Anniversary of Doom, Redux

Yesterday marked the four-year anniversary of my motorcycle crash. The accident changed my life in some very fundamental ways, such as how well I can walk, but the incident also pushed me to examine my attitude regarding motorcycling and the type of riding in which I truly wanted to engage. Read the full tale here. When my Harley was destroyed, it opened the door to new dimensions of motorcycling I'd previously not considered. Those interests evolved into sport-touring and renewed participation in motorcycle camping.

Over the past few days, however, I found myself reflecting back on my old American V-twin. I realized that I miss that troublesome machine, which has probably attributed to my browsing the local HD dealership and gazing longingly at the curves of all those chromed horses. Sometimes I close my eyes and still hear the lope of that 1200 engine, a stumbling gait at low idle, a steady roar at 2500 rpm through 3/4 inch drag pipes. The affinity between rider and motorcycle approaches the spiritual. Ride any machine long enough and it makes a mark upon the rider that passes through the flesh, tattooing the soul. Long after that machine passes out of the rider's life, the memory of it calls back to him across time, like a name shouted in the wind.

Locked Out

The liquid graphite failed to ease the gas cap lock into functioning. I thought, perhaps, that if I removed the lock ring from around the cap and lock mechanism, I'd be able to reach the outside of the lock. Unfortunately, that's not how the cap is constructed. The outer ring functions simply as a stabilizer and alignment device for the actual cap. Due to the fact that the cap is hinged to the lock ring, the lock ring can not be removed by unbolting it from the tank. The teeth engaged through the lock hold the entire assembly in place even when the lock ring's bolts have been removed.

I'm going to seek assistance from some older riders to see what they suggest. And a few prayers to the gods of the open road probably wouldn't hurt either.

Frozen in the Height of Summer

I've been having some trouble with the locking mechanism on the Ninja's gas cap for a couple months. It's been stiff and difficult to turn the key in the lock. I've said to myself over and over that when I got a few spare minutes, I'd lubricate the lock and the latch components below. As I was indisposed last week, I was unable to ride. I returned home to discover that the lock had seized. I am attempting to free the stubborn bastid by injecting liquid graphite into the lock.

It's Raining; It's Pouring....

Ride to Work day transformed into squelch to home day and kicked off a week laden with spotty but dangerous weather. The Ohio River Valley witnessed brief but powerful storms this week. The one we experienced this morning was enough to knock out the power at work. I've had to don the crossing guard of doom rain gear more than once this week.

Ride to Work Day

Today is the 18th annual Ride to Work Day. In the past, the day was observed in July. A change was made to a Monday in June in order to better promote the idea of motorcycles for transport to the general public. This year, Ride to Work Day is endorsed by the Federation Internationale de Motorcyclisme in the international community.

50 Years of Honda

Honda celebrated fifty years in the United States this week. On June 11, 1959, American Honda Motor Company, Inc. was formed in Los Angeles, California. Honda is given credit for revolutionizing the American motorcycle industry with the release of the step-through model seen above, the Honda 50. This machine helped coin Honda's signature pitch, "You meet the nicest people on a Honda."

Honda also celebrates their introduction to the world of motorcycle racing this week. In 1959, Honda debuted at the Isle of Man TT Race. The company has plans to commemorate their anniversary with special events to be held at the 2009 race.

Read a little more about it at Clutch and Chrome and the LA Times.

Murder Cycles

Lounging in the cool dark of my local cinema for a matinee screening of Terminator Salvation, I witnessed the debut of several new Terminator machines. Among these killers are the moto-terminators, an automated, two-wheeled death dealer based on Ducati's Hypermotard platform.