My Scooters...

We're motorcycle people, so when the subject comes up, we like to talk about our trusty steeds. While everything else in our lives might look like a comic strip, our motorcycles are always there to pull us back to Earth. I can't speak for anyone other than myself, but when the presures of life hit me like a ton of bricks, the seat of my bike and my favorite road always manages to deflect some of the blows.

I've managed to collect a few bikes throughout my 30+ years of riding, and my current inventory (lol), is a diverse lot. I like to say, I have a bike for every mood and situation.

2002 Kawasaki ZRX1200R

Have you ever owned a bike, years ago, that you sold more or less against your will? Back in 1990 I was the proud owner of a Kawasaki Zephyr. I managed to hold onto this bike for about 2 years, before family needs took my toy. Out went the bike, but I always told myself I would replace it someday.

The ZRX has been a great additon, and in a way shoots me back to my old Zephyr days. I'm not a young guy anymore, and the more up-right riding position goes a long way. Nothing beats this bike for scooting back and forth to work, and up the canyons on the weekends.

BMW HP-2 Enduro

Yep, I'm one of those guys who took a look at this bike and had to have one.

My plan was to buy the bike and set out on a 95% dirt road/trail tour, leading me from the Southern AZ border, to the Northern border of Washington State. This ride has yet to happen, so it has limited riding time. I would ride it more, but it's a bit tall to be stopping at a stop light every mile.

Here's a quick story about the HP-2. I bought the bike and one of my riding buddies (who owned a KTM Adventure) talked me into an over night ride "Off-Trail". Who would think that in the middle of summer, in Arizona, that we would find over 12 river crossings? Needless to say, the bike hit the ground several times, as I failed to man-handle this massive machine. Riding one of these can be scary. Nothing like a dirt bike with a 1200cc 105hp engine. It never got washed down the river, but close. Of course I bought all the protective covers, after I needed them....lol.

BMW K1200LT

Yes, I enjoy BMW motorcycles. I bought my first LT in 2001. At the time I had a 1999 Harley Classic sitting in the garage with about 30,000 miles on the odmeter. My wife wasn't happy (two touring bikes sitting side by side in the garage might have been over-kill), but I had a thirst for a more "full featured" touring bike. I sold it in 2005, after a ton of great tours.

In 2007 I was asked to accompany my father and sister on a 5000+ tour to Jainesville, WI. I didn't have the ZRX yet, and only the HP-2 was in the garage. I had great luck with the LT, so off I went to the BMW dealer. I found a 2002 in great shape, at an OK price, and the rest is history. My plan was to sell it after the trip, but its never made it into the paper. Nothing beats it on longer trips, so I just don't have the heart.

So there you go. I think I have all my needs covered, well, for now anyway.

Is there truly "Year Round" clothing?

Down here is Arizona, we live in a oven 7 months of the year. When April starts to to roll off the calender, the Temp. outside begins to inch up past 90 degrees. The winter jackets and pants get put away until November, and even then they see only part-time use. Needless to say, you just put over $400 of gear in the closet.

Up until just a few years ago, apparel did not exist that could take the two extremes. You either wore one, or the other, with few choices for the in between. There are now options, and here at the store I dwell on them. I carry very little of anything else. Personally, I have other things to spend my money on, and if one jacket/pant can handle the load, I'm all for it.

JACKET: There are several choices (Joe Rocket- Alter Ego & Tourmaster Flex-2), and my favorite is clearly the Flex-2. The jacket is VERY well made, easy to use. It works great in the summer as a mesh jacket, and in the winter as a full-on cold weather jacket. It's not just me. We've sold 100's of these jackets, and not one customer has been disappointed.

Not so with the Alter Ego. The outer Cordura shell comes off in panels, and zipping everything up can be a little more involved than I like. The outer shell on the Flex-2 comes on and off easily, and can be put on without removing the jacket. Just a better design.

Here's a story for you. When the Flex-2 came out I had a customer from Montana call and asked for my opinion on a winter jacket. He was also hoping he could remove the liner and use it in the summer, so venting was a huge need. I told him to try the Flex-2, but he had doubts it would be warm enough. He bought the jacket, and I got an email about 2 months later stating that the jacket worked great, and he had also been using it as a ski jacket...lol.

PANTS: Since I like the Flex-2 I also like the Flex-2 pant. Same reasons I like the pant, just a simple solution that works. I also like the Tourmaster Venture Air pant. Still warm down to about 40, but yet more mesh for the summer months.

The bottom line is that there is apparel that can be used summer and winter, you simply don't have a ton of choices. It's just a good thing that what is out there, is highly functional.