Harley-Davidson is a fixture in motorcycle culture, worldwide. As someone who is a new rider, seeing Harley’s out in the wild and hearing Harley’s pass me by while I ride my Moto Morini is a heart stopping experience. Even before I began my motorcycle career there were so many cultural opinions on Harley-Davidson that I really didn’t care for HD at all. In fact, I hated Harley. Maybe it’s the fact that an ex-boss of mine, who was an asshole, rode a Harley. I held onto the idea that the typical Harley owner is just a bunch of old white guys with too much money. My attitude came from a place of personal dissatisfaction of where I was in my life at that time. Unhappy. Drinking heavily. Battling an untreated bi-polar disorder. Not to make excuses, but I was a very unhappy person 10 years ago which created a strong hatred for Harley’s image, and the motorcycles.

Walking into Lowcountry Harley-Davidson on a crisp Saturday afternoon with still a bit of Harley hatred in me, quickly dissolved into shear motorcycle bliss. The motorcycles, the huge inventory of merchandise, and the showroom bikes telling the history of Harley-Davidson blew me away. It was part dealership, and part Harley-Davidson Museum. To be honest, over the past year, I have slowly began loving Harley-Davidson. The build quality, the customization, and the power engines that are mounted on their motorcycles is a thing of beauty. My salesperson met me after I start walking the showroom floor, was terrific. Funny, honest, and to the point. I liked his style. Originally, I had my eyes set on a Harley-Davidson Sportster S model bike. Please note it is very important that you don’t forget the “S” because that would mean a completely different bike. You learn quickly that the Harley-Davidson model names define that bike so don’t fuck that up LOL, like I did, a few times in speaking with my salesperson. Unfortunately, I couldn’t test ride any bikes this day due to an ankle injury, but the salesperson was more than willing to ride the Sportster S for me, in the parking lot. After hearing the Sportster S and watching the salesperson ride the bike a few laps in the parking lot, I decided very quickly this was not the bike for me.

The 2019 Harley-Davidson Softail Fat Bob 114 with over 1800cc engine was like looking at a movie prop from the latest Mad Max movie. Completely blacked out. Very comfortable seat. High handlebar setup. Big, meaty tires, and a killer exhaust with a deep throaty sound, I fell in love immediately. As part of my Harley-Davidson research for this blog post, I was not going to buy a new motorcycle this day. I didn’t have the money. And my heart and my savings were set to get my beloved Moto Morini fixed in two short weeks. What I wanted to do was drink the Harley Kool-Aid for a few hours. See that all the hype is surrounding HD. Once the salesperson let me roll the throttle of this Fat Bob while the bike was in neutral, that sound made me forget all about my financial struggles, my depression, my anxiety, and feel so damn alive! It truly is a life changing experience. And I didn’t even ride that damn bike LOL.

Maybe I have written about this a few times, that I have found my next bike, and in full disclosure, as a motorcyclist each new bike I fall in love with basically becomes my next bike. Yet the 2019 Harley-Davidson Softail Fat Bob 114 is a bright light that will not go out for me. I will definitely keep this bike on my radar over the next few years as I work towards saving enough money for a downpayment and insurance, as well as cleaning up my financial mess I am currently in. Trust me, the Harley Kool-Aid is delicious.

Rolf

Riding my Moto Morini is a feeling I wish I could bottle and save for the future. Seeing the world around you flash bye, the sound and feeling of the engine below you, the rolling of the throttle, and shifting gears as you pull in the clutch, are heavenly. What happened to me the other day while riding my Moto Morini, put a lot into perspective for me as a motorcyclist. I have driven cars before that have broken down. Had a few flat tires. All of which makes me say, “now what?”. I even had the wonderful experience of driving my old Nissan Cube with my mother as passenger when it broke down while my mom said, “Rolf, you need a new car”. But breaking down on my Moto Morini motorcycle after work on a lovely Thursday afternoon, got me thinking about my survival as a motorcyclist. As helpless as you are when your car breaks down, it is even more earth shattering to break down on a motorcycle. My time spent standing in the James Island VFW parking lot, while I tried to understand what was wrong with my Moto Morini, drinking bottled water from the Circle K, I knew I had reached a new experience as a motorcyclist. So, what to do?

