Coast to Coast (and back?) with an Italian Supermodel

[bk brkr baker]

Originally Posted by AntiHero

"I will never forget that ride as long as I live."

Hard to top that, gentlemen.

Testify

[Bráulio Biker]

Originally Posted by AntiHero

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[...]

Did you photoshop this photo?

[AntiHero]

Originally Posted by Bráulio Biker

Did you photoshop this photo?

License plate removed haphazardly. Guilty as charged!

[GotMojo?]

Awesome ride report!

Not sure where you are headed next, but you aren't far away from The Snake (Shady Valley, TN) and the Dragon over on the NC/TN border. Are you headed that way? Two must rides down there (just avoid the Dragon on a weekend). Rt 58 from Mouth Of Wilson, VA to Damascus, VA is also a blast, then 133 will take you right down to Shady Valley and the Snake.

Be safe! And watch the weather... I think some of those spots might get snow and rain over the next few days from that hurricane.

[Bráulio Biker]

Originally Posted by AntiHero

Good intro, ioflying.

As for the dirt--yesterday before I took these pictures I took a wet napkin to the front fairing to get the bugs off. I haven't done any sort of proper washing for at least a month. Typically I just run a squeegie over the grime at the gas station. If you saw it up close you'd see it was no pampered Duck!

So I'm out on this horse farm still....thought I'd be here for a day or two, but I haven't wanted to leave. In addition to being in an optimal location for epic rides, the owners / hosts have been incredible. Ken is ex-RAF and can keep the interesting stories coming all day/night, has owned over 50 bikes (at the same time), including several Vincents, (one of which he sold to Jay Leno). His wife, Deanie, is an absolutely brilliant cook who's always cheerful, smiling, incessantly hospitable and dear. They have two wonderful daughters and the farm attracts some wonderful company. If you are ever in the area, reach out to Deanie and stay a couple nights. Pool table/game room, a pool, a lake with canoes, great conversation, incredible breakfasts and serpentine roads everywhere. ($55 a night, too!) Doesn't get much better: http://www.penmerrylfarm.com/

(If you noticed the lack of posts yesterday it had something to do with imbibing too much/sleeping too little after a dinner/party at their house. Copious amounts of wine, brandy and moonshine (the real kind that comes in a mason jar) were consumed, followed by an attempt to make it out onto the lake with oarless boats. A remarkable time was had.)



Yesterday I did get in some riding....out on what was so far the most treacherous road I'd been on--a few steep hills, lots of rocks, gravel and sand (in addition to a lot of smooth hard pack).













(All of the pictures above were taken ON the property.)

Every time I see a post followed by photos like this I have the impression that who is telling me the story is the Panigale, not AntiHero.

[shreddr]

Originally Posted by AntiHero

Two ideas I've been wrestling with finally collided while on my way from Detroit to Toronto. It took me a while to piece it all together. It's still not as 'clean' and precise as I'd like, but I'm still going to throw it out there there as-is. There's more to it than this, but I have to save something for the book. ;)

A psychoanalyst named Spitz in the 40s studied the extremely high mortality rates among children in institutions and discovered that without touching, goochie-gooing, laughing or cuddling, children became sick, lost weight and died. His research led to the development of attachment theory and the realization that an infant “needs to develop a relationship with at least one primary caregiver for mental, social and emotional development to occur normally.” (This, in turn, led to the seemingly obvious result: solid parental affection leads to emotional balance and a child that grows up feeling secure.) The child who grows up with intermittent affection – or is abused and neglected – will suffer from a life-long sense of insecurity, feelings of doom, lack of confidence and inadequacy (despite what he/she accomplishes) as well as a whole host of other possible behavioral, psychological and health issues. The part of our brain responsible for everything we consider human—love, tenderness, emotions, reciprocity—is called the limbic brain (vs. the reptilian one that controls our vitals and the neocortical brain that is responsible for thought and language).

