A post in several parts

1) - Hurricane Matthew - Oct 2016.

He skirted up the coast line on the Eastern side of Florida and caused no damage in the center and western parts of the state where I live.  It was however a bit scary to be that close to a "loaded gun."  We had a few overcast and rainy days, but the damage on our side was nominal.

The damage caused by him in North Carolina will run into the billions and it would not have taken much for him to have shifted just a bit  to the left and run rampant over Florida.  Well the hurricane season is not officially over (that's on November 1) it seems that is the last big storm of the season.  It's been an interesting year, and it's driven home the fact that it's only a matter of time before the "big one" hits us.

2)  Nickles and Dimes -

Lately I've seen to have been dying from 1001 small financial cuts.  It's nothing to be concerned about in the long run, as we have small family issues and friends coming into town.  Which means eating out, drinks, rides to the beach and everything else.

 A little need for something here, a little need for something here.  My bonus being about half of it normally is did not help matters either.

One such little need was the gas gauge on Kimmy.  I pulled in for gas the way I normally do, filling the tank to the brim and knowing that I would have at least 156 miles till my next fill up.  Generally I get gas around the 150 mark, no need to push the bike further than she needs to go.

I must have traveled a few miles before I realized the gauge was stuck at 1/8 of a tank.

This is not something that needs fixed right away and I'm pretty good at remembering to reset my tripometer. Kimmy is getting older and although she runs well, I was reminded that eventually she's going to start nickle and dime'ing me to death.  

I've discussed getting a newer model bike in the past and what I would like to buy.  However I'm not their financially yet and probably am about two years away from any new toys.

Things like a new helmet and jacket however can not be put off for to long.  I'm "expanding" in all the wrong places and will need a new jacket soon.  My mesh jacket recently lost it's shoulder pad, as it came apart in three places.  It's an easy fix, just order a new shoulder pad, but again I have two jackets.  Why not buy one very good three or four season jacket and be done with it?

The same thing applies to my helmet.  I would like to have one with access to a Bluetooth phone and GPS.  It's not necessary at this time, it's not needed at this time...but I want to plan for the future.  The helmet I buy today will last me for at least five years.  I am not the same rider I was five years ago, I doubt I'll be the same rider I am five years from now.  Why not prepare for it.

It is for these reasons that I am planning to go to the Aime Expo this coming weekend. 

Which brings me to part three.

3) Time may change me, but I can't trace time

For the past 10 years or so I've run my own so successful part time business.   It started because I needed a job and the only one I could find was delivering papers.  I hated it but it helped pay the bills, then I realized that I could also deliver a few magazines in addition to the papers that were on my route.  So I picked that up.

Then we started with a weekly paper.  It grew, slowly at first.  At one time it was bringing me in another $15000 a year on top of my "regular job."  It wasn't hard, I would say approximately 16 to 20 hours extra a week in a car spread over 3 days.

It was the mileage that was the killer but thanks to a very weird American tax code,  I was making money even though it appeared I was losing money.  Frankly that's how Trump can report a huge loss of income but still be making millions.  In addition I could put my "losses" in to Roth IRA's and other tax advantage plans and make additional income.  I can't support the man but I understand how he's successful while still reporting losses.

Like everything however the business environment changes.  I was at a point last year where I lost money.  This year looks to be less of a loss but it still hurts the bottom line of the company.

Sue and I have discussed different options in the past.  From rentals to restaurants and each time we seem to hit a roadblock not of our making.  We have been outbid, we've had a scary illness scare, we were unable to get the loan because the property was leased, etc.

I've been involved in the financial and insurance fields most of my life.  I've been involved in sales most of my life (what ever happened to the simple guy that wanted to teach biology?).  With the exception of  about seven years where I wanted to do anything BUT financial stuff - this was after the great crash and I wanted nothing to do with it - I've always been involved in Banking and Finances and Insurance.

It's been a long time for me to get to this point but I've decided to open my own office.  I'm starting small, part time and with "simple: stuff - I'm still not ready to leave my full time job, but it's time.  I'm licensed in all states, I've been bonded, licensed and insured.

It's the project that has taken up most of my time these last two or three weeks and kept me off of Kimmie. 

Bundling up because it's Antarctica outside (winter in Florida)

I knew that I would not be able to ride for a week or two at the beginning of the year.  We had routes to run and meetings to attend.

December and January have been thin months for me paywise due to the holidays and me missing some work.  So when the beginning of the week rolled around I was looking forward to jumping on Kimmie and doing my commute.  Only the temperature fell by 23 degrees overnight.  When I left for work it was only 47 F (8 C) and when I left work it was only 42 F (5.5 C).

I know I should not bitch.  After all my hometown was looking at a high of 12 F (-11 C).  I should be used to "fall like" conditions right?  After being in the south for six odd years my blood thinned out.  Days like this are a shock to my system.

So here I am, prepping like it's sub zero outside...freeze out jacket, freeze out gloves and I'm considering putting on my new neon yellow windproof and waterproof Bilt gloves.  I'm also thinking to myself how ridiculous I'm being.

