It's 18 Degrees, and I'm Riding My Scoot Without a Windshield!!!
Two years ago, I was a very new rider, and I was eager to get as much experience as I could on the road. At least, that is how I justified to myself the fact that I was riding in weather that is too cold to stand in, let alone ride a motorcycle! I have no such out this time around - two years later, 18,000 miles more experienced, and having no excuses to turn to. I simply have to admit to some form of mental dysfunction, or the simple incapacity to utilize rational thought. Perhaps it is just my base desire to affect some sort of macho posture: "I can ride in weather so cold, penguins step back and say, 'DAMN!'" I don't know what it is that has motivated me recently. All I know is that, the colder it has gotten, the more I've wanted to ride in it - and without a windshield!!!
So the temperature dips down to the lowest level it has been in years. It's 18 degrees, and the meteorologist is warning everyone to stay inside lest their flesh freeze solid. The more dire the warnings, the more I am drooling to get on my bike!! Last time it was this cold, I was a newbie, and I had my windshield on. This time, I am hoping for colder temps, and I'm intending to ride without the protection from the wind!!
This morning, I was certain to defeat the cold. I put on a layer of Under Armour, a turtleneck, a sweater, followed by two more Under Armour sweaters, and I had, of course, my Chippewa boots, leather pants and my jacket-vest combo. Since I wear a half helmet, I bought two layers of face/neck protection, which, I was sure would be enough to kick the cold's ass.
I get on the bike, start her up, look up the driveway - and I can't see. My goggles have fogged nearly entirely! I figure that the wind will get up under and clear this out as has oft-happened before, but the further I ride, the more apparent it becomes: I'm going to have to pull over and figure something out. I can't see a damned thing, and I'm doing 55 on the back of a nine hundred pound mass of hurtling gasoline, chrome and steel!!
Usually, my breath causes the fogging, but on this day, the very heat from my eye sockets is causing the problem!! I stop at the wee post office to wipe my goggles clean, thinking naively that adding a layer of spit, as one does with a diving mask, might help the situation. I was wrong. The only thing that helped was repositioning my goggles in such a way that wind was directly slamming into my eyeballs, and once my eyes were thoroughly frozen, the problem disappeared!! Visibility at last!! Now, if only I could shut my frozen-over eyes!!!!
Well, I got to school all right. And I was proud to say that I went up to 70 on the 401 North, as I careened my way to school. Ain't no thang!! I was triumphant, though slightly numbed, when I roared into the parking lot, revving my 88 cubic inches of American thunder.
Of course, everyone thought/thinks I'm out of my gourd!! And maybe they are right. I proudly noted, though, that there were no other bikes in the lot. Not the usual collected rabble of sport bikes and rice rockets cluttering up the striped area in front of the Engineering and Technology Building. I was solo in my mad, brave folly!!
Throughout the morning, I continued to grow in my personal sense of pride. And, given the fact that an experienced and crazy-brave rider in Iowa had himself said that I ride a lot, averaging 9 to 10 thousand miles a year, I was feeling mighty good about my little achievement, and looking forward to riding a bit to a local biker bar to show the locals up. -That is, until I straddled my iron steed and thumbed the start button. . . .
Whir-whir-whir!! Chug-chug-chug!! Gacherrr-gacherrr-gacherrr!!!!!!
Nothing. The grand lady won't start!!!!
Shit.
Apparently, my zeal to defeat the evil elements had driven my bike's battery further than it could go. As I sat there, goggles a-foggin', a passing student offered to help. I told him I'd be all right. I tried to pop the clutch, but, being inexperienced in this art, I ended up almost dropping the bike as I rolled downhill and shifted into first. WRONG!
I ended up having to call my friend Steven for help - which he provided quite well. And, as I was waiting for rescue, I went back into my office and watched a few Youtube videos on how to push-start a motorcycle. When my friend arrived, I was initially going to have him take me to the dealership to buy a new battery, which I'd then change out in the parking lot of my school. Instead, I offered to try to push start the bike, utilizing his many years of experience, along with the skills I had just gotten off of Youtube.
Nervously, I straddled the bike, wondering if this would be an embarrassing disaster. My friend pushed. I pulled in the clutch, shifted into first as we were rolling, and at the same time, I thumbed the start button. GRRR-ROOOAAAAARRRRR!!!!!
My baby thundered back to ecstatic life!!!!
Feeling very stupid, I headed towards home, and the knowledge that I'd have to do like everyone else in the cold weather - tend to my battery's charge.
