Harley Davidson Full Face Helmet

Last Saturday dawned gray and foggy. But the local Harley dealer had called two days prior to say that my new helmet had arrived and was ready for pickup. I waited a few hours for the fog to lift, but this was a day that would remain in the low visibility category. When I could wait no longer, I turned on the fog lamps on my truck and ventured out.

The dealership was much quieter than it had been during the chili cookoff and it was not long before I was tugging on my new Harley Davidson Frill Airfit Sun Shield X03 helmet. It was a tight fit even with the air bladders deflated, but that is what I wanted. This helmet is for riding my Harley Lowrider S, which does not have a windshield. One of the reasons I was drawn to this helmet was the inflatable cheek pad feature. It can be made to fit as tight as needed and this will help as the inside of the helmet becomes a little more broken in.

Since I have had it home I have worn it a little. I want to get some time in it prior to riding season starting in a few months. I am very happy with the fit and finish so far. Here are a couple of pictures.

An Afternoon at the Harley Davidson Museum

The weather in northeast Wisconsin has been as gloomy as an Edgar Allan Poe short story. In an effort to brighten my outlook, I called a friend in the Milwaukee area and arranged to meet him for lunch on a recent Monday.

I left Green Bay at about 10:30 and enjoyed a pleasant drive down I 43. After a quick stop for some MacDonald's coffee in Sheboygan, I was soon cruising into Milwaukee and felt the drear lift. We had agreed to meet at the Motor Bar and Restaurant, which is part of the Harley Davidson Museum in downtown Milwaukee.  As I walked in I noticed that the restaurant reflected its connection to motorcycles well, with motorcycle racing featured on the big screens and a late model Harley motorcycle on display in the bar area.

Karl, my lunch companion, had already arrived and secured a table. He worked for Harley for about twenty years as an engineer and service representative, and said that I had just missed seeing Bill Jr., the great-grandson of one of the founders, William A. Davidson. Although now retired from full time work, Karl still has many connections to the Harley motorcycle family. His knowledge of all things Harley, and internal combustion engines in general, seems to know no bounds. We each ordered a bowl of chili and a soft drink as we caught up on the happenings in each other's lives.

The chili came with cheese and onions, in addition to the requested extra crackers. The waiter came around no more than necessary as we talked about our friends from Road America and plans for the summer. At our age the stories inevitably include friends who have left us with only our good memories of them. After lunch we ambled across the street to the museum.

We are both Harley Owners Group (HOG) members, so museum admission is free. The museum awards a pin each year members who visit, so we picked up our pins before going up to the main exhibit hall. As always, we were met and welcomed warmly by a staff member. The place was not very busy that day, so the staff member had time to talk about the museum and tell a few stories. One involved a conversation he had facilitated mostly by accident between an employee of Oshkosh Truck who was visiting the museum and the Harley designer who holds the position Willie G. Davidson held for years. Oshkosh Truck builds military vehicles, and their discussion was about what type of motorcycle Harley could develop that would most benefit the United States Armed Forces. The gentleman was still in awe of what he had heard and the conversation he helped to bring about.

Karl and I have visited the museum many times, so we walked to the area where the newest exhibit was located. It is a collection of Harley Davidson sales posters from the very beginning of the company. Karl was able to describe what was unique about each model featured and why it was important to the company's history. One particular poster was of a sixties era Electra Glide and Karl said he had put 100,000 miles on an identical motorcycle as he visited dealerships in the west. Another featured two Sportsters from the the same era and Karl said the scene overlooking  a body of water had been shot in the Wisconsin Dells area. It is a very interesting exhibit and a video explains the process of photographing and preserving the posters.

Next, we went up to the archives. This is where the bikes that are on display are prepared. Harley has at least one copy of each of their bikes produced in a given year. Karl's friend, Bill, is the archivist. He was not around so we just looked through the chain link at the bikes warehoused on the other side.

