And now we wait....and wait.....and wait

I woke up this morning with a thought..."Wouldn't be great to ride into work today?"  The chance for rain was low and it looked like it was not going to be as humid as it had been.  A wonderful day to get out some.

Oh yea.

Burial shroud

My mechanic is still waiting on a gasket that apparently is being delivered by row boat from somewhere in the deepest depths of North Korea.  From a port in Austria it will then be shipped America by oxen and then to me via camel driven UPS truck.

Meanwhile Kimmie sits and waits.  Even when this part gets here there is still a electrical gremlin that needs to be found and squashed under a boot.  Yes, I've asked why they can't use a regular gasket or a part from a similar bike.

I decided that I wanted to put off getting a new bike.  I like the idea, I love the idea but frankly I just don't feel comfortable taking on another debt at this time.  Even though the math tells me I can.  I've been in dire straights in my life, and I've no desire to allow that to happen again.  Plus a lifetime of working in insurance, banking and taxes has taught me a few things - although how a guy with a Education degree and a background in Engineering ended up in the financial field is a long story.  I suppose I'm just good at math.  Funny thing is that I did not really do well at math until college.

I did go over to my local Honda dealer.  I sat on the CTX and it did impress me, but after being on scooters so long I could not help but wonder about how I would adjust to it.  I'm sure it would not take long.  I looked for a salesperson to ask some questions....no one was about.  In fact, I seemed to be alone in the store.

Probably for the best, I may have rode a bike home and would have had to go back for the car later.

So I wait.  I'm not done with Kimmie, despite her problems this is the first bike that I truly felt comfortable on.  My old Zuma was always just a starter bike.  My Burgman, while comfortable and wonderful, just did not seem to have a personality or "soul.".  Kimmie...while she's Kimmie.  A long time ago I said if I could personify her she look like this:

Sure she's got her dents, her scratches and scars.  But she's mine.  She's sexy to me, and I'll be completely honest, there are times I've patted her on the top box just in passing.

Or thanked her for getting me home on a really bad traffic day, or in the rain, or when I know she needs fuel and I just want to push her that extra mile.  I know she has taken better care of me than I have at her at times.

I'm in love.

You don't give up on that.

So I wait.

It sounds silly, it makes no sense.  After all she is just a machine, a collection of parts and pieces that somehow manage to get me from point A to B consistently with a lot of C, D and E between.  It's those in between points where I fell in love.

I'm not sure I would have that feeling with a new bike.  Of course, Kimmie was not my first choice either but that was another time, another place and I was coming out of some darkness.  In the following two years we invested a lot of money into her, it's been worth it.  Changing bikes now just doesn't seem right.

So I wait.

Not an April fool

This photo appeared on my Facebook account two days ago.  Which made me wonder about my timeline.  According to our overlord Zuckerman, that photo appeared four years ago.  I would have sworn that I've been on a bike for longer than that.

No matter though.  "Time" someone once told me "is relative" and it's the experiences that matter the most.  That little yellow Zuma 125 will always hold a special place in my heart, it was my introduction to scootering and bikes in general.  I've sometimes considered getting another one just to kick about on, but the budget won't allow for it.

Somewhere between that early photo and now I've grown as a biker.  I've so much further to grow.  It occurs to me that I've still not traveled more than 150 miles in one day.  That I don't do 150 mile days often. 

That I've not traveled to the other coast or out of state yet.  That what may have started as a midlife crisis (I was looking at my 45th birthday at the time) has grown into something more.  

Commuting to and from work is still an adventure at times.  I am hoping to do more, see more...and I will.  Just give it time.

For now...I'll wait, plan, work and learn.  Grand adventures await.

Fear

I've been giving a lot of thought lately to fear.

Fear of riding, fear of falling, fear of failing, fear of starting something new, of losing someone and some things.  Fear matters.  It motivates and it stops us. Our fight or flight reactions sometimes guide us or fail us.  We conquer it and wonder what scared us so.  We pay to be fearful every October.  Fear excites us, it scares the living hell out of us.

When I commute I sometimes take a different route and on that road is a rather easy "S" bend that quickly turns into a hard left.  It's a busy one lane road and the turn requires you to slow down drastically, going from about 40 MPH (64.4 KPH)  to 10 MPH (16 KPH) in seconds.  It's a good lean and when down right you feel the G force and stay in the lane.  When it's not done right you are put instantly into a three lane road just like a slingshot.

For a long time I would not take that road.  That turn scared the hell out of me.

Then one day I did.  Then another day.  Then the day after that.  I overcame that fear.  That being said I still give that turn a lot of respect.    I still slow down drastically, I still fear it but it's now more of a healthy respect.

Selfie

Over the last week or so I've been in class.  So my riding this past week has been drastically reduced.

This class is something new for me, I've not been in a University environment in over 20 years.  I have to learn a lot.  Like the teacher said, "You have a week to learn what normally takes a quarter to teach."  I'm fearful that I won't pass it.  That I won't be given the job promised me if I fail.  Its a lot of pressure but the payoff could be worth my weight in gold (and I'm pretty fat).

Assuming all works like I hope, I'll have to ride a little further each day but will be working daylight.  The pay would be at least 3K more a year than I make now.  It has the potential to be more, and I would be management for a change.  Good changes...but tinged with fear.  I would also have to ride the highway during rush hour...which is fearful in the relative safety of my car.

In my class I met a younger man who just bought his first motorcycle, a Suzuki S40 and I'll admit I was looking at one too some time ago.  He had taken the safety course and bought the bike used.  In the last 6 months he managed to put a little over 1,500 miles (2414 km) on it.  He stated he was fearful of it.  That he would not ride on roads that had cars or people on them.  I thought about when I first started and how, particularly at night, I would let the cars pass me on my little Zuma 125.

He told me a story about the Howard Franklin Bridge that he swore he never ride again.  I know the feeling all to well.  But we do these things and overcome our fears.

Sadly, this was fatal for the biker.

I'm not sure what drove us to motorcycling and all I know is that I don't have the love for it I once did.  I'm fearful of that.  I don't want my bike to be a garage queen and I don't want my miles to only number in the low thousands at the end of the year.  I'm fearful that he will never really develop a taste for it and just be another lost soul.

