I had my tongue firmly planted in my cheek during my last post, although I did go out and buy a blender for the house on the bike. Yes, it did occur to me to take the blender out of the box to carry it home although I didn't do that for fear of damaging the blender.
The post did prompt me to ask a question to the various forums I belong to about using the bike as your main means of transport. I was surprised at how many people do. Many, like me, either have one car (which may or may not be used that often) or no car at all. Many made that choice on their own for whatever reason whereas I felt I was forced into using the bike as my main means of transportation but I have never regretted it. My question became...how do I use my bike more? What should I carry to make my life on two wheels simple and better? Bungee cords could have helped moving the blender but I didn't have any on me at the time. Now I have them packed away.
Someone mentioned a cargo net. Trobairitz mentioned Rok straps and these are both things I need to look into. I also discovered that my under seat storage is bigger than I originally thought. I now have a variety of bungee cords, my rain suit, my phone charger, a sweater, my "pack" (which contains a $20 bill, my bike's insurance info, two flashlights, a 1st aid kit and other things). In other words a lot of crap. More crap than I probably need or use (for example I've yet to use the phone charger but have it just in case I'm stuck somewhere someday).
I am already using Kimmie for small errands. I commute nearly every day, traveling 70 miles round trip. Still I want to ride more, go further. How do you give up a car? How do you make a motorcycle your main means of transportation?
Susan and I are slowly but surely getting used to riding 2-up but over the last month or two it's been raining, work has had me working overtime and even the second delivery job has been busier than normal as I find myself taking on new projects all the time. This lifestyle does not lend itself to riding very well. I hope to have mastered this 2-up thing by our trip to the Bahama's in September. After all, her mother and daughter will be along and I'm sure they will want to climb on back too. Convincing Susan to do more on the bike with me may be an uphill battle. It is a different type of lifestyle that I am trying to obtain.
One, not free of the car but where I put more miles on my odometer than normal. According to the National Highway Administration, my average miles for a guy my age should be about 18,800. I would like to put that on the bike. Right now nearly all of the mileage on the car is related to my side job. Traveling my 70 miles round trip I get very close to that. How do I put on that extra 600 to 700 miles?
I am not sure why I want to do this. This just seems like the right thing to do. It just "feels" right.
This blog post was started when I realized that I was really hot during the summer. "Would not a nice fruit smoothie be nice to cool down with" I thought to myself. "Yes, yes it would be." I said. So I needed a few things. I could keep the ice under my seat. That could help keep me cool, and I could stash the fruit there too!
I thought to myself that the blender could easily fit in the top case. So I run up to the store, buying the groceries and milk and a few other things all of which stored nicely under the seat. Kimmie has a cell phone charger under the seat as well, it would not hard to plug the blender to it, I just have to modify the blender cord some! There was only one slight problem.
Yep, I could not close the top case all the way. So much for the idea of ice cold smoothies when out in the middle of an adventure on a hot Florida day...at least until I get a bigger top case.
When I decided that my scooter was going to be main source of transportation we owned a car and a jeep. So I always had a back up plan in case of bad weather or if I need to pick something up. Eventually we ended up trading both vehicles in to buy a new car, meaning that my bike literally became my only means of going from point A to point B in most cases.
This has worked out extremely well. There have been a few times I've need to borrow my parents car but for the most part using a motorcycle as my main ride has not been a problem. Riding the few miles home from the store with the top case open wasn't a issue. It generally has served me well running back and forth to the store for odds and ends. I do have to consider what I'm buying however, as space is limited.
The more I ride my bike however the more I realize I would not give it up now. It's become part and parcel of "who I am." That's not a bad thing.
From a certain point onward there is no longer any turning back. That is the point that must be reached. - Franz Kafka It's not that rare for me to comment on someone else's blog. A good blog entry or article in a magazine should engage your mind, make you learn something or consider something in a new light. Sometimes something should just piss you off enough that you need to fire off a comment just to show that moron that you know more than them. If it does that then it is a successful piece of writing in my mind. A dated article recently linked to the Motorcycle Obsession blog got me thinking. The piece, which you can read here, basically dealt with Hipsters and Motorcycles. Or what they - which I suppose is young people - are riding today. Now I am not a hipster. I would have no idea on how to even define such a thing. After all I don't smoke clove cigarettes, I have never owned a beret, nor do I find the music of the Decemberists all that interesting (Hey Kids, lets do a song about dying of famine in 1860's Ireland! Won't that be fun!)
Now I will agree that poking non-malicious fun of a group other than your own can be enjoyable at times (for example, H-D riders). The Motorcycle.com piece certainly has it's tongue planted firmly in it's cheek at times, but the problem is that instead of embracing this movement towards greater numbers of people riding it sort of blows them off. The article lumps a whole lot of people into one category without understanding some of the logic behind the reason why motorized bicycles, small "cc" scoots and vintage bikes are "in." That I'm afraid I have to take issue with.
The article starts with "hipsters love vintage" and mentions Grandad's old Goldwing. In fact, several times "vintage" is mentioned and the term "vintage" is used to conjure a certain look or emotion. A few of the brands mentioned, such as the Triumph Bonneville and the Royal Enfields speak to a much simpler time and, as Motorcycle Obsession points out, simply looks like a motorcycle.
