Get Me Out Of Here!

Sitting in my office, it's near quitting time and I'm looking out the dirty window at the street below. It's right then that I see something that really stirs my soul... five motorcycles ride past in the street below (two Yami Stars, an ST1300, an Z1000 and a ZX-12). That settles it: I need to ride.

Some of my coworkers think I'm a bit strange due to what they consider to be an "unhealthy" obsession with motorcycling. I figure it's probably one of the healthiest things I could do. From a purely emotional and psychological standpoint, when I ride I effectively filter out all the rest of the crap that a typical workday in bureaucracyland can throw my way and leave lingering in my brain. Kick-up the kickstand, press the starter button, drop it in gear and let go of the clutch... Poof! All the day's worries are flushed away until tomorrow.

If anything, it's a hell of a lot cheaper than an half-hour at the therapists'

Guess Who's Back?

Just when the scent of spring was lingering in the air, I wake up Sunday morning to several inches of freshly fallen snow on the ground and storm-like conditions outside. So much for the idea of an Easter ride! Just when I think that I've become jaded and Mother Nature has run out of tricks, she pulls a fast one on me and I'm humbled.

On a positive note, the white crap seems to be melting away this afternoon, and they're calling for more "seasonal" temps by end of week. Maybe I'll go for that two-wheeled egg hunt next weekend...

Change of Seasons

Things have been busy at work lately, but then again it always is at this time of year. I’ve been spending way too much time at my desk (nights, weekends, Argh!) and not enough time at home. My wife’s been great about it, but I can still pick up her vibes and she’s growing impatient hoping that this spring rush will lose some momentum. There is a silver lining, however: I’ve been riding Silver steadily for the past two weeks!

Man-o-man, it is such sweet release to be able to sit down on it and feel the weight of it beneath me as I tilt it off the sidestand. I’m impressed by how thoroughly reliable an “entry-level” Japanese motorcycle can be. After spending almost 5 months on the paddock stand, I just dropped the battery in it and pressed the magic red button. Instantaneously it purred back to life, sputtered for a fraction of a second, then settled into its oh-so-familiar idle.

I took it easy for the first few days though. Lots of sand and salt dust still on the road, and I haven’t had a chance to practice much either. The old airport’s parking lot where I used to spend a few hours practicing figure-eights, slaloms and braking techniques has been barricaded. I guess I’ll just have to find another vacant parking lot.

For now, I just can’t wait for April to pass and things to settle back down at the office, just like Silver settled into a steady idle.

The Other Itch

This year's new batch 'o bikes are slowly making their way from the magazine pages to the showroom floor; and it's so damn tempting! I've seen the new Ducati 1098 (say 10-9-8) up close and, although I'm not a sport rider, I've got to say that it's simply sexy. Sleek, Italian, and that beautiful shade of red that says: "Pull me over and charge me for speeding". Even just sitting there on the showroom floor, it looks fast - like it's moving while standing still.

I've also checked out BMW's new "entry level" bike, the F800 series. This parallel-twin bike has the new tectonic look that graces most newer Bimmers, with the handlebared ST wearing a full-fairing and the clip-on S with a half-fairing. Like 'em both, but I'd probably lean towards the more touring-oriented ST - comfort is a big thing that I look for in a bike. Unfortunately, at $13K (CDN) it just seems way too expensive for a small(ish) twin. But again, you're paying a premium for that roundel...

One of the local dealers has also started carrying Moto-Guzzi. I think it's just something about the look of those two diagonal cylinders sticking out each side of the bike that makes Guzzi's special. The new Griso 1100, with it's polished frame running down each side of the fueltank, is the kind of look I love: modern, yet still a touch of retro. It just wouldn't be practical enough for me; but as a second bike to tear-up some local roads on weekends, it gets a nod.

Anybody out there have a winning lottery ticket they'd like to get rid of? I've got a serious need to go shopping... or maybe that's just another side-effect of acute cabin fever.

The Itch.

It's been over four months and the bouts of cabin fever have been coming and going more frequently. Now to make things worse, it's 6 degrees outside (Celsius - about 43 Fahrenheit), the snow is melting, the roads are nice... and by the time I get Silver ready for the road it'll probably turn cold again! The thermometer's recent excursions into the land above freezing have given my the two-wheeled itch. I don't just want to go riding, I need to.

Tonight when I get home I'll roll out Silver and push the magic red button of bliss! Even if I can only get ten minutes worth of saddle time, it'll be enough to hold me over for a few weeks.

Chizzle my blogizzle (or something like that)!

First off, let me just warn you that this is nothing more than silly fun... oh, and some of you may be offended by the resulting "tranzliation"! Came across a site called Gizoogle while surfing which resulted in hours (really) of fun running all sorts of other websites through it's translation service. Ever wonder what your blog would read like if it was from the 'hood? Check mine out:
http://sites.gizoogle.com/index2.php?url=http%3A%2F%2Fluckyll.blogspot.com

I don't know who the people are that came up with this, but I love it! Be sure to check out the latest news on CNN too:
http://sites.gizoogle.com/index2.php?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.cnn.com

...or how about the latest Hockey scores (hey, I'm Canadian - I can't help it):
http://sites.gizoogle.com/index2.php?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nhl.com

Childish? You betcha! But sometimes laughter is the best medicine (and cheaper than therapy).

