Despite waiting until early afternoon, the temperatures stayed in the mid-40s and the sun stayed behind the clouds.  The winter gear was brought out though I did chose to wear the leather pants not my winter britches, the Rev’It Trousers Factor 4.  I thought with some leggings underneath, I’d be alright, but my legs were the only part of me chilly on the ride.

            The sun made some peeks through the clouds, but throughout the ride I worried there might be showers.  The rain held off, however, leaving only the wind to deal with.  I felt the wind pressure from the moment we took off, pushing against me on the motorcycle.  Thanks to my flannel turtleneck, leather jacket, and the heated grips, I was warm enough against the wind (except my thighs), but I felt the first hints of winter’s chill slipping in with the wind.

            I was lucky to be able to ride.  During the past week, I was dealing with bursitis in my hip causing me pain when I stood up from sitting as well as at times as I moved about.  Bill worried my pain might cause a spasm at a stop leading to a bike drop.  The pain never got that intense, but I rode with discomfort and fully aware that the pain that had mitigated during the was still very much present.

            I noticed more bare branches among the leaves though there was still plenty of spectacular foliage color.  The newly planted grass has set up enough to be mown, so we had the pleasant fresh cut grass smell mixing in with the smell of burning wood as fires were lit against the chill.  I saw a freshly planted hedge of roses with several blooms, but the newest sites were the Christmas decorations with sparkly deer and many inflatables including penguins, snowmen, and Santa of course.

            We rode without much slow speed work.  Several times I had to adjust as Bill took a quick turn off the road without signaling to avoid the extra holiday weekend traffic.  I used the circumstances as extra awareness training.  I did venture into the gravel lot at the historic house for some practice, but I kept it short.  Every slip I felt of the tires made me think about the pain in my hip and how I might hesitate to put my foot down to catch the motorcycle.  So I did a few turns but didn’t work on being super tight.

            I wasn’t too disappointed with our shorter ride.  My leg was starting to ache more and part of me worried that I might be aggravating the situation.  The bursitis diagnosis is mine not official, but it seems to fit as I’m the right age and I tend to be repetitive in my exercise.  The rest of the weekend will be spent resting the hip and bracing myself for the winter rides that will be here before I know it.

A beautiful fall day with no ride.  After last week’s ride, I woke up Sunday feeling miserable.  My sinus infection had returned, and the week was a struggle with coughing and congestion.  Midway through the week, Bill caught the bug, so by Saturday, we weren’t in a condition to handle motorcycles.

            We did visit the bikes so Bill could patch the hole in the Rocket’s rear tire.  Patching a hole in a tire involves inserting a rubber tube with adhesive that fills the hole and expands to prevent air leakage.  There’s an interesting tool, like a giant sewing needle, that is threaded with the rubber and inserted into the hole.  Then a piece comes down to release the rubber and allow for the tool to be retracted.  With the Thanksgiving holiday coming, we’ll be able to check if the patch is working before we try to ride on Saturday.

            A benefit of the repair kit is that it comes with 20 plugs, so we’ll be OK against nail punctures for some time.  At the very least, the plug holds enough that Bill will be able to ride the Rocket to the dealership for a proper tire repair.  But I’m hopeful the patch holds enough we’ll get to ride for which I will be quite grateful.

            Have a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday!

Veterans Day was cool and cloudy, so I brought out the leather.  It was cool enough to make riding in the leather jacket and pants comfortable.  Even Bill wore his leather jacket.  But we didn’t get to ride together.  Instead, we took turns cruising on the R Nine T.

            Toward the end of last week’s ride, Bill picked up a nail in his rear tire.  The tire was down to 3.5 psi from 42.  This was incredibly frustrating because the nail made the Rocket unrideable.  It seemed as though I would have to ride solo, and Bill wouldn’t get to ride at all.  But circumstances worked a little bit in our favor. 

            When we arrived at my parents’ house, my mom’s car wasn’t there.  I thought she was out, but she was home.  Her car was getting serviced.  While we were dealing with the frustration and disappointment in the garage, my mom came to tell me the service shop called, and her car was ready.  That offered the best solution we could hope for that day.  While I took my mom to get her car, Bill could ride the R Nine T, and I would ride when I got back.

            I had a bit of a wait once I returned to the house, but I didn’t mind.  I knew Bill needed the fun of riding the R Nine T to help lift his mood.  He was much happier after his ride, and I took off looking forward to my turn.

