Sport Touring in the Midwest

Portland, Maine

2011-10-06T08:24:00.001-05:00

Ebsco Business Database Advisory Board’s meeting moved out of Massachusetts. The meeting was held in Portland, Maine. The board stayed at the Portland Regency, a hotel just up the street from the wharf. I arrived late Monday afternoon catching a hotel courtesy shuttle ride with Eve and Alicia. Sometime after 3:00 I was checked in and changed for a long run. Having done my Google Maps reconnaissance over the past week, I found some link trails that began pretty close to the wharf. I didn’t need to meet the group for dinner until 7:00 for Dinner at Five Fifty Five. On the ride in from the airport, I was able to view Back Bay Cove. With plenty of time I ran the waterfront trail until it connected to the Back Bay Cove trail. Having mile markers on the Back Bay Cove trail allowed me to check my pace. For two of the 3.5 miles, I was at a steady 10:05 pace and probably maintained that for the entire 8 mile run. Even before I made it back to the hotel, my body was reminding me that I hadn’t ran more than 3 miles for the past month.

Dinner was fine after I finally made it to the Five Fifty Five. I had hope to arrive a bit early for dinner and quickly checked the itinerary for the 3 days. Of course I misread which restaurant we were dining. After a fifteen minute walk to the wrong restaurant, fifteen minute fast walk back to the hotel to find the correct name of the restaurant, and a walk a block, job a block 15 minutes jaunt to the correct place I arrived only 10 minutes late.

2 beers into appetizers I began to relax. The beers was absorbed quickly as I hadn’t eaten lunch. Pre and post run protein bars only kept me from an absolutely empty stomach. Unfortunately, my dinner was not very good or maybe I was crashing from the long run.

A surprise from hotel was a workout room that allowed for a “real” weight workout. The room included 5 or so cardio machine, an assortment of Cybex machines, and a free weight area including a Olympic bench setup. I managed to do a full hour of chest/triceps while downing 4 cups of what I will call coffee water.

The all day meeting was engaging as normal. During breakfast, Ken from Ebsco and I discussed Ebsco’s ebooks and what I am doing with ebrary. Sounds like Ken and a colleague will be visiting Chicago to better understand what we are doing with ebooks and try to sway some of out business from ebrary.

During the meeting the weather has soured. Prior to the meeting I invited Scott to go for a run during our stay in Portland. We had decided the after the business meeting would be a good time. I was so sore all day from overdoing the run the day before. As the soreness increased I just wanted to go back to my room after the meeting and sleep. But Dave got added to the discussion of running and there was no way to back out of the run. Both were fine with backing the run down to 4.5 miles. The temps were in the upper fifty’s with a steady rain. My colleagues were pretty surprised that we were still going to run. During the run I pretty much hung on right behind the 2 of them and my legs moved with the smoothness of concrete. In spite of everything, I felt a level of achievement especially given the conditions.

Scott and I went out to eat a bit later. Our first stop was a chowder house that seems to be filled with locals. Nothing fancy here and I had a pumpkin ale along with a seafood chowder. I didn’t care for the ale, but wanted to try it out since that is what Scott ordered. Next stop was an Irish Pub that happened to have their homemade veggie burgers. Scott has went with a vegan diet for 8 months or so (dropping 12 pounds along the way). I decided to have a veggie burger along with Scott. Abigail and I have veggie burgers at home pretty regularly. The pub’s burger has a lot more flavor and was substantial in size. Scott skipped the goat cheese staying vegan, but order 3 sides. Given the run, he was hungry by the time we made it to the pub.

The tourist day was just the right mix. After Blantiff’’s for breakfast, we ride a Narrow Gauge Railroad. When running I had ran along the tracks. I had hoped that the train ride would include crossing the bridge. Well that didn’t happen. The Conductor told us that the bridge had burned 10 years ago and wasn’t going to be repair. Anyhow, she says, the track goes from narrow gauge to standard on the other side.

After the train ride,it was off to the Shipyard Brewery. Having been on a couple of brewery tours in the past, the bar had been set pretty high by New Holland Brewery and Sam Adams. In Shipyards case, there was little in terms of a brewery tour. The video explaining there process, tasting a couple of blends, only seemed to ultimately end in a large gift/souvenir shop.

Capping off our tour agenda was a lunch on the restaurant boat DiMillo’s. I had pretty reasonably, so I indulge in a bread pudding with bourbon sauce. Osha is the master planning and made our whole time in Portland wonderful. Osha’s bar is high and she never gives us a less than perfect experience in addition to the board meeting.

Making deliveries

2011-09-12T08:14:00.001-05:00

This past Wednesday-Friday, I was scheduled to conduct a morning intermediate riding course in the morning and one in the afternoon. Honestly, I hoped that there would not be enough students to run the course. One must have at least 6 students to begin a course, otherwise it can’t run. A full class is 12 students. The morning class only has two people on the class roster. Both of the people on the roster did not show up. However 9 students got in as walkins. The afternoon class had one person on the roster. She did not show but 2 walkins showed up and the class was a no go. For someone who is working full time plus full weekends, time off gets to be a treat. I have scheduled off 3 1/2 weeks of vacation to teach motorcycle classes as well.

So what to do with myself was the first question to be answered. Abigail, my wife, had done some major school clothes shopping for my granddaughters. I knew that they really needed the clothes. The forecast for Thursday was rain all day. The morning class was overcast. I went home after class, checked the radar and it looked like I could make it to Champaign dry (120 miles). The ride home was questionable. Nice thing about the Concours is that is has a great fairing and 3 hard cases. 2 were filled with the school clothes and one had what it always has, rain gear, tool kit, air compressor, etc… The ride down was a breeze with a strong tail wind and completely overcast skies. After dropping of the clothes at my daughters job, I dropped by the Motorcycle Rider Program Office to drop off a packet for a finished class since I was in the area. Before leaving, the radar looked like I might get a little wet. After leaving the office I filled up the Connie as it rain.

It continued to rain the entire way home. Just a steady rain, riding on superslab, with very little traffic. All said, I enjoyed the ride home just as much as the ride down.

Knowing that I would probably ride home in the rain meant I wanted to do it during daylight hours. The only regret I have is that I didn’t stay around long enough to so see the granddaughters. School is in session and they go straight to the daycare program. Riding long along in the rain with little traffic allows one to reflect. This ride I thought of how full and satisfying my like was when they lived with me for that full year. My schedule was crazy, but I thoroughly enjoyed the daily routine with them. Cooking breakfast and dinner with them. They went on the long walks with the dogs (2 miles) every night.

Labor Day Weekend

2011-09-06T10:40:00.001-05:00

The 3 day weekend was the first weekend that I have had off from teaching MC classes. It was the last weekend off until after Halloween. According to the schedule I will have taught 37 basic classes and 2 intermediate classes. The intermediate classes are a compressed basic class (10 hours) and the students need to come knowing how to ride along with already having a permit. The class is designed for returning riders and riders who are looking to get legit. There are so many riders who get without either the permit or a license. I have taught of few of the intermediate classes over the last couple of years. The first two exercises are meant to be screening exercises. If the rider doesn’t demonstrate efficient shifting and stopping skills, he/she is excused from the class and encouraged to take the full basic course.

The weekend was punctuated by carpet cleaning Saturday, church and a 9.5 mile run on Sunday, and a bicycle ride with my wife on Old Plank Trail. I had looked forward to riding beyond our normal turnaround spot in downtown Frankfort. However, when we arrived to find a Fall Festival taking place in it’s downtown. We parked the bikes and walked like cattle from one craft vendor to the next. After a granola bar and a drink, we pedaled back to Matteson.

Five 20 hours motorcycle classes in 12 day

2011-06-15T16:40:00.000-05:00

Talk about teach, eat, sleep, repeat! I crammed in 5 class in 12 days. 3 of the days were evenings after work. I burned a week a vacation and taught all day on the weekends around the 5 day weekday course. I finished the last one last night. As usually, they varied as much as human beings vary. One class only had 4 of 10 pass while another had 11 of 11 pass. Two of the days the students endured 96 degrees.

Hearty students and brutal conditions

2011-03-28T18:57:00.001-05:00

I taught MC classes Sat and Sun from 12-4 and 4:30-8:30. The conditions were close to be the most miserable than I have taught in. The high for Sat was 33 and 34 Sun. In addition to the temperature, there was a constant wind that was 10 to 15 mph taking the wind chill down into the 20’s. Yet in spite of the conditions, all twelve riders in each classes hung in there. In spite of the temperatures and numb hands, all made it through to the end of the this weekend’s session. It was cold enough that I did the long johns, jeans, and chaps (to block the wind) and I was still cold. I am on the way to work now with a ruby colored face and a nose that is bright red front the cold wind. The entire class is praying for a nicer forecast to allow for a more comfortable 2nd weekend of the class.

First Aid and turkey time

2011-03-21T11:33:00.001-05:00

Saturday was a morning of Red Cross First Aid with an afternoon of CPR. My certifications expire this summer, so I needed to get this done. One of the MC instructors does the training for the program out of his home. Very interesting person, Gene is. He works for Exxon and gets month long assignments. He recently returned from a month in Angola. The next assignment is Saudi Arabia. He stays home for a month in between assignments. For lunch he grilled burgers and what do you think 10 MC instructors talked about, motorcycles. A couple of my favorite instructors were there so it made for a good day.

Sunday was a day with periods of intense thunderstorms and showers. The seemed to be a slight window of opportunity late in the afternoon to get outside. I had originally planned to just right the bicycle to the library and play on the netbook for a while. I changed into some workout clothes, clipped on my new waterproof pannier on the mt bike, tucked in the netbook along with raingear. It was 3:30 when I left the house. As I approached the library, I decided that I would ride along a little farther, maybe down to Old Plank Trail. Once I made it to the trail, I arrived at a natural point to pull off and make it a nice loop home. Well, the sun was going to be out for a couple more hours, so I kept going deciding that I would ride to Frankfort. Around 2 miles east of Frankfort, I came across a brood of wild turkeys. For almost a 1/4 of a mile there is wire fencing bordering the trail as there are sharp drop offs on both sides. I slowed as I approached and took out the camera. I straddle walked the bike right past them and they kept coming closer.

Turkeys in Frankfort

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After several nice shots, I finished riding to downtown Frankfort. I was thirsty, didn’t have a water bottle because I hadn’t planned on a long ride, and the water fountains were turned off (will have freezing temps for awhile off and on). Lucky for me the convenient shop was open to get a low cal sports drink. On the return ride, I fought the urge to ride harder. A woman on a hybrid bike slowly passed me. She had thinner smooth tires and was riding in a higher gear. I was treating my ride like an early season ride, leaving it in 2 on the front, 4 on the back, purposefully working on a smoother higher cadence rhythm. I knew that I could up the gears and pass her back up. Instead I reminded myself that I was out for a nice ride and to work on the form along the way.

Slow, but still going

2011-03-15T09:12:00.001-05:00

My 45th birthday was Saturday. I enjoyed a late lunch with my brother at Flossmoor Brewery. He was up for the day from Champaign. He and a cousin went to a memorabilia show to get a picture together with Dick Buckus. That evening Abigail and I kept it simple going to Cracker Barrel for dinner. This was an un-birthday. What I mean was that is truly was like any other day with the exception of seeing my brother and calls from parents and siblings. There was a part of me that wanted to feel special, to have cake and a party. Since that wasn’t the case I locked into it’s my birthday, a good day, living a good life, it’s all okay. Living within a budget there was nothing extravagant to plan while we focus on 3 year debt free plan or a milestone (I have 3 years to plan or at least may sure I save up for my wife’s 60th).

To occupy myself while I waited on my brother, I turned my attention to some bike maintenance. Bike as in the pedaling kind. In particular, I hadn’t paid an attention to the mountain bike that I have used to commute to the train all winter long. The most that I have done is to keep the chain oiled. The bike got a good wash and the drivetrain took a while to degrease. There was all kinds of grit in the chain, derailleurs, and cassette. I ended up sudsing it up and spraying off with the hole some of the debris. Then came out a bike chain cleaner contraption that finished the job. I still spent more time with a rag getting the stubborn stuff out of the derailleurs. After a couple hours of drying, on went fresh lube. The bike has many nicks, scratches, and rough spots but looks good for a 10 year old well used bike. With the cleaning a lube, it looks solid and rides smooth. The bike will get me to where I need to go with a smile as well as take me through a second triathlon. I somehow am identifying with the bike.

My workouts are increasing a little. In particular, I know that I am not a runner. I haven’t been one (a runner) for over 20 years. I jog a couple days a week. For the last 2 months I have added long slow (12 minute miles) on the weekends. I do set the stopwatch to get a sense on how slow I am running. Being a competitive person, it’s hard to keep the “you should be running faster” monster from harassing me. I am running 10 minute miles for the short runs. For the longer runs, I am just enjoying the movement, the process of slogging along. If I am able to keep up the slogging, I may consider a Tecumsah Marathon in Bloomington Indian. The entries are around 400, the route is 90% dirt trails while 3800 ft ascending and 3500 descending through 2 state forests. I did it 6 years ago in 5:30. For much of the race I was simply running by myself through forests.

