Maybe it was due to Tax Day, but for some reason, I had an uncomfortable ride.  It wasn’t the weather; we had a perfect day for riding—sunshine, temps in the 70s, little wind.  But within two minutes of heading out, hair blew into my right eye, and my discomfort was underway.

            I had pulled my hair back in its usual ponytail, but I forgot to use the hairspray; once my hair is back, I spray the top and sides to help prevent strays from blowing into my eyes.  No sooner had I stopped and rubbed the hairs out of my right eye than some hair blew into my left eye.  The right eye was almost painful, but the left eye was just uncomfortable, so I could keep riding.

            The glorious sunshine accentuated the bright pinks, purples, and whites on the azaleas.  The dogwoods are mostly green leaf now, but the roses have begun to bloom to continue the beauty.  As beautiful as the scenery was, I couldn’t fully appreciate it as my left elbow began to ache.  The ache in my elbow emphasized the R Nine T’s riding position, slightly hunched forward, and I found myself longing to be riding the 1250 GS with its upright riding position.  I think my elbow issue was caused by some extra activity this past week.  I helped throw out the old cabinets from my kitchen, and I may have tweaked my elbow as I tossed debris into the trash bin.  Whatever the cause, I found myself steering the motorcycle one-handed while I rested my left arm.

            My eyes, my arm, and soon my leg added to the discomfort.  I was wearing the Rev’It Ignition 3 leather pants; I’ve had issues with the built in knee pads before, but today’s discomfort was new.  I wear knee pads underneath the pants which until today has helped alleviate the discomfort.  But today the knee pad twisted underneath somehow causing a persistent pinch in my knee. 

            Despite these myriad discomforts, I did manage to focus on my looks while turning.  At the first stop, a right-hand turn, I found myself straightening the bike out as soon as I looked from the left back to the right.  It occurred to me that the solution could be as simple as looking longer in the opposite direction from my turn to keep the wheel turned.  I held my look longer and turned my head when I was ready to start straightening from the turn.  It worked really well to the right, and I even had some success with my left turns as well.

            I also managed to spy a duck couple next to the road and two Eastern Tiger Swallowtail butterflies.  I had a couple of odd shifts into neutral, but none of these were while I was decelerating for a turn thank goodness.  I hope I can figure out why these mis-shifts are happening as they are a recent development.  I think I am either too light or too heavy on the shifter.  Whatever the cause, more rides are needed to solve this mystery which makes me quite happy.

            Why does it seem that weekly weather patterns are such that the bright, sunny days are all during the week, and the rain comes for the weekend?  We’ve had rain forecasted for Friday and Saturday for the past two weekends and have rain forecasted for next Saturday as well.  Our luck has held, and we’ve been able to work in a ride, though today’s ride was shortened by falling rain.

            Despite two summery days of temperatures in the mid-80s, by Saturday more winter-like weather had returned with highs supposedly In the low 50s but with the strong northeast wind, staying in the low to mid-40s.  I returned to wearing my Rev’It Factor 4 Trousers with my lined leather jacket for warmth.  I was excited for today’s ride as the R Nine T would hit the 1000-mile mark (and beyond), at least I was hoping it would if we could ride.  As I walked down the driveway to the motorcycle, I saw small rain drops on the gas tank and looked over at Bill.  We decided to head out and see if these were just random sprinkles and, for a while, they were.

            I realized we were racing against the impending rain, but even with that realization, I was not prepared for how fast Bill took off from the first stop.  Now his Triumph Rocket has much greater torque than the R Nine T (221 ft. lbs. compared to 85 ft. lbs.), but he hasn’t really laid it down until this ride.  I let him take off and stayed in my comfort zone as I accelerated out of that first stop and several more on the ride.  One mistake Bill has warned me about repeatedly is trying to keep up when riding with others.  The more experienced rider should keep the pace at what the less experienced rider is comfortable with.  Usually, Bill does this, but I think he had the urgency of the coming rain adding impetus to his throttle.  I stayed true to my riding skills and let him head off.  Since we are riding through neighborhoods, he isn’t going to go too fast, and there are enough stops for me to catch up.  And I knew he would check his mirrors for me and realize I was lagging.

