ATGATT... Reasonable Care? or Unreasonable Fear?

Well, this rant isn't all about atgatt... It's a convoluted and fuzzy rambling about... surety and how the foolish quest for that, ruins the life that IS surely here.

There's but one thing that's for sure and for certain in this life... Death.

I am weary to the bone of all the people droning on and on and on about do this safe or that safe... BE SAFE!

Ahhhhh... I wouldn't pay a nickle for a pound of Safe... I'm weary of that anemic idea because it's all mostly baloney built on a base of unrealistic fear in the first place.

No matter how much care you take, how religiously you eat your vegetables, no matter how skilled the Doctor or how well your preacher has the ear of God... You my friend... are going to Die.

As long as I can remember I've been propagandized with the idea, in one form or another, to always turn away at risk. Avoid it like the plague. Only foolish people take risks. Risk takers are some sort of whack job.

The reality is, nothing happens without RISK. Adventure is RISK. Excitement can't happen... without RISK.

The reality is, that psychotic, trained in fear of all the things that could go wrong... is surrendering to cowardice under the color of reasonable care.

Life is a dreary and grey place... absent of RISK.

Now... listen up... I'm saying RISK... not STUPIDITY. Accepting Risk doesn't mean ignoring  common sense. It means weighing the benefits, playing the odds and having confidence in your abilities...

OF course... if you believe you can outrun that grizzly after you poke that ugly basket thief in the butt with your sharp stick... I've got my video camera warmed up and focused...

***a bit of a sideline*** just to say it... the base source of this malicious idea of "safety" is our "Leadership". The leaders of Society don't want excited, adventurous spirits taking risks. They want obedient, quiet, productive serfs laboring in safe and reasonable pursuits. (adventurous people are difficult to control) They want those laboring, fearful masses working for them... so THEY the leadership can go out and adventure, sky dive, climb mountains, TAKE RISKS and enjoy LIFE while the rest of us support them***

I've allowed too much of my life to be stolen by that never ending droning about all the dangers of this life and their avoidance; this toxin, that seat belt, red meat, safe sex, crap in the water, crap n the air, speeding, drinking, smoking, running with a fork in your hand, bucking horses, saving money, mercury fillings, genetically modified food, cancer from your cell phone, flu shots, colon cancer, calm down you'll get a heart attack... blah blah blah...

Ugh... I Vow... more people have died from the worry piled on 'em about what might could kill 'em... than from any of those multitude of options that in the end don't matter... 'cause in the end we all end up in the same place...

... The belly of a worm burping and rubbing his stomach; "Damn! That was one good Biker!"

But even worse; While you sit around waiting to die... because once all the risks are seen and avoided... there isn't a hell of a lot left to do but read a book about Somebody Foolish Going out and LIVING... while YOU wait for the worm ... LIFE passes you by.

The thing is this... take  bit of care here and there. Don't be stupid... unless stupidity wiggles your bean. If straddling your bike geared up like a science fiction warrior is what captures your imagination... do that.

If putting it in the wind bare headed and bikini clad is your thing... do that.

Just own it. Accept the consequences of your Choice... and don't judge others for theirs. (or, think you have the right to judge... or impose YOUR values)

The thing is... live while there's living to be done. Live a Class A life while you're living.

Would you rather live one GREAT 30 year movie? or... sit through the agony of 67 years of the worst, dullest, most agonizingly moronic home movies kodak ever created? Think about it...

Grab Your Handles and Ride
Brian

The Tire Made it to Kalispell... I Made It Two hours later...

And just as promised... the deal got done.

I'd taken off just after lunch time and headed up route 83 from our camp ten miles north of Seeley lake. I'd not gone too awful far when I rolled up on an opportunity I couldn't pass up...

*My Favorite Forms of Horsepower*

A small band of horses was pastured along the highway, so I swung around and caught a photo of the two modes of transportation that have had the biggest impact on this old busters life. Most of 'em had run off down to a river bottom below... these few hung around for a portrait.

From four feet to two wheels... A motorcycle always struck me as the right sort of vehicle for a horseman.

I kinda like the picture, even if the front wheel IS on backwards! :)

Then it was spin 'er around again and twist the throttle for Kalispell. I'd been advised that since I had a near to gone tire anyway (at least half way through the wear bars) I should keep it under a hundred. I obliged and rarely broke 80. :)

I wonder why they do call 'em wear bars? They sure don't slow down the wear rate any when you get to 'em!

Well... I got to Penco Motorsports in Kalispell about an hour before the appointed time, and reported in. I was surprised when they went right to work on it and had the new tire on before I was even supposed to be there!

How often do you get THAT sort of service?

Before you ask... yes, THIS time I checked to make sure the tire was turning the right direction before I climbed back on...

 I got a lil' closer and checked some more...

I even got down on my knees and checked it for sure and for certain...

Yep... everything is just like it's supposed to be... well... except for all the road gouges I've picked up on that one time polished aluminum wheel... Damned Ol' thing is starting to get as many dings as I carry around...

Now... just to say it... Apache Yamaha down on Camelback in Phoenix... has declined to even respond to my attempts to contact them over the past week about their Installing the wheel backwards when their shop mounted the tires for me.

So considering their lack of care for their reputation... I'd take your tires to Ridenow... or some other shop, since Apache doesn't seem to be too awful concerned about the safety of their customers... At least not enough to even open a conversation once the customers card has been debited. :)

That's ok... I got better things to do with my time than worry about the faults of another company that'll one day seal its own fate.

I needed to make a "quick" run across Kalispell to run some errands...and guess what? As small as Kalispell might be... it's still not a town your gonna do a "quick" run in at rush hour. ;) But I finally made the run both directions... got out of town and headed south...

... right into another rush hour... this one of the wildlife variety. The service manager at Penco had warned me to be watchful running that road at sunset... the deer on it he claimed were BAD.

and I gotta agree with him... rolling along at 80 or so...there were quite a few! Along with three turkeys. :) But I have a technique... if you go fast enough... you're past 'em before they even have the time to get out on the pavement! :)

*Hwy 83 between Seeley Lake and Kalispell Montana*

That's a nice road... not so many straight runs, and lots of nice sweeping bends under a Wide Montana Sky... with the Mountains, lakes, horses and meadows all along the ride.

