Get Out & Ride!

Saturday! It's finally arrived. Though to be honest, without a job to enjoy the time off, it's not as anticipated. Yet, when working a busy schedule and Friday rolls around, the weatherman says that it's supposed to be nice. What are motorcyclists thinking? Time to pull out the pride and joy! The majority here in my neck of the woods will not ride back and forth to work on their motorcycles. I'm not saying that NO ONE does - because a few do! I applaud them and would like to join them, especially as "Ride to Work Day" approaches on the June 21st. I just happen to know a few friends who could use the option to commute to work, or at times just ride on a great day ... and don't.
It's a little frustrating to know some who have the opportunity to jump on their "ride" and go but don't. Now the gist of this blog... ~blog~. b/l/o/g. B-L-O-G. (sorry, just noticed how much the word blog makes no sense and actually sounds like BLAH! You know, like when people keep talking and go "blah, blah, blah"?)
The gist of this blog is how nice it would be to be someone who could ride to work from the perspective of one who currently is looking for a job to be able to ride to. It also brings to mind the current price of gas! Why is it that once spring hits, WHAM! The price of gas ALWAYS goes up? Demand. Ok, I get that, the gas & oil business is, well, a business. What I have difficulty comprehending is the whole tale given about 'so-and-so is scaling back production so we have to raise the price'. Or the current exchange rate. Whatever. I'll readily admit that I don't understand it, but I do know when I'm being given a "story". Example? Heading to the mountains in Bellingham. Smaller city/ town gas station. Price of gas? $3.25 a gallon! There's an oil refinery just down the highway. Drive down the road, 'cause we ain't paying that! We come to another filling station. Same yellow logo featuring a thing you can find on the beach. Price of gas? $3.16! What happened during the 6-mile or so drive east that the price drops 9 cents? And why after filling up for this better price did we have to see another gas station about two blocks up with the price of regular gas for sale at $3.09!!! We should have been more patient. The farther the delivery truck has to drive the bigger the discount?
Back to my whole theme. Motorcycles can sip gas at up to some 60 miles per gallon. If that's not a reason to ride in itself, I'll also take the joy it brings on the way to work and back.
"Will Work for a Ride". I think I'll see if someone will give me a motorcycle as payment if I work for them? That would be cool! I guess the family couldn't really eat that though. And the creditors would want it when I could give them their due.
Oh well, back to the old job search come Monday.

Motorcycle Interview. I Think I'm Ready!

Well. Now I've gone and done it. It was something I told myself I wouldn't do, which shouldn't come to much as a surprise to myself, as I also told myself "I'll never ride a scooter."
This was applying for a position as a salesman. Of course this was at a motorcycle dealership here in the backyard of the Northwest. Monroe, Washington. I've been looking for work since November and have been unsuccessful as of yet in getting hired in the maintenance or skilled labour* field. I'll admit it becomes discouraging and even causes anxiety to wonder when I, like so many will start working again. So a couple of weeks ago, maybe a month, I asked myself if I would enter the job market as a SALESMAN, what would I sell? On more occasions than I care to recount, someone has opined how well I could be at selling something.
When I bought my first motorcycle here in the Seattle area, it was an Awesome 91 Honda CBR600. It had the forks and swingarm swapped out from stock, to, 94 Honda VFR750 components. I got it for a great deal from a friend who works in the motorcycle industry. The point is that along with this friend who worked with motorcycles and the moto-journalists that I enjoyed reading in the various "rags" (magazines) I was into at the time, all seemed to have what I would consider a dream job. Think about it. As if so many haven't already. They get to work around motorcycles. Some design aspects about the motorcycles that we get to enjoy! They get to RIDE the motorcycles.
They get assignments that give them the task to take a motorcycle on a long a ride then tell us in so many number of words their opinions. I'm sure that they're urged to be objective and reasonable. But they get to ride a number of different bikes. On dirt, on the street and at the track. I'm not jaded enough to realize that they also have to deal with coming up with the right sentiments to jot down. Not damage the "goods" as they "CAREFULLY" run these machines within the range and specs of their design. Deadlines to meet. Meeting to prepare and the hate mail that will be directed to some because someone felt that "THEIR" motorcycle (sometimes I've read the published letters that make you think that their wife, mother or family name had been maligned)was written about poorly and that the writer had no idea what a great bike they'd had the honour (*Brit spell again. I'm Caucasian of course, according to the recent 2010 gov't census. Parents were both from Mexcico)) of setting their legs over and having haul their sorry rears down the highway!
Well enough of that tangent. The point I started with was... Yes. I applied as a motorcycle salesman. It took sometime before I pushed myself to do something I hated as well as loved. So I printed my resume that had nothing to do with sales and wrote up a cover letter to explain how my experience and history relates to the field. I drove about twenty minutes to a dealership that sells Suzuki, Yamaha's and other brands. There I was introduced to Scott who was kind enough to take some time out of his busy schedule and interview me on the spot. He started by asking me how I thought I might fit in such a different career than past work history, basically. I related my passion for motorcycles and what I knew about them including my personal experience. I also included experience in some aspects of previous "sales" jobs not listed on my resume. Then he did it! He asked those questions that most interviewees fear. NO, not like "Where do you see yourself in 5 years" or "What kind of fruit would you be?" Although I hate those questions too. What Scott started asking is: "What is a (TRX400)?" He was trying to gauge my knowledge of the industry. I don't remember what the exact models were he asked about and how many, but he was quick. I wasn't. I think I did pretty good, but I don't think, good enough. I did smile inside when he started to ask about a "Royal Star". When Yamaha started making some big waves in the cruiser market, they started with this model name. After a few years it segregated it's cruisers into the "Star" name brand. Like me, Scott was also recalling that time, I believe, till he quickly corrected himself.
Sales? So I tried it. If i'm going to sell something I wanna be knowledgeable, I wanna enjoy it and foremost I want to be honest. I've known to many, many salesman personally that can sell you their honest. ("sell you". Not tell you, they just tell you what you want to hear.) I want people to enjoy anything I would recommend to them for years. I do want them to feel and KNOW they can trust me. I want them bring in their friends, family, coworkers and even enemies. Why? How better to make friends than by helping someone to enjoy a motorcycle.
In essence I told Scott this when he asked if I thought I could sell motorcycles. "Yes" I answered. I did have to think about it. Me a salesman. The testimonials on their website was what prompted me to actually submit my nonsense resume for the position. People should enjoy what their hard earned money buys. All people should ride a motorcycle and if they've the ability to purchase one, maybe even from this particular dealership. Even if they don't carry Triumphs as one commenter wrote, or Honda's in my small opinion. And even If I'm not working there. You should ride/own a motorcycle

