MZ33: Taking Aim at Colorado

[MZ33]

I wouldn't be worried about the safety issue with them

Good! I can keep it on my wish list, then! Thank you!

Today, I rode the V Star. Quite different from the Versys, and took some getting used to. For starters, there's a choke. (Whoo-hoo, another pun ) And . . . right. A petcock. I remembered to turn it, but I was going down the highway before I wondered which position I had turned it to: "on" or "reserve." Sorted that out at the next gas station.

Had just gotten the Star back from the shop, where the guys gave it the 8000 mile once over, found that the boots were cracked and that was probably why it was running rough. They replaced those & changed the oil & filter. One of them was even polishing it up for me until I showed up with the Versys. Guess he wasn't willing to polish my husband's ride. They didn't clean the carbs--a miscommunication on one guy's part, I suspect, 'cuz that was my original request. Afterall, I sure didn't suspect a boot. Didn't even know she had boots. They recommended that I run a capful or two of carb cleaner through the gas tank. Web research pointed me in the direction of Seafoam, so that's what I did. But I never got the "excessive fumes" that are supposed to be the hallmark of the stuff. Ran it out on the highway for about 35 miles. Kinda cold: sunny but 43 F. I had taken the windshield off of it because I got the one that neither deflects nor blocks the wind, but rather, points it right at my head and shoulders. It does more harm than good. And noisy? Lord, have mercy. Ear plugs are almost useless when the windshield's on. Anybody want a Chopped Switchblade?? Anyone at all?

It is a fun ride for short distances and slow traffic, but riding it also reinforced that I like the style and ride of the Versys a lot better. Hee hee!

Did I mention that I love my Versys??

[Wrider]

Well glad you got everything back up and running well!
And of course he's not willing to polish your husband's ride, you're a woman on a bike, and he thought you were single!
Oh, and I'm not sure if they explained what the boots were, the little rubber hoses that connect the carbs to the cylinders. Too cracked and it turns into a really lean condition!

Glad you're loving the Versys! There's a reason it won Bike of the Year last year!

[MZ33]

Oh, my, I have been remiss about many things lately, and this blog is certainly among them. I have been out riding, and everytime I go out, I find myself writing my TMW blog in my head. Then I get home and think, heck, no one'll be interested in every little thing I do, plus now I have to actually go to the trouble of typing it up. Then there are the interruptions: someone is at the door right now, so I will work on this again later (but, hopefully, today.)

[MZ33]

Allrighty, then! Another day has passed. It is not too cold to ride if I were Gummiente, but I'm not, so it is. That and the fact that an adequate warm-up will be heading our way tomorrow. The seedlings will remain covered up for one more night, but compared to the rest of the nation, I am not complaining about a couple of 30 degree days.

My biggest problem with the Versys is that it is so much fun to just hop on and go! The reason this is a problem is that I have been neglecting my slow-speed work. I know I should suck up the discipline and go to a parking lot. 800 miles and I've only done that once. My putt-putt posse hasn't been out yet, which is when I would usually practice. ("Putt-putt Posse" is a couple of friends and I who get together on early weekend mornings to practice stuff in parking lots.) Of course, I utilize some of the skills on every ride, but I'm pretty sure I'd increase my proficiency with some intentional practice.

She is one top-heavy bike, I tell ya'. I dropped her once walking her backward out of the garage, when we hit the downhill pitch. Now I make sure that I have a grip fore and aft, and her weight leans a little bit on me when I move her. That works well. But to just grab the handlebars and backup . . . no. I can push her forward that way, but backward needs more stabilization.

I also have to get off when I need to back her up. No tippy-toeing backward. Had to explain to a nice young man who hurried over that I was too lazy to get off before backing her out of the uphill parking space at a gas station. Besides, it looks uncool. Falling over, however, looks worse. Part of the reason for the difficulty is that the foot pegs are right at my ankle bone when I toe down, so I can't get my feet quite as underneath me as I might otherwise. Another reason is that I'm just too damned short.

Right. 'nough of that. Time to go babysit.

