Road Captain USA.com

Where to begin?  I love this bike!  She is a cute little bugger, and she runs great.  She is dependable, fuel efficient, and stylin’!

The XLH 883 is known as a “hugger”.  I am not entirely sure what that means, but the bike is a lowered version of a Sportster.  It is just the right size for many women or men of smaller stature.  The seat height is only about a half-inch below a Low Rider, and is actually a half-inch higher than the current Softail Deluxe.  Its overall length and wheelbase are only about 5 inches shorter than your average big-twin, so don’t let “small” make you think it is a mini-bike!  Think of it as super-easy to maneuver around the garage!

The bike is about 200-250 pounds lighter than your typical Harley cruiser or touring bike.  It is very easy to maneuver, and is very fun to zip around town.  It has a higher center of gravity, so when you “dip,” you actually dip.  It should be a carnival ride!  FUN - FUN - FUN !!!  Of course this has its downside too.  When riding on a windy day or across a bridge with strong cross-winds, the bike gets thrashed around like a dinghy in a hurricane!  It can be a workout riding this bike, but then who’s going to complain about building up arm muscles and dropping a couple of pounds?

Even though my bike is going on 8 years old, she is just coming into her prime.  They say it takes 5000 miles just to break them in.  Well she just crossed the 7000 mile mark Saturday.  I have her serviced every spring whether she needs it or not (LOL).  She got the 5K treatment this May, and I had to get her a new battery.  Oh horror!  A new battery is the only “repair” I’ve ever had to do…I should go screaming to find the “lemon law” police!!!  This bike is solidly reliable, and has been professionally tuned by Custom Cycle & Machine in New Castle, Delaware.

The 883 cc motor is powerful but not too powerful.  She’s got some serious pick-up-and-go, but she doesn’t run super-hot like the new 96 cu inch V-twins on 2007 and later models.  It’s a win-win situation especially for a new rider who might be tentative about too much power.  She is carbuerated, so a little warm up time is needed to get her running in the morning.  I just let her run while I check her over and get geared up.  She also has a tendency to spit a little oil out of the airbox when she is run extensively at high rpms, but its no big deal.

The best part about my Sporty is the fuel economy.  She has been getting 70 miles to the gallon!  Yes, that is right — we gassed up yesterday at 106 miles and she only took 1.5 gallons.  You might think that it is a disadvantage only having a 3-point-something gallon tank, but the fact of the matter is that she doesn’t need a bigger one.  I can go 200 miles without even thinking about a fill-up.  I use HALF as much gas in my bike as I do in my car (which gets a pretty darn good 35 mpg)!  If I was going to keep her, I’d throw on a luggage rack and use her as a daily commuter and to run errands around town.

Altogether, my 2001 Harley Davidson XLH 883 is a fabulous bike!  She has several chrome accessories including the engine guard, oil tank, clutch & brake levers, upper & lower belt covers and sprocket cover. She also has a Barnett steel braided teflon coated clutch cable that made it easier for me to pull in the clutch than the original 2001 cable. Jay says if you throw on apes or drag bars and cool exhaust you would have a stylin’ chopper, but I like her just the way she is!  She was a fabulous beginner bike for me, and I am sure that she will do right by someone else that will love her as much as I do.

If you know someone who is in the market for a great bike like this, check her out at http://delaware.craigslist.org/mcy/753129412.html or email editor@roadcaptainusa.com

Tags: Mrs Road Captain, Product Reviews by Diana Green
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Once upon a time, a date took me for an evening ride on his Harley — I was hooked for life!  I couldn’t tell you what it was about riding, I just knew that I couldn’t wait until the next time I might have a chance to hop on the back of a bike.  Then I met Jay, and months later he purchased his First Harley - The Painted Pig.  Still, it was a tease because he had a learner’s permit and wasn’t legally permitted to carry passengers.  But we zipped around in circles around the storage facility where he kept it garaged, and every once in awhile we would actually go for a ride.

As we cruised along I found myself constantly looking over his shoulder to see what he was doing.  I was fascinated.  After a month or two, I started looking into motorcycle safety courses.  I wasn’t entirely sure that I actually wanted to have my own bike or even get my endorsement, but I had to know how the thing operated!  (I’m the kind of person who always needs to be learning something new.)

