From 2 smaller wheels to 18 big ones

These past two years have been interesting.  I've made some good decisions, some bad ones.  Some were made for me...But as of October 1st, I'v officially left the financial world and enter a new one.

It's a complete change of lifestyle for me, and as you probably guess from the title, I've decided to drive a truck.  I'll get to my reasons in a bit, and since no one really reads this blog, I'll do so in my own time.

I have been in call centers all my life, I've been a phone jockey. I've been a team leader. a trainer, a supervisor, a manager.   Honestly there is much that I've not done.  When I decided to go the independent insurance route in 2016 it was a bit of a shock.  Luckily I didn't lose money the first year like I feared.  I didn't make money either but I didn't have to hijack anything out of our savings accounts to pay bills, so I'll consider that a success.

Then ten months ago a friend of mine called me and suggested I go to work back in a call center.  I would still be an Independent agent, but one where I would not have to pay for leads and that's a large chunk of change saved up right there.   The job also had a few other perks like working when I wanted to, as long as I put in 40 hours, etc.

The first 3 months were training, paid at $18 an hour on Medicare products.  I'm a big fan of Medicare, but not of selling it over the phone.   However I did what I was asked. In the months that followed, I only hit my sales goals once.  Something needed to change and you can read about that more in the other blog I keep.

So why trucking?   Well, I have my reasons but it mostly had to do with skills and being in a job where I would always be in demand.  It's not recession proof, but is damn close to it.  I'm not worried about doing the actual job, I can learn that part of it. While I may be a proverbial monkey with a gun when it comes to anything mechanical, I can learn.

What scares me honestly is being isolated.  I am an introvert at heart but I also know that in the past I've made bad choices because I was lonely.  I'm also hoping that this isolation and new experiences will get me back into writing and blogging.  It's something I've missed, and besides, my first best selling novel should have been written by now (actually I've the first 3 chapters done and it has the working title of "Emma").

I read about drivers that may not be home for months.  Or how you see nothing but strangers (waitress's, dock workers, other truckers) and how your whole world consists of the cab and sleeping quarters of your truck.   A world reduced to 50 square feet.

I also read about seeing the Rocky Mountains for the first time and the beauty of the high plains or watching the sun raise over the ocean...then watching it set the same day over mountains in the west.  Of the wonder of leaving the desert and driving into snow. 

What this came down to for me was a change of pace, of needing to finally do something different for a bit.

What this came down to for me was family.  While I can do insurance and banking anywhere in the world (and my former company did offer me the chance to work from home), it's also based on relationships.   That life insurance policy leads to a call about Medicare.  You need Dental work?  I got that covered.  Your daughter is getting married and needs home owner's insurance?  Done.

I remember I insuranced an entire street because I treated the people right.  I've several standing invites for dinner and at least one woman offered to set me up with her Daughter!  Relationships matter.

Still, however, I have to face facts.  My father is ill, and my mother will need help in Pennsylvania.   Sue's family is in the same place, her father doesn't even remember her now. 

The income needs to be more stable moving forward.  I need a job where I can slip into easily without much disruption if we do move.   Insurance and banking is about building relationships, and I'm not willing to spend another two years or more of my life to building those relationships again in a new city.

I just hope I'm making the right choices.

So long story short, I'm back in the blogging game.  Concentrating on travel and trucking and what ever else comes my way.

Take care.

Rob

New Battery - 1.5 years

To be completely honest I don't remember the last time I put a new battery in the bike.  A quick search of my blog stated it was over a year ago.  One would think that I would get more than a year out of a motorcycle battery, and as I placed my $80 dollars for a new battery on the table of my local dealer he told me that this one should last about a year and half. 

I bought me a Bike Master AGM Battery.  I probably could have payed less for it on the internet, but I have an event that I wanted to attended on Sunday and frankly I think Sue didn't want to hear me bitch about being off the bike anymore.  

There's your problem!  Somebody stole your battery

It's an easy enough job to replace the battery and after I did so Kimmie fired right up.  I took her around the block of my neighborhood,  being thankful that it was not something more serious like the stator.  I also decided to buy a trickle charger just in case my bike would end up sitting for longer than I would like (it more or less sat for two weeks as I fought off a mild case of the flu). 

I still have the old battery and want my mechanic to run a load test on it.  More for my piece of mind than anything else. 


On this coming Sunday, I hope to take part in the Orlando Scooters "Ride through the city" event.  It is literally a ride from the northern tip of the city of Orlando southward to the southern tip of the city on a lazy Sunday afternoon.   I'm wanting to attend simply because I've been wanting to take Kimmie out further than I have in the past.  Orlando is about 77 miles away, then I ride through the city...then back home.  So I'm looking at at least a 150 miles day (to and from) plus the ride through the city.  

That's not a bad ride and I've been wanting to build up my tolerance for riding anyhow.  So it's all good.  I just hope that life doesn't rear it's ugly head and something comes up, like work.

Plus, getting out of my comfort zone is not a bad thing.  Come December and January I will be putting more effort into working independently, which frankly is not an easy thing for a introvert like me to do.    That's my goal for the year of 2017.  Taking the bike out to Orlando, Jacksonville, Sarasota and other places.  I really have no excuse not to anymore.