            I did have time to appreciate the lushness of the greens now more evident as the leaves on the trees open and fill in.  The gray skies gave a muted beauty to the dogwoods and azaleas, the whites, pinks, and purples of their flowers beautifully contrasted against the lush greenery.  I was lucky enough to spot a bright pink peony bush with gorgeous large flowers in bloom, but I didn’t see any butterflies.

            I hit the 1000-mile mark at the end of the long road, and we stopped and took a picture of the odometer.  I’m only responsible for 300 of those miles but, had I continued riding my 310 or the Scrambler, I would’ve made it to 1000 on my own.  Soon after the photo op, I heard rain drops hitting my helmet.  Because I could hear the drops, I realized that this was the beginning of harder rain, the rain we would have to stop riding for.  So we started to head to the garage.

            During our return ride, I almost crashed during a turn.  Now I’ve discussed trail braking and how I’ve been working on this skill, and it was this skill and keeping my head that helped me avoid the crash.  As I turn, I downshift and use engine braking as well as the brakes to help slow the motorcycle.  Entering the left-handed turn, I realized I was turning with more speed than I wanted.  In rapid succession my brain registered too much speed, the curb my fast turn was taking me on a collision course with, and the fact that the bike did not engine brake.  I continued applying the front and rear brake with more pressure on the rear brake as I worked to straighten up the bike while I also glance down and saw that I had over shifted down into neutral instead of second gear.  I believe I was able to recover the turn and control the too-fast motorcycle because of my trail braking practice and because I focused on correcting the motorcycle and did not focus on what had gone wrong.  Instead of crashing the front tire into the curb and possibly flying off the motorcycle, I turned wide into the gutter but recovered and safely brought the R Nine T back to the garage.

            Later after our ride as we debriefed, Bill said he had forgotten to mention mis-shifting in a turn.  This was a lesson experience taught me, and this lesson reinforces just how important training basic skills is.  More training means more riding, and I am very happy about that.

            In addition to warmer days, sunshine, pollen, blooming flowers, and butterflies, spring can bring blustery days.  Winds were 25-30 mph with gusts between 40 and 50 mph; Bill questioned whether we would be able to ride.  I was hopeful; the rain from overnight had mostly dried out with more showers later in the afternoon predicted.  We had a short window for our ride if we wanted to take it.

            During the week, Bill had cut down the legs on a bench for my mom, so I suggested we take the bench over and decide about the wind as we drove.  My main concern was with branches; if we saw branches and yard debris on the roads, then the ride wouldn’t happen.  But luckily, there were only very small branches and cherry blossom petals blowing about.

            We headed out into the wind and, as I first sat down on the R Nine T, I felt the wind from the southwest trying to blow me off the motorcycle.  I realized I had one more thing to be aware of as I rode.  With that awareness at the forefront of my mind, I leaned in on the curvy road with a bit more caution.  I worked on my entry point on the curve.  In the MSF course, I learned to go as wide of the apex as I could to set up the most vision of what was on the other side of the curve.  I did this and marveled at how much of the road is eaten away by the curve.  What I mean by this is as I headed into a right-side curve, I moved toward the center line to maximize my view, but as I finished the curve, I was over toward the curb.  I realized I had not been giving entry and exit points of the curves much conscious thought other than to look for oncoming traffic or pedestrians.

            I believe riding roughly the same route every week allows me time to develop thoughts such as the application of lessons learned almost two years ago.  Were I riding out on main thoroughfares, my mind would be much more greatly engaged in seeing ahead potential issues such as cut offs or collisions.  I do watch out for cars such as the white Porsche nearly launching out of its driveway into our path; the driver saw us in time, but I had already started slowing in case I needed to stop.  But I love that I can work through the basic skills taught in the course and come to my own understanding of how those lessons work for me in my riding.

