Crossing Paths

Our ride day came with a slight break in the heat wave of the week; instead of temperatures in the mid to upper 90s, temperatures were in the low 90s, around 91 for our ride. The sun was out, but there were towering clouds in the sky, so I was hoping for some cloud cover to provide some relief; the relief never came. The whole ride was hot despite the little bit of cool air in the slight breeze. Hot rides like today’s provide me understanding for people who choose to ride in their t-shirts and shorts. However, all it would take is one tumble for me to appreciate sweating in the safety gear.

For this ride besides keeping cool thoughts, I worked on looking ahead and around for potential issues. Sometimes I let myself rely too much on Bill for watching the road. I am working on not letting that become a habit, so while I enjoyed the still lush foliage thanks to all the recent rain, I forced myself to pay attention to the road and the traffic as though Bill wasn’t ahead of me. Luckily, there wasn’t anything weird or funky in today’s ride; the only squirrel that crossed our path did so well out ahead of us.

The ride was one of movement to keep the air flowing over us. I didn’t mind because we zoomed past some softly sweet-smelling crape myrtles. I had my helmet visor up slightly to let in air and those soft summer smells.

With the heat I wasn’t sure about spotting any butterflies. I thought I’d see a few cabbage whites around, but we had been cruising for over half the ride, and I hadn’t spotted a single butterfly. As I rode past the gravel lot, I looked around for last week’s kamikaze pipevine swallowtail, but it wasn’t until we were heading back to the garage that a black butterfly crossed right in front of my helmet. A mile more down the road and a cabbage white seemingly appeared out of thin air crossing in front of me causing me to laugh out loud. I think what makes crossing paths with butterflies while riding a motorcycle is the chance of contact. I’m not riding fast enough to hurt the butterflies, yet the motion of the motorcycle doesn’t set up a good landing platform for the butterflies. The two butterflies did distract me from the heat of the ride and made me even happier that I was out riding even on such a hot day.

Cognitive Development

I became a motorcycle rider later in life having already hit middle age when I took the MSF* class (Bill and I were at least double the age of the other students at the time). But I had an interest and curiosity about riding motorcycles that I ignored for most of my adult life. Now that I’ve become a rider, I’ve written about the therapeutic value of riding motorcycles, the weekly stress relief it provides. And I’ve written about working on slow speed maneuvers and learning how to do sudden stops and swerve around targets. But it only occurred to me with this week’s ride how beneficial motorcycle riding can be to my mental fitness.

We’ve all seen or heard about studies on ways to keep one’s mind sharp as one ages—crossword puzzles, sudoku, jigsaw puzzles, exercise, and learning a new skill. Well this week, I had the opportunity to teach myself a new trick on my R Nine T. On Thursday Bill took the motorcycle in for its annual state inspection. An interesting side note—the inspectors at the local Harley-Davidson dealership were commenting on how the brake lights lit up the service room; there is a fad in current motorcycle design of minimalist brake lights—using LED lights that are really small to keep smooth lines for the aesthetic of the bike. I think large brake lights should be a mandatory safety feature of motorcycles much like the automatic headlight on feature is. But I totally digress.

After the return to the garage, the R Nine T was parked on my parents’ driveway. My task was to ride the bike into the garage to park. Now I’ve mentioned before that my parents’ driveway is really steep, so as soon as I let off the brake, the motorcycle would roll backwards and I would have to fight it with the strength of my legs. As I sat on the bike, I thought to use the rear brake while I rolled on the throttle and felt the friction zone for forward movement. It worked like a charm.

On Saturday as I readied to head out, I utilized the rear brake technique to help me as I slowly rolled up the camber of the road to check for oncoming traffic. Too often I have relied on Bill to check that the road is clear, but I always knew I needed to be able to check the road for my own safety and should I head out on my own. Later, I realized that my brain, instead of floating off to look for butterflies, had churned some gears to solve my problem. Am I a motorcycle genius? Of course not; most riders are probably rolling their eyes with a “no duh” thought crossing their minds. But for me, it was a problem I had and it was my brain that solved it which made me realize how my brain has been helping me solve riding and motorcycle challenges constantly, from one motorcycle to the next. So as I age, my motorcycle riding will help not only keep me feeling young but help keep my brain firing on all cylinders.