Not again! More electrical issues

I have not been riding Kimmie hard or for very far in the last two weeks or so.  I've had a persistent head cold and/or allergy and/or sinus issue that has made me lightheaded at best, miserable at worst.  

The weather has been glorious however so I've tried to take it out when I can.  I know she doesn't like the cold and a few mornings here have been a bit brisk.  It's been dry and by the middle of the day the temperatures are perfect for riding, being neither to hot or to cold.  By the time I would ride home from work the "brisk-ness" had returned but it's nothing a light sweatshirt or my Freeze-out jacket could handle.

Still though, I sided on the caution to protect my health.  

I'm wondering now if I should not of invested in a battery tender or  rode the bike more.  Now I'm searching around trying to figure out how old my battery is (1 year?  2?...3?).  

Sue asked me to run to the store and get a few last minute items, nothing major.  I jumped on Kimmie, she fired right up and I was off, a few moments later arriving at my destination.  We were having seven people over the house for dinner, and I was not going to be late. 

It was not even ten minutes after my arrival.  I jump on the bike.   No power, no turn over, nothing.  I lift the seat and see a little light burning...so she has something in the battery.  I check the connections and they are nice and tight.  

I get an electrical jump off a car and tell Sue the problem, going about 1 hour and forty miles out of my way in an attempt, misguided as it may be, to charge the battery.  

I get home, our guests have arrived.  I eat, I chat, I drink a wonderful wine that highlights the turkey and ham beautify.  I laugh.

That is till I try to start Kimmy.   Nothing, nada, nope.    

Sadly I have to work all day tomorrow being that I drawled the proverbial short stick, but I'm hoping that Saturday I'll be able to get down into the nitty gritty of the problem.    

A post in several parts

1) - Hurricane Matthew - Oct 2016.

He skirted up the coast line on the Eastern side of Florida and caused no damage in the center and western parts of the state where I live.  It was however a bit scary to be that close to a "loaded gun."  We had a few overcast and rainy days, but the damage on our side was nominal.

The damage caused by him in North Carolina will run into the billions and it would not have taken much for him to have shifted just a bit  to the left and run rampant over Florida.  Well the hurricane season is not officially over (that's on November 1) it seems that is the last big storm of the season.  It's been an interesting year, and it's driven home the fact that it's only a matter of time before the "big one" hits us.

2)  Nickles and Dimes -

Lately I've seen to have been dying from 1001 small financial cuts.  It's nothing to be concerned about in the long run, as we have small family issues and friends coming into town.  Which means eating out, drinks, rides to the beach and everything else.

 A little need for something here, a little need for something here.  My bonus being about half of it normally is did not help matters either.

One such little need was the gas gauge on Kimmy.  I pulled in for gas the way I normally do, filling the tank to the brim and knowing that I would have at least 156 miles till my next fill up.  Generally I get gas around the 150 mark, no need to push the bike further than she needs to go.

I must have traveled a few miles before I realized the gauge was stuck at 1/8 of a tank.

This is not something that needs fixed right away and I'm pretty good at remembering to reset my tripometer. Kimmy is getting older and although she runs well, I was reminded that eventually she's going to start nickle and dime'ing me to death.  

I've discussed getting a newer model bike in the past and what I would like to buy.  However I'm not their financially yet and probably am about two years away from any new toys.

Things like a new helmet and jacket however can not be put off for to long.  I'm "expanding" in all the wrong places and will need a new jacket soon.  My mesh jacket recently lost it's shoulder pad, as it came apart in three places.  It's an easy fix, just order a new shoulder pad, but again I have two jackets.  Why not buy one very good three or four season jacket and be done with it?

The same thing applies to my helmet.  I would like to have one with access to a Bluetooth phone and GPS.  It's not necessary at this time, it's not needed at this time...but I want to plan for the future.  The helmet I buy today will last me for at least five years.  I am not the same rider I was five years ago, I doubt I'll be the same rider I am five years from now.  Why not prepare for it.

It is for these reasons that I am planning to go to the Aime Expo this coming weekend. 

Which brings me to part three.

3) Time may change me, but I can't trace time

For the past 10 years or so I've run my own so successful part time business.   It started because I needed a job and the only one I could find was delivering papers.  I hated it but it helped pay the bills, then I realized that I could also deliver a few magazines in addition to the papers that were on my route.  So I picked that up.

Then we started with a weekly paper.  It grew, slowly at first.  At one time it was bringing me in another $15000 a year on top of my "regular job."  It wasn't hard, I would say approximately 16 to 20 hours extra a week in a car spread over 3 days.

It was the mileage that was the killer but thanks to a very weird American tax code,  I was making money even though it appeared I was losing money.  Frankly that's how Trump can report a huge loss of income but still be making millions.  In addition I could put my "losses" in to Roth IRA's and other tax advantage plans and make additional income.  I can't support the man but I understand how he's successful while still reporting losses.

Like everything however the business environment changes.  I was at a point last year where I lost money.  This year looks to be less of a loss but it still hurts the bottom line of the company.

Sue and I have discussed different options in the past.  From rentals to restaurants and each time we seem to hit a roadblock not of our making.  We have been outbid, we've had a scary illness scare, we were unable to get the loan because the property was leased, etc.

