Saturday, May 21, 2011

baby got back

howdy all,

welcome back. it's been a long winter and, unfortunately, the spring is still being sluggish. i've gotten a few rides in the past few weeks, but not a whole lot. there have been a few noteworthy occasions, however, and those i document here.

first and foremost, it was 70 degrees yesterday! now for the massive readership i have in LA, texas and florida, this may not be a big deal, but up here in sea-town, we haven't hit 70 degree since last november. no joke. it was almost a record (the really sad thing is that it wasn't a record). but 70 degrees it was, and on the bike i was. sadly, i had to work both jobs, but going to work, between jobs and home that evening was an absolute delight. it was really nice to get back on the bike, and i'm pretty confident in saying vixen enjoyed it too. though there was a slight squeak in her brakes, i think she was just whining about being neglected.

especially nice was coming home after the evening shift, across I-90. that little bikini fairing doesn't do a whole lot for wind protection, but last night it just added to the whole experience. the wind on the bridge combined with the speed made it that much more of a thrill. the same feeling a salesman once told me of riding a thruxton: "it feels like you're going about 150 mph with the wind practically ripping you off the bike." awesome. (note: i said it only feels like i was going 150. i obey all traffic laws. promise.)

second bit of awesomeness, vixen now has a bedonkadonk. with yours truly turning another year older, i was treated to an excellent set of new saddlebags, for my long-range adventures. they are ortlieb low-profile dry bags, which are about the best you can get for traveling in not-so-nice weather (which we occasionally get around here). completely waterproof, with more storage than your standard bags for a bike with my exhaust. here are some pictures (the tank bag isn't new, i just needed to figure out how it would all fit):

just as a testament to how much they hold, i threw in a few random items i found in the garage to give them some bulk. in these photos they are holding my jacket, a bicycle helmet, a bungee net, a handlebar bag (again, for a bicycle) and a kryptonite bike lock (yes, i raided my bicycle gear. first time i've used it in years). they didn't even start to feel like they were thinking about getting full. i'm very excited. with this storage, i can opt out of the tank bag entirely if i so desire, leaving that rear seat open for other things such as tents and sleeping bags. why bother with hotels, when the hotel can just travel with you?

so vixen is decked out for travel, and now all i need is time, money and a destination. ah, if only. my september trip still looms large (and hopeful), though there may be a change in final destination. it seems all my friends and family in florida have thoughts of moving out west which, while neat in the long run, spoils my free lodging and entertainment, not to mention free orange juice. so, at the moment i have a few plan Bs on the table. one is north carolina, where my little bro will be going to grad school. another is phoenix, where my best friend from high school lives, whom i haven't seen in far too long (i haven't run this by him yet, so john, if you are reading this, what are you doing in mid september? feel like a visitor?). anyway, options abound, and i'm keeping things open at the moment. at the moment i'm just trying to get more time in around here.

on a slight tangent, a few weeks ago i took my first passenger on vixen, and i have to say results are mixed. while i received no complaints from said accomplice, i found it slightly more uncomfortable than past bikes. the virago and dad's shadow are pieces of cake for plus-ones, you hardly notice them, but sadly not the case for vixen. the rear seat being quite a bit higher than my saddle, there was a lot of pressure put on me and, by proxy, on the tank. the parts of me that happened to be pressing on the tank, well, let's just say that they don't like constant pressure. i was surprised at this experience, because even my old triumph tt was far superior in taking a second, and the rear seat on her was at least as raised as vixen's, if not more so. go figure. granted, we were going up and down a lot of steep hills, and this may have contributed.

anyway, hopefully this is the first in a batch of more regular postings, as the weather (hopefully) improves, and i can start riding more reliably. i checked out some winter gloves today at I-90 motorsports, then realized that i won't need them for another 6 months or so. saved myself a cool $90. bonus.

till next time,

rftc,

scott