Well, This Won’t Look Good On My Resume’

As I get closer to finishing the current chapter in this book that is my life, I have begun the process of looking into what lies ahead for the ole’ MotoWriter. 

Now, if you’re a regular MotoReader, you know that it’s been a while since I posted anything. If you’re new to the site, you might discover that along with motorcycle-centric content, I also pepper in some life advice and do my best to send good vibes out to the world in hopes of encouraging my readers to live their best lives while being good, decent humans. 

Whichever is the case, don’t worry… I don’t have any plans of shutting down my site or putting down my metaphorical pen. After all these years of sending my words into the world via the internet, I’ve realized that, at least a few, folks like you around the world actually seem somewhat interested in what I have to say. With my little site recently reaching over 100,000 views world wide, I realize that even in my temporary absence, my loyal MotoReaders are still checking in. I appreciate you, and it’s an honor for me to be able to have a few moments of your very valuable time… so thank you, and worry not- the MotoWriter will remain in this story, and may actually get a larger part.

With all that said, let’s get down to the aforementioned resume’ comment. While I love writing this blog, it only pays in satisfaction, and I can’t pay my bills with that, so I’ve been seeking out my next payin’ gig. 

In my current career path, I’ve learned so very much, have achieved several goals and I have, hopefully, succeeded in helping some folks. I’ve dedicated nearly half of my life to making this world a little better place. I doubt that I’ll ever have the same level of job satisfaction in any other career, but every chapter must end, before a new one can begin and the sun must set, before it can rise again. Nighttime brings rest to the world, and the new day brings forth new opportunities to begin fresh. 

I’ve been intrigued by motorcycles for as long as I can remember. I’m fascinated by the diversity in the types of machines, the types of people and the bond that we all share. Being a “motorcycle person” trumps all other characteristics. Details like race, ethnicity, sex and any and all the other identifiers that our current world assigns to every one of us, become secondary to the distinct characteristic of “motorcyclist” or “biker.” Please excuse my language  for a moment… but I fu**in’ love that! 

It’s with this passion that I started writing for Harley-Davidson Forums and why I eventually started writing this blog. I have been a lifelong fan of Harley-Davidson Motorcycles and, have been a loyal rider of these iconic machines for over 15 years, after I finally reached a point in my life, when I could actually afford to buy one. I’ve been to Milwaukee and I’ve stood where Bill Harley and Arthur Davidson stood. I’ve walked the same halls on Juneau Avenue, that generations of blue collar American workers designed and built these beautiful, soul inspiring, freedom machines. I’ve learned to work on them in the same classrooms where better mechanics learned to do the same and I’ve experienced the camaraderie of being a part of a worldwide collective of enthusiasts.

To hear that this company, this brand, this iconic representation of the great American culture is in such dire straits… is tragic. Harley-Davidson has endured through financial troubles, tariffs, embargoes, ruthless competition, poor leadership, misguided CEOs and more than a few bad designs, for over 120 years. Each time, however, the MoCo has been able to pull itself up and out of the tough times, by leaning hard on it’s most important assets- it’s loyal owners and followers.

Over the past several years, however, the leaders of our beloved Motorcycle company have made some grave mistakes… and they are just now starting to feel the affects of those poor decisions. So, at risk of losing any hopes of putting “Harley-Davidson Motor Company” as an employer on my resume’… I’m putting this out there for the world, and more specifically- the executives at Harley-Davidson to hopefully read:

YOU’VE LOST TOUCH WITH US

You allowed DEI and the “woke” culture to rust the iron of Harley-Davidson’s foundation. The “woke” culture and DEI practices are like salt on the roads of Wisconsin in winter. It helps to clear the path and expose what’s underneath, but the long term affects are rust and corrosion on the frames of your motorcycles that will eventually destroy the most crucial part that holds it all together. 

Like salt on the roads- “Diversity, Equity and Inclusion” practices aren’t bad… but it must be done in moderation. I can tell you, that very few people actually care about how someone else is living their personal lives. The world we live in today is quite possibly the most inclusive that it’s ever been… that is, except for those among us who thrive on division- the people that dress and act bizarre, then get offended by others who react to their bizarreness; the people that get triggered by the lyrics from an old Christmas song from 50+ years ago, but then blast the most vulgar, misogynistic, lyrics from their car stereo, while driving past public parks and playgrounds.

When celebrities speak up and give their opinions on things… I just shake my head and ask WHO CARES WHAT THEY THINK? No offense to any of them, but why does the opinion of an actor, singer, dancer, etc… matter more than that of the guy that takes your order at your favorite restaurant, or the girl that makes your coffee in the morning? Because they can act? Or sing? Or dance? Or because they are wealthy? The simple answer is, their opinion doesn’t matter any more than yours… it’s just that you, or we as a collective society, seem to need some “publicly backed” validation for our own opinions. We have become a society of sheep… afraid of our own judgement. We feel like if Jim Carrey or Keanu Reeves shares our view on something, then it somehow carries more clout. It’s a ridiculous concept. Especially considering we don’t know who these people truly are, or even share similar lifestyles. I like a lot of both of these guys movies and have followed them for several years, but they don’t live the same life as me, and I’m guessing, most of you. I’m not saying they haven’t struggled financially, but I am saying that when they were starting their careers, living in their cars, waiting tables or playing hockey, nobody gave a damn about their opinion. It wasn’t until they became famous that everybody wants to know what they think about politics, religion, fashion or whatever. Keanu Reeves is a motorcycle guy… that’s about the only thing that he and I probably have in common… and our opinion on those are probably drastically different, by looking at the designs (and prices) of his Arch Motorcycles. 