I've been involved in the financial and insurance fields most of my life.  I've been involved in sales most of my life (what ever happened to the simple guy that wanted to teach biology?).  With the exception of  about seven years where I wanted to do anything BUT financial stuff - this was after the great crash and I wanted nothing to do with it - I've always been involved in Banking and Finances and Insurance.

It's been a long time for me to get to this point but I've decided to open my own office.  I'm starting small, part time and with "simple: stuff - I'm still not ready to leave my full time job, but it's time.  I'm licensed in all states, I've been bonded, licensed and insured.

It's the project that has taken up most of my time these last two or three weeks and kept me off of Kimmie. 

"Hey Idiot!!!" Or "Those lights on the dash mean something after all"

The trouble started, as trouble is prone to do, days before it actually became a issue.

The battery light on my bike came on one day, shocking me into concern.  I had not gone down the road that far before it shut off...and I put it down to just a loose wire.  Or perhaps caused by the high humidity and rain that is part of daily life in Florida.

The idiot light stayed off for a day or two, making me think that I was correct in my assumption.   It stayed off till I had to go to work on Friday.  It came on...blinked, blinked....went off, stayed off, came on....blinked.   "Great, I'll have to get that looked at."

It stayed off on my ride home on Friday, again convincing me it was nothing.

I have to go to work Saturday morning and I jump on Kimmie expecting her to purr to life as she always has.  Nothing.  Nada.  Not even a clicking noise.  Sadly I was at work all day and didn't have a chance to do any work on her.   Even when I got home after 4, my day commanded other things.

There are reasons those lights are referred to as "Idiot lights."  So here I am on Sunday, testing the fuses.  I check the cables and ensure that they are nice and tight.  Nothing.  I had replaced the battery earlier in the year, so I doubted it was that.  I would still need a load test be be sure. 

That left a gremlin in the wires.   Somewhere there was either a short, or something in the wiring harness.  I don't have the tools, or the knowledge, to go searching for something like that.

I was also leaning towards a gremlin in the wires for another reason.  I did have power from the battery to the lights for a bit.  The bike just wasn't turning over, and then those lights faded.   Which to me indicated a issue with the ground wire.

Problem was...how to fix it.

So here I am, first thing in the morning, trying to explain to my roadside service company that sending a regular pick up truck will not work.  It needs to be a flatbed.  Also that you can not jump a motorcycle battery off of a car battery - while actually you can do this the car needs to be in the "off" position.  Why risk more damage to the bike if it's not needed?

As I sit here and write this two thoughts go through my mind.   First, I really need to look into switching insurance companies because the one I have is not serving my needs.  Two, it may be time to finally say goodby to Kimmie.  Well, three thoughts really.  I need to learn more about the mechanical workings of my bike.

I love her, I really do.  However ever since my accident back in 2014, it seems that Kimmie and I have not been on the same page.  She seems to have never really recovered.  It's been a slow litany of small annoying issues ever since then.     Tires and belts and batteries wear out, I understand that.  Things get loose, I understand that...but I try to keep up with the regular maintenance on her.  I try to keep her healthy.  It's a slow process of nickles and dimes that are starting to add up.

At this time I'm not sure what I want to do.   I am considering selling her if the repair costs to much.  Trading her in on a younger model...something in the 750 range I'm thinking, although I hate to take on another payment.   I'm three to five years away from being financially secure and I really don't wish to take on another debt.

Which leaves me two options.   Trade in for another used bike and all the possible issues that brings.  Or hold on to her for another two or three years and hope that her slide is minimal or that this electrical issue will be the end of it for a bit.  The AMA roadside assistance program would probably not be a bad thing to have in this case, and I am considering joining for that reason - and that I like the idea of putting a scooter on their Longrider program.  I've done 10,000 + miles in a year.  I can do it again but only if Kimmie wants to cooperate with me.

When NOT to ride.

"So, we begin our travels knowing nothing, least of all where we are going." - Keiichi Sigsawa

I've not done much riding over the last two weeks or so.  My job required odd hours from me and my second job - where I am a glorified paper boy - kept me busy over the last few weeks.  I rode where and when I could however, enjoying the freedom that only two wheels can give a troubled mind and soul. 

Then I noticed it.  My bike had a small oil leak which bothered me slightly, since I could not seem to find where it was coming from.  Kimmie does not require much in oil, and I was paranoid about possibly seizing the engine (even though I knew logically I wouldn't). 

I'll be the first to admit that I am not mechanically inclined - Okay, I'm a monkey with a gun when it comes to things mechanical -  but one thing that was always pounded into me is that if the machine is not working properly then you should not be riding it.   She had an oil change earlier in the week and the first thing I thought of was to make sure the drain plug was nice and tight, it was...so that damn leak was elsewhere.

Therefore I tend to be anal to a fault when it comes to tires, lights and oil.  So far I've not had any issue with lights but I expect that day to come when I bulb will blow out or their will be a short.  Checking the lights should be part of everyone's pre-ride check.  That being said, I don't do it all the time either.

The other reason I've not been on the bike is due to a general malaise I've had over the last few days.  I just don't feel like myself.   Yesterday I  got into my gear, pulling my helmet on and then sitting down on my bike only to feel a momentary dizziness.  It's not worth riding in then. 

