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

The Butterflies Are Back

Officially spring begins this Thursday with the March 20 vernal equinox. But it was already abundantly clear that spring has sprung. The forecast was for clouds with the sun making an appearance around 4:00, but the sun pushed the clouds aside and shone brightly down on a gorgeous Saturday in the mid-60s. As I set the gear out, I looked out the window and saw a very small cabbage white butterfly making the unofficial start to spring “official.”

Later, as we were gearing up in the garage, another cabbage white flew from the left to right across the top of the garage. The spring riding season has been butterfly blessed. And I spotted the first cabbage white of the ride two miles in and the second one a few seconds later. All in all, I spotted five cabbage whites during the ride moving about the dandelions, daffodils, camellias, and flowering trees. The sugar magnolias are reaching peak bloom as was the one plum tree I saw. I also spotted two star magnolias in bloom and wished I could smell the blossoms. More trees are showing buds especially the red buds on the oaks. I did get to enjoy the crisp smell of freshly mown grass as there were several early mowers out trimming lawns.

My ride was very smooth. I focused on engine braking and “no look” turns. A no look turn is actually a turn where I look in the opposite direction for oncoming traffic. For example, if I’m making a right turn, I look toward the left. Again, I was very pleased with how easily the skills returned. It was such a beautiful day for riding I found myself weaving back and forth several times in sheer bliss.

Since we’ve entered daylight savings time, the sun remains higher in the sky for our rides, so there’s no issue with light in my eyes. On this ride Bill detoured us to the side of the road to discuss the approach to a tricky intersection with a yield sign. He pointed out that on our motorcycles, we are essentially unseeable by drivers who approach the yield sign and, if they don’t spot large movement from a vehicle, blow right through it. It doesn’t help that there’s a large patch of pampas grass and some cedar trees impeding the view. So Bill explained why he slows down and goes a little wide as we approach this yield sign to give us an opportunity for avoidance.

We did a little bit more with slow speed maneuvers, heading into the small church’s parking lot to do a few figure eights. I spotted a small group of Canadian geese in the field beside the church, a duck and drake enjoying a swim, and lots of crows. I was surprised to not see any vultures, and I wondered if it was too warm for them, and they prefer to float later in the cooler part of the day.

Soon the mating osprey will start building nests, and I hope to spot a bald eagle, though we haven’t been up the curvy road due to construction. Still, the eagles have to build nests too, so I’ll keep my eyes open. And of course, as we officially move into springtime, I’ll start to see a greater variety of butterflies during my rides; plenty to look forward to.

red leaf buds on oak tree branches against blue sky

Feeling the Ride

As I was loading my riding gear into the car, I felt drops of moisture. Walking back into the house, I spotted tiny drops of rain on the brick steps. Inside after a minute, I heard the rain hitting the rough albeit for only a few seconds. But any rain can threaten the ride, and my spirits sank.

We headed over anyway to see what the weather was like and to run some errands. Entering my parents’ neighborhood, there was evidence of rain on the hoods and windshields of parked cars, but the sun was bright in the sky and the roads were dry—the ride was on!

The temperature was in the mid-50s, so I wasn’t sure what gear was best to wear. I went with my lightweight Klim jacket with flannel and thermal shirts underneath, and that combination was enough to keep my core warm. But I made a mistake with the pants; I chose the Rev’It leathers instead of the Factor 4 winter pants and, even with tights underneath, my thighs were cold throughout the ride. The boxer engine provided enough of a faring to keep my lower legs warm, and the heated grips along with my mid-weight gloves kept my hands warm. However, I didn’t mind the chill. My thinking was that part of riding a motorcycle is embracing the weather directly. Sure, I can add some things for more comfort, but the riding experience includes experiencing the weather.

My ride was smoother than last week’s because I didn’t have the worry about stalling the R Nine T; I had gained that confidence. The trees are beginning to show buds as spring officially approaches. I even spotted a flowering plum tree and a sugar magnolia beginning to bloom. In a few more weeks, the cherry blossoms will be out followed by the dogwoods and azaleas. The wildlife included more turkey buzzards and Canadian geese.

I did have a mis-shift, not getting out of second, and it made me briefly rue the lack of a gear indicator on the R Nine T. Then my mind wandered to the lack of a fuel gauge and how that lack (in addition to the price) makes this model of motorcycle impractical for young men. Young men are probably the largest motorcycle buying demographic, but they are young men, so they aren’t going to be the most practical about riding. I was imagining taking off on the R Nine T for a long ride and running out of gas because of a lack of awareness as to how far one has ridden already on the tank of gas. Very impractical, but a very fun bike.

Of course I don’t have to worry about running out of gas. With Bill on the Triumph Rocket, he’s always running low on gas well before me. And the Rocket has a fuel gauge to give him plenty of warning, so we can always be prepared for our rides.

flowering plum tree — Photo by Gu Bra on Pexels.com

Make-Up Ride

Saturday morning, I awoke to a thin blanket of snow and dark, wet roads. I was happy to see some snow enough for the kids to get outside and play in, but I also knew that meant no ride. Luckily, the sun shone brightly all day, drying off enough of the roads to make a make-up ride on Sunday possible.

