Better Beaters - Building Cars and Daily Drivers

 "Amor de la Maquina"*.

It looks good now, but I will make it look even better!

Spanish for; "Love of the machine."

What does this mean?   

I had a custom license plate frame made that sports this sentiment.

My new motorcycle carries a familiar motto that adorns it's primary cover clutch case, as well as the timing cover; "Ride to Live, Live to Ride."

That motto had been well known to me, even back in high school when I crudely scrawled it on the back of my motorcycle helmet. I think that I added that after I completed the '73 California 1000 Road Rally. That was my real baptism of fire. I completed that ride solo, quite the adventure for a high school kid. I was a complete motorcycle fanatic at the time and I was adopting that motto as my life plan.

I did a lot of riding in the time between when I got my permit at 15 1/2 until I got married and had a few kids. 

Realistically I entered my responsible stage of life when I got a serious job, got married, and then the kids came along. I was not just a responsible adult, I was a family man. And my marriage and family became my priority.

I still rode almost every day; to work, on errands, and an occasional weekend ride. 

I rode for a solid forty years then I took a fifteen or so year break in my late Fifties. I didn't know if I'd ever get another bike.

Circumstances and situations change.

The appeal of the machine itself is now primarily the main attraction. It is the appreciation of the machine as an object, an artifact. A work of mechanical art.

The riding is now a secondary consideration. 

I know that some might criticize me and say that I'm no longer a real biker, but I never rode to gain someone else's approval or acceptance. I rode because I loved it.

My Wife had wondered, and maybe even worried a bit, that if after I got my current bike, I'd suddenly get the urge to hit the road and start taking long trips. I told her that I don't think that she has anything to worry about.

After a ten year plus hiatus, it's taken a little bit of time to get re-familiarized with riding. However, it is like riding a bicycle, you never really forget.

Initially I just rode around the immediate neighborhood before I ventured out further and then got on the freeway for the first time.

In many ways riding the bike, reminds me of how I feel driving my 1946 Plymouth. When I'm driving that car I'm hyper vigilant. It's an old car that doesn't stop that fast, or steer or handle all that well. The turn signals and brake lights are not that bright and aren't that noticeable. The engine only provides adequate power, so I can't easily accelerate out of trouble. So I always keep a generous space cushion between me and the car ahead. I'm carefully watching traffic and other vehicles that might cause trouble for me; they might abruptly pull out in front of me or slam on their brakes. Another consideration is the manual three on the tree transmission. I pay close attention to conditions to make sure that I'm in the proper gear. First gear is non synchro, so I have to come to a complete stop to engage it. I have to decide whether I can approach stopped or slow traffic on a slow roll, anticipating if traffic will start moving for the green signal, or remain stopped for a second or three. Or should I stop completely, and start off in first gear. Driving an old car is a deeply involving process.

One Saturday last Summer, I rode down to the Casa de Fruta. I initially figured that I would ride down to Morgan Hill first, and see how it felt to ride that distance. There's a C&C at the Hobby Lobby that I often attend. I thought if I'm okay, then I'll see how I feel riding the rest of the way to CdF. If I rode the whole distance, approx. 45 miles, then I'd reward myself with breakfast. 

The ride was uneventful and as usual I enjoyed my breakfast.

On the way home I rode to a couple of locations in San Jose; Cycle Gear and the San Jose Harley Davidson dealer. By the time I got home I'd put a bit over a hundred miles on the bike.

That's a respectable distance for a casual weekend morning ride.

Honestly, it was fun, and most importantly, my back wasn't killing me afterwards. In fact,it actually seemed to make it feel better. I try to avoid the worst potholes and drops if I can!

I really love the way my Sportster looks, it sits so low. However that doesn't leave a lot of suspension travel to deal with bumps and dips. It's also a bit louder than I'd prefer.

I guess that I now really am an Old Man.

A scene from my past. 
To everything there is a season...

I no longer feel the need or the desire to roll down that long lonesome highway. I have done a lot of that kind of riding in the past. I do not take the condition of my back for granted. I have worked a lot this past year in strengthening and regaining flexibility of movement without pain. I will not do anything to jeopardize my progress. 

For quite a long time I thought that my involvement with motorcycles was completely over. My back has given me a lot of trouble in the last twenty years and I didn't want to risk making it worse. I've been there, and I know what it's like not being able to easily walk and get around. I'm very thankful that I can still drive long distances in a car. 

Going to the Antique Motorcycle Club of America show and swap in Dixon this Summer was a defining moment. I saw a bunch of gimpy old guys playing with their motorcycles and thought to myself. Hey, I can do that! 

In many ways I think about my bike as if it's an antique motorcycle. In some ways it is almost an antique. But what I mean is how I relate to the bike; it is no longer going to be a means of practical transportation or a weekend road tripper. It will now be a kind of artifact that I use as the focus of a hobby. I once disparaged people that felt that way about their motorcycles. Funny how Life has a way of changing your outlook.

The idea of spending money on a bike that I would only ride occasionally on short trips had seemed to me like a waste of money. Which for quite a while was a real consideration. However, once I bought my '46 Plymouth, I realized that having a machine that I would not drive like an everyday vehicle was okay. Owning it and fussing with it was a goal in itself, and I could still drive the old car regularly. Provided that I could stay within it's initiations. I imagine that I can stay within my limits with my motorcycle.

I'd found that I could live with that, and luckily I had the extra money to make that happen.

So I find myself very happy to own my new Sportster. It's something that I've wanted for quite a long time. It's my third Sportster. I've been a Sportster guy for almost all of my riding life. I'll ride it as much, or as little as I see fit. Until the day comes that I can't. Even then I will enjoy seeing it parked in the garage.