Lost the Old Bag at Highway Speed!

No, not the wife, but I got your attention didn’t I?

This embarrassing story actually started about five months ago. I had stopped for breakfast with a coworker on my commute to work one Saturday morning at the local Waffle House. I had just backed the bike into a parking space, removed my helmet, and started walking towards the Waffle House entrance when I glanced back at my Mistress, that’s what I call my bike, and saw the left Custom Classic Hard Leather Saddle Bag was off its rear bracket stud and was leaning down.

I had removed the bags only one time before to give the bike a good cleaning and commuted without them just that once. I rode it only partly “topless” because I had left the Memphis Shades windshield on. I have as yet never removed both bags and shield to ride her convertible style, top down.

I put it back on after eating breakfast and then rode to work and home afterwards. I looked at it again at home and the locking cam did feel like it was binding or just not closing all the way. So I emptied the bag and removed it and lubricated the mechanism with some WD40 and reinstalled the bag. I thought is felt secure, but was too lazy to take the locking bracket off the bag itself to get a better view.

Now, fast forward to a week ago, commuting back and forth to work every day as usual. I was on my homeward bound commute on a Friday in the usual D/FW rush hour traffic, wearing full leathers, impatiently weaving in and out of bog downs but mostly staying in the “fast lane”. I exited 183 Airport Freeway onto 121 north picking up velocity to normal highway cruising speed. I took my normal exit, Cheek-Sparger Rd. as usual and down shifted one time to start engine braking.

That’s when it happened. I rode over a small seam crack in the road and I heard a clunk from the left rear of my bike. I glanced back just in time to catch out of the corner of my eye the saddlebag hitting the ground and take off tumbling down the side of the road. Checking my mirror I see it go cart wheeling off the left shoulder of the exit lane and into the median grass on the side of the freeway. I merged with the access road and exited in the first parking lot.

As I park the bike I see a white pickup pulling over onto the shoulder with its hazard flashers turned on. I get off the bike and remove my helmet and start walking back up the access road. I see the driver get out of the truck and go get the saddlebag. He put it in his truck and started back down the access road in my direction. He sees me walking back up the access road and signals me he will pull into the parking lot where my bike is parked.

The Good Samaritan pulled in behind my bike and gave me back the prodigal saddlebag. I thanked him and asked if I could pay him for his extra effort. He declined and offered some bungee chords but I had a bungee net in the saddlebag. I strapped the bag to my pillion seat and thanked him again as he left.

That Saturday I took it completely apart removing the bracket from the bag. The bag itself was not damaged too badly. The hard plastic backing plate was cracked on one corner, it was scrapped and scuffed up and some of the stitching had come loose on the lid. Considering what it had been through it came out well. I managed to get the bracket lock to unbind so that it would fully lock the bracket in place. I remounted the bag on the bike and made sure it was secured properly. Then I reinstalled the contents I usually carry back inside.

This was a good luck bad luck story. It was bad luck that the Saddlebag came completely off the bike while riding, and it is not easy to get off the bike when you are purposely trying to remove it. Good luck that it did not happen while I was in the middle of traffic or the fast lane of the freeway. I believe my Guardian Angel was looking out for me again and I shudder to think of what could have happened…..

Ride on,
Torch

Good God! Joke. The Harley Davidson Facts...

                                The Harley-Davidson Facts                                  

The inventor of the Harley-Davidson motorcycle, Arthur Davidson , died and went to heaven.

At the gates, St. Peter told Arthur, 'Since you've been such a good man and your motorcycles have changed the world, your reward is, you can hang out with anyone you want to in heaven.'  Arthur thought about it for a minute and then said, ' I want to hang out with God.'  St. Peter took Arthur to the Throne room, and introduced him to God.  God recognized Arthur and commented, 'Okay, so you were the one who invented the Harley-Davidson motorcycle?' 

Arthur said, 'Yeah, that's me...'

God commented: 'Well, what's the big deal in inventing something that's pretty unstable, makes noise and pollution and can't run without a road?'  Arthur was a bit embarrassed, but finally spoke, 'Excuse me, but aren't you the inventor of woman?'  God said, 'Ah, yes.'  'Well,' said Arthur, 'professional to professional, you have some major design flaws in your invention!

1. There's too much inconsistency in the front-end suspension.

2. It chatters constantly at high speeds.

3. Most rear ends are too soft and wobble about too much.

4. The intake is placed way too close to the exhaust.

5. The maintenance costs are outrageous!!!!

'Hmmmmm, you may have some good points there,' replied God, 'hold on.'

God went to his Celestial supercomputer, typed in a few words and waited for the results. The computer printed out a slip of paper and God read it.  'Well, it may be true that my invention is flawed,' God said to Arthur, 'but according to these numbers, more men are riding my invention than yours'.

son's Of Anarchy Season 2 episode 7 review

• This episode started out with SAMCRO members in prison. Jax says, "The Ariens put out the word. Us white boys are on our own". Without any protection in the big house, the club is in danger of being killed 1 by 1. Clay tries to buy some protection from the One Niners. Clay asks, "If we do this, Black got our back?" The reply was, "When they are both delivered, Harley's gettin all kinds of love from the Fat Man". The Club is to deliver a snitch which was successful, but ultimately got Juice stabbed. (By the way, he lives.) They are also to set up a prostitute, which Opie does successfully from the outside, but this ends up in Trammel getting shot by the prostitue. He says, " I guess she didn't want to be set up."

