2,000

I've reached 2000 miles this past week. The time has just flown by, and so have the miles! As my familiarity increases, the more comfortable I feel with Midnight. She pulls strong down low and brakes well. I love how she handles, though I wish the seat was a little higher!

I dropped the bike in my driveway recently. I made the mistake of trying to ride off with a disc brake lock still attached. However, I was able to instruct a (relatively) new rider on how easy it is to lift a bike from its side by means of demonstration since what little damage the bike had would not be increased.

(Incidentally, you put your butt against the saddle, pull the lowest handlebar in towards yourself and use your legs to push up and against the bike, walking it into an upright position. If the bike is on its left side, try putting the bike in gear. If the bike is on its right side, put the kickstand down and grab the brake lever when lifting the bike. Either way, it will help prevent the bike from rolling away when lifting it!)

See also: How to Lift a Bike

Next time, I'll use a "disc reminder," a stretchy plastic cord that hooks over the handlebar on one end and through the lock on the other. (My excuse: my old one disintegrated. That's the honest truth!)

---

The state of Texas and the city San Antonio wants you to know this by posting this on their electronic signs:

I positively agree. Driving safely and texting later is not worth it. I'd like to text those people slowing down on the on ramp (formally known as "acceleration lanes") to get a little less safe and a little more on the throttle! Driving like you're afraid of the road kills me!

A Week of Riding

The 2 AM ride home has been interesting this past week.

A BARREL OF FUN

I had the pleasure of watching a full-size pickup truck drive at full highway speeds through an on ramp with several construction barrels under the vehicle. I backed off - way off - and watched as one of the barrels dislodged and unpleasantly bounced across my path. Naturally, I was well prepared for this possibility - and quite safe. Moments later, a police car who was monitoring the intersection and construction zone pulled the truck over. That the truck pulled over onto the left side of the road with the driver's door against the highway barrier leads me to think - among other obvious reasons - that this individual suffered from chemically induced impaired judgement.

RIDING IN THE RAIN

I also enjoyed riding in the rain. This was a first for me and midnight, but she handled superbly. On the way to work, traffic was very slow since enough San Antonians don't know what that wet stuff on the road is or how to drive on it, which in this case suited me fine. On the way back, I got to experience 68° weather with cool rain beating down on my leather/mesh gloves. My rain gear worked wonders, but some weather-resistant gloves were definitely in order. I also remembered how wonderful hand guards work to prevent things like trees, rocks, flying squirrels and cold rain from hitting your hands. (Mental note: shop for hand guards.)

In the rain of course, a young man rolled down his passenger side window at a stop light and said, "I bet you didn't see this coming!" I guess I'm a little socially awkward. I replied, "actually I did, and I love it." (Before I left work, I checked the weather map which showed a very active storm system over 100 miles across centered over San Antonio.) The man was kind and well-intentioned. But I really enjoyed the pattering of rain, the coolness rising under the chin bar of my helmet and the sloshing of rain under my tiers.

The most difficult part of riding a dual sport in the rain is relaxing enough to allow the bike to do its job properly without pushing it beyond it's traction threshold. In a turn, a motorcycle tire has more road contact than a car tire. However, once traction is broken, then without care, other things will break in turn... But riding in the dark on a rain covered road with invisible "road snakes" will cause the handlebar to twitch as if hydroplaning, but the bike will keep itself righted so long as the rider relaxes enough to let the sensation pass and is responsible enough to not react by breaking or swerving. Which is why riding on the near desolate, well-lighted streets of San Antonio at night is actually safer than during the day whenever it is raining.

Cool

When I think of winter or when the temperatures drop, I remember of some of the best rides and adventures I've ever had took place in that kind of weather.

But here, right now a cold front drifted in and has decided to make itself comfortable for about a week. The daytime received a much welcome respite from the 100° + days that brought asphalt on the way to work at 4:00 in the afternoon a blistering 107°, with temperatures "down" to 80 or 85° at 1:30 AM when I leave work. A mesh jacket worked quite well; I used the "3 season" rain liner for keeping warm in the zealous air conditioning that descends upon my cubicle.

