Why Do You Do It?????

[Ice]

This past weekend my wife and I rode down to Joe's "Dam Ride" and in the process of riding down there we encounter all the weather that is usually not conducive to riding a motorcycle, cold, colder with the wind chill factor, rain, more cold, snow and ice. On the ride back we had sunshine but cold weather upper 30's and 40's. 
I had the misfortune of waking up Sunday morning with an extreme chest cold and knew I would need to still ride 640 or so miles back home, feeling miserable and dealing with colder temperatures. So needless to say I was out sick the last few days and felt like proverbial dog dodo.
When I got back to work a friend who knew I had been sick and knew that we rode do the Dam ride in wet and freezing conditions asked me "Why do you do it?" and of course the smart ass in me was thinking, if I have to explain you will never understand, however I did not say that and tried to explain my reasoning and it seems only a fellow rider will ever understand why we would put ourselves through extremes on a motorcycle.
I told him that the reason we ride 640 miles in that weather to go on a weekend ride is very simple, within our group (VRCC) there are a whole mess of great folks that you do not get to see every day and that are more like family than just friends, and every time we go on a ride we seem to meet new friends and our family grows, and as always a good time is had by all. 
Life is too short for, I wish I would have or I could have, but this or that was in the way, and maybe someday I will. As we grow older and I always like to think a bit wiser (not necessarily in my case) the quality time you spend with friends just laughing about the little things in life, or seeing the excitement after a ride of the conversations of did you see that or this is always great fun and something to be cherished. 
No matter which ride we have gone on we have always rode away with a big smile and a new family member or two, never once regretting the decision to put in the miles. The bond, the common interest and all that is involved in it, meeting new friends talking about past rides, future rides and all the good folks that could not make it for whatever reason.
My friend just looked at me and shook his head, and said you're nuts. Again only a fellow rider seems to understand why we do it and the enjoyment and excitement we get out of what he calls torture just to hang out with some friends.
There is no reason for me posting this aside that it made me think when he asked why I do it, and thought I would share my thoughts with the ones that understand the why.
Thanks for reading my ramblings and understanding
Yuri

[GiG]

Guess I must be nuts too, then 
It has been a standard  that pretty much every ride for us is 650 miles to get there on a Friday.
Not for pussies.
It's always good to have a toast when we get there, Yuri! 

[Willow]

... It has been a standard  that pretty much every ride for us is 650 miles to get there on a Friday.
Not for pussies. 

We must be cut from different molds, GiG.  I've always enjoyed sharing a 650 mile ride with a good pussy.   

[old2soon]

I had a wife that NEVER understood 150-200 miles one way on a week night for one beer and turn around and come home.   OR how I could put on  that same mileage coming home from work when work was 30 miles from my house.   I've run into that situation more than a time or three myself-folks that DO NOT understand us as RIDERS.   We MIGHT be half a bubble off plumb but I'm athinkin that half bubble be in the right direction!   RIDE SAFE.

[Ice]

Guess I must be nuts too, then 
It has been a standard  that pretty much every ride for us is 650 miles to get there on a Friday.
Not for pussies.
It's always good to have a toast when we get there, Yuri! 

Gig, I've always figured you were as nuts as us, thanks for confirming that.  
Looking forward to our next toast my friend.

[GiG]

Carl: it's only something I've recently started doing, since the Victory (2012)
The Valkyries have always been solo cruisers  

[Willow]

Carl: it's only something I've recently started doing, since the Victory (2012)
The Valkyries have always been solo cruisers  

Actually I normally ride solo for distance.  My lovely wife, Lori, rides her own Valkyrie alongside.

It appears Victory has been sweet for you.   

[The emperor has no clothes]

... It has been a standard  that pretty much every ride for us is 650 miles to get there on a Friday.
Not for pussies. 

We must be cut from different molds, GiG.  I've always enjoyed sharing a 650 mile ride with a good pussy.   

I think there is nothing worse than 650 miles with bad pussy

[Willow]

... It has been a standard  that pretty much every ride for us is 650 miles to get there on a Friday.
Not for pussies. 

We must be cut from different molds, GiG.  I've always enjoyed sharing a 650 mile ride with a good pussy.   

I think there is nothing worse than 650 miles with bad pussy

I have to agree.  I had my hands on a very angry feline for just a few seconds and less than thirty feet.  I can hardly imagine what it would have been like for 650 miles.

