Fear Less
We recently had a chance to interview local personality Conor Peterson about his plans to do the impossible: trek across the pass to Eastern Washington -- on his motorcycle. He was drinking rootbeer in a hurry, but we got a few questions out of him.
Conor Peterson poses for our cameraman
Q: Why tempt the fates? Aren't you aware of the likelihood of extreme, catastrophic failure, such as injury or death? What's your inspiration?
A: Clearly I want a good excuse to eat a peanut butter sandwich in the middle of nowhere while I watch traffic whiz by. Besides, if I don't put myself through an occasional bout of discomfort, don't you think I'll grow complacent with my life?
Q: But you're talking discomfort. Surely you should be using words like peril, danger, recklessness and skullduggery. Are you truly that confident in your ability?
A: Sure thing, motherf***er. It's time to grab the bull by the horn!
[Peterson is leaping around, waving the jagged edge of a broken bottle of rootbeer at us.]
Q: It just occurred to me that I don't understand what the potential dangers are, anyway.
A: Well, you see, the bike I'm riding is a Ninja 250. The "250" means that the bike is only two hundred and fifty CC's.
At a Glance Bike2002 EX250 Horsepower25-29 @ 5500 RPM Max. speed~110 mph w/ favorable wind Max. RPM14,000 Transmission6-speed, wet sump DangereXtreme
I'm going to be cruising at around 10,000 RPM - approximately seventy miles per hour. My car, by comparison, would be puttering along at a pathetic 2,500 RPM. The pistons in my kawi oscillate so fast that pedestrians think they're being attacked by a huge, green, robot, mutant bee. With so much potential energy in the engine sustained for such a long period of time, there's a high chance for something to go wrong - and when it does, it promises to maim me.
Q: Have you done anything to mitigate the possible risks? May I have your collection of fine compact discs?
A: Well, I've gone ahead and changed the oil out to my favorite 10w40 synth blend. I repaired the broken turn signal too. I fixed my dumb clutch. And, I've washed and waxed it. This lil guy is so smooth now that if I drop it, it'll slide without damage. Hell, the glow of the paint is so luxuriant that, in the event it falls over, it will probably hover an inch above the ground on a gentle cushion of air. And as an added benefit, the reduced drag from the absurd quantity of wax will speed me along at a comfortable clip.
Q: What about tires? Checked the pressure of those babies lately?
A: Oh, they're totally bald. Couldn't find anybody to sell me any in my size. Tried like five places. It just serves to make the trip more adventurous.
So. Will he make it? When we asked Peterson, he laughed maniacally and offered us a rootbeer. Here's to his trip!
The bike itself, clearly ready for excitement and adventure