Let's be honest. Some bikes are simply more easier to work on than others. Today's youth, saddled with impossible student loans to pay back and a bleak job outlook, are looking to save money any way they can. Buying a motorcycle/scooter is certainly one way to do that. Buying an older motorcycle/scooter is certainly one way to do that. Guess what might be easier to work on? The newest computerized high performance engine or your simple two-stroke? Grandad's old Goldwing might have 130,000 miles on it, but it was lovingly taken care of. Plus Pop's would be more than willing to throw you some knowledge on it's care. Hipsters are supposedly riding motorized bicycles as well. I've not seen to many of these around the streets of Tampa but with top speeds of maybe 30 miles an hour and 130 mpg of gas I can certainly understand the attraction to the "hipster". It, much like the lower 'cc' scooter, is built for city life. You're able to ride it to work, to the bus depot or train stop. You're able to take it inside the building and place it in your cube. Well at least where I used to work you were able to take your (non-motorized) bike in.
Scooters of course offer higher gas mileage and more storage than either a motorcycle or motorized bicycle can. Vespa's are pretty common and hold their value well and you have a lot of online sources to turn to if you have issues. The Honda Ruckus is a do anything, go anywhere scooter which again is easy to work on. It also has a very active online presence Do you see a pattern emerging here?
There was one bike in the article that did surprise me, till I thought about it for a moment. The Ural however offers a lot other than a slick marketing scheme. You can carry three people on a Ural without much difficulty. It's sidecar offers excellent storage and frankly it's go anywhere attitude and ability to go anywhere makes it a perfect year round ride. Sure it's got issues but if you're serious about making your life car free (and this is a growing movement) the Ural is a near perfect solution. Is it any wonder their sales keep increasing? I know I am slowly but surely heading that way and one of the reasons I'm attracted to the Ural is it's unusual pedigree. There is something to be said for that as well and frankly that is one of the reasons I think "hipsters" are attracted to it as well. What bothers me in the end is not the article. Nor the disdain it showed, after all the audience the piece is written for is older and have ridden for years. I guess what bothered me is that we need to grow the brotherhood of two wheels. We need to communicate better, to rethink how we market, act and treat each other. People buy bikes for 1001 reasons, it's up to us to make sure they buy the right bike for their needs and abilities. It may finally be "hip" to be on two wheels...why shoot that down?
I've been thinking about how much I enjoy riding, and how stupid I am to take the bike to work when I know there is a 60% chance of being caught out in rain. It's pitch black when I pull out of the parking lot at work. I'm in full battle gear. My rain suit fits over my jacket like a glove. I slide on my gauntlet gloves, bought specifically to deal with rain and cold weather. Kimmie shakes off the water like a cat and we begin the long ride home. Dodging raindrops and looking at the lightening in our rear view mirror, praying that I can outrun the thunderstorms plaguing the area.
Lately I've not been riding much. This is due to a combination of factors which includes weather, my self employment and my regular job (I work for 3M). I have had to take the car places. I have had to attend meetings, classes and other events that, for whatever reason, I was not able to ride to. The fact that I've been working overtime has contributed as well. This is a pattern that is repeated at the end of every month. I just get to busy to go and enjoy a nice long ride somewhere, anywhere.
I am surprised at how much I miss riding. So when the chance to ride to work presents itself. I take it, even though I damn well know it's not a good idea. Riding to me has become more than just a cheap way to get from point A to point B. No, it's much more than that to me now. It's become my escape.
My job really is not that stressful. In fact, even during the worst moments when the board is filled with red and people are screaming, freaking out, panicking....I have an almost Zen like state. I used to work on projects that would cost a company hundred of thousands of dollars if they didn't do it right. My job was to make sure it was right. I had the right to shut them down if I wasn't happy. I did sometimes knowing that I was in the right.. Later on in my life I dealt with people's lives. Making decisions to grant loans, to help make dreams realities based on credit. Based on deposits and ratio's and choices...based on cold, hard calculations.
I left that job when the math didn't make sense anymore. When the logic was based on bad assumptions and greed. We all know what happened after that. Yes, you can blame me for the near collapse of the banks a few years ago.
So stress? Not in the least.
So why do I escape? Why am I feeling this desire to ride?
It's quiet for one thing. It just the wind noise and the bike, no other noise. My attention is on the road ahead of me. No fiddling with the radio trying to find something I want to listen to. No phone calls. I've considered a cheap bluetooth for the helmet but decided against it. I don't want the distractions.
Generally speaking I'm not a risk taker. I may speed but not excessively. I may ride in weather that I should not of, earlier this week being a perfect example, but have no issue pulling over and waiting. Or even leaving Kimmie somewhere and picking her up in the morning. There is a risk to riding. Cars are built to protect the rider, bikes give the rider responsibility. To pay attention, to always be aware of the surroundings. Some argue that riding is freedom. I understand that...it is freedom but it also takes us back to a time when we were not as "coddled" as we are today. I am responsible for my own safety.
For example, a giant chicken
Motorcycles are built for the back roads. Sure I can ride on the freeway, get up to at least 100 miles per hour (161 km/h) but honestly why? Personally for me; the freeway is designed for the car where as the bike is designed more for some back country road where I can smell the heather, listen to the spring peepers and actually see things that I would not see.
