Santa on a sexy black sleigh!

This is the time of year when I get to play Santa. I hope nobody minds that the sleigh is Raven Black instead of red and a little sleeker than the original.

This is our city's Christmas Tree. It's more impressive at night, obviously. I figured that if I were invoking the name of Santa a Christmas tree should somehow be involved.

Our company has traditionally given out boxes of smoked salmon and desk calendars this time of year. Since I've been on board the pleasure of making these deliveries has become mine. Some of the stuff that goes East is delegated to my guys. I like to do the Willamette Valley distributor runs myself. This is probably the only time of year that they're truly happy to see me with no other agenda in mind!

Being a motorcyclist, and an advocate for using a bike as much as possible, I am doing these deliveries on Elvira. Thank goodness for the Givi trunk as Elvira's saddlebags are a bit smaller than Sophie's were. I'm handing out the salmon and cards for now. I'll worry about the desk calendars later.

All these photos were taken with the G11, by the way. I still think I get better photos with the Nikon SLR, but that could be due to the fact that I'm still learning how to use the Canon effectively. I'm really appreciating the smaller size and tilt screen on the G11. You can see my self portrait in the reflection of the box up on edge. I got partway through deliveries and realized I had forgotten to take a picture of the salmon in the trunk. See how bad it's gotten? It's not real unless I take a photo of it!

It certainly doesn't feel like a Santa run right now. It's a lot more like running a river. Not to say that it's been wet, or anything. However, when you see these in front of your windscreen, you know it's not dry and sunny.

I now have my own lake in the side yard. Perhaps I should stock it with small trout and do a little flyfishing. No motorboats; paddle rafts only.

Despite the rain, I set sail. I mean, started the ride. Since I don't have a candy ass, I didn't figure I had to worry about melting.

Just for documentation, and not as any sort of great art work, I snapped a photo at a couple of places.

In between stops I headed for Lancaster Mall to do a bit of quick shopping. I took the spot where Cass usually parks. He works for Best Buy and his red KLR is his year round choice of transportation.

This is a photo from 2008. It must have actually been warm when this picture was taken. Here's what it looked like yesterday.

As is usual from here on out until Spring, Elvira is a lone bike amongst a sea of cars.

Finding myself with the time to do so, I took a back way home. Ok, so I planned it that way. It all washes out in the end. On Wednesday my work day was 16 hours. I mixed some invigorating rural riding with some contemplative photo taking. Once in a while I would pull over and ask myself what Steve Williams would do. I tried to put myself in a Vespa state of mind. It only made me hungry for pasta and sausage marinara sauce. I did get some really good photos, though. I'm saving those for shorter posts by themselves.

At one point I looked to my left and thought I was seeing my reflection in my sideview mirror. Then I realized that this guy wasn't wearing a helmet and so it probably wasn't me.

I'm not sure how this one horse got so special as to get a rain coat, but whatever. It's interesting that this horse is all by itself, separate from the rest. Equine class distinctions? Extra body odor from sweating under that blanket? Attitude issues? Excessive flatulence? I wasn't sure, but I was glad Stacy wasn't here with her peanut lighter! Just in case. ( tongue firmly in cheek, girl! )

Farther down the road I tried to sneak up on a Red-tailed hawk without a lot of luck. The G11 doesn't zoom like the Nikon with the big lense does. I would take a photo then move the bike closer. I kept this up for a bit but the hawk wasn't feeling too sociable. The picture of the bird isn't so hot, especially being blurred by the drizzle, but I thought it was interesting to see which sign it was perched on.

I'm not sure exactly what a butterfly farm is and who they sell the crop to. I guess it's something to put on my list.

I can so see myself making a living by riding around on a bike, taking photos, and writing. There is an endless variety of fascinating things out there. The bike was getting hot from idling beside the road so I decided to go back to the spirited riding thing. Purely in the interest of cooling the bike, mind you. So I was zooming along and then this shape started to show up through the rain of Elvira's windshield.

Oh, oh! I am so busted. Looking at the officer's face I figured I was really going to get it. Especially since I was so flagrant he couldn't let me go. Which meant he would have to come out in the rain.

I'm noticing, however, that there's something not quite right with this picture. I lifted my eyes to look over the windshield.

Things were becoming clearer, now. Then I turned off the key and the electric windshield lowered to its resting state.

For a brief moment I thought I was in one of those movies like "Smoky and the Bandit". Where they have these big chase scenes with a hundred cop cars, most of which suffer some calamity. Somewhere along the line somebody ends up driving just the front half of a car for a bit. Shaking my head to clear the surreal fog, I realized what was up.

Whew! That was close. This was actually the plywood mockup that this guy puts out. The shed is in just the right spot so that all you can see when approaching from the South is the front of the car sticking out from the bushes. The homeowner has a couple of different "cars" that he rotates through. This has been going on for years. All the locals are aware of the situation. The only ones that should be fooled by now are those new to the area.

Hmmm, if I were a Benton County deputy, however, this might have possibilities. What if one day the "decoy" was actually real?

Yesterday was so much fun I can't wait to do it again. Today I'm making appointments for the Eugene area on Monday and the Portland area on Tuesday. Merry Christmas to me!

