End of Season 2015

This time of year always put me in a bit of a funk.  The days get colder and darker, the wind whips up.  Just having the dark shield on my Arai makes the prospect of a later-in-the-day ride a concern.  The stake to the heart is the time change.  Once the day starts getting dark (and chill) by 4:30, I'm done.  We eked out a few later season rides, thanks to the unseasonable weather.  And, I invested in a new bike.

And perhaps that's a bit of my sorrow.  Having just got this great end of the year deal, I'm not even close to breaking this in.  Hell, I can only think of 1 time that I switched it out of Road mode!

The long, cold, winter nap that is yet to come is a motorcyclist's endurance test.  When spring comes, I will be out on the road on the first warm, dry day.  We'll shrug off sand season and mud season, and ride like it's our first time again.

Until then, I'll sit by the fire and conspire to travel the globe via Google Earth.  I'll travel down some international roadways that I may never get to see.  And I'll peruse the pages of the "goodies" catalogs and look for that one last grommet thingie that I don't yet own.

Winter is a good time to purge too, so I will be trying to giveaway or even sell any usable gear that I now longer have a need for.  I recently parted with my Mustang Seat, to a good friend who is still riding a cruiser.  And I will look over all the old gear to see what needs to go away, or get put up on a shelf, just for the sake of the memories.

Until I see you out again...

A low, slow wave,

Joe (Nein) Rocket

I ride naked (a new bike, a new me).

Those that know me, since the early days of the Amherst Motorcycle Club, know that I've always favored sporty, fast bikes.  I follow MotoGP racing (Misano is on NOW, and I should be watching) and, after 2 sport bikes, I bought a cruiser for the 2008 ride to Sturgis.  I really enjoyed Ol' Blue for many years, but lately, I was bored with it.  Something was missing.  No matter how hard I flogged it, tried riding it in a sporty fashion, it just failed to excite me any longer.  I knew it was long overdue to look at something new.

If you read my previous posts, I recently looked at 3 different bikes (Honda, Ducati & Aprilia). I blame the Marketing (and Finance) department of Ducati (now owned by Audi/Volkswagen) for trotting out the 0% financing offer that got me into my local Ducati dealership.  Shit, advertising WORKS.  After settling on the Ducati Monster 1200, and failing to agree on terms, I opened up my search.  One bike that came to my attention was the BMW S1000R.  It was featured favorably in many comparisons with the Ducati.

After a visit to the local BMW store on Friday, we agreed to a test ride on Saturday morning.  I couldn't sleep, I felt like a kid on Christmas Eve. The bike was a leftover 2015, offered at discount.  It had 35 miles on the odometer but was generally unloved, probably due to the color (matte blue).  This bike packs in a ton of technology into a svelte 460 lbs of (wet) weight.  The list of features is long, but ABS, TC, Dynamic Damping and Cruise Control are just a few of the options on this bike. Hell, I'd have been happy with ABS and a fuel gauge!  I was advised to take it for a short, 8-mile ride, so I wouldn't put on excessive miles. 

As I rolled out of the lot onto a busy road nearby, I was frustrated by the amount of early morning traffic.  I needed to get through this to get to a stretch of road where I could fully test the acceleration.  As I was blipping the throttle, I caught the eye of our local m/c police, who ride very nice BMW's themselves.  He was going the other way, gave me a look, and I gave him a friendly wave and, if not noticeable, sheepish smile hidden behind my helmet's face shield.  In other words, "Yes officer, I'll keep the speed down".  What a liar!

After I reached the 101 connector, I was immediately frustrated to be stuck in another line of traffic.  UGH!  I had go a little further than anticipated, to get the chance to open this bike up a bit.  First impression, very quick.  Second impression:  there's zero wind protection and I was being blown back into my seat.  Without a 'shield to displace some of the air coming over the front of the bike, it was like hanging your head out an airplane window.

I put about 20 miles on the bike before returning it.  On the return trip, I knew that I was going to buy this bike, if we could make a deal. 

You know the drill.  Get a value on your trade. Low-ball offer.  Misery ensues.  We had that discussion, he showed the trade number,  I didn't call BS, keeping it civil and wanting to walk out with a new ride.  I told the rep that the value I'd been given by the Honda dealer was considerably higher (it was) and if we could bump that trade number a little AND throw in the $300+ windscreen, we might be able to stay friends.  One more call to another used bike reseller and he found another $500 of trade value.  The screen was added to the deal, gratis, and we shook hands and set a time for delivery.

