Culture Shock and Future shock

Having given up riding bikes sometime around 1982 or so, there were a number of things that I found different when I went back to riding. The first was that I used to ride choppers with peanut or coffin tanks, going back to bikes and choosing a cruiser meant the bikes seemed a lot wider than they actually were.

Second, having had choppers, it meant that when you pulled in somewhere, like a basement, shed, or garage and had to move the bike over all you had to do was grab the rear fender, lift the bike and move it over. The cruisers were different stories, first of all they were heavier, a lot heavier, and the cruisers have shocks, my choppers were hardtail. So the first time I went to move the bike, I grabbed the rear fender and lifted...once the shocks extended... that was the end of the lift. So I learned to put the bike where it needed to be, before I shut it down. 

The last "Riding Culture" difference was turning, Tom teaches you to turn in a 16 to 18 foot box, this would have been impossible with a extended Springer and a rake, the turning radius of my Triumph was two lanes...and that was a Wye turn.

The future shock came into the picture with the purchase of my first "post millennium" motorcycle. Namely...tires..

Back in the 70's and 80's motorcycle tires didn't look all that different from car tires, in that I mean they both used something called.."Tread". 

Going back to bikes and seeing the new Motorcycle designed threw me for a loop. The new styles looked like someone took a slick tire and assaulted it with a soldering gun, and they were lazy about it.

All I could picture was Goofy, "E-Yup...that should do 'er"  

My first thought was, I guess no one rides in the rain anymore. It took a bit of time before I actually trusted this new (I hate to even the word ) Tread. But...after five years...I am almost to the point where I feel comfortable riding them in the dry.

One point I would like to make in favor of the old style tires...I only had one flat with those. With the new tires I have had rapid tread wear, Gouges that required replacement and a two flats...one caused by a CLAM....That's a Mollusk, people!!!! 

klay