Perfect Summer Day

This July 4^th weekend has to be one of the best on record.  The 4^th itself was a beautiful day—sunny, warm but not hot, and low humidity.  We had a repeat of that pleasant weather for our Saturday ride, and I couldn’t wait to head out.

            I worked on my rear brake “hill assist” as I worked up the camber on takeoff.  I improved over last week’s attempt and was able to hold the motorcycle and look down the road.  As I rode I worked mostly on my turns trying to focus on the entry and exit points, and I feel I did well.  Unfortunately, we didn’t head up the curvy road, but I still worked through the corners.

            Bill did something different during the ride and, once I figured out what he was doing, I followed suit.  As we headed up the long road, he set himself in between the double yellow lines.  At first I looked for any road obstacles he might be avoiding, but I couldn’t spot any.  So after another moment, I realized he was working on keeping the Rocket along a straight line, and I moved behind him to have my attempt.  We’ve tried the straight line on our bicycles and found that speed helps prevent the gyroscopic effect that would cause wobbling.  Of course on a motorcycle, it is much easier to maintain speed, but it was still a challenge I look forward to pursuing in future rides.

            The idea for this straight-line challenge comes from some motorcycle videos we’ve watched where people ride BMW R1250 GS bikes through various challenges.  One of the challenges is to ride on top of a 2×4 board or between narrow logs.  This challenge can be done on any motorcycle if one simply finds a straight line to pursue.  My only concern with practicing this skill on the road was maintaining awareness of oncoming traffic.  I have the advantage of Bill in front of me as bonus awareness, but I recommend the practice on a quiet road.

            I enjoyed the ride and spotted two butterflies.  One was a tiger swallowtail fluttering high overhead.  The second was the Aphrodite fritillary which enjoys fluttering close to the ground.  I noted the opposite nature of these two butterflies; I always seem to spot the swallowtail high among the tree leaves, and I’ve always spotted the fritillary down close to the ground.  Neither seemed to be enjoying the gorgeous explosion of bright orange day lilies that I spotted everywhere on our ride.

            I haven’t seen the little garage cabbage white in several weeks.  But this week, a fat dragonfly sailed overhead.  And, as I headed into the garage at the end of the ride, a fat, black carpenter bee nearly collided with me.  But she veered away just in time, so I may spot her again during next week’s ride.  I hope this lovely summer weather holds.