These things will pass, my oil leak ended up proving to be a small issue that my mechanic didn't even charge me for.  My malaise will pass.

When I started this blog all those years ago I wanted to pass on my experiences to other new riders, those that had 1001 questions like I did.  

So this post is about when it's OK not to ride.  If you have a mechanical issue that worries you, even slightly, its okay not to ride.  If your not feeling 100%, you don't have to be on the bike.  In fact, listen to your body...it will tell you what is going on inside you. 

Kimmie, and your bike, will be there waiting. 

Gremlins - Part of the learning curve.

I was hoping for a simple solution.

In the Kymco Xciting 500 the fuse box is located next to the battery.  The battery is enclosed in the tail end of the bike, almost directly below my top box, so two screws is all I need to remove the battery and check the fuses.

Kimme has a "trunk" under her seat for a better word, there is a light in that trunk.  I take off the battery cover and the light comes on....bright and powerful.  Okay....weird.  Maybe it's not a fuse.  I tighten the battery cable connection.  I replace the cover.

Nada.  No power, no turning over.

Well there is no metal for it to short against unless it's touching the screw.  It's not.  Which means either a bad connector or a bad cable.  I have had issues in the past but they have been intermittent, and often in cold weather.  Could it be that simple?

It's not the best photo but you can see some wear and tear on the end of the cable...could the battery, which was recently replaced, be the wrong size and be causing the cable to rub against something?  Therefore causing an intermittent connection?

Could I be overthinking this?

I replaced the protective plastic piece and started her up again.  Nothing.   Take it off or adjust it somewhat and she fire up with out issue.

I considered riding without the cover, but frankly didn't like the idea of the battery bouncing around in the back.  Since it sits above the rear tire the cover also serves a protective function, preventing water from possibly being sprayed up onto it.  

Now it's decision time.  I became aware of this problem last Saturday.  I had every intention of getting it fixed myself.  Certainly I could order the part, or replace it myself.

I made sure I tossed a Phillips screwdriver into my trunk just to be sure I had one if I got stuck at work or on the side of the road.

Then I didn't ride it for a week, or do anything to it at all.  Now I'm temped to ride up to my mechanic and go over the issue with them, to see if they agree, or make sure I'm not insane.
I don't like that idea, feeling that this is something simple, something that I should be capable of.  something that I should be able to do on my own.  Maintenance that I should know how to do.

If I want to ride to Jacksonville, or to Charleston, hell: if I want to ride anywhere I should know how to fix simple issues like this.  I need to find a place that does "Wrench nights" locally.

Best laid plans meet Gremlin.

**EDIT**  I played with it somewhat this afternoon thinking it's the fuses.  In playing around with it I noticed one of the battery cables was rubbing against the plastic case the battery sits in.  It started right up with full power when that plastic piece was off....put it on, nothing.  So, I think I just may need a new battery cable...or a better way to hold the battery in place.

I had plans this weekend.

Kimmie was running fine all this week, and we zipped back and forth on my daily commute without issue, she never gave me an indication of what was to come.  Well, that is not true.  Friday night on the way home I could of swore I heard a "popping" noise but with the traffic and speed I could not be 100% sure if it was my bike.

Technically I had to work my second job this weekend, delivering papers to various stores in and around the Plant City area, however I was able to work it out where the lovely Susan would do that for me.  She knows I enjoy riding and I don't get the chance to do a group ride often.

Photo by the Tampa Tribune

Off I would go to explore the work of Frank Lloyd Wright at Florida Southern College.  After that, perhaps I would follow the route originally suggested by Go for a Ride magazine.  After checking out the walking tour at the college, it was on to the futuristic Florida Polytechnic University building.  Which raises like a metallic Portuguese Man o' War out of the flatland's

Next stop Legoland!  While not really geared towards the rough, tough scooterist it's still part of tour.  How many of us remember playing with Lego's and building fanatic things with them.  I've often wanted to go just to see some of the things that are possible with Lego's.  I would not be stopping at the park, but riding past it.

Finally Bok Towers.  I've been here before but never by bike.

Generally speaking this was all within 150 miles of me and could be done in a day.  I would be riding with a group of people I rode with before and although nothing was confirmed, I had a good feeling.

Then the rain chance built...and built....and built.  It got as high as 70%, and the ride was cancelled.  I worked the route that I normally work....dry.  The 70% chance of rain never did amount to much, more like 7%.

So my plans are put off....I can still ride, except.......

Kimmie won't turn over.  No power, nothing.   The battery is new, the rectifier was replaced.  Short?  Loose wire?  Alternator?  Spark plug?  Starter (although I should be getting at least a "clicking" noise if it was the starter)?

My mechanic would not be in till Tuesday.   I was not in a good mood.  Not in a good mood at all.  I'm hoping it's a simple fix.

And it continues....maybe?

At long last Kimmie is back up and running properly. The head gasket was replaced, the oil pressure switch is repaired and a new rectifier has been installed. I pick her up on Friday but due to a full weekend of requirements, commitments and duties was not able to ride her till Monday.

Weekends are normally busy for me, so I made a promise to myself that I would get out more, go to the places that interest me. I have been wanting to travel up to Brookstown for over a month, Ybor (ee-bor) City for about the same amount of time. Weeki Wachee - the city of mermaids is also on that list. Before I did all that though, I needed to go to work. So we fire up Kimmie.

