In about 90 minutes I'll be taking the Harley out for the last ride of the season - the ride to the dealership for winter storage. It's a bittersweet ride; while it's sad that the riding season is over, it's good to know that the bike will be out of the garage and properly winterized. I'm not a diehard - when the temp drops much below 50ºF I really don't feel like riding all that much. Plus with the unpredictable New England weather, it could be gorgeous one day and 25º and snowing the next.
So for five months the Harley stays at the dealership and I get to park in the garage. It works out nice that way, with just a tinge of regret when we have the rare unseasonably warm day in December or March. However, that regret is quickly forgotten when there's a foot of snow on the ground and I don't have to brush off a vehicle. It's a trade-off, but one that we in the colder climes who ride have to make. Back when I owned my Honda Magna, I'd push it into a corner of the garage and forget about it, promising myself that I'd start it every couple weeks and such.
And every spring I'd wind up rolling it down the driveway to push-start it...
It's a sad ritual, bringing the bike in for storage, not because I won't be riding it but because winter is not far behind. It's already dark when I leave work; the furnace comes on more and more frequently. Thanksgiving is only a couple weeks away, and that brings the (real) start of the Christmas season. After that it's three months of snowstorms and cold before we even get the hint of life again. Even the first few weeks of "spring" have seen blizzards as late as the beginning of April. It's not until about mid April that we start seeing reliable signs of the earth warming again.
And, not coincidentally, when I'll be retrieving the Harley from storage...
That is all.
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8 comments:
Have fun and BE safe :)
Tell me about it, I know exactly where you are coming from.
Yesterday it was raining so I couldn't open the windows and had to turn on the A/C on the drive home so I wouldn't sweat to death.
I hate winters here in Florida...
That's so sad. It's 84 and sunny today. And could be riding year long.
Well, at least *I* know how ya feel. :)
I have to store the bikes soon myself. I live in a condo with no garage, so during the riding season they are in the parking lot. They get 1-2 covers each. I have these cool little "ironing board" covers that just cover the tank and seat. In really nice weather that's all I use, keeps the sun off during the day, and the dew off for the morning ride to work. High quality full covers over that for rain or if they arent being ridden for a few days.
In the winter, if it snows all vehicles *have* to be removed from the lot so they can plow. Problem is, if there is enough snow to plow you are NOT riding the bike, nor is there any place to move them to anyway. So right before the first real snow of the season I'll be running around getting them winterized and moved into a rented storage unit until spring. :(
So ... how about a NE Blogger shoot this January ...
... in Arizona! Ride the bike there!
You're doing the 'right thing' Jay, sad though it may be. Just gives you something else to look forward to in the spring!
PISSED,
Well, other that the battery being dead - AGAIN - the ride was uneventful. It was rather cold - the ambient temperature was mid 40s, but crank it up to 70 MPH and the wind chill gets significant.
I told TheBoy to bundle up, but he didn't listen to me...
Robb,
Talk to me in July, Florida Boy...
David,
See above comment to Robb.
Ingrates, every last one... ;)
And as far as riding there in January, the main problem would be, oh, all of New England, the mid west, etc. that I'd have to slog through to GET to AZ.
My bike has never been on a trailer. I'm hoping to keep it that way.
Mopar,
THANK YOU. I bring my bike to the dealership, because - believe it or not - they're pretty comparable with other places for storage. There's a new place a good bit closer my dad found, they're asking exactly the same price. Since I'll have them toss in a new battery (it's worth the half-hour labor charge to get it back in the spring all done), I'll bring it to the dealership once more. Next year, though, I'm checking out the local place...
OldNFO,
Exactly. I know me. I know I'm lazy. I know I won't properly winterize the bike.
Plus, really, there's no room in the garage for my wife's Accord (soon to be a Pilot), my Ram, *and* a full dress touring bike.
So I drop three bills on storage and it's out of my concern for 5 months. And I've got something to look forward to when the snow melts...
I can live with that...
That's why I live in TN. I can ride pretty much year-round. Of course, since the woman I love now lives in Florida, I may be moving south...
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