"Bikers Got Culture!"

Here is a little PR for a fellow biker, Wild Bill:

Announcing the pre-release of

"Bikers Got Culture!"

"Poetry for the discerning biker!"

Though a serious poet "Wild Bill" Rogers takes the reader into the humorous side of a lifestyle that is as unique to America as the cowboy and a culture that is largely misunderstood.

Bikers Got Culture! contains over fifty poems and limericks of humor, wit, and a touch of the unnatural. The author speaks of a Biker Culture encompassing all walks of life from the lawful to the lawless and from the rich to the poor. "Wild Bill" takes the reader through an entertaining chronicle of the beginnings of what has become one of America's biggest icons using engaging characters, meter and rhyme, then introduces the reader to a sad sack affectionately given the handle of "Oilslick" a fast-talking, beer-drinking, oil-encrusted, bug be-speckled biker.

From the mountains of Alaska to the sands of Daytona Beach, this is
"Poetry for the discerning biker!"

If the editorial staff of your periodical would like to review this book contact support@publishamerica.com or fax (301) 631-9073 with your written request for a review copy.

If your book sales outlet wishes to order copies for inventory contact PublishAmerica at (301) 695-1707

"Bikers Got Culture!" is currently available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble or PublishAmerica at:
http://www.publishamerica.net/product46510.html

“Wild Bill” Rogers has been writing and riding most of his adult life. With his wife Terri he was the Co-Publisher and Editor of Midnight Sun Rider Magazine. His reporting, prose and poetry have been enjoyed throughout the U.S. in print and on the Internet.

"Bikers Got Culture!" ISBN: 978146266050

Read on,

Torch

Ohio Riders Forum Review

Ohio Riders Forum Review

There are a lot of good motorcycle forums out there. You can find forums based on the brand or model of bike you ride, the style or type of riding that you do, or ones based on the location or area that you ride in. Most are friendly and helpful and are a great place to find information, meet new people and just pass the time when you cannot ride. One of the better forums out there is the Ohio Riders forum. If you live and ride in Ohio, are just going to be passing through or are stopping in for a visit, be sure and stop by the Ohio Riders forum to glean great information about motorcycling in The Buckeye State.


Ben Stillman asked me to stop in for a visit and give them a review. I have been perusing their forum now for a couple of weeks and have found it quite informative and entertaining. Since they are a location based forum they do not care what type or brand of bike that you ride whether it be a Yamasaki or a Honda-Davidson. The Ohio Riders forum is an active forum with stats of; Threads: 54,014, Posts: 443,123, Members: 3,932 as of March 30th. It seems there is someone online almost all the time.

They break the forum down into six catagories including;

The lounge; which includes sections covering, Introductions, Tech Tips, Riding Tips and more.

Riding Styles: where you will find sections on Street Fun, Track Days, Adventure / Sport Touring, Stunting, and more.

Rides and Events; which has the Calendar Events and breaks them all down by the different areas of Ohio.

Time Wasters; where you will find the subjects of Ranting and Raving, Off-Topic, Pics and Vids, and more.

Market Place; where you will find the Bike Shop, Parts Shop, Gear Shop and more for sale.

News Feeds; which includes news feeds from AMA, MotoGP, MCN, and SpeedTV, a very good selection in my humble opinion. This makes their site a great one stop motorcycling news source.

Ohio Riders forum is laid out aesthetically and is very organized making it intuitive to navigate. There are a few well placed ads that are neither distracting nor overbearing. The atmosphere is friendly and there is the usual ribbing, banter and forum humor you will find on most forums. Ohio Riders has been helping motorcycle riders since 2006 with no end in sight. Even if you don’t live or ride in Ohio you can find useful or entertaining information browsing their forum. Stop in and say ‘hi’ and tell them Torch sent ya.

Ride on,
Torch

Turns out I’m Just a Poser

Turns out I’m Just a Poser....


Ran across this chart on the internet, and I came to the realization that I’m not a 1%’er, a Biker, a Chopper Rider, or a Motorcyclist, I’m Just a “Poser”.

The Urban Dictionary describes Posers as:

“A poser is someone who tries to fit into a profile they aren't. People who try to give off the impression that they are one thing when they are really another.

Also, a poser can be one who says they can do something that they can't….”

Here are the reasons why I’m just a “Poser”:

1. I don’t ride a Chopper I ride a Cruiser.

2. I don’t ride a Harley Davidson; I ride a Yamaha V-Star 1100 Classic.

3. I wear a helmet, (a half helmet anyway).

4. I occasionally wear a Dew Rag my daughter gave me as a gift, or the ones my mother-in-law picked up for me to keep my hair in line and sweat out of my eyes while I ride.

5. My cell phone is a Palm Treo running MS Windows Mobile.

6. I wear my inexpensive Timex Ironman watch on my commute to and from work.

7. I wear an oversized FMC Leather Jacket when the weather warrants it and an OSI Cool Mesh Jacket in summer.

8. I don’t carry a check book and my wallet is usually empty.

9. I tend to shy away from designer clothes, but I love my black Guinness T-Shirt.

10. I don’t currently own a biker wallet but I am looking for one that I could take the chain on and off for when I’m at work.

11. My bike is not a Garage Queen, but only gets ridden at least five days a week and is usually parked out in the elements all day at work.

12. I have to ride to work in dress slacks and other times I like my black Wranglers.

13. I wear oversized Street & Steel Leather Chaps when the weather warrants.

14. I wear my Harley, or my Bates boots to ride in.

15. I work on my own bike.

16. I wear Oakley Sunglasses my sister-in-law gave me for Christmas many years ago or some inexpensive clear motorcycle glasses at night.