Well, I was curious how the thing would handle with the tire on there right. It had been an improvement over the Metzler when it was new... but as the tread got thinner... it started really losing its grip... 

It's a lot nicer running home... with a tire that isn't handling "funny"... As my confidence grew, and the manufacturing scum got scrubbed off... my momentum picked up... and life was good again. :)

The new tire with the tread running the right direction :)

Here's the old tire with the tread going the wrong direction...


I failed to find the angle to catch a good picture and this one really doesn't show it well... but the tread over the center is mostly gone.

Only there enough to be visible. Not especially a shiny condition for guys that tend to ride ( in spite of wild claims of quiet and sensible cruising) at rates of locomotion that can capture the attention of certain motorized members of soh-sigh-uh-tees rule enforcement division...

You can see in a spot or two the shadow on the tire where it was badly cupping on that left side... and just flat wearing "odd"...

Oh well... lesson learned... Check all work... no matter how Pro you think the guy who did the work might be.

Now... I'll be curious to see if the mileage on this tire changes with it spinning correctly...

In the meantime... I'm hoping to get back to racking up more miles in the next year than what I spun off in the last... I kinda let life get in the way of LIVING... and that's not a real tolerable sitchy-ashun...

Grab Your Handles and Ride
Brian

Riding... Conscious or Sub-Conscious

How many times have you seen a driver/rider allow themselves to be distracted and end up doing something stupid as a consequence?

You get angry and think what a damn fool... right?

But then you get all embarrassed because you do the same damn fool thing; You allow yourself to become distracted.

You know what happened to the Old Time mountain men... if they allowed themselves the luxury of distraction?... uh huh. Their hair ended up hangin' on some Warriors lance.

So... you think there's no defense... we're all fallible and there's nothing you can do... Right?

WRONG!

There -IS- a defense. It's a Biker Cowboy Zen kind of a thing.

Here's the deal... Only your CONSCIOUS mind can become distracted. Your subconscious is always in there... 24/7... even when you're asleep... watching, waiting... looking out for you - IF - you learn to employ it. If you sharpen your connection with it. IF you train yourself to listen to it.

It's that little voice whispering too you at times... Listen to it.

The key is to train yourself to respond to its subconscious cues. Those old mountain men rode safely through a hostile world seeming to pay no attention to the world around them. Yet the sound of a bird, the snap of a branch... or in-appropriate silence triggered a subtle reaction in them that caused them to turn off onto other trails... change what they were doing subtly and almost imperceptibly.

They didn't react to things with wild panic and excitement... they simply adjusted their behavior in subtle ways to circle around the "difficulties" that presented.

But the consequence was... they rode on safely.

Onlookers watching might have decided that there was never a problem to begin with... they were just lucky, or that the Mountain Men were some sort of magical omniscient beings.

The reality was, their very conscious and deliberate early attention and training to the world around them taught them to subconsciously and automatically react to tiny and almost invisible bits of information.

That might look like magic or a sixth sense to the casual observer, but it was simply that they had trained themselves to be finely attuned to their environment. That gave them the opportunity to take proactive actions that led them out of harms way...

...before "Harms way" had the opportunity to create the great difficulties that would need to be over come.

Nothing comes out of Nowhere. There are Always warning signs -IF- you have trained yourself to be attuned to their subtle existence.

There's an old saying; "You don't survive by winning gun fights. You survive by Avoiding them." They same idea holds with riding a motorcycle. You don't survive by riding out of trouble. You survive by not riding into it in the first place.

Over time, as you consciously work to hone your senses... they begin to function subconsciously... and you react automatically... and your riding seems to suddenly become very peaceful with fewer and fewer "close call" incidents... because your Never Distracted Subconscious perceived the threat early...

... and moved you out of the way before it could reach critical mass. It gets to the point where your conscious mind doesn't even hear the whispers any more... it starts to run on autopilot with that internal safety system always functioning... Un-Distractable.

As you ride, see an "issue" and consciously, deliberately visualize two things. 1. How do you get out of that situation. and 2. What were the "Warning Signs" that preceded the "Situation". Over time, those thoughts will become a muscle memory (subconscious) that will serve you well.

You're riding along day dreaming about something or other... the sort of thing those cagers/riders do that leads to stupidity...

...Only in your case, you've trained your conscious mind to surrender control at times to that other mind... It keeps your head swiveling, day dream or not. It sees that car approaching the red light at too high a rate of speed. The situation IS perceived.

... in mid day dream, a thousand miles away, your hand rolls off the throttle without thinking about it...

... and you watch the fool run the light, past you, in front of you. Honed to a fine edge.

But... You have to start that honing with deliberate, conscious alertness. It takes time and effort.

Grab Your Handles and Ride
Brian

Safety? Or Living Life? Which RIdes First on Your Motorcycle

When you climb on your bike... What is your FIRST, major and enduring thought?

All the bad things that can happen? or... Your Hunger for the Soul filling, lung expanding, heart throbbing joy that lives on the open road?

Do you spend your time worrying about dealing with all the possible lowsides, highsides and potholes of life? or do you set things up with a reasonable amount  of common sense... and then, having done what you could do... Go out and LIVE?

No matter how much ATGATT you strap on; how much insurance you carry, how bright your colors, how loud your pipes, how careful your attention, how skilled your handling and how lucky you might be... at the end of the road... You Die.

Looking back, do you want to see; A life lived inside sealed rooms with filtered sterile air and non-flamable, non-toxic, non-cancer inducing padding? Eating food that is carefully created to be safe for your heart... and tasteless? Protected by armed guards and cradle to grave oversight and management by a "benevolent" government?

OR...

Do you want to LIVE, and taste all the Joyous memories you can create... until you die?

That's truly the question that sits hidden under all the noise and spin.

...and in the end... all that spin for "Safety and Security" is generally spun by somebody with something to sell or an agenda that will collect power unto themselves...

