Pics follow. (Write up and route map pending)
Sunday, November 02, 2008
Hello November
84 degrees, mostly sunny skies... the kind of stuff that makes you glad to be a bike guy in Texas.
Pics follow. (Write up and route map pending)
Pics follow. (Write up and route map pending)
Tuesday, October 07, 2008
MotorSport Ranch Cresson, Trackday - 10/05/2008
So yes... this is starting to become a habit. :D
So here is my write up on my 2nd track day with Nina.
The highlight of the day was having my girls there for the first part of the day. They were so good about getting up and sleepily walking down the stairs to load up around 5:15 a.m. After they had settled in, I finished the last bit of loading and we headed out in the cool predawn. When I'd catch a glimpse of them in the rear-view mirror dozing peacefully, I'd remind myself that I really needed to make sure I was conservative during the day and made sure I brought myself and the bike home in one piece. I only wish I had remembered to leave my ego at home.
We arrived at the race track around 6:30 am and I set about getting our pit area setup. The wind was starting to pickup so I made sure to use straps to hold down the canopy.
Once I had setup the area I started to make sure the bike was ready for tech inspection. I got some great assistance from one of my girls while the other snuggled under a blanket and read. My wife also huddled under a blanket in the van. (Note to self: remind pit crew to bring layers as well)
As I was leaving the tech inspection area, I saw that Brad had made it out. I said hello and asked him to join us.
Now to the actual riding. Motorsport Ranch really is a great track. The surface is very smooth and just seems so predictable. There are a couple of complex turns but really its the kind of track that lets you focus on improving your lines. This was quite different from Eagles Canyon with all the patches and double apex turns.
The early sessions with low tire pressures, cold road surface and cold tires were a little squirrely every now and then but I could tell it was going to be a fun day.
The Daytona is so light that even the Rattlesnake that left me a little unnerved the first time I was here seemed like a cake walk. I'd hit corner entry on the first turn and it seemed as soon as I started even thinking about the next turn, the bike was already starting to transition. It was in the Rattlesnake section that I really decided I needed to consider moving up to the next level since I repeatedly had to dodge or adjust for riders checking up or blowing those turns.
Little Bend got to be another favorite section of the track by about the 3rd session. It's a 90+ degree right turn at the end of a nice high speed straight. Thanks to those great brakes, I'd be able to scrub off speed pretty quickly and pick almost any exit point. This opened the door to some quick passes on exit of Little Bend.
It really was a toss up between Big Bend and the Rattlesnake as far as my favorite portion of the track. Big Bend is a big ole honking sweeper that just seemed to get faster and faster each lap around. It really got to the point that I'd scrub off a little speed, drop a gear and start rolling on the throttle earlier and earlier all the time. Coming out of Big Bend like that it felt like a sling shot into the long front stretch.
So... about that ego I forgot to leave at home. If you go down to the entry dated 9/21 and look at the session pictures, you'll see a shot of my coming around the outside of a yellow Ducati. The riders name a came to find out is Carlo. Anyway, ego being what it is, one of the highlights of that day at Eagles Canyon was catching Carlo on that turn, looking for a late apex, and motoring by on the outside of him. Each time I'd do that I couldn't help but grin. Now, fast forward a few weeks and there was Carlo and his Ducati in my group again. I'm not sure what he had done in the intervening weeks, but he seemed to be moving quite a bit faster this time out. Well in one of the mid morning session, I came out of the Ricochet and passed up a couple of bikes and had my eyes on a third but backed off when I decided I couldn't get by him before Little Bend. As I got in line behind the rider, out of the corner of my eye I saw Carlo come up on the right side and then back off and fall in behind me. I didn't want to press the rider in front of me before entering the Buzzard Neck so I stayed behind him and entered a series of left handers trying to figure out how to quickly get by him and keep Carlo behind me. As corner entry of Tombstone came into view, I decided to move to the outside of the SV in front of me and I could hear the twin of the Ducati spin up to the inside of the rider in front of us. In my minds eye I could see the arc of the line I had taken was going to run out of track somewhere up ahead. A subroutine somewhere in my head said I should back off the throttle and adjust my line. Unfortunately, the Ducati had triggered super_eg0_master routine and I stayed in the gas and tried to correct my turn.
