First ride in far too long

 Picked up my new DL650 today, haven't ridden in about 20 years.  Not
sure why I stopped--my old Honda died to a level that needed more fixing
than I had time for then and never got around to replacing it.  DL is
blue.  When they say blue they mean _blue_.

In the showroom I was concerned about the height of the seat, but on the
road, with boots instead of street shoes it was just right.  Not sure
about the position of the shift lever though--may need to raise it a
notch or may just need practice.

Found out I was very, very wobbly.  Rode over to a friend's house so he
could drive me back to the dealer to get my car home, he was out, so I
rode around the block for a half an hour until he returned.  Needed that
practice.

Learned new technique for meeting women.  Was approaching stop sign and
didn't get my foot down quite fast enough and over it went, two cute
girls (whose ages added together would probably still be young enough to
be my daughter) behind me.  They are all worried and solicitous and
wanted to help me pick up the bike.  Of course the front directional
signal broke, but that was high on my list of things to replace with
less fragile anyway, and now it's not a virgin.  One thing came of it,
having spent far too much of the past 20 years or so behind a desk I was
worried about still being able to pick it up if I dropped it.  Turned
out to be no real problem.  When I get geared up for a trip it might be
another story.  Did leak some gas when down.

Was very nervous riding around Hartford--shows that I need a lot of
practice--I used to be fine with riding in NYC, but wouldn't dare tackle
that right now.

Disgusted at how out of shape I am and surprised at how much exercise
riding is--I've got aches where I forgot I had muscles.  Oh, well, good
for me, builds character, and maybe it gives me an incentive to go to
the gym.  One thing I definitely need to work on is neck flexibility, I
found that at some intersections I couldn't get my head far enough
around to get a clear look for oncoming traffic.

Anyway, left bike at friend's house while I got the car home, then he
drove me back to pick it up.  We went out to dinner (no alcohol for me),
then I rode home around 9 PM.

Temperature was in the high '40s, took the highway, about halfway home I
started getting a grin on my face.  Cold, in a comfortable, familiar
sort of way.  Occasional burst of warm air on my legs off the radiator
(I guess).  First time I've felt _alive_ in ages.  The old 400 was
working at 70, still had reserve but you could tell that it was making
an effort, was surprised to look at the speedometer and find that I was
loafing along at 75.  Planning some trips--this is going to be nice.

Hit some grooved pavement that turned out not to be any kind of problem,
but didn't need to brake or turn on it.  Fair crosswind on the bridge,
could feel it but wasn't any kind of issue.

Was a lot of noise in the helmet--didn't _feel_ buffeted but could hear
plenty of something.  Need to try the washers under the windscreen
trick.

Hit good sized pothole about a half a mile from home.  Saw it coming too
late to avoid it,  gritted my teeth but barely even felt it.  _Very_
pleased with the DL now.

Forecast is snow tomorrow, GRRRR.  There was a time when I didn't mind
riding in snow, but I'm not ready for that yet, and don't have the
clothes for it either.  Was hoping to spend some practice time in an
empty parking lot Sunday morning, but that looks like rain and snow too.
Where the heck is that global warming when we _need_ it :)

--
--
--John
to email, dial "usenet" and validate
(was jclarke at eye bee em dot net)

 
"J. Clarke"  wrote...

My g/f reckons this is a good way to meet guys, too (her GPZ11 is a little
heavy for her to lift!)


Get the practice, take it slow and safe until you're confident in heavy
traffic - I don't know about the US, but here in the UK the roads are way
busier than 20 years ago, and driving standards haven't kept up with the
congestion...

A VMax is a great upper-body workout too, hanging in the breeze like a barn
door! I have the same problem with my neck, I've found that riding a little
more leant forward helps, as I can turn my head around and chin-down, gives
me a better view to the blind spots.


I recommend foam earplugs, I *always* use 'em now, the wind noise
(particularly with a full-face helmet) is well above industrial
need-ear-defenders levels when riding as fast as you should, and they cut
that but leave you able to hear mechanical noise and traffic around you.
They stop my tinnitus rearing its ugly head after a ride, too

Glad to hear you're back on a bike, it's great, innit?

--
Dave H.
(The engineer formerly known as Homeless)

"Rules are for the obedience of fools, and the guidance of wise men" -
Douglas Bader

 
Welcome back. Boy your story sounds familiar. I did the same after a long
time off. Had a BSA Bantam 125cc when I was 15 back in 1955.
I remembered where everything was and hopped on and drove away like I'd
never missed a day. Only difference was that the gear shift used to be on
the right side.  I never had a lesson. Back then you just got a temporary
permit and away you went.
When I started back into riding I got a used Suz vx800. That was heaven
except for sore neck from looking up and stiffer than it should have been,
compounded by the weight of the helmet. The wrists, elbows and shoulders
were sore and my hands went numb. The numbness was from holding on too
tight. Anyway, I gradually moved up to larger and larger bikes until I got a
goldwing. That's when I realized I really didn't know how to drive a
motorcycle at all. I didn't know how to make a tight turn. I didn't know how
to come to a stop with any control, never knowing which side I was going to
fall. I didn't know how to make an emergency avoidance maneuver or correct
on a turn that was sharper than expected. I dropped my goldwing several
times at street corners and in parking lots. The following Spring I took a
refresher course and boy, what an eye-opener.
I'm lucky I survived the first few years back on the bike. The moral of the
story is: take a course before you break your neck
Wayne

 On Thu, 12 Apr 2007 04:29:50 -0400, in rec.motorcycles, "J. Clarke"


Umm..take a safety course, mmmkay?  I see this kind of thing, I ask myself,
if my surgeon or my airline pilot had taken a 20 year sabbatical, would I
appreciate it if they had maybe a little bit of refresher training before
they went to work?

Anyway, welcome back.  Stay safe.

-Scott
--
'73 CB450K
'82 CB900F (x2)
'04 FSC600 (SWMBO)
'01 ZG1000 (SWMBO)

 On Thu, 12 Apr 2007 04:29:50 -0400, "J. Clarke"


Born to ride!

Stay safe,
Ken
-- Interested in New Mexico? Come visit us at
-- http://groups.yahoo.com/group/nmgeneral/