September is a long legged beauty

People are declaring 'these are the last nice days of the summer - better enjoy it!'
I won't be so pessimistic. I rode to work today - pics to follow as usual - and it was fantastic. The sun is lower on the horizon keeping it interesting. .

Quality time

Yeah, the rain sucked. But that was the ride home. This morning, the air was so still it felt like no resistance at all. And warm.

Cut to...the stuff left on the editing room floor. The ride home. Furious wind. Knocked down branches. A bit of involuntary lean this way and that while fighting the gusts. Firmer grip on the bars,  and tighter in the knees while trying to stay relaxed. How do you say "exhilarating".

 In a week and a half I'll be here:  http://www.avfta.ca/

Racy

"track day" whipping through town to work this morning. Exhilarating!
And the usual blindingly beautiful sunrise before hitting the city proper.

Icon 1000 Elsinore boots

Go with your gut, I always say. If you like them buy them. I may have had some trepidation at first but I knew I wanted these boots. My hesitation for reasons smacking of vanity and superfluous web shopping lasted but a moment. They arrived in the mail as I had suspected; coolness personified, if I do say so myself. Have they performed well these past several weeks? Most definitely. I originally didn't want to let the cat out of the bag and tell others about these gems that caress my soul(s) but here goes:

My early morning commute was a treat at +16 C today, before 7:00 am!

70km a day

BMW, Triumph Tiger, Ducati thingamajig, hey, maybe even the Aprillia! They are all decent to exceptional DS bikes, albeit on copious amounts of steroids in the big bore clique. Yamaha Super Tenere and Honda Veradero? Truly exceptional in my opinion, and of course, the Suzuki Vstrom holds its own as well. These are a few of my favorite things.
And my Buell Ulysses? In a class of its own, holding its own and surprisingly...my favorite. If I had 24k what would I buy? Unfortunately a BMW with its hyper-cliquey following, not unlike the Harley crowd. What a shame.
70km of tire wear again on my commute today. Getting to be a relished regular occurrence.

Where's the appeal?

 I took a moment to stop on a field entrance to plug my heated jacket in for much needed warmth on this very windy and miserable afternoon ride home from work. I was nonchalantly being watched by at least one curious cow gnawing on grass as it lay next to the fence, down on it's belly to no doubt get low and out of the somewhat strong north wind and rain.

 I saw 2 other bikes during my 35+km ride home and both where in the city. Can't say I blame anyone else out there on two wheels for excusing themselves from riding on this day. I made it a sight better by choosing to avoid the highway and it's hyper active occupants and their gritty spray.

 

  Maybe Hwy 8 next time.

I remember...

..the feeling of freedom washing over me (that sort of existentialism nonsense that I had read about later in life and still fail to disregard as hooey) while riding a small red bike made in 1978 or was it '79, the Honda XR80, picking my line down the middle of the gravel road, wishing the road carried on forever. I wasn't a teenager yet. I didn't know how to drive a car but there I was free to kick up the gravel dust twisting out every ounce that wee bike had switching from the line on the left to the better line on the right and back again at 50km / hr.
I still feel it while riding. Now, it's a relaxing sensation as my shoulders drop and my helmeted noggin bobs this way and that with the buffeting wind.

Getting into the commuting groove.

2 degrees C. Traffic at 6:45 am. I'm lovin it.

Beautiful day for a ride

A little spooky - in a good way. A cool breeze like sticking your head in the fridge. Dry clay thankfully. Could have been ultra greasy if it was wet. Twisty, scenic, lonesome, rolling McLean Creek Trail.

Rain? What rain?

A detour today was required on my way home from work. Spring Bank Road, with one lane each direction and no shoulders, but uninhibited by traffic, was a sight better - pun intended ; no spray from large crawling trucks and speeding commuters on the highway. A good choice and with ATGATT and heated vest, I was very comfortable.

Inaugural ride to work for 2012

Is there suspicion on peoples minds seeing a motorcycle on the road side in the early morning as they drive to or from work? Curiosity? I'd like to think a sense of concern for a brief moment before their thoughts get washed over again by a Bruce Springsteen song on the radio. Maybe they are like me when I'm caging it to work and feel a bit envious when I see a rider on the road midweek and early in the morning.

I was en route to work parked by the road in haste to take a picture - albeit flavorless picture - for my personal record and maybe for anyone else at all interested. I also took a phone call from home and before setting off again I plugged in my heated vest. A busy little stop!

Looking East to Calgary:

Looking West to the Rocky Mountains:

+15C today and no bike under me. What a pitty.

