Cycle Connections

This article was originally written in February of 2007, which I've edited for this month's issue of Spoke to Spoke.Saturday, I had to be up at 5:30 a.m. for a Patriot Guard mission, a funeral in Atlantic City. Those that know me know I wouldn't normally see 5:30 a.m. unless I stayed awake for it, but somehow, I didn't mind the inconvenience, which would turn out to be the first of many. I hitched a ride on the back of a Honda Shadow--a fellow PGR member that lives nearby offered a ride whenever I wanted. Since it was to be…

If you own a bike, you probably have heard all the methods for winterizing your ride. Some methods contradict each other, some methods make no sense and some require the skills of a master mechanic. I, with the help of my friend and chauffeur, Don, will wade through all the confusion and give you the simple truth about winterizing your motorcycle. Don’t. Our novel approach requires only one action. Keep riding. I know, it’s cold outside. However, instead of preparing your bike for hibernation and looking forlornly at it as it sits under a canvas cover in the garage, winterize…

If you notice such things, you’ll see I have a new image up. The new ride is a 2007 Honda VTX 1800T, purchased mid August and new out of the box. The ride is awesome, so much so that on an all day ride recently, I left my riding belt in the saddle bag and didn’t feel I needed it. However, my feet always fly off the pads from any bumps or divots, which cracks me up every time. Luckily, I am weighty enough not to actually fly off entirely. We are assuming it is because I can sit back…

Google “women’s motorcycle groups” and you will get about 457,000 results.Women riders have been one of the fastest growing groups of motorcyclists in the last two decades. In addition to motorcycle clubs exclusive to women, periodicals, Internet forums and even bike rallies across the U.S. not only welcome women, some have become exclusive to them. Yet, women are only recently being recognized as a distinct consumer group in the previously male-dominated world of dual-wheeled cruising. No longer does the stereotypical “biker babe” apply; today’s biker chick is in her mid-40’s, married and working in technical or professional careers. She’s a…

One of my Patriot Guard friends likes to say, “There are no wrong turns on a bike, just a different ride home.” While any reason to ride is good, the best reason is no reason at all. Riding relieves stress, gives us perspective, and, because I am a pillion warmer, allows my mind to wander, which in turn gives my imagination and creativity a much needed boost. Our “Get Lost” rides, as we have come to call them, have taken us to some very unique and scenic areas throughout this tiny state. From abandoned barns to painted patriotic rocks to…

By now we’ve all gotten that funny email with the photo of a couple on a motorcycle being pulled over and getting a ticket. The ticket was for the woman passenger not wearing a helmet, but the photo shows she’s not wearing any pants either. On a recent outing, we had stopped at a gas station when three sport bikes pulled up and two of them had women passengers. These young women were in flip flops, shorts and tank tops, their helmets seemingly out of place compared to the rest of their attire. I shook my head in disbelief as…

EDITORS NOTE: A few weeks ago, Goldie Arnold our long-time Spoke to Spoke columnist told me she was planning to take a break from writing and covering events so she could spend more time with her family. Therefore, I sent an e-mail out to my fellow Cycle Connections team members and asked them if they know anyone who was qualified and interested in taking over the Spoke to Spoke column. Within a few hours I received an e-mail from a friend of photojournalist Eric Rossiter expressing interest in the position. After looking over her long list of qualifications and viewing…

May is behind us and you would have thought by now we would have many days of beautiful riding weather, but NO, the weather has been absolutely unpredictable! It has been raining, cold, or extremely windy for several charity rides in April and May. Not a good thing when the volunteers have worked so hard to put on the events. But then that is the risk you take when you plan an outdoor event of any kind. Last year when NAWS sponsored our 1st Annual RUFF RIDE in June it was close to 80 degrees and the most beautiful day…

Hello all. Here we are getting ready for great riding days and nights, and believe me they have been a long time coming. Crazy weather this spring with 38 degrees one morning, 55 degrees the next. It even snowed here in Kansas City the third Saturday in April! Our bikes are as confused as we are, wondering when are we going to have some nice warm consistent riding weather! Hopefully all of the cold and snow flurries are behind us and we can concentrate on our summer and fall riding schedules. Look at what we have to look forward to,…

Spring is in the air, we just can’t quite smell it yet. Last month we had a few days of sunshine, blue skies, and warm temperatures. If you didn’t pull your bike out of the garage, dust it off, air up the tires, and take it for a ride…well you missed out! We are now anxiously looking forward to more than just a few good riding days. As we begin to rack up the miles over the next few months, there will be a lot more motorcycle riders and traffic. So, just a friendly heads up to be alert, careful,…

