Travels of a Squid: Blair's beginning motorcyclist journal

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blair
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#11 Unread post by blair »

The Day of the Delorean

Sunday, 2005-05-01

It's pretty much what you'd expect from the title.

I was cruising (I have a cruiser, so I do cruise) this morning. I made the turn from eastbound Queen Creek Road to northbound Alma School Road, straightened up, started shifting, and checked out my environment.

There, vibrating in my right side mirror, I saw a slim rectangular grille.

I had to shoulder-check to be sure. And there it was, coming up beside me. With its brushed steel showing up my chrome in the sunlight.

Delorean, one each, cherry.

The guys driving it looked like they were too young to get any Back to the Future jokes, so I turned my attention forward and kept riding, shaking my head.

---

I'm still totally useless when it comes to turning off my signal after a turn. I'm focussing so much on accelerating properly, and congratulating myself when I get it lined up in the side of the lane I want, that I just forget.

The idiot-light is placed too low. It's on the console near the fork nut, and it's a blind spot in my vision when I'm watching the road. It blinks, and it's yellow, and I don't see it until I look at the speedometer. But it isn't a bare LED like the Oil, Temp, and Sidestand indicators; it's got a flat fresnel-like bezel on it, which makes it look cool, but also makes it dim in sunlight.

I think I'll get me a Sonalert beeper and find a way to make it beep with the blink; or wire an LED in parallel and bolt it to the top of the speedo...or wire a relay to a couple of discharge plates under my "O Ring"...

---

lots of other motorcycles out in the sunshine

about half of them waved as we passed each other

dealt with more intersections

caught a few bugs in the neck

biggest scare yet: a pickup towing a small powerboat entering the freeway merged into the lane I was merging into to exit freeway

---

afternoon was more riding

spotted a couple of people on segways; didn't wave

I went to visit a buddy who wasn't home, motored away, ran out of gas a mile later. I realized i'd forgotten the F in FINE-C... it's amazing how far you can go just on the juice in a short piece of fuel hose.

This time I recognized the noises. The amount of pop-pop from the exhaust when decelerating had increased, which I think is going to be my indicator of lowered fuel pressure from now on. Then when it started to go out, I could tell it was fuel and nothing else. I doubt I'll ever be able to do the trick of reaching down while rolling and switching to reserve, because it seems to take 5-6 pumps on the starter button to get the flow going again. I'd rather be at the side of the road dealing with that, just in case it's not the fuel, because I don't want to be coasting and trying to restart for 30 seconds I could be coasting and looking for a way to bail out.
'93 Honda VT600CD Shadow VLX Deluxe

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#12 Unread post by blair »

Monday, 2004/05/02

There's something wrong with my bike's electrical system.

I had to have it towed home (the dealer is closed Mondays or I'd have had them come get it).

After about 40 miles of riding it stalled a couple of times, then it wouldn't start. It had enough juice for lights, but only half a crank. After letting it sit for a while, it started up, but then when I shut down it wouldn't restart. The resting time was just giving the battery a chance to build up a charge it couldn't sustain.

Waiting for the towtruck is a thousand-word story unto itself; suffice to say, if anyone says to use Valley Towing, don't. Ask for anyone else. For every possible reason a towing company could be wrong without actually damaging your bike (and I consider it pure luck that they didn't).
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#13 Unread post by blair »

Tuesday, 2005/05/03

I called the dealer.

He didn't seem surprised that the bike died. And he let on why.

They had actually tested this problem on this bike before. Rode it around for a while to see if it would stall and not start. They couldn't replicate it. And hadn't fixed it. Before they sold it to me.

What the hell?

On top of that, I discovered that when they replaced the battery on Saturday they hadn't bolted one of the headers on properly. One nut was halfway off its stud, and there was no nut on the other stud. Didn't make the bike sound that much louder (which tells you about these pipes), but that can't be good in any case.

I'm going to insist they start replacing parts until it works perfectly, and if they don't, they're going to buy the bike back and I'm reporting the whole thing.