17. I have a Guardian Angel Bell hanging off the bottom of my motorcycle that my daughter gave me.

18. I enjoy reading about motorcycling.

19. I like motorcycle racing.

20. I publish a blog about motorcycles and motorcycling.

21. I tweet about motorcycling, Torch762.

22. I don’t belong to a Motorcycle Club.

23. I like other folks that ride other brands and classes of two wheeled transportation.

24. I have not been riding since birth.


So, despite that I ride more days than not, and even in the rain, (they think I’m crazy at work), I am just a “Poser” after all. I think I’ll keep on riding, enjoying the experience, and just be myself.


Ride on,
Torch

Riding a motorcycle is like the love of a great woman....

“Riding a motorcycle is like the love of a great woman, sometimes it’s hard to hold on, but all the excitement is darn well worth it!” – Torch ©2009.

Interpret it how you want to.

Ride on,
Torch

Tips for Riding in Dallas, Texas

Image via Wikipedia

Tips for Riding in Dallas, Texas

First you must learn to pronounce the city name. It is DAL-LUS, or DAA-LIS depending on if you live inside or outside LBJ Freeway.

Next, if your Mapsco is more than a few weeks old, throw it out and buy a new one. If in Denton County and your Mapsco is one-day-old, then it is already obsolete. Forget the traffic rules you learned elsewhere. (Frisco has screwed everything up.)

Dallas has its own version of traffic rules... "Hold on and pray." There is no such thing as a dangerous high-speed chase in Dallas. We all drive like that.

All directions start with, "Get on Beltline," which has no beginning and no end. (It REALLY DOESN'T!!!)

The morning rush hour is from 6 to 10. The evening rush hour is from 3 to 7. Friday's rush hour starts Thursday morning.

If you actually stop at a yellow light, you will be rear-ended, cussed out and possibly shot. When you are the first one on the starting line, count to five when the light turns green before going to avoid crashing with all the drivers running the red light in cross-traffic.

Construction on Central Expressway is a way of life and a permanent form of entertainment. We had sooo much fun with that; we have added George Bush Freeway and the High Five to the mix.

All unexplained sights are explained by the phrase, "Oh, we're in Fort Worth!"

If someone actually has his or her turn signal on, it is probably a factory defect. Car horns are actually "Road Rage" indicators - and remember, it's legal to be armed in Texas ...

All old ladies with blue hair in a Mercedes have the right of way. Period. And remember, it's legal to be armed in Texas ...

Inwood Road, Plano Road, NW Highway, East Grand, Garland Road, Marsh Lane, Josey Lane, 15th Street, Preston Road all mysteriously change names as you cross intersections (these are only a FEW examples). The perfect example is what is MOSTLY known as Plano Road . On the south end, it is known as Lake Highlands Drive, cross Northwest Highway and it becomes Plano Road, go about 8 miles and it is briefly Greenville Ave, Ave K, and Highway 5. It ends in Sherman ...

The North Dallas Tollway is our daily version of NASCAR. The minimum acceptable speed on the Dallas North Toll Road is 85 mph, anything less is considered downright sissy. It also ends in Sherman.

If asking directions in Irving or SE Dallas, you must have knowledge of Spanish. If in central Richardson or on Harry Hines, Mandarin Chinese will be your best bet. If you stop to ask directions on Gaston or Live Oak, you better be armed... and remember, it's legal to be armed in Texas

The wrought iron on windows near Oak Cliff and Fair Park is not ornamental!!

A trip across town east to west will take a minimum of four hours, although many north/south freeways have un-posted minimum speeds of 75.

It is possible to be driving WEST in the NORTH-bound lane of EAST NORTHWEST Highway. Don't let this confuse you.

LBJ is called "The Death Trap" for two reasons: "death" and "trap."

If it's 100 degrees, Thanksgiving must be next weekend. If it's 10 degrees and sleeting/snowing, the Fort Worth Stock Show is going on. If it has rained 6 inches in the last hour, the Byron Nelson Golf Classic is in the second round (if it's Spring) - and it is the Texas State Fair if it's Fall.
If you go to the Fair, pay the $8.00 to park INSIDE Fair Park . Parking elsewhere could cost up to $2500 for damages, towing fees, parking tickets, and possibly a gunshot wound. If some guy with a flag tries to get you to park in his yard, run over him.

Any amusement parks, stadiums, arenas, racetracks, airports, etc., are conveniently located as far away from EVERYTHING as possible so as to allow for ample parking on grassy areas.

Final Warning: Don't Mess With Texas Drivers ... remember, it's legal to Be armed in Texas

Ride on,
Torch

Note: I shamelessly stole this off an email, finding it so funny and true. Plus, the fact that I commute daily here, I just had to pass it on.

Torch's List / Directory of Motorcycle / Biker Magazines

Torch's List / Directory of Motorcycle / Biker Magazines

Note: Not all of these Sites represent my views and some are NSFW.100% Biker
American Biker
American Iron
American Road racing
American-V
Backroads
Baggers
Bandits Bikernet
Barnett’s
Behind Barz
Bike
Biker Fury
Biker Radio Magazine
BikersUSA
Biker Journalen

Big Sid's
Born to Ride
Brain Bucket Magazine
Canadian Biker Online
Cochise Chops
Christian Bikers Magazine
Classic American Iron

Classic Bike Guide

Classic Motorcycle

Classic Racer Magazine
Clutch & Chrome
Curves Ahead
Cycle Connections
Cycle News
Cycle Source

Cycle Torque
Cycle Trader
CycleVideo Magazine
Cycle World
Dixie Biker
Dragbike Magazine
Dual Sport News
East Coast Biker
Eastern Dirt Magazine
Easy Riders In the Wind

