May the Ride Be with You

Lots to celebrate on this Saturday’s ride. It is Star Wars Day, also International
Women’s Ride Day, and the eve of Cinco de Mayo (so Quatro de Mayo). It is also the third anniversary of my
becoming a motorcyclist.

The day was
partly cloudy, so I was hopeful of spotting some butterflies during the ride,
and I was not disappointed. I saw six
cabbage whites out flitting about and one small Atlantis Fritillary butterfly
near some deliciously scented blooming honeysuckle. One of the greatest benefits of our slow
rides through neighborhoods is the time it gives me to notice and appreciate
the beauties in nature.

As we
headed down the long straight road, I glimpsed a large bird of prey ahead of us
in the sky. I was hoping it might be the
golden eagle, and it may have been, but I never got close enough to make sure. Other than that small glimpse, I only spotted
one turkey vulture out and about in the skies during our ride. However, as I was unloading my gear from the
car, a shadow passed overhead, and I looked up to see one of the osprey
cruising by.

I’m
noticing much more variety in the flowers in bloom. In addition to the clematis, irises, and
roses, I’ve seen chunky white peonies, vibrant pink rhododendrons, a few day
lilies freshly planted, and even some magnolia blossoms opening. I spied some pretty white flowers on bushes,
almost like five-leafed dogwoods, that might have been potentilla, but I’m not
sure. My later internet search didn’t go
so well, and potentilla was the closest match.

In three
years I’ve ridden three different motorcycles—the BMW G310GS, the Ducati Desert
Sled Scrambler, and the BMW R Nine T.
For comfort I would rate the 310 the best; I rode in an upright position
on a fairly lightweight motorcycle. The
Ducati Scrambler riding position was similar, but that was a taller bike with
the weight of the engine up higher. It
was also extremely hot, which felt great in the winter but was really awful in
southeast Virginia summers. The R Nine T
is the best-balanced motorcycle of the three, but the riding position has me
leaning slightly forward which puts some pressure on my wrists.

I really
appreciated the balance of the bike during my on-street U-turn. As I came around to finish the turnaround, I
felt as though I could almost stop the motorcycle completely and remain upright
(at least for a second or two). That
doesn’t mean I don’t still have moments when I feel more of a list than I like
and start to dab or dab my feet to keep the bike upright, but I find I don’t
have to dab as much on the R Nine T as I did on the other two motorcycles. Perhaps some of this feeling is due to better
riding skills after three years practicing and riding, but I do credit the R
Nine T as being a well-balanced bike, and it creates in me a bias toward the
boxer engines of several BMW brands.

I do still
want the 1300 GS. The more I practice
with the current boxer engine, the more curious I get as to how the adventure
bike would handle. Or, more precisely,
how I would hand the adventure bike. But
I think several things would have to occur before I can own one. For one thing interest rates would need to
come way down. It would also be
helpful if the price and packaging
prices dropped some, BMW. But the final
stopping point is that Bill would have to tire of the Rocket and want to return
to the R Nine T. And right now, he’s
having too much fun playing on that motorcycle.
But that’s a good thing because I am having a ton of fun riding out with
him on the R Nine T.

author riding the BMW R Nine T Urban GS 40th anniversary edition motorcycle in yellow and black

Late Afternoon Ride

A sushi dinner delayed our ride to late afternoon. We wanted to ride then grab our takeout, so we didn’t start until after 4:00, very late for us. The day was much like last Saturday with cloudy skies and temperatures in the upper 60s. I need to make the most of these cool, comfortable rides as they will be ending soon; the week ahead has 80+ degree days.

I set off not expecting to see any butterflies, and there were no surprises. The later afternoon gave a muted softness to the green leaves and colorful flowers. The irises are enjoying their heyday, and I saw some gorgeous roses that I wished I could stop and smell. I also spotted large clematis blooms climbing up mailbox posts, and one clematis forming a small bush. I love clematis because they are such happy-looking flowers with their bold center stamens and four tepals (which I normally call petals but I learned the term tepals in my research). Bill bought me a clematis a few years back, and it blooms every year, but I have more shade than it likes. So I really love seeing the abundance of flowers on clematis in full sunshine.

We had to stop a few times during our ride because of indecisive squirrels. Twice a squirrel sat on the curb wavering between safety and leaping out in front of the Rocket. Luckily, both times, safety prevailed. Because of the late afternoon, I didn’t spot any raptors. However, I did get to watch a snowy white egret sail across the road on its way to the river.