[MZ33]

When I married John, I acquired 4 nieces & nephews, now aged 4 to 10. I occasionally baby sit them, although they are technically not babies and I have noticed that I never get to sit. I had the opportunity to watch them for several days. They are really quite good kids--amazingly busy, but well-behaved. I had eyed the collection of bikes in their basement, all in need of some attention, and took the opportunity to bring the kids and their wheels to my house. Their father doesn’t want them pedaling around the street in their neighborhood, and their home, being newer, has a driveway too short for anything. Our house, on the other hand, was built in the 1930’s, when people still put their garages behind the house and shoveled a longer driveway in the winter.

I have never done anything onto my own bicycle other than oil it and keep air in the tires. These had almost no gearing and no brakes, and even getting a tire changed at the local shop would cost 12 dollars. 3 bikes and a tricycle could add up quickly, so I waded in and got them all up and rolling, helmets reassigned and refitted, and training wheels purchased. (These were used bikes and hand-me-downs and didn’t have trainers.) Their dad mentioned offhand that he didn’t “believe” in training wheels. ??? He thinks that kids learn faster without training wheels. That argument might have some merit, if the 10-year-old had ever ridden. She is ten years old and cannot ride a bike. Has never ridden a bike!! Travesty! An outrage! She will have no chance of ever owning a motorcycle at this rate.

So, their bicycles now all line the left side of our garage, along with mine, the V-Star, and the Versys. On the right side we have the planer, the jointer, the table saw, the router table, and the gas grill. Wood is stored overhead and on the left side of the garage, between the bikes and the wall. It’s a one-car (aka “no-car”) garage, so down the center is a little path for access. Surprisingly, it all fits, along with the usual sundry of tools and tool-clutter (you know, screws, and stuff).

We had a flashing taillight put on the V-Star last summer to help with conspicuity, but it is now on the fritz, so I had to take it down to the shop so they could see that it wasn’t working again. Only the right half lights up. It works for a while, then goes out, then comes back, goes out, etc. Now it was not working, and I wanted to take it down to the guys before it changed its mind again. Versys was the last one ridden, so I had to take her out, extract the V-Star, then replace the Versys. With those fabulous, wide, hard side bags that I love so. The table saw has a quilt thrown over it, which, along with protecting the surface, obscures the motor that juts out from the side. It poked one of the side bags hard, since I was moving her back with gusto, and the Versys started leaning hard toward me. There is always, always, a moment in which optimism reigns and I swear that I can still save it, but then . . . I lose the battle. Over she went, on the side where I stood, which really surprised me. I wasn’t really hurt, but my glove was pinned between the bar weight and the handlebar of one of the little bikes. In fact, the Versys and I were piled on top of all the little bikes. I wriggled myself free, left my glove behind, and tried to raise my poor motorcycle. No luck, as I couldn’t get in a position to get my hip or butt against the low side, let alone a place for my legs to walk her up. No way I was going to pull her from the high side. So, I went off to do my errands on John’s bike as planned, and just pretended that the Versys was upright.

It takes me a good 10-15 minutes to get used to the cruiser after being on the Versys. My first thought was that, even though the V-Star wasn’t anywhere near the Versys when it went down, the foot pegs were bent or missing. That’s how far forward the foot pegs were! I used to use them all the time; now I couldn’t find them. And the friction zone? I was constantly over-revving, trying to find it. After comparison, I now think the V-Star doesn’t have a friction zone, it has a friction on/off switch.

When I came back from errands, our neighbor’s car was in the driveway, so I sucked up my pride and asked for help. He had never touched a motorcycle before, and was shocked at how heavy it was. In fact, even with his help, we could only hoist it halfway, then I had to maneuver myself against the low side and walk it upright. And it didn’t come up by itself. The bar end weight and grip were jammed into the drink-holder of one of the bikes, so as we raised it up, an entire 20” bike came up, rising above the handlebars. My Versys looked like it had a big blue bike tumor. We really had to wrestle with it to get it off. Pity I don’t have a picture. It was very strange-looking.

[MZ33]

Ahhh . . . my first whiff of newly-mown grass! Heaven. Smells just accent the outdoorsy-ness of motorcycling, don't they? It was the high point of a drizzly day. No, not even a drizzle, really, more of a heavy mist. Enough to wet the helmet, but not enough to roll off of it. Very strange. I don't remember this being a problem when I've ridden in real rain. Visiblility through the windshield was poor, but relieved at least by intermittantly clearing it off with my hand. I was determined to ride around the neighborhood at least, though, as I wanted to try out my new boots.

