I asked my mom to write down for me her views on motorcycling... Stories or experiences or what it means to her... Just her perspective. It's definitely a family thing with us so I wanted to involve her in this project too. This is the first of what I hope is many experiences she had to share.
Hey son,
I was wondering where you wanted me to write on the blog? The things that comes to mind with me is a sense of freedom riding on the back of the HD! I can do a lot of thinking while riding with few interruptions, or I can just sit and relax and not think at all. I love the feeling I get which makes it really addictive for me. Freedom from cares or needed time for thinking and letting go of cares. It is my choice. I love the fact that you share in our passion for riding and we can spend that special time with you. I would love it if Drew would also get the bug and decide to ride someday too. It is fun being with other people who also enjoy riding and exploring the countryside on a motorcycle. There is nothing like having the wind in your hair and seeing all the beauty of the outdoors, without looking through a car window. All the smells and sights are enhanced when riding on a bike. It is a feeling hard to explain, but I think lots of riders would know what I mean!
That is the other thing that is cool, is the other people who ride. Most riders are relaxed and fun and looking for fun. There is the old stereotype of hell raisers and gun slingers and greasy motorcyclist, but if anyone takes the time to look around them, they will see that is not what motorcycling is about anymore. Those people are still there, but are in the minority and you can usually tell the difference in the bikes they ride! It is also fun looking at the incredible number of bikes out there and the individuality of each one.
So to others I would say to get out there and ride sometime but beware of the bug! It will get you and there's no turning back! Hahahaha!
There it is. No stories about particular rides, just how I feel about our bike!
I love you,
Mom
Thursday, January 26, 2012
Sunday, January 22, 2012
Survival! [UPDATED!]
So... I'm going to Tarantino it a bit here with this post. I have an entry planned for the future regarding motorcycle camping... But the last few days, I've been really entrenched in survival planning.
I really just wanted to use the word "entrenched"... like an entrenching tool? Survival? Get it?!
But seriously... I've spent the better part of two days researching and planning a survival kit for camping trips. I've compiled a list of things I think would go well in this kit, and I'd like to share it with you.
[Edit] I can't believe you guys let me forget one of the staple survival tools! A compass! More often than not, you're going to at least have a rough idea of where you're trying to get to from where you expect you are. For example, "I know we came off east of the road and it runs north and south... so all we have to do is head west to hit the road." But if you don't know which way west is... You're hosed. Also, if you're going to pack a compass, make sure you know how to use it. It sounds obvious... You'd be surprised.
I really just wanted to use the word "entrenched"... like an entrenching tool? Survival? Get it?!
But seriously... I've spent the better part of two days researching and planning a survival kit for camping trips. I've compiled a list of things I think would go well in this kit, and I'd like to share it with you.
- The Bag
- A critical element. All this shit's gotta go somewhere right?! I've seen these at a local military surplus store and I really like them. There's a lot of space, without the bag being bulky. It's expandable, should you need even more room. The MOLLE rings on the front are also useful for adding accessories you might need quick access to. Plus it has a hydration bladder and hose - so, in a survival situation, you won't have to worry about what you're going to put your water in! Although, I will say, those bladders are often difficult to get water out of when you need it for cooking, etc.
- Water purification tablets
- What good is carrying around 2 1/2 liters of water if none of it is potable. Drinking contaminated water or water with bacteria or other nasty stuff in it can be just as bad as or worse than dehydration. This will keep you safe. Well... safer, anyway.
- Waterproof matches/case, fire steel, Fresnal lens
- All very useful when it comes to starting a fire. Which is a lot harder than it sounds without some aid. Have you ever tried starting a fire using a bow drill or just rubbing sticks together? I have. It sucks. It may seem like overkill to have three fire starting options, but they all take up next to no space and you'll be glad to have choices. Also, along with these items should be some time of good ignitable material. Examples would be cotton balls soaked in (melted) vaseline (stored in a film canister or prescription bottle), dryer lint, or char cloth.
