Shunpiking Through Life
How to avoid FOGO: the fear of growing old.
With an Americano at my right elbow and the music of Rush in my Airpods, it’s easy to process what my next motorcycle adventure should entail. I’m sitting at Red Rock Coffee while the July sun warms Villa & Castro streets, not struggling to keep my bike upright against gale force winds on CA-5 or getting pelted by hail through Bakersfield.
And any reinforcement from the late motorcyclist, writer, lyricist and Rush drummer Neil Peart is welcome. This is why I return to his books for mental and spiritual guidance. It’s been three and a half years since we lost Peart to brain cancer, but his words and music live on.
In the third chapter of his 2011 book Far and Away: A Prize Every Time, titled “Shunpikin’ It Old Skool,” he elaborates on what shunpiking is (avoidance of major highways and tollways in favor of lightly traveled country roads) and how riding his BMW motorcycle from Rush gig to gig with a friend or two was enriched by this intentional effort.
Peart was in his 50s at the time. With Rush concerts lasting more than a couple hours, the physical act of drumming (and Peart was no mere metronome keeping time on that drum throne; he was regarded as one of the most intricate and melodic percussionists in rock history) was bolstered by the thousands of miles covered across the U.S. on his BMW that most likely extended his sharpness and endurance:
“The drumming part of my touring life is certainly athletic, though few athletes are expected to surpass their peak at 54 years of age. I sure don’t take it for granted that I have felt able to do that — I’m very gratified. But . . . it takes its toll.
“Taking into consideration that Michael’s and my motorcycle rides between shows average about 275 miles a day, I actually spend far more time in the saddle than I do on the drum throne. That takes its toll, too — in the sore spots that Michael and I call “saddle tats;” in the tired mind from making a million decisions about traffic and road surfaces as you ride hour after hour; and in a body beaten by wind, vibration, and the physical activity of motorcycling, especially in the mountains, with so much braking, shifting, accelerating, and moving your body on the bike for more effective cornering.
“Then there was the heat — in the 100s for many days, especially in the Southwest. Desert heat is one thing, but when the humidity is also high, as in South Texas, and you’re wearing the armored suit, helmet, gloves, and boots, you get to feel like you’re covered in a coat of slime, riding past a small-town bank clock showing 105°.”
For reasons unknown, I’ve always been in a hurry to get somewhere. Maybe it was my need to find a warm space on a cold Wisconsin winter day after sledding at Webster Park, or a cold space on a hot day after high school soccer practice at Minahan Stadium. I’ve only recently learned to slow down and enjoy the scenery, whether I’m on my road bicycle or a chosen motorcycle.
Granted, the feeling from bursts of speed while twisting the throttle on a sweeping turn has no equal, and pushing the needle toward 100 on a dead straight road with nary a car, animal, RV or truck in sight while traversing Death Valley is a high worth noting. I’ve grown to modulate when and where I stroll or boogie.
Riding pal Brian is a maestro of shunpiking, and he’s prompted me to rethink my stable of bikes. Gone are the heavy touring and light supermoto machines. As Peart points out in his writings, it’s important to be equally yoked with one’s riding partner, and why he and Michael Mosbach, Greg Russell and Brutus chose BMW 1100 GS bikes to crisscross the U.S. to the tune of 50,000 miles a year.
Brian loves his 2018 Triumph Tiger 800 Adventure for the long excursions where we encounter busted asphalt, loose gravel, tight twisties and superblooms. I seem to favor 1,100 cubic centimeters powering my bikes (‘04 BMW R 1150 RT, ‘04 Moto Guzzi California Stone, ‘04 Moto Guzzi V11 Sport Ballabio, ‘11 Moto Guzzi California Black Eagle, ‘00 Moto Guzzi Quota), but lately I’ve been mulling a switch to a happy medium 900cc bike like the Triumph Tiger 900 GT Pro Brian forwarded me on Craigslist the other day for a few reasons.
First, Jean and I rely on the Quota for two-up riding after selling the R 1150 RT a few months ago. The Quota is 23 years old, in fine shape, gets the admiring looks and favorable comments at each stop, and like all Italian tractors, is one of the most unique and nicely styled bikes at most coffee shop stops.
But the passenger seat sucks. The rider pegs vibrate. The 21-inch front wheel catches the lightest cross wind and challenges my handling ability. The luggage is passable but not quite large enough. And like most Guzzis there’s an ever-present oil weep to remind you that it’s an Italian tractor engine. Like Brian, Pixar pal Jay is pushing me toward the agile Triumph.
As Peart noted throughout Far and Away, piling on the miles requires planning, skill, acuity and comfort. While most of the social media-focused world fixates on the fear of missing out (FOMO), I’m more aware of the fear of growing old (FOGO). Aging is not a bad thing because it’s something we’ve been experiencing since birth. My FOGO prompts me to make decisions to bolster my happiness on this planet. I’m committed to best practices to keep my 57-year-old mind and body sharp, and finding the right machine (not perfect, because nothing perfect exists) to keep me moving forward. And while I like old bikes, there’s something to be said for having at least one or two modern bikes to choose from.
“That’s very linear, Sheriff.”
“Age will flatten a man, Wendell.”
“Yes sir.”
~ No Country For Old Men (2007)
Peart went through his share of heartache and grief in the late `90s and was determined to live again. His book Ghost Rider: Travels on the Healing Road chronicles how a 55,000 motorcycle journey of self discovery brought him back. Find balance in your life. Every day is our opportunity to explore and experience other communities and people on two wheels. Robb Talbott knows this, Scottie Sharpe knows this, and I hope to ride with them both soon.
Which bike and riding pal will you choose for your next shunpiking adventure?