... and in the end, how much of that caution even matters?  'cause the triple check safety nuts and those who LIVE... end up in the same place... a handful of ashes in a bucket.

If you choose that imagined safety, security and predictability, Ok, that's Fine. I don't have a problem with it. The choice is yours. Where I start having "Issues" is when somebody ELSE... starts trying to impose their Values and Oh-pin-yuns on ME... How, where, when and why I ride... and How I LIVE (or do anything else for that matter)

Look. The only real question I ask myself before I take any action is... Is this all me? Can/Will this do any damage to another person or their property?

***I'm talking physical and real here... not someone's ego or dainty feelings.. grow up and get over it. The fact that you might miss someone if they check out early from their decision to take risks is YOUR problem. You've no right to try and restrict someone else's options, 'cause you don't want YOUR feelings hurt. Telling someone; "All you think about is yourself! You don't think about ME... you don't think about US! If you can't hear the double standard hypocrisy in that... I can't explain it to you***

If the only downside hits me... than it is MY choice and ever'body else needs to let go and just stand back.

That goes for Helmets, ATGATT, cigarettes, seat belts, crossing the double yellow to pass slow VW bugs when you've got visibility for 400 yards in both directions, sky diving, medical insurance, ... and on and on and on...

People need to let go, stand back and let folks LIVE. They'd get a more harmonious outcome.

Grab Your Handles and Ride
Brian

Getting the Last Good Out of a Motorcycle Helmet

I replaced my Nolan N103 Helmet a few weeks ago. It should have had another year or two before needing to be replaced, for safety reasons from the shell age... but the mechanisms in it to operate the the visors and the modular face shield were coming to operate so poorly I was fed up with it.

I opted this time for a cheaper but better fitting HJC CL16, Standard full face.

The only problem with this new helmet was that it doesn't have the slick and still operating well, chin strap quick release that's built into the Nolan Helmets.

I picked up a variety of quick release when I bought the HJC...

But... I can't say I'm satisfied with it.

It laces onto the existing helmet chin straps... but for me it operates kind of clumsy/awkward.

Once you have it laced in and adjusted up right... You have to have the prongs aimed just right for it to fit into the slot...

Which for a lot of riders might NOT be an issue...

For me it has proven to be. Funbling around with something under my chin, that I can't see, is apparently... NOT... a skill of mine.

I got the dang thing wedged wrong a couple of times... and had a hell of a time getting it loose so I could take the helmet off. :)

Sooooo.... since that Old Nolan was still cluttering up the floor of the rig (I hadn't used it as dumpster filler yet) I had the bright Idea of scavenging it's Nolan quick release and splicing it onto my HJC Helmet!

Only took a couple minutes spinning a grinding stone in my Dewalt cordless to wear off the rivets and yank the whole strap system out of the Nolan N103.

It turns out... I could have just cut the hardware loose for the most part.

After I cut a couple of bits loose from the straps on the HJC helmet and one piece of the Nolan's strapping, to let me lace in the hardware I was in business.

The male piece just laced right onto the Longer of the HJC straps. Snugged up tight it was right where it needed to be.

On the other side... the female piece, is right up against the D-rings. It adjusts up snug enough but there's nothing left if I get any scrawnyer!

I can still work the red release lever to pull it when I'm taking it off.

If I gain the ambition I may just remove the D-rings and rivet the strap holding the Female end of the Helmet Strap quick release to the HJC factory strap. That would allow me to bump it over a lil' bit and gain a little more adjustment flexibility in the system... but for now, being lazy... I'll just use it as it is, since it is secure and works!

You just push the male end in slick and easy. A lot smoother system. Was I HJC I think I'd try to license the use of Nolan's Motorcycle helmet quick release! :) 

As for the strength of the rivets I'd use? ... Having run my own custom leather and tack repair shop for ten years or so... The helmet would rip my head off before four or so of those rivets would break! So on that account I'm not concerned at all.

Grab Your Handles and Ride
Brian

Making Adjustments in Cody Wyoming

So... first things first... I fought with that lil' whisperlite stove for another few minutes and nearly started another local fire! The thing was either an out of control inferno or dead...

*deceased 20 year old whisperlite backpacking stove*

After chucking it in the dumpster I climbed on the packed up bike and headed for Mickey D's. Figured I could have an egg McMuffin' while I used their WiFi... except... took me twenty minutes to even get their WiFi to let me on... and when it did Blogger wouldn't let me log in to build the post!

Things are By God Lookin' Up! :)

So, all I could do was choke down that McDonalds Breakfast and roll by Walmart to see if they'd have some sort of an acceptable, if temporary alternative to my broken stove. Got one... Named Sterno... but that's sort of a story for a lil' later. ;)

Word was that there were Health Warnings out in Missoula and the area for all the smoke up that way. I finally found a map on my phone that showed locations of active fires...

... and yup... right through where all those dots look like a pin cushion is where I'd wanted to roll... So... I opted to change course and cut straight west across Yellowstone National Park. My hope was to slip 'tween number eleven and twelve... as that was the only remaining good road without having to detour too far south going west...

It was cool early but with light traffic making only one Buffalo Jam it made for a pretty easy transit of the park. Only saw that one buffalo who was takin' a stroll down the middle of the lane with twenty pilgrims dutifully followin' along behind...

... until some GUY :) on a Red Yamaha leaned over onto the center stripe and passed up the whole mess.

I guess that remembered some folks what that round thing in front of the driver is for... when I looked back in my mirror they'd all started passing the Buffalo Stroller. 

The haze from all the fires was pretty heavy which kinda got in the way of photography... but it was still, as always an awful pretty place to roll through.

Stopped in West Yellowstone for gas, coffee and chocolate to fuel another hundred miles or so. By then it was into the afternoon and I was dodgin' not only fires but now storms as well...

*Storm chasing me west of West Yellowstone*

This one chased me for half a tank. :) A couple of times the road would turn and I'd think of stopping to climb into rain gear... and then the road would turn again so I'd just keep rollin'.

*A Good Omen or a Warning? West of Yellowstone"

The last time I thought it had me... the sun finally broke out just as I thought I was gonna get wet... Nice.

