Dead Man's Clothes

I'm going, going downtown
In a dead man's clothes

We are having the annual Community Wide Garage Sale on March 16th.   I'm going through a variety of clothes and other items, trying to decide what to keep and what to lose.   What to sale, what to keep and what to throw away.  

I hate to throw anything away, I'm not a pack rat but I am a clothes horse and that old concert T-shirt from 2004 means something to me.   Right now for example I've got an old CD from 1998 playing through the lap top speakers.   A song or two jump out at me, bringing back warm and fuzzy memories but the album as a whole doesn't hold up well all these years later.   Still though, I copy it to the memory stick labeled "Rob's old music" and place the CD in the "sell cheap" box.  I'm making space, clearing things out. 

There is a lot of sentimental value that I've attached to certain items.  T-shirts, CD's and even this old electronic blog that no one reads anymore.

I still have some good stuff from my motorcycling days, and as much as I hate to say it; I don't see myself getting back on the bike anytime soon and am therefore selling it.    If any of you read the post back in December of 2016, then you know my reasons that I stopped riding.   If not, while I made a promise to the woman I love. 

So in a way it's interesting that I kept the gear that I did.   I have an old open face helmet, my heavy "winter" riding jacket, some gloves, my Frogg Toggs (which I would keep regardless),   It's been over two years now and there really is no reason to keep this old gear.   It's taking space up in the closet.

Giving up on this equipment means that I am goodbye to biking.   Keeping it meant that I was planning on getting a new bike, to return to biking.   It was a way of me keeping "in touch" with the part of biking that I loved.

Now, if I do get another bike, I would need good equipment.   A good jacket might cost me anywhere from $150 dollars and up.   It's worth the price.   Good gear is always worth the price.   The gear I had was "decent gear" but it did the job well for several years.

My only question is should I try to sell it at all?   Padding breaks down over time.  Things get old.

A full face helmet is, in my humble opinion, not a question.   That could run from $150 to $700 depending on make and model.   I could see myself dropping an easy $250 on one.  My brain is worth it.  Gloves?  $50 to 100 bucks.

I've spent $300 to $1,000 dollars and I've not pulled out of the driveway yet on my imaginary bike.

I keep seeing video's about those motorcycle air bags.   Damn straight I would consider one.  Of course, I would want to play with the stupid rip cord to "test it" the first time too.  Just to make sure it worked when I went down the next time. 

However the point remains.   If I'm not comfortable, or at this stage willing to get back on a bike then looking at gear or having gear really does not make any sense.

There maybe someone looking for an affordable jacket, I've been there.

I also know there are riders that have suffered a whole lot worse than me, yet get right back up on the bike.   I knew a guy named Jim when I lived in Pittsburgh for example,  he lost a leg in a bike wreck.   Yet somehow got back on.

Maybe if my current job didn't take me all the way across town, where I don't have a choice but to use the highways, it would be a different story.   However that is an excuse too.   I'm not ready, nor am I willing to get back on a bike.

It's time to sell the old equipment and move on.  

I just don't know yet.

For the first times in months I rode.  For the first time since the accident, I was on the back of a bike.


A woman in my community is selling her former husband's Honda Silver wing.  She is asking a fair price for it and Sue prompted me to go and take a look.    Sue knows how much I enjoyed riding and owning a bike.  The owner told me the year but I don't remember exactly.  I think it was within five years old and she had a tad over 17K on her.

In didn't take me long to grab an old helmet and a borrowed set of gloves to take her for a test spin.  I'm not sure why I consider motorcycles women, but to me they are.

So I started her up and she didn't roar to life, she didn't have the "oomph" that Kimmie did despite being a bigger engine.   Of course, she was also a bigger, heavier bike than my old Xciting and that matters.

I rode her around a bit, through some local twistie's I know of on a back road, I opened her up slightly on a straightway and I did feel comfortable, despite wearing none on my safety gear except a pair of borrowed gloves and an old helmet I picked up somewhere along the way.

It felt.....odd.  I don't know what I expected, taking her gingerly through a turn.  Where was the excitement?  Where was the feeling of awe?  Of being on the edge?  The tires seemed a little squirrel'y but they were brand new, still having the nubs on them and the bike had sat for about a month  so the pressure was probably off.   I took my time and was careful.

I knew I was also probably gun shy too.

There were things I like, the former owner had put a Givi windshield on it and that would come in handy on the cooler days or in the rain as the wind and rain where whipped around me and not into my chest as with Kimmie.   The storage was nice, and the previous owner had placed a pretty decent, but now great top box on it.  All the storage departments locked with a singe key.  He really did take good care of the bike and it had undergone a full maintenance review about 1000 miles ago.

Maybe it's just the fact that I never really cared for the looks of a Honda Silver Wing.  Maybe I'm still afraid, still touchy after the accident. Truthfully Sue and I can afford the bike and still have a good chunk of change left over, so I can't say "I can't afford it."

I just don't know if I'm ready yet.  Maybe I never will be.  Maybe this is just not the bike for me.  I just don't know yet.

The final post?

Oh poor Kimmie

This may be the final post I make on this blog.


As some of you know, I was involved in a motorcycling accident on Saturday, December 17th 2016.  It was completely and totally my fault and was the third such accident I've been involved in in the six or so years that I've been on a scooter.

It may also be my last.

I made a promise to the woman I love that if I was involved in a third accident that I was done.  I fully intend to keep that promise, interestingly enough Susan is seeing this from a different perspective than I am,  She thinks that I should continue to ride, although on a three wheeled machine.  At some time in the near future I may change my mind and climb on a bike again.  At this time though...I'm done.

Beloved cycle

My day started simply enough, I was riding around on Kimmie through Zephyrhills and Dade City.  I had a plan in mind to slowly make my way down towards Ybor City and my favorite watering hole.  It was a clear day, warm and sunny.  I jumped on the highway and started making my way down towards Ybor.  I don't like riding the highways because things can happen so quickly but at the same time they are open and give you a bit more "escape routes" if something does go wrong.