As I rode, I practiced steering with my knees some. On today’s ride I particularly felt how much of my muscles are at work steering the motorcycle in tight U-turns and circles. I overdid my triceps at the gym, and I felt the use of them as I steered the bike. My on-street U-turn strategy worked; I delayed some to let Bill get his turn started, and I was able to complete both street turns on the street—no grass.

Lately, I’ve been thinking about torque and horsepower. The torque is the immediate pull of the motorcycle, and the horsepower is the speed. My R Nine T has less of both than Bill’s Rocket, so if he wanted to, he could leave me in his proverbial dust. I feel the 85.5-foot pounds of torque sometimes when I accelerate very quickly. It gives me the feeling of being thrown back on the motorcycle. Bu that torque isn’t even half of the Rocket’s 221-foot lbs. or torque. It is close to a roller coaster thrill to feel that torque kick in and the motorcycle try and pull away so that I have to hang on tight.

As for the horsepower, I don’t have a rev limiter which would enable me to see if I reach maximum horsepower at peak, but I don’t travel on roads or tracks where I should be reaching the speeds to let loose the 109 horses. But I find it interesting that I have been riding now almost four years and I feel like I could push the R Nine T in the speed if I were to do a track day.

However, I will enjoy my little speed burst on the “fast” road and keep enjoying all the beauties of nature I can clearly see on my slower rides.

purple iris — Photo by Delfina Baj on Pexels.com

Cloudy Skies Means No Butterflies

A short morning shower nearly derailed our riding plans, but after a few hours delay, the roads had dried off and we were able to ride under cloudy skies. The day was warm like last Saturday, so it was a surprise to me when I realized halfway through the ride that I hadn’t seen any butterflies out. They must prefer the sunshine.

We did get to see an osprey with a fresh catch fending off some crows as we headed onto the curvy road. The road construction throughout the neighborhood had abated some and allowed some roads to open up. I kept my eyes peeled for the bald eagle too, but I didn’t spot him. I did get to see some beautiful, tall, yellow Japanese irises in bloom. And I did see a pair of ducks probably scoping out nesting sites.

On this particular ride, I noted how easily I can shift gears with the R Nine T. I wonder if it’s because it is a dry clutch or if it is because I first learned to drive on a manual transmission, so I am used to shifting gears. Whatever it is, I don’t miss the sputters of the 310 or Ducati, nor the stalls I often had on both of those motorcycles.

As we rode, I noted that the azaleas are past peak bloom, but the roses are filling in to replace them. I did spy black tulips at least super dark purple tulips, which I thought was an interesting shade. And it’s good to see the tree leaves coming in; hopefully, my allergies will soon disappear. I did figure out a different way to keep my neck tube up over my mouth when I put on my helmet. Usually, I try and hold the neck tube in my mouth as I pull on the Arai helmet, but that results in the neck tube down at my chin. I need my nose covered while my allergies are still so active, so for today’s ride, I pulled the tube up over my eyes before putting my helmet on. My nose stayed covered, but I had to do some awkward adjustments to keep a piece from sticking up over my right eye. Never let it be said that I look super cool gearing up for my ride.

Most of my ride went terrific. I did go wide on the first on-street U-turn, but I believe that had more to do with a last second adjustment when it looked as though Bill had pulled up. Next ride, I’m going to hang back a little more so if he does adjust, I don’t have to over adjust to recover. My footless stops went really well, and I feel as though I am restarting more quickly.

As we headed home from the ride, we had the phenomenal sight of a bald eagle swooping down on the road in front of us to snag a dead squirrel. It was only about 20 feet away which allows me to appreciate just how large a raptor it truly is. This fellow was pestered by several angry crows trying to get the squirrel for themselves, but he was able to soar away from them with his prize. At least the clouds don’t keep the raptors at bay, but I do hope the forecasted sunshine will allow for some butterfly sightings on my next ride.

Attunement

I was back out of the leather and wearing the Klim summer jacket for this week’s ride. It was a Saturday made for riding motorcycles with temperatures hovering around 70 degrees and bright sunshine. There was wind, quite a bit as we had a violent storm pass through overnight Thursday. But the roads were dry and the wind didn’t make it too chilly, though I did wear a thermal shirt under my jacket to stay warm.

