Road Stories

Our 2001 Harley Davidson Road King

Lessons of the Road - Enjoy the Journey

My husband Odd Jon has been a motorcycle rider/enthusiast for most of his life.  After going a long time without one while our boys were little, he purchased a Royal Enfield in 2012.  There were many times he would go for a ride and I would ask where are you off to? "Just going on a ride" was the usual answer. This always puzzled me, why not have a destination?  I have always viewed transportation as point A to point B even with bicycling so I never got the concept. "It's about the Journey not the destination." was his answer. This summer we got the Harley you see pictured above. My husband wanted a touring bike so that he could share the experience of "going on a ride" with me.  After a couple of test runs so I could learn form (more on that in another post), we made our first real journey on August 21st. It was a 4 hour ride in the country to nowhere in particular. We were "just going on a ride"

I get it now. Even though I am just a passenger I get the appeal and call of the road. Yes, you are vulnerable but the pros very much outweigh the cons.  When you ride a motorcycle you become a part of your surroundings, not just passing through them. Even after four hours for my first ride I felt great! (I never feel like that in the car).  I felt as if I could go all day. It was exhilarating with something for all 4 senses heightened above what they would be in a car; Sight - nothing like looking up at the clouds and seeing birds fly over head with very little to block your line of sight and no glass to look through (sights outside of the normal country scene included an X-Wing fighter replica, a full mural covering a silo), and a piece of a rainbow) ;  Sound - the rumble of the bike, the thundering approach of a truck going by; Smell - the freshness of the corn and hay fields. Touch - the warmth of the sun on your face after being under cloudy skies, the texture of my husbands leather, the refreshing light summer rain, the feel of the road. I am a lucky girl that I am married to a very experienced rider to pilot my journey.  Thank you Odd Jon for introducing me to this world. I look forward to many more journeys with you!

My gear

Lessons of the Road - The Gear

The gear of a biker has a look to it that can be misunderstood. There is a purpose to everything worn. The leather jacket protects your from the elements (rain and wind) and if something does go wrong it protects from road rash. The most useful jacket has thicker leather and vents built in to help with air flow. Interestingly enough I was told to go one size bigger when picking out mine for continued help with air flow so you don't get too hot.  An added bonus on mine is the reflective striping and patches (anything purple is reflective). The jeans and boots are to prevent you from getting burned from the exhaust. The helmet (which is in the 1st photo) of course protects your head but an added bonus is it also keeps the rain off your head (especially if you have a full face helmet). The headscarf helps with helmet hair and keeps stray hairs from blowing into your face. Sunglasses are a must to obviously protect your eyes.  Items to get include a bandana to help with strong and cold winds and gloves. While I was picking everything out I was reminded to think of function first and worry about how it looked later. Luckily I found pieces that do both for me!

Odd Jon 

Lessons of the Road - Passenger Form

Before I rode in that empty seat behind my husband the driver, I had to learn a few things to make his adjustments to having a passenger easier.  There are countless videos on You-Tube (I'll share one below).  The three biggest things to remember after ride with some one you trust and wear the gear: 1. Wait until the driver is tells you to mount or dismount. He or she needs to be prepared to keep the bike steady. It moves as you are getting on and off and the driver needs to compensate so you don't tip over.  2.  Follow the driver's movements. If he tilts to go around the corner you need to too.  If you don't overthink it and relax it makes it easier.  3.  Don't fidget! If you have to move find a way to tell the driver, hey I need to .... again so he or she knows its coming and can prepare of it. You can still look around but move your head not your entire body. This was harder for me to learn and our first test run was not enjoyable to my husband because of it. He likened it to driving drunk.  Yikes! Below is an excellent video of being a responsible passenger.