The Zen of the Open Road

Today I wake up sore and stiff. Not bad, kinda like I did a workout that was new, muscle soreness. I don't blame the Harley for this soreness, rather just a difference in the seating postion, and ride style. I've gotten soft riding my "Couch Rocket" as some refer to the Goldwings.

Yesterday was a beautiful spring day here in N.E. Oklahoma. So I got up early and preped the Dyna for it's first official (albeit short) road trip. Preping consisted of lowering the windshield, which I was glad to learn that I could do, rather than having to buy a shorter one. Also, preping consisted of adding my fabled "Bear Skin" seat cover. No, it is not acctually bear skin, it is sheepskin, with a natural brown color, and the long pelt so it looks wild an wooly. I bought it for the wing, to give it a wilder and less civilized look (along with the fact that sitting on it feels good in both summer and winter, keeps the bum at a comfortable temp and adds a little cushion for those long rides.) So the sleek, sporty, chromed out Harley now has a touch of me, wild and wooly.

The wife and I hopped on and headed out for Natural Falls St. Park, just this side of the Arkansas border. Some of our riding friends were camping there and we joined them for breakfast. A beautiful ride. About 70mi in we took our first stop and I noticed one of the biggest differences between distance on the Wing and the Harley. Comming off the Harley I felt like I had just had a massage (discounting the newly streched muscles.) Not only that, my hands had a vibration to them, that was somehow both disconcerting, and enjoyable. Don't ask me to define that, I couldn't if I tried.

After breakfast we sat around the campfire and told stories, like we usually do with these folks. And, I recieved my first gift for the bike. These guys had purchased me a Guardian Bell for the new bike. You don't know what a Guardian Bell is? Allow me to explain, see legend is that as long as there have been motorcycles there have been evil road spirits to plague those motorcycles and their riders. The legend goes that you can ward off those evil road spirits with a little bell attached to your bike. The evil road spirits are then trapped in the bell until they are driven insane by its constant ringing and let go, falling to the road (Ever wonder where pot hole come from?) Any small bell is effective, but the effect is considered twice as potent when the bell is a gift from a close friend or relative. So now I have a guardian bell, evil road spirits be warned (and thanks to my benefactors of said bell.)

There was a Harley dealership I wanted to visit up in Bentonville AR called Pig Trail Harley Davidson. I had been there once before during Bikes, Blues and BBQ, and wanted to see it again, when I could actually move in the place. So up the road we went. My lovely wife found several shirts for herself and the grandson, and I picked up a t-shirt as well. After that we needed to get home so I could perform at the Olio (a local variety show I have been known to pick and sing a number or two at occasionally.)

The ride home was much warmer, sun was out, and the temp got up into the 70's, so I was in heaven. The wife however was still a little chilled from the morning ride which had been much cooler (40's-50's).

Arrived home exactly 278 miles later. Not a bad day on the road, for just visiting and not traveling. I answered my question, which was, would we be able to use this as a touring bike, not just a local cruiser. The answer was a resounding yes. On the Wing I maxed out at about 500mi a day for trips. Not due to being unable to stand to go farther, but because when traveling it is never one day, it is 2-3 days of that back to back to get where I'm going. That way I never got up in the morning and didn't want to get back on the bike. And usually when I plan a trip, if riding more than 2-3 days in a row I try to keep my distances at about 300-400 mi a day, giving me some down time and R&R at the end of each day. So... having done just almost 300 on the bike yesterday, and knowing that I was fine with hopping right back on today (I took it to church rather than the Wing,) my question is answered. YES... this bike will be a great tourer, not the big highway miles tourer that the Wing is best at, but the back roads, really seeing America tourer that it was meant to be.

And as for the bike itself.... If it could talk it would probably be asking What the He-double hockey sticks happened? For the last 15 years the bike has averaged 200 miles a year (that's right if you remember it is a 15 year old bike with 3000 original miles.) And now we go and put "a years worth" of miles on it in a day... Now how you could own a machine like this and only put 200 miles a year on it is a mystery to me. I will exceed that on the Wing probably each month, and that is now my secondary bike. But I know not everyone is a 20k+ a year rider. It's just that the equipment was built to be used, and I find most bikes actually work better putting lots of miles on them daily, rather than letting them sit in the garage for weeks or months at a time, and getting them out only on perfect Saturdays and Sundays, of which there are only 52 per year total, and many are not perfect.

OK, stepping off the soap box. Can you tell I am an advocate of motorcycles as main forms of transportation, not as toys?

Anyway, the open road was great, and riding my new steed only made it better.

Retro