tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13801673874079667722024-03-13T17:37:44.195-07:00Desert MotoRattwo wheeled tales from the burning pigeonDesert MotoRathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12779179896185992653noreply@blogger.comBlogger13125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1380167387407966772.post-60792548335433060912011-01-16T20:46:00.000-08:002011-01-16T20:46:20.303-08:00Moto Photos<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVQ-tvQ2L3D-9ZNn6AMhyphenhyphen7dIsW6Iqlrs2xp3nF2e_-kqOkb86UAijoHT-9cdf6iBqG9XFETmAy4TMLbJazv9gf82-l3h2yWKHcm0qrkdtawZJ_jraY8_Ai9PNctfzKDFTrWhZKZIpf-ORY/s1600/2011-01-15_JJR-101-2-wEB.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVQ-tvQ2L3D-9ZNn6AMhyphenhyphen7dIsW6Iqlrs2xp3nF2e_-kqOkb86UAijoHT-9cdf6iBqG9XFETmAy4TMLbJazv9gf82-l3h2yWKHcm0qrkdtawZJ_jraY8_Ai9PNctfzKDFTrWhZKZIpf-ORY/s320/2011-01-15_JJR-101-2-wEB.jpg" width="256" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4KVuoANOx5Oxq0VDUPtBamHgGRWMEmRhQHKuuT233hA2cHvaVnSYWgg-NVrIwxgEBDO0Z0Jqr7fa_t4xfCInj_drE_CbJr-gITo5r2lWbUZvwSzJtm0JWSUghKfKPwUbb0VbOzs567HZ6/s1600/2011-01-15_JJR-103-WEB.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4KVuoANOx5Oxq0VDUPtBamHgGRWMEmRhQHKuuT233hA2cHvaVnSYWgg-NVrIwxgEBDO0Z0Jqr7fa_t4xfCInj_drE_CbJr-gITo5r2lWbUZvwSzJtm0JWSUghKfKPwUbb0VbOzs567HZ6/s320/2011-01-15_JJR-103-WEB.jpg" width="256" /></a></div>I've been wanting a portrait of my bike and me for quite some time. My wife has been into photography for a couple of years and I've been bugging her to take a photos of my bike for a while. She finally found a place to take the photos and we finally found the time to load up her equipment and give it a try. We were inspired by two different moto portraits; this one of <a href="http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=https://www.morrisonhotelgallery.com/images/medium/BB%2520King%2520on%2520mc.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.taringa.net/posts/imagenes/7579123/Behind-the-Music____.html&usg=__eRAZAKAR1gaoFHDp2GT-5WWUrVo=&h=490&w=489&sz=29&hl=en&start=0&sig2=AN5R5nje9TRuzX_pSNNiYQ&zoom=1&tbnid=BjjhodDfU51l2M:&tbnh=134&tbnw=135&ei=RcYzTYmgAYz6sAOZ0o2vBQ&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dtim%2Bwhite%2Bbb%2Bking%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26sa%3DN%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-US:official%26biw%3D1440%26bih%3D696%26tbs%3Disch:1&um=1&itbs=1&iact=hc&vpx=244&vpy=70&dur=443&hovh=161&hovw=161&tx=85&ty=99&oei=M8YzTfz9EoLksQPo3c3FBQ&esq=4&page=1&ndsp=32&ved=1t:429,r:1,s:0">B.B. King by Tim White</a> and <a href="http://www.zarias.com/one-from-austin/">this one by Zack Arias</a>. For those of you that are photography buffs you know that these are some pretty big shoes to fill. I think she did a great job and am very pleased with the results. There were two images that we both liked but I can't decide which one I like better. One I think looks more like me, and the other is a more interesting photo. Instead of thinking too hard I just posted them both. Desert MotoRathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12779179896185992653noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1380167387407966772.post-4898240204707469512010-11-08T13:22:00.000-08:002010-11-08T13:22:52.586-08:00IN DEFENSE OF THE SPORTSTER<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:OfficeDocumentSettings> <o:RelyOnVML/> <o:AllowPNG/> </o:OfficeDocumentSettings> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves/> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:DoNotPromoteQF/> <w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther> <w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/> <w:DontVertAlignCellWithSp/> <w:DontBreakConstrainedForcedTables/> <w:DontVertAlignInTxbx/> <w:Word11KerningPairs/> <w:CachedColBalance/> </w:Compatibility> <m:mathPr> <m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/> <m:brkBin m:val="before"/> <m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/> <m:smallFrac m:val="off"/> <m:dispDef/> <m:lMargin m:val="0"/> <m:rMargin m:val="0"/> <m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/> <m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/> <m:intLim m:val="subSup"/> <m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/> </m:mathPr></w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