This is where I ran into a little snag.  Due to the exploding popularity of motorcycles, brought on largely by the Discovery Channel’s extensive lineup of bike shows like American Chopper and Biker Build-Off, all of the courses in my area were booked solid through Halloween!  Well, I guessed it wasn’t that important, so I pretty much gave up on the idea….until Jay sent me a text message one Friday afternoon saying that he had just registered for the class at Cecil Community College, and they still had 5 openings in the class!

I called and left a message that I wanted to take the class, but by the time they left me a voicemail Monday morning, there were only 2 slots left.  I returned the call on my lunch break, and took the LAST space in the class!  Woo-HOO!  Mission accomplished — almost.  I couldn’t have even told you what a throttle was, let alone where it was located on a bike.  My class was a little over a month away, and somehow they were going to get me to be able to figure-eights, swerves, and quick-stops (while downshifting to first gear)–possibly in the pouring rain–over the course of a weekend?????  Yeah, right!!!

Herein lies the logic.  (I am a math teacher after all!)  I am going to need to at least familiarize myself with the vehicle and its basic operations before the class.  I am going to need to practice, a lot, after the class…otherwise it is a fruitless venture.  No one I know is going to let some psycho 37-year old chick practice learning how to ride on their prized Harley.  I am going to have to get a bike of my own!

I figured I just needed some little old piece of crap used bike that I could use and abuse and it wouldn’t matter.  One evening I logged on to eBay for the first time in my life, figuring that I wouldn’t actually buy anything but I could at least get an idea of the price range I could expect to find.  I didn’t even really know what I was looking at, but what I found was much more than an old piece of crap.

It was a four year old Harley Davidson XLH 883 Sportster Hugger (whatever that meant) with only 941 miles on it!  The photo glistened with lots of chrome stuff juxtaposed to the glossy black paint.  She was beautiful!  She was practically brand new.  She lived about a half-hour north of Philly.  She had one bid on her and a “Buy it Now” price!  Patience is not one of my better qualities, so I clicked “Buy It Now”.  A few moments later, I got a message saying “You have won!”  :-D  How cool was that?!!!  Now I just had to figure out how to get my new beauty home.

I didn’t know how to ride her.  Jay wasn’t allowed to ride her on interstates (still with that darn learner’s permit).  Did I mention that she was 2.5-3 hours away?

I rented a cargo van and drove from Baltimore to Jay’s apartment in Elkton, MD on Friday night.  We got up at the crack of dawn on a ridiculously hot & humid Saturday morning in July and drove to American Classic Motors in Zeiglerville, PA.  The guys there were great, and they even threw in free t-shirts for both of us!  Jay had to work Saturday night, so I dropped him off halfway home. I drove the van back to my townhouse in Baltimore where I had to wait until my brother could round up a couple of friends the next day to help get the bike down out of the van.  It was much easier getting her in at the dealer with their ramp and everything!  After working up a pretty good sweat, we looked her over in the parking lot and all said “gee, what a pretty bike…anybody know what to do with her?”  We wheeled her around the house, lifted her over the curb, and rolled her in through the sliding glass door to my basement.  It was pretty anti-climactic.

First thing Monday morning, I returned the rental van and went straight to the DMV to get my learner’s permit and register my new baby.  Then (after checking with Jay who said that the clutch operated the same way as in a car), I took her for a spin.  OK, I know, it was probably not the smartest thing in the world to do…but remember I said I am not very good with patience?

There was an elementary school across the street from my house.  All I needed to do was get around the corner to the parking lot, and then I could just ride around in circles and get acclimated.  I didn’t even have to shift out of first gear.  There is practically no traffic to deal with in the suburban residential area, so what could go wrong?  Well, I sat straddling my bike at the corner until I was good and ready, gave it just a little throttle, and let out the clutch.  That was when my baby lurched forward a bit faster than I expected her to, and I freaked out that I would never be able to get the bike turned left before I ran out of road and I hit the curb!  Well, I almost made it.  I was parallel to the curb just as I scraped against it, and toppled over.  My bike was scratched in a couple spots down the pipes, but she was no worse for wear.  The engine guard fileted the grass, and I bruised my leg on the curb.  I bruised my ego more.

