You can't always get what you want...

But like the man said...sometimes you get what you need.

I simply wasn't planning on buying a used 2009 Kymco Xciting 500.  I originally had my eye on a slightly used 2012 Burgie with a Givi Windshield and top box on it. Somehow the dealer let me walk out the door because he was an pimple in the lower and back side of the human body (OK maybe not but I didn't care for him). His loss.  

In fact, the link to the dealership that I was dealing with used to be on my website.  I had bought my original Burgman there as well, however after my incident with a bolt and a few other minor things my satisfaction with them was low.  Plus I thought they were trying to take advantage of me.  They are designed for a high turnover of bikes, and I am not the unknowing boob that I was over a year ago when I bought my first Burgman.  Don't treat me like I was.  I also spent most of my adult life in sales, you work with the customer to make a deal, you don't let your ego get in the way (considering we were only $500 away in price). I thought I had a legit and fair offer.  They would not work with me.  Oh well, their loss.  This is the end of my ranting and raving. 

Up the street from him was a Honda/Suzuki dealership.  I was looking at a 2008 Kymco Xciting 500 as well as a Piaggio MP3 500.  Frankly they were not my first, second or third choices and I really wasn't impressed with the Kymco at all.  There were several "traditional" bikes I was looking at too, but in the end I decided to stay on a scooter.  A Honda Silver Wing was also in the running but was sold late on Friday (after I was told it was still available).

I was not even looking at the possibility of buying a 2013 Burgman, I could not really afford it...but I let myself get talked into with some gentle arm twisting.  They were willing to work with me. In fact, I was told I had it with the exception of crossing the "T's" and dotting the "I's."   As the pictures show, I am not riding a new Burgman.  That deal fell through, much to my regret.  

Pic by West Coast Powersports

What I ended up with was a 09 Kymco.  Yep, the bike that really didn't excite me in the first place.  She's got slightly over 4,000 KM (or about 2400 miles) on her, is dark metallic silver and had a displacement of 498 cc.  So she's slightly more powerful than my previous 07 Burgman 400.  I was able to pay cash for her and walk away with a new helmet out of deal, that's about it.  It's not what I wanted and frankly I am not sure how long I'll keep her, but at this stage in my life...sometimes you get what you need.  Life is to complex for me not to have another ride. 

The mirrors are crappy and to short for me.

It's a little strange driving a new bike.  This one is a little heavier and a little more powerful than the bikes I've ridden before,  I need to go off into a parking lot somewhere and do some emergency stops and such...just to get used to the handling.  In about two weeks (Feb 16) I plan on taking a 100 plus mile ride up to Crystal Springs with the Suncoast Scooter group.  Another first for me.

Can you think of a better way to break in a new (well, new to me) bike?  To get used to her?  I just hope of capable of doing 100 to 200 miles in one day.  In any case it should be an exciting adventure and should serve as a good shake down for the bike. 

First impression:

1)  I rode it home from the dealership at night and on the freeway.  All told about 60 miles.  One of the reasons I decided to buy the scooter in the end was the "Malossi" stickers on the side.   Malossi makes parts for racing bikes, and it seemed strange to me that the previous owner would put Malossi stickers on the bike without actually putting in Malossi parts.  That meant the previous owner probably knew what they were doing and took good care of the bike.  I hope so anyway.  When I opened her up on the highway, the tachometer stayed low.  A good sign that I might be right. 

2)  I already need to replace the crappy stock mirrors.   Way to short.  

3)  The low beam light is fine, but the high beam bleeds to much off into the sides of the road.  I already have a solution (maybe) based on something I read in the Burgman Forums.  LED's might solve that issue.

Thanks to Daboo from the Burgman forums for the idea.

4)  The Kymco has no storage.  A top box is not a luxury.  It's a necessary. 

5)  This is weird. The speedometer is in Kilometers.  The miles per hour gauge is small and hard to read.  GPS might be in order here.

  

   

The simple life...

Sound familiar?

Over the last few days I've been thinking about several things. One of which is of course the bike, assuming that the insurance company totals the darn thing then I'm going to need a new ride.  For a variety of reasons I would rather stay with a scooter then have a "real motorcycle."  So far I have found three possible replacements.  One is a 2009 Suzuki Burgman 650 model that was converted into a trike.  Susan wants me to buy a trike eventually, so now may be the time.  I also found a similar Burgi to the one I currently own.  The other possibility is a 2008 Kymco Xciting 500.    Some may say I'm putting the cart before the horse but I want to make sure I understand what is out there before I buy.  I don't want to put myself into any debt than is needed.
I'm finding a few different motorcycles out there.  I have only limited funds that I can work with.  We are thinking of buying a small 2 bedroom/2 bath house as a rental property.  So I'm trying, with only limited success, to find a bike for under 4K

I seem to be back in the same place I was when I started this blog.