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</style> <![endif]--> <div class="MsoNormal">I was recently on the receiving end of a snide comment from a fellow rider.<span> </span>The gist of it was "yeah but it's not a real Harley".<span> </span>My response was " Why?<span> </span><span> </span>because it doesn't weigh the same as a small car?".<span> </span>One of the guys I used to ride with called it a "girls bike".<span> </span>The same fellow also said that if I let him ride it he would tear up the streets.<span> </span>I guess because his Heritage Classic wasn't much good at tearing up the streets, and it definitely wasn't worth crap going around corners. (Not to mention keeping it upright!)<span> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span> </span>Despite the fact that the Sportster can be much maligned (even by some salesmen at certain dealerships) it actually has some qualities that I appreciate.<span> </span>First off the economy.<span> </span>My Sporty gets between 50 and 60 mpg, which is pretty respectable for a 1200.<span> </span>And it was only $8000 new, there weren't a whole lot of bikes of any brand that come much cheaper than that.</div><div class="MsoNormal">It <span> </span>sounds like a Harley ( I happen to like a bit of noise coming from the pipes).<span> </span>I think the old saying "loud pipes save lives" is ridiculous.<span> </span>You either like the sound of a loud bike or you don't.<span> </span>Although I must admit that when I drove it off the lot it didn't have much of a rumble, but nothing a good hole saw to the baffles couldn't fix.<span> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal">I love the classic styling of the Sportsters. <span> </span>I can't remember how many times people have mistaken my bike for vintage, commented that my bike is in great shape, and then are surprised when they find out it's a 2005.<span> </span>The Sportster line is one of Harley's longest lived models , dating back to the fifties,<span> </span>and quite honestly until they incorporated fuel injection in 2006 it hasn't changed a whole heck of a lot.</div><div class="MsoNormal">But the thing I like most about the Sportster is that it's a "jack of all trades"<span> </span>It doesn't do anything great but it does most things decent.<span> </span>It's light enough <span> </span>that it can handle dirt roads with no problems, <span> </span>it's got enough power to keep with bigger bikes on the freeways, and It doesn't always scrape foot pegs going around corners. <span> </span>I can haul enough gear on it for a three day camping trip.<span> </span>(Although I don't think I'd like to ride two up for long distance.)<span> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal">All in all the Sportster is a great all around bike for me, and honestly the only Harley I have a desire to ever <span> </span>own. <span> </span><span> </span><span> </span></div>Desert MotoRathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12779179896185992653noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1380167387407966772.post-61696918116717051212010-09-15T19:51:00.000-07:002010-09-15T19:51:50.478-07:00BACK IN THE SADDLE AGAIN: AND OUT OF IT AS WELL<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">After an extended hiatus I'm back to my blog. I looked at my last post and realized that more than two years have passed, and what a two years it has been. I went on a "wild ride", one that included a career change, the loss of my mother, turning forty and the gain of a lot of insight into who I am ( and who I'm not).</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
Over the last two years I went from an uninspired truck driver/equipment operator to a middle school science teacher and came back full circle to an unemployed (by choice) truck driver. The two years I spent teaching was a huge learning experience. I learned that I can do things that I never thought were possible for me to do. I learned a tremendous amount about other people, how to build relationships, how to manage crowds and how to manage my own feelings. I also learned that just because you can be good at something doesn't mean that you should spend a good portion of your life doing it. Putting it simply, just because you can be a good teacher doesn't mean you should be a teacher. In the two years of middle school teaching I think I aged ten years both physically and mentally. I learned that I wasn't into working 14+ hour days for $35,000 a year. I learned that public school teachers are the most underpaid underappreciated profession going. And the whole summers off thing is a myth, to further your teaching career you need to spend much of the summer getting advanced degrees and doing professional development courses. It's most definitely a labor of love, if you don't love don't try it!