Some guy driving by in a pick up truck helped me stand her back up again, then drove off as I insisted I was fine.  But the worst part was that I had flooded the motor or something, and she wouldn’t turn over.  So I had to tuck my tail between my legs and duck walk her back down the block to my house and put her away.

I learned a lot that day.  I learned that patience IS a virtue.  And I learned to respect the machine.  I would never push her to something we weren’t ready for again.  I have treated her well, and she has treated me to a couple thousand miles and smiles.  She showed me how to live.  I will miss her.

If you know anyone who might be interested in taking care of my baby in the next chapter of her life, please email editor@roadcaptainusa.com

• 2001 Harley Davidson 883 Hugger
• Gets 70 mpg
• 7000 miles
• Lots of chrome
• Good beginner bike
• Would make cool chopper with drag bars or apes and cool pipes
• Looking for $5000 or best offer

Tags: Mrs Road Captain, The way I roll: Stories by Diana Green
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In anticipation of our upcoming trip through West Virginia, I thought it appropriate to address some great travel tips provided by the American Motorcycle Association.  I first saw these tips mentioned at Keep The Rubber Side Down. This will be our first 5-day tour (we have done several 3-day weekends), so it is shaping up to be quite an adventure!

Here are the “insider tips,” with a little commentary from Mrs RC on each:

1) Eat at weird times. Everyone and their dog eats around 8 a.m., noon and 6 p.m. To get in and out of restaurants in a hurry, don’t be hungry then.

Like you can control when you are hungry!  LOL  Seriously, this is great advice for avoiding long waits.

2) A short metal cable with loops on both ends (like those made to keep people from stealing bicycle seats) is perfect for securing a jacket and helmet to your bike’s helmet lock.

We have one of these.  Jay put it together at Home Depot with help from one of the employees.  It cost about $3 including the little Master pad lock, and it works great!  You just pull the cable through your sleeve and hook the padlock around your helmet strap fastener.

3) Carry a spare key. Zip-tie or duct tape it somewhere hidden on your bike, or better yet, give it to a traveling companion.

Neither one of us even HAS a spare key to our bikes (they only came with one).  Maybe we should look into that.

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Tags: Mrs Road Captain, Trips & Places To Go by Diana Green
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It has been a big week for me.  Saturday I cracked the 6000 mile mark on my bike when we went to the Harley Drag Races.  Sunday I put in another 215 miles pre-riding part of the route for a ride Jay is leading next week.  This was followed by Million Mile Monday, giving me a total of almost 700 miles in only 3 days!  But that was only the beginning…

Troy’s Visit

My son Troy was visiting from Baltimore for a few days this week.  He only lives an hour or so away, but his visits are always short-lived because of the girlfriend that he can’t bear to be away from for more than an hour and because he spends his weekends running the lawn service company he started when he was 12.  I always try to make the most of the time that I have with Troy, and this week was no exception.  Jay took some personal time from work on Wednesday, and the three of us went for a motorcycle ride.

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Tags: Mrs Road Captain by Diana Green
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I awoke at the crack of dawn on Monday June 30th, fixed myself a bagel and brewed a pot of coffee for my hubby.  This is highly abnormal behavior for me while on summer vacation, but then today wasn’t just any day…today was Million Mile Monday!

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Tags: Mrs Road Captain, Trips & Places To Go by Diana Green
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While at Cox’s Northern Tier Harley Davidson on our May 2008 “Return to Mansfield” trip, I spotted a jacket that really caught my eye.  It was basically black with lots of trim in a gorgeous electric turqouise color…and cost $200   :(    I wasn’t really thinking about shopping at the time, let alone putting additional baggage on the bike for the weekend, so I let it go.  But after arriving home I found I couldn’t let it go.  I looked it up on harley-davidson.com and discovered all of the great features of this jacket.  It is waterproof, windproof, has front & back vents, reflective piping, a bungee cord system on both sides for a custom fit, and even removeable lightweight armor (not to mention the gorgeous embroidery on the back of two tribal style screaming eagles facing each other with the bar and shield logo)!   :)

