Sometimes, my best insights about how to improve my motorcycle riding occur when I'm not even riding my bike.
This week, I was playing the guitar, practicing a particularly difficult solo with the help of a video lesson on my computer. Onscreen, the instructor gave some potent advice about how to conquer a passage that had a flurry of notes. He said, quite simply, "Slow down to go fast."
If you haven't left for Biketoberfest 2012 yet, you're probably going to miss it. The last big motorcycle rally of the year takes place from October 18 to October 21 in Daytona Beach, Florida.
You've missed the opportunity to ride the 2013 Harley-Davidson motorcycles. The HD Demo Ride Event will be making a stop at Bruce Rossmeyer's Harley-Davidson in Ormond Beach from October 18 - 20. If you're a H.O.G. member, you've also missed a Pin Stop at the Demo Truck.
Somewhere near you, a police officer is practicing his riding skills, preparing for a motorcycle rodeo.
Motorcycle rodeo competitors weave in and around a short course of cones in a parking lot, striving for the quickest laps with the fewest cones displaced. The courses emphasize maneuverability, cornering and changes of direction. In police competitions, the bikes are 1000 ccs or bigger, usually a Kawasaki, BMW or Harley-Davidson police model.
You're ready to buy your next bike. You've narrowed down your choices, and you've decided to buy a used motorcycle -- the economy is in tough shape, which means prices are down a little, making this a good time to buy if you can afford it. You've got the cash, you find the bike, and it's time to buy. What do you do next?
Before you close a deal on any used motorcycle, you've got to take it for a test drive.
I've got a few tips that will make that test drive safer and more effective, helping you evaluate a motorcycle before you buy.
The wind rushes at your face, carrying dust, dirt and debris. The pickup truck in front of you kicks up gravel as its wheels spin from a start. A bug splatters against your headlight, spraying legs, guts and antennae in your face as you speed through the night. If you're wearing proper eye protection, these are all minor inconveniences. If your eyes are bare, your sight might be impaired, either temporarily or permanently.
Many states require proper eye protection every time you ride on the road. You can check the specific laws in your state and states where you plan to ride on the American Motorcyclist Association website. Even if your state doesn't require eye protection (my state, California, doesn't), I strongly advise you to wear some every time you ride.
After I go away for a motorcycle trip, I always want to tell my friends and family all about what I saw. I take a lot of photos, which helps me to share my stories. But it doesn't convey the sense of motion that makes a motorcycle ride so invigorating. In the past, I tried a lot of different ways of mounting my video cameras to my bike, and all I wound up with was a lot of duct tape messing up my paintjob, and some very shaky video (and more than one camera shaken to death).
All that has changed with the latest generation of miniature HD video cameras.
It's the last day of my trip, and I've got the day to explore Bainbridge Island before I cross the Puget Sound and head for home. I wake up in the BEST WESTERN PLUS Bainbridge Island Suites, pack up my gear and go down to the lobby for a good free hot breakfast. I picked up a bunch of brochures from the rack last night, and I study them while I drink some coffee. Bainbridge Island is home to 23,000 residents, living on 27.6 square miles of land -- it's about five miles wide by ten miles long. There are over a dozen sizable parks on the island, and numerous bays and coves. There's one bridge to the Olympic Peninsula on the west side of the island (the Agate Pass Bridge), and one ferry stop to the mainland on the east side of island.
I hate to ask for directions, but I love to ask for advice. I stop by the front desk, and ask the front desk clerk a leading question. "If you had just one day on Bainbridge Island, where would you go?" "Oh, that's easy. I'd go everywhere. You're on a motorcycle, right? You can go everywhere."
Last night's fog still hovers over Ocean Shores when I wake up this morning. I've had some interesting riding experiences in heavy fog. This fog won't be a challenge to my riding, but it is a bummer that I can't get a good look at the beach before I ride off, leaving the BEST WESTERN PLUS Lighthouse Suites Inn in my rearview mirrors. I had a wonderful night's sleep last night, with the sound of the ocean wafting across the room from my balcony. One night was not enough in this vacation spot.
I will follow the coastline as much as possible today, in hopes that the fog lifts and I can get some good ocean views. I've got a long ride today, as I'm tracing the outline of the Olympic Peninsula, the largest such body of land in the state of Washington. Cape Alava, the westernmost point in the lower 48 states, is on the Olympic; so is Cape Flattery, the northwesternmost point. A good portion of the Peninsula is still wilderness, including Olympic National Park, over 900,000 aces of land that belongs to you and me. The Park includes some coastline, temperate rain forest and glaciated mountains within its borders. A little bit of something for everyone.
The BEST WESTERN PLUS Park Place Inn and Suites went up another notch on my personal ranking system this morning, when I discovered that they have an omelet station in their breakfast room every morning. In addition to the regular hot breakfast selection, there's an actual chef there to make you an omelet to order. All included in the price of a night's stay. Excellent.
You know those racks of brochures that you walk past in just about every hotel lobby? They promote local activities and attractions, and I'll bet you walk right by in a hurry, luggage in hand as you rush to check in to your room. Not me. I stop. I look. I pluck a handful from the rack, and bring a bouquet of brochures to my room. Because I always make discoveries, no matter how carefully I have planned my trip.
There's the easy way, and there's the fun way. I try to pick the fun way when I can. My destination today is Chehalis, about 91 miles away as the crow flies up the Interstate. That's the easy way. I'm going to take a big detour, riding a loop that will take me all the way to the Pacific Ocean before I swing back inland to Chehalis, tripling my riding distance in the process. I'm eager to see the Washington Coast, and I will put my feet in the sand today.
We're supposed to be seeing the peak of the heat wave today, so I eat a light breakfast in the lobby of the BEST WESTERN PLUS Parkersville Inn & Suites. I double down on the water, and I make sure that I have some water in my TourPak when I load up the Road Glide for the road. Hydration is everything in the heat.
When it's going to be hot, get on the road early. I keep moving my alarm clock earlier and earlier this week, as I am caught in the middle of a heat wave that threatens to break records. It's very tempting to shed the gear in the heat -- lose the heavy jacket, lose the Kevlar riding pants, swap out the full-face helmet for a shorty. Don't do it. Not only is it risky, leaving you unprepared for a crash, it also makes you more vulnerable to the heat. You get hot, you sweat, and the hot wind speeds evaporation. You get dehydrated more quickly, and your body never gets cooled off the way it's supposed to with perspiration. Before you know it, you're looking at a case of heat exhaustion or heat stroke, a very dangerous condition made even more dangerous by the fact that you're operating a motorcycle. Gear up. All The Gear All The Time. End of sermon.
Some days, you throw out the playbook and call an audible at the line. Sometimes it works out, sometimes it doesn't. The fun is making it up as you go along. Today is going to be one of those days.
The weather report calls for extreme temperatures today, especially at my destination. We're talking triple digits extreme. So, I get an early start this morning. I usually hit the trail by 8:30 am. This morning, I'm down in the lobby breakfast area of the BEST WESTERN PREMIERE Plaza Hotel & Conference Center at 7:00 am, wolfing down the hot food and drinking a few extra glasses of water. I'm going to need to stay hydrated.
I'm a creature of habit. I know this about myself. I try to find opportunities to escape my routines, and that's one of the reasons I travel by motorcycle. But even within my adventures, there's still a healthy dose of habit involved.
For instance, packing for the trip. I have honed packing down to a system, and I have checks and double-checks built in to my system along the way. I make lists, I check them, and then I second guess myself and check them again. I still forget things at home sometimes, but it's pretty rare.
Harley-Davidson is a company that marks its anniversaries with pride. 2013 represents the 110th anniversary of H-D production, and the Motor Company will not let the milestone go unrecognized.
Ten Harley-Davidson models will be available as 110th Anniversary Editions, with unique serial number plates, Anniversary Vintage Bronze/Anniversary Vintage Black paint (CVO models get Diamond Dust/Obsidian paint), solid bronze commemorative fuel tank badges and anniversary badging and trim. The Anniversary Editions will each be loaded with all available factory-installed options as standard equipment with a premium price of between $665 and $2,495 over the corresponding non-Anniversary models.
I'm pretty sure that folks who live in Seattle exaggerate about the rain just to keep the rest of us away. In reality, Seattle receives less precipitation than New York City, Atlanta, Boston and Baltimore, and doesn't even rank in the Top Ten in the US. Seattle's rainfall tends to be more misty and drizzly. It's also seasonal -- summers are mostly dry, winters are mostly wet, spring and fall are mostly grey.
A little bit of rain doesn't keep a serious motorcyclist down. Seattle motorcyclists can keep their bikes on the road year-round, with very few freezing days and rare days of snow.
I know that it seems like I've been complaining about the heat a lot on this particular trip, but it has been scorching hot all week, easily over 90 degrees and approaching 100 degrees on most days. The forecast calls for more of the same today, so I'm getting an early start.
I don't have far to ride today, but I've got plenty to do along the way, so I stoke the boiler with a good hot (free) breakfast at the BEST WESTERN Horizon Inn in Medford, Oregon. I'll be leaving here after staying for two nights, which is one more than my usual on a motorcycle trip. I haven't lost the knack for packing, and I'm ready to ride.
I'm up and at 'em. I'm spending a second night here at the BEST WESTERN Horizon Inn in Medford, and that means that I don't have to pack up all of my gear and load the bike. I can leave my luggage in my room, and travel light, just carrying what I need for the day. I enjoy the hot breakfast in the hotel's lounge, using the time to study my maps and plan my ride. It's funny -- when I'm at home, I'm addicted to the daily newspaper. I feel like I can't really start my day until I've digested the news of the day. When I'm on the road, I couldn't care less. I completely disconnect from the rest of the world, and immerse myself in my travels.
One thing that I love about the High Desert climate is that no matter how hot the day is, once the sun goes down, it's nice and cool. Yesterday was a scorcher, touching triple digits. Today promises to be just as hot. Last night, I was able to turn off the air conditioning in my room in the BEST WESTERN Skyline Motor Lodge. I opened the windows and enjoyed the cool desert air, and I slept like a desert log. This morning, I feel great. I wolf down some of the free hot food in the breakfast room, and I study my maps.
I wake up early, and head to the breakfast room in the BEST WESTERN Inn & Suites of Bend. I have my iPhone with me, as I do on most trips. While I eat breakfast, I read a series of emails that promise to put a bit of a crimp in my trip. Someone has hacked my American Express account, and has tried to buy a bunch of software downloads from a major retailer. Both Amex and the retailer flagged the attempted purchase as fraudulent, which is good. What's bad is that Amex has frozen my card. I spend the next hour on the phone cancelling my card, confirming some charges and figuring out what to do next. Luckily, I always travel with a backup card -- in this case, a Visa -- so I'll be able to continue my trip without interruption. I'll have to deal with other consequences and inconveniences of this fraud when I get home, but for now, it's handled. Thanks to a good, free internet connection at the BEST WESTERN Inn & Suites of Bend, I'm able to resolve some issues and get on the road again.
I'm returning to Oregon again, and I couldn't be more excited. Last year, I explored Western Oregon, and I had a great time riding along the beautiful coast. The year before that, I rode through the Northeastern part of the state. This time, I'm starting out in Bend, and riding in Central Oregon. I'll see high desert, deep forest and beautiful lakes. I can't wait.
If I have to explain, you wouldn't understand.
Every year in early August, every serious biker feels a rumbling in their blood. It's the urge to ride, the siren call of the biggest, baddest biker rally of them all: Sturgis.
If you ride a motorcycle, any kind of motorcycle, you should join the American Motorcyclist Association.
The AMA was founded in 1924, and has spent the past 88 years lobbying for the rights of motorcyclists and promoting the motorcycle lifestyle. The organization advocates for riders' rights with local, state and federal government offices, and also sanctions motorcycle races and recreational events. Motorcycling is subject to plenty of regulation, and there are those who would have our favorite activity banned outright. It's too noisy, too dangerous, too threatening for many people, and they'd be a lot more comfortable if we weren't out there having fun on two wheels. The AMA is a sane, responsible voice for the rights of all riders.
Today is the last day of the trip. I've got to ride from Pittsfield, Massachusetts all the way to Queens Village, New York before 3:00 pm to return the Electra Glide and catch my flight home.
Over eggs and sausage in the breakfast room at the BEST WESTERN Berkshire Hills Inn & Suites, I study my maps and brochures. I flip through the local newspaper, and notice that there are numerous local attractions to consider.
I amaze even myself sometimes when I'm on a motorcycle trip. After that belly bomb of fried seafood that I ate at Al's Seafood last night, I can hardly believe that I wake up hungry this morning. Must be all that fresh ocean air. Lucky for me, a good hot breakfast is included with my stay at the BEST WESTERN PLUS The Inn at Hampton.
I load the Electra Glide, thumb the engine to life and snick the gear selector into first. Soon, I'm cruising along Interstate 495 -- just for a few miles -- and I cross into Massachusetts for the first time on this trip. In case you're keeping track, that's the sixth state in six days. Cheating a little in this part of the country, but it still counts.
The cool ocean air makes for a great night of sleep. I wake up totally refreshed in my Maine Lodge room at the BEST WESTERN Merry Manor Inn. I'm a creature of habit -- I always pack up my gear before heading down for breakfast, then make a final inspection for anything I missed when I return to my room after eating. I've always found that having a system keeps me from leaving important things behind. I stay in so many different hotel rooms that if I left one item behind in each room, I'd have to replenish my travel supplies before every trip. So, I have a system.
Breakfast is served in the Merry Manor's restaurant, and is included with my night's stay. It's nice to get table service instead of buffet every once in a while -- it gives me more time to relax and plan my day.
Do you stop at those "Welcome" centers at the state line? I do, almost always. First of all, they usually have clean bathrooms and water fountains, so that's a plus. Second, they are almost always staffed by friendly, knowledgeable people who can point you toward interesting sights and routes. They're always up to date on current road conditions, and they'll highlight a map that leaves little to the imagination.
I had a filling and delicious breakfast in the dining room at the BEST WESTERN PLUS Executive Court Inn & Conference Center this morning before I checked out and got on the bike to ride. I looked around for the bullfrogs who entertained me with their songs last night, but alas, they seem not to be early risers.
My internal clock would have me sleeping until noon every day if I let it. When I'm on a motorcycle trip, I set an alarm every morning, and I always find myself waking up before the buzzer. I do love to ride.
This morning, I peek out the window to see grey skies, as I expected -- but no rain! That's very good news. I dress quickly, then head to the lobby for some free hot grub. Will I ever get tired of the breakfast that's included with my stay at the BEST WESTERN? I don't think so. Especially not when it's free.
As if riding a motorcycle isn't enough of an adrenaline rush, waking up in Times Square ready to ride a motorcycle is enough to get the blood pumping quickly. I slept like a rock in my comfortable room at BEST WESTERN PLUS President Hotel at Times Square, Jack and Jackie Kennedy keeping watch over me all night long. I was concerned that the street noise from busy 48th Street below my fourth floor window might keep me awake, but the room was as quiet and serene as a room in the country, a true haven in the middle of the most populous city in the United States.
New York City is not for the timid, especially when traveling on two wheels. I'm reminded of this as I weave my way through traffic on the Cross Island Parkway at rush hour on Monday afternoon.
I have just flown across the country from my home in California to New York's John F. Kennedy Airport. I lined up for a taxi to Queens Village to pick up a Harley-Davidson Electra Glide Classic at EagleRider Rentals. Vinnie from EagleRider sped me through the signup process, and together we inspected the 2011 Touring motorcycle. A few bumps and scrapes and 20,000+ miles on the odometer, but the Electra Glide looked good and ready to go. I moved my gear from my suitcase to the saddlebags and TourPak, and paid attention as Vinnie ran through a checklist of operating instructions for the bike. I've put a lot of miles on Electra Glides in the past, but I still listened intently as Vinnie ticked off the items on the list. I used the time to focus on riding, as the most challenging part of the whole ride was probably these first few miles.
It's not too late to catch the fever if you're in the Northeastern United States. Two big weeks of motorcycling are coming up, and you don't want to miss them.
Americade, June 5 - 9
Billed as "the world's largest motorcycle touring rally," Americade is an all-brands, family-friendly event set along the shores Lake George in the Adirondacks of Upstate New York.
Yesterday marked a special occasion For Best Western, as our new program - I Care Clean - was launched via an exclusive in USA Today. Best Western continues its dedication to lead the hospitality industry in customer care with advanced cleaning technologies throughout 2012 in the more than 2,100 Best Western hotels in North America!
The new program empowers Best Western's Housekeeping to set a new standard for customer care with the use of UV Wands, Black Lights and Clean Remotes.
I wake up early in Tulsa. I want to get on the road before the heat of the day hits, because I've got some miles to cover before I reach my hotel in Denton, Texas tonight.
The staff at the BEST WESTERN PLUS Tulsa Inn & Suites impresses me as a very cheerful, friendly group. Everyone I encounter, from housekeeping to front desk to the gardening crew out front, shoots me a big hello and a sincere smile. Is that the way people behave in Oklahoma, or just here at the BEST WESTERN?
I wake up fully rested this morning in my room at the BEST WESTERN PREMIUM Speedway Inn & Suites. There's nothing like a touch of luxury to add to a pleasant night's sleep. After a filling hot breakfast in the hotel's modern lobby bar, I'm ready to load up the Road Glide and ride off.
My first stop today is not far away, but it is back over the river on the Missouri side of Kansas City -- a slight bit of backtracking. I don't mind. I'm headed for a tour of Harley-Davidson's Vehicle and Powertrain Operations factory in Kansas City, Missouri.
I wake up at the BEST WESTERN PLUS Landing View Inn & Suites still thinking about meeting Jim Stafford last night, and seeing his show. I never would have believed that riding a Harley-Davidson would lead me here, but that's part of the magic of motorcycling. You never know what might be around the next bend.
I pick up a bunch of brochures in the lobby of the hotel before loading up my plate with hot eggs, sausage and toast. While I drink my coffee, I plot a route through Branson that will take me past some more of the theaters and attractions.