Every company, every person for that matter, should try to practice diversity, equity and inclusion habits- recognizing the differences in people and appreciating the fact that our differences are what make us unique; treating each other fairly and not allowing personal prejudices and biases from affecting how we treat one another; and including people that are different from us to take part in the creation of advancement of a common goal, is something that good people, and good companies, do. But, like any good concept- someone put a title on it, claimed it as their own, new concept, and then started forcing extremist ideas down the throats of everyone, calling it “DEI.” The world got shamed into not being “woke.” Companies rushed to become “culturally sensitive” and the more they worked to change their “company cultures” and buy into this fabricated concept that someone else was selling to them, the more they lost. 

The fact is, that prior to the “DEI” initiatives, mandates and “woke” culture… the MoCo employed people of different races, sexual orientations, religious backgrounds, cultural backgrounds and, I’ll be willing to bet, that the vast majority of them worked well together, got along, got paid the same and felt that their diversity made them a strong workforce, felt that they were treated the same and felt included at their jobs. It wasn’t until someone from HR heard about this “new program” called “DEI”, that they started paying for the pamphlets, buying the programs and paying the DEI speakers to come in and tell people that they didn’t get along, because the DEI peddlers hadn’t “fixed them yet.” Yes, yes… DEI was being sold and the corporate hogs were buying. They forgot about the most important component of their companies… their people.

Harley-Davidson jumped into the DEI pool without floaties, and in doing so, allowed the company executives to drown the company in guilt-driven, detrimental behaviors, practices and policies. Policies, practices and behaviors that are contradictory to their core demographic of hard working, diverse, God and County loving Americans, and a whole world full of people who love, admire and respect the American culture. In trying to satisfy the DEI push into their brand, it backfired in the worst of ways- thousands of the brands most loyal enthusiasts felt insulted. Not because they were bigots, but because Jochen and his cronies insinuated that they were and shamed them for not falling for the “woke” political agenda that they were trying to force on them. 

To make matters worse- Jochen’s goal of making Harley-Davidson a “premium” brand… was inherently stupid and has cost the MoCo millions of dollars in sales. Harley-Davidson was already a premium brand… it had a diverse lineup of motorcycles that appealed to a large group of riders, and even though they were priced high, they were still (somewhat) attainable. Jochen’s goal, which has started to come to fruition, was to make them so expensive that only the elite (like him) could buy them. The MoCo execs chopped the lineup, focused on a few top-tier bikes and slowly raised the prices until they started becoming unattainable for the working class folks that have been buying and riding them for over 120 years. Honestly folks… I paid $35k for my wife’s SUV five years ago… and nearly $25k for my Road King Special, almost 10 years ago. Those numbers were, and are still, ridiculous, and they’ve only gotten worse as of the past few years. How can a motorcycle cost as much as a car? That is simply poor business practices. 

Then, to make matters worse, the boneheads decided to cut the entry and mid level models out of the lineup. The Evo powered Sportsters could be had for way less than $10k, and there were several models to choose from, that fit almost any rider’s style. The next up, and first to be killed off, was the mid-range, next step, Dyna family of big twins. Powerful, tight, fun motorcycles that were a bit bigger and added a few more options for the rider looking to step up a bit. Great motorcycles, but someone at H-D corporate decided that to would be a good financial decision to take a popular, good selling, item off the menu altogether. So, the decision was then made to take away a few popular options from the Softail lineup, but then rename a few Softails with Dyna names… and hope that no one noticed that they were paying more money… just to have a cool name like “Lowrider” or “Fat Bob” on their Softail. So, since the Dyna family (that consisted of several models to satisfy the desires of the diverse styles and personalities of Harley-Davidson big twin enthusiasts) had been cut, the obvious choice would be to add to the Softail lineup to make up the difference, right? Nope. The decision was made to cut popular models from the lineup, instead. The lineup of Softails consisted of a couple of models that carried Dyna names (Lowrider, Lowrider S, Fat Bob and Street Bob), and a Softail Standard (which was, and is, basically the same bike as the Softail Street Bob) the Heritage Softail, the Breakout and the Fat Boy. 

You may be saying, “OK MotoWriter, but what about the touring lineup?” Well… they cut it too. Incredibly popular models like the standard Road King, the Electraglide standard, Road Glide and the Electraglide were eventually severed from the lineup, and replaced with their more expensive counterparts- the Road King Special, The Ultra Classic Electraglide and the Road Glide Ultra… all of which will, after paying for tax, title, dealer set-up, freight, the sales manager’s lunch, the store manager’s bonus and the dealership’s power bill for that day, will set you back nearly $35k… yes… as much as you could get a nice, mid-range SUV for. 

Jochen’s plan to price Harley-Davidson out of business is really starting to take shape now. 

Oh, but what about the Sportster and the Pan America? Well I didn’t forget about them. The new Rev Max Sportster S and Nightster models seem to be pretty nice bikes. The Nightster is fun to ride, but it’s small… and starting at $10k for the base model and $12k for the “Special” which only offers slightly different styling, it isn’t a bad choice for a new rider that wants a Harley-Davidson… however, it’s Indian competitors give it a helluva run for it’s money, with a few models, and engine sizes, to choose from… all starting at the same price. As for the Sportster S… I’m sorry to those who like this bike, but at $15,999, it is terribly overpriced. In all fairness, I haven’t actually ridden one, I’ve only sat on one at the dealership, but after throwing a leg over it, I didn’t want to ride it… and for me, that is saying a lot, because I always want to ride a motorcycle… especially a new one that I haven’t ridden before. I do like the Pan America and while I think that they are priced a little high compared to their competitors, we will often pay a little extra for a brand we love and a well-established dealer network… call it the “Harley tax.”

