Motorcycling Illegal?

In the very near future, a fully autonomous (drives itself) car will be available for purchase from multiple companies. Recently, I listened to a lecture claiming that it could be possible that when these cars become the norm, it would be illegal to operate your own vehicle. I can see this greatly reducing the amount of injuries and deaths from auto accidents, but my question is what will happen to motorcycles?

Let's face it; our sport is not an inherently safe one. Hell, that's part of the appeal. However, I have a feeling that if we are not careful, we may not be able to ride in twenty years. I cannot imagine an autonomous motorcycle. It would kind of defeat the purpose in my opinion. A motorcycle ride would become more like a carnival ride with the element of fear removed.

I in no way want to damn the autonomous car technology. I am all for advances in science and engineering and I am excited for what we will see in the future. How some of this technology will affect the motorcycle industry is what I tend to think of. Hopefully, we'll still be riding legally for generations to come. However, if motorcycling does become illegal, I have a feeling there will many of us that will become outlaws so we can continue to ride.

"An outlaw can be defined as someone who lives outside the law, beyond the law and not necessarily against it." - Hunter S. Thompson



Strength Training for the Busy Biker



About four years ago, I was chubby (ok, I was fat!!) and weak as a kitten. My wife had just given birth to our first child, a girl! I decided that I needed to be in decent shape not only for myself, but also to be a good example for my daughter. I also wanted to be alive to see her grow up!

I had weight trained in high school for football, but I pretty much gave it up after graduating. My real passion was motorcycles, so I spent most of my focus on those. Well, I actually focused on motorcycles, girls, beer, and my buddies (the fun stuff).  Training just wasn’t important anymore. My body and health were beginning to show it.  I was 245 pounds and on medication for high blood pressure and cholesterol.

A great thing that I learned while training in high school, was the importance of the big lifts (bench, squat, and deadlift). I wanted a training program that was based on these lifts. After doing some research, I picked a 5x5 full body routine for three days a week as it seemed to be a very efficient program that would get fast results. I remembered how much I could push myself back in high school and I tried to emulate that. What I didn’t realize was that back then, I’d get between eight and ten hours of sleep. Now, with the baby, I was getting around four hours (she was a VERY light sleeper). I also was working a fifty plus hour a week job. My body wasn’t recovering from the workouts and I was picking up a lot of little injuries (back tweaks, shoulder and elbow strains). My wife also works full time as a teacher, so it was hard to justify being away from home for a couple of hours in the evening, leaving her to fend for herself with the baby. The result was missing workouts, a lot of them. I’d take off a month straight sometimes.

I was going through cycles of this for over a year - training hard for a month or two, then getting injured or burned out and stopping for a month. Needless to say, progress was minimal. Then we found out my wife was pregnant again! How was I going to focus on training with two babies to take care of along with my busy job (and my wife’s)? I wasn't making any progress while having just one kid!

Then, I watched a video from Jason Blaha detailing a two day full body routine for non-athletes. I can't say I used his exact program, but I was inspired by it. You mean I can make progress by only training two days a week? My coach in high school had driven the idea in my head that strength was only gained by training a minimum of three days per week. I thought anything less than that would be virtually useless. That video completely reshaped my view of weight training.

A little while later, I read Steve Shaw's Massive Iron and loved the method of pushing sets for maximum reps. I was used to looking at a chart to determine how many sets and reps to complete for each workout. I knew that there were certain times that I could have pushed sets for more than the prescribed reps, but the program didn’t call for it. This was yet another way that my predetermined notions on training had been changed.

I sat down and wrote out my plan of attack to progress in my training. Here are the principles: train squat, deadlift, some kind of press, and some kind of row two days per week. Warm up for each exercise and do one big working set. I used Steve Shaw's rep goal system on the working sets to progress. My goal was to hit eight reps; when I did, I added five pounds to the bar. More than anything else, this plan eliminated any excuses from getting in the gym and training.

Do you know what happened? I didn't miss workouts anymore! The nagging injuries went away! I began to steadily progress! I'm not going to blow smoke up your ass and say that I'm crazy strong now, but I went from a guy who couldn't make progress to achieving an intermediate strength level. I did this all while having a pretty busy life (and still focusing on motorcycles as my main hobby). No matter what, I can always find time to get in the gym for an hour (or less) for two days a week. Last year my son was born, so I was thrown back into the near sleepless nights, but I still committed to two workouts each week.