Today, I get to cross off two destinations on my travel bucket list: Hot Springs, Arkansas and Branson, Missouri.
I'm already in Hot Springs, after a long ride yesterday from Dallas. After a good night's rest at the BEST WESTERN Winners Circle Inn, I stroll across to the hotel's breakfast room for a good hot breakfast. As I shovel in some eggs, sausage and toast, I study my maps and try to plan my day. It's going to be another hot one, but that's okay. I don't have a very long ride today, and I'm getting an early start.
Time for another ride.
It seems like this time of year, everything collides, and this trip sneaks up on me quite quickly. I get a late jump on my planning, and an even later jump on packing. I hope I didn't forget anything important.
I love a good spy story. I love to read John Le Carre, Ian Fleming and even Donald Hamilton novels. But I'm not interested in the heroes, like George Smiley or James Bond or Matt Helm. Don't get me wrong; those guys are great. But I read spy stories for the gadgets. Give me a whole book about MI6's Q Branch (they're the ones who make all the gadgets), and I'd be very happy.
When I travel on a motorcycle, getting ready for each trip starts to feel like I'm preparing for a super secret mission. I'm always in the process of testing a new piece of gear, or a newly miniaturized gadget that is designed to make my riding safer, easier and more fun.
It's spring, so you might be thinking about getting a new battery for your motorcycle. If you didn't take the time to put your battery on a smart charger for the winter, you're definitely going to have to do more than just think about it. Motorcycle batteries are much smaller than car batteries, which is one of the factors that contribute to their shorter lifespan (and warranties). I've had good luck with my batteries over the years, mostly because I'm kind of obsessive about keeping them hooked up to a Battery Tender smart charger in between rides, even during good weather. My most recent battery lasted almost ten years, thanks to careful maintenance, and the fact that I live in a very moderate climate.
This is an article about motorcycle safety, but it could be an article about automotive safety, or bicycle safety, or just leaving your house safety. It's an article built around a simple concept: Think like a pilot.
Pilots approach every flight with a clear agenda -- take off safely, fly safely, arrive safely. The very first thing a pilot does, before ever flying the plane, is to complete a safety checklist. Every important system and backup is inspected, every setting noted, every detail attended to. All before the engine is started, long before takeoff occurs. A pilot who does not complete a safety checklist will not be a pilot for long.
The man who has led the direction of Harley-Davidson's styling for the past 49 years is retiring on April 30, 2012. Willie G. Davidson, the dashing 78 year-old Senior Vice President and Chief Styling Officer for the Motor Company, will segue to a lesser role as Chief Styling Officer Emeritus, and will remain involved with Harley-Davidson as a Brand Ambassador.
The sound of seals barking on the rocks greets me when I step out onto the patio of my room at the BEST WESTERN PLUS Fireside Inn this morning. Seals are particularly vocal animals, and they have no problem expressing themselves at full volume. They're hilarious to watch, as they spend many of their waking hours telling each other who's boss. Moonstone Beach's seals look very well-fed and healthy, and seem to enjoy having an audience.
I pop into the breakfast room at the hotel for a quick breakfast -- scrambled eggs and sausage from the free buffet, and a few cups of coffee to shake off the morning fog.
For such a small town, Lone Pine really is in the center of a lot of special locations. Death Valley National Park is to the east. Sequoia National Park and Kings Canyon National Park are to the west. The portal to Mount Whitney is right outside of town. A few miles north of Lone Pine is Manzanar National Historic Site, where Japanese nationals and Americans of Japanese descent were interned during World War II. The BEST WESTERN PLUS Frontier Motel is a great base camp for exploration to any of these remarkable places.
Palm Springs is a sleepy town in the morning. I like that. The Club Room at the BEST WESTERN PLUS Las Brisas Hotel is bustling, however. Breakfast is served, and it's included in the price of the room. A chef is on duty to prepare omelets to order. She's an artist with a pan. I linger over my ham and cheese creation, and study my maps. I want to make sure that I don't hit any snow today. I check the weather and elevations on my route until I'm confident that I'll be safe. No problems manifest themselves on the maps or on the internet.
I pack up the bike and check out of the hotel. In a town full of hotels, the BEST WESTERN PLUS Las Brisas Hotel is a discovery, with a very intimate, friendly feel. I wish I could stay longer. It's a great place to relax.
Rain. It's still raining when I wake up and peek through the shutters. A heavy fog sits over the bay, obscuring any view of the San Diego skyline. I get packed and dressed, and dodge the raindrops over to the Blue Wave Restaurant & Lodge off of lobby of the BEST WESTERN PLUS Island Palms Hotel & Marina. I study the weather app on my iPhone as I eat my ham and cheese omelet. It looks like most of the storm has passed, and I'm just dealing with the lingering effects. It's time to ride.
"Seems it never rains in Southern California..." The lyrics of Albert Hammond's 1972 hit echo in my head as I load my gear on the 2012 Harley-Davidson Road Glide Ultra that sits in my garage. I'm about to head out on a six-day ride that will take me on a tour of Southern and Central California, and the ground outside is still wet from last night's downpour. The forecast calls for thunderstorms today, though the skies show signs of clearing right now. Rain won't stop me from riding, but it does force me to adjust my plans a bit.
If you've ever visited the Harley-Davidson website, you've probably noticed that the motorcycles on the site are divided into groups or families, including Sportster, Dyna, Softail, V-Rod and Touring. Each category is pretty much defined by its frame and engine, with plenty of variation within the category.
The family that I'm most interested in (most of the time) is Touring. The H-D Touring family includes the Road King, Electra Glide/Street Glide and Road Glide motorcycles, in all of their trim levels. Each bike is built around the same basic Touring frame, the latest version of which was introduced in 2009. Each bike is powered by a fuel-injected 45-degree V-Twin engine, displacing either 103 or 110 cubic inches, depending on model.
I just finished reading The Big Roads by Earl Swift, and I couldn't wait to write about it here. The book's subtitle is "The Untold Story of the Engineers, Visionaries, and Trailblazers Who Created the American Superhighways," and as a denizen of the road, it filled in many blanks, corrected misconceptions and entertained me at the same time. If you've ever wondered about those wild interchanges, long stretches of straightaway and gentle curves and the people behind them, The Big Roads will help unravel the mystery for you.
Earl Swift is an experienced journalist based in Norfolk, Virginia. The Big Roads is his third non-fiction book. In addition, his newspaper and magazine columns have been collected in a volume called "The Tangierman's Lament." I heard Swift interviewed on NPR's All Things Considered last summer, and I immediately placed an order for his book. Time being the fluid instrument that it is, The Big Roads took its place in my cue, and I just got around to reading it this winter. It was worth the wait.
I'm getting ready for my next motorcycle trip. When I'm planning a trip, I'm generally a paper map kind of guy. I like the maps from MadMaps when I can get them; they're great for discovering motorcycle roads. I've installed the Harley-Davidson MadMaps App on my iPhone, and that's great, too. But I have found that having a good handheld GPS unit with me on my ride is a great safety net.
A smartphone with a GPS application can work fine, but it's not a dedicated GPS unit. Dedicated GPS units generally have bigger screens, more useful integrated functions and quicker response times.
I'm no mechanic. That's been proven to me many times, in most unpleasant ways. But, I still think that it's important to understand how my motorcycle works. That way, I can recognize small problems before they become catastrophes, and I can work with my mechanic to make things work properly. This week, I decided to look deeply into my motorcycle's clutch to unravel its mysteries.
The job of the clutch is to temporarily disconnect the engine from the transmission. This disconnection is essential to safe operation of a modern motorcycle. Otherwise, you'd have to turn off the engine at every stop, and you'd never be able to change gears. Your car has a clutch (or more), even if it has an automatic transmission. Even your electric drill probably has a clutch. On a motorcycle, we pull in the clutch lever in order to disengage the transmission, then slowly let the clutch lever out in order to engage the transmission gears with the engine -- and the bike moves under power. But what's happening inside the clutch when we pull and release that lever?
Gentlemen, start your engines! Even though this winter has been very mild throughout much of the United States, it's always great to see the first signs of spring. For me, spring means Daytona Beach Bike Week, and this year that's March 9 to 18. Actually, that's more than a week -- it's 10 days. But who's counting?
Every year since 1937 (that's 75 years), Bike Week has been held in Daytona Beach, Florida, coinciding with the Daytona 200 motorcycle race. The race was suspended for a few years during World War II, but the party continued. The Daytona 200 is held at Daytona International Speedway on March 17, and is the first race of the AMA Pro Racing season. Tickets for the race start at $30, a bargain for a great day of racing.
Never a company to rest on its laurels, Harley-Davidson has announced two additional motorcycle models that will join the lineup for 2012: The Softail Slim and the Harley-Davidson Seventy-Two.
Based on the Softail platform that includes the Fatboy, Blackline and Heritage Softail Classic, the new Softail Slim is a back-to-basics stripped-down old school motorcycle. "It's time to make the engine the focal point of the motorcycle," says Harley-Davidson Senior Designer Casey Ketterhagen, "so we put a Softail on a diet to get the proportions back in check. Scale down the rear with a narrow tire and chopped fender and the heart of the bike, the motor, once again becomes the focus."
Today's our last day on the road. We linger over breakfast at the Acapulco Restaurant, adjacent to the BEST WESTERN PLUS Hacienda Hotel Old Town. The hot breakfast buffet is included with our stay, and it's a really great start to the day. The views from the dining room across Old Town and to modern San Diego beyond are quite spectacular, and it's a perfect Southern California day today. San Diego may have the best weather in the United States. It's never too hot, never too cold, with less than 12 inches of rain per year. It has only snowed in San Diego five times in the past 125 years, so it's pretty safe to bet that you'll get good weather here if you hang around for a few days. We've hit a sweet spot in January, an absolutely clear, beautiful morning.
After breakfast, I go back to Old Town to look around before the crowds arrive. I get a chance to read the plaques, explore the buildings and soak up the vibe without bumping into people. Because it's San Diego, runners and dog walkers power through while I stroll with my camera. Fitness is like a religion here.
We eat a quick breakfast in PJ's Cafe and Bar at the BEST WESTERN PLUS Inn Suites Yuma Mall Hotel & Suites. A hot buffet with eggs and sausage - yum. We're going to explore Yuma a little bit before we ride back into California.
I'm not sure why prisons are such an attraction. I hope never to be incarcerated, but I love visiting old jails and prisons, and hearing the stories about the men and women who lived in them. Back in the day, working at a prison was almost as bad as being a convict. Guards and inmates shared conditions, and an isolated jail was as much of a hardship on the employees as it was on the prisoners.
Our stay at the BEST WESTERN PLUS Royal Sun Inn & Suites includes breakfast at the adjoining Royal Sun Restaurant & Lounge. We have a nice hot breakfast, and spend some time planning our day's ride. We have some distance to travel, and plenty of things to see along the way.
Looking at the map, I'm continually surprised to realize just how close we are to the U.S./Mexico border. Nogales, Mexico is just 70 miles south on Interstate 19. We're not going to cross the border on this trip, but it is possible to cross into and out of Mexico with ease. You and your passengers (including children) need to bring your U.S. Passports, and it's a good idea to purchase Mexico vehicle insurance before entering the country -- your U.S. policy will probably not cover you in a foreign country. It is also advisable to check the U.S. Department of State's website for up-to-the-minute information about travel to Mexico. Mexico is a beautiful, amazing country, but there are some definite dangers for tourists. Forewarned is forearmed.
At some point in the middle of a motorcycle trip I always begin to feel like I've been on the road forever, and that the ride will never end. It's a great feeling, and it means that I'm getting into my groove and really living in the moment. Today feels like that.
The BEST WESTERN PLUS InnSuites Phoenix Hotel & Suites has a big, bright breakfast room right off of the lobby, and we take advantage of the hot food buffet. I don't eat a lot of eggs at home, but for some reason there's nothing better on the road.
Breakfast is my thing. There's nothing better than waking up in the morning and knowing that a good breakfast is on the agenda. Breakfast at Juicy's River Cafe is included with our night's stay at the BEST WESTERN Colorado River Inn. Good, stick-to-your-ribs eggs and bacon starts our day the right way.
We check out of the hotel, load up the bike and get back on the Mother Road. We'll be tracking along a short section of the original Route 66 today, and we're excited to explore a piece of travel history.
I'm always excited to go on a motorcycle trip. When my wife Robin can get the time off of work to join me as a passenger, I'm over the moon. She's great company, and the best pillion rider I've ever met. A ride with Robin is the best.
We're starting out from home this time, which is great. While I enjoy exploring the country on a bike, eliminating the travel days to and from a remote starting point gives us more time actually riding, and less time in airports.
I just got back from a week-long ride from Southern California into Arizona and back, which you'll be reading about here very soon. Luckily, my wife Robin was able to take time off from work to ride along as my passenger. We took the opportunity to test a new Bluetooth communication system, instead of using the onboard intercom system on the 2012 Harley-Davidson Electra Glide Ultra Classic that we rode. We've used the H-D system in the past, and it works like a charm. The only downside to the H-D system, if there is one, is that it is not wireless. Bluetooth wireless systems have spoiled me. I use a Bluetooth stereo headset every day when I'm not on my bike, so I figured it would be fun to try one on this trip.
Most of the time, I like to pass through life without attracting attention. When I'm riding my motorcycle, though, I do my best to make sure that other motorists notice me. I don't clown around or make funny faces: I use HiViz.
In 1933, Bob Switzer sustained a head injury and was forced to spend months recovering in a darkened basement room. Bob and his younger brother Joe used the recovery time to experiment with paint that would glow in the dark under fluorescent light. In 1935, they accidently discovered a combination of pigments that seemed to glow under ordinary light. They named the color "Fire Orange," and it was the first "Day-Glo" paint color. Subsequent colors included "Saturn Yellow" and "Signal Green."
I just looked back over my blog entries for the past year. One thing jumped out at me immediately: No matter how much you plan, life has a way of taking its own course.
Last year I asked, "Did you ride as much as you meant to in 2010? Me, either. Do you plan to do something about it in 2011? Me, too."
Even though I live in Southern California, I find myself contemplating how to keep my motorcycling jones fulfilled during the winter. I can only imagine the depths of despair that my motorcycling friends in the Upper Midwest are enduring right now. So I decided to collect a few random thoughts about your motorcycle in winter to help keep hope alive.
As long as the roads are dry and the skies are clear, you can conquer the cold and keep on riding.
Nothing warms me up like a visit to the International Motorcycle Show (IMS), which tours the United States every winter. In past years, it has been sponsored by Cycle World Magazine, but this year Progressive Insurance has taken the reins -- so the show is officially known as the Progressive International Motorcycle Show.
Winter is about to tighten its grip on the Northern Hemisphere. What better time than to scoot down to South Beach to bask in the sunshine?
I found myself in Miami Beach on business, and decided to extend my stay for a few days. I went online to the Harley-Davidson site and booked a 2011 Softail Deluxe from Peterson's Harley-Davidson of Miami. In just a few minutes, I was out of my rental car, and back on two wheels, ready to explore the city.
Is it Christmas time again already? Then it must be time to shop for the biker on your list. Lucky for you, there are plenty of cool, affordable gifts that will put a smile on the face of your favorite motorcyclist.
Here are a few cool gift suggestions:
You will probably never ride a thousand mile day on a motorcycle. Neither will I. But if you're eager to understand why some people ride a thousand miles a day and more -- indeed, if you're eager to understand why people ride motorcycles at all, The Man Who Would Stop at Nothing by Melissa Holbrook Pierson gives valuable insight into the practice of long-distance motorcycling.
Ms. Pierson is an essayist and non-fiction writer. I have recommended a previous book of hers, The Perfect Vehicle: What It Is About Motorcycles (1998), many times.
I'm a big advocate of motorcycle rider training. I took my first motorcycle training class, the Motorcycle Safety Foundation's Experienced RiderCourse, after I had already been riding for a decade. When the one-day class was over, my head was spinning. I realized how little I actually knew about riding a motorcycle, and how lucky I was to have survived without proper training. I decided then and there to devote myself to being a better, safer rider, and to make sure that I kept on top of my skills at all times. I view each and every ride as a training session, and I pay constant attention to my riding while I'm in the saddle. Between rides, I read articles and books about motorcycle safety, and I seek out new inspiration for safe riding.
The latest Chopper craze has waxed and waned, but that doesn't mean that the Chopper is dead and gone. In fact, the 2012 Harley-Davidson lineup includes several bikes that I would consider "Factory Choppers": The Nightster, Iron 883 and Forty-Eight from the Sportster family, the Street Bob from the Dyna family and the Blackline from the Softail family.
But where did this whole Chopper thing come from? And what is a "Chopper" exactly?
As far as I'm concerned, the best time to buy a used motorcycle is right now -- at the end of the riding season, when owners are considering winter storage. The holidays are right around the corner, and that used bike looks a little like an ATM sitting in the garage. The weather hasn't turned so much that you can't get in a good test drive, and if you buy now, you'll have the whole winter to make any alterations that you have in mind before spring rolls around.
Doing some homework before you start shopping for a used bike will help make the experience better. First, examine your finances, and figure out how much you want to spend on a bike. If you're planning to finance your purchase, go to your lender and get preapproved for a loan amount. Talk to your insurance agent, and find out what factors you should consider in order to make sure that you can afford proper motorcycle insurance. Engine size, motorcycle style and other factors can greatly affect your insurance bill -- so find this out before you buy.
Motorcycles can be incredibly fuel efficient, especially compared to cars. Still, even the most efficient bikes (and riders) can stand some improvement to make sure that they are getting the most out of every drop of fossil fuel.
Get to Know the Enemy
You won't know if you're improving your gas mileage unless you track your fuel usage. Start keeping a log of fuel purchased and miles driven. Keep notes of driving conditions, special situations and other information that will help you interpret your data. Make a habit of recording data with every fill up, and continue to record data as you make changes to your bike and your riding habits so that you can figure out what works and what doesn't.