The result? I ran out road surface, hit the curbing, stood the bike up and went for a brief off road excursion. I only ran wide about two feet and quickly got back on the track, but as the Ducati flew by with Carlo shaking his head, I felt pretty stupid for any number of reasons. Carlo, sorry I was an idiot.
Thankfully that was the only hair-raising experience and I managed to keep the ego routines in check the rest of the day. Brad had a near miss as well that after talking about it several times seemed to likely have stemmed from a missed shift. We compared notes on the day and both agreed that it was likely time to go be the slow guys in the next level at the next track day.
The girls really seemed to enjoy it. One got lots of good pictures and even put together a video, the other got lots of reading done (surprise). Around noon, Mom took the girls into Granbury to shop around the square and that seemed to be a good balance.
And a first time movie maker's video:
On a scale of 1-10, I'd rate the day an 8.5.
So here is my write up on my 2nd track day with Nina.
The highlight of the day was having my girls there for the first part of the day. They were so good about getting up and sleepily walking down the stairs to load up around 5:15 a.m. After they had settled in, I finished the last bit of loading and we headed out in the cool predawn. When I'd catch a glimpse of them in the rear-view mirror dozing peacefully, I'd remind myself that I really needed to make sure I was conservative during the day and made sure I brought myself and the bike home in one piece. I only wish I had remembered to leave my ego at home.
We arrived at the race track around 6:30 am and I set about getting our pit area setup. The wind was starting to pickup so I made sure to use straps to hold down the canopy.
Once I had setup the area I started to make sure the bike was ready for tech inspection. I got some great assistance from one of my girls while the other snuggled under a blanket and read. My wife also huddled under a blanket in the van. (Note to self: remind pit crew to bring layers as well)
As I was leaving the tech inspection area, I saw that Brad had made it out. I said hello and asked him to join us.
Now to the actual riding. Motorsport Ranch really is a great track. The surface is very smooth and just seems so predictable. There are a couple of complex turns but really its the kind of track that lets you focus on improving your lines. This was quite different from Eagles Canyon with all the patches and double apex turns.
The early sessions with low tire pressures, cold road surface and cold tires were a little squirrely every now and then but I could tell it was going to be a fun day.
The Daytona is so light that even the Rattlesnake that left me a little unnerved the first time I was here seemed like a cake walk. I'd hit corner entry on the first turn and it seemed as soon as I started even thinking about the next turn, the bike was already starting to transition. It was in the Rattlesnake section that I really decided I needed to consider moving up to the next level since I repeatedly had to dodge or adjust for riders checking up or blowing those turns.
Little Bend got to be another favorite section of the track by about the 3rd session. It's a 90+ degree right turn at the end of a nice high speed straight. Thanks to those great brakes, I'd be able to scrub off speed pretty quickly and pick almost any exit point. This opened the door to some quick passes on exit of Little Bend.
It really was a toss up between Big Bend and the Rattlesnake as far as my favorite portion of the track. Big Bend is a big ole honking sweeper that just seemed to get faster and faster each lap around. It really got to the point that I'd scrub off a little speed, drop a gear and start rolling on the throttle earlier and earlier all the time. Coming out of Big Bend like that it felt like a sling shot into the long front stretch.
