http://pnwriders.com/blogs/brisk/ Motorcycle rides and riders in Washington Oregon Idaho British Columbia en Fri, 24 May 2013 07:06:52 GMT vBulletin 60 http://cdn.pnwriders.com/images_pnw/misc/rss.jpg http://pnwriders.com/blogs/brisk/ http://pnwriders.com/blogs/brisk/324-theres-always-one.html Wed, 13 Aug 2008 06:40:35 GMT So I pick up the bike from Eastside after they complete the 1k service. I also picked up a new armored mesh jacket which is a mix of grey and light grey -- should be a fair less radiation-absorbing than the typical black.

Anywho, I finish my affairs, pack up the bike and head back towards home (Mill Creek). No less than 1/16th of a mile from Eastside's parking lot heading west on Northup Way / NE 20th -- I had barely even got to speed -- when this blind woman in a red minivan doesn't even look my direction at all and pulls out in front of me, SLOWLY no less because she's actively watching eastbound traffic as she lurches slowly across two lanes to join the fray.

:scared

A bicyclist was approaching, waiting in the turn lane (apparently he wanted to pull a U-turn, as he ended up behind me at the next light). He could only watch and shake his head at the profound stupidity and inattentiveness of this woman. I watched her head almost the entire time, and not ONCE did she even look to the left.

Giving her the benefit of the doubt, what she must have done was check traffic from the east to be sure that no one was coming (which I had done to give me ample time to carefully make my super-n00b wide right turn from a dead stop into a perpendicular, downhill, crowned road). Seeing that the road was "empty" for nearly 1/4 mile, she figured she had some time to do the stupid CaliforniWashingtonian "lazy left turn" where you stake your claim on the intersection by lurching your suburban out in the middle of it with your blinker stuck on, blocking all other traffic until you get your chance as the light turns orange... if you're lucky. The only difference here is that this was NOT AN INTERSECTION (not that it's legal anyway). She was lurching across two unbroken lanes of traffic to get from an adjacent parking lot out into eastbound traffic. *growl*

Anyway, as she lurches out in front of me, I begin progressively death-gripping my front brake and drop my foot from the cruising peg to my mid-controls to find the rear brake. The rear wheel starts to walk out to the right as her van looms closer and closer and I feel the front start to slip. I immediately release the front about 50% which gets the bike back in line and under control and then re-apply starting with the rear and then the front again in concert to reach a controlled (albeit heart-thudding) full stop about 6" from her van as she STILL lurches slowly across the lane, now fully blocking the #1 lane and opening just enough of the #2 lane that I start to see around her vehicle -- note that her head still has not turned left this entire time -- and the cyclist is just standing there shaking his head at her.

As soon as I gather my wits enough to think about reaching for the horn she's a half a van-length way, just clearing the #1 lane, and with me stopped in #2 I realize that there's no way honking will do any good. The bicyclist is looking at me, still shaking his head at what he just saw. I can see in his eyes that he's thinking what I'm thinking. I shake it off and continue my ride -- after all, there is traffic starting to catch up with me now.

As the adrenaline rush subsides and my awareness of time returns to normal, I offer up a very heartfelt prayer of thanks to Almighty God for seeing me and my bike safely through. With a curb on my left, oncoming traffic beyond that, a curb on my right, my wheels locking up and a van progressively blocking both lanes in front of me, I was very nearly paste.

:ohhthedr:

The rest of my ride home wasn't nearly as much "fun," but I definitely enjoyed it more. ]]> brisk http://pnwriders.com/blogs/brisk/324-theres-always-one.html http://pnwriders.com/blogs/brisk/323-1k-service-time.html Tue, 12 Aug 2008 07:03:04 GMT I'm planning a ride out to eastern Washington and parts of Idaho with my friend Tom.

As of a few weeks ago we were all set to go this coming weekend when suddenly his bike (a Sporster 1200 Custom) blows (IIRC) a crank sensor and the ECM all at once (or so it was relayed to me). He managed to get it fixed pretty promptly by the guys at Eastside HD.

As soon as he gets his back, my bike's ODO rolls over the 1000 mark which means it's due for a full fluid flush, belt tensioning, and general fastener check. Yay.

Now, normally I'd do such maintenance myself, but since I don't want to take any chances with an upcoming 600 mile round-trip looming on the horizon, I figure it's worth paying the professionals to do it right. After all, while I know my way around cars, this is my first bike, and certainly my first Harley. Despite my mechanical bravado, I am still a n00b at riding them, let alone maintaining them.

