AIME impressions

I have to be honest, one of the reasons that I wanted to attend the AIME expo (American International Motorcycle expo) was the opportunity to ride bikes that I would not normally get the opportunity to ride.  As it so happened I only was able to ride one bike.  The Can-Am RT.

As much as I hate to admit it, I've always took issue with the Can-Am.  It's not exactly a motorcycle and people have told me they steer like sleds or lawnmowers.  The price has always been a little daunting and the size made me question if I would be able to handle one.

I can honestly say that starting today, they are on the list to replace Kimmie.  The ride was smooth, and although I had a little issue with low speed turns, in that I kept wanting to counter steer or lean when I could not - that would be corrected with time, I was impressed.   The bike is semi-automatic meaning it has a thumb shift to climb gears but the computer handles downshifting.  It took me about five minutes to get used to shifting that way but once I did it was seamless.  The bike had solid, but not stellar, acceleration and handled very well.  A few rough patches on the roads around the Convention center were handled without issue by the bike I rode.

Susan was also able to get on and off without much issue and that was another plus in the bikes corner.

I could have rode Kymco scooters, a few off road vehicles, the Beamers, the Suzuki's and others.  However we were alternatives to ride the Can-Am and waited over an hour in the hot Florida sun to do that.  Each demo ride out lasted anywhere from 30 to 45 minutes.  Some dealers required you to supply your full gear (helmet, jacket, boots at minimum) where others were OK with you in long pants and a helmet (Can-am supplied Nolan helmets in various sizes for examples).

Inside the convention hall was a variety of dealers.  Most of which frankly didn't interest me.  I don't go off road riding, I'm not really that interested in the mechanical side of things.  Yes, I want the best performance out of my bike for the longest time possible...but I've not desire to go to your booth unless you have some nice swag.  So that left me looking at bikes and oh what a selection there were!

I showed Susan the Honda NCX 700 that is on the short list of "new bikes" when its time to buy a replacement.  I ended up have to defend a Suzuki Burgman 650 from a few people that were putting it down, but the woman there kept looking at it wistfully and I think I convinced her it was a good touring bike.."A lounge chair on wheels" is how I described it.

Vespa and Piaggio was both represented well and truthfully I didn't spend much time looking at their products.  While I love scooters I'm probably moving away from them and going towards a semi-automatic or fully automatic motorcycle.

I did however want to look at helmets and fell in love with a new Shark helmet.  It will not be able till March of next year in the US and will probably sell for $700 dollars.   However it was amazing, a full sun shield at a touch of a button, good venting and most amazing to me...I put it on and the ambient noise around me was reduced to zero.  I mean, nothing.  I could still hear, still focus on what was around but it was a several decimals lower than before.

For a cheap bastard like me to want one right then and there, and probably would have paid full price, told me I was going to take a closer look at Shark in the future.  Somehow I missed the Bell Helmet display even though I wanted to stop in.

one of the more interesting bikes on display

Overall I enjoyed myself and would love to go a second day.  Just to ride some of the bikes I am considering in the future.  To compare the smaller Kymco's to my beloved Kimmie (Kymco is discontinuing anything bigger than a 400 in the US for 2017).  To ride the BMW's and others that were there.

To take in some of the lesser know companies and display's.  To just look.

I've posted additional photo's to the Scooter Revolution Facebook page. 

Americana

In my life I've had the opportunity to travel to the Bahama's, Canada, Honduras,  Kazakhstan, Mexico, The Netherlands, Russia and several states here in the USA.  Each place has it's own distant people, customs and heartbeat.  Each place is unique, wonderful, scary and beautiful.

Each place is magical.  In the end though....I love my home country.  It's got issues, warts and problems...but it is still home.  I've been thinking a bit lately about travel.  Partially because of a possible new position at work that would require me to travel (assuming I get it) around Florida.  Part of it being the anniversary of Jack Kerouac's death (one of my favorite writers).

Partially because of some the the blogs I read and their adventures.  How you can give up nearly everything to discover that you have all you need (Road Pickle).  About traveling down the Eastern Coast of the the US (Which is what Motorcycle Addiction did this summer), or across the US and Canada (Riding the Wet Coast).  The insanity that will be the 2014 Scooter Cannonball.  

Do to circumstances I was not able to attend the AIM Expo like I had hoped.  So plan B was engaged which was a little jaunt over to the San Antonio Rattlesnake festival.  I don't know what it is about these small town festivals.  They all share some of the same things...face painting, usually bad and overpriced food and drinks, craft shows.  Low mileage and heavily chromed out Harley's taken out for show.  Pony rides and petting zoo's.  Beyond that however is the stuff that really matters; kids running about playing and smiling faces, the unexpected find in a merchants' booth that you know your someone special would love.  That "insert your favorite food that you know is not good for you here" that makes you feel like a kid again.

This is why I travel.  To experience that joy.  To have that connection and maybe see something I've not seen before, or something I need to see in a new light.

 To have that wonderful human experience.  Sometimes it's easy to forget that I live in paradise.  It's to easy to be caught up in the day to day grind and we tend to forget that the world is full of endless wonder.  I know, I sound like a new age hippy.

I have a deep and profound respect for life, history and the natural world.  I want to share that love with others which is why I write.

So I thought I would share a few things with you gentle reader from the most recent adventure.  Funny thing, for a rattlesnake festival I didn't see one snake!

I liked this little road sign we found at a mutlt-family barn sale.  Some amazing old furniture, auto's and various odds and ends.  It was also at the end of a neat little twisty road that demanded further attention at a later date.

I'm not sure of the make or year on this but loved the look of the machine.  I sometimes wonder if the cars and trucks today will be looked at as works of art in 30,40, 50 years.

Kids lining up for the "Gopher Turtle" races.  The turtles were actually wood and your pulled on the strings to get them to move forward.  