My first, authentic motorcycle boots! Yay! Felt sexy just putting on those chunky 2-inch heels. Personally, a lesser heel would suit me just fine, but these fit, and were close-outs for $35. I actually like the heel for Versys. I still don't quite flat-foot, but I'm a lot closer.

I don't like the heels for walking around, however. Went to the Iron Pony, a motorcycle superstore in Columbus, and it wasn't long before the balls of my feet were burning. They hurt for the rest of the day--I'm lucky I didn't get a blister.

John, on the other hand, got a lovely pair of Red Wing pull-ons and happily clumped around with no ill effects. Get what you pay for, I guess.

[Gina]

Hello!

I read your whole blog this morning and enjoyed it. My bike is just a 250 and I don't think I could pick it up by myself. When I dropped it in the field, my husband was right there and picked it up. I should have told him to let me try it. It weighs around 350 lbs--a little under I think.

My brother and his son started riding a few years ago. They had taken the MSF classes and rode quite a few places together. But he said they were just going through town one day and right at a stoplight--his son just dropped his bike and he had to help him get it upright. He said he didn't even understand what happened. I hate that part of it!
My class starts soon and I know you can't guarantee that knowledge will keep you from wrecking or dropping your bike, but I'm tired of learning the hard way and I hope and hope that I'll be able to learn and practice without going down on the pavement during the classes. My sister-in-law wrecked the bike during the MSF classes and never got back on again. (She also turned a riding lawn mower over on herself! Miraculously unhurt both times.)
I can identify with you about the glasses too. I actually had mine rub a big sore on the side of my nose underneath my helmet.
My prayer is that you will have safe and fun rides. And hey, I saw that you were from OH. I was born in Cin.

Gina

[MZ33]

Y'know, odds are excellent that someone in class will drop the bike. Usually, the instructors will demonstrate "the technique" for picking up a bike when that happens. If not, ask them to show you how it's done. There are also youtube videos that show petite little women picking up big ol' Harleys. It's an important skill to have. Bad enough to drop the bike, worse to feel helpless.

[MZ33]

So, last Tuesday I went for a jaunt, knowing a little rain might come my way--but it was warm and my jacket has Rainguard. The rain showed up, but the Rainguard made a spotty appearance. The fact that I have machine washed it, as opposed to “wipe clean with a damp cloth” probably made the difference. But it’s a white jacket!! (Sometimes.) A damp cloth just doesn’t cut it. The end result wasn’t horrible because of the temperature, but riding around in soggy cuffs gets old fast. And my gloves are not waterproof. Not even my Frogg Toggs pants were perfect: they have a hole or two.

The forecast for Friday--International Female Ride Day--had changed from dry to cool and wet. I wanted to ride up to a dealership in Cleveland that is celebrating a bunch of Triumph anniversaries. Clearly, my rain gear needed revisiting. Time to “git to the Pony” as the local ad says.

The Iron Pony is huge. It has an online store, but frequently my purchases are from the gigantic closeout section or on sale, neither of which is refundable. So, if I were not local, I doubt I’d use it much. However, if one is passing through, the Iron Pony is worth stopping for. The rest of Columbus, though pleasant, has little of unique sight-seeing interest. Well, there’s the Concrete Corn Field, aka "CornHenge" :.


Now you've seen our most unique feature!

Thursday, I spent a few hours at the Pony. I really wanted riding pants, but as the Ladies Lounge notes, finding a decent pair to fit is a lifelong quest for some of us. I am disappointed to say that the Pony only had a couple of women’s pants, both of which almost fit. Multi-season pants won’t do it for me, because the fit changes dramatically when the liner is removed. I’ll be damned if I’m gonna pay $180 bucks for something that only fits half the time. I did pick up a pair of waterproof, breathable gloves, and a whole Frogg Togg suit--the top in hi-viz green. Actually called "Road Toad." And got Hubby some new Frogg Togg pants, as well. These are a little heavier-duty than the original. Even if I have to replace them more often than standard rain gear, they are worth it for the light weight and amazing breathability. Additionally, they sell repair kits that include a heat-resistant shield. Got that, too.

