Autumn Musings
This being my fourth consecutive fall season since moving from Hawaii, I think I am fully in synchronization with the changes that come with this time of year. I feel the coming cold as a natural step, and I look forward to the changing of the leaves, the grey skies, and the early sunsets. I also find myself wanting to drink hot beverages and curl up with a good book.
I've been very interested in stories of motorcycle riding these past few years, and my interest has progressed from the history of Harley Davidson to the stories of riders' adventures across the country and around the world.
One good book I finished not long ago was written by Clement Salvadori. "One Hundred and One Road Tales" is good ol' Clem, native of Massachusetts, Harvard grad, and motorcycle freelance writer, yarning on about the places he's gone, the things he's done, and the vistas he'll always remember. Reading his stories made me feel like I was out there with him, and many of the stories he had to tell sounded quite similar to those experiences I have had on my own journeys. Collected over many years of riding, these stories remain fresh because the experiences related in them are timeless, and they make for great bed time reading, often leading to sweet dreams of roads unseen. I highly recommend it.
Another book I am getting more into as I read deals with the safety side of riding. Written by Larry Grodsky, this book was published posthumously in his honor, a collection of his articles in various magazines throughout the years. Tragically, despite Larry's being among the most safety-conscious riders out there, this was unable to prevent his own untimely demise when a deer jumped out of nowhere and took him out.
His prose is not always easy to read, as it seems to dart and flit to and fro sometimes, losing me in the process, but when he gets down to the nitty-gritty, he really hits home with knowledge invaluable to every rider from novice to seasoned expert. One chapter in particular was so good, I had to read it twice to savor the morsels of wisdom being shared.
It concerns use of the front and rear brakes, and it discusses things I had been doign through instinct, but that he has been able to quantify through careful explanation. To wit, I had been using my rear brake often times to stabilize the bike when braking hard, using the front brake for stopping power, and the rear brake to minimize front end dive. I have also noted that the front brake can be very helpful in downhill runs, uphill transitions, and braking in the rain. All of these things, to my joyous surprise were relayed in much technical detail in Larry's book, validating what I had been doing just out of experience.
As fall settles in, I find myself being much more contemplative about riding, as I tend to ride more at this time of year than in the hot summer months. The more I ride, the more interested I am in the minute skills required to truly master the sport. I am fascinated by the subtleties, the nuances of throttling, braking, balancing, and awareness of the riding environment so crucial to our safety and so much a part of the enjoyment of the riding experience.
I don't know how much others will enjoy these books, but for those like me, who love all things motorcycling, whose dreams involve carving through corners and finding the perfect line, these books will definitely suit the appetite.
I've been very interested in stories of motorcycle riding these past few years, and my interest has progressed from the history of Harley Davidson to the stories of riders' adventures across the country and around the world.
One good book I finished not long ago was written by Clement Salvadori. "One Hundred and One Road Tales" is good ol' Clem, native of Massachusetts, Harvard grad, and motorcycle freelance writer, yarning on about the places he's gone, the things he's done, and the vistas he'll always remember. Reading his stories made me feel like I was out there with him, and many of the stories he had to tell sounded quite similar to those experiences I have had on my own journeys. Collected over many years of riding, these stories remain fresh because the experiences related in them are timeless, and they make for great bed time reading, often leading to sweet dreams of roads unseen. I highly recommend it.
Another book I am getting more into as I read deals with the safety side of riding. Written by Larry Grodsky, this book was published posthumously in his honor, a collection of his articles in various magazines throughout the years. Tragically, despite Larry's being among the most safety-conscious riders out there, this was unable to prevent his own untimely demise when a deer jumped out of nowhere and took him out.
His prose is not always easy to read, as it seems to dart and flit to and fro sometimes, losing me in the process, but when he gets down to the nitty-gritty, he really hits home with knowledge invaluable to every rider from novice to seasoned expert. One chapter in particular was so good, I had to read it twice to savor the morsels of wisdom being shared.
It concerns use of the front and rear brakes, and it discusses things I had been doign through instinct, but that he has been able to quantify through careful explanation. To wit, I had been using my rear brake often times to stabilize the bike when braking hard, using the front brake for stopping power, and the rear brake to minimize front end dive. I have also noted that the front brake can be very helpful in downhill runs, uphill transitions, and braking in the rain. All of these things, to my joyous surprise were relayed in much technical detail in Larry's book, validating what I had been doing just out of experience.
As fall settles in, I find myself being much more contemplative about riding, as I tend to ride more at this time of year than in the hot summer months. The more I ride, the more interested I am in the minute skills required to truly master the sport. I am fascinated by the subtleties, the nuances of throttling, braking, balancing, and awareness of the riding environment so crucial to our safety and so much a part of the enjoyment of the riding experience.
I don't know how much others will enjoy these books, but for those like me, who love all things motorcycling, whose dreams involve carving through corners and finding the perfect line, these books will definitely suit the appetite.
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