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

6 months ago, I purchased my first motorcycle helmet. I enrolled in the Basic Rider Course at Trident Technical College and two weeks after graduation, I purchased a 2023 Moto Morini 650cc Scrambler: my first motorcycle. Writing this blog post in late December, thinking about the past 6 months of my riding experience, I am honestly a bit amazed at what has transpired. I am more confident in my riding ability and have venture to many parts of the Lowcountry by two-wheels. Even during my local rides, I always find something new, and these discoveries make my heartbeat faster with excitement. It is the discovery and adventure that makes motorcycling so unique for me. Considering that 6 months ago, I did not know how to start a motorcycle, I now can honestly say I feel I am coming into my own as a motorcyclist. But there is more to learn and many more roads to travel.

I distinctly remember the first time I rode down Camp Road at 35 mph and thought how damn fast I was going! I immediately turned off onto a residential road to catch my breath and get my heart rate down. It was fear but that fear is what keeps me alive. After a few weeks of traveling around James Island I set my goal to commute to work by my Moto Morini. This brought new obstacles and a completely different vibe. For one thing, I had to figure out what to carry for the workday. I purchased a 40-liter dry bag to bring my work clothes and other essentials for my commute. The AM commute presented me with the crazy morning rush hour, which teaches me how to handle my motorcycle in traffic. Of course, my ego feels wonderful with I arrive at my office on two-wheels. Looking out from my cubicle at the parking lot and seeing my Moto Morini waiting for me, is something that NEVER gets old. Flash forwards a few months, I have learned to leave for work earlier which makes the roads to North Charleston less congested, and I no longer bring a bag. A quick reminder of how much progress I have made.

At the heart of my motorcycling experience is a wonderful feeling of accomplishment and knowledge how delicate life is especially when riding a motorcycle. As I look back at 6 months of highs and the lows in my motorcycle career, I honestly feel a bit overwhelmed. To think that in my mid-40’s I would begin a new life. A life of motorcycling that makes me cry out in triumph, as well as bang my head in disappointment. Some highlights of the past 6 months include the first time I rode the historic highway 61 to Summerville, traveling to Kiawah Island during the dead heat and humidity of summer, or the first time I visited The Battery in downtown Charleston. Not to forget, how I have transformed my mom’s garage into a workshop to keep the Moto Morini running in great shape. Add to the fact the fantastic gear wall I have assemble that meets all seasons of riding, I truly feel blessed. I am excited for the next 6 months of riding my Moto Morini.

What has it been like riding the 2023 Moto Morini 650cc Scrambler the past 6 months? Wonderful. When I went to purchase my first motorcycle, I did not know what I wanted. I did a bit of research and found out I had no clue as to what I wanted. Luckly, I did have an idea that the bike I would buy, would be able to ride the streets and off road. Thankfully, Dana, at Charleston Triumph knew what I would like, and kept me within my budget. Today, I love my Moto Morini just as much, maybe more, than the day it arrived at my mother’s home. Throughout the past 6 months I made a few changes and have been able to reduce weight as well as change the appearance of this amazing bike. Gone are all the plastic parts and a few parts are painted to really give this bike a strong look. Overall, the engine has performed great, and all the fluids are holding with no leaks. I will need to get new tires on this machine in early 2025 as well as an oil change. In the Spring I plan to dump the coolant and replace it before summer kicks in. Yet overall, this bike runs well, is fast (for me), turns amazingly, and handles itself well in traffic. Having reached speeds above 75 mph on a 650 engine is life changing. The Moto Morini handles high speeds well and is steady as a rock. Being a scrambler, which is a type of naked bike, wind blasts are expected. I have learned to embrace the wind hitting me it all types of directions. It is another skill set I am developing. Honestly, I feel my Moto Morini found me that hot and humid day in August when I test rode this bike in an empty parking lot two weeks after graduating from the MSF Basic Rider Course. And maybe it was faith that summer day. Looking back, I couldn’t think of a better first bike for myself. Looking forward, I will ride my Moto Morini into 2025 full of confidence and eager for new adventures to come.

To close out the past 6 months, I feel rewarded. I am alive! Which is very important so I can ride another day. As fun and addicting as motorcycling is, I have learned to take breaks and step away from riding for a few days. It is important to have balance with anything new. This is very important for me. Writing this blog, reading, and going for runs all helps me refocus myself before I hop on the saddle again. And thank you for reading this post. I don’t know where this blog will evolve too, but I am so grateful for the opportunity to share my experiences over the past 6 months, and maybe, just maybe, inspire you to start practicing the Art of Motorcycling.

