Ode to an air sled

[normzone]

ODE TO AN AIR SLED 

(with apologies to Glenda K. Richter)

Now not too cold, not yet too hot
Conditions not too damp
It’s then I hear the highway call -
(Ringtone) “Diesel at the ramp”

My sled's out under the tin roof
Next to the neighbor’s trucks
Since I’ll be riding through the desert
First I wash off all the dust

A cleaner fairing helps bugs stick
The ag guild pays the bounty
in San Diego, Borrego, and
through Mojave county

I pack a road bag full of guns
Shoes, meds and underwear
Water, ice, and charging cords
Two phones and toilet paper

More bungees than I’ll ever use
Most blue, some white and others
No tools, no sleeping bag or tent
I’ll rely on luck and brothers

I check the tank and gauge the tires
Ignore my intermittent lights
I know the tail light doesn’t work
But I won’t be riding nights
And I can always wave my arm
To show my lefts and rights

Floorboard vortice - 
Ground effect, and angle of attack
Fuel injection, gearbox, wheels
And I ride on her back

It’s chemistry and math
(and physics)
Really doesn’t matter -
What happens when you twist the grip -
The air sled travels faster

Or twist it back the other way -
you’ll need to slow sometimes.
I’ve scared myself more than once
“Speed unsafe” read the summons

Sand farms are just getting seeded –
New claims marked with Winnabagos
Balloon tire tractors race and leap
Each hunting for the desert rose

In cactus flower honey fields
Gnats mate and pollinate
Just keep the throttle twisted wide
And ride it like I’m late

Seventy-eight,
And ninety-five.
Even old one-eleven
Mining, farming, cattle trails
once led to gold and heaven

[oldbike54]

 

 Dusty

[Chuck in Indiana]

Norman.. you're my favorite "weird cousin.." 

[oldbike54]

Norman.. you're my favorite "weird cousin.." 

 Ask him about the giant zucchinis he bred to power underdeveloped countries into the 21st century .

 Dusty

[Moto]

 

Moto

[normzone]

Glenda Richter would shred me over this if she saw it. She approved of my attempts at fiction but was strict regarding poetic form.

Few want to read a three thousand word trip report, and I'm no [Daniel Kalel] to take 3K pictures.

Bits of this started going through my head about hour ten of a round trip over the weekend. It started out serious and went sideways from there.

"Vortice" I figured might amuse [Chuck in Indiana].

I'm not worried about being considered weird, I'm concerned about not being weird enough.

[Chuck in Indiana]

I'm not worried about being considered weird, I'm concerned about not being weird enough.

  Words to live by.

[n3303j]

I'm not worried about being considered weird, I'm concerned about not being weird enough.

The fact that you are concerned about not being wierd enough kind of indictates that you aren't.

Truly crazy sees itself as normal.

[oldbike54]

 My very nice VA supplied head shrinker suggested some years back that if *normal* was my goal , she would refer a different doctor   

 Dusty

[normzone]

I didn't save a copy of this, and thought I'd lost it for sure. But google dug it up for me.

What started me thinking of this again was [Chuck in Indiana]'s air sled that he recently built. I wonder how that's going. And now [Wirespokes] has the Bassa I was riding while I composed most of this drivel. I hope he's having fun with it.

Me? Watching Norally run through West Africa on a 300cc Honda, and wondering if I'm too old to learn to ride in the dirt.

[Chuck in Indiana]

Good memories, Norman.. and yes, yes you are.  Noraly may look petite, but she's solid muscle. And totally fearless.
The Ancient air sled is fine, thanks. Took it for a putt around the aerodrome last week.
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/E2pjoR05VKI

[normzone]

Yeah, when we get the rare opportunity to see Norally's shoulders, you can tell that living on Alaska keeps her buff, and she's got core strength. (edit: Chuck, if you've seen her latest episode S7-E87 she is afraid of lightning - but she can't be faulted for that)

I was hoping somebody would tell me I'm never to old to learn to be stupid, but it's probably best that you didn't. Of course, that leaves me thinking about street bikes ... 

[Chuck in Indiana]

Oh, yeah, being afraid of lightning is only common sense when you are on a scooter. Unlike being in a Faraday cage, you are a sitting Duck or Goose  with lightning around and you are in the open.