Miles and smiles,

Dan

Two-wheeled Schoolhouse Part 2

In the last post I started down the road of what I had learned through motorcycling. There are valuable lessons to be had. The benefits spill over into life beyond riding. I know, imagine for a bit that there is such a thing. Rather than write a book, here's a few highlights. I'm warning you ahead of time. This post is going to get a little long. It's your choice whether you hang in or not. At least you know going in. I've started down this road and need to get it done. I don't want to make a part three. I also got to say what I got to say!

To reach my full potential I need good teammates around me.

I've come to appreciate this more and more over the last decade. For the most part I am sufficient unto myself. Or so I thought. I do the vast majority of my riding alone. I'm not a real social person. The thing is, though, that it doesn't really work to be an island.

Think about a small island. If you didn't bring it there, you aren't going to find it there.

Not that personal growth won't happen if a person tries it solo. It just works so much better and faster when a person joins a team of quality individuals. I've been blessed to have been able to do just that. If your teammates are a bit off center, so much the better!

For example, this is Dean. We're at the end of a police training session. Dean's off to Laguna Seca right afterwards with some other family members. The Mohawk's a nice touch, don't you think?

Behind those glasses is a brain that I'm sure contains at least one microchip. I find Dean to be one of the most technically minded people I know. He always knows the specific technical details of everything. I get the feeling that he thinks everything through to the ultimate degree. All that and a Mohawk!

Another teammate is Mary Kaye. She represents to me the humanitarian side of things. MK reminds me that it is ultimately people we are dealing with first and foremost. MK amazes me. She is not real tall physically but she can be whatever she needs to be. I've seen her with female students who are so stressed out they are near tears. MK is as gentle and supportive as you would ever hope an instructor would be. On the other hand, I've seen her bigger than life like a Mama Grizzly taking on someone threatening her cubs.

Her and I do new instructor prep weekends together. One new instructor made the comment that it was obvious Mary Kaye and I respected each other and enjoyed working together. I found the comment to be pretty cool. It means we've successfully combined our resources for the good of those we teach.

Another of the group is Laurie. Lauries keeps me grounded. Her goal is to keep it real. Laurie will laugh at herself as quickly as she'll laugh at me. What you see is what you get. There's no room for pretension.

Here's Jeff hot on the tail of a motor cop at the Mac Track. Jeff is highly organized and acts as a catalyst to blend our personalities together successfully. I don't know if he is an engineer because of his organized personality or the other way around. Either way, it works.

Me, I'm the run and gun warrior type. I bring yet another personality trait to the table. Together we are pretty darn good. How could I not be successful with these kind of teammates? They're truly talented and passionate people. We keep each other enthused and hold each other accountable to the values we profess to hold dear. These folks aren't the only high caliber people in our program, by any means. They do happen to be part of the few who mean the most to me.

Assume good intent.

Ray Pierce is the Training Manager for our program. I don't think Ray reads this so I think I'm safe to say that I really love Ray. It might prove to be embarrassing, otherwise. I mean, I've told him to his face how I feel about him. This is sort of like yelling out to your partner that you love them in front of a huge crowd at the mall! Ok, so I've done that already but you get the idea.

Out of anybody in my life ( excepting those who raised me ) nobody has invested so much time and effort into my skill development. And we're still not done. TEAM OREGON started going a different direction in their approach to trainers. Not only has Ray invested in me, but also in MK and Laurie. We have been the Three Banditos at the forefront of this new pathway. Sure, the program will benefit greatly ( I hope! ) but ultimately the skills will be mine to keep no matter what.

Ray amazes me, too. His riding skills are way up there. He's awesome at his job. If you are trying to work through a situation Ray is adept at asking questions that help you find the answer. He's also got this endearing quality of having never really grown up. Specifically, he's never lost that boyish quality of finding fun in almost any situation while maintaining a high degree of professionalism. While I'm busy sharpening my sword and trying to figure out what the swarming horde is going to do next, Ray will be making a joke about the shape of some stick he's found. Yet, when the time comes, he'd be standing right beside me, sword sharpened and ready to go. Man, I envy that!

Anyway, one of the things that Ray reminds us of is to assume good intent. He's referring specifically to students and fellow instructors but the advice applies everywhere. When somebody might question something we said, when they might not be responding exactly how we expect, remember that they're not just trying to piss us off. People have different ways of sorting their world. Assume good intent and act accordingly.

You can't step forward without letting go of where you are. In the same vein, the most highly skilled people are also probably the most coachable.

I was still a fairly new instructor when I was approached about taking on a larger leadership role in our training program. I taught so many classes each year that my actual experience level put me a bit ahead of the average instructor. Somebody saw some potential in me. It's been a highly rewarding journey and I like to think I've picked up some pretty good skills. The more skilled the teacher the better off the students will be. It's not about us, but what we can do to serve others.