- Chem lights, flagging tape, Signal mirror, LED flashlight, brightly colored bandanas
- I specify LED because they're usually intensely bright and the batteries last nearly forever. All of these are excellent for signaling for help, marking your path, and finding your way. Also bandanas can be useful for applications involving this next thing...
- First Aid kit
- This is kind of a kit within a kit (kitception!), and may be used in more than just "survival" scenarios. Still, it's a good idea to keep it in/with the survival bag (perhaps hooked on the MOLLE rings?) so that it all rolls out together. The contents of a good first aid kit are pretty standard and not the subject of this entry. Bandanas, as mentioned above, can be super useful for drying/cleaning/dressing wounds, tying splints, etc.
- 550 para cord, fishing line, snare/trip wire, knot reference card, duct tape
- As a Boy Scout, I used to know a lot of knots. I don't anymore. A reference card is a really nice thing to have, because the knot you use really can make a huge difference. 550 cord is AWESOME, if you're not familiar. It's parachute cord, so named because it can hold 550 pounds. You see bracelets made out of it frequently, which is a great way to carry between 8-10 feet it around with you anywhere. Old Vietnam-era trip wire can be picked up at any military surplus store and makes great snare wire for setting traps or... whatever you might need it for. Likewise with fishing line - that's definitely not the only useful thing it's good for. Duct tape needs no explanation.
- "Space blanket"
- Something of this sort might be included in the first aid kit, but I feel it's worth its own bullet point. These things are lifesavers when it gets cold. Definitely worth investing in one (or a couple!) of the better quality ones for a survival kit. Their bright orange outside can also be useful in signaling ground-to-air. The specific one I linked to there is actually a full body bivvy with sealed seams. This helps keep even more heat in.
- Knife
- A good blade goes a long way. Typically, when camping, you'd have at least one cutting utensil with you, but it's never a bad thing to have a backup. And a backup for your backup. These are the ones I think I'd like to have, but that's just me.
- A couple lawn garbage bags, poncho(s)
- You never know when a big piece of fairly sturdy plastic might come in handy. They roll up small and can be used for a lot of things, not the least of which is keeping you dry!
[Edit] I can't believe you guys let me forget one of the staple survival tools! A compass! More often than not, you're going to at least have a rough idea of where you're trying to get to from where you expect you are. For example, "I know we came off east of the road and it runs north and south... so all we have to do is head west to hit the road." But if you don't know which way west is... You're hosed. Also, if you're going to pack a compass, make sure you know how to use it. It sounds obvious... You'd be surprised.
So there's kind of a layout of my plan.
I'm curious though - what do you guys think? Did I make any glaring oversights or miss any really obvious necessities? Do you have any thoughts or suggestions? What could I do to make it even better?
Obviously, there are a lot of scenarios where a survival kit could come into play, but I would like to keep any discussion geared toward the intended use of this kit - that is, riding the motorcycle out to state/national parks and camping.
What are your thoughts?
Monday, January 16, 2012
Inception
I guess the best place to start... is at the beginning.
I've always thought motorcycles were cool. If there's one thing I've learned as a biker, it's that little kids love motorcycles. That, and my dad - easily my biggest hero - has always been a Harley enthusiast... In 2006, he was finally able to get his first HD - a Heritage Softail Classic... And it didn't take long before I caught the bug too.
There's a whole lot of scheming and plotting and disappointment in there... but in 2009, I got my first bike. I traded a bass amp and cab for a 1972 Kawasaki S2 (and also here), 350cc triple cylinder. That didn't run. And had sat in the same spot in a family friend's garage for over 20 years. I messed with it a little - cleaned the carbs, new battery, changed the plugs... Never was able to get it running. But I knew there was really a market for those old triples. I found a local guy who traded me a '77 Kawasaki KZ1000 for it plus 200 bucks. The KZ ran, but definitely needed a little TLC. I figured I was going to have to do some work on either one, might as well be one with a bigger engine that actually ran. I only had it for a few days because... My boss at the time had a Kawasaki '76 KZ650 that was street ready - he rode it to work from time to time. He fancied himself a handyman so he offered to trade me his 650 that was good to go for my 1000. I thought that sounded like a good deal, so we had a "bring your bikes to work" day and made the trade. What I really (thought at the time that I) wanted was an old Honda Goldwing GL1100. I know, I know... Goldwings are old man bikes. But before 1984, you could take the fairing and all the stuff off, and they actually looked pretty tough... Kind of like an older Honda Valkyrie... because essentially, that's what a Valkyrie is - a Goldwing without all the hardware.
