The Pale Moonlight

[Apollofrost]

Sorry, *hugs*

[IcyHound]

I saw my first actual new rider on a 600 today.

Choccy and I I where puttering around, headed home and we where at a stop light. Across from us, in the turn lane, a kid putters up something blue. I am pretty sure it was a r6. He has a helmet, shorts, teeshirt and tennis. He is in the exact center of the lane and he keeps slipping. His thin legs looked like a foal, spindly and flailing from side to side as he attempted to stay upright.

We where pretty sure he was going to dump it. He managed to hold it together as he tipped drunkenly back and forth.

Its odd. On another forum we where discussing how people that do not wear gear often treat riders that wear gear like they are stupid morons. Every evening I putter into work and strip off my helmet, gloves, jacket, boots, and over pants. I have a pair of slip on shoes that stay in my locker.

It doesn't occur to me not to dress this way, even with the extra 3 minutes it tacks onto my day. Even when my pants feel a bit binding at my knee.

Its odd being the intelligent stupid one.

[IcyHound]

Riding is going well. Tim had his first accident last week when he wrecked at a slow speed and slid off the road. He was trying a hair pin and didn't have enough speed so eventually tipped over and went down slowly. I wasn't there and he didn't tell me, he gave me the link to his post about it for me to read. Right now he is wearing my old helmet until his new one gets in since he thunked his nicely into the ground. He hit at his temple, that type of hit can knock you out seriously.

Beyond that riding is going well. Its warming up. Some nights are hot, some are cool. Deciding what to wear is a daily task. I'm kinda mentally wrapped up in my next 'goal' which is to lose the weight I've accumulated sitting at a desk and try out for patrol with my department.

I finally finished thinking about it and I'm now ready to 'do' and go forward with the decision. Its not been an easy one to make, its a lot of responsibility and life changes, but I'm pretty sure its what I want.

[IcyHound]

I raced a storm today.

Tim went outside with me to back my bike up so that I could head out. Since the driveway is gravel and I had parked at its back I move it back by walking it. My feet slip when I try to duck walk and the bike sinks into the gravel. I'm trying to avoid dropping it and silly stuff like that.

So we're outside and I see lightening. Woah. Unexpected. The wind picks up and the storm is rolling in from the west. Its still far west, being on the mountain you get that type of thing earlier. We're much higher then the rest of the land.

So I grin at the boyfriend and tell him that I'm going to race the storm. He blows me a kiss, I leap on my bike and take off.

So I drove faster then normal. In fact I blew by one of my co-workers on the way in. Normally I drive about 5-10 over but today I moved a bit faster. The wind licked at my back and I could smell the rain on the air.

Bright, probably not. Fun, yes.

[IcyHound]

I'm at 3k miles.

How do I like my bike?

Not that much.

Its a good bike. It is doing what I want it to do. I just don't care for it.

I dislike the size and shape of the foot pegs. I don't feel like spending money on them. I think the front cowl is ugly and nothing is going to change that.

I wish the gas tank had a hump, I don't know why I just do.

Mine is still spitting coolant. I will ask them to check, yet again, when I take it in for the next oil change. The boyfriends fan broke on its spindle and had to be replaced, under warranty.

His speedo cable had also come lose at a point, but we corrected that.

I haven't fixed my choke lever. Fortunately we found out where it hooks into the bike and I can just slide a finger in and choke the bike that way.

It really is a good bike. The coolant thing has me on edge, as does the fan breaking on his machine. We don't push or abuse them.

I find I also don't like its noise. I guess its the 'buzz' it makes. It sounds like dry metal rubbing together and I keep expecting the engine to go. I know its fine, but the sound makes me worry. I hate when vehicles break down so noises like that put me on edge.

[IcyHound]

The road is fun when you dispatched the state trooper to an accident, units are on a DUI traffic stop and another accident has claimed the rest of the sector units who's area you are driving through. (muahahha).

We had yet another motorcycle incident. I won't call it a collision or a crash or an accident. Someone laid their bike down to avoid a car. Uh huh.

I also did one of my notorious shopping trips. With my backpack already strapped on the bike I added a thing of orange juice, a thing of grape juice, bacon, box of stuffing, 4 cans of soup, a fruit smoothie drink, 3.5lb of cat food, a bag of fruit chips and half a pound of chicken to my load and trundled off home.

On the way up the mountain, moving at a mellow speed I zipped by one of the county cruiser. This was interesting because he was in a tucked in area that had him well off the road. The weirdest part is that it is a very steep part of the mountain there and many people are not speeding because they can't. Normally I zip up it at a pretty good pace, but I was pretty laid back considering how much food was strapped to the bike.

[IcyHound]

I noticed that with the 95 degree weather, almost no one else was riding. The two other bikes I saw where gearless. Interesting.

Anyway, I had finished my sushi, nibbled an Italian ice and was gearing up when a lady toying three kids came over and asked if the kids could look at my bike. I don't actually like children, but I was fine with it. It doesn't hurt me any.

She asks them, "Why do you think she has that heavy jacket on (Its my joe rocket phoenix mesh) when its a billion degrees out?" and the oldest kid goes, "So if she falls blood doesn't get everywhere!". That made me chuckle. I showed them how I also had on armored pants and boots and gloves and how I always wore them because falling hurts and I want to keep myself safe.

They watched me roll out and that was all fun.

After that I rolled out to my training class. I enter the class room all squeaking and swishing and one of the deputies goes, "Aren't you hot in all that?" and I'm like 'Its well vented and without it I can't ride so I'm fine."

And on the way back home, again, just me and my gear. I probably look like a freak to everyone as I zip along.

[Shorts]

"Aren't you hot in all that?"

"...not at __mph."

[jonnythan]

"Aren't you hot in all that?"

"...not at __mph."

I prefer "Thanks for noticing! I worry that people won't be able to tell with all this gear on."

[Veda]

I prefer "Thanks for noticing! I worry that people won't be able to tell with all this gear on."

Haha, I like that one!