That itch

So it's a lovely Saturday.

"Where's your riding gear?" Craig asks.

Truthfully I had considered it.  I don't have a helmet but I'm sure the dealership would have let me barrow one, or even thrown it in as part of the package if I was serious about buying.

I won't lie, I had the itch.

In fact, I've had the itch for a while now.   It was always there.  I would be driving somewhere and see a group of bikers heading out somewhere.   I would sometimes see a bike for sale on the side of the road, or in a dealership somewhere.  It really started to itch badly when I saw advertisements for the 2018 DGR!  It may have been one of the best moments in my motorcycling life...and I wanted to do it again.

The Triumph dealership did have a street twin that seemed to be calling my name.   Nice and neat with that classic look that I love so much.

Tempted?  Yes, very much so.

They actually had a 2017 on the lot that was still under warranty and the previous owner had switched it over to half pipes and did something else I don't remember to the exhaust.   The bike had a low, throaty growl to it that sounded deep and resonate.  "That" a random women said to me, "sounds like a motorcycle" and I knew exactly what she meant.

Frankly if the salesman had not pushed so hard, I may have signed some paperwork right then or; at least taken a test ride.

At 900 cc and a high torque engine however, I could see myself getting into trouble quickly on that bike.   I hate to admit but I like some speed.  I may have been a little to "quick" for my own good on the scooters...so I worried about that...and I know deep down that I would be a hell of a lot more careful.

Plus, even though I learned to ride on a standard transmission motorcycle.  I never fully felt comfortable in shifting.  When I rode a friend's bike here and there, I never really felt that I mastered shifting...so that was one reason why I switched to, and preferred scooters.  That was one less thing to worry about.

Sue and I are talking, and she seems more interested in getting a bike than I am.  The Harley Dealership next door had a lovely 35K trike with all the fixings.   That is more than I paid for my car, and it was brand new.  She would like me to get something like that and again feels that it would be safer.

In a way she is right.  Plus I know that with all her medical issues, the days of her climbing on back and just riding with me are slim to none.  She knows that too, so a trike may be better overall choice.

Now...can we find one that's affordable?

The arrogance of some dealers (and some local vandalism)

Before I begin this week's little rant I want to state one thing.  I'm not selling Kimmie.  I'm perfectly happy with my little scoot.

It's been a hard, long and tough week as we had had to deal with some ongoing personal issues.  So with some time to kill and absolutely nothing to do I decided to wander into two different dealerships to check out some models.

The first was the local Triumph dealership.  I like Triumph, to me when you think of what a motorcycle should look like, your looking at a Triumph.  It's all sleek lines and controlled power.  The Bonnie's are considered classics for a reason.

I've already decided that when the time comes to have a new bike I'll most likely buy the Honda 700 CTX but here I am at a Triumph dealer.  I throw my leg over the Bonnie, and....wait.   I don't wait long as a rather brusque older gentleman rushes over and starts to sell me.   Maybe he was an old salesman.  I've done sales too at various times in my life.   Sometimes you know when your dealing with just a "lookie lou."  Anyhow long story short I was dealing with him for less than 10 minutes when he's already shuffling me out the door.

A new friend of mine is pushing me to buy a Harley but I've no desire for that.  She's dangerous in a lot of ways since she rides without gear and I am Mr. ATGATT.  But lets put that aside for a moment.

Compare that experience to the one I had with my local dealership, Barney's.  I walk in and start chatting, I throw my leg over a nice Honda.  Again over a nice Aprilia.  We chat about local rides, about Maine.  30 minutes pass...then 50, and I realize that they have not tried to sell me yet.  We are bike people talking about bikes.

Guess where I'm going when the time comes.

Sadly where I live suffered a rash of vandalism.  I live in a quiet and safe community (okay, older community) and bikes are pretty common.  Mostly Harley's which are used maybe 3 or 4 times a year to go to special events or rallies.  You may hear the occasional low rumble of a bike being worked on but by no means is my neighborhood Hell's Angels central.  It's more Geriatric Angels central.

