Motorcycles unlike boats don’t generally come with names other than their manufacturer names like Harley, BMW, Triumph or Honda. Some riders however, go above and beyond and also name their beloved steed.
Recently, I read a book, “To The Arctic Circle”, by Morgan Stafford. Morgan, early on in the story explains how he came about naming his large Triumph adventure motorcycle “Brother”.
Today at Big Bear I started referring to my massive 2020 BMW GSA 1250 as “Gordo “. Take one look and let me know if I’m wrong in my “fat” description.
Recently I also added a face to Gordo. The design taken from the baddest little airplane ever built, the Spitfire. The spitfire is credited with saving the British from being conquered by Hitlers Nazis. And of course we also need to give credit to the Royal British Navy, at the time the strongest in the world.
So, that’s why this aha moment occurred and I decided to christen Gordo.
Christening anything is a fun social thing that should be enjoyed among close friends; however, this is a Covid-19 year and I’m riding solo.
The ceremony is normally followed by a small maiden voyage, today I rode to Big Bear, California. The traditional drink during a christening is red wine; drinking and riding is also frowned upon. A sacrifice however, needs to be made, so I brought hot cider and a Kind nut bar.
A branch full of green leaves symbolizes many safe returns. I used snow and soon the desert sands will also christen him further, Gordo is a him.
One needs to say a few words and no better spoken words I can recall than those once written by Hunter S. Thompson.
“Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside in a cloud of smoke, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming
“Wow! What a Ride!
And yes sailors are always superstitious so don’t do this on a ……
- Friday is unlucky likely because Jesus was crucified on this day of the week. If a new Coast Guard boat is finished on a Friday, they always wait until Saturday to christen it.
- Thursday is a bad day to be on the water because it’s Thor’s day, and he’s the god of thunder and storms. Don’t want to mess with him! – But, since I’m about 7,000 feet above sea level and the Big Bear dam shows no signs of collapsing; Thursday is when Gordo got christened.
- Also don’t do it on a the first Monday in April; this is the day Cain slew Abel. It might also be April Fool’s Day.
- The second Monday in August is the day the kingdoms of Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed.
In the end, life is a chosen risk, whether you ride thousands of miles on a motorcycle or you sit in a recliner until your body atrophies ………..your arteries harden and the rest as they say……….. is just history.
Trawlercat
Trawlercat Blog Dispatches 