Son of Geek

A couple of days ago I wrote about three lights that will be with me on the IBR.  This final light is to the motorcycle as the dome light is to the car.  This is the light needed to see a map, read a bonus sheet or see into a tank bag while you ride. 

The first cockpit light I owned was a Littlite.  This company produces lights primarily for audio engineering boards but have lights for automotive and aircraft applications as well.  Mine had a halogen bulb on an 18 inch flexible goose neck stem.  It worked well, but future IBR winner Jim Owen had a better idea.

Jim took a camper headlamp and affixed it to the chin bar of his helmet. The big advantage over the cockpit mounted light is that the light is goes with you.  You can look in your top case or saddle bag without having to dig a flash light out of a pocket or luggage.  Not being proud, I immediately stole the idea as shown in the photo on the left.  When I showed my son this incredible practical modification, his reply was “You look like a geek”.  I dubbed the mod “The Geek Light”.

Unfortunately, the mod never worked well on my newer Shoei Muiltitech helmet.  The chin bar doesn’t have a flat surface that Velcro likes to adhere to.  I’ve had one light fall or and struggled to keep the other in place.  So what you see in the photo on the right is “Son of Geek”.   SoG is an EverReady key chain light.  I’ll be testing it over the next few weeks. It’s smaller, sleeker and less geeky than the original.  The downside could be battery life since it’s only rated for 2 hours on high.  We’ll see how it works out.

 

Ready, Camera, Action!

Here’s a brilliant idea that I remember exactly who it came from.  Roger Van Santen sported this mod to his jacket and I wasted no time in doing the same to the Aerostich.  What you see before you is a near fool-proof way to always have your camera handy and never leave it behind.  Actually, the mod is even better than that.  The camera hasn’t hit the ground since it’s been tethered to me.

  

Using a soldering iron, I burned two small holes in the suit fabric just inside the right, chest cargo pocket of my riding suit.  The hot iron melts the cordura and prevents fraying.  Then thread a small split ring through the holes.  Thread the belt clip of a heavy-duty, retractable key ring onto the split ring and the loop the camera’s wrist strap through the other ring. The camera tucks into the pocket when not in use.   Simple, elegant functional.  Brilliant, Roger. 

Money Bags

A tank bag is one of the central features of my LD ‘office’.  Covering a lot of miles in a short time means few stops.  LD riders learn to do many things while riding and that requires that our supplies be accessible.  The tank bag is indispensable for carrying those supplies.  The problem becomes one of organization.

My tank bag used to resemble the house junk draw.  It’s handy because you know where everything is, but it’s a pain because you can’t find anything.  Locating that tube of Chapstick becomes an exercise in futility as every small item settles to the bottom and every large item has floated to the top.  I’ve seen women have similar experiences with their purses.

Enter the clear vinyl bag.  OfficeMax used to market these as deposit bags.  Now they’re sold as see-through “wallets” to easy your transit through security checkpoints that are increasing become a part of our lives.  Perhaps making large bank deposit with clear vinyl bags just made it too easy on the robbers.

Either way, for me the bag has been a great way to keep all the small tank bag necessities in one general location.  It’s easy to locate exactly what I’m looking for (usually, the ibuprofen) and gets my eyes back on the road that much quicker.  I don’t recall if I discovered this idea on my own or blatantly stole it from someone else.  If it was the later, thanks to you forgotten magi.  Your trick is wise.

Let there be light

Prior to 2011, the IBR was run in late August and early September. The July 1st start this year results in about 2 and half more hours of day light (more if we spend the time up North that I think we might). Even still, participants need to plan on doing some bonus hunting in the black of night.

The days of having to pack around a big and heavy D cell Maglight are over. Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs), better batteries and micro-chip regulation of that power has produced a new breed of flashlights that are much smaller and brighter than almost anything you could purchase just a few years ago. Before you are three of the four flashlights that will be on my bike for this year's ride.

On the left is a Fenix LD01. It has high/low/medium settings and is powered by a single AAA battery. High gets you about 70 lumens of light and low is about perfect for reading a map or performing roadside repairs. What I love about this light is it's size. It's home is the left front pocket of the Aerostich, always on me and ready to go. It's so small in size and light in weight never notice it.

In the middle is a Fenix LD10. I haven't use this light much but was seduced by it's list of features. The beacon and S.O.S. settings make for a great backwoods light and it's powered by a single AA battery, perhaps the most available battery around. This light lives in my backpack normally, but will be on the rally as a back up.

Finally, we have the 4Sevens Quark AA2. This light was purchased primarily as a house light, always sitting at the ready at the back door. When investigating things that go bump in the night, the Quark continues to impress by lighting up the back yard like no Maglight ever could. It's light, bright and with the tactical end-cap, just right. Again, I opted for AA battery power. The 123 battery models are even brighter. The Quark is my primary bonus hunting light.