Riding Weather Has Begun!

Yes, after what seemed like our 37th winter this year, we are finally seeing the warm temperatures and cool evenings that bring bikers back to the roads. We are going to be seeing our first +20 temperatures of 2026. Everyone who has lived in this area knows that our seasons can be very unpredictable, but this year has proven to set the bar for ridiculousness! 48 hours ago, it was -13. 48 hours from now, we are expecting +21. Apparently we are catching a glimpse of Spring that will last about three hours and moving into summer temperatures.

What we didn't have happen before our first warm day in the 20's is have a good dump of rain to help clean the roads, unfortunately. The annual street cleaning in all of our communities has not yet started, but there are still going to be bikes everywhere enjoying the first tastes of wind therapy. I am extremely happy to have the warm weather coming, and I am very excited to see bikes on the roads again. However...

There are always those riders that come out on the first warm days and choose to ignore (or refuse to acknowledge the existense of) the sand on the roads. I have already seen bikes slalom down their lane, conduct hard accelerations from a complete stop, and one even trying to lane split on Hwy 16A. I have said it before, and I will continue to say: Sand can be a killer on the roads. PLEASE be cautious out there! Your life is much too valuable to risk it on unwise riding.

With all of that said, my two training bikes are very excited to get some time on the roads as well! Mini Me and Little Pup are both serviced and ready for the season to begin. They were both given new oil, new spark plugs, new air filters, and are more than ready to help you begin your motorcycle journey! They were even given the opportunity to rest on my bike's garage mat while I was servicing and conducting an upgrade on my bike.

Every year works in the same type of cycle for me. The New Year always brings the anticipation of a new riding season, along with the unwavering impatience for winter to end. Usually around March of every year is when I will begin getting each bike in my garage ready for Spring, whether it's just a basic service or any repairs or upgrades I want to do on my bike or a friend's bike. This year I ended up with 7 bikes in my garage. I have my bike, named The Dream, as well as Mini Me and Little Pup. I had a neighbors Street Glide CVO that I did a full service on, one of my Army friends has their Heritage Classic (named Lucky) in the garage, our youngest’s scooter (named Cyclops), and my wife’s new Heritage Classic that she has named Belle. Between having seven bikes, my pneumatic lift, and all my tools, I basically created an old school obstacle course in my garage this year!

I took the time this Spring to upgrade the air intake on my bike as well. This will provide a noticeable improvement of airflow into the engine, giving a boost to the horsepower in my bike. Don’t get me wrong, there is no lack of power on my bike, especially with the 121ci engine in it (that’s about 1990cc), but having an improved airflow into the combustion chamber also means a cleaner burn in the pistons. I also love the look of this new intake compared to the one that came with the bike.

All of this to say that every single two wheeled machine in my garage is ready for the season. I am looking forward to seeing you all on the road, and don't forget to throw out the motorcycle wave when we pass each other! Ride smart, stay safe, and enjoy the 2026 season!!