It's a lovely day and I'm riding 301 into Tampa, it's more or less a straightaway through some scrub and swampland.  Nothing really to look at or do other than pay attention to the traffic and be careful when passing or being passed.   I'm about halfway though this route, the one place in all of Florida where I know for sure I don't have cell phone coverage.  I look at the instrument panel.

Yep, that happened.  

Now I have a choice...that could be 1001 things and the light was not on when I started Kimmie.  I know they replaced the rectifier and I thought to myself that the mechanics would have double checked everything before releasing the bike to me right?  RIGHT?

So do we trust Kimmie to get me to work?  Do we turn around and go home?  Do we pull off and call the tow company to take me back?  Do I tap the idiot light and hope it goes off?

I head into work, knowing I can't do anything on the side of the road.  Sure I have a small tool kit in the bike but other than some very basic fixes I've no idea what I can do other than ignore the angry red light for now.  

Kimmie runs fine and takes me to work with no issues.  Somewhere between point A and B the red light goes off.  It does not come on at all on the way home and I take the highway home...thinking that if there is an issue I would rather be somewhere I can get help quickly rather than a empty country road in the middle of the night.  

My mechanic is not open on Monday's.  I leave a message and await a call back.  "It's probably nothing." I tell myself.  

Still though it's a nagging issue in the back of my head, I start Kimmie up in the morning and have no issues.  No lights turn on...I ride to work on Tuesday.

Learning Patience

It's been a long time since I posted anything to this blog.  I've been away, it's been a busy week as I went home to Pittsburgh to be with my loving parents - who recently celebrated their fiftieth (50) wedding anniversary.   It's hard to believe I've known these people all my life.

This trip allowed me to do some other things as well.  My lovely Susan has a daughter named Stephanie who just celebrated her twenty fifth birthday.  My brother adopted a lovely little girl two years ago and she had a birthday on April 15th.  So I got the chance to celebrate that with them as well.

Sue and Steph

And of course, it was Mother's day...least we forgot that.

If there was a theme to all this celebration over the last week it was "Patience."  I was not dealing with the plans for my parent's party directly, that was my brother's job, Knowing my mother, he had his hands full.  I got a little bit of that the week before as she called several times wanting us to bring photo albums or other small knick-knack's home.  As frustrated as I was with her at times, I knew it was worse for my brother.  Patience.

If I have learned anything from my parents...it's that patience is the key.  That and communication, as Susan and I discuss nearly everything that affects us.

So these past weeks it's been patience.  My bike is fixed, the electrical gremlin was a rectifier.  The gasket is repaired, the part finally arriving from the Mesolithic era.  Then I got a call from Mike, super mechanic.

"Hey Rob, it's Mike."

Yea Dude, what's up?

"Well we found another issue with your bike.  It's the oil pressure gauge."

Patience.

Luckily this all happened before my trip home, so there was little I could do about it. What I wanted to do was spend time with friends and family.  Visit something called Randyland - which I learned about via the Atlas Obscura website, and generally relax.  Sadly I just run out of time, I was unable to spend some time with some friends but I was able to spend time with others.  Over all a good relaxing weekend.

Some highlights are below, you can see photo's of my parent's 50th here (I'm still trying to get everyone named LOL) and additional photo's of my visit to Randyland here.

My Brother Gary and myself

Sue, Me, Mom, Dad, Avery (little one), Amy, Gary

Some Photo's of Randyland

Building one of two

Taken from within the courtyard

The courtyard itself

I just thought they were cute

Yea, I left my worries there.

A special thanks goes out to the work that Randy Gilson does, he's helping to bring back an old and once blighted neighborhood back with vibrant colors, hope and love...and it's an ongoing work in progress.  I understand he wants to add a little cafe and coffee shop soon.  As well as expand into the nearby neighborhoods.   Support the man and what he does by visitinghis website. Or his facebook page here.

the damage done

10:38 AM Wednesday -

So on Friday, April 24 my mechanic Mike calls with good news.  "Rob, the part arrived by air balloon from Patagonia today."

"Great"

"I'm not going to be able to get to your bike till Tuesday afternoon." Mike says.

"Dude, I've waited this long a few days more won't kill me." I simply state.

And it won't.  Although that Tuesday morning a serious storm moved into the area which promised to last a day or two, so it was doubtful I would have ridden much anyway.  Kimmie did eventually start up on Monday night however when I turned the key to drop her off at the shop.  Although it did mean I had to move her around a bit, which just confirms my loose connection/short hypothesis.  Since she'll be sitting out in the rain overnight (I didn't bring the cover) I'm wondering if that will only aggravate the issue.  

The gasket alone, including the part and labor, is only going to cost me about $500.  Not exactly a minor repair but considering the horror I felt when Mike first said "Gasket" I'm relatively happy.  It could have been worse.

The part that scares me honestly...is the electrical gremlin.  I've dealt with those little buggers before and unless your willing to rip out and replace all the wiring (I'm not) they can be a bitch to pin down.  At least it was in an old car I owned.  I ended up selling that car.

Hopefully today I'll have the final tally.  I considered getting a new front tire put on as well, but with a few days out of state coming up, I decided to put that off.  I just owe a little to much on the credit card right now.

