H.O.G. Goes Wild!

I received my copy of Hog Tales in the mail the other day. It’s the periodic publication of the “Harley Owners Group”.

The Editor announced the inaugural H.O.G. "Million Mile Monday" coming up on June 30th.

I understand that The Motor Company and any manufacturing company for that matter benefit by maximum use of their product. The more use, the more sales, bottom line.

So It’s understandable that promoting a Million Mile Monday makes good business sense. The idea being that members will hit the road on that day, log on to the official website and record their miles. The goal being one million miles in one day.

However, if I take my business hat off and put on the hat of humanity, this Million Mile Monday looks like insanity.

The days of thoughtless gas guzzling are over, forever. Clinging to the image of leather jacketed rebels without a cause is not helpful to anyone. This is no time for nostalgia en mass. We motorcyclists should not thumb our noses at the world and ride on, business as usual.

The world is in the midst of a food crisis. Children in Haiti are eating mud cakes flavored with butter. Not so much because of a lack of food but because of the affordability of food. Most of the food shortage for the disadvantaged millions of the world can be traced to fuel and the corporate greed that goes along with it.

Gas companies are making record profits, oil is selling for record prices, food crops have been diverted to growing corn to make ethanol. Why? The simple answer is demand.

Don’t get me wrong, I'm all for riding motorcycles. For transportation in lieu of a car or truck and for the occasional recreational ride.

But thoughtless riding just to please The Motor Company and to help H.O.G. log a million miles in one day, now that’s just plain wrong.

I wonder what the reaction would be if Chevrolet or Toyota promoted an event to have it’s owners log a million miles in one day. Has H.O.G. gone morally bankrupt? I hope not, maybe their timing is just bad.

Will I be helping H.O.G. ride their million miles in one day, increasing the demand for fuel and helping gas companies make record profits while they keep raising prices? Will my carbon emmisions be going out my exhaust pipe adding to global warming? Will I help fund middle eastern terrorists and contribute to starving children on that day, just for the heck of it?

No thank you.

I think on June 30th I’ll forgo my usual motorcycle commute to work and ride public transportation, walk or ride my bicycle.

If a million miles in one day were logged that way, imagine the positive difference that would make.

Or how about this alternative: Have H.O.G. members log their miles for one day using their "Hogs" instead of cars and trucks for commuting, errands and recreational rides.

They could promote the project as a way to show how much fuel can be saved by using motorcycles instead of cars by calculating the miles rode, the average vehicle gas mileage compared to the average HD gas mileage and show the difference.

Advertising, product promotion and planning events need not be oblivious to what's going on in the world around us. Being a little more thoughtful and responsible about how the otherwise excellent Harley Owners Group handles itself would go a long way.

I'm Baaaaaaaaack!

The last time I posted was back in December of 2007. I hit the publish button, turned-off the computer and haven't turned it on since, until today.

I don't have a really good explanation for my extended absence from the blogosphere but do offer my apologies to all my readers and those concerned about my well-being.

Tons of email awaits my attention. I will wade through them all and promise to answer each one as time allows.

I'm doing fine, still riding and I hope this post finds each one of you well and still riding.

I have only taken one pleasure ride lately, the rest of my rides have been the 5 mile commute each way to work. The price of gas and my commitment to environmental responsibility have limited my riding to almost exclusive utilitarian purposes. After all I've got to practice what I preach.

I've added another bike to my commuting arsenal, a bicycle that is. I acquired a Diamondback Transporter that I will be riding to work at least once a week. This news won't hurt the gas barons any but I will get some much needed exercise, spare the planet some carbon emissions and as an added bonus save some bucks too!

Spring is arriving late here in the valleys of western Oregon. This whole weekend has been snowing and hailing. There have been only a couple of fairly warm sunny days so far this Spring and that was last weekend. Snow accumulation can still be seen in the foothills of the Cascades east of me and Mt. Hood off in the northeastern distance.

Went on a ride with the Wyld Hogs last weekend in some of those hills I mentioned, it was fantastic to get out into the wind again, that is, in daylight and more than just a teasing 5 miles. Mike was there with his sporty and adventurous looking Buell Odyssey, Dale on his trusty Vulcan, Dave on his shiny new Suzuki C50, Bruce on his nicely rigged out Yamaha and I on the Sportster.

We must have been a sight us old farts. 5 different personalities reflected by 5 different bikes, the love of motorcycles and motorcycling being the connective link between us. It was a great ride.

For the small town onlookers in Macleay, Stayton, Lyons or Silverton, we wouldn't have been the only oddball group riding through. In fact the roads were virtually teaming with bikes everywhere. Mostly geezers like us.

I don't think of myself as a geezer but younger folks do. When I'm riding I'm young again. And free.

Somewhere I read recently that most motorcycle riders these days are in their 40s and 50s.