Which makes the recent vandalism all that more disturbing to me.  Someone poured paint over one of my neighbor's Harley's.

There is, of course, no excuse for this.  From what I understand they have an idea of who the culprit was and are taking the appropriate legal measures.

From what I understand the paint was water based so it actually did come off the bikes with proper cleaning.   Still though you hate to see anyone damage someone else's property.  The good news is that this damage was not permanent or hard to fix.

As I look at the photo though I can't help but wonder if any paint was poured into the gas tank itself.  That would be an issue.

Bruce Rossmeyer's - a legend in Daytona

Ormand Beach, Florida at moonrise

Things have been a little hectic at Casa de Wilson.  Susan wants to keep things as normal as possible and I can understand why.

I've not gone riding in over a week, week and a half maybe.  The last long trip I took I knew I was low on air, and filled it up before the trip.  Then I rode to work and felt what could only be called a "wobble."  It may have been my imagination but no riding till I had the chance to look at it.  That finally came this weekend.  I was three pounds in pressure under the recommended air pressure.  I rode a bit afterward and guess what...no wobble.  So it may have been my imagination but I still feel a new front tire is in my near future.

It's not that tacky.

Susan saw something about a Hawaiian shirt with Motorcycles on it.   I have a weakness for Hawaiian shirts, it's sort of "my brand" and started as a inside joke when I first moved to Florida.  I was told they were part of the dress code here and the rest they say is history.

So when the opportunity came to visit some of her family who had just moved into the Daytona Beach area, off we went.  Our destination was the famed Bruce Rossmeyer's Harley Davidson Dealership.

Frankly neither of us realized exactly how big this place really was.  It's a two story building with new and used bikes for sale.  Clothing and biker accessories, a tattoo parlor, a hotel, two restaurants and a cafe in the service bay.  I'm not forgetting the ice cream parlor, leather store, bike insurance kiosk, etc. In other words, if you're coming for Daytona Bike Week this is the destination.

The marketer in me has to admire their marketing strategy, and even though we did not pick up a Hawaiian shirt for myself (the cheapest was $60 and I'm a cheap bastard).  Harley does make some lovely bikes and I was impressed by more than a few.  I finally saw the 750 up close and I have to admit it's not that bad looking of a bike.

However I'm not wanting a bike because of the name.  If I did I would have bought the the BMW scooters when they first came out.   No, the next bike I buy will be well thought out and it maybe another Kymco honestly.

Harley is an American icon however, and Rossmeyer's is full of art, classic models and the history of bikes.  I actually wish I had a little more time, I would have loved to spent some more time wondering about and seeing what I could see.

Of course, by the end of that day I would have talked myself into something.  But we got away with a cute little shirt for my niece at a fair price.  I'm happy with that.

Yep, cows.  

Some of the Harley Davidson art work on Display

Only 14,513 miles on the Odometer, while it is a 51 Harley after all.

and just like that....the spark reignites

It seems like it was only a week ago that I was complaining that I had no get up and go.  No desire to ride.  Yesterday that changed.  I met a guy who I'll call "C" for the sake of argument and because I'm not sure if he would like mentioned in this blog.  Some of us still like privacy.

Anyhow...long story short I'm helping him get used to things in an area of work we call the "fish tank."  He mentions he rides.  He mentions he rides a Honda NC700 model (frankly I don't remember which particular model) which he just bought new.  Out to the parking lot we go!

Thanks to Honda for the picture.

Now I have to admit, it's a sexy little beast and one of those bikes that I could see owning in the future.  Well I'm not particularly a fan of the bikes looks; I tend to be of a touring bike fan and the NC700 models are more adventure bike, I do like the automatic nature of it as well as Honda's reputation in the bike world.

