Too much ADVrider.com (a.k.a. Why take an SV down that road)

By Strog

Monday night I had to do some work on a server after hours so I logged on over the VPN from home around 8:00. I add a new server and Windows Network Load Balancing decides to bind the IP address to the wrong interface and takes the server offline. I hop on the bike and head in to work since it was a nice evening. I end up redoing the entire cluster and leaving work around midnight. The night was still pretty good and it was quiet on the streets at that time. Everything is up and running smooth at work by 2:00pm on Tuesday. I tell my boss that it’s too nice to stay any longer and I’m taking the rest of the afternoon off.

My wife was getting her hair done so I knew I had to be back to pick up my son so I couldn’t get too far away. I decided highway 80 would be a good destination for today. It’s a bit rough but I wasn’t planning on pushing too hard. I’m just out enjoying the nice day.

I was a little tired so I thought I’d pull over and drink my caffeine that I picked up when I topped off in Coweta. I noticed that this pull off was really a trail so I decided to head down it a bit.

It’s a little rocky but fairly decent trail overall. The SV is definitely geared too high for this but it’s handling it fine. I really miss having a dirtbike around about now.

A small creek running through with plenty of rocks. I wanted to check some other spots out so I decided to turn around here.

Looks like I’m not going this way either.

I decided to get back on the pavement so I can save some time for more wandering later in the trip. Heading down 51 toward Wagoner.

This is where the batteries gave out and the spares are on the kitchen counter.

I see a sign “Porter 7 miles” between Wagoner and Coweta. I decide to take it so I can take 51B, 104 (back way into Haskell), 72 and Indian Road (161st). It starts out paved and quickly starts alternating sections of rock and rough asphalt. It turns completely to rock before the overpass for the turnpike and T’s right after the overpass. No sign at the T so I choose right since it’s going west. I figured I could adjust if it wasn’t the right way. Turns out it wasn’t the right way. The road gets worse and there’s grass growing in the middle of it. There’s rocks in a couple of the hills that weren’t cut out. It just drops and you get light going over it. It dumps into someone’s drive so I backtrack to the last intersection and jog north a mile before turning west again. This road does go through and I catch 51B heading north/south instead of catching it east/west like I had originally intended.

It’s fairly smooth sailing from here. Highway 104 goes along some sod farms, has a couple 25mph 90 degree turns and a 35mph sweeper before it crosses the Arkansas and heads into Haskell. Head up 72 toward Coweta and cross the river again. Turn on Indian Road (161st)and follow it until it turns north at county line road and on into BA. I get back to the house about the time I normally get home on a weekday. Jump in the Jeep and go pick up my son at daycare at the regular time.

Seeing how today and the next few days are turning out, I’m really glad I went out for a while yesterday. Might not have been really far or really exciting but I enjoyed myself. I have to take the opportunities as they come. Now I’m going go back to drooling over a Husqvarna TE610.

1000 miles and 6 weeks on the SV

By Strog

I’ve had the motorcycle for 5 weeks now and I’m really digging into it. I’ve moved the plate back to the back and have an alarm ready to finish installing once I get the new shorty turn signals. I drilled eight 1/4" holes in the baffles to let it breath and make some more sound. It’s a bit louder idling and sounds nicer while engine braking. I flipped the arm around on the shifter to convert to GP style (reverse with clicking down for upshifting) and will probably try it for a while longer. I still need to hook up the garage door opener to the flash to pass switch. I’m going to get some matching shorty turn signals to replace these quick flashing LED turn signals.

Sometimes I even drive the bike. I’ve been taking a few trips on the weekends and losing track of time. I try to take the camera with me and get some shots whenever I get to a town I haven’t shot before. Last few rides, the camera has been staying home. I’m trying to find the balance in riding and picture taking. Guess I need to get a nice tank bag to keep the camera in so it’s not in the way. I’ve put some pictures up in the gallery over on my other site (strog.org). I went to Spavinaw, OK the other day and it has a really nice windy road heading there. It was pretty in town with the creek running by. I wish I had the camera with me. The first longer trip I took on the bike was to go to Tahlequah, OK.

The more time I’ve put on the bike, the more I realize that it’s like starting over after being away for several years. Sometimes I want to get nervous at a turn that seems too fast when I know it’s easily within my skill level and capabilities of the bike. I take a breath, think my way through the turn, look through and exit cleanly. The turn wasn’t too fast or difficult, I just need to get comfortable again. I need to take the motorcycle safety course(s) to speed up the process. I’d like to eventually do some track days on the bike but that will be down the road. I’ll go out to Hallett next weekend and just watch.

Finally bought a motorcycle

By Strog

I bought a 2006 Suzuki SV650 today. It’s been 18 years since I’ve driven a bike from the dealer. It was as much fun today as it was when I was 14 with a brand new shiny ’88 Yamaha TW200 dirtbike.The foot pegs are higher and farther back than any other bike I’ve driven before. I know it’s not much at all compared to a full blown sport bike but I’m a bit rusty. There’s still wet spots and sand everywhere after all the ice last week. The clutch starts engaging as soon as I released a little bit and the power came on smooth. I started feeling comfortable quickly.

The banker and I talked quite a bit about motorcycles since he rode bikes too. I had tried to get Ducati Multistrada and had made a few trips to talk to him and actually made my bids from my laptop in his office. He asked me to bring the bike by sometime so he could see it. It was a few minutes till 5:00 so I brought it over. We talked for 20 minutes while Ellen went down the street to pickup Gabriel from preschool. Ellen pulled up next to me and rolled Gabriel’s window down. He was grinning from ear to ear.

We went to Rib Crib to eat and then I went for a ride. It cruised along nicely around 5000rpm or so and picked up a little vibration around 5500rpm. A twist of the throttle and the vibration goes away and the motor comes to life. 8500rpm and it’s music but I’m already passing the posted speed and have to let off. I decided it was time to head over to the expressway to open it up a bit. We roll up to 70mph quite easily and I take the next exit off.

I went home to meet a co-worker that was giving us his son’s old bed for Gabriel. After Gabriel went to bed, I decided to go out again while the weather was still cooperating (they are talking snow tomorrow). I head south toward some curves a couple miles from the house. Then head on down county line road and follow it around to south of Coweta. I had some gloves and a turtleneck on this time and it wasn’t too bad (mid-40′s when I started). I get into the hills with the creek bottoms and it’s freezing in the valleys. It’s the burning cold going down and actually feels warm coming up the hills. I head through town and north on the highway. That wind is finally starting to get to me on the open highway at 55-60mph.

Finally time to roll into the garage and thaw out. It’s been a fun evening and I can’t wait for it to warm up properly. Now it’s time to see what the bike needs next. Perhaps heated grips? heheh