So yesterday, I'm getting kinda impatient to take my girlfriend to the airport, cause its such a nice day and I want to go for a ride. Finally dropped her off at about 1:45. Leaving MSP International, the digital thermometer on their sign read 43 degrees! Oh yeah, good enough for me! I was home by two, in long underwear by 2:01.
Out in the garage, I pulled my bike out of the corner, turned it around and started starting it. Hmmm, battery sounds a bit weak. Try kick starting it. Several times, I was able to get the motor turning over, but shes a bit ornery until warming up, and quits often right when you think you can stop filleting the throttle. &*@$! By now, the battery can barely turn her over & my leg is in need of a rest. I turn the propane heater on & point it at the cylinders (maybe not too smart, I know, but I couldn't smell any gas, and all turned out well). I putzed around for a few minutes, hoping the heat would help a little.
After those few minutes, the heat and a rejuvenated leg were enough! She turned over, snarling and barking (maybe only 650cc, but the open pipe really lets it out), sounding mighty pissed at me for leaving her parked so long. I stayed with her, playing with the throttle, closed the choke, waiting for her to run without needing my attention. Every time I stepped away