approaching 25K

So here I am, it's a Monday and I've not been on the bike for a week.  I've been held up by heat, rain and just bad luck and timing.  I'm not happy with myself right now, it's been to easy to make an excuse not to ride.

So I finally get out on the bike and I'm sitting at a light.

I can feel a drop of sweat running down the small of my back.  I can feel my hands sweat in my gloves.

I am cursing at the idiot in front of me who sits on his phone through about 30 seconds of the green light only to peel into the turn and hit the bumper of the car in front of him.  Great.  Wonderful.

Respect the ride and the rider

Grumbling to myself, I pull off the side of the road and check out both drivers pretty quickly.  I'm a trained first responder...and although I'm not required to stop under Florida law, it's the moral thing to do.  Luckily there are no injuries  So a few minutes later I'm on the way again.

I end up taking a slightly different way home from work, lately I've been riding the freeway home and although Kimmie is more than capable of keeping and maintaining the speeds required, a little voice in my head says "no".  If riding has taught me anything, it's to listen to the little voice you hear in your helmet from time to time.

So the long way it is.  I catch every red light, get behind every bus.  I sit in the heat and the humidity and suck on gas fumes; and that the little sweat ball running down my back?  It  is now a stream and the seat I was sitting in was uncomfortable.   It was never a problem on the Kymco till the dealership replaced the damn seat....and I was foolish enough to let them.  I stand at yet another red light, and try to relieve the numb butt for a bit.

All these thoughts are in my head, for I've been invited to go on a group ride this Sunday.  It would be easy for me to bow out of it, avoiding the heat, the numb butt, the long hours of being in the saddle - the ride is on the other coast and would most likely be an all day affair.

Yet....I don't want to.  I want to go.

Its not about the mileage you put on your bike, it's about the ride.  Every year I've put on more and more mileage...every year I gain a little more experience, a little more knowledge about what Kimmie is capable of, and what her rider is capable of.

I don't remember writing down the mileage at the beginning of this year, I'm no where near where I want to be.

On Tuesday I saw that the car ahead of me was going to hit a pretty good sized bird that decided to fly right in front of it.  I understood quickly that the bird was going to come right up over the roof of that car and into my ride path.   A low duck, a quick lean and the bird strikes my bike low but off to the side for no damage.  I roll on down the road.

Experience brought on by mileage.   I have learned to sense when that car is going to pull out and 1001 other little things.  I'm still weary.  Every day I remind myself "Cocky will get me killed."

I think about this as the mileage ticks off....I'm near home now, a cold drink...a soft couch....air conditioning...just turn to the left and go home.

What's five more miles?

Living inside my helmet.

"It must be awfully frustrating to get a small raise at work and then have it all eaten by a higher cost of commuting." - Ben Bernanke

Actually my raise was not that small.  

I'm still commuting roughly the same distance although now it takes longer than I would like so I guess Bernanke's quote applies.  Commuting into and out of the city of Tampa every day during the height of rush hour is leading me to reconsider what it means for me to be a commuter.  I left work at approximately 5:45 PM today and didn't pull into my driveway till 7:00 PM.  My morning commute took approximately the same amount of time.  

Sitting at a red light in full safety gear for one or two lights because some moron has blocked the intersection does not make me happy.  Especially when the heat and humidity of the day start to climb.  However I try to look at it as part of the experience and keep a good alert attitude about me.

My thinking has changed.  

I always believed in safety.  I almost always do a pre-check before getting on the bike.  The helmet goes on, the jacket, gloves, boots.  ATTGAT.  It's more than a saying to me.  It's always been a way of life.  

My old position had me leaving the house during the mid afternoon; my drive from point A to point B was a simple affair, the roads were relativity clear.  At 1 AM at night the ride home was more about keeping my eyes open for deer and drunks.  Lights were often green and I was the only car on the road many a night.  

