I don’t know about the rest of you but I’m sick of most of the media.  Sit in front of the screen long enough and you’ll begin to feel stressed, and I’m starting to believe this is the way “the man” wants us to feel.  Keeping us stressed and pressured is how those in power keep us occupied.  I love having distractions like motorcycling, playing guitar, and being outdoors which keep me away from the crap on the screens.  There’s the exceptions, but not many.  I recently unfollowed a really cool instagrammer because they decided to get all political.  I wasn’t bothered that they were freely expressing themselves, just that they were hard core hating on differing opinions and differences are what make us awesome.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not an ostrich.  I do not advocate burying our heads in the sand and ignoring the plight of others, it’s just that I believe my efforts and energies are best spent on being a do-er.  Granted, I’ve allowed myself to become triggered on certain subjects before, but that does no good for me or others.  Some of us are who we are and there are just certain aspects where we won’t be moved.  I don’t think this is a bad thing, agreeing to disagree requires that higher reasoning us humans are supposed to have.  So much fighting over what?  Politics?  I am of the mindset that politicians are like snake oil salesmen peddling their wares to the masses with promises of false hope.  It’s up to us normal people to be kind to each other, not defend the charlatans that are pretending to be for the people.

Granted, many were irritated about the last season of Game of Thrones, but there was a great part when Tyrion explains that their  that the compromise must have been a good one because no one really walked away completely happy.  Putting our own ideals aside in order to maintain peace doesn’t mean abandoning them entirely, just respecting one another’s personal space.  We need to learn to agree to disagree better.  We need to love better.

“Turned away from it all like a blind man.  Sat on a fence but it don’t work.  Keep coming up with love but it’s so slashed and torn…”

My apologies for stepping away from the topic of motorcycles for a moment.  I bring up the social pressure in order to illustrate why hobbies are a good thing and stepping away from the crap in the media once in a while is a great idea.

So moving on from the topic of social pressures, I would like to write about another kind of pressure.  The kind of pressure we place upon ourselves with the goal of self improvement, the good kind!  I recently spent a weekend at Talladega Motor Speedway for an all girl track day.  Mind you, I was not a participant.  This wasn’t because I’m opposed to some track time, I just wasn’t prepared in the way of having the proper safety gear with full leathers.  I also wasn’t sure about taking an adventure bike on the track.  I have not ever ridden on the track.  Hubster had pushed it for years when I still had the GSXR, but I was intimidated by the idea.  On that note, I miss Pinky…

I watched a good friend of mine get her Yamaha out there and push herself for every opportunity she was given.  Forty minute sessions in 100+ degree temps while wearing full leathers is not for the faint of heart.  Not gonna lie, I was intimidated, but then I watched as women got out there and pushed themselves and their bikes.  They were all smiles, they encouraged each other, they were competitive.  There was a girl who was only 14 & she was smoking the others in the corners.  On her 300cc bike she wasn’t as fast in the straightaways, but she made up for it in the curves.  I spoke to an older lady who was riding a BMW sport touring bike that told me it was her first track day.  I won’t be so rude as to assume her age but I was excited to learn that this was her first time on a track and that she was having a blast taking her bike out there.

I like all motorcycles and it’s becoming clear that adventure bikes are my shtick, but if finances allow for it I may begin looking for a used or inexpensive sport bike to get out there and test my skills.  I’d like to put that pressure on myself to grow as a rider and expand my knowledge concerning bikes.  I may not be as awesome as some of the other ladies.  The 14 year old was not only a great rider but she was super cute and sweet.  She’s doing more than posting selfies and chasing trends, she’s experiencing life.  The ladies on the track were diverse.  Younger, older, brown people, white people, some may have been rich, others maybe not so much, but they all came together to do something they enjoyed and even in the heat I saw plenty smiles. These ladies were living their lives, not sitting behind screens.  

Pictured above in yellow is my fellow girl biker YamahaGRLr6. She was the one I have to thank for allowing me to tag along for track day. I also have her to thank for learning a little more about riding. Here’s a shot of her rear tire after a few laps on the track…

…which gives a nice visualization of that phrase “burning rubber.” All to often people want to beat their chest and pontificate about how awesome they are at this or that, and maybe it’s true maybe it’s not, but when you have the opportunity to actually see it, words are unnecessary. Real bad asses are people of action. These women weren’t braggarts, they had competitive drive and yet they came off of the track encouraging each other.  It has been my experience that the truly daring are doers.  The ones who push themselves and are familiar with failure and with success alike are the ones I like spending time with, they’ve seen both sides and they didn’t give up.  When trying new things and pushing yourself sometimes it’s necessary to adjust fire or change course but you don’t give up.  I have a girl in college and a teenager still at home and I want them to know both failure and success.  It’s hard to watch them fall, but I know that it’s a necessary part of life and it builds character.

