Backroads Buddha

We're Moving!

2013-03-18T15:33:00.001-05:00

The site is moving. We're leaving the Googleverse and migrating to the land of WordPress.

I may set the URL to redirect at some point but in the meantime here is the link:

http://backroadsbuddha.wordpress.com/

-Buddha

The Old Man

2013-02-06T16:09:00.003-06:00

My father-in-law’s idea of hunting was a little different than that of most people today. He was raised in rural Texas and hunting was not a sport or pastime. It was how you put food on the table. I saw him shoot rabbits from the window of a moving truck (he was driving) and take squirrels as they ran from branch to branch with a .22 revolver he always kept in his front pocket. It was more than a little disconcerting for a city boy like me to have a conversation interrupted without notice by a gunshot but he wouldn’t even pause in whatever he was saying at the time.

I never saw the old man miss, even though his eyes were so bad he could barely read the newspaper. Once I made the mistake of teasing him for missing a head shot on a squirrel. He smiled, that smile that was the manly equivalent of the southern woman’s, “bless his heart,” and explained that the head was the best part. I was much more careful about eating what I had thought was chicken and dumplings at his house after that.

He taught a scrawny little book worm a lot about life and nature. He taught me that not everything can be learned from a book. He taught me that cleverness and intelligence had nothing to do with schoolin’. Strength, I learned, had less to do with muscles and much more to do with the will to get something done. He was an ornery old cuss but could play with the kids as only a child at heart could. He never said it but that was one of the most important lessons I learned from him.

Fast forward twenty some odd years. The old man is gone but the lessons he taught me, always by example, live on. He is missed but I am better for having known him.

-Buddha

Happy New Year!

2012-12-31T18:22:00.001-06:00

Happy New Year to all! May the blessings, peace and joy of The Lord be with you all in 2013!
-Buddha

Quote of the Week: 12/30/12

2012-12-30T06:30:00.000-06:00

“After a shooting spree, they always want to take the guns away from the people who didn’t do it.”
- William S. Burroughs

Quote Of The Week: 12/23/12

2012-12-23T06:30:00.000-06:00

We tend to forget that happiness doesn't come as a result of getting something we don't have, but rather of recognizing and appreciating what we do have.
- Frederick Keonig

If You Value The Second Amendment and Gun Rights, Act Now!

2012-12-19T19:09:00.002-06:00

I sent this to my Congressman, Senators and, yes, the President. If you value your rights and the Constitution please do the same. Make your voice heard above the din:

I am horrified by the recent tragedy in in Newtown. I want justice and solutions that work.

Gun control is NOT that solution.

As a citizen and a voter I DO NOT support ANY additional restrictions on firearms in this country. Existing laws prevented this person from obtaining firearms legally. He murdered his own mother to obtain them. If his mother did not own firearms he would have found another way to obtain them or used an alternate means of murdering these children. How many more might have died if he had used an explosive or incendiary device?

The expired Assault Weapons Ban had zero impact on crime and mass killings. Gun laws in general do nothing to stop violent acts. Just look at the increasing crime rate in the UK for proof of this statement. Better and more timely reporting of mental health issues or criminal acts to the FBI is a good idea. A mechanism to allow gun owners to reclaim their rights once they recover from a mental health issue is also a good idea and would allow people to seek assistance without worrying about losing their rights permanently. Better security for schools is another good idea. However, no additional restrictions on gun rights are acceptable.

As the shootings in Oregon and Pearl, Mississippi show armed citizens can and do make a difference. Thousands of lives are saved and untold millions in property loss are prevented by law abiding citizens exercising their Constitutional rights. Many using the same firearms this madman used. Why? Because a good defensive weapon can also be used as an offensive one.

Please oppose these attempts to exploit this tragedy to further political agendas.

-Buddha

Quote Of The Week: 12/16/12

2012-12-16T06:30:00.000-06:00

We the people are the rightful masters of both Congress and the courts, not to overthrow the Constitution but to overthrow the men who pervert the Constitution.
-Abraham Lincoln

2012 Harley Tree

2012-12-15T08:41:00.001-06:00

The Harley tree is back and on display in my office again this year. It has a few more ornaments and a little more bling:

Merry Christmas Ya'll.

-Buddha

Thoughts and Prayers to Everyone Affected by the Newtown Tragedy

2012-12-14T15:02:00.003-06:00

Our prayers and thoughts go to all those affected by this terrible act. Please keep them in your prayers as well.