We talked fuel economy, we talked about the Duel Clutch Transmission - his bike has just the standard gearing.  We talked about me jumping on the bike and riding it around the empty parking lot.
An offer I appreciated but refused, telling him briefly about my two accidents and gently declined his offer.  He offered again.

Long story short I think I found a riding partner.  As we chatted he thinks the way I do about bikes.  If you own it you ride it, and the conditions really should not matter.  We chatted about other things and I realized that for a guy 20 years younger than me he got his head on straight...and is a how of a lot smarter than I was at that age.

On the way home I found myself saying..."I really love my bike."  I really love the joy of motorcycling.  We chatted briefly about taking the bikes out one Saturday (if I ever have a Saturday off) and riding with some friends.  "They, sadly, all ride Harley's."  He just smiled.  "Then we show them what our bikes can do." He said.

So plans were hatched.  I've been wanting to ride with my buddy Dave for a while now. I know he is like me to, busy as hell but willing to go on a ride.  Craig, another Harley rider, is new to the area but has been a friend of my girlfriends for years.  A friend of his, Bill, lives in the same town as Mr. C.  Suddenly going places again seems within reach.

Motorcycleroads.com lists a nice short ride near where they lived called Citrus County 476.   It may be worth exploring.  

The fact that I'm even thinking about this is doing my heart some good.  While I may never have that same fire I felt for riding before, it's good to know that the spark is there.  It's good to feel desire again.

Jacksonville, Fl, bike week and Susie's Side Door Cafe

This past week I've spent in Jacksonville, FL.  The company I work for put me up for a week in a Candlewood Suites motel, rented me a car and offered me a nice per diam.  I was up there to do some additional training and generally help bring on of our satellite office up to snuff.  I've spent a few days in St Augustine before but never Jacksonville, so I was looking forward to getting away some.

Well I certainly enjoy business travel, I had a job a few years ago that sent me away for weeks at a time, I always feel like I'm in a old Steve Martin movie when I go out to eat.

I've wanted to take a ride to the East Coast of Florida for some time, but with the company buying the gas and with me still not being released to ride, the rental option was the best option.  The route On Star picked for me to Jacksonville was boring...there is a whole lot of nothing on route 301.  Good to know if I ever head that way again.

In the past when I've gone on business trips; I've been able to get away for a few hours at night and explore the area around me.  I might have a beer at the local watering hole or just drive around.  I also knew that roughly an hour down the road from me was Daytona's (in)famous Bike Week and it be damn silly for me to let that chance pass me by.

So one night after work I decided to jump in the rental and head on down the road a bit to see what I could see.  I felt really out of place...for a couple of reasons.  One, I was in a bright yellow Hawaiian shirt.  Two, I was not on a bike.  I'm a scooterist gosh darn it...and I didn't even have that.  Three, no leather on me at all.  Four, no tats man.  Nope, not a one.

So here I am at one of the Dealerships - J and P - astonished and amazed at the variety and color and shear freaking number of motorcycles about.  I'm wondering about, mouth agape, along classic Harley's, more than a few BMW's.  One or two Indian's...even a cafe racer Royal Enfield!  Is that a Vincent!  My God it is!

Sadly since I was there to work and was not really expecting to go to bike week, it never occurred to me to bring a camera.  Nor did I ever think to pull out my phone and point and shoot with it.  As the French say:  "La Sigh!"

I have a beer and then two, talking to a nice Belgium couple from New England about everything but bikes and then head back to the hotel about an hour away.  Well, at least I can say I attended something at bike week.  It was also nice to see so many bikers actually wearing helmets as well.

Coming back home was uneventful.  Just in time in fact for the annual community wide Garage sale.  For the second year in a row we will be serving hot dogs and other light meal time things.  Last year we made over $200 bucks.  Today we spent most of the day doing set up and buying the good food that we need to make it a success.  We actually started preparing about two weeks ago.

I bring this up only because for the last few weekends the desire to ride really has not been there - not that I could anyway.  Now, after a long beautiful mostly free weekend and seeing Daytona...my desire to ride has been reborn.  I'm still not free to ride, as the doctors want my ankle to strengthen....but the desire to ride is starting to stir again, and that is not a bad thing.

