SheRidesABeemer

BMW R1200GS Oil Change Tutorial

2011-11-29T12:37:00.002-05:00

As usual, when reading my mechanical advice…keep in mind I make my living in computers…not motorcycles.

My first oil change on the GS proved to be unexpectedly easy. (The bike’s oil had been changed this summer, at the dealer) As compared to BMW K bikes,the parts are easy to access. The only challenge was locating the right size tool to remove the aftermarket skid plate, why would the plate be secured with one 10mm bolt and 3 ½ inch bolts?

I marked the plate so that I’d remember how to put it back together.

I did need to purchase a new oil filter wrench, no doubt imported from Germany!

I ran the bike for about 10 minutes to warm things up. I’ve put on many unexpected miles this November, so I was a little bit overdue for a change.

Carefully remove the drain plug, try not to let it plop into the waste oil.

When the majority of the oil is drained, remove the oil filter. Take care to hand loosen it at the end so that you’ll have a good grip on it, and sweep it out of the way when the oil pours out.

Examine the old filter. If you look carefully, you’ll see the old filter is missing the ring.

This is an important point. You must now retrieve the old ring. Miss this step and you are in big trouble trying to get the new filter to seed.

Give the new filter a little drink before installing it.

Here is an undershot of the bike, this is where the new filter goes. Try not to get oily gloved hands on the camera! Oil changes are even quicker if you don’t take pictures of each step!

The oil filter and drain plug have been re-installed

Time to add the new oil, and pour the waste oil into a jug, waiting for a trip to the dump (transfer station round these parts)

Make note of your miles, and update your records. And you’re good to go for another…well you decide…I shoot for every 5,000. That way I’m not changing it 4 times a season.

1953 Motorcycle Tour

2011-11-17T08:00:00.002-05:00

I ran across this link, I just love real people's history, especially interesting with the motorcycle twist. Enjoy.
1953 Motorcycle Touring Europe:

A Fine Day Out

2011-10-07T17:46:00.005-05:00

It's been a while since I've done a plain and simple ride report.

And that's what it was today, plain and simple. After getting some things done in the morning, I headed out in the afternoon to play.

One last piece of business was to stop Concord DMV to renew my license. I was surprised with clerk asked me if I "wanted" to keep the MC on my license. "Why yes, that is how I got here." I wonder if women tend to drop their endorsement?

I then headed to Hopkington, NH to pick up the Northern New England tag which has been languishing since Sept 26th. I think there are too many TOR games going...

I stopped at the covered bridge first, there was already a photographer there! We tried to ignore each other. I was kind of blocking traffic.

Then down around the corner for the Tag.

Look at how incredible the weather is, it was in the low 60's, very nice for October. A real score for a day off!

Then I traveled 127N to catch 93 for the next tag. I can't recall taking this road before, not an easy thing to say when traveling in state. It was a very nice wooded back road, with gentle turns.

Today is the day that Garmin decided it would retire. It booted up, but is not taking screen commands. I had neither directions nor the name of the road I needed but I had a good idea where it was. And for once, I was right!

I found Tripoli Road in Thornton (Campton?) and followed it to Waterville Valley.

Here is the tag I was going for, but alas, I was Bruced.

No matter, it was my first time on the road, and I really enjoyed it!

May I say once again, it's great to have the right bike for the job

There you have it, just the right mix: a day off, good weather, good road and just a little sense of urgency for us here in New Hampshire as we know our days on two wheels are numbered

Product Review: BMW R1200GS

2011-09-15T11:00:00.003-05:00

I received this inquiry recently, and thought it would be a good topic.

Hi Gail.

I wanted to ask you what is it that you like about your GS over the K bike you had? I too have a K bike that I'm putting up for sale after 5 years of ownership and have interest in either the 1200GS or maybe a 990 KTM.
[...]
Thanks for your time,
Mike

Dear Mike,
I hope I can be of some help as you make your decision to move away from the K bikes and into a dual sport. Your ’04 K12RS is practically identical to my '04 K12GT, give or take some Tupperware.
As I mentioned in my Adventures in Motorcycle Shopping post, the decision was several years in the making. I can only assume you have found yourself on the same path. The K bikes are great to look at, zippy on the road, but you can't keep up with your ADVenture friends.
So now that I’ve had the GS for 10,000 miles, do I think it was a good choice? I can sing the praises of this bike all day long, sit next to me at the campfire, and it will be all night long.

Comfort
No contest. But with a caveat – I immediately put a Corbin on the GS, never went that route on the GT, part of me wonders how much that would have helped. With virtually no lean angle (like the K75), the riding position on the GS is very comfortable for the long haul. The GT had bar backs, giving me a much needed boost to sit up more, but the approx 15% lean angle was a problem after 4 hours.

Economy
Neither of my K bikes got more than low 40’s for mileage, I was lucky to get 140 on a tank on the GT. It is very pleasing to see 250-270 range on the GS. It seems to make little difference if it's fully loaded with bags, or I'm just running the Givi on my commute to work, the range has been consistent.
Utility
A primary objective in my purchase of this bike was its utility - packing. I can pack for a long weekend of camping with nothing outside the bags except the lawn chair. Take the Mica Tech bags off, and the Givi is perfect for commuting.
Packed for a week

Two Up
The K75 is still the winner for two up. Lisa complains about two things riding on the back of the GS - first the seat is uncomfortable. Not surprising, it's stock. Also the passengers riding position is much high up, so more wind on her. This is not such a big deal for us, seeing as she is moving onto her own bike. I carry all her stuff, and she rides her Ninja. But if you need the two up aspect, this should be considered.
Two Up and over a 4x4

Performance
I was very concerned that the GS would be disappointing when it came to giddy-up and cornering. Those worries faded away as soon as I hit the Blue Ridge Parkway. I was pleased at how easy this bike is to handle. And while I may not be the quickest off the line, I am by no means embarrassed at the light. The GS can get out of its own way. And now I have the torque I need for long slow days in the back woods. I finally have the right bike for the dirt roads. I have not tried a more aggressive off road tire, and was quite happy to put a new set of Metzeler Tourance tires on last month.

Good luck with your shopping decisions!

Zero to 60

2011-08-07T16:47:00.008-05:00

Could you increase your lifetime miles by 300% in one weekend? Probably not, but that is just what Lisa accomplished this weekend.

It was disappointing for her not to be able to ride to the BMW National Rally last month. We made a decision that we'd ride to our local club, the Yankee Beemers', Damn Yankee Rally - located 103 miles from us. She had been getting in a few miles here and there, but nothing over an hour. We decided to just do it!

Famous Western MA landmark

I was so proud of her, She had great form on the corners, and great courage to go on some challenging roads.
Oh what a site to see!

Here she is just posing on her Ninja at the Damn Yankee's Rally, where she won "Youngest Rider" recognition.

She took her first miles on an interstate.

Used a few tanks of gas (what a small tank!)

And rode her first driver miles in the rain...even though we know she's an old hand at riding in the rain.

What a great time we had! We even talked about rides for next season.
Wave if you see us out there!

From the Bridge of Flowers, Shelburne Falls, MA

BMW MOA Rally 2011 Pictures & Videos

2011-07-25T20:21:00.005-05:00

Simple Slide show of the pics I've uploaded onto Flickr.

Here is a great video from RevZilla.com that gives you a flavor of this years rally.

From Andrew Phillips

The Female Rider

2011-07-13T11:41:00.005-05:00

A rider friend of mine compiled a nice blog filled with woman rider's own words on why they ride.
I contributed to this project and am included in her post.
The reasons we ride can be very personal, and we can't always assume we know those reasons.
Thanks for putting this together Donna, it's an interesting read.

Summer Time and the Riding is Easy

2011-07-10T19:43:00.005-05:00

Summer moves so fast. I don’t even have time to put up ride reports, because I am off to my next adventure! So eventually I’ll get back to you with the Cabot Trail ride report from the beginning of June!

Meat Cove, CB

Things started off strong in April when I picked up the GS in Alabama. I so enjoyed that ride home, I have decided to revisit TN, NC and WV next week.

I took a week off to attend the BMW MOA National Rally in Bloomsburg, PA. Earlier this year I’d hoped Lisa and I could ride two bikes to the rally. But for a variety of reasons we’ve just not had the time to prepare her for that type of ride. So she will be riding down with friends, in air-conditioned comfort, and I will be happy to revisit some sweet roads down South.

Lisa has enjoyed steady progress learning to ride her Ninja. Over the weekend we enjoyed our first Mother Daughter Ride to Eat journey. I was so pleased, and proud to be sharing that with her.

Wasn’t it just yesterday we were on our epic road trip? It was 4 years ago.
Recognize this jacket?

The long 4th of July weekend was spent at Acadia National Park in Maine.

Good Roads, good food, good weather!

Isn’t that what summer is all about?. I hope your summer is packed in a good way too!

Saying Goodbye to a Bike

2011-06-24T19:22:00.003-05:00

I never sold my first bike.
Well, I tried to for about a week. At the time, when I bought the K1100LT, I assumed that it was the replacement for the K75. You buy a new bike, you sell the old one. Works that with cars, must work that with bikes. Someone came to test ride the bike, as he road out of the parking lot, I became sad, and realized I did not want to sell the bike.

The start of multiple bike syndrome (MBS) set in.

Picking up the K12 in Cleveland 2005

When it came time to replace the K11 with the K1200GT, I felt eager to sell the K11. She sold easily on eBay. The new owner flew in from Salt Lake City.

I waved good bye and that was that.

It's 6 years later, and a new kid is in town. The GS promptly replaced the GT as my everyday ride. Again, I felt it was time to sell. Onto eBay she went. But this time I felt different. Selling the GT closes out a chapter in my life, in a way that selling the K11 did not.

Final Ride

I had not intended it to happen, but I found myself on a good bye ride with the K12. The reserve price had been met, I knew she was sold, and I knew these were the last of our 35,000 mile journey. 35,000 miles, not really that much in BMW miles. and 6 years, not all that long. But those miles carry a lot of memories. That last ride was like thumbing through a photo album...

The weather was cooperative. Mostly sun, afternoon thundershowers, hey, it's how we roll.

We grabbed the ADV Northern New England Tag in Northfield, MA.

We've grabbed a lot of tags over the years, NH, MA and VT. Freezing cold weather, baking sun, pouring rain.

A memorable November Brucing (Brucing: going through all the work and getting none of the credit because someone beat you too it)

I think she's going to a home where she'll be more pampered. Perhaps some TLC. If you're in Everett, WA, give her a wave for me.

We had a good ride. GAIL will be moving on to the GS.

Help needed in Tucson - Help get the word out.

2011-06-17T10:27:00.007-05:00

The motorcycle community can be a generous community.

Please help spread the word on your blog/FB/Twitter etc. that Ara & Spirit are in need of our help repairing his rig.

Maybe if you are in a position to send over a donation you will.

K1200GT is For Sale

2011-06-12T16:02:00.004-05:00

The day I rolled home from Alabama with the R1200GS, I took the GT for a spin around the block. I knew then and there, the bike was gone.

I have 5,500 miles on the GS already, about 275 this year on the GT.
I feel nostalgic about selling it, but I know I won't miss the pretty bike. The GS is up to the task of cutting up the curves in Vermont, and getting me to my camp site. We've bonded already, the way the GT and I never did.

Coming home from Cleveland, 2005

I hope it finds a good home out there in Ebay land.

Product Review: Corbin Seat BMW R1200GS

2011-05-30T12:00:00.006-05:00

This is not an objective product review. This is me raving about my new seat. If you are looking for a carefully thought out comparison of after market saddle options for your motorcycling happiness...be gone. But if you are unhappy with your stock seat and are leaning towards a Corbin, let me gush on.

I'll start by stating the obvious, BMW stock seats suck.
It was probably a mistake not to order a Corbin for the GT, but I've never felt committed to this bike and did not want to invest in it.
With its stock seat, the K12 was my 4 hour bike, if the ride was under 4 hours, I could consider taking it. Anything more and I'd be downing the Advil and cursing under my breath.

In anticipation of not liking a stock seat, I ordered leather samples two minutes after I'd made the downpayment.

Customer service at Corbin was good, and the samples were here before I'd picked up the bike. Blue Alligator leather proved to look too tacky for a GS.

The low seat option that came on the R1200GS was a problem right out of the gate for me. My 32 inch inseam and I did not need a lowered bike. I had a knot in my neck the size of Pennsylvania for most of my trip home. Looking at the Killboy shots, I can see the ergo problems, my wrist is higher than my elbow, everything scrunched up.

I was lucky to find a rider willing to loan me his regular seat. This helped the sore neck issue, but did nothing for the numb buns.

Be warned: Corbin does not reuse your seat pan. This seat does not adjust. It is fixed. I did not know this ahead of time.

The seat came in almost 2 weeks ahead of expectations.
Sweet site to find this on the door step!

The difference in look between the Corbin and stock is striking. Seen here resting on my tent as it dries out on the garage floor.

I was a little worried, this looked nothing like the other Corbin's I've known and loved. It looks like a bench seat when I was expecting more of a bucket.

This winter I had a leather "cap" put on the 24 year old K75's Corbin - the front was separating, and held together with tape for about 5 years. Ok, so sometimes I'm slow to put money into the bikes. A local auto upholsterer did nice work on this.

I'm not sure how it happened, but in the month that I've had the GS, I've put close to 4,000 miles on it. The last 750, a little piece of heaven with the new seat.

It is recommended that you break in the seat over 1,000 miles. Does this mean it's going to be even more comfortable? The biggest difference to the stock seat is the width. Clearly your weight is spread out more, as your thighs get into the act taking on some weight. I notice the width when I put both feet down at a stop. If you are heavy of thigh or short on inseam, you may find this a negative point.

Saturday I had the opportunity to put it to a real test. I rode up to the North Country in Maine to collect the ADV North American tag. 12 hours in the saddle. Almost no fidgeting. Happy Days!

I was so pleased the saddle came in early as I leave for a 1,500+ mile trip to Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia this week. My only concern now is how the days of rain will effect the beautiful soft leather. I'm sure it will survive. All the others have.

If you are struggling with seat comfort, do yourself a favor and put some money into an after market.

Mother and Daughter Adventure Begins New Chapter

2011-05-20T10:13:00.004-05:00

It is not uncommon for dads to get their sons involved in motorcycling. The typical scenario involves starting those boys on small dirt bikes. It is unconventional for mothers to get their daughters involved in motorcycling.
Conformity is overrated.

As a parent, I feel my job is to give my daughter the broadest set of opportunities that I can. Give her tools to learn. Let her dream. And send her off into the world able to make good decisions.

I knew this would be an exciting year of change. It has been very face paced change. In the past 3 months, Lisa has gotten her driver’s license, has learned how to drive a stick shift car, gotten her motorcycle license, and yesterday, at the tender age of 16, threw a leg over her first motorcycle.

Lisa's first bike is a well cared for '06 Kawasaki Ninja 500. Came to us via a friend of a friend. I decided to pass on the 250 route...this girl has to ride alongside me! I hope the 500 is just the right starter bike.

