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Rant Archive - March 2006

March 28, 2006 - TODAY'S RIDE, MAN I LOVE THE BROTHERHOOD

I think Spring may have returned. For the past week we have had a little Winter kick-back with temperatures only reaching the low fifties but today we actually broke sixty. I was headed to the gym after work but when I stepped out of the office and felt the warm breeze on my face I knew my commitment to getting in shape was in trouble today. The whole ride home I wrestled with the decision... go work out in the constricting indoor gym or hop on the Sporty and hit the open road in the beautiful sunshine. I suppose an argument could have been made for both activities, I mean, my cardiovascular system certainly benefits from a good work out but my mental health and blood pressure also benefit from a stress relieving ride through the country. As I'm sure you can guess, the ride through the country won out and off I went.

The plan was to head west for forty-five minutes or so and then head back to town to meet the wife for dinner but when I noticed the golden hue being cast by the sun I decided to stop and take advantage of the photo op. (Camera nerd here!) I found a good spot on the side of the road and while I was stopped three bikes passed by, each one slowing and asking if I was OK. Man I love the brotherhood among riders and tonight I was certainly experiencing it with those kind folks asking if I were OK. But there was even more to come.

I got a couple of shots and saddled up when I heard yet another bike approaching. This time the rider didn't ask if I was OK but instead surprised me by calling me by name. As it turns out, it was a friend that I hadn't seen in three years. When I knew him before he didn't ride but he explained that when he turned fifty last year he rewarded himself with a Kawasaki Vulcan. Sounds like my kind of birthday present! It was great to see him again and we talked for about twenty minutes about how riding again had given his life that zing that was lacking since he had stopped riding years earlier. Before we departed we promised to get together and ride sometime this summer. More brotherhood in action.

Off I went again and about two miles down the road, a familiar looking bike approached in the opposite direction. I gave my usual wave and as we passed I realized it was another buddy who I had just ridden with the previous Saturday. He spun his Suzuki Bandit 1200 around and we pulled off to the side of the road and enjoyed a fifteen minute or so conversation about what a beautiful night it was to be out riding. The brotherhood continued.

Well, by this time I was going to be hard presssed to make my dinner date on time so I headed off again in the direction of the West Coast Burrito Shop where my wife awaited my arrival. I rolled up about fifteen minutes late but she understood... or maybe she's just become accustomed to my rides taking longer than planned. I actually didn't get much riding done but I did get a nice reminder of the brotherhood among riders and now I was about to have dinner with the love of my life. A pretty good evening I'd say. The only downside was that my intentions of working out somehow ended with me stuffing my face with a huge burrito! Looks like it's double duty at the gym tomorrow... maybe one of my riding buddies will be there so we can talk about motorcycles!

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March 27, 2006 - A NEW HAT FOR MY COLLECTION

One of my goals with the hat collection is to get them as cheap as I can. (Hmmm... that seems to be a recurring theme with me.) My mom picked up one for a dollar the other day. It's red with black trim and says "Dad's Choppers" on the front. A bit odd definitely but exactly the kind of hat I'm looking for, one that makes my collection unique! I'm now up to four hats and counting. WoooHooo!

CLICK HERE to see the whole collection.

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March 26, 2006 - 4TH ANNUAL SPRING THAW BIKE SHOW

Each year in March my buddy Scooter over at BikerDesigns.com puts on one of the baddest bike show/swap meets in the Midsouth. This years show was yesterday (March 25th) and proved that the Smyrna, Tennessee event has become a regional favorite. Turn out was great with builders traveling from as far away as Michigan and the Chicago area and the show was better than ever. I spent the entire day just wandering around, drooling over all the custom bikes. I met some really nice people and had a great time... and of course I had my camera handy and got a lot of pictures. Click on the link below to check them out. It may take a while for the page to load (lot's of pics) but it's worth the wait!

CLICK HERE to check out pics from the 2006 Spring Thaw Bike Show.

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March 23, 2006 - HMMMMM… SPORT TOURERS

Last week I went on a ride with a few friends and at one of our stops we spotted a guy in full riding gear on a Honda ST1100. Sport Touring bikes are not all that common in my neck of the woods, in fact, I think I've only seen one other Honda ST ever so of course I had to check it out.

