move your feet: LKS

move your feet: LKS: I'm home from work for now, ignoring chores and busywork; annoyed with crisp weather and muddy trails. The warmer days, even at 40 de...

move your feet: craigslist follies or single in the former Republi...

move your feet: craigslist follies or single in the former Republi...: I have far too much unstructured time when I'm not working. So many idle minutes and hours that when its too warm outside, I skim on lin...

move your feet: the power of persuasion

move your feet: the power of persuasion: The weather is becoming increasingly balmy. The hillsides are popping as leaves unfold and pollen drifts upon the wind. There are more bike...

move your feet: Will Ride: Wet or Dry

move your feet: Will Ride: Wet or Dry: Last Saturday was promised to be an exceptional day. Sunny and warm, clear skies, open roads (its the off season for tourists). Ideal for a...

move your feet: Chrome in the Twilight Zone

move your feet: Chrome in the Twilight Zone: Yesterday, was an unusually stressful day, aggravation galore, addled plans...."fear not" (it says that 365 times in the Bible ~ c...

move your feet: secret gardens...

move your feet: secret gardens...: Finishing up an evening ride, he turned and asked me, "Where would you like to go?" as he scanned the Vermont road map in his...

move your feet: churchin' up the Harley way...

move your feet: churchin' up the Harley way...: We spent all day Saturday working on the farm, deconstructing the horse training arena. I plan to put the flat four acres into a soft frui...

every ride begins with a notion

   After much consternation, a diversity of cussing, a stiff neck and some dumb luck; I figured out how to send all the motorcycle stories from my-life-in-general blog: Move Your Feet , onto this new story swapping venture. In this space, I hope to share stories of my adventures and other adventures riding 2Up on motorcycles.  I'll be catching up on twenty or so drafts and publishing here to share the rides, keeping the shiny side up.

  Its as much about the asides of riding pillion as it is about the journey of rolling down some roads; considerations about the romance of motorcycling and the intimacies of riding 2Up. It's maybe not what you'd expect. This is borrowed from the 'net and it sums it up well, compiled by Penny Powers and Chuck Hayes.

Truer words have not been spoken...all good; but the 8th line down is word.... peace ~ pillion resa

Biker Wisdom - One Liners These great "One Liners" come from "Sit Down, Shut Up and Hang On: A Biker's Guide to Life" by Penny Powers and Chuck Hays, and are reproduced here with the publisher's permission. For this and other titles published by Gibbs Smith, Publisher, check them out at Gibbs-Smith, Publishers. Midnight bugs taste best.Saddlebags can never hold everything you want, but they CAN hold everything you need. NEVER argue with a woman holding a torque wrench. Never try to race an old Geezer, he may have one more gear than you. Home is where your bike sits still long enough to leave a few drops of oil on the ground. You'll get farther down the road if you learn to use more than two fingers on the front brake. Routine maintenance should never be neglected It takes more love to share the saddle than it does to share the bed. The only good view of a thunderstorm is in your rearview mirror. Never be afraid to slow down. Only Bikers understand why dogs love to stick their heads out car windows. Bikes don't leak oil, they mark their territory. Never ask a biker for directions if you're in a hurry to get there. Don't ride so late into the night that you sleep through the sunrise. Pie and Coffee are as important as gasoline. Sometimes it takes a whole tankful of gas before you can think straight. Riding faster than everyone else only guarantees you'll ride alone. Never hesitate to ride past the last street light at the edge of town. Never mistake Horsepower for staying power. A good rider has balance, judgment, and good timing. So does a good lover. (AMEN!!!) A cold hamburger can be reheated quite nicely by strapping it to an exhaust pipe and riding forty miles. Never do less then Forty miles before breakfast. If you don't ride in the rain-you don't ride. A bike on the road is worth 2 in the shop. Respect the person who has seen the Dark side of motorcycling and lived. Young riders pick a destination and go... Old riders pick a direction and go. A good wrench will let you watch without charging you for it. Sometimes the fastest way to get there is to stop for the night. Always back your scoot into the curb-and sit where you can see it. Work to ride-Ride to work. Whatever it is, it's better in the wind. Two lane blacktop isn't a highway-it's an attitude. When you look down the road, it seems to never end-but you better believe it does. Winter is Natures way of telling you to polish. A motorcycle can't sing on the streets of a city. Keep your bike in good repair: Motorcycle boots are NOT comfortable for walking. People are like Motorcycles: each is customized a bit differently. If the bike ain't braking properly, you don't start by rebuilding the engine. Remember to pay as much attention to your partner as you do your carburetor. Sometimes the best communication happens when you're on separate bikes. Well-trained reflexes are quicker than luck. Good coffee should be indistinguishable from 50 weight motor oil. The best alarm clock is sunshine on Chrome. Learn to do counterintuitive things that may someday save your butt. The twisties- not the superslabs- separate the bikers from the squids. When you're riding lead--don't spit. If you really want to know what's going on, watch what's happening at least 5 cars ahead. Don't make a reputation you'll have to live down or run away from later. If the person in the next lane at the stoplight rolls up the window and locks the door, support their view of life by snarling at them. A friend is someone who'll get out of bed at 2am to drive his pickup to the middle of nowhere to get you when you're broken down. If she changes her oil more than she changes her mind--follow her. Catchin' a June bug (or yellowjacket in your goggles or honeybee down your shirt) @ 70 mph can double your vocabulary. There's something ugly about a NEW bike on a trailer. Hunger can make even roadkill taste good. Sleep with one arm thru the spokes and keep your pants on. Practice wrenching on your own bike. Everyone crashes. Some get back on. Some don't. Some can't. Beware the biker who says the bike never breaks down. Some bikes run on 99-octane ego. Owning 2 bikes is useful because at least one can be raided for parts at any given time. You'll know she loves you if she offers to let you ride her bike. Don't do it and she'll love you even more. Don't argue with an 18-wheeler. Never be ashamed to unlearn an old habit. Maintenance is as much art as it is science. A good long ride can clear your mind, restore your faith, and use up a lot of gasoline. If the countryside seems boring, stop, get off your bike, and go sit in the ditch long enough to appreciate what was here before the asphalt came. If you can't get it goin' with bungee cords and electricians tape-it's serious. If you ride like there's no tomorrow-there won't be. (Okay all you Power Rangers - pay attention!!!) If you want to complain about the pace being set by the road captain, you better be prepared to lead the group yourself. Gray-haired bikers don't get that way from pure luck. There are drunk bikers. There are old bikers. There are NO old, drunk bikers. Thin leather looks good in the bar, but it won't save you from "road rash" if you go down. The best modifications cannot be seen from the outside. Always replace the cheapest parts first. You can forget what you do for a living when your knees are in the breeze. No matter what marque you ride, it's all the same wind. It takes both pistons and cylinders to make a bike run. One is not more important than the other.

