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| | Friends - Update | | | | Tuesday, November 18, 2008 (12:28 PM) | | I just wanted to let everyone know that I am okay. I realize that days/weeks/months away from a motorcycle forum of friends, especially as much as I commute, is cause for concern for an extended absence. Since losing Rick this season to a motorcycle tragedy, and after going down while at DG2, I should be more sensitive to making a regular post just so that everyone knows that all is okay with me. I appreciate your messages expressing concerns and prayers for my health and the health of my family.
I want all of my friends here to know that I care for you, and pray for you and your families daily. I love all of you guys, and look forward to future rides, conversations, and fellowship with you. I need to tell you this, because life may not allow me another opportunity to.
I appreciate your kind words, concerns, and array of comments left for me. Some are serious, some are silly, some only you and I know the meaning and may seem odd or inappropriate to some. Some I did not understand, but allowed them anyway. They never wavered from being anything less than expressing your personality, humor, or nudging mine or someone else's, and for that I have laughed and appreciate your input.
I appreciate your respect for me, knowing that I am married with children and keeping that in the perspective that it should be, hoping that you appreciate who I am and know those that I care deeply for. I want to leave an impression with everyone that I meet. That I will be your friend no matter what differences we may have between us. I want to hold true to a comment that I posted in one of my rides in NOLA about friends. "Some of the most important friends are the ones that you may not ever see again".
May God richly bless your life and be with you always. I could never know the true meaning of love and friendship without my personal relationship with the Creator. Motorcycling has brought me closer in that relationship than any other. That is why I love to ride so much.
Don't ever forget the laughter shared with friends. I know I never will. Thank you for being my friend and allowing me to be yours.
ike | | | 82 Views | 4  Thumbs Up | 2 Comments |  |
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| | Urban Motorcycle Stunt Parks | | | | Tuesday, July 29, 2008 (7:31 AM) | | Abandoned lots in industrial areas typically promote illegal dumping and are a horrible eye sore. Take a cruise into these industrial areas and they are usually easy areas to identify. They are typically planned to be isolated from commercial and residential areas due to the noise of delivery trucks, cargo trains, and the other activities from industrial productivity.
Some urban areas have "stunt parks" for motorcyclists. You should check that and/or show that there is an interest and try to convince the city to form one.
Instead of making stunters outlaws, like they did skateboarders and bmx riders for many years around shopping malls and other cool places to practice tricks, just give them a designated place to play. It is fun, legal, and with the right program can encourage riders to not practice on the street. It makes the entire sport look bad when stunts are performed in traffic, or trespassing on private land. This concept would promote rider education and safety.
If lawmakers and local government are truly sincere about protecting and serving the community, then they should seriously consider the idea. Heads up though, they are not going to consider it if someone does not show an interest and push them toward providing a safe solution to the community.
First, find vacant or lots that are eyesores, take a few snap shots and present it to your city planning commission. They should meet regularly. Use a photo editing program and give them some possible "after" schemes to get their gears turning. Put in shops and activity around the perimeter of the stunt park, add bleachers for observation because once people find out about it, they will come whether they ride or not. It is ENTERTAINING to watch. Promote the positive and money making side to planners. They want to create areas where people participate and interact, and encourage new business.
The cost of asphalt, concrete construction barricades, and fencing is not expensive and is relatively maintenance free. People making good use of an area is much more appealing than to see property deteriorating. Get enthusiastic, and suggest that there just MIGHT be some businesses that could cater to such a park also, such as rider gear, accessories, repair shops, dealers, and places to eat, and hang out for riders and spectators. It could also double as a MSF course location promoting safe riding and encouraging use of the facility to practice as a much safer alternative to the street.
Rebel in a positive way. Until next time, ride safe and enjoy the sport!!
ike | | | | 132 Views | 0 Thumbs Up | 0 Comments | |
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| | The Pace | | | | Saturday, July 12, 2008 (10:16 PM) | | I want to write a little bit about my most recent riding experience, and to give a bit of advice about group riding in the mountains. This article could not have come at a better time, since I am in the midst of planning a trip with long time Internet friends and subscribers here at LiveVideo, for the second annual trip to Tail of the Dragon at Deals Gap.