Lucky for me, the afternoon rush hour had not started building up, so Camp Road was fairly welcoming. I fiddled with a few parts to the engine thinking I was a roadside mechanic, which made me quickly realize how little I know about motorcycles. I turned the ignition key to the on position, and pushed the electric starter button, and instantly my Moto Morini came to life. But as quickly as my bike roared to life, the sooner my bike started to give out again. “Nope!”, I said to myself, and turned the bike off. I was not going to take the chance and ride this Moto Morini home. I walked to the edge of Camp Road and stared down the 1.5-mile road to Farmington Road, the street that takes me to my home. “Fuck it! I am going to push this bitch!” I said to myself. My only experience pushing my Moto Morini in the driveway, never a long distance. Given the situation, it was time to make radical decisions.

Looking back, I knew I was in for trouble when I came to a stop at Jenkins and Spruill Avenues. All of sudden my motorcycle wouldn’t rev down. Meaning, the rpms were very high when I came to a stop. “What the heck is going on?” I said to myself. Unsure as what to do, I decide to keep riding and hope my bike would figure itself out. Wrong! Riding through downtown Charleston on my way to James Island, my poor bike was suffering. Revving high at stop lights, having a hard time when I shifted gears, and overall creating a sense that I might not make it home. As soon as I got to the stoplight at Camp and Folly Roads, I knew I had reached the end of my ride. The engine was giving out, my wits were fried, and lucky for me I was close to home.

Two hands on the handlebar, feet parked on the left side of the motorbike, I started my journey home pushing my Moto Morini. I soon realized, that surviving as motorcyclist, is about adapting to situations. You make the best effort to control the situation but sometimes shit goes bad. My situation could have been a whole lot worst. I am thankful I was only a mile from my home street on James Island. But as I was pushing my motorcycle home, I kept thinking, is this motorcycling hobby/outlet worth it? Am I actually enjoying my new adventures on my Moto Morini? And in short, I am. Even pushing my motorbike home over a mile, next to a busy road, allowed to think how irrational motorcycling is. How it is such an oddity to ride a motorcycle in today’s times with all the safety features that 4-wheels provide. Why would anyone want to ride a 2-wheeled death wish. And honestly, I can’t sum up why I ride a motorcycle, and why I will continue to ride a motorcycle. But I will say that the whole time I was pushing my bike home, with sweat dripping down my face, a Circle K water bottle stuck in my rear jean pocket, that all I could do was think about my next ride, and how I was going to enjoy it even more.

Rolf

It was a cloudy and cool February Day when I decided I would ride my Moto Morini up to Charleston Triumph for their Winter Open House, demo day. I was particularly excited for this event as I haven’t been involved in any social gatherings involving motorcycles. It might be that I am not interested in biker rallies or that I don’t see myself as someone who rides with a group of riders. I am a lone wolf. Riding the road the way I like to ride without the need to follow anyone else but my own intuition. Yet, Charleston Triumph’s demo day provides a very unique platform. Basically, the owner and staff were allowing anyone with a valid motorcycle license and gear, to show up, sign some paperwork, pick a bike of their liking, and ride it for a few miles. How sweet is that?! So, as my watch struck 10am, on Saturday, I cranked up the Moto Morini and made my way up to Charleston Triumph.

Upon arrival, I was surprised to see the number of other riders present. People were hanging out, bikes were being ridden off the dealership lot, and it was like Charleston Triumph were giving away motorcycles LOL! I parked my motorcycle in a spot a bit away from the front parking lot that was loaded with motorcycles. “Could this be heaven?” I thought. Walking up to the event I was immediately impressed with the large selection of inventory available. Motorcycles of all shapes and sizes, makes and models, were parked waiting to be ridden by someone. The rush of seeing such beautiful machines in one space made my heart sing and I immediately asked a Charleston Triumph employee if they had any bottled water available. “Sir, we have donuts, coffee, soda, and water all inside the shop for everyone,” the young man said to me. Damn! Free coffee and donuts and motorcycles…this is heaven!