This may come as a shock to you, but I have a pretty big ego. Yeah, what a surprise. If I had let my ego get in the way, though, this thing would never have worked. I have spent years under the microscope of being evaluated and then given feedback. That's how our program works. It's a system of being trained and then evaluated to see if you meet the standard set out for whatever level you are striving to attain. My mentors and evaluators have pretty much been Ray and The Director. The feedback has been constructive and professional. It has also pretty clearly shown that there's still a lot to work on. Less so now than earlier, thank goodness. It's nice to have made some progress, after all!

I'd like to think I'm at a much higher skill level and thus much more useful to the program than I was ten years ago. On the other hand, I've been the model of a coachable student. I don't know that there's really any other way it would work. There's no greatness without humility.

As to the comfort level thing, you know how it is. Where we're standing may be perfectly comfortable for us. Stepping forward is going to mean leaving that comfortable place. We can't move forward if we don't. Which means we're going to experience a little stress at being in a new place. I've been an ongoing example of that for years. Here's a couple of specifics.

When we brought out our new classroom curriculum I was still fairly new myself. I was also on the journey to be certified to do instructor updates. When it came time to update the instructors on the new classroom materials I was given the opportunity to go for it. In the room are thirty or so instructors. One of them was Don who was my own guru in the beginning. The average time of service was more than the time I had been an instructor. On top of it all, was the guy sitting in the back and evaluating me. No pressure, really.

Part of our classroom presentation includes transparencies which we show the class on an overhead projector. In the notebook on the table in front of me were twenty or thiry brand new transparencies. Did you know that brand new transparencies are really slick? Somewhere along the line the whole pile of them slid neatly to the floor. They spread out like some gambler showing the table his royal flush. Thankfully, they're numbered. Picking those pieces of plastic up off the floor in front of those long time instructors was far from my comfort level, I assure you.

I remember the night before my first police training session. I knew I was going to have to demonstrate the maximum braking exercise culminating with a run at 70 mph. On a bike with no ABS. I knew that, being the new apprentice, I would get called on. That's the way it works. As it should be, of course. The Director won't let you teach if you can't do. It was a sleepless night but all worked out well. I just hope The Director doesn't read about my 100 mph front wheel skid!

The point of this is in relating to others in similar situations. In this case it applies to our riding students and new instructors. It could apply equally to children, employees, and the list goes on. Interestingly, sympathy means being able to share the feelings of others. Empathy goes further. That word means being able to perceive the feelings of others as your own. It's the literal thing of having been there, done that, ourselves.

I find myself so much more empathetic, and thus supportive, of others reaching for new skills and being out of their comfort level. I've been there, done that. Actually, I still am!

What do they need right now?

That is a simple question with such powerful implications. So many things we do involve other people. What this is really all about is turning outwards with our focus. What if everyone in the world notched their concern for the needs of others up a few degrees? Wow!

As I mentioned in the last post, this is something I've picked up from Steve Garets, aka, The Director. I hear him ask this question a lot as we are planning and brainstorming. I've adopted it as my own with very powerful results. Here's a couple of examples.

I've related stories of students brand new to riding in the blog before. Several of you have commented on the patience I've shown. I was not born to be a person of great patience. It has taken a long time to develop. Reframing everything in light of that simple question has made a dramatic difference in my ability to be supportive of students.

Ray talks about people having "whiteboards". In case you're not familiar with the term, it's like a chalkboard in front of a classroom but you use those erasable markers. The point is that there is only so much we can write on these boards. There's a size the board is. No more.

When a student is dealing with the motorcycle's controls for the first time, this process is written in very large letters and takes up a lot of space. So does coordinating the clutch and throttle, balancing the motorcycle, dealing with the lean, and all the other good stuff. Eventually, the letters will get smaller as the processes become more second nature. Later, but not NOW. I have be aware of that fact and deal with the student accordingly. We go back to that "they're not trying to piss you off" thing. The simple fact is that their whiteboard is full right now.

What do they need RIGHT NOW? It might be that what they really need right now is a smile and some encouragement. If there's any coaching, it better be pretty simple. I had a female student recently who was really struggling. She came into my line as we were coaching the stopping technique. I gave her a smile and a literal "thumbs up". She turned to me and told me this:

"You know what's amazing? It's how much it means to me to see you smile and nod encouragingly or give me some other kind of approving feedback!"

It was amazing because this woman is a professional in her own field. I'd be lost in her world but in this case she was in new territory. She was on my turf. I knew what she needed because I tuned in to her as an individual. What did she need right now?

A couple of years ago I was called to Chicago for my other job. No matter my job title, what it all boils down to is that I am a Sales Professional. Thus I had to go through what they call the Wilson Learning Center. It's all about trying to find out where the customer is and adjusting accordingly. To that end they champion these qualifying type questions called Ben Duffy questions.

One of the exercises was to try to sell a house to a customer. A high level manager with the corporation posed as the customer. I watched as person after person did the same thing. It's what I call "show up and throw up". Nobody asked the guy any questions. Or, if they did, the questions were phrased to get only "yes' or "no" answers. The only thing they had to work on was that the customer wanted a "low maintenance" house. Everybody had their own idea and touted their vision at great lengths. That's the "throw up" part. The ratio of words out of their mouths compared to words out of the customer's mouth was about 99 to 1. Then it was my turn.