move your feet: outlaw bike and old ladies

move your feet: outlaw bike and old ladies: photo by Harley-Davidson Indian World Whoa, this photo triggered an instant flash back. Some years ago, bikerman and I stopped at Onion ...

move your feet: the day I forgot my camera, riding naked

move your feet: the day I forgot my camera, riding naked: my little Pentax in action Disoriented and a little lost, I missed the lens and looking for good subject matter to memorialise our mot...

move your feet: the why and wherefore

move your feet: the why and wherefore: That's it, exactly it. When I came across this picture of a very vintage Harley and its young gun slinger, dismounted...it finally ma...

move your feet: it's all about the ride..

move your feet: it's all about the ride..:   It was a 423 mile excursion to bring my son to his boyscout reservation south of Tupper Lake NY. We took the Honda Element with all hi...

move your feet: "... I never saw him..." ~ the making of a 'lowsi...

move your feet: "... I never saw him..." ~ the making of a 'lowsi...:  this is the story of what happened on June 21, 2012, it is offered in my words, my thoughts , his words, his thoughts . He asked that I...

move your feet: Taking the Flag for a Ride, Memorial Day Weekend 3...

move your feet: Taking the Flag for a Ride, Memorial Day Weekend 3...: the nearest neighbors (from last November)  day 3      Waking up at 'man-land' in Brookfield is like emerging from a time-travel...

move your feet: Taking the Flag for a Ride ~ Memorial Day Weekend ...

move your feet: Taking the Flag for a Ride ~ Memorial Day Weekend ...: Day 2...     I love mornings for so many reasons. The gentle commencement of the day ahead and the positive energy of the possibilities. I ...

move your feet: Taking the Flag for a Ride... Memorial Day Weekend...

move your feet: Taking the Flag for a Ride... Memorial Day Weekend...: Day 1... This spring has been spotty when it comes to riding the motorcycle. A exceptionally warm March, muddy April and a rainy May made g...

move your feet: two lakes, one story

move your feet: two lakes, one story: On a mission for excellent ice cream, we commenced our adventure. What started as a strategic journey over the thin blue lines of our VT map...

move your feet: ancient roads on a vintage Harley

move your feet: ancient roads on a vintage Harley:    I have a collection of motorcycle photos showing the early days of motorcycling. Vintage machines with adventurous riders garbed in leath...

move your feet: memorial day 2011

move your feet: memorial day 2011:    Finally, a beautiful day of spring-like sun graced us. It was Memorial Day  in our small town and kith and kin were here with their assor...

move your feet: I just wanna ride...