Although the Pan America does create a new market of buyers and enthusiasts from the ADV crowd, that’s a niche group- not an entry, or mid, level market. The guys buying ADVs are older, middle to upper class riders who, while they can go off-road, will most likely buy these bikes for their upright riding positions, softer suspensions and more forgiving riding traits. The MoCo needs to focus on the younger guys and gals… the mid twenties to upper thirties folks that want fun, fast bikes that have some suspension, but are cool and still a little hardcore. Something that can be bought, built and customized for less than $15k. They need something to build off of, too… something like a comfortable entry level bike that they can get for $6-8k, then after a few years, trade in for the next size up for a few extra thousand. 

And as for the DEI bull crap- newsflash folks- motorcycle riders are the most diverse, equitable and inclusive group of people out there. Have you ever been to a bike night, seen groups of riders pass each other on the roads or been to a major bike event? People of every race, ethnicity, sex, social and economic background and sexual orientation are out there, waving at each other as they pass, talking to each other about their bikes, sharing stories from the road and donating their hard-earned money on good causes. Bikers and motorcyclists don’t need to be lectured about diversity, equity and inclusion… they need to be supported by the brands they love and spend their hard-earned money on. 

I know that Harley-Davidson is searching for it’s next CEO… and if the MoCo wants to hire a smart, down to earth, blue collar, guy that, with some good old fashioned common sense and American pride, will get the company back on track… I’ll be available for a very reasonable salary… but I won’t hold my breath, waiting for their call.

Dyna update

The MotoWriter Dyna 

As many of you know, last year, I crashed my Dyna Street Bob (affectionately known as the MotoWriter Dyna). 

For those new to the blog (or missed the original post)- basically, I was riding on a road that I knew had a dangerous intersection, where gravel from an intersecting road washes into a curve of the main road. While I wasn’t speeding, I should have slowed down more than I did, because I wound up encountering the gravel that was perfectly in line with my front tire. In what turned out to be a failed attempt to avoid it, I lost control, high-sided and won a busted bike, a gnarly cut across my back and some bruised internal organs as reward for my carelessness.

Once the insurance company and I settled up (I chose to keep the scoot and rebuild it), I set out to tearing it down and repairing it, piece by piece. Now, I’m not rich by any means, but I’m not poor, either. I chose to do the work myself because I enjoy it. Besides, if God gave me the confidence to try, and the ability to succeed, why on earth would I pay someone else to do it?

Tear down

The tear down involved taking the bike down, basically, to a unicycle. The forks, triple-trees, tank, seat, and a bunch of small, miscellaneous parts came off. From there, I inspected each piece, determined what was damaged and what wasn’t, and then made a list of what I needed. Fortunately, the frame was solid, straight and undamaged (which was my biggest fear), and the tank wasn’t dented, just scratched up on the low side. 

In removing the triple trees, I found that the neck bearings were worn out and unusable, but I’m not sure if that was a result of the crash or simply a previously unseen result of, prior to my ownership, neglect. Either way, those were replaced. I found a set of “new” take-off handlebars that I picked up at a pretty good price, and I found a nice set of “new” take-off fork sliders (these things couldn’t have had more than 100 miles on them when they were swapped out). I picked up a nice, used clutch perch, a new set of levers, a new pair of fork tubes and a couple of fork rebuild kits from my local Harley-Davidson shop. The front wheel and wheel bearings were good, as were the front and rear fenders. The exhaust survived, but the heat shield was tweaked and a clamp bracket was broken, so I repaired that and massaged the heat shield back into shape. 

After rebuilding the forks and installing the new neck bearings, I put the front end back together and then I rewarded myself with a nice cold Miller High Life… because let’s face it… making a motorcycle out of a unicycle is worthy of the reward of the “champagne of beers.”

Once the front end was back together, I set out to cleaning up the tank scratches. I had some paint left over from the quarter fairing that I installed before the crash (R.I.P. to the fairing, as it did not survive the crash, nor did it make the final cut of replacement parts). I tried painting a patch area, but that effort failed, so I put that on the back burner and decided to make sure the damn thing would run and ride again, instead. I’m glad I did, because I was seriously considering selling or trading the Dyna until I fired her up for the first time since the crash. The 96” Twin Cam came to life easily and it ran and rode great- so great, in fact, that I have ridden it several times over the last month… funky paint and all. Riding it reminded me how much I actually like this motorcycle.

After riding it a few times, I decided to dedicate a day (today) to repainting the tank. Over the past few months, I’ve been trying to decide if I should change the color, or maybe do a cool design, or maybe even swap the tank badges for decals. Ultimately, it was Mrs. MotoWriter that reminded me what one of the guys at the Harley-Davidson Museum said to me, when we were talking about the MotoWriter Dyna. He told me that, since Dynas are no longer made, and since so many of them have been hacked up and made into stunt bikes and racing machines, that a (mostly) stock Dyna Street Bob in Brilliant Silver paint, was likely to become a pretty valuable machine one day. Now, he may have just been telling me that to make me feel better about my relatively boring silver bike, but it did make me start looking for others like it. To my surprise, I didn’t find many silver Street Bobs out there. Like the guy said, most Dynas I’ve come across have been turned into wheelie and stunt machines (which is a trend that I can’t stand… maybe I’m just getting old, but public streets where my family drives just isn’t the place for f*@%ing around on a 600+ pound projectile that is precariously balanced on one wheel by a SQUID that doesn’t believe, or doesn’t care, that he could lose control and kill himself or someone else- rant over).

