The Coronavirus Chronicles -Three Strikes You're Out

[the Ferret]

I apologise for being momentarily serious, but this thread has raised questions of whether riding a motorcycle for pleasure is an OK thing to do in the current circumstances. It isn't.

And not because riding a motorcycle is likely to infect you.

The reason the authorities don't want bicycles, cars, motorcycles, people anything much moving around is that, on the evidence of the way coronavirus spreads, almost all the countries from which this forum draws its members are already past the point where their health systems will be able to cope with all the coronavirus patients needing intensive care. Maybe putting that the other way will be clearer: there will be way more COVID19 patients needing intensive care that our hospitals can treat. And that assumes they don't have to deal with anything else like road accident trauma, cardiac disease, strokes, diabetic and asthma attacks, etc, etc. That's why many countries are working hard to 'flatten the curve'. It probably won't reduce the number of infections; but it will mean they're more spread out which will give hospitals and the medical system a better chance of being able to respond and reduce the number of horrendous choices health professionals will have to make.

So, just at the moment, it's not all right to anything that puts you at risk of injury unless you absolutely have to for the simple reason that, if you do get hurt, you'll be putting further pressure on a health system that is, or is about to be, overwhelmed.

A friend of mine pointed out the other day that geezers are not only more likely to be seriously harmed by coronavirus, but are also in the 'throw-on-the-scrap-heap' age range. When the hospitals start having to make the really hard choices about who gets treated and lives and who doesn't and dies—and they almost certainly will—you don't want to be where the scales are already loaded against you.

Well, you guys certainly have given me something to think about. I will discuss this with my wife for her opinion. The likelihood of me being in an accident on my motorcycle is extremely small IMO, I am a very experienced rider, with lots of training, riding in areas I am intimately familiar, with far less other vehicles on the road than normal. But there is always a chance I suppose. After all, that's why we don the gear.

The way I have looked at it is I am out there by myself, a threat to no one, can't catch the disease while riding, can't spread the disease while riding. I go from my garage, spend an hour in a protective suit with no contact with anyone else and return to my garage. If I thought I was going to crash I wouldn't go out at all. The government, Federal as well as my state government says it's ok to go out in limited circumstances. It's ok to walk, or jog, walk your pet, or ride a bike or go to a park as long as you stay 6' from others. How do you get to a park if you don't drive? How do you get to the grocery or pharmacy if you don't drive? As it is, there are so many people walking all day in my neighborhood, it would be virtually impossible for me to go for a walk and not run into other people. IMO it is safer for me to ride my motorcycle than to walk in my own neighborhood, and certainly far safer than when I went to the grocery store yesterday morning with many hundreds of strangers.

I certainly wouldn't want to take up a hospital bed for someone else who may need it, but I NEVER want to take up a hospital bed, period. If I thought that was a possibility I would give up riding. I'm too old to get hurt.

[Gone in 60]

I'm an experienced rider with lots of training riding on very familiar roads as well, but, when a lady made a snap decision to turn left in front of me a few blocks in front of the office I've been going to on the same street for many years, with hardly any other cars around, most of that didn't matter. I'll credit my experience and training to maintaining as much control of my machine as possible to minimize impact.

Maybe that made me lucky that I'm not in a hospital. Considering the world situation, I guess it's a minor annoyance that the shop repairing my bike can't give me an answer about when I'll get it back, because he doesn't know when the parts he's ordered might get delivered.

Yes, I had made a decision once the virus hit that I'd put the CB on a tender once the virus hit. My wife is home-bound and immune compromised right now, I have employees looking to me for strength. I need to do all I can to keep myself undamaged and healthy. On Sunday morning, the temptation was too great, and I went for an awesome ride before the clouds turned dark. I wasn't worried about the virus or getting in an accident. I thoroughly enjoyed myself. I watched other people out enjoying themselves, jogging, riding, etc. Ok, yes, I need to ride.

But, I'm going to make that ride my last pleasure ride until we get back to normal. For safety, yes. But also money. I doubt I'll keep getting paid while I'm sitting here at home, my second job at the museum just announced an extension to their closure through April, and any non-essential spending in my household is now shut off. If I do ride, it's going to be to get essential groceries that can fit in my trunk. I'll at least get some enjoyment from that. There's no more risk from the virus with my head in a helmet than behind a windshield. My CB really needs new tires. But the ones I have will get me to the store and back a few times.