So lets see what happens next...but first lets get the one day only "Susie's Side Door Cafe" going and off the ground.  After that...we will see what happens.

A ball of yarn (the revolution continues)

Before I begin this little article I need to explain how I view life.  Right now as I sit and write this my two cats, Tipper and Sparky, are playing with a ball of yarn.  They are having the time of there lives chasing it about, getting tangled in the loose threads and unraveling the yarn.   Some strings come apart; others are frayed and tangled, so much so your not sure where they begin and end.

What is more important?  The individual threads or the ball of yarn?  The ball of yarn represents society, the threads are all the various pieces that make up this crazy world.  Deep huh?  I bring that up because of the revolution what is going on right now in the motorcycling world.  While, that may be to strong of a word.  The forces that are acting on the motorcycling manufacturers are varied.  They have reacted in various ways, and for someone like me that likes to connect the various threads into a whole...it's been a joy to watch.

The mid range motorcycle market heats up with the introduction of the Harley Davidson "Street" group of bikes.  A 500cc and 750cc model which - despite much bitching from more traditional Harley riders - was a move Harley had to make to stay relevant in the market place.
Kawasaki enters the maxi scoot market with their J300 model, although at this time no US distribution is planned although I think that will change soon enough.  Honda is making a grab for a major chunk of the young urban professional market with there Grom, Forza and (highly modifiable) Ruckus models.  BMW exceed there projected sales of their "Urban Mobility" scooters by over 70% although no one expects that to last.  The Suzuki Burgman may not be the leader it once was in the maxi-scooter market and that is something Suzuki will need to address, and the reviews of the Kymco MyRoad are promising.

Suddenly it seems, there is a demand for mid size bikes.  Scooters seem to be leading the charge.  The question is why?

For one thing the traditional motorcycle audience is growing older, that much is obvious to all involved.  Sales have been falling over the last several years and  the industry needed to attract new riders.  Obvious again right?  There are other forces of course.  Crippling student debt for those under 30...lack of public transportation in most cities...the high cost of owning a car...people having to work 2 jobs just to make a decent wage.  More people than ever before are living with their parents, sometimes into the late 20's.

You contact the first two pieces of yarn and start to add the other threads.  You have to take into account other issues like the existing American highway system - your going to need some power to get from point A to B.  Your going to have to take into account gas prices and American sensibilities...the "Bigger is always Better" thought process that seems to define who we are.  Suddenly you have a large ball of yarn that leads you to one conclusion.

Any businessman will tell you that the group you want to advertise to is the 18 - 35 year old.  This is the age where, in the past, most of the disposable money was.  This is also the age where you establish brand loyalty.  If you start using product A at this age your most likely to use product A the rest of your life.  If your going to get someone on a bike this is the time to do it.

Advertisers and marketers are still singing the praises of the "You meet the nicest people on a Honda" commercials from the late 60's and early 70's.  Those ads probably did more to introduce the idea of a Japanese motorcycle to the to the states; they created an image.  An image the average joe could see themselves part of.   Items today like the Grom are seen as hip, fun and at a little under $3,000...very affordable!

The problem however is that this age group just does not have the same resources as it did ten or twenty, thirty years ago.  They have more options for what little disposable income they have.  A lot of smaller scooter companies realized this and took advantage of it.  That's one of the reasons if you look around in any city today you see a lot of little Chinese 50cc scoots.  The major motorcycle companies are jumping in into a market they believe will grow in the future, the mid sized range.  A lot of scooters are already there.

What's next may cause a heart attack in many traditional bikers, but the manual transmission is a dinosaur.  Expect to see more automatic motorcycles in the next five years or so.  A lot of people have cut their teeth on the automatic scooters, I don't expect them to change gears so to speak.