I miss riding, I've not been on a bike since the 21st and I'm looking at passing riders with envy.

So lets put riding aside for a moment and concentrate on anther project of mine.  I was reviewing my income from my independent delivery work that I do (it is tax season after all) and I expect to make about $12,000 working just an extra 3 days a week on average next year.  That is about a third of my regular job.  I am also playing with the idea of buying a rental property as well, which may bring in another 2-3K a year.  Slowly but surely I am becoming my own boss.

My girlfriend tends to a small garden in the back of our house where we have tomatoes, peppers and strawberries all in a small effort to have fresh food on the table.  Every winter we enjoyed oranges from two beautiful trees in our backyard.  We hope to be expanding our small potted garden with something like the following photo:

Thanks to Bill Arquitt at Urban Gardening

We are trying to save money, trying to take steps to break the endless cycle of consumerism and debt that plagues most Americans.  I don't have a credit card for example, if the financial crisis a few years taught us anything...is we don't need much.

No, I'm not an aging hippie.  I just sound like one.

Everything I am doing, from getting the scooter to the urban gardening to changing my diet is about simplification.  So why does looking for a new bike have to be so hard?  Ebay and Craigslist are helpful, but again the bikes are either a lot more powerful than I want, or are customized in such a way I don't like.  I wish you could hear the frustration in my voice.

So the search continues.   At least until I go on vacation in 2 weeks.

Looking back and looking forward. 1 year over and done.

I was going to let the one year anniversary of this blog pass unnoticed and quietly.  Then I thought I might project myself 10 years into the future where the Mayans were right...but how the end of the world was basically a bunch of Vegan Zombie's just wanting grains!  And how a time travel kit installed on the Burgie made it impossible to be fashionably late.

Thanks to Aerostich.com

Instead I've been taking stock of all that's happened in the past year to me.  How suddenly and completely expectantly I've become a "rounder", or someone that rides their bike the entire year.  How I intended to eventually replace my car with my motorcycle...I just never expected it to be so soon.

How I have to do a "big job" on the bike - the replacement of the CVT belt (which I finally ordered and have in hand), and how confident I feel that I can do that, thanks to the friendly people at Burgman USA and some video's on You Tube (Thanks Mitch!)

I would also be lying if I didn't admit that lately all I have been feeling better about riding.  Over the last three days I've been able to do some recreational riding.  Just seeing where the left hand turn goes where I normally make a right, or what lies behind that blind curve up ahead.  Commuting back and forth on my bike is good and all but frankly I want to do more with it than just run to the store or to work.  Getting out, even if just for an hour on unexplored roads with the sun beating down in a clear blue sky has done wonders for my soul.

You would not think so...but passing by a farm that was burning something brought back memories of my parents fireplace when I was a young boy.  The wood smoke so thick in the air that I'm tempted to brush it aside like a gauze curtain.  These memories are triggered by smell and is something I don't think I would have experienced in the car.  I had not thought about these things in decades...and then suddenly I'm that young 6 year old boy shivering and wrapped in a towel that want to go back into the water as I catch a whiff of chlorine from a nearby pool.

Or how good some random drops of rain feel on the skin as I ride through the hot air.

All this is part of riding.  There are some unexpected little discoveries as well.  Like an old tattered flag still flying proudly from someone's home which speaks volumes about this political season.  Or a spot I've dubbed the "worlds loneliest train depot"  which is a single chair sitting near a railway bridge which seems so out of place but somehow belongs there.   A strange house that looks like a anthill/beehive in the middle of nowhere which has to be some sort of artists abode.  I stopped to take photos of all these things only to find my batteries were dead...so a trip back is in order.  If I can find them again, some things might only exist in that moment.

All of this comes as a revelation to me.  This reconnecting to the world, what started out as a way to save some cash has turned into something more...something new.  Reminding me that not everything has to be about work and there is always a life outside my door.  Something wonderful.  That philosophic rambling is for another time

I sit here in my house, protected from the first outlaying rain bands of Hurricane Issac that promise a couple days off the bike I count my blessings, drink my hot tea and smile.   Soon, I'll be back on the road soon and seeking new adventures.  Remembering to always check the batteries in the camera and keep my eyes and ears and heart open to possibilities 

Improvements.....Some I wanted to make, and others forced upon me.

