Fort King Road (being thankful)

**EDIT**  Please see the bottom half.

I had forgotten this road.

  Like many roads in Florida it is straight, unlike many roads in Florida this one cuts through hilly terrain.  It's not very high, it's peak is only 254 feet above see level making it one of the highest points in Florida.

From the E2E rally 2014

Over the last few days I've been driving this road, running between my home in Zephyrhills to the hospital in Dade City. It's a short run, only 11 miles (17.7 KM) but it feels good to look off to the side and see farmland stretched before me, or two horses galloping about.  A lone plant with golden flowers growing in a otherwise empty field.

I love how I crest a hill and look out over acres of land, how old to realize that yes; your looking at acres of land when you only a few hundred feet above the plains.

I wish I had a camera, other than my phone's, and I vow that in the coming months that is going to be my goal.  To stop and take more pictures of what catches my eye.  To capture moments before they flutter away.

Statue in Plant City.

Since the new year it's been an odd time in the Wilson home, while we are financially stronger then we have been in a long time, what really matters - our health - is low.  Those that I love are frankly not doing very well, I know I still have a cough from the flu I had in December that will not quit. It seems to be aggravated when I ride.

So for now I will be thankful for those moments, those little joyful moments of cows bellowing, of horses leaning on fences and playful light off of the many lakes in Florida.

**EDIT**  I was originally not going into the reason into the trip to the hospital, but since the lovely Susan posted about it on her Facebook page: I feel I can mention it here.  Susan has a variety of medical issues including but not limited to high blood pressure and diabetes (type 2).  Recently we learned that her knee would have to be replaced and she was placed on another medication.  Long story short the meds interacted in such a way as to have her collapse in our driveway.  She ended up in the hospital and was there till Wednesday morning.

I did not ride the bike back and forth but took the car due to a persistent cough.  

We will pay the price, but we will not count the cost.

I suppose it had to be done.  I knew that my bike needed a tune up, after 21 thousand or so odd miles that it was the right thing to do.

I had it confirmed the day I started my bike after putting in the new battery, it sat covered for one day.  It didn't start, I moved it back rocking her gently and then tried again.  My beloved Kimmie started right up.  Vapor lock was looking more and more like the culprit, although the carburetor might be the issue as well?

In no particular order it was time to inspect, clean and adjust the:

Throttle
Carburetor
Brakes
Battery - which was brand new anyway.
Suspension
Nuts and bolts
Wheels and tires
Steering

Ninety nine percent of which I've no clue on how to do.  I had a pretty new air filter in the bike already, and I was perfectly happy to let the mechanic find, clean or freaking replace the spark plug!.

I had my regular mechanic change out the gear oil about a year ago but could not remember how long ago it was, but hey, it could not hurt right?

My normal mechanic would not be able to get to it till the 17th, a full week away.  I had a new Michelin City tire ready to go and with the coming threat of rain all this week, decided to take the bike to Cahills and have the work done there.  If I was caught out in the rain I would rather have a good rear tire on instead of the worn, slick tire I had.

Over all a bit over $250 dollars, including the tire.  The tire run me $80, the battery about $70...so about $400 in three weeks to get the lovely Kimmy up and running again.  

It's not like me to spend that amount of money on anything unless I feel it's worth it.  Or if it's going to last.  Did I mention that I was a cheap son of a bitch?

In this case I guess I felt it was.  

Craig told me it was still cheaper than same service on his Harley.  

It's the first time I've really had a big expense on any of my bikes.  A repair on my previous Burgman would have cost about a grand, which at the time I was considering paying, but the bike was replaced shortly after that.  

Sometimes we pay the price, but we can not count the cost.

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.

Year end wrap up

It's becoming a little tradition here that I look back over the past year and review some of the highlights and the low moments.

First the highlights of 2014:

Ummm......

Well there was the....no.

How about?   No, not that either.

I did manage to go home in April to my beloved City of Bridges but even that was a bittersweet time for me, as I realized just how much things change.

In all honestly the year was not that bad.  Sue and I did get to go to the Pumpkin Festival which ended up being one of the better memories of the year for us.

I made some new friends thanks to a slow ride, but sadly plans to ride with them again have fallen through, hopefully in the new year I'll be able to.  I'm sure I'll be able to.

Overall though the past year just seems to be wash.  I learned some lessons and had some success, at the same time the failures and mistakes I made cost me.  I'm spending the night inside, cleaning up and doing laundry.  It feels right in a way, to end the year by organizing and tidying up.  

The end of the year mileage on Kimmy was 21,736 miles (34,981 KM).  So in twelve months I only managed 6,534 miles (10,515 KM).  I know that is more miles than a lot of riders put on in year.  Still though it's about half of what I normally do.  Most of it was just commuting as well.

Well it's a new year, new challenges and adventures await.  I'm not promising anything, but I think the year is full of promise.

Happy New Year my friends.  May it be a safe one.

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

and just like that....the riding year ends.

Wrapped up and put away.

It was nothing serious.  No crash. No accident.  No fires, earthquakes or plagues of locusts.

It was something I had sensed for some time.  It started when I put my battery on a tender back on Saturday, August 9, 2014.   My battery died.  There is still enough power to turn it over, to make the lights glow...but not enough to have Kimmie roar to life in a way I've become familiar.

