I think it was yesterday that I saw on TV that a local resident found a strange rock lodged in a wall in her house. Apparently it came from a meteor shower and just decided to crash through her roof and cause almost instant neighborhood commotion as TV trucks, cops, and firemen converged to help figure it all out. Guess it could have been my place. It was very close. Ever think about getting hit with a falling rock while riding your motorcycle? Man that would've hurt!
Yesterday, I saw a story about motorcycles on World News Tonight with Charlie Gibson. It was a piece about the Patriot Guard. They showed the bikes rolling into town and the bikers lined up with flags to both protect the family of the fallen soldier and to honor him as only bikers can. The news reporter lady said, "The bikers were all dressed like ... like bikers." It was moving to see these tough looking motorcyclists offering their support to our country's greatest heroes and their families. I know a few Patriot Guard riders from the previous forums that I hosted. Many of these Guard members are former military too. I'm happy to see riders giving of themselves to help their country. It's just what we do.
I'm happy to report that the majority of the regulars from the old forums have found their way to a new forum being hosted by a former "corner host" of mine, Carrie. Everyone seems happy there although most of us do look in the window at the old place from time to time to make sure no one has made a mess over there. The new forum is called Still Cruisin The Curves and it has the same moderator I used to have. Do stop in sometime and get to know the greatest bunch of riders you'd ever want to meet.
I went out in the garage today and hooked up the Battery Tenders on my two trikes getting ready for a Polar Bear Grand Tour run this Sunday. It's a 70 mile ride down to Vineland, NJ. My wife, Jane, wants to ride but it's only been two months since she had a total knee replacement of her left knee. She did take a short ride before Christmas on a Polar Bear Toy Run but that was only three miles from our house. I'm not sure about her taking such a long ride on her trike but maybe I'll give in if it doesn't rain.
Oh, the wonders of the Internet. The street light just outside my window keeps cycling on and off every 30 seconds. I found a form on the Internet to fill out to get it fixed. I got an email today saying they now had a work order to fix it. Still waiting to see if it actually gets done.
My wife and I are co-treasurers of our local GWRRA chapter this year. I didn't know it was going to be so much work. I told them in November that the only job I would consider was the treasurer's job since I was working so hard on my Motorcycles Web site then. Little did I know that by Christmas that job would be gone and I would be off to seek my third career. Well, you are seeing the beginnings of that third career here. It's progressing nicely but my previous work load has mysteriously returned as I get deeper into this. I'm feeling much better than I did just a week ago. It must be the effects of the New Year.
Friday, January 5, 2007
Thursday, January 4, 2007
A New Beginning
I have spent the better part of the last seven and a half years building the Motorcycles site on About.com. I enjoyed it immensely. But, the editorial focus of the site underwent so many changes in direction that I thought it was time to go it alone.
So, I'm starting small by first publishing this blog. Next, I plan to open a new Web site that will contain some of my original content and I will be developing new content, all on the subject of motorcycles. I won't have to answer to anyone except my readers so do provide comments to keep me on a reasonable path.
My picture shows me sitting on my 2000 Honda Gold Wing SE with Motor Trike conversion. I'm on Canada Street at the Americade rally. Sometimes I like to just park the trike on the street and sit there watching the motorcycling world go by. I can clear my mind of all the other daily distractions and think only of motorcycles and the people who ride them. I get a good view of motorcycling, hence the title for this motorcycle blog: "Motorcycle Views."
I hope you will come along for the ride.
So, I'm starting small by first publishing this blog. Next, I plan to open a new Web site that will contain some of my original content and I will be developing new content, all on the subject of motorcycles. I won't have to answer to anyone except my readers so do provide comments to keep me on a reasonable path.
My picture shows me sitting on my 2000 Honda Gold Wing SE with Motor Trike conversion. I'm on Canada Street at the Americade rally. Sometimes I like to just park the trike on the street and sit there watching the motorcycling world go by. I can clear my mind of all the other daily distractions and think only of motorcycles and the people who ride them. I get a good view of motorcycling, hence the title for this motorcycle blog: "Motorcycle Views."
I hope you will come along for the ride.
Sunday, October 1, 2006
Motorcycle Touring Getting Started
Like motorcycle virgins my very first motorcycle trip, that extended for more than a day and a night, was fraught with excitement and trepidation.
Back in the mid eighties some friends and I took off on what would be the first of many bike trips that we would take together. Like young rebels we were full of spit and vinegar although our rides did not reflect our earthy attitudes.
The Born To Be Mild gang, Jim, me, Darcy and Grant and taking the picture was Debbie, Darcys wife,who was brave enough to ride with us, but not brave enough to pose with us.