Easy Riders Magazine
Easy Riders Roadware
Easy Riders V-Twin
Fast Lane Biker

Forward Motion Racing
Friction Zone
Full Throttle USA
Go For A Ride
Heavy Duty

Helmet Hair Magazine

Hot Bike Magazine

Hot Rod Bikes
Inline Peformance Magazine

IronWorks Magazine
Lady Biker
Midwest Biker
Moto Euro
Moto GP
Moto Retro

Motorcycle Consumer News
Motorcycle Cruiser
Motorcycle Industry

Motorcycle Mechanics
Motorcycle Mojo

Motorcycle Online
Motorcycle Product News
Motorcycle Riders Club of America
Motorcyclist
New York Rider Magazine
Off Da Chain Magazine
Oklahoma Biker

Old Bike Mart
Outcast Cycles Magazine

Ozbike
Performance Bikes
Quick Throttle
Racer X
Renagade
Ride Texas
Ridin’ On
RoadBike
Roadcarvin Magazine
Road Racer X

Roadracing World
RoadRunner
RoadWheeler
Roll Easy
Rubber Magazine
Sideburn
Skunk Dots

Southwest Bike Travel
Sport Rider
Straightliner

Street Chopper Magazine
Suds & Butterfly
SuperBike
Super Streetbike
The Black Biker Magazine
The Horse
Throttler Motorcycle Magazine
Thunder Press
Thunder Roads
Trail Rider
Trials Competition
Ultimate MotorCycling
Urban Biker
Visor Down
Wheels of Grace
White Line Magazine
Wide Open Motorcycle Magazine



Email Me If you would like your Magazine Added.

Magazines, subscriptions, ezines, print, articles, information, news, Texas, reading...

What to Do When You Can’t Ride?

Image via Wikipedia

What to Do When You Can’t Ride?

There are a lot of reasons why you may not be able to go riding on your motorcycle. A few things that may stand in your way are, work, health, financial, weather, equipment, and To-Do Lists. Of course, none of them are good reasons not to ride. Here is a short list of suggestions of things that you can do that are motorcycle related when you cannot get out on the open road:

Wash your bike

Catch up on your biker forum dejour

Perform routine maintenance on your bike

Go shopping for motorcycle equipment or paraphernalia

Read a good book about motorcycling

Read some good motorcycle blogs

Watch motorcycle shows on TV, the Internet, or DVD

Catch up on the latest motorcycle news

Perform modifications on your ride

Check in on your Twitter friends

Install accessories on your bike

Join a motorcycle organization

Read a good motorcycle magazine

Browse or buy some motorcycle art

Plan your next trip or long ride

Go shopping for more motorcycle accessories

If you are a blogger, update your blog


You get the idea. Now I’ve got to get to work on my new header….

Ride on,
Torch

Happy Birthday America !

HAPPY BIRTHDAY AMERICA

Declaration of Independence

Here is the complete text of the Declaration of Independence.The original spelling and capitalization have been retained.

(Adopted by Congress on July 4, 1776)

The Unanimous Declarationof the Thirteen United States of America

When, in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bonds which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the laws of nature and of nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. That to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. That whenever any form of government becomes destructive to these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shown that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such government, and to provide new guards for their future security. --Such has been the patient sufferance of these colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former systems of government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute tyranny over these states. To prove this, let facts be submitted to a candid world.

He has refused his assent to laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.

He has forbidden his governors to pass laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.


He has refused to pass other laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of representation in the legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only.


He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their public records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures.


He has dissolved representative houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people.


He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected; whereby the legislative powers, incapable of annihilation, have returned to the people at large for their exercise; the state remaining in the meantime exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within.


He has endeavored to prevent the population of these states; for that purpose obstructing the laws for naturalization of foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migration hither, and raising the conditions of new appropriations of lands.
He has obstructed the administration of justice, by refusing his assent to laws for establishing judiciary powers.


He has made judges dependent on his will alone, for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.


He has erected a multitude of new offices, and sent hither swarms of officers to harass our people, and eat out their substance.


He has kept among us, in times of peace, standing armies without the consent of our legislature.


He has affected to render the military independent of and superior to civil power.


He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his assent to their acts of pretended legislation:


For quartering large bodies of armed troops among us:


For protecting them, by mock trial, from punishment for any murders which they should commit on the inhabitants of these states:


For cutting off our trade with all parts of the world:


For imposing taxes on us without our consent:


For depriving us in many cases, of the benefits of trial by jury:


For transporting us beyond seas to be tried for pretended offenses:


For abolishing the free system of English laws in a neighboring province, establishing therein an arbitrary government, and enlarging its boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule in these colonies:


For taking away our charters, abolishing our most valuable laws, and altering fundamentally the forms of our governments:


For suspending our own legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.


He has abdicated government here, by declaring us out of his protection and waging war against us.


He has plundered our seas, ravaged our coasts, burned our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people.


He is at this time transporting large armies of foreign mercenaries to complete the works of death, desolation and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of cruelty and perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the head of a civilized nation.


He has constrained our fellow citizens taken captive on the high seas to bear arms against their country, to become the executioners of their friends and brethren, or to fall themselves by their hands.


He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavored to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian savages, whose known rule of warfare, is undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.


In every stage of these oppressions we have petitioned for redress in the most humble terms: our repeated petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A prince, whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.


Nor have we been wanting in attention to our British brethren. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred to disavow these usurpations, which, would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, enemies in war, in peace friends.


We, therefore, the representatives of the United States of America, in General Congress, assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the name, and by the authority of the good people of these colonies, solemnly publish and declare, that these united colonies are, and of right ought to be free and independent states; that they are absolved from all allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the state of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as free and independent states, they have full power to levy war, conclude peace, contract alliances, establish commerce, and to do all other acts and things which independent states may of right do. And for the support of this declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes and our sacred honor.

