Making the Most of Today’s Ride

We’ve been blessed with some fantastic weather this fall. Today was another perfect day for motorcycle riding—sunny skies and 72 degrees. We were eager to get started despite noting lots of extra parked cars around perhaps gathered to watch a big game.

I really appreciate how much stronger my legs feel in controlling the nearly 500 pounds of the motorcycle especially on the steep camber of the road. But I’m wondering if it wasn’t just mental. I was struggling against the weight of the motorcycle, trying to come up with braking tricks to help me control it on street cambers. When I discussed my tricks with Bill, he told me I needed to have the strength to control the motorcycle with my legs. And it seems just like that I was controlling my bike with my legs.

I wasn’t lifting heavier at the gym, so I hadn’t made strength gains. So I do think it was a mental issue. I thought the R Nine T was heavy, so it was heavy. I thought I need to control the R Nine T with my legs, and now I can control the weight with my legs. It is both a great feeling of strength but also a reassuring feeling of control over the motorcycle. And controlling the motorcycle with my legs is extra important now that it is autumn and the leaves are clumping onto the roads. We had one stop where I noted the leaves pasted against the asphalt and was careful to make sure of my footing as I braked.

It was a wonderful ride. My on-street U-turn left a yard of pavement free on the side. And my footless stop was spot on. I did manage to spot a monarch butterfly that I first thought was a falling leaf as it was just drifting before opening and flapping her wings. Another monarch may have been warming herself on the roadway until the Rocket zoomed by and disturbed him.

I also spotted two cabbage whites—both as we unloaded our gear at the garage and at home. I had to make the most of today’s ride because I will be out of town next week with no opportunity to ride. Bill will get his ride in as the Rocket is due for inspection, but I will have to wait two weeks before I can get the R Nine T to 2500 miles—1800 of those miles ridden by me.

black and orange monarch butterfly on green plant with small flowers with lake behind — Photo by Chris F on Pexels.com

A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

Sunny skies and 74 degrees and a motorcycle to ride—now that’s getting close to heavenly. Officially, May is Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month, but please be aware that October is also riding season. In some ways I think autumn is busier for riders than spring, but that could be because people are shopping for motorcycles in the spring. But I also think it’s due to motorcycle riders making the most of their riding opportunities before winter sets in.

I was comfortably cool throughout the ride, and even Bill on his large Triumph Rocket, told me he didn’t sweat. Riding is so much more enjoyable when one finishes the ride without having to peel off the sweaty gear. And there is a simple pleasure in feeling the cool air wash over me without getting chilled.

I still felt that dizziness and weakness similar to last week but, since I rode successfully last week, I felt I could handle today’s ride. I’m wondering if my condition is some sort of stress reaction; the week’s stress finally over, my body gets overwhelmed by stress hormones. The problem with thinking that is I exercise every day and eat healthy and decompress every day, so I shouldn’t have that much stress in me on Saturdays. The other issue might be my sleep position since I do sleep in on Saturday mornings. I’ll be working on that this week to see if I can improve my condition. However, I still have the driveway incline to deal with.

Funny, I began the above paragraph with the intent of talking about how much stronger my riding legs are. Clearly my mind had other ideas. But I can tell that my ability to control the motorcycle with my legs has improved immensely. I had no rollback on the camber of the road as we headed out. And I also noticed near the end of our ride, there was no rollback on the one incline stop. I also didn’t feel like I was straining my legs to control the R Nine T. So I’m in riding shape—finally.

On such a beautiful day, I spotted several butterflies. A few seconds after takeoff, a tiny Henry’s elfin butterfly flew right in front of me. I smiled and was hopeful that little guy was a sign of more butterflies to come. I had spotted some cabbage whites in the distance as I loaded and unloaded the gear. But I was lucky enough to spot a black swallowtail fluttering among oak leaves and a monarch butterfly actually flying along in a straight line for once. The fall azaleas were adding beautiful pinks, purples, and reds to the dry greens and burgeoning browns, giving the butterflies somewhere to flutter.