One of the wonderful things about nature is it's ability to evolve.  Life is anything but static, it's a jumbled mess of parts each somehow fitting together to make a whole.   It's a 1001 piece jigsaw puzzle where your trying to match the picture on the box but your not quite sure if all the pieces are there or even if it's the right box.

So we try...and we try....but we can't get no satisfaction.   OK, let's put the Devo away for a moment.  Truth be told I am rather happy in my life.  However that happiness may be short lived.   It's time to do maintenance on and make some general improvements to the bike.  Some of this needed done and I simply could not put it off any longer, other things I have been wanting to do but it was always low priority.  Now that the bike is my main means of transport...I did some things.

First I ordered a beaded seat from Cycle Crafts.  I have a 35 mile one way commute most days and that generally does not bother me...then some days I can't seem to find a comfortable location to park my skinny a** and that bother's me.   I'm hoping that getting some air flow in those affected areas will help with my comfort.  If not then I am only out $30 which is not really that bad.  I expect to have that in within the next day or two.  Frankly I'm not to sure about the hooks and can't help but wonder if the seat will slide on me.  I guess we will see.

Somehow something happened to one of my grips, I noticed that it was starting to slip off the bike a few days ago and that the handlebar weight holding it on was coming loose.   I tried to tighten it with a screwdriver and found that didn't work  So I put off fixing it, put off fixing it, put off fixing and then.....
I drove home last night and noticed this in the morning.  Yep, completely gone. I'm not sure where, or even if, I could get a replacement but can't imagine it being that difficult (famous last words I'm sure).  This however does give me an excuse to replace the grips.  **update - I found the handlebar weights at a local cycle shop for under $12.  They went on easy and are nice and tight now.  

I've been wanting to get some Grip Puppies for a while but haven't really bothered.  Now it seems I might be in the market for some new grips as well.  I might just get some grip glue from the good people over at Scooter West.  Speaking of Scoot West I finally got me a CVT belt.  I paid about $40 less through them than the best cost elsewhere although I still have no way to put it on my bike.   At 20K + the belt has got to be wearing thin.  I'm hoping to find a mentor to help with this project.

I may also have to redo the brakes soon as well.

Here's hoping that someone in the area is willing to help me out.  I would be glad to buy them a beer, lunch, or even a lobster dinner to assist me.  It's not that I lack the knowledge, I've watched the video's and read the instructions and feel pretty grounded in the basics of bike repair.  I just lack the tools and experience; nor am I mechanically inclined despite the fact I've a background in engineering.  Moving forward however if the bike is going to be my main ride then I need to know at least the basics.  I need to understand what is happening if I hear BANG!   CLANK!

Considering how I ride some very empty roads in the middle of the night...this is a survival strategy. 

Wants and Needs

Turn on tears in 3...2...1

I've been thinking about Wants and Needs lately.  For example, I knew that eventually we were going to have to get a new car.  My old Elantra was getting to the point where it would start nickle and dime-ing me to death.  My girlfriend's Jeep, while still in good shape, had some issues.  Nothing that was major and we could have used her Jeep for the foreseeable future without problem.  The only drawback was her MPG was low, at only 15 - 18 miles per gallon, and with gas being what it is having that as our only car would have been costly.  Due to the delivery routes that I run for some extra scratch.  Well that and the Jeep went through tires like crazy.

Still though, we did not NEED a new car.  That's not buyers remorse.   So far I'm very happy with the Great Pumpkin.  However being a one car family puts me into an interesting position of trying to determine what I actually need and want to take on my daily commute.  For example, I need to take a change of clothes with me now in case of rain, and the weather in Florida is even more unpredictable lately than it normally is.  The storage in the Burgie is wonderful, but now I have extra clothes, my helmet, my jacket, a towel, rain gear and other things to worry about.  Well I did buy some good rain gear, their have been times it has failed me.

A example cover

After I arrive at work I can park under a overhang which protects the bike from the weather but I've still considered getting some sort of motorcycle cover for it, after all it's still exposed to the elements even under my car port.

But then again, where would I put that?  Which brings up the idea of a top case.  Advantage, more space to put crap...and if I got one that hooked into the electrical system a little more light during the hours I ride home from work.  Disadvantage:  Do I really need more crap?  I'm trying to simplify my life!  I don't really need that at this stage of my life, but I could see myself wanting one in the near future.  I want to replace the sliders.  I want a new Givi Windshield for the bike as well.  But again, wants vs. needs.  

