Wednesday Evening Rides

 

 

Two weeks ago I hoped that a mid-April ride might happen. The weather says otherwise. Another winter storm is in the forecast for this weekend. Snow accumulation predictions vary, but we will definitely get snow. In years past, I’d be pulling out my hair in frustration and looking at real estate and jobs in the south. Oddly enough, I’m not that stressed about it this year. Actually, I’m pretty sure I’m too busy to worry about it. I’m absolutely slammed at work and between that and family obligations, I barely have time to write this blog let alone worry about a snowstorm. I think that it’s a good thing to be busy, especially this time of year. My fear is that I’ll also be this busy when riding season actually does come and I’ll have a repeat of last year, which I rode WAY less than I’d like.

 

With that being said, I’m going to prioritize riding this year. In years past, I’ve gone on weekly rides on Wednesday evenings. I think I’m going to be sure that happens again this year. My mom usually stops by every Thursday evening to spend time with my kids. I think I’m going to politely ask her if she can switch to a Wednesday visit. Thursday is far too busy for my family to be able to ride.

 

I think I might even start posting rides on the KLK Facebook page to let local riders know. Actually, a local group of riders have a Wednesday meet up throughout the riding season, so maybe we’ll periodically stop and say hello to those guys (and ladies). Hopefully, getting others involved will keep me from getting “too busy” to ride. I’m actually getting excited even writing about it.

 

Shit! Now I actually am pissed about this snowstorm!!

 

“Beware the barrenness of a busy life.” - Socrates



Motorcycle Hauling Advice

Early spring is the time of year that many motorcyclists who live in an area that still has snow will haul their motorcycle somewhere that they can ride. As a person that’s loaded and hauled a motorcycle dozens of times, I might have some advice for someone who doesn’t have this experience. I’ve loaded motorcycles into vans, pickup trucks, and trailers. I’ve loaded them by myself and with others. I’ve even ridden a Sportster up a makeshift ramp made from an old door into a pickup truck (I don’t recommend doing that). I’ve hauled motorcycles 1/2 mile, 2000 miles, and any anywhere in between. Here are my tips.

 

Get a proper ramp. The aforementioned door was a bad idea. Use a metal grated ramp that is both structurally sound and allows for some traction.

 

Someone should be helping you. Don’t be a hero, get assistance. I’ve learned from a couple of close calls that loading a motorcycle by yourself will drastically increase your chance of injury or damage to your motorcycle.

 

The front brake is your friend...Use it! If you need to adjust your position or rest, clamp on the front brake to hold the bike in place.

 

Use ratchet strap tie downs to anchor the motorcycle. There are also cambuckle straps that tighten by simply pulling the loose end. However, in my experience, these tend to loosen over time.

 

Put the kickstand down and strap that side of the motorcycle first. This will hold the bike in place as you install the other straps.

 

Squat the front suspension slightly and increase the tension in the straps. This will keep the straps tight when you drive over a bump.

 

Fasten at least one strap to the rear of the motorcycle. On occasion, a large bump could allow the rear end to move.

 

Make sure to periodically check the tension of your straps on your trip. A shift in the strap hooks is possible, which could cause slack in the straps.

 

Finally, use the same tips when you’re unloading as when you're loading. Use the front brake when needed and ask for help! Then, the hard part is over. Enjoy your ride!

 

“Wise men don't need advice. Fools won't take it.” - Benjamin Franklin

Spring and Riding Season

 

My dreams of an early riding season have been dashed. The earliest I have ever ridden was mid February, which may be a once in a lifetime thing (unless I move). The next best was early March, which has come and gone. My new hope was to be riding by early April.

 

Actually, the way this spring has been going, it wasn’t out of the realm of possibility to ride sometime in the near future. Lake Superior is essentially covered in ice and, when it is, we no longer get lake effect snow. The bulk of our snow accumulation comes in the form of lake effect, so if and when the lake freezes the snow all but stops. We’ve been almost snow free for weeks and the temperatures have been above freezing (barely above, but still above freezing), so a nice rain shower could bring the beginning of motorcycle season.

 

This morning, I took a look at the weather forecast. 4-8 inches of snow is predicted to accumulate in a few days. So much for riding anytime in the next week....Oh well, let’s hope for mid April riding!

 

“Remember, Red, hope is a good thing. Maybe the best of things and no good thing ever dies.” - Andy Dufresne from the Motion Picture, The Shawshank Redemption

Spring Lemons

 

 

It’s spring! That means riding season is just around the corner. Well, it might actually be riding season if you live somewhere that doesn’t have snow more than five months out of the year, but for me it is approaching. One thing that’s looming for me that I’m dreading prior to riding is needing a valve adjustment on my Ducati.

