Sunday, December 30, 2007

Biker's PMS

It is now the very dead of winter. Dead, as in cold, blue, stiff, lifeless. A friend of mine informed me that what we have here is a bad case of PMS - "Parked Motorcycle Syndrome." It is all I can do to venture out into the garage periodically to change the battery tender from one bike to another. The poor things, standing there like ice sculptures, frozen to the garage floor. It is amazing what a difference one degree makes on the thermometer. At 33 degrees we still have the option of bundling up for a short ride. This is so good for the bikes. Charge up that battery and get some gasoline flowing through the system. At the mere drop of one degree all moisture on the road surface renders us immobile and stuck to the garage floor until a spring thaw comes along. There is one bright thought that I try to keep in the forefront of my brain now. The days are getting longer. We may be in the coldest part of the year but in that one sense, we have broken the back of winter. Spring is on the way. This kind of optimism is crucial for our survival, otherwise the PMS will take hold and cause us to abandon all hope. Go out into the garage and speak to your bike in positive, cheerful tones. Call a riding buddy and reassure him that this will not last. We live in the age of Global Warming. We can be thankful we do not live 200 years ago when winters lasted so much longer. We are not going into another Ice Age. We are coming out of one. This winter's ice age can't last more than another two months. Be of good cheer and order bike accessories.
Ted