Well, I thought I had another fifty miles or so to get to a camp when up came a county park in Madison county Idaho. Didn't get the scoop on it but with the name of Beaver Dick... I'm guessing it was named for some old mountain man.

It sits on highway 33 just west a ways from Rexburg, Idaho.

*Beaver Dick County park in Madison County Idaho*

Now... with another storm brewin'... I started my supper on the table there...

*Sterno Stove*

 Looks like a likely setup don't it? A fold up stove box with a can of sterno and some fine vittles for a Not-so-picky hungry Biker Cowboy...

... and discovered some of the short comings of tryin' to Cook... with sterno. It just ain't got enough btu's in it I'm guessin' to overcome the design flaws of the system... AND... the wind. more on that in a later post. ;)

So, though I started the cookin' on the table...

T'was dead calm right until I lit the fire, and then up came the wind. Whipping mu supper the whole time it was heating.

*trying to beat the wind with a sterno stove*

 I ended up... Sittin' on a big rock with that sterno stove cradled 'twixt my feet... with me huddled over it with my fleece spread like a 160 lb. bat trying to ward off the wind so I could have a hot supper!

I really ended up... squatting behind that big rock... eating forkfull by forkfull out of the can as it heated. Ah sweet adventure, eh? :)

Guess what happened as I shoveled the last forkful of stew 'tween my teeth? ... uh huh... dead calm!!!

Now Ara the Beemer Chef might can make you some Five Star camp cuisine... but it takes a cowboy biker to eat this fine! :)

... and I'm sorta awesome at doin' the dishes after supper as well!

*Slurp Slurp! Ah... Dishes all done! :) *

Had a good conversation with a Motorhome traveler out of Las Vegas that night and the next morning. That's one of the best parts of wandering and this trip... visiting with folks along the way from other places and ways... and gaining a lil' different perspective of the world about.

I've had more visiting on this trip than is normal for me. hmmm... maybe I'm finally growin' up! ... Say it ain't so!

The only difficulty I had all day was... um... other people "On the road"... I sure wish "Folks" would pay attention to what they're doin' and its affect on the other people they share the roads with... and it AIN'T just cagers!

They run along, in a long string... fluctuating their speed 10-15 miles an hour, and tailgating so close it's a misery to get past their rolling road block safely. It's just plain rude... and that includes that string of 8 ... um... bikes that shall remain nameless...that were spaced so close you couldn't pass one at a time in the short passing zones... and them goin' waaaay under the limit... and not being able to even hold that speed consistent... arrrrrrggggghhhhhh.... there's still a part of me that can get grumpy! ;)

They tailgate along so close you just can't pass one at a time... and the road is generally such that you seldom have space to take the whole bunch in a Gang Pass, so you waddle along waiting patiently for a safe place...

That's one nice thing about this Yamaha Raider... when confronted by rude "drivers" who disregard ever'body else on the road... it don't take nearly as much passing zone to get clear. :)

Just twist the throttle on Red Sonja and let 'er flap in the breeze. HooYa!

There's a few more days of updates comin' along... but windy as I am I'll put 'em up one day at a time!

Grab Your Handles and Ride!
Brian

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An Update on the Avon Tires on My Raider

I've got a couple hundred miles on my Avon Cobra tires now... and have to say I'm still happy with 'em.

We did a hundred and fifty miles or so, two up today, winding through the Arizona hills in the Tonto Basin, under the Mogollon Rim of Arizona.

I'm the first to admit that when you dump a few hundred bucks on something you tend to try and find a way to describe it in ways that makes your decision sound smart. :) That said, I'm as sure as ever that changing from Metzler tires and the stock 210 on the Back to Avon Cobra's and a 240 on the back was the right thing to do.

The first thing I noticed was a change in handling. Now... there wasn't a band playing and fireworks and such... but there was still this certain sure feeling that... something ... was different.

I remember running through fast sweeper corners on the Metzlers and thinking; "I must be getting old". It seemed like I was multiple "apexing" way too much.

The difference with these Avon's that I'm still seeing is that the bike rolls from one side to the other smoother and more fluidly... there doesn't seem to be anywhere near the volume of small "inputs" required to hold the line I want that was required with the Metzler tires.

Thinking about that I remember how the Metzler was crowned in the center. That and the radius of the tread seems to vary across the profile of the tire. Then, when you've put a few miles on it that crown wears into a flat spot around the center of the tire...

I wonder if, as you leaned into a corner, the bike goes through those varying tread radius and then on top of that hits that "Edge" of the worn flat crown area and kind of "pops" over into the area with a new "radius"?

Not sure I've described the sensation clearly... but... it always seemed like the "input" was changing... constantly having to adjust... I thought it was me. Thought I must be getting old (which I am!) but, it's turning out to have been, at least to a great degree, the tires...

The Avon Motorcycle Tires on the Raider now are feeling smoother, more fluid in their handling and though it never felt insecure with the Metzler tires on it... I'm noticing a more solid, confident feeling with the handling of the bike.

It's going to take time to see how the mileage wears... but if the rubber compound is anything close to that of the Metzler, with the tremendous increase in tread depth, I should come back with a shiny report on that!

The only other thing I can't report about is their handling in the rain... I ain't got rained on... and pardon me if I don't care if that review don't happen real soon either! :)

Grab Your Handles and Ride!
Brian

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Another Lesson Learned... A Motorcycle Mechanic...

I ain't!

Started jacking the bike up... and one thing after another, fed my frustration. To start with, I don't and never have enjoyed wrenching on machinery. Just something that never appealed to me.

The only time I have is when I simply couldn't afford to pay it done. That was the only real motivation I had in thinking I'd take on the Tire work on my Raider... to save a few bucks of which I have few.

But then I jacked the scooter up on that Harbor Freight Motorcycle Jack...

and discovered, rather unpleasantly that the thing was not what you might call Rock Steady... and Yamaha really doesn't reveal all in their manual for the bike.


So... with the bike in the air I laid down and looked up in there... and discovered pretty plain... that to get to the curb side of the rear axle... the pipes are in the way... and with the pipes there... how am I gonna get in there to SEE anything to make sure the dang wheel is aligned properly when I put it back on?