I was less than 5 minutes from my destination.  In an area that I know can have stop and go traffic, I was traveling in the far right lane near the emergency exit lane for that very reason, leaving myself an exit lane just in case.  That just in case happened.  The brake lights of the car went on suddenly and I saw them a second or two to late, pulling back hard on my brakes...then I started to aim to the emergency lane....then, sadly, I ran out of room.

It's funny how the mind works, I don't remember hitting the car or going over.  I do remember the tumbling.  I can tell you exactly where my visor broke off my helmet.  What I was thinking..."Try to tumble away from the car"..."That's it...I'm done riding."

I'm not sure where I stopped but I knew it as I slowly got up.  Something, somewhere, was seriously wrong.  Nothing felt broke...I was in pain but that is understandable.  I went into diagnostic mode.  I was lightheaded and sick to my stomach. I was conscious but dizzy... "Call 911."  I told the other driver.  "I'm seriously hurt."

I took off my helmet (which on second thought I should not have done) and watched another biker set Kimmie upright.   A 30 second look told me all I needed to know...poor Kimmie was dead. The biker and I exchanged one or two words.  Than another biker pulled over.  The other driver let me sit in her car and I laid down in her back seat.  

It took longer than I would have liked but the ambulance showed up shortly.  My blood pressure was 70 over something.  It was low, to low...I had guessed right, I was going into shock.  They started a IV with saline solution and within a few minutes my pressure started to climb.  Now the EKG was showing something that worried them.

So I'm lying in the gurney in the emergency room hallway, trying to stay lighthearted as each and every Doctor and Nurse that pass thank me for wearing a helmet.  Even the cop that takes my statement thanks me.  The nurses poke for blood work that needs to be done, as the machine I'm on beeps intermittently.  One of the doctors tells me they are keeping me overnight because they think I may have had a very mild and very brief heart attack according to the EKG.  But they won't know till the blood work is in.

Thanks love for the undignified photo. 

So I am staying the night.     All the blood work, thankfully, comes back negative and the EKG settles into a pattern that the doctors feel is normal.  No heart attack...just shock.

Overall things could have been worse.  I have scrapes, I have bruises.  I have sprains and swelling.  I had to suffer the indignity of going to the bathroom in the hallway. I am however very much upright and alive.
It could have been much worse.

It's not the accident that got me scared.  Going down is part of riding.  If your afraid of that...then you should not be on a bike in the first place.  I already miss riding, I truly do love the freedom and peace of mind it brings me.  I was finally starting to feel "part of the local two wheeler community" whatever the hell that means.

Kimmie and I had plans.  Plans for longer trips to the center of the state and to explore the south of Florida a bit more.  I was planning on running her down to my favorite winery in the state sometime after the new year.  For the first time in a long time the future looked bright for Sue and myself, and getting out on the bike was part of that future.  I had already managed to put some 6000 miles on her, which was about 1000 more than I had in the last two years.

For hitting the back end of the car and a scary hospital stay, I'm actually in wonderful shape.  I have bruises and scrapes to my knees and a nasty abrasion to my right foot.  My left wrist suffered some soft tissue damage but nothing that time can not fix.  I walked away...thank God for good gear.

The jacket tore and I got a minor scrape

What "scares" me is hearing the fear in Susan's voice as the paramedic tells her they are taking me by ambulance to the local Hospital.  What scares me is her telling me...that she does not want to buy a funeral dress anytime soon.

What scares me is my elderly mother and father not being prepared for their son's demise.  What scares me is putting anyone through that.  Riding is selfish.  It brings pleasure only to ourselves, but in a case like this, it shows it's ugly side.  Accidents effect everyone...even if they are not on a bike with us.

I know...I know.  It's an accident and accidents happen.  Funny thing is that this one is my own fault and I know it.  A second or two longer and it would not have happened at all.  Playing "if only" games however don't change facts.

I'm also 50 years old and am not bouncing back like I did 25 years ago.  It takes time to heal and I don't want to break a leg at 53 or 63. 

So I'm not really sure what the future holds at this moment.  I may climb back on a bike within three weeks or three months.  I may sell what good gear I have and never climb up on it again.  I can honestly say I don't know.

Goodnight sweet chariot

I am however going to say this.  Please, please, please get good gear and wear it at all times. 

Be Well and Ride Safe.

Rob Wilson

Shaken - rider down

I posted this on my Facebook page earlier tonight but thought I should say something about it here as well.

An interesting experience happened to me while running around with Susan today. We were waiting to turn at a light and there was some sort of commotion at the intersection. I see two people get off of motorcycles and run into the intersection.  There was a girl there, laying face first in the pavement.

A brief talk with Susan and I'm up and out of the car fearing the worst. It ended up the rider had suffered a rather painful fall due to wet and questionable pavement. No other vehicles were involved.  It was a light rain and I think she may have caught a white line with her tire and down she went.  It could have happened to anyone. 

I have first aid training and talked to her. She was very responsive and was moving her legs, so no spinal injury was likely. Her neck hurt, her shoulders hurt. "OK," I told her. "I have training in first aid and am going to touch your arms and shoulders.  Let me know if your hurting."   Her pulse was a little fast but normal.  She cried out when I touched her neck and around a shoulder. 

"We are not moving you nor am I taking off your helmet. I don't know if you have a head or neck injury. I think you have a broken clavicle."  I told her after a quick exam. A woman was trying to get the 911 operator to understand the problem.  I made it clear to tell the dispatcher she may have a neck injury.

 It took some time for the police and firemen to get there but it was probably less than 10 minutes.   I gave the firemen a brief summary of what I knew. They removed her helmet and put her on the backboard with a C-collar on to stabilize her head. She joked with them. She'll be fine.

 I hope to never have to do that again.  I am glad that I took that first aid training all those years ago.  It does come in handy.  I decided right then and there to take a refresher the first chance I got.