So... about that ego I forgot to leave at home. If you go down to the entry dated 9/21 and look at the session pictures, you'll see a shot of my coming around the outside of a yellow Ducati. The riders name a came to find out is Carlo. Anyway, ego being what it is, one of the highlights of that day at Eagles Canyon was catching Carlo on that turn, looking for a late apex, and motoring by on the outside of him. Each time I'd do that I couldn't help but grin. Now, fast forward a few weeks and there was Carlo and his Ducati in my group again. I'm not sure what he had done in the intervening weeks, but he seemed to be moving quite a bit faster this time out. Well in one of the mid morning session, I came out of the Ricochet and passed up a couple of bikes and had my eyes on a third but backed off when I decided I couldn't get by him before Little Bend. As I got in line behind the rider, out of the corner of my eye I saw Carlo come up on the right side and then back off and fall in behind me. I didn't want to press the rider in front of me before entering the Buzzard Neck so I stayed behind him and entered a series of left handers trying to figure out how to quickly get by him and keep Carlo behind me. As corner entry of Tombstone came into view, I decided to move to the outside of the SV in front of me and I could hear the twin of the Ducati spin up to the inside of the rider in front of us. In my minds eye I could see the arc of the line I had taken was going to run out of track somewhere up ahead. A subroutine somewhere in my head said I should back off the throttle and adjust my line. Unfortunately, the Ducati had triggered super_eg0_master routine and I stayed in the gas and tried to correct my turn.
The result? I ran out road surface, hit the curbing, stood the bike up and went for a brief off road excursion. I only ran wide about two feet and quickly got back on the track, but as the Ducati flew by with Carlo shaking his head, I felt pretty stupid for any number of reasons. Carlo, sorry I was an idiot.
Thankfully that was the only hair-raising experience and I managed to keep the ego routines in check the rest of the day. Brad had a near miss as well that after talking about it several times seemed to likely have stemmed from a missed shift. We compared notes on the day and both agreed that it was likely time to go be the slow guys in the next level at the next track day.
The girls really seemed to enjoy it. One got lots of good pictures and even put together a video, the other got lots of reading done (surprise). Around noon, Mom took the girls into Granbury to shop around the square and that seemed to be a good balance.
And a first time movie maker's video:
On a scale of 1-10, I'd rate the day an 8.5.
Sunday, September 21, 2008
Eagles Canyon Raceway Trackday - 9/20/08
The weather:
With a forecast calling for mostly sunny skies with temperatures in the mid-80's could you really ask for a more perfect day for a track day? Yeah, I didn't think so.
I loaded up my tools and trailer the night before then called it an early night. I woke up at about 5 am and was on the rode by 5:30. The morning was crisp with a light fog as I made my way up to Denton in the Windstar. I kept hoping to find a good place to grab a quick breakfast but I just couldn't seem to will a Taco Cabana into appearing anywhere on the way. I finally pulled over in Sanger to top off the gas can, pick up a bag of ice for the cooler, and a cup of coffee and slice of pound cake for me then made my way to Slidell. I'm still craving a couple of bacon, egg and cheese breakfast tacos.
The track:
I'm not sure what I was expecting but Eagles Canyon really surprised me. First, I wasn't expecting so many double apex turns and second, what's with all the patches??? That aside, it's just a beautiful layout with lots of elevation changes and complex turns and combinations. My first session with cold tires and a green track left me a little anxious but as the day wore on, the track really grew on me. By the end of the day, I was loving every lap and could feel myself constantly improving.
Setting up in the morning:
I knew Misfire and GravelHatesMe from SBN were planning to attend but we didn't talk ahead of time about where we might want to pit so I rolled in with the sun starting to rise hoping to see one of them. I pulled into the first area and went to the end without seeing anyone so I turned around and made my way back. Misfire spotted me in the minivan about half way down and flagged me down. I pulled in next to him and set about getting ready to go.
Session Pictures:
As I already mentioned the first morning session left me a little anxious but as the day wore on and my confidence in the bike and the track went up, my laps got better as did my turns. Misfire was nice enough to ride in Level 1 and we eventually tracked down GravelHatesMe who was also running Level 1. At one point Misfire led me out to show me the lines they were using for the intermediate group. By turn three he had pretty much left my butt behind as he worked his way through traffic. He's a much better rider, but I also think I'm not quite as aggressive passing slower riders. Probably because I'm too used to street riding and maintaining safe spacing with other cars and bikes. Eventually we did have a session where I was able to track him through an entire lap and that was really helpful. Eagles Canyon is definitely the kind of track that makes you think all day trying to really get a better understanding of how to put the pieces together. Can't wait to get out there again.