What I noticed during this ride was how important it is to learn the motorcycle. When I get in my car, I might think about features like the window controls or heated seats and I develop a feel for the steering wheel, the acceleration, and the brakes. But I don’t have to develop a feel for if I’m balanced in the seat, and I don’t consciously develop my grip on the steering wheel. Perhaps if I drove a more high-performance car or drove as though I was starring in the next Fast and Furious film, I might develop a finer attunement with my car. And even though I don’t take my R Nine T to a track to zip along as though I was in MotoGP, in order to ride successfully and safely, I do need to be attuned to the handling of the motorcycle far more than with my car.

As we headed out on this day meant for motorcycles, I actually was preoccupied with thoughts about house and yard work. I had spotted what I think was a Monarch butterfly as I was loading the gear in the car, so I should have been focused on possible butterfly sightings. What brought me out of my chores reverie wasn’t the cabbage whites I saw flitting here and there nor the gorgeous azaleas at peak bloom. No, I left the thoughts on bathroom scouring and weeding behind when I realized that I had been turning, stopping, leaning into curves, trail braking, and counter steering without any conscious thought to do any of it. I was riding my motorcycle naturally, comfortably, and confidently.

Well, not entirely comfortably. My right arm did get tingly and need some shaking out. But as far as steering and maneuvering went, I was mostly comfortable. I did go wide on the first on street turn because I didn’t turn my head far enough around. But now when I do make a mistake, I am much better at identifying what I did wrong and make the correction. My quick stop-starts went really well. Near the end of our ride, Bill led us into my old practice street, the one I had to use when the school didn’t want us using the parking lot. I flashbacked to how nerve wracking it was to do my U-turns between the curbs on the little 310 even as I easily navigated the turn on the larger R Nine T. As Bill explained after our ride, he could really tell how much his skill has developed on the Rocket by completing the U-turn on the practice street. That led me to realize how important our practices are for learning the handling of the motorcycles. I have nearly put 1,000 miles on the R Nine T, not much by most people’s standards, but much more than I ever rode on either the BMW G310GS or the Ducati Scrambler. So it is no wonder that I feel more attuned to the R Nine T, and I look forward to more fine tuning next weekend!

Road through trees from the cockpit of a motorcycle — Photo by Kelly on Pexels.com

Two Rides Week

I had Thursday off this week, so we were able to work in a bonus ride. The weather was cooler with highs in the mid to upper 50s, but on a motorcycle that’s perfect riding weather. Though there was some building clouds on Thursday, the skies stayed dry and let us finish our rides.

On Thursday I spotted a butterfly, not a cabbage white, as I sat on my bike waiting for Bill to gear up. It stayed too far away for me to make out what kind of butterfly, but it still made me smile because it means more butterflies are coming out. I also spotted on my Thursday ride some kind of hawk, but I have not been able to identify it. When I first saw it circling, I thought it was just a turkey buzzard. But a few moments later, I saw the raptor diving toward the ground about 30 feet away, and it had the head of a hawk. It has dark brown feathers, and I’ve seen a similar one around my home.

Saturday, however, I didn’t spot any raptors and only saw one cabbage white butterfly who was five feet from my right shoulder. I did get to enjoy the blooming azaleas in their pinks, fuchsias, soft purple, and whites, and the dogwoods contrasting with the leafing Japanese maples. Some horticulturist with a great eye must’ve realized how complementary the white leaves of the dogwood blooms are against the rich burgundy of the Japanese maple leaves.

Of course as I ride and admire the beautiful sights of nature, I am also keeping my eyes on the road and checking my surroundings. This awareness allows me to see the kids waving to us as we ride by and, this week, the middle-aged lady walking her dog and giving us a thumbs up. It’s great to see such average Americans living in a very middle class, suburban neighborhood enjoying the sight and sound of our motorcycles.

During Thursday’s ride I did another super tight U-turn on the gravel lot. However, on Saturday the lot had several cars in it, so I didn’t get another chance to practice. Bill did take us by the neighborhood pool’s gravel lot, but I wasn’t comfortable riding in it. I’m not sure if it was because of dampness or because it was early in our ride and my mind wasn’t ready for the gravel.

I did note on Saturday’s ride how much physical effort my turns take. I think I was sore from my gym lift, but I really felt my arms and chest muscles working to manipulate the handlebars. No wonder I’m so hungry after our rides; it is quite a workout.

I also noted the location of the beehive—just one, but I’ll keep my eyes open to see if they start selling fresh honey.

I’ll have to enjoy this two rides week; it’ll be months before I get the opportunity for another one. Of course with summer approaching, the heat my keep us at only one ride but I hope not.

