A New Wrinkle

Sorry to just do a "state of the blog" update today, but a surprise at work has left me a little behind the power curve.

You see, they installed keyloggers on our computers. So, every keystroke on our computers are now being recorded. Perhaps someone has been naughty. Perhaps management are just into being totalitarian meanies. Either way, it means that writing during my breaks isn't going to work. So I've got to work up some new material in the evenings.

Which is tough this week because I've been up to my eyeballs in work and have been working late.

So, forgive me if I'm a little sporadic in my posting for the next couple of days while I whip up some new content. I'll get back on track lickety-split.

Watch Your Ass

Last I heard, 4 of the 8 bikers hit by a dump truck the other day are dead. I've been thinking about that wreck quite a bit recently. I have no doubt that lots of the other bikers in Phoenix are watching their mirrors with as much anxiety as I am.

A few years back, I was in a friend's car and we were rear-ended when a couple cars ahead of us slammed on their brakes. My friend stopped in time, but the car behind us didn't even notice traffic had slowed. There were no squealing tires, or horns. We came to a fast stop, and then were hit from behind by some guy going at least 45 mph.

Incredibly enough, apart from a ruined pair of pants and a big mess in the car (my coffee spilled everywhere, what were you thinking?), we were OK.

But for the next 6 months, I got extremely nervous any time I was in a car coming to a quick stop. I always expected a neck-snapping jolt and hot coffee in my lap.

Getting rear-ended on a bike, I've heard, is no laughing matter. There's no telling where you might end up because someone else didn't understand basic physics. Personally, I'd prefer not to experience such things.

As such, I keep an eye on my mirrors at stop-lights, watching for rapidly approaching vehicles. I'll flash my brake light a few times if they're moving too quickly for my liking. Usually, that slows them down (Why does that work? Does anyone know?). I also stay in gear at intersections. Maybe it's more superstition than effective plan, but I'd rather have the slim chance of noticing I'm about to be hit and getting out of the way than the alternative.

Essential Motorcycle Gear: Luggage You Don’t Hate

You might have noticed that motorcycles don’t have a whole lot of storage space. At least, not unless you add it. Most scooters have a puppy warmer to keep your gear under the seat, but usually there’s barely enough room for a half-helmet and a pair of gloves. That’s assuming you keep your registration and insurance paperwork in your pocket.

Motorcycles have a tiny bit of usable space under the seat, but just enough for the owner’s manual and a small tool kit.

So where are you going to keep your lunch, iPod, spare pair of underwear and bottle of water?

Well, if you really like living minimally, you might keep it all in your jacket pockets, or invest in a pair of cargo pants. Hey, then you could bring TWO sandwiches.

Assuming you don’t like all that weight pulling your pants down, however, you’ll probably want a bag of some kind. And there are really only two kinds of bags to consider: bags you strap to yourself, and bags you strap to the bike.

Chances are, you’ve already got a Jansport backpack (or similar) hiding somewhere in your house. I really like mine, actually, except for the small problem of getting it on over the shoulder armor in my Joe Rocket jacket. A small backpack stays out of the way, and can carry a fair amount of stuff in it. Of course, on the downside, during the warmer months a backpack means you’ve got a bunch of weight on your back, keeping you nice and warm and ensuring the back of your shirt is sweaty when you reach your destination.

If you're like me, struggling to get a backpack on over your armor twice a day will get old very quickly. This is when you’ll go get yourself a nice tankbag. You can keep a ton of gear in them, especially handy stuff like the kickstand puck during the warm months, gum, change for tolls, maps, a compass... you know, the usual stuff that makes riding more comfortable and convenient.

But I’ll tell you what, stomping a couple blocks from your parking spot to the office with a tank bag in one hand and your helmet in the other gets old quick.

What’s the solution? I have no idea. What have you guys come up with?

For the time being, I’ve been carrying my large Timbuk2 courier bag every day. It’s a breeze to get on, leaves my hands free when I’m walking, and keeps me a bit cooler than my Jansport hugging my back. It’s a nice rugged bag and I could, if so inclined, bring enough clothes for a couple days in it - probably a week if I didn't bring extra pants. Stacy has mentioned the possibility of the strap causing severe injury to one's neck in the event of a crash, however. Frankly, I like my head firmly attached, so I'm keeping my eyes peeled for another solution.