Whenever I plan a trip to the twisty roads of the Appalacian Mountains, I almost always think about what I want to focus on while I ride. For this particular "run to the hills", I had two riding objectives. Scouting unfamiliar roads and to work on throttle and brake smoothness.
The roads I was scouting were alternatives to routes and two of them ended up in loose deep sandy gravel beds. I don't want surprises when I could have up to 20 riders depending and trusting me to lead them on some roads with awesome twisty tendancies and breath taking views of the mountains at practically every bend in the road. It is a spectacular area, and I am fortunate to have this available to me in my back yard. The attendance is looking significantly larger this year, and that is good, but it also puts alot of responsibility on me as a organizer. I constantly thought about the possibility and impact of having 20 riders following me as I glanced in my rear view mirrors imagining the headlights and leaning machines slip through the curve behind me. I couldn't help but smile while scoping for places to stop, stretch, and share perspective and mixed aspects of the riding experience. I could almost hear the laughter and enthsiasm in your voices. As I snap out of my daydream state, I find myself alone again on the road and reviewing the routes and leaving everything behind me and thinking about my riding.
As I was riding to TOD from Nashville, I generally love to hop off of the interstate and take one of "the old roads" as part of my route. These roads seem to be more inviting and things to see are much closer to the road. Little towns, rail road crossings, barns, and narrow bridges all have a inviting rich flavor that I just can't get enough of. When you commute 90 miles per day on the interstate in rush hour traffic, these routes are like slipping on my moccasins when I get home from a busy day at work. I get excited, and start to increase my speed and find myself entering into a curve too hot because I was feeling the rush of the exit out of that last curve and the speed dome of the straight-a-way. Then I find myself having to grab brakes because I am too hot to enter the next curve. The suspension that was feeling so good in my rear view mirror, is now disrupted and the self criticism begins. As I get over my mis-calculation, I decide that this trip is going to be dedicated to working on smoothness in two areas that affect a third area. Throttle and brake smoothness equals suspension smoothness.
When I look smooth, I look like I know what I am doing, and the movement almost takes on the appearance of effortlessness. When I grab at the brakes, or make sudden throttle adjustments, it really throws the bike and the rider into a state of recovery and sometimes panic. When I am smooth, that corner was taken with minimum energy, finesse, and speed. To me, as I picture it, smooth looks fast and experienced, where panic looks choppy and inexperienced. This sport also takes energy, and on the back roads that I like to ride, a lot of it. The machine handles better when I am not rushing, so I am going to "search" for that perfect riding angle and find more miles of smiles and less fatigue. Besides that it requres much less exhertion of my energy and actually, will make me a better and faster rider if I make it a riding habit. I am not in this sport to win a race, or out perform someone, or to show off. I am into this sport for the ride. The ride between me my machine and the ever changing surfaces of the road and those who might wish to share it with me from time to time. As a result, I am smoother and becoming faster at every pass of the eleven mile stretch known as the Tail of the Dragon.
The group riding technique that I am going to speak of is referred to as "The Pace". It is not a technique as much as it is an attitude of riding together. There is nothing more exhillarating than seeing a group of motorcyclists riding in a harmoic motion on a curvy road. It builds trust between riders in the group and is a beautiful thing to watch machines in sync as a by stander. The group of machines almost blend together and appear as one. I want us to look like we are riding together and not like a competition or road race. There is another factor to think about when riding in a group, besides yourself, your machine, and the road. You are riding with other riders. What does a group that are "with" it look like? What does a fighter squadron in formation look like? Have you ever gone to or watched a parade where the Shriner Riders perform? Are you getting a picture in your mind of what you want to see the group look like? I am in no way suggesting that group riding has to be perfect, but it is a skill of riding to take into account other riders and what they are doing while at the same time doing your part as well.
I will leave you now with a general video on group riding from the Motorcycle Safety Foundation on group riding.
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| | Ike at You Tube | | | | Thursday, July 10, 2008 (10:58 AM) | | If you are a YouTuber, check out my updated channel: ike955
I AM NOT LEAVING NOR THREATENING TO LEAVE LiveVideo! | | | | 127 Views | 2 Thumbs Up | 2 Comments | |
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