Now that I've got a camera (phone) and I know how to operate a computer better; I hope to share some pictures of my rides around Vermont.
Today was supposed to be the first ride of the season but it was cut short by piss poor planning, impatience, and stupidity.
When I was house sitting last week I thought of putting my motorcycle on the trickle charger, but figured it's Vermont and we are bound to get a couple more dumpers.
The weather has been fantastic the last two days with a forecast of sunny and near 80 tomorrow. And it appears it's going to be in the 60's all next week.
This lead to me to decide to get the motorcycle on the road today.
Unfortunately in my impatience I only had the trickle charger hooked up for 3 hours today before I decided to take the real long way home from my parents house.
Everything was going awesome; it felt good, sounded good, and ran good! Then I got the bright idea that maybe I should top off the tank with some fresh gasoline, even though I had it loaded with Stabil before I put it in the basement last November.
Obviously, it didn't start after I pumped the gasoline. Thankfully my Step Dad and Mom are totally awesome. They rolled down with the jumper cables and trickle charger.
We got it going and I decided to ride it back to their home in case I stalled it and it wouldn't start. That way they were behind me to help.
So there it sits in the driveway, charging, like it should have been before.
Hoping to make it back up there in the early AM to get back on it!
The pic is from the Citgo at routes 7 & 17 while waiting for the jump.
__________________
I'm so far out, I need a spacesuit.
Say high to Frank. Most shops are closed Sunday and Monday. Frank's only closes on Sunday.
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Socialism is the philosophy of failure, the creed ignorance, and the gospel of envy; its inherent virtue is the equal sharing of misery. Winston Churchill
Hopefully I won't be seeing Frank. I believe he's passed. But I'll say Hi to his son Lester.
People bitch about Franks but I don't think it's any different than the other BMW dealerships and the few times I've called for work they've had me in within the day or the next.
An up close shot would tell you I'm not that sophisticated. My motorcycle has seen a powerwasher a couple times and that's about it.
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I'm so far out, I need a spacesuit.
These are from Chittenden, Addison, and Warren Counties. Got a 160 miles in since this morning. Not sure if I'm going out for a ride around the city or some excersize. It's sunny and seventy-five right now with another three hours of daylight.
__________________
I'm so far out, I need a spacesuit.
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Guard with jealous attention the public liberty. Suspect everyone who approaches that jewel. Unfortunately, nothing will preserve it but downright force. Whenever you give up that force, you are inevitably ruined. ~ Patrick Henry
Say high to Frank. Most shops are closed Sunday and Monday. Frank's only closes on Sunday.
The motorcycle is at Frank's right now.
Gotta give Lester kudos for taking near half an hour to go over my m/c with me as I pointed out some concerns of mine.
All's well other than the fork seals. Getting the 24,000 service and some lights.
Can't wait for the lights! I've been tempted to duct tape a SureFire to the front everytime I ride at night outside of the city.
__________________
I'm so far out, I need a spacesuit.
Got the call Friday. Motorcycle was ready. Three buses and about 90 minutes later I was riding out of the parking lot.
Between last night and today I put on about 250 miles. Wish I would have taken more pics but I was just riding and didn't want to stop.
The weather was just weird. Was supposed to be sunny and 70 but it was a dead, gray, overcast. It seemed to alternate between cool and humid or warm and dry. Very weird. At times it seemed like it was about to downpour but it didn't really feel like it. It would just get dark for a little while.
The sun tried coming out a little bit near on the back towards home but that was only briefly. Ended up getting soaked when I decided to take an out of the way loop home. Basically I was on the last of two roads home when I took a right instead of left. It looked dark out that way but I'd been riding into stuff like that all day. It was a total downpour and I didn't care. Got to my neighborhood and it appeared it barely rained.
Did a bit of testing with the new lights last night and managed to get pulled over.
Happened to be in Shelburne, the town where I got the speeding ticket last summer. It was a fairly rural road and as I rounded the bend I could see Rt 7 in the distance and knew I didn't want to be heading back to towards a main road. I thought there was a dirt road to the area of Charlotte and Ferrisberg that I wanted to get to.
I pulled a u-turn. No big deal. There was an oncoming car but it was quite a distance away. I'm heading in the opposite direction now and veer down a dirt road to the left. That's when I see it's a dead end. As I slow I see there's a road to the left. Awesome! That's the way I want to go! I turn left. STOP. Gate blocking road. Signs saying it's a nature trail. I'm thinking.....Sweet! These lights are bright! That's when the headlights pulled in behind me, and I'm thinking that the car came up on me pretty quick, now they're on my ass. Blue nights come on. I'm like "F***!" Now what?! I wasn't speeding.
I put my bike in neutral, turn it off, put the kick stand down, and put my hands up. Turns out one had gotten out the passenger side and snuck up on my right and said something to me. Couldn't make it out. Left my hands up and pointed to my ear and said I couldn't hear. Other officer (driver) comes up and asks what I'm doing. Explain I'm checking out my new lights. Asks for ID. I ask to get off the bike. Give him my license and asked if I did something wrong. He asks what I was doing again. I tell him. Then he tells me that the u-turn I made was suspicious. I'm kind of thinking WTF?! Suspicious?!
