To Feed a Soul
“Travel changes you. As you move through this life and this world you change things slightly, you leave marks behind, however small. And in return, life ― and travel ― leaves marks on you. Most of the time, those marks ― on your body or on your heart ― are beautiful. Often, though, they hurt.” Anthony Bourdain 1955-2018
A or B – a modern retro such as the Thruxton, or the practical distance tool like the Trophy.
Wisconsin Weekend- we had a night away trip to the Dairyland of America. Staying at a cool guesthouse in the Bay View district of South Milwaukee. A magazine had an article about this year being the 115th anniversary of Brew Town’s Harley Davidson. A snippet mentioned a scenic route through S Wisconsin that I need to put on my ride list.
Worldwide Wanderer – Jovian traveler Ted Simon looks quite snazzy in his mod shades as he rides across some dusty trail. This is an original Instagram photo.
Sidecar Camel – this little fella seems quite content to be driven around in this homespun combination. Turquoise Ural looks great under the Steppes sunlight.
This is a still from the 2008 Kazakhstan film Talpan (Tulip).
“a sweet and funny tale of a young Kazakh man, Asa, who has been recently discharged from the Russian Navy and lives in the remote steppes with his sister and her family. While he dreams of becoming a herdsman, he is also actively looking for a wife and has his eyes set on Tulpan, the daughter of a neighbor, who is also the only eligible young woman in the area.”
The Healing Road – I’ve just finished a very good book: Ghost Rider. Written by maestro drummer Neil Peart of Canadian band Rush, it involves the outward experience and personal introspection on a 55,000 mile journey around North America. Carried out in late 1998 and through 1999 is occurs after a double family tragedy. With a world seemingly in tatters he uses the continuous movement on his big BMW GS to keep ahead of his emotional demons. Well written and heartfelt about the experiences of the ‘open road’, his descriptions of the many 500 or mile-a-day travels make me want to get on a big bike and aim for the horizon.
Ogri’s Ancestor – further to the previous post here’s a series of cartoon panels, published over a century ago, illustrating the travels, or more accurately travails, of Motorcycle Mike. Quite destructive in his quest for a suitable worldly destination.
Black Electrical Tape – this about sums it up. After poring over maps to memorize roads, junctions, towns, and other landmarks; you’d take a folded-up map and either stuff it in a front pocket or, as in this case, tape it onto your bike. Ideally in a waterproof Ortlieb clear map case.
AWOL – during the past couple of days we’ve been in the wanney wilds of the Border Forests at Kielder.
Normal service will resume presently…
Hatter – “in this style 10/6” At an average daily distance of 650 miles for one whole month you need to be slightly eccentric to ensure success.
Madman – Nick Sanders takes long distance riding to another unreachable level altogether. He takes perfectly sensible sports bikes and thrashes them in a circumnavigation ofvthe globe. Here he stands next to his Triumph Daytona which he sped a land-orbit of the earth in 31 days back in ‘98. He would repeat the journey a few more times on a Yamaha R1… taking the time down to 19 days. Nutter!
Normadie. – an image taken during a weekend cycling trip along the north coast of France in ‘97. I spied this couple zooming across the countryside under crisp April skies as I took a break from pedaling the same landscape. “That’s for me!” I said to myself.
Pentax ME Super 50mm Fujichrome 100
Mountain View – September is a good month to be in the hills: lush flanks with a promise of snow on the rugged peaks. A curvy road and distant views. Full tank of gas, sunglasses, and no immediate place to be…
Stop – A single rider stands at an anonymous stop light in an off-color rural America. A grey sky holds the promise of rain yet the sun shines down on the motorcyclist. It’s one of Andrew Wyeth’s pieces from a decades long career of creating raw American art. It is stripped away and emotional imagery. We saw his home and studio last week in Brandywine PA. Today would have been his 100th birthday.
geordiebiker.com 