He asked me what it was like when I went down.  All I could do was stress training, riding and ATGATT.  What else could I do?  What else could I do to curtail that fear?

Then I told him something a wise rider once told me.  "Going down ain't the problem, it's what you do once you get up that matters.  Don't let that fear get to ya."

We don't have to be fearful.  We just do what we need to do.

18 months and exploring Plant City

I received an email the other night from the dealership I bought Kimmie off of, according to the email I owned her for 18 months now.  I actually had to go back and do the math, using all my fingers and part of my toes during the process.

In some ways it feels longer than that.  In other ways, shorter.  I started this blog on August 22,2011.  I recently upgraded from a little Yamaha Zuma 125 to a Suzuki Burgman 400.  I made my first post about Kimmie way back on February 2, 2013.

In just under four years I've managed to go down twice, hurting myself pretty badly on the second one.  Travel countless miles, see lots of things that I would have never of seen otherwise, met new and interesting people.  I even got to take a brief cruise to the Bahama's and ride in a foreign country.  All of this opportunity may have been open to me in a car...but you actually need to go.

On the bike...I didn't want to stop for the longest time.  Then it took me a long time to get back on the beast, to put away demons and just fall in love all over again with the idea of riding.

So with that in mind I decided to take a Saturday morning and ride up to Plant City.  This little burg is sort of a Tardis...it's bigger on the inside.  It has a reputation of being a bit backward and agricultural, despite being in the same county as Tampa.  Frankly, it is.  The area surrounding the town is largely flat and the roads straight.  Farmland stretches for miles.

It's been called the Strawberry Capital of the World, a distinction shared by many cities, for a reason and is home to the Florida Strawberry Festival.  The town even has a dedicated fairground just for that event.  The strawberry's are wonderful and the festival is a lot of fun, although it involves mostly country musical acts and traditional country crafts like quilting displays.

The downtown area is like any small city in America, the population is over 34 thousand after all.  What interests me about a place is the odd, the unusual...what gives the place its soul?

To be honest other than strawberries, I'm not sure what gives this town it's soul.  It has a few beautiful homes in the historic district, a train depot and museum and....what?  .

Certainly not Dinosaur World!  I suppose if I was 5 or 6 years old this would be a neat place to be with life size statues of long dead fantastic creatures.    It sits just off the I-4 highway and you can't miss it's big mascot sitting at the gates.


There is also a small winery in town which doubles as a craft brewery.  I've not had the beer but I've tried the wine before.  Frankly I was not impressed but was willing to give them the benefit of the doubt, and I've always been a hard cider fan as well.  I stopped at their tasting room, only to find it closed.  Considering I was riding on the bike, it was probably for the best.  Perhaps when I'm up this way next.

I just might pass that Franchise opportunity to a friend of mine that sells Chocolates.

All told, it was a good day out, a nice satisfying 75 miles (120.7 KM) where I was not rushing to work or had a particular destination in mind.  I'll take it.

There's a ghost in the glass!

Balance and counter balance

In a little under two weeks I will be on a cruise to the Bahama's.  My third cruise overall.  I'm going for one reason and one reason only...to scoot.  Due to the relative low price of the trip my "mother-in-law" and Susan's lovely daughter will be traveling along.

I am very much in need of this week's vacation.  Work has been hectic with lots of mandatory overtime, on top of the usual hectic work I do on the side.  Lately however I've been thinking of passing that work onto others, I'm at that point where I would like to concentrate on other things.  Plus I recently applied for a new position in my company where I would work days and no weekends even though it would extend my commute by only 15 miles.  The problem is that part of it is on the highway and since it's daylight, I would be dealing with rush hour traffic.  But lets get the job first before even thinking about that mess!

Stephanie, my long time girlfriend's daughter, wants to go riding with me while we are in the Bahama's on her own scooter.  This is her first time on a scooter.  I'm not really worried about her to much, because she knows how to drive 4 wheeler's and has been riding bicycles for years.  It's getting over that initial fear of doing something new.  She wants to learn to ride, and guess whose shoulders it falls on to teach her "just the basics."  If she enjoys it and does not kill herself I can see a bike in her future.  She's a tomboy and the adventuresome sort.  A dual sport would be perfect for her.  I think her mother would agree with me however, she will go to a certified Motorcycle training course before getting her bike.  Plus the scooters on the islands are "relatively small" meaning they are in the 100 to 125 cc range.  Enough power to get you where you need to go but not enough to be overpowering.

I am trying to think back to when I first got on my little Yamaha Zuma 125.  I had not taken the MSF class yet and must have rode for 100 miles in parking lots before taking it out into traffic.  I simply got used to the bike below me.  How it turned, braked, felt under me.  The first time I turned into traffic I hit a loose patch of gravel and down I went.  I cursed, picked up the bike and got it off the street asap.  I wasn't hurt but my pride certainly was.  It also taught me important lessons.  One of which become my mantra..."Cocky will get you killed."  I don't like the idea of throwing her on a bike like this.

Because of her inexperience we will take it slow, sticking to the beach areas and away from the twisties.  I would love to get into the interior of the islands to see the "real Bahama's", try some island food and maybe find some Cashew Wine again!  I want to get out of the tourist areas.  We will go as far as she feels comfortable going.

Personally I'm looking forward to this trip, I need a vacation.  I need to meet some people in the scooting community, I need to make some friends.  I need balance.

The Brotherhood of Two Wheels - Scooters and the biker's wave

I have a question for you as a scooter rider. Here in Ottawa I wave to anybody on two wheels but scooter riders never seem to wave back. What's up with that?

David Drouin, who maintains the excellent Motorcycle Addiction blog sent me an email concerning the so called "biker's wave."  It's one of those questions that pop up now and again on the various forums I frequent.  Scooters in most states require the same licensing, the same training as motorcycles.  Today many of the maxi-scoots are certainly as powerful as many motorcycles.  That line continues to blur as motorcycles are redesigned with automatic transmissions and internal storage.  So why don't we scooterists wave?

from http://ridingamericana.wordpress.com/

I generally wave at passing bikes, either the traditional motorcycle or a scooter.  Hell, I even wave at bicyclists...they are part of the brotherhood (and sisterhood) too.  Generally speaking I get a wave back - although there are those snobs that will only wave at a particular type of bike, or worse - a particular model.  Actually I have noticed that I tend to get a "one finger" wave as I pass certain types of bikes whose brand name I will not mention here.  David's question did get me thinking however, so I'm introducing a new series which I'm calling "The Brotherhood of Two Wheels."  Anything dealing with the perceived divided between the scootering and motorcycling community, anything that deals with helping out our fellow riders will fall into this category.