So, that's how I was able to put the rocket back into Joe Rocket.  I'm happy to be riding a new sport bike and will need to learn how all switches and idiot lights work.  Here's a few more photos of my new motorcycle (Blue) Gene.

I have to get out and ride now.  I'm sure you understand.

A low, slow wave,

Joe Rocket

Two naked Italians

Ducati Monster 1200 S

Yesterday, I rode the Ducati Monster 1200 and the Aprilia Tuono back to back. These bikes are similar in some respects but, by design, they ride very differently.

Something about the matte black Aprilia was a bit hot. Like a stealth bomber, I imagined that this nondescript naked bike would help me fly under the radar of the local and state authorities. I'm invisible! Even if they could not SEE me, they certainly would hear me coming!

The Tuono has a 1000cc V4 engine that likes to rev very high. To make adequate power, you need to keep your wrist pinned and the noise level high. The seat is as comfortable as the granite garden bench we have in the side yard. You don't sink into it at all, and you imagine you are being ridden out of town on a very fast rail.

The dealer insisted that I ride the Duc again. I had ridden it last weekend and had almost written it off as a noisy, Italian money pit. The bright red color also is a traffic stopper. Or a traffic ticket.

After the Aprilia, the spacious and thick cushion of the Ducati felt like a La-Z Boy recliner. You know what they say about the bigger cushion. It's a ride all day sort of bike. The one thing I discovered about the riding dynamics is this: with a twin engine in the Duc, torque is the order of the day. When you blip the throttle in ANY gear, the Duc leaps forward like a Great Dane after a squirrel. It makes prodigious amounts of torque and, if any of you need stumps pulled, come see me in the spring.

 

Both bikes are good bikes, but with different purposes. The Aprilia is more of a track tool and the Ducati is more of the gentleman hooligan's bike. It's the bike you would have stunted in your 20's, if crashing didn't stunt your riding career.

The dealer is preparing an offer and, the only question left is when? Do I want to make payments all winter? Not so much. Still lots of season left and the Duc is a 2015 model about to be marked down. Let's see what happens next. Worst case? I'm riding a 2016 model next year, tricked out the way I want it.

A low, slow wave,

Joe Rocket

Who butters YOUR bread???

I'm a very lucky guy.  I know it, and all the guys I ride with know it.  We have a few women who ride with us (or us with them, as the case often is) and I consider them all good riders.  Of the guys who ride, I'm the only one whose wife has her own scooter.  Now, Mrs. Rocket has a LOT of interests, chief among them, her gardens, her hiking, kayaking, family and her music (she's a wicked awesome trumpet player).  But, she likes a good ride and even threatens to ride to work once in a while, if she didn't have to dress so purty and professional at the office.

So, when last weekend looked like the first really good weekend to get out for a ride, she sent me an email from work, stating as such and, "Oh, would you rather go for a ride this Sunday or go for a hike?"  When you've been married as long as I have, you KNOW that this is a trick question, with only one correct answer.

So, we hiked along the Maine coastline on Sunday, and had a fine time, just the two of us, like a couple of dating teens.  We're still good together, after 30+ years of being together.  It's important to find someone who shares your interests.

I'll get my ride in (and a new tattoo) on Saturday and I'll try to spoil her silly on Mother's Day.  Someone wiser than me once commented that you should marry the person you're not afraid to sleep with.  All these years and I sleep like a baby:  a big, fat, snoring baby.

Happy Mother's Day this weekend to all the Moms out there.  That includes fellow riders Pinkie, Crumpet, and backseat drivers Marie, Dawn and Carol.  And, lest I leave out the non-riders, I'll give a shout out to my sister and sister-in-laws: Ginger, Diane, Christina and Heidi.

#HappyWifeHappyLife

A low, slow wave,

Joe Rocket

Viking Bags - Classic Sissy Bar Bag Review - Long Term Test

Viking Classic Sissy Bar Bag

Long Term Test – Viking Bags Classic Sissy Bar Bag

Can we find a better term than “sissy bar” for the back rest on the rear of a motorcycle?  I like to think of mine as the “Don’t Leave the Wife Behind When You Accelerate Quickly Bar”…  It has other useful functions as well, especially when you’re taking a longer trip and need a way to secure all your stuff. 

I have an older tour pack that has served me well, bought second-hand from the Klimas Kollection, but this one had so many features that I liked that I just had to upgrade.  

