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Friday, January 30, 2009

Be Nice to the Touche

After about 100 miles last Sunday it was clear that the stock seat on the Sportster had to go! We were in the middle of a ride and I was ready to walk home. But since we were still over 50 miles from home, we pulled into J&P Cycles in Ormond Beach and fixed the problem. In the parking lot we ditched the old seat and put on a new cushy Mustang seat; they had it in stock! :) J&P was kind enough to ship the old seat back for free; not that it would have mattered. I'd have left it there for some rodent to call home. So now the box with the evil seat sits in our front hall. Not quite sure what to do with it now; can't imagine anyone who would want it.

So, not bad. In two days I put out a fire on my leg and made a wise investment in my touche.
7:37 pm est

Saturday, January 24, 2009

'Honey, I'm on Fire'

Not quite what you expect to hear from your spouse as you pull up to a light. But, I was. On fire.

I'm certain that more than one person noted how dorky I looked riding home today with my pants tucked inside my boots. But, little did they know I was just trying not to catch on fire again. This was not a fashion statement, it was self preservation.

Today I finally retired the Suzuki and took the Sportster out for it's first ride in traffic. I knew it ran hotter than the little bike, but this is not quite what I expected. I could feel the heat coming off the pipes; not too bad since it was a little chilly on the way home. Then something caught my attention and I looked down at my right foot. I wasn't expecting to see the little bonfire that was going on at my ankles. Apparently the wind was blowing just right and pushing my jeans up against the pipe. Now, I like a good bonfire, but something about this wasn't looking good.

As we pulled up to the light I motioned to Jeff that I had my flasher on. I told him I was turning because I was on fire. Needless to say he looked confused, but followed. As we pulled into a parking lot we confirmed that in fact my pants had caught fire. Hmmm. Now what. The flames were already out, so no fire fighting skills were needed. Time for a fashion move; tuck the pants in!

Despite the flaming incident it was a good ride. The Sportster still feels a little top heavy to me, but it is much bigger than the little bike. I do like the power. I now understand people who told me the power would make it easier to ride than the Suzuki. Not only do I feel more stable in the wind, but I also feel like I have better control over the bike. It was nice to not feel like it was going to choke after 55mph ... just start a fire. :)

I'm not sure about the mid pegs. It is easier to shift, but the brake seems harder to depress. I thought they would be in the way when my feet were down, but in just this short ride I seem to have gotten used to that. The jury is still out on this one.

I can confirm that the seat is not a keeper. It's like sitting on a rock.

Overall it was a good experience today. I was pretty comfortable riding and I like the bike. It felt more like cruising than moped'ing. I felt that I could relax more and enjoy the ride. The grips are thinner and I really like that! The guys at Lucky U also lubed up the clutch for me and it was a non-issue today. Thanks guys!
10:08 pm est

Monday, January 19, 2009

Who brought winter?

Ready to retire the Suzuki and get out the Sportster. Waiting for the weather to warm up; been cold. Should be back in the 70's by the weekend.
8:39 pm est

Monday, January 5, 2009

900 Miles

Yesterday I watched my odometer flip to 900 miles; which means I'd logged over 800 miles on my little Suzuki. After 800 miles I wondered to myself, 'when does the fear go away?'. Maybe never is the right answer, a healthy respect for the dangers of riding is probably good. But I'd welcome if it would at least subside a bit; the death grip is killing me! Though I must admit the death grip became less intense and my hands are thankful for it today.

Jeff asked me tonight what scares me about riding. It's not being hit by another driver; while I am cautious and aware it is not what drives that feeling in my gut when I ride. I am most afraid of falling. I have visions of the bike slipping out from under me. It's the lean. I'm still not comfortable with the lean.

Our ride yesterday took us up 19 to Silver Glen Springs ~ a visit to our old favorite boating spot. (It wasn't Tuesday and Larry wasn't there.) Then we continued on to Salt Springs with hopes for some BBQ. Jeff scoped out the BBQ spots before we left. But after riding back and forth on a couple of roads we determined that the places we were looking for were no longer there.
 
But we had a great ride on a beautiful day. ... did we mention it is January! :) We LOVE Florida!

--K
10:54 pm est


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Welcome to our Site!

From our 'own our own business' life.
In Paris
In Paris after a long flight and no hotel room for several hours.

[UPDATE] February 2010 ~ We are taking a break from work and traveling through New Zealand. We'll be here for a few months and are having a great time. Follow our blog for regular updates. 
 
Hey there, welcome to our website and blog. For those that know us you know that we switch out aspects of our life when things get dull; we plan to live as many different lives as we can before our time is up. For those that don't know us, check out the About page. We're still working on it, but there's a bit of a start there.

Our current life obsession is motorcycling.

A few months ago Jeff decided it was time to fulfill the long time dream to own a Harley. So, we signed up for the motorcycle safety class at the Orlando Harley Dealership. Karen wasn't sure if she was going to ride her own bike or just be a passenger; but regardless, if it was going to be in the garage she needed to know how to ride. So there we were; two graduates and no motorcycles. Flashbacks to our boat life; a boat and no tow vehicle.

Jeff purchased an '06 Road King Police bike and has been working on customizing it. Then he found a Suzuki S40 at a local motorcycle shop and voila! 2 graduates and 2 motorcycles.

Soon enough the 2 turned into 3; a second Harley. But that's another story still to be added to this page. Those who know it already, you can quit laughing now.

For those in the Central Florida area be sure to check out Lucky U Cycles. They are our local shop and the guys are great. They have a shop in Sorrento and one in Wildwood. Tell Jeremy and Ron that we sent you!


This weblog is our online journal. You'll find stories of our travels and adventures.