Are you ready??

Here it is.  It’s the first week of March and I can’t remember I year when I’ve been off to a slower start.  I literally have not been more than 10 miles on a motorcycle since the middle of November.  Shameful!!  Not only did I hit my mileage goal last year, I kicked its ass.  Nearly 10,000 miles in a year!  That’s huge for me!  By the end of the first quarter last year I was sitting at nearly 2,000 miles and here I sit, with a sense of shame and an odometer loaded with goose eggs.  

Alas, the waning days of winter serve as a renaissance for my soul.  My mind is starting to race with the thoughts of getting back out there.  If you’ve followed any of my social media silliness, you might have seen that the bike I’d gotten set up for this year actually sold as it sat on the floor waiting for the weather to give a brief window.  Now, there’s a replacement on the rack, getting all dolled up for the ball.  The Old Red Sleds replacement, the as yet unnamed 2013 FLTRU Road Glide Ultra in Midnight Pearl, exquisitely yet tastefully dressed with all that I enjoy.

I spent the evening tonight gathering all of my gear which had begun to spread through my world.  As my riding slowed toward the end of last year, all organization began to slip and I’d find myself stumbling upon bits and pieces of it here and there.  That’s the first step toward losing my stuff, so I made up my mind that it was time to stem the spread and get everything back in order.  Typically, I’ll compartmentalize my gear.  I’d keep my raingear and gaiters together, leathers and other cold weather gear together, etc.  Without fail, I’d find myself needing the one set that happened to be in a closet at home when I was trying to hit the road from the store, and vice versa.  I’m trying something different this year.  Angie brought me home this great bag that HD has had out for a couple years.  

It’s a monster, but it’s able to hold all of my stuff in one bag.  It’s pretty versatile.  In the bag, I lined the bottom first with all of my heated gear.  On one internal pouch, I have my heated boots, heated jacket and pants, a set of “Under Armor”, the pouch containing my heated gloves (inside which I also keep my thermostat and splitter), my balaclava, toboggan, and waterproof gloves.  In another pouch, my raingear and gaiters.  Finally, the bottom was rounded out with my leather pants, chaps, heavy leather jacket, and technical pullover.  After sealing off that section, I next filed away my hydration jacket and a lightweight mechanics jacket.   

The outer pouches are equally great.  One holds all of my gloves, another, my electronic accessories, and finally, one for an atlas, bungee net, journal and pencil sharpeners.  Sounds like a lot of stuff for a ride, and, you know what?  It is.  I’ll never carry all of this stuff, but my new bag will serve as a rolling closet where I can find everything I need in one spot and never have to search.

Spring.  It’s here.  The riding season is here.  Mark your calendars for March 23.  Kickstands Up For a Cure will kick off the riding event schedule at Bumpus HD Jackson with a great event for Relay for Life and you can join yours truly for a Monday April Fools ride on Monday, April the 1^st.  Make plans, gather your gear, top off your gas tank, clear your head and join me as I say……..

Screw it, let’s ride. 

2013.  The year of the spinning odometer. 

Ride Safe, and with Purpose.

SMB