This Sunday, as I was eating my breakfast about 5am, with no desire to return to bed, the lightbulb went off. What if I went for a ride? I quickly finished my egg, cheese, blackberry jam, and bagel sandwich. Then I cleaned up the kitchen and got dressed. Honestly, I knew I would ride on Sunday, but I thought to wait till the temperature outside warmed up. “It will get warmer,” I thought. Regardless, I opened the garage door, felt the brisk cold air hit in the face and I started my stretching routine before sunrise. Part of my reasoning to start my ride so early on Sunday, is to fine tune my early morning pre-ride work commute routine. This past Thursday morning I made a commute to work by motorcycle and to be honest, my pre-ride routine was shit. A complete failure. Now I did manage to get to work on time, but I had many issues occurring during my pre-ride routine that made me want to fine tune this process on Sunday morning. And I did.

What happened after I left my neighborhood, is amazing. No, I didn’t set any new speed records. In fact, the entire riding experience Sunday was very conservative. Maybe this is because I have had some close calls recently on the public roads that had me easing off the throttle. That is a good thing! I honest felt no need to go beyond my limits so I channeled my inner Keanu Reeves and had two amazing, chill, rides this past Sunday.

My AM ride focused on an early departure with a few minutes of slow speed maneuvers. Then a stop at Starbucks to warm up. Though I do love the chilly weather for riding, the brisk cold air does create the need to find a warm spot and good hot cup of coffee. I decided on Starbucks for this AM session. Once I finished my cup, had a bite to eat, a bathroom break, I turned my motorcycle in the direction of Folly Beach. Folly Beach has always held a special place in my heart. Heck, 20 years ago I lived at Folly for about 6 months. And this was during the “off season”. Returning back to Folly during the off season is when I love the beach the most. Arriving at “The Washout”, the famous Folly surf spot, I immediately parked my Moto Morini and walked out to the beach. It was around 8am Sunday when I arrived and sleepy Folly on Sunday made for a brief moment of isolation on the beach. Only a handful of other people braved the windy chilly conditions like me, and I had time to feel, see, and take in this amazing view. Leaving Folly, I snaked my way home through some back roads working on my countersteering while leaning heavily into some turns. One of my goals for 2025 is to take part in a track day. Using the twisting back roads of James Island, I definitely felt compelled to envision myself on a racetrack rolling the throttle on my Moto Morini through some turns. Not a bad session and best of all, I got home safe.

The final session on this epic Sunday was a brief afternoon run to one of my favorite burger spots while learning to handle myself in traffic. Riding in traffic is just part of life as a motorcyclist. Having recently read a web article on “exposure therapy”, traffic is a living beast that takes victims all the time. There is an ebb and flow to traffic, and I feel the more I “expose” myself to traffic the more confidence I will have to navigate this madness. Lucky for me, Sunday traffic was not too bad. After my burger and pork sandwich LOL, I cruised back home again, favoring back roads and rolled the throttle as much as I could. How wonderful!

I didn’t travel too far South but the traveling I did was amazing. Add to the fact that I rode twice in one day I feel very fortunate to be able to do something like this. This epic Sunday gave me the boost mentally I needed for the busy upcoming work week and a bit of exercise for my body. What is best, is I woke up the next day, Monday, ready to ride again.

Rolf

Humbling. That is the best way to describe my experience reading David L. Hough’s book “Proficient Motorcycling: The Ultimate Guide to Riding Well”. I purchased this book a few weeks before I started my motorcycle career. I felt compelled to really invest in educating myself on the understanding of how to be a proficient motorcyclist. There are so many nuances to motorcycling that are just not covered in the MSF Basic Rider Course and watching hours of YouTube videos on motorcycling, which I have LOL, don’t fully prepare you for this life changing experience. Following the advice of a YouTuber I trust, I ordered myself a copy and spent the next five months reading and taking notes from Proficient Motorcycling. What I have learned, after finishing this book, which is over 200 pages, is that this book is a MUST READ for any motorcyclist. I will go so far as to say, if you read just one motorcycle book in your lifetime (I really don’t know how you could do that LOL), David L. Hogue’s Proficient Motorcycle is the book I recommend.

