Despite the lovely weather, the forecast for the weekend and beyond was rain, rain and more rain. If I was going to get in a ride, it was Thursday. So, I rolled the Moto Guzzi V7 out of the garage, threw a leg over, fired it up and headed out of the neighborhood.
Wandering the backroads, I headed towards Loveland, OH, a lovely small town with lots going on.
Looking for a photo-op, I decided to stop at the Loveland Veterans’ Memorial, near the Little Miami River.
Having paid my respects, I turned towards home on familiar roads. The Guzzi hummed along like a faithful steed.
What a great day for a ride. Sunny and in the lower 50s, I suited up and rolled my 2020 Moto Guzzi V7iii Rough out of the garage. Kissed my wife and reassured her I would ride safe.
I rolled out of the neighborhood and turned east along familiar roads. I always wanted to stop at the bridge over Todd’s Fork, but always seemed to be going in the other direction. Not today. This stream has some good fishing, but parking is not so easy to find.
Further down the road, and on Ohio SR 350, I stopped for a photo at Fort Ancient. This Hopewell Mound Community is one of the sites in Ohio that is under application as a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Further on SR 350, where the highway crosses the Little Miami River, a popular river access site enables canoers and kayakers to enter the river. Morgan’s Canoe, sits next to this state access site, and offers canoes and kayaks for rent giving you a lazy meander down the river.
Crossing the river and winding up to the top of the bluff, I headed home to get ready for the opening day for baseball, Cincinnati Reds vs. Pittsburgh Pirates. It has always been a big rivalry. Go Reds.
It’s hard to imagine doing anything for a longer period of time, except for living of course. But yes, I have been riding motorized, two-wheeled vehicles for 57 years … and counting. There have been a couple of periods without motorcycles, but I still count from the beginning.
It all started with that broken Lambretta motor scooter that Dad brought home and fixed up. He would take us kids for rides. I’m not sure how Mom felt about that exactly. I only know that I was not allowed to buy a vehicle until I graduated from high school. I wrecked that Lambretta at age 16 when a driver turned left in front of me. Scooter was gone in a day.
Many years and motorcycles later, my thoughts turn to how much longer I will be able to ride. My riding buddies and friends have had this discussion. One has already sold his bike and quit. I, on the other hand, have sought out books and articles on the subject. Stories of older riders and riding into the senior years. Here are a couple of books.
What Remains, Memoir of an Old man on the Road, by John Otterbacher. (2021)
Otterbacher, at age 74, embarks on a motorcycle journey from his home in Michigan to the west coast. Riding back roads and through small towns, he is reliving past journeys. He has heart issues and carries nitroglycerin tablets, but persists on his journey until a disastrous accident in a construction zone. He nearly dies, but does recover and questions what he will do with the rest of his life, with what remains. In the Epilogue he writes, “What remains is what is always available, with a little more clarity and a little less pretense. … I am old, but don’t much feel that way, more a willful child with some aches and pains. … Retreat is out of the question.”
Do It While You Still Can, motorcycle escapades and tribulations, by Nick Adams, (2021)
Adams, age 71, has been a prolific writer of motorcycle travels. He lives in Canada, has owned numerous motorcycles, currently rides a 1974 Moto Guzzi Eldorado, 1960 Panther, and a 1986 Suzuki Cavalcade. Nearly all of his travels suggest that any motorcycle can be an adventure bike.
I think it was the Moto Guzzi that caught my eye and prompted me to start following him. I always thought he was an old man on a Moto Guzzi—something I admired. When I started looking for his actual age, I learned he is one year younger that me! He is just a youngster. LOL. What is old? I recently heard that we perceive old as being ten years older than we actually are.
On the end cover of Adams’ book, he writes, “ As baby-boomers like myself get older and the median age of motorcyclists climbs ever higher, it’s easy to find the couch more appealing than the bike seat. But don’t let those aching joints and wasted muscles hold you back. Life is short. The time is now. Do it while you still can.”
Sound advice from two authors: With whatever time you have left, do it while you still can.