One of the reasons I was so excited about the Equinox to Equinox rally was because I know had an excuse to go out and ride. Sadly even this fun event fallen by the wayside lately. One day I just said, "It's to damn hot to ride!"
I know that soon enough I'll be able to ride more, I'll be going places again and not just to and through from work. I know that soon enough I'll be packing a weekend back into the top case and Susan and I will be off somewhere. In the meantime I just have to bide my time. And that is the hardest part.
Kimmie roared to life the other night, yes roared. I could just hear her say, in the petulant voice of a pretty Korean girl..."I need to go further, I need speed. I need the open road. It's been so long since we gone on a long ride!" Perhaps it's the summer weather but I have gotten tired of the daily commute. I am up for an adventure, I need...no, crave something different. I've been reading blogs like Road Pickle, Riding the Wet Coast and Scoot Commute, I evny their tales of long trips and adventures and just doing something different for a change.
I suppose every rider experiences that need in their life to just keep going, to see what's down the road and around that corner. In our case I've been thinking about a ride to St Augustine. Sue and I visited recently but traveled by car with my family. The idea of taking the bike there has appealed to me for some time. I know that Kimmie will hold a overnight bag without issue, so a weekend trip is within grasp. I feel ready to make such a trip. I suppose given enough time I'll want to travel the country.
Only two issues. I don't have any (unplanned) vacation time left this year, so it needs to be next year. Susan has been using my jacket and back up helmet so we still need to get her proper gear. Plus she is not feeling comfortable behind me. She has confidence in my ability, but I am a full foot (0.30 m) taller than her. So she sees nothing but the back of my helmet (and I refuse to ride without a helmet). At a little over 200 pounds (90.7 kilos) I'm very good at blocking air flow. So she's hot, with pins in her back from a car accident in her teenage years she needs to sit a certain angle to be comfortable. That may not be possible on the bike. Funny how you learn new things about someone you have been with for a long time. I've a feeling we will be doing more 2-up riding in the fall and winter when the tempertures fall to a much more manageable degree. Now that I'm used to having her back there, I can't imagine riding without her.
Kimmie quotes Keiichi Sisawa in my ear: I would think that a motorrad's purpose in life is to go places isn't it? The traveler's purpose in life is to travel. - from Kino no tabi. "Let's go." she whispers. I turn the throttle and she purrs. I think of Jack Kerouac “Nothing behind me, everything ahead of me, as is ever so on the road.” She whispers, demanding now...."Let's go for a ride"
I have a question for you as a scooter rider. Here in Ottawa I wave to anybody on two wheels but scooter riders never seem to wave back. What's up with that?
David Drouin, who maintains the excellent Motorcycle Addiction blog sent me an email concerning the so called "biker's wave." It's one of those questions that pop up now and again on the various forums I frequent. Scooters in most states require the same licensing, the same training as motorcycles. Today many of the maxi-scoots are certainly as powerful as many motorcycles. That line continues to blur as motorcycles are redesigned with automatic transmissions and internal storage. So why don't we scooterists wave?
I generally wave at passing bikes, either the traditional motorcycle or a scooter. Hell, I even wave at bicyclists...they are part of the brotherhood (and sisterhood) too. Generally speaking I get a wave back - although there are those snobs that will only wave at a particular type of bike, or worse - a particular model. Actually I have noticed that I tend to get a "one finger" wave as I pass certain types of bikes whose brand name I will not mention here. David's question did get me thinking however, so I'm introducing a new series which I'm calling "The Brotherhood of Two Wheels." Anything dealing with the perceived divided between the scootering and motorcycling community, anything that deals with helping out our fellow riders will fall into this category.
I really don't worry about if I don't get a nod or wave in return. Frankly you never know what is going on in the other bikers world. He could be concentrating on shifting, turning, safety, etc. What really annoys me however is two things I've come across again and again. The first is a arrogance, either real or perceived by those in the motorcycling community that scooter riders are not real "bikers." Therefore we are not worthy of a wave.
For example, when I lived in Tampa proper there was a big motorcycle garage. This was at the beginning of the scooter boom and they had a big sign hanging out front, "WE DO NOT SERVICE SCOOTERS - DON'T EVEN BOTHER ASKING"
It's been a few years since and to the best of my knowledge they still don't service scooters, which seems to be cutting off the nose to spite the face, after all scooters are the fastest growing segment of the motorcycling world. Some forums, like advrider.com (which I am a member of) have a section dedicated to scooters, but with the caption "If your secure in your manhood." I know, it's meant to be funny. It's not and again, shows a perceived bias against those of us that ride "scooters." That somehow we are not "real men."
I've been asked questions about my scooter. "Is it street legal?" "Can you ride on the highway with it?" These questions often come from the non-riding public. But I've been asked those same questions by "bikers" as well.
The second issue is the nature of scooters themselves. I ride a maxi-scooter - generally defined as anything above 250cc. Well I'm not a rarity; it's much more common to come across a smaller, slower scooter often in the urban environment putting along between 30 to 50 mph (48 - 80 kph). Even as a scooterist myself, I've railed against these smaller cc machines. For me it's an issue of safety. If your top speed is only 45 mph your limited to what roads you can ride safely.
When I first started riding I had a Zuma 125. My top speed was 55 mph (89 kph) and although I felt safe on the city streets, I was always looking about to make sure I was not going to get hit by some moron behind me. Any two wheeled vehicle is invisible to most cagers.
