Chipotle And Legos

At lunch the other day, I was checking my email. In it, was a message from Richard saying he was in Minneapolis for a few days. Our schedules lined up, so we made plans to get together.

We met at the Mall of America. It was convienient given our transportation restrictions: neither of us had a car and he had no riding gear.

While discussing food options, we walked passed a Chipotle. Richard commented he had never been to one. I insisted that he try it then. It is one of my fave fast food places... well really the only one I will eat at.

We got our food and caught up with the legos looking over us. It was nice to see him again and talk bikes and traveling. I'm ready to take another trip.

It was an enjoyable evening. I always enjoy meeting other motobloggers.


You can read his post about our meetup on his blog: http://blog.machida.us/2014/09/bloomington-mn.html

Last RiderCoach Night of the Season

Earlier this month was the last RiderCoach track night of the season. We get together once a month on a closed course to enjoy practicing our riding skills in a safer environment while having a lot of fun.

The weather was beautiful. I was surprised more coaches didn’t show up to ride. It was nice to catch up with those who did. I only ran a few laps on my SV650. I was tired, so I didn’t push it by running fast. It was more fun to relax and watch the other riders.

My friend Rick showed up with his FJ1200 Sidecar. He let me take it for a few laps around the track. It was very fun. At first, I was worried it would make me hate my Ural. It was so different it doesn’t seem fair to compare them. The FJ was very responsive with impressive brakes, traction, and power. It was also very easy to fly the chair on the right-handed corners. I enjoyed riding it once I got past the initial “twitchy” feeling it had. It was really responsive.

I was also lucky enough to ride a Yamaha Super Tenere for a few laps. I’ve been wanting to ride one for a while, and that night was my lucky night. My first reaction was it felt a lot like my BMW R1150GS, but so much better! More fun to ride, and better ergonomics for me. I liked riding it. It felt fun; the BMW never felt fun. When I told the owner my feedback, he totally agreed. He said after riding it, he sold his 1200GS. I completely understand. I don’t think I’ll be spending $10,000 to get one anytime soon though.

I also rode a 750 Aprillia, but forgot to get a picture of it. It was a fun V-Twin to ride, but I think I like my SV more.

I had a fun time, and look forward to the next RiderCoach night in early Spring.

A Heated Gear Kind of Day

This morning was my first ride of the fall requiring heated gear. It was just over 40F when I left the house this morning. I rode the SV650 which has no windshield, so the wind blast went straight into me. I was happy to have the warm heat of my Gerbing heated coat.

I just received the temp controller back from a warranty replacement. The main cord has failed. It was replaced under the warranty without much hassle. I’m looking forward to it keeping me warm as the temperature drops. It’s very convenient to dial up some more heat with just the turn of a finger.

The ride was beautiful this morning. The sky was clear and blue while I was cozy in my heated coat. It was hard to stop riding once I reached the parking lot at work. The ride home was even better with the temps around 70F.

Sidecar + Trailer = Mulch Hauler

Thanks to my friend Joe, I finally got the trailer wiring sorted on my Ural and on my DIY trailer. I wrote about the hitch I installed several years ago here: Ural Trailer Hitch. I’d been using the hitch to haul my bicycle, but always wanted to get a trailer going. Why not make a slow vehicle slower right??

I spent a few hours on the wiring and didn’t get anywhere; conversely, Joe figured it out in less than an hour. The Ural comes with a six post connector under the seat. We used a six to five converter and then a five to four converter. It works great! The wiring and hitch can also easily be removed to avoid the winter grime.

My mulch hauling friend posing for a picture. All the mulch is wrapped up in the blue tarp. The trailer is much more efficient than the tubs I used to use. I can get about four times as much per trip too. It’s also much easier to use the mulch from the trailer versus moving a wheelbarrow around. The Ural really is my Russian Lawn Tractor now!

 

PS: To those with a Ural warranty: towing could affect your warranty, so double check beforehand.