"It's cool outside," I tell myself, " it's not Antarctica freezing."  Yet my soon to be 50 year old bones want me to bundle up.  I think about my fellow Rounders and how they must be having a good laugh about this.  However if I'm going to ride more this year, I'm just going to have to buck up and do it.

So I make it to work and back, the only part of me that got cold was my neck which a balaclava would fix and I have to curse myself for riding in anyway because I can feel a tickle in the back of my throat and it is that time of year.  We do have a Free Country jacket at the house that would protect the neck if I pulled the zipper all the way up, I've not worn it on the bike because it does not have any protective armor in it.  

I've ridden in colder weather than this and I remember pulling over sometimes at two in the morning to pull on a pair of sweat pants to protect my legs.  I didn't have to do that on Monday but it was still a brisk ride in and out of work.

The good news is that for the rest of the week it's supposedly going to warm up and make riding all that more comfortable.  Expect for Thursday where we are expecting (depending on which TV station you trust) a 70 to 100% chance of rain.

So hate mail can be sent to me at:

Seriously...when do you buy/replace gear?

It's a rainy and sad Sunday morning.   I've got Miles Davis on in the background, his Kind of Blue is fitting my mood.

It's been an uneventful week, which I suppose as a scooter commuter is the type of week you want to have.  No close calls, no idiotic drivers (well, none that caused a problem for me at least).  Sadly no travel either do to a wet and very busy weekend.

So what to write about?  I considered writing about the weather - which has been hot, muggy and wet most of the week - and how to safely ride in it.  I've considered how the cooler weather will soon be here, how my "winter" jacket has served me well and since I'm now working only till 6 or 7 PM most nights, how my Freeze Out jacket, gloves and my current mesh jacket should work well for me most of the year.  In fact, for only a few months out of the year the mesh jacket suites me fine.

Average Tampa temperatures 

High °F	Low °F		High °C	Low °C
70	52	January	21	11
73	54	February	23	12
76	58	March	25	15
81	63	April	27	17
87	70	May	31	21
90	75	June	32	24
90	76	July	32	24
90	76	August	32	25
89	75	September	32	24
84	68	October	29	20
78	60	November	26	16
72	54	December	22	12
82	65	Year	28	18

The Jacket from Xmas - 2011

My blood has not thinned out that much when I would consider anything to be cold.  Of course your body adjusts to the climate your in.  We've had some cold snaps that reminded me of early winters back home.

My "winter" jacket is your traditional motorcycle jacket.  It was made by Vulcan and it has served me very, very well.  It's been through a couple of "incidents."  Neither of which were technically my fault, but as a realist - I could have done things better, been a better rider.  Experience helps you grow.  Unlike a helmet, which I know should be replaced when ever it's been involved in a accident, I'm not sure about the jacket.

It's been beat up sure, scratched up in a couple of places but the seams are still holding up nicely.  It's a little snug now, much more so then what I remember it but the man is growing older.  It's four years old now.

The jacket was given to me as a gift, I still would have preferred, and still prefer something in a bright neon or orange.  But beggars can not be choosers and I love that my parents bought me a good jacket.  I added some reflective tape to it and later still added a neon yellow safety vest to it.  It still works...but honestly I'm a bit worried about the armour and how that holds up over time.

Gloves are easy to know when to replace.  Frankly I used to buy a pair of riding gloves from my local Wal-mart, but after wearing through the fingers on a few of them I bit the bullet and paid for a pair of Fox gloves.  It's been a world of difference and I'm going to buy a pair of gauntlet gloves for the winter.  I just need to go get a pair.  Color don't matter, just be windproof and waterproof.

I know I'm cheap, but the older I get the more safety matters to me.  I'm okay paying a bit more for something that may be the difference between a broken hand and a bruised hand.

Then their is my helmet.   I have mixed emotions about it.  When I bought it, I thought it was fine, but here we are some two years later and I'm not happy with it at all.

It's an HJC.  The little plastic tab broke off that opens and closes the top vents, it's been open ever since, not that it matters.  The face shield had a tendency to come out of its' grooves, meaning I've had to pull over and fix it at times.  The plastic seems cheap and I've often had to resnap the padding back into place.  I'm cheap like I said and it was a closeout.

I do have a few other helmets.  Sue has one for her noggin and we bought a second full face helmet for me at that time but it never felt quite right when I wore it, hence I bought the HJC and was happy with it for a short time.  A silver half helmet I've not worn in forever rounds out the equipment.

I've fallen in love with the modular helmets - wearing glasses it would be so much easier - and frankly if I go that route, I might as well pay for the phone/GPS and radio option.  One of the things I love about riding is the quiet, NOT having the radio or GPS or people calling.  Still though, if I'm serious about wanting to go on day trips to the Atlantic or put in 150 mile + days on a more regular basis, having that equipment built in only makes sense.  It's just a shame that Nolan is so damned pricy.  So do we put that off?  Or the jacket for now?

