back in the saddle again

...out where a friend is a friend. you know the rest.

i picked up vixen today from aurora suzuki. it took me about an hour on 2 busses to get there, but i think it was worth it. the service there was $100 cheaper than the eastside option, and these guys are friendlier.

she was getting the 11K mile service, even though she's up around 14.4K total. oops. turns out i was a little late. when i went on my lunch break today i actually had two messages waiting for me from the dealer. the first said that, after checking the mileage, it wouldn't hurt to adjust the valves while i have it in. the second said they were done with the basic service. i called back to authorize the valves if they could get it done the same day, which they thought was possible. when i got off work, however, i got another message (i can't answer the phone at work, in case you were wondering. another perk of retail). this one said it would take 2 hours for a 1 hour valve job since they already put everything back together, and that i would be fine for another 3K miles or so. that worked for me, since it saved me another $120 or so. in 3000 miles i might be able to afford that.

anyway, taking her in yesterday was the first time i'd ridden her since returning, so i'd been off the bike for 8 days. that's a lot for me, even when i'm not traveling, and it felt a little odd getting back on. i noticed a few things riding home tonight. first off, she's a lot lighter when she's not loaded down. i probably had around 50 lbs of luggage for the trip, and she's a lot more responsive when it's just me and her. quicker too. also, since i've put the stock windscreen back on (the bikini fairing), i've noticed quite a difference at freeway speeds. yeah, the wind is a little more present but the biggest difference is the noise. it's a lot quieter now than with the touring screen. the shape and height of the tourer aimed an airstream right by my left ear, which made a loud whistling noise. without that airstream it's a lot more pleasant. chalk another one up for the smaller screen.

and, a note about leathers. i love them. they are far better than textile gear. more comfortable, better for warmth and wind without a million layers, and they let a bit of a breeze in (which is good if it's not 40 degrees out). it's been very nice to ride with leathers as opposed to the riding suit. sure, they aren't as waterproof, but so far i haven't had more than a few drops to and from. it's a bit of a risk (it's been cloudy and showering since i've been back) but, then again, riding a bike is a bit of a risk. that's part of the fun. i'll be breaking out the textiles again soon enough, i'm sure, when the winter commuting starts, so i might as well enjoy it while i can.

for a quick note on my adjustment, things are going better. i'm getting back into the things i actually enjoy, and i'm remembering everything i was looking forward to. i'm still not crazy about the job, but it's a job. you don't have to like it. i am still thinking about the next trip, though. i have many ideas floating around, some of which i may be exploring here in the future. my uncle has been trying to convince me to find some sponsors and take off for a year riding around and writing. don't get me wrong, this would be awesome and if anyone wants to sponsor me for this, i am open to it. i just might spend a little time here at home first.

i am going to submit a short piece about my Gorilla gloves to a couple of motorcycle publications. sort of a "solving-problems-on-the-road/look-at-the-crazy-stuff-this-guy-did" kind of piece. short, hopefully a little funny, maybe get it published on a back page somewhere. that would be cool. who knows? i certainly wouldn't be opposed to a little freelancing here and there.

anyway, i'm going to try to keep this blog going as best i can without making it too boring (today i went to work...again), so stay tuned. for now, though, it's good to have my baby back in full working order so's i can start taking her out regularly again.

rftc,

scott