tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-46887953661769820622024-03-12T19:24:39.190-04:00The Soul of a MotorcyclistThe spirit of the ride; the soul of the RiderRalph F. Coueyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06434244155358774163noreply@blogger.comBlogger75125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4688795366176982062.post-15844029479382269982014-03-17T22:35:00.000-04:002014-03-17T22:35:45.710-04:00Motorcycles and Hard Economics<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The Object of My Dreams and Obsessions</div>
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Taken by Ralph Couey in Fort Valley, Virginia</div>
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Copyright © 2014 by Ralph Couey</div>
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Ownership, or more accurately, the relationship with a motorcycle is unique in a person's experience. It is transportation stripped to its bare essences, and thus a journey is less one of physical necessity and more of a spiritual exaltation. As I have written <i>ad nauseum</i>, the hours and miles spent in this kind of communion are priceless for those who truly understand the essence of the ride.</div>
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But, like all things, this comes at a price.</div>
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Motorcycles are a different animal than cars. They require a great deal more attention to details such as tire pressures and oil change intervals than do cars. Mainly because when something breaks on a car, the owner is still inside a steel cage wrapped up in a cocoon of seat belt and airbags. When something breaks on a motorcycle, it can, and does, result in very mortal outcomes. Safety requires upkeep, which requires $$$.</div>
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My mechanical skills are limited, as are my collection of tools. Hence, when my bike needs something, I turn to my local factory-trained neighborhood wrench. This is especially true in that time of year when winter is finally driven back into it's dark, cold cave for another year. The sun warms the air, the snow disappears, the spring rains wash the road of sand and salt. And after months of painful dormancy, motorcycles hit the roads.</div>
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After sitting in the garage all winter (and especially if the bike sat outside), there are tasks that need to be done in order to make sure that the only thing the rider need worry about are the other drivers who have become blind to two-wheeled conveyances. The oil needs to be changed, the tires, brakes, cables, and wires need inspection. Every two years or so, the brake, clutch, and radiator fluids need to be swapped out. And then there are the occasional mechanical items that need attention. For me, this means a new front tire and a new clutch. The mechanical bill is going to be substantial, and the labor costs (at $90 per hour) effectively double that. But it's my very vulnerable butt on that seat, so I don't really mind spending the dough. </div>
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Riding saves me money over the long term. Over the last three years, the motorcycle has reduced my fuel costs by over $2,000 per year, which more than pays for the repairs and maintenance.</div>
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Thankfully, now that the federal government has an honest-to-Abe budget, (and not just another continuing resolution) agencies have begun to release overtime hours to deal with the accumulated backlog of work. Giving up some off-days (much less painful when it's 15 degrees and snowy outside) has enabled me to accumulate some extra money to shower upon the motorcycle. However, timing has been difficult. After a three-day tease of 70-degree days, winter rebounded with a 10-inch fall of snow. Now it will be necessary to wait for this slug of white stuff to melt, and a good rain or two to cleanse the street surfaces before I can safely navigate the streets. The good news is that meteorologists are broadly hinting that this is likely winter's last act of vengeance before the delights of spring settle in.</div>
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Spring is a rebirth. Earth awakens, turns green, and populates the hillsides with the brilliant colors of wildflowers. The very air changes from the edge of a knife, to a soft caress, restoring that love of life within us all.</div>
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And there's no place better from which to experience the joy of this new life than from the back of a motorcycle.</div>
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Ralph F. Coueyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06434244155358774163noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4688795366176982062.post-10677325776606291942014-01-21T17:44:00.000-05:002014-01-21T17:44:26.003-05:00Why We Riders Go To The Show<div style="text-align: center;">
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<b><i>Mentally, he's on the road aboard Honda's new Valkyrie.</i></b><br />
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Copyright © 2014 by Ralph F. Couey</div>
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Every year, I attend the traveling International Motorcycle Show, lately sponsored by Progressive Insurance. A big part of my motivation to do this stems from my heartfelt commitment to The Ride, lovingly accumulated over the past 20 years. The other motivation is rooted in my dislike of the first two months of the year, a period of time I have come to call "The Long Dark Tunnel." The show hits Washington DC usually in mid-January, thus providing a nice reminder that despite the gloom and cold of Winter, spring, and another riding season is on the approach.</div>
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There's a lot to see at these shows. The major manufacturers display their entire lines, and unlike most dealerships, people are encouraged to swing a leg over and sit on every one.</div>
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The criteria a choice for a particular bike is different for every rider. The first criteria is deciding what kind of riding a person is going to do. That determines the type of motorcycle to buy. Sport bikes, the powerful high-speed types commonly referred to as "crotch rockets," sport tourers, almost as fast but designed for the long haul, standards (also called nakeds for the lack of body panels), cruisers, the iconic beefy American design. Adventure tourers, also called dual sports, which appeal to those who prefer the back woods and trackless deserts along with regular paved surfaces, dirt bikes, basic frame-and-engine designed purely for off-road use, and of course, the big baggers, the touring bikes which carry loads of luggage and every comfort and convenient device ever conceived for motorcycles.</div>
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A relatively new design, the trike, has made serious inroads into the marketplace. There are two types. The conversion types, manufactured by companies such as Lehman, take existing bikes and convert them to three-wheelers, putting the dualies on the back. The other type, familiar through the Canadian firm Bombardier, puts the dual wheels on the front. These provide a transition point for those moving from cars to bikes for the first time. They also make it easier for those aging folks whose legs are no longer strong enough to hold up a bike, but are not yet willing to give up The Ride. Also, having three wheels expands the weather parameters into conditions that ordinarily would leave the bike in the garage.</div>
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Price point, of course, is the primary driver for this choice. But the most important factor is the fit. The rider has to be comfortable, because the focus must be on the road, not on the body's aches, pains, and cramps. So the act of sitting on the bike can be the point at which the rider accepts or rejects a particular motorcycle. </div>
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You don't so much try out a motorcycle as much as you try one on. It's a lot like buying a pair of jeans. You know you're going to wear this thing for a lot of hours, so it better feel good. Riding positions range from the crouch and crunch of a sport bike, to the more upright posture of the sport tourers, tourers, and standards, to the feet-forward and reclined posture of the cruisers. Older riders find out that their knees won't take being bent up for long periods of time and they are required to seek out a more relaxed seating position. Seat height is also crucial because when one rolls to a stop, you have to be able to stand the bike up with one or both feet planted firmly on the ground.</div>
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These are all practical matters. But there is one consideration that sits at the heart of the entire decision process.</div>
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Riders all understand the phrase "two wheels feed the soul." There is a spiritual aspect to The Ride which is all but impossible to articulate, but deeply understood nonetheless. Even within the walls of a convention center, this effect can be seen.</div>
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The rider approaches the bike, carefully doing a walk-around. Putting the bag full of brochures, catalogs, and freebies on the floor, the hands grasp the grips, the leg swings over and the body settles into the seat. The controls are measured for comfort and control as the eyes scan the gauges. The bike is leaned upright, and then something amazing happens. The eyes soften, the face slackens just a bit. At that moment, the convention center has been replaced by an open road, a clear horizon, and a perfect day with nowhere to be and all the time in the world to get there.</div>
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This is an exercise in visualization; the search for the answer, "Can I see myself riding this bike?" This is the decision point.</div>
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For most, the connection between rider and machine is more relationship than ownership. The exact reason for this is a bit hard to understand. Why is it that a collection of mechanical parts, fluids, and paint gets under a person's skin like this? We know it happens, but we never question it. After all, why question euphoria?</div>
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A motorcycle show is a great place to mingle with others who share the passion. In a world grown increasingly impersonal, its a place to feel connected, less alone. </div>
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And that's how it should be when a dream is shared.</div>
Ralph F. Coueyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06434244155358774163noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4688795366176982062.post-24863760766993263132013-07-08T23:20:00.001-04:002016-09-12T09:57:33.259-04:00Favorite Rides: Fort Valley Loop<div align="center">
Copyright © 2013 by Ralph Couey</div>
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Maps from Microsoft Streets and Trips,</div>
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and Google Maps</div>
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160 miles</div>
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US29, US211, US11, Edinburg Gap Rd., Ft. Valley Rd., VA55, VA626.</div>
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This enjoyable jaunt takes in some beautiful Virginia countryside with a couple of history lessons thrown in.</div>
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This run starts in the parking lot of the Manassas National Battlefield Park visitors center. This large park is the site of two major engagements during the Civil War. In July 1861, public pressure was strong for a march to Richmond, the Confederate capital, to quickly end the war. Union Commander Irvin McDowell pleaded for more time to train his very green troops and officers, but the political pressure overcame his objections and he was forced into battle. </div>
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It was expected, but the public at least, to be an easy victory. People from Washington came out with baskets to picnic on the battlefield and watch the fight. But it turned into a bloody rout. McDowell's orders were poorly executed by his untrained officers and after a heroic stand by an unknown VMI Colonel named Thomas Jackson, hereafter known as "Stonewall," the Union troops were routed. Throwing aside their weapons the fled for Washington, along with the terrified civilians.</div>
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A little over a year later, in August 1862, Robert E. Lee was on the offensive. He sent Jackson's Corps on a wide flanking march to capture the Union supply depot at Manassas Junction. After two inconclusive engagements, Jackson dug in on a ridge. Convinced he had Stonewall trapped, Union Commander John Pope committed most of his troops on a direct assault against Jackson. Unknown to Pope, however, another corps of Southern troops under James Longstreet broke through at Thoroughfare Gap, marched to the battlefield and hit Pope's forces in a massive flanking attack. Pope's army was crushed, the remnants sent into retreat. This time, the Union troops didn't flee all the way to Washington, but collected themselves at Centreville. It was a disastrous defeat just the same.</div>
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Leaving the visitor's center, turn left on Sudley Road and go up to the US29 intersection, by the Stone House. Turn left and head west. After about 18 miles, you'll have to navigate some heavy traffic through Warrenton. Look for the turnoff to US 211 and take it.</div>
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Down this road apiece, you'll enter the village of Amissville. No nothing is Amiss; the town was named after the Amiss family, one of the early settlers in 1763. There were two cavalry engagements in the area during the Civil War. In August 1862, J.E.B. Stuart very nearly captured the Union commanding General John Pope, when his cavalry surrounded Pope's army. Stuart came away with Pope's overcoat and some important military papers. In November, following Antietam, Stuart engaged Federal troops about 3/4 of a mile south of Amissville. It was a minor engagement, but the legendary Virginia Cavalier barely escaped death when he happened to turn his head and a Union bullet that would have plowed into his head, merely clipped off half of his very impressive mustache. In another engagement during the Confederate retreat from Gettysburg in late July 1863, A Union cavalry force under one George Armstrong Custer attacked the Corps of A. P. Hill. It was, like many Custer outings, a brave but futile attempt. Vastly outnumbered, Custer was forced to retreat over Battle Mountain. Battle Mountain is not named for this particular fight, but rather a corruption of the name Bataille after the family who owned two of the elevations in the area.</div>
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A little further along brings you to Washington, VA. This village lays claim to the honor of being the first of the 28 towns in the United States to name itself after the Father of Our Country, who surveyed the area in 1749. Originally a trading post for the Manahoac Tribe, Washington has passed the centuries affected little by exterior events, such as the Industrial Revolution, and thus has changed little over time. The Inn at Little Washington, a Five-Star Inn and eatery, is highly favored by the Capitol Hill Elite.</div>
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After you pass Sperryville, you get into a short stretch of righteous twisties as the road takes you up and over Skyline Drive at the Thornton Gap access. A bit further on, you get into Luray, home of Luray Caverns, an underground cave complex discovered in 1878.</div>
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Crossing through New Market Gap, you'll hit another short set of twisties as you enter the George Washington National Forest. When you reach the town of New Market, turn right onto US11 and head north into the Shenandoah Valley.</div>
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The Shenandoah is both a valley and a cultural region. It is famous for it's fertile soil, which has always yielded prodigious amounts of agricultural products. Because of this, it was desperately defended by the Confederacy, chiefly by troops under Stonewall Jackson. It was here in this valley where Jackson made his reputation for audacity and brilliance. There are numerous battle sites throughout this valley, and if you are interested at all in Civil War History, they are well worth a pause and look.</div>
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For the purposes of this route, however, we will go as far north as the town of Edinburg. As glide through the town, look sharp for Edinburg Gap Road, and turn right. Take this winding path until you reach Fort Valley Road, and turn left.</div>
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During the Revolutionary War, when things were looking particularly dark, General Washington ordered General Daniel Morgan to build a road into this valley. Fort Valley is flanked by two arms of the Massanutten Mountains and contains good water and fertile land. The valley is accessible only by two very narrow passes at either end and is protected by the steep ridges which flank the valley itself. It is very defendable, and Washington looked to this valley as a place to make a last stand against the British Army. Fortunately, his victory at Yorktown made this redoubt unnecessary.</div>
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For the next 17 miles, you'll glide alongside picturesque farms and through dense forests, following the path of Passage Creek. Fort Valley could be considered a closed ecosystem, and the local residents are fiercely dedicated to keeping it that way. </div>
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At the north end of the Valley, the road T's into VA55. Turn right and follow this road into Front Royal. </div>
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This town with the interesting moniker has been a community as early as the 1670's. The name is a bit of a mystery, evolving from the original French "le front royal," meaning the edge of the British frontier. The Brits eventually came to call it the Royal Frontier. Another version has a frustrated drill sergeant of the local militia, exasperated by his charges' inability to follow his commands, at one point roared out, "Front the Royal Oak." referring to a massive tree in the town square. Knowing which direction that was, the recruits finally turned the right way. Still another legend refers to a password used by the local militia during the American Revolution. The sentry, upon detecting the approach of people, would shout out "Front!" The countersign, "Royal" would then be given. Eventually, the encampment itself would become known as Camp Front Royal. Front Royal serves as the northern gateway to Skyline Drive and Shenandoah National Park, and is correspondingly busy during the tourist season.</div>
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VA 55 parallels and occasionally shares asphalt with I-66 as you head eastward. If the pace along 55 is too sedate, you can always slide over onto the high-speed I-Road.</div>
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Marshall, VA was named after the Supreme Court Justice John Marshall, who was born in nearby Delaplane. There's not much here, except the oldest Ford dealership in the United States, continuously occupying the same building since 1915.</div>
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The Plains, VA has an unremarkable history, but has some captivating small eateries and a tea room. Worth a pause, if you have the time.</div>
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Here, you will turn left onto VA626 and head north. Now you begin to see what makes this part of Virginia so well known and popular among the rich. The land rolls in low hills, but is liberally covered in rich grasslands, perfect for the horse industry that prospers here. You'll see some of the most attractive farms, bordered by stacked stone fences along the road. Actor Robert Duvall owns a farm in this area, among other well-known people. The road winds gently, allowing the rider ample chances to drink in the peaceful beauty of the countryside. </div>
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VA626 ends at Middleburg, as does this journey. But the fun is not done, yet. </div>
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Middleburg has been around since 1787. The name was settled upon by its location halfway between the port of Alexandria and the frontier outpost of Winchester. From the early 20th century, Middleburg has been home to foxhunting and steeplechasing. Horse farms abound around here, as do some of the most wealthy of all Virginians. The historic district is lined with quaint shops and is bookended by two long-standing taverns, The Red Horse, and the Hunter's Head. You'll also find The French Hound on a side street.</div>
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All the taverns have outdoor seating, and this will be a fine way to close out the day, as you relax, eat, and remember the ride.</div>
Ralph F. Coueyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06434244155358774163noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4688795366176982062.post-9380423601392584042013-07-07T23:20:00.002-04:002014-01-08T17:08:07.755-05:00Favorite Rides: Southwest Sojourn<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Alamogordo, New Mexico to Tombstone, Arizona</div>
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330 miles, about 6 hours</div>
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US70, I-10, NM80, AZ80</div>
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There's something special about the Southwest. It's hard for people from the more forested regions of the United States to see the inherent beauty within the harsh and unforgiving terrain of the desert.</div>
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This ride starts in the city of Alamogordo, New Mexico, nestled at the foot of the Sacramento Mountains. To the west lies the Tularosa Basin which humans inhabited some 11,000 years ago. The city was established in 1898 when the El Paso and Northeastern Railroad extended their line into the area. The name, Alamogordo, which means "large cottonwood," was inspired by the presence of a grove of the hardy trees. From the 1940s on, Holloman Air Force Base was the site of aerospace work, including rocket sleds and high-altitude balloon flights. The two chimpanzees who flew in space, Ham and Enos, were trained here. That tradition carries on with the New Mexico Museum of Space History.</div>
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Heading west on US70, you cross the basin and the Rio Grand Rift. To the north, the forbidding desert called Jornada del Muerto, Journey of the Dead, points your attention to the Trinity site, where the first atomic bomb was detonated.</div>
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Ahead lies one of the more interesting sights in the Southwest. What looks from a distance like snow is the White Sands National Monument. Most sand is made up of quartz crystals. But here, the sand is gypsum crystals. This type of mineral is rare because Gypsum is water soluble. But the Tularosa Basin is a closed system, with no water flowing in, so the Gypsum has survived. </div>
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Gypsum doesn't covert solar energy to heat, so unlike quartz sand, it's safe to walk on with bare feet. The massive dunes are constantly in motion in sympathy to the winds and at times must be bulldozed from US70. The Monument is on the southern rim of the White Sands Missile Range and one or two times per week, the road is closed while test launches are conducted.</div>
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Entering Las Cruces, you'll transition to I-10. The city is another railroad outpost, it's name translating to The Crosses, the origin of which is unknown. The city sits in the middle of the Organ Caldera, the remains of a large volcano which erupted some 37 million years ago.</div>
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Heading west again, you pass through some of the most desolate country you'll ever see. It's mostly flat with a thin covering of Savannah grasses. This is country that hasn't changed much in several thousand years.</div>
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Pass through Deming and Lordsburg and just before you get to the Arizona state line, turn south on NM80. This road meanders south through the desert, arriving at Douglas, Arizona. But on the way, you will find yourself face-to-face with a startling feature. One of the Dos Cabeza mountains is named "Cochise Head," after the legendary Chiricahua warrior. If you look carefully, you can see the profile of his face along the top of the mountain.</div>
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You will encounter a small town called Rodeo, which a stone monument stands commemorating the site where Geronimo surrendered, ending the reign of the Apache tribe. Loop through Douglas and continue north on now AZ80 until you glide into Bisbee.<br />
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Bisbee is a town with a long, colorful history, percolated by that particular stubborn toughness of the typical Southwesterner. It began life in 1880 with the discovery of copper in the surrounding hills. The Copper Queen, an enormous hole in the ground still sits alongside the highway. The town waxed profitable until mining began to decline in the 1950's. Artists, drawn by the abundant natural beauty of the area, established a colony in Bisbee, keeping the town alive. Boomers rediscovered the town in the 1990's and the area is still doing well. The geography has led to some strange neighborhoods, where houses are bolted to the almost-vertical hillsides. A misstep off one's front porch can end you up in your neighbor's chimney. <br />
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The hillsides are full of some spectacular minerals, especially the brilliant azurite. With the high cost of copper, the mines are beginning to work once again.<br />
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Continue north on 80 and after winding through the rocks and hills, you enter one of the most famous, if not the most infamous towns in US history.<br />
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Tombstone, Arizona is a familiar name even to those who have never been here. A miner and US Army scout, Ed Schiefflin was prospecting in the area when he discovered an amazingly rich vein of silver ore. Warned by his friends that working in that desolate country he would find only his tombstone, he gave that name to his mine claim, which eventually became the town. <br />
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The veins of silver were wide, deep, and rich and in it's peak years, 1877 to 1890, the mines in the region produced an average of $125 million (2013 dollars) per year in silver ore. But the price of silver collapsed from $123 per ounce to less than $10. The water table was breached at 560 feet down, flooding the mines. People who had come in droves, left with the same alacrity, yet the town has survived.<br />
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But silver is not the reason that the name Tombstone is so familiar.<br />
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In October 1881, a political crisis reached a climax when the leaders of two factions faced each other across the tiny confines of a vacant lot called the OK Corral. On one side were the Clanton's and McClaury's represented the Cowboys, a loose band of rustlers, robbers, and murderers backed by the Democrats in town and who controlled the county and the courts. Across from them were three lawmen named Earp, and a tubercular dentist, Doc Holliday, fronting the Republican business interests. In a flurry of gunshots over about 30 seconds, men died and legends were born. This incident, which residents still refer to as "the street fight" is now the heart and soul of the town's tourism industry.<br />
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Today, it’s Tombstone’s authentic feel that dominates the visitor’s impression. I strolled the sidewalks of the Allen Street historical district, the boards underfoot carrying the rhythmic thumps of my boots. A black-and-white cruised by, the doors emblazoned with the evocative words “Tombstone Marshall.” It was easy to let the mind’s eye block out the modern paved road and see instead dirt streets aborning the ever-present dust carried aloft by the restless desert wind. Instead of tourists in jeans and sneakers, I imagined the sidewalks alive with the all the human diversity of a frontier town. Walking past the doors to the saloons I could almost hear the raucous sounds of cowboys, merchants, and miners punctuated by the tinny sounds of a piano, the air thick with the smells of smoke and whiskey. And circulating among the merry-makers, the swishing skirts and alluring smiles of the demimondes, duly licensed and taxed; an important part of the local economy. And always, the watchful eyes of people in a town divided.<br />
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It had been America in its robust adolescence; people of limitless confidence, who knew that taking The Big Risk was the only way to get ahead.<br />
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<em>A view of the Dragoon Mountains to the west.</em></div>
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The town has burned to the ground on three occasions, so the only original building left is the Bird Cage Saloon, which is said to be haunted. But the buildings along Allen Street have been rebuilt to be architectural true to the period. They even bring in truckloads of dirt to cover the street to bring even more authenticity to the scene.</div>
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This is a long ride, 330 miles, but if you like a country with no borders, endless skies, and a compelling history, it's well worth the journey.Ralph F. Coueyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06434244155358774163noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4688795366176982062.post-87115849307842809442013-07-07T23:18:00.004-04:002014-01-08T17:08:27.657-05:00Favorite Rides: The Winelander Run<div align="center">