I really don't worry about if I don't get a nod or wave in return.  Frankly you never know what is going on in the other bikers world.  He could be concentrating on shifting, turning, safety, etc.  What really annoys me however is two things I've come across again and again.  The first is a arrogance, either real or perceived by those in the motorcycling community that scooter riders are not real "bikers."  Therefore we are not worthy of a wave.

For example, when I lived in Tampa proper there was a big motorcycle garage.  This was at the beginning of the scooter boom and they had a big sign hanging out front,  "WE DO NOT SERVICE SCOOTERS - DON'T EVEN BOTHER ASKING" 

It's been a few years since and to the best of my knowledge they still don't service scooters, which seems to be cutting off the nose to spite the face, after all scooters are the fastest growing segment of the motorcycling world.  Some forums, like advrider.com (which I am a member of) have a section dedicated to scooters, but with the caption "If your secure in your manhood."  I know, it's meant to be funny.  It's not and again, shows a perceived bias against those of  us that ride "scooters."   That somehow we are not "real men."

I've been asked questions about my scooter.  "Is it street legal?"  "Can you ride on the highway with it?"  These questions often come from the non-riding public.  But I've been asked those same questions by "bikers" as well.

The second issue is the nature of scooters themselves.  I ride a maxi-scooter - generally defined as anything above 250cc.  Well I'm not a rarity; it's much more common to come across a smaller, slower scooter often in the urban environment putting along between 30 to 50 mph (48 - 80 kph).  Even as a scooterist myself, I've railed against these smaller cc machines.  For me it's an issue of safety.  If your top speed is only 45 mph your limited to what roads you can ride safely.

When I first started riding I had a Zuma 125.  My top speed was 55 mph (89 kph) and although I felt safe on the city streets, I was always looking about to make sure I was not going to get hit by some moron behind me.  Any two wheeled vehicle is invisible to most cagers.

 

Scooters are smaller due to their very nature.  So did I wave as often as I do now?  No, I did not.  Putting aside the safety issue however, we scooterists seem to have a bit of an inferiority complex.  I will admit to lying about what I ride at times because of perceived bias on someone's part.  I felt the sting of others scorn because I don't ride a "real bike."  Even my beloved girlfriend wants me to buy a "real bike" sometime in the future.   

Is it because we are underpowered for the most part?  Is it because popular culture recognizes the motorcycle and celebrates the "outlaw lifestyle" it represents?  How many shows and movies involved motorcycles?   Can you name one movie other than Quadrophenia that has scooters in it?  Even the quintessential American Graffiti  has a kid riding a scooter, who promptly crashes it in the opening credits.  At the end of the movie he is given a car.  Given these images it is any wonder why scooterists have an inferiority complex.

We have very little in the culture that celebrates the scooter.  American culture is about speed and power and going long distances.  Sure a scooter is going to go further, some of them are capable of nearly 100 miles on a gallon of gas...but to do so we have to give up speed and power.   Most Americans are not willing to do that.  So the scooter is "inferior."  Those of us that ride them are "inferior."

Finally, and sadly, I think most scooterists don't give the wave for one simple reason.  We don't know any better.  We don't get the wave, so we don't give the wave.  Give the wave.  Give a smile.

I'm going to continue to ride Kimmie in all types of weather and on all types of roads.  I will continue to wave at scooterists and motorcyclists.  Hell, I'm even waving at bicycles.  If I see an issue I'll pull over to offer what little help I can.  I'm a scooterist, I'm a biker, I'm a proud member of the brotherhood of two wheels.

Does the "Gearing Up Saga" ever end?

A few days ago at work a buddy of mine asked me how hot I was wearing my jacket every day.  I explained to him that I just bought myself a new mesh jacket that allowed for better airflow, and that lead to a little discussion about safety in general.  How wearing a jacket or a helmet just becomes habit, much like putting on a seatbelt.

At this time if you are still reading then good for you!  Hopefully this is NOT going to be a "boring safety post."

Well  maybe a little bit of safety.  I am going to review my new mesh jacket and talk a little bit about my future plans for Kimmie.  All of which, strangely, seem to revolve around safety issues.  I've already done more "farkles" on Kimmie than I ever did on the Burgie.  I'm counting the new seat as a farkle even though it was not planned that way.

  Ten years ago if you would have told me I would have fallen in love with Motorcycling (actually I'm a Scooterist) I would have thought you were nuts.  Five years ago I was giving it some thought, for the same reasons I started riding.  To reduce my costs and make my life simpler.  To a great extent it has.  Sometimes I pull next to a bus or some other reflective surface and I find myself wondering who is that guy in the dark helmet, the new grey and black jacket wearing the heavy boots is.   I've come a long way from the guy in the half-helmet wearing a bright yellow spring jacket with no armor at all.  No gloves, no boots.  Riding my little Zuma 125 down twisty roads in the middle of the night.  So paranoid of being hit from behind I would pull off the road at night to let cars pass me.

Today, on a bigger machine, I wear proper gear most of the time.  I will admit that I've gone to work on hotter days sans jacket (one of the reasons I bought the mesh jacket).  Or I've had a meeting sometime in the day where I've slipped on my dress shoes instead of my boots.

Now that Sue is starting to ride with me, we have been looking at jackets and a new and better helmet for her than the old half helmet she wears now. I only bought my new jacket at her insistence (Yes I'm that cheap!).  It's funny how suddenly having a passenger changes things.  Suddenly the lighted license plate I toyed with buying takes on more urgency.  Installing a air horn becomes less of an issue and moves up the "to do" list.