With my previous Ducati, I was able to do the adjustment myself (okay...with some help from a friend who happens to be a motorcycle mechanic), but with this one being relatively new I want to bring it to the Ducati dealership to take care of the initial service. From my research I’ve discovered that this will cost $1000 or more. That is a tough pill to swallow!

As much as this price bothers me, I think I can make a weekend trip down to the dealership (it is 200 miles away). This will be a nice ride and I'll spend the night and relax as my bike is being serviced. I know this will cost more money, but if I make it like a vacation I can at least have some fun. Next adjustment I’ll do on my own (probably with some help again).

“When life gives you lemons. . . You might as well shove 'em where the sun don't shine, because you sure as hell aren't ever going to see any lemonade.” - Rob Thurman

Moto Taxis

I’ve read a few online articles detailing the possibility of a service that is similar to Uber or Lyft, but with motorcycles instead of cars. If you aren’t familiar with these companies, Uber and Lyft are companies that allow people to become taxi drivers with their own vehicles. A smartphone app allows people to contact drivers who are working, which streamlines the driver/passenger exchange. I believe that anyone can apply to be a driver (I’m sure there’s a background check) and they can make their own hours. Personally, I think the motorcycle version is a great idea! It has the possibility of getting people more interested in motorcycles.

 

I believe that Uber is starting to implement this in heavily populated cities in Asia. Its motorcycle service is called UberMoto. I can definitely see this being way more in demand there than in the U.S. as many cities utilize scooters and motorcycles much more.

 

Things that I can see as problematic with this service are sharing helmets, lack of knowledge on how to be a motorcycle passenger, the need for physical contact, and weight restrictions. Something will definitely need to be implemented to sanitize helmets between passengers (no one wants head lice). Anyone who’s ridden with a first time passenger knows how difficult and dangerous it can be (see here for my post on being a good passenger). The physical contact thing wouldn’t necessarily be an issue for me, but it could if a passenger’s hygiene wasn’t the greatest. Lastly, someone who drastically outweighs the rider should not be a passenger. This is not negotiable. Turning away someone for their weight could lead to some hurt feelings for sure, but it’d be necessary.

 

Once I gave my friend a ride on my old Ducati. His motorcycle was left at someone else’s house overnight and he needed a ride to pick it up. Both of us weighed well over 200 lbs. It took all of my effort to control my bike with all of that weight on it...Not safe! Allowing a passenger who is very heavy would be a severe liability!

 

Even with the drawbacks, I think this could be an awesome service. Imagine getting paid for cruising around on your motorcycle! That’s my kinda job!

 

“There's a misconception that Lyft is just a better version of the taxi. You know, I think that's just scratching the surface of what we're doing.” - Logan Green

Missing the Moto Show

If you know me or have read this blog for a while, you probably know that I go to Chicago for a motorcycle show nearly every February. This is a great way to break up the winter and get a little motorcycle fun, even if it isn't riding. This year I didn't go, which is a bummer. A work deadline came up and I just couldn't break away that weekend. Chicago actually ended up getting a foot of snow that day, so it may have been a good thing that I didn't even attempt the trip.

So, since I can't share anything from this year's show, I'll share some of my photos from years past. Enjoy!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Trading Motorcycles

Sometimes, especially if you have a motorcycle that’s considered cool by a large number of people, someone will offer to trade bikes with you for a bit. Should you agree? That depends. Here’s some things that you should consider before agreeing to trade.

 

1. Do you know this person?

 

2. If you don’t know them, have they demonstrated somehow that they’re an experienced rider?

 

3. What is the motorcycle that you’re getting in the trade?

 

4. How long will the trade last and how far does this person plan to go?

 

If you know the person, this tends to be an easy decision. If one of my riding buddies asks to trade bikes for a bit, I’ll tend to agree. I’ll already know the answers to the other questions. I will say no if I know that my bike is a little too powerful for them or if they have a bike that’s worth a fortune (I’d hate to be responsible for wrecking a bike that’s worth more than my house).

 

If you've just met this person, at least have a conversation with them. Unless you’re dealing with a sociopath, you can tell fairly quick if a person is experienced with motorcycles. This is also where you’ll get the answer to question 3. If your motorcycles are the same type (say you both have sport bikes or cruisers) chances are that a trade will be pretty safe.

 

The last question is no brainer. If a guy asks to trade bikes for a week, you might want to ask where he’s going. If he says he plans on riding across the country and back while you’re staying home, I’d definitely advise to say no to the trade. At the end of the day, a lot of this depends on how you feel about letting others use your stuff. I tend to lean towards being happy to share, while my wife tends to be a little leery of letting others use something that belongs to her. This ends up working well for us, as we will reel each other in when we’re erring to far one way or the other. If you’re on the fence, ask yourself the four questions above and you should get the right answer.

 

“When Donald Duck traded his wings for arms, was he trading up or trading down?” - Douglas Coupland