I almost can’t believe that for nearly 3 years I have owned a piece of American muscle, a Harley Davidson motorcycle. It’s no secret; it was a big deal when I got it. I probably rode it 50% to 75% of the time when I drove to work. It was fun, got great gas mileage, and allowed me to use the carpool lane on the freeway. I’m that guy rolling down the street wearing the technical jacket, full-face helmet, boots, and gloves. I would classify my driving style as ‘active lane management’. I’m a very defensive driver but at the same time not afraid to make decisions to get me into the lane of least resistance. It may not make total sense but it works for me.

So last April, the car that I was trading off with died. It was a wonderful old VW Jetta that we’d had for a long time; sad moment. I decided to take the plunge and become a hard core biker, relying on my bike 100% to get me to work. I’m happy to report that a year later I am still in one piece. Close calls were actually extremely limited; I credit ‘active lane management’ haha. Weather in the desert is optimal for this. I think I was sprinkled on twice, even though it was windy several days. Would I do it again? Yes, I still am. One day I should get another car but for now it’s just too hard to rationalize knowing that I can do without it.

Riding a motorcycle has been a longtime desire of mine. And I don’t regret one bit getting one. Of course, I have to throw a big “thanks” out to my wife who agreed to the whole arrangement. And I’ve tried to respect her trust here; no burn-outs, no wheelies, no red light racing. It’s been good to me. Some people have told me that I need a name, but I’m not set on anything. I’m open to suggestions if anyone has a good one. Liberator was recommended by a neighbor; not sure about that one. Anyway, as they say “Ride to Live, Live to Ride.”

It's a bird, it's a plane...no really it's a plane!

So there I am, driving down the highway with nothing between me and the pavement but two small wheels and a fire breathing V-twin. I think to myself, this is what's about; no civilization in sight, just blazing down the open road. There's desert to my left and desert to my...no, no there isn't. There are cotton fields. As far as I can see there are cotton fields. Strange thing to see in the desert.

Out of the corner of my eye I see something flying. At first it looks like a circling hawk or other large bird. Quickly, I realize that it's not a bird but a plane. Cool. I think; that would be fun to do. Time seems to slow to a crawl as I am mesmerized by the plane's graceful movement through the sky; slowly turning right and then left. The plane looks awfully low. I snap out of my daze to realize that the plane is less than 100 feet off the ground, looks like smoking, and headed right toward me on the highway. For just a minute, I thought this was it; hit by a plane. At what seemed like the last minute, he banked to his left, came even lower, and a large cloud erupted from behind him. He was dusting the cotton fields. Ha-ha, false alarm. I guess this is what I get for not growing up an agricultural area. But I won't soon forget the day I almost died at the hands of a plane; or wings rather.

And I Ride A Bike

It has been 3 months since I bought a motorcycle. I am nearing the 4000 mile mark. I can hardly believe it myself; further evidence of the amount of driving I do for my job. I still love it. For those who have never experienced, it is difficult to describe. Imagine riding on your bicycle, but faster and without the effort. I used to do a good bit of road cycling. My favorite part (aside from the great workout) was riding along unencumbered by windows, a roof, metal, plastic, and upholstery. I was close to the ground; gracefully gliding along dangerously aware of my speed and direction. I wish that I could ride more often, but time is a precious commodity and scare in supply. Sorry, my economics roots coming out.

On a bike, you perceive normal things differently. On the way home from work, I passed the local international (oxymoron?) airport. A large 737 bearing the Southwest flag passed overhead not more than 150’ off the ground. I have driven this portion of freeway in a car before and experienced the same phenomenon. You see the plane out of the passenger window; then it’s gone with a slight rumble over the drone of the local radio station, and then it reappears on the driver’s side almost on the runway. No big deal, I know.

Let me relay how it was on the bike. I see the plane off to my right on the approach. I hear the engines approaching. The gear is down and landing lights are on. As the plane passes overhead, I glance upward at the belly of the plane. Did I mention that this is going home traffic and that we are stop-and-go? It is huge. I suddenly realize that you don’t normally see the underside of a plane from such a close distance. It resembles that of a .45 bullet. (I can see why the parallel between the terrorist planes of 9/11 and deadly weapons is so strong. Planes provide a invaluable service in modern society. But just like guns, in the wrong hands can yield disastrous results.) As the plane moves to my left and toward the runway, I can feel the rumble of the engines. Traffic is stopped; so I continue to watch. The massive flying tube of aluminum gracefully glides downward and makes contact emitting a small cloud of smoke and a brief high-pitched squeal from the tires.