Buying a motorcycle can be a significant investment. While generally less expensive than cars, the tab for a new, fully featured bike can easily approach figures that eclipse the price of a mid-size sedan. In the best of all possible worlds, you've got enough cash put aside so that you can buy your next bike outright. In the real world, that's not always the case. Does that mean that you have to put your dreams on hold? No, it does not. There are sensible ways to finance the purchase of a motorcycle.
I've always dreamed of owning a classic motorcycle. Not just any classic: I've always dreamed of owning a 1958 Harley-Davidson Duo-Glide. It was the first Harley with a genuine rear suspension, so it was the first H-D that I would consider "touring-ready." It is supremely comfortable, and remarkably smooth in operation. The Duo-Glide is a gorgeous bike, with elegant lines and striking details, the kind of bike you can spend as much time admiring as you can riding it.
But I've never bought a Duo-Glide, even though I've come across many affordable, well-maintained examples over the years.
Why not?
Check out the video footage of Best Western's Travel Blog writer Jason Fogelson and his trip through Washington state!
After a good night's rest, I wake up for a quick breakfast in the BEST WESTERN PLUS Harbor Inn's dining room. They have a cool, build-your-own egg sandwich system that everyone is trying, and I can't resist, either. An egg fried in the round, a sausage patty, a slice of cheese and an English muffin, assembled and tossed in the microwave for a minute, and you've got a breakfast that McDonald's can only dream about.
I check out of the hotel and load up the Electra Glide for the last time. I'm pretty proud of my packing this time. I have worn every item of clothing that I packed. The only way to get more efficient is to start wearing clothing twice, or a mid-trip wash. For a six-day ride, I'll stick with the "just enough" system. Next, I'll need to hone the other junk I carry.
The BEST WESTERN PLUS Icicle Inn sets out a great breakfast buffet in J.J. Hills Fresh Grill, and the great model train runs the whole time. By the way, Jerome James "J.J." Hill was the head of the Great Northern Railroad, and pressed for its route to pass through Leavenworth. So there's some logic to the restaurant's name and railroad theme -- not that it needs logic, anymore than Leavenworth itself needs logic. It's just fun and cool, that's all.
I load up the Electra Glide under the big hand-painted sign that bids me "Auf Wiedersehen," then bid farewell to the BEST WESTERN PLUS Icicle Inn. If I were a snow skier, I'd be marking this location on my map. I'll bet it is stunning in the wintertime.
The heat wave seems to have broken when I wake up this morning at the BEST WESTERN Othello Inn. I share the hotel's breakfast room with a group of power company linemen, and we all compliment the morning's fare. Excellent biscuits and gravy, just the kind of stick-to-your-ribs food to keep you going as you climb poles all day -- or ride a motorcycle through beautiful countryside.
I load up the Electra Glide, and depart town in the direction of the Columbia National Wildlife Refuge. The Refuge is a 30,000-acre area administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The Refuge was established in 1944, and much of its land is that unique canyon and eroded hillside that was formed by the great floods that created the Columbia River Basin. The area is an important stopover for migratory waterfowl, and is famous for its population of Sand Hill Cranes. I didn't see much wildlife during my ride through the Refuge, but I did see great, unspoiled natural beauty in every direction, miles and miles of land untouched by human habitation. It's a fascinating place, a desert terrain that seems to have abundant water at the same time. I've never seen any other place like it.
It's already hot in Omak when I wake up this morning. The weather lady is calling for temperatures in the upper 90s. I hope she's wrong, but I'll be fine either way. I just have to remember to hydrate, hydrate, hydrate.
After a fortifying breakfast in the elegant breakfast room/library of the BEST WESTERN PLUS Pepper Tree Inn at Omak, I'm ready to move on. I'm getting an early start today, on account of the heat. I kind of wish I could hang out in Omak for another day, and swim in that great pool while I wait for the heat to pass. Oh, well.
Today is a big day on my Washington State ride. I'm meeting up with a group of riders at Mt. Baker Harley-Davidson, and they're escorting me on a ride and joining me for lunch along my route.
First, I fuel up with a delicious breakfast in the Oboe Cafe at the BEST WESTERN PLUS Lakeway Inn. A choice of several breakfast meals is included with my stay, and it's a luxurious change over the usual buffet. Sometimes it's nice to relax and let someone take care of you.
I pack my gear carefully for this trip, as always. I'm honing my gear down with each trip, trying to do more with less. Everything must have a purpose, and anything that didn't get used on the last trip gets left at home on the next one. I have this down to a science now.
I used to carry a tool roll on every trip, an old habit from the days when motorcycles were much less reliable. This time, I'm only packing a small flashlight, a Leatherman multi-tool, a roll of duct tape and the universal tool - my iPhone. I probably won't ever use the first three.
I've been on a few long rides in the past few months. I've been all by myself on most of them, but I've been part of a group on others. When they are not riding, riders talk about riding. Where they've ridden, what they've ridden, how they've ridden. Who they've ridden with.
And frequently, riders talk about how far they've ridden.
Check out the video of the latest Harley Davidson Canada Road Trip!
Okay, so this morning I don't have fruit for breakfast. I break down and have some eggs, bacon and toast. So shoot me. The breakfast at the BEST WESTERN PLUS Coeur d'Alene Inn just looks too good.
I check out of my room, noticing again just how friendly and efficient the staff at the hotel is. This is a very well run establishment, and I will definitely be back again for a third visit in the future. I'm a little bummed that we won't get a chance to explore downtown Coeur d'Alene, which is so charming and interesting. I really enjoyed wandering around there on my last visit -- it's like an unspoiled Spokane, hip and cool without the attitude. Oh, well -- next time.
We've got some serious riding to do today, so we have all agreed to get up an hour earlier than usual, and meet at 7:00 am in the breakfast room of the BEST WESTERN White Oak Grand. I stoke the fires with fresh fruit and some yogurt, knowing that I'll need long-lasting energy for the road ahead. We check out of our hotel rooms, and meet in the parking lot.
Breakfast at the BEST WESTERN PLUS Columbia River Hotel is served in the dining room, and it is delicious. I'm feeling good this morning, and I also feel virtuous, because all I have for breakfast is a big bowl of fruit, while my Canadian friends all seem to be carbing up with eggs, pancakes and other heavy foods. I'll wait for lunch and dinner before I fill up.
The sun is shining as we saddle up to ride, and the skies are clear and blue. We're going to be crossing the border into the United States today, and I'm kind of curious how that will work on a group of motorcycles. I suddenly realize that I've never crossed an international border on a bike, so this day will mark a significant occasion.
This is going to be a different kind of road trip for me. I'm going on a group ride with Deeley Harley-Davidson of Canada and a group of Canadian journalists. We're going to be riding a collection of 2012 Harleys, starting off in Kelowna, British Columbia and dipping down below the border into my home country of the United States. We'll be staying at BEST WESTERN hotels along the way, both in Canada and in the U.S.
I'm looking forward to the ride. We'll be riding through some beautiful areas, including one of my favorite spots on Earth, Montana's Glacier National Park. I'm very excited to return there, as it was the highlight of one of my trips last year.
I've been using Santa Barbara as an escape from Los Angeles ever since I was in college in the 1980s. The rich and famous have been drawn to Santa Barbara since the 1920s, as the area is uncommonly beautiful and temperate. Santa Barbara County has been called "The American Riviera," and looking at the way that the shore communities are carved into the hilly coastline, it's easy to see why. Santa Barbara is heaven for motorcyclists, with great roads in every direction, and fantastic attractions in town when the riding day is done.
Every biker has a pile of these pictures. "Here's my bike in Sturgis.... Here's my bike in front of Mt. St. Helens... Here's my bike in front of my family..." If you're going to take pictures of your bike (you know you are), here are a few tips to help make your motorcycle photographs even better.
Consider the background.
One of the toughest things about photographing a motorcycle is all of the negative space. Even on a fully-faired bike, you can still see plenty of the background through the body, through the wheels, and through the basic outline of your motorcycle. A black motorcycle can virtually disappear in front of a dark background. Pay attention to what is behind and around your bike, and arrange your photo so that your bike stands out.
I got up early this morning. I wanted to have time to enjoy my last full day of riding. So, I rushed through a quick hot breakfast at the BEST WESTERN University Inn & Suites, then hurried back up to my room to gather my belongings and get onto the bike. I'm still amazed at how close Forest Grove is to Portland. Just 30 miles up the road, the big city seems worlds away. Forest Grove may be at commuting distance, but it doesn't feel like a suburb. It is a community in itself, and the BEST WESTERN University Inn & Suites is a great vantage point from which to explore.
Oregonians take their summers seriously. Whenever the sun is out, so are they. Today, they're out on two wheels -- mostly of the bicycle variety. They're also very fond of Farmers' Markets. I pass several during my journey today, and they're bursting with produce and people. It's a beautiful day for riding.
While I eat a hot meal today in the breakfast room at the BEST WESTERN University Inn & Suites, I do a bit of research. I don't know much about Forest Grove, but what I have seen so far intrigues me.
I discover that the school that inspired the name of the BEST WESTERN University Inn & Suites is Pacific University, a prestigious liberal arts school. Its main campus is downtown in Forest Grove. Pacific University is the oldest university in Oregon, having been founded in 1849 -- ten years before Oregon became a state. The beautiful little campus educates over 3,200 students per year in undergraduate and graduate studies. It would be a very nice place to go to school, especially with its close proximity to Portland.
I wake up refreshed from a great night's sleep at the BEST WESTERN Grand Manor Inn. On my way to the lobby for a hot free breakfast, I stop and chat with Ivy at the front desk. This is my first-ever visit to Corvallis, and I don't need to rush away so quickly. Ivy gives me a map of the city, and points out some highlights. I study the map while I drink some coffee and nibble daintily on a toasted bagel.
I load up the Electra Glide and set out to tool around the city. 50,000 people call Corvallis home, and another 100,000 folks live in the surrounding area. Still, Corvallis retains a small town feel, with a real sense of the natural environment and a respect for history.
I jump out of bed at the BEST WESTERN Inn at Face Rock, get dressed and get packed up. I've got an appointment to ride this morning. "Bandon Bill" Clark has promised to take me to a place that every biker must visit.
I make time for a hot breakfast of eggs, sausage, biscuit and gravy in the breakfast room at Bandon Bill's Grill on the hotel grounds. I remember the great meal I had in the dining room here last night - I wonder if I could extend my stay, just one more night? No - I've got places to go, promises to keep. You know the story.
I'm up early this morning. I pore over my map while I eat my hot breakfast at the BEST WESTERN PLUS Landmark Inn. I really like Lincoln City, and this hotel. I could see the ocean from my balcony, and I slept with the balcony door open so that I could enjoy the sea breeze and the sounds of the surf. I slept very well, and I'm raring to go. I've got a lot to see today.
First up, I ride back into town to see the town's namesake. Lincoln City was born in 1965, when the towns of Cutler City, Taft,Nelscott, Delake, and Oceanlake merged and incorporated. At about the same time, sculptor Anna Hyatt Huntington (1876 - 1973) was looking for a home for "Abraham Lincoln on Horseback," a big bronze that depicted youthful Abe astride a steed, reading a book (Lincoln's reading - not the horse). The statue now sits on the corner of NW 22nd Street and Quay in Lincoln City, outside of the Lincoln City Community Center.
I'm greeted by light rain as I pack up to ride today. There was a big thunderstorm last night, but I slept right through it in my comfortable bed.
Rain is a fact of life in Oregon, and the locals welcome it as a treasure. Lawns are lush here, flowers grow in abundance and vegetable gardens burst with bounty. None of this would be possible without the rain. Everything looks clean, fresh and healthy. I'll take a little rain early in the day in exchange for such beauty.
Logistics have determined that my ride through Western Oregon has to begin in Seattle, Washington. Not Oregon. That's okay - I love Seattle. It's a good starting point for any excursion, especially during the summer.
I land in Seattle/Tacoma International Airport, and take a car service to Bellevue's Eastside Harley-Davidson. I've located an Electra Glide Ultra Limited for rent through Harley-Davidson Authorized Rentals. In the past, I've used the Harley Owners Group Fly and Ride, but the Motor Company has merged the two programs. Everything works out fine. I'm in and out of the dealership in 45 minutes, saddled up on a fully-loaded 2011 bike. The bike is beautifully detailed, black in color, and has a few extra features, like heated handgrips and a 12-volt outlet in the Tour Pak. That may come in handy.
When I got my first Harley-Davidson back in the early 1990s, I brought it out to Dover, New Jersey to show to my cousin David. Dave is a lifelong biker, and he was my inspiration to ride in the first place.
After Dave gave my Sportster the once over ("Pretty cool -- for a Sporty."), I pulled him aside for some words of wisdom. Dave thought for a minute, then emitted two words: "Ride solo."
I got a call from the dealership's service manager, Tom. I had left my Sportster, Manny,with Tom that morning to get a new set of tires spooned on, and had ordered up some routine maintenance at the same time.
"I've got some bad news." You never want to hear that from your service manager. "I've only ever had to make this call one time before, and I had hoped never to have to make it again." My heart was racing. What had they discovered? What was wrong with my beloved Manny? "We dropped your bike off the lift. Your bike was up on the lift, and it fell off."
I'm going to encourage you to think about a part of your motorcycle that you've probably never given much attention: the frame.
When a designer conceives a bike, the frame has to be one of the first elements to consider. The frame determines a bike's structure, and every decision about frame design will determine function down the line. So, if you look at your own bike's frame, you can reverse-engineer your bike, and figure out how and why it is built the way it is. Once you understand that, you'll be able to evaluate any possible repairs and/or modifications that you might consider in the future, and you'll know whether or not they are compatible with your bike's very essence: its frame.
A few years ago, when my Sportster was in for service at my local Harley-Davidson dealership, Tom the service manager asked me if I had considered changing over to synthetic oil.
"Synthetic oil? Isn't that for new high-tech engines?" I asked. "Doesn't my old-fashioned air-cooled V-twin need thick, sludgy 40-weight?"
Tom took the time to explain why synthetic oil was a better choice for my Sportster and my riding style, and I decided to change over. I have never regretted my choice.
We are seemingly minutes away from the official start of summer as kids everywhere are set to put another school year in the books. Overall, as we recently heard at the Leisure Travel Summit held in Toronto, leisure travel and optimism is back in a big way this year. The result is an action packed summer full of fun, adventure and new experiences.
Here are my top 5 things to do with the kids this summer:
Riding a motorcycle is all about managing traction, so it's important to understand what traction is and how your riding style, choices and your motorcycle itself affect the traction that you have available.
First, some basics. As it relates to motorcycles, traction is the resistance between your tires and the ground. Traction results from friction (surface resistance) combined with your tires' footprint combined with your bike's (and your) weight. If the available traction is less than the torque that you apply to your wheel, the tire will spin. When your wheels spin without traction, handling can be unpredictable, and very bad things can happen.
Two of my favorite hobbies, motorcycling and photography, go together beautifully. And now, Best Western has created a contest that promises to reward both hobbies.
Motorcyclists who visit a Best Western Hotel and upload a photo of their bike in front of a Best Western sign will be entered to win prizes, including Best Western Rewards points and Best Western Travel Cards. Photos must be uploaded to Best Western's Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/BestWestern) between now and July 15, 2011 in order to be eligible.
I love riding my motorcycle. But sometimes I want to ride at some distant location, and it's just not practical to ride there. That's when I start to think about transporting my motorcycle.
Often, the simplest solution is the best one. If you own a pickup truck, you already own a great motorcycle transporter. A 2011 Harley-Davidson Electra Glide Ultra Limited is 98.6" long (just over 8') and weighs 901 lbs. A compact pickup, like a Ford Ranger, Toyota Tacoma or Nissan Frontier is capable of hauling a big bike, but you'd be better off with a full-size pickup like a Ford F150, Chevy Silverado or Toyota Tundra, equipped with a long bed.
Even the most passive motorcycle owner will need to use a tool on their bike eventually. By their very nature, motorcycles need more attention than cars. Things vibrate, shake loose and need to be tightened all the time. Using the right tools can help avoid major problems. You don't have to sell the farm to fill your tool chest - just a few carefully selected tools will help keep your bike in tip-top shape.
Tools for the Garage
I'm going to go off-topic a little bit here, but not really. This warning is about motorcycle travel, and travel in general. It's a cautionary tale that unfortunately emerges from my personal experience.
I was just diagnosed with Deep-Vein Thrombosis, or DVT. Following a cross-country flight, I noticed some pain in my lower leg. I ignored it, figuring it was just another sign of aging. I have been traveling a lot in the past few weeks, and by coincidence, getting booked in middle seats on crowded flights.
I love a good ride through the countryside, a blast through the wide-open spaces that make America great.
But there's something to be said for the urban crawl. And one of the best places to ride, with some of the best destinations, is Chicago, Illinois.
Two things make Chicago a great riding destination: Architecture and Culture.
A few months ago, I made a promise to myself to read more books. The piles of magazines that arrive at my house, along with the distraction of television, movies and other entertainment, kept me from reading as many books as I once enjoyed. I was determined to make a change. A book in the saddlebag is always a good thing on a motorcycle trip. You never know when you're going to find yourself holed up in a diner, waiting for the rain to stop so you can continue on your journey. A book can be a great companion.
I live in mortal fear of having my motorcycle stolen. Sure, I've got insurance, but I would never be able to recover the time and energy, blood, sweat and tears that I have invested in my ride. Not to mention the hassle, and the feeling of violation that accompanies a theft. I just don't need it. So, I've been looking into different forms of motorcycle security.
The best security for your bike is parking it indoors in a secure garage or parking lot. If you can park indoors rather than on the street while you are on your motorcycle trip, do it. It's hard to steal a bike that you can't see.
For motorcycling's first century, men have dominated the field. In recent years, women have discovered that the joys of riding don't have to be limited to the pillion, and more female motorcyclists have taken to the road.
The Internet has become a great gathering place and resource for women riders.
Motorcycle travel used to be simple. Load up the bike with a tarp and a sleeping bag, get out the map and ride. Simplicity has given way to technology, as there are now GPS solutions designed specifically for bikes.
