By: Chris Genovese
Happy New Year! At the Kantor Law Firm, we wish all the best for you and your families for the coming year and riding season, together with good health and safe travels!
I’m guessing that, through the first few months of each year, each of us has our own way of coping without our riding therapy. Here’s what I’m doing to deal with my own Winter Blues, which for me inevitably leads to a severe case of Spring Fever:
1 – Hang out with bikers. This one’s pretty easy for me and most organization members, as we can attend regular meetings (or church). For others it can be done by attending one of the many parties and fundraisers that these groups hold throughout the Winter months. If safety is a concern, you can generally be confident that like-minded bikers will respect your desire to “mask up.”
2 – Stream something. My wife and I have really enjoyed the “Long Way” series with Obi Wan and his buddy Charley in past years. It’s been a great way for us to stay in the touring mindset and think about our own adventures. There’s so much great motorcycling content out there, depending on what you have access and/or subscribe to. YouTube is a great platform with lots of free stuff, and it’s very easy to search through.
3 – Plan a trip. We like to take a week-long motorcycle trip each year around our anniversary, and sometimes that requires a little planning. Hopefully this year we can head north of the border to “cottage country.” If not, maybe we’ll head to Tennessee and/or Tail of the Dragon. We’ve found that it’s not a bad idea at all to have multiple options to allow you to hopefully stay dry – depending on the weather at the time of departure.
4 – Get “work” done. In this case, “work” means doing/getting stuff done to fix or upgrade your motorcycle. Putting new handlebars on the Springer this Winter is keeping me excited for the next ride while I wait for the parts to arrive. In the past I’ve done stage I & II upgrades, gave our bagger a personalized “Bertha” tattoo, upgraded our tires and added more chrome. As you know, there’s ALWAYS a way to make your bike(s) a little better if you’ve got the time and resources.
5 – Visit your bike in storage. Yes, the wife and I will be making a special trip (or two), just to visit “Bertha.” I’m fortunately also able to walk out back to the garage and take a look at the Springer whenever I want to. Right now, the Softail is up on a lift out there in the cold while I wait on the new handlebars, so I check it out at least weekly. I’ll probably be visiting the garage more often once the new bars are on. And I also visit the battery in the basement once in a while to hook it up to a maintainer overnight. Yes, it’s true that many bikers also talk to their stored bikes, which makes at least as much sense as talking to your houseplants. I’m always ready to learn and hear about other ways to stay sane and involved in our “sport” over the long months of Winter, so look us up on FB @theKantorGulloLawFirm and send me a DM. Until next time, try to enjoy the “down time” and stay warm, healthy, and safe!
