If you Google search "motorcycle news" you'll quickly learn that motorcycles definitely are not mainstream yet. This morning I did that search and found that 7 of the 10 links in the first page were about accidents and deaths on motorcycles. Basically, what this shows is that when it comes to motorcycles, the biggest aspect the media likes to show is their inherent danger.
The very few times motorcycles are in the world news are usually describing the latest outlaw motorcycle club violence. I guess as a whole, the mainstream media views motorcyclists as criminals or at least reckless individuals. This may not be entirely true, but the evidence sure points us in that direction.
I don't think motorcycling is more dangerous than a lot of other hobbies. I once met a women who said she was petrified of motorcycles, but loved riding horses. I just smiled and nodded, but I really was confused. How could operating a machine that you can control be more dangerous than trusting an animal that has the strength to trample you to death?!! Sigh...to each their own, I guess.
"The true man wants two things: danger and play. For that reason he wants woman, as the most dangerous plaything. - Friedrich Nietzsche
It's the beginning of March, which also means it's time for the Daytona Bike Week. I've only been to Daytona once during Bike Week, but I came away with some pretty good stories.
It was 1999 and I was in my freshman year at university. My spring break perfectly aligned with Bike Week that year and I knew my dad was going, so I tagged along. March in the North is usually not hospitable to motorcycling and this year was no different, so we loaded my dad's bike into his van and drove to Florida. There wasn't any room for another bike, so I wasn't going to do any riding on this trip. The great thing about taking the van was that we also had a place to sleep, no hotel needed!
Now the embarrassing thing to me about the trip was the fact that I had to sit on the back of my dad's bike while we rode around Daytona (Nuts to Butts!). However, the great weather and being around that many motorcycles made up for any embarrassment. The greatest thing about Daytona is that motorcycles are allowed to ride on the beach.
While riding on the beach, bike traffic became pretty stop and go near a beachside bar. While we were stopped, I noticed a guy who I assumed was local sitting on the beach with a group of people. He was holding a cardboard sign that read, "show your tits." He was engaging in the stereotypical bike rally behavior of asking women to flash their bare chests.
An attractive women in a bikini walked up to this guy and he held the sign up above his head. She paused for a moment and said something to him. Next thing I saw was this man quickly pulling his penis out of his shorts and showing it to the lady. I assumed she told this guy that she'd show her breasts if he flashed something first. The woman had a look of shock on her face and quickly walked away without showing the man anything. His friends quickly berated the man for his failed attempt. Needless to say, I was pretty amused at the whole precession. My dad was too. The first thing he said was, "Did you see that?!!"
I think at least one trip to Daytona Bike Week would be interesting for anyone interested in motorcycles. If nothing else, maybe you'll come away with an interesting story like mine. My one bit of advice is to bring a lot of sunscreen, especially if you're as pale skinned as me. I left Florida with a pretty severe sunburn.
"Wherever you go becomes a part of you somehow." - Anita Desai
Are you a fan of loud exhaust? This is a pretty controversial subject among different groups of riders. In general, the Harley and sportbike crowds love loud pipes, while the metric cruiser and touring people prefer stock exhaust (I said "in general" so don't get butt hurt if I misspoke for you specifically). Personally, I have very little issue with a loud motorcycle exhaust. As a matter of fact, many of my previous motorcycles had mufflers that would be considered illegal.
The issue of exhaust noise was brought to my attention recently when I was snowmobiling (see that story here). While riding the trails I met up with some conservation officers who were measuring the sound levels of a snowmobiler's aftermarket exhaust. After determining that the exhaust was louder than the law allowed, the officers wrote the man a ticket. This topic came up in a later conversation with the officers and they mentioned that the purpose of writing tickets that day was to appease the local land owners who were filing complaints about the abundance of loud snowmobiles. Something had to be done or the land owners would no longer allow the trail to pass through their property.
I have heard of instances of police officers pulling bikers over for loud exhaust and even checking mufflers for baffles, so I knew that there was some public outcry against loud motorcycles as well as snowmobiles. Then I read this article detailing a lawsuit for overly loud motorcycle exhausts. There is an aspect of this that scares me. This could become more than just an isolated lawsuit, it could happen in any area. I don't ever want to see a situation where motorcycling can be taken away from us.
I want to reiterate that I am not against loud exhaust, but I do believe a little common sense may be warranted. If you have an aftermarket exhaust, then use some restraint while riding through residential neighborhoods especially at night. Feel free to rev the shit out of your bike when your on the open road, a track, or some isolated area where no one will be bothered.
