New motorcycle...
So I finally managed to get me a bike. I've been trying for a while, but now I'm an official member of the 2-wheeled community. Sort of. For the next few weeks I'll be posting up my experiences as I learn. I'm kind of long winded, but I'll put everything under cuts so as not to fill up your f-lists (especially if you find it tl;dr).
Anyway, without further ado,
1st Day -- July 4, 2009
I bought the bike from a guy in the country who said it had lived most of its life in a barn, and I needed to wash off all the spiders and the dirt, so despite not having insurance or registration yet, I decided it would be OK to ride down the alley to the car wash. (We are fortunate to have a car wash so close.) The first inconvenience is that I have to drag the bike out of our tiny patio gate and through an even tinier space between the two cars (not ours) parked in the driveway. This is not a big bike, but it is heavy and hard to control when you're standing in front of the handlebars and dragging it backward through a space barely bigger than the bike itself. I manage to do it with the wife's help. (Thank you!) "A little to the left... no, your right!"
That done, I don my riding gear. It's the Fourth of July so it's pretty hot, but I don't feel too uncomfortable. Besides, I know I'm going to have to wear this stuff in any case, so I'd better get used to it. Although, I think I need to invest in a warm weather jacket, 'cause the one I was wearing was definitely not vented in any way. And it has a hood, for God's sake!
I get on, put up the kickstand, and just sit there for a good 5 minutes, examining the controls and working all the knobs and levers. The first time I had even been within spitting distance of a motorcycle was about 3 weeks prior, so I have a lot of familiarization to do. At the same time, I had been doing a lot of reading in the previous year, plus I asked a ton of questions of the guy who sold me the bike, so I have a good idea where everything is.
At this point I decide to start it up. I had already turned the key to the ON position so I could observe all the indicators and such, so I make sure it’s in neutral and press the starter switch.
It turns over for a few seconds but the engine doesn't start.
Oops, the kill switch. Set to RUN, check. I make sure it's in neutral and press the starter switch, again.
It turns over for a few seconds but still the engine doesn't start.
Right, the fuel valve was turned to OFF for transporting it home. Turn the petcock to ON, check. I make sure it's in neutral and press the starter switch, once more.
Magic! I am now the proud owner of a running motorcycle!
Time to get to the end of the driveway, a distance of about 30 feet. OK, visor down, check. Clutch in, check. Shift into 1st, check. I'm ready for the big moment. I don't know how much gas it's gonna need, so I'm experimenting at this point. The stick shift I grew up with would go with no throttle applied if you let the clutch out slowly enough, so that was my first test. I also don't know where the friction zone is so I'm letting the clutch out very slowly. Slowly, nothing. Slowly, nothing, slowly, nothing. Oh! Here we go. It's starting to pull forward ever so slightly. And... it stalled. Of course. Well that was a good first test.
Second try: I give it enough gas to about double the idle speed. (It has a tachometer but it doesn't work right, so I'm kind of guessing.) Slowly off the clutch, and I'm starting to move. I'm having a hell of a time holding the throttle steady, though, so I let off and the engine bogs down. Pull the clutch in quick and I'm coasting very slowly down my driveway! Here comes the end of the driveway! Oh, crap! Brakes! I don't know (this is becoming a recurrent theme) how much brake to give and I'm going too slowly to pick my feet up and use the back brake. Meanwhile, my front end is swerving back and forth and my feet are sticking straight out in front of me like an old lady who slipped on the ice. Finally, I'm stopped. Success!
So now I walk the bike into the street in front of the building, only to find my entire family on the sidewalk watching me. But no pressure. I manage to stall it a couple more times and exchange snide remarks with the wife. When I finally take off, I accidentally pop the front wheel off the ground a little bit. That doesn't inspire much confidence in my wife, whose continued support is crucial to this endeavor. I get around the corner into the alley and I'm off. I'm maintaining my speed around 5 miles an hour, but I can't hold it straight. I'm pretty sure it's due to the slow speed and the V-shape of the alley (for drainage), but I must look like a damn drunken fool to the few people in the alley. I pass some kids playing and give them an intentionally wide berth. "Stay out of the way! I’ve never done this before and I may kill someone!" I think.
At the end of the alley, the car wash is on the left so I start slowing down and trying to turn and I managed to drop it on its left side. "Drop" isn't really the right word, though. It was as if in slow motion, or as though I were wrestling with a piece of machinery and finally gave up and laid it to rest as gently as I could. Actually, that's exactly what happened. At this point I'm so focused I'm beyond being embarrassed, despite the dozen or so people who had to have seen me. I struggle to pick it up and proceed to walk it into the wash stall. Remove the majority of flora and fauna residing in the nooks and crannies of my new baby and I'm ready to ride off into the sunset.
Once again with a few false starts, I'm off down the alleyway, but this time she's sputtering and starting and stopping. Great! I had the presence of mind to remove the seat before I washed the bike, but I'm certain the pressure sprayer put water in a few places where it shouldn’t be. Well, when I get home I'll let her dry out overnight and hope for the best. By the time I reach my apartment, she simply won't stay running anymore so I walk her back into the driveway and let her sleep for the night.
