Suicidal Butterflies?

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.

white butterfly — Photo by Tu00f4n Thanh Chiu1ebfn on Pexels.com

Not a Happy Anniversary

Five years and two days ago, I sat on my first ever motorcycle, an old Kawasaki Eliminator cruiser, and began my motorcycle journey. This weekend I was looking forward to an anniversary ride on Sunday since Saturday dawned gray and misty. Instead, in doing a seemingly good deed, I broke the R Nine T.

If you own a motorcycle, I recommend searching for hidden problems with the bike. On the BMW R Nine T the hidden problem is known as the disappearing rear brake. A full depression of the rear brake pedal and nothing happens, no caliper engagement. And why? That was perhaps the greatest mystery. The motorcycle has less than 3,000 miles on it, is kept in a garage, and isn’t ridden very hard. Yet on this gorgeous sunny, breezy Sunday, my motorcycle mysteriously broke.

The disappeared rear brake was discovered while Bill was bringing the bikes down the driveway. The Triumph waited patiently by the curb for my BMW to ride. The little garage cabbage white admired the Rocket from across the street. But my bike never made it to the curb. We tried adding brake fluid, but it was a no go, so no ride. And after the week I had at work, I really needed a relaxing ride full of butterflies (I’d spotted a bunch on the drive over).

Instead, we returned both bikes to the garage, packed up the gear, and headed home to do some research. That’s where we learned about the disappearing rear brake. What was really annoying was one of the potential causes of the disappearance was getting the ABS mechanism wet. Guess what we did on that dreary Saturday? Right, we washed and waxed the motorcycles. One would think the dealership would warn new owners that washing their motorcycle might damage one of the most important features of the motorcycle, but no.

Now the problem could be air in the brake line, so we’ll try bleeding the line first before trying to set up service. I really am screwed if the R Nine T does need service; the dealer’s service center doesn’t have any appointments open until September!

So I end this blog post with a cliffhanger—will the R Nine T rear brake get fixed? Will it need service months away? Will I get to ride next weekend? Will there be a sixth anniversary? Stay tuned!

soap bubble on front tire of motorcycle — Happy bubble on a happy motorcycle

Did You Miss Us?

Overhead as we unloaded our riding gear, we spotted three ospreys and an eagle soaring high in the thermals and probably fighting over territory. It was a spectacular sight. The garage cabbage white fluttered by followed by a young tiger swallowtail enjoying the warm day, and it gave me hope of some butterfly spottings as we rode.

We again lucked out with the weather. Some much needed rain had fallen the night before but had dried on the roads by the time we headed out on our motorcycles. We have been in quite a dry spell, and the rain-refreshed irises, roses, peonies, rhododendrons, azaleas, and buttercups clearly brought the butterflies back. All in all I spotted twenty butterflies during the ride, mostly cabbage whites, but beautiful sights on a beautiful day.

With the temperature at 80 degrees, I kept my jackets partially unzipped to let in the cool air. A mile into our ride, I spotted the first two cabbage whites flittering among the buttercups. I did make three mistakes at the first three stops, forgetting to check my rearview mirrors. That realization helped me refocus, and I did my mirror check at all remaining stops. But it did rattle me to realize my focus was perhaps too much on the butterflies and not enough on my skills.

Once I refocused on my riding skills, I let the butterfly spotting be my secondary focus. I made sure to check directions at all intersections and check my mirrors at all stops. I also remembered not to look at the berm during my on street U-turns, and they were both plenty of road. Most of my U-turns were pretty tight, but I did mess up and have to dab my left foot in the gravel lot parking spaces.

Most of my ride went well. I waved to a lot of people who had waved to us first. And I kept spotting butterflies everywhere. Mostly I saw cabbage whites including one that fluttered right across my path as I finished up my fast stop figure eights. During the ride I also spotted what I believe was a juvenile black swallowtail and what may have been an American copper. They zoomed across my line of sight, so I didn’t get the best look at the wings.