            As I was working on my tight U-turns, the ones in the hospital lot that I always compare to the dreaded “box” of the MSF course, I wondered about my skill improvement.  While I didn’t get to full lock on any of the turns, I did tighten them up to about 16 feet; the box is 20.  I was playing with the clutch and began wondering if I would be doing as well on the Ducati or the 310.  I would like to find time to ride the other motorcycles and see how using the dry clutch in the tight turns compares to the wet clutches on the other bikes.  I do have some time off coming up and will see if I can find time for more riding.

            I hadn’t thought I would see any butterflies on our very windy ride, so I was surprised when I caught sight of two young tiger swallowtails bandied about.  I am looking forward to spotting more and more butterflies as my spring and summer rides continue.  The wind kept me cool during the ride, but one gust hit the right side of my helmet and pushed it against the side of my head.  The wind also worked to strip the cherry blossoms, but the dogwoods and azaleas are approaching full bloom.  I can’t wait for next week when I get to enjoy more springtime beauty and more opportunities for learning as I ride.

            An early cabbage white butterfly danced along in front of us on a gorgeous spring ride marking my first motorcycle butterfly for this year.  I had seen one as I was gearing up in the garage flutter across the street, so I began the ride in hopes of seeing at least one more.  My hope was not in vain though it was near the end of the ride that I saw it.

            It was a day made for riding; warm but not hot, intermittent sunshine, with a strong southerly wind.  I took the lining out of my Rev’It Ignition 3 pants which was a wise decision.  I was able to wear just a t-shirt under my Alpinestars and Klim jackets.  While we were cruising, I was comfortable, but during my slow speed drills, I had to lower the zippers to allow more air flow to keep cool.

            The curvy road was wonderful fun; I enjoyed my leans feeling my thighs pushing the bike side to side and the gentle pressure on the handlebar for my counter steers.  The wasn’t any traffic on the curvy road, but I made a point of looking as far ahead into the curve as I could.  This practice is basic motorcycle safety from the MSF course, but I have to remind myself to do it because I can easily get into the routine of blindly following Bill, relying on him to look ahead into the curves.

            Following Bill called for roll on the throttle as he let the 221 foot pounds of torque launch his Rocket far out in front of me.  We zoomed several times up and down the 35-mph road, and I could tell the gorgeous riding weather was inspiring Bill.  I’m hoping, as spring settles more solidly in place, that he’ll get an itch to try out a slightly faster road.

            As our ride continued, I noted how free of traffic the roads were.  I still checked my mirrors at stops for cars coming up from behind, but it made for a more pleasant ride to know we could stop and go at our own pace.  When taking off from a stop, I work on having the front wheel turned in the direction I will turn and maintaining that turn even as I look back to check for oncoming traffic in the opposite direction.  I do better turning to the right than the left, but I still tend to straighten out the wheel as my head turns.

            The lack of traffic let me really enjoy the spring blossoms.  I saw even more tulips in bloom, even more azaleas, mounds of colorful phlox, maple trees in leaf, and even the first flowers on some dogwoods.  The cherry trees were an interesting mix of some a peak bloom while others were surrendering their petals to the strong wind as they were past their peak.  Soon our riding landscape will be mostly green, so I am enjoying the flowery variety while I can.

            As we headed toward the hospital lot for our tight turns and stop from a turn practice, the cabbage white sailed across our path.  I smiled broadly knowing that this little guy is the promise of more to come.

Today’s ride felt a bit like a fight.  I had some issues with the motorcycle that I had not experienced in a while.  So I wondered if the R Nine T somehow knew that my mind was on riding the R 1250 GS.

