The Last Manual Transmission Generation and its Impact on Motorcycling

My son has been driving a car for almost 6 years now and never once has he really driven a manual transmission.  I saw the trend coming, years earlier as rental car fleets moved to automatic transmissions in even the lowliest of offerings, in order to be assured that ANY driver could drive one. The joke used to be that, if you wanted to teach someone how to drive a manual, you’d go rent a car rather than have them bash and crash your gearbox.  By the time my son came of driving age, this was no longer an option.  

The plan was to get him to learn to control a car at speed and, once accomplished, to add in the complexity of a clutch pedal and stick shift.  A great plan, but it never panned out. Once my child had his license (or at least was well on his way to having one) his interest in driving my manually operated Subaru sedan was nil.  For the few years, I’d throw it out once in a while. His first two summers back from college; I would offer religiously to teach him the intricacies of rev matching and engine braking.  After a while, the writing was on the wall.

As a kid, I was over the moon at any fast vehicle.  My Dad has a progression of better and faster cars that always keep me wondering when I would get my hands on them.  When I was about 11, my older brother’s buddy took me for my first motorcycle ride.  I was hooked at the sensation of speed, even though we probably never exceeded 40 mph.

Later, as one of the perks of business travel, I made it a personal goal to drive as many different cars as I could.  I was never happy to have to drive the same car twice, with the exception of the Lincoln Town Cars that National Rental Car would let us young adults drive for an extra $1 per day.  Wait? You’re going to let this 24 year-old hoon a Town Car in the middle of a Minnesota winter?  I sure hope that they had good mechanics there at National as we were mighty tough on those “free” vehicles.  Do you remember the scene from Hunter S. Thompson’s Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas where they pump a Cadillac’s tires up to 70psi and then proceed to drift it all over town?  That was us, pushing those big rear wheel drive cars through, around and over snow drifts. We might have had a little something to drink at dinner first, now that I reflect on it.

What does this have to do with motorcycles you say?  (You did say that, I heard you.)  The generation who can no longer drive a “stick” will find themselves at a serious disadvantage when it comes to motorcycle riding. We’ve already seen more than a few bikes test the waters with automatic transmissions.  As gasoline prices rise (and fall and rise again), we’ll see more people experiment with scooters, which continue to grow in displacement to rival what once was considered a “large” bike.  Manufacturers are adapting their product line-ups to augment and eventually replace manual transmission bikes with automatics and other hybrid vehicles.  And by hybrids, I don’t mean electrics, though developments there continue to advance.  I mean three-wheeled trikes or “ekirt”s, like the Can Am.  If you’re a newbie or just getting on in years and want to continue to ride, why would you want to have to shift your Honda or Harley-Davidson trike?  Speaking of Honda, they continue to surprise and amaze me with the diversity of products that they develop.  

Burgeoning markets will dictate the low-end of the spectrum but developed countries will demand and receive the latest innovations and electronic controls, including the aforementioned electrics, gas/battery hybrids, ABS, ride by wire and automatic transmissions.   Low volume bikes will lose options and may eventually be offered with one choice of transmission, which may be the choice which nets the most profit, an automatic (for the people).

Clutch handles and foot shifters will go the way of kick-starters and a new era will begin.   Sure, there will always be those motivated individuals who will go to the effort to learn to ride a “proper” bike, with all the manual controls but, how long before those bikes (our bikes) are no longer considered the norm?  I think you can expect to see a radical change to our rides and the industry over the next 20 years.  I guess the only positive thing about that is this is about when I’ll be hanging up my leathers.  Hang on to your current inventory.  When the whole world goes mad, in 50 years our bikes will be collector’s items for precisely the simple and manual controls we enjoy.  Might make a nice gift to that grand-kid who (I sure hope not yet) is eventually on the way.

The snow is melting and Valentine’s Day is this week.  Kiss and be kind to your “Old Lady” or “Old Man”, as the case may be.  And get ready to ride again.  I’m shooting out of my driveway at the first sighting of bare asphalt.  I know you’re eager too.  Make sure you do the proper safety checks, especially those tires, as you’ll need all the grip you can get, with the sandy roads here in the Northeast.  And wear the gear.  I don’t care if you go textile or leather but wear a helmet and cover up that ugly old body of yours.  Myself?  I’m thinking of a custom Vanson jacket, with inlaid leather, worthy of being handed down to the next generation.  I sure hope that kid learns to shift soon!

