Just a little something to think about

I found this on an internet forum in someones signature line. I thought it was cool and to the point so I copied it here for future consumption...

You see things vacationing on a motorcycle in a way that is completely different from any other. In a car you’re always in a compartment, and because you’re used to it you don’t realize that through that car window everything you see is just more TV. You’re a passive observer and it is all moving by you boringly in a frame.

On a cycle the frame is gone. You’re completely in contact with it all. You’re in the scene, not just watching it anymore, and the sense of presence is overwhelming. That concrete whizzing by five inches below your foot is the real thing, the same stuff you walk on, it’s right there, so blurred you can’t focus on it, yet you can put your foot down and touch it anytime, and the whole thing, the whole experience, is never removed from immediate consciousness.

--Robert Pirsig, "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance"

Speed vs Comfort

Motorcycling often seems to be a study in paradoxes. Riders must constantly be evaluating conditions, measuring and assessing risks and rewards, and making decisions that will affect them both immediately and long term.

One of these paradoxes is fashioned when trying to cover long miles in one day. The evaluation centers on the decision of which type of road to ride. The Interstate highway system, or the regular back highways and county surface roads that dice up our countryside. One must consider the pros and cons of this choice and decide which works best for the circumstance presented.

Beginning with the Interstate system, this was initially created by the Federal Highway Act in 1956.  The idea was to create a national system linking the entire United States fostering better travel conditions and easing troop deployment should a crisis arise.  The speed limits on the Interstate typically are considerably higher than local roads and often take the most direct line from one place to another. This higher speed and straight-line methodology fosters the most efficient method of moving from one city to another.  If you really need to make quick time of covering miles, the Interstate is the best choice to do so. 

However, the things that make it a good choice also make it a bad choice for some motorcyclists and travelers. The higher speeds and increased traffic can cause a lot of wind buffeting which can cause fatigue as the rider fights the bike through the airstreams of many passing trucks and cars. The higher speed can also make a normally comfortable bike at lower RPMs vibrate considerably at the sustained higher speeds of the Interstate system. This vibration can also cause fatigue and excess wear on the machinery as it is working near the top of the design limit range.

Local highways and county roads offer benefits to the rider however, there is a cost that must be reconciled. Often times these roads cut through rural areas and pass directly through small towns and communities along the way. Some feel this is the best way to actually experience America as compared to zipping past at high speed on the Interstate. By rolling slowly through the neighborhood, the rider can see the local flavor, feel the breeze coming off the water, and smell the cut grass and flowers as well as the factory nearby. Hearing the noontime whistle while rolling through a small town harkens one back to a simpler time, when information was passed person to person rather than instantly via social media.

The lower speeds, decreased traffic and buffeting combined with a more tolerable RPM range on the riders bike also pays dividends in the form of creature comfort. The ride becomes easier and more pleasurable and the experience seems to count more. Most of my best motorcycle riding memories is of this type of travel, not the mindless miles pounding down the interstate.  

This leisure comes at a cost as well… By slowing down along these back roads; one also assumes the longer hours spent in the saddle to get to the same place. The Interstate rider will pound along at a higher speed on a more direct line and arrive well before the back road rider. This is the conundrum presented when trying to cover long miles per day. How best to do it…?   

Extra parts –

Motorcycle repairs and maintenance often brings with it a certain level of satisfaction. The personal pride in knowing you did it yourself. The knowledge gathered from the process, an intimacy with your machine earned from being inside the working bits and pieces of the machinery. An attitude of self-reliance as the repairs were accomplished without the aid of a factory technician, or dealership mechanic; not to mention the many service related dollars saved from doing it yourself. By not paying that dealerships going hourly rate, one can save significant dollars that will be much better spent going into the gas tank for extra pleasure miles rather than paid to someone who really has less at stake than you do when considering doing the job completely and perfectly.

And that brings us to the nagging question of shade tree mechanicism (yep I made that word up).  That heart sinking moment when one gets to the end of a project and there are extra parts laying on the workbench… It happens. There are as many reasons for it as there are home do-it-yourself mechanics.
Lack of organization-Lack of familiarity with the proper assembly- Lack of manual consultation.  