</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Well, seeing this is a motorcycle blog, I suppose I should write about some motorcycle stuff. My motorcycle adventures didn't stop in the past two years they only took a back seat to the rest of things going on in my life. I took a couple of trips and rode on weekends when possible, but didn't ride to work, not because I didn't want to, but because my Sporty just wasn't the best tool for carrying all of my teaching junk around (as well as the unsecured parking lot from which four teacher's cars were stolen in the two years that I worked there). Last month I took a trip worth writing about, hence the title of this post. I had my first "off" on my Sporty. Amazing what lack of focus for a few seconds can do. </div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgakpOMWAzTph-1hKYBztFSTVhL5xa4KrDk3SDbnak-X4p4N5X9qYS90Vcx39P3hsbaGeFr9nYaqpyoGkweq3VFhQ-W_RJ_TCSwZNwh4u5mUkdVLMzcHKR6uVTb6VOp7T534Jx0NxYkrCGL/s1600/2010_Motorat_Blog-103.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgakpOMWAzTph-1hKYBztFSTVhL5xa4KrDk3SDbnak-X4p4N5X9qYS90Vcx39P3hsbaGeFr9nYaqpyoGkweq3VFhQ-W_RJ_TCSwZNwh4u5mUkdVLMzcHKR6uVTb6VOp7T534Jx0NxYkrCGL/s320/2010_Motorat_Blog-103.jpg" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">My trip was to the Mogollon Rim by the town of Forest Lakes, away from the heat and desert of Phoenix. My bike was loaded down with camping gear so my center of gravity was a bit higher than on a typical ride. The spot I was heading to was on a dirt road off of a 55mph highway. I was enjoying the beauty of the mountain pines when my turn came up. I wasn't thinking about the gravel that builds up where pavement meets dirt. My back tire hit the gravel, lost traction, and started to slide. I corrected through two or three skids until my back tire hit clean asphalt at which point I high sided my poor overloaded sporty. I ended up with my right leg pinned under my bike and learned exactly how heavy a Sportster can be when it's lying on your leg. I freed my pinned leg by pushing the seat with my left foot, which actually took considerable effort. After I got out from under my bike I stood it up and looked to see If any one saw my little accident. Low and behold here comes this guy racing up on a quad to see if I was ok. I realized then that the only serious injury was to my pride. The next thing he asked was if my bike was new. My pride took over and I had to inform him that my bike was not new and that I had been riding for twenty five years, and this was the first time that I had "dumped" a street bike. He then found it necessary to inform me of the obvious; that you have to watch out for gravel and that it can be slippery. I know that he had good intentions, but I was sure happy when he left. I learned the value of good riding gear when I checked myself for injury, I had good divot in my left shin (maybe from my handlebars when I flew over my bike) and I had a good bruise on my right hip where I hit the ground. Other than that I was completely unscathed. </div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpghMvgV6Ant_juOff0IQmubRGP0Cf5NHJXZAEMEQao7NRS8zO1Dtk4TXfo8BieRZ7sgZsPdLcwAhPvtRssD2UMhLd1MPcyG-1OLd_FOoxtMBrRqERPeNmterKiH7aesmOM9RLs054caev/s1600/2010_Motorat_Blog-101.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpghMvgV6Ant_juOff0IQmubRGP0Cf5NHJXZAEMEQao7NRS8zO1Dtk4TXfo8BieRZ7sgZsPdLcwAhPvtRssD2UMhLd1MPcyG-1OLd_FOoxtMBrRqERPeNmterKiH7aesmOM9RLs054caev/s320/2010_Motorat_Blog-101.jpg" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">As far as the bike goes it had very little damage as well. The only damage was a broken buckle on my saddle bags and a good sized dent and some scratches on the bottom of my tail pipes. The rest of my trip was on dirt road and I must say it was the slowest and most cautious five miles I've ever ridden. The trip home was interesting in that my confidence was shaken from my spill, and my riding skills suffered, I was tentative and nervous the entire time. I've gone on half a dozen short to medium rides since and feel pretty confident again, but no more daydreaming and riding.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
I recently found one of my Dad's unit patches from the Air Force and I think I'm going to have it sewn to my fork bag. It reads: "CRANIUM RECTUS EXTRACTUS". Maybe it will serve to remind me to pay attention.</div>Desert MotoRathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12779179896185992653noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1380167387407966772.post-35786321662362519242008-05-30T16:28:00.000-07:002008-05-31T20:15:55.470-07:00Which first? The good news or the bad news. . .<p class="MsoNormal">Today I had the pleasure of spending most of my day at the Harley dealership. I needed a new rear tire, so I called the dealership to see if they could change it while I waited. They said no problem; it <i>should </i>only take about an hour and a half. I got there about <st1:time minute="30" hour="9">9:30 a.m.