It is said in the motorcycle world, if you haven't gone down, you will. Well, I don't necessarily believe it, but yeah, I've been down. As a matter of fact, I've been down multiple times. None were really serious. That incident with the Seca II was probably less than 10 m.p.h. I did dump the hawk earlier in the summer. Turning around in a gravel driveway and got a little too much front brake. Did a little "combat" roll into the grass, no biggie. Then came the day. My first accident at any decent speed. Here is the story as I recounted this past August.


A view you don't want........

If you are out riding (more specifically, on your way to work), here is one view you just don't want. Your bike on it's side, sparks showering off of it toward you, as you are sliding along at 50 mph up a freeway exit ramp. But when you finish your asphault slip-n-slide and get to your feet, you realize you are one lucky person. You are smart because you wear your leather jacket, gloves, and boots everytime you ride. You are in one piece, though you don't yet feel the burning on your hip where your blue jeans prove they don't hold up the best and you now have a small slab of road rash. You walk over to your fallen machine, and lift her back upright, drop the kickstand and stand back in amazement. Somehow, someway, very little damage is done. You take a few moments to calm your nerves and look the bike over. It appears there is no real damage. A scratched and ground down exhaust, a scuffed signal, ground down pegs and levers and a broken mirror. Absolutely amazing. Evidently the motorcycle gods didn't feel the little hawk deserved the punishment of my poor decisions. You are settled now and attempt to start your baby. Crank once, nothing. Crank again, and she fires up, with only a small backfire. Hop on and continue to work. Wow. My first somewhat serious accident, and I ride away like nothing happened. Got in over my head with that enticing curve that just draws you in, and exceeded my limits. My poor decision also re-enforces one of my favorite sayings........ "Experience is a harsh teacher. She always gives you the test first, and the lesson afterwards." Ride safe, my friends.

--Ride safe, but have fun doin' it!

Hey everyone. This is not my writing, but these our my feelings. This is the work of another rider from their own blog/journal, www.moonrider.journalspace.com. This should be shared with as many people as possible, in my opinion. Happy Thanksging everyone. Hope you all had a great holiday. And "moonrider," great job and Ride safe. So without further ado, here's Moonrider...........


