A moment to reflect on what we do.

[fasterdammit]

the longest ride.
-by edward walker

we ride our road for better or worse.

we have faith that the road is open.
we have faith that the road will be good.
we have faith that our bike will get us there if we maintain it properly.
we have faith that the road leads... somewhere.

we ride not knowing where the road leads.

we do not get a map.
we do not know what lies ahead.
we do not necessarily know which way to turn.
we do not always understand how we got where we are.

we ride with knowledge gained from miles travelled.

we decide which road would be best for us next.
we decide when to go and when to stop.
we decide when to lead and when to follow.
we decide who we want to share the ride with.

we ride with friends, two up, and alone.

we sometimes pull the throttle and ride life for all its worth.
we sometimes get in trouble for going a little too far.
we sometimes squeeze the lever and slow down for a break.
we sometimes break down somewhere we do not want to be.

we ride through storms when we have to.

we can choose to prepare for what the road reveals.
we can choose to improvise inconvienence.
we can choose to ignore or to suffer or to accept.
we can choose to ride an easier road.

we ride regardless.

we know somehow the ride goes on.
we know we should always ride the best we can.
we know we all ride differently at times.
we know we all ride essentially the same.

we ride how we choose to.

we will soar down twisty canyon roads of adrenaline.
we will suffer straight stretches across the plains.
we will enjoy familiar rides with loved ones.
we will endure long distance rides alone.

we ride sometimes just to ride.

we ride with memories of those we've rode with.
we ride without knowing what memories await.
we ride knowing sometime this road will end.
we ride knowing someday the ride will end.

we ride.

Source

[Skins]

Thanks, faster. A marvelous contribution. I was wondering around 'Aiming for the Apex' last night, enjoying, among other things, Mike Roten's lovely yellow ladies of shady pit late, in his US MotoGP 2005 Aesthetics. Little did I know I'd be back here today.

I reckon that ought to be translated into some of the other languages we have here. A free Paso belt buckle, if I ever get around to making them, to the translators.

[fasterdammit]

Great idea skins! You'll have to send the belt buckle to http://babelfish.altavista.com/ as they did most of the work, but I still want to buy one from you!

First translation, as it should be - in italiano. And you know, everything looks better in Italian. It even sounds better. This poem even looks prettier in Italian. (And I apologize for any screw-ups; my Italian isn't good enough to proof-read) ...



guidiamo la nostra strada per migliore o più difettoso.

abbiamo fede che la strada è aperta.
abbiamo fede che la strada sarà buona.
abbiamo fede che la nostra bici ci otterrà là se la effettuiamo correttamente.
abbiamo fede che la strada conduce... in qualche luogo.

guidiamo non sapere dove la strada conduce.

non otteniamo un programma.
non conosciamo che cosa si trova avanti.
necessariamente non conosciamo quale senso girare.
non capiamo sempre come abbiamo ottenuto dove siamo.

guidiamo con conoscenza guadagnata dalle miglia abbiamo viaggiato.

decidiamo quale strada sarebbe dopo la cosa migliore per noi.
decidiamo quando andare e quando arrestarsi.
decidiamo quando condurre e quando seguire.
decidiamo chi desideriamo per ripartire il giro con.

guidiamo con gli amici, due in su e da solo.

a volte tiriamo la valvola a farfalla e guidiamo la vita per tutto il relativo valore.
a volte otteniamo nella difficoltà per andare poco troppo lontano.
a volte comprimiamo la leva e rallentiamo per una rottura.
a volte li analizziamo in qualche luogo non desideriamo essere.

guidiamo attraverso le tempeste quando dobbiamo.

possiamo scegliere prepararsi per che cosa la strada rivela.
possiamo scegliere improvvisare il inconvienence.
possiamo scegliere ignorare o soffrire o accettare.
possiamo scegliere guidare una strada più facile.

guidiamo con noncuranza.

sappiamo che il giro accende in qualche modo.
sappiamo che dovremmo guidare sempre il la cosa migliore possiamo.
li conosciamo diversamente occasionalmente tutto il giro.
che li conosciamo tutto il giro essenzialmente lo stessi.

guidiamo a come scegliamo.

saliremo giù le strade serpentina del canyon dell'adrenalina.
soffriremo le stirate diritte attraverso le pianure.
godremo i giri esperti con amavamo ones.
resisteremo ai giri di distanza lunga da solo.

guidiamo a volte appena al giro.

guidiamo con le memorie di quelli che abbiamo abbiamo guidato con.
guidiamo senza conoscere che cosa le memorie attendono.
guidiamo sapere che un momento questa strada si concluderà.
guidiamo sapere che qualche giorno il giro si concluderà.

guidiamo.