Passing of the keys, thanks for the delivery Jesse!

The next chapter of our adventure starts in a few days when I begin to teach her what she needs to know about riding that green machine as we roll forward toward our goal of riding to the BMW National Rally in Bloomsburg, PA in July to attend Camp Gears

Spot of green in the garage

to be continued...for years to come.

1,400 Mile Test Ride

2011-05-10T11:08:00.000-05:00

The conversation usually goes like this
Me: "I bought a bike, it’s in Birmingham, AL"
Them: "Oh, are you having it shipped?"
Me: "No, I’m flying down and riding it home"
Them, confused…"You’re riding it all the way back?"
Me, confused…"Ummm yes, that’s the plan."

Tail of the Dragon, purchased pic from Xtreme Sports Photography

Riders who understand adventure get why I wanted to Fly & Ride.
Others never hear the road calling.

I got to Birmingham 12 hours after the tornadoes.
As much as I like to document everything with my camera, I could not stop and take pictures of the pockets of tornado damage I encountered. It would have been too…intrusive. Who was I, a joy riding vacationer, to walk in on their grief. I looked…I rode on. It was a sobering experience.
Caravan of Utility Trucks Heading Toward N.Georgia

That area of the country has had a spate of severe weather. But my good riding Karma came with me this trip, I encountered the bluest of skies my entire 3.5 days. It was just a little bit of riding heaven.

My ride home strategy was this, hit the highway and put Alabama behind me the first half day. Head toward Tennessee and roads whose names end in “Parkway”.

Ride nothing but nice stuff on Friday, and assess my forward progress and make a plan based on that on Saturday. This plan mostly worked out. As I’ve learned from previous adventures, flexibility is the key to success.
Long evening shadow

Oh the bike. Well yes, the bike was everything I was promised and more. I never expected to bond so quickly with the new machine. But 18 hours after taking title to it, I was putting it through the paces on the Tail of the Dragon.
Killboy.com photo

Pretty impressive comfort level for a bike I’d just met. I liken it to a good first date. Occasionally you will have one where the conversation flows so naturally it is like you’d known each other forever. That is how I felt on the Parkways of Tennessee on Friday; we spoke each other’s language.
Killboy.com photo

to be continued...

OPR-MC

2011-05-02T11:32:00.003-05:00

Congratulations Lisa!

I am so proud that my 16 year old daughter passed her MSF class and has her endorsement.
I just sit back and imagine how different things would be if I'd been encouraged to take the front seat when I was her age.

We're shopping for a simple starter bike for her. And we have plans to attend the BMW MOA National Rally in Bloomsburg, PA in July. Her first goal is to be ready to ride the bike to school before the end of the year. I know she can do it!

ADVentures in Motorcycle Shopping

2011-04-24T08:00:00.006-05:00

For a year or more I’ve been giving thought to adding a dual sport to my garage. It seems every summer I find myself on roads, or avoiding roads, that no self respecting K bike should be on.

And I’ve been hanging out with those ADV type people and their dual sport bikes.

For a variety of reasons I decided to make it happen this year. I had a budget in mind, I lined up the finances, I started learning about the market, pinpointing the year, model, and mileage for my budget, elicited friends opinions, even put down some money.
The deal for this R1100GS did not feel right, and I moved on.

I poured over hundreds of ads on Craig’s List, BMW MOA Flea Market, ADVenture Rider’s Flea Market, my BMW dealer's inventory, IBMWR.org and eBay. I made a spreadsheet, I assessed priorities…I found some more money for the budget, and I just about started over. Over the course of 6 weeks, I moved my search from an R1100GS, to R1150GS and landed at R1200GS. Sometimes you just have to decide to spend your money.

In between all this, I was buying a car for Lisa! Ok two cars. I shopped for 3 weeks before finding her a 2000 Audi A4; a nice little starter car, under 4K.

It lasted 10 days. Lisa was caught driving while inexperienced…and made a mistaken left turn into a Saab. Leaving the Saab hurt, and the Audi, technically totaled.

So after a 2 week respite from car shopping, I was back at it; the bike shopping on hold. My insurance company, Amica, had a check in my hand in 4 days!
What a pile of crap I was seeing in the 4K car range. I reluctantly considered moving some of the bike budget to the car budget. My willingness to do this caused me to look at an eBay auction for an Audi A6. A crazy nice car for the kid. I put a watch on the car and had pretty much forgotten about it when I got a “4 hours until this auction is over” notice on it. The car was sitting at $4,200. Examining the completed auctions for this model/mileage, I could not find anything under 6K. I decided to go for it. I put in a bid near 5K. The car was a trade in at a BMW dealer, I felt there was a better chance that it had come from a loving home, and the dealer was not going to be pawning off a lemon. The 118,000 miles was low for a 2000. The 6 speed manual, was attractive to me, because I think the kid needs to learn a stick, but probably helped keep more bidders away.
Lisa and I sat in front of the screen and watched the auction tick down until I was the proud owner of a $4,400, 250hp Audi A6. My bike budget intact

Back to bike shopping. Somewhere in all of this I had thought a lot about taking a road trip to pick up the bike. This all started when my friend in the Seattle area turned me on to an R1100GS. My road trip gene kicked in. But that all fizzled when the A4 was totaled. Still a road trip was in the back of my mind, but due to timing, a West coast epic journey was out. Maybe something less epic? The wider you’re willing to cast your shopping net, the better your chances of landing just the bike you want and a bargain price. I made an offer on a beautiful 1150GS, it was rejected. I started watching an ’05 R12GS, I asked the seller lots of questions. I was ready to pull the trigger on this one. It was navy blue, as my friends pointed out, I needed a blue bike. The day before the auction was to end, I made one more pass through the flea market circuit.
And what before my eyes should appear but an Ocean Blue R12..the color I really want. And it’s located in Birmingham, AL, just 4 hours south of the Navy bike in Knoxville.
It’s stunning and well geared up, a good 25K miles on it.

The owner has had plenty of inquiries but no one ready to pull the trigger. It’s completely in my price range. I don’t have to think..it’s the bike I want. I make him an offer, if he’s willing to accept it, I will send him a deposit ASAP.
I shoot. I score. He accepts the offer.

Next up, road trip to Birmingham.

Lessons learned: Know what you want, know what the market is for what you want, and be ready to pull the trigger.

My last bike buying road trip - Picking up the K12GT in Cleveland, Aug. 2005.

Four Senses of Motorcycling

2011-04-12T12:00:00.003-05:00

Ever have trouble focusing while riding? You hop on your bike, a million things on your mind, and before you know it, you are an hour away but don’t recall much about the trip.
A motorcycle ride is the perfect time to practice mindfulness.
Mindfulness: bringing one’s complete attention to the present experience. A useful component of mindfulness is careful attention to the senses. This is excellent practice early in the season when your thoughts might easily drift from the ride at hand.

Here are my mental notes from this weekend’s ride to the seacoast; the ride out to the coast is rather dull. I decided to practice my skills, taking mental inventory of the four senses used while riding.

Smell

Sight

Sound

Touch - Feel

March Ride Report

2011-03-13T08:39:00.008-05:00

Motorcycling in New Hampshire, in March is madness. A good kind of madness mind you, but mad none the less.

Frost Heaves, if you are not from the area you might think this is a politician running for the school board, considering the number of signs stuck into the side of the road with "his" name. In addition to being a basketball team from VT Frost Heaves are cracks and bumps in the road that have resulted from the freeze thaw conditions of spring. See also washboard.

Sometimes the bumps can be fun, but where there are more cracks than pavement, it can be annoying and dangerous. To ride these moguls sit light in your seat, feet firmly planted on the pegs ready to dance with the bike. I've never ridden a horse, but I imagine it's something like that. If you're riding a cruiser with feet forward, good luck to you, I don't know how you do it!

Here is a little video I put together from yesterday's ride.

Real Women Read the Manual

2011-03-05T21:35:00.007-05:00

It's another winter day in the garage. I finally ordered the brake pedal for the GT, I cracked that bugger last spring in a freak garage accident. I was pulling the K75 off the center stand, and as unluck would have it, it was aligned right begind the GT. The front wheel of the K75 hit the rear wheel of the GT, pushing it off its center stand, and down she went.

I invested in manuals for both bikes. Sure they are onine somewhere, but you can't put sticky notes online and get them all greasy!

Here is the problem, the old pedal has a crack in it. It's hard to believe that if the bike falls onto the right side, it's the brake pedal that takes the fall! (when the bags are off)

I don't just take pictures for the entertainment of my readers, it's a reference for putting things back together!!

Having the right tool is important. The only thing I was missing was the locktight and some greese, so I made a trip for those.

Last chance for before pictures!

So this is how the spring goes on, less all the road salt. Who the heck rides in the winter!

It's important to take lots of breaks. In my case, I left for half the day and then came back to my project.

And voila, the spring went back into place, the locktight cleaned up, and a glowing new brake pedal, that hopefully works just fine!

Caution New Driver

2011-02-26T10:31:00.004-05:00

I don't remember much about getting my drivers license. Lisa and I made it into a day to remember. I let her skip school. I took the day off from work. Because in our house, hitting the road is a very important milestone.

I wanted Lisa to be able to look back at the pictures and relive the excitement she felt. The excitement to be behind the wheel. The freedom of the road. I hope she has a million trouble free miles ahead of her.

8 weekends of Drivers Ed, 40 hours driving with a parent.

Remember your first car?

Hi Dad, I'm at Dunkin's with Mom, waiting for my driving test appointment.

The waiting is the hardest part.

A most important milestone! Congratulations!

Choosing Your First Motorcycle

2011-02-07T12:56:00.003-05:00

I ran into this article from a fellow Yankee Beemer member, Steve Munden. He is an experienced MSF instructor. It was pleasing to have some of my theories confirmed by someone with relevant experience. The Ninja 250 is on my mind for Lisa.
What I hadn't considered is riding it home myself.
I imagine it will feel like a pocket bike compared to by big K's.

Choosing Your First Motorcycle

Crazy Winter Snow Motorcyling Fun

2011-01-25T20:53:00.004-05:00

Some sweet winter motorcycle riding video, courtesy of Andrew Phillips.

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BMW Motorcycle Love Story

2011-01-18T19:54:00.004-05:00

Here is the lead in as found on YouTube:

This is a photo story of my father's 1958 BMW R50:
Boy meets girl, gets married, buys motorcycle. Rides it for 60,000 miles and has accident when wife is pregnant with 3rd child. (me) Wife orders motorcycle to be taken off road until all her children are grown and on their own. One day when bike is moved to a different storage location, son sits on bike and dreams of being a Jedi Master like his father. Couple grows old together and bike is not ridden for 40 years. Husband is now a grandfather of 7 and married for 50 years, when he dies of a stroke at age 71.
Son looks over the old rotting machine and finds note attached to it from his father to him. Son decides to restore the old 1958 BMW R-50 as a tribute to his father. With the help of many friends, especially Peter Nettesheim, world renowned BMW collector, bike is restored to look even better than it did when it was built in Germany.

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A Visit to Pack Monadnock

2011-01-03T18:18:00.006-05:00

Should my motorcycle centric blog contain non riding entries?

Well, I guess it already does, in general I have always tried to keep it motorcycle centric. But that is not always the focus of my life. So this year, I think I will expand content a bit more.

With a bonus day off today and sunny cold weather, I needed to head outdoors.
One of my 11 New Year's Resolutions for '11 is to discover and visit more New Hampshire Parks. I decided to visit a nearby favorite Miller State Park home of Pack Monadnock in Peterborough, NH.

On a clear day, you can almost see tomorrow

Isn't New Hampshire beautiful? What a place to sit back and think about what is ahead for the year.

You can keep your gym membership, I'd rather take a walk

Here's the riding reference: Setting up for the turn

Curves Ahead - walk with caution

Two other items on my list of 11: Develop photography and Photoshop skills! Did you make a list? I want to be able to look back on 2011 with a sense of accomplishment - thus the list.

Don't be locked out of discovering all of your potential this year!

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New Year's Day Motorcycle Rides

2011-01-01T16:23:00.004-05:00

It is somewhat of a tradition to attempt to ride on New Years Day.
In New Hampshire, this is not always easy.
As of Monday, I would have said impossible.
I was up to my bumper in snow.

But alas this is New England. We need only to wait a minute..or in this case 4 days.
It was 50 degrees and there was a eat to ride to be had.

Seeing as there had been a snow storm earlier this week...there was quite a lot of road salt.

More evidence of bike abuse

Only one thing to do...car wash

I hope you ushered in the new year in a way that made you smile.
And may all our roads be smooth this year.

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Operation Holiday Pictures

2010-12-18T17:31:00.004-05:00

December 16th. Nashua, NH. 21 degrees.
Time to take out the motorcycle, camera and tripod.
It won't be long before it's too late to take the holiday pictures.

The town tree is listing heavily this year.

Curiously this church is listing as well...

A little post processing work and the reflective colors popped.

I like this one the best, it was almost a throw away.

December's ride is in the books. Hope Santa is good to you!

Lisa's on the Road

2010-12-09T17:51:00.009-05:00

Dear Lisa,
I was on the back of a bike when I was 15 1/2. My then boyfriend was 21. I look at you, at that same age, and I can't help but think, were my parents asleep at the wheel? LOL.

No daughter of mine is going to be on the back of a bike...unless it's mine. No, you are going to be up front where you belong. So many times I wish someone had told me I could be in the front.

Your blessing and curse is having a mother who expects you to ride. I hope you want the same. I imagine you will not have a lot of class mates with parents signing them up for the MSF class in the spring. It has always been our dream to do the rally circuit the summer of 2011, where you can clean house on youngest rider. I hope we can accomplish that goal.

But I understand better the risks and limits we might encounter. We will ride as far and as much as you are comfortable with. The encouraging news is you have very good road instincts. You handle the car with ease, I think you are already a better night driver than I am.

To your advantage, are the 10,000+ pillion miles you have under your little butt. I remember my first road experience, it was only 1999 when I got my endorsement. I remember the excitement and unfamiliarity of the wind and noise of hitting the road. To you, this is old school. A little clutch and gas action and I think you'll be good to go.

The possibilities for us this summer are endless. And if you do not take to riding I will be ok with that too, you will always welcome to ride two up with me.

I wish you great patience as you attend the required drivers ed class in the coming months. Study to the test honey. And in the spring, put on your well worn gear, pretty pink helmet and give 'em hell on those Honda Rebel 250's. I can't wait to see your light, not your helmet, in my side mirror.

Love Mom.

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Money Can Buy Happiness.

2010-10-25T09:00:00.004-05:00

If happiness is a longer riding season, then money can indeed buy happiness.
For many years I have ridden in all four seasons, not always an easy, or enviable task in New England. Bit by bit, I have collected the many pieces of gear I need to accomplish this task. So if you find this list daunting, don't fret. Slow and steady wins the motorcycle gear race!

Let's start from the bottom up.

