Author Topic: Motorcycle Quote of the Day  (Read 418990 times)

Online STeveo

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Re: Motorcycle Quote of the Day
« Reply #2675 on: November 23, 2018, 03:53:30 PM »
I've been impressed with the bits of this story that you have posted that I have bought the book to read the full story. Thank you for posting these bits, I hope the publishers give you a fee for your efforts to motorcycling literature.  :thumb
 

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Re: Motorcycle Quote of the Day
« Reply #2676 on: November 23, 2018, 10:27:36 PM »
I've been impressed with the bits of this story that you have posted that I have bought the book to read the full story. Thank you for posting these bits, I hope the publishers give you a fee for your efforts to motorcycling literature.  :thumb

Certainly no fee, although I have bought every one of these books myself- currently 149 of them in my library.  The greater danger is being sued for copyright.  I'm careful to limit the amount I excerpt for that very reason.
That said, your comment and one Pete made a while back about buying a book on the basis of the "reviews" would constitute a viable defence.
I have twice written to publishers seeking permission to put excerpts up on the Forum without a reply.  I did write to Lester Morris, an Australian writer and received his blessing.  He self-publishes.
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 #2677 on: November 24, 2018, 06:07:48 AM »
 :thumbs
 

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Re: Motorcycle Quote of the Day
« Reply #2678 on: November 24, 2018, 09:28:28 PM »
Part of the sales process involved showing the novice rider how to control and operate the machine. This was usually accomplished at most motorcycle dealers by the dealer riding pillion while giving instructions to the novice as they wobbled precariously down the street, then leaving them to their own fate once the money had changed hands! But, with her experience as a Sergeant Instructor during the war, Theresa was determined at the outset to ensure any new owner was properly trained to ride and handle a machine.
Theresa's concern for safe handling extended to motorcycle maintenance: many customers were impressed by the way their machines always handled better after she had serviced them than before. She never did let on, for fear of ridicule that her secret was to scrub off and polish the grimy leather saddle to restore smoothness to its surface, so that the rider unconsciously slid back along the saddle, improving handling and manoeuvrability at speed!
The Rugged Road  Theresa Wallach  p167
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 #2679 on: November 25, 2018, 12:33:43 PM »
Her introduction in the new book began: "Many years ago, I discovered the thrill of learning to ride. Since then motorcycling has provided me with economical transport together with independence and the pleasure of many touring and sporting adventures." She posed the question, "Why does a motorcycle, unlike any other machine, attract such attention and arouse such keen interest no matter where you are? Why are motorcyclists such enthusiasts? Is it the thrill of being astride the saddle? That glorious feeling of independence and total control over a beautiful piece of engineering; of rushing past the trees, swerving through curves, flying over the hills and riding with the wind?"
For those of us who are keen motorcyclists, I am sure we also often ask ourselves the same question, but how does one convey those feelings to someone who may never have ridden a motorcycle before?
Theresa was extremely keen to emphasise that 'Training' was not the same as 'Educating': 'Training' means following instructions such as "Do as I say - don't think for yourself, but when something new crops up, the novice is in a confused dilemma. A dog, despite its considerable intelligence, is trained - it is not educated by its handler. On the other hand, 'Education' is the ability to think things out for oneself, allowing the student to use their own intelligence to interpret the situation - an attribute which training tends to subdue."
The Rugged Road  Theresa Wallach  p172
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 #2680 on: November 26, 2018, 03:52:12 PM »
What I would like to say on the subject comes strictly from my own experience. I have never had anything but kindness from Aboriginal people. To give you just one   example, when my bike had run out of petrol on the Nullarbor, it was an Aboriginal bloke with a car full of kids who stopped and helped after many other people of undetermined racial background had driven past. When I asked him if he had any spare petrol, he said "Sure. Have you got a hose to siphon it out of my tank?" I didn't, so he regretfully drove off - only to return a few minutes later. He'd seen a bit of hose by the side of the road, and had picked it up and turned around...
I hope I learned something from that bloke.
Motorcycling In Australia  Peter Thoeming  p16
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 #2681 on: November 27, 2018, 09:40:24 AM »
And, of course, no helmet can protect you from every possible accident - no matter how much it costs, and no matter how often you replace it. The expanded polystyrene inner shell is the area which presents a bit of a twilight zone to most users, and yet it is a vital component. It absorbs the energy of an impact, which means it only works once. The little beads of polystyrene which make up the shell compress, their walls fail and (with a bit of luck) they save you from the too-rapid deceleration of skull and brain. But that's it; they cannot do it again. That's a very good reason for replacing your helmet after a fall.