By now the "customer" had glazed over eyes. Boredom was written all over his face. I walked up and introduced myself. Then I did something nobody else had done. I asked a question.

"What does low maintenance mean to you?"

A smile crossed his face as we now heard HIS vision. From there I strove to ask short questions that used as few words as possible to get as many words as possible from the "customer". I passed that exercise having left a pretty good impression on corporate management.

Was it because I was so much more skilled than my counterparts? I guess you'd have to say yes, but it isn't a direct reflection on me. That's what I was trained to do as an instructor. How in the world are we going to get students to a certain point if we don't know where they are right now? The only way to know is to ask them. We call it "guided discussion". We use questions to evaluate the students' understanding and attitudes. That evaluation never ends. The beauty is that most of the information comes from the students. I just applied the same technique to a new situation.

So simple, yet so powerful. What do they need right now?

This is a photo I snapped quickly with the G11 at lunch yesterday. I was in Kirkland, Washington, having been summoned to the Mothership once again. That's a whole other story. I just stuck the picture in because the Aprilia looks like a treasure being proudly displayed. The sentiment fits in nicely in light of the next paragraph.

That's it. This has been an exercise for me to internally recap the year. I'm closing the loop, so to speak, in order to build from here. I could have done this privately. I did some of it here because I felt compelled to share. Some great people have invested in me. Some awesome teammates have given me their support and friendship. I appreciate it beyond words. When you find a treasure you want to share it with others. Consider this an effort to share some things of value that I have found on my two wheeled journey.

Miles and smiles,

Dan

Two-wheeled schoolhouse Part 1

The 2009 training season is now tucked safely away in my pleasant memory file. In just a few short weeks the machinery will start to roll once more. Instructor updates will start. Actual classes with students will start towards the end of January, weather permitting. For now, though, there's a bit of a chance for review and reflection.



I'm kind of amazed that I'm still so deeply involved with our training program. This is no reflection on the program. It's literally the best in the nation, as confirmed by NTHSA ( a traffic safety branch of the federal government ). It's more so a personal reflection. My usual modus operandi is to totally immerse myself in something, master it as much as I'm able, then burn out and move on to something else. I still do that, I guess, to some extent.

Last night Katie and I were watching a program on the Star Wars legacy. There was a brief scene where Luke Skywalker and Hans Solo are preparing for battle. C3PO tells them that the odds for success are some astronomically small number. Hans Solo says, "Never tell me the odds!". Right away Katie pipes up and says "That's you. Never tell me the odds, I'm going to do it anyway."

Yet, here I am, still deeply involved in TEAM OREGON. The reasons I stay ( with their permission, of course ) are too numerous to relate here. Let's just say that the journey is still presenting me with discovery opportunities. I've learned so much that not only makes me a better trainer within the program, but has made me more effective in my personal life. This is so much different than many of my previous ventures in that regard.

Robert Fulgham wrote a book called "All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten". Looking back at my time as an instructor, at my whole life as a motorcyclist, really, I could write my own book. I'd call it "All I Really Need to Know I Learned as a Motorcyclist".

Perhaps it may be more for me than anyone else. Nonetheless, I wanted to share a few things I've learned. I hope that someone reading may find them as useful as I have.

This isn't a "go back to my childhood and lay out my whole life" kind of thing. There is one thing from my childhood that has stuck with me and guided my life, however. Grandpa used to tell me to have fun and feel free to be a man but to keep my nose and my reputation clean. The other day I was in Eugene and parked in the lot at Oakway Center. Now that I'm bitten by the photography bug I have a habit of turning around and getting the 360 degree view. Doing so this day, I came across the chance to frame this photo using the Nike Store front window.

That's always a fair question, isn't it? What kind of legacy are we leaving behind? I'd like mine to be measured in humanity and not in physical treasure. I want to be remembered for what I did to help others and not just what I accomplished for myself. My family is a great start. I'm proud of my children.

Teaching motorcycle safety classes has certainly helped with doing something good for others. Success is literally measured in lives saved. I'm really proud of being a part of TEAM OREGON and the good that we do. On the other hand, I have to admit that I am not totally altruistic. I need more of a return on a day to day basis to keep motivated. Fortunately, there is plenty of that available, too!

Last week I was invited to tune into a telephone conference. We were given some exercises. One of them was to name three people we admired and to list the qualities we admired in them. One of the people I put on my list was Steve Garets, the Director of TEAM OREGON. What I admire is that he has this strong vision. Not only does he have the vision, but he has the steps in place to get there. I find that unusual. Some have a vision and some have a plan but not many have both so firmly in place. There's an awesome core support staff around him, but it's clearly Steve's vision.

This would be a good time to introduce you to Steve.

I took this photo after a long, hot, day of police training. We're at the Mac Track in McMinnville. I told Steve that there weren't many photos of him around. He replied that he preferred to be a figment of our imaginations. Jokes aside, he's had a very real impact on both the motorcycling community and the instructors who train them.

Mostly I refer to Steve in the blog as The Director. Steve's a down to earth person. Well, not in the Redneck down to earth way. It's clear that Steve genuinely cares for our instructors, for example. A few years ago I was working through a personally difficult situation. Steve invited me to go get a bite and spend some time offline. I left feeling much better able to soldier on. That's typical Steve.