 Is 0 degrees C too cold to ride to work? Probably not. But I have a fear of cold, cold road surface and I have a rule of sorts - it needs to be +4 C before I get on the bike. +15 C today but rain mixed with snow tomorrow and beyond.

 This year I'll do a picture en-route each morning I ride to work.

 I took one picture Tuesday morning out the window of my warm caged environment. There was a herd of Elk. They were originaly up against the fence ready to cross a very busy highway. This isn't the first time I have seen them on my commute. Last Spring there were 150 or so at the same spot. This smaller herd were spread out on a knoll on the opposite side of the highway the next day. Must have been pandemonium as they braved the fence then darted across. I wonder if they are as erratic as deer...

I should add, at this juncture, if you are reading and have a commute story of your own, shout it out!

Taking the 2007 Buell Ulysses down a notch

The Buell is a special bike - no doubt. It's a disunion by some accounts; imagine a harmonica seated amongst a symphony orchestra. I'm sure it's been done but it's not all that common. It's refinement;  electronically controlled fuel injection, fuel housed in an Italian designed frame, and advanced Japanese suspension, and it's antiquated; dressing up the seeming characteristic heart of a 40's tractor - wherein lies the appeal...at least for me.

 I've taken issue with it, however, and needed to correct something. It's tall. Very tall. A claimed 31.8 inches. I've tried a Corbin seat but still too tall. I found a system by Mizu. A lowering kit which for the Buell means a one piece kit. The collar lowers the seat of the rear shock spring. But why try to explain when I can show it in pictures:

The kit (next to the K&N filter)

 Place a jack under the jacking point under the exhaust so the lower shock bolt can be removed easily.
Remove upper and lower bolts.
Cut the zip ties at the top of the shock, one on the preload hose tied to the harness on the left and another tying a breather hose on the right for egress:

 Unbolt preload unit. 2 bolts can be found up under the seat pan. Then remove the screw for the shock reservoir clip. Unbolt ECM so it's out of the way. The lower nut for the ECM will escape to those hard to reach places if you don't get a finger on it from underneath.

Shock can now slide up and out.

A spring compressor would work well at this point but I didn't have one. I used 2 ratchet straps on either side to compress the coil spring to remove the original spring seat and half moon washer setup and make room for the lowering kit. This takes some strength and proved difficult but effective none the less. I had read of this method on the web, of course.

 As you can see in the below picture, there is the original seat and half moon washers above the single unit lowering kit.

 The shock now has the lowering kit installed.

 Throw that puppy back onto the bike. But wait for it: the problem with mail order parts...there is no mention of the lower mud guard in the way of the now lowered coil spring and collar. I had to drill a hole on either side and file a small cutout from the guard's lip. Note: I used the full manual for remove and replace instructions. This is necessary as there are torquing specs involved. Also, I use lock-tight on everything.

And here are the results - BEFORE:

And AFTER:

Obvioulsy not flat footed but a significant difference. This is very evident while "walking" the bike around when in the saddle.

Now I'm waiting for the snow to clear out and the weather to improve. I've got time for the oil change and filter...

The great waning

Snow, once again, covers the ground. In fact, it covers over the heaps of snow already on the ground. For 50 yards of my street & a mere 20 paces up my driveway I'm trapped, my bike confined to the garage until it melts off the road. Yet I can practically spit on the road past my street that is...rideable. I'm well aware the snow has yet to wane. But the temperatures are climbing. I expect to see a robin soon. Albeit prematurely.

It's time to prep the Buell with the usual oil change & filter. This time though, I'm adding a lowering kit.

Stay tuned!!

 And I have made minimal progress on the KZ 650, but some attention among the copious tasks at hand. This time round I have cleaned up some of the electrical. It would be nice to revamp it all entirely but time and money is limited. What I thought would be a prototype tray for some electrical components became an acceptable alternative.

Winter blahs

There are many questions on my mind of late: why am I always so tired? Why don't I pick up the guitar that's to my immediate right more often? Why is my garage so cold that I no longer want to work on my old machine(s)? Why do I like pickles now after a lifetime aversion to them? How does one overcome a general malaise induced by winters' darkness?

 What if...the bike was loaded onto the trailer and the truck hooked up and pointed south. Stop when there is no longer frost on my windshield. Plug in the heated vest.

 Ride the 101 South from Seattle to Northern California. It would rain. It might be fogged in. I would get a lot of coffees along the way.

 And I would be riding and twirling my thoughts in my helmet like a school girl twirls her hair with one finger.