Rush Hour Rambling

Weather: Definitely NOT what they predicted today.

Scarlet O’Baron shines, even on the gloomiest days.

The Windsock and Crystal Ball Guild got it all wrong today. We should sack the lot of them.

Morning weather reports called for partly cloudy and warm, kicking off our “Indian Summer” here in Minnesota. What we got is what you see in the photo above…

The ride to work, early this morning, was chilly and dark. The air was very humid, and my faceshield kept fogging up. I have put off installing the little fighter-pilot facemask that keeps my breath off the visor, but I can now see that the time has come.

A full moon smiled down upon us as we negotiated the river roads. Soon, however, the clouds rolled in, and they stayed for the rest of the day.

At work, I kept peeking over my cubicle wall, hoping to see sunshine outside the windows, but it just got darker and drearier as the day wore on. At about two o’clock, someone came in from a smoke break and whined, “It’s raining out there!”

The indignant tone of her voice suggested that she had believed the incompetent boobs on the morning network news, just like I did. I began to mentally prepare myself for a wet ride home.

One good thing about wet roads is that they slow me down and adjust my attitude from sporting aggression to a more relaxed vigilance. For some reason, my “zen thang” seems to work better in the rain. I was happy to ride Scarlet slowly, keeping plenty of distance between us and the next vehicle. This avoids that irritating dirty spray on the visor, so all I have to look through is water.

At one point, I raised the visor and looked around. The “rain” that was falling was really nothing more than a light drizzle. I actually started to enjoy the ride, as it was different from my daily routine.

We had passed many turnouts along the road, many of which would have made for a dramatic photo. But I was warm and snug inside my riding gear, and reluctant to “break the seal” and expose myself to the elements. Feeling kind of guilty, and coming to the end of East River Road, I made the decision to take the turn leading down to the riverside park.

Scarlet stood out in stark contrast with her gloomy surroundings. We were alone in the park, and it was quite peaceful. I made the photo quickly, so the lens wouldn’t get all wet, and put the camera back in it’s case under the seat.

Then I just stood there and listened to the silence. The earlier drizzle had turned into a heavy mist. I couldn’t even hear it hit the ground. The only sound was the soft putter of Scarlet’s exhaust, as she waited patiently for me to come out of my trance.

I remounted her, and we rode away. I could feel the other traffic around us, and was able to flow with them and avoid them. But they didn’t intrude on my consciousness, as they usually do. That zen thang again, I guess. It was a nice ride home.

Weather: Clear and cold, 34°F (1°C)

Only hardcore riders showed up for the November gathering.

First Thursdays during the Winter are much more enjoyable to me than during the regular riding season. The crowds that show up in the Summer now are incredible, and it has gotten to the point where a guy can’t move around, let alone park his bike, if he gets there around seven o’clock.

In the Winter, only the hardcore riders and the original Twin Cities Norton Owner’s Club members show up, along with assorted Moto-Mutts, and the mythical Blind Lizards. It is, once again, a gathering of friends, rather than an all-out LOOK-AT-ME! contest. I can sit down, relax, and talk about motorbikes with some of the very best local riders, without interruption from the latest open-piped Boss Hoss obscenity.

The No-Longer Mysterious Red KLR Guy, aka “Steve”, did not show up last night. At least, not while I was there. But in the 20° F cold this morning, on a dark stretch of West River Road, we passed in opposite directions with our customary wave.

There was another Steve there, however. Steve Hamel walked in carrying a modified Vincent cylinder head. Maybe you’ve heard of him. Watch this space for a feature about his Bonneville exploits soon.

Then we have the Usual Suspects…

From the left: Marty, Jim, Al, Buster Brown (in the Fedora), and “Carp”.

Regular readers here have read Buster Brown’s comments in both my blogs. He has been a good friend for a long time, but he has this strange fetish for ice screws. Marty is a flat-track racer and former co-owner of Trackstar Motorsports. These other fellows I’ve only met in passing. They all ride trails together, and someday maybe they will let Frogwing and I come out and tag along.

Buster Brown is quite a sight on a dirtbike. I just happen to have a little snapshot here that I took at Rob Himmelmann’s “Marquette County Home for Wayward Cycles”, a couple Winters ago.

The inimitable Buster Brown, rockin’ it old-school, off-road.

Rob Himmelmann is a close friend of Peter Egan, and is often mentioned in his Cycle World columns. In fact, Mr. Egan showed up that day, in his new Mini Cooper S. He didn’t ride with us, but I was able to chat with him for awhile. He is just as witty in person as he is in print.

On this day, Rob had pulled a whole variety of vintage trail and dirtbikes out of his barn, tuned them up, and turned a bunch of us loose riding them around the property. It was here that I first experienced a vintage Rokon, and a Kawasaki trials bike. The sun shined on us all day long, and we had a wonderful time.

But back to First Thursday…

Ramblin’ Dan Jones, getting ready to take it on home.

Fellow Baron scooterist Ramblin’ Dan Jones was in attendance, riding his 250 PM, which he has named “Hiyo” for the obvious reason. We ride together occasionally, and he comments here semi-frequently. He is braving the cold without the benefit of electrics this year. The High-Viz gear is in full effect though.

So, that was First Thursday in November. It was more about the people than the bikes, and I find it more pleasant that way. When I was getting ready to leave, I noticed a couple of Harley baggers had shown up, along with a beat-up, vintage Vespa. I had already put the camera away, so I didn’t capture them on film. There were a total of eight bikes in the lot when I left.

I hope some of these guys are still riding this time, next month.

Weather: 26°F (-5°C)

Today I unmasked the Mysterious Red KLR Guy. He is not my doppelgänger. I couldn’t grow a mustache like that in a million years.

It’s kind of sad, now that I think about it. Kind of takes some of the zest out of my daily ride. But while I have lost a mysterious character in my day-to-day story, I may have gained a new friend.

His name is Steve, and he is a daily motorbike commuter. This morning he was riding his black Kymco Bet and Win 150. Nice scoot. The chassis is very similar to Scarlet’s, but he has a much better headlight.

We came together at a fortuitous stretch of West River Road. He raised his hand to wave, as he always does, and I waved my arm crazily, motioning him over to the turnout on my side of the road. He slowed and did a smooth U-turn, and pulled up next to me.

I introduced myself, and we shook mitten-clad hands. I told him about this blog, and that he had been a recurring character in it. He had no idea. However, he had seen me on TV, last Winter with the Red Baron.

Then I told him about First Thursday, which happens to be tonight. Steve said he will try to make it, if he can “get away”. If he shows up, I will have to get a photo of the two of us with our scoots. He tells me that he doesn’t intend to ride all Winter long, like I do. But we’ll see if I can’t give him some tips that will extend his riding season a little bit.

Yes, it’s First Thursday again (already!). I can’t believe how quickly October passed. It is only supposed to get up to about 37° F today, so I’m betting only the hardcore riders will show up at Dulono’s tonight. That’s all for the better, as I can spend more time with my friends and move around more freely. The crowd scene during the normal season gets to be too much.

Well, it’s time to punch the clock and get to work. I’ll write up First Thursday tomorrow.