Even once I got the wheels off... I still was gonna have to haul 'em in and pay 40 bucks for mounting and balancing...

If I just take the whole dang bike in the price for the labor with tax and all was gonna be $140 bucks... so in the end I'm saving a hundred stinkin' bucks... ahhhhhhhh.... at least, if nothing goes bad on me while I am trying to save dinero...

I'm laying there thinking, if I'd just already took the bike in and let a guy who has the tools, the experience and the insurance if something goes bad :) do the job... I'd be out RIDING right now... instead of laying here with all the visions of all the things that can go wrong rattling through my head! :)

... and then my intimate relationship with Murphy's Law occurred to me... the picture of trying to load an 800 lb bike... with no wheels... into a truck if I got to where my ego couldn't override my common sense any more floated through my tiny lil' pea brain.

Well... I started having difficulty convincing myself that doing what I don't enjoy... for the sake of saving a few dollars made any sense.

I guess it's no surprise that right about then I quit the idea and rode the bike down to a shop nearby... and paid 'em to swap my tires for me! :)

Yeah... some bikes it's a simple chore... but the Raider those pipes cover over the stuff you've gotta get to... and makes it a real PITA! ... I'm not about to tackle that out on the side of the road... so why bother with it at "Home"?

Some guys really enjoy wrenching on the their bikes...and that's well and good. I Don't... nor my trucks or cars for that matter. Outside of bolting on a few customize bits here and there... the heavy duty wrenching on a bike, truck or car... has never tickled my imagination...

Now some say if you ride 'em you should wrench on 'em. "It's part of the Motorcycle Lifestyle"...

I say... "Nope. The Motorcycle Lifestyle I adhere to is; Ride what you want, Ride where you want, when you want... and have your gol' darn tires changed by whoever you choose!" :)

The Important thing is to... Put it in the Wind!

I'm gonna just continue to drive 'em... or RIDE 'em, like I always have!  That's a reality I'm not gonna forget in the future... and is why I have a really nice Towing Service that will cover my Truck, My Fifth Wheel... any cars I might own... AND... my Raider Motorcycle! :)

Grab Your Handles and Ride!
Brian

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Putting a Great Motorcycle in the Wind on Bad Tires

There's only one thing that displeases me 'bout my Raider... and actually, it ain't the bike... It's the tires.

Well, not tires really... just one... the 210 on the back end. At roughly $350 bucks for the damn things... They really don't perform very well...

My Old V-Star got maybe 14,000 miles on the tire on that end of the bike. Sometimes more if I was a good boy. But this Raider, I have to work hard to squeeze 9 or 10 thousand miles out of it... I read where a whole lot of riders only get three or four thousand...

You know... I pay about $175 for the tires on my truck and those suckers roll for 50,000 miles... I have just a lil' bit of difficulty believing that there's such a difference in cost to build the damn things... I mean let's face it, there's what, Four times as much material in the truck tire? Come on... something stinks in this deal...

Sometimes when I'm gettin' a Motorcycle tire put on... I start worryin' 'bout STD's and feel like I oughta walk out of the shop... PREGNANT!

So... Yesterday we took a ride, two up 'bout 165 miles or so. Rode from Bouse on up to Wickenburg for a late lunch, a lil' walkin' 'round and then the roll "home".

When we got home we were treated to a nice sunset...

*Arizona Sunset in our Boondock camp... after a day on the Raider*

While we were enjoying the sunset... I happened to spot this lil' bit of joy...

Now... you can see there's a hell of a lot of tread left on that tire. That tire actually only has something just under 4,000 miles on it. I've never locked it up. No burnouts... no real hot doggin'... just Cruising...

For $350 bucks? are you kidding me? WTF Metzler?!!!!!

... and with all that tread left.. there SHOULDN'T be a hole like that through to the steel belt!!!

Now... I know some folks don't like Metzlers. Till now, they've always done me well... but this... arrrrrrggggggghhhhh!

My problem is I've read that Avons, and Dunlops and some of the others are stickier. That generally means softer rubber and even poorer mileage...

 Considering the condition of my piggy bank... this didn't come at a real shiny time.

So... grrrrrrrr..... Today I'm NOT a happy biker.

Grab Your Handles and Ride!
Brian

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Just Realized I didn't Post the Motorcycle Ramp Video I Promised

A couple of posts back I mentioned that I'd changed how I load the bike a bit... I have to load it, 'cause I live/travel full time in a fifth wheel. Either I load my Raider or leave it... and Leaving the Raider behind... ain't an Option!!!

Though it's been on my You tube channel for a short while I hadn't linked the loading update video here... OOPS! Bad Biker Cowboy! No Beer!

If you look at the first video and this latest one you can see the changes I've made on the truck bed as well that have things quite a bit snugger and more crowded, which doesn't simplify anything. ;)



Everything I thought of to "fix" the problem seemed expensive and to tell the truth, I wasn't sure I wanted to spend that money on more mods to this old truck...

As it turned out... very few dollars for a couple of planks and a bit of cheap hardware and my problem loading the Raider is all fixed!

Grab Your Handles and Ride!
Brian

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Saturday... I Got Thrust Upon me... The Sight a Rider Never Wants to See...

You roll down a long straight into a sharp right downhill... the hillside hiding the tighter, harder, steeper, left downhill, immediately following... that is really more of a U-Turn... that the righthander dumps you into...

You know it's there... so you're dropping through the gears at the end of the straight... squeezing on the binders and thinking in your head; "This thing is usually sandy, so take it slow..." as you lean into the corner, and back over into the left, running tight onto the center stripe... to stay out of the sand on the outside...

You concentrated on the road in front of you... not the bike following...

Looking back in your mirror, you expect to see the friend following you, on her Harley Fatbob, who's never rode this road... You expect to see her following along where you went... how you went...

... Your eyes focus on the mirror expecting to see just that in its reflection...

In that split second, as your eyes move to the glass, the sound of an impact hammers through your helmet...