Still though, it occurs to me again that my time with Kimmie is limited.  Another year?  Two?  Not really a long term relationship is it?  It did last longer than my first marriage although I'm sort of joking there.

Our relationship changed after my accident back in January, 2014.  I was off the bike for most of 2014, and since that fateful day; we have had issues with Susan's health, my father's health and other things.  I just don't feel like I've done a lot of riding.  Now it's a parts issue that's kept me off of Kimmie for nearly a month.

I've no desire to give up riding or blogging.  However it does change your point of view.

10:38 PM Wednesday -

So it's a a cool night in late April, I'm searching for the solution to my electrical problem...a rectifier.  I'll be honest I had to look up exactly what this little thing did.  In layman's terms the rectifier converts AC current - which flows two ways - into direct current, which only flows one way.  How this occurs is through what engineers call "magic."

Since I had a bad unit it was undercharging my bike and would have lead to my battery dying prematurely.  While it's a common part, Mike the mechanical wonder boy, did say it be about 3 or 4 more days.  So even if he could get the part for me in, I would be without the bike till Tuesday or Wednesday of next week.

Guess who will be out of town?

The total damage done however is only about $660 US including labor, parts and shipping.  I can live with that.  It's part of owning a bike.

Solve for X

My first bad motor scooter

So we are still waiting on the part.  A nasty phone call to my mechanic results in a mumbled apology and "I'll look into it personally" from Mike the owner.  "Mike, where are you getting this part shipped from?  North Korea?"  I ask.  "Yea, I think we are." He says.

I've laid awake in bed the last two nights or so considering my options.  I have to take a lot into consideration if I go new.  Cost, mpg, storage, etc.  In a lot of ways I'm reminded of what I went through when I first decided to by a bike all those years ago.  Hard to believe that I've been on a bike for slightly over four years now.  Hard to believe that I'm am considering getting yet another motorcycle.

Me on the day I bought the Burgman.

My little Zuma 125 met my needs in the city.  It had high MPG (about 85+).  My late Burgman 400 was powerful enough to handle the highways and city traffic of my move to Zephyrhills, Florida.  My Kymco Xciting 500 has (slightly) more power and meets my needs as I zip all over creation.  I've farkled (is that a word?) it out some; adding a cramp buster, flashing front light and a top case.  As I moved up in power my mpg fell a significant amount each time.  The Burgman was in the low to mid 50's.  Kimmy is in the high 40's to low 50's.

I really don't want a new bike, I don't feel ready for a new bike (although financially I am)...I don't think I'm done with Kimmie yet but as she sits covered with her burial shawl in my driveway I know that I have to consider it.  I know I'm leading hard to the Honda CTX and I know I'll have to start all over again with luggage and such.  

Kimmie' in happier times

The Honda is expected to be just shy of 68 mpg.  Certainly a respectable number, although I know that my mileage may vary.

I hear bikes on the road whining in the distance "Join us" and I can't.  I want to be on the road.  I suppose it's something only bikers understand.

I wonder how much longer I will wait for Kimmie to be repaired.  I know that I will have to replace the CVT belt eventually, a front tire sooner than later as well as figure out the electrical problem (she's not turning over at all) and get the stupid gasket replaced.  What might have been $500 will probably end up costing me closer to $1000.  If she's going to be up in the air anyway why not put a new front tire on her?

So what else could possible go wrong?  What other issue is lurking under her plastics?  I don't care for uncertainty and I've been lucky enough to get to where I am by reducing that uncertainty.  By understanding the numbers and making smart moves based on the data.  To much "X" here and not enough "Y" for my liking.

A new bike doesn't solve all those issues and in fact creates some new ones.  On Saturday I am heading off to my dealer again to consider my options.  Get a trade in value and maybe, just maybe look at a few other options.  But honestly if a new bike payment is under $150 a month....I may have to change to blog's title.

Signs of spring

Parking at work the other day

I have Kimmie back.  I have been riding her for a couple days now all over town.  For now the oil leak issue has been solved and the good mechanics at Affordable Motor Sports (I've offered them a buddy's name that builds websites but they still don't have one) have her purring like a kitten again.

The problem however is that I am going to need a new gasket.  Surprisingly enough it's not going to cost me an arm and/or leg.  The CVT belt is good, the electronics are good and my "cold weather" starting issue seems to be resolved for now.  This cost however (about $500 + including labor) is more that I want to pay but it costs less than a newer bike would in the long run.  The economics of scootering.

However my brief sojourn into looking for a new bike got me wondering.  Eventually I'm going to have to replace her.  Eventually I'm going to start to pay more on maintenance than its worth.  Eventually I'm going to need a new bike.

I can already see I'm looking for more power and I don't see my current job changing anytime in the future.  Of course, I was also expecting to retire from 3M and here I am 6 or 7 months on being a leader in a new department.

Change is not a bad thing, sometime in the future I'm going to need a new bike.

Don't tell Kimmie but....

I've been looking at other bikes.

Maybe it's because spring is just around the corner.  Maybe it's because of my daily commute.  Maybe it's because Sue and company have been pushing me to buy a trike or Cam-Am.  I have to be honest, the Cam-Am idea has grown on me but frankly if I were to buy anything with three wheels it would more likely be a Ural.  It' fits with my "weird" side rather nicely.