The inner shell is also the component which causes a little discomfort during the 'breaking in' period of a new helmet. A correctly fitted helmet often feels a bit tight in spots (though that should never be across the forehead) for a few hours while the polystyrene settles in around your control centre. Once this process has taken place the helmet should be a perfect fit. But for you! As with its potentially life-saving ability, it only has this shape-changing ability once.
Motorcycling In Australia  Peter Thoeming  p75
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 #2682 on: November 28, 2018, 09:31:36 AM »
I once met a bloke who had worn the case hardening off the end of one of his BMW's pushrods out in the middle of the Tanami Desert. As luck would have it, he had passed an abandoned Holden a few kilometres before. He walked back, removed the car's pushrods and found that it was too long for the Beemer. Undaunted, he hacksawed a bit out of the rod and then araldited a bolt into one of the newly-created ends and a nut into the other. By screwing them together, he made a rod of the right length. This was enough to get him to Rabbit Flat where he had many beers until someone could bring him a new pushrod from Alice Springs.
Motorcycling In Australia  Peter Thoeming  p87
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 #2683 on: November 29, 2018, 09:43:35 AM »
The NSW State Emergency Service has some useful advice. "If you hear thunder ten seconds after a lightning flash, it is only about three kilometres away.  Find shelter urgently!"
They suggest seeking shelter in a solid building or a hard-topped vehicle, so that definitely means getting off the bike. Never shelter under small groups of trees or individual trees, remove metal objects from your body and get away from metal structures like fences - and bikes - and crouch down, feet together, in a hollow. Don't lie down, but avoid being the highest object around.
"If your hair stands on end or you hear buzzing on nearby rocks, fences etc, move immediately," the SES says. "At night, a blue glow may show if an object is about to be struck." So if the old bike starts to glow, kiss it goodbye - or rather don't kiss it, just get the hell out of there.
Motorcycling In Australia  Peter Thoeming  pp94-5
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 #2684 on: November 30, 2018, 12:08:28 PM »
Hold onto your hat. Here it comes. "There is more to life than riding motorcycles." Yes, it's hard to believe - but take my word for it, it's true. But many of the best things in life tend to to be related to riding. Whatever you do, try to make the most of every day when you're out on the bike. I know that probably sounds a bit obvious, but I keep meeting people who have forgotten it.
"Carpe diem", as they say. Seize the day. I try to remember that whenever I'm out riding, but I frequently fail because when I see something that might be worth stopping for (a view, a shop, a photo opportunity, whatever) I'm inclined to think, "I must stop for that next time". But of course there never is a next time.
Motorcycling In Australia  Peter Thoeming  p107
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 #2685 on: December 01, 2018, 09:15:28 AM »
I can still see it all today. The bike straightened out and headed for the ditch. I had come off the seat and had lost my hold on the grips. I was to the left of the bike, in the air, headed for the ditch. I still remember the moment we- the bike and I- made contact with the ditch. I can still see the front tire and handlebars as they struck and twisted hard to the left. Then, as I rolled in the ditch, I lost sight of the bike- but not for long. As I rolled in the ditch, my own bike ran over me. We were both moving kinda fast. Then I caught up with it and ran over it. Then it ran over me again. I remember the dirt in the air, thrown up by the bike as I rolled over it one more time.
I wasn't wearing a helmet. There I was, lying in the ditch, both arms over my head, curled into the smallest ball I could make. I could hear the bike right behind me, still running. Waiting for it to make one more pass over me, I was still with anticipation. Moments passed, and then I looked. It lay there, twisted, but still running. What to do?
50 Wild Motorcycle Tales  Walter F. Kern p14
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 #2686 on: December 02, 2018, 12:43:03 PM »
Icing began just south of Waco. The helmets with face shields were at least keeping our faces from freezing. The daytime speed limit then was 70, and we were doing at least 50. Somewhere just short of Temple, spaced out and running with the flow of traffic, the CB 500 was going over a bridge (a culvert overpass) and just went down before my eyes. Boom! Wow! It happened so fast (no skid). It seemed like it just collapsed. Next, the 350, with passenger, went down. Oh-Oh. I had no time to brake or swerve (plus I was numb from the cold). Physics was totally in charge.
As soon as I hit the bridge, I went down too. So there we were, four people, three bikes, sliding down the bridge on a sheet of ice like glass. We, indeed, had a problem, but a bigger potential problem was- as I noticed as I went round and round on my back- the semi bearing down on us from the rear and cars behind him sliding all over trying to regain control.
