FJRfarrier
Well-known member
Wow. What a year for 2015.
2015 started out with a ride on the FJR, January 1st. A little chilly, but not too bad!
End of January- in the midst of a snowy season- I attended the Progressive IMShow in Cleveland, OH. That helped with my motorcycle withdrawal, while also adding products to the “I want” list.
February was another snowy month- but I did manage to get out for a ride on my parents’ dual sport bike. Unfortunately, the FJR stayed tucked away and on a battery tender.
By the time March 8th rolled around- it had been 9 weeks since I had been out for a good ride, on the FJR. I was getting desperate. The roads were clear and the weather was tolerable. But there was 1 problem- the bike was stored in my shed, which was 20 feet from the driveway, through the yard, which was buried under 11 inches of snow. So I did what any crazy person would do- I shoveled a path through my yard. And then proceeded to push my bike to the driveway.
Let me tell you- that was the biggest smile and giddiest laugh I have ever had!! My eyes leaked a little bit when I got out on the road and let him purr! (Let’s blame that on the cold. yeah, the cold air)
April brought warmer weather and more riding. Also, a mini tech day / farkle installation day with extrememarine. I was able to check “ride in Canada” off my bike-it list. Major mods were the FZ1 mirrors and disabling the windshield retract.
When May finally showed up- I was off to the SEOhio Ramble. That weekend was full of some great riding and meeting lots of people.
A week after the Ramble, I participated in a Tough Mudder event. 10 miles of mud and military-styled obstacles. What an accomplishment!
Why do I mention this? Because the day after that full body exertion- I climbed on the bike and went for a ride. Who woulda thunk that you can get on the bike- and 150 miles later- not be able to get off?! I learned my lesson on that one!
Throughout May, I tend to look at the calendar and start planning things for the summer and fall. I realized I had a lot fo amazing rides planned. And I needed to improve my riding gear. I decided to go with the Aerostich R-3.
Two weeks later, June came around and provided a beautiful weekend for a Saddlesore 1000 around Lake Michigan with 2 fellow FJR riders, extrememarine and Linc.
We had an amazing journey- lots of miles, lots of smiles, and certificates and IBA numbers were assigned. We are now “one of them”.
Celebrated my birthday with a ride on the bike- with thunderstorms looming, to get ice cream, 80 miles from home. Crazy? Crazy is also the guy who rode through the storm to go 140 miles to surprise me for the evening.
July 2, 2015- I celebrated the 2 year anniversary with this bike- by rolling over 25,000 (ridden by me) miles. It also happened the same day I whacked a bald eagle. Following behind extrememarine, I came around a curve in MI, and a large mass of feathers comes swooping down out of the trees, aimed at the road kill on the ground that I am approaching. We collide. He hits my mirror (folds back as intended), hits my knee (armor in the R-3 was wonderful), and continues to ricochet off my sidecase (barely a scratch noticeable). I stayed upright, but the bird wasn’t so lucky. Bird rescue lady came and got him- broken right wing.
July was also the month that allowed me time to take a longer vacation. 11 days of riding. I decided to head west. Not all the way- just partway. Colorado. I’ve been to Colorado before. I’ve seen Colorado from a van/camper. But I have not experienced Colorado from a motorcyclist’s viewpoint. Took 2 days out via the flatlands of Iowa and Nebraska.
Spent a week then traveling around the state. Zigzagged west, then south, then north, then east, then south, then east some more. Also went high to low; top of mountains down into valleys and canyons. I was able to working things around and meet up for a few nights with my parents, who were on their summer vacation also. They allowed me to sleep in their camper with them and eat their food. That helped the budget!! I also had made arrangements to meet a fellow FJR rider who lives high up in the mountains.
On the way home- I saw that I could wiggle the route just a bit, in order to get 1500 miles. I then headed home, in a day and a half, via the hot flatlands of Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, and Michigan. That trip was verified as a Bunburner 1500.
After that 5,000 mile trip- I decided to look into upgrading the stock seat. So in August… a used Russell came up for sale. Owner and I had identical measurements- so I grabbed it. You don’t realize how bad you have it (stock seat) until you have something better (Russell)!
