dual sport motorcycle
Welcome to Cud for the Mind
“I do some of my best thinking in my DRZ saddle. Actually, the bigger thoughts get chewed over and over in my mind in between concentration on the trail. That’s the beauty about dual sporting…the freedom on the bike and the connection with nature gets you out of the mundane thought. So, toss out those cells, cubicle demands and grocery lists and hop on that bike, or at least join me in some dual sport thought chew.”
-Nicole Espinosa is the founder and blogger of Rugged Rider.
My Motorcycle is My Home
"You can take my home, but you can't take my bike!"
I can make any place with four walls and a roof my sanctuary to nurture my family and work life. But, it’s my bike that I need for my sanity. That’s my connection to the glorious world of nature and adventure where I become one with my core and the earth. All it takes for me to recharge my batteries is the sight of my bike, Jack B. Nimble, packed for an adventure ride and then…
I know I’m home.
Who cares what this economy has heaped on me. It can’t take away what I hold most dear…my freedom and the ability to instill in my kids a lust for life. It’s that passion for life that really surfaces in me when I’m on my solo rides and pondering some of the deeper questions of existence. Specifically, have I learned some of the biggest lessons of my life? I actually think that my most recent lesson of letting go is my biggest one. Graduation from the schooling of that one seems to be knocking on my door. Not soon enough, or so it seems. But, then again I realize that it’s all playing out the way it is meant to for me to climb to the next level.
When contemplating the “climb” the other day, I had a revelation about how I am going to be successful in both work and daily life. It is going to be through my personal connections with people. It’s funny how I crave that, especially on my solo rides where the interpersonal stories or strangers living their own journeys is what’s most intriguing to me. Here we are thrown together on this Earth in various cultures and communities, and through international adventure rides or everyday interactions we can find that we are all one.
There are commonalities that just can’t tear us apart, no matter what wars are being projected on the news. Have you ever been a rider on one of those adventure rides out in the middle of nowhere and your bike breaks down? Ever needed any help beyond what your tools or mechanical expertise can reach? Isn’t it amazing how a stranger in a foreign land or a fellow ADV rider appears out of nowhere to lend a helping hand? How about the exchange of love and laughter between a rider and children in a third world country? It’s those priceless moments on the road that demonstrate that home is really where the bike goes in the journey of life. So the next time the bank says, “foreclosure”, I’ll answer, “You can take my home, but you just can’t take my bike!”
Dual Sport Tool Kit Magic
"Watch me pull a tire iron out of a hat."
Tool kits are like health prevention … you don’t think about it until something’s broken.
Sometimes, when you’re a newbie and just getting started on rides you might be lucky enough to hook up with a group of riders with at least one guy or gal who’s been around the block, make that trail, when it comes to changing tires.
While watching him work his magic on the flat, you will probably find a well-rounded tool kit in this magician’s bag of tricks lying on the ground next to him.
A fine-tuned tool kit may take years to develop, especially for the singular needs of your bike. But, if you take some advice from the riders who have been servicing their own bikes in the field for a long time then you’re one step ahead of the game. › Continue reading
Beating this Economy with Dual Sports
"Pink slip, shmink slip."
Pink slip just hit your desk? Can’t qualify for a loan modification on your house? Your underwear so worn out even your holes have holes? Well, don’t knock your head against your Facebook wall, hop on your dual sport and hit the trails.
If there’s one thing to make you forget about your holey underwear it’s participating in nature…being one with it. When you’re out there dancing on the throttle through some rocky terrain you tend to forget about the economy and how it’s affecting you.
But if the daily casualties of the economy are unavoidable, then let’s equal it out by first looking at the fact that only dual sports and scooters had an increase in sales in ’08. No other bikes pulled that off according to the stats from the Motorcycle Industry Council Retail Sales Report. › Continue reading