Anyway, I found a guy on craigslist who was interested in trading an '82 GL1100 for my newly acquired '76 KZ650. I threw the bike in the back of my dad's truck and drove out to meet him... The Goldwing was in pretty rough shape - the plastic was all busted up and stuff... But it ran and all of the important stuff looked ok - I was planning on taking most of the plastic off, anyway, so I didn't mind. Did the trade, and took the Goldwing home.
On the way home, some lady in a Lexus slammed on her brakes for no apparent reason in front of me, which forced me to do the same... which caused the bike in the bed of the truck to do a bit of a nose dive, and that popped the fork seals. When I got home, there was fork oil all over the bed... Just had to add it to the list...
I stripped the Goldwing down and tried to do some basic maintenance on it... And some stuff to make it look cooler, because... really, that does matter! The further into it I got, the more I found to be wrong with it. I did fashion up a pretty badass cylinder pressure gauge adapter, if I do say so myself!
Ultimately, I never really was able to make anything useful out of it... For a lot of reasons, not the least of which was leaving for Basic Training. After sitting in my parents' garage for over a year, I got the Goldwing put on craiglist and was able to sell it "as is" - I think we got $250 out of it? Which, at the end of the day, was about what I had in it so... I was happy. The guy texted me a few days after he took it home to tell me he'd got it running smooth, so that was pretty awesome. I asked him to text me pictures when he got it done. I'll be surprised if he does, but I'm glad it didn't just get scrapped.
I should pause here to make two points... First, all of those trades? S2 -> KZ1000 -> KZ650 -> GL1100... all happened in about a week! Movin' and hustlin'. Second, I think it's only fair to say that I had a lot of help in tearing into those bikes and getting them cleaned up... My good friend Stephanie spent a lot of hours in the garage with me (workin' hard or hardly workin') from the first bike on.
So this brings us up through the end of 2010.
In January 2011, I got my enlistment bonus from the Army. Which I promptly spent. I'd had eyes on craigslist in anticipation, looking for a Honda VTX1300 or a similar metric cruiser. I would have loved (and still would love!) to have a Harley-Davidson, but that just wasn't a realistic option at the time.
I happened on a 2000 Honda Shadow American Classic Edition Tourer (VT1100T) with less than 5800 miles on it, up in Delaware... Talked to the guy a few times and decided to go have a look at it. My buddy Travis drove me up there on a dark, rainy evening in February and we met with the dude in an Arby's parking lot... Had a look, took it for a spin, and decided to take it home. The guy had the original owner's manual, all the packaging from the stereo system he'd put on it... even the original advertisement from the dealer (even though he was the second owner.) He had me sign a bill of sale and everything - which felt very official, but kind of silly sitting in a booth in Arby's. The only thing that was a little sketchy (read: hilarious and awesome) was the license plate - it was way too late to go to the BMV and get a temporary tag. And he didn't want to send me home with his legit plates... So he snagged some scrap sheet metal and clear plastic from his job, and made a high quality color photocopy of his license plate... drilled holes in the plastic and metal, and stuck the copy between them. Bolted it all on, and you'd never have any idea. I totally forgot about it until I got close enough to touch it. It definitely served its purpose... I even rode it a few times when I got it home with the photocopy tag!
Travis was nice enough to take a picture of me on my new toy before we headed home haha
The drive up had taken about an hour and a half but was all highways. I didn't really want to take that way back south, so we set the "Avoid Highways" options on Travis's GPS in his car, and I just followed him home. Which was an adventure in itself.
