2009 Year in Review - Looking back on the Rebel

Well, 2010 may just be the year the Rebel goes to some new owner, if the plan plays out as originally created. Sigh. I'll miss that bike and I really hope it goes to some one who will appreciate it as much as I did. It's a great old bike. Those Hondas just keep on rolling. So, this seems like the appropriate time to reflect on all the good times.
The photo above is of the Rebel's speedometer and odometer on September 12, 2009. I bought the GS on September 11, 2009. I put about 15,000 miles on that bike in the 3 years that I rode it. That's pretty darn good! More than I thought I had but I'm not surprised. The commute alone is about 1,000 miles per month if I ride every day.

We didn't do any camping or overnight trips anywhere, although there was one time I left the bike were it was due to the weather. A couple more times I probably should have. We've seen Rocky Mountain National Park, Estes Park a couple of times, been as far south as Castle Rock and as far north as Loveland. Been as far east as that Colfax ride and as far west as the RMNP Alpine visitor's center. Been as high as 11,796 feet at that same visitor's center. Rode in the rain, and the lightning (!), fair weather and foul, dark of night and many sunny days too. Saw dirt, though only in a parking lot. Went two-up with my niece. Carried some large loads but nothing too heavy. Dropped it only twice , in the garage and the driveway, both times forgetting to put the sidestand down. Farkled it up with a windshield, hand guards, spotlights, hard side bags, and various other soft luggage bags. Changed the front and rear tires once each, the chain and sprocket once as well. I think I washed it once or twice. :-)

Looking back, I didn't really have very set goals for 2009. There were two posts but not much content to either. Some vague reference to the unfulfilled mountain pass goal, which remains unfulfilled I think. Technically we did go over a pass, just not a marked one. I was hoping to have a documented pass photo. I'm sure the GS will cover that one for me. And there was another vague reference to making a long trip, another unfulfilled goal that I plan to meet on the GS. So, I guess, 2009 was more about the ride than about the destination.

I enjoyed it for the most part. I do recall a lot of thinking about the GS and feeling as though I'd "out grown" the Rebel. But, also, at the same time, feeling as though the Rebel was the perfect bike for me in a lot of ways. It did everything I asked it to do. Never left me stranded. Didn't cost much to maintain. And, I really had fun riding it. The GS has taken that to a whole new level though. The riding style is more comfortable. It's brand new, which is fabulous. But, in general, I think it will meet all of the same requirements that the Rebel did, aside from being cheap to maintain of course. (I'll certainly miss that part!)

Here are a couple of shots from my last ride on the Rebel. This was a ride to an off site staff meeting up the canyon a bit from Boulder. For some reason I didn't even blog about it. Two weeks later, I bought the GS.

The road is calling and the Rebel is ready. In a couple of months, it may have it's own Craig's List ad out there. I'll link to it here when that happens.

Happy New Year! Keep the shiny side up!

:-)

Its (nearly) aliiiive!!!!!!

Moto Photo Blog-o-Rama: Canyons, Chasms, Mountains

Rocky Mountain National Park, me and my 450 Rebel, hubby's CX 500. That was a nice ride and was our longest ride at the time at a little over 100 miles. :-)

I saw this photo theme on: http://bolty.net/

Tha Dance of the Rebels

My lovely hubby has been hard at work on the two parts bike Rebels. You may recall, we purchased a non-running 450 a year or more ago. The idea was it would be spare parts for the daily runner. Or, if we felt so inspired, a practice wrenching bike for me, or even better, a bike hubby could get going for us to sell. Of course, it sat for a while before any of those things came to pass. We did scavenge a few parts from it here and there though. Then, we purchased another 450 for parts. This one had been wrecked in the late 1990s but did have a running engine. No title with it but the first parts bike did come with a title. So, the new plan was to swap out all the good parts to make the titled parts bike a runner. That is where we are now. (And by we, I mean hubby.)
Above is the wrecked bike as hubby was preparing to remove the engine. The original owner (who I think bought it new) t-boned a car. The forks are mashed, the front fender was mangled (long since tossed by us), the gas tank has a massive dent in it where the rider landed on it (ouch!), and once the engine was out, we discovered a crack in the frame.

Below is the parts bike with the engine, among other things, already removed. Hubby thinks the engine is fine and that the starter might be bad. So, he is swapping out all of the keyed bits from the wrecked bike.

Both bikes came with trashed gas tanks. The parts bike had a tank from a 250 that was rusty and had many dents in it. I gave that to some one for the cost of shipping. The wrecked bike, in addition to the big dent, was also rusty inside. This bike had been stored outside since the wreck. Hubby said there was water coming from some of the parts as he removed them. All in all, the thing is in pretty good shape though. Mostly cosmetic issues aside from the wrecked issues. Between the two bikes, there is definitely a very nice running 450 in there. They both had very low miles as well. We'll need to replace the front tire but the rear was brand new when we got the parts bike. So, we'll leave that up to the next owner I think.

Below is the parts bike with the new engine in it. We plan to use the Tank brand gas tank that I bought new last year. (It's not attached yet.) They now have the console in stock so I should probably order one before they raise the prices again. I'll be glad not to need to do business with them any more. What a pain.


Oh, in the midst of this project, hubby also replaced the rear shocks on my daily runner with a pair from one of these parts bikes. He's so fabulous!

There's more completed since these photos were taken so I'll try to keep the updates coming. I'm hoping this blog will be a nice resource for anyone interested in buying one of these 450s. Hubby works faster than I can get photos documenting the job. :-)

G650GS: There and Back Again

So, my new bike deserves a new blog. Plus, this blog is all about the Rebel, so I don't want to steal it's thunder. :-)
http://g650gs.blogspot.com/
Not much there yet but there will be. :-)

Got a new bike!!!!!

2009 BMW G650GS

Oil Leak

See the bolt to the left of center? See the drop of oil clinging to it? And the spot of oil below on the lever? It runs down the lever to the end and drips. Not a lot. That spot in the bottom image is after it sat all day. But, I think most of it comes off as I'm riding. You can see it all caked on the sides of the engine. It's also all over the front and underneath. Bummer. Should probably pay more attention to this. Especially since this isn't new. :-(

It's not the years, honey, it's the mileage.

