#chopperlife
BORN FREE MOTORCYCLE SHOW: YEAR 11 (Pt. 1)
My big girl hit the 10,000-mile mark the other day.
Like the previous time I reached 5-digits on the odometer, it was a moment of immense pride for me. Sure, I like customizing my bike. Sure I like wrenching on my bike. But there’s nothing I like more than riding my bike.
It takes those miles to understand the ins and outs of your bike, to learn how the back end reacts to wet asphalt, to figure out that you should put in an extra quart of oil for the last thousand miles before a service (they’re oddly specific for a reason ;). It takes time in the saddle to know that she gets 40+ mpg on the highway and 30+ mpg in the city (not advertised), that her handlebars start shaking at 4,000 rpm, that her tail light sits crooked after a long ride. It takes those rides to see how she performs at altitude, to know whether she can handle 100+ degree heat, to realize that you can huddle before her warm engine on a cold morning.
Like all milestones or anniversaries, the 10,000-mile mark allows you to take stock of what you have. It allows you to look back on what you’ve accomplished together.
It allows you to look back on the good days…
…and the bad days.
I’ve pampered her…
…and I’ve abused her.
She’s ripped through the twisties…
…but she’s slowed me down to enjoy the simple things.
We’ve been to mountain tops…
…and valley floors.
She’s taken me to the coast…
…and to the forest.
Without her, I never would have made it to Man Camp…
…or Bass Lake…
…or Yosemite…
…and you can’t forget about Big Sur.
If it weren’t for my Sofia, I wouldn’t have seen the beautiful choppers at Locked N’ Lodi.
I wouldn’t have attended Dyna Days.
I would have stayed home instead of going to IMS.
She’s even turned me on to neighborhood gems like The House of Machines…
…and Elysian Park.
She’s a beauty…
…and a beast!
But most importantly, she’s brought me closer to those I love…
…and introduces me to new friends.
She makes me feel bad-ass.
She makes me feel like I’m on top of the world.
She makes me feel good about myself…
…and isn’t that what motorcycles are all about?
So with that, here’s to the next 10,000 miles, Sofia!
TFW you get off work early for a three-day weekend
…Fuck the Rest
KERNVILLE KAMPOUT: Bike Show, Kernville, CA | 10.05.2019 (Pt. 2)
KERNVILLE KAMPOUT: Bike Show, Kernville, CA | 10.05.2019
The House of Machines: Golden Bolt 2019