During many of my bachelor years I’d ride motorcycle year-round. These days I don’t enjoy the same opportunity, but I’ve got other fun stuff to do all winter (ie, toddlers). Besides, I am down to only three motorcycles in the garage these days. I used to use one of my more “spare” motorcycles for spring riding. There are several reasons:

First, there’s the issue of North Dakota roads in the spring: the leftover sand spread in the winter will sandblast your motorcycle. The sand combined with the winter road grime can make for some challenging surfaces. “Cage” (car) drivers are not accustomed to looking for motorcycles. The sun is still low enough in the sky to shine into people’s eyes, making it even more difficult for them to see you.

Now that the weather and roads been nice for a while, I got my license plates renewed, new tires mounted, and I’ve gotten some other things out of the way, my riding season has officially begun. Yes, it’s much later than years past, but I’m not worried. My little boys are old enough to take on short rides now, and my gracious wife makes sure I get time to ride or work in the garage when I express a desire for it. In other words, my life is far better balanced now than it was when everything revolved around my motorcycles!