Author Topic: Motorcycle Quote of the Day  (Read 419075 times)

Offline Biggles

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Re: Motorcycle Quote of the Day
« Reply #3125 on: February 03, 2023, 12:04:19 PM »
As we pull up at a set of traffic lights to stop, we nod at a fellow rider on a Honda in full bike gear. He nods back.
Lifting up my visor "Hi!" I call, "we're looking for a campsite." Pulling out his music earphones, he indicates one about 10kms away on the other side of the city. Talking through a full face helmet is never easy, but we nod to each other and we get a head start as he is still fiddling with his earphones. At the next traffic light we stop again and this time our biker friend pulls up behind us. How did he get there? The traffic light turns green, we go, he overtakes and indicates for us to pullover. He spotted our 'HORIZONS UNLIMITED' sticker on the back box and invites us to couch-surf. How amazing this dreadful day is turning out to be. It's a very quick whizzy ride through the streets of Sofia, us lumbering on our laden Sertao, following speedy Honda man. We get to the apartment, take off our helmets, introduce ourselves and are immediately welcomed into the wonderful world of Mitko and his fun-loving fabulous friends. The next four hours are a magical tour of Sofia and the parks and the history and the bar and the buildings. We greet the Eagle statues where revolutions and protests take place, eager now to call up our mates on Whatsapp. We meet and greet the great statues of heroes and villains that abound in the huge central park. We stop and stroke the beautiful sculpture of a stone elephant, rubbed smooth by more than 60 years of stroking. 
2up2wheels In Eastern Europe B and S Niemann p43
For the modern man who lives in the city, riding a bike might be one of the only ways to escape the humdrum monotony. To take off and ride. To be both at one with nature and one with the bike. To feel masculine. Adam Piggott

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Re: Motorcycle Quote of the Day
« Reply #3126 on: February 04, 2023, 12:58:40 PM »
It is Sunday and we noticed rather a lot of wedding parties taking place in these villages. This rural setting is glorious, passing brightly painted gypsy wagons parked in lay-bys and fields of meadows of mixed flowers. Old buses and trucks, having been converted, served as mobile bee-keeping colonies and the sweet fragrance of the Narcissus fields fills the air. That's the great thing about being on a motorbike. You are in the air, the smells, the weather, and the sounds as you ride by and they are in you. We love it.
A very pretty town with a public park festooned with red roses everywhere entices us to stop for a coffee break. Somehow we had landed up at a wedding celebration in this park. The beautiful bride and her handsome groom asked if they could pose on our bike for their photo album. We oblige. So somewhere in Romania, there is a wedding album with these photos. I wonder what their grandchildren will think?
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For the modern man who lives in the city, riding a bike might be one of the only ways to escape the humdrum monotony. To take off and ride. To be both at one with nature and one with the bike. To feel masculine. Adam Piggott

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Re: Motorcycle Quote of the Day
« Reply #3127 on: February 05, 2023, 03:59:06 PM »
Our Eastern European tour was a great success. We tested the bike and ourselves for two months and 15,000kms and are pleasantly surprised at the outcome. We can pitch a tent for 57 days. We can survive in rain and cold and heat. We can eat cold spaghetti out of a glass jar and we still love each other.
However, there are a few modifications to be made on the bike, the most pressing one being to install a Scott Oiler. Brausch is meticulous about regularly oiling the chain at 100km intervals. When the bike is unloaded it's an effort. When the bike is loaded it's a BIG "One, two, three, heave" we call as we synchronise feet placements, arm movements and shoulder pushing. For our RTW (Round The World) trip, which is looming, this is not something we want to do. After a bit of research on the internet, there's a trip to Norfolk, via the Battle Flower Show in Jersey.
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For the modern man who lives in the city, riding a bike might be one of the only ways to escape the humdrum monotony. To take off and ride. To be both at one with nature and one with the bike. To feel masculine. Adam Piggott

