The Blog of Blues

[JackoftheGreen]

Excited to see you back on the forums, Blues!

No idea on the problem you're having with staying logged in. I use Google Chrome and it works flawlessly, but I do experience exactly the problem you're describing when I try to post from my work computer. Maybe firewall settings?

[blues2cruise]

Maybe...but don't know. I will write it on a word document and then just copy and paste. Then if it goes to log in and it gets lost, I will still have it.

[blues2cruise]

I have been absent from TMW for quite some time. As you know, I retired from my workplace, put my things in storage and sold my motorcycle, and spent 2 years doing house sitting, child minding and roadtripping. I finally settled into a little house in Merritt, BC. I had to leave my home of Vancouver, because housing costs became out of reach for my retirement income.
I had been in Merritt for a little over a year, and although I was making new friends and made visits back to the coast to see family and friends, I felt like something was lacking. So….I started looking for another motorcycle. Someone I knew here, told me about a motorcycle that a friend of hers was selling. I didn’t really want a big cruiser, so I passed it by. My budget was not very big.
I started looking for a dual sport like a 650 V-Strom or smaller cruiser. I discovered that people who list their bikes for sale aren’t really wanting to sell them. One person I contacted, told me his friend was going to borrow the bike for the weekend. Now, my thought is, that if you have a person who has the money to buy your bike, you let them come see it and take their money if they like it. So, I told him, ok, if his friend did not dump it, to let me know on Monday. I did not hear from him, so I continued to look.
Another person I contacted said he needed to do an oil change to get it ready to sell. I said, ok, when can I come and see it. He told me on the weekend. I didn’t hear from him. I messaged him again. He still had not done it.
So…. I contacted the person here in Merritt and went to see his motorcycle. He had had back surgery and was advised not to ride anymore. I bought his 2000 Yamaha V-Star 1100. It was late in the season, but I managed to get in some riding to refresh my skills. I could not believe how badly I rode the first time out. I was not coordinated at all. I rode like a noob.
At least I did not stall it.
It took a few more rides to get my coordination back, but something was still lacking. I rode from Merritt to Spences Bridge one day and the whole ride there I was having trouble with the curves. I honestly did not know what my problem was.
I went to the Packing House for lunch. If you are ever riding through the area it is worth a stop. There is no gas station in Spences Bridge though. You either need to fuel in Lytton or wait until Ashcroft.
Once I started on my way back, it suddenly clicked what I’d been doing wrong. I had forgotten a basic principle. PUSH RIGHT, GO RIGHT. PUSH LEFT, GO LEFT. As you can imagine, my ride back was much better. It was smoother and my confidence was better. I got in one ride to Vancouver and back before I had to park it for the winter.

[JackoftheGreen]

Lovely story Blues, and so glad to see you back with us!

We've become very familiar with the people who aren't actually interested in selling their bikes they've listed. I think a fair percentage of them have been told by their partner they need to sell their "toy", so they list it for a ridiculous price and then feign ignorance when nobody shows up to buy. Or they create whatever other excuse to get out of having to actually sell it, when what they really ought to do is trade the SO for something a little sportier, LoL.

Glad that countersteering has come back to you, it can take some time to dust off those skill sets. Even more impressive is that you considered your rust as something you were doing wrong, as I believe most people would blame the bike/road/weather/immigrants. Kudos to you for the self-reflection.

Looking forward to seeing you again in the threads!

[blues2cruise]

Despite having a cold and cough, I drove 2 hours to the 2020 Vancouver Motorcycle show. (I dosed myself up with some non drowsy cold medicine). I picked up a friend on the way and we spent a few hours at the show. That was all the energy I had.
Here is a link to my short report and a few pictures.
https://www.totalmotorcycle.com/exclusi ... w-reviews/

[ZooTech]

Nice coverage! That Royal Enfield is truly stunning, what a bold move for a factory effort. Goes to show a motorcycle's frame can contribute to its beauty just as much as the bodywork.

[blues2cruise]

So far, this year has not been great. But, finally things started improving which got me out of my slump.
I ordered the new battery.
I gave the bike a good cleaning. Despite being in a shelter, it was very dirty. Merritt is a dusty town. The constant wind blows the dust.
After I installed the battery, I gave the bike a good inspection and tested everything. Amazingly, the air pressure in the tires was right on.

Here are a couple of pictures from today.

TMW.jpg (68.6 KiB) Viewed 24128 times

Gloria at Nicola Lake for TMW.jpg (43.63 KiB) Viewed 24128 times

[JackoftheGreen]

Great shots!

What kind of camera did you use for those pics?

[blues2cruise]

I used my old Nikon dslr 35mm.

[JackoftheGreen]

So jealous!
I've got a Nikon D50 (D100?) with a 1.5f lens, but I think something's wrong with it. I can't get a clear picture in the EVF and every shot I take with it comes out blurry.