Springtime Treats Ride

We’ve officially entered spring and happy motorcyclists are popping up everywhere. Riders who winterize their motorcycles have dusted them off, fueled them up, and are in the saddle again. We saw a group of six (or more) young people out on their sports bikes as well as too many Harley riders to count. The day was perfect for motorcycles; sunny skies and temperatures hovering around 70 degrees. At that temperature, as long as one isn’t sitting at traffic lights, the ride is quite comfortable with enough breeze generated to keep riders comfortable.

But motorcyclists like myself weren’t the only creatures out to enjoy the day. Before we headed out, I saw an osprey circling high above the river. A mile into our ride I spotted a young bald eagle diving toward the river. A few blocks later, I spotted a young cabbage white butterfly thrilled at the blooming trees and flowers, including the first bright red tulips of the spring. And yes, my little cabbage white garage friend was hanging around as we unloaded the gear.

The cherry blossoms are on full display, and I spotted white budding on the dogwoods. The azaleas will be blooming soon, and the pollen will thicken the air. I also spotted the first Canadian tiger swallowtail making its way across the road, promising more varied butterfly spotting on future rides.

Before we set out on the ride, Bill challenged me to work on turning my head even farther during a U-turn than usual and to focus on the lean out as the motorcycle turns around. By doing this, my two on-street U-turns were beautiful—a foot of tarmac between my tire and the berm. But it was a challenge, and I struggled on the gravel and had to dab on one of my turns. Even so, I managed two turns inside the two parking spaces.

I also remembered to check my rearview mirrors more through the ride, my own personal challenge. Next week my goal is to check my rearview mirror before all stops, something I should be doing but have gotten lazy about. Bill’s head turn challenge was also to make sure we aren’t getting lazy as our skills improve. As we finished our ride, our last springtime treat was a squirrel playing chicken with the Rocket. He only won because Bill came to a stop and beeped him off the road. A funny end to what was a beautiful ride—hooray for spring!

Yoshino cherry tree in full bloom with pinkish white flowers against a blue sky

Just a Ride Yet So Much More

Happy Pi Day! In honor of the occasion, I made some circles on my motorcycle. I also drew some figure eights, several Us, and lots of straight and wavy lines. Despite winter’s revenge on Thursday where the temperature fell over 30 degrees in a six-hour span, Pi day was a beautiful day for riding motorcycles.

My little buddy greeted me as I unloaded my gear. The little cabbage white butterfly came straight across the neighbor’s yard and passed right in front of me, excited for me I suppose that I would be riding my motorcycle. He even stopped by before I headed out to wish me a great ride.

And it was a great ride. I only spotted one other cabbage white two miles into the ride, but after the weather we had on Thursday, I was happy to see any still fluttering around. I also saw several Harley riders out and about, though I didn’t spot the one behind us that Bill said was trying to catch up to our bikes. Harleys are built for cruising not speed, so he never could catch up.

Last week’s blooming sugar magnolia fell victim to the violent weather shift, but other trees began blooming to replace it. Several pear trees were in bloom as were some early Yoshino cherry trees. I hope we are done with winter and the worst of the wind so we can enjoy the blossoms for several weeks. I also hope winter is finished because springtime rides are about the best there are.

Despite the thickening pollen in the air, the spring gives us warm but not hot riding weather, and it gives me plenty of natural beauty to enjoy. The greener grass is growing, and the trees are budding as they prepare to open. And I take all of this natural beauty in while riding through it. I suppose feeling the air on my skin and the taste of pollen on the back of my throat makes me feel closer to the landscape than I would in a car. Yet all of this enjoyment can’t be at the expense of my attention to the road and what’s going on around me. Maybe the joy comes from the super awareness one has when riding a motorcycle, everything is keener and therefore more beautiful. And I look forward to a deeper understanding on next week’s ride.

Triple Whites

If you’re out on the road, I’m sure you’ve noticed an uptick in motorcycles out and about. Riders who winterize their motorcycles leap at the chance to get them out of storage and ride. Luckily for me, I’m a year-round rider, so I don’t have a withdrawal period. But I still love a beautiful day made for motorcycles which is what we were given this week.

The day before the weather surprised us with a wind shift that brought colder air in, but it didn’t last. We had a gorgeous day in the mid-70s and everywhere there were signs of spring taking over from winter. As we headed over for the ride, I spotted a small, brownish pink butterfly determinedly fluttering up the road. It was too far for me to guess the species, but it made me smile and confirmed a hope I had that as early as it was, the butterflies would be out.

