Posted by Dominic
Tue, 19 Feb 2008 20:48:00 GMT
(From here )
When you see us moving past you quickly:
Don’t take offense or think we’re trying to “show off”. Ninety five percent of the time, we’re trying to get out of your blind spot or taking ourselves out of a potential dangerous situation that has evolved around us. Distancing ourselves from you does not mean we want to race, but that we’re giving ourselves the edge we need at the moment.
When you hear our horn:
Don’t take offense or think we’re trying to aggravate you. All we’re doing is letting you know where we are in relation to you on the road, and we’re more than likely aware of your inattentiveness to us while you’re talking on a cell phone, eating, reading or involved in some other distracting aspect to your driving. It’s important to us, and you, that you know we’re there.
When you hear our loud pipes:
Don’t become angry and hostile toward us. Yes, some are quite loud, but for some, there’s a purpose behind being loud. It’s about letting you know we’re close by and we’re constantly hoping that our investment in this accessory will help save our lives. Our pipes are really not about our ego…it’s a pride and personalization to our form of transportation.
When you see us in our clothes:
Don’t become fearful of us or think us weird. Our leather jackets, chaps, gloves and boots are the barriers between loosing massive amounts of flesh should something cause us to go down…nothing more, nothing less. Safety gear is paramount to our riding. We wear patches on our jackets, and pins on our vests. These are symbols of pride and honor within our group(s), individuals giving back to those who gave. These things bond us as a brotherhood and sisterhood among bikers. Not that we’re better than anyone else, but that we have the same kind of nobility and pride in our accomplishments as you may have in the various aspects of your life. I guess one could say; our patches and pins are the decals and the bumper stickers of our involvement with society and the general public, of which we are very pleased to be a part of in our own little way.
When you see us in a restaurant:
You don’t have to shield your child or feel intimidated. We have family, wives, husbands, children and loved ones too, just like you. We smile; we laugh and enjoy the moments we have. We are approachable, and would befriend you, if given the opportunity.
When you see us in a parking lot:
Don’t convince yourself that we’re there to “get you”. More than likely, we just finished a long ride and are taking a break. Or, we may be meeting up with other riders for a charity run for young children, or another very worthy cause. We may just be admiring one another’s bikes, sharing our pride with other brothers and sisters, just like you do with your personal vehicle. It’s what we do…it’s a part of our lives, and we’d be more than welcome to share with you what riding a bike is all about…if you’d only ask.
When you see aggressive riding bikers:
Don’t put us all in the same stereotypical category as those whose behavior and actions would cause you to react in disgust and intolerance. Many of us do not agree with this style of riding either, and we know and understand that human nature tends to blend us all together as the “same group”. Most of us don’t want that title…and don’t deserve it.
When you see a group of bikers on the roadways:
Give us the courtesy of sharing the road with you. Please don’t “move in” between several bikers in formation. This gets us very excited and nervous, especially when it’s done with no due regard for our safety. Provide us with your awareness of the fact that we are much more vulnerable than you. We don’t want to challenge you, for all of us are wise enough to know…we’d lose that battle.
When you are turning left or entering a roadway/highway:
Look, then look again…and then one more time. For we can be easily hidden, and appear to be invisible by such things as a telephone pole, another vehicle, bright lights or the glare of the sun…or possibly, the beads hanging from your rearview mirror, among numerous other items that are displayed there. If you see us flashing our lights at you or blowing our horn, we’re only trying to ensure that you will see us before tragedy changes both our lives.
When you are behind us:
Please give us the room we need and don’t tailgate us. If you hit us, we’re going down…HARD! We don’t want to play games with you, we just want to enjoy the ride and the fresh air, and experience that which many of you have never lived for. If we accelerate away from you, don’t interpret this action as though we want to drag race you. We’re only trying to take ourselves out of a bad situation if you insist on being too close.
When you experience road rage:
Don’t take it out on us just because we’re smaller than you and more vulnerable. Think about what you’re doing and the end result that may become a reality. The consequences of your actions and choices could be very detrimental to our well being, our families, our children and our loved ones. Yes, there are those that can tend to piss you off, however, rage towards them will not solve the issues, but accentuate them. Nine out of ten bikers will do everything they can to take themselves out of that situation without causing you or them harm.
When you have an opportunity to talk to us:
You’ll discover, outside any influenced or stereotypical mindset you may have, that we are just as human as you are, just with different interests and toys. Many of us would give you the shirt off our back if it would tend to brighten your day or console you in some way. We’re really no different…and we drive cars, trucks and vans too. So, meet us and greet us…I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised that you’ll be met with open arms.
Thank You for attempting to understand.
Posted in Motorcycle | Tags dont, kill, us | no comments | no trackbacks
Posted by Dominic
Sun, 04 Nov 2007 03:08:00 GMT
Today, I saw an angel.
I was in the middle of nowhere, sitting on a bench outside some no-name gas station.
The car: Nondescript, with an uneven wear pattern to the left front tire. Probably out of alignment.
The girl: Young, stumbling on insecure feet, her face disfigured by some strange birth defect.
The Angel: The mother. The love she feels for her daughter is tangible - you see it in her smile, you see it in her eyes. She has one of the most gorgeous faces I have ever seen.
As she helped her daughter into the car, she signed to the girl, before walking around the car to the driver side.
“I’ll be right there, stay.”
The moment between mother and daughter was so precious - it just made me smile.
And as I smiled, our eyes met. My eyes were opened, and I could see.
There is a story there to be told - a missing father? An abusive husband? Who knows. But in the brief moment that our eyes met, I could sense there was something.
