Good Vibes and Bad Vibes

So I am pretty psyched about some changes I made to my FJR.  Because I am not as bendable as I used to be, I added two huge comfort items to my bike.  First I installed some Engine Mounted Foot Pegs on the bike so that I can extend my legs while on long rides (look at the attached photo above and you will see two sets of driver foot pegs on the cycle).  I got the Highway Pegs from MotorcycleLarry.com and they appear to be top-notch accessories.  We’ll see how they hold up over the next 6 months but I can tell you the foot pegs are placed in that perfect spot forward on the cycle that hopefully spells comfort on long rides.  I also added 1 ¼ inch risers on the front handlebars.  The sitting position seems just right but only time will tell.  With the highway pegs and risers, the FJR is becoming that Touring Sports Machine of my Dreams.   Now to find a rear touring trunk to mount and I should be good to go.

I don’t know why but I find joy in making a motorcycle into a faultless reflection of me.   The FJR was perfect because when I bought it the cycle was more than 4 years old but had less than 900 miles on it.  So I got this great wondrous ride which was barely used.  It felt like the bike did not have a personality yet and I could help mold it to what it wanted to be.  I know it’s crazy but I truly feel that some worldly items have their own persona or vibe.  Motorcycles definitely exhibit this quality as do guns, cars and even houses.  Have you ever walked into a home and did not feel good about being there, so made an excuse to leave.  Those are the negative vibes emanating from the house which cause you to make a change in your environment and get out of dodge.  I feel cars and motorcycles carry around the same vibe, be it positive or negative.  In the Army we used to refer to these positive or negative vibes as being Good Juju or Bad Juju.  For example, if we confiscated an AK-47 that felt dirty, evil and wrong, we might say something like, “the weapon had some Bad Juju”.  One rule in combat operations that I still remember today is to never mess with the Juju.  If you’re feeling something in your gut then no matter what act on it before it’s too late.  Of course if you get too caught up in the Juju then you may never want to leave your house.  It goes both ways; there is definitely some positive Juju out there as well.  Have you ever just held a football or baseball and it just felt right but not because you love the sport, just because holding the item felt positive?  If so then that is an example of good Juju.

Anyway, I am feeling rather positive about my ride and spring as well.  It’s time to start planning for some serious miles.  Let the Ride Continue…..

Down below is a photo I took while traveling along the NJ Coast.  That Hurricane Sandy caused a serious mess.  I am still sending those affected some positive vibes and well wishes.