Whatever your interest, do yourself a favor and dive in a little.  I don’t want to live in a world where the screens have taken over, especially when those screens spew hatred.  Yes, there are icky people in the world, but there are awesome ones too.  There’s a Sunday school song from my childhood that I’m reminded of…

“This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine…”

There’s plenty of people with different ideas than me and that’s okay as long as we can still be kind to each other and share the light!

It’s been a minute since my last blog post.  My most recent trip was up to Tennessee and into the Blue Ridge Mountains with a few gal pals with bikes.  We planned to meet up for a women’s riding event and scout out the area a bit.  This was the first time I’ve ridden in that area without hubster.  I would also be making the six and a half hour trip to meet my pals on my own, so yeah… plenty of time to think and get inside my own head.

For someone who has struggled for years with silence and just being left alone with my own thoughts, this trip was a bit of a challenge.  Sure I have the music streaming through the helmet speakers, but how many times can I go through a playlist without getting a little crazy.  Not to mention, I use my land nav through my Cardo Pack Talk and I didn’t want to drain the battery.  It started out nice enough, a beautiful morning sunrise, the fog rolling off the countryside, cars headed to work making me smile because I wasn’t one of them.  I was excited to meet my pals so anticipation pushed me forward.  The anticipation continued until Atlanta where it was replaced by another emotion, frustration.

Can we go off topic for just a moment and describe traffic in and around Atlanta?  There was once a SNL skit about one of the few times it snowed there and it is still one of my favorite skits to date.  I’m a habitual speeder so when I say people are speeding, know that it’s coming from one who loves to accelerate.  Then there are the roads.  I am from Alabama and people here think our roads are bad.  I can only guess these people haven’t traveled to some of the crater marked locations outside Alabama that I have.  There were a few times that I hit said crater on particular spots of Atlanta’s interstate that made me thank Jesus that I was on an ADV bike.  There’s the heat of the south that one who travels by motorcycle must endure when traffic comes to a stop.  Hubster always likes to serenade me in these moments, “…chestnuts roasting on an open fire…,” and while I was traveling alone, his song popped into my head yet again.  While our anatomy may be different, the feeling of sweat running down your back and the smell of asphalt aren’t how I want to spend my time.  However, Atlanta is a city I must endure in order to get to some of my favorite riding destinations so it must be done.  I decided then I will find a different way back, I will make the time.

One of the plus’s to motorcycle travel is the interaction with strangers, thankfully most of mine have been kind strangers.  You’ll get a creepy weirdo from time to time but ’tis life.  Prior to my trip I had purchased a leg bag to transfer the contents of my regular purse to, which made for more convenience during refueling stops.  I’ve jokingly referred to it as my “kick ass” fanny pack, hubster called it the Lara Croft starter bag, & my coworkers told me it’s a fanny pack that’s cool, lol!  I tell you about the leg bag because it was the source of yet another positive interaction with a stranger.  In particular, a pleasant young Waffle House waitress.  She loved the leg bag so much she had me find it on Amazon for her.  The bag opened up conversation about riding motorcycles and I feel like I left Waffle House with a little more than a belly full of smothered covered hash browns. I think another woman became interested in riding motorcycles and that is always cool.

I finally met up with my gals pals and we made our plans to ride through The Dragon and around the area.  Turned out this was going to be a rainy weekend but these ladies were great.  They were confident enough riders to be able to handle a few rain drops, but they also had enough sense to know when we needed to call it a day and find a place to chill while the storm passes.  We were attending the She Rides Moto event at Smoky Mountain Harley Davidson.  This was for sure a very cool dealership, complete with a bar and grill, concert venue, and an area for stunt riders to perform.  The women from the She Rides Moto event were super nice and there was a pretty cool swag bag given out.

My gal pals were on completely different bikes than myself.  Here I was on the Triumph Tiger, one friend on a Ducati Scrambler, and another on a Harley Davidson Dyna with some ape hangers.  Not gonna lie, the apes freaked me out a bit considering we were planning a ride through The Dragon and I’m not an ape hanger gal. My fears however, were completely put to rest when I realized I should’ve let ape hanger lead our group through The Dragon because I was slowing her down!  Mad props to mini apes, you have my respect!  I should’ve realized this chick had been on bikes her whole life and hails from West Virginia, curves are a normal part of her ride.

Scrambler was out riding on a new bike and was reminded of the importance of correct suspension adjustment.  Thankfully, no issues, she knew her bike well enough to know something didn’t feel right in the corners.  We ladies discussed it, made a few phone calls and some adjustments. It felt good to know that us gals knew our bikes well enough to get it figured out.  She knew what to do, although can I just say to the people who design the tools for these tool bags, ERGONOMIC HANDLES WOULD BE NICE!  All was well however, I think she enjoyed her ride a lot more after she made the necessary adjustments.