So, I've been riding now for 3 years. I bought the 450 Rebel on July 28, 2006. I saved the email from the transaction, which is also why I know I have put about 14,840 miles on the bike since I've owned it. It has occurred to me that I have a different level of comfort on the the bike this year. I've never felt very intimidated by my bike. I'd learned to ride years before so I didn't really have that anxiety about it when I got it. I knew I liked riding before I got the Rebel. It's always fit me very well too. I can flat foot it which means I can comfortably move it around without dropping it (usually). Or if I drop it, which hasn't happened since that first year, it's because I did something dumb, like forget to put the side stand down. My lovely hubby has customized it to my desired needs or wants. :-) He's the most fabulous hubby of all! :-) It has become "mine" and I feel very in control and comfortable on it.

The thing that is different for me this year is something more vague. Most of the time, after a ride, I'd come home and talk to my hubby about it. We'd basically have a debriefing to discuss the ride with each other. It could be good or bad things that happened, how we'd change what we did or didn't do, situations that we should continue to watch out for, that sort of thing. For me especially, this was part of the learning process. Riding, for me, isn't just the act itself. It is about being able to understand what's going on around you, and understand how your actions create reactions or put you in situations to make the ride better or worse. It is the ability to control your own situation to create a better one. (I think that's what I'm trying to say although that might be a bit too deep.)

This year, I haven't felt the need to debrief as much after every ride. Maybe it's because I'm riding more and after a while it all sounds the same. I think it's because, I feel more comfortable and in control of my riding than I did previously. We do have discussions about specific situations - the day I rode home in the lightning storm was one example. But, not so much after every ride. Now I just enjoy the ride and don't feel as though every day is a learning experience. Most days now, it's just fun to ride. :-)

That's not to say that I think I've learned it all. That will never happen for me. I'm not that kind of person who thinks I can't learn something every day. In fact, I think now would be the perfect time to take a more advanced motorcycle course. I'm starting to feel comfortable and that's when my mind starts to wander and I drop my guard for a second. That's when things can go wrong. I think it was the Hurt Report that mentioned the group of riders most likely to get into an accident had a smaller cc bike and had 3-5 years of experience.

So, now my challenge is to pay closer attention to myself. How do I get from point A to point B? Am I listening and looking? Am I still scanning well ahead? Did I even see that car behind me? How long has that Don't Walk sign been flashing? The bike I can control. It's all the other things around me that I can't. It is time to refocus my learning so I can continue to enjoy the ride.

PS
Name that movie quote in the title of this blog post!

New Moto Parking

We have successfully petitioned for more motorcycle parking at work! Woot!

A month or two ago a bunch of us who ride to work sent emails and filled out the online comment form to ask if we could get more parking closer to our buildings. This summer has been a very active motorcycling season at work. Many more motos are parked in the two lots closest to our building. Each lot has six spaces. One is right in front of my building. The other is a bit farther away but not terribly so. But the farther lot is in the same lot where the CU buses park. Their spaces block access to some of these moto parking spaces like this:



I took this photo last week. That's mine on the end. Notice it isn't technically in a spot (no line on the outside). There was one spot left in the farther lot and I couldn't get into it because of the bus parked in it's spot. So, I took this photo with my camera phone and sent another email to parking services. That same day, I got a reply. The person I emailed is listed as the point of contact for new parking lots. She replied that after coming out to evaluate the spaces, they were going to add more spaces to this particular lot (on the end where I am in the photo). They also said they'd make an exception to the university rule of only creating moto parking on concrete lots and add a new lot on the existing car asphalt lot adjacent to this one (in the photo). AND they said they'd do it next week.

That was last week. Today on my way home I swung by this lot to see if they'd added the spaces. They did!!



They'd said they would angle the lines to make access easier so I'll follow up about that. And there is the curb to contend with. But, I think it is absolutely fabulous that they listened to our concerns, came out to assess it, created a solution, and acted on it so quickly. Awesome!

And here is the new lot:

New rear tire!

Yesterday I got a new rear tire at Colorado Powersports. They have a deal that if you buy the tire there, you get free mounting and labor. My new Dunlop 404 was $123 out the door. The cost of the tire plus the disposal fee was all I paid. And it was done by 2:00. This place happens to be close to my office. I drop it off first thing in the morning (9am) and they get it done by the end of the day. Very friendly folks too. No snide remarks or turned up noses at the 86 Rebel. I have had other Honda dealerships do those things when I've mentioned the type of bike.

When I picked it up yesterday, I paid my ticket and the service guy said he'd meet me out front with the bike. So, I walked out to gate, which is a private gate so you can't see any of the bikes behind it. He fired it up and that familiar engine sound made me smile. It isn't a hum or even a whine but something in between. I've not heard other bikes sound like mine and it dawned on me that I've never heard any other Rebels running. Weird. Anyway, no matter how much I want that BMW, this Rebel sure does make me happy.

After I got home I kept looking at the bike because something seemed off some how. I walked around it, looked it over, and then it hit me. They washed it! The air filter cover and battery cover were both so shiny. It was weird. Hubby said maybe they just didn't want to get dirt on themselves. They didn't wash the whole bike just wiped down the tank, and some shiny bits.

Very cool shop if you are in the neighborhood.

Cool mornings

Ah, the past few days have been very cool and great for riding. Well, except for the late evening thunder and lightning storms. Could definitely do without those. Supposed to warm back up into the 80s the rest of the week.

I have plans to get a new back tire this week. I think I need to find a twistier way to work. I've still got lots of nice tread on the sides but not much at all down the middle. Bummer. Otherwise, it's a perfectly good tire. ;-)

Getting a new helmet!

I've had this great Icon Airframe helmet since Christmas. It was a gift from my father. It is a fabulous fit and quite comfy. Recently though, the snaps that hold the liner in place have been failing to do that. So, sometimes when I put it on, the back end comes undone and pokes me in the head. So, on the advice of Mary at Motogear Outlet, I called the shop where I bought it. Icon has warranty coverage for helmets. GForce Powersports in Lakewood called their Icon rep and then called me right back to say they'd order a new helmet. Julie said it should be in the shop in a week and a half and I can bring my other one in to make the trade. Sweet! What awesome customer service all around!! :-) Now I'll need a new fleur de lis reflective sticker to put on the back of the new helmet. I should also remember to take off the sunblocker from the shield.