I remember when I was younger seeing the roads full of Winnebago's and campers mostly piloted by older folks. I don't see much of that anymore but I do see lots and lots of bikes. Maybe gas prices have drove my generation away from guzzlers and towards bikes. Or maybe we are a little more eco-friendly, or maybe because we grew up in the 60s and 70s influenced by watching "Easy Rider" and the TV show "Then Came Bronson", but we let life get in the way, that is, until now.

A Ducati Motorcycle Odyssey

I just finished reading Riding with Rilke, subtitled Reflections on Motorcycles and Books by Ted Bishop. This was a very good read, I couldn't put the book down once I got started.

The author is a University Professor from Alberta, Canada. He wrote the book while recovering from a near fatal crash on his girlfriend's BMW. It covers his motorcycle odyssey from Edmonton, Canada down to Austin, Texas, riding his beloved Ducati Monster.

He writes about his experiences and reflections along the way through the American West from the unique perspective of an academic researcher, professor, writer, and Ducati enthusiast wearing a bug splattered leather jacket.

Riding with Rilke took me along for the journey; from the back room archives of a library and out into the light of the open road. I'm glad I discovered the book and will no doubt be reading it again.
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Amazon Link: Riding with Rilke: Reflections on Motorcycles and Books

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Zen & the Art of Motorcycle Battery Maintenance

Between having a chronic ear ache, sub-freezing weather and torrential downpours of biblical proportions, I haven't rode my motorcycle in several weeks. On Thanksgiving Day it was clear and sunny in the mid 40s and despite my aching ear (not rear), I was determined to ride my bike over to my sister's house where our family was having our annual get together. One of my brother's in-law hadn't seen my newest bike which I've had almost 2 years now. He is interested in getting a motorcycle, so I thought he would like to take a look and possibly a ride.

The anticipation of being back on the road was building; I readied myself like an astronaut preparing for the launch. Boots-check. Jacket-check. Helmet-check. Earplugs, sunglasses-check, check. Okay, key on-check. Switch on-check. Gas on-check. Choke pulled full out-check. A couple twists of the throttle-check. Ignition, 3, 2, 1, Blastoff! Nothing. Houston, we have a problem.

Dead battery.

I should have known, my poor Sportster sits in an unheated shed and I hadn't even thought of hooking it up to the trickle charger yet. I had been riding steady, freezing weather and all until I came down with an earache and the rain got worse. Everyday I thought I would be riding again so I didn't worry about a dead battery. One day led to the next and before I knew it, it had been two weeks and now my motorcycle won't start and its Thanksgiving Day.

We were running late so no time for a quick charge. I rode with my wife and kids in the cage over to my sister's house, tail between my legs.

When I got back from the festivities I hooked my battery up to the charger. It's a Black & Decker and worked fine last winter. This time I kept getting a code on the digital display (F03) which means according to the manual; "Internal open cell, have battery checked..." Which I did. I took it over to Batteries Plus and they found nothing wrong with it. I hooked it back up to the charger and it charged fine despite the code. None of the indicators seemed to be working such as showing that it was charging or if the charge was complete etc.

I don't know what to believe. There could be something wrong with the charger or an undetected problem with the battery. Anyway, it took a charge and fired up once again without problem.

The Black & Decker charger that I have has a lot of features. It charges 12 volt batteries at 2, 6, or 10 amps, has a float (trickle) charge after charging is complete, it also checks battery voltage and the alternator. It also has like I previously mentioned a digital display that will show codes such as internal shorted cell battery, bad battery connection, voltage too low to accept charge, internal open cell, and overheated condition. Once the battery is charged, you can just leave it hooked up and it will kick on and trickle charge as needed.

But, I'm not all that confident that the thing is working right.

Despite all the "bells and whistles" of the Black & Decker, I sort of wish I would have got a simpler charger instead such as the "Deltran Battery Tender" or the "Yuasa Smartshot." I've heard a lot of good things about those two and don't know anyone who's had any problems with theirs. It's just a matter of hooking them up and forgetting about it. If your battery doesn't charge, it's the battery that has the problem; not much of a chance the charger isn't working properly.

I'm back on the road again. My bike starts fine. Since the battery people tell me my battery is strong, I'm pretty certain the charger isn't working as advertised. I'm going to put on my Christmas list a new battery charger, one that I can count on, and a nice warm garage for my Sportster. Maybe I can get those Extreme Makeover guys over here to build a proper place for my bike to sit out the cold waits between winter rides!

Before I end this already too long post I need to explain the title.

This brings me to Zen. Buddha learned and taught what is called "The Four Noble Truths." I doubt that 2,500 years ago he anticipated dead motorcycle batteries but Buddha sure understood the pain caused by things going south.

The first Noble Truth is "Suffering exists." The second is "Desire and attachment are the causes of suffering." The third is "There is an end to suffering." And the fourth Noble Truth is "The end (to suffering) can be attained by journeying on the Noble Eightfold Path."

To put it into our topic of discussion; that is dead batteries and not being able to ride, this is how one may process The Four Noble Truths:

Noble Truth One - Suffering exists, dang!

Noble Truth Two - I want my bike to start dammit!