Kimmie has been giving me issues lately and is currently in the shop.  A oil leak that I can't identify (originally I thought it was a bad drain plug) resulted in my engine light going off one day last week (I pulled off to the side ASAP and luckily I was near my buddy's Craig's house and he was able to get us home).  Cold weather starts are still a issue and for some reason my "check battery" light came on.

So for these reasons my guys at Affordable Motorsports (my go-to mechanics) are giving her the once over twice.  While their at it I asked them to pull the Tupperware off and give me an idea of the wear on the CVT belt.  This is her second day in the shop.

Depending on the cost of repairs; I'm looking at a couple of different options, although any change is still six to nine months down the road.  While I can certainly afford a new bike, I'm hoping to put it off as long as possible for economic reasons.

I have been "nickle'ed and dime'd" to death on cars in the past and don't want Kimmie to end up costing me more than she is worth,  Kimmie is about seven or eight years old and I've put 20,000 + miles on her in the last 2 years, in addition to wrecking her once.  She's served me very well and I've no desire to get a new bike...but I have to be realistic too.

Truthfully the idea of a manual transmission still scares me a bit.  I just think that with the traffic being what it is in Florida - where one out of every four or five drivers is uninsured - worrying about gearing and such is just an extra burden.

However that also limits my choices.  I also want a little more power than I currently have.  The 500cc of Kimmie has meet my needs and more, but I think a slight tick upward into the 650 to 850cc range is in order.  My choices narrow even more.

Here is a rough idea of the bikes that I'm looking at.  They are in no particular order and the links are all to the newest models.  It makes more sense to buy used but again if I buy new then I know exactly what maintenance was done when and who did it.

Suzuki Burgman 650 - The granddaddy of all maxi scoots!  Storage and comfort at a semi-hefty price although their are lots of options available.  Plus, honestly I'm leaning more towards an "actual motorcycle".  The secondary market is great for a Burgman however.

Aprilla Mana 850 - An automatic motorcycle with paddle shifters. I have mixed emotions about this one.  While I like a lot of what it has to offer, it's also a bit pricey and the reviews don't seem that great.

Honda CTX - probably my favorite.  ABS and a good price although limited options.  Storage is non existent.

Honda CTX - thanks to Honda for the pic

BMW GT 650 - Pricey but a lot of options.  ABS is standard and it's probably the only "beamer" I'll ever own.

Kymco Myroad 700i - Well Kimmie's bigger better sister (Myra?) has a bigger engine, the ergonomics and storage are still an issue for me.

Triumph Bonneville - OK, not really an automatic but that lovely classic design and the secondary market is full of them.  Again no storage.

Royal Enfield - Again not automatic, or even that powerful (it's only 500cc) and would probably be better suited to life in the city.  Not the long commute I have now.  Still its a great looking bike and they even make a diesel model!  Who knows if we will ever see it in America.

In the end though it will come down to form vs function.  What is going to meet my needs and satisfy my soul.  So the Honda CTX, just may be my next bike.  Of course it all depends on how Kimmie heals.

What a difference a day makes.

So let me paint you a picture.

I'm running late since I can't find my security badge to get into work.  I'm also running late because I got interested in learning about the best burger in Tucson (Yea Road Pickle crew I'm blaming you!).  Jumping on Kimmie and speeding off I got stuck behind a box truck doing about 65 miles per hour, which was actually a blessing because someone did not put full in her and the fuel gauge light was glaring at me with one yellow angry eye.

I hate to draft off of a truck.  It's dangerous and stupid and goes against every safety protocol I can think of.  Yet here I am, drafting behind him at 65 mph watching my revs drop into the 5K range, keeping the engine from doing that much work and extending my fuel economy some.  When I finally do pull into the petrol station I'm on fumes again.

Lately I've been using the highest octane I can, hoping that it might solve; at least in part, my starting issues but instead my fuel economy - which is normally around 53 miles per gallon - drop drastically.  Currently I'm only in the mid to high 40 range, which I can contribute some of that drop to the stop and go traffic of city living.

 Somehow I still managed to make it to my job with about 5 minutes to spare...and the day, although long, was a good one.

I got out before the rush hour started in earnest.  I considered taking the highway home but didn't like the idea of dealing with traffic, my normal way home would involve a lot of traffic lights...again not my first choice.

So I took the long way home, which lead onto easy twists and turns and past various farms, shrub lands and across the river  It took me close to 90 minutes to get home, but I was in no hurry.  Daylight savings time put the sun at my back and it was a warm day, so warm that I actually felt a chill entering into a slight valley shaded by trees.

Again I think that I need to just say "fudge it" and keep a small digital camera on me at all times.  Who would believe that I entered a tunnel of trees that actually bent over the roadway?  Or that some poor soul hit a cow which was now laying dead on the side of the road?  It's an odd thought to want to pull over and take a picture of it.  I felt bad for the cow and worse for what ever hit it.

I'm an introvert, living inside my head normally.  So it's nice to drop work off at the door, to let my financial future take care of itself and just get out for a bit.  I needed today and it's hard to turn the bike into the driveway after a ride like that.