I had a tiny mishap on this trip, it was actually the same mishap I had on my last solo trip.  I dropped my bike while standing still.  This is always the most embarrassing thing ever.  This time it was in front of the Harley Davidson dealership in front of everyone I had just spoken to about how the Tiger was not too tall for me.  So yeah, pride-0, reality of being a human capable of mistakes-100.  While embarrassing, it’s these little mishaps that keep us humble.  I want to thank all of the ladies that ran up to help, for not razzing me about it and being super cool in the aftermath.  The Tiger sustained no damage aside from a tiny scratch on the underside of the roll cage, character lines!

Our last night a few of us stayed at The Iron Horse Motorcycle Lodge. I recommend this place to any motorcyclist traveling that area. Wonderful accommodations, friendly people, the chance to hang with other bikers, and reasonable rates. They had information like maps and rentals, all things convenient for bikers. I could go on and on about the place, but really, check it out. It was a beautiful area and a nice relaxing spot to rest our last night before heading back to the daily grind. One last shout out to another great spot to hang or stay was the Tapoco Lodge. This was another scenic place with good food and friendly people. I really love this area!

It was an amazing weekend but it ended too quickly and it was time to get back home.  What is the title for this blog again?  Oh yeah, “The Sound of Silence.”  So in my avoidance of the good ole ATL, I had to trick Google maps into thinking my destination was somewhere in northeast Bama.  Google maps gave me like 5 different routes, all though Atlanta, so I had to get creative.  This meant I would be in unknown territory and needed my land nav, so no music, yay…

This particular day of solo riding started with me taking in the beautiful scenery of North Carolina, Georgia, & Alabama but then somewhere along the way I got inside my head. My bike has been running perfectly but now every engine noise, every bump, every change of the gears began to freak me out. At one point I’m sure I looked crazy as I pulled over to the side of the road and held my front tire between my knees and pushed the handlebars back and forth. I had convinced myself something felt wobbly but as it turned out, everything was fine. I had went through The Dragon, been rained on, ride around in gravel, dropped my bike, & none of that shook me. However, give me a perfectly beautiful day with no issues or distractions and my brain decides to venture into the dark space. Worry creeps into thought and darkens reality.

I don’t know about any of you, but worry is an emotion that often plagued my mind. Believe it or not, this is another reason motorcycling has been good for me, it challenges those emotions and this particular trip was no different. At some point the reality of the day set in, beautiful skies, a mechanically solid bike, and common sense. I dumped the negativity and enjoyed the rest of my day. I made a small pit stop outside of Montgomery, AL to the area where the movie Big Fish was filmed, a cute little spot for sure.

So anywho, when those “visions” get planted in your brain & they are worrisome or negative in nature, it’s always nice to stop and refocus. You might just be missing out on some wonderful sunshine and beautiful scenery!

It’s been a minute since I’ve sat to write. Winter had my bike parked and then there was that hurricane Michael business that had to be dealt with. It’s good to be back in the saddle now that my roof has been repaired (sort of) and the weather has shifted (sort of). We’re in tornado season now, ugh! Thankfully, my family and property only suffered minimal damages. I say this while realizing many others lost SO MUCH MORE. So it’s with humble gratitude that I move forward.

My maiden two wheeled ride of the season took me through areas still in recovery from storms. Blue plastic tarps and upturned tree roots are a reminder of what happened and of the resilience of people who call this area home. Humankind can be kind of amazing that way, we endure.

The storms and the loss have caused me to think on matters close to home, my family. Hubster and I have one kid who is doing well in college and our youngest who is at home. Clearly I’m a gal who sees the value in having a hobby and our youngest has expressed his interest in motorcycles so we decided it was time to introduce him.

We’ve been discussing it for several months and my mom instincts were tingling quite a bit. Every horror story scenario played through my head & emotion was in danger of taking over. Thankfully I’m married to Mr. Logical and we talked through things rationally. We are a safety first family regarding motorcycling and if our son was to eventually ride someday, why not teach him and allow him to explore this world of motorcycling while he is still under our wing?

We settled on the Kawasaki KLX 250 as a beginner bike. Basically a dirt bike with turn signals. It’s light, it’s fun, and it isn’t an overwhelming amount of power for a new rider.

This bike also comes with the added bonus of my being able to ride it a little as I explore some off road riding.

