The Man Who Designs Moto Guzzis

The Man Who Designs Moto Guzzis

Transmission Cooler Plug

An improperly installed transmission cooler caused us a lot of stress when hauling our camper.

Franklin Indiana - Don & Dona's

Trip To Madison, IN
My wife and I took a motorcycle trip to Madison, IN in early June. This blog post is part of a series which presents each step of our journey. If you missed the beginning, the story starts here.

Courthouse in Franklin,

The ATGATT Rat

My wife and I rode from Nashville, IN north on IN-135 until IN-44, which we took east back into Franklin for a stop at one of our favorite stops -- Don & Dona's Restaurant, across from the Courthouse in Franklin.

Some restaurants are worth stopping at if you're hungry the moment you're driving right by them.  Others are worth going out of your way for.  As motorcyclists, riding to an eating destination is always fun ... we all need to eat, and a scenic ride to a great restaurant is a great excuse to ride.

http://www.theddclub.com/

From Franklin we jumped back on the interstate and made our way home.

Trip To Madison, IN
The story ends here! Thanks for riding along. Next time we go for a ride, I'll invite you along.

 

Changing the oil

http://www.thefairchilds.org/bikes/st-oilchange.html

ST1300 Oil Change

http://koczarski.com/ST1300/OilChange/OilChange.htm

Super Simple, “Invisible” Motorcycle Ignores All Rules of Cool : Discovery Channel

http://dsc.discovery.com/cars-bikes/incredibly-simple-motorcycle-ignores-all-rules-of-cool-is-awesome.html

Motorcycle Blogs

Rachael (@Fuzzygalore) 8/27/12 8:59 PM Blogged: Motorcycle Blogs – Showing Off or Sharing the World? goo.gl/fb/VKWjA

Brownstown Again

Trip To Madison, IN
My wife and I took a motorcycle trip to Madison, IN in early June. This blog post is part of a series which presents each step of our journey. If you missed the beginning, the story starts here.

On our way back from Madison, we tried a different route.

We took IN-7 north out of Brownstown until it connected with IN-250.

Then we took IN-250 into Brownstown.

IN-250 was the road we'd been looking for.  Lightly travelled and featuring graceful sweepers and riverside running -- it was everything IN-256 hadn't been.

From Brownstown we took IN-135 North, past Story, IN, to Nashville, IN.


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Nashville Indiana describes it self as an artist colony. At the very least it's a "local" tourist destination drawing day-trippers from Indianapolis and points south. It features antique shops and restaurants. However, Mrs. Rat and I have spent many hours in Nashville, Indiana, and have no interest in another visit this trip.

After a brief stop to stretch our legs we hop back on the bikes and head north on IN-135.


View Larger Map

Retracing our steps, we catch IN-44 east and head into Franklin.

Hanover College

Trip To Madison, IN
My wife and I took a motorcycle trip to Madison, IN in early June. This blog post is part of a series which presents each step of our journey. If you missed the beginning, the story starts here.

Madison is just two miles from Hanover, IN, home of Indiana's oldest private college. A friend and colleague of mine is a graduate of Hanover College, and has told of about its beautiful campus. We were so close, how could we not check it out?

We rode two miles west to the entrance to Hanover College. I was blown away by the twisty, tree-lined road which led to the park-like campus.

Though no summer classes were in session, we toured around the dorms and halls which overlooked the Ohio River. The scenery rivalled Clifty Falls State Park, and in fact the acreage surpasses the size of the State Park. The College president's home enjoys a river view unspoiled by coal-fired power plant or any other industry.

I snapped a few photos to prove I was there, but wish I had snapped a few more.

The Red Pepper

Trip To Madison, IN
My wife and I took a motorcycle trip to Madison, IN in early June. This blog post is part of a series which presents each step of our journey. If you missed the beginning, the story starts here.

Seven years ago, when we made our first pilgrimage to Madison, IN, in the days before we were riding our motorcycles on long trips, my wife and I stumbled upon a great local restaurant. Upon our return we were happy to see the place was still in operation. We made sure to visit it again.

I don't know the history of The Red Pepper, but the building looks like it used to be a classic service station from the 1950's, turned into a restaurant. It has a diverse menu, and good food. We enjoyed our sandwiches immensely as we sat and talked and listened to the music playing. The sun streamed in the windows and we enjoyed our place in the sun.