Essential Motorcycle Gear: A Great Helmet

I might be guilty of talking about helmets too much. I just love my helmet, a Shoei TZ-1. It’s comfy. It’s quiet inside (compared to a half-helmet or not wearing a helmet). It protects my face from those annoying little rocks that trucks kick up off the road, bugs, and rain. It has a few other benefits as well, such as hugging my head exactly the right way when I have a headache.

A decent brain bucket doesn’t have to be expensive. The cheap HJC and similar-brand helmets were actually found to do a darn good job of protecting your delicious brain from trauma, possibly even a better job than SNELL-rated helmets.* The important thing is finding one that fits you well. You’re going to have it on your melon for many, many many hours, so you’d better darn well like it. My Shoei seems to be shaped perfectly for my head, and even when it was brand new it was very comfortable. HJC helmets, in my particular case, press in exactly the wrong way in exactly the wrong spots.

I have heard that a white helmet is more visible to traffic. I don’t know if that’s true. My helmet is white because that’s what the store had and it fit so nice that I wasn’t going to leave without it. I have to admit it’s sorely lacking in style. I’ve considered getting an eye painted on to the back of it (I’m looking at YOU, buddy), but never got around to it.

Now, as much as I like my full face helmet, I have to admit I’d really like to get a 3/4 helmet, a pair of aviator goggles, and a selection of bandannas to cover my nose and mouth. One of these days I might break down and do just that. After all, I am about due for a new lid.

Anyway, a good helmet is a good friend. Get one, wear it.

What are your thoughts?


*Check this article comparing DOT-only and SNELL certified helmets.

Nothing to Say, Except "This Sucks."

Eight motorcycles rammed from behind by a dump truck this afternoon in North Phoenix. 3 dead, 6 injured.

Fuck.

Observing A Physical Expression of Joy

Last night I was sitting at a stoplight on my way home from picking up a few essential groceries.

A group of teenagers walked past in the crosswalk. As they went by, one of them - a six foot tall young man - did a cartwheel, leading into a handspring, leading into a leap and a full forward flip.

It was a whole lot of motion, and I don't think I need to tell you I was impressed. I wanted to yell, "that was totally awesome!" to the kid. I didn't because I was a couple cars away from him by the time he landed, and I didn't think he'd hear me clearly.

I looked around, and the other motorists had the same old sour faces they'd been wearing before. Had they missed it? I don't think so. It's hard to ignore 6 feet of airborne teenager.

It's got to be bad when you're so grumpy that impromptu street-gymnastics can't even raise a smile. Here's hoping I never reach that point!

Essential Motorcycle Gear: Decent Rain Gear

No matter where you live, if you ride a motorcycle regularly you are eventually going to be caught in the rain. Decent rain gear is worth the investment.

I do not have decent rain gear. Today marks one of maybe ten times I've had the gear on in the rain. I stayed mostly dry, except for the parts of me that didn't, which were in very odd places. My rain gear is restrictive, stuffy, and really goofy looking. The zippers don't work. And, somehow, it usually stops any rain from falling, thus negating the need to struggle into it.

Ah, the struggle into my gear. I bought gear two sizes too big, so it ought to fit easily over my clothes and riding jacket. And it does, kind of. However, the rubberized interior catches leather, cotton, and pretty much any other material I try to slide it over. By the time I've got my rain gear on, I'm soaked from perspiration.

Luckily for me, I don't need my gear that often. What do you guys use and recommend?

Look At This Sweet Sidehack

Saw this when I was out and about yesterday. Just look at it!

Essential Motorcycle Gear - Every Day Carry

As motorcyclists, there is gear we all have in common. Boots. Helmets. Armor. Gloves.

Then there’s the stuff that’s a little more personal, stuff that makes riding a little easier, or a little more comfortable. The stuff most people don't see unless we point it out.

Here’s the stuff I carry every day.

#1. Ziploc bag with insurance and registration information in my jacket pocket. I also kept a card with vital information such as who the hell I am and who to contact in case I can’t talk. That card wore out, but I’m working on a new one.

