Memorable Moments from 2015

Some news operations do “Top 10” lists when recapping a year. Others do “Best of” compilations. After some contemplation, RIDE-CT & RIDE-NewEngland has opted in favor of simply recalling a few “Memorable Moments” from 2015.

Why? Well, doesn’t motorcycling involve the stockpiling of memories?

As riders, we’re always searching for new roads and new places to visit, often with food involved, which add to our mental road map of spots to hit again. The people we meet along the way also add to the allure of riding because most riders – no matter what they ride – are nice people who love to talk about their motorcycles.

So, here goes with a brief list of some of the memorable moments – rides, discoveries and interviews – from the year that just wrapped up, along with best wishes for great riding in 2016!

Arlo Guthrie and his Indian

The Most Memorable Interview in 2015 was with singer/songwriter, children’s author and Indian rider Arlo Guthrie and learning how “The Motorcycle Song” came to be. RIDE-CT & RIDE-NewEngland caught up with nearby resident Guthrie at a book signing at The Berkshire Museum in Pittsfield, MA on Aug. 29.

“One of the great things about having written the song is that I know that I can go into any town along the road, and if there’s a bunch of bikes in front of a bar, I can go in there. And if they start giving me trouble, I’ll just tell ’em, ‘I’m the guy who wrote the freaking song’ and I won’t have any more trouble. It’s like a passport. I’ve got mine,” Guthrie said.

The full interview if you missed it is here.

Motus demo bikes

The Most Memorable Ride was to Nashua, NH in late June. Friends Tom MacBurnie of Winsted, CT and Ernie Torizzo of Harwinton, CT wanted to visit Rocket Moto Sport, the new Motus dealership. Alabama-based Motus was bringing some bikes for a demo day and they wanted to ride them.

Based on the test ride, Ernie decided to spend more than $30,000 for a Motus MSTR model, which features a V4 “Baby Block” motor that puts out 180 horsepower. He was the first Motus owner in New England.

The summit of Bear Mountain

The Most Memorable Road was found on a sunny day in early November when website columnist Bob Rosen and I took a 200-mile ride through parts of Putnam, Orange, Rockland and Westchester Counties in New York. I didn’t get the road name or number, but it was the twisting pavement leading to the summit of Bear Mountain, which overlooks the Hudson River.

As I wrote at the time, “On foot or in a car, I’m not excessively acrophobic. Put me on a bike, though, and my heart races, my gut tightens and my brain panics when confronted by the specter of riding off the edge.” It was a slow, slow, slow ride down from the top.

Christmas Day breakdown

The Most Memorable Breakdown just happened on Christmas morning. Riding back from breakfast at Toymaker’s Cafe in Falls Village, the Moto Guzzi California 1100 began sputtering. The engine had been hiccuping for a month or so, and I’d ordered parts (including a new $60 fuel filter), but this time it just lost all power whenever the throttle got rolled.

I made it to the commuter parking lot on Route 118, alongside Route 8, in Harwinton and began walking the three or so miles home. After six-tenths of a mile, a passing motorist stopped and gave me a lift home. Even though it was Christmas morning, neighbor and friend Bill Smith came to my rescue to retrieve it. The first order of business for 2016 is to get it repaired.

Polaris Slingshot demo ride

The Most Memorable Test Ride wasn’t on a motorcycle but in a Polaris Slingshot. Thanks to action on the part of the Connecticut General Assembly, sales of the Slingshot became legal in the state on July 1. A few days before, I got to test drive one at Libby’s Motoworld in New Haven.

“Cops waved. Pedestrians stared. Other drivers did double-takes. Some folks whipped out phones to take pictures. Others gave the thumbs-up sign. All it took to get such intense attention was to drive around parts of New Haven and West Haven for an hour or so…,” I wrote in my review.

How did it drive? “Slip it into first gear and let out the clutch and the Slingshot leaps forward. Both the clutch and transmission are wonderfully smooth. Despite its plastic shell, the Slingshot feels much heavier and planted than it looks, and the wide rear rubber produces a very stable ride. I’d expected the back end to feel ‘light’ when cornering but that wasn’t the case in city operation.”

Still, it’s not a motorcycle, and I still prefer two wheels.

Steve Rylander and Mike Wallace

The Most Memorable Moment? That’s easy. Hearing from motorcycle collector and friend Mike Wallace of Torrington that a (second) kidney donor had been found.

RIDE-CT & RIDE-NewEngland first wrote about Mike back in mid-September when his father, Jack Wallace, launched a social media campaign to get him a new kidney. He has suffered from kidney disease for a dozen years and has been on dialysis for three years.

When an initial match for a donor, Tim Sparks, fell through, it was back to square one, or so Mike thought. However, a second match, in the form of Steve Rylander has been found and a transplant operation is planned for Tuesday.

Mike tipped me off weeks ago and swore me to secrecy. Hearing the good news, which has now gone public in a story in the “Republican-American” today, was the highlight of the year. In this case, it’s not only a rider saving another rider’s life, but it also possibly saved Sparks’ life as a tumor was discovered on his kidney as he went through the screening process. Sparks will have the tumor removed on Thursday.

Mike Wallace and Tim Sparks

The fact that two friends will be able to continue to have the wind in their faces in 2016 feels so good…

Happy New Year!