ABQ here we come.... maybe next time...

My sister-in-law emailed me yesterday and asked if I wanted to take the next two days off and ride to Albuquerque with her. She was packing for a drive down and thought it would be fun to ride instead. I didn't say no right away but my little adult on my shoulder hesitated. We discussed it back and forth and decided to wait for hubby to tell us if he could go. He couldn't. So, I said no. I learned that we don't have emergency roadside assistance for the motos, only for the cars. So that was one thing. I'm not a wrencher. Even though I am confident in my bike, it's never done a 500 mile trip before, and neither have I for that matter. It was pretty late in the evening before we got home and I hadn't had time to pack yet. It would be a 4 day adventure and I wasn't sure what else I had planned for the weekend. (My sister and I have actually made plans to run stairs at Red Rocks on Saturday.) So, I chickened out. :-(

I hope we get to do it as a group though with our husbands along as well. It is definitely on the ride to do list. Hubby needs more lead time to take time off from his job. Me, not so much. An email in the morning is usually ok, if nothing is going on. Sigh. Now I wish I were on the road.... Although, after the ride in the storm last night, I'm actually glad to be off the moto for a bit.

That reminds me, I need to look into some emergency roadside assistance insurance for the motos.

Lightning storm!!

Holy smokes!! Well, fortunately, not literally, but way too close for comfort.

We had an after work bbq yesterday in Boulder. Hubby came out as well. It was a beautiful and hot day, perfect for being in the yard with a burger and cold drink. It was a 4:00 - 7:00 deal but hubby and I hung around a little later to socialize with our friends who were hosting. About 8:00 or so, I thought I saw some lightning in the distance but it was one of those deals where I wasn't sure if that's what I saw or not. It wasn't dark yet and the sky was pretty clear over head. The time came when we decided to mosey on home - about 25 miles or so.

Hubby was in the car as he'd come from work. I was on the moto. As we are standing around saying our goodbye's I was certain now that there was lightning some where around us but still over us the sky was clear. We headed out and as we make the turn out of their neighborhood and face south the sky is a dark black blue color off to the west. Still, not raining, not close and not very much lightning and none hitting the ground. But, since that's the general direction we are headed, I pull over to put my rain gear on. Hubby says, well, we shouldn't dawdle.

Before leaving we'd settled on the most direct route home which is west and then south. After putting on the rain gear, I decided that was too close to the dark ominous clouds and instead took the south-easterly route. The first route takes us through some flat open space. The second would take us into town where there are taller buildings and more cars. I didn't think being the tallest thing on the road would work to my advantage. Plus, on the highway I can go about 75 mph and actually get home faster. So, off we went on highway 36.

We take our exit for home which is about 112th and Wadsworth. We need to go south to 64th and turn west (towards the storm and home). We could go west at any point really but by this time the storm is much closer. I want to stay as far away from it as I can. Now, the lightning is definitely hitting the ground to the west, my right. I push on now as we are just a few miles from home at this point. It isn't even raining yet but I can smell it. (Not good.) Then the sky lights up to my right. Not one huge bolt but the sky turns white. I duck instinctively. Or maybe it's fear. Anyway, I sort of tuck down on the bike without realizing it. After a while I tell myself to relax and focus. There are still cars around me and Wadsworth is a very busy road. It's now raining a little but not so much to worry about. I hardly even notice the rain.

Finally we reach 64th avenue and make the right turn. From here we are about a 2 mile drive through the neighborhood from home. It's a left, then a right, then a left, another right, left again right turn, right turn, left and home. At the first left, the sky turns white again, this time with thunder. I tuck down again and hit the throttle. I make the right turn but just before the next left, a HUGE bolt of lightning followed immediately by a LOUD clap of thunder. I ducked again and swear out loud and hit the throttle. At the corner I have to wait for a couple of turning cars. At this point I'm completely freaked out. Home is a few blocks away. I make that turn, stop at the next stop sign as it is a blind intersection, hit the throttle, blow through the next stop sign (its a 3 way and nothing is around), hit the throttle again, go two blocks, slowly realize it is now actually raining, slow to the next right, make the immediate left onto our street, and look for oncoming cars as I try to hit the garage door opener in my pocket. More thunder and lightning are surrounding me. I didn't get the opener to work so I pull into the driveway between our two large trees and the dead Bronco, open the garage door and duck in under it.

I must have left hubby in my dust because he didn't pull up until I'd shut off the bike and gotten off. I stood there for a bit while he walked up to me. He says, "That last one was probably 1000 feet from us!" I think I said carp or something, but mainly just stared at him. Then he looks at me and says, "Are you alright?" I said, "Yes." Then I said the F word really loudly.

We went inside and his daughter and her boyfriend were standing in the living room waiting for us. She'd text us about the storm but we were already on the road at that point. They said the house shook with that last one. I think I just said the F word again and just stood there shaking. I took my gear off and kind of shook off the events. Then all of a sudden, the sky opened up and rain came down as if we were living in the south. I think I said the F word again as we looked out the window at it.

After I calmed down a bit, I asked hubby what we should have done differently. He thought we did the best we could under the circumstances. We had no idea how bad it was or even that the storm was out there. We were so close to home, and it wasn't really raining, that he didn't think stopping was necessary. I felt the same way as we were traveling. I kept thinking, we're almost home. The problem was, and we didn't really know it, the storm was worse directly over our house. So the closer we got to home the closer we got to danger. But, I just kept thinking, we're almost home.

Thinking about it now, if I'd known how bad it really was, I would have stayed in Boulder or left the bike there at my friends' house. That was an option but one we didn't think necessary at the time under their clear skies.

I have never ever been so terrified. Even now, recounting the story, I feel like I seriously dodged it. Or maybe I am shaking because I had too much caffeine this morning. I think it might be a little of both. I drove to work today. Afternoon storms are forecast. They weren't yesterday.

Thoughts on an ADV Rider thread

I don't know what prompted me to read the posts in the "Faceplant" section of this board but... The idea behind this section of the board is to learn from the mistakes of others. The rules are you can only post things that either happened to you or some one close to you so there is a personal connection and some follow up answers to questions. Two posts caught my attention recently.

