Advertisement
Greetings from Los Angeles! I'm home, safe and sound albeit exhausted. A quick trip recap and an announcement about the future of the Alien.
I left Billings Montana at about 12:00 PM on Friday. Hat night I made it to Nephi, UT about 735 miles away. The next morning I left early and blasted the remaining 600 miles home, arriving last night.
Man, this was a great trip. It was one I needed for sure. I feel refreshed and regenerated. I didn't realize how burned out and tired I was two weeks ago until now. This ride has been therapy and I en joyed every minute.
For me there were a couple of standout highlights. The 101 from Southern California to Northern Washington was fantastic. I could not have asked for better weather, a better road or better scenery. Beautiful! Every curve was fast and smooth and every rise provided another breathtaking view. Whether you ride a motorcycle or not, you owe it to yourself to do that trip. You won't be sorry.
Another highlight for me was the presence of my lovely wife Rebecca (Mrs. Alien). Although she did not accompany me
on the majority of the ride, she did join me in Billings for the duration of InZane. Everything is more fun when she's around.
That brings me to InZane itself. I have been a motorcycle rider and a hot rodder for many many years. I had my own shop for a while and I've always enjoyed building custom motorcycles and cars from the ground up. The one thing that I have consistently NOT enjoyed about these particular hobbies are the other enthusiasts. I have found hot rod guys to be curmudgeonly old farts who would rather compare wallet size than actually drive their cars. I have found bikers (at events especially) to do a lot of posturing and strutting around, trying to convince each other that they are the hardest-core, baddest dude around. Meh, whatever. This nonsense, along with my solitary nature, has kept me away from other people who enjoy the things that I enjoy.
Not so with the Valkyrie folks! These are some of the greatest, most down to earth people you'd ever want to meet. These are family folks who want to get together to celebrate the finest motorcycle ever made, share some wind and
stories, all while raising money to give to charity. Great Great People!!! So much so, that solitary nature or not, I've ridden across country twice to hang out with them.
EPILOGUE I have a secret to tell you and it's one that only Mrs. Alien and I have known since before this trip began. This will be the final ride for the Mothership and I. I have been riding for 25 years. In that time, I have had my share of unbelievable, soul stirring, spirit renewing experiences. I have also had severe pain, broken bones and permanent nerve damage. On the whole, I think it was worth it and I would not trade a single second that I've spent in the saddle for anything.
That being said, the time has come to move on. I find that over the past couple of years, I hardly touch the bike all year until it's time for my summer trips. Some of this is due to the nature of my job but a lot more has to do with where I live. Los Angeles is, quite simply, a horrible city to ride a motorcycle in. Traffic is ridiculous.
For instance, I have to go to another office a couple times a week for meetings. It's about 25 miles away. That 25 miles routinely takes 1-1/2 to 2-1/2 hours to navigate. No fun in a car, murderous on a bike.
That coupled with my impending barbaric surgery and the fact that Mrs. Alien and I have decided to start a family of our own have contributed to my decision to sell the Mothership. She will be listed on the VRCC classifieds as well as Craigslist by the end of the day.
Will I be sad to se her go? Yes. Immeasurably sad. But it is the right decision. Will I ever ride a bike again. Absolutely! In a few years, when we have relocated to a more motorcycle friendly environment, I will revisit the issue. You can bet that I'll be in the market for another Valkyrie at that time.
As I said, I have known that this is how the trip would end for some time. I did not come to the decision lightly but I am at peace with it. For now.
Will I still be the Alien? Yes! I was the Alien
long before I ever threw a leg over a bike. It's just who I am. I tend to see things from an outsiders perspective. I doubt that will change anytime soon.
This is not to say that there won't be anymore road trips for Mrs. Alien and myself. On the contrary, there will be many more, although they will be on four wheels rather than two. For now.
Thank you all so much for following along on my journeys. I hope that they have inspired you to get out on the road and explore. It's all out there, waiting to be seen, felt and experienced. Do it! Don't fall victim to the "someday" disease. Someday never comes. The r
Until next time, see you on the road,
Alien
Advertisement
Tot: 0.144s; Tpl: 0.011s; cc: 6; qc: 45; dbt: 0.047s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1.1mb
James Stevens
non-member comment
Great Blog - Better Decision
Really enjoyed reading your blog, and totally understand the decision. I'm happy you were able to make the decision on your timeline, rather than having it forced on you by circumstances. If you ever want to talk about the Bariatric procedure or life after, let me know. Great job Alien!