The reason I call him The Director here is that it just seems more fitting. Whenever I'm with Steve I feel like I'm in the presence of a slightly superior intellect. I consider myself to be of above average intelligence and of better than average skill in a lot of areas. Even so, it's an interesting experience to be with a person that seems to be clearly tuned in to a higher calling. I think that's what it boils down to for me.

Confidence comes with clarity.

Our conversations center mostly around riding and training. In the world of motorcycling and training, Steve is more clearly tuned in than me. His confidence radiates through accordingly. It works for me. I've always considered myself a Field Commander rather than Headquarters Brass. I'm totally happy with Steve setting out the plan while I go out in the field and make it happen the way he wants. When there's questions, I use my intelligence guided by experience. Once in a while that actually works!

One of the chapter titles in The Director's game plan is called "What do they need right now?"

A simple question with so many implications. Stay tuned. I want to explore that in the next post and why it's proven so beneficial to me.

Miles and smiles,

Dan

Dang!


My mother and grandmother stopped by yesterday afternoon. They brought me a t-shirt. My mother had seen it and thought it totally suited me. ( Harley colors aside, we all share the same humanity! ) You know how it is when you have a reputation for having a certain avocation for which you have great passion. Although riding is more than just a hobby for me, but you get the point.

I'm lucky to get to ride for work so life ain't all bad. Although there are times when I would like to get on the bike and just keep going. I would wander wherever I felt like it, soaking up each moment to the full. I'd take photos and write a journal. Maybe some day I could sell the stuff. Not to get rich, but to finance further time on the bike. I don't know, Conch, does that still qualify as freedom if I sell something to finance it?

The expressed sentiment is especially poignant to me this weekend. I was prepped to ride to Seattle and take in the bike show. More so, I wanted to meet Bobskoot. It would have been nice to meet some other folks, too, like those who belong to Pacific Northwest Riders. Alas, it is not to be.

A person who was to cover an assignment this weekend had a death in the family. The intent isn't to throw things out of perspective here. Losing your father is a bad thing. Much worse than having to miss a bike show because of having to cover for this person. Godspeed to the family. I am now covering the assignment today. Such is life.

On the plus side, I was spared the decision on whether to travel today. We have had freezing rain all up and down the Willamette Valley. As I write this the temperature is below freezing and the roads are a sheet of ice. The Oregon State Police reports accidents too numerous to individually recount. At 4:30 AM they were over 20 and counting. I'll ride in all kinds of adverse conditons but I try to not even drive in heavy freezing rain., let alone ride.

We should have a warming window later today which should allow for doing what we need to do today and get safely tucked back home before the next batch.

Hope you all have a great weekend!

Miles and smiles,

Dan

Fueling the passion in the cold!

He came in through the door that opened into the adjacent classroom. His heavy black combat boots made noise, even on the carpet. I heard the steps getting louder as he made his way to stand in front of me.

"I'm here for the motorcycle class," he informed me.

I looked him in the eye and then took in the rest of him. Camo pants topped the combat boots. A ragged t-shirt with a Harley logo came next. In between the two was a wide leather belt with metal studs. Covering his upper body, but open in the front, was a thick black leather jacket. Facial hair and a long black ponytail topped off the package. This was a mountain of a man. He looked "bad".

Thus was I introduced to Ron. In the end Ron turned out to be more teddy bear than grizzly bear.


This was the first weekend of December. It would mark the end of our official training year. At least as far as having students on parking lots goes. One always wonders about those who take a motorcycle class in December in these parts. Even more so about those who choose to teach the classes. People like Ron and the rest of the class are why I do it. I've requested to teach the last class of the year for a decade, now. There always seems to be something special about these groups. This goes for the instructors I work with. This weekend would turn out to be no less special.

December usually starts a bit cold around here. The Weather Gods outdid themselves this time. Our temperatures set record lows. Depending on who you listen to, it was either the coldest it's been in eleven years or twenty some years. Doesn't matter. Cold is cold, no matter how long it's been. Here was the gauge on Elvira when I started the ride to class on Saturday. I take the pictures before I start the bike so the heat from the engine doesn't cheat me out of few degrees of bragging rights!

I rode in 14 degree ( f ) this last week. It didn't make the 23 degree mark on Saturday feel any warmer by comparison. Still no electrics on the bike. Sunday would be about the same but we had the added charm of a cold Northeast wind blowing the chill down from the Arctic. The sunshine on Sunday might as well have been a candle because the wind sucked the warmth out of everything. Interestingly, when I got home Sunday night, having left in the dark and returning in the dark, I warmed up with a shot of Sourthern Comfort. I noticed my lips burning. The cold wind had done the same thing as sunburn does to my lips. Should have used chapstick like those skiers who advertise it!

During the cold ride I could be forgiven for asking myself just why I was doing this. Sane people on a below freezing weekend would stay close to the fire. Here I was, not only riding in the cold, but planning to spend hours outside in a parking lot. The students were driven by their own needs that were probably more pressing than mine. I didn't have to do this. I could have passed on teaching and my life would not have been affected negatively at all. On the other hand, sticking it out for the weekend had a positive affect that will enrich me forever.