No matter what I do, I'm looking at getting my money's worth out of this equipment.  Good gear can be the difference between "Ouchie" and "We are here to celebrate the life of..."   I'll take the ouchie in the pocketbook before the "celebration of life" any day of the week.

So gentle readers; when do you buy gear?  What would you recommend?  I'm listening.

Sometimes the best laid plans....(The unscheduled review of the Freeze out jacket)

I can not speak for my fellow bloggers and how they write but for me it's either one of two ways.  The first way is what I'm doing right now...writing off the top of my head, trying to pay attention to grammar and such but getting out exactly what my impressions are minutes after getting off the bike.
Or, the more traditional way of actually doing some research and then trying to fit my ride around that certain destination.  Generally speaking most of what I write in the first type of article.  Free flowing and relaxed...I blame Jack Kerouac's influence for that.

The second type of writing is where I have a pure destination in mind.  Various reviews, updates, and day trips fall into this category.  I originally had one of two day trips planned.  If I didn't go on one, I would take the other. I already had most of the blog piece written, I would just have to fill in the details.

This little piece of fluff is a combination of the two.  My original plan was to take off early on a Saturday morning and travel north to Brooksville, Fl (about 33 miles away or 53 KM).  It's a pretty well known destination for bikers in Florida since its surround by some lovely rural and twisting roads.  Or I would use my back up plan to visit and explore Ybor (EE-bor) City (about 30 miles or 48 KM  away) if that trip fell through for what ever reason.

Well....it was 31 F (0 C) when I woke up this morning and was slow to warm up.  One thing lead to another and another and another till I finally left the house at 2:45 PM for a ride.  Which got cut short due to a phone call telling me about a family emergency.  I will not go into the details but everyone and everything in fine.

What I will say is that this is the first time I've worn the Freeze Out Jacket I received as a gift over Christmas.  I've been wanting to review the jacket for some time but wanted to take it on a longer ride to fully form an impression of it.  I'll say this.  My first impression is very good.

Taken from the web

It's a tight fit which is good, you want to keep that heat close to you.  I did feel a little bulky with it on but then again, I'm used to throwing on a sweat shirt.

The temperature gauge on my phone stated the high today was only 52 F (11 C) which was not a great test of gear that is supposed to keep you warm in cold weather.  The wind however was blustery and that is the main concern for me.

As I rode one thought kept popping into my mind.

"I'm hot."

I was wearing a pair of jeans, long johns and a long sleeve shirt.  I had the Freeze out gloves on but other than that just my usual riding gear...and I was warm.  Hot even.  Even my hands under my gloves were warm which I can only contribute to my core being warm.

Even though my ride was cut short (total about 40 miles or 64 KM) it was a good ride.  The wind cut across the open plains but the only place I really felt it was around my neck and I could not help but think that if I had a balaclava I would have been happy as a clam.

I know, not much of a review but I was sort of weary of wearing this jacket.  I can take my hooded sweatshirt and wear it into work with no issue.  Fold it under the seat.  Tuck it up around the back and bottom of my neck when I ride home of cool nights.  Or wear the hood under my jacket.  Old habits die hard I guess.

But I'll say this.  This jacket made a believer out of me after a short ride on a cool windy day.  I can't wait to see it handles the cooler temps that are in the near future coming home at night.

Christmas comes early. A review of the Freeze Out jacket and gloves - part 1 of two thing

Okay, it's not THAT bad.

Do not let anyone tell you that Florida does not get cold.

While its true that we don't suffer from sub zero temperatures, or snow and ice for days and weeks on end.  It is a different type of cold.  Our high humidity and often windy conditions make it feel colder than it actually is and that is one of the reasons why hypothermia deaths are so high in Florida.

Despite being born in Pennsylvania I've never grown to like winter or the cold.  While I often joke about it, the truth of the matter is that I always knew I would go south.  The first chance I got after college away I went, and I have never looked back.

While I am no longer commuting back and forth at 1 to 2 AM in the middle of the night, I still have to commute in the dark and at night particularly this time of year.  I am also commuting further and in different types of traffic than I have before.  This is more of a "stop and go" traffic pattern followed by rural stretches at a higher speed.  When I was traveling home in the middle of the night, if I got cold I could easily pull over and add another layer (often I would pull a pair of sweat pants on to keep the legs warm).  Now, sadly, this may not be possible and or dangerous for me to do.

With that in mind Susan bought me three early Christmas presents.  We traveled down to the brick and motor Cycle Gear warehouse (which I admit I forgot was even in Tampa) and she bought me the Freeze Out jacket and gloves.  Of course the temperatures, which had been in the low 40's (5 to 7 C) during the day jumped into the mid 70's (mid 20's C) the second I bought the jacket and gloves.

So, here was the test.  I would wear my normal "summer mesh" jacket to work during the day and wear the Freeze Out jacket home.  The gloves were designed to go under my Fox riding gloves.  The lows for the coming week were predicted to be in the mid 50's (about 12 C), while this would not be much of a test it would at least give me an idea of how the new gear would feel when then temperature dropped even more in January and February.  Of course the temps this whole week were higher than that. 