            It was later in the day than we usually ride, so I stuck mostly to cruising and left off the slow speed maneuvers.  I did ride into the pool parking lot since the rope was down which is where I took the lovely autumn picture.  I worked on my awareness as I wasn’t following especially paying attention to the squirrels—only one crazy enough to run around in front of me.  I brought my ride to an end as I noticed the cars beginning to turn on their headlights.  With the end of daylight savings and our delayed start, it was approaching dusk.

            While I was out having my riding fun, Bill was working on the flat tire.  He managed to lift the nail up enough to remove it and plug the hole.  So with some repair work, we’ll be able to ride together again next weekend.

            A sunny day in the mid-60s is about as perfect a day for a ride as we can get.  Soon after leaving the house, we spotted a Little Yellow Sulfur butterfly which I almost mistook for a yellow leaf.  We had a morning in the low 30s, so I was happy to see some butterflies still about.  During the ride, I spotted four more Cabbage White butterflies still soaking up the autumn sunshine.

            The squirrels were also busy dashing across Bill’s path five times during the ride.  It was a great day for stashing acorns, and the furry critters kept me focused on a gorgeous day where it would have been easy to let my mind wander.

            I did muse on how wonderful riding motorcycles is.  As I weaved along the curvy road, I was marveling at how lucky I am to be able to head out and ride on a lovely Saturday afternoon.  I also spent some time thinking about how beneficial motorcycle riding is.  It is a perfect way to leave the stresses of the week behind and lose oneself in the moment.

            Along the curvy road, I had hoped the bald eagle would be up, but no luck.  However, half a mile away, Bill pointed up to the sky.  I looked upward but my view was blocked by the visor on my helmet.  So Bill pulled over to ask me if I saw the bald eagle.  I told him, “No, my visor blocked it,” then looked up as the bald eagle soared into my line of vision.  I continued my ride with a huge grin.

            My motorcycle knowledge is improving.  We were approaching the yield sign where we try to get to a footless stop; a footless stop is where the speedometer reads 0 and my feet stay on the pegs.  I was watching my speedometer get to 0 when peripherally, I noticed the Rocket lurch forward then stop.  Bill had stalled on his footless attempt.  It is one of the advantages of the R Nine T and the dry clutch that I feel it is easier to catch the bike before the engine stalls.

            Another advantage of the boxer engine is the balance it gives to the motorcycle.  My turns are tightening up because I trust the bike’s balance.  As I rode in the gravel lot, it felt like my rear tire was spinning a bit underneath me, but I was smiling and enjoying the sensation, not fearful of falling.  This confident feeling makes me want to get the R1300 GS another boxer engine.  I can’t wait to ride that in the gravel lot.

            But I will have to wait.  The 1300s won’t hit these shores until early 2024.  I do have a birthday in January, so perhaps I can get a spectacular birthday gift.  Not that I mind continuing on the R Nine T, but I think I’ll be happier on the GS.

Considering how much threat of rain we’ve had on the past several Saturdays, it was wonderful to wake up to bright sunshine and not a cloud in the sky.  The temperatures were on the high side—upper 70s when we rode and heading north to the mid-80s for the day.  But I had no complaints.

            I missed the 310 today.  While I appreciate the power and handling on the R Nine T very much, I had an acute awareness of the uncomfortable pressure on my wrists.  On the 310 I am riding sitting straight up with no weight forward on my wrists.  The R Nine T riding position has me leaning a little bit forward which creates pressure on my wrists and causes my right hand to become numb during the ride.

            I noticed this slight lean forward position when I sat on the BMW R1250 R.  I don’t like it and would never be able to cruise for any distance on the R Nine T.  I also should stay away from sports bikes.  If you’ve ever seen a MotoGP race, they ride sports bikes, sometimes on the street referred to as “crotch rockets.”  That riding position involves being hunched down over the gas tank, leaning forward with even more pressure on the wrists.  I note this discomfort because it means the R Nine T isn’t my dream bike.  The BMW R1250 GSA I test rode a while ago has a similar upright riding position to the 310.  I’m hoping the new 1300 is the same because I really do like that bike and could see that as my dream bike.

            But even riding on a not-dream bike was wonderful on this beautiful day.  The dry air made the leaves on the road crisp and they fluttered in our riding wake making me smile.  The leaf colors are about half changed over, and I noted the contrast of the russets, yellows, and burgundies against the bright green of newly seeded lawns.

