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Hey,
I got back yesterday afternoon and wanted to commit to words my little ride into the countryside. No doubt most of you are aware that my bike and I have been aquainted for a couple of months now, and I have had my share of problems and issues..
Saturday is my bike day, I get up and if it is dry I go out and play, around the city, out to the demilitarized zone and around, about 50kms from the house, just in case something gives with the bike. The carbs are set right, the timing, for city blasting is right, and and the rain falls like it is rainy season. Oh, wait it is rainy season. Silly me. It rains till 4pm and the wife is very understanding. I spent the day working and doing housework instead.
Sunday comes and the F1 is on TV. The kids get me from my bed and make me watch it! How mean.
After that I am off, with a promise to be home before dark.... I fill up with really expensive gas @ $2.36 a gallon. (Thank you indeed Mr. Bush for invading a country you had no right to visit, and why do I have to pay?) Then off, over the "bridge of the America's" crossing the Panama Canal and into the vast unknown. The first thing that hits me is that I need a fairing of some shape or form. The posted speed limit is 100kph, but most people get by at 120 or so, which puts so much wind my way the open exhaust is drowned out by the roar inside my helmet. Then I get a dragonfly into the shoulder. Ouch. Then little bugs hitting my visor with a resounding whack and semi obscured veiw! I get an hour into my ride and stop off for a coffee and to adjust my timing. A little bit too much advance is soon wiped out and its off again into the twisting mountain road. Damn I am loving this. Some guy pulls up along side me in a seriously worn Celica and indicates his attention to blow me away, while drinking beer with his buddies I may add. (No D&D laws here, I am afraid) So why not? We get up to 170kph side by side, and then down a cog and I am away.....200kph is up and still accellerating the road is straight and slightly downhill... I tuck in behind the clocks and hold the throttle against the stop 220 comes and I am going all the way.. By now the vibration is getting a bit tingly in my arms and the tacho is bouncing wildly between 4-9000rpm The bike is rock solid though so I keep it up 230 shows and yeah, I am the man.. Then from out of the trees jumps the traffic cop. His official Mitsubishi pickup truck (no lie) is well hidden and his gun is aimed straight at me... Off the gas and onto the brakes!!!! He blows his whistle as I fly past and I stop about 50yrds up the road. As I walk back to him I begin to sweat (it is after all a hot day) and see that he is grinning. Which could be good, right? We settle under the shade of a tree and smoke a couple of my cigarettes (cant say F..A..G here!) and he explains that he has had a nice morning pulling cars and busses for doing 120+ and made a nice stash of bribes and even written a few tickets! He shows me his gun. It says 243 in big red LCD letters. This is not good. (sometimes they dont even radar people, just use the speed of the previous car to make a point, so he wasn't going to use this one again in a hurry!) Luck is on my side though. The road was clear in all directions, just open country either side, no junctions or people or cows or anything other than damned dragonfly's, and better yet, there is no sliding scale for speeding.. After the smoke he asks where I am going and the usual stuff, makes a note of my licence and plate in his little book and asks casually, "do you want the ticket, or are you going to help me out?' I take the latter and empty my wallet of the 5 $1 bills into his hand. We shake hands, he asks me kindly to keep it down somewhat and to have a nice day.
I finished my ride in a nice little town called Agua Dulce (sweet water) with a hamburger and a coke ($1) so worries there. I have a crowd around the bike as I go to leave and of course I thumb the starter to a "click" not good. Bad for impressing the chicks, after all. With no kickstarter I am doomed. I get my hand up under the side panel and play with the solenoid which produced a very slow turn of the engine and nothing more. So unaided I push the bike off, click into 1st gear and drop the clutch. I have had practice at this! It fires up and I am off into the sunset. Well it is 3pm but good enough. I ride on towards home at about 170kph, slowing for the whole area of my earlier encounter with the law, and the cars which seem to think it a good idea to drive at 100kph side by side for mile after mile. 3rd gear and straight between them ala "torque" seems to work well enough and I am well onto the way home. By now the gas gauge is reading nearly half, which of course, means empty on my bike. So I fill up in a little market town, pay a horrendous $2.40 for a gallon, drink a coke and wipe my visor for the final leg.
Out of the last town before the bridge and then the city I go flying past a line of about 10 cars and busses, missing completely the motopolice Yahama (could have been Kawasaki, it was the old black type, not the new white Suzuki twins they just bought). Anyway he gets into pursuit mode (I think.. nothing is clear in my mirrors) and I decide to wind it up and see where the chips fall. Over the bridge and now flashing red light in my rear veiw so I think I am clean, when in front of me, 500yrds off the brigde are a bunch of cones and a couple of policemen. A hard right takes me off to the Amador causeway, Balboa then onto the road home.
I should mention that along with these fast blasts I visited a couple of coastal towns and beaches and the odd river and traveled at about 50kph or less taking in the veiws and glorious sunshine.
So the bike worked, didn't really fail. I had no aches or pains, and the oil light just flickered after opening the garage door to put it away. More oil on the shopping list then. That to go with the handlebar fairing and rearsets.
I dont condone bribing the police, or going flat out as it goes. I grew up in England and there is no bribe option. Most of the time there I was lucky, or had the gift of the gab or something because I only got one ticket for some seriously heroic riding. Who knows, that cop probably made me slow down and saved my life. Even these cops will write you up if you are not friendly or sincere, or just dont like your face.
As to flat out if the road is straight and you can see all around, it is probably safer than doing the speed limit in adverse conditions or in densely populated areas.
Anyway, an open invitation for anyone planing a roadtrip down here. I would be happy to ride along (you chose the pace) open my garage up or even provide a free matress or hammock or two...