Side note, I ran across a coyote on the side streets while riding the bicycle to the train this morning. It was almost like it thought I was chasing it for a moment until it made a quick exit after running for a block in front of me.

Douglas / Saugatuck Michigan

2011-03-07T08:39:00.001-06:00

My wife has been home for the last 7 weeks covering from a full knee replacement. Her progress has been amazing to watch. With today being her first day back to work, my friend offered up his weekend getaway home in Douglas, MI. Wanting to miss any traffic, we left Friday mid-morning for the 2+ hour drive. The weather held out and waited to rain after we arrived. The weekend was very low key. Staying at Paul’s throws one off for a little while as there is no cable TV. However he does have Netflix and wireless throughout the 3 level 2 bedroom home. To simplify the weekend (at keep costs down) we made a Wal-mart run in Benton Harbor. Our only outing of the weekend was a brewery tour of New Holland Brewing Company in Holland, MI. The tour was fun although all of the standing wore on Abigail’s leg. While most all of our eating was done at the house, we did go out to eat at our favorite place in Douglas, the Wild Dog Grille. The food is great along with the modern setting matched with African animal photos and stuffed game heads. We both has Tilapia fish tacos.

I was happy to have a relaxing weekend with Abigail. The view from Paul’s place adds to a sense of peace. Both mornings there were 4-5 deer grazing right next to the house.

Let there be Range Aids

2011-03-02T16:08:00.001-06:00

Now that all of the instructor updates are finished, the Range Aids in the program are able to sign up for classes to assist with. This will be my step-son Neil’s 3rd season as a Range Aid. Range Aids make around 8:50 an hour and get paid for 16 hours of work for each 20 hour class. RA assist with setting up the range, getting the bikes ready, bringing bikes out and putting them up, swapping bikes out during an exercise, etc… Neil has become quite the pro at changing out broken clutch and brake levels from when the students drop the bikes or have a crash. It’s great for Neil while he is in school. He is actively working around 15 minutes per hour. The rest of the time he can stay in the shade and study (he is in a criminal justice program at our local community college). Where RA make a big difference is while we are teaching on the range. In between exercises, a RA can take up the cones from the previous exercise while setting up the cones for the next exercise. This allows the two instructors to focus on debriefing the riders, breaks, and providing the instructions for the next exercise. During my first two teaching seasons, I never had a RA and it just meant a little for work, but totally manageable. RA allow the instructors a little breathing time. Of the 27 classes that I am teaching this year, Neil will be working with me a RA for 20 of them. He may assist me with ones during the weekdays depending on which classes that he gets into for summer session. Of the 36 classes that I taught last year, Neil was my RA for 30 of them.

That is pretty much the basics of the Range Aids in the program, but doesn’t provide what prompted this post. I will have been married to Abigail (Neil’s mom) for 8 years this August and we dated for 2 years before getting married. Neil turned 20 two weeks ago. While Neil does make mistakes in life or needs to be prodded to take care of a few things, I have not ever had an arguments with him. I can really say that he is a great kid with a more than pleasant personality. Such a contrast to me being a pain to my own step mother who married my father when I was in Jr. High School. What I get from teaching the classes and having Neil be my RA is time with my step son that most parents never get with their children at this age. Like any relationship, time spent in common provides the substance that needed to know and enjoy the other person. In the midst of teaching the program, we can talk, laugh, find out what he is doing while not at home, etc… I do look forward to the time when he decides to go through the instructor prep program. Teaching classes with Neil as a peer will only enhance the experience with him.

I have be believe that Neil is just a little more safety conscious than other 20 year old motorcyclists. Not just because of being with the Motorcycle Rider Program, but because he has seen the effects of even low speed crashes. In particular, I don’t believe that he will ever were anything short of a full face helmet. He was right beside me on a nasty crash during the braking evaluation. The rider over applied the from brake, the bike went to the right and she went to the left. The primary impact was facial on the rough asphalt parking lot. The gash between her nose and mouth went all of the though the skin into the mouth. There were also a few loose teeth but none lost along with scrapes on other parts like the hands and knees. The rider wasn’t going any faster than 15 mph however the rider made the choice to wear a 3/4 helmet. Had the rider choose a full face, it would have averted the facial impact altogether. Half of the other riders in the class suggested that riders in the class should have to wear full face helmets for the class on the class evaluation sheets.

Side note: The face crash rider already had taken deliver of a brand new HD and was determined to get their licenses. Even as the rider was taken to the hospital by their spouse, she let us know that she would be back. About two months later, she stopped by a class that I was teaching at another site. She gave me a big hug and reported that she had retaken the classes and passed. She healed up pretty good with a little assistance from a plastic surgeon to minimize the scaring.

No bonus this year

2011-02-28T09:57:00.002-06:00

For the previous 3 seasons, instructors who taught more than the average number of classes with the motorcycle program receive some type of swag. This year there was nothing as the program was facing the red in a couple of accounts due to construction and other issues. Maybe I should have noticed the pattern. The first year for me we were issued Rev’it Meshing Riding Jackets, next was a neon yellow dry ducks top and bottom Frogg Toggs rain suit, and last year was a embroidered shade hat. While I wasn’t teaching with the thought, the program is going to get those of us teaching lots of classes something special, it was something to look forward to for gear hogs like myself. The year we got the Frogg Toggs, I had already but a pair on my Campmor wish list for that Spring. Of the 50 instructors that attended yesterday’s, I was the only one who received a box of home made chocolate coverage peanuts (beyond delicious). Turns out the class that I taught with Ezell had the highest single shirts/hats sales for a single class, $265. I never push selling shirt. Just happened to teach a class where one of the students (wealthier older male) had so much fun in the class that he bought the other 8 students $20 long sleeve t-shirts.
It did receive my 500 students taught plaque and my 700 students taught bar to add to my name tag. My current total is 767 students in 4 seasons. Least year I taught 36 classes which included 337 students (some classes only started with 8 instead of the normal twelve). With me scheduled to teach 26 classes, I may cross the 1000 student threshold this year.
March 24th will be the first class of the season for me. October 30th will be the last class of the season. Here is to this year’s experiences. May I have few crash reports to fill out and lots of satisfied student riders. Oh, lest I forgot, may the rain gods be merciful and the gods of summer heat be kind.
This past weekend was the end of the 6th week of recovery for my wife from her full knee replacement surgery. She drove the SUV for the first time since the surgery for around 30 minute. Because it was a new movement (right knee replacement), it was a little bit of a workout. By the time the real riding season, she should be able to ride with me on the Concours without the pain that she used to experience after riding for more than thirty minutes. Here’s to the marvels of medicine and bravo to my wife’s extreme hard work at PT and home. I am beyond proud of her.

Adventures

2011-02-24T13:20:00.002-06:00

Over the past half year I have been following Jill Outside blog. The draw for me have been the combination of her adventures, the photography, and the writing. She just finished the Sustina 100, a ultra-run event in Alaska, running a 100 miles in Alaska’s winter towing a small sled. The video below gives a sample of her experience.

2011 Susitna 100 from Jill Homer on Vimeo.

I dream of adventures. Last year, my adventure was completing an off road triathlon. Half mile swim, 10 mtn bike ride, and 4 mile trail run. Before committing to the preparation I had never swam for workout. My prep for the race began in December and the race was in August. I put in a lot of time in the pool, on the bike, and not enough time running (lesson for next time). Knowing that the race would occur put a little mental pressure to keep up the preparation. The race itself was a blast and I didn’t not even dream of being competitive (run too slow and carrying too much weight). The hardest thing for me was the period after the race, the void of not having the triathlon to train for. The prep and the adventure was over.
The same has happened with the few motorcycle trips. I have only have one that I would consider a full on adventure. I rode from Chicago to Denver. My wife flew out and we spent 4 days at my uncles. After Abigail left, I took an 5oo mile day ride into the mountains. To add to the experience, I dealt with rain and winds throughout the drip. I remember going back to work after a week and a half playing felt strange like I should still be out there on the road going somewhere
Here’s to getting in adventures.

Changes in store

2011-02-22T08:05:00.001-06:00

I often have a desire to post a little more often. This is due to enjoying the frequent postings on blogs such as Redleg's Rides. The impediment for me is that this blog’s focus is motorcycling, which I do enjoy. I am not a James Stewart who’s livelihood or passion is enveloped within the sphere of motorcycling. Additionally, the scope of my fun expands well beyond motorcycling. There is no great following of this blog and rather than create separate blog for life outside of motorcycling I am expanding my blog to more holistically reflect my experiences and reflections.

My mother was admitted to the hospital late last week. She has continued to undertreat both her high blood pressure and diabetes. So her body suffers the consequences which has must a few hospitalizations over the last 6 months. Saturday would be a drive down for a day visit with her. I haven’t seen her for awhile and with you in the hospital again, I knew that I needed to go down to Indy. The drive was good for me in that I don’t drive very often and for some reason I get a little anxious on long drives on the interstate. This does not happen on the Concours mind you, just the car. The ride both ways was fine. As I was entering Indy, I spotted a nice Triumph headed north. A hair over three hours later, as I was leaving Indy, I spotted the same Triumph returning to Indy. I thought, a very different 3 hours for the two of us.

Letting them run and more

2011-02-15T21:45:00.001-06:00

Saturday was pretty nice here in Chicago. Now that the driveway was clear of ice and snow, I rolled out the Concours and Neil’s Ninja 250. They both fired right up. I hand pumped the tires up to their right pressure, at least for mine. Neil will have to do that himself for the Ninja. After letting them run for around 20 minutes I took them up and down the block to run them through their gears. Felt good.

I gave both bikes a good looking over. I noticed the 250’s shifter was bent, and then I notice that the frame slider puck was missing a little plastic. Then I noticed the frame slider was lose itself. After an inquisition from me, Neil said when he was turning into a gas station, he hit a soapy patch (gas station with a car wash) and the bike went right down. I warned him that he was going to have to take it in to get the frame slider bolt tightened. Then I went back to the garage and spent the next hour removing his side panels, tightening the frame slider bolt, then reassembling it all. Today was his birthday, I opened my hands like it was an imaginary card, Happy Birthday, I fixed the bike. He is going to order a new gearshift lever (it’s bent and functioning, but the bending took off the powder coating and there is rust showing. When the part comes in it can be a nice stepdad/stepson repair.

Long days ahead

2011-02-15T18:05:00.001-06:00

This weekend is one of the all day instructor updates with the U of I motorcycle rider program. From the signup for which classes you would like to teach, the program is trying another variation of schedules to get in as many classes as possible. Last years schedule “overlapping” caused too much undo stress. This years attempt will at least allow you a little more flexibility. In order to get 3 groups through the class in 2 weekend the following schedule was created:

Wed 6-10 Sat 8-12 Sun 8-12 Sat 8-12 Sun 8-12

Thurs 6-10 Sat 12 –4 Sun 12-4 Sat 12-4 Sun 12-4

Thurs 6-10 Sat 4:30-8:30 ……….

The Thursday evening will combined the two classes in one group of 24 with only the lead instructors for the two sections present. In order to only teach one night a week, I am primarily teaching the Thurs sessions and working both the 12-4 and 4:30-8:30 classes. On the weekends that I teach, I will at least have the mornings off. Hopefully bicycle riding with my wife on Saturdays and going to early church services on Sundays. Last year, I was only able to attend church on holiday weekends from April 1 through Oct 31. My soul will be better fed on this schedule. Right now I am signed up for 26 classes for the season with 7 of them during 3 1/2 weekday M-F classes. My real job have changed vacation accrual policy and I have a surplus of 5 weeks to burn off in addition to 27 more vacation day I get awarded in July.

It will be a busy year, but there will be many weekends of not teaching for plenty of playtime.

No motorcycle show for me

2011-02-11T08:17:00.001-06:00

The Cycle World motorcycle show is this weekend in Chicago. I have gone to a few of them over the last few years. However, this will not be one of those years. When I look at my budget and try to be reasonable, I just don’t need to spend the money to get there, pay for parking, pay for admission, then the temptation to buy stuff that I really don’t need. Coupled with that, Neil is going away for the weekend and it’s only been 3 weeks since Abigail knee replacement. Instead I will take Abigail out to the show to see the King’s Speech that she has been wanting to see. The show is part our celebrating her 57th birthday.

Additionally, I just do feel like I need anything right now for my motorcycling. New helmet for Christmas, rain jacket, one piece rain suit, and another mc jacket this winter doesn’t mean there is anything else to replace or upgrade. There is only one upgrade left for the Concours, Denali LED auxiliary lights from Twisted Throttle. But that will happen after I have some extra money coming in from the MC classes. It’s funny, in a way my motorcycling has lost “it’s a whole new world” feeling that I was experiencing when everything started back in 2005. I enjoy riding, but I don’t seem to obsess about it like I did, which also included spending lots (or charging) of money on everything that I thought one needed to be a cyclist. Maybe a better term to describe the mc facet of my life would be that it has matured, like a good relationship. Don’t get me wrong, I thoroughly can’t wait for the snow to melt and take the Concours out for a 30 degree ride. I am even excited to know that my MC classes that I will be teaching will begin in less than two month. I held back just a little bit and will be teaching 26 instead of the crazy 36 classes that I did last year.