Now I pull to a stop at a light, leaving enough room and options between myself and the car in front of me in case the car behind me doesn't stop.  In case I need to pull forward to go right or left in a quarter seconds notice.  I keep my eyes on the mirrors, my ears pealed for that screeching sound.  It's only when there are two or three cars behind me at the light that I relax some.  It's something I've always done, but am slightly more conscious of it now.

I have a headlight modulator, I don't use it in traffic often but I do know that the sun is behind me.  This time of year it's low in the sky...I flip the switch and the headlight starts to modulate.  I try to manage it at times.  A brake modulator is on the "to buy" list (the video below is for example purposes only).  

Blind spots become hugely important, I think about that car and where I am in relationship to it.   Again something I've always done, but am more conscious of it now.

All the safety gear in the world only goes so far.  

 All this should be second knowledge to any driver, either in a car or a bike.  It is for me as well but I remind myself again and again.  Cocky will get you killed.  

I remember something I said to a buddy of mine at work who was having a tough time with someone.    "Control the situation."   I think about lane position, about  road surface.  I'm scanning twelve seconds ahead, four seconds ahead, two seconds ahead of me.  I check over my shoulder with the turn signals on, I switch lanes safely.  Again, something I have always done, but am more conscious of now.

It's only when I'm finally out of city that I start to relax some.  The skills I've learned from my motorcycle safety class are still there.

 They are still in use.  The road changes from heavily traveled and used to more rural, pastoral.  New dangers, new concerns.  No, I can’t let the guard down.  Not till I've reached home.

Here at least I am not so worried about the aggressive driver with road rage or the idiot fighting with someone on the cell phone.  Here the dangerous are animals, living or dead, that find themselves in the middle of the road.  Here the dangers are tree branches, flooded roads, wash-outs, loose rocks and leaves.    

My butt is numb on the seat, I'm hot and sweaty and could really use a drink. I wiggle it, trying to find a comfortable position. "Why?.  Why do I do this?  It's so much easier in my car."  

Then I look out over the fields at the baby cows romping in the fields, the beautiful blue sky, the feel of the air as it flows over my arms.   I smile and wonder if my thinking has changed that much.  

Improvements.....Some I wanted to make, and others forced upon me.

One of the wonderful things about nature is it's ability to evolve.  Life is anything but static, it's a jumbled mess of parts each somehow fitting together to make a whole.   It's a 1001 piece jigsaw puzzle where your trying to match the picture on the box but your not quite sure if all the pieces are there or even if it's the right box.

So we try...and we try....but we can't get no satisfaction.   OK, let's put the Devo away for a moment.  Truth be told I am rather happy in my life.  However that happiness may be short lived.   It's time to do maintenance on and make some general improvements to the bike.  Some of this needed done and I simply could not put it off any longer, other things I have been wanting to do but it was always low priority.  Now that the bike is my main means of transport...I did some things.

First I ordered a beaded seat from Cycle Crafts.  I have a 35 mile one way commute most days and that generally does not bother me...then some days I can't seem to find a comfortable location to park my skinny a** and that bother's me.   I'm hoping that getting some air flow in those affected areas will help with my comfort.  If not then I am only out $30 which is not really that bad.  I expect to have that in within the next day or two.  Frankly I'm not to sure about the hooks and can't help but wonder if the seat will slide on me.  I guess we will see.

Somehow something happened to one of my grips, I noticed that it was starting to slip off the bike a few days ago and that the handlebar weight holding it on was coming loose.   I tried to tighten it with a screwdriver and found that didn't work  So I put off fixing it, put off fixing it, put off fixing and then.....
I drove home last night and noticed this in the morning.  Yep, completely gone. I'm not sure where, or even if, I could get a replacement but can't imagine it being that difficult (famous last words I'm sure).  This however does give me an excuse to replace the grips.  **update - I found the handlebar weights at a local cycle shop for under $12.  They went on easy and are nice and tight now.  

I've been wanting to get some Grip Puppies for a while but haven't really bothered.  Now it seems I might be in the market for some new grips as well.  I might just get some grip glue from the good people over at Scooter West.  Speaking of Scoot West I finally got me a CVT belt.  I paid about $40 less through them than the best cost elsewhere although I still have no way to put it on my bike.   At 20K + the belt has got to be wearing thin.  I'm hoping to find a mentor to help with this project.