One other thing that I think bares talking about.  Some asshole kept hitting his horn and then run through the intersection past the officers and paramedics.  No one said anything but I'm sure we all said the same thing under our breaths...and we each knew Karma was going to get him eventually.

Riding is a risk.  I try to migrate that risk...and indeed I was glad this girl was wearing a helmet.  Other than that she had no other safety gear on.   I was glad no one wanted to remove her helmet, if she did have a head or neck injury that just make it worse.  I didn't like letting her lie there in the middle of the street but again you don't mess about with neck or head injuries.  Let the professionals handle that.

It took me a bit to calm down after that, as I thought about how many times I've been in the rain.  Or have gone down....and I'm sure the next time or two I'm on Kimmie I'll be ultra careful, and more than a little scared because shit can and does happen in a blink of an eye.  I just hope someone will be there for me as her friends were for her.

close calls and blue balls (with a secret at the end)

 Close calls

I was going to enter the left lane, moving over to avoid a guy that kept stalling his souped up four cylinder stick shift car.  A quick glance in the mirror showed a black car exiting my lane and coming up fast, I stayed where I was and let him pass me then eased in behind him.

That's when the spider sense tingled.

He was moving to fast, pulling up quickly behind a slower moving car.  His brake lights glowed a angry red...I cursed and hit the brakes, the front wheel locked and the back end rose up ever so slightly...I let go of the front brake out of reflex smelling the burnt rubber of a burning brake.

The bike still moved forward and I pressed down on the front brake again as I came to an emergency stop.

I didn't panic.  I didn't curse...I didn't even think it was that scary at the time.   The event was so quick, so quick that I didn't think...I simply acted.

I didn't even think about it till afterword.   Replaying the event in my mind,  I had to smile, I was safe and the bike did not go down.  There was no accident.   Then I kicked myself for putting myself into what was a stupid situation to begin with.    I should have had a better situational awareness of the traffic around me.  I should have realized that if I was frustrated their were bound to be others being pissy as well.

The traffic was stop and go the whole day...what made me think the other lane would be open?   Why was I in such a hurry? 

Instead I was to worried about getting around a single car that was holding me back.

"Cocky," I used to say, "would get me killed."   Somehow I had violated the unwritten first rule of my motorcycle riding.  It's time I started to repeat that mantra.

And Blue Balls 

 I hate to use a off color phrase for male sexual frustration, but honestly I like the way it sounded with "close calls".  

In Florida this time of year we have pop up showers that can hit us any time of the day.  I rode into work the last two days.  Each time worried about the weather and each day the sky opened up so badly that that certain streets in the Tampa area flooded.  

I left work shortly after 8 PM both nights, I turn north, looking at darkening skies and feeling a bit worried about what I would be driving into.   I was not gone 5 minutes before I drove into the rain, it was a strong storm, and I started to count the time between lightening flashes...One Mississippi...two Mississ....crap.

That storm was moving quicker than I was and I started to seriously consider pulling over to put on my rain gear, or maybe just wait out the storm.   Then the skies opened up and I went from having a few drops on my helmet to soaked in a matter of moments.  

"No use putting on the rain gear now." I thought.  I drove gingerly though the storm for another 5 or 10 minutes....then that was it.  I was out. 

That's the frustration.   Do I pull over, dress in my rain gear and hope that I will continue to be rained on?  Or do I ride, wet, all the way home?

How many times have I driven in my frog toggs sweating my ass off?  

Summer in Florida is full of those pop up showers...riding in the rain is just part of the experience, although it can be a little frustrating at times.

(and my secret)

I'm thinking about becoming Batman.

   

Stress and Destinations

Last Sunday I did something I've not done in some time.  I went out for Indian food.  I also rode Kimmie about with no destination in mind, and I absolutely loved it.

Why add undo stress?

So much so that in the week that followed I rode Kimmie to work on three different occasions (the other two days were rained filled) and the joy was just not there.  Which got me thinking about traffic and how it affects my mindset.

I thought about this a bit last night as I slogged through traffic in the dark, on the very same roads that I actually used to enjoy riding last year at this time.  Of course, back then it was 1 or 2 in the morning; traffic was light or non existent and I was more concerned about a rogue deer more than anything.   Now I'm coming home at 6:30 or 7 PM and although the traffic is not stop and go, it is heavier than I would like.   I have to think about passing someone safely, about keeping in the headlights of one car (to stay as visible as possible to as many people I can) yet out of the blindspot of another.  I'm worried if that car coming up behind me is looking at his phone or fiddling about with the radio and not paying attention, I'm just adding stress to an already stressful situation.

Working a stressful, but lucrative job doesn't help.

Last Sunday I had no stress, no destination.  I was riding to ride.  To be free and I know my fellow bikers will understand what I mean.  I'm beginning to understand why some bikers only take their rides out on the weekends.

An old photo but one of my favorites

Plus, in all honestly, I have nowhere to stow my gear at work, it's easier for me to wear dress shoes rather than riding boots, or not have to put on my jacket; with its bright yellow colors, on the back of my chair.   I've been teased about directing traffic at work...all in the name of ATGATT.

I do love riding though and have found motorcycling to be a unique "in" when working with clients.  I've spent hours talking to a company located in Sturgis, South Dakota about the insanity that is Sturgis.  And how after the rally it's just a dull, quiet little town.  It's given my company and theirs a connection we would not otherwise have, and a nice bonus check for me when they signed up for our services.

I've found that I'm happiest when I'm with a group riding to a destination I don't know or may have never otherwise been.  As I look back I've found I'm been happy when I'm alone, taking a road going somewhere....anywhere really.   Maybe that's the secret for getting back on the bike and riding more.

Don't have a plan.

I look at the plans for this weekend.  A Christmas bazaar that somehow I got recruited to work, and I don't remember anyone asking me to actually work it.  How Sue and I want to go visit a nearby RV dealership for a half formed nebulous idea that is in the back of our heads.   Research I'll call it.