move your feet: I just wanna ride...: three pieces to my heart "I want to ride. The weather today, sucks. The third day of hard rain, river is over it's banks. After...

move your feet: a very fine line

move your feet: a very fine line:    It's a fine line, that's what navigating life is all about. I'm easing into the April evening, trying to muster enough energy...

move your feet: 468 miles, the Independence Long Run...the last wo...

move your feet: 468 miles, the Independence Long Run...the last wo...:     Monday morning emerged with another blue sky and ideal weather for our motorcycle obsession. Ok, it's my obsession and my biker man ...

move your feet: 468miles, the Independence Long Run... part 4 co...

move your feet: 468miles, the Independence Long Run... part 4 co...:   While the bike was waiting,  we went for a walk down to the cool brook at the foot of  his land. Among the shadowy path along it's ban...

move your feet: 468miles, the Independence Long Run... part 3, Ver...

move your feet: 468miles, the Independence Long Run... part 3, Ver...:    We wound our way to Vermont over land routes taking us through some premium agricultural land. I was jealous as the the soils seemed well...

move your feet: 468miles, the Independence Long Run... part 2, the...

move your feet: 468miles, the Independence Long Run... part 2, the...:    I don't know if it was worth $95 when the bed leaned downhill on the off side and the carpet showed a decade of hosting travelers. We...

move your feet: 468miles, the Independence Long Run . . . part 1,...

move your feet: 468miles, the Independence Long Run . . . part 1,...:    It began with an innocent wish when my biker man asked, "...where would you like to go for the 4th?" My simple reply: "Eve...

move your feet: twelve months and the gift of injury

move your feet: twelve months and the gift of injury:    It's June 22, 2010 twelve months since my dream to drive my own motorcycle ended with a second degree muffler burn and the dismissal ...

move your feet: born to ride...

move your feet: born to ride...:    After eight weeks of pinning to ride on my sweetheart's Harley, eight anxious weeks holding vigil over the vexing failed repairs of h...

move your feet: post hibernation 2010

move your feet: post hibernation 2010: Stretching, yawning and scratching my head as I itemize the recovery plan for shedding winter weary, I have read some old posts revealing t...

move your feet: imagine

move your feet: imagine: I've spent the last months of the summer motorcycle season riding with an "outlaw" Harley biker dude who has often made me smi...

move your feet: heart smart

move your feet: heart smart: The Green Mountain State of Vermont is a very interesting biosphere of humanity and culture. It has a so very small populace woven from so ...

move your feet: tear down

move your feet: tear down: It wasn't long after this break down, when the owner of said Low Rider, called and invited me to come for the "tear down" o...

move your feet: the other adventure...

move your feet: the other adventure...: This weekend, I was invited for a long ride on a 1984 HD low ride, shovel head by a gentleman biker I met quite accidentally. He offered to...

move your feet: good to go...

move your feet: good to go...: Eldest offspring shot this picture for her portfolio. Maybe it can get me a ride...the jacket is my upgrade from straight black I had been...

move your feet: pillion project...

move your feet: pillion project...: 84 Low Ride Pillion:(Wikipedia) A pillion is a secondary pad, cushion, or seat behind the mai n seat or sa ddle on a horse , motorcyc...

move your feet: 17 miles: me and the BRC ~ part 3

move your feet: 17 miles: me and the BRC ~ part 3: Finally, it is day three; it began with me feeling strong. I had no ill effects of my previous day's battle with physics and the ind...

move your feet: 17 miles. . .me and the BRC part 2

move your feet: 17 miles. . .me and the BRC part 2: Day two started unceremoniously after a restless night of non-sleep, I woke up an hour late. There would be no time for a proper breakf...

move your feet: 17 Miles. . . me and the BRC part I

move your feet: 17 Miles. . . me and the BRC part I: I've been riding two-up for three summers now. Last fall, I got the notion that I should get my motorcycle endorsement and be able to r...

move your feet: a summer's worth

move your feet: a summer's worth: I'll begin with a glowing sigh as I reflect back upon this fanciful summer. Total satisfaction overcomes me when I think of the ...

move your feet: God Humbled me today

move your feet: God Humbled me today: Some days are a perfect execution of contradictions... We've had a stretch of fine weather as of late and I was looking forward to some...

move your feet: to the Man Responsible for My Addiction ~ wind

move your feet: to the Man Responsible for My Addiction ~ wind: a recent photo of Rene, leathered up on his HOG, ready to go    My day started out pretty poorly by any terms. I was awakened at 6:30 am ...

move your feet: Virgin Ride on a candy-apple red sporty

move your feet: Virgin Ride on a candy-apple red sporty: I can't stop smiling, can't stop feeling the wind. It's been a week since my first long ride on the back of a harley, riding sec...