Motorcycle Misadventures

What it is About Motorcycling by a Motorcycling Librarian

Librarian Michael McGrorty thoughtfully discusses Melissa Holbrook Piersen's book The Perfect Vehicle: What it is about motorcycles in his July 19th's blog Library Dust. In it he explores a bit of the psychology of motorcycling and writers who write about motorcycling, too. And what woman motorcyclist couldn't be charmed by his opinion that:

The very best thing about this book is that it has been written by a woman. Women have this refreshing tendency to understand that books can be about other subjects than themselves alone, and they write them with the reader in mind. Pierson’s book is about her experience with motorcycles, but only within the larger work at hand, which is communicating the experience and background of the machine and mileu.

The next best thing is that it is written by somebody who is primarily a writer who rides motorcycles rather than the other way around. Pierson’s work is pleasant, interesting and it flows well, which is a very good thing for a book whose job it is to explain a pastime which is foreign to most of the western world.

I especially like his journal entry, though, his own "what it is about motorcycling" that appears at the end of the blog. How familiar is this?

Outside of town now, there are few cars and much highway; the mountains raise a line against the pinpricks of the stars and the air flashes cold against my neck. This is the place where the world ends. The bike begins to drive itself, tracking between strands of strung diamonds made to blaze from my headlamp; we pass together into a long moment of night as we ride the gentle back of an invisible landscape: fifty miles, seventy-five, a hundred; then a sputter and a quick reach for the petcock and the spare tank. In a few minutes we are pulled over in a small island of this warm, dark sea, paying for gasoline with a gloved hand, walking again across the fine gravel to the place where the bike rests for the trip back home.

Chang Jiang China Motocross Ride

Jim Bryant in Beijing wrote to say he'd posted some photos from a ride on Saturday that turned into a motocrossing experience. Eleven bikes on dirt roads and hill climbs, and all made it. Check out these photos:
Saturday CJ Motocross Ride

Book a trip on World Wide Moto Tours

Thanks to Dylan's motorcycle blog for this tidbit, the World Wide Moto Tours site that lets you book your travels around the world, on just about any motorcycle brand you want, including BMW, Triumph, Suzuki, Harley Davidson, Aprillia, Ducati, and Honda.

Kawasaki KLX400A dual sport on the Trans-America Trail

I'm preparing for my trip on the Trans-America Trail with Sam Correro August 8. I'll be riding a 2003 Kawasaki KLX400A dual sport which looks to be the perfect vehicle except he hopes that we don't have to change out a jet in Colorado at 10,000 feet. He can change out a jet on his XR600 in about five minutes, but the engine on the 400 is so compact that many repairs and adjustments may mean taking off the gas tank and other such major disassembly.

This is the question: Is there enough range on the KLX400A to deal with the change in altitude, or are we going to need to change out the jets on Pike's Peak? Advice appreciated.

Mods he's already made are the rear sprocket and tires. Says he pushed the sprocket up 2 teeth, which will give me more 'grunt' at the rear wheel but will slow the top speed. ("You're not a speed freak are you," he asked.) Also changed out the stock tires to the more aggressive DOT knobbies.

And here's great news: Chris & Spice are riding their KLR650's all the way from Atlanta to Colorado to join us. This pair took a round-the-world-trip a couple of years ago on these bikes, and started with a six-week journey along Sam's entire Trans-America trail.

Sign up for my mailing list (click at left) and be the first to hear about this trip mid-August.

Carla