Other wheels in winter

2011-02-06T20:42:00.000-06:00

During the winter, I still get to enjoy 2 wheels. Except for a handful of days, I have ridden my mountain bike to the commuter train stop. This includes half walking and half riding the bicycle home the night of the blizzard in Chicago.

Lacking enthusiasm

2011-01-13T15:59:00.001-06:00

Got the email from Gil yesterday letting us know that the instructor signup system would be live in a few days. Did I get excited? Not this time. There will be many classes that I teach this year and I will enjoy each of them. However, this will not be another year of 37 classes. My signup will be in moderation (still ranging around 20 classes). My passion is leaning toward getting in more of my own activity. Some of it will be on the motorcycle. Other time will include another triathlon, an ultra-run, and at least one bicycle event like a touring ride. I have created a master list of possible events that I am supposed to review with my wife this weekend. She is more level headed on will help me narrow down my selections. Once that is set, I will fill in the left over weekends with the motorcycle classes. Not only will I enjoy teaching them, teaching them is a key part of my getting out of debt plan. This time 3 years from now I should have freed up 1200 a month in consumer debt payment (hence my wife is helping to shape my consumer moderation, okay yes she is holding my credit cards).

I particularly am experiencing some wanderlust. Some national park should have my name on it this year.

#37 and 38

2010-10-25T13:49:00.001-05:00

Finish the first weekend of my 37th and 38th MC classes of the season. One more weekend and the season will be finished. I am sure that withdrawal will set in. This weekend two instructors came by the site just to hang out. They were already missing the teaching.

Nice teaching weekend

2010-10-20T11:19:00.002-05:00

Half way there

2010-10-04T09:00:00.002-05:00

Finished my fourth weekend teaching Motorcycles class Saturday/Sunday 7-7 in a row. Four more to go and the teaching season is over. Believe it or not, while a little tired, this is such a blast. My encourage this weekend came during the wrapup of the classes. During the sharing the last bit of information, one of the students interjected with "Jeff, I you are the man. You really know how to teach this stuff. I am going to tell everyone to take this class and try get you" I turned a little rosie in the cheeks and see thank you.

7 weekends to go

2010-09-17T15:01:00.002-05:00

The motorcycle teaching season won't be around much longer. I teach morning and afternoon from 7-7 Sat and Sun for the next 7 weekends. Then the season will be over. It's been a heck of a long season but all for a purpose. I am so blessed to be able to earn extra money doing something so fun and important that has also helped me to make a dent in my consumer debt. In the end, I will have taught 38 twenty hour basic motorcycle classes this season. Come November, the Concours will be paided off as well.

Too many classes and generous students

2010-07-22T08:43:00.005-05:00

In 9 days, I taught five twenty hour motorcycle classes. 7 of the days were conducted in what felt like boot melting heat. The last two days were in the 90's and happened to be on black asphalt. There was a moment of beginning to feel the effects of heat exhaustion. Lucky for me, it was at 1:00 p.m. when the morning class was ending and we spend the first hour of the 1:30 class inside. I needed that time to cool off and pump up the fluids. I did consume roughly 6 liters of water a day and 2-3 Gatorade's.

Now for the encouragement. For the Monday -Friday 6-10 p.m. classes, I was blown away by Dave, one of the students. 8 of 9 had passed the class and the class was a lot of fun to work with in spite of the heat. We sell shirts and hats to assist with the funding for an end of the year banquet. As we were wrapping up the class paperwork with the students, Dave wrote a $20 check for a long sleeve t-shirt. Dave asked me to step outside with him for just a moment. Once outside he pulls out $160 and I immediately thought, time to give the speech my pay is plenty. However he quickly send there are 8 students in the class and give them all a long sleeve t-shirt courtesy of him. His only request is that I let him leave a few minutes before the others so that he didn't get all kinds of thank you's. We went back in the trailer and Dave left a few moments later. The fellow students were wowed by Dave's generosity as I told them they all get a shirt courtesy of Dave. In these tough times, such acts of generosity will leave an impression on the riders and myself.

Two days later at the end of the morning weekend class, Kevin, another student comments on our tools. We replaced a clutch lever that morning. He asked if he could donate a small tool box to make repairs a little easier. No problem we said. A half hour later he shows up with a 260 piece Craftsman Mechanics tool set in a self contained toolbox with drawers still wrapped in the box. It was more meaningful to him that picking up some t-shirts.

So there it is, lots of generosity that I have to believe is a slight indication to the quality of our instruction. Even though I have taught over 20 classes so far this season (many to go still) I remind myself at the beginning of each class that this is often there first experience ever with a motorcycle. And what an honor it is that I get to be a part of it. Just as important, when remembering that it is such a blast to do what we do in facilitating people to ride a motorcycle for the first time!

Jeffry

Cuff links and all

2010-06-23T08:13:00.000-05:00

I enjoy the variety of people taking the motorcycle classes with me. I had a first this last weekend. A rider with cuff links. Theo did great in the class and was a pleasure to work with. He did it with style.

Yes I did ride to work

2010-06-22T11:03:00.002-05:00

Okay I didn't ride to the full time job. However, I did ride the Concours to the part time job teaching motorcycle classes. I guess that I not only Road to Work but I only got to Ride for Work (riding the demonstrations for the class). I am a lucky man.

In the heat of teaching

2010-06-21T10:45:00.002-05:00

Worked weekend morning and afternoon motorcycle classes at King Dr Secretary of State last and this past weekend. In between I burned a week of vacation and taught a M-F 8-12 and 12:30-4:30 motorcycles classes down in Champaign at the U of I. 4 20 hour classes in 9 days. While in Champaign, I had a student suffer from heat exhaustion for the first time. It was scary. Right after a light rain, the full hot sun was out. It was in the upper 80's but over 90% humidity. While in the middle of a exercise, she stopped her motorcycle, removed her helmet and remained on the motorcycle (big no-no). I knew something wasn't right. When I got to her, she said she was feeling really sick. I cut her bike off, helped her off of the bike and got her to some shade. She then began vomiting. I got water and began to cool her off by wetting the back of her shirt and she put water through her hair. She felt better after awhile and we walked her to her car so she could sit in the air conditioning. I called her a few times that evening to make she she was okay.

Ready for class

2010-06-10T08:16:00.000-05:00

On the last day of our motorcycle class, a student named Victor came ready to ride using his ride to get to the class. My fellow instructor Austin's and my bikes are in the background. Just had to take the picture. Victor didn't ride the bike with the helmet on.

Giving memories

2010-05-30T19:28:00.000-05:00

Spent the night at my Father's outside of Oakwood, IL. My brother, his wife, and 4 of their boys were there. I was able to give each one of them a decent ride. Josh, the oldest and in the picture, rode with me out to my Aunt and Uncle's in Sidell, IL by way of Westville which ended up being 52 twisty country roads. We followed my Father who was in the car. 2 of my brother's were there with their kids, my daughter with my special 2 granddaughters were there as well. I don't see Josh (or my brother Dennis and their kids) as they live in Lexington, KY. So I had to make of the most of this visit. More later on the hot ride home.

Stereotypes and the motorcycle classes

2010-05-23T18:34:00.004-05:00

I just finished a 3 day BRC class. The class began Thursday evening and was classroom only. 3 friends and another student all sat together with sporty riding jackets. Two of them had icon helmets with nearly black shields and shark fins down the center. During the introductions, they shared that they all had street bikes and were hear to get legal. All of them have sport bikes. There was a side of me that said, oh this is going to be difficult and they are going to want to do their own thing. I apologize for my pre-judgement. In past classes, it's those experienced riders who aren't as receptive as beginners even though they are taking the Basic Rider Course.

I could not have been more wrong. They were some of the easiest guys that I have ever worked with. They were receptive to coaching and really added some skills that will help them on the roads. I thank them for humbling my improper judgements. Here are a few clips of them riding Ex 13, Cornering. Yes I did ask for there permission for making the clips and posting them on the site.

Wind and cold

2010-05-12T15:16:00.003-05:00

Thursday of last week I rode the Connie from Homewood to Champaign after I got off of work. I needed to ride over to Indy for the day with my brother to do a few things for my mother around her house. The ride down was sunny and in the 50's, great weather for the overpants.

Saturday I really needed to get back home. It was overcast, in the 40's with a solid 25-30 mph coming at me at the 10:00 position. I stayed on the open highway for around 15 miles but was not enjoying the ride. Even fully loaded and with a full 7.5 gallon tank, I was being pushed around. Feeling a cold wind running from left to right under my chin (wearing my full face helmet as always) and consistently having a sensation of my head lifting and being pushed, I switched over to the old US HWYs and country roads. Knowing that there would be a tree line among much of way dictated which roads I was to take. I've been on all of these roads before. For those not in the Midwest, along many US HWY's running N to S, you will find scattered tree lines on the west side of the road. This helps to keep some of the drifting snow banks off of the road. In this case, it eased much of the ride home. Instead of a quick 1:45 ride, I took 3 hours getting home and included a stop at a great small town motorcycle shop "Watseka Motorsport". As I lament the closing of my local MC Shop, I will probably being bringing my Connie to them for service. They have a seasoned mechanic who should be familiar with the Concours.

Anyway, getting off of the superslab provided led to a much more enjoyable ride (especially with Gerbings gloves and jacket liner). I will be seeking this type of riding as time permits for a slower but more meaningful experience.

Success rates vs successful MC classes

2010-04-26T10:39:00.002-05:00

I just finish teaching my second MC safety class of the season. My co-instructors were great and both classes were taught and coached in the manner that should generate success. I believe in the 1st one, 5 of 9 passed and the 2nd one, 3 of 7. Of those who didn't pass, I believe that they all could in pass the riding evalutation in time. I encouraged each to get right back in another classes as soon as possible (which will be easier with the abundance of classes that lack 100% confirmed students).

As an instructor, it's frustrating to focus on the end numbers. At the beginning of the last day of riding, my co instructor was a sub for someone who was sick. I shared and he confirmed early in the day that probably 3 of the 7 would pass. The other four weren't endangering anyone, but they weren't progressing to the point that they would be able to pass the riding evaluation. Most importantly, the would be a danger to themselves and other if they were to go on to the street at this time. The 4 who did not pass learned a tremendous amount both on and off of the motorcycle. They just require more development time than was available on a single class.

So in the end, I am blessed to be part of the program and I enjoy the whole thing. The success rate is a point in time for everyone in the class that in only an immediate gage in the process of become a safe/good motorcyclist.

Rebel in the real world

2010-03-30T17:14:00.002-05:00

Unfortunately, I didn't have my camera on me this afternoon. I staff the library's reference desk from 5-8 this evening. On day's like today, I like to take a walk through Hyde Park around 4:00. Parked on the street adjacent to the library was an electric blue 250 Honda Rebel. All of the chrome was shiny. It had two rear view mirrors and even all of it's signals. I can hear you saying so what! Honestly I am not used to seeing Rebels in such conditions. The Rebel is one of the bikes that we use in the UIUC Motorcycle Rider program. Each site normally has 2 Rebels and a mix of Honda Nighthawks and Yamaha Dual Sports. The Rebels are there to accommodate the height challenge riders. The Rebels that I am accustomed to are scratched, dented, missing signals and mirrors. Next time on the teaching range, looking at the bruised and battered Rebels, I will remember how they were meant to look.

Jeffry

2010 Motorcycle Teaching Season

2010-02-09T10:46:00.002-06:00

I attended our motorcycle instructor update this past weekend. With a few changes to what I had requested to teach, I have ended up scheduled to teach 26 Basic Rider Courses. My stepson Neil has been scheduled to range aid for 45 classes this season. The first class of the season for both of us begins April 3rd at South Suburban College. The goal for me is paying of 2 credit card accounts with the money made this season. Neil saves the majority of his money to last the year, buy his college textbooks. He is a miser (in a good way) with the money he earns.

There are a few changes for our region this year. All of the basic classes are the MSF Basic Rider Course. The BRT out of Team Oregon is no longer being field tested. This was announced at the instructor banquet to the major disappointment of instructor who became fond of the BRT. The region is refocusing on the BRC and getting everyone to follow the standardization of the delivery of the course. Many instructors haven't taught a BRC for a few years because of the field testing of the BRT. I have my own opinions and there is no perfect curriculum. Whatever is being used is what I will teach.

We will be on a tighter schedule with less flexibility at some of the sites. The region has been tasked to increase last years total from 4200 students to over 7000 students this year. One way of achieving this is overlapping classes. 2 classes do the 4 hour classroom together on a weeknight. For Saturday and Sunday, 1 class has the range from 7-1 classroom 2-4, the other has the classroom from 10-1, range 2-7. I am sure it will work as we stay on target. It's hard enough getting people to show up for the 8 am classes with some showing up late and being dismissed. I am teaching mostly classes that will begin on the range at 7 am. There may be an increase in the number of students being dismissed for tardies although I sincerely hope not.