Come Friday morning, the world was damp with intermittent showers. No biggie, I was prepared, eager especially to try out the new gloves. Prepared, that is, except for protective pants. oggs are waterproof, but not protective. I gave it some thought, then decided that for 2 hours on a wet expressway, I should put Plan B into effect. Last year, I had bought CE knee armor (at the Pony ) with the hope of making denim chaps. They wouldn't be as good as leather, but come August, more comfortable. It was a bit more daunting a task than I expected. I haven’t discarded the idea entirely, but I have tabled it. I do have leather chaps, but rain + leather = nasty. I decided to at least make inserts for the knee armor into one of my regular jeans. I usually get my jeans from the local thrift store because a) I’m pretty hard on them and b) I’ve gained 30 pounds being married and paying $2 for fat jeans is less depressing than $20-40 for fat jeans.

I happened to be wearing a pair that are baggy in the knees, so I took denim scraps from the chaps project and sewed them inside the knees of said jeans. I wasn’t being fussy because this is just the prototype pair and I really wanted to get going. In fact, I was planning to just sew the guards in and worry about getting them out later. Just finished the first leg when my sister-in-law stopped by. She never gets time to stop , so I was struck by the fact that she did so. I was torn between wanting to get done and get riding, and wanting to spend time with her.

We chatted for a good hour and a half, and by the time she left, it was raining hard. The day would be better spent on the riding pants, so I did ‘em up proper, hand stitching Velcro fasteners into the patches so I could remove the pads, etc. By then, tornado warnings were issued. Ah, well. File this one under "wasn't meant to be."

My apologies to the International Female Ride Day.

[MZ33]

I'm currently at an interesting cyber-cafe in Covington, KY. This morning, I fitted a throttle lock--different from Kaoko, and much cheaper--and was determined to take it for a spin. To Cincinnatti, to be precise. Once there, I couldn't turn down the opportunity to go through a tunnel and take a bridge across the mighty muddy Ohio River, so I here I am in Covington, which is right on the other side.

Interesting little neighborhood, this. It is quaint and seems to have nailed "shabby chic" before Target ever started marketing it. I't's called "Mainstrasse", which is comprised of several older, usually brick homes and buildings, nearly all of which are cutely painted and kind-of landscaped, but each with a wrought iron fence in some state of disrepair. Every other building seems to be for rent, so I'm not sure if this is up-and-coming, or on the downslide. Taverns & pubs abound--all cutely painted and kind-of landscaped--but only one coffee house. Great scone. (Maybe not if one is British, but lovely by American standards.) Wandering around, I overheard a couple of conversations:
"Well, there used to be a communist party here, founded 1932 . . . "
"I've got a couple of hours of day drinking, then I got class, and then I'm planning on a whole lot of night drinking . . . "

Ratio of pubs to coffee house on this block seems to be about 15:1. I'm guessing there is a college somewhere nearby--maybe U of Cinci??

Dilemma: Wandering up toward this cafe, The Bean Haus, I saw a couple of cruisers here and there. I was passing one that had custom, turned-down pipes and an fairly standard flames-on-black paint job, nicely done, when I noticed the headlight was on. Keys were in the ignition, obviously turned on. Oh, dear. I looked around for the owner. Stepped into a couple of the nearest bars, but no luck. What to do? Even nonbikers know not to touch a bike without invitation. But bikers know that those little batteries don't last forever. Ahhh . . . ummm . . . oh, hell. I switched it off, like I was petting a P.O.'d snake: quickly. Looking around, there was still no one around, but I sure felt like Hell's Angels were going to materialize from nowhere--even though I was doing the right thing.

And the throttle lock works great. It's not cruise control, and now I know the difference. The lock isn't tied into the speedometer, and isn't concerned with how fast I want to go. It just holds the throttle where I left it. This one has a little switch on it, which I like, and since I roll off the throttle to reach for the brake, slowing and stopping are no different than before.

But my mirrors are driving me crazy. They work loose and pretty soon I have excellent views either of my helmet or the sides of vehicles I'm passing. I have delayed using loc-tite because I wasn't sure of how I wanted the mirrors angled, but it's getting dangerous now. First thing on the to-do list once I get back home. Speaking of which, time to go.