"GPS" stands for "Global Positioning System," shorthand for the satellite-based navigation system that forms the basis for live mapping. A network of 24 NavStar satellites was completed in 1993, and became operational in 1994. Four satellites signals are needed at any given moment to calculate a user's position. Until 2000, non-military users only had access to a degraded signal, which limited GPS's accuracy. Since 2000, GPS accuracy has been greatly improved for consumers. The U.S. Department of Defense is responsible by law for maintaining GPS as a national resource, under the direction of the National Space-Based Positioning, Navigation and Timing Executive Committee.
Living in Southern California, I've got plenty of great riding options. One of the very best places to ride in the area is also a fantastic destination for business or pleasure: San Diego.
San Diego has a rich history that stretches back into the 1700's, and a living history that still stands in the form of Old Town, which dates back to 1821 -- antiquity in California terms, where homes from the Twentieth Century are considered significant landmarks.
The Motorcycle Safety Foundation, the Motorcycle Industry Council and the Specialty Vehicle Institute of America are collectively donating $10,000 to the Japan America Society's 2011 Japan Relief Fund, and each organization is encouraging its members to make their own donations. The MSF, MIC and SVIA have each added links to their websites in order to make it easier for members and the general riding public to help out in this time of great need.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), a motorcycle helmet is "by far the most critical piece of safety gear a motorcyclist can use."
Twenty states and Washington, DC require that all motorcycle riders wear a helmet. Twenty-seven states have some helmet laws, usually requiring riders under a certain age to don helmets. Three states (Illinois, Iowa and New Hampshire) have no laws requiring helmet use.
My cousin Adam and his wife have a favorite vacation. They load up Adam's Harley-Davidson Road King, and go motorcycle camping. Last year, they went for a two-week tour of Nova Scotia, pitching a tent and cooking on a campfire all the way.
A few months ago, I wrote about a few new books about motorcycling that I was planning to read. When I got back from my recent trip to the Gulf Coast, I finally got a chance to sit down and read one of the books on the top of my list, and I just had to tell you about it.
Big Sid's Vincati by Matthew Biberman is subtitled "The Story of a Father, a Son and the Motorcycle of a Lifetime." It's the true story of how motorcycling helped to bring a family together, and how the love of a motorcycle can help to heal old wounds.
A motorcycle is not just a form of transportation. It can also be a form of expression, an extension of your personality and a way to let the world know who you are.
After you have bolted on all of the handy accessories and cosmetic add-ons to your scoot, after you've tweaked the ergonomics and made your bike as comfortable as your La-Z-Boy recliner, you may still be looking for a way to make your bike stand out from the crowd.
It's time to explore the world of custom paint.
I wake up bright and early, the sound of the Gulf waters drifting gently into my sixth floor room. It's a bittersweet day - the last day of my six-day ride through the South. I'll be glad to get home, but I'll miss my time on the road.
I make time for breakfast in the BEST WESTERN Fort Walton Beachfront Hotel lobby. Hey, it's free, after all. It's also hot and delicious. The lobby is very cool, with terrazzo floors and mod furniture. It has a great beach feel, with nautical accents, and kind of a Miami vibe with pastel colors and interesting geometry.
I manage to avoid the waffles this morning at breakfast. I do not manage to avoid the biscuits and sausage gravy that the BEST WESTERN Capital Inn & Suites provide, however. Delicious, and quite filling. I'm ready to ride.
I'm growing quite attached to this Electra Glide Classic. A fellow guest buttonholes me in the parking lot while I'm gearing up to ride, and we have a great conversation about his work for Harley-Davidson, as a supplier for electrical parts. We both stand and admire the bike in the morning sun. "I bet that'll do just about anything you want it to," he says. He's right. I feel like I could ride around the globe on this bike, just in time to start another loop around again.
I wake up, get ready and load the Electra Glide for the day, then head to the lobby of the BEST WESTERN Columbus for breakfast. I decide to make myself a waffle this morning. I probably haven't had a waffle in 10 years, and I can't figure out why. Delicious and filling. I'm ready to ride.
I wake up an hour before the alarm this morning. I can't go back to sleep - too eager to ride. So I get up, get showered and dressed, and pack my gear. I load the Electra Glide, and then go back in to the BEST WESTERN PLUS Two Rivers Hotel & Suites for the free breakfast. Fried eggs, bacon, sausage, biscuits and gravy, all on tap. A real Southern breakfast, and it's included with my night's stay. Now that's BEST WESTERN PLUS.
While I check out, I ask the manager, Jay, for advice about what I should see before I leave Demopolis. Jay is a virtual Chamber of Commerce, whipping out a sheet of paper and drawing a map to several highlights in town. I asked the right guy!
There is frost on the Electra Glide while I load the saddlebags with my gear. The poor bike has sat outside the BEST WESTERN Executive Inn in Jackson while I slept inside, nestled in a very comfortable bed. I feel a little guilty.
Even though the BEST WESTERN Executive Inn serves up a very nice free continental breakfast, I heed the siren call of the Waffle House across the street for a freshly cooked omelet. We don't have Waffle House at home, and I passed at least a dozen of them on my ride yesterday. I can't resist the greasy goodness, and I'm not alone. There are over 1,500 Waffle House locations in 25 states. There's even a Waffle House Museum in Avondale Estates, Georgia, where the chain was born. The Jackson Waffle House is packed with a mixture of locals and cowboys this morning, relics of the Dixie National Rodeo from last night.
The good news: Clear skies, not a cloud in sight.
The bad news: The temperature is 27 degrees Fahrenheit outside when I wake up at 7:00 am in my room at the BEST WESTERN PLUS St. Christopher Hotel in New Orleans.
I can't pick up my motorcycle until 9:00 am this morning, so I get ready, pack my things, and head down to the lobby for breakfast. I keep it light, just a bagel and some coffee (okay, and a muffin). The lobby cafe is abuzz with activity, a nice mix of young and old, tourists all sharing stories of their nights on the town, making plans for the coming day.
I've spent the last week watching the weather. I don't mind cold; I don't mind rain. I've got good gear, and I can stay warm and dry. But combine cold and rain, and it spells trouble for a motorcycle trip.
I have installed a couple of weather apps on my iPhone - WeatherBug and the Weather Channel. I check them obsessively over the past few days, and it appears that the cold front that has been moving through the South is on its way out. Hope it keeps moving.
It has been a particularly harsh winter across much of the country. Record snow storms, frigid temperatures, frog-drowning rainfall. There have been times when it seemed like we'd never get to ride again.
Hope is on the horizon. Bike Week runs from March 4 to March 13 this year in Daytona Beach, Florida.
This year is the 70th Annual Bike Week in Daytona, and they're pulling out all the stops for a great celebration. Here are just a few of the events to look forward to:
Drop by any Harley-Davidson owner's home, and chances are, you're going to see at least a few decorative items featuring the Harley Bar & Shield logo. I'm not embarrassed to admit that there's at least one H-D item in each room of my house, not to mention my garage and tool room.
The Harley-Davidson Bar & Shield logo first appeared in 1910, and it hasn't changed much since. 1910 was early in the Art Deco period of art and design, and the Bar & Shield fits in perfectly. It has aged particularly well, in my opinion. The logo looks both modern and classic. Everything looks better with the Bar & Shield on it.
Most of my motorcycle touring is done on rented Harley-Davidson motorcycles.
I don't own a touring bike, for one thing. My personal ride is a 1993 Harley-Davidson Sportster Deluxe named "Manny." Manny is a great bike, but he's just not designed for touring. A 200-mile day is about the limit, and back-to-back long days are unthinkable. When I want to go for a week-long ride, I want to be on an Electra Glide, Road Glide or Road King.
I'm very excited. The airplane tickets have been purchased, the bike has been reserved, the BEST WESTERN Hotel reservations have been confirmed. I'm getting ready to ride.
This time, I'm a little bit ahead of schedule, for a change. I usually feel rushed when I'm planning a motorcycle trip, because things take a long time to come together. A motorcycle trip is a little bit like a Rubik's Cube, with a lot of moving pieces that have to align properly before the trip clicks together. This particular trip has been clicking, which leaves me more time than usual to research routes, things to see and do, and pre-trip preparation.
It's never too early to start planning a trip.
Here are a few of the major motorcycle events scheduled for 2011. Take a look at your calendar, and see if you've got room for a trip! Even though there are BEST WESTERN Hotels near each of these events, rooms often book up well in advance, so plan early!
The East Coast is buried under a ton of snow. The Upper Midwest is lost under a drift. There's only one thing to do -- go for a motorcycle ride.
I'm lucky -- I live in Southern California. We ride here during the whole year. I actually moved to California in order to extend my riding season. I was living in New York City with my trusty Sportster, Manny, and my work situation changed. I became a freelancer, and my clients were as likely to be in Chicago or Los Angeles or Dallas as they were in New York. I realized that I could live anywhere -- so I chose the part of the country where I could ride all year long. I have never regretted that decision, even when I miss some of the cultural and business advantages of living in Manhattan. I love to ride, and just knowing that I can jump on my bike in the middle of January makes every day feel full of possibility.
Who can believe that it's 2011 already? Not me.
Did you ride as much as you meant to in 2010? Me, either.
Do you plan to do something about it in 2011? Me, too.
First of all, I really love planning. So, I'm going to start a "To Do" list for my motorcycle, so that all of those fleeting ideas about where and when to ride don't slip away.
Riding a motorcycle is not like riding a bicycle.
Once you have learned how to ride a bicycle, your body doesn't forget. It remembers, and it just takes a few moments to regain your ability to ride after a long layoff.
Don't make the same mistake with a motorcycle. Riding a motorcycle is much more complex, and much riskier, than riding a bicycle, and if you haven't ridden for a while, you should consider taking a training course before you attempt to ride on public roads again.
I love reading almost as much as I love riding. So, during the winter months when riding is a little less fun, I hunker down with books about motorcycles and motorcycling.
This winter, I'm going to revisit Bill Hayes's history of the Boozefighters Motorcycle Club, The Original Wild Ones. Hayes is a great storyteller, and his book really brings the atmosphere of the post-WWII biker club to life, dispelling rumors and misconceptions in the process.
It's starting to look and feel a lot like Christmas. As I write this blog, I'm without my car because it's off getting winterized. Between that and putting up our tree this past weekend, I think it's time to write my Travel Wish List for 2011.
The truly mechanically inclined motorcyclists relish the winter, because that's when they can attack major projects. Top-end rebuilds, carburetor jet swaps, transmission overhauls, or even engine blueprinting might be on the agenda for December through March.
Not at my house. My mechanical abilities have been generously described as "basic," but I still find time for simple bike projects over the winter.
The top five must-attend Canadian sporting events
About a year ago, my good friend Bruce announced that he and his wife had officially created their "bucket list". Ever since the movie by the same name came out, people everywhere seem to be taking note of the things they must do before they die. Lucky for me, I see Bruce once a week for our old-timers hockey and rarely a week goes by without some mention of the list. Last week, however, it led to a great discussion about the top five must-attend sporting events in Canada. Here is what we came up with:
Ugh. Cold weather. It's bad for cars, worse for motorcycles. Every year, I write to remind you that putting your bike away for the winter is an essential part of motorcycle care. This year is no different. I hate to be the harbinger of bad news, but if you don't care for your bike, your bike won't be there for you when the weather turns nice again.
There are two basic aspects to long-term motorcycle storage: cosmetic protection and mechanical protection.
When it's time to think about putting your bike away for the winter, it's time to start thinking about projects for the spring. I'm always considering my next bike purchase, and I'm always thinking about what parts and accessories I might need to add to my current ride. So, every winter, I make sure to attend the International Motorcycle Show.
It's that time again. Hard to believe it. The holidays are upon us.
If there's a motorcyclist on your holiday list, you're probably starting to think about a bike-related gift. If there isn't a motorcyclist on your holiday list - feel free to add me.
I'm going to suggest a few gifts for the traveling motorcyclist, for the biker who really enjoys putting on the miles.
Google announced this week that it's sponsoring FREE in-flight Wi-Fi on Virgin America, Delta and AirTran from Nov. 20 through Jan. 2. This is a major expansion of a similar holiday season Wi-Fi freebie offered by the company last year, which then only included Virgin America. Delta is currently the largest airline in the world and has more than 500 jets outfitted for in-flight Wi-Fi.
The promotion is hoping to draw more attention to Google Chrome and encourages--but does not require--users to download the browser in order to receive Wi-Fi gratis.
If you ride a motorcycle, you probably like going fast. Even the most laid-back cruiser goes from zero to 60 faster than most sports cars, so your need for speed can be fed at every stoplight. But in most situations, smooth trumps fast. In fact, smooth comes before fast in the list of skills you should be concentrating on in improving your riding. And, best of all, smooth leads to fast, so you don't even have to choose between the two.
I'm not a fast rider by nature. I actually kind of enjoy tooling along at the speed limit, relishing the ride and taking in the sights and sounds of the road. I firmly believe that the best place for speed is on a track or closed course, not on a public road. Safety first.
Few things are as reliable as bad luck. Put enough miles on your motorcycle, and no matter how careful you are, no matter how diligent you are about maintenance, eventually you are going to get a flat tire. If your bad luck is good, your tire will go flat while your bike is parked. If your bad luck is not so good, you'll get a flat while you're riding.
It's actually a little bit tricky to tell if your tire has gone flat while you're in motion. Usually, you'll notice a bit of a wobble at first, and you may hear a humming sound at speed. If your rear tire is the one affected, it might feel like your bike is losing power. If you notice any of these conditions, it's time to slow your bike down and get it to the side of the road safely.
Motorcycles and motorcyclists used to have an image problem. A leather-clad biker symbolized danger, lawlessness and anti-social impulses. Television shied away from using motorcycles, except as shorthand for "bad."
There were the rare television characters who rode bike in the '60s and '70s -- I'm thinking of Jim Bronson on his Sportster in Then Came Bronson; Dr. Steven Kiley on his Bonneville in Marcus Welby, M.D.; Fonzie on his Triumph in Happy Days; and Ponch and John on their KZ-900P Police Specials on CHiPs. B.J. Hunnicut rode into the sunset on an Indian Scout in the final episode of MASH. If there's any unifying theme there, it's about characters marching to their own beat, individualists who don't care what others think about them. They were all riding against the tide.
I know that you haven't been counting, but I have: This blog entry is my hundred and first about motorcycle travel for You Must Be Trippin'. A milestone like that puts me into a reflective mood, and right now I'm thinking about why I ride.
I can look back at three significant moments in my childhood that pushed me toward motorcycling.
We woke early on Tuesday morning. We had a full day of riding ahead, and I had planned a new route home, through a different part of the state than we usually traveled.
The ocean air was cool and moist. We had slept with our window open last night at the BEST WESTERN San Marcos Inn, and the soothing sounds of the surf mingled with the barks of the seals to produce a relaxing night of rest. Robin and I were both eager to get home, but bittersweet to end a ride that had been so rewarding. We had a quick cup of coffee at the hotel's breakfast buffet, skipping over the pastries and dairy products this time. We had a brunch destination in mind 160 miles away in Ojai, so we were saving our appetites.
We ate a quick breakfast in the lobby of the BEST WESTERN Monterey Inn. After a nice night's stay, we were off for the ride of a lifetime.
We loaded up the bike, and rode out in the direction of the Pacific Coast Highway, California's Route 1. Due south of the Monterey Peninsula, PCH traces the coast along a stretch known as Big Sur.
We woke to a beautiful crisp morning. Breakfast at the BEST WESTERN Sonora Oaks Hotel's Pine Tree Restaurant was included with our stay, so of course, we filled up our tanks before heading out on the road.
This day's ride was the most urban of our six days on the road. We headed west on Route 120, down a very pleasant stretch of undulating road through several small towns and farm villages. After 50 miles or so, the houses started piling up beside the roads, and we were riding through suburbs instead of countryside. Soon, we jumped into the broad spaghetti dish of freeways that lead toward San Francisco, and our urban adventure commenced.
Gorgeous day.
We ate breakfast in LewMarNel's Steak and Spirits, on the grounds of the BEST WESTERN Station House Inn. The staff has been there for years, and they really pull out all the stops for hotel guests. Instead of the usual breakfast buffet, the restaurant features a real menu, cloth tablecloths, daily specials and great ambiance -- all included with the price of a night's stay at the hotel. The place is charming and comfortable, with lots of personal touches, like signed wine bottles lined up along the dining room's rafters. According to Jimmy, our waiter, guests who order a bottle of wine with dinner are invited to sign their empty bottles and add them to the room's decor. Some guests return year after year to visit their bottles, and to add to the collection. LewMarNel's Steak and Spirits also serves lunch and dinner.
The most populated of the three Canadian Prairie Provinces, Alberta has become a poster child success story with its per capita GDP at an astounding 61%, the highest in country and higher than the national average. (CDN $74,865 according to recent Stats Can data).
The majority of the wealth can be traced to oil and natural gas. These assets continue to attract people and the population has risen steadily to almost four million residents. Alberta is often compared to Texas; they are almost identical in land mass and share a can-do, wild-west culture, though Texas has six times more people.
There's nothing like a 300-mile motorcycle ride through the desert to assure a good night's sleep. A nice, clean elegant room at the BEST WESTERN High Sierra Hotel doesn't hurt much, either. We packed up our gear, then went down to the hotel's adjacent Cafe 203 for eggs cooked to order, bacon, sausage, coffee and juice -- all included with our night's stay. We ran into Gary and his girlfriend as we were loading the bike for the road. They were going to dip into Yosemite National Park through the Tioga Pass on their way to Lake Tahoe, a detour that we had considered. We had other plans, so we wished each other well, keep the rubber side down, and went our separate ways.
I rolled the 2011 Harley-Davidson Ultra Classic Electra Glide out of the garage, and out onto the street in front of our house. The two-tone Root Beer paint sparkled in the morning sun. I loaded our jam-packed liners in the hard saddlebags on each side of the bike, and carefully placed a third liner in the Tour Pak at the back of the motorcycle. We were packed, and ready to begin our six-day ride through the heart of the Golden State.