[fasterdammit]

en español ... and again, my apologies for any goofs. Please feel free to correct me!


montamos nuestro camino para mejor o peor.

tenemos fe que el camino está abierto.
tenemos fe que el camino será bueno.
tenemos fe que nuestra bici nos consiga allí si la mantenemos correctamente.
tenemos fe que el camino conduzca... en alguna parte.

montamos no saber dónde el camino conduce.

no conseguimos un mapa.
no sabemos qué miente a continuación.
no sabemos necesariamente qué manera de dar vuelta.
no entendemos siempre cómo conseguimos donde estamos.

montamos con el conocimiento ganado de millas viajamos.

decidimos qué camino sería el mejor para nosotros después.
decidimos cuando ir y cuando parar.
decidimos cuando conducir y cuando seguir.
decidimos con quién deseamos para compartir el paseo.

montamos con los amigos, dos para arriba, y solamente.

tiramos de la válvula reguladora y montamos a veces la vida para todo su valor.
conseguimos a veces en el apuro para ir poco demasiado lejos.
exprimimos la palanca y retrasamos a veces para una rotura.
nos analizamos a veces en alguna parte no deseamos ser.

montamos a través de tormentas cuando tenemos que.

podemos elegir prepararnos para lo que revela el camino.
podemos elegir improvisar inconvienence.
podemos elegir no hacer caso o sufrir o aceptar.
podemos elegir montar un camino más fácil.

montamos cueste lo que cueste.

sabemos que se enciende de alguna manera el paseo.
sabemos que debemos montar siempre el mejor que podemos.
nos conocemos todo el paseo diverso ocasionalmente.
nos conocemos todo el paseo esencialmente iguales.

montamos a cómo elegimos.

nos elevaremos abajo de los caminos serpentina de la barranca de la adrenalina.
sufriremos estiramientos rectos a través de los llanos.
gozaremos de paseos familiares con amamos unos.
aguantaremos paseos interurbanos solamente.

montamos a veces apenas al paseo.

montamos con memorias de ésos que tenemos montamos con.
montamos sin saber lo que aguardan las memorias.
montamos saber que alguna vez este camino terminará.
montamos saber que algún día el paseo terminará.

montamos.

[Skins]

Well done, faster. Thanks. Even if the fish slipped up here and there, I'm sure the sentiments shine through and ring true good and strong, perhaps even more poignantly in imperfection.

[fasterdammit]

Well done, faster. Thanks. Even if the fish slipped up here and there, I'm sure the sentiments shine through and ring true good and strong, perhaps even more poignantly in imperfection.

Thanks skins; I had to apply a little creative license in both instances since "twisty" didn't translate at all. I thought "serpentine" to be similarly appropriate?

[Skins]

Yeah, very good - a word made for poetry. I've been thinking we should have the work in German and French also, Faster. Could you possibly organize that, as you know how to tickle the trout? And why not the Scandinavian languages - they seem particularly fond of Pasos up there, and their good taste deserves to be recognised. I don't think Dutch is necessary, because I think almost of them speak English well.

Can you tell us anything about Edward Walker? All I could find is what we have here. How did you find it?

[fasterdammit]

I can definitely work those other languages in, although I'll have to do it from home since I'm blocked from altavista here at work. (Dang firewall!) Good language suggestions, too.

As for the author, I wish I could tell you more ... that's the extent I know, and could find out about him - that website, with the poem and the picture. Not even an email address. Another Ducati owner pointed me in that direction, and I figured the 'Apex' was the most suitable place I knew of to share it ...

[Skins]

Thanks, faster. I did a bit more Googling, and found this: http://www.edwardwalker.com/main.html He's a Texan. Unfortunately I don't have time right now to check out everything on the site.