Tuesday Afternoon, looking for my "Dream Job"

Spent this morning getting a little exercise walking around the nieghbourhood. I'm guessing like many who are not working right now have noticed that their pants or outfits might not be as comfortable as they were while they were working.
How does riding a motorcycle help with this problem some may ask? Well, before moving North to Seattle, while still living in the California desert a friend told me that riding his motorcycle kept him a little better in shape. Wait! Like you, I was skeptical. Like what did he wear one of those funny "as seen on TV tummy belts" or something?
When I scoffed at his statement, he defended himself by stating these facts. First, his, wasn't casual rides or road trip. He was a motorcycle courier in the greater Los Angeles area. This meant that for over 6 hours for sure, he was on his motorcycle. Not to mention the "Sight-seeing" or "Road-Mapping" (these terms I use to mean that when you're on a motorcycle and you see a good set of twisties or sign that says "Scenic Route", you almost always have to take it.)diversions he might have called a BREAK.
Second, he pointed to the fact that on his particular motorcycle, the posture that the body has to be held at, means that likely your abdominal muscles will be getting some type of regular use outside the normal straight seated position. To add to this, when riding a motorcycle daily for hours at a time, inadvertently, through the turns, stops, starting in motion when completely stopped and possibly stunts... you will be working your stomach muscles.
Third, and remember this was his defense to my skepticism. Finally while riding a motorcycle, you generally enjoy it so much that stopping to eat often was a waste of time. If you think about it, wearing a full faced helmet, having to pull it off, stuff your face (while working), put it back on then ride. Yeah, totally inconvenient. So he claimed that motorcycling helps you keep the gut in.
He made some good reasoning points. If you're a regular Joe just riding for pleasure, maybe commuting back and forth to school, work, etc. I didn't think this would do what he claimed.
OK now. When I finally bought a motorcycle, which was after this conversation, I started riding it 45 mins one way back and forth from the High Desert of Yucca Valley to Palm Springs. On the motorcycle the commute was entirely enjoyable! Except maybe when you recognize on those really windy days (more often than not) you're wearing out the sides of you tyres ( figured I stick with the British/Canadian spelling ) because you ride at an angle opposed to the wind. Sometimes pretty far!
Along with the joys of riding to work, guess what happened after about 3 months of this routine. Those pants that had got a little, OK! Maybe alot tight after marriage, seemed to fit like they used too.
So, up until now, I didn't spread this around because, well hey, I didn't believe it. Yet maybe Favian was right. After all, in his younger days he was pretty thin.

Are you out there!

Just checking in and saying..."Hello Cleveland!"
Motorcycles rock!!
Another great day for riding in the Northwest. If anyone in the Seattle area who might be reading this has any pictures of their ride, feel free to send them and I can add it and maybe change the picture to my opening every so often.
"Goodnight Seattle"!