So much for that idea.

Based on what I read from various forums the gear kept most of the riders warm into the high 30's without much issue.  I was looking for two things.  One:  Would I be chilled when I got home.  While the temperatures involved where not "cold", they were cool.  Would I arrive home feeling like I did not leave the office at all.  Two:  How comfortable would the gear be?  I was particularly interested in how the gloves would feel, as I don't like wearing gloves at all, but know what my hands needed protection.

I guess these things would have to wait. 

The other gift she bought me however was put to use immediately  She bought me a Bilt bike cover as well.  While the bike sits at home it is actually pretty well protected from the elements.  However when I am at work it's not.  This may come in handy when I'm parked there, however so far I've not taken it to work.  For now I believe I'll just continue to  use it at home.  

Of gloves and boots and other things

So here I am yesterday, running a few errands on Kimmie.  We were picking up some milk, some odds and ends from here and there...nothing to taxing or far but just the enough to make me feel like I was accomplishing something on the bike.

I felt a little weird though.  Something was wrong, not pucker up "OH MY GOD!" wrong.  More of a little annoyance wrong.  My left hand glove hand developed a hole in it.  It was my index finger.  I needed new gloves plain and simple.

I have to admit, I hate wearing gloves.  Always have, even growing up in Pennsylvania;where gloves were a requirement during the winter months, I didn't like wearing them.  My hands were either to hot, or to bulky, or I was not able to actually touch what ever I was working with, or grasp it.  I'm a very tactile person so I like having what ever I have actually in my hands.

My Walmart specials

Riding is a little different.  It took me a little bit to get used to but the idea of riding without gloves now is as foreign to me as diversity is to the Republican Party.  ATGATT is not just a phase, it just makes sense.  My gloves have come from the local Walmart and cost me about $20 a pair.  They had the finger protection on top, the padding in the palm and were light enough for me to not feel to bulky on my hands.  They were thin enough let me feel the grips under my hands and cool enough for the hot humid days that often dog us here in Florida.

So why change now?  Because I'm not sure if they provided the best protection.  They are not waterproof or windproof, meaning that they are pretty useless during the night time commutes during the winter months or in the rain.  Even the older gauntlet gloves I have for rain and my bulky winter gloves are going to have to be replaced eventually.  I may buy all three pairs at once if I find something that I like.  I understand how some bikers might have five, six, seven pairs of gloves depending on their needs.

The question is...what to look for?  I want a glove that works for me.  I want more protection than I felt I was getting before.  If I end up with three different pairs of gloves then so be it.  If I find a glove that is light, waterproof and comfortable then all the better.  I know it's also possible to get a little reflective piping in them as well, which considering my commute home at night, may be helpful

I also need a new pair of boots, the only issue I have there is steel toe or not.  They will be waterproof, have skid and oil resistant soles and be comfortable.  Padding up around the ankle is a good benefit.  I've worn enough work boots to know what size to get and what works for me.  I don't see the need, other than some calf protection, of buying traditional motorcycle boots.  I know many will disagree with me on that.

I bought my summer riding jacket off the net, and although I'm generally happy with it, I'm not sure if I would buy gear of the internet again.  Size and fit matter, comfort matters.  I've found my summer jacket to be a little big but all the protective padding is where it should be.  When your flying through the air at 70 MPH about to hit the concrete you want the padding to be in the right spot, protecting the right parts.  An elbow pad in the middle of your back is not doing any good for either your back or your elbow.

So what is the point of this post you may be asking?  I need to buy new gear.  I'm getting it from motorcycle shops where I can actually go and try things on.  It might be a little pricier but in the end I think I'll be a little more happier...as well a little better protected on the road.  That's all that matters in the end.  Coming home.

And Susan my long suffering girlfriend is going to have to find some more room in the closet for me.

The winter months brings it's own challenges.

Autumn has arrived in officially in Florida.

The humidity broke, the temperature has settled into the what I used to think of as "summer" weather when I lived up north.  My mesh jacket has been confined to the closet and I slip into my heavier "winter" jacket welcoming the extra weight and warmth of it for the cold ride home at 1 AM.  I start to get my head around the fact that soon it will be very cold on the way home.

The temp gauge on my beloved Burgman (RIP)

I know that the words "cold" and "Florida" don't exactly make logical sense.  I do admit to feeling some pangs of regret that my Northern friends don't have a year round riding season like I do and always feel a little bad bringing up the topic of "cold weather riding."

Well snow is as rare as a truthful politician it can get cold here.  I have photographic proof of it.  For me it's a challenge, I have to dress warmly yet still manage to look professional and competent.  Dressing in layers is not always possible...I have to work in an area we refer to as the "fish bowl" - a glass enclosed small space full of computers.  Sweaters and hoodies can only go so far and I don't want to do a strip tease just yet.  My boots are good at keeping my feet warm but my legs?  Oh that is a different story!  In the past I've gone so far as to wear thermal underwear under my dress pants or place a pair of old sweatpants under the seat and pull those over my dress pants.

