Harley Davidson, why I want to make a boat anchor out of one.

First off consider I have some damn good friends who ride harleys, and I know many other good people who own them as well, so take what I have written as my personal thoughts on why the brand makes me feel as I do.

I think like everyone I remember watching easy rider, the vision of freedom that movie portrayed was pretty cool, but I also remember thinking "are they drug dealers? where do they get their money? Maybe if they were not such jerks, they would have less problems with the police.

Other movies have dragged up the same convoluted picture to me, the sense of freedom that it was trying to portray, merely in my mind portrayed some strung out druggies rebelling against "the Man".

My thoughts were re affirmed by a cousin who owned a Hotel in West Yellowstone, as a child I remember him turning away harley riders saying "They are nothing but trouble, they trash the rooms and do not want to pay their bills" not looking good, so at this point my fascination for the brand and those associated with it dwindled.

In high school I would work with an old biker, a true Harley man, he had two, one he worked on while he rode the other, I didnt get it, sounded like a pain in the ass, maybe if he had a dependable bike he would not have needed to wear duct taped boots, but it was obviously not his priority so whatever, it was his life.

In 1990 I wanted a street bike, It became a toss up between a 69 Triumph, thoughts of Fonzie danced in my head but it was a chopper, bad ass, kick start, well losing some appeal as I had grown up with Dirt bikes, and with the Cylinder relief valve out on my yami 360 enduro, I had suffered from the classic "launch" from the kickback as well as a heel swelled up to unnatural balloon to the point I had to soak my foot to get my boot off once. The leaky engine revered in the triumph did not sound like much fun, with only two contact points to the ground via your tires, the last thing I wanted was oil dripping possibly making my rear tire slip at a critical moment.
SO upon much decision I would end up with a Virago 750 v twin kick ass bitch.
I rode that bike all summer, all winter, and all summer again, and all the while I would put up with the "is it a Harley"
"NO it most certainly is not, I actually get to where I am going :P." yes that was a standard reply.
Regardless two wheels is two wheels and I always respected others who chose the same route, apparently that did not carry over to the "true" Harley riders, where I would suffer the Usual "Rice grinder" & "get a real bike" comments at ever turn with them.
So I settled it with a drag race here and there, having nearly half the CCs I was supposedly at a huge disadvantage, but the Harley never came close, not by a long shot, the last thing they would see of course would be my middle finger as I tore away.
To be fair Harley did make a bike line that was fast, and could be built into scary fast drag machine, those were the Sportster line.
Those bikes were actually made to compete with the Japanese market, they were a fast ride and could be built into a fast scary machine, maybe that is why they hated em, I dono, it seemed they picked and chose who was in their ranks based on bikes, silly.