My wife, Robin, took some time off work to join me on this ride. I planned a counter-clockwise loop up the eastern side of California, from Los Angeles up to Mammoth Lakes, to South Lake Tahoe, to Sonora, across to Monterey, down the coast to Morro Bay, and then back to Los Angeles. Though we have lived in California for ten years, we have never explored this part of the state. We're very excited. We'll be staying in BEST WESTERN Hotels all along the way, and making as many interesting stops as time will allow.
Ever since the 1999 model year, Harley-Davidson has produced a limited number of very special, premium motorcycles out of their Custom Vehicle Operations (CVO) unit. More than just mules for bolt-on accessories, the CVO bikes are showcases for the talents and abilities of Harley designers and engineers. They feature unique paintjobs, hopped-up powertrains and acres of chrome. Each CVO bike has become an instant collectible.
The first CVO bikes were the 1999 FXR2 and FXR3. Two CVO models followed each year until 2005, when the program expanded to three models. In 2007, the number of CVO models increased to its current level, four models.
Slowly but surely delivery of the morning newspaper to your hotel room door is going the way of the dodo bird.
Though Best Westerns in the U.S. provide complimentary USA Today's in the lobby (in Canada, though the newspaper choice varies, one is always available), more and more business travelers are getting their news online from laptops and/or mobile devices. And according to a recent article from the Poynter Institute, a journalism think tank. people are increasingly likely to bypass those hard copies as they head out to begin their day.
For some of us, the riding season is coming to an end, as nights grow longer, days grow shorter and temperatures drop. When real riding season ends, bench-riding season begins. That's when I start looking at brochures and websites, planning out which new motorcycle I'm going to add to my stable in the spring. Never mind that I make the same plans every bench-riding season, and I still have the same 1993 Sportster in my garage.
The official start of bench-riding season is when Harley-Davidson announces their new model lineup. Including CVO (Custom Vehicle Operations) models, there are 32 bikes to choose from for 2011, and I'd be pretty happy with pretty much any one of them.
This is the third in a three-part series on my recent trip to Niagara Falls. Click here to read parts one and two.
The plan for Sunday--the final day of our Niagara Falls adventure--was to wake up, have a big breakfast at the hotel, then head across the border to check out the back-to-school deals. (You may recall how much I love the vacation breakfast and fortunately, many Best Western locations offer it for free.)
I have to be honest -- most times, changing my oil is a two-step process. First, I call the dealer. Second, I drop my bike off and slap down my Amex. I'll bet most of you use the same simple technique.
But I actually believe that it's important to know how to change your own oil, even if you choose to pay a professional to do the job for you. Then, you will be able to make sure that your mechanic is actually performing the service properly; and if you ever find yourself in a situation where you have to change your own oil, you'll be able to.
Why is it when you are on vacation you absolutely have to have breakfast in the morning? When I'm at home I can go without, although there are some mornings when I need to be reminded to eat before darting out the door. I'm interested in hearing whether this happens to any of you.
We started our day--day two of our mini vacation in Niagara Falls (read about day one here)--with a great breakfast at the Best Western Fallsview's Boulevard Bistro. If you're looking for a great family activity, check out the water park in the falls. There are lots of different slides to choose from--for toddlers to thrill seekers--as well as hot tubs, a wave pool and an outdoor section if you want to catch some sun. Since the weather was overcast and rainy, this was a fantastic option for the day and our kids absolutely loved it.
Times are tough all over. Everybody's looking for ways to make their dollars go further (or farther, depending on your grammatical bent). I have a suggestion: Get a motorcycle, and ride the wheels off it.
Motorcycles are less expensive to buy, less expensive to insure, less expensive to operate than cars. You don't believe me? Let's examine a few scenarios.
I've travelled a lot in my life and have been fortunate to see some pretty amazing things, but one place that gets me every time is Niagara Falls. As I stand in awe of its sheer beauty and power, I have this recurring thought: Who was the first person was to stumble upon it? (My second thought is usually that I hope they weren't in a boat!)
This past weekend was a mini vacation for our family and we had three things on the agenda; see the Falls (my son Ethan's first time), take in all that is Niagara Falls (minus the gambling) and pop across the border to check out some of the back-to-school deals.
"From Sea to Sea" is our country's official motto and it fits. At nearly ten million square kilometres in size, Canada is the second largest country on the planet. Its land stretches from the Pacific Ocean in the west across to the Atlantic Ocean in the east and all the way up north to the Arctic Circle. In between, there's certainly no shortage of interesting things to do and see.
In previous blogs, I've highlighted many of those specifics. Today, I'd like to share several fun facts about our home that you may not have known:
Where did the summer go? I know that the official end of summer isn't until the autumnal equinox, September 23 at 3:09 am here in the Northern Hemisphere this year. But Labor Day is the emotional end of summer, when we put away our white shoes and belts and get back to the grindstone. Labor Day Weekend is also a great time for a motorcycle ride, a final getaway before the days get shorter, temperatures drop and the rush toward the end of the year fills our face shields.
As motorcyclists, we have a great advantage over other travelers. We don't need airline schedules, or freeways, or tons of planning in order to have a successful trip. All we need are a few back roads, some good road food and a change of scenery to have a great trip. The journey is the point, not the destination. Still, may I suggest a way to find unexpected destinations for this Labor Day?
Looking for a great last minute summer vacation? Just head east!
The four smallest provinces--New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and Labrador and Prince Edward Island--comprise the backbone of Canada's East Coast. This region, which is also referred to as Atlantic Canada, is home to just under 2.5 million people or approximately eight percent of our country's population. In this case, however, the adage that "good things come in small packages" is definitely appropriate.
I live in Oakville, Ontario, a town 40 kilometres from Canada's biggest and busiest airport, Lester B. Pearson International (YYZ). A gateway to every corner of the globe, Pearson has three separate terminals and is centrally located in the GTA (Greater Toronto Area).
Like any world-class airport though, its strengths end up being among its weaknesses. The time spent on parking, making your way through security and retrieving your bags upon arrival is unpredictable at best--and generally a frustrating and time-consuming exercise.
After tires and wheels, I would have to say that brakes are the most critical component on your motorcycle. So, we should spend a little bit of time understanding brakes so that we can get the most out of them.
Most modern motorcycles, in fact all current Harley-Davidson models, arrive from the factory equipped with disc brakes front and back. A few entry-level bikes and scooters still have drum brakes in the rear, but disc brakes are pretty ubiquitous. You may have a single disc up front, or you may have dual discs. It's a matter of function, design and cost. You'll get more stopping power from dual discs, but you get a clearer view of the front wheel (on one side, anyway) with a single disc. And a single disc brake is a less-expensive setup, obviously.
Have you ever wondered who Harley was? And just who was Davidson, anyway?
William Sylvester Harley and Arthur Davidson sold their first motorcycle out of a shed in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in 1903. The Harley-Davidson motorcycle grew out of Harley's efforts to fit an engine into a bicycle frame, and indeed, the first Harleys looked a lot like motorized bicycles. The first examples were single-cylinder models, with the first production V-Twins turning up around 1909.
(A neat piece of trivia: Henry Meyer, a childhood friend of William S. Harley and Arthur Davidson, was the first customer for the fledgling company, buying a 1903 model.)
For the third consecutive year, Banff National Park in Alberta has been selected as the favourite domestic attraction by travel agents across Canada. The Travel Agents Choice Awards, which began in 1999 by the Baxter Media Group via Travel Press and Travel Courier, received feedback from more than 4,000 travel professionals to come up with this year's winner.
Banff, named for the Scottish birthplace (Banffshire) of two original directors of the Canadian Pacific Railway, is a relatively small resort town population-wise with only 7,500 people who call it home. However, the park itself is massive, covering more than 6,600 square kilometres. More than four million people have visited Banff every year since 1996.
According to a recent PhoCusWright study that looks at Canadian online travel trends, the number of trips booked online continues to rise. In fact, the penetration level for online travel bookings jumped by more than one third in 2009 amid a global recession. Although the total travel spend for Canada was down by 7 percent, the actual number of online transactions rose.
Here are three things to expect as more Canadian travelers not only look--but book--trips online:
I love a nice long ride on my motorcycle. Over the years, I have gotten smarter about how far I go on any given day. I'm also in better touch with my body and my motorcycle, which really helps. If you're interested in taking long rides on your bike, I've got a few tips that may help make your riding more enjoyable, safe and fulfilling.
You're a good rider. I'm going to skip over the obvious stuff, like wearing the right gear, making sure that your motorcycle is in top condition, and getting enough rest before your rides.
As I write this blog entry, the mercury has just hit triple digits outside for the first time this summer. In this kind of weather, automobile air conditioning systems struggle to keep up, as temperatures inside vehicles can hit 140 degrees or higher in direct sunlight. On a motorcycle, you don't have to deal with the greenhouse effect of a car cabin, but you do have to contend with direct sunlight and radiated heat from the road surface, as well as heat rising from your own engine. Ignore the heat at your own peril.
So, what is a rider to do?
The biggest party of the year for bikers is the Black Hills Motorcycle Rally in Sturgis, South Dakota. This year marks the 70th anniversary of the rally that everyone knows as "Sturgis." I wrote some tips for riders headed to the rally last year on this blog, and most, if not all, still apply. In rereading last year's tips, the only thing I might change is more of an emphasis on safety. The atmosphere at the Sturgis rally can be very seductive. You'll see many riders who feel that a tank top, shorts and flip-flops represent proper riding gear. You'll see novelty helmets that wouldn't protect you in a chair tip-over, let alone a highway speed get-off. You'll see outrageous burnouts and impaired riding. I hope you'll maintain the safe gear and riding habits that you practice at home, and not be swayed by the crowd. Some behavior makes a better spectator sport than a participant's event. 'Nuff said.
Well from April through November, he may just be at the Stratford Shakespeare Festival in Ontario. The festival is a great Canadian story--one that demonstrates the power of an idea and an example of how local ingenuity and pride can revive a city.
Tom Patterson, a local journalist, wanted to revitalize the town's economy and so he founded the Stratford Shakespearean Festival of Canada. Tom's idea was to create a theatre festival dedicated to the works of William Shakespeare, as the town shares the name of Shakespeare's birthplace.
Everyone in the travel industry is talking about it. Airlines are up this summer. If you didn't book weeks ago, you're going to be hard pressed to find any deals for July, or August.
So if you're traveling on a budget, does that mean you should opt for a road trip or train travel? Are these options cheaper?
The "good old days" of roadside repairs and home engine rebuilds are behind most of us nowadays. Motorcycles are better, more reliable, and more complicated than ever before. Guys out on old Knuckleheads used to ride with tool kits, spare parts and mechanic's wire in their saddlebags. Today, I'm more likely to head out on the road with just my cellphone.
Despite increased reliability and robust build quality, modern motorcycles still require maintenance and attention in order to remain trouble free. I've put together a few tips to help you organize your maintenance, and keep you on the road more than beside it.
There's an old maxim about motorcycling: "If you don't ride in the rain, you don't really ride."
If you're going to travel by motorcycle, eventually you're going to have to ride through the rain. It's not the end of the world. It's not even the end of the fun. If you take precautions, prepare properly and practice, riding in the rain will just become part of the story.
Where I live, the summer time is hot, real hot, so hot that it drains the motivation right out of you and all that you want to do is hide in a dark room with the AC on high...
Summer time for me is always a last ditch effort to get back into shape so that when I don the board shorts at the pool and on my vacations not everyone will run away. So, my conundrum right now is how do I stay in shape during this 110 degree weather...
I've decided to share with you 4 items from my secret plan to retreat into my air conditioned lair for the next couple weeks and then emerge pumped up and ready to flex. (or something like that)
I looked out of my window at the Best Western Columbia River Inn this morning, and you'll never guess what I saw: Rain. How'd you guess? I huddled in the breakfast room over my coffee and maps, trying to figure out what my best alternatives would be. I had to be in Bend, Oregon by 3:00 pm to return the Electra Glide, so I didn't have time to linger too long waiting for the weather to clear. My trusty iPhone app, WeatherBug, didn't hold out too much hope, anyway. So, I resigned myself to a wet, foggy ride.
Never take a beautiful day for granted. I finally got one, from start to finish today. Temperatures ranging from the low 60s up to the low 80s, clear skies and a light breeze. Perfect motorcycling weather.
I wolfed down a quick breakfast at the Best Western Pendleton Inn, loaded up the Electra Glide and checked out of the hotel. Did I need those biscuits and gravy? Well, at least I skipped the waffles this time.
According to everyone I talk to, I've hit unseasonable weather during this trip to Eastern Oregon. What that means is, more rain today.
When I woke up this morning, the rain was falling so heavily that it obscured the view out of my window at the Best Western John Day Inn. I went to the breakfast room for a cup of coffee to consider my options. The fresh hot coffee went down well with a bowl of cereal and a muffin, and I began to feel better about my day right away. Nothing like a free breakfast to lighten your mood.
Bright rays of sunshine and clear blue skies greeted me when I awoke this morning at the Best Western Ponderosa Lodge. I packed up my gear quickly, and headed for the breakfast room for a quick bite and a cup of hot coffee. And of course I had to make one last visit to my friends the llamas with a bowl of llama treats. General Manager Paul Haggerty greeted me to talk about the Sisters area, and I made him tell me all about the llamas. They live on about 4 acres of the 14-acre property. Several of the animals were actually born and raised right on site. The Lodge has even taken in an abused llama, and nursed him back to health. The herd has slowly accepted the new guy, though he is low man on the totem pole for now. The llamas have a big mound of dirt in their enclosure, and Haggerty told me that they often play "King of the Hill" on it, having great fun pushing each other off of the high point. I'll have to return to see that.
Okay, that's a little bit of a cheat. Bend and Sisters, Oregon are only about 20 miles apart. But I flew in to Redmond Field Airport today to begin my motorcycle tour around eastern Oregon. Rather than riding off into the distance, I stayed around Bend for the day.
Bend, Oregon was incorporated in 1905, and spent most of the 20th century as a logging town. Something happened in the 1990s. Logging died out, and Bend was discovered by a whole new group of people. Blessed with a mild climate and easy proximity to great skiing, fishing, camping, hiking and rock climbing, Bend became a magnet for a dual-pronged influx of young outdoorsy folk, along with refugees from the California real estate market.
It's time for another motorcycle trip -- finally! It's been months since I've done any significant motorcycle travel, and I'm raring to go. I'm heading to Oregon, where I'll explore the central and northeastern corner of the state.
A few weeks ago, we explored the history of the Harley-Davidson Sportster. Now, it's time to dive into the deep end. We're going to explore the Big Twin.
Let's face it; in general we Canadians are a pretty frugal bunch! We're always looking to get the best possible deal. People regularly ask me when the best time is to book travel in order to get the best deal; it's always a difficult question to answer with so many variables to consider--including those unpredictable things like volcanic ash!
Today, though, my crystal ball seems about as clear as it's ever going to be. I'm convinced that if you're planning a trip in the next six months, especially internationally, you'd be well served to book and pay for it now.
Three major factors support my prediction:
Have you ever stopped dead in your tracks because you realize you're becoming more like your parents? Well, it's happening to me and yes it's a bit scary. Don't get me wrong, I love my folks and they are wonderful people...but it still scares me.
Best Western sponsored NASCAR driver, David Reutimann had high hopes for himself and the #00 team in 2010. In 2009, Reutimann saw many career firsts. He picked up a career high ten Top-10 finishes and was even able to squeak out his first ever trip to victory lane in a rain-soaked Charlotte Motor Speedway. Confidence was riding high at the close of the 2009 season, but it's been a mixed bag for the #00 early in 2010.
One of the big issues for motorcycle travelers is cargo. What do you bring, and what do you leave home? And, even more importantly, if you're going to bring it with you, where are you going to put it?
For many of us, the best solution to cargo hauling on a bike is a pair of saddlebags.
It's a huge mistake so many parents make--they sign themselves up for the airline frequent flier program but they never take the time to fill out the forms for their kids.
Yes, it's a hassle, but you should take the time because you don't want to throw miles out the window.
Now that the May 2 - 4 weekend is behind us, my family is ready to plan our summer road trip. As you also think about your summer travel plans, consider the following 10 steps to ensure you get the most out of your family vacation this year.
10 - Plan now. Industry experts agree that last-minute deals are not going to be as abundant this year as they were last. If you want to save costs, start planning and book now.
Recently, Best Western orchestrated their annual Leisure Travel Summit at the University Club in Toronto. The event brought together leading executives from the travel industry to discuss the state of affairs regarding the Canadian leisure travel market.
Participating this year were Chris Jones from TIAC, Alison Hermansen from CAA and Dorothy Dowling from Best Western. Chris Robinson, the famous Canadian travel radio personality, moderated the discussion.
The panel covered many topics, but three key topics took centre stage:
Courtesy Cesar Millan.
Summer is the perfect time of year to focus on the "Exercise" part of the fulfillment formula! Try new activities, visit a new location, and enjoy the sunshine and your dog's companionship.
No matter what physical activity you engage in, it is important to watch for signs of dehydration: lethargy, sunken or bloodshot eyes, dry gums, increased heart rate, paleness, and loss of skin elasticity. Make sure your dog has access to clean, fresh water at all times!
Here are just a few activities to try with your dog:
Harley-Davidson is the iconic American motorcycle brand. But it is also an international icon, with dealerships around the world. In my fantasy of world travel by motorcycle, I'm always on a Harley, and I drop in at the Harley-Davidson dealership for some maintenance, along with some friendly conversation about a shared interest -- motorcycles, of course.
Maybe I'll stop in at the fabulous facility at Casablanca Harley-Davidson in Morocco. After all, I've always wanted to hear my exhaust note echoing off of the Moorish architecture, and I'm eager to park outside of Rick's Café American. I think I'll stay at the Best Western Hotel Toubkal while I'm in Casablanca. Good thing Best Western is a global company as well.
