Happy Holidays!

Happy Holidays! I hope you have a fun and safe time filled with lots of great people and riding.

I’m excited to share the above photo is the header image at Aerostich.com right now. They also sent it as a printed card. It is pretty great to see my work in print!

Two-Up Warm Winter Motorcycle Ride

Minnesota has been experiencing a heat wave the past week with temperatures in the high 40s F. Time for a motorcycle ride! Laura and I picked the Super9 to ride today. 

It was wheeled out from the garage and gassed up. I have to make my own premix of one part oil and 32 parts gasoline for it’s two-stroke engine. When I pressed the started button, it just turned over and over and over. It didn’t start. Much too soon, the battery was worn down from trying and the headlight wouldn’t light up. Darn. I put it back on the charger from which it came. I will have to investigate the charger.

The SV650 to the rescue. It was a short 25 minute ride around the area. We visited a few lakes to see them free of ice.

It is supposed to get cold and snowy again in a couple days, so this may be our last two-wheeled ride of the year.

Winter Motorcycling

For the last couple weeks, it has been cold and snowy with the temps below freezing. I’ve been going to work as the sun comes up and returning in the dark. Not fun.

Finally, the weekend has come! I slept in and awoke to the sun shining brightly. It was a nice lazy morning. While enjoying some blueberry pancakes and sipping a strong glass of chai, I saw a motorcycle ride by! I was surprised. I haven’t seen one on the road in weeks. Stepping outside felt like stepping into Spring. Even though it was only 40F, it felt much warmer. The sun had melted the ice and snow on the roads. My bikes were calling my name.

With my gear on, I stood in the garage looking over the motorcycles trying to decide which one to take. I pondered taking the Super9 or the SV650. I didn’t have to think long. As you can tell from the photo, the SV650 won out. I pulled it out of storage and it roared to life on the first press of the starter button. It was a lovely sound that brought a smile to my face.

It felt great to be back on the Suzuki. The growl of the vtwin and the punch of torque at the slightest movement of my right wrist. I rode all around my neighborhood checking out the road conditions and getting reacquainted with my favorite bike. It has been too long.

I rode for about thirty minutes before I started to feel the cold. It’s been a couple hours now, and I am still smiling. I really love that motorcycle. I hope to be able to ride it again soon, but first I need to get on a plane to Iceland. Ride safe.