Copyright © 2013 by Ralph F. Couey</div>
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For six great years, I hosted a two day motorcycle ride which I called "The Winelander Run." The route started in Kingdom City, MO and ran through Fulton, Columbia, Rocheport, Jefferson City, Hermann, and ending up in Hannibal on Sunday. It was a great run, and a great weekend with fun had by all who attended. This was the Ride Brief I provided to the riders before we started.</div>
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<span style="font-family: "Old English Text MT"; font-size: 30pt; mso-bidi-font-family: CrusaderGothic;">Winelander Run<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Welcome to the Annual Winelander Run!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am very happy to have you along today and hope your ride will be enjoyable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>First, a few rules for safety and fun enhancement:</div>
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1.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Fill your tank before the ride starts and at all designated fuel stops.</div>
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2. When possible, use the approved staggered method of riding.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Don’t ride directly behind the bike in front of you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On twisty roads, however, stretch the spacing out and use as much as the road as you need.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>3.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No passing. That is, maintain your position in the group through out the ride.</div>
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4.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After the ride has started, please don’t leave the group unless you suffer a breakdown or a medical problem.</div>
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5. Each person on the ride is responsible for the rider behind him when making turns.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you have lost sight of the rider in front of you, continue straight ahead, assuming that he will wait for you at the next turn or change in route number.</div>
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6. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While in the curves, ride at a pace that is comfortable for you. When you come out of a curve, use the straightaway to catch up.</div>
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7. Do not tailgate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, in congested areas, keep the formation tightened up and staggered as much as you safely can as you approach traffic signals so that the group moves through the light as a unit.</div>
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Now a few notes about the route.</div>
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1.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is “critter country” that we’re riding through.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We shouldn’t see many deer during the day, but there are plenty of dogs, cats, raccoons, skunks, foxes, etc., so be alert.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Also, the great Missouri turtle migration starts about this time, so watch for little helmets with legs and avoid them.</div>
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2.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are places where you will see me slow down a bit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some are curves where there is always a spray of gravel around.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are other places where I have often seen deer cross in the past, so if you see me slow down and begin to scan the roadsides, there’s a good reason.</div>
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3.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you need to stop for gas or to pump bilges (an old Navy term) give three long beeps on your horn and I’ll pull over at the next available spot.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We will take breaks about every 60 minutes or so.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The travel distance to Hermann on this route should be about 190 miles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have scheduled the fuel stops within a mileage range that should not present a problem.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span><b><i><u><span style="font-size: 14pt;"> Here’s the route for Saturday (220 miles, 5 hours)</span></u></i></b><i><u><span style="font-size: 14pt;">:</span></u></i></div>
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<i><u><span style="font-size: 14pt;"></span></u></i>Leg 1<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Leave from the parking lot of the Iron Skillet in Kingdom City about 8:30 a.m., go south on US54 to Fulton and the Churchill Memorial.</div>
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Leg 2:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Take Route F/WW west 20 miles to the US63 junction.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Turn south onto US63 and go about 8 miles to Route 163.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Take Route 163 west to the Pierpont Store.</div>
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Leg 3:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Take Route163 north to Route K.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Turn left and follow K past McBaine, out onto the river flats, into and through Huntsdale to Route O.</div>
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Leg 4:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Take Route O north under I-70, where this road becomes Route J.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Continue north to Harrisburg and turn right onto Route 124.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Go east on 124 about 1.5 miles to Route E and turn right.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Take Route E south to I-70. Route E is a series of right-angle curves, all banked to make it easier. You'll have great visibility through the turns, so enjoy!</div>
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Leg 5:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Take I-70 west (right turn) to the Midway (US40) exit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> Just off the Interstate is the Midway Truck Stop, made immortal through the Travel Channel's reality show "Truck Stop Missouri." </span>Turn right and follow US40 to the Route 240 Spur into Rocheport.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Upon reaching Rocheport, turn left on Route B and follow B to the Les Bourgeois Winery, where we will stop for lunch.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After lunch, continue on Route B to I-70.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Turn right (west) onto I-70, cross the river, and get off at the Rte 179 Wooldridge/Overton exit.</div>
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Leg 6.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Take Rte 179 south for about 40 miles to the US50 junction in Jefferson City.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Pass under the bridge and turn left (east) onto US50.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>CAREFULLY</u></b> follow US 50 through Jefferson City, and an additional 15 miles to Loose Creek and turn left onto Route A.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Follow Route A to the town of Bonnots Mill. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Break at Sandy’s General Store.<br />
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Leg 7.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We will leave Bonnots Mill via Route C, then out to Route 100.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Take Route 100 east to Hermann.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Watch for the sign directing a turn left to the Stone Hill Winery.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Follow the signs up the hill to the Winery.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A tour of the winery is available, for those who are interested.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Beware the tasting rooms, you still have some riding to do!</div>
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Afterwards, go back down the hill and follow the signs into Hermann. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Take the main drag north to 3<sup>rd</sup> street and turn right.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Vinchester is about 2/3 of the way down that block. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Total miles, about 220.</div>
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Following the Winelander Tradition, we will meet at Montague’s BBQ (301 Schiller Street, 573-486-2035) at 6 p.m. for dinner and the usual raucus fun.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The rest of the night is yours alone or together, with the usual beer, cigars, and formulation of cures for all the ills of the world. </div>
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Leg 1:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Take Rte 19 north across the river to Rte 94 and turn right.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Go east on 94 for about 18 miles to the town of Treloar.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Turn left on Rte N for about 5 miles, then turn right on Rte 47 and go about 7 miles to Marthasville.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Turn left back onto Rte 94.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Leg 2:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Follow Rte 94 east for about 12 miles to the town of Augusta and turn right between the Vineyards.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Take this road into town and turn right at High Street (Augusta Winery) and go another quarter mile to the Mount Pleasant Winery, where we will stop for a break.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Leg 3:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After leaving Augusta, we will turn left onto Rte 94 and go back to Rte T and turn right.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Take Rte T north to Rte M, turn left.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Follow Rte M to Rte F and turn right.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Follow Rte F through Wright City, cross the interstate, and turn right onto the outer road.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Shortly afterwards, turn left onto Rte J and go north to Rte 47, where we will turn right and head into Troy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lunch here will be at the fast food place of your discretion.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After lunch we will meet in the parking lot of the Conoco station at the east end of the town, just before the US61 overpass.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Leg 4:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>About 2 miles down Rte 47, turn left onto Rte 147 and head into Cuivre River State Park.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When we reach the north end of the park, turn left onto Rte KK and go east to Rte W.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Turn left on Rte W and head north to Clarksville.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At Clarksville, turn left onto Rte 79, “The Great River Road,” and take this road north through Louisiana.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At Louisiana, we will take a short break.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At this point, we will have to follow US54 west for a short distance before catching Rte79 north again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>From here, it’s about 31 miles into Hannibal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We will end the ride at the Ole Planters restaurant at 316 N. Main Street (573-221-4410).<br />
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After lunch, the organized riding part of this weekend will be over.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Feel free to see the Tom Sawyer sites for as long as you can stay.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At the earliest, this puts the Illinois/Wisconsin contingent on the road by 3:30 for their return rides.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just a suggestion, if you plan on taking I-72 through Illinois, gas up first.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are <b>no, repeat, no</b> <b>gas stations</b> for the first 42 miles on that road.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I am grateful that you chose to ride today.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Whatever cares and burdens we are carrying, let us lose them in the wind and the trees and set our spirits free to soar on the wings of adventure.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Lodging for Friday Night</i></b>:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Super 8 in Kingdom City (573-642-2888). <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Lodging for Saturday Night</i></b>:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Vinchester Inn in Hermann (573-486-4440).</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">OTHER NOTES:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Friday night Feed will be at the Post Office Bar & Grill at 100 W. 5</span><sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup><span style="font-size: small;"> Street in Fulton (573-642-2927).</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Below are some interesting notes on some of the towns we will pass through or close to on this ride.</span></div>
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<strong>Kingdom City:</strong><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Founded in 1970 as a fuel and food stop for truckers and others plying I-70.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is part of the so-called Kingdom of Callaway.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This county withdrew from both the Union and Confederacy during the Civil War.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The story goes that all the young men in the county had left to fight with the South when the word came in October 1861 that Union troops were very close.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This news terrified the people left at home, mostly women, children, and old men.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The entire county’s remaining male populace gathered, armed with hunting rifles and logs painted black to look like cannons.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Seeing the display, the Union commander quickly promised not to bother the county.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The home guard, in turn, promised not to side with the Confederacy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Word was sent to Jefferson City and Washington, DC that the county had become a Kingdom and would not join either side.</div>
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<strong>Fulton</strong> <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Founded in 1825,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the town was originally named Volney after Count Constatin Volney a French scientist.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Two months later, a resident named Bob went door-to-door, lobbying residents to change the name of the town to honor inventor Robert Fulton.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For years, Fulton residents referred to their town by the nickname, “Bob.” Fulton is home to Westminster College, where Winston Churchill presented his famous "Iron Curtain" speech. The chapel where he spoke is open for tours and just outside is a section of the Berlin Wall.</div>
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<strong>Reform:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></strong>Founded in 1853, this small farming community was probably named by a short-lived religious group.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The town was largely demolished during the construction of the nuclear power plant.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<strong><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></strong><strong>Mokane</strong><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Founded in 1893, this Missouri River town was originally named Smith’s Landing after a local pioneer woman.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The town was washed away during a flood and re-built and re-named St. Aubert Landing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yet another flood forced the relocation of the community further inland, where it was located along the Missouri, Kansas and Texas Railroad, from whence the name, a combination of Mo and Kan, was coined.</div>
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<strong>Dixie:</strong><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This name, always associated with the South, actually comes from the French word “Dix,” meaning ten which was printed on banknotes from New Orleans.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These bills were commonly referred to as “Dixies.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Part of our ride today takes us through the part of Missouri known as “Little Dixie,” for the area’s strong southern sympathies during the Civil War.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<strong><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></strong><strong>Holt’s Summit:</strong><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Founded about 1841, this town was probably named for a highly regarded State Representative, Dr. David Rice Holt, who died while in office.</div>
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<strong>New Bloomfield</strong><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Founded in 1841, this town was originally named Bloomfield, but that name was extremely popular among settlers throughout the Midwest, so the townspeople added “New” to the name to distinguish it from the rest.</div>
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<strong>Ashland</strong> <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Founded in 1850 as Farmer’s Corner, the name was changed to Ashland to honor Henry Clay.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ashland was the name of Clay’s estate in Kentucky.</div>
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<strong>Pierpont</strong><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Founded around 1815, before Missouri became a state.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>An 1834 fire destroyed Boone County’s only distillery and grist mill.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The building, now the Pierpont General Store, was then built and used to house Missouri’s first paper mill.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The distillery proved to be much more profitable, however, and the mill soon reverted to its original pursuit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The building was originally located where Rock Bridge State Park now sits.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In 1889, the venerable old building, now a store and blacksmith shop, was jacked up and moved to its current location.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The new site was named Pierpont, French for “Rock Bridge.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The whole area is noted for its limestone caves.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In fact, the store sits 85 feet above the Pierpont Dome of the Devil’s Icebox cave, located in Rock Bridge State Park, about 1.5 miles north.</div>
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<strong>Columbia</strong><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Founded in 1821, the year Missouri became a state.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are two versions of how the town received its name.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The obvious one, after the patriotic “Columbia, the gem of the ocean,” or “for the queen of the world and the child of the skies.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>More likely, early settlers brought with them the name from Columbia, Kentucky.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Legend has it that it was here that a young Abe Lincoln first courted Mary Todd.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Home to a University, three colleges, and no less than four major hospitals, all within 2 miles of each other.</div>
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<strong>McBaine<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></strong>Founded in 1894, this town was named for Turner McBaine, who owned the town’s site land.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In September 1899, the first locomotive reached Columbia on the MK&T rail line that connected to the Katy in McBaine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Turner McBaine realized the economic potential of this junction point, plotted the town of McBaine and auctioned off lots.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, the railroad saw the location only as a convenient switching station.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The town was largely washed away during floods in 1993 and 1995.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The only major business, Betty’s Bar & Grill, burned to the ground in 2000 after it had been rebuilt after the floods.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now the town is home to only two permanent residents, one of whom lives in an RV, after having two single-wide homes destroyed by floods.</div>
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<strong>Huntsdale<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></strong>Founded in 1892 and named for an early settler, William Bunch Hunt, the town survives after barely winning it’s battle against the Great Flood of 1993.</div>
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<strong>Harrisburg<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></strong>Probably named after the state capitol of Pennsylvania, this small town is the birthplace and family home of list member Steve Ewens.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The family mansion and estate can almost be seen from the highway. ;-)</div>
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<strong>Rocheport</strong><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Founded in 1827, citizens originally wanted to name this town Rock Port, but a French missionary prevailed upon them to keep the traditional French.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Despite its rocky landing, the town was an important shipping point for flatboats, keelboats, and steamboats.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Located on the Missouri River at the mouth of Moniteau Creek, Rocheport grew rapidly as steamboat traffic increased.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In 1849, 57 steamboats made 500 landings at Rocheport.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This river town was called “our capital” by Bloody Bill Anderson and his bushwhackers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span><strong>Boonville. <span style="font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After nearly 10,000 years of Native American occupation, settlement in the Boonville area began unusually early in Missouri. Around 1805 the sons of Daniel Boone (Nathan and Daniel Morgan) began to commercially operate a salt lick in what is now Howard County. Salt being an important pioneer commodity, the operation and its surrounding land attracted the numerous pioneers, including many slave-holding planters from Kentucky, Tennessee and Virginia--hence, the "Boonslick" or "Boone's Lick" region consisting of several central Missouri counties.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Tradition places Boonville's beginnings with Hannah Cole, a Kentucky widow with nine children, who homesteaded in the Boonville area in 1810. Formally platted in 1817, Boonville prospered during the late 1820's with the flooding out of the first boom town in the area, Franklin. Settlers from the South dominated the first several decades, with many German immigrants arriving beginning in the 1830's. River trade and Santa Fe Trail activity were the economic forces early on. The advent of railroads and the confusion resulting from the Civil War (several engagements were fought in and around Boonville) slowed the city's growth and relative economic strength. However, Boonville to this day remains an important local center for transportation, agri-business, retailing, and tourism.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Boonville's wealth of historic architecture is a testament to a unique and fascinating heritage.</span></strong></div>
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<strong><span style="font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"></span></strong><strong>Marion</strong><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Founded in 1823 and named after General Francis Marion, known as the Swamp Fox of South Carolina, a military genius during the Revolutionary War.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>George Washington is the only Revolutionary War hero with more places named after him.</div>
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<strong>Jefferson City </strong><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Originally called Missouriopolis in 1818, it was the first town in the U.S. to be named after Thomas Jefferson.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The current capitol building was built in 1913 after the previous one was destroyed by fire caused by a lightning strike. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jefferson City became the state capitol after the designation was moved from St. Charles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is the only U.S. state capitol not served by an Interstate highway.</div>
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<strong>Loose Creek</strong><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Founded in 1849, the town is named for the creek, called L’Ours Creek by the French, meaning “Bear Creek.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Americans corrupted the name to Loose, a fitting name for a stream that regularly leaves its banks every spring.</div>
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<strong>Bonnots Mill</strong><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This town was originally laid out by Frenchman Felix Bonnot around 1857.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Being on the Osage River and near that stream’s confluence with the Missouri, it became an important outpost in the fur trade for a number of years.</div>
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<strong>Frankenstein</strong><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Certainly one of the most intriguing-sounding town names, it was formed in 1893 and named, not for Shelly’s monster, but for Gottfried Franken, an early settler.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is also a town named Frankenstein in Germany.</div>
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<strong>Chamois </strong><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Settled in 1856, the bluffs overlooking the river reminded settler Morgan Harper of his native Switzerland.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He named the town after the small, goat-like antelope native to the Swiss Alpine region.</div>
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<strong>Morrison</strong><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Founded in 1860, it was named for the owner of a large plantation before the Civil War, Alfred W. Morrison.</div>
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<strong>Gasconade</strong><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Settled in 1823, this town was named for the river, which was named for a region of France famed for its local pride and boastfulness.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It therefore reflects the river’s swaggering, capricious nature, moving from quiet, deep eddies to rocky rapids.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One early state official said, “A Gasconader is one who is a braggart, given to blustering and boastful talk.”</div>
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<strong>Hermann</strong><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Founded in 1836 by the German Settlement Society of Philadelphia, whose members were appalled at the loss of customs and language among their countrymen in America.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This “Second Fatherland” was intended to be a self-supporting refuge.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was set up as a joint-stock company and advertised throughout the U.S. and Germany.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On behalf of the society, one member acquired over eleven thousand acres, bounded by hills and bluffs on three sides and the Missouri River on the north.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The area was teeming with wild grapevines and that, along with the geography, reminded the buyer of the Rhine River region of Germany.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The name Hermann comes from Germany’s national hero, Hermann (Arminius in Latin) who defeated the Roman Legion in 9 A.D.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The town, both then and now, anchors the whole Missouri Valley wine country.</div>