            The day before I received a phone call from Clayton at Adventure BMW.  A new rebate special is launching that offers $2,445 cash back on the purchase of a 2023 R 1250 GS.  I suspect this great offer is because the new R 1300 GS is soon to launch, so BMW wants to make it attractive to buy the 1250.  And it is a great offer but, as I explained to Clayton, I still have two motorcycles to sell before I can think of buying a new one.

            Now there may be a question as to why I don’t wait and buy the 1300.  Bill and I have discussed that option, but we determined that while the 1300 is probably a fantastic motorcycle, it doesn’t have the 40-year heritage of the 1250 .  With the 1250 all the bugs have been worked out, and it is arguably the best adventure motorcycle there is.

            However, none of this really matters as we have to sell the Ducati and the 310.  Plus, Bill has some reservations about me on a taller motorcycle.  As he has rightly pointed out, I did have some struggles with the Ducati Scrambler.  Now the Scrambler has a .5 inch higher seat than the standard 1250 seat height.  And we have already decided to purchase the lower seat, which drops the seat another 2 inches making it lower than the R Nine T.  I also believe that the boxer engine on the 1250 helps keep the weight low, and I do know that I struggled with the higher center of gravity on the Scrambler. 

            I have noticed with the boxer engine that I seem to have better balance as well as more of a chance to recover when I feel the bike tip.  This balance came in handy during my ride as at one stop I felt enough of a wobble, I had to throw both feet down.  I haven’t had to stop with both feet in months having gotten good at stopping with the rear brake (right foot) and placing my left foot down.  But on this stop I slipped up and turned the front wheel to the right, over-balancing the bike and necessitating the placement of the right foot as well as the left.

            A few stops later, I overshot my stop and had to add the front brake.  At this point I began to think the motorcycle was not working with me, and I realized that I wasn’t in harmony with the R Nine T because I was thinking about how much I want the R 1250 GS.  I know last week I said I could live with the R Nine T is the 1250  wasn’t possible, and I could; it is a fantastic motorcycle.  But I remember my test ride on the 1250 GSA and how it felt like the ideal motorcycle.  I loved the riding position, the feel of the clutch, the roll of the throttle.

            But what I learned on this blustery March day was I need to focus on the motorcycle I’m riding.  The wind may have played a part in some of the struggles; before we even left the driveway, the force of the wind against my motorcycle trying to tip me over.  Bill felt it on the Rocket as well.  Winter was making a stand and we felt it in the cold wind, but spring dug in its heels refusing to leave.  I had on my winter riding pants and jacket, but I didn’t need the balaclava nor the large Rev’It gloves.  We even had a chubby bumblebee buzzing around the garage before we left, drawn out by the sun, the bright blossoms, and the warmer weather we had enjoyed last week.  Seeing her made me keep an eye out for any early butterflies, but no luck yet.  I did see my first tulips of the spring and a fully bloomed cherry tree (bit early).  The large azaleas are waiting for their chance to bloom, so I hope the warmer weather will return to stay.  Perhaps, with a lot of luck, I’ll be riding my dream bike, the R 1250 GS, by the time summer has arrived.

            All week I had been looking forward to my ride.  The weather was forecasted as sunny and 64 degrees—perfect motorcycle riding conditions.  The rain would arrive on Thursday and, hopefully, leave by Friday.  And while there was some late rain on Friday, the wind picked up, the temperatures rose, and the roads were dry.  As promised, the sun was brightly shiny, there were no clouds the sea of blue, and some gusty wind was the only less than ideal condition.  But since I don’t ride on the interstate, the wind was not a factor other than keeping me cool.

            The day was so lovely, I opted to wear my Klim summer jacket for the ride and a short sleeve t-shirt underneath.  The jacket was fine, but I was a little too optimistic with the short sleeves.  My arms were a little chilled, so I turned on my heated grips on the low setting, and that was enough to keep the ride pleasant.

