Its Springtime…. garden anyone??…

Believe it or not, it is Spring!! Although its also riding time, I am a gardener at heart. Looking for some great ideas? Try Pinterest. Here is the first idea I put on my Pinterest page..http://tinyurl.com/cu5pkxr There are so many great ideas out there that you can spend hours reading and planning.
While you are at it, think about getting that bike in order. Here is a great article by the AMA that will certainly help…http://tinyurl.com/cktkluj

Now that Spring has sprung, get out there and get busy because we have waited months to get here, dont waste any time!

Lady Godiva on wheels…. needing to get dirty!!

Did someone say Spring…..

According to the internet: Spring began with the vernal equinox at 7:02 A.M. (EDT) on March 20, 2013 in the Northern Hemisphere. However, someone forgot to send Old Man Winter the memo. I saw a post on Facebook that said, “I think its time for Old Man Winter to get Mother Nature drunk and have some fun making Spring”. I promise to provide the alcohol!! Anything they want!
But, smile… it is coming so get that bike in shape and get ready to ride!!

Lady Godiva on wheels… loosing patience with that darn Old Man Winter!!

What makes “Clutch” tick..

“Clutch” is my two-year old grandson. Recently I have considered re-naming him “Crash” since he has mastered the wheelie and the stoppie and is now perfecting laying down his bike and announcing in a loud voice, “Crash!!”. Then he rolls around on the ground for a while and then picks up his bike and starts all over. He has figured out that he can slide his back wheel around the corners, pull it upright and slide into the position to lay his bike down with a perfect tuck and roll! It just may be a skill that serves him well since he will be on a motorcycle before he’s five years old, I’m sure. We are a motorcycle family so it’s a given!
Now that his head has grown big enough, he got his first big boy helmet, complete with the Fox sticker, of course. So, how does Clutch watch his morning cartoons…. with his helmet on, naturally! The only way I could get it off his head was to promise him he could read his motorcycle magazine and eat raisins. Alas, the hair was your A-typical “helmet head” hairdo for a good portion of the day!! Not that he cared because he could sit ,content and play with his motorcycle apps on his iPad which is very hard to do with the helmet on, as he discovered! These are the things that make “Clutch” tick! Motorcycles, motorcycle tricks on his bike, helmets, motorcycle magazines, and motorcycle apps on his iPad. Starting to see a pattern? Me, too…..

Lady Godiva on wheels… playin with our smallest member of the Motorcycle Travel America.com family and my little sweetie, “Clutch”. Now this is living!!

A Quote from the blog of Dwain DeVille, the biker guy…

Smart people use quotes that come from the best.  Motorcycle Travel America.com’s friend, Dwaine DeVille, is just one of those considerably smart individuals; using a quote from the great John Wooden, legendary coach that led the UCLA Bruins to seven consecutive NCAA championships, he shows just how smart…how true this one is: 

“Whatever you do in life, surround yourself with smart people who’ll argue with you,”.

Read about the great John Wooden and his many quotes! Food for thought, every one.
http://www.hoopsu.com/99-wisdoms-from-wooden
 
Find Dwain on Facebook to see all the great things he’s up to… https://www.facebook.com/Dwain.DeVille

Lady Godiva on wheels, spreading the word but experiencing technical difficulties adding links. Had to do it “old school”, baby!!

Happy Father’s Day? Really….

Today is Father’s Day and according to my husband who rarely drinks, my only duty is to make sure his glass of Tequila Sunrise is full. That also means that I should walk behind the ride-on lawnmower with a pitcher in my hand and wearing an outfit that would send the neighbors into shock! I took a deep breath and calmly gave him a choice…..he chose well and will live to see another Father’s Day. 
So, a few minutes ago I was doing yard work. Summer happened while I wasnt looking and the truth is that the most beautiful part of my property are the weeds that have flowered during the recent rain followed by sun! It’s a mess. But the good news is that weeds are easier to get when they are waist-high and you don’t have to bend down! I joke, but this is no laughing matter. Where do they all come from and although I have poisoned them, stomped them out, cut them down and cursed at them, they still come back. Resilient little suckers and can’t take a hint!
Well, here is how it went for me…. bend and pick, move over, bend and pick, repeat. I was bending and picking and bending and picking and “Hole in the ground?”. I only heard a slight buzzing sound before I ran. I considered jumping in the pool but remembered that I hadn’t put the summer chemicals in yet. I thought about grabbing the hose but opted for the sure thing and hit the back door to the house at full speed, shutting it behind me with a slam!! So much can run through your mind in a short amount of time when you think you have a swarm of angry Yellow Jackets on your tail.
Back in the house I was summoned to fill my husbands glass…. its better than the Yellow Jackets and he is a lot cuter. Maybe I will even cook him a steak for dinner!

