Three Swallowtails in One Ride

One scent I have associated with summertime since I was a kid is that of the mimosa blossoms. The light, fruity scent of the fuzzy flowers has been a favorite sniff discovered as a child when a simple walk around the block or down to my friend’s house, led me to a medium size mimosa tree with branches of blossoms hanging out over the sidewalk. Sadly, many years later, the tree was taken down, though there are still plenty around. But I was happy to spot a mischievous volunteer shooting up from the old, long-gone mimosa, and I’m hoping it gets to grow and bloom.

In addition to the mimosa trees, the crape myrtles have begun to bloom. I mostly see white blooming trees, but the lavenders, pinks, and reds will soon join in and provide summer color. The crape myrtle has a light scent that reminds me of a bar of soap whereas the mimosas smell as sweet as their eponymous drinks. Odd fact—the mimosa cocktail is also sometimes called the Buck’s Fizz, though there are different views on proportionality of champagne to orange juice.

I also spotted the very sweet-smelling gardenias in bloom. Unfortunately, there are no gardenia bushes growing close enough to the road for me to sniff as I ride past. Sometimes, with the right wind, I can get a hint of the flower’s perfume. And I spotted some brown-eyed Susans enjoying the sun.

And there was a lot of sunshine on today’s ride. Most of the sky was clear blue, so clear I could spot six or seven seagulls soaring high in the sky and distinguish them. The wind had shifted around to the northeast, so the breeze was keeping things comfortable. It was also blowing the butterflies high. During different stages of my ride, I spotted three eastern tiger swallowtails, and I thought it funny how they were all at least ten feet up above the road or higher. I saw some cabbage whites, but they kept closer to the flowers.

I spent my ride working on trail braking in the turns. At this stage, I’m really just trying to fully understand what it is and how it works, and I do think my knowledge is improving. I also got to work on my sudden stops and awareness thanks to Bill a few times. The first time was as we were turning around in the cul de sac at the end of the long straightaway. Bill wobbled some in his turnaround and dabbed his left foot which caused me to slow up considerably as I was following and didn’t want to run into him should the bike dump (as unlikely as that was).

It is so unusual for Bill to dab his foot in a turn that I was overly cautious when we did our first on-street turnaround. I was paying closer attention to Bill’s turn and overshot the road and went a foot off into the grass. I was smart enough to check my surroundings and realized I needed to go up the road a bit as I was too close to a telephone poll that would be in my way should I need to go off the road again. My second turn, though, was much better as I could completely focus on getting myself around; Bill had headed off up the road and had to stop and wait for me to catch up.

I did a little practice in the gravel lot, enough to know that my turns there are getting better. I noticed, though, that I don’t lean as much into my turns on the gravel and need to discuss that with Bill. Am I being overly careful? Or is it a good idea to not lean the bike as much on slippery gravel?

My sudden stop and go drills are evolving. I am now supposed to work on not feeling the ABS come on but to brake the bike, release, and rebrake the bike. According to Fortnine (Youtuber), this practice lets the rider stop the brake sooner whereas the ABS will cause the bike to continue forward about twenty or so more feet. That would be the difference between a near miss and a collision. But I have a lot of work to do; every sudden stop I forced the ABS on. But that’s one of the many joys of riding a motorcycle—more to learn and more to practice means more riding!

mimosa tree in bloom against blue sky — Blooming mimosa tree next to the garage.

Gearing Up in the Heat

When I was a kid riding around with my mom or dad driving and I spotted a motorcycle rider in summertime, I marveled at how they could wear jeans, boots, and leather vests or jackets in the hazy hot humid heat of southeastern Virginia. Yet, as we all know, bikers are the ultimate in looking cool. How did that work?

Well now that I’m a rider, I have a better idea of how those bikers kept their cool. I won’t claim to looking cool on my very cool looking R Nine T. I’m geared out for safety first and foremost, so I have on a jacket with Kevlar worked in with a bright yellow safety airbag vest over top wearing baggy, reinforced safety jeans. The coolest piece of equipment I wear is my TT helmet. But I am able to keep cool while riding out on a bright, super sunny day with temperatures nearing 90 degrees. The key to coolness is cruising.