Winters are dry here, but we do get a nasty wind off the land and sea at various times of day and wind chill becomes a issue.   Layering is all well and good, but again how much gear can I wear in to work to stay warm on my 37 mile (60 KM) ride home without sweating off my skinny little butt?

The simplest solutions are always the best.

Kimmie at work.

The migration of the snowbirds also brings heavier traffic and a greater number of bikes on the road.  With that comes new dangers and challenges. I'm not knocking older drivers, who on the whole tend to be safer drivers, but they do need to remember the old adage "look twice, save a life."   Yesterday for example I had cars pull out in front of me twice, neither time was I ever in danger but that's not the point.  I have to be more vigilant in the winter months.  For example, in my little town of Zephyrhills the ave population is a little over 13,000 people.  During the winter months that number climbs to something like three or four times that.  More people equals more problems equals more danger.  That is just a sad fact.

UPDATE - In a bizarre twist, I was meeting my girlfriend at a friends about 4 PM.  They live off a rather busy road that is hard to cross during rush hours.  I decided to head down a rough washboard road and meet them at a Italian restaurant.  I too,k my helmet out of my top case and road the 3 miles or so to the bar.  By the time I got there my top case was gone.  We went back to look for it and traveled that road back and forth at least 3 times.  There was no sign of it anywhere.  Not even plastic on the road.  So I need a new top case and a new pair of gauntlet gloves (which were in the case).  Also new reflective stickers.

Robert is not happy.

Closeout (updates on various things)

I caught a glimpse of her in the mirror today.  We were on our way to breakfast at IHOP and Sue was tucked in behind me.  I could not make out her face in her new helmet but I could feel her hands around me and the press of her body on my back.  She was buying breakfast and I could not have been in a better mood.

I knew I was in trouble when she mentioned her wanting to buy some sort of communication device so she could talk to me when riding.  How Christmas was coming up, and my birthday a few short months after that.  In other words, I should expect a communications headset.

Sometimes I catch a look at myself in my gear and it's odd to think about everything that is now in my closet that is biking related.  We now have four helmets, four sets of gloves, three sets of jackets, two pairs of boots, two sets of rain gear and a partridge in a pear tree.  We have come a long, long way from a canary yellow pullover and a shiny half helmet  Well it may not be the best gear it does serve a purpose, and hopefully we will never have to test our gear.

Now that fall is coming, we should be riding more as a couple.  It was incredibly hot and humid this summer, we didn't ride nearly as much as we could have.  The heat also effected my participation in the Equinox to Equinox rally.  I finished a very respectable 13th at of 202 participants and met my goal of a top 25 finish.  I managed a total of 291 points.  If I had continued to play I have no doubt I could have finished in the top ten, maybe even the top five.  You can see my various photo's here:  I was # 096.  Well I enjoyed it, I have to admit that I am not if I would participate again.  It just seemed it to long.  While the guys at the Pace Podcast do a great job, I just feel they just bit off more then they could chew.  It would have been nice to have had updates, either on the podcast or the website, regularly.  We will see what they have planned for next year.

Finally, I love a love a good adventure story.  I love travel stories and - at the risk of being called a "wimp" or worse - romance stories.  So when I came across this story on Scooterfile I had to follow up on it.  It seems that a young man fell in love with an idea.  To ride from Canada to Peru on a 150cc Lambretta.   Now that would be crazy today...but in the late 50's?  Perfectly insane.

Thanks to the Kickstarter website

One hitch in his plan. He met the woman he would marry three weeks before hand.  He still goes on the trip, and then, showing what must of been a sure sign that he was crazy in love.  He asks her to marry him and come on the journey with him.  You can't make these stories in Hollywood.  Unless you throw in an alien invasion or Zombies.

His son is trying to put together the money to tell his parents story.  From what I understand it's just a question of getting the money for the printing.  You can read more about the Bowman's adventure on their Kickstarter page.  The official website is at The Scooter Diaries and goes into much more detail about the project. Of course, their is a Facebook page as well.   It's an interesting story and worth looking into.  

Does the "Gearing Up Saga" ever end?

A few days ago at work a buddy of mine asked me how hot I was wearing my jacket every day.  I explained to him that I just bought myself a new mesh jacket that allowed for better airflow, and that lead to a little discussion about safety in general.  How wearing a jacket or a helmet just becomes habit, much like putting on a seatbelt.

At this time if you are still reading then good for you!  Hopefully this is NOT going to be a "boring safety post."

Well  maybe a little bit of safety.  I am going to review my new mesh jacket and talk a little bit about my future plans for Kimmie.  All of which, strangely, seem to revolve around safety issues.  I've already done more "farkles" on Kimmie than I ever did on the Burgie.  I'm counting the new seat as a farkle even though it was not planned that way.