Foot Wear

If you have not found a reason to upgrade to motorcycle riding boots, extending your riding season might just be the motivation you were looking for. Still wearing work boots or hiking boots? I know where you are coming from. I wore hiking boots my first 5 seasons. I finally learned my lesson while riding in pelting rain in the Alps. It really put a damper on my enjoyment. Not only are proper riding boots safer, but comfortable feet mean a comfortable ride. Good riding boots will keep your feet and ankles warm and dry. Skip the short shafted shoe/go for the boot that tucks under your pants. Who wants to look at your white socks when you are riding!
Along with good boots, you can also indulge in heated socks. I have not taken this step myself, I have not had issues with cold feet, maybe it's my riding position and warm K block? But if you suffer from chronic cold feet, it might be a solution for you. Heated socks come in battery or electric. They can be found in snowmobile supplier catalogs/web sites.

Pants
These would be perfect if they had a zip out mesh lining (the newer models may have this)

Want to extend your season past 60 degrees? Loose the jeans. You need riding pants, over pants or not. For the cold, I really like my Rev-It pants, they are long enough, don't ride up, and have a zip in quilted lining. The lining works so well, it has left my Gerbing electric pants idle most winters. I have many criticisms about my Rev-IT gear for the summer, but it rates 4 stars for the cold.

Jacket
Leather is a nice option in the fall

Most riders have a jacket. If you have a skimpy form fitting number that shows off your butt, it may be time to upgrade to a fuller coat, one that will offer added protection and layering opportunities. I have tried leather in the winter, and while the wind protection is good, it gets too stiff in the cold stuff, and to worrisome in the rain. I prefer textiles for versatility. Which ever way you go, be sure you can fit an extra layer or two underneath.
And what do you need underneath? An electric jacket. "That's cheating" is a common reply I hear. Cheating what? Discomfort? The point here is to extend your riding season not prove your manliness. Get over yourself, and get comfortable. Skip the heated vest, unless you enjoy frozen arms and will never want to use heated gloves.
If you are on an underpowered bike, there are self powered battery options for you. When dressing, make the electric jacket your second layer, over a thin shirt, you want it close to your skin. And by all means buy the heat controller...else you will be like a toaster...off/on. It's enough to give you the chills.

Roadcrafter's are not very warm without a layer underneath!

Speaking of chills. If you do make the move to heated clothes, let me advise you to keep the controller on the lowermost setting. You might even leave the garage with it off. Be sure to practice making adjustments so that you can do it with your bulky gloves...without looking. The reason to keep the temp low, is the more contrast there is between sections of your body the more likely you'll start to shiver. If your legs are 40 degrees, and your chest 70, it's not going to be a comfortable trip.

Neck
My favorite red neck triangle enjoyed some use in the Alps

Does the neck deserve its own category for gear? You bet. When it gets down into the 40's, and you're going 70 mph, you don't want ANY skin showing. A wind triangle is the most versatile item I have, I keep it with me most of the year. Put it on low, put it on high over the mouth. Even on a coolish summer evening, when I don't want the air going down my coat, because all I'm wearing is a T-shirt - wind triangle to the rescue!
Additionally, you might considers a wind resistant balaclava, or turtle fur neck warmer. The latter being an extra layer if it does not have wind resistance. Look for balaclava's that are ultra thin, with no fleece going into the helmet. If you have a proper fitting helmet, additional thickness will leave you with a very nasty headache. I know!

Head

A full faced helmet. Do I need to say more? I see the hold outs in New Hampshire...Live Free all right...neoprene face masks, knit caps, silly beany helmets. Hello? You are freezing cold & UNSAFE. Now when it comes to full faced helmets some brands/models are more vented than others, so buyer beware. If you are purchasing your first look for the vents, be sure they can all be closed. Look for a nose dam to help with fogging. And for about $20, get yourself a FogCity insert, never live with a fogged up shield again!

Hands
Mid Weight Gloves are fine for me until temps dip into the 40's.

I can't tell you how many of my friends tell me they don't worry about winter gloves because they have heated grips. Uh...so what? Heated grips help your palms, don't do a thing for the top of your fingers, the ones taking all the wind. Or maybe it's just me...my hands are my Achilles heal to cold weather riding. Last year I finally moved to a heated glove. Good move! No more aching hands that I want to rest on the K block for warmth. I was caught in cold, snow squalls last week, and I never felt uncomfortable. Cold..yes, but now my hands are not the culprit. The nose and forehead are the most vulnerable now - I wasn't carrying a balaclava in October!

With the right gear you can add some color to a gray day

Motorcycling Utopia

2010-10-10T20:38:00.008-05:00

A three day weekend in October. Not a cloud in the sky. Temps in the 50's and 60's. Tent, sleeping bag, cameras...check. I rolled the GT out of the garage at 8:00 AM, I could have ridden forever.

I set out to shoot some foliage.

In Southern New Hampshire and South West Massachusetts the colors were near peak, still a touch of green amongst the yellow beach & birch, blaze orange oaks and every so often a fire red maple near the water.

I also made plenty of impromptu stops, such as this well appointed house. I've never seen so many Pumpkin Fests!

Riding alone does have its benefits, when it comes to making lots of stops

The crowds were thick on Rte 9 in Vermont, but I quickly dropped off onto Rte 8 south. Bye bye motor homes.

A whole day of roads with no lines, little to no traffic. It was a visual candy land out there.

I took a wrong turn that turned out to be right. I enjoyed lunch under this tree, at a country store in Worthington, MA. It's a corner of Massachusetts that should be annexed by Vermont.

I set up camp, for free, at Beartown State Forest, Great Barrington, MA. It might have been 60 during the day, but it was a crisp 30 degrees overnight...where is my battery operated blanket?

I rose early (for me) to capture some pictures around the camp site. There were a half dozen other enthusiasts enjoying the colors. Can you just smell that smoke...glorious!

I hope you have some perfect times this fall. Remember it leaves fast!

The Norton Project

2010-10-01T11:14:00.001-05:00

This is so worth the 15 minutes to watch it.

Good Riding Karma

2010-09-27T08:43:00.007-05:00

I've been riding for 12 years now, somewhere near 100,000 miles. I have never had a break down while on the road. Yeah I lost a radiator fan in the Black Hills of ND, but I was able to continue on. I even suffered a cracked transmission case on a Yamaha, but that was in my garage. So I was long over due for a flat tire, lucky for me it was a leak and not a blow out. But either way I found myself on the Maine turnpike with a tire that was not holding air.

Now many of my well intentioned facebook friends told me all about plugging a tire or some such thing. I guess if you had such things with you you could use that. I had a phone with me...I used that. Thankfully I was still in cell coverage land. But hey, I have good riding Karma.

With the little tool kit that lives tucked in my tail fin, I was able to get the rear tire off. Upon its removal, I discovered a broken spring on the disk brake, see it's good I had a flat, I wouldn't have known about the brake problem.

It was a fabulous day to hang around waiting for help. 3 nice folks did stop to offer assistance, including an ADV guy.

I was in a spacious, safe Irving Station, so I was able to keep my strength up. See my new helmet?

Now there were much closer places to take my tire but my friends and I decided to throw the tire in the trunk and head on down to Max BMW. And why is that? Because some of the other places couldn't find customer service in the dictionary. Max's on the other hand could teach a class on it. You're on the road? You're in next. Great people to do business with.

So my original intention was to ride to my friends house and enjoy the foliage. Seeing as I was cooling my heals at a gas station, I looked around and spotted a teeny tiny bit of color.

Not the day I thought I was going to have, but a good day none the less.

Woman Riders of Note

2010-09-06T13:54:00.009-05:00

Women Ride, and get all dirty.

Male, female, what does it matter when it comes to motorcycling?

I'd like to think it doesn't, but I'd be in the minority. The riding world continues to be male dominated. And there are plenty of women willing to play onto the stereotype. So as I come upon "serious" woman riders, I start to take note.

I've been thinking lately about the woman of substance in the riding community, the internet has made learning about, and following their adventures possible.

If you don't know about these women, I think you may enjoy stopping by their sites. We have a lot to learn from each other.

Anna 'Excessivelocity,
Blanca Scanlon-Sharpe,
Cecilie Hoffman,
Marilyn Elmore,
Carla King,
Jacqui Van Ham,
Heather Mikael Rafferty,
Judy Mirro,
Melissa Holbrook Pierson
Moto Adventure Gal (could not find her real name),
Sheri Jo Wilkins,
Voni Glaves,

Rain Gear - It Only Works When You Wear It.

2010-08-22T20:00:00.000-05:00

Ohhh Nooo, his first trip and it rains. Poor Mr. Bill! Welcome to my riding world.

If you set out for home and it is raining, it's easy to see you should put on your rain gear - assuming you are one of the mortals that needs rain gear over your normal riding attire. You people with 'Stitches (the 3 that don't leak like a sieve) can just avert your eyes to the pictures on the right for the next couple of paragraphs.

The decision to don rain gear on an overcast day is a far more complicated decision. Let's think about the factors. Is that just mist? Is it raining? Is it going to keep raining. Are you riding toward more rain or clear. What am I wearing, what is my passenger wearing? Is the air temp cold. We're ok for mist. We're ok for 30 min. How much farther do we have to go? How easy is it to stop. Can we take cover to put gear on? What bike am I on, how much protection does that offer. And on and on it goes. Misty rain, and indecision can leave you all wet.

And for arguments sake, let's pretend we actually have our rain gear with us. When Lisa and I travel, I don't always have all of it with me. This weekend I brought my rain coat, and Lisa's coat & pants. I forgot the rubber gloves in my tank bag, so my deerskin gloves were going to be out of luck no matter.

Heading home from a fun weekend in Maine we knew the forecast was for afternoon showers. The sky was gray. We'd seen drops here and there, but mostly grayness. We made a gas stop and the mist was obvious. I had full Rev'IT gear on and riding boots. Lisa had mesh pants and leather jacket. I can't remember the last time Lisa and I rode 2 up on the GT. But it does afford more protection around the legs because of the faring. You can tell where this is going?

The mist turned to intermittent drops, the country road was exchanged for the interstate, and before you know it, we've not geared up, we're on the highway and it's a steady rain. Screw it, the temps are comfortable, and we're 45 minutes from home...HIT IT. The Rev IT held up fine, just a little dampness at the top of the collar, and where my hair wicks in the water. Lisa was in even better shape the front of her pants were just as dry as can be, and only her pigtails took the weather. You know, once you've been caught in 10 hours of torrential downpours...45 minutes is a walk in the park!

Well ...here are some pics from the Lobster Bake. Hope you had some late summer fun!

Before

Good Night Mr Lobster, steam well

Oooh Nooo, Lisa and Irene just figured out what is happening with the lobsters

Getting all steamed up

Ummm, no after pics, my hands were to buttery!

The Art of a Ride Report.

2010-08-15T09:07:00.003-05:00

Every Picture Tells A Story don't it?

The other day a ride report came into my mail box. Now I get my fair share of unsolicited mail from fellow riders, but seldom do I get anything of quality.

The quality of a ride report is not necessarily tied to the rider's destination but in his/her ability to spin a story, with words and pictures. I have a link on the right side bar labeled the Best Damn Ride Report ever, if you've not clicked on it - don't! Unless you are prepared to have 3-4 hours of your life sucked up in the best tale of adventure ever.

I am too polite to put in links to the worse ride reports, and of course that is entirely subjective. But diary accounts of a trip, with little or no pictures are just deathly. "I was going to leave at 7 AM, but the cat yacked on the rug, so I was delayed. I put on my glove, I put on my boots...I left the house ..." You know what I'm talking about. And if the bad reports don't drone on in detail, they are short precise and boring. "Rode 562 miles today, put in 1/2 quart of oil. It was a hot, long day". Uh yeah, that kind of report can make the Rocky Mountains seem boring.

What an interesting ride report...not

So back to my inbox..Dan from PA took a trip to AK. It's been done before, I yawned as I clicked on the link. And then I spent the next 45 minutes enjoying the pictures and solid simple language he used to support those pictures. Ah yes, pictures...that is the way to tell a story. Draw your reader into your adventure. Leave your reader thinking, "I'd like to do that". "No way I'd go there!". A picture of the 756 miles for the day on your GPS won't do that. Thanks for the great story Dan!

Riding Solo

2010-08-08T11:50:00.005-05:00

I packed up the GT and headed to the Yankee Beemers Damn Yankee's Rally in Heath, MA this weekend. I've enjoyed this rally several times over the years. I usually go there on my own.

But a cloud of melancholy hung over this weekend's ride.
My long time partner and I recently parted ways. And I felt his absence as I cranked the GT through its paces in the Green Mountains. No bank of lights trailing in my rear view.. It took us a hard year to learn to ride together. But that damn Road King could hold its own in the twisties of Vermont.

Kevin and I met because we rode. In the winter. In New England Weather.

We shared an affinity for being on the road. We shared an absurd about of soaking wet miles.

But in the long run motorcycling wasn't a strong enough glue for us. And it's back to ridng solo. I always relished my solo rides. But I'm going to miss my riding partner.
Ride Safe Big Guy.

BMW RA Rally - Pownal, VT

2010-08-02T11:08:00.004-05:00

There are no bad roads in Vermont. Add a few sunny days in the low 80's and you have the makings of an ideal weekend rally.

The RA is no MOA, it's not even the poor cousin. It's basically a large local club organizationally. What this bare bones rally lacked in amenities it made up in location and great people. Lisa and I made our first camping excursion of the season and shared many miles and smiles.

Back to basics camping

In the weeds

Morning fog lingers over the camp site

Lisa braids her hair in the camp mirror, getting ready for a day of riding.

Breakfast of champions, Wilmington, VT

That was one filling brownie!

Bikes from the weekend

15 year old Lisa hams it up with 78 year old Ardys Kellerman, who dropped in from her Texas home.

Traditional Mid day stop for ice cream

Ready to hit the road at 7:00AM

Don't forget to do something wacky this summer!

Motorcycle Book: AMA's Ride Guide to America

2010-07-15T08:00:00.000-05:00

Press Release
For motorcycle enthusiasts looking for new roads to explore, the Ride Guide to America, Volume 2, will inspire you with many exciting places to try along with practical information about some of the best rides in the country. Expanding on the first Ride Guide to America, this second volume, also compiled by the American Motorcyclist Association, describes more than 30 new trips spread across the United States.

Written by motorcyclists for motorcyclists, these are some of the favorite rides from such well-known motojournalists as Clement Salvadori, Marty Berke, Scott Cochran, Dale Coyner,Bruce Hansen, Toby Ballentine, Neal Davis, Grant Parsons, Bill Kresnak, and James Holter. Detailed route descriptions are given for each ride along with maps showing the routes with topographic relief. The historical and cultural tidbits as well as the descriptions of interesting places to visit along the way will only fuel your desire to take to the road. The many full-color photographs accompanying each trip description provide a sneak preview of what you can expect to see.
These routes offer the best of what motorcyclists look for—twisty roads, sweeping curves,and scenic vistas. This guidebook will prove to be an invaluable resource for planning a motorcycle trip anywhere in the United States—to the New England coast, the deserts of the Southwest, the wind-swept shore of Lake Superior, the hollows of the Appalachians, or the rugged Cascades of the Northwest.