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Re: Motorcycle Quote of the Day
« Reply #3128 on: February 06, 2023, 10:34:05 AM »
How does one turn into a pig-headed motorcycle addict?  I can only speak for myself.  Back some fifty years ago I caught a hero worship bug in high school!
There was this cool dude who rode about our Smallville town wearing a college jacket and a leather British cap atop a nifty 1947 AJS500.  The sound of this single made goosebumps cover my whole body. Frederick Erickson was his name.  He was studying engineering at nearby Evansville College- his knowledge kept that AJS in top condition.
I remember the AJ's beautiful music on those hot summer nights.  My bed was next to a window and I wondered how nice it would be to be riding that magnificent machine.  I didn't have a licence yet, so I painted the AJS logo on my bicycle.
Jerry Barnett's Motorcycle Memories  B. Walneck p1
For the modern man who lives in the city, riding a bike might be one of the only ways to escape the humdrum monotony. To take off and ride. To be both at one with nature and one with the bike. To feel masculine. Adam Piggott

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Re: Motorcycle Quote of the Day
« Reply #3129 on: February 07, 2023, 02:11:47 PM »
I hate bringing up my teens again, but holy-moly!  I didn't realise what a great time I was having back then, especially when I discovered motorcycles!  My bicycle suddenly became an exercise I didn't want.  I now had a BSA 250 to haul my skinny frame anywhere I chose to go.  What freedom- what enchantment!  Oh yes- and what work.  That little Beezer kept me busy tightening loose bolts and nuts plus keeping the right adjustment on the primary and rear chain.  Then there was the problem of oil slicks on my father's garage floor- a good drip pan saved my rump.
My favourite time to ride was those cool Fall weekends, with no school.  The smell of burning leaves in the air!  Back then the cool evenings never fazed me.  Now, any temperature below 65 degrees and I'm ready to mothball the bike for Winter.
Jerry Barnett's Motorcycle Memories  B. Walneck p35
For the modern man who lives in the city, riding a bike might be one of the only ways to escape the humdrum monotony. To take off and ride. To be both at one with nature and one with the bike. To feel masculine. Adam Piggott

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Re: Motorcycle Quote of the Day
« Reply #3130 on: February 08, 2023, 12:21:23 PM »
The doofus syndrome seemed to be part of me in those carefree schooldays.  I remember having this crush on our cheerleader.  One evening as I passed by her house, there she was, raking leaves!
I revved the throttle to get her attention and my muffler fell off!  Then, to top that, I burnt my hand retrieving the hot muffler from the gutter.
Jerry Barnett's Motorcycle Memories  B. Walneck p35
For the modern man who lives in the city, riding a bike might be one of the only ways to escape the humdrum monotony. To take off and ride. To be both at one with nature and one with the bike. To feel masculine. Adam Piggott

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Re: Motorcycle Quote of the Day
« Reply #3131 on: February 08, 2023, 01:09:07 PM »
The doofus syndrome seemed to be part of me in those carefree schooldays.  I remember having this crush on our cheerleader.  One evening as I passed by her house, there she was, raking leaves!
I revved the throttle to get her attention and my muffler fell off!  Then, to top that, I burnt my hand retrieving the hot muffler from the gutter.
Jerry Barnett's Motorcycle Memories  B. Walneck p35

Sounds like something Nigel would do.
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Re: Motorcycle Quote of the Day
« Reply #3132 on: February 09, 2023, 02:13:35 PM »
Original top-shape vintage bikes can be expensive.  Since you can't take them with you, they should bring even more dollars for your children.  Besides leaving them all your money, they could each have a chunk of motorcycle history, and maybe be able to get parts for it at some future date.  Who knows what that little '86 Honda Z059 may be worth some day, if buyers keep desiring it and are willing to inflate its price a thousand times the original.
I enjoyed the array of vendors' treasures at the swap meet. There was everything from a Kushman kick starter to a rear rack for a '62 Vespa. One guy, who didn't have big bucks, showed up in a small dump truck and tipped his collection out on a tarpaulin.  I came by later on my way out- he said he sold everything including the tarp!  Maybe I should go home and rustle up a few parts!
Jerry Barnett's Motorcycle Memories  B. Walneck p49
For the modern man who lives in the city, riding a bike might be one of the only ways to escape the humdrum monotony. To take off and ride. To be both at one with nature and one with the bike. To feel masculine. Adam Piggott