I will also be giving my kids, grown though they are, and extra hug tonight.

-Buddha

I'm Back!

2012-12-12T17:45:00.000-06:00

...with a few changes.

Riding and exploring Texas on the Sporty will still be a big chunk of the content around here but I will be adding a few things as well.

While on hiatus, I spend a lot of time with the family, changed jobs a couple of times, and dealt with a lot of personal challenges. As a result of these challenges the family is stronger, my marriage is stronger, my faith is stronger and I am stronger (at least mentally and spiritually, I still need to get myself together physically). I also picked up a few new hobbies and interests.

A rekindled passion for firearms has supplemented my existing passion for motorcycles. Riding has always been an escape for me; a kind of therapy. While I am on a ride my mind is focused and all the trials and stresses that weigh me down are forced out beyond the cone of that focus. Some people find this in meditation and others in jogging. I find it while riding and I have discovered that I also find it while shooting.

Riding also appeals to my wanderlust, it's a great excuse to go and explore; to see new places and sights. Most shooting, on the other hand tends to be confined. It is generally confined to enclosed spaces designed to protect people from the hazardous effects of metal projectiles traveling at velocities that, by comparison, make even the most serious sportbike seem slow. Hunting, to a degree, is an exception to the confined nature of shooting sports. The bike can cover long distances quickly but hunting requires a slower pace. It is a macro vs. micro kind of thing. On a bike I can cross a county in a few hours while hunting it may take all day to cover a few hundred yards.

Both are immersive in but in different ways. On a bike you are exposed to the environment in a way you can never be in a cage (car) but you are still somewhat disconnected. When hunting you are generally on foot and as immersed in the environment as you possibly can get. On foot you are connected in almost every way to your surrounding and, if you are not careful, your surroundings can connect to you.

Both sports require conscious and constant attention to detail and both can have very serious consequences if that attention wanders for even a few moments. There is risk involved in both activities but, to me, it is a manageable and acceptable risk. Some bikers I know think nothing of sailing along a few inches above the pavement with nothing more than a pair of jeans and a t-shirt to save them from the flesh shredding asphalt yet those same individuals quake in fear at the mention of firearms. I have seen some shooters who compete with rifle, pistol and shotgun in "move and shoot" scenarios firing hundreds of rounds per match but think that even sitting on a motorcycle is too dangerous to contemplate. It is up to each person to determine their own level of acceptable risk. It is not for me or the government to decide that for anyone else.

There is another area of similarity and I'm not quite sure what it says about me. Both endeavors allow me to make lots of noise...

The bike has not seen much action of late and the battery is a bit low. Rather than just give it a charge I am in the process of installing a battery tender. I also plan to head out this Saturday and see if I can't bring down my first feral hog. Should be plenty to write about soon.

-Buddha

On Hiatus

2011-12-27T15:24:00.000-06:00

Time is a precious and limited resource and of late there have been way too many things that really need my time and attention and not enough of that to go around. I need to adjust some priorities.

Family is number one and my wife and kids really need as much time and attention as I can give them. Work is pretty important too as it keeps the lights on, the bills paid and the pantry stocked. Some things have to get cut and the time spent on this blog is one of those.

It is with a heavy heart that I am putting Backroads Buddha on hiatus. Hopefully, one day I will have the time to get back to this. Hopefully, the challenges we are facing will be short lived and I will get more time for riding and writing about riding.

In the meantime, keep us in your prayers as many of you are in ours.

God Bless You

-Buddha

Merry Christmas y'all...

2011-12-25T15:19:00.000-06:00

...and hope you all have a happy new year as well.

-Buddha

Sportster Sunday: A Sporty under the tree...

2011-11-27T18:47:00.001-06:00

This week's edition of Sportster Sunday is brought to you by the spirit of Christmas. With the traditional Buddha-family Thanksgiving meal (turkey, beef roast, pork roast, Louisiana-style rice dressing, stuffing, mashed potatoes, sweet peas, gravies, cranberry sauce, and various pies) prepared and consumed it was almost too much to come up with any ideas for this week's Sportster Sunday. But then I started decorating my Harley tree and it hit me...

Yup, that's a Sporty under the tree. Wonderful Wife is going to make me a tiny little green bow to drape across it and the color is definitely in keeping with the season.

A little Sporty under the tree

Every year I add a new Hallmark Harley Davidson series ornament to the tree and this year's addition is a 2011 V-Rod Muscle.