            The squirrels were out busily collecting and squirreling away nuts for the winter.  We had several road encounters including one oblivious squirrel sitting in the road as the Rocket bore down on him.  He finally woke up when the looming shadow of the large front tire hit him and decided to ruminate in someone’s yard.

            The yards also had a lot more Halloween decorations out including a towering, rather frightful white witch, and a cute little purple dragon.  I did not expect to see many butterflies, but I was pleasantly surprised to see nine, including one who fluttered in blessing over top of our motorcycles before we rode.  They were all Cabbage White butterflies, though on the drive home I did see what I think might have been a Columbine Duskywing butterfly.

            Next week’s forecast is for cooler, more seasonal temperatures.  Bill joked about getting up to ride early when the temperatures are in the 40s, but I don’t think that will happen.  However, we are almost in November, so the cooler and colder rides are on their way which made today’s ride that much more precious.

            One thousand, two hundred and ninety-nine days ago I rode my first ever motorcycle.  One thousand, two hundred and ninety-two days ago, we bought my first ever motorcycle, the 2021 BMW G310 GS in Polar Ice (white and gray).  It was a wonderful little bike, absolutely perfect for getting a feel for riding a motorcycle and gaining confidence as a rider.  I’m bittersweet about letting it go, but today we sold it, and I had my final ride on my first ever motorcycle.

            It’s been an interesting selling experience with the 310.  I had 53 interested buyers in it, but it took more than three months to sell it.  Some of the selling issues may have been due to our methods—cash or cashier’s check from one bank, not much negotiation on the price, and the expectation that the buyer would arrange for any shipping.  But I also think the bike was waiting for the right buyer.  We sold it to a gentleman from North Carolina who wanted a beginner bike for his teenage daughter and wife, and he is familiar enough with BMW motorcycles and the 310 to know it was the perfect bike for learning.

            Knowing we had a buyer has led me to reminisce about my experiences on the 310.  I’ve written about those rides, so right now I’m going to focus on how different my beginner bike feels now that I’ve ridden the Ducati Scrambler, the BMW R1250 GSA, and the BMW R Nine T.  For one thing there is no pickup on the 310.  It accelerates so slow-smoothly that it wasn’t until I was on the Ducati that I experienced the sensation of being “thrown from the bike.”  This feeling is when as you roll on the throttle, the acceleration is forceful enough that you feel yourself moved back on the seat as though to fly off the back.  It’s a neat sensation—as long as you don’t actually fly off the bike!

            I rode onto the curvy road and noted that the 310 doesn’t handle the curves anywhere near as effectively as the R Nine T.  I did, however, have a super tight U-turn in the court without really trying.  The poor 310 is so short in gears that just accelerating up to 25 mph necessitated shifting into fourth gear.  Often with the R Nine T, I can ride along smoothly in second gear.

            My one concern on this final ride was stalling the motorcycle.  As I was learning, I often stalled the 310 trying to learn the friction zone.  But despite my trepidation, I handled every acceleration from a stop smoothly.  I came to recognize that I have truly outgrown the 310, my beginner motorcycle.  And this realization made parting with the motorcycle a bit easier.

            As Bill and the new owner were loading the 310 into the trailer, I noticed a bald eagle soaring overhead.  I took this as a good omen on the sale.  I chased after the eagle attempting to get a photo (my phone is too old to take a good picture), I saw a red-tailed hawk being harassed by a crow crossing paths with the eagle.  The eagle coasted on the thermals farther and farther away much like the BMW G310 GS was leaving.  It was a beautiful autumn day to let go of my beginner biker status and hope that it serves its new owners as good if not better than it served me.

Well the rain finally won.  It was aided and abetted by a sinus infection that wiped me out for the week.  The end result was no motorcycle ride which really depressed me.

            Because I was ill, we didn’t go out and look at new motorcycles at any dealerships on this rainy Saturday.  We did, however, check out videos on the brand new 2024 BMW R1300 GS, and I have to admit I’m surprised by how much I really like the look and features of this new version.  I have begun to hope that Bill decides to sell the Rocket—a dream bike, but one that is not always reliable—and return to riding the R Nine T.  That would mean I would have to return to riding the G310 GS which we have still not managed to sell despite all sorts of interest. 

            But I don’t think I would be riding my first motorcycle for long.  I have advanced my skills as a rider in the two and a half years of riding, and I think Bill likes me riding a more sophisticated bike.  So I will hold out some hope that instead of my dream R1250 GS, that one day I can upgrade to a beautiful green and gold R1300 GS—fingers crossed!