  Ten years ago if you would have told me I would have fallen in love with Motorcycling (actually I'm a Scooterist) I would have thought you were nuts.  Five years ago I was giving it some thought, for the same reasons I started riding.  To reduce my costs and make my life simpler.  To a great extent it has.  Sometimes I pull next to a bus or some other reflective surface and I find myself wondering who is that guy in the dark helmet, the new grey and black jacket wearing the heavy boots is.   I've come a long way from the guy in the half-helmet wearing a bright yellow spring jacket with no armor at all.  No gloves, no boots.  Riding my little Zuma 125 down twisty roads in the middle of the night.  So paranoid of being hit from behind I would pull off the road at night to let cars pass me.

Today, on a bigger machine, I wear proper gear most of the time.  I will admit that I've gone to work on hotter days sans jacket (one of the reasons I bought the mesh jacket).  Or I've had a meeting sometime in the day where I've slipped on my dress shoes instead of my boots.

Now that Sue is starting to ride with me, we have been looking at jackets and a new and better helmet for her than the old half helmet she wears now. I only bought my new jacket at her insistence (Yes I'm that cheap!).  It's funny how suddenly having a passenger changes things.  Suddenly the lighted license plate I toyed with buying takes on more urgency.  Installing a air horn becomes less of an issue and moves up the "to do" list.

Well I certainly find the light modulation kits annoying when I ride, I can understand why others have them.  I'm not sure if I'm willing to annoy other drivers yet by buying one.  I am not so worried about the personalization of Kimmie as I am about making myself and my riding partner safer.

It's funny how that works.  How something originally intended to get me from point A to point B cheaply became something more.  How it inspired this silly little blog.  How it's taken me further and now I want to share that...that feeling of joy I have when I just go anywhere.

See I told you there wouldn't be to much safety talk in this post.

Mental States

Cartoon reading "The Journey was never intended to be a straight line."

For what ever reason these past few days I've been thinking about alternative futures.  What I mean is what might have happened if I married my high school sweetheart (divorced and paying for 3 college educations). What might have been if I didn't leave Charlotte, NC (probably would still be working as a engineering technician and married to an ex-stripper).  What might have happened if I would have stayed in Pittsburgh and not lost two great jobs in a row (PNC Bank and then the IRS).  What would have happened if I never met Susan (jail or a mental institution possibly?) .

The choices I made were the right ones for me at the time.  They brought me here to Florida where I own my own home (paid in full), am more or less debt free and finally believe that I got it right.  In addition to my work with 3M I own my own company and have additional income coming in from other sources.

I'm happy.

It's with those choices in mind that I find myself wondering about choices I need to make concerning more practical matters..  It's technically still spring but here in West Central Florida the temperatures are already climbing into the mid 80's (high 20's to low 30's C).  The humidity is starting to climb as well and that means it's the dance between safety and comfort begins again.  The rain is coming as well.

Yep, seen this.

All that Florida law requires for safety is eye protection.  That is not clearly defined to my knowledge.  Does that mean just a pair of sunglasses?  Anyhow what cop would pull you over for not having eye protection?  Well, I would but then I'm a dick too.

I've been going out in sneakers and without my jacket.  Wearing a helmet for me is - pardon the pun - a no brainer.  I know what can happen to the brain and do not want to go there.  I have nothing to offer but my mind in most cases.  Intellectually I know that ATGATT is the only way to go and as such I've been looking for a light mesh jacket that I can afford.  I've found two that I really like, but just haven't bought them yet.   It's stupid and silly of me and I know that ever day I'm out without my heavy "winter" jacket on is taking a risk.  The only reason I've not purchased either yet (and they are both under $100 US) is that I also know how fast things can fall apart.  I've been to the top of the mountain, it's a quick roll downhill.  That extra $100 in the bank is part of that safety net.

I can't help but wonder if I'm a little more careful when riding not in full gear?  If my accident in December taught me anything is that things change instantly and that without my gear, it would have been a lot worse.  So it's a battle between the safe and logical vs the cheap and miserly.

I've noticed something else when I am in full ATGATT mode.  I feel safer.  I know that I'm not.  It's as if their really is a suit of amour about me.  All I'm lacking is the lance.
Does that false sense of security make me take chances?  I have gotten in the habit of always reminding myself to check things, to watch my speed.  To be safe.

To pay attention to my mental state.

Just more twists and turns on the road of life.

Lately there have been some changes not only in my life but in the lives of those around me.  Generally speaking they are for the best.  My brother and his wife have worked long and hard to adopt, and that dream is now days away from coming true.

I celebrated another successful trip around the sun (April 6th) surrounded by friends and family.  My 47th such trip.

My girlfriend's daughter is having a birthday soon herself.  Friends accomplish great things.  Old grievances are forgiven.

As I lay out my plans for the coming days and weeks I'm struck by how much can change in a blink of the proverbial eye.  Life is generally good and I am enjoying it.

