Bright sunshine greeted us this morning with temps in the 70s assuring us we had a beautiful day to ride.  I was left alone to my practice, so I did a few U-turns on my street then took off to cruise the neighborhood.  I did see a few cabbage white butterflies flittering about in the bright sunshine, enjoying one of these last summery days.

            I made note of my mileage—276.  I did this because my boyfriend mentioned that when I get about 600 miles on the G310, we can more seriously look at getting my second bike.  Originally the BMW R NineT was supposed to be my second motorcycle, but as Bill has ridden it now for five months and gotten to know the bike, he doesn’t feel it’s a good fit for me.  I, of course, see that as a challenge and really want to ride the bike as I’m now very curious about working the dry clutch and the feel of a throwback bike.  We’ll see; I’m crossing my fingers. But in the meantime, we’ve been looking at the Ducati Scrambler Desert Sled as my potential next bike. 

            However, I’m only halfway through my mileage goal, so I worked on putting some miles on the bike as well as my rider awareness as I rode down the streets.  I spent time leaning into my curves and enjoying the feel of the bike.  I love my G310 GS, but it lacks much in the way of power (34 horsepower and 20 ft-lb. of torque).  I also am just curious to ride other motorcycles, and I think I have a little anxiety with this curiosity.  Why anxiety?  I think it stems from my getting into riding later in life; I figure my riding window is limited and I want to make the most of it.

I discovered a tiny little strip of “dirt road” to ride on.  In reality it is where the sidewalk ends (thanks Shel Silverstein) and meets the dirt and gravel driveway of the neighborhood pool parking lot.  But it’s dirt and I can enter and exit the strip without riding on the sidewalk, so I’m counting it as a dirt road.  I had fun on it, but it was also a little unnerving as I felt the bike bump along the uneven surface.  In the back of my mind, whenever I ride on the gravel or, as of now, the dirt, I know I haven’t put the bike down and it’s only a matter of time.  So far so good, though, and I stayed on my bike on this beautiful day.

I did stall the bike at one stop; there was no specific reason I could figure out, so it was just a reminder that it can happen at any time.  I continued to practice my lane changing, this time changing both from right to left and left to right working on my full head turns.  My ride was mostly smooth.  I had one wakeup call as I was coming to a stop.  I was looking to the right as I approached the stop and was startled as a large white Chevy Suburban approached from the left.  I hope to have learned the obvious lesson which is don’t get comfortable in assuming I know the traffic flow of the neighborhood and always scan all directions as I approach the intersection.

Now it was time for our joint ride.  I again stalled the bike on the up-camber of the road on takeoff.  But I let Bill take off, calmly slid the bike back against the curb and tried again.  Second time was the charm.  We headed off onto our curvy road and the ride was underway.  I was happy when we went back on a quiet, dead-end road that is bumpy and a little rough.  As we turned around to come out of this dead-end, we had to stop on a slight incline in the road.  So I got more practice accelerating on an incline.

We took advantage of the beautiful day and made up some for our missed ride last week by riding through a bonus neighborhood.  We really might have kept riding had our stomachs not been growling.  But as we returned the bikes to the garage, there was a thought we would ride again on Sunday which was forecast to be a high of 65.

We did ride on Sunday, but we took out our bicycles and did a fun neighborhood cruise, enjoying the Halloween decorations, and did some off-roading in the park and at the school.  I did great on the off-roading, but I have some work to do to get myself in better bicycle shape.

Dank, dreary, and damp was the weather this weekend which means wet roads and no ride.  It was especially frustrating because it wasn’t rain showers; it was spitting but spitting enough to keep the roads wet.

            The funny thing is we watch a lot of motorcycle videos on Youtube including Lamb Chop Rides, the Missenden Flyer, and Richie Vida.  These are all Brits who have to ride in the rain or they wouldn’t get to ride.  But even as we watch these videos, my boyfriend speaks his amazement that they are out riding in the rain.  We don’t ride on wet roads.

            I had initially hoped Sunday would be different, but at 8:30 in the morning, the road had the spitting wetness just as it did on Saturday.  What to do but crawl back in bed and sleep in on such a dreary morning.

