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 MilesYesterday 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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