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Re: Motorcycle Quote of the Day
« Reply #3133 on: April 25, 2023, 11:35:53 AM »
A short essay from the British Spectator.  Remember, they use MPH.  80mph is nearly 130kph.  I deduce their top speed is like our 110kph. And apparently, you don't just get points- there's remedial education involved.   :eek  Oh, and to save you looking it up, Lurpak is like a tub of modified butter.
=======================================
Why speeding is good for us by Alec Marsh

What’s your go-to speed on the motorway? Do you snuffle along at 70, slowing down the lorries in your Rover 75? More likely you cruise the middle lane on the cusp of 80 – just on the wrong side of the law, plus 10 per cent and then some. That’s what I like to do, along with nine out of ten of the other drivers I observe. Perhaps you’re one of the speed merchants in a grot-covered Beamer, or a fly-drenched Audi who insists on making the M4 a little autobahn when no speed cameras are watching?

That’s the joy of Britain’s motorways, there’s something for everyone. Aside from pensioners who accidentally stray onto the motorway on their mobility scooter in search of an Asda, no one voluntarily drives under 70. Seventy’s not the limit, it’s the threshold, like a blind in poker.

I can’t help thinking we should accept that a bit of moderate speeding here or there

Which is odd, isn’t it? Since as nations go, we’re a law-abiding bunch. Yet if we had the same approach to shopping as we do speeding, then you’d routinely see respectable lawyers, doctors or City types sweeping goodies into their trollies and attempting to bungle the whole lot out the door without paying. But somehow, because it’s in our cars – compartmentalised as a motoring offence – and most of the time we get away with it, it’s accepted. Speeding is not even frowned upon, like smoking with your kids in your car is now.   

And that’s the point: it’s precisely because we live in such an incredibly law-abiding society that speeding is so appealing. It releases an essential dollop of dopamine and reminds us that we really are still alive and functionally autonomous; nudging 80 or even 90 on the motorway is the release valve that keeps the nation obedient. Could this feeble infringement be all that stands between civilisation and a complete and utter breakdown into anarchy? Quite possibly: tacitly permitting drivers to speed in certain circumstances where the risks are lower helps those same drivers to contain themselves where they matter much more – like when you’re driving near a playground or through the medieval streets of a market town.

Whatever some might assert, homo sapiens are competitive types – you only have to watch a game of croquet to know how quickly the mask of civility can slip. Fortunately, motorways, dual carriageways and thoroughly dangerous A-roads allow us to live out our competitive urges, thereby obviating the risk of exploring them in more damaging or sociopathic ways. Decry it if you will but getting ahead of the traffic makes me feel like a winner. At that moment, I feel like the Ayrton Senna of the Basingstoke bypass. 

In a world where house ownership is a mystery to many and a pack of Lurpak costs about the same as a pair of shoes, feeling like a winner is a big deal to an awful lot of us. And you know what? Don’t knock it till you’ve tried it. If only Prince Harry sated his younger-sibling competitive urges on discreet motorway speeding, then perhaps he and his wife would still be living it up in Frogmore Cottage, not penned up in a California pad. 

There’s another obvious motivator for speeding. Driving inappropriately quickly is fun: seeing the tarmac disappear so fast under the bonnet that it’s a blur; seeing the speedo tip to as-yet unexperienced highs; hearing the engine reach new pitches ­– there’s something inexorably joyful about it. Mr Toad wasn’t wrong. Saying goodbye to safety is a buzz, one that intensifies the closer one gets to death. After all, the fact of death is what makes life worth living. At its best, speeding is like a parachute jump or performing a loop-the-loop in a plane. Few things get the blood going like almost causing a pile-up on the M1. 