With a cup of coffee in hand, I walked the parking lot to see if any motorcycle would be something I would demo myself. My eyes landed on a Harley Davidson! Yes. A Harley. Out of all the bikes in the lot, I became interested in a Harley. Let me provide a bit of context to why this particular Harley caught my eye. A week or so before the event I looked up the website on Charleston Triumph and found a Harley Davidson Street Rod model for sale. As a used bike, the price was peanuts especially for a Harley. Yet the Street Rod is not your typical HD. It is a strange cafe racer of a bike. Unlike the cruisers HD is so know for, this Street Rod is almost a European bike. For one thing, you sit on the bike leaning forward. Knees place high on the gas tank, and the short handlebars really give you an aggressive feel. Once I saw the Harley Davidson Street Rod in the parking lot for demo day, I thought it was time for me to take it out for a spin.

To relax myself I decided to walk back into the shop and checked out the latest 2025 models. Once inside I started chatting with other riders and we all agreed that Triumph motorcycles are beautiful. The level of detail, the style, and the paint schemes will make your jaw drop. After a donut, and grabbing a bottled water, I went back to the Harley. Time to see if I would like to demo this bike. First, I decided just to sit on the bike. Immediately, sharp pains lit up my hips from the riding position. Then, to my surprise, I noticed an outline of a butterfly sticker on the gas tank. What? A butterfly sticker on a Harley? What type of ownership history did this Harley have? Both the hip pain, and butterfly sticker, just killed my desire to demo this bike. Then seeing a particular interesting tape job on the connecters under the headlight was a huge red flag. “I don’t trust this bike! Oh, hell no,” I said to myself.

Finishing my bottled water, I decided it was time to get back on my bike and find a poke bowl for lunch. I wasn’t disappointed, or let down, I just realized that my Moto Morini motorcycle is the ONLY bike I want to ride. The staff and owner of Charleston Triumph did an amazing job of putting this event together. I really appreciate their time and effort with demo day. As for me, maybe if another demo day occurs, I will ignore the butterfly Harley and find something to ride.

Rolf

Anxiety. I have dealt with anxiety for as long as I can remember. As most of us who suffer from anxiety, and the devastating effects of panic attacks know that it completely overwhelms you. There are times in my life that I can remember being in the midst’s of a panic attack that I couldn’t see or know the way out. Lucky for me, I am currently on medication for anxiety and related issues cause by my illness of being bi-polar. Through medication, therapy, and my mindfulness practice, I have been able to know when anxiety roots its ugly head in my life and how to combat it. Today, I would like to write about my most recent panic attack that occurred during my morning commute while riding my Moto Morini. If there was ever a WORST time for a panic attack, then when riding a two-wheel machine might be one of them.

Friday morning, I woke up early and decided to end the work week with a commute to the office with my motorcycle. The weather was perfect. I took it upon myself to be patient with my morning routine and allow myself the most time to prepare for the 20-mile ride into work. I practiced a brief breathing exercise to slow my nerves. Dressed slowly. Packed efficiently. Then opening the garage door did a slow walk thru of everything I would need to do to crank up the Moto Morini and hit the road. Unbeknownst to me, that 10 minutes after I left my mom’s house, I would be crippled with anxiety that caused me to lose focus while operating a 500-pound machine at speeds of 50 mph.

Leaving my mom’s house all the boxes were checked. My sling bag was fitted nicely to my motorcycle jacket with everything I needed for the office. My helmet fit perfectly, and my clear eyewear were comfortably mounted on my head providing me with a great view for an early morning departure. My riding jeans and shoes anchored me to my bike. “I got this!” I said out load leaving the neighborhood. Everything was going smoothly. My technique was textbook, my speed respectful of the law. Then my headlight showed the long road to the Cosgrove Bridge. Weaving myself through some heavy early morning traffic, I positioned myself safety to descend upon the Cosgrove Bridge. As I was approaching the bridge, my mind began overacting to my surroundings and my anxiety began to surface.

