Scooter in the Sticks

Exploring life on a Vespa, Royal Enfield Himalayan, Honda Trail 125, and a Kawasaki W650

Winter Motorcycle Riding

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BMW K75 motorcycle on rural road on a winter day.
Winter motorcycle riding brings many challenges.

Cold Weather Concerns

With the thermometer hovering at 40F and the roads mostly dry, I thought it would be an excellent opportunity to ride the motorcycle to drive the moisture from the oil, exercise the battery, and make room for some fresh gasoline. And like so often is the case when I decide to “take a quick ride” to keep the motorcycle in good riding condition, I neglect to weigh all the conditions related to winter motorcycle riding.

For me, what I usually neglect to consider is my physical readiness to ride a motorcycle in cold weather. And for most riders, 40F qualifies as cold.

The first ride of the season is always problematic for me. I get cold easily and regardless of how well I gear up, it’s a shock to my system. And on this day, I made a few estimations of necessary gear that were just wrong. Maybe 5 years ago they would have been right. But not now. Time is taking its toll.

Part of the attraction of winter motorcycle riding for me is the competition that’s created between me and the elements. That competition has pushed me to ride in extremely cold weather, snow, ice, and places I probably should have made other plans.

So that’s often how it starts; a quick ride to accomplish some imagined task, a look at the weather with a self-confident “I’ve got this,” and a hurried donning of gear with little serious evaluation of what’s to come.

Regardless, it was a fine winter day to be out in the world on a motorcycle.

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Morning Meditations

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dog in garden
Dogs enforce habits and rituals for their owners.

You Shall Not Pass

Morning meditations have become a daily ritual. One that didn’t come easy.

I’ve learned life is easier when I begin the day slowly.  It’s not a simple task because my mind is most active in the morning and I can be swept into action before I really have an idea of what I should be doing.  Or worse, jump on the merry-go-round of obsessive thinking, often on a subject I’ve given far too much attention.  Fortunately,  I have dogs who stand ready to stop me as they demand their fair share of the American dream.

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Motorcycle Enlightenment

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BMW K75 along a rural road.
Riding a motorcycle is, for me, a fundamentally different experience from riding a Vespa scooter.

Riding is a practice.

And with enough practice, I’ll run across motorcycle enlightenment. The motorcycle doesn’t see much use during the cold months. With little protection from the elements and the relative ease of using the Vespa, I have to re-acclimate myself to the heavier, bulkier, less maneuverable machine.

I confess riding the BMW K75 brings its own, unique excitement. Different than the scooter, but rewarding in a way that the Vespa can’t match. Power, speed, and the physical mechanics of operating it creates a physical experience that’s more visceral.

I left the house to exercise the motorcycle, churn the oil and further ease myself into the comfort zone with this larger machine. Everything operated as expected but I have concerns regarding this 29 year old K75. Regardless of how flawlessly it operates there’s a part of my brain unwilling to accept it’s fine.

I had experienced the beginnings of motorcycle enlightenment.

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Winterizing My BMW K75 Motorcycle

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BMW K75 motorcycle in a rural landscape.
Taking advantage of a cold, sunny day.

Winterizing Doesn’t Have to Mean Storage

I’ve never “stored” my Vespa scooter for the winter — draining fuel, adding stabilizer, or pushing the machine to the corner of the garage to wait for warm weather again in the spring. Riding had become too much fun, too important, an obsession that I wasn’t willing to surrender because of winter. So I rode when the roads were clear, piled on protective gear and tools to stay warm, and pushed against the elements in ways that may have been a stretch in terms of risk.

So now I’m looking at how to manage “winterizing my BMW K75 motorcycle.”

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The Road

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BMW motorcycle along a road.
Riding a motorcycle on the long road is a gift to relish.

The Long Road

The road is a text, a dense book waiting to be discovered, examined, and evaluated. Riding opens the door to a learning process that promises a rich reward of experience and insight.

At least that’s how I see it.

I know riders who experience none of these things. Their motorcycle or scooter may be a means to invoke an adrenaline rush. Or perhaps an excuse to socialize. Or posture and strut. While I’ve felt the thrill of adrenaline, interacted with others, and have proudly displayed my hi-viz jacket, none of those actions are what motivates me to ride.

The road is a landscape for learning.

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