Of course, when you do get stopped the punishment is a speed awareness course. I’ve done two of them over the past decade, one thanks to an ill-timed spree in my pal Bob’s midlife crisis Porsche on the A303. I loved them both. There is an unintentional comedy that comes with being in a windowless conference room in a cheap suburban hotel with 50-odd members of the general public – all being forced to learn the basics of road safety on a Saturday morning. It’s like being trapped in a dystopian Channel 5 documentary. What you discover is the scary level of road-based ignorance and motoring self-delusion out there (no doubt my fellow attendees felt much the same). 

For this reason, I believe we could all do with a quick Highway Code refresher once a decade. But at the same time, I can’t help thinking we should accept that a bit of moderate speeding here or there, under the right conditions, isn’t really such a bad thing. Perhaps there is such a thing as good speeding – 80, say, on a motorway – as opposed to bad speeding, such as 32 in a 30mph-zone with a primary school or nursery close by. After all, if we are going to speed, we should at least do it responsibly. 
« Last Edit: April 25, 2023, 11:40:28 AM by Biggles »
For the modern man who lives in the city, riding a bike might be one of the only ways to escape the humdrum monotony. To take off and ride. To be both at one with nature and one with the bike. To feel masculine. Adam Piggott

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Re: Motorcycle Quote of the Day
« Reply #3134 on: May 07, 2023, 03:47:19 PM »
when I discovered motorcycles ... my bicycle suddenly became an exercise I didn't want.

I can relate to this.
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Offline Biggles

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Re: Motorcycle Quote of the Day
« Reply #3135 on: May 08, 2023, 01:37:00 PM »
I would love to say that we rode off in a blaze of glory. Rather, I almost got myself killed within 20 minutes of hitting the highway. I had followed Patrick a little too closely as he tried to overtake another car and assumed there was enough time for both of us to pass. Instead, I got honked and screamed at by the car in the adjacent lane for cutting out in front of him and almost causing an accident. And then again ten minutes later when the first rest stop appeared and Patrick pulled in to tell me off for the very same thing.
"Ride for yourself!" he exclaimed before pulling me into a tight hug. I have no idea how much of that embrace was genuine affection and relief that I had not landed myself in the hospital (or worse) within the first half an hour of riding on my own and how much was him attempting to deflect any anger at him telling me what to do. I generally react poorly to commands, even those meant to save my life. Suggestions are better.
"I know, I know," I said. "But I really thought I had time, and I didn't want to lose you. You're so much faster than me and you zip in and out and make it look so easy."
"Seriously Sherrie," Patrick said as he pulled back to look directly in the face. "That is our number one rule. Every person rides for themselves."
Keep The Shiny Side Up  Sherrie McCarthy p10
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Re: Motorcycle Quote of the Day
« Reply #3136 on: May 09, 2023, 11:07:27 AM »
I was ready to give up at this point. Not that I was ever committed to begin with. But to his credit, Ed declared that he had learned from his mistake and now he was fully committed.
"Do or die and I would rather the do part!" he cried.
The thing is, I was afraid that the die part was the more likely possibility.
On his second attempt he gunned her up onto the bridge and this time he met with success. From there Joscha and Patrick would slide boards along so that he could put his feet down without dropping the bike. And then after a few terrifying minutes that felt like hours, it was Patrick's turn. He did both our bikes and Joscha followed. I was on video detail.
Despite the insanity of getting over the bridge, once on the other side it was I who was greeted by a Romanian farmer who declared that I was a freak (muy freako I do believe he said) for being a girl and driving my own bike. Not the three who risked neck and bike to get across. Me.
Keep The Shiny Side Up  Sherrie McCarthy p33
For the modern man who lives in the city, riding a bike might be one of the only ways to escape the humdrum monotony. To take off and ride. To be both at one with nature and one with the bike. To feel masculine. Adam Piggott