It's supposedly going to rain this weekend and even though I've ridden in the rain, ever since my accident I've been weary of "less than ideal" riding conditions.    I used to enjoy that too, and I hate being wet.  I liked the challenge of it.  The cool air, the fresh smell...I supposed that will come in time too.

For now...I'll try to put the stress aside.  Susan's condition is improving, my job (while stressful) is secure and the company really came to my aid in October when all this shit started with Susan's health.  We're going to beat it.

She encourages me to ride, to get out and see the world.  How can you not love a woman who thinks of  her long time boyfriend first?

Why don't I want to ride more?

This past weekend was lovely.  It was warm and sunny with a near zero chance of rain, the humidity; always a killer here in Florida, was manageable.

It's Monday morning as I write this.  The day is going to be warm, a tad humid but again something manageable.  There is a slight chance of rain (15%) around 2 PM but I'll be at work then.  Nice and safe in my office and Kimmie will be tucked into her safe parking spot that is reserved for motorcycles only.  Protected by an old oak tree with leaves as big as my open hand.

Sounds like a perfect day to ride in.

Only I don't want to.

In fact, I've toyed with the idea of selling her.

I started this blog way back on August 23rd, 2011.  I'm come a long way in that five years.  I've put on a lot of miles and have undergone two nasty accidents.  I've almost been hit, I've almost gone down when a animal committed suicide under my tires.  I've avoid a deer so close that I could have reached out and touched it.

I've also seen wonders.  Gone down country roads with a song in my heart.  I've watched sunsets and sun rises through my visor.  I've stretched out my arms on my bike and went "WHOSH" like a little child.  I've felt like a little child.  I've made new friends via riding.

So why don't I want to ride?

I used to put ten, twelve thousand miles on my bike per year.  Due to circumstances the last two years my time in the saddle has been a lot lower than that.   Lack of riding?  Could that be the cause of my apathy?  I know that most of the riding I do is simple commuting, and that doing it by car allows me to enjoy my morning Duncan Donuts and coffee while listening to NPR.  Something that is impossible on my Kimmie.

As we near the end of 2015 I look back and think about all the time lost due to Sue's ongoing medical issues...she is the primary motivator in my life and frankly I'm not sure what I would do without her.  She does and always will come first.

Thankfully things seem to be looking up on that front.  Also for most of 2014 and 2015 I've been chasing mechanical issues as many long time readers know.

So many that I've played with the idea of getting a new bike.  Still though....would I ride if I did?  Besides, now is not the time for a new bike.  Sue's health concerns come first.  Plus, I've about 3 more years to go and I'll be in a much better spot financially (both cars will be paid off in full) and then I can play with the idea of taking on new debt.

In a few minutes I'll be going to work.  I will be riding Kimmie.  I know that the highway is out of the question today as there was a nasty accident that has traffic backed up for miles.  I know that I have to leave a little earlier than usual.  I know that I will crave my Duncan Donuts coffee.  I think, feel, that if I'm going to recapture that magic that I once felt I need to get back on the bike.

I need to ride more again.  I also know that I have a long ride planned for Saturday, so we will see how that goes.

Growing popularity is not a good thing at times.

Nearly everyone I know that rides does so safely.  Helmets, gloves, jackets, boots, etc.  It just seems to go hand in hand.  Of course nearly everyone I know that rides has been doing so for years, and with that experience I'm sure they have gone down, scraped skin and broken a few bones.  You learn some things doing that.   Mostly it hurts and doing it again is stupid.

Scooters are popular here in Tampa, I see them everywhere in the city.  Now that one of the top pop acts in the world - Macklemore and Ryan Lewis (whose video "Downtown" appears above) - is singing about the joys of scooter ownership.  I'm sure we are going to see a uptick in the machines around town.   

Which brings me to today's topic.   I had to deal with an accident yesterday.   I was not directly involved but I saw it happen.   I know why it happened.  Luckily the guy riding the Jonway scooter was not hurt nor was his little 50cc banged up badly.  I hate to say it...but in a way I was glad it happened, he was being an asshole.

He was riding in the bike lane avoiding traffic and that was fine.  Traffic was stop and go and at the time and he was zipping past everyone in the bike lane.   Then the bike lane ended.  No look over his shoulder, no turn signal, just over he came.  Traffic stopped, he continued to move forward on his little 50 cc.   I don't think he ever looked backed or used a signal.   Then he went to make a right turn.

The loose gravel on the side of the road bit him and I watched the rear tire slide out from under him in slow motion   He had no helmet, no jacket and was wearing shorts.   Luckily the car behind him stopped or it could have been worse.   Being a trained first responder, I pulled over and insisted on checking him out.  He was banged up and bruised, but otherwise fine.   I was tempted to admonish him for his riding and tell him to at least buy a helmet (which is not required in Florida).

I've seen stunting on the highways.  I've seen people cut in and out of traffic with out doing a shoulder check or use turn signals.  I've seen scooters with out working brake or head lights on them.  

If someone has read my blog for a bit they know how I feel about ATTGATT, how I feel about the little 50cc scooters that seem to be growing more in popularity.  Riding a scooter is a great thing of that there is no doubt.  

Lets be realistic however.  It's a deadly little thing if you don't take care, obey the laws and be smart about things.  It's a battle the rider is never going to win and frankly I've been wondering what I can do to promote safety and common sense.  I can join something like the American Motorcycle Association  but honestly there are stands they take that I disagree with (such as helmet laws - which I feel should be mandatory - and lane splitting).   

I've been guilty of that myself

Law enforcement could do a better job of enforcing the motor cycle and traffic laws that already exist but I know those guys are often overworked and stretched thin enough as it is.  I've toyed with the idea of taking a few more classes myself and  become an instructor. Following in the footsteps of  Princess Scooterpie.  However I ride a scooter, not a motorcycle and although the advanced riders classes would not hurt me in any way, I'm not ready or experienced enough to be a instructor.  Besides the classes only work if you attend the classes.  How many riders are being trained by a neighbor or a friend?