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<strong>Treloar </strong><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One of the “newer” towns in the area, it was founded in 1897 and named after William Treloar, a former teacher at Hardin College in Mexico, Missouri.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was also the first Republican elected to the 9<sup>th</sup> Congressional District.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span><strong>Marthasville</strong><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Founded in 1818, it was named after the wife of one of the town’s founders, Dr. John Young.</div>
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<strong>Dutzow</strong><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Another early German settlement, it was founded by the Berlin Emigration Society in 1832 and named by a wealthy landowner after his estate near the Baltic Sea.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The streets are named for German poets.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span><strong>Augusta</strong><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>First named Mount Pleasant, the name was changed to honor the German founder’s wife.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was founded in 1836 by Leonard Harold, one of Daniel Boone’s followers to St. Charles County and became predominantly settled by German homesteaders.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Until 1872, Augusta was a popular riverboat landing, known as Augusta Bend.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, in that year, flooding caused the Missouri to fill its main channel, which changed its course, cutting Augusta off from the River.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span><strong>Defiance</strong><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Founded in 1893, the name was inspired by some inter-city rivalry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Harvey Matson began to promote the nearby town of Matson to the detriment of this settlement.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This made the local people very angry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One of the citizens named this town as a comment on the local mood.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Early settlers in the Defiance area were of English extraction, from either Virginia or Kentucky.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>James Craig, aware of the significance of the railroad to small towns, led a crusade of volunteers to build a depot and a farm-to-market road.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The town was then named Defiance because it had lured the railroad away from Matson.</div>
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<strong>New Melle</strong><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Founded in 1850, it was named by settlers for a town, Melle, in Germany.</div>
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<strong>Wright City</strong><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Founded in 1858 and named after a state representative and senator, it is called “The Gateway to Country Living.”</div>
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<strong>Troy</strong><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Originally the site of a fort built during the War of 1812, it was renamed by a settler from either Troy, VT or Troy, NY.</div>
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<strong>Clarksville</strong><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Founded in 1819, it was originally named Appletown, due to the large apple orchards nearby.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The area was also known as a haven of rattlesnakes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One party boasted of killing 9,000 rattlers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The snakes are (mostly) gone now and the town was renamed after Governor William Clark, who is said to have camped here one winter.</div>
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<strong>Louisiana</strong><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Founded in 1820, it was named for the daughter of a family who had named her after the Louisiana Purchase.</div>
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<strong>Hannibal</strong><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Founded in 1820, it was named after the African general who fought in a Roman War on Carthage.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How the name got here is a bit of a mystery.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Supposedly, about 1800 a Spaniard, Don Antonio Soulard, gave the names of Hannibal, Scipio, and Fabius to three creeks in the area.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hannibal creek was later renamed Bear Creek, but the town’s name remained.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Known as the birthplace and early home of Samuel Clemons, aka Mark Twain, the town gained international acclaim as the fictional home of two of the most beloved characters in literature, Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn.</div>
</span></span></span><br />Ralph F. Coueyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06434244155358774163noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4688795366176982062.post-59192211023774943832013-06-18T00:32:00.002-04:002014-01-08T17:08:52.305-05:00Favorite Rides: Virginia BywaysCopyright © 2013 by Ralph F. Couey<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Virginia Byways<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">US50, Snickersville Turnpike,<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">VA7, Blue Ridge Mtn. Rd., US17,<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">VA55, Middleburg.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Virginia encases a lot of history, from the first settlements, The Revolution, War of 1812, Civil War, and on into the modern era.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While many sites are well-known and well-marked, others require sojourns off the main routes onto those quaint country lanes that existed, some as Indian trails, for hundreds of years.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">West of the busy ‘burbs of Fairfax and Chantilly is an enjoyable loop that has become one of my favorites, and only partly because it’s so close to home.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Heading west on US 50, the transition from city to country overtakes you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Before you realize it, the forest of newly-built homes and townhouses recedes in the rear view to be replaced by rolling hills, bucolic countryside, and the vast picturesque horse farms that have earned this part of Virginia the descriptor “Hunt Country.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The first checkpoint is the town of Aldie.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Aldie was established in 1765 when the Mercer brothers established a mill.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was a natural location, in a gap between Catoctin Mountain to the north and Bull Run Mountain to the south.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was on the main road between Winchester and Alexandria.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A post office arrived in 1811 and seven years later the Snickersville Turnpike was opened.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the run-up to the Battle of Gettysburg, a series of skirmishes were fought here between Union cavalry and Mosby’s Rangers, screening the move of Rebel forces into Maryland and eventually Pennsylvania.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Snickersville Turnpike, despite its quaint nom de guerre was an important road in its day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In 1810, the Virginia General Assembly caused to be established toll gates on this stretch running from Aldie up to Snicker’s Gap where the road intersects with modern VA7.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The turnpike would continue operation until 1915.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Today, the road is a paved, if narrow roadway that bobs and weaves through forest and farms.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At about the halfway point is Hibbs Bridge, a stone double-arch span that has stood for as long as the road has been there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Locals have campaigned hard to maintain the natural beauty of the area, including resistance to replacing the bridge.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In 2007, VDOT closed the bridge and rebuilt the bridge, using the existing stonework while putting in new mortar.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The bridge is still in use, with an oft-ignored 6-ton weight limit, a tribute to those computer-less engineers who built it so long ago.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">It’s about 21 miles from Aldie to Bluemont (which used to be known as Snickersville), a pleasant ride through beautiful country.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After reaching Bluemont, there is a necessary deviation to be made.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At the north end, there is a road (Clayton Hall Road) that will take you straight north to VA7.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Take that road.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Continuing on the pike will take you to a dangerous hairpin turn.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The hazard is in how the turn is laid out, with the entire curve sloping back to a mess of broken asphalt where the northbound rider must lean in.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Slowing down to make the 180-degree turn puts you at the mercy of gravity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Many riders (this one included) have ended up lying ignominiously in the culvert at the bend’s apex.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is room to swing wider, but that puts you squarely in the gun sights of traffic coming down from VA7.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Take my advice, and take the earlier turnoff.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Turn left onto VA 7 (carefully, for this is a slightly blind curve for westbound traffic) and go just about 50 yards, then turn left on Blue Ridge Mountain Road.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Look sharp because this one will sneak past you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This road heads back to the southwest through beautiful forest land up and over Mount Weather.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yes, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">that</i> Mount Weather.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You’ll pass the facility, bordered by high-security fences, security patrols – and lots of surveillance cameras.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The FEMA complex covers over 400 acres on the surface and about 600,000 square feet below ground.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">When you reach US50, turn left (again, carefully) and head back east.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You’re in Ashby Gap now, a wind gap in the Blue Ridge Mountains.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was a vital transportation point during the Civil War as both Union and Confederate armies tramped through on their way to and from the Shenandoah Valley.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A few miles down, and you enter the village of Middleburg.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This quaint settlement has been around since 1787, although it was important long before as the midpoint of the journey between Alexandria and Winchester.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Red Fox Inn opened its doors in 17287 and is billed as the oldest continuously operated mill in the U.S.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Red Horse Inn bookends the historic district, which includes many wonderful little shops and a number of fine eateries.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s well worth stopping for a while, as the presence of numerous parked motorcycles on the weekends attests.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Locate Route 626 and head south towards The Plains.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This route takes you through more beautiful countryside and the occasional mountain vista to the west.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At The Plains, another town that has been around since about 1727, look for Hopewell Road, which you’ll reach at the edge of town.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Take that road east.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once on it, you’ll swear you’ve made a wrong turn, but stay with it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s a beautiful ride, following a meandering path among fields and farms, lined and defined by those marvelous hand-built stone fencelines.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The road changes names to Waterfall as you pass Jackson Hollow Road.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once you cross the wide intersection of US15, the road becomes Route 234, Sudley Road.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>From here it’s just a few miles until you enter the Manassas Battlefield National Park.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Another worthy stop, as two major battles were fought here in the Civil War.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Your journey, in fact, ends at the visitor’s center just south of the US 29 intersection.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><strong><em>"There stands Jackson like a Stone Wall! </em></strong></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><strong><em>Rally behind the Virginians!"</em></strong></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">This should take you about 2 hours riding time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But if you’re smart, you’ll make plenty of stops and turn this into an afternoon delight.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Ralph F. Coueyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06434244155358774163noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4688795366176982062.post-28812604612170428682013-06-18T00:14:00.001-04:002014-01-08T17:09:23.721-05:00Favorite Rides: Der Weinstrasse<div style="text-align: center;">
Copyright © 2013 by Ralph F. Couey</div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">The Weinstrasse<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Jefferson City, MO – St. Charles, MO<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">140 miles, mainly US 50, Routes 100 and 94<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">When the words “Missouri Wine Country” are spoken, most people react with a blank stare, and if they’re from Napa, California, outright derision.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But as John Adams once remarked, “Facts are stubborn things.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And the facts are these.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">German settlers arrived in the area around 1801.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The soil was rich, but the abundant hills in the area made agriculture difficult, but proved to ideal for viticulture.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The first commercial grapes were grown prior to 1850.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Napa got its start about 10 years later.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Up till Prohibition, Missouri was actually the second largest wine producer in the United States.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When the 21<sup>st</sup> Amendment was ratified, the vintner industry throughout the U.S. was pretty much destroyed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It wasn’t until the 1960s that the industry began to rebuild itself.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">The Federal Government, recognizing the rebirth and vibrancy of American vintners, in 1983 began to establish American Viticultural Areas.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The first one was in Missouri, not California.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Start this trek in Missouri’s capital city, Jefferson City, the only American capitol city not on an interstate highway.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Head east on US 50 for just under 15 miles to the town of Loose Creek.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There you take a left on County Route A.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">The next 6.5 miles is sheer motorcycle joy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Route A has several deeply-dished right-angle turns, most of which have excellent visibility all the way through.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hazards here include critters and farm vehicles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Route A ends as you coast down a steep hill into Bonnots Mill.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s a quiet town, somewhat quaint, lying along the Osage River, which parallels the Missouri River just before joining the Big Muddy just east of town.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you want a meal (and it’s after 3:00 p.m.) Johnny Mac’s Bar and Grill fills the bill.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Known for their barbecue, the rest of the menu, while unremarkable, is all good, tasty stuff.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you just need a cool drink, there’s a grocery store with a large and inviting veranda owned by some of the friendliest people you’ll ever meet.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Climb the steep hill out of Bonnots Mill and turn left on County Route C.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This road is just as squiggly as Route A, but unfortunately the visibility is more restricted through those turns.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And the road is on a ridge with no shoulders and steep drop-offs on either side, so close attention to navigation is highly recommended.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>8 miles along, you pass through a small 30-souls town called Frankenstein.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Despite its prepossessing name, the town is not named after Bram Stoker’s monster, but rather a wealthy German, Gottfried Franken, who donated land to build a church.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is still a rather large Catholic parish here.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Three miles further on, you leave Route C at Luystown and pick up State Route 100 with a left turn.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As you pull away from the river, the steep hills give way to rolling countryside, dotted with farms and the occasional abandoned mansion.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After 9 miles, the hills go away and you’re on dead flat land alongside the Missouri River.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Route 100 also goes straight here, with only a could hard curves to deal with.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The urge to open ‘er up here is nigh irresistible, but know that the local constabulary takes a dim view of motorcyclists who speed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You pass through several small towns – Chamois (pronounced Sha-moy), Morrison, and Gasconade before the road starts to climb again, weaving gently between picturesque hills and farms. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Fencelines are right along the road, so you will find yourself being eyed by various species of four-legged beasts as you roar by.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Shortly, you’ll enter the town of Hermann.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">The downtown area has a number of restaurants and shops that may interest you, but the big draw are the wineries.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are several nearby, Hermannhof, Oak Glen, and Adam Puchta, but my favorite is Stone Hill.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It sits perched on nearly the highest point in town, and is a great place to break from the road.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here, you can take a winery tour, sample the local wines, eat a good meal, and relax under the shade of a tree while you drink and take in the view.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">In town, there are 23 restaurants (if you count Hardee’s and Subway) of mainly German cuisine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My personal favorite is Montague’s Barbecue, and not just because it rhymes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The food is good, the service great, and they love motorcyclists.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you are in town in March, you need to attend the Wurst Fest.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is a sausage competition, and you get to wind your way through two large buildings and sample dozens of different kind of sausages, and buy the ones you like.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They used to have an Oktoberfest, but it was canceled, or at least de-emphasized after several ugly incidents involving drunk visitors and the local gendarmes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">You leave Hermann by crossing the Missouri River on State Route 19 over a modern concrete and steel reinforced bridge which replaced the ancient narrow bridge that flexed mightily whenever the Big Rigs came across.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Two miles along, turn right onto State Route 94.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Missouri 94 is known as The Weinstrasse, or the Wine Road.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s here that you enter the designated AVA.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The road winds along the banks of the Missouri while many wineries perch on the bluffs above.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Marthasville, Dutzow, Augusta, and Matson mark this route.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s a pretty ride, and the many opportunities to stop along the way make it an entertaining one as well.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">About 70 miles along this road, you’ll arrive in St. Charles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Route 94 continues on to the Illinois line, but this makes a good stopping point.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">St. Charles was founded in 1765, making it the oldest settlement west of the Mississippi.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was initially a stop for the fur trade, but grew in economic importance, due to its proximity to the River.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lewis and Clark stopped here in 1804, calling it “the last civilized stop.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As the area was shifted between Spain and France, it was known alternately as San Carlos and Saint Charles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When Missouri became a state in 1821, St. Charles was its first capital city, a distinction it held until 1826 when the permanent capital was built in Jefferson City.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Today, the history is preserved in a district that stretches for 10 blocks (about three-quarters miles) along Main Street.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s filled with restaurants, shops, museums, all well worth a visit.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Twisties, hills, wine, and history.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not a bad way to spend a day. Or an entire weekend.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Ralph F. Coueyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06434244155358774163noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4688795366176982062.post-4093815607028565552013-06-17T23:38:00.001-04:002014-01-08T17:09:41.663-05:00Favorite Rides: Arizona Mountains and Canyons<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Copyright © 2013 by Ralph F. Couey</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Arizona Mountains and Canyons<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Route 89/89A<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Start: Congress, AZ<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">End: Flagstaff, AZ<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Miles: 130<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">People who think of Arizona as being the exclusive home to sandy desert are woefully uninformed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This route, first ridden by me on a 5000-mile sojourn through the Southwest, starts in the desert northwest of Phoenix.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The first challenge is a collection of twisties known locally as the Yarnell Hill.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Unfortunately, riders aren’t the only ones who know about this.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Law enforcement, undoubtedly drawn by the high number of motorcycle accidents, patrol this stretch heavily.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s still twisty enough, however, to have fun at the legal limit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The road flattens and straightens until just past Wilhoit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You begin to ascend, bending and twisting as you go.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Things get interesting as you cross Copper Creek.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The turns get tighter as you get into the mountains.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then things ease off as you coast into Prescott (pronounced “Prescutt”).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Continuing north, you take Route 89A as it splits off towards the east.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After a few miles of flat desert, you begin to ascend again towards Jerome.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The road, following the mountains, begins to twist and coil again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This gets a bit hairy, since there are places where guardrails should be, but aren’t. Shoulders are narrow, if they exist at all, and prone to patches of gravel and chunks of rock.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">You enter the historic mining town of Jerome on Clark Street, which narrows down considerably.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The street descends into the downtown area via a number of tight hairpins.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This area is reminiscent of San Francisco’s Lombard Street.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The town is interesting and worth a short visit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Leaving Jerome, the road gives you one more good switchback before straightening out as you descend into Cottonwood.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After some more time in the desert, you glide into Sedona, the jewel of Arizona.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dramatic buttes jut into the skyline going into town.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is a tourist area, so watch for traffic not watching you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sedona is filled with art galleries and energy vortices (no, I don’t know what they are) and is an interesting and entertaining place to spend some time.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">North of Sedona, you enter a mountain and valley area, which eases you into probably the most beautiful areas of Arizona, Oak Creek Canyon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The road is initially pretty straight, but then begins to twist, including this intriguing stretch…</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Once you leave the canyon, you knife through an area of pine forests, the aroma freshly invigorating.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Your journey ends in the mountain town of Flagstaff.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One additional treat, though.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As you run out of Route 89A, you bisect a signed segment of historic Route 66, which goes through town above I-40.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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This is going to be a good three-hour ride, but when it's all said and done, you'll feel like Lightning McQeen.Ralph F. Coueyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06434244155358774163noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4688795366176982062.post-27712692542348502952012-12-11T16:36:00.000-05:002014-01-08T17:10:00.654-05:00Stealing a Day of Riding from December<br />
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Copyright © 2012 by Ralph Couey</div>
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Tuesday is one of my regular days off, one I try to reserve
for chores, appointments, and riding, weather permitting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Today was chilly (mid-40s), but sunny so I
decided to take the bike out for a spin.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I plotted an 80-mile course on some roads I hadn’t been on yet, which
according to Google Maps should take about three hours.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yes, it is the second week of December, but
as long as it was above freezing and not snowing, that’s a reasonably good
motorcycle day.</div>
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In deference to the chill, I dressed carefully, starting
with a base layer then jeans and sweatshirt, a pair of heavy sweatpants over
the jeans, then my jacket with all the liners in and chaps.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Under the helmet I donned a balaclava.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The final addition was a pair of heavy lined leather