Day one with the Green Monster (what I’m gonna call the Kawi until my son names it) was great. My son took to riding like a fish to water. Within 10 minutes he understood the gears and using smooth wrist/hand movements with regards to clutch and throttle. He followed hubsters instructions well and didn’t go speed crazy as we had him do open laps around a field. He was a natural, which helped to alleviate some of my anxiety. This was probably not how hubster felt when it was my turn to take the Green Monster for a spin.

When I first got on this little 250, I was thinking, “Wow this little thing weighs nothing,” and I took off. I mean I REALLY took off! Remember that whole safety first thing I mentioned? Yeah, well I had a moment today. I wore boots and a helmet but my arms were completely exposed. Not my finest moment, a fun one but not my finest. I jumped some field mounds and even got a little air, and then I almost dumped it. My posturing was all wrong and my front end went down way too hard and I almost went with it. Pucker factor was in full effect.

Those bushes are full of briars. Thankfully I didn’t dump it, at the very least I would’ve been rocking some gnarly scuffs and scratches from the brush around the field. It was time to stop and reset and also allow hubster to calm down as well. My son got to witness what not to do and we’ve had a day long after action review led by hubster.

Later in the day I took Sarge (Triumph Tiger) off road and went a bit slower. I don’t have the aggressive off road tires on Sarge but the bike performed well, we did not get any air but Sarge handled the rough terrain with ease. This is my sweet spot. I haven’t given up on dirt biking after my maiden voyage today but the ADV bike allows me a great ride while I experience more of nature.

I am thankful for zero injuries today and also for lessons learned. Just because I ride one style of make doesn’t mean I’m an expert on another style of bike. I was also reminded that I like my skin and I paid good money for my tattoos, so GEAR, ALWAYS WEAR GEAR!

As for my son, he’s a pretty happy kid right now and he was reading the motorcycle owner’s manual on the porch with hubster this evening. Bonding with our kids is one of our biggest responsibilities as parents, it’s also the biggest joy. I kick myself constantly for not spending more time with my daughter when she was still at home.

“…and the cat’s in the cradle and the silver spoon…”

She’s a great gal and we have a wonderful relationship, you just learn a lot of lessons on that first kid. We learned that our daughter staying busy with hobbies during school kept her focused and out of trouble & we plan to encourage our son to stay just as busy with positive activities. For now it appears he’ll like the two wheeled experience, and if that should continue to be the case I can have some peace of mind that we taught him responsibility with a bike, even if the lesson was what not to do😊.

I have been in the beginning stages of planning a cross country trip on Sarge (Triumph Tiger XCX) and this led to conversations with hubster about how many miles a biker can reasonably ride in a day and be able to do it all over again the next day.  From southeast Alabama to San Antonio is a trip I have made in a day several times by car.  That stretch of I10 and I are well acquainted with it’s Emerald Coast, battleship, casinos, and swamps.I wanted to ride from home to San Anton’ in one trip.  The hubster had doubts about my ability to pick up and ride the next day should I attempt it.  So I did what any good stubborn southern woman would do, I argued and decided to put my theory to the test. We were planning a trip up to Ohio to visit my daughter in college and see some of our biker pals and I figured this trip would be a great little test run.  We’d haul Sarge up on the back of the truck and I’d ride Sarge all the way back with hubster close by with the truck should my stubborn energy fail.  We took off from Columbus, Ohio early morning for our return trip and made plans to take a few fun detours.I learned a few things on this all day motorcycle ride like how I don’t care for straight interstate travel that long, how great the stock seat on the Triumph Tiger really is, and how much I love cruise control on a bike.  I learned the importance of taking breaks and stretching.  I also learned that everyone texts and drives now so that’s kinda scary.  All in all it was shaping up to be a good day until I received some not so great news from home.  This is where my story is going to take a turn from bikes to another subject near and dear to my heart and that is the subject of our beloved furry family members.About 11 years ago our family was returning from an overseas duty station and we decided we would find a four legged buddy for our daughter and that is when we met Tito.  We decided on a Boston terrier b/c I love their tenacity of spirit.  I has one as a child and I though this would be a great friend for our girl.  To say Tito is loved by my daughter is an understatement.  From day one Tito proved he was a tank.  Tito hiked his leg to pee on hubster once (only once), Tito picked fights with dobermans and German shepherds, Tito was Napoleon.  Tito was also the most loyal friend my daughter had through her formative years.  He comforted her when she cried, he became excited when she entered the room.  He made it clear to her first boyfriend that he was her pal and didn’t intend on being replaced.  He didn’t do much in the ways of tricks or good behavior but the companionship he provided our girl has been invaluable.  Tito grieved her first year away for college.We considered taking Tito with us on the trip to visit our girl but decided against it.  We chose instead to leave him home for our teenage son and other family to look after until our return.  This turned out to be a mistake.  On my ride home I got a call & using my Pack Talk I was able to answer.  I received the news from family that Tito went missing.  I was flooded with worry.  This half blind, half deaf dog was the one family member my daughter makes it a point to call and check on.  We sent her a life size cardboard cutout of Tito’s photo her first year in the dorms.  How was I going to tell her he was missing?When we arrived home late that night I was tired and wet from the rain and I stayed on the bike to do loops around the neighborhood looking for our beloved furry pal.  The next morning I crawled through swamps to find him, hubster crawled through brush and went down roads, we knocked on doors.  No sign of Tito.  We looked, we grieved, we decided that he was old and that he’d never left home before, maybe he meant to go.  Maybe Tito leaving was his way of saying goodbye.  We gave it a week of searches and questioning neighbors and then we decided that we must tell our daughter that Tito was gone.