What I am going to need is a new belt for the CVT soon.  My belt has roughly 20K on it and to the best of my knowledge is the original belt.  Suzuki suggests you change the belt at 12 - 15K.  The good folks over at the Burgman forums suggest 20K is more reasonable.  My front tire seems a little funky as well, so I will be replacing that soon as well.  Now...where do I find the money for all this!

For the want of a bolt

A few days ago I took the bike to have the rear wheel replaced.  Some young guys did it and I have had maintenance done by this shop before.  What could go wrong?
Answer:  Something simple, something that could have been overlooked but should not of been.  When riding a motorcycle of any sort a simple mistake can quickly become a disaster.

To make matters worse, when I was riding away from the shop something just didn't fee right.  I gripped the left hand brake lever to give it a squeeze and it just felt off, if felt "soft".  I shook my head, thinking it was just the new tire, a figment of my imagination.  On the way home the ride was beautiful, wonderful, joyful.  The new tire seemed to be working wonders on the twisty roads I followed home, so I put the brake issue behind me.  Thinking it was just me breaking in a new tire.

Then another day goes by, it feels right as I commute on the mostly straight roads home.  Then today I worked early meaning I would have to ride in rush hour traffic.  I didn't bother with the T-clock inspection.  I wish I had.  I may have caught the problem, or it may have been overlooked.  I don't know.   I knew I had good oil and tire pressure.  My light worked, my kickstand was solid.
So I left, feeling good and entered traffic for my thirty plus mile ride to work.  When I had gone about twenty miles I reached for the brake...it was not there.  Nothing.   I had no rear brake at all.

I was within ten miles of work, I could make it with just the front brake.  I rode on running through possible problems in my head.  Did I have enough brake fluid?  Did something happen that caused the brake fluid to leak or bleed?  Were the brake pads that worn?
With five miles I heard the sound of metal rubbing on metal when I applied the rear break for a test.  I made it to work, looked and then looked again.  A bolt was missing on the rear brake caliper.  This in turn lowered the caliper OFF the rotor.  By pushing the brake the piston pushes the brake pads out and since the rotor was not stopping the pad, it pushed the piston all the way out.  Since the pads did not push back the handle did not have pressure.  Since the caliper if off the rotor, it was rubbing on the rotor making the grinding noise I heard.

In other words...for want of a bolt I could have really fucked up my bike and myself.

Sometimes it's better to be lucky than good.

What happened next was a series of phone call, to the shop that did the original work.  They told me they couldn't send anyone out to pick it up or even fix it for me as it sat in the parking lot of work.  It was my only ride home at the time, and I was not going to risk riding home without 1/2 of my brakes...plus I feared what would happen if something came loose and got caught up in the back wheel.  A high side fall would not be good.
Towing was covered by my insurance company so I had the bike flat-bedded to the shop.  At this time I don't even know if the shop has a bot to fix the problem although I think they do.

Funny thing is that even though I feel it's the shop's fault, they should have caught something so simple...they should have done the job right the first time.  I'm madder at myself.  I learned a few things.  One thing is that I'm confident enough in my ability as a rider to handle what could have been a very bad situation and that confidence is not always a good thing.  I also learned that T-CLOCK is there for a reason and needs to be done every time.  No exceptions.

Putting the scooter to work - Part two

So I finally put the bike to work.  On day a week I have a 40 mile route where I deliver two rather small publications.  I've considered using the Bergie for this before, but finally got the chance this week.  I was curious to know if could be done, after all motorbikes of all sorts are used around the world to deliver food, papers and other other goods.  Why could I not use my bike to do the same?

Going in I had some questions, would I be able to carry all my papers?  How about the returns?  Even though I would be able to toss out the old papers in various trashcans along the way, would they fill up my trunk before to long?

As I loaded up my bike, two older ladies looked over and into my bike's "trunk"..."You have more storage than my car does" said one of them.  I took that as a good sign.  As it happened I was able to fill up the bike's storage compartment with all but one bundle of papers.  Considering how my route would bring me past the pick-up site about a third of the way through this was not a major issue, by then I should have room for the last bundle of papers.  Still though this was an inconvenience which is avoided in the car.   If I had a top case I could have taken everything (hint hint).

A sad and blurry picture of a loaded Burgman

I was interested in comparing a few things between the car and the bike.  The bike would win hands down when it came to gas mileage compared to my car, but what would be my gas mileage while doing the route?  The Burgie has an electronic monitor that gives me an idea of my fuel economy; I filled up the tank before starting and reset the odometers.