            Once we did get up, we decided to head over to Portsmouth and to Bayside Harley-Davidson and Ducati to look at the bikes.  Our drive is always interesting because we take the more circuitous route that avoids the tunnel tolls.  We arrived before one o’clock which, on a Sunday, meant we were early.  Many years ago, when I was a teenager and worked concession stands at the Pavilion, I had noticed that the Sunday shows never got hopping until well after 1:00 pm—sleep ins and church services.

            As we arrived, we noted the students in the MSF course busily running through their drills.  I was jealous because they had the opportunity to ride (the MSF course runs rain or shine).  But I was soon pleasantly distracted by the used bikes out front.  We looked at the multiple Harleys with the after-market exhausts on them—it’s all about the roar.

            Inside we noticed the inventory was less than it had been on our first visit.  But we are in October and the riding “season” is coming to an end.  Our riding season won’t end, however.  Bill’s bike has heated grips, and I won’t let the cold stop me.  It’s not like we’re cruising at 60 mph on highways.  I’m looking forward to the challenge of the bracing chill wind.  Plus, I know I’ll have good winter weather riding clothes to help me handle them.

            We walked around, noting the beautiful Fat Bob right up front, admiring the honeycombed, arctic blast paint job on the Street Glide.  There was even a new Sportster, already sold, but there to be admired.  And we checked out the Ducati Streetfighter, Diavel, and the Scramblers.  We didn’t bring helmets, so there was no plan for a test ride.  We were hoping for a glimpse of a Ducati Desert Sled, but that wasn’t in the cards.  We did get to see the Harley-Davidson Sportser;iIt was good to see the Sportster in person because for us it didn’t look as good as it had on the TV.  The Ducati Diavel also was not as impressive in person as it had been on the videos.  I was curious about the super comfy seat of the Streetfighter, and it is as comfy as described.  I also prefer the Streetfighter in red to the black, also something you have to see in person to understand.

            We browsed the bikes for a while, wondering if a salesperson would come over (none did, slow Sunday).  Then we went over and looked at the leather jackets.  We found a nice looking light brown leather women’s jacket for me that fit beautifully.  Bill didn’t have as much luck in the men’s department though.

            Before we left, we found Dorian, the Ducati sales manager, and talked to him about the Ducati Desert Sleds for 2022.  We gave him our contact info for when they come in, Bill going so far as to say he would put a deposit down on the Desert Sled as my next bike.  As Bill and Dorian talked, I went and sat on one of the Ducati Scramblers to get a general feel for the bike.  I sat on a bright orange model that felt good.  I could easily flat foot it and the weight was manageable.  Now the Desert Sled will add about 30 more pounds, but I liked the feel of the bike and am excited to get the opportunity to try it out.  But that will be for another day.  We will wait for Dorian’s call, and I will continue my rides (sunshine forecasted for next weekend), and we will move onto my second bike.

Autumn has definitely arrived, making the morning cool enough for me to wear my Alpinestars Bionic Tech V2 Motocross Protection Jacket (though it really is more like a compression shirt with body armor) under my Klim jacket.  This is an added layer of protection that my boyfriend wants me wearing.  I don’t mind; I like the chest and back protectors.  And it was comfortable to wear.

            The neighbors’ cars were parked all up and down my practice street, so I warmed up with some cruising and worked on my stops with a right-side U-turn.  The day was so perfect for riding, that Bill soon came out and, rather than bring his chair to sit and watch me practice, he asked if I was ready to ride the neighborhood.  Of course I said yes.

            As I rode, I was able to solidify my thoughts about the benefits of cruising the neighborhood.  Before today, I enjoyed the cruising with not much thought.  After all, I just had to keep up with and follow Bill.  But today as I rode, accepting that I would not see any butterflies, I thought about all the training my neighborhood cruise provides and the benefitting experience I gain.

            Right at the start, I practice a hill start, albeit on the camber of the road and not a true hill.  I still train my clutch release and throttle roll on, which I will need on a true hill start.  Then there are all the stop signs.  Stopping allows me to practice proper form—left foot down—and practice the friction zone as I start the bike moving again.  On many of our stops, I am adding a turn as I accelerate and, having seen Bill drop his bike a few weeks ago, I benefit from handling the bike.