The first was about mesh pants. http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=488246

I wear mesh pants and am quite happy with them. They are comfortable in all seasons and offer armored protection in the knees and padding in the hips. They are not inexpensive either, so in the you-get-what-you-pay-for (YGWYPF) realm, I'm hoping I'm getting enough. Then I saw this post with pictures of mesh pants (of a different brand than mine) melted after a crash. The rider goes on to say what a piece of junk they are. Many folks agreed, leather is the only way to go for them. Kevlar leather being even better. In the YGWYPF scheme of things, this is the top of the line. MotoGP racers wear full suits of tight fitting leather. Others mentioned the heat factor of wearing leather and that they could never do such a thing or they'd crash from heat stroke. They put in a bid for wearing what you are most comfortable with - physically and financially comfortable. They are of the mind that any gear is better than no gear. Still others claimed that mesh gear versus leather isn't simply a matter of what the stuff looks like after the crash. Mesh gear, they say, is designed to be disposable. It is supposed to take the brunt of the crash to protect you. If your pants melted but you got up and walked away, they did their job. Racing leathers are designed to take more than one crash. It is designed to be more durable so you can get up, get back on the bike, and get back in the race. All in all it is a very interesting thread to read and quite educational. I'll have to do some follow up research on this topic for my own piece of mind.

The other post was "I very very nearly died today..." http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=481931

Why I clicked on it I don't know. But, I was glad I did. The story is by a woman who was nearly taken out by a 4x4x8 that came off a truck at the woman and her husband. He was able to swerve and avoid it. She was not and it hit her head on. She managed to stay upright and not drop the bike, coming to a safe stop. The piece of 4x4 smashed into her headlight. She, knowing she was going to get hit, tucked down with her face next to her tank bag, and held on. Bravo to her for being in control of her bike and her wits at the same time! Wow! it was quite the adrenaline rush just reading her account of the event. I can't imagine being in the situation.

I read this one after hubby and I returned from our Colfax ride and it got me thinking. We take turns being the leader on our weekend trips. I think who ever is following has the most stressful part of the journey. I'm constantly worried about traffic around us, particularly around him. It's weird actually, because we're both fairly responsible riders, have taken multiple rider courses, and are very aware of our surroundings. But, being the one behind the other makes you more aware of how close cars are to the other person because you can see them. When a car is passing me, I barely even notice, even if it seems close. I feel like I can take action if needed and I dont' stress about it. But, it is another thing entirely to watch that some situation happen to your significant other. Get away from my husband you crazy drivers!!

We all accept the responsibility of riding. We wouldn't do it if we didn't know what we were getting into. It's one thing to know those dangers and accept them for yourself. It's another thing to know those dangers and accept them for the person you love. Anything can happen on the road whether you are in your car, on the motorcycle or walking across the street. Stay aware. Stay alert. SEE - scan, evaluate, execute - and be seen. ATGATT! Do what you love. Love what you do. And kiss your loved ones every day.

Ride, have fun, and come home at the end of the day. :-)

Colfax Ride

This Saturday we rode Colfax Avenue. (Check out this cool interactive link! I wish I'd seen it before we went out on our ride.) I'd always wanted to do this just to say that I had. Now, it is crossed off the list and we don't have to do it ever again. It wasn't horrible by any stretch but it wasn't one of those nice comfortable rides with lots of great scenery either. It was quite stressful at times but not too bad overall. I guess what I'm trying to say is it could have been worse. :-)

We started out from Golden where we had some Starbucks and read the paper. It was going to be a leisurely ride. Our official starting point was Heritage Road and W. Colfax Ave. We headed east from there ending up at Powhaton Road in Aurora. The weather was great. Even though we got a late start, it wasn't too hot to be in the stop and go of Colfax. The traffic was pretty light as well. The only construction was a very short bit downtown. It was fun to ride by the capitol as if we were tourists just traveling through. Maybe knowing we didn't have to try to find a parking space was what made it more relaxing. LOL! About noon we stopped at a Wendy's at Colfax and Chambers. Next time, if we do something like this again, we'll have to plan it so we can stop at one of the diners along the route.

Once we got to Powhaton, we considered whether to keep going but decided to start heading back. Hubby had a party to go to later. So, we took a route back through Aurora, Cherry Creek, downtown Denver, Highlands, and home. It was a pretty great ride actually. Not as bad as I'm making it out to be. :-) We only nearly got run over a few times on Colfax by people not paying attention or in too much of a hurry to look for motorcycles. But that's nothing new. We make up for it by paying attention for them and being hyper-aware of our surroundings.

Here's a Google map of our route.

A weekend of motorcycling!!

First of all, happy birthday to my sister-in-law!! :-) We celebrated her bday on Saturday in Loveland. Hubby and I rode out on the motos making a quick stop at Colorado Euro Motorcycles in Loveland. A few days ago I stopped in Foothills BMW but they were out of the 2009 G650GS. I was hoping to sit on one with my gear on to see how it fit. Apparently, Foothills owns the store up north, so the guy called that shop to see what they had. They had a couple in the shop so I thought it would be fun to stop there on the way to sis-in-law's place. :-) They had two on the floor, both black, one lowered one stock. The stock one is too tall. I could only tippy toe it. The lowered one was perfect! I'm not totally flatfooted but very close. Certainly close enough to be comfortable. The lowered one also had heated grips and a center-stand. It was about $8500. So, I have lots of saving to do. It was so comfortable sitting on it. :-D I could so get used to that!!

When we got to sis-in-law's she said they'd left her bike out in case I wanted to take it for a spin. :-D I was thinking I shouldn't because what if I fell in love with it? That would be sad. But then I thought, if I don't, I'll certainly wish I had. So, later, after dinner, she and I traded bikes. She rode the Rebel and led me around the neighborhood, around some lakes near their place on some slow curvy roads. It was so much fun! And I did love it. The GS is (obviously) taller than the Rebel. I say obviously but riding it is really what makes the difference. It's one thing to sit in the dealership on the floor but it's another thing to see the world go by from the saddle.