As of today

So that brings me to today. I took the tank off, prepped it for paint and have begun laying the metallic goodness down (I’m between color coats as I type this). After I finish the color coats, I’ll go over it with several coats of clear until I’m satisfied with the results, then I’ll let it set for a few days before I finish it up and get the badges back on, and get it mounted back on the bike.

Stay tuned for more photos once it’s back together and ready to hit the open road again. Until then, ride safe and avoid making the same mistakes I did!

MotoReview- Viking Bag’s Dagr Sissy Bar Bag

MotoReview- Viking Bags’ Dagr Sissy Bar Bag

Well, MotoReaders, as promised, I humbly submit to you, my review of the Viking Bags 22L Dagr sissy bar bag! 

Okay, first off- in the interest of FULL disclosure- I did not buy this bag, I do not work for Viking Bags, I am not related to anyone (that I know of) that works for Viking Bags and I do not own any stock in Viking Bags, nor will I benefit from a positive review of, or suffer from a negative review of, this bag (or any other items I review on my site). That said, let’s get to it, shall we?

Initial impression

 When I arrived home from work today, I was excited to see a decent sized brown box, waiting for me at my driveway. I anxiously picked it up and noticed that it had a little heft to it… again, a wave of pleasant surprise and satisfaction washed over me. Once inside, I opened the box to find a nice sized bag wrapped in a clear plastic bag that was tied. Had it been raining, I’m confident that the cardboard box’s contents would have been safe and dry inside. After plucking the bag out of the box and unwrapping it like an impatient child at Christmas, I removed the hefty, well made and very sturdy bag from it’s plastic cocoon. 

I, gratuitously, decided that the best place to take some photos of the bag was on my work bench, where I’ve been working on resurrecting the MotoWriter Dyna, which, if you haven’t heard (or, read about here on the site, yet… click the link here —>>) I crashed a few months back. Yes, I must also admit that the MotoWriter wall sign, that my good friend Nick over at The Wood Shop made for me, makes for a nice background detail… again, I know it’s gratuitous, but hey, I’m grown and I do what I want! 

Digging in

Hearing a distinct rattle when handling the bag, I feverishly began unzipping the compartments to see what goodies the bag contained. I was pleasantly surprised to find that the two side pockets are big. Not, “hold a pair of jeans” big, but definitely “keep your phone, GPS, keys, wallet, Snicker bars, and maybe even some miscellaneous H-D poker chips or challenge coins” big. The best part is, that there are two of them and they are equally large, not like some of those bags that have the random sized compartments that make no real sense. The main compartment held the culprits of the rattling sound- a rain cover, a shoulder strap and two (2) smaller straps for tying the bag to your bike in, probably, any way that you might want. 

In this photo, I’ve got them propped open with a marker (on one side) and a roll of painter’s tape (on the other side). The main compartment is big and has plenty of room for a couple of pairs of socks, underwear and maybe a t-shirt or two if you pack them tight enough (disclaimer- I wear a size large t-shirt, so I can make it work… if you’re bigger than that, it might get tricky for you). Viking also claims that the bag will hold “31 cans”… but I’ve yet to try that, as I’m more of a bourbon man. The “flap” (if you can even call it that) opens up and it has two detachable straps on either side to keep it from flopping open and dumping it’s contents. They are adjustable, so if you only want it to open a little bit, you can. If you want it to open all the way, adjust them out or simply unclip them. I, very loosely, refer to the flap as a “flap” because it doesn’t “flap” at all. There isn’t anything on this bag that is “flappy”, actually. The “flap” is very well made and semi-rigid to keep the contents of the bag safe, while helping to maintain the bag’s shape. On the inside, it has a mesh, zipper close, compartment that could be used for any small items you don’t want falling out of, or getting mixed up in, the main compartment. Did I mention the security? No? Well, I will. The main compartment can be closed and secured with a small padlock- think, “TSA approved.” It won’t keep anyone from stealing your bag, but it will prevent anyone from rooting through your bag and gawking at your weird under britches that have the hearts printed on them. 

Inside the main compartment is another zipper that runs along the entire inner wall. Snooping around and unzipping it, reveals the inner plastic “wall” that gives rigidity to the outside of the bag and maintains the overall shape. The plastic is thick, maybe 3/16” or just a tiny bit thinner and its made of a nice flexible ABS plastic that really looks like it can take a beating without shattering or cracking. The top of the bag has a sewn-in, and riveted, nylon strap handle that has a plastic “comfort strap” (that’s what I’m calling it… maybe the folks at Viking Bags can use that). The handle is well made and will, no doubt, be able to easily hold up to all of the weight that can be crammed into this bag- be it 31 cans of your favorite beverage, or all of those “heart” boxers that your aunt Susie gave you for your birthday.

The intelligent design didn’t stop at the back of the bag either. The strap to attach it to the sissy bar is wide and thick and will easily fit over most sissy bars (or back rests for you folks that are offended by the word “sissy”). It comes with something that, if I’m being honest, I’ve never seen before- two vertical, and removable, metal rods. The rods are used to adjust for the width of your bike’s sissy bar- a very cool feature and one that was very well planned and, from what I can tell so far, very well executed. There are D rings on the rear of the bag that can be used with the straps provided, to secure the bag to your bike, or, convert the bag into a backpack! Very cool! 