...As your eyes see the reflection in the mirror, of her Harley slamming into the guardrail and your friend tumbling across the pavement... to slam into the rail herself, a split second later....

But you can't keep watching... 'cause the road bends back right... you have to grab hold and get your own ride shut down and parked... somehow... The Fear of What's happened behind you... spinning in your brain.

... You leave your bike in the road... there's no where else to shut it down... and... run back up the road muttering... "No...No... No... Jesus.... No...."

When you get there, she's standing beside her bike, kind of stunned... the front end of her Harley, wedged under the guardrail.

A few seconds of stuttering are exchanged as you look at hands, arms, legs... eyes... questioning... looking for and hoping to not find any serious injury... and miraculously... finding none...

The thought is flipping through your head... "She almost didn't put her helmet on... thank God I pushed it..." ... as you look at the gouges on the side of her crash pot...

There's always that possibility... that risk. It exists even if you take that same road in a Toyota... It's a risk that every rider has to weigh and decide... is what my Motorcycle gives to me... worth the risk?

I've weighed that many times... and the answer is always the same... and, for me, it takes scant seconds to reach the decision..

The loss of Riding... The loss of the Open Road, is a greater cost, and a greater risk to my life... then My Motorcycle will ever create.

But... just the same... there are sights... I can do without.

... and next time... I'll think about the road I take a little more... when I'm not sure about the experience of those I'm gonna ride with...

Grab Your Handles and Ride!
Brian

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How I made a Good Black Widow Ramp almost a Widowmaker? :)

Or... How NOT to load a Motorcycle with a Motorcycle Ramp! :)

Had a little bit of excitement loading the Raider in Utah. We'd been camped in the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument for more than a week and we're getting ready to roll on up by Moab to meet some friends.

The wind was blowing, and to tell the truth, I wasn't really feeling on top of the world...

If you've looked around the site at all, you likely already know I live full time in a fifth wheel and that I use a Black Widow Ramp, to load and carry my Raider behind the cab when we move camp. I moved the hitch back toward the rear of the truck to make room for that...

Now... loading with a ramp, by itself is no big deal... you run up the ramp and badda bing! You're loaded... right?

Well... sometimes, not so much! :)

The thing is... if you load in-line... and you misjudge or goof a bit... the worst that happens is you thump the back of the cab... UH... if you're loading cross ways... and you make an UH OH... there ain't a whole lot of room... or time... for absorbing the error!

An uh oh... can get to be an Aw Crap! ... reeeeeal damn quick! :)

So... I climb on the Raider, twist the throttle and roll up the ramp, just like I have a Whole Bunch of times... with nary a bobble... until... Escalante...

Goin' up that 12' Black Widow Ramp, something caught my attention and pulled it left... and we all know what happens when you look somewhere...

Yup... the bike goes where you're lookin'...

When you have about a 4" hole to hit on the chock... and a foot or two later... nothing but air if you miss... you Don't want to miss! :)

Well... uh ... I missed! ... so... no problem, just grab the brake right?

again... not quite... my feet were down in preparation to land the bike in the chock... which left ONLY my right hand... Now... a thinking person would have had the brake lever Covered... right? :)

Normally, I'm a thinking person... but NOT this morning... nope... my hand was around the throttle... and when I flipped it up to grab the break... THIS TIME... and never before! It just hit under the bottom of the Brake Lever...

So... here's the bike moving across an 8' bed... NOT aimed at the Chock... with me sittin' on top of it... tap tap tappin' my fingers, UNDER the brake lever... Not Good!

Now, have your fingers stutter on the brake lever two or three times and in the whole scmeme of things, that's enough time to use up a whole lot of an 8' bed!

Luckily for my silly kiester... that chock is built with something like 1 1/2" support legs that run out to the sides. About the time the tire hit the end of the left side leg, my hand finally found the brake and stopped the bike, with the front tire on the precipice!

OK... so the 40" or so deck of my truck isn't really much of a precipice... but... it would sure ruin my day! :)

In the end...  all I had to do was call for the old lady to come out and pull that custom seat on my Raider... out of where it had got sucked up in to ... so I could climb off the bike! :)

The moral of the story is... 1. Keep your eyes on the chock! no matter what! and 2. go back to the drawing board and create some sort of a safety bar that can be set in place if you're gonna load cross ways (which I am in the process of doing!)... for those times that you fail to keep #1 in mind! :)

Grab Your Handles and Ride!
Brian

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Guardian Bells... Gremlin Bells... and Evil Road Spirits?

Are you a superstitious Biker, or one who adheres to Motorcycle Legends?

Do you ride with a Guardian Bell or Gremlin Bell on your Motorcycle? Most folks know what they're about... do you?

What do you know about the Evil Road Spirits known as Road Gremlins?

If not... the quick story is the superstitious legend of Road Gremlins. There are gremlins out on the road waiting to jump on your bike as you roll by... and cause you all sorts of grief on a Motorcycle journey.

Unless... they jump up and get caught in the Guardian or Gremlin bell that you've got protecting you and your ride.

... Those damned Evil lil' Gremlins can't live in the presence of that Guardian Bell... They get caught in the hollow of the bell... Its steady ringing as you roll down the road drives 'em crazy and they finally fall off... to leave you safely rollin' on down the road... and some say... where the lil' buzzards hit the ground... is what causes potholes! :o)

Sounds kinda goofy... don't it? :o)

Yeah... well... I'm the superstitious sort... and there's been one wired to my Motorcycles for a long time... The bell, hanging as low to the road as I could find a place to hang it... was given to me by a most treasured friend... One of my own personal Guardian Angels...

Now... I ain't sayin' the bell is responsible... but... me and that Big Red Raider... went all the way to Alaska and back... without a burp... and that Bike has stayed upright a couple of times, as well as the V Star before it... before and after Alaska, when I was left scratching my head and wondering how?!

So... was it my riding?... or... was  that Gremlin Bell doin' its job and runnin' off all the Gremlins trying to haunt me? I know one thing... this Ol' Biker ain't gonna take any chances by not having one! :o)

*My Gremlin Bell, hanging Low on my Raider*

 Something to remember is... according to the legend, the power of the Gremlin Bell is supposed to be doubled when the bell is gifted to you by a friend... so if you're also the superstitious sort... and have some good friends you're wantin' to keep safe on their travels... make sure they've got a Gremlin Bell on their scooter!

