Aloha Intruder Family and Friends
WELCOME TO INTRUDER SUNDAY MAY 31, 2020
Today we rode without Ray, our club president and his wife Sparky, who are currently in Ohio, and hanging with Spark’s family for about six months. We all met up at our new Bat place, aka the Hele Hele gas station in Mililani, at the same Bat time, 9am. For today’s ride we have our leader and VP Kimo, his trusty sidekick Genny; Cooper the Sergeant of Arms and Bridget the secretary; Marc our Road Captain; Henry; Ben; myself and a guest rider Stu. Just so you know, a guest rider applies to any nonmember motorcycle rider that wants to ride along with us. We spent a few minutes shooting the breeze, and discussing other alternative meeting places for our Sunday rides. Nothing was decided, other than that the majority vote, when taken, would determine our decision. We decided to head north, and ride out to Dillingham Airfield, with Cooper and Bridget leading, and Kimo and I as road guards.
Luckily there weren’t as many people out as last week, so our ride over there went quickly and uneventful. We pulled into the entrance of the airfield and rode down the back side, keeping a close eye on the gravel and potholes. We were planning on pulling into the parking lot of the glider office and having a quick restroom break, but the gates were locked up. So we continued on to our next stop at Kaiaka Bay Beach Park, next to Haleiwa Elementary School. We pulled in and made our way to the end, where the public restrooms were, and parked. The weather was heating up, and the trade winds were just barely keeping us comfortable, at least while standing in the shade. We spent a bit of time there, talking, catching up on each other’s lives, and then deciding our next stop.
We hopped on our bikes, pulled out of the park heading down Haleiwa Road. The beaches were just beginning to fill up, and there was more foot traffic heading in all directions. The ride so far was going smoothly, yet I was beginning to notice that my rear tire was low, and that I would need to add some air to it soon. Since our next stop was to be the Texaco gas station, I continued on, and would add some air then. When we pulled in, there was already someone using the air/water dispenser, so I waited. I would have to borrow $1.50 in quarters, since I only had my credit card, which Ben gladly supplied. After getting the quarters from the cashier, I pulled my motorcycle up close to the machine, then with both Ben and Genny helping, proceeded to fill up my tire. The air ran out about a few PSI(s) short, but it was enough to keep me on the road. Thanks to my fellow riders, I was good to go.
Our next stop was to be Swanzy Beach Park, and that allowed us a nice run from here to there. Of course as we proceeded through the north shore area, we experienced the beginning of traffic slowdowns, beach goers and surfers crossing roads, and a lot of the pre-pandemic issues, as well. It wasn’t that bad, but I’m pretty sure it will return to the normal sluggish stop and go, which can make you feel as though you’re cooking from the inside out, or the outside in. It tends to be one of the few drawbacks riding a motorcycle that is air-cooled. If you stop moving and your engine is running, usually very hot, then you begin to feel like you’re on fire. This is a definite summer time hazard, and not to be taken lightly, at least on my Harley. We finally got to Swanzy Beach Park, dismounted and looked for some shade. After hydrating and making calls to Mother Nature, we felt much better. Our next stop would be heading in our own directions, which would take us each home. The ride had gone well, and we were all getting a bit over heated, and decided that we would call it a day. Our goodbyes were said, and so we all headed for home, with another great ride under our belts. As the weeks pass and our restrictions begin to ease up, I hope that we can stay healthy and safe. There are a lot of unknowns that we will soon be facing, and not just us, here in Hawaii, but in the whole world. I don’t have the answers to the many questions I would ask, as if there was someone to ask in the first place. I just know that I will continue to strive to keep myself and my family safe, to make decisions that not only benefit me, but my community too. There is way too much violence happening, and not participating is hardly the solution today. Being complacent isn’t going to bring about change, but neither is destroying lives and property. We need change, and as uncomfortable as change can be, it is necessary if we want to retain our humanity. So, think about yourself, your spouse or partner, your parents, your brothers and sisters, your aunties and uncles, and especially your sons and daughters, and grandchildren; because they are our future. They will be living in this world long after us, and leaving it this way is irresponsible and unacceptable. As usual, I will continue to pray that your God looks out for you and your family. Kanuk