What is that something? We may never know. But what I do know, is that in the middle of nowhere… there is an angel, taking care of the most precious little girl in the world.
Posted in Daily, God, Motorcycle | Tags angel, motorcycle, riding, rosanky | no comments | no trackbacks
Posted by Dominic
Wed, 17 Oct 2007 11:49:00 GMT
As I step outside, a momentary chill envelops me. I shiver once, lock the door, and stride purposefully toward my mount.
I turn the ignition, and the big cruiser springs to life with a growl. After a few seconds of rough idling, she settles in to a low rumble.
I stretch, and finish putting on my helmet and gloves as I watch the fog swirl in the triple beams of my headlights.
First gear. I slowly roll through the fog, leaving swirling trails of emptyness behind me. The fog is so thick, I can’t hear the engine echoing off the buildings - I might as well be in the middle of nowhere. Silence and dark all around me, as I glide through the dark, an island of light.
I twist the throttle, and the powerful engine snarls as I accelerate away. I work my way through the gears, moving along like a rocket - pointed on one end, red glow from the taillights behind me.
I pull over at a gas station to fill up - even as I’m standing there under the bright lights, it feels like I’m alone out there.
I merge onto the highway and into traffic. The fog has lifted in a tunnel-shape that follows the highway… I suppose enough cars go by to continually fight it back.
I drop back into the thickness of the fog as I exit the highway. In a split second, I go from almost no fog and light to pea soup and darkness. Once again, I am a rocket, roaring through the dark.
I pull into the parking lot, and let her idle for a few minutes. The tendrils of fog caress the headlights, as if they are calling out to the machine….
“Come run with us… run….”
Posted in Just me, Motorcycle, Wandrings of the mind | Tags fog, morning, motorcycle, ride | 1 comment | no trackbacks
Posted by Dominic
Thu, 07 Jun 2007 15:51:00 GMT
What do you get when you mix 45000 motorcyclists, 11 miles of road, police escort and the permission to run every red light and stop sign along the route?
The Republic of Texas biker Rally of course.
Actually, there’s more to the rally than the friday-night parade downtown.. It appears to be three days of food, drink, women and lots (lots!) of people.
Most of which I didn’t participate in.
I did, however, participate in the Friday night parade from the Travis County Expo Center and downtown. 11 miles of (sadly) slow going, no stop signs, no red lights, and police escort.
Funfun.
The only damper to the day was that I managed to lose my helmet during all this - apparently it vibrated off the back. That’s what I get for not fastening it down better, I suppose.
On the bright side, the replacement helmet I got is much more comfortable, has better ventilation and looks just as nice.
All in all, a good weekend.
Posted in Motorcycle | Tags austin, motorcycle, parade, rally, ride, rot | 2 comments | no trackbacks
Posted by Dominic
Thu, 10 May 2007 13:42:00 GMT
About a month ago I spent the day riding my motorcycle.. Now, dear reader, you might not find this odd if you know me - as I go for rides on a semi-regular basis (At least when it’s not pouring).
The thing that was interesting about this particular day - well, you’ll find out later.
It started out as usual, heading out on 360, continuing onto 2244 (Bee Cave Road, as some call it).. This terminates into Hwy 71 which takes you to Llano, if you go far enough.
I had done that ride before. Once you pass US-281, Hwy 71 becomes really beautiful.. Hills, cliffs off in the distance, and all.. A very nice ride.
Although I did end up in Llano, it never happened like I thought it would.
Off of Hwy 71, there is a fairly well-used but not too well known road, called Hamilton Pool road.. Once past Hamilton Pool (which it actually goes to), it becomes yet-another-nondescript-farm-to-market road. Oh, but it is a great FM road. Curvy, a few hills, no traffic other than other motorcyclists.. It’s awesome.
The other end of FM-962 ends into US-281, a few miles south of Hwy 71 -and about 20 miles south of Marble Falls, home to the delicious Bluebonnet Cafe.
Originally, I was going to take US-281 back to 71, and then take 71 out to Llano (I have done this before) - however, I saw a sign that said “Johnson City 12 miles”, and at that point there was no question where to go.
I took US-281 to Johnson City, and then followed US-290 out to Fredericksburg. What a beautiful day for a ride.. Just enough sun, not too warm, and a gentle 70+ mph breeze… (Oh, wait… that’s the wind from… oh, nevermind.)
Once in Fredericksburg, I fueled up, had a drink, and then decided I’d see if I could get home by 7pm. I knew I could do it, if I turned around and went home the way I came, but I figured we’ll try some other way. I know it’s about an hour back from Llano, that means I have… oh, crap.. better get going.
The drive on Highway 16 between Fredericksburg and Llano is gorgeous.. almost more so than the drive on 71 from Llano. Long, sweeping curves, just the right amount of hills… Trees everywhere… Just awesome.
I ended up spending a grand total of 2 minutes within the Llano city limits - Just long enough to find the 71 turnoff from 16. And then headed home, riding fast.
It was on this stretch that it finally occurred to me.. I was “in the zone” - man is one with machine.. We were cutting smoothly through the air like a sharp knife… Or a paper airplane.. Everything flowed nicely, a single roar of man and machine flying low through the countryside.
And it was good.
Most of the ride home was uneventful.. I did end up being about 30 minutes later than I thought… But I still beat the sun. It was interesting, racing the shadows cast by the setting sun.. Man, machine and nature, in one combined game of hide-and-seek.
Posted in Motorcycle | Tags fredericksburg, llano, motorcycle, ride, travel | no comments | no trackbacks