For those who do suffer limbic deprivation when young (which can come from enforced isolation, neglect or abuse) life can be a living physiological hell: the desire for love and affection still exists (and is in a lot of cases even greater than in well-adjusted counterparts), but the capacity to actually FEEL loved is greatly diminished. Depression, anxiety, ennui, weariness, despair, aggression, etc. are the easy-to-recognize consequences, but there are others that are not typically seen as a result of the deprivation. Though healthy limbic systems can deal with emotional pain internally by releasing small amounts of opiates (there are more opiate receptors in the limbic brain than anywhere else) when needed; an undeveloped or damaged limbic system cannot. Drug and alcohol use, for instance, perform surrogate limbic regulation that modulate, suppress and compensate for what the limbic brain didn’t ‘learn’ in infancy and can lead to a chronic, lifelong separation-anxiety. Other methods of self-regulation include self-mutilation (an act that is not specific just to humans), which seems like a desperate cry for help, but topical injuries are actually a way to release natural analgesics and opiates. (In one sentence the mystery of why acupuncture works and why people hit walls when they’re angry have been resolved!).

So why this Neurology 101 lesson?

I haven’t not felt at peace on my bike ever. One more time: I haven’t NOT felt peace—at any time--while riding. I think clearer on the bike, the symptoms of post-brainiotomy are reduced and, aside from my hamstrings and glutes being cooked, I physically and emotionally feel far healthier on the bike than off. The anxieties and disappointments of ‘real life’ are diminished, I can think about problems without being affected by them and simply feel as if everything is going to be ok. It’s a mild euphoria—and I’m not talking about the excitement that comes from nailing an apex or spinning the back out of a turn without crashing. There’s a connection between man and machine unlike anything I’ve ever had with another non-living thing. We’ve all felt it, but in all the years I’ve been riding, I’ve never heard or read anyone go in depth as to why. It would be easy to assume it’s a psychological result of the freedom we feel on a bike—or perhaps it’s the exhilaration that comes from taking risks--and nothing more.

But if we examine the stereotypical motorcyclist (rebellious, recalcitrant, problems with the authorities, hard-drinking, self-sabotaging, dissatisfied, frustrated, empty, adrenaline-seeking, tattooed loners who-if they find their place in society-still will never feel like they belong) we witness textbook examples of what? Limbic malfunction. (If there ever was a poster child for this it'd be Leonard Smalls, who, not coincidentally is inked with a "Mama Didn't Love Me" tattoo.)





So why is it that so many people who have similar symptoms to those with limbic malfunction choose motorcycles? Why not scooters or RVs? My theory is this: Motorcycles function as limbic system regulators and those who have the most difficulty regulating their own internal states gravitate to a piece of machinery that do it for them.

A quick examination of mammalian limbic synchronicity reveals some striking parallels with characteristics of motorcycles. There are specific sensory inputs that function as stimulators and regulators of internal systems in mammals. For instance, warmth and smells cue activity and metabolic levels, tactile stimulation increases growth hormone levels, feeling the heart rate and rise and fall of another’s chest regulates heart rate, respiration and circadian cadences, and immune system strength increases or decreases based on sensory stimulation. And if you look at the external cues that influence positive internal changes in mammals, we see how motorcycles produce mammalian signals that we desire with human physical contact. An engine is a pulsing heartbeat we feel, rpms rise and fall like air in and out of lungs, the wind caresses our hair and face and bodies like a lover would (a reason why so many riders ride helmetless even though it makes no ‘sense’?), there’s warmth from the engine, the bike embraces our bodies (sportbikes put us in the a fetal position, a Harley spoons you from behind), and perhaps most important the bike reacts to our every input and responds to our inner states—if we’re restless it speeds up, if relaxed, it slows down.

And when we talk about being “one” with the bike or the road, what we’re actually experiencing is a limbic resonance where our physiological rhythms is adjusted and modified through synchronized contact with our beloved motorbikes. (And while we’re talking about being “one” with the bike, it is interesting to note that the term “stress” originates from the Latin word meaning “to pull apart” or “separate”. Basically, stress is the result of being separated from an attachment figure and, in their absence, our bodies physically feel the separation, which leads to illness and disease. It’s the exact opposite feeling we obtain when riding. And if stress and not feeling complete lead to illness, it’s not a stretch to assume that feeling one with the bike will lead to better health and longevity.)

In short, neural and physiological stability requires synchronization from an outside source. Many of our internal processes are not self-regulating. Motorbikes provide a surrogate regulator that modify everything from cardiovascular health to immune function, hormone levels and circadian rhythms. It’s only natural to become attached to such an object, going so far as to refer to them with names and attributing gender (nearly always female, no coincidence).

Funny enough--my whole life I refused to name any of my cars or bikes. I referred to them simply as “it,” because I thought I loved them precisely because they weren’t people. But the whole time my beloved vehicles provided me with the mammalian contact and regulatory synchronization I desperately needed.

