Total Motorcycle Community Forums

I got really bored and decided to rejoin the Myspace collective. I haven't been able to set up the username I want yet, but this link should take you there: Myspace link

Nice pics. Seeing them took me back to living in WA.

On the ride to work today I found out just how invisible I am.
Four way stop light. I was going straight from the left/straight lane, there is also a dedicated right turn lane. Traffic was light. I was stopped behind a Geo Metro at the red light. Just as out light turned green, a middle aged Asian woman in a red Camry pulled up on the cross street, wanting to make a right into the direction I was headed. My light turns, Metro goes left, I go straight, and the woman starts to pull for my lane while looking straight through me. I actually managed to find my horn, she got stopped just before she entered my lane. If I hadn't honked I would have had to get on the brakes hard to stay out of her bumper.

I put in paperwork today to cash in 100 hours of paid time off. I should have the V-Strom paid off next month.

Just over 2900 miles on the Strom now. I really need to adjust the chain.

I looked at a Kilimanjaro jacket last week. I wasn't all that impressed with the fit. I do need a warmer, drier jacket. Next month I'll probably wind up getting the Kilimanjaro. I need gloves too. It's getting a bit chilly here, especially when I'm headed home at night.

I've got over 10,000 hits on this blog now. I'm really impressed, and just a bit humbled. I guess some of you guys actually like to read my scribblings. Thanks.

Your scribblings are rather interesting usually! Plus, when I read them I can pretend as though I have a motorcycle too!
Wrider

This morning I was reminded that:

Wet roads
+
Sunny skies
=
Eye watering, retina scorching glare off the road.

Yesterday I realized that the $800 check I had mailed off to HSBC a couple weeks ago never got cashed. The due date was the 27th. Crap.
I called the customer service line, managed to find a menu option that took me to a real person. The rep verified that they had not received the payment yet, and that they had assessed a $39 late fee to my account. She basically told me that there was nothing she could do, and if I didn't make at least the $59 minimum payment by the next billing cycle, the 5th, they would send my account to collections.
I was lucky that I caught it when I did. They want $15 to make a payment over the phone, so I drove to my parents house to steal the internet. I signed up for the online service, and made the payment of $59. If I'd waited till today I would have had to pay a fee for expedited payment.
Now I'm hoping that the Postal Service un-loses my check. I really don't want to go through the process of canceling that check, especially as my bank would assess me another fee.

I always thought that if you gave your credit card company a heads up, they would work with you. Not so with HSBC. No mercy.

Friday I picked up a FirstGear Kilimanjaro 4.0 Jacket in lookatme red. I also bought a pair of Tour Master Polar-Tex gloves.

My first impression of the jacket was, "Wow, that's bulky". It is quite heavy as well. I kind of look like the Michelin Man when I've got it on. All that bulk and weight does make it quite warm, I was comfortable this morning at 48*F.
I do take issue with the sizing of the jacket, I needed a large for the length in the sleeves, but it was cut for someone 20 pounds heavier than I. That leaves some room at the waist for cold air to sneak into, even with the belts cinched tight as they will go. I'm a skinny SOB, so your mileage may vary.
The jacket has a ton of pockets, I've found seven so far. They seem to seal well, so water leakage shouldn't be much of an issue. Accessibility is not great with gloves on, the pockets mostly have zippers with rather small pulls. There are a couple that are secured with velcro alone, those aren't bad to get at.
The jacket liner is cheap compared to the rest of the jacket. It's a zip-up jacket made of fleece, with a few loops to attach it to the jacket. It was very baggy on me, I'm almost inclined to replace it with something that is a bit more functional. The one nice thing I noticed about it was that the sleeves are lined with nylon, making it easier to get into and out of.
The jacket did well when I rode through 20-30 minutes of light rain on the freeway, nothing leaked and the shell repels water rather than absorbing it.
Aside from the cheap liner and limited sizing options this is a nice jacket. It's much warmer than my Fieldsheer jacket, and will serve far better in inclement weather. It has broadened my comfort zone by 5-10*, I anticipate being able to ride comfortably at 40*F now. I paid $270 for it, $100 cheaper than the Darien jacket. I think it's a decent deal for the money.

As for the gloves:
The gloves are fairly warm, they are also quite thick. The padding in the palms is thick enough to make me feel "disconnected" from the bike, I can't feel the controls as well as I like. It's tolerable on the highway, less so in heavy traffic or through town. They are waterproof, apparently due to a plastic liner. These gloves do not breath well. The insides are lined with a micro fleece that sticks quite nicely to damp fingers, making it a chore to get these gloves back on after taking them off for a couple minutes. I don't foresee myself keeping these gloves for more than one season, I'll most likely get nicer ones next year.

My user name should now be "mikevstrom".