</st1:time> expecting to be home by <st1:time minute="0" hour="12">noon</st1:time>, at the latest. Well, I'm glad I brought a book along, because around <st1:time minute="30" hour="13">1:30</st1:time>, in comes my service rep, holding a severed drive belt in his hand, and a "good news/bad news" sort of look on his face. The good news was that Harley would replace my drive belt free of charge; the bad news was that I had a brand new tire with a marred sidewall which they wouldn't replace. The service rep explained that the belt "broke" when they were giving it a test drive. The tester had been stranded and they had to trailer my bike back to the shop (I guess this explained the four hour tire change). While looking at the belt, I was wondering how and why it broke, because these belts supposedly last the "lifetime" of the bike and my bike only has 12,000 miles on it. The point at which the belt failed looked like it had been cut with a razor, it had absolutely no frays. I first thought they had over tensioned it, but if that was the case I think it would have been frayed. I suppose the reason it failed will remain a mystery, at least to me. Of course I had to wait another hour and a half for them to replace the belt. On a positive note -- I almost finished my book (It's a good book and I plan on doing a review of it in a future post).</p>Desert MotoRathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12779179896185992653noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1380167387407966772.post-59930488949746751642008-05-19T16:06:00.000-07:002008-05-19T19:52:43.918-07:00But it's a dry heat<p class="MsoNormal">Yesterday was the first day over a 100 degrees this year and it's 110 right now, so I gave my <a href="http://www.cyclegear.com/spgm.cfm?item=TEI_6529-S_G">Motoboss Cooling Vest</a> a proper test today. Before today the warmest temperature that I'd used it in was 97 degrees. At that temperature it worked quite well and kept me cool for about an hour at freeway speeds (under 95 degrees I would actually get a little chilled). Before leaving work today, I completely soaked the vest (to the point that it was dripping) and it was 80% dry by the time I finished my 15 mile commute. It did, however, manage to keep my torso cool for the entire trip (I can't say the same for the rest of me). I forgot to mention that I wear my cooling vest under a Frank Thomas mesh armored jacket. The problem is that the jacket is black (I've got a Harley image to maintain ha, ha, ha), and at every stoplight it felt like my arms were going to burst into flames. Needless to say, I think I might see if I can find a jacket in light gray. The bottom line on the cooling vest is that it's great for my short commute but it won't hold up to long rides without stopping at regular intervals to wet it down.<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"> On a side note: I'd like to thank the DPS motorcycle officer who cut in front of me today (missing my front tire by about a foot or so) and changed the course of a plastic bag that I would have otherwise avoided. The said bag wrapped itself around my rear brake pedal and my right boot and before I could free my foot the bag melted to my pipes (at least I didn't lock my rear brake in the process)!</p>Desert MotoRathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12779179896185992653noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1380167387407966772.post-35396052762343570802008-05-08T16:52:00.000-07:002008-05-08T21:13:53.848-07:00The same old routine<p class="MsoNormal">There’s absolutely nothing exciting going on in my motorcycling adventures -- only the commute to work each day. My daily ride to work only gets exciting when I have to dodge still sleeping cagers at <st1:time minute="0" hour="4">4 a.m.</st1:time>, other than that it’s a straight shot. And I mean straight. For those not familiar with the <st1:city><st1:place>Phoenix</st1:place></st1:City> area most all of the roads are laid out in a grid, no curves at all. My trip to work is a couple of turns to get out of my neighborhood and than 12.5 miles straight east. I've noticed myself daydreaming quite a bit on my way to work (to much traffic in the afternoon commute home to "zone-out"), and seeing that daydreaming on a motorcycle, and city streets don't really mix that well, I've started playing road games to keep my focus on the ride. <span style=""> </span>My current favorite takes place in front of a concrete plant on my route. Long ago one of their trucks spilled concrete across the road and there is about a 6 inch gap in the dried concrete. <span style=""> </span>If you aim just right you don't hit it at all (and I can't see the concrete in my headlight until I'm to close to adjust). I've got it down so I hit the gap about four out of five tries.<span style=""> </span>There’s another half a dozen pot holes, loose manhole covers etc. that I do the same thing with on my way to work.