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...

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...

Today is my birthday. Happy berfday to me!

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)....

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...