Our final stop was the design center display on the ground floor. Harley is featuring an exhibit that depicts their factory racing history. Karl knew or worked with many of the people featured, so it was fascinating to hear stories that could not be captured within the confines of an 8 x 10 card within the display. Harley is still competitive in American Flat Track, but has been involved in all types of racing since its very beginning.

As I walk around that museum it reminds me of Lambeau Field here in Green Bay. The place is spotless and it is apparent its owners take great pride in its appearance. Staff members are proud be a part of the organization and eager to share their knowledge. Just as Packers fans and ticket holders are excited, even honored to be in Lambeau Field, the Harley Davidson Museum gives me a warm feeling about owning a Harley. In my head I know it is all part of marketing the product, but in my heart, I love the place.

Before saying our good byes, Karl and I made a quick stop in the museum store. We looked at a few pins and posters before deciding it was time to go. I pointed my truck back toward Green Bay and reflected on the day. It is still deep winter, but an afternoon in the midst of the Harley mystique can lift the dark veil and rekindle thoughts of bright skies and dry roads.

Schwinn Typhoon is Ready to Ride

Jason, the mechanic at Pete's Garage, called a few days ago to report that my Schwinn Typhoon was finished and ready to be picked up. I told him I would be there later in the day, but then I looked outside. Instead of just a cold, damp January day, this was a full on rainy January day. As I would have to put the bike in the back of an open pickup bed to bring it home, I called him back and said I would be there on the first dry day.

After two more days of rain I was finally in the shop looking at my refurbished Typhoon. Jason had said that the tires I bought from Bikemanforu.com would be narrower than the originals, but they looked just the right size once on the bike. The whitewalls contrasted nicely with the new black grips, pedals and seat that Jason ordered for me. After paying the bill I posed outside the shop for a few pictures. Then I carefully placed it in the back of my Toyota Tacoma and brought her home.

I am so happy to have this project completed. The bike sat in my basement in various states for the better part of two years. Once I made the decisions on the wheels, the bars and the sea,t the process moved along quickly. I was fortunate to have gone to Pete's Garage, also. I had no idea how much it would cost to have the work done and was pleasantly surprised at how little I was charged. Another lucky turn was the fact that Jason has his own Typhoon and knows the bike. His is modified much more than mine, but he knew what would fit and what would look good on a Typhoon of this vintage. It is unlikely that I will try to restore another old bicycle, but I am glad that I did this one.

The weather here will not allow me to try out the bike on the road or trail for several months, so for now I'll just admire it and anticipate many happy miles this summer. Here are a couple of pictures of the finished product.

Chili Stop Leads to a New Helmet

This time of year I am always looking for a reason to visit a local motorcycle shop. The snow and ice are accumulating and the riding season is months away. It feels good to be around bikes and bikers for an afternoon, even without the sounds and smells of the real thing.

I have been planning to get a new helmet since last spring. My current lid, a Harley Davidson full face modular version, is seven years old. Helmet experts say that helmets lose their crash protection effectiveness after five to seven years, so I am due for an update.

My last two helmet purchases have been modulars. In July of 2012 I bought a Shoei Neotec to use when riding my 2011 BMW R1200 GSA. It was more than double the cost of my Harley helmet, but it is a much better product. It is quieter and the fit and finish is excellent. After buying my Harley FXDL S last March, I started thinking about upgrading my Harley modular.

The FXDL S has a small fairing, but I still face a lot of wind when riding. I wanted a helmet like the Neotec, but decided to get a non-modular full face. Shoei offers the GT Air, which is essentially and Neotec without the modular feature. After searching the online Shoei marketers, I planned to wait until attending the International Motorcycle Show in Chicago next month before making a decision. The GT Air retails for anywhere between five and six hundred dollars, so it is a major purchase.

A Harley Davidson dealer within about a thirty minute drive was offering a chili cookoff on a recent Saturday. This was just what I needed after a week of snow shoveling and ice scraping. In anticipation of enjoying some tasty chili and kicking a few tires, I made the short drive south.

The parking lot was full and it took a few minutes to find a spot to park my truck. It was sunny, but the lot was still mostly ice covered as I slipped and slid toward the door. The chili cookoff was in the service and shop area near the back of the store, so I had to walk past the helmet and boot display on way there.