Coal-Fired Plant

Trip To Madison, IN
My wife and I took a motorcycle trip to Madison, IN in early June. This blog post is part of a series which presents each step of our journey. If you missed the beginning, the story starts here.

Clifty Falls State Park's shortcoming . . . if it has any . . . would be the coal-fired power plant which sits between it and the Ohio River.

This isn't an issue for most of the park acreage, as it is rugged and wooded and vast . . . So much so that unless you visit the Park's extreme southern end you may be unaware of the power plant's existence.

To visitors of the Inn, however, the power plant is inescapable, since its smokestacks occupy part of the River View afforded by the Inn's spot on the hill. This bother some folks more than others.

This photo of Clifty Inn is courtesy of TripAdvisor

I'm among those who didn't find it objectionable. There were no filthy clouds of smoke. No raining of ash. The most noticeable aspect of the power plant, aside from its twin smokestacks, was the muted sound of heavy equipment loading coal from huge riverside stockpiles into conveyors, which I presume fed the great beast its steady diet of fuel.

Thankfully the din had subsided by evening.

Perhaps coal is only moved during daylight hours.

This photo of Clifty Inn is courtesy of TripAdvisor

Madison River Front

Trip To Madison, IN
My wife and I took a motorcycle trip to Madison, IN in early June. This blog post is part of a series which presents each step of our journey. If you missed the beginning, the story starts here.

After dinner at the Broadway Hotel, my wife and I strolled down Broadway Avenue toward the river. We passed coach houses with walled gardens, and a historic swimming pool built in the 1930's. The riverfront was alive with people enjoying the pleasant summer evening.



Looking around it could easily have been a scene from the 1950's . . . Before cell phones, before video games, before all manner of digital entertainment turned our entire culture inward, indoors. Here was a baseball game being played. Here were picnics overlooking the river. Here were kids on bicycles.

We watched the sunset along the river, and snapped a few photos.  No photo could capture that hometown feeling.

Though the light was fading I snagged a couple of photos of the fountain outside the First Presbyterian Church.  The steeple of this church is easily discernible from our balcony view at Clifty Inn, a mile to the west and a hundred feet higher on the hill. 

We milked as much enjoyment out of that day as we could, until the light was gone. We mounted our bikes again, pointed them West out of downtown and toward Clifty Falls State Park. Mindful of the twisty roads, and the nocturnal beasts which night at any moment emerge onto the roadway in front of us, we tiptoed back to the Clifty Inn for the night.

The Broadway

Trip To Madison, IN
My wife and I took a motorcycle trip to Madison, IN in early June. This blog post is part of a series which presents each step of our journey. If you missed the beginning, the story starts here.

After catching up on my sleep, we geared up, got back on the bikes, and rode into Madison (which is just a mile down the road from Clifty Falls State Park).

Madison has a quaint and historic downtown with lots of old buildings turned into restaurants, antique shops, and bookstores. 

Madison's location on the Ohio river made it an important trade center in the early 1800's. Goods and passengers bound for Indiana arrived by riverboat, and transferred to stage coach or train at Madison.

As other forms of transportation took over, Madison's importance in industry diminished. Today it survives as a tourist destination nestled along the beautifully wooded banks of the Ohio River. The town has preserved many historic buildings and converted them to shops, restaurants, and hotels. The architecture of a bygone era and the small-town feel make it an enjoyable weekend get-away.

We parked our bikes in free parking along main street, walked along the shop until we spied The Broadway Hotel, which claims bragging rights as Indiana's oldest continuously-operated Inn. Former patrons include John Wilkes Booth.

The food was delicious and plentiful. The staff was friendly. My wife and I ate our fill for under thirty dollars.

Indiana Motorcycle Destinations -- Clifty Falls State Park

Trip To Madison, IN
My wife and I took a motorcycle trip to Madison, IN in early June. This blog post is part of a series which presents each step of our journey. If you missed the beginning, the story starts here.

We reached our destination by about 4 pm. We followed signs for Clifty Falls (Indiana) State Park, and entered by the north entrance.

The park is beautiful - one of Indiana's best.

We enjoy hiking this park's many rugged trails.

We stashed our belongings at the Clifty Inn 

I failed to take good photos of the Inn, but snagged a few from the TripAdvisor website, which also gives a good review of the Inn.

This photo of Clifty Inn is courtesy of TripAdvisor

This photo of Clifty Inn is courtesy of TripAdvisor

I took a nap when we arrived at the hotel!