Now, I’m no longer on any medication and I’m a lean(ish) 205 pounds. Getting stronger was great, but this was the real accomplishment! Every now and then I consider going back to a program that will provide more efficient results. Then, I say to myself that this plan is working for me. Why change it?

 

Buying Gifts for the Biker in Your Life

 

Are you stumped on what to buy your favorite biker for the Holidays? Here're 5 tips to help you out.

1. Black clothes are best. This is obviously a generalization, but in my experience and especially with me personally, you can't go wrong with a black shirt or jacket. There have been a few bikers that I have met that wear bright, flashy colors, but they are the minority.

2. Find out what type and brand of motorcycle he/she rides and buy a shirt with that on it. For example, if a biker has a Honda Goldwing, chances are that this person won't want a Harley Davidson shirt. Again, there are exceptions here (I, for example, wear plenty of motocross shirts even though I ride street), but we're playing the odds here. Buy a Honda shirt for the guy who rides a Honda.

3. Stay away from buying motorcycle parts or accessories. This is true unless you know for sure which part this particular biker wants/needs, but then you wouldn't be reading a blog post giving advice on what to get a biker. There's just too much information to know before you order parts.

4. If you do buy a shirt, make sure the design is fairly basic. I know there are bikers out there who love the shirts with sparkles, skulls, stars, and flames, but you're way safer buying a shirt with a simple logo, or maybe one skull. Simple is best.

5. Check the biker apparel websites for their close out deals. All of the sites usually have a bunch of stuff that's marked way down from list price and chances are that you'll be able to find something that fits the above criteria. You'll save a lot of money and will still get a great gift.

Bonus tip: The tips above pretty much steered you toward clothing as your go-to gift. If that's not your bag, there are plenty of motorcycle books and DVDs to choose from (Amazon.com has many of both). One of my favorite gifts ever was a book that laid out photos of custom motorcycles as if it was an art book. Let's face it, many of the custom bikes are pieces of art.

"The excellence of a gift lies in its appropriateness rather than in its value." - Charles Dudley Warner

Me Gusta El Niño

The unthinkable happened...all of the snow melted! Apparently the unusually warm weather we're having is due to the El Niño weather pattern. I, for one, am stoked! If you read the last two blog posts, they consist of me basically pissing and moaning that winter started and now my attitude has definitely adjusted. However, even though the snow melted, I haven't ridden my bike yet because the local road crews sanded and salted the hell out of the roads over the past few weeks. If you read this post last spring, you'll know my feelings about riding in these conditions.

With a little luck and rain, the roads will be clear enough and I'll get a ride in before the snow starts to fly again. It sure is great to hear the local snowmobilers and hunters bitch about the weather instead of me. Even if I don't get out riding during this warm spell, it'll still be a couple weeks less of winter weather!

Weather like this is also why I advise against winterizing your bike too early (see post here). This is especially true if you store your motorcycle away from home for the winter. I'm still ready to get out on the roads as soon as they're mostly clear of sand and salt. Here's to December motorcycling!
"I am El Niño. Yo soy El Niño. For those of you who don't habla Español, El Niño is Spanish for: The Niño." - Chris Farley

Stress Relief...Moto Style

Now that my riding season is officially over, I've noticed my stress and aggravation levels skyrocketing. Every time I hear someone sarcastically say, "Did you ride your bike to work today?" I want to reply, "Hahaha! Shut up, you unoriginal fuck!" But, while this response might lower my stress level in the short term, it might have some pretty bad long term effects on my life, so I just smile and laugh.

I think that the pure concentration that is needed while riding is what relieves my stress. The need to be totally focused on that moment really causes all other problems to fade away. Let's face it, if you're not totally focused on your surroundings while riding, bad things can happen. I guess this is also true for a car, but the consequences are usually less severe, so I don't have the stress relieving focus that I do while riding.