This pivotal moment is when we considered that we didn’t want our daughter resenting our son for perceived negligence and we didn’t want her wondering and grieving about what ill fated end Tito faced.  We decided to lie.  Now as lies go you are never really done with just one lie, they must be layered and intricately webbed in order for the narrative to fit.  We told her he was old and that we woke to find that he’d passed away peacefully in his sleep.  I felt guilty when I said it, but I reconciled that it must be done.  I later had dreams about Tito being lost in the woods suffering, and that haunted me.  Lies can often bring such stress.  Tito had been with us for so long.  Tito had been attacked by a coyote only a year earlier and had survived and now our negligence led to his demise.  Our daughter must never know.  We extended the layers of lies to family and friends to ensure our girl wouldn’t find out.  It would become our dark family secret.So I must state that I know lying is wrong but I told myself that this time it was okay.  I guess the good Lord had other plans b/c this week I get a text from hubster, “Guess who decided to show up?”  The next text was a pic of our half blind boston terrier with his bent ear.  Tito was a bit skinnier than usual, a little roughed up, but otherwise fine.  Of course I was happy that Tito was back but I was also feeling guilt and stress over the next phone call I would have to make.  I decided to employ the band aid method, do it quick and get it over with.  Thankfully our girl didn’t explode into a rage, she was happy Tito was alive.  She wanted details of his current state of being and assurance that his highness (or in this case his blindness) would be escorted properly on his trips outside.  My girl was happy and Tito was home.Who knows how many more months or years we have left with “the tank” but I’m happy to have them.  Dogs are God’s way of reminding us that there is good in the world, despite our evil, despite our lies.  I wish we did better by them.  Granted, I didn’t share much in the way of bikes this week but I guess the lesson for me to learn this week is that dishonesty never pays.  My daughter understood why but now trust has been broken and that isn’t easily repaired.  She isn’t angry with us but sometimes we adults tend to overthink it and don’t give our kids credit for being able to handle the hard stuff, it’s a mistake.  Kids are resilient and truth is always the right course of action.  I guess there’s really no such thing as a “sweet little lie.” There is a such thing as tenacious little stubborn dogs. Much like I needed to prove to hubster that I could ride that many miles and still be okay (& I was… sort of) that little stinking dog proved to me he wasn’t down for the count yet. Maybe that’s why I like him, we have a share sense of stubbornness!

Oh and before I forget, to the family and friends that I lied to about the dog, I sincerely apologize.  It came from a good place but it was clearly wrong!

I grew up in the south, a land plagued with a past but rich with culture.  Of course I’m biased, but we boast some of my favorite food, and music today (across all genres) would not be what it is had it not been for the Delta region and the blues influence.  Sometimes there is sweet in the sour, I’ll let you meditate on that a bit.  Percy Sledge recorded the ever famous, “When A Man Loves A Woman” in Sheffield, AL.  The late great Aretha Franklin recorded some of her most memorable hits at FAME studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama.  This particular area of Alabama boasts some other first recordings by other great artists.  Growing up in the Bible Belt, I didn’t appreciate this region’s culture nearly as much as I do today.

At the age of 18 I left this little corner of the U.S. as quickly as possible, I needed to see the world.  I saw some amazing stuff, met some amazing people, but I didn’t forget home.  I never forgot my great grand Mama Clark…

I never forgot her blackberry cobbler or her collard greens.  I never forgot her stories of life during the Great Depression, of her picking cotton in the fields, poke salad, and drinking ice water out of mason jars.  Her work ethic has stuck with me to this day.  I won’t immortalize her, she was human like we all are.  She had her hang ups but through her strengths and her flaws I found lessons, invaluable to my life.  She loved a simple man who farmed peanuts and ginned cotton, Daddy Clark…

Loving him during such a time couldn’t have been easy, but they made vows and they stuck it out through thick and thin, literally.  The past may have it’s dark spots but we would be in error to “throw the baby out with the bath water,” there’s much to be learned from the past successes and mistakes of those who came before us.  If time is an equalizer, then we are no better in this generation than the last, we just have different mistakes to make and lessons to learn.  Arrogance plagues our culture just as much as other evils.