Crazy, but fun?

Came across the SnoXcycle website while wasting time on the 'net and what they're offering really piqued my curiousity: a kit to ride your bike in the snow! For some reason the hooligan in me starts drooling when I see stuff like this.

I'm thinking I could get a Suzuki DRZ400, which seems to be the only compatible dual-sport, and ride the streets and trails in spring and summer, while hitting the snowbanks in winter. Talk about the best of both worlds, eh?

Cabin Fever - Part II

OK, a while back I wrote about suggested therapy to beat the winter blahs. I'd now like to add another suggestion to the list: GO SOUTH!

Just got back from a Carribean cruise last week and it was sweet. Lots of sun, exotic island, good food... and plenty of boat drinks! Ah yes, boat drinks. For some reason they only taste good when you have them on a boat; try to mix up some tropical fruit juice with rum at home and serve it up in a pineapple... it just doesn't work.

Spent eleven days on the beautiful Celebrity Constellation that took us to ports of call ranging from the beautiful (Grand Cayman) to the downright messy (Colòn). However, each different port had wonderful locals to meet and new cultures to discover. We also made new friends on the boat, both fellow travellers and crew members.

My only regret: didn't get to rent a motorcycle!

Heroes and Rebels

More than any other means of transportation (with the steam locomotive being a possible exception), the motorcycle will forever be associated with certain romantic qualities. All those B-movies from the sixties have forever tainted cruisers and choppers as bad-boy bikes while scooters are either for punk-rockers or hopeless romantics - depending on which movies you watched as a kid. More recent movies like Torque or Biker Boyz, both of which were mediocre by any cinematic standards, have made sportbikes the tool of choice for thrill seeking testosterone-enhanced males. The funny thing is, none of the above have ever left any kind of a mark on my existence.

The riders I tend to admire are non-fiction; not the ones who are riding a dolly-mounted bike behind the camera truck (ex. watch the motorcycle scene in "Paycheck" with Ben Affleck and Uma Thurman - you can easily spot the tie-down brackets on the R1150R, not to mention the dolly's reflection in passing cars). My heroes are guys like Ted Simon for choosing to go around the world on a motorcycle long before marketing types came up with the term "Adventure Touring" and BMW came out with the GS. Or John Britten, for having the guts to go up against the big guys... and win! How about Avis and Effie Hotchkiss, the mother and daughter team who set out from New York to San Francisco on a Harley-Davidson sidecar hack... in 1915!

Of course, some of my heroes haven't reached semi-celebrity status yet. They're just the good folks I meet through the Internet and happen to do stuff that seems crazy to some, but makes sense to others. Guys like Gary Charpentier or Victor Wanchena who ride to work in the Minnesota winter; or the brave women who ride the Amazon Heart Thunder rallye each year.

Hollywood can keep their special effects and stereotypes; I'd rather read about those who are really out there... riding!

Coping with Cabin Fever

OK, I'll admit it's only been a little over a month since I put the Silver Streak away for a long winter's nap; but I'm already noticing advanced symptoms of cabin fever. Buying insane amounts of motorcycle magazines, watching "Long Way Round" over and over again, making a list of farkles from the Aerostich and Touratech catalogs... all are symptoms that this dreaded disease has progressed much faster this year than usual.

Luckily for me, I've discovered a few ways of coping that just might get me through the next 3 months without a complete breakdown:

• Planning a few trips: I'll sit down at the computer for a few hours and research different areas that I'd like to see on an eventual two-wheeled journey. Then I plug it all into MapSource and try to plot which route would be the most interesting. Sure, I may never get around to doing all these wonderful trips I've been planning, but come spring I'll have a nice list to choose from!
• Spa: Not for me, of course, but for the bike! If you've got a heated garage or storage shed (or you simply store your bike in the livingroom), then winter's the perfect time to catch-up on maintenance and accessorizing. Even if my bike is in tip-top shape, I still enjoy the opportunity to tear the whole thing apart just to put it back together again. I make it a point to be as familiar as possible with Silver's inner workings.
• Gym: This one is for me. Motorcycling is great, but it isn't exactly a workout (unless you're constantly dropping it). I love working out at the gym in winter, the physical activity helps to counteract the winter blahs; plus, when riding season finally comes around, I'll be in good shape to take on that BunBurner run ;-)
• Live through others: I'll spend more time reading blogs and forums. Somewhere out there is warm weather, and you can bet there's a motorcyclist taking advantage of it. Lucky for me, many of these warm climate bikers are also bloggers. I'll also subscribe to motorcycle-related podcasts; 15 minutes of hearing someone talk about motorcycling can do a world of good.

Another guilty pleasure is wasting time on YouTube or Google Video and checking out some motorcycle clips. Through these videos I've been riding in the Sahara, the Swiss Alps, the French countryside...

Anyhow, for my cold weather friends who may be hibernating (like me), I wish you a speedy winter. To all warm weather bikers out there: keep blogging!