The birds I saw were crows and either two turkey vultures hovering low over treetops or the same one trying to settle on what kind of tree to land in. And of course, the ubiquitous Canadian geese in their every enlarging gaggles. Bill led us to an overlook spot where some ducks were swimming in the shadows. There were more shady spots over the course of our ride as the sun settles lower in the sky. But it wasn’t low enough to be in our eyes—yet. That will come with the approaching winter rides but for now, I’m looking forward to many more beautiful autumn rides.

orange leaf among green — Autumn peeking out

Risking the Ride

All week the forecast had been for rain from Tuesday through Sunday. However, no rain came on Tuesday or Wednesday, or Thursday, but it did arrive on Friday. Bill was hopeful; the weather app on his phone showed rain arriving in the afternoon, so we packed up and headed over to the garage to get the motorcycles.

I actually was half-hoping for rain; I had a tough week, feeling dizzy and fatigued, so missing the ride due to rain seemed like a good idea. But the rain held off and I had to make the decision to ride or not. I chose to risk the ride because I felt I could handle a short ride with not too much slow-speed drills that might be cut shorter if the skies opened up. Instead, after a few little spitting drops as we headed out, the sun made an appearance and kept everything dry for our ride.

I had an early wake-up during our first U-turns. We’d pulled into a cul-de-sac to let the neighborhood golf cart drive out of our path, so it was a little unexpected. I took the turns soft and wide at first but felt the R Nine T jugger under me. I realized I was still in second gear during my U-turns and my motorcycle was letting me know it put up with my goof but wasn’t happy with me.

I realized that since I had made the decision to ride, I needed to commit to the ride. What I mean is, I had to focus on the ride: on the motorcycle, on my environment, on the road around me. It’s paradoxical, but while motorcycle riding does demand focus and full attention, it provides an endorphin push and contentment that both relaxes and uplifts my spirit. I risked the ride because I needed that lift, so I had to pay the price and give my ride the attention it requires.

That little missed shift was the only blip in the ride. As the sun came out, I spotted a clouded sulphur butterfly out risking the rain too. As we headed toward the large church lot, I spotted an osprey circling above, and the osprey stayed with us as we did our figure eights before the crows chased it away.

I noticed bags of leaves already sitting on the curb for pickup as well as larger deposits of leaves along the road. The trees are still staying greener except the cherry trees. They have almost turned over half their leaves, and I’ve even seen several almost denuded of their leaves. Summer has definitely left us behind; I will try and get some more sleep during the week so I don’t have to risk the ride but I am ready for the ride.

orange cherry tree leaves — Photo by Murat Halu0131cu0131 on Pexels.com

Last Ride of the Summer 2025

Leaving work on Thursday afternoon, heading to my car, I spotted a butterfly fluttering in front of me. The butterfly then landed on the sidewalk about six feet in front of me. I moved a little closer hoping to get a photo, but the butterfly took off. He then settled on the sidewalk right in front of me! Better yet, he just sat there at my feet while I took out my phone, gently squatted down, and snapped several photos. He seemed willing to stay there if I was, perhaps drying out his wings after the rain and dampness of the past few days. Of course, I couldn’t just stand there forever, so after getting my pictures (see below), I headed to my car and the common buckeye butterfly flew off to find some flowers.

I include this little encounter because it brought such a feeling of joy, and joy is what I feel when I’m riding my motorcycle. Even when I’m not feeling that great, once I roll on the throttle and take off, I feel immensely better. I also noted during today’s ride that I feel stronger on my R Nine T. A month or so back, I mentioned coming up with a rear brake trick for helping me keep the motorcycle up on the steep camber of the road (see Gift of a Day). I mentioned my trick to Bill, but he pointed out that I should rely on my legs to control the bike. So I’ve been working on that, and on today’s takeoff, I was fully able to maintain the motorcycle on the incline and check the road for clearance.

I also feel my strength as I work on my tight U-turns. I tense up my abdominal core as I pull the motorcycle around tighter, feeling the momentum of the bike and adding or decreasing speed as needed. And of course, I am constantly working my grip as I control the clutch and front brake. The rest of my Saturday workout includes hauling the riding gear in and out of the car, up the steep driveway, and just moving around when fully geared up.

Riding my motorcycle is more fun than visiting the gym. Both are good for me, but I have better luck spotting butterflies on my ride than when I’m inside the gym. It took a while, but I finally spotted a monarch among some flowers halfway into the ride. And, just as I thought I wasn’t going to see any more, a little cabbage white butterfly fluttered into view. I spotted one more monarch among the lantana again, and the large tiger swallowtail fluttered up to the house as I was packing up my gear.