As it turns out, the rider was very friendly and we ended up talking for about thirty minutes, mostly about the road trips he had made over the years. Hearing him talk made me realize that this is a part of motorcycling that I am missing out on. I mean, I've done some fairly long trips but not like this guy. The people that ride Sport Tourers have a different mindset altogether. They'll get up at the break of dawn and ride until it's dark again just to experience the new roads and new locations. And the bikes, though completely different than the Sportster I was riding on this night, are awesome. Sleek and lean, they are part Sport Bike and part Touring Bike, offering the best of both worlds in a package that can handle the twisties with ease, yet is comfortable enough to do 1,000-mile days.

I took a picture of his ST1100 but since it was getting dark, it didn't turn out very good… but trust me, this bike just looked like it was begging to be ridden. Man I would love to have one! Hmmmm… Sport Tourers… I think the road is calling me... maybe my next bike will look something like this:

BTW, if you want some good insight into motorcycle touring check out one of my fellow bloggers websites at FuzzyGalore.com. Rachael actually takes the trips that I only dream about and she is a gifted and skilled writer to boot.

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March 19, 2006 - MY NEW HOBBY: COLLECTING MOTORCYCLE HATS

For some reason, over the past month or so, I seem to have acquired a few motorcycle hats. To tell you the truth, I've never been all that in to wearing a lot of different hats (I have one that I've worn for about 7 years now) but getting these has inspired me to start a collection. It seems like everybody has a collection of something so why not me? I have one friend that collects antique firearms. Another friend collects anything he can find about Spitfire aircraft. Yet another buddy collects WWII paraphernalia. It's all really cool stuff but being the ultimate tight-wad that I am, way to rich for me! Hats are more my style... and the cheaper the better. In fact, I am officially taking donations for my collection. If you have a motorcycle hat laying around that you don't use (NEW ONLY PLEASE! ) then send it on and you will forever be able to take pride in contributing to Swag's motorcycle hat collection!

CLICK HERE to see pictures of my hat collection!

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March 16, 2006 - SHARING THE RIDE TO WATERTOWN

Riding solo has a freedom all it's own that can't be denied. When it's just me, my bike and the open road, life can look pretty sweet with everyday stresses flying away with each passing mile. But over the past few years I've also come to appreciate those times when I've been able to share the ride. There's a bond that occurs when you ride with others. No words are spoken and yet you feel connected as you twist down a curved road in snake like fashion. You ride separately but are never more than a few seconds apart. You are as individual as the bikes you ride yet one in spirit with friends that share your passion for two-wheeled freedom.

Tonight I was fortunate to experience all of those things. A couple of buddies and I decided that we would bug out of work a little early today and head for one of our favorite little back road towns. Located 40 miles east of Nashville, Watertown, Tennessee is a small community with a population of 1,351. The town literally looks like a postcard out of the 1950's with character that is unmatched. By 5:30 our bikes were parked on the square and we were inside the local restaurant reflecting on the magnificent ride we had just experienced. Beautiful rolling hills accented with creeks and waterways provided the scenery, curving roads provided the adrenalin rush, good friends provided the camaraderie and Watertown provided the nostalgia and the warm meal. Indeed, sharing the ride on this day was a good thing.

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March 14, 2006 - WHO'S THE DUFUS NOW? DON'T LAUGH, IT COULD BE YOU NEXT

Last Spring while out riding I decided to stop by a friend's house, just to shoot the breeze. He rides an older Kawasaki KZ900 that is a cool, retro-looking bike that also happens to be extremely fast. Like me, he can be a bit anal with his bike and it is always reasonably clean so when I saw him polishing on the tank as I rode up, it was no big surprise. But after I hopped off my bike, I noticed he was using rubbing compound and not polishing wax. Of course I started asking questions to which he tried to remain evasive but he finally 'fessed up that he had dropped the bike and scratched the tank the night before.