It seems that every project follows a similar pattern –

Prepare the work area –

Get the bike set-up and the tools out. Have the coffee brewed and the radio set to an appropriate channel (For me it is usually the oldies rock station) Organize the newspapers required to catch fluids if you are going to work on anything that may leak or spill. Rags, and supplies and new parts should be ready (Which for me means sitting on a nearby worktable so that I can see them and not forget them).  And anything else you may need or want as the time goes by.

Dig right in –

For my Goldwing is usually means taking off the seat and plastic body panels in an attempt to get TO the mechanism needing work.  Then it’s into the repair itself. Some times, I know the proper tool, and sometimes I need to make 2 trips to the toolbox before I get the correct size. It is actually easier on the Goldwing as 2 sizes cover a lot of the misc nuts & bolts.  8 and 10 mm are common to Honda motorcycles so I always have those out. The 12 and 17 are used and of course the metric Phillips head.  This is where things get fun. If I know what to do, the time goes by easily, unless of course the unexpected pops up…Things like an oil filter stuck so hard all the Kings horsemen were required to loosen it. And the dropped washer that rolls out of the garage and into the lawn that takes 15 minutes to find. That is part of the joy and challenge of the home repairs.

One of my habits while removing parts is to put the needed fasteners with the part I have removed on a nearby table, which I have set up specifically for this purpose. I stand the table nearby but off to one side so I have to take a few steps to get to it. That way I know my actions are deliberate and thoughtful and I believe that will help me remember where each part is, and how it goes back together. Usually….However there are those surprise parts that fall off as you remove a part or fastener. Those washers that roll away, or drop into the inner workings of your bike, never to be seen again. And of course – SPACERS – the very bane of my existence. It always seems that there is a set of spacers that I was unaware of that fall near my feet. Casually I pick them up and place them on the table behind me, with the tools and supplies and rags. Not deliberately walking them to the parts table so I have an accounting of them...No instead they are placed haphazardly and absentmindedly onto the tools table because they fell while I was engrossed in making sure the light didn’t crash to the cement below.  

Reassembly –

The fun part of the project. Everything is done. The wrench twisting, the screw turning, the grunting and groaning. Even the sweating from the effort of un-sticking fasteners without breaking anything (an absolute art in itself)  Knowing the job was well done and brimming with satisfaction and pride in the success of the effort, the home mechanic effortlessly begins to re-hang the removed parts. In fact this is a good time to polish each piece so out comes the cleaner and every inch of each part of plastic, and chrome is shined as it goes back on. The evidence of fingerprints wiped clean and forever from the body panels so as to not betray the intrusion. Briskly the parts seem to fly back onto the  bike – ever less to do as the project really picks up steam and momentum. Each part replaced is a marker of triumph for the home mechanic. Finally the last part is bolted on, and the seat remounted so the bike is now ready for riding again.

Clean – up

The drudgery of the job is always the clean up. My way of doing it is to gather the garbage and start a waste bag. I toss out wrappers, and used parts as well as dirty paper towels, and empty containers. Then the bag awaits further stuffing as I begin to return the tools to their permanent home in the tool chest. I like to have a rag in hand and I wipe them off as I place them back in the proper drawers. Knowing I put them away clean helps assure me they will be ready when I am for the next project.  Soon they will all be back in place and I can go out on that test ride…

Then I see them – those spacers I so carelessly placed on the wrong table! Damn my inattention! How could I leave these off the bike? Why did I not notice them as I reassembled the housing?!  What should I do now..?

Here is where the human aspect of motorcycle maintenance becomes apparent…I ask myself this telling question… “How important are these spacers?” Of course I already know the answer. The designer wouldn’t have put them in if they weren’t needed. But it means I have to take the tools back out, and the parts off again…

And the cycle repeats……

Weather & Compromise – The condition bank.

How often is the weather exactly perfect? Not often enough that’s for certain. And if the weather is just right usually, why do so many local folks (regardless of where you go, the people are always local folks as you are the visitor) talk about the changeability of the weather? You know you’ve heard it… “If you don’t like the weather just wait a few..” . You know the rest – I know you do!

If you ride a motorcycle, you have to contend with all sorts of weather conditions. Often it is too cold, or too hot or perhaps raining or windy. Far too infrequently is it just perfect. So in order to be a rider one has to compromise and ride in less than ideal weather conditions more often then not. Otherwise, you would rarely ride anywhere. (Some motorcycle owners are like this but in my world fair weather motorcyclists are not really riders – but it may account for the vast number of low mileage bikes in the world especially around Milwaukee).