September arrived with the plans being made for EOM in WV. Because of my work schedule, I was able to leave a couple days earlier- and I headed to the Smoky Mountains. Then I headed to the hills of Appalachia. Which also brought a weekend of rain. But of course, you make the best of it! Still managed to get in full days of riding! (The upgraded gear really made it possible to keep riding in the rain) And meeting people during the parking lot shenanigans- icing on the donut.
October brought more riding- tech day in Ohio and an RTE in PA. Same weekend. Awesome!
And then, just a few weeks later- a trip into/around Michigan. Which included sand. More sand than the FJR preferred. But it also included great conversation with friends. And miles of scenic therapy.
Heated jacket liner and pant liner have allowed me the opportunity to continue riding into the colder months, without having to bundle up and lose appendage mobility. The fact that we were also having a warm spell late in the year- has also allowed me to ride farther into the later months. And with that, brings the milestone of 45,000 miles for the bike.
November also brought a great milestone. My first speeding ticket. Ever. Dang it, this bike is fast and smooth. Unfortunately, my talking skills weren’t as smooth.
December arrived with more warm-ish temps. Record breaking highs were being made for the month of December in NW Ohio. But of course, the day that Wayne and I decide to go for a ride- December 19th- was a cold day. But still ride worthy. 28* and sunny?- sure!, go ride!
Christmas approached with moderate weather. And for the 7th year in a row, my dad and I were able to go for a motorcycle ride on Christmas Day. This was the first year, though, that we have been able to do it on the “big bikes” instead of the dual sports.
2012 FJR1300-
Odometer reading……… 46,135
Mileage for 2015 year…. 23,221
All the memories………. Priceless
So here is my overview:
Owning and riding this bike has opened up a world of friends due to the nature of the forums and groups. What would have happened if I would have chosen the Kawasaki that was sitting next to the FJR at the dealership? Or worse yet- what if I had let my dad talk me into a large cruiser? *shudder*
Granted- this bike (and accompanying friendships) has gouged a hole in my pocketbook: Farkles. Gear. Tires. Fuel. Hotels. Speeding tickets. Lol
But dangit- my happiness is beyond full. Overflowing.
The year is what you make it. Have a good one guys and gals!!
2015 started out with a ride on the FJR, January 1st. A little chilly, but not too bad!
End of January- in the midst of a snowy season- I attended the Progressive IMShow in Cleveland, OH. That helped with my motorcycle withdrawal, while also adding products to the “I want” list.
February was another snowy month- but I did manage to get out for a ride on my parents’ dual sport bike. Unfortunately, the FJR stayed tucked away and on a battery tender.
By the time March 8th rolled around- it had been 9 weeks since I had been out for a good ride, on the FJR. I was getting desperate. The roads were clear and the weather was tolerable. But there was 1 problem- the bike was stored in my shed, which was 20 feet from the driveway, through the yard, which was buried under 11 inches of snow. So I did what any crazy person would do- I shoveled a path through my yard. And then proceeded to push my bike to the driveway.
Let me tell you- that was the biggest smile and giddiest laugh I have ever had!! My eyes leaked a little bit when I got out on the road and let him purr! (Let’s blame that on the cold. yeah, the cold air)
April brought warmer weather and more riding. Also, a mini tech day / farkle installation day with extrememarine. I was able to check “ride in Canada” off my bike-it list. Major mods were the FZ1 mirrors and disabling the windshield retract.
When May finally showed up- I was off to the SEOhio Ramble. That weekend was full of some great riding and meeting lots of people.
A week after the Ramble, I participated in a Tough Mudder event. 10 miles of mud and military-styled obstacles. What an accomplishment!
Why do I mention this? Because the day after that full body exertion- I climbed on the bike and went for a ride. Who woulda thunk that you can get on the bike- and 150 miles later- not be able to get off?! I learned my lesson on that one!
Throughout May, I tend to look at the calendar and start planning things for the summer and fall. I realized I had a lot fo amazing rides planned. And I needed to improve my riding gear. I decided to go with the Aerostich R-3.
Two weeks later, June came around and provided a beautiful weekend for a Saddlesore 1000 around Lake Michigan with 2 fellow FJR riders, extrememarine and Linc.
We had an amazing journey- lots of miles, lots of smiles, and certificates and IBA numbers were assigned. We are now “one of them”.