Driver cop goes back to car and sneaky cop is trying to chat me up. "Nice bike" "How long have you had this bike?" "Buy it new?" "So what were you doing again?" Now mind you I'm nervous I'm about to get some sort of ticket because I perceive they target bikers. "Where were you going?" I was trying to get out by that road that connects to the ferry road. I thought there might be a road that follows the lake shore over to that road. "There is. Right in front of you." I wasn't even thinking of trying to go around that gate. "I know" "Show me your lights" "You didn't think those were that bright!?" "Don't sweat it, there shouldn't be any problem, you'll be on your way"
Driver cop comes back. "Now what exactlly were you doing again?" I explain it again. "You do understand why we had to pull you over?" Oh yeah, yeah!
"Have a nice night, drive safe."
Obviously I was way happy I wasn't getting a ticket. But this morning this really bugged me. Basically they came after me for pulling a u-turn. Nothing illegal about that but apparently it's "suspicious."
Seemed to be a little much to me. Following me down a dead end road because of a u-turn. I imagine they could have been real jerks if they wanted to. I gave him my ID and explained what I was doing. I don't think it needed to go any further than that since they let me go in the end and didn't tell me I did anything wrong.
Lesson learned here = Shelburne is just a no go ride zone.
Here's some pics of the new lights. Hopefully I'll get off the motorcycle and take more pics next time.
__________________
I'm so far out, I need a spacesuit.
Hit Appalachian Gap, Warren/Roxbury Gap, Bethel, Barnard, Woodstock, Brandon Gap, National Forest, Lincoln Gap, Warren Roxbury Gap (again), Appalachian Gap (again), and finally headed home about 8 hours later.
__________________
I'm so far out, I need a spacesuit.
__________________
There are always dozens of reasons why something "can't" be done. That's no excuse in my book. If you want it bad enough, you find a way. That's how life works for grown ups. -- Booger
Do not keep calm and carry on.
Put on your big girl panties & sexiest boots
and kick some ass.
Thanks MH! Really wish I had a normal camera and not one built into a phone. The taking pictures with the new iPhone while motorcycling got old quick. Don't like waiting around for minutes to take a pic while the phone is booting up.
__________________
I'm so far out, I need a spacesuit.
Yeah, beautiful pics. VT and the New England countryside in general is almost enough to make me believe in god. I was born and raised in s. Mass, halfway between Boston and Providence. I miss it.
Probably the wrong forum to be asking this question......
Anyone ever hear of or get "motorcycle lung"?
I don't think it's a term I've heard before but I seem to get a nasty and uncomfortable raspyness in my nose, throat, and chest after a long day of m/c'ing.
Coughing and kind of wheazy this morning. Seems to happen when I'm out for multiple hours and I'm assuming is something to do with the constant wind coming in under my face mask.
__________________
I'm so far out, I need a spacesuit.
Coughing and kind of wheazy this morning. Seems to happen when I'm out for multiple hours and I'm assuming is something to do with the constant wind coming in under my face mask.
Shouldn't be. I'd guess allergies. I spent much of the late 80's wheeling around N.E. on a Kawasaki Vulcan 750, with and without a helmet. Never had anything like that. Although obviously the wind gets in yer eyes if u ride with the visor up (or without a helmet).
Could it be that you breathe more through your mouth while on your bike? That would dry out your membranes. Your nose heats, humidifies, and filters your air. If you breathe through your mouth you are getting cold, dry and dirty air directly into your throat and lungs.
__________________
There are always dozens of reasons why something "can't" be done. That's no excuse in my book. If you want it bad enough, you find a way. That's how life works for grown ups. -- Booger
Do not keep calm and carry on.
Put on your big girl panties & sexiest boots
and kick some ass.
Probably the wrong forum to be asking this question......
Anyone ever hear of or get "motorcycle lung"?
I don't think it's a term I've heard before but I seem to get a nasty and uncomfortable raspyness in my nose, throat, and chest after a long day of m/c'ing.
Coughing and kind of wheazy this morning. Seems to happen when I'm out for multiple hours and I'm assuming is something to do with the constant wind coming in under my face mask.
Let me guess. You don't use a full face helmet with a shield and it is low humidity?
You are forcing dry, cool air down your lungs all day and irritating your trachea and lungs.
I get it sometimes here. (Most of the time it is humid.)
I also get it while flying those long 20-hr flights to Hong Kong or Singapore.
On flights I wear a N95.
I guess riding a kerchief over your nose/mouth would work.
One of these works and it is good to scare the cr@p out of kids in station wagons.
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Socialism is the philosophy of failure, the creed ignorance, and the gospel of envy; its inherent virtue is the equal sharing of misery. Winston Churchill
Full face helmet with visor down. It was pretty dry yesterday even though it looked like it wanted to thunderstorm.
My windshield seems to plow the air right to my neck and head so a lot of air is forced up behind the face mask. I wear eye-pro all the time to keep my eyeballs from burning after a ride.
__________________
I'm so far out, I need a spacesuit.
Motorcycling In Vermont
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