This is Stacy. He was my teaching partner for the weekend. His dedication and passion for teaching equals mine. Throughout the whole freezing weekend, Stacy never lost his smile and good grace. The photo is kind of screwed up so I didn't do him justice. The glare through the window is pretty bright. Class time is fairly hectic for instructors and I didn't have time to do much more than a quick snap with the G11. One of these days I'll learn to make the proper adjustments on the fly.

Working with Stacy was so easy. We communicated with nothing more than slight nods and gestures. Each of us was always in the right place at the right time. We had a student who struggled mightily on Saturday morning. Between the two of us it always worked out just right for being where we needed to be. Stacy is the perfect blend of camaraderie and professionalism.

This is my dear friend Al. The photo was taken earlier this year. Al is holding a cup of hot chocolate. That's been Al's trademark. He shows up early at the Salem range with cups of hot chocolate for the instructors who are working. Al lives nearby. He shows up pretty often. Even when he's not working, as was the case this weekend. Al wasn't scheduled to work until the lunch hour. Yet, here he was early on Saturday, hot chocolate in hand. It was pretty welcome after my cold ride!

Al helped Stacy and I get the range set up and the bikes started. The tiny little batteries have to work hard to fire the bikes in the intense cold. The tiny little motors take a long time to store warmth. Between the three of us all the bikes were ready to play in plenty of time for us to meet and greet the arriving students.

Al also found a way to spread the hot chocolate love to our whole class. During our first stretch on the range Al brought one of those 20 cup coffee makers. He filled it with water and set out a table with powdered hot chocolate mix, mini marshmallows, and styrofoam cups. You can see the can of chocloate mix behind Stacy in that photo. By doing so I'm sure that Al made all the difference between a grueling struggle for survival in the cold and giving our students a fighting chance to succeed this weekend. It was neat to go into the classroom during breaks and hear the students' happy chatter in the warm room.

I am extremely fortunate to call these kind of people my friends and co-workers. Actually, we're less co-workers than we are family. During tough circumstances, the family has each other's backs. It was well worth putting up with the cold to experience that feeling once again with Stacy and Al. You two are awesome!

Ron had a newly purchased 1993 1200 Sportster sitting in his garage. Turns out that he is in his 50's and has never ridden a motorcycle before. That is, except for a few hours on a dirt bike when he was a kid. Ron is wise enough to know he needed some professional training before he even attempted to ride his motorcycle. He said that he was resisting the temptation to take the bike out before he took the class. That alone is enough to make me tip my helmet to Ron. He would end up adding a wonderfully positive tone to the class during the weekend. I'm sure that's another reason the class did well as a group.

Despite his intimidating exterior, Ron has a heart of gold. At least that's what he showed during the class. It was clear that Ron was there to learn and committed to the process. Ron was totally coachable. During the class and breaks Ron could often be heard encouraging the other students. Not coaching, just encouraging. Ron turned out to be a good rider and passed with flying colors. There was a bit of humor in the situation, though, from another source.

Here' a quick shot I took of the group outside on Saturday. You can see the cold fog. Ron is the guy in black leather. To his credit, Ron is in full leathers and has a full face modular helmet. Ron has the right attitude about riding to ensure his success. Remember, Ron is a big guy. Since he was going to be riding a cruiser, I had him try the GZ250 for size. Our training bikes have to be under 300 cc so they're physically small. I knew it wouldn't work for Ron but I was still kind of hoping he could learn on the same style. No luck. Once he sat on the small cruiser I knew he wouldn't be able to see with his knees up in front of his visor!

Taller riders end up on the dual sport bikes. Imagine a mountain of a man in full leathers sitting on the TW200! It all worked out, though. The principles and skills are the same and can be applied to any bike a rider chooses to ride. I tried to get a quick photo of Ron on the bike in motion but I missed. My first priority is coaching. I found one opportunity to get off a quick shot but only got half the bike for some reason. You'll have to use your own imagination.

Ron's story is just one of the things that made the weekend with the students so fulfilling. There's more that I will share with you in pieces. If I put them all here this post would be a book!

I love what I do in motorcycle training, both in the big picture and in the day to day interactions. I have a passion for riding as well as for sharing that love with others. Helping them either get off to a good start or improve on existing skills is so satisfying. In the process I'm rubbing elbows with others who have the same passion and zeal. I don't know how I got so lucky but I'm just going to keep enjoying it!

Stay tuned. A student took the class with an automatic motorcycle that I had never even heard of. I wasn't too impressed with the bike, I have to say.

Miles and smiles,

Dan

New picture box.


This is somewhat old news, now, as I've had it for about three weeks. I recently acquired a Canon G11 camera. The purchase had been under consideration for a while. While I totally love the Nikon D40 ( at least at my current skill level ) it has proven a bit bulky to haul on a lot of my wanderings. Now that I have several lenses for it I always feel like I want to carry them all around with me. When I have to haul several business related things, room for even the Nikon by itself is limited. The comact size of the G11 allows me to carry it anytime, even if it means stashing it in a jacket pocket.

