PegMonkey Bad Monkey!

Ahh Winter.. the scourge of the motorcyclist. Sure many of you who live in warmer clients don't fear it. The endless hours of boredom, trapped in the house, watching the wind howl and stinging frozen drops of water fall from the sky. It's as if some god is wreaking vengeance on his subjects. But are we really trapped? Hell No.

Once you overcome your phobia and put down that bottle of pepper vodka that's been keeping you nice and warm there's a whole new world of riding. What better way to hone those riding skills than by riding on a surface that's too slick to stand up on. What better way to prepare yourself for the unexpected than by riding on something that completely conceals the terra firma below. It will hide all those 45 degree logs that are just waiting to grab your front wheel and throw you to the ground. And, even if you could see those logs, it wouldn't do you any good because you don't have enough traction to lift the front wheel with a dose of throttle anyways.

Yes.. overcome your fears of freezing to death and jump on your dirt scooter. You will learn new levels of frustration as you learn to use momentum to overcome those short uphills that you never even noticed when the ground gave you traction. You'll forget what it was like to ride your bike in that boring old way, you know the way the rear tire always follows the front one. No, instead, you will learn complete new way of riding as the rear wheel develops a mind of it's own. No more will you be bored with traction.

Riding in the snow is a great way to hone your skills. Just imagine how much faster you will be when the snow finally melts and you once again have traction. Try riding with your feet on the pegs. See how long you can go without putting your feet down. Get used to the bike moving around under you. Feel for the point where traction goes away. Learn to ride smooth without sudden abrupt inputs. Make a mental note to yourself to get that heavy flywheel.....

For those who are considering, I have a few tips. Motorcycling is dangerous, motorcycling in the snow is even more so. The best thing is to go with somebody. But if you can't, then make sure you tell somebody where you are going. Try not to stray from the area where you told them you were going to be. Take a cell phone. Make sure you have enough clothing to keep you warm if you wreck and can't make it out. Plan for the worst, hope for the best. Oh yea.. leave the bottle of vodka at the house. You'll need it after the ride.

In any event, riding in the winter will help the time go by quicker.