I've tried to focus my negative energy into other areas. Loud music in the car and through my headphones tends to help. Also, I'm more focused on weight training at the moment. The final rep on a set of squats also forces me to focus on that moment. However, neither music nor weight training seem to be as good as motorcycling for an outlet, but they'll have to do for now. Hey, with any luck I'll be riding again in April!

"You do not need a therapist if you own a motorcycle, any kind of motorcycle!" - Dan Aykroyd



Winter's Here...And it Sucks

 

It happened. Snow fell and it doesn't look like it's going anywhere anytime soon. As sad as I am, I really have to admit that it was a pretty good riding season. So, as my tears fall and freeze before they hit the ground, let me recap this riding season.

Before the snow melted in the spring, I received an awesome rainsuit and a heated vest, courtesy of my gorgeous, intelligent, and very supportive wife. This basically removed any excuse from riding in any condition beside ice and snow. Riding in less than perfect weather added fun and adventure to my riding season!

I sold both of my old bikes, a 1999 Ducati Monster and a 1993 Harley Davidson Low Rider. I used the money to invest in a brand new Ducati Monster. So far I'm totally satisfied with this decision. As much as I miss the other bikes, I absolutely love the new one. Also, I'm really happy I had the rainsuit and heated vest, since my attitude was that if I'm going to spend the money to get a brand new bike, I'd better ride the son of a bitch as much as possible!

I had a lot of good rides and really got to enjoy my new motorcycle. I did a couple of longer rides, but with having other responsibilities (job, kids, etc), I had to limit most of my riding to commuting and short local rides. I did get to ride the local twisty roads at least a couple of times every month, usually enjoying them with some great friends, so I have no complaints.

Overall it was a good season, so now I wait for this winter to be over. As soon as this white shit melts, I'll be back on two wheels! I just hope it doesn't take too long. Or, I could get a dirt bike with a snow conversion kit. I hear those are really expensive though...damn it!
"Winter is coming." - George R.R. Martin



Weights and Music

When I was around 16 years old, I wasn't into motorcycling that much. I had sold my duel sport, a 1986 Yamaha XT 600, and I was focused on other things. Lifting weights and music took up way more of my free time than motorcycles. Honestly, most of my friends at this time just weren't into bikes.

I'm not trying to say that I didn't like motorcycles. I still thought that they were awesome, but at that age it seems that you follow your friends. Weight training was a huge focus for me and my other friends who played football. My non-football friends were mostly musicians, so I also focused on playing the guitar.

My parents owned a gas station/grocery store and we lived next door to it. One of my favorite ways to pass time was to sit on the porch and watch people pull up to the gas pumps (really exciting, I know). One day, a guy who lived down the road pulled up on his new bike (new to him). He was about four years older than me and it seemed that he was always getting new toys. It was an early '90's Honda CBR with a terrible custom paint job. He looked over at me and asked if I wanted to take it for a ride. Of course I took him up on his offer!

This was my first sportbike ride and I loved it! I had never experienced that kind of acceleration before. Instantly, my other hobbies took a backseat to motorcycling once again. I needed to get another bike soon!

So, if you ever feel yourself losing your desire to ride, find a shop doing demo days or one that allows test rides. Take a new bike for a ride and watch your passion come back with a vengeance! Keep riding, my friends.

“Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside in a cloud of smoke, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming "Wow! What a Ride!”― Hunter S. Thompson

How to Check your Motorcycle Tires

 

Tires are one of the easiest and most important parts of a motorcycle you should be checking. Tires that are in good condition with the proper amount of tread and air pressure will help keep you from tumbling down the pavement along with giving better fuel mileage.

Tire Condition - If you can get your motorcycle off of the ground it is easier to spin and inspect, or you can just roll it around and keep checking. Look for any punctures, cuts, dry rotting, and abnormal wear. Be sure to also check the sidewall. If you see any damage or anything that may be abnormal, it would be best to have a professional check it out.

Air Pressure - Check your manufacturer's recommended air pressure and adjust accordingly (Some tire brands recommend a different pressure than the motorcycle manufacturer). Proper air pressure also makes your tires last longer and we all know tires are not cheap!

Tread - Tread depth is measured in 32nd's of an inch. You should have a minimum of 2/32" tread left. There are tire tread depth gauges available at any tool store or car care center, although you can also use a penny. If you stick the penny into the tread groove and all of Lincoln's head is showing, you have less than 2/32" and need a new tire.