So far my attempt to ride every day in the month of April has been successful, and has even lead to me finding new roads, new sites and new adventures.  The weather has cooperated with me so far and although the heat and humidity that Florida is famous for is coming...it's not here yet.  This heat and humidity have convinced me that I need a lighter summer jacket.

For the last two days I've rode into work wearing just my helmet and gloves.  Well maybe a little more than that, I am after all a believer is ATGATT after all.   Balancing comfort and safety is always difficult and even more so here in Florida.  The weather has been exceptional the last few days, but as I write this, the weather is cloudy and very breezy.  The temperature is 83 F but feels like 89 F (or 30 C and feels like 32 C) .  The humidity is 60%.  It will rain today, the question is just when.

I will wear my jacket today when I ride, which is black and heavy, to protect me from the elements and possible crashes...but I will curse it.  For being heavy and black and so very, very hot when I sit in traffic or at a light.  I need something lighter.  I need something soon.

I am slowly but surely racking up the points in the Equinox to Equinox rally.  Well I may not win I feel that if I continue to add points daily I should, at least, reach my goal of a top 25 finish.  Thanks to Fuzzygalore's website I was able to find some things that I would have missed otherwise, and also learned that I really need to visit some cool stuff that isn't on the list.

Kimmie is calling...I need to ride.

Farkle season begins now.

It's been an odd few weeks for me as my business has undergone some changes, not all for the good.  My regular job has undergone some changes, again not all for the good and my riding life has been reduced to riding back and forth to work again.

In this daily grinding commute I have become more and more convinced that I needed a top box.  I have something in mind that I feel would work, but I'm unsure about it.  I tend to over think things, worrying and worrying about something till I actually do it.  Then I wonder why I didn't do this before.  

Pic from a previous post showing Burgman storage.

Kimmie simply has no storage.  In my previous ride - the 07 Suzuki Burgman - I had enough storage for my riding jacket, my helmet and my rain gear (or a sweatshirt) when needed.  Kimmie can hold my helmet, or if I use the hook on the outside of the bike, my jacket fits snugly away.  

I need to take my lunch to work and a place to store my jacket, helmet, rain gear and maybe a pull-over (during those chilly 1 AM rides home from work).  Well I can certainly continue to walk into work with my full gear on, it's just easier to store it on the bike.

Recently I've been looking at a Emgo Travel Trunk.  The one that I'm considering measures 12 in. lengthwise by 16.5 inches wide by 11 inches deep.  That should be enough to hold my gear.  What concerns me is if it fit on my bike, how will it affect my riding and how stable will it be on Kimmie?  I need to take out a tape measure and figure it out.

Assuming it works on my bike, I'll order it later today, install it sometime next week and see what happens.

 It will actually stick out over the brake lights and I'm thinking I will need some sort of reflective stickers or tape on the back of the box.  The biggest disadvantage to this is the lack of a brake light and I'm wondering if it's possible to get some sort of stick on LED brake lights?  I'm paranoid about getting hit from behind. 

I guess we will find out.  I just ordered the damn thing and should have it early next week.  

Merry Christmas - the gearing up saga continues....

The first time I ever rode my Burgie home I knew that the helmet I had was not going to cut it, so I bought myself a full face helmet.  Gloves were something I needed and after a bit of debate, managed to get two different pairs.

A pair of over the ankle, waterproof, oil resistant soled leather boots completed the ensemble.   What I was lacking was a good armored motorcycle jacket.  What I had been using was a high visibility yellow jacket that I used to go hiking around the woods in when I lived in the wilds of Western Pennsylvania.   There was no way I was going to be mistaken for a deer in that!  For riding however, other than the visibility it offered little in protection.

Never mind the date in the corner  :)

For the holiday's then my lovely parents bought me a motorcycle jacket from the good folks over at Leatherup.com.  It's a Vulcan NF-7003 Armored Waterproof Textile jacket with mesh Panels.

It fit perfectly at my waist and didn't bunch up as I rode in it.  It does have some reflective piping but it's black, so my high visibility orange work vest will be around for a bit longer particularly when I ride home from work at 1 in the morning.

The inner mesh is removable so come the hot sticky days of summer I will not be sweating that badly...I hope.  The armor can be removed as well, I suppose to clean the jacket, but I'm a little weary of that.  The armor is CE certified.

I know perfectly well the physics of an accident.  I'm going to get hurt.  Exactly how hurt is a combination of things.  My speed at the time of the accident, the road surface, how I hit the surface, am I going to hit something else first?  The distance between me and the ground.  I'm not looking for an accident, I sure in hell do not wish to be in one...but lets be honest.  Any biker that says they have never been in an accident of some sort is either a liar or the most lucky fool on the planet.  Ask them to buy a lottery ticket for you.

My hope is having an armored jacket is to protect the body.  Just like wearing a helmet is to protect the brain.  Well I certainly understand the "freedom" argument for not wearing a helmet, my melon is my melon and I'm wearing a helmet.  My desire for a jacket fell along those same line.  A jacket may not save my life, but I'm feeling a little safer wearing one.