*MSF—Motorcycle Safety Foundation riding course.

Riding Therapy

I was having a bad day, not feeling up to snuff and not sure I should be riding my motorcycle. Handling the 487 pounds of the R Nine T was feeling like biting off more than I could chew. But it was another gorgeous day—sunny, highs in the low-to-mid-70s with strong, gusty winds. Rain was forecasted but not until late in the day. I know the summer heat is heading our way, so I didn’t want to pass up a perfect day for riding.

I decided to give the ride a go with a plan to head back to the garage if my wooziness made the ride seem difficult. I thought the fresh air and sunshine might actually help, and it was the first ride of my summer vacation. So we headed out with my focus on how I’m feeling as we go and how I’m interacting with the motorcycle. My ride was like pushing through the work day when I went in not feeling well and started to feel worse as the day progressed. At least up to a point. My first U-turn of the ride was the on-street turns. Both were all road with the second tighter than the first. Perhaps it was nailing those turns, perhaps it was the air and sunshine by that point, but I began feeling better and began enjoying the ride like I usually do.

I worked on target fixation avoidance with pine cones in the road, and I continued to work on tightening up my U-turns. But the ride wasn’t all easy. I tried for the footless stop, but while I watched the speedometer hit the 0, I lost the feel of the R Nine T and stalled the bike. I don’t think Bill realized I wasn’t right behind him until he began his turn in the cul-de-sac and I was quite a bit behind. The stall made me laugh, and I thought if that was the worst thing to happen on this not-feeling-great ride, then I’m getting off easy.

We rode mostly with some U-turn practice sprinkled in. We didn’t go into the hospital lot to practice stops which surprised me a little since it wasn’t too warm of a day, but it didn’t disappoint me. I managed to spot a rabbit watching us approach a turn, but I didn’t see more than two cabbage white butterflies throughout the ride. I think the wind may have been a factor in that. The Canadian goslings are hitting puberty and their rebellious stage, not falling in line as quickly as they did last week. And we watched an osprey hovering in the air as the wind prohibited any forward progress.

The hydrangeas are in spectacular bloom alongside the day lilies. The lovely scent of gardenias mixed in with early blooming mimosa trees and crape myrtles. I’m used to smelling mimosas on hot summer nights, so it is a different experience to smell the pink fluffy blossoms on a comfortably cool day. But a mild summer would make motorcycle riding ideal throughout the summer months. I know it won’t last, but I know I needed this perfect riding day to help me get back my motorcycle mojo, and it did just that.

American Cooper

I can’t remember a Memorial Day weekend this cool and comfortable. For today’s ride the temperatures will barely hit 70 degrees and the sun is shining brightly. We headed out early enough for me to be hopeful of seeing many butterflies, and I did spot eight throughout the ride, including my first ever American copper butterfly! Mostly, I spotted the cabbage whites; six of the ones I spotted were these ubiquitous yard butterflies. But I also managed to spot what I believe was a tiny gray hairstreak. This little guy isn’t even an inch in wingspan, but he fluttered up by my right shoulder.

My ride went really well with much smoother turns than last week. My U-turns were also nice and tight, but we didn’t do the on-street turn, so I couldn’t test that one. I realized during this ride that I feel more confident on my motorcycle. The idea of dropping my motorcycle now seems more like a fluke not an every ride possibility. I think hearing the weight of a motorcycle (487 pounds fully fueled with my R Nine T), the thought of having to prevent a fall seems intimidating. But with some strong legs and the riding skills to use the clutch and speed, slips in balance can be corrected and drops prevented. My front tire slipped on a rock during a U-turn and though I wobbled a bit, I had the presence of mind to let out the clutch and allow the bike to use speed to correct.