Happy Father’s Day to all you wonderful guys out there. It only comes once a year so enjoy!

Lady Godiva on wheels… warmin up the grill and giving my husband a little kiss on his bald head!

Speaking of Dad….

I was just thinking about Father’s Day and a couple great “idea” items for you to consider..

The first is a great little item that I intend to buy myself in honor of my own dad who reluctantly got a cell phone per my request. OXO puts out a plug-in charging shelf that holds the phone out-of-the-way while it charges. Check it out at Organize.com.

The second… also one I intend to get for my very own.. is the XL Cable Organizer to keep all those cords out-of-the-way and out of sight! A simple idea that works great. Check it out at The Container Store.

A little something from my mind to this blog; Dads are important, especially to their daughters. They teach their little girls what kind of men to date and marry.  They teach a little girl that she is beautiful, smart and of value before she ever reaches adulthood. They teach us to ride our bikes, drive a car and appreciate the thrill of riding motorcycles via a ride on the Harley zipped up in their daddy’s leather jacket. They teach us good things and some teach us bad things, I realize that. If you are fortunate enough to have a dad that was wonderful, tell him on Sunday because you were truly blessed. If you weren’t so blessed, do something for YOURSELF and take the time to make amends because they are gone all too soon.

Lady Godiva on wheels… thanx for letting me get that out!!
Happy Father’s Day to all those fantastic men that do the hard work because they love their families that much! They will be better for it! And so will you…

I’m back… I think!!

Its been way too long since I have visited all my readers here on the old blog. I am just touching base to let everyone know where I was…
My dad had a sever decline in health early last year and I spent some of it taking care of him down in California. He was, at times a real trooper. Then there were the times when he went kicking and screaming! It was a journey for all involved. In November, just after Thanksgiving, he lost the good fight but he was ready. Not that it made it any easier for the rest of us….
One of the things my father and I talked about was my website, Motorcycle Travel America.com. He loved his Harley and loved the thought that we had motorcycles in common. He wanted me to continue on with the website and enjoy my life on the back of my bikes. Although it has been a tough grind to make the website do all I want it to do, my dad helped make the decision to forge ahead. Thanks Dad!
Yesterday was my grandest meeting with the web gurus and the search for funding has begun! The need to explain why motorcyclists need more than 10 waypoints on a map of a road trip proved to be difficult but I was successful!  Now the real work begins. Business plans, proposals and charts are all I will be working on for the next month. My sweet little trike sits down in Chandler, AZ in the talented hands of Jason Sarratt from Hellcat Customs. Although I would love to be out riding her… and I would… I know that I need to get some things done first. Jason has been so patient with me and I love he and Kelly for it. There will be lots of fun to come and many more stories to be written but they will have to wait for now.
So, there you have it. I couldn’t leave everyone wondering where I went and what had happened to me. Life.. that’s what happened to me. We all have our stories! Stay tuned and I will keep writing and let everyone know where I am and how its going. If there are hiccups and I stay away too long, I will always be back!

Lady Godiva on wheels getting back on the horse.

Lets talk Christmas and a bad economy…

This year may very well be the year that I exercise the most restraint that I have ever used doing my Christmas shopping. With that said, I would like to share some helpful hints for avoiding over spending…
These are really common sense ideas but ones that I have never chosen to tap into. Could I be one of the many that look at Christmas and loose all sensibility? Well, yes I could be! Which is how I know so much!!