That meant, though, as we rode Sunday, the landscape was a mix of deep greens, browns and patches of white. It also meant staying extra vigilant looking for ice on the roads. Mostly, where we rode in the sun was clear and dry, but one road we turned down had a large slushy, icy patch flowing a foot out into the street.

The wildlife clearly enjoyed the day. I saw several groups of Canadian geese, some ducks on the river, squirrels acting squirrelly, and another beautiful white egret flying overhead against the bright blue sky. But my favorite part of the ride came as a surprise. I had just turned onto the road that used to have the beautiful fall foliage but is bare, wintry branches now. I caught a flicker of movement as a bird darted into the trees, and I thought I saw the tell-tale red breast of a robin. I looked about for more robins, wondering if the day after our snowstorm, signs of spring were already evident. But I soon forgot about robins as I saw overhead flying twenty feet above a young bald eagle. For a moment I wished I had a way to signal to Bill up ahead to look up. Instead, I got the rare treat of watching the eagle soar along a path nearly parallel to the road I was riding on, so I enjoyed my birdwatching for several minutes.

I did have one frustration throughout the ride. Because of the time of day and the angle of the sun, I decided to wear my sunglasses under my helmet. Big mistake. I spent too much of the ride having to fight the visor up so I could adjust the glasses back up on my nose. Wearing those glasses was a mistake, one I won’t make again. I’m just glad I had my glasses adjusted when the eagle went soaring by.

And if you are wondering about the heated socks, I adjusted my under socks to thin trouser socks and wore the heated socks on the outside of my leggings to better reach the controls. My winter pants, though, adjusted the heat setting. I had them on high, but when I was taking off my gear, the right sock was on the lowest setting, and the left was on the medium setting. My feet were warm, but I would like to be the one controlling the heat settings, not the riding pants!

bald eagle flying in blue sky — Photo by Frank Cone 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

Winter Solstice Almost No Ride

After the afternoon we had trying to ride our motorcycles, I did some research on the winter solstice wondering if it brings bad luck. I found instead beautiful thoughts on how the winter solstice marks the rebirth of the sun and the rebirth of hope. So it wasn’t the solstice working against us. Instead, we encountered a confluence of circumstances that nearly cost us our ride as the shortened day grew shorter.

The first circumstance was a seemingly simple favor for my Mom. The weather had turned colder with strong, gusty north winds knocking the temperature down into the low 40s. A piece of border siding on the house had come loose in the wind, and my mother was afraid it might blow off the house. The favor consisted of asking Bill to hammer in a couple of loose nails. The problem was the wood underneath was over fifty years old and eaten away; the nails had nothing to purchase on.

So the simple repair became a nightmare of solving the problem with inadequate tools. My Dad’s tool supply, once a respectable collection, now long depleted by my brothers “borrowing” through the years, made the task onerous. The two o’clock sun lowered as it became the three o’clock sun, and Bill was still tinkering with what he could find. He was able to locate a small piece of wood that, with some shaving down with a screwdriver instead of a chisel, allowed the nails to find purchase.

With the strip of siding secured against the wind, our next challenge was locating the motorcycle keys. The key bag was nowhere in sight. Bill was certain he had the keys getting out of the car, but after that his focus was on the repair work and the keys were forgotten. I helped search, looking around the garage, checking under the car. There was no sign of the gray bag the keys are in until, quite suddenly, the bag appeared on the floor of the garage in a spot I had walked by five minutes earlier. In fact I don’t see how the bag could have been there when I walked by and we first began searching; the bag seemingly appeared out of thin air.

It was an eerie experience and began my wondering about bad luck at the winter solstice. But the keys did reappear, so it seemed we were set. Bill, however, predicted the next mishap would be the Triumph Rocket refusing to start. His prediction came true. For a moment the light came on, but then it flickered out and would do no more than flicker at each start attempt until Bill had removed the seat and taken sandpaper to the battery cables. The sun was now at its four o’clock height which meant it was obviously beginning to set on this shortest day of the year.

However, once we took off on the motorcycles, our luck took a turn for the better. The sky was nearly cloudless so, even with a lowered sun, visibility was still good. The sun, though, was beaming right into our eyes as we headed south, so Bill led us around to avoid riding straight into the sun as much as possible. Most of the ride went extremely well and I was having fun despite my frozen fingertips (the Klim glove liners do not provide additional warmth). I did have a nerve-wracking moment during my first U-turn when my front tire slipped on a hidden pine cone, but the balance of the R Nine T is so good, that I was quickly able to recover.