So I'm going to call out those I see behaving badly, give a friendly warning where I can.  I used to wonder why bikers always told horror stories of accidents and such.  I get it now, we are just trying to tell each other "Don't be stupid and do what I did."  

I think that's good stuff to pass on to the new riders.  

What ever happened to Civility?

When I ride I try, try to obey the rules of the road.  I'm in my gear, I'm scanning and hopefully doing everything I need to do to make it home safely.  I've shook my head of some things that I've seen; people cutting across three or four lanes of traffic, idiots pulling off NASCAR moves during rush hour.  Frankly I'm surprised I've not seen more accidents than I have.

Sadly I've also seen my fellow bikers do some really, really stupid things.  Lane splitting (which is illegal in Florida), speeding in traffic or other wise unsafe conditions, stunting on the freeways...again, frankly I'm surprised I've not seen more accidents.  

This article which promoted this weeks rant was entitled "Motorcyclists:  Please Stop Being Sanctimonious Assholes" by Damon Lavrinc.  With National ride to work day being this Monday I thought it was worth a share.  If I would have been able to format the article to blogger correctly (including the You Tube video's), I would have reprinted the entire article here.

Illustration by Sam Woolley

To summarize the piece, he gives examples of where we bikers are being less than the best we can be.  He gets it however.  We are riding, invisible and dealing with not only traffic but drivers not paying attention to begin with.  Roads that are less then stellar in some cases and where our frustration can come from.  I was left with the impression that Lavrinc rides himself.

He then gives us examples via You Tube video's of bikers being...pardon the language but it fits.   "Assholes."  The video's are not easy to watch (warning - course language and one shows a car going after a biker....and the results of that collision).  

The situations the bikers find themselves in frankly could have been avoided.  I understand the desire to tell someone to please turn off the phone and pay attention to the road.  I understand the anger that occurs when someone does something stupid.  Sadly, I've been that asshole in the car with his phone to his ear!  Although I would never act like the driver did in the first video

The discussion afterword is interesting to me.  At the time I wrote this there were over 1045 comments.  While I can understand the riders anger, while I can sympathize with them...in the end the ride we choose to have is of our own doing.  

Did the driver in the first video act badly?  Yes, and frankly he should be in jail.  However the biker should not have dropped a series of F-bombs at him in the first place.   A friendly "Hello, would you mind putting down your phone till you arrive safely at your destination" should have sufficed.  If the diver was an ass after that....well ignore it.  Frankly we don't know what that person is capable of...and I for one would rather have them in front of me than behind me.

Video number two?  While it's just wrong on so many levels.  

The truth of the matter is that we can't change behaviors until we change perceptions.  Video's like this don't help either party.  What is that old saying about engaging your mind before your mouth?  Maybe engaging your mind before the clutch would work here too.

Roadside crosses

The Monday morning news spoke of an accident at Water's and Handy blvd.

"I know that area." I thought.   "I hope it doesn't affect me on the way to work."

Then they mentioned the motorcycle...and how they were not cleaning up the wreck immediately.  Which meant a investigation.  Which meant that, most likely the motorcyclist was killed.

I did not personally know Alex Cross.  I had a couple meals at his restaurant, Alex's BBQ, but I was more familiar with his charity work.   Every Christmas he held a bike drive, and had been doing it for the last 15 years.  Starting in September or October it was not uncommon to see a couple bikes in the store, not used...but brand new ones.

The number grew as it got closer and closer to Christmas.  From what I understand due to his generosity and that of his regular patrons at least 180 bikes were given out that first year.  Last year it was over 9,000.  Not only did they give bikes away, but the helmets to go with them.

The local business in the area hope to keep up that tradition.

When I ride I know I take my life into my own hands.  I have on all my gear yet physics always wins.  Alex, according to reports, had his gear on as well.

I've passed enough road side crosses, some are for motorcyclists...others for teens going to fast or drunk drivers or just someone unlucky enough to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.  It happens.

Susan always gets a call when I reach my destination safely, either going to work or elsewhere.  Another call before I head home.

Another friend, lost to me due to time and how our lives drifted apart posted something on the internet that frankly sounded like a call for help.  Somehow, someone got to her before it was to late.  I had not talked to her in a long time but I reached out to her tonight.

We are never alone, we all have our moments when we feel alone.  We all touch each others lives in so many ways.  I've been thinking about those connections lately....every time I pass a road side cross or deal with some idiot driver or when I work with one of my clients, and we talk about their plans for the future...and what they want to leave behind.

The National Ride to Work day is coming up at the end of the week.  I will be participating once again, now that the cable has be replaced on Kimmie and the battery has been fully recharged.

While it was a easy fix and did not require much, the front of the battery was not the issue but the back of the cable was acting intermittently.  I hope...perhaps against hope itself...that this problem is now resolved and we can get back to the day to day grind of the commute.

Still though, I will be concerned with the idiots, the smart drivers, other bikers....those roadside crosses can pop up anywhere, any time.

And I'll be a little more concerned about the connections I make, to be a positive force.  To be a little more like a big heart'd guy I never met...and maybe, just maybe I'll drop a twenty dollar bill in the donation bin the next time I have a good BBQ.

18 months and exploring Plant City

I received an email the other night from the dealership I bought Kimmie off of, according to the email I owned her for 18 months now.  I actually had to go back and do the math, using all my fingers and part of my toes during the process.

In some ways it feels longer than that.  In other ways, shorter.  I started this blog on August 22,2011.  I recently upgraded from a little Yamaha Zuma 125 to a Suzuki Burgman 400.  I made my first post about Kimmie way back on February 2, 2013.

In just under four years I've managed to go down twice, hurting myself pretty badly on the second one.  Travel countless miles, see lots of things that I would have never of seen otherwise, met new and interesting people.  I even got to take a brief cruise to the Bahama's and ride in a foreign country.  All of this opportunity may have been open to me in a car...but you actually need to go.