At the end of the day (a very long day):
We eventually called it a day around 5 pm and packed up to head home. It really was great to meet up with Misfire and GHM. The Daytona was like a razor blade on the track and really gave me some great confidence it what it can do. Though I still have a lot to learn and may never reach the limits of what that 675 can offer, I feel like I started to use some of it's performance.
Getting a chance to ride with good riding buds is always nice, but doing it at the track is something else altogether. I only wish I could get the rest of the Hombres Malos out to a track day. Maybe in 2009...
With a forecast calling for mostly sunny skies with temperatures in the mid-80's could you really ask for a more perfect day for a track day? Yeah, I didn't think so.
I loaded up my tools and trailer the night before then called it an early night. I woke up at about 5 am and was on the rode by 5:30. The morning was crisp with a light fog as I made my way up to Denton in the Windstar. I kept hoping to find a good place to grab a quick breakfast but I just couldn't seem to will a Taco Cabana into appearing anywhere on the way. I finally pulled over in Sanger to top off the gas can, pick up a bag of ice for the cooler, and a cup of coffee and slice of pound cake for me then made my way to Slidell. I'm still craving a couple of bacon, egg and cheese breakfast tacos.
The track:
I'm not sure what I was expecting but Eagles Canyon really surprised me. First, I wasn't expecting so many double apex turns and second, what's with all the patches??? That aside, it's just a beautiful layout with lots of elevation changes and complex turns and combinations. My first session with cold tires and a green track left me a little anxious but as the day wore on, the track really grew on me. By the end of the day, I was loving every lap and could feel myself constantly improving.
Setting up in the morning:
I knew Misfire and GravelHatesMe from SBN were planning to attend but we didn't talk ahead of time about where we might want to pit so I rolled in with the sun starting to rise hoping to see one of them. I pulled into the first area and went to the end without seeing anyone so I turned around and made my way back. Misfire spotted me in the minivan about half way down and flagged me down. I pulled in next to him and set about getting ready to go.
Session Pictures:
As I already mentioned the first morning session left me a little anxious but as the day wore on and my confidence in the bike and the track went up, my laps got better as did my turns. Misfire was nice enough to ride in Level 1 and we eventually tracked down GravelHatesMe who was also running Level 1. At one point Misfire led me out to show me the lines they were using for the intermediate group. By turn three he had pretty much left my butt behind as he worked his way through traffic. He's a much better rider, but I also think I'm not quite as aggressive passing slower riders. Probably because I'm too used to street riding and maintaining safe spacing with other cars and bikes. Eventually we did have a session where I was able to track him through an entire lap and that was really helpful. Eagles Canyon is definitely the kind of track that makes you think all day trying to really get a better understanding of how to put the pieces together. Can't wait to get out there again.
At the end of the day (a very long day):
We eventually called it a day around 5 pm and packed up to head home. It really was great to meet up with Misfire and GHM. The Daytona was like a razor blade on the track and really gave me some great confidence it what it can do. Though I still have a lot to learn and may never reach the limits of what that 675 can offer, I feel like I started to use some of it's performance.
Getting a chance to ride with good riding buds is always nice, but doing it at the track is something else altogether. I only wish I could get the rest of the Hombres Malos out to a track day. Maybe in 2009...
Saturday, June 28, 2008
Sharks and Phantoms, Gear Review
So here's a quick entry to give some product feedback/first impressions. I've had my eye on a Shark helmet for quite a while. I stopped into Motoliberty about a year ago and was really impressed by features and fit of the RSR but couldn't quite convince myself that the improved safety features and ventilation really warranted the increase in cost. I recently started checking prices again and thanks to an ebay transaction that got refunded thanks to a break-in I decided to call Motoliberty again and see what they might have in stock. I guess patience can sometimes pay off as they were offering a pretty good discount on their display models. I went ahead and purchased a dark tinted mirror visor.
Shark RSR 2 - Foggy Legend Black:
Riding impressions after a quick hour jaunt:
The first thing that jumps out when you're wearing the helmet is how much lighter it feels. I've been very pleased with the Scorpion Exo 400 and 700's but there's a noticeable weight savings with the Shark. It also has superb aerodynamics. The cheek pads are much snugger than on my Scorpion and seem to come forward further than the Scorpion. We'll see how this feels after the helmet has had a chance to break-in. The Shark also seems to have a snugger fit at the base of the back of the head. All in all the fit seems snugger and holds more of my head inside the helmt.