During today’s ride, though, Bill and I weren’t the only ones out cruising. For a brief moment, a Harley rider joined up on our route, qualifying us as a motorcycle gang. We also saw a 1969 Pontiac GTX in its original blue cruising around nearly the same route we took. It was a beautiful car, clearly well-cared for, and it made for one more enjoyable aspect of this wonderful last ride of this summer.

common buckeye butterfly with brown, white and orange markings

A Simply Wonderful Ride

After a few days of drizzly rain, Friday and Saturday gave us bright sunshine and dry roads with cool temperatures. Our ride was in the low 70s, and Bill and I weren’t the only motorcyclists out enjoying the day.

Our ride was a mix of slow-speed drills and cruising. I remembered to work on my speed into corners without relying on the Rocket’s brake lights to cue me. Perhaps because I rode on my own last week, it wasn’t difficult. I also found my on-street U-turns easy today even when I thought I started to far in on the road. As I came around tightening my turn, I felt a moment of near-stoppage but with the R Nine T balancing. I may be spoiled with my boxer engine and have difficulty balancing on another motorcycle.

We met up with several gaggles of Canadian geese, two groups of whom were trying to cross the street in front of us. The gaggles are larger and the birds seem to be feeding quite a bit. Energy for more migration efforts or adding fat for the upcoming winter I guess. I only spotted on monarch butterfly among the fading blooms, and I realized that I need to enjoy each butterfly I spot over these next few rides.

I must admit I didn’t start riding motorcycles as a means to become a butterfly watcher, but I do think I have the most fun way of watching them. Now, as the leaves begin falling, I find myself watching each movement; most of what is moving are leaves spiraling down out of the trees. But I always look twice just in case it is a butterfly. And I will be out riding next weekend looking for a few more butterflies on the last ride of this summer.

Far Side by Gary Larson cartoon where a group of ink drawn butterflies are flying carrying a large net to trap the butterfly hunter. — I saw this and laughed and thought of you, Readers. I’m glad I don’t “hunt” butterflies in the traditional way.

Summer’s Last Gasp

Just over two weeks until the autumnal equinox, so summer decided to return in force. Sunny skies with highs in the low 90s made for another sweaty ride. I’ve definitely been spoiled the past few weekends and next weekend marks a return to the 70s, so I can’t complain. Besides, there was cool air in the breeze that was blowing, hinting at the cooler air arriving Sunday.

It was a solo ride, and I enjoyed the opportunity to learn where I’ve let some bad habits creep in following behind Bill. I have been working on looking up the road for potential problems, so I felt good about my attention and road awareness. What I learned during my motorcycle ride is that I’ve been relying on Bill ahead of me to make speed adjustments into the corners. I entered a few corners a little too fast, but I was able to adjust and trail brake through the corners to a more appropriate speed. It was a good lesson for me, and it revealed yet another way I’ve over-relied on Bill in the lead.

I was lucky in that the traffic was light, which made my cruising around easy. Since I was on my own, I went up the curvy road and even took a turn in the historic house gravel lot. I’m feeling a little shaky on the gravel, and I wonder if that’s because I’m more aware of the tire slippage. I later rode onto the other gravel lot to give myself more practice.

Due to the heat, I kept moving, zooming up the fast road several times to cool off. I really didn’t feel how sweaty I got until I was heading back to the garage. I raised up my left arm to catch the breeze and felt my Alpinestar jacket adhere to my back. I was going to opt out of the extra jacket, but since I was out on my own, I felt the extra safety was better than a little coolness.

With the return of the summer temperatures, I saw plenty of butterflies. The first was a banded hairstreak. I did get to see two cabbage whites, and I saw what was either a spicebush swallowtail or a tiger swallowtail that was black with a yellow band and the base of the wings. I did see one monarch, but I didn’t get to see the emergence from the chrysalis. I was checking every morning and afternoon on the cocoon, but somewhere between my leaving for work Thursday morning and my arrival home, the monarch had emerged. As I walked toward the house a little disappointed, a monarch drifted across the front yard, and I amused myself with the thought that it was “my” butterfly.

I was glad to see so many butterflies as I missed having Bill along for the ride. Next week, he’ll be back, the weather will cool, and I probably won’t see as many butterflies. But I will see more leaves changing, feel more cool air, and enjoy more motorcycle riding.

husk from butterfly cocoon on fennel plant — The remnants of the cocoon.

The Beauty of Change

Autumn is the season of change. The vibrancy of life brought on by spring and summer is nearing the end of its cycle. The green trees transform with burst of gold, orange, red, and brown. The flowers droop and the petals blow away in the wind. And the caterpillars begin their transformation into butterflies.

