A funny thing about bikes!
When you're riding along enjoying the sights and smells of the countryside you enviably pass others riders going the other way, and you either nod your helmet or wave! Both forms of a bikers salute. Waving can take many forms, usually with the left hand in NZ-land cos the right hand is on the throttle. It varies from an enthusiastic wave to a barely noticeable finger raise but it's usually there, unless you're a Harley rider, they rarely wave. Some unkind people would argue that they are too busy holding on.
Perhaps they feel superior in some way and just can't be bothered or perhaps they only can share their joy of riding with only other Harley riders? I'm not sure yet, perhaps one day I'll ask one when I'm feeling brave! Maybe the divide is just too big between American and Japanese bikes? Perhaps they're too busy remembering the war! Too far? OK, we'll put that one on the too hard shelf for the time being. Actually Ducati & BMW riders can be a little superior or 'unfriendly' too when you think about? I shouldn't generalize.
Back too friendly gestures.
A barely discernible nod of the helmet can be much harder to pick up, especially when your head is being buffeted by wind at 100ks, (that's a point now that I think about it, perhaps they AREN'T nodding at me! Maybe it's uncontrollable head roll)! Maybe naked bike riders with no fairings 'nod' more than others! Haha, oh dear... New theory coming!
Anyway, why are bikers wavers & nodders?
Is it because bikers are just friendly people or perhaps something much darker - an endangered species! The common bond of danger and the temporariness of life forces us to connect with like minded souls wherever & whenever we can find it? A shared bond of being in the minority and the love of 'feeling' your travel.
Put any two bikers in a small town, at a garage or cafe and they will talk. About their bikes, the ride they've just done or a past ride. Walk into a cafe with a helmet in your hand and you'll get a smile, a nod or a quick raise of the eyebrows from a fellow biker. Or, as I has happened on more than one occasion, invites to share a table with complete strangers and have a coffee or beer and share tales.
How many car drivers do that? Unless they're related, none that I've seen. Do car drivers wave or nod to every passing vehicle, none that I've seen. They travel in their little air conditioned insulated cocoons with their biggest concerns being the volume of the radio, the temperature of the car or how best avoid being seen by the police talking on their cell phones. . Give me a bike any-day. I'm saying cars don't have obvious positives but they are just not my preferred mode of transport.
Car drivers are our biggest enemies! THEY JUST DON'T SEE YOU!
Or they do and they don't care. But that's another story...
PS - I was 'tongue in cheek' about Harley riders, some of my best biker friends are HD riders! Sorry guys, couldn't resist.
Attempt No.2 at loading map. Ah hah, it worked!
Don't pay any attention to the blue trail, that's trip No.2 and the CEO doesn't know about that one yet! There is so much to see in any given state let alone the whole of the USA so there's plenty to come back for. I'd love to go from the West coast to the eastern seaboard and even then won't come close to seeing it all. I might of course become totally sick of it by then but that is highly unlikely!
The pink loop it is then, totally subject to time constraints. Effectively if time starts running out Nev & I can turn left and head up north pretty well at any time. At this stage we're going to turn left a Roswell and head up into Colorado and Utah and back through the top of California and down the west coast of the Pacific highway. Plenty to keep us engaged and saddle sore I'm sure.
Concern No.1 - How much do you pay people in tips? Who do you pay in tips? What happens if you don't pay tips?
Concern No.2 - How do you know if you're in a dodgy part of town?
Concern No.3 - How do I cope with 'polite' drivers? I'm not used to them.
Concern No.4 - Is this a good time to give up coffee?
Concern No.5 - How many undies & socks DO I take?
Concern No.6 - What if I get run off the road for wearing a hi-viz vest on a Harley?
Concern No.7 - Just how smelly are skunks and will they be worse than Nev's sock?
That'll do for now!
Until next time - Watch out for those wet white lines!
Just an update - I thought I'd give you all a look at where we're hoping/planning to go!
Well was hoping to - turns out the blog website doesn't upload PDFs! Hah... I knew that! Oh well, I'll save it as a gif, tiff or jpeg and revisit this task.
Everything that can be done has been done...
Book & pay for airfares - tick!
Pay deposit for HDs - tick!
Book hotel for first two nights - tick!
Sort out route with sites to see - tick!
List of gear to take - tick!
Bore everyone at work to death with trip details - tick!
Bikes are booked from the friendly team at Bartell's Route 66. Harley Davidson Street Glide - these bikes are made for the big long open roads, deserts to forest to passing through cities. I'm looking forward to riding these beasts! Glenn is real helpful, it will be great to meet him. Nev & I have elected to take out the extra $300,000 liability. Apparently the standard $3,000 compulsory state tax just won't cut it if we have a little woopsy!
The Custom Hotel has been booked, free WIFI, yay! $25 extra for a crib & refrigerator? Crib? Not sure what it is but I don't think I want one. Not far away is Marina Del Ray, Muscle Beach and a bit further down the road is Santa Monica and a bit further again is Malibu. I'm there for the first night and joined by Nev, Phil & Murray on the 2nd.
I have a feeling that these next 6 weeks are going to be long weeks, then the next 23 days will just fly by! Isn't that the way...
Back soon - till then watch the front wheels of the car along side you!