 

All of this can be done fairly quickly to make sure you spend and much time as you want on the road. Have fun and keep the rubber side down!

"I may be a living legend, but that sure don't help when I've got a flat tire." - Roy Orbison

Uncool Biker Nerd

 

 

Have you ever tried to be cool in front of a bunch of people by revving the hell out of your bike when you take off, but instead shifting into second, you shift into neutral, redline it, and look like an idiot? Or, how about riding a mile with your blinker flashing? I've done both of these multiple times and I've come to realize something, I'm not cool.

That's right; you read correctly, I am not cool. Take this for instance; motorcycling is probably one of the coolest hobbies that you can take up, right? Well, I took a cool thing like motorcycling and did an uncool thing with it, blogging! Almost everyone thinks that they are way cooler than their parents, but I know I’m not. I’m the nerdy kid to a really cool dad. He is a biker to his core and isn’t into any of the nerd shit that I am.

I love sci-fi and comics! I'm a movie freak and find myself all amped up for the new Star Wars coming out in December(I didn't go as far as preordering tickets, but I'm definitely stoked). Hell, I even enjoy math!!!! I really am one gigantic nerd! But, at least I can admit it and that's kinda cool. So, maybe I’m a kinda cool biker nerd.  





If you know about this guy and think this picture is awesome, you might be a nerd like me!

 

"I'd rather be dead and cool, than alive and uncool." - Mickey Rourke from Harley Davidson and the Marlboro Man

Winterizing Rant

 

If you read this post from last spring (here), you'll notice that my advice was to wait until roads were mostly clear of sand and other debris before taking our bikes out for the season. My advice for the fall is...ride for as long as you can!

I have a hard time understanding why many bikers start winterizing their motorcycles in October when there could be weeks of quality riding time left. Fall is my favorite season to ride and unlike the spring, the roads are generally clear of dirt. I know the temperature might be a little cool, but for the love of all things sacred, enjoy the last moments of riding we have!

I know that some people will claim that it's too late to winterize your bike when it has already snowed. Bullshit! Here's how it works...it snows, you go out to your garage, put Stabil or Seafoam in your gas tank, take out your battery and bring it somewhere warm (you can also just hook your battery up to a tender if you have one). That's it! If you don't have a garage to keep it, then do all of the above and load your bike in a truck or trailer so you can haul it to where ever you store it.

Also, nothing drives me more crazy then people asking, "Did you put your bike away for the winter yet?" No I didn't! If there's no snow in the ground, I'm always ready to ride. Ok...rant over. I feel better now!

"I rant, therefore I am." - Dennis Miller

The Inconvenient Adventure

 

"An inconvenience is an adventure wrongly considered." - Gilbert K. Chesterton

I know I usually finish the blog posts with a quote, but this one leads into my theme so well that I had to put it at the beginning. For the last couple of weeks we've had typical fall weather; cold, rainy, windy and even a little snow. I've mentioned before that most of my riding comes by the way of commuting to and from work and I do so every day that I can.

Every morning that the weather isn't perfect, someone in my family will say something like, "You're not riding into work today, are you?" I always reply, "Of course I am!" Then when I get to work, there's always someone who asks, "You didn't take the bike today, did you?!!" Again I reply with, "If course I did." Who else can claim that they had an adventure on their way to work?

Braving the elements may be miserable while you're in that moment, but it's great when you look back at your experience and realize how fun it actually was! Humans aren't meant to be comfortable all the time! Actually, I believe that we as a society are so comfortable that we need to purposefully put ourselves in uncomfortable situations. It sure makes the stress of work less of an issue when you have to fight against the wind, rain, and cold on your commute. Gear up, saddle up, and go! Adventure is just a throttle twist away!



The Vikingcycle Bloodaxe Jacket

 

When I unboxed the Vikingcycle Bloodaxe jacket (cool name, right?), my first impression was that it looked awesome. I wore it that night while going out with some friends. Now I know you might be thinking that it's pretty lame to wear a motorcycle jacket for anything other than riding a motorcycle. I'd say you're wrong and you should like how your jacket looks so much that you will want to wear it outside of just motorcycling. It's not just trying to be cool or trendy; it's a way to get your money's worth out of your jacket.