Well I certainly find the light modulation kits annoying when I ride, I can understand why others have them.  I'm not sure if I'm willing to annoy other drivers yet by buying one.  I am not so worried about the personalization of Kimmie as I am about making myself and my riding partner safer.

It's funny how that works.  How something originally intended to get me from point A to point B cheaply became something more.  How it inspired this silly little blog.  How it's taken me further and now I want to share that...that feeling of joy I have when I just go anywhere.

See I told you there wouldn't be to much safety talk in this post.

Baby Steps - in response to another blog

When I first decided to ride I knew there would be some issues.  Some costs and some things to overcome. I sometimes wonder if my getting a motorcycle was purely due to economic reasons, or was it something called a "mid life crisis."  Rather a bike than a blond I suppose.

I've piled up the miles on my bike running back and forth to my job, the sometimes odd errand and occasional ride over the hill just to see what's there.  I would not say that I've become a motorcycle enthusiast but I understand why people are attracted to this sport.

For me, it's nice to not have the distractions of a modern day car, GPS blaring turn here or there.  Radio blasting some forgotten song or useless top 40 bubblegum crap.  It's me, the road and my brain and body engaged in a simple dance.  Pay attention to that turn, is that a deer?  What is that moron doing?

That fact that I am thinking about dropping $1000 dollars into a machine who's Kelly Blue Book value is about $2500, just so I can get a few more years riding out of it speaks to my commitment I think.  I am in love with my machine.

Another blogger, Doug over at Forty Years on Two Wheels, recently wrote a wonderful piece about the death of smaller cc motorcycles.   I know for me, I started off on a small Yamaha Zuma 125 before moving up to the current 400cc Burgman.

His argument, and I fully agree with it, is that one of the reasons there are so few new riders is that the market is full of bigger bikes.  Part of this I think is the American mentality of bigger is better.  Part of it, I think is that a lot of people think your going to be bored with a smaller engine and will want more speed, more power in six months (I certainly heard that argument).  That there is nothing for the inexperienced rider out there.

On that part at least I disagree.  Scooters are the fastest growing motorcycle in the US today.  They have the "twist and go" transmission.  The lower cc and lower costs along with fantastic fuel savings (80 - 100 mpg).  If you read my blog for any length of time, then you know that I consider the small 50cc scooters so common on urban streets today to be more dangerous than anything else.  For example, here in Florida all that is required for safety gear is eye protection.  No helmet (unless your under the age of 21) or other protection in needed under state law.  Hell, you don't even need a license if the scoot is under 50cc.  Which I've actually seen used as a sales pitch.

Well I'm glad to see people out and about on these things...your top speed is MAYBE 39 MPH.  Lets' be honest, no one obeys the speed limit.  So they will either not see you, or see you and go around you, or your just going to piss them off.   If your going to ride, ride something that will get you up to the speed of the traffic around you.

Sorry, I'm ranting.

Thanks go to Honda for the picture.

My point is that there are smaller bikes out there.  The problem is that they are not "motorcycles" I guess.  The only major motorcycle manufacturer that I know of that makes a smaller bike is Honda and the their iconic Rebel.  I say iconic because everyone that takes a motorcycle class seems to have learned on one.  (UPDATE - Suzuki will have several 2013 models at or under 400cc.  It remains to be seen if they will be readily available).

Hyosung, a Korean company, also makes a 250cc which is much sportier than the traditional looking Rebel. I'm not that familiar with the brand or the make but with a starting price of around 4K for a new bike it's certainly something for the new rider to consider.  All I can tell you is do your research.  SYM is a Chinese based company that makes smaller cc motorcycles as well, but I've only seen scooters imported to the states, I could be wrong.

I'm still not sure why new riders, and older traditional motorcycle riders are afraid of scooters.  No not afraid, that is the wrong word...skeptical of scooters.  I actually came across an article in some motorcycle magazine arguing that that future in the industry was going to be Trikes.  Because the population of bikers was growing older.  That attitude needs to change (says the man that would like to eventually upgrade to a trike).  The step-through would allow those with leg and back problems easy access to the bike.  A bike like the Piaggio MP3 actually does not require the rider to put a foot down when stopped due to it's design.

Right now there are a lot of riders out there on little 50 or 125cc scooters.  They are going to want to upgrade someday.  If the industry wants to grow, wants to attract the woman, the young urban professional then they need to offer something that actually works for them.   Bikes in the 400CC range would be perfect I think.  Quick enough for the freeways and nimble enough for the city.  Great for a weekend away.

I think it's slowly changing...the market will grow due to the coming pressures of higher gas prices, continued urbanization and increasing population.  It's going to be interesting to see how the industry reacts to these changes.

The scooter commuter

"One's destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things."  - Henry Miller

Before I knew better!

Lately I've been thinking about how I ride.  I am about to enter my 3rd year as a rider, if I include the several months that I rode my old Zuma 125 about town.  In the first year, I concentrated on keeping myself upright and alive.   In my second year, techniques...now I'm entering the most dangerous year of all.   Where I know enough to be dangerous and overconfident in my ability.

My concern is backed up by the Hurt Report (the irony of a motorcycle crash study called the Hurt report is just to perfect) which does show that accidents are more likely in the first and third year of riding.  Having that knowledge will hopefully make me just a little bit safer.  If David Hough, who is universally considered the expert on Motorcycle safety, can get hurt then anyone can. The article on his accident is here.   The best safety device is still the one between your ears.

I also have to replace my clutch, and that is not a cheap option no matter how I look at it.  It has made me consider what type of rider I am and how I ride.  The good news is that I put a lot of miles on my bike.   If I just commute, which is 90% of my riding right now anyway, I put roughly 1500 miles on the bike a month...or 18K a year.  That's more than some bikes have in a lifetime of riding.  Susan and I made the decision to become a one car family do to our lifestyle, economics and simplicity.  My Burgman became my "car" by default.  I became a year round rider by default.

When I added it all up it just made sense to eventually get the better clutch.  Although it will run me some $400 to $600 after all is said and done.   That is not including labor.

My logic is simple.  I am to poor not to have quality.  My current clutch has roughly 25K on it, I plan on replacing it early next year.  I just hope I can get another 1000 or miles out of it.  A Dr Pully HIT clutch should last me at least 25K and more.  I intend to be on my bike for a while.  This clutch eventually pay for itself.  Sadly I won't be able to do anything about it till the new year.