Celebrated my birthday with a ride on the bike- with thunderstorms looming, to get ice cream, 80 miles from home. Crazy? Crazy is also the guy who rode through the storm to go 140 miles to surprise me for the evening.
July 2, 2015- I celebrated the 2 year anniversary with this bike- by rolling over 25,000 (ridden by me) miles. It also happened the same day I whacked a bald eagle. Following behind extrememarine, I came around a curve in MI, and a large mass of feathers comes swooping down out of the trees, aimed at the road kill on the ground that I am approaching. We collide. He hits my mirror (folds back as intended), hits my knee (armor in the R-3 was wonderful), and continues to ricochet off my sidecase (barely a scratch noticeable). I stayed upright, but the bird wasn’t so lucky. Bird rescue lady came and got him- broken right wing.
July was also the month that allowed me time to take a longer vacation. 11 days of riding. I decided to head west. Not all the way- just partway. Colorado. I’ve been to Colorado before. I’ve seen Colorado from a van/camper. But I have not experienced Colorado from a motorcyclist’s viewpoint. Took 2 days out via the flatlands of Iowa and Nebraska.
Spent a week then traveling around the state. Zigzagged west, then south, then north, then east, then south, then east some more. Also went high to low; top of mountains down into valleys and canyons. I was able to working things around and meet up for a few nights with my parents, who were on their summer vacation also. They allowed me to sleep in their camper with them and eat their food. That helped the budget!! I also had made arrangements to meet a fellow FJR rider who lives high up in the mountains.
On the way home- I saw that I could wiggle the route just a bit, in order to get 1500 miles. I then headed home, in a day and a half, via the hot flatlands of Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, and Michigan. That trip was verified as a Bunburner 1500.
After that 5,000 mile trip- I decided to look into upgrading the stock seat. So in August… a used Russell came up for sale. Owner and I had identical measurements- so I grabbed it. You don’t realize how bad you have it (stock seat) until you have something better (Russell)!
September arrived with the plans being made for EOM in WV. Because of my work schedule, I was able to leave a couple days earlier- and I headed to the Smoky Mountains. Then I headed to the hills of Appalachia. Which also brought a weekend of rain. But of course, you make the best of it! Still managed to get in full days of riding! (The upgraded gear really made it possible to keep riding in the rain) And meeting people during the parking lot shenanigans- icing on the donut.
October brought more riding- tech day in Ohio and an RTE in PA. Same weekend. Awesome!
And then, just a few weeks later- a trip into/around Michigan. Which included sand. More sand than the FJR preferred. But it also included great conversation with friends. And miles of scenic therapy.
Heated jacket liner and pant liner have allowed me the opportunity to continue riding into the colder months, without having to bundle up and lose appendage mobility. The fact that we were also having a warm spell late in the year- has also allowed me to ride farther into the later months. And with that, brings the milestone of 45,000 miles for the bike.
November also brought a great milestone. My first speeding ticket. Ever. Dang it, this bike is fast and smooth. Unfortunately, my talking skills weren’t as smooth.
December arrived with more warm-ish temps. Record breaking highs were being made for the month of December in NW Ohio. But of course, the day that Wayne and I decide to go for a ride- December 19th- was a cold day. But still ride worthy. 28* and sunny?- sure!, go ride!
Christmas approached with moderate weather. And for the 7th year in a row, my dad and I were able to go for a motorcycle ride on Christmas Day. This was the first year, though, that we have been able to do it on the “big bikes” instead of the dual sports.
2012 FJR1300-
Odometer reading……… 46,135
Mileage for 2015 year…. 23,221
All the memories………. Priceless
So here is my overview:
Owning and riding this bike has opened up a world of friends due to the nature of the forums and groups. What would have happened if I would have chosen the Kawasaki that was sitting next to the FJR at the dealership? Or worse yet- what if I had let my dad talk me into a large cruiser? *shudder*
Granted- this bike (and accompanying friendships) has gouged a hole in my pocketbook: Farkles. Gear. Tires. Fuel. Hotels. Speeding tickets. Lol
But dangit- my happiness is beyond full. Overflowing.
The year is what you make it. Have a good one guys and gals!!