A few nights earlier I rode to work on the highway, something I don't like to do, because I was running late...I was late anyway.  A wreck blocked two lanes of the three lane highway and some idiot prevented me from skittering down the shoulder.  Normally I would not do such a thing or even consider it, but I was running late.

So here I am, sitting in traffic...and I stall.  I start, stall, start, stall.  Eventually I get the bike into an open enough area to maintain a speed about 2000 on the tachometer and it holds steady.  I get to work an hour late.  That night, she starts up and away I go.

A few nights where the temperatures fall into the freezing range is all it takes.  She tries, really tries but the heart, the battery, is just not up to the task anymore.  

Then comes a very bad week or two.  Two hospital visits (one involving the lovely Sue which turned out to be a minor issue).  A bout of the flu.  A temporary change for two weeks of my work location to an area of town that frankly I did not feel safe driving my car in, especially after nearly being hit twice in said car.  

No riding probably till close to the end of the year.  Maybe not till the new year.

Sure it be easy to run out and buy a battery or even have the local mechanics pop it in. I considered it, but frankly it was what I needed to push Sue's Christmas gifts into the realm of free shipping on Amazon.  By the time I receive that battery it will be the Holidays.  Another week...another delay...another few days without having my bike under me.

Not the best way to close out 2014, although generally speaking the year SUCKED.  I will not be sad to see it go.

First there was the crash in early January.  Which, while relatively harmless in it's own right, did bring about a lingering injury that kept me off the bike for months.  It also exposed an underlying non-crash medical issue that required treatment.  It was not life threatening but suddenly I find that I am very, very mortal.

It would not be till May when I finally started riding again on a regular basis.  While glad to be back on my beloved Kimmie I was tentative.  The love I used to have for riding just wasn't there.  Although I would regain that love only a few months later...it took longer than I would have liked.

My job did not help as they had me running back and forth between Tampa and Jacksonville, Florida at least three different times for weeks at a time.  I wasn't happy however as I found others with less experience being promoted above me and other issues.  But I stayed and pushed for a better job and more responsibility.

Little did I know that I would be changing jobs in October anyway when a job offer paying 15% more annually (with bonuses) and the title of Assistant Manager fell into my lap.  I have to admit though.  I have questioned my choice to take that job ever since, as the position is stressful and I'm not sure if the job has a good support structure.  Somehow I never pictured being a cubicle farmer was in my future.

In the last month or so it's just been small things, like having to report to another site for two weeks in an area best reached by car.  After this training my shift changes again, back to a more familiar 1 PM to 10 PM, back to empty streets.

I took this job because I understood I would work days only.  Not nights, but I can not complain, I'm still the low man on the totem pole.

So here's to 2014!  May it be better than the last!

Christmas comes early. A review of the Freeze Out jacket and gloves - part 1 of two thing

Okay, it's not THAT bad.

Do not let anyone tell you that Florida does not get cold.

While its true that we don't suffer from sub zero temperatures, or snow and ice for days and weeks on end.  It is a different type of cold.  Our high humidity and often windy conditions make it feel colder than it actually is and that is one of the reasons why hypothermia deaths are so high in Florida.

Despite being born in Pennsylvania I've never grown to like winter or the cold.  While I often joke about it, the truth of the matter is that I always knew I would go south.  The first chance I got after college away I went, and I have never looked back.

While I am no longer commuting back and forth at 1 to 2 AM in the middle of the night, I still have to commute in the dark and at night particularly this time of year.  I am also commuting further and in different types of traffic than I have before.  This is more of a "stop and go" traffic pattern followed by rural stretches at a higher speed.  When I was traveling home in the middle of the night, if I got cold I could easily pull over and add another layer (often I would pull a pair of sweat pants on to keep the legs warm).  Now, sadly, this may not be possible and or dangerous for me to do.

With that in mind Susan bought me three early Christmas presents.  We traveled down to the brick and motor Cycle Gear warehouse (which I admit I forgot was even in Tampa) and she bought me the Freeze Out jacket and gloves.  Of course the temperatures, which had been in the low 40's (5 to 7 C) during the day jumped into the mid 70's (mid 20's C) the second I bought the jacket and gloves.

So, here was the test.  I would wear my normal "summer mesh" jacket to work during the day and wear the Freeze Out jacket home.  The gloves were designed to go under my Fox riding gloves.  The lows for the coming week were predicted to be in the mid 50's (about 12 C), while this would not be much of a test it would at least give me an idea of how the new gear would feel when then temperature dropped even more in January and February.  Of course the temps this whole week were higher than that. 

So much for that idea.

Based on what I read from various forums the gear kept most of the riders warm into the high 30's without much issue.  I was looking for two things.  One:  Would I be chilled when I got home.  While the temperatures involved where not "cold", they were cool.  Would I arrive home feeling like I did not leave the office at all.  Two:  How comfortable would the gear be?  I was particularly interested in how the gloves would feel, as I don't like wearing gloves at all, but know what my hands needed protection.

I guess these things would have to wait. 

The other gift she bought me however was put to use immediately  She bought me a Bilt bike cover as well.  While the bike sits at home it is actually pretty well protected from the elements.  However when I am at work it's not.  This may come in handy when I'm parked there, however so far I've not taken it to work.  For now I believe I'll just continue to  use it at home.