Personally I think it's a good thing.  I still don't think we will see the streets full of scooters like you do in Asia, but I do think the motorcycling segment of our population will grow.  The ball of yarn doesn't lie.

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.  

What's next?

I have been trying to help a co-worker decide on which motorcycle he should buy.  This will be his first motorcycle and he has never ridden before.  Luckily he has got a bit of a brain in his head and is getting endorsed first, buying the proper gear and is listening to those of us that do ride nearly every day.  He's already changed his mind about getting a huge cc monster although I can't talk him out of his desire for a street bike.

In my thinking a 250cc or 400cc motorbike or scooter is all he needs for a year or two.  Your going to go down at least once while learning and a old beater would serve his needs.  Burgman's are relativity cheap and plentiful for example and would provide him experience in handling a two wheeled vehicle.  Now don't misunderstand me, I love my Burgie and really don't have any complaints about it but I am a realist as well - he needs to learn and the Burgman is a good bike to do that on.  His heart however, is with a sport bike.

My first ride was the Zuma 125, it met all my needs at the time and was a fun little bike, it will always have a place in my heart, but his quest got me thinking.   What's next for me?

Aprilia Mana 850 ABS

I've always been attracted to the odd and unusual and I can't see paying an extra 10K just for a brand name.  Plus, they are a dime of dozen, so Harley's are pretty much out of the picture.  I do like the Mana 850 by Aprilia  They also created a 850cc scooter with pretty much the same body, or at least it appears that way to my untrained eye.  I fell in love with the style of their bikes, all smooth refined lines and Italian sophistication.  I've only seen one or two on the streets and that appeals to me.

BMW new Urban Mobility Vehicles also appeal to me just due to their style.  The fact that they are BMW's - which generally means good engineering that is built to last.  The reviews I've read are generally good  and frankly, this is probably the only BMW I will ever be able to own other than a matchbox car.  Both of the current models are being geared towards city dwellers, answering their concerns about  the crowded roads and diminishing resources of city living.  It's a gamble and interesting marketing but could pay off huge for BMW in the future.

When I first started looking at buying a "real bike" and not a scooter various friends of ours tried to steer me to the Triumph Bonneville's.  I have to admit that I'm drawn to not only the fine lines of this classic bike but also the history of them.  It's a damn sexy machine.  The only reason I'm not riding a Bonneville today is that they were, at the time, a little to powerful for me.  I could however see myself on one of these very easily.

Piaggio MP3 500cc

Susan, my long time girlfriend, and I have discussed the possibility of getting a trike or a trike conversion kit to allow her to ride with me.  While I do love the idea of her putting her arms around me as we go through the twisty's I'm not really sold on the idea of a trike.  I would eventually like to travel with her to parts unknown, and some trikes are built exactly for that comfort and ease of travel.    I have seen some models out there that appear to be little more than cars missing the roof and steering wheel and that to me seems to be defeating the purpose.  I am not a fan of Can-Am, although that has more to do with the style of the bike than anything else.  I've not seen many on the road which does make it "unique", nor have I really looked at the bike up close.  Does it have lots of storage?  How does it handle?  Frankly I don't know and need to learn more about them.

Piaggio has the MP3 series of bikes. These are three wheeled scooters and have lots of interesting advantages, such as being able to stop and not put your foot down. They are still rare on the roads and is a much smaller profile than the Can-Am's.  Both of these bikes offer stability and safety.  The MP3 is a smaller bike (maxing out at a little under 500cc as compared to the 900cc of the Can-Am) and would get gas mileage similar to what I'm getting now.

Ural Patrol model

A motorcycle sidecar seems to be more honest to me.  Ural Motorcycles used to make motorcycles for the Soviet Military.  Did I mention my enjoyment of odd and unusual?  My love of history?  The idea of traveling here and there with a sidecar has a romantic element to it as well.  Ural prides itself on its ability to take to take what ever you through at it.  Sidecars however are also inherently dangerous and many people dislike the idea of riding mere inches above the road surface. The concept appeals to me, the reality might not, again...more research and test drives are required.