I had left the bike plugged into the Battery Minder overnight and it charged fine. So I drove it around for a bit to get near to where it might conk out, then went to the dealer. They drove it around until it did conk out.

So they proposed a few things and kept it again.
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#14 Unread post by blair »

Wednesday, 2005/05/04 - Thursday, 2005/05/05

Whaddaya know.

They fixed it.

Turns out at some time in the past someone had reinstalled the regulator with the wires running under instead of over, so the wires had rubbed against the chain.

The insulation had been rubbed off, and one wire was both shorting and losing continuity at different times. Which led to glitches when accelerating, causing me to stall more often. And it kept the battery from charging properly, which is why the bike eventually wouldn't start after it stalled.

I got the bike back on Wednesday, but couldn't ride then or Thursday because I had some sort of virus that was kicking my butt and making me too dizzy to walk.
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#15 Unread post by blair »

Friday, 2005/05/06

Got out this morning for a bit, and again for lunch. About an hour and a half and 60 miles, and another hilarious $4 fill-up at the pump.

The bike was much more reliable on takeoff. Only one stall, and I know it was my fault.

Kind of chilly today, and windy. Almost midwestern.

Saw the coolest wave yet: A guy on a Harley who gave two fingers low while making a left turn.

I'm getting very good at holding my line in long curves, and I'm doing okay in sharp turns. Making a right turn immediately after a stop is still a trick. I cross into the other lane most times. I should probably cheat my angle to the right before stopping.

It's hard to believe, but I've gotten even worse with cancelling my signals. I'm paying better attention to the road and less to the instruments, so I don't see the idiot light for a long time.

But I've noticed I'm not the only one. I followed another guy who left his on for at least a mile. It looks more funny than stupid when you know what's going on, but most people don't, so it must look stupid on average.

High speeds come easy now. 55 is pretty much "cruising". 65 would be tolerable but the wind is just annoying.

I've installed saddlebags on my tail, so now I can use my bike for minor errands, which will help get me on it more often.
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#16 Unread post by blair »

Tuesday, 2005/05/10

First ride in several days. I've had this virus or bacterial infection or whatever it is and it makes me dizzy so I've avoided the risk of vertigo on my bike.

Just around the corner for gas and back (the long way). I'm going to have to get a leather jacket; even when it's nearly 80 the wind-chill feels like sitting under an A/C vent.

I've gotten a lot more relaxed on the bike. Minor control movements are effortless and the bike feels weightless under me when I'm cruising.

Three more days of antibiotics then up to five more days for them to finish working; then I'll be doing as much riding as I can stand. I'll probably go out more before that, but it's up in the air. I don't want to miss the sweet-spot I'm expecting in the weather, where there's no chill at highway speed and it's not hot like an oven yet.
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#17 Unread post by blair »

Saturday, 2005/05/14

I've actually been riding most days since Tuesday. And it's getting a lot easier.

I'm aggressive off the line, even if I have to turn; so I don't stall any more.

I'm also cancelling the signal immediately after turns, usually.

Spent some time in a parking lot practicing U-turns Thursday. They're a lot harder on my 600 than they were on the 250 in MSF BRC. I have them down under 30-foot diameter, though. Maybe 25 feet (2.5 parking spaces). I couldn't pass the test on this bike, that's for sure.

I kinda soaked the outside of the gas tank filling up today. Tried to top off, and didn't hold the nozzle down far enough.

My dark-tinted face shield has made its debut. I don't ride at night yet, and it helps reduce squinting in the Arizona sun.

And I'm finding there's always a longer way to get home.
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#18 Unread post by blair »

Sunday, 2005/05/15

Too, too, too funny.

I was having a great day on my bike (sorry if that's a tautology to you).

I decided to loop around Tempe and come home the way I was going the other week when it stalled and I had to get it towed.

I got to "that stop sign", and guess what.

Yup. Stalled it but good.

I was laughing so hard I almost didn't get it started again.