A low, slow wave,

Joe Rocket

Jesus I've been lazy!

Yeah, we'll go with that.  I got a few nice compliments recently about this blog.  As I look back on this past year's effort, I see that it's pretty damn thin.  I can partially blame that on work but the rest is on me.  If I want to be known for my creative mind, then I had better show a hint of "brain cleavage" to get your attention now, shouldn't I?

Aside from the drudgery of work, my riding has been limited this past year.  And I have no excuse for it, either. We had a great trip to Island Pond, VT with a day trip into Coaticook, Quebec.  Other than that, there were no other overnight rides and, I think that's the issue.  When all you're doing is buzzing back and forth over local roads you've ridden a million times before, you're not having new adventures and making new memories.  All local and no stays makes Jack a dull boy.

Pirate support vehicle

The Vermont trip had it's moments of mirth and I'll share the highlights.  We camped on Spectacle Pond for 2 nights, with the aforementioned day trip to O'Canada in-between.  What I love a-boot Canada is their attitude towards Americans.  Somebody once described Canada as your cool older cousin who lets you have beer.  The border crossing was friendly, fast and fun.  And no one's hand ever covered their weapon.  We hiked a gorge, found a fromagerie and local bakery and had a great lunch and resultant dinner.  Our lack of french only became an issue at the bakery, where I ate (and summarily purchased) some hot-from-the-oven butter cookies that were meant for another patron.  Oops!  Oh, and the scenery was stunning.

Returning through US Customs was no laughing matter.  We were split up and handled separately, to my wife's chagrin.  When asked for my passport, I approached the customs agent and she retreated.  Confused, I took another step forward and she retreated again, her hand now on her weapon.  What the fuck?  Was I supposed to throw you my passport, douche?  Fine.  I'll wait here while you approach me like a ninja to snatch this from my hand.  Fuck me.  Welcome to the United States of Fear.

Anyway, we had fun and I learned that sharing a room with other people has its disadvantages.  We rented a cabin for the stay, because one female rider not married to me won't tent camp.  So, at modest expense, we rented a 3 bed cinder block bunker in which to crash.  Now, I love this friend dearly but, someone should have made mention of the thrashing about that takes place at night, after a few adult beverages.  In her defense, I suppose that I could have disclosed my snoring, but I didn't...After that first largely sleepless night, all I could do was hug her and tell her how much I liked her.  The other option was anger.  We all laughed it off and decided that we were going to get so drunk that night so as to not have any trouble sleeping.  It worked.

I think the best part of the ride is the "after-party" that happens around the campfire, when you're well-stuffed with dinner, drink and a day full of behind-the-bars memories.  And that seems to be what's been missing most for me.  I need more long, multi-day rides to form the fun memories and experiences.

As a member of the AMA, I get their monthly magazine.  The current issue has a story about the Van Buren sisters who, at a young age and in the year 1916, made a cross-country motorcycle trip.  This is a fantastic story of two young, independent women who refused to believe the they couldn't accomplish their goals, just because of their gender.  Their story is here:  Van Buren Sisters.  I bet they had more than their share of adventure.

Riding cross-country is one of those goals that I want to have under my belt.  Living as I do on the East coast, I am fortunate to have the whole country between me and some family members in California.  A well-timed ride could take me from New Hampshire through Colorado and into the San Francisco area.

Another idea, which seems more easily attainable is to circumnavigate New England by riding the perimeter of all the states.   If done right, it looks to be under 2,000 miles and achievable as a long weekend.  This is not a final route, but it will but give you an idea:


View Larger Map

Another ride would be back to Nova Scotia, riding versus taking the ferry crossing.  I haven't done it before, but I know that it would be all the more gratifying to accomplish the trip this way.

So, all this just to say that, I plan to ride more in the coming year.  I plan to write more too.  Without the two-wheeled adventures, I don't have the fodder for this blog.  Also, I'll try to get back on track with a discussion about Sturgis, gear reviews and other things that I think other riders will find interesting.  I sort of got off track here after a bit.  Keep me honest and keep me focused.  I appreciate the feedback and will try to make this an interesting and informative place for you.

If you want a small treat, click on the headline to find the musical link to the title.

