Yesterday, Jimbo' stopped by to pick a few things up, and as usual in a spontaneous moment we decide to go for a quick ride. I'd just gotten
Krome delivered, finished washing mama's Porsche, and it's 1100 hrs ; sunny and warm! So, put Krome away and ..... the
BDM Ridgeback is back in the corner, dusty, on the charger.... begging to be ridden. Move a bike out of the way, unplug, slap the seat on , roll it back through the maze and fire the bastard up. It's got a carb and she's barking at me with the choke on... few back fires... calms down.. over to the hose to rinse it off.
One thing about owning diff' types of bikes is it, in my opinion, makes one a better rider overall. However, jumping from Touring bike to cruiser to sport bike to chopper ... causes an issue that takes about 15-30 minutes every time I do it.. you've got to reacquaint yourself with the bike. Turn radius, turn signal locations, foot position. Well, today was going to take a lil' longer; like the entire friggn' day! If you've never ridden a 9' long rigid chopper with a monster rear, lets just say ... you better know what you're doing. Turning from a stop, left or right at a 90 deg turn takes a lil effort and a lot of real estate. I got reminded of this quickly as we turned onto FM 1564 and headed out. I'm taking up as much space as a dually pulling a 43' trailer taking my turns. Still, not bad. I'm not walking the bike, just doing it in sloooooooow motion, doing a circus balancing act. Well... we're off.
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| Few colds ones at Gilligans in Tawakoni |
Lot of folks think this bike must be uncomfortable; it's not. With extended forward controls, pull back handlebars, 330 rear tire, large comfy seat... its honestly one of the most comfortable, ergonomically correct bikes I've ever ridden. Well, right up until you hit a pot hole. Then, a reverberation heads upwards vertically into your spine reminding you there are no shocks back there as part of the suspension, and you ain't 20 anymore. Good news is..... only found one pot hole and two 'bumps' on they hwy ... I survived.
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| Awesome street tacos at Pudgys' in Wills Point |
Now, the problem is ..... though this bike 'fits me perfect', life ain't perfect on it. Though I rode bikes for 25 years with no windshields .. no bags... no back rests .. no cruise control .... one can beat their chests and yell " I'm a real biker" or some crap like that all they want ... but, I've come to like those.... amenities. I've blog'd about this subject in the past.. Bottom line is ... when you're rolling down the road at 75 mph for an extended amount of time ........you start thinking about things like .. . Electronic Cruise Control so you don't have to try and keep your speed constant. So you can take you hand off the throttle and get a break once in awhile. Windshields to keep the bugs off and reduce wind buffeting. Highway Pegs on the crash bars that allow you to rotate your feet from the boards to the pegs to stretch out as necessary. Cushy back rest that you can lean back into to take the stress off your back. Stress off your arms. Stress off your shoulders. Bags on the bike that have your tools or glasses or warm clothing or rain gear or .. ummm... a lil' cooler in there. Hey .. .this stuff is important!
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| Completely diff' animals! |
They say choppers are dead. They were a fad. No and maybe. Amazing how everywhere I go, this bike gets the attention an Indian does when out n' about. Amazement at the size of that 330 on the rear. People say the bikes don't handle. Well, yes they do. I can push this through the twisties. I've buried the speedometer (120mph on it). But it takes a good rider to handle these things; fact. Fad? At some level, of course they were. I wonder where they all went sometimes.... I'm guessing garages everywhere have 'em buried in a corner. Well, until time for a bike rally when a lot come out of nowhere. I love mine... but .. I use it for bar hopping. Sub 100 mile days. Someone commented yesterday that I 'd never take it on a long trip. Of course I won't . I've got an Indian Chieftain for that duty. But I could and would if it was my only bike. I rode for over two decades without the .... amenities. I like those amenities. I've earned those amenities. And yesterday I was missing 'em! But .... what a day .. nothing like a stretched out Chopper to get the blood flowing.
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| Ultras' ... keeping it calm while riding |
Well, all good things have to end. Later afternoon we pulled in and parked 'em. He was off to hang with the new GF, and I snuck a quick nap in on the recliner. Then...... refreshed... it was Cage time. Mama and I snuck off to Sweetwater Grill for some grub, time with friends and ... some good music. Great day. Would have been .. well.. 'perfect' , if mama had jumped on the back ( yes I have a pillion pad that goes on that rear fender) and we rode that chopper last night. But .. mama' likes her amenities.. .and it's called a Jeep!
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| Good Tunes out back ... |
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