The Yin and Yang of Road Maintenance.

FRESH OIL It is a sign I never really like to see while riding and I'm not alone.

Well, that sign means that uncertainly lies ahead immediately, but in future the road will be better. Nobody likes construction while is occurs. But if it does not get done we end up with a crappy road, which is far worse than any construction honestly.

So, here we are on the AZ88 and Phase 2 of a paving project is ending, but hopefully this is not the end...


Yes, the road to Tortilla Flat is in horrible disarray and needs paved badly. You would think with all the revenue created and paid on this roadway (I know I have made my contribution) it would be the best paved road in AZ. But no, it is falling apart, much like the economy of our State has in the hands of our current Governor.

I've learned that a Phase 3 is on the table just waiting for funds and that remarkably a Phase 4 exists, yet we are seriously unlikely to see it happen with the current leadership.

Time will tell, but in a couple weeks the first two phases will be beautiful traction.

First Ride Complete!

Getting to know any new bike takes a little time and there is nothing like running it for a few hundred miles to figure out what's what.

After today's ride with a few friends I'm now starting to tweak the bike to me and adjust myself to it. I'm probably looking at at the least a handlebar change and I've already adjusted the suspension after finding I had a little bit too much sag.

All in all I'm happy with the return of a V-Rod to my garage and I might even wash her for the first time tonight!

Completing a Theme

Ever since I sold my V-Rod a few years ago Rick (Ricky on SWRides.com) has been bugging me about the custom set of skins that I kept off of my bike.

I told him that I eventually would be putting them back on my own V-Rod again and if that changed we might have to talk.

Recently he upgraded his bike with a 230 rear tire and I even talked about it here. Well at that time he looked in my garage and asked again what it would take. The real hold back for me was that for one I did want the chance to put them on my own V-Rod and I never sold them because some people just don't appreciate things beyond how much money they spent and they would not truly get what this skins were about.

In case you can't tell or you have never seen this set of skins they are a a depiction of Gargoyles being born from lava and springing to life to protect the innocent. You see Gargoyles are not evil and in fact protect people from evil. I'd had offers for this paint set before but usually the guy made some odd comment about how "evil" they looked and how he could be a badass not to be screwed with, with them on his bike. Usually I don't care about something I am selling, but with gargoyles it is different.

Anyway, 4 years and a day after these skins were completed here they rest now on a guys bike who will both respect them and display them proudly and properly.

Not to mention, it was a fun thing to do on the day of a bad moon rising!

You can see more shots of Rick's bike and the progression here - Click for gallery!

Here We Go!!

I see the bad moon arising.
I see trouble on the way.
I see earthquakes and lightnin.
I see bad times today.

Chorus:Dont go around tonight,
Well, its bound to take your life,
Theres a bad moon on the rise.

I hear hurricanes ablowing.
I know the end is coming soon.
I fear rivers over flowing.

I hear the voice of rage and ruin.
Hope you got your things together.
Hope you are quite prepared to die.
Looks like were in for nasty weather.
One eye is taken for an eye.

Nothing like a full Moon in these times to bring this song to mind. Of course this song also holds a few other meanings that run the gambit from good to bad. (In the best Dr. Horrible Voice, He he heeee)

Maybe there is something in the air? Maybe it is just Ike?

But tomorrow things will certainly be different all the way from the East Coast, to Indy and possibly here!

Halloween is just around the corner, will you be scared to venture out?

Group vs Solo

It is interesting how topics seem to come in waves and one recent one that I have heard, seen and had in the past couple months has been centered around Group vs Solo riding. Typically the conversation is started by a person who strictly rides solo or with just one other rider talking about the danger of group rides and how they will not do them anymore.

Of course the term "Group Ride" seems to vary, from anything like a group of people who have just met, to a close knit group of friends to a Poker Run. They all involve groups and they all have fans and riders who avoid them, yet typically a person who doesn't like one type of group ride lumps them all together and avoids them all.

As I stated before the primary objection about group rides is that they are dangerous and about the best response I've see so far is this. -

There is no problem with group rides. There are however, problems with some riders on a group ride.

And to the heart of the issue that is the problem, remove just one rider and a group ride can go from a mess to perfect harmony on the road.

I've learned some very interesting things about group riding dynamics over the years and while I am no expert I do have a wide array of experience with all different types of group rides, from HOG rides, to Poker Runs, informal gatherings and organized runs. I haven't just been on a few of each either, it has been a lot of time and miles riding around others and I've noticed a few trends.

