Great rides demand great photos

Riding on the back of a motorcycle presents many photo opportunities, but they are easy to miss if you don't have a camera handy. For years I used a basic Sony point-and-shoot camera by this year I decided to upgrade my equipment to something that would provide some better quality images.

I opted for a DSLR (Digital Single Lens Reflex) Camera as opposed to a standard "point and shoot". The DSLR allows me to be more creative with shutter speeds and aperature settings so that I can create more compelling photos. The 10 mega pixel resolution, though not the highest available allows me to get great high resolution photos. And of course being digital as opposed to film, I can shoot hundreds of pictures and just delete the bad ones and keep only the ones I like.

The camera I choose, after much research is an Olympus E-510. It's a great entry level DLSR that has alot of features and as far as I was concerned, gave me the most bang for the buck. The e-510 is lightweight and fits comfortably in your hand with the controls right at your fingertips. There are 2 features I found on the Olympus that the other models didn't offer when I bought mine. The first was image stabilization, other manufacturers build it into their lenses, Olympus built it into the camera. I really helps when you're shooting from the back of a moving motorcycle! The other feature that stood out was "live view" this means that you can see exactly what you're shooting on the LED screen. Now I know what you're thinking, what's the big deal, I can do that with my cheap camera phone or point and shoot camera well yes you can, but that feature is not usually found on DSLR's because there is a mirror in front of the sensor so displaying a live image on the LED screen required temporarily lifting the mirror. Olympus is one of the first manufacturers to offer this feature on a DSLR, others are now catching up.

So now that I have a nice camera, I really needed a way to hold it securely while shooting on the bike, I certainly didn't want my $700+ camera and lens making a impact with the pavement. I had tried using a neck strap, but I found it cumbersome, and it's hard to get on and off with a helmet on! I needed something better. I finally came across the ProStrap. The ProStrap is a comfortable leather wrist strap that attaches to the right (or left) side of your camera and cinches securely to your wrist. The ProStrap helps make a comfortable secure grip on your camera so that if the camera were to slip from your hand, it will only dangle harmlessly from your wrist.

My final investment was to get a camera bag big enough to carry just the camera with a lense but small enough to wear without getting in the way. I choose the Lowepro Cirrus TLZ 25. It's a holster style camera bag that you can wear around your neck or on your belt. I personally think it's a little big for a belt, I wear it with the strap diagonally across my chest and with the case sitting on my left hip. The camera is protected from weather and debris and is readily available when I need it. The camera rests in the bag with the lens pointed down so that retrieving the camera from the bag and being ready to shoot takes only seconds. I simply unzip the top of the bag, slide my wrist through the strap cinch it up tight, pull out the camera, and I'm ready to shoot. It doesn't require alot of movement or wiggling which is very important when riding on the back of a bike.

Now that I've got an awesome system, I can't wait for our next ride so I can share some great pictures with you.

A Trip Through The Shenandoah Valley

Recently, we make a trip down to Winchester, VA to visit with 200+ Goldwing friends of ours. While there we had a chance to do some exploring. A group of us rode down to Coleen, VA to visit the California Sidecar Company. They build trike conversion kits for all types of motorcycles as well as Escapade Trailers and of course Side Cars.

The ride down to the factory was very nice, there’s nothing like the site of 30+ Goldwings riding down the road, sort of like an open bag of M&M’s spilling on the floor and flowing down the stairs.

We arrived at the factory around noon. The factory is in a beautiful location nestled in the heart of the Shenandoah Valley with an absolutely gorgeous view of the mountains from their parking lot. Who wouldn’t want to work there? Of course it might be tough to work inside with that view begging from outdoors.

The people at the factory couldn’t have been nicer or more accommodating. They provided guided tours of the factory and afterward, a complete barbeque lunch with all the fixin’s. Now that’s what I call customer service.

After the tours and lunch the entire group was scheduled to go for a ride on Skyline Drive on the way back to the hotel.

Well, hubby and I didn’t feel like waiting around, for the rest of the group to be ready to go so we decided to head off on our own, besides we had our GPS so we were confident we could get back to the hotel. We were also getting tired of the group thing and wanted to go off exploring on our own for awhile. It was a great group of people but I can only take group rides for so long.

We headed out of the factory and made our way onto the Blue Ridge Parkway. We got to Skyline Drive and paid the $10 fee to enter, if you have an annual national parks pass that will get you in too.

We’d heard a lot of good things about Skyline Drive and were excited to finally be able to ride it and see what all the fuss was about. It wasn’t long before we were winding our way along the road enjoying view after fabulous view of the Shenandoah Valley. Pictures just don’t do it justice. There are Scenic overlooks all along the way where you can stop and enjoy the view because if you try to enjoy the view while riding you’ll probably end up off road. I had to constantly remind my husband to watch the road and not the view! I told him I would enjoy the view for both of us and take plenty of pictures so he could enjoy it later.