Edit: If you are going to ride, carry some disinfecting wipes - gotta think that gas pumps are nasty breeding grounds for all kinds of nasty things.

[pdedse]

I'm an experienced rider with lots of training riding on very familiar roads as well, but, when a lady made a snap decision to turn left in front of me a few blocks in front of the office I've been going to on the same street for many years, with hardly any other cars around, most of that didn't matter. I'll credit my experience and training to maintaining as much control of my machine as possible to minimize impact.

Maybe that made me lucky that I'm not in a hospital. Considering the world situation, I guess it's a minor annoyance that the shop repairing my bike can't give me an answer about when I'll get it back, because he doesn't know when the parts he's ordered might get delivered.

Yes, I had made a decision once the virus hit that I'd put the CB on a tender once the virus hit. My wife is home-bound and immune compromised right now, I have employees looking to me for strength. I need to do all I can to keep myself undamaged and healthy. On Sunday morning, the temptation was too great, and I went for an awesome ride before the clouds turned dark. I wasn't worried about the virus or getting in an accident. I thoroughly enjoyed myself. I watched other people out enjoying themselves, jogging, riding, etc. Ok, yes, I need to ride.

But, I'm going to make that ride my last pleasure ride until we get back to normal. For safety, yes. But also money. I doubt I'll keep getting paid while I'm sitting here at home, my second job at the museum just announced an extension to their closure through April, and any non-essential spending in my household is now shut off. If I do ride, it's going to be to get essential groceries that can fit in my trunk. I'll at least get some enjoyment from that. There's no more risk from the virus with my head in a helmet than behind a windshield. My CB really needs new tires. But the ones I have will get me to the store and back a few times.

Edit: If you are going to ride, carry some disinfecting wipes - gotta think that gas pumps are nasty breeding grounds for all kinds of nasty things.

I got lucky w/ tire install. Last 2 months I went back and forth with whether I should order tires online, take the wheels off myself and take to shop for install to save $$, ride to shop with tires on and do it that way but more $$$, or was I gonna convert rims from tube to tubeless. Decided I didn't have the energy to do that this time around, and I've left this bike stock to this point--literally nothing except add engine guards. And I kind of liked that.

But I had in mind to start a relationship with a independent shop recommended by Guth--Cycletune in Portland. I visited their place a few times and it looks top-notch, clean, orderly, beautiful bikes of all sorts being worked on, guys are super friendly and enjoy working on classics and good looking bikes...just a good all around vibe. I figured I'd probably want them to do the valve check coming up sometime next year, so why not throw them some business to see how they operate. I'm getting long winded, sorry...

Not really...when all said and done, allowing them to order the tires and install them, set chain tension, clean and oil chain, dispose old tires, new tubes, inspect brakes came out to $50 more than if I had ordered the tires and tubes myself and rode the bike to them. They made some money on the tires, but they also worked with me to set up a day where I could be first in and done in less than 2 hours--I explained that I didn't want to leave it and come back, but would rather wait around. I didn't want to take the bus home and back for current reality reasons.

That was Saturday. Now we're not supposed to be out and about except for real needs. It looks like that shop may be open, but I feel a lot better knowing I don't have to make a trip ignoring "stay home" orders, nor do I have to wait it out till who knows how long to get some work done.

If I need a few things right away from the grocery, I won't hesitate to ride my KLR the 3 miles there to pick up what would fit in my case and backpack. But I just got back form a big grocery trip by car (had to wait 20 minutes to get in the store as they let only a certain number in at a time), so I can stay put for awhile...rain helps. Buy a week of this and then it gets sunny? I might be tempted to go out for a 10 mile loop.

[Gone in 60]

It's great to have a go-to shop that you trust and don't mind handing your "baby" to for a while. I go to a shop called Riders Revelation in Costa Mesa for tire swaps. It's the kind of shop that you want to hang out at while they work on your bike, as they always have some really interesting projects going on. I've never used the dealership that is repairing my Triumph for service, but I got to know the guys behind the counter from picking up bits and pieces over the years, and the place has a good reputation. Plus, they're a large, multi-brand dealership, so maybe if things get really bad, they might stay open if smaller independent shops can't.

