blackarrow
Well-known member
Just when you thought this thread was finally gone...
I meant to respond earlier but was away to San Diego for several weeks and while there sustained an injury which will keep me off the FJR a couple of more weeks, so here I am at the computer instead of out riding.
Expectations were to see more motorcyclists enjoying the nearly always splendid weather of Southern California. I never saw more than about a dozen in a typical hundred mile outing; usually more like a half dozen. Here in rural east central Oklahoma an equivalent outing will net a count of about forty bikes on the road. It would appear we have higher percentage of motorcycles per capita here in the sticks than the great megalopolis of Southern California. Here cruisers make up about 90% of sightings, in California it seemed to be about 50%. California riders seemed to be much better about protective gear and gave the impression generally of being more experienced. It must be the traffic keeping the two wheeled herd lean and mean. Fast I don't mind. Add in the density and the tailgaters and it gets more interesting and less acceptable. But what really scares me is the percentage of people in fast, dense, traffic who are incredibly inattentive. I actually saw a woman in moving traffic on I-5 driving her SUV while talking on her cell phone and reading her daytimer spread out on the steering wheel! I doff my hat (helmet?) to those of you who ride in this environment. You are a brave and accomplished bunch.
On to topic. I'm 54. At age 13 my first motorcycle was a Yamaha Twin-Jet 100. In between it and the FJR were a Honda CB450, '48 Indian Chief Bonneville 80, a Honda CB750, a Harley XLCH, and Honda GL1000. I'm tinkering with the idea of naming my FJR "Omega" since a Yamaha was my first and presumably last motorcycle, and anyone who's ridden an FJR will appreciate that many of us feel it is the beginning and the end, the alpha and omega, of motorcycles, amen.
I meant to respond earlier but was away to San Diego for several weeks and while there sustained an injury which will keep me off the FJR a couple of more weeks, so here I am at the computer instead of out riding.
Expectations were to see more motorcyclists enjoying the nearly always splendid weather of Southern California. I never saw more than about a dozen in a typical hundred mile outing; usually more like a half dozen. Here in rural east central Oklahoma an equivalent outing will net a count of about forty bikes on the road. It would appear we have higher percentage of motorcycles per capita here in the sticks than the great megalopolis of Southern California. Here cruisers make up about 90% of sightings, in California it seemed to be about 50%. California riders seemed to be much better about protective gear and gave the impression generally of being more experienced. It must be the traffic keeping the two wheeled herd lean and mean. Fast I don't mind. Add in the density and the tailgaters and it gets more interesting and less acceptable. But what really scares me is the percentage of people in fast, dense, traffic who are incredibly inattentive. I actually saw a woman in moving traffic on I-5 driving her SUV while talking on her cell phone and reading her daytimer spread out on the steering wheel! I doff my hat (helmet?) to those of you who ride in this environment. You are a brave and accomplished bunch.
On to topic. I'm 54. At age 13 my first motorcycle was a Yamaha Twin-Jet 100. In between it and the FJR were a Honda CB450, '48 Indian Chief Bonneville 80, a Honda CB750, a Harley XLCH, and Honda GL1000. I'm tinkering with the idea of naming my FJR "Omega" since a Yamaha was my first and presumably last motorcycle, and anyone who's ridden an FJR will appreciate that many of us feel it is the beginning and the end, the alpha and omega, of motorcycles, amen.
