Random Rides- Flowery Trail Rd

Time for a ride down the Flowery Trail Rd!

This ride is from Usk, WA to Chewelah, WA.

The ride was fairly uneventful.  I rode from my house, In Mead, WA up US 2 and followed the signs to Usk, WA.  This ride is quite pretty no matter what time of year you ride it.  I will say, however, if you ride this in the heat of summer, you may have to deal with smoke as there is generally wildfires up here.  

While you may notice my mumbling and such, I chose not to focus on my words so much as the ride itself.   I will say, the camera does not do justice to the gorgeous colors up there.  The only downside to this ride is the fact that I sheared off one of my footpegs on the way home.    Oh well, I guess its an excuse to buy parts again!   Now I'll have something to wrench on during the cold and ick of winter.

Feel free to follow the video to Youtube.  You can watch some of my other videos!

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Have a wonderful day!

Scifi Dreams, Motorcycle Reality

For many years, Scifi and Fantasy writers have, at times, written about the ability to be invisible.  The ability to not be seen appeals to some.   You could sneak around with impunity and affect those around you.   The US Military spends billions of dollars trying to make it's war machines invisible to the enemy and for the most part, they have had limited success.   However, I am here to tell you that the easiest way to become invisible is to throw your leg over a motorcycle.     


If you have ever taken the MSC (Motorcycle Safety Course), you learned that you may as well be invisible to the traffic around you.   The trainers tend to emphasize that if you want to live to be a seasoned motorcyclist, you need to ride like the vehicles around you cannot see you at all.   I do not know why, but this lesson has seemed to pass right over the heads of some of the younger riders in my town lately. 

It blows my mind that some people don't get this.   Smaller means harder to see, especially at speed.   We need to take ownership of that fact.  Just because you see the car getting ready to turn in to the road, it does not mean that he/she sees you.   Chances are, unless you prepare for them to turn in front of you, you may end up flying right over them.   

Proverbs 14:16 says "The wise one is cautious and turns away from evil, But the stupid one is reckless and overconfident." Now, I really doubt that King Solomon had motorcyclists in mind when he wrote this, but it sure does apply. If you are wise, you realize that you are vulnerable and will do whatever you need to do to mitigate your risk. However, if you are stupid, you will ride as recklessly as you want to without regard for yours, or anyone else's safety. So I leave it to you dear reader, are you wise, or stupid? Your choice.

Ouch!

 Things have been quiet lately.  I have not posted to the blog, I have not vlogged.  Just a lot of quiet.  The reason behind this is that I've busted my butt.  I have been the unfortunate recipient of a cracked tailbone.  This wasn't due to anything motorcycle related, but it sure does make it hard to actually go and do anything motorcycle related.   This means I am reduced to a hobbling ball of ache until it heals up.   The sad part is that there isn't a darn thing I can do about it.   You can't cast it,  You cant immobilize it without immobilizing your whole self and that is just out of the question.   So, I wait.  Hoping that I will feel good enough to sit in the saddle at least for a few more hours between now and when the snow flies.  If not, well, there are always the videos from my rides this year!   Definitely good for when you can't ride.  I highly recommend watching them.  You can watch, comment and follow my motovlog HERE.    Also, if you recorded your rides, send me a link on my youtube channel. I would be happy to watch your rides as well.  After all, I'm going through withdrawls.

River Run-- Random Rides

Join me for a ride along the Spokane River at Riverside State Park.  Beautiful area and a low battery to boot.  Enjoy the ride!

Check me out on REVER https://a.rever.co/users/241003

Don't forget to subscribe and thumbs up the video!

Comment what else you would like to talk about, or see in the area.

Join or Die... No.... Join or Miss Out!

Because I had nothing better to do on a Friday night,  I decided I would set up a REVER group for any and all who wanted to connect that way.

Join the Lost or Not Rever Group!

I have several little rides posted, and I would be totally geeked out if you posted some of yours.

Maybe we could hook up for a group ride as well.   Never know!

It doesn't cost a thing to join, and if you want to, you can even pay the money to become a premium member.   (not that it would matter if you just were putzing around with the app).     I highly recommend REVER,  it is a pretty nice app. the GPS software seems to be spot on accurate on my S5.   Its also available for Apple products as well, but im not sure who would use anything like that.  Check it out!

Click the photo to the Right to go to the main site.   You can download the app on the Play Store or Itunes as well.  

Once you do,  look me up!
https://a.rever.co/users/241003

Random Rides: Mountain Climbing

Decided to ride up Mt. Spokane while spewing out the angst of the day.