We drove through some of the most hood areas of Baltimore at the time of night when you don't really want to be there... I was just happy that most of the totally reputable and savory individuals out on the street seemed more interested in his Lancer than my bike heh... I also almost hit a cat. Otherwise, it was a really pleasant drive through hills and back roads. I would like to get up that way another time during the day. I mean, not so much the hood, but some of the back roads and the twisties up in Delaware. But that's something for another post!
After getting my first motorcycle home, I did a little more research on that particular model... Turns out the ACE Tourer is a model that's pretty hard to come by - in all, only around 6000 were made. It's equally difficult to track down fitment for parts. Honda made so many different model Shadows around the same time period that it's nearly impossible to know if a part will fit - even if a website claims it will - until you try it. And then, in the process of replacing the battery, I came to find out mine was actually manufactured in 1999 as a 2000 model year... So, while it is a 2000, all the fitment is to 1999 specs. It certainly makes things fun...
Anyway, so there you have it - how I came from a bass amp and cabinet to a nearly 40 year old bike to what I ride today. If you're interested, here's a little photo gallery of the bike from the first couple weeks of me having it... Obviously, as this blog goes on, you'll see pictures of it and any changes I make, accessories I put on, etc. I've already swapped the seat and have new bars waiting to go on but, again... those are subjects for later entries!
Thanks for reading! Ride on!
I've always thought motorcycles were cool. If there's one thing I've learned as a biker, it's that little kids love motorcycles. That, and my dad - easily my biggest hero - has always been a Harley enthusiast... In 2006, he was finally able to get his first HD - a Heritage Softail Classic... And it didn't take long before I caught the bug too.
There's a whole lot of scheming and plotting and disappointment in there... but in 2009, I got my first bike. I traded a bass amp and cab for a 1972 Kawasaki S2 (and also here), 350cc triple cylinder. That didn't run. And had sat in the same spot in a family friend's garage for over 20 years. I messed with it a little - cleaned the carbs, new battery, changed the plugs... Never was able to get it running. But I knew there was really a market for those old triples. I found a local guy who traded me a '77 Kawasaki KZ1000 for it plus 200 bucks. The KZ ran, but definitely needed a little TLC. I figured I was going to have to do some work on either one, might as well be one with a bigger engine that actually ran. I only had it for a few days because... My boss at the time had a Kawasaki '76 KZ650 that was street ready - he rode it to work from time to time. He fancied himself a handyman so he offered to trade me his 650 that was good to go for my 1000. I thought that sounded like a good deal, so we had a "bring your bikes to work" day and made the trade. What I really (thought at the time that I) wanted was an old Honda Goldwing GL1100. I know, I know... Goldwings are old man bikes. But before 1984, you could take the fairing and all the stuff off, and they actually looked pretty tough... Kind of like an older Honda Valkyrie... because essentially, that's what a Valkyrie is - a Goldwing without all the hardware.
Anyway, I found a guy on craigslist who was interested in trading an '82 GL1100 for my newly acquired '76 KZ650. I threw the bike in the back of my dad's truck and drove out to meet him... The Goldwing was in pretty rough shape - the plastic was all busted up and stuff... But it ran and all of the important stuff looked ok - I was planning on taking most of the plastic off, anyway, so I didn't mind. Did the trade, and took the Goldwing home.
On the way home, some lady in a Lexus slammed on her brakes for no apparent reason in front of me, which forced me to do the same... which caused the bike in the bed of the truck to do a bit of a nose dive, and that popped the fork seals. When I got home, there was fork oil all over the bed... Just had to add it to the list...
I stripped the Goldwing down and tried to do some basic maintenance on it... And some stuff to make it look cooler, because... really, that does matter! The further into it I got, the more I found to be wrong with it. I did fashion up a pretty badass cylinder pressure gauge adapter, if I do say so myself!
