A Preferable Kind of Madness

I gave up any hope of living a "normal" life many years ago. Chance are, I never had a hope like that to begin with. So, when I talk about the random goings-on in my life, the preferable bias in any given situation is that most normal people wouldn't approach it the same way. Take, as an example, the dessert I prefer for my birthday. Cake is good, pie is good, but what I really want is the mashed sweet potato with streusel topping my mother usually reserves for Thanksgiving and Christmas. If you've ever had it, you'd agree with me.

On to the topic at hand. Over the last few weekends the weather has not been entirely conducive to going out on motorcycle rides. Given that I rely on these rides as a significant piece of the foundation of my mental health, one can readily imagine that I was close to snapping. Well, as luck would have it, the forecast for this weekend was looking OK. Not fantastic, mind you, but passable. And for reasons beyond my understanding, my brain decided that it absolutely had to watch a sunrise.

(It probably has to do with this video.)

So, I did exactly what my brain told me to do. I planned on riding out to the Cape to watch the sunrise. I picked a spot (that was not open), and set my alarm clock to wake up with enough time to get there (I overslept).

I wanted to see the sunrise from the Nauset Light Beach. It's right on the water. However, the area is closed from Midnight to 6am (curses!).

Still, despite leaving 40 minutes later than I wanted, I still made good time, so I was able to find a secondary location; Fort Hill, just down the road from the Nauset Light. I arrived around 4:30 or so to this view:

It gradually lightened over the next 45 minutes to give this view:

I stayed to watch the sunrise. Despite the haze (calling it "humid" would be a disservice. "Damp" works better), and the clouds, the view was gorgeous. I tried to take a picture or two, but because I lacked a decent camera at the moment (a digital SLR, or film for my 35mm SLR), they were horrible. Believe me, though, it was a sight, and well worth the hour-and-a-half nap I took when I got home. I left just after the sun came up. On the ride home, as I got off of the Cape, the clouds started to roll back in, so it was pretty grey when I pulled back up in front of my apartment. Still, I enjoyed the trip.

I just have to remember to plan better next time so that I do more than just see a sunrise then brow-beat myself back home to take a nap.

Anyway, here's a picture of Meliora in her "day trip" configuration in as picturesque a setting as I can get with an iPhone's camera:

Catch you on the flip side!

Ode to Helmets

It has been too long since I’ve posted something purely motorcycle related (not in terms of the number of blog posts, but just passage of time). And today, I would like to talk to you all about one of my favorite topics: Helmets. Why helmets? Because they are, hands down, one of the most visible, straightforward, and important pieces of equipment for riding (apart from the motorcycle itself). In my case, the preferred helmet is a Shoei RF-1100.

First, a little bit about the helmet. The RF-1100 is Shoei’s sport-touring helmet. Constructed of fiberglass and tested to the new Snell m2010 standard, this one clocks in at a retail of $550. That said, the old adage about “if you have a $50 head, buy a $50 helmet” springs to mind. While the two I have purchased were purchased for far less than that, I would have no problem paying the full amount for one of these. Fit-and-finish on this helmet is spot on, as one would expect from one of the top two helmet manufacturers in the world.

In typical Shoei fashion, there is a certain head shape that fits these helmets. I happen to have such a head, so there is no gripe there. For those who don’t have a “Shoei head,” but would still like the same level of protection, Arai helmets offer multiple head forms (and you will never hear me knock Arai helmets, those dudes over there know what they are doing. I just don’t fit in them as well). Apart from that, though, the rest of the manufacturing is spot on as well. Vents are easy to open while riding, the latch for the visor is easy to use.

Air flow through the vents is refreshing. Compared to the rather simple helmets I have used in the past, the vents in this helmet actually work. Noise level is another important point. While no helmet will completely shut out noise, this is, by far, one of the quietest I have used (granted, I haven’t used an enormous number of different types of helmets). Also, turning my head at highway speeds to check for traffic is not a problem; especially after I have used a supermoto helmet in the past.

After those major points, one small point I would like to make is that there is plenty of space for my mouth. This may seem a little odd, but one of the reasons I originally went with a supermoto for a time was to give my mouth a little more space. With the RF-1100, it has never been an issue.

