Why Do I Ride? (Part 2 of 5)

If you ask most riders why they ride you'll hear a whole bunch of stuff. Usually it is feel good, wind in your hair, freedom of the road, if you have to ask blah blah stuff, that I myself have even stated to others, quite frequently. But recently I've changed my answer to something that is a whole lot more clear, and when another rider gets upset with my answer....well, I have to call BS.

I ride because it is dangerous.

Plain and simple, it is something that makes me different and it makes me feel alive. Not a drone stuck in a box moving through life one block at a time. I can use more of the road and can control how much or how little risk I can take almost every instance of a ride....including when I choose to sit still. This obsession called riding is easier to obtain than driving a race car, more easily repeatable than skydiving and a lot cheaper than a dozen other things that would give the same thrill. Now danger doesn't mean purposely placing myself in danger and don't confuse dangerous with a death wish, those two are completely different, as the goal when riding is not to die, nor is it to get closer to death!

Once I came to the above conclusion about riding it made it a lot easier to understand squids and other high risk takers, but honestly the discovery came because I finally met the complete opposite of a squid, which I though was a cager that doesn't understand bikes, but in reality, much, much worse.

What could be worse, than someone who doesn't understand riding slamming the draw to riding? Well, that would be a rider who believes the only proper way to ride is to ride so safely, it removes all the fun and excitement completely. I'll delve into this a bit more soon.

Anyway, back to my statement about danger. Anyone who has ridden with me, or talked to me would make the determination that I am more often than not safe. And those who would be quick to point out moments when I've taken risk would also have to say that I only put myself at risk. I don't dive head on at other vehicles, but honestly I understand the rush. (Just not gonna put myself there if it is avoidable.)

Riding and Living (Part 1 0f 5)

I got back on a street motorcycle eight years ago and I've made quite a few discoveries in that time. One of the most surprising things I've found is how aggressive some riders can be about how "they" think people should interact. They have opinions about riding, what they consider to be safe and unsafe and then what they feel comfortable about talking about, but the more opinionated they are about "their" approach the less likely they are to "allow" other opinions, including trying to discredit people's riding, calling them names and even sometimes threatening physical violence over how someone else chooses to do something by themselves.

Now, let me be clear before confusion arises, that I am talking about personal choices that are made on solo rides, or decisions made in small groups when all the riders know one another, not people unknown to one another riding together. When taking a personal risk directly affects the risk level of others, respect must be given to the safety of other's.

I've always accepted other's opinions, regardless if I agree with them or not. That is until they try to shove it down my throat, or if that opinion places me directly in risk and then I'll stand up and defend my position, right or wrong. Even then I don't ask that others accept my position, just that they consider there may be another viewpoint.

Anyway, this all leads me to the recent discovery that those who risk everything sometimes are a lot less worse than what I'll call safety Nazi's. And I'm not talking someone who has the balls to talk safety, but those who state that advanced training and trackdays are unsafe because they teach people to ride at a risky level.

As I continue I'll set a few definitions and then maybe my point of view will make more sense to others.

More Control - Better Looking

I've had a custom lever from CRG on the clutch side of my ST1300 for some time know and I truly loved the way it worked and how it felt while in use. My only complaint was that CRG did not spend the time to make a matching control for the brake side.

While the factory brake side lever is adjustable it was a huge, bulky lever that did not lend itself to trail braking and extended, constant use. On long cross country hauls it was fine, but for use in Ironman events and tight control issues it got to be slightly bothersome.

I had always wanted a better brake side control and there are a couple options but nothing I was willing to jump at until a group buy for the ASV levers was posted on SouthWestRides.com. When this group buy was posted I checked out the options and decided to jump. The price certainly made it easier, but I can tell you full price is worth the cost.

I mentioned the CRG's which I loved. I loved them because of their adjustability on the fly and the feel. Well, so far the ASV's have a similar feel and are infinitely more adjustable, due to their clicker adjustability, which gives about 60 to 160 positions between full-in and full-out.

My only concern about the ASV's is the replacement for the brake plunger that doesn't seal like the factory one did, but with the way I maintain and clean a bike I should be fine.

Now functionality aside, I also love the look of these new levers. Gold and black is the standard option, I traded the black wheels for red and I think I have some pretty nice new bling on my one of a kind ST1300.