A lot of people in and around Toronto will tell you that we have two seasons here: winter and construction! This is essentially the punch line anytime we complain about traffic getting in and out and especially moving within the city.
If you are someone who can't stand delays and congestion than you need to start planning your escape from the GTA (Greater Toronto Area) now for the week of June 21-28, 2010.
There has never been a better time to see America with your dog. More and more hotels have a dog-friendly policy, and in cities across the country there are restaurants that welcome not just you but your four-legged companion. There are plenty of destinations that offer attractions that both you and your dog can enjoy--as well as offering leash-free parks where he or she can make new friends. But before you head off by car or plane, here are 10 tips to make sure your trip is happy and safe.
I like long motorcycle rides. Really long motorcycle rides, measured in days, not in miles. The limiting factor on my rides is not fuel. It's not distance. It's not money.
The limiting factor on my rides is comfort.
If I'm comfortable, I can ride forever. If I'm uncomfortable, I'm ready to quit before my garage disappears from my mirrors.
The single most important feature that controls comfort on a motorcycle is the seat.
As Alice Cooper sings it "School's out for summer, School's out forever". Literally music to the ears for thousands of young adults graduating from college this May. However, the most enthusiastic people singing this song may be the parents of those graduates. However, my lines to the song might be more of "School's out for summer, School's out forever, no more tuition payments"!
It's certainly been yet another interesting period for the travel industry with the disruptions caused by Iceland's Eyjafjallajoumlkull volcano. (I can't pronounce it either.) Just when you think you've dealt with every type of scenario, a new issue seems always to be just around the corner. This isn't the first time, however, that volcanoes have wreaked havoc: in 1902, a much worse volcanic cloud hit Martinique, killing 29,000 people. Two more recent examples occurred in 1982 over Indonesia and in Alaska just seven years later, and both of these resulted in airline engine seizure.. Fortunately, the two jumbo jets affected by these volcanoes were able to restart their engines, but not before losing 25,000 feet of altitude at a frightening rate.
Harley-Davidson owners are divided into two camps: Those who love and respect the Sportster, and those who deride and dismiss the Sportster. I own a 1993 Sportster Deluxe, and I am definitely a Sportster lover. If you're a hater, I hope that you'll read on so that I convert you.
The Sportster, or XL in Harley alpha-parlance, traces its roots back to the 1950s. Harley introduced the Model K in 1952, and it was the most technologically sophisticated bike the company had built to date. Capable of 16-second quarter miles and with a top speed over 100 miles per hour, the Model K was the best-performing Harley of its day, and quickly became the bike of choice for adventurous young riders. The bike evolved over the next few years, and in 1957, the Sportster name and XL designation was attached to the line.
I like going to new places. Exploring an unfamiliar city gives me a rush.
But I'm learning that my kids are quite happy going to the same places again and again. They'd be happy going to Tahoe every summer, and my son would be quite content returning to Philadelphia again and again.
My son and I visited Philadelphia over a year ago. We spent a long weekend seeing all the sights, from the Liberty Bell to Betsy Ross's house. We had a fun time, but I never expected the excitement he expressed for the city when we revisited over spring break.
"When are we going to Philadelphia?" he asked repeatedly during our time in New York and Boston.
You've spent a lot of time setting up your garage. You've cleared out the clutter. You've arranged your tools. You've stowed your gear in a convenient, secure spot. You've made space for your motorcycle(s). Everything's perfectly functional.
Now it's time to have some fun. It's time to decorate your garage.
The Canadian Automobile Association (or CAA as many of us fondly refer to it) was founded in 1913 as a non-profit federation. Today it remains relevant and continues to thrive with more than five million members, nine clubs and 148 offices throughout Canada.
But how has it remained so strong?
The answer is simple. It achieves its mandate of providing exceptional value to members every day.
Here are 10 things you might not know about CAA:
If you've traveled at all recently, then you must know the challenges we all face trying to pack your suitcase to: a. avoid paying baggage fees, b. stay under the 50 lb. weight limit, c. not pack anything that causes you to be pulled aside and have your personal belongings rifled through (yes, it is sometimes embarrassing). I could go on and on and on, but I think you get the idea. Traveling has become more and more difficult with the increased security measures that are well intentioned and put in place to keep us all safe. I should add that my goal when traveling is to only pack what I can carry on the plane with me. Easy on, easy off.
I am addicted to my iPhone. I got it about 6 months ago and I was sure that the initial awe would where off by now but it hasn't...I use it for everything; it has become my go to device. No more laptop, no more iPod, no more digital camera, just the iPhone...When I cook, I Google the recipe, when I hear a song I like, I point at it and download it, when I run, I track my speed, distance and route.
So, you can imagine that when I travel, my iPhone is involved. I was thinking today about how "smart phones" are changing the way we travel. There are GPS apps with turn by turn directions, Apps for flight details, apps to handle entire travel itineraries and apps for just about anything else you can imagine. Below are a few apps that I marvel at every time I hit the road, hope you like them.
6 iPhone apps that I love when I'm on the move:
"..but you've gotta see a race in person!"
Like many NASCAR fans, I was a casual observer until I took the advice of a friend and decided to ditch the tube one Sunday and made my way to a NASCAR Sprint Cup race in person. From then on I went from casual observer to total race junkie.
The thrill and excitement of travelling to a race and experiencing "the scene" is what keeps me coming back to races time after time. It wasn't until recently, however, that I realized that I could still get my racing fix without waiting months for NASCAR to come within a few hundred miles of me, or dropping the big bucks to fly to Bristol and Martinsville for a weekend.
Last spring break, my kids and I took the Amtrak train between Oakland, Calif., and San Diego. We had a great trip and you can read about it in this past blog post.
This year over the kids' vacation we decided to try out a different mode of transportation -- the bus. We traveled between Boston, New York, Philadelphia and D.C. via Greyhound.
Last season, we talked about "Putting Your Bike Up for the Winter." Hopefully, you were a good student, and you took some time to make sure that your bike has a safe, uneventful hibernation. Now that the weather is turning pleasant again, it's finally time to bring that sleeping beauty back to life. It will take more than a kiss, but not much more.
It's cool to be green, no doubt about it. From cars to homes to schools, we're all making efforts to reduce our carbon footprint. That said, most of still like to enjoy a vacation once or twice a year, and with the green movement gaining more and more momentum by the day, there has been a marked increase in options for vacations that are a little more socially responsible. Here are a few eco-vacation ideas worth checking out.
It's not easy to have the discipline to stay in shape if you're an on-the-go business traveller. For a lot of us, eating well and working out are part of our routine, and traveling challenges that routine at every turn.
Here are a few pitfalls to avoid so you can in shape while on the road.
Whether you live in a state with a helmet law, or in one where helmet use is optional, I advise you to wear a helmet every time you ride. And if you're going to follow my advice, take it one step further, and wear a full-face helmet. You will never regret it.
A full-face helmet doesn't have to be plain and boring. By adding some simple, inexpensive enhancements to your helmet, you can create a piece of equipment that not only protects your noggin, but also expresses your personality. And some of the changes and additions you can make will have the added bonus of making you safer on the road.
A night at the theater is not part of the typical bargain trip to New York City. And when my kids and I visit the Big Apple next week over spring break, we'll be on a tight budget of about $200 to $250 a night.
Can we afford to catch a show?
Maybe if we get lucky.
Lottery Rush tickets for $26.50 are sold on the day of the performance for Wicked.
Here's how it works: Each day, two hours prior to show time (11:30 AM for 2 PM matinees; 12:30 PM for 3 PM matinees; 4:30 PM for 7 PM performances; 5:30 PM for 8 PM performances), people who present themselves at the Gershwin Theatre box office will have their names placed in a hat. Thirty minutes later, names will be drawn for 28 front-row seats at $26.50 each. This lottery is available only in-person at the box office, with a limit of 2 tickets per person, cash only. Photo-ID.
I think we might give it a try...
FOR OLD SEA DOGS -- The Erie Maritime Museum in Erie, Pa., is not only a great destination for history buffs and seniors, it's also a classic example of what to do with an old building that no longer serves its original purpose.
The museum presents the story of Oliver Hazard Perry's warship, the U.S. Brig Niagara that won the Battle of Lake Erie in the War of 1812. The exhibits explain the area's role in the war and the origin of Perry's infamous declaration, "Don't give up the ship!" A reconstruction of Perry's flagship is berthed at the museum and offers public daysails, guided tours and seamanship training programs.
Future predictors of space travel have the hotel industry gearing up for a future of space tourism.
"And where there is tourism, there is going to be hotels", says Jackson Porterlie, head of the Space and Moon Hotel Exploration Association (SMHEA).
The association represents a number of forward thinking industry experts, mapping out what could be coming faster than most people think -- hotels on the moon. With the news of NASA planning fresh moon missions and with China, India and Russia each upping their entries into the space race, the next 10 years will see real developments for many hotels in their race for the next prime lunar hotel locations.
Motorcycles and leather go together like -- well, they go together really well. Leather seats, leather saddlebags, leather jackets, leather pants, leather boots... a lot of cows have given their lives to make your riding accessories. We owe it to those noble animals to take proper care of their hides, and to get the longest possible useful life out of them. Properly maintained leather can last for a lifetime.
Leather maintenance consists of four stages: Cleaning, conditioning, polishing and protecting.
Before we start, a few general statements about leather care. Leather is an organic product, and even though it can be tough and rugged, it is also very easy to damage with chemicals and moisture. Before you jump in with any leather treatment method, test it out on a small, inconspicuous area of your leather. You don't want to discolor your leather, or accidentally change its texture or feel. Be very gentle.
I have to warn you in advance -- this article might get a little technical. Don't be afraid, though. I promise to keep it to a minimum.
The subject is motorcycle wheels.
There are several good reasons to think about your wheels. On a purely cosmetic level, the look of your wheels can radically change the stance, appearance and attitude of your ride. Changing the style, diameter and width of your wheels can turn an ordinary-looking bike into a hot rod.
Performance is an important consideration when selecting wheels, as well. Adding some width to your wheels can improve straight-line stability. Choosing narrower wheels can affect turn in and handling. Altering wheel diameter and width can have a dramatic effect on your motorcycle's performance, both for good and for bad. You have to really know what you're doing to ensure proper fit and calibration of your instruments.
Next week I'll be taking a red eye flight to New York from San Francisco. I'm traveling without my kids so I wanted to spend as little amount of time away from my kids as possible and so the red eye seemed like the best option. But red eyes are brutal, especially when you have to attend an event, which I do, the morning you arrive.
For some advice on how to survive my flight, I pulled some tips from various articles:
It seems that every day a new recall is hitting the news. It's been a tough couple of years for automakers, but Toyota has been hit particularly hard. Understandably it makes everyone rethink car safety and wonder just how safe the car is that you're driving.
I thought it might be a good time to go over some general car safety tips and who better to give out advice on car safety than AAA. We have been members of AAA for many years and have signed up our three daughters for coverage. It's inexpensive and invaluable when your car breaks down on the freeway, you have a flat tire with no spare or when you're planning a vacation and need some great discounts. Not to mention the peace of mind when your teenagers or young adults are out driving around at all hours!
Here are some great tips and advice from the AAA experts themselves:
I love reading motorcycle magazines almost as much as I love riding a motorcycle. Some years, I discover that I've subscribed to a dozen or more bike magazines at the same time. Then, I cut back, let some expire, and vow to keep my subscriptions more manageable. Lo and behold, a few years later, I'm back up to a dozen again, and I have to do the hard cull. That's where I'm at right now -- evaluating the motorcycle magazines, and trying to decide where to put my money and time.
This year's list of my top five travel must-haves is the best one yet. An overarching theme is tough to determine but hopefully there's something for everyone.
Spring is just about here. And motorcycle-riding season is not far behind. Now is a good time to think about your riding skills. One of the most important aspects of riding, and one of the least understood, is countersteering.
According to David Hough's great book, Proficient Motorcycling , countersteering is "a method of controlling and balancing a bike as it initiates a turn in which the handlebars are momentarily turned in the opposite direction the rider intends to go."
'Tis the season for bracketing. As I write this, we are still a few days away from knowing the final field of 64 college basketball teams that will compete in the NCAA basketball tournament. But there is something in the spring air that is causing many to do their 'googling' best and search for projected brackets online anyway. Even if you don't really follow college basketball, you still feel that general office peer pressure building to get in on the action. I mean, what exactly are you going to do that week to join in the office coffee break conversation if you don't have some commentary to share on WhoKnew State's upset over SureFire University?
Ah, St. Patrick's Day...
Second to Halloween, my favorite holiday - and the one I hold very dear to my heart. Why? The green beer? Yuck! No. The ridiculous green top hats? Um, no. The shamrock bead necklaces? Cool, but no. Celebrating the patron saint of Ireland? Sorry, not really. For me, nothing says St. Paddy's Day like the music.
Just thinking of March 17, I get excited for the yearly ritual that is sure to come. My Irish relatives and friends (and my friends unfortunately not lucky enough to have ancestors from the Emerald Isle) take a holiday from our careers and map out the day according to where the best music will be, at which Irish pub and at what time. The fun begins around 10:00 a.m. I know what you're thinking. This is an excuse to start drinking in the morning. No. Surprise, surprise...To me, St. Paddy's Day doesn't have much to do with drinking at all. Instead, it's about sitting in an old Irish pub with my loved ones, slamming our glasses on the wooden table, screaming the words to every traditional folk song from the homeland that we've heard over and over and over, but somehow never gets old.
Why America's cities are great bargains for traveling families.
Known for their art museums, fancy restaurants, and sophisticated denizens, big cities seem to offer the ingredients for an expensive vacation. But actually, they provide the exact opposite. An urban escape can be an unbelievable bargain, especially for families. Here's why:
Cheap, yummy food is plentiful. It's easy to spend only $5 to $7 per person on dinner when you can choose from ethnic eateries, street vendors, and hole-in-the-walls. In Boston you can nosh on a sausage from Speed's Famous Hot Dog Wagon in Newmarket Square; in San Francisco and Los Angeles you can track down a taco truck; in Portland look for one of the waffle wagons; and in Philadelphia you can fill up with a cheese steak at Campos Deli or Geno's or Pat's Steaks.
I do like to fish, really. My parents loved to fish and many a Sunday we'd pack up the fishing pole and find a creek, pond, stream or lake to throw in a line. I didn't particularly care for the cleaning part (too many eyes and guts), but I did enjoy the eating part. Then I married a guy whose passion is fly fishing, so I transitioned from simply trolling for fish to becoming actively engaged in the sport of catch and release. My dad took me ice fishing - once - and I have to say it was a very different experience. I learned you have to be prepared.
Basics of Ice Fishing
For those new to the idea of ice fishing, here is a brief summary from Wikipedia:"Ice fishing is the activity of catching fish with lines and fish hooks through an opening in the ice on a frozen body of water. Ice anglers may sit on the stool in the open on a frozen lake, or in a heated cabin on the ice, some with bunks and amenities".
My father was recently diagnosed with high blood pressure. How did he deal with the news? Well, he has changed his diet dramatically but he also decided to take the entire family to London around the holidays. He rented a house near Piccadilly Circus, and now he has put me on booking plane tickets for everyone.
The No. 1 rule when booking in December is buy early for the best deals. And so about two weeks ago, I couldn't sleep one night and I found myself searching Kayak, Fly.com, Travelocity, and all the popular sites for flights between San Francisco and London.
Do you ever wonder how all those people get on your favorite television shows? You know, the ones that get picked to be on a game show, provide the laughter for the sitcoms or get to see Leno, Conan, Ellen or Letterman in person?
I know I did. I'd watch those shows and say to myself - I know I could answer all those questions and win a million dollars or provide a good laugh track for that sitcom or even be in the front row to shake Leno's hand or to dance with Ellen. A few years ago, I knew I was going to be in the Los Angeles area, so I requested tickets for "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" and I was fortunate to be able to get them in the time period that I would be visiting. You do have to arrive early, stand in a long line, go through security and then find a seat - but it was well worth it. It was pretty exciting to be in on the taping and see what goes on behind the scenes. I also tried in vain to get tickets to "The Oprah Winfrey Show", but it was a last minute thought while in Chicago.
I woke up this morning to an official Olympic hangover. Symptoms included a raspy voice from chanting "Crosby, Crosby..." for hours (his mother's maiden is Forbes, btw..) and, for us on the east side of country, fatigue from lack of sleep. I also can still hear Brian Williams' voice if I try hard enough. Anyway, the hangover will soon pass and only thing left will be the enormous surge of patriotism and pride. Well done, Canada!
Aside from the hangover, the most troubling part of my morning was the realization that it is March. February was a blur and we're now scrambling to coordinate schedules for March Break, which for us starts at 3 p.m. next Friday the 12th and concludes on Monday the 22nd when life will go back to "normal".
One of the first tools I reach for when planning a trip is a map. And my map of choice for a motorcycle trip is one from MAD Maps . "MAD" stands for "Motor Adventure Destinations," and MAD Maps is a different kind of map company. Founded by a motorcyclist, the company puts out a variety of state and regional maps that cater to motorcyclists. The maps highlight the best motorcycling roads, the coolest biker destinations and fun, out of the way places that don't always stand out on an "ordinary" map. When you're out riding, the shortest distance between point A and point B is not necessarily the best route. And MAD Maps knows it.
This is the second part of a two part series inspired by a great pop-up book called A is for Animals by David Pelham. This blog takes letters N through Z and matches words that can help families pick the right hotel to meet their needs. Check out Part 1 for A through M.
N is for nickel. As in nickel and dime...I hate being surprised at check out by a list of items you didn't expect to be paying extra for. I include parking, Internet and local calls on this list.
My son and I pulled out one of his favourite books last night that we haven't read in more than a year. It's a great pop-up book called A is for Animals by David Pelham and it goes through different creatures from A to Z. The amazing thing is how my son can remember the most obscure animals, see "Quetzel or Narwhal". It inspired this week's (and next week's) blog - the ABC's of choosing a great hotel for families with kids. (You'll have to imagine the pop ups!)