50 Wild Motorcycle Tales  Walter F. Kern p50
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 #2687 on: December 03, 2018, 08:50:53 AM »
I sat on Lazelle Street in Sturgis for hours as my engine got hotter and hotter. The parade of motorcycles and campers moved so slowly that once again I resorted to the tried and true shut-it-down and push-along-when-I-can means of surviving traffic jams with an air-cooled engine. I had a rapidly developing headache, possibly brought on by dehydration, although I didn't realize it at the time.
Eventually, after hours of creep, creep, creep and people hooting and hollering and talking to people while we waited in traffic and going and stopping and going again, I finally got past the Full Throttle Saloon at the edge of town. I took a left onto 79 and found the Iron Horse Campground a few miles down on the right. I pulled in about 10 o'clock at night, weary bodied and bleary eyed, got registration paperwork quickly taken care of, and headed out into the campground in the darkness looking for a flat place to camp. I was too tired to even set up my tent. I just threw down a tarp, then my sleeping bag, and finally another tarp on top.
I make this sleeping bag sandwich if I know it's just a quick one night stay when I'm travelling. I made it at Sturgis when I just didn't give a damn.
50 Wild Motorcycle Tales  Walter F. Kern pp89-90
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 #2688 on: December 06, 2018, 12:02:18 PM »
Thursday our campground neighborhood took a collective ride to Custer State Park. I was invited to be a passenger for the day. Usually I like the independence of riding my own bike but after some consideration of benefits to occasional passengerdom I decided to take advantage, mixed up some vodka and ice tea, and boarded a back seat of a yellow Gold Wing...
I can now say, based on experience, that I love Harleys best. I'm not saying that the Gold Wing was a bad bike, for it was not. It was a seamless machine which glided through curves and took us past Rushmore and on through Custer Park. It was an excellent machine, and I took advantage of the cup holders and arm rests and speakers and wind flange things. It's just that it had no thunder. When I ride my motorcycle, there is a dialog between the two of us. I listen to its engine, and I feel the way it handles. It tells me how the road is, and I tell it which one to travel on. I once got to ride a friend of mine's old Super Glide, and as I rode, it tried to have a conversation with me. I heard its engine thunder the way it does for its owner. I felt the frame telling me about the road. The transmission gave me a conversational greeting every time I shifted. A Gold Wing, while an eminently competent bike, does none of these things. It simply goes. There is no soul; there is no conversation. I ride a bike for adventure and companionship. So I guess I'll stick with my Sportster.
50 Wild Motorcycle Tales  Walter F. Kern pp92-3
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 #2689 on: December 07, 2018, 09:27:30 AM »
I separated parts, washed them, chased threads on bolts and nuts, and was ready to try to assemble the parts into a motorcycle.
I went to the local bike shop, asked many questions, and looked for advice. As I talked to the owner, another biker came in the door. The owner pointed to him and said, "That's the guy you need to talk to.
I introduced myself and proceeded to explain my troubles. Unbeknown to me, he was president of the local one-percenters. We became friends, and he was soon helping me build my first Harley.
He told me it was a 1937 Knucklehead. (He called it a Knuck.) It had a suicide clutch and a jock-shift. We got it going and rode few short rides together.
My new friend invited me and my girlfriend to go on a weekend run with his club. We were on our way and were stopped at a red light. Suddenly, my girlfriend shifted her weight. I lost my balance, and my foot came off the clutch. The rear tire barked, and we shot through the light. The traffic stopped, and my new friends followed me straight through the red light, right on my tail.
I was the man of the hour. They never knew the truth.
50 Wild Motorcycle Tales  Walter F. Kern p114
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 #2690 on: December 08, 2018, 10:46:20 AM »
My wife and I started looking for a car for me, and I hated them all. She asked me if I wanted to go to a bike shop instead- half as a joke- and I realized that, despite the accident, I didn't want to give up riding. We went to a local bike shop, and I bought another V-Max, this time a 2006, with red flames, shift light, and all the geegaws you could stick onto a V-Max. I barely started to get comfortable on this bike when I had my third accident.
This time, I was at a red light in the far right lane of a Tucson city street with a truck to my left. The light turned green, and I pulled out into the
intersection, when the truck to my left slammed on its brakes. I continued forward, and had just enough time to look to my left, and see a white car barrel through the intersection, and T- bone me at high speed.
The driver- a 30-year-old-lady on her cell phone, listening to her techno music, and not paying attention- had run a red light and hit me so hard that the impact scooped both me and my motorcycle onto the hood of her car. She had carried me for a short distance before she slammed on her brakes, and I slid off her hood like a pancake would off a spatula. I had been wearing my helmet which was a good thing, since my head slammed into the pavement, and the helmet took the blow. My back was twisted a bit and my leg was pinned by a bumper. Beyond that, I was unhurt. To this day, I feel that God reached down and saved me, possibly for my daughter's sake.