I'm not in the market for a new bike though.  I am very happy with my 07 Burgman and I'm not ready for a new bike - even if I could afford it - and frankly who knows what will be out there when I am ready?  I am however keeping my eyes open, something may fall into my lap one day, for now however...I'm a Burgman rider.  Another Burgman could be in the future.  You never know.

What the future holds....a scooter revolution? Part 1

December is a time when you supposed to look back, think about the mistakes you've made and the injuries you may have caused to those you love and ask for forgiveness. You promise yourself your going to do better.  To be a better person and move on with your life.

Problem is I don't feel like looking back.

I am looking forward.  Forward to the future of me on the Burgie.  Forward to where the girlfriend feels confident enough to climb onto the back, wrap her arms about me and whisper into my ear..."Lets go."

I am looking forward to longer trips, out to the shore to get some shots of the ocean and sunsets.  Out to the other coast of Florida where a old friend of mine will be moving.  Perhaps even an overnight ride up to Charleston, SC where I have several old friends I've not seen in years.

Looking forward to seeing even more scooters and bikes on the road.   I'm not a futurist.  I can not point to any research and say "This will happen."  I can only point to what I know, to what I see happening.  Their will be a "Scooter Revolution" in this country eventually.

Why?

Partially because of the costs involved.  Gas is continuing to raise, and although it has seemed to stabilized for now...it will go up again.  I know enough about economics to know that the job market is not going to bounce back anytime soon, we are looking at high unemployment and other issues for at least the next 10 years.

This is going to force people to look for alternative methods of transportation.   We are seeing it already as scooter sales were up 50% in the first quarter of 2011.  Although I think most people didn't think it through and only bought scooters based on fuel economy and did not consider things like speed, safety and the distance they needed to travel back and forth to work (which are all reasons I upgraded from 125cc to 400cc).

Scooter sales dropped a bit as the year went on but even in the 3rd quarter of last year they were overall positive.

Motorcycle sales however dropped.   Perhaps due to the fact that Americans don't like standard shifts, I drive a standard shift normally in my car...and found switching to the motorcycle to be a bit confusing.  Also limiting I think was the power involved.   When I started looking about the smallest engine I found was 650cc.  While I was okay with that, I wondered why a lot of cycles were in the higher cc range.   I know that speed brings stability, but did we need 1200cc to do that?

So the marketer and researcher in me looks for answers, solutions...and wonders what does the future hold.

1. Increased gas prices are a given.
2. Increased urbanization.
3. People living with their parents longer, or if they do move it...it will be close to work (see two).  Money will be tight due to a lack of work.
4. Increased use of public and alternative transportation.

So what does this mean.   It means that the 2 wheeled market is set to expand.  If the companies involved play their cards right.   I think BMW actually is thinking about this.   Their new Concept C scooter offers a lot in a little package, and is designed to really appeal to lots of people.

Here you have an automatic transmission, a powerhouse capable of highway speeds, a damn sexy almost sport bike look, and although I've not seen any specs for storage and other things...I'm sure it's there as well.  The crappy windshield however will need to go.

I have to be honest, I want this bike.

Automatics may make a dent in the marketplace if American cycle culture is willing to accept some harsh reality.  Smaller engines, better suspensions, more storage is the wave of the future.  The so called Maxi-scooters are leading the way.

Ridley had a nice run for several years but may have entered the market to early, they have stopped production and it will be interesting to see if they reenter the market in the near future.

Honda has a few things up it's sleeve and introduced a automatic transmission in 2009, however the bike was priced at 15K and in a down economy did not sell well.  Even the mighty Harley Davidson has toyed with the idea in the past.  I see this idea being explored more in the future.

For now though we will put these idea's aside, and explore them more in part 2 of this series.  Hopefully in a few days.