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Re: Motorcycle Quote of the Day
« Reply #3137 on: May 10, 2023, 11:53:31 AM »
At this point, Patrick had been dragging around an empty plastic tube for days. He had the idea that he would attach it to his bike and fill it with his tools. His reasoning was that tools are rarely needed but when they are you want them to be as easily accessible as possible. However, due to their weight and general inconvenience in storing them they are always buried on the bike. At least, they are with us. Which is why when we had a problem with the bike a couple of days previously he had had to take all our attached gear off of the bike, dig out the tools, use them and then put them back away before re-attaching everything once more. Now Patrick had the brilliant idea of using the tube he found in a store as tool storage that he could attach to the side of the bike, making storage and access super easy.
Given how friendly the motorcycle shop guy was, we thought he may be the one to help us attach it. And so we decided to take a day off from our travels, veg out, enjoy the nice hotel room at hostel prices and scrub not just ourselves but also our clothes clean. After dropping our clothes off at a laundry service, I spent the day at the café in front of the hotel. When Patrick returned he had the contraption mounted and it looked way better than I ever thought it could or would. It functioned perfectly AND there was no charge. Motorcycle guy just said Bulgarians have a big heart and to consider it a gift from Bulgaria.
Leaving Bulgaria was hard!
Keep The Shiny Side Up  Sherrie McCarthy p48
For the modern man who lives in the city, riding a bike might be one of the only ways to escape the humdrum monotony. To take off and ride. To be both at one with nature and one with the bike. To feel masculine. Adam Piggott

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Re: Motorcycle Quote of the Day
« Reply #3138 on: May 11, 2023, 02:07:50 PM »
In most countries the lanes exist because you are expected to choose one. In Turkey, they are a mere suggestion. And if you are so unlucky as to be driving within the confines of the markings of a lane and a Turkish coach driver wants to drive in the middle of both, and not just in the middle of both, but to bump you out of your proper lane, well you better be willing to give it to him, because if not, he merely tries to hit you with his coach because he is bigger and, therefore, you are expected to slow down and let him take over. Even though there is more than enough space in his lane for his bus, he just won't or can't use it. Or they cut you off, almost maiming you in the process, just to turn right five minutes later.
Keep The Shiny Side Up  Sherrie McCarthy p83
For the modern man who lives in the city, riding a bike might be one of the only ways to escape the humdrum monotony. To take off and ride. To be both at one with nature and one with the bike. To feel masculine. Adam Piggott

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Re: Motorcycle Quote of the Day
« Reply #3139 on: May 12, 2023, 01:07:23 PM »
On the way to the road, we hit a spot of about a kilometre of sand. I am proud to say I rocked it. More than once I thought both myself and the bike were going down. Each time that the bike began to go one way I got it back up and under me. We made it the road and I was positively beaming with both exhilaration and pride. I was no longer a newbie. I was rocking this.
Perhaps I let this go a little to my head. As we rode higher in the mountains I let myself go with the bike. I was one with my machine. I was leaning into my corners and speeding out of them instead of slowing down and crawling around out of them as well. One of my last pain-free thoughts was "this is why motorcycling is so freaking awesome."
My next series of thoughts came to me as if they were swimming up to meet me. Like my brain could not process what was actually happening and instead decided to slow down the feedback to make sure it was real. One second I was leaning into the curve and the next the bike was skidding out beneath me while the handle bar came up to meet my face. Then I was on the ground. Most of my memory around the accident and the immediate time following it was swallowed up in a state of shock. I do remember thinking "this didn't happen, this didn't happen" over and over again. I remember looking down and seeing a pulpy bloody hole where the part of my pants that covered my knee used to be. Then things go black.
Keep The Shiny Side Up  Sherrie McCarthy pp104-5
For the modern man who lives in the city, riding a bike might be one of the only ways to escape the humdrum monotony. To take off and ride. To be both at one with nature and one with the bike. To feel masculine. Adam Piggott