<span style=""> </span>Got any other ideas for staying focused on a routine ride? </p>Desert MotoRathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12779179896185992653noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1380167387407966772.post-12288819470104668132008-04-21T19:29:00.000-07:002008-04-22T20:41:57.169-07:00A clean bike is a good bike<span style="font-size:100%;">She's kind of pretty when she's clean.<br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjPeEae1owFpjRNoGSRR60hQhYJ6eGAwtUv3es9ibleSwFodDYGvK0YlrNiZ_MfCJFaqCrUe63gKIyYVFM93UUaB32B-eNql2pGW8gPCLCgRQl96IhVru1WzZcjx3cwt43pomvqqFei3k7/s1600-h/clean+bike.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjPeEae1owFpjRNoGSRR60hQhYJ6eGAwtUv3es9ibleSwFodDYGvK0YlrNiZ_MfCJFaqCrUe63gKIyYVFM93UUaB32B-eNql2pGW8gPCLCgRQl96IhVru1WzZcjx3cwt43pomvqqFei3k7/s320/clean+bike.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5192278650324363778" border="0" /></a><br /></div><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span><span style="font-size:100%;">Sunday was the first chance I’ve had to wash my bike since returning from my annual motocamping trip. She must have had ten pounds of bug guts splattered all over her and had to go to work for an entire week looking like that. Oh the shame!<br /><br />Between having the flu and working a few 16 hour days in the last week, I haven't had time for much of anything. But now I'm on the mend and work has settled a bit so I can get back into the swing again.<br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYBNChH2DazdGX0VbOBBWh9QHArs1373VeTQT-tBP5KhygGkxyR8t40cJxsGNUAzcYF0L1kmSodyZuhGq4AeJy2aLUctfKsn806z872xU2diQPbaLjT6G7wswuyOphRiSrzaaXdQOwwSrQ/s1600-h/burro+creek+1.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYBNChH2DazdGX0VbOBBWh9QHArs1373VeTQT-tBP5KhygGkxyR8t40cJxsGNUAzcYF0L1kmSodyZuhGq4AeJy2aLUctfKsn806z872xU2diQPbaLjT6G7wswuyOphRiSrzaaXdQOwwSrQ/s320/burro+creek+1.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5192279131360700946" border="0" /></a><br /></div><span style="font-size:100%;"><br />The weekend before last, I went on my second annual solo motocamping trip. I decided that I didn’t need an epic journey, so I went to Burro Creek campground which is about 130 miles from my house. It's a desert campground so the temperatures are nice this time of year and the creek actually has water in it (year round according to the sign). The downside to Burro Creek is that it is off of Highway 93, which is known as one of the most dangerous roads in </span><st1:state><st1:place><span style="">Arizona</span></st1:place></st1:state> (many daytime headlight use signs). In the last few years they have added passing lanes and divided it for a good portion, so it’s much safer now. The only other problem I had was dealing with the sheer volume of bugs. I had to stop every 20 miles or so to clean my face shield so I could see where I was going. Unbelievably, I had another bee encounter. One made its way into my helmet and landed on the inside of my visor. Thankfully it didn't sting me and was quickly dispatched of with a spastic flip of my face shield.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf_cFXZ9IpRm-ghgVJ6EUcVx1WEAS2JSxdsMYsj7xlVsMJss31JuUGfrQpr0WRBMoAqScRcR5btZx4pCpFuTxNFE1mdXi3fygJkuRV9wl-hU28X-cKWxqJq0utyQEAlOudPJuZ3KhJIaTC/s1600-h/burro+creek+2.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf_cFXZ9IpRm-ghgVJ6EUcVx1WEAS2JSxdsMYsj7xlVsMJss31JuUGfrQpr0WRBMoAqScRcR5btZx4pCpFuTxNFE1mdXi3fygJkuRV9wl-hU28X-cKWxqJq0utyQEAlOudPJuZ3KhJIaTC/s320/burro+creek+2.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5192279625281940002" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br /><span style="font-size:100%;">The campground was surprisingly quiet seeing that it was at least 3/4 full. There was a great view of the bridge that spanned the gorge where Burro Creek crosses Highway 93.<br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg92n021ybcrOcKbzk7y7_qjfTa0VeHbXPd0sr9foUd-i2kBCZ9BtmtS3ahPRASlwBitVhvt2eVA3E5xNn-iTnOKCeUHcZ1_dwQw7QBmZ6wzYNQc5mcWfYDem5UDduz9kU8tjnzoIt2F0v4/s1600-h/burro+creek+3.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg92n021ybcrOcKbzk7y7_qjfTa0VeHbXPd0sr9foUd-i2kBCZ9BtmtS3ahPRASlwBitVhvt2eVA3E5xNn-iTnOKCeUHcZ1_dwQw7QBmZ6wzYNQc5mcWfYDem5UDduz9kU8tjnzoIt2F0v4/s320/burro+creek+3.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5192279998944094770" border="0" /></a><br /></div><span style="font-size:100%;"><br />I didn't do a whole lot once I got there.<span style=""> </span>I read a bit, explored the creek and then returned to camp and read some more. I think I only talked to two people the whole trip.