New Hampshire: Josiah Bartlett, William Whipple, Matthew Thornton

Massachusetts: John Hancock, Samual Adams, John Adams, Robert Treat Paine, Elbridge Gerry
Rhode Island: Stephen Hopkins, William Ellery

Connecticut: Roger Sherman, Samuel Huntington, William Williams, Oliver Wolcott

New York: William Floyd, Philip Livingston, Francis Lewis, Lewis Morris

New Jersey: Richard Stockton, John Witherspoon, Francis Hopkinson, John Hart, Abraham Clark

Pennsylvania: Robert Morris, Benjamin Rush, Benjamin Franklin, John Morton, George Clymer,

James Smith, George Taylor, James Wilson, George Ross

Delaware: Caesar Rodney, George Read, Thomas McKean

Maryland: Samuel Chase, William Paca, Thomas Stone, Charles Carroll of Carrollton

Virginia: George Wythe, Richard Henry Lee, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Harrison, Thomas Nelson, Jr., Francis Lightfoot Lee, Carter Braxton

North Carolina: William Hooper, Joseph Hewes, John Penn

South Carolina: Edward Rutledge, Thomas Heyward, Jr., Thomas Lynch, Jr., Arthur Middleton

Georgia: Button Gwinnett, Lyman Hall, George Walton

Source: The Pennsylvania Packet, July 8, 1776


Copied from: Archiving Early America

Ride on,

Torch

Song of the Rolling Sirens

Song of the Rolling Sirens

It was a dark spring morning and a blanket of ominous clouds hovered low in the sky making the air thick with humidity. I started the V-Star and her 1063 cc’s of v-twin power roared to life as I hit the garage door opener button to close the garage. It was 6:00 am and I was hoping my neighbors did not hate me and my Cobra exhaust as I turned out of the driveway and started on my commute to work.

Passing the local Waffle house on my way to the freeway the odors of waffles, eggs, sausage, and bacon, beckoned me to stop and eat. I sighed at what was not to be as I approached the light downshifting twice to turn onto the access road to get on the on-ramp to the two lane freeway. Three quarters of the way up the on-ramp my left turn signal was on as I shifted into third. I have decided that this was the most fun part of any ride, the acceleration to get up to speed, after all, there are no laws that limit how fast you can get up to the speed limit.

In no time I’m at the end of this stretch of highway as it makes a graceful right hand turn and merges with another section this time three lanes wide. Tending to run faster than the other traffic I again apply my left turn signal and change lanes twice double checking the lane next to me each time before changing lanes. In the fast lane I pulled in right behind another motorcyclist traveling slightly faster than me possibly on a Harley-Davidson by the sound of the engine.

I sped up a little to keep up with the other motorcyclist. Traffic is usually not too bad this time of the morning as long as you do not get stuck behind a row of vehicles all traveling the same speed so that you cannot get by in the fast lane. Some people will just not change lanes even though slower traffic is supposed keep right. Just about then is when I started to hear the Song.

An eighteen wheeler was in the middle lane and I was passing on the left tracking in the left hand side of my lane. As I drew closer the sound of their Song got louder. I glanced at all those wheels, each one almost half as tall as me. These Sirens are calling to me, luring me to look at them. I try to look away. Mistress, my bike, says, “Watch where we are going.” We were approaching a left hand curve on the highway.

I move lane position to the right side of my lane in preparation of the curve doing the outside, inside, outside track thing like I don’t really know how tight the curve is. This places me right next to the leviathans’ rear trailer wheels. I glance over and the Sirens Song is sweeter, louder, calling me closer as I strain to look away. “Look away, don’t stare at the beast,” I say to myself, probably out loud.

I’m slightly behind the rigs two sets of double tires now and nearing the apex of the curve. The muscles in my legs and arms tighten up and get stiff as the sirens voices start screaming louder at me as I fight to avert my eyes and turn my bike away from our deadly track. All I need to do is pull back slightly on the right handlebar and Mistress will respond leaning left and turning left out of that outer track but I find myself fighting the Sirens hypnotic Song. The Sirens Song is a screaming crescendo now pulling at Mistress and trying to make us crash against the mighty Leviathan.

My pulse has quickened and my breathing has almost stopped as I try to force her to turn left fighting against the handle bars that feel like hard taffy. She does not respond to manhandling and awaits the gentle counter steer command. The bike is at the apex of the curve now and we are sliding slowly closer into the mouth of the deadly Leviathan.

We are being drawn in, pulled by the voices of the alluring Sirens. Then, Mistress’s soothingly soft sultry voice cut through the panic brought about by the Song of the Sirens telling me, “Look away from the beast and look to where you want to go.” This was said not as an order, but in a matter of fact, common sense kind of way.

Nodding in agreement I hear her and obeyed, ignoring the Sirens command I forced my eyes to look away and into the far left track of the lane I’m traveling in. I relax my arms and gently push the left handle bar forward while pulling slightly back on the right. Mistress responds with a purr and immediately leaned left and headed into the left track out of the deadly path of the stampeding Leviathan. I blocked out the compelling Song of the Sirens and speed by the eighteen wheeled monster right as the corner ends.

Breathing once again my pulse starts to slow as I take the exit to get to work. Once at work and calmed down, I had time to reflect on what had just transpired on my normal boring commute. Call it what you want, Target Fixation or the Song of the Siren, your bike will go, maybe subconsciously, where you look. Is Target Fixation just an excuse, a Myth, or an Urban Legend? Having first hand battled it and won, I think not. So, glance at obstacles just long enough to recognize them for what they are and then look back where you want to go. If you don’t, you may succumb to the call of the Sirens, and smash into the very obstacle you are staring at, and trying desperately to avoid.

Ride on,
Torch

Look In the Direction You Are Traveling...

Even If it’s Backing Up!

No, this is not an article about Target Fixation.