Motorcycle Book: How to Repair Plastic Bodywork

2010-07-01T08:00:00.003-05:00

Press Release
It’s a familiar story—a simple accident in the driveway results in cracked and broken bodywork that costs thousands of dollars to replace—more, sometimes, than the vehicle may be worth. Few repair shops or Do-It-Yourselfers have been interested or had the wherewithal to attempt plastic repairs, leaving no options but part replacement on an otherwise perfectly serviceable machine. In fact, insurance rates on some motorcycles and
snowmobiles have skyrocketed because of the high cost of replacing broken plastic.

How to Repair Plastic Bodywork by Kurt Lammon solves this common dilemma with
easy-to-follow directions and clear illustrations applicable to any plastic repair—cars, motorcycles, trucks, ATVs, or snowmobiles. Lammon explains how to assess the damage, identify the type of plastic from which the part is made, and fixing everything from a simple scratch to a major break. Step-by-step procedures take you from cleaning, aligning, preparing, and reinforcing the repair site all the way through the refinishing process. Valuable tips for making structural and cosmetic repairs, rebuilding broken tabs and bolt holes, and fixing stripped threads are also included. And, to make getting started even easier, a comprehensive Resource Guide for tools and materials puts dozens of suppliers at your fingertips.

Within the realm of “how-to books,” there is precious little on repairing plastics and none with the comprehensive yet easy-to-follow scope of How to Repair Plastic Bodywork. Though it has been popular since its first release in 2003, the color version of the book has now gone out of print. To ensure that this unique and valuable guide remains available, Whitehorse Press has reissued the book in black and white. With a fresh new cover it is still packed with all
the original useful information and illustrations.

Motorcycle Book: The Upper Half of the Motorcycle

2010-06-15T08:00:00.000-05:00

Press Release

Center Conway, NH, June, 2010—Whitehorse Press is pleased to announce the release of an English-language edition of Bernt Spiegel’s seminal work, The Upper Half of the Motorcycle. The original German edition, which has been hailed by European motorcyclists for more than a decade for its provocative approach to improving riding skills, is currently in its third edition and ninth printing.

Bernt Spiegel, a behavioral psychologist, brings a unique perspective to the subject of motorcycling, drawing on related topics in the fields of anthropology, biology, physics, and numerous other disciplines to tease out the underpinnings of an accomplished motorcyclist’s integration with his machine, a relationship that, when fully realized, approaches virtuosity. Spiegel imparts this insight with a wealth of interesting and often humorous illustrations and lessons from everyday human activities to keep the discussions lively and practical.

Skillful motorcycling involves a lot more than just balance, turning, and stopping; it requires a sophisticated self-awareness that can anticipate, monitor, and react to an everchanging set of potential hazards and variables. The Upper Half of the Motorcycle brings fresh understanding that will allow a rider to access the ideal states of mind that lead to instinctive reactions, in balance with the influences of conscious thought.

Spiegel begins first by exploring how the human brain was shaped by evolution to utilize built-in “programs” which optimize foresight, and explaining exactly how we learn and perceive the world around us. The second section builds upon how these programs interact with our consciousness, and how they relate to our use of tools (one of which is the motorcycle). Section three deals with the subsequent integration of man and tool (rider and motorcycle) that creates a singular unit with unique properties. Section four focuses on the techniques that allow a rider to train himself for higher levels of performance, and the fifth section offers many practical exercises to improve one’s riding.

In this book, motorcycling enthusiasts will discover new insights, unique perspectives, and many ways to challenge and improve their riding style, making it much more satisfying and enjoyable, and perhaps, with practice, even bringing it to the point of virtuosity.

Canadian Maritimes Ride Report

2010-06-11T15:03:00.019-05:00

The sky and road are the same dull shade of gray, they meet neatly at the horizon. A steady rain is blipping into my helmet. Water is getting in somewhere on my face shield, spraying a tiny mist onto my cheek. It's about 55 degrees. A full face shield, a wind triangle, 4 sets of zippers before you reach my shirt.
Look at those fools on the bikes, don't they know it's raining.
Yeah, I know it's raining. It's been raining steady all weekend.
It's my day off, I'm having a good time. You wouldn't understand.

We're in the Canadian Maritimes and as best I can recall, I've never seen the sun in New Brunswick. Yet when the call comes in for another trip up north, I'm the first one to put in for a day off. Short term memory loss is a grand thing.

Historic photo from 2005 Black Fly - look, sun! (is that me?)

It's been 5 years since the last Black Fly Rolling Rally. Come to think of it, it rained then. The formula seems to be sunny leaving, sunny getting home, nothing but webbed feet in between. And a good time was had by all - not necessarily all the time.

I'll let the pictures tell the rest of the story...

Our Route, started with pie detour to the Moody's Diner in Waldoboro, ME

Penobscot Narrows Bridge is a must stop scenic rest area. Apparently this lovely weather did not have a passport to enter Canada.

By 8:00AM we were ready to roll into Canada. Kevin and I knew we would not camp after a long day in the rain, and at time questioned why we were heading to Tracadie, NB.

Happy non Campers, but a little sad not to be hanging with the rest of the Fly-boys and girls.

Until they all rolled into the parking lot!
I went to Black Fly and all we got was this hotel room.

Irene's Stitch left her with some very wet pants. Yet she still swears by it. I swore at mine when it let me down, and sold it on eBay.

After a stay at a warm hotel in Orono, we had a fantastic ride home.

Had the Kanc to ourselves.

Good trip for a waterproof camera!

Motorcycle Riding Gear, take the time.

2010-05-20T08:18:00.001-05:00

New Car in the Drive

2010-05-11T17:00:00.002-05:00

After 8 years and 175,500 miles of service, I said good bye to my 03 Acura TL Sport.

This particular model had a problem with the transmission. Acura warrantied them out to 120,000. I rolled into the shop last spring 160,000 and had to pay for the rebuild myself. This spring I rolled back in, 2,000 miles past the 12/12 warranty. No one wanted to investigate the fault lights to strenuously. It was time to go shopping.

I didn't have to look long before I figured out what I wanted...the same car (almost). I came home Sunday with an 08 Acura TL-S. I briefly thought of getting the 6 speed manual, even took a couple out for test rides before deciding I'm just to lazy. If I want to shift something I'll hop on two wheels.

286hp. I wonder how miles between tickets? Wish me luck!

Motorcyle Book: How to Set Up Your Motorcycle Workshop

2010-03-30T08:00:00.001-05:00

Press Release
Cemter Conway, NH, March 2010—From a corner of the garage set up for routine maintenance to a dream shop housing valuable classic machines, How to Set Up Your Motorcycle Workshop, 3rd Edition will help you create a hard-working motorcycle workshop to make the most of available space, and equip it with the tools necessary to get any job done.

Whether you plan only to keep your bike clean and in good repair or you want to become seriously involved with restoration, customization, or even professional repair, this book will show you how it’s done. In-depth shop profiles include: personal garage workspaces, professional shops, specially-built professional restorer’s shops, multi-purpose shops, and race shops. There’s even a guide to computerizing your workshop. Each profile has a scaled layout of the shop with color photos, as well as thoughts and tips from the owner and designer of that shop. You’re bound to find ideas from these shops you can apply to your own.

Author C.G. Masi also explains the basic principles of planning and designing workshops, with practical advice on what equipment you’ll need. He offers helpful suggestions about which tools to keep with your bike, which tools you’ll need in emergency situations, electric power tools, computers in the workshop, and valuable advice on which tools to purchase, which tools you can fabricate, and best of all, how to use them properly. Amusing anecdotes recount real-life experiences, with examples of what to do and what not to do.

With more than 200 color photographs and detailed illustrations, How to Set Up Your
Motorcycle Workshop is a must-have, money-saving reference you’ll return to time and again. It is one of Whitehorse Press’s perennial bestselling titles.

Motorcycle Book: Comprehensive Vintage Motorcycle Price Guide

2010-03-15T08:00:00.000-05:00

Press Release

Center Conway, NH, March 2010—Whitehorse Press is pleased to announce publication
of the fourth annual edition of The Comprehensive Vintage Motorcycle Price Guide, compiled by members of the Vintage Japanese and European Motorcycle Club (VJEMC) who collect data from auctions, vintage dealers, marque experts, and internet sales throughout the year. Designed by enthusiasts for enthusiasts, it includes price data for dozens of motorcycle brands from the U.S. and around the world, from Ace to Yankee and including major marques such as BMW, Ducati, Harley-Davidson, Honda, and Triumph as well as lesser known or more specialized ones like Ariel, Buell, KTM, Pope, and Whizzer.

Each year, the guide is expanded to add another year, so as to be consistent with the
VJEMC’s policy of including all motorcycles 15 years old and older in the “vintage” category. Formed by the opinions of dealers, auctioneers, collectors, and experts in the vintage field and confirmed by hundreds of hours of research and data entry, it is the most accurate price guide written for vintage motorcycles. Prices are derived from actual sales between knowledgeable enthusiasts and are given for six quality grades, ranging from rat-bike to like-new.

The guide opens with an overview of which bikes are hot and which are not, with commentary by experts on why prices are changing as they are. It also includes a full
description of how each price grade is defined and how to recognize which grade a particular bike belongs in. Printed in a handy pocket-size, it is the perfect companion to have with you at the next motorcycle rally or auction you attend, or even when you chance upon that rare specimen in a neighbor’s garage or a farmer’s barn and want to make an offer to “take-it-off-the-table” immediately. Just one insight gained from this price quide will earn back many times the book’s cost on your next sale or purchase.

Motorcycle for paraplegic rider hits the road

2010-02-11T13:03:00.002-05:00

Motorcycle, Winter, Snow = Rounders!

2010-02-09T17:52:00.007-05:00

Great story from a Rounder in Pennsylvania, he does not own a car. And still he got to and from work during the big snow storm. Even stopped to help someone out. Gotta love that much spirit!

Big Snow 2010 - Rounders Bulletin Board

BMW S1000RR On Ice!

2010-02-04T21:01:00.002-05:00

Max Stratton knows how to drum up interest!

Lisa is 15!

2010-02-01T11:44:00.001-05:00

It's a late Saturday morning, in a cafe in Bethel, Maine.
Country music can be heard coming from the kitchen.
I've just had the best egg & cheese sandwich. The egg yolk still runny, the cheddar melted all over it, the bagel fresh and doughy.

Yesterday was Lisa's 15th birthday. Imagine that, fifteen. For her birthday I surprised her with a trip to Sunday River to go skiing with her boyfriend. For a year she has pleaded with me to let her accompany him and his family up here. Not on my watch Kid, my teen daughter was not spending the weekend with her boyfriend, no matter how nice he is. Lisa was politely persistent in this matter. Don't I trust her? Not the issue my young daughter; I gotta pull the Mom card on this one.

Bethal Covered Bridge

No matter what her age, there have been skeptics that have warned me that the good years are behind us. Its obvious they speak from their experiences not from some special insight or wisdom.
There have been no bad years. This is no accident, and it has not been without work. I am convinced that parents give up too easily when raising their children. They tire of the responsibility, they give in and give up. Children do not raise themselves. I do not make decisions for Lisa, but I coach her in the things she needs to think about when making them. I live my life in a way I am proud. I don't lecture, I just am. Maybe because it is just the two of us, but it's working out quite well. She is a strong girl, she has dreams and ambition. She knows she is loved. I feel such pride in our accomplishments. Not mine, not hers, but ours, we are here because we have journeyed here together.

Happy 15th birthday sweetheart, I know we're going to have a great year!

Some pictures from the weekend:

Snow was sparse and trails littered with evergreens

Ski Cam

Getting familiar with my new Cannon D-10, Gravestones in Sepia

New Years Reflections

2010-01-01T15:09:00.010-05:00

New Years Day, a time for reflection.

First stop is the garage to look at some numbers.

03 K1200GT 30,272
87 K75 93,221
03 Acura TL 168,500 (technically not in the garage)

I can't believe I have a car approaching 200K. But there is a timing issue now. Lisa will be 15 at the end of the month. I can't wait to teach her to drive. I may as well hand down my car. Tired or not that car has 260hp quite a treat for a new driver. I think my first car had 48hp. a '78 VW diesel Rabbit. So maybe Lisa is a little spoiled.

I'll be thinking about a new vehicle for myself this year. Part of me wants a spiffy new car, part of me wants to buy used and get more utility. We'll see which side wins.

I think the bikes will stay the same. The K75 for sure remains my favorite. The GT does not own my heart, and would be the likely choice for a swap. But as the temps hover in the 30's, I'm not resolved to make any changes in the lineup.

What may happen this year is a rental bike. I am weighing my options for attending the BMW MOA rally in Redmond, OR in July. I need more vacation time than I have to properly enjoy a trip across the country. So how about crossing the country by plane, renting and enjoying a West coast ride? Hmmm?

Speaking of vacation time, Lisa and I are looking forward to some sun and fun in Cancun, Mexico come February. We are long overdue for a non riding vacation. This time next year we will be planning a riding vacation with two bikes! Can't wait.

Did I tell you the job is going well. I'm very happy with what I'm doing and who I am doing it for. I'm working my butt off, and enjoying it too.

There are many reasons for optimism in 2010. Might even keep up with the resolutions to write more. Hope you make everything you can out of the new year!

Motorcycle Bridge Crossing

2009-12-23T11:01:00.000-05:00

I'm not sure I'd walk across this bridge!

Catching Up

2009-11-09T21:27:00.004-05:00

Got Milk? Birthday ride yesterday

I started this blog in the spring of 2007 when I was getting ready to take 5 weeks off from work and travel the country with my daughter. If one were to look at the time stamps of most posts, one would see they are clustered heavily during normal work hours and work days.

Days gone by...bye bye

For about 5 years I have been chronically underemployed. I've had positions that allowed me ample hours to pursue blogging, flickr, Rounders, MOA, ADV just to mention a few of my favorite forums. It's almost embarrassing to think about the many sites where I have 1,000 + post counts. All because I had no work to do.

Beautiful Morning View at Work

All that came to a screeching halt in October when I landed a real job. A job of substance. My semi-atrophied brain has come to life 9-5...more like 7:30 - 5:00.
I have my head buried in piles of zero's and ones. Data baby! And I love it! I get up in the morning with purpose. I get to work and I know why I am there. It's all very exciting.

End of Season

But alas I feel I've left some of my friends behind. I do manage to keep facebook up in the background, and that has been a nice way to stay in touch. Are you my facebook friend?

New Kitty in the House

So that's the update. Since I last wrote, I have been out for some nice late season rides and I have a write up from my Redmond, OR site visit of next year's MOA rally...that's almost ready to post.

Redmond Preview

Until then, here is wishing you good riding before the snow flies!

A Fine Day Out

2009-10-12T11:19:00.003-05:00

Kevin had a little get off on his Road King, two night earlier, the crash bar was bent but good, so he borrowed SPARE for our Saturday ride. I just love having the two bikes out at once. They both behaved themselves.

I've not done many club events this season. So when I saw a gathering forming on the MOA Forum, I signed up. The plan was to meet for lunch in North Adams and then ride up Mt. Graylock.

