Motorcycles

My readers say they like learning a lot about the various aspects of my medical journey and road to recovery, but I thought I would take a break from that and write about motorcycles. My motorcycle riding has been part of more than half of my life. My motorcycling career started in 1970 when I was drafted into the U.S. Army and stationed at MacDill Air Force base in Tampa, Florida. After I enrolled in graduate school, a motorcycle seemed to be the perfect way to get back and forth between our apartment, the university, and the Air Force Base.

Over the years I have owned three Honda bikes, two Kawasakis, and five Harley-Davidsons. Each has an interesting history about it. At one point I owned seven bikes at the same time. There are quite a few stories in my blog in the motorcycle category. My most recent bikes were CanAm Spyder RT Limiteds.

In 2013 I heard about the CanAm Spyder RT Limited. Unlike the Harley trike, the Spyder has two wheels in the front instead of the rear. The power-assisted steering puts no pressure on the shoulders. The three-wheeled motorcycle is designed for comfort, performance, and practicality. It was an ideal choice to replace the Harley trike. In the same year, I bought a maroon Spyder in CT from Stamford Motorsports.

The Spyder is powered by a 1,330 cc Rotax engine. It delivers 115 horsepower through a six-speed semi-automatic transmission with reverse. The Spyder RT Limited model I bought was loaded with safety features including ABS, traction control, stability control, and dynamic power steering, ensuring a secure and stable ride. Some other key features include a self-leveling rear air suspension for comfort under varying loads, heated seats and grips for both the rider and passenger, an electrically adjustable windscreen, and ample storage capacity with 47 gallons of integrated luggage space. The model also boasts modern technology such as a 10.25-inch touchscreen with BRP Connect and Apple CarPlay for GPS navigation and entertainment, as well as a premium six-speaker audio system.

The Spyder was a joy to ride, and we had many memorable trips. Joanne’s “throne” on the back was even better than on the trike.  The longest trip took place in June 2016. We were at our lake house and headed for Exton, PA to attend high school graduation for our granddaughter. The trip was 135 miles, not so bad except for the unexpected downpour of rain. We stopped under an overpass to suit up in our rain gear. We got to the graduation on time, and all was well. The next day we headed for a friend’s house in New Albany, OH so I could attend a board meeting at OCLC in Columbus. This part of the trip was almost 500 miles. My rule of thumb has always been 300 miles in a day on a motorcycle is a good maximum.

We spent a couple of nights with our friends, and then headed for our home in Palm Coast, FL. At 1,050 miles, this was the longest leg of the trip.  We planned to stay for a week in Florida and then headed to our CT home via Amtrak Auto Train. Day 15 of our trip began with a 65-mile ride from Palm Coast to Sanford, FL. The Amtrak Auto Train station was very efficient, and the staff was friendly. The fifteen train cars had 487 passengers. The 22 vehicle train cars were loaded with 261 vehicles including two motorcycles and our Can-am Spyder. Our roomette on the second level of the sleeper car was small but adequate. Wi-Fi bandwidth was horrible. I suspect it was planned to cover 20% or so of passengers, when probably 100% had at least one device connected. While we had dinner in the dining car, the cabin attendant setup the bunk beds in the roomette. I had the upper bunk, and it was not easy to climb up and into it or come down from it. Despite the good service, I vowed I would never take the Auto Train again.

The 837-mile trip went smoothly and ended at the Auto Train station in Lorton, VA. The train arrived at 8:30 AM and the Spyder was unloaded at 9:20. I made a strategic travel decision to head north to Harrisburg and then east through Allentown to I-287 to the Tappan Zee Bridge and then north on I-684 and I-84 to Danbury, CT. It would be shorter to go through Washington, over the Delaware Bridge, on the New Jersey Turnpike, and over the George Washington Bridge. However, an hour penalty is a small price to pay to avoid the NJTP and GWB. We got slowed down by two accidents and a thunderstorm. We stopped under an overpass, climbed into our rain gear, and continued at a slower pace. The storm cleared later, but the 380 miles took ten hours. It was mostly a great trip, but it was nice to get home after more than 1,000 miles of riding the Spyder.

Final statistics of the trip
Total Days – 16
Total miles – 2,869
Spyder miles – 2,032
States traveled – 11

In 2021, I bought a new CanAm Spyder RT Limited from Two Jacks in Wilkes Barre, PA. I decided this would be my last motorcycle. I had a good run on the seven bikes.When the last bike was ten years old, I turned 76. Sometime around then, I hoped I would still be sharp enough to declare victory and stop riding. Thousands of miles of motorcycling added a positive element to my life attitude. I sold it at 80 after the August surgery. I miss it.