On Following The Pack

As anyone who reads my blog regularly knows, I ride motorcycles. I have two bikes, an FZ1 and a VMax, both are Yamahas. The FZ1 is what I refer to as a semi-crotch rocket. It's not as aggressive as a sport bike, but what motorcycle magazines refer to as a naked standard. My other bike, the VMax, is categorized as a cruiser. If you really don't know motorcycles you could confuse it for a Harley Davidson. This fact use to cause me no end of grief. Women come up to me all the time with big seductive smiles to inquire if the VMax is a Harley. It's always with a mixed sense of loathing and sadness I have to let the woman down with an explanation that no, it is in fact a Yamaha VMax. Somewhere around the Yamaha V... she's already turned around and on her way to the corner Starbucks. As far as pick up tools go I think you're better off with a puppy than a Yamaha. This scenario played out more than a few times believe it or not and it always left me standing there wondering about status symbols and shallow people. Even before Lisa, I was never really upset that the bike didn't lead to a date. The kind of woman that can get excited about what type of car or bike you own isn't a woman I care to be with. Although I have to confess that being only human I did have a little resentment, after all my bike was faster and better looking than a Harley I reasoned. I have grown out of that for the most part although I still feel a little high and mighty when some jerk on a Harley pulls up next to me at a light, gives me a dismissive glance and blips his throttle. Us men, we sure are insecure.


The whole discourse on the picky Harley women was kind of a lead up to why I ride Yamahas. I've never been a follower of trends. I'm not sure why. I'm not a loner in the Marlboro Man way, but I don't like crowds. Harleys always represented crowds to me. In 2004 I rode my motorcycle to Yellowstone National Park during Sturgis bike week. I wasn't really in the Sturgis area but there were big groups of bikers everywhere. I don't feel comfortable riding in groups. For one thing, if I'm leading I'm always worried that my pace is too fast or too slow. If I'm following the pace is almost always too slow or you can't stop when you want, or you can't take a detour. I like being responsible for me. I hate to get into the whole critiquing another persons pastime, passion or pursuit but most Harley riders open themselves up to it.

Coming back from Yellowstone I stopped for gas, a huge group of perfectly coiffed "hard core bikers" was filling up at the pumps next to me. They were decked out in the full biker chic gear and of course they gave me the once over quickly without so much as a nod (I was on the FZ1). I hate to sound like an attention whore but part of what I like about riding a bike the best is the fellowship. I like to wave when I pass a biker going the other direction. After they left, another group of scruffy, dirty homely looking guys and women pulled in on beat up old bikes. They asked me about my trip and told me where they had come from (California) and made a little small talk. Right before they got under way I noticed one of the bikes had a small Hell's Angels sticker by the oil tank. Nice guys those Hell's Angels.