My local shop's doors are closed

2010-01-27T13:37:00.004-06:00

Well I hadn't been to my local motorcycle shop for a few weeks. 3 weeks ago I went to their website (which was a hosted site) and it said that the dealership is not longer using this webservice. I called the shop to see if they we open since the website was down. They answered and said that yes they were open but not longer using the webservice. I rationalized that they stopped using the site because they dropped their dealership status and were getting rid of their new bikes. Unfortunately the snowball continued to roll down hill and they have closed down.

Since buying my motorcycle from them in 2005, I had been treated very well. Prior to the housing bubble and credit crunch, they employed over 35 people. When I worked for them over the summer as a demo ride escort, the sales folks were always saying that people were interested in the bikes and some had down payments, but they couldn't get financed. At the time they announced that they were dropping their dealership status (Yamaha, Kawasaki, Honda, Suzuki) late this fall, they were down to 6 employees. They were hoping to make it as a motorcycle service center until the market improved. The timing of trying to may payroll as just a service center in the winter in Chicago.

I wish everyone there well and hope that they are able to find employment. Besides missing the staff, I will miss the money that was already paid for prepaid maintenance. I had 2 years left on my Concours and 2 years left on Neil's Ninja 250. Alas, life is this good.

Setting priorities

2010-01-19T09:03:00.003-06:00

The girls have been gone for almost two months. They are doing fine btw. Without the responsibility of caring for them, my daily schedule has been initially quite open. Even before they returned home, I knew that the pending free time would provide me with the opportunity to reevaluate my priorities and commitments.

Motorcycling will continue to play a role in my life of course. As my wife and I are committed to reducing our consumer debt, I will be teaching many motorcycle classes and putting that money toward my debt. At least 3 weeks of vacation will be used to teach weekday daytime motorcycle classes. It means that I am not planning any real adventures or long trips (with the only exception being a work conference in Washington DC that will be a subsidized motorcycle trip).

Last week I resigned my "Safety Officer" position with the Shadow Riders club. I was starting to resent feeling the obligation to attend meetings and to write a safety article for the club's monthly newsletter. The club is a good club, but it is not something that I am feeling impassioned to participate in. The resignation lifted an emotional weight off of my shoulders.

The only major addition to my lifestyle is related to physical activities. The week after the girls were gone, I committed to swimming 3 days a week in order to build up to completing (surviving) a triathlon in August. The swimming has been more than a challenge as I have never had any swimming lessons or swam laps for workouts. After building up a little distance and comfort during December, I joined the Masters Swimming group at the University of Chicago with the plan of improving form, workouts, efficiency. I will still swim 3 days a week, but probably only be able to fit it one workout a week with the Masters group. A swim coach is present at there workouts and they have been good at given one things at a time and per workout for improvement. It's been seven total weeks of swimming and I was able to finish a full level 3 workout (lowest level) which was 2600 meters. Besides having a coach around for the group workouts, I get an email with workout plans for the week so I have great workouts to try on my own.

The triathlon that I want to survive sounds more like a small adventure. It is the DINO (DO INndiana Off-road) Logansport Triathlon in August. The distances are somewhat reasonable and the number of participants don't seem overwhelming. The swim is a half mile swim in an open quarry lake. The biking is a 10 mile mountain bike ride on trails (which means I don't have to buy a road bicycle). The run is 4 miles on trails.

Somehow I will balance the workouts, free time, and riding the motorcycle this year. I did start up the Connie and let it run for around fifteen minutes. Took is around the block to take it through the gears.

Always a pleasure,
Jeffry

Almost back to normal

2009-11-24T08:48:00.005-06:00

This is somewhat related to my MC life. On December 5th of 2008, my granddaughters were placed in my home as a relative foster care placement. Tomorrow, Anasia and Paige are moving back home with my daughter, just a week short of a year. While I was not free to roam on the Connie, my life has been greatly enhances by my two angels. My wife was a big trooper as she watched "my" granddaughter on weekends that allowed me to teach 15 motorcycles classes (20hrs apiece). My stepson Neil made life easier by dropping the girls off at daycare in the morning and picking them up so that they arrived home as I did from work. I will get Neil a helmet holding backpack to use when riding his Ninja to Prairie State College.

As my last official foster parent act, I picked up Anasia at daycare on the Connie to ride to her school. I had a parent teacher conference at 4:00. She was smiling so big when I walked into her area of the daycare (actually before and after program for Anasia) in my gear with a helmet for her to wear. She was the cool one then. Paige will be big enough to reach the footrest on the Connie come next riding season.

I believe my own daughter has grown a whole lot this past her, gotten her head in the right place, working, not depressed and drinking. The girls are beyond excited to be moving back home. There was be a big gap in my day to day living, but life will be going back to they way it is supposed to be. Some of the gap will be filled with the Connie.

So as a prelude to Thanksgiving, I am most grateful for the blessing of being able to care for them this past year and all that they added to my life.

Jeffry

Times changing at local dealership

2009-11-02T11:29:00.002-06:00

My local dealership has become a causality of the economic down turn. They have decided to change from a dealership (with parts, gear, and great service) to a motorcycle service center. Maintaining their status as a new bike dealership for the 4 Japanese brands was costing them too much. I have prepaid maintenance package on both our bikes with them with 2 years left on both bikes. In the long run, maybe by the time I need to buy new again, the economy will have picked up and they will have new bikes again. As for now, I am hoping that they weather this period.

Forget the commuter train this week

2009-10-21T09:00:00.002-05:00

This may be the last stint of nice days to ride into work. I normally catch a Amtrak style commuter train from the South Suburbs to Hyde Park. Today is the 3rd day in a row that I decided to ride the Concours into work. In the midst of rush hour traffic, being cut off, slowing to a stop at time, I am in a surprisingly peaceful zen like state of mind. Fully aware of the surrounding, I am one with the Concours as it smoothly maneuvers through traffic.

Can everyone ride a bicycle?

2009-10-08T14:14:00.004-05:00

This is asked at the beginning of each basic motorcycle class. We say that we can teach you how to ride a motorcycle, but we don't have the time to teach 2 wheel balancing. Of course everyone says yes. And then I ask, are you sure. Of course everyone says yes. However, there is an occasional person who didn't go through the proper self evaluation. Their posture on the motorcycle clearly indicates that if there were ever on a bicycle, it was a decade or so ago. I wish that we had a generic bicycle at each site that we required riding by prospective students. It would definitely cut down on some accident reports that have to be written any time a bike/student goes down.

Nice day ride to Savanna, Il

2009-09-14T13:46:00.007-05:00

I took last Thursday off from work to have a day of riding. I still have the granddaughters with me so the only riding I get to do is going back and forth to teaching MC classes or a commute to work. The thought of spending a day on the bike was exciting. I spent the evening trying to decide where to go. It wasn't until that morning after I got the girls off to daycare/school that I decided to head west. Checking the map the evening before, it looked like US HWY 52 from Joliet, IL to Savanna, IL would be one nice option.

There was a slight fog that lasted most of the ride to Savanna. This meant the temperature stayed in the low 60's which was a slight bit chilly since I chose to ride in mesh (top and bottom). The rode had gentle curves and hills from I-39 onwards. With the corn tall in the fields, most of the curves were blind. I made a pit stop at Palisades State Park and took a snapshot from the overlook at the south entrance. The sun was unimpeded for the ride back brought the temps back into the low 80's. Overall, a great day that burned on a meager 365 miles.

Loss of a fellow instructor

2009-08-31T09:15:00.002-05:00

Dennis P. Wegener passed on August 14th at the age of 70. He had battled cancer for the last year. When Ebony and I took the Basic Rider Course in the Spring of 2005, Dennis was one of the instructors. He was great, knowledgeable, and funny. He had lots to add the curriculum with his experience as a retired State Trooper. During the first two seasons as an instructor, I had the honor to teach with him. Dennis was great to teach with and will be missed.

She's whole again

2009-08-14T14:03:00.002-05:00

I took the Connie in to have the new side mirror and front fender mounted. What a mental difference. The cracked side mirror and damaged front fender didn't affect the ride, but it just didn't make me as happy. Of course while riding, I couldn't even see the front fender (except in my mind). My mind was telling me everyone out there sees it, but they didn't, just like those drivers who don't see me on a motorcycle anyway.

Rode into work. 65 mph on the Dan Ryan at 7:30 in the morning is a clear indication of the job loss in Chicago.

Caught in Hyde Park

2009-07-29T13:13:00.000-05:00

A sweet Honda CD 175, kick start, shiny chrome tank

Experienced Rider Course and broken plastic

2009-07-28T08:51:00.005-05:00

Neil and I attended the Experience Rider Course that was held at Triton Community College Sunday. The broken plastic happened elsewhere. After teaching many 8-3 Saturday MC classes, midway during the morning I realized that we were going to be in the classroom until lunch and then ride for the afternoon. The ERC course is run from 8-6 with an hour lunch. We received a handbook for the course but it was not referred to during the classroom at all. The classroom used some older "RSS" curriculum videos. A pristine GMC Pacer gave the decade away. Browsing the handbook, I had hoped that we would have covered some of the "situations and solutions" particularly for Neil. Since that was not the case, I think that Neil and I will go through the handbook together.

I treated Neil to Subway (big spender that I am) for our 1 hour lunch break. We were back first and lined our bikes on the very familiar "T's" that are used in the basic classes. Of course the instructors moved us once they arrived back from lunch as they are not used in the ERC at all. I lost count of the total number of exercises that we did. Some were short link purposefully locking our rear tire for a stop. I didn't particularly enjoy the feeling of my rear tire skidding and coming out of line. Cornering exercises were as enjoyable as they could have been. TCC has the MC program use a terribly cracked and bumpy parking lot. So during the corning, leaning the bike over, having to negotiate dips and loose gravel didn't give me the confidence to lean the bike over as much. 18 year old Neil on the other hand is another story. He was at the edge of his tires limits and dragging pegs on that Ninja 250 like it was nothing. I was rather proud of his riding during the class and the instructors commented on how good his performance was during the exercises. That being said, our 40 mile ride home in traffic on the Chicago Expressways reminded me that I need to work with him on how to better position himself in traffic. I am not as concerned with his skill of handling the MC, but how he positions himself in traffic and his lack of maintaining a modest space cushion.

I did find myself wanting to performing the exercises more often next to one of the two instructors. He was the one who constantly offered suggestions for improvement. I am a sucker for that stuff. Like in all other settings, I thirst for feedback (and approval) and want to "make the coach" happy. I am extremely competitive, especially with myself. The other instructor simply let us ride the excercises with very little feedback. I noticed that Neil went to the one offering the feedback as well.

The majority of the riders had 1-3 years of riding experience. There was a Harley, two SV650's, another smaller but exceptionally painted cruiser, two M109's, Neil' 250, and my Connie.

As Neil and I pulled into our driveway at the end of the day, I had to park behind our of our cars because there was not enough space to get my Connie to the garage door. Neil ran an errand in the car and made it safely around my bike. He came home for a few minutes that wanted to go out again. I was on the computer and jumped up as I heard a loud noise. Yep, he forgot the Connie was there and backed right into it. We I got out my heart sank seeing the bike on it's side. After getting it upright (not the lightest bike in the world with a 7 1/2 gallon full tank), my heart sank further. The front fender was broke in half, the right mirror is crushed, and there are scratches on the main fairing from the bumper of the car. The rear tip over bars saved the rear end from any damage and I am made that I hadn't put on the front tip over bars (crash bars) as I had planned to before the ERC. I will ride it over to the shop and place the order for the replacement fender and mirror. They will have to do the fender and the wheel has to be removed and rivets drilled out of the fork brake that the fender is attached to. I may or may not have them replace the mirror.

Neil will be paying for the greater portion of the repair. However, I am also feeling bad having him spend his money that he has earned working with the MC program. Having the Connie with a few scars and needing some repairs doesn't make me happy either. It's only cosmetic, and it will be okay. It didn't impact anything necessary to ride.

Time to trade roles

2009-07-24T12:52:00.002-05:00

Sunday, I become a student instead of the instructor. Neil and I are registered for the Experienced Rider Course. The weather forecast looks great with partly sunny and a high of 79 degrees, which is not the norm for the end of July. It should be in the 90's. I will let you now what both Neil and I learn from the class. I followed him home from Joliet on I-80 for 30 miles. He scared me a few times with some poor lane positioning and passing too close to vehicles he passed. We talked about highway driving when we got home. Hearing it from other instructors will be a good thing.

Harper College in Palatine

2009-07-08T08:52:00.002-05:00

Yesterday I enjoyed a work day outside of Hyde Park. I attended a Web Accessibility Workshop that was held at William Rainey Harper College located in Palatine, Illinois. Besides attending the an informative workshop, attending allowed me to put 122 miles on the Connie.