<span style=""> </span>There was a couple that seemed intrigued with the idea of motorcycle camping. I showed them my camp and they were very surprised at how much gear I comfortably fit on my little sporty (I even had a 7" tv screen that hooks up to my iPod so I could watch missed episodes of South Park while on my trip). Overall it was a great trip. Not much excitement, but very relaxing, exactly what the doctor ordered.<br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzrBFLdmCWHmvxfqlAqVz0NIK9YPa_vK7frpbM1Vlts2KM571IoEUAT9mlAieWE_tnR7d4vDYwfhZFU1_SK9S0guS_mQoy3rsGhUgr3ZRkZi8NwMwQxsvVqwU7O1PDpxugAmM0fQS5tw19/s1600-h/IMG_0065.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzrBFLdmCWHmvxfqlAqVz0NIK9YPa_vK7frpbM1Vlts2KM571IoEUAT9mlAieWE_tnR7d4vDYwfhZFU1_SK9S0guS_mQoy3rsGhUgr3ZRkZi8NwMwQxsvVqwU7O1PDpxugAmM0fQS5tw19/s320/IMG_0065.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5192280471390497346" border="0" /></a><br /></div><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span>Desert MotoRathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12779179896185992653noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1380167387407966772.post-21620649710145679612008-04-11T13:35:00.000-07:002008-04-11T14:40:06.932-07:00Be carefull with what you sayI guess I shouldn't have mentioned riding through a swarm of bees. On my ride home today I encountered one of those aforementioned bee swarms. I'll be damned if one of those little buggers didn't make it straight down the back of my jacket and sting me square in the middle of my back. At the next stoplight I looked like I was having a seizure trying to get the bee out of my jacket. I must be some sort of bee magnet, because this is my third run in with bees while operating a motor vehicle -- twice on a motorcycle and once driving my semi at work. Ain't karma a bitch?Desert MotoRathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12779179896185992653noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1380167387407966772.post-28346384033456879142008-04-05T04:52:00.000-07:002008-04-05T22:31:20.281-07:00Pros and ConsI mentioned wearing a full faced helmet in my last post and thought I'd make some comments on it (using the good old pro vs. con format).<br /><br />Pro: Safety. Safety. Safety! If I have an accident it <span style="font-style: italic;">should </span>keep my beautiful face intact. (ha! ha!)<br /><br />Con: Reduced peripheral vision as well as reduced hearing (at lower speeds). I've had a few cages sneak up on me, especially when I first stared wearing a full faced helmet. I don't recall ever being <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">snuck</span> up on wearing a half helmet.<br /><br />Pro: With the tinted visor I can make faces at people without inciting a road rage incident.<br /><br />Con: I look like a lollipop.<br /><br />Pro: Protection from road debris. In my area there's lots of construction, and there's nothing like being behind a gravel truck only wearing a half helmet (ouch!).<br /><br />Con: No wind in my face -- I feel a little isolated from the world around me.<br /><br />Pro: Comfort, when it's below 50 degrees a half helmet sucks (ear flaps or not).<br /><br />Con: Comfort, when it's above 100 degrees a full face is down right miserable (the vents don't seem to have much effect at all).<br /><br />Pro: I can listen to my <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">iPod</span> through my helmet speakers.<br /><br />Con: I can listen to my <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">iPod</span> (then I really can't hear what's going on around me).<br /><br />Pro: On long rides the full faced helmet reduces fatigue.<br /><br />For me the pros outweigh the cons and I will probably continue to wear a full faced helmet. Next time I ride through a bee swarm I'm sure I'll be happy about my decision.<br /> <span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span>Desert MotoRathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12779179896185992653noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1380167387407966772.post-23033205848247028762008-03-30T16:07:00.000-07:002008-03-30T22:21:52.847-07:00Sorry, no photos.It was a really long week, not much time for blogging, but I did manage to ride to work every day. I don’t know if it was spring fever or what, but everyone seemed to be in a big hurry this week.<span style=""> </span>I saw lots of accidents and crazy speeding everywhere. Coming home Thursday I took surface streets because I needed fuel.<span style=""> </span>I was driving down <st1:street><st1:address>Indian School Road</st1:address></st1:Street>, which has speed limits ranging from 35 to 45 miles per hour. Once you pass <st1:street><st1:address>107<sup>th</sup> Avenue</st1:address></st1:Street> it opens up and the speed limit is 45. I was going with the flow of traffic but noticed my motor was a kind of loud (mind you, I was being tailgated badly) so I glanced down at my speedo and I was doing 80. I know I don't want that ticket, so I'm going to stick to the freeway for my afternoon commutes.