To that end, I looked for a bag that I could tour with all summer long and came up with the Viking Classic bag from Motorcycle House (http://www.motorcyclehouse.com).  There are lots of dealers clamoring for your hard-earned dollars but these folks have everything you need in one place.

Where to begin?  For starters, it looks like an expensive piece of luggage, with heavy duty leather and a hard shell. Look at all the straps that come with it!  The only thing that’s missing is wheels on the bottom and a pop-up handle, which no doubt will be on NEXT year’s model.  Seriously, this is tough stuff. My last bag was Cordura nylon which is good, but not as tough as this waterproof leather.  It feels as rugged as my Vanson competition riding jacket!

When it arrived, I couldn't wait to unpack it all and have a look.  The chrome buckles look great and have quick release snaps hiding underneath, so I don’t have to fiddle with buckles when I have gloves on.  The feature that sold me on this particular model, besides the black leather and chrome, is the side-opening zippers on both sides of the main bag.  On my old bag, I would invariably find one more thing to bring on a road trip, and have to unpack it all just to drop said item into the main bag from the top.  Here, as you can see, I can leave this bag mounted and easily open and close to my heart’s content.   Which is another reason I am leaving this on my bike all summer:  there’s simply no reason to remove it! You’ll get the benefit of occasional updates and commentary as I use this to commute, ride and tour all season long.

The mounting system adjusts to whatever size pad you have. This is critical now that Harley-Davidson offers the WIDE backrest, as an option.  Hey, if your old lady is comfortable back there, she’s likely to ride with you more often.  Mine came set to the narrowest opening, which was perfect for the smaller back rest on the VTX.  No adjustment was needed.

The bag system also comes with a roll bag also made of heavy leather.  This affixes to the top of the main bag using two of the provided straps.  I won’t use the roll bag day-to-day, but it provides additional volume, when you need it.  There are shoulder straps to carry this bag, and back pack straps to make carrying the main bag easy.  If you’re dragging all your gear to a hotel room at the end of a long day in the saddle, this will make that part of your day a little better.

If you don’t ride in the rain, then you’re not a rider.  The bag has a waterproof cover, for those days when you have to ride through foul weather to get where you’re going.  Any biker worth his salt spends more time riding than polishing. The riders who never cross state lines won’t be looking into a tour pack system like this anyway.

The main bag zips open from the sides, as I mentioned above.  It also contains an adjustable shelf unit.  I can see how this would be helpful if you had to carry a wet pair of boots, and didn’t want all your other stuff to get soaked too.  With 4 hook and loop straps, it divides the main bag into an almost infinite number of spaces.  Inside the bag “doors” are small mesh pockets, to carry stuff you want quick access to (sunscreen, etc).  The outside of the bag is COVERED with pockets.  I’ve got the rain cover permanently stashed in one, but I have a lot of others to choose from.

When packing a bag this big, remember to keep all the heavy items low, so as to not affect your Center of Gravity too adversely.  The bag mounts securely on a luggage rack or on the rear seat, if your bike doesn’t have a rack.  If you DO have a rack, follow the weight guidelines and don’t overload it, if you want your gear to arrive at your final destination along with you!

Here are a few pix I took today after mounting the bag on the VTX.  It looks good!

Tomorrow will be Day 1 of testing and I’ll write again about my impressions and how the bag holds up to use, sun, bugs and weather.  I can’t wait to sling my backpack into the new bag and get some feedback from the other riders at work.  I’m sure they will have something to say!

A low, slow wave,

Joe Rocket

Push me/First Ride 2015

Sometimes we all need a push. Friend Ken provided that with his enthusiastic text message stating he was liberating his bike from storage this past weekend.  After a flurry of messages, we finally connected late on a sunny Saturday and found our way onto a series of twisty back roads that were in surprisingly good condition.  Let the games begin!

In other news, after a winter of low activity, I need to hit the gym. I made a halfhearted start earlier this week but am concluding that I need a gym buddy.  Someone who won't allow me to quit early, just to head home for dinner or a beer.  Hmm. 

Any thoughts of getting off this cruiser and onto a sport bike again will need to be met with the discipline to lose the belly that would stand me off that fuel tank.  No more chips, no more ice cream.  I wanna go #FASTER. 

Hope you're doing well and have a riding buddy, gym buddy or other partner who gets you through the not-so-fun parts of life.  I'll see you out on the road.  I hope you see less of me.

A low, slow wave,

Joe Rocket

Spring comes.....eventually (2015)

Q:  What's long and hard, yet fails to make ANYONE happy?
A:  Winter in New England. 