I had no intention of buying another Harley helmet. However, there was one on the shelf that had some interesting graphics, so I pulled it down. It was a full face and my size. I noticed it had a drop down sun shield, which is a must, and some safety features my current Harley helmet did not. It also had inflatable cheek pads to give it a custom fit. Putting it on, I noted that it had the usual tight fit of a brand new helmet. At this point it became apparent that this helmet could be my next lid, at a cost several hundred dollars less than the Shoei GT Air I was considering.

The sales girl came over and explained how the removable cheek pads were designed to aid emergency workers in removing the helmet if necessary. She showed me how the sun shield lever operated and it was an improvement over my current Harley helmet's shield mechanics. She demonstrated how the inflatable cheek pads worked and I experimented with them. After a few more minutes of inspecting the prospective new lid, I thanked her and wandered back to taste some chili.

In the service counter area there were about seventeen assorted crock pots and Nesco roasters with chili or the remnants of what was chili. It had not taken long for some of the containers to be emptied out. I made a donation to the cause of the day and secured my styrofoam bowl and plastic spoon. After sampling about four varieties I cast my ballot for the hottest offering, took a long drink of water, and went back into the store.

The helmet was still calling my name, so I went back over and tried it on again. I am not normally an impulse buyer, but this seemed like the lid for me. After confirming that the twenty percent discount being offered that day applied, I decided to make the purchase. The large size on the shelf was the only one in the store, so the helmet is on order.

Once the ice and snow finally loosens its grip on northeast Wisconsin I will be able to report on how well the rather awkwardly named Frill Airfit Sun Shield helmet fits my needs. I will post a photo of my new Frill when I get it, but for now here is a stock picture.

Schwinn Typhoon Recovery

In the 1960's, when I was growing up, a Schwinn bicycle was the Holy Grail of two wheel transportation. Every one of the hundreds of kids that hung out at Fisk Park had a bike and part of the summer fun was checking out each other's rides.

My dad bought me a used Schwinn Racer, which had hand brakes and three speeds. It was green with a black saddle. There were not many of those bikes around. I don't remember having much trouble with it, so it must have held up well. I put some wire saddle bags on it so I could transport a baseball glove or a lunch for longer rides and after the seat wore out I put a light green cover over it. That did not look very good and I don't know why I did not just get a  new seat. One rainy night I had it at a neighbor's house and it was stolen. My dad reported it to the police, and a couple of days later it was found intact behind the Coad Funeral Home on West Walnut Street.

The only other bike I remember riding was a 20-incher with a white banana seat. That must have belonged to one of my younger brothers. That was the last bike I rode before I started driving, but I don't remember why I did not ride the Racer. Maybe it did finally break down.

At some time in the 60's my dad bought one of my brothers a brand new Schwinn Typhoon. Bent's Cycle Shop on Main Street sold Schwinn and that may be where he got it. The Typhoon had beautiful lines and was a very desirable bike. This one had the Coppertone gold paint. Both of my brothers rode the bike into the 1970's until they started driving. My dad rode it around the neighborhood a bit after that and may even have taken it to Florida for a winter or two. Eventually, it ended up in the storage area behind my dad's garage and was not ridden for the better part of 30 years.

A couple of years ago I decided that fixing up that old bike might be a good winter project. I had never done anything like it before, but was determined to give it a try. I checked with my siblings to find out if they had any interest in the bike and not surprisingly, they did not. So I brought it home and over the next few months took it apart.

Although I had good intentions, time slipped away as the bike sat dormant in the basement. I was not sure what I wanted the bike to look like when I was finished and I was not at all sure I could put it all back together myself. But in August my niece told me she had been working on an old bike she intended to take to college in the fall. She seemed to be making good progress and that made me feel a bit guilty about my own efforts.

In the fall I went to an old bike show and talked to some people about my Typhoon. They gave me some good ideas on what direction to go with it and what to use to clean it up. The more I learned about the bike and what others have done with them, the less I wanted to change on it.