<br /><p class="MsoNormal"> Speaking of speeding, I’ve noticed one downside to wearing a full face helmet. I always wear a helmet when I ride. <span style=""> </span>I used to wear a half helmet but recently switched to a full faced. With the half helmet if I went above 65 the parachute effect would come into play and it felt like my head would be ripped from my shoulders. With the full face I don't feel buffeting until about 85 and at even at that speed the wind noise is reduced dramatically. So I’ve noticed with a full face helmet I ride quite a bit faster.<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p>Last year I took my 1<sup>st</sup> Annual Solo Motorcycle Camping Trip.<span style=""> </span>I rode down to <a href="http://www.pr.state.az.us/parks/parkhtml/kartchner.html">Kartchner Caverns</a> in southeastern <st1:state><st1:place>Arizona</st1:place></st1:State> and stayed in the campgrounds there.<span style=""> </span>It was a great trip and the caverns were spectacular, only I felt a little awkward with my tent and motorcycle camped next to the bus sized R.V.’s, as well as being alone in the family type environment.<span style=""> </span>I got more than a few sideways looks. During the cavern tour, one family did warm up to me and even offered to let me use the shower in their R.V (the road must have turned me a bit primitive).<span style=""> </span>I am in the middle of planning my 2<sup>nd</sup> annual trip.<span style=""> </span>I’m thinking I want to stay in the desert because the high country is still a bit to cold at night for comfort.<span style=""> </span>I’m hoping to find a nice primitive campground where I will fit in a little better.<span style=""> </span>Sorry no pictures to post today, I took a couple with my cell phone but my phone refuses to send them to my E-mail.</p>Desert MotoRathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12779179896185992653noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1380167387407966772.post-56592969083032232852008-03-22T23:28:00.000-07:002008-03-22T23:35:44.049-07:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW0UchL5dukUozXQE7r_hyu_reu2K1HiiddV8NpjKQPIaOXmiWBcWE43DLYmhQe2yfinM1DshIYhovbnniEBzwmzJixusMWEnpk9UJdPmlcseHP4LqYeqFFNm6B1Q8W9W-oRIMj0wtEgGf/s1600-h/happy+easter.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW0UchL5dukUozXQE7r_hyu_reu2K1HiiddV8NpjKQPIaOXmiWBcWE43DLYmhQe2yfinM1DshIYhovbnniEBzwmzJixusMWEnpk9UJdPmlcseHP4LqYeqFFNm6B1Q8W9W-oRIMj0wtEgGf/s320/happy+easter.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5180820852142353762" border="0" /></a><br /> <p class="MsoNormal">Today I went out for a ride with an actual purpose.<span style=""> </span>It’s starting to show signs of getting warm. Today’s high was 86 and it should be into the 90’s by the middle of the week.<span style=""> </span>I just got Cycle Gear’s new catalogue and saw they had Motoboss cooling vests on sale (along with a five dollar off coupon).<span style=""> </span>I thought since I live about five miles from hell, I’d pick one up to see how they work.<span style=""> </span>Cycle Gear is only about 15 miles or so from my house, but it ended up being an interesting ride. Midway there, around <st1:city><st1:place>Peoria</st1:place></st1:city> and Reems roads, a water main, or something, broke. The road was flooded from Reems all the way down to Olive (about a mile) and than east on Olive almost to <st1:street><st1:address>Litchfield Road</st1:address></st1:street> (about another half mile).<span style=""> </span>Reems slopes to the middle instead of to the shoulder so it was literally a river instead of a road.<span style=""> </span>It was probably two feet deep in the middle.<span style=""> </span>Olive has a normal slope so most the water flowed down the shoulder, except for a low spot where it collected in the road. This is where my ride got interesting. <span style=""> </span>Before I got to the flooded section of Olive, luckily, a motorcyclist coming the other way signaled that something was up ahead, so I was looking out.<span style=""> </span>About the time I came up to the flooding, here comes some knucklehead in an overgrown Chevy dually, doing about 45, and throwing a wall of water at least 10 feet high.<span style=""> </span>Thankfully I saw him coming and stopped just short of the actual flooding, ‘cause I think I would have been thrown off my bike. I rode along the shallowest point I could find, which was still close to a foot deep (my foot pegs were submerged).<span style=""> </span>After I got past this spot it was no big deal, on Reems I could ride close to the shoulder, where it was mostly dry and there were only a few cars driving at appropriate speeds for the conditions.