Last year and this year have been rough, but things do get better.

In search of the missing spark plug.

It was a brilliant day.  The weather was a very comfortable 75 degrees (23 C) and the sun was shining.  Susan's friend Craig, who rides a 10 year old Harley Road King, was going to help me with the battery change out and while we are at it, probably a oil change as well.

Afterwards we had plans for lunch and then ride the southern part of the Green Swamp trail.  Had it really been two years since I last rode the southern part of it?

I had purchased a battery from Amazon and although it was recommend that I get a gel type battery from the Kymco Forums, I went with the maintenance free chemical battery from YUASA (model # YTX14-BS) although it occurred to me after reading the instructions that I may need to buy a tender later.  Such is life.

Step one...Getting the old battery out.  Surprisingly simple.

Step two...Set up the new battery by adding sulfuric acid.  Done easily enough and included some "Breaking Bad" jokes as well.

Step three...Put the new battery in.  Again no issues.

Step four...Turn on the bike and start her up.  Nothing happens.

a)  repeat step four.  Same result.

b)  repeat step four.  Same result.

c)  repeat step four.  Same result.

Step five...Stroke beard with thoughtful "WTF" expression on face.

The bike would turn over but not start.  It wasn't the battery of that I was positive.  Which brought us to a couple of options.  The spark plug was bad or it was either a bad fuel line, fuel filter or fuel pump or all of the above.

Craig and I turned to the internet.  We figured the spark plug would be the easiest thing to fix...only we could not find the plug.  Frankly ripping off the various plastics that make up the Kymco appealed to neither of us.  We knew the info we needed was somewhere.

Craig being helpful.

I love this quote we came across in one form or another on various sites, forums and discussion boards.  Even my local mechanic who I called for help said it.  "The Kymco is a well put together bike but a bitch to work on."

Well that's encouraging.

One hour goes by, now two, plastic pieces are slowly growing in my driveway and we still can't find the spark plug.    Instead of being frustrated I was actually enjoying myself.  It's not often that I get my hands dirty with a technical problem and my mind was engaged.  Craig is also an engineer and we were thinking along the same lines.  We still could not find that damn spark plug.

Making an educated guess, we decided to spray some starter fluid into the carb and see if that would get the bike to turn over.  We rocked it onto the center stand and opened up the carborator but before even spraying the starter fluid in Craig said:  "Try starting it now...just for shit and giggles."

VROOM!!!!   Over and over again she started right up.

"Vapor lock?" I said.  "Vapor lock." He said.

It seems like the local explanation.  It would explain why the bike would not start at all during the cooler temperatures of December.  Why I had the intermittent stalling while sitting in traffic.  Why the bike would suddenly start up after being moved about or rocked onto the center stand.  Why we were having such a hard time starting it.

The good news is that it's a relative easy issue to fix.  I am still going to take the bike in to the local mechanics had have them due a full tune-up.  Let them find the damn spark plug (which I found out is accessible by removing the plastic from the center hump and the use of a 10 mm ratchet on two or three extensions).

It started after that several times without issue.  I did get a chance to ride it as I had a change in plans and had to pick up a friend from the airport which was totally unexpected.  It sat all day, then at 8 PM tonight...started right up.

I know I needed a new back tire, so I ordered that and will wait till it's in before taking the bike to be serviced.  Might was well get it all done at once, including the oil change.  I had been putting off a tire due to no good reason.  Now I had no excuse.  I decided to go with the Michelin City Grips because I've heard good things about them on the forums.  Now lets see if they are worth it.

I'm going to ride tomorrow and the next day, the bike should be going into the shop on Thursday.  This is getting to be an expensive experience.

Happy Holidays and an update....

First Off....Happy Holiday's from the Wilson household.  We wish you and yours a safe and happy New Year

Now on with this weeks exciting adventure:

I thought Kimmie was dead.  She had been sitting for two weeks or so, absolutely not turning over until I had to move some boxes into the nearby shed, so I had to move the bike.  Guess who turned over.

I took her out Saturday afternoon, it was a beautiful day in the low 70's (20's C), and she run fine.  The only issue I had is a persistent hacking cough which I was afraid I would aggravate if I rode to long, to far.  So I put a little under 50 miles on her and called it a day.  Sunday it rained all day, so I didn't do any riding at all.

The new battery arrived late Saturday afternoon but due to other commitments it seemed unlikely that I would be able to install it till after the Christmas holiday. Not that I expected to get that much riding in between now and the end of the year.  Partially due to weather, for example we were expecting a 90% chance of rain as I sit and type this.  Partially due to whatever illness I had still lingered in my system.

Still though I was looking forward to getting the battery installed and moving down the road.  2014 generally speaking was a long and hard year for me.  The new battery, a new heart for Kimmie represented new opportunity...and a new mechanical skill to put under my proverbial tool belt.  The next job will most likely be the CVT belt.

I did decide however to try and ride her as much as I could between now and the new year.  I'm not sure how many miles I put on her in 2014, all I do know is that they were not enough.  I will never understand how someone can let a bike sit, and this year it seemed that Kimmie did a lot of sitting.

So yes, I'm looking forward to next year.  I'm looking forward to putting a few more thousands of miles on Kimmie.  I'm looking for adventure...in what ever comes our way.  :P