I may also have to redo the brakes soon as well.

Here's hoping that someone in the area is willing to help me out.  I would be glad to buy them a beer, lunch, or even a lobster dinner to assist me.  It's not that I lack the knowledge, I've watched the video's and read the instructions and feel pretty grounded in the basics of bike repair.  I just lack the tools and experience; nor am I mechanically inclined despite the fact I've a background in engineering.  Moving forward however if the bike is going to be my main ride then I need to know at least the basics.  I need to understand what is happening if I hear BANG!   CLANK!

Considering how I ride some very empty roads in the middle of the night...this is a survival strategy. 

Epic Adventures in your own backyard - part 2A. Planning for the Green Swamp

I have no more excuse.  I am ready.  I have a full day to myself, a full day with no commitments…no meetings, no deadlines.  I decided that I am going to have an epic adventure and ride the Green Swamp Trail.  What excites me about this particular ride is that it ends and begins in my home base of Zephyrhills.  The ride itself is about 130 miles (so well within the Burgie’s range) and I understand the road conditions are good to excellent with lots of twisties and little side trips to enjoy.  I am planning on doing this on Thursday, my next day off.  

Thanks to 2uptouring.com

Most of the roads however are 2 lane highways and twisty.  I’ve rode parts of this with my dear departed friend Gary, so it’s a remembrance of him as well.  I figured I would get up early in the morning and proceed.  The whole ride should only take about 3 – 4 hours.  I'm leaving time for me to explore, get lost and maybe grab a bite to eat in Webster - which is about the halfway point.  I also understand the town has some great examples of 1900's architecture.  As well as a place to eat called the Hayseed Cafe. How could I pass that up?

My only wish is that I had someone to ride this with.  I’m not worried about riding it by myself, but I am worried about getting the dreaded numb butt and being lost.  I don’t have a programmable GPS.  I don’t have a tank bag with a plastic cover for my map.  All I have is the printed out route, my brain and my sense of direction.

I may never be seen again.

An example of a cypress pond

The Green swamp covers parts of five counties here in West Central Florida.  It is the birthplace of four different rivers and home for countless species of animals.  The swamp itself is roughly 560 thousand acres and has several distinct types of ecological systems, everything from sandhills, flat-woods, oak hammocks, river swamps and cypress ponds.  The cypress ponds that dot the landscape are characteristic of central Florida.  For an old hiker and amateur naturist like me it's fantastic  Since the ride I'm planning literally loops around and through the swamp at times I will experience each of these systems.  

The park has a nice interactive website here if you wish to learn more.  

So I'm running through a check list of things I have to do for this ride.  Pictures and details to follow!

Scooter Cannonball 2012

Well this year's Scooter Cannonball is in the books.  Congrats go out to all the riders that made the journey from Savannah, GA to San Diego, CA.   I've a feeling that the 2014 Cannonball will be bigger and better than ever.

It was a lot of fun reading about their adventures on their individual blogs (the links are available on the main page) as well as forums like Modern Vespa and Burgman USA.  I know many of the riders have made lifelong friends and at least one had this as a bucket list item.

Again, congrats go out to all the riders and they adventure they had.

Scooter Cannonball

A few people have written about this already.  I got to admit I would love to try it but know it's probably never going to happen.

I feel like I'm stealing Scootin' Old Skool thunder here.  :P

Here is the official website for the Scooter Cannonball.

Personal milestones

It really is not a big deal, not worthy of celebration or a press release.  However I'm happy with myself, so I'm putting on my party hat.

When I first bought my 07 Suzuki Burgman it had a little under 6600 miles on it.  The previous owner had taken 4 years to place that many miles on it.   Yesterday I doubled that figure in just a few months.  That tells me I'm riding the bike nearly every day which was my goal.

On my next day off I'll be doing my second oil change, the first I'll do without assistance.  Considering I'm not mechanical in the least, this is a milestone for me.