Also, I don't have a bike stand/lift to speak of, so about as much fun with fluids as I can reliably tackle is an oil change. Anywho, I'm still a bit befuddled after checking the weather. No rain in sight, but guess what? This weekend is supposed to be another record-breaker temperature wise, specifically east of the mountains. 96F+

Why oh why do we always choose to ride on the hottest of the hot days? :banghead:

Any recommendations on keeping cool when the sun is pouring down? I'm half tempted to suggest we shift our ride to either early, early morning (much as I dislike waking up before the sun) or to very late evening. Start around 6pm so the ride gets cooler as we get more fatigued. The only downside to that would be missing all the great scenery in the desert...

-jer ]]> brisk http://pnwriders.com/blogs/brisk/323-1k-service-time.html http://pnwriders.com/blogs/brisk/312-weekend-firsts.html Tue, 29 Jul 2008 19:19:43 GMT Today is my birthday. Happy berfday to me! :mfclap: To celebrate, I rode my Sporty down to Tacoma from Mill Creek, and then out to Gig Harbor to spend time with family and friends. It was a weekend of firsts for me and the bike -- first time through Seattle on I5, first time on 705 through downtown Tacoma and along the waterfront to Old Town. First time crossing both Narrows bridges. First time leaving it parked with velcro-detachable bags on it at a movie theater (Lakewood 15). First... Today is my birthday. Happy berfday to me! :mfclap:

To celebrate, I rode my Sporty down to Tacoma from Mill Creek, and then out to Gig Harbor to spend time with family and friends. It was a weekend of firsts for me and the bike -- first time through Seattle on I5, first time on 705 through downtown Tacoma and along the waterfront to Old Town. First time crossing both Narrows bridges. First time leaving it parked with velcro-detachable bags on it at a movie theater (Lakewood 15).

First time to my parents house, first time my parents saw the bike. Actually, I was expecting a much worse reaction than I got. Dad was ambivalent and appreciative. He also thought I wore too much gear (full leathers), as he used to ride in shorts and a t-shirt. LOL. Mom was surprisingly gracious and thought it was a pretty machine -- her only lament was that I didn't have passenger pegs and a second helmet so I couldn't take her for a ride on it. Not at all what I was expecting after seeing the Strang und Durm my brother caught for buying his Ninja despite their wishes.

It was also my first time riding solo on a long trip (not solo vs. 2-up, but solo vs. in a pack). All my longer trips so far have involved others with me, which adds a certain amount of confidence and comfort like a safety blanket. You know that if something goes wrong, there are people there to help you, and you know that when the road gets choppy and you see them make it through ahead of you without a spill, it's really nothing to get worried over. Just be like Wash and be a "leaf on the wind!"

It was also my first time meeting a random other biker, swapping info, and inviting them to pnwriders. Ryan, if you're out there, hi!

-jer
postwhore:

P.S. Any readers out there have any grand suggestions on how to keep the bags attached to the bike in a more permanent manner? I don't want to constantly be lugging my luggage with me into every establishment I go to just to prevent the odd chance that the wrong person will come along and swipe it. ]]> brisk http://pnwriders.com/blogs/brisk/312-weekend-firsts.html http://pnwriders.com/blogs/brisk/304-greetings-salivations.html Sat, 26 Jul 2008 07:36:02 GMT I'm new here and I'm a fairly new rider to boot. I've currently got about 700 miles on my first bike, a 2007 H-D Sportster XL883. 280 of those were down to Mount Rainier and back. I went with a few friends on a Sunday about a month ago. It was insanely hot (95+ degrees) but we had a blast.

There's something exhilarating about riding up out of the worst heat wave of the year directly into melting glaciers and snow. The cool air cuts like a knife through your gear and chills you just enough to make you grateful you ignored your buddy's suggestion to take your jacket off.

I know the President of the Washington Road Riders Association, Ian King. He's fond of saying something to the effect of "sweat feels better than road rash". Those words echoed in my mind the entire day we were out there, but

After four hours in the sun I needed to get rid of something or risk heat stroke... so I took off my chaps. I know what you're thinking -- it was my own fault for wearing leather on a hot day, but we have to learn somehow, right?

-jer

Good judgment comes from experience.
Experience comes from bad judgment. ]]> brisk http://pnwriders.com/blogs/brisk/304-greetings-salivations.html