Here is what generally seems to happen. There are times when the weather is just a bit too cold or warm to be completely comfortable. As a rider, I try to dress for the conditions and ride anyway. Sometimes I get the dressing guesswork correct, and other times not.  It seems that the perfect match of weather and riding gear is a very small window of opportunity and a shift of even a few degrees can make a big difference in how we ‘feel’ the weather. Once I am rolling and get a real impression of my choice of attire for the ride I ten must satisfy myself with the knowledge that I learned a bit more about what to wear in order to be comfortable.

I usually soften my self-evaluation with COMPROMISE. If I dress too lightly and my arms are getting a bit cold, I say to myself.. “Sure it may feel too cool right now, but remember this when you are riding in HOT conditions some future day”. Therefore, I compromise with myself – I like to ‘bank’ those miles I am riding in the cold for days I ride in the heat. For ME – being a little too cold is better than being a little too hot. I know if I get too cold, I can add clothes, but there is a limit to what I will ride without. I ride with all the gear, all the time – I would rather sweat than bleed.

Someday when I am riding and it is really HOT – I will simply remember the ride when I was a little too cold and it seems to make one ride or the other somehow better. It is an easy withdrawal from my riding weather bank.  On those days when I am too cold I think of those rides when the humidity was over the comfortable index and think of how it could be worse. With this little mind game I am able to find enjoyment in a lot of differing weather conditions – and thereby find myself riding my motorcycle a lot more often than those who would not ride in cool or hot temps.

Motorcycle Haiku - Japanese Poetry

I currently own 2 Honda motorcycles- a 1996 GL1500 Goldwing, the epitome of grand luxury touring motorcycles. A purpose built machine that defines the category and sets a standard for all other manufacturers to strive to match. And a  1982 CX500 Custom which is a vintage cruiser from the late 70’s and early 80’s that was a radical design concept for motorcycles of the day with it’s liquid cooling and shaft drive. Today’s CX variant motorcycle have attained a cult-like following with devotees across the globe sharing information and admiration for these bikes through the internet.

I was reading an online article about Japanese poetry - the Haiku - and it's very simple form and function process'. The Haiku is meant to "strip away" as many unnecessary sounds as possible and to leave behind a pure and elegant message on a subject. This passion toward elegant simplicity is culturally Japanese and shows itself in many forms in the products they build, as well as this poetic art form. As I own two Japanese motorcycles, I thought this might be a way to experiment with my writing, and honor the creators and designers of my favorite toys.

Traditional Japanese Haiku requires a rigid form with rules dictating certain elements like a mention of a 'season' of sorts within the poem thus always rendering it about nature and time.

Evolved Haiku has corrupted those rules and offers more simple rules that only dictate form and some very expansive functions :

Simple Haiku form - 17 syllables

Line 1 = 5 syllables– set the context
Line 2 = 7 syllables– add depth to content
Line 3 = 5 syllables– summarize or juxtaposition.
So I wanted to play around with a few just to offer something to all you motorcycle enthusiastic souls...

CX500 Variant Specific Poems

Twisted Twin Form

Engineers Inspiration

Beholders Beauty

The Café Racer

Simple, Elegant, Light Weight

Speed Personified

CX500

Middleweight motorcycle

Faster than you think

Liquid cooled, shaft drive

Radical innovations

Less garage, more ride

Cult like following

Devotion to the design

Riders love affair

Goldwing Inspired

Luxury riding

Comfort for mile after mile

Flying too close to the ground

One thousand miles

Long distance super hero

Ironbutt rider

Required tool kit?

Credit card, cell phone, some cash

Full reliability

Big heavy beastie

Dancing Hippopotamus

800 pounds wet

Simple or complex

The Goldwing can be either

Riding or wrenching?

Lead to learn – The Following Syndrome

Over the course of many trips, both in a car and on my motorcycle, I have finally realized that being the leader or running alone is a much better way to experience the travel as one passes through any geography.  There are significant advantages to being a follower, however being the lead increases travel passion.

