I wear a helmet when I ride. This is important to me although not so important that I allowed myself the thought of purchasing a cruiser. Allow me to explain. I’ve ridden cruisers, real ones too – a Fat Boy and a Road King – and fuck man, a helmet just is not part of the picture. Because it is a picture you see. The image. I felt concern about my image when cruising. Cool. Like my brother. I’m cool. Wearing a helmet is important to me but I know I am weak. On a sport oriented bike, for me, a helmet is just part of the picture. A hypocritical admonition I’m certain. However I want to wear a helmet every time I ride for big safety and small safety, and I know I will on this sport bike. No temptation for other image than Motorcyclist.

There are a lot of little things. I like putting gas in the tank on my motorcycle. I’m neat, I’m particular. I revel in the act. I don’t know how much it costs to put gas in my bike because I don’t look at the dollar indicator but I know I have to make more frequent stops at gas stations than when I was driving my car all the time. But I use less gas. Starting from stops is a little thing. Turning off the turn signal is a little thing. Not hitting neutral when up shifting from 1st gear is a little thing. I do a lot of little things in my life but I do too many of them without thinking. Like I said “love you” to my wife yesterday morning. I caught myself and went back and said “I love you” because a man should be conscious of telling his woman that he loves her. I drink beer with a pronounced dispassion, devoid of consciousness that when I think about it is worth consideration. I wander up to bed at night but set an alarm to get up. And what the fuck does that say – that I set an alarm to get up in the morning, but I go to bed at night haphazardly! All these little things.

I sure ain't a writer

I am a motorcyclist. For a long time I was a motorcyclist without a motorcycle. Now I am a motorcyclist with a motorcycle and I am happy.

My new motorcycle is a 2006 Honda VFR Interceptor. It has heated grips, hard luggage and wires I can plug into an expensive suit, which I do not own, to keep me warm on cold days. My motorcycle is mostly black, but it has some brushed aluminum too.

My motorcycle says nothing about me. Motorcycling on the other hand does. Like, I like to be fully present a few times a week. If I can be fully present several times a week, or daily, or more, for prolonged periods of time, cool. (If you don’t know what I mean by “fully present”, don’t worry about it.) Motorcyclists are fully present while they’re in the saddle. They are attuned to the moment, the experience, the setting, the environment, the intangibles, the unexpected, the intangibles, the environment, the setting, the experience, the moment, now. They are conscious.

Bikers’ motorcycles say something about them. “I am sexy.” “I am wealthy.” “I am cool.” “I am searching.” A lot of bikers ride Harley Davidson motorcycles. A lot of bikers ride Hondas too. And Suzukis and Yamahas and Kawies. Not a lot of bikers ride BMW’s. Most of them are motorcyclists. A lot of bikers ride crotch rockets, which are beautiful machines but are too often trifled with. A lot of bikers ride cruisers which allow them to sit on wheeled lazy boys and drink beers and are too often trifled with.

2006 Honda VFR Interceptors are comfortable, smooth, quiet (relatively – much quieter than many), look like crotch rockets to some, but in fact are designed for grown up, Zen conciousness freaks who aren’t affronted, indeed who look forward to, significant tactile stimulation. Hwhew, hwhew, whappity, whappity, sssss, fffsssfffsss, wwwwhew, szszsz.