Oh baby, baby... (1 Viewer)

[NauticalGent]

Thanks Moke! We were just talking about this...

 

[The_Doc_Man]

I was curious about getting some kind of motorcycle. My stepdaughter had a Honda Shadow which was really nice, all black and chrome, and was big enough to have some power but small enough for her to manage it if it tipped. But I kept on thinking back to my college days and a guy we will call OJW, who played guitar for a while in the band when I played organ.

Time passed, got my degrees, quit the band, and started work for a company that made control systems for pipelines and maritime (oceanic) engine consoles. OJW was there as an engineer for the maritime consoles. One day, in walks OJW with a brace on one arm and bandages out the wazoo. He had tipped the bike while it was still moving and tried to erase himself on the road surface. I think he said concrete. The scab from THAT brush-burn was about mid-forearm to shoulder. He said his head and neck were OK but he did have a mild concussion because the helmet did its job with regard to something metal on the side of the road. Never saw the helmet again, and from what I recall, never saw his motor again either. OJW said he was convinced that the incident was a message from God. Of course, I'm a serious skeptic on that point, but if that's what he wanted to believe, I wasn't going to correct him.

 

[moke123]

Last August/September my buddy's father was cruising along at @ 45 mph up in the mountains and was broadsided by a deer. Banged himself up pretty bad but nothing too serious. Mostly cosmetic damage to the bike. He was back up and riding within a month.

I must admit I wasn't totally disappointed when my daughter decided to sell her bike. She rode it a couple years and it was a fun activity for us. She 's happy she could cross owning a bike off her bucket list. As a bonus, she can sell it for more than she paid for it.

 

[NauticalGent]

I've laid it down before, even had a bad one in Italy. EVERY single instance was because I did something wrong. I still get a little shy on sharp turns but I'm not going to let my candy-butt feats stop me from riding.

Missy had yet to lay one down and she is always kind enough to remind me of it...

 

[moke123]

My second bike was a 1982 Suzuki GS450. I bought it somewhere around 1996 or so with 2800 miles on it. Looked factory new. Not a scratch anywhere or even a smudge on the chrome. When I first took it to the Suzuki dealer to get inspected they were amazed by the condition. Some years later I bought a Yamaha V-Star and sold the Suzuki to a friend in my office.

About 2 months later he was riding home from work and went around the left side of a truck that was halfway through a right turn into a parking lot. He laid it down as a car was making a left turn out of the parking lot right in front of him, the truck blocking everyone's view. He made out much better than the bike. I loved that bike and regret ever selling it. So many memories. It broke my heart.

Knock on wood, I've never had to lay one down and most of my close calls were the *%^#@! cars fault. I'm pretty laid back when I ride because what's the hurry? I've done the 100+ mph thing and frankly don't find it to be that much fun. Can't enjoy the mountain scenery when it's just a blur and you're holding on for dear life.

 

[moke123]

One of my favorite memories with that bike was one Sunday afternoon when we lived on Long Island, I asked my daughter if she wanted to take a ride and get some lunch. She was about 8 or 9 at the time and loved to hop on the back. So she ran to her room and put on her black boots, black jeans, her black leather jacket, American flag bandana, helmet, sunglasses, and got her "Fat Daddy Rope" She couldn't get her arms all the way around me so we had a short rope with 2 loops spliced in the ends so she could wrap it around me and hold on.

I took her down to the Clam Shack, a little place on the harbor with not much more than a dirt parking lot and a bunch of picnic tables. Order your food at the shack and wait for them to call your name.

We pull up to the parking lot and there were 30 to 40 big Harleys there. My bike looked tiny compared to them. There was also an equal number of big, ugly, mean looking bikers there from some biker gang. They all had their girlfriends with them and many of them were just as scary looking. My daughter was a little scared to get off the bike and I can still hear her worried voice saying "Daaaddy" in my ear. Admittedly, I was a little put off myself.

When she jumped off the bike you could see how tiny she was. She took off her helmet and her long blonde hair fell out. She had her bandana tied around her head like a doo-rag and sporting her aviators. She was absolutely adorable. All the bikers and their girlfriends took notice and started giving her the thumbs up, high fives, complimenting her, and making her feel really welcome.

We ordered our food and went and sat at an empty table to wait for them to call our name. A couple of them came over and sat with us. They pretty much ignored me but they chatted up a storm with my daughter. How long you been riding? Love your outfit. What kind of bike are you gonna get when your old enough?, etc. They were sharing their fried shrimp and clams with her and really made her feel special. She probably met more than half of them by the time we were leaving.

As we left they were all saying goodbye, "see ya on the road", "ride safe', etc. As we climbed back on the bike she looked at me , all excited, with a big smile and asked "Daddy can we come back next week?"

She still remembers it to this day.

 

[NauticalGent]

One of my favorite memories with that bike was one Sunday afternoon when we lived on Long Island, I asked my daughter if she wanted to take a ride and get some lunch. She was about 8 or 9 at the time and loved to hop on the back. So she ran to her room and put on her black boots, black jeans, her black leather jacket, American flag bandana, helmet, sunglasses, and got her "Fat Daddy Rope" She couldn't get her arms all the way around me so we had a short rope with 2 loops spliced in the ends so she could wrap it around me and hold on.

