The months preceding sauna season in Georgia can often be referred to as “random typhoon season.” My rides have been hampered by weather, and work. Although I have managed to take a long lunch ride with a co-worker who is trying to break in his new Harley, and a few evening rides along the local lakes and backroads, I’m still waiting on a good full 400 mile day that leaves me with a tired perma-smile for the next 48 hours.
Today, Sunday, was a day that I had reserved in my mind for many hours of enjoying some mountains with Betty-Sioux. Betty-Sioux is the name given at the christening for my new ride. My youngest daughter is the source of that incredibly fitting moniker. She’s gifted.
This is how Betty-Sioux appears with her removable windshield removed for more breezy summer soiree’s.
This is how Sunday appears when you were expecting to ride.
Don’t let the leopard spots fool you. There was no direction to ride that did not include swimming.
I know, I know, I could have ridden carelessly with my face to the winds as I have on many occasions, but I think in my old age I’m growing accustomed to more comfort and less bravado. If I’m not on a multi-day road trip, I’d just as soon not enjoy the lack of scenery from the rivers on my face shield.
Instead of heading out into the deluges I decided to invest some time in a project that I hope will prove helpful when the days of 110% humidity and 90º temperatures let all Georgians feel a soggy kinship with swamp creatures.
When my Indian doesn’t find it necessary to don the wall of bug collecting plexiglass I need a safe place to keep it’s windshield from harm. A bag? A vault? Another Indian? All good ideas, but sure enough, some smart fellow on the interwebs had already addressed the problem.
This is the British version
And after checking out his forum post on an Indian rider website, I tried to copy his homemade craftiness.
I have to admit, my attempt was nowhere near as precisely finished as his but It does seem to do the trick. And for a rainy Sunday it was probably a better use of my motorcycle time than treating my bike to a mud spray tour.
Soon. Soon, I’ll be out of the garage again. I can handle sweat better than rain these days.