Overall Thoughts

My overall first impression of the Dagr bag is that it is very well made. It has what I like to call “smart engineering and design” all throughout. It’s obvious that whoever designed this bag, did so intentionally. The name, Dagr, is an old Norse word meaning, basically, “day” and that’s exactly what this bag is perfect for (although, I can see myself using it on overnight trips, too). 

Quality is top notch- the stitching is sturdy and the materials are very nice- a mix of nylon rip-stop and a rugged, rubber composite that blends very well into the design, making this bag not only functional, but attractive. The size is perfect for holding a variety of necessities on a road trip- sunglasses (and reading glasses for those of us who are getting a little older these days), sunscreen, gloves, snacks, and whatever else you want, or need, to bring along to make your trip a little better. 

While the MotoWriter Road King has big, cavernous saddlebags and a detachable trunk for my longer trips, I plan on using this bag on the MotoWriter Street Bob, once it’s put back together and ready for road trippin’ again, that is.

Durability, longevity and affordability 

I can’t, personally, speak on affordability, as I didn’t actually buy this bag, but I can tell you that, for the msrp of $69.99, and a current promotion (as of today) of $59.41, I think it’s a steal. This is a bag that you will keep from bike to bike until your significant other or one of your kids (or grandkids) decide to “appropriate” it for their own use. It looks good and is well made. 

As for the durability or the longevity of the bag, I obviously won’t be able to speak on this yet, either, as I just got this thing today. I will honestly be surprised if it doesn’t outlast some of my other gear (and maybe even one of my bikes), but I’ll do a proper follow-up review in 6 months, and another one at a year, to give you some updates on it, in case you’re still not convinced. 

Final thoughts

I’ll leave you with this to ponder- how much do you spend at the coffee shop every month? How much do you spend on fast food? How much do you give to your co-workers’ kids that are always selling cookies or doing some other kind of fund raisers? If you’re an average person, I’d be willing to bet that you could buy two of these bags a month, every month, for what you spend in coffee and fast food alone. So, why not take a chance and get a bag that will, absolutely, last longer than all those McBurgers and Starspressos. Go check out Viking Bags (by clicking the link at the top right of this page) or by clicking here and check out what they have to offer. 

Instead of spending a hundred bucks a month for some overpriced drinks or some, potentially cold, fries that will only give you joy, happiness or satisfaction for a few moments, take a break from the drive-thru line for a few weeks and buy yourself a bag that, I suspect, will give you years of service. Hell, what’s the worst that could happen? If you only use it for one year’s worth of road trips, it will still have given you more use than those deep fried fart sticks and that chalky ass, coffee flavored, sugar water. Make your coffee at home and brown bag your lunch for a month and get something that will actually bring you some joy- the Viking Bags Dagr sissy bar bag. (<<— shameless plug, but click the link and check it out for yourself!)

Now, I better get back to working on the MotoWriter Street Bob, so I can put this bag to good use before the next review!

Until next time, MotoReaders… ride safe and make good choices!

Updates coming soon!

Hey MotoReaders!

I’m super busy at the moment, but I wanted to drop a quick post to let you know that I’ve been working (literally) and getting some fresh new content for the ole website while doing so. In the next few weeks, I’ll have some new ride reviews on the new 121ci vvt CVO Road Glide, the new Lowrider ST and the Pan America. I’ll also throw in an update on the status of the MotoWriter Dyna and I might even talk about some other cool stuff that I’ve been doing lately. 

Drop a comment and let me know which review you’d like to see first, then check back soon!

Till then- ride safe and make good choices!

I Crashed

 

I don't think this will buff out.

I crashed the MotoWriter Street Bob

Well, I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again- if you ride motorcycles, it’s not a matter of if, but when, you will have a mishap. I’ve had my share over the years, but it’s been a long time since I’ve had anything serious happen… until a few nights ago. I was riding a road that I’ve ridden, probably a few dozen times, and I failed to heed the warnings. You see, there is one particular curve that, while it’s not crazy, it is dangerous enough that the county road department installed a sign warning “dangerous curve ahead” on the approach. If you’ve watched any of my earlier videos, you likely saw the one where I went into this exact curve in the least sexy way possible. It always has gravel in the apex… always. On this fateful night, there was no exception. 

An evening ride on a known road

I would venture to guess that, statistically, casually known roads are more dangerous to us than those that are brand new, or well known, to us. We tend to take it easier on roads that we're unfamiliar with, and get more relaxed on roads that we know (or think we know) well. It's the in-between roads though, that seem to be the ones that really get us in trouble. Those backroads that we know well enough to be comfortable on, but we don't ride on enough to be able to anticipate every curve. 

While taking an evening ride on one of those roads- one that I’ve ridden multiple times in the past, but is not one of my "regular" rides- I approached the aforementioned "dangerous curve." I was looking for the tell-tale signs of the ever-present gravel swath, but there was none… until suddenly, there was. I was over halfway through the curve, with a fair, but not too aggressive lean on the Dyna, when all of a sudden, a relatively thin (maybe 18” wide) swath of gravel appeared directly in front of me. It was laid out in the road, perfectly matching the exact line that I was in. I knew that going into the gravel would surely put me into the asphalt and high side me into the oncoming lane (I’ve seen enough crashes like this to know how that would play out- and the outcome of those were all bad), so I tried my best to apply enough brakes to get off the line I was on, which was heading toward my certain demise. 