"Loud is a way of life." - Steven Adler
February's almost over and we're coming down the home stretch for winter. I, for one, am ready for Spring. My throttle hand is starting to itch (actually, let's face it, it's been itching since December). It's time to clean our bikes, check the fluids, lube the chain (if you have one), and prepare for the upcoming riding season.
This is being pretty optimistic. Three years ago we had a snow storm in May, so I might be putting the cart before the horse, but I like to stay positive (for my own sanity). Just ask my wife how insane I became in May of 2013!
So, let's hope that we'll be crawling out of biker hibernation and riding very soon. Also, let's hope that we all keep our sanity if Spring doesn't come for a couple of months. Here's my bold prediction...I'll be posting about my first ride of the year by the first week of April. That will be six blog posts from now (holy shit, that's actually a long time!).
"I try not to get involved in the business of prediction. It's a quick way to look like an idiot." - Warren Ellis
I recently read a great article in Motorcyclist magazine (read it here). The premise was similar to posts I have made, don't put down or hate other motorcyclists. If you have a Harley, you don't have to hate a person who rides a Honda and vice versa. Show respect for everyone on two wheels.
Also, I really can't stand it when a person becomes an elitist douchebag toward anything that he or she aren't into. An example would be an adventure touring enthusiast calling anyone who rides on the street lame for staying on pavement. While dirt riding may be cool to you, how about keeping your put downs to yourself and be happy that someone is enjoying the sport, no matter which type of bike they may ride? The actual funny thing in these situations is that a lot of these elitist bikers will end up liking the same bikes they're clowning on when they become the "in" thing.
It'd be really "cool" to have enough confidence in yourself to enjoy what you do without putting others down. Sigh...rant over and please don't take this post as anti-adventure touring. I was just using that as an example. Riding any type of motorcycle is always alright with me. Who really cares what others see as cool anyway? That's a topic for fourteen year old girls to worry about.
"See the bowtie? I wear it and don't care. That's why it's cool." - Steven Moffat
February 2000 was a strange month as far as weather is concerned. The temperatures were well above the melting point for most of the month. If you read this post you'll see what my feelings are regarding prematurely taking your bike out in the spring, but this year was different. Not only were the temperatures warm, but it also rained for a few days straight, which removed nearly all of the leftover sand and salt on the local roads.
I had purchased my brand new Ducati Monster in October and I was really anxious to get out and ride. While I was debating if the roads were in good enough condition to take the bike out, a friend of mine showed up at my house and made the decision for me. He said the roads were in great condition and I needed to get off my ass. So, we spent that Sunday riding nearly 100 miles. It was a pretty eventful ride with the most memorable part being my run in with a partridge. Actually, the partridge flew into me, leaving a huge cloud of feathers in my wake.
The reason that I'm sharing this story is to point out that no matter where you live, the weather can throw you a curveball and you could be out riding way sooner than you expect. Take advantage of these days and savor them when they come. In fact, let's cross our fingers and hope for a similar February this year!
"Remember Red, hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things, and no good thing ever dies." - Andy Dufresne, The Shawshank Redemption
This past weekend was a fun one. I had the chance to break the monotony of winter by getting outside and enjoying some snowmobiling. While it's not motorcycling, any sort of motorsport was much better than sitting on my ass all weekend. When I was riding, I noted to myself the similarities between motorcycling and snowmobiling.
The first similarity is an obvious one...you're straddling a motorized contraption with no protection from the elements except the gear you're wearing. It's my favorite way to enjoy the outdoors, riding at relatively high speeds. Just that alone was a great way to break my winter boredom.
Other similarities related more to the subtle motions I make while riding either a motorcycle or snowmobile. Keep in mind that I did most of my snowmobiling on groomed trails this weekend, not in deep powder. One trail I was riding was extremely twisty and I found myself reverting to my motorcycle headspace. I instinctively started to make sure I kept my gaze on where I needed to be instead of right in front of me (remember cornering 101 in motorcycle safety class?). Also I made sure to create some pressure on the running boards with my inside foot on each corner, similar to what I do with the foot pegs on a motorcycle.
I actually think that snowmobiling in the winter may be a great way to keep your motorcycling skills sharp. However, owning a snowmobiling is really expensive, possibly even more so than a motorcycle. I'm not prepared to spend that kind of money at this time, but I think I can rent or borrow one here and there throughout the winter, so I can actually have some fun. I recommend you do the same to beat your winter blues.
"Love is the power to see similarity in the dissimilar." - Theodor Adorno