I immediately recognized my old friend. Yet I couldn’t slow my anxiety down as I turned up the throttle to move with the flow of traffic. The closer and closer I got to the Cosgrove Bridge, the more my heart started beating and soon my anxiety evolved into a blown panic attack. Fear. It is as simple as that. I was completely scared about being on my bike before sunrise, in traffic, crossing a large bridge. Then, on instinct, my mindfulness practice stepped in. THANK GOD. I quickly started my breathing exercises focusing on my breath and nothing else. I ascended the bridge, taking deep breaths. I turned my head to look at the beautiful sunrise over the Ashley River and a calming sensation came over me. I descended the Cosgrove Bridge and arrived safely in North Charleston.

Learning to harness my mindfulness practice while motorcycling is a huge step for me. It can get lonely on a bike. Especially for someone with mental health issues. Yet, that doesn’t stop me from doing what I love to do. I believe in time, my anxiety will subside, and I will be more relaxed on my bike. Yet that commute pushed me into a new mindset while riding. One that occurred with fear and ended with triumph. And that is life. The risks we take will have outcomes that will reward us, scare us, and ultimately push us to new heights.

Rolf

During the past few weeks, while the weather was crazy and my bike out of commission from an off roading crash, I discovered MotoGymkhana. I tribute my discovery from reading an article in the magazine called “Motocycle Sport & Leisure”, were authors Dave Mannine and Ross Mowbray spent an afternoon trying MotoGymkhana on a cool British day. Those who are not familiar with MotoGymkhana, MSL magazine describes it as,

“MotoGymkhana is a relatively new phenomenon in the UK and Europe, but it first started in Japan over 40 years ago, with motorcyclists with limited budgets getting together to enjoy informal and fun competitions between themselves on non-dedicated racetracks”.

As part of my preparation, I watched a few YouTube videos of pro riders from Japan participating in MotoGymkhana events. I knew this was something I had to try! Googling a few images of MotoGymkhana I discovered three courses from various MotoGymkhana events and created a sweet PowerPoint to print out. I made a blinder (feature pic above) and began visualizing the courses in my head while the snow melted on my mother’s driveway and during time at Charleston Triumph while my Moto Morini was getting fixed. As the weather improved and I got a few hours in the saddle after a long layoff, I knew it was time to setup a MotoGymkhana course or two and go for it!

This past Sunday morning, in an empty local high school parking lot, I setup two of three MotoGymkhana courses I printed out. Using small soccer cones I purchased last summer, I setup the courses as best I could. With first course I labeled as “easy”, and the second, “intermediate”. Once I began the easy course, I knew I was in for a long day, but in a good way. As my confidence grew, and my understanding of moments required for the “easy” course, I was able to complete the “easy” course in under a minute. I yelled out in celebration, ready for the “intermediate” course.

Now I will admit, seeing over 20 small orange soccer cones, outlining a path for me to follow was very overwhelming. I quickly remembered my MSL training, and all the cones I had to follow to past my MSL course and get my motorcycle license last summer. I took a deep breath, relaxed, let out the clutch, and rolled the throttle to the first set of 4 cones. The “intermediate” course is really two courses in one. The first half I managed to understand but by entering the second half of the “intermediate” course, I forgot everything. This was a common theme to this Sunday’s activities. Studying an outline of a course, physically walking that course, then actually performing on that course, on a motorcycle, are completely different experiences. It takes focus, concentration, studying, endurance, and performance. All this must come together to complete a successful run at MotoGymkhana.