On the bike...I didn't want to stop for the longest time.  Then it took me a long time to get back on the beast, to put away demons and just fall in love all over again with the idea of riding.

So with that in mind I decided to take a Saturday morning and ride up to Plant City.  This little burg is sort of a Tardis...it's bigger on the inside.  It has a reputation of being a bit backward and agricultural, despite being in the same county as Tampa.  Frankly, it is.  The area surrounding the town is largely flat and the roads straight.  Farmland stretches for miles.

It's been called the Strawberry Capital of the World, a distinction shared by many cities, for a reason and is home to the Florida Strawberry Festival.  The town even has a dedicated fairground just for that event.  The strawberry's are wonderful and the festival is a lot of fun, although it involves mostly country musical acts and traditional country crafts like quilting displays.

The downtown area is like any small city in America, the population is over 34 thousand after all.  What interests me about a place is the odd, the unusual...what gives the place its soul?

To be honest other than strawberries, I'm not sure what gives this town it's soul.  It has a few beautiful homes in the historic district, a train depot and museum and....what?  .

Certainly not Dinosaur World!  I suppose if I was 5 or 6 years old this would be a neat place to be with life size statues of long dead fantastic creatures.    It sits just off the I-4 highway and you can't miss it's big mascot sitting at the gates.


There is also a small winery in town which doubles as a craft brewery.  I've not had the beer but I've tried the wine before.  Frankly I was not impressed but was willing to give them the benefit of the doubt, and I've always been a hard cider fan as well.  I stopped at their tasting room, only to find it closed.  Considering I was riding on the bike, it was probably for the best.  Perhaps when I'm up this way next.

I just might pass that Franchise opportunity to a friend of mine that sells Chocolates.

All told, it was a good day out, a nice satisfying 75 miles (120.7 KM) where I was not rushing to work or had a particular destination in mind.  I'll take it.

There's a ghost in the glass!

Connecting the dots...

It's Sunday.  Although I should be helping the lovely Susan with one of the remaining delivery jobs we have I found myself sleeping in; and when I woke she was already gone.

So I wondered what I was going to do.  The decided I was going to ride.  Sure there were other things to do, the garden needed to be weeded.  Grass to be cut.  But, for me, the opportunity to ride someplace other than work does not come about very often.

I've let other chances slip through my hands because I am still a little gun shy, I'm still a little "iffy" about things.  Sue has not ridden with me in some time.  I don't think she will again for a long time, both of us knowing the risks all to well.  Sure I was banged up and bruised and the accident was not my fault...still though my pride took the biggest damage.  There were some other issues as well which are more of a personal nature and I will not dwell on here.  Over all my stress level has been through the roof lately.

I've been looking at riding recently as stress relief.  You can't concentrate on the road when the issues of work and family are at the forefront.  I push them down, look ahead and lean into turns.  I look out for cars, animals, road hazards...and those work and family issues fade away.  When I turn the bike off and dismount, those stress seem lessened and even a bit manageable.  I've been feeling the need to reconnect with nature like I did years ago.

How can you not reconnect with that?

I planned my route carefully...I would be revisiting an old hidden path that I knew of, and maybe hitting part of the northern part of the Green Swamp Trail.  I've ridden part of this trail before but have yet to do the entire loop.

Off I went.  I took our new Canon camera with me and was immediately stuck with how many great pictures I could have taken.  An old barn covered with signs.  A old lady in a blue gingham dress feeding an old cow.  A pasture full of mules, cows, ducks and cranes that seemed to shy away from me.   I considered stopping, considered catching these images...but I rode on.  I wanted to concentrate on the ride.

It does bring up a good question...when should one stop for photo's?  But that is for another time.

Into a light rainstorm that got worse I started to carve into the turns of my hidden gem.  I briefly considered hiding under a tree till a crack of lightening changed my mind.  Another fallen tree showed the damages of a lightening strike.  On I rode.

I could have had more points for the Equinox rally!

The rain let up, into the swamp land now...till that road turned to dirt.  I've ridden Kimmie into that before, but not today.  Instead we turned into the Withlacoochee River Park, a 610 acre park that I did not even know existed till now.  Some hiking and exploring  may be required here in the fall.

I returned about 90 minutes later.  I need to conquer that ride, this is the first time I've been back to it since "the incident" back in January.  It was where I was off to when the kaka hit the fan.  The turns on that road are sharp, hidden, parts of the road can flood easily and washout can happen in parts.

 The rains, though brief, were hard at times and made me redouble my efforts to be safe.  I made it there and back again.  It was a little demon but one that tugged at me for a while.  I'm trying to fall in love with riding all over again.  Days like this do help it.

A good Saturday ride ruined!

I think that bikers must have a taste of the poetic.

I don't know if it makes sense to someone that spends their life in a car.  Although I do think that the campers and hikers and (bi)cyclists would understand.  It's just that feeling you get topping that hill and seeing the valley stretched out below you.  How the sunlight reflects off a lake and the taste of the air.

Its about seeing that unexpected animal (hopefully far enough down the road where its not an issue).  How cool and wonderful a soft rain feels after a day of heat.  While I can appreciate the beauty of the world from behind a windshield, it is all the more beautiful when your fully immersed in it.

Why else would we do it?

The girlfriend let me slip out into the world.  We have been busy since the new year, making about five thousand dollars of home improvements to our old place over the last few days.  Things that needed done to our older home, such as new gutters and some work under the house.  With all that responsibility out of our hair I was able to go on a brief ride...my only requirement is that I be home by 11:30 for lunch.  She was making fish - she despises fish - so I knew to be home by 11:30 or else my lunch may have ended up elsewhere.  I love fish so it's a rare treat for me when she cooks it.

After lunch I was able to go ride again.

