Passes & Canyons Blog

You can see the toe on this boot hits the case guard when I shift.

I was out of my Honda CB750 Custom Saturday on my first ride of April when I encountered a small problem.

I was wearing some new boots and this was the first time I went riding in them. They’re not motorcycle boots; I have a terrific pair of those that I’ve worn many times over many miles. These were western boots–cowboy boots, if you choose–that I bought in January to replace some 20-year-old ones that had holes in them.

The thing with the western boots is that I wanted something I could ride in and walk in. Motorcycle boots are notoriously bad for walking, and I’ve certainly found that to be true of the pair I have. I was in Glenwood Canyon one day and took a bit of a stroll along the river. By the time I got back to my bike I was limping because of blisters on my heels. So if it’s just a matter of riding, the motorcycle boots are great. But if I’m going to be doing any walking I need to bring along some sneakers or something else to change into.

OK, so I’ve got these new western boots and I went riding in them. Well, dang. If you take a look at that photo above you’ll see the issue that I encountered. I have a case guard on the Honda, which is there to protect the engine in case I go down. And you can see that the cover is dented a bit right there from one time many years ago when I did drop the bike, before I put on the case guard.

But when my foot is in the normal position on the peg, which is to say, when the peg is at the intersection of my boot sole and heel, the toe extends far enough forward that it clips the case guard when I shift gears. Now, with a little extra effort it will slip past, but it is definitely an annoyance. And it’s more of an interference when I’m ticking the gear lever down than when I’m upshifting. So I don’t know. I just may not wear these boots when I’m riding the Honda. They’re fine when I’m on the Kawi.

So that got me to thinking about other gear annoyances, and I can name a couple more.

Some years ago I bought a textile riding jacket that I use in the summer. It’s a nice jacket except for one thing. When I turn my head to look behind me, the shoulder armor gets in the way of the chin portion of my helmet. It makes it hard for me to turn my head all the way to be sure who or what is behind me in the lane I’m trying to move into. Pain in the butt.

And then there’s an issue with an Icon helmet I got recently. It has the kind of strap where you feed it through a D-loop and then back the other way, and then you can snap the loose end up so it doesn’t flap wildly in the breeze. Well, once again, when I turn my head, if I’m wearing my leather jacket and have the jacket zipped up all the way, the D-loop catches on the collar of the jacket and interferes with my head turning. I can use some force and it will break free, but it’s an annoyance and a pain in the butt. Or a pain in the neck, perhaps.

Oh, the trials and tribulations we motorcyclists endure for the sake of our passion!

So I’m curious. What sort of gear annoyances do you put up with? Maybe you could leave a comment on this post. I’m actually asking this for two reasons. One, I’d just like to hear what you have to tell. But two, no one ever leaves comments on this blog, and I don’t understand why. I know people read it, but no one ever comments. I’m wondering if the link at the bottom that you click to comment is not functioning. I have tried it and it works for me, but I have privileges on the blog that no one else has. I would appreciate it if you would leave a comment, but if for some reason you can’t, I would also appreciate you telling me that via email. You can email me at kendbin at yahoo dot com. Thanks.

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Biker Quote for Today

The truth will come with ten thousand miles in the saddle. — Corb Lund