On the Road Again

I have to travel for work from time to time. It's always a bummer to be away from my family. Thank goodness for Skype and FaceTime, so I can at least see my wife and kids' faces everyday. It seems that every time I travel, I miss on some great event for one of my kids, whether it be a new word, phrase, or skill.. I also have a very difficult time sleeping without my wife next to me. All this is saying nothing about the stress this puts on my wife to take care of the kids alone.

Each different season also brings its own headaches during travel. During the winter, I have to worry about snowstorms or the furnace breaking down while I'm away. During the summer I miss out on prime motorcycling weather.

I was told yesterday that I need to get prepared to head out on the road soon. This is just for a week, so it's not too bad, but I instantly start thinking about how I'll miss my family and I won't be able to ride. Let's just say that I'm pretty bummed out right now.

Sorry for the whining. Maybe I could rent a bike for one of the evenings after work. I'm sure that could cheer me up!

"Nothing makes a room feel emptier than  someone in it." - J

New Rider Sensibility

I recently read this article detailing a rider's accident. The author details some specifics about motorcyclists' accidents and deaths and then relates it to his own accident. He received his motorcycle endorsement and purchased a new Harley Davidson Sportster 1200 a few months later. He crashed a few miles into his ride home from the dealership. It was a minor crash, he wasn't injured, and his motorcycle had minimal damage.

The statement that stood out to me in this article was that the author purchased a brand new Sportster 1200 only a few months after getting his license! If you've read my past blog posts, you know that I am a firm believer in riding a smaller bike until you are more confident in your ability. I may be wrong, but I'm assuming that this author didn't have much if any riding experience before getting his endorsement beside a motorcycle safety course. He should have purchased a bike under 500cc and ridden it for a solid year before upgrading to a Sportster.

Now a Sportster 1200 is no speed demon, but it is pretty damn heavy and awkward to handle, especially for a new rider. Honing in on your skills prior to getting a heavier bike is in every rider's best interest. Also, like I've said in other posts, if you enjoy riding a bike that's not as "cool" as the brand new one you're dreaming of buying, you'll know that you truly enjoy the sport of motorcycling.

Please don't take this as an attack on this author. I just want to use this example to strengthen my point. It seems that he used this as a lesson learned and still enjoys riding. I just try to give all of you my advice. In all reality, I'm just happy people are buying and riding motorcycles.

"People always call it luck when you've acted more sensibly than they have." - Anne Tyler

Morning Ride

I slept like complete shit last night! I was on vacation from work last week, so my sleep schedule was thrown off and the stress of my upcoming workday was weighing on me. When I got out of bed in the morning, I prepared myself for what was seeming to be a long and tiring day. I barely had the energy to clean up and get dressed.

When I finally was ready to leave for work, I walked out to my garage, started my motorcycle, and rode out to the road. As I made my way up to 70 mph, I started feeling awake and refreshed. The cool morning air blasting against my face was exactly what I needed! This was way better than just a cup of coffee!

After this, my attitude changed, my workday was surprisingly productive, and the hours flew by like they were minutes. Of course, my lack of sleep did catch up to me this evening and I think I'm going to bed early. Hopefully, I'll be able to sleep tonight.

So, there you go. Another way motorcycles improve my life. Have you ever had a similar experience on your morning ride?

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

New Blood

 

Yesterday, two of my close friends told me that they are in the process of getting their motorcycle endorsement. Both are in their mid to late thirties and have little riding experience. I also recently spoke to my uncle who is in his seventies and purchased his first motorcycle. It really is never to late to get into riding!

I usually encourage anyone who has an inkling of interest to buy a small and cheap bike to see if their interest is real (see here for more of my opinion on that matter). There's no need to buy a new Harley or liter bike just to look cool...bikers look cool to the average folk no matter what they ride! One of my friends is riding a 250 for now until he's more confident in his ability and that's the right thing to do.

Right now I'm just happy about the possibility of more riding buddies. This gives me more motivation to get out and ride. I hope that some of my passion and enjoyment rubs off on them.

"You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream." - C.S. Lewis