Flash - Crass - Brash - Class

Huh? What the heck is she talking about? Motorcycles... sometimes they reflect our egos, sometimes our alter-egos. Some are flashy, some are brash while other border on the truly crass. Classic lines, new and naked, some chrome bling here, a technical or performance farkle there. Even if we leave them stock, that in itself reflects on how we feel about riding and our bikes.

I mentioned that I had gotten some pinstriping added to my BMW. As you may, or may not know, adding custom paint to a BMW is considered akin to putting plastic rhinestones on a classic blazer (okay, bad analogy but it's all that came to mind...LOL!). BMW riders are into farkles that improve performance or otherwise enhance the riding experience. It's not done to add "dash" or a personal look to the bike.

If you're not into motorcycles and haven't attended any shows, rallies or other events in recent years, here are some photos I have taken over the last six years. I think you can easily see the ones that evoke the image of class, brash, crass and flash.




So when I decided I wanted something custom on my new BMW, Squirt, I knew that it would have to be done with a light hand. No funny frogs, no flames, something understated. I had pre-arranged with an artist friend that we would barter some custom work in exchange for my putting up a website for him. We discussed the color, settling on a slightly darker blue-grey than the stock paint on the bike. He spent some time looking over the lines of the bike and trying to decide how to make it all flow.

When the day arrived, we pulled the saddlebags off since he wanted the pinstriping to flow down the side of the bike. I left the artistic side to him, knowing he understood my desire to keep things on the simple side.



The end result was PERFECT! The color changes with the light and it flows with the lines of the bike.



I will eventually get "The Lily Pad" pinstriped on the doors of the motorhome and possible some light matching pinstriping along the front edge of the hood. Michael, aka Wolf, also is starting to do small, custom-sized acrylic paintings on canvas to fit in those little spots between the overhead cabinet doors. Not sure what I will get as yet but I know it will be amazing. Just check out some of his work on his website, daWolfdidit.

On another note, I managed to snag a few sunrise photos, not overly spectacular - even the birds were sill napping. Shortly after sunrise I got to hear "Reveille" played over the base loudspeakers. Not having been in the military, for me it evoked images from Girl Scout Camp (as does "Taps").



I hope to get some photos of the ever present round-tailed ground squirrels around the campsite as well as the almost daily visiting Gila Woodpecker. Today he thought my awning arm needed to be de-bugged. LOL! Couldn't grab my camera quick enough to get a shot. Earlier in the day there was a beautiful hawk sitting on the trailer beside the RV across the field from me...too far for a good shot though.

Till next time - keep on rollin',
Froggi/Donna