However, this blog isn’t about history, family, music, mistakes, or successes as much as it is about bikes.  Today I took Sarge out for a spin down some south Alabama dirt roads and the ride got me all nostalgic.  I started the morning feeling down in the dumps.  Who knows why?  Hormones? The monotony of life?  Aretha’s passing reminding me that mainstream music is declining?  Maybe something else more personal?  Either way, I said a little prayer asking Jesus for peace of whatever it was plaguing my mind and then decided to get out and play with the off road riding mode on the Tiger to clear my head.

Anyhoo… feeling depressed, I jump on the bike and hit some dirt roads and boom, immediate mood enhancer.  I didn’t know honeysuckle was still in bloom at this time of year but there was a sweet smell from my past that hit my nostrils and flooded my memory with images of Mama Clark and Daddy Clark, growing up with little but feeling like we had a lot, family, food, and most importantly faith.  It was faith that has gotten me through every hardship that I’ve faced.

I wasn’t really lost, I grew up on these red clay roads, but it’s been a few years.  My head stopped worrying about the daily grind of life and traveled back to a place of youth that made me happy.  A place of dirt roads, good food, south Alabama heat, and family.  I had thoughts of feeling blessed.  There’s been a lot of bad, but there’s a lot of good too, and being out in God’s creation reminded me of His blessing.  Don’t get me wrong, I love spending time in the city but you can’t see the stars under a canopy of florescent light and smog will choke out the sweet smell of honeysuckle.  I can’t take credit for the first part of that last statement, that was a point inspired by Dr. Martin Luther King.  On two wheels I feel the wind against my body, the sweat rolling down my back, and nature inviting me in.  I feel connected to God and His creation.

This was the maiden voyage of Sarge in the dirt.  Granted, we can’t really call this off road, it’s a dirt road, but I’m an off road newbie so I take baby steps and anyway not all of the dirt roads in Geneva County, Alabama are maintained regularly but I like it that way.  A little nature creeping back in is a good thing.  Don’t ask me why but I began this venture by putting the bike into rain mode???  Anyway I finally got it in the normal off road mode, and on some of the less developed roads Sarge and I had a bit of fun.  There was some back tire sliding and some choking out the motor but I managed it without dumping the bike.

The comfort I feel as a rider on this bike really allowed me the ability to take a stroll down memory lane and hit the mental reset button.  When I felt the back tire slide, it felt like controlled movement, not chaos, which allowed this off road newbie to enjoy her morning.  Maybe I was overdue for some saddle time, maybe I’ve let the media and all it’s crap seep back into my head, but I’m glad it’s out now.

“Let’s start with the church.  As you know, It’s my background, it’s a natural setting for me and it’s definitely my roots.”

“Soul is a constant.  It’s cultural.  It’s always going to be there in different flavors and degrees.”

-Aretha Franklin

As I sit here and type I’m enjoying some tunes from one of history’s great soul singers and some from country music legend Miss Patsy Cline.  They may be different ladies but they both sound amazing.  I’m thankful for different songs sang, lessons learned, motorcycles ridden, lives lived, my own roots, and being loved by a good God.  Now time to wash Sarge.  He may be rugged, but his current state will never pass the hubster’s detailed inspection…

So the big news in the world of motorcycles this week is Harley Davidson’s plans to change things up over the next few years. Cycle World, details the proposed changes in their article. It’s worth a look if you’re a motorcycle enthusiast and haven’t read it yet. I say, it’s about time. I’m not quite sure about the direction they’re headed but hey, I’m an open minded gal. I remember when choppers were the craze a few years back and Honda gave us the Fury. The popularity of shows like Orange County Choppers I’m sure helped in this trend. It looked really cool until you realized that many of those shiny parts were plastic. I’m not an economist so I couldn’t give you the stats on how successful that endeavor was but it couldn’t have been too much of a flop because it was still in production as of 2017. The idea of a production chopper seemed somewhat of an oxymoron to me, but to each their own & I don’t mean that smugly.

As of late, I’ve seen insults flung about on various bike forums regarding HD & the changes and I don’t get it.  If you’re a purist and you love your brand/style of motorcycle then more power to you.  If you’re like me & open to various types of rides then changes are exciting.  Anything to get more people riding is awesome. My hope is that companies like HD look at buyer trends and pricing.  You’d be hard pressed to find a twenty something with an average income that is willing to drop $25k or more on something like a motorcycle.  HD isn’t the only pricey motorcycle manufacturer either.  Have you seen the price tags on new sport bikes?  Who wants to start life shackled with unnecessary debt?  Isn’t motorcycling supposed to be about freedom?  I hope HD considers this when marketing it’s new models.  The boomers continue to age and the millennials are the ones spending money now.  I hope the motorcycle companies give them a reason to fall in love with this hobby and keep coming back.  Nothing wrong with the past but give the young’uns something they will enjoy and can afford.