The tipping point for the purchase came after a baby shower for our daughter. Katie took some pictures with a cheap Kodak point and shoot. The photo quality isn't real high to begin with. Somehow Katie got the dial turned to a high ISO setting. Most of the pictures were fairly grainy. Katie insists on a simple point and shoot camera. The G11 will give her that capability while still taking great pictures. Of course, she's going to have to arrange with me ahead of time to borrow it!

I did some research and read some reviews in a few of the photographic journals. In the end it came down to heeding the advice of a couple of friends who have owned other G model cameras. Some of you all have made positive statements about the G models you own, as well. One of my past motorcycle students is the manager of a Shutterbug camera shop. He arranged a smoking deal on a camera for me.

One of the interesting features is the live view screen that pivots to various positions. I never really thought this would be of much value but it's proving much more useful than I imagined. Now the lense and viewfinder don't need to be pointed in the same direction.

The picture quality is great. If there are flaws in the photos it will be operator error and not the camera.

The camera has automatic settings as well as the ability to be set for shutter and aperature values. It has a built-in neutral density filter which should prove handy for brightly lit days. One really endearing thing that works well for me is that the camera, when set on Auto, will switch to Macro mode when you move the camera close to a subject. Since I often have to take photos of products and installations to help communicate with distributors and factories, this is extremely useful. Here are a few samples of the closeup quality.

Actually, a number of photos in recent blog posts were taken with the G11. I'm looking forward to getting to know this little jewel better!

Miles and smiles ( smile for the camera! )

Dan

More insanity!

The temperature is dropping. Snow is in the weather forecast for this weekend. Fellow FJR rider Stacy Zuber and I are teaching the last class of the year. Twelve people insane enough to be taking a motorcycle class during the first week of December. In a place where it snows during the winter. Twelve people being taught by two even more insane guys. Yes, I'll be riding.

This is from yesterday morning. My schedule changed at the last minute and I was back on the road for Eugene. Another 45 mile drone down the freeway. For once I didn't need to start at the crack of dawn. By the time I left the sun was shining. Cold and clear. Mmmm, my favorite winter weather!

It didn't last. I got on the freeway at MP228. By MP209 I was in thick fog. The temperature had climbed a whopping two degrees to 29 ( f ). Freezing fog. I hate it.

The ice forming on the bike isn't so bad. I like to set the windshield so that I'm looking over the top of it, anyway. I pulled off by the side of the freeway to take a photo or two. The pictures don't really do justice to the situation. This photo and blogging thing is as much of a sickness as riding, isn't it?

What worries me is not knowing when traction is going to become compromised. It depends somewhat on traffic and somewhat on geography.

Temperatures had been below freezing all night. The thick fog means there's a bunch of water in the air. Which, of course, means that the water turns to a light coating of ice on the pavement. Some of the areas along this stretch of freeway are open on both sides for miles. Perfect conditions for the wind to lower the temperature of the pavement even more.

Tire friction from heavy traffic can tend to keep the pavement warm enough to melt the ice. During this ride traffic was pretty light. I think everyone was saving the trip for the big Civil War game between the University of Oregon and Oregon State University later in the day.

What happens is that the ice melts and then refreezes. This time it's smoother and more slippery. Each stray car does its bit to add to the situation. Kind of like a giant Zamboni on an ice rink. Smooth the ice, put a little extra water on it, and get even better ice!

It's critical to ride prudently. We teach students to aggressively scan for differences in color and texture as they ride. You can believe that I was doing the same. A rider also needs to be as smooth as possible with all their inputs when dealing with questionable traction. Despite all my experience riding in adverse weather, seeing that sheen on the road reflecting my light back at me still makes me pucker a little.

We made it safely through to a spot where the fog had lifted. That's where I took all the photos but one. The second windshield photo was taken when I finally arrived at my destination. There was still quite a bit of ice on the bike.

The sun eventually burned the fog off so the ride home was easier. Still cold, though. We took the back way this time. After a quick bite at home Elvira and I headed in the opposite direction to go teach class. All together we amassed somewhere around 150 miles yesterday. We headed for the barn ( in keeping with the current blog theme, it seems ) at a little before 9 PM. No fog, but Elvira's dash showed 34 degrees. Maybe we'll go another winter without electrics. This time I hardly felt the cold. Must be getting numb!

I'll let you know how the class comes out. I taught the last class a year ago, too. Actually, I seem to be weird enough to do it every year. As well as the first one. These groups always seem to turn out to be pretty special. I'm especially looking forward to working with one student in particular.

He's in his 50's. He looks like the big, bad, biker dude. Long ponytail, ratty t-shirt, camo pants, big boots, leather jacket, and chains. He's just never ridden before. There's a '93 Sportster waiting in his garage. Contrasting his appearance, he seems to have a heart of gold and a great attitude. It's clear that he's here to learn and committed to the process.

Did I mention that the weekend is going to be cold? The National Weather Service is predicting lows in the mid-twenties each night. On Sunday the HIGH is predicted to be 36 degrees. Four degrees over freezing. By the way, just for good measure, they say there's a 20% chance of snow. We may have to dig out taller cones!

