I first posted this last year around this time. I still ride on January first every year and I still wish it was warmer for that ride!

There is something about bikers that demands that traditions be observed. I don’t mean the “national holiday” or “it’s your birthday” kind; I mean the ones we make for ourselves.

A good riding experience is often repeated, even named and retold in stories. Same with bad experiences. They get rehashed, shared, and in the case of the unfortunate accident or laydown, they may even become legendary. (at least in the mind of the participant!) Read the rest of this entry »

I ride a motorcycle, so that means that I have a sense of humor. It kind of goes without saying, but, just this once, I’ll say it. You have to chuckle at some of the things that occur around the whole fraternity of riding.

And, let’s face it; there is no shortage of amusing things that happen to you, and around you, when riding down the road. I say ‘amusing’ because saying’ life-threatening’ or ‘idiotic’ may be a little too specific.

Being a barely competent internet type, I take part in several bike and hobby based message boards. On one of them recently, I used the term ‘squid’ to describe a sport bike rider who I observed doing something fairly stupid on the freeway. I was taken to task by one of the readers, who thought I was casting aspersions on all sport bike riders by using that term.

Casting aspersions?; Moi?: Nothing could be further from the truth. Read the rest of this entry »

Winter doesn’t suck. Around here it just drips.

And drips, and drips, and splashes, and oozes. Then, just for fun it drips some more.

Consequently, winter riding drips. I know….I hear you saying it: That’s what rain gear is for, Kick! Yeah, well, I got rain gear. Winter still drips, dammit.

I sit here, in the house, watching the steady drizzle of our glorious Pacific Northwest, thinking, “Hey, that’s what makes this part of the country so green and beautiful all year ‘round!” Read the rest of this entry »

The sad and infuriating story of the custom bike stolen from the Eastside dealership recently made me think of something from the good old days. The stolen bike was referred to as a ‘custom bike’, by the media. It had been built as a tribute, in some way, and was valued at nearly fifty thousand dollars.

“Factory choppers” is another term for that type of bike, and it has come to mean those bikes that are built to look as if they are one-off customs. The whole idea of a ‘chopper’ started out as a form of lightening and hot-rodding up the bikes of the fifties, sixties and early seventies, so they made a personal statement, as well as went fast. Read the rest of this entry »

On a recent cruise through Aberdeen/Hoquiam, I felt the need for a bite and saw this spot right on the main drag. It’s a little shack of a place on the east side of Highway 101 as it comes right through Aberdeen. Fortunately, there is a light there, or I might have gone right by it.

The Dog House specializes in hot dogs (no duh!) and they do them right. There is everything from brats to regular ball park dogs, and the list of fixins is huge. They are definitely biker-friendly, but not too many at one time. The whole place would hold, maybe ten people, and the parking lot is about three cars-worth. Still, it’s worth the stop! Family owned and smiles for everyone, it’s a nice place to take a load off and still be right next to the road when you’re ready to go.

I had the original dog, which is (ready?) $2.00! If you get it with everything, there isn’t a better deal on the planet, since the extras are included. (Except for kraut, which is a hefty 25 cents extra.) The lemonade I had made it the perfect meal!

A trip to the coast or along the 101 just won’t be complete without a visit to the Dog House!