I was happier with this ride because the butterflies were back. We’re expecting a lot of rain during a much cooler week. Hopefully, it will dry up by next Saturday for my ride and give me a cool day for riding. Next week is pretty special for me as it will be my fifth anniversary of motorcycle riding—five years of fun.

white butterfly on blue flowers — Photo by thorl5 on Pexels.com

Birds of Prey

As I approached my BMW R Nine T motorcycle for the day’s ride, I watched as an osprey coasted overhead. Osprey are also known as seahawks, and they return each year to the same nesting grounds. Since Bill had already told me our ride wouldn’t have much in the way of slow-speed drills due to the warm air—85 degrees, I looked up at the osprey and thought about how cruising on my motorcycle perhaps feels like soaring aloft in the skies.

My mind was a bit out of proper focus as we headed out. I missed my mirrors on not just the first but also the second stop. I had let my mind wander to the realization that in just a few weeks, I will be celebrating five years as a motorcyclist. And while I loved that realization, having it while out riding and not paying proper attention signaled to me that I still have plenty to learn.

Two miles in to the ride, I spotted the one and only cabbage white butterfly of the ride. It is still early into spring, and I’m hoping the now blooming roses will be a bigger attraction for them. The azaleas aren’t as attractive, but now the clematis are blooming as well as the irises, so there should be enough nectar to lure out more butterflies. I did spot several tiny flutterers among the clover and dandelions in my front yard, but I was a little disappointed not to see more butterflies as we rode.

We did, however, get to see the spectacular sight of a red shouldered hawk zooming down in pursuit of prey. I think our motorcycles startled the raptor mid-zoom because as we came up the road, he zoomed in front, pivoted to give us a full view of his wingspan, and then plopped a little ungracefully either on the ground or on its prey. I never saw the prey, for which I am glad. But I did see a magnificent bird of prey hunting up close which I am thrilled.

While we mostly zoomed about in our ride, we did execute the on-street U-turns. I had an epiphany during my first turn; because I am trying not to go onto the berm during the on-street turn, I focus too much on the berm. I’m not target focused on the berm, but I tend to cut my eyes toward it which interrupts the focus of the U-turn and widens it. So now that I’m aware of what I’ve been doing, I can work more on fixing it.

I also only got to do one sudden stop toward the end of the ride. But I did focus on using engine braking to help stop the bike, so I did get some skill practice.

At the end of our ride, as I was packing up my gear, I spotted another osprey. It might have been the same one, but I thought it was different because it was circling over a different section of the river. The end of the ride also brought out the little cabbage white butterfly that hovers around the garage. As he fluttered by, I smiled and thought I can’t wait for next week’s ride.

red shouldered hawk perched on tree branch — Photo by Jesus Ontiveros on Pexels.com

Sudden Stops on a Spectacular Spring Ride

Spring returned in full force for today’s ride with a beautiful sunny day right around 70 degrees and with a full-frontal assault by the pollen. I wore my neck tube up over my mouth and nose to help alleviate my allergies, and that action was mostly successful, so I could enjoy the day without sneezing all afternoon.

The azaleas are reaching peak bloom, the roses are beginning to bloom, and I even saw large pink-white peonies blossoming. I spotted two monarch butterflies out enjoying the day probably as much as I was. The Japanese maples were a spectacular red as they reflected the sunlight off their leaves, and the roads were covered in the maple seed pod “helicopters.” We called them “helicopters” as kids because we would pick them up and throw them in the air to let them spin their way to the ground. I even picked up a few as I loaded the gear after the ride to relive my childhood fun.

My motorcycle ride was wonderful. My on-street U-turns were all street with my second one being super tight. Turning my head a little more has really helped tighten my U-turns; I just need to work on reaching and being comfortable at full lock. We also did the zooming figure eights with the race braking, but there was a trailer parked in the lot and it cramped my turns.

My most successful aspect of the ride was finally being able to use engine braking to aid my sudden stops. Engine braking is when I let the downshift of the engine help to slow the motorcycle. What I have to do is let out the clutch as I downshift while braking sharply. It’s a coordination effort on my part. Out of three attempts, I was successful on two. The first stop with the engine braking was within two parking spots. The second one was a goof. And the third was the best; I stopped within a parking spot and a half. It’s always fun to make a leap in skills, and I look forward to working the stops some more next week.

burgundy leaves in sunlight on a Japanese maples

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.

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