The pegs are in a completely different place too - thus the difference between a cruiser and standard I suppose. It actually took me a little while to find them. Muscle memory wanted them to be some where else entirely. And they are smaller than the Rebel's too. That was a bit weird for a while. My boots felt really big. The brake and shift levers are smaller too. Sitting on it was very comfortable. The seat is comfy and just the right size. The cruiser seat on the Rebel doesn't allow for much movement but I can see where the GS would be better. My knees nestled comfortably on the "tank". The Rebel tank is quite small and I always feel like my knees are not where they are supposed to be or are flopping around.

The handlebar position is also (obviously) completely different from the Rebel. The GS has a more leaned over position, although not as dramatic as a sportbike. I think it is a bit more leaned over than hubby's CX, although, that may be because I'm shorter of torso. I definitely felt like I was leaning on my shoulders more. I'm sure that can be changed easily enough if needed. It was difficult to reach the turn signals while holding onto the clutch, or really just the grips. I remember that being something that felt abnormal in the Rebel at first too. It takes some coordination to hold the handlebars steady while working the clutch and reaching for the controls. Muscle memory again.

It was a fabulous ride! Thanks sister-in-law!

Saturday, hubby and I rode about 116 miles.

On Sunday we went out to meet some of hubby's work buddies. They were planning a group lunch ride to Estes Park, which is one of my most favorite places in Colorado. There were 13 of us in the group and 9 bikes. I was the only woman riding her own and also the smallest bike there (with hubby close behind on his CX500). There were lots of different bikes - a couple of touring Harleys, a Gold Wing, a Victory, a Suzuki TL1000, a Virago, my Rebel, and hubby's CX. It was a great group of folks, most of whom I met for the first time there. The Victory had some electrical problems that the guys were able to fix before we left. That took about 30 minutes or so. Then we were off. Here is the route:We rode about 163 miles. It was so much fun! We rode from our house to the meeting point down south in Littleton. from there we went northwest through Morrison, Red Rocks park, to Golden and highway 93, north to Coal Creek Canyon, and the Peak-to-Peak highway into Estes. We had lunch at Ed's Cantina, where I'd never eaten before. It was pretty ok. Not un-tasty. :-) Lunch is made all the better by good company. :-) After lunch, I led the group back to Boulder on highway 36. Well, most of the group. It's tough getting out of Estes on a weekend. Lots of tourists. So, we lost half the group getting out of town but were reunited between Lyons and Boulder. No worries, although I felt bad losing them since I was the leader. :-(

Here are some of the bikes we rode with.

It was a fabulous weekend spent with my hubby on the motos! We were sure tired after all that though. :-)

Weird

I just posted the helmet review and this is the ad that popped up...


The internet really creeps me out some days.....

Icon Airframe Helmet review

Here is a review of my helmet from the Women Riders Now web site. I really like this helmet. My father got it for me for Christmas last year. It fits me perfectly - chipmunk cheeks and all. By the way, it isn't the helmet I'm wearing in my profile photo. Maybe I'll update that one. :-)

Some updates.....

Recently I purchased a recovered gel seat for the 450 from Jack's. It is fabulous! I've been riding with it for a while now and I don't know how I ever rode without it. At first it took some getting used to. The seat is slightly higher and pushes me forward more than the other. And there isn't much room to play around with in that area. But, once I got it broken in, it was great. There are no buttons on the seat either so water doesn't pool so much when it rains on the parked bike. (We've had a lot of that lately, rain that is.) I also have a seat cover that I can use for the other bike. I bought that from a member of the Rebel board. He made it himself. Maybe I'll play around with that this weekend.

I also have been wearing some SmartWool ski socks. These are the best socks ever! They don't slip down in the boot, which had been a problem for some reason with my right foot. Weird. But the SmartWool socks are so comfy. They aren't very warm unless I walk around in them. And they are warm enough in the winter or cooler morning rides. They must breathe very well otherwise. Of course, we haven't had very very hot weather yet this season either.

I also got new glasses. It is so nice not to have headaches all the time. Ha! I went with polarized lenses which at first was a bad idea. It took some getting used to for sure but now I wear them all the time. Our cloudy weather has made the polarized lenses very useful. The view of the world is much clearer when it is cloudy or even rainy. It is still difficult to see drivers' faces through their tinted windows. But, I've adjusted to that as well. Another thing I noticed is my new Icon helmet, which fits properly, makes it more difficult to get the glasses on. But, the polarized glasses fit that helmet well too. I'm quite happy with them.

And speaking of rain, which I mentioned earlier, we sure have gotten a lot of it lately! It seems every afternoon this week it has really come down. There have been tornado warnings and watches all around us. Some how though, when it is time for me to ride home from work, the sun is shining. I haven't had to ride in the rain after work yet. Knock on wood. The bike's been wet when I've come out but the sun is out as well. Not that I mind the rain, obviously, or I'd have been in the car all week long. I've got all the proper gear to keep me comfortable and dry on the bike. And since I've spent all the money on the gear I might as well use it, right? Rain I can live with. Lightning on the other hand, scares the crap out of me. So far so good though.

Been riding

It is hard to blog about riding when you are riding a lot. Weird. And mostly, my rides are just commuting to work. I really enjoy those rides but there isn't much to write about them. Getting from point A to point B and back again at the end of the day. All very important to the ride, but not so interesting to blog about. Oh well.

Hubby and I took a ride last Saturday. We were hoping to meet up with his sister in Lyons for some art fair thingy but her bike wouldn't cooperate. Bummer. She ended up pushing it back home a quarter mile. :-( But, as she mentioned, at least she didn't get stranded very far from home. Hubby and I did the ride through Lyons via highway 72 from Arvada to the junction of 72 and 119. We were planning to stay on 72 all the way to 7 but the weather decided otherwise. Just before we hit the junction, it started to rain. The kind of rain you can see before you get into it. No worries though. We pulled over and put our rain jackets on and continued on. But, we went right instead of left and headed toward Nederland. It was sort of by accident but probably a good thing because when we stopped to gear up, there was actually some hail or gropple falling as well as rain. And it was pretty chilly being wet and all. Once we got to Nederland, I pulled over again to put my rain pants on since I had my mesh Olympia's on. It was like air conditioning on my legs. Anyway, that ensured the rain would stop, which it did as we headed down the hill towards Boulder. We continued on to Lyons where we were able to call sister-in-law to find out her troubles. We didn't hang around too long as the clouds were coming in there as well. So, we went back to Boulder and had some lunch. It was a very good day! (Except for missing out on our riding buddy.) Here is a map of the route (more or less).