Great Day in the Northwest.

I'm guessing that if it was a great looking sunny day in the Seattle area, that most others West Coast Locales also had some nice weather.
It was so nice in fact, after a nice little lunch with a friend who gave a public discourse, plus wife, along with some other friends we went to play and work outside!
Now for my daughter and myself it was running some close to 3 miles across the I-90 from Mercer Island to the Mt. Baker neighbourhood. I can hear some of you already (that's if I have any readers) what does this have to do with motorcycles!? I have to remind you that there is the "Then some" in the blog title.
Ok, well as we ran/walked along with two other friends, Aaron & Jen, there were quite a number of motorcycles out riding in both the East & West directions. Maybe I'm odd but every time I see a bike go by I sincerely smile. My feelings of joy, pleasure and downright fun I've had while riding seems to be brought back by being witness to someone else likely doing the same. Cheesy, maybe but I really love motorcycles.
If I would've counted I'm sure I easily would have got up to 80. There were solo riders aplenty crossing Lake Washington in both directions. Along with those lone adventurists(not sure if that's a word, spell check is trying to tell me it's wrong but it doesn't give me any good alternatives unless I'm referring to a female), there
were riders in packs up to 6 on at least one occasion. at least a dozen of these various riders carried passengers, women in all cases. I could tell due to clothing first, hair second. And call me sexist or unsure of my masculinity, but the colors on the apparel of most of the passengers, shouted female.
It's a great sight to behold. It's exciting for me to hear them and try to ID them from Harley, any cruiser, sportbike to standard. I'm usually right 20% of the time. Maybe. It also stirs a little jealousy seeing that they're riding and I'm not.
Either way, I truly believe that a majority of individuals should try riding a motorcycle at least once in their life.

Another day and no dollar! As currently, like so many I'm dealing with being laid off and looking for work in a saturated market of others doing the same.

So what's a motorcycle nut to do? What else! Try his hand at something new and different, blogging (of all things) about motorcycles.(that part makes sense)

With no journalism experience I thought I would start right out with the entry into my passion with motorcycles.

I remember my mom driving us 3 kids to visiit my Gramma in Canyon Country, California. The Highway out to her house off of the North (maybe eastbound) 14 would take us past this one tavern that seemed always had a film crew shooting a typical 80's TV show around the place.

My loving Mom would stop beside the road and let us watch as scenes from shows like Knight Rider, Starsky & Hutch, the A-team & even Dukes of Hazzard were filmed. Though not present during the filming, even a fairly memorable "dance" scene to the song "Tequila" was filmed in this bar, or at least the exterior.

Well back to the important stuff. It was sometime while visiting my Gramma that my uncle would introduce us to his "new" brother-in-law who would buy a dirt bike out there and give my brother and I a ride on the back.

I can't remember specifically what size it was, probably a 125 or 250 Yamaha as the yellow paint scheme and gold wheels looked TOTALLY RAD! At this time my twin and I couldn't be any older than 10 or 11, but zipping down that empty street with no one wearing a helmet, was AWESOME! Any older guys like myself realize only now the potential danger this could have posed. A fairly new rider, riding down a... somewhat residential street with a "kid" on the back. popping wheelies. Yeah, as a family man now I tell my kids that pretty stupid! BUT. Back them I was Superman. Or at least would growup to get those powers. Yep, still waiting for the stupid yellow sun to bring those powers out at 35 bordering 36.

As I look back at what I've written just now, which you are reading, I recognize that I sincerely believe that event would have an impact on my view of motorcycles for years to come. Though I like so many other lovers of motorcycles would have scrapes, tip-overs and even an accident or two, we would not and probably will not lose our love of these two wheeled machines of wonder and a sense of freedom.

4/15/2010

Well here it is!

Or should it be, here I am!

My first ever foray into actually putting into writing that which fills what I like to believe is my creative mind.

First, I should make it know that I've been on this good earth for 35, and soon to be 36 years. Raised by a single mother, along with an older sister (just over a year) and a twin brother in N. Hollywood. The Southern Californian dream?

Well what does all that really matter? I love motorcycles! That's the main point of this. How about you? And what kinds? I've loved two wheels ever since feeling the freedom of the road, er, I guess sidewalk riding my $5 BMX bike that was what my mom could afford at the time.

Raised as a child in North Hollywood in the early part of the 80's, it was walk or bike. My mom lovingly spoiled us with the garage sale bike. Yet this was freedom to my brother and I. Along with the "kids from #12", the mexican kids that spoke limited English for a short time, we would strive to fill the role of Mike & Elliot from the movie E.T. & the kids from the film "Goonies" who all seemed to had great adventures aboard their swift BMX mounts.

It would be from these humble beginnings that my love of motorcycles would blossom. Or thats

what I believe anyhoo.