My wife went for her first ride on the bike, or any bike, this weekend. A little scared at first; she liked it. Riding with someone is different too. In a car, they sit next to you and your interaction is like that of sitting on the sofa at home. On the bike, you share the same space; are in constant contact with each other; work together as a team in balancing and turning the bike. I look forward to more rides and great experiences with her. If you don’t have a motorcycle or know someone that does, go for a ride on a bicycle. You have the same sensations, but only slower and with a greater sensitivity to the sounds around you.

Licensed Organ Donor

I am that much closer to enjoying the open road with nothing between me and Mother Nature but a sophisticated machine on two wheels. Sensing my limits, I enrolled in a basic rider course at the

local Harley Davidson dealership. I know what I know and riding a motorcycle isn’t one of those things. I have been riding a bicycle for a long time. I even spent a good amount of time commuting to work and school on a road bike. So I like to think that I have an idea of what people mean when they say that motorcyclists are invisible to most drivers. I often felt that way riding my bike. It never failed to surprise me when a car would pull out in front of me or cut in front of me just to brake hard and make a turn. And it’s not as if I was trying to be chic with my gear. My bike is red and I routinely wear either a white or yellow jersey. I guess that car drivers are looking for other 2000+ lb killing machines such as themselves. No really. When driving your car you look for threats or obstacles in your path. In a large vehicle, this means cars or trucks and other big things like signs, trees, and buildings. Sure we are taught in drivers education to watch the shoulders for cyclists and sidewalks for pedestrians and animals, but they don’t pose an immediate ‘threat’ to a car driver. They are more of a nuisance and you’ll get in trouble if you come in contact with one them. It is this type of limited vision that fuels national motorcycle awareness campaigns like ‘Start Seeing Motorcycles’.

So I took this class. The class was limited to 9 participants, which was a bonus. After formal introductions, including the token get to know you games, we were ushered out of our classroom into the dealership. Now, I have to mention that as a student in the class you are given a lanyard that says ‘Riders Edge Student’. This is your golden ticket. Sales people leave you alone and you are free to browse the merchandise and motorcycles unmolested. We were given the 99 cent tour. No area of the dealership was left undiscovered (except the finance department because who wants to talk about having to pay for this stuff, it is just cool and remember that). We had two evenings of classroom learning. Flash back to drivers education but everyone is middle aged and we are talking about motorcycles. Yeah, that part was kind of lame. We had to learn where the handlebars are and what they do (I’m not kidding). On Saturday, we spent 9 hours out on a driving range set up behind their warehouse. We were provided 500cc motorcycles made by Harley Davidson’s sport brand Buell. We learned everything from clutch control and emergency braking to counter steering and figure eights. The only thing missing was parallel parking. On Sunday, we did more of the same for 8 hours but at higher speeds and with exercises aimed at combining several skills. The only flaw with the range training was the environmental conditions. The very same Mother Nature that we were trying to get closer to was not nice to us. The days were clear and the sky was a deep blue. However, it was 115 degrees on Saturday and 113 degrees on Sunday. To anyone of you out there who cannot imagine this, neither could I. Normally when it is that hot outside, I make every effort to limit my time outside. Not only did I spend a combined 17 hours out in that heat but I had to wear boots, long pants, a full face helmet, long sleeves, and gloves. Not to mention that waiting for your turn sitting on the black seat of a radiating engine is not the most comfortable thing one can do.

I learned a lot, passed my written and driving tests, and would recommend the class to anyone looking to learn the rules of motorcycling. Not to be naïve, the class is not without its pitfalls. Two people crashed during our range exercises. One of those did not continue with the class. Of the 9, only 5 of us qualified for a motorcycle endorsement on our drivers license. 3 others passed the written test but not the driving portion and qualified for motorcycle permits. This allows them to ride a motorcycle during the day only for 6 months at which time they can attempt the driving test again at a local MVD. The statistics speak for themselves. If you take a Motorcycle Safety Foundation sanctioned skills course, your chances of being in an accident are reduced. And you qualify for a discount on your insurance.