            I spent some time focusing on how my legs can steer the motorcycle, marveling at how well the R Nine T leans into corners.  It occurred to me during this ride that the R Nine T is my favorite motorcycle to ride.  Now this is in comparison to the BMW G310 GS and the Ducati Scrambler Desert Sled.  I don’t think I can fairly compare the R Nine T to the 1250 GS as I only did a test ride on the latter bike.  I think the 1250 GS will ultimately prove to be my favorite motorcycle, but right now I am totally loving the performance on the R Nine T.  I can’t believe how nervous the dry clutch made me because I realized on today’s ride that the dry clutch, at least for me, is much easier to work with.  Perhaps this ease of use is because I grew up driving manual transmission cars, and I have a better feel for that kind of clutch.  I find myself not stalling at stops anywhere near as much as I did on the 310 or the Scrambler.

            Now some of the improvement is due to my growth as a rider and development of skills.  The 310 was my first motorcycle, so I spent much of the time on that bike getting used to riding and perhaps not as much time as getting a feel for the motorcycle.  With the Ducati I was riding a more powerful engine on a taller bike, and I still only had six months experience riding motorcycles.  But with the R Nine T, I started riding this bike with 18 months’ experience, and I developed my feel for the dry clutch on the grassy field.  There I stalled usually more often than not, but Bill would always tell me afterward that a large part of the problem was being on dirt and grass, that it would be easier on the pavement.  And yet again, he was right.

            I love my comfort level on the R Nine T.  It is allowing me to really focus on my skills.  When I started her up, I didn’t fully pull in the clutch, so I knew I wouldn’t shift out of neutral.  I released the clutch, then pulled it in slowly and fully, and I felt the motorcycle drop into first gear.  I love the way the motorcycle leans into the curves and corners something I noticed on the other two motorcycles but didn’t fully appreciate.  I love the balance on the R Nine T; it is so well-balanced that even when I feel the first bauble during tight turn practice, I am confident in correcting.  I like too that on this motorcycle, I can easily pre-load the front brake, something I struggled with on the Ducati and was too inexperienced a rider to attempt on the 310.

            On this beautiful ride, I found myself wondering if I did want the BMW R 1250 GS, or did I just want to continue riding the R Nine T.  I gave this quite a lot of thought as I looked out at the bright sunshine on the blooming trees, camellias, daffodils, and even a few dwarf azaleas.  I realized that if I had to keep the R Nine T because circumstances didn’t allow for the purchase of a new motorcycle (for one thing, we have to sell the other two), I would be fine.  I would even be happy because it is such a wonderful motorcycle.  But I would always wonder and wish I had the chance to ride the 1250 GS and make it my own.  So ultimately, I do one day want to own the adventure motorcycle.  Until that day, however, I will quite happily continue riding my R Nine T, happier still when I am given such wondrously gorgeous days for riding.

(This post is for last weekend, February 26, 2023. My apologies for the delay.)

I spent the week worried.  All week long the forecast was for a rainy Saturday.  The percentage chances went up and down, but never disappeared.  During the week, nearly every weekday was perfect for riding; we even had a summery Thursday as temperatures climbed into the low 80s.  But the winter storm blitzing across the country wasn’t going to bypass my little corner of the world.  So we made a plan.

            The plan was simple; get up early and try to get the ride in before the rain arrived.  As we headed over to my parents’ garage, the sun was out, teasing me with a sunny, cool day.  However, by the time I was geared up and mounting the bike, the rain clouds were gathering and blocking out the sun.  Nevertheless, the meteorologist inside my phone’s weather app claimed the rain wouldn’t start until 10:00 AM.  We headed out to test how accurate that forecast was.

            As I moved along the curvy road, I found myself paying attention to my counter steering.  I realized that on most of my rides, I don’t give conscious thought to my counter steering; I just do it.  I began wondering what else I do as I ride without conscious thought that is a habit of a good rider.