Being a single rider (traveler) is akin to being a Lead rider as the process of leading oneself engages fully with the process due to its potential impact should something go badly. A lone traveler must be focused and engaged on the travel process to assure the trip works as planned.

The process of following; either a single leader or as a part of a group dynamic has many advantages over being a lone traveler. The group features company, people with whom to talk, and the comfort of knowing if trouble arises, there will be someone there to help. The group ride has many of the same features as following a single leader and for the purposes of this post, they will be synonymous. Having someone else lead is easier and offers the follower an opportunity to really become a sightseer while rolling down the road. The follower has only to keep track of where they are in proximity to the leader. By casually monitoring the leader, the follower is free to dedicate attention to the passing landscape. The follower has very little responsibility as compared to the leader. Simply ..to follow…!

The leader conversely has tremendous responsibility to either the single follower or the group. The leader must plan the route, and continually monitor the progress to ascertain the plan is properly executed. The leader makes decisions in route as the planned activity is shaped by weather, problems, and other outside factors.  Keeping the follower or group in tow, and adjusting plans to accommodate others personal needs , like comfort stops, or hunger pangs, the leader must constantly make adjustments to the plan, and weigh the consequences of any changes as it affects the days ride; all the while compromising with the follower. Further the leader hopefully has some knowledge to share with the follower about the local area, particular area features, or even topography. When doing this via motorcycle it adds another layer of chance – weather!

However – the LEADER has the great pleasure of experiencing the travel in a way a FOLLOWER cannot. The leader’s full engagement with the travel process lends itself to a better experience and a greater learning environment. Because the leader must be completely attentive to the process of travel; the route plan, the stops, the unexpected; the travel itself becomes more intense. The leader is more keenly focused on the process minute by minute and place to place than when compared to the relative safety of being a follower.  Because of this “hyper-awareness”, the leader (or single) traveler notices and remembers better everything the group encounters along the way. The vistas of beauty are more intense, the problems a bit more severe, the food a bit more enjoyable and the sights more memorable. The focus required to be the leader (single) forces that person to live in the moment and feel the fullness of the  experience.

Garage Day..The act of cleaning ones soul

It seems every group of motorcycle enthusiasts has one. That one place, and more importantly, that one guy who has a fabulous garage, all set up for working on motorcycles. It is not uncommon to find riders of a variety of brands gathered in that driveway any time of the night, any night of the week, and especially on a Saturday!.

The local wrench is more than just folklore. He is the center of the community for many. He has all the tools, and the knowledge of just what to do to solve any symptom your bike may be suffering. Usually this fella has a sidekick or two...guys who are almost as good mechanically, but lack the space or the good nature to openly dispense advice, time, tools use, and effort.  These guys are amazing to watch when they are called into action. They can often strip a bike down to bare the problem, and have a repair under way before the novice could find the correct page in the service manual. It always seems they either have the required part on a shelf, in a pile or at a nearby associates place.  Triage and surgery and recovery all in the same afternoon in most cases. And routine maintenance is a delight for them, as they sit back , and watch the uninitiated learn by doing under the tutelage of the masters.  Watching the newbie sort through 4 wrenches before finding the right size, or making a general mess of themselves as the oil change goes badly, and fresh oil seems to always pour straight through an engine that has not had its drain plug replaced.

Certainly this interesting phenomenanon of motorcyclist behavior repeats itself every summer weekend in every town across America.  Close your eyes, and open your heart and you will experience it as well. The camaraderie is a shared experience;  as the insults and jabs are traded within the guidelines of unwritten and universally known rules through out the entire time spent either turning wrenches or playing know-it-all. Bonding over a common interest, and it is not necessarily motorcycles, but rather the call of humankind to be part of a group. To belong somewhere rather than nowhere. The need to gather, and share, and experience as one. It seems rather incongruous that people who guard their independence and singularity as vehemently as motorcycle enthusiasts, the very picture of a rugged individual, would be drawn to this congregation.

However it is this behavior, this act of joining and participation, that validates the soul. It gives shelter from the cold world where dangers lurk around every corner. It offers a larger sense of self, and truer definition of the oblique nature of being human in every person not with standing their daily actions.

The Garage Day is more than just a day or place to repair ones motorcycle. ....

It is also a place to find yourself by looking into others for your reflection.