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I've been wanting to do something different for the picture on my blog title for a while now, and I had this idea mulling around in my head for a couple of weeks, however with my solitary riding habits, I was finding it difficult to get the shot that I wanted.-
I have a close friend who has taken a recent interest in riding, so on the weekends, he has been meeting me out at my place to ride my XS11 while I escort him through the countryside on the quiet roads around my neck of the woods to see if this is something that might interest him. This Monday, while I was just getting off of work, he calls me up and asks if I would mind at all if we went for a ride that evening, I told him sure and to meet me at my place in about 30 or 40 minutes when I got home. He said that wouldn't be a problem considering that he was already there waiting in my driveway for me to get home! I think he likes riding.
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I seized this moment as an opportunity for somebody to take the picture that I wanted for the blog, so when I got home, he got suited up and we went out to a certain dirt road that I had wanted to use for the shot. I explained what I was looking for in the picture and to just take pictures as I approached him. After a few attempts and varying my speed to get just enough of a dust trail for effect, I settled on the one above, mostly because as timing would have it, the Wheat farmer in his tractor climbed over the hill and turned into the shot; I thought that it was a nice touch.
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The dirt road that I used for the shot is one of the roads that I use at times on my commute to or from work depending on how clean or dirty the bike already is. The photo above is a shot that I took from the cockpit of the KLR on the same road while riding home from a weekend stay in Idaho last weekend. Finally it looks like things are going to green up around here.
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We finished the day with about another 30 or 40 mile ride for my friend so that he could continue to get a little more familiar with the riding experience. Upon arriving back at my place, he told me that he is already planning a road trip to Roseburg, Oregon for us; when I asked how far that was from here, he replied, about 550 miles. I thought about that for a moment and then said that I thought it sounds great, but we need to get him a few more miles in the saddle first before heading out that far. By the looks of it though, it appears that the old XS has captured another riders heart.
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Riding the XS in to work this morning I thought about the bike, and wondered about her 30 year history and the places that she has been, and all of the other riders hearts that she has won over the years; and then I thought about all of the bikes that I have owned over the years New and Used and thought the same about them. I wonder if they are still around doing the same little magical numbers to their current owners that they did to me. Coming and going, changing hands, all the while touching souls............Kind of a Pete's Dragon thing I suppose.
Ride well everyone.
E.T.
5 comments:
Wow. With the foothills as a backdrop I almost forgot the subject was the rider.
I swear, my first day in that area, I'd be running off the road looking at the scenary!
Great shot.
Love the pics!
Had an XS 850 that I inherited. Never could make her love me, though. We finally divorced. I always wonder if someone else charmed her three cylinders or if she's a lonely old spinster out there somewhere!
Let me know if you all head for Roseburg. I live two hours North of there. Wouldn't mind riding a while with you all if you'd have me.
Doug, I admit to loosing my concentration at times looking around at stuff around here. I've noticed recently that the mountain behind me there has a road to the summit, I may have to find out if it's private or public.
Rick, thanks for the comment, just stumbling along trying to figure out the whole photography enigma, I'm looking forward to getting my digital SLR here in the not so distant future.
Irondad, I had a GS850 that I absolutely loved! The big standard was the single bike that steered me away from sportbikes and on to the path of keeping it simple. The XS11 was inherited as well, the previous owner didn't do too much in the way of normal maintanence so I've been playing catch up with it. Fortunately for me, the friend that I spoke of in this post is a wrench turning fiend, so in exchange for ride time....well you do the math.
If I make it down to Oregon, I'll let you know when and where I'll be hanging out, I'd love to hook up.
E.T.
That is a WONDERFUL photo for your blog, IMHO. My two favorite things: farming and motorcycles!
My solo riding habits, like yours, also seem counter to photographing myself riding. It's easy to get pics of my bike at Lake Mead, or out on some lonely deserted road. Getting a pic of myself riding the bike is another thing all together.
Nice blog, BTW! Safe riding!
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