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Re: Motorcycle Quote of the Day
« Reply #3140 on: May 14, 2023, 12:18:50 AM »
Finally, after almost two weeks of having been held up at the school teachers' accommodation, we were ready to ride. I knew my knee was not perfect. I just thought that the pain of the knee would be less than the pain of staying. Getting out on the back of Patrick's bike had been great but I was ready to ride myself.
I anticipated the pain sitting on the bike and having my tissue and stitches stretched would cause. Far from pleasant and easy (tears sprang to my eyes) I was ready for them emotionally and physically. What I had not thought was going to happen was that I would feel such intense fear. I thought I might be jittery at best. But I wanted to get on the bike. I was looking forward to continuing on with our journey. It was not just that I was bored in the little town. I missed the road. I had been riding pillion with Patrick without any problem. This was not the first time I was on a bike again, just the first time I was the rider. And it made me quake.
Ride away we did, but at about 50 km an hour even once we hit the highway. For his part, Patrick did not complain and was in fact extremely supportive. I think he was just happy that we were back on the road again.
Keep The Shiny Side Up  Sherrie McCarthy pp108-9
For the modern man who lives in the city, riding a bike might be one of the only ways to escape the humdrum monotony. To take off and ride. To be both at one with nature and one with the bike. To feel masculine. Adam Piggott

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Re: Motorcycle Quote of the Day
« Reply #3141 on: May 14, 2023, 12:40:02 PM »
How did we ever trick ourselves into believing it is all in the destination and the journey counts for nothing?
Because that is where the real change happens. That is where you get to know yourself. I love to travel and I love to travel by motorcycle, but not to escape, although that is part of it. Getting away does help you put things into new perspective. But it is not just to get away. Motorcycle travel immerses you in the experience in a way that gives me more control. Or at the very least more of the illusion of it. (I have had enough crashes to know that I am not always in control no matter what I truly believe). It also allows me to spend time in my own head. To unravel all the knotty bits and allow the time to really look at them while simultaneously having had the privilege to approach slowly and from a distance.
Keep The Shiny Side Up  Sherrie McCarthy pp141-2
For the modern man who lives in the city, riding a bike might be one of the only ways to escape the humdrum monotony. To take off and ride. To be both at one with nature and one with the bike. To feel masculine. Adam Piggott

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Re: Motorcycle Quote of the Day
« Reply #3142 on: May 14, 2023, 12:43:19 PM »
.... I love to travel ... by motorcycle  ...

I like to travel too, it means that I don't to do chores in and around the house ... by motorcycle too, it's more fun.
Cheers,  Williamson (AKA Michael)

Motorcycling, the best time you can have with your pants on.
eBiking, the second best time you can have with your pants on
Afterlife, up there for the climate, down there for the company.
If I'd known I was gunna live this long, I woulda looked after myself better
 
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Offline Biggles

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Re: Motorcycle Quote of the Day
« Reply #3143 on: May 15, 2023, 09:44:50 PM »
Something always happens on a motorcycle ride that could never happen in a car.
I can't remember the last time my butt hurt after an hour behind the wheel in a car. I can't remember a car making my wrists hurt, my backache or my eyes water. Car driving never gets too cold or too hot. Car driving never scares the crap out of you when you cross railroad tracks or hit a pothole. You never get the feeling the wind is actually blowing hard enough to topple you when you're in a car. Stuff doesn't get stuck in your teeth while driving a car. Bugs, rocks and cigarette butts never hit you in the chops when you drive a car. All of those things happen on a motorcycle.
Easy to see why I love motorcycles so much, huh? Yeah, I know but, until the bike bug bites you, you just have to trust guys like me who have already been bitten.
For The Love Of The Motorcycle  T. J. Overstake p2
For the modern man who lives in the city, riding a bike might be one of the only ways to escape the humdrum monotony. To take off and ride. To be both at one with nature and one with the bike. To feel masculine. Adam Piggott

