46 Degrees at 4600 miles

Adding miles to the V-Strom is easy: go to work. Come home safely. 4,600 miles already passed and it seems like the bike is still breaking in.

By my standards, it won't be broken in until 10,000 miles. At that point, I'll feel comfortable adding semi- or fully synthetic oil to the bike and consider running the oil a little longer. I know I'll need new tires sometime next spring. But after tonight, I think I might need something else.

I didn't check the weather coming to work. It was cool enough to ride to work with my liner in my mesh jacket, but I didn't think to pack my cold weather riding suit. So, returning to my bike at 1:15 in the morning to 46° F temperatures was a bit of a shock. I had only packed a sweater - which I was already wearing. Fortunately, I keep my arrangement of gloves (warm, rain, and cold) in my saddlebags, so I was able to at least have that.

Then I sat on the bike. Condensation seeped through my pants. "How many times have I sworn I'm going to pack a towel to dry my seat?" I swore. This was going to be a great ride home.

I started down the highway below the speed limit, thinking that would keep me from the cool wicking away too much of my body heat. I ducked below the turbulence of my windscreen to keep the wind off my neck. However, I couldn't help thinking about the protection of the half fairing on my old FJR as my lap turned into a frozen slab of numb meat and my forearms grew sore. I also marveled that the V-Strom never stressed its cooling system the way the FJR did. Even now, drifting in and out of pockets of even colder air, the bike offered no ambient warmth as I squeezed it with my knees and thighs.

But even though I wasn't warm, my core wasn't cold. I could safely operate the bike's controls, and gave thanks for the stoplight at the end of the deceleration lane so I could rub some feeling back into my thighs.

I wondered why I didn't go for a bike with a small fairing after having sprung for one of the most expensive dual sport 650's on the market. On top of that, it was a much better street bike than dual-sport, unless my observations prove incorrect. Why didn't I get a cheaper KLR? After all, I hankered for one of those for years, thinking I would purchase one once I got back in the saddle again. (I entered the dealership looking for a KLR and rode out with a V-Strom...)

But I figured I pay around $70 each month in gas and I would double that in a car. With that and the savings in insurance, the bike almost pays for itself. And it's a bike! Considering 99.8% of my riding thus far has been on paved roads, it justified itself.

But Midnight lacks one thing I can fix: a decent windscreen. And who knows? Maybe I can find a decent fairing for it, too? In the meantime, I have got to pack myself a towel!