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.

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

Still Not Quite Ready for Winter Riding

Most of the country has been blasted by Arctic weather pushing south this week. A warm up is coming next week with rain (so no snow—bummer), at least in the beginning of the week. Temperatures will fall again into the 40s for next week’s ride just as they were there for this week’s. Perhaps by next Saturday, I will remember my leggings, and I will be trying out liner gloves underneath my medium weight Klim’s.

The BMW R Nine T comes with heated grips and hand guards. Despite these additions, when I preload the front brake, my index and middle finger eventually become numb from cold. The heated grips do not extend to a heated brake lever. However, I’ve developed the habit of preloading the front brake, and it is a weird sensation to grip all four fingers on the throttle grip. I tend to grip briefly for warmth, but it is never long enough to fully defrost my fingers.

So I went shopping on Revzilla and found Klim glove liners. If these work to keep my fingers warm, I’ll have a Christmas gift for Bill as well. I do have the heavier Rev’It winter gloves, but those are difficult to move freely in. I much prefer the medium weight gloves. Hopefully, I’ll be able to give the liners a good review after next week’s ride.

As for my cold legs, I didn’t even think about the leggings until my Mom was asking me if I get cold when I ride. I’ve put the leggings on top of my pants in hopes I will remember. But I am very happy with the Schott’s leather jacket. My core is toasty warm.

I distracted myself from most of the cold by focusing on my ride and on the scenery. I paid attention to my engine braking, keeping the downshifts smooth. I did have to mis-shifts into neutral, but my boot kept slipping off the peg during shifts. I didn’t feel cold in my feet, but maybe my toes were getting a little numb. We even went into the hospital parking lot to practice quick stops. Bill pointed out it was good to practice sudden stops with cold, numb hands.

The scenery of late autumn was mostly shades of brown. When we turned back up the beautiful autumn road, the gumball tree with all the colors of fall last week was nearly denuded of all leaves. Most of the colorful scenery came from the Christmas decorations. My favorite decoration was Kevin the minion standing next to his minion snowman. Bill actually led us up to the decorations because he wanted to admire the blow-up Santa helicopter.

There were many birds about taking wing. I spotted an osprey as I sat on the bike waiting for Bill. And there were turkey vultures about as usual. The crows were flitting about, and two mockingbirds were tussling. There was a large flock of ducks congregating on the river, and we still passed several groups of Canadian geese mucking about. I suppose the birds were making the most of the late afternoon sun.

Bill had to be creative in our route as the low sunlight beamed through our visors. I was happy when the clouds finally drifted over the sun to block it momentarily. A few more weeks and the sun will begin its climb back up higher in the sky. Until then, I will keep riding into the winter.

Fingers-Crossed for Next Weekend

I woke up Saturday wanting very much to ride my motorcycle, but I knew it wasn’t going to happen. Earlier in the week, I stayed home two days from work and, when I did return to my job, had to take breaks due to overwhelming fatigue. As much as I wanted to spend a beautiful partly cloudy mid-60s Saturday cruising on my bike, I knew I lacked the strength to do it. So the best I could do was pay a visit to the R Nine T as Bill gassed them up, and listen to the engine turn over, but I couldn’t go anywhere.

And I realized I made the right decision because our short trip to the grocery store nearly wiped me out. My treatment ended on Tuesday, so I’m not even a week out into my recovery. I am hopeful, though, that another week of recovering will allow me next week enough strength for a short ride at least.

The best I could do as far as riding goes was ride vicariously as we watched Zack Courts’ latest “Daily Rider” episode. He rode the Kawasaki ZH2, a supercharged inline 4 that looks like a fun bike to zoom on. Of course watching someone else having a fun ride on a bike is no where near as fun as riding myself. But riding a motorcycle does require both physical and mental strength. One doesn’t need to be a powerlifter to ride a motorcycle, but there is strength needed to recover a motorcycle that’s near to tipping, and there is strength needed if the motorcycle does tip over to pick it back up.

But mental strength is even more necessary on a motorcycle. I’ve written about the need for awareness on the road when riding a motorcycle. In a car a mindless drift into the curb can be an inconvenience, but on a motorcycle, it can lead to a crash. Even a little drift onto the verge on a motorcycle can end in a crash if there’s a surprise ditch or a large rock that slides out under the tires. So I recognized the need to let another beautiful riding weekend pass me by sans motorcycle.

Meanwhile, this next week I will work on my recovery; I don’t want to let another beautiful fall riding weekend escape me!

I Forgot My Terrific Title!

I started off the ride fully geared and fully zipped because it was cool—high 60s. I even added my neck scarf to keep my neck warm, and I needed it. But with the right gear, the ride was pleasant though I can feel the need for my turtleneck coming soon.

As I mounted my motorcycle, I noted the odometer was at 1998.4, so I planned on stopping in 1.4 miles to snap the big 2000 shot. But as we set off cruising on this beautiful day, my mind wandered, and I totally forgot to get the picture! Instead, I was feeling the road beneath my wheels and the wind against my body. I was looking for more change in the foliage spotting some more bursts of red and yellow among the green leaves of the trees.

