A Simple Ride

 I've read a lot of stories and blogs where people try to describe the pleasure they receive from riding. Usually they'll talk about the wind in their face, warm sunshine or the "man and machine" factor. Maybe they'll write about the feeling of being a free spirit in nature or how they can only "wind down" while riding. I don't know what the answer is but I think it's different for everyone. I enjoy every ride but not every ride leaves me with that euphoric feeling.
 The following is something I wrote about a year ago I guess, right after one of those simple rides that somehow left me feeling pretty good.

 It was a suck ass gloomy day most of Thursday. I braved the elements on the ride in to work and spent most of the day dreaming about the ride home. When I was ready to leave work the sun came out just for me. I accidentally sped past a cop but he didn't seem interested.  The ride started on brand new smooth asphalt that still had that "new road smell". Gotta love it. I was in no hurry to get anywhere and enjoyed the idea that I could go where ever I chose just by aiming my front wheel in that direction. The bike ran strong and never missed a beat. It gave me the feeling of confidence that I could ride it anywhere worry-free.
  Sometimes the cold ride to work in the morning has a payout on the evening ride home.

  That was all I wrote about this ride. So what made it special? It had all the traditional elements of a great ride. Sun, freedom, man and machine. Was it the combination of these things? I don't think so.
 I once told the story of a wet cold ride through the entire length of Illinois. I suffered on that ride and was so miserable that I sold that Aprilia Futura which had faithfully hauled my ass around for over 72k miles. Now I don't know how to explain this but as miserable of a ride as that was, it is one of my fondest motorcycle riding memories.
 So it wasn't about sunshine because it was cloudy on that day in Illinois. It's not about a connection with the bike as I couldn't sell that bike fast enough. Freedom and oneness with nature? I don't think so because that was a 400 mile blast down the interstate in torrential rain and traffic at 80 mph. The conditions sucked but somehow everything was dialed in and felt right. Maybe it is about the connection with mother nature, but for me the weather doesn't have to be warm and sunny. Sometimes I can slip into a different dimension and just take it all in knowing everything is right, even when the weather isn't. I've tried to duplicate it but that doesn't work.
 There is an X factor involved that I can't explain so my plan is to get as much seat time as possible in search of that special ride that lingers on in my memory.

Apes and Cows

 I wonder what they would do if the gate was open? Do you think they would still be so interested in the shiny red bike?

 I think they would come over and check it out. If they could, they'd ask a bunch of questions like "who makes Aprilia?" "Is that a Harley?" Well, all except that one cow dressed in black standing by itself. He's looking the other way pretending to not be interested. Probably smells like shit. Not even another cow will stand next to him. I can relate but I'd still be checking out the Italian iron. Do you know why? Because I like all flavors of bike.
 As the former owner of this Aprilia Futura, having logged over seventy thousand miles on it, I can tell you that a bike like this will generate a lot of interest. There are not a lot of them around and this pic doesn't do it justice but that red paint is different than any other red bike you've seen. When this bike stops for fuel, someone will say something about it. The owner, Mary-Anne, sent me the pic. She told me she is thinking about selling her whole stable of bikes and getting something different. I say go for it. Life is short and there are a lot of bikes out there to be enjoyed.
 This pic gets me thinking. I do things to my bikes that I like. I think a front fender made from expanded steel is kinda cool. The same goes for tail light mounts that remind me of the Sputnik satellite or an eagle on top of a sissy bar. Am I doing it for attention? No. I don't think so. These things are an expression of myself and can also be an ice breaker to strike up a conversation with people that would not normally come near me. Kinda like our friend in the cow picture.
  So after a little chat with a stranger, I'm no longer a dick head. I'm a dick head with a cool front fender.

 Rock on with yer bad self.

Thinking About Daytona

 Tens years ago I vacationed in Florida during Daytona bike week with a couple friends. We trailered the bikes from Wisconsin to the northern part of Florida where we abandoned the truck for the week.

 It was nice to go from the crappy snow weather to warm ridable weather. Seeing the ocean and watching the waves roll in can be mesmerizing. The only waves we saw back home were when we scooped the ice chips out of a freshly drilled fishing hole. There was one cooler morning but still 50 degrees warmer than the temps back home.

 We did all the touristy stuff including the space center and of course we went to the speedway. If it had a motor, no matter how big or how small, I had to check it out.

