Dude…Where’s my motorcycle?

Friday December 10, 2010

Woke up this morning the birds were singing,

the sun was rising

and best of all the little wife was not yelling at me for any reason.

Ha-ha. She even got up early and cooked me a big breakfast before work.

Wow, what more could a guy want (ok there is that, but I keep this site PG-13, sorry no details on that)

Anyway back to my story. After breakfast, we had brief discussion on world events and up and coming Christmas, and then she went to get ready for work while I updated my blog. I then got dressed and went back into the den to get my boots on, as my wife went outside to the garage…THAT’S WHEN I GOT THE CALL!!!

I saw my wife pulling out of the driveway in her car… I felt my cell phone vibrate then ring, it was her. I found this to be a little strange…then those words that will make even the most hardcore biker shake in their boots…

DUDE, WHERE IS YOUR MOTORCYCLE???

I have to admit my heart sank, my hands shook and my breathing deepen.

My first thought was some Nar-do-Wellers had stopped by during the night and took it.

Second thought…repo man (I watch to much TV) I’d never let my baby get behind in payments.

Third thought…the little wife had gone blind and just did not see it.

Then it hit me like a TON OF BRICKS!!!

I had moved it to the motorcycle shop the night before on the other side of her car to install a new seat. Crisis avoided, the bike was safe and sound just in a lot of pieces…let me explain, one of my bosses,Rick, has a 2008 Yamaha just like mine except with a larger motor, I think it is a 1700, mines a 1100 v-star. Anyway he had bought a new seat for his (mustang seat) and he gave me his driver backrest (old man seat as I like to call it)

to see if it would fit mine. I was planning on doing a most excellent post about the installation of the backrest on my bike, but to my dismay the backrest would not fit,

of course I found this out after I had taken everything off my bike…well no harm done, I’ll put it back together to night.

Till next time, ride safe and put some clothing on…IT’S COLD OUT THERE!!!
Big Al

Cold weather motorcycle riding???

On my ride to work the other day the temperature was some where in the low 30’s. I kept thinking to myself, why am I not cold? This went over and over in my mind, why am I not freezing? Then when I get to work,  I see everyone (car & truck people) running for what it looks like…their lives.

To get from their auto’s to the warmth of the building. Oh yea, I left out the part where they are screaming at me things like your crazy, it’s too cold to ride.

I have to wonder, what is it that keeps bikers warm…

Is it the adrenalin?

The motor producing heat?

Body goes numb?

The love of riding?

What is it, sure we have all been cold at one time or another while riding on longer trips,  but think about it…if you take your car somewhere in 30 degree weather you will find yourself almost dashing to the car, turning on the heater full blast and praying for heater gods

to heat the car up fast. Then once you reach your destination, you jump out, zip up your jacket tight and do the fast walk to the building you are going to. If you are on a bike, sure you may feel the first shock of the cold wind hitting your face but it seems only seconds later, you feel fine and having a great time even knowing with the wind chill it's got to be around 0 degrees.

So I ask you fellow bikers, what is it that keeps us from freezing? I need your help on this one.

Big Al

Friday, April 3, I feel the need for speed!!!

Nice day for a motorcycle ride to work…I was thinking, when I woke up this morning. So after a quick breakfast and enjoying a little Sponge Bob cartoon

with my son, I was off. And yep I did the same thing I do almost every morning when its chilly out but looks like it going (key word is GOING to be) to be a beautiful day. I jump on my bike put my helmet and goggles on and leave my gloves in my saddle bags. All the time thinking to myself it’s not that cold I’ll be alright on my 15 minute drive to work. Just like every other morning my hands are frozen by the time I pull out of the driveway, and they freeze all the way to work and get even colder when I get on the hwy.

But this morning was different, why you ask…well this time I pulled over about a mile from the house reached in my saddle bags pulled out my gloves and put them on.(It took so little time..maybe 30 seconds) Then I was on my way down the hwy, my hands being very warm now I got a little twisty with the throttle and the next thing I noticed was my speedometer was reading 97 mph.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ZYlk9yKk-k

I have to admit I was feeling a little happy with myself about having enough common sense to put on my gloves that I cruised on down the small country highway at my new speed for awhile…and then all of a sudden my spidie senses

kicked in and I decided it was time to twist the throttle the other way and slow back down to double nickels. Just as I reached 55 mph I looked up and what did I see…yep you guessed it a hwy patrol car

in the opposite lane, I gave a friendly wave and cruised almost the rest of the way to work. Just before I got off the hwy., I saw about 6 police cars, fire trucks, and clean up crews cleaning up a scene of an very bad accident. I’m not sure yet, but, I would bet money someone died…sad very sad…I guess that was just a reminder to me not to get too twisty with throttle even though my hands were all toasty in my gloves.

Oh yea just in case there are any law enforcement people reading my blog…the part of about me speeding was all just a dream…

I’m sure…H-ha.