MotoVlogger Mayhem

As you have probably noticed.  I have delved into the Motovlogging world with the Lost or Not Motovlog.   It's quite enjoyable.  I normally talk to myself (It is a sign of genius after all), but motovlogging allows me to actually have an excuse to do so.   I have also noticed that It is enjoyable to watch some of the other motovloggers on Youtube do their thing.
Take Shawn Smoak for instance.  Shawn rides all sorts of motorcycles.   He works at a dealership in Longview, Washington and he gets some pretty nice bikes to ride, and he also owns quite a few.  (His streetglide is amazing by the way.)   Shawn's style adds a very  hometown feel to his videos.  You feel connected to him and almost like a part of his family.   I binge watched a ton of his videos last time I was sick and it helped me through the time when I couldn't be on my own bike.    He also goes on group rides with the likes of XXX Deadhead and Giant Midget Moto, and between the 3 of them you get amazing perspectives of the areas they ride together.  XXX Deadhead has since stopped motovlogging to pursue his main career, but his old vids are still on youtube to enjoy.
Lately, I have been watching the FortNine channel.  Fornine is Canada's largest online powersports dealership so their videos have a fair amount of backing.   Ryan is the face of fortnine and he is quite fun to watch.  Ryan does the gear reviews and durability tests as well as comparisons, but I really like the well produced ride videos as well as the motovlogs.  The ride videos are all in Eastern Canada and they are some of the most beautiful areas I've seen.  Ryan narrates these with interesting facts about the area and tidbits about the ride so you get a good feel of what its like to ride the area.  He tends to ride an ADV bike, a Suzuki V-strom to be exact.  He will take whatever road he wants as his bike can go pretty much anywhere.   He does ride a few other bikes in order to review them, but he tends to lean towards the V-Strom.

There are other vloggers that I enjoy,  Robert Robb,  MotoGeo, and the like,  but there are a few that really annoy me.   I will not link to those certain ones that I don't like, but they are all pretty much the same.   They carpet bomb the F-word like they are in a B52 and not a motorcycle.  They freak out any time a car gets within 20 feet of them, and they will smash mirrors any time a cager pulls in front of them.   They wheelie everywhere they go and they run from the police.  They also will show general disrespect for everyone who isn't in their little crew.  Basically anyone who gives the rest of us riders a bad name.    MotoVlogging should be about whats best about motorcycles and riders, not what is worst about everyone else.   All those stupid people just make us look bad and make it alot harder for the rest of us to enjoy our hobby.

Solo Vs.Group Riding

Riding with friends is fun.  I do believe that the safety that is gained by having several riders with you is well worth it.   A group is easier to see than a solo rider, and if anything happens, then someone will be there to help out.  It's also nice sharing the sites with someone who shares your passion for riding a motorcycle.  However, there are drawbacks.  Riding with the wrong type of person may get you in to trouble.  People who like to go too fast, or ride dangerously, or even riders who don't know how to ride in groups can all cause you to have a really bad ride.  That being said,  riding alone has its benefits too.  You have a bit more freedom to stretch out in your lane and take the extra time to explore places on a whim.  Riding with friends, you almost need a plan in order to make sure everyone knows where they are going and no one gets lost.  Riding alone, if you see a road you want to take, then you just take it.  No discussion, no arguments  just go. This is the best kind of freedom.  You can see more of the area, and have an adventure.  That's what motorcycle riding is all about. The best of both worlds would be to find a buddy that has the same wanderlust that you posses and the same style of riding as you.   I tend to like to ride like a sport tourer.  I don't mind a little speed and twisty road at times, but I really like riding safely and comfortably for hours and hours.  Seeing new sights and meeting new people is important to me.   I have ridden with people who are track day junkies.  I've ridden with the pub to pub types, and I've even ridden with some of the ADV crew.   Truthfully, my favorite riders, are just like me.  

Random Rides

Yet another random ride that I recorded for reasons.  Real reasons.  Really real reasons.  

Trip to Enterprise Oregon Part 9 THE FINAL CHAPTER

Aww, the ride is ending!   We finish it off just before Colfax, WA.   You remember Colfax?

It was the place with the Codger Pole.   What?  You mean you don't remember that one?

You need to watch the first video again...   here,  Click THIS to watch the whole thing again!

and you really should hit the like button, and maybe even subscribe. 

 (don't forget to follow this blog too!)

Trip to Enterprise Oregon Part 8

We ride through South East Washington.    Palouse and a few small towns.  Almost back home!

Trip to Enterprise Oregon Part 7

We leave Pendleton and start heading home!    Great start to the day and we even get buzzed by a hawk carrying his breakfast!

Trip to Enterprise Oregon Part 6

We head to Pendleton!

Exciting stuff on Sunday!  I say exciting, but really it was a lot of highways.
Worth the ride for sure!

Ride to Enterprise Oregon Part 5

Wallowa National Forrest to Enterprise, OR   None to shabby!  It was a very nice portion of the ride.
See for yourself!

We stopped at the Joseph canyon lookout and it was spectacular. 

Ride to Enterprise Part 4! The Rattlesnake Grade

Yep, we finally get to the Rattlesnake Grade portion of this video series.   Quite the nice ride!   Enjoy!
(don't forget to like the video in Youtube!  You can even subscribe! )

Getting Episode 5 Ready!   It will be here soon!

Enterprise Ride Part 3

Here is the 3rd Installment.  Heading through Lewiston on to Asotin and up and around some hills.  Almost... I say Almost to the Rattlesnake grade!

Enterprise Ride Part 2

Here is the 2nd leg of the ride.

This is from Colfax, WA to just above Lewiston, ID

Movie Time! Enterprise Ride Part 1

We're back!   What a trip!   I will probably write something about it,  but as they say, a picture is worth 1000 words.    What about a video?