Eventually I would like to get a new bike.   I'm not sure if I'll stick with a scooter or not.  Sue is pushing me to consider a trike and I've heard nothing but good things about the Piaaggio MP3 500.  Or a Can-Am Spyder, although I'm not a big fan of how they look.  Frankly I could see myself with a sidecar of some sort, but frankly all those options are at least three to four years down the road.  Susan and I want to do some touring eventually but due to her balance issues riding 2-Up just does not seem possible right now.

I would like to keep the Burgie if I do get another bike, but we will see at that time where we are in my life. All I know is that I enjoy riding.   I may never tour the county or join a club or even make it to a rally...and you want to know something.   I'm okay with that.

Being a scooter commuter is what I am and to quote my boy Jack Kerouac.  "There was nowhere to go but everywhere, so just keep rolling under the stars."

What's next?

I have been trying to help a co-worker decide on which motorcycle he should buy.  This will be his first motorcycle and he has never ridden before.  Luckily he has got a bit of a brain in his head and is getting endorsed first, buying the proper gear and is listening to those of us that do ride nearly every day.  He's already changed his mind about getting a huge cc monster although I can't talk him out of his desire for a street bike.

In my thinking a 250cc or 400cc motorbike or scooter is all he needs for a year or two.  Your going to go down at least once while learning and a old beater would serve his needs.  Burgman's are relativity cheap and plentiful for example and would provide him experience in handling a two wheeled vehicle.  Now don't misunderstand me, I love my Burgie and really don't have any complaints about it but I am a realist as well - he needs to learn and the Burgman is a good bike to do that on.  His heart however, is with a sport bike.

My first ride was the Zuma 125, it met all my needs at the time and was a fun little bike, it will always have a place in my heart, but his quest got me thinking.   What's next for me?

Aprilia Mana 850 ABS

I've always been attracted to the odd and unusual and I can't see paying an extra 10K just for a brand name.  Plus, they are a dime of dozen, so Harley's are pretty much out of the picture.  I do like the Mana 850 by Aprilia  They also created a 850cc scooter with pretty much the same body, or at least it appears that way to my untrained eye.  I fell in love with the style of their bikes, all smooth refined lines and Italian sophistication.  I've only seen one or two on the streets and that appeals to me.

BMW new Urban Mobility Vehicles also appeal to me just due to their style.  The fact that they are BMW's - which generally means good engineering that is built to last.  The reviews I've read are generally good  and frankly, this is probably the only BMW I will ever be able to own other than a matchbox car.  Both of the current models are being geared towards city dwellers, answering their concerns about  the crowded roads and diminishing resources of city living.  It's a gamble and interesting marketing but could pay off huge for BMW in the future.

When I first started looking at buying a "real bike" and not a scooter various friends of ours tried to steer me to the Triumph Bonneville's.  I have to admit that I'm drawn to not only the fine lines of this classic bike but also the history of them.  It's a damn sexy machine.  The only reason I'm not riding a Bonneville today is that they were, at the time, a little to powerful for me.  I could however see myself on one of these very easily.

Piaggio MP3 500cc

Susan, my long time girlfriend, and I have discussed the possibility of getting a trike or a trike conversion kit to allow her to ride with me.  While I do love the idea of her putting her arms around me as we go through the twisty's I'm not really sold on the idea of a trike.  I would eventually like to travel with her to parts unknown, and some trikes are built exactly for that comfort and ease of travel.    I have seen some models out there that appear to be little more than cars missing the roof and steering wheel and that to me seems to be defeating the purpose.  I am not a fan of Can-Am, although that has more to do with the style of the bike than anything else.  I've not seen many on the road which does make it "unique", nor have I really looked at the bike up close.  Does it have lots of storage?  How does it handle?  Frankly I don't know and need to learn more about them.

Piaggio has the MP3 series of bikes. These are three wheeled scooters and have lots of interesting advantages, such as being able to stop and not put your foot down. They are still rare on the roads and is a much smaller profile than the Can-Am's.  Both of these bikes offer stability and safety.  The MP3 is a smaller bike (maxing out at a little under 500cc as compared to the 900cc of the Can-Am) and would get gas mileage similar to what I'm getting now.

Ural Patrol model

A motorcycle sidecar seems to be more honest to me.  Ural Motorcycles used to make motorcycles for the Soviet Military.  Did I mention my enjoyment of odd and unusual?  My love of history?  The idea of traveling here and there with a sidecar has a romantic element to it as well.  Ural prides itself on its ability to take to take what ever you through at it.  Sidecars however are also inherently dangerous and many people dislike the idea of riding mere inches above the road surface. The concept appeals to me, the reality might not, again...more research and test drives are required.

I'm not in the market for a new bike though.  I am very happy with my 07 Burgman and I'm not ready for a new bike - even if I could afford it - and frankly who knows what will be out there when I am ready?  I am however keeping my eyes open, something may fall into my lap one day, for now however...I'm a Burgman rider.  Another Burgman could be in the future.  You never know.

Riding and commuting

In August it will be one year since I bought the Burgie.  Since then I've managed to change out the back tire, change the oil (twice), have a semi-serious mechanical failure - which was not my fault - and put the bike  down, which was my fault. Somehow I've also managed to ride 10,000 miles.

05/04/12

I started with a little under 6,600 miles but rounded up to that nice round figure.  Today I hit 10,000 miles.   Not to bad for a commuter I think and only owning my bike for about nine months.  One of my goals in the coming year is to put more miles on the bike that are "just for fun" which means riding here and there just for the hell of it.

