It’s four a.m. and I can’t sleep because I feel spring approaching.  So many things to do, so little time.  I know it’s hard to realize it, but the days are getting long already.  For me that’s a real good thing and for you also I’m sure.  Before you know it the days will be warm enough to ride.  If your bike is not up to snuff, you’ll be stuck in your garage or sitting on the side of the road messing with it, not enjoying it.  Think about pre-maintenance now, before spring hits.  Get the edge on the procrastinators.  Think about your battery, oil change, tires (March tire specials).  You know what they are, the normal A,B,Cs of pre-flight inspection.  But enough of that.

            How was your winter?  Mine is always hard because I am a sunshine person.  You might ask “What is this guy talking about?” well, it’s S.A.D.  Seasonal Affective Disorder.  I don’t care for winter because of the cold, wet, snow, lack of daylight . . . What is the cure?  Gather my gear and hunt down sunshine!  This year the wife and I and my son, Jake, went to look for sunshine in Las Vegas and LA.  Stayed with good friends’ daughter and her husband.  Great tour guides with trips to the strip, Pawn Stars shop, and, of course the local Harley shop.  I’m a little different than most when it comes to visiting Harley shops out of town.  I don’t go to buy touristy stuff like shirts with the city’s name on it.  My main reason is to talk to the locals about the riding as they always know the best places to ride in their area.

            We did get some good ideas for rides like Red Rock Canyon.  Jake skipped out on this ride & went skate boarding.  Guess he needed some time away from us (because my wife and I are a pain).  Jake did go with us to the Hoover Dam.  Dam that’s a dam marvel Ha ha.  No really it is and the history of it is awesome, also they just completed a walkway across the new bridge.  The local at the Harley shop told us to keep going past the dam to a place called Rosie’s/Roxanne’s?  something like that, a biker friendly diner with good food (and like I can’t miss that).  Naturally, like always, my wife and I heard two different things (I know, hard to believe).  So we’re on a little adventure trying to find this place not realizing that Jake’s bike, the bobber, was slowly reaching its fuel limit (you know, running out of gas).  Noticed a man working on a road grader in the middle of nowhere as we are looking for this diner.  We went a little further out than we thought not finding anything because we heard different instructions.  We decide to turn around and I’m thinking in the back of my head Jake’s bike is running low on fuel, but how low?  Then the sound of the no fuel pop and Jake’s bike starts to put put and I spot a road angel or maybe not.  But I did see help and at just the right time.  Remember the guy working on the road grader?  He just happened to have a can full of gas.  Successful end to that day’s adventure.

            Headed to LA to see family and the ocean later in the week.  Made it all the way to Santa Monica Bay, you know that this is the end of route 66.  Checked out Hollywood and went to an independent bike shop called the Garage Company.  Very interesting.  Back to Vegas with sunshine on my face and nothing on my mind but sanity dreaming of good times and oops, it’s time to gas up again.  Found a gas station in the middle of now where.  Last stop before lunch and return to Vegas.  Pulling out of the gas station my throttle cable breaks.  After deep thought, well, maybe not so deep, I pull out the toolkit and made my own throttle cable adaptor with trusty old vice grips.  Got us back to Vegas!  Loaded the bikes and headed home the next day.  We had one more adventure, but enough of that for now.  Come by the shop and ask about the ride home.

            Overall our trip out of town is what I consider a sunshine adventure to help break up the winter S.A.D. blues.  I started out telling you to think about your ride now and maintain it for the upcoming riding season.  After all, even a well maintained bike owned by a knowledgeable mechanic can break down!