There’s an event that I have yet to attend, but am making serious plans for future attendance.  From what I have learned the Handbuilt Motorcycle Show is an event in which various Bike builders have the opportunity to showcase their hard work and ingenuity in building bikes. Crazy amazing creations that I can’t wait to view in person. Events like this inspire my imagination and creativity.  What an awesome way to interest young idealists to the world of motorcycles?  If large companies want to stay on top they may want to consider sponsoring or hosting events like this in attracting new customers. You can celebrate a brand without being a sellout.  My Pearl is a HD and once she’s rebuilt, she’ll still have the heart of an American V-twin.  Unlike monogamy in marriage, I’m allowed to love a wide array of motorcycles and still be of good moral character!  Sarge (my Triumph Tiger) is my newest fling and it’s so much fun to ride for completely different reasons.  I applaud Harley’s efforts but as far as adventure bikes go, they are going to have some stiff competition.  The idea of a HD adventure bike is really just beyond my ability to imagine as of yet, but hey who knows?  I like HD for the sound, the nostalgia, and the ability to go crazy custom on a Sporty with relative ease.

A great place to really indulge in my love of all motorcycles is the Barber Motorsports Museum. This facility boasts a wide selection of motorcycles, ATVs, a few cars, and even a lawnmower (ya gotta check out the lawnmower display). Not to mention, there is a great track at the facility as well. The hubster drags me along every year but this is one trip I enjoy.  This is a great place to introduce an interested party to the world of motorcycles.

Here’s a few shots of my little man on one of our excursions to the museum…As you can see, it’s more than just motorcycles. I don’t own stock in the place or anything but I just really enjoy it.  Mr. Barber did a fine thing with putting this collection together.

I’m a biker, I like bikes. I’m excited to see what Harley puts out, even if it’s crazy, it means they are adapting & I like to see old companies succeed. There was a great little HD mini series about the birth of the Harley Davidson brand that got me feeling all nostalgic. Not so nostalgic I’ll go out and engage in the orange and black cosplay, but the idea of a couple of regular dudes coming up with ideas in a garage is quite appealing.  Kinda like the awesome story behind the Britten motorcycle, also definitely worth checking out!  The Barber Museum actually had one of the few Britten motorcycles on display for a while.  It was a thing of beauty that you can read about here on the link, John Britten.

I think this next generation of motorcyclists and bike builders can bring some cool stuff to the world of bikes as well.  Mr. Britten was ahead of his time and taken too soon.  I’d love to see more of that type of ingenuity.  I’d also love to see a decrease in the brand bashing.  A week ago someone (another motorcyclist) noticed my helmet and commented, “Oh I was relieved when I didn’t see the bar and shield on your gear.  So your not one those Harley nuts right?”  I don’t care for any type of discrimination (I find that bikers are usually pretty cool folks) so let’s be nice and maybe, just maybe we can keep some of the nostalgia from the past while looking into some cool advances for the future.  Whatever your ride of choice, have fun and enjoy the road.  Life is too short to be a hater.

“🎶Come gather ’round people Wherever you roam and admit that the waters around you have grown…🎶” -Bob Dylan

I have been planning on another type of bike for a few months now, diligently reading and researching models and options based on the type of riding I am wanting to do.  Now before I am accused of cheating on Pearl, I am still very much attached to my HD Roadster, it’s just she’s currently undergoing her makeover and I needed a new ride, not to mention, Pearl will eventually be the beautiful southern pageant queen the bike builders, BL Machining, and I am dreaming she can become (minus the sequins and tiara of course).  It wasn’t very lady like for her to pose for this photo but here she is all naked, gasp! What can I say, she’s an exhibitionist.  So with the disclaimers out of the way regarding Pearl, let me introduce Sarge…  I’ll let you guess as to why this OD green Triumph Tiger 800 xcx is named Sarge.  I mean what can you expect from a couple of enlisted Army vets?  And besides Sarge looks good all camo & out in nature.  Here we have the Tiger in it’s natural habitat…

“Tyger Tyger, burning bright, In the forests of the night; What immortal hand or eye, Could frame thy fearful symmetry…

…What the hammer? what the chain, In what furnace was thy brain?  What the anvil? what dread grasp, Dare it’s deadly terrors clasp?…”   -William Blake