Riding Nirvana

Happy Easter! We have been blessed with beautiful weather for this weekend, and this gift of sunshine and warm temperatures made for a blissful ride. It’s funny to think how just last week, I was riding in almost full winter gear but yesterday’s ride let me dress as though for a summer ride.

We had gone just over a block when I spotted my first cabbage white butterfly. I hoped I would also see the bald eagle again in the gorgeous blue sky, but I didn’t have that kind of luck. As I rode up the curvy road, I enjoyed the feel of the counter steering. The cherry trees were past their peak bloom, but I spotted the dogwoods just beginning to open up. More azaleas were blooming, and more tulips were out.

The ride was lovely, perfect temps except for a little warmth creeping in when I worked in the gravel lot on my turns. I completed my tightest turns ever including another one in the blocked off parking spaces. Usually while I practice in the gravel, Bill watches me from a neighboring parking lot, but on this ride he headed off to work on his own slow speed turns. Later he told me it was too warm for him to just sit on the big Rocket engine in the sun. I was glad because I feel a little guilty that he just sits and watches me.

Bill wasn’t feeling great, so we had planned a shorter ride, but it didn’t feel shortened. We didn’t go up a few back roads, but we were out where I caught a quick glimpse of what I believe was the first Canadian Tiger Swallowtail of the season. It was fluttering up high in a tree and, by the time we turned around and passed the spot again, it had fluttered off. But it was exciting to see another species of butterfly because more will be on the way.

We did go in the hospital lot where I worked on my sudden stops and starts. I think they are getting better, but I would still like to restart more quickly. I saw an interesting site while I was practicing. In the church parking lot across the street from where I was practicing, I saw a beekeeper! I haven’t seen a lot of beekeepers in my lifetime especially all geared up, and this gentleman was holding his helmet not wearing it. But I now want to see if I can spot beehives behind the church.

As we headed back to the garage, I also saw something I hadn’t seen for some time—a family was out in the field by the school flying a kite. That is almost as perfect an outdoor activity as riding a motorcycle but, having done both, I’ll pick riding every time.

PS—When I was walking down to the car to leave, I looked up to see four ospreys soaring above—riding nirvana!

Rain, Wind, and Riding

The forecasted rain arrived Friday evening and stayed past noon on Saturday. I was bummed even though I was sure we’d be able to ride on Sunday. So in order to mitigate the wait time from Saturday to Sunday, I decided to go check out the 2024 BMW R1300 GS. As luck would have it, by the time we headed over to the BMW dealership, the roads had mostly dried out. But I had set my sights on seeing the new motorcycle, so we headed over.

When we arrived at Adventure, they had over 15 motorcycles outside on display including the 1300 in the GS Trophy edition. This edition is in a red, white, and royal blue color pattern that looked good on Youtube, but for me the colors didn’t quite fit on the motorcycle that well. Because they had a large inventory of bikes, I was able to sit on the 1300 and then sit on a 1250 to compare. On both bikes I was on my toes, but when we went inside, I was able to sit on a Triple Black edition that featured the adjustable seat height. I was happy to see I could flat foot the bike and have a bend in my knees, close to my position on the R Nine T. The adjustable seat height is a feature that automatically lowers the motorcycle’s suspension as the rider slows down to stop. Harley-Davidson introduced this feature with their adventure bike, the Pan America, and it is a very smart feature that, should it gain increasing popularity, will make motorcycling open to more riders.

When I expressed disappointment at not seeing the 1300 in the Aurelius green metallic, Rick, the sales manager, told us he had one in the back and led us back there to see it. I’m glad he did because between the Trophy colors and the green, I much prefer the green. The lines on the tank are smoother and Bill likes that the frame is black not white.

Because of the recent rain, and because Rick was helping us not Clayton, there was no offer of a test ride. I would like to go back and test ride the green one, but I have to come to grips with reality. The green bike, known as the Option 719, is an upspec motorcycle with a ton of features and would cost, before dealer fees and taxes, $28, 545, so over $30,000 once the additional fees are added. It is amazing how much the motorcycle has increased in price. The 1250 GS would have run around $23,000 with added features. I may have to wait for some used 1300s to show up on CycleTrader to make it a reasonable dream.