[Jess Tolbirt]

i have to take my truck to work, i work 11 hours a day and it takes me 45 minutes to get home,, when i walk in the door and Bev has her riding clothes on, i know we are going for a ride, one day we left and rode about 50 miles and stopped for supper, when we left i was pooped and headed for the house, she realized where we was headed and said if she doesnt get at least 150 to 200 miles in that my ass was grass,, so i made a turn and made the long loop home,,,she loves to ride,,

[old2soon]

i have to take my truck to work, i work 11 hours a day and it takes me 45 minutes to get home,, when i walk in the door and Bev has her riding clothes on, i know we are going for a ride, one day we left and rode about 50 miles and stopped for supper, when we left i was pooped and headed for the house, she realized where we was headed and said if she doesnt get at least 150 to 200 miles in that my ass was grass,, so i made a turn and made the long loop home,,,she loves to ride,,

She IS a keeper BUT I'm guessin here YOU already knowed dat!  RIDE SAFE.

[HayHauler]

... It has been a standard  that pretty much every ride for us is 650 miles to get there on a Friday.
Not for pussies. 

We must be cut from different molds, GiG.  I've always enjoyed sharing a 650 mile ride with a good pussy.   

Filter Carl, FILTER!!!!

Hay 
Jimmyt

[HayHauler]

Ice, I guess we are all nucking futs.... I rode 750 miles to eat BBQ with the Kansas bunch and visit ole Willow.  Strange family we have become......  eh?

Hay  
Jimmyt

[The emperor has no clothes]

... It has been a standard  that pretty much every ride for us is 650 miles to get there on a Friday.
Not for pussies. 

p

We must be cut from different molds, GiG.  I've always enjoyed sharing a 650 mile ride with a good pussy.   

I think there is nothing worse than 650 miles with bad pussy

I have to agree.  I had my hands on a very angry feline for just a few seconds and less than thirty feet.  I can hardly imagine what it would have been like for 650 miles.

OH, we're talking about cats. NEVERMIND

[Big Al of Tennessee]

Spearfish/Sturgis.

Daytona bike Week.

Key West.

Cheaha.

Norris Dam.(via Glenwood)

YES, Nuts in the RAIN, SLEET, SNOW and ICE, go there on Motorcycles.

IF YOU HAVE TO EXPLAIN IT ICE<,,your co-worker will never understand,,EVER.

UNLESS he starts riding a motorcycle.


My Motto on Pussy, and riding.

Ass, Gas, or Grass, no one rides for free. Now on participation requirements,,,8 to 80 blind

crippled or crazy, if they can't walk drag'em. (IT:S A JOKE) J O K E

[Firefighter]

If they don't ride, they wont understand and you can't explain it to them.

[trout dude]

WELL SAID ICE    We do this For the tire kicking and good riding with friends it was nice to meet y'all and riding with all it's always nice making new friends on these rides.
  Dennis

[Smokinjoe-VRCCDS#0005]

Spring for the heated gear my friend... I'm telling you its some of the best money you can spend if you love riding a motorcycle.... Thanks for putting in the miles last week on " The Dam Ride "   its always a pleasure riding and hanging out with y'all.

[Valkorado]

Spring for the heated gear my friend... I'm telling you its some of the best money you can spend if you love riding a motorcycle.

+1,000,000.  Got caught on Cerro yesterday afternoon in a cold sleet.  Lifesaver.  Literally.

[Oss]

Trout dude is right, Ice that was on the money

I was told by many non riders that I was nuts to ride out
to the Pacific from NY in March on my way to GOTF last year   I said it was on the way  


Heated gear rocks, you are snug as a bug in a rug no matter what

Funny when I got to Hotglues I discovered Dan from NJ rode clear from the NW corner of NJ in 2 days and back in 2 days !

The road to a friends house is never too far   glad Joe is able to put these rides on for us

[jimmytee]

Glad you are recovering. And a BIG DITTO on the heated gear. Makes cold weather riding MUCH more enjoyable.

[Bighead]

One question back is WHY NOT? They just look at you dumbfounded when you ask that back

[rainman]

[Daniel Meyer]

... It has been a standard  that pretty much every ride for us is 650 miles to get there on a Friday.
Not for pussies. 

We must be cut from different molds, GiG.  I've always enjoyed sharing a 650 mile ride with a good pussy.   

Filter Carl, FILTER!!!!

Hay 
Jimmyt

Hah! We were all thinkin' it!

[GiG]

OK let's chip in & get Carl a new K&N 
OSS:
It's not that March trip that make you nuts...

[G-Man]

The road to a friends house is never too far

Well Said!

[Willow]

OK let's chip in & get Carl a new K&N   

LOL, Brian.  No, thank you.  I'm okay with where I am.  

Filter Carl, FILTER!!!!

Hah! We were all thinkin' it!

Ha ha.  Therein lies the defintion of the world in which I now live.  I really should learn to just keep my mouth shut now and then but I don't try to blow smoke up anyone's skirt about what's going through my head.  I'm sure it doesn't comfort my loving wife any when I explain to her that when I say something that makes her want to crawl under the table that it wasn't anything that wasn't being thought by almost everyone around that table.