Commentary

After an eight-week battle with pneumonia and the worst riding weather we've seen around here in years I claimbed back on the Harley last week for a blast into town and then over to Christiansburg to run some errands. The temperature hit the low 60s in the afternoon and the air felt good.

It was my first time on the bike since a Saturday morning ride in 26-degree weather that probably led to the pneumonia. I was suffering from bronchitis at the time and the super cold air didn't help.

I continue to be impressed with the Sportster's power after the Screaming Eagle enhancements. I know the owners of metrics and Buells look down at the lowly Harley Sportster but the 1200 Low with the SE performance package provides all the power I need for crusing the country roads of Southwestern Virginia. The increased power comes on smoothly from 1500 rpm up and I seldom need to downshift to pass cars on just about any stretch of road.

Likewise, the Garmin Zumo 550 with the XM radio antenna provides both navigation and entertainment. I'll probably opt for the Scala Q2 Multiset Bluetooth that allows communication between rider and passenger as well as other riders and also has a wired connection for the XM.

Lord, even Harley-Davidson dealers use "Black Friday" as a marketing gimmick.

Dealers in both Roanoke and Christiansburg open their doors at 5 a.m. Friday, touting discounts of up to 30 percent for the first three hours of business on the day after Thanksgiving, usually considered the busiest shopping day of the year.

Both are also offering discounts on selected bikes.

Come early, bring your plastic and increase your debt -- just like the rest of us.

A three-week bout with pneumonia has left me pretty much off my feet and off my bike. The Sporty sits in the garage, wondering why it is not getting its usual 500-1,000 miles a week workout and I sleep most of the day as my body tries to rebound from the energy-sapping illness.

Which gives me time to read and catch up on some motorcycle-related news:

New River Valley Harley-Davidson in nearby Christiansburg has a grand opening celebration scheduled for Saturday, November 22. Temperatures are expected to be in the teens tonight and still below freezing when the dealership opens its doors at 9 a.m.  It will be interesting to see how many ride their bikes over for the event.

Bluetooth vs. hard wired: I've sung the praises of the Cardo System Scala Rider Bluetooth headsets for motorcycle helments. I currently use a Rider FM set on one of my 3/4 helmets to tie into my Garman Zumo 550 GPS. By routing my cellphone through the Garmin's Bluetooth, I have hand-free capability for the phone and can, if necessary answer the phone while riding. The headset also provides decent FM radio reception through a receiver that is part of the unit.  However, the Garmin does not transmit the XM radion signal via Bluetooth and I have to use a hardwired connection. I currently use the ear buds from my IPhone, which provides great stereo sound, even at speed.  But the earbuds block out some of my ability to her the headset speakers.  Cardo has a new "Q2" model headset that includes a hardwired cable (for use with MP3 players and other such devices) that should work on the Garmin and eliminate the need for an extra set of ear speakers. Initial reviews say the sound is not all that great. I may stick to my current setup...at least for the time being.

Beware of them bikers: The Roanoke Valley Harley Owners Group (HOG) hosts "breakfast rides" that start each Sunday morning from an eatery in or around Roanoke. This month the group meets at The Roanoker Restaurant, a popular restaurant that usually hosts a more genteel-looking clientel.  Since the group has table reserved in advance, they bypass the long lines that are part of having breakfast at The Roanoker on Sundays. On a recent Sunday, we were filing by and heading for the table when I overheard this conversation from an older couple:

Her: "What's going on here. How come they don't have to wait in line like the rest of us?"

Him: "Look at them. Would you try to stop them?"

Put on motorcycle leathers and the world thinks you're bad. Too bad that couple didn't know that the group that they viewed with such terror included a couple of accountants, a top exec at MemberOne Credit Union, several police officers and firemen and two bank senior vice presidents.

Yeah, I know. The whole idea of riding is to just head out in one direction or another with no particular place to go (with apologies to Chuck Berry).