So far I have helped teach four of my teenagers how to drive an automobile, and only have two more to go. I do have some hair left, but it is rapidly graying. One of the first things I try to drill in their impenetrable, all knowing heads, is to always look where you are going, especially when backing up. They always seem to have a problem with watching where they are going when backing up.

The main problem is not that they don’t initially look behind them before backing, its continuing to look while they are backing. They tend to turn back around while they are still moving backwards, instead of waiting until the vehicle has come to complete stop. And, as you know, all kinds of things can pop up behind you when backing up.

What does all of this have to do with motorcycling? Well, the same principle applies with motorcycles. You need to look in the direction you are traveling at all times, even if it is while backing up. Too bad I don’t always follow my own advice…

After commuting home from work one day I found my ’98 Ford Explorer parked fairly close to the garage door. We try to keep it parked back down the driveway so I can ride around the left side on the grass to get the bike around it and into the garage. I’m sure one of my kids did it. Anyway, I decided to be lazy and get the bike inside anyway.

I pulled around the left side into the yard and this time I pulled passed the explorer and further to the left. I was going to back into the space in front of the Explorer and down into the space in front of my ’01 Windstar, which was parked further down the driveway, and then pull into the garage. I turned the front wheel to the right, glanced behind me and started backing the V-Star 1100 back and to the right. Unfortunately, I was not looking behind me as I was rolling backwards.

In my own defense there is also a small tree to the left of the driveway I had to watch out for. Well, I was slowly rolling backwards, I thought, into the driveway when I heard and felt the crunch. I think I even heard my Mistress, (my 2003 V-Star 1100), yell, “Ouch, you moron, watch where you are going!” The bike had stopped moving and I turned around to see the left rear turn signal stalk had ran into the Explorer’s bumper and had bent the stalk forwards slightly.

After dismounting and inspecting closer the turn signal had bent at an assembly joint and the Star Turn Signal Visor was dented down. I loosened the bolt and straightened the turn signal stalk. Then I just used pliers to bend the visor back into shape as best I could. I was thankful that was all my carelessness caused. Mistress said, “Be more careful and never let it happen again”. I sighed, “Yes, Ma’am!”

What is the moral of the story? Practice what you preach, and look in the direction you are traveling at all times.

Ride on,
Torch

Ride Texas Review

Texas is a big place. In fact, there is 261,797 square miles of it. Texas is second in size only to Alaska. It is also home to a lot of Texans and is second largest in population behind only California. As of 2004 Texas has 303,176 miles of public roads. Motorcyclists make up 2.5 percent of all licensed drivers in the state of Texas. This equates to nearly 4000,000 motorcyclists on Texas roadways. So, why not have our very own Texas and Southwest specific motorcycle riding magazine? Well we do, and it is a very informative one as well.

I had seen Ride Texas displayed in the better magazine racks for sale, but had never bought one or read one, until recently. A few months ago I was reading on a great forum called Two Wheeled Texans and ran across a thread simply titled, “Ride Texas Magazine”. The title piqued my curiosity and so I clicked the link and entered the thread.

The author of this thread was Pooh Bear, a local rider from San Antonio. He posted the question, “Does anyone recommend this for subscription?” along with a link to the Ride Texas magazine website. I quoted and commented to a reply made by weekend warrior, another Texan from Lubbock, and added that I’d like to peruse an issue also.

I was surprised when humanrace, who rides out of Bryan Texas, quoted me and offered to send me a couple copies of Ride Texas. I shot off an email accepting the hospitality of the offer and a short time later two magazines arrived in the mail. On top of that, one of them was the much coveted March 2009 Top 10 Best in Texas Readers Choice Awards issue.

Ride Texas is not a new magazine; in fact they have been in publication for over ten years since founded in 1999 as TEXMOTO. Their claim to fame is being the first and only motorcycle-interest publication in Texas at that time. Since its inception they have won numerous journalism awards, including those for photography, writing, graphic design and layout. They have also been featured in a lot of other media as well.

Pick up a copy of Ride Texas magazine, or RTM for short, and the first farkle that catches your eyes are the breath taking, glossily detailed, photos. From the front cover to the ads in the back there is a lot of candy for the eye to see. You can tell that this is a quality magazine by how well it is put together. From the organization of the content to the layout of the pages, everything is tastefully done.

The front covers of RTM tactfully catch the reader’s attention giving up tantalizing hints of the wealth of information to be found between its pages. I found all the content to be relative to motorcycling in and around The Lone Star State. In fact, some of the information unearthed inside these magazines would be relative to anyone traveling in Texas whether they were on two wheels or more.

The contents of each RTM is mapped out on the first couple pages, page two and page four. From there you can jump to which ever article grabs your front tire or, you can just read them front to back. The editor, Valerie Asensio, usually starts the articles out with one of her own in the section entitled ONWARD. Valerie gives a warm invitation in the classic letter from the editor style for the readers/riders to not only enjoy the articles but to participate by riding to the destinations outlined in RTM.

Along with Onward there are several other sections that are in every edition of RTM. BEING THERE by Gene McCalmont was one of my favorites. Gene writes of his many life and motorcycle related experiences. I really like Genes writing style. He writes honestly and truthfully despite how humorous or embarrassing it may be. Gene also authors the section called AFTER THE RIDE subtitled Good life guide, where he espouses about the finer things in life to enjoy when the riding is done.

The (Almost) TRUE STORIES section is really quite funny. RTM also has the standard LETTERS section where they print subscribers letters and comments. The RTM INSIDE section has all the News and updates. On top of all the core magazine content they have the FEATURES section.