A few days before “Our Trip with Skip” to Rhode Island, First State HOG held its annual spring barbeque meeting at Mike’s Famous Harley Davidson in New Castle.  The store was closing as we arrived for the meeting, but I saw that they had my jacket.  I tried it on for size and showed it to Jay.  He agreed that it was very attractive and was good quality.  So the next evening we rode up to purchase it along with some S-100 products (thanks for the recommendation, Dave) with our Mike’s Famous Famous Rewards points.  I even threw in a really cute pair of shorts, and we still paid only $108 for the whole lot after redeeming our reward points!

Since the weather report for our Rhode Island trip was calling for some cooler temperatures and a good chance of rain, I decided that my new jacket would be perfect for the trip.  I was right!  The jacket was warm enough to keep me comfortable on the 58 degree mornings, and lightweight enough that it was not too hot until we started pushing 80 degrees in the afternoons.  I didn’t have to worry about stopping and pulling out rain gear for just a little sprinkle because the jacket is waterproof.  It proved to be water resistant in light rain, but I put raingear on for the heavy stuff.  This jacket is much less bulky under rain gear and easier to fold up than my leather.  I felt a little more secure flying down the Jersey Turnpike knowing that I had the built in armor to protect me should we take a spill.  Heck, it had to be better than the lightweight tan color Harley Davidson denim jacket I usually wear when it’s warm out! I love that jacket too! I brought both of them on the trip so I would have something to wear when it got hot in the afternoon.

 I’ve never had a jacket that was vented before, so I had to ask Jay if they normally put vents in the upper part of the sleeves.  I couldn’t help but wonder if someone at HD actually recognized that a large percentage of the time, women will be riding on the back of a motorcycle and simply don’t get as much breeze across their chest as they do on their arms!  It was either a freak coincidence, or it was brilliant! The arm vents could be an inch or two longer.

The fit is fabulous.  The velcro cuffs neatly enclose the sleeve ends over my gloves, so there is no need to go the gauntlet route.  And after purchasing a size Large to fit around my chest, the bungee cords on the sides allow me to tighten the jacket up around my waist for a snug fit all around.  There is also a zipper in the center of the back that expands and contracts the fit around the hips.  It is very comfortable, versatile, and best of all mega-stylish!  I will be getting a lot of use out of this fabulous find.  I love it!

Special thanks to Nicole and her staff at Mike’s Famous Harley Davidson Apparel and Motorclothes Department for their assistance in this purchase and showing us how to redeem our Mike’s Famous Rewards points.

Tags: Mrs Road Captain, Product Reviews by Diana Green
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Saturday, June 7th was a day full of adventure, exploration, fact-finding, romance, and a little too much sun.  We had already checked out a few places last week in Rock Hall, MD in hopes of finding a great fishing getaway for Dad’s father’s day gift.  The town was great, and the trip was nice, but nothing had really jumped out at us.  Then some friends from First State HOG suggested a place down at Tilghman Island–a little farther south and just past St Michael’s which we’ve heard so much about.

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Tags: Mrs Road Captain, Trips & Places To Go by Diana Green
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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.

Tags: Deep Biker Thoughts, Mrs Road Captain by Diana Green
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In a recent post on Motorcycle Philosophy, Steve Johnson discussed with some friends some of the benefits of “Learning to Ride the Hard Way.”  They were saying that if you have an accident you can take from it a valuable learning experience.   The philosophy being: what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. The problem is, this method of learning might kill you!  In the post, the question was raised “How am I supposed to improve if I don’t try pushing myself?“ 

Here’s my take on the matter: 

When I completed the BRC at Cecil Community College in August 2005, I took a lot from my instructors.  After skills tests were completed, written test scores were tallied, and certificates of completion were issued, the lead instructor charged us with the following words:   

“When you all first walked into this room 48 hours ago, I would not have even imagined taking any of you out onto the interstate highway.  Now I would have no hesitation in doing so…with no other traffic, and all of the entrance and exit ramps closed off for several miles in each direction!  Just because you have met the minimum requirements to be eligible for your motorcycle endorsement, that does not by any means make you an expert rider.  Take it slow, know your limits and ride within them, never ride outside of your comfort zone.”

