“…it’s about the journey,  not the destination…”

“..a few thoughts…” January 26, 2025…

Threatening clouds over the Shannondoah Valley

        I am watching a video series on YouTube published by a guy named Joe Ryan. He publishes a new video every Friday. The topic of his current ( ? ) video is a journey through northern Vietnam and it is wonderful He has a series of videos such as  “Roam New Zealand,”  “Roam The Himalayas.” The photography is great and he really gives you a feel for the culture in these areas. In the current episode       ( #6 ) he runs into some rainy and cloudy weather as he rides through mountainous North Vietnam.

On a trip with my college roommates on a damp day on the Blue Ridge Parkway

        As I watched the video I thought about the many times I’ve ridden the Blue Ridge Parkway and Skyline Drive in the rain and fog. I’ve often said riding in the rain or the fog is not a big deal, just ride “gently.” Riding through both at the same time, rain AND fog, is no fun. I was on the Skyline Drive on my 1988 Goldwing in 2022, which had 195,000 miles on it, and had decided  to get off on US 33 above Harrisonburg VA rather getting off sooner to get to the lowlands and out of the fog. Instead I pressed on. It became so foggy and wet that I was riding along watching the center line because I couldn’t see 30 feet in front of me. There are no shoulders on Skyline Drive so if the bike stopped I couldn’t get off of the road. I realized how dangerous this was, particularly on a bike with so many miles. It was a really dumb thing to do. I made it, but shortly traded my 1988 Wing for a 2000 model with only 26,000 miles on it.

The last trip on my 1988 Goldwing. I should have taken the clouds more seriously.

        When you ride in the high lands it can be much foggier, as you are literally riding in the clouds. Obviously keep your speed down and avoid sudden braking or acceleration. Stay off any painted lines if you can because they are much more slippery than the road. I was on a trip with my daughters to the White Mountains a few  years ago and we hit rain everyday day. Not all day but off and on, along with sunny patches. I simply told them to “ride gently” and eventually they came on the radio saying that if  you had the proper rain gear, and the rain wasn’t too heavy, riding in the rain is no big deal. I would agree, adding that tires with good tread is also a great help.

Our bikes in front of our rental home in the White Mountains.
The lower picture is from our front porch. Beautiful!

        Having good rain gear, and tires, is an essential part of riding safely in the wet. If you are on a trip you might consider waiting until the worst of the rain has passed, but you may have no choice but to get on the bike and ride. My general rule about stopping every 150 mile might change to every 100 miles, or, if the weather is really bad, every hour. It is dependent on the conditions at the time of the ride. 

The Peddler is a restaurant in Boone NC where I’ve stopped for dinner for over 30 years!
If you like steak I highly recommend it.

        On of the best aspects of motorcycling is that rather than watching the scenery go by in a car, you are part of it; you get wet if it rains, cold if its cold, and hot if its hot. You experience the place through all of  your senses, sight, smell, feeling, hearing. It is one of the things I like most about riding. You have to pay attention to all of what is around you and  you are part of it all, 

My Honda Silverwing scooter on the Blue Ridge Parkway. 

        Winter is a tough time for me. I watch PLENTY of YouTube videos and go out when the weather cooperates. This week it is going to be in the mid to upper 40s Monday, Tuesday, and  Wednesday. I will be out on the Spyder Monday, the Interceptor on Tuesday, and on Wednesday I will be out on my new toy, a 2023 Royal Enfield Scram 411. We are actually getting past the worse time of the year and we will have more and more days to ride. I have several trips planned for this year including North Carolina, Virginia, and Winnipeg Canada. Hope you have several trips planned this summer also. Until then get out on every nice day you can.

A few thoughts 01/05/25

“…its about the journey, not the destination…”

  …A FEW THOUGHTS…

Out for a short ride on the Scram on a chilly winter day

       The next 6 weeks are the most difficult for me. Temperatures freezing or below, wet, frozen or snowy

roads. Few chances to go for a ride. At the end of Fall I take the carbureted bikes and drain the carburetors 

and move them all to the back of the garage, parked close together. My winter regimen is to put a charger on all of the bikes overnight once a month. I have found that this allows bikes to start up easily in the Spring. 

A stop on the Interceptor on a back road in Pennsylvania 

        This leaves me with two legitimate bikes to ride in the cold weather. My scooter has heated grips so it it’s in the mid 40s I can take it out for short rides. I bought a Royal Enfield Interceptor last February and I really like it, so if there is any chance to take it out I do so. Back in mid-December I bought another Royal Enfield, a Scram 411. The name of the bike means that it has a 411 cc engine. Many experienced riders, and the vast majority of younger rides would say the motor is too small and the bike is too slow. When I was younger I thought the same way. The Scram is designed to be a “scrambler.” This means it is capable of mild off roading. The frames of the Royal Enfield’s are designed in England in a facility Royal Enfield purchased to take advantage of English expertise in this area. On of the key reasons for the popularity of Triumph motorcycles of the 60s and 70s was they way they handled. That is the reason Royal Enfield bikes are so much fun to ride. 

The protection the wind shield gives me on my R1150 GS is surprising…
The heated grips work well.

        The way you sit on my R1150 GS provides good protection due to the shape of the wind shield, the gas tank, and the motor. I have a heated vest if needed but generally my Kilimanjaro jacket and wind proof riding pants allow relatively short rides.

My Spyder on a wonderful road in PA.

        My main winter bike, and long distance touring bike is my Can Am Spyder. The wind shield is adjustable electronically, and the “fairing” really protects you lower body and feet. It also has heated seats and heated grips. Generally I don’t like riding in temperatures below 40 degrees, buy I can be fairly comfortable on colder days on the Spyder.

These are my warm weather bikes “retired” for the winter.

        My bikes with little or no protection sit at the back of the garage. To get them ready for the months long period of sitting I empty the carburators either by draining the gas from the bike or run the bike with the peacock off until the bikes stops running. Once a month during the winter I attach a battery charger to the bikes over night. My experience is that in the spring the bikes start right up.

The Scram “snuggled” up against the GS.

        Often during the winter the temps here get up into the mid 40s or lower 50s. I celebrate days like this by going out for a decent ride. Next week here on one day the high temperature is going to be 17! 😖 I’ll probably spend lots of time watching YOUTUBE motorcycle videos. Keep warm!