The Work Ride

It's Tuesday morning, after the long Memorial Day weekend. It always seems a lot tougher to go back to work from a three day weekend. Getting out of bed was tougher than usual, it took much more time to get showered, eat breakfast, and to make my lunch and I moped around the house until I knew that if I waited one more second, I’d be late for work.

Then I started my bike. I wasn’t in slow motion anymore! Actually, I was probably going too fast (it’s always tough for me not to speed on a motorcycle). Riding to work in the morning really makes every day start out pretty well and if I have a bad day, the ride home definitely is a huge stress reliever. My new bike has riding modes, so after a stressful day at work, I switch it to sport mode and take the long way home, basically riding like an asshole the entire way (not really an asshole, but let's just say I break a few traffic laws).

So, I saw this meme on Twitter and instantly retweeted it because it really is true, even if it is a little cliché. That's the thing about cliché sayings; they usually are pretty universally true.

“It is a cliché that most clichés are true, but then like most clichés, that cliché is untrue.”
― Stephen Fry

Biker Beatdown



If you haven't already heard, there was a violent altercation between rival motorcycle clubs this past weekend in Waco, TX. I just read an article pointing out that the FX show Sons of Anarchy lead people toward this violent lifestyle. I call bullshit!!

Ok...I don't call complete bullshit, because there may be a few cases where a person who would have led a completely nonviolent, crime free life entered the outlaw lifestyle because of that show, but they're a huge minority. Most of the men in these clubs would have been criminals anyway and just pick the biker club as their avenue to pursue that life. I'd also like to note that not all one percent bikers are violent career criminals. I've met a few who led perfectly (ok maybe not perfect) clean lives and did not commit violent crimes.

I have witnessed an example of a guy who was a criminal who happened to be in an MC. It was at a small rally a few years ago. A pretty big, well known club had a campsite there and a noticeably intoxicated man stumbled over to a little stand with some bike parts for sale. A club member was standing a 50 feet away when all of a sudden, he charged the inebriated guy. I'm pretty sure the guy flipped him off, which was a dumb move, but it did not warrant the beating he took. The club member not only knocked him down and out with a barrage of punches, but he laid about ten kicks to the guy's head and body after he was unconscious.

When it was finally over, the club member noticed that people had saw the whole thing and he got into an escalade (not even on a motorcycle) and sped away. After witnessing that, I can tell you that this man was a violent criminal and would have been one whether he was in the club or not. I think we should view the men in the Waco shootout in the same way.

Please don’t let tragedies like this keep you from enjoying movies and TV shows about outlaw bikers. I for one find them very entertaining (that’s what they are, entertainment).

 

''I have no problem with screen violence at all, but I have a big problem with real-life violence.'' – Quentin Tarantino

High Flying Hippie Hoodie

 



Here's another interesting ride on my old Yamaha DS 100.

I was 12 or 13 and it was this time of year - mid spring. My friend and I were riding around on our local dirt roads. We came up on a trail that was roped off with a “No Trespassing” sign. I knew where this trail led, to my Uncle Wally's (he wasn't really my uncle, but he always told me to call him Uncle Wally) cabin. Seeing as it was my uncle's place, I knew it would be ok if we took a ride through his trail.

My friend was riding a four wheeler and he and I would always argue which was best, a dirt bike or quad. I had to show how much faster than him I could go through this trail (this was no small feat because he was crazy on that quad). I knew that the bike could definitely out corner the quad, so I went extra fast at each curve.

As I was going through a particularly long curve, I received a little surprise, a downed tree. Oh shit! I had no time to brake, so I hit it hard! I flew over the handlebars and through the air. I landed on my helmet's face mask. This was a streetbike full face helmet with the shield removed. The lower part of the mask dug into the dirt, filling my face and mouth with it. I was wearing one of those "hippie hoodies" (the multicolored burlap sacks with sleeves and a hood) and the rough woven material basically gave my arms rug burn as I slid on the ground. Needless to say, this sucked. However, my bike was virtually undamaged, just a couple scratches.

My friend mockingly laughed as he slowly rode his quad over the tree. Damn! Chalk one up for four wheelers (dirt bikes are still better). What lesson did I learn? Follow instructions when you see no trespassing signs, don't show off on an unknown trail, and don't wear hippie hoodies (I think they were trendy back then… it was the grunge era).

“Life is a succession of lessons which must be lived to be understood.” – Helen Keller

FZ and Monster Shootout

My new bike is a Ducati Monster 821. So far, I love it (I'll probably write a review, but I'd like to get a little more time on it). Yesterday, I had a conversation with a guy who just bought a Yamaha FZ09. These bikes are really similar in styling, power, and overall performance. Our conversation turned to the differences between these bikes and we came to a conclusion that I have mentioned before (here). Small differences in performance should not be a big factor in choosing a new motorcycle.

The Yamaha has 115 horsepower and the Ducati has 112. The Ducati has a little better suspension and brakes. There is no arguing these facts, but there is also no arguing that both are ridiculously fun to ride. The decision to buy either of these bikes should be made from a financial and aesthetic perspective. This means, pick the one you can afford and if you can afford both, pick the one you think looks better. If you have a chance to test ride a bike, riding comfort should also be a factor in your decision. However, a test ride isn’t always possible and chances are that bikes in the same class are pretty damn close in that respect also.

Everyone, including myself, loves the shootout articles in bike magazines - determining which bike in each class reigns supreme. Do you know what usually happens? Read three different magazines and you'll get three different verdicts (not always, but it's common). This all is a pretty subjective thing, so I say figure out what type of motorcycle you like and pick the best looking one if you can afford it. This is exactly what pushed me to the Monster (for the second time).

On a side note, I would like to mention that if you ever have the chance to demo an entire product line (shops will do this on occasion), I would strongly recommend it. Comparing models side by side is really the only way to know for sure if you’re a cruiser, sport, or other bike rider.

“Share our similarities, celebrate our differences.” - M. Scott Peck