I took those words to heart.  My first rule for myself was not to ride on any roads with more than one lane in each direction or with a speed limit greater than 30 mph.  I wanted to ride my bike to work which was located on a 40 mph, 5-lane, very busy street.  This proved to be a challenge, but I formulated a route through neighborhood roads where I came out across the street from the high school and crossed Reisterstown Road at a traffic light, directly into my parking lot.  It took me about twice as long as it would taking a direct route in my car, but I got there safe and sound.  After work, I would generally take a few laps around the neighborhood before turning into my street for the evening.

 After a month or two of this, I was beginning to feel quite comfortable with the shifting, steering, braking, and general operation of the bike.  I decided it was time to step it up a notch.  I chose a stretch of road which was still only 2 lanes but had speed limits of 40 mph.  My entrance spot had clear visibility in both directions, and plenty of room for me to turn around and go back just in case I decided the traffic was too heavy or if for any other reason I felt like I needed to bail on the idea because I was outside of my comfort zone.  I made an easy right turn onto the road, and had several turn-offs available to the right that I could take any time I decided that I’d had it.  That never happened.  Instead, my little Sporty buzzed with excitement as I hit fourth gear for the first time ever!  Then in a flash, I could sense that she wanted to go to fifth!  Wow!  Adrenaline pumped through my veins as I sensed a euphoria never before experienced!  I was really riding! 

Now I considered riding my bike to places that I hadn’t before.  I rode to my hairdresser in the next town over who was soooo jealous I had my own bike and she didn’t.  She admired my new Harley, and then laughed as I mashed my freshly styled hair under my helmet for the ride back home!  I devised all kinds of routes that kept me off the main strips and on two-lane roads.  Speed quickly became a non-issue.  It was time to tackle the next step:  the 5-lane road… 

Next morning, I took my “regular” route to work–this time on my bike.  I entered Reisterstown Road by making a left turn at a traffic light.  I moved directly into the right lane, where I stayed for the half of a mile until my right turn into the high school parking lot.  After work that day, I pulled out of the lot and followed that big scary road (not any more) for the entire 2 miles until it drops down to 30 mph and two lanes, then I turned off through the neighborhood towards my house. 

Riding within my limits? …always.  Out of my comfort zone? …never.  Moving forward, improving my skills, becoming a better rider? …absolutely!  (Last week I even rode on an Interstate!) 

As you practice skills or repeat experiences, they will eventually become routine…thereby naturally moving the limits of your abilities and comfort zone perpetually forward.  In this manner, you will always be improving your riding skills without ever having to learn anything “the hard way.”

Tags: Mrs Road Captain by Diana Green
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The very first time I ever hopped on the back of a Harley, I was introduced to the wave.  At first I thought it was a wave hello to an acquaintance, but I quickly discovered that it meant much more than that.  The wave was a sign of approbation to another member of arguably the largest fraternity in the world.  And I was welcomed as a part of that brotherhood…simply because I was riding on two wheels. 

The whole motorcycle culture was new to me at that point, and it was fun discovering all of the different ways that people would wave.  (Check out Dave’s post on this topic over at Road Grits Café.)  It was a huge part of what made me fall in love with motorcycling–that sense of camaraderie on the road.  But as I rode, I felt guilty because sometimes I did not reciprocate the waves.  As a novice rider I had so much to concentrate on–shifting, braking, traffic, curves, obstacles in the roadway…  Since I know from personal experience many reasons why one might with no ill intention refrain from waving, I bear no ill will towards others when they do not reciprocate my waves.

There are many alternatives to the traditional wave (sometimes referred to as “the secret Harley wave” by riders of other brands of bike).  You can raise a few fingers without actually letting go of the clutch with your entire hand, or you can offer a simple nod.  Some of these alternatives are not easily visible, particularly if you are concentrating on riding safely instead of stressing over whether or not another rider is waving at you!

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Tags: Mrs Road Captain by Diana Green
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