I would have my first race with one about eight years after buying my Virago, he would pull up next to me proclaiming how fast his bike was and how nice, brand new he would say.
"I am not interested, those are a fast bike and should beat me, you aught to break it in properly first though" I would tell him
But he persisted, the light turned green and I chewed him up, I even gave him the chance going from a rolling start, but to no avail, it needed to be broke in obviously, and I told him as much "come back when those rings have seated"
He would at the three hundred mile mark I would see him out yet again, and from a rolling start we would have at it, again, to no avail "probably not seated still" I would tell him, and off he went, obviously frustrated.
Finally the last and final straw he woul see me riding with my x and pull up "its broke in now lets go"
"well that is not fair I have an extra 140lbs on the back"
He looked at me with a cocked smile "Scared?"
And there it went, I dropped the clutch and with the extra weight we rode a wheelie, side by side, going thru the gears, his teeth gritting as he caught buts, glancing over to see me smiling giving him the bird with my left"
He would turn off and I never saw that bike again.
Now a bike is not just about speed, I realize that, but it seemed to be the only way I could shut up the nay sayers, so that is what it was, but it is to note that Harley at one time was a name commonly associated with racing, and no motorcycle brand has ever dominated Dirt track racing as Harley has, it has unfortunately done everything it could to distance itself from the "racing image" and everything for the bad ass Image.
I did at one time want to buy a Harley, as a businessman I wanted one for the investment, and I will admit they are a nice looking ride and the iconic sound a draw. I had the chance to buy a close friends I guess it was a 84 FXRS ? with the motor built to the nuts and everything chrom, now Bill was a damn good guy, and road that bike to cali and back a couple of times trouble free. I would take it for a ride and going down the highway I couldnt see thru the vibrating rear view mirrors, now the motor had oodles of stump pulling torque, but if I wanted a tractor I would have been looking for a massey-Fergeson. All in all I hated it, I pulled up and Bill could see the look of disgust on my face "well"? he would ask timidly, "nice bike Bill" I would reply.
"Dont lie to me Craig, I can see the look on your face"
"To be honest" I would reply, "My 750 over there would eat this thing any day of the week, and it rides a hell of a lot better"
that would be that, he was a good man and it certainly was not my intention of discrediting him, or what he owns, but he asked for honesty, and I gave it.
Irritating me further would be the bogus "made in America" drivel they constantly repeat, nothing could be further from the truth, in the early nineties, the most American made bike was actually the Honda shadow, with only the shaft being made and imported from Japan, Harley rides on that minimum requirement of 60 percent made in America to carry that banner, they also are one of several "American" companies lobbying to have that standard lowered, how absolutely repugnant and deceitful.
Next would be the Betrayal of Mr Eric Buell by the Harley logo when they tossed him to the curb, not once, but twice, the second time nearly destroying him altogether, for someone who was so loyal, who could have easily designed his own engine yet chose to use the Sportster engine for his innovative motorcycle designs, just more bad taste.
Then we have the nonsense put forth by the Harley crowd of "Textile jackets will melt" false they are actually quit good with modern blends and nothing like the same jacket you will buy for winter or casual wear use, then we haev the "Helmets will break your neck" nonsense, obviously, that is why Racers wear them, have multiple wrecks, and keep going.
That along with the "you are not a true biker" bs I have heard for two decades while riding the street simply because someone does not own a "Harley" and "the Harley" of their standards has honestly been a great "grating of nails on a chalkboard" for me.
At any given time there is a saying that "there are 12 KLR 650s circling the world" would those not be true bikers? Would not anyone who rides rain, snow nor shine be a true biker? The blatent contempt for other riders not only by old school harley riders, but by the company as a whole, was enough for me.
Someday if I am ever rich, or to old to ride again, I will buy a Harley and use it for a boat anchor, I would love to see the look on peoples faces when I pull that ride straight out of the abyss, the seaweed covering it will pretty much give it my exacting opinion.

Can the Mundane world exist for an adventurer?

I have always struggled with the classic Mundane life, so the question I struggle with daily is, can it exist for the adventurer?
I guess it all depends on what kind of adventure one is into, I was complaining the other day how I had accomplished nothing since my fathers death, and a good friend Chad stated "that is not true, you have since began Mountain Biking and Snowshoeing."
That is certainly true, and both are a form of adventure and defiantly entertaining for those without the International lust.
Once a person experiences something great they can never return to the same, I struggle to think of what internal demons Teddy Roosevelt must have Struggled with after his Exploration of the Amazon and Africa. He must have sat longingly looking out of office windows dreaming of the next campaign, never again to come.
I know that for me the first time I stood in a Cathedral in Europe where the Black Knight lay, I knew my life was forever changed, when I spent weeks on a train sleeping in awkward positions, hearing the constant chirp of the steel wheels hitting rails as they were bolted together those sounds would always be in my head, and every bump I hit when I drive my car to work brings back those memories.
One of the oddest things has stuck in my mind for 17 long years now, it is the sound of a man with hot coffee in his back pack, and his voice which I can only equate to sounding something like the male version of Fran Drescher and his loud voice yelling the same word over and over again in my sleep muddled mind "Cafe, Cafe" always pops into my mind when I drink Coffee.
I sit each day and look out the window, each Motorbike loaded with bags that travels by brings to me the longing of adventure that comes with it, the hum of the tires and the wind tugging at my jacket just races thru my mind.
I have put off riding South America for the past three years, I was nearly ready twice, the first time in 2010 I quit honestly simply caved, my mind confused and lost from my father leaving this world I was unsure, with the economy in the toilet I held onto any dime I could get, but it was to much, and I made more plans, with my Mom being who would watch my dear Pets and home.
With her Passing as well my Trip was again put on hold while I struggled to deal with the Immense responsibility of someone passing in America yet again.
I then had yet another opportunity but settled for a job with the intent of working internationally for the company, but the realization that adventure is not the same as working nags at me, pulls at my sleeve.
All I know is at some point I would like a family, but until I get at least one last big trip under my belt I am not sure how realistic that dream is.
There is so much to see and do on this planet form e I know that at least for now, Local Adventure only further wets my lips.
I think every day of Swimming with the worlds largest shark, how my heart beat so, and I long again for that feeling, no desk, no amount of work can compensate for a dream coming true.
It has to be done.
I leave you with a quote from the one of the Greatest Men who ever Lived, Teddy Roosevelt.
"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; because there is not effort without error and shortcomings; but who does actually strive to do the deed; who knows the great enthusiasm, the great devotion, who spends himself in a worthy cause, who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievemt and who at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly. So that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat."