In December I stopped at Pete's Garage on Broadway in Green Bay. It is a recently established bike store that sells a great variety of bikes and outdoor equipment. The salesman there knew something about old bikes and encouraged me to use as many of the original parts as possible. I also talked to the mechanic there, who happens to own a vintage Schwinn Typhoon. My plans of doing the work myself had changed, so I asked the mechanic if he would put the bike back together again. He said they do that all the time and the price he quoted was reasonable.

After talking to them I again searched online for photos of vintage Schwinn Typhoons. There are hundreds of them, but one caught my eye. It was a Coppertone gold with white wheels, a black seat, and black hand grips. By this time I had decided to keep the original wheels, but I thought whitewall tires would look good. The wheels are a unique size, so I had to find just the right tire. I found a vendor who sold the tires, tubes and rim strips for this particular wheel and had them shipped to me.

A few days ago I brought the frame, parts, and new tires to Pete's Garage. Within the next few days I should have my new old bike back and have something else to look forward to this spring.

Polaris Admits Defeat of Victory

I was surprised and disappointed yesterday by the news that Polaris Industries has discontinued production of its Victory motorcycles. The big V-twin  bikes went into production in 1999 and were an American made alternative to the iconic Harley Davidson motorcycles that dominate the heavy cruiser market.

 The Victory models were somewhat less expensive than the comparable Harley Davidson bikes. This gave potential Harley buyers some motivation to give Victory a try. The disadvantages that faced Victory when compared to Harley were varied. It did not have over one hundred years of product development behind it and did not have the dealer network or the parts and accessories catalog that comes with Harley ownership. But there were enough bikers who wanted to break from the cruiser norm to keep Victory in business for eighteen years. I never took one out for a test ride, because I was never tempted to buy one. My BMW carried Victory and I would check them out in the showroom, but I am a Harley guy.

In a press release the company announced that, "Polaris will assist dealers in liquidating existing inventories while continuing to supply parts for a period of ten years, along with supplying service and warranty coverage to Victory dealers and owners. Today's announcement does not affect any other Polaris business units."

The last sentence seems to be aimed at owners and potential owners of Indian motorcycles, which are also produced by Polaris. Indian bikes do not have the price advantage over Milwaukee iron that the Victorys held. It can be argued whether or not you are buying a better motorcycle for the same money, but you cannot justify purchasing an Indian based on cost. The Indian brand has a long history, but Polaris has produced Indian for less than ten years. If Polaris can pull the plug on Victory on short notice, I think that potential Indian buyers give it a second

thought before they write that big check for motorcycle that may not be in production in the coming years. The dealer I referenced earlier also sells Indian, so I am anxious to stop in and hear what my salesman has to say about this development.

Dakar Race Brings Heat to Frozen Wisconsin

January means a fresh start for a lot of us, but no more than for the competitors in the Dakar Rally in South America. Dakar 2017 began on the second day of the new year and will end on the fourteenth after traversing three countries and nearly 10,000 kilometers.

The Dakar Rally had its beginnings in Europe in 1979. It originally started in Paris, France and ended in Dakar, Senegal, which is on Africa's west coast. Over the next 30 years the starting points in Europe and finish lines in Africa varied, but the race itself continued to be a challenge for all who attempted it. The terrain in north Africa was forbidding and there are many stories of racers lost in the deserts. There were categories for motorcycles, cars and trucks. Participation steadily increased from 182 to over 600 in 1988. By the mid-nineties, however, the number of racers was down to around 250. Entries climbed again, though, and by 2007 the number was 511. In 2008 the rally was cancelled due to terrorist threats in Africa. The rally was held in South America in 2009 and has taken place there ever since.

This year's rally began in Asuncion, Paraguay, and includes categories for motorcycles, cars, trucks and quads. The riders and drivers will go through Bolivia and finish in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The Dakar 2017 app is a great way to follow the race. There is also a 30 minute program on NBCSN each night that recaps the stage from the previous day.

