Cyclerides.com Weekly Update
1/25/06 

Greetings Riders,
 
The Valley weather has been very "rider friendly" so far this season. We have been over 99 days with no rain and moderate to record temps several times this year. This is about as good as we could ask for. If you are looking for some ride ideas in the Phoenix and outlying areas, check the Day Rides section on www.cyclerides.com for plenty of destinations.
 
After a few emails and a phone conversation last week about brands of motorcycles and how they are presented on Cyclerides.com, I thought I should address this subject to let everyone know where I am coming from as to what I write about and the content found on the site. First of all, Cyclerides was started over 6 years ago as a hobby and a way to share basic information about rides and events here in the Phoenix area. I never had any real visions for where I was expecting Cyclerides to go, I've just been trying keep up and maintain a high standard of content for the site. It has constantly grown and is a "work in progress" to evolve into what it is today with the many thousands that use the site and the over 6000 of you that take the newsletter. I thank all of you your support of the events on the site and for the positive emails that I receive.
 
If I had a mission statement for the site, which I don't, because that would have meant that I expected to still be doing this 6 years later, it would read something like this: "The purpose of Cyclerides.com is to promote safe and positive motorcycling, give back to the community by organizing selected charitable events, encourage riders to participate while fully experiencing the joy of motorcycling and provide riders of ALL makes and models with resources to further enhance their riding experience by sharing my own travels and observations." 
 
The key phrase in that mission statement for this discussion is "provide riders of ALL makes and models with resources to further enhance their riding experience". One of the common concerns I get from the non HD readers is that there isn't much about the Metric bikes and other brands on the site. They are right, there really isn't. But it is not because I am intentionally excluding the metric bike, or any others, it is because the bulk of the information, statistics, etc. that are readily available, are from Harley, not from the other brands.
 
For example, when I was doing the research for the Women riders story last week, I called a local Honda dealer to get an idea of what percentage of their sales were to Women. The answer was that they don't keep those statistics. I searched google for the same information and found nothing. I know there are Women riding Hondas, but the manufacturer is not keeping track of how many. But when I called the local Harley dealerships, every one of them had that information readily available. So as you can see, I had to go with the information that was at hand.
 
Another reason that you will find more reference to HD on Cyclerides.com and in the newsletter is because that according to the poll that I did a couple of weeks ago, 60% of those that use the site ride Harley's. That is also what Mrs. C. and I ride. So consequently, that is the experience and knowledge that I have to draw from. If I were doing a web site and a newsletter on classic cars and I owned a Ford Mustang, chances are the bulk of my information, references and photos would probably be focused on Ford's and not Pontiac Firebirds. But that wouldn't mean that I didn't recognize the Firebird as worthy of being called a car or park next to my Mustang. The theme and the thread of the site would still be about going to Classic car events to view and enjoy all classic cars while sharing with others the passion of the hobby.
 
The same applies to Cyclerides.com. I enjoy looking at and being around all brands of motorcycles and the riders that are on them, but the bulk of those that I see or are around are of the HD variety. If you look at 4 of the 7 events that are on the event calendar for January, they are HD dealership events. Either the metric dealerships or others are not as organized, not having events, or they do not want to advertise to let the rest of us know about them.
 
The Honda dealership owner that I talked to asked: "What is all the fuss about owning and riding a Harley?" He was puzzled why anyone would pay so much for inferior equipment, when you could get something much better for half the price. If someone were to pose that question to you as an HD rider, you might find it hard to concisely communicate the answer to that in words, and certainly challenging to do in a brief sentence. Now I know where the phrase "If I have to explain it to you, you wouldn't understand" comes from.
 
It is hard to explain. Part of riding a motorcycle is self-expression and that comes in many different forms. That is why we add chrome, custom paint and ride the brands we ride. But if I had to put it into words it is because I enjoy the aura and history of the American made Harley-Davidson product, I like the classic lines of the bikes, the sound of the engines, the ride and handling of the bikes, the camaraderie and benefits of the now 1 million strong Harley Owners Group with over 1350 chapters worldwide, the intense loyalty of the riders, and the affinity that goes along with owning one of the top 10 most recognizable logos in the world. What other brand could you ride where you can get a toilet seat, dog toy or ceiling fan with your motorcycle logo on it or sit next to a guy or girl with the logo tattooed on their body? I would suspect no where.
 
Those are my reasons, I'm sure you might have many more. And for those that ride other brands, there are plenty of good reasons for that as well. Most of them are excellent bikes. Mrs. C. started on a Kawasaki Vulcan 800 that I would hop on and ride quite often myself. It was a great bike. So for those of you that have thought of sending me an email of concern about the mostly HD content, now you know where I stand. I embrace riders of ALL MOTORCYCLES and encourage everyone to use the site and the resources available to add miles and memories on whatever bike that you ride. There seems to be a lingering myth among metric riders and others that HD riders don't want to associate with them. I have never witnessed that to be true. As for this HD rider, the bottom line is I don't care what you ride, I am just happy to see that you are out there on 2 wheels enjoying the sport. 
 
As that famous prophet Rodney King once said, "let's all just get along".
 

Highlights This Week
 
Saturday, January 28th
Buddy Stubbs Bikes and BBQ. Need an in town destination and an excuse to ride?
 
Saturday, January 28th
Superstition Harley-Davidson 3rd Annual Customer Appreciation Night. 30% OFF Sweatshirts, 15% OFF all Denim, 20% OFF Tires, 10% OFF maintenance & cleaning products and Up to 50% OFF special clearance items.
 
Sunday, January 29th
Buddy's All Girls Ride. Calling All Lady Riders!
 
Sunday, January 29th
Arizona Freedom Rally. This is where the motorcycle riders of Arizona put on a very visible show of support for the Right's of ALL Motorcyclists here in Arizona.
 
Thursday, February 2nd
The First Night of the Uncle Sam's Thursday Bike Night. Riders on the West side,
this is what you have been asking for.