It seems that my dufus pal, pulled up to one of the busiest intersections in town and when he put his left foot down to catch the bike something went horribly awry. Before he knew what had happened, he and the bike were both on the ground with the rear tire spinning at first gear idle speed while traffic waited to get through the intersection. Well, being the compassionate friend that I am, I just about split a gut laughing at the fool and made some comment about wishing I had it on film. But that wasn't even the best part. When he finally got his senses together and started to pick the bike up, he looked over to the right lane and there sat a city cop in his squad car just shaking his head. I almost had to be revived from my laugh-induced hyperventilation! Remember Artie Johnson on the '70's hit TV show Laugh-In? He was the guy that rode the tricycle on stage, would come to a complete stop and then fall over. That had to be what this looked like! What kind of an idiot drops his bike while almost at a complete stop?

Well, about two days later I was to find out. That Saturday afternoon I decided to get the CBR out and take her for a little "look at me I'm young again" ride. The wife was at the neighborhood pool so I thought it would be a great opportunity to cruise by and show off the Sport Bike! I backed the CBR out of the garage started her up and started to make my downhill turn back towards the street… and there she went. I swear I must have stepped in an invisible hole because it started leaning and it wasn't going to stop. Before you could say "my dufus friend dropped his bike", I was down and the bike was on top of my right leg. My first instinct was to look around and make sure nobody saw. Dog! The neighbor lady and her kids were across the street staring at me! And just as luck would have it, the mailman just happened to be dropping the mail at that exact moment. Actually, that turned out to be a good thing because he was the one that helped me get the darn thing off of me and back to the two-wheels-on-the-ground position. Fortunately, the only thing damaged on me was my ego and the bike only suffered a broken brake lever, my leg having saved the right cowling from the aggregate driveway.

Maybe God was paying me back for laughing at my buddy's misfortune, I don't know but I had to ask myself, who's the dufus now? Don't laugh, it could be you next! I know I won't be laughing the next time someone tells me how they dropped their bike. OK, yes I will… but maybe not so hard!

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March 12, 2006 - BIKE WEEK RACING, SPEED IS A MUST

Bike week racing was awesome this year! No, I'm not talking about the streets of Daytona, but the AMA pro races held in conjunction with one of the biggest motorcycle events in the country. Each year in March, thousands of motorcycle enthusiasts make their way to the east coast of Florida for a week of motorcycle fun including some top-notch professional racing both in the dirt and on the track. Thanks to SPEED channel, those of us that prefer to avoid the large crowds can still witness the races and I certainly got my fill this weekend.

Friday night, things kicked off under the lights with the 35th Daytona Supercross. Ricky Carmichael took the checkered in the 250 class setting a record with his fifth victory at Daytona. With the win, Carmichael took over the points lead from Chad Reed who finished in second and further solidified himself as the man to beat in 2006. James Stewart showed signs of brilliance but a spectacular over the handlebars crash put him out of contention for the lead and saw him finish in 7th place.

On Saturday, team Honda rider Jake Zemke took home the winners trophy in the 65th running of the Daytona 200. This was the kick-off event of the season in the Formula Xtreme Series and the racing was fast and furious. Zemke's teammate and veteran rider Miguel Duhamel had the early lead but on the 44th lap of the race lost control of his bike and high sided. Duhamel finished the race with a missing windscreen and landed in 5th place.

The Superbike Championship Series season kicked off with fans wondering if Suzuki's Matt Mladin could continue his total domination in 2006. The race came down to the last half of the final lap with Mladin drafting and sneaking by teammate Ben Spies to take the victory by a mere 0.032 seconds! Can anyone beat this guy?

If you don't have SPEED channel, you've got to get it. Along with coverage of AMA races they also offer an extensive motorcycle programming line-up. On Tuesday evenings the entire schedule is devoted to various motorcycle programming such as "Two Wheel Tuesday" with Greg White, "American Thunder" with Michelle Smith, "Corbin's Ride On" plus some other great shows like Build or Bust, a reality based custom build show. If you're a Certified Bike Nut like me, SPEED channel is a must!

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March 7, 2006 - MADKAW PART SEVEN - THE FINAL CHAPTER

Today marks exactly two months since the MadKaw project was started and although there is still a bit of touch up work to be done, for all intensive purposes, she's done! I can't believe how much fun dad and I had doing this bike and I'm ready to start another one. I've got my eyes and ears open for another hidden gem. I know there's an old bike sitting in someones garage out there that they'd love to get rid of... the trick is finding it!