There, that is the first leg of the trip!   There are more videos too!   Like and Subscribe to the channel to see more!  Aww heck, what am I saying.  Ill post more of them.. you know I will.  

This portion is from Spokane to Colfax, WA.   Not much to see but green.  Well, green and a couple little towns!    

Anticipa.............tion.

There are just 3 days left before I leave on my trip south.   I'm not sure how many are going, but we are headed to Enterprise Oregon to ride the Rattlesnake Grade!
  I am all packed up and have checked all the major points that one should check before leaving on a trip.    Weather looks good. Roads are open.  Bike is running like a champ.   We are all set to go.   But..... Its 3 excruciatingly long days until we leave.   It seems like each 24 hour day is a full week long.   The open road is calling, but I sit here at a cramped desk punching buttons.   Totally not fun!
I guess that's the breaks.  No matter where I go, or how I choose to get there, the days leading up to a vacation are always horrendously long.   At least nothing has gone totally haywire yet.   That's a good thing.   In fact, just a few weeks ago, the road just north of Boggan's Oasis had washed out and was all but impassable.   I thought that would be the end of our trip, but they re open it completely on Friday, the day before we leave!   Hot Diggity Dog!  
I really hope to get that sense of refreshment you get when you go do something that you have always wanted to do.   Actually completing this ride from start to finish is definitely a motorcycle checklist (I hate the term Bucket List) item.    Hopefully I can get a few more checks this year .  

What are the items on the list, you may ask?    Well,  let me tell you.   In no particular order:


I would like to ride across the US (West to East and North to South)
Trans Canada from Victoria BC to St John Newfoundland.
If I ever get the chance, It would be amazing to ride from my home in Spokane to Alaska.
I'd love to ride in Europe
I'd love to ride the Americas (from Canada to Chile).
Not that I would ever have time for any of these rides.  However, there are a few rides that I can do, and probably will.
Pacific Coast Highway from Seattle to San Francisco.
Glacier National Park (specifically the Going to the Sun Trail)
Yosemite National Park or Zion or both.
Lolo Pass. (right) -- 99 miles of twisty roads on that ride.
If I can't do the PCH, then just to the Redwoods. That would be fun.    I may do any of these, or all of these or even none of them depending on Time and Funds.  After all, a guy like me has quite a lot of responsibilities.  Family, Work, Faith, they all take tons of time.    Even if I don't get to ride these rides, I can still ride to work and around town.  It's still better than caging it!

Angry Biker = Dead Biker

If you type Motorcycle into the YouTube search bar you will generally see, somewhere in the mix, videos about angry people yelling at motorcyclists.   Some of these turn violent, but almost always you will see a biker getting yelled at and yelling in return with many expletives flying about.  
The problem with these videos is that they give the wrong impression of motorcyclists.   Not all of us are like that.   Most of us just want to ride our bikes and not die.  Unfortunately there is a subset of the biker bunch that seems to want to cause trouble.    This is generally limited to the 2 extremes.  Either an angry "Clubber" (The traditional bikers you see on TV and movies), or a young punk who thinks that it is cool if you wear down your chicken strips (The rubber on the extreme edge of a motorcycle tire that does not get used if you ride correctly).    The videos go like this:  The biker is usually doing something stupid.  Wheelies, illegal lane splitting, crazy revving of loud pipes or anything of that sort tends to infuriate people who think that they are the authority, and even sometimes the authorities.   Once the biker makes the other person mad, they usually have a few moments of speeding and swerving in order to flip off the offender or offended and eventually one of them wrecks or they stop and have a fistfight.   (Not smart for the anyone in a car or who isn't wearing a helmet designed to take a high speed impact.)
Now, the intelligent person will take pause at the whole situation.  The whole altercation could be avoided by just being smart and safe.   It's the Freeway, but it does not mean you are free to do what you want, especially when what you want can endanger others.
I do have a suspicion that these bikers are actually trying to get people angry.  After all, conflict makes for good entertainment...... (for unintelligent people who thrive on violence.)    But the fact that angry idiots can and do endanger everyone else around them should make us all be concerned.
However, if you are like me the sense of schadenfreude is overwhelming.   The sense of empowerment you get from seeing someone get their comeuppance is what drives these videos.  I feel guilty however.  It isn't right to get exited over someone else's misfortune, even when that misfortune is their own fault.  
Rather than make fun of them, or even cheering them, we should help to educate these angry people.  They need to understand that it isn't good for them to be that way.   The young but stupid bikers doing the tricks on the freeway at breakneck speeds, we can help them to see that they are putting lives in danger.  And we can hope they listen.  The clubbers, well we can just stay out of their way and ignore them, that's what they want anyway.    As for the cagers.. well, you are not the police, leave it to the boys (and girls) in blue to do the job of policing the streets.   If you are concerned,  slow down and let them pass.  Give the stupid space to do what they do and minimize the danger to yourself.   If we do that, then either these goofballs will see that it isn't so cool to act like an idiot or we will have a lot of new Darwin Award winners.    Either way the problem is solved.