And why is this topic so important to me you might be wondering? I wasn’t abused as a child, but as a newborn I spent 14 days isolated in an oxygen tent. It was an event I’ll never be able to remember, but the impact of those two weeks have persisted my whole life.



So now, for the first time in my life, it’s time for me to give her a name she deserves.

Anti, this is a great RR and you are an excellent writer. I'm not so sure about this bit though. To me riding a bike is a zen thing. It is a transcendent activity that I don't have to think about it, it's automatic. Going fast requires absolute concentration which makes the rest of the world dissolve, and you truly are alive. The physics of pitching a bike into a turn is like nothing else I have ever experienced, but I would guess stunt flying might be close if not better.

Interestingly enough, I am the oldest of 6 kids, and the next oldest is less than a year apart, and there is only 7 years between all of us. I always thought that I must have not gotten much attention after the 2nd was born, and it was downhill from there. Perhaps there is some merit to your limbic theory.

BTW the babe in the black outfit with glasses in the comic con shot was an 11 on a 10 point scale

[Sgt93]

Originally Posted by AntiHero

GPS isn't an option on any Ducati. If you look closely at that picture you'll see a piece of paper stuffed in the fairing (handwritten directions). ;)

My bad

[ewaugh]

If you make it down to South Alabama shoot me a message. I'm short on room but if all else fails I have beer. /i might even be able to get you a photo shoot with an apache.

[rico2072]

Just chiming in for moral support.
So everything okay with Sandy?
Keep up the great RR!
Great pictures too!

[RingGap]

Late to the party but subscribed, dearly miss my 05 999R....!!!!!

[NitroRoo]

As I came back to Charlotte from Asheville yesterday there were snow flurries and very cold temps. Got turned back by a ranger on the BRP too. They were closing it down due to snow. Hope you are holed up somewhere and staying safe Anti-Hero, enjoying the report immensely.

[AntiHero]

Originally Posted by rico2072

Just chiming in for moral support.
So everything okay with Sandy?
Keep up the great RR!
Great pictures too!

Sandy was painful, but I survived. Should have everything up-to-date this eve. Stay tuned!

Hey Reuben--we did the same ride yesterday! (I came from Brevard, through Asheville to Charlotte, where I am now.) 39 degrees when I left, lots of frost inside my helmet.

[Blader54]

Brrrr.....

looking forward to the update, AH!

[AntiHero]

The lake that was tranquil/peaceful during the day was absolutely stunning (and spooky) at night--a perfect place to film a horror flick, complete with abandoned/creepy houses, sharp farm-instruments and the kind of still water that doesn't need an overactive imagination to project the image of Jason in a hockey mask slowly rising from the water with a 10" chef's knife.

(Always pays to be vigilant):



In addition to the spooky visuals, audible activity in the wooded areas reminded me I was not the only creature to be creeping around. Some of the sounds echoed from across the lake, others were quite close. While shooting the first few frames (timed exposures) wolves began howling in the distance. No shit: wolves. I knew there were bears and deer, but wolves were a surprise. The first couple times I thought my mind was playing tricks on me. Then I heard more. No big deal, wolves love me (ha). And then screams started in the distance. More mind tricks? Nope--more screams and more screams. And more howling. And some other weird noises I couldn't identify. It went on and on the whole time I was out there. I continued to shoot pictures despite the distraction, letting my mind wander ahead a few days, when Mulder and Skully arrive (this is VA, after all) to find a trail of blood, torn bits of clothing and my camera with one final picture....

Minus the horror-show sounds, this was the scene:

















While walking back a new sound echoed over the hills (the sound of a UFO tractor beam?). Then it hit me: Halloween! All the crazy sounds were coming from some sort of spookhouse out in the distance. LMAO.

[rico2072]

Originally Posted by NitroRoo

As I came back to Charlotte from Asheville yesterday there were snow flurries and very cold temps. Got turned back by a ranger on the BRP too. They were closing it down due to snow. Hope you are holed up somewhere and staying safe Anti-Hero, enjoying the report immensely.

What is up Nitoroo! It is Rico from Tampasportbikes.com! Hope you are doing well.
This guy Antihero is the man. Hope you have gotten a chance to read the full RR.

Antihero, great stuff! I would of freaked out to with all the strange sounds! lol