Tribute to a guardian

I got the phone call from dad some time ago "They have a lab at the shelter in Missoula I think I'd like a lab, all the others were good dogs", I would agree, and encourage him to go look at him.
Two weeks and countless walks later go by "I dono, such a great dog, you know he passed the hearing dog test?"
"Holy shit dad, you need to get him, perfect dog, you cant ask for more," He would after arguing and telling the pound to go to hell he would leave his dog outside if he wanted, "they wont tell me my dog has to stay inside" typical older generation.
Then a couple weeks go by "hey you know this dog brings me my slippers, keys, and rattles them when he has to go to the bathroom"
I pondered this, it ment he was letting him stay inside "So he's inside then?"
Dad got gruff "no more, he is outside IM not letting him wake me up so early in the morning
So it would be, Zack would stay in his outside hotel unless it was real cold, then he could come inside and rattle the keys.
He would be Dads constant companion, for every trip to the store "gotta get the dog" that dog would get to ride in the backseat, like the absolute best child, he would merely look out the window, never whining, never running around, he would just sit there.
He would end up getting my wrath when he would lead my Hound Bobbit into the woods, or run off out in the neighborhood when I would visit, gone all day our minds freaking out thinking the worst.
Only later in time would I see my old hound, literally nodding her head encouraging him to run off with her, would the truth be known, my wrath had been placed upon the wrong dog.
He would be dads constant companion, enjoying riding even on the back of the four wheeler with dad, never ever letting Pops get out of his sight.
When dad grew to Ill to care for him, I took him into my home where he had a nice bed next to Mine and would sleep in a climate controlled heaven.
He would be an outstanding duck hunter, jumping off the bank like the best dock dog, and after dad fell Ill, we entered him in a Doc dog competition, knowing he would jump with the best of him, and there, in front of a hundred people I would plead with him to jump in the water to no avail.
He had a staring problem, he would just lay there and stare, I remember when I was with dad in the hospital for some time my brother in law would watch him "would you do something with this dog, he just lays there and stares at me" Im like "well ya, thats what he does, itch his ear and rub his tummy with your foot and he will be in heaven. Didnt work, he still freaked Jeff out.
Before dad passed his joints began to come apart, and I would plead for him not to go before Dad as he needed him to make it through his ordeal.
That plead ended up going for another four years until today, he would keep coming back regardless of what the life expectancy was for a lab he would say "screw you IM going a few more years, I gotta be there for craig"
And this morning when I would open the curtains there he would be, looking at me thru the window in the yard, Im not sure how he could hear the drapes, cause he seemed to be deaf as a post, but he always heard my foot steps too.
I know now he is in heaven, running about with those before him, getting his ears loved by dad, wagging tails thinking of the next adventure with Bobbit.
Travel your road well my friend, may there always be a pickup box for you to ride in, and a stream for you to swim in.
Love ya old man, thank you for every day you gave us.