A closer look at the "Turtle"  The head moved side to side and each kid got some sort of prize even if the turtle didn't finish the race.  I am glad I did not try the turtle soup they had for sale. 

Finally a old band from Pittsburgh known as the Gathering Field.  Back about 20 years ago they had a minor hit nationally with this song.  I understand they have reformed and are starting to tour again.  I just think it suits my mood right now.  

“Live, travel, adventure, bless, and don't be sorry.” Or....to much of a good thing(s)

This coming weekend was going to be busy.  There was a lot going on that demand my attention.  First was the AIM Expo in Orlando.  Like I mentioned in my last post; I really had no desire to go in the beginning but as the event approached the seeds of excitement grew.  The idea of looking at new farkles and trying out

Copyright TB Rowdies

new bikes appealed to me.  The event certainly peaked my interest and I had was certainly tempted to go.  I will also admit the interest in the expo would drive up my blog numbers and I want some neat swag.

My Tampa Bay Rowdies were also playing on Saturday night.  They are currently in second place in the standings and are pushing hard to defend their championship from last year.  There is frankly no room for error in the last three games and the reborn New York Cosmo's would have to collapse.  The odds are stacked against the Rowdies but soccer is a funny old sport.  I've not been able to attend as many games this year as I would have liked but with only two home games left I am running out of time!

Saturday is also the Rattlesnake Festival in nearby San Antonio, FL.  Just another of those goofy little festivals celebrated all over the United States to boost the local economy for a day or two.  I enjoy going to these little things simply because where else can I see Gopher Tortoise race?

This Saturday is also Sweethearts day and Sue and I had not been on any romantic adventures in some time.   The Bahama's cruise was more about my wanting to ride in a another country.  What romantic thing could I do that involved us riding on the bike?  Could we create our own Roman Holiday?  Two weeks ago we traveled to Tarpon Springs by bike and it had been a wonderful trip.  The last weekend we visited Strong Tower Vineyards and overall had a disappointing trip.  We drove up in the car and was disappointed in the wine and their fall festival overall.  The event was to small, there was nothing to do other than sample a rather poorly made wine.

As I write this I have a few things in my mind.  A few ideas forming.  The first was taking her down to a glass blowing workshop where she would learn to make her own pumpkin, to complete her love of Halloween.  I even went as far as ordering tickets...only to realize that the workshop I ordered the tickets for was in Corning, New York.  A red faced call to them got the issue resolved, much to their amusement.  So much for the world wide web!

Glass blowing example via the web.

At this moment I am not sure what I will do.  I know I seek adventure, but a little bit of romance is never a bad thing.  Getting out of the house to do something...anything is never a bad thing.  Even just having her wrap her arms about me and saying "Lets go." is a good thing.  A picnic on the beach, watching the sun set into the Gulf while reading poetry.  Trying new food at Veg Fest.  I want whatever life has to offer me.

Working six days a week like I do, staying at home is good too.  In the words of the immortal Jack Kerouac, who died some 44 years ago this week:  “Live, travel, adventure, bless, and don't be sorry.”  Speaking of Jack, another venture starts to form in my head.

Ah endless possibilities.

Moving forward.

Starting this week is the American International Motorcycle Expo (or AIMExpo).  It is being held in Orlando, Florida which is a mere 62 miles from my front door.  I have to be honest, I really had no intention of going.  After all I have been to Expositions before, both as a participant and a consumer.  Frankly I had no interest in looking at a bunch of stuff that may not apply to me.    I am a scooterist after all.

Now I'm thinking of going.   What changed my mind was a few things.  First was that a local scooter group I belong to was planning a ride, and although I would not be able to ride with them to the event (work) the seed was planted.  I am curious to see the new Kymco MyRoad 700i, which given the fact that I enjoy riding Kimmie (a Xciting 500 sans ABS) as much as I do just might be the bike for me in the future.  I'm also interested in looking at some of the automatic motorcycles and, what I feel will be the next step in the evolution of motorcycle safety, lighted jackets.

I am also looking at some interesting choices in my personal and business life which will affect my ability to ride.  I work for 3M and recently applied for a new position which would require me to travel about Florida to places like Miami, Orlando, Tallahassee and Jacksonville.  While I am certainly qualified for the position, there are no guarantees of course, although I like the idea of traveling to meetings via my mean motor scooter and traveling new roads.  The endless possibilities of movement.

Given this new job possibility I would need to look into either a bike better built for highway travel and bluetooth technology.  I really like this helmet for example.  This expo gives me options to consider.

The second option that will affect my riding, and probably decreasing it, is the possible expansion of my personal business.  I have successfully owned and operated a small distribution company for a few years now, and while it's never made me a mad amount of money, it's always supplemented my income by several thousand dollars a years (10 to 15K profit generally after taxes and expenses).  Less than seven years ago I was looking into a possibility of opening a bar and restaurant with my partner Sue, who has over twenty five years of experience in that business as a chef and manager.  However due to circumstances I will not go into here she was unable to pursue that dream.
That may have changed as we found a small turn key restaurant that is completely within our budget and literally is less than five miles from my front door.  At this time we are doing the research and putting our ducks in a row!  It needs to make sense for us to do it.  If we were to buy this property then my riding schedule is shot.  Any and all free time would be drastically cut in order to make this business work.  I would have to give up my route work as well.  I would not be leaving 3M  anytime soon since I receive some nice benefits from that company.

So much for trying to simplify my life.  The wheels are turning and are always moving forward.  There is no reverse on a motorcycle, you have to put effort into it to make it go backward.  It's much easier to always move forward.

Moving Forward always is an adventure.  Unknown roads are exciting because of the possibilities of what you will see and experience.  There is always risk, always danger...but that journey must always be taken.