Of course I really can’t complain. I have the beautiful R Nine T to ride, and ride I did on another windy Sunday. I remembered to check the wind chill, so I was dressed appropriately in my full leather jacket with the liner, warmest shirt, and Rev’It Factor 4 pants with the liner. Because of the chill, I wasn’t expecting to see any butterflies never mind as many as I saw last week. But I was surprised; there was one cabbage white fluttering around before we left, and I did spot one brave little guy as we rode.

As we turned around on at the end of the curvy road, I was watching a pair of Canadian geese in someone’s yard when my eye was caught by movement in the sky. High aloft the bald eagle was cruising on the strong winds. I stopped to watch, but Bill, who hadn’t seen the eagle, had ridden ahead. It was one of the few times I’ve wished we had a communication system.

Leaving the curvy road, I continued looking up in hopes of seeing the eagle again, but half a mile away and he was gone. Shortly after, though, Bill and I spied two osprey fighting over a fish in the sky. I was happy Bill got in on these raptors, and I began to have a hope of maybe seeing the golden eagle again. I didn’t, but I did see lots of crows.

I also saw more azaleas beginning to bloom and more tulips flowering. The cherry trees had reached full bloom but, due to the heavy rain and strong winds, their blossoms were not as full as they could have been. But the cherry blossoms in their transience remind me of my rides; the rides are wonderful while they last, but they are over all too soon. Of course, like the cherry blossoms, they return.

Blossoms and Butterflies

I had some of the luck of the Irish on my ride Saturday. Not only was the weather a lovely, sunny, low 60s, but the cabbage whites were out in force and my favorite blossoms, the cherry trees, were beginning to bloom.

There was no blessing from a butterfly before our ride, but I had seen several on the drive over and was hopeful to spot some as I rode. It didn’t take long; half a block down the road, I spotted my first cabbage white dancing about. It turns out that one female of this species can produce millions of offspring, so I shouldn’t be surprised that I saw 17 on this early spring ride. I also learned that the cabbage white is an immigrant from Quebec, Canada, and prior to that was only found in Europe, Asia, and North Africa. Someone in 1860 brought the little critters to North America, and they have spread throughout the continent.

They make for lively entertainment during my motorcycle rides, and I was nearly head-butted by one on this ride. The butterfly flew at my fancy Arai helmet, probably drawn in by the bright colors, but it got smart about a foot away from collision and veered up and over my helmet.

On this ride I saw four weeping cherry trees in full bloom, and I saw multiple Yoshino cherry trees beginning to bloom. I’m hoping to see full blooming cherry trees on next week’s ride. I even spotted the first tulips of spring in a few yards as we rode.

My ride was great—mostly. We took the curvy road which is always fun. I enjoyed the feel of the counter steers into the turns. As we headed into the ritzier neighborhood the I rolled on the throttle and felt a good deal of the 119 Newton meters of torque forcing me back on the seat. I laughed and recovered my seat and found myself slowing down suddenly as Bill turned us into a cul de sac we hadn’t ridden down in a while. I’m glad he did as it let me see a little boy enjoying the beautiful day zooming down the street in his mini dragster.

My turns continued going well on street and in the gravel lot. I did try the turn between the large wooden blocks but only halfway. If I’m feeling good about my turns next ride, I will go full into the wood like I was supposed to. I think I hesitated because things were going so well, I didn’t want to mess up.

Not too long after my fun in the gravel lot, I stalled the motorcycle. We were stopped waiting to turn back onto the zoomy road. We had to let three cars go by but, before we could turn, another four came up the road. I think the unusual amount of cars keeping us at the stop sign longer than usual distracted me enough that when I went to take off, my feel for the clutch was off and the bike conked out. I recovered with Bill only having to slow down to wait for me, and I also recovered my good ride by improving my sudden stop-go drill. And I had the fun of seeing 17 butterflies throughout my ride. Were some repeats of ones I had spotted before? Possibly. But I try to only count them as we enter a new, unridden road, so I think my 17 is close to the actual count.

I love seeing the butterflies and the cherry blossoms. The butterflies remind me of how free and capricious riding a motorcycle can be. The cherry blossoms remind me to enjoy the beauty of the ride while it lasts because, like the blossoms, the time is fleeting.

Butterfly Blessed Ride

The rain defeated us on Saturday, so we crossed our fingers that the windy Sunday forecasted would dry out the roads and allow us to ride. By waiting until the early afternoon, we were able to get our ride in.

