Due to a forgotten key fob, our usual weekend ride was postponed until Sunday. Sunday actually worked out as a better day for riding as long as the rain held off, which luckily for us, it did. The temperature hovered around 80 with the sun hidden behind large, ominous clouds. But we risked heading out and were able to ride.
The looming rain clouds provided a hush over the neighborhoods; mostly our motorcycle engines roared past dog walkers getting out ahead of any storms with very little traffic. Most of the animals seemed secreted away to wait out the impending rain, except for a rather fat dragonfly that was buzzing around the motorcycles.
My focus was much better during this week’s ride with no distracting discomfort due to the heat. I checked my mirrors before all stops and looked ahead to each intersection. Bill had set a new challenge to me. As I went to counter steer, that is apply a push on the opposite handle to turn the motorcycle, Bill challenged me to start the push at my fingertips. This challenge proved trickier than I realized because it felt very odd to apply pressure on the clutch or brake lever without actually pulling in the lever.
In between my counter steering work, I enjoyed the soft air and lush greenery the recent rain brought. The crape myrtles were heavily laden with blossoms pushing their clean scent into the air overpowered at one point by the large gardenia collection blooming along one road. Also in bloom I spotted white hibiscus flowers and will keep my eyes peeled for the bright red flowers I’ve seen in the past.
A day like today is a gift for motorcycle riders in mid-July, and we did spot many other riders taking advantage of the cooler air. The heat will return for more rides, but I can always hope for another summer day for motorcycle riding like today.
I’m old enough to remember America’s bicentennial, so I am thrilled to be alive for the semisesquentennial, and if I’m lucky and take care, I might be here for the tricentennial. Riding motorcycles sure helps me stay young, even riding on super-hot summer days.
We did get an earlier start to avoid the highest heat of the day, so it was only 92 degrees as we rode. I opted not to wear my Alpinestars, but Bill was a trooper and fully geared up. The plan was to cruise and keep moving, but the wind blast was of heated air and none too cooling.
I was a little distracted during the ride between the heat and all the July 4th decorations. I really like the little gnomes yard flag that I spotted. And I love the red, white, and blue window bunting.
The heat did bring out summer scents. The gardenias perfumed the air except where the honeysuckle sweetness dominated. As we rode, we passed sprinklers desperately watering the dry grass, and I caught the metallic whiff of well water. When we were kids, July 4th meant the sprinkler out for us to run through, and I smiled at how fun the 4th of July has always been.
I did spot one cabbage white butterfly out during our ride. He almost crossed the road between the Rocket and R Nine T. But most critters were in the shade or near water trying to stay cool. We should be getting a break from the heat for next week’s ride, but I’ll also have to hope for a break from the predicted rain.
What does one get with 86-degree temperatures and 80% humidity? A very sweaty motorcycle ride. Large storm clouds loomed overhead, but the sun showed up enough to keep our ride on the toasty side. But we are now officially in summer, and with July and August still to come, I should expect triple H rides from now on (hazy, hot, and humid).
Due to the summer swelter, we mostly cruised to keep cool air flowing. But I did execute two great on-street U-turns. And I worked a little bit on zooming and diving into S-turns.
The wildlife wasn’t like last week; I barely spotted a squirrel munching a nut by the side of the road. However, there were some butterflies out enjoying the cone flowers and brown-eyed Susans that are now blooming alongside the roses, day lilies, begonias, magnolias, and gardenias. For some reason all three butterflies I spotted during the ride were black which I find an interesting color for butterflies.
The first one I spotted was unmistakably a spicebush swallowtail due to the white markings at the base of the wings. The other two went past so quickly that I can only surmise that one may have been a pipevine swallowtail and one may have been a red purple admiral butterfly. While it is fun spotting butterflies from the seat of a motorcycle, sometimes it can be a little frustrating as I zoom by in one direction while the butterfly flutters off in the other. I can only hope for more sightings in future rides especially while stopped.