Noble Truth Three - There is an end to this friggin situation!

Noble Truth Four - I'm going to find out what that "Eightfold Path" thing is all about and in the mean time, I'm hooking up to the charger and then I'm going to forget about it!

If my bike doesn't start later on, well that's in the future. I can't predict the future and it's not reality yet, just an illusion. No need to suffer for an illusion.

If it didn't start yesterday that's old news. No need to suffer again for something that has already happened.

The only thing that is real is right here and right now, my motorcycle is hooked up and charging, everything is cool.
Kano's Coffee House

Deltran SuperSmart Battery Tender Plus 12-Volt 1.25 AMP Battery Charger

Black & Decker VEC1086BBD Smart Battery 6/4/2 Amp Battery Charger

Yuasa 1.5 Amp Battery Charger #YUA1201501

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The Perfect Motorcycle Gloves?

Here's a quote from one of my favorite motorcycle books, "At no time, though, are you more joyfully alone than when it's raining...which is pretty damn ironic, since there can be no greater danger than riding in the rain."- Melissa Pierson, from The Perfect Vehicle.

Which reminds me of a couple of things. First, I've had a hankering to read the book again and I can't find my copy. I must have loaned it out to someone and they forgot to give it back. The other is gloves. Waterproof gloves to be exact.

I was perusing through a motorcycle gear catalog and found that a pair of waterproof riding gloves were $67.00 and if you didn't want to go that route you could get a pair of rain covers to go over your leather gloves for just $47.00. Hmm, $67.00! - $47.00! I don't need no stinkin expensive gloves! For me that's a lot of money.

In my jacket pocket I keep a pair of those thick dish washing gloves (size XL) that can be found at the dollar store for, are you ready for this? You guessed it, $1.00. That's right $1.00. When it's raining I just slip those babies on over my leather gloves and I'm good to go.

My leather gloves are the same ones I've had since they were issued to me by Uncle Sam 27 years ago. As far as I'm concerned, for my kind of riding anyway, they do the job just fine. During the warm months I just wear the leather shell, and the cold months I put in the wool liners. Works for me! I'm guessing a pair like that could probably be had at a military surplus store for around $10.00. I checked ebay and found quite a few available for around $7.95.

So, there you have it. As far as gloves go, I'm set up for 4 seasons of riding for almost nothing. For those who have big fat wallets, God bless, go forward, and get those $67.00 gloves, a pair for each season would be nice and so would the added armor. But for me, I'll spend that extra money on something else, like maybe fuel. That would be gas and coffee!
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Amazon Book Link:The Perfect Vehicle: What It is about Motorcycles

ebay link. Use keyword search- gloves, leather, military surplus

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Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

This is my 101st post since I started blogging back in June and I can say I've learned a lot and have had plenty of fun too. Many thanks to the readers of Motorcycle and Scooter Talk at Kano's Coffee House and a special "Moto Bro Wave" to subscribers and the kindly fellow bloggers who've linked me. Knowing that people are reading this stuff is what keeps me blogging. Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!- Kano

Sign up to get my posts delivered straight to your email box and it's free. Thanks, Kano
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Winter Motorcycle Touring Tips - How to Save on Motels & Airfare

Here at Kano's Coffee House were all into saving money whenever the opportunity arises. So for the like minded tight wad riders out there, I've come up with some ways to do motorcycle traveling on the cheap.

Winter is nigh upon us and unless you're traveling through the southern hemisphere, the Caribbean, Florida, Hawaii, or ski resort areas, you're in off-season country. That means some big savings on Hotel and Motel rates. The off-season is typically less expensive to rent a room but there's also an opportunity to save even more dough.

When you arrive in whatever town you plan on staying for the night, ask the front desk clerk if there are any vacancies and the cost of a room. Then offer to pay a little more than half of the quoted price.

For example, if the clerk gives you a $120.00 quote, offer to pay $65.00 or $70.00. No need to feel bad about asking either. Often rooms go vacant during the off-season, especially in a non-tourist town in the middle of the week. It's a win-win situation! But if they decline your offer or their counter-offer isn't good enough, be prepared to fire up your motorcycle and ride on to another place.

This tactic doesn't always work but its well worth the try and could save you a lot of money, especially on longer trips. "Mom and Pop" places can be more likely to accept your offer over a chain establishment simply because the chain clerks sometimes could care less if they rented a room or not.

Also, if you're doing a fly and ride there's a way to save money on airline fares as well. Get a quote from the likely suspects such as Travelocity or Expedia and then get a quote directly from the discount airlines such as Virgin Atlantic, Horizon/Alaska Air, Frontier, and Jet Blue. The popular travel agencies sometimes don't include those discount airlines in their searches. Big bucks can be saved by booking directly with the airlines and especially when it's done at least 14 days in advance.

So there you have it, ways to save a lot of dough on Motels and Airlines. Winter motorcycle touring has one last advantage, the price of gas. Except for right around the Holidays, gas is generally cheaper during the winter months. Ride safe and have fun!
Kano's Coffee House

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