I am to a point financially where I can start making improvements to my bike, things like the GIVI windshield and the much talked about but yet to be purchased seat to prevent the deadly numb butt.  My bike needs a little bit of cosmetic work and I've found a few painters that are willing to fix it for me.  The price is yet to be determined but again, it's something I'm willing and needing to do.

I'm still not to a point to where I feel I can handle the interstate's - I do not mind traveling at highway speeds but don't feel comfortable traveling on the interstates yet, but I do feel that I can handle longer rides now.  One hundred or more miles is not as daunting as it once was.  The point is, every mile under the bikes tires makes me a little more confident and secure in my ability.  I'm feeling it's time to stretch out and do more with the bike than just commute.  It's time to go somewhere.

A nice Saturday ride

It's only been a few days after my longest ride yet, easily over 150 miles including my commute to and from work that day.  I'm sure that a better writer could describe it in detail without the sickening use of so many adjectives.

This past weekend I got the chance to go over hill and dale, through valleys deep and wide and twist and turns at speed that challenged and scared me...while at the same time putting a grin on my face and a ringing laughter in my helmet that only I could hear.

Not the church in question but similar.

I lost track of the miles as my riding partner Gary choose a route through the orange groves and forgotten little towns of rural Florida.  We rode hard and faster than I would have liked at times due to a late start and the fact that I had to work late in the afternoon.  We rode for a solid two to three hours passing a small local winery...which frankly I hope to find again on another journey.  Past an old Spanish Church straight out of the American southwest which called for exploration but learning it's story will have to be put off for another day.

We rode on down tracts where farm equipment roamed free and threatened to push us off into the saw grass, past trees loaded with oranges and kumquats.  Turn after turn to the right, to the left until I was unsure if I knew how to get home if I should lose Gary around a corner.  Truthfully it would not of mattered, every road leads somewhere and once you're somewhere you can always figure out a way home.  A brief stop for gas to feed a hungry beast and his smile was as big as mine.  We were children on Christmas day again; all brought about by a few twists and turns in the road.

Just an old funky building found on another ride.

While the ride did encourage me to ride longer and harder, proving to me that I can indeed go more than 50 miles in any one direction - without numb ass too - it also got me thinking about one of the reasons I wanted to ride in the first place.  To discover the hidden parts of America you don't see from the Freeway.  That old Spanish church, a small winery, an old graveyard, some weird little building that has a story to us, if we are willing to listen.

I can also see the attraction of rallies and poker runs.  Making and sharing stories with new friends over endless cups of coffee at the local diner and then chewing up the asphalt.  I may have bought scooter with the intention of simply going back and forth to work with it, but damned if I don't want to do more with it now.  That sense of adventure...of wanderlust...is hard to explain.  I've had friends that have been bikers all their lives and who would try to explain it to me.  I don't think I ever "got it" till now.

You go into a twisty and you feel your body react...you see that butterfly at the edge of the road...Your connected to the world around you in a much different way when your riding.  Suddenly "taking the long way around" doesn't seem like it's that bad of an idea.  So yea, I hope to go riding with Gary or others again.  Hopefully we will have more than two and a half hours to spend on the road.

Oh the Rowdies are....a kick in the Grass!

I'm a big fan of soccer, so when I realized that I would be able to attend the next FC Tampa Bay (better known as the Rowdies) football game I knew I was going.
(WARNING - the theme song from the late 70's is very catchy)

The problem is, of course, how to get there.   I want to take the Burgie down for several reasons.  It's a hell of a lot easier to park, better on gas, and besides...it be the longest ride (120 miles roughly round trip) I've taken yet on my new machine and that thrill of adventure is tempting.

It would involve me riding on busy freeways, at night, and I knew there would be beer involved.   Not that I would ever drink and ride, but I know damn well I would have a few at the game (soccer fans by definition enjoy beer).  Plus, it's still freaking hot in Tampa.  I know it's late September but the temperature still hovers in the mid 90's.  All these things would have to be addressed in one way or another.  Plus there is a solid chance of rain, which, logic would dictate I should take my car.