I’ve mentioned, in the past, a preference for DOT helmets. I originally based this argument on an article I read that bashed the Snell approval as unnecessary for the average rider. That 90% of all accidents don’t require the stronger shells that are required by Snell. So, when I bought my original helmet (a Z1R Venom), I patted myself on the back for getting a good helmet at a great price ($150). Well, I often try to pride myself on my ability to change my mind when presented with the right argument, or evidence, of my faulty thinking. In this matter, I most certainly have.

The argument can be broken down into two separate points: Cost and Level of Protection.

Cost: My least favorite of the two, talking about the cost of a helmet makes my skin crawl. Really, when it comes down to it, how much do you value your head? I tend to value my head quite a bit, so I am perfectly willing to shell out big bucks for the best protection I can. Other people, not so much. The opposition likes to throw this out there sometimes, “the Snell label is used just as a reason to charge more for their helmets.” Actually, when you read up on Shoei and Arai, that is quickly laid to rest. When most helmet producers say “We need to build a $300 helmet that passes the Snell certification,” Shoei and Arai tend to say, “Let’s build the best helmet we can and price it after.” When you compare a handmade helmet (Shoei and Arai) to any of the production helmets (off an assembly line), it becomes apparent that the justification for the cost is in the production values and attention to construction and not the fact that they have a Snell sticker.

Level of Protection: I could go on for days about this topic. But, in the interests of this article, I will narrow it down to the Snell vs. DOT arguments. The supporters of the basic DOT certification rally around research done by Harry Hurt. His company, the Head Protection Research Laboratory, supported the argument that a typical DOT, polycarbonate shelled, $150 helmet was preferable for the everyday rider. The basis of this comes from a study that they did showing that the layered construction of a plastic helmet actually dissipated energy better than the hard shells of fiberglass and carbon fiber helmets. They then go on to say that the DOT helmets are more suitable for the vast majority (>90%) of motorcycle accidents, which tend to take place at lower speeds, with the impact never being more than a head hitting the ground once. There was an article in Motorcyclist magazine about it called "Blowing the Lid Off" (Here is the article, And Snell's Response).

Snell, or more properly, the Snell Memorial Foundation, tests helmets to a much more exacting set of specifications. The testing process is very comprehensive (In-depth Description Here), and I will summarize the bit that is most important to the argument at hand. If you take a standard plastic, DOT, non-Snell (there are Snell-certified plastic helmets) helmet and smash it against the ground with your head inside, the helmet will, indeed, take the impact. However, should the impact happen a second time (heads do, indeed, bounce) and hit the same area again, well, the DOT helmet won’t really help (some Icon helmets being an exception, since they don’t submit their helmets for testing).

What it boils down to, in the end, is whether you want to be protected against the worst possible scenario, or the most common ones. I would never presume to tell anyone, or force them in any way, to purchase one helmet over another. I prefer to give them the facts (as I hope I have done here) and let them make the decision for themselves.

For most people, cost is always going to be a factor. Shelling out even $350 for a Snell-approved helmet (HJC’s RPHA series, for example) can be a little hard to swallow, especially if you are aware of a much cheaper alternative staring you in the face. Truth is, as Harry Hurt once said, *any* helmet is better than no helmet at all (and, no, I don’t count those stupid novelty skid lid things as helmets, nor did Harry Hurt when he made that statement), even those stupid DOT half-helmets. Me, personally, I’m willing to pay the price, now, for the best protection I can get.
I also happen to be a helmet snob and the fit of the Shoei is perfect for me.

Pet Peeve Time!

Now, I'm a fairly understanding sort. With regards to most view points and beliefs I try and be open to the possibility that they may have valid points (execpt the Nazis.  I really can't get behind that). However, with social media, the online catalogs I subscribe to, and the various and sundry blogs I peruse, I have compiled a rather long list of pet peeves throughout my internet travelings. They can pretty much be broken down into two basic categories: Grammar and Everything Else.