Grab Your Handles and Ride!
Brian

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Ruminations and Scenes from the Seat of a Yamaha Raider on the Alaskan Highway

There's plenty of places you'll find pictures of all the classic tourist stops along the Alcan. I'm not gonna beat that Ol' horse too much here... I'll just try and publish little bits that caught my eye.

and that... in bits... is the best way to "Focus" on this road... the ALCAN is just too freaking huge... staying fixated on the big picture is just guaranteed to overwhelm and intimidate you. Try to just focus on one lil' part, and then move on to the next... one bite at a time. You'll get another of those "More Harmonious outcomes"! :o)

There are those that say riding the Alaskan Highway is a trip of monotony... Huh?... I don't get it... That's like saying that sitting on a park bench while a thousand of the most gorgeous women on earth parade by in tiny lil' bikinis...is monotonous! That'd be a tough job to deal with huh? :o)

One thing I can say is... this road teaches you to admire the small pleasures... like the sun coming out after 200 miles and more of steady rain... with your rain gear leaking! :o) I promise... when that first ray of sunshine hits your cold wet kiester... you grin.

A comment 'bout the "Bad Road" the ALCAN is supposed to be... So far, I'm sitting in my tent outside of Watson Lake in the Yukon territory, all the gas 'bout this bein' a "Tough" or a bad road... is a bunch of hooey... probably cranked out by people wanting ever'body to know just how much of a Billy Bad Ass they are... It's no rougher than a hell of a lot of roads south of the Canadian Border. ***I may have spoke too soon... keep watching for an update! :o)

The only thing I've found tough at all, so far, especially for a Motorcycle Rider... are the distances, and range between fuel stops. But mostly the simple endurance required to cover those distances, through all conditions... sitting with your Knees in the wind.

It ain't an armchair trip on a bike... but it's, so far... not the killer it's been built up to be... though... I've only had two days of rain so far... So my Billy Bad Ass... ain't been exercised much yet...

Which brings us to that Billy Bad Ass part...

I'm 3000 miles into this trip... Many, many more to go... and I've learned a few things already... boy... you'd think that after all these years... a 58 year old cowboy biker broken down Ol' soldier, wouldn't have too much left to learn, 'bout life and his ownself would you? Maybe I shouldn't... but I am... just a slow learner I guess. :o) but learnin' I am...

...but that'll have to wait for another post...

and last for today... a bad day for one poor fella... along the ALCAN Highway...

What you're lookin' at here is the tail end of a Blue Tike... sittin' down in the Bar ditch... and its' driver, laying on the ground... lookin' under it. See that skid mark in the gravel? Just missing that big hole, tree and some other rocks an' debris?

He was comin' at us... a truck in front of me... when he just veered across in front of the truck leading me... and into the ditch. Good thing he veered left... and not right... there just weren't Anything to hit on the other side...nothin' over on that side but a whole lot of air! :o)

Seems a stabilizer on the axle broke... with the trike goin' pretty much out of control as a result... that Ol' country boy was dang sure lucky that the only thing bad that happened... other than a very broken trike... was a very ruined pair of shorts! :o) my guess is... something didn't get inspected quite enough... or... maybe was built a trifle too light?... I don't know the first thing 'bout trikes... but havin' the thing run out of control like that... well... it just don't seem right to me.

Grab Your Handles and Ride!
Brian

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She Gets her Motorcycle Ticket... and First Thing She Does...

... is start movin' in on... MY... Motorcycle!!! Claims she's a licensed "Motorcycle Mama" now!

Stopped at the home of the Gal, who taught Heidi's motorcycle training class... She also does a lil' "sideline" selling of some Motorcycle clothing... and had shown Heidi a Touring/Cruising Jacket built by Teknic...

Looks pretty good don't it? The coat has armor in the back, shoulders and elbows for motorcycle riding safety... good ventilation, pockets to carry way too much junk... and the colors fit pretty well with her boots... but, it is... by God... MY... bike! :o)

Then... she started thinkin' 'bout head gear... She already has an HJC, Modular full face helmet...

But... you don't wear that at stops along the way... so she's been lookin' into more "Motorcycle Fashionable" headgear... We figure there's two options... a regular cap... or a Doo Rag...

Hmm...

... I'm kinda torn... Any Gals reading here? I kinda like the "Traditional" appeal of a Rag... kind of a balance with the "Modern" jacket... rather than the Traditional Motorcycle Leather... that I prefer... but... that Cap kinda shines a mite too, don't it? any opinions girls?... I told her she can keep the Rag on under her helmet, help keep the helmet cleaner... and... one stop shop for dealing with Helmet Hair!

One nice thing 'bout my current "Condition"... no hair to have any worries 'bout such things as "Helmet Hair!". :o)

...gotta go get the V Star in shape... before that Biker B_ _ ... uh... Mama!... Steals my Bike!

Grab Your Handles and Ride!
Brian

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What is The Safest Way to Lean a Motorcycle Around a Corner?

I found a link over on Motorcycle Philosophy that I thought I should pass on... There's a really superb diagram and explanation of the three ways of navigating a corner... and what I like is the "Real World" attention they pay to the skill...

That link is to an Outfit called LateralG and discusses what they call "Apexing"... a good read and makes a fella think a lil'...

Along that line... my wife just passed her Motorcycle Training course this weekend in Colorado... a good start for anyone wanting, or thinking they want to... Start "Riding their Own".

A reader sent me a couple links for Two Outfits, dedicated to improving the skills and safety of all riders... one is in the San Diego area, called, appropriately :o) San Diego Motorcycle Training 

They actually offer a short rental program so students can gain some "On the road" experience after getting their license.

The other is the National Motorcycle Training Institute   a non-profit, public benefit institution whose mission is to reduce the fatality and morbidity rate for motorcyclists.