Because the day was so cool, we headed into the hospital lot to practice quick stops. My stops are short—within two parking spaces. But I still have the ABS (anti-lock brake system) kick in on my sudden stops. I tried using engine braking with the downshift to help stop the motorcycle without having the ABS kick in, but my stop rolled over three parking spaces. In discussing the issue with Bill after the ride, I decided I should try longer stops without the ABS kicking in. Once I can use the downshift and engine braking without the ABS, then I can start working on shortening my stops.

As we headed toward the last loop at the end of our ride, we came across a swarm of dragonflies near a Yoshino cherry tree. I suppose there were lots of good eats in the tree and the dragonflies were having a feeding frenzy. We also spotted the Canadian geese, stopping in the road to let the mam goose and her goslings cross the street. Bill saw a hawk but I missed it because I had spotted both an egret and the blue heron wading not far from each other in the low tide. I guess the heron didn’t migrate north for cooler air, and with our current weather pattern, there was no need.

The extended spring temperatures are also allowing some roses to hold on to their blooms longer. They are joined by even more day lilies bursting with color and the hydrangeas now sporting their colorful flower balls. I did see a few crape myrtles with flowers already, but it’s a little early yet for them to reach full bloom. The magnolia blooms are holding strong and their perfume is joined by the tiny white blooms from the ligustrum bushes.

All in all, it was a lovely ride for the Memorial Day weekend. And a shout out to the riders who are part of Roll to Remember in Washington DC this weekend for those who have made the ultimate sacrifice. Ride on!

American copper butterfly--orange with black spots on a yellow day lily — Photo by Erik Karits on Pexels.com

What a Difference a Few Hours Make!

Last week we rode earlier and I went to the gym after our ride. This week, despite the 88 degrees high temperature, I went to the gym first and we rode our motorcycles in the early afternoon. The few hours later in the day made a big difference in the number of butterflies I saw during our ride—less than half of last week’s number. So butterflies must take afternoon siestas.

I did see more dragonflies, more than two for every butterfly I spotted, including one little guy who flew directly at my left shoulder. I never felt an impact and there weren’t four wings stuck to my Helite airbag vest after the ride, so I believe he managed to veer off and continue with his day. Of course, with the warmer air and the increasing number of dragonflies, the mosquitoes are around. Luckily, we ride early enough in the day to avoid them.

My ride wasn’t the best in terms of my technique. My shifting and stopping went well, but all of my turns were wide. I turned a corner so wide I went into the oncoming lane (luckily free of oncoming traffic). And my on-street U-turns both went a bit onto the grassy berm. I think part of that was my distraction because one of the cabbage white butterflies was flitting along the side of the road right where we did our turns, and I was watching her flit about.

As we turned up one road, both of us spotted a young osprey working on its flight skills. It seemed the osprey was following us along our route up the road in a zigzagging fashion which was really neat. But soon the parent osprey showed up to guide the little guy either back to the nest or back over the water to find lunch.

Despite the heat of the day, I wasn’t uncomfortably hot. Sure my t-shirt was adhering to my back, but there was a lovely breeze blowing with some cooler air to keep the ride mostly comfortable. Plus, we didn’t go into the hospital lot for slow speed maneuvers. I saw some more bright scarlet day lilies in bloom, and the magnolia blossoms are holding strong. But some of the roses have begun to fade, and the blooms off the honeysuckle were gone. I noticed that the leaves on the Japanese maples seem more burnished and less bright than they did a few weeks ago. Summer is fast approaching which means even more relaxing rides.

rider on motorcycle — I’ve been riding motorcycles now for just over four years! And I’ve come a long way since the school parking lot.

Winning the Weather Lottery

Spring officially arrived with Thursday’s vernal equinox and gave us another gorgeous day for riding motorcycles. The northwest winds from Friday shifted to the southwest under sunny skies, giving us temperatures approaching a balmy 70 degrees. In fact I had no chill whatsoever on this ride and was perfectly comfortable.