It was a crazy weather day! I really enjoyed meeting everybody and having lunch together, but some of the riding was unpleasant.

It was 60 and sunny in Nashua at 8:45AM, we dropped a layer as we gassed up, We headed west on 101 and immediately saw that we were driving into the clouds. We'd lost 15 degrees by the time we darted between leaf peepers at the top of Hogback Mt. There was moisture in the air and on the road, but no real rain.

Things improved slightly as we headed south on Rte 8 through Vt, and down into North Adams for lunch. While we ate and told lies, the storms caught up with us, and it was pouring as we left. Conditions worsened as we headed East on Rte 2. The wind was howling, the leaves where pelting us...it reminded me of the kind of day one would curl up on the couch with a good book and a warm beverage, look outside at the wind and rain and the leaves being slapped against the window and think how nice it is to be warm and dry. That is what I was thinking....I wish I were warm and dry.

File Photo of a nice day at Graylock

My wish came true about an hour later. We stopped in Shelburne for a cappuccino, and to remove some rain gear. The rain had given away to noticeably bluer skies. Another half hour east and you couldn't find a cloud, it was like a different day!

And we set off for a new ride. We got off rte 2 and with the bad weather behind us managed to find the worse road in the Commonwealth. MA 32 We finally rolled home as the light faded. A good time was eventually had by all and perhaps I've ridden the last of the rain for 2009?

Rode My Bike to Work

2009-10-02T08:00:00.003-05:00

There are so many good things about this picture.
That is my K1200GT.
It is parked at work.
It is fall.

So that means, the K12 is back on the road, after a long 6 month hiatus
It means that I'm back to work after an 8 months of unemployment
And it's fall, a beautiful time of year to have some gas money and a fast bike.

I am a "real" employee now, first time in...uh...close to 5 years. Contracting pays well, but there is a lot of wear & tear worrying about assignments. I'm at a small company Wellpet, they make healthy top of the line pet food. Kitty is happy about this, as there are employee discounts.

Yeah yeah yeah, I'm going to miss my free time, but I was at the point I needed to trade the freedom for the paycheck. We all know how that goes. At least it's a pleasant 25 minute commute, with a casual dress code, so riding there works out ok.

And now, the weekends feel like weekends...very short, lots to fit in! Hope your weekends are packed with great sMiles.

A Mug of Coffee and an Internet Connection

2009-09-15T08:32:00.002-05:00

A mug of coffee ($1.95) is the price I pay for admission. Today I am a roofing refuge, seeking shelter at Panera Breads. I’m not alone here. There are a half dozen laptop luggers cozied up to power plugs all around the café. Some paid the admission, some did not. I imagine many of them are economic refugees, like myself; I wonder if any of them are from my condo? The roofing project at the condo will be going on for a couple of more days, today, my unit is undergoing intensive work, the skylight will be replaced, the dormer window reworked. When I sit at my desk, it sounds like the next hammer blow will breach the ceiling. Probably a good day to get away.

Taking the bike out of the garage was out of the question, I would have had to extricate it before the protective shroud was draped at 7:00 AM; then there are the nails to worry about. No, better to enjoy the beautiful day bikeless, than to spend it getting a tire changed!

As I drove over here I started thinking about free fun things to do…some of the ideas are a little wacked.

1. Wait in line at Unemployment office to get a status of my claim (wacked)
2. Take new cars out for test drive – done right, this could take most of the day
3. Take new bikes out of test drive – ditto above
4. Visit local gyms and sign up for the one week free – do this sequentially so as to work out all month for free
5. Donate blood (not wacked)
6. Apply for jobs (brilliant, but not fun)
7. Create cardboard sign, sit in park with open computer bag: Will write HTML for $$. LMAO
8. Update blog
9. I don’t think I have 10…

Yesterday’s noise was not to bad in the AM, so I made bread pudding

Over the weekend, I collected my 3rd strike (in a row) on ADV, coincidentally it was the 3rd tag with “there are two of these signs” , I’m officially sticking to tags with only ONE STINKING DESTINATION. Ahem….yeah, it pissed me off. But I’m over it.
Sandwich Notch Road, Campton, NH

Hope your weather is favorable, and your driveway clear of nails!

The Continued Tales of the Unemployed Motorcyclist

2009-09-09T17:11:00.007-05:00

My blog has always been motorcycle centric. When my life is not feeling motorcycle centric, I loose the zest to blog. These days my life has been unemployment centric. I’d be better suited to blog about money saving dinner ideas and who makes good quality coffee on the cheap.

My youth was spent without a penny in my pocket. We weren’t poor, my dad managed to send us two girls to private school. What a struggle that must have been on his modest pressman’s check. We had 20 year old cars, didn’t go on vacations, didn’t dine out and there was no spending money until you got a job. In college, I was chronically broke. I was there on a combination of scholarships, grants and loans. My dad would “slip” me a $5 on occasions. He couldn’t help.

For 3 years during college I lived with two different families in exchange for room & board, I took care of their kid(s). During the summers, I took two elective classes at the local college. This allowed me to carry 4 courses per semester. I scheduled those classes before noon, so I could work from 12-4. Then I went home, made dinner, took care of the kids and did homework. Still not a lot of spending money; my then beau must have carried much of the entertainment expenses.

I can remember that on the last day of school, each year, I would sell my books, take the money to the Registrar’s office, and make my final tuition payment; it was that tight.

New Castle, NH

There is no fondness in my memory of those times, nothing sentimental about living through the struggle. Only pride in how far I’ve come. So in times of unemployment, I know how to cut back, I have no sense of entitlement. I’ve earned my way up the ladder. This is not my first round of layoffs, although this stretch has been much different. I have put a lot of thought, and work into working for myself. But the financial pressures are mounting and no start up will pay for my desired lifestyle, so I’m looking for a “real” job in earnest. Sigh...

On a brighter note, Lisa & I got a nice ride in before school started.

And I did get to the Yankee Beemer Rally in Heath last month, it's my favorite little rally. Enjoy the pics!

Goin Camping

Air Time

Fun with Friends

Make Mine A Red

Motto Guzzi

Riding at Home

2009-08-07T11:52:00.002-05:00

There is something about getting home from a long trip that makes me really appreciate riding at home. In the past couple of weeks I've been on the back roads of New Hampshire, with the camera out, taking some movie clips. I put them together in a little movie. If you've never ridden in New Hampshire, or New England, I hope you enjoy the ride.

Motorcycle Ride Home

2009-07-23T08:48:00.004-05:00

clouds to the East
gear secure
free breakfast downed
600 miles to home

long off ramp
rain gear on
first gas stop
500 miles to home

gray clouds
happy tunes
trucks all around
400 miles to home

full tank
full tummy
buckets of water
300 miles to home

black skies
soggy boots
sore butt
200 miles to home

standing water
tense shoulders
stop & go traffic
100 miles to home

one last tank of gas
one last down pour
one last ramp
home safe

Motorcycle Travel - Pack Light!

2009-07-09T16:02:00.007-05:00

"Everything I need for the week is packed on my bike, or it's not coming" Many a rider, BMW MOA Forum.

If I were traveling alone, and staying in a hotel, I might be able to agree with this quote. But as a I drop off 30 lbs of gear with UPS I can only laugh at the idea of being away from home for a week, traveling two up and being able to carry everything I need. Need? Did I say need? What do two people need for a week away from home? Well if those people are me and my kiddo...here is what we shipped to the rally site:

queen size air mattress, and pump

blanket and sheet

two bath towels, two hand towels

a tarp for the afternoon thundershowers

clothes for 2 - shorts, tank tops, t-shirts, sandles

rain poncho

flash light, bug spray

box-o-wine

tent stakes

Tiki Wine Cup

Here is what what we'll take on the bike:

two full sized folding chairs, with drink holders. Sure some people would leave these home, but there is only so much roughing it we can take!

2 person tent (technically 4 person)

DSLR camera - 1 lens (no room for the big camera bag)

We each have a point & shoot camera

My new 10.1 Acer netbook - the full sized laptop was out of the question, but the little netbook, has a little case for it too.

rain gear - jacket/pants, boots, rubber gloves for two, that's half a bag.

spare faceshield

extra gloves

a few bottles of water

power supplies for 3 cameras & two cell phones.

sun screen

an overnight bag for the stop in Harrisburg

Garmin

an atlas

bunch of other stuff in the tank bag

So much for traveling light...I need a trailer!

Thank you so much for the kind souls who have hit the paypal button and helped us out with gas for the trip!

Give us a wave if you see us!

Take a Motorcycle Ride in North East Tennessee

2009-07-01T08:47:00.009-05:00

Strangers are just friends you haven't met yet.

Marilyn Elmore, aka Chessie made a comment on my recent post about heading to the BMW MOA National Rally in Johnson City, TN. Chessie, is a local rider. I asked her if she'd be willing to write a guest blog about a ride for all of my BMW buds that will be descending on the area in two weeks; and she was kind enough to agree.

Chessie's Favorite Local Ride in Northeast Tennessee

This particular circle is one of my favorite "local" rides here in NE TN. It's about 122 miles...and Google says it will take almost 4 hours to ride...and that's true as long as you don't slow down to see the beauty that is both Tennessee and Western North Carolina. I, on the other hand prefer to stop along the way to photograph the blue hues of our local mountain ranges. The sparkling sunlit rays bouncing off our flowing streams and rivers...the abundant wildlife and wild flowers that are standing on the edges of our roadways...waiting for you to notice...Northeastern TN and Western North Carolina are wonders of color and beauty that can leave you awe struck...if you just slow down to see what's there!

Go To Google Map

Most of you will be starting from Gray TN. or Johnson City... this part of the ride is unremarkable...you can take the suggested route to Elizabethton, TN. or just take I-26 to the Elizabethton Exit Route 91. Take Route 91 into Elizabethton until you arrive at Route 19E, which is a southbound road, leading you out into the foothills of our Mountains...up...up...up into our tallest mountain in the state of TN...Roan Mountain. I like this part of the ride...it's where you will start to find the troubles and the tensions of the world slipping off your back...dripping away from your thoughts, lightening your load to the point you realize you have tears of gratitude stinging your eyes...you will fight the urge to raise your hands into the air and whoop as loud as you can...maybe you will win the fight, but let me urge you to just let go...and do it...it is the pure simple joy of your childhood...and you haven't done that for such a long time...just do it!

Before long you will be in the town of Roan Mountain...and will be coming to your next turnoff... you will be turning into Roan Mountain State Park...into Cherokee State Park....it will have many names as you ride this road...but stay of good heart...you will not be leaving the main roadway....you will be on Route 143, NC 261...oh you will be overjoyed at the ride up Roan Mountain to the pinnacle...how wonderful...how beautiful...how craggy...how woodsy it all is. Your mind will empty of the daily crap...and fill with the healing sights and aromas of nature. Your ready to cross the state line now...heading down the other side of our mountain... you’re now in North Carolina...oh...it's just as different on this side of the mountain...you will begin to notice subtle differences...the road surface, the homes, the rock faces of the mountain...ahhh it is just amazing the amount of emotions your going to faze into...and out of...

Reaching the end of Route 261... you’re in Bakersville...outside of Bakersville you’re going to hook up with Route 226 South...it's a nice gentle road...with streams and beauty running along side your route...but your getting antsy for something with a little more skill level...your ready for some twists...it's coming my friends...a little warm up for you is when you hit Route 1170 South...still gentle curves, but in faster frequency...raising your expectations a couple of notches higher...your prepping yourself for Route 19W....it's God's country up there...you will love it, I promise.

After a while, you’re on 19E...not such a nice road at this time. They are blasting and making it larger...what for I don't know, my guess? Pork Barrel work...it really isn't needed from my perspective... but...it's the only way to get to 19W...and this is what your here for...this road...nothing will prepare you for it's beauty, for it's aggressive sweeps, switchbacks, and the beautiful French Broad River....This is what you have been riding all day for...it's wonderful...it's magic...sweeping up this mountain from North Carolina...and into Tennessee...you will so enjoy the buildings here, the rustic atmosphere of our mountains...you will soon come down into Erwin...and realize...it's almost over...but you will want to do 19W again...and again...and again...there is too much to see...too much to feel, too much to experience...waterfalls, suspension walk bridges...ah my...your coming back to ride this one again...I promise...

Making Plans to Travel

2009-06-25T09:18:00.009-05:00

To plan or not to plan that is the question. Or is it?
How much to plan...that's more like it.
Lisa and I are heading to the BMW MOA Rally in Johnson City, TN in a couple of weeks. I've finally gotten around to planning for it.

I'd love to just hop on the bike and head southwest and meander to the Rally. But as seems to always happen, I just don't have the luxury of time and money to do that. If I had the money I could find the time, but I'm on a tight budget this year due to my lack of outside employment.

I've decided to split 1,100 miles up in two days, which means 2 long days in the saddle. I booked a hotel in Harrisburg, PA for the trip down; I’ll be able to wing it a little more heading home. In the coming week I’ll be plotting the course in Garmin. I just as soon turn Garmin off, until I get lost, but again, I’m on the clock, and the days are long as it is.

We'll be coming out of the gate cold; except for my trip to Acadia I've not had much long day prep. More of a concern is our lack of acclimation to the heat. I hear from my colleagues that it's 90 degrees with high humidity. Here in New Hampshire we've been stuck for weeks with cool misty wet days in the 60's. I don't want to fall victim to optimistic packing disease. You know what I mean? You pack for where you are, not where you're going? I do that a lot early in the summer. But I'm keeping that in mind.

In the past we've really enjoyed Sherpa Ted's services. The joy of having a tent set up waiting for you, a clean towel everyday, and coffee brewing the morning. And while his service is reasonably priced, it's an expense I had to cut this year. I’ll be shipping the camping gear and accessories ahead. My gear is just too bulky for the bike when we travel two up. It's nice that the Rally offers a shipping/receiving option.

Are you making plans for the summer?

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Take a Virtual Ride to Maine, NH, Quebec

2009-06-01T20:27:00.002-05:00

A friend of mine put this nice 8 minute video together,here is the ride report to read. Enjoy!

Time Just Flies

2009-05-20T16:08:00.004-05:00

OMG the month of May is passing my blog by. It's not because I haven't been riding. It's because I haven't been slacking! A good 90% of my online contributions: blog entries, Flickr & forum posts, used to happen during work hours. This had been going on for the last 4 years. What started out as a way to kill time at work became a way of life.

(Google) Results 1 - 10 of about 4,820 for sheridesabeemer

That is a lot of typing & time!

But since I've decided to stop wasting my life away in a cubicle. I've gotten more focused on moving from the ranks of unemployed to self employed. I find that my time wasting pursuits have fallen my the wayside.

Eventually I will reach an equilibrium with work, riding, photography and online writing; but for now I am heavily engaged in everything work, with regular fits of parenting thrown in for good measure. And I think in order to succeed that it the way it's going to be for 6 or 12 months.

But I have my eye on the prize. What is that Gail? Why free time of course. What else would I be working towards? Hope your summer gets off to a great start this holiday weekend. We are heading up to the Woodstock, Vermont area, I can't wait, I need the mini-vacation!

