I read this posting on “Hell For Leather” and I finally managed to be able to look at it without laughing my butt off! Everytime I went there to get the picture, I nearly wet myself. I just couldnt resist sharing….. Thank you, HFL (and you, too, Wes!!).
This is what it looks like to go 150mph, topless….
Lady Godiva on wheels…still laughin!
There is a gentleman that lives up in Marysville,Washington named Bob. Bob is the owner of a company called Tilting Motor Works and has developed a great looking bike that consists of two wheels in the front. Bob has made a three wheeler that should do Harley proud…and I want one!! In fact, I want the red Road King in the YouTube entitled “Tilting Motor Works I Am Free Enterprise”. Im sure once you watch the short video shown below, you will agree that it looks bad ass! Bottom line here is that I can be old and still be bad ass…… Actually, that goes without saying! But, the bike will simply drive the point home. LOL
Bob is planning a trip this summer from Washington state down to Southern California to show off that particular red Road King up and down the west coast. I have asked him to let me know when he comes this way so I can see the bike and he has agreed to let me take it for a spin. The thing he doesnt know is that once I straddle that bad boy, Im just gunna ride it home….. dont tell him!! I dont want him to see it comin!
Remember, I am too old to try to pretend Im not. Maybe its time we riders admit that we need to consider alternative riding ideas. It might just lower the accident rate for older riders…since half of all motorcycle fatalities are people 40 yrs old and older and half of those were 50 yrs old and older. FYI..42% of all fatalities are from riders not wearing helmets!
With all that said, let me know what you think of the bike I want…..
An old Lady Godiva on wheels…..wearing a helmet!!
As I have already written, my buddy Jason Sarratt is doing a custom paint job on my little electric sweetie, Dot the Enertia by Brammo Motosport out of Ashland, Oregon. My Best Buy sales person and Brammo representative, Chris Hertz, helped me purchase an additional set of panels with my rewards card points and shipped them down to Arizona to Jason’s shop at Hellcat Customs.
After close inspection, Jason decided that the pieces provided…the colored pieces on the bike…didnt give sufficient area to do the job he wanted to do and so, he requested the black pieces, as well. A phone call to the local Brammo representative, Dave Murray, had a set of black panels at my door, hand delivered and ready to pack up and send. Jason has some great ideas up his sleeve and as a master painter, I know he will turn my Enertia into a work of art. Again, if you don’t know Jason’s work…take a peek at an example at Robs blog
So, the progress is stalled until the black panels reach Arizona. I am so excited about this custom paint! My Enertia will be like no other…..
Lady Godiva on wheels…anxious as all get out!!
Just to let everyone know what a group of motorcyclists did in my town….
“U.S. Defenders Take Oregon Motorcycle Rights to the Streets – Apr 18, 2010 – Salem, Oregon – By Tim King & Bonnie King; Salem-News – Police cars shadowed Oregon motorcyclists Saturday who rode together as part of a program called U.S. Defenders, designed to help establish the rights of motorcycle riding club members in the United States.
They rode in solidarity – to protest local businesses that deny club members service. Numerous clubs were represented. The group of approximately sixty bikers from a number of different clubs, members of Free Souls MC, Gypsy Joker MC, In Country Vietnam MC, Sons of God MC, Road Brother MC, The Outsiders MC, Wildish MC, Wind & Fire MC, Christ’s Disciples MC, Northwest Veterans MC, and possibly others.
M. Christian Bottoms is a member of the Outsiders MC and also an Oregon attorney. With his help, the riders are taking a political approach to the matter and will consider taking legal action against establishments that violate their legal rights. One establishment known for turning away club members, the Fifty Club in West Salem, Oregon, served one club member, Tattoo Mike of the Gypsy Joker MC Club, but refused to serve others who entered afterward.
The riders left a copy of the U.S. Constitution at each business they visited, making the day politically educational for a number of employees, who work for business that restrict bikers for wearing colors, the way the old south used to restrict people for being of color.
The next stop for the riders was the Front Street Inn in Salem, where things went a little smoother. There was a bit of an old west showdown before it was over, and a lot of police presence. In fact, even though the bikers said they were doing everything possible to ride legally and simply assert their rights as Americans, police cars literally rolled onto the scene with the motorcycles.
The Front Street bar posts a sign outside stating they do not allow club members, including Oregon firefighters on this ride, who wear patches and ride Harleys. Local bar patrons exchanged greetings with the bikers and took in the sights, American motorcycles that each in their own way, helped the U.S. economy and workers when it was manufactured in Milwaukie, Wisconsin. The patrons I spoke to had no problem with the riders.
One man said his wife was a bartender for thirty years, and she never had big problems with bikers. Rednecks, he said – from what his wife told him over the years – are a far bigger problem than bikers in bars.
Being able to buy soft drinks in The Front Street Inn was a victory for these riders. The bartender, Suzie, told me that there were no problems. Some toasted soft drinks, nearly all of them paid five dollars for each one, reminding the establishment that bikers mean money in their cash registers.