Brownstown to Madison

Trip To Madison, IN
My wife and I took a motorcycle trip to Madison, IN in early June. This blog post is part of a series which presents each step of our journey. If you missed the beginning, the story starts here.

We left Story and rode on toward Brownstown.

IN-135 is a fine road, popular with the motorcyclists, which leads all the way to the south end of the state. We took IN-135 as far as Brownstown, IN.


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IN-135 featured sweepers and turns, and passed through small Indiana towns like Freetown. It emerged onto US-50, where we turned East and headed toward Brownstown. US-50 is more of a major highway -- and by that I mean boring. We stopped briefly to consult a map before continuing on.

Choosing a motorcycle road from a map is a bit of an art. Most of us motorcyclists don't like straight, boring, highways. We enjoy back roads, a little bit of scenery, and some twisting roads so that we can "get our lean on".

In choosing a route from Indianapolis to Madison, I knew the quickest way was also the most boring. A straight shot down I-65, then a short jaunt on US-31 south, followed by a long and straight shot down IN-7. Now IN-7 is a boring field-crosser for much of the way, but the last 30 miles into Madison it turns into sweepers and beautiful countryside, as the farm land gives way to rolling southern Indiana hills.

But I didn't want to be content to cross an hour of farmland; instead I plotted a course which I felt would maximize the backroad aspect of our trip. For this reason, we took IN-135 to Brownstown, and from there, travelled briefly on IN-39, followed by IN-256, east into Madison. I used google maps "terrain" view to try and separate the farmlands from the woodlands, and chose the more wooded route.


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I knew there was no way I could really go wrong coming into Madison. Get close enough to this river town and the roads would be picturesque and twisty.

However, I was a little disappointed in IN-256. It was a little too straight, and a bit of a mere field-crosser from Austin, IN until the Madison city limits.

All in all it was a good trip. We happily stretched what would have been boring, see-none-of-the-countryside interstate-bound two hour trip into something that took us about 6 hours - including stops. That's what I call a good ride.

Story Inn

Trip To Madison, IN
My wife and I took a motorcycle trip to Madison, IN in early June. This blog post is part of a series which presents each step of our journey. If you missed the beginning, the story starts here.

We left Gatesville and travelled south until we picked up IN-46.  We jogged east on IN-46 to IN-135, which we took south to Story, IN and the fabled Story Inn. 

Story Inn in Story, IN is a charming anachronistic place in the middle of nowhere. It wouldn't be in business were it not for the day trippers making a trek through and around Brown County State Park. The fact that it's situated on IN-135, one of the area's best motorcycle roads, doesn't hurt.

We stopped for lunch.


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We snapped a few photos of the Inn, including an antique gasoline pump on the front porch.

Here's a shot of the front of the Inn.

We've eaten there before and not been disappointed, but this time around we felt a little underwhelmed. Story Inn seemed long on image, and short on substance.

I ordered the BBQ pulled pork, and Mrs.Rat ordered the artichoke burger. Both of us got fries and a soda with our entree.

The BBQ pork was gristly and greasy ... Something I didn't even know was possible for pulled pork.

The artichoke burger was a fried patty made of artichoke dip. "Barely edible" was how Mrs. Rat described it.

The fries certainly looked great. Hand cut, with real bits of potato peel stuck on either end of the thick cut fry. The way they're supposed to look. However, they were slimy and cool on our plates.

After this meal, we considered taking Story Inn off our list of favorite eateries in Indiana.

We grabbed another photo of the front of the Inn, this time with our bikes in view.

We saddled up and rode south from Story on IN-135.

Waylaid In Gatesville

Trip To Madison, IN
My wife and I took a motorcycle trip to Madison, IN in early June. This blog post is part of a series which presents each step of our journey. If you missed the beginning, the story starts here.

From Apple Works we continued south along Sweetwater Trace and through the tiny town of Gatesville. By this time I had noticed something was going wrong for Mrs Rat. She was hanging back in the corners and not catching up in the straightaways.




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I stopped in the gravel parking lot of the township fire department . . . The only public building in the tiny town . . . And dismounted. Mrs. Rat pulled up and stopped, 'My bike won't downshift.'

I 've never worked on a Harley before, but started an inspection of clutch function and shift function. I couldn't spy the problem.