Part of my at-home work right now is researching small speed shops that can distribute the racing magazine my company publishes. Many independent shops have interesting notices right now on their websites and Facebook pages. One says "If you have a car in our shop right now, we're working on it. But, we're only allowing our employees in the building right now. If you like coming by to sit around and B.S., sorry, this ain't the time for it."

Funny about the "do I or don't I" decision to ride based on a virus-avoidance standpoint. As we grapple with this and people begin to understand it more, news is going in all sorts of directions. Early on, I read an article that said that HEPA filters were effective at stopping Coronavirus. So, drive with your window up and your AC on Recirculate. And airplanes are safest, because the air is circulated through HEPA filters. Later, experts said that the virus is small enough to pass through HEPA filters. So much for that. Your car isn't a shield against this thing.

[pdedse]

It's great to have a go-to shop that you trust and don't mind handing your "baby" to for a while. I go to a shop called Riders Revelation in Costa Mesa for tire swaps. It's the kind of shop that you want to hang out at while they work on your bike, as they always have some really interesting projects going on. I've never used the dealership that is repairing my Triumph for service, but I got to know the guys behind the counter from picking up bits and pieces over the years, and the place has a good reputation. Plus, they're a large, multi-brand dealership, so maybe if things get really bad, they might stay open if smaller independent shops can't.

Part of my at-home work right now is researching small speed shops that can distribute the racing magazine my company publishes. Many independent shops have interesting notices right now on their websites and Facebook pages. One says "If you have a car in our shop right now, we're working on it. But, we're only allowing our employees in the building right now. If you like coming by to sit around and B.S., sorry, this ain't the time for it."

Funny about the "do I or don't I" decision to ride based on a virus-avoidance standpoint. As we grapple with this and people begin to understand it more, news is going in all sorts of directions. Early on, I read an article that said that HEPA filters were effective at stopping Coronavirus. So, drive with your window up and your AC on Recirculate. And airplanes are safest, because the air is circulated through HEPA filters. Later, experts said that the virus is small enough to pass through HEPA filters. So much for that. Your car isn't a shield against this thing.

Where I live, it might be my imagination, but it sure looks like people are leaving more space between them and next car, as if the idea of social distancing rubs off on as we drive.

[Guth_imp]

I apologise for being momentarily serious, but this thread has raised questions of whether riding a motorcycle for pleasure is an OK thing to do in the current circumstances. It isn't.

And not because riding a motorcycle is likely to infect you.

The reason the authorities don't want bicycles, cars, motorcycles, people anything much moving around is that, on the evidence of the way coronavirus spreads, almost all the countries from which this forum draws its members are already past the point where their health systems will be able to cope with all the coronavirus patients needing intensive care. Maybe putting that the other way will be clearer: there will be way more COVID19 patients needing intensive care that our hospitals can treat. And that assumes they don't have to deal with anything else like road accident trauma, cardiac disease, strokes, diabetic and asthma attacks, etc, etc. That's why many countries are working hard to 'flatten the curve'. It probably won't reduce the number of infections; but it will mean they're more spread out which will give hospitals and the medical system a better chance of being able to respond and reduce the number of horrendous choices health professionals will have to make.

So, just at the moment, it's not all right to anything that puts you at risk of injury unless you absolutely have to for the simple reason that, if you do get hurt, you'll be putting further pressure on a health system that is, or is about to be, overwhelmed.

A friend of mine pointed out the other day that geezers are not only more likely to be seriously harmed by coronavirus, but are also in the 'throw-on-the-scrap-heap' age range. When the hospitals start having to make the really hard choices about who gets treated and lives and who doesn't and dies—and they almost certainly will—you don't want to be where the scales are already loaded against you.

Well, you guys certainly have given me something to think about. I will discuss this with my wife for her opinion. The likelihood of me being in an accident on my motorcycle is extremely small IMO, I am a very experienced rider, with lots of training, riding in areas I am intimately familiar, with far less other vehicles on the road than normal. But there is always a chance I suppose. After all, that's why we don the gear.

The way I have looked at it is I am out there by myself, a threat to no one, can't catch the disease while riding, can't spread the disease while riding. I go from my garage, spend an hour in a protective suit with no contact with anyone else and return to my garage. If I thought I was going to crash I wouldn't go out at all. The government, Federal as well as my state government says it's ok to go out in limited circumstances. It's ok to walk, or jog, walk your pet, or ride a bike or go to a park as long as you stay 6' from others. How do you get to a park if you don't drive? How do you get to the grocery or pharmacy if you don't drive? As it is, there are so many people walking all day in my neighborhood, it would be virtually impossible for me to go for a walk and not run into other people. IMO it is safer for me to ride my motorcycle than to walk in my own neighborhood, and certainly far safer than when I went to the grocery store yesterday morning with many hundreds of strangers.