People that ride poorly or beyond their limits are much like someone who has drank too much alcohol. They don't believe they are doing what you say and will take great offense to anyone who points it out. It doesn't matter what type of bike they ride either, from a Harley to a sportbike the rider who puts others at risk will justify things to no end and immediately go on the defensive to prove that all others ride dangerously as well.

I've noticed that when a leader is assigned as a person not to pass there are some who want them to go faster and others that want them to go slower. Typically when a leader is getting (there are exceptions) complaints that he or she is too slow it is one rider and that person is usually the "one" that is more willing to take more risk on the road. They see themselves as a more experienced rider, but in reality a more experienced rider understands risks and what consequences occur when adding risk to a group ride.

Much like the situation of the "Drunk" I've found that some people like to point out how dangerous a person is, but will never tell that person to their face and afterwards act like their actions or behavior is all cool. All the while stating that they would never ride with them and that "they will get their's in the end." I try not to be that way and try to state how I feel and have even stated how others have felt. That has a cost in the long run, as without any support from those who will not state things publicly I tend to look like I have an agenda against certain individuals. (Oh well) Since people who get upset with me and say things to others never have bothered to ask me why I would say such a thing, they go off thinking that I have the problem and of course put others in danger. Over the years I have watched these people go off into major crashes, and one particular incident where one rider killed another, walked away and didn't think he had any responsibility for the incident.

So, with all that you might think I am against group rides. I'm not, in fact when the rules are understood ahead of time and people can control their personal "drive to ride" with the group in mind, trips become a lot of fun.

There is nothing like hanging with a bunch of friends at the end of a day talking about the sights and sounds, the trip ahead and the freedom of the open road to make me smile at the end of a day.

Of course, just as equally fulfilling for me is the relaxation that comes when I am the only thing on the road, purring along as the miles go by without a concern for schedule, the safety of others and when that next motorcycle next to me will need fuel.

I have found out you can truly tell a lot about a person by how they respect others through their actions, not their words.

Well, would you look at That?!?

Yes, that is a VRod and yes, that is my garage.......



But, nope....not mine! ;)

It is actually forum member Ricky's and today Ricky, Rix-ster, James K and I tore into his bike.

We increased the rear tire size with a swing arm swap, upgraded the wheels with custom chrome ones and did a few other things. It was a full day of fun, kidding around and having fun all while working on a motorcycle.

I'll let Ricky tell you all the modification we did on his bike today and you can find photos of our fun - Click here!

The First Step?

For many riders the first step was a cruise around the block with zero training and zero understanding of a motorcycle. It is a risky way to learn and being that even a well-trained individual can be killed on a motorcycle it is a serious risk, without even understanding what the risks are in the first place.

That was exactly how I started to first ride a motorcycle on the street. I had previously ridden in the dirt and thought I was pretty darn good, so riding on the street should be an issue at all, right? Well, it was a little different, but not all that big of a deal for the time I rode, all without training and without a license. When we are young sometimes we make unwise decisions, some pay for it and others don't. For me the need for speed got me tied up with a telephone pole on a two-wheeled vehicle. It shattered my elbow into 32 individual pieces and required a 4-hour surgery and 2 weeks in the hospital. Lucky for me the bike was pedal powered, but the physics of the operation of that bike were exactly the same. So were the physiological reaction to uncertainty. Most call it target fixation, when in reality it is simple inaction.

I decided after that incident that I lacked the maturity to handle understanding consequences beyond my knowledge and swore off bikes completely. It would take about 15 years before the draw became overwhelming enough for me to ride again.

Now, older and wiser I made the decision (with the aid of advice from a good friend) to properly learn how to ride a motorcycle by taking a MSF course. What I didn't know was that the course would also help me understand the risks involved in riding a motorcycle and how I could control how much risk I was willing to accept.

Back in College when I was a Music Performance Major a ensemble Professor made a statement that has stuck with me through life. He said that "Practice does not make Perfect, only Perfect Practice makes Perfect." It was based upon a point in the music that was never really right. He stopped and made us make it right without mistake and the session went late into the night because of that practice. His point was that people practice things wrong all the time and that all it does is make us better or more comfortable at being wrong.

Anything that requires skill, also requires that every so often that you break that skill down to the very basic and analyze it. Better yet, get input from others who are better than you to improve. If get complacent you'll make mistakes and while mistakes by an Orchestra may just sound bad, a mistake on a motorcycle can end your life.

For that reason I personally seek out ways to practice and be critiqued by others that are better than me in certain skills sets. I also strive to pass this knowledge on, because to show a skill you must first understand it at the fundamental level and then be able to execute it correctly in a consistent manner.

If you really want to Practice Perfect you must start at the beginning, so here I am.....again.