My only stall today.

The motorcycling gods are funny, funny guys.
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#19 Unread post by blair »

Monday, 2005/05/16

Well, hey! Another first. And this time a GOOD one.

I was riding east on Southern, and I noticed my bike was slowly losing power. The rpms were dropping bit by bit, and I was rolling on the throttle more and more.

It'd been about 100 miles since my last fillup, so I figured I was losing fuel pressure. In fact, I was hoping it was happening, because I'd been passing gas stations all day waiting for it to happen, so I could learn better what it's like.

So I signalled and got into the empty right lane, just in case.

I leaned over and found the fuel valve, twisted it from ON to RES, and smiled a few seconds later when the gas hit the carb and the horses shot back up to normal.

That's the first time I've switched to reserve without stopping. And next time there won't even be any hesitation. I'll be ready at about 100 miles, I'll be expecting the power bleed, and I can find the valve without looking.

----

I lubed my chain for the first time. Pretty tricky, considering that the chain cleaner and lube were both in spray cans, I have no jack-stand, and I didn't remove any parts.

So I had access to about 12 inches of chain on the bottom loop, and had to back the bike out of the garage a couple of feet at a time to get to the rest of it.

Cleaned a bunch of gunk off, and replaced it with spray-on chain wax. I don't think I did a particularly good job, because of the difficulty accessing it. I think I also left little drops of wax all over my bike's pathway into the garage, which I'm sure are going to get on the tires. What fun it'll be discovering that.

So I've ordered a Rollastand, and when it arrives in a few days, I'll use it. I'll also take off the upper chain guard, and use a proper brush to scrub the rest of the gunk off the chain.
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#20 Unread post by blair »

Tuesday, 2005/05/17 - Friday, 2005/05/20

Lots of miles the past few days. Maybe 300. I'm around 750 total.

My bike is now my primary mode of transportation. I have very little reason to get in my car any more. Going out to bars (I won't drink and ride), going to the gym (my gym bag is too bulky to strap on), and going to the grocery store (my saddlebags are roomy but not that roomy). For everything else, I can find a way for the bike to suffice. And I can always find a longer way to get anywhere, and a farther, funkier place to go.

----

I've switched to short-sleeved shirts (it's over 100 out here now) and the sun is doing a number on my forearms. I've had cyclist tans, golfers' tans, and Teva tans before, but I imagine this might end up one of my most uneven tans ever. I've bought a tube of 30 SPF to keep in my saddlebag all the time. So at least I won't burn too bad. Again.

----

My Rollastand arrived, but I haven't had a chance to use it for serious yet. I tried it out, and it seems to work, although if you don't have the wheel aligned perfectly on it the wheel will slew as you rotate it, limiting how many times you can turn it. So either you have to align it perfectly, or start with the wheel on one side of the roller and let it slew to the other for maximum range. Other than that, it does a fine job and provides access that I can't get any other way. At $65 with tax (in-state website) and delivery, it beats buying a $100+ bike jack just to do a couple of simple tasks. Though, eventually, when I start having to maintain the innards of the bike, I'll get one of those, too.

Oh, and motorcycle tires are filthy. Just a lesson learned.

----

Want to go deaf? Cough inside a 3/4 helmet with a full face shield. Another lesson learned.

----

I'm getting really good coordinating countersteer and balance to make even sharp turns feel effortless. And I've turned in a couple of U-turns that I think would pass in the test box. Getting the confidence to just let the bike go over and not worry that it will hit the deck is significant. But it kinda reminds me of Douglas Adams' recipe for flying: throw yourself at the ground and miss; the trick being to pay no attention to the fact that you're doing it.

Making it look easy makes it easy. Which is probably why motorcycles seem so cool.

----

<i>That</i> stopsign is still my nemesis. I never stall, except there. And this time I was going the other way. It's right next to an El Paso Gas distribution hub. Perhaps there's some sort of energy vortex localized around it. Because it couldn't just be me overthinking the friction zone, no sir...
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