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1. Riding Jejudo by Darcy Owen

Jejudo Island is surrounded by the blue waters of the Yellow Sea. Darcy's Vulcan is his cure for island fever.

Riding has simply got to be one of the best ways to enjoy being alive. When all the elements come together to create a perfect ride…good weather, a fine road, a buddy or two, and of course a great bike…the rider finds himself sustained by a profound feeling of contentment. Riding helps us to slip out of the mundane and into a totally focused state of mind. How does one explain to a non-rider this feeling of riding along windy back roads or puling through sun-streaked woodlands? Or try explaining the balance and power amidst controlled danger…

Five years back I got a job teaching English to Korean students on the island of Jejudo, an oblong speck in the sea that's one hundred miles wide and half that north to south, home to half a million traditional yet friendly natives. Here there are about one hundred Yanks, Canadians, Aussies, and Kiwis, and a tourist industry that brings in other Orientals. The island's latitude is 33 degrees North, about the same as Los Angeles, which gives Jejudo a sub-tropical climate. The spring and fall seasons are awesome.

For much of the year, Jejudo enjoys a pleasant, mild climate perfect for riding from hidden roads through orange groves to the top of volcanoes.

It was on Jejudo that I got my first bike, a domestic 125cc Magma which set me back all of $500. Despite being a gutless wonder, the Magma was fun to ride and I spent a year tearing up the island with it. Located in the Pacific's "Ring of Fire", Jejudo has hundreds of extinct volcanoes, and well-maintained roads snake all around the mountains. There are also miles of nearly deserted lanes where you can cruise for hours without seeing another vehicle. The scenery is stunning, especially when climbing or descending the main volcano Hallasan. Endless twisties above barley fields and tangerine orchards abound. I soon became hooked on riding. A Korean friend was selling his 600cc Shadow, and once I test drove it, the increase in torque impressed me. For a year the Shadow was my steed until a challenged motorist turned left in front of me. Defensive riding is an essential mindset that must accompany any ride, just as gratitude is the feeling when I return home safely after a ride. Motorcycling among the local "drivers" might not be for every rider.

The next move up was to a Shadow ACE 750, a really good-looking and smooth bike for the money. But after a year, I graduated to a 1600 Vulcan Classic, the only one in Korea. I've been very happy with it and am proud to own it, though paying $4.80 for a gallon of gas and $40 for a quart of gear oil is hard to stomach sometimes. Plus, the only Kawasaki dealer in Korea is 500 miles away. After riding for five years I still consider myself a total beginner, and try to ride with patience and humility always.

For me, the best thing about the Vulcan has been learning to do my own customization. And if any Cruiser Customizing members find themselves on Jejudo Island, look me up because I've got some secret roads to share. There is a shop in Jeju City called (you guessed it) Easy Rider that has Harleys and metric cruisers. Jay-bong the cool owner is willing to rent bikes to licensed riders. Although I do not mind it a bit, most of the time I'm soloing it out here. Just being out under this vast expanse of sky, watching the hawks circle over me as I ride, is enough to keep me grateful. Jejudo is a great place to live and ride; I've been here for five ears and plan to remain another three. But before I leave it would be nice to show my secret roads to a fellow rider!

Darcy Owen (darcowen)

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2. View from 5 Feet by Willard Meades

On a customized cruiser like this beauty, the view from five feet is no different than any other riders'.

I've always been a bit shy in the stature department. I remember having to climb the school bus steps on my hands and knees in the first grade. I grew to love motorcycles, but as a result of my vertical inadequacy, finding the right bike has been difficult. Like clothes, there are plenty of regular sizes, as well as a Big and Tall department. Whatever happened to Short and Stubby?

I got my first bike, a red moped, in 1968. As I had done with my old banana seat bicycle, I customized the little terror. The first thing to go was the governor, which took the top end from 25mph up to nearly 45! I treated it like a dirt bike and if the engine burned out from rip-roaring around the trails, I'd simply change engines. When riding friends' motorcycles, I had to either single cheek it or get a friend to ride behind so that he could put his legs out - like a human pair of training wheels - at a stop sign.