As we drove over to pick up the motorcycles, I noticed several cabbage white butterflies flitting about, enjoying the sunshine after Saturday’s rain. I was hopeful to see some during the ride, but I was surprised when I spotted one down by the R Nine T while I was putting on my gear. I grabbed my phone to try and get a photo of the butterfly right above the bike, but by the time I had the phone in hand, the butterfly had flitted its way across the street and into someone’s backyard. I still got to see the butterfly drawn in by the bright yellow and red colors of the motorcycles, so I was smiling even without a photo.

The butterfly blessing came a few moments later. Bill and I had mounted the bikes, and I was waiting for the tether check. Recently, Bill has taken to tugging on the attached tether for his Helite airbag vest while looking over for me to do the same. This check ensures we both have the vests attached which means, should either of us go flying off the motorcycle, the airbag will deploy. While I waited I naturally was looking toward Bill on the Rocket. I noted a shadow on the ground and thought it was the butterfly flying over us. When I glanced back, there was the little cabbage white, blessing complete, off to find actual colorful flowers to play among.

Off we went on a shortened ride. I had been ill all week and was just starting to recover, so the ride was shortened to keep me from overdoing it. Due to the shorter ride and the massive road equipment, we skipped the curvy road. Our first U-turns were the in-street turns, and I was as successful as lasts week in staying on the pavement. I again marveled at the balance of the R Nine T with its low-slung boxer engine as I worked my turns throughout the ride. The roads were drier than last week, so I did work in the gravel lot, almost completing a U-turn inside the large wooden beams that mark off the handicap parking. Next week I will try the full turn inside the beams.

My stops into restarts got better though I realized I’m not stopping hard enough. Bill wants me to stop hard enough to feel the anti-lock brakes shudder. I wasn’t stopping that hard.

My hopes of seeing more butterflies weren’t realized. I did see another cabbage white moving among the camellias toward the end of my ride. I was surprised to see some azaleas already in bloom; I guess they liked the mild winter and all the rain we’ve had. Usually I see the azaleas blooming after the cherry trees, and I suppose the majority of them will, but it is a fun sign of spring to see some azaleas alongside the sugar magnolias, apple blossoms, daffodils, and forsythia. Of course, the best part of spring and summer will be the butterflies.

Sugar magnolia blossoms under sunshine and clouds

Better Late Than Never

Friday and Saturday brought us rain, and I despaired of a Saturday ride. Bill was more optimistic; the rain was supposed to stop around 1 and the sun came out to dry the roads. When showers fell at noon, I figured our Saturday ride was out, but the forecast was right, the sun came out, and the roads, mostly, dried off. Temperatures were in the 60s, so in that regard it was perfect riding weather. But this ride had to be one of our latest as we headed out around four in the afternoon.

It was warm enough to bring out a cabbage white butterfly which I spotted on the drive over to get the motorcycles. I hoped I would see more as we rode, but perhaps the lateness of the afternoon or the rain or the early March date kept other butterflies at bay. The rain drops gave a sparkle to the daffodils, camellias, and the sugar magnolias I saw in bloom. And the green grass shone under the sunlight.

As we headed out, we did have to dodge some puddles here and there. Yet I found out early it was going to be a great ride as we hit the cul de sac at the end of the curvy road, and I did two of my tightest U-turns ever.

Unfortunately, the sun didn’t stay with us throughout the whole ride. While the sun was shining, I was comfortable in my Klim lightweight jacket, but when the clouds blocked the sunlight, I got chilly enough to turn on my heated grips.

Of course I kept my eyes peeled for large birds. The Canadian geese were out in their mating pairs here and there, and I even startled some ducks by the river. An eastern bluebird flew across our path, a few feet in front of Bill’s helmet. And I did spot a large bird, but it was too far away to be certain that it was the golden eagle.

I was finally able to complete both on-street U-turns successfully. The first one was berm to berm, but the second one left me a good foot away from the berm. We stopped at the gravel parking lot outside the historic house, but as I rode into it, I noticed the mud and puddles and felt I should give it a pass. I think part of me just didn’t want to have to wash the motorcycle later.

My emergency stops and restarts went better than before, but I feel like I’m stopped longer than I should be. I did better at scanning the mirrors as I came to a stop. I have to develop comfort with just putting my left toe down and trusting that my acceleration will keep the R Nine T upright.

I’m lucky that Bill was right to have us ride Saturday. I became quite ill Sunday and have been sick all week. I’m working on getting healthy for the weekend because I don’t want to miss my chance to ride. Of course, I need the weather to cooperate and push the rain off until Sunday.