 

 

Now, if you don't own a motorcycle and buy a riding jacket to just look cool, I can't really help you there. I know chicks dig leather jackets, but that's a little ridiculous. Please, for your own sake, at least tell everyone that you're buying a bike if you do this!

 

 

 

All joking aside, this really is an excellent jacket, especially for about $100. I'd recommend this jacket for anyone. Just use the sizing chart on motorcyclehouse.com and you should have a perfect fit. Please also see the video review and other products from motorcyclehouse.com below.

 

Armor Jackets for Men

High Visibility Jackets

Leather Jackets for Men



Frosty Mornings

 

Well, it had to happen. Summer's definitely over and so are all of the beautiful and warm mornings that we've had for the last few months. For one day last week, the low was 30 degrees. While, the early morning frost can look quite nice, let's face it, that is fucking cold! It's especially cold while traveling 70 mph on a motorcycle.

In years past, I'd either try to fight the cold with layers (long underwear and a hoodie under my riding jacket) or I'd avoid riding when it was below freezing. Of course the layers worked, but they were never enough when it was truly cold. Later, I received a pair of chaps as a gift, which was an improvement, but wasn't enough to make riding possible on the really cold mornings.

Last year I purchased a heated vest. This one has a battery pack, so you don't need a lead from your motorcycle battery to use it. It has made a huge difference. I guess the idea is that a warm core keeps the rest of your body warm. In my case, I've noticed that my hands and legs don't get nearly as cold when I wear the vest. Do 30 degree morning rides still feel cold? Of course they do! However, the vest really makes cold mornings bearable.

Here is my vest. http://www.mobilewarminggear.com/mens-classic-heated-vest/

"It's too cold outside for angels to fly." - Ed Sheeran



MotoScrub

I hate washing my motorcycle. I know hate is a strong word, but I still say I HATE washing it! Part of it may be that I like when my bike looks like it's ridden, but it really boils down to me not wanting to spend the amount of time it really takes to get the job done properly.

I have friends that love and take pride in keeping a clean bike and I don't hold anything against them for it. I actually admire them and sometimes I wish that I felt the same. I said that I like my bike to look like it's ridden, but that doesn't mean that I don't like how it looks after a washing.

Over the past week I've ridden with two friends, both of whom own one of my old bikes. Both guys keep them very clean and honestly, I'm a bit jealous. Actually, both of my old bikes looked in better condition than my new one (I haven't washed it since May). I decided that it was time for a wash, no matter how much I didn't want to do it.

Over the weekend, I spent hours scrubbing all of the grime that'd built up over the past months. Finally, it was clean and I have to admit that I had a pretty big feeling of satisfaction. Then, it rained on my way to work this Monday and my bike looked almost as dirty as it was before I washed it. Did I mention that I hate washing motorcycles?

"Cleaning is just putting stuff in less obvious places." - Unknown

The Autumn Fall

 

Well, Summer's over. But, nothing is better than a great ride in the fall. Fall is probably the shortest season where I live as it usually snows by early November. Since early winters are so common, I always try to enjoy every last second of riding that I can once autumn starts.

One of my most memorable fall rides occurred right after I healed from my crash (see here for that story). It was mid October and warm weather is very rare at this time of year. A group of us rode leisurely from early morning until sunset, a round trip of about 300 miles. It was sunny and around 70 degrees for the entire day, there was barely any traffic, no wind, and the roads were dirt and gravel free. It just about the perfect ride! It was one of those rides that just reinvigorated my love for motorcycling.

Then, the following week it fucking snowed! Enjoy the Fall while it lasts.

"Nothing is over until we decide it is! Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor? Hell no!" - John Belushi



Tweakers and Deer

Dean Delray is a comedian, rocker, and biker (he also has one hell of a mustache #MustachesAndMotorycles). If you haven't heard of him, you should definitely check out his Instagram (here). Recently he was in a motorcycle accident (this is kind of documented on his Instagram page). Apparently, a tweaker stole a car and ran into him while she was making her getaway. Then, she left the car (and the scene) and jumped in another car that sped away (I may not have the story exactly correct, but this is what I pieced together from Instagram and this Joe Rogan Experience podcast). I also heard that Dean is giving up motorcycling. I wanted to comment on this because I had a similar experience.