Scooters are smaller due to their very nature. So did I wave as often as I do now? No, I did not. Putting aside the safety issue however, we scooterists seem to have a bit of an inferiority complex. I will admit to lying about what I ride at times because of perceived bias on someone's part. I felt the sting of others scorn because I don't ride a "real bike." Even my beloved girlfriend wants me to buy a "real bike" sometime in the future.
Is it because we are underpowered for the most part? Is it because popular culture recognizes the motorcycle and celebrates the "outlaw lifestyle" it represents? How many shows and movies involved motorcycles? Can you name one movie other than Quadrophenia that has scooters in it? Even the quintessential American Graffiti has a kid riding a scooter, who promptly crashes it in the opening credits. At the end of the movie he is given a car. Given these images it is any wonder why scooterists have an inferiority complex.
We have very little in the culture that celebrates the scooter. American culture is about speed and power and going long distances. Sure a scooter is going to go further, some of them are capable of nearly 100 miles on a gallon of gas...but to do so we have to give up speed and power. Most Americans are not willing to do that. So the scooter is "inferior." Those of us that ride them are "inferior."
Finally, and sadly, I think most scooterists don't I can't speak for others of course, and I may be way off base. We don't know any better. We don't get the wave, so we don't give the wave. Give the wave. Give a smile.
I'm going to continue to ride Kimmie in all types of weather and on all types of roads. I will continue to wave at scooterists and motorcyclists. Hell, I'm even waving at bicycles. If I see an issue I'll pull over to offer what little help I can. I'm a scooterist, I'm a biker, I'm a proud member of the brotherhood of two wheels.
Serendipity: finding valuable or agreeable things not sought after. This last saturday I experienced both of those feelings. Susan and I started riding two-up for several reasons, but one of the main ones is she wanted to explore the local area with me. As part of the Equinox to Equinox rally I was visiting old cemeteries and traveling all around the back roads coming back home with interesting stories and pictures of what exactly was out there.
We agreed to go exploring, planning to take a two hour and 60 mile ride to a few places I wanted to mark off my list. The courthouse in nearby Dade City, the Muffler Man, a couple of cemeteries. I had heard of an old ghost town nearby...well not really a ghost town but a town that used to have over 1000 people living there that now had less than 100, yet somehow managed to preserve it's early 1900's buildings. As fans of history we had to see this!
First however we had some errands to run and breakfast to eat, so we climbed aboard Kimmie and took off. We had no issues, not a care in the world as we started off on our journey.
Then Susan started to tap me on the shoulder, she forgot something at the house. We turned around. About an hour later we left again. And turned around again as something else was needed or forgotten. Another hour passes. We are now into the heat of the day....to hot for Susan to ride. I'm on my own.
I've been looking for a way to map out my route and then have it transferred to my phone. I have some earphones that I can plug in and listen to the GPS directions as I ride. I head out, the voice in my ear tells me turn left, turn left, turn left...wait a second. It seems to be stuck on one turn, refusing to advance to the next. I try a different tack, inputting a new destination. It searches for GPS. It searches for GPS. It searches for GPS. I swear at it. It finds GPS.
It loses signal.
Fuck it, where does this road go anyway?
I turn and start to head down a road I've never been on before. It's a nice 2 lane road, heading into the wilderness that is central Florida. I ride through farmland and past citrus tree, there are more than enough twisties to make it interesting. I am the only bike on this road, and I realize it's a hidden gem as I putt along at about 40 to 50 miles per hour. It's a great road, no potholes, the curves well marked out.
I pull off here and there when something catches my eye, an old barn falling down or a baby calf grazing at the fence line. I try to entice it with some flowers picked by the side of the road but it wants nothing to do with some strange man riding a noisy machine.
I ride some more, the smell of lavender off in the distance. I turn a corner and see an old familiar sign. I'm in the Green Swamp now. The paved road gives out to hard scrabble but it's nothing that I've not ridden on before, Kimmie and I move forward, till the road were on dead ends at a small but well maintained little church and graveyard.
I ask permission of the dead to move my motorcycle close to the graves and take my photo. Taking a few minutes to watch the various butterfly's float through the air. It's peaceful here and I can understand why the Baptist Church seems to be in the middle of no where.
Off again now....through twists and turns heading home or at least in that general direction. I cross an old wooden one lane bridge. I worry about stopping in the middle of it, but I hear no cars...in fact I hear nothing but nature and the gurgle of the water below me.
I know now that I have to return to this road, this hidden gem. I hope to bring Susan here, she would love the quiet and the view. The flowers on the side of the road in their purple and golden glory. I'm tempted to post something to the various forums I belong to. Letting other bikers know about this find, this amazing remarkable road. Then again it's my secret...and I'm reminded of the legend of Brigadoon.
On the way home I was able to get a few historical markers out of the way. So I was able to get some points towards the rally. But the rally was an afterthought. All I wanted to do now was ride.
A few days ago at work a buddy of mine asked me how hot I was wearing my jacket every day. I explained to him that I just bought myself a new mesh jacket that allowed for better airflow, and that lead to a little discussion about safety in general. How wearing a jacket or a helmet just becomes habit, much like putting on a seatbelt.
At this time if you are still reading then good for you! Hopefully this is NOT going to be a "boring safety post."