I will be honest that I didn’t follow the “intermediate” course successfully. I allowed myself to improvise a little bit, but I would say I got about 75% right. I am proud of that. What I didn’t anticipate was how much that Sunday morning would tax me both mentally and physically afterwards, and the week ahead. Once I got home, my head was spinning from all the turns, and my legs, back, butt, and hips were score. It wasn’t until Wednesday, today of my writing this blog, that I feel I can get back on the bike. As far as MotoGymkhana goes, it was an eye-opening experience to the level of control you must achieve to really perform successfully at MotoGymkhana. I will definitely give MotoGymkhana another try! Next month for sure. At almost 50, the body takes longer to recover after serious physical exercise. For now, though, I need to work on some of basics again to fine tune my abilities to exceed at MotoGymkhana in March.

Rolf

I commuted to work today on my 2023 Moto Morini 650cc Scrambler after more than 6 weeks since the last time I rode to the office. It was a joyous quiet celebration as I parked my motorcycle in the office parking lot right before sunrise. No one around but me, other employee cars, and a great feeling of accomplishment. Yet, just a few hours before my arrival I was battling nerves, anxiety, and lots of self-doubt. “Could I do it?” I pondered as I stood outside looking at my parked Moto Morini in my mom’s garage. That was 4am. The day before I began noticing how much anxiety was building within me. But I was excited to ride my bike. To reach this point had been like lifting a heavy weight and letting it go, watching that weight crash to the floor in a million pieces. Since my last commute in early December, I had crashed a second time on my bike, towed my bike to the shop, got it repaired, and then Charleston, South Carolina, my home, was hit with a freak winter storm lasting two days that cause a bit of mayhem in the community. Honestly, the weather had been bitter cold for weeks, so my beloved Moto Morini stayed parked in the garage.

This morning it was different. The weather forecast was great. Melted snow still lingered but the roads where clear. But my brain kept announcing negative thoughts as I stood outside my mom’s garage looking at my bike. Commute rides are by far the most dangerous and exciting times for me on my motorcycle. Yet, the morning of my first commute of 2025, I quickly realized I need to practice a few minutes of mindfulness before preparing to begin my commute day. Though I haven’t been consistent with mindfulness over the years, lately though I have been practicing mindfulness more often. And what better way to leverage mindfulness than before a nervy motorcycle ride. Seating myself at my desk chair, closing my eyes, I let an audio recording of a mindfulness breathing practice fill my spirit. Breathing in. Breathing out. Letting my focus be on my breath, I soon was able to slow my mind and focus stronger on the goal at hand; commute to work via motorcycle. Once the recording was done, I opened my eyes ready for my commute.

Finding my work badge, I worked up to the door, swiped my badge and went in. The emotions of surviving a challenging commute started to wear off. I got a cup of coffee, said good morning to my fellow co-workers, and sat at my desk. Taking a moment to collect myself, I resumed the breathing exercises from earlier and allowed myself to be centered in the moment. Reaching this point is amazing especially since so much work it took to reach this point. I am proud of myself. As a YouTube video short suggested the night before, do things that are scary. And that is so true. Anchoring my first commute ride of 2025 with the simple approach of mindfulness helped me tremendously. Now….I would need to get myself ready for the PM commute.

Rolf

During the past 6 months of practicing the Art of Motorcycling, I have learned and experienced many unique things. What I hadn’t expected to learn, and experience is time spent when your motorcycle can’t…well…be a motorcycle. For the past 3 weeks, my Moto Morini 650cc Scrambler was parked in my mom’s garage, not motorcycling; a shadow cast against the wall. I would occasionally sit on my Moto Morini and envision myself cruising around the Lowcountry, seeing sweet sites and hitting some dirt roads. But my crash on New Year’s Eve created a huge hole in my life. I had to figure out life without motorcycling. A lack of throttle time was difficult. Time away from my bike did provide me opportunities to invest in reading and writing about motorcycles. I also found myself watching short films on riding and even watched YouTube videos of riding motorcycles in different countries. Even without seat time, I spent my time learning how to improve as a motorcyclist kept me encouraged that I would successfully return to riding in the future.