Kind of a Fancy high-falutin' moniker... for a bunch of Bikers ain't it? :o)

Anyhoo... like many have said... All Motorcycle Riders know, they're gonna Die on that Motorcycle... the Object is to Die of Old Age... before that happens. :o)

Getting the proper training... learning... and practicing, the proper skills... will get a Biker... or a Bikerette... a long way down that Road... without the Road Rash!

Grab Your Handles and Ride!
Brian

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Found My Replacement Motorcycle Chaps

We took a run up to Masonville yesterday... to Visit Nostalgic West Leather ...

Mostly, I wanted to scout for a jacket and maybe chaps for Heidi... and maybe see if they carried any leather Over pants... been thinkin' 'bout goin' that-a-way...

I needed to replace my chaps that I ruined a while back from carelessly forgetting them, rolled up in a saddle bag... wet... for a few days... OOPS! ... Don't do that! :o)

Ended up finding far more than I'd expected... and deciding to stay with Motorcycle Chaps... which I bought a set built by First Classics. That company happens to be the same one that built the Jacket which I've been wearing for most of a year now... So I'm familiar and happy with their quality.

Heidi's got her eye on some Motorcycle Chaps of her own... trying to decide between two jackets... and also spotted some likely boots...

It's a good store! :o) if you're bikin' in the Vicinity of Masonville... (just west of Fort Collins, behind Horsetooth reservoir)... stop in and give 'em a look see... good people... and from what I saw... they pretty much only carry good quality... not the "Event Leather" junk... you see at most "Events"...

She did buy a pair of gloves yesterday... but decided to hang fire for a short bit on the other gear... She's taking a Motorcycle Riders Course next weekend... and thinks she wants to wait till after that, to make the decision which gear she wants to wear... Makes sense to me... considering the $cash$ outlay for all of it... and how long that leather Motorcycle Gear lasts!

I have my own opinions... mostly having to do with ATGATT ( all the gear all the time) which I mention here and there :o) but, mostly, I leave the Gear Decision... up to her... though... I push most the folks I know... to use the protective motorcycle gear that's available... to me it only makes sense...

Doing without gear when you ride... so you look "Good"... seems kinda foolish to me... if it has you leaving parts of you... on the asphalt!

That's what it's all about anyway... Riders making their own decisions... walking the talk.

Grab Your Handles and Ride!
Brian

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I Used to Just Hear Voices... Now I've got Bells Ringing!

OK... I've got to blame a good bit on the Army... and the copper mines... and a few other things... but the wind roar in my helmet don't help any...

The past few months I've had a ringing in my head called 'Tinnitis' come along... likely from too many days in the army, copper mines, shooting... and splitting the wind... without ear protection...

Like ever'body else... I didn't want to be seen as some sissy boy, afraid of a lil' noise. So now... I've got this unending whistle goin' on...

Now that the horse has escaped the barn... I've locked the door... and gone to wearing ear plugs when I ride... juuuuuust a lil' too little, and a lil' too late! :o)

My Yamaha Raider is still equipped with the factory pipes... so it ain't real loud... but, though I invested in a 'better' helmet with my Nolan Modular N103... the wind noise in it is pretty significant... as it has been in pretty much every helmet I've had...

Think about it... if you don't already have a good bit of hearing loss... or the ringin' to accompany the voices in your head... stuff some earplugs in there and protect your equipment!

... and if you're already like me? and already have to say; "Huh?" a lot... 'cause you have trouble hearing over the church bells, clangin' in your head? Do it anyway... Ride your motorcycle, with Hearing Protection... and maybe keep it from gettin' worse!

Then...

Grab Your Handles and Ride!
Brian

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It's Springtime in the Rockies... and Time to Get Our Motorcycles Ready for Summer!

Pulled the trigger on a Bitchn Stitchn motorcycle seat and made an appointment for mid April. They actually build the seat right there and then... while you wait!... at least, I suppose, as long as what you want isn't too radical... and hopefully what I have envisioned, won't be.

But... I like the idea of how they do things... Other places... You order what they have. This place... they take the person who's gonna sit on the seat... sit 'em on the seat. Then, carve and whittle on that seat, with the person there to test out what they've done. They actually fit the motorcycle seat to the butt that's gonna occupy it.

Now That is a custom motorcycle seat! :o)

Heidi is gonna take a Motorcycle Riders Course in either April or May... Not sure how much she actually wants to "Ride her own"... but wants to give it a go... so I started 'familiarizing' her on the V Star, last fall.

I don't intend to teach her myself... at least at first... I just want her to be fairly well familiarized with a bike, before she takes the class... I think she'll be able to get more out of it that way... and avoid the lil' "battles" you can often have between "Him" and "Her" in such matters. :o)

I'm not pushin' one way or the other... It's my belief, that's an un-smart thing to do. Riding a motorcycle is way too personal and intense a choice. A person has to want to ride, and answer the question; "Why Ride?" in their own way and for their own reasons... If I Talked her into it and anything bad happened... I don't want to be the one that badgered someone into something...

That said... I'm looking forward to Splittin' the Wind... Together! :o) Two Stars, Rolling on Freedom Road?... SWEET!

I'm also looking into Bohn Armor... for the both of us. Anybody have any experience to share? I like the idea of it... mostly curious 'bout the durability and long day comfort of it... words from someone, not, connected to their site would be good!

Have to get to work on the V Star for Heidi... She (the bike!) needs some maintenance... 32,000 miles and the forks seem a lil' soft... along with an engine leak that's developed this winter... See! HD's aren't the only motorcycles that need some TLC once in a while!

Still haven't settled on Saddlebags for the Raider... I like the Corbin Fleetliner bags... just can't choke up the price just now... So... and when I think about what 'fits' me... not just the bike, I always seem to come back to a Leather covered, hard bag. I just like that style...

... so... I'm snoopin' 'round for such a bag... and likely ghost type brackets to mount 'em... They'll have to be a smaller size bag... and likely mounted a mite higher than usual, to fit over the stock pipes... That's Ok... I'm a 'smaller' type guy... So my jeans are littler and need less packing space! :o)

Grab Your Handles and Ride!
Brian

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