            When coming to a stop, I automatically use only the rear brake and place my left foot down to secure the stop then pull in the front brake.  Remember, this method of stopping ensures a safe stop should the front wheel not be completely straight.  As I am stopping, I also find myself checking my mirrors more out of habit than direct thought.

            Another riding habit I have developed is using the rear brake in slow turns.  I used to have to think about applying the rear brake to aid in my speed adjustments as I completed U-turns and S-turns.  On today’s ride I found myself realizing that I am applying it automatically.

            My thoughts then turned to the realization that I am approaching my second year of riding.  So it should be no surprise to me to realize I have developed some very good, safe, automatic riding habits.  But I have more to develop.  As we headed down the long straightaway, Bill was weaving back and forth.  I started weaving too to avoid overtaking him on the road.  When we took a short break, Bill told me he had been practicing steering the Rocket with just his knees.  I then incorporated knee steering at points during the remainder of my ride.

            I also need a lot more practice with the trail braking.  It is getting easier to do; I am able to keep two fingers on the front brake throughout my ride, but I do still have to think about it.  But I know that with a few more months of riding, that too will become automatic. 

And it will be easy to get that practice as we are very much enjoying spring-like weather as we enter into March next week.  More and more Canadian geese are about; Bill shepherded two of them out of the road as a large flatbed truck approached from the other direction.  The camellia bushes are in full, glorious bloom, and I even saw the first buds opening on a Japanese weeping cherry.  Pretty soon the azaleas will blossom and spring will have officially arrived—the perfect riding season.

It wasn’t the coldest day for our ride, but it was in the low forties.  The day before the high temperatures were in the mid-sixties; tomorrow, the temperatures would again be in the mid-sixties.  But for our Saturday ride, a cold north wind blew winter back into our lives.  So how do I stay comfortable riding on cold days?

            I’ve mentioned my Rev’It Trousers Factor 4 winter pants, which I was wearing with a pair of winter leggings on underneath.  And I’ve discussed my Rev’It gloves and leather jacket.  I’ve added some other gear for warmth.  I found a flannel turtleneck on Amazon that I wear under an Eddie Bauer thick thermal men’s shirt.  Wearing these under my Alpinestars armored jacket and my Schott’s leather jacket with the lining provide plenty of warmth.  The only place left where I felt the chill was my face.  Bill solved that by bringing over an old balaclava he had but didn’t use that had ventilation at the nose and mouth.  This head wrap, though it does make my helmet a little snug, keeps my cheeks warm, and helped keep me comfortably warm on our ride.

            Despite the cold temperatures, signs of spring greeted us.  Daffodils were blooming as were ten sugar magnolias.  I saw a plum tree in bloom as well as some crabapples.  The sun shone brightly on our ride, making the colors in the flowers pop.  The birds were busy flitting about possibly working on their nests, and the Canadian geese are pairing off.

            I noticed on my ride the difference in my U-turns and circles when I’m following Bill versus when I’m practicing on my own.  When I follow Bill, I have to keep an eye on where he is in the turn.  His Triumph Rocket has a much longer wheel-base making his turns wider than what I can do on the R Nine T.  So I worked on turning as tightly as I could before widening out to keep out of Bill’s path.  When we were in the hospital lot and I was working on my own, I did my tightest U-turn to date.

            But even as we practiced, I was uncomfortable.  My right hand was going numb.  I thought it might be because of my pre-load position on the throttle and front-brake.  But when we stopped momentarily, I realized my clothes were interfering with the circulation in my right arm.  As this had never happened before, I was a little confused as to what had happened.  After our ride, as I took off my gear, I realized my flannel and thermal shirts had twisted up on the arm above the elbow.  During the ride, the twisted fabric tightened enough to impede the blood flow and cause the numbness.  So I now know to make sure my clothes are straight especially when I’m layered up for a cold ride.

            Monday is Presidents’ Day and may give us the opportunity for another ride.  I certainly hope so; the more rides, the better!

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.