A Merry Moto Christmas

‘Twas the Night before Christmas and all through the garage, not a creature was stirring not even Stegy.

The bikes were all snuggled, warm in their spots, while visions of carbon fiber and high octane fuel danced in their ECM's.

I had just settled in from dodging some birds when all of the sudden from above, I heard a great clatter.

It wasn’t a dry clutch, nor a really loud exhaust, but something different, while familiar in a way.

Across the drying irrigation water I saw the reflection of spoked wheels on the roof. Above I head the squeaking of race boots and the whirring of a generator.

I don’t have a chimney, so I was rather confused. I ran to the downstairs door and burst out on the lawn.

As I turned to the roof I heard the familiar release of velcro and saw the tire warmers being thrown in a trike.

What did I see but a round little man in red and white leathers. He gave me a wink and I heard his fuel pump buzz and then with a flip of his thumb his stead roared to life.

Up off my roof and into the sky I heard him declare “Merry Christmas to all and to all Safe Rides!”

Everyone Dreams, Yes?

Ah, the perfect garage.....it is a core dream we all have and trust me no matter what you have you always seem to want the next level. I mean when the owner of Barber Motorsports Museam talks about his next step you know everyone dreams.

Well, for me there has always been a balance better 2 bikes. And just recently I arrived at what I thought was the perfect balance and then.....well, a Redhead came along.

First, I wasn't looking for another bike, I just happened to ask for a display bike for the SWR Awards Event from Ducati Superstore. Since the event was an Italian Potluck I thought it would be cool to have a spunky Italian attend. I asked Steve Walker of Ducati Superstore if we could use one at the event and he said yes. All I had to do was pick it up the day of the event and return it on Tuesday when they opened again. What an EVIL plan!!!! (His, not mine.)

So, I pick the bike up ride it to my house and then I had a few questions for Steve...they were #1 - Can I wash i? #2 What type of gas does it take? #3 Can I take it on a ride?

I got my answers, Yes - HiTest - Yes.

Step one was washing the bike. For me nothing helps me bond and understand a vehicle better than detailing it. Not understanding how it performs, but how it is designed and how air will flow around it. If you have not figured it out, It is a Ducati Hypermotard and this bike has a very hidden beauty. I washed her very quickly and water flows off this bike in an almost magical manner. Being a naked small bike it was clean and dried quickly.

Well, the event went well and the next day I was anxious to discover this bike. I'll write a review of that experience a little later, but I'm currently looking at financing plans. LOL

BTW, the bike even fits in my garage almost like it was made to live there.

The lure is incredible and I think I've found the perfect mix of bikes. An American V-Twin with a German designed engine, A Japanese sport-sport touring bike and an Italian standard that rides like a sport bike.

Additionally, I think I have found the one and only one bike that makes me think that dealing with a chain wouldn't be such a bad thing.

Time will tell.

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.

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.

10,000+ Bugs, 300 Miles and 2 Birds

This is the time of the year when a ride up North from Phoenix yields a reward, one in the form of cool temperatures and the occasional refreshing rain. It of course can also throw a good Monsoon at you as well, so the prepared rider is ready for it all.

This of course is in stark contrast to what many think when they envision Arizona but the fact of the matter is that on Sunday I left 90º in Mesa with a few other riders to enjoy 64º in Sedona just a few hours later.

One side effect of the rain we are getting this year is of course bugs and in my 11 years in Arizona this summer seems to have delivered more bugs than I have seen before. Of course Spring still takes the cake, but bug are bug, so no matter when you get them you eventually have to clean them. Well, I do at least!

Along with my bug population control this weekend I also had one of the most aggressive hits from a bird that I can remember in recent history, so much so I had to clean my helmet visor and the guy behind me almost got blow back.

Ah well, it was an awesome ride and the time in the cool weather up North made the 110º easier to handle as I rolled into home.

The Road Warrior

I had the chance to meet up with James Kingstone today, he is the guy that just finished a 15K trip of the US.

He had a ton of strories to share and I will share his Blog a little later when I get landed.

Here in the next few weeks we'll have meet and greet, so stay tuned to SWRides.com!

Page 2...

Those were the words that Paul Harvey used to use to introduce "The Rest of The Story" when as a child I listed to him weekly at my grandfather's house in Lisbon, Ohio.

And that is where my Buell Ulysses is headed, for its next page, so to speak.

Her new owner picked her up tonight, after I rode her home for one last time.

That bike has provided a lot of good times over the last few years and hopefully I'l be riding with and passing her on the road soon. Maybe the new owner will pop into the forums and say hello.

The garage is a little more roomy, but if all goes well that will not last for long.

Stay tuned folks, for the Rest of the Story!

German Bike Night

SWR member mrogge offered to hold a Bike Night on Wednesday for members and is even offering a 25% discount on the total bill for coin holders. I would say I was being polite to stop by, but the truth is that the food is great and the beverages are very very tasty!!

While it was just mrogge, oddity and myself tonight I think this place should be a good stop for a lot of folks and look forward to the growth of this Bike Night.