Once under way I was really impressed by how well air vents through the helmet. The vent on top of the helmet especially seemed to channel a lot of air over the top of my head. Since the temperatures didn't get above 85 during the quick ride, I can't be sure how well it would deal with a more typical summer day but it did seem to be as good if not better than the Scorpion. The final feature that I really liked was the free range of adjustment you have for the visor position. It doesn't have the ratchet points that are typical on most helmets. With the RSR there is constant tension that allows you to position the visor at any point in the range of travel. This will likely be one of the best features for hot summer days.
Olympia Phantom riding impressions:
I just love this thing. Where to start... First, it's so easy to get in and out of it thanks to zippers on the legs that come all the way to the hips. Once inside the suit, the venting system is fantastic. There are zippers along the arms and in the chest that allow you to open air vents that bring fresh air into and around the suit.
The day was fairly mild for a late June summer morning, but I really got plenty of air inside the suit. Once underway, the suit is really comfortable and doesn't flap around at all thanks to adjusters on the arms and the torso that allow you to snug up the fit. It's also nice having cargo pockets in the thighs that give you quick access to a wallet or cell phone.
I really am looking forward to trying this suit on a longer trip in a few weeks.
Shark RSR 2 - Foggy Legend Black:
Riding impressions after a quick hour jaunt:
The first thing that jumps out when you're wearing the helmet is how much lighter it feels. I've been very pleased with the Scorpion Exo 400 and 700's but there's a noticeable weight savings with the Shark. It also has superb aerodynamics. The cheek pads are much snugger than on my Scorpion and seem to come forward further than the Scorpion. We'll see how this feels after the helmet has had a chance to break-in. The Shark also seems to have a snugger fit at the base of the back of the head. All in all the fit seems snugger and holds more of my head inside the helmt.
Once under way I was really impressed by how well air vents through the helmet. The vent on top of the helmet especially seemed to channel a lot of air over the top of my head. Since the temperatures didn't get above 85 during the quick ride, I can't be sure how well it would deal with a more typical summer day but it did seem to be as good if not better than the Scorpion. The final feature that I really liked was the free range of adjustment you have for the visor position. It doesn't have the ratchet points that are typical on most helmets. With the RSR there is constant tension that allows you to position the visor at any point in the range of travel. This will likely be one of the best features for hot summer days.
Olympia Phantom riding impressions:
I just love this thing. Where to start... First, it's so easy to get in and out of it thanks to zippers on the legs that come all the way to the hips. Once inside the suit, the venting system is fantastic. There are zippers along the arms and in the chest that allow you to open air vents that bring fresh air into and around the suit.
The day was fairly mild for a late June summer morning, but I really got plenty of air inside the suit. Once underway, the suit is really comfortable and doesn't flap around at all thanks to adjusters on the arms and the torso that allow you to snug up the fit. It's also nice having cargo pockets in the thighs that give you quick access to a wallet or cell phone.
I really am looking forward to trying this suit on a longer trip in a few weeks.
Saturday, June 21, 2008
Nina Meets the Squid Squad
I know you really shouldn't have to have a reason to ride but it doesn't hurt to have one, even a pretty thin one. Such as...
"Since one of the Granbury guys just picked up a new bike, I'm thinking about heading out early Saturday to join them for a ride."
I know it's not really that compelling but with the forecast calling for temps in the lower 90's you've got to get out on the road.
Bright and early today I suited up and made the trek back down to Granbury to hook up with the G-Town Squid Squad for a run to Cranfills Gap.
I pulled into Montes Burritos on 377 in Granbury and right behind me were Misfire, Tye, Doug, Jeff and Diana. I'd ridden with Misfire, Tye and Doug before. As introductions were made it turns out that Jeff is a friend of Chad's and Diana is Doug's daughter. Inside we met a friend of Doug's named Bill and settled in to breakfast. This time I made sure to try the Pirate Breakfast burrito and it really hit the spot. Next time I'll likely ask them to add avacados. Just a quick tip, the green salsa is really good but carries some pretty good heat.