Ultimately, I never really was able to make anything useful out of it... For a lot of reasons, not the least of which was leaving for Basic Training. After sitting in my parents' garage for over a year, I got the Goldwing put on craiglist and was able to sell it "as is" - I think we got $250 out of it? Which, at the end of the day, was about what I had in it so... I was happy. The guy texted me a few days after he took it home to tell me he'd got it running smooth, so that was pretty awesome. I asked him to text me pictures when he got it done. I'll be surprised if he does, but I'm glad it didn't just get scrapped.
I should pause here to make two points... First, all of those trades? S2 -> KZ1000 -> KZ650 -> GL1100... all happened in about a week! Movin' and hustlin'. Second, I think it's only fair to say that I had a lot of help in tearing into those bikes and getting them cleaned up... My good friend Stephanie spent a lot of hours in the garage with me (workin' hard or hardly workin') from the first bike on.
So this brings us up through the end of 2010.
In January 2011, I got my enlistment bonus from the Army. Which I promptly spent. I'd had eyes on craigslist in anticipation, looking for a Honda VTX1300 or a similar metric cruiser. I would have loved (and still would love!) to have a Harley-Davidson, but that just wasn't a realistic option at the time.
I happened on a 2000 Honda Shadow American Classic Edition Tourer (VT1100T) with less than 5800 miles on it, up in Delaware... Talked to the guy a few times and decided to go have a look at it. My buddy Travis drove me up there on a dark, rainy evening in February and we met with the dude in an Arby's parking lot... Had a look, took it for a spin, and decided to take it home. The guy had the original owner's manual, all the packaging from the stereo system he'd put on it... even the original advertisement from the dealer (even though he was the second owner.) He had me sign a bill of sale and everything - which felt very official, but kind of silly sitting in a booth in Arby's. The only thing that was a little sketchy (read: hilarious and awesome) was the license plate - it was way too late to go to the BMV and get a temporary tag. And he didn't want to send me home with his legit plates... So he snagged some scrap sheet metal and clear plastic from his job, and made a high quality color photocopy of his license plate... drilled holes in the plastic and metal, and stuck the copy between them. Bolted it all on, and you'd never have any idea. I totally forgot about it until I got close enough to touch it. It definitely served its purpose... I even rode it a few times when I got it home with the photocopy tag!
Travis was nice enough to take a picture of me on my new toy before we headed home haha
The drive up had taken about an hour and a half but was all highways. I didn't really want to take that way back south, so we set the "Avoid Highways" options on Travis's GPS in his car, and I just followed him home. Which was an adventure in itself.
We drove through some of the most hood areas of Baltimore at the time of night when you don't really want to be there... I was just happy that most of the totally reputable and savory individuals out on the street seemed more interested in his Lancer than my bike heh... I also almost hit a cat. Otherwise, it was a really pleasant drive through hills and back roads. I would like to get up that way another time during the day. I mean, not so much the hood, but some of the back roads and the twisties up in Delaware. But that's something for another post!
After getting my first motorcycle home, I did a little more research on that particular model... Turns out the ACE Tourer is a model that's pretty hard to come by - in all, only around 6000 were made. It's equally difficult to track down fitment for parts. Honda made so many different model Shadows around the same time period that it's nearly impossible to know if a part will fit - even if a website claims it will - until you try it. And then, in the process of replacing the battery, I came to find out mine was actually manufactured in 1999 as a 2000 model year... So, while it is a 2000, all the fitment is to 1999 specs. It certainly makes things fun...
Anyway, so there you have it - how I came from a bass amp and cabinet to a nearly 40 year old bike to what I ride today. If you're interested, here's a little photo gallery of the bike from the first couple weeks of me having it... Obviously, as this blog goes on, you'll see pictures of it and any changes I make, accessories I put on, etc. I've already swapped the seat and have new bars waiting to go on but, again... those are subjects for later entries!
Thanks for reading! Ride on!
An introduction, of sorts
Greetings and salutations!
This blog is something I've had on my mind for nearly a year now... I'm glad that I finally seem to have found the direction and motivation to make something of it. And I'm equally thankful that you've taken the time to read it!
Originally, I envisioned this undertaking with a very specific purpose or theme - the idea was, I would do something motorcycle related every week and write about it. Preferably ride, of course.
