It would be hard to top Day 3 of our trip, so the trip winds down a little on days 4 and 5. On Saturday morning the crew from First State left New River Gorge Quality Inn at 9:00am. Our mission was to make it to Triple S Harley Davidson in Morgantown before they closed at 5:00pm. It would be tight.
We rode some more fantastic roads heading back to Snow Shoe. As we started getting closer to Snow Shoe where Freedomfest was now in full swing we ran into groups of bikes everywhere. They were in front of us, behind us, going the opposite way, at intersections… my arm was getting tired of waving. I almost stopped waving I got so sick of it, but I didn’t. At one point I think we had a group in front of us and one behind so that we had a parade of 3 groups of bikes riding through the twisties. We stopped at the gas station at the base of the mountain for a quick lunch. It was mobbed with a few hundred bikes. Then we were off again.
We got out to the country and rode hard. We stopped at a scenic overlook near a windmill farm but the bathrooms were out of order. The guys used the woods. The girls were not happy. We moved on looking for the first available facility but we were deep in the country going through one horse towns. Finally we came to an old elementary school that was converted into an antique store and flea market. They had bathrooms and cold drinks for $.75 as well as really neat junk to take pictures of. Everyone had to pose with the bear!
Harley Davidson is much more than a moco. The bar and shield has become a symbol of American freedom, the spirit of the open road, a slap in the face to mainstream sensibilities, a fantasy, a way of life, a noisy declaration of independence, an obsession, an escape, a revered American icon. Harley Davidson represents adventure, freedom, individuality, and living life with all five of your senses. It is a legend.
The Harley mystique is all about attitude — a feeling that because you own a Harley Davidson motorcycle you are special, you belong. In a society that worships at the altar of internal combustion, riding a Harley just may be the last pure expression of what it means to be American…the freedom to go somewhere, anywhere, just you and the road and the wind in your hair. The essence of the Harley lifestyle is to dress up in black leather and ride your Harley to the horizon, calling for all the world to see you like an outlaw rather than the mild-mannered citizen you are the rest of the week. It is no wonder that today this American icon is so loved and recognized around the world.
Today’s Harley owner is more likely to be a dental hygienist, trucker, or coffee shop owner than a rebel without a cause. We are male and female, young and young at heart, but we all share a passion for the brand and everything that it represents. So much so that (second to the word Mom) the bar & shield is the most common image to be immortalized in human skin.
Harley Davidson does not just sell motorcycles — they sell dreams and lifestyles. The brand is so powerful that it can sell products that have little or nothing to do with motorcycles. You can get an HD version of Monopoly for your kids, Harley lingerie for your wife and/or girlfriend, or a black leather Harley jacket for your poodle. Many people who have never and will never ride a motorcycle still purchase the collectibles and sport Harley brand clothing. In fact, many dealers actually make more money from Motor Clothes and accessories than they do selling motorcycles!
Everyone wants a piece of the often imitated/never duplicated American icon. They want to experience that feeling of belonging to the largest fraternity on earth. How sad it is that some will go to such great lengths to grasp at some tiny part of that free-spiritedness. How wonderful it is that we don’t need to grasp for anything because we have found it. We have declared our individuality. We live free on the open road. We spit in the face of our own mid-week alter egos. We enjoy the journey as much as the destination. We ride Harley Davidson motorcycles.
For two years I had a part time job with Strip-O-Grams in New Jersey as a “Driver”. I drove “Exotic Dancers” to bachelor parties every Saturday night. I’m not a big guy, never been in the military or even know matial arts. I’m not a fighter. So how did I work part time as a “Bouncer”? The job required more intelligence than brawn!
Other drivers/bouncers were big, carried a weapon, brought a friend for back up or had a military background. For me it was all about keeping things under control, managing risk, avoiding bad situations by cutting them off before they happen. Just like Patrick Swayze in Road House, I was friendly but authoritative. I used psychology and dressed like a biker. This was how I was able to keep a bunch of rowdy drunk guys from getting out of hand or robbing me. I had two naked chicks to protect and a pocket full of cash. Just like riding a motorcycle, I was putting myself in a dangerous situation with a manageable amount of risk and enjoyed the rush. Every job was a challenge of my intelligence, not brawn.
Many motorcyclists are free spirits. They ride without helmets or wear the novelty helmets. They are living the moment, stress free, loving life! They are “in the flow”! I envy their ablity to go through life care free. These are the same motorcyclists who have a dozen or more horror stories to tell you about the close calls they have had with cagers. The amount of arguments in parking lots or at intersections. They have a dozen verbal confrontations of legend! During these conversations I don’t have much to say. These things don’t seem to happen to me. Guess I’m just lucky.
I’m not the happy go lucky type. I’m always prepared. I’m constantly thinking, calculating and contemplating. I recall last year always imagining horrible crashes with oncoming vehicles as I was cruising down the road. At that time I was uneducated about Street Strategy. This year my thoughts are different. They are constantly assessing the situation. I evaluate the road, measure up the cagers and check my rear view mirrors. I ask myself is that an agressive driver, an inattentive driver, or a professional driver? Is that the car of a responsible person or does it look like it has been in a number of accidents? Is that truck a professional or a rental? The type of vehicle, condition of the vehicle and bumper stickers on that vehicle are all tell tale signs of the type of person driving. At intersections and driveways I slow down, cover the brakes and put a little space cushion between me and the possible car, child or animal that could jet out. They say there are two types of riders: those who have crashed and those you are going to crash. When that unavoidable inevitable crash happens; will you walk away with a broken leg or become a statistic? Every second on a motorcycle is a test of ones intelligence as well as skill.
As I become a more experienced rider I trust that the amount of mental exersize in my head becomes more subconscience and that with time I will be more “in the moment”. I trust that riding will become even more relaxing and enjoyable and in the long run crash avoidance strategies will become second nature. For now, I am a student of the road. I am studying the skills and learning the “psychology of the road” that will keep me out of harms way.
OK, enough deep thoughts. How about a little video fun?