CLICK HERE to see the final pictures of the MadKaw.

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March 3, 2006 - THE WORLDS FASTEST INDIAN

I've been mad about it since February 3rd. That's the day the most hyped motorcycle movie of my time, "The Worlds Fastest Indian", was supposed to be released. And it was... but not to Nashville, Tennessee! For some reason the Hollywood types decided that this movie was best suited for select markets only and I guess Nashville didn't make the cut. Short of driving to Atlanta, I had given up on seeing it in the theatre and patiently awaited the DVD release. But that all changed tonight. When I got home from work I thought I would check email. One of them was from a friend who I ride with and all it said was, "Thought you would want to know that The Worlds Fastest Indian is at Green Hills." Could it be true? A quick on-line check proved that it was indeed true and that I had 90 minutes to make the trek to the far side of town and the only theatre within 300 miles that was showing this film. At 7:00 I was sitting in the theatre and the movie started.

The Worlds Fastest Indian is the story of the legendary Burt Munro, a New Zealand native who most of his life dreamed of racing his Indian Scout at the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah. While continually improving his motorcycle over a period of decades and making it faster via some very unorthodoxed ways, Munro finally saves enough money to make the trip with his beloved Indian and sets off for Bonneville via Los Angeles. Anthony Hopkins is in the starring role and this movie proves yet again that Mr. Hopkins is one of the finest actors of our time. In no time at all you forget that it's Anthony Hopkins playing a role and you really believe he is Burt Munro. In fact, the performance is so strong that frankly the other characters are almost insignificant.

I won't spoil it for you by telling the whole story line but despite overwhelming odds Mr. Munro makes it to Bonneville and his motorcycle literally becomes the worlds fastest Indian. It's a great, inspiring, true story that I think should appeal to more than just the motorcycle enthusiasts around the country. Mr. Hopkins' acting is superb, the story is inspiring and yes folks, we actually have a motorcycle movie here that doesn't look like it was made on a shoestring budget. On a scale of 1 to 5  I would easily give it a 4 and if you are a motorcycle enthusiast or a "Certified Bike Nut" like me, it is a must see.

Oh, and I guess I'll have to eat my words. Not long ago I said something to the effect that Hollywood can't make a decent motorcycle movie but The Worlds Fastest Indian is a quality movie that manages to successfully capture the spirit of motorcycling. One scene in particular perhaps sums it up the best. While working on the Indian, a young neighbor boy wanders into Burt's shop and asks him if he's afraid he will crash and die. Burt looks at him and replies, "No, I can live more on a bike like this in five minutes than most people live in their entire lifetime." I couldn't have said it better myself. That's it friends... that's why we ride! Do yourself a favor and if it is in your area, go see this movie.

For more information on Burt Munro and a behind the scenes look at The Worlds Fastest Indian visit www.IndianMotorbikes.com. It is an awesome website and I would recommend reading every page on it before seeing the film.

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March 1, 2006 - I HAVE AGAIN SOMEHOW MANAGED TO SURVIVE THE DARK MONTHS

Today is March the first! Not a particularly significant day to most I suppose but to me March the first is a bonafide holiday. You see, every year as October comes to a close we enter what I call the "Dark Months". It's the period of time from November to February when temperatures are low, the skys are mostly overcast, precipitation chances are high and good motorcycle days are few and far between. Throughout the entire period I keep telling myself that if I can just make it to March the first, everything will be OK. March first is the day I can put the long underwear back in storage. March first is the day I can put the Wicked Wear face mask away for the summer. March first is the start of an eight month long motorcycle binge. I love March first and today it has come! Now don't get me wrong, we still may have a day or two here and there that remind me of January but all in all, in my mind March first marks the official turning of Winter to Spring. To celebrate, I hurried home from work today and took the Sporty out for about a fifty mile ride. It couldn't have been more beautiful! Temperatures were close to seventy today and the sky was gorgeous as the sun began to set in the west. I discovered a few new roads (one with a crazy looking intersection...see picture below) and I literally got to watch the sun go down as I was riding, before heading back home for the evening. It was awesome and a great ride to celebrate the official end of the "Dark Months". Ladies and gentlemen, prepare to ride and ride a lot... Spring is here!

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