2011 H-D Keepsake Ornament from Hallmark

A new Sporty under the tree is not in the cards for me this year and I am OK with that. These are tough economic times for lots and lots of people and while we may have to be a good bit more frugal than in year's past we are doing fine and that is one of the many things I am thankful for this year. Other things I am thankful for include that my Wonderful Wife has seen fit to put up with me for another year (that one was pretty close a few times though) and that all my kids and grandson are all healthy (had some scares there too).

Maybe it is because I have been putting in so many hours and finally have a few days off. Or, maybe I'm just getting older but I have spent a few hours just sitting and thinking things over this Thanksgiving. I haven't come up with answers for fixing the economy or world peace. Heck, I haven't even come up with the answer to peace in the family but one thing that is crystal clear to me is that good friends and family are more important that most of the crap that the media tries to convince us we need at this time of year.

So, to all my friends and family out there, I hope you had a happy Thanksgiving. I hope and pray that the remainder of the holiday season brings you peace and joy.

Merry Christmas y'all.

-Buddha

I would so ride this...

2011-11-23T00:07:00.000-06:00

Anyone who knows me knows that I am partial to V-Twins. I am also partial to black motorcycles. So it is probably no surprise that I would like the new Moto Guzzi V7.

A Guzzi with attitude

Outside of the incredible good looks of the new Guzzi, the cash infusion of parent company Piaggio has resulted in some serious improvements in the classic 750 cc twin. The new mill increases HP to 51 and Torque to 43 while increasing fuel mileage and lowering emissions. It isn't just ECM either, word is most of the engine parts have been redesigned for 2012.

I would so ride this bike. It is a truly lustworthy Guzzi.

No word on when the new models will start arriving to the few dealers in the US which is is good because old Buddha is pretty cash strapped right now and this would just about break the bank and my marriage.

Hang in there...

-Buddha

Sportster Sunday: Hill Country Sportsters

2011-11-20T20:31:00.001-06:00

Well, as you may have noticed (or not) Backroads Buddha has been on Hiatus for a while. Until work settles down it will likely continue to be a little more miss than hit. But I am back with a picture from our Hill Country trip.

We stopped along one of the Three Sisters (RR337 to be accurate) and took a few snaps of the bikes and the scenery. This is one of my favorites.

Pair of Sportsters in the Texas Hill Country

We put almost 800 miles on the clock for this trip and a great time was had by all.

Moose was there and put the same number of miles on the Road King but can't have a Road King in the picture on Sportster Sunday.

Hang in there...

-Buddha

Sportster Sunday: Feelin' Fishy

2011-10-16T08:00:00.000-05:00

Here is another great looking' Sporty from the Quad Cam Bastards site:

They titled it Feeling Fishy. I call it awesome.

Hang in there...

-Buddha

Sportster Sunday

2011-10-09T09:00:00.000-05:00

David Uhl is an awesome pin up artist out of Colorado. His latest, Catch of the Day, is available but will probably sell out pretty quickly like oct of his work does. The first thing I noticed when I saw it (really) was that it was a Sporty in the background so I looked at couple of his other works I found another (Clothing Optional) that also features a Sporty. Enjoy!

Clothing Optional

Catch of the Day

Hang in there

-Buddha

Getting Ready for the Hill Country - Camera Mount

2011-10-05T06:37:00.000-05:00

Things around the old Buddha house this year have been pretty tough. Now, I know that in a lot of ways I don't have much to complain about. I have a job and am able to pay the bills. My house hasn't burned to the ground. Heck, we have only been close to having to evacuate once. Nope from all those perspectives life has been pretty good.

With that said, there have been a lot of personal challenges this year. I am not going to air the laundry or bore you with it all, but this year has definitely tried my patience, faith and resolution. To go hand in hand with that my most effective stress reliever, riding, has been fairly limited as well. Sort of a lose/lose spiral into some pretty rough times.

But, on the up side, we have a ride up to the Hill Country coming in a few weeks. A ride that combines those I love with the things I love doing. A big chunk of the family is headed up with me; some on bikes and some in cars (OK, an SUV), we have reservations for a nice little cabin at Koyote Ranch and plans to ride the great roads, enjoy the scenery and hit the Harvest Classic to drool over some cool old bikes. Awesome!

I can't tell you how excited I am about this trip. I just tried but it doesn't even come close.

Anyway.