About ten years ago, I was riding right after sunset in early summer. A deer leaped out directly in front of me and I put the bike down to avoid hitting it. I and my girlfriend ended up rolling down the road and received some pretty decent injuries. A broken wrist kept me from riding for a couple months and I'd be lying if I didn't say it was terrifying getting back on a bike. However, my love for riding outweighed my fear and I continued to ride.

Now, looking at Dean's situation, I can understand his point of view. Since my accident, I can avoid riding or take it very easy when deer are on the move (dawn and dusk). It's tough to find a time in Los Angeles (this is where I believe Dean Delray lives) when there's not some crazy driver that'll take you out without thinking twice. Maybe Dean should move to the country! Wait, I think a meth lab was busted out here a couple months back. Fucking tweakers are everywhere! Stay safe, people!

“Here's something I would like to remind you two of: our best friend Doug is probably face down in a ditch right now with a meth head butt-fucking his corpse!” – Stu Price in the movie The Hangover

Who Was that Masked Biker?

While out on an excursion this Labor Day weekend, I ran into a couple on a motorcycle wearing those face masks with a skull on them. I'll admit to thinking these things were awesome 10 years ago. I first noticed them in a J&P Cycles catalog and nearly ordered one on the spot. Then, the movie Biker Boyz came out. Seeing guys in this cheesy movie (Ok, I thought it was a little entertaining) wear the masks made me change my opinion instantly. Nowadays, I feel like anyone should wear what they like; no judgements from me. This isn't really the point of this post; it's the fact that these people were wearing them on an 85 degree day!

The material on these masks is pretty thick, so there was no way it was comfortable. Like I mentioned before, I'm all for wearing stuff that you find fashionable. However, if that means sweating your ass off just to look a little gangster, I'll leave it!

There are definitely more clothing items that bring this reaction from me. Wearing shorts while riding comes to mind (especially when it's below 65). Sigh, to each their own I guess, but doing stuff like this just makes you look like a motorcycle douchebag!

“We understand how dangerous a mask can be. We all become what we pretend to be.”
― Patrick Rothfuss, The Name of the Wind



#Mustaches&Motorcycles

I think it's time that the mustache came back into style. I'm not talking about the random hipster sporting a waxed mustache or guys growing one as a joke. I'm also not talking about just growing a mustache for "Movember" (having a mustache in November to gain awareness for prostate cancer). I want there to be so many men with mustaches that a month will be designated to shave off mustaches for awareness of some issue. My big question is, "Why did the mustache go out of style in the first place?"

My uncle always likes to quote me as a four year old saying, "When I grow up, I want to be an uncle, because then I can have a mustache, drink beer, chase women, and play pool!" That's right; men we looked up to had mustaches! Our uncles, dads, athletes, film stars...real men! Tom Selleck was a man's man, playing the toughest private investigator ever in Magnum P.I. and he sported a great mustache. Also, do me a favor and Google Don Frye. This MMA legend's mustache probably won more fights than most people lie about. How about Theodore Roosevelt? This mustache wearing man wrestled fucking bears!! Ok, I'm not quite sure about the wrestling bears thing, but I kind of remember reading it somewhere (the point is that he was a tough sumbitch).

So, it's time to celebrate mustaches! Grow one and take a picture of yourself with your motorcycle. Tag it #mustaches&motorcycles and share it with the world! Ladies, encourage this behavior with all the men in your life. If you'd like, share your picture on our Facebook page (here). Be a man, grow a mustache, ride a motorcycle, eat, mate, repeat!

“Well, I might go get me a new tattoo, or take my old Harley for a three day cruise. Might even grow me a Fu Man Chu.” – Travis Tritt

 





Rain Riding

 



It has rained for about 6 days straight and I'm growing pretty tired of it. However, I view this as an opportunity to test my rain gear and hone in my wet conditions riding skills.