Grammar:

Grammar mistakes, apart from weird or convoluted sentence structure (not punctuation), drive me up the wall. Mostly, I'll stick to my top three, though. No sense using up all of my material now. In no particular order (except for the first one):

1) Using "should of" or "could of" instead of "should have" or "could have." Seriously, people, the way you talk really should not translate across directly.  What you are thinking of is "should've" and "could've." These are contractions, and should be written as thus if you really need to do so. Let's use them in a sentence, shall we?

"I should've gone to the market, then I could've purchased those motorcycle gloves I wanted."

Stop using "of" to completely butcher a contraction.

2) Periods go inside of quotation marks. Holy. God. People. This is very simple.  Even if you don't think the period should go inside quotation marks, do it anyway. Why? Because it's pretty goddamn easy. To illustrate, I will provide the same sentence the internet moron way, and the right way:

Wrong way: When starting any project of note, I always remember my Marcus Aurelius, "Nothing that is to be undertaken is to be undertaken without purpose".

Right way: When starting any project of note, I always remember my Marcus Aurelius, "Nothing that is to be undertaken is to be undertaken without purpose."

Now, I can see why people could possibly think this is the right way, because, as I said, I'm fairly open-minded.  People think that, because the full sentence is not a quotation (see below for next pet peeve), then the period should not be included in the quotation portion of the sentence.  This is wrong thinking.  Unfortunately compounded by games like Mass Effect, where I have often seen this crop up.

3) Using "quote" instead of "quotation." This isn't as big as the previous two, but irritating nonetheless. It really comes down to a very simple misunderstanding. "Quote" is a verb and "Quotation" is a noun. Therefore, when you are quoting someone you can say:

He told me, quote, "That's the wrong way to do that, shithead."

But, if you are referring to it as an object:

He gave me this great quotation. He said, "That's the wrong way to do that, shithead."

As you can see, it is a very simple matter to make sure this is correct.  Please do so.

Everything Else:

Seriously speaking, there are so many things in this category that I would be here for hours writing them all down.  So, in the interest of my sanity (although, that's been in question for ages), I will, as above, limit it to three of them.  Again, these are not necessarily the biggest, just the ones foremost on my mind at the moment.

1) Stop calling scantily clad women near motorcycles "motorcycle babes." Apart from the ridiculousness of such a thing in the first place, when I am searching for motorcycle pictures the last thing I want to see some half-naked chic (and yes, in this instance I use the word "chic" because I feel that if it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, I will call it a duck) languidly lounging on top of one. Why? Because if I want to see pictures of women on motorcycles, it is far sexier to see a woman in full (and proper) motorcycle leathers (not fashion leathers). In addition, when I'm searching for pictures of motorcycles, I'm really looking for pictures of motorcycles (I hoard them. Especially if they are like these: Sweet... or Sweetness...).

2) For the love of all things holy, stop with the "you're a genius if..." math questions on Facebook. Really? I mean, really? Anyone who has half a brain in their head, and is capable of simple math, can figure almost every single one of them out. And don't add a time limit. That just makes me even more ornery (Standarized testing sucks!). In fact, stop with all of those idiotic questions, math based or not. Just because it made you feel good about yourself, doesn't mean that everyone on your friends list needs to know you're a step or two above a basic parochial education.

3) Please, I'm begging you, stop with the partisan hack-job posts. I'm all for raising debate in this country; it is something that is completely and utterly needed, but posting vindictive or inflammatory pictures and claiming that you have now won the argument just pisses me off. Also, don't attack me personally if I happen to disagree with you're most agregious of posts. That whole thing I said about raising the level of dialogue? I meant it. I'm willing to converse and argue with you. If I've added you to my friends list, it means that I respect you. Please show me the same courteousy and debate me civilly. I'm not attacking you by stating an opposing view point.

Well, there you have (some of) it. Catch you all later!

A Quick Questionnaire

What’s your Passion? Questionnaire


What is your passion?

Motorcycles

What makes it a passion?

There isn't a day that goes by where I don't think about them in some way, shape, or form. I feel the most at peace, the most calm, whenever I'm riding.

How long have you been doing it?

Just over two years.

What first got you into it?

I needed to do something that wasn't computer related. I had always had a dream of riding, but never did anything about it for various reasons. However, it was so far outside of what I was used to, I figured it would be at least something of an adventure to try it out. Whatever happened, it unlocked a hidden passion I never knew I had.