But to hell with logic!  I want to ride my scooter to the game!

The ride itself would only take a little over an hour as it's about 55 to 60 miles from here to there which truthfully is not that bad even through I suffer from Numb Butt on my 35 mile commute every day.  My girlfriend has some sort of frozen ice pack thing that fits around her neck and shoulders that keeps the wearer very cool and would fit perfectly under my riding jacket.  So I got a route and a way to stay cool.  At night on the ride back I would not need the pack.

Beer...easily to take care of.  One or two or three at the tailgate before the game then hydrate with lots of water.  No drinking in the 2nd half at all.  There is a old saying.  "There are drunk riders. There are old riders. There are NO old, drunk riders."  I plan on being an old rider.

Sadly I can't do anything about the weather, other than hope it really doesn't rain but it it must that the storm abates quickly and I can put the rain in the rear view mirror as quickly as possible.  I really do need to invest in good rain gear.  I am however in no hurry to get home either.  I would rather be safe than sorry.

Some retro reflective tape added to the bike and helmet recently will help with the visibility at night. Safety most of the time is just good planning.  


A little bit of planning and I'm all set to take the Burgie down to the game. I can just see my Ralph's Mob scarf blowing in the wind behind me as I eat up the miles to the game.




Sing it with me now, you know the words! OH THE ROWDIES RUN HERE, THE ROWDIES RUN THERE.....

Random thoughts at 1000+ miles

Somewhere yesterday or the day before I tripped the 1000 mile marker on the Burgie.  It happened without fanfare, no angels descended from Heaven to mark the occasion although there were donuts at work and cupcakes there the next day.

I suppose 1000 miles is not really that big of a deal, I commute 70 miles roundtrip each day and that number adds up pretty quickly.  I'm averaging over 64 miles per gallon and have spent under $100 in gas (I think as I've not done an official count).

Ye Olde Bugs in the teeth!

For me however it is a big deal.  When I rode my little Yamaha Zuma 125 back and forth and here and there they were short trips, under 35 miles total usually.  I got experience and learned to ride...but it's a different type of ride.

Maybe it was just me but coming home tonight I felt "locked in" to the bike, the steering column barely seemed to move as I took the corners at 65 miles per hour on my commute.  I really enjoy riding at night.  It's another world, less traffic to worry about it's true...but I am even less visible on the road.  My commute involves long lonely stretches as road as well,and Lord forbid if something should happen, it would be a long night till someone came along.

I put these thoughts out of my mind though.  Enjoying the night air and the croaking of frogs off in the distance.  There is something ethereal about being the only one on the road, the whine of the engine and the light of Venus above.

There is one major issue I have however.

Numb butt.

That strange condition that affects some riders...where your ass just is not comfortable on that seat no matter how you move or what you do.  Everything from adding and subtracting foam to the seat to get a hard wooden beads to sit on has been suggested to me.

I've seem something similar to the hard beads in cars but have not really tried it, but people swear by it.  It's also been suggested that since I'm in Florida something like a sheepskin cover for the seat might help as well.  I hope to get it covered later this week or next.  No matter where I move my skinny bony ass I just can't seem to get to comfortable.

I also realized that I am doing what I sent out to do.  With the exception of one day, where it looked like rain, I've driven the bike in every day.  I'm a 2 wheeled commuter.

Problem is, I'm not having any fun.

Sure I could blame the seat, the fact that I own my own small business which eats up time and work a goofy ass shift at my regular job.  I could do all that.  The problem is that I'm just riding back and forth to work.  I want to break out of the rut and do something different, ride somewhere different.

I break up the route I ride a little bit, twisty roads one day...the highway the next.  I want to simply ride and do something different.   I think that's part of the motorcycle mystique...that sense of freedom.

I am feeling the need to just ride.   Somewhere.   Anywhere.

The weird thing is that before I started riding I could not have explained this feeling.  I would simply say "I need a vacation" and go hiking in the woods or take a couple of day and do nothing.  Now I just want to ride.