Well maybe a little bit of safety. I am going to review my new mesh jacket and talk a little bit about my future plans for Kimmie. All of which, strangely, seem to revolve around safety issues. I've already done more "farkles" on Kimmie than I ever did on the Burgie. I'm counting the new seat as a farkle even though it was not planned that way.
Ten years ago if you would have told me I would have fallen in love with Motorcycling (actually I'm a Scooterist) I would have thought you were nuts. Five years ago I was giving it some thought, for the same reasons I started riding. To reduce my costs and make my life simpler. To a great extent it has. Sometimes I pull next to a bus or some other reflective surface and I find myself wondering who is that guy in the dark helmet, the new grey and black jacket wearing the heavy boots is. I've come a long way from the guy in the half-helmet wearing a bright yellow spring jacket with no armor at all. No gloves, no boots. Riding my little Zuma 125 down twisty roads in the middle of the night. So paranoid of being hit from behind I would pull off the road at night to let cars pass me.
Today, on a bigger machine, I wear proper gear most of the time. I will admit that I've gone to work on hotter days sans jacket (one of the reasons I bought the mesh jacket). Or I've had a meeting sometime in the day where I've slipped on my dress shoes instead of my boots.
Now that Sue is starting to ride with me, we have been looking at jackets and a new and better helmet for her than the old half helmet she wears now. I only bought my new jacket at her insistence (Yes I'm that cheap!). It's funny how suddenly having a passenger changes things. Suddenly the lighted license plate I toyed with buying takes on more urgency. Installing a air horn becomes less of an issue and moves up the "to do" list.
Well I certainly find the light modulation kits annoying when I ride, I can understand why others have them. I'm not sure if I'm willing to annoy other drivers yet by buying one. I am not so worried about the personalization of Kimmie as I am about making myself and my riding partner safer.
It's funny how that works. How something originally intended to get me from point A to point B cheaply became something more. How it inspired this silly little blog. How it's taken me further and now I want to share that...that feeling of joy I have when I just go anywhere. See I told you there wouldn't be to much safety talk in this post.
When I bought Kimmie I didn't realize that there was a small tear in the seat cover. It slowly got worse over time since it was on the seam, and although I considered it a minor annoyance I knew that I would have to fix it eventually. In talking to a few people that supposedly know about these things they felt it would be easy enough to take a fabric needle and nylon thread to stitch it together.
When the dealership decided to call me regarding a few things I posted on Facebook, and in various groups I belong to (including one they sponsor) to resolve a previous issue, one of the things we agreed on was to fix the seat. I was simply expecting them to replace the cover and not the whole seat. So imagine my surprise when I get a new and upgraded seat?
I'm still not happy with the way the company in question handled the whole situation, but frankly the seat goes some distance to resolve those issues. I am not however rescinding my original comments. I've worked in customer service and sales all my life in everything from engineering to banking. I've trained salespeople for God's sake. So if I feel I'm wronged...you will know it.
So far I've only ridden about 50 miles on it (or 80.5 km) and am still trying to determine if I'm happy with it. It seems a little less comfortable than the other seat did, and reminds me a lot of the previous Burgman seat - which had some issues. I do like the backrest and that is a great improvement. Only more miles will determine if it works for me. Since there are no seams it's not going to tear, which is good. The backrest seems to be adjustable, but I will have to take a closer look at that.
I also had a chance to drive over the Howard Franklin bridge twice on Kimmie. I was very curious to see how she would handle the winds of the bay, since I was severely punished for it on the Burgman before. It was fine. Not a single issue to be had, but I still don't like driving highways.
Although we got pounded by the first tropical storm of the season this week and last Susan and I did manage to get some 2-up time. So far just lazy rides around Zephyrhills and our community. I took my time, being sure to take turns slow (but not to slow) and stay on the back roads. Susan thoroughly enjoyed it and raved to all the Facebook friends about it. I started to enjoy it once I realized how the bike was going to react and that I was not going to dump it. Although in about an hour from now we are planning on going to dinner at one of our favorite places to eat and relax, and that will require me to drive in some heavier traffic, so we will see how that goes.. No, sadly it's not the Taco Bus but I did finally get a chance to eat there last week and enjoyed every second of it!
It's been one of those weeks where nothing got accomplished. I got buried at work, the weather did not cooperate and the lovely Susan and I didn't manage to get our stuff together to start trying to ride 2-up. We did make sure she was able to climb onto the back of the bike without difficultly but we haven't taken it out yet.
In fact, I've not ridden much at all in the last few days. When I have however I've noticed something about myself and my riding technique. I've become sloppy. Not really coming to a full stop when making a right turn at a stop sign. Looking down a bit when making a turn and not keeping my eye on what's ahead. Racing through yellow lights.
In other words, stupid.
I am not sure where or how I've picked up these bad habits. What I do know is that I need to break them. If something goes wrong when I'm riding solo that's one thing. I am responsible for my own actions, my own life. I've accepted that responsibility. Riding with a passenger means that I am now responsible for their life as well. With the additional weight of a passenger the bike will react differently. Act differently. It's simple basic physics. I need to break those bad habits now.