The rest of the ride was smooth but short as the sun was lowering and the temperatures were falling. But the ride did put smiles on our faces and lifted our solstice spirits after the rough start. Hopefully, the last ride of 2024 will go much smoother than the solstice ride as we head into our winter riding.

white egret flying across cloudy sky — A white egret heading home for the night; I took this picture coming out of the gym, but I have been seeing a lot more egrets lately including one in the water during our ride.

Back in the Saddle Again

After two weeks of recovering, I finally felt strong enough for a ride on the R Nine T and spent half the ride with a goofy grin of happiness on my face. I missed hearing the roar of the boxer engine, the play of the motorcycle beneath me, and the cool wind rushing against me. And cool air it was. The temperature was in the low 60s; I had the foresight to wear my flannel turtleneck expecting the chill, but I forgot to get my mid-weight riding gloves. So halfway through the ride, I turned on my heated grips.

But I didn’t let the chill cool my spirits. I loved how readily my riding skills returned. My engine braking has really smoothed out to no jarring at all, and my counter steering felt natural as I headed into turns. We kept the ride loose and easy doing wide, looping U-turns and nothing trickier than the footless stop. I played some with using the clutch to adapt my speed on the looping turns.

The scenery was the lovely time of autumn when all the colors are evident. Trees showing all the colors—green, yellow, orange, red, and brown; a beautiful burnt umber shade on the leaves of a gumball tree. More mums in planters were about and I saw my first pansies planted for the upcoming chill. Some roses were blooming again, adding vivid fuchsia and bold red color to our ride. I even saw someone setting up their Christmas decorations. It’s a little early for that, I believe but it is a holiday weekend, and people need to make the most of the time they have.

And that’s how I felt on my ride. I was given this time to ride, and I’m so happy I’m strong enough to ride again. Now I just need to make sure I’m dressed warmly enough to fully enjoy my ride.

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!).

One and a Half Butterfly Ride

It was a beautiful day for riding motorcycles—sunny and highs in the upper 70s, so I set off expecting to see lots of butterflies enjoying the day. But it was more of a squirrely day than a day of butterflies, another sign of autumn.

As we rode, I was on the lookout for butterflies, but the flutterings I spotted were leaves falling. The maples are showing their fall colors, but most of the trees are still in green leaf. I spotted some more mums planted for the season, but mostly what I saw were more Halloween decorations out as we have officially entered October.

We had our first squirrel encounter half a block into the ride. This guy was smart enough to stay near the curb and hop up onto the grass as we rode past. I worked on staying smooth with my engine braking, and I was very successful. We did work on some slow-speed maneuvers including U-turns and fast braking. I kept my ABS shudder to a little bit at the end; I need to work on releasing and the reapplying the brakes as I come to the sudden stop to eliminate the ABS shudder entirely. My practice got put to good use as I had to come to a sudden slow down due to two indecisive squirrels bickering in the middle of the road.

I spotted a cabbage white more than halfway into the ride enjoying the second bloom azaleas. As few as the butterfly sightings were, they were more plentiful than the Canadian geese. I didn’t spot a single goose during our ride which is very unusual. I mention the half butterfly because I did catch a quick glimpse of a tiny summer azure butterfly. These butterflies are tiny, as I spotted one when I got home and was unloading the gear.

As my fall rides continue, I’ll see more and more leaves and less and less butterflies. One of the bittersweet truths of seasonal change—loss and gain. At least our rides will be more comfortably cool, and I’m sure I’ll see even more Halloween decorations go up in the next few weeks.

Half giant skeleton appearing out of ground — Some of the seasonal decor I spotted on my ride.

Just a Pleasant Ride and a Butterfly First

I wasn’t feeling well this Saturday morning so, despite the warm day of mid-80s and sunshine, we delayed our ride until I was feeling more up to it. We opted out of the Alpinestars for the heat, and Bill planned on a short ride since I wasn’t 100%. We set out to cruise the neighborhoods and enjoy the day.

As we headed out, Bill didn’t lead us up to the twisty road which surprised me. But because of the detour away from the twisties, I spotted my first cabbage white butterfly of the ride. And because we had to take a second detour to get away from some slow-moving traffic, that little butterfly flew right across my path. I would see four more cabbage whites during my ride, all enjoying this summer flashback day. I find it interesting that the cabbage whites are the first butterflies I see in the spring and seem to be the last butterflies in the fall.

There are more mums out now and the dual bloom azaleas are in full flower. I even spotted a small cluster of white blossoms defiantly blooming in a row of crape myrtles who already had red and yellow leaves. I also spotted some clematis blooming, so there are plenty of flowers to tempt the butterflies. It was around one of the azaleas that I saw my first ever eastern-tailed blue butterfly. It was a little more black than blue, but the white markings on the wings helped me to identify it.

I enjoyed cruising along, feeling the breeze, and seeing the sights. I did start to feel tired toward the end of the ride, so we did cut the ride shorter. But a short ride is still a ride and so much fun!

Eastern-tailed blue butterfly — Photo by TheWonderOfLife on Pexels.com