Motorcycle Track Day with Max BMW

2009-05-03T08:38:00.003-05:00

Need a smile? Sit back and enjoy this video from Max BMW Track Day, and don't be surprised if you find yourself leaning in your chair.

Is Your Motorcycle a Toy?

2009-04-23T12:27:00.004-05:00

There are motorcycle owners who refer to their bikes as toys. In the vain of “He who dies with the most toys wins”. Not a philosophy I subscribe too; but you know the type. They collect toys, their bike(s) amongst them. It seems to me that these owners like to play dress up, with themselves and with their bikes. They decorate them with leather, chrome, studs, fancy paint and other accessories. They do likewise with themselves, buying themselves the “right” look, the ladies have pretty boots and exposed cleavage. No one will accuse this lot of being “serious” riders.

Can one conclude that serious riders do not have motorcycles for toys? Not at all. Many owners buy themselves seriousness. They have the best bike, the best gears and maybe they even go on the best rides. I can’t really relate to them either. I often find them a bore to talk to, and they condescendingly explain to me why what they have is superior to what I have. Big eye roll to them.

My bikes are neither toys nor essentials. And that brings me to my topic today. I’ve decided to take the K12GT off the road this season. It is an expense that I can not justify as I hunker down for a period of MIA income. It’s already registered, so I’ll keep that. I don’t owe any money on it. I did learn that I can’t drop the insurance on it in quite the way I expected. I was able to reduce the bill by 1/3, I was hoping to drop it my 2/3, but the insurance companies did not want me messing with their bottom line. Taking it off the road will save me at least a grand, in the tires and maintenance that won’t be happening.

I’m a little blue about this, but putting it into perspective, I’m not going too feel bad about having only one BMW on the road while other people are having their houses foreclosed on.

I am setting my sights at joining the ranks of the self employed. I am building my web, Photoshop and photography skills and putting together a business plan. I have spent to long getting paid well to do work I don’t particularly enjoy. So I’m bracing for the opposite, lower income, higher levels of happiness. Making such a move makes me very nervous. But I need to listen to my own advice – whether you think you can, or you think you can’t, you’re right. I have eaten bigger elephants than this.

Lisa and I are flying (literally) off to St Louis. After the MOA Board Meeting, we’re heading downtown to spend the school vacation week. With camera in tow, and beautiful weather predicted, I know we’ll have a grand time. See you when we get back!

Thumbs up to Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield

2009-04-16T12:05:00.005-05:00

I'm walking back from the mail box opening a letter from Anthem. It's a claim recap letter, you know the one that tells you what was charged and how much they covered?
And much to my delight, this is yet another claim recap indicating that I am covered for the service I received. Covered. How nice. By simply covering me for a check up, some lab work and an immunization shot for Lisa, Anthem has gained my applause and left me a very satisfied customer.

For 3 years I was "covered" by a policy at work. Covered meant I paid premiums every week and EVERY SINGLE claim recap said I was not covered. In three years, I doubt if I received $100 worth of benefit. Luckily I was forced to seek my own policy when the State of New Hampshire told the insurer they could no longer write such a rip off of a policy (probably not their exact words). Rather than going "cobra" with the same plan, I sought an individual (plus one) policy. I do not blame that other carrier for writing the lame policy, I blame the wholly owned subsidiary of the large privately owned investment company that I worked for for offering substandard coverage for its temporary work force.

Let me tell you, if you do not have preexisting conditions and you are on Cobra, you are probably being robbed blind! Individual policies can be affordable, the folks that profit from the administration of Cobra want you to think otherwise. Even the stimulus package supports the growth of Cobra by covering some of the bloated payments; while ignoring those of us that did our homework, called around and secured coverage on our own.

My helmet off to you Anthem, the Lumenos plan is just the product we need.

Spring is here and it is beautiful!

2009-04-14T14:28:00.002-05:00

Found these signs of spring around the house today and just had to share them. Enjoy!

An Easter without Bunnies

2009-04-13T09:35:00.004-05:00

I don't find it important to be doing what everyone else is doing (how obvious is that?). Truth be told, I lean the other way, and prefer doing the opposite. When it comes to holidays it's nice that I have someone that is on the same page as I am.

With no kids at home, Kevin and I decided to pass on the egg hunt, in lieu of the wifi hunt. We set out to find the ADV MA Tag. Haven't played Tag-O-Rama yet? It involves a camera and a bike, how perfect for me!

We grabbed the tag in Lincoln, MA. If we'd had more time, we'd have stopped to photograph the dafodills that lined the street near the DeCordova Museum. Spring, it's so close.

The key to grabbing tag is speed. Strategically I figured everyone else was home eating chocolate bunny ears. But you still want to post ASAP. We ran off to find some free wifi.

Hey look, here is some at the Best Western in Concord (MA)

Type Kevin type...faster man, we don't want to get Bruced.

We got the tag, traveled down the road for a new picture and stopped to warm up. Despite the bright sun, we never saw 40.
Hmmm, traditional Easter Dinner for the motorcyclist.

And that is how I spent my Easter Sunday. 10 years to the day that I earned my MC endorsement. I hope you did something that you like with your day!

Remember Being a New Rider?

2009-04-03T11:58:00.004-05:00

I was noticing yesterday that there are a lot of similarities between being a new motorcyclist and new bicyclist. It was the spring on 1999 I earned my motorcycle endorsement and purchased my K75. I remember those first few weeks. I stayed close to home, familiarized myself with my bike, tried to learn to shift without thinking about it and didn't have all the nice coordinated gear that I saw on other riders. That is exactly how I felt riding my bicycle around town yesterday.

Of course the new motorcyclist doesn't have to worry about sucking wind, but many of the insecurities are the same. As a newbie, I really notice when I gain a lot of speed. I worry about braking properly and effectively. I hope nothing breaks because I don't have the right tools (let along knowledge) on how to fix anything. I know I must look like a noob, I am wearing ordinary sneakers, mismatched work-out clothes and gasp...no helmet.

We all know a newbie on a motorcycle when we see one. They duck walk the bike in the parking lot, they are wearing work boots and old gloves. They might have a denim jacket on and an ill fitting helmet. I think I'll cut them a break...because I've been reminded what its like to be a noob.

When I bought my pedal bike last year, I hoped to eventually ride to work. Well I don't work there any more, but I rode over anyway, and took some pictures. I felt a little pride in accomplishing my goal, a little late, but still a satisfying. I hope to keep it up, and eventually I'll open up my world and make it out to the next town! And in 4-5 years, who knows maybe I'll go further than I ever thought I would.

My First Love

2009-03-31T18:27:00.004-05:00

You never forget your first love. Thankfully, I never sold mine. I get on that bike and all of my senses come alive. The smells, touch and sounds send 10 years of memories flooding into my head. I just love the first ride of the spring.

How many times do you have to take the rear view mirror to land this picture? I love the soft reflection.

I took the K75 out for the first time this year trying to get the ADV tag for Mass. I can run Garmin on the K75. I needed that, the back up instructions plus a map to find the place; but I ended up being the third person to get the tag.

You call this rough? Bah, 30 mph in 3rd gear is not rough!

Sandy Point on Plum Island was the tag. I think I'll come back when it's a little warmer.

I brought the good camera and glass with me. It was quite cold, I shot for a few minutes. The cloud cover was interesting to look at.

Spring it's so close you can taste it. Hope yours is going well!

Spring is in the Air

2009-03-19T08:08:00.000-05:00

Some years ago I used to ride with a couple of friends. At lunch one day we got on the topic of what we think about while riding. I think about writing up my ride story, I think of the many ways to describe the ride, and what pictures I'll want to accompany it. My friend, the newbie at the time, said she concentrated on her bike, the road and improving her skills. The third rider added, "I think about green". "It sure is green". LOL. I guess I'm a deep thinker. But I have to agree with him this time of year...green, where is the green? I'm ready to see something besides snow banks, how about you?

Thanks goodness for the ADV tag-o-rama for getting my butt out of the house. Too gloomy in there. Too nice out here!

This past weekend was the first long ride of the spring weekend. The scenery is barren and dirty, yards are littered with branches from the December ice storm.

And apparently you can't go looking for buds at the Wachusett Dam either.

I did spot this treat just off the road, couldn't get much closer...I was already trespassing.

There was beauty to be found in the woods earlier in the month. The beauty of a spring thaw.

Let's hope that spring is really here so I can start riding more, thinking more and smiling more! Hope your riding season has begun too!

Life in the Unemployment Lane

2009-02-24T08:27:00.006-05:00

Raspberries to the NH Department of Unemployment Security for closing my claim request without telling me. I filed promptly on Feb 2. After 3 weeks of hearing nothing, I called yesterday. "That request was closed; you have an open claim in MA". Seems I had 2 (count them, two) weeks left on a year old claim in MA, therefore was not eligible to file in NH. So they closed it and failed to tell me. I've been waiting for absolutely nothing. I was advised I needed to refile when my MA claim expired...which of course, was last week. Can they reactivate the claim that takes 20 minutes to create? Of course not. I refiled. The agent I spoke with "promised" to back date it a week. Do I believe it will happen? Yeah right.

Raspberries to the designer of the IVR system for MA unemployment. It's understandable that waits will be long...but get a load of this one: After waiting on hold for 8 minutes, the automated voice comes on and "due to long waits, you should call back later. Your social ends in 8, call back Thursday" Click. Click? You kept me on hold for 8 minutes just to hang up on me? Who designed this call flow?

I was thinking, there are many white collar professionals like myself out of work...can we just go to the unemployment office and help them spruce up their outdated technologies and processes?

So how are people doing it? I'm looking at my 4th week without a dime. Bills are coming up at the first of the month. I can pay them. I have reserves. But so many people do not carry 2-3 months of reserves. Bills go unpaid, cash is running out. I feel sorry for those people. I live under my means and I think I'm in the minority. The feds are extending benefits but what happens when you can't get past the bureaucratic local door?

Thumbs up to DCU, my local credit union. The sent out a notice allerting us that they are suspending penalties for early withdrawal on CDs. It's a small gesture, but it meant something to me. I have money locked up in CDs and knowing I can use it if I need to, is a relief. I sent them a thank you note! I love my credit union.

Thumbs up to Angel, she is an employment recruiter who knows how to do her job. She knows what is going on in the region, she if familiar with every employer I've worked for. Unlike other recruiters who can't see past the current job they are trying to fill, she takes a more holistic approach. She's a joy to talk to.

And one last observation from the Unemployment Lane. NPR, could you possibly add some tough times success stories to your line up. I can not face the back to back dark stories. Bankruptcy, foreclosure, layoffs, is no one finding the light in this long dark tunnel?

Some days motivation is hard to find. But one morning last week, I awoke to the sun sparkling on fresh snow, and all seems good, I grabbed the camera and boots. Can I get a job doing this?? Hope your winter is winding down!

February Ride

2009-02-11T17:56:00.004-05:00

Many motorcyclist hold a belief that they can not ride in the winter. It mostly has to do with getting their bike dirty. I did not buy my bike to keep it showroom floor clean. I bought it to ride it.

I didn't make it though the last round of layoffs. So I was home waiting for my ship to come in when I glanced at the weather forecast. 50's today, showers in the afternoon. The sky was quite blue, as were my spirits. I needed to shake things up.
Two months off the saddle is too long. Time to get out, get dirty, have fun.

The New Hampshire tag on ADV was an hour closer than the MA tag, so I checked out some directions and headed north. A smile formed on my face as I took the first on ramp. Riding...it does a soul good.

The back roads were wet, the main roads dry. Lots of frost heaves. The temps so warm, I cracked the visor, and pushed down the collar. For the first time in a week, I was happy to be out of work.

Dilbert has a way of putting things into perspective.

I hope you have not been hit by the economy. But if you have, why not just go for a ride?

Happy 14th Birthday Lisa!

2009-01-29T09:48:00.001-05:00

Wow, that was a quick year!

Happy Birthday Lisa!

A Year in Pictures

2009-01-24T18:52:00.004-05:00

I managed to distill 2008 down to 4 min 25 seconds.

Riding in Your Own Back Yard

2009-01-23T13:55:00.004-05:00

Road Runner is inviting the readership to submit stories about motorcycle rides in their own back yard for possible publication in future issues of Road Runner.

This has great appeal to me, primarily because I have a goal this year to get published 4 times, and secondarily I'd like to pick up where I left off last year, explore my own neck of the woods.

They are looking for “motorcycle stories covering a ride that is close to your home, and can be taken within a day or over a weekend trip".
Here is a link to the submission guidelines.

If you enjoy writing and photography, why not get your submission in before the deadline of October 31?
Hope to read about your backyard (and mine) soon!

Motorcycles Are For Girls, Too!

2009-01-19T19:40:00.003-05:00

Following our October AMA cover story, there have been many supportive letters to the editor about the cross country trip my daughter and I wrote about. But they were all topped yesterday when I read this entry in February's letters.

Talk about timing! I was asked to read a story to my granddaughter’s kindergarten class in Manchester, NH and I had picked out the kids’ book “Patrick Want to Ride”. Then I got my American Motorcyclist and saw the stories by Gail and Lisa Hatch. I decided to bring the magazine to class and see what the kids thought about the Hatch’s adventure.
Just about all the questions about the “Patrick Want to Ride” came from the boys, so I asked the kids, “Who thinks motorcycle riding should only be for boys?” I was surprised that eight little boys raised their hands.
I then told them I have proof that girls are just as good at riding motorcycles. I then read them the Hatch’s story and showed them the pictures. It was great to see all the girls standing up to look at Gail and Lisa’s pictures. It was also great to see a lot of the girls raise their hands when I asked who would like to go on a trip like that with their mother or father.
Thanks to Gail and Lisa for opening the eyes of some great little kids to motorcycling touring with their parents
Dan Leonard
Quincy, MA

I don't know Dan, but want to shake his hand and say thank you, it means so much to me to learn about this use of our story. Inspiring others, be they girls, women, boys or men; this is why I continue to write!

(Manchester, NH is the largest town in NH, it's just up the road, 20 miles from where I live.)

The Essence of Summer

2009-01-13T09:25:00.003-05:00

I have been working on a video of Best of 2008 pictures.
This picture, in its simplicty, is the essence of a summer ride. Looking at it, I can remember the heat of the day, sitting on the sidewalk outside the DD's in Brattleboro, VT. I'd just finished another pass of Hogback Mt, a favorite passage from East to West. An iced coffee, my K75 and a sunny day. Life is good.

In the non bike category, this picture also encapsulates summer. My friend Rick relaxing on his hammock, the ski boat waiting, the sun glinting off the water. That my friend is summer. I think I'll sit back and enjoy the memory for just a minute.

Ski New Hampshire

2009-01-10T19:40:00.003-05:00

It's been 3 years since I've skied with Lisa. She's been taking lessons, skiing with others, but due to my bad knees, we'd not been skiing together. The past few years I've been skiing cross country. But the knees have been feeling ok, and the days at the gym have been good, so on New Year's Eve we all headed out to Pat's Peak, despite the cold, that test run went well.