Willard with his stunning V-Star: It takes a big man to handle iron like this.

I grew up (figuratively speaking), married, and raised two kids who are now in their twenties. In the '90s, a friend who had just bought a new motorcycle began hounding me to get one, too. Sure, I wanted a bike, but what about one with the right fit? But the rumble of the engine and call of the winds were irresistible. It took months of looking, but I finally found the ticket to ride for a would-be motorcyclist of the compact variety: a 1989 Yamaha Virago 1100! I got the hang of it after a couple of mishaps. Then began the customization: windshield, saddlebags, and luggage racks proved perfect for day rides and cool evenings.

Willard with the two stars of his life, Helen and his massive Yamaha V-Star.

In 2000, we abandoned the bayous of Louisiana for the wide-open spaces of Amarillo, where the vast expanse of the north Texas plains re-kindled my desire to ride. Hooking up with the Southern Cruisers, we enjoyed many enchanting rides together, to places like Palo Duro Canyon, America's second largest, and Mt. Capulin volcano in northeast New Mexico. Soon I had the fever for something newer, so on April Fool's Day, 2002, I bought a Yamaha V-Star Silverado 1100. For me customizing has always been about functionality, and it wasn't long before I began customizing my V-Star. I came across Cruiser Customizing about this time and found it to be a great resource for researching new parts and accessories. The online reviews meant a great deal to me because it's nice to have the opinion of another rider before I buy.

For long, comfortable rides with his friends, Willard turned to CruiserCustomizing.com.

One day a truck driver, who had almost just taken me out, rolled his window down at the light and leaned out to apologize. He mentioned that he hadn't seen me, nor had he heard me. What better reason to justify swapping off those stock pipes? After browsing the choices on Cruiser Customizing, I decided on BUBS Big Willy's. These pipes not only crank out a good sound but give the same amount of back pressure thus eliminating the need for rejetting the carbs. How could I go wrong with as set of Big Willies for Little Willy? Soon I was rumbling off to my first overnighter with my wife Helen. We rode to Carlsbad Caverns in southeast New Mexico with a stopover in Roswell, to visit the aliens.

I found my Jardine oil filter relocation kit on Cruiser Customizing and it has paid for itself in just a few oil changes. With the Jardine, a forty-five minute chore turns into a job of only ten minutes. That translates into more riding time. I may come up a bit short in stature, but not in the brains department.

The joys of riding include time for the family.

During a 14 ½-hour ride covering the 850 miles from Amarillo to Hammond, Louisiana, I found myself repositioning my throttle hand to keep it from going numb. Upon my return, I picked up a $10 Throttle Rocker, the best ten bucks I ever spent. And when I found that the saddlebags covered my helmet lock, I found a clamp-on helmet lock and attached it to one of the front down tubes. Works great!

In the fall of '04 we moved to Montgomery, Alabama. Though Helen and I loved the great big sky and beautiful sunsets of Amarillo, we're happy to once again feel a part of the water, trees and hills. From here we've ridden to Alabama's highest peak and have stayed at Twenty-nine Dreams, a motorcycle-only lodge. After several long trips I felt some soreness in my back and shoulders. Then I figured it out; not only are my legs short, but my arms as well! Time for more customization: a set of Baron DT Pullback risers, which lift the handlebar up and back two inches, make a big difference. Helen and I have several more moto-adventures planned with our new riding buddies here in Montgomery. And since I began riding cruisers, I've learned that the view from five feet isn't bad at all from the saddle of my motorcycle!

Willard Meades (Crawdaddy)

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3. Backfire: Biker Bumper Stickers
Bikes don't have bumpers, so they don't have bumper stickers, either. But if your bike did have a bumper, what special message would you like to send to all those cagers? We want something more than gluey banality here; we're looking for a significant understanding, perhaps a deeper meaning of life and the Universe. Something that conveys, "MOVE ASIDE, DUMBO". At a Special Meeting of the General Assembly of the million-member CruiserCustomizing.com Parliament, convened at an undisclosed location in the Nevada desert for the sole purpose of discussing the ways and means of this very important issue, we came up with a few ideas, given below. Some are new takes on old themes.