We started calculating alternate routes, with dismay. Instead of twisty roads en route to Madison, we'd have to back track via major roads to Edinburgh, IN, home of the nearest Harley dealer. Our well-laid plans were vanishing like smoke. After I paid a Harley dealer to fix her bike, assuming they could fix it in a timely manner, would I have enough funds to continue our trip, or would we have to cut it short?

One last time I inspected the shifting mechanism on her bike. Suddenly I saw it. A piece of gravel, nestled in the groove atop the transfer case. Wedged tightly,it prevented the shifting mechanism from travelling the full way down.



I snapped this photo, which is hopelessly blurry, but which shows the rock wedged in its place.

I breathed a sigh of relief. Though I hadn't removed the obstacle yet, I had solved the mystery. I knew I'd be able to repair the bike myself, with no cash outlayed. I imagined how ashamed I'd have been if we'd nursed the bike all the way to Edinburgh, only to have the dealer discover such an easy fix. Would they have charged me anyway?

I tried a stick, which was a fruitless effort. The stone was wedged tightly ... my wife had tried more than once to mash down the shift lever in order to downshift. Each such attempt only wedged the gravel tighter.

I thought of walking to the Gatesville General Store, the only other non-residential building in town, and borrowing or buying a pair of pliers. Then I thought to check my own ST1300's tool kit. Though it had no pliers, it had a regular screwdriver. Stout enough, and yet small enough to fit in the slot.  I was easily able to pry the rock from its sticking place.

Woo hoo! Our trip was back on track! We geared up and got ready to head to Story, IN.

Before we left I snapped a photo of the famous Gatesville sign. The town is so small, the "Welcome to Gatesville" sign and the "Now Leaving Gatesville" sign are combined into a single sign.

Trip to Apple Works

Trip To Madison, IN
My wife and I took a motorcycle trip to Madison, IN in early June. This blog post is part of a series which presents each step of our journey. The story starts here.

We slabbed it from home to Franklin, IN, so for all practical purposes our trip began there.

I've spent enough time riding the roads south of Indianapolis that I knew my way. We gassed up in Franklin, and set out for Apple Works in Trafalgar.


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 IN-44 is a good road for riding. Though it runs through farm fields rather than along the banks of rivers, it has its share of sweepers. For a field crosser, it's not a bad road.

South on IN-135 to Trafalgar is more of a traditional field crosser. From Trafalgar south to Apple Works is a wandering county road with uneven pavement, no lines, and lined with trees. It's a beautiful and technically challenging route of about four miles.

Apple Works itself is an orchard and store featuring locally grown produce. There's plenty of parking . . . But the parking lot isn't flat nor paved, and presents some technical challenges of its own. It's good practice for Mrs. Rat, who hasn't ridden on much gravel in her career.

Reflections On Life and Motorcycles

Trip To Madison, IN
My wife and I took a motorcycle trip to Madison, IN in early June. This blog post is part of a series which presents each step of our journey. If you missed the beginning, the story starts here.

Mrs. Rat and I stopped at the bank on our way out of town. While there, a gentleman pulled up next to us in a sedate sedan. He was in his mid fifties.

He was drawn immediately to our bikes. 'You guys heading out on the highway?' he asked.

'Yes,' we replied.

'Where are you going?' he asked.

'Madison,' we replied.

He drew closer to my bike and studied the dash for a minute. 'How many cylinders does it have?' he asked. 'Mine has four, hers has two,' I replied, gesturing at my wife's Harley.

He was uninterested in the Hog and his focus quickly returned to my ST.

'Is it liquid cooled?' he asked.

These weren't typical questions. This guy surely had some history, or at least a genuine fascination, with motorcycles.

'Do you ride?' I asked.

'No, he replied wistfully.

'You should do it!' I said, enthusiastically. This same advice was given me by a friend and coworker in 2003; the next year I finally did it.

'My parents said if I got a bike they'd take an axe to it first, and them turn it on me.'

I wanted to say, 'Man, don't go through life this way. You will end it filled with regrets. 

You're a grown up. I don't know what control your parents had over you when you were younger, but those old voices saying, "Don't do it!" are all just ghosts now. 

Do not listen to the folks who tell you they are unsafe, that you can't or shouldn't do it. 

Do it now while you still can.'

Suddenly I felt affirmed by my own life choices. I'm glad I took the risk, and threw my leg over a motorcycle. I'm happy riding is part of my life.

