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!!

Meeting Jason and Kelly….

It’s so funny to meet someone on Twitter and have a long running relationship with them… and then finally meet them! This isn’t the first Twitter buddy I have met and I have to say that I have been blessed with some great friendships that I can’t imagine loosing, ever! In fact, Andrea D’assis, designer of the Wrapter hair wrap and ”chickthatrides“ on Twitter, met me in Vegas for some fun.
Enter Jason hellcatcustoms on Twitter, Kelly fierypinkgirl on Twitter, and Fred smoothbiker on Twitter! Man did I have a good time and have found more great riding friends.
I just wanted to thank Jason and Kelly for all the good times had and for the great bike and bike show experience. You two are awesome!

Lady Godiva on wheels… lovin the bike and my old but new friends! Thanks Twitter!!

Next up…. all about the Las Vegas Bikefest and my new three wheeled beauty!

Las Vegas, here we come!

My bags are packed and Im ready to go…. Las Vegas Bikefest is calling my name.  I feel like Im waiting to give birth. Really! Think about it; I conceived a baby..the reverse trike idea, I found the best OBGYN…builder Jason Sarratt of Hellcat Customs, I’ve seen the ultra-sound…the teaser pictures from Jason, and now I wait to see what the little critter comes out looking like…at the Las Vegas Bikefest.
This is the last picture I have seen… notice that its not a whole picture! Jason is such a tease…

Now, as Jason has made perfectly clear…. What I am about to see in Las Vegas is simply the bike with the concept showing but, its not the finished product. My beautiful baby will be worked on until early spring… pre-mature birth and she still needs the tender love and care of her pediatrition…yup, you guessed it. Jason!  I dont even care! I will be falling in love in a matter of days….Im on the count down…Wednesday, Thursday, Friday!! Stay tuned to Motorcycle Travel America’s Facebook page for the baby pictures and videos.

A very happy Lady Godiva on wheels, packed and more than ready to go.
FYI.. my spell check is mal-functioning so no wise-cracks about my spelling. Im tired!

It’s all about the lean and Jason knows lean….

You may remember in the last post that I posed the question about the bikes leaning ability to Jason of Hellcat Customs. Here are a couple of pictures that will back up his response….
Now that’s what I call “lean”.  Take a good look at that! Awesome….

Lady Godiva on wheels…. leaning….really leaning… way over, LOL

The amazing Hellcat Customs’ Jason Sarratt and his design…

For just a little teaser… here are a couple of pictures that show the progress of my new Sporty’s front end.

 To quote Jason’s comment to the picture he sent me, “Front end of a Nascar or Judy’s bike”. I hope that will be a good explanation… ” But officer, its made from a Nascar. I can’t be held responsible!”

Me on this bike… God help us all!

  To quote Jason, ” This is a joint, this and raw tubing is all we started with. The suspension in the picture is all hand-made with the exception of these joints”. I asked Jason if it would lean. He said, “Hell yeah, that is what it’s designed to do. Once you lean, it returns to straight up center”.

Well, talk about making this old girl happy! Motorcycle Travel America.com’s first official vehicle. I think we have arrived and I have Hellcat Customs to thank for it, again. If you’re thinking about a bike and want something different, Jason is your builder. Find him on Twitter @HellcatCustoms. Or at his website at Hellcat Customs.

Stay tuned, there is much more to come…
Lady Godiva on wheels…. so excited!!

“When life gives you lemons…build a bike!” Jason Sarratt of Hellcat Customs is at it again….

Well, here we go again, folks.  As the title states, when life gives you lemons… build a bike.  My sweet friends from Hellcat Customs are some of the select few who have had to listened to me whine about life for the past few months.  With everyone’s words of wisdom and kindness, ultimately I bounced  back and hit the drawing board with a new idea for a bike that is sure to lift my spirits as I roar through my home town and to places far away. Of course, Jason Sarratt, owner of Hellcat Customs, is always a good sounding board for me and a great person to listen to the ideas because he is so knowledgable and exuberant. He gets as excited about my projects as I do, maybe even a little more! So……… here we go again with a new adventure coupling Hellcat Customs and Motorcycle Travel America.com.  So, sit down and relax and join us on the journey…..
As I have said many times, I am an old girl who loves to ride. The stats on riders as we age is a staggering read and has made me do some reflecting. I don’t want to give up riding but I do realize that I am experiencing diminished capacities; i.e. vision, strength, hearing, reflexes and response time. With that said, I have decided that if I am to enjoy the long ride and the draw of the open road, I may have to make some changes. One thing I decided to do is research alternative riding machines. I looked at tilting trikes with two wheels on the rear out in Texas at Mystery Designs and two wheels in the front at Tilting Motor Works up in Washington state. Both are really great adaptations and allow you to ride with the feel of the lean that we all love so much and that I was not willing to give up. In the end I decided on the two wheels on the front and the excellent build by Tilting Motor Works owner, Robert Mighell.
Of course, the only person that will be building bikes for me is the brilliant and talented Jason Sarratt because of his innovative ideas and passion for the project. You may recall the absolutely outstanding artwork he did on my Brammo EV motorcycle, Dorothy.  (I know it sounds like I’m gushing about the guy but, I can hardly help it! He really is that good!) So, the call was made to Jason and a bike was located and purchased. Here is what she looked like in her perfect off the showroom floor condition… a sweet little 2010 HD Sportster 883.  But, she wont look like that for long.  A call to Tilting Motor Works revealed that the add-on for the front end currently could only fit a HD Road King and that the fitting of a Sportster would take several months. That was several months that we didn’t have because Jason, in true Hellcat Custom style, had promised the bike to be shown in the upcoming Las Vegas Bike Fest at the end of September. I was truly bummed but Jason wasnt worried at all. He decided to build me one from scratch…. no, really! He designed and is building a unit that leans to attach to the front end of my beautiful bike. The guy never stops amazing me…..