50 Wild Motorcycle Tales  Walter F. Kern pp155-6
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 #2691 on: December 09, 2018, 11:15:22 AM »
One day, I was riding my Honda 90 on a residential street, maybe 25 miles per hour, when I noticed a Coke can directly in front of me. This one was still perfect, hadn't been flattened yet. On a whim, I decided to see if I could hit it. It happened to be perpendicular to my front wheel, so I hit it perfectly. I was feeling smug about my precision riding for about two tenths of a second, when my front wheel locked up, and I went down like a sack of potatoes.
What happened?
I picked myself up and looked at my front wheel. When the wheel rolled over the can, the ends were pulled in, and the can clamped itself to the tire, then came up and jammed itself between the forks, locking the front wheel!
A nice lady and her teenage daughter heard the crash, and came out to see if I was OK. They invited me into their house to clean up my road rash and offered me a cool drink- Coke, of course.
50 Wild Motorcycle Tales  Walter F. Kern p159
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 #2692 on: December 10, 2018, 01:14:13 PM »
My wife appeared. She was smiling under her helmet. We mounted the bike and were off. What made a couple approaching their fiftieth birthdays want to get on a motorcycle on a day like this? It was cold, miserable, and foggy. There was mud on the road from the tractors, and it was so humid that it was almost like rain, yet we were happy to be on the road on a motorcycle. I think it is the perspective. Yes, travelling by car is like riding in a submarine, protected by fathomless obscurity of comfort. One relaxes in the boredom of the sealed perspective, where surface woes can hardly bother the mind, entertained by distant voices coming from the antenna and quick looks through the tinted glass of the periscope, now and then "surfacing" at a gas station or rest area for a whiff of clean air and a quick look at the scenery.
Like "surface skimmers", we find ourselves at the mercy of the weather. We sit behind our handlebars grinning under blue skies, or clenching our teeth in determination when heavy rain hits us square in the face. And only under untenable circumstances, do we seek refuge on the leeward side of a motel's parking lot or under any convenient portico.
In exchange, we get to be at one with nature, making the arrival to our destination an almost spiritual experience.
50 Wild Motorcycle Tales  Walter F. Kern pp185-6
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 #2693 on: December 11, 2018, 11:42:00 AM »
The title was to arrive the following morning. The rest of the day I changed the bike's oil, mailed my spare tires to Panama, and tried not to irritate my riding buddies. There was a little tension, but nothing out of the ordinary for the day before such a big trip. The next morning would go like clockwork: get up, eat, get ready, get the title, and cross the border to Latin destinations unknown. No problem. So the adventure had arrived. The mission? To explore new lands, to imbibe many drinks with little umbrellas, and to boldly go where other people already live. The trip of a lifetime was about to begin.
You could say that things went like clockwork that morning- if the clock you're referring to is broken or several hours slow. The title paperwork for my motorcycle arrived at 10:30 a.m. but we didn't actually leave McAllen for Latin destinations unknown until noon. It was all my fault. I was copying important documents and emailing a final update, and when I realized the time I rushed to the motel in such a hurry that I dropped my bike in the parking lot. Peter was not his normal, joking self. Robert glared at me so hard I got welts.
Odyssey To Ushuaia  Andrés Carlstein  pp19-20
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 #2694 on: December 12, 2018, 10:22:44 AM »
The greatest thing about the Internet on a trip like ours was that no matter where we went, whatever town we stopped in, as long there was a computer with Web service, I had mail from home. I hadn't felt homesick even once. How can you feel far away from people you care about when you can communicate with them daily and receive correspondence in seconds? Soon there'd be no more remote areas- the Internet was changing the whole face of travel. But after waiting my turn for the computer, I discovered that the machine refused to connect to the server. I was annoyed, to say the least. I wanted my instant gratification, and I wanted it now! How dare this crappy little joint boast of Internet to sucker me in here and get my beer money, only to pull the Web out from under me? A complaint to the barman seemed in order. He was behind the counter, about 5'8" and balding, with tattoos on both arms. I walked right up to where he stood stacking bottles on a shelf. He had, I noticed, a Smith & Wesson automatic tucked into the back of his shorts. This was definitely no longer Mexico; the only guns I saw there were held by professional soldiers. But this guy had a very real, and very deadly, gun. "Need something?" the bartender said impatiently over his shoulder.
"Just another beer, please."
Odyssey To Ushuaia  Andrés Carlstein  pp50-1
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