Pretty close to 9:30, we wrapped up breakfast and saddled up and headed off to top off tanks and hit the road. For a late June Texas summer day, you couldn't have asked for nicer weather. The trek down 51 was nice and the pace was very manageable. Once we got south of 67, the pace picked up and the Daytona finally got a chance to stretch it's legs. The roads down there really are some of the best in North Texas. Nice elevation changes, high speed sweepers, low speed tighter turns with mutiple transitions. I really need to rig up my video camera next time I head down there.
It was nice seeing Doug ride with his daughter Diana. It made me think about hopefully one day before too long taking my own girls for rides with me. Though obviously at a much more moderate pace.
Anyway the day was fantastic and I really have come to enjoy riding with the Squid Squad and company. Maybe I'll be able to talk them into a trip down to Bandera to blitz the Hill Country sometime this Fall.
Anyway, onto the pictures.
Misfire's new ride:
A sea of Zookies with a sprinkling of Euros:
The Non-Zooks:
The Riders:
And apparently Bandit really missed me and thought my sweaty leathers smelled great:
"Since one of the Granbury guys just picked up a new bike, I'm thinking about heading out early Saturday to join them for a ride."
I know it's not really that compelling but with the forecast calling for temps in the lower 90's you've got to get out on the road.
Bright and early today I suited up and made the trek back down to Granbury to hook up with the G-Town Squid Squad for a run to Cranfills Gap.
I pulled into Montes Burritos on 377 in Granbury and right behind me were Misfire, Tye, Doug, Jeff and Diana. I'd ridden with Misfire, Tye and Doug before. As introductions were made it turns out that Jeff is a friend of Chad's and Diana is Doug's daughter. Inside we met a friend of Doug's named Bill and settled in to breakfast. This time I made sure to try the Pirate Breakfast burrito and it really hit the spot. Next time I'll likely ask them to add avacados. Just a quick tip, the green salsa is really good but carries some pretty good heat.
Pretty close to 9:30, we wrapped up breakfast and saddled up and headed off to top off tanks and hit the road. For a late June Texas summer day, you couldn't have asked for nicer weather. The trek down 51 was nice and the pace was very manageable. Once we got south of 67, the pace picked up and the Daytona finally got a chance to stretch it's legs. The roads down there really are some of the best in North Texas. Nice elevation changes, high speed sweepers, low speed tighter turns with mutiple transitions. I really need to rig up my video camera next time I head down there.
It was nice seeing Doug ride with his daughter Diana. It made me think about hopefully one day before too long taking my own girls for rides with me. Though obviously at a much more moderate pace.
Anyway the day was fantastic and I really have come to enjoy riding with the Squid Squad and company. Maybe I'll be able to talk them into a trip down to Bandera to blitz the Hill Country sometime this Fall.
Anyway, onto the pictures.
Misfire's new ride:
A sea of Zookies with a sprinkling of Euros:
The Non-Zooks:
The Riders:
And apparently Bandit really missed me and thought my sweaty leathers smelled great:
Saturday, June 14, 2008
So a few wrong turns...
Although a small tank bag sure seems to fit the Daytona, it really doesn't do the job when you need a decent map of the area. I had several folded print outs that I had prepared the night before thinking they'd fit the bill.
This morning I headed out to Benbrook and met Whysmista from the SBN forums for a quick ride down to Granbury by way of FM 5 and Hwy 51. After spending some time talking at Starbuck's we finally saddled up and headed out. I checked my various little maps and thought I knew how to get us where we were going. Well as the map below of our actual ride shows, I missed a few turns here and there and got turned around at least once. Even with the wrong turns, it was a nice ride and FM 5 seems like a nice warm up for a day that may head south of Granbury.
At the end of the ride we ended up back at the Starbuck's on I-20 and 377 where we talked a little longer and I snapped a few pictures.