I purposely took back roads that I never rode before, finding a nice twisty two lane road that dropped me onto roads that my good friend Gary and I used to ride.  I had not thought about him in a while so it was good to picture his Burgman beside me for a bit.  On I rode, taking a bit of time to snap some pictures of odds and ends.

Yes, there is such a thing as a Kumquat, and they grow on trees.

So do Oranges, and these are about ready to harvest.

So I'm on this road near my house heading north, it's a road I've ridden many a time.  I was in a good mood, friends from up North were back in Florida and dinner plans were made for later that evening.  The rain that had been forecast for after noon was no where to be found.  The sun was warm and bright, the road stretched out forever, I know it well...then things went bad.  How bad?  Well I have a cast on my leg.

Nothing is broke.  Swollen and nasty yes, but not broke.  Kimmy is hurting but her heart is strong and her bones solid.  Plastics can be fixed...although I've a feeling she'll wear them as a war wound for a bit.

As the photo shows there were large rocks all over the road.  I saw them, I slowed down.  I tried, tried to keep her up.

Lucky for me there was no one following.  I was in full gear, I was traveling at a safe speed....just to many rocks on the road.  Just to many rocks.

I went down, then got right back up cursing my luck.  Then I felt something go "pop" in my left boot.   I checked out the bike shortly afterword, Kimmie is fine; banged up a bit on the left side but no major damage.  As for me, well I did a low side fall.  I never really went down, I kept my head about me.  I suffered some minor road rash.  A blister on my left hand.  My felt foot managed to get caught under the bike and dragged a little.  That resulted in some cuts and swelling and the need for new boots and gloves, as the palm of my left hand glove got ripped out.

Ave size of the rocks.

What bothers me is that I was told that earlier in the day the county was informed about the rocks and the danger they represented..  As the truckers came through that area the rocks were crushed and flung in all directions.  I know there was little I could do.  Still though, my pride is hurt.  I hurt my Kimmie.

Sometime after the accident some employees from the railroad showed up to clean up the mess.  When I asked them what happened to leave large rocks all over the road, it was explained to me that a gate got stuck open and didn't close the way it should have as they crossed the road.

At this time I'm not sure what I want to do.  I have good medical coverage.  I called the Police and got a report.  I called the insurance companies.  I am giving serious thought to quitting this whole biking thing.  If Sue would have been on back...I would have never forgave myself.  I also promised her, and myself, that the next time I went down it would be my last time.

Still it's an accident, they happen.  I did everything right...and I still managed to go down.  I know I'm going to survive this...to be stronger and better as a rider.  Right now I want to get back on the bike.  I actually wondered how I could drive to work with a cast on.

I've some pics of the damage done but that is for another post.  Right now the medication is starting to take affect and bed, even though it is early, is sounding like a very viable option.

To Modulate or not Modulate, that is the question

For the coming Christmas Holiday my lovely girlfriend bought me a Kisan Path Blazer Headlight modulator kit.  What this does is "flash" the headlight at oncoming traffic...the idea is that it makes the oncoming motorcycle that much more visible.  They certainly do catch the eye, and frankly when I've been riding or in my car, I've always found them to be a little annoying than anything.  You notice them however, which is the point.

I suppose that the best safety gear is the stuff that you never think about.  A fire alarm goes off when there is a fire, but you never really think of it till it screams in the middle of the night.  A steel toed boot is forgotten on the foot of the construction worker till a hammer falls on it.

The picture above shows my full "battle gear" (the woman on the back is my mother getting a photo op).  Each piece of gear serves a purpose, and I no longer think about putting my gloves on or wearing a jacket.  It's become habit, it's became part of who I am when I ride.  Sure at times it's been hot and uncomfortable, but I know it only takes a second for something to happen, and my gear has proven it's worth to me once already.  I will not ride without a helmet, and the few times I've gone somewhere without my jacket have felt weird.  ATGATT or nothing.

So I will be honest, to review the Path Blazer would be a tricky job for me.  Riding the bike, I'm not seeing it.  I will never know if a car was going to pull out in front of me only to see the flashing light and go "Oh, how annoying.  I better stop."  If it helps keep me safe when I ride that is worth the money.  The light only moderates during the day, it has a sensor that shuts it off at night, which I understand is the law.  Plus, would I really want a strobe light effect driving home at night?

Nor did I install the device, having neither the tools or the knowledge to install it.  So I can't tell you how easy or not it was.  However considering the mechanics told me it take about 90 minutes to install it and it took closer to 3 hours...I'm going to go with pain in the ass.

So why write about it at all?

Simply because more cars are using daylight running lights.  Motorcycles, since 1978 at least, have been designed voluntarily to burn the headlight during daylight hours as a way of making them more discernible.  Now, due to more and more cars using running lights, it's became even easier to lose a motorcyclist in the mix.  Will modulated headlights be a standard on motorcycles one day?

Sadly most motorcycles accidents happen either because a car did not see the cyclist or because the cyclist was being unsafe in some way.

At the end of the day...I want to come safe.  So I practice ATTGATT, I (more or less) obey the traffic laws.  I don't lane split.  I am on my bike nearly every day by choice...so if the modulator helps get me home in some small way I recommend it.

I'll recommend it to you too.  Next on the to do list.  Rear brake modulators.

Brother's Keeper.- the incident in New York

By now we should have seen the video of the attack on an SUV driver in New York by a gang of motorcyclists.  As of my writing this one of them has been charged, another had the charges dropped against him and the investigation is ongoing.  One of them claimed that the SUV driver was acting like a manic.  In the end we have three hurt motorcyclists - one of them critically - and a badly beaten SUV driver.

The truth of the matter is that we may never know exactly what happened.  News reports state there is a 9-11 call to dispatchers to report motorcyclists driving erratically.  One of them in the video does clearly cut in front of the SUV and appear to slow down dangerously.  What happened before that I don't know.  Why would he act that way?