Life of a dog

As my Fathers old dog lay outside in his dog house, heat lamp resting on his old bones and stiffening muscles, his favorite toy on his paws, with a dish of milk laying next to him I thought how short their life is with us on this world, a mere dozen years or there about, what would I do if I was dog? From birth they come out and the first thing they do is start to sniff around, they tumble and look for some warmth, their moms gentle nudge, and her warm body to lay against. As their eyes open they begin to explore, sniffing around with their fellow pups, wrestling, building up muscle, trying to be the first to that warm milk in their mothers tit. They grow a bit more, now they can run, tackle each other, play and nibble on moms ears with sharp teeth, making her yip and nip back at them, as they run off, growling and talking to their fellow pups. Soon mom has enough and shows them how to eat on their own and they do, growling and wrestling for their place at the dish, they begin to sniff around more, taking in the aroma of the earth that only a dogs nose can find. Soon they find a master, they get their ears scratched, belly, and chase a toy, soon they think the slipper is a toy, get whipped, run, and have fun with it howling with laughter to the next dog that passes by who says in reply "yea, I did that too" Soon they hang out with their master, going for their first ride, with wide eyed wonder they put their head out the window and wow does the entire world come to them, in every mile are tens of thousands of different smells, at first they look about, but soon their eyes are closed just taking it all in, loving the easy way to explore. They get to nap in the yard, basking in the sun, their "master" will bring them food, and carry a scooper to clean up after the them, sometimes, they get a treat, all for messing up the yard and just being there. Eventually they return the favor, sitting nobly on their sick masters feat as he is sick, keeping them warm as only they can do, watching carefully over them. Later their time comes near, they spend more time hanging out in the house, lounging here or there, now making shorter trips, the yard itself being an adventure, the alley a distant memory trip away. Then their time comes and the joy they brought to a family is left and tears of sorrow fall. How can someone not envy such a life? They bring everything to the table with that big heart of theirs, always happy, only asking for a meal, water and a place to lay. And the best part about it, in their short time here they make the most of it and they do it the way most humans do not, with a happy heart.

The world is overpopulated, yea not so much

We hear it all the time, there are studies that claim it is true, there are simply to many people on the earth and it simply cannot sustain it. I heard this long ago when I was in highschool, that someday soon we would run out of food, then I took a job washing dishes at a truck stop, my mind was blown at the amount of food we tossed out and I started looking a little more into this claim. First off the United States of America is the worlds largest consumer of well, everything, yet we only have three hundred and fifty million of the seven Billion of the worlds population. We waste 40 percent of the worlds food, our leading health problems are from eating to much, our food waste along could easily feed all the starving people, comfortably. Why are they starving? first reason are horrible governments, places like the Philippines fruit abounds yet it is Illegal for locals to pick the fruit, now this is not the only problem, much of it simply is not enough industry to provide jobs for people packed in condensed areas, a near Chas system is in place where the wealthy live off the labor of the poor which make only a little over a dollar a day, not enough to live off and many children suffer from malnutrition and are listless vs their American counterparts who lack exercise and overeat and are hyper or lethargic depending on their diet. Will we run out of farm land? Nah, not in my lifetime or the next at least, we learned greatly from the mistakes of the Dust bowl, dont get me wrong,the US needs to get its act together, developing farmland has to be one of the most ignorant ridiculous things any country can do, that could cause a problem but I suspect if push comes to shove, those houses will get tilled under. Next how about resources? well again there is simply not a chance of this happening, minerals are simply not going anywhere after they are mined, recycling is always a possibility and something we need to do in groves right now. There are also companies who are researching how to mine Asteroids, the amount of minerals on a single large asteroid could sustain the earth for decades. Oil we will eventually run out of, however just under half of our oil is in the form of plastics, we already have the technology to get oil from those plastics which pollute the majority of our landfills. After that is gone? you turn our waste into Methenal, the non plant base of Ethenal, algae that produces oil will also be a viable source. We are gonna be ok after all.