OzSTOC #16  STOC #6135  FarR #509  IBA #54927
 
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Offline Biggles

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Re: Motorcycle Quote of the Day
« Reply #3144 on: May 16, 2023, 03:38:47 PM »
Wanna know the real reason we all decided to go to Motorcycle Patrol?  It's cool.
That's right. Even though we all come to appreciate the other reasons to be a Motor, the real reason we decided to get into this specialized line of work is because of the coolness factor. The uniforms are cool. The bikes are cool, haulin' ass everywhere you go is cool, and the freedom to ride almost anywhere in the city you want to go is cool too. Yep, we're all the same when it comes to being Motors. We all applied because it was a cool job. Don't get me wrong, we're not all a bunch of vain fanatics. Well, okay, the vain part's probably true, but the fanatic part isn't. We are all dedicated to the work and wouldn't have become Motors if we didn't intend to do a great job. We had to be good, dedicated cops, or we wouldn't have successfully completed the competitive selection process. We were simply hard working cops that were lucky enough to earn a spot in one of the coolest assignments available.
Motors are a very fraternal bunch, too. When I meet other cops from around the country, and around the world, I can always relate somewhat to who they are and what they do. 
For The Love Of The Motorcycle  T. J. Overstake p34
For the modern man who lives in the city, riding a bike might be one of the only ways to escape the humdrum monotony. To take off and ride. To be both at one with nature and one with the bike. To feel masculine. Adam Piggott

OzSTOC #16  STOC #6135  FarR #509  IBA #54927
 
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Offline Biggles

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Re: Motorcycle Quote of the Day
« Reply #3145 on: May 17, 2023, 11:42:02 AM »
The Taurus appeared so quickly in front of me, I had almost no chance to react. I grabbed a handful of front brake and mashed on the rear brake with my right foot but realizing I was going to hit him at nearly 45 miles per hour, instinct took over, and I stood up in my seat. I teach my students to do anything possible to minimize their body's impact with a car. One thing I always taught was to elevate yourself high enough to clear the other vehicle if possible. I'd taught this theory a hundred times. Now I was going to get to try it out.
I was standing up when I hit the Taurus in its left rear tire. The force of the impact was immense, and as I flew over the car's trunk the Taurus rotated in a counter-clockwise spin. As for me, I flew through the air about 40 feet before hitting the ground and sliding to a stop.
My helmet, although it did an excellent job protecting my head, was shattered from the impact with the ground. I was rashed up again and was sore just about all over and was convinced I lost my right foot. The pain in my foot was terrible, and I was certain it had been chopped off. Despite the pain and the hard impact, I was still conscious and aware I was lying in the middle of the road. All the cars I passed on Thomas Road would surely be bearing down on me any second, and I was afraid I'd get run over. As it turned out, I needn't have worried.
God loves Police Officers and nothing demonstrates this more than the reaction of four guys in a Chevy on the night of my accident.
For The Love Of The Motorcycle  T. J. Overstake pp60-1
For the modern man who lives in the city, riding a bike might be one of the only ways to escape the humdrum monotony. To take off and ride. To be both at one with nature and one with the bike. To feel masculine. Adam Piggott

OzSTOC #16  STOC #6135  FarR #509  IBA #54927
 
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Offline Biggles

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Re: Motorcycle Quote of the Day
« Reply #3146 on: May 18, 2023, 08:06:01 PM »
I had a traffic post near the beginning of this leg of the trip and when the motorcade passed, I had to hustle to the intersection of Third Street and Van Buren to attend my fixed post. Both Third Street and Van Buren Street were closed to traffic, but I was stationed here for crowd control along with several other motorcops.
That leads me to the cool part. The press had several fixed cameras set up along the route, as the local news channels broadcast most of the Pope's trip on live TV. We had several small areas roped off for press cameras and one of these roped-off areas was on the same corner of Third and Van Buren where I was standing. One of the press members in this area was a photographer for our local paper, the Arizona Republic, who was standing next to and slightly behind me when he snapped the picture that would grace the front page of the next day's paper. And that's the cool part. On the front page of the paper was a full page photo of the Pope standing in his Popemobile and looking directly at me, in the photo's foreground holding out his hands as if to say hello. It was a neat shot and copies of it floated around the station for months. Most had handwritten captions such as "Hey Tim, Long Time No See!" and the like.
For The Love Of The Motorcycle  T. J. Overstake pp91-2
For the modern man who lives in the city, riding a bike might be one of the only ways to escape the humdrum monotony. To take off and ride. To be both at one with nature and one with the bike. To feel masculine. Adam Piggott