To begin with the book itself is large. Reminds me of one of my art books I have. Throughout the book there are beautifully crafted illustrations and amazing photographs to really push David’s points. The book is broken down into 7 chapters covering all aspects of motorcycling. My personal favorite chapters are, Chapter 2: Motorcycle Dynamics, Chapter 3: Cornering Tactics, Chapter 4: Urban Traffic Survival, and Chapter 6: Special Situations. Each chapter itself takes the reader on a deep dive of situations, scenarios, and how to handle yourself and your bike. Some of the nuggets of gold made me smile and realize how simple David summarized his points. A great example is in Chapter 3: Cornering Tactics, David emphasizes Slow, Look, Lean, and Roll. This tactic I use every ride, and I am happy to say that I don’t have to think about this tactic too much as it has become second nature to me. This is just one example of many that Proficient Motorcycling provides the reader.

I know that reading this book has made a lasting impression on me and my motorcycle career. I feel more confident riding the public roads now than when I first began riding in August. Is there direct evidence of this book supporting my growth? I don’t know. But I do know is I recall specific parts of Proficient Motorcycling during my rides and that makes me very happy. So, yes. This book WILL make you a better motorcyclist and maybe, just maybe, save your life. Trust me.

Rolf

I think about stretching before my motorcycle ride usually when I am riding my motorcycle LOL. Seriously, though, I must confess that stretching is major part of my pre-ride checklist. I spend about 10-15 minutes doing various leg, arm, wrist, hand, back, and ankle stretches. For me, I have learned to stretch through the different sporting activities I have done in my life. As simple a process that stretching is, the benefits are really impactful to me. What I have learned, is that I must stretch outdoors to help my body adjust to the weather, which I will be riding in. Stretching indoors, is a false narrative. You need to be in the climate you will perform in. So, outside my Mom’s Garage is my favorite stretching spot before a crank up my Moto Morini.

As I wrote at the beginning of December, in the blog post “COLD Weather Riding”, cold weather requires a much different approach. This impacts my stretching. Today, while beginning my work commute on my bike, I quickly realized I had not stretched yet. My 30-minute commute is a bear, and I knew I needed to perform some stretching before I arrived at the office. So, I stopped at a local James Island gas station, bought a cup of hot coffee, and did a few simple stretches in the parking lot. This was a great move because the temperature was in the low 40s. Riding my motorcycle for a brief mile proved to be a good way to warm up my body, mind, as well as my bike. A quick stop at the Circle K provided me a space to do some stretches before I continue on my ride to work. Cold weather keeps your muscles tight so a brief warm up before stretching in the cold weather will do you a world of good. Maybe a few jumping jacks or a quick run around the block is all beneficial to getting the muscles warmed up BEFORE you stretch. As with any advice I provide, it is really up to YOU to decide what works for YOU. Please remember, DON’T FORGET TO STRETCH!

Rolf

There is something so unique about riding a motorcycle in cold weather. Maybe it’s the fog created from my hot exhaust. Or the fact that my eyes water immediately after I lift my visor on my motorcycle helmet during a ride in lower temps. I can’t place my finger on it exactly, but I do know that the brisk chill from a motorcycle ride during the fall/winter season is unlike anything I have experienced before.

Compared to the hot and humid season in the Lowcountry, that feels like it lasts 8 months out of the year, the colder weather is a welcome experience to me. This is my first season riding in cold weather, and though the temps have just started to fall, I must express how wonderful a seasonal change it has been for me. Though cold weather riding does offer new unpleasant experiences like numb fingers, a wind chill that can cut through you above 30mph, I must suggest every motorcyclist give cold weather riding a try.

The cold weather can really make your ride special. If you are like me, I love an early morning ride and since the sunrise is so late this time of year, a few minutes before 7am East Coast time, watching the sunrise happen above the marshes of the Lowcountry is spectacular. I recently experience this as I crossed the James Island Creek bridge. A deep orange glow rose from the horizon as I crossed this old bridge and made me smile. After which, I cruised to my favorite local coffee shop for a big ass cup of coffee with two expresso shots (a redeye for those affluent in coffee lingo). As I drank my coffee in the warm interior of the coffee shop, I took notice of my cold weather gear. What I have noticed and felt is my hands take a beating in the cold weather. I purchased some glove liners and fit into my leather gloves which has made a huge difference. It is not a full protection, but I can haul 10 miles in brisk weather and still feel my fingers LOL. My touch is a bit heavy with the glove liners, but it more than makes up for it as I ride my motorcycle over 40mph.

