ATGATT

Great weekend, boys and girls.   Got out on the Scooter for a bit, put a new battery in the KLR, rode my Bianchi bicycle with my Casa Colina buddy Chris, got lots of feedback on our last post about the moto books, and four people signed up for our California Scooter wine country weekend tour (and we haven’t even picked the weekend yet)!    On that subject, the CSC wine country weekend ride will be sometime in August; we’ll pick the date by the end of this week.

Melissa Pierson's newest moto book...you can preorder a copy now!

I heard from my good buddy Melissa Pierson, one of the authors mentioned in our blog post below (she wrote The Perfect Vehicle, which is one of the best motorcycle books ever).  I was very happy to learn that Melissa has a new book coming out about distance riding appropriately titled The Man Who Would Stop at Nothing.   It’s gonna be a good one, and you can preorder it here (I already did).

It’s been hot out here in California.  We’ve had temperatures right around 100 degrees all week, and it’s been humid, too.  It’s tough riding in this kind of weather without the right kind of gear, but you should always wear all the gear.   The acronym is ATGATT (all the gear, all the time).   It’s the way I always dress when I’m on the road.   I much prefer riding in cooler weather, when the combination of the gear and the weather makes for a comfortable ride.  In this heat and humidity, though, I’ll still wear all my gear.   It’s that important to me.   I have a mesh jacket that works well, and once I start moving, it keeps me cool (even in this weather).

I’m reminded of the times I’ve seen motor officers out on the road in this kind of weather.  They wear all the gear all the time, and it’s hot.   It’s no doubt a lot of fun to get paid to be on a motorcycle (hey, I should know), but doing it days on end in 100-degree weather can be taxing.   Sometimes that’s why you’ll see motor officers parked in the shade sipping a bottle of water.  Staying hydrated and keeping your temperature down is important stuff.

You probably already know that motor officers don’t just wear a jacket and helmet.   They wear a whole bunch of police gear, too.  Did you know that motor officers gain about 35 lbs when they go on duty?  It’s not from hanging out at donut shops, either.  It’s the gear they carry to do their jobs.  In addition to the helmet, the helmet intercom, and a bullet-proof Kevlar vest, their duty belt alone adds 25 lbs.  Here’s what’s on the duty belt: 

• A handgun (usually a 9mm, .40 S&W, or .45 ACP pistol; almost nobody uses revolvers anymore).
• 4 magazines (plus the one that’s in the pistol).
• 1 TASER.
• 1 pepper spray dispenser.
• 1 telescoping baton.
• 2 sets of handcuffs.
• 1 digital recorder (yes, they record every traffic stop).
• 1 Handi Talky (a 2-way radio).
• 1 flashlight.
• 1 key ring (with lots of keys).

A motor officer’s duty belt, weighing 25 lbs ready to go...that's Ontario Motor Sergeant Gene Eberhardt's belt with a very high end Wilson 1911 .45 auto, one of the best handguns ever made!

Many departments use traditional motor officer gear (double-lined cloth pants, cloth shirt, open face helmet, and boots), which offers less protection than what serious civilian motorcyclists usually wear (padded pants, padded ballistic nylon jackets like Arlene makes over at GoGo Gear, gloves, and of course, a full-face helmet).  Some departments go the extra mile for their officers, though, to make sure they are as well-protected as they possibly can be.  Ontario, California (that’s one town over from where I live), is one of the departments that is breaking with tradition to optimize officer safety.  Ontario motor officers ride with full-face flip-up helmets, and specially-designed Kevlar riding pants and jackets manufactured to Ontario’s specifications.  They are cool guys and awesome riders.

That’s it for today, boys and girls.  Keep checking back…there’s lots more to come, including a shot or two of our “Sunflower Special” all-yellow performance bike that I’ll be test riding on high speed runs this week.  And maybe some classic bikes we’re shipping (along with a truckload of California Scooters) to an undisclosed overseas location.  It’s gonna be a fun week!