Biker Quotes

Quotes from: Hunter Thompson


“Faster, faster, faster, until the thrill of speed overcomes the fear of death.”

"Some people will tell you that slow is good-and it may be, on some days...but I'm here to tell you that fast is better. I've always believed this, in spite of the trouble it's caused me. Being shot out of a cannon will always be better than being squeezed out of a tube. That is why God made fast motorcycles ..."


Quotes from Unknown Authors

• “Life may begin at 30, but it doesn't get real interesting until about 150.”
  ~Author Unknown
  
• Only a biker knows why a dog sticks his head out of a car window. -Author Unknown
  
• When you're riding lead, don't spit. -Author Unknown
  
• Everyone crashes. Some get back on. Some don't. Some can't. -Author Unknown
  
• The best alarm clock is sunshine on chrome. -Author Unknown
  
• If you want to get somewhere before sundown, you can’t stop at every tavern. -Author Unknown
  
• Catching a yellow jacket in your shirt @ 70 mph can double your vocabulary. -Author Unknown
  
• Whatever it is, it's better in the wind. -Author Unknown
  
• Work to ride and ride to work. -Author Unknown
  
• Never ride faster than your guardian angel can fly. -Author Unknown
  
• Young riders pick a destination and go... Old riders pick a direction and go. -Author Unknown
  
• You'll never see a Motorcycle parked at a Therapist office -Author Unknown
  
• Harleys don't leak oil, they mark their territory. -Author Unknown
  
• I ride way too fast to worry about cholesterol. -Author Unknown
  
• Never try to race an old geezer, he may have one more gear than you. -Author Unknown
  
• Midnight bugs taste best. -Author Unknown
  
• Sometimes it takes a whole tank full of fuel before you can think straight. -Author Unknown
  
• It takes more love to share the saddle than it does to share the bed. -Author Unknown
  
• You can forget what you do for a living when your knees are in the breeze. -Author Unknown
  
• Sometimes the best communication happens when you're on separate bikes. -Author Unknown
  
  And my personal favorite
  
  
• Four wheels move the body. Two wheels move the soul. -Author Unknown

Packing Lite and Still Having It All

One of The Best Tricks we learned early on was to make arrangements with the hotel we were staying at so we could ship a box ahead of us.

We pack all of our clothes and other items that we can't haul with us on the road in a cooler so we won't have to be without, and we (usually) leave a little extra room so we can ship back the stuff we bought along the way. We try to time our shipment so our extra items arrive a day or two ahead of us. This also works great as a calling card for our friends that are meeting us there - they see our cooler and know we are nearly there!

Packing Trick
This one I learned while in the military. Roll your clothes, just like you would a sleeping bag. The theory is that if you roll up your jeans, T's and other clothing they will take up less space. I haven't compared packing this way versus packing with the clothes being folded but I always feel like I'm able to get a few more items in by rolling.

Are there advantages to using a cooler? I think so; it's nearly indestructable; easily identifiable; You can us it to keep drinks and snacks cold while your there, and the bonus is... it can save you money - hit the local grocery while your there, stock up the cooler and - presto! Cash Saved (versus the pub, vending machine, sandwich shop, etc.)

Motorcycle traveling

Tips and tricks on packing for the road

How do you pack for four days on the road to Sturgis or any other destination for that matter when you're traveling by motorcycle?
Can you really fit enough clothing, supplies, accessories, all the things you need and still get some of the comforts in there as well?

Yes you really can.

It takes some time, planning and a bit of effort but it can be done. It doesn't matter if you are riding solo or two-up you still need to be prepared and as packed as efficiently as possible while being prepared for most everything the open road can throw at you. The first step you need to take is plan what you need to take. I suggest making a list of what you think you want to pack. Maybe even take the time right then to lay it out - see what it looks like - then revise your list. Ask yourself - do I really need that or do I just want it? I've tried to incorporate some of the tricks and tips from my travels over the years. Some were, or at least should have been, common sense. Others were learned the hard way. Before you start packing take some time and plan your route. Figure out how many miles you can or want to ride in a day. What kind of country are you riding in? How many days are you on the road before you get to your destination? What can you comfortably wear and keep your pack to a minimum? Some travelers (ummm... the one to the right) prefer to have a lot of bags (the bike that is) but very little luggage!