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Offline Biggles

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Re: Motorcycle Quote of the Day
« Reply #2695 on: December 13, 2018, 10:07:13 AM »
We made it to the Guatemala/El Salvador border, located just outside Pedro de Alvarado. We managed to survive the great staged border event, which was perfectly orchestrated for our benefit by all the characters at the customs, police, and immigration offices. They figured us for what we were- (relatively) rich tourists- and quickly dedicated themselves to making our lives hell by wasting time, slowing internal processes, and delaying us so we'd have to ride after dark, which we were dead set against. They knew that if they could pull some sleight-of-hand and make our passports or vehicle titles disappear, we'd have been under their control.
One man, impersonating an official, followed us to our bikes, had us open our bags, and proceeded to enter our customs information on bogus forms, wasting about a half hour of our time. Back inside, the guy disappeared with our "necessary paperwork" and we had to do it all over again with the real official. After that we were separated, and while I sat alone with our jackets, helmets, and other gear waiting for Peter and Robert to return, another official came rushing all panicky, and told me my friends needed my help in a hurry. "Right now!" At first I was shocked, ready to rush to their aid, but when I stood and quickly started gathering the gear he said, "No, no, you must go right now!" Something in his voice gave him away. I calmly sat back down, eyeing him with my arms folded across my chest, and waited for my companions to return. He made a few more attempts to convince me, but by then he could see I knew his game. He wanted me to leave our gear unattended so he could steal it.
Odyssey To Ushuaia  Andrés Carlstein  pp72-3
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
 

Offline Biggles

  • NatRally 2018 - Mackay
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Re: Motorcycle Quote of the Day
« Reply #2696 on: December 14, 2018, 12:06:30 PM »
We continued to Sarchi, a place famous for brightly painted oxcarts, so we popped into a factory by the side of the road to see how these regional treasures were made. The owner, Juan Carlos Alfaro came out to meet us. His grandfather built the factory seventy-four years before and the entire operation still worked in the traditional way, completely free of electricity. All of the machinery in the barn-like building was powered by the Senior Alfaro's clever mechanical creations, which transformed the energy of a local stream (via a waterwheel and a deceptively simple system of ropes, levers, and pulleys) into mechanical force for drill presses, sanders, table saws, and other tools. The factory itself was a wonder of creativity and human ingenuity.
The painted oxcarts were exquisite. Brightly colored and ornately detailed, they varied in sizes from a large wheelbarrow to a small truck. We followed Juan Carlos as he proudly displayed the inner workings of the shop and the traditional crafting techniques handed down unchanged from his grandfather's time.
Odyssey To Ushuaia  Andrés Carlstein  pp100-1
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
 