The FEATURES part of the magazine is where different writers will document there travels to different destinations in and around the great state of Texas. They document the travel rout as well as the sites to see along the way. Sometimes they will detail the planning of the ride, traveling tips, and give various contacts or resources used. At the destinations they not only describe places to see and stuff to do but also give you lodging choices. Another great feature is the list of great places to grab a bite to eat. It is also interesting to read about the different people they meet along the way like the owners or workers at the many places they stop in.

A lot of the rides are planned around the almost endless events in and around the great state of Texas. Rallies, parks, scenery, nature, concerts, festivals, fairs, sporting events, shows, rodeos, exhibits, and cook offs, are all destinations that that wind up inside the covers of RTM. Lastly, or maybe more importantly, RTM has included easy TEAR & GO maps of each trip that you can remove and take along on your own ride with you.

If you live in, travel in, or ride in Texas I definitely think it is worth it to subscribe to Ride Texas. The articles are all relevant and well written. The magazine is very well rounded and is also filled with local advertising. In the Top 10 BEST IN TEXAS Readers Choice Awards issue I was elated to see that the V-Star 1100 made it onto the Top 10 Best Bikes list at number six, I’m just slightly biased because I ride one. My only complaint is that RTM is only published bimonthly, but hey, they make it worth the wait.

Ride on,
Torch

The Stench of the Ride

The Stench of the Ride

Sometimes trying to describe the nuances of riding on two wheels to the uninitiated is hard to do. Take for example smells. Being set free from the confines of a cage lets the surrounding scents in. The smell of the Waffle House on my commute to work in the morning most of the time is an aroma that will makes me want to stop and have breakfast. Riding by restaurant row in Grapevine on my way home I can sometimes pick out the smells of steaks cooking ad that gets my salivary glands all hyped up.

There are all kinds of scents that you notice when riding a motorcycle that you never have a chance to when driving an automobile. It is probably worse here in Texas where almost everyone has their windows rolled up and air conditioners running on max. Some of these smells are, like it is going to snow, smoke from a fireplace, someone grilling or smoking a brisket, imminent rain, flower or tree blossoms, piney woods, or coastal salty air. Not all scents are fun to smell though.

Then there are the bad odors, the diesels, the cars running too rich, the sewers, the dumps and landfills. Some food establishments may smell OK on the inside, but outside emit something that’s not quite pleasurable. Most fast food places are like that. Then there is the time Thomas Ramirez had his V-Star 650. We rode to lunch one day headed to one of our favorite restaurants called El Taco H. It is located right next to the Baja Grill and is like the fast food part of the Baja Grill.

We headed our way through downtown Grapevine and through some residential neighborhoods. We passed one older home with chain link fence with several dogs in the backyard. Then it hit us. The breeze must have blown just ever so slightly and we were slapped up side the head with the worst, foulest smell of dog do-do you ever smelt. I’m talking take your breath away, nauseous type of smell. It’s like when you are riding at highway speeds on a very windy day and a strong cross wind goes across your face and you cannot take a breath.

I attempted to hold my breath until we got further away. We came to the next stop sign and Thomas, catching his breath also, said, “Did you...” I cut him off with a laugh and we laughed together, shook our heads and twisted them off to go to lunch hoping to get our appetite back. Yes, not everything smells rosy when riding a motorcycle.

Ride on,
Torch

Why Motorcycles Are Better Than Women

Disclaimer: Forgive me in advance for offending someone. That is definately not my intention. I’m only posting this because of the humor involved. I, in no way, wish to offend any of our women motorcyclists or women in general. I have just barrowed bits of this from various other sites and edited it to fit motorcycling. I am sure one of our female riding bloggers will come up with a list of their own of why motorcycles are better then men.