Hello Leprechaun ladies, here’s wishing all of you a Happy St. Patrick’s month! We will soon be getting into the full swing of the riding season here in the Midwest….oh boy it’s been a long winter. Actually, there were a couple days in January that the bikes came out so we can’t complain too much, there just weren’t enough of those days! My motorcycle will probably get a lot more use this year if the price of gasoline climbs to $3.50 per gallon as they predict. I’m betting attitudes will be changing when it comes to how we commute. Can…

Winter months, for those of us who live in the Midwest, find our bikes in storage, covered up or just waiting for a day when the temperature reaches 50 degrees so we can hop on it and take off. Regardless of the status of your ride, we have a few more months of cold weather so why not escape for a long weekend during this “Sweetheart” month with that special person in your life. You have some choices and plans to make. You can hop on a plane and fly to a romantic island in the Caribbean like St. Maartens,…

2008 is going to be GREAT! Welcome to the New Year. Isn’t it amazing that once you start riding motorcycles how each year just continues to fly by? We just can’t seem to get our fill of rallies, bike nights, and weekend getaways. This is a sport that is easy to stay with; it doesn’t take a toll on the body like softball, power volleyball, or snow skiing. It doesn’t take work, it’s not stressful, and you are not competing with anyone. You just sit back, relax, and enjoy the beauties that surround you. The winter months give us the…

Here we are getting ready for the holiday season; bikes cleaned and winterized, saddle bags empty, covers on, leathers cleaned all waiting for the 2008 riding season just as we are. Winter sports are upon us; skiing, sledding, snowmobiling, and ice skating just to name a few fun things to get us through the winter months. And, of course, the most fun is shopping for family and friends; especially those who ride. Below are a few shopping tips to help get you into the holiday spirit:Have a plan, a list, and set a budget for your holiday shopping, You will…

Here we are winding down the riding season, a chill is in the air, the beautiful fall color leaves have fallen from the trees, and there are only 58 days until Christmas! Wow! Does that set you back or what! While on a trip to Vicksburg, Mississippi last month we met Macy Whitney who owns the Corner Mansion Bed & Breakfast. It is a stately mansion that sits on the corner with a breathtaking view of the Mississippi river. She wants to start a bike rally in Vicksburg because so many bikers come through on trips. She shared a story…

After a beautiful riding spring and summer we are now headed toward the chilly fall season. I will welcome a relief from the heat in exchange for the awesome color changes of trees and flowers. A word of caution regarding the sun, continue to sunscreen through the remainder of the riding season. Even though the sun may not be beating down on your face and arms on a cloudy day, the UVA/UVB rays are still quite harmful and can lead to wrinkles and skin cancer. I hope all our readers and riders got an opportunity to head out on memory…

I hope all of those that still have a grueling thing called a job, had a great Labor Day weekend, and for those who are retired and it’s just another day, I hope it was a good one for you too! Ahhh, the life! We are all envious that we can’t ride everyday, can’t stay over a couple “extra” days on a trip because we have to get back on Monday for that big meeting with the boss, and can’t sleep in whenever we choose. All I can say is; lucky you, I’m sure you earned it and congrats! Well,…

We are well into “blow torch” weather conditions here in the Midwest. After riding all day one Saturday at 98 degrees, it’s amazing how the hot weather makes you feel so tired. I love the heat and the sun bearing down on my shoulders, but when you stop, whoa! The heat from the engine feels like a fire pit and without the breeze it just about melts you! But hey, I’m not complaining, at least we are not in Las Vegas where the temperature rose to 120 degrees with daily heat advisory warnings to the community. Let the riding continue!…

Well, believe it or not, 2007 is almost half over now, but the good news is there is still plenty of riding season left. The bike nights are in full swing, there are charity rides every weekend and many rallies to choose from. I love the season changes, but these are the months I look forward to the most. A lot of us ride in large groups, so I’d like to share some of the basic rules and common courtesies. When everyone is in sync it makes for a much more enjoyable ride, not to mention a safe ride. Once…

The love and support we give to animals return to us in their sensitivity, compassion and resilience. Sometime animals are our companions to life’s difficult destinations.Other times they can be our sidekick on the journey of back roads, mountains, highways and byways. Beloved pets can be found riding two up, in a side car, or sitting on the tank as their guardian heads to a rally, bike night or family vacation. How does a motorcycle rider decide they are going to start taking their dog on their bike? How do they train them to hold on and stay calm during…