Tonight presented a dilemma I've not considered in some time - certainly not since I returned to two wheels. When I stepped out of work, air in the 60's shocked me as slightly cooler than my cubicle! With a mild shiver, I pulled the liner out of my tail bag and fit it under my mesh jacket. I put my vented gloves on after my helmet. I regarded the other rider leaving at the same time: she wore a sweater and a 3/4 helmet. We both knew she would get very cold on the way home. I rode much farther - so I'd get a chance to test my gear and see how much protection Midnight gave me.

The ride did chill me a little. I noticed how little protection my hands have from the cold. Wind blew all around my legs and arms. The bike protected only my belly and chest. I forced myself to relax and get used to the cool; gripping the handlebar tightly and tensing up fatigues the body and lessens the ability to concentrate and maneuver gracefully.

The 25 mile ride home took me through spots as cold as 64° and as warm as 75°! But I enjoyed the mildly crisp air and the stars shone brightly when I could see them. Has fall arrived? I hope so! I look forward to making more memories as the weather begins to cool.

50+ MPG, One Less Car

This morning, I got all the flashy Suzuki lights blinking at me. Whenever I get down to "one bar" on the fuel gauge, a tiny little fuel pump starts blinking in the corner of my instrument panel. Once the fuel has dropped below a certain point in the gas tank, that one bar starts blinking, too.

With nary over 1,300 miles on this bike, I'm wondering if the headlight is going to blink next and how hard it would be to push the V-Strom to the next gas station.

Regardless, I made it home. The mpg readout before I filled up stated I averaged 53.8 mpg this past tank of gas. Not bad! I did chuckle as I added 4.77 gallons of gas to my 5.3 gallon fuel tank. I might have made it back to work with what was left!

Not that I would try... But it's good experience for when I'm touring and a long way from home to know that I've got 25 miles to safe and 50 miles to just plain out of luck.

Which reminds me of Aerostich's infamous motorcycle license plate holders:

Aerostich: One less car

1,000

I just passed 1,000 miles on my new black beauty, "Midnight." She is my new Suzuki DL650A, a VStrom 650 ABS Adventure model.

Some observations:
There is a new bike smell, and it is wonderful.
That rear tire really likes to slip when it's cold.
The factory mirrors are great - for long glances at your elbows.
It helps to remove the disc lock from your brakes before riding off into the sunset.
Downshifting into first gear isn't always easy. The transmission is kind of clunky like the FJR's.
Earplugs are my friend.
The clutch lever needs to be properly positioned on the handlebar or every time you shift, the display button engages and changes the display.
Fuel mileage is much more impressive in Imperial Miles per Gallon.
There's lots of low-down torque.
Those saddlebags are big but it makes the bike so wide!
Why in the world is Plexus over $20 a can?
I like sitting way up high.
It's good to be back in the saddle again!

But I still miss my 'ol gal. Midnight reminds me of her in a lot of small ways, but she's definitely her own creature!

2000

(Note: I found this post saved, waiting to be published after how many years? I'm not going to edit it any further, just let it speak for itself.)

On the way to work this morning I noticed I rolled the odometer over 2000 miles.

A lot has happened in the past 1000 miles on this bike. It's become a comfortable commuter - a small but nimble companion that asks very little and does enough. I appreciate its utility and economy. Since I'm not riding highway + speeds, the super-cold gear gets used but not heavily taxed.

I took out Angelina (my neighbor's 600cc CBR 600 F4i) last weekend on a fluke. I griped that I hadn't made it to the hill country lately since my bike doesn't like highway speeds, so he let me borrow her. After about 40 miles, my hands and wrists were tingling mightily, reminding me of some of my woes as I retired from the FJR.

Which got me to thinking all this week. The XT really is a comfortable bike and gets great mileage. The FJR got decent mileage for a large bike and ate up highway like it was nobody's business allowing me to unofficially conduct 1000 mile day voyages on the drop of a hat. How would the XT fare on a 1000 mile voyage? A 2000 mile voyage? A 10,000 mile voyage?

So I started thinking about the Iron Butt Association and the kinds of bikes used for those events. I noticed a heavy use of the megasized bikes has gone down a little bit, replaced with venerable sport-tourers (with the FJR holding a sizeable share of usage).