I certainly wouldn't want to take up a hospital bed for someone else who may need it, but I NEVER want to take up a hospital bed, period. If I thought that was a possibility I would give up riding. I'm too old to get hurt.

Obviously there was quite an editing job performed on the quote above by myself. However, this is a perfect place to raise one of the issues that I brought up in my earlier announcement. The way that any one of us looks at matters these days is influenced by a large number of things, including the situation at hand in each of our respective locations. I can't say how things are looking in ferret's neck-of-the-woods in particular as I don't live there.

It has only been a a matter of days since I myself had considered heading out for a ride or a drive to get some fresh air. I can't imagine doing so now as a lot has happened here in my local area since then. The same applies to Mickey, the current situation where he is located might be very much like the situation was here in Oregon a week ago or more. I really can't say. Sure, I could pour over information on the Internet with regards to how things have been developing in Ohio right now (where I would no doubt find some photos or videos of the ferret out and about on two-wheels, lol), but I have my own reality to deal with here where I am located.

The one benefit that some of us do have over others by way of this forum (and obviously via plenty of other means) is that we can get a feel from others just how quickly the situation involving this virus is changing elsewhere where people have been unfortunate to be hit with the more notable impacts early on. Through our conversations we can learn how others are going about dealing with the problems they are facing before the spread of the virus reaches our own locals. To that end I thank everyone who is taking the time to keep the rest of us informed as they themselves are being hit hard by the virus before it ultimately reaches others here on the forum.

[Gone in 60]

Quote:Where I live, it might be my imagination, but it sure looks like people are leaving more space between them and next car, as if the idea of social distancing rubs off on as we drive.
I'm finding the same situation here in Orange County. Everyone seems to be driving very courteously. However, I'm hearing more sirens than normal outside my house, and it was reported that yesterday, nearby, a police car was involved in an accident while responding to a road rage incident.

This past Saturday, I drove to north San Diego to check on my mom and my in-laws. About 75 miles south on I-5 from me. On a typical late Saturday morning, there would be pockets of heavy traffic. But, everyone was evenly spaced out, all going between 65 and 70. Almost like the whole scene was staged, and no visible Highway Patrol presence. Among all of this, there was the occasional Corvette, BMW or Mustang that would streak by doing between 90 and 100, most likely because they could for once.

[Rexburgtom_imp]

We drove to the grocery store. Most all items needed were sold out. It was so busy that Wal-Mart opened a second check-out aisle!

[the Ferret]

On the national news tonight they said 60% of the new reported cases in the US are in the New York City multiplex, but that many are now fleeing New York City and taking the virus with them.


We are getting mixed signals from our state government. They say certain outdoor activities are ok, walking, jogging, bicycle riding, dog walking, going to the park, and encourage you to do those things for physical and mental health, as long as you maintain social distancing. It is spelled out right in the Governors Stay at Home order:


Does the Stay at Home order mean I can't take my kids to the park?

Families will still be able to go outside, including to parks and outdoor spaces that remain open, and take a walk, run, or bike ride but should continue to practice social distancing by remaining 6 feet away from other people. Playgrounds are closed because they pose a high risk of increasing transmission.


Is there a difference between jumping in your car and taking the kids to the park, and jumping on your motorcycle and going to the park? I don't think there is.

Late this afternoon I rode up to the park. It's 7.5 miles from my garage. There was quite a few people there, saw at least a dozen cars, ( and one other motorcycle on the way in) mostly walking, one riding a bicycle, a couple walking a dog, passed the Park Ranger who waved at me. Rode down to the Marina in the park and then straight back home. Total mileage round trip was 19.4 miles and took 33 minutes. That little ride was enough to refresh me mentally and satisfy my need to ride and feel the wind in my face, and as I read it, totally within the rules/ guide lines of the Governors Stay Home order.

[Stichill_imp]

I'm with ferret on this one. He's a free man living in a free country and by "free" I mean a sovereign individual exercising his liberty. I realize that is an alien concept in many cultures today, including the US.