Knowledge Up, Knee Down - Total Control

I have had a very interesting year so far, one that started in reality last year at the end of April when I took a Total Control Advanced Riding Clinic that was an intern class for a few of the newest Instructors that had been trained by Lee Parks, the originator of that very clinic. I took a lot away from that class, not only in specific skills and the ability to critique them on the fly, but a deeper understanding and appreciation of what I was getting from motorcycling itself.

For those who know me, they will recognize that when I have an opinion it is based typically upon a lot of data and observation and while I am typically confident in that opinion I do always keep an open mind to other possibilities and constantly balance what is (in my mind) with what can be possible. Now, for those who don't know me that well I may seem unyielding in my opinion, but with just a few exceptions, that is not the truth.

That being said when I first attended the TCARC it was to improve my skills on the motorcycle. What happened was that I did improve skills, (that is me above a year ago) but I also started a path of improving myself. The clinic addresses a lot of things in 8 hours and one specific area is the mental side of riding, both how it works and what it means. Delving deep into that issue re-awoke my passion for training and because of that a year later I found myself taking the MSF RiderCoach prep and became a certified and active RiderCoach.

While the RiderCoach position is enjoyable and rewarding, I wanted more. I had awoken a beast so to speak. I wanted to both learn more, better myself and be able to help others enjoy more, from both their motorcycles and life. For I honestly believe that motorcycling done right makes us better people and based upon my experiences and data I'd take a person I least like on a motorcycle over any Joe Schmo any day.

During my RiderCoach classes I was befriended by a guy that had actually been an Instructor at my TCARC class a year earlier. During our 4 weeks training together I expressed that I would love to Instruct the TCARC, but was unsure of my skill level. He chuckled and told me that he felt I was certainly at the proper level and should pursue that goal. His name is Tealdo Teal and thanks to his initial reaction I started a path that has lead to to what will be reveled at the end of this post. :)

After our MSF RiderCoach Prep had concluded I continued forward, completed intern training and then gained my State Certification. I quickly started Coaching. During this time I expressed interest in taking the training to become a TCARC Instructor. Since these Instructors are handed picked and must be sponsored I was unsure what the likelihood of me becoming a candidate was, or when it might happen. Turns out things would move a lot faster than I ever imagined...

As I prepared to leave on a cross country trip to visit my Father in Alabama I got a call that a TCARC Instructor class was to be held in Houston and that if I wanted, I should attend. The class was scheduled for two weekends after I was to arrive at my Father's. This caused me to radically change my plans visiting my Father, it also meant I would have limited time to study and then the challenge of how to get my bike back across the country one week later arose. I ran several different plans though the mental process, including riding from my Father's to Houston and leaving the bike, riding from AZ to Houston, trailering to Houston and they finally renting a bike in Houston and riding that for the class.

I tried in vain to find a ST1300 for rent and then as luck would have it the dealership where the class was to be held rented bikes. The catch? The dealership was Mancuso Harley-Davidson and the bike would be a Sportster! I had ridden a Sportster once before in my life and only on a test ride, so the entire ordeal was to be an experience.

I arrived home from Alabama, had one week to study the materials that had been sent to me for the class and I found myself on a plane headed to Houston, for what I though was 4 days of training. As it turned out I was needed for 5 days, because a student class would be held after our 4 days to allow us to come up to speed in the Instructing the Clinic.



As you can see, me and the Sportster melded rather well, my only regret was that it wasn't my bike and that there simply was no possible way for me to put a knee down on a bike where my legs were sticking out in front of me. (I did however get proficient at placing my elbow on my knee through corners.)

At the end of the Instructor Class Lee congratulated me on my ability to absorb and understand the information that I had only had for a week and remembering what I had learned from a class a year earlier. I was given the assignment of presenting the 10-steps to proper cornering the next day in the student class, and I was to present two of the riding demos, including transitions. I was extremely happy of my accomplishments, but in perspective that was to change the very next day.

After the student class the following day Lee pulled me aside and asked if I might be available for the weekend of July 11. I knew he would be training Marines in Camp Pendleton, but the reason he wanted me to come out completely surprised me, as he wanted me to come to California to take his TCARC Level 2 and the the next day to take the Level 2 Instructor Class. My answer....YES!

During the time before I headed to Houston, Tealdo had given me a little refresher on the range with the exercises and actually helped make sure my homework was on target. I called him when I returned and as luck would have it so did Lee. Tealdo was also invited to head to California and on Friday of last week we both headed to Oceanside, California for a couple days of Level 2 sweetness. This time however I would have my bike and the first set of knee sliders I had ever owned. I wanted to touch my knee during the weekend and at the end of the first day I did. I was ecstatic! My goal had honestly been achieved as I had put a knee down, so to speak. That night Tealdo and I talked about how cool it was and I stated that I really wanted a photo of me actually doing the deed so to speak and after a day of training Lee got this shot!