I've mentioned before (here) that I only recently started using quality rain gear after decades of avoiding the rain or being miserable in it. Let me tell you, quality motorcycle rain suits work! It's a bit of a pain in the ass to get the suit on and off (especially getting the pants over your boots), but I stay dry even in torrential rain.

Every rider is going to have to ride in the rain, it's impossible to completely avoid. So, like anything, practice is important! Of course you'll need to slow down, but beyond that it is important to experience cornering and braking on a wet road.

So instead of keeping my bike in the garage for the last few days, I view it as an opportunity to get some more experience. If you're prepared, riding can be fun in almost any condition. Ride safe and often!

“It’s all nonsense. It’s only nonsense. I’m not afraid of the rain. I am not afraid of the rain. Oh, oh, I wish I wasn’t.” – Ernest Hemingway

Buggin Out

Lately, I've been pretty interested in a YouTube series from a fellow named CycleCruza (see here for his channel). If you haven't watched this guy's videos, I really recommend you check them out. He has the same love and respect for all things with 2 wheels and an engine that I do. The series details out the building of his bug out van.

Now, a real bug out vehicle is used to live "off the grid" or to be prepared for society's proverbial shit-hits-the-fan moment when we would be on our own to feed and defend ourselves. His van is really more of an inconspicuous camper that also has the ability to haul his motorcycle. The benefit to using a van instead of buying a camper is twofold. First, it's cheaper and second, you can park your van and "camp" in places not necessarily designated for camping (i.e. parking lots and streets).

Now I'm trying to talk my wife into buying a van and converting it into our own bug out vehicle (of course with room for my motorcycle, just like CycleCruza). A "nomadic" lifestyle has always kind of appealed to me and I think it really fits in the spirit of motorcycling. However, this would not be the greatest for children and we have two very young ones. I guess this gives me a decade or two to convince my wife, right?!!

“I’ll catch you guys later. Deuces!” – CycleCruza

 

Picking up Chicks...Biker Style

 

This post is for all you single bikers. If you didn't already know, motorcycles can be a great tool to pick up some dates. I'm going to write this in the perspective of a guy picking up girls because that's what I'm experienced with.

I know I've mentioned it before (here) that one of the reasons my wife had anything to do with me was that I rode a cool motorcycle. She will adamantly deny this, but we both know deep down that it was at least part of her attraction to me (I'm really not that good looking). Honestly, I was so terrible with girls that motorcycles were about the only thing I had going for me.

Now, I'm going to disclaim this by stating that no one should start riding motorcycles to attract girls. It is just one of the benefits of riding. So, this is geared more toward the guys who already have decided that motorcycles are their passion.

First off, no matter what kind of motorcycle you ride, you are out there putting yourself in more danger than all other motorists. This makes you look dangerous and tough; girls love this. Bikers are the bad boys that girls' parents warn them about.

Now, let’s talk about the riding part. If a girl asks you to take her for a ride on your bike, you already have a huge opportunity to at least get her number. First of all, if she found you completely revolting, she wouldn't ask for a ride. Second, she's putting herself in a situation that is frightening and exciting while placing her life in your hands. Finally, the thing that will keep her the safest is to hold onto you very tight and physical contact is always awesome. This is a hell of a lot better than a dinner and a movie!

There you have it. Live, ride, love, pick up chicks, repeat.

"I couldn't help but notice that you look a lot like my next girlfriend." – Will Smith in Hitch



Busted on a Bike



 



It's been a while since I wrote about one of my past motorcycle experiences, so here's one that recently came up in a conversation.

A friend of mine had just purchased a brand new Yamaha R1. For those that don't know, this is a bike that was (and still is) near the pinnacle of performance and handling. He bought it in the winter and I ran into him in April. He mentioned that he had just got the bike back from its break-in service, which meant that it could be ridden to its limit. He asked if I'd like to take it for a ride.

It was around dusk, and I had missed a huge part of the previous riding season after having a run in with a deer at dusk (a story I’ll probably share at some point). Knowing that I would not have the restraint to take it easy, I turned him down. He persisted and with just a little more convincing, I accepted his offer.

I had a plan - there was a nearby straight stretch of road that I would test out the speed of the R1. I’d spend the rest of the ride obeying all traffic laws.