The iconic biker image of riding out free on an open road exists because that’s the way to ride comfortably cool on hot days. So today’s ride was mostly cruising with U-turns only when we were in a cul de sac or the one shady parking lot we visited. I don’t mind not doing my slow speed drills on a hot day because my motorcycle is mostly black, so it can get quite warm without the breeze washing over me. I am lucky in that the engine is a boxer with the cylinder heads down low and out in front of me, and every hot ride I really appreciate the BMW’s design. It is much more comfortable than the Ducati’s longitudinal twin engine right up under the seat. Now, it’s Bill on the Rocket who is more likely to cut the ride short because of the heat rather than me.

He didn’t cut this ride short, but he did make sure we hit the “fast” road extra. I loved riding around and appreciating the cooling wind. The sky was a clear blue, and I luckily spotted a bright white egret with its snowy feather framed first by the blue then the green leaves of its nesting tree. I also saw many cabbage white butterflies about, including one little guy who flew across my path and then zipped right by my ear. One of the neatest things I saw was a red bellied woodpecker in flight; I saw the bright crest as it zoomed up into a magnolia tree.

Soon we’ll be shifting our rides to earlier in the day to avoid the heat. I wonder if I’ll see more butterflies and birds earlier in the day. I can’t wait to find out.

Rider on motorcycle — My summer riding gear except I’m wearing the black Daytona boots.

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!

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.

Surprising Almost Spring Ride

It looked like Punxsutawney Phil was right; we were heading into an early spring. Today’s weather was a gift in February—highs in the mid-60s under partly cloudy skies. Rain was forecasted for much later, so we were presented with a day made for motorcycle riding.

There was a morning kerfuffle involving a missing envelope, but that situation was eventually resolved. The delay meant we benefited from the full warmth of the day on our ride. I had a rather eclectic mix of riding gear on. I was wearing my Rev’It Ignition 3 leather pants with the liner in but without my tights underneath. I had on a t-shirt under the Alpinestars jacket with a thermal sweatshirt over top underneath the Klim summer riding jacket. And I wore my mid-weight Klim gloves for hand warmth. As we first rode off, I felt a little too warm but, with the bike up and running creating the wind chill, I was actually comfortable.

There were a lot of people out enjoying the springish day either walking, running, or on their bicycles. As we headed up the curvy road, we went wide to the left to avoid some pedestrians out for a stroll, and then had to swerve back to the right to avoid the two Canadian geese grazing at the edge of the road. Either they had been there for quite some time or it was a favorite grazing spot for the gaggle judging by the amount of goose poop on the road. I hoped for a sighting of the bald eagle but only saw a bunch of turkey vultures out on the thermals.

The camellias are in full bloom now, but I also spotted some early blooming daffodils open to the sunshine. And I was completely surprised when I headed up the court where we perform our on street U-turns and saw a small cabbage white butterfly flit past me. I truly hadn’t expected a butterfly in February and had a silly smile on my face as I completed both U-turns—one wide, one great.

It was such a beautiful day, I found myself wishing I was just cruising. Instead, I worked on my stops and my turns in the gravel lot. Bill had us add a new drill—a fast stop and start. This drill actually has a swerve component as well, but I’m just beginning to get the feel for it, so I’m just on the stop and start aspect. The purpose of the drill is to enable me to takeoff quickly from a stop to avoid a rear-end collision. On a motorcycle just like in a car, a sudden stop could end up a rear end collision if the driver behind you is too close and/or not paying attention. In a car the bumper, trunk, backseats, and airbags all come to the driver’s aid. On a motorcycle the rider could go flying or even be crushed between the rear ender and the obstacle that caused the sudden stop in the first place.