Things to Think About

1. Weather
2. Weather
3. and, ummm, Weather
4. What's it like when you leave?
5. What's it going to be like during the day (no you don't have to be a meteorologist but a little research won't kill you.
6. What's your route and where's it take you?
7. Your personal comfort level?
8. Sun protection - no vacation, road-trip, run, ride, or whatever you want to call it... isn't fun if you're blistering from a sunburn!

you need to consider what you realistically can carry without compromising the safety of you, your passenger & your bike in all conditions; rain, wind, and rider fatigue. A bike that's loaded down will run, ride and handle differently than riding solo without a pack.

Some Tips To Consider

1. Don't over pack. If your luggage rack says max weight 10 pounds - don't put 20. Common sense right? You see it all the time. Not only does it jeopardize your safety but it can also make your bike harder to handle and your trip ultimately less enjoyable as a result of the effort and energy wasted on fighting what your bike wants to do.

2. Use your saddlebags. I would recommend that if you don't currently have saddlebags on your bike your go buy some. This is especially true if your going for multiple days and even more so if you're riding two-up. Putting saddlebags on now will save you miles of heartache.

There are a lot of different styles and price points to choose from; over the fender: both sides are connected with a leather strap (usually 4 or 5 inches wide; Rigid mount, you can get these either in leather or fiberglass resign. In the links section I've provided a couple of suppliers that have a wide variety (style and price).

3. Pack Efficiently. Try to pick clothing that is all weather. Instead of rain gear and a cold weather jacket try a leather jacket with a zip-out liner and chaps. I've put mine through some torrential down-pours and they've kept me dry and have held up just fine.

4. Pack ahead of time. Pack your clothes a week ahead - lay it all out: see what's going to fit and what can you (or have to) sacrifice, use some extra socks to take up space that your personal items will take up when they're packed.

5. Familiarize yourself. When your luggage is packed, go put it on your bike. I suggest doing this a couple of times just to get used to how it all loads and secures. This holds true for luggage you've never used before and the set that you've owned for a while. It may have been a long cold winter and you haven't thought about packing or loading your bike for months. A few minutes of re-familiarizing yourself will make arrival and departure from the day's stop smoother. If you've never road-tripped by motorcycle before, you will, or should be, taking your luggage off your bike at the end of every day and putting it back on the next morning.

It's easier to do all of this in the comfort of your own home, garage or driveway. It sure as heck is better than trying to figure it out after 10 hours on the road with fatigue nipping at you at the end of the day.
"Ride Safe"

Motorcycle traveling

Luggage and Loading - God bless expandable bags

Let's start with the bag itself. This is key to a successful and enjoyable journey.

As you can see from the picture on the left side of your screen it doesn't look that bad. In fact, my wife rather enjoyed her padded back rest while we were on the road. The additional weight hanging off the back of the bike can throw off the geometry of the bike (your balance) so you have to use some caution and make sure that the packs are secured tightly and the weight is balanced (saddle bags & T-Bag).

I use T-Bags; the model I like most is the "Sturgis bag". The "Sturgis bag" has 4 external storage pockets and a couple of map pockets that face the rear of the motorcycle. The outer pockets come in handy for those items you need to get to during the day: camera, sunblock, maps, cell phone and Gummi Bears or other snacks. It's internal capacity of 2.5 cu.ft. with the roll-top duffle gives us ample, ok not ample we still use the saddle bags for overflow, but enough room we can feel like we're ready for about anything Mother Nature can throw at us. The "Sturgis bag" is one of the larger bags available. T-Bag and other companies make a wide variety to chose from so I'm sure there's one to fit just about any type of travel that you may be planning.

Take a look at the same picture, enlarged a bit, lightened up so the darks are easier to distinguish and finally cropped so that it's just the pack over the rear wheel. I use the strapping system that designed in to each T-bag and then I will secure it with Bungee cords and a cargo net. I use the cargo net to hold our jackets or vest. This creates additional space in the saddlebags for other items that may add too much bulk or weight over the backend of the motorcycle.

What's in there?

The answers to that are at Packing for a Road Trip, but before you jump on over keep a couple of things in mind. Weather, Weather, Weather - what's it like when you leave, during the day, where's your route take you - High & Low temps and your personal comfort level - For us, well we leave from the Arizona Desert at the end of July / beginning of August. It's 90 - 100 degrees with humidity. By nightfall we will have changed elevation several times and will be riding in 70 degree weather, probably in the rain.

We'll be in boots, jeans, chaps, a long sleeve T-shirt, I like the ones by WhiteLine, fingerless riding gloves and that day's bandana. So this takes care of one set of ride clothing - but that's not even in the bag yet... better work on that lens so we can get on with the packing!