Watching the U-Haul employee hook up the motorcycle trailer to the hitch on my Mom’s Outback gave me a brief window of returning to the road on two-wheels. But I have never towed a trailer before much less a motorcycle trailer. Add to the fact that I would need to load and unload my Moto Morini onto the trailer really blew my mind. Driving down Spring Street in Downtown Charleston with an empty motorcycle trailer and hearing the loud bangs as the trailer tires hit bumps made me sweat. “Could I do this?” I thought. I will say that driving a trailer forward is not as hard as I thought. But, backing up a trailer into a driveway is a whole other level of trailer experience. Quickly I learned you have to reverse engineer your driving habits when backing up a trailer. Turn left to go right. Turn right to go left. I had a headache after I got the motorcycle trailer parked on my mom’s driveway.

Lucky for me I had a set of ratchet straps to tied down my Moto Morini to the U-Haul motorcycle trailer early Friday morning. I have been using the ratchet straps the past 6 months during times when I lifted my Moto Morini on my motorcycle lift. Once I secured the bike it was time to travel to Charleston Triumph. Would I make it out the driveway without the Moto Morini falling over? Would I do more damage to my bike before it got repaired? Do I need to hookup my trailer lights? All of these questions floated through my thoughts as I pulled out of the driveway from my mom’s house. Checking the rear-view mirror and seeing my Moto Morini upright as I traveled through James Island and West Ashley feeling more confident as each mile passed.

Arriving at Charleston Triumph I knew God was with me. The ride was not too bad. Traffic was light. The weather perfect. Once I arrived, I thought I was good to go. Walking into the dealership I spoke to Lowell who had been my point of contact for synching up repairs for the Moto Morini. Then he said something that made me sweat in places I don’t wish to mention. Lowell said, “just back up the trailer to the back of the shop and I will meet you there”. Back up the trailer? Avoid parked cars? Does he know I only have two hours of motorcycle trailer experience? “Ok, no problem” I said. I think it took less than 10 minutes to back up the trailer, but those 10 minutes were the most stomach-turning moments of my life.

Unloading the Moto Morini at my mom’s house with a new gear shifter, gear shifter adjustment bar, lubed clutch cable, clean and lubed transmission chain felt euphoric. I had completed my mission of towing my Moto Morini by myself. This feeling is what I love about motorcycling. How you must overcome specific odds against you. Having experienced this sensation I know I will be prepared for what happens next. I feel that if shit goes bad, I can handle it. My advice to everyone is that when you start something new in your life and it takes a turn, don’t worry, just rent a motorcycle trailer from U-Haul and all will be fine.

Rolf

I am a very curious person. Once an idea awakens in my mind, I find it difficult to let it go until I give the idea a try. During my art career, ideas were paramount to my success as an artist. Ideas allowed me to push my limits, work with different materials, and ultimately discover new ways of art making. Not all of my ideas worked out. A majority ended up as just ideas but the motivation to unpack curious ideas has never left me. So, when I decided to give off roading a try for the first time, it was an idea I had long held onto since I purchased my 2023 Moto Morini 650cc Scrambler.

It was a cool, sunny, Tuesday afternoon; New Year’s Eve 2024. Having finished a quick lunch, I knew a location of two large fields and some dirt roads to give my idea of off roading a try. I arrived at the first field and paused. Ahead of me of just open space. No road markers. No street signs. Just a field. “This is NOT street riding Rolf” I said to myself. I cracked open the throttle and powered my way through the field. The liberating feeling of just riding without restrictions but within my ability was amazing. I had never felt this sensation before on my motorcycle. It was true freedom.

Leaving the first field, with adrenaline pumping, I cracked the throttle open down a dirt road and felt my rear tire slide under me. I slowed on the throttle and felt the bike come back to center. What a rush! Turning around on the dirt road I entered the second large field and really gave it the beans. Plowing my way through and open field. The amount of energy I spent standing and maneuvering my bike was exhausting. My inner voice told me to stop and take a break. I ignored this voice and decided to follow a path next to a fence. I made my first past through this path and stopped. Again, my inner voice spoke to me to stop. And again, I ignored it. BIG MISTAKE.

