Rainy Days

Here she is. I've cleaned her up (approximately 58% done with this intensive job) and replaced the rear wheel. Front wheel is inflated to correct pressure. It's a good idea to check your air pressure often. The front was down to 15lbs psi. Dangerous.

I took her out on the open road today. More about that in a moment. First, the BMRC.

The class last night was all lecture, with a test at the end basically checking to see if you were paying attention. From anagrams like FINE-C to T-CLOCS, (FINE-C standing for the pre-ignition checklist. Fuel, ignition, neutral, engine - clutch and T-CLOCS Tires and rims, controls, Lights (basically the electrical system) Oil and fluids, chassis, and finally stand as in side stand) it was a very informative class. The practice course is what we were all nervous about.


It rained most of the day and of course, class was still held. It basically drizzled the entire time, soaking me in my jacket before I remembered my rain gear I had brought with me. Donning it, I stayed fairly dry after that. We started out with basics like walking the bike back and forth the lot (shown above), then riding it for short distances, then on to the actual course stuff. There were a variety of drills for us to perform and I was doing great until my bike started wobbling horribly. I tried to figure out what I was doing wrong, and finally figured out my front tire was flat. The bike was quickly switched out for another, and I continued.

There was a poor girl who dumped her bike at least 5 times, once being trapped underneath and not being able to extricate herself. The rider coaches were very helpful and friendly, but I could tell they were becoming a little perturbed at this repeat offense. On the first day, no big deal. If you dump it on the second, they count it against you.

Here's to hoping tomorrow goes well. :)

The ride took me about 120 miles to Caledonia, a small ville west of here. It was my first time on the open road, and I loved it. I kept my speed under control, though with traffic passing me on the left continuously, I started to wonder if my speedometer wasn't off a bit. For the most part, people were pretty civil, keeping their distance and giving me a wide berth. I even passed a couple of slow moving semi trucks.

The biggest shock to me was the wind shear. I was amazed that my clothes and helmet, if not firmly attached, would have been sucked off me. As it was I had to pull over at a rest stop and tighten my helmet and close up my sleeves on my jacket. I'm sure that jacket was causing a huge drag what with my puffy sleeves and all. I was buffeted all about, but managed to keep my balance and control of the bike with ease.

The bike's performance was decent, considering it's age. At 21 years old, it kept up the pace without a problem. The heat gauge never got past the middle line and stayed on the cool side, thanks to the front facing radiator. Acceleration was excellent, and the brakes were spot on.

One of the things I like about owning a motorcycle is the camaraderie it induces among other riders. I waved or was waved at every time I passed another cyclist. There's something to the Brotherhood of the Bike. It makes me feel as if I belong to something.

One thing I didn't enjoy was the foot pegs. They seemed placed in such a way as to cause cramping in my knee's. Whether that is my fault or the fault of the bike, I don't know. I'll have to figure something out for really long trips.

I was able to start out on a hill, and it wasn't as tough as I thought it was going to be. I may have over-revved the bike even, in my worry about getting up and over the hill.

A great day, overall. My next big road trip is going to be to Lake Michigan.

Wednesday, Bill is coming over to help me out with the bike. Tune up time.