The driver supposedly did stop after accidentally hitting one of them but then feared for his life afterward, being surround as he was by pissed off bikers.  Many of whom supposedly slashed the tires and attacked the SUV.  Frankly I don't blame him for being afraid.  Nor do I blame many of the bikers for chasing after the diver after he clearly run over a bike badly injuring another biker (who is still in the hospital at the time of this article).  Truthfully if I felt threatened and my wife and 2-year old child where in the car...I might have done the same thing.

Sadly by the time all this comes to a conclusion the public will have moved on and all that will be left is the video of "crazy bikers."

Images matter.  I have to be honest I was unsure if I was going to comment on this.  I am unsure if I should.  I am not part of the greater motorcycling community.  I'm just a guy that enjoys riding over 10K to 15K a year.  I don't particularly like group rides but if given the chance I'll go.  I'm still new to riding (roughly 3 years now) and I don't think I'll ever stop learning something about it.

Hell, I'm scared just looking at the picture

For the most part bikers don't look like we are out of the Sons Of Anarchy casting dept.  We don't all belong to Hells Angels or rape and pillage our way across America either.  Yet why do we have that image when the term "biker" is used.

We have done it ourselves.  I understand why leather and denim became part of our "uniform".  I get that loud pipes can save a life.  I understand how the "outlaw" image is attractive.  I get that.  I even understand how Hollywood and the media will play something up.  It's given us an image that is hard to shake...that of the "badass."  But we do lots of stupid things too.  Things that make the general public question "bikers" and reinforce that image of a sex and drug crazed manic.

Not that I am without sin.  I've done stupid stuff too.  I've pushed the bike at higher speeds than I probably should and have done some lane splitting when stuck in traffic on the way to work due to construction.  But when I see morons (yes, that's the term) doing twice or three times the speed limit in traffic I have to shake my head.  One of the people I work with even carries a gun on him when he rides!

When I see lane splitting done when there is no reason for it and wheelies in traffic.   You have to wonder why?  What is the purpose?  What is the reason?  What does Mr and Mrs Jones in the mini-van think?  What do you think they will say when little Johnny wants a motorcycle?

I get it...I really do.

Motorcyclists do a ton of good deeds.  From toy runs at Christmas to poker runs for sick kids to the Patriot Guard.  Good deeds are always so much subtler than evil ones.  The video of the bikers attacking the SUV is forever out there.  Forever tainting the majority of bikers that ride safely and well.  That will reach out to help someone when they can.  The 1001 good deeds bikers do simply don't matter because of a six minute video.

fuzzy rider

So what can we can do to to change that image?  Simple.  Don't be a dick.  Ride safe.  Ride within the law, traveling at or near the speed limit.  Learn to be more accepting of others and what they ride.  There is no reason the sports bike can't ride with a scooter and a Harley.  Give a hand to that stranded motorist and smile well doing so.  In other words we need more of the fuzzy guy and less the raging psycho.  There was no need for any of that to happen in New York if the gang of motorcyclists (which supposedly have had issues with the police before) had been riding in a tight formation and as safe as possible.  If the driver of the SUV would have been paying more attention (I do truly believe something happened before the video that started that caused the incident to begin with).

At the end of the day most bikers are good people.  Most people are good people, and I would hope that this incident in New York was an abomination.  We are all tainted with it now.

The "Happy Holiday" edition

The Holiday Season for me always begins about mid-December.  I have recovered from the over stuffing that is Thanksgiving and have been lucky enough to have been born into a family where my brother is a trained chef.  My ex-wife was a fabulous cook who would put any Iron Chef to shame and my current girlfriend was a restaurant chef and manager for 20 years.

In other words I eat well.  Very well for two months straight.

A fair example of what's in store.

 This Holiday Season is especially important to me this year.  In the past year, I have lost two very good friends and find myself questioning my own mortality.  Tragedy's like the recent shootings at Sandy Hook and a movie theater in Denver have not changed my day to day life in any way, but it does force me to question where we, as a nation, may have gone wrong.

On Friday, the 21st of December...I was hurt in a accident.  Well banged and bruised up, my gear did exactly what it was supposed to do.  I never lost consciousness.  No bones were broke.  Until the police finish their report and the insurance company looks at my bike I can say no more at this time (there was another vehicle involved that left the scene).  I will say this, if I had questions concerning ATGATT (All The Gear, All The Time) I'm a believer now.

This also confirms my desire to take the Road Guardian class and get re-certified in basic first aid.  My getting back on the bike was never questioned.

It's Christmas, I am happy to celebrate it with the ones I love.

Road Guardians - Anyone interested in taking a class?

Somewhere, somehow I came across a review of the Road Guardians safety class.  I put out some feelers and am now thinking of actually hosting a class at the community clubhouse where I live.  Basically the Road Guardian class is designed to provide basic accident scene emergency training that is motorcycle specific.  It is not a first aid or first responder class, but a class designed to assist EMS and the police in case of a motorcycle accident.

I was surprised to learn for example that when trauma results in the use of CPR there is only a 1% chance of survival and that many EMS technicians may not know how to properly remove a bikers safety gear (such as chaps).  Or at least this is what is reported on the website.

At this point in my life I mostly ride alone.  That may change in the future, and I do see a lot of bikers and scooters on the road.  I also know that eventually I will see an accident because frankly I see a lot of idiots on bikes...to many.  Being able to help in some way  in case of an accident appeals to me.  In 2007 for example, motorcyclists accounted for 13% of all traffic fatalities.  That's a ridiculous number.

This class is a one day program and I should stress it's not going to give anyone CPR or first aid certification.  If I feel there is enough interest in it, I may looking into bringing in a CPR/First aid trainer as well.  I live one hour from Tampa, one hour from St. Pete and one hour from Orlando.  So I'm centrally located and have access to a building that could be used to hold a class.

So I am going to put feelers out.  Starting with the St. Pete Scooter Club and the Orlando Scooter Society.  I figured a few other forums I belong to might spread the word as well.  If there is enough interest then I'll look into it a little further.  No harm in that is there?