14-JUN-2009
June 14, 2009 - Home made sheepskin motorcycle seat cover...
I have a short hair Alaska Leather sheepskin seat cover (
http://www.alaskaleatheronline.com) on my motorcycle for a couple of years and it has been great in those long riding days to reduce butt fatigue and heat. I paid $40 back then. It was flattened and worn. I was looking at getting a long hair replacement and it was $70 + shipping. While it's a great product but it's just a piece of sheepskin with straps sewed on. I found a big piece of genuine New Zealand long hair sheepskin at my local Costco for $35. It has enough skin to make 3 seat covers so I bought it, cut it to size, sewed on 2 straps and now I have an excellent long hair sheepskin seat cover for $13 ($35 + tax / 3).
Function is always over form...
05-JUN-2009
June 5, 2009 - I played plumber today...
The faucet in the bathroom has been leaking for months and finally today I disconnected the water lines and removed it. Fortunately Home Depot is still carrying the part of a 17-year old Moen faucet! The picture is the Moen 1224 replacement cartridge inside the faucet. The hard part was crawling under the lavabo, laid on my back and tried to work in the confined space. Not fun but I got to play plumber.
May 25, 2009 - All good things came to an end...
We all had a great time and got back safe. Vu's personal satellite locator (SPOT,
http://www.findmespot.com) kept updating our positions on Jason Jonas' web page that we set up (
http://jasonjonas.org/spot) so that our friends and family could keep tracking of our trip and whereabouts, either out of curiosity or concerns. The SPOT uplinked our GPS positions to a system of low earth orbit satellites (GlobalStar) then downlinked to ground service centers.
The total trip was about 800 miles in 4 days so it was far from Ironbutt standard but we weren't out to set a record either. We just wanted to get away, ride in our own thoughts and solitude and at the same time enjoying the camaraderie. IT was a great success.
May 22, 2009 - Departure day
Woke up at 6am. Kick stand will be up between 8-8:30am at Starbucks in Monrovia, California. It'll be a 30-minute ride from my place to the meeting place. Everything is a GO!
May 21, 2009 - 1 day to departure...
One more day and we'll be out of here.
Everything was checked, packed, loaded. All systems are GO!
Every time we leave on a long motorcycle trip it puts our mind in a different state. A state where nothing else matters anymore, even it's only temporary.
For those who like to see where we are, here is a real-time map showing our progress:
http://jasonjonas.org/spot/tripViewer.do?id=1559
It was updated by a SPOT personal satellite locator as we move along. Pretty cool.
Still on schedule - Fresno/Yosemite May 22, 2009
All of us can't wait to get out of work, family and commitments to ride the open roads again. Time to breath and roam free, time to reflect and heal our souls. Ride, eat, sleep, repeat. We're going to ride 4 days this time. So far it's still on schedule and the weather will be hot at this time of the year. The reward of riding a motorcycle is the journey and the time we spend on the seat focusing and reflecting on our life, the destination is immaterial, just like death...
May 1, 2009 - Big Sur motorcycle trip canceled...
We are supposed to leave for Big Sur today for a 3-day motorcycle camping trip but the plan was canceled yesterday due to rain forecast along the Pacific coast...
We were all disappointed that the trip was forced to cancel by mother nature as everyone was eager for a long ride. However, we are not stupid. We take big risks in riding motorcycle but they are calculated risks. The cancellation decision was unanimous.
Our reserved campsite and Russ' cabin reservation were too late to cancel as they required 3-day advance notice. Well...
We all desperately need a ride. The trip is moved to May 22 and the destination will be Fresno, Yosemite, Little Dragon.
14-MAR-2009
March 15, 2009 - return from Death Valley, California
Just got back from a 3-day 800-mile trip to Death Valley. More pictures will follow. It was always good to get away from time to time on the seat of a motorcycle to keep myself sane...
12-MAR-2009
March 12, 2009 - Return to open roads...
It's time again to return to the open roads, on the seat of a motorcycle. I and 2 friends are leaving tomorrow for a 3-day motorcycle camping trip to Death Valley. Time to refresh the fond memories of the desolated roads and wide open throttle. Time to get away from work and family, time to be ourselves and ourselves alone...
Tomorrow will be Friday the 13th. Who cares?
March 11, 2009 - Stay sharp - Ride a motorcycle!
A recent article published in Tokyo Japan only confirmed what we, motorcyclists, have been feeling and sensing all these years: riding a motorcycle helps us to stay sharp and at the same time a great mental therapy. Here is the link:
http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5itCbTMj0ACqXppwLJqoe39s4d-Gg
and the text:
TOKYO (AFP) – Riding motorcycles helps keep drivers young by invigorating their brains, the scientist behind popular "Brain Training" computer software said Wednesday, citing a new scientific study.
"The driver's brain gets activated by riding motorbikes" in part because it requires heightened alertness, Ryuta Kawashima said after his research team and Yamaha Motor conducted a string of experiments involving middle-aged men.
"In a convenient and easy environment, the human mind and body get used to setting the hurdle low," he warned. "Our final conclusion is that riding motorcycles can lead to smart ageing."
Kawashima is the designer of "Brain Training" software, which incorporates quizzes and other games and is available on the Nintendo DS game console under the name "Brain Age" in North America.
A self-professed motorcycle fan, 49-year-old Kawashima cited a new study conducted jointly by Yamaha and Tohoku University, for which he works.
One experiment involved 22 men, all in their 40s and 50s, who held motorcycle licences but had not taken a ride for at least a decade.
They were randomly split into two groups -- one asked to resume riding motorcycles in everyday life for two months, and another that kept using bicycles or cars.
"The group that rode motorbikes posted higher marks in cognitive function tests," Kawashima said.
In one test, which required the men to remember a set of numbers in reverse order, the riders' scores jumped by more than 50 percent in two months, while the non-riders' marks deteriorated slightly, he said.
The riders also said they made fewer mistakes at work and felt happier.
"Mental care is a very big issue in modern society," said Kawashima. "I think we made an interesting stir here as data showed you can improve your mental condition simply by using motorbikes to commute."
01-FEB-2009
Sunday, Feb 1, 2009 - curry run
Today 4 of us (myself, Vu, Nu and Mike) decided to go ride motorcycle and had curry lunch at Lancaster, which is about 80 miles from Monrovia, CA. The weather was great at 70F, sunny. We met at the Starbucks in Monrovia at 10 am, had our coffee then rode the twisty roads of Little Tujunga to Lancaster. We had lunch at a small Indian restaurant then headed back through the Angeles Forest highway. The mountain roads demanded total concentration on a motorcycle. Brake, lean, accelerate. Repeat. It was exhilarating and at the same time required our complete focus and trust in our own motorcycle. Can't make mistake with cliffs on the curves at 3000 feet. It was time like this that we all seem to be able to shake off all burdens of life, even for a short moment that we all cherished...
New Year's day - Jan 1, 2009
Wow, it's another year! What could be better than to start a year with a motorcycle ride? I called up my friend Vu and we went on a short trip around town, together with Nu and Wynn. It felt great. Warm sun, fast roads, great authentic Mexican foods and friendship. I was so glad that I still felt so fascinated by the ride. This is not something I could force it onto myself, but rather something coming out naturally from my inner self. Life is good...