Miles and smiles,

Dan

What kind of sickness?

Yesterday was one of those days. You know the kind. The kind where you start asking questions of yourself. Things like "why am I doing this?".

Looking outside yesterday morning I saw nothing but fog. I mean that literally. The mercury was at 41 degrees ( f ) and bravely holding on. I swear this combination is colder than a clear, freezing, day. My day called for a trip to Eugene. Unless there was ice, snow, or freezing rain, I'd done this trip every day for three and a half years in a previous time. Yes, I knew what was in store for me.

There are two vehciles with perfectly good heaters available to me. Yet, what do I do? On goes the riding gear. Nothing electric, by the way. One of these days I'll get around to wiring Elvira. Of course, after a year and a half, I'm beginning to wonder why I should bother. I've got the week off between Christmas and New Year's. Maybe then.

What kind of sickness drives us to ride in the cold when most people are warm in their cages? Get the pun? What kind of sickness DRIVES us? Cages? Oh, never mind. Sheesh.

Sick though it may be, I do enjoy riding in the cold. Warm is better, but I'd rather ride in the cold than not ride. The photo above is of Highway 99 and 34th St. I waited for a miracle to no avail. ( get it? Miracle on 34th St? Ok, I'll quit before I hurt myself ) I happened to catch a Sheriff's Office cruiser coming the other way in the photo. The officer shook his head in bafflement as he went by. What? Don't you see a motorcyclist with his helmet on standing by the side of the road taking pictures of an intersection every day?

Here's the other factor behind the riding. If you're going to profess to be a certain thing then you need to actually walk the talk. Or ride it, in this case. If I claim to be a hardcore rider using a bike for everyday transportation all year, then the proof should be in the riding. As cold as it may get.

Elvira had been sitting for a few minutes while I took the intersection photo. The indicator had shown 39 degrees when I turned off the key. According to the wind chill calculator at 60 mph the felt temperature would be just a shade over 23 degrees. For those on the metric scale, suffice it to say that in our scale it's well below freezing! Yeah, I know, Elvira badly needs a bath. I never really noticed until I saw this photo.

By the way, somebody had posted that chill factor website on their blog. I can't remember who it was. Feel free to take credit for it. Whoever it was is pretty sadistic. Now we can put a numerical value to our suffering!

Fifty two minutes later I arrive at Valley River Center in Eugene. That's fifty two minutes at 23 degrees, mind you. I'm not whining. I just want you to feel like you rode along with me.

Alone in my sickness, there is only one bike in the sea of cars. No matter, though. The mall is festooned for Christmas. Malls make good temporary offices for us road guys. Especially the food courts. Seriously, we don't go there to eat. The food courts are the only place with tables to spread out our stuff. I think I need a little backup here, Mike!

More importantly, and of immediate need, was hot coffee! Fooled you, didn't I? You thought that after 52 minutes in below freezing weather I'd want a restroom. Hah! When you're that cold you don't want to release any body heat whatsoever!

I did make one concession to the cold. I had donned a balaclava. When it's this cold you need to keep the visor open a bit to keep a clear field of vision. The balaclava helps deal with all the cold air rushing in as a result.

That's a cold face! We won't discuss the pretty factor at all, here. I think the white on the mask and my eyebrows is ice. At least it feels like it. Note to self: Remove mask before entering mall!

In between calls I made a couple of personal stops.

There's a Trader Joe's at Oakway Center. I showed up at the checkout counter with three bags of chips made from different vegetables and some bags of trail mix. I'm still in full gear with helmet in hand. Miracle of miracles, the young woman at the counter has powers of observation and brains to go with it. Spying my gear, and deducing why I'm wearing it, she asks me how I would like the items packed. What great customer service!

Yes, I let her know about it, too.

On the way out I snapped this photo of a Citroen. A 1965 model if the plate is to be believed. I'd seen it pull in earlier. Picture a blonde hippy chick my age who never let go of the 60's and you'll have an idea of the driver.

Near where I parked Elvira was this drunken teddy sleeping off a bowl of good stuff. It hadn't moved while I was gone. I resisted the urge to see if it was okay. I'm not good at mouth to snout resuscitation anyway. Let drunken teddies lie, I say.

The Mustang may have more horsepower, but which of us can get to 100 faster?

The temperature shown on Elvira's guage never got over 43 all day. I had planned to take some back roads home and extend the ride. I know some pretty cool and curvy roads in this area. Elvira and I had the roads mostly to ourselves. I felt like a little boy still playing outside in the cold long after everyone else had gone inside.

There was a bit of sunshine but it was far away from where I was.

Near home, I stopped to see Brad. Usually I just cruise by in stalking mode. This time I had a question or two for him. Ok, now that you've twisted my arm, I really wanted to get inside a building and warm up. Brad's office was handy. There, are you happy?

While I was there I snapped a quick photo of our bikes together. As you can see, Brad's proving to be pretty harcore himself. A tip of the helmet to you, Sir!

Despite the cold and fog, it was a good day. Like Brad reminded me, at least I was on the bike. I'm not suffering from a sickness as far as I can tell. No, I'm enjoying every minute of it!

Miles and smiles,

Dan