Sure enough, half a mile into our ride, as I was watching a large Muscovy duck waddle across the road, the first cabbage white butterfly fluttered up on my right. Another mile up the road, as I looked to the left at a stop sign, I spotted another cabbage white in a frenzy of flutters. The camellias and daffodils are attractive, but additionally, the plum trees and sugar magnolias are beginning to bloom, giving the butterflies more options.

As we rode, we saw loads of people out walking, running, working in the yard, and playing because it was too beautiful of a day not to get out and enjoy it. And it was a restorative ride for me. I could feel joy spreading through me, chasing away the winter blahs. That joy translated into my ride. My on-street U-turns, while not the tightest, were both all pavement. My rear tire did slip a bit during the fast stop into turns drills, but I didn’t panic or dab; I just registered that my speed was sufficient to cause the backend to slip. I even successfully did the full U-turn inside the two parking spots on the gravel lot.

At some point during the ride, I registered that I was smiling. That feeling, that body-infusing joy one feels while cruising on two-wheels, that is what makes motorcycle riding so addictive—in a good way. I wonder if there is a study on the happiness of motorcycle riders and if, on average, we are generally happier than average folks.

The title of this week’s piece, Triple Whites, is a play on a popular BMW R1250/1300 GS color scheme—Triple Black. My triple whites are the cabbage white butterflies, and the third cabbage white made me happiest. As I rode my motorcycle up the driveway, across the yard the little guy fluttered toward me as if welcoming me home. I hope he’s the same butterfly that hung around last year, and I certainly hope I get to see him again during next week’s ride.

Finishing Up February with Fun

Spring is winning out over winter. While we did have some snowfall Sunday, the weather warmed back up and we had a near 60 degree day for our ride. The sun was out, the clouds were thin and stretched out, and it was another perfect day for riding motorcycles.

On our way over to the garage, we saw a young man zooming over 80 mph on his sport bike on the interstate. I realize the new MotoGP season has started, but zooming through heavy traffic is never a smart idea. And this young man only had his helmet on. His white hoodie was standard cotton, not Kevlar lined like my Klim jacket.

I risked my lightweight jacket and thought I might have made a mistake. As I geared up, I thought about the Velcro straps at my cuffs and cinching them up. But I don’t normally do that with the Klim, so I didn’t, but I very quickly came to regret that decision. The cool air slid right up my sleeves and gave me a chill. I turned on the heated grips, but I wasn’t comfortable until I reached over and cinched up the sleeves. Most jackets have this cinching feature, but since walking around doesn’t cause the air to flow up our arms, I am not in the habit of cinching except with the Schott’s leather. Those sleeves have zippers to cinch in the cuffs, and I always zip those after I’ve put on my gloves. I learned another lesson in appreciating my motorcycle gear.

Our beautiful ride, however, was thwarted a bit by unusual traffic. Three times during the ride we found ourselves edging past cars that had just stopped in the roadway. Apparently it was random stop in the road day and no one told us. The worry was these stopped cars might abruptly start again and pull out without looking. I was worried about one mini-van that almost started but stopped for Bill because I wasn’t sure they would realize I was behind him. Luckily they did, but the odd traffic did put a damper on the ride and Bill cut it short.

But before it was over, I did two beautiful on-street U-turns and managed not to let my tire slip on all the little broken off branches littering one of the parking lots. The Rocket’s front tire did slip and Bill had to dab.

I thought I would see more daffodils blooming, but I think they took a beating by the arrival of second winter and are keeping their heads down. I did see my first spray of bright pink phlox blooming and more camellias are flowering. Heading over I spotted a great blue heron, but nothing but crows and buzzards during our ride. And squirrels, lots of squirrels, lots of excited squirrels out enjoying the early signs of spring. Next weekend looks to be a full-on spring day with temperatures forecasted for the mid-70s; the squirrels and I will be out loving it!

Ride Before Second Winter

I saw a post on Facebook that I’m sharing because it pretty much nails how the weather works in southeastern Virginia. Last week’s ride was on a joyful, springlike day. Today’s ride was a race ahead of winter’s return. Oddly enough, the temperatures were close—both in the 50s. But today the sun was hiding behind the clouds and the wind was blowing in the colder air that marked second winter’s arrival.

But with the right gear, riding a motorcycle is comfortable even in a chill. I wore my Klim wool pullover under my leather jacket and, with my heated grips on, I felt great during the ride. Of course I’m lucky enough to choose when to ride; I saw some poor souls out during the rainy week on their motorcycle because that must be their only transportation.

