brrrrrrrr! But today, it was almost heavenly. I felt the cold, but it wasn't unbearable. In fact, it was almost unnoticeable.

It's good to have the right gear for riding in temperatures like this. Heck, with what I learned this morning, I might even challenge temperatures colder than that. As long as there is not any ice or snow on the ground, I imagine perhaps I could be riding all winter. We'll see.

(Sorry, no photos of this get-up. It's not possible to operate the camera with thick gloves on!)

First Time for Everything

Here I am in my (usual) tall cop boots, leather breeches, leather shirt, and leather jacket. My cousin is visiting from California. I lent him a pair of boots (obviously, he's not accustomed to wearing them), a leather jacket, and gloves. I invited him to join me on a motorcycle ride today.

It was a great ride, though it was a bit "crisp." The warmest it got was 55°F (13°C), but it was bright and sunny on a cloudless day. The leathers felt great, as did the boots. We enjoyed seeing the deep blue autumn skies, as well as the patchwork of reds, oranges, yellows, greens, and browns of the leaves on the trees. The swirl of fallen leaves parting around us was thrilling to watch as we leaned into curves and on the hills on the four-county trek along Maryland's byways and back roads.

What I enjoyed most was seeing the smile on my cousin's face. He had never ridden on a motorcycle before, and I am honored that he placed his faith in me to take him for his first ride.

Famly: what it's all about. As I often say, I'm showing those I love that I love them.

Here was our view, below.