It also means, at least to me anyway, making some improvements to the bike.  I've talked before about how I want to install a new windshield or get a more comfortable seat, however that takes a little more money than what I have right now...so I decided to invest in Malossi 21 g Variator roller weights.  On the Burgman the standard roller weight is 18 - 19 grams.  In theory this should lower the rpm's on my bike during my daily 70 mile round-trip commute and increase gas milage.  Currently, depending on conditions I'm in the high 50's to low 60's.  I hope that these new rollers will lower my fuel consumption by 10 miles per gallon, putting me into the high 60's and low 70's.  Since I will be at 20K soon, where it's recommend I replace my CVT belt, I've decided to order one of those as well but other needs like a new dishwasher, tires for the jeep and saving for a vacation are priority.  The lowest price I've found for a CVT belt is $129 dollars.  The highest - $200 dollars.  That is not including installation and labor costs.  The fact that I'm even considering doing this work myself shows my my confidence level is increasing with every mile I ride.  Six months ago I would never of thought about tearing the bike apart in this manner but thanks to the helpful folks at the BurgmanUSA forums and Mitch's Scooter blog I feel confident.  It helps that my neighbor is a retired mechanic as well.

I know longer have a fear of twisty's, in fact I seek them out now.  Where I rarely ever passed anyone on my previous Zuma 125, I do so with joy now.   I still feel a little weird at night when a car is speeding behind me, but I know longer feel a compulsion to pull over and let him pass.  Nor do I hug the right lane anymore, I feel confident in all lanes.  I do remind myself that the second leading cause of accidents however is "confidence."

At work, my heavy motorcycle jacket no longer gets odd looks when I come in and the fact that I ride in nearly every day has forced the three Harley Owners and a Shadow owner to join me, least they be teased that the "Scooter Guy" is more of a biker than they are.    Today I plan on taking the bike to Keel and Curley Winery for there Blueberry festival.  Sadly I will not have any pictures since my camera died, but I do promise to return with a nice Chardonnay or perhaps a sweet blackberry wine.

Taking chances....and rainy days

I will never understand why people insist on getting smaller cc bikes.  I believe you need to have the right bike for your circumstances.

Now please don't misunderstand me.  I know very well why someone would want a lower cc scooter.  Hell, I started riding on a small Zuma 125 because of the lower costs, fuel mileage and other reasons.  The top speed on that bike with an open throttle was maybe 55 mph.  Living in the city it was fine for stop and go driving but I would never take it out onto a freeway, nor would I ride it night on busy roads.  In all fairness I did ride at night on the Zuma but it was on back country roads at 1 AM.  Ninety percent of the time I never saw another car.

Yesterday I on my way home from work taking my normal route.  It was after 10:30 at night and traffic, while not heavy was certainly heavier than normal for that time of night.  I pulled up to a red light and see a single red dot about a mile ahead of me.  "Another biker" I think to myself.   The light goes green and I catch up to the other bike in a matter of minutes.

He was riding something similar to this.

It was some guy wearing a dark shirt, no helmet, no jacket, no reflective gear at all riding a motorized bicycle.  His top speed was maybe 30 mph.  We were riding on a  road where the speed limit is posted as 65 mph.  I yelled over to the guy that I would tuck in behind him and follow him.  My larger bike would not protect him of course if we got hit from behind, but at least my taillights and reflective stripping on my jacket would be a bit more visible.  He took the lane closest to the side of the road, I took the outside and for roughly five miles we putted along, getting passed by all type of cars and trucks.

I even turned on my brights to help him see.  Eventually he turned off, taking a similar road and I continued on straight wishing him the best.  Hopefully this was a one time thing for him.  He was taking a bigger chance than I would ever do.  In fact, the reason I sold the Zuma is that I would have to travel that road back and forth to work; I didn't think the Zuma was safe on those roads even with it's higher speed.

On a more personal note it rained over the weekend.  We needed the rain badly here in Western Florida, as we are in a prolonged drought, but it also showed a weakness in my plans for the future.  I know that eventually I will have to get rid of one of my cars.  It just does not make sense to me; economically or environmentally, to have two cars.  That however means riding in the rain at times.  It poured here the other day, buckets of rain coming down.  I have a rain suit and a decent one at that.  I've not used it yet.  I decided to take the car one day, and I'm glad I did because the rain was so bad that I would not see 10 feet ahead of me at one time.  The other day I rode into the dark clouds knowing I had a 50% chance of getting wet.  I also had a 50% chance of staying dry.  I stayed dry.

If I want to get rid of at least one of the cars, I have to accept that I am going to get wet.  That I will have to ride in less than ideal conditions.  I'll get there.

Fuel Mileage

OK....stop reading if you don't like math.

Still here?


Good.  Because this weeks little article involves math.  In particular, fuel milage.  Don't worry, it's not that bad.  A bit of simple basic adding and subtracting.  Multiplying and dividing, the stuff you should have learned in school if you were paying attention.

I wanted to conduct a little experiment.  I was curious about how much money it would cost me to go about 1000 miles, how much fuel it would take and a few other things.   One Thousand miles was just a nice round figure to use.

Now to be honest, this test was not conducted under strict scientific standards.  I was using the bike's odometer and not a much more accurate GPS device.  I should have filled up the tank with the same amount of and same type of gas each time as well.   I didn't do that.

In the end I went over my 1000 mile test limit as well, mostly because I was on fumes with about 30 miles to go on my test (and about 20 miles till I got home at 1 AM in the morning) and decided that it was worth extending the my test some 230.8 miles - the distance my last fill up took me - instead of the possibility of pushing the bike home.

So in the end, my experiment took 1,209.1 miles.  It cost me a total of $63.82.  My average price per gallon was $3.54 and I filled up a total of 6 times.  Again that works out to be 201.5 miles per fill up on average.  A fill up on the Burgie is 3.1 gallons.

On average then I'm getting about 65 miles per gallon of gas.  Not great mileage, but certainly better than my car, which gets an average of 30 miles per gallon.  Even being an economy model it takes anywhere between $40 - 50 dollars to fill up  and I'm not going to get anywhere close to 1000 miles on one tank.  (edited: recent experience shows me that I should be in the 70 - 75 mpg range)

If I used my bike for nothing but commuting back and forth to work 5 days a week I would put roughly 1400 miles on the bike each month.  So for another $10 - 12 dollars I have my monthly gas budget.  Let's call it $100 just to be safe.

My old Zuma 125 used to have even better gas mileage and was in the 75 to 90 mile range per gallon.  Of course it was lighter and had a smaller engine as well.  It was great for when I lived in the city, not so good for living out in the middle of no where and needing to commute 35 miles one way each day.     The smaller 50cc bikes are capable of getting 100 plus miles per gallon.  But in return for the higher mpg your sacrificing speed, and frankly in my mind at least, safety as well.  That choice however is yours to make.