CJ
I got back yesterday afternoon and wanted to commit to words my little ride into the countryside. No doubt most of you are aware that my bike and I have been aquainted for a couple of months now, and I have had my share of problems and issues..
Saturday is my bike day, I get up and if it is dry I go out and play, around the city, out to the demilitarized zone and around, about 50kms from the house, just in case something gives with the bike. The carbs are set right, the timing, for city blasting is right, and and the rain falls like it is rainy season. Oh, wait it is rainy season. Silly me. It rains till 4pm and the wife is very understanding. I spent the day working and doing housework instead.
Sunday comes and the F1 is on TV. The kids get me from my bed and make me watch it! How mean.
After that I am off, with a promise to be home before dark.... I fill up with really expensive gas @ $2.36 a gallon. (Thank you indeed Mr. Bush for invading a country you had no right to visit, and why do I have to pay?) Then off, over the "bridge of the America's" crossing the Panama Canal and into the vast unknown. The first thing that hits me is that I need a fairing of some shape or form. The posted speed limit is 100kph, but most people get by at 120 or so, which puts so much wind my way the open exhaust is drowned out by the roar inside my helmet. Then I get a dragonfly into the shoulder. Ouch. Then little bugs hitting my visor with a resounding whack and semi obscured veiw! I get an hour into my ride and stop off for a coffee and to adjust my timing. A little bit too much advance is soon wiped out and its off again into the twisting mountain road. Damn I am loving this. Some guy pulls up along side me in a seriously worn Celica and indicates his attention to blow me away, while drinking beer with his buddies I may add. (No D&D laws here, I am afraid) So why not? We get up to 170kph side by side, and then down a cog and I am away.....200kph is up and still accellerating the road is straight and slightly downhill... I tuck in behind the clocks and hold the throttle against the stop 220 comes and I am going all the way.. By now the vibration is getting a bit tingly in my arms and the tacho is bouncing wildly between 4-9000rpm The bike is rock solid though so I keep it up 230 shows and yeah, I am the man.. Then from out of the trees jumps the traffic cop. His official Mitsubishi pickup truck (no lie) is well hidden and his gun is aimed straight at me... Off the gas and onto the brakes!!!! He blows his whistle as I fly past and I stop about 50yrds up the road. As I walk back to him I begin to sweat (it is after all a hot day) and see that he is grinning. Which could be good, right? We settle under the shade of a tree and smoke a couple of my cigarettes (cant say F..A..G here!) and he explains that he has had a nice morning pulling cars and busses for doing 120+ and made a nice stash of bribes and even written a few tickets! He shows me his gun. It says 243 in big red LCD letters. This is not good. (sometimes they dont even radar people, just use the speed of the previous car to make a point, so he wasn't going to use this one again in a hurry!) Luck is on my side though. The road was clear in all directions, just open country either side, no junctions or people or cows or anything other than damned dragonfly's, and better yet, there is no sliding scale for speeding.. After the smoke he asks where I am going and the usual stuff, makes a note of my licence and plate in his little book and asks casually, "do you want the ticket, or are you going to help me out?' I take the latter and empty my wallet of the 5 $1 bills into his hand. We shake hands, he asks me kindly to keep it down somewhat and to have a nice day.
I finished my ride in a nice little town called Agua Dulce (sweet water) with a hamburger and a coke ($1) so worries there. I have a crowd around the bike as I go to leave and of course I thumb the starter to a "click" not good. Bad for impressing the chicks, after all. With no kickstarter I am doomed. I get my hand up under the side panel and play with the solenoid which produced a very slow turn of the engine and nothing more. So unaided I push the bike off, click into 1st gear and drop the clutch. I have had practice at this! It fires up and I am off into the sunset. Well it is 3pm but good enough. I ride on towards home at about 170kph, slowing for the whole area of my earlier encounter with the law, and the cars which seem to think it a good idea to drive at 100kph side by side for mile after mile. 3rd gear and straight between them ala "torque" seems to work well enough and I am well onto the way home. By now the gas gauge is reading nearly half, which of course, means empty on my bike. So I fill up in a little market town, pay a horrendous $2.40 for a gallon, drink a coke and wipe my visor for the final leg.
Out of the last town before the bridge and then the city I go flying past a line of about 10 cars and busses, missing completely the motopolice Yahama (could have been Kawasaki, it was the old black type, not the new white Suzuki twins they just bought). Anyway he gets into pursuit mode (I think.. nothing is clear in my mirrors) and I decide to wind it up and see where the chips fall. Over the bridge and now flashing red light in my rear veiw so I think I am clean, when in front of me, 500yrds off the brigde are a bunch of cones and a couple of policemen. A hard right takes me off to the Amador causeway, Balboa then onto the road home.
I should mention that along with these fast blasts I visited a couple of coastal towns and beaches and the odd river and traveled at about 50kph or less taking in the veiws and glorious sunshine.
So the bike worked, didn't really fail. I had no aches or pains, and the oil light just flickered after opening the garage door to put it away. More oil on the shopping list then. That to go with the handlebar fairing and rearsets.
I dont condone bribing the police, or going flat out as it goes. I grew up in England and there is no bribe option. Most of the time there I was lucky, or had the gift of the gab or something because I only got one ticket for some seriously heroic riding. Who knows, that cop probably made me slow down and saved my life. Even these cops will write you up if you are not friendly or sincere, or just dont like your face.
As to flat out if the road is straight and you can see all around, it is probably safer than doing the speed limit in adverse conditions or in densely populated areas.
Anyway, an open invitation for anyone planing a roadtrip down here. I would be happy to ride along (you chose the pace) open my garage up or even provide a free matress or hammock or two...
CJ
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