Stay Tuned - A Biker's Sonar

Group Ride - Laughlin - February 11, 2017

During our recently completed Laughlin Ride weekend I had plenty of opportunities to contemplate the phenomenon of the group ride. We had the rides out and back to Laughlin that grew in numbers at various meet points along the way out and that dwindled at freeway junctions on the way home and then we had a fun-ride filled with potholes, canyon runs with twisties, mountain passes with twisties, and a town full of burros – vigilance required at every stage.

For the record, I consider anything from three bikes on up to be a group ride. Two bikes is pairs-riding even though many of the things I’ll talk about below apply, it feels like a different animal to me to the point that I have a different bikers’ solute for three or more riders in a line where I go from the easygoing down-low salute to a fist pump, my Howitzer solute for the last rider in the line.

When we ride we need to use all our senses to maintain a heightened degree of situational awareness. I confess though that as I write this I’m struggling with where the sense of taste comes into play, feel free to weigh in on this. Your sense of smell can tell you about skunkage on the road ahead or a particularly nasty diesel truck laboring around the next bend. Our sense of touch helps integrate us with our own machine and how it’s running as well as tell us about the condition of the tarmac under our wheels.

Our sense of hearing in a group ride is our rider’s sonar as we take in information from other riders, the road, and drivers. Let me set the stage at bit; the two most well-known types of sonar for those of not working with the technology are active and passive sonar.

Active sonar is where the device sends out a ping and listens for the echo off a given target to measure size, distance and speed of the object. I can draw a little parallel here for riders’ sonar such as when our eyes lock onto an item of interest and our ears tune in for confirmation as when we see flashing lights we listen for the siren to tell us if it’s moving or stationary. This tells us what the signature is of the obstacle we are about to encounter. It’s not a perfect corollary but it works for me.

Passive sonar is strictly listening. Naval vessels, particularly submarines, use sonar to locate targets or obstacles. Submarines live and die by sonar, both active and passive. Regarding the sub’s passive sonar; it is a system of listening devices at various points on the sub or even trailed in the water behind. These are all fed into computers these days that run algorithms to tell range, speed, and location. One of the best examples of passive sonar use that comes to mind can be found in The Hunt for Red October where Jonesy detects the Russian sub and its revolutionary propulsion system. The link to the relevant scene is found at the end of this post.

Our riders’ passive sonar is hardly passive; it requires us to tune into all the relevant noises around us while filtering those extraneous sounds from cluttering up our attention. While riding in a group, particularly from the number three spot back to the sweep, we need to listen to the sounds of those ahead of us. Decelerations in RPMs, even backfires, warn us of a pending need to slow down. Accelerations tell us where we can expect to speed up through an apex on the turn. Break lights are fine but if like me, you happen to riding behind folks who are particularly adept at throttle control and the use of gearing to maintain proper speeds, their engine sounds are a vital clue.

Of course, our vision is number one. There is no substitute for seeing and being seen. Our eyes must tune to the road ahead to pick out lines through the twisties, road hazards, the action of other drivers and riders, and seeing the riders in front point out road hazards and giving warning hand signals. Lifehack has a nice article called ’12 Motorcycle Hand Signals You Should Know’:

http://www.lifehack.org/articles/lifestyle/12-motorcycle-hand-signals-you-should-know.html

Regarding the thought that loud pipes saves lives; if that is where you put your trust then you ride in a weak position. Relying on someone in a cage with the sound system blaring and kids screaming or passengers yammering in a car that advertised itself as quiet is trust ill placed. Personally, I prefer relying on being seen and knowing that I’ve been seen and even when I know I’ve been seen I don’t trust that the driver isn’t a nutcase. I spend precious little time in anyone’s blind spot.

The bottom line is to keep our senses finely tuned to the ride and everything about our riding environment. So tune in first, put your kickstand up second, and enjoy the ride. 

Keep it real and keep the iron side up.