OzSTOC #16  STOC #6135  FarR #509  IBA #54927
 
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Offline Biggles

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Re: Motorcycle Quote of the Day
« Reply #3147 on: May 19, 2023, 11:14:25 AM »
The crowd was on us in an instant. The press of the crowd was enormous, and before I knew it I was pinned hard against the driver's side of the Cobra. The motorcop behind me and the two on the passenger side of the Cobra were, likewise, pinned against the car. There we were, sitting astride our running bikes, leaning into the unprotected sides of a priceless antique roadster, being pressed by the weight of thousands of straining people.
I've been a cop for a long, long time. I've been shot at, stabbed, beaten, kicked and run over by a parade float but this was the closest I'd ever come to being killed in the line of duty.
I was immobilized. My right leg was pinned between the car and my bike and my left leg was pinned hard against the bike by the crowd. I could hear people scream in pain as they pressed bare skin against the red-hot metal of my motorcycle's engine and searing hot exhaust system, but still they pressed against us. After a few seconds, I could feel the metal of the car give way under the intense pressure of my leg and motorcycle being pressed deeper and deeper into the side of the car. My right hip was forced against the windshield frame of the Cobra and as the pressure grew the windshield shattered from the growing pressure of the crowd. I managed to keep my hands free and as did my brothers on their bikes, tried to push back at the crowd. We hollered against impossible noise trying to get people to move away from the car. Finally, a hastily gathered group of about 15 officers forced their way through the crowd and up to the Cobra.
For The Love Of The Motorcycle  T. J. Overstake p98
For the modern man who lives in the city, riding a bike might be one of the only ways to escape the humdrum monotony. To take off and ride. To be both at one with nature and one with the bike. To feel masculine. Adam Piggott

OzSTOC #16  STOC #6135  FarR #509  IBA #54927
 
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Offline Biggles

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Re: Motorcycle Quote of the Day
« Reply #3148 on: May 21, 2023, 09:01:32 PM »
So, why did I name my motorcycle? Here's the truth. We know why men refer to all things mechanical in the gender specific, fairer sex, don't we? Simply explained, any inanimate object that requires attention, pampering, spoiling, regaling, encouragement, egging on or flat out bribery to operate as intended is... well, it's obviously female- I can feel the building violent retort from female readers.
Don't get angry, it's a compliment. To operate as intended means, to operate without deviation, intuition, spontaneity, coquettishness, volatility or any other variance in behaviour. Variances that men do not understand how to explain. Who would want a female companion like that? Not I say I, with one eye on my Princess Bride as she reads this explanation. One only has to be sitting in a torrential rainstorm on a motorcycle, a motorcycle that's doted upon and cherished and has been its entire life, as it chooses that moment not to start. Seemingly oblivious to the fact it was running just fine five minutes ago. Can you hear the muttered plea?
"Come on sweetheart, not now, why would she do this NOW?" See? Female.
Memoir Of A Motorcycle Madman  L. A. Nolan pp7-8
For the modern man who lives in the city, riding a bike might be one of the only ways to escape the humdrum monotony. To take off and ride. To be both at one with nature and one with the bike. To feel masculine. Adam Piggott

OzSTOC #16  STOC #6135  FarR #509  IBA #54927
 
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Re: Motorcycle Quote of the Day
« Reply #3149 on: May 22, 2023, 09:06:46 PM »
Real India can only be seen from a motorcycle. There is no point arguing about that, it is just the way God planned it.
We stopped in a small roadside dhaba and the old man behind the wooden counter whipped us up a delicious mutton curry while his grandson wiped the dust off the bike with a tattered rag. It started to rain- small droplets, but both rush to wheel Mina right into the dhaba with ear-to-ear smiles. Both refused any extra money from us as we were leaving, as if our enjoyment was tip enough. All they required was an assurance we enjoyed the mutton.
Memoir Of A Motorcycle Madman  L. A. Nolan p25
For the modern man who lives in the city, riding a bike might be one of the only ways to escape the humdrum monotony. To take off and ride. To be both at one with nature and one with the bike. To feel masculine. Adam Piggott

OzSTOC #16  STOC #6135  FarR #509  IBA #54927
 
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