the other adventure...

This weekend, I was invited for a long ride on a 1984 HD low ride, shovel head by a gentleman biker I met quite accidentally. He offered to take me for a spin on the other side of "the lake"... Lake Champlain, the NY neighborhood. It was a spectacular day so we made a plan of sorts to pick me up and then head for the islands, catch the ferry and then follow the other west coast down to the southern point ferry and back home. I've lived in VT for 24 years and never made such an outing. So"yes, seems like a grand idea" was my sincere reply. The weather was exceptional as he arrived on time and ready to load and go. His bike seemed smallish compared to the Ultra Classic I had been treated to in earlier outings. It lacked any kind of storage for coat or water so I strapped on my shoulder pack with all that I needed for a day trip. I was not expecting a smooth ride, but when I settled in, I found it was a good fit. The passenger seat is soft and very close to the driver so we were both in the center of the bike and that made for very comfortable 2 up travel, much to my delight. Off we went, stopping to fuel up at the local gas station. The bike refused to restart electrically, so being a vintage ride, he pushed it away from the pump and used the kick starter. Kewl, it fired up and off we went, loud pipes rumbling... We followed the black top through Lamoille and then Franklin counties, up to his childhood family fishing camp taking a break and stretching our legs. We covered all the single parent topics around the special sensitivities that children of divorce must contend with in their childhoods. He shared many tender family values and revealed his kindness in those stories... it was a pleasure to listen and to confirm those complex challenges that we try to balance for our kids. A family man with a passion for wind and loud pipes. This culture of biking harbors so many interesting and passionate people. I felt very privileged to be invited. Once fed and refreshed, we readied to mount the trusty pony... it resisted the electric start once again and I stood aside while he coaxed it with the kick starter into its rhythmic roar. He was a bit concerned as to the bike's contrary behavior... after all, he put in new plugs, new battery, detailed the block... but the iron horse rolled out and he was confident enough to go for the bridge over the lake. We cleared the span easily and I wished that I hadn't buried my camera under our jackets lashed to the back of the little sissy bar. Over on the NY shore now, we puttered through Plattsburg and recognized the bike was very ill indeed. We just wanted a gas station to refuel and evaluate the cause of the misfires, the gasping engine... I'm no expert, but it sounded as if it were starving for fuel, but there was plenty in the tank... a few more miles south, no gas station in sight. It gave up and stopped all efforts in its silence. My driver power walked it off the traveled lane, past the fog line. Where were we? A 360 degree scan revealed we were very near a golf course: Bluff Point. As he pushed the bike into an access road, I pulled the helmets, and water bottle off the bike and watched him check list the situation hoping he would have some idea and maybe he could "McGiver" a solution. He revealed that he volunteered on a pit crew for stock car racing once upon a time and knew a little bit but couldn't see the real problem. Some how, the engine was not getting fuel; gas in the tank, the fuel valve was releasing petrol, yet there was air in the line... not good, not normal, not working.... I wandered over to a foursome teeing off. They in their golfing wardrobe, I in my leather chaps and sleeveless blouse, mirror sun glasses... "excuse me, is this a public course or a private club?" my query as spoke my best etiquette (I remembered my last encounter in a family place when attired in leathers and a wet shirt... we needed some help, and I didn't want to scare them off). "No, its public; why?" his Montreal accent replied. "we're broke down and need a place to sit and wait for our rescue ride. Is there a club house near by?" I sheepishly answered. "yeah, somewhere, maybe up that road by the sign" as he pointed south about a quarter mile. I returned to my frustrated biker friend and shared the news. He looked across the way, and began pushing his bike along the flat road, all 660 lbs of it. At least it was flat on this side of the lake and he was a fit tradesman... if it had been me, I could not have done that and in VT, there would have been hills to fight. We found the golf club entrance and began to enter, spotting a gazebo in the shaded median just ahead. We stopped and saw that it was a good climb, a heafty push to the club house and neither one of us wished to try farther. We have shade, a place to sit, a good spot for the bike. In silent agreement, we parked and ciphered the situation. He called his best friend, who by God's grace was there and began the trip to rescue us; a two hour drive for him and his truck with ramps for the bike...I'm thinking that its not all bad, as we are comfortable, safe and help is coming... I'm good with it. We talked and joked and watched the golfers. They would stop and ask of our situation: "bummer man, have a beer..." was the theme. Seems like every golf cart that went by, had a stock of Labatt's beer. A sweet relief in the 90+ heat of afternoon. After two beers, I was dizzy, drunk and hungry but too wary of walking to the club house in the heat and my driver was not going to leave his bike alone with golf club wielding strangers. I retreated to the grass and lay down for a nap and idled away the time swapping stories. It was to our mutual surprise discovering how much we had in common... it had become a great afternoon, with good company and free beer. I began smiling, beaming when he asked, "what are you so happy about?" "I was just thinking about why I took up motorcycle riding as a passenger. Today, I have met every objective of my pursuit. I have made a new friend, ridden a bike new to me, gone down a new road..." He was puzzled, "but we broke down..." "yeah, but what a place to get stuck, nice seat in the shade, free beer and good stories. This is awesome... I love adventures and this is a good one..." now he was smiling too as he kept a sharp eye for his buddy's white truck. I felt no worries as it was all taken care of and I felt at ease with the current situation. His calm concern was all I needed to enjoy myself in the company of this new friend; the gifts of cold beer from sympathetic golfers was a bonus... It was a grand day out as we watched the sun dropping and the dew rising. The white pick-up arrived and I stood in awe as the two buddies pushed the heavy bike into the back of the truck. We all piled into the cab and thanked our humble rescuer for abandoning his life these hours and making the trek out. As we pointed for home, it was agreed: all's well that ends well and new friends are always worth the detour in the journey...
peace ~ ell
this one is for the immeasurable value of friendship

