Sadly, the sun and warmth (70s and 80s) of a few days ago have disappeared under clouds bringing light, but consistent rain and cool temperatures. So the Harley remains in the garage.
OK, I know a large swath of the country is suffering frigid cold, snow, and other wintery weather. Therefore, I shouldn't complain about this occasional lack of conditions suitable for riding. But, in balance, we pay a sunshine tax here in California, expecting good riding weather all year long.
With the highest gasoline taxes in the nation, estimated at near 75 cents per gallon, it costs more to fuel up here than those states suffering the winter blues. Additionally, we have some of the highest personal income, sales, and property taxes, if not the highest. Gripe though we may about these and other taxes, being able to ride almost every day of the year compensates.
I don't know the actual numbers, but I'd guess there are logically more motorcycles per capita in California, particularly southern California, than any other place in the country. Again, it wouldn't be surprising, given the great weather. And with more bikes on the road, I'm guessing our insurance fees are also higher than the rest of the country. (And likely to be even higher after the state issued more than 42,000 driver licenses to illegal immigrants.)
Better weather means more riding opportunities, equaling more bikes.
So why shouldn't we complain when the rare weekend rain prevent us from hitting the roads?
I pay a hell of a lot of money in order to live where it's sunny, so I can get the Harley out of the garage and on to the road.
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