So knowing how to stop quickly, check rearview mirrors, and take off quickly can be extremely useful for a motorcycle rider. An additional component of this exercise is to swerve around the obstruction, but that’s a higher level of the drill that I’m not ready for. I just worked on sudden stopping, placing my left foot down, and taking off as soon as my foot touched. I was pretty slow. In part my slowness was due to my checking the mirrors after I put my foot down—too late. I need to be checking the mirrors as I’m stopping, so that will be my work next week. I also am still sticking to the throttle with my right hand causing it to rev when I’m stopping. I still need to figure that out, but I believe it is because I am gripping harder on the brake and the handlebars causing me to “stick” on the throttle. That just means more practice.

And I am always up for my practice and more riding on my motorcycle. Next week will be more of a return to winter (unless the forecast changes) but it looks like we’ll get through this winter with only one day of bitter cold riding. I’m looking forward to the spring and all the lovely blossoms and blooms and butterflies I’ll see.

Butterflies, Bikes, and a Beautiful Day

Today’s ride was a gift. The day’s high temperature hit 82 with 10 mph winds out of the north, gentle sunshine, and low humidity. I can’t remember such a beautiful day in August. We didn’t even have to get out early for our ride. And we didn’t have too long to wait for the first butterfly to make an appearance; a small cabbage white fluttered high across the road as we headed out, blessing our ride.

Our first practice was setting up our lines for curves. The usual line for a curve is outside-inside-outside. What we were working on is ensuring an escape route while in the curve. That meant not going too far to the center lane as that cuts off half of the escape. Now we have the luxury of riding on familiar curves, but there has been a lot of road construction in the neighborhoods, so we have to stay aware.

Halfway through our curve practice, we rode into our first gravel lot. Two of the gravel parking lots are at historic houses—a plantation house and a family home that is considered the best example of Virginia vernacular architecture. And just as these are two distinct houses, their gravel lots are distinct. The plantation house gravel is less packed down making it more slippery, I felt my tires slipping under me as we practiced S-turns in this gravel lot, but I didn’t have to dab and kept going.

As we rode along, we came to a street with a blind curve. We parked our bikes as Bill explained how on this particular curve, I needed to be aware of my avenues of escape as cars driving from the opposite side of the curve might easily cross the center line. Just as he was pointing out the potential need to ride into people’s yards to avoid an oncoming car, a gold-colored sedan came around the curve and crossed over into the opposite lane. It was as if the driver was part of the lesson.

While we sat parked, I noticed a red-spotted purple admiral butterfly dancing among the leaves of a thin tree. As I watched, I thought I spotted a second one fluttering among the leaves as well.

Our skill at tight turns has improved greatly. We are now completing S-turns (or figure 8s) in courts and lots where before we were only completing one circle. This tight turn practice helps me get a better feel for my motorcycle and for handling it. In the other gravel lot, I found myself turning tightly enough to completely avoid the wooden parking curbs.

Leaving this parking lot, I spotted another admiral butterfly across the road and realized that both motorcyclists and butterflies love beautiful, temperate days. Yet even with the moderate temperatures and cool breeze, our slow speed drills got the better of me. The Scrambler engine got painfully hot against my left thigh as we were practicing a new drill. This exercise involved putting the handlebars in full lock (where they won’t turn past) and turning while looking in the opposite direction. This drill really allows me to feel how the bike pulls and wants to lean into the turn. Since this was our first try at this exercise, we kept our feet down and dabbed along as we turned. But by having my legs down, my thighs hit right up against my hot engine.

I rode over to some shade to take a break and get off the Ducati. As Bill rode up to me to see what was going on, a monarch butterfly fluttered over our heads making me smile. I told Bill that I did want to switch to the BMW G310 GS for riding on these warmer days. The Scrambler is a much better cool/cold weather ride where that engine heat will keep me warm. But that engine heat for now is making my practice extremely uncomfortable.

Because of my overheating, Bill questioned me about riding the R Nine T. But I was eager to implement my discovery from last week (August Ride). I focused on feeling the motorcycle move as I let up but did not release the clutch. It worked! I started off fine even though the ground was a bit squishy. I briefly thought about just continuing to circle about, but the challenge for me is to stop and start off again. So I came to a stop with some trepidation but determined to learn how to ride this bike. I did the same roll on the throttle as the clutch was almost let out, and I was off again. I came to a stop 6 times and was able to take off again with no stalls each time, though I did have a near stall on one. I finished my practice with a big smile for my success, for the butterflies, and for the beautiful day.