So, that is the beginning of the whole story. There is much more to come and I am so honored to have Hellcat Customs build me this wonderful bike. I am even more honored to have Jason Sarratt (HellcatCustoms on Twitter) and his beautiful pink haired fiance Kelly Rogers (FieryPinkGirl on Twitter) as my friends. I look forward to this project and all that comes with it! And so the journey begins…..

Lady Godiva on wheels saying, “somebody pinch me cause this is like a dream come true!”

A little P.S.  The next build will be a Road King and Jason has promised to install the front end from Tilting Motor Works because I believe in it. Kudos to Robert Mighell! Take a look for yourself at tiltingmotorworks.com.. If that doesn’t suit you, try the fabulous machines at Mystery Designs out Texas way. See them here..   They are both great ideas and good people to work with.  Dont be afraid to tell them I sent ya!!

Motorcycle death rate falls for the second straight year…

Although the decline in 2009 was 16% and the decline in 2010 was only 2%, the news is still good to hear. Check out all the stats and a great story on the subject at USA Today.

Remember that May is Motorcycle Awareness Month.  Here, at Ultimate MotorCycling, is a really good post with some very good practical advice for you to read and pass along to others.

Ride Safe…. Lady Godiva

More time to ride…and a small suggestion to help you find some..

If you are reading my blog, you will have realized that I have been MIA lately. I couldn’t possibly explain it in one blog post… and, I havent the energy to try. Time is a commodity that I wish I possessed more of and don’t. Life is time-consuming.  With that revelation out on the page, I have a suggestion that might help me and hopefully, some of you. The Crockpot…..yes, as silly as it sounds, that amazing little appliance that cooks your dinner while you are out enjoying the day on the bike. Ahhh, I crave that and just typing it makes me yearn for it.

Here is a website with so many crockpot recipes that I defy you to say there isn’t at least one you like. Crockpot on in the morning equals dinner for all when you finally make it home from the ride…priceless!! Take a minute to check it out, pass it on to your friends, and use it when time is little and the open road just wont stop calling your name…. http://www.50plusfriends.com/cookbook/crockpot/index-5b.html

Lady Godiva …not on wheels and feelin blue.  “sigh”…

Updating my motorcycle travel bag…

It’s that time of year again. Time to crawl out of winter and get things ready to take advantage of the nice weather that I am sure will get here… one day.

Recently I have been considering how to reduce some of the products I like to haul around with me and after some research, I think I have come up with one really great find. Diaper rash cream…. yes, you heard me right, diaper rash cream.

The wonderful ingredient in this cream is zinc oxide. You probably remember it on the nose of some life guard sitting on a chair watching you splash around in a pool somewhere. In my case, it was on the

hot life guards sitting on the beach in my hometown, Huntington Beach, California. I was rescued once from under the pier after I got caught in a big wave and was tossed off my surfboard and swept away in the tide. He was the most beautiful boy, zinc on the nose and all. Mmmmmm…. but, I digress.

So, the zinc oxide in diaper rash cream can be a fantastic addition to your travel bag and offer you lots of uses in just one tube. For example, the cream does what you imagine to the area of the body that I will refer to as the”saddle area”, taking care of rashes, itching, suppressing symptoms of itching and inflammation. A welcome relief when on the road for days on end… no pun intended. It is also good for sunburns and minor burns such as the well-known leg up against the hot pipes burn that occurs when that guy…you know that guy… that just has to straddle your ride while wearing shorts. Oh, that guy will be so glad you had your diaper rash cream!! Chapped lips or any chapped skin area will love the welcomed relief that a thin layer of diaper rash cream can bring after a long day of wind and sun. In fact, it proves a decent sunblock in a pinch. If you plan to camp and run into poison oak, ivy, or sumac, it is a great inflammation reducer and speeds the healing process. It is even good for dandruff or dermatitis, should you need to use it for that on a lonesome road out there, somewhere . In fact, it’s even good for acne by the reduction of inflammation, reducing production of excess oil, drawing out the infectious toxins, and increasing the healing process in your skin.
The only precautions you need to keep in mind are that you  should keep the cream out of your mouth and eyes… so don’t eat it and use care when applying around your eyes, not in your eyes! Also, do a small patch test to make sure you aren’t sensitive or allergic to zinc oxide before you decide to put it everywhere.  Check out the information on Articles Skin Care.

Lady Godiva on wheels…. hoping the tip helps.