A warm but not hot summer’s eve greeted us with clouds in the west but plenty of sunshine on our roads. We headed out with a plan to cruise around and not do too much slow-speed maneuvers. We set off with the scent of magnolias, crape myrtles, and mimosas filling the air.
Our first wildlife encounter was with a crazy squirrel crossing the road in front of us. The squirrel was in the oncoming lane to us about two feet from the other side when he heard the roar of our motorcycles. He stopped as we slowed down, looked at us, and proceeded to head back the way he came with several stops to check us out on the way.
Soon after as we headed up the road, our engine roar startled a rabbit nibbling along the berm, the first rabbit I’ve seen from the motorcycle that I can remember. Usually, rabbits come out at dawn or dusk, but he must have been hungry.
The first butterfly I spotted was a zoomy great purple hairstreak zipping between the clover. A block away from him, I spotted the only cabbage white I saw during the entire ride. I spot more butterflies driving to and from the motorcycles than I do during the ride. Perhaps I am not spotting them because I am working more on my street awareness.
As we headed along the final loop before ending our ride, we saw the very unusual sight of a racoon crossing the road into someone’s backyard in front of our motorcycles. I’ve no idea what would’ve made the nocturnal creature feel the need to be out in the middle of the day, but he was, and he was large. If he was returning home, then whoever lives in that house might want to call animal control because he was a large fellow.
In all my rides, this one definitely had the most diverse wildlife. I was disappointed not to see any birds soaring aloft in the thermals, but I did spot an osprey as we headed home. I look forward to spotting more wildlife among the day lilies and hydrangeas next week.
After a week of a runny nose and phlegmy cough, I wanted fresh air and sunshine in hopes it would help cleanse my sinuses. And today gave me a great day for my attempt. The excessive heat of the past few days (95 and 97 degrees) had given way to a slight cool off—85. The sun, however, hid most of the ride behind clouds that never quite developed into storms.
One of the major problems with motorcycle riding in the summer heat is stops. Early into our ride, we had a long stop as traffic was unusually busy. When one is not moving on the motorcycle so the cool air flow is non-existence, the heat from the engine, which is under one’s derriere roasts the rider. That’s why motorcycle advertisements always show riders out on open roads or riding on dirt trails; they don’t want potential buyers thinking about engine heat when selecting their motorcycles. Ducati is one brand that would suffer if riders thought through the engine heat every stop would subject them to.
Next time you’re in your car at an intersection and you see a motorcyclist stop beside you, realize that while you might be a little envious of the rider’s freedom and “coolness,” you get to be cool in your air-conditioned car. The rider is anxious for the light to change and for his motorcycle to start moving.
We mostly kept moving in our ride, though we did do some U-turns and S-turns. The on-street U-turn had an unexpected obstacle—a pile of sticks was in the road and neither of us spotted it until we were well into our turns. Luckily, all of our practice paid off; both of us kept our turns tight, no dabs, and avoided the sticks.
I did get back on the gravel during this ride and felt my rear tire slipping quite a bit. But I was able to bring the R Nine T around and even successfully complete the two-parking spots turn. The parking lot had some brown-eyed Susans blooming in the shady flower bed.
I didn’t spot as many butterflies among the roses, day lilies, and hydrangeas as I had hoped. But I did see three cabbage whites during the ride. I’ve been spotting tiger swallowtails throughout the week and even on the drive home, but I haven’t seen any during my ride as yet. The ducks were keeping cool in the muddy low tide of the river. And I thought at first there was an eastern spiny turtle in the road that might have been run over, but it was just a McDonald’s bag that had blown out of someone’s trash.
I thought about the Japanese police technique of not using the clutch just the throttle and front brake in fast turns, but I wasn’t ready to actually try it. My sinuses have fogged my brain some, and I didn’t want to risk any falls. Plus, with the heat, we didn’t do too many slow speed turns. The technique involves revving the throttle while braking, and I need more time to think through it and try rolling on the throttle while braking—intentionally. I have lots of rides where I accidentally rolled on the throttle while braking.
Unfortunately for me, the fresh air did not do much to clear out my sinuses. But it did feel good to be outside, and it always feels great to ride my motorcycle, and I can’t wait until next week’s ride.