So this weekend, Lisa and I headed to Mt. Sunapee, in Sunapee, NH. Sunapee is a nice family oriented ski area, I like the lodge at the top, good food and drink for the weary.

No signs of a bad economy here, business was booming, but lift lines where not to bad, maybe 5 minutes for the quad chair.

The weather was beautiful when we arrived at noon for our half day ski; the clouds started coming in around 2:00 making the snow look flat; less favorable for skiing and picture taking.

Many motorcyclist hate the snow, not me, I live in New Hampshire, I love the snow. In fact Kevin and I are talking about trying snow shoeing next. Lemons...lemonade you know?

Hope you are finding fun things to do while your bikes wait out winter in the snow belt.

Google's New 411 service

2009-01-09T18:36:00.004-05:00

Check out this new offering from Google. I can imagine this being quite useful when I am out on the road. I would imagine the information provided would be more up to date than Garmin's. And it's free (for now she said sceptically)

Riding with children product pointer

2009-01-08T12:00:00.003-05:00

I ran across this reference on Bikes in the Fast Lane.
I have never used this the BackRider and am not endorsing it, just providing information. I'm not a fan of strapping the kid to me, but I can see that some parents might want to try this. I think it would be useful on a snowmobile.

For the first couple of years riding with Lisa, I wore a belt that contained two sets of handles for her to hang on too, one set right in front of her, and another set out to the side. I see that the BackRider offers a set of 'cosmetic' handles this is unfortunate, a child should get used to hanging on in a functional manner. A child needs to get accustomed to the the acceleration and deceleration, a passenger should actively prepare for both, not sit passively waiting to crash into the driver. Perhaps different riding positions warrant less activity.

And as usual I strongly urge you and your passenger to always wear a full face helmet. Look for junior helmets when the kids are still small. And make sure they can reach the pegs on the bike for stability.

Motorcycles, Photography & Ride Reports

2009-01-07T13:07:00.002-05:00

What a perfect pairing! I caught this offering in RoadRunner.
Oh to be free to attend weekday seminars is far off places.

If you keep a camera stashed in the tank-bag and always keep meaning to put down your riding experiences in an article to submit to a motorcycle magazine or club newsletter, you're certainly not alone. Now there's a conference geared specially for the motorcycle rider who wants to sharpen his or her photography and writing skills. North Arkansas College, in Harrison, AR and cruisetheozarks.com has teamed up to provide this unique opportunity in beautiful Eureka Springs, AR.

David Bell, owner of Cruise the Ozarks, is the photography instructor at North Arkansas College. "I've been a photographer and taught photography for 30 years and have been involved in numerous workshops," Bell says. "To my knowledge, this is the first one geared exclusivelly toward motorcycle riders." Bell is a frequent contributor to motorcycle and general interest/niche magazines. "My goal is for this to be the first of semi-annual workshops for riders," Bell says. "And what better place to inaugurate the workshop than in the heart of the Ozarks. The faculty is all respected professionals in their individual fields, selected to help conference attendees inprove their skills." Most know their way around a motorcycle very well. Steve Lita, editor of RoadBike magazine, is this year's featured presenter.

The workshop will take place May 13-15, 2009. The cost is $225.00 and includes three meals. Riding opportunities will be available during the conference, as well time to relax around the historic Victorian resort town of Eureka Springs. For an online brochure, go to heartoftheozarks.com, or contact David Bell at 870-423-8036. His email address is davidleebell@alltel.net.

Baking and Editing

2009-01-04T21:48:00.003-05:00

One of my New Year's Resolutions is to spend less time at the key board. I thought I made some good progress by trying out this new recipe for Pumpkin Bread. But it was all for not when I decided to take pictures of my master piece. I liked one of the pics of the bread, and one of the recipe. I spent over an hour in photoshop putting the two together. LOL Oh well, both activities made for a pleasant afternoon.

Motorcycle Shows for the Snowbound

2009-01-02T10:54:00.004-05:00

I'm seeing this press release on a lot of motorcycle forums & blogs

New Discovery TV Series Looks At Motorcycle Brands Worldwide
Dec 12, 2008, ©Copyright 2008, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.
From a press release issued by Discovery Communications

HD THEATER TAKES TO THE ROAD WITH TWIST THE THROTTLE,
AN EIGHT-PART SERIES EXPLORING SOME OF
THE GREATEST MOTORCYCLE BRANDS IN THE WORLD

– Original Turbo.com Broadband Series Makes Its Television Debut
with New Footage on HD Theater Starting Monday, January 5 –

(Silver Spring, MD) – Millions of people ride motorcycles and millions more fantasize about what it would be like to ride these cultural icons of speed, freedom, craftsmanship and personal rebellion. HD Theater’s new series, TWIST THE THROTTLE, takes audiences on a remarkable 36,000 mile journey across the globe to explore eight of the most famous sport motorcycling brands. Each episode focuses on a single brand, showcasing the remarkable history; the behind-closed-door factory, design facilities and R&D departments; and ultimately, what it is like to ride these magnificent machines on some of the most picturesque roads and spectacular racetracks in the world. The brands covered in TWIST THE THROTTLE include Bimota, BMW, Ducati, Honda, Kawasaki, MV Agusta, Suzuki and Yamaha. TWIST THE THROTTLE premieres on HD Theater starting Monday, January 5 and stories will continue to be featured on HD Theater’s online home for motorized content, Turbo.com. TWIST THE THROTTLE is narrated by actor Ed Quinn (Eureka, CSI:NY), who is an avid sport bike rider.

Using spectacular 1080i high-definition and 5.1 digital surround sound, TWIST THE THROTTLE takes viewers directly to challenging racetracks like Kawasaki’s Autopolis on the island of Kyushu and Honda’s top-secret proving grounds in California’s Mojave Desert. For the first time ever, outside cameras were permitted on Yamaha’s private test track, Fukoroi, in Hamamatsu where TWIST THE THROTTLE put two of Yamaha’s newest sports bikes to the test. In addition to exclusive access to these private test facilities, the series travels on the open road through picturesque locales like northern Italy’s Futa Pass. Originally an ancient Roman road linking Florence to Bologna, the Futa Pass has over 200 curves carved into the mountainside in just a 20 mile stretch.

In addition, TWIST THE THROTTLE journeys through the history of each brand through interviews with the people behind their unique design philosophies. The series features an exclusive interview with Massimo Tamburini, considered to be the “Michelangelo of Italian motorcycle design,” who created some of the most iconic motorcycles including the Ducati 916 and the MV Agusta F4. Normally a recluse, Tamburini unlocks the doors of his design studio to reveal how he creates “mechanical art” and why he believes machines have souls. Additional interviews feature some of the most important names in the motorcycle world telling each brand’s remarkable story including:

• Honda’s Masanori Aoki, BMW’s David Robb and Yamaha’s Atsushi Ishiyama
• Former racing World Champions Freddie Spencer, Wayne Rainey, and Kevin Schwantz
• Current and Former American road racing stars Mat Mladin, Neil Hodgson, Miguel Duhamel, Ben Bostrom, Jamie Hacking and Reg Pridmore
• Renowned motorcycle journalists Nick Ienatsch, Mark Hoyer, Mitch Boehm, Clement Salvadori and Mark Tuttle

NETWORK: DISCOVERY HD THEATER
AIR DATES & TIMES (NOTE: ALL TIMES ARE 'LOCAL TIMES')
MONDAY, JANUARY 5TH 10PM HONDA
MONDAY, JANUARY 12TH 10PM DUCATI
MONDAY, JANUARY 19TH 10PM BMW
MONDAY, JANUARY 26TH 10PM KAWASAKI
FEBRUARY 2ND 10PM SUZUKI
FEBRUARY 9TH 10PM MV AGUSTA
FEBRUARY 16TH 10PM BIMOTA/ALPINESTARS
FEBRUARY 23RD 10PM YAMAHA

Not sure how that differs from videos on the web site. Here is the link to the BMW one.

Steve Farson has a nice 4 minute video summary of his 2008 ride season

Happy New Year

2009-01-01T19:36:00.003-05:00

Nothing but white stuff around here today.
So I took a little spin in Photoshop

It's always a relief for me when the holidays are over. If you don't have a close family and are not religious, it seems like a whole lot of forced excess.
Santa was very thoughtful in supporting my photography interests this year.

I'm happy to start the year with a job; but finding some meaningful work is on my list of things to do. For 5 years I've been languishing in the land of the well paid but completely unchallenged...my brain is atrophying.

I recorded a record low amount of riding miles this year, under 6,000. Lowest since I started tracking such things 5 years ago. Hmmm, there is that 5 years again. I don't think I'm going to register for the "contest" this year...change in priorities.

Hope you made it through the holidays in tact, and that winter is kind to you!
Cheers!

Winter Motorcycling

2008-12-13T16:43:00.002-05:00

What a thing of beauty this is for motorcycle nuts in the snow belt!
Looks like a whole lot of fun.

Yesterday's ice storm in New England was not a whole lot of fun. I am one of the quarter million still without power. My house is hovering at 50, the cat is shivering and I'm holed up at the Big Guys house. My place of work was running on diesel generators, good place to stay warm and take a shower if the need arises.

My neighborhood was littered with uprooted trees.

The palate was tinted an eerie color green, as we have no snow on the ground yet.

And check out the huge snow flakes!

Riding With Children

2008-12-03T09:00:00.005-05:00

Considering my experiences traipsing the country with Lisa, it's common for folks to ask me about riding with children. My first answer is to get the right child!

I just received this inquiry from an ADV reader, and decided to post my response. If you aspire to plan a ride with a child, I hope you find some pointers in here.

My daughter and I are planning a cross country trip next summer, and I know that you and your daughter did the trip fairly recently.

If there was any caveats or things that we should be aware of, or things that you've learned that you think might be helpful to us, I would greatly appreciate any advice you might have.

Also, if there was any advice your daughter might have for mine, I'm sure she would appreciate that too. That's a long way to ride as a passenger on a motorcycle

Have the right child.
Sure it sounds like my usual glib reply, but it is loaded with truth. How you are able to relate to your child is an important factor for a successful adventure. Your child may be great for 2 hours, but do you want him/her attached at your hip for 2 days? 2 Weeks? You get the idea. Prior to our cross country trip, Lisa had never been on the back of the bike for more than 4 hours. I thought about taking day long test rides, but it never happened. Because I knew what to expect on the road, I felt prepared to give her just enough information, and plenty of pep talks. A positive attitude can be contagious; at least I knew that to be true with my kiddo.

Have the right gear
In addition to the usual concerns about good riding gear, give some thought to entertainment gear. A camera tethered around her neck provided Lisa hours of entertainment. But she also made up her own, she’d doodle on a motel notepad, or make shadows riding her hand in the wind, she even took to reading. She wore a fanny pack in her lap to stash her stuff. She had a water bottle in the side pocket, and candies at the ready.

Have a plan
I don’t recommend winging your trip. Winging it is fine when you are on your own, and only you suffer the consequences of poor planning. But when you are traveling with your little loved one, planning pays off. I recommend that you and your child decide on several places you want to visit, think of these as anchor points, places that hell or high water will not keep you from. For us, it was Glacier National Park, a few friends’ houses and the BMW National Rally. Calculate a rough schedule for making your destinations. Pull out the atlas, pick out things in between that you’d like to see, routes you’d like to take, areas of interest. For us those where several National Parks, particular states and cities. If you are working on this together, discuss the difference between “must see” and “would be nice” destinations. This is key for flexibility. When I was doing my meticulous planning, it never occurred to me that we would not make it to all the sites. But I realized soon enough, that bailing out on a destination, due to weather, was not a loss, but a compromise. Roll with the changes.

Have a good attitude
One of the best pieces of riding advice I was given was to remember “this is not a forced march”, if at any time it begins to feel like it, stop and think about what is going on. This is your vacation. Are you both feeling relaxed? Are you taking enough breaks, smelling enough roses? If you are feeling pressured, what is causing that and what can you do to remove it? If you need an extra couple of hours hanging at the motel because you are tired, then do it! For us, it was important to find a hotel with a pool which was Lisa’s reward at the end of a long hot day. It wasn’t necessary a priority for me, but making things easy for her made us both happy.

Have some personal space
There is almost no such thing when riding a motorcycle 12 hours a day. It’s not something you can plan, but you can make it happen. Sometimes Lisa and I would drift apart at a rest area, giving us time to make calls, or just power nap on the picnic bench, or take pictures of flowers and birds. Also, if you have communication devices, which I totally recommend, it makes sense to keep them off if you’re not both in the mood for chatter. Expect that you’ll eventually get on each other’s nerves, but lightened up, and remember, you’re both in it for a good time.

Remember to let your child know what is going on, where you are heading, how long before the next break, Lisa liked to look over my shoulder and follow the route on Garmin; which also provided her with an estimate of when we’d “be there”. Afternoon coffee or ice cream breaks became our routine. You’ll find something that works for you and your child. And if your trip is long enough, you’ll learn so much about your child and your relationship with him/her. Plan well, ride safe!

Settling in for a long winters nap...NOT

2008-11-22T17:15:00.009-05:00

Just got word from our friends up Nawth in New Brunswick that they were socked in with snow. Seems like just last week we were up there. I couldn't resist my photoshop urges and make it so!

I've been playing a lot lately. In the Canon forum, I've been playing photoshop tennis. One person posts a picture, you take a copy and make an edit, then the next person and so on. Having a game like that makes it fun to brush up on skills.

Don't know what all the buzz is about the New Star Trek Trailer, it doesn't seem very aerodynamic to me.

It never hit 30 today, a good a time as any to resolve those pesky heated gear issues I've been having. The big guy was kind enough to hard wire a connector to my battery. It seems the BMW plug can not take a full compliment of heated gear, I was blowing the fuse with the addition of heated gloves.

We tested the gear out with a cruise to the coast. Max BMW put on his annual turkey dinner spread. About a dozen bikes braved the cold, but tons of folks showed up in cars to enjoy the free feast. Thanks again Max!

It was my second trip to the coast this week. On Wednesday I chased down a Tag in Portsmouth, nearly froze to death. 2 hours at highway speed, no electrics, 26 degrees. And someone posted up the tag before me - right as a I left the garage! . Oh well. It's all for the fun of the game.

I got a nice shot out of the deal, 30 second expose, a little blurry due to high winds.

Ride safe out there, winter is a coming.

Got Salt?

Ride Report Worth Reading: Montana Fall - ADVrider

2008-11-15T11:08:00.003-05:00

Montana Fall
I was going to add this to my ride report links, but just had to highlight it here. This is great stuff, if you like snow and motorcycles. Can someone say weather channel?

Could night riding become a chilly habit?

2008-11-12T21:58:00.001-05:00

Update to yesterdays post...
I went back out tonight to take a pic of the next tag. I was really happy with the results, this is a 15 second exposure, it's very dark out, notice the car lights in the background behind the front wheel. Barely 40 out...I gotta find the problem with the power plug!