Next week I’ll be back on my BMW keeping much cooler for our slow speed drills. And we have another day forecasted in the low 80s, but the humidity is back. Since I’ll be on the smaller motorcycle, I wonder if I’ll be as successful keeping up with Bill as I was on this ride.

motorcycle rider — Photo by Yura Forrat on Pexels.com

Finally! (Sort of)

I finally got to ride the BMW R Nine T Urban GS—sort of. But since that came at the end of the ride, I’ll explain in a bit.

As I sat on my Ducati waiting for Bill to mount the R Nine T, my Mom’s neighbor walked by. She immediately was drawn to the R Nine T, appreciating the beauty of the motorcycle. She asked if it was my brother’s bike and said she used to ride the pillion on her old boyfriend’s motorcycle when she lived in Canada. After walking around admiring the R Nine T, she politely asked me what I was perched on, but it was clear the BMW motorcycle was the big draw.

A lovely 80-degree day with lots of sunshine for our ride greeted us this Saturday. Gearing up was quite warm, but once the ride started, I felt almost chilly from the cool breeze washing over me. We rode again straight down the long road, letting the cool air waft over us and enjoying the lovely day. Yardmen were loading up their riding mower with lovely rose bushes at the end of the road as they continued their month-long landscaping project.

The magnolia blooms scented the air as we headed on our usual neighborhood ride, checking in on the progress on the two houses under construction. We stopped the bikes in one court as Bill noticed some plastic barriers up leading down to the water and posited a boat ramp may soon be under construction. As we checked out the water which was conspicuously missing all waterfowl this week (usually we see some ducks and an egret), a duskywing butterfly fluttered right between us right at eye level. It fluttered too fast for me to get a clearer look to know which kind of duskywing it was; I did see the grayish/brown body and new this was a new butterfly.

Our ride continued with lazy loops in the churches’ parking lots and on the gravel lot. My tires slipped again on the gravel, so I have begun to wonder if the softer ground makes the tires slip more. The R Nine T has 50/50 tires, meaning 50% for on road and 50% for off road, so it has a better grip.

As we rode, there wasn’t much traffic. But whenever we were at a stop sign, we had to wait for several cars to pass. At one stop we waited as 7 cars went by, very unusual. But I didn’t mind as I could practice my stops and my looks. It was at once such stop that spied a spicebush swallowtail dancing along in the air.

One MSF skill we’ve added back to our practice is the swerve. On some of the streets, there’s some leftover yard debris on the side of the road—sticks, leaf piles, pinecones. We ride straight at the debris and then apply pressure to the left handlebar to swerve the bike around the obstacle. This is great practice for swerving to the left, but it doesn’t give us the chance to swerve to the right. So when we were in the large church parking lot, I aimed at the parking space stripes to swerve right.

This week we did remember to practice riding while standing and then stopping suddenly. I need to work on my right foot position so I can start braking with the rear brake while still standing. Otherwise, it went really well.

We also continued our straightening up out of the curve and stopping practice and the straight-line quick stops. I had one bauble where I put my right foot down on one of my quick stops. I need to work on a quicker reaction time so I can use my head shift to help me use the correct foot. More work for next week.

Now we did not start the ride by letting me putter on the R Nine T on the grass because as we drove into the neighborhood, we saw cars in front of and to the side of the school. These weren’t the cricket players, so we felt constrained in using the field. Our thinking was we’d do our neighborhood cruising and swing by the school to see if the cars were gone at the end of the ride. No such luck. I feared my R Nine T ride was going to again be postponed. But as Bill signaled his turn, I began to hope we were heading to the back of the school field. Sure enough, at my dead-end practice street, we turned left and rode up past the Armco onto the grass.