This week’s ride did not benefit from the lovely mid-70s we had earlier in the week. We were greeted with 90 degrees though the humidity hasn’t really kicked in. I suggested we just wear the Klim jackets and leave the Alpinestars on the hangers. And that worked; there were cloudy skies, and our plan was to keep zooming for air flow.
Soon into our ride, a girl about 7-years-old in her bathing suit, came rushing out of her garage and the sound of our engines roaring by, waving excitedly. I don’t think Bill even saw her, but I did and rewarded her with a jaunty wave. I have the luxury of being the waver because even though I work on being aware of the traffic and roads, I can rely on Bill to make sure we’re clear. He was checking ahead to make sure we had room to move over for the walker who chooses to walk in the street as opposed to the convenient sidewalks. The walker gave Bill a wave which I’m not sure he even saw. So I waved back as I passed.
We then turned up a road and had a boy on an electric bike spot us and follow. I watched in the mirror as he followed us for about a mile, noting too that Bill was going a little faster than normal. Bill explained later that he didn’t want the electric bike rider to catch up to us as that wouldn’t really be safe for him. I waved over my shoulder at him as we rode off.
I realized during this ride that I particularly enjoy waving to kids. I think of my waving role as acting as a motorcycle ambassador. As my long-time readers know, I absolutely love riding motorcycles, and I feel the more riders the better. Another reason I think waving is important is awareness. I read or saw someone once say that it would be extremely helpful if kids on road trips played “punch bike” instead of “punch bug.” His reasoning was this would make them aware of motorcycles on the road from an early age. The more awareness drivers have of motorcycles on the roads, the safer it is for the riders.
During my ride, I kept my visor up some for cool air to flow across my head. So I was treated to the delicious smell of someone grilling hamburgers for lunch. There weren’t many butterflies about, just a few cabbage whites including one that crossed Bill’s path but zoomed up overhead to safety. I had an interesting sensation that led to a discovery. As we left a stop turning to the left, I felt the lean of the bike, the near-fall so to speak, and then I felt how my rolling on the throttle brought the motorcycle upright. It is the technique used in slow-speed maneuvers usually with feathering the clutch, but applying the throttle does the same thing.
Oddly enough later that night, Bill found some YouTube videos of Japanese police women in police rodeo competition, and they use the front brake and throttle to twist between cones turn around, and make U-turns, not feathering the clutch. It’s an interesting discovery, using the throttle in first gear with the front brake to maneuver the motorcycle. Since the R Nine T is such a well-balanced motorcycle, I’ll play around with it during next week’s ride, which is also looking to be another warm one.
Toward the end of our ride, as we came around the large curve, we came across several families walking to and from the pool. One was a mother with her small son on a tricycle who had crossed the street in front of us. She was trying to get her son up the driveway lead onto the sidewalk, but he heard our motorcycles, and turned his head to watch our approach, then turned it again to follow us to our stop and our acceleration up the road. He was only about 2-years-old, but he gave the two bikes his rapt attention. I gave him a wave as we passed and thought—there’s a future motorcyclist.
In my daily life, I’m a teacher. As summer vacation arrived, my principal wished all of us a “duck-tastic summer.” She requested we do something fun for our summer and send a picture to her with our duck. Naturally, I asked Bill to take my photo with my duck on my motorcycle because what could be more fun than a motorcycle ride on a gorgeous day? And I have a whole summer of rides ahead of me
The temperatures were kept pleasant due to a strong breeze out of the north; low 70s after Memorial Day are always welcome in southeastern Virginia. And the sun shone brightly down upon us, so brightly that patches of shade were nearly black. I used that as an extra challenge when looking for possible road obstacles.
I had trouble getting off from the curb at the start of the ride. I didn’t crest enough of the camber for my legs to hold me for my look, but I did something smart. I remained calm, let the R Nine T roll back and restarted. Bill had checked up due to my delay, but I caught up with him fairly quickly.
