Cold

I really wanted to get out on the bike today. Haven't ridden in about a week. So, after all the fun today and getting the kids to bed, I went for a ride. I got out the jacket and gloves and went to the gas station.

The amount of wind that you get on a motorcycle never ceases to amaze me. On nights like tonight, it is even more noticeable. I put on about 6 miles and called it a night. My legs were the coldest part. My jacket did a good job of blocking the wind. The gloves kept my hands warm and the helmet even gave a tiny sweat. Jeans, though, aren't wind blockers. Might have to look into biker pants if I want to keep riding into the fall.

The other thing I'm considering is putting the windshield back on the bike. I think it looks ugly. However, I'm willing to give up looks in favor of being warm. I'd rather ride longer into the fall then look better and park the bike starting in September.

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Back on the Bike

So I sent a week in San Diego on a training trip with 6 teachers and 3 principals. As fun as that was, I was happy to land safety back in Minneapolis. On Sunday, after not riding for about a week and a half, I decided to go for a ride after the kiddies were asleep.

She was not happy. It took forever to get her started. I had just given up and thought in my head that I would give her one more chance. [Wow, that would be a good book starter.] I pushed the button and turned the throttle and she roared to live. I guess she did want to get out of the garage.

I went to put gas in her and then rode for about 30 minutes. Nothing fancy but it was nice to get out, away from all the headaches of a week long training, getting back to the family and into the swing of things.

More riding today, if it doesn't rain here in Minneapolis.

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Trouble in Bike Paradise

Okay, last night, the bike wouldn't start. I replaced the battery, which I knew was suspect. The old seller told me so. I also noticed an oil leak. I figured out where it was leaking from and how to make it stop. If the bike is on the kickstand, it leans to the left, just enough to have oil hit the engine cover, which is leaking. However, if it is on the center stand, then it is straight up and doesn't leak.

When I checked out the bike, it was on the center stand and not the kick stand. It thought it was odd, but let it go thinking it was just personal preference for not using the kickstand. However, it appears that the seller was trying to hide the oil leak. I'm not very happy about that. I should have trusted my instincts and questioned it.

Today, I went for a ride. On my way home, it sputtered and stalled. I figured it was out of gas, so I switched it to reserve. The seller told me that I should fill it up when the trip odometer got to 100 miles. I was at 68 miles. The reserve didn't last long enough to get me to the gas station.

So I was out of gas by Olson school. One of the construction workers donated a gallon of gas to my bike. I waited about 10 minutes to let gas flow into the system. It still didn't start. I ended up walking the bike home and putting it in the garage. I plugged in the charger and used the gas cans I had on hand to fill the tank up the rest of the way. I waited about an hour and it didn't start. I'll go back out tonight and see if I can get it started.

Good thing my cousin is coming over to look at it tomorrow. Hopefully, he can help me get it started and keep it running. I didn't like getting stranded.

And, if all goes well, Amy won't ask me to mow the grass, we don't have gas for the lawn mower.

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