No matter how long you have been riding, no matter how many miles you have behind you, no matter how much experience you gain, there is ALWAYS something to learn. When it comes to learning about motorcycling, you are NEVER done.
I'm just happy that I was able to get my dumb ass home - that much wiser for the experience, though thoroughly humbled!!
Ride safe, y'all!!!
So the temperature dips down to the lowest level it has been in years. It's 18 degrees, and the meteorologist is warning everyone to stay inside lest their flesh freeze solid. The more dire the warnings, the more I am drooling to get on my bike!! Last time it was this cold, I was a newbie, and I had my windshield on. This time, I am hoping for colder temps, and I'm intending to ride without the protection from the wind!!
This morning, I was certain to defeat the cold. I put on a layer of Under Armour, a turtleneck, a sweater, followed by two more Under Armour sweaters, and I had, of course, my Chippewa boots, leather pants and my jacket-vest combo. Since I wear a half helmet, I bought two layers of face/neck protection, which, I was sure would be enough to kick the cold's ass.
I get on the bike, start her up, look up the driveway - and I can't see. My goggles have fogged nearly entirely! I figure that the wind will get up under and clear this out as has oft-happened before, but the further I ride, the more apparent it becomes: I'm going to have to pull over and figure something out. I can't see a damned thing, and I'm doing 55 on the back of a nine hundred pound mass of hurtling gasoline, chrome and steel!!
Usually, my breath causes the fogging, but on this day, the very heat from my eye sockets is causing the problem!! I stop at the wee post office to wipe my goggles clean, thinking naively that adding a layer of spit, as one does with a diving mask, might help the situation. I was wrong. The only thing that helped was repositioning my goggles in such a way that wind was directly slamming into my eyeballs, and once my eyes were thoroughly frozen, the problem disappeared!! Visibility at last!! Now, if only I could shut my frozen-over eyes!!!!
Well, I got to school all right. And I was proud to say that I went up to 70 on the 401 North, as I careened my way to school. Ain't no thang!! I was triumphant, though slightly numbed, when I roared into the parking lot, revving my 88 cubic inches of American thunder.
Of course, everyone thought/thinks I'm out of my gourd!! And maybe they are right. I proudly noted, though, that there were no other bikes in the lot. Not the usual collected rabble of sport bikes and rice rockets cluttering up the striped area in front of the Engineering and Technology Building. I was solo in my mad, brave folly!!
Throughout the morning, I continued to grow in my personal sense of pride. And, given the fact that an experienced and crazy-brave rider in Iowa had himself said that I ride a lot, averaging 9 to 10 thousand miles a year, I was feeling mighty good about my little achievement, and looking forward to riding a bit to a local biker bar to show the locals up. -That is, until I straddled my iron steed and thumbed the start button. . . .
Whir-whir-whir!! Chug-chug-chug!! Gacherrr-gacherrr-gacherrr!!!!!!
Nothing. The grand lady won't start!!!!
Shit.
Apparently, my zeal to defeat the evil elements had driven my bike's battery further than it could go. As I sat there, goggles a-foggin', a passing student offered to help. I told him I'd be all right. I tried to pop the clutch, but, being inexperienced in this art, I ended up almost dropping the bike as I rolled downhill and shifted into first. WRONG!
I ended up having to call my friend Steven for help - which he provided quite well. And, as I was waiting for rescue, I went back into my office and watched a few Youtube videos on how to push-start a motorcycle. When my friend arrived, I was initially going to have him take me to the dealership to buy a new battery, which I'd then change out in the parking lot of my school. Instead, I offered to try to push start the bike, utilizing his many years of experience, along with the skills I had just gotten off of Youtube.
Nervously, I straddled the bike, wondering if this would be an embarrassing disaster. My friend pushed. I pulled in the clutch, shifted into first as we were rolling, and at the same time, I thumbed the start button. GRRR-ROOOAAAAARRRRR!!!!!
My baby thundered back to ecstatic life!!!!
Feeling very stupid, I headed towards home, and the knowledge that I'd have to do like everyone else in the cold weather - tend to my battery's charge.
No matter how long you have been riding, no matter how many miles you have behind you, no matter how much experience you gain, there is ALWAYS something to learn. When it comes to learning about motorcycling, you are NEVER done.
I'm just happy that I was able to get my dumb ass home - that much wiser for the experience, though thoroughly humbled!!
Ride safe, y'all!!!
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