As beautiful as Skyline Drive is, you certainly can’t be in a hurry to get anywhere. The speed limit is 35 mph the whole way, and it is strictly enforced. 104 mi at 35 mph takes quite a while to complete. We were very happy we had left the big group behind and went off on our own. It was much more relaxing and enjoyable to go at our own pace. Although the pace is slow, the weather was perfect and it was a beautiful, enjoyable ride. Skyline Drive is a fairly technical road that features a lot of sweeping curves both up hill and down with a few switchbacks thrown in just to keep you honest. We don’t have many roads like that in our part of New York so my husband was a little out of practice, but by the time we were done, he had gotten a rhythm and we were humming along. It’s a great road to practice your riding skills. It’s a perfect road for the co-rider because there’s lots of scenery to enjoy along the way.

About halfway through, there is a place to stop with a snack bar and souvenir shop as well as a gas pump. We were happy to see it because we forgot to bring extra water with us and ours had run out. We also got a couple of commemorative pins to add to our collection.

The rest of the ride was fairly uneventful, more beautiful scenery and windy roads. The trip was not unlike my trip to the Grand Canyon a couple of years ago. When you first see the Grand Canyon it’s absolutely breath taking, but after you’re there for an hour or so it gets old. For anyone who hasn’t been there Skyline Drive is one of those “must do” roads on a motorcycle, it’s a great way to just kick back and take a nice leisurely ride through some of the most beautiful scenery in the country.

By the time we headed back to the hotel, it was after 5:00 so we decided to stop for dinner along the way since there wasn’t much right by the hotel. Once we got back into Winchester, we were beginning to wonder if we’d find anyplace to stop, when we say a Goldwing trike parked on the street below a sign that said “Cork Street Tavern”. We both decided right then and there, that’s the place for dinner.

So we parked the bike and headed in. It was a quaint dimly lit tavern, with a pretty good dinner crown and a busy wait staff. We elected to sit out on the patio which was surrounded by 10 ft walls all the way around so it was nearly enclosed but there was no roof. It would have been nice to have a view of the street to watch the world go by as we dined but it was nice just as well.

The menu was fairly standard tavern fare, a few dinners and some pub sandwiches and traditional sides. My husband had a ruben and I decided on the grilled salmon on croissant (my lame attempt at eating healthy). The food was excellent, the service was great. We’re definitely going back next time we’re in town, and we’re bringing friends with us.

All in all we had a great trip to Virginia. It’s always nice to add states to your “States I’ve visited list” and to make some new friends along the way.

Cruisin & Snoozin the Skill of Moto-Napping

So there we were, making our way home from our latest adventure exploring the great roadways of Virginia. It had been a busy couple of days, late nights, early mornings, lots of great roads to ride, but all good things must come to an end and we were now on our way home. The riding conditions were perfect, clear blue skies, temperatures in the mid 70's, a nice long boring stretch of road, I was comfortably settled into my seat on the back of the Goldwing, awesome music on the XM radio streaming through my headset, the bike humming along, I was in a state of complete relaxation and before I knew it... my eye lids started to get heavy, I leaned my head back and just like that, I was napping or more appropriately -- moto-napping.

Now this isn't the first time I've caught a few z's on the back of the wing, I do it a lot actually and I've talked to other Goldwing passengers who regularly nap on the back of their motorcycles. It's so common in fact that I decided it needed a name, hence, moto-napping. Yes, that's a word, or it is now that I made it up. Have fun with it, use it in a sentence as often as you can, amaze your friends and neighbors, before you know it, moto-napping will be a household word and you can say you heard it here first!

So what exactly is moto-napping. First of all moto-napping isn't deep, long lasting sleeping, we're talking about light, restful, napping, similar to power napping. Studies show that power napping has many benefits including reduced stress, increased productivity and improved memory just to name a few. All good benefits right, so it's possible moto-napping can provide similar benefits, although there are no studies to prove so don't hold me to it.

The right motorcycle and proper technique, allow moto-napping to be accomplished successfully and without injury. I should know, I do it all the time, and most of the time, my husband, the driver, doesn't even know I'm napping. That's the key to successful moto-napping, never let your rider know you're catching a few winks! If you do they will probably try to keep you awake, the theory being if they can't sleep, why should you. I never did agree with that theory.

Moto-napping is more than simply a matter of closing your eyes and snoozing. There is a real skill to successful napping on a motorcycle, at least if you want to do it properly and more importantly safely. Several things need to be take into consideration. In the wrong hands, moto-napping can lead to injury or at the very least the pain of a bruised ego, from an unplanned extrication from said motorcycle.