But outside, all the good camaraderie wasn’t helping the growing police presence. Four cars were parked around the bar, and one was in the parking lot. That officer left after a few minutes because he received another call. Soon one officer known for sporting gloves and paying a lot of attention to local bikers, broke out his video camera, and stepped into an open square, the video shootout was on. The officer was faced by a member of the Sons of God Christian MC. Who would hold the shot longer? You’ll have to watch the video to learn the surprise conclusion…
Article URL, with lots of Pictures and video: http://www.salem-news.com/articles/april182010/biker-rights-tk.php
For more info on the US Defenders http://usdefenders.org/index.htm
Here’s a blog that has information associated to this blog post from a fellow blogger….and rider, Northwest Harley Blog…http://nwhog.wordpress.com/2009/02/26/expect-the-unexpected/
Lady Godiva on wheels….gettin the word out.
With me, every day is Earth Day. Not that all I do is “green PC” but, I do what I can with my children and grandchildren in mind.
For all of you who dont believe that electric vehicles will dominate one day…listen to the passion in the voices of the people on this YouTube…
My buddy Jason (@HellcatCustoms on Twitter) has recieved the panels for a custom paint job for the Enertia. I have left him to his own fabulous artistic ideas because he IS A MASTER. Dont believe me….check this out…http://www.bikerschurch.com/robdale/2010/04/09/my-new-paint/ . I will bring you updates and pictures as they come available. He likes the big finish so, he may not give me much. I will beg if I have to…LOL
Lady Godiva on wheels….Please hold.
Had a great day of riding on Sunday. It was sunny and void of the wind we had been experiencing lately. It was the first day this year that I rode without leathers! I was dressed in jeans and a t-shirt, converse hi-tops, and a hoodie. It was fabulous and I rode all over town, talked to lots of people, and even had time to look for a new pair of light riding boots. As always, the bike draws a lot of attention…but, being gregarious means I don’t mind the bevy of questions that an electric bike brings EVERYTIME I climb off her.
Monday I had made a date to meet my friend Liz for lunch. She had come up from Fort Bragg to visit family and talk some business with me…as well of a little girl talk session. We had never met face-to-face but had spent time on Twitter (lilredridingliz) and my website, http://motorcycletravelamerica.com. I have followed her on her blog at http://lilredridingliz.wordpress.com/ and truly enjoyed reading it. She is a very interesting and creative women.
When I got dressed to leave, I was expecting the same lovely weather as the day before. Dressed in jeans and a sweatshirt, I was ready to take off. Unfortunately, I realized as I left the driveway that it was cold…and windy. Now, this little Enertia of mine is a spunky little thing and 50 mph comes quickly. Wind, being wind…it was blowing up my sleeves, around my neck and down my back, and up my pant legs. It was cold, people! Funny thing was…I just didn’t care. The wind in my face is like a drug and the feel of that machine under me is nirvana.
As I rode into the parking lot of the Red Robin restaurant, I could see Liz scanning the area in anticipation of me riding in. She knew the bike is silent so she wasnt relying on sound but sight. I stood on the foot pegs so she could see me over the cars. She laughed. After I climbed off the bike and gave her all the info on my new baby, we went inside for dessert and coffee. The rest is history….two girls giggling over apple crisp, telling each other life stories, and getting the waiter to take pictures of us. It was the most wonderful time! We made plans to meet up with some of our other Twitter girl friends at the BMW internationals in eastern Oregon in July and even talked about teaming up and doing some business together. Ahhhh…the power of social networking! Thank you, Twitter. We had a blast!
Riding home brought glances and stares and even a few people asking me questions through rolled down windows at the stop lights. On my Enertia I can actually hear what they are saying and they can hear my answers. Life is good here in my town. I am the only Enertia riding around…well, except my friend Dave who actually works for Brammo as a representative (and also who graciously delivered my bike to my door because the weather was too wet for me to ride it home from the Best Buy store). We plan to take a few rides together this year to “show off” our bikes and, hopefully let everyone know what a great commuter bike this Enertia is. I am currently “seasoning” my batteries to hold a full charge and should soon have the full 50 miles of riding pleasure.
The next thing I am going to have to break down and purchase are the saddle bags. I don’t mind riding with a back pack but, on Sunday I climbed off my bike at the local coffee shop/college student hangout and a young man began talking to me because he thought I was a student and younger than I am. I had to tell him that I am a grandmother…and possibily older than his mother. Awkward! It may not have helped that I had my hair in braids to keep the wind from tangling it. My kids always tease me about looking so nice and innocent and then riding motorcycles and having a concealed weapons permit! I really am an enigma……
My thanx to my friend, Liz, for sharing the dessert and her life with me. I raise my cup of milk…no comments, please…and toast our friendship. Here’s to many more moments of laughter. Next time we will have Cindi with us….oh, my!!
(Motoette on Twitter)
Lady Godiva…on the treadmill, working off the apple crisp!
I realize that I havent done anything very technical about my new electric baby, Dot, but I love my bike and enjoy sharing the adventure that being a trailblazer brings. I have certainly been amusing to some! I plan to do many posts about my new electric bike, the Enertia, and will get into the technical stuff but, until then I have another occasion to share a difference between gas and electic and one more thing you cant do on an electric bike.