Offline Biggles

  • NatRally 2018 - Mackay
  • "Top Dog" 10000 club
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  • Bridgeman Downs, Brisbane
Re: Motorcycle Quote of the Day
« Reply #2697 on: December 15, 2018, 10:36:40 AM »
I later learned that Robert and Peter had found the landmark at the Mitad del Mundo, and after shooting the requisite equator photos, began looking for something else to do. They discovered a trail leading down into an old volcanic crater, which was overgrown with jungle plants and populated by a small number of Ecuadorians. Peter led the way, and they began working their bikes down the narrow path until they realized it was much steeper and more difficult to negotiate than it first appeared. Having come too far to turn back, they had to slowly walk the bikes down the trail one by one. They carefully descended, nearly sending the bikes crashing down the inside wall of the crater as they lost their footing several times. Eventually they reached the bottom, and since they didn't know the area, it looked as if they would have to get the bikes flown out by helicopter. Finally they found a road out, after meeting some interesting crater people.
They bought sodas from an old woman who'd been born in the crater and supposedly never left it to see the outside world. They also met a ranger who hit them up for a bribe for "illegally entering" the crater. I never really wondered how one could illegally enter a crater, but if I had to pick someone that would be capable of such a feat, my choice would definitely have been Peter.
Odyssey To Ushuaia  Andrés Carlstein  p152
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
 

Offline Biggles

  • NatRally 2018 - Mackay
  • "Top Dog" 10000 club
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  • Posts: 14026
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  • Bridgeman Downs, Brisbane
Re: Motorcycle Quote of the Day
« Reply #2698 on: December 16, 2018, 11:55:41 AM »
The warm sun woke me up and I felt good. The unpleasantness of the prior evening was forgotten. I realized that I'd been on the road for over two months. Right then, accountants somewhere were counting other people's money. Pharmacists were filling prescriptions, builders were laying foundations, and children were shining shoes. I was riding a motorcycle to the tip of South America, and on that sunny day all other cares were put aside because there was something so indescribably right with the world. The other guys wanted to tour some ruins, but I'd had enough of ruins, and of them, for a while. By noon they still hadn't left and again asked me to go, but still I declined. I squandered the day around town, ate in dark local places with truckers and farmers, and emailed home from an Internet cafe.
Odyssey To Ushuaia  Andrés Carlstein  p178
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
 

Offline Biggles

  • NatRally 2018 - Mackay
  • "Top Dog" 10000 club
  • *
  • Posts: 14026
  • Thanked: 2473 times
  • Bridgeman Downs, Brisbane
Re: Motorcycle Quote of the Day
« Reply #2699 on: December 17, 2018, 11:19:33 AM »
A truck. Oh shit. Wham. Just like that, the ordeal was over. Right before my front tire collided with the truck's bumper, I sensed in my gut that I was going to be fine. That sensation removed all fear, and I was free to relax and experience the moment clearly. I was pure sensation as I moved in the thrall of forces beyond my control. I suddenly felt tranquillity and deep understanding. Zen Buddhists call a moment like that satori, a brief time without thought, yet with complete understanding, clarity, and focus- a feeling of infinite space. The front tire hit, the forks bent, and my bike pivoted forward on the axle of its front wheel, smashing the fairing and headlight against the grille. I slid forward and my helmet and shoulder smacked against the hood. I recall a flash of the look on the faces of the two guys in the cab. Their mouths were open, eyes as big as fried eggs. I also noticed upon my very close visual inspection of the truck that it was not as clean as it first appeared.
I hit the ground and felt nothing wrong with my body- I was fine. My next thought was for my bike and how badly it might be damaged.
Odyssey To Ushuaia  Andrés Carlstein  p192
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