            Though our roads are mostly 25 mph, with one 35 mph strip in there, there are still curves to train on.  Today I especially felt my body position on the bike as I leaned the bike into the curves and marveled at my confidence.  Today also marked my first official “lane change.”  I went up Pembroke Blvd. and turned back where the two lanes become one, using the two lanes to practice looking, signaling, and moving into the left-hand lane.  On our ride Bill takes us into several courts as well to practice turns.  And of course there is the gravel at the two historic houses’ parking lots.  It is easy to feel how slips can occur, and I did feel my back wheel slide a tiny bit in the gravel.  I surprised myself when I realized I wasn’t frightened by the slip; I was intrigued and thought how much fun it would be to practice “backing it in” turns (backing it in refers to using the loss of traction on the rear tire to help turn the bike; if you are turning to the left, the rear tire would slip to the right and vice versa).

            We rode for a good long while, going down a bumpy road, taking turns through the hospital parking lot while standing on our pegs, just enjoying the ride.  Bill even commented as we returned the bikes to my parents’ garage that it was a really good day, and I had to agree.  It was our best ride yet, but I have no doubt more fantastic rides are on the way!

Autumn is here and we are in true riding weather!  A lovely cool morning in the low 70s with plenty of sunshine.  As I did my half-neighborhood warm up cruise, I realized I would need to start wearing long sleeves under my summer jacket.  I also wistfully watched an Aphrodite fritillary (I believe) and a red-spotted admiral flutter by knowing I won’t be seeing my butterflies soon.

            But the gaggle of geese made me smile, even laugh a little.  They were slowly moving across my practice street, so I cruised the neighborhood until they had cleared from the north side of the block to the south.  They seemed content to hang out and watch me practice my stops and U-turns for a bit.  However, ten minutes in and they decided they needed to move up the road and cross back to the other side.  So I took another turn around the neighborhood, thinking to give them time to cross.

            When I returned to my practice street, though, it was to find most of the gaggle just hanging in the middle of the street with two actually nestled down to warm their undersides on the warm pavement.  My boyfriend had just come out of the house, so I pointed out the squatters to him and we had a good laugh.  When another gaggle flew overhead, we thought maybe they would inspire the street geese to move, but they ignored their v-formed cousins.

            I laughingly turned up the street to loop around again and, as I circled back, the geese decided it was time to take off.  This allowed me to practice the off-set slalom Bill set up for me.  I remembered to stay in first gear, and I made it through successfully all but 2 times.  I even got a compliment from Bill who said it was time to pack up as I was doing excellent.

            Off we went to get the R Nine T and we were off.  I noticed today that I am getting much better at accelerating up the street camber.  In fact I had no stalls today, not even a near stall.  As we rode, I let myself enjoy the curves and even played a little bit by weaving back and forth.  We passed my Mom who had gone out to run some errands, so she got to see me out riding my motorcycle, though I had to beep my horn to get her attention.  It was a day for waving as several people we passed waved to us.  I think they, like us, were just happy to be out and enjoying the beautiful day.

Butterflies may seem an odd, even oxymoronic image to associate with a motorcycle.  But since I began riding, I have been lucky enough to see butterflies flittering about from my bike.  And there is a freedom to butterflies, a carefree nature that fits well with riders even though you can’t be carefree as you ride.  You can feel free, but you need to be super aware, always riding defensively.  Yet butterflies also invoke joy and that I truly do experience riding my motorcycle.  During today’s ride, I saw 5 different butterflies: a cabbage white, 2 cloudless sulphurs, an atlantis fritillary, and a very close encounter with a black swallowtail.

Today started roughly with a dropped (but undamaged) helmet and issues with getting gas out of the Eagle Type II Safety gas can.  Despite these bumps, I pointed out I still had a 40+ mile range left on the bike for practice, so we could still ride today and worry about the gas can later.