Wednesday I took the scenic route home. I was having a not so good day, feeling sorry for myself and my lack of time to maintain my attendance in the fitness boot camp. So, after the crappy work out, I thought I'd take the slow route home. As I was riding, I thought it would be nice if it rained a little. So, I took matters into my own hands. I pulled over when the first three drops hit my visor. I put my rain pants on and wen tout in search of the rain. :-) It was quite fun actually. It never did rain very hard at all. The tank barely got wet thanks to the windshield. But, it was good enough for me. I felt a lot better although, I started to feel guilty that I hadn't told my hubby where I was. He was out of town on east coast time so by the time I got home at 8pm, he was ready to get to sleep. (He's coming home today though.)

I've put lots of miles on my moto gear. I've noticed my mesh Olympia pants are starting to show some wear. The reflective piping is starting to fray a bit. Well, not fray but sort of chip away. I really like those pants. They are so comfy and fit very well. I wonder if I should invest in another pair just in case they stop making them. Maybe I should check with Mary at MotoGear Outlet about that. My jacket is in good shape. I finally cut out the nylon thread that had been poking my in my arm. Why I hadn't done that months ago I don't know. The boots are great too. Last Saturday was the first time I'd worn them in a good rain. I didn't even think about that. They are awesome! And I was able to break in my new Joe Rocket gloves in the rain as well. I'd warmed them up in the toaster oven to help stretch out the fingers. And then being in the rain helped too. Now they fit just fine. :-)

I'm hoping hubby and I will attend the Top Gun motorcycle competition on Sunday. I've always wanted to see that. That will be so cool! I'll try to remember to blog about it if I do. And take pictures.

Been riding to work almost every day this week. I drove one day because we weren't supposed to park the cars on the street for a special trash pick up in the city. I was going to ride and just pull the car out, then the moto, and then put the car back, but that seemed like a waste of time. No big deal to drive that day. The weather should get up to 80 next week. I'm psyched! Of course I have to drive that particular day. Oh well.

I've been enjoying the solitude of riding. Going to work and on the drive home. It's the only alone time I have. I like it. Wish I had more. I wish I had more riding alone time to share with my hubby too. He doesn't get to ride as much as I do. Maybe we should actually plan a trip or something.

The bike was a bit cranky getting it started on Monday. I guess it had been sitting a while and the gas tank wasn't full either. (I didn't fill it today either and I am on reserve.) After the second day of riding it seemed to be back to normal. Although, today it did seem to have less power. That could have been the wind though. It was pretty fierce on the ride home. I'm glad I didn't take highway 93! I had to pull over anyway to put my liner on. There is a front coming in tonight. The high tomorrow is only supposed to be in the 50s.

I think I'll wash my jacket and pants tonight since I won't be riding this weekend. That's a good idea. :-)

Video of me!

This was from a ride hubby and I took a few weeks ago. This is a neighborhood west of C-470 on Ken Caryl. Pretty cool neighborhood with big fancy houses and some not as fancy. All were much bigger and fancier than our house, that's for sure. We'd planned to do a longer ride that day but had a couple of close calls and stopped for lunch. Then decided to just putt around this neighborhood because neither of us had been there before and it looked quite scenic. We can upon this giant red rock. There is a hiking trail and you can climb on the rock too. Hubby said he wanted a rock like that in our backyard. I agreed but as you can see, some one has already claimed it for their backyard! Nice!

Rode to work yesterday

I got a late start because I thought it might be a chilly ride in. I can do a bit of work from home so that works ok usually. But then I realized that I probably wouldn't have a place to park. The snow plows push all the snow from the parking lot into the moto spaces. Grrr.

(I try not to drool on the black GS in that photo. It is new to the parking lot.)

Anyway, I had to park allllll the way over here, all by myself. :-( Actually, it isn't that far. :-)

The problem with riding to work....

The problem with riding to work at this time of the year is that the best time to ride is between 10am and 3pm. This is of course when I am sitting at my desk working (or blogging as the case may be) and quite inconvenient.

the latest rides

March 15th I rode out to Mother Cabrini Shrine. Hubby must have been away or something because it was just me. Here are some photos.

This is a shot of Jesus on the top of the hill. A couple of years ago he was struck by lightning and it blew his fingers off. He's all fixed now though. The line of trees is a path of steps to get to the top. The stations of the cross are along the route. People come here for Easter to trek up and pray. At the top is a rock structure Mother Cabrini built when she founded this place. To the left of this view is a small grotto where you can sit and pray or reflect and light candles. There is also the spring Mother Cabrini discovered when she came to this place. She stuck her cane in the ground and found it and it has been flowing ever since. It is one of her three miracles.

Here is the Rebel parked near the interpretive sign.

And parked near the chapel. It wasn't terribly crowded but there were more than enough folks there for my taste. I was hoping for some quiet reflection time but oh well. Maybe next time.

I have ties to Mother Cabrini through my high school in New Orleans. Her feast day is also the same day as my birthday which was nice to have that day off from school for four years. :-)

But, anyway, back to the motorcycle part. Here is a Google map of the location.




It is a bit windy and that day there was a lot of gravel on the road because we'd had a good bit of snow. I happened to fall behind someone on a Triumph so I followed their line up the hill. Turned out to be a good plan. The curves are pretty sharp 10mph ones all the way up the hill. It isn't a very long way but it is narrow and cars like to take up as much space as they can. And there is wildlife up there too. But, it was a good trip.

I did have a bit of a close call backing out of my parking space. I pulled out but had to go around the lot to make my way out again. I managed to put myself behind an SUV that was about to back out. I was also on gravel so I couldn't speed away or even stop because the ground was so loose. And I couldn't find my horn for some reason either. Fortunately they took their time backing out and I was able to pull away. It was a bit scary for a second there. But all's well that ends well, and the lesson was learned.

More later......

Blogging

I sure haven't blogged in a while. We've ridden too. Maybe that's why. :-)

Ear Plugs

I wear the disposable ear plugs now but they give me a headache or earache I suppose. I switched to a brand new pair because the others were getting hard. I thought maybe that was the problem. But the new ones, which are nice and soft, still hurt my ear. Mainly just my left ear. I guess I should look into a different kind. It is difficult to know how they'll fit or work since it usually isn't until the end of my ride that they start to bother me. Hmmm. Some thing to think about and research I suppose.