Do you need a particular location, equipment, people (eg teacher, partner/s) to practice it?

All I need is my Road Star, an open road, and a full tank of gas.

How do you incorporate it into your life?

I ride to work whenever I can. And any weekend I can get the time, I'm out riding. Even if it's only for an hour or two, I get on and go.

How does it affect your life emotionally or physically?

It is the single biggest stress reducer I have. Whenever I'm on that bike, the stresses and troubles of the world are left behind me. The less stress in my life, the better I feel, emotionally, mentally, and physically.

Do you share it with anyone?

I have some riding friends that I do group rides with. And I can share my passion with my family (even though none of them ride... yet), especially my brother-in-law. He seems to really understand the passion and the drive behind it. But, in the end, I ride for me.

How would your life be without it?

Stressful, and dangling perilously close to a resurgence of clinical depression. I've lived through what my life is like without a true passion, and it isn't a good thing.

What is your best memory or achievement attached to it?

The first time I road all day, I went down to my sister's place in Danbury, CT. I left in the morning and took as many back roads as I could to get down there. It was a great time, and I loved the sense of accomplishment that accompanied it.

What do you want to do with it in the future?

I intend to ride for as long as I am able.

Don't be sore, stock saddle...

Wow, been a while since I've posted anything.  And I can't think of a better post to kick things off with than to say my ass doesn't hurt all that much...

Still with me?  I hope so.

If there's one thing that makes all the difference on a long ride, it's rider comfort.  Until recently, the best I had to work with was a Saddlemen seat on my previous motorcycle.  And, all things considered, that saddle was not really ideal for me, despite the fact that it was better than the stock seat on the Marauder (truth be told, a block of concrete would have been about as comfortable as the stock seat), since it was a very narrow seat.

Move forward a year and with the purchase of a new bike, I was hoping the stock saddle, being wider and with (seemingly) more padding, would be better for long days of riding.  Sort of.  It was more comfortable, but that's like saying being hit in the head with a two-by-four is better than being hit in the head with a brick.  Sure, it's technically true, but in the end, you don't really care how you got the massive headache and associated concussion.

After saving my pennies for a few months, I was able to find a deal online for a replacement saddle that, according to every review, is the saddle to have if you are spending long days riding.  The company, Mustang Seats, is located in Connecticut (I shall have to pay them a visit when next I visit the Connecticut O'Briens).  The seats are not cheap, but you do get what you pay for.

I planned a ride with my riding group to head out to North Adams, MA and ride up to the top of Mt. Greylock.  After 4 failed, or aborted, attempts to get there, I was finally able to pull it off; and with the biggest group of bikes that I have ever led (22, give or take). 

Now, I purchased the new saddle back on Aug. 3rd, in hopes that it would arrive before the trip.  When I purchased it, I was told it was a special order item (which it is, since Mustang generally only builds the seats for Road Stars in a two-up formation) and would take 10 days before it would be shipped.  Four days after I ordered it, I was sent an email saying it was actually closer to 20 days.

Resigned to having to ride out to Greylock on my stock saddle, I prepped for the trip as best as I was able.  Lo and behold, a few days before the trip, I received an email saying the saddle had shipped.  As one might imagine, I was thrilled by this news.  I mean, if you learned that you butt had just been given a stay of execution, you'd be excited too.

Anyway, the saddle arrived the day that my father and I headed up to Loudon, NH to watch the vintage motorcycle races that are held monthly at the New Hampshire Motor Speedway (it was an amazing day.  I had a great time with my dad and we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves).  As soon as I got home, I installed it and went for a brief ride.  It was in place and ready for its big debut today.

Sure enough, the saddle performed spectacularly.  With a few minor... observations... to be had:

1.  Despite the extra comfort, it slides me further forward in the seat, so my legs are tucked up a little tighter.  Not a deal breaker, but around hour 9 or so, my hips were beginning to complain.
2.  It doesn't completely save my butt from pain.  It just greatly delays the onset of it.  And, trust me, that makes all the difference.
3.   All I need now is a backrest, and the setup will be perfect.

It is fair to say that I had a phenomenal weekend.