Because of Friday’s rain, we rode cautiously and avoided shady lots such as the gravel. We did our fast-stopping drills dodging puddles and trying not to disturb the Canadian geese who were loving the large puddles. I spotted a large collection of buzzards circling above the park and was glad I couldn’t see what might have drawn them there. I also spotted one daffodil bravely blooming in defiance of second winter. We were lucky second winter waited until Sunday to arrive, and we may be lucky again next Saturday. I always feel lucky when I get the chance to ride my motorcycle.

The Best Way to Spend Valentine’s Day

No fancy dress up, no heading out to a candlelit dinner, no champagne although I did get beautiful flowers that included roses. No, I got what I really wanted for Valentine’s Day—a gorgeous, sun-filled day in the upper 50s and a chance to ride.

All week long, Bill and I had been checking Saturday’s forecast, and as we got closer and closer to the weekend, the forecast kept improving with clouds disappearing Thursday and the temperature hitting over 55 by Friday night. Three weeks is a long time not to ride one’s motorcycle, and I was happy that both the weather and my health cooperated to let me out on my R Nine T.

It wasn’t just the weather suggesting that Punxsutawney Phil might have gotten it wrong. I spotted a small flock of Canadian geese as we headed over to the garage, lots of birds flitting in and out of trees, mallards in the river, and a robin zooming by. And Bill and I weren’t the only ones out taking in this spring-like day. The playground at the school was packed, some kids even wearing short sleeves and shorts in celebration of a warmer day. I was comfortable in my flannel turtleneck, leggings, and leathers, no lining needed in my Schotts. I wore my mid-weight gloves and realized I could’ve worn the light weight ones with the heated grips on, but I need more practice in the thicker gloves. And I have improved my throttle work with only one accidental roll on during the ride.

My riding skills evinced a three-week hiatus. My on-street U-turn hit the grassy berm on the first turn. And I messed up my two-parking space turn in the gravel lot, having to stop, push the motorcycle back, and regroup. I even dabbed once during a U-turn. I think in part I was a little extra zoomy during the ride having waited three weeks for the chance to zoom again.

The best part of the ride was knowing I was with my sweetheart and that he was having as much (if not more) fun as me. Looking ahead, the warm weather is planning to stick around, so hopefully I’ll stay healthy and there won’t be another hiatus in our motorcycle rides. Valentine’s Day is a day we reflect on love, and I can honestly say I absolutely love riding motorcycles!

two red and white motorcycles with hearts

Just a Warmup

Today we’re under a sever weather alert due to high winds and extreme cold. My phone said the temperature was 25 but felt like 7; the car said 31, but whichever temperature gauge was correct, it was too cold to ride. Bill and I are so tired of not being able to ride, we’ve already checked the forecast for next Saturday in hopes winter will let us ride again.

Even though it is extremely cold, I am seeing signs of spring. My daffodil shoots are up and the buds have formed. I also spotted three robins on this bitterly cold day, so nature is trying to bring spring about. And the sun was very bright as Bill guided the motorcycles onto the driveway to start them up and let the engines warm up. The battery tenders have been doing their jobs; both the Rocket and R Nine T started right up, and at least I got to enjoy the engines rumbling. But I will have to wait until next week and hope for a warmup for my actual ride. Bill joked about us losing our riding skills, but I pointed out my skills seemed sharper after my health layoff, and his skills came right back even after decades without a ride. Even so, once we can ride again, we’ll have fun reworking our skills.

Idling

The cold of winter does not stop us from gearing up and riding our motorcycles. Normally. We’ve ridden when temperatures dip down into the low 30s, but the line is drawn when temperatures are well below freezing. When the high temperature is 25 degrees with a wind chill of 7, I don’t need the R Nine T to flash a snowflake at me to tell me it is way too cold to be out on a motorcycle.

Last week’s ride was cancelled due to illness; I was fighting the flu and losing in the early rounds. By Sunday the flu had knocked me completely out, and I could only lie in bed and dream of motorcycles. This week’s ride was cancelled due to winter. The snow was arriving late enough in the day to allow us to ride, but even with our quality cold weather riding gear, sitting out exposed and generating wind on a day that already feels like single digits would have been stupid. And one thing one does not want to be when riding a motorcycle is stupid.

I’ve managed to recover from the flu and can finally get off the NyQuil. Looking ahead, next Saturday is promising to be in the 30s, so I’m hoping for a chance to ride. And I’m hoping on Monday Punxsutawney Phil won’t see his shadow, spring will arrive early, I’ll stay healthy, and we won’t have to miss any more rides!