Now the R Nine T has what is called a dry clutch. This means the clutch is similar to that on a manual transmission automobile. My Ducati Scrambler and BMW G310 GS both have multi-plate wet clutches. In terms of riding, this means my two bikes have a more forgiving friction zone. But that was what Bill wanted me to practice—getting a feel for the dry clutch and friction zone. So I began my ride dabbing my feet and stalled almost immediately. I restarted, got moving very slowly, hit a depression in the ground and stalled the bike again trying to give it enough with just the clutch to get out. I realized I needed to add a bit of throttle but carefully as Bill always talks about how the bike just wants to go.

After the second restart, I found the sweet spot in the dry clutch’s friction zone, put my feet up on the pegs, and began my slow circle cruise around the young magnolias. I loved riding the R Nine T and was really tempted to roll on the throttle and ride up the field. But I was the good student and did as my instructor asked. Plus, with people in the school, we didn’t want to overstay our welcome. And that just gives me something to look forward to with next week’s ride.

Me puttering on the gorgeous BMW R Nine T Urban GS.

Roasting

We made our earliest start ever, getting over to ride by 10:00 AM. Why? Because the forecast was for a high of 97. As it was, the temps were already in the mid-80s with a heat index flirting with 90. This was more like a ride in August than May; however, we still geared up and headed out.

It was community yard sale weekend in my parents’ neighborhood, so we rode straight over to the ritzy neighborhood to avoid the extra traffic the yard sales brought. Of course, I noted that several homes in the ritzy neighborhood were piggybacking on the community sale to host their own yard sales. But traffic wasn’t too bad despite being busier, except the truck U-turner turning around his truck full of bikes while looking at his phone and the minivan lady with her phone in one hand and a map in the other. Scary, but we were aware and avoided them.

As we headed out on our ride, we headed into a bevy of dragonflies. Clearly the hot weather agrees with them or their eggs hatch in May because they were everywhere throughout our ride. One little guy was zooming right into my path but deftly lifted and swerved to avoid both the motorcycle and me. I saw a beautiful blue one and marveled how fantastic it is to be on a motorcycle and be able to see the dragonflies so clearly as to distinguish their colors.

The cabbage white butterflies were out, too, but not in as large a number. I managed to see 8 throughout the ride, but I also got to see a black swallowtail which gave me an extra smile. Almost everyone was staying in the shade even during this earlier warmth of the day. A great egret was stalking its breakfast in the river, two Canadian geese were canoodling in the grass, and some ducks were waddling across the street.

The air was full of the scent of honeysuckle and Ligustrum. There was a cooling breeze out of the west, but it was a day when I preferred the straight rides letting the wind chill cool us off. Whenever we entered a court to work on our slow circles, I could feel the exhaust heat against my right inner thigh. When we were working on straightening up out of circles, I felt as though my leg was roasting on a spit. I found myself thinking longingly of the BMW 1250 GS with its boxer twin engine (just like the R Nine T). With the cylinders down in front of my feet and an exhaust pipe down and back by the rear tire, it won’t be as toasty roasty as the Desert Sled.

Due to the heat, I opted not to take the R Nine T into the field. I didn’t want Bill having to stand around all geared up in the sun and heat. I regretted that decision a little bit as the heat emanated up my body from the exhaust. After our ride, I was sweatier than Bill! I am praying for no rain next Friday so the field will be dry. Part of moving up to the 1250 GS is being able to handle the boxer engine, so I need some experience with the R Nine T to develop my competence and comfort.

And if you were wondering whether we still gear up in the heat, the answer is yes. I still put on the Alpinestars jacket under the Klim which is under the Helite vest. I noticed that with the Barkbusters hand guards, my hands in their summer gloves don’t get the full effect of the wind. I found myself holding up my left hand to let the wind run through all my venting holes.

As for skills practice, we worked on straightening up out of curves, both doing much better than last week. We also added something else to our stopping practice. This week on Youtube, Bill found Boots and Jeans, and Boots was going over how to stop his large Honda Goldwing. Now remember from last week, I use the front brake to slow the bike, but for the full stop, I only use the rear brake so that if the bike is not completely straight and it starts to wobble, I can straighten it out. Boots showed us how, as he releases the front brake, he sticks his left leg out straight and, as the bike comes to a stop, lets his heel touch down first and then the rest of the foot. This foot technique helps prevent the jump that can be experienced from stopping the bike and setting the foot flat down. As I practiced it, I noted it was an interesting sensation and did make me feel more stable in my stops.