But for some reason during this ride, my mind wandered to the Tim Allen movie Wild Hogs. If you haven’t seen it, I highly recommend it as a funny glimpse into the yuppy trend of buying Harley-Davidsons and becoming riders. Tim Allen’s little group of four call themselves the Wild Hogs, and they head out for a weekend ride to escape their daily grinds. That’s what my mind was musing on—the healthy escape and spiritual recharge riding motorcycles provide.

I’ve been dealing with some health issues recently, yet I won’t let them keep me off my motorcycle. Luckily, my health hasn’t curtailed my ability to ride, and I’m grateful for that. I can forget about any pain and feel the joy of my body and my bike working together in the ride. So I really leaned in on the counter steers during my turns, but I realized during my U-turn practice that I have not been using my body fully. I haven’t been applying pressure with my foot on the outer peg from the turn, so I haven’t made that a habit of my ride yet. More to work on.

I did spot a cabbage white butterfly during our ride, and there was even a small flock of ducks sitting near the lake where it comes up close to the road. And the Canadian geese gaggles are getting larger. There were tons of squirrels out running in front of us and running off on the grass as they gather their winter stores. Bill had a near run in with a mockingbird flying low and in front of him, but the roar of the Rocket chased him off. All in all I needed this ride to escape the worries of the week, and I look forward to next week’s ride that lets me escape those worries.

As for the title of this piece, early into the ride (probably around mile 2000), I thought of great title. But by the ride’s end, packing up the gear, running errands, and getting home, I no longer had that amazing title in mind. So one negative about riding is it isn’t great for writing down brilliance (ha!).

May the Ride Be with You

Lots to celebrate on this Saturday’s ride. It is Star Wars Day, also International
Women’s Ride Day, and the eve of Cinco de Mayo (so Quatro de Mayo). It is also the third anniversary of my
becoming a motorcyclist.

The day was
partly cloudy, so I was hopeful of spotting some butterflies during the ride,
and I was not disappointed. I saw six
cabbage whites out flitting about and one small Atlantis Fritillary butterfly
near some deliciously scented blooming honeysuckle. One of the greatest benefits of our slow
rides through neighborhoods is the time it gives me to notice and appreciate
the beauties in nature.

As we
headed down the long straight road, I glimpsed a large bird of prey ahead of us
in the sky. I was hoping it might be the
golden eagle, and it may have been, but I never got close enough to make sure. Other than that small glimpse, I only spotted
one turkey vulture out and about in the skies during our ride. However, as I was unloading my gear from the
car, a shadow passed overhead, and I looked up to see one of the osprey
cruising by.

I’m
noticing much more variety in the flowers in bloom. In addition to the clematis, irises, and
roses, I’ve seen chunky white peonies, vibrant pink rhododendrons, a few day
lilies freshly planted, and even some magnolia blossoms opening. I spied some pretty white flowers on bushes,
almost like five-leafed dogwoods, that might have been potentilla, but I’m not
sure. My later internet search didn’t go
so well, and potentilla was the closest match.

In three
years I’ve ridden three different motorcycles—the BMW G310GS, the Ducati Desert
Sled Scrambler, and the BMW R Nine T.
For comfort I would rate the 310 the best; I rode in an upright position
on a fairly lightweight motorcycle. The
Ducati Scrambler riding position was similar, but that was a taller bike with
the weight of the engine up higher. It
was also extremely hot, which felt great in the winter but was really awful in
southeast Virginia summers. The R Nine T
is the best-balanced motorcycle of the three, but the riding position has me
leaning slightly forward which puts some pressure on my wrists.

I really
appreciated the balance of the bike during my on-street U-turn. As I came around to finish the turnaround, I
felt as though I could almost stop the motorcycle completely and remain upright
(at least for a second or two). That
doesn’t mean I don’t still have moments when I feel more of a list than I like
and start to dab or dab my feet to keep the bike upright, but I find I don’t
have to dab as much on the R Nine T as I did on the other two motorcycles. Perhaps some of this feeling is due to better
riding skills after three years practicing and riding, but I do credit the R
Nine T as being a well-balanced bike, and it creates in me a bias toward the
boxer engines of several BMW brands.

I do still
want the 1300 GS. The more I practice
with the current boxer engine, the more curious I get as to how the adventure
bike would handle. Or, more precisely,
how I would hand the adventure bike. But
I think several things would have to occur before I can own one. For one thing interest rates would need to
come way down. It would also be
helpful if the price and packaging
prices dropped some, BMW. But the final
stopping point is that Bill would have to tire of the Rocket and want to return
to the R Nine T. And right now, he’s
having too much fun playing on that motorcycle.
But that’s a good thing because I am having a ton of fun riding out with
him on the R Nine T.

author riding the BMW R Nine T Urban GS 40th anniversary edition motorcycle in yellow and black