Rolf

There is something magical about the changing of the seasons. Maybe it’s about how time has passed, and a new season brings renewed focus and enjoyment. I felt this renewed energy Saturday morning as I eat my breakfast. I am an early bird so I managed to welcome the Winter Solstice with a small dance outside my mom’s garage while drinking a hot cup of coffee around 4am. I hadn’t thought of riding till after breakfast. As I am learning more about myself and as a motorcyclist, the more I enjoy the early sunrise ride. Maybe it is from riding to work on my commute that have alerted me to how light the traffic patterns are and how much of the time I am alone of the big bad public roads of Charleston. There is something to this that I love. Plus, arriving home before 10am, gives me a wonderful feeling throughout the rest of day. Not bad for someone who use to come home from parties and bars at sunrise. My, how times have changed.

Looking at the clock, it was a bit after 5am when I finished breakfast, when the lightbulb went off. “I could be on my bike by 6am” I thought. A huge smile crossed my face, and I immediately got ready for my ride. Temps were not too bad. But now that I ride with an open face helmet the brisk cold wind sure did wake me up. As much as I love my lightweight gloves my fingers were numb about 20 minutes into my ride. I did manage to work on some slow speed maneuvers. This helps warm up the engine and me. Once finish with some practice, I immediately rode my bike to a local gas station that had all the amenities. After a cup of coffee and a second breakfast meal, I decide to visit the Charleston Battery for the sunrise. I couldn’t have asked for a better spot to see the first sunrise of the weather season. It was truly remarkable.

As I learning to ride with more confidence, I am also learning that much about the Art of Motorcycling is finding moments that really make you happy. Maybe it’s completing a long ride through some difficult roads, surviving rush hour, or for me, seeing the sunrise while parked on my 2023 Moto Morini. Life is really about the little things and enjoying them tremendously. As I inch closer to finishing up my first 6 months of practicing the Art of Motorcycling, I so thankful for those sunrises, traveling through the busy Lowcountry traffic, crossing big bold bridges, and above all finding peace after a day on two wheels. Honestly, there is nothing like it. God is Great!

Rolf

So much of life is A-B-C. Meaning, we follow a particular path and do our best to stay on that specific path. Either with work, family, relationships or down time, our path leads us as we follow along. Since I have started this blog, the Art of Motorcycling, my path now is different each time I roll the throttle and cruise the public roads of the Lowcountry. If it’s a work commute or my favorite, weekend rides, I do my best to not plan where I am going and let the path I decide to travel, lead me in new directions and experiences. What I am learning from riding my 650cc Moto Morini is that life is short, and you must FOLLOW YOUR DREAMS. Sure, not ALL of your dreams will work out. Trust me I know this well. But dreams evolve as you evolve in life and motorcycling is breathing new life into my dreams. One new aspect I have taking a risk with is wearing “open face” helmets for my rides. I still have my “full face” helmet I purchased over the summer, yet it is falling apart, and I honestly don’t feel safe wearing it anymore. Recently, I went online and purchased two new open face helmets. As the pictures above demonstrate, the face of these helmets is open. And yes, risk is higher for injury but my, what a difference it makes riding my motorcycle. The full scale of riding is felt through my open face helmet.

I was a bit scared to turn to an open face helmet at first, but I am very happy I did. Today, I wore my “Hard Chargin’ Rolf” helmet style and loved every second of it. The feeling of the cool air rushing against my covered face was life changing. Add to the element of rain during my commute and what an experience this made while wearing my open face helmet. My vision was better. And I will admit the feel of wind blasting your face is awesome!

Motorcycling, from what I am learning, is so much about WHO you want to be out there riding your bike. How do you want the public to see you, or in my case, not see you LOL. I will be honest, that the ten-year-old Rolf, lived his dream of becoming a character in the Mad Max movies with my hard chargin’ style. I still remember seeing the original Mad Max on VHS tape with my uncle Tim and just being floored by the whole vide of that movie. Today, I became a character in the Mad Max universe and I not coming back.

If your dream is be a character from a movie while doing an extreme activity like me, then DO IT! Time is short on this planet and no one I know can tell us what lies after death. So, follow your dreams and see where it leads you. Maybe an open face helmet will get on your own path that you create today.

Rolf

sss

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