gloves.</div>
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Even with all those layers, it didn’t take long for the cold
to penetrate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Still, the sun felt
warm.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I went west on US50 to <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Aldie</st1:city>, <st1:state w:st="on">VA</st1:state></st1:place>
where I picked up the Snickersville Turnpike.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span> </div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>This historic route was the first toll road in the <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">United States</st1:place></st1:country-region>,
opening in 1786.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was part of a longer
route that connected <st1:city w:st="on">Alexandria</st1:city>, <st1:state w:st="on">VA</st1:state> with <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Winchester</st1:place></st1:city>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The section between Aldie and Bluemont
(originally Snickersville) is 15 miles of narrow, windy blacktop that passes
through both rural farms (all carrying sophisticated names) and dense <st1:state w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Virginia</st1:place></st1:state> forest.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At one point it crosses <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Hibbs</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Bridge</st1:placetype></st1:place>,
a short 180-year-old arched span of stone and mortar that roofs Beaverdam
Creek.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The road terminates at Virginia
Route 7, which continues on to <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Winchester</st1:place></st1:city>.</div>
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I took my time, as I always do on new roads.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Traffic was pretty much nonexistent, which
was good because the scenery was eye-catching.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This is part of what is called “Hunt Country, home to large farm estates
owned by wealthy families, some of whom have been on the land for two
centuries.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is here in the fall when
fox hunts are organized and attended by those on magnificent horses, wearing
the traditional red coats, cream pants, and tall boots.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Tradition is a vital part of this part of <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:state w:st="on">Virginia</st1:state></st1:place>, and the road
is lined by those incredible stone fences, the design of which date back to the
very beginnings of settlements.</div>
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I got steadily colder the further I rode, my fingers
beginning that familiar ache.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I stopped
once or twice and put my bare digits into the engine space where the heat
restored some feeling to them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Still, it
was a pleasant ride, very calming.</div>
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Then, just before reaching the northern terminus at Virginia
Route 7, the road, without a single warning sign, snapped into a 180-degree
switchback.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Approaching the turn, I
became puzzled.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The turn was masked by
the dense trees, and ahead of me looked like a cul-de-sac of some kind.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At the last moment, I saw the turn and leaned
into it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Unfortunately, my slow speed
combined with a sizeable dip right at the curve’s apex sprang a trap.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It happened quickly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One moment I was on the bike, the next moment
I was sprawled in the mud.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I quickly
yanked my leg out from under the now-supine motorcycle and stood up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My heart was pounding and I took a deep
breath and took the most important inventory.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>To my relief, the only damage I seem to have suffered was an ankle that
had been slightly wrenched when the right side foot board folded up under the falling
bike.</div>
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A lady was nearby, walking her dog and asked if I was
okay.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She then told me that this was a
common sight on that particular bend.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Many motorcycles made the same mistake I had and ended up on the ground.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>I stood there, feeling a bit stupid.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My motorcycle looked decidedly odd lying
there on its side.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Fortunately, the
ignition cutout designed to do its thing when the bike lean angle exceeded 90
degrees, had cut off the engine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I tried
to lift it up, but I was pushing against the hillside and couldn’t quite stand
it up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The lady tied her dog to a tree
and came over to help.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With me pushing
and her pulling on the crash bar, the bike went up easily.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I thanked her profusely and she went on her
way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>I got the bike out of the pit of the turn and rode it to the
opposite side, where the asphalt was a bit more level.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I listened carefully to the engine as it
idled.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It seemed alright.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I took a careful walk-around.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There were small scrapes on the port crash bar
and the very tips of the exhaust, but nothing else seemed to be wrong.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I mounted up and continued on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>Turning on to Route 7, I was still listening with great care
to the engine, so I missed my turn onto <st1:street w:st="on"><st1:address w:st="on">Blue Ridge Mountain Road</st1:address></st1:street>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A quick U-Turn remedied the error, and I
proceeded south.</div>
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This 11-mile road, also new to me, connects Route 7 with US
50 as it passes through Ashby Gap.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It
climbs steadily up the side of a mountain, called <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placetype w:st="on">Mt.</st1:placetype> <st1:placename w:st="on">Weather</st1:placename></st1:place>,
and then back down the other side. At the mid-point, I passed the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placetype w:st="on">Mt.</st1:placetype> <st1:placename w:st="on">Weather</st1:placename>
<st1:placename w:st="on">Emergency</st1:placename> <st1:placename w:st="on">Operations</st1:placename>
<st1:placetype w:st="on">Center</st1:placetype></st1:place>, run by FEMA.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At least that’s what the sign says.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are a load of conspiracy theories about
exactly who owns the place and what goes on there, but as far as I was
concerned, it was just another set of buildings in the middle of the woods.</div>
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The route is almost entirely forested, which if you’re like
me, makes for a beautiful ride, even in early December.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With the leaves down, I could see several
huge homes hunkered down among the trees.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This had to be spectacular during the fall.</div>
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By the time I got to US50, I was fairly chilled and my ankle
was starting to ache.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My original intent
was to head south from Middleburg to The Plains and explore some back roads
between there and <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Manassas</st1:place></st1:city>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But, all things considered, I had been out 90
minutes my that time, so I stayed on 50 and headed home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Pulling into the garage was a relief, but
before heading inside, I did another close inspection of the motorcycle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Other than the scrapes previously noted, there
didn’t seem to be any other damage.</div>
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I’m going to do this route again, but not until I get a
warmer day.</div>
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And this time, I’ll be ready for the Snickersville Hairpin.</div>
Ralph F. Coueyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06434244155358774163noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4688795366176982062.post-77265490509020970032012-12-04T20:22:00.001-05:002014-01-08T17:10:16.727-05:00Using Stats Like a Gumby Doll<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
On a New Hampshire Jaunt.</div>
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Copyright © 2012 by Ralph Couey<o:p> </o:p></div>
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For reasons that still astound me, the admission that I ride a motorcycle nearly always sparks the same response.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The other person dives into a terrible and tragic story of someone they knew who was seriously injured or killed in a motorcycle accident.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I get that there may be an on-going macabre fascination with violent death.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But there are, at last accounting, 10.4 million motorcycles in the <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">United States</st1:place></st1:country-region>, a number that increased 58 percent since 1998.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Statistics show that the average rider is a responsible adult who rides straight and sober, has insurance, and rides responsibly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yes, I know about the squids.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Despite their high visibility however, riders who actually engage in riding stupid are well in the minority.</div>
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But that doesn’t stop people from taking pot shots.</div>
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Fox News Latino published on November 28, an article which reported on a Government Accountability Office (GAO) study that tallied up the costs of death and injuries from motorcycle accidents.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Deftly weaving numbers in and through what was a thinly-veiled hit piece on the motorcycling community, the fair and balanced journalists (who went nameless in the byline) painted a grim picture.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>82,000 injuries.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>4,502 deaths.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>$16.2 billion in direct costs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>The tone and tenor of the writing implicated the motorcyclists themselves as being the sole cause of the entire tragedy.</div>
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But in this journalistic dance, the authors completely side-stepped what continues to be the most important source of motorcycle accidents.</div>
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Other drivers.</div>
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I looked through reports authored by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the Insurance Institute of America, and some state-centric statistical studies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They all point the finger at the operators of cars, trucks, busses, even riding lawn mowers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Numbers vary from report to report, but between 66% and 75% of all motorcycle accidents are caused by vehicle operators who either failed to yield the right of way (turning left across the bike’s path, pulling out of parking lots and driveways), or who blew by traffic control signals (stop signs and traffic lights) bursting into intersections.</div>
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This is not news to anyone who rides.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Every day of our commute, or joyriding in the country contains at least one, if not more tales of motorcyclists narrowly avoiding disaster.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The problem has gotten worse in recent years, due to the explosion of cell phones.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>People who used to focus solely on the road now find their attentions divided by talking, texting, checking email, or any of the plethora of tasks now performed by even budget-priced cell phones.</div>
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The article went on to preach about helmet laws, which I suspect was the real reason for this production.</div>
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Just so you know, I’ve been riding for over 20 years and I’ve always worn a helmet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That is my choice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I respect the rights of others to not wear a helmet, even though I know that they’d be safer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The old arguments that the weight of a helmet would make cervical injuries more likely were blown up last year when Johns Hopkins published a study which proved that modern helmets with their lighter and stronger materials actually prevent broken necks.</div>
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Besides, no helmet ever made is going to protect you at 60 miles per hour when T-boning the bonehead who pulls out from the country lane without looking.</div>
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But there are those among us who insist on being our mothers forever.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Oddly, they same demographic that supports Pro Choice in women’s issues is Anti-Choice where helmet laws are concerned.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some other day we’ll talk about how abortion has killed almost 40 million African-Americans since Roe v. Wade.</div>
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As far as costs are concerned, $16 billion dollars is a chunk of change.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What the article didn’t point out was that nearly all of that was covered by insurance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What is also being ignored continually is that 2 million times a year people show up at emergency rooms across the country suffering from “unintended drug overdoses.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The direct cost associated with the treatment of those patients is $193 billion per year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span> </div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>And how many stoners do you think have health insurance?</div>
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There are risks to life inherent in living.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As Al Pacino once said, “You can get killed walkin’ your doggie!” <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But hand-wringing never changed a dad-blamed thing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If people are seriously interested in reducing the incidence of motorcycle death on the streets and highways, do two things:</div>
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1. Hang up the phone.</div>
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2. Pay attention.</div>
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After all, whether on two wheels or four, we’re all travelers just trying to get home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
Ralph F. Coueyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06434244155358774163noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4688795366176982062.post-78235173049731027152012-11-16T00:41:00.000-05:002014-01-08T17:10:42.298-05:00Riding into the Sunset<div id=":bm">
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Copyright © 2012 by Ralph Couey</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">The experience of life can best be summedup as a series of beginnings, middles, and endings.As the years pile up, what changes is that endings begin to outnumber beginnings.Some things are given up simply because we get bored and move on.Others fall by the wayside due to other demands upon our time.This is natural.Time is always in motion; things and people are always changing.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">B</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">ut there are those things we give up because…well, we just can’t do them anymore. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Softball was once my second religion.It was how I spent just about every summer.I can still recall the rising sense of excitement as I walked through the humid Missouri evenings toward the complex of diamonds already lit.I was never a star, but I played hard.The competition was tough and I loved every minute.But as I got older, I grew weaker and slower.Frozen ropes that once leapt off my bat became dying quails.I knew the end was coming, but it wasn’t until I suffered the humiliation of being thrown out at first base by the left fielder that I finally accepted inevitable and hung up my cleats for good.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">But there are still times when I can pick up my glove, slip it on, and wait for the aroma of leather, sweat, dirt, and chalk to fill my senses and bring the inevitable flood of memories.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">It was in my late 30’s that I discovered motorcycles.In the 20 years since, riding has been my source of joy, freedom, and soul-satisfying inspiration.Although primarily a commuting tool, I’ve done a lot of miles through countless countrysides, mountains, prairies, plains, deserts, and coastlines ranging from 2-hour Sunday jaunts to a 9-day 5,000 mile sojourn through the southwest.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">I would tell you that I’m in the middle of this particular activity, but I have to be honest and admit that I can see just over the horizon the sorrowful day when age will force me to lay this aside as well.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">I want to make one more long trip while I still can.But a few things will have to happen first.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">I have to get a more capable bike.My current ride, a Kawasaki Vulcan 900LT is a great bike for commuting and day excursions.But a lack of luggage capacity and a seat that has all the comfort of a concrete block disqualify this motorcycle for a cross-country tour.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">I like the Honda Goldwing, partly because it’s a Honda and therefore will run forever. Mainly though, it’s a known quantity.A few years ago, we rented one and did New England for 6 days.Though relatively gigantic, it wasa dream to handle and possessed a perfectly comfortable place to park a tushie for 9 or 10 hours per day.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">The passage of many hours contemplating road atlases and gazetteers has resulted in three possible trips.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">One of them involves riding up to Glacier National Park on the Canadian border and then riding the continental divide all the way to Douglass, Arizona before turning for home.Another possibility would be to circle all five of the Great Lakes.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">But the one that intrigues me the most involves crossing the continent on US Highway 50.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">50 starts near Washington DC and actually passes less than 2 miles north of our home in Northern Virginia.Going west, it zigs through the Appalachian Mountains of West Virginia, then across the eternal prairies of Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois before entering Missouri at St. Louis.It traverses the Show Me State through the crenelated hills that mark the northern boundary of the Ozarks.After passing through the southern side of Kansas City, it debouches onto the billiard table that is Kansas and eastern Colorado.It soars into the Colorado Rockies and crosses the lunar scape of Utah. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Once it reaches Nevada, it acquires an identity, the lonliest road in North America.In earlier days, motorists were cautioned against taking this route unless they possessed good survival skills.While not as empty as it was back then, it’s still a daunting journey.Starting at Delta near the western Utah border, it lays like a ribbon through 462 miles of prehistoric desert.There are only five places to get supplies, Ely, Eureka, Austin, Fallon, before ending in Carson City.This kind of isolated pavement calls to me in a way hard to comprehend, let along explain.It’s a challenge, not like the Dragon, but in its own lonely way.The rider needs to know that out there traffic is a rare and beautiful thing, as are cell towers.If you have a breakdown, or are foolish enough to run out of gas, rest assured you’re going to be there for a while.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">The road loops around the south shore of glittering Lake Tahoe and crosses into California, crossing the high desert before terminating at the junction with I-80 in West Sacramento.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">After that it’s an easy coast to San Francisco and a short jaunt up the Pacific Coast Highway to see the giant Redwoods.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">The trip back involves a quicker, if less soulful trek across I-80 and I-70 back home.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">The round trip, according to Google Maps, is just under 6,200 miles.Keeping to my self-imposed limit of 400 miles per day (give or take), that’s a good 15 or 16 days on the road.Spacing a few rest days in there (a hard-won lesson from previous trips) takes the trip out to almost three weeks. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">That’s a long time in the saddle.And away from work.It’s likely that I’ll be thinking fondly of the relative comfort of my SUV after this trip is done.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">But maybe that’s the point.If I have to give up this joy, it’s important that I can face that moment of decision without an ounce of regret.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">And that, as I have learned, should be the goal at the end of my journey.</span></div>
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Ralph F. Coueyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06434244155358774163noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4688795366176982062.post-13830098487307530672012-08-28T19:25:00.004-04:002016-09-12T09:57:55.231-04:00Skyline Drive and the Perfect Day<div style="text-align: center;">
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The delicate palette of an evening's colors cloak the Shenandoah.</div>
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Copyright 2012 © by Ralph Couey<o:p> </o:p></div>
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A perfect day is hard to come by.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>For one to happen, you really need three things to synch up.<br />
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First, it has to be a day off.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>Yes, we can have rewarding days at work. But perfect?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>Secondly, it has to be a day on which you have nothing scheduled, nor any errands to run, and an empty honey-do list.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>Thirdly, it has to be a perfect weather day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>Partly cloudy is great, but nothing’s better than that clear blue dome above.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>Oh yes, and the temperature has to be right.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>Not too hot, not too cold, like baby bear, just right.<br />
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During the last week of June, I had one of those days, a Tuesday.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>It was a day off, with my somewhat unusual work schedule, my “weekend” runs from Sunday morning through about Wednesday noon, when the walls of work once again enfold me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>The weather couldn’t have been any better if I had special ordered it on Amazon.com.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The sky was clear of anything resembling a cloud, and the temperatures were forecasted to be in the low 70’s, a rare day indeed for <st1:place w:st="on">Northern Virginia</st1:place> in late June.<br />
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I had but one mark on my calendar, a short appointment that was done by mid-morning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>My honey-do list was clear for the first time since we moved into our new home in April.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>With the appointment done, I gleefully headed home, geared up, climbed aboard my motorcycle, and headed west.<br />
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Still new to this part of the country, I’m in the process of finding out where all the good roads are.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This day, with all its beauty and freedom, was written for the <st1:place w:st="on">Blue Ridge</st1:place>.<br />
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Leaving Chantilly, I headed west on VA 234, <st1:street w:st="on"><st1:address w:st="on">Sudley Road</st1:address></st1:street>, which assumes a number of identities as it meanders through the <st1:state w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Virginia</st1:place></st1:state> countryside.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>After crossing <st1:country -region="-region" w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">US</st1:place></st1:country> 15 at Woolsey, it becomes <st1:street w:st="on"><st1:address w:st="on">Waterfall Road</st1:address></st1:street>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>The path is mixed open and forest at first, but once on the Waterfall segment, it becomes mostly forest.<br />
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I have a real affection for trees.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>I’m not a “tree hugger” per se, I just appreciate their majestic beauty.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>The forests in this part of the state can be dense enough to bar passage to all but the smallest critters, but on this stretch, the undergrowth is mostly ferns and short grasses.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>The high crown of leaves and branches cools the air and softens the colors underneath.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>It is the kind of place where I feel peace emanating from the very land itself.<br />
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Passing through <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Hopewell</st1:place></st1:city>, the road takes on the name of that small burg.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here, the terrain begins to roll a bit as we get closer to the mountains.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>At The Plains I jump on VA 55, the <st1:street w:st="on"><st1:address w:st="on">John Marshall Highway</st1:address></st1:street>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>Then, crossing I-66 just north of <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Morgantown</st1:place></st1:city>, I switch over to <st1:street w:st="on"><st1:address w:st="on">Crest Hill Road</st1:address></st1:street>and head southwest.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>At Flint Hill, I take a short jaunt on US 522 before hooking up with US 211.<br />
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I’ve ridden the Dragon, US 129 through Deal’s Gap in the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Smoky</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Mountains</st1:placetype></st1:place>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>Those 319 curves in that tightly-packed 11 miles do present a real challenge to a street rider, even one who’s knocked back over a quarter-million miles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>But the stretch of US 211 from Sperryville up to the entrance to <st1:street w:st="on"><st1:address w:st="on">Skyline Drive</st1:address></st1:street> is pretty close.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>The biggest difference is that the Dragon doesn’t change much in altitude.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>211, however, climbs at first steadily, then precipitately up to the <st1:place w:st="on">Blue Ridge</st1:place>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>The last 4 miles or so are alternately terrifying and exhilarating.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>This is a collection of hairpins and switchbacks, thankfully 2-lanes wide on the uphill portion.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>It’s tempting to get unwound here, but the visibility through the turns is limited and there is an abundance of wildlife about in the dense woodlands that march right up to the road’s edge.<br />