<span style=""> </span>Prudently I took a different route home.<o:p><br /></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Once I got to Cycle Gear they were very helpful and even soaked the vest for me so I could try it out on the ride home.<span style=""> </span>I was surprised at how cold the vest actually got.<span style=""> </span>I was wearing it under a black mesh jacket and it kept me quite cool.<span style=""> </span>Amazingly enough when I took it off, my t-shirt felt damp but it wasn’t visibly wet.<span style=""> </span>I’m waiting to see if it still will work when it hits 115+.</p><p class="MsoNormal">Happy Easter.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p>Desert MotoRathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12779179896185992653noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1380167387407966772.post-86211863286656864452008-03-16T17:34:00.000-07:002008-03-18T17:47:33.870-07:00Arizona Antique and Classic Motorcycle Enthusiast's Show<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2353/2339643886_07b50d0423.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2353/2339643886_07b50d0423.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3133/2338838007_a011f88aa3.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3133/2338838007_a011f88aa3.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />So, the rain that was in the forecast never showed, but for Phoenix it was cool. It was probably 50 or so with a pretty good breeze, a good day to wear leathers and actually leave them on when not on the bike.<br /><br />I didn't know what to expect out of this show but I was pleasantly surprised. I didn't count the number of entries, but I'm guessing it was around 75 or so. A couple that stood out to me were two Brough Superiors , a '67 BMW R/50 and a '76 Kawasaki KZ 900. The Brough Superiors caught my eye cause I'd never seen one in person, and both were nicely restored. The BMW stood out for a couple of reasons: one, it was completely original, even the tires, and two, I have ridden a '65 R/60 that was original, and it brought back some fond memories. The KZ 900 made me feel a bit old. My first bike was a '78 KZ 650 and was only a few years old when I got it. It kinda shocked me to realize the bike I tooled around on in High School is now considered an antique. There were plenty of other great bikes, and there were a good amount of people. The only regret I have is not taking enough pictures.<br /><br />After the show it was off to lunch at Delux. A really good burger, but a bit pricey. It was $50 for lunch for three of us. It was a nice day for a ride and uneventful except for having to take evasive maneuvers on two separate occasions, both in parking lots. I don't know if its the engineering of parking lots or if its just people losing their brains, but it seems I have more problems in parking lots than anywhere else.Desert MotoRathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12779179896185992653noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1380167387407966772.post-31133601488467228812008-03-15T21:08:00.000-07:002008-03-15T22:19:34.761-07:00First PostI'm brand new to this blogging thing. I've been interested in motorcycles and writing for a long time, and this seems like a great medium to explore both, and maybe get a little feedback. I have to give credit to a couple of blogs that got me interested, <a href="http://intrepidcommuter.blogspot.com/">Musings of an Intrepid Commuter</a> and <a href="http://pizzacrusade.blogspot.com/">The Great Motorcycle Pizza Tour</a>.<br /><br />The "the burning pigeon" in the subtitle of my blog refers to Phoenix. I used to live in Tucson. On the drive from Tucson to Phoenix, just about the time I would hit the city limits (about Baseline and I-10) there would be this awful smell. I don't what it was, burning rubber, burning hair, industrial waste, or what, but it was distinctive and awful. My old college roommate said it smelled like a burning pigeon, and the name kinda stuck with me.<br /><br />I don't really know what direction this blog is going to take, just that it's going to be about motorcycles and riding around the Valley and Arizona.<br /><br />My personal bike Is a 2005 sportster 1200 roadster. Although I ride a Harley, I like all things motorized with two wheels. In fact, I plan on attending an antique motorcycle show tomorrow. Rain is in the forecast, but I'm going to ride anyway, it may be a bit risky 'cause the average Phoenician is not known for their driving skills especially in the wet. Hopefully I'll get some good photos to post.Desert MotoRathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12779179896185992653noreply@blogger.com0