I was able to successfully apply enough brake to stand the Dyna up and miss the majority of the gravel, but unfortunately for me, in doing so, it put me going across the center line and into the oncoming lane. By the grace of God, there was no one coming, so with everything I had, I tried to keep the Dyna off the shoulder, but the stock, single disc front brake on the 2011 FXDB simply wasn’t slowing me down enough and I inadvertently pushed a little too much on my rear pedal. Big mistake. The rear tire started to lock and before I could release and reapply the rear brake, I ran out of room on the road surface and the back of the bike started to slide sideways. The scoot first went down on the high side (that's the right side for those that don't know), sliding into the grass shoulder. Once in the grass, it slid a few feet before catching and high-siding, ejecting me off a few feet from my downed machine. I had enough wits about me to tuck my head in anticipation of the impact, and I landed hard on my back with my helmet barely tapping the hard, dry, grass covered, red clay ground. 

Body and bike

I stayed down for a second doing a mental assessment: wiggle my toes- check; move my fingers- check- breathing clear, in and out- check. I slowly stood up, checking myself for injuries and was feeling pretty good about my condition, until I got upright and could feel a warm wetness flushing down my back. I reached back and felt it- yep, it was wet. When I pulled my hand back, I could see it was covered in blood. Evidently, when I landed, I slid across something sharp that was embedded in the dirt and grass, because, as I would learn later, my back had a gash that was about 6-8 inches long running across at an angle with all of the other superficial scratches from the rocks in the dirt. 

The MotoWriter Dyna didn’t get out quite so lucky; the bars were bent, the fairing and clutch perch destroyed and there was fresh oil on the low side fork tube. Aside from that, the tank had some scratches on the low side and the H-D logo was ripped off. After manipulating the clutch lever back in place, I was able to start it, though. It fired up and ran fine. A Good Samaritan saw the aftermath of my self-induced mess and offered to help. Being a stubborn-ass man, I initially refused, but after he insisted that I wasn’t putting him out, I reluctantly agreed and he left to go get his truck.

I love the South

As I was waiting for him to come back, I was able to get the bike picked up and moved a little further down the ditch (I was trying to get it back on the road, but couldn’t). I called my wife, then the local sheriff’s department, to report the crash. A few other folks came by and checked on me, but I told them that I had some help coming, so they went on their way. A few minutes later, my new friend, who for the sake of his anonymity, I will call Mr. L, came back with a truck and trailer. 

South Mississippians are the best people I’ve ever met. This guy, who only knew me from the second that he saw my dumb self standing in the ditch with my busted motorcycle, generously offered to help me. Not only that, but once he got there with his truck and trailer, he offered to let me take the whole rig, so I could get the bike back home. Being that my back was as bloody as a horror film crime scene though, I respectfully declined and told him that I would ride with my wife in our car so I didn’t stain his seats with my ripped up back. Initially, Mr. L. offered to bring my bike back to his place until I could come get it because one of the tires on his trailer was in bad shape, but once my wife and the deputy got there, he could see that the pain was starting to set in, and offered to risk the tire and bring it all the way to my house, so I could rest and heal without having to worry about going out again to get the bike. To recap- this man was on his way home from work when he saw some random stranger, crashed into a ditch on his motorcycle. He offered… no, he insisted, to help the stranger, then he offered to let this complete stranger take his truck and trailer without knowing if it would ever be returned. Can you imagine what our world would be like, if everyone was as kind, generous and trusting as Mr. L.? 

No good deed

They say that no good deed goes unpunished, and about a mile away from my house, that rang true for Mr. L. The damn tire on his trailer blew out and completely came off the rim. Mr. L. was undeterred, though. I got out of my wife’s car to see what we needed to do, and he just waved me on and said he was going to run it on the rim until we got there; and run it on the rim, he did. We pulled the whole sad looking contraption, consisting of a busted up Harley-Davidson strapped to a trailer with one tire, into the driveway and Mr. L. helped me unload the MotoWriter Dyna off the trailer. I offered to replace the wheels on his trailer, but he adamantly refused, telling me that he had two new tires for the trailer at home, but he just had not put them on yet. I’m not sure if he was fibbing or not, but I told him that he could leave the trailer at my house and drop the tires off later, and I would get it all fixed back up for him. After all, it was, literally, the very least I could do. He reluctantly agreed, would only allow me to give him a sports drink for all his trouble, and then, after some polite conversation, he headed back home to his family and I went inside to let Mrs. MotoWriter get me fixed up.

Stubborn ass man

I mentioned before that I am stubborn. Well, as you can imagine, that means I opted not to go spend my evening at an emergency room. It turned out that, while it was pretty long, fairly deep, splayed open sort of wide and full of grass, dirt and debris, it was still just a cut across my back. While my wife was gathering up all of the necessary supplies, I checked my own vitals: breathing- still clear and full; blood pressure- understandably high; heart rate- a little elevated, but good; blood oxygen- 100%; and after going pee, I saw that I wasn’t passing any blood. For my limited medical knowledge gained from being a father of two rambunctious sons- I determined that the likelihood of my having any significant internal injuries was somewhat low. 

Mrs. MotoWriter did a great job, even if she did almost pass out twice. She got it cleaned up, closed up and bandaged, thanks to the advice and guidance from my youngest son, who just happens to be an EMT. I took some ibuprofen to help quell the pain, since it felt like Mike Tyson kidney punched me with all of his strength, and then I went to bed. I actually slept pretty decent, considering the circumstances. The next morning, however, my plans of getting up and going to work were dashed when I tried getting out of bed. I felt okay, but I was moving like Frankenstein’s monster. Everything hurt, so I messaged the boss and went back to bed. I had been trying to catch up on my writing, but alas, the bike wasn’t the only thing broken (I’m blaming everything on the Blue Super Moon)… my home internet also went out. We cancelled our satellite TV service when we got the fiber optic internet, so no internet meant no TV… which meant that I was given plenty of time to write, but I just couldn't upload it, so this story will be a few days old by the first time you get to read it.