1. Make a plan, a list, and a budget. Sounds easy, doesn’t it? It’s not! Choose your present carefully and make sure that it is a meaningful gift. It’s not important to spend a lot of money but to put a lot of thought into it. You can avoid last-minute panic shopping events at the mall by starting now while cooler heads still prevail.
Buy things in “sets” and then break them up into individual gifts made special by adding that touch that speaks to the person its intended for. Example: Candles in a set with a special holder for each that is just right for the person its purchased for. Or: A set of bowls given individually with special homemade cookies with a recipe that the person loves.

2. Dont use the credit cards…. unless it’s too late to save the cash. Spending with plastic makes you more likely to over spend. Stick to the list and the budget!  Credit cards aren’t the enemy but its the way they allow us to spend that makes them a danger! January will not be pleasant if you don’t stick to the plan!

3. If you plan on shopping online, which many of us will, make sure you take advantage of the sites that will compare prices for you. Here are some that were used by people I know. I have not used them personally so exercise some caution and do your own research: Shopzilla , Pricewatch , and PriceGrabber .
When shopping online, remember to check for “promotional codes” and “coupon codes” on the sites you decide to use before you make your purchase. Although you may be getting a smokin deal, there may be more money to save and who doesn’t love that kind of opportunity?

One more footnote: Remember to factor in entertaining cost when you are making a budget and start stocking up on items that come on sale to cut the costs there, as well. Make your holiday menus based on the things that come on sale. No one will care if its ham or turkey, peas or green beans… unless they hate those food items or they have allergies. 😉  Also a big help is that holiday cookies and goodies can be made ahead of time and stored in the freezer in sealed bags. Then you can have a last-minute gift idea!  You will also have more time to enjoy the season and be relaxed enough to have some fun in a stressful time. How much would the people around you like that?? Very much, I am guessing…..

So, let’s make this a great year despite the economy, remember to buy “made in the USA” where you can and let’s work smarter not harder.

Lady Godiva on wheels…. FYI, done Christmas shopping. Oh, don’t hate me!!

Christmas gift ideas…. again!!

Learning to navigate the “social network”, I have learned that you can work on one thing and have it go multiple places!! Who knew!! And, so…
Here is Motorcycle Travel America.com’s Facebook page and the place I am putting all my Christmas gift ideas for 2011. Here is my Motorcycle Travel America.com’s Twitter page where this blog post will be displayed.
I hope everyone who reads this will find some value here and perhaps find a great gift idea for that motorcycle person in their lives.
If you have an idea for a gift that will make a motorcycle rider happy, let me know and I will research it and display it on our Facebook page with credit going to the one providing the idea. So…. bring it and let’s get some great ideas out there.

Lady Godiva on wheels…. ready to shop!

Things I learned about three wheels…

Warning: This is a very wordy blog! Sorry… I had a lot to say….
Well, the Las Vegas Bikefest is over and we have all taken our bikes and gone home. But what a wild ride it was while we were there.
First you have to imagine that my bike was placed in the “Radical” group. Really? You should have seen the competition. Outrageous would be the word for all but my sweet little black darling with the two little wheels on the front. Man was she out-of-place!  But what was amazing is that right off the bat, we drew a crowd. Kelly, Jason’s fiance, was out there talking and demonstrating but the people were coming so fast that I got out there and helped. We talked to people and handed out my cards and the wooden nickles for Hellcat Customs.