So what would it take to travel like that? I used to ponder that question a lot, but I began to become more comfortable with my responsibilities than riding. Soon enough, riding became increasingly uncomfortable and - thanks to my recent work in the industry - less than satisfying.

Every ride I've been on - especially the longer ones - I've overpacked or brought stuff that I really could have lived without. I also manage to break at least one of my golden rules that ensure that I have a safe and fun time. (Last time, I didn't bring an extra pair of gloves and the linings designed for my riding gear AND I rode into the dark when I should have stopped to camp. Together, that made a long and uncomfortable night!)

So could the XT make such a journey? Certainly, though I don't know about the rider!

Mechanically, the bike is ready to go. Pack some chain lube and the bike will ride well for a long time. The factory tires seem to last a long time, though I have my doubts about their durability at sustained highway / near-highway speeds.

The rest is about rider comfort. That will make or break how a rider performs over any voyage of any length.

The seat is narrow, which unlike the FJR puts less stress on my pelvis. The seat is also very firm the way the FJR's was when I first bought it. It's starting to break in nicely, and I suspect that it will remain fairly comfortable in stock trim for a long time.

The narrowness of the bike lends itself well to leg comfort, too. Even if the positions for foot placement is limited, moving about on the bike is easier, lessening my complaints in this department as well.

It's the upper body that takes all the stress. I've been pleased with the windflow around my helmet, and the air deflection onto my chest reduces the energy I expend to stay upright at certain speeds, so at most a small deflecting windscreen could come in useful. Moreso, the vibration in the grips of the handlebars concern me enough for normal commuting that I'm left wondering about the effects of long-term riding and the viability of any plans I make with this bike.

The handlebar's vibrations are punishing. Compound this with a lack of any kind of cruise control and the wrists are in for a punishing ride. The handlebars (if replaced) need to stay the approximate size they are now; I tried a set of ATV bars but couldn't get the important stuff to reach well... A mechanical cruise control (like the thumb-actuated Vista Cruise) by itself would help enourmously. The paddle throttle assists work wonders on larger displacement bikes, but due to the full changes in throttle position on the smaller bike, the just aren't as practical. I'd also like to find some foam to slip over the grips to further insulate vibrations from the handlebar. The grip protectors I have should also help null some of the vibrations, but also will increase my temperature range for colder weather gear.

The lighting is good. Sure, it'd be nice to have some LED's lit up under the bike or some fog lights, but... technology really is no replacement for good judgement.

In fact, navigation is 100% possible without GPS, despite the techno freak in me that wants to hook up every kitchen appliance to any vehicle I own... Heated grips, radio and the like are all frivolous.

Indeed, my packing looks the same way. Who needs riding boots, hiking boots, walking shoes and sandals for an overnight camping trip, right? The XT is a veritable Swiss Army knife of riding utility; my approach to riding it should reflect that strength as well.

1,000

Finally, the XT has 1,000 miles. I swore I'd remember when I rolled over the first 1,000 miles on the FJR, but that time has long, long passed.

In memory of this small milestone, I shall recount how the triple-zero transpired.

I was returning home from the grocery store with a gallon of orange juice, several liters of sprite, some mint tea and theraflu. The wife has been sick since Friday, puking and running a fever. I was beginning to feel it myself. She asked me to grab some beverages from the store, so I took my favorite grocery-grabber.

On a side-note, I calculated that a trip to Big Bend would cost less than $40 in gas (at $4 per gallon). Now that I've seen gas for just over $2 per gallon, I'm thinking I might have to save up those sick days (and try not to call in tommorow) to make my annual visit.

The XT has served well as a daily commuter. I'm still trying to get a feel for what its "normal" sounds are... I found a lot of loose bolts from the factory when I repaired her after the accident. I hope this is not a sign of long-term quality issues...

On the other hand, if gas costed $2.50 per gallon, a $1,000 would net about 28,000 miles. Likewise, 1,000 miles only costs $35.71 at $2.50 per gallon. Either way, 1,000 would go a long way on the XT.