I began to think about this several years ago. My riding habits were changing. Long-distance touring diminished. Fewer annual miles. Thinking about those tall and heavy adventure bikes that I had been riding. I wanted a bike that would allow me to ride into the future, riding as long as I physically can. After a long search, I bought a Moto Guzzi V7iii. Easy to throw a leg over and easy to ride. And, it just resonates with me. And, I have toured on this bike, riding to a Kentucky backroad campout.
Are you thinking about quitting? Family and friends encouraging you to quit? Then maybe the time has come. Or, if you’re still healthy and physically active and able, you can ride for a while longer. Some things are not easily given up.
I’d like to think I will be riding to the very end, and the most likely last two-wheeler for me will be a Vespa motor scooter. What goes around comes around.
Winter means less motorcycle riding, and that means stress or anxiety can build up a little bit. A good fix for that is some helmet time—good for the head and good for the soul. Unfortunately, that little rodent in Pennsylvania has told the world it will be six more weeks of winter, so actual helmet time might be a ways off. Yeah, right.
Let’s not overlook the fact that sometimes helmet time is not a good idea, especially when you’re on a roller coaster of emotions. Wait for the roller coaster to stop. Then ride.
Everyone who rides a motorcycle knows that riding is good for your mental health. Well, nearly everyone. Recently, there was a scientific study conducted by Harley Davidson that concluded riding decreases the stress factors, and there have been other studies. It’s not like I’m under a lot of stress. I think it’s just good preventative maintenance.
For me, it’s motorcycling, but there are other stress reducing activities. Golf. Fishing. Hiking. Bicycling. All good for mental health. It’s all personal choice and action to keep us out of the therapist’s office.
I never winterize or put a motorcycle away for the winter. There will be days that are good for a ride, like the other day. The temps got into the 50s. The sun was out. Roads were clear, and my Guzzi V7 sat waiting its turn for some exercise. I had not ridden the V7 for several weeks, but one push of the starter button, and it roared to life.
It is hard to describe this motorcycle, my 2020 Moto Guzzi V7iii Rough. No other motorcycle has ever moved my soul like this bike. I don’t know if it is the vibrations or the sound, but it just resonates with me. It is an old-school standard motorcycle with modern technology. Not a speed demon, but plenty of power and torque. The Perfect Motorcycle. Easy to throw a leg over and easy to ride. It is so flickable, handling the curves and twisties like it was made for that. It was! It was made in Italy for riding in the Alps.
I can be watching a You Tube video of a Guzzi V7, and I can feel the vibes just sitting in my office chair. I follow a few You Tubers, and sometimes, I just feel like I want to ride along.
With jacket and helmet on, gloves snugged tight, I straddled the V7, pulled in the clutch and shifted into 1st gear. Releasing the clutch, I pulled away from home, headed down county roads to places I have been before with dreams of going farther. Resonance.
I rode my planned route, but it was not enough. I rode some more. Helmet time does not come every day in the winter.
I did something I never thought I would do. I ended my 14-year run of owning Suzuki V-Stroms, by trading my 2017 DL650. Not because they were not good. To the contrary. Excellent bikes. I think I just wanted something different.
And so, on March 1, I rode the V-Strom to Cadre Cycle, in Blue Ash, Ohio, and traded the bike on an inventory clearance, Moto Guzzi V85tt Adventure.
I never thought I would find a bike that I would like more than my V-Stroms, but I have. It fits me perfectly, and the performance is wonderful.
Since March, I have put about 2,000 miles on it. I rode it to the Horizons Unlimited-Virginia event in April. That was about 1,000 miles round trip. I was glad to have the heated grips riding through the mountains of West Virginia in 40-degree weather with snow on the side of the road. And, the cruise control came in very handy blasting home on the Interstate. It’s a keeper.
While at HU-Virginia, my friend Chris Smith and the Moto Photo Adventures crew did a short video of me and the bike. Here is that YouTube video. https://youtu.be/IjU5Y3qxMWA
I took a hard look at this bike because of owning the Moto Guzzi V7iii Rough, the Urban Scrambler. It is just a blast to ride, but not necessarily a touring bike as such. The V85 has the bags and utility for long distance or trips to the grocery store.
Do I miss the V-Strom? No. I was ready for something else. Do I like the Guzzi? Absolutely. Both of them. I guess I have become an old man on a Moto Guzzi.