I've worn it out a few times now including in a fog filled rainy night.  It has kept me warm and dry and I'm getting used to its weight and feel.  It even folds nicely into my under seat storage.

Thanks Mom and Dad.  I love you,

Okay....gearing up. Time to be serious.

You have to be mentally tough to ride any sort of powered two wheeled machine.

Your exposed to the elements, you know that the concrete will not give not if...but when, you go down.  I've been thinking about this a lot lately.   A close encounter with a deer the other night is why, it froze in my headlights, a quick serve to the left and I went around him...but the heart didn't stop pounding for 20 minutes.

Okay...cute but not acceptable!

In Florida, the only thing that the law requires you to wear when riding is eye protection.  I've seen riders in shorts, flip flops, shirtless, without helmets and yes, more than a few with no eye protection.   Where as I seem to be going the other way and wearing more and more protection.

I have always worn a helmet when riding.   Even a short jaunt to the local market gets a helmet (although I will admit to wearing the shorts and tee-shirt - not any more however).   My body will recover hopefully if I go down.  The brain might not so I invested in a full face helmet.

I've a bright yellow jacket I wear.  It's not really a motorcycle jacket but it's visible and warm.  At night I through a reflective work style vest over it to make me even a bit more visible.  When I first started to ride I didn't always wear the jacket, enjoying the cool air blowing around me.   Now even if I'm just running to the store a half a mile away it goes on.  I am actively looking for a good motorcycle jacket, one with the armor to protect the elbows and back, and I am to poor not to have quality.

My job requires dress shoes but I've been wearing my waterproof and oil resistant sole boots when I ride now.  I've not always done that in the past.  I can't do much about the dress pants I have to wear.

Yep, me in gear - a big canary.

My attitude is changing.   I'm becoming a bigger and bigger fan of the ATGATT (All The Gear, All The Time) philosophy.  Not that safety was always important to me, but I find myself becoming more and more serious about it.  I'm seeing morons text, talk on the phone, slam on the brakes, cut in front of cars and such without a look.

Frankly it scares the hell out of me at times.

I then have a choice.  To not ride or to ride.   I enjoy riding, I love the physicality of riding...feeling the sun on my face and the wind across my body as I ride.  My fear is manageable.  I watch, I try to make myself as visible as possible.  The best way to avoid an accident is to be ready for it.  Keeping it upright is better than going down any day of the week.

Every mile under my belt is another mile of experience.

Random thoughts on rainy days.

The girlfriend woke softly to the same sounds of rain drumming on the roof that I awoke to moments before.  She placed a warm soft hand on my chest and snuggled her naked body even closer to mine.

"I guess you're not riding today."

I grunted, enjoying her closeness.  Closing my eye and drifting off to the sound of her breathing mixed with the soft random thuds of rain on my roof.

Over the last two days here in West Central Florida we have been battered by the remnants of tropical storm Lee which has made the humidity, which is always high, even higher and the temperatures climb.  Rain continues to threaten to was over us.  The day before yesterday I did not ride into work due to the threat of rain, only to have the afternoon be bone dry.  Yesterday the skies opened and it rained; hard and fast and constant, the wind blowing wild.

It was not a fit night for man or beast to ride in.

Nelson-Rig SR-6000 Rainsuit

I don't have proper rain gear yet.  All I have is a plastic poncho which I think would be more of a hindrance than a help.  I've been lucky in that I've only been caught out in the rain once; I was riding my original Zuma 125 on the back roads of Pasco county when the storm caught up to me.  The rain felt like a pellet gun hitting me at a 40 mile an hour pace, I suppose the rain would feel like a shotgun blast at closer to highway speeds.

Being exposed to the weather is one of the drawbacks of riding.  The sun beats down on you, your going to get wet.  These are givens.   As a new rider I have to balance my comfort with safety.   My full face helmet is great to protect me in case of accident and from wind buffering, but is also heavy and a bit hot.

I wear a "highlighter" yellow jacket (not pictured) which makes me a bit more visible I hope, but also a bit warmer as well.  I admit to wearing short sleeve shirts and even shorts at times for the shorter jaunts I've taken.

The first weekend of October I'll be taking my endorsement class for my motorcycle license.  I'll be required to have the following:

• Long sleeve shirt or jacket
• Denim jeans or heavy pants (not excessively baggy, long or with holes or frayed edges)
• Over the ankle boots covering the ankle bone (not tennis shoes or fashion boots with heels)
• Full-fingered leather gloves
• Shatter resistant sunglasses or safety glasses
• Sunscreen and lip protection

I'll need the boots and gloves.  I was also told a rain suit was in order as well.  Now it comes down to simple research.   The boots are not an issue, I just need to find something comfortable with non slip oil resistant soles that are water resistant.  The gloves are easy as well although I wonder why one pair is $9.99 and another is $199.99.  Is there that big of a difference?


I want a rain suit as well, but again...what is best and affordable?  I would rather pay for quality and have it last than buy cheap.   But I can not justify spending a few hundred dollars on it either.