Don't let it pass you by.

Trip To Madison

Mrs. Rat and I had the chance to ride from Indianapolis to Madison, IN recently. This is our first real motorcycle trip together since 2006.

I took a number of pictures and will be posting this story in instalments over a period of days or weeks.

An open letter to every person I meet who finds out I ride a motorcycle

http://hellforleathermagazine.com/2012/06/an-open-letter-to-every-person-i-meet-who-finds-out-i-ride-a-motorcycle/


I don't usually go for Heck For Leather's style, but this piece of theirs resonated with me, despite my prejudice against them.

My Most Popular Blog Post Ever

Guess what my popular blog post of all time is?

Are you an ATGATT Rat?
How to trailer your bike
New Bike, Anniversary Present

No, none of the above.

For all my motorcycle safety content, ATGATT evangelism content, how-to-fix-your-own-bike content, the most popular post every week, according to Google Analytics, is Test Driving The Harley Davidson V-Rod Muscle.

I don't know why this should surprise me.  Harley Davidsons are immensely popular bikes.  And I surely see more of them on the road than I do riders wearing ATGATT. 

But somehow this statistic depresses me.  That my message is not reaching the audience I want it to.  That the primary purpose of this blog is subverted.

However, on the other hand, maybe the Harley Davidson V-Rod review will lure Harley riders in and expose them to the message of ATGATT.  Perhaps just one in one hundred will click on another page on the blog, see something about ATGATT, and change their evil ways.

Let's hope. 

Upcoming Ohio River Scenic Byway Travel Posts

Start following this blog:

http://www.49ccscooterlife.blogspot.com/2012/05/upcoming-ohio-river-scenic-byway-travel.html


I'm looking forward to posts from Ruckus Scooter Love about the Ohio Scenic Byway.

Didn't think I'd find much in common with the rider of a 110cc scooter, but I was wrong. I love roads like this!

A road I've never been...

After a very rough year last year, with hardly any saddle time, I'm happy to report that my motorcycle is getting plenty of use this year.

Mostly my saddle time is commute time.  I enjoy riding to work and find it turns a mundane task into an enjoyable one -- in many ways the highlight of my day.

But the same commute on the same route every day -- even on a motorcycle -- can get a little boring.

So I've tried something different this week -- I'm trying to find a different route home every night.

Mine is a suburban commute, and on my way to work I'm focused on arriving on time and safely.  But on my way home, I can take a more relaxed approach.  I can afford to take a wrong turn and backtrack in order to find my way again.

I'm rediscovering routes that I took years ago and had somehow forgotten.  I'm trying to find new passageways that take me through interesting neighborhoods, and along interesting roads.

I'd rather follow a winding road through a tree-lined subdivision than race from stoplight to stoplight on a four-laned major thoroughfare.  I'd rather take River Road than 96th street.

You win some and you lose some.  Tonight I found some new routes, but ended sitting on a four-laned thoroughfare, in 90 degree heat, with road construction and little forward motion.  That's the worst! 

They can't all be winners. 

Tomorrow, I'll choose a different way.

Motorcycles and Jingoism

As I sat in a conference room at work, waiting for yet another meeting to begin,  I overhear the new young Russian girl at work talking about riding her bike to work.

"Oh, really? what do you ride?". I asked enthusiastically.

"A Kawasaki KLR 250'" she replied.

We were about to settle into comfortable conversation about real bikes when Frank, the pot-bellied pirate across the table stirred to life and started telling us about his Harley Davidson ... A 1950 Panhead.

"I'd never ride yours cause it ends in '...ski'", he said, smirking at his own cleverness.

I turned to Sveta,  and was about ready to mock him with, "Really?? Ski?? A POLISH motorcycle?!?"  But before I could begin, he launched into a diatribe about how people who buy Japanese bikes or cars are responsible for all America's troubles.

Again, before I could speak, he continues with, "Of course I don't ride it much...on account of that hard tail suspension and my two spine surgeries..."

I wanted to say, but was saved from my moment of mean-spiritedness by the meeting starting, "Wow, maybe if you drive a bike with a real suspension, you wouldn't have had those spinal surgeries."

But during the whole "Made In America" argument, I saw the irrational lunacy in his eyes, and elected not to start that old argument.

What a douche bag!  He doesn't even know he's a joke, a caricature, and the subject of my mocking blog entry.

ST1300: Helmet Hook?