Arizona to South Dakota on 2 Pair of Underwear & a Bag of Gummi Bears

We're Sturgis bound! Motorcycle traveling at it's best. Exploring the Western US Just two adults on two wheels and we'll be gone for two weeks. No kids, no office, ahh.. just a little slice of heaven. Our planned route had us on the road for a total of 7 days; 4 days on the way there, 3 on the way back, but as the old saying goes "Man plans, God laughs." Take a peek at the Sturgis Chronicles.. The Beginning and you'll see just how true that can be.

I do have to tell you, traveling by motorcycle across country at times is not easy, but it is always a heck of a lot of fun. If you plan it right and cut down to just what you will need, you can do it efficiently, safely and still enjoy yourself, the company your with and the countryside along the way.

One of the most frequent questions we get is: Do we trailer our motorcycles to Sturgis? Each and every time we've made the trip the answer has always been, No, we do it without a trailer, without a U-haul, or a chase vehicle or a pull-behind-trailer. Just the two of us, our motorcycle, the road and a few comforts for the end of the day.

There is a certain sense of pride that comes from putting in 1700 miles (depending on our route) to get there and however many it takes to get back.

The experiences that we have gathered (and you can gather) along the way, the memories that are made with each and every trip, I just don't know how you can get those any other way than to do it the "hard way." Enjoy your ride, enjoy the story of our "'99 Trip to Sturgis" and always,

Ride Safe

Western US, Route, Traveling, Motorcycle, Sturgis, Trip to Sturgis, Motorcycle travelingMotorcycle traveling

Arizona Riders

This Weeks.... Weekly Update.... Laws on the Road!

Helmet Laws

• AZ - under 18 you must wear one...
  
• UT- under 18 you must wear one...
  
• CO - under 18 you must wear one...
  
• NM - under 18 you must wear one...
  
• MT - under 18 you must wear one...
  
• WY - under 18 you must wear one...
  
• SD - under 18 you must wear one...

It looks like it's a green light all the way there and back for those of us who don't wear brain pans. By the way if you are interested this information was gleaned from the AMA Database .

Lane splitting

Lane splitting is not allowed in any state that we go through - so all you crazy riders who like to pretend the white line is a lane all on it's own... especially during rush hour... forget it :)

Not much left to say that hasn't been said at least once - eggs & hash-browns, biscuits and gravy, hot coffee, cold beverages, two wheels multiplied by thousands...

Condition your leathers, clean off the 7 year old bug debris, break in your new stuff, change your tires, service your bike... Practice packing, thin out your list, travel light and let's get ready to ride... it's nearly time to let our journey begin :) !!!

All AZ Riders there needs to be one last meeting before we depart - and for those departing from Tax Hell we would be glad to arrange a conference line to get you involved as well... understand it's going to be really, really late... say 7:00 or 8:00 at night (AZ time) :)

The road to Sturgis is a metaphor for life.

Along the way ---- will happen, good and bad and everything in-between. Sometimes all in the same day. The only thing that you can hope for, pray on and be blessed with is that when it all happens that you have someone there to help you through it, enjoy it with, and sometimes..... just sit quietly next to you so that you know that you are loved. "Whiteline"

Planning, packing getting reved up to go and my teenage son decides to be a teenage boy. Putting in to doubt our ability to even make the trip - ladies and gentlemen....... we now have a trust issue.

This weekend was a slap up side the head for me... We started Sunday with out a care in the world... ok, we had cares but they were put on the back burner... bike rides tend to do that for me.... Iggy had set us up on a great journey through Fountain Hills and out to Cave Creek for breakfast. Not just an ordinary breakfast but the breakfast of Kings and Queens - I figure it had to be fit for royalty since the tab was $80.00!! Them's some really 'spensive eggs (& biscuits & gravy)! That aside, Iggy, it was nice, really nice, 130 mile round trip through some of the best desert riding the valley has to offer (sorry about the dirt on your bike).

Well, what we didn't take into consideration when we went for our breakfast ride is that in our house there was and still is an ongoing battle between puppy-love and common sense...add to the battle the following: car keys, a Jeep and a 16 year old without a license and the unquenchable desire to be with your girlfriend. In not one of his most brilliant moments my boy decided "damned the consequences", get your friends to cover for you, threaten to disembowel your brothers and go! Little did my Teen-Stranger know, that his parents wouldn't be gone that long. When we arrive home and find both the Jeep and NW are gone Detectives Dad & Mom first panic and then start our investigation - after an indepth search of the garage and the back yard and interrogating everyone in the neighborhood; we arrive at the very same conclusion we did when we pulled in... no Jeep & no Teen-Stranger!