My comfort extended to my ride as well. Early in the ride, as Bill and I turn off my parents’ block, the road is terribly torn up with the different neighborhood projects. There are cuts in the asphalt, small metal access lids sticking out, and slippery gravel patches all over. As I returned to riding, I’ve had some concern over this stretch of road picturing tire slips or boot slips as we come to a stop. I’ve even thought I might catch the front tire between asphalt chunks, but so far I’ve navigated the rough roads OK. But the damage to the street does make me extra cautious and aware.

I focused on my engine braking, enjoying the chugga-chugga rumble of the down shifts. I also worked on my no-look turns and, since Bill led us into more U-turns, tightening up my turns. I feel my skills are returning back to their pre-break levels. I’ll know I’m fully back when I can do the on-street U-turn and my quick stops and restarts.

Just like last week, there was a cabbage white butterfly fluttering about before our ride. And two miles into the ride, I began seeing even more cabbage whites—eight in all and a little yellow sulphur whom I got an excellent view of as it fluttered beside me for several yards. The only large bird I spotted in the clear blue sky was a great blue heron lazily making its way down to the river. When Bill led us into a cul de sac where we stop and gaze at the view of the river, I spotted a little goldfinch moving about a large pine tree.

I did have my first bug run in. As I headed up the long road, I felt an impact against my throat from what I suspect was a bumblebee. Luckily, I had my neck tube on, so if the bug didn’t make it, I wouldn’t have bug guts on my neck (she made it). I’m not surprised the bees are out; the flowering trees are filling with blossoms. This week during the ride, I spotted several weeping cherry trees blossoming and the beginning blooms on the Yoshino trees.

It’s funny to realize that as a motorcycle rider, I am as excited to see the spring as a kid who’s been waiting to get to play outside. I suppose it is very comparable. Kids ride their bikes, fly kites, run around; I ride my R Nine T, and the fun I’m having makes me feel like a kid again.

Yoshino cherry blossoms beginning to bloom

Return to Riding

Finally! A beautiful, early spring-like day arrived and I was up for a motorcycle ride. The temperature was in the low-70s, the sun was shining brightly, and the snow was completely melted. And yes, welcome to southeastern Virginia’s strange weather patterns—a blizzard last week; spring this week.

I was a little nervous about the ride. It’s been over six weeks, my core is weakened, and motorcycle riding can require body strength to readjust and correct potential mishaps. I also worried about my basic skills like feathering the clutch so the R Nine T wouldn’t stall. But as the expression goes, “It’s like riding a bike,” and it was. My skills returned easily and readily.

I also had a fantastic omen. As I headed to the car, I happened to look up at the clear blue sky and saw a bald eagle fly over and watched as he soared down the block.

I told Bill I wanted an easy, loping ride through the neighborhoods with no slow-speed drills. As I’m writing this, I realize that once I was on the R Nine T, I didn’t have any worries about the clutch feathering. My biggest concern came as we turned the corner around my parents’ block and I rode over the torn up strips of road. But after a moment’s thought of how my tire could slip in the uneven gravel, my worries left me, and I relaxed to enjoy my first ride in too long.

The daffodils took the opportunity of the beautiful day to begin blooming, adding bright spots of yellow to the still-wintry landscape along with the reds and pinks of the camellias. The Canadian geese are returning more plentiful as they migrate northward. I spotted many sparrows darting about but didn’t see any robins. I was pushing my luck to hope I could spot another eagle, but all I saw were turkey vultures buffeting about in the strong winds.

March, despite the lovely temperature and sunshine, is coming in like a lion; the wind was gusting some but picked up later in the evening. But I am so happy that the day was perfect for my return to riding.

daffodil under blue sky — Photo by Eva Bronzini on Pexels.com

Last Ride of ’24

Mother nature must love motorcycle riders, for she gave us a perfect day for riding. There were some clouds, but it was mostly sunny and warm, warm enough for me to not wear my winter gear but the Klim jacket and the lightweight gloves. The temperature was around 65 degrees, and I spotted other riders out taking advantage of the gift of the day.