In the end the Burgman averaged 44 miles per gallon, My route is 40 miles long, so for a gallon of gas I did the whole route.  Considering how I normally get anywhere from the mid 50's to the low 60's in gas mileage, I can't help but be surprised that the start and go nature of the route lowered the mileage that drastically.

Efficiency was another thing I looked at.  Would it be easier or harder to use the bike for the route?  Would I spend more time getting the papers from the car, or from the bike.

This was actually a lot closer than you might think.  I was able to pull up to the front doors of a few stores, parking just feet away from the entrance.  Once I actually drove onto the sidewalk to deliver to a street box...areas I would never be able to put my car.   Problem was I had to remove my helmet going into a few of the convenience stores I deliver to due to their security concerns (wearing a full face helmet prevents the security camera's from getting a clear picture of me...which I didn't consider till I was asked to remove my helmet in one of the stores).  Although it is legal to ride without a helmet in Florida, I always wear my helmet.  My gloves also proved to be more of a hindrance than a help.  After a few stops they ended up in the glove compartment.  This dressing and undressing took time.

With the car I don't have the maneuverability.  Sometimes I do have to park way in the back of the parking lot but I'm didn't have to go back for additional papers.  I had additional room for the returns and could separate them as well.  Not having to remove my helmet and gloves all the time is a definite advantage.

I give the edge to the bike but just barely.

Comfort was another factor.  My car wins hands down in this category.  The temperature peaked at 85 degrees - which even native Floridians consider hot for February - and although I was comfortable while moving, the second I stopped and entered a building it got hot.  My jacket weighing heavily on my shoulders.  The air conditioning in the car is a wonderful thing.  Plus I've gotten in the habit of getting a coffee and a couple doughnuts about halfway through that then travel with me.  I could not do that on the bike without stopping, and since I normally have to work later in the day; stopping is not always an option.

The jury is still out to see if this becomes a habit.  i will be taking the bike out again next week on this same route to see if can be done faster and better.  

Feeling homesick this time of year. Riding in the fall.

I always have mixed feelings with the arrival of fall.  Living previously in Western Pennsylvania I was blessed with remarkable colors, cooler nights, football (both the European game and my beloved Steelers), sharp apple cider - either spiked or not, warmed or not.  Egg Nog - again spiked or not and either served with or without chocolate favored whipped toppings.

It was also depressing as the nights grew longer and the days hinted of winter just around the corner.  Where I have always enjoyed working in my yard, raking leaves is a never ending task...perhaps better suited to the horrors of Hades.  I've often wondered if Sisyphus was given the choice of pushing the rock up the hill or raking leaves.  I'm sure he chose the rock.  I will not mention the four letter word starting with an "S" that always replaces the raking of leaves with another back breaking labor.

Now that I live in Central Florida there is a much subtler autumn.  Marked by the migratory arrival of the grey and blue tufted snowbirds, the drop in the Gulf's water temperature from "warm bathwater" to "bathwater" and the cooler days and nights designed for riding.  Although the other day when I rode to work the ambient temperature gauge on my Bergie said "93".   That is "Freaking Hot" for the understanding of my international readers.  When I left work at midnight the temperature was a much more manageable 73 degrees.

When I ride home at night, I normally just throw a sweat shirt on under my bright yellow riding jacket and that is the extent of my winter gear.  I certainly cannot imagine such things as heated pants and gloves and other equipment that many of my northern friends either have or are considering to extend their riding season.  Some I am sure have already started to put their bikes away.

I can picture what it must be like right now in my home state of Pennsylvania, the leaves blazing with color.  Riding at a leisurely pace along the back roads just living in the moment, pulling over in some small road side cafe', where the locals bring their own coffee mugs that hang proudly displayed behind the freshly made pumpkin pie.  I can just imagine what it would be like to put my 400cc Burgie into the twists and turns of my home.

It's not that adventures and twisties can't be found here in Florida.  A simple trip to get gas lead to my going out of my way some 60 odd miles just to ride on a clear and sunny morning, where I passed someone on a 1980's era Honda Elite that looked ecstatic to see another scooter rider.  It's these moments I am starting to realize, is why people ride.   I also begin to feel that the scooter is well suited for me at this stage in my life...where I am more interested in enjoying the journey than rushing from point A to point B.

If this is what growing older is...I can live with it.

**Grumbles** - the first ride put off a day

So I drive all the way down to the dealership, check in hand but they have a problem with their computers.  So no bike today.   Tomorrow for sure.

Here are some pics taken directly from their website of my new ride.

More to follow soon.  :)