One of the things I want to try and do this time out is capture just how awesome some of these roads are on camera. Stopping and shooting just doesn't cut it and I am no Josh Kurpius who can get incredible shots while riding. So, I went shopping for a camera mount...

Although I was tempted by the coolness that is the GoPro action photography set up. The reality is, I am no action sport hero to invest hundreds of dollars in such a set up. No, I want to grab a few cool vids of the roads Hill Country ride to share and to remind me of the awesomeness that is the Hill Country when I am stuck in a cubical fighting with a server. I have a decent but inexpensive Canon SD1100 that I use for taking pictures on the road and around the house. It is a point and shoot but more than adequate for my limited photographic skills and it would have to the camera for taking videos (and stills on the hill country ride. Like I said, I am no Josh Kurpius so I would need some way to mount the camera for action shots and videos while on the road.

I started my search for a mount on the more traditional motorcycle shopping sites but everything I found seemed like overkill for experimenting with motocycle photo/videography. The dang camera cost less than a hundred bucks so I couldn't see paying $60 just to experiment...time for a trip to the Amazon.

i.Trek Handlebar Mount

Sure enough, I found a good selection of mounts and for very reasonable prices. After spending an hour or so checking the specs and reviews I settled on the i.Trek Robust Motorcycle Handlebar Mount; fairly decent reviews and less than eleven bucks...five cents less to be precise. Looked like a pretty good deal on a piece of equipment to get started with and find out if this whole idea was even going to work. Now Amazon offers free shipping on orders over $25 and to make up the difference and get free shipping I went ahead and picked up the latest season of Dexter.

The mount is plastic and seems sturdy enough for my limited needs but it is definitely not what you would call professional grade. I was concerned that the air pressure from moving "at speed" would push it back and cause it to tilt backwards. This was a common complaint on some other mounts that I looked at. There was really no way to determine that without a shake down cruise of sorts so I immediately headed out to the bike and mounted it just above the bend in the bar. I had read that this would reduce vibrations and to be honest that was my biggest concern.

Let's face it, as much as I love my Sporty, smooth is not a word I would use to describe it. While it may not be one of the "paint shakers" of old the definitely let's you know that all 54 cubic inches are engaged and working to motivate you forward. To be honest, this is one of the things I truly love about the Sporty. It helps to define it's soul like the near perfect smoothness of my other bikes failed to do.

Anyway...

Just as I headed out to the garage the phone rang. I shouldn't have picked it up...but I did. I shouldn't have answered it...but I did.

Yes, it was work...

Yes, there was a problem...

No, there would be no shakedown run for the camera mount...

It took 72(ish) hours, very little sleep and a lot of work but we eventually contained the virus (would you believe this company patches their workstations but not their servers?) and return the environment to a semblance of normalcy and I was ready for that test run...

Ok, so as you may know from the news or reading this blog Texas is experiencing the second worst drought in recorded history. We're about 20 inches down on the year so far and have set records for heat and numbers of days without rain...guess what we get when I finally get a chance to take that test ride?

Yup...

Rain. Not a lot. Not enough to do much good at all. Just enough to make the roads about as slick as snot and raise the humidity to pre-drought levels (just south of 100%). Not good weather to ride or to test a non-waterproof camera...but I did anyway.

I waited for a little break in the clouds and managed to test the mount at speed and even capture a one minute clip to test for the vibration.

Not much to the video, just down the road a bit and then a U-Turn in the parking lot of a little beer joint but it proved the mount works reasonably well.

By the way, you can see (and hear) the drops of rain as they come down ;-)

Hang in There

-Buddha

This just in...

2011-10-03T22:30:00.000-05:00

Lone Star River Run II

More details here:

http://www.chopcult.com/forum/showthread.php?t=12763

and photos here:
http://s469.photobucket.com/albums/rr57/66triumph/LSRR%202010/

I'm still hitting the Harvest Classic but this looks like a cool event.

Hang in there

-Buddha

Sportster Sunday: Trawler's Sporty (Biltwell)

2011-10-02T09:44:00.003-05:00

This week's Sportster Sunday is brought to you by the guys over at Biltwell. A customer bike using their exhaust tips and hinged seat. Gorgeous bike and great pics:

Hang in there...

-Buddha

Sportster Sunday

2011-09-26T09:00:00.000-05:00

Found this old picture on the Interweb. Looks like it may have been a promotional shot from back in the day but look at those bad old Sportys. Makes the old heart happy to see the classics both stripped and decked out for touring.

Hang in there...