It is a quirk of mid-Atlantic life; earlier in the week, Bill brought the plants inside because of below freezing temperatures, and the water in the birdbath was frozen, but that same week, by Saturday, it was spring-like. These climate quirks are why we don’t have to winterize the motorcycles. Winterizing a motorcycle involves draining fluids, removing the battery, cleaning, covering, and possibly storing the bike. It makes sense if winter brings months of icy roads and unsafe riding conditions. But luckily for me, southeastern Virginia only sees large snowstorms once every few decades. And while the first ride of ’25 looks likely to be in the 30s, the weather stays moderate enough to allow for year-round riding.

And I really appreciate the opportunity to ride in all four seasons. Today’s ride brought sightings of osprey, an egret, Canadian geese in flight, and a flock of hooded mergansers on the lake. The bare branches on the trees filter the low sunlight into intricate roadway shadows, and the glimpses of pansies, roses, and the now-blooming camellias are more treasured because of the colors they add to the brown landscape. The opportunities to experience wildlife from the motorcycle might seem not dissimilar from that of a car, but in your car, can you look up to see a red-tailed hawk being harassed by two crows ten feet over your head?

I suppose I should reflect on what I’ve learned or improved this year during my rides. My stops have definitely developed the most. My understanding of engine braking expanded, and my work with the clutch has allowed me to effectively utilize engine braking to slow down the motorcycle. I have also been training my sudden stops, and I did have a chance to apply my training during one ride.

My feel for the BMW R Nine T also improved this year. I am constantly amazed at the balance of the bike on sharp turns, it revs with an old-fashioned gurgle and pop, and it has enough zip in the horsepower to keep Bill on his Triumph Rocket in sight. My only issue is with the slight forward lean in the riding position that puts some pressure on my wrists. I wouldn’t even mind that much except I think it causes numbness in my right hand.

Which reminds me to mention the BMW R1300 GS. In many ways that motorcycle would suit me better than the R Nine T—safety features and riding position to name a few. But for some reason, BMW went too conservative with the taillights; they are basically the turn signals. One thing Bill has stressed with me about being safe while riding is visibility. Motorcycles are already difficult for cars drivers to see. Why would I ride one with nearly negligible brake lights? Maybe in a few years when BMW has put that German engineering to work and perfected the 1300 I’ll get one. Until then, I’ll begin my fourth year as a rider on the R Nine T and love every minute of it.

hooded mergansers in water — Photo by James Mirakian on Pexels.com

Painful Ride

My entire motorcycle ride was done in pain. The pain wasn’t due to the cold; this ride was the first in the forties for the season. Many more to come before spring gets here. But I was well insulated in my lined leather jacket, lined winter riding pants, and my warm mid-weight gloves. I even managed to fully close the chin vent in my helmet to eliminate the little bit of cold air blowing in. No, my riding pain was self-inflicted and had to do with my hairstyle.

I’m sure it is evident in these blogs that I am not vain nor concerned with my appearance on the motorcycle. While I do have amazing, high-quality gear, I have an abundance of safety gear that makes me look like a barrel on top of my bike. I’m about safety first and then comfort on the motorcycle. I extend the safety and comfort to my hairstyle usually. My first care is to make sure my hair doesn’t get into my eyes. My second concern is that my hair is not a knotted mess after my ride that will take long, painful hair brushing to smooth out. I have tried different styles including using a hair wrap (these fall out on the ride), braids (fine for the length but not the short layers of my cut) and today, a segmented ponytail.

