Went for a short motorcycle ride today. It was about 35. The Bandit had been sitting for about 3 weeks and I thought I should get some fresh gas in the carbs to keep them from getting crudded up. It does not take long to realize that you are underdressed for a motorcycle ride when it is 35 out. The first thing that got cold was my neck. The shield on my bike dumps a lot of air right at neck level and it was quite unpleasant. It is an odd sensation to have a cold neck and have everything else feel warm. That does not happen very often. Fortunately, my legs and hands joined in shortly there after.

A motorcycle ride, no matter how short, always brings to mind inconsistencies. I like to think of myself as somewhat more environmentally tuned in than the next guy. I try to keep my consumption down. I ride a bike for many of my trips (though not as much as I would like lately). But, there is just something about going fast on a motorcycle that makes me smile. And not just going fast, but getting up to speed fast. While my motorcycle is not even close to the latest and greatest, it is still plenty fast by my standards. I am by no means a speed demon. In fact, truly fast people would laugh, but I go fast enough to give myself a thrill whenever I ride.

Another inconsistency is that I like loudish motorcycles. I hate loud cars. In fact, I hate any noice a car makes. I find them obnoxious. But, for some reason a reasonably loud motorcycle just grabs my attention. Whether it is a V twin, a thumper or an inline motor, I just love to hear them run. Now, I do not like bikes with a straight pipe, but I do want to hear the engine.