Yay!

Rode to work yesterday and today! Supposed to snow tomorrow or Friday.

Grrrr... grumpy me

So, the story in the previous post just got worse and worse and began my downward spiral into grumpiness.

The good news is there is absolutely nothing wrong with the bike. The bad news is my memory is worse than I thought and ain't getting any better. After determining that my gas tank was actually empty, I thought, ok, I was just distracted by the extra miles and forgot to fill up on the way back home. But then, I found a receipt proving that I did fill up that day. So, we wondered what could it be. I posted on the Rebel board looking for advice which was promptly given. (I am so glad I have them!) Obviously my gas tank was empty so what could have happened? What indeed.....

What happened was, I rode more after filling up. And I forgot all about it. I filled up, proved by the receipt, on 1/19. I'd forgotten about my ride to Boulder to play hooky from work to watch the inauguration on the 20th. I rode quite a bit that day. But, it must have slipped my mind. Anyway, bike problem solved.

Lately I've been quite grumpy after driving my cage to work everyday. I find myself swearing at other drivers (which is normal really) but it puts me in a not so happy mood after arriving at my destination (work or home). Sigh. I need some warm weather so I can get some good vibes and good miles on the moto! It has been warm and sunny but really windy too. Really windy. Too windy to ride. For me anyway. Grrr. Maybe Sunday I can get a good ride in.

Carb Ice? Bad gas? Filter issue? (edit with update)

Took the bike out and headed to work this morning. I got about 4 or 5 miles away from home and the bike died. Ugh. That's how I felt too. It was acting as if it were out of gas even though I know I have a full tank. It was very weird. The bike started up as usual without any trouble on the third try. Had the choke on the usual amount of time for me which is when it starts to rev really high. The warm up begins when I walk out to the bike. I start it up and let it run with the choke all the way open. While it warms up, I put my duffel bag on the back, my earplugs in, my helmet on, my glasses on, my jacket on, and my glove liners and gloves on. During the gearing up, I usually have to close the choke but it continues to run and warm up. Then I close the garage and hop on, put it in gear and slowly roll down the driveway. This morning, as I was leaving the driveway, it bucked a bit as if it was losing power or running out of gas. But, as soon as I hit the street and rolled on the throttle it was all good. I double checked the petcock to make sure it was on and it was. I figured it was just cold, even though it had never done that before and it really wasn't cold because I'd warmed it up. The temperature this morning was in the 40s. I could see my breath but it wasn't at all unbearable. Just a regular cold morning. I've ridden in colder although not this season.

So, then about 4 or 5 miles later, the bike really loses power and I think, that's weird. I had the throttle open but it wasn't going anywhere and wasn't even sounding like it was trying. But the bike was still running so I thought maybe it would pass. (I don't know what I mean by that!) But, then I'm going to slow for traffic and figure I need to pull over. As I pulled in the clutch to pull over, it died right away. Just like I'd run out of gas. Crap! That's what I thought. I am out of traffic more or less, in the fairly wide bike lane. It isn't as wide as a shoulder but there is little traffic here and I'm clearly visible so I get off and take off my helmet to think about it. Nothing is leaking. Nothing fell off. The lights are on so the battery is ok. Checked the petcock again and it is still on. Shake the bike - full tank. I tried to start it and it made the out of gas noise. So, I call hubby. While I'm talking to him, telling him what's going on and where I am, I decide to switch to reserve and try to start it. He kept saying it sounded like I wasn't getting gas too. Flip to reserve, hit the button, and it starts up. It idles just fine. Weird. But, hubby says I shouldn't drive it to work so I head home and get the car.

Later he finds this article about carb icing. That sounds like it to me. Weird. The conditions didn't seem any different or cold or anything to cause ice but what do I know. The garage is pretty cold and we've had huge swings in the temperature. Maybe there was condensation on the bike. Could very well be. I hope that is what happened because that means nothing is wrong with the bike. It didn't feel or sound like anything was different or wrong aside from, you know, the dying part. :-) One thing I noticed, when I started it up and getting back on it to head back home, there was a whistling noise. That was different. I'll have to remember to tell hubby about that bit.

So, I didn't get a good ride in today after all. Tomorrow is supposed to be nice and even warmer!

Edit:
So, nothing is wrong with the bike. I need to take some ginko. Even though I thought I'd filled up my tank at the end of the last ride. Apparently, I did not. So, I'll be riding tomorrow and going straight to the gas station. I should google which is closest. D'oh!

2009 Riding Goals, cont.

One idea for a trip hubby and I are batting around is to visit his folks who live near Albuquerque. That is an 8 hour drive so if we took a full week off to take our time getting there, have time to visit and also have time to ride, that would be really fun. His father rides a Harley Fatboy. That would be really fun to ride with him and even more fun if his sister and brother in law went with us. I should send them an email to put the bug in their ear.

This morning I thought a trip to Telluride, CO could be fun too. It is really pretty there and a good destination town.

2009 Riding Goals

I like creating goals for myself. It gives me something to plan for and look forward to and also helps keep those plans fresh in my mind if I think of them often enough or write them down. The memory just ain't what it used to be. Now that it is nearly February, I'm starting to think of what goals I want to set for myself this season. Last year was a mountain pass, which was unsuccessful. So, that is still on the list. I want to do the same ride we attempted last year through Rocky Mountain National Park. This time we should attempt it earlier in the season and earlier in the day. And we can make the loop from Estes Park, over Trail Ridge Road (one pass) to Grand Lake, down to Granby, over Berthoud Pass (#2) on Hwy 40, to Hwy 6 back home. After the attempt into Rocky last time, hubby mentioned this plan might be better so we don't backtrack and can cover more ground. I like it.

Other goals? I'm still working on them. Probably something to do with the parts bike. I should start that process before the season starts up again. Perhaps after football season is officially over on Sunday. :-) We bought a small lift table so I'd at least like to get one of the engines out of one of the frames so I can start working on it. I think we decided to go with the 86 parts bike first because we don't know if that engine runs and it already has the carbs and most other parts already off of it. That bike is titled too so it will be the runner eventually.

