Cue photo montage with sappy music….. not really.

Anything you can do to brighten a kid’s day is great in my book. Sure, there are a lot of things I could have been on that would elicit a similar reaction, like a fire truck or a Ferrari, but I can’t afford either of those or they get much worse mileage than the bike. Actually, it’s both, but I don’t think any kid has ever shouted “Mommy! Look, an Accord, a grey one!”

Riding through here on the bike, where buttoning up isn’t really an option, you get the full effect. It was literally like riding through a waterfall. A quick second of the icy blast and then it’s back into the heat. Immensely refreshing.

Just something about being IN the environment and getting (nearly) the full affect of whatever’s out there. If it’s hot, you’re hot and you have to deal with it. Maybe it’s a bit of a return to simpler times when we weren’t so insulated from everything. I’m sure when it gets to be 20 degrees out, I won’t be so appreciative.

That’s another reasons why I ride, riding demands your attention. There is so much more to do than when driving a car. There’s something for each limb to worry about on a regular basis. Left hand has the clutch, lights, signals, horn, and steering; right hand has the throttle, front brake, ignition, and also steering; left foot manages the shifter; right foot has the rear brake; and the body as a whole has to deal with balance and leaning, cause these things tend to fall over if you don’t do that.

You have to pay attention and think about what your doing at all times. It’s not this furious rush, but just a continuous level of awareness that is higher than when driving. You never get somewhere and think “hmm, how did I get here”. Instead you think things like “hmm, I could have done that turn 2 miles back a little smoother.”

One of the things I’ve noticed is that smells are immediate and powerful. When you’re in a car, you might pass a guy grilling steaks and 30 seconds later a little bit of the aroma sneaks through the vents. On the bike, it all happens much faster. I’ll smell the freshly cut grass from the person mowing before I pass them. I’ll get a hint of those burgers on the grill with enough warning to slow down and pull in the driveway and pretend that I know them.

Of course, this is a double edged sword, I’ll also smell that skunk and the garbage truck in front of me, but you take the good with the bad.

For the impatient, here’s the end result:

Here’s how to do it:

Look around your basement and find a large black plastic container. Mine was actually for gunpowder, but any reasonably stiff, but flexible plastic would work.
Cut the side out and bend it around your toll tag. I trimmed mine with scissors and made sure to leave the top exposed to allow the tag to be grabbed easily.

I left the back side lower since I wanted to be able to easily see that the tag is there and also that edge will determine where it sits on the bracket. I tried to get some nice corners by bending over the edge of the bench, but it only worked so-so. A little curve seems to be fine though.
In restrospect, I should have left the front taller to completely cover the tag, after installing, it doesn’t need the clearance there. Have to save that for v2.0.

Next I found some nice wide electrical tape and wrapped it carefully around the whole thing to form the pocket.

You want to keep it nice and tight as friction and gravity are the only things holding the tag in. Also be sure and get a wrap around above the thickest part of the tag, this pulls it in a bit above that ridge and makes it more secure. Try to be neat, but a few wrinkles or bubbles won’t be a big deal.
Optionally, cut a couple of thin strips of tape to cover the exposed adhesive on the inside of the pocket.

Finally, make a couple of slits in the bottom of the pocket, right at the back. Slip a couple of black 8″ cable ties down inside the pocket and out through the slits. Take the windscreen off and run the ties back around the windscreen bracket and tighten them up. Use pliers to get them nice and tight as that makes them lay flat.

Snip off the tails and put the windscreen back on and you’re all set!
So a piece of black plastic, Some electrical tape, and 2 cable ties; not quite free, but pretty damn close!

I’ve used it a few times, and it’s quite secure and reads just fine. It might not hold up to severe jostling like you might find off-road. Other than my driveway, I don’t plan on much of that.

Anyway, I finally got over there and got the battery charged up and brought it home. Started right up, which is always a good thing. I’m looking forward to another season of riding, and hopefully some better storage on my own property this winter.