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
