A Rare Motorcycle Ride

I had the rare opportunity to go on a three-day motorcycle ride with about 20 other bikers. What was rare about it was that most of them were Harley-Davidson riders. Now, if you know anything about the biker culture, we (sport bikes who want to ride) and them, have a friendly feud.

This group was from the church I attend with the pastor riding one of the biggest, baddest, and loudest Harleys. I have no problem with loud as long as I’m in front and don’t have to listen to them.

We started from Salem, Oregon, in one long line and rode together out toward the coast until I and my group of sport bikes riders couldn’t take it any longer and pulled away. We met in Pacific City for lunch. My group had time to get a cup of coffee at the corner café and rested awhile before the group rumbled into town.

Now, you’d think when it’s lunch time, well, that it’s time to eat. But not Harley guys. No. They all pulled out a rag and their cleaning chemicals and went to work on their bikes. Chrome, it gets dirty. A couple of guys had to get out their tools and make some “minor adjustments”. Oh brother.

So off we went, ahead of them to Tillamook. Tillamook Creamery is one big tourist site. Many other bikers were there on their own trips and we all looked at each other’s bikes pretending to be interested in them while we had the famous Tillamook ice cream. You can get the ice cream in the store for a fraction of the price but there’s something about someone scooping it out for you, especially while you’re on a bike.

We left Tillamook after an hour break and since we were going to Seaside the Harley guys thought we’d ride as one big group again. Slow going because they’re Harley guys but also we were trying to stay together.

Some of us managed to break free which wasn’t a great idea because none of us knew where we were going.

Again bikers parking illegally

A small group of us are parked here in Seaside because we are lost. Notice the “No Parking” sign. Bikers think they can park anywhere. My bike is the second one in. The first guy you see in the photo is the sheriff.

Now the sheriff was an interesting guy. He rode with us in the fast bike group and I carefully studied some of his riding tactics. See, once you’re on a bike it doesn’t matter if you are a servant of the law, like him, or a chiropractor, like me. Speed limits are only suggestions. One time him and I took off quite fast and his bike is light and his front wheel kept coming up. That’s too fast. Mine didn’t so I’m thinking I had more control — two wheels safely on the ground. Also, on this particular run, I missed a gear going into 6th (still ahead of him) just as I noticed a friendly policeman coming at us. No worries, we hadn’t gotten into speeds high enough to register on radar. (I think that’s what the sheriff told me).

Harley guys like to ride around most towns very slowly and rev their engines. This makes quite a scene for pedestrians. I’m not much for it because for one, my Triumph Sprint overheats when I’m going too slow. For another, there’s no sense to it. The other thing is — get this — their bikes vibrate like nothing I’ve ever seen. The entire thing shakes violently. I wonder how many teeth are chipped by a Harley vibrating at a stop.

Harley guys wear these caps on their heads. They call them helmets but I wear a helmet, not a cap. They say the need to feel the wind in their face…whatever, ride your bike a little faster and get out of the fast lane, you’re holding up traffic. I might wear one of their caps some day, maybe after I go down so I can feel my ear peel away from the pavement.

Harley guys will form discussion groups around one bike and they’ll point and touch and make profound comments about a new chrome part the owner had just put on — maybe a cover to a spare part. It’s cost is always between $300-$400. They’ll all nod their heads and agree that that particular chrome bolt was worth it.

Harley guys always have rags in their bags. In fact, I believe they have one bag devoted to rags. With this they will stop every moment and polish something that just got dirty or that they missed the last time they stopped. Which leads me to the most troubling notion about Harley riders…

Harley riders don’t like to ride. It’s the honest truth. They like to sit in easy chairs a short distance of their bike and just look at it — staring. They don’t really want to ride it. They want to stop every 15 minutes for some kind of excuse: water, restroom, food, or whatever just so they don’t have to ride. I can’t stand it: “hey you’re supposed to ride the dang bike.”

On the way home my group of six lead the way. Now traffic on the highway from the coast was very busy when we came back. Makes for an exciting ride. I did have a close call as I passed between two cars that the sheriff told me later it reminded him when Indiana Jones just barely pulled himself from a room just as the door about closes on his leg. I didn’t think it was that close. It was rather exciting.

In all, it was a pretty good trip. I learned how to stop more often, look at my bike and talk about parts, and rag the thing down. I guess that’s all helpful sometimes. It’s always good to get away from your normal surroundings and around people that have a different take on life. That’s good.

I usually take a sport cycle ride over Labor Day weekend and cook for the guys on my birthday, but didn’t go this year. There will be other times and more rides.

Is there a point to this motorcycle madness? Yes, if you look for it and it is to say this: it’s important to take a new and different view from normal patterns in life. Every new experience adds to your versatility in life and increases your experiences. But you don’t have to get behind a Harley.

Dr Peter Lind
Lind Wellness