 We ventured as far south as we could without a boat. After a few days in the Keys we headed back north to the waiting truck and trailer. It sucked to have to return to the ice and snow after such warmth. I don't know, I mean I do like the winter but not the arctic blast we've had this year.
 The bikes held up well which really isn't surprising because we spent some time going through them. A breakdown can be fun if its repairable on the spot but can ruin a vacation if the bike needs parts.
 The only real problem we had was when we stopped somewhere in Kentucky and peaked in the trailer to check the bikes. My Ape was tipped over and bouncing against the trailer wall. Ya it turned an absolutely perfect bike into a used scratched up bike but it could have been worse. If it would have tipped the other way it would have been bouncing against Jeffs Harley. Now that would have sucked.

My Back Yard

 Its been so freaking cold lately I decided to post some pics with a little green in them. 
 Here in rural wisconsin we have all the same things other rural areas have. The thing is that sometimes you need to stop and look to appreciate whats there. Sometimes you twist your neck back wondering if your mind is playing tricks. If you just fly by facing forward you will miss all the good stuff. These are a few pics taken while out riding. None of them were taken more than fifty miles from home.

No one is going to steal it when its parked like this.

I thought this would be a more interesting pic with the hard work of the amish in the foreground and the wind turbines in the background.

These guys were dining on a carcass in the road before I disturbed them.

I didn't notice it when I drove over, but when I walked this wooden bridge I discovered a lot of loose creeking boards.

I was surprised when I came around the corner and saw this guy. This pic is a few years old and I don't know if he is still there. This was taken less than ten miles from my house. Another example of not knowing until you go out and look.

Covered bridge near Saxeville.

If you don't ride on gravel then you're missing a big chunk of what nature has to offer. Plus its kinda fun to mess around on gravel twisties!

End.

Futura

 When I got rid of my big touring rig I decided I still wanted something that would eat up miles of asphalt but have some power, decent handling and the ability to haul some stuff.  I spent a lot of time looking around for the right bike. There are a lot of bikes that would have fulfilled most of my requirements but not the requirement that it be a little unusual. I didn't want the same sport touring bike as the next guy. I wanted something you don't see everyday. I wanted to be able to pick it out of a crowd of bikes with ease.
 I was on a joy ride one day and found myself at a Ducati dealer. I couldn't find anything that interested me but before I could leave a salesman cornered me. I explained what I was looking for and we discussed my riding habits. The salesman claimed he had an Aprilia Futura that would be just right for me and we headed to the back shop to look at it.
 A what? I knew about Aprilia but I wasn't familiar with the different models.

 When I first saw it I really liked the color. We pushed the bike outside into the sunlight and I fell in love with the color. The angular lines, single sided swingarm and under tail exhaust all caught my attention.

 I thumbed the starter and brought the Rotax v-twin to life. It let out a pleasing roar. I was liking what I heard but none of this mattered if it rode like crap. The salesman gave me the green light for a test ride so I grabbed my helmet and took off.

 It most certainly did not ride like crap. This was a good handling bike with decent torque and the ability to haul a lot of stuff. This Italian beauty was as close to rare or exotic as I was going to get so after about an hour long test ride I returned to the dealer to negotiate the price. We came to an agreement and it was all mine.

 I put over seventy thousand miles on this bike. It only let me down twice in all those miles and once was a bad battery. The other was a bad side stand switch that I was able to bypass and continue on my way.
 One day last fall I had to travel the entire length of the state of Illinois. It was raining, I was cold and tensing up and getting sore. For two weeks after that ride I was still sore. I don't know why this ride was so much different but it marked the end of my desire to ride this bike. I finished the season on the LTD before its transformation to the rat turd. The following spring I didn't even run a tank of fuel through the Aprilia before selling it.
 The new owner is a friend of mine. When I mentioned the bike was for sale she said "I'll take it" before I ever gave her a price. This bike has that kind of effect on people.  A few months after the sale I met up with her. I always thought of the bike as a mean machine with a serious roar. She changed the image of the bike a bit by re-installing the baffles and adding a butterfly sticker on the back. She also named the bike "Little Annie".

  The sticker and the name were a bit of a shock but only for a nano-second. I know the bike will be well cared for and enjoyed.

 When I think of the different bikes I've had and their ability to eat up miles in a hurry, this bike was by far the best. My riding habits have changed a bit over the years. For a while it was all about how far I could go in a day. Now, I still ride all day but its more about enjoyment than distance. I've slowed down a bit to catch a whiff of the roses, but don't expect me to stop.