cold weather and strange cravings

the changing of the seasons often leads people to do odd things. sometimes these are good, sometimes these are not so good. sometimes you aren't really sure if they're good or bad. sometimes you just never find out.

it's been getting colder recently, even as we've been having some gorgeous afternoons here in seattle. the nights and early mornings are experiencing ever-dropping temperatures at a radical rate on that inevitable path to winter. i'm guessing it'll start freezing in early november. we're supposed to have a bad winter this year and, unfortunately, that does not bode well for my winter commuting.

now, as i've mentioned before, i'm pretty hearty when it comes to riding in inclement weather. i'm usually a year round commuter. however, i will not ride when there is ice on the roads, or the chance of ice. i'm tough, i'm not stupid. i was riding to work the other morning around 8:30, and the roads were already getting slick from the cold. the temperature was probably in the low 40s, and it didn't freeze that night as far as i know, but i certainly noticed the roads. if it keeps getting colder, and starts freezing, i may not get to commute much this winter on the bike, which would be a shame.

right, now to the strange cravings. recently i've been having more unexplained desires for a harley davidson (those that know me know that this is strange indeed). this came up a bit during the trip, which i could write off to circumstances (my knee was bugging me from my aggressive riding position, i was seeing a LOT of HDs on the road, and the whole travelling around the country thing definitely fits with the image harley has manufactured). now that's just the thing. i know that harley has manufactured this image, and i am currently falling for it. i'm not a huge fan of harley bikes. i'm not even a meagre fan of most harleys, it's mainly one that's catching my eye. that would be the sportster 883 iron, or this one:

now let's face it: this is a pretty bike. overpriced? sure. all harleys are. overrated? probably, as most HDs fall into that category as well. but when i've been fantasizing about bikes recently, this is what most comes to mind. again, i'm not sure if it's the bike that's doing it, or the image associated with the bike, but there you go. falling victim to marketing and whatnot (again, strange for me).

i think part of this is due to the fact that my own personal style doesn't necessarily always mesh with vixen's. she's a spicy little japanese bike, and i often fit more with the classic biker style. we are often at odds when it comes to asthetics. don't get me wrong, i think she's tres sexy, but as i've said before, she might not be my first choice given unlimited options. i love the way she handles, i love the quick, light flickability she offers, but sometimes she seems a little...plain. suzuki is not a brand with a lot of mystique and her looks are nice, but not amazing. she's a midrange bike with midrange asthetics. even in the naked bike category, she doesn't stack up to a monster or a speed triple.

when i've talked about dream bikes in the past, it's usually been closer to the classic british side of things. i've always had a soft spot for old triumphs and the bonneville is still one of my all time favorites. like this one:

very nice. this is where my tastes usually drift, but recently it's been all american iron. i can't explain it. again, i think it's much more of the idyllic imagery that goes along with it than the bike. i mean, the 883 is probably the only harley i would ever have an interest in owning; in terms of style, it's the only one that does anything for me. maybe it's just more that classic look that i'm digging. vixen is a very modern bike and i'm just not necessarily a modern man.

let me make it clear, however, that i won't be jumping off to buy another bike anytime soon, or try and trade vixen in for something. first off, i can't afford it even if i wanted to. these dream bikes are pricey. and second, i do have a certain attachment to the old girl, having taken her around the country. for my needs, she's just about perfect. and besides, if i had been serious about trading her in i would have done so BEFORE taking her on an 8400 mile trip. so don't worry, i'm not about to do anything rash.

a guy can dream, though. can't he?


rftc,

scott