I don’t know how many marques have odometers that allow you to roll up 100,000 miles and then keep going, but BMW does. Here’s a pic of the odo on my 1990 K75 BMW. After many miles as a solo ride the bike…nick-named Coda… was transformed into a tug for our sidecar outfit.

Almost There

Since then it has hauled us all over the mountain west pretty much effortlessly. We cruise the interstates at about 70 mph with enough left to pass at a good clip when necessary. Pretty respectable performance for an old 750. Considering the fact that I’ve seen K75s with more than two hundred thousand miles on their odometers I’m counting on many more happy miles.

There

If you’re the sort of motorcyclist who would  (almost) rather ride than eat; if all that really worries you about old age and death is that there might not be riding in haven, then the chance for one last ride might have some appeal.

An outfit in Vail Arizona has just the service for you, an old- fashioned hearse pulled by an elegant Harley Trike. Just the thing for your last earthly journey.

Hank Brouwer is the owner/operator of the  Vail Arizona  Boot Hill Hearse Company. Boot Hill is a company that originated in Ontario, Canada, and now, happily, is available to us here in the Boot Hill state.

The Data Port doesn’t have a financial finger in Boot Hill pie, but I must admit that the idea that the old guy might take his last ride that way has some appeal. Put the urn in front, load the back with cases of beer and bubbly and throw one last party for the club.

Boot Hill Hearse Website: Click

Or phone them here: 520-762-9342

I’ve been riding my single cylinder BMW thumper a lot. My sidecar outfit is in a state of disassembly, with the tub and fender removed for painting and pin-striping. What a job! Incidentally, when you’re adding wiring to your ride don’t wire for the ages. Quick disconnect hook-ups rule. But you probably knew that.

I tried driving the hack with just the frame, but every right turn flew the hack tire like a  frightened bird. Fifty years of sidecar driving pretty much prepared me, but I think it gave pause to a following cage that hammered its breaks when I took off.

So I’ve been getting my two wheel skills back. There is a world of difference between two wheels and three…you can get out of practice if you spend too much time on the hack.

Putting on the two wheeled miles meant a gas stop or two. Shock-a -rooney! $4.09/gal for mid-grade gas at my local foothills station. Okay, it was the foothills and it was mid-grade gas. Also that price was an anomaly. The average price per gallon in Arizona on March 5th was $3.793. And if you shop around you can do much better than that.

But the handwriting is on the wall.

There are spots around the nation where four bucks is the rule rather than the exception: New York City, $3.99; California, $ 4.35.

I used to buy gas for cash. Now I use my credit card, but at my last fill-up I got 67 miles to the gallon—mixed city and highway—at that mileage I can still afford my transportation.

Smaller vehicles, smaller engines…there must be a lesson there someplace.