I was riding a 1981 Honda 400T Hawk, my friends were on similar bikes, a Honda CB 450, and a couple of Suzuki 500's, all two cylinder, chain drive, air cooled bikes, not big by any means but certainly adequate for motorcycle touring.
Our trip was not a major undertaking but an adventure for us first timers at the art and joy of motorcycle touring.
Our first ride originated from Edmonton Alberta through the Rocky Mountains to the townsite of Jasper, south to Banff, further south through Radium Hot Springs and then back east to Calgary, Alberta.
As usual we were loaded to the nuts, everything we would need for a week of riding and camping, bungeed to the backs of the bikes.
Grant relaxes while we stop yet again to take pictures and converse about how sore our butts are from those slender banana seats.
One of the perks of riding through a national park is the abundance of wildlife, along with the deer further down the road we saw a black bear and her cubs crossing the road, we stopped to observe but were too nervous to get off the bike to get the camera.
Of course when it comes to deer, I am a fearless bipod, besides at that time I am sure I outweighed the deer by a three-to-one margin.
I don't think the cheap yellow plastic riding gear ever goes out of style.
After a couple of beers (notice the stubby bottles) after a hard days ride some one said they saw elk grazing next to our camping spot, I had my gut sucked in so hard for the picture I couldn't breathe for awhile and missed the elk completely.
It was nice to be able to camp amongst the animals except later in the evening a big black bear ambled by, too close for our comfort and again no picture was taken as we were all ready to flee if the bear so much as noticed us.
Darcy giving Grant a lesson in trick riding, being able to steer my bike with his feet. Grant as usual appears enthralled by the antics.
That Darcy was always sneaking around taking pictures, this time catching the pup tents unaware. Actually Darcy took all the pictures although he may not want to take credit for them.
I miss the daily maintenance of a chain drive bike, adjusting and lubing, adjusting and lubing.
That's Jim on the bike, whenever we needed some gas to start the fire we would send Jim on an errand and drain some gas from his bike for fire starter. Jim could never understand why he never got as good of mileage out of his bike as the rest of us.
That was the first of many bike road trips we took together, it was the second bike I owned and the first one reliable enough to go out of town without worrying about breakdowns.
We never traveled far in a day, often stopping to sightsee and check out the local attractions, but it was a good first trip, one that opened the door to others.
Back in the mid eighties some friends and I took off on what would be the first of many bike trips that we would take together. Like young rebels we were full of spit and vinegar although our rides did not reflect our earthy attitudes.
The Born To Be Mild gang, Jim, me, Darcy and Grant and taking the picture was Debbie, Darcys wife,who was brave enough to ride with us, but not brave enough to pose with us.
I was riding a 1981 Honda 400T Hawk, my friends were on similar bikes, a Honda CB 450, and a couple of Suzuki 500's, all two cylinder, chain drive, air cooled bikes, not big by any means but certainly adequate for motorcycle touring.
Our trip was not a major undertaking but an adventure for us first timers at the art and joy of motorcycle touring.
Our first ride originated from Edmonton Alberta through the Rocky Mountains to the townsite of Jasper, south to Banff, further south through Radium Hot Springs and then back east to Calgary, Alberta.
As usual we were loaded to the nuts, everything we would need for a week of riding and camping, bungeed to the backs of the bikes.
Grant relaxes while we stop yet again to take pictures and converse about how sore our butts are from those slender banana seats.
One of the perks of riding through a national park is the abundance of wildlife, along with the deer further down the road we saw a black bear and her cubs crossing the road, we stopped to observe but were too nervous to get off the bike to get the camera.
Of course when it comes to deer, I am a fearless bipod, besides at that time I am sure I outweighed the deer by a three-to-one margin.
I don't think the cheap yellow plastic riding gear ever goes out of style.
After a couple of beers (notice the stubby bottles) after a hard days ride some one said they saw elk grazing next to our camping spot, I had my gut sucked in so hard for the picture I couldn't breathe for awhile and missed the elk completely.
It was nice to be able to camp amongst the animals except later in the evening a big black bear ambled by, too close for our comfort and again no picture was taken as we were all ready to flee if the bear so much as noticed us.
Darcy giving Grant a lesson in trick riding, being able to steer my bike with his feet. Grant as usual appears enthralled by the antics.
That Darcy was always sneaking around taking pictures, this time catching the pup tents unaware. Actually Darcy took all the pictures although he may not want to take credit for them.
I miss the daily maintenance of a chain drive bike, adjusting and lubing, adjusting and lubing.
