Category: Motorcycling

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Sometimes you just need helmet time

There comes those moments when you need to get out of the house, or away from work for a bit of time. To think things over. To relax. To just get out. That’s a good time to get some helmet time. Choose your wheels and go.

You may feel like you’ve run into a roadblock, or even a dead end, but there are always options. You just need to figure them out. A detour may lead to a better road. In the process, you might find some thing interesting.

There’s nothing like a little helmet time to clear the mind.

See you on the highway.

Brent

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Sunday afternoon motorcycle ride

Hot and humid. Of course, it’s time for a motorcycle ride.

The area around where I live is wonderful for riding. The Ohio River Valley has created these hills with curvy roads. There are plenty of backroads with no lines–no center lines, no edge lines. And they often cross these small streams that inspire one to stop and take a look.

Continuing on along the Little Miami River, I turned east at Corwin and passed the Miami Cemetery. Very park-like, the cemetery association was organized in 1867. I turned in to find a very large WWII Tank and a grave section devoted to the area’s soldiers.

I took a moment to peruse the graves from WWI, WWII, Korea and Vietnam. It was very nicely done. I took one last moment to stand at attention and salute my brothers and sisters in arms. As an Army Vietnam Veteran myself, it seemed like the right thing to do.

The rest of the ride was towards home, just cruising along on my Moto Guzzi V7 Sport.

See you on the highway.

Brent

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Riding with wind in my face

Why do we ride motorcycles? The freedom? To be one with the environment rather than enclosed in a cage? Euphoria or adreneline? The wind in our face?

I wanted to take a photo of my Guzzi at the entrance to our neighborhood. It was Memorial Day and the flags looked so impressive. I wanted that photo.

It a very short distance from my home to the entrance to our neighborhood, but it was just enough to send me down memory lane.

Sixty years ago, I started riding on a Lambretta scooter that my dad brought home. I was 15. In 1965, there was no ATGATT. I did not even own a helmet, but I rode that scooter all over the place with wind in my face. It was liberating and exhilarating.  The same was true of my first owned motorcycle, a 1963 Harley Davidson Sprint 250cc Scrambler. I was 17 and recently graduated from high school. I can’t remember exactly, but I think I bought a helmet–it would not have been a full face helmet.

Over the years, I came to realize the importance of riding gear–helmets, jackets, pants, gloves and boots. I also recognize the time to gear up to go for a ride. Even if it’s to run an errand to the grocery store.

But that short ride to take the above photo without even a helmet …. That brought back the memories and feelings of riding with wind in my face. It was liberating and exhilarating. 

See you on the highway! With the gear on, of course.

Brent