A is for activities. Hotels that cater to families often have activities for kids. This can be as simple as child menus and crayons in the restaurant to playrooms.
The start of the NASCAR season is upon us and as fans, we have plenty to be thankful for. Changes to the cars, new rules to help facilitate better racing, and an early flash of brilliance by Best Western Racing driver, David Reutimann, have us excited about 2010.
Things to watch for in 2010:
If you said Chinese New Year you're correct! However, if you're in a relationship and plan to stay in it, Sunday is also Valentine's Day. This holiday dates all the way back to 496 AD and was named after that famous Christian martyr Saint Valentine, although I believe back then it was simply "Valentine" (kind of like Patrick Roy, the Montreal Canadians' famous goalie before winning the Stanley Cup, now affectionately known as Saint Patrick).
More than one billion cards or "Valentines" are sent every year, making it the second busiest for the postal service only behind Christmas. Regardless, whether you're a hopeless romantic or a sceptical cynic it doesn't really matter, your loved one is expecting something.
It seems like every January ushers in the start of "wedding season" as wedding planners and vendors start gearing up for the busy months ahead for weddings. It's a very wonderful, romantic and stressful time in a couple's life as they start to plan the perfect wedding day. As destination weddings have become more and more popular the last few years, I decided it might be a good time to do some research into the most wedding-friendly cities around the country and for the guests that are lucky enough to be invited to the "Big Day".
I also thought it might be interesting to list a few statistics about the wedding industry first, just to give you an idea of how coveted the wedding market has become and how important it is for cities to court this industry. According to Wedding Industry Statistics:
Earlier this week, the senior climatologist for Environment Canada, David Phillips, went on record to say that most of Canada can expect this season's mild winter weather to continue. Already in the dead of winter, most of us have been left scratching our heads and asking, "What winter?" Toronto, as an example, has only had 24 cm. of snow to date this season versus 110 cm. at the same time last year! With these balmy conditions, what does it mean for travel?
In previous assignments, where I was focused predominantly on leisure travel, I relied heavily on outbound travel by disgruntled sun-seeking Canucks escaping winter from November to April. At that time, cold and miserable weather meant (or at least we thought) more last-minute money.
Although my focus has shifted more recently to corporate travel, my perspective has been more dramatically altered by an interesting argument:
The hypothesis is a complete 180-degree shift and argues that a milder winter actually increases the likelihood that Canadians will travel both for leisure and for business. The supporting evidence comes from three assumptions.
It is time to get into shape! The holidays swept into town, tempted me with treats and the good life; we hung out, had a great time, and then they left, leaving my workout routine and discipline in ruins. I'm now 15 pounds heavier and have been thrown coldly back into reality where I remember that I used to be on a mission to lose weight, not gain it.
So, now it is time to refocus and commit. I don't do gyms (can't stand the scene), and I get bored just going for a run, so I need a workout that I can do anywhere, any place, any time... and quickly. I like workouts that don't require anything but shoes (by the way, you can do all these on the road in your hotel room).
Here are three things that I am doing to shed pounds and tone muscle that are simple, fast, and can be done anywhere, anytime. These should be great all your road warriors and avid travelers, because nothing (except the holidays) screws up your routine like constant travel.
Among the mix of golf and health magazines that populate the waiting rooms in medical offices, there are usually some travel periodicals. You may have to sort through the stack to find one, and they're probably from the previous year, but the photography is usually pretty good and the travel tips are worth remembering, so I dig them out and make notes.
Here are some of the interesting items I've come across recently:
BUT IS IT OKAY IF THEY DON'T EXHALE? -- Smoking bans already instituted on airplanes, buses and trains are now being implemented by some rental car agencies. On Oct. 1, 2009, both Avis and Budget became the first major car-for-hire companies to outlaw smoking in their entire fleets. To make certain that the no-smoking orders are followed, the companies also impose a cleaning fee of up to $250 on customers who violate the ban. And they'll get you because the cars now undergo a new type of inspection when they're returned.
Requests for smoke-free cars ran quite high because a common complaint among renters was that the cars smell like smoke. Company employees who drive the cars are also banned from smoking in them. And there's also an economic reason for the ban: It costs the companies money because cars often have to be taken out of service while they're being cleaned.
I hope that you are more mechanically inclined than I am. I hope that for your sake. I do okay, but when it comes to complex work, I turn to professionals. But even with my limited skills, I have been able to tackle a number of projects related to my motorcycle.
Winter is the best time to get work done on my bike. I'm more patient, and less distracted by the opportunity to ride.
The first project that I tackled this winter was organizing my workspace. I tore out some clunky old cabinets and shelving in my garage, and replaced it with a more efficient system. I didn't spend a ton of dough -- I refitted my whole two-car garage for under $500. But I made better use of space, clearing floor space for my motorcycle, and organizing my stuff in the process. Now all of my motorcycle tools, supplies and spare parts are in the same area, easily accessible and ready to use. I've even got a workbench to help with staging work comfortably, up off of the floor.
My wife Ruth and I sat down last weekend in attempt to come up with five travel-related resolutions for 2010. The process itself was really enjoyable and an excellent catalyst to create a wish list for the year. Here are the results:
1. Take more pictures.
We love to sit around and reminisce about some of the trips we've taken. Two years ago, we got really motivated and took lots of pictures and even created and printed photobooks as keepsakes. There are many online services to choose from; we've used www.photoworks.com and have been delighted each time. Unfortunately, we didn't do so well last year and it's a shame. In 2010, we vow to make sure we get back to it because it's so easy with digital. The process is fun and the memories last a lifetime.
My memories of downhill skiing with my parents as a child are full of embarrassing moments. There's the time I skied into a tree. The end of my pole hit my eye and I had a shiner the rest of the trip (thank goodness for sunglasses).
There's the time I wet my pants on the chair lift. And the time I fell off the chairlift and a boy from my high school happened to be in the chair behind me. Ugh!
I never took to the sport, yet I was frequently dragged to the snow because my parents and brother loved to ski and they were good at it. I hated the cold, the scary downhills, the long lift lines, the crowded slopes.
I decided to introduce my kids to the snow through a different activity: cross-country skiing. It's mellower, less-intimidating, and a much friendlier sport for kids (and I like it).
I take great pride in checking items off of my "bucket list" as such lists have come to be called lately. The bucket list, as it is eloquently titled, are a list of things to do before you kick the bucket. It was on a trip to Maui Hawaii that I had an opportunity for my first chance at checking the item "Pacific Ocean Snorkeling" off of my list. What I didn't realize, though, was how hooked I would become on snorkeling.
I'm what you call a "sandal vacationer" when it comes to warm weather vacations. I embrace action and adventure when I'm traveling in locales below 80 degrees, but when I'm in the warm waters of Hawaii or San Diego, I much prefer to trade in my walking shoes for a chance at being a beach bum. That is why I love snorkeling. It provides a chance as a traveler to engage in a slightly scaled sporting adventure like scuba diving without the cost, time commitment, and training. Guided snorkel tours run anywhere from $50-150 dollars and equipment is affordable to own.
I actually really do believe in New Year's resolutions. I don't believe in driving myself nuts over them, but I do believe that setting some goals for the coming year can help to focus my efforts and can help me make decisions when I'm not sure which way to turn.
One area of my life where I make resolutions has to do with my motorcycle riding. Here's a list of some of my Rider's Resolutions for 2010:
I'm a year-round rider. I don't put my bike to sleep for the winter; I keep riding. I'm lucky. I live in Southern California, where temperatures rarely drop below freezing. But that doesn't mean it doesn't get cold on my Sportster. It gets very cold, and besides being mighty uncomfortable, it can actually be dangerous. Cold temperatures can raise your reaction time, reduce your ability to control your bike, and generally make you a worse rider. The wind chill factor amplifies the effect of cold air on your body, and riding at 60 mph on a cold night will feel like standing in a 60 mph windstorm. In a word, cold!
In mild weather, layering is the smart way to go. Start with a wicking fabric next to your skin. Cotton is good, but a high-tech microfiber layer is even better. Add thin layers of clothing on top -- clothing designed for skiers and snowboarders is great for this. Each layer will add insulation, and will also trap a layer of air, which is fantastic insulation as well. Finish off with a breathable windproof layer, like a Gore-Tex jacket, underneath your regular riding gear. Make sure not to overdo it, and layer just enough to keep warm, but not so much that you lose mobility.
Bundling up can help, but there's a limit. Fortunately, technology has come to the rescue.
When the Brothers Grimm compiled German fairy tales and came across the tale of Hansel and Gretel, the gingerbread house was modernized and romanticized. It seems only natural that children and adults alike would become enchanted with the idea of a sweetly edible home. My two-year-old has a couple of Jan Brett books about a Gingerbread Baby, and her favorite part of both stories is the house he lives in - all covered in candy and so incredibly delicious. Germany already had a tradition of making ginger cookies or cakes to be sold at festivals, and the popularity of this story started a tradition of making Lebkuchen, or "witches houses." The German Lebkuchen tend to be simple cottages, but in the United States, where making houses out of gingerbread has caught on more than anywhere else, they are often very elaborate Victorian homes and buildings laden with confections.
You know, this time of the year can be, and usually is, very stressful. The planning, the baking, the shopping, the presents and the relatives (even the ones you like) add to the stress. As the mom, most of these tasks usually fall to me and I wonder every year if I can create and recreate the wonderful memories that will hopefully stay with my girls until they leave the nest and start their own traditions. All of this running around and planning brought back memories of when the girls were younger and we always traveled back to the Midwest to celebrate Christmas with our families. So, I decided to offer some unsolicited advice on one more thing that might add to parents' stress over the holidays and that is - traveling to Grandma's and Grandpa's house (or relative of your choice).
At our home, we celebrate Christmas, so here are a few of my tried and true tactics to traveling with the kids that might help make this year's travel a little more relaxing and put the true spirit of the holidays back where it belongs - in your heart.
That special motorcyclist in your life deserves a special gift this holiday season. My non-biker friends know that I'm into motorcycles, and when they think about a gift, they fall back on knick-knacks. Now, I like a die-cast Harley-Davidson as much as the next guy, but I've kind of reached my limit, and I'm almost positive that anyone who has been riding for more than a few years has all they can handle, too. So, to help out my fellow riders, and to help out those who wish to buy gifts for riders, I've got a few suggestions that will make this year's gift season better than ever.
Great gifts under $50:
The Jimi Wallet: Bulk is the enemy when you're riding a motorcycle. The Jimi is a slim, lightweight plastic wallet that is made of 100% recycled and recyclable materials. It's designed to be carried in your front pocket, and will only hold the essentials. I switched from a conventional leather wallet to the Jimi a few years ago, and it's the best wallet I've ever had. ($15)
The Sculpted Skull Belt Buckle : Bikers love belts, and bikers love skulls. So this one is a natural. The best feature on this buckle is that it doesn't have any sharp edges to dig in when you're sitting on the bike. And it's cool looking. ($30)
Compact Tire Gauge and Tread Depth Indicator with Braided Stainless Steel Lead : Sure, your biker friend has a tire gauge. But this is a better tire gauge, with the added advantage of tread depth gauge and a long lead that makes taking readings much easier. One tool no biker should be without. ($30)
Looking for stocking stuffers for the traveler on your list? Check out these wallet-friendly nifty products that are sure to bring a smile to their face.
1) Klean Kanteen
The environmentally friendly alternative to plastic water bottles, Klean Kanteen is made of 100% food-grade stainless steel that will last for years. It's lightweight, holds 27 ounces and has a wide mouth for ice cubes. ($17)
2) Monopoly Go
A compact version of the classic, this game board uses clips to attach movers, houses and hotels, which means that players can pause, fold and store their game until later.. Comes with a sturdy travel case and individual player wallets to store money and property cards. ($19.99)
3) Towel Lite
Hiking in Hawaii and suddenly come upon a waterfall with a perfect swimming pool? Dive in and then pull this soft, ultralight, highly absorbent, quick-drying towel from your daypack. It absorbs up to eight times its weight in liquid, yet 90% of the moisture can be easily wrung out to speed drying time. ($14)
4) Origami on the Go
This art kit by best-selling author Margaret Van Sicklen provides a solution to "Are we there yet?" with 40 travel-inspired projects--including Amazon River Turtle, Samurai Helmet, Stunt Plane, Mummy and Chinese Opera Hat. ($15)
5) Red Eye Pack
In-flight comfort packed into one and carry-on approved, this kit contains an eye mask, soft ear plugs, lip balm, a hydrating lotion towelette, dental refresher, chiclets for popping your ears, and a bookmark in a reusable clear zip-top pouch. ($18)
If you read the famous children's Christmas tale The Polar Express (or saw the movie based on the book) you most likely enjoyed the wonderful illustrations, featuring the magic of that holiday event through the eyes of a child. I've read the book many times to our kids over the years and was intrigued when we heard of a railway company nearby that was offering 'Polar Express' adventures. I was even more intrigued when I discovered that there are a fair amount of train companies that are also doing this all over the US and Canada.
Our experience on the Polar Express (ie. The Heber Creeper train, running up and down Provo Canyon, Utah) was memorable. First, kids love trains. So, basically, you could simply put kid on a train and the outing would be a success. Now, add Christmas decorations, snowy mountains, a trip to the North Pole to see the big red guy and a cup of hot chocolate for the ride and the kids feel they are living the story...and as an adult, you can't help but get caught up in all the excitement.
As the days tick away and the holidays approach, I still have a lot of shopping to do, but for once I am not stressed. Every year I hunt for the perfect gift, and then at the last minute I panic and get something that my mom, dad, sister, or significant other really won't want/need. Not this year though. This year, I have a plan. I'm going to buy them all some travel.
Let me explain...
I've heard this story every spring, and so have you. My riding buddies call to ask for some help -- it's the first nice day of the new season, and time to go for a ride. Except their bikes won't start. Dead battery, or bad fuel, or gunked up oil. Who knows? All I do know is that they didn't take the time to get their bikes ready for the winter, and now it's springtime, and now they're suffering.
So, you know what's coming: My tips for prepping your motorcycle for the winter.
Last weekend wrapped up the college football regular season. And with it brought to the forefront all of what is best and maddening about college football. The experts vote and the computers compute and we all wish there were a better way, but it doesn't stop us from tuning in (especially if we have a team playing in some bowl game somewhere). I know-- there are more bowls than anyone can possibly be expected to remember. But if you are fan and your team is playing you are most likely going to tune in...or if you are really fortunate you are going to travel to the destination and watch.
These are my top bowls I would choose to attend, both for location and my interest in the game:
We are hearing a lot about the Swine Flu and other sicknesses right now, and with the holiday travel season, cold weather, and family gatherings, it is important to do what we can to stay healthy. I'm no "germaphobe," but I also am determined to avoid getting sick this season.
With all of the traveling, airports, cab rides and family dinners with my cousin James (who will inevitably have strep throat or something else terrible) I've formed a plan of action for how to keep my immune system strong throughout this holiday season.
Here it goes:
Drink water. I used to get so mad at my father when he would tell me this but now that I know the science behind it, I get it... Germs try to enter your body through the mouth and nose, your body creates mucus to help keep them out... If you don't drink water, you can't create mucus... end of discussion.
Clean hands. Your hands touch an awful lot of surfaces every day, and they also touch your eyes, mouth, nose etc... So keep them clean, and try not to touch your face too much. Wash those puppies like there is no tomorrow, keep a little bottle of sanitizer with you if you have to!
Winter is coming on, and the riding season is winding down for most of the country. This is the absolute best time to shop for a used bike.
Think about it -- the holidays are coming, cash is tight, and that motorcycle in the garage starts to look like an ATM to many people. Maybe they didn't ride that much this summer, maybe they have plans to buy a new bike next spring, maybe they're just tired of debating with their spouse about that motorcycle taking up valuable space in the garage. Whatever the reason, plenty of bikes go up for sale this time of year.
At the same time, there are fewer buyers to compete for used bikes. Impulse buyers will be less likely to spring for a motorcycle when Old Man Winter looms on the horizon. With the economy being so tight, even hardcore bikers will be inclined to save up their dough for family gifts rather than adding a bike to the stable.
All of which adds up to the perfect time to buy a used motorcycle.
There are so many great traditions that surround the celebration of Thanksgiving Day. Of course, there's the gathering of family, and all the food we eat. There's also football and going to the movies. Let's not forget that since 1924, Americans have been gathering along the streets of Manhattan, braving the weather in the early morning, to see the floats and balloons that make up the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.
A fun alternative or addition to this 85-year tradition is to go see the parade's main characters, the balloons, while they are being inflated. These famous individuals begin to come to life at 4 PM on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving right next to the Museum of Natural History on 77th and 81st Streets.
I own two motorcycles. One I've had since 1980; the other (my new one) I bought in 1993. Recently, I've been thinking about buying a new touring bike like a Harley-Davidson Ultra Classic. If I decide to pull the trigger on a new bike purchase, my other bikes will have to go. So, researcher that I am, I've been studying up on what steps to take in order to sell my motorcycles.
First, I'm going to perform an inspection. I'm going to decide which repair items will get fixed, and which items will remain unrepaired for the new buyer. One of my bikes has a very faded paint job. It would cost about $500 to repaint the bike, but repainting the bike would not increase its value. So, I won't repaint. But, I will repair that torn seat, tidy up that loose clutch cable and polish that rusting chrome -- all necessary maintenance that will cost me little more than elbow grease but could impact the sale price significantly. I'll also remove any accessories or extra equipment that I might want to keep or sell separately -- sometimes, a bike is worth more in pieces than it is as a running whole.
I don't know if you saw the news recently, but Brad Pitt had a little tipover on his motorcycle while evading the paparazzi. He was unhurt, but it made me think about how many celebrities ride motorcycles.