Mistake with good consequences

2009-07-06T14:15:00.002-05:00

As a commuter train rider, I purchase a monthly pass to ride the train ($102 a month). When my stepson goes downtown, he asks to use the pass. No problem and he has been quite reliable. Well he used the pass to go downtown on the 3rd for fireworks. Neil couldn't find it when he got home. There is also 4 weeks of work left. Not to relieve him from responsibilities, he will have to cover my transportation costs for the month. It will only be 3 weeks worth as I am taking a week off to teach a daytime MC class. So to minimize the cost to him, I will brave the traffic and ride the Connie to work as many days as possible. In the end it will be cheaper and more fun. I will also get to work and home a bit quicker as well. Riding to work takes around 30-40 minutes and home is 40-50. The total commute via train is 10 minutes for bicycle, 10 minutes waiting on train, 22 minute plush commuter train ride, 15 minute walk to work.

Down but not out

2009-06-18T08:29:00.003-05:00

You may remember my post about my first ambulance call teaching a motorcycle class. My step son tells me the person who was injured during my class is in the middle of an evening class for which he is the range aid. He says she is doing well and happy to be back in the class. She choose to wear a full face helmet for the class.

Zen and idiots

2009-06-12T07:45:00.004-05:00

Here's the new rule. Ride to work at least once a week.

Beautiful morning, temperature in the mid 50's in Chicago. With little time for riding in my current circumstances, I will need to commit myself to ride to work once a week. Today was a perfect day to ride. I-57 is a breeze going in or on the return trip. Traffic is fairly spaced out with an average speed of 65-70. I know the speed limit is 55, but that is the pace set by traffic. Once I-57 merges with I-94 (The Dan Ryan) is slows to real rush hour traffic. Even so, this morning I only had to plant my feet twice on the rode. The traffic pattern of the Dan Ryan including adding a lane and the new surface eases some of the congestion. Just a ridership of the Metra has thinned a little, I have to believe some of the cars on the Dan Ryan has thinned as well as a result of unemployment.

It wasn't until I got on the Dan Ryan that my Zen of riding was disturbed. Once on the Dan Ryan, cars are jumping from lane to lane to get one or one cars closer to work. This behavior means consistently getting cut off. Okay I am a little used to that. However once per trip and cager moves over into my lane without checking mirror and ignores my presence. The short peep of the horn is my only recourse to make me feel better as the cager usually forces themselves into my lane and I back off. I know I can't win. Unfortunately I get mentally sucked in for the next five minutes thinking of bad ways to react. Riding along side the car and giving it a kick, flipping them the finger, carrying steel ball bearings to through as the car, etc.... Of course I won't end up doing this as it will have no effect and could produce road rage with a cager. As before, the horn is my only way to vent. If I could only get back to enjoying the ride as quickly as the cager who cuts me off forgets about me. I will work on it.

It was good to ride to work today. Enough said.

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Back on the bike for one

2009-06-09T09:43:00.002-05:00

My step-son graduated from HS this week. In the midst of this business he has been working as a range aid for the motorcycle classes on weeknights and the weekends. My step-daughter Ebony came home for a week to be here for the party and celebrations. Ebony get this motorcycle bug started in me in 2005. Ebony is someone who likes to explore new activities. She came across the motorcycle classes while living with us after graduating from college. Ebony asked me to take the class with her and I said why not. I had grown up riding dirt bikes but hadn't ridden a motorcycle for over 20 years. Of course the rest is history. After taking the class, Ebony bought a Ninja 250 that she shared with me during the summer of our first riding season. That fall, I purchased the Concours. She had the bike for a couple of years, but went to Boston to get a Master's in Medical Science to help her get in Med School. After the first year away, "we" decided to sell it to reduce her expenditures while in school. As she had only been paying those minimum payments, I ended up eating about a thousand in order to sell the bike.

Ebony just finished her first year in Med School and Boston University with straight A's. While home for the graduation, I helped her remember the basics of motorcycling while using Neil's new Ninja 250. We had a mini motorcycle course on our dead end street. She following me in the subdivision for around 20 minutes (lots of curves), then made it out to roads that took us up to 55 mph. She was happy to be back on a motorcycle. After Med School, I know she will have a motorcycle of her own again. In the meantime, there will always be a bike at home for her to ride.

First Ambulance call teaching motorcylce classes

2009-05-18T13:59:00.004-05:00

Thank goodness for a calm co-instructor and for first aid classes. During Evaluation #3 (quick stop) of the Basic Rider Course I was teaching Saturday, a rider over applied the front brake. The result was a front tire skid with the student head/face making the primary contact with the asphalt. The student rolled onto her back and was very still. She then opened her eyes and realized what had happened. We used gauze and ice packs to control bleeding and swelling as we waited for the medics to arrive. Her husband arrive shortly afterwards and took her to the ER to get checked out and probably some stitches. Before she left, she gave Steve (my fellow instructor) and I big hugs with a warm smile. "I'll be back in a few weeks because I am already registered for another basic class," she declared. She had gotten in as a walk-in for this class.

A couple lessons were learned during the event. The first as indicated by one of the anonymous evaluation comments "full face helmets should be required for these classes." The other riders saw the reality of even a slow speed crash on the face. Had the student been riding with a full face helmet, she would still have had some road rash on her knee, but would not have suffered the cuts, gash, and possible loose teeth .

Of course, in Illinois, riders are free to choose. However, even for short ride 5 blocks away to Starbucks, I "always" don the full face lid. Witnessing this accident during the class only reinforces my choice to be a full face rider all of the time.

I pray for a quick healing for the student and may the rest of her riding be blessed.

Counter steering video

2009-05-15T07:58:00.002-05:00

During one of the earlier classes of the season a fellow instructor had me demo counter steering for his HD video recorder. Jeff then produced this video. Kudos to Jeff. So you say that doesn't look like one of the programs bikes. It's not. It's Cornelius' 2009 Ninja 250R.

Old school GS

2009-05-11T09:03:00.000-05:00

Okay, I am not a BMW rider but I had to snap a picture of this one walking from the train to the library in Chicago. So for you BMW riders, name this bike.

Day ride to Champaign

2009-05-07T08:12:00.004-05:00

Monday I was already dressed for work. The girls had eaten and were ready to go to school. My schedule at work had no appointments or shifts on the reference desk. The forecast called for partly cloudy skies with a high in the sixties. Okay, I couldn't pass it up. With my granddaughter living with us, getting any riding in on the weekends is much of a possibility. I barely am able to do the motorcycle classes (only half days this year) and I don't feel right asking Abigail to look after the girls while I go riding. The bulk of this year's riding will have to occur during the week when the schedule is open and the weather is dry.

I called my father once I decided to spend the day riding. He said that he was busy already for the day and wouldn't be able to meet for lunch. After around fifteen minutes, he called back and said to meet my brother and him and buffalo wild wings in Savoy (south side of Champaign) at 12:00. The call back and shifting his schedule made me feel good. I love my father.

Made a few stops before getting on I-57. The Connie has had a long winter and needed some Seafoam. I filled her up with gas and Seafoam, plugged in the XMradio tune it to BBC Radio One, popped in the ear plugs, and off I went. I cruised down to Champaign at around 70 the whole way with a nice wind out the the east.

Before meeting them for lunch, I stopped by the UIUC Motorcycle Rider Program office in Champaign. I wanted to drop off the paperwork from the weekend Intermediate Rider Course that I had taught. Stopping by would also give me a chance to talk shop with them about the IRC. Gil and I were able to talk for around 30 minutes about the new curriculum. He had just finished teaching two of them as well.

Lunch was good. My brother seems to be loosing a little weight, which is really good. After lunch I stopped to visit my daughter and son for a few minutes. I would see my daughter that evening as well when she came for her every other Monday night visit with the girls.

I didn't want to take the interstate home however. Instead I caught I-74 East and exited IL Rt 49 N. I take this rural route quite often when visiting my father who lives near Kickapoo State Park. Besides rolling (okay it is a bit flat) farm land, the route has quite a few banked 90 degree corners (big smile). 49 turns into US Rt 45/52 16 miles south of Kankakee. I had to take a pit stop at my fun store, Blain's Farm & Fleet in Kankakee. From Kankakee, I rode Governor's Hwy home.

A wonderful relaxing 270 mile day. The Connie was purring by the end of the ride having consumed a day's worth of Seafoam treated gasoline.

Very challenging intermediate rider course

2009-04-27T08:39:00.002-05:00

I taught my first intermediate rider course this past Thursday and Saturday. Rider must already possess a motorcycle permit. If they pass the riding evaluation, they get the license waiver they same as graduates of the basic rider course.

The range for the riding on Saturday was terrible. South Suburban College's parking lot was always challenging with cracks, dips, and loose gravel on the old asphalt. It was seal coated this past fall. Saturday's weather gave us intermittent showers which in turn made the seal coat slick as snot. During the demo ride of the cornering exercise (stretch out race track type of oval), my rear tire slid several times even though I was going only 10-12 mph. The students were rightfully timid, but it also cost a few come the riding evaluation.

3 of 10 passed. I bike was dropped during the stopping quickly evaluation because of a front tire skid. Bikes went down 3 other times during the day.

Conditions aside, I don't believe several of the riders had the appropriate level of experience for the progression of the intermediate course. One person that I was greatly suspect of her experience didn't show up for the riding portion. During the self introductions, her stated experience was being on a bike a few times on a parking lot. The problem is that without having some level of comfort riding, shifting, stopping, turning, the riders without the right level of experience aren't able to effectively progress throughout the course as they don't have the right building blocks. They also eliminate exercise 17 Skills Practice for the IRC.

We will see how the next IRC goes this Thursday and Saturday. I will reserve my judgement of the curriculum until after this one.

First MC class of the season, half pass

2009-04-18T17:02:00.002-05:00

Today was the last day of my first 20 hour Basic Motorcycle Class offered by the UIUC Motorcycle Rider Program. This class was at South Suburban College. The range for the class is pretty rough with plenty of cracks and dips. Anyhow, on the fourth day of the course, only 8 of the original 12 students started the day. The riding progressed fine but I knew a few of the rider were going to have issues during the riding evaluation. One particular person just couldn't get comfortable above 8 mph so it was hard for this rider to acquired the skills needed. The rider was actually surprised that she didn't passes the riding evaluation as the rider stated "you're kidding me that I didn't pass." Well I wasn't and the rider didn't . The rider already has a HD sporty picked out and the rider was wearing all HD gear. The rider showed up with a HD half helmet put wasn't allowed to wear it.

More personally disappointing was a rider who was doing fine and progressed throughout the course. However on the quick stop of the evaluation, grabbed the front brake, skidded the front tire a bit and dropped the bike. Dropping a MC during the riding evaluation is an automatic failure. The rider was really frustrating.

Even though only half of the remaining students passes, all of them learned a lot and made progress. They were also a joy to work with. First of 11 classes is done.

Lawmakers cave to Illinois Abate on Helmet Law

2009-04-02T08:53:00.002-05:00

Illinois Senate bill 1351 was defeated yesterday. The bill would have request the use of DOT helmets by all motorcyclists in Illinois. Abate of Illinois did a good job on contacting all State Senators.

I think that it is sad as I believe that Illinois should require the use of helmets like most of the states including California and New York, see AMA for the helmet laws by state. Yes I did contact my State Senator to voice my support for the bill, however I am sure that she received hundreds of calls opposing the law. The argument that it about freedom of choice is not logical. It is a public safety issue no different than the used of seat belts. Such a law would have alleviated the need for a local fundraiser for a biker with head and face injuries who rode without a helmet. Over time, who will be paying his medical bills? You and I.

So, thank you again Abate for demonstrating how special interests groups dictate the votes of elected officials.

Plans for more training

2009-03-30T16:03:00.002-05:00

I have tried over the last couple of years to get into the Experienced Rider Course offered by the UIUC Motorcycle Rider Program (of which I am an instructor for the basic course). The first attempt was on a cold rainy day and not enough students showed up to begin the course. Last year, I was scheduled for one on a rainy 32 degree day of which I would have had to ride 40 miles over many bridges. I sat that one out (it was cancelled due to lack of students).

I just got my confirmation of my registration for the ERC at Triton Community College for the last Sunday of July. I also registered Neil, who will have had 4 months of riding experience on his 09 Ninja 250. Maybe he was the lucky charm.

New ride in the family stable

2009-03-23T13:32:00.002-05:00

Picked up my stepson's brand spanking new 2009 blue Ninja 250R last Thursday. Mind you his only riding experience was the MSF class last July and nothing since then.

Day one, rocking using the friction zone, power walking, shifting 1, 2, 3rd on our dead end no traffic street.

Day two, playing follow the leading in our subdivision, Homewood Estates, for about 30 miles. He was exhausted. Getting a new bike has helped ease him into the use of the throttle as he need keeps in no higher than 5000 rpms which only gets him to around 35 mph in sixth gear. The break in limit will last until 500 miles.

