Memorial Day Ride

Here's post #2. I must remember to bring my camera. I always tell myself this and just plain forget. This will make the post more interesting and more expressive. To get started - I bought my new bike on Saturday with 9 kilometers on the odo. The service department got first ride to check her out and make sure she was road worthy. If you are wondering, yes I call my vehicles by the female terms. No explanation - just do. My old bike was an F650Cs by BMW. I loved that bike but I just couldn't deal with the service options available to me in my area. Over priced and not very friendly. I don't want to wallow to much in this subject - letting her go was very tough and I have been through the decision back and forth and I'm done. I've made my decision and I've moved on. My new bike is a 2008 Kawasaki Versys in Candy Plasma Blue - I call her Ocean.

I'm stuck in the break-in mode. There is a lot of debate on the proper break-in procedure and I feel it best to just follow the Owners Manual and keep her under 4000 RPMs for the first 800 kilometers. This also provides a limiting factor to me while I get used to the new bike. I've read that it's common to have an accident on a new bike within the first 2-3 months. This period helps me keep it cool until I gain the muscle memory for the switches and controls.

I am enjoying the new bike - I find several things superior to my old bike. The instrumentation is much clearer and easier to read in full sun light. The oil check procedure is a breeze compared to the Cs (an utter nightmare). The Versys is also more comfortable to ride - the seat stays cushy all day, I'm not overreaching to the handlebars (I used pull-back riser blocks and that only helped a bit) and I have more leg room than before. The Versys engine is quieter than the Rotax engine on the Cs and smoother to boot. I rode 200 kilometers yesterday and I felt comfortable all day.

Yesterday's ride encompassed a melange of urban, rural and highway routes. I find her competent in all areas. The day before, on Sunday - we went through several dirt roads and she's very competent there as well. I'm still getting used to the controls and have been making adjustments either physically or mechanically and sometimes both. Ocean now sports 300 kilometers on her odo. I can't wait to get past this point and get into the 6000 RPM range - I'll need to keep it at that point until she reaches 1600 kilometers.

On the music front - I've been practicing rhythm on my guitar. When I read music I usually just guess it but I'd like to do better and be more accurate. I've been working with EarMaster Pro 5 and using the exercises in there to improve my timing and accuracy. The music I play sounds much better as I improve in this area. My guitar teach spotted the inaccuracies right off the bat and I've been working with him to improve.

Thought for the day: I've been playing Grand Theft Auto 4. It's about the nastiest raunchiest video game I've ever played. But, I'm addicted to the free-roam nature of the game. I can go just about anywhere and do just about anything. This game includes picking up hookers, running people over, stealing cars and committing crimes. I feel like a real sleaze-ball playing this game. But, for all of it's flaws - when you get on a motorcycle - the characters always put on a helmet. Nice touch!