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Suddenly, you round a curve and find yourself at the turnoff for the entrance to <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Shenandoah</st1:placename><st1:placetype w:st="on">National Park</st1:placetype></st1:place>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>The road is actually about 105 miles in length, running from Front Royal in the north down to Rockfish Gap near <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Waynesboro</st1:place></st1:city>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>There, the road changes names to the <st1:street w:st="on"><st1:address w:st="on">Blue Ridge Parkway</st1:address></st1:street>.<br />
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About 1 billion years ago, magma forced its way upwards, building what would eventually become the <st1:place w:st="on">Appalachian Mountains</st1:place>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>Fast forward to about 8 or 9,000 years ago, the first human presence, in the form of Native Americans came into the area, on a seasonal basis to harvest nuts and berries and locate stone for tools.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>European explorers entered the mountains only 300 years ago in the form of hunters and trappers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>They were followed by settlers who built rough cabins among the hollows and springs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>Some of those structures can be found still standing in the Park’s back country.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>People came to the area in increasing numbers, drawn by the impressive beauty of the area.<br />
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In 1925, the <st1:placename w:st="on">Shenandoah</st1:placename><st1:placetype w:st="on">National Park</st1:placetype> was authorized by the government, but it wasn’t until 1935 that <st1:place w:st="on">Roosevelt</st1:place>’s Army of CCC workers developed the core of the Park’s structures.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>But development has been tightly controlled.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>Almost half of the Park’s acreage is designated protected forest land.<br />
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Skyline Drive is the <st1:street w:st="on"><st1:address w:st="on">Main Street</st1:address></st1:street> of the Park, running along the spine of the <st1:place w:st="on">Blue Ridge</st1:place>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>This affords the visitor to experience breathtaking views both east and west.<br />
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The ride up US 211 is a thrill, as I push the bike deep into the curves that slither up the east side of the ridge.<br />
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At the Thornton Gap entrance station, I’m greeted with sincere joy by a Ranger who knows she has the greatest job in the greatest place in the world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>She collects my entrance fee, ($15 for cars, $10 for motorcycles), explaining that it’s good for seven days.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>She also warns that the speed limit is rigidly enforced.<br />
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Once through the station, I turn right and enter the roadway.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>Yes, the speed limit is only 35 mph, but I have to tell you, there’s no real need to go any faster.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>You’d miss too much.<br />
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Since I have most of the day still in front of me, I take my time, stopping at many of the overlooks as I meander northwards.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>The forest is dream-like and from within, the orchestra of birdsong serenades the visitor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The roadway is lined, not by aluminum guard rails, but fence lines made of native stone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>They frame the road and the experience in a way that just fits the surroundings.<br />
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The road is heavily forested, but every few tenths of a mile are wide pullouts that give the visitor a stunning view of the surrounding area.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>Since the road straddles the ridge, you get equal share between the view towards <st1:state w:st="on">Washington</st1:state>to the east, and the beauty of the <st1:place w:st="on">Shenandoah Valley</st1:place>to the west.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>As I ride along, the scenery flows by, seemingly too beautiful to not be the painting of a master artist.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>Here and there, deer stand alongside the road, looking up from their grazing as you glide by.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>As a rider, I have had a love-hate relationship with these particular mammals, given their predilection to leap into the roadway in front of approaching vehicles, sometimes resulting in collisions that usually have grim consequences.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>But today, we’re on the same side.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>I admire their graceful beauty and those large dark eyes as their presence brings life to the landscape.<br />
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You can get lost up here. Not in the navigation, but in the way that the beauty of the mountains takes possession of the soul.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>Life, with all its frustrations and complexities, goes away for awhile and is replaced by the peace that is upon the land.<br />
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Life has to go on though, and upon reaching the northern end of <st1:street w:st="on"><st1:address w:st="on">Skyline Drive</st1:address></st1:street>at Front Royal, it is with regret that I leave this piece of heaven and head eastward to home, to work, to life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>As I head back, I find a yearning within to return on another day.<br />
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And I promise myself; there will be another day.</div>
Ralph F. Coueyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06434244155358774163noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4688795366176982062.post-46562631582501839652012-08-26T00:18:00.000-04:002014-01-08T17:11:37.048-05:00Paradigm Shifts in Personal Transportation<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Delivery, Korean style</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Copyright 2012 © by Ralph F. Couey</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">This summer has seemed interminable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Record-breaking heat, coupled with some violent storms and drought that hasn’t been seen since the Dust Bowl days of the thirties.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The weather has dealt a direct blow to an already-creaky economy, driving up utility usage, damaging infrastructure, and with a slim harvest approaching, food prices will likely spike and stay high through the winter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">F</span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">or a while, gas prices were headed in the right direction.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But in the last few weeks, the gains have been lost to an uncertain supply situation in a market where fuel usage continues to rise.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">For motorcyclists, this has been a dangerous season.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most states are reporting increases in crash-related injuries and fatalities.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In addition, there have been many accidents that involved the motorcycle simply driving off the road for unknown reasons in broad daylight.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You have to wonder if extended exposure to the triple-digit heat and high humidity is not taking a hidden toll.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">But the increases in crashes has been readily apparent to anyone who has followed the news.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For a few years I carried an updated post on my motorcycle blog, Soul of a Motorcyclist, in which I posted brief summaries of motorcycle accidents culled from the news courtesy of Google news alerts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Normally, updating the blog involved an hour or so a couple times per week, but this summer the accidents were coming so quick and fast that I finally abandoned the task.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">A large majority of the accidents involved the rider being the victim of a failure to yield by a car or truck driver.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The second-most often cause involved riders losing control of the bike for various reasons.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But drunk riders really made the news this summer, in crashes that more often than not involved very high speeds.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">The DUI and DWI accidents are worrisome.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But what the increase in failure to yield accidents highlight a continuing trend of drivers looking, but not seeing, approaching motorcycles before turning left, or pulling into intersections.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One expects these kind of incidents to surge early in the riding season when bikes are re-emerging from hibernation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But by this time of the year, they are far from being a rare sight on the road.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If there is any comfort in this, it’s that courts are finally acting against such drivers, charging them with felony counts of vehicular manslaughter, among other charges.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">The economy is in for an extended rough ride and as gas prices continue to surge, people are going to turn to motorcycles and scooters as a way of ameliorating the impact of $4- per-gallon-plus gas prices.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That means with each succeeding season, the number of bikes on the road will increase.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">There was a time when scooters were limited to displacement sizes under 250cc.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That meant relegating them to the light duty of city streets.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But the big four of Japanese bike makers (Honda, Suzuki, Kawasaki, Yamaha) all offer scooters in engine sizes from 500 to 700cc, making them powerful enough to tackle the interstates.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Recently, BMW announced a new 650cc scooter for their Euro market, but I can’t believe that we won’t see the blue-and-white roundel around here before too long.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They’re a good choice, especially if one’s commute involves time on a freeway stopping and when going, creeping along at less than 15 mph.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On a few really hot days, I was caught in construction-related slowdowns on 100-degree days, and was forced to pull off in order to let the overheated clutch shed some degrees.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Scooters all have what passes for automatic transmissions, which makes the navigation of heavy traffic a good deal easier, both for the bike and the rider.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some men will resist the scooter at first, but the siren sound of 50-60 miles per gallon is likely to look pretty hairy-chested when gas prices top $5.00 per gallon.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">This means that drivers will have to learn to be more observant of their two-wheeled kin, or risk going to jail or prison for a very long time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">I doubt very much that America will ever resemble most Asian countries where two-wheeled conveyances outnumber the four-wheeled vehicles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But as gas continues to climb, and consumers seek relief of any kind from the penalty of the pump, we’re going to see many more motorcycles and scooters on our streets and highways.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Hopefully, driver awareness will increase as well.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Ralph F. Coueyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06434244155358774163noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4688795366176982062.post-3366625736749859742012-06-30T11:16:00.002-04:002014-01-08T17:11:51.913-05:00Requiem for a Sojourner<div align="center">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyRLlEyuSzcIxqo8axA4hA5iasoM4MNUcGzSdnBkVqwoS4CMOXKJ5JqE8_3FaTsZ4I8xHKplBdJ4tMhAFG0CLKRd5NZaxE3C_lrpmCQNEChXFLUpGk7W5_anxTOYN_VYUKZhHf8TAs8-za/s1600/PHO-10Sep02-248997.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyRLlEyuSzcIxqo8axA4hA5iasoM4MNUcGzSdnBkVqwoS4CMOXKJ5JqE8_3FaTsZ4I8xHKplBdJ4tMhAFG0CLKRd5NZaxE3C_lrpmCQNEChXFLUpGk7W5_anxTOYN_VYUKZhHf8TAs8-za/s320/PHO-10Sep02-248997.jpg" height="214" width="320" /></a></div>
Picture credit: Washington Post<br />
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Copyright © 2012 by Ralph F. Couey, written content only</div>
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<strong><em><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Requiem enim Peregrinus</span></em></strong></div>
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<strong><em><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: large;">Requiem for a Sojourner</span></em></strong></div>
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Life on this earth is an existence bound by the limits of time and space. Every journey has a beginning and an end, as does life itself.<br />
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Today you left home on your motorcycle. And somewhere out on the road, your journey of life came to an end.<br />
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To a rider, a motorcycle is not just a machine. It is the ticket to adventure; a way of leaving the mundane and passing through the musty wardrobe into a world where the possibilities are as limitless as the universe that surrounds us. It was in that moment when you felt most alive that death took you away. <br />
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We who knew you, who loved you, who shared the joy of your life now feel an empty ache, one that will never completely heal. But in the midst of our sorrows, we take comfort that your last moments were ones imbued with that singular joy of a motorcyclist facing an endless horizon. We will think of you when we are on the road. We will think of you when we feel the urge to ride towards that horizon seeking places we’ve never been, things we’ve never seen, experiences we’ve never had. <br />
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When the horizon calls to us, it will be your voice that we hear.<br />
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You now travel a road without limits on a journey of indescribable beauty. You have nowhere to be and all the time in the world to get there. Joy trails in your wake. Peace lies ahead. The sun is warm, the day is perfect, the road is wide open. <br />
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Ride on, Brother;<br />
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Ride on.Ralph F. Coueyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06434244155358774163noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4688795366176982062.post-91013237418029234502012-06-21T02:03:00.000-04:002014-01-08T17:12:06.647-05:00Motorcycles and the Summer Heat<div style="text-align: center;">
Copyright © 2012 by Ralph Couey</div>
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It was going to happen, whether I wanted it to or not. After becoming accustomed to the mild summers in the mountains of Western Pennsylvania for the last seven years, I now find myself in Northern Virginia, where they have REAL summers.<br />
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It’s been a pleasant spring. But today, on the first day of summer, temperatures vaulted from the delightful upper 70’s to near 100 degrees. With dew points in the 65 to 70 degree range, “sweltering” was the word of the day.<br />
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Days like this create something of a moral dilemma for this motorcyclist. Up north, winters run from mid-October to mid-May, so one is loath to surrender a riding day for any reason. Here, the warmer climes make a 10-month riding season possible, “warmer” of course being a term of some subjectivity. But in the same way I had to surrender to mountain winters, here I need to re-think my standards with regards to heat. I work in a shirt-and-tie environment and arriving for duty sopping and smelly doesn’t sit well with my co-workers. Thus, the hottest days find me in the air-conditioned comfort of a car with the bike in silent, but reproachful repose in the garage.<br />
Some years ago, I did a trip to the southwest. Mid-July found me in Phoenix, Arizona, the land of triple-digit summers. I fully expected dry heat, but unbeknownst to me, July is monsoon season for the desert. That means the usual bone-dry air mass is replaced by a soupier tropical pattern. So not only was I faced with 114-degree heat, I also had to deal with Florida-like humidity levels. I learned a lot that day, not the least of which was the addition of Gatorade to my diet. That saved the trip, and quite possibly, my life.<br />
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Now faced with similar conditions, I thought it might be prudent to dust off some advice on riding in the heat.<br />
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The human body’s coolant system consists of skin and sweat. Glands secrete fluid that coats the skin thus providing a medium that conducts heat from inside to the outside. The hotter the air, the more we sweat, so it is vitally important that people replace those fluid losses promptly and continuously. In addition, you lose things called “electrolytes.” Now, I’m a bit fuzzy on exactly what they are, but my wife, the RN tells me that they’re absolutely necessary for survival. Water is a great rehydrator, but has no electrolytes, so you should turn to sport drinks like Gatorade, which are chock-full of them. On long rides in the summer, I carry a Camelback, a portable backpack reservoir that holds varying amounts of liquid and ice. A tube snakes from the back over your shoulder where you can take hits as you need. I use water for temperate days and the sterner stuff for when it’s really hot. One thing though, sport drinks are loaded with sugars so if you’re diabetic, or like me, borderline, than you should consult your doctor for some alternatives.<br />
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I see a lot of folks dressing down for the summer riding season. It may feel more comfortable, but it’s false comfort. First and foremost, if you go down, either because of you, a deer, or some cell-phone-gabbing driver, there’s nothing between you and the pavement. And whether it’s concrete or asphalt, it’s still very hot. Imagine sliding across a rocky frying pan, if you will. Once you’ve suffered through the process of getting road rash debrided in the hospital, you become willing to endure a little discomfort for the sake of saving your skin. Jeans may be uncomfortable standing still, but as you ride, the fabric will catch and hold the sweat, providing a cooling effect. Riding in shorts means the wind is blasting away at your skin, so the sweat, what you do generate, gets blown off and thus provides no cooling effect. On a long, hot day, the effects accumulate. No sweat, no coolant and before you know it, the breeze has fooled you into a good case of dehydration and heat exhaustion.<br />
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Think about it. You get heat blasted from the sun, and from the road surface as the heat is re-radiated upwards. Plus there’s the heat from the engine as well. It pays to be a bit more careful.<br />
Jeans will protect you in the first 10 feet of a 200-foot skid down the asphalt, but it’s far better than nothing at all. Every manufacturer of motorcycle gear sells moto pants that are meshed and vented but still made out of tough abrasion-resistant material and contain armor pads on the vulnerable places. The same goes with jackets. And gloves. I tend to put my leathers away for hot days because they’re just too thick and heavy, and don’t breathe. <br />
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The sun, as most know, is no friend to human skin. I always apply sunscreen to my exposed surfaces, especially my face. My skin, at 57 years old, is beginning to show the effects of all the sunburns I thoughtlessly accumulated in my younger years. I now have to protect what is still undamaged. If you’re reading this, and 57 seems incredibly ancient to you, please heed this advice. What carelessness you indulge in now will be more than paid back to you later.<br />
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Helmets. Um. Yes. Well…it’s like this. Two studies released last year proved that not only were helmets instrumental in reducing and in some cases, eliminating head trauma in riders, one study, done by Johns Hopkins, demonstrated conclusively that they actually reduced incidence of spinal neck injury. I never ride without one because I make my living with my brain and I feel I should respect that lump of gray matter inside my skull. But I understand and respect the wishes of those who desire to ride unhatted. This is a decision for you to make. At least for now. More and more legislatures are considering reinstating mandatory helmet use due to the perceived increase in motorcycle head trauma. That they’re using skewed data and badly de-contextualized citations matters not a whit. We have to face the fact that when we have accidents, they’re ugly, bloody, violent, and very high profile. That has a sobering effect on the uneducated.<br />
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We will all ride this summer. And if we use a little common sense and caution, we can survive until winter forces our dream machines back into storage.Ralph F. Coueyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06434244155358774163noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4688795366176982062.post-8390679810234497622012-05-12T01:16:00.002-04:002014-01-08T17:12:15.716-05:00Splitting Hairs Over Splitting Lanes<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Copyright © 2012 by Ralph Couey</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Several years ago, California enacted a law that legalized the motorcycle practice called “lane splitting.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This involves the rider easing through heavy traffic by utilizing the space between the lanes, riding along the painted lane divider.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are several very good reasons for this.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>First off, it’s a way to get at least some of the traffic moving during those legendary Southern California traffic jams.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Secondly, the stop and go ooze is hard enough on a car.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A motorcycle is far more prone to things like overheating engines and burned-out clutches.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And nobody needs yet another disabled vehicle on the roadway.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s safer for the rider, avoiding the very real possibility of becoming the meat in a tractor-trailer sandwich.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It thins out the traffic herd and is better on the environment since there are fewer things dirtier than an idling engine.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">But Southern Californians, normally a pretty laid-back group, decidedly don’t like lane splitting.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">A recent survey conducted by the California Department of Transportation (CalTrans) turned up some disturbing results.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Though lane splitting has been legal for some time, that’s news to some 53% of California drivers who thought the practice against the law.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But even among drivers who do know the law, it’s still highly unpopular. Motorcyclists, though, thoroughly love it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">But buried in the statistics was a disturbing number.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>7% of drivers admit to cutting off riders and even opening their doors to try to block them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This isn’t news to the two-wheeled set, all of whom have their private stock of horror stories to relate.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Now, 7% doesn’t sound like much until you consider the larger picture.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">The number of cars and trucks using SoCal’s freeways during rush hour have been estimated to be as high as 3.5 million. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>7% of that number is around 245,000.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That means that on a given day, there are around a quarter-million motorists that admit to having assaulted a motorcyclist.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Think about those numbers during your next commute.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Even though I’ve been riding for a little over 20 years, I’m not single-scoping this issue.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I can well understand the frustration of being gridlocked<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>twice a day, only to see some dude on a bike zipping between cars, sure to get to his destination long before we get to ours.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But I can also see this from the point of view of the rider.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Operating a motorcycle is a far more physically demanding task than driving a car or truck, especially in bad weather (this includes 100-degree summer days as well).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Stuck in a long line of cars, the bike, never overly visible under regular conditions, becomes even harder to detect, squeezed in between a menagerie of high-sided vehicles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is danger from cars switching lanes into what they thought was an empty space only to discover far too late that the “occupied” sign is out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A rider is exposed directly to exhaust fumes from all the vehicles around.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">It doesn’t help that a few of us do this lane-splitting thing way too fast.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s arrogant riding and you practically invite retaliation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I shouldn’t have to remind anyone that these are stressful times, which some of us aren’t handling all that well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Under those conditions, it doesn’t take much to push someone over the edge into acts of aggression and even violence.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">The bottom line is this.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lane splitting is legal in California.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you’re a driver who becomes consumed by jealousy and hatred when you see the bikes passing by, then there’s nothing to prevent you from taking the Rider Safety Course sponsored by the Motorcycle Safety Foundation (MSF), buying a bike of your own, and joining in the general glee that turns a mere commute into a spiritual adventure.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In many other countries, two-wheeled conveyances are the primary means of transportation, flitting in and around vehicular traffic like flies around a herd of horses.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yet, they prove that it can be done safely and sanely.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">It all boils down to respect.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That rider you see in traffic is really no different from you.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Just one among millions trying to make it home.<a href="http://www.blogger.com/" name="_GoBack"></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