Random thoughts at 1000+ miles

Somewhere yesterday or the day before I tripped the 1000 mile marker on the Burgie.  It happened without fanfare, no angels descended from Heaven to mark the occasion although there were donuts at work and cupcakes there the next day.

I suppose 1000 miles is not really that big of a deal, I commute 70 miles roundtrip each day and that number adds up pretty quickly.  I'm averaging over 64 miles per gallon and have spent under $100 in gas (I think as I've not done an official count).

Ye Olde Bugs in the teeth!

For me however it is a big deal.  When I rode my little Yamaha Zuma 125 back and forth and here and there they were short trips, under 35 miles total usually.  I got experience and learned to ride...but it's a different type of ride.

Maybe it was just me but coming home tonight I felt "locked in" to the bike, the steering column barely seemed to move as I took the corners at 65 miles per hour on my commute.  I really enjoy riding at night.  It's another world, less traffic to worry about it's true...but I am even less visible on the road.  My commute involves long lonely stretches as road as well,and Lord forbid if something should happen, it would be a long night till someone came along.

I put these thoughts out of my mind though.  Enjoying the night air and the croaking of frogs off in the distance.  There is something ethereal about being the only one on the road, the whine of the engine and the light of Venus above.

There is one major issue I have however.

Numb butt.

That strange condition that affects some riders...where your ass just is not comfortable on that seat no matter how you move or what you do.  Everything from adding and subtracting foam to the seat to get a hard wooden beads to sit on has been suggested to me.

I've seem something similar to the hard beads in cars but have not really tried it, but people swear by it.  It's also been suggested that since I'm in Florida something like a sheepskin cover for the seat might help as well.  I hope to get it covered later this week or next.  No matter where I move my skinny bony ass I just can't seem to get to comfortable.

I also realized that I am doing what I sent out to do.  With the exception of one day, where it looked like rain, I've driven the bike in every day.  I'm a 2 wheeled commuter.

Problem is, I'm not having any fun.

Sure I could blame the seat, the fact that I own my own small business which eats up time and work a goofy ass shift at my regular job.  I could do all that.  The problem is that I'm just riding back and forth to work.  I want to break out of the rut and do something different, ride somewhere different.

I break up the route I ride a little bit, twisty roads one day...the highway the next.  I want to simply ride and do something different.   I think that's part of the motorcycle mystique...that sense of freedom.

I am feeling the need to just ride.   Somewhere.   Anywhere.

The weird thing is that before I started riding I could not have explained this feeling.  I would simply say "I need a vacation" and go hiking in the woods or take a couple of day and do nothing.  Now I just want to ride.

...with no particular place to go...

Some classic Chuck Berry to play while your reading.

Now it's a lovely day, the sun is shining but the heat not struck us yet.  The humidity is low.  What a great day to simply go...somewhere.   Anywhere.
I got some 20 to 25 years left in my working life, but I've always said that when that time came I was going to climb aboard a RV and avoid the highways.  See what's down that dirt lane to the left and find out if their really is a waterfall down "Waterfall lane."  Perhaps part of the reason I wanted a bike like was Burgie was to get a look at that life.

To "retire" a bit early.  Touring was always in the back of my mind.

I did have a bit of a agenda on my ride though.   I wanted some pictures of some of the places I found while on my Zuma.  For some reason the camera phone would not download the photos.  This time, I brought the camera.

I was curious to know if the larger Burgie would lose speed up one the steepest, toughest hills in all of Pasco county, Florida.  So I gunned it up to the legal speed limit and.......
                 

the ride up was really disappointing.  My Burgie did the climb like it was nothing.  Let me tell you, nothing prepares you for how cold and windy being a total of TWO HUNDRED AND FORTY FEET ABOVE SEA LEVEL truly is.

I swear I saw a hungry penguin checking me out for dinner.

All joking aside though, I can see why people tour on a motorcycle.  It's a slower pace of sorts, your more connected to the road and without the distractions of music, cell phones and air conditioning...you are left to your thoughts.  The bike becomes a part of your body, leaning into a curve just so...the smell of flowers and oranges on the side of the road.   The simple joy of driving through a old canopy of trees with the Spanish moss hanging ghost like.

Stopping to take in a view because you can.  Not because someone built a concrete slab into the side of a hill.   Finding that out of the way cafe or winery.   They say the cyclists "SEE" all the time.  I know that's not just not for safety but for the soul.  Where as cars are built for the highways and to get us from point A to B.   Life on two wheels feeds the soul.

A historical marker on the side of the road can not be read at 55 mph very well.  It needs you to pull over and take a moment to actually read.   The idea of a town full of freed slaves making their way in the Deep South is an interesting story...one that this rider would have never have known about unless he stopped.

So yea, stopping for a moment in this fast paced Internet driven world where time is not measured so much in minutes anymore but Megabits per second...seems like a radical idea.  It's worth it though.

I'm starting to understand why people ride, and it's not always for gas savings.   I'm wanting to get out again, to just ride in a direction...to chase the sunset or just go to the left.  All roads lead somewhere.

I did pass one lawn sign in someones yard, I wanted to get the bike next to it for a good photo...but I did not wish to ruin their yard by parking my bike in it even for a moment.   I read the sign and smiled..."Not right now there isn't.  This is a perfect moment."

Not when your riding there's not.   

Random thoughts on rainy days.

The girlfriend woke softly to the same sounds of rain drumming on the roof that I awoke to moments before.  She placed a warm soft hand on my chest and snuggled her naked body even closer to mine.

"I guess you're not riding today."

I grunted, enjoying her closeness.  Closing my eye and drifting off to the sound of her breathing mixed with the soft random thuds of rain on my roof.

Over the last two days here in West Central Florida we have been battered by the remnants of tropical storm Lee which has made the humidity, which is always high, even higher and the temperatures climb.  Rain continues to threaten to was over us.  The day before yesterday I did not ride into work due to the threat of rain, only to have the afternoon be bone dry.  Yesterday the skies opened and it rained; hard and fast and constant, the wind blowing wild.