So perhaps that was a little ambitious. Which is not necessarily to say that I didn't ride every week, but I'd say a lot of it was nothing really worth writing about. Work, class, and life kind of took over and this endeavor got shelved.
Excuses, excuses.
If you know me, you know that I talk about motorcycles incessantly. All the time. Probably second only to music. With wintertime kind of reaching its apex, motorcycle show season is about to be in full swing, and I've already got the fever for 2012. Maybe someday I'll be able to not have to take an "off season" but, as I have no where to put my bike to keep it out of the weather, I won't get to do any riding this year until it starts to warm up a bit and the threat of snow has passed. So what to do with all this pent up motorcycle energy...?
I decided to revisit the biker blog idea (call it a New Years Resolution), but expand the scope a little... And suddenly I had a whole page of ideas for blog topics! I took that as a solid clue... and that brings us to now.
So this blog will not just be a ride journal, as originally intended. I definitely plan to include some of that, when the trips are worth writing about... I don't think anyone would be very interested in my random and aimless wanderings - "I rode for a couple hours, realized I had no idea where I was... Stopped, looked at my GPS to figure out how the hell to get home, and went back"... But trips with some structure and planning. Journeys with destinations... You get the idea.
At this point, I also have a bit of a backlog of stories from the last year. Hopefully, I can get through them before I hit the road this year so I don't get too behind!
I also intend to discuss gear, accessories, modifications/customization, lifestyle, trips I'm planning or want to take - which is as much for me to keep track of as it is for you, the reader - and whatever else motorcycle related I can think of.
I'm always open to questions, suggestions, ideas, constructive criticism, feedback, thoughts, musings, anecdotes, etc... So please, feel free to comment or share.
And whether you're a motorcycle enthusiast or not, I hope you enjoy this blog as much as I enjoy putting it together.
Thanks, and ride on!
This blog is something I've had on my mind for nearly a year now... I'm glad that I finally seem to have found the direction and motivation to make something of it. And I'm equally thankful that you've taken the time to read it!
Originally, I envisioned this undertaking with a very specific purpose or theme - the idea was, I would do something motorcycle related every week and write about it. Preferably ride, of course.
So perhaps that was a little ambitious. Which is not necessarily to say that I didn't ride every week, but I'd say a lot of it was nothing really worth writing about. Work, class, and life kind of took over and this endeavor got shelved.
Excuses, excuses.
If you know me, you know that I talk about motorcycles incessantly. All the time. Probably second only to music. With wintertime kind of reaching its apex, motorcycle show season is about to be in full swing, and I've already got the fever for 2012. Maybe someday I'll be able to not have to take an "off season" but, as I have no where to put my bike to keep it out of the weather, I won't get to do any riding this year until it starts to warm up a bit and the threat of snow has passed. So what to do with all this pent up motorcycle energy...?
I decided to revisit the biker blog idea (call it a New Years Resolution), but expand the scope a little... And suddenly I had a whole page of ideas for blog topics! I took that as a solid clue... and that brings us to now.
So this blog will not just be a ride journal, as originally intended. I definitely plan to include some of that, when the trips are worth writing about... I don't think anyone would be very interested in my random and aimless wanderings - "I rode for a couple hours, realized I had no idea where I was... Stopped, looked at my GPS to figure out how the hell to get home, and went back"... But trips with some structure and planning. Journeys with destinations... You get the idea.
At this point, I also have a bit of a backlog of stories from the last year. Hopefully, I can get through them before I hit the road this year so I don't get too behind!
I also intend to discuss gear, accessories, modifications/customization, lifestyle, trips I'm planning or want to take - which is as much for me to keep track of as it is for you, the reader - and whatever else motorcycle related I can think of.
I'm always open to questions, suggestions, ideas, constructive criticism, feedback, thoughts, musings, anecdotes, etc... So please, feel free to comment or share.
And whether you're a motorcycle enthusiast or not, I hope you enjoy this blog as much as I enjoy putting it together.
Thanks, and ride on!
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)