A low, slow wave and a Happy New Year,

Joe Rocket

Grande Venti

All this ice and snow is getting to me. I feel a building resentment towards Winter, cold, salt, sand. Couple that with the shenanigans at work, the layoffs, the economy, the uncertainty of the future of my company and you get the idea. Is anything ever going to be the same again? I need an outlet for these emotions.

Jerry was "kind enough" to call me from Daytona Beach on Saturday. He said he needed a temperature check (of NH), while he sitting at some beach-side crab shack getting his feed on.



I'm in need some two-wheeled therapy. I need a warm breeze to blow up under my visor carrying the faint smell of honeysuckle and salt sea air. I need to smell oil & gasoline, mixed with sweat, leather and rubber.

Ha! I just reminded myself of a product I saw years ago, for racing fans. It's a candle shaped like a tire and, when lit, it gave off the smell of burning rubber. Now, if that isn't a gift that can only be appreciated in a "man cave" then I don't know what is.

Lately, my Twitter addiction has introduced me to a lot of people from all over the world. I met Mr. Ken, who is stranded in Sturgis, SD for the winter and using Twitter to keep from going cabin crazy. I met a bunch of people in Australia who are enjoying their summer but use Twitter to connect to the "rest of the world". One told me that they felt isolated and Twitter helps them feel more connected with folks around the globe.

The Twitter community is growing exponentially and I will try to "tweet" prior to some of our longer rides to see if I can meet up with some of these folks in person. If you want to join in the conversation, go to www.twitter.com. You can find me there as joerocket.

Spring is making an effort to arrive today. Temps are expected to hit 50 degrees and some of the snow and ice will melt off. We need a week of this weather to get our melt on. I've been hesitant to use any sand on the driveway this year so I hope that the temps and some salt will remove the compacted ice.



If you dated a gal named Summer, do you suppose you'd use the phase, "Summer's coming" much? Well, Spring is on the way, Punxsutawney Phil be damned. It may take a while but before we know it, we'll be bitching about the fact that we're out riding and the DPW STILL hasn't swept the roads yet. At least up here, this doesn't occur until around Mother's Day or so.

These past few months of sitting around, hunkered down due to weather and economic necessity are a drag. At least I can afford a tank of gas this year and clear the cobwebs out now and then. I'm going to try to do more camping this year and may even learn to like it. I learned an old campers trick about the secret of sleeping on the hard ground. It's called Benadryl and whiskey. That combination assures a good night's sleep every time!

I made a comment online recently that seemed to resonate with other bikers I've met. Something along the lines of "Winter is when that we plan all those great rides we promise ourselves we'll take, given time". Life is very short. I don't want to have regrets down the road. I want to be a very old biker with a million miles under my belt someday.

Winter is tough on the roads up here. The roads will be crap for a while but I'll settle for being bounced out of my seat until the frost heaves have subsided or have been repaired. That's the trade-off we make for great mountain roads, uncluttered highways, clean air and water.

It's time to pull out the calendar, start marking off some vacation time, plugging in a few long trips and filling in around them with our usual local rides. Yep, I'm gonna do that this year. In fact, I'm off to Yahoo right now to post an online ride calendar that all of my fellow club riders can add to.

You all have a great day today, Sunday. Maybe I'll get my leathers out and see if they've shrunk over the winter months...heh-heh!

A low, slow wave,

Joe Rocket

Goals

Hi All:

Bear with me while I give this a go. I hope that this will work out and, if so, I'll share that news and success with you right here.

I could have called this "Blogging for a bike" but, I am hoping that the Sturgis reference will help me get more hits. Yes, sadly, this is somewhat of a commercial endeavor but don't stop reading this yet. Let me explain.

I ride motorcycles, as I am sure a lot of you do. I'm also employed in a marketing capacity for a company here in New Hampshire and I stuggle to find that eternal balance between riding all the time (like some of my retired friends) and work/life/family obligations. I'm not 50 yet and have been riding, more or less, most of my life. More on that later.

The goal of this blog is to help me to afford to buy a new bike in time for Sturgis 2008. To that end, I will try to find relevant topics and content that will keep you coming back to see my progress, to root for me and to help me reach my goals.

I hope that this works for all of us and I will try to find compelling information about riding, bikes, gear, camping and trip preparations that will keep you coming back.

For now, I'll sign off as it's the weekend and there's "stuff" to be done. I'll be back soon to ramble on.

Best wishes for a very warm and short winter,

Joe Rocket