I also spotted my first butterfly fairly quickly; less than a block into the ride, and a little cabbage white was blown across the road in front of us into some hydrangeas and impatiens. I didn’t expect to see too many butterflies due to the strong wind gusts, but I did manage to spot a few more cabbage whites during my ride. I did spot a red admiral butterfly in my yard as I was unloading my riding gear—a spectacular black butterfly with orange/red markings.
During our ride, we spotted an eastern spiny softshell turtle attempting to cross a shady patch of road. We parked inside one of the church’s parking lots, and Bill hurried the turtle safely across the road and into the water. Soon after the turtle rescue, a great blue heron flew overhead, casting a large shadow on Bill in front of me.
All in all, it was a duck-tastic beginning of summer ride, and I look forward to many more this summer!
The summer heat of earlier in the week gave way to a cold front that brought rain, wind, and cooler temperatures for our ride. In fact we weren’t sure we would manage our motorcycle ride as early rain fell Saturday morning. But with a little patience, a little extra care, and a lot more attention, the ride was possible.
I tied in today’s ride with what I had been studying last week about paying attention both to traffic and to road hazards. The puddles made road hazards easy to avoid, and there was just enough traffic to allow me a good afternoon of awareness practice. I also felt that riding on slightly damp roads is a good experience in case Bill and I are ever caught in a sudden summer shower.
The gray skies gave a muted, calm beauty to the lush greenness of late spring. The hydrangeas have begun blooming along with the brightly colored day lilies. And the hot temperatures of earlier in the week brought out the gardenia blossoms and even a smattering of crape myrtle blooms. The rain allowed the clean scent of the magnolias and gardenias to drench the air with sweet perfume.
I didn’t spot a single butterfly throughout the ride, but I did spy two ospreys and a great blue heron. The heron was in someone’s front yard and, while the roar of the motorcycle engines disturbed him, he chose only to walk slowly farther into the yard, allowing me a great view of his face and crest.
We did work on slow-speed maneuvers around the puddles. I had the opportunity to wonder if my skills are as good as I think or if the R Nine T is giving me. The balance on my U-turns is spectacular, no doubt due to the balancing impact of the two-cylinder heads of the boxer engine. But I also wondered if the dry clutch gives me over-confidence in my feathering technique. At a stop, Bill stalled the Rocket, something he has done several times over the past couple of months. And I wondered if I were riding a wet clutch motorcycle, would I stall more often? It seems to me I did stall more on the 310 and the Scrambler, but I attributed that more to my lack of riding experience. And I remember struggling to get the feel for the R Nine T’s clutch when I first began riding it. But now it’s very rare for me to stall at a stop. So is that because I’ve become a better rider or because it’s easier to feather the dry clutch? An easier feathering would also explain my confidence in U-turns. It would be interesting to have more than one motorcycle to ride (I’m not strong enough for the Rocket) to see if it’s my technique or the clutch.
Now that I’ve written all that about not stalling, I’ll probably stall two or three times during next week’s ride. But that’s OK because even if I’m stalling the motorcycle, at least I’m out riding the motorcycle.
As we set out for our motorcycle ride on this warm but not too hot day, I had a goal in mind—work on scanning my environment for potential hazards and pathways of avoidance. During the week, Bill and I watched some YouTube videos on motorcycle safety. One was on what the Japanese version of the MSF teaches, and one was from a British instructor for their version of the MSF. I discovered I have a lot of work ahead.
One of the aspects of riding safety I have not been paying careful attention to is hidden roadway obstacles. For example when I approach an intersection, I know to scan for oncoming traffic, seek an escape route should I need to swerve, and slow down slightly. What I had not been thinking about is the road itself. Is the road smooth? Gravelly? Bumpy? What might be on the road that would cause me to lose control, even briefly, of my steering or braking. It was quite enlightening, and I worked on adding a scan of the road’s surface to my usual scans.