Peace

jerry

UTube link to Jonesy’s Report in The Hunt for Red October:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y7g6dKncO-I

Admiral, There Be Burros Here - Ride for Fun - Laughlin 2017

There were bikers and pirates, babes and hedgehogs,
and then there were visions in the clouds

Jed planned a fun-ride for our Saturday of the Laughlin 2017 weekend over roads that could be ridden for the sheer joy of riding and included interesting stops for sights and sounds and experiences that, in and of themselves, were worth the stop. We twisted and turned, glided up and down, and all the while passed through scenery that was stunning. Oh, and the bouncing - we can’t forget the bouncing; it was rumored at the time that someone left a spleen on relatively short section of old Highway 40. Or was that Route 66? ...my brain got scrambled.

KSU was 8:30 in the morning with a planned late breakfast at Topock 66 on the banks of a quiet estuary of the Colorado River, just off Historic Highway 66. Another group of Victory riders were scheduled for a later KSU and joined us in time for some give and take, adding and switching of groups and post-meal rides. Topock 66 seems to have an affinity for butts; even their bar stools for butts are… well butts. Photos of patrons adorn the walls. No, you won’t find me there; they’ll only stoop so far.

Regarding the meal at Topock 66, I had a great omelet. The waitress heard that it was Shawn’s birthday and presented him with an excellent desert that triggered a rousing rendition of Happy Birthday. There were some rumors that Shawn may have milked the birthday thing but I believe it was a spontaneous outpouring of love for the man and, even if it was true that he worked it bit, it was well deserved. Again, happy birthday friend. Back to the food and service, both were great. I didn’t hear any complaints on either but I may have had my crap-filter turned up high.

Parking at Topock 66

Dockside at Topock 66

We continued on Route 66 until we came to Oatman, Arizona. To get there we traveled through desert-scapes that held a patina of greens covering the color pallet. The rains have inspired a rush of growth in the mesquite, Joshua Trees, shrubs, and grasses. The red and yellow cliffs jutting up along our canyon runs are spectacular. The roads and riding were awesome, definitely on my list of favorite rides.

Admiral, there be burros here! Almost as soon as we had our bikes parked we saw the town burros making their way along the main street looking for likely softhearted souls to feed them. Warning, take caution if you are carrying a brown paper bag, with or without burro treats in it, they are a magnet for the burros and some are more aggressive than others. The tale is that it was a miner’s burro that discovered gold which gave rise to the town, listed as a “Census-designated place” in Mohave County, Arizona. The actors who performed the mock gun fight referred to the town as a mining camp. Now the street is lined with curio and gift shops, make-shift museums, and such. Worth the visit in any case and the burros are generally kind and docile. Several of our Victory friends were already there having come in from other directions and destinations. Off highway vehicles of various shapes and sizes rolled into town and the mix of burros, dirt bikes, highway bikes, and family vehicles made for a busy street.

Donna Doval and friends
in Oatman

Donna and Sue and the Oatman Mutual Admiration
Society

We left Oatman and continued along a winding Route 66 to make a stop at Cool Springs for some history and a panoramic view of the desert. Cool Springs was the inspiration for Radiator Springs in the Disney Cars movies. Additionally, the older structure was used in an explosive scene in Universal Soldier and later restored. The docent at the museum housed there gave us a great reading and viewing of the history of the place and then took the photo of our group that is as of this writing, my Facebook cover photo and shown below.

While at Cool Springs we heard burros calling out to each other but were unable to spot them they are so camouflaged to their desert surroundings. We saw plenty of evidence along the road but only laid eyes on them in Oatman.

Outback at Cool Springs

Cool Springs and the Gang

We rolled back into Laughlin having put in around 130 miles of good tight riding through red-rock canyons and dazzling high-desert scenery that gives one an understanding of why folks choose to live in deserts though I confess I’m more of a beach and/or mountain person.

We arrived early enough to freshen up before gathering here or there. I ended up in the Jed and Sue Suite on the ninth floor overlooking the river walk. (more on this as a postscript) After a wine tasting experience about thirty or so ended up at the Colorado Belle Loading Dock for dinner. Offhand I’d say those who partook of the buffet came out ahead with the exception of the rib rack Jeb worked on. It was, as most rider’s gatherings are, a time for catching up, reliving the ride, talking out news of the day, and looking out to the future.

Keep it real and keep the iron side up.

