January at its greyest and grimmest

Sorry, no motorcycle content.

Can this weather get any worse? Countless hours spent in the kind of twilight that would have vampires walk at day. There was not one day of a weekend worth getting out on the bikes.

Due to my new found healthier lifestyle I most likely covered more distance on foot than on two wheels, walking an average of 5km a day, which I admit is by far not enough, but walking in the dark just has a very limited charm.

Meanwhile I have added a few carbs back into my diet only to prevent me from falling from weather depression into food depression.

Rainy weather and fun food abstinence aside, the changes have already made an impact. I lost eight pounds, feel more energized, sleep well, have less headaches and the joint pain has gone away, plus I haven't had a cold yet. It's amazing what junk food will do to your metabolism.

In quest of a view

What else to do?

The crazy weather pattern dumped a lot of snow on the otherwise wet We(s)t Coast, leaving the bike house-bound, trapped, locked in, deemed to be parked, and that leaves me with what?

P M S - Parked Motorcycle Syndrome

A common disease that occurs in the winter when a rider is unable to take his/her motorcycle out for a ride and is forced to think about things other than motorcycles.

WRONG!
Still thinking about motorcycles.

That's what the Motorcycle Show is for.

Of course we had a much more serious mission this time. A friend of ours needed assistance for his first motorcycle purchase.

It only happened by pure accident that I ended up on a pretty two-tone colored Bonnie.

Made in England, gotta love that label. I wish they would still do so, but like a lot of other stuff the Bonnie's are most probably manufactured cheaply in Asia these days.

Here is Hubby mildly irritated on a Victory. Pretty fugly the bike, if you ask me, but each to their own.

No sight of the Beemer scooter except for this sign, and finally: the price tag. As expected is is in the same range as the Suzuki Burgman or the Honda Silverwing.

Meanwhile our friend became friendly with a Kawasaki KLR 650, a good and reasonably priced starter bike for a tall guy like him.

But this one, the Yamaha Tenere really made him smile (that is until he took a gander at the price tag).

It was a good trade show with lots of visitors. All major brands where present, even Piaggio showed up. Lots of material to dream and rave about until riding season begins again.

Land of the Free?

Do the right thing. 

The bills must not pass.

The Internet must remain free!

What's next?

Darling, you got to let me know
Should I stay or should I go?
If you say that you are mine
I’ll be here ’til the end of time
So you got to let me know
Should I stay or should I go? 

(Lyrics: The Clash)

So, what do you think? On the one hand there is still a certain British Brand tempting me (Triple, Tiger, Bonneville, Scrambler - I would take any of those). On the other hand this little Harley has grown on me.

What I thought to be a short fling, has become a deep respect for the brand known for leaking piles of metal. I was always under the impression that these bike were made only for the ride to the next pub, or destined to be trailered to marque specific gatherings, but not to be used for actual serious road trips, since usually one would spend more time wrenching in the garage than traveling on the blacktop.

Speaking of the Sporty, the mpg is not great (frankly, it sucks!), but so far this bike hasn't asked for more than gas for the tank, air for the tires, and the occasional (very rare) wash for the looks.

Now, there is a potential road trip on the horizon, the IMBC 2012, and neither my two-wheeler nor I am ready and prepared for this challenge. I will need to build up the physical strength to endure a multi-day journey on a motorcycle, and as for my bike... well, Rover will need some serious modification:

1. A bigger tank
2. A comfy seat (need a new seat anyway with the bigger tank)
3. A luggage rack and saddle bags
4. A different set of handle bars for comfortable long distance riding
5. A set of highway pegs
6. A long overdue inspection
The overall price tag is about 3,500 to 4,000$.

Instead, I could go on a two week ocean cruise for this money...
Or I could keep the money, leave the Sporty as is, and rent a touring bike instead.
Or I could sell the Sporty, and throw the money in for a new and already well equipped bike.

I am left with more questions than answers. Help! Anybody?

The Road to Health is paved with good Intentions

During the past three months I suffered from depression, fatigue, headaches, bilious attacks, joint pain and at times a foggy brain. In a few words: I was unwell. I ignored my condition, battled the symptoms, not the cause, popped some meds and blamed it on the stress at work.

Since conventional Western medicine didn't get me anywhere I did some research on my own, spoke with friends suffering from similar symptoms, and by holistic approach I came to understand that my body can no longer cope with the daily madness of my lifestyle. Hence, for the first time (ever) I made some New Year's resolutions.

1. The transformation of my eating habits into a healthy diet, starting with cutting down on carbs and sugar, and adding more greens and fruit to my meals. I started buying local produce, and I now pay better attention to the ingredients of some food stuff. I am appalled by the alien contents being put in normal food that don't belong there, and that the body can get sick from.

2. Inspired by RichardM I started walking every day after work, at night, rain or shine. The world moves under my feet, and the rounds are getting longer and faster.

3. I don't drink or smoke, my drug of choice is chocolate, which is actually the main trigger for my headaches. Choco, no mo'.

4. I don't have financial worries, so why bother with a stressful job? That's actually a tough one because I like a good challenge. However, if it doesn't work for me I will be moving on. There is a life to be lived, and roads to be discovered.

5. I will be spending less time in the virtual world, and more time in the real world with family and friends. There are already plans in the make for travels to Europe, and I am very much looking forward to it.

I am practicing this 'new lifestyle' for a week now, and after a couple of days suffering from (sugar and chemical) withdrawal symptoms I now feel energized and oddly motivated, the joint pain and headaches are gone, and my concentration is improving. The mood swings have disappeared, and bonus, I have lost weight. It already feels like I have accomplished something. Now I have to make sure that I stick to my plans.

A Happy and Healthy New Year to all of you.

Find me on the road.