I did more slowing circles and then letting the clutch out to help straighten the bike. And I was very conscientious about making sure the kickstand was down the two times the bike was parked. Another successful week finding neutral, too. Other than roasted thigh, it was a fantastic ride. I can’t wait for next weekend when the temps will be a much more delightful 77 degrees. I wonder who I’ll see more of—the dragonflies or the butterflies? And will I finally get to ride the R Nine T?

Return to Riding

Gray skies and wet roads greeted us Saturday morning. So we jumped in the car and took a road trip to Richmond to visit Moto Richmond, a dealership that carries Triumph, KTM, and Moto Guzzi. It was a rainy drive with a brief downpour that caused stoppage on the interstate. But with only one wrong turn, we made it to the dealership. One reason we went was to allow Bill to compare the Triumph Rocket III R and GT models directly, so he could decide which model he prefers (the GT). We also were able to see the carnival red color which the 2023 Rocket will come out in; this color was on the gold line Bobber and is a beautiful shade of red. We also got to see the Scrambler XE in the Baja Orange again, but this time it was next to the Cobalt Blue Jet Black, so we could discern which color we preferred (the blue).

Another reason we went was to see the Triumph Tiger 1200 Rally Pro which, unfortunately for us, had been sold that week. They had the Rally in the 900 version, so I could compare the feel of that motorcycle to the BMW GS 1250. The Triumph is a bit top heavy. I was also able to sit on the KTM 1200 Adventure for a further comparison, and I felt that bike was far too heavy for me to control. So I left feeling more confident in my choice of the GS.

The drive home was drier as the showers passed through. We took this as a hopeful sign we would be able to ride on Sunday. And we were.

Sunday was on the warm side for our ride, but it was sunny and dry and the driveway was fixed. I told Bill I felt giddy about our impending ride as we drove over to get the bikes. I would not, however, be able to try out the R Nine T as the field was still too wet. We hadn’t gone more than a block in our ride before I saw my first cabbage white butterfly. Half a block later, I saw the second. In all I saw 16 cabbage whites on our ride and saw 4 more on the drive back home. Clearly, these little butterflies enjoy the warmer weather.

They must also like roses and honeysuckle and these were in full bloom. I saw several clematis blooming still, a few late dogwoods, and even a pink peony. Only a pair of Canada geese were out, though we saw a drake as we stopped to take in a view of the lake. Lots of people and dogs were out today, probably making up for the rainy days we’ve had over the past week.

As for my riding skills, I was able to work on letting out the clutch as I felt the bike tipping while doing slow circles. Another skill I worked on is coming to a stop using only the rear brake. This is an essential skill because if I am using the front brake and the bike is not dead on straight, the bike can tip over. By using the rear brake, I can quickly adjust the direction of the bike if it is tipping or let out the clutch to keep the bike moving which will help straighten up the motorcycle.

We also worked on straightening up and coming to a stop from a curve, something we hadn’t really worked on since the MSF class. The best parts of the ride were when we rode with some speed to create a cool breeze; the Ducati engine is a lot warmer than the BMW 310. Overall, I had a great ride, easily found neutral every time, then I almost dropped the bike at the end of the ride. As I shifted into neutral and cut the bike off, I noted the fuel light was on; I began to lean the bike to the left to dismount when I realized I didn’t have the kickstand down. The worst part is that to the left was the R Nine T, so had I dropped the bike, it would’ve landed on Bill’s with me sandwiched in the middle. Since my one drop of the Ducati was from getting off the bike without ensuring the kickstand was down, I clearly have an issue. Bill suggested I recite an “end of the ride” checklist to help me fix this problem.

Other than this serious gaffe, the butterflies joined me and Bill for a fantastic ride. The week looks a lot drier, so let’s hope I get the chance to ride the R Nine T in the field next weekend.