I took note a week ago of some monarch caterpillars munching on the fennel I’ve planted in the yard. I planted the fennel expressly for the monarch caterpillars as I read that the butterfly will lays its eggs on the fennel, and the caterpillars will become their fat green selves munching on it. So I was thrilled to spot one of the caterpillars beginning its cocoon for its transformation. I spotted the back half of the caterpillar with green covering its front.

Before I headed out for this week’s motorcycle ride, I checked in on the chrysalis. It fully covered the caterpillar. As I checked in on “my” chrysalis, I noticed the grayish-white husk of another chrysalis whose butterfly had transformed and flown off. Then I spotted another one; I had missed these cocoons because they are well camouflaged. They look like green leaves while the caterpillar is inside. I will keep tabs on the remaining chrysalis, though the butterfly will probably emerge while I’m at work.

But the chrysalis made me think about change. One change I’m seeing is more motorcycles out on the road taking advantage of this mild August weather. Bill and I passed a cruiser rider as we began our ride; it wasn’t a Harley because it lacked the engine noise, but I couldn’t see the logo to know if it was an Indian. We also had a sport bike rider come up behind us at a stop sign which is very unusual to encounter two riders on our route.

But today was spectacular—sunny skies and mid-70s, with a chill in the breeze. When I first headed out, I thought I’d made a mistake not wearing my neck tube, but as the ride went on, I warmed up enough to be completely comfortable. It was also pleasant to not have my t-shirt plastered with sweat to my back.

We mostly cruised along with Bill getting the drifting monarch butterfly across his line of sight this week. I spotted one monarch then thought I was mistaken and it was a falling leaf before the wings flapped again and the monarch took off. It gave me a better understanding of why monarchs seem to drift; it’s part of their camouflage. I spotted what I think was a dainty sulphur butterfly; it had more orange to its wing shading than the usual yellow sulphurs. I even spotted a tiger swallowtail lofting along above us. It has been a good summer for butterflies.

I let my mind wander a little during this ride, and I need to be careful about that. Mostly we cruised, but I did work on my lean into the U-turns. I noticed my turns are getting tighter, but I did have to dab my foot on one of my right-side turns. I also noted that my ABS always comes on in my fast stops even when I try to use engine braking. Bill said it might be very sensitive brakes. In any case I had fun practicing and will have even more fun during next week’s ride.

green monarch caterpillar halfway into green chrysalis

Getting Spoiled

Another beautiful Saturday in August with partly sunny skies and highs just reaching to 80 degrees; this is the most pleasant August I can remember, and I’ve lived here for decades. The only time I felt a little too warm was during stopping drills in the hospital lot; for the rest of the ride, I was cool and comfortable.

The sun hid behind clouds for most of the ride which helped keep it cool and comfortable. Lots of people were out catching up on yardwork to take advantage of the day. And I spotted a number of butterflies enjoying the day including a monarch that drifted across a foot in front of my visor. One of the butterflies I saw was another monarch hanging out over the lantana bushes where I spotted one last week; I wondered if it was the same one hanging out.

During one of my U-turns, I spotted what I think was a banded hairstreak down close to the road. As we rode further up the road, I spotted another one. But then I wondered if it was the same butterfly and it had hitchhiked a ride up the road. Of course, it wasn’t, but it was a fun thought to have.

My ride went smoothly and my skills practice went well, so I had time to admire the butterflies I saw, including a black swallowtail that flew up next to me. I spotted a few more monarchs, and I noted that they seem to fly by drifting along, whereas the cabbage white butterflies seem to almost buzz with energy as they move about. I was noting a lack of the cabbage whites from the past few rides, but I spotted one on the drive home, so there are still a few fluttering about.

As I zoomed up the road, I noted more colored leaves fallen on the berm. Even as autumn grows closer, I saw flower buds on the young magnolias. I haven’t seen anyone with mums out yet, but I have noticed more of the twice-blooming azaleas with flowers. I am looking forward to fall, but I am sure enjoying the end of summer and these beautiful days are spoiling me.

orange and black monarch butterfly resting on yellow lantana flowers — Photo by Garuda on Pexels.com

Hints of Autumn

Yet again the dogs have not arrived, that is the dog days of summer. While Saturday was humid, the temperatures were in the mid-80s, and a lot of motorcyclists were out and about for an end of summer ride. School starts on Monday, so summer is definitely coming to its end. Overall, we’ve had some beautiful days for riding this summer.