Without nearly a pause, my wife says, "Check the GIRLFRIENDS HOUSE!" Mystery of the missing boy & jeep are now solved - at least we know where they are. Now, how to get him home without calling the police... XXXXX suggests to send the moms out to go and get him from the girlfriends house... (as opposed to the Dads - wouldn't be pretty...) by the time the Moms arrive at the girlfriends, who live about 15 miles away - no luck, little *&^%! has just left the scene and according to what our Junior Detectives are able to find out (thanks TK for making the call to NW's Girlfriend).... He is supposed to be on his way home -so what now? The Moms are now back and they left the girlfriends after Teen-Stranger was already gone... So WHY isn't he home... (scared? I would be.)

At a complete loss as to what to do (the parenting manual doesn't have this chapter in it anywhere) we decide that we'll call a friend, whose husband is a cop and see what would happen if we called the Police. After doing so, and listening to what he had to say; my wife and I went back and forth on what to do. Doing what officer Matt suggested - report the car as being "driven by an unauthorized driver" aka Stolen - would have no less than 4 police cars, canines and a helicopter in pursuit of him. When they caught him he would be pulled from the vehicle, put face down on the ground, cuffed and thrown into the back of the police car, and we would have been called to come get him. Maybe this would have been the best thing to do, I didn't think so. All that kept running through my mind was what if the dumbass would have bolted? What then? At the best a wrecked Jeep - at the worst, I can't even think it.

My idea; we'll wait him out. While all of the adults all discuss what to do when he gets home, should we call the police or not and a thousand other things, Teen-Stranger returns home; parks in the drive, leaves the keys on the door mat and heads for the hills! Unfortunately for him, his brothers and friends all come inside and tell us "HE's" back. Also unfortunate for him; his dad is part teenager and 5 minutes later the boy is in Dads custody and deep in */%! - just not sure what kind yet but he's deep in to it. At the very least he will be going to Confession tonight and later having surgery to remove my foot.

Thank you Lord for your guidance, the angels that were with my son on Sunday and the patience not to strike out and throttle him... Thank you for making me a part of a species that doesn't eat their young - although I pray otherwise most days.... and thank you for putting people on this earth that ALWAYS have my back and may they know that I ALWAYS have theirs as wel

Laughing and Riding

Breaking it in and riding home... a nice calm ride home until I hit D & W - then I spot a couple of bikes up ahead - drop a gear, give her some gas, blow by a couple of SUV's, and catch up to a couple of riders on some nice Dyna's, one with "hangers" the other looked like it had race bars on it... figured what the hell I play third in formation just to make a little noise heading home... We rolled up to stop light, exchanged greetings - you know "yo - sup?" no, just kidding more like a nod there was one wink but I don't think anyone noticed as I quickly started rubbing my eye (kidding - LN&JK!). We keep heading south, I'm figuring at some point these guys will turn off but no..., we get down by the hospital and this little Shadow joins us - not even sure it was a 550 - old dude - dressed in his nice winter riding gear - must be some perverse weight loss thing because it had to be damned near 95 - anyway - we all roll up to the next light and the two Dyna's start jumping on it - ok neither one sounded that great so I roll back the throttle and let BLKBTY her Reinhardts rumble a bit ... then... I nearly fell off my bike laughing because the little shadow man did the same thing except.... it sounded like a bee ... nothing against Honda's - I loved mine with all my heart - but this was funny - I'm sure the old dude (on the "little bee") was laughing his ass off as well.

The Dyna's take out like a bat out of hell when the light turns green - not wanting to be left too far back - I give it all the gas BLKBTY can drink - we blew through Germann at about 85 ... little "bumble bee" guy.... where did you go?? The three remaining bikes turned East on Queen Creek - and I was off to the house. Had to giggle just a bit. Gotta love riding a motorcycle especially when something as ordinary as coming home in the evening can make you laugh :) Safe riding to all - see the group soon.

More on Dealers vs. Independant Shops

Check out V-Twinforum's blog for more info & opinions.

What's with the Heat from the new 96ci V-Twin?