The second thing we need to do it get the lovely Susan some gear of her own. I have a secondary "back up" helmet which she can wear on our low speed trial runs around the neighborhood, but once we start heading out on the roads I feel a full face helmet for her is in order. It's probably the safest option as well. We have not talked about jackets yet but I would hope she go for some Hi-Vis.
I would like to get this all accomplished before our second cruise on Celebration Cruise lines (and third cruise overall) to the Bahama's (which we have never visited). Last year a local scooter group traveled to the islands and zipped around the whole island on rented scooters. Susan and I have done similar things on our other cruises, enjoying Cozumel for example in a rented jeep, but this is the first time I will be renting a scooter. You can see a video of last year's ride here.
When the same group offered a great rate to go this year we jumped at the chance. We are looking forward to exploring the islands. My only concern however is other people. The group we are riding with are all experienced riders, I'm sure the natives are familiar with their machines. These are not the people that concern me. I have watched enough You Tube video's of idiots on scooters to be concerned about people that don't know better being out on the streets of Nassau.
Susan, my long time suffering girlfriend, and I had a little disagreement the other day. I took off for a few hours Saturday morning to ride to a few cemeteries and historical markers as part of the Equinox to Equinox rally. She had hoped to spend some time with me. We both have a love of history and in particular, old cemeteries. It's interesting to walk along the stones and see how they reflect the lives of the people at the times. For example, in Grove City, Pennsylvania, for a brief period in the early 1800's a woman's name would not even appear on the tombstone. All it would say was "Mother of" or "Husband of". It is truly amazing how far woman of come in 100 years. It's amazing how far they still have to go. It's very interesting when you consider that other cemeteries of that same time period don't seem to reflect this particular belief.
As of late, I've been riding out to, and actively seeking, old cemeteries. The problem is that a lot of these are private cemeteries on old roads. More on that in a bit.
A locked gates prevents entry into the cemetery
So we reached an agreement, we are going to start to go 2-up, because she wants to share this part of the adventure. She has been the passenger on other people's bikes, she's actually logged more miles sitting behind someone than I have riding. While I certainly want her to experience some of the beautiful things that I've seen on my rides...I'm also going to hate myself if something goes wrong. She may trust me, I don't trust myself.
Riding has also became part of who I am. It's a escape for me from the "real world". Something that I'm not sure I want to share with Susan. Then again when you make a new friend, as in the photo below, you want to share that experience with the one closest to you.
That's the beauty of riding, the beauty of my participation in the E2E rally. It's gotten me out on the bike, taken me to places that I may not have gone or explored. Showed me things, even where I live, that I would not have seen other wise. While I was always willing to explore "around the next bend' the rally has taken me "over the hill and around that bend." No wonder my lovely Susan wants to see what excites me so! So the question is, for me...what's next. Slow and steady at first around the neighborhood. Slowly move into the side streets. Being the worry-wort that I am I will panic if she sneezes on back. I've no doubt we will go down at low speeds at least once. I worry. So to the You Tube videos and to the various forums asking for advice and help. It may be easier to just buy a trike. Or convince her to get her own scooter! We will have to get her proper gear in any case. I have a spare helmet, but she will need a jacket. ATTGATT is no longer in question if she rides with me.
Speaking of challenges. I'm rather happy with myself. Many of the 100 year old cemeteries that I've been finding were originally family owned, although they are of historical importance and therefore listed on various sources. I've had to go down some dirt roads to a few. A few cemeteries are even supposedly haunted. Sadly many of these have been damaged by idiots "having fun." Kimmie has handled these roads exceptionally well, much better than I would have expected. It's also hard for me to understand how in this day and age, that a good sized town can still have unpaved roads. I've been impressed with my own skill, avoiding some major holes and being able to handle the bike on less than ideal roads.
Maybe this 2-up thing is not that scary after all.
Another semi-private final resting place hidden away
I have nothing to say about riding these last few days. I've commuted back and forth to work a few times, I rode out to a old cemetery and had to take the scooter off road a bit to get the photo I wanted. I have a small problem with my oil pan - I had the oil changed recently and it appears the drain plug nut somehow got stripped. I tightened the nut myself but the leak continues.
All of these things are minor. The biggest issue, the biggest problem I would have would be with West Coast Powersports, where I bought Kimmie. My lovely girlfriend insisted that I buy the extended warranty on her. I have to be honest, I thought it was, and still is, a waste of money. However the previous dealership that sold me the Burgie did so knowing that the variator was bad, that it would of ran me about a grand to fix.
Because of this experience, and another bad experience we had in Florida buying a used jeep, we decided to get the warranty. I've nearly tripled the miles that were originally on Kimmie without issue. She actually seems to enjoy the ride as much as I do.
My issue with West Coast Powersports is this. The company failed to process the extended warranty correctly, despite other payments going through correctly on my debit card (helmet, etc). The company failed to contact me for over 3 months in this regard. The bill, I was told by West Coast at the time, would go to collections. My bank has no record of them even attempting to collect these funds till the middle of May. Andy, the general manager, failed to listen to me in this regard repeating that they had numerous failures trying to collect. He later admitted that the company did not have the correct authorization information. After I requested that he take one payment out and that I would pay off the balance with a money order within the week. He took two payments resulting in my account being frozen (My bank knows my history and personality. They assumed there was a problem when 2 payments came in a combined total of over $350 and froze the account as a fraud protection measure). He then refused to release the hold. My girlfriend, whose name also appears on the account, called him only to be insulted by him.