Music and Motorcycles

My plans for Saturday were simple, sleep in a bit then go down to visit Solomon's Castle.  Sue and I were planning on spending the day, it's about a 90 minute ride south 1 way, and then come back.  Maybe check out the Zephyrhills Music and Motorcycle event afterword.

As it so happened life got in the way of Solomon's Castle (next weekend for sure!) but we did spend a little time at the event.  Some photo's if your interested follow.

3 or 4 different streets just loaded with bikes.

I was surprised there were not more motorcycle merchants or dealers at the event.  I know Z-hills is a small little town and the event was not really organized well.  I live there and didn't learn about the event till a week beforehand, and the only reason I did was because my mom gave me her Sunday paper.

Z-hills, as the local call it, has a lovely park which the bikes were allowed to drive through.  Music was provided by the Dive Bar Stalkers right off of main street itself.   The band lived up to it's name.

What I enjoyed was the diversity of the bikes and the creativity on many of the paint jobs.  One guy was doing pin stripping, and yes, I considered it for the Burgie but with some damaged plastics it be a waste of time and money.

Nice to see I'm not the only Burgie rider there!

This damage is not something I'm happy about and needs to be fixed.  This is my next project.  I'm going to work on making my bike look less beat up.  I'm planning on keeping it for years, so it needs to be cleaned up.  I would like to have my bike shining again.

Which brings me to the next photo.   While walking about I came across a restored with all original parts 1974 Triumph Bonneville 750.  It only had 6600 miles on it.  The same amount of mile that were on my Burgie originally.  What impressed me was the amount of time and love that went into that bike...and the story that bike must have.  Out of all the various bikes there, only two really brought a smile to my face....the Bonneville was one.  A true classic.

The other thing that caught my eye was truly a sight to behold.  

You gotta admit...that is pretty cool.

Getting it legal....

When I was just a wee lad growing up in the suburbs of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania I didn't know anyone that rode.  In fact, it wouldn't be till I moved to Charlotte, North Carolina right out of University that I even knew anyone that owned a bike.

As I grew older my circle of friends grew to include bikers, many of whom were serious about their Harley's, BMW's and one guy I knew even collected Indian's.  Hell, even my ex wife rode!  Yet I still did not understand what the big deal was.

My reasons for getting the scooter I did were more economical than anything but I know understand why they would take off for a weekend and just ride with no particular destination in mind.  In a way I'm sorry I didn't "get it" before.  So when I decided to upgrade from a little 125cc to the bigger 400cc Burgman I knew I would get my endorsement.

In Florida you can either get your motorcycle  endorsement on a 150cc scooters or on a 250cc  motorcycle licence.  The licence will allow you to ride either.   I decided to take the class on the motorcycle, after all you never know when you might move up right?  For someone like me who has never really ridden before it was an eye opener of sorts.  Where I thought the scooter was challenging enough learning how to work the controls of a motorcycle were a whole new challenge.

We also had to learn it in the pouring rain and howling wind over a short two day period, not the ideal condition's but I was looking at it this way; if I did well now...I know I could it in better conditions.  A opinion that seemed to be shared by my fellow trainees.

So after a few mistakes and a few realizations that "Yes, I've been doing this wrong!" I worked hard on correcting those mistakes.  Breaking habits that I somehow picked up - like covering the front brake handle with my hand.  While I'm not happy with my final score (I am my own worst critic) I can say that I did OK.

So I have the insurance, the licence, the experience will come with every mile under my wheel.  I'm part of the brotherhood now, for better or worse.  I took the class through the Motorcycle Safety Foundation and highly recommend it to anyone thinking about riding, or who has ridden illegally for a while.

A little bit of fun with a Harley rider.

The other night I am sitting at a light and in the other lane a Harley rider pulls up.  He looks over at me and just shakes his head "No."

The light goes green and it's a straight shot up the road to the next light, about 1/4 to a half mile up the road.   I should have resisted...but I opened her up.

As he pulls up to the next light I just look over at him and shake my head..."Yes."