Mix and Match Ride

Our weekend is mix and match weather—partly sunny skies and 60 degrees followed by rain and highs in the mid-40s. Luckily, the sun was out enough to let us ride, and I had both my warm and cold weather riding gear. I had my Klim summer jacket and summer gloves on, but I wore my long sleeves and Klim wool jacket underneath. And I was perfectly comfortable throughout the ride.

The buzzards and crows were acting up with the weather, flitting and circling about. The day was warm enough that I wondered if it might confuse a butterfly into making an appearance. It didn’t, or course, but the nice day brought the kids out and the dog walkers. The impending storm, with snow forecasted, caused people to be out, and we encountered traffic everywhere.

My ride went really well. I was glad to have the light weight gloves on as they give me the best feel for the throttle, clutch, and front brake. I figured if my hands got chilly, I could turn on the heated grips. But with the sun shining down on us for most of the ride, my hands were fine. I made an interesting emergency stop. As Bill was leading us around on the on-street U-turns, he stalled the Rocket in front of me. I saw Bill dab his left foot and realized I would need to stop in the midst of my turn. So I straightened my wheel quickly and stopped with no wobble or need to dab. I was a little disappointed because my turns were set up really sharply, but then I realized that I had the opportunity to practice a rare skill.

I also had good U-turns on the gravel lot. I’m almost ready to go inside the wooden board two parking spot section and see if I can stay inside the wood. During the fast shift-down turn drills, I wanted more roadway to accelerate because I really enjoy that drill.

When we started the ride, I looked for clouds and saw some building in from the north. About halfway through our ride, the clouds quickly overtook the sun, so much so I wondered about rain. The forecast hadn’t shown any rain for today, but I thought maybe the storm might have arrived early. No rain came, but the temperature began to fall as we ended our ride. As we headed home, the temperature had already fallen 10 degrees, so I was glad I had my mix and match layers.

Of course, the big question in my mind was what would next week’s ride be like? Will winter return? Or will we be gifted another spring-like day to air out our motorcycles? I can’t wait to find out.

large cloud overtaking the sun — Photo by Samir Smier on Pexels.com

If You Don’t Like the Weather, Wait a Week

One reason we don’t winterize the motorcycles is the precariousness of the mid-Atlantic coastal weather. Last week we were bundled up against the cold with our motorcycles warning us of icy conditions. Today’s ride was 74 degrees, so the summer gear was on and my R Nine T was smiling (well, I was smiling on the R Nine T). The rain had passed by earlier and, while there were a few damp patches of road in the shady spots, most of the roads had dried out. The sun even peeked out enough to require sunglasses. I can already sense the days are beginning to lengthen as the sun is higher in the sky and not shining right into my eyes.

I was grateful for my 50/50 tires. There had been some roadwork during the week, and I rode over several patches of gravel. I had my guardian angel bell attached under the chassis, and I hoped since I had my helmet vents open and the visor cracked, I might hear a jingle. But no such luck; I only heard the roar of the boxer cylinders. But I felt its protection as I worked on my turns in the gravel lot. The slight slips of the tires as I came around did not cause me worry as I balanced the motorcycle.

My turns went extremely well during today’s ride. My on-street U-turns were all pavement. And I really enjoyed our fast braking into turns drill, feeling the acceleration and then the dive as I hauled on the brakes then let up. I can understand why people love to race motorcycles.

Bill and I weren’t the only riders out enjoying the day. As we were conducting our fast-braking drill, a rider on a bright yellow Harley-Davidson Pan America rode by giving us the motorcycle salute. That was the first Pan America I’ve seen on the road, and I liked the color as the bright yellow nearly matched the bright yellow on my R Nine T.

It was still winter as far as the animals were concerned. I spotted some vultures up riding the thermals, and we had one squirrel crossing. But other than the ubiquitous crows, there was not much wildlife about. The camellias are blooming, adding their reds and pinks to the browns and greens.

Unbeknownst to me, as we were heading back to the garage, Bill put me to a test. We have a left turn out of the fancy neighborhood into my parents’. There was a car ahead turning the opposite left from us and Bill turned in front of that. But by the time I came to the left turn, there was another car coming up from behind and moving around the left-turning car. If I were crazy, I would’ve accelerated and zoomed into the turn in front of the car, but instead I slowed down into first gear and waited for the car to pass. Afterwards, as we were taking off our gear, Bill told me I had done what he had hoped I would do—deal with the intersection on my own and not just follow him blindly.

It can be a danger when riding with another or others to fall into trailing mode and just do what the leader does. Luckily for me, I have a leader who’s very conscientious of my limited riding experience. However, I am practicing my riding skills every week, and I will be out next week, when winter returns, working on my motorcycle skills.