Most winters here in Portland, Oregon, give us multiple months when it’s too wet to ride. The cold can be handled with heated clothing but, the rain can’t be controlled since water finds it way into any crack or crevasse regardless. I find myself getting restless after about the third month and usually resort to a visit to the garage. I grab a beverage, dress like an Eskimo, and head to the garage containing my bike. Last winter my Road King sat in the dark and waited. I raised the door, slid in and closed the door behind me. I took a moment to run my hands over the tank and fenders…..ahhhhhhh. I missed him! Turning the key, switching to gas, climbing on, checking for neutral, and hitting the starter. A rumble, a rumble, and a start. The roar in a closed garage is nearly defining….I love it! A few bends of the throttle and if I close my eyes, I could be anywhere! A few minutes of that is all you can take. The garage starts to stink with exhaust and its time to turn the bike off. But, that few minutes can get me by for a little while because me and my bike have taken a quick spin in my head.
Now to the Enertia. I received my bike in March and from that point on, the weather has been hit and miss. We had been experiencing unusually nice weather before she arrived and then it went bad. Fortunately, not real bad and I have had some time to take a few short rides to test the battery and acquaint myself with the bike. As you can imagine, I wake up EVERY morning wanting to take the girl out. On the days that are really rainy I grab a beverage, dress like an Eskimo, and head to the garage that holds my bike. I open the door, slide in, and close the door behind me. There she sits! Right next to the Road King, plugged in to the electrical outlet. I run my hands over the bike…no tank or fenders…ahhhhhhh. I unplug her and tuck the plug into the compartment under the seat. I put the seat on and lock it down. I climb on board, switch the key to on, and push the button. She starts to talk to me with her technical noises, she kind of purrrrrssss. Now, I can do this all day because the bike has no exhaust! Sometimes I just sit on her and watch the lights on the panel flash. I havent been far on her but, I can close my eyes and repeat the few little trips we have made. I can dream of the time when my batteries are to capacity. I am planning a trip down to Ashland to visit the Brammo factory to see where my bike was built and in my mind we are flying along down the I-5 freeway on those beautiful stretches of road from here to there.http://www.brammo.com/home/
Ya know, its different but its the same! The thrill of riding is there and I miss her when I can’t ride her. This bike is incredibly easy to manuever and it has no problem getting up and going, in fact it feels like its going faster than she is. Its light, comfortable, and sexy to look at. I have had problems with “me” but not the bike, getting used to the new things that an electric bike presents. I am loving this adventure and I am so proud to be a part of the green movement. I have taken some teasing but, all the people who know me, know that I do things the way I want regardless of what anyone thinks.
So, the #3 thing you can’t do on an electric bike is……you cant go out to the garage and listen to the roar of the motor just to make yourself feel better when it’s too wet to ride! But, you can keep the electric running till it runs out of juice and it wont make you cough or burn your eyes. LOL. It’s all about the give and take, people.
With every new break through, these electric bikes get better and more appealing to own and ride. I have had so much fun discovering the world of electric motorcycles and will keep you posted on all the adventures Dot and I have. My next purchase will be a handle bar mounted camera…..then, look out! So, please hold, there is a lot more to come.
Lady Godiva on wheels…….with Dot!
I have always considered and heard that Harley Davidson sets the tone for the entire motorcycle industry. If that is truly the case, you may have plenty of time to find a smokin’ hot deal on that bike of your dreams!
Harley stock has taken a beating during this economic downturn to as low as $9 per share. It has bounced up to a whopping $15 currently but, that may be the ceiling for some time. Individual dealers are all but giving the bikes away and soon the time for “in dealer” weekend party time at dealerships are due to begin. That will open the door for deals, deals, deals! Here is what the experts are saying about Harley…http://ow.ly/1ucKx
Again, we are hearing about the aging Harley rider. Being one of those aging individuals, I get tired of hearing it. However, if I were someone in charge of things at Harley, I would have made changes ten years ago….when I first mentioned it to one of the employees at my local Harley dealership. They laughed at me when I recommended they consider trikes and sidecars for older riders and women…..hmmmmmm. Not so funny now, is it!!??
Here is a little bit of what the chatter is about it today….http://ow.ly/1ucMJ
Although it appears as though a comeback may be some time coming, I would recommend watching the stock. Harley may have its troubles with the economy but, it’s an icon known world-wide. If there is to be a comeback, Harley will be the one to achieve it on that merit alone. It might be worth a little money invested now for a profit in two years.
If you happen to be dreaming of a new Harley, they are back to running the “Harley competitive bike exchange” and I have been hearing that they have some great financing…http://ow.ly/1ucQU and next month is “Women’s month at Harley Davidson”…http://ow.ly/1ucTg . Now is the time. It might sound like I’m asking everyone to take advantage of a guy by kicking him when he’s down….oh, well! After the financial disaster the banks have put it in, I say “I can live with that!” ….chuckling
Food for though from Lady Godiva on wheels
Motorcycle Everything..and everything else. 