First time in, oh, 4(?) years I've put up a new theme! Hacked on Sporty from Themespack.com to get something that looked good. I'll be tweaking more, but wanted something more bike oriented up. Let me know what you think!
(And those finding this on LiveJournal, come view it)
Comments (No responses yet)Weather forecast on Monday was rain all week, bleh. Needless to say when I stood up from my cube and saw the sunlight streaming through the window this afternoon I immediately thought of a ride. However, due to recent storms in the area I didn't really trust the roads (dirt washed into about half the intersections, sand into the other half, and still had some branches and stuff laying about from the trees that went down. Bummer... It being a cooler day due to the storms, I decided to get my roommate out to learn how to ride (ok, get a very beginner quick course) to see if he likes it.
I gave him a spare helmet, a nice leather jacket, my gauntlets (about the only non-expendable gear) and we took Tina out to a local parking lot that is used for the MSF course, so it had all the fun lines showing turns, braking lines, everything.
He did quite well, first we got used to the feel of the brakes by rolling forward and applying them. Then I had him feel the friction zone for the clutch by letting it out just until the wheel rolls forward the slightest bit. Then we did 'power walking': Letting the clutch out enough to roll forwards, giving it a tad of gas, and walking along with the bike. After that he wanted to pick his feet up so he did two 1st gear passes of the lot, staying upright. Finally we wanted to see 2nd gear, so I gave him the longest shot across the lot, and he managed to get up into it twice before we called it a day! Quite successful, with only two stalls and no drops.
But what struck me most was the memories it brought back. I did my course in the middle of summer (about 10 months ago) so it was a little hotter, but the smell was the same. There's something to the smell that a small 'thumper' engine gives off that just takes me back. The nervousness of dropping the bike, the joy that first time you pick your feet up onto the pegs, the realization that counter-steering actually works... all of it. It was nice being on the other side of the bike this time, and giving some one else that experience, although I have to say the nervousness of the bike going down is still there.
It was an afternoon well spent. I'd highly recommend everyone spend an afternoon like that learning how to ride. Even if you don't end up a rider, you may never touch a bike again. But you'll feel the wind in your face, and the bike responding to your input and you'll realize why people say "Live to Ride, Ride to Live".
Comments (No responses yet)Rolling Thunder is a motorcycle gathering/parade to publicize POW/MIA issues. "To educate the public that many American prisoners of war were left behind after all previous wars and to help correct the past and to protect future veterans from being left behind should they become prisoners of war-missing in action." The main portion of this event is a parade through downtown Washington, DC, from the Pentagon around the Mall, however many riders come from all over, and there's smaller groups that journey together from California every year which is just as much a part of 'Rolling Thunder'. All told, the bikes participating in the event is in the hundreds of thousands (now-a-days over a quarter million to 300 thousand), while the number of total bikers descending on the city is even greater (some like to ride in before the parade and park to see the memorials).
Ride route:
I've been attending this for the past 7 years, the first 6 as a spectator, and this year as a rider. It is an experience both ways.
As a spectator you get to enjoy DC, seeing the popular sights, and have the backdrop of hundreds of thousands of bikers rumbling past just a few feet a way. You can usually feel the parade up to a block away on some of the faster sections. In addition you can walk around, see the vendors there, listen to some good patriotic music, and witness people paying final respects to comrades from years ago. Its very powerful to see giants of men stepping off chromed out behemoth bikes and breaking down crying at the Wall.
As a rider you get to spend a lot of time waiting around, that's the route I went this year. Got down to the pentagon parking lots (staging grounds for the parade) around 10am.
I believe I was in lot 3 of 5, but no one knew for sure... all we knew was we could see a few thousand bikes in each direction.
Of course, its not *just* for bikes. There's some appropriately painted trikes, trucks, and cars.
Finally after 3 and a halfish hours, it was time to roll out! The excitement level shot way up at this point, and the noise was deafening with everyone revving their engines, good to go.
Sadly my timing got off and I thought the camera was on when it was off, and vice versa, but managed to get some footage of the parade. You'll notice my hands are bear... I always wear my gear, but for 10 miles an hour in 80ish degree weather, I was stripped down to just my helmet for protective gear. I wouldn't have had that on but I thought it was required.
I like this one as a shot at the Capital... I thought I was taking pictures, nope, video. Oh well.
You cans ee my confusion here... I "turn it off" twice (when my hand goes over the frame). I only include it to show the guy giving everyone high-fives (I obliged him) towards the end. His hand musta been HURTING.
And the last segment, ended by my pulling over on the off ramp to gear up and get gone.
It was a great experience. Met some cool people, heard some stories, saw some awesome bikes. Best of all I was able to show some support for those in the military now, and vets, something we don't do enough. I'll be back next year, you can bet on that.
Currently I have two bikes in my stables (sadly, simply a parking space out front with the bikes crammed into it).
1985 Yamaha XT 350 - "Tina"
This is a FUN little bike that I just got yesterday. It's 24 years young, and still running in near tip-top shape. It looks no worse than my 14 year old bike did, so she's got many years left in her.
This is a dual-sport with semi-knobby tires that I intend to use for some street putt-putting around for groceries and the like locally, then learning how to ride on dirt and off-road as well. In addition, I have a few friends who want to learn how to ride, and I'll show them a thing or two on here as I don't think it can be that hurt from one fall.
2001 Suzuki SV650 - "Qarina"
This is my main bike, and my main love right now. She's an '01 SV that was chopped up a bit to be a nice streetfighter. The front end was swapped out for an '07 GSXR 600 front, the handle bars were replaced with clip-ons, some good shocks are in there, and the pipe's an old one that's not made anymore that sounds beastly. Then everything was painted black. Gorgeous.
I use this bike for everything... from runs to the store to runs 5 states west. She's teaching me confidence in my tires, and how to go fast in turns, not just straights. I average about 200 miles a week on her, and its no where near enough.
For a little while now I've been pondering changing this blog from its current focus of (theoretically) computers and some Arabic grammar over to something else. At one point I was pondering 2nd Amendment law discourse, but I think then it would take any fun I had from updating this away as I just get riled up. More recently I'd been thinking about changing it to be about motorcycles but figured 'eh, why?'
This past weekend has been a brutal reminder of the preciousness of life, from a memorial ride for a fallen police officer on Saturday (and finding out just how many memorial rides I could be going on) to putting my childhood kitty, and friend, to sleep last night. I'm resolved to start living life even more than I am, and to help others (naturally by throwing them on a bike and forcing them to enjoy themselves).
So where I typically would go out on the bike, enjoy a great evening, and have the events live in my head, I hope to start posting ride reports here. I'll flesh the rest out later when I can think more.
This is for you, girl
I've been silent because I've been busy with a few things. Chief among these is exploring my passion for motorcycles. I've put darn close to 3000 miles on the bike I bought mid-February, 1448 of which were a trip to Indiana that last 8 days. It was a wonderful experience, everything looks better on a bike.
(Click for high-res version)