But sometimes I like to know where I'm going and reading a map while riding is high on the list of "don't try this on a bike," so I took the plunge recently and added the Garmin Zumo 550 GPS unit to my '08 1200 Low.

The Zumo is designed for motorcycles (they also make the Road Tech unit for Harley-Davidson). It features a bright screen, soft controls that work well with gloves and both a sturdy handlebar mount for the bike and a windshield mount for your car.  You can also add XM radio, weather and traffic alerts with an optional antenna.

 With the Zumo I can route my cell phone to my Scalia Rider wireless headset via Bluetooth and answer calls while riding. The call, complete with caller ID, comes up on the screen of the Zumo and I touch one button to answer. I can also answer the phone's directory for one-touch dailing although I prefer to be stopped to do that.

I added the XM radio antenna but can't listen to XM via Bluetooth. I solved the problem by using the ear buds from my I-Phone and plugging them directly into the Zumo. The sound is extremely clear inside my 3/4 helmet at highway speeds.

Motorcycle riders often swap stories about stupid stunts pulled by drivers of "cagers" (cars), ranging from pulling out in front of oncoming traffic without looking to coming around a curve in the wrong lane to venturing into a lane occupied by a motorcycle and then acting pissed when you blast them with a horn.

Bike riders can be stupid too. A recent post about adding performance to my Sportster 1200 Low with Screaming Eagle upgrades brought a rash of commentary from street racers who claim they have "put down" bikes like mine in races from stoplight to stoplight or in speed chases on the open road.

I have nothing against racing -- on the race track. I've competed in SCCA racing, winning a national class championship. I've driven ARCA stock cars at 190 plus at Daytona and competed in both the 24 Hours of Daytona and the 12 Hours of Sebring.

But I don't race on the streets. Anyone who does is, in my opinion, an idiot. I've lost count of the times that I've been cruising the Blue Ridge Parkway at the posted speed limit of 45 miles per hour and had a Ninja or similar bike blast by me in a no-passing zone.  The other day, I was running at 55 miles per hour on U.S. 221 near Bent Mountain the other day when a nutcase on a BMW bike flew by running at least 90.

I served as chief steward of the Drivers' Education Program for the Potomac Region Porsche Club for a number of years and oversaw the drivers who honed their high-speed driving skills at Summit Point Raceway in West Virginia. On the way back from the track one Sunday afternoon, I saw one of our club members driving at high speed and in a reckless manner on the Dulles Toll Road in Northern Virginia. I picked up my cell phone and called the State Police. They nailed him for running 115 miles per hour on Interstate 66 a few minutes later. He lost his license. He deserved to. Anyone who drives like a manac on a public road puts not only themselves but others at risk.

I'm not impressed by speed demons who brag about running 100 mph plus on the Blue Ridge Parkway or even an empty Interstate at 4 in the morning. Stupidity is not limited to those who driver cagers.

I've always been a power junkie when it came to motorized transportation: A souped-up '57 Ford in high school, a Shelby Mustang and then a hopped up Torino before marriage. For a while it was Porsches and too many performance enhancements to drain my bank account.

So it was just a matter of time before the '08 XL 1200L went into the shop for some, shall we say, modifications: More compression, stiffer valve springs, a heavy breather, Screaming Eagle mufflers and new software for the electronic fuel injection.

Took my first ride on the "enhanced" Sporty recently and all I can say is "wow!"  The Sportster is already a quick bike. Now it's a lot quicker.

What's the old axiom about boys and toys?

A friend who doesn't ride motorcycles told me this week he was surprised I climbed back on the bike and went on a 200-mile ride the day after a close encounter with a deer caused me to put the bike down -- a minor accident that left me with a scraped and burned leg.

Why shouldn't I?  When a horse throws you, you either get back on or quit riding. I'm not about to quit riding.

I went to a breakfast ride the morning after my spill and told the story to others. Each had a story of their own about laying their bikes down as one time or another (or often more than once).

It happens. When it does, you shrug it off and ride on.