"Yea but if you're napping, you'll miss all the great scenery."

Let's face it, not everywhere you ride on a motorcycle involves breath taking scenery and windy, curvy roads. More often than not you're riding long, boring stretches of road. You know the ones I mean like anywhere on the New York Thruway, b-o-o-o-o-ring or The Ohio Turnpike between Cleveland and Toledo, "wake me when we get there" doesn't begin to describe it. You simply can't wait to get to your destination and off that "Godforsaken flatter than a pancake" stretch of road. The only thing that makes it even remotely exciting is the occasional mindless cager veering into your lane for no reason because they "didn't see you" on your bright red 900 lb motorcycle. That kind of excitement I can do without, thank-you.

Now, if you live in Ohio or New York (I live in NY), don't get mad at me, you know as well as I do those stretches of road are anything but interesting. They do serve a purpose, as they make it quick and easy to get from point A to point B. A lot of you may be saying "you're on a motorcycle, you shouldn't be on the superslab anyway". Well, that's true, but sometimes you just gotta get there so you do what you have to do. The sad part is that both states actually make you pay to enjoy the boredom. We paid to ride Skyline Drive but at least that had entertainment value and gorgeous scenery.

Moto-napping is the perfect way to counteract the boredom of such roads, and helps you reach your destination rested and ready to go. Let's face it, you probably don't want to waste your time sleeping when you get to your destination that would just be wrong. Why not be rested when you get there.

Choosing the right bike.

Obviously, not every motorcycle is suited to napping, but then not every motorcycle is suited to long distance riding either. The best motorcycles for moto-napping are those with large cushioned seats, nice large, comfortable backrest. Arm rests are optional, they do make napping easier but are not necessary for successful resting. The Honda Goldwing is of course the king of "napping bikes" but other good choices are Harley Davidson Ultra Classic, BMW 1200LT and the Yamaha Venture to name a few, I'm sure there are more, I just can't think of any. If you can think of other ones, post a comment and let me know. It also helps to have an intercom system with a radio or MP3 player to listen to your favorite tunes, an Ipod or other pocket MP3 player with ear buds will also do. Moto-napping is virtually impossible on something like a sport bike or any V-Twin with a passenger seat the size of a postage stamp, and if there's no back rest, forget it, you'll be on the pavement in no time. That may lead to a more permanent nap than you were originally planning. Not to mention, gaggles of laughter from your rider and those around you.

Ok, you have the right bike now what?

There are 2 requirements that lend themselves to moto-napping. You should be on a long trip 200-300 miles at least, after all what's the sense of napping if you're just going down the street for ice cream. The second requirement is that you are on a long, straight boring stretch of roadway. No one wants to be napping when there's great scenery to look at. That would defeat the purpose of riding a bike in the first place. If you're on the road to simply nap, then just take the car, it's easier.

So you're settled into the nice comfy pillion seat of your bike, awesome tunes streaming through your headset, you're on a long boring stretch of road, the bike just humming along down the road, looks like you're ready to start your nap. First, lean back in your seat so you're comfortable and gently close your eyes. It helps if you have a tinted shield or tinted glasses on so that you're rider won't know what you're up to, plus the tint will help keep the sun out of your eyes.

It's very important that you not fall in to a deep R.E.M. sleep, just a simple light catnap to take the edge off. If you fall into a deep you may run the risk of the dreaded "helmet smack". Helmet smack is when your helmet and that of your rider unexpectedly "smack" together when the motorcycle comes to a stop or makes another sudden move you're not prepared for. This may cause your rider to exclaim "what the f***!" and then you'll have some explaining to do. Trust me they just won't understand moto-napping so you're better off avoiding it altogether.

The secret to moto-napping is quietly drifting in and out of a gentle, restful totally relaxed state. No deep sleep, no dreams, and definitely no snoring! You will find that in this state you can still control your movements such as keeping your head from flopping around or slouching from side to side in turns. And you won't be in deep enough sleep that you can't instantly wake up if your rider asks you a question. They tend to get a little anxious if they ask you a question and you don't answer, they think you have fallen off or something.

So that, in a nutshell is the fine art of moto-napping. It's definitely a developed skill, but it's handy to have so go out and practice, practice, practice and before you know it, you'll be moto-napping like a pro and when you arrive at your destination, everyone will wonder why you're not exhausted from the long trip. Go ahead and try it, then come back and let me know about your moto-napping adventures. Recommend it to your co-rider friends and send them here to learn the basics. Come on all you professional co-riders, let's start a new trend, after all why should the riders have all the fun. If you can think of any additional tips to help make moto-napping easier and safer, post a comment here so that we can all benefit from your experience.