That's Jim on the bike, whenever we needed some gas to start the fire we would send Jim on an errand and drain some gas from his bike for fire starter. Jim could never understand why he never got as good of mileage out of his bike as the rest of us.
That was the first of many bike road trips we took together, it was the second bike I owned and the first one reliable enough to go out of town without worrying about breakdowns.
We never traveled far in a day, often stopping to sightsee and check out the local attractions, but it was a good first trip, one that opened the door to others.
Sunday, August 27, 2006
The Last Chance Saloon
One of my favorite one day rides is down to the Drumheller Valley with a stop at the Last Chance Saloon in Wayne, Alberta. Only a few kilometers east and south of Drumheller the ride is highlighted with the crossing of eleven wooden decked bridges and a serpentine of a road on the valley floor.
At the end of the ride is the Saloon and hotel with accompanying campgrounds. Just a short little jaunt out of Drumheller but the frosty beer and Buffalo Burger as well as the wall decorations make for a pleasant stop.
The place is a mecca for local riders and has hosted some of the bigger biker rallies in Alberta.
At the end of the ride is the Saloon and hotel with accompanying campgrounds. Just a short little jaunt out of Drumheller but the frosty beer and Buffalo Burger as well as the wall decorations make for a pleasant stop.
The place is a mecca for local riders and has hosted some of the bigger biker rallies in Alberta.
Darcy sitting on his Sportster prior to a Buffalo burger and a beer
Another ride, another beer at the Saloon this time with Dan and Donna
Motorcycle Ride Video-Eleven Bridges Road
Here is a motorcycle ride video I did last Sunday with Dan and Donna-Lynne over the Eleven Bridges Road to Wayne, Alberta culminating in a stop for refreshments at the Last Chance Saloon.
I shot the video at great peril to myself as I put the bike on cruise and held the camera with my throttle hand. No bikers were injured, maimed or otherwise disfigured in the making of this epic journey.
I shot the video at great peril to myself as I put the bike on cruise and held the camera with my throttle hand. No bikers were injured, maimed or otherwise disfigured in the making of this epic journey.
Push the little arrow thingy to watch the video.
Saturday, July 29, 2006
Riding the Rockies
These are a few photos that I took when a friend, Darcy and I did a five day tour thru the Rocky Mountains and then continued on to redo a ride we had done twenty years ago.
The ride was from Creston B.C. north to Kaslo with two free ferry rides across the lakes, over to Nakusp and then coming out at Vernon B.C.
This has to be one of the most scenic and twisty roads that any biker can take through British Columbia. It is loaded with twisty roads and scenic lakes and not the hordes of tourist traffic one would expect to find in B.C.
One of the many switchbacks n the road between Kaslo and Nakusp
The green waters of the Big Horn dam west of Rocky Mountain House in Alberta
No matter how many time I have crossed the rocky mountains of Alberta and B.C., the scenery is always spectacular to a flatlander like myself
This is Saskatchewan River Crossing on the Bow Valley Parkway, highlighted by great roads and light traffic it is also the place where gasoline costs the most.
The ride was from Creston B.C. north to Kaslo with two free ferry rides across the lakes, over to Nakusp and then coming out at Vernon B.C.
This has to be one of the most scenic and twisty roads that any biker can take through British Columbia. It is loaded with twisty roads and scenic lakes and not the hordes of tourist traffic one would expect to find in B.C.
One of the many switchbacks n the road between Kaslo and Nakusp
The green waters of the Big Horn dam west of Rocky Mountain House in Alberta
No matter how many time I have crossed the rocky mountains of Alberta and B.C., the scenery is always spectacular to a flatlander like myself
This is Saskatchewan River Crossing on the Bow Valley Parkway, highlighted by great roads and light traffic it is also the place where gasoline costs the most.Friday, July 14, 2006
The Hells Angels never wave back
The one great thing about riding a motorcycle is the camaraderie of fellow bikers you meet on the road.
Because we are kindred spirits out on the road, bared to the world not surrounded by a cage, bikers have developed a nifty little habit of waving to each other. Like an acknowledgement of the fun and adventure we are sharing.
Sometimes it can be a little tiring and boring when the road is loaded with bikers but in most cases it is a salute to one another and usually merited.
Recently on a trip through the Rockies we came upon a pack of riders and despite my friendly wave and salute, not one in the pack of Harleys waved back.
After my friend and riding partner stopped for lunch, I mentioned that not one of that pack of bikes had waved back and I mentioned that after not receiving a wave back, I gave them the finger.
That was because that was the Hells Angel he stated, looking at me like I was some kind of organ donor.
At which point, I admitted that they were a mile past when I gave them the one finger salute.
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