The Walmart Apocolypse, spreading soon to a neighborhood near you

Walmart and freak show have become pretty much as one anymore, we all laugh and goad about the strange people we see wandering around in that store, but I have been asking, where do they come from and where have they been hiding for so long? Surely I cannot remember in all my life seeing so many crazy people in any single place, so why now? The answer is fairly easy, it first began when talking to a guy who had just came back from visiting Slovania "everyone there just looks so fit and healthy" he had said, and thinking back to my days in Europe, that certainly was the case there were people thought about their health, and made it a priority. I remember the family I stayed with, we lived just outside of a larger city in Denmark named Odense, I think it was something like Ten miles, they would cycle in every day, and sometimes wake up an hour early just to jog to work, how absurd, I could not believe people would do that.
Fast forward a few years, living with a woman who was a phenomenal cook I actually felt the day my love handles started to grow, from that point on dealing with my weight was something of an issue, I mainly only lifted weights and my cardio suffered. Then I quit lifting weights and a belly formed to go with those love handles, be damned, I could not live like this, so I bought a cheap mountain bike at old Wally world, before most people were a freak and started to ride, not just for fun, but for errands and everything else rather than driving in town, it would only take me a minute or two longer to get someplace over driving, people would stare thru car windows, undoubtedly wondering why in the hell I was riding a bicycle. That would work for a few years, but I really was not losing weight, I was maintaining, and feeling good, just not losing weight, so I would buy a real bike and start tearing it up mountain trails, within a few months I found myself riding where before I thought were impossible places, where previously I would have only hiked or rode a four wheeler, 30 pnds would fall off and I am now focusing on burning off the last 20lbs so I can be cut again.
Wait, what does this have to do with walmart? you are asking right now, well everything actually.
You see Walmart is a representation of America, it is a place where we can go to see those people who simply do not care about their health, their life for the most part is in front of a TV basking on the couch, they eat horrible processed food with very poor nutritional value and watch mindless programs doing nothing to stimulate who they are.
Now if we look back at Europe where there are quit literally lines of bicycles everywhere and people live and eat a healthy diet and mentality are challenged at school you simply do not have the zombie population becoming prevalent in America. We are pounded with chemicals in the states, from cleaning products to food we consume, take a minute and look at that juice bottle, some of the crap put in such as artificial dies are not good for you on any level, your body simply cannot process them. By looking at this we learn that freaks did not simply just start showing up at walmart,slowly they were developed by Walmart and the cheap "consume" mentality in the states.
Im sorry, if America does not change its wicked ways and become a healthy country focusing on mental stimulation rather than fake reality Tv and bullshit drama programming while eating foods that quit simply kill us, soon, those zombie freaks are gonna be in your neighborhood and we as a nation will be unable to cope do to the lack of productivity, and ultimately, will fail. so please, start eating healthy, eat Organic, toss the Tv dinners and take time to cook something, go for walks, watch educational mind stimulating programs,when you do watch tv, but whatever you do, remember, you are what you eat, and we are a product of our environment.

Vegetables vs Farm Animals, which is dirtier?

Reading a post from a friend who had said she was craving and eating pork, she could not understand why as Pigs were such a dirty filthy animal, and this is true, from a Biblical or Quran perspective we certainly learn this, for in both books the Eating of Pork is forbidden. But is that so much because of their true filth? or merely because of the danger of uncooked pork where Trichinosis can quit literally kill a person, so its easy to see why uneducated people would be afraid of this meat, but we now know that Pigs get a bad wrap no entirely deserved. Farm animals in general are Dirty, this much is true, having grown up in an agricultural area I am hard pressed to think of a single Animal which we consume that is not dirty, Cattle I think are the worst, they crap all over themselves and make no real attempt to ever clean, that pooo stays on their hide until they are washed before being butchered. Chickens will even eat their own poo if they have to, and being a bit opportunistic they certainly consume all manner of bugs which venture near, but like any bird they will groom themselves. Now the knowledge of the above has made many people quit eating meat, "why eat a dirty animal?" they say. But they are an animal and as I mentioned before we cut them up they are cleaned, washed and even in the case of red meat in large factories, radiated and soaked in Ammonia, yea disgusting which is why I buy organic and try to only buy local meat or what wild animals I harvest, but I am getting away from my topic at hand :D. So let us look at vegetables, people eat vegetables because they assume it is clean, ohh I am not eating a dirty animal they say, but now they are eating a dirty plant say I. WHAT!!! yes, yes vegetables grow from the ground, which of course we all know is well, dirty by nature, in order to grow it needs nutrients, the best nutrients comes from well crap and decomposing animals. NOW YOU HAVE GONE TO FAR! why yes, yes I have, but I am not done yet, in oriental countries rice paddies are often sewage irrigated, that is human sewage irrigated, untreated, something which is Illegal in the US. The plants of course will feed off this sewage and of course grow, the more nitrates in the soil, the better plants often grow. Here in the US we use pesticides, which the plant will absorb and in the end, you will eat. So I ask you, do animals deserve their bad rap? Nah, I think Plants are a bit dirty, and hell, its not like you ever step on a Pig before it goes to market.