Devilish Motorcycles for Halloween
Last Updated: December 1st, 2020
Welcome to my favorite month.
October marks the time of year when cooking, baking, walking my dogs, hiking and, of course, riding, all become fun again after a hellish summer. (Although we’re still putting up with 100-plus degrees here in the Phoenix area when we should be luxuriating in the mid-90s. I’m giving the weather another week before I lose my mind.)
Amid all of that, we have Halloween fun to enjoy. For my part, I spend a month, or more, basking in my creepy, cheesy lights and decorations; it probably says all you need to know that I put out the Halloween trimmings this year in mid-September. And thanks to Halloween, October also marks my annual indulgence in B horror, sci-fi and monster movies. I’m talking mostly 1950s black-and-white delight, including “The Flesh Eaters,” “Earth vs. The Spider,” “The Alligator People,” the original “Invasion of the Body Snatchers,” the Vincent Price “House on Haunted Hill,” “Creature from the Black Lagoon,” and much more, with some ‘40s and early ‘60s awesomeness in the mix.
My point? I love October. And creepiness. And silliness. All of which provides context and lead-in to a discussion on Frankenbikes! (Just go with me here.)
You’ve seen them, those cobbled-together mish-mashes of motorcycles that look more like Frankenstein’s monster than legitimate rides. We own one and before the other half got his hands on it, the poor thing looked dreadful. In fact, the bike—a Ninja 650 R—goes by the name of “Fugly.” You get the idea.
We bought the Ninja from a Marine at the Yuma base. This guy, in his very early 20s, had spray-painted the bike with various colors: green, maroon, black, gold, each with inconsistent degrees of coverage. Said young man already had wrecked the bike, too, so Fugly was well on his way to Frankenbike status. He looked terrible, a failed experiment in graffiti or post-modern art.
Now, given the other half’s talents, Fugly looks more polished and boasts his own brand of coolness. But he’s still a Frankenbike, which is why he remains the go-to motorcycle in our stable for the more accident-possible endeavors such as the track. And that’s the beauty of a Frankenbike. If it ends up on the wrong side of the rubber, eh, not a big deal – for the machine, at any rate. Riding a Frankenbike speaks to the pure joy of motorcycling, no matter the aesthetic. What really matters, as Frankenbikers know, is the two-wheel experience. Not caring so much about the bike itself frees the rider to focus on the freedom, introspection and observations of surrounding oneself with fresh air and the open road.
Tell me about your Frankenbike. Or your love of B movies and Halloween. Or all of the above. And join me in having a great October!
