Doing Some “Bucket List” Contemplation

By Bud Wilkinson

At what age or state of physical decay is it appropriate to draw up a “bucket list” of things to do or accomplish before one dies?

Having prematurely written a “year-ender” column back in November after the pre-Halloween nor’easter and ensuing extended power outage left me unable to produce anything else, I got to thinking earlier this month about an alternative final RIDE-CT column for 2011. Compiling a “motorcycle bucket list” came to mind.

The subject fits because I am definitely decaying. As Indiana Jones said, “It’s not the years, it’s the mileage.” My back muscles have a habit of going “boing” at the drop of a milk jug – indeed, the simple act of tossing an empty one into the recycling bin sent them into spasms in late November. My knees, hips and rotator cuffs sometimes ache for no obvious reason. My vision at 58 usually thwarts night riding because oncoming headlights appear as sparklers. While I don’t see myself quitting riding any year soon, it is probably prudent to identify a few bucket list items before it’s too late.

Not surprisingly, some involve travel.

If I could witness one motorcycle event, it would be the Isle of Man TT. The “TT” stands for Tourist Trophy, and the 2012 race dates are from May 26 through June 8 on the island in the Irish Sea between England and Ireland. Standing with a pint in my hand and watching speeding motorcycles navigate the 37.73-mile Mountain Course along twisty country roads is my idea of heaven on earth.

(Damn, in looking up the course length online, I just discovered that in the January issue of “Motorcyclist” magazine writer Peter Starr also suggests that attending the Isle of Man TT is a bucket list necessity. If you don’t believe that I thought of compiling a bucket list before doing the Internet search, well, let me buy you a Smithwick’s and we’ll talk about it, but only if you correctly pronounce Smithwick’s.)

In the runner-up spot on the bucket list is riding the Tail of the Dragon at Deal’s Gap, N.C. It’s an 11-mile mountain road on the North Carolina/Tennessee border that boasts 318 curves. Need more be said? While the Isle of Man is definitely not in the budget this year, the Dragon might be possible as I have to be in D.C. for the wedding over Labor Day weekend. That’s halfway there.

Having already attended Laconia Motorcycle Week and Americade, they’re eliminated from bucket list contention. The Sturgis rally and Daytona Beach Bike Week strike me as too crowded and too noisy, so they’re eliminated as well. Heading cross-country to Astoria at the northwest tip of Oregon and heading south to Los Angeles along the Pacific Coast Highway would be idyllic, though. I have done much of the West Coast by car. On a bike, it would be a more thrilling experience. I’d stop in Tillamook, Ore. and tour the cheese factory again.

That’s three bucket list items.

Despite a crazed propensity for buying and selling motorcycles, I’ve never owned a new bike.  Buying one new bike before I die definitely warrants bucket list inclusion, preferably one with a low-maintenance shaft drive, a comfortable seat and loads of luggage to take all those trips.  Even dreamed of owning a Triumph Tiger 800 earlier this week, but that bike has chain drive.

My fifth and final bucket list item is a two-fer. I’ve neither ridden a dirt bike nor operated a sidecar rig, but I’ve only being riding for seven years. Both strike me as being worth trying.

What I have experienced over the years are the same things all riders experience. There have been things we loathe – dropped bikes, near misses and going down. I’ve cheated death with an oncoming 18-wheeler and been scared spit-less when deer have bolted across my path. I’ve ridden in hail and when too tired to keep my eyes open. It was very stupid of me in both cases. Lessons learned.

There have also been things we love – the fresh air, the smells, and the way it feels leaned over and rolling on the throttle. There’s also the camaraderie, the eateries, and the freedom. What author Melissa Holbrook Pierson has called “the erotics of risk” is also part of the lure of riding.

In recent years, I’ve noticed a lessening of the barriers between bikers; whether brand barriers or background barriers. A majority of us now wave to approaching riders regardless of what they’re riding.  More of us seem to admire the bikes of others even if they don’t fit our particular tastes. I’ve also noticed the wistful envy of non-riders who aren’t members of the “club.”

So, for 2012, a few wishes for all of us: Lots of sunshine and clear roads, fewer unobservant drivers using cell phones and no breakdowns along the road. I am so glad that I bought a pickup with a trailer hitch this year.

My New Year’s Day tradition is to get in one last ride before winter weather descends. Weather-permitting, I will be out there tomorrow and I will wave. And if I’m not too chilled upon arriving home, I resolve to start bucket list planning.

(Originally published in “The Republican-American” on Dec. 31, 2011.)