While sorting through GoPro pictures that were snapped during the 2012 Berkshire Big Adventure over the weekend I found another “Is This Thing On” self-portrait:
I have mastered the ability to not know whether my camera is running. It is always a bummer to find out that I missed capturing something good when I get back home. But all in all, having the GoPro shooting photos all day has been great. Love that little camera!
I went out to the garage to get my dirt boots this morning and found this~
I’d say I need to ride dirt more often, wouldn’t you?
Hope there aren’t any spiders in there. Eesh.
Yesterday I spent a grueling hour and a half at the DMV finally getting a plate for my Husky. It isn’t that I had to do battle with a clerk or anything, my transaction took less than 10 minutes. The issue is just… sitting there. There are 10 windows in the office but only 4 clerks working them for a room full of people. Hurry up and wait. ::sigh::
Since I got the Husqvarna back in February, I’ve only ever ridden it on private property. I was never in any kind of hurry to register the bike. But, with the Berkshire Big Adventure ride coming up this weekend I had to make that happen.
I haven’t ridden the Husky in weeks. So with my new plate, a warm night and a few free hours on our hands, Kenny and I took our dirty bikes out for a shakedown ride on the street.
I’m happy to report that nothing rattled off, the bike sounds sexy, Mr. Bill is back in his rightful place at the helm and my Fuzzy tugger is on. We’re good to go.
DAMN the TE feels so much “easier” than the DRZ did. I’m amazed at how much lighter and more natural everything feels. I can’t wait to see how I make out on the BBA ride compared to last year. More than anything, I’m hoping for a boost in confidence.
I also got to try out my new Shark SXR offroad helmet. It is so deliciously light and the shape fits me better than the Thor I had been wearing. Happy, happy, joy, joy.
Though my bike is lowered an inch with a Koubalink, it’s still quite tall for me. But, I do my best to make it work though even if I look like a dwarf next to it.
Limitations are between the ears, right?
Everything feels so right in my world.
Looking forward to a good ride this weekend – Bring it on!
Some people are tidy and organized in a way that I could never be. My motorcycle tankbag was always filled with scraps of paper, loose goldfish crackers, old receipts and junk that wasn’t necessary – on top of things I needed.
Now that I have the Tiger with sidebags and am tankbag-less for now, my side cases do the bulk of the work duty. One sidebag has things like rain gear, maps, highlighters, paper and a marker, my Slime pump and a Tire plugger kit. The other sidebag carries daily odds and ends like my work shoes and lunch.
That leaves my gear pockets open to be stuffed with scrappy odds and ends and the contents change from day to day. In answer to Trobairitz’ blog challenge, I emptied my jacket & pants this morning and this is what I had:
What’s in your pockets?
Staying Close to Home
I read a mountain of motorcycle blogs each day. In the last couple of years there seems to be a trend that has emerged across some of them. It is the idea that in order to have an “adventure” you must undertake an epic trip. Preferably on some giant behemoth of a bike with fancy luggage and everything but the kitchen sink strapped to it.
The rest of us knobs putzing around on the tarmac within the confines of the state where we live or the country in which we were born – well, that’s worthy of a pat on the head and an “aren’t you cute with your little motorcycle rides?”
I call “bullshit.”
Now, don’t get me wrong. If you have the time and resources to find yourself in far off corners of the world for months at a time – you are indeed doing something wonderful. I am here to say that no one appreciates the effort people make to write about their far-flung travels and share their photos and routes more than me. It’s the stuff my daydreams are made of.
But… if your time and resources keep you close to home - don’t you dare feel like you’re doing something less than someone else or that it isn’t worth writing about.
The more blogs that I read, the more I discover that it’s really the authors enthusiasm that draws me in. Some people can travel across the US or through spectacular alpine passes and manage to write a blog post that is yawn worthy. Others can make their moped trip across town seem like something you’ve just got to try.
Motorcycling isn’t about having to fit into a mold or into an ideal set forth by someone else. It’s about you experiencing your world in the best way that you can. The value in a journey is not solely the number of miles it contains or the borders crossed but in the enjoyment and experiences you come away with.
If you’ve been thinking about telling your story but have been holding back because you aren’t in the midst of some tremendous undertaking – don’t!
The biggest trip you’ll ever take happens every single day that you wake up and complete a rotation on the Earth. There’s your epic trip. Savor each day, enjoy each ride.
So if you’re out there, just a regular “un-adventurous” motorcyclist with a blog who doesn’t have the time to globe trot – it’s alright. Keep loving your life and keep sharing your un-adventures with the world. You just might be surprised to find out how inspiring it is to the people who read your posts.
On Sunday morning I hopped on my bike to head out to Captree Park to meet my dear friend Bill for coffee.
The Captree parking lot serves as an informal hang for motorcycle and car enthusiasts on Sundays before the town starts charging for entry during the summer season. These types of gatherings draw a diverse crowd. You get everyone from grizzled bikers, hot-rodders, Euro supercar drivers and you might even see a woman on a motorcycle mixed in.
Bill and I stood directly behind my motorcycle sipping our coffee, talking and generally minding our business when two men walked next to my bike and started checking it out.
“What year?” the taller of the two men asked.
“11,” I answered and he nodded.
He then went on to tell his friend how obviously uncomfortable and awful my bike must be. “Just terrible. Terrible. What you want is something like that…” as he pointed to the Harley-Davidson 883 parked next to me.
Then in what could only be described as a facepunch worthy moment, Mr. Expert then looked at me and said,
“Is it uncomfortable riding on the back of that thing?”
I scanned his face for a moment to see if he was just busting my chops but I saw no signs of anything but dead seriousness.
“I have no idea,” I answered in disgusted disbelief.
Now that I think about it, my response was technically untrue. But in that moment of trying to restrain myself from lighting him up with a nice go fuck yourself that was what came slithering out of my mouth.
Bill, who is a prince, deadpanned to the guy, “You, my friend, are sailing into uncharted waters.” He then went on to laugh himself silly.
You just can’t make this shit up.