It's Official

The time has come when I have put more accessories on my new bike than I did on my first bike.  Truth be told, it wasn't as hard as I thought it would be.  The other part of this feat is the fact that I did it in three weeks as opposed to an entire summer.

Part the First: The Saddlebag Odyssey

So, I knew I wanted saddlebags on my bike.  I've know that since I bought my first one.  They just make things easier when dealing with carrying stuff around (as one would expect).  I thought I could beat Murphy by going to the Star Motorcycle website and actually finding the correct part number before I placed the order.  Lo-and-behold, they were, indeed, available.

After they arrived I had to wait a good two weeks before I could even think about putting them on the bike.  When I finally got around to it, Murphy laughed in my face as the spacers that were supplied with the supports were too big.  Curses and other such words.

Well, I wasn't about to let that beat me.  After spending a whopping $2.20 on some washers, I got them attached with absolutely zero fuss.  And, truly, nobody will really see the washers as the saddlebags are in the way.

Here's the end product:

Not too shabby...

Part the Second: The Windshield of Destiny

After some of my longer trips last year, I sorely started to miss the windshield (albeit damaged) that my old bike came with.  The best part of the whole thing was taking the brunt of the wind's force that I would, otherwise, have to defeat with my arms alone.

That said, motorcycle windshields are freakin' expensive!  A full kit (Windshield and mounts) costs on the order of $400.  Well, that's if you want a large one.  I didn't want one that was too big, so I started digging, and found a decent setup for around $80 with the mounting equipment included.  Granted, this is most likely a stop-gap windshield until I can save up for a larger one.

All things considered, she doesn't look too bad with it:

It's her best angle, really.

Part the Third: The Aegis of the Freeway Bars

The most recent (i.e. today) installation I've finished is to add a set of freeway bars to the bike.  There really isn't much to say about this except 1) I found them for significantly cheaper online and 2) they were a lot easier to install than I thought they would be.

And they look pretty sweet, too:

Aww Yeah!

Oh man, the things I've done and seen

First off, it's good to be back.  After taking a hiatus over the winter (because, really, what would I have truly written about?  Being mopey, that's what.  And nobody wants to read that) I'm back and with high hopes for the coming spring and summer.  Indeed, the spring is shaping up to be completely awesome.  First and foremost, it's March and we're already experiencing 70 degree temperatures.  Arguably, for someone like me, that's a bit of a two-edged sword, as I hate sweating like Munchkins hate the Wicked Witch, but it also affords ample riding opportunities; and that's always a good thing.

I also want this to act as a formal introduction, of sorts.  I picked up my new bike two weeks ago and she is an absolute dream to ride.  She handles the highway (and rain) like a champ.  And she's a lot more comfortable on long rides than the Marauder ever was.  I've named her Ad Meliora (I generally just refer to her as Meliora); Latin for "Towards better things."  Works for me, at least.

Here she is (in a suitably picturesque location near the Wachusett reservoir):

Why Wachusett?  Well, it was the first ride of any decent length that I went on when I got my first bike.  It was a long ride back then, and it was nerve wracking the first time I did it.  Now it seems almost old-hat, but it still has a personal significance for me as the first "real" ride I went on.

I know I mentioned this before, but since purchasing the new bike, I've had a chance to read up on and learn a lot of things about it.  First, it's a 2005 Yamaha Road Star Midnight XV1700AMTC.  It has a 1690cc engine (1700cc), hydraulic front and rear brakes, and (most important) has rearview mirrors I can actually use!  Let me tell you, I like the drag bar look (that my Marauder had), but when all you see when you look in the mirrors is your own shoulders, it's a bit of a pain in the ass.

However, the longest trip so far was my ride down to my sister's place in Danbury, CT.  Unlike my first ride down there, this time I took the highway (I-90 to I-84).  The trip down was lightly drizzling for most of it.  I did hit rain in Hartford, but after that it stopped and things dried up quite a bit.  Even in the rain, I had no real problems.  I have, however, learned of the great hatred for 18-wheelers.  Oh, but I do hate being stuck behind them.  (They basically force you into doing your best bobblehead impersonation.  It sucks.)

Anyway, this summer looks like it going to be one hell of good time.  Here's to hoping it stays nice and dry!