• Agent Stahl shows her face up again. She tries to work some angles by saying she has no intent of creating any collateral damage in Charming. She is playing the side of the "good" FBI agent by trying to get down to the bottom of the Irish and Zobel.

• Opie's Ma drops the kids off with him. She says she is going up north to see Piney. She packed up all her stuff. She ain't coming back. Opie says she couldn't be a Mom 20 years ago, and she can't be one now.

• Gemma talks to Elliot, and convinces him to post bail for the club. He puts his property up for collateral. $300 against $3 Mill.

• Opie does a little confiding in the porsnstar Lila. Actually agrees to let her take his kids for a while. When she comes to get them, Gemma and Tara won't let her. The verbal exchange of insults between Tara and Lila is pretty funny.

• Bobby tells Jax that it falls in him to squash what ever it is between him and Clay. Jax asks why he should. Bobby tells Jax, "Because Clay is old and mean & He is never going to admit he is wrong & He's earned that." Jax says, "Nah man, time don't mean shit." Bobby says, "I'm doin the best I can to hold us together, but if this split gets any worse, I'm gonna hafta pick a corner. You know this club needs a healing Brother, and you got to be the one to deliver it."

• Jax and Clay get questioned while in prison by FBI Agent Stahl. The questioning is individual and private. She tries to play them against each other. Clay gets questioned first. She shows him a picture of the Irish and Zobel making a deal. She says she will make things go back to normal if he will give her information on the Irish. She says she is only interested in catching the Irish, not SAMCRO. Clay doesn't buy her line, and says he knows nothing about the Irish. Before questioning Jax, there is a HUGE BRAWL between Clay and Jax. The club and the rest of the inmates, let the brawl go on. They both mutually kick the shit out of each other. Then it's Jax's turn for questioning. Same thing happens with him. Jax doesn't bite either. He tells her that she took a huge risk asking them for information on the Irish. He said that because of this he knows she ain't got shit on SAMCRO. Then Agent Stahl, tells them they are free to go. Bail was already posted.

• The boys return from prison. Gemma and Tara are at the clubhouse parking lot when they roll in. They all but Jax go in the one clubhouse main door, and Jax in another. No one speaks a word. Gemma and Tara truly look stumped, like WTF was that all about?

• Thus ends another fantastic episode. I can't wait to see how they will top this one. We'll see soon!

Turns out I’m Just a Poser

Turns out I’m Just a Poser....


Ran across this chart on the internet, and I came to the realization that I’m not a 1%’er, a Biker, a Chopper Rider, or a Motorcyclist, I’m Just a “Poser”.

The Urban Dictionary describes Posers as:

“A poser is someone who tries to fit into a profile they aren't. People who try to give off the impression that they are one thing when they are really another.

Also, a poser can be one who says they can do something that they can't….”

Here are the reasons why I’m just a “Poser”:

1. I don’t ride a Chopper I ride a Cruiser.

2. I don’t ride a Harley Davidson; I ride a Yamaha V-Star 1100 Classic.

3. I wear a helmet, (a half helmet anyway).

4. I occasionally wear a Dew Rag my daughter gave me as a gift, or the ones my mother-in-law picked up for me to keep my hair in line and sweat out of my eyes while I ride.

5. My cell phone is a Palm Treo running MS Windows Mobile.

6. I wear my inexpensive Timex Ironman watch on my commute to and from work.

7. I wear an oversized FMC Leather Jacket when the weather warrants it and an OSI Cool Mesh Jacket in summer.

8. I don’t carry a check book and my wallet is usually empty.

9. I tend to shy away from designer clothes, but I love my black Guinness T-Shirt.

10. I don’t currently own a biker wallet but I am looking for one that I could take the chain on and off for when I’m at work.

11. My bike is not a Garage Queen, but only gets ridden at least five days a week and is usually parked out in the elements all day at work.

12. I have to ride to work in dress slacks and other times I like my black Wranglers.

13. I wear oversized Street & Steel Leather Chaps when the weather warrants.

14. I wear my Harley, or my Bates boots to ride in.

15. I work on my own bike.

16. I wear Oakley Sunglasses my sister-in-law gave me for Christmas many years ago or some inexpensive clear motorcycle glasses at night.

17. I have a Guardian Angel Bell hanging off the bottom of my motorcycle that my daughter gave me.

18. I enjoy reading about motorcycling.

19. I like motorcycle racing.

20. I publish a blog about motorcycles and motorcycling.

21. I tweet about motorcycling, Torch762.

22. I don’t belong to a Motorcycle Club.

23. I like other folks that ride other brands and classes of two wheeled transportation.

24. I have not been riding since birth.


So, despite that I ride more days than not, and even in the rain, (they think I’m crazy at work), I am just a “Poser” after all. I think I’ll keep on riding, enjoying the experience, and just be myself.


Ride on,
Torch

Riding a motorcycle is like the love of a great woman....

“Riding a motorcycle is like the love of a great woman, sometimes it’s hard to hold on, but all the excitement is darn well worth it!” – Torch ©2009.

Interpret it how you want to.

Ride on,
Torch

Wicked Springer

The other day I was driving along and saw this really kick ass Springer. I just had to shoot a few photos of it.

.

Thought you might enjoy it at much as me.

Really though, Ain't it one of the cutest things you ever did see?

Aaahhhhhhh

Need I say more?