-Buddha

Sportster Sunday

2011-09-18T20:06:00.000-05:00

Sportster Sunday is back, after a bit of a break, with another hot cafe bike from over at Den Of Sportsters:

Looks awesome...looks fast...looks like those pipes would roast the inside of my thigh like a fat Buddha turkey leg.

Hang in there

-Buddha

Up in smoke...

2011-09-09T22:52:00.001-05:00

Ironic Skies

Over the last couple of days Houston has been blessed with spectacular sunsets. Far more so than the camera of an iPhone can capture, especially when said camera is being operated while driving home on Houston freeways.

Yes, I know that dangerous and I shouldn't do it so, kids, don't do this yourself. Only over the hill Buddhas should take such risks.

The sunsets were particularly amazing since we haven't seen a cloud in over a week. The drought lives on, even if the temperatures have come down somewhat. So, for the last couple of days I have driven along enjoying the view whenever traffic the cityscape allowed. (I drive 35 miles each way to and from work so autopilot kicks in pretty easily.) Then, I started to wonder what lengthening rays of the sun were shining on to provide such a view...

It only took a mile or so before the sense of wonder and awe at the view turned into a sick, sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach...

The sunlight was glinting off all that remains of the trees, pastures, farms and homes that have burned north and west of Houston. This is all that remains of people's cars, livestock, businesses and homes. This is all that remains of the people who have been killed in these fires. In this case people's livelihood and lives have literally gone up in smoke.

This isn't a little fire. It is not even a single fire. There were/are over a hundred and eighty separate wildfires in Texas according to the Texas Forest Service, last week. Nineteen new ones were reported on 9/8/11 alone and all told. Over 150,000 acres have burned in that time period. Thousands have been forced to evacuate to shelters, hundreds have lost their homes, businesses and belongings. No one is publishing the death toll but these fires are dangerous and many people have had fifteen minutes or less to get out before their homes were consumed.

Our idiot governor who is busy campaigning instead of doing his job at the moment, says that fires this year have consumed an area larger than the state of Connecticut. I think he only learned where Connecticut was when he found out there was a primary there, nevertheless, that would make our burned out lands number 47 in state size rankings.

According to the federal government they are "considering" whether or not to declare this a disaster...it may qualify as a "limited" disaster...

Seriously?

WTF constitues a disaster to these people?

Hello, Washington? Is there anyone there with a clue or a smidge of common sense?

Or, this this just politics?

Hang in there folks

-Buddha

It's almost Harvest time...

2011-09-01T21:32:00.000-05:00

Worst drought on record has most of the state drying up

...not for harvesting the crops mind you. They have all dried up and blown away in the worst drought in the history of the state. No, I am talking about the Harvest Classic; the best classic bike show/rally in the world. Well, at least one of the best and the only one I am going to be able to make this year.

A tough economy combined with a new job meant that the planned trip with my son to the MotoGP at Indy had to be cut. That, plus an unexpected family crisis and the bills that went along with that meant that our family vacation was cancelled as well. Add in record high temperatures and the previously mentioned drought and Buddha family has been staying close to home trying to stay cool and keep the plants alive (failed) and the foundation from cracking (so far so good). But come October 21st most of the clan is saddling up for a ride into the Hill Country!

That's right, Wonderful Wife, My Girl Cierra, My Grandbaby, ChaCha, Moose and Pretty Boy (oh, and me too) are heading west. The girls and Grandbaby will take the SUV and tote the groceries for the trip. The guys will head out earlier in the morning to scout the way on the bikes and, if the good Lord willing and the creeks don't rise (not much chance of that), we'll be checking into a cabin outside of Medina in time for the Friday night fish fry!

1926 Royal Enfield

We probably won't be floating the river (it's probably one of the seven that have dried up in the state) but we will get to ride some of the best roads in Texas, including at least one of the Three Sisters (RR 335) and Highway 16 between Kerville and Medina. We won't be grillin' steaks like Red, BPR and I did a couple of years ago (the burn ban includes the use of charcoal grills) but we will see some of the coolest vintage bikes around.

If year's past are any indication, it may not make up for the cancelled cruise but a special time will be had by all. What more could a Buddha ask for?

Hang in there

-Buddha

2011-08-28T21:06:00.000-05:00

Once again the boys over at the Den of Sportsters have found an incredible Sporty. This one built by Wonder Bikes out of Wichita Falls in north Texas.

Hang in there

-Buddha