I'd also like to do an overnight longish trip this season. Not sure where or when yet. I'll have to work on that idea a bit. Maybe camping, maybe not. I'm open to suggestions.

Inconspicuous rider

On the way home tonight, I was behind this guy on, I think, a dirt bike who was nearly invisible. So, I took some video of him. Coincidentally, I was listening to the Long Way Down soundtrack and I don't know how to turn off the audio on my camera so, there is some nicely timed music in the background.



I have never seen video of myself on the bike at night but folks have told me I am very reflecty and clearly seen. I've got an extra brake light, light colored reflective clothing, white helmet, and lots of reflective stickers on my helmet, saddle bags, and the bike. Some day I'll have hubby film me so I can see myself.

Motorcycle Parking pass

So, I bought a 3 month parking pass for my car since it is January and because the two snowiest months in Colorado are March and February. I thought it might be a good idea to just cough up the cash (or plastic) and not have to worry about parking off campus for the next few months. (I should be riding the bus, but whatever.) Anyway, of course, secretly my plan was to jinx the weather and have some good riding days. It worked! I rode the past two days (when temps were in the 70s) and even on the MLK holiday with hubby. (Yay!) It is supposed to snow by Friday and go back to normal temps in the 40s. So because I rode to work, I had to park on campus so I ended up buying a motorcycle parking pass earlier than planned. It expires in August. It isn't any cheaper to buy more months, the monthly price is the same. But the thing that rubs me the wrong way is now I have shelled out lots of cash (or plastic) to park two different vehicles. With the car, I have the option to buy a day pass or week pass or by the month or however many multiple months I want. With the moto it is not as varied. My options are basically three months or 6 months or the whole year. That's it. I can't ride every now and then because I can't park without a sticker. Now, if I was paying to park my car through the whole year, and they were making automatic deductions from my bank account for it, I could get a free moto parking pass. But, that doesn't help me. I don't drive often enough during moto season to feel inclined to spend the $40 per month. Especially when the moto is only $14 per month (although I think it goes up a dollar or so every July).

But, now I've got the moto pass so I can take advantage of the warm days as they come. And I should really just ride the bus on other days anyway. I'm just too lazy to do it.

Wrenching continued...

So, I removed a few parts from the bike on Saturday. In addition to the tank, we removed the exhaust pipes and were able to take a better look at them. Not too bad all things considered. I few smallish dents and some rust but no holes of pinching or anything that would prevent them from being useful. That's good because I needed them. The 86 parts bike didn't have useful pipes. They were cut by the PO. I also removed the battery and the battery box and cover. I took off the broken rear signal stems and threw them away. We tried to remove the tool box but it looks like you have to remove the air filter case before you can do that. I think that was it. Maybe next time I'll see about removing the headlight and some of the front end bits.

I'll still need to get new handlebars but that's ok because I want to put straighter ones on the "new" bike and the grip heaters. The stock bars on this 87 parts bike are bent from the accident. The 86 parts bike had the style of bars I want but those are bent as well. I think I'll need risers with this new Tank gas tank too. It is much wider than the 450 tank.

This morning...

we woke up to this:


And it is still coming down.

Wrenching

Today we took the tank off the wrecked 450 parts bike to see how the new Tank gas tank would fit and look on it. It is hard to say since the wrecked bike is quite bent. But, I think hubby wasn't discouraged about it fitting so that's a good thing. He's the one who will be modifying it to make it work. Here are some shots I took of the two tanks. I didn't take any shots of it on the bike. The Rebel gas cap fits. That's convenient.

more Tank parts

This is becoming quite annoying. So, when I last talked to the parts person at Tank, I asked about the cover that goes over the speedo and attaches to the tank. She apparently thought I meant the clear cover that goes over the speedo to cover the numbers and gauges. So, when she said that was being sold as one piece, I thought she meant the cover (or dash) and she thought I meant the little glass or plastic cover on the speedo itself. So, I still don't have the part I need. I'm beginning to wonder if I ever will because she didn't seem to know which part I was talking about. She is supposed to be checking into it this morning and calling me back. We shall see.

This is so frustrating. But I do have the speedo now. All I am missing is the dash cover to attach it to the tank.

New Tank Pics

The new tank is here! The new tank is here! Had a bit of a scare at first. See the hole in the box? Well it turned out to be ok. That was the crappiest packing job I've ever seen. The tank was wrapped in one sheet of foam and put in the box. The box was barely even taped closed. Yikes. But, it turned out to be ok thank goodness. I guess that's how they keep prices down. And you really do get what you pay for.



There is a bit of rust on the bottom which is quite annoying. But, the plans are to paint it so c'est la vie. Anyway, here it is in all of its glory. :-) Not bad for a brand new $90 tank. I'm very happy with it and am looking forward to getting it painted.

Yay!!

Delivered!

The new tank shows as delivered when I track the package. Woo hoo! The speedo and cover hasn't shipped yet but that's ok. I wasn't planning to hook everything up right away anyway. Still have to do some maintenance to the rest of the bike. I did get an estimate for the paint job via email. That's the first one I've looked into so we'll see.

New Tank on the way

So, I ordered the Tank brand gas tank for my Rebel. A few folks on the Rebel Board have said this tank is a perfect fit for the 250 Rebel. And there is a tutorial on how to adapt the 250 tank to the 450. So, that's the plan. The Tank gas tank (I know, very confusing) is slightly bigger than the Rebel gas tank. Not by much (0.5 gal) but every little bit helps. :-)

When I first ordered the tank, I wanted to get the one with the built in speedo. But when I looked for the speedo parts it was showing out of stock. So, I ordered a gas gauge cover from a different model bike hoping it would fit. When I called to check (you have to order online but have to call to get questions answered) I was told they were not compatible so I told them to cancel the gas gauge. Turns out they didn't because I got an email saying both had shipped. So, I called again this morning and they are sending me a return label so I can send it right back. But, the very helpful parts lady informed me that they were not getting in more speedo covers because they are going to sell the complete set - speedo and cover. So, I ordered one of those.

The price for the brand new gas tank - $102.08 with shipping. The price for the speedo and cover - $29.58 with shipping. :-) That's not bad for brand new stuff. Stay tuned for more!