#2. Tools. When I rode the VX800 every day, I carried a lot more tools. I generally carried a few wrenches in sizes I knew I would need, a pair of vise grips, a box-cutter, a flat head screwdriver and a phillips head screwdriver. On the Triumph, I carry the factory toolkit, and a tire plug kit with a C02 inflator. Those are both kept under the seat. I also carry my trusty Leatherman PST on my belt or in a pocket, because it’s saved my butt many times. I keep a flashlight and a tire gauge in my courier bag. When it’s hot out, or if I know I’m going to park on something soft, I also carry a plastic puck to keep the kickstand from sinking in to the ground.

#3. Cell phone. I’ve come to realize I don’t hate cell phones, I hate rude assholes. I go out of my way to avoid talking on my phone in public, because I don’t want to be one of those assholes you see talking on their cellphone about nothing important. That said, I really like being able to check the current temperature (do I need all my layers?), being able to search for directions, and I’ve even got a flashlight app, in case I get caught in the dark with no light... I don’t rely on the phone in the least - I always keep a couple of quarters on my person for a payphone, and a winning smile in case I need to ask to use someone’s land line.

#4 Pen and paper. Apart from being able to jot down notes when I have a brilliant idea, sometimes it’s good to be able to make notes for driving directions, appointments, phone numbers, you get the idea.

So, that about sums up the stuff I always have with me. Any essentials I’m missing?

Essential Motorcycle Gear - Great Big Stompy Boots

Having an excuse to wear excessive amounts of rugged clothing is one of the perks of motorcycling on a daily basis. Every day, we get to pull on our armor and go out into that post-apocalyptic biker world, ready for anything and everything that comes our way.

Great big stompy boots are probably one of the most important items we wear as far as staying comfortable is concerned when dealing with anything and everything that comes our way. Don’t believe me? Ride 6 hours on a bike with footpegs (floorboards do not count) in a pair of Chuck Taylor’s and let me know how your feet feel.

Great big stompy boots make feet happy. They’re stompy because the soles are far from soft or flexible. Maybe bad for stealthy walking, but great for keeping your entire foot supported on a peg that’s less than two inches wide. And great big means you’ve got 12 or more eyelets for your laces, which means you can snug them up good and tight around your ankles, providing a ton of support, which means more comfort.

It doesn’t hurt that in case of an unexpected get-off, the boots will keep your feet and ankles protected from the cruel, hard ground, hot exhaust components, and Kathy Bates. Barring that, if you stub your toe wandering around the office or warehouse in your great big stompy boots, you won’t even notice. Can you say that about loafers?

And, hey, it feels great stomping around town and the office in black boots that are just this side of respectable. Even better if you can get away with wearing truly righteous boots suitable for raiding bartertown.

Verdict? Great Big Stompy Boots: Required.

What boots do you guys like?

Overlooking Those Technical Details...

I have a great post all written up. Three of them, actually. I wrote them all yesterday when I went to a coffee shop with Lady Luck. She needed to study, and I needed to look cool in a coffee shop tapping away on a laptop. It all worked out pretty well.

The trick, of course, is that the laptop is a Mac. And the computer I use during the day, the one I write most of my posts on, is a PC. And I forgot to export all my brilliant writing in a compatible format.

Which is to say, my great writing is trapped in its storage medium until I can free it this evening. Whoops.

So I guess I'll have to talk about something else today. Here goes.

I went to an Army surplus store the other day to pick up various items in case of Zombie Apocalypse. I'm also planning on doing some motorcycle camping and perhaps a backpacking trip or two this year, so I wanted to see what there was in the way of gently used military gear. I was kind of disappointed to discover that a lot of the gear, such as ALICE packs, cost as much as equivalent gear at REI or Bass Pro Shops. What's up with that? I mean, I like the surplus aesthetic*, but why buy an ALICE pack if I can get an equivalent backpack that's actually comfortable for the same price?

Apart from the luggage problem, I'm also trying to figure out what to do about cooking. Almost every time I've been camping recently, there's been a "no campfire" rule in effect, which makes it hard to whip up pancakes and coffee in the morning. So I'm thinking of getting a camping stove. Right now I'm leaning towards a Coleman dual fuel backpacking stove, because white gas is cheap and easy to find relative to special isobutane canisters. Can anyone impart some wisdom?