I give thanks for good roads that run straight through desert or field. For rolling roads that disappear over the horizon. For those that curve through canyon bottoms where golden aspens bend over fast-flowing streams. For roads that leap up the mountains in sweepers and hairpins and carry me high above and far away from daily life. I give thanks for the smooth roads and the cracked, the perfectly banked and the off-camber. For roads well-known and those new met and soon loved. I am thankful for the simple 90-degree turn at a stop sign out in the middle of nowhere. The ones that say, "pause a moment, smell the moist green of growing things and the rich soil beneath them, and think about how good it is to be alive." I give thanks for the way the concrete sings beneath my tires, the crunch of gravel, the smell of rain on hot asphalt. I give thanks for the way my leg feels as I swing it over the saddle, the supple strength of gloves sliding onto my hands, for my electric vest in the cold and jacket vents in the heat. The way the zipper slides up my jacket. The way it feels, later, when I take off my helmet. I give thanks for the dawn rides when the sun finds me on the road while the cars sit still and cold in driveways and their owners turn over in bed and hit the snooze alarm. The empty roads where the mist still clings to the low spots and I can smell the sun starting to warm the air. I give thanks for the long rides that stretch from morning to late afternoon and into the evening. For the miles and curves that vanish beneath my tires, those hours when time loses all meaning. For those days when I ride so long my throttle hand is sore and I walk a bit bow-legged when I finally park the bike. I give thanks for the evening rides when the sunlight lays like marmalade across the landscape. For those rides when the sun sinks past the horizon and the world fills up with shadows until all the shadows meet and melt together and bring the night. I give thanks for night-time riding when the streets once again are empty and silent and I feel as if they are mine all mine, and that only another rider could know the joy I do. I give thanks for the wind and its odd, irregular beat tapping on my visor. The feel of the wind against my body as I ride. The way it blows the stress, the pain, the uncertainties right out of me and blows hope and the belief that anything is possible into my heart in return. I give thanks for the freedom of the wind. I give thanks for the lean, for that delicious, exhilarating sensation where I realize I am one with the great laws of physics. I give thanks that I feel the acceleration in every part of my body. I give thanks for the machine beneath me, for the ability to be a modern-day centaur, for the power and throb of the engine between my legs, the way my hands feel on the grips, for the pull of the clutch and front brake levers. For the thunk of the shift pedal. For the delicious tension of the friction zone. For the way the geometry of the bike makes the algebra of the turns so sweet. I am thankful for hazards recognized, for dangers avoided, for skills and broken-in brake pads and good tread on the tires. I give thanks for the wise riding tips and techniques my more experienced brothers and sisters of the road have taught me. I give thanks that I ride and live and live to ride again. I give thanks for wrenching on my bike: For that moment when the oil filter loosens, the feeling when I dip my fingertip in fresh oil and slide it around the new gasket. For watching the black, filthy oil drain to the last drip. drip. drip. For the pleasure of pouring in the clean, clear oil. I give thanks for the soul-satisfying act of adjusting the clutch just right and of tightening the last bolt on the frame. For that proper give in the belt and that tiny hiss of the tire pressure gauge. I give thanks that I can change my pipes or the suspension or whatever else I want to do to make my bike my own. I give thanks for road grime and the joy of washing it away. For the sensual way the soapy water washes over the tank and down the heads and slides off the fenders. For the way clean mirrors and windshield sparkle. For Simple Green and Mothers and Blue Magic, for scrub brushes and soft buffing cloths. I give thanks for that moment right after Im done and I step back and look at my work. Damn, the bike still looks pretty good, doesnt it? I give thanks that I ride it enough to get it dirty again. I give thanks for the gathering of riders, for being able to recognize friends’ bikes approaching by their sound, for seeing good companions slow and turn into the lot. For the uneven rows of proud machines leaned over on their kickstands, metallic soldiers at ease. For the glad hugs and laughter, the banter, the growing impatience to be out on the road again. I give thanks for that good company as I see them ahead of me drift to the outside then dip into the curve, one-two-three-four, like seagulls banking and then straighten up, one-two-three-four and fly on down the road. I give thanks that I have had the opportunity to ride side-by-side in the pack. For long lunches and short breakfasts. For cold bottles of water and more laughter at a stop along the road. I give thanks for the camaraderie of riders--those parking lot friends who become such simply because I have a bike and so do they. The fellowship of the road, the sideways wave, the circling back and stopping to see if there is anything they can do. The riders who gather at any old bar or restaurant or eatery that welcomes us. I give thanks for those I come to know and care about over the months and years of riding the same roads to the same places. I am thankful for those who I love and who love me simply because we love the same thing--to ride on two wheels in the freedom of the wind. I am thankful for the sound of a motorcycle--any motorcycle at all--as I sit so properly dressed, so professionally employed, so occupied with other things. It’s like hearing my favorite song drifting from a stranger’s window as I walk along the street. I stop what I'm doing and listen. Joy. Then the growl of the bike is gone, but the happiness remains. I give thanks for the sense of Being riding has given me, the freedom to be who I am no matter what others think. The sense of empowerment and control over my self and my life. The ability to take on risk and fear and triumph in challenge. To ride my own ride whether in that good company of bikers or by myself. I am thankful that I have found my voice in the wind. I am thankful that there are those who gave up their weekends to teach a middle-aged woman to ride and continue to do so to teach others. Who will get up early on their days off and get home late and too tired to do much on a weekend evening. I am thankful that they stand on the hot pavement or in the light rain when they could be out riding for their own pleasure, that they watch and guide and teach people like me. I am thankful for their patience and knowledge. I am thankful that they do ride and have stories to tell to warn, to inspire, to encourage. I give thanks that they are willing to do it for low or no pay simply to welcome people like me into this mystic fellowship of the road. I give thanks for all those behind them: those who sell the bikes at discount, those who maintain them, those who handle all the myriad administrative details and those that train the trainers. I thank all those who work for motorcyclist rights. Those men and women who do all you do so I am free to go where I want to go, to wear what I want to wear, to enjoy the same rights on the road as four-wheelers. I thank you that you are willing to work while I play and to keep on doing it even when I don’t think to be grateful. I thank all of the above--instructors, administrators, staff and MRO activists--because, without each one of you, I would not be able to be thankful for all that riding is to me. Happy Thanksgiving.

--Ride safe, but have fun doin' it!

I had buried the bug to ride a long time ago. It was something I had wanted to do but as my life took off, it never seemed possible. Well, in 2003, my neighbor sold his jet-ski and bought himself a bike. Nothing fancy. It was a Honday CBR600F3. I would see him coming and going and just sorta think about what it would be like.

Different days he would have different bikes showing up at his house. Mostly sportbikes of all makes and models. GSX-R, CBR, YZF, Ninja's. 600, 750, 900, 1000's. All common sights in his driveway throughout the summer. The breaker came one weekend when about ten sportbikes showed up in his driveway. They weren't there long and they all left together. I knew that day that I would own a motorcycle one day.

