Here in Louisiana the riding season is pretty much year round. There have only been a few days this winter that were too cold for some folks to ride. However, if you are like me, a heavy coat, a good pair of gloves and a windshield make even the coldest day in Louisiana a good riding day.
But for many the 2012 riding season “officially” begins March 9th of this year. In just a few days riders from all over the country will be out on the road, heading forDaytona Beach,Florida and Bike Week 2012. Although some will be trailering their bikes from the “frozen nawth” as some of my local friends refer to any place north of Shreveport, many will be riding. So for the next few days garages, bike shops, and dealerships will be buzzing as riders from all over the country ready their machines for the first big ride of the year.
This is one of those fun times to be a motorcyclist. Getting your bike and gear ready for a major trip is almost as much fun as the trip itself. First, it is a time to re-familiarize yourself with your machine. Is everything working right? Do I need a brake job? How are the tires? Are all the lights, gauges and dials working? Does the battery need replacing? Maybe its time to add that new piece of chrome or accessory you thought about all winter. Perhaps a custom seat, some new running lights, or a GPS.
Some of you may even be choosing a new ride for 2012. Each year at Bike Week I see hundreds of bikes with temporary tags on them, indicating they were purchased just a month or two earlier. The trip to Daytona makes a good shake down cruise for a brand new steel pony.
Then there is your gear. Time for new luggage? Perhaps you want to get those new saddlebags you have been looking at every time you visited the shop this winter. Maybe you want a new tank bag or something for the sissy bar. Today there is so much stuff out there and it comes in every shape, size and application. I remember my first cross-country ride in 1968. I stuffed everything into an old military duffle bag and used a rope to tie it across my handle bars — not the safest application, I grant you, but it also did double duty as a sort of windscreen.
Finally you may be shopping for new riding clothes. People buy lots of new jeans, jackets and boots just before Daytona. I will for sure, but that is not because I just want new stuff. Since January 1st I have shed 50 pounds, so I need an entirely new wardrobe. My dilemma however is I plan to lose another 50 so I will be taking it easy on how much stuff I buy. But there is some good news, going from 4X to 2X gives me choices and options I didn’t have as a “Big & Tall” shopper. Perhaps a guy shouldn’t admit this, but I am really enjoying trying on new clothes.
So on March 9, 2012, like hundreds of thousands of bikers from all over North America I will be out on the road, headed for Daytona. It won’t be my first Bike Week and hopefully it won’t be my last. Actually I have made the trip nearly a dozen times over the years. But each Bike Week is just as exciting as the last. Perhaps it is not so much about Bike Week as it is about the “beginning of the season.”
For many of you reading this there is still snow on the ground but here inLouisiana flowers are blooming, the grass is turning green and the open road is calling.
See you in Daytona.
Bob Courtney
larider.com 