*There is, after all, no such thing as "Too Mad Max"

Just One More Reason Motorcycles Are Better Than Cars

Motorcycles can entertain at dinner parties.

Riding to the Cactus Fly In

Saturday morning was chilly, cloudy and grey. Perfect conditions for a ride along the back roads to Casa Grande for the 2010 Cactus Fly In.

The Cactus Fly In is an annual event at the Casa Grande Municipal Airport. All kinds of planes show up, but the event is focussed on antique airplanes. I heard about it through a strange series of events that will get their own post at a later time. Anyway, going to look at old planes seemed like a worthy reason to get out of bed on Saturday and go riding.

I wanted to do a pizza review, but Casa Grande doesn't have much in the way of local pizza. A disappointment.

But enough about that. On to the pictures!

That is one sparkly clean motor.

I just really like this photo

Pinstripes: Not just for hotrods.

Check the pirate flag flying over the Albatross.

"What are you guys up to today?"
"Sitting in these chairs we brought, maybe drinking some coffee."
"Lucky bastards."

Deja Vu on my Commute

This morning I got stuck riding behind a black S.U.V. on the freeway. Of course, the driver was a slowbie, and wouldn't move to the right to let me pass. I slowed down to maintain a safe following distance, and cruised along to my exit.

The S.U.V. took my exit. Nothing weird there. Then they turned the same way I do. Again, not that weird.

Then, after the next stoplight, they were off to the races. That was weird. They did weird things like changing lanes back and forth for no reason and passing another car which was travelling plenty quick.

I coincidentally followed this truck all the way to my parking garage, where the driver did an abrupt U-turn I'd seen performed by a black S.U.V. another time...

It made me think of a detail in Wiseguy, how the gangsters would drive erratically to see if they were being followed. Apparently someone was a little paranoid this morning.

Dear S.U.V. pilot - I'm still not stalking you. I'm still not trying to kill you. We just happen to take the same route to work in the same place. Have a nice day.

Meeting a Road Warrior.

Last summer, it was my pleasure to meet a fellow motorcycle enthusiast for coffee. This might seem like no big deal if you live in a more temperate climate. The Sonoran desert, however, is far from temperate in July and August. On an outrageously hot day - easily 114 degrees in the shade - I met this biker from Los Angeles at a coffee shop to swap stories.

On this particular day, I was not riding. Frankly, 114 degrees is too hot to go out riding for fun in the afternoon. When it's that hot out, the heat coming from the motor works together with the sun and the heat reflecting off the road and cars to punish anyone foolish enough to venture out without air conditioning. I've done my time riding in that kind of heat, and I'd just as soon avoid it when I'm able.

The biker I was meeting had ridden all night from Los Angeles. His bike is a newer Harley-Davidson Sportster, ratted out and modified until it looked like a much older Sportster. It was flat black, with a bamboo luggage rack he had built himself, and a Pabst Blue Ribbon bottle cap epoxied on the top of the upper triple tree. As for the rider himself, he was dressed head to toe in black.

He told me he'd been having some motor troubles and almost hadn't made the trip. The bike had been making some strange noises, and he'd pulled the motor all apart trying to find the cause. He never did, but when he put it back together, it was making a different noise. A mechanic buddy of his told him he worried too much, and to get back to riding.

The morning of the trip, he'd stood looking at his machine, trying to decide whether or not to risk a six hour ride, including a couple hours through Death Valley, in the middle of the summer.

"So," he said, "I asked myself - what would Beowulf do?"

He took a swig of coffee, and continued.

"And I decided what Beowulf would do is go and kill himself some Grendel. So here I am."

You kind of have to admire that.

A Question For My Readers

To start this off, thanks for reading my blog. You folks are all quite attractive, intelligent and have excellent taste, and I'm honored that you spend time reading what I've written.

Now, concerning what I write... What do you guys like to read? Are you itching for more ride reports? Personal stories? Rants? Half-baked philosophy? General observations and commentary about how awesome motorcycles are? Let me know! You can leave a comment, or if you prefer, there's a convenient link to email me on the right side of the page.