It was not a fit night for man or beast to ride in.

Nelson-Rig SR-6000 Rainsuit

I don't have proper rain gear yet.  All I have is a plastic poncho which I think would be more of a hindrance than a help.  I've been lucky in that I've only been caught out in the rain once; I was riding my original Zuma 125 on the back roads of Pasco county when the storm caught up to me.  The rain felt like a pellet gun hitting me at a 40 mile an hour pace, I suppose the rain would feel like a shotgun blast at closer to highway speeds.

Being exposed to the weather is one of the drawbacks of riding.  The sun beats down on you, your going to get wet.  These are givens.   As a new rider I have to balance my comfort with safety.   My full face helmet is great to protect me in case of accident and from wind buffering, but is also heavy and a bit hot.

I wear a "highlighter" yellow jacket (not pictured) which makes me a bit more visible I hope, but also a bit warmer as well.  I admit to wearing short sleeve shirts and even shorts at times for the shorter jaunts I've taken.

The first weekend of October I'll be taking my endorsement class for my motorcycle license.  I'll be required to have the following:

• Long sleeve shirt or jacket
• Denim jeans or heavy pants (not excessively baggy, long or with holes or frayed edges)
• Over the ankle boots covering the ankle bone (not tennis shoes or fashion boots with heels)
• Full-fingered leather gloves
• Shatter resistant sunglasses or safety glasses
• Sunscreen and lip protection

I'll need the boots and gloves.  I was also told a rain suit was in order as well.  Now it comes down to simple research.   The boots are not an issue, I just need to find something comfortable with non slip oil resistant soles that are water resistant.  The gloves are easy as well although I wonder why one pair is $9.99 and another is $199.99.  Is there that big of a difference?


I want a rain suit as well, but again...what is best and affordable?  I would rather pay for quality and have it last than buy cheap.   But I can not justify spending a few hundred dollars on it either.

The first ride.

When you buy a new car, you understand the basics of that car.  What the steering wheel does, where the brakes are.  What you don't know is what to expect.  How will the car react in wet weather?  Around sharp curves?  Up and down hills?

So you take that car out for a test drive and learn these things.  It helps you decide if you want to buy that car or not.

Since I don't have my motorcycle endorsement (yet) I'm not allowed to take the bike off the lot.  I had to make my decision on what to buy based on second and third hand information.  From various friends, websites, forums and magazines.  While my choice to buy a Suzuki Burgman was informed by this information...if I made the right one or not wouldn't be known till I took her out onto the mean streets of Tampa and opened her up.

So this is a first for me in a lot of ways.  Not only is it a new bike, but its also my first ride on something bigger and more powerful than I had ever ridden before.  Not only would I be driving in the stop and go traffic of a city, but traveling on highways and along some twisty country roads.   I had not really planned on this route but it just sort of happened that way.

To say I was a bit nervous is a bit of an understatement.   I could just see myself getting onto the bike, pulling away into traffic and going down in a heap.  I didn't thank God.  I did however learn some things about the Burgi right off the bat.

I had a brief ride through the city of St Petersburg and then had to cross the Gandy bridge.   The speed limit was 65 mph and I quickly got the bike up to speed.  Up until then I was traveling at about 35 - 45 mph.

I had expected some buffeting but was surprised by how much.  I felt like I was getting punched as the wind rolled over the windscreen and straight up into my chest and head.   I'm 6 foot tall and had traveled less than 20 miles.  I already knew I was getting a taller windshield as soon as possible.

Bending over a bit and looking just over or through the windshield helped immensely, but created an awkward position for me.  I read some reviews where the writers complained of a weird magnification of the windshield, which I did not experience at all.  

I also noticed how the bigger bike caught the wind a lot more than my smaller previous Zuma 125 did.  Which came as a bit of a surprise and I had to work out how to cut the wind on the bridge.  Luckily traffic was light and although I was not blown into another lane, I felt that I could have easily have been.  The weight and size of the bike would also be an issue on the twisty back country roads I drove on. Where I was used to the much lighter and smaller Yamaha, so it would take a few more days and miles to adjust to the bigger Burgman.

Once I hit the city traffic things got a little easier, although I still had to get used to the weight of the bike.   As my lovely girlfriend pulled into a market I nearly tipped the machine over pulling into a parking space...all because my weight was not placed right much to her amusement!

My little Zuma 125 could easily keep up with city traffic, I felt a bit more visible on the larger Burgman.  Just when I'm feeling a bit more cocky some idiot pulls out and crosses two lanes of traffic right in front of me.   A quick light touch of the brakes slowed me quickly enough to avoid a problem however and I enjoyed the quickness of the stop.  It was not a panic stop but if I were traveling about 10 miles an hour faster it could have been.

Ah, Florida!

One thing I wanted to do was buy a drink holder.  I joked about with the salesman at the dealership, but as I drove nearly 100 miles in temperatures close to 100 degrees I realized that I would really need a way to keep cool.  I was riding in short sleeves and jeans, boots and my helmet.  Not exactly safety gear but with a jack and full helmet I would be melting my fat ass off.

Luckily the front glove box does a deep pocket that will hold a bottle of water, although opening and closing this box while traveling seems a bit dangerous.  I guess I could do that at stop lights.

Under the seat I was able to store a jacket as well as a small toolkit that came with the bike and a odds and ends.  I was slightly surprised to find there were not one, but two, compartments for holding documents on the sides of the storage compartment.

My fat ass in traffic.

While it was not part of my original plans, I ended up taking the bike to work which meant I would have to ride it home at 1 AM on nearly empty streets in the middle of no where.   Before I knew it I was doing 80 mph surprised as hell.  I slowed down and reminded myself to keep an eye on the speedometer.  I was also surprised by the brightness of the head lights, the "high power" switch lit up the night like a ball park for me...which brought a smile to my face as the deer on the side of road looked up as I passed them.

As I approached the first 100 mile mark on my new bike I thought to myself "I made the right choice."   I was a bit concerned about the 400cc engine because I wanted something bigger...afraid that six months from now I would be wanting more power.  After my first 100 miles on all types of roads and traffic conditions I felt the 400cc would be just fine.