Cooler weather

365 Group


These last few days of October have turned off major cold in the mornings. 25 degrees on one.
Looking at the weather channel on T V gave me a good grasp of how silly one would be to ride a motorcycle in weather like this.

Speaking of silly and stuff like that. A couple of years ago a friend of mine had bought an old Shovel Head and was itching to get it on the road. It was in the dead of winter and I really felt for him. A new toy and he couldn’t play with it. At work I teased him about it, Pointing out that he lived in town and could always ride it the mile and a half to work, that he could bundle up and take it for a run around the block, Things like that. One Saturday morning he calls and says I got to go to Huntsville, lets go for a ride. I remember asking him what time it was and what the temperature was. About 5:30am and around 25 or 26 degrees, why? Knowing he didn’t ride much in cooler weather I suggested that we wait until the sun came up and took the chill off and then get out for a ride. Ok he replied and I hung up and rolled over and went back to sleep.
My nap was short lived as at about 6:15 he calls back and says “I’m at Hindsville waiting on ya.” Finally becoming awake I asked him if he was joking and what happened to waiting on the sun and all that. His reply was simple. The sun will be up by the time you get here…unless it’s too cold for you? With a chuckle and a loss of all common sense I uttered the phrase “don’t move I’ll be there in a few minutes”. Slipping into my road gear I was racked with the giggles and actually looking forward to getting out and tearing down the road. If for nothing else to see if he had really ridden over or was joking me.
I fired “Miss Tilley” up and bounced down the driveway. I turned onto Hwy 45 and like the truckers say, “let the hammer down on it”. It’s only seven miles to Hindsville and I was in a hurry to see if he’d ridden or was just yanking my chain. Sliding into Hindsville I have to admit I was a little surprised. There he set, big grin and all on that Shovel Head. I pulled up beside him and asked what had gotten into him and all. His reply was to the point. I wanted to ride. Thinking about it as he fired up I said ok. He didn’t hear me and said what? Again the giggles hit and I shouted “catch me if you can” and pulled out. The trip over to Huntsville was only twelve miles, and I pushed my bike so he’d have to work at keeping pace, so it was a quick trip.
After we finished his business he asked if I had anything planned for the day.
The only thing I had going on was a trip to the Animal Shelter to look at a pup my wife had fell in love with. I mentioned this and he said well, lets go.
We made good time back to Springdale and the Shelter. People at traffic lights were pointing at us and shaking their heads or grinning. (It was a blast.)
After looking at the newest addition to my family and playing with her for a few minutes it was time to leave. In the parking lot Stan said that he better head back to the house and go pick up his boys. He pulled out and headed toward home and I headed toward a café for a biscuit and a cup of coffee.
As a result I don’t pick on my friend about his riding as much as I did. Now It More than ever.


Anyway… I slipped into my snowmobile suit and put all my work junk in a bag and out the door I went. The air didn’t feel too bad cold as I was strapping everything in place and even as I kicked the old gal to life. Thinking to myself this might not be as bad as a few of the days last winter, I took off down my driveway. The ride was cool but not actually uncomfortable. My hands were the only thing that really got cold. I did have an experience that I’ve never had before on this trip. My twist grip froze or something and I only had about a quarter of turn in it. I found this out as I leaned out to pass a car. I run in my lower gears and worked with it all the way to work. Thinking that if I get too rough with it the cable might break I worked it back and forth and did everything I could think of to get it back to normal. Nothing helped. I have a good mid range to my transmition so I just tooled along in 3rd gear and made it to work. Later in the day as it warmed up I went out and checked on it and the grip worked just fine. Either it froze or something had gotten in the system and then fell out. Either way, we’re back to normal for the ride home.
Where I work a lot of people ride a bike. Usually there is about 11 parked around the jobsite when I get there. Today mine was the only one. Man, was I going to have some fun ribbing those guys about them being “Bad Assed” bikers.
Today was a good day. The ride in was a good one and the temp came up and made the ride home a better one.
Riding in cooler weather isn’t for everyone. I really don’t knock a person that feels it’s too cold to ride. A person should always ride the bike for themselves. However for those riders who do…we know. We are truly a legend. Mostly it’s in our own minds but, we’re a legend.
Hope to see ya on the road