good to go...

Eldest offspring shot this picture for her portfolio. Maybe it can get me a ride...the jacket is my upgrade from straight black I had been touring in. I had been riding in her jacket as she never cared to wear it. It was a bit too big for me; I caught this one in a good sale. The red and white help with conspicuity I hope, a little more visible with a splash of style...now maybe, I can catch a ride. (I don't really stand on the road and hitch, but lately just can't get my schedule in sync with my biker buddy...) You would think that it would be easy enough to get a ride but that's not been my experience... I see dozens, even hundreds of bikes go by my door, many without a passenger. But guys will say they want the freedom, or they aren't comfortable with someone on the back, or they are out with the boyz and not into any tag-alongs that ride...
oh well, check out the custom chopper trike that OCC build in 2004...maybe that will get me where I wanna go... It was created for a young man who was paralyzed in a car wreck. It uses only hand controls. Might be just what an oddly-abled middle-ager like me needs. It is a stylish ride with all the chrome a girl could want...keen indeed... live your dreams
peace ~ ell

pillion project...

84 Low Ride

Pillion:(Wikipedia) A pillion is a secondary pad, cushion, or seat behind the main seat or saddle on a horse, motorcycle, or moped. A passenger in this seat is said to "ride pillion" or may themselves be referred to as a "pillion." The word is derived from the Gaelic for "little rug," pillean, which is itself from the Latin pellis for "animal skin." One or more pelts would often have been the form a secondary seat took on horseback, and the usage was carried over to motorcycles... [how I came to ride pillion, now that's another story]

Honda Shadow

Despite the marvelous sunshine this weekend, I could not catch a ride with my biker buddy. Oh well, an unfortunate peril of failing the BRC and not having my own wheels and endorsement to roll over our roads. Reminiscent of "the ride", I did manage to sift through old ride pics from summers past and noticed I've had the privilege to ride on several different bikes. Each picture evoked fond memories or shivers of their follies recalled. I might finally have enough valid experience for a viable comparison of the second seat that each steel horse offered. I'm thinking about the more savvy perspectives from where I was sitting for the ride. I'm no technical expert and a quick study of the choices in custom seats that are available for motorcycles was overwhelming. I can speak though, from the perspective of a petite passenger, weighing in at 128 pounds with not much extra padding over my seat bones. Each bike has its merits and one in particular is plush. So the story will unfold from the least comfortable to the most. A couple of disclaimers though: 1) most of the roads in VT suck, plain and simple. The damaged road tops range from small cracks to huge holes and even missing road (rte 105 in Richford). I can't always see what's coming and so I take the lump in full force ~ ouch as the impact resonates up my spine. 2) some of the bikes are undersized for a comfortable ride as a passenger; meaning they lack the horse power and smooth gearing to accommodate even my little bit of ballast. This can mean fatigue for a pillion who is "dragged" through the ride. These bikes also seemed to lack the shock absorption in the back wheel to take the extra load resulting in a harsh jarring over any irregular pavement. 3) the driver's savvy and consideration for the 2up rider is an acquired talent. While I never felt unsafe, I did notice a difference in the quality of ride when a driver was off with his clutching, slow speed moves, stops and start-offs. Interestingly, like airboarding, driving a motorcycle with a passenger is more comfortable when the man at the dash has a little mass. A well centered bike is happy over the road and that makes a nicer glide for the person in the second seat.