Why Motorcycles Are Better Than Women


A motorcycle does not care if you are politically correct or not.
A motorcycle doesn’t complain about being tied up.
A motorcycle doesn't care when you come.
A motorcycle doesn't get jealous when you ride another motorcycle.
A motorcycle doesn't mind being parked in the ""wet spot"" that it left.
A motorcycle goes good with leather.
A motorcycle is always ready to leave on time.
A motorcycle is never late.
A motorcycle never fishes for compliments.
A motorcycle will let you have your way with it.
A motorcycle won't complain about leaving the toilet seat up.
A motorcycle won't get upset if you come home with alcohol on your breath.
A motorcycle won't make you eat some experimental meal.
A motorcycle won't make you go to church.
A motorcycle won't make you sleep on the couch.
After you have ridden a motorcycle, you're committed to nothing.
If a motorcycle leaks all over the garage, it smells kind of good.
If you change Motorcycles, you don't have to pay alimony.
If you say bad things to your Motorcycles, you don’t have to apologize before you can ride it again.
If you twist your throttle hard enough, you will always get ahead.
If your Motorcycle doesn’t look good, you can paint it or get better parts.
If your Motorcycle goes flat, you can fix it.
If your Motorcycle is misaligned, you don’t have to discuss politics to correct it.
If your Motorcycle is too loose, you can tighten it.
If your Motorcycle is too soft, you can get different shocks.
If your Motorcycle makes too much noise, you can buy a muffler.
If your Motorcycle smokes, you can do something about it.
It’s always OK to use tie downs on your Motorcycle.
Motorcycle labels come off without a fight.
Motorcycle labels don't go out of style every year.
Motorcycles always feel like going for a ride.
Motorcycles always look the same in the morning.
Motorcycles always sound pleasant.
Motorcycles are always easy to pick up.
Motorcycles are easy to dress up.
Motorcycles are easy to get on.
Motorcycles are fun to ride in a group.
Motorcycles are never overweight.
Motorcycles can’t change its mind.
Motorcycles don’t care about how many other Motorcycles you have ridden.
Motorcycles don’t care about how many other Motorcycles you have.
Motorcycles don’t care if you are late.
Motorcycles don’t demand equality.
Motorcycles don’t get cold hands/feet.
Motorcycles don’t get jealous if you come home with grease under your fingernails.
Motorcycles don’t get pregnant.
Motorcycles don’t have parents.
Motorcycles don’t insult you if you are a bad rider.
Motorcycles don’t mind if you look at other Motorcycles, or if you buy Motorcycle magazines.
Motorcycles don’t remember.
Motorcycles don’t snore.
Motorcycles don’t whine unless something is really wrong.
Motorcycles won't blow you off.
Motorcycles don't care if you have no culture or manners.
Motorcycles don't complain about insensitivity.
Motorcycles don't complain about the way you drive.
Motorcycles don't demand legality.
Motorcycles don't get bad breath.
Motorcycles don't get cramps.
Motorcycles don't go crazy once a month.
Motorcycles don't have a lawyer.
Motorcycles don't have a mother.
Motorcycles don't have morals.
Motorcycles don't live with its mother.
Motorcycles don't look you up in a month.
Motorcycles don't make you go shopping.
Motorcycles don't mind football season.
Motorcycles don't mind getting dirty.
Motorcycles don't mind if you fart or belch.
Motorcycles don't mind seeing Chuck Norris and Charles Bronson flicks.
Motorcycles don't need much closet space.
Motorcycles don't need to go to the 'powder room'.
Motorcycles don't pout or play games.
Motorcycles don't tease you or play hard to get.
Motorcycles don't tell you to mow the grass.
Motorcycles don't think baseball is stupid simply because the guys spit.
Motorcycles don't use up your toilet paper.
Motorcycles don't wear a bra.
Motorcycles don't worry about someone walking in.
Motorcycles don't worry about waking the kids.
Motorcycles go down the road easy.
Motorcycles last longer.
Motorcycles never argue with you.
Motorcycles never ask for the remote.
Motorcycles never ask if an accessory makes it look fat.
Motorcycles never change the station.
Motorcycles never complain when you don’t stop and ask for directions.
Motorcycles never complain when you take it somewhere.
Motorcycles never have a headache.
Motorcycles never say no.
Motorcycles never talk back.
Motorcycles only need their fluids changed every 2,000 miles.
Motorcycles won't run off with your credit cards.
Motorcycles’ curves never sag.
No matter how many times you ride it, the motorcycle is still worth something.
Oil stains wash out.
One gets in no trouble for storing disassembled pieces of the motorcycle in the basement.
Road rash heals.
When motorcycles get old you trade it out.
When riding, you and your Motorcycle both arrive at the same time.
When you go shopping, you know you can always pick up a motorcycle.
When your motorcycle is gone, you just get another.
With the odometer on zero, you always know that you are the first one to ride a motorcycle.
You can always talk to your motorcycle.
You can choke your motorcycle.
You can dress warmly and still ride a frigid motorcycle.
You can enjoy a motorcycle all month.
You can have more than one motorcycle.
You can kick your Motorcycle to wake it up.
You can legally rent a motorcycle.
You can ride a motorcycle all night.
You can ride a Motorcycle any time of the month.
You can ride a Motorcycle as long as you want and it won’t get sore.
You can ride a motorcycle in public.
You can ride more than one motorcycle a night and not feel guilty.
You can share a motorcycle with your friends.
You can share your Motorcycle with your friends.
You can upgrade your motorcycle at any time.
You can't catch anything but “euphoria” from a motorcycle.
You don’t have to be jealous of the guy that works on your Motorcycle.
You don’t have to convince your Motorcycle that you’re a motorcyclist and that you think that all Motorcycles are equals.
You don’t have to deal with priests or blood-tests to register your Motorcycle.
You don’t have to pay child support to an ex-motorcycle.
You don’t have to take a shower before riding your Motorcycle.
You don’t have to talk to your motorcycle after you ride it.
You don't have to wash a motorcycle before it looks good.
You don't have to wine and dine a motorcycle.
You only need to get a new chain or belt for your Motorcycle when the old one is worn.
You rarely (if ever) find motorcycle labels on the shower curtain rod.
Your Motorcycle doesn’t care what you’re wearing when you take it out.
Your motorcycle doesn’t get mad when you ignore it for a month or so.
Your Motorcycle never wants a night out alone with the other Motorcycles.
Your motorcycle will always wait patiently for you in the garage.
Your motorcycle won’t leave you for another rider.
Your motorcycle won’t wake you up at 2:00 AM and ask you if you love it.
Your parents don’t remain in touch with your old Motorcycle after you dump it.

Ride on,
Torch

Midlife Motorcycle Madness Definition

Midlife Motorcycle Madness

mid·life mo·tor·cy·cle mad·ness (mid'lif' mo'ter-si'kel mad'nis)

n. 1.The quality or condition of being middle-aged and insane about motorcycles.
2.An excessively intense enthusiasm for, interest in, or desire of; a motorcycle.
3.Psychiatry: A manifestation of midlife motorcycle mania disorder, characterized by profuse motorcycle riding and rapidly changing and or hoarding of accessories.
4.Enthusiasm or intense excitement for all things relating to motorcycles or riding.
5.Crazy about motorcycles; Motorcycle Addiction

M.M.M.: An abnormally elevated motorcycle state of awareness characterized by such symptoms as inappropriate chrome drooling, increased riding times, severe insomnia and/or sleeping with a motorcycle, grandiose notions of anything two wheel related, increased speeding and/or volume of accessories, disconnected by long trips, racing motorcycles, fear of cages, increased motorcycle desires, markedly increased energy and activity of bike cleaning level, poor judgment, and inappropriate social behavior.

A severe form of M.M.M that may require hospitalization is termed hypermotodysfuntion. M.M.M also features symptoms of depression ("agitated depression") when not riding. Sufferers may also exhibit severe concerns or inadequacy issues over horsepower, chrome, leather, cubic inches, and torque. Victims of M.M.M may also spend too much time surfing the Internet reading forums, articles and reviews of motorcycles.