I used four hair elastics to create the ponytail. The first elastic was to hold back the shorter layers and, as I wrapped the band around my hair, I did wonder about the impact of my helmet on this top band. I figured it would be a learning experience and continued with the segments of the ponytail. And sure enough, as soon as I set my helmet on my hair, the top ponytail bump dug into the back of my scalp. I tried to adjust the helmet to relieve the downward pressure, but it was to no avail. I rode the entire ride with a non-stop chorus of “ouch” playing in my head.

I didn’t, however, let the pain ruin my ride. The sun was out with only a few wispy clouds in the sky. As we headed up the road to complete on on-street U-turns, the sunlight lit up the crimson leaves on some Japanese maples to stunning effect. I also had a second chance and a third to ride up the brilliantly lit road with the array of fall colors spectacularly laid out. Bill led us up the road twice to enjoy the stunning scenery making sure to point out the beautiful gumball tree with all of the colors of autumn on display.

Due to the cold, there were no butterflies about, and the only flutterings were from falling leaves. There were some ducks chilling in the river and some Canadian geese about. The only large birds I saw circling in the deep blue sky were turkey vultures.

My ride went really well including my emergency braking. I was noticing some small rose bushes in bloom when Bill decided to turn suddenly in front of me. Luckily, I was far enough back to brake quickly as he cut across in front of me. Funnily enough, five minutes earlier I had been pondering the best distance at which to follow Bill. If I’m too far back, cars will cut in between us; if I’m too close, I run the risk of tipping the bike as I try to avoid a collision. Clearly on this ride, I had found the ideal distance.

I’m in for more cold rides, probably for quite some time, but I don’t mind. I’ve already decided to try a barrette in my style next week for better head comfort, and I haven’t begun to add all of my layers for warmth. No matter the temperature or the hairstyle, I certainly will enjoy my ride.

Awesomeness and Annoyance

A Saturday afternoon ride in the autumn on a beautiful, mostly sunny day in the mid-50s is an awesome ride, mostly. Unfortunately, riding at 3:30 in the afternoon in late autumn is also a ride of annoyance because the sun is a late afternoon, low in the sky sun. Because sunset is now at 4:50, the sun is low enough to beam right into my eyes when traveling south. What made it annoying was my sunglasses, which I wore for extra sun glare protection, kept slipping down my nose and off my eyes. I spent a third of my ride lifting my visor to adjust my glasses, not a very relaxing ride.

My ride, however, when I could focus on it, was fantastic. Everything went smoothly and I nailed both on-street U-turns. The BMW R Nine T motorcycle is so well-balanced that during one set of turns, as I was following Bill, I needed to slow to almost a stop, and I marveled at how there was no wobble in the balance as I slowly let out the clutch to increase the speed. I also hit zero on the footless stop and, as the bike lurched to one side, I simply rolled on the throttle and released the clutch and let the motorcycle recover its balance.

I did mostly enjoy my ride. As we turned up one road, the sun-dappled the leaves and created a beautiful tapestry of greens, golds, reds, and oranges. I wanted to stop and take a picture, but since I was wearing my leather jacket for the cooler ride, getting my phone out is a more complicated process. Instead, I resolved myself to follow the Japanese proverb: Ichi e, ichi go, which translates to one moment, one memory. The visual was so stunning, I decided to leave off mentally complaining about the sun glare and sunglasses and appreciate how the angled light brought out the autumnal colors in a beautiful way.

Other than the foliage, the natural world was rather muted. There were some small groups of Canadian geese, perhaps the slower migrating ones. The only large bird I saw was a turkey vulture circling above. I didn’t spot any butterflies, and I wasn’t expecting to. The squirrels weren’t as active, just a few among the trees. Except there was one super crazy squirrel who decided to cross in front of Bill’s Rocket just as he came around a turn. I saw a large motorcycle wheel, a bundle of fur, and held my breath. Luckily, by kicking his back legs and tail underneath him, the squirrel managed to escape the massive motorcycle and live on.

Next week, I’m hoping we get out to ride a bit earlier. Maybe not, though, as the highs next Saturday are forecasted for 45 degrees. It’ll be time to get out the winter pants!