Much like one of my favorite poems, the Triumph Tiger also finds it’s origins in the land across the water 🇬🇧. I want to start by stating how I never even considered this bike.  I wanted a Honda Africa Twin and as these things usually go I become quite rigid in my thinking once my mind has been made up.  I had watched the YouTube vids, did image searches, read blogs, pretty much followed everything Honda AT related.  This rigid mindset was folly on my part b/c at 5′ 5″ I’m not what you’d call a tall gal, it may not have even worked out that I could ride it.  The Honda AT is a tall bike as it should be, it’s for adventures after all.  The Honda AT was to be my bike.  I had the next 5 years of adventure already planned in my head.  I read the reviews on seat adjustment for height and I have no issues tiptoeing it on hubster’s KTM.  We located dealerships, made some calls, and all that was needed was for me to finally sit on the bike in the lowered seat position, make the purchase, and ride her home. The hubster attempted suggesting alternatives but I wasn’t hearing it.

“Life is what happens while you are busy making other plans.”  -John Lennon

Life has a knack for abruptly switching gears despite what you want & one would think I’d learned this lesson but, hey I’m stubborn.  I won’t go bashing a dealership by name in my blog but I will say that if you’re a salesman and you know ahead of time that a customer is driving 2 1/2 hours to your dealership then have your ducks in a row b/c they are serious about purchasing.  I also won’t re hash all the details of how my time was wasted and the blatant disregard for customer service, but long story short they wouldn’t let the Bike leave the dealership until 2 days later over a paperwork issue that, had we known ahead of time, wouldn’t have been an issue. They were also kind of pushy about having us finance through Honda instead of our bank, at a higher percentage rate, seriously?!?!?!  Never be afraid to walk away! We were polite in leaving but the salesman and staff cared little about our time and I have the final say in where I spend my money, I’d rather spend it where customers are valued.  Since we had a 2 1/2 hour drive back home I decided to do a simple Google search of other motorcycle dealerships in the area & found this little gem of a dealership, DandD Cycles. Already feeling kinda bummed, I didn’t expect to buy anything at this point but as a lover of all things motorcycle, & the lack of European bike dealers in my hometown, I thought looking at some Italian beauties might cheer me up.  We arrived and were greeted by a salesman who spoke to us a bit and gave us space to explore, he stayed close by for any questions we had.  Looking across the showroom floor I immediately spotted the Triumph Tiger 800 xcx.  I knew of this bike previously and gave it a passing glance in photos, the pics just didn’t do this bike justice.  In person I loved the look of this bike and actually preferred it to the Honda AT.  The sticker price on the bike set me back a bit, this was a bit more than I was looking to spend.  “Excuse me, Mr. Salesman…”  I’m glad this guy knew his stuff because he informed me about some standard Tiger options that I didn’t get with the Honda AT.  Items like the 12v port, gel seat, crash bars, heated grips, beefy-er skid plate, and more; all aftermarket options that I had planned on purchasing for the Honda AT.  This difference made the pricing competitive with that of the Honda, not to mention this dealership wasn’t trying to force some other financing option down my throat.  It was decided, I was buying a Tiger!  The owner, a woman, came out to greet us, as well as the service department and we discussed routine maintenance and controls.The seating position of the Tiger was comparable to that of the Honda AT but the seat on the Tiger was much more comfortable to me.  Not having ridden the AT, I can’t give any feedback on riding it, but if it is as well balanced as the Tiger then do not be intimidated by the height.  The Tiger has easily adjustable high and low seating positions, and I use the low.  I am still on tip toes but it matters little b/c this bike is so well balanced that sitting at red lights I only need my toe to merely touch the ground ever so slightly to maintain keeping the bike upright.  I’m sure most of you will know what I mean about that “point of no return” spot on a bike that when standing still if it leans too far it isn’t getting back up despite your best thigh muscle efforts, well after 2 days of riding I haven’t found that spot on the Tiger yet.  I’m sure I will soon but I’m in no hurry to get it off road quite yet, but with the variety of riding modes available on this bike I have high expectations.  Again, this bike is balanced very well.  The controls light up ever so slightly at night, eliminating that fumbling around in the dark and the joy stick on the left control easily toggles through the various display screens.  The display screen adjusts to the outside lighting.  I spent all day riding with the Alabama sun beating directly down on me and was still able to see the display screen with ease. If you are in the market for an adventure bike look at all the options available.  So far the Tiger has left me smiling.  Don’t settle for crap customer service, if you’re like me, you work hard for your money and a motorcycle purchase should be fun.  I want to thank the folks at DandD in Pensacola, FL for making the process fun, introducing me to Sarge, and allowing me to end this post with that catchy Stones tune that we began with, 🎶”…but if you try sometimes well you might find you get what you need.”🎶  I needed some wind therapy today.