Anyway, without further ado,
1st Day -- July 4, 2009
I bought the bike from a guy in the country who said it had lived most of its life in a barn, and I needed to wash off all the spiders and the dirt, so despite not having insurance or registration yet, I decided it would be OK to ride down the alley to the car wash. (We are fortunate to have a car wash so close.) The first inconvenience is that I have to drag the bike out of our tiny patio gate and through an even tinier space between the two cars (not ours) parked in the driveway. This is not a big bike, but it is heavy and hard to control when you're standing in front of the handlebars and dragging it backward through a space barely bigger than the bike itself. I manage to do it with the wife's help. (Thank you!) "A little to the left... no, your right!"
That done, I don my riding gear. It's the Fourth of July so it's pretty hot, but I don't feel too uncomfortable. Besides, I know I'm going to have to wear this stuff in any case, so I'd better get used to it. Although, I think I need to invest in a warm weather jacket, 'cause the one I was wearing was definitely not vented in any way. And it has a hood, for God's sake!
I get on, put up the kickstand, and just sit there for a good 5 minutes, examining the controls and working all the knobs and levers. The first time I had even been within spitting distance of a motorcycle was about 3 weeks prior, so I have a lot of familiarization to do. At the same time, I had been doing a lot of reading in the previous year, plus I asked a ton of questions of the guy who sold me the bike, so I have a good idea where everything is.
At this point I decide to start it up. I had already turned the key to the ON position so I could observe all the indicators and such, so I make sure it’s in neutral and press the starter switch.
It turns over for a few seconds but the engine doesn't start.
Oops, the kill switch. Set to RUN, check. I make sure it's in neutral and press the starter switch, again.
It turns over for a few seconds but still the engine doesn't start.
Right, the fuel valve was turned to OFF for transporting it home. Turn the petcock to ON, check. I make sure it's in neutral and press the starter switch, once more.
Magic! I am now the proud owner of a running motorcycle!
Time to get to the end of the driveway, a distance of about 30 feet. OK, visor down, check. Clutch in, check. Shift into 1st, check. I'm ready for the big moment. I don't know how much gas it's gonna need, so I'm experimenting at this point. The stick shift I grew up with would go with no throttle applied if you let the clutch out slowly enough, so that was my first test. I also don't know where the friction zone is so I'm letting the clutch out very slowly. Slowly, nothing. Slowly, nothing, slowly, nothing. Oh! Here we go. It's starting to pull forward ever so slightly. And... it stalled. Of course. Well that was a good first test.
Second try: I give it enough gas to about double the idle speed. (It has a tachometer but it doesn't work right, so I'm kind of guessing.) Slowly off the clutch, and I'm starting to move. I'm having a hell of a time holding the throttle steady, though, so I let off and the engine bogs down. Pull the clutch in quick and I'm coasting very slowly down my driveway! Here comes the end of the driveway! Oh, crap! Brakes! I don't know (this is becoming a recurrent theme) how much brake to give and I'm going too slowly to pick my feet up and use the back brake. Meanwhile, my front end is swerving back and forth and my feet are sticking straight out in front of me like an old lady who slipped on the ice. Finally, I'm stopped. Success!
So now I walk the bike into the street in front of the building, only to find my entire family on the sidewalk watching me. But no pressure. I manage to stall it a couple more times and exchange snide remarks with the wife. When I finally take off, I accidentally pop the front wheel off the ground a little bit. That doesn't inspire much confidence in my wife, whose continued support is crucial to this endeavor. I get around the corner into the alley and I'm off. I'm maintaining my speed around 5 miles an hour, but I can't hold it straight. I'm pretty sure it's due to the slow speed and the V-shape of the alley (for drainage), but I must look like a damn drunken fool to the few people in the alley. I pass some kids playing and give them an intentionally wide berth. "Stay out of the way! I’ve never done this before and I may kill someone!" I think.
At the end of the alley, the car wash is on the left so I start slowing down and trying to turn and I managed to drop it on its left side. "Drop" isn't really the right word, though. It was as if in slow motion, or as though I were wrestling with a piece of machinery and finally gave up and laid it to rest as gently as I could. Actually, that's exactly what happened. At this point I'm so focused I'm beyond being embarrassed, despite the dozen or so people who had to have seen me. I struggle to pick it up and proceed to walk it into the wash stall. Remove the majority of flora and fauna residing in the nooks and crannies of my new baby and I'm ready to ride off into the sunset.
Once again with a few false starts, I'm off down the alleyway, but this time she's sputtering and starting and stopping. Great! I had the presence of mind to remove the seat before I washed the bike, but I'm certain the pressure sprayer put water in a few places where it shouldn’t be. Well, when I get home I'll let her dry out overnight and hope for the best. By the time I reach my apartment, she simply won't stay running anymore so I walk her back into the driveway and let her sleep for the night.