It's especially difficult for riders to suffer from a prolonged winter.  It feels like it's been 6 months of cold and record amounts of snow here.  Finally, at last, warmer weather is here.  A prolonged spell of above 50 degrees will melt the rest of the white stuff you see above.  The mounds of snow piled up by the plow-boy cowboy will remain until the beginning of May, perhaps longer.

We start today, this tenth day in April, with freezing rain. This too shall pass.  The forecast is for steadily warmer weather.  This weekend will see me roll Ol' Blue out from under his cover, remove the charger and replace the seat to its permanent position.  A test ride will blow the cobwebs out, for both of us.

Auto columnist (and all around superb human being) Jean Jennings writes a great column to cagers telling them how to be safe around motorcyclists.  Here is that link:  Motorcycle Safety

By the same token, we need to be extra alert over these next few months as the dickwad drivers slowly become aware that they share the road with other vehicles.  If I seem angry about the topic of distracted driving, it's because I am.   Cell phone use in moving vehicles has made the average poor driver into a complete moron.  I'm happy to report that the State of New Hampshire has passed a law banning hand-held use of a cell phone, which goes into effect on July 1, 2015.  I look forward to strict enforcement of this and only wish there was a way for us, as riders, to turn in the violators we see, on a real-time basis.  Wouldn't THAT be grand?  Perhaps I could mount a paintball gun on my bike to mark the vehicles of dangerous drivers, as a warning to other riders?

Don't forget to do your maintenance, check your bike thoroughly before heading out.  Stop into your local shop and get it looked at.  My local dealer provides a great value in their Spring Maintenance plan.  In addition to affixing an inspection sticker, they go through the whole bike, inspecting cables, fluids, brake pads and tires, to make sure all is set for a happy season on two wheels.  I call it the Peace of Mind service.  A visit there also gives me time to look over the new inventory, to see what's changed over the course of a year and to just dream about the next new bike.

I gotta get to work but, I just wanted to say hello again.  I know you'll be out soon, or have been out already.  It's time to ride.  Keep your eyes and ears open, and ride safe.

A low, slow wave,

Joe Rocket

Youth is wasted on the young...

It's winter, it's cold and I haven't ridden my motorcycle in over a month.  I'm starting to have withdrawal symptoms.  Here I sit, looking at a map of the United States on Google's mapping tool, planning a cross-country trip.  But, not for me. 

My son plans to relocate to LA soon and is going to make the big drive across the country.  Of course, I'm envious, as I'd like to be riding shotgun or, better yet, following along on my bike.  As I sit here, my ankles freezing below my desk, I think about all the possibilities there are on that big map.  He could blaze across the interstates and minimize his travel time and expenses or, he could wander the back roads, see the REAL country and meet people along the way.  From experience, I know that the second option is the more gratifying one.

Me and Ms. Rocket are just back from a short vacation in Florida.  Bad timing weather-wise, but certainly a lot warmer there than here in New England.  I saw lots of bikes out and thought about taking some pix but, since I was driving, I didn't have much of an opportunity.  Besides, whenever I heard a squid scream by on a sport bike, he was gone before I could even get my phone out of my pocket!

A trip to Florida will surely make one feel old.  Several restaurants we stopped at offered senior citizen discounts to anyone aged 55+.  Seriously?  I know it's just a marketing scheme to drive more people through the door but, personally, I don't consider myself a senior citizen.  Hell, I barely consider myself an adult, but accept the fact that I may be considered middle-aged, whatever the hell that means these days.  What happened to "60 is the new 30"?

I was fortunate enough early on in my career to get to travel to some great locations.  I always tried to get a fun rental car and make the most of every visit.  There are so many places that I'd love to revisit:  Duluth, MN, Lynchburg, VA,  South Bend, IN, Phoeniz, AZ, just to name a few.  Some of the places I visited for work became vacation destinations for us, like Nova Scotia.  I could go there again and again, and not only in the summer.  Halifax is a great city and I have even been to Cape Breton in the midst of a blizzard!  So much fun on that trip.  I was young and my liver was strong then.

All this talk of traveling has got me wanting to peruse a real (paper) map and start planning.  I think a few road trips are in order this year.  So, let the daydreaming begin.  As my fellow rider Ken B says, you have to put a stake in the ground. I'll do some map reading over the next month or so and try to fit a year's worth of riding into a few sunny months.  All right my friends, I hope you are well and inspired to dream a little before the season is upon again soon.  

A low, slow wave,

Joe Rocket