There are 2 things that are very important about this shot. The first is that I am not simply touching my knee down, but dragging it through the entire corner. The second is that the Feedback that lead to me dragging, from simply touching came from fellow Instructors, not Lee himself! That's the overall beauty of the Total Control Advanced Riding Clinic, its curriculum while created by Lee does not need him present to work!

Of course you'll now be hearing me talk a lot more about training and its benefits, and how using the technology given in TCARC Level 1 and 2 will make you a safer rider, a better rider and a better person overall.

At the end of the weekend I was given this piece of paper, but I have brought home a better understanding of my skills, my abilities and myself as a human being. All of this in Total Control.

And Suddenly, Summer Is Here!

Yes, that's hot, and considering that it is in my garage you might get the idea that I've moved closer to the Sun. Nope, not so, but Summer has arrived in Arizona and after a complete day out in the heat I can tell you it is time to reconsider how I'll be riding in the next few months.

Early starts of course helps but in a couple weeks it will be in the 100's even at 2 am so an overall plan for riding it the best approach.

I spend most of my time this time of the year hydrating as much as possible, and eating lots of fruits and veggies also seems to help. During the day I keep my meals evenly spaced, often and in small portions, which leads to a lot less issues in the long haul.

Now normally I'd be avoiding riding in the middle of the day and at the hottest times of the day or if I did I'd pick cooler routes. But, thanks to a few opportunities I've actually been spending a LOT of time on ranges and not on little bikes either.

I still have a few photos that need to be obtained and a report to finish and you'll see what I've been doing.

Stay tuned and Stay COOL!!

Argus Battery Bug for Motorcycles

Back in 2007 while walking the floor of the SEMA show in Las Vegas I discovered a product called the Argus Battery Bug. It was a cool little unit that was marketed as a way to monitor your batteries health. The only issue with the unit they were showing at the time was that is wasn’t very practical for motorcycle use. I actually spent about 20 minutes with the engineer at their telling him what would like to see and he actually took notes!

Fast-forward to 2008 and I stopped by Argus booth and was surprised that both guys working the booth remembered me and then they excitedly showed me their new Motorsports Battery Bug. This one would be able to be mounted away from the battery and had a much better cable that could be routed in a manner to place the display somewhere it could be viewed.

There is not much to review on this product. It shows the voltage on the battery and the percentage of life left on the battery to start the vehicle. In a nutshell you’ll be buying piece of mind. It allows you at a glance to understand that you are first of all not taxing the electrical system with electrical components and that when you shut the bike down or right before you start, you’ll have enough cranking power to accomplish that task.

I recently installed one on my ST1300 right before my trip to Alabama and it provided me with quiet comfort that all was good with my battery. In the past I’ve never been sure when my battery might give up the ghost, so it will be interesting to see exactly how well the Argus Battery Bug serves its purpose. I’ll report back when I find out more, but I am pretty sure this will be a “long term” review.

A Little Trip to Barber

In July of 2007 I was able to visit the Barber Motorsports Museum for the first time (Barber Photo Set) and was stunned by the absolute perfection in execution of the facility itself and the attention to detail of the restoration and preservation of the bikes.

The reason I was so interested in restored bikes was not because I was actually restoring a bike, but I had just completed a tribute of sort. The bike as most know is my ST1300, but what most do not know is that the bike was styled after the race bikes that made Honda the company that it is today. When Honda finally won the TT on the Isle of Mann, they achieved what Soichiro Honda had proclaimed that they would do just a few years before.

While my goals might not be as lofty I at least like to do what I say I am going to do and when I visited that museum I decided I needed to get a shot of my bike in front of it, even though it was 1800 miles away.

The reason I was able to visit Barber was because my father lived just 60 miles away, so the easiest way to make what I wanted to happen was to ride to see my father. I of course did that and then was able to get the above photo after riding to Barber the day after I arrived at my father's.

I stopped in the museum again, snapped a few shots and had a great conversation with one of the stewards of the bikes. Then after a little conversation I got to do something I was asked to not publish, so you'll have to see me in person and I'll tell you what it was. Of course if you follow this blog, you probably can figure it out.

Here are a few shots from my trip, including my dad's house and a few things along the way. I had fun and I'm now ready to set another goal.

Shots from the Trip!