See also: Two-Wheelpolar disorder, Hypermotodysfuntion, Motorcycle mania.

Midlife Motorcycle Madness® Dictionary of the Motorcycle Language & Dysfunctions, First Edition
Copyright © 2009 by John Ashford "Torch"
Published by Midlife Motorcycle Madness. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source

Ride on,

Torch

The First Ride Home

I had just purchased a 2003 V-Star 1100 Classic. I had the title and two sets of keys. I grabbed my leather jacket, which was not a real motorcycle jacket, and put on the black full-face helmet that my son had found in a junkyard. It was time to head for home. My wife would be following me in our 1998 Ford Explorer the 40 something miles back.

The first thing I noticed while backing the bike down the driveway was how heavy the bike was. It felt three times as heavy as the bike I used in the MSF Basic Riders Course. I'm 6'2" and weigh a good 200 something and I had to be careful not to lean it so far over that I could not get it back upright. I managed to finesse her backwards down into the street and was ready to take off.

I started her up and she roared to life underneath me. I let off the clutch and, promptly killed the engine. Hmmm, I needed to get used to that clutch and the friction zone. I took off from the first stop sign with no incident and decided to go to a parking lot to practice before taking her out on 635, the local multi-lane racetrack, I mean Interstate. I635, or LBJ as it is sometimes non-affectionately called, was named after Lynden B. Johnson and is a large freeway that circles part of north Dallas Texas. I drove for several blocks out of the neighborhood and on up to the main thoroughfare. I turned right and headed away from the direction of the Interstate and looked for a parking lot to pull into.

I pulled left into an empty parking lot with my wife following right behind. I came to a stop and turned off the bike and she asked if everything was all right. I assured her everything was fine and that I just wanted to get used to the clutch better and make a couple adjustments. I adjusted the mirrors noting that the handlebars seemed perfect for me. The previous owner must have been the same size, which would save me having to make a lot of adjustments later. Now that I could see behind me in the mirrors, I was ready to go. I started the bike back up and cautiously headed back to 635.

I came to the stoplight at 635 and got ready to turn right on red. This intersection was on a slight upward incline. I accidentally killed the roar of the mighty 1100 V-Twin again by letting out the clutch and not giving her enough throttle again. The cagers behind me now are all getting a little anxious and I’m a little flushed from embarrassment. Thinking it would take me a while to get used to how much throttle to use to get this big beast moving, I quickly restarted her and took off rapidly and sped onto the windy Interstate.

This bike had some power. When you twist the throttle you better be holding on tightly. The driver’s backrest on the Corbin Dual Tour Saddle saved me several times. Occasionally I had been caught by surprise when twisting the throttle and the bike pushed me back into the backrest. I hated to imagine what would have happened if it was not there.

Fortunately, it was a weekend, so there was not as much traffic on 635 as usual. Or, maybe I should say, rather than one gigantic parking lot, the Interstate traffic was actually moving. It didn’t take long for me to remember about the wind advisory for the day. This motorcycle had a Memphis Shades Windshield on it. Windshields on a motorcycle are nice to have to keep some of the head wind off you. The bad part of a windshield is that they act like a sail. I was headed west and the wind was gusting from the north. When the gusts were kind of hard the bike wanted to tack to the left. My knuckles whitened as I tightened my fingers around the Kuryakyn ISO grips harder.

About halfway home I checked my right side mirror to make sure my wife was still behind me, and she was. Just then, the Audiovox CCS100 Universal Vacuum Cruise Control switches, mounted on the right handlebar control box, caught my eye. This got me thinking did it work? Probably not the smartest decision being a new rider on a new bike, I took my eyes of the Freeway momentarily and tried to figure how to turn the cruise control on and then how to set it. With my eyes bouncing back and forth between where I was going and the switches, I finally decided to just start pushing buttons and on the second try got the combination between on and set correct and the cruise control kicked in. I used my new found right hand freedom to make another adjustment to my right mirror and quickly put my hand back on the grip. I pushed buttons again and turned the cruise off. I was stoked; the cruise control does indeed work.

It wasn’t long before I was north of the D/FW Airport and came to the large two-lane left hand ramp that curved up and then down to Highway 121 southbound from I635. The MSF Basic Riding Course training for taking curves was going through my head, outside, inside, outside. I was in the right hand lane and already on the outside track of the curve. As the lane started to turn I was now almost on the white line and shoulder. I was not turning fast enough and probably going way to fast for this curve being a newbie on an unfamiliar bike. Then the training kicked in again and I looked where I wanted to go and pushed the left handle bar forward. The beautiful V-Star leaned and went to the left and I leaned with it as she responded to my leading. I was right back on track and in the middle of my lane finishing the corner gracefully.

It was not much of an eventful ride otherwise. The new bike and I made it home in one piece. My wife and youngest son later told me that I gave them a scare on the curve and also when a large truck had wanted to be in the same lane I was in. The truck incident was just normal D/FW traffic stuff. I moved into another empty lane, let the truck have the one I was in, and went around him. I thought it was a great first ride. The bike, she was getting used to me and I her. It was the start of a kind of bonding process. It was nice to have motorcycle now to ride.

Ride on,
Torch

Midlife Motorcycle Madness is now on Alltop - All the top Motorcycle News

Alltop is a one stop news aggregator website similar to, and inspired by, Popurls. I usually check this site for the latest news everyday. They have everything organized neatly by subject. This makes it easy for the user to bookmark just the subjects they are interested in. The layout and color scheme is simple, easy to read, and navigate. Clicking on a link opens the complete article in a separate window making navigation much easier. You can check out all your favorite news sites at once on Alltop.

Rid on,
Torch