The 2017 Riding Season Underway

Two days ago I opened the garage door and began the motorcycling season. The thermometer read 25 degrees Fahrenheit, but the calendar said it's time to ride. My BMW R1200 GSA had been under cover and attached to a trickle charger for four long, dark and cold months. Enough was enough.

Last fall I had cleaned up the bike and removed the aluminum panniers so I could give them a good cleaning. Taking them off also left me more room in the garage for the snow removal equipment. All I needed to do to prepare the bike for riding was do a few checks and install the panniers. I used the portable air compressor to bring the tires up to the correct pressure and locked the panniers into place.

Yesterday dawned clear, sunny and cold. At 8 am it was only 22 degrees, but the forecast was for the high 30's. The roads were clear, although the local municipalities had treated them with something in anticipation of snow overnight. I had to go to my dad's for a few hours, so it was a great reason to get the bike out for it's 2017 debut.

Before I donned my jacket and helmet, I wheeled the big Beemer out into the bright sunshine. Once I had my riding gear on I came out to start it up and let it warm for a few minutes. It started harder than I thought it would, so I threw the charger into one of the bags in case I needed it. I checked the lights front and rear, brake light and turn signals before toeing the German beast into first gear.

The dash was flashing 33 and the little snowflake was pictured as I turned right out of the driveway. If you are not a rider, or you are able to ride year round, it is difficult to describe the euphoria involved in the first few miles each spring. The winter sometimes gives way to doubts about my riding capability, especially knowing that my Medicare card will turn up in my mailbox before Independence Day. So each year I get a warm glow as once again I experience the sheer joy of motorcycling.

Each spring, or technically, late winter, I never really know how much different the bike will feel after a few months off of it. The GSA is a big, heavy bike. I spend the winter pushing around the weights at the YMCA just to keep some semblance of muscle tone, but there will come a time when the bike is too big for me. Happily, that time is not now. There is also the issue of the motorcycle itself. It is great to hear the iconic boxer engine start, but then I find myself listening closely to make sure it sounds just as sweet as it did in November. I pay attention to handling and cornering, aware that I am riding on cold tires on cold roads. The local dealer warned me of this after one of his salesman dropped a bike leading a potential customer on an early season ride.

After a few city miles, I opened up the 1200 cc powerplant on the local interstate highway. It merged easily into traffic as I yanked the face shield on my Shoei Neotec to the closed position. The motor purred as the needle rushed past 75 miles per hour. All too soon I was at my exit and headed back into town to put in a shift caring for my dad.

I was still a little nervous because of how difficult it was to get the bike started, so after a couple of hours I went out and pressed the starter button. It started just like the day I bought it five years ago. I took this opportunity to reset the clock so it would reflect the change to Daylight Savings Time last week.

On my way back home I took the big twin out over the Tower Drive bridge and onto I 43. The weather had warmed into the high thirties and the sun was blissfully bright. As I pulled off the highway I wished that I had more time to enjoy this first day of riding.

Today I woke to snow covered streets and cloudy skies. There is an old saying about making hay when the sun shines and it applies to motorcycling here in America's Dairyland.