Your message may reflect a desire for speed, or a need to take it slow and easy. There's no right or wrong as long as it reflects motorcycling, but we're looking for original ideas. You are a rider, and your message to the cagers is also vital to our esteemed panel of experts. So send in your ideas for Biker Bumper Stickers along with an e-photo of you and your ride in time for the next issue of the newsletter, by mid-June. It's all in good, clean fun, after all. Be sure to include all pertinent details, your name and CruiserCustomizing.com membership number, and the model of the bike. Members only! Submissions become property of CruiserCustomizing.com. Show us some attitude, Cruisers. Now let's move on it.

IF BIKES HAD BUMPERS, THEN THEIR BUMPER STICKERS MIGHT READ:

FOR THE REBEL:

-The Worst Day Riding Is Better Than The Best Day Driving
-I've Got The Wind Enjoy Your Radio
-Cars Are Rolling Jail Cells
-Wanted: Biker Girl Friend. Send Photo of Bike
-Your Mercedes Sucks
-You've Got Your Horn. I've Got My Throttle
-He Who Knows… Twists The Throttle
-If You're In A Car, You're Already Lost
-The Difference Between You And My Bike Is I Like My Bike!
-How Many Roads Must a Man Walk Down Before He Gets On A Bike?
-The Answer, My Friend, Is Riding In The Wind
-Try Riding Your Car On Two Wheels
-Caution: Right Hand Leaves Throttle Only To Exercise Middle Finger
-Buckled Up? I'm NOT!
-The First Car Was A Motorcycle
-A Gang of One
-Caution: Cars Cause Brain Death
-Why Have You Covered That Beautiful Engine With a Hood?
-Drivers Wanted -- NOT
-No - I'm NOT A Guy With Two Feet On The Ground
-You Don't Need To Fart Into A Jar To Save Gas
-SUV: Silly, Ungainly Van-mobile
-Chain Gang
-I Call This Place Home
-Soichiro Honda Died For Your Sins
-You May Shove Your Political Correctness Up My Exhaust Pipe
-The Wife Said: Either The Bike Goes Or I Do, …And I'm Sure Gonna Miss Her!
-My Wife Made Me Give Up Riding …And That Was The Worst Fifteen Minutes Of My Life!
-Got Handlebars?
-Who Needs Bumpers?
-Automatic Transmissions Are For Scooters
-Get High Now Ask Me How
-Five Gallons of Adrenaline
-It's Called Lanesplitting
-Keep It Up
-This Road Is My Living Room
-Ride Fast… Stay Ahead Of All The Accidents

SLOW DOWN AND CRUISE:

-I'll Shift Into 2nd Gear Tomorrow
-Not Snoozin' Just Cruisin'
-Boldly Going Nowhere
-It's Called Throttle Therapy
-Motorcycle Yoga
-Sultan of Slow
-Honk, Like I Care
-Torque Dork
-Two Inches Below Sea Level
-Acceding The Speed Limit
-Bicycles May Pass On The Left
-Your Psychiatrist Needs A Motorcycle
-Get Out Your Ear Plugs
-Turn Off Your Car Alarm
-Low, Slow and No Place to Go

WHEN SPEED IS IMPORTANT:

-Gone In .6 Second
-Meet Yama, The God Of Death
-Let's Twist Again
-0 to 60 In Under Four Seconds
-The Ultimate Riding Machine
-No. I'm Not Running From The Law. I'm Running From YOU
-Now You See Me…
-Motorcycles Run The Razor's Edge Between Truth And Death
-So Many Curves So Little Time
-Stoplights Timed For 35 MPH Are Also Timed For 70 MPH
-My $8,000 Bike Can Rip Your $150,000 Car
-The Car That Can Beat Me Does Not Exist
-I Eat Bug Splatter
-I'm Outta Here
-They Also Make Sake From Rice

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