Well I finally got to ride the beast today, (and when you're as rusty as I am, yes a 650 can be a beast) and all I can say after, "Rusty", is " HOT DAMN".
I got the bike on Sat. morning and didn't get a chance to ride untill today because when you work 12-13hr nights you come home and pretty much go straight to bed untill you get up for work again in the afternoon.
Enough of that ****, I had my first ride in 11yrs, didn't leave my neighborhood, and probably only got over 30mph once, but for all that it was mighty damn fun. This post may ramble a bit, but I'm so friggin excited to be riding again that well, I don't really care :twisted: :twisted:
Got home this morning around 7:45, did the obligatory morning bathroom duties, (whether you work night or day, mornings are still mornings), and then proceeded to strip down and redress for my ride. Finally got to try out my new boots, but had to settle for my less than perfect suede leather jacket, better than nothing I figured. Still need to get a better Jacket and some gloves, but this morning I wasn't gonna wait for that. The bikes been sittin in my driveway for two days and was gonna be ridden today.
Go out to warm her up; just sucking up those bike fumes starts to bring it all back for me. Give the bike a very cursory look over, and I'll admit it was a pretty lackluster check, considering the newness of the bike to me, and in all truth I should have taken more time, but I just wanted to get out there. Gear up, climb on, check my mirrors, check all the signals, and it's time to go.
Ease out of the garage (which I snuck the bike in after my G/F went to work last night), and head for the street. Riding the brake and clutch the whole way here, because we have a bit of a graded drive and I didn't quite feel up to anything faster. I get out onto the street (a little wobbly at first), staighten her up and head for second gear. WOOHOO I'm riding again.
I proceed to cruise around my neighborhood in a docile fashion because it's pretty early on a holiday weekend to be making too much noise, and frankly my skills have seriously waned. I'm having some slight issues with the heel-toe shifter, and getting my feet squarely back on the footboards after each takeoff is a bit of challenge, but that's OK. It will come.
On a few occasions I forget to close the throttle when shifting gears, and man is my visor getting foggy, so I just crack it open about 1/4, (once home I realize all those nice vents the Arai folks have made to keep this from happening are closed, Oye Ve). Turns come back pretty naturally, even though midway through a few my brain is telling me that this isn't the way it's supposed to work, my muscle memory is retorting w/ " just keep an eye out on the road and let me handle this".
The ride only lasted about 15 or 20 minutes. My neighborhood isn't exaclty a metro area, and after a few circuits I was getting pretty hot in the suede.
I rode enough to realize 2 things:
1. I definitely need to take my time and get some training again, hence the title of the freakishly long tread.
2. DAMN but it's great to be riding again. :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen:
Oh and pics of my little monster are available in the pictures section. I know how some of you folks are into proper forum etiquette, and while I've never been the biggest fan of Emily Post, I will do my best.
I got the bike on Sat. morning and didn't get a chance to ride untill today because when you work 12-13hr nights you come home and pretty much go straight to bed untill you get up for work again in the afternoon.
Enough of that ****, I had my first ride in 11yrs, didn't leave my neighborhood, and probably only got over 30mph once, but for all that it was mighty damn fun. This post may ramble a bit, but I'm so friggin excited to be riding again that well, I don't really care :twisted: :twisted:
Got home this morning around 7:45, did the obligatory morning bathroom duties, (whether you work night or day, mornings are still mornings), and then proceeded to strip down and redress for my ride. Finally got to try out my new boots, but had to settle for my less than perfect suede leather jacket, better than nothing I figured. Still need to get a better Jacket and some gloves, but this morning I wasn't gonna wait for that. The bikes been sittin in my driveway for two days and was gonna be ridden today.
Go out to warm her up; just sucking up those bike fumes starts to bring it all back for me. Give the bike a very cursory look over, and I'll admit it was a pretty lackluster check, considering the newness of the bike to me, and in all truth I should have taken more time, but I just wanted to get out there. Gear up, climb on, check my mirrors, check all the signals, and it's time to go.
Ease out of the garage (which I snuck the bike in after my G/F went to work last night), and head for the street. Riding the brake and clutch the whole way here, because we have a bit of a graded drive and I didn't quite feel up to anything faster. I get out onto the street (a little wobbly at first), staighten her up and head for second gear. WOOHOO I'm riding again.
I proceed to cruise around my neighborhood in a docile fashion because it's pretty early on a holiday weekend to be making too much noise, and frankly my skills have seriously waned. I'm having some slight issues with the heel-toe shifter, and getting my feet squarely back on the footboards after each takeoff is a bit of challenge, but that's OK. It will come.
On a few occasions I forget to close the throttle when shifting gears, and man is my visor getting foggy, so I just crack it open about 1/4, (once home I realize all those nice vents the Arai folks have made to keep this from happening are closed, Oye Ve). Turns come back pretty naturally, even though midway through a few my brain is telling me that this isn't the way it's supposed to work, my muscle memory is retorting w/ " just keep an eye out on the road and let me handle this".
The ride only lasted about 15 or 20 minutes. My neighborhood isn't exaclty a metro area, and after a few circuits I was getting pretty hot in the suede.
I rode enough to realize 2 things:
1. I definitely need to take my time and get some training again, hence the title of the freakishly long tread.
2. DAMN but it's great to be riding again. :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen:
Oh and pics of my little monster are available in the pictures section. I know how some of you folks are into proper forum etiquette, and while I've never been the biggest fan of Emily Post, I will do my best.