Pitt is well-known for his love of motorcycling. So is his buddy George Clooney, who rides with a posse of friends on a regular basis. Other big-time actors who are unrepentant motorcyclists include Aaron Eckhart, Adrien Brody, Antonio Banderas, Jeremy Irons, Billy Bob Thornton, Scott Glenn, Bruce Willis, Ewan McGregor and Tom Cruise, just to name a few. Motorcycling and movie stars have always gone hand in hand.
Marlon Brando and Clark Gable rode bikes, but the golden age of celebrity motorcycling may have been the 1960s. That's when Peter Fonda, Dennis Hopper, Steve McQueen, Clint Eastwood and every cool guy in Hollywood was on two wheels, influencing an entire generation of motorcyclists. Arnold Schwarzenegger redefined motorcycling onscreen as the title character in Terminator 2: Judgment Day, and rides prominently in real life, even as he serves out his term as Governor of California.
When you're riding your motorcycle, in the best of all possible conditions, the only thing that touches the road is the contact patch on your tire. And yet many riders pay little or no attention to their tires before heading out for a ride.
I'd like to encourage you to spend a few minutes thinking about your tires right now; a few minutes inspecting your tires later; and a few minutes checking your tires before each and every ride.
What should you look for when you check your tires?
We all know that it's important to check tire inflation pressure. Your bike should have a VIN sticker or VIN plate that displays recommended tire pressure and GVWR. Your owner's manual will also have a page detailing correct tire pressure, front and rear -- the numbers are frequently different, depending on the size and type of bike you ride. Try to check your tires and add air (if necessary) when the tires are cool. Once tires heat up from riding, air pressure readings will rise, because hot air expands.
Don't overinflate or underinflate -- both conditions can lead to handling issues, and possible tire failure.
I write about riding around on two wheels. That's my passion.
But there's another step between two wheels and four: Three wheels.
There are two ways to get on three wheels with Harley-Davidson. Since 2009, the Motor Company has offered a factory Trike, with one wheel and a traditional fork in front, and two wheels in the rear. For 2010, you can choose between the Tri Glide Ultra Classic (starting at $29,999), which is basically a three-wheeled version of the Ultra Classic; or a Street Glide Trike (starting at $26,999), a more stripped-down version of the Touring platform.
The other option is to add a sidecar to your bike. Harley makes a sidecar rig that's designed to hook up to the Touring lineup, and there are aftermarket manufacturers who will build sidecars for other bikes in the lineup. When a sidecar is hooked up to a bike, the resulting three-wheeled contraption is called a "rig," or a "hack," probably based on the tradition of horse and buggy hacks.
You've spent some time on that new motorcycle. You took the Rider's Edge New Rider Course. Then you spent some more time on your scoot. You took the Rider's Edge Experienced Rider Course. And then you rode some more.
Now, you're looking for a new challenge, a new way to build your skills.
Maybe it's time for Track School.
The best riders on the road have usually had some training and experience on the track. Time on a racetrack is the safest, quickest way to build riding skills, and it's actually much more accessible and affordable than you might imagine.
With just more than two months left in 2009, its time to look ahead to 2010 and make some predictions about the future. Will the Leafs win their first Stanley Cup in more than 40 years? Will we see a federal election in Canada? Will our economy turn the corner quickly and recover from a tough 2009? Aside from the Leafs winning the cup, the other two are a great source for debate, but here are a few personal predictions for the travel industry:
After road-tripping with my kids this summer for 17 days straight, I felt as if I had played every car game possible with my children. License plate bingo, I-Spy, 20 Questions--you name it, we played it.
We recently visited the California Sierra for the weekend--a four-hour drive from our home--and I knew that I would need to come up with something new for the car ride. On the Cookie magazine Web site, I stumbled upon a list of 21 road trip games to keep your kids from saying "Are we there yet?" Here I found a few new games to try. My daughter kept herself busy with "100." You pick one thing--red cars, trees, whatever--and try to find 100 of it. My son had fun playing "Castle in the Sky" and trying to pick out clouds and deciding what they look like.
And both of my children loved playing Slug Bug, which is actually a game I remember playing with my brother as a kid, but I had completely forgotten about it.
See a Volkswagen Beetle and call out, "Slug bug!" One point is awarded to whoever calls it out first, but beware--a point is deducted if one is wrongly called out. Traditionally, this game involves the administration of a gentle "slug" to the shoulder of another player as the bug is called, but depending on the energy level and age of your children, you may select to forgo this part.Click here to find the complete list of road-trip games in Cookie.
Lately, it seems that every time I sit down to eat someone is asking "is the food local?" Where do you get your tomatoes? Are apples in season right now?
Not long ago, price ruled the market, and people just wanted to get their produce, fruit and meat for the lowest price... but, things are changing, and fast!
Where it was once "cool" to not eat your veggies, it is now "hip" to not only eat your veggies, but grow them too... or at least know where they come from. The garden is cool again, understanding seasons is in and eating exclusively local meals is the bees knees.
Why?
We all know someone who has been hurt in a motorcycle accident. It's the first thing that comes up when our friends find out that we ride. We deflect, we change the subject, we reassure - we're safe riders, riding is all about managing risk, everything in life is dangerous, you can get killed walking down the street. You know the conversation.
Every once in a while, though, it hits hard.
My cousin Dave and his wife Linda were in a motorcycle wreck last week. Riding two-up on a 2006 Harley-Davidson through a small New Jersey town near their home, they collided with, or were hit by, a pickup truck driven by an 18 year-old boy. Dave and Linda have sustained major injuries. They will both survive, but each has had their left leg amputated. The pickup truck driver was not injured in the accident, and a police investigation is underway.
Dave and Linda will survive. Their injuries, though severe and life altering, are no longer life threatening. The impact of that collision will resonate far beyond that New Jersey street.
If you are like me, then Thanksgiving is second to only Christmas on your list of top notch holidays. I always enjoyed the start of a new school year, a new hockey season and the majestic colour changes that have all started by the second Monday in October. For all of these reasons and many more fall is without question my favourite season.
In speaking with a friend last week about plans for Thanksgiving he told me that a few years ago his family started "outsourcing" the holiday. After my initial chuckle, which was not reciprocated, I started to listen more intently. The more he spoke the more sense he started to make. A mere five minutes later, thirty seven years of traditional Thanksgiving celebrations had come squarely into question. It seemed so plausible; could you keep all the benefits of this splendid holiday and outsource the bad? Let me see if I can replicate his sales pitch.
This is one of the greatest experiences for human and dog alike, as you set out together, just like your ancestors did when dogs were first domesticated and came along on the hunt. It's a great bonding exercise, and it's a way for you to establish yourself as the leader of the pack (even if that pack consists of just one dog). The problem: a lot of national and state parks don't allow dogs. The good news: there are plenty of other open spaces around the country where the two of you can leave the car behind, take to the trail and explore your world.
Before you take a hike, there are a few precautions you should take:
Some dogs take naturally to car travel; they're the ones you see with their noses out the window, reveling in the ever-changing sights and smells. Others, however, may need a little coaxing, especially if their car trips always end up at the vet's office. So, start out with short daily rides. Take her someplace nice, let her run around and have fun. Gradually increase the length of the rides. Once your dog is comfortable in the car, you're ready to hit the road:
Arrived at your destination? Now's the time to feed her.
This past summer, the media was convinced that families would stick to short, close-to-home vacations. "Weekend getaways" is the term journalists often used. But the results of Trekaroo's 2009 summer travel survey found that many moms and dads were taking off with the kids for more than five days. And while California and Florida were the top two favorite vacation spots, international destinations came in at No. 3. Canada was particularly popular with the family crowd.
Here's a summary of the survey results from Trekaroo, a Web site that's dedicated to all things related to family travel.
Autumn is a great time for art festivals. Yes, I know, summer is when most big festivals are staged. But that is what makes visiting festivals in the fall all the better. Festivals in the fall tend to have fewer crowds, a more laid back atmosphere and usually the weather is more agreeable. And yes, big festivals designed to attract summer vacationers happen in the summer, but fall is a great time to discover more local festivals going on in your town or a town near you. There is no shortage of festivals going in the fall from fine art, arts and crafts, performance, food and more. Attending a local arts festival is also a great idea for a stay-cation--a relatively inexpensive and quick weekend getaway.
Local arts festivals are also a great way to support your local economies. And if you sense that the economy has been tough on businesses, artists and arts organizations are really feeling it. Here are a few fall arts festivals going on around the country.
For those that follow a sports calendar (versus a regular 12 month calendar) you certainly know that we have entered into a special time of year. No, not back to school. No, not the fall harvest. College football has started and is in full swing. For those that have their happiness linked to the ups and downs of rooting for a college football team over the next few months, it can be a great and not so great time. But for many it is also time to start planning a return trip to the alma mater for homecoming.
There is a debate about who started the homecoming tradition. Three universities make claims for initiating the ritual that is now followed in universities, colleges and high schools across the US. The University of Missouri and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign both claim to have started the tradition as far back as 1910 and Baylor University is credited with first attaching the football game activity to the festivities. Though it is fair to say some universities claim homecoming activities back into the late 1800's.
With Labour Day behind us now and the kids all back in school, you should start thinking about your travel plans for holiday break. I know it seems ridiculously early, but I am recommending people make their plans now. Here's why:
I was out for a mountain bike ride the other day with a friend and I had an epiphany.
I hadn't been on my bike since I had my accident and as I rode down a steep single-track trail, the movements and techniques I used to know started to flood my mind. I had started the day off quite cautiously but as these memories of riding came back I felt myself let go and "enjoy the ride." I had remembered how to "find the line."
This 2009 NASCAR season has been anything but predictable. With the start of the Chase beginning this Saturday, many of us are still trying to figure out what has been the biggest surprise of the season.
Tony Stewart, backed by his own team and dollars at Stewart-Haas Racing, put up a storybook season to date and leads all drivers in points going into The Chase. Tony's three wins and 18 Top-10 finishes have made his departure from Joe Gibbs racing a distant and forgettable memory.
Everyone's favorite villain Kyle Busch couldn't muster enough points to crack the Top-12 to make a run at the Sprint Cup championship. Kyle's 4 wins this season is the most of any driver who missed The Chase, but a string of poor runs late in races leaves him out yet again.
I knew this statement was true, but I didn't quite now how true until I started digging for some facts. According to Colloquy Research, a whopping 93.6 percent of Canadians belong to at least one loyalty program. That number has jumped almost 9 percent since their last study in 2007, which is shocking for an already very saturated market.
Why do we like them so much? Optimists will tell you that we are smart! Why not be rewarded for spending our hard earned cash and for our loyalty - that's worth something you know. The cynics say we're cheap! "Those Canucks always looking for the best deal" they say. In my opinion, both are somewhat accurate.
Although neither cheap nor smart came to mind last week when I witnessed the lady in front of me at the grocery store express line reach back to grab seemingly anything that would take her to the total to the purchase minimum to get a point. I did think to myself, "wow, talk about engaged" and I came to the conclusion the most Canadian generally think of collecting rewards as a game and have fun with it.
Whether you're spending a week on the beach in Hawaii or road-tripping across the United States, you'll certainly have more fun traveling with friends than going solo. But group travel can be stressful because the smallest misunderstandings can break up friendships. Here are some tips to ensure everyone returns home friends.
Assign responsibilities. If you're a big group, consider designating a trip leader (ideally the most organized person among your friends) who can take on such tasks as conducting a poll for trip dates, emailing out the final itinerary, and coordinating what people need to bring. This person can also dole out responsibilities to others. You might put one person on researching restaurants and another on planning optional group activities, for example. A great resource for coordinating the group is the website Triporama.com, which allows groups to create to-do lists, chat on private message boards, and build day-by-day itineraries.
My husband and I are about to take off on a week-long trip to Barcelona. We're celebrating our 10-year anniversary...and we're leaving the kids behind. Two grandmas and a grandpa will be watching our 4- and 6-year-old. This is the first time we have left our kids for an extended period of time--well, actually for more than two nights.
Surprisingly, both kids seem entirely comfortable with the idea. No tears...yet. In fact, every day my daughter asks me, When are you going to Spain? It seems as if she can hardly wait for me to step out the door. She's looking forward to all the ice cream cones her grandfather will buy her.
How can you help your kids feel comfortable with you leaving them behind? Here are some tips.
I've made no secret about it - I love motorcycles, all motorcycles -- especially Harley-Davidson motorcycles. The sound, the feel, the look - Harley-Davidsons are what I picture in my head when I think "motorcycle."
Some riders have an entirely different picture in their heads. They see chiseled, modern lines. They see track-ready bikes with lightweight body parts and high-tech mechanicals. They see sportbikes.
That's where Buell comes in. A wholly owned division of Harley-Davidson since 1998, Buell is the American Sportbike.
As senior citizens, it's our right and our duty to seek out and utilize travel tips that save us enough money so we can go again. Here are a few I have used or read about.
The free weekends at the nation's national parks are over, but there will be a fee-free day on Public Lands Day, Sept. 26. It might get a bit crowded, considering the zero admission charge, but those with Golden Age Passes can avoid the throngs by going any other time, and for the same price.
Some of us face mobility challenges when traveling. These can be substantially alleviated by renting small travel scooters. Most major cities offer them, but always check with either travel agencies or visitors bureaus first. It might take some planning, but the results are worth the effort.
On one of my last overseas trips, I needed access to my passport number six times and each time was a hassle because once I dug my passport out of its safe hiding place, I had to find my glasses so I could read the dinky little number. So now, I take ballpoint pen and a piece of white paper in hand, write down all the vital information (number, date of issuance, where it was issued, expiration date) in large letters and numbers and tape them on the front of the passport.
Dog ownership is on the rise--one-third of all Canadian households have a dog and, according to Ipsos Reid, we spend a whopping $2 billion a year in dog-related pet expenses.
With the number of short domestic excursions on the rise as well, it makes perfect sense that I have had a number of questions lately about people hitting the road with their dogs.
I am a dog lover currently between canines. My last cocker spaniel/poodle Buster--I just can't bring myself to call him a cockapoo--and I had a number of travelling experiences together. So to help out my fellow canine lovers, here is the skinny on travelling with your dog:
I get a lot of pleasure out of keeping my motorcycle clean. My SUV usually looks like it just came back from a race through the desert, but my bike always gleams like new.
Keeping your ride clean isn't just a matter of vanity, it's good preventative maintenance. As you clean your bike, you'll have the opportunity to inspect every square inch of machine. You'll notice any loose fasteners before they fall off. You'll discover fluid leaks before catastrophe hits. You'll be able to solve problems before they keep you from riding safely.
Over the years, I've developed a number of tips about bike cleaning that I will now share with you:
Since Boston's Frederic Tudor, known as the Ice King, began introducing people around the world to ice from New England ponds, we have enjoyed cold drinks, ice-cream, and other chilled foods. We also began developing amazing recipes and products that rely on cold or frozen ingredients. Soon, almost every home, and certainly every bar and restaurant had an icebox. Today, we've traded in the icebox for the freezer and refrigerator and we can make ice almost anywhere and enjoy icy products year round.
When you're piling the family into a car for a road trip it might be tempting to opt for the roomier SUV parked in your garage. But if your family's fleet also includes a smaller car consider driving it instead because you'll pay less for gas. Your SUV might get 20 miles to the gallon while your little four-door sedan gets 30 to 35. You'll pay about $2.75 to drive 25 miles in the SUV and only $2 in the smaller car. If you're driving 1,500, you'll save $45 in the smaller car--and emit a lot less CO2. (fuel cost based on gas price of $2.30 a gallon.)
We just got back from a week in South Carolina and the trip was fantastic. The weather, the beach and yes, even the drive went famously. With two kids ages six and five, we were certainly a little nervous about driving across the United States.
Here are my top 10 tips to make a long car ride a good experience:
10. Pack a small cooler, some ice and pick up some healthy snacks. Juices, yogurt (don't forget plastic spoons) and fruit. Without the snacks you'll end up stopping more and likely eating exclusively fast food.
9. Make sure you pack some treats. We found Skittles to be a great currency to bribe our children. It sounds cruel as I write it, but trust me; it works and makes everyone's trip a lot better.
8. Pre-plan your route and make hotel reservations. Try to stay with the same hotel group throughout the trip and make sure you are a member of their loyalty program. For instance, if you stayed with Best Western twice over the summer and are a member of Best Western Rewards (like me!), you got a free night voucher!
7. Plan to stop every two to three hours to stretch, use the facilities and fill up on gas. No need to have the gas gauge under a quarter tank, especially on long Interstate highways in the evening. Make sure you encourage the kids to use the facilities. If you don't, invariably ten minutes later they'll magically need to go.
My kids and I recently visited Disneyland. At about 3 p.m., after riding It's a Small World three times, my daughter said, "Let's go back to the hotel and swim in the pool." After paying over $200 for admission for myself and two kids, I wasn't about to give up on Disneyland. But I realized that on a family vacation all children really need is a swimming pool and they'll be happy. When you stay in a hotel with a pool, it offers great free entertainment and you can easily skip out on some of the pricier attractions.
I have noticed a brilliant trend in marketing and advertising in Canada lately that I think is really resonating with Canadians. In the face of a challenging economic environment, increasing competition, and perhaps the influence of Canada hosting the upcoming Winter Olympic Games, Canadians are being encouraged to get out and explore their own backyards when travelling. Supporting businesses that are "locally owned and operated" has never been more important.
That being said, here are some tips for vacationers looking to support Canadians by travelling domestically:
Christmas comes early for Harley-Davidson fans, as the Motor Company announces its new lineup every summer. And, despite a downturn in the domestic motorcycle market, Harley-Davidson is heading into 2010 with an aggressive push that they call "the most expansive new-product introduction in the history" of the company.
Here are some details about the new lineup:
You may have caught my recent blog about the five most important things to pack for any getaway. I am writing now to correct myself and add one thing to the list that any good husband and father should never forget.
That item is whatever the last thing your significant other tells you to pack. No matter how trivial or seemingly unimportant you may feel it is as you try to configure the space in your car trunk. Learn from my mistake and just make the room.
Chris McGinnis
Cesar Millan
Sam Lowe
Jason Fogelson
Bryson Forbes
Amy Graff
