If Music Could Talk

Frost heave. Sounds like something they'd serve at Dairy Queen.

BostonBeaneater wrote:Spiff,
I took and passed the Mass. Motorcycle Safety course over the weekend. It was a great, and sobering, experience. The instructors were verk experienced and knowledgable, and had no problem barking orders at us. I learned a lot.

Next weekend I will start shopping for a motorcycle.

Congratulations. Glad you passed. What was your skills test score? What did you lose points on? What style/model of bike did you ride?

Coincidentally, I was also teaching a course last weekend. It was really freakin' hot, which wiped me out physically. Made going to my real job on Monday extra hard.

I don't bark orders ... one gets too hoarse after a while. Especially because one needs to shout loud enough to be heard over engine noise by people wearing helmets. I try to rely on hand signals.

Thanks! The bikes were all 250s of different makes, I rode a Honda Shadow 250. I lost points for putting my foot down in the figure eight bit and for looking down too much on the fast curve.

I'm sure you rode a Honda Rebel, not a Shadow, as Honda didn't make a Shadow with a 250cc engine.

Congratulations on passing with a very low score.

Keep your head up, dude!

You're right, it was a Rebel.

I was concentrating too much on keeping my bike in the lines. The class was very good and I learned a lot. It was tiring with all the stops and starts. I feel like I need more travel time practise. When I get my bike (this weekend perhaps) I will probably spend an afternoon zipping around the nearby empty industrial park and running down some of the chilled out country roads near my home.

OK Spiff, I am on the team:

Great!

Now go out there and get some dirt and mud on it!

Spiff wrote:Great!

Now go out there and get some dirt and mud on it!

Done! Actually, I have stuck to paved roads thus far. It's an interesting bike, rides very high. I am considering investing a few hundred bucks in a new seat that would bring me down another inch or two.

Spiff,

I think I am riding my bike up to Montreal next month, my first long ass trip. Any advice? I have the larger windsheild on order.

Long ass trip?

Bah.

Google maps says it's under 6 hours, and it's two-lane divided highway most of the way.

Piece of cake.

But I suggest:

1. Taking back roads
2. Earplugs
3. Frequents stops to get recharged and re-hydrated (wind will suck water out of your body like nobody's business)
4. Double-checking that your insurance is valid in Canada (and bringing proof of that)
5. Making sure your larger windshield is adjusted properly and doesn't spill the wind onto your head or neck
6. Packing a good toolkit
7. Prepare for a wide range of weather
8. Find a way to secure your luggage and gear on your MC, so you don't have to carry it all with you when you take a piss
9. Never Forget!

If I think of anything more, I'll add it in another post.

I'm going to go straight across the top of Massachusetts and head up through the two laners in Vermont. My insurance is good up there and I know the roads fairly well. My friends and I go up to the Grand Prix in Montreal every summer. I'm going to travel light and let my friends drive my luggage up in the car. I was thinking of getting a camel back to keep hydrated. My longest day out so far was 100 miles this will be over 300. Long trip for me.

Two more things:

Make sure your tires are properly inflated
Make sure your all your fluids are at proper levels

And to repeat from above, rest often. Take a break every hour.

In the woods today...

Nice.

How was the 300-mile ride on knobby tires?

Forget the tires, it was the stock seat that gave me the blues. I made it.