Ralph F. Coueyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06434244155358774163noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4688795366176982062.post-19748689358395645472012-05-05T00:30:00.002-04:002016-09-12T09:58:33.950-04:00The Motorcycling Month of May<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt;">Copyright © 2012 by Ralph Couey</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt;"></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt;">“While riding down the street one day<br />In the motorcycle month of May<br />I was taken by surprise<br />By a minivan of size<br />And a soccer mom who ruined my day”</span></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt;">--Lyrics twisted by Ralph Couey</span></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt;">With abject apologies to Edward Haley</span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">May has been proclaimed National Motorcycle Safety Month, and across the country states are launching public information campaigns urging the driving public to increase their awareness of motorcycles with which they share our national roadways.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But it’s not only to remind motorists, it’s also for reminding the riders themselves to learn and employ safe riding habits.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Motorcycle accident deaths have been trending downward for the last few years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s really good news, even though in the context of human tragedy, a single death is one death too many.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The issue is still being studied, so nobody has yet pinpointed the reasons for the reduction.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But like many others, I have my opinion.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Better training.</span></b><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In nearly all states a prospective rider can avail themselves of rider training courses offered through the Motorcycle Safety Foundation (MSF).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In most cases, passing the course earns you that coveted “M” endorsement on your license.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The course is dynamic, updated every year to reflect the growing body of knowledge.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As a result, new riders hit the street much better prepared than in decades past.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Better riding habits.</span></b><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Though squids still abound, most riders are, in my observation, riding much safer and more defensively of late.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Much of that may have to do with the increasing mean age of riders, which has changed from the mid-20’s to the mid-40’s, a much more mature, responsible age group, well aware of the limits of mortality.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Although as comedienne Caroline Rhea is fond of pointing out, “Men don’t mature.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They just get old.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Better machines.</span></b><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Technology is racing forward at breakneck speed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Today’s bikes are engineered far better, and are therefore easier to handle than those sold even 10 years ago.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In addition, handling improvements like ABS and linked braking systems are far more common.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Tires get better each year as well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even the technology of road building has improved.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Any highway worker will tell you that it’s not just the same old asphalt.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">4.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Better drivers.</span></b><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m admittedly on shaky ground here, since the advent of cell phones has added a whole new level of hazard to the roads.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All I have to support my point is my own experience.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve been riding for 20 years (anniversary last month, thank you very much).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When I first began, I knew how to properly execute an emergency evasion and a panic stop.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Because I had to do them both several times each month.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But in the last several years, I’ve noticed that I haven’t had to do that nearly as often.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In fact, I find I have to take time in a parking lot to practice those maneuvers in order to keep sharp.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of course, I’ve learned several things, like don’t hang out in the other car’s blind spot, looking ahead and planning my way around hazards before they become hazards.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My instincts are far more acute.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now when I ride towards someone waiting to turn onto, or across my traffic lane, I can look in their eyes and“know” when they aren’t actually seeing me, even though looking in my direction.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mostly, I’ve learned to leave them room to be stupid, because they will rarely disappoint the expectation.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">5.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Better Gear.</span></b><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Motorcycle gear, when riders bother to wear it, has a definite role in how they survive accidents.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At one point, leather was the sum total of protective outerwear.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of course, that was problematic in the summer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Who wants to climb into black leather when it’s 100 degrees and humid?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now riders have a choice of several man-made materials and jackets and pants that are armored, meshed, and vented, making them tolerable on hot days.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Helmets have improved exponentially.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Several studies have proven how a quality Snell/DOT rated brain bucket has reduced or prevented brain injuries in accidents.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Over the years, a myth has grown up around helmets that wearing one increases the chances of a broken neck due to all that weight sitting on your stacking swivel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But that myth has been broken.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Last year, Johns Hopkins released a study showing that modern helmets, made from stronger yet lighter materials, actually <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">decrease </i>the incidence of cervical spinal injury in motorcycle accidents.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">There’s still room for improvement.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">--There are still too many riders who depend solely on the rear brake.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Every test, every study that’s ever been done has proven the fallacy of that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is now said that the front brake provides 90% of a motorcycle’s stopping power.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Using the rear brake only can double the stopping distance and in some cases, can result in a collision that, using the front brake, never would have happened.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">--The number of riders who believe the highway is their own private race track is actually small, but they are very high profile.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Take the 25-year-old fellow in New York who, after being clocked at 166 mph, was dumb enough to boast to the arresting officer that his bike had gone 190.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Or those other numbskulls that video-tape their high speed dash (with the speedometer helpfully in full view) and then post the evidence on YouTube, where a simple application of cyber voodoo leads the law to their front door.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Last year, having reached the 5-year limit on my headgear, I bought a new helmet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Having seen how the bright yellow of Honda’s Goldwing caught my eye on the road, I purchased a bright yellow Nolan.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Since then, I’ve noticed a definite decrease in the number of times I had to evade people pulling across my path.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have actually seen drivers do a double take, when they saw my helmet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My wife suggested I could have accomplished the same thing with a pink helmet, and she’s probably right.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But somehow, topping off an ensemble of manly black leather with a hot pink hat is just…wrong.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Hopefully, people will listen and heed to the reminders about motorcycles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Next month, June 18<sup>th</sup>, is National Ride to Work Day, an event organized by a rider named Andy Fine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It will be a fine day for riders to hit the roads in force, demonstrating the practical, as well as the emotional benefits of motorcycles.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">There are many external factors impacting safe motorcycling.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But perhaps the most important one is realizing that of all the screws and nuts on a motorcycle, the most important is the screwy nut sitting on the seat.</span></div>
Ralph F. Coueyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06434244155358774163noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4688795366176982062.post-10704747219722534142012-05-05T00:30:00.001-04:002014-01-08T17:12:35.736-05:00The New Allstate Motorcycle Insurance Ad<div align="center">
Copyright © 2012 by Ralph Couey</div>
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In the process of relocating, one can expect some disruptions to the even tenor of our lives, the mail being one of them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As a result, I just recently received my June RoadRunner magazine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For me, this has been the perfect motorcycle periodical.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am a “go-far” rider, more content with long rides, the chief characteristic being a Zen-like communion with the world around. RR’s presentation of road trips allow me to live those journeys vicariously through the vivid photography and expressive prose.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are bike reviews, but they are almost exclusively the kind of machines that are built for doing three states per day, rather than three-digit speeds down the local freeways.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
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The issue was great, as usual. But it was the ad on the back cover that really got my attention and my dander all aflutter.<br />
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Since the day I threw a leg over my first bike, I’ve been very focused on riding safe and sane, a philosophy reinforced by three accidents over the last 20 years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I took the Beginning Riders Course back in 1992, and to this day I can remember the instructors steady pounding of the mantra, “Use the FRONT brake!”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was hard at first to remember.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After all, that’s how I brought my trusty Schwin 1-speed to a halt.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But as they repeatedly pointed out, there are physical forces involved in stopping a 600-plus-pound motorcycle that just don’t apply to their non-motored kin. For example, when a rider executes an emergency stop, the weight shifts to the front wheel. The rear tire now has far less weight, causing a corresponding reduction in frictional coefficient. Since the rear tire now has less grip on the pavement, it's going to take a lot more distance to bring the bike to a safe halt. In addition, a likely outcome of a rear-wheel skid is a catastrophic loss of control as the the rear of the bike slides out from underneath the rider. <br />
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The Motorcycle Safety Foundation (MSF) maintains that the front brake provides, according to recent testing, 90% of a motorcycle’s stopping capability.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> With the weight shifted forward, the frictional coefficient of the front tire is increased dramatically. This means that, properly done, a front wheel emergency stop does not have to end up as a long skid. The increased grip can slow the bike much quicker, while still keeping the bike under control. </span><br />
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Despite that proven knowledge, there are far too many riders who rely solely on the rear brake to stop the bike.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>James R. Davis, a recognized courtoom expert in motorcycle accident forensics continually points out the fallacy of that habit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On his website he carries several case studies of accidents, one of which caught my eye.<br />
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A rider was killed when a car driver jetted out from a shopping center driveway across her path, causing her to T-bone the car.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The driver was charged, and one would think that this would be about as perfect an open-and-shut case as you could ever want.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But during the civil trial, the defense attorney presented the case that, in the impact itself, the motorcycle rider was at least partially responsible.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He pointed out that the investigation proved that the rider had used only her rear brake to try to stop the bike.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Using MSF’s own figures, he showed that if the rider had employed the recommended front braking technique, then the stopping distance would have been substantially reduced<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The collision would then never have happened.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
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The driver was still found responsible, but as a result of the defense presented, the damage award to the rider’s family was cut nearly in half.<br />
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This can only be characterized as a sobering lesson.<br />
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Safe operation of a motorcycle on streets and highways is dependent on many things, not the least of which is proper braking technique. Everyone with any kind of professional expertise knows this. (Lest you think me overly parochial, remember that when you push the brake pedal on your car, you're activating only...<em>the front brake</em>.)<br />
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So, imagine my surprise and disappointment at RoadRunner’s back cover ad for Allstate motorcycle insurance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
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The image portrays every rider’s worst nightmare, a car entering an intersection crossing the bike’s path.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The driver has done the stupid thing, slamming on the brakes instead of continuing on, getting out of the way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The rear end is raised and the nose of the car is almost down on the pavement, like a pig snuffling for truffles.<br />
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We can't see the rider's face, but it's safe to assume that his eyes are saucer wide and his heart rate and blood pressure have just taken a precipitous leap upwards. He has begun to react to the hazard before him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
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The first thing I noticed is the skid mark under the rear wheel, <em>and under the rear wheel only</em>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His right foot is clamped down on the rear brake pedal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My eyes went next to the right hand grip.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yep, just as I thought.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The hand brake is hanging out at full extension.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The rider’s fingers aren’t even on the brake handle, much less using it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As almost always happens when you skid the rear wheel, the bike has already begun to slide out to the right, preparatory to a harsh face-to-face with ol’ Mr. Asphalt, that is if he doesn’t slam into the driver’s side door before he hits the pavement.<br />
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Now, if this had been a tutorial in how <em>not </em>to execute an emergency evasion/stop, that would have been fine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But there are so many things wrong with this picture, all of which go against the hard-won prevailing wisdom of motorcycling.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
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This is an ad for a motorcycle insurance company that claims to understand riders and the hazards we face on a daily basis.<br />
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I want to be clear that I understand that this is Allstate’s ad, the production of which RoadRunner had no role.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Also that this was probably not actually photographed in real life. The content of the ad was most likely stitched together digitally.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">Bu</span>t…come on.<br />
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I’m willing to bet there wasn’t a single properly-trained and experienced rider involved in the planning or production of this ad.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I can’t believe that any rider worth their salt would deliberately include a rear-wheel skid mark, a boot panic-clamped on the rear brake and a non-fingered front brake handle in an ad even peripherally concerning rider safety.<br />
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As far as I'm concerned, this ad doesn’t give me a lot of confidence in Allstate’s corporate knowledge about riding or it's attitude towards the riding community.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> And if you're serious about earning my business, you'd better be up to snuff on both accounts.</span><br />
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So for the time being, Flo notwithstanding, I’ll stay with Progressive.</div>
Ralph F. Coueyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06434244155358774163noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4688795366176982062.post-13875193836797646162011-10-06T13:58:00.003-04:002014-01-08T17:12:42.624-05:00Sojourn: A Guide for a Motorcycle Trip<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
Copyright © 2011 by Ralph Couey</div>
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In the past, vacation trips were rarely about a particular destination.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They were rather about the trip itself and the many stops along the way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was that philosophy that sent Americans out on legendary highways such as Route 66, Route 50, US 1, and California 1, the famed Pacific Coast Highway.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you left Chicago on Route 66 heading west, you weren’t just traveling to the Santa Monica Pier in California.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You were going to see St. Louis; cowboys between Tulsa and Amarillo; the high plains of Tucumcari, Albuquerque, and Gallup; The deserts and mountains of Holbrook, Flagstaff, Kingman, and Barstow, and then, and only then, the cool waters of the Pacific Ocean.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The point of the trip was not to dabble your toes in the surf, but all the natural beauty and wonder of the American west.</div>
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People don’t travel like that anymore.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most have a single destination in mind, minimize the travel time to that place, and then rack and stack everything you want (or feel obligated) to do into those few days.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That kind of a killer schedule has led to the oft-voiced phrase, “I need a vacation from my vacation.”</div>
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However, that old spirit of adventure hasn’t vanished entirely.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Within the motorcycle community it lives and breathes in the hearts of sojourners who have never forgotten the power of a journey.</div>
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I’ve taken a few long trips, all of which still live in vivid recollections.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While they were all fun and adventurous, there were those things I planned well, those I didn’t, and other details I never thought about.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hopefully there is some value in those experiences that will assist others in planning trips.</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><u>Planning the trip</u></i></b></div>
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There is this persistent fantasy about a motorcycle trip where you just climb aboard and ride off into the sunset going wherever your impulses take you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That may be fine for a Saturday ride, but for a multi-thousand mile trip, it takes a bit more forethought.</div>
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In a car, we think nothing of doing 700-mile days.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But a bike is a different type of trip.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It takes more effort to ride than it does sitting in the car, and the exposure to the elements can leach away your energy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For reasons that still befuddle me, I never average the same speed over a day on a bike that I do in a car. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Plus, you want to leave time for visiting the sites you’ve came so far to see.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve learned the hard way that the best pace for me is about 250 miles per day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s hard to enjoy a trip when I’m fatigued all the time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That kind of pace allows me to enjoy myself by visiting various sites, as well as deal with the inevitable delays with road construction and heavy traffic.</div>
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Most long-trippers I know don’t have a specific point in mind, but rather point to a region on the map and decide to tour there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Maybe Colorado and the Rockies, or the Gulf Coast, or New England; maybe a tour of Arizona ghost towns.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once you get there, you can adopt a sort of aimless wandering to your days.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But you still have to plan your route in and out, and at least have a general idea where you’ll rest your head each night.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the ‘30s, you would just go until wherever the sunset found you and throw a bedroll down.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But now, even in the wide-open west, there are rules about where you can camp.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s better to utilize an organized campsite.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not only is it legal, you’ll minimize the danger of being visited by a carload of ruffians who are looking to spice up their empty lives by beating the crap out of a luckless tourist.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hotels and Inns offer a more civilized alternative for those, like me, whose back problems mandate something better than a sleeping bag on hard ground.</div>
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Cost should be calculated, at least in general.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You don’t want to run out of jack and have to go home early.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Summertime is when campsite rentals, hotel rates, and gas prices are highest, so be prepared.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Think about gas.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are places out west where you may go as far as 70 miles between gas stations.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Don’t be reluctant to fuel earlier than normal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It beats pushing the bike through the desert.</div>
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Most of us have a child-like faith in our machines that they will function perfectly for the entire trip.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Murphy ’s Law mandates that you should be prepared for the alternative.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Look up the location of a few bike shops and know which ones are reputable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If the bike does break down, hopefully you’ll know where the nearest reliable wrench can be found.</div>
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Once your route is settled, let someone at home know.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Give them your cell number and check in from time to time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are places, particularly out west, where you could crash off the road and not be found for a very long time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you miss a check-in, then someone at home knows at least the area where searchers can look for you.</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><u>Preparing the Bike</u></i></b></div>
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Have your trusted wrench do a good once over on your ride.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If your trip is going to be 3,000 miles or more, go ahead and get your oil changed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If your other fluids haven’t been swapped out in a couple of years, have them done as well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Have the shop take a good look at your lines and hoses, as well as filters (air and fuel) and replace them if necessary.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Do this at least two weeks before you leave, so if there’s a part that needs to be replaced, there will be time to order and install.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Tires need to be looked at closely, the tread depth measured, and the inflation checked.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This may sound like overkill, but it’s far better than being stranded in a place where traffic is a rare and beautiful thing and cell signals are nonexistent.</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><u>Preparing the Rider</u></i></b></div>
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About a month prior, start taking longer rides.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Try to stay on the bike at least 5 to 7 hours at a stretch.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This will accustom your muscles and prepare your mind for those long stretches of road.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Practice things like emergency stops, evasion maneuvers, and scanning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You’ll be on unfamiliar roads with unknown hazards, not only other drivers but wildlife as well.</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><u>Packing</u></i></b></div>
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Most Americans over-pack for car trips.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m especially guilty of this, having hauled things around in a two-week trip that I never ended up using.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A motorcycle, even the two wheeled RV variety, have limited storage space and weight.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So the kind of things you take with you should be carefully considered.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A lot of folks have a riding suit that they wear over just their skivvies, packing only a pair of jeans, flip-flops, and a t-shirt for walking-around purposes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But you need to be aware that just because it’s summer, doesn’t necessarily mean it’s always going to be warm.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On one trip to the southwest, I rode through Phoenix on a day when the mercury topped 114 degrees.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Plus, being July, it was the middle of the monsoon, which meant that it wasn’t a dry heat, but rather sultry and humid.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A day and a half later in Leadville, Colorado, I endured two hours of temperatures in the upper 30s and low 40s.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On a New England junket, most of the ride through Vermont and New Hampshire was cold and wet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But once we got into Boston, the temperatures soared into the 90s.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Take it from me; you need to plan for both extremes.</div>
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You can cut down on toiletries, simply by using the free samples hotels put in their bathrooms.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But take some sunscreen for your face and neck</div>