It didn’t surprise me that the majority of the interest was with the older crowd, in the same age bracket as the main group for single vehicle fatalities (see here). That was actually what prompted me to start advocating for an alternative riding method that will give the rider the same or similar thrill as riding a standard two-wheeled motorcycle but with an added bit of safety. Then my motorcycle club, Rose City MC, lost one of its long-standing members and a very longtime rider who got the front tire of the bike into gravel around a curve on a road that he had traveled for decades. That just cemented what I already knew…. as we get older, our abilities diminish a little more as time passes. I don’t see as well, I’m not as quick as I used to be, and I can’t hear for crap! Along with that, I’m just not as strong as I used to be. So, whats a girl to do? Call the one guy that can build anything…. which wasnt how this story begins so I digress;
I started on Twitter when I started the website Motorcycle Travel America.com and did it to find other motorcycle people. And, wow, did I. That is where I became familiar with Jason Sarratt of Hellcat Customs. I did my homework to find out a little bit about him and was impressed with what I found. I needed an artist to do some specialty artwork on one of my bikes and wanted portrait work. That isn’t the easiest thing to do and if it doesn’t come out right, it doesn’t look good. After seeing some of his work and realizing how delicate it was, I was sold. Let me just remind you all… he painted Dorothy… remember. I wasnt disappointed in fact, I was thrilled!
So, here comes a time in my business world that will require a company vehicle and I have given considerable thought to the fact that I want something different for the long rides and with a spin for me to use to get my point across about older riders. I did so much research and found two really fine adaptations that might have worked for me. One was Mystery Design in Dallas, Texas and the other was Tilting Motor Works in Marysville, Washington. Both were excellent products and both tilted! Sorry, I just can’t give up the lean… So, after much research and consideration, I decided to let Jason purchase a bike for me and called Tilting Motor Works to order a kit to be sent to him. Unfortunately, the kits were only for the HD Road King and to make a conversion to the kit to fit the Sportster I had already purchased would have taken 6-8 months to complete and then longer to attach it to the bike. That would be too late to put it in the LV Bikefest as well.   Fortunately for me…. Jason has a remarkable mind and has been doing what he does for a very long time! I had many a conversation with Jason about his past experience and was always impressed and so, we decided to go ahead and let him make the most of his remarkable mind!  Here is a rundown of what he has been doing up until now;
He started out under hoods and around motorcycles in highschool and did a mc repair class as a trade school elective. Later he started as a Tech with Honda of America and did repairs and reports back to the factory on “at risk lemon law” cars and correcting design flaws on the mechanical side. Some of his duties led him to develop a lot of repairs to correct engineering issues. He had an admirable record of averaging 8-10 cars a day for 6 days a week and only had one come back with an error that couldn’t be remedied. He even helped write test questions for Honda to use to hire Research and Development Techs, like he was.
I asked him about his education and the answer certainly didn’t surprise me… He said,”I went to school to start a mechanical engineering degree and quit when the professor couldn’t answer the questions I asked. I figured he had nothing to teach me!”.
And so, the story began and the story still continues today.
Now the thing I learned at this particular show with the revealing of my little 3 wheeled wonder is that there is a definite interest in the design… but with more than just older riders. The interest with men wanting their women to come look at it and their delight at what they saw was overwhelming. The comment from the ladies was always the same…”now that bike I would ride!”. The stability that the front end offers is just what some women need to make them feel like they could ride it themselves. Heck, she stands with no kickstand. And that brings us a third group and the one that blew me away.
I was standing with a crowd and noticed a man on the fringe examining the bike. And then he walked off abruptly. It looked quite suspicious! He came back in about 10 minutes with a woman in an electric wheelchair and said to her, “I think you can ride that, what do you think?”. She said the same thing I had heard all day…”I could ride that bike!”. We had a gentleman that had only 20% use of one knee.. he loved the design and even sat on it to give it a try. Last but not least was a young man who lost nearly all the use of his one arm in a motorcycle accident. He didn’t want to give up riding and got really excited about the thought of being able to ride again and this bike design could be altered to make riding available to even a guy with only partial use of one arm. The excitement in the crowd got us excited. Jason was really happy to think that he could do some good with the design to benefit people. He’s just that way, God bless his heart!
This could open a lot of doors for Jason and give riding back to people who thought they had lost the option of riding something other than a rigid trike or a CanAm Spider. Not that there is anything wrong with those options but, its nice to know there is something more. So here is to innovation, here is to Jason’s beautiful mind, and here is to the future. Stay tuned…. there is a lot more to come!

Lady Godiva….. feeling very grateful!
Next up… the newest ideas for the reverse trike. What until you hear who Jason is talking design ideas with!!