As last reported, I got my bike to the shop after it died on May 31st.
After the technician worked with it a bit, it turns out it really was just low on gas. They switched over to the reserve tank and it was fine.
Although I was a little embarrassed about this, I am glad I got it into the shop, as it did need some other service, including an oil change.
On top of that, the tech found that the fork seals were wearing and would need to be replaced soon, so I asked them to go ahead and do that. With worn seals, the fork lubricant seeps out and this compromises the front suspension. I only noticed this when coming to a stop, when the front end would lurch.
In addition, the front tire was nearly bald and had cracks around the edges! I was very lucky that it hadn’t blown out.
I got tires from my brother, as he had ordered them late last year. He had assumed my bike was a “Custom” model, and ordered those tires. It turns out my bike is actually a “Classic,” which has different tire dimensions than the Custom. The back tire fit, but the front tire did not. Luckily, the shop had the right size front tire for me!
The fork seals had to be ordered, so my bike was in the shop until Saturday, June 10. This gave me time to get over a cold and to contemplate what riding means to me.
Not having my bike with me helped me realize how much I have been bonding with it, even in just a month. Riding is increasing my confidence and helping release my adventurous spirit! During this time, I have been contemplating doing some longer rides, including going to Buena Vista for a weekend visit, a distance of 140 miles each way. I will do this trip after the July 4th holiday.
My brother and I are talking about doing a longer trip in early summer of 2018. We’ll go from central Colorado into Utah to visit Canyonlands and Arches National Parks. We’ll then loop south to come back into Colorado through the southwest portion of the state. I am looking forward to helping with the planning of this trip!
…And I may need a bigger bike.
Recently, I have been reading a couple of books which are very inspiring.
Women, Motorcycles and the Road to Empowerment, by Liz Jansen, is a wonderful account of the author’s own journey, on and off the bike, and includes stories from 50 other amazing woman riders. Liz has profound insights about the connections between riding and living which really resonate with me.
Grace and Grit: Motorcycle Dispatches from Early Twentieth Century Women Adventurers, by William M. Murphy, is an engaging book covering the early days of transportation. The author describes the adventures of early 20th Century female motorcycle pioneers, including Adeline and Augusta Van Buren, Effie and Avis Hotchkiss and Della Crewe, among many others. You really get a clear sense of the physical and societal barriers that these women were up against when they undertook their journeys, succeeding in spite of them!
Here are the Van Buren sisters, at the end of their coast-to-coast ride in 1916:
Over the next couple of weeks, I will share my experiences as I train to do the long ride to Buena Vista.
Yamaha Writer 