Not only is this extremely unprofessional but very upsetting to me. I have had nothing but warm fuzzy feelings for that dealership till this moment. I own my business and have been in the process of repairing my credit. If a payment due to me is not received in 30 days, I'm on the phone figuring out what went on. Now I will admit I was not keeping a close eye on my personal account as I do my business accounts, otherwise I would have realized there was an issue.
Jeff, the general manager, did finally contact me after I used the only tools that are available to the consumer. I reported him to groups like ripoffreports.com, the better business bureau, comments on the various motorcycle and scooter forums I belong to. Frankly I hate to turn negative. I hated to do this. But the consumer has very few weapons available to him any more.
Jeff did state, and I intend to request this be notarized on official company letterhead to protect myself, that the bill in question would not be sent to collections. On my end I plan to plan to pay it in full within the next few days. I still have not received a copy of the warranty as well.
After my dealings with Florida dealerships - only Jim Brown Chevy, where we have bought the Great Pumpkin, deserves praise - I am weary of any dealership now. I don't believe I will be doing any business in the future with West Coast powersports. Unless I have something under warranty that is.
At this point I'm not sure if I will be dealing with any Florida dealership in the future.
In the end it's a situation that could have been avoid. Something that should have been avoid. I was acting in good faith and do not like being treated like I am some doddering old fool. They don't like to have their name dragged through the mud. If Andy would have listened to me in the beginning this how ugly situation could have been avoided.
This issue appears to be resolved now. I'm still not completely satisfied sadly. I'm not sure if I could be at this stage of the game.
I live an hour north of Tampa, Florida. I never expected to be here, I never really gave much thought to living in Florida. I like the area, the state...southern living suites me. Except for the killer humidity. This past Saturday I rode down to city as part of the Equinox rally. I had planned on scoring at least 200 points and adding to my total.
Raymond James - Home of the Bucs
So I prepped for the trip wisely. I would need water and lots of it, as the temperature would be in the mid 80's but the humidity would make it feel like it was in the high 80's, low 90's. (high 20C to low 30's C). I had filled my gas tank earlier and had the good people at Affordable Motorsports gave her a once over and an oil change. I had also, on a whim, bought a new farkle - a crampbuster cruise assist - and wanted to give it a good try out. This run would would do exactly that.
Riding in cold weather is a challenge of course, but is solved by layering. Hot weather is all about hydration. So I packed a cooler with semi frozen water and off I went. I was gone most of the day, only managed to do a little over 100 miles and fell 3 points short of my ultimate goal of 200. I also managed to get caught out in the rain. I missed a few things that I wanted to get due to circumstances beyond my control. I also wanted to go eat lunch at the famed local eatery, the Taco Bus but as the day went on the heat and humidity continued to climb. By noon I had it.
Kimmie met up with a friend.
I noticed that I had stopped sweating, never a good sign and had a slight headache. These were sure signs the heat was getting to me. Time to pullover, eat and drink some good food at a local restaurant I would have preferred the Taco Bus, but Mr Empanada was right here. I should have went with my first choice, the food was filling but less than satisfying I sat for about three-quarters of an hour in the air conditioning, drinking water and cooling down. I had some choices to make.
I had managed to score lots of points so far as part of the Equinox to Equinox rally; hitting most of the places I wanted to go and finding some odds and ends on the way. I figured I was close to my goal of 200 and a quick look at the sky showed darkening skies. Suddenly I was torn about what to do. Did I continue down into town? I was tempted to head over to historic Ybor City (pronounced ee'bor) and pick up at least 50 more points. Down the main drag into Tampa proper all the way to the Air Force base picking up some odd points here and there?
Points like the giant peanut I passed earlier? Which was a serendipitous find Should I head home, after all the heat had me in it's grasp before? Did I want to battle heavier then expected traffic for a online rally I really had no chance of winning?
No, I didn't.
So I turned it around, heading for home. The sky didn't look that bad. Then it started. Light at first then it started to plink, plonk plink off my helmet in a every increasing rhythm. I pulled over, grabbing yet another picture, and slipped on my rain gear. Just in time as the skies opened up in earnest shortly after that. The good news was the humidity and temperature dropped drastically. The bad news is that the rain kept up, varying in intensity but confirming that I made the right choice to turn back. I would rather ride roads I know in the rain than roads I don't.
In the end however I was rather disappointed in the day and the ride. Kimmie was great. My new cruise assist required a little bit of adjustment but once I got it right I promptly forgot about it. That is the best recommendation I can give. I was disappointed that I would have to go back. Deal with the heat and humidity and traffic some other day...all because I wanted to finish in the top 25. All because I had a city to explore on a bike.
Okay, lets put the silliness aside for a moment. This is a serious post after all.
"For my part, I travel not to go anywhere, but to go. I travel for travel's sake. The great affair is to move." - Robert Louis Stevenson.
I ride nearly every day. I ride come rain or shine. Heat or cold, day and night. Sadly however I don't feel like I get much time to ride just for the joy of riding. Most of the 6,500 miles I've placed on my scooter since buying it have been commuter or "work" miles, where I due a quick delivery on the bike to some out of the way location. Even that does not happen very often, so normally it's just the boring old commute that puts the miles on.