The fall hints were there in more leaves beginning to change color and drop. I haven’t seen any mums yet, but I noticed the green leaves have a tired look as though they’ve given almost all the soothing green they can. I definitely see the change in the Japanese maples, but with the mild summer we’ve had, there are still lots of flowery blooms adding color to the ride. And I spotted a couple of butterflies still enjoying them, including a small Baltimore checkerspot that flew right in front of me and a monarch flitting about the late blooms.

My ride went really well, though I did have one mis-shift into neutral. My on-street U-turns were all street, and I enjoyed working on the lean over the tank and trying to tighten up my turns throughout our ride. Even my quick stops had very little shake from the ABS as I worked on using the engine braking to help slow the motorcycle. My only real issue was the numbness in my right hand. Maybe the humidity that helped to plaster my riding gear to my skin made my jacket tighter, but for some reason the numbness was worse during this ride than it has been. I thought I might ask Bill for handlebar risers for Christmas if they aren’t too troublesome to install because I really do think it’s the slight lean forward riding position on the R Nine T that messes up my circulation. I think this because I didn’t have this issue on either of my other motorcycles, the BMW 310 GS nor the Ducati Scrambler. The discomfort, however, isn’t enough to stop me from riding especially since next weekend is forecast for more low to mid-80s. Beautiful August riding weather even as autumn approaches. As I took off my boots, I noticed a garden spider in its web, another sign of fall which, like the spring, makes for perfect motorcycle riding weather.

yellow black garden spider in zipper web

The Gifts Keep Coming

I thought last week’s ride was a fluke; it’s August in the mid-Atlantic, temperatures are meant to be in the 90s with high humidity. But I think we may be in for an early autumn this year (yay!) as careful looking will reveal leaves already changing. The high for today’s ride was 80 degrees with a cool northeasterly breeze. I actually felt a little chilly as I started off and reveled in that autumn air here in August. We passed a lot of motorcycle riders on our way to our own ride taking advantage of a perfect riding day.

There are other hints that fall is fast approaching. The Canadian geese flocks are growing in number as their ranks swell from migration. I am also seeing more robins about, and I noted on today’s ride that the brown-eyed Susans, blooming strong for so many weeks, have a tired fadedness to them. Now there are still splashes of color from the vincas, newly planted impatiens, geraniums, and begonias, but I spotted another twice-blooming azalea with flowers opening, another sign of autumn.

I needed this ride even as I felt it might be more than I can handle. I felt woozy and weak and seriously considered telling Bill to go off on his own, but I decided to see what I could do and head in early if I felt overwhelmed. It was the right decision; my weakened state seemed to make me more focused, and my ride was helpfully smooth. My only mistake was during the on-street U-turns. My first turn around was all road, and I took a moment to feel self-satisfied. But in that moment, I lost my bearings on where Bill was in his turn, so as I started my second turn, I realized I would turn right on top of a sewer cover. I straightened and went further up the road to complete my second turn, but Bill had to wait in the cul-de-sac for me to catch up.

It was funny that I was given pause over a sewer lid. I had been thinking about writing about the dangers these metal plates in the road hold for motorcyclists. What makes them dangerous? They can be extra slick and slippery especially when wet and hold onto oil in the road causing a loss of traction. Since we only ride on dry roads, the loss of traction threat is minimal, but it could still happen if the tire tread angles onto the metal in just the right way. That was my concern in my U-turn; with the motorcycle leaned over and the front tire turned, I wasn’t confident that the traction would hold, so I avoided the issue by riding until I was turning on pavement.

I was glad to realize that my mind was well-focused on what I was doing on the ride especially the way I was feeling. I thought the U-turns would be physically challenging, but I managed them well-enough and lasted for our entire ride. I managed to not trigger the ABS on my one quick stop by using more roadway and engine braking to slow down.

One sad note about the approaching autumn. Yes, my rides will be more comfortable and less sweaty. And I very much look forward to the colorful leaves. Yet I will the butterflies. On today’s ride I only saw two; a confused monarch that almost flew back into Bill and a small black butterfly that might have been a great purple hairstreak, but I can’t be sure. Maybe I’ll see it again on next week’s ride.

sewer cover in roadway — Photo by YWEN ZHU on Pexels.com