Day three, 3 different rides (only one with me) in the subdivision. Today he focused on adjust speed for cornering and planning his path of travel (outside-inside-outside).

At the end of day 4 he is up to 120 miles.

The frame sliders I ordered for the bike aren't in yet. When they get in we will have them put on.

The UIUC Motorcycle Rider Program instructor update is this upcoming Sunday. I have signed up to teach 11 classes. My stepson has signed up to range aid for 28 classes this year. He is graduating from HS in June and the range aiding will provide some cash to help pay for his college textbooks, pay for some the bike, and save for a car. It will also keep him focused on MC safety. I hope that with range aiding so many classes, he will consider going through the instructor program sometime in the future.

Winter begins to crack

2009-03-05T09:00:00.002-06:00

The deep freeze that the Windy City has endured this winter is beginning to crack. Earlier in the week we were still experiencing highs in the 20's. Today a warm spells is in the forecast with a high in the mid 50s. On the walk from home to the train, I spotted a full dresser Harley and an older BMW on the road. Sitting in my office, I noticed a coworker walking by wearing his Fieldsheer riding suit. He rides a Suzuki 1200 Bandit.

As for myself, I will be picking my Concours up from CSC today. I dropped it off the night before last for its 27000 maintenance.

My step-son is getting excited about get his Ninja 250R. Still likely that it will be a March 31 pickup. It's still in a crate in a warehouse somewhere in Ohio. Looking for it to be delivered to the shop this month and get the frame sliders installed prior to picking it up.

A little updating

2009-02-18T09:26:00.002-06:00

Non-MC related:

Looks like my granddaughters will be with us at least through the summer. The routine is there and I really feel good about what my wife and I are able to do with them and for them during this time. They finished their first ice skating classes and I signed them up for another 6 sessions. Weekend only activities are the only option given our work schedules.

MC related:

U of I MRP class registration is open for online enrollment. It went live at classes are already full for the first several sessions for each of the various sites. In adjusting to my to responsibilities and working with my wife, I have signed up to teach 9 weekend classes and 2 9-1 M-F classes. Might as well burn a little vacation time making some money and teaching classes. My first class of the session is a Thursday/Saturday setup that begins April 9th. Of the various session taught, the two week Th 6-10 Sat 8-3 is my favorite to teach. It leaves Saturday evening and all day Sunday open.

We are field testing a Intermediate Rider Course that requires familiarity with riding and will only be a Th 6-10 and Sat 8-3. I did notice that if required the rider to have a valid drivers license in addition to a MC permit. So for those riding who want to get legal, it will only cost them 10 hours vs the full 20 hours in order to get the license waiver from the program. I don't know how it will be taught in the classroom or what exercises will be used yet. I will learn all of this at the one day update on March 29. I will be curious how well the students will have accessed their readiness for the Intermediate Course.

The current plan for Neil's MC is to pay a little more off on the layaway and get the bike at the end of March. I have had fun exploring stuff to add to the Ninja 250. Neil likes the idea of adding frame sliders from Intuitive Racing to protect the plastic on his newbie ride. Given my orientation, I will probably spring for led license plate cover to give him some more visibility. That will do it.

New bike is coming

2009-02-02T11:45:00.001-06:00

I am taking the money to the shop to put a New 2009 Blue Ninja 250 on hold for my stepson. He graduates from high school this year. My wife and I are planning to get the bike out in April. Cornelius initially wanted black, but I was able to remind him about wanting stand out in traffic. He relented for the blue. Chicago Sports and Cycle only got 9 2009 Ninja 250's in for the year. Ours will stay crated until we are ready to pick it up.

More later.

Race and riding

2009-01-19T20:25:00.002-06:00

Tomorrow is a big day for the United States. I remember when Obama first announced his candidacy, it didn't think that he had a chance. The basis was two fold. First was that he was junior new Senator from our state of Illinois. Second, I didn't think that that United States was ready or willing to have an African American as the President. Yet I have been happily surprised that enough Americans got behind him and the world joins in our excitement at his inauguration tomorrow.

Obama leadership of our country demonstrates progress but not the end of the issues of race. While many celebrate his presidency, I know many peoples world are disrupted by the thought that this country will be lead by an African American. Yet I hope that this era will usher in a time of a more cosmopolitan acceptance of those who aren't mirror images of ourselves.

Personally, I hope that this level of acceptance will allow my wife to comfortably ride with me on the Connie anywhere that we chose. However, I have to be practical. I have found that people worst can come out even more when confronted with the reality of a multiracial couple even. I am blessed to be comfortable and happy with who am I. More so I appreciate both those who are like me and well as those who are not. To me that is what makes life special.

In the riding world, we are often as segregated as other areas of our lives. Most riding groups are homogoneous in one way or another and most often amound racial lines, just like most of our churchs. I think that the only people who are in mixed riding groups, or churches, for the matter, are those who consciously choose to be in that setting.

May the advent of a new political era also usher in a greater appreciation and respect for others.

Peace and the open road.

Teaching season around the corner

2009-01-10T18:30:00.004-06:00

Got the email this week announcing sign ups for teaching the MC classes year. My wife and I are going to go over the possibilities tomorrow. With the granddaughters living with us, my schedule will be more reasonable. I look to initially sign up to teach 10 classes during the season. If the girls go home to their mother's during the season, I may pick up a few extra classes.

Besides the excitement of teaching the classes, this year will be extra special. My stepson Cornelius will likely be a range aid for most of the classes that I will teaching. He took the BRC class that summer, but didn't get the M added to his license yet. Since he doesn't turn 18 until February, it would have meant that he needed to take the test at the DMV on another bike. Instead, he held onto the license waiver and will add the M with no fan fair next month. My wife is planning on purchasing a used Ninja 250 for him for his high school graduation.

Time to reflect

2008-12-31T09:00:00.002-06:00

Here I sit, warming up after the walk from the train to the library in 13 degrees weather. The library is quiet, not because it is a library, but because it's New Year's Eve and the university is on break. The stillness allows the time and space to reflect the ending and beginning of another year.

Motorcycling this year had a different flavor than the two years prior. No long rides to speak of. The longest day ride of the year was 600 miles for a visit to my son in Southern Illinois. While I enjoyed teaching the MC classes, I am committed to not carrying the load of another 21 classes in a teaching season again. The faces of the students are still in my memory. I imagine that the longer that I teach, to more likely it will be that I run into people that have been in my classes.

While I continue to be a member of 2 MC groups, I feel less connected. With the schedule that I was keeping, I often missed meetings and can't think of a single group ride that I was able to attend. Admittedly, group riding has much of the initial appeal. On the other hand, I feel a stronger bond to the friendship that have developed with other instructors.

My motorcycling life for 2009 is looking fuzzy. The Concours will be ridden and I will teach motorcycle classes. Both will be in moderation, particularly as long as my granddaughters continue in my care. Spending time with the girls is helping me appreciate life more and to see the happiness. As the weather warms in early Spring, I imagine the fun that Anasia (6 year old) will have taking short rides with me to the local public library or to Starbucks. Anasia had her first rides with me this past year as she comfortably reached the passenger footrests. Before you start shaking your head, know that she will geared appropriately and the rides are short.

If free time is in short supply, I imagine that an occasional ride to work will be one way to get my MC fix.

Reading other MC blogs will continue to feed my MC needs. Thanks to all of you bloggers who share your rides and thoughts with us.

Happy New Year

Jeffry

2008-12-24T08:55:00.000-06:00

Wishing you a Merry Christmas along with the hopes and dreams that a New Year brings.

Winter dreams

2008-12-23T13:39:00.003-06:00

The snow has continued to fall, adding more inches to the already cold crusty layers cause by the sub zero temperatures. Walking yesterday in 6 degrees temperature through Hyde Park, saw a sad looking black BMW R 65 parked on the street. The beemer didn't look like it had moved seen the wintry weather began last week. The turn signals were broken, but otherwise the ride seemed to be intact. With all of the wind, there was only a thin layer of crusty snow on the seat. I was tempted to check the speedometer, but felt to self-conscious.

Given the age of the beemer, I am sure that it has enjoyed many a road. Like seeing a stray puppy, I wanted to take her home to my heated garage, nurse it back to prime, and ride!!!!

Life upside down

2008-12-12T09:40:00.002-06:00

As winter really settles in, the MC is coming to life less. The motorcycle classes are a distant memory. Looking forward to the next riding and teaching season, I feel unsure about it all.

One week ago, my 4 and 6 year old granddaughters were placed with my wife and I by DCFS. No words can express the emotional roller coaster that I have experienced. The girls will probably be with us for at least 6 months. From my wife's experience, it will take that long for my daughter to work with the agency to make the changes necessary for the girls return to her care. My wife is a social worker as has helped make the right connections to get services like daycare in place. The six year old started school Tuesday and the 4 year old started daycare Monday.

The girls are a blessing and as everyone adjusts, their will be a lot of love going on here. Once the winter has passed, I am imagining that late night rides after the girls are in bed and my wife is lounging will be the extent of my riding. Teaching the MC classes will not take place because it would be unfair for me to ask my wife to watch the girls while I was away. I may be able to get a few weekday classes in during the summer.

Everything will work out.

Scoot this

2008-12-02T11:32:00.000-06:00

I had to take a picture of the snow covered scooter for the scooter blogs that I follow. The snow came and stayed in Chicago. It was followed by frigid temperatures that left the street with a nice sheet of ice making walking even hazardous. The owner of this ride needs to find someones garage.

If only for an hour or so

2008-11-29T21:28:00.002-06:00

Sometimes I simply get in this overwhelming funk. My thoughts about the lives of those I hold dear and the seemingly desperate situations that each faces drives me to a sense of nothingness. At times like this, I simply get done only what absolutely needs done. Even so, I go with the motion but I am not experiencing life.

However, I am so grateful for all that I get to experience. The high today was a cloudy 43 and deep inside the desire to ride wrestled with the funkiness. 11:00, 12:00, 1:00, 2:00 but I couldn't get up and go. 3:00 came with the thought that it is so late (getting dark by 4:30) that I shouldn't even bother. Yet, by 3:10 I put the dogs up, geared up in leather chaps, the heavy leather riding jacket, Gerbings glove but nothing connected. I topped off the Connie and stayed on back roads south of the south suburbs of Chicago. At one point, I purposely rode awhile on gravel. The Connie doesn't track very well in gravel and feels cumbersome. Yet, riding on gravel is something to challenge my sense of comfort with.

I got home around 4:45, a little chilled on the outside. But my soul was fed by the road and the landscape. It was a good ride.

UI Motorcycle Rider Program Banquet

2008-11-24T15:59:00.003-06:00

The end of the season banquet for the MRP at the U of I was held this last Saturday at the DoubleTree in Alsip, IL. I missed the banquet last year because we were experiencing raining sheets of ice on the day of the banquet which was being held 120 miles away in Champaign. This was the first banquet I have attended after only teaching for 2 seasons. This was the largest banquet for the program with over 200 people in attendance.

5-6 was the social hour with two free drink tickets. I was able to enjoy a Sam Adams and a different Honey Ale during this period. At 6:00 the feasting began. My wife was surprise how good the way. We were expecting a pasta dish, plain iceberg lettuce, etc... There was plenty of everything including Fried Chicken and Barbecued Ribs.

After everyone was stuffed, the guest speaker talked about problems with the current state of motorcycle training. He turned out to be David Hough of Proficient Motorcycling fame. He recently finished a second updated edition of Proficient Motorcycling, of which each instructor was given a copy. Now I have something to read over the winter months.

After the guest speaker, awards for all types of things were given. Button for various accumulations of students taught (100, 200, 300, .....). Much respect for those in the thousands. I was overlooked as I didn't get any buttons but have taught over 300 students in my first two seasons. This season's total for me was 212. It just gave me something to give the administrators a hard time about.

Best of all was being able to see and talk with other instructors. Yes I am going through a little withdrawal after teaching 22 classes this season. I only taught with one person twice. Each instructor provided at least one new thing for me to incorporate in my own instruction.

Customer Appreciation

2008-11-24T09:28:00.002-06:00

I attend a customer appreciation party at my local MC shop Chicago Sports and Cycle (CSC) Friday night. Customers who spend more that a $1,000 were invited to the event. The temperature was about 30 degrees Friday evening. Since I only live 15 minutes away from the shop, I decided to ride the Connie to the event. Turns out that I was the only person who rode in, which facilitated many thumbs up from other riders that I knew.

CSC did a great job with the sustenance and really worked hard to let the customers feel like out business with them is appreciated. This goes hand in hand with what I have heard from them. You won't get the cheapest deal on there bikes compared to some other shops, but their prices are reasonable. It's there service that keeps us the customers happy. As a non-mechanic MC rider, I have had plenty of questions over the last three years. The staff have always taken the time to explain stuff to me and have built a sincere level of trust, at least with me.