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Most bikes come with tool kits, but it doesn’t hurt to toss in a couple extra just in case, like a knife, both screwdrivers, pliers, and a roll of duct tape.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Pack a small first-aid kit as well; simple stuff like Band-Aids, gauze, tape, anti-bacterial gel, and burn ointment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you take prescription meds, don’t forget them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you’re in your 40s and beyond, talk to your doctor about taking an 81-mg aspirin each day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This will thin out your blood and help prevent the formation of clots resulting from long hours in the saddle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Oh, and when you stop for fuel, food, or touristy stuff, take some time to walk around the parking lot before getting back on the road.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A good, brisk 15-minute walk will do wonders for your circulation and your attention span.</div>
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If your bike or helmet doesn’t have a sound system, consider taking an iPod and a set of earbuds.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Music has a marvelous way of keeping the brain alert, the mood up, and helps pass the time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just don’t turn it so loud that you don’t hear the sounds from the bike, car horns, and especially, a siren from your six o’clock.</div>
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One thing you might think about is to take a medium-sized notebook with you and in the evenings, spend some time jotting down information about that day’s travels.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You don’t necessarily have to wax poetic – although that’s perfectly okay – but put down things like about what time you started, what your route was that day, the things you saw, where you ate and what you thought about the place – information that would be helpful to others who might be contemplating such a trip.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Also, those notes provide interesting reading afterwards.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I kept my notebooks and read them from time to time, reliving the experience of the trip.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s always a nice thing to do in the middle of winter.</div>
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If you have a motorcycle GPS device, make sure you know how to use it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most of them are set up to give you the quickest and shortest routing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But motorcycle touring is more often about the back roads instead of the interstates, so having that paper map as a backup can be helpful.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you have to change the GPS, please do it while stopped off the roadway.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If a cop sees you entering data while tooling down the road, he could pull you over for distracted riding.</div>
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Practice loading the bike a few times, so you’ll have a routine for every morning on the trip.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Also, take some rides with the full load so you’ll be used to how the bike handles with that extra weight and mass aboard.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you have to strap stuff to the bike, whether individual items or extra luggage, make sure it’s secure.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And if you use bungee cords, MAKE SURE that you don’t leave any loose ends dangling.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Getting one of those wrapped around your rear wheel will just about ruin your day.</div>
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Go get one of those things they call CamelBacks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is a small (1 or 2 liter) device that you wear on your back and a tube that snakes over your shoulder into your helmet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The CamelBack saved my trip (and quite possibly my life) on my trip to the southwest.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I would fill it with ice and some kind of sports drink (the kind that replenish electrolites) and sip on it throughout the day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Because you’re sedentary when riding and exposed to the cooling effect of the wind, it’s easy to miss the signs of dehydration.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When you’re riding in the heat, you have to keep yourself hydrated.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is not a comfort thing; this is a keep-yourself-alive thing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That day going from Tombstone through Tucson and Phoenix was six long hours of 110-plus heat which didn’t abate until I climbed the Yarnell Hill into Prescott.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was that day that after feeling tired and dizzy, I switched to Gatorade instead of plain water.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The difference was remarkable and literally saved the trip.</div>
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And don’t forget the camera!!!</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><u>On the Trip</u></i></b></div>
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Finally, after all the preparation and planning, the big day arrives.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You swing the leg over, hit the starter, and off you go.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The first day is exciting to be sure, but can also be a bit of a let-down after you discover just how long four or five hours really is.</div>
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Resist the temptation to speed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most cops will allow a 7- to 10-mph bubble above the posted limit, but don’t push it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You may know that you’re not a violently-inclined one-percenter, but that cop doesn’t.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Be nice, calm, and respectful if you get stopped.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you dispute the reason for the ticket, a courtroom is the place for that battle, not the side of the road.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Cops have heard every excuse in the book, so there’s no argument you can offer that will change his mind.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But being a “nice guy” may just possibly earn you a warning instead of the yellow slip.</div>
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Things don’t always go smoothly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Delays happen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Don’t get flustered, just do the best you can with the situation you have.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A morning call to that state’s DOT may give you the information you need to route yourself around road projects.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Stay away from cities during rush hour; heavy traffic is a breeding ground for disaster.</div>
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Try not to ride after dark on unfamiliar roads.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Wildlife gets active after sundown and can be in front of you before you know it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Also, it’s easy to get lost in the dark and that can be stressful.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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Most of all, enjoy yourself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Make this a time when you’re less driven by clock and calendar.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Stop and see stuff along the way, even just pulling off at an overlook and diggin’ on the scenery for a while.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s one of the big reasons for keeping the daily mileage around 250.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You have a lot of flexibility.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And if you get to the motel earlier than you planned, just spend some time in the pool.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One of my favorite memories was pulling off of New Mexico Route 82 northeast of Douglas.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was in a valley that stretched for 15 miles in every direction.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This was land that hadn’t changed appreciably in the last 500 years and the only sign of man’s influence was the road itself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I just sat on the bike, looked at the land, and listened to the wind.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had nowhere to be, and all the time in the world to get there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To this day, when I’m feeling stressed and overwhelmed, I can pull up that calming memory.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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For me, the last day of a trip is the hardest one.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m torn between the let-down of The End, yet anxious to get home to my family.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As I get closer, the roads grow familiar and finally, I make that last turn into the driveway and into the garage.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Reaching for the key, I hesitate, knowing that killing the engine writes the final denouement to a time of adventure and self-restoration.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But once I open the door and receive the welcome of my family, I am glad to be in the one place I truly belong.</div>
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When you get home, tell your family about where you’ve gone and what you’ve seen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Share the pictures and tell about each one.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As you’ve missed them, they too have felt your missing presence.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sharing the story of the trip makes them feel, at least a little bit, that they went along.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And maybe you’ll plant the seed of curiosity and discovery in your children and one day, they will make such a journey themselves.</div>
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There is a real sense of accomplishment in such a journey. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To go for a 4,000-mile ride and return safely is no small thing. There are hazards beyond number out on the road, but you have survived them successfully.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You will have accumulated tales to tell and memories to recount that will last a lifetime.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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Every rider should at least once take a long trip.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s really more than a vacation, after all.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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It’s a trip for the soul.</div>
Ralph F. Coueyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06434244155358774163noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4688795366176982062.post-58944224343060466292011-09-15T15:06:00.000-04:002012-05-15T23:05:22.995-04:00Rambling Thoughts on Calendars, Seasons, and Motorcycles<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
Copyright © 2011 by Ralph Couey</div>
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September 15<sup>th</sup>.</div>
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Man, wasn’t it August just 20 minutes ago?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Time is absolutely flying by these days, and for once I can’t blame it on my busy life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am busy, but the kind of busy that usually causes the clock and calendar to shift to warp speed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This may that part of growing older that I’ve read about, that as the years pile up, the days seem to move much faster.</div>
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But whether I want it to or not, September is officially half over.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>October, my favorite time of year is rapidly approaching.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s the one month of the year that I wish would slow down, take its time and drift languidly through its 31-day lifespan.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But as usually happens, there is a significant gap between what I want, and what actually is.</div>
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The heat and humidityof summer has finally left us here in the mountains.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The first breaths of cool air have blown down from Canada, and we are now in that time of year when weather shifts wildly and sometimes rapidly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Two days ago, it was warm, humid, and still.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Tonight, we will have our first frost of the season.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This does create difficulties in dressing one’s self, especially for motorcycling.</div>
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In the mornings, I install the zip-in liners in jacket and pants, and don a sweatshirt for one more layer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I put on my heavy gloves and take off for work.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The air is chilly, especially on the hands and feet, and with the shortening daylight, the commute is now done in the gray half-light of dawn.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On my mind also is that this is the time of year when deer become active, and I must be extremely vigilant as I travel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But while the daylight lasts, the ride is spectacular.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In another three weeks or so, the leaves will start dressing themselves in their Technicolor hues and the mountainsides will become iridescent.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The sky will lose its milky shade and turn a spectacular vivid blue.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The sunlight, freed from summer’s haze, will make all nature’s colors starkly beautiful.<br />
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Of course, on the way home, it’s warmed up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This time of year, the difference in temperatures between six in the morning and 5 in the afternoon can range as much as 40 degrees.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So the liners come out and the sweatshirt comes off.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The heavy gloves are swapped for the perforated summer versions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My current bike, a Kawasaki Vulcan 900, has these kinda small saddle bags that don’t hold much.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Folding and rolling those liners into a size and shape that will fit can be a frustrating process.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But we don’t ride motorcycles for convenience.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Gas mileage, maybe.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But the whole purpose is tied to that singular moment when, bereft of wall, roof, and window, you find yourself one with the beauty of nature.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yeah, baby…that’s livin’; that’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">life!</i></div>
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But fall never lasts long enough for me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Summer really drags by, at times seemingly endless.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For you poor souls in Dallas who have had to deal with 100+ degrees for the last…what? 6 months?...this time must really be exasperating.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You have my sympathy. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But around here, the best days of fall – clear skies, highs in the low 70’s and lows in the upper 50’s – don’t happen often enough.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We get days of gloomy clouds, wind-blown rain, that really unpleasant cold and damp feeling that is just uncomfortable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Towards the end of the month the air gets cold enough for our first snow of the year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I used to be excited by that, but these days it means that the riding season is just about done.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once PennDOT puts that sand-and-salt mixture down on the roads, then fuggeddaboudit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t ride well on roads covered in ball bearings.</div>
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Weather is what it is, and there’s no changing that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Life deals your hand of cards, and that’s the hand you have to play.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It doesn’t do any good to complain, because there’s nobody who can do anything about it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But I will do my best to enjoy these days as I get them, and not whine too much.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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Winter will be coming to these mountains before too much longer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The snow will pile up, the cold winds will blow, and life will shift to a far more indoors mode.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The motorcycle will be prepped and placed into storage and for the next 6 months I will have to be satisfied with memories of sun-splashed roads and the gentle feel of a perfect day.</div>
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Those are the memories that become dreams.</div>Ralph F. Coueyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06434244155358774163noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4688795366176982062.post-58152916710678540772011-09-01T15:48:00.000-04:002016-09-12T09:59:12.126-04:00The Kawaski VN900LT: My Take<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
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Copyright © 2011 by Ralph Couey</div>
I don’t think there’s a more difficult thing for the American male than to admit a mistake, especially when it comes to the purchase of a particular motorcycle.<br />
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I’ve been riding for 18 years and over 200,000 miles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My passion for riding started with a job some 35 miles from home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The commute was becoming a real burden, with gas at that time a killer $1.14 per gallon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My better half had thus far resisted my entreaties with that consummate skill all wives possess.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But by this time, the kids had become old enough that she decided I could risk my neck in the cause of the family budget.</div>
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I acquired my first bike, a 1981 Suzuki GS550T, for $500.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was a sharp-looking standard, cheap enough to buy and maintain while I learned how to ride.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I dropped it a few times, but the only casualties were the turn signal lights, which stuck out from the forks. A nearby salvage yard managed to keep me supplied with fresh ones.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I rode a lot in all weather conditions (save snow and ice) and that bike taught me a lot.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Over time, I moved up to a 1980 Yamaha XS Eleven Special, then a BMW K75RT, and a Honda PC800 Pacific Coast, with which I enjoyed an enduring 100,000-mile relationship.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> However, o</span>nce I sold the PC, we went into a period of financial trial that forestalled the purchase of a new bike for two agonizing years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
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Finally in the spring of 2009, I bought a 2007 Kawasaki Vulcan 900.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had that bike for about two months before having my third accident.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was distracted by a car that had started to pull out of a parking lot across my path and thus didn’t see the guy who had stopped in front of me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I applied the brakes, which were quite a bit more reactive than what I was used to, and locked up the front wheel. My lane positioning was completely wrong, riding in the “grease pit” portion of the lane, so the bike snap-rolled to the left and went down hard.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was saved from a broken leg by the crash bars, but still managed to crack a rib.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With my own elbow.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Fortunately, this happened right in front of a hospital, so I had two doctors by my side in seconds.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> I survived. </span>The bike was totaled.</div>
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It took a couple of months for me to heal up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(A busted rib is a whole new kinda pain, let me tell you.)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But I managed to find a 2006 Vulcan 900LT with fewer miles for a real good price, so I bought it.<br />
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These Vulcans were my first cruisers, having ridden mainly standards and sport-tourers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Today, after having put some 10,000 miles on the clock, I feel qualified to speak with some authority on this machine.</div>
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First off, it’s a gorgeous bike.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The engineers sculpted a long, low frame that looks sleek and powerful.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The engine was fit into its assigned space with no empty gaps, making the bike look bigger than it actually is.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The stock pipes produce a satisfyingly manly sound that makes the spirit sing as you roar down the road.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It has a very good windshield and it does have saddlebags, which is the same as saying a sports car has a back seat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They’re small and they’re only rated for about five pounds each.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You can’t take much of a trip with that kind of restriction.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To this ensemble, I added crash bars and a luggage rack.</div>
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Like all cruisers, this one has chrome.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But it’s tasteful and not ostentatious or overdone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And when <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>clean and polished, it is truly a joy to behold.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It has boards for the rider, but only pegs for the passenger, perched a couple of inches above the pipes. This means that the passenger’s boot heel easily contacts the hot pipe and melts the rubber onto the pipes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> The common wisdom is to use oven cleaner on the pipes when they're hot, but I'm reluctant to put something that caustic on chrome. T</span>he need for passenger footboards is painfully obvious to the owner.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why it didn’t occur to Kawasaki is a mystery.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Maybe they didn’t test one two-up.</div>
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But that’s not the only riddle.</div>
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The speedometer reads high by a consistent ten percent across the entire range, verified by radar.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If that isn’t annoying enough, the odometer is also scaled by the same amount.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To test this, I drove a 30-mile course in my Toyota Highlander, which I know is accurate to within 1%.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That same course measured 33 miles on the bike.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Which means that it will always read 10% more mileaged than it actually is. Not exactly a strong point in a re-sale.</div>
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The fuel gauge is a joke.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You can tell when the tank is full, and that’s the last piece of accurate data you’ll get from it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Apparently, the float doesn't go either all the way to the bottom of the tank, or all the way to the top.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> The Vulcan 900 list shows 39 pages of owner frustration. But it also gives two fixes. One involves inserting 270 ohms of resistance across the fuel gage connector. The other means doing a bit of surgery, by going into the tank through the filler neck and bending the floater rod so the float will go it's full range. Yeah, you can get it fixed, but Kawasaki really screwed the pooch on this one, since this complaint exists on nearly all model years of this bike. </span>The only thing that works reliably is the warning light, which glows when you have 1.3 gallons left in the otherwise-generous 5.2-gallon tank.</div>
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Checking the oil is a two-man job.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The sight glass is down on the bottom of the engine. There being no center stand, the oil level can only be read while the bike is upright.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now, you try to hold a 650-pound motorcycle upright while bending over to look at something the size of a nickel on the bottom of the frame.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>See?</div>
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And then there’s the seat.</div>
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Of all the design conundrums on the bike, this one is the worst.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sport bikes and standards are meant to be ridden for short distances.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Those seats don’t have to be all that comfy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is supposedly a touring bike (hence the “LT” caveat), one that should be able to be ridden for several hours.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But this is, hands down, the most uncomfortable thing I’ve ever sat on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> C</span>ement blocks are easier to take. Kawasaki obviously gave this bike’s physical design to its most skilled engineers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why, pray tell, did they pawn off the seat design to the intern?</div>
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Another beef is restricted to the model years of 2006 and before.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The stator design left holes in the casing for the wires to pass through.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Over time, road gunk is thrown into those holes, shorting out the stator.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mine died at 12,000 miles, which for a 21<sup>st</sup> century bike is beyond stupid.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sorry, but hoisting a $300 repair like that (with Kawasaki refusing to pay for their design mistake) that early in a motorcycle’s life is unforgiveable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I guess I was spoiled by the PC800. When I sold that bike at 100,000 miles (in two days, no less), it still had the original stator.</div>
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My wife complains about the passenger seat and the vibration.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I explain that V-twins are like that, but she ripostes that the PC800 had a V-twin and it never vibrated like this.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She doesn’t ride much with me these days because of the pain the bike causes her.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And I miss that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lest you think her wimpy, three years ago, we rented a Goldwing and did New England over 5 days and 1,600 miles, and she loved every minute of it.</div>
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Back to the kudos.</div>
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Riding this machine is sheer joy, at least for the first hour and a half. The motor is responsive; the bike, though heavy, takes the twisties with a surprising amount of grace.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> There is a surprising amount of ground clearance here. Now, y</span>ou can’t fling it around madly; it’s not a ‘Busa after all. But there is more than enough responsiveness for such a long-wheel-based bike.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The brakes are a bit touchy, but you get used to that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The tranny shifts cleanly and without drama, and the Kevlar drive belt sends the engine’s power smoothly to the rear wheel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