This morning I headed out to Benbrook and met Whysmista from the SBN forums for a quick ride down to Granbury by way of FM 5 and Hwy 51. After spending some time talking at Starbuck's we finally saddled up and headed out. I checked my various little maps and thought I knew how to get us where we were going. Well as the map below of our actual ride shows, I missed a few turns here and there and got turned around at least once. Even with the wrong turns, it was a nice ride and FM 5 seems like a nice warm up for a day that may head south of Granbury.
At the end of the ride we ended up back at the Starbuck's on I-20 and 377 where we talked a little longer and I snapped a few pictures.
Saturday, June 07, 2008
Nina really liked Melissa
Ok, three things from today's ride.
1. Nina really liked Melissa. Today I took a round about way and made my way north of Greenville and found a great stretch of road from Wolfe City to Melissa. The road surface was really smooth and except for some roadkill here and there was mostly clear with a nice combination of wide long sweepers and tight transition twisty stuff. And though the road really invited the inner hooligan to come out and play, it just took one unexpected dip in the middle of fast paced left hander to remind me that it's always best to keep the hooligan on a short leash on roads that are unfamiliar.
2. 250 miles on the Daytona is near the upper end of what's currently comfortable. Guess that doesn't need a lot of extra explanation, but without a throttlemeister or some other similar mod, I can't see doing long miles on consecutive days.
3. An epiphany. So I'm cruising along on some random FM road, wishing I had a tank bag with a map so I'd have a better idea of where I'm really going when I realize that as long as I'm still headed North, it doesn't really matter that much where I am exactly. The weather was perfect (mid 80's). The roads had very light traffic. The asphalt was smooth and clear. And the throaty sound of the triple had a perma-grin on my face. That's about the point where I realized that I wasn't even sure what time it was and you know... it really didn't matter, the moment was perfect. Then it struck me, lately so much of my day has a faint but incessant tick-tock reminding me that no matter how many lists, no matter the sophistication of the calendar, there just isn't enough time. Tick-tock... time always marching by, sometimes sneaking past, but on a good ride something changes. As you transition from a tight right into a tight left or as you set a line through a long sweeper it feels like not only can you catch time, you can pulse the pass trigger and fly right past time. The tick-tock fades into the distance somewhere behind you and all that's left is the the distinct growl of the triple's intake opening up and the increased blurr of the passing countryside.
-**Route Map**-
1. Nina really liked Melissa. Today I took a round about way and made my way north of Greenville and found a great stretch of road from Wolfe City to Melissa. The road surface was really smooth and except for some roadkill here and there was mostly clear with a nice combination of wide long sweepers and tight transition twisty stuff. And though the road really invited the inner hooligan to come out and play, it just took one unexpected dip in the middle of fast paced left hander to remind me that it's always best to keep the hooligan on a short leash on roads that are unfamiliar.
2. 250 miles on the Daytona is near the upper end of what's currently comfortable. Guess that doesn't need a lot of extra explanation, but without a throttlemeister or some other similar mod, I can't see doing long miles on consecutive days.
3. An epiphany. So I'm cruising along on some random FM road, wishing I had a tank bag with a map so I'd have a better idea of where I'm really going when I realize that as long as I'm still headed North, it doesn't really matter that much where I am exactly. The weather was perfect (mid 80's). The roads had very light traffic. The asphalt was smooth and clear. And the throaty sound of the triple had a perma-grin on my face. That's about the point where I realized that I wasn't even sure what time it was and you know... it really didn't matter, the moment was perfect. Then it struck me, lately so much of my day has a faint but incessant tick-tock reminding me that no matter how many lists, no matter the sophistication of the calendar, there just isn't enough time. Tick-tock... time always marching by, sometimes sneaking past, but on a good ride something changes. As you transition from a tight right into a tight left or as you set a line through a long sweeper it feels like not only can you catch time, you can pulse the pass trigger and fly right past time. The tick-tock fades into the distance somewhere behind you and all that's left is the the distinct growl of the triple's intake opening up and the increased blurr of the passing countryside.
-**Route Map**-
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