            We decided to head over to my practice street and take the can to see if Bill could fix it.  The day was a beautiful, sunny 77 degrees day but with uncomfortable humidity.  Riding felt fantastic though, so while Bill troubleshot the gas can, I went cruising around half the neighborhood, getting up to speed and enjoying the cool air coursing over me.

            I returned to my practice street and did some stopping drills and my U-turn practice.  But there was no sign of my boyfriend, so I watched the cabbage white fly by and took off again to cool off.  It was during my neighborhood solo that my thoughts turned to “squidding.”  “Squid” is a term motorcycle riders use to describe any and all crazy things you might try on your bike.  Wheelies, for example, or donuts would be squid moves.  As I was cruising up the lane, heading back to my street, I wondered what it would take to do a wheelie.  Obviously, you don’t pull up the front of the bike with nothing but brute strength, so speed is definitely a factor.

            I didn’t do a wheelie of course.  I just found it fascinating that after 4 ½ months of riding, my thoughts are turning to squid moves.  I do feel much more confident on my bike.  And I imagined what it would be like to take it up to Independence Blvd. for a short cruise.  I realize that my next challenge is a higher speed road, though not necessarily in traffic.  As we move more into autumn, I hope we will seek out some country roads for a ride.  I’m getting comfortable in the neighborhood rides and want to ride at higher speeds.  Perhaps I should warn Bill!

A cold front pushed into our area two days ago, so we knew we’d have a beautiful Saturday morning for our ride.  I woke up a little later having been worn out by the first week back at school.  But I have been counting on today’s ride to help me de-stress and decompress.  Even with a later start, we had cool, comfortable low 70s for our ride.

            A slight disappointment as Bill didn’t bring the R NineT out for practice, but I quickly got past that as I successfully got the bike rolling out of the up-camber position Bill had purposely set it in.  I realize that I am beginning to feel more comfortable handling the throttle.

            The morning’s practice was an off-set slalom which I rode through successfully in first gear.  After a few runs in first, I wanted to try second, telling myself that I had successfully done second on the slalom last week.  I didn’t make it through the slalom in second.  I backed off and went back through in first a few more times, and then tried second again.  Second failure.   Back I went to first, working my way up to another attempt at second.  When I failed at this third attempt, I pulled over to get some advice from Bill who had been sitting and watching my trials.

            “This is an off-set slalom,” he reminded me.

            “Right.  But I could do second gear last week,” I responded.

            “Last week was a straight slalom,” he pointed out to me.  And of course he was right.

            I chalked up my memory lapse to the lingering mental fatigue from returning to work, relaxed, and continued my off-set slalom practice in first gear.  In a slalom the rider tries to move the bike without turning the front wheel excessively.  The bike swerves through pressure applied to the corresponding side of the handlebars and body shifting.  Since I was running through the slalom for thirty minutes, I felt the workout in my body.

            So when we returned to my parents’ house to pick up the R NineT for our neighborhood cruise, and I successfully got the bike going up-camber again, I let out a squeal of delight as we accelerated up to our 25 mph because it felt so good to relax my body and set myself into cruise mode.  Even as I squealed, I realized that when I wrote about my ride, it wouldn’t be at all impressive knowing my speeds are so low.  But for those of you who do ride, I think you understand my “small” thrill; it is so exhilarating, so freeing, so much fun!

            We cruised around the neighborhoods, noting many people out on bicycles, running, and walking, taking advantage of the gorgeous day.  We hit both gravel parking lots, no slipping this week, but I appreciate the practice because we have off-road plans in our future and the gravel gives me a good introduction.  I gleefully shifted into fifth gear on our 35 mph road, and found myself thinking on my brother’s advice.  My younger brother Jerry got into motorcycles about 10 years ago, getting a police auction bike first before getting himself a Harley Fat Boy.  He told me he would practice riding at higher speeds by going out on Virginia Beach Boulevard early Sunday mornings.  Today I realized that I want the experience of riding on faster roads, not from any desire to speed, but because I want that exhilarating experience.

            Maybe one day we can find a quiet country road with a 45 mph speed limit.  On the R NineT, Bill won’t have any trouble taking off.