My major purchase with CSC this year was a renewal of my prepaid maintenance program. In October, I paid $1,100 to cover any scheduled maintenance needs of the Connie for the next 3 years. This covers all scheduled services. The Connie gets services every 3 thousand miles with a valve adjustment every six thousand miles. The average person with this plan gets 1 service a year while I am averaging 3 a year. So for the shop it balances out. It doesn't cover wear and tear, but during the maintenance, they catch things early before they could become a problem for me on the road.

I admit that I lust over BMWs. But when I consider the level of support and prepaid maintenance plans, I will probably always buy the 4 Japanese brands that CSC sells.

Thanks to Kathi Wolf and the rest of the CSC staff.

Giving the Gerbings their first try

2008-11-10T12:50:00.003-06:00

I recently purchased Gerbings G3 gloves and a jacket liner. After the jacket liner arrived, we had an abnormally warm stretch of weather. Now we are experiencing abnormal cold weather. Sunday afternoon was cold (31 degrees), damp, and cloudy. I donned my Gerbings and my other riding gear. The jacket liner really puts out the heat. The liner was warm around my neck and back. The way the liner fits, it was not in contact with my front side.

Lesson number #1, wear a snug vest or shirt over top of the jacket liner to get heated from the front. The jacket liner really puts out the heat. The liner was warm around my neck and back. The way the liner fits, it was not in contact with my front side.

Lesson #2, be reasonable. At 70 mph, the hand and upper body was fine. But the vents on the head allowed the wicked damp cold in. Then there was the freezing feet. Add to this was riding farther than I should have, around 70 miles. My body was starting to get confused with very warm and very cold being experienced.

Ultimate lesson is that the Gerbings will make weather that I normally would ride in for short period or even longer rides more comfortable. Say a round trip ride to Champaign in the Mid-40s. They won't make me superman.

Dreaming of Colorado

2008-11-07T13:14:00.003-06:00

My big MC trip last year was to my Uncle's in Parker, Colorado. The day after my wife flew home to Illinois, I thought that I would take a little day ride. My uncle Chris went over the map with my to pick out a little route. He didn't realize how far the ride actual was until I got back that evening. I left around 9 and was back by 5.

View Larger Map

Quite simply one of the best rides of my life so far. Seeing the sand dunes with the mountains as a backdrop was one highlight. Yes I did get wet on the ride.

Concours 14

2008-11-06T16:11:00.004-06:00

I have the original Concours. It was produced from 1986-2006. I got mine new in 2005 for $8000 out the door. At the time, it really was the best deal out there for my first motorcycle. The Connie will be the primary steed for at least the next 3 years. Looking forward, maybe its successor, the Concours 14 would be the likely next ride. There is a good NYTimes article on the Concours 14.

Politics and motorcycles

2008-11-05T11:32:00.002-06:00

The ecstasy of the Obama Presidency reminds me of most motorcycle rides. Life is good on the open road riding the Concours. Eventually the ride comes to an end and I face the realities of life. The election of Obama is just as wonderful. Like the end of the ride, the election is over and now is the time to face the realities of life. Life is hard, but my own and our country life is good.

I enjoyed an evening ride home after work. Nov 4th, 8:00 p.m., 63 degrees in Chicago. Again, life is good.

Douglas Michigan

2008-11-03T19:54:00.001-06:00

November 3rd and today's fore casted high was to be in the upper 70's. My friend Paul was at his recently purchased weekend home in Douglas through tomorrow and had already encouraged me to take a ride up to see the place. He knows that it wouldn't take much for me to burn another day vacation. How many more days will we have like this.

The 125 mile ride from Homewood, IL to Douglas, MI was perfect. The sky was clear and the traffic was moderate. The traffic thinned out as I rode around Michigan City, IN on I-94. As I-94 went east at Benton Harbor, MI, I hopped on I-196 for the rest of the ride. All of the leaves were in full bloom from Benton Harbor to Douglas. The only section of the road that was a little unnerving was a 10 mile stretch of new highway on I-196 that has substantial rain grooves. The way it causes the bike to track and float a little will take some time to be accommodated to.

Paul's weekend home is wonderful. I look forward to many rides to Paul's place. After grabbing lunch in Douglas, we walked in his neighborhood until we came to Douglas Beach. The visit ended too soon as I wanted to enjoy most of the ride in the daylight.

5 stars out of five on this days ride.

Quick 240 mile daytrip

2008-10-23T16:00:00.002-05:00

My schedule originally had me attending an accessibility software training up in Mount Prospect Tuesday. The plan was to ride the motorcycle and get mileage reimbursement for the 100 mile total I would have rode to attend the workshop. A few days before the training the email came indicating the training would be postponed due to low enrollment. My work schedule was already clear so "day trip" became the plan.

Called my Dad to see if he was working Tuesday and wanted to do their lunch thing (my father, grandfather, and brother) meet for lunch once a week in Champaign. I knew I would her it again from my wife as they will only meet at Hooters, but what could I do.

Left home around 8:00 and 42 degrees. If was sunny which help added some warmed. My first pair of heated gloves were still on backorder (rats). From Homewood to Champaign is about 115 miles of pure Interstate 57. Call me boring, but I love riding the interstate once out of the big city traffic. No intersections to worry about and a constant 70 miles per hour.

I first stopped at my daughter's apartment to drop off a winter coat for her as well as some heavy sweaters. Rode of over to Hooters for lunch with the "boys." Afterwards, stopped by the Illinois Motorcycle Rider Program office to visit with the full time folks. Back to my daughter's for the important thing. My granddaughter is in Kindergarten and I wanted to surprise her. My daugher, granddaughter Paige, and I walked to Anasia's school. Seeing Anasia coming out of school wearing her backpack and a smile was the highlight of the ride.

Windows Live Spaces

Of course I needed to take care of a few things for the daughter which made me miss my planned departure time of 3:00. I didn't leave until 5:00 and rode in the dark cold dusk from around 5:45-7:15. The temperature had dropped from the 50's to back in the low 40's. Once the sun dipped below the horizon, the air definitely chilled. Then only real cold part for me were the back of the hands. I thought to ride for a while and take a break to warm up. Then it became an adventure to tough it out and ride straight through.

It was a good day.

PS. The shop called today to say my Gerbings G3 gloves are in.

It's over

2008-10-20T09:20:00.002-05:00

Yesterday, I finished teaching my 21st Motorcycle Class of the season. While each class is 20 hours, it usually amounts to 23-24 hours per class. That would be the equivalent of working full time for 12 weeks. Of course the teaching was spread out over the months of April through October. Nonetheless, it was a lot of time doing something that I enjoy.

What on earth will I do with my time now? Two things:

1. Whatever my wife wants to do.
2. Ride as much as I can get away with.

Sounds like a plan.

Not falling too far from the tree

2008-10-14T09:08:00.004-05:00

The teaching season is coming to a close. I had left my house by 6:15 to ride up to the Allstate site in Northbrook, IL. The sun wasn't up but the sky was displaying wonderful pre-sunrise colors. As I enjoyed the 50 mile ride up the Tri State Tollway, I began to think about my father. At least for the last 15 or so years, my father worked full time for the City of Champaign and part time as the golf pro for Blue Needles Golf Course. Beside the day job, he has consistently worked at the golf course several evenings and much of the weekend each week once the snow cleared from the fairways.

So I had a small sense of pride as teaching the motorcycle classes has made my life closer in line with my father. I know that he has been in a position to help me at times and make his own life better by supplementing his salary with the second job. A good portion of this years MC class money has went in the director of my daughter and granddaughters as well as my son. With the class money, I would have only been able to say "sorry I don't have anything to help you with."

Like my father, at least our second jobs are things that we enjoy, even if it is work.

Riding into work

2008-09-30T19:01:00.002-05:00

Now that the fall quarter at the University of Chicago has begun, I am back to working at the reference desk for the evening shift at the reference desk from 5-8. At least until there is danger of ice, it's the best time to ride to work. Riding into Hyde Park from Homewood at 10:30 in the morning and back home sometime after 8:00 p.m. is a breeze. There is something sweet about the ride home of an evening. The surface is smooth, the glow of the traffic around you at 65 m.p.h.. Then there is a nice s-curve at around 103rd street on Interstate 57.

I normally ride the Metra to work. Riding to work during rush hour is just an absolute pain. The bumper to bumper traffic at 5-6 m.p.h. at best is a exercise for your clutch hand. Interstate 57 is not the problem, it's the overcrowded Dan Ryan Expressway. Although the surface is new with a better flow (at least for the ride in), the ride home is always congested.

Our "daily" bread

2008-09-22T08:49:00.002-05:00

While spending time meditating this morning, I had focused in on the "our daily bread" section of the lord's prayer. That idea of having what is necessary and being satisfied. In turn this led me to contemplate my obsessive focus on riding, riding gear, accessories, other bikes, and the list goes on. The fever has been terrible for quite some time. While there is little left that I could add to the Concours, gear and apparel options are limitless.

I needed to take an honest look for what I have in terms of the bike and gear. At this point, there is nothing that I need, even if I were to take off for a month long adventure. I am going to having to recite this to myself on a frequent basic, so that I have that gratitude to appreciate what I have and what it allows me to do. With that I may get the freedom from preoccupation with "more" much like the freedom I enjoy while tooling down the road.

Too much of a good things

2008-09-12T13:21:00.002-05:00

With monetary needs of home and my struggling daughter, my need for additional money is apparent. During the riding season, it has meant that instead of spending a weekend riding, I have spent quite a bit of time. By the end of the teaching season, I will have taught a full 17 classes and filled in for some of the day for another 4 classes. Each class is 20 hours, but by the time you take into account the prep/set-up time and putting everything away, it's closer to 26 hours per class. I am currently at the beginning of teaching 6 classes in 6 weekends, which means I leave the house by 6:15 and return home around 7:30 both Saturday and Sunday. I will be tired and a little worn out when it is all done.

However I absolutely have to count my blessings. Even in the midst of being tired, I still enjoy teaching each of the class. I would have to make the money doing something that I wouldn't enjoy.

I will have to remember that when I will be outside in the rain for at least 8 hours tomorrow.

It's all good.

Billings MT and Yellowstone

2008-08-12T08:54:00.002-05:00

Well it's not a motorcycle trip but...

Driving from Chicago to Billings for the State Motorcycle Safety Administrator's Conference. There will be vendors and programs for instructors. On the last night of the conference, my wife flies in for the reception. Then Sunday morning we are off to 4 nights in Yellowstone and camping our way back home.

Story and pictures to follow.

Time for tires

2008-08-06T09:25:00.003-05:00

I had a feeling that my front tire was a little worn. At 11,000 miles I noticed a slice on the side of the rear tire and changed both tires. At 24,500 miles the servicewoman at the shop said that I needed the front tire replaced. When I came in to pick up the bike from the service (they had to order the tire which will be in later) I asked the mechanic how was the rear tire. His response, it's past 50% worn. That was all I needed to hear, so I had them order tires for both front and rear. There is too much riding on those two wheels to risk it.

Yippie for the step-son

2008-07-30T08:34:00.002-05:00

A blended family with older kids can be quite a challenge. When I met my wife 7 years ago her son was 10. We married two years later. My children had left my home (I was a single parent and raise my two children alone from Kindergarten to HS) shortly before we got married. My stepson Cornelius will be a senior in HS this year. There has never been an issue between he and I to this day. He is not perfect, nor is any one of us, but he has been an absolute pleasure to help raise. When he got his permit for driving the car, I was the one who helped him accumulate the 80 hours of parental riding before he could get the drivers license. I took him for the driving test and was the one there to see the big cheesy grin when he knew he had passed.

So two weeks ago, he got into a motorcycle class that I was the assistant instructor for. There were two open slots for the 4 walk ins trying to get in the class. Luck was on his side as his number was one of the 2 tickets pulled out of the hat to get one of the seats for the class. I would not have manipulated anything to compromise my own integrity. While the other instructor knew he was my stepson, the other students didn't get it until the last day when I had him take some of my extra gear home with him.

Cornelius was apprehensive with his riding during the first 2 days of class. His only riding experience was as a passenger on my MC and on his sister's MC. He picked up the pace and I am proud to say that he was in a three way tie for the lowest riding score for the class. He will hold onto the license waiver until he turns eighteen in February. Then he will has a motorcycle license and I will have a lot a supervised road training with him.

It only takes one

2008-07-20T20:33:00.003-05:00

Wipe out and apprehension

Saturday was the 3rd day of a 4 day Basic Rider Course. The rain was off and on all morning. The classroom portion of the course was done and we had just begun the swerve to avoid an obstacle. One student who had not exhibited smooth controls and too much speed the entire course was next. He was going way too fast for the exercise. My co-instructor yelled for him to slow down. The student began the swerve and "grabbed" the front brake. A major low side fall ensued. The student was bruised scraped but okay enough to keep riding. His fall effected the all of the other students confidence. The rest of the day, all of the students were riding with a little apprehension. At least of them now now the consequences of braking and swerving as well as grabbing the front brake. Later in the class the speeds were back up to training levels and 8 of 11 passed the riding evaluation.