Cuts heal and chicks dig scars

As I’ve learned so many times in the past, cuts heal and chicks dig scars; what is dented, can be fixed, what is broken, can be replaced. The most important takeaway here is the lesson learned. 

I was on a road that, from my own experience, has a dangerous curve and the most dangerous part of that curve for a motorcyclist is the ever present gravel that sits patiently on the blacktop, waiting for it’s next two-wheeled victim. I knew it was there… because it’s always there. Out of the dozens of times I’ve ridden this road, I can only remember once, maybe twice, where the surface was clear. That is on me. As a certified motorcycle operator and motorcycle instructor, I know that when the rear brake starts to lock, I’m supposed to release to rolling friction until I regain control. In this particular situation, mid curve with inadequate braking ability and very little real estate to operate in, I was unfortunately doomed to my fate, because I simply ran out of room. The best I could hope to accomplish, with what I had to work with, was to mitigate the damage as best as possible, which I did. This crash could have been much, much worse. But, this crash could have also been avoided altogether.

I’m not as young as I used to be, so I know that I’m going to be feeling this one for a while, even after the cut heals and Tyson’s bruising goes away. I’m just thankful that I was able to use the training that I have to minimize the overall damage… to the bike, but mostly to me. Mrs. MotoWriter would never forgive me if I went for a ride and didn’t come back. I’m also thankful for good, truly good, samaritans like Mr. L. I’m grateful for his help and generosity and I’m proud to say that I know him- he’s a good man. People like Mr. L. really help restore a person's faith in humanity.

My biggest regret in this whole situation is that I failed to use my own experience to avoid this whole damn situation. I knew the dangers and ignored them. The best I can hope for going forward is, that I learn from this hard lesson and, maybe you can learn something from my mistake, too. 

Until next time, MotoReaders, please ride safe.

It's not as bad as it could be, but it's going to be down for repairs for a little while.

The bars, forks and my newly installed (and recently painted to match) fairing are all shot.

I'm alive, I'm in one piece and I'm in good spirits.
Thanks to the awesome folks at Go Fast Don't Die for such a great shirt, and thanks to all of my loyal MotoReaders for reading my stories.

Want your own collection of cool, Go Fast Don't Die apparel? Check them out by clicking here. Tell 'em that The MotoWriter sent ya!  

Video Blog

Hello MotoReaders!

I'm contemplating bringing back the video blog... at least every once in a while. Even though it's a lot of work (and no recompense), I actually sort of miss editing and creating videos and, it turns out that, I have a few different reviews that I think I'd like to do. Of course, with autumn in the South usually bringing a bit more rain and cooler temperatures, it's also a good time to sit in a warm, dry garage (or house), editing video content, too.

If I do break out the GoPros... I have a few cool things to show you guys. First, I've done a bit of work to the MotoWriter Street Bob that has changed the look a bit and, I've added some new lighting to the MotoWriter Road King that I'm pretty excited to talk about. I've also picked up a couple of new motorcycles that I'm eager to share my thoughts on. I'm sure I could add in a few product reviews and I've even thought about doing another long(er) term review of my Road King Special... as a follow-up to my previous video, since I've done a bit of work to it since making that video. 

When, and if, I do start shooting and posting new videos... look for the links to them here on theMotoWriter.com, since I'm adamantly opposed to getting back on social media (I might even talk about my reasoning for that in a video, too). 

Finally, if you are one of my loyal readers, and have wondered whatever happened to my plans for offering up some MotoWriter merchandise... the person I was working with to make my decals and t-shirts has shut down her operation indefinitely and I've just been too busy with my "real job" stuff to seek out another vendor for it. Maybe, if all works out, I'll be able to get that done in the next couple of months and will be able to add a link to the site, where y'all can order from. 

Whatever happens, stay tuned for more content here on the MotoWriter.com, because as the temps drop and the rain starts to come more often, I'll be doing less riding and doing more writing.

THANKS for being a part of this! Ride safe and make good choices!

Dyna Update!

Fork seals

Ugh. Hydraulic forks are the best... until they're not. Most people will ride their motorcycles for years without ever even servicing them. The maintenance is pretty straightforward, most of the routine services simply require draining the old fluid and replacing it with fresh stuff, which, in a lot of cases, can be done without even taking the forks off the bike. Most fork seals last for years, and for thousands of miles, as long as the fork tubes are kept clean and free of debris.

But if you're a project hunter, like me, who can't turn down a great deal on a bike that needs a little love, chances are, you're gonna be doing a helluva lot more than simply swapping fluid. I've got two such bikes sitting in my garage, right now. One, is an '06 Sportster that I picked up for less than $2k a few years ago, and the other is an '11 Dyna Street Bob that I added to the stable a couple years later. Both of them were complete, but in deplorable condition- rust and corrosion was rampant on both, neither was running and both of them had been neglected for several years. But... I got them cheap and trusted myself with being able to get them back on the road, which I did. 

Both bikes have been awesome, but both have had the common issue of fork seal leakage, in part because I half-assed the job the first time on both bikes. Let me explain.