With the TT Roadhouse on Tuesday, Zur Kate on Wednesday and the westside on Thursday, SWR is well on its way to a full week schedule.

Ohio Trip - Numbers Tell The Story

I'm working on a very detailed story about my trip to Ohio and back but I thought I would share some numbers.

4242.2 - Total Miles Traveled
700 - Average Miles per day (3) on trip back
646 - Average Miles per day (3.25) on trip to Ohio
$404.86 - Total Gas Bill
$257.79 - Hotel Bill
$222.13 - Food Cost
$116.05 - Parts (Unexpected)
$9 - Tolls
6 - Number of times I thought I forgot to put on my glasses
3 - Number of nights in Hotels headed to Ohio
2 - Number of nights in Hotels headed back from Ohio
2 - Number of Bike Nights attended (Salem, OH and Sharon, PA)
2 - National Landmarks Visited
2 - Old National Highways Traveled (66 and 30)
2 - Number of days I was rained on.
2 - Number of times I saw police behind me with lights on.
1 - Numbers of days I was hailed on.
0 - Number of times I actually forgot to put on my glasses.
0 - Number of times stopped by police.

Just Another Day!

Today ROCKED!!

I got to see a few things and experience nothing but awesome weather the whole way.

Above is a screen shot of my just over 600-mile day.

I am know just a few hours away from my Mother's house and then I'll be taking a lot more time to take some shots of all the cool roads I remember as a kid.

Time to sleep now, but after I am rested it is off to Salem, Ohio!

Can You See Me Now!

OK, for those who last saw my bike completely apart here she is back together and freshly washed. For those who have seen my bike before you may notice a new set of lights. I'll talk about them in a couple days, or ask and I will answer on South West Rides.


Yesterday I did get new tires mounted on the wheels and then put them back on the bike. I then cleaned the bottom end of the engine, I did this so that on the road if I have a problem and it is engine related I will be able to tell quickly upon disassembly if there are any fluids leaking as I started from completely clean. I then changed the engine oil and ran the bike through a full heat cycle.

All fluids were checked and then I reassembled the plastics on the bike.

This morning I installed Ride On in the tires. Ride On is a Tire Protection System that also adds dynamic balancing to the tires. I had just run about 1000 miles with it in my last set of tires and have liked it, so I am anxious to see how it does on this ride.

After that installation I took the bike for a 75 mile shake down ride with no issues. Back home I washed her and now she sits in the garage, ready to be loaded.

One more day which is devoted to packing and then the journey begins. I will be posting details tomorrow on how my trip can be viewed via a shared SPOT tracking page and of course will be updating my progress via my Blog and the occasional Gallery.

Yeah, Shade - WHATEVER!

Well folks, in case anyone was wondering when the nice calm, cool weather we have been having was going to end....its OVER!!

I went today to pick up my Uly in my version of stupid expenditures for the year. Turns out I just needed a new battery after all and that the ones you get for a deal, well they SUCK!

So I rolled out of the Arrowhead HD, up on to the freeway and into a Blast Furnace! No easing into it this year for me, nope nothing but BAM and HOT!

So, get your hydration pack chilled and the wet vests out folks, time to ride North!

Tag - You're IT!

Hey, if you have been stumbling around the site and haven't found the Tag Thread you need to check it out!

Click Here!

I was given the idea by one of the members of the site and wasn't sure if it would be embraced, but silly me of course it would be as what we have is riders and riders, they like to ride!

Of and running the game has already been far East, far West and back. Now the real fun should begin as the idea is easy to understand.

Now, I just need to figure out what the person holding the last tag will win and when it will end......

Splatty, Splat Splat

They say that bees are dying or missing out of hives all over the US and nobody knows why. Well, I think that some of them are ending up on my helmet, gloves and the front of my bike.

Yes, it is that time of the year, the flowers have bloomed and now the bugs are out in full force. Even a simple ride at night yields a bazillion bugs all over me and my bike.

Just another reason to keep my steeds clean and happy. And yes, time to clean the gear as well.

Safety First!

Today before the Bartlett Lake Ride Core Support Rider Dean from South West Rides took time to take everyone through the Pre-Ride script.

Thanks to his time and everyone's attention the ride went off without an issue. Over 30 bikes rode in three different groups out to the lake and enjoyed this incredible Arizona Spring Day.

There was a coyote sighting, lots of lizards and even a rattlesnake, that and a few million bugs! LOL

Awesome day, with awesome people, what more can a rider ask for?

Spring BBQ

All neighborhoods should look like this, right?

I had a great ride with about 12 riders this morning and then 40 come over for BBQ in my community park. The best part of tthe day was seeing 30 bikes, all parked nicely in a row in front of my house.

Good times and a lot for fun! As photo's get posted up I'll post their location.

Time For Tires - Again!

Yes, I am finnaly well and as I was looking over my steeds I
determined the reason that my favorite route might have seemed odd
lately. I felt as if I was sliding around a little more than normal
and that something was wrong.

Well........at least this time the threads are not showing yet. :)

I ordered up some new traction and in the mean time I guess I'll take
it easy.

Or, I'll just ride my other bike!