Night Rider

2008-11-11T20:17:00.009-05:00

Concord NH Capital Building - 6 second exposure

I don't like to ride at night, I may be a Rounder but I'm not crazy about riding in the cold, but I do like a challenge. That is the short story behind this picture.
Adventure Riders have these threads called Tag-O-Rama. Someone posts a picture, you try to find it and you get to post the next picture, the tag. I have managed to get one for NH and one for MA, but mostly I've been just watching the fun. The MA folks have been grabbing tags at night, at this time of year, that's all us working folks have.

So there I was around 6pm, I was wrapping up my surfing, when I checked in on ADV real quick. And what did I see but the state house. Oh heck, I can find that in my sleep. I kissed Lisa on the cheek, threw on my riding pants, boots, electric jacket, and brand new electric gloves. Kevin had taken the King to work so it was easy work pulling out the GT

As I waited at the light, I realized that the controller light was not on...I had no juice from the power supply. I remember that this was an intermittent problem last year, and I'd not used the electrics yet this year. 43 degrees...no power. Oh well, I was on a mission and I happen to have a heated seat & grips. I flew up the highway, arrived in Concord, found the right spot, set up the tripod and DSLR, grabbed just two shots, and sped home. It was a fun run. I may just do it again real soon, given the right motivation.

13 Second exposure with cars

Birthday Ride

2008-11-08T16:04:00.004-05:00

All the leaves are brown
And the sky is gray
I've been for a ride
On my birthday
(with appologies to the Mamas and Papas)

Not that I needed a reason, but 64 degrees on a Saturday and it's my birthday seemed like a good reason to ride. We didn't go far, but we had fun on some leaf coated back roads. Watch out they are wet!

All of 10 miles away from the house, we stopped to check out the newly opened Red Arrow Diner.

And it was good!

The woods smelled amazing, a little bit of wood smoke in the air, the wet leaves, almost as nice as spring. Despite the lack of sun, I had a smile on my face enjoying the smells.

Only a few trees have yet to rain their leaves upon the yard. But their colors are muted.

It was spitting rain so we high tailed it down the highway towards home. Hope you enjoyed the day you were given today!

November Riding

2008-11-02T18:21:00.006-05:00

November 1, the unofficial start to winter riding. I had the urge to get my November ride in early. Easy to do when it's in the 50's. I zipped the quilted lining into my riding pants, pulled on the ski socks and suited up for a ride to the coast.

MAX BMW was having an end of Autumn cook out.

Max had a nice turn out. He was flipping burgers and commented that he needed to get new grill if the crowd keeps getting bigger. I reminded him that his distribution list keeps getting bigger but his grill has stayed the same! I'll bet there will be two grills for the spring cook out.

Tiss the season for politicians, even at your motorcycle dealer

The N.Hampton Mobil and Eriving Station where nice enough to have a little price war, the consumer was the winner

It was in the low 50's, I didn't have to plug in, but did have the Gerbing jacket and my new First Gear electric gloves on. It felt like November. The leaves were mutted in color and there are more on the ground than on the branches. It was good waving weather too, if you're out in November, you have set yourself apart from the pack, even the knit cap crowd was waving to me.

I was uninspired at the beach. The tide was waning, so no crashing waves to be found. The sky, while not gray, was cloudy. I snapped a few shots, and headed toward home. I'll be back when winter settles in, I love being an hour from the beach or the mountains.

November, it's not time to put the bike away, it's time to pull out the layers, plug in and enjoy the ride!

2009 BMW MOA Rally - Johnson City, TN

2008-10-28T18:00:00.000-05:00

I haven’t written much about my involvement with the BMW Motorcycle Owner’s of America (MOA). I think it’s time to broaden my blogging scope. When I first started this blog, in the spring of 2007 it was focused solely on my cross country trip of that summer, but in the months prior, I decided to run for the board of the MOA. My reasons were not all that well thought out, but I had time and a keyboard at hand. I won a director’s seat on the strength of my online presence. I can say that with some confidence, as I don’t know a lot of members personally.

I can’t say that I represent other members like me; I’ve yet to meet anyone like me. But I try to represent the online community, and be a voice for the members that feel like outsiders. It seems that people who do not hang out with the group's leadership tend to feel like outsiders. I can relate better with the outsiders and I feel good to bring their voice to the table.

Every fall, the quarterly board meeting is held in the town that is hosting next summer’s Rally, and that is why I was visiting Johnson City, TN this weekend. Johnson City (technically Gray) is home of the Appalachian Fair Grounds, where the 2009 BMW MOA International Rally will commence July 16th.

This is looking like a come back year for the rally. Last year saw record low attendance in Gillette, WY. Not surprising for a variety of reasons, but that horse has already taken a beating. This year we are shooting for 10,000 members, and if we hit it the rally would be pulling a Tampa Bay Rays…worse to first, the current record is about 9,300 for 2006 Burlington, VT.

Johnson City holds much of the same appeal as Burlington, an Eastern location, nice riding, green hills, trees, ample accommodations, appealing destination point, good food traditions and friendly people After visiting the site, I don’t see a down side, I can’t wait to ride there! I’ve never ridden South of DC.

Aerial shots from Sunday heading from Johnson City to Charlotte, NC

RIP MBI Motorcycle Bloggers International

2008-10-21T15:53:00.003-05:00

This came in the eMail box today.

Hi fellow MBI bloggers.

MBI is brain dead, and I'm pulling the plug. It had started quite well a few years ago, but it's dead in the water. Even the topic I posted a few months ago if we should continue had a few responses and views. 80% of the members never even showed up at the forum, nor participated in the awards process.

Many people offered to help Richard with the PHP side of the site, but none actually did anything, except Ken in China.

MBi was initially started to become an industry award, but even that caused more problems last year than what it was worth. Since MBI costs money to run and maintain, time & effort, it doesn't make sense to continue with 5 or 6 people contributing to MBI.

The main site itself has not been operational for a while, and not one person has come forward and let us know. I know that we're all very busy, and the MBI is just another of the many forums we participate in.

So thanks to the original founding team for all your efforts. Richard, our gratitude can never be enough for all the programming efforts, getting a complicated awards program working. Ken, thanks for lending Richard a hand. Cecilie, thanks for administering the awards program.

I'll stop the payment for the domains, so when they finish, there shouldn't be any sign of MBI left...

Have fun on your bikes, and maybe hope to see you at some event in the future.

Have fun, stay safe.

Mike

MBI and its quirky motorcycle awards will be no more. It's no surprise to me. I don't know why others failed to participate but for me, I suffer from online overload. We all prioritize our time and energies, and some things don't make the cut. It's not a reflection on the concept or quality of MBI, but I think we tend to do self serving things first, like maintaining our own blogs, or riding; for me I've been spending more time on non riding activities, such as photography.

MBI had a fun run, we enjoyed it while it was here. Thank to the folks who put the energy in, I met several new riders via MBI. But I'll still see them around, it's a small community. We hang out on forums, Flickr, Smugmug, ADV, Blogger...oh yeah, and the roads of the world!

Fall in New England

2008-10-07T07:42:00.002-05:00

There has been a nip in the air for a while. 43 degrees with bright sun this morning, it brings thoughts of...heated gloves. Heck, I could have used heated gloves for the ride in the car! For some time now, my hands have been the week point in my cold weather riding ensemble. It's hard to say why I have balked at the idea of going with electric gloves? I guess there is a part of me that likes to stay low tech. But I think I'll be calling around to see if Max or Moto Market is well stocked on Gerbing gloves.

No, this is not me...I would never be dragging my feet like that!

Lisa and I were back in Maine this weekend, enjoying a nice visit and a little bit of foliage...and a lot of shopping. Portland, Maine has a lot in common with Portsmouth, NH when it comes to puttering around downtown, except Portland is much bigger...and has that pesky sales tax thing!

As the temps dip, the questions increase "when do you put your bike away?". Ummm, every night? I'm trying to be gracious and educate people that just because it's not t-shirt and jeans weather, motorcycling is not over with. A little of the right gear and you can ride 'till the snow flies. And for a few of us, that is no reason to put the bike away either. And speaking of cold weather riding, Cliff has a nice review in this month's BMW ON, for a battery powered vest to keep you warm.

Hope you had a fun weekend too!

Bikes, Bikes Everywhere Bikes.

2008-09-26T13:35:00.009-05:00

Our cover story has been received warmly. My thanks to those of you who have left comments or sent email. I was a little disappointed that mention of my blog was removed from the story, but people have managed to Google me, and put the two together.

This past weekend was spend scurrying to and from St. Louis for the BMW MOA open house. The weather was iffy, but the rain held off until 3:00 and by then the majority of the crowd has already headed for home. I find it hard to believe I did not have a camera with me at last year's open house! I don't leave home with out at least my Point and Shoot! I brought the DSLR with me, with one basic lens. I am working hard at finding creative shooting opportunities. I tried to take the pics that other people were not, especially people, regular members! I made a point of stopping to talk to people who had not connected. It's not hard making small talk at a motorcycle event.

I hope you enjoy my pictures, and the liberties I took with photoshop. When I first started shooting, I was influenced by the "it must come out of the camera perfect" crowd. But I've really done a 180 on that. I think it's as important to display the best picture you can, sometimes that is right out of the camera, but mostly a little tweaking goes a long way in spucing up the presentation. I am no longer the queen of the uneven horizon, it seems everything gets rotated 2 degrees!

Pretty in Pink

Anna & her dad Russ

R1150GS

Jim & Bill

Randy & Dave (MOA Pres)

Ted & Chuck

I made this my wallpaper...sweet

R65 photoshop effort - blurred background

K11 Heading Home

See you next year!

You've Come a Long Way Baby

2008-09-11T11:35:00.005-05:00

Back in April I received a request from a Flickr member to use one of my Alps photos in the AMA. Unfortunately I do not own that photo, the tour guide took it. The writer said he'd pass my information to the editor of the mag, who might be interested in doing a story about my travels with Lisa. 6 months later and we are on the cover.

In reality, getting on the cover has been a 10 year journey.

In 1999 my now ex husband told me I shouldn't get my motorcycle license.
In 2004 friends told me I was nuts to ride my bike across the country.
In 2007 I listened too no one's advice and planned a trip across the country with my daughter.

My first bike, my K75 1999

Telling me I can't do something is a powerful motivator. I got my license in 1999, then my bike, then a divorce. But I was not all that sure of myself. I dropped my bike a lot. I worried that maybe he was right, maybe the bike was more than I could handle...maybe I should stay home with my daughter...maybe...maybe I should start thinking for myself.

You gotta go where you wanna go,
Do what you wanna do
With whoever you wanna do it with.
Mama's & the Papa's

On the Road 2004

Fast forward to 2004, I'm making a good living, I can afford to pack my 9 year old daughter off to summer camp for 2 weeks. I turn and face the open road. I've read about people who traveled so far, but could I be one of them? It took a couple of days on the road to shake the fears and turn the corner to self confidence. I am out here, and I am doing it on my own. My well meaning friends did not know what they were talking about. The indelible lesson learned: I can accomplish anything that I set out to do, I am the only one holding myself back.

Camping 2003

Yet I still balked at taking Lisa with me. My priorities were changing. I needed to share the road with Lisa. Everyone will tell you that it can't be done. You can't ride with children, they will be bored, you can't take a month off from work, it's a dangerous world out there. But I relied on my lessons of 2004. My well meaning friends did not know what they were talking about. We were going on a road trip.

Glacier National Park 2007

What did I learn in 2007? The motorcycle is not the center of my world. My daughter is. I have so much to teach her and she is an eager learner. The motorcycle makes for a fun and interesting vehicle of learning. But sometimes we go by car, sometimes we go by foot, most importantly we go out and explore the world together and learn about each other along the way. I can not tell my daughter to be an independent thinker, I can only show her. I am convinced that it's a lesson that will take her far in life.

New Brunswick 2008

Thank you AMA for letting us spend a month representing the American Motorcyclist!

End Of Summer...Already?

2008-09-05T08:04:00.008-05:00

September 1st, we all know it's the first day of fall, no matter what the meteorology people say. It is a beautiful time of year here in New England. Year after year we come racing into fall wondering where the summer went.

2008 was all about the price of gas. Staying closer to home or a tank away made a lot of sense.

April 25

May 24th

May 31st, this is the highest I can recall, and wouldn't you know I was filling up the car!

It was a quiet summer for us, relative to last years epic journey. Far more balanced with family and friends.

Some friends in New Brunswick

Some down the street

I think I'm passed the stage where riding is the be all and end all of my activities. I've been enjoying photography more this summer, and am noticing some pleasant improvements in my work.

Better Lighthouses

Better waterskiers

Oh, yes and better motorcycles!

Even if it's not a Beemer!

Looking back, it's been a very pleasant summer. Not challenging, not monumental, but pleasant. I hope your summer was everything you wanted it to be..

Where 5 o'clock does not matter.

2008-08-27T11:55:00.006-05:00

It's 5:00PM on a weekday.

The sun is out, it's about 78 degrees.

I need to ride.

I set out, camera around my neck, in search of my favorite
roads, where 5 o'clock doesn't matter.

Ahhh, I love my neighborhood

A pretty little house I've had my eye on.

Back streets of Hollis, NH

The apple crates are out, it's almost picking season

No traffic here

I borrowed this driveway for a quick photoshoot...till the owner came out.

An Ordinary Ride

2008-08-18T09:28:00.004-05:00

Most of my riding is not extrodinary. Much of it is mundane, but enjoyable. I was inspired by a fellow Rounder, to write a report that showed the ordinary things that I experience while riding in my area. I hope that people from others areas will enjoy seeing my rideable world.

There was a Yankee Beemer breakfast Sunday morning in Westminster, MA. Breakfast broke up around 1:00, I had about 4 hours for riding. I headed west with the camera around my neck and took lots of pictures. Most of the following were taken while riding.

Self Portrait

Rte 2 is a major East West Route accross Northern MA. It becomes an undivided highway in the western part of the state.

People that think all of Massachusetts is like Boston, would be suprised to learn that much the western part of the state is rural.

Hey look I'm doing the speed limit, due to the state trooper in my mirror

Heath Center Road. Heading north off of Rte 2 leads to many pretty small towns.

There is a lot of this to look at. Green fields and cows

North on MA 112 heading toward Vermont. Lot's of bridge construction around.

What's not to like about riding in Vermont? This sunshine thing is great!

I wonder how many coffee shops there are in Brattlboro, VT? I almost feel guilty that this is the one I always stop at.

Connecticut River Bridge Rte 9 from Vermont back into New Hampshire.

Heading west on Rte9 toward Keene, NH. What a perfect day for a ride, temps around 80 after a long stretch of rainy days.

I stopped short of the red light to snap this picture. Thankfully he was busy with someone else.

It's fun to hit this corner with no car in front of you. Although I'd probably want to put the camera down.

Someday I'll stop and take a proper picture of Dublin, NH center. The flag pole is smack dab in the middle of the road. The building on the left, where you can see Yankee, is where the Old Farmer's Almanac is published.

More bridge work. The roads in New Hampshire are in very nice riding shape.

Getting closer to home, the corn is high in Milford

And that is what I have to put up with riding in NH, MA & VT.