Sporty

When I first got the Sportster, the fork tubes were obviously roached. They were pitted with rust from top to bottom. The sliders were fine, but the tubes were simply beyond repair. Where I half-assed it, was I stupidly went on eBay in an attempt to save a few bucks and bought a set of used tubes that were significantly better than mine. With a new set of Genuine James Gasket seals and my new used tubes, I put her back together with some fresh 10w oil and she was good to go, for a few years anyway. After a few years of riding, one of the seals sprung a, very minor, leak. It was just minor enough to make me doubt if it was actually leaking, but after a few months, I realized that I was going to be doing a fork seal job again. 

Dyna

When I first picked up the Dyna- a 2011 FXDB Street Bob- I already had some knowledge of the bike's history. I bought it from a friend who, several years earlier, had bought it from a local Harley-Davidson dealership. He was the second owner of the bike and I was actually with him when he bought it. As it turned out, he didn't ride the bike as much as he thought he would and it ended up sitting in his driveway under a bike cover... for years. I hadn't seen the bike since he bought it and had no idea how bad of condition it was in before I agreed to buy it. It really didn't matter to me though, because for the price he was asking, it was worth it. When I first saw the bike, I was in awe of how bad it was. For a bike that was only 7 years old with less than 10k miles, it looked as if it had been abandoned in a field for a decade. I guess that's a drawback of living in the south, near the Gulf of Mexico- the salty, humid air makes short work of corroding metal. The ethanol based gasoline did it's own damage to the inside of the fuel tank, but that's a story for another day. 

The fork tubes didn't look too bad at first glance- the uppers were a little spotty, but the lower sides looked fine, even though they were both leaking. I assumed that the seals were leaking due to being dry rotted, and I wasn't completely wrong, so in my eagerness to ride the bike, I bought a set of Genuine James fork seals for it, then tore it down and put it all back together in an afternoon. I was stoked to ride it... for a few hours anyway. I assumed that the problem was with the seals, since I had previously installed a set of the same brand on the Sporty and they were now leaking after only a couple of years of riding. In my frustration, I cussed the Genuine James Gasket Company for all they were worth, then went online to do some research.

The Sporty fork saga, continued

Having had my fill of frustrations with the James Gasket seals, all my research pointed me to ordering a set of All Balls Racing seals for my trusty little XL. Once I got it tore down, however, I quickly realized that the seals weren't the problem. Apparently, something (probably sand, since I live near, and often ride beside, a beach) had gotten under the dust seal and made a nice little scratch on one of the tubes. The eBay tubes, if I'm guessing by their appearance, were most likely show chrome which is pretty, but not the most durable for a machine that is ridden a lot, so I bit the bullet and ordered a set of new hard chrome tubes, made by Hard Drive. I put it all back together with some 15w, for a little better dampening. She rides better than a new bike now...with no leaks!

The daggum Dyna

I like this damn bike, a lot, but boy it sure makes me cuss sometimes. After getting the new seals, I tore the forks down and, after a quick inspection of the tubes, put it all back together with the new All Balls Racing seals. Success! No more leaking! I was ecstatic... such a simple fix... 

...or so I thought.

Within about a month of riding, that familiar old bead of oil showed up on the high side tube again. I put the bike back on the lift, pulled it apart for what felt like the hundredth time, and inspected it like a jeweler inspecting a diamond. All of a sudden, I saw it- a small, barely noticeable, chip in the chrome, just above where the seal sets when the bike is at rest. The chip was small, only about a millimeter in diameter and was barely discolored, making it hard to spot with a quick visual inspection. The location was such that, when the bike was rolling on relatively smooth roads, the seal didn't cross over the chip, but when the fork compressed under a harder bump, the seal crossed the chip and a tiny bit of oil would leak past. 

As I dragged my fingernail across the chip, I felt it catch the edge and at that moment, I knew that I had, now twice, cussed the Genuine James Gasket Company in error. Oops... sorry guys.

I did my best to try to smooth and polish out the chip, to no avail- it continued leaking, so I called my local indie shop, French & Son's, and ordered a new set of Hard Drive hard chrome tubes and a new set of All Balls fork seals. Once I had them back in the shop, I put the Street Bob back on the lift, tore it down for what felt like the millionth time, and went to work. Having pulled the forks apart so many times, it didn't take me long to install the new tubes and seals. I topped it all off with some fresh 15w fork oil, put it all back together and rolled it off the lift... again. This time it's (finally) fixed and now it rides better than a new bike, too. 

The lesson learned

My dad used to tell me that if you're going to do something, do it right the first time. Well, for the Sportster, the biggest mistake I made was trying to save a few bucks by buying a set of cheap, used fork tubes. In my defense, they lasted a few years before they got scratched. That could have happened to anyone, I suppose, but by buying the tubes used from an individual, I had no specs on them and ended up buying a set of nice looking, but not very durable, show chrome fork tubes that were susceptible to getting scratched. With the Dyna, however, I'll admit that I half-assed it from the jump. I should have taken the time to inspect the fork tubes before I ever put it back together the very first time, but I was trying to save time and money so that could get back to riding the bike as quickly as possible. In doing so, I ended up having to do the job, way more times than I should have. Besides the aggravation, I also wasted valuable time and money on seals and oil. 

Now that both of the bikes are back together, I can focus on actually riding them. Maybe, while I'm out riding, I'll stumble across another project bike that I can tinker with. One thing's for sure though, if I do get my hands on another crusty project, I won't be cutting any corners when dealing with hydraulic fork tubes... I might just go with a springer front end, instead!

Regardless of what you might find yourself working on next, remember this:

If you do it right the first time, you'll only have to do it one time.