ST1300 owners, where are you putting your helmets when you park the bike?

I'm currently stuffing mine in one of the side cases, but I don't really like that solution.  It means one side case must remain basically empty when travelling, so it can hold the helmet when I stop.  The stock helmet hooks under the seat are cumbersome and/or useless.  Occasionally I'll hang it on the right rider foot peg by the chin, but that's pretty vulnerable to being knocked off.  

To Monetize, Or Not To Monetize

Do any other moto bloggers allow the placement of ads in their blog?

How do you feel about blogs with ads?

I've had ads on my blog for a number of years; I think I've earned enough for a cup of coffee at Starbucks, for all my "monetization".

Why does putting an ad on my blog make me feel like a sell out? 

QR Code - ATGATTRAT

Here's a QR Code for ATGATTRAT.

Rear View - a different perspective

I was riding home from work the other day, taking in the sights and sounds of the trip, caught up in the journey, when suddenly I noticed a police car looming up behind me in my rear view mirror.

Terror struck me as I wondered, "How long has he been following me? What could he have seen me do?"

I started thinking about my trip in reverse, from the perspective of a how a traffic cop would have seen it.

"Did he see me roll through that four way stop without putting my feet down? Would he believe me if I said I stopped, if I didn't stop long enough to touch down?"

"What is the speed limit through here, anyway? Would he believe me if I claimed I was in unfamiliar territory and had missed the speed limit sign?"

"Did I break any laws when I passed that left-turning car who ha d stopped in my lane by riding around him on the right? I certainly didn't do anything I haven't seen cagers do every day."

I kept hoping, at every major intersection, that he would turn right or left, but instead he kept following me. Surely if he were going to stop me, he'd have done so by now.

Unable to take the suspense any longer, I finally turned down some side street just for the sake of knowing whether he was truly tailing me or not. I turned right and held my breath, again watching my rear view mirrors. Would he turn onto the street after me, or keep going?

Thankfully, he passed me by and kept going. I breathed a great sigh of relief and continued home.

Road Grace vs. Road Rage

I was riding my bike to work, in morning rush hour traffic, when a car nearly took me out. This is not an uncommon occurrence. In fact, this is a common scenario of the type that a rider simply has to be prepared for.

The driver and I were side by side, heading the same direction. The driver was on my left. She pulled a half a car length ahead of me them began to merge into my lane. Clearly she was unaware I was there. I was riding in her blind spot.

 No problem. I saw this coming. I squeezed the brakes and dropped behind her. This happens at least once a day when I commute, and I don't think anything of it.  I don't get upset, I just accept it and move on.

A moment later she realized her mistake, returned to her lane, and waved an apology. I waved a dismissal . . . No problem.   This happens occasionally.

 Then at the next stop light, the two of up drove up side by side to sit and wait for the green. She rolled down her window. I could see now she was an older lady. She called out to me, "I am SO sorry. I
didn't see you. I just feel terrible."  She was distraught.

It's hard to converse with a full face helmet on.  I've found the older generation especially are intimidated by motorcyclists -- perhaps some ancient stigma associated with bikes from a by-gone era.  We're not all Hell's Angels any more.

I opened my face plate, but the chin bar still obscures my mouth and, I'm sure, makes it harder to hear me.  It makes lip reading impossible.

"Don't worry about it," I replied, cheerfully.  "It's not a problem at all."

She apologized profusely again, and I again reassured her there was no harm done.

The light turned green, and we both continued on our way.

It occurred to me that I had just witnessed, and participated in, an incident of "Road Grace", the opposite of "Road Rage."

How many cagers would be so thoughtful as to apologize for a lane changing indiscretion?

How many motorcyclists would accept the apology if offered?

Motorcycle cures Erectile Dysfunction

Okay, I admit I wrote that sensational (sensationalist?) headline myself, and it's actually very inaccurate.  

I found this news story on twitter...

Motor Fan (@ridemotocycle) 4/29/12 10:19 PM Man sues BMW for giving him 20-month erection after motorcycle ride bit.ly/IHhLJA

Has this ever happened to you?

The T-Mobile goes ATGATT

You might not realize it, but there is a motorcycle hidden somewhere in this video. If you look carefully, you might see it. I think it's near the end.

Riding To Eat

My wife and I meet for lunch once a week. During warm weather we ride to meet each other. Proprietors of some of the local eating establishments recognize us and give us the smile of recognition.