I took her down to the Clam Shack, a little place on the harbor with not much more than a dirt parking lot and a bunch of picnic tables. Order your food at the shack and wait for them to call your name.

We pull up to the parking lot and there were 30 to 40 big Harleys there. My bike looked tiny compared to them. There was also an equal number of big, ugly, mean looking bikers there from some biker gang. They all had their girlfriends with them and many of them were just as scary looking. My daughter was a little scared to get off the bike and I can still hear her worried voice saying "Daaaddy" in my ear. Admittedly, I was a little put off myself.

When she jumped off the bike you could see how tiny she was. She took off her helmet and her long blonde hair fell out. She had her bandana tied around her head like a doo-rag and sporting her aviators. She was absolutely adorable. All the bikers and their girlfriends took notice and started giving her the thumbs up, high fives, complimenting her, and making her feel really welcome.

We ordered our food and went and sat at an empty table to wait for them to call our name. A couple of them came over and sat with us. They pretty much ignored me but they chatted up a storm with my daughter. How long you been riding? Love your outfit. What kind of bike are you gonna get when your old enough?, etc. They were sharing their fried shrimp and clams with her and really made her feel special. She probably met more than half of them by the time we were leaving.

As we left they were all saying goodbye, "see ya on the road", "ride safe', etc. As we climbed back on the bike she looked at me , all excited, with a big smile and asked "Daddy can we come back next week?"

She still remembers it to this day.

That's the good stuff...

 

[Pat Hartman]

I ride down into Connecticut occasionally (no, not to visit Pat)

Give me a call. I'll meet you half way. I'm sure our conversation would be very interesting I like talking to people with different opinions.

I must say it does not feel right to ride without a helmet.

When my granddaughters were small, my daughter had them padded to the point where they could barely move when we put them on their bikes. As I watched them struggle, I wondered how I managed to survive childhood as a freerange child. I have scars on my knees from roller skating accidents. a scar on my eyebrow from a biking accident, another on my arm where I fell off a cliff I was climbing and a few others. One of my brothers got a hole in his hand from where I put a Jart through it. In my defense, I was throwing toward the board and HE was the one who got cute and put his hand out as the jart took flight. Our mother saw things differently and took the Jarts away from us. The game was taken of the market not long after because those jarts were deadly. Darts have small tips and can certainly hurt someone if they hit you in a vulnerable place but Jarts were a lethal weapon given their size and weight.

When my daughter discovered she was pregnant, she sold her Harley. She does wear a helmet when she occasionally rides with friends these days. Too many of her friends have been injured or died in bike crashes.

 

[Cronk]

Anyone read Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance? There's one bit in the book on the difference between motorcycling and travelling in a car. The former is where you're part of the landscape, can smell the grass and trees whereas in a car you're in a bubble and looking at the surroundings like on a screen.

 

[moke123]

@NauticalGent - Spring is in the Air

 

[Dick7Access]

I took many motorcycle trips from RI to races in Laconia, NH, (Triumph Bonneville, Triumph Cub), Cape Cod for scrambles
(Triumph 21) Long Island, NY (Jawar)(ran out of gas on NY thruway). Most memorial was to baseball museum. (Suzuki)

 

[NauticalGent]

@NauticalGent - Spring is in the Air

We go to pick it out/order it on Saturday...pics to follow!

 

[Jon]

Anyone read Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance? There's one bit in the book on the difference between motorcycling and travelling in a car. The former is where you're part of the landscape, can smell the grass and trees whereas in a car you're in a bubble and looking at the surroundings like on a screen.

Yep, read that. Great book. And I confer with its preachings. Driving a car is just like more TV, looking through a screen. When I hired a bike whilst on holiday in Corfu, I suddenly got a hairy chest and never felt so free in my life!

 

[NauticalGent]

If there ever was a place tailor made for bike riding, Corfu is it!

 

[Jon]

You been then? Great mountainous terrain with fantastic views. Some of those windy steep roads were difficult ride because they were so sharp and steep, the bike was nearly falling over. Had to stop many times.

 

[Dick7Access]

Anybody here been to the road races in Laconia, NH?

 

[NauticalGent]

You been then? Great mountainous terrain with fantastic views. Some of those windy steep roads were difficult ride because they were so sharp and steep, the bike was nearly falling over. Had to stop many times.

Twice during the summer while I was a sailor in the US Navy. We stayed by the beaches mostly but you cant help but notice the mountains and windy roads while you are getting from point A to point B.

 

[NauticalGent]

Anybody here been to the road races in Laconia, NH?

Cant say that I have. Only time I've meen to NH/VT was when I was truck driving for a little while

 

[moke123]

Anybody here been to the road races in Laconia, NH?

Was supposed to go to Bike week a couple years ago but it rained like hell the day we were supposed to leave.

This year is the 100th Anniversary. https://laconiamcweek.com/

See ya there NG?

 

[NauticalGent]

See ya there NG?

Could be...let me check out the link. NH is a LONG way from VA. I might have to do it the wimp way and tow the bikes the majority and ride in...


Edit;
Sorry Moke, it's in June on the same week I am going skydiving...I finally got down to a weight that will allow me to do a tandem jump - one more check off the bucket list. Hopefully it wont be the last. What's that saying - "If at first you don't succeed, maybe skydiving isn't for you"?