It is especially important that those, like me, who ride in colder weather, must follow the “layering” technique with clothing. I wore “wicking” fabrics in layers, which started with a light tank top. After which I put on a long sleeve compression top, added a wicking t-shirt after, and finally, placed a loose-fitting wicking long sleeve before I finished off my layering technique with my motorcycle jacket. This prevented wind from hurting me and once I arrived at my location, my body temperature started increasing immediately and a light sweat occurred. Soon my hands felt warm, and I knew my years of “layering” for hiking trips played a part in my dressing for the day. My feet were protected by my big heavy boots, which I wear in any season, but for this cold weather ride I wore some wool compression socks that made toes happy!

As of this blog post, I have ordered a pair of compression pants that will fit wonderfully under my heavy-duty motorcycle jeans that I love to wear on my rides. Though my legs felt good, adding a layer of compression pants similar to the long sleeve compression top I wore, will make a huge difference! And I have learned recently that the layering technique I used isn’t just for fall/winter. This is also a great idea for summer. That I will try when the temps start to rise.

Finally, my head. Yes! Must keep the brain and face protected LOL. For my head I added a cap and full balaclava. This fit well under my helmet. I was pleasantly surprised to notice my head felt great. Other than my eyes watering up once I lifted my helmet visor during my ride, everything was good to go. I wear a balaclava each ride but adding a thin cap before I place my balaclava on made a huge difference. I highly recommend a balaclava to every motorcyclist.

The riding experience in cold weather does provide different situations than the warmer climate. The biggest thing I noticed was how much the cold brisk wind chill can really knife through you. For me, I made more frequent stops. Ride for 30 minutes, then break for 10-15 minutes. Allow my body temperature to warm up and not allow my hands and fingers to go numb. Yet, with anything about riding a motorcycle, it is really up to you, the rider. You must figure out what works for you. Because at the end of day, it’s you who must survive and live to ride another day.

Rolf

Rest. This is the best advice I can give to myself after a weekend of riding my Moto Morini motorcycle. As a new rider, riding a motorcycle on the public roads of the Lowcountry is amazing and at the same time very overwhelming. When I first started riding in August, I didn’t allow myself to ride multiple days in a row. While this standard held for a few months, I soon became more confident in my riding abilities and started riding back-to-back days. This is especially true during the work week when I will commute to work by my motorcycle 2 or 3 times during the week. I love to ride consecutively, but I know my limits. That is why I impose mandatory “rest” days after a few riding sessions.

Rest is so important. Not only does rest allow my body to heal, but my mind too. Rest gives me a chance to focus on maintenance on my Moto Morini and give my bike a bath as well. Rest helps my mind process all the new information I learned from previous rides, and I can critique situations which will support my effort of improvement when I do ride again. And that is what is really important. Living to see another riding day. When I am tried, mistakes occur more often when I ride and thus, I have decided that once I ride 2 or 3 days in a row, I impose mandatory “rest days”. I even go so far as to not even look, sit, or touch my beloved Moto Morini during rest days. This is so helpful. So, when I do ride again, I am fresh to actively ride my bike to the best of my ability.

I am also understanding that rest becomes very important if the previous riding day covered more than 20 miles on my motorcycle. I know my limits in terms of mileage. Reaching 50 miles on my motorcycle during a ride is about as much as I am physically and mentally able to do at this point in my motorcycle career. And that is OK WITH ME! I have read articles in print and on the web about long distance riding eclipsing over 100 miles in a day. NO SIR! Not for me. At least at this point. I am more than happy to cruise throughout the Lowcountry as a “Cafe Racer” and enjoy a 3- or 4-hour tour on my bike. And knowing my limits at this point in my motorcycle career is how I live to ride another day.

Rolf

I love mantras. I love repeating a mantra during stressful times to help me relax. So, when I began practicing the Art of Motorcycling, I knew I would discover specific mantras to help me focus and stay safe on the public roads. One of my first mantras I spoke to myself was “slow hands”. Repeating “slow hands” allowed me to isolate my thought process to what I was doing in the present moment. Like putting on my motorcycle helmet. I would repeat “slow hands” to focus my mind on the ride ahead and not allow my thoughts to think about what “might” happen. Instead, “slow hands” mantra created a present experience for myself that put me in tune with the present moment. Thus, I could slowly and purposely focus on what I am doing “now”. I spoke the mantra “slow hands” during rides as I pulled in the clutch and rolled the throttle to make my riding experience as smooth as possible.