Due to my work schedule or other commitments; group rides are "difficult" at best. When the opportunity to take part in the Equinox to Equinox rally came about I could not resist entering. I did so on a lark and quickly racked up some points simply by already knowing where some historical markers and over-sized statues were from previous meanderings.
Fuzzy Galore was nice enough to talk about her research that she did and I used a few of her links in my research. What I found was that Florida is a much more interesting piece of land than I thought (really, haunted dolls?). For example, one of the things that surprised me is that there is a historical marker, buried in the weeds next to a gas station. I get gas at this station now and again, and would have never noticed the marker. It's simple in it's eloquence and tells one of those interesting, but forgotten stories about how Florida - no, America - was built. Sadly there is a saying in Florida: "When developer money talks, history walks."
Or things like the World's smallest police station. Interesting to be sure but not worth the 5 hour plus ride for me to only get two points out of it? Would I have ever known that less than 7 miles from my home is one of the few covered bridges in Florida?
Sometimes locked into a car we forgot about all the real world beauty that is just the other side of the window. Sometimes on a bike we are concentrating so much on keeping an eye on the road, the traffic, the weather...that we let pass things by. Oh, it certainly harder to do on a bike...but it does happen.
I learned much about Florida that I didn't know, including the fact that the "Fountain of Youth" was a creation of European settlers that came after Juan Ponce de Leon. They could not understand how the local Indian's live two to three times longer than Europeans (a combination of diet and lack of some disease's). So it had to be "something in the water." Sadly this was not to last. Nor did I know that the Seminole tribe was more a combination of Creek Indians and runaway slaves then a distinct group.
I learned all this because I got out on Kimmie and road to places unknown. Seeing things and actually stopping to read the road side historical markers that I am taking pictures off. For example, near my job is an flea market and they have some old military equipment from World War Two and the Korean Conflict, including an old MASH tent. I stopped, and lo and behold, you could actually walk into the tent. What surprised me was that the tent was actually fully equipped with the medical devices of that era. That alone is worth the stop and frankly; if it wasn't for the rally, I would have never have stopped. Just thinking that it was an old tent with a sign placed in front of it.
This Saturday I have a "big day" planned as I intend to run into Tampa itself, about an hour south of me, and gather up over 200 points. That's if I manage to hit all the various cemeteries stadiums, over sized statues and other odds and ends that I know of in the city. This will also give me a chance to try out a new Farkle (but more on that later).
So a big "Thank You" goes out to the guys over at the Pace Podcast for coming up with the idea. The whole idea was to get out and ride...and I got to broaden my mind too.
"We live in a wonderful world that is full of beauty, charm and adventure. There is no end to the adventures we can have if only we seek them with our eyes open.” – Jawaharial Nehru
Normally I don't like to watch video's of other people's rides. I, for one, would rather ride than watch. Sometimes however you just come across something so beautiful and crazy that you want to share it with the world. This is one of those videos.
Cartoon reading "The Journey was never intended to be a straight line."
For what ever reason these past few days I've been thinking about alternative futures. What I mean is what might have happened if I married my high school sweetheart (divorced and paying for 3 college educations). What might have been if I didn't leave Charlotte, NC (probably would still be working as a engineering technician and married to an ex-stripper). What might have happened if I would have stayed in Pittsburgh and not lost two great jobs in a row (PNC Bank and then the IRS). What would have happened if I never met Susan (jail or a mental institution possibly?) .
The choices I made were the right ones for me at the time. They brought me here to Florida where I own my own home (paid in full), am more or less debt free and finally believe that I got it right. In addition to my work with 3M I own my own company and have additional income coming in from other sources.
I'm happy.
It's with those choices in mind that I find myself wondering about choices I need to make concerning more practical matters.. It's technically still spring but here in West Central Florida the temperatures are already climbing into the mid 80's (high 20's to low 30's C). The humidity is starting to climb as well and that means it's the dance between safety and comfort begins again. The rain is coming as well.
Yep, seen this.
All that Florida law requires for safety is eye protection. That is not clearly defined to my knowledge. Does that mean just a pair of sunglasses? Anyhow what cop would pull you over for not having eye protection? Well, I would but then I'm a dick too.
I've been going out in sneakers and without my jacket. Wearing a helmet for me is - pardon the pun - a no brainer. I know what can happen to the brain and do not want to go there. I have nothing to offer but my mind in most cases. Intellectually I know that ATGATT is the only way to go and as such I've been looking for a light mesh jacket that I can afford. I've found two that I really like, but just haven't bought them yet. It's stupid and silly of me and I know that ever day I'm out without my heavy "winter" jacket on is taking a risk. The only reason I've not purchased either yet (and they are both under $100 US) is that I also know how fast things can fall apart. I've been to the top of the mountain, it's a quick roll downhill. That extra $100 in the bank is part of that safety net.
I can't help but wonder if I'm a little more careful when riding not in full gear? If my accident in December taught me anything is that things change instantly and that without my gear, it would have been a lot worse. So it's a battle between the safe and logical vs the cheap and miserly.
I've noticed something else when I am in full ATGATT mode. I feel safer. I know that I'm not. It's as if their really is a suit of amour about me. All I'm lacking is the lance. Does that false sense of security make me take chances? I have gotten in the habit of always reminding myself to check things, to watch my speed. To be safe.