No big thrills - just a standard ride in 95 degree heat with a blast furnace between my legs - What the hell is with the heat that the new HD Motor throw's? Going from the 80 to the 96 cubic inch motor notched up the engine heat by about 30+ degrees - damn it throw's a ton of heat off. Sounds like an excuse to go take a ride - not the dealer's mind you but maybe scoot on down to Chandler Custom or one of the other indy shops around the southeast valley. Why not to the dealer? It's a new bike, right? Yep it is... and I've owned enough bikes to know that:

• Dealers charge you $100.00+ to work on your bike and a crazy markup on any parts you might need.
  • My own experience - about a half dozen years ago I took a bike in for a 10k service - the dealer (Chosa's, now Chester's) wanted to charge me over $800.00. Ummm... Don't think so!
  • I bought the "O-rings" and other parts/fluids I needed for less than $100.00 and did it myself. - Lesson learned.

Can't really blame the dealer - they have to make their Millions just like anyone else.

• Dealers have to pay for all of that overhead!
  • Fancy showrooms
  • Ton's of Staffing
  • The Property
  • The Inventory
  and on and on.

If I can't do it myself (lack of tools or knowledge) I'd rather support the local guy's. The guy's who get out there, bust their butt's, day in - day out to scratch together a dime. You know, guy's & gals like you and me :) I've also found that if there's an innovative way to fix a problem, spruce something up, enhance performance - the Indy shop seems to be a better resource.

The alternate solution to dealing with the heat thrown from the new 96?.. I should just ride someplace other than the oven of the Southwest - "The Arizona Desert" - it's already 110 degrees anyway.

Letter to the Cows of the Southwest

Historically as our group has departed from Arizona on it's annual Northerly Trek to South Dakota we get surprised at some point by "Open Range" Cattle. I know for those of you in the mid-west and east that your concerns are primarily deer - as it should be - our's base on our travels over the years is cows. So making lite of our cow situation we put this letter together... as if cows can read.

"Editors letter to Cows Dear cows, it's time again for that annual northerly human migration. Please remember to stay far off the side of the road and only allow yourself to be seen by a select few. We humans don't want to hurt you and don't want you to scare us, so here's the deal - you stay off all pavement between here and there and we won't turn you into steak for the evening meal. All dark colored cows, you must stay in your pasture at night - there is no socializing after sunset. All cows planning roadside parties - unfortunately they have all been cancelled during the month of August - so please adhere to any notices that your rancher's have put you on and pay special attention to any travel restrictions. Remember this is for your own safety, there are bears, big, nasty, hungry bears out there that just want to eat a cow and it is a well known fact that bears travel the roads looking for cows so for God's sake stay the hell off the road! Thank you.

The staff at the "Weekly Countdown"

Count down - 12 days

Count Down Continues:

12 days until it starts...

It's time to plan - and plan we shall do....... for those of us living in AZ we need to get together. Everyone check your calendars and see if Saturday works for you. Little Miss "What Cow - I didn't see a cow...." is proposing that we have a Beer and Burger planning session - not there we're planning beer and burgers, we're planning Sturgis over beer and burgers. If necessary we can bust out the maps, binders, T-Squares, compasses, micrometers, beer and any other tools that we need to help us get this baby going. L and N are welcome to join - it gives you a little under two weeks to get here :) Everyone let us know if you are available or not.

Readers Choice - Nothing this week -

OK, not really a readers choice - but it was mentioned in passing.... I am going to try to hook us all up with some T-shirts - I'll try and design some hand prints, mud stains, small cows, waterfalls, road grime, and a really cool logo for the front.... As we all know this is most likely the last time that we'll all do this as a group (for the entire way there and back) and we should have something unique to remember it by. Now, while it's not openly stated, it is FULLY understood by all that there is a hierarchy to the Sturgis Rally and it is as follows: L is "The Patriarch - aka - The Old Man" N is "The Matriarch - aka -- Nurse N", J - "Heir to the Throne - aka - The Conductor", K1 - "Queen 'till we get there - aka - Salty Margarita" -, T1 - "Binder Boy - aka - The Trip is OVER!", K2 - "Slap Happy - aka - What Cow?", T2 - "SV#1", T3 -"SV#2" T2 and T3, sorry but you don't get an AKA until you've made the trip and you've done something to have one given to you by. So for those needing the special Secret Sturgis Decoder Ring - SV1 & 2 stands for Sturgis Virgin #1 and #2.

Warnings and Advisories
1-800-holidayInn is always good to remember! No matter where you are there's not one to far away - so when the day is drawing to a close , your tired of out running storm cells, and you've run out of seedy roadside options... 1-800-holidayinn!

Remember it's not the destination - it really is the journey - so let's jump our butts into gear and get ready - It's time to start planning and shopping for a new binder! :)