Tried but full of adrenaline, I turned around and attempted to follow the path again next to the fence. I didn’t make it 5 feet when my front tire got stuck and I snapped hard on the throttle which sent me crashing into the fence. DAMN! Crashing is part of motorcycling, but it really is more than that. Not only do you have the physical damage (bike repairs, injuries, etc.) but there is the emotional damage that comes from a crash. Untangling my Moto Morini from the fence and getting her on the side stand was a huge effort. I took inventory of me first. Damaged helmet. A brushed right pinky finger and some soreness to my shoulder. What a great way to start my off roading career!

As the picture above shows, my bent my gear shifter was the only damage I received to my bike. I have since arranged for my bike to get fixed. Ordered a new helmet and let my poor little right pinky finger heal. Yet, again, the emotional impact of the crash still lingers. Yet, I am strong and confident I will get back on my bike. I am positive once I am riding again, I will trust my training, and MOST importantly, LISTEN to my inner voice.

Rolf

The quest for the perfect cup of coffee inspires me to begin a NEW feature on my blog, the Art of Motorcycling. Along with the new year, 2025, I am thrilled to announce that I will begin rolling out coffee reviews over the course of the year. Why coffee? Well, apart from being the best way I start my day, coffee is a force I use to start with before any riding session. Also, I travel throughout the Lowcountry on my Moto Morini visiting all types of coffee shops. Thankfully the Charleston area is a great location to find your perfect cup. To begin my coffee reviews, I picked up a bag of “Stumptown” from Publix to see if it brings that same kick it did when I lived in Los Angeles.

Living in Los Angeles is one of the great cities for…. coffee LOL. Yes it is! Aside from the different roasters and coffee shops, I even visited a Starbucks Reserve store in Century City and well, its Starbucks with a bowtie on LOL. But, I remember Stumptown coffee roasters as an important part of morning routine during my time in LA. Stumptown coffee was by far my favorite and their shops were always close by. So, finding a bag of whole beans from Stumptown at my local Publix here on James Island, I knew I found my first coffee review.

To keep the playing field even, I will always brew each cup the same way. I will always buy whole bean coffee and grind it at home. Then use my pour over system to execute the review. Scoring fields are as follows: Taste, Aroma, Caffeine, and Overall. Within each field, the award is either 1 R or 5 R’s. 1 being awful and 5 being the perfect. Ok, let’s see how Stumptown grades.

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TASTE: R R

It has been over 5 years since I had a cup of Stumptown. The roast I found locally was their Hair Bender. In a way I was left wanting more. Maybe I am older and demand more from my coffee now that I am in the mid-40’s, but the taste didn’t really hit. The notes were well balanced as I tasted a smokey blend with a bright finish. I honestly prefer this blend from Stumptown as cold coffee because the character of the coffee was stronger. In the end, I liked it, but I don’t feel the same pop I did when I was in LA, having a cup of Stumptown at a Stumptown coffee shop.

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AROMA: R

While I love the smell of coffee, especially before the first sip, nothing really hit for me as far as Aroma goes. Yes, coffee, all coffee, has a strong aroma and Stumptown did. Yet I didn’t take in any strong notes that particularly heightened my coffee experience. Honestly, the Stumptown aroma felt flat. This is not to say didn’t provide clues to the Hair Bender roast. A weak note of a smoky vibe made its way to my nose, and I was thankful for finding something available with this coffee.

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CAFFEINE: R R R R R

What Stumptown Hair Bender lacks in Taste and Aroma, it makes up for it with a strong caffeine kick. This is by far one of the strongest coffees I have had in some time. And what is wonderful about the caffeine within Hair Bender is that is progresses smoothly and is very refined. After my second cup I had energy for a few hours after and felt great. No crashing or feeling to wrapped up in a caffeine high. I can understand why this roast is call Hair Bender LOL.