Valkyrie

Sportster

Ultra Classic

The story goes a little like this; it was great fun to ride these bikes with these good guys who invited me and so all observations are with the highest respect for their skills in driving and maintenance of their bikes. It's hard to learn to drive a bike requiring exceptional vigilance and responsive skills; I know this first hand. It's a bit harder to feel comfortable with a passenger... a few years ago, a good friend offered me a ride on his Kawasaki touring bike. It was made for a pillion rider with built in luggage stowage and an easy-chair backrest. The shocks weren't mint and the power was a little light given the hills our roads navigate; this made the ride a bit tiresome. The driver was a veteran biker and very considerate of my comfort. 4 stars for this one. Later that summer, my older brother brought his Honda Shadow up to NH and gave me a short spin over the back roads(former cart paths) near the lake. The bike was quiet, nimble and had a sissy bar. The seat was not supper bad, nor supper good. For a short ride, up to 90 minutes, the Shadow was a fun run. I give it 3 stars. By this time, I'm feeling hooked on riding in the wind. The following summer, I scored a riding buddy on a Harley Davidson Sportster. It had a well padded second seat with sissy bar though it's taller center made me feel more secure riding up close to the driver. ahh, now my favorite way to travel... The foot pegs were perfect for hooking the heel of my cowboy boots making for a spirited posture for me as pillion. The bike is made for the more narrow NEK roads with lots of twisties as it is very nimble and has power o' plenty for hills or speed on the flats, even 2up. Without a windscreen, its a thrashing to go down an interstate at sustained high speeds. A fun ride but 90 minutes, then stopping, was about all I enjoyed before a stretch was needed. I give it 3 1/2 stars. At the end of my second summer of 2up, I was treated to a ride on a Valkyrie. This bike was low and heavy and powerful. It had a sissy bar but no hand grips, so up close was the way to travel. It did have foot boards which are nice for the longer rides but a boot with a low heel is a better fit for the boards. The bike was keen, the driver was careless and that matters. Chose your chauffeur carefully, it can make or muddle the experience. I give the bike 31/2 stars. This summer, I've been out on a Yamaha V Star a couple times. It's a nimble bike with plenty of heft making ride feel secure. It was fatiguing though as the second seat was narrow and underpadded, making it tiring to ride any length of time. The first time out, the driver polished up the vinyl and that made it like riding a slippery fence rail at 60 mph... it had foot boards for my Milwaukee boots but they seemed a bit too short for my long legs adding to the fatigue. No way to let them down, but a change to a taller, plusher seat could make it a sweet enough afternoon twirl. I give it 3 stars. The driver was pretty good, just sparing with the rest-breaks which comes from riding alone allot and not reading a pillion's body language. I need to learn to speak up when I need a stretch. The final, and most appreciated ride for me was the luxury of the Harley Davidson Ultra Classic and its pillion "throne". This bike is made for long runs over any paved road. The second seat is so comfortable that I have dozed off and bumped my driver's helmet when he had to suddenly change gears for road conditions. He's good natured about it but still it's startling. Appointed with a generous seat hosting built in stereo and ample footboards for any boots I wore. The one very minor oddity was that the tailwind went up over my back sending my silk scarf forward into his field of vision. A little wardrobe adjustment solved that. One more notable feature as the pillion rider, the Ultra Classic purred in its effortless glide over the road. A powerful bike with grace and elegance for the pair on board...it never strained, never lurched...just a gentle glide as it is aptly named. I give it 5 stars...though the owner tells me a Honda Goldwing is ultimate passenger ride, if I am ever invited...we'll see. I am a fan of those HD loud pipes...
So for me, the summer of riding is about half over. Hopefully my notations may inspire others to ride 2up with an understanding that the comfort of the pillion fixings, the power and balance of the bike, a wind screen to deflect that force and most importantly the savvy and courtesy of the driver can make or break the quality of the experience. If I had had a rugged ride first time out several years ago, I would have never gone back. I'm so glad for the quality of that first ride over the road; thanks Rene for illuminating my summers...
peace ~ ell


update in the Pillion Project:
I now ride 2Up regularly on my bikerman's 84 LowRide. I have to say for a smallish, pillowed seat with a padded sissybar, it's pretty comfortable. Though it's a good thing I love this man as it puts me close up to him for the ride. It is a nimble bike with plenty of giddy-up when we need it. Taking twisties on this chrome pnoy is way fun as he scrapes pegs leaning deeply into the corners. I can go about 100 miles on VT's chunky roads before a break is needed. Again, the pegs are set at a place that let's me hook my boot heels and my knees are lower than my hips. That seems to matter for me. Fun for a day run but the dressers are the best for the multi-day, high mileage adventures.