I was never sure what type of bike I wanted, what style of rider I'd be. I was very naive to the world of motorcycles and what it offered. I knew Harleys looked and sounded pretty cool. Not to mention, Jennifer, my wife, really preferred I ride a Harley. I knew a sportbikes reputation for speed. I had recently been introduced to the world of stunting. That was about the limit to my knowledge of the capabilities of today's sportbikes. That was until I delved further into the online motorcycle forums and message boards. These really opened my eyes to many things.

The two most important of those things were the Motorcycle Safety Foundation (MSF) and the world of Motorcycle racing and twisty roads. Seeing how fun it looked carving up corners on a capable bike, I knew the road I was going to take. While most Harley's and cruisers are just that, cruisers, I wanted to lean through corners and power out hard. A sportbike was definitely in my future.

I managed to acquire a non-running 1992 Yamaha XJ600 Seca II late winter/early spring of 2004. I took the MSF beginning rider's course shortly after that and got my motorcycle endorsement. The class was very informative and a fun way to get introduced to motorcycles. If you want to ride, it is definitely worth it. After putting nealy $1000.00 into the Seca, she was legal, running good and ready for the road. If it wasn't for me, I would probably still be riding it today. Unfortunately for the Seca, after only putting 100 miles on her, I managed to lock up the front brake and drop her down hard enough to end my riding for that season.

While not proud of my accomplishments up to that point, I can't say I'm sorry it happened. If I did not go down that day, I might never have discovered the Honda Hawk GT. The one problem with sportbikes today are the fact that they all seem the same. There is really not alot different from one to the other. The Hawk fixes all of that. They have their own distinct look, their own style. Knowing they are not very inimidating bikes for a beginner, I knew I wanted one. Unfortunately, when a bike is as uncommon as the Hawk, they aren't available at every used bike dealer.

A little bit of looking netted me a completely stock 1998 Hawk, in gray. It was in Indianapolis. Well, one rented F-150, a nicely packed cooler, a brother to help and cash in hand, a family road trip was in order. Another benefit was that my sister and her kids who lived near St. Louis were able to drive over to meet us. See, motorcycles were already bringing my family together and leading to great experiences. After lunch, a day at the park and letting all the kids play while we spent some time catching up a little bit, it was time to pick up my new baby.

We found the address, everything checked out and we were loading her up. If you ever have to haul a motorcycle, I recommend using a Canyondancer bar harness. It was very nice to have. After getting the Hawk into the truck, it was time to head home. We said our good-byes and hit the road. Indianapolis was a joy to visit, but it was time to go. Everything was as uneventful as we had hoped, and we were home that evening.

That was in April of this year. Since then, I have been extremely happy with my decision. The Hawk is such a wonderful motorcycle and hasn't let me down yet. I do have plans for her. She will recieve mods, performance and visual. But that being said, she will always be a Hawk and on almost all occasions, I will be the only one in the group on one.

--Ride safe, but have fun doin' it!

Hello all. I'll start with a quick introduction. My name is David and I'm a motorcyclist. This was really my first season riding. Yea, in Michigan, most riders have "seasons". So far, I have managed to put just around 7500 miles on my 1988 Hawk GT.

Speaking of the Hawk GT. What an absolutely fabulous bike. This bike makes a statement in styling that was way ahead of it's time. A single sided swing-arm that is still trick by today's standards. A dry weight right around 400 lbs. A nice v-twin powerplant that unless you are trying to do a high speed run, is almost the perfect motor. And what isn't perfect about it, you can easily modify it. The suspension and brakes aren't the best yet they are far from the worst. And like everything else about the bike, there are a ton of options from aftermarket to salvage yard fixes to give you great performance. Possibly the best thing about it is that they are a very rare bike that have attained "cult" status, so you won't see one on every ride and the following is huge and could be one of the most knowledgable owner groups in the motorsports world. If you own one and haven't found www.hawkgt.com, you need to. You won't regret it.

Being that I started this account at the end of the season, I'll first be remembering and sharing some of my experiences I have already had. Everything from good rides, good people, and good times to, well, bugs, get-offs and downpours.

I'm looking forward to sharing my take on the motorcycle lifestyle. Whether it directly involves riding or not, it will always involve motorcycles. It might just be people I've met due to our kindred passions. Maybe you can find something here to entertain you, whether you are a rider or not. Maybe, if you aren't a rider, I can help open up a great new world for you. Even if no one sees this to enjoy reading, I can promise you, I had a blast.

--Ride safe, but have fun doin' it!