Though I still repeat “slow hands” mantra, lately I have been practicing the mantra “Slow is Smooth, and Smooth is FAST”. This is a powerful mantra I repeat before I ride, during my ride, and after my ride. The mantra “Slow is Smooth, and Smooth is FAST” allows me to know that taking my time in everything I do with motorcycling, is not only creating a safer riding experience, but a faster one. And who doesn’t like going fast on a motorcycle? I can’t remember how it manifested within me, but I do know this mantra is very helpful. Not only does this mantra slow me down but creates a “present” experience and helps me to focus on what is happening in front of me. My mind can wonder so quickly that speaking this mantra calms me down and focuses my mind.

The benefits of using a mantra during motorcycling is wonderful. I highly suggest that other motorcyclists use a mantra of their own or follow this mantra, “Slow is Smooth, and Smooth is FAST” to discover a new riding experience.

Rolf

This past work week, I decided to commute to work three days out of five by my Moto Morini motorcycle. This is a new personal best for me and something I hope to be able to do 5 days a week in the future. But for now, 3 days of commuting to work and back home after work is one of my best achievements in my young motorcycle career. It takes a lot of confidence to be able to commute the busy Charleston roads by motorcycle during AM / PM rush hour. To make the AM commute as easy as possible, I decide to be on the road before 5am. That’s right, before 5am, LOL! Nothing beats riding out in the early morning darkness on isolated roads. To be able to ride my motorcycle on public roads with little to no vehicle traffic was amazing. I ended up traveling long patches of big bad public roads with very little cars around me. I felt like I was on an empty racetrack at times. I highly recommend to other motorcyclists to do the same. Your motorcycle engine will thank you.

PM commutes back home were a different story. For two of the three motorcycle commute days, I went straight home after work. This made my riding experience brief, and sense I arrived to work before 6am, I didn’t have much traffic to navigate on my way home. My riding time was brief allowing me to recover quickly and get back on the bike in the AM for another commute. The third day of my motorcycling commute from work to home, I decide to visit The Battery in downtown Charleston to spend a little time relaxing after work. I enjoyed my time at The Battery, but being stuck in 4pm Charleston rush hour, pushed my limits of riding my Moto Morini. Yet, it is great training to navigate my way through heavy traffic and get home! But, after the third day, I knew I needed to rest and recover. Prep myself mentally, physically, and emotionally but my big Sunday ride. Hats off to those who are daily commuters by motorcycle. Y’all are inspiring!

For me, the thrill of riding my Moto Morini into work in the early morning felt amazing! I got to work fully alert. Eager to drink coffee and start my workday. Plus, being blessed to arrive to work in one piece, thanking the heavenly Father above, lit a fire in me throughout the day. Motorcycling is workout for sure! I recently learned that motorcycling could help you burn 300-500 calories per ride. I would agree with that because I was very hungry when I got to work LOL. Finally, daily commutes by motorcycle are not for everyone. I don’t recommend this type of motorcycling activity to everyone because of how risky it is. But boy, is it a hell of a lot of fun!

Rolf

I have been to therapy. I have even visited the psych ward, twice. I currently take medication for my mental illness. Yet, my struggle with my mental health is a daily reminder that I must always take the time to check in on my mental state and above all, rest. So, when I began my motorcycle career this past August, I soon realized how beneficial throttle therapy is for me. Motorcycling is a dangerous activity. Death is always present, and the public roads are so unpredictable that arriving to my designation is always a blessing. Yet, through all the challenges I face navigating the Lowcountry on 2-wheels, the benefits of practicing the Art of Motorcycling have outweighed the negativity.

Recently, I read an article in Road Runner magazine, which features motorcycle travels from all over the world, and a small paragraph from an article in Road Runner really hit home for me. The paragraph, which is featured above, sums up much of the positive mental aspects to motorcycling that I agree with. Personally, I have witness a physical and mental transformation in my life. Physically, I have lost weight. I even had to buy a new motorcycle jacket that fits better. Many of the pants and jeans no longer fit and my dress shirts feel enoromus on me. I still wear my larger clothes because I like the reminder of how much weight I have lost. Though I can’t physically document the mental changes, my outlook towards life is improving.