Peace

jerry

Postscript – regarding the suite, I dare say someone would be unhappy if I didn’t cover a significant event that normally I’d let slide into the fog of myth and memory. We were instructed to pay no attention to the women behind the curtain. If Toto were in the room there would have been a startling reveal to rival that which occurred at Oz. It was over in a flash, shrieks filled the room, glasses continued to clink. They pointed down at the river walk where a Peeping Tom was seen, camera in hand though a professional camera w/ sporting lens would have been more up to the task of capturing the sight and the only evidence that anything occurred at all were four telling smudges on the window.

Destination Ride - Laughlin 2017

Approaching Laughlin and yes, I did fix the my crooked
horizon for later ride segments

Outbound destination ride completed February 10, 2017 to Laughlin, Nevada. A destination ride is one which is taken for the purpose of arriving at a particular end-point for a particular purpose; Laughlin was the particular end-point, the particular purpose was – is actually since I’m in my room at the Aquarius Casino Resort as I type up this report – to gather with friends, renew old acquaintances, make new ones, enjoy the amenities of the hotel/casino, take a ride for enjoyment… I’m sure you’re getting the picture here.

Don’t misunderstand me; riding for the purpose of arriving at a spot on the map is, nevertheless, riding. I’ve taken my bike to plenty of places I needed to be or otherwise would have gone via some other conveyance. I’ve ridden to Merlin, Oregon to visit my parents, ditto to Klamath Falls, OR. I ride to church from time to time to worship and add a certain a coolness factor to the parking lot. When I worked in an office, I used to commute to it. The overall sense of riding is rarely lost altogether. Sometimes it’s dimmed due to the event or shaded with emotions because of the event. For instance, memorial rides. And, I once rode to Fresno for an Aunt’s memorial service. While we like to call them celebrations of life they are infused with a sense of melancholy while we remember the lost and thus the ride is shaded somewhat, neither good nor bad.

For the ride out to Laughlin, it got progressively better as the ride went along. I left my home fully dressed for rain to arrive a bit early at the meet spot in Santa Clarita where I was joined by six others – Tim & Bev, Jed & Sue, Shawn, and Todd. We rolled out in a nice tight grouping and headed up the pass toward Palmdale to skirt the desert community along the Highway 138 out to Victorville. I love riding with these people (and the others I rode with later in the day) who ride with an easy discipline that is comfortable even when I end up stretching my comfort zone.

At Victorville we doubled our numbers as we added five bikes including two two-up couples – Dale & Jeanie, Andy & Jane, along with Karen, Steve, and Keith. The final bike tally for our ride out was 1 Can-Am Spider, 1 Harley Electra-glide, 1 Victory Vegas, 5 Victory Cross Countries, and 5 Victory Visions. We made a short hop up Highway 15 to Barstow for my best meal of the day at Oggi’s Sports Brewhouse.

When our twelve bikes rolled out of the service station we encountered our only problem for the group as we merged on to a busy section of Highway 15. As a testament to the group’s skill and demeanor, it took a short five miles to regroup without any heroics or dangerous and inconsiderate riding. These people are awesome!

Our ride up the 15 was without incident and we eventually left the freeway for two-lane highways which included a gas stop at Ludlow, CA. where I took an unplanned trip down memory lane as we reformed to continue on to Laughlin when I hopped down to take a look at an AT&T radio site that I used to do the planning for. It’s still there and in good shape.

Regarding my choice to ride fully outfitted for rain: I did that in order to forestall the need to actually ride in the rain and it worked pretty well. I peeled it off for lunch at Oggi’s but judiciously donned it once again before heading out. The weather reminded me that our truce was a tenuous one at best and I maybe should have left the suit on during lunch. I caught about twelve drops while moving up the onramp. However, I felt sufficiently respected by the weather for my efforts and stripped the suit off for good at Ludlow and did not have rain the rest of the weekend while riding.

As we approached Laughlin riders peeled off to their various accommodations for the weekend to gather later for dinner, music, and some little high-jinks. All in all it was a good day on the road and in the destination with a bunch of quality people.

That evening we indulged in pursuits commensurate with our stated purpose at our intended destination. Larger groups gathered for dinner and camaraderie at various sites in the town. The most interesting gathering for me was in the Jed and Sue suite where each person to come through the door was greeted with a rousing cheer.

Keep it real and keep the iron side up.

Peace

jerry

aka - Shakespeare