After a week of worrying about rain on Saturday, we found ourselves waking up to sunshine and temperatures in the 50s; perfect weather for riding. Yet we almost didn’t get to ride.
My Mom’s toilet has been on the fritz for two weeks or so. My brother replaced the fill valve, but the tank either didn’t fill or kept running. Knowing we would be heading over for our ride, Mom asked if Bill could install whatever part the toilet needed to work. We stopped at Home Depot and picked up the complete toilet repair kit, the one that says it takes only minutes to install. It didn’t take only minutes.
For one thing the flapper attachment wouldn’t disconnect from the tank, necessitating Bill take the tank off and saw it. Then there was the disintegrated rubber that created a black slime that got everywhere. Additionally, the part of the handle that the chain connects to had broken off, so I had to run to the Taylor’s to pick up a new handle. The Korky repair kit said “Easiest install,” but that claim must presuppose one is replacing newish toilet parts. The repair took two hours, so we didn’t head out on our ride until almost 4:00.
By that time the sun wasn’t shining as brightly, though it was still out. We headed out for a short ride, and I again found myself marveling at how well the R Nine T rides. I enjoyed leaning into the curves and feeling the bike accelerate beneath me. I was better able to do my tight turns as I wasn’t frozen. In practicing one of my turns, I went to full lock and felt the bike start to dip out from under me; my reaction was just what it should’ve been—let out the clutch and give the bike more speed. The bike stayed upright and my practice continued.
I was especially pleased at my automatic reaction. Earlier in the week, Bill explained the difference between our current riding practice and riding in traffic. As you may have noticed, I am able on our current route, to think about my riding and the reaction of the bike. In traffic my riding skills would need to be automatic as my focus would need to be on everything around me. That’s not to say that I ride now oblivious to cars and obstacles on the road. But because we are cruising through neighborhoods, we are dealing with far fewer cars than if we were out in traffic. In our discussion Bill pointed out that my riding skills need to be automatic; I can’t be focused on what gear have I shifted into, am I counter steering, did I look in my mirrors as I came to a stop. These skills need to be what I am doing while my mind is paying attention to the traffic around me.
In order to reach that level of confidence with my riding skills, I need confidence in my handling of my motorcycle. I am amazed at how quickly I am gaining confidence in my riding skills on the R Nine T. I rode the BMW G310 GS for seven months, and I rode the Ducati Scrambler for almost a year. Both of these motorcycles helped me enormously develop my riding skills, yet I feel most comfortable on the R Nine T. Now that I’ve developed the feel for the dry clutch, I really like how it handles. I had a moment where, if I were riding one of the other bikes, I would’ve stalled, but on the R Nine T a little more throttle kept me rolling.
I’m lucky to be able to take my time learning the motorcycles and learning my riding skills. Would I like to ride more? Yes, of course. There are days when I leave work and I think how wonderful riding a motorcycle home would be, to let the engine roar and wind blow away residual stress from the workday. But then some crazy driver cuts me off or tailgates me, and I realize the motorcycle ride home would be even more stressful.
For now I will remain content with my Saturday rides. It’s clear that spring is fast approaching, and hopefully the toilet will continue to work, so I can have long, fun rides on the amazing R Nine T.
Flutterby Biker 