Picked up mine this weekend

[DrBunsen]

I picked up my '06 from Tony this past weekend and the entire buying experience was very pleasant indeed. Lisa (the finance person) was a hoot to meet and Tony took a lot of time introducing the bike to me. I almost felt guilty for all the attention that Tony gave me.

I spent about half an hour riding around in the nearby parking lots before heading on back towards Fate, TX (30 miles east of Dallas). I'm glad it was a Saturday since the businesses for those lots were closed.

Learned a few things on the road (I'd never done any highway miles so maybe you'll get a kick out of remembering your first times on the open road):

1) Since I was riding really conservatively I passed a total of 2 vehicles in the 150 miles. Sheesh... getting passed by *me* on my first semi-major ride! (I'm embarrased on their behalf.) I did do a number of things like see how fast the bike would go from 50MPH to 70. It might not be instant, but most cars would definitely be put to shame.

2) I didn't know that sometimes when a large-ish bug smashes into your visor, you can smell it. And I can't honestly say that it was anything you could put into a bottle and sell at the perfume counter.

3) I took the opportunity to take a number of excursions off of I-30, mostly to vary the engine speed since I'm in the break-in period. It was cool to see more detail in the wooded areas of east Texas.

Some random thoughts that drifted through my head along the way:

"This town smell differently on a motorcycle than it did driving through in the car."

"Dang, how long has that blinker been on? Gotta remember to reset it after making turn/lane changes."

"Where's that 6th gear?"

"Looks like Yamaha really did take care of those (occasional) heat issues."

"Dang, why is that blinker on again?"

"Doh, forgot to wave at that other rider!"

"They're right, ear plugs really are a necessity. I'm going to be blind in my ears by the time I get home."

"Yeah, this is FUN! Even at 65 in a 70 zone."

"Maybe what's happening is that I am hitting blinker-reset, but that the blinker is turning itself back on...."

"Singing in your helmet is kinda like singing in the shower."

"Hmmm, driving west in the afternoon. Sunglasses would've been a good idea. Good thing I left the clear visor on (NOT)."

"Not again.... Maybe there's a 'blinker-reset school' I can go to that can help me hone that skill."

Bunsen

 

[Calabash]

LOL, I am with you on the blinker thing, I used to be embarrassed, now I just get aggravated that I forget...

 

[throttlejockeyTJ]

There is nothing like being sun blinded on a MC. I put a 2" piece of tape on my visor and it prevents the morning & afternoon sun from blinding you. TJ

FJR, and never had a MC on the highway before. Man you got some scooling to do.

 

[OrangevaleFJR]

Leaving the blinker on is less embarrassing than stalling at a red light turned green while you are lined up next to a guy on a Harley named Spider. Toecutter told me so. :haha:

 

[DrBunsen]

FJR, and never had a MC on the highway before. Man you got some scooling to do.

Yeah.... Not the best of situations, but - trust me - it wasn't a decision made lightly. I made sure that the weather & riding conditions were perfectly clear. There were no major cities between Texarkana & Fate so it was all sparse traffic.

I wasn't exactly a grandma, but safety was forefront in my mind the whole way. And my dirt-bike riding from decades ago, as well as that recent MSF course, means that I was merely a born-again newbie instead of a totally new to the sport.

In any case, I took a calculated risk and survived. But I'm not planning to hit the highways again until I've got a lot of riding the local streets, as well as the MSF ERC, under my belt.

Bunsen

 

[DrBunsen]

Geez... after riding around the local streets the past few days I'm convinced that Hough was right in chapter 4 of "Proficient Motorcycling" when he said that if you want to ride as safely as possible "DON'T RIDE IN THE CITY" (his capitalization), and followed it up with how to deal with the dangers of urban and suburban conditions. I was probably safer on the divided 4-lane out between Texarkana and Fate with a hundred yards between most vehicles than I now am riding around at 30MPH here in the suburbs. There aren't any cross-roads, left-hand turners, or blind alleys out on that stretch of highway.

Not that I'm going to hop back on the freeway just yet. At least if something goes wrong now it'll be at slower speeds. But the chances of something going wrong sure do feel higher now than they probably were on Saturday.

Man, it's fun to just ride, even at 30MPH. Speed & power weren't even on the list of reasons why I bought my FJR. Style, techie features, and comfort were the reasons. Price was next.

Oh, and don't discount the effects of dark blue on me. Had the '06 been not been available in dark blue I would've been looking harder at competing models. When I bought my Accord I got the inline-4 rather than the quieter V6 since the V6 wasn't available in dark blue.

Now, if only my FJR had a refrigerator and sippy straw to deliver a constant stream of Diet Dr Pepper to me....

Bunsen