I did just that, I didn't speed until I was at my specific location. I won't say exactly how fast I went, but let's say it was way faster than most humans should ever go on a motorcycle. I neared the place where I was going to turn around to head back. There was a car pulling out of the side road I was turning into and the guy driving was focused on something behind me. It was the police with the lights flashing. Oh shit!!!

Now, the first thing a lot of douchebags say at this point in the story is, "You should've taken off! There's no way they could catch you!" That is the dumbest thing anyone could do! It wasn’t as if I robbed a bank or killed anyone! A police chase would make a bad situation catastrophic!

After I pulled over, the officer walked up to me and asked, "Do you know why I pulled you over?" Normally I say that I don't know (no sense in confessing to something the officer didn't notice). In this case I absolutely knew what it was; I was definitely going too fast. He asked how fast I thought I was going. Not wanting to incriminate myself, I replied that I wasn't sure.

He said he clocked me at 90 mph. An overwhelming relief came over me. He must've noticed me while I was slowing down. I remained as respectful and polite as I could, but he said that he had to write me a ticket. He wrote it for only 20 mph over the limit (still a few points against my license, but nothing that'd get it taken away). He was actually pretty cool; we had a little conversation about motorcycles before he let me go.

I returned to meet my friend and he immediately asked how I liked the ride. I responded by pulling the ticket out of my pocket. Everyone had a good laugh at my expense and I think I learned my lesson. Remember…cops are everywhere!

“There’s a lot of things blamed on me that never happened. But then, there’s a lot of things that I did that I never got caught at.” – Johnny Cash

Support Your Local Wrenches

A friend of mine recently moved back to our hometown after living elsewhere for the past decade. He was working as a motorcycle technician during this time and enjoyed his career, but ultimately wanted to move back home. He is slowly testing the waters to see how plausible his own small motorcycle repair shop will be. He is getting his name out in the motorcycle community as a guy that can help you out if you need it.

Recently a guy showed up with a squealing sound coming from his bike. My friend quickly diagnosed the issue, sprayed the drive belt, and the noise went away. He told this gentleman that there was really nothing wrong with the belt and the noise should be gone for quite a while. This service was done free of charge.

My point in telling this story is that we all should support our small bike shops because this is the type of stuff that you will almost always see. If you are courteous and polite, chances are you'll be getting one hell of a deal on your service and a good relationship with your mechanic. It would be damn near impossible to find a large dealership that would do any service free of charge.

 

“The purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well.”
― Ralph Waldo Emerson

Review of Viking Cycle Overlord Textile Jacket

 

My fear with any armored textile jacket is always the same, it can make you look like a storm trooper in Star Wars! Honestly, with the outer shoulder armor on this jacket, it does kind of have that look, but it pulls it off! I can say I'm pretty happy with the overall look and let's be honest, that's what's really most important to almost anyone. We just expect riding jackets to protect us if we wipe out and hope we never have to find out.

As far as material and stitch quality goes, I have owned a few other textile jackets and this one matches all of them for less than half the price. It has the same amount of armor and it fits just as well. I followed the online measurements and the jacket fits just as it's noted.

My favorite features of the jacket are the adjustable waist and the pocket space. It has a big interior pocket that is supposed to be used for a tablet, but it also works great for a baseball cap. As a guy who wears a cap pretty often, it's always a struggle to find a good place for it while I'm riding.

My complaint about the jacket is the collar. I wish it fastened with a button instead of Velcro. I have a pretty big neck, so the collar doesn't close all the way, leaving a portion of the Velcro tag to scratch against my neck. I probably should've ordered a size larger, knowing that I have a bigger neck. My advice to those of you who have a large neck is to order a size bigger.

As far as what temperature this jacket works well in, I'd say it's comfortable anywhere from 65 to 85 degrees. Any cooler and I'd recommend at least a sweatshirt underneath. It's a great summer/early fall jacket.

Overall, I'd definitely recommend this jacket, especially for the price. You won't find very many (if any) motorcycle jackets this inexpensive anywhere else.

Please also see the video review of this jacket. Ride safe!

See the Jacket here
https://www.motorcyclehouse.com/vikingcycle-over-lord-textile-motorcycle-jacket-for-men
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