Have You Seen "Helmet Or Heels"

I love reading about motorcycles almost as much as I love riding them.  Especially when I'm reading true stories about  motorcycles in the lives of real people.

This is why I like motorcycle blogs like www.helmetorheels.com .  The author is a lady who, like me, entered the world of motorcycles a little later in life.  She just bought a 650 V Strom.

If you've never checked out that blog, you should check it out now for the series "Profile of a Female Motorcyclist" .

You can also follow her on twitter @helmetorheels.  

If you don't ride in the rain, you don't ride.

I know plenty of fair weather riders who won't get on the bike if there is rain in the forecast.

 I take a slightly different approach. If I listened to the weather forecasts there would be plenty of good riding days that I would miss. Instead I trust my eyes. If it's raining at my front door . . . and I'm heading to work . . . I won't ride. Otherwise I will.  I'm not worried about the weather after I arrive at work. I'm not worried about getting wet on the way home, since I can easily change to dry clothes once I get there.

Using this philosophy, I have ridden many more days than my fair weather friends, and usually, despite the forecast, I stay dry.  Most of the time the threatened bad weather either doesn't materialize.  If it does rain, usually it's outside the narrow window in which I will be commuting. Either it's over and done with before I ever leave work, or it waits until I'm home to let loose.

 Some days, however, I get wet.

VW Buys Ducati

Motorcycle Closeouts (@FastGearFast) 4/17/12 6:10 PM Uh.. VW just bought Ducati? hellforleathermagazine.com/2012/04/what-v…fb.me/10S6Nn1Jb

Pity The Fool

WHO WAKES IN THE MORNING AND DECIDES TO CRASH? I Pity the Fool Without ATGATT by Todd Halterman     bit.ly/IyBgcf

Ride and Park

A Sunday afternoon ride to the park. Bike laden with ATGATT. Of course all family members wear their gear, but discard it and drape it on the bike . . . Away from hot exhaust pipes . . . In order to enjoy the warm spring afternoon.

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Black Beauty 2012 ST1300

It's raining cats and dogs today. A perfect day to do a little bike maintenance.

I went to the Honda Dealer to buy oil and filter for my ST and spied a brand new, shiny black 2012 model. They must've just gotten it in; it wasn't there two weeks ago.

I tried out the seat for a few minutes and was impressed. I'm not happy with my current seat - the after-market Sargent that came with the bike. By comparison the stock seat was firmer and thicker. It had a firm foam filler that seemed to provide more cushion on the pressure points.

Did Honda revamp their stock seat? Or are stock seats from other years as good as this? 

I'd like to give the stock seat a try.

This Is Your Brain on a Motorcycle | MotorcycleInsurance.com

This Is Your Brain on a Motorcycle | MotorcycleInsurance.com As a daily rider ... One who commutes to and from work on a motorcycle ... i've noticed my brain is sharper on days that I ride. I wasn't sure if it was just fresh air and adrenalin, but this study seems to point to something more.

Pony up for motorcycle parking

In addition to riding motorcycles, my wife and I enjoy visiting state and national parks. We would love to combine the two. . .by riding our motorcycles to the state parks.

However, the fact that we each ride our own bike tends to make that an expensive proposition. . .since the state charges full price for motorcycles.

In my own humble opinion -- but perhaps I'm biased -- I think states should charge motorcycles a reduced fee for park access. Bikes take up less space in the parking lot; my wife and I park two bikes to a single spot. Bikes have lower occupancy than four wheeled vehicles. Plus, they generally consume less fuel. . . shouldn't their use be promoted by the same interests which advocate for the preservation of nature and our park system?

What would it take to successfully lobby our legislators for reduced fees for motorcycles at our state and national parks?

Mileage

Last year was a pretty lean year for motorcycle mileage. My spring has been off to a better start than last year. Hoping for more miles and smiles this year than last.

Boastful Arrogance And Inevitable Demise

I wrote recently how a friend of mine is trying to organize (via email) a ride to the Tail Of The Dragon. 

I wrote back in my own self-deprecating way, that I wasn't well suited for riding the "Tail Of The Dragon", and would be more suited for a road called "Tail Of The Shetland Pony."

D wrote back that he wasn't planning to ride aggressively.  B joined the chorus, and said he planned to ride conservatively as well.