Now, I will say that the Art of Motorcycling is not a cure for my mental illness. Just like medication, therapy, and meditation, motorcycling is just another activity to support positive growth in my life. Sure, I still have bad days. I even rode on Sunday, early, and afterwards spent most of the day struggling with my mental health but I knew I would make it just like I made it home from my early morning ride. To be clear, the Art of Motorcycling is NOT for everyone. But I do encourage those who suffer with a mental illness that they find a postive physical activity to really get the endorphins going. For me, motorcycling offers a brief escape from my daily struggles and always makes me appreciate all the things in my life when I get home after a ride. Maybe it is the little things in life that do us the biggest benefit. And I know, how much better my life is after 2-wheel therapy.

Rolf

There is something about wet roads that scares the shit out of me. Maybe it’s my fear of sliding and crashing on my Moto Morini that makes my heart race when it rains while I am riding. So, Thursday afternoon, once I finished the workday, I rode over to a large parking lot and got to work. The rain had been falling lightly but steadily since 10am. I reached the parking lot a bit after 3pm and quickly set up my soccer cones to begin my training session. Rain sprinkled lightly as I practiced my countersteering, slowly turning while riding over puddles, gravel, and wet pavement. I kept the Moto Morini in 1st gear as I practiced my swerves, u-turns, figure 8’s and quick stops. Each time I turned my bike and rolled the throttle I thought I would crash. Yet, I didn’t. And I so thankful for this experience.

Fear is a good thing. I believe it’s our brains trying to keep us safe as a therapist once told me. But fear and reality I feel are very different things. What is actually happening verse what our brains creates are two different worlds. When I had an art studio, my brain supported me with wonderful images to paint and sketch as well as build. Yet, riding a motorcycle my brain often creates negative images. Maybe this might have to do with my mental illness but really, I am learning to accept my brain’s negative images as a safety check.

This has been what is the most challenging part of motorcycling early in my career. The mental part of motorcycling. I will say that when I am tried, maybe a bit down, I don’t even get near my bike. I ONLY ride when I strong, healthy, and positive. But, practicing my slow speed maneuvers Thursday afternoon, in the rain, in a parking lot with soccer cones, really helped me realize that what is happening in front of you, is more important that what the brain generates within you.

Rolf

There are motorcycles…. then there are Ducati’s. The past few weeks I have been following the rabbit hole of motorcycle research, and discovered that my next bike, my 2nd motorcycle, will definitely be a Ducati 8) I don’t know when I will take the leap and pull the trigger on a 2nd bike, but I know I now want a Ducati Monster. I spent a few weeks reading reviews of motorcycles and watching YouTube videos on what I thought I wanted in a second bike. I do know that I am NOT a Harley-Davidson guy, I am too old for sport bikes, and adventure bikes just don’t make sense to me. Riding my Moto Morini, which I love, I know I am into the naked bike scene. Slim. Agile. Quick. Are the best words to describe that characteristics of the motorcycles I love. After a few days of research, I knew I had to visit a local dealership to actually sit on a few bikes I had my eye on.

When I arrived, I was definitely overwhelmed by the inventory of the dealership. It is motorcycle heaven. All types. All styles. And prices that are reasonable. I swung a leg over a few models, but nothing fit. Disappointment followed. Then I walked to the Ducati motorcycle section. The first thing that hit me was the color of the Ducati’s. The gorgeous red paint stood out and grabbed my attention. I soon found myself staring at the 2024 Ducati Monster. I did do a little bit of research on the Ducati Monster yet I didn’t think this bike was for me. But then I sat on this beauty. Similar to my experience with my Moto Morini, the first time I sat on the MM, I knew this was the bike for me. That experience was repeated as I sat on the 2024 Ducati Monster. I knew I found my next speed machine.

I immediately played with the quick shifter, the hydraulic clutch, and even crawled under the Ducati Monster to find the oil filter nested right under the engine. How sweet this was! Yet, I didn’t fire up the engine, which is good because I probably would have bought it 8) Everything about the 2024 Ducati Monster was intuitive. The controls made sense. My seating position was spot on and the components on the bike were fantastic. I must say, I am in love with the Ducati Monster.

So, how do I get one? I don’t know… at this time. Yet, I will do my best to keep this Ducati in mind as I tweak my budget and have beautiful Ducati dreams.

Rolf