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It also does good with the gas.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I average in the mid-40’s (riding aggressively); others boast of figures into the low 50’s.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> A decent amount of p</span>assing power is there, as long as you’re not going uphill, and the weight and big, beefy tires make for a stable ride, even in winds up to 40 mph.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Other than the tailbone, the seating position is good.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The boards push the feet out just enough to take the strain off the knees. The height is perfect, so us old guys don’t end up Painfully hunched over at the end of the ride.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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If Kawasaki had spent even 15 minutes contemplating the seats, this would be an outstanding bike.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But I am a “go-far” rider.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For me, a short ride is 200 miles and in the crenelated terrain and twisty back roads of the Allegheny Mountains, that’s a good four to five hours in the saddle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Kawasaki calls this bike a tourer, but it’s just not up to the drill, mainly because of that rock-hard seat and the smallish bags.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I look at the pillowy cushions on other touring cruisers, for both rider and pax, and ask, “Why not?”</div>
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I love the looks and the sound of the VN900.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is, to my view, pure eye candy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It has the right amount of chrome, the right amount of growl, and the right amount of power.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It handles the freeway like a pro and can still carve a twisty with a lean angle that can leave the rider a bit breathless.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It handles nimbly, has great range, and sips gas like a miser.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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All it needs is a pair of seats designed for the long haul, something to keep boot heels from melting on the pipes, and bags that handle a realistic amount of storage.</div>
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I admit I made a mistake with this bike.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For what I need most in a motorcycle, comfort enough for a 700-mile day, just isn’t in the hand dealt by Kawasaki with the VN900LT.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That doesn’t apply to everyone, of course.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you’re happy with a couple hours here, a couple hours there, and the 30-minute commute to work, you’ll love this bike.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
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But if the horizon calls to you; if you think your bike looks bare without a bedroll, tent, and a tall T-bar bag strapped on, and you're not really happy unless you've crossed three midwestern states that day, you might be happier with a bike toting a better designed seat and gages that don't lie.</div>
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Ralph F. Coueyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06434244155358774163noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4688795366176982062.post-66015206538962045652011-07-15T13:30:00.000-04:002011-07-15T13:30:34.011-04:00Share the Road!<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">Copyright © 2011 by Ralph Couey</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">The past couple of weeks have been mostly meteorological nirvana for motorcyclists in the region.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After a hard winter and a frustrating April, the sun and warmth of spring have finally arrived in the Laurel Highlands.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">But it’s also a hazardous time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Drivers are still growing their “motorcycle eyes” as evidenced by the numerous near-misses I’ve seen already this month.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Every year, PennDot and motorcycle groups like the American Motorcycle Association and ABATE issue cautionary statements urging drivers to look carefully for those single headlights before pulling into or across traffic, or changing lanes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Usually it’s June before I see a general improvement in people’s observational habits.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">Drivers are not the only issue.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All motorcycle riders experience that <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">joie de vivre</i> of the ride, but some take that joy to extreme.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Speeding and weaving, pulling stunts in traffic, riding impaired, and tailgating are some of the actions I have come to call “riding stupid.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You’re having fun.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I get that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But you not only risk yourself, you risk other people on the road who may have to swerve out of your way, even getting into accidents themselves.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
<a name='more'></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">And there’s the damage you do to the rest of us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the minds of a disturbingly large number of drivers, all two-wheel operators fit the same bad mold.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It doesn’t matter whether you ride a dual sport, standard, cruiser, chopper, sport-tourer, full-bagger, or a superbike; we all look like the same hooligan.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">These are stressful times.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We don’t need to be doing things that push people over the edge.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">The Laurel Highlands is a great place to ride, with a plethora of twisty roads and magnificent scenery.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But there are stretches that hold their own dangers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">PA 271 (Menoher, west of Viewmont) is a stretch where enormous trees line both sides of the road.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is beautiful, to be sure.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But those same trees, some that are multiple feet in circumference, block the view of people pulling out of those neighborhood streets.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They cautiously creep forward, trying to peer around the woods, but in that process can actually get their front end into traffic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is a difficult enough place for cars and trucks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With motorcyles the hazards in crease.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">Franklin Street in front of Memorial Hospital is another.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The road surface undulates, making lane positioning a dicey proposition.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Pedestrian s cross traffic between the hospital and the Doctor’s buildings across the street.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not everyone uses a crosswalk, either.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>During rush hour, the traffic moves in fits and starts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The possibility of someone stopping suddenly in front of you is very real.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Cars and trucks deposit a layer of grease, oil, and anti-freeze onto the center of the traffic lane.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Bad enough when dry, it only takes a little rain to make that surface slick. Of course, if you’re going to go down, you could pick a worse place than right in front of a hospital.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">Gas station parking lots.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m not going to pick on any single retailer here, but when you pull into or out of “gas pumpz”, know that there are no real lanes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>People back up without looking, turn without looking, and even drive at dangerous speeds through the lots.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>People walk from the store to the pumps and vice versa with their heads down, not looking.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">Shopping Center parking lots, are another place where driving lanes and speed limits seem to be optional.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">The best driving or riding habit to have is what we in the military call “S.A.,” or situational awareness.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Always take the time to look before pulling out, even when you have the light.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And if you insist on running the yellow, at least look at the intersection instead of the light as you streak through it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yes, you may be in a hurry, but taking that extra second or two to make sure the road is clear won’t make you later, and it will likely save a life.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">Driving (and riding) is not a right.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is a privilege granted by a license.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And in the larger scheme of things, a license to drive is no different than a license to practice medicine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Doctors and drivers both hold people’s lives in their hands, so the responsibilities need to be taken with deadly seriousness.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">Let’s all do our level best to make the roads as safe as possible this summer.</div>Ralph F. Coueyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06434244155358774163noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4688795366176982062.post-74194148677266812092011-06-09T15:52:00.002-04:002011-10-31T14:25:12.033-04:00Throttle Back and Live<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;">
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Copyright© 2011 by Ralph Couey</div>
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For the last year or so on one of my websites, “Soul of a Motorcyclist,” I’ve been tracking motorcycle accidents.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I started this as a way of educating myself on common factors involved in accidents and applying that knowledge to practical self-defense on the road.</div>
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Motorcycling, for all of its joys is an inherently dangerous activity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The multitude of hazards are too numerous to list in the space allotted here.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, the most common are well-known to riders:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> <strong><em> </em></strong></span></span></span><strong><em>Failure to yield:</em></strong><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When another vehicle turns left across a rider’s path, pulling out from a side street or driveway, or changing lanes.</div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> <strong><em> </em></strong></span></span></span><strong><em>Sudden Stops:</em></strong><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A vehicle slows or stops suddenly in the traffic lane in response to a traffic jam or to execute a left turn.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The rider is unable to react in time.</div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><strong><em>Single-bike accidents:</em></strong> Usually a catastrophic loss of control for a variety of reasons, such as road conditions, debris, animals, or a medical incident with the rider or a mechanical problem with the bike.</div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Excessive speed, carelessness, distracted or impaired riding.</div>
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Adding to these hazards, many riders are woefully ill-informed with regards to proper braking technique.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Experts now say 90% of a bike’s stopping power is in the front brake.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In an emergency stop, the bike’s weight shifts forward, taking weight and therefore frictional coefficient from the back tire.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Riders who primarily use the rear brake will find their stopping distances increased significantly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
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According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in 2009 there were 106,000 motorcycle accidents in the United States in which 4,092 riders were killed and some 90,000 were injured.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>50% of those accidents involved frontal impacts; almost 30% involved riders with a blood alcohol content in excess of .08.</div>
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But law enforcement agencies nationwide are now seeing a much higher incidence of speeding.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m not referring to the nominal 10 mph most of us add to the posted limit, but riders who use the highways for their personal race courses, flying along at speeds topping 100 mph.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>in response, municipalities are enacting new laws.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When riders are caught racing and/or executing stunts on public roads, their bikes are seized.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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Not impounded.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Seized.</div>
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Speed is exhilarating.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of that, there can be no denial, especially for young males.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But speed adds a tremendous amount of danger not only to the rider, but to others on the road.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And as sure as what goes up must come down, what goes fast, must come to a stop.</div>
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Dr. Marc Green in a journal article in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Transportation Human Factors</i> parses the process thus.</div>
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--Mental processing time</div>
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--Movement time</div>
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--Device response time</div>
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At 35 mph, a vehicle covers 51 feet every second.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At 70, that becomes almost 103 feet per second.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And at 100 mph, a vehicle will travel almost 147 feet in a second.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s essentially half of a football field.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Human reaction times vary, but federal accident reconstructionists have settled on a figure of 1.5 seconds from the time a hazard is recognized by the brain and the body moves the machine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At 100 mph, that means that the bike will travel over 220 feet before the rider even begins to apply the brakes. On our imaginary football field, that’s going from the goal line to the opponents 25.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>James R. Davis, a noted courtroom expert in motorcycle forensics, calculates that utilizing perfect non-skid front braking technique on a dry road surface, it would take the rider an additional 417 feet to bring the bike to a safe halt. (Using only the rear brake essentially doubles that distance.)</div>
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Add those numbers up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At 100 mph, the distance traveled from the instant a rider identifies the hazard to the point at which the bike stops: 637 feet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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That’s two football fields and an end zone.</div>
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Those are ideal conditions with perfect execution by an experienced and skilled rider who has repeatedly practiced that maneuver.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most riders I’ve seen couldn’t safely execute that kind of controlled emergency stop on the best day they ever had.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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We have to face facts here.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>None of us are as good as we think we are, this writer included.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And if we intend to live to a ripe, old age, there are things we need to do.</div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Slow down.</div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Leave space between us and the vehicle in front.</div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Ride with our brain instead of our glands.</div>
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Let’s do our loved ones a favor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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Get home alive this summer.</div>
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</div>Ralph F. Coueyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06434244155358774163noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4688795366176982062.post-51876387093614106492011-06-08T20:07:00.001-04:002011-07-15T13:30:11.403-04:00Thunder in the Valley 2011: The Dream that Roared<div style="text-align: center;">Copyright© 2011 by Ralph Couey</div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Summer is rally season for the motorcycle community.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Every weekend throughout these hazy crazy days somewhere motorcyclists are gathering.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Every June since 1998, this valley has resonated with the thunder of motorcycles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the years since, Thunder in the Valley© has become one of the premier events of motorcycling.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>From across the country, riders stream into the <city w:st="on"><place w:st="on">Johnstown</place></city> area for four days of fun, food, and fellowship.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Scheduled the week after <place w:st="on"><city w:st="on">Laconia</city>, <state w:st="on">New Hampshire</state></place>’s Bike Week, it provides a nice segue for east coast riders and a great way to polish off a two-week two-wheeled vacation.</div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Every rally has its separate attractions and charms.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But this one, “The Little Rally That Could…And Did” has become something special.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Thunder in the Valley© combines the best elements of a motorcycle rally.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the fellowship of 200,000 riders are people who instinctively know why we own these machines.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Vendors provide a plethora of items to shower upon our bikes and ourselves.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Music is always present in several venues, so that you’re never out of earshot of entertainment from the toe-tappin’ to the foot stompin’.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Food is present in abundance, from traditional rally fare to regular restaurant cuisine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Manufacturers provide the opportunity to take their bikes for test rides, and offer good deals should your heart be captured.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And outside of town lie dozens of roads that twist and turn through the heart-melting beauty of the <place w:st="on"><placename w:st="on">Laurel</placename> <placename w:st="on">Highlands</placename></place>, providing many hours of what could only be termed perfect rides.</div><a name='more'></a><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">But mainly, it’s the warm hospitality of a community that welcomes riders, rather than just tolerating them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most Johnstowners welcome the annual gathering and demonstrate their support by coming to the rally with their families.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is that warm welcome that brings people here, and keeps them coming back, even in the middle of the Great Recession.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
Thunder has become a joyous and peaceful event because the people involved, both hosts and visitors, have decided that it must be that way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is purely a cooperative venture.</div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">From across the country, riders have streamed into the valley for this weekend.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The uninitiated might ask, why take the journey?</div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Traveling by motorcycle is to exist in a world to which others are blinded.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The feel of the road through the handlebars, the wind flowing past, the sun warm upon the shoulders all combine in a sense of freedom unmatched anywhere.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You don’t just travel on the road, you become part of it; living and breathing the world as it passes by. The time between sunup and sundown, is a day filled with endless possibilities. </div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">In those magical moments when we are alone with the road and an unexplored horizon, the years fall away. The burdens and responsibilities are lifted and for a few fleeting moments, we are once again free….and young. We’re no longer victims of circumstance; we are masters of our destiny. We have nowhere to be and all the time in the world to get there.</div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">It is a difficult thing to explain, this love.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even among motorcyclists words fail to fully capture these powerful emotions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Walt Whitman, in his epic poem “The Song of the <street w:st="on"><br />
<address w:st="on">Open Road</address></street>” in my mind comes the closest to divining the urges that drive us out onto the highways: </div><br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“From this hour I ordain myself loos'd of limits and imaginary lines, <br />
Going where I list, my own master total and absolute, <br />
divesting myself of the holds that would hold me.”</i></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;"><em></em><br />
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">I inhale great draughts of space, <br />
The east and the west are mine, and the north and the south are mine. <br />
To look up or down no road but it stretches and waits for you,</i></div><br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">To know the universe itself as roads for traveling souls.</i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"></i></div><br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Let the paper remain unwritten,</i></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">and the book on the shelf unopen'd! <br />
Let the tools remain in the workshop! let the money remain unearn'd! <br />
Let the school stand! mind not the cry of the teacher! <br />
Let the preacher preach in his pulpit! let the lawyer plead in the <br />
court, and the judge expound the law. <br />
<br />
I give you my hand! <br />
Will you come travel with me? <br />
Shall we stick by each other as long as we live?”</i></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Come on in off the road.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Take your boots off and sit a spell.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here, have a cold one and tell us about your journeys.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And relax; you’re among friends.</div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Welcome to <city w:st="on"><place w:st="on">Johnstown</place></city>!</div>Ralph F. Coueyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06434244155358774163noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4688795366176982062.post-63504993379812116712011-04-13T23:18:00.002-04:002011-04-14T12:11:13.392-04:00The Song of the Open Road<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">Copyright © 2011 by Ralph Couey</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: left;">The sun is just rising into a clear sky, the day still fresh, new, and unspoiled. After one last check of the loaded bike, the key is turned, the starter punched. The engine roars, and with a final good-bye, the bike rolls down the driveway and onto the road. The spirit soars, for we have answered the call of the open road.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: left;">Every spring, I suffer the pangs of adventure. I try to satisfy, or at least allay them with 200-mile Saturday rides, and taking the long way home from work. But as the weather warms, and the day lengthens, I cannot help but open a road atlas and dream a little.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: left;">Dramatic landscapes float through my mind, much like a high plains thunderstorm gliding across the sky. In those visions is a voice, subtle and seductive, that calls me to flee the box of my life for the freedom of the open road. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: left;">A map is the canvas upon which I paint my dreams; a portrait of limitless plains, powerful mountains, shifting deserts, and shoreline highways. My eyes follow the multi-colored lines on the page, but in my mind, I feel the sun on my shoulders, the wind in my face, and the exultation of a questing and restless spirit.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: left;">Even in my childhood, the horizon always beckoned. For others, that line between earth and sky is a barrier, a protective wall surrounding the known and familiar. To me, however, the horizon is a gateway to places I’ve never been and things I’d never seen; people I’d never met.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Experiences I’d never had. I am irresistibly drawn to the unknown beyond the known.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: left;">We traveled far as a family. Before I was 12, I had already been to 21 states, Canada, and Mexico. But it wasn’t until I began my relationship with a motorcycle that I discovered the real joy in the journey.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: left;">My first long road trip was a Labor Day escape to the shores of Lake Superior. I remember that day well. The heat and humidity was already oppressive by 8:00 in the morning as I headed north, crossing the farmlands of northern Missouri and Iowa. Departing Minneapolis in the evening, I raced the sunset for Duluth, cresting the hill above that port city just after sunset. Below me, the city glittered like jewels scattered along the shore. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: left;">But the best moment was when I reached my campsite at Two Harbors. After 700 miles and 14 long hours, I beheld a huge full moon rising over the still waters, its soft light bathing the world in silver. Even today, the memory still leaves me breathless.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: left;">Two years later, I embarked on an epic 9-day sojourn through the rugged beauty of the American Southwest.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: left;">Yet today, I can close my eyes and remember the easy grace of Kansas’ Flint Hills, the torn and beaten land in Oklahoma and West Texas still scarred from the dust bowl.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And an old weather-beaten shack off the side of the road; the wooden gravestone of a broken dream.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: left;">I see the verdant valleys of New Mexico’s Sacramento Mountains, and the stark, empty desert of the Jornada del Muerto. There was a lovingly restored Tombstone, Arizona; the incredible heat of Phoenix, the natural artistry of Sedona, and the raw beauty of Oak Creek Canyon. Through Colorado’s Rockies, I careened along twisted mountain traces, balancing the centrifugal against the centripetal on a knife-edge of lunacy.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: left;">There was the retired couple who really understood the “why” of my journey. The 4-year-old boy in Tombstone, how wide his eyes were, sitting on the motorcycle’s seat. And the longing in them as his smiling father led him away. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: left;">So, it is on this April night that a thousand memories visit, leaving behind a familiar sweet ache. I want to go again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It does not matter that I am not the young man I once was.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am certain the time will come again.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: left;">Someday, the rising sun will find me once again on a bike packed for adventure and discovery. And I will joyfully ride to the distant horizon, my heart singing a glorious anthem…</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: left;">The song of the open road.</div>Ralph F. Coueyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06434244155358774163noreply@blogger.com1