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OVERALL: R R

While I will admit that caffeine is important part of the coffee experience, it’s not the only part. Weak scores in the Taste and Aroma fields only hurt this roast from Stumptown. A score of just 2 R’s makes me wonder if the Stumptown I loved in LA was just my own memory recalling a brief but intense romance with Los Angeles while I lived there? Could these beans be lying to me? I don’t know. But for the price ($12 plus taxes) of bag of Hair Bender and the disappointing experience, I probably would past of this bag of beans next time I am at Publix.

Rolf

I arrived at Velocity Powersports of Charleston will clear intensions of checking out a few bikes I had on my list. A list I put together with research from YouTube, magazines, and Google searches. It was EXHAUSTING LOL. I even created a PowerPoint with various motorcycle types and models and manufacturers. Printing out a few slides and hanging them at my work cubicle and home. Just to really see if the various bikes I found fit me…on paper that is. Walking into Velocity on a chilly January Saturday morning would tell me a different story. And an ending I didn’t expect…. but in a great way!

Through my research, and recent off roading experiences on my 2023 Moto Morini 650cc Scrambler, I was keen to view the latest Adventure Bikes or ADVs for short. I had made up my mind that I was an “adventure” riding guy. Rolf the Adventurer I called myself in the days leading up to my visit to Velocity. Spending a few hours on YouTube I began subscribing to channels dedicated to ADVs. It was so cool I thought. Riding street one minute, then riding a dirt trial the next. An ADV bike would do this for me. My heart was set. “Let’s go see some adventure bikes” I said out loud to myself as I pulled into the Velocity parking lot.

Purchasing a second bike was not my plan on this Saturday morning. I just wanted to do a bit of recon on if ADVs where for me. I was curious and studying images on paper doesn’t do me any good without actually seeing these bikes in person. Plus, you need to sit and get a feel for these machines. I knew I was in trouble with ADVs when I started looking at the Kawasaki KLR 650’s lined up at Velocity. Velocity had all types of models to choose from. Different paint schemes and features. Some models were the base with little to no extras. One model in particular had all the stuff you could ask for. Crash bars, fog lights, and even a USB port to power up your phone. Yet, I had a problem. A very BIG problem. The KLR is a HUGE bike. I mean it is the size of small SUV LOL. “How the hell do I ride this thing?” I thought. What if I crash and the bike lands on top of me? Would I survive? My entire Rolf the Adventurer image faded as soon as I sat on this beast. “NOT FOR ME” I said to myself.

My salesman Greg was very helpful. Providing me with all types of data and stories of KLRs out in the wild. “You can go to Alaska on this bike” Greg said. “Really?” I replied. Then I remembered how I rode to Summerville from James Island on my Moto Morini and thought that was about as far as I could go on a motorcycle. To Alaska? And back? NOPE.

As Greg walked away to research a question I had asked him, I started checking out other bikes on the showroom floor. I burned my list in my mind and had to rethink my next steps. Seeing a few bikes on the opposite side of the showroom floor looked cool. They were smaller and less intimidating. Then, a black motorcycle, with chrome pipes caught my eye. “What is this bike?” I thought. Getting up closer to the bike my heart jumped. My first impulse was to jump on this bike and ride away. My inner voice was screaming at me saying “THIS IS IT ROLF. THE KAWASAKI Z900RS”. A retro bike with modern tech, the Kawasaki Z900RS stood out to me with open arms. Unlike the KLR which made me nervous just standing next to it, the Z was like an old friend appearing in my life again. Greg came back to me sitting on the Z and said, “you got great taste Rolf”. The light bulb went off. I immediately knew what my next bike would be. The Z.

No, I didn’t ride off into the sunset with a new machine that day, but I learned something new. As I am understanding myself more, I must always make room for the unexpected in life. As much as I plan and research, you must sometimes realize that what you are looking for, is NOT what you are looking for. That you discover a unicorn and begin to believe in the magic again. Friends, always keep the door open for new opportunities. Because sometimes a Z might be waiting for you too.

Rolf