Both friends are very capable riders -- certainly more experienced and faster than me.  Both had nothing to prove.  Both could easily ride circles around me. 

Then C chimed in ... voicing a dissenting opinion.  He called all of us who advocated riding conservatively "A bunch of pussies", and proceeded to tell us how he was going to "tear up the dragon" and "set a speed record."

Now, when I hear a rider boasting about their riding abilities, I am immediately suspect.  D and B are both extremely competent riders - the quiet, unassuming types who are confident in their own abilities and don't need to convince anyone else of their riding abilities.

If C really is the rider he says he is, why would C find the need to brag?  Why would he find the need to insult the older and wiser of us who plan to show some restraint?

I wanted to tell him cautionary tales - of how the aggressiveness of the ride should decrease the farther you are from home.  About how there are plenty of fools who think they can take on the Dragon, and who end up cracking their bikes up along the way.  This stuff is fodder (and a source of income) for the folks at www.killboy.com  The broken bits of bikes from the likes of him adorn the famous "Tree Of Shame" at Deals Gap. 

But once he's called me a "Pussy", there's nothing I can say, short of entering a boasting competition, that will work.  Certainly no "voice of reason" apologetics will convince him.

Sigh. 

Oh well, if I'm right and his bravado is compensating for certain inadequacies in his, er, riding abilities ... then nothing I say will change his tune.  If I'm wrong, and he really is as good as he says, then nothing I say will matter.

If the legendary trip to "Tail Of The Dragon" happens, we'll see what happens. 

Tail of the What?

A friend of mine has been about doing a ride to the Dragon this summer. This trip would take a long weekend, and would hit other great motorcycle roads like the Moonshiner 28 or Cherohala Skyway on Sunday.


Tail Of The Dragon

It sounds intriguing, but with the very little riding I did last year (under 2000 miles) and the generally rusty state of my riding skills, I wrote him back, "If there is any road called the Tail of the Shetland Pony, I think that would be more my speed."

Modern Safety Feature

Mrs.  Rat and I went for a ride yesterday.  As I was backing out of the garage, I had the bike in neutral and the motor idling. I tapped the shifter with my left foot and the bike immediately turned off.  I had left the kickstand down.  

My wife looked puzzled. Could it be she had never made that mistake? Never left the kickstand down and engaged the transmission?!?  I explained that I had left the kickstand down and when the bike went into gear, the motor shut off.   'It's a safety feature,' I explained.   'I'm sure your bike has it too.'    I restarted my bike and we took off on our ride.  

Later, at a has stop, my wife tried an experiment to see whether it worked or not.  She announced, 'My kickstand has nothing to do with my motor.  I can put the bike in gear with the stand down and it'll keep running. '               i was suprised.   

I said, 'Oh really?  I thought all modern bikes had that feature. '       

She raised an eyebrow and studied my expression.  Was I making a snide comment about her bike?  

It hadn't crossed my mind.  I wasn't saying, 'All modern bikes have this feature . . . If your Harley doesn't have that feature, it must be a relic!'

She could see in my countenance I meant no disrespect.

A Mid-Winter Day's Ride

Unseasonably warm weather has cleared the roads of any ice, and made it possible for me to dust off the ST1300 for a mid-winter ride.

I rode to work yesterday and today.

I think commuting in the winter is harder than in the summer. And not just for the obvious reasons of "ice and snow", which, by the way I avoid.

1. Drivers aren't expecting to see a motorcycle.

The brain dead cagers have a hard enough time noticing motorcycles in July, when the sun is shining brightly, and every fourth vehicle is a motorcycle. In January, when nobody has seen a bike in six weeks, it's darned near impossible.

2. The are fewer hours of daylight.

To work my regular work hours during the winter, I'm leaving my house in darkness, and returning in darkness. in the summer I can keep those same hours and ride in daylight both ways.

3. Road Salt does not provide good traction.

Even when the ice and snow have melted away during an unseasonable warm spell during the winter months, the sand or salt that road crews spread on the roads during the last snowstorm is still lingering on the roadways. These are especially troublesome in corners, or in the center of the lane between the tire tracks of the cars.

Despite all this, I still enjoy my winter rides. They're a rare treat to break up the monotony of the long winter months.

I want one (Cafe Racer)

Justin W. Coffey (@coolisacolor) 1/6/12 3:36 PM Images of Royal Enfield's "new" #motorcycle - motoroids.com/news/2012-expo…