Ron Davis, deputy editor at BMW Owner Newspublished his second book, Side Down Rubber: The trend can’t move on two wheels. Like his first episode, Shiny faceit is a collection of published columns, essays and reflections on life behind the wheel.
Rubber side down offers 44 chapters on motorcycling and what it takes to have a long and satisfying life riding a motorcycle. For example:
- How do you find a girlfriend who really wants to sit in the extra chair?
- Where can I find a motel that only serves motorcyclists? (Look for one near La Crosse, Wisconsin.)
- What can you do about hazards such as a cattle truck in front of you suddenly splashing a large pile of smoke in your lane?
- What’s best, veer out of your lane or stop when a kayak tumbles off the roof of a car and into traffic?
- Is camping in the park with a motorbike and a puppy tent a good idea? Ron explained all the ups and downs and decided that it was only for younger riders.
I read from chapter to chapter and enjoyed everything and then I got to chapter 22, “Tip-Toeing Off the Resevation,” which begins with: Warning: The following column focuses on a non-BMW motorcycle. Yes, I know, THIS IS HERE!
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I almost lost my place. I’ve lived in the Eau Claire area of Wisconsin for several years and I’ve passed Ron’s way many times. I often ask him if he’d like to try one of my bikes to learn about brands other than BMW.
“Try my Indian FTR,” I said. Or, “What about the Royal Enfield – it has the same power as a BMW but a third the price.”
“No no! I’m a shameless disciple of BMW!
“What about the Triumph 900 in the back of the garage? Like a classic BMW, twin-cylinder, air-cooled and 50-year-old styling.”
“Ah, maybe sometime, but not today.”
And here I am standing up after seeing a picture of Ron and his 2014 car Honda NC700X at the beginning of chapter 22, his hand covers the Honda logo and his face grimaces “hand in the cookie jar”!
After my heart rate stabilized, I continued reading until chapter 30, “Glenn Stasky, The Innovator”. Chapters 30-34 contain profiles of several BMW riders and photographs of their German steeds. I turned over the inside cover of the cover to see if the book could only be sold to BMW owners at BMW stores. It does not appear that is the case.
When I reached the end of the book, I finally reached chapter 39, “Discovering the Twisted Road”. Finally, we have to go hundreds of winding miles near Eau Claire and La Crosse. Other chapters have shown us how to fish in the Eau Claire River and how to deliver pizza in Eau Claire, so this must be the chapter about the incredible horseback scene in northwest Wisconsin. The chapter turned out to be a prologue to Twisted Road, a motorbike rental service that Ron used while on vacation in New Mexico.
Why a hot motorcycle perfume like Eau Claire is completely omitted from the book is a very strange thing. Ron, you may not have been, but the oldest motorcycle charity ride in America is in Eau Claire’s backyard. Motorcycles sponsored by India flood follow the Mississippi River Trail and even sweepstakes for a new Boy Scout each year. As far as I know, BMWs and even Hondas are allowed to participate. This fact from what I’ve seen will provide fodder for a lucrative chapter in the book.
Side Down Rubber: The trend can’t move on two wheels is an enjoyable read, no matter what brand(s) of motorcycles you prefer, but BMW enthusiasts will find it particularly engaging. Published by Road Dog Publications, the book is 252 pages long and retails for $19.99 on Amazon.
ABOUT RON DAVIS
Ron Davis caught a motorcycle fault at the age of fifteen. Forty years and about 20 bicycles later, he is still an enthusiast, especially for BMW bikes. During that time, he also worked full-time teaching high school and college classes in writing, photography, and publishing, and worked as a social media writer for tourism industry in Northwestern Ontario, as well as a contributing editorial and columnist for BMW Owner News. More frequently commenting orally than focusing on engineering or travel, his writing has been featured by Our BMW Motorcycle Magazine, On The Level, Backroads Motorcycle Tour Magazine, Volume One, Wisconsinand the National Writing Project, and his essays (some on horseback riding) can be heard regularly on Wisconsin Public Radio’s “Wisconsin Life.”