In the dead of winter in Wisconsin, when my motorcycles are tucked away, I enjoy watching the racers in the heat and the sand of the South American deserts. It makes me think about the adventures that await my bikes and me when Mother Nature releases her cold hard grip on the landscape.

 

2017 Resolutions

I retired from full time work about two and a half years ago. For the last forty or so years I dreamed of having the time to do the things I felt I did not have the time to enjoy. There was always a meeting to prepare for, phone calls to be made, people to meet and places to go. Once the responsibilities and time commitments of a job were eliminated, I would have the opportunity to pursue the things that brought me happiness.

When it comes to finding time for hobbies, I have found that life after retirement can pose some of the same issues as work life. There are still always things that have to be done around the house. But, just by being home instead of at work I recognize more things that need attention. There are family responsibilities that cannot be ignored. Bills still have to be paid and errands need to be run. When I was working, some of these things were done on the way to or from work or maybe during the work day. Now it seems that if I do not set aside time to do the things I enjoy, these tasks and responsibilities can absorb a good part of the day.

My resolutions for this year involve setting aside time to do couple of the things I planned to do after I retired. I believe that if I make the resolution, I will be more likely to follow through.

The first is to do more writing. When I retired, I had planned to write articles and submit them to motorcycle magazines in the hope that they would be published. I took a writing class the first summer of retirement, but that was geared toward memoir type writing. I did write an article about a motorcycle trip I took out to Rocky Mountain National Park. I submitted it to the BMW Owners News, but did not get a response. About a year later I wrote a story about a ride I took in the local area. I had taken a lot of pictures with the idea of submitting it to the Harley Owners Group (HOG) publication. It turned out that I lost my wedding ring on the ride and that greatly diminished my interest in writing about it. But four months later a little girl found it on a city street. I wrote the story with the happy ending and submitted it to HOG. This went unpublished also. I have one more story about a trip around Lake Huron, but I have not submitted that one. I have started this blog as a way of getting started writing again on a daily basis.

The second resolution is to play more guitar. I started playing about twenty years ago. For a period of time I spent a good amount of time at it, but never became very good at playing. About a year ago I sold the two electric guitars I owned and bought a new Fender American Standard Deluxe. I have played it, but did not pick it up much at all from about June into the fall. I play an acoustic electric in a church group most weekends, but I have not played that as often as I had planned to after retiring. I really want to get back to practicing and learning some new riffs and songs. It seems as if I have been stagnant for too long and playing the same things all the time.

There are other things I plan to do this year, but those are the two that I feel I need to commit to and verbalize. Activities like reading, bicycling and of course, motorcycling, are things that I know I will do over the course of the year.

I plan to document my progress in keeping these resolutions along with writing about other things that occur in my ongoing pursuit of happiness.

A New Year and a New Blog

It is a new year and time for a new blog. Over the past few months my motivation to write has fallen off dramatically and I need a new reason to write. For most of 2016 I wrote articles for the Allouez Neighbors magazine. Some were historical in nature and others reported on what I saw in the village that interested me. All of the articles that I wrote are published on my other blog, Bill Matchefts' Blog. If I do any more of that type of writing I will post the stories there.

For this blog I want to write about motorcycling. I will write about everything that interests me about the activity, and that covers a lot of ground. I have written a few stories about trips and rides and those will be published here. But mostly I want this to be a regular writing activity for me. My real ambition is to write travel stories for magazines, but my efforts have not resulted in publication. A good part of the reason for that is that I have not worked on enough stories and sent them in to magazines. My goal is to do enough writing here that I can produce something that I think will interest magazine editors.

Some of the stories you see here will be about rides taken up to three or four years ago. The roads and sights along the way are still there, so the information is still valid. Much of the information will be about roads and attractions in Wisconsin, as that is where I do most of my riding. This summer I plan to get back to riding some of the Rustic Roads in the state. That is another activity that I haven't enjoyed in longer than is healthy.

It's the dead of winter up here right now, but motorcycling is something that interests me year round, so I am not concerned about having anything to write about. Let's get started.