More on riding alone

2008-07-08T08:50:00.004-05:00

I am into just my 3rd riding season with my Concours. After getting the license and the bike, I joined the Christian Motorcycle Association local chapter Christian Eagles and a local riding club "Shadow Riders" out of Midlothian. My good friend Dave was very involved in the Christian Eagles. He moved to St. Paul almost 2 years ago. My experience with both group have been wonderful and I will continue to associate with both groups. I have received countless mentoring about riding, motorcycles, trips, and group riding. Both groups have weekly rides.

Having settled into my own preferences now, it's hard to take time (what little time there is given work, family, teaching 15 motorcycle classes, etc) to ride with either group. My preference really is to ride alone. The social aspect of the ice cream ride isn't outweighing the internal objections to being part of a staggered formation of motorcycles. When there is time to ride, I find myself satisfyingly on the bike, alone, going wherever and however I want to go.

Need to ride alone

2008-07-02T11:08:00.002-05:00

I just returned from American Library Association Annual Conference. Annual was in Anaheim, CA, right next to Disney. The conference was okay and I did get to see lane splitting by motorcycles for the first time. I don't think I would try it with my wide Concours, but on a smaller bike maybe. On the flight out, I came across a nice article in Southwest Airlines Spirit Magazine. The article Why I travel solo resonated with me. When talking with my wife about bike trips I want to make, so frequently asks me wouldn't I want to have another rider along with me. The author hits a few familiar thoughts about solo travel that so appealing, the freedom and lack of consideration that solo travel entails. My daily and familial life is dictated by considering others, I don't my my motorcycle travel be a compromise too.

One screw, one and a half hours later

2008-06-26T14:01:00.002-05:00

Giving my Concours a much needed bath, I noticed that the rear fender assembly was loose on one side. I found the culprit screw that was completely unscrewed on the left side of the rear end. I tried to start the screw into the fastener for twenty minutes without removing anything on the bike. Then with a Clymer Manual in hand, I remove the side luggage, the side luggage posts, the side luggage bar, the top case, the top case mounting plate, the mounting plate spacers, the bungee hooks, and finally the rear fairing to reveal and give access to the screw and fairing u-nut for the rear fender. The u-nut wouldn't line up for me. Luckily, I had ordered a supply of fairing u-nuts when I ordered the black stainless steel screw set for the Connie. Once the new u-nut was in place the screw went right into place and the rear fender assembly was secure. While frustration simmered during the process, I felt a sense of accomplishment by taking so much of my motorcycle apart and back together. Far from a waste of time.

Teaching for vacation

2008-06-18T08:22:00.002-05:00

With my wife having relatively less vacation than I do, my vacation accruals are usually on the high side. The university is going to a system that will not allow us to carry more than 247 hours and I was sitting on close to 300 hours. Therefore, I signed up to teach 2 daytime Motorcycle classes at Joliet Junior College, one in June and one in July. The daytime classes run from 9-1 M-F. Last week was the first class. The facilities and set-up are great with one minor exception. The container for the motorcycles is a good distance from the range. The students have to push the motorcycles maybe 300 yds. The real downside is that to transition from the range to the classroom takes a solid 30 minutes. The class had the best passing ratio for me yet. 11 of 12 students passed the course and will receive the license waiver.

After each class I had an opportunity to stop and see my wife at work. Since she works in Joliet and I work in the city, this never happens. We were able to go to lunch a few times last week as well.

One other bonus was that I had time to drop by Conrad's HD Buell dealership in Joliet. Their shop is new and huge. I was able to demo ride the Buell Ulysses XB12XT while I was there. I like how the bike handled and the ergonomics. This version has the 3 hard bags. The heat from the exhaust was cooking my right leg. I mentioned that to the sales guy and he said that all motorcycles are hot on the legs (not mine of course).

Wedding Anniversary

2008-06-04T09:00:00.004-05:00

Well it has been 5 wonderful years of marriage so far. The anniversary was celebrated with a weekend getaway to Galena, IL. So why post this on my MC blog you may ask. While we drove the Hyundai Santa Fe, I was surrounded by motorcycles all weekend. The frequency of them increased once past Rockford, IL. The terrain after Rockford begins to have gentle rolls and progresses to nice twisty hills with great views popping out here and there. The majority of motorcycles being ridden were Harleys. From the beginning of my MC riding, Harley's weren't a good fit for me. So I can't tell you what is a soft tail, electra glide, etc... Don't get me wrong, I appreciate Harley Davidson motorcycles and those who ride them, my riding style (or lack thereof) and budget will keep me in sport touring for awhile. But I digress.

My wife commented on the lack of riding gear and helmets on the great majority of riders. The exceptions were often on sportbikes, Goldwings, or European steads. Abigail saw for the first time just how many women are out on their own rides. She asked she needed to get a license and her own bike. My reply, only is that is what you are wanting to do, no pressure from me. Abigail's comfort would be the only reason that I would get a Goldwing or Yamaha Royal Star Venture. They aren't the kind of bike that I want to ride and Abigail knows it. For now, the Connie will suffice until it's paid off.

Below is a picture of a row of bikes parked at the hotel we stayed at in Galena (Ramada). They were all Harley's and giving into stereotypes when were arrived late Saturday evening, I figured the swimming pool would be full of tattooed dudes. The pool was empty. Sunday morning, I noticed a number of women in riding apparel, jeans, boots, Harley jackets, etc... Then outside it was apparent that all of these Harleys were owned and ridden by women as they were drying off the bikes from the overnight rain. It should have surprise me. In motorcycle class that I just finished teaching, 8 of the 12 riders were women. Diversity of all type is great!

Planning to get to Galena, I recommend the Galena Ramada. The hotel has a nice sized property behind the actual hotel with gardens, a pond, and large decks. This time we ate at Vinnie Vanucchis and Fried Green Tomatoes. The roast duck at Fried Green Tomatoes was the best dish all weekend.

Passions discovered

2008-06-03T10:06:00.003-05:00

I fathered my two eldest children while in high school, got custody of them while in college, was a single parent until after they finished high school. That situation alone limited my exposure or time available for passions. Don't get me wrong, we were active and had plenty of wonderful experiences. Two of my current passions were discovered in my late 30's. The first is that I met and married my wife Abigail. We just celebrated our 5th wedding anniversary (more about that on my next blog). The second is that my step-daughter encouraged me to take the Basic Motorcycle Class and the rest is history. I grew up riding minibikes and a small Honda standard in my teens, but no riding experience until I took the class with Ebony. Immediately after the class, Ebony bought a new Kawasaki Ninja 250. We put over 2000 miles on that bike. At the end of the first season, after much thought, I purchased my own Kawasaki Concours in October of 2005.

We sold the Ninja last summer because Ebony was in a MS program at Boston University. She will begin Medical School at Boston University this Fall. I am sure that she will have a motorcycle soon after becoming a doctor. Ebony in Boston:

Riding on the North Side

2008-05-22T16:14:00.003-05:00

I live in the south suburbs of Chicago. I work in Hyde Park, 6 mile short of the epicenter of Chicago. Most of my motorcycle riding is going further south with an occasional jaunt into the downtown area. Well, I had a meeting to attend at Northwestern University and decided to make it a motorcycle ride through the city. The ride reminded me why I don't enjoy riding inside of Chicago propper and why I ride Metra to work. I didn't leave home until 10:00 in order to miss any morning rush. The ride on the Dan Ryan and Lake Shore Drive was a breeze. Once LSD ended, I took Sheridan Rd all the way until NWU. This 4 lane road is extremely tight and congested. My meeting ended and I was back on the Connie for the ride home by 3:15. Sheridan Rd was even worst with congestion and the road itself is not in the best of condition. LSD was OK but you don't want to change lanes anywhere north of the Belmont exit because of the worn out canyons in between the lanes. The Dan Ryan was backed up and I worked on 1st gear and the friction zone for miles. The 50 minute ride to NWU turned into an hour and 45 minute ride home in traffic. At least I was able to spend some daytime hours riding the Connie during the week. There is always a silver lining.

Everyone passes

2008-05-19T13:57:00.004-05:00

I taught a 3 day Basic Rider Course at Lansing Airport this past weekend. It was my fourth class of the training season and my 15th overall. This weekends class was the first class where all of the riders (10 of 10) passed the riding and written evaluation. I needed this little boost because my last class only had 4 of 8 riders pass the riding evaluation. There really is no rhyme or reason, just chance. 20 hours of instruction (12 on the bikes) is not very long for an inexperienced person to learn how to ride a motorcycle. But even if they don't pass, they have learned enough that usually with practice or by taking a class again, they might get their license.

This was my first time teaching at the Lansing Airport. The course itself inspires a little confidence (or at least doesn't add to uneasiness). The riding course is a concrete airplane parking area off of an taxi area. Most of our other sites are asphalt with cracks, loose gravel, and some small pot holes. You may say good because it's like the road. Not me, it think it makes some student nervous trying to corning for the first time and crossing a 2 inch crack every lap. But we march on, teaching and facilitating the bright eyed enthusiasts. It is a joy to teach these classes.

Spyder

2008-05-19T09:30:00.002-05:00

Walking to the train in Hyde Park, I came across my first Spyder . I would have liked to catch the rider of it on the bike because I would have liked to see the rider's riding position. Anyway, the Spyder definitely has a cool factor about it. The web sight offers a few videos to see the Spyder in action. At least with a 500W alternator, riding in winter with heated gear would be an option.

Being sensitive

2008-05-16T14:54:00.002-05:00

One of my favorite subjects to talk about while teaching a basic motorcycle class is riding gear. The approach to this topic is really by the book with 2 pieces of nice to know information (i.e. 1/3 of head impacts during crashes are on the jaw). Inevitably, either experienced or newbie riders bring gear their the class. It's important to recognize that wearing protective gear and type of protective gear are personal choices that each rider makes. As an instructor we need to clearly distinguish the benefits of type of protective gear (for example full face vs 3/4 vs half helmets). It's then that sticking to the book is more important when distinguishing differences so that a rider doesn't feel defensive or awkward when what they have does not provide the optimum level of protection. I just respectively have the rider's discuss the features in the book. When pressed for information about my riding gear choice (i.e. full face only for me), I make it clear it is my personal choice as I manage my own exposure to risk while riding. It's our job to make sure that the riders have all of the correct information so that they make well informed choices.

Well kept

2008-05-14T09:34:00.003-05:00

I have noticed this old Goldwing parked in front of Powells Bookstore in Hype Park this Spring. It must be running because it's not there in the morning. Besides a Sport Touring motorcycle, there is a part of me that would like to have an old standard like this Honda 750 or a KZ1000.

Night time visability

2008-05-13T10:11:00.002-05:00

I like the following picture. It's in front of the Regenstein Library before a ride home after working the evening shift at the library. My ride is on the left and a friend's scooter is on the right. Neither bike is on and the illumination is from retro-reflective decal. The large white sections on my bad are black during the day.

Where did the road go?

2008-05-07T13:19:00.002-05:00

Tuesday is my night to work at the reference desk at the library. On these days, I don't need to come into work until around 11:00, so it's the one day a week I try to ride the Connie into work. After closing the desk at 8:00, I geared up for the evening ride out to Homewood from Hyde Park. At some point on the Dan Ryan, my low beam headlight went out. Everything just seemed a little dark. I didn't realize it was my headlight for a few more miles. Scary thought that I was surrounded by 70 mph traffic riding without a headlight. Once I realized it, I tried the high beams and they worked thank goodness. Next was my worry that I would get pulled over for riding with high beams on but figured once I showed the officer my low beams were out I would be fine. While my high beam may have irritated some drivers, I think all of us are getting used to new car low beams which are brighter than in the past. It just so happened that I finally came across a police officer within a block of my house (he didn't notice me either).

Getting home was one thing, changing the headlight bulb is another whole story. With the full fairing and little room, it's a bear to get access to the headlamp assembly. There is a small panel that comes off underneath the headlamp that is supposed to give you access. With that panel off, there was minimal access, but not enough for my fat hands to maneuver the plug, boot, spring hinge, and bulb. Then I remembered an message on a list that said to remove the small right top panel that housed the glove type box. With that removed, I had manageable access and was able to change the bulb. Tonight will include a run to the MC shop for acquire another spare bulb.

Thank goodness for list serves and forums, otherwise it may have been necessary to take the bike into the shop in despair.

Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month - Illinois

2008-04-29T16:43:00.004-05:00

IDOT had press events promoting Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month in Illinois today. John Sudlow, Director of the UIUC MRP, sent out an email announce the events. One of the locations was the Illinois Emergency Traffic Management Center near the White Sox stadium. Since I didn't need to be at work until noon (I work late on Tuesdays) and the event was at 10:00, I decided to go. While still in the burbs, I had to execute a quick swerve to avoid a van pulling out of a side street and into my lane. One of the aspects of MC month, is the campaign to start seeing motorcycles. Too bad the woman driving the van that almost hit me didn't see me.

The press event was small and only attended by CLTV and ABC7 News. I was wearing my IL MRP Staff jacket and was ask to speak about the program, go figure as this is just my second season teaching.