Also during the week, I had watched a YouTube video “What Motorcycling Really Does to Your Brain (Tokyo University Study)” which explained the neuroscientific benefits of riding motorcycles including the brain development and cognitive skills riding builds and maintains. I’ve explained how my motorcycle rides help me deal with stress, and there are studies showing a reduction in cortisol levels from riding and endorphin release, but I didn’t realize it would help keep my brain sharper as I age. I’ve been out having fun while I ride. But I am constantly figuring things out during the ride—where is the road smoother, obstacle free, hiding a potential crash. I also develop my brain while working on my slow-speed drills such as U-turns and fast stops.
And I gain the endorphin benefit of spending time in nature. In addition to the scent of honeysuckle, ligustrum, and magnolia blooms, I love that constant scanning allows me to also enjoy natural sights. I spotted the first cabbage white butterfly several miles into our ride. But the suicidal cabbage white was the fifth one I spotted during the ride. The first cabbage white went fluttering across Bill’s path, and so did the fifth. However, I watched Bill swerve sharply to the left and then flick his left hand in the air as the sixth cabbage white approached his motorcycle. After the ride, he explained that the butterfly was trying its best to collide with Bill’s right mirror. Luckily, Bill’s riding skills kept number five alive.
Traffic was odd during the ride because of neighborhood yard sales. But one benefit to a bad driver backing out of their driveway into our path was the sudden stop gave me a second look at the low-tide river and allowed me to spot the well-camouflaged great blue heron. I also spotted a bedraggled-looking osprey overhead perhaps just waking up for breakfast. We had gone out earlier for our ride in part due to the warmer temperatures but also to avoid the crazy traffic around my neighborhood for the nearby festival.
We have some summer weather heading our way this week complete with the daily chance of thunderstorms. But hopefully we’ll have a sunny day for next week’s ride, and the butterflies will have worked out their issues and just flutter pleasantly by.
A day made for riding dawned, and we headed over to the garage with fingers crossed that the easy fix to the R Nine T’s rear brake would work. A short rain shower earlier in the morning left a few curb side puddles, but the bright sunshine dried the roads, so it was clearly a day for motorcycle riding.
The easy fix for the R Nine T was to bleed the brakes. So I left Bill to do the work while I visited with my Mom for Mother’s Day. Everything seemed to be going smoothly as I checked in on Bill’s progress. After about twenty minutes, I went out to help with clean up as Bill said the brake fluid was obviously corrupted (see image). Usually, brake fluid is golden in color, but water must have leaked in when we washed the motorcycles and, a week later, changed the color of the fluid.
Bill sat in the saddle and rolled the bike giving the rear brake a test—the bike jolted to a stop. The rear brake was back. I took a turn and felt the drag on the rear tire as the brake engaged. The R Nine T cooperated, let itself get fixed, and we were off to ride on this beautiful day.
We had finally gotten some much needed rain during the week and the plants and cabbage white butterflies were very happy. As we prepared to leave, the little garage cabbage white fluttered between us, blessing our return to riding and the beginning of my sixth year. The honeysuckle is blooming, and I soon caught a delicious whiff from the blossoms. The ligustrum is also flowering and sending out its fresh scent. I even managed to smell the magnolia blooms now opening before the acrid odor of burning wood took over.
I spotted twelve cabbage white butterflies throughout our ride, and I saw a family of Canadian geese—the parents with four little goslings. We just cruised on this ride, so I spent time checking my rear brake when I could. I had a weird moment when we came to a stop and my left foot had to reach further for the ground than I thought. The only reason I could come up with was I may have had the motorcycle leaning a bit to the right because it wasn’t a stop I hadn’t made hundreds of times before.
Other than that little blip, I had a great ride until the collision. As we turned onto the last loop before heading back to the garage, I spotted cabbage white number nine. It fluttered suddenly on my left and continued forward into my path. He flew right in front of my visor, and I tried to lean my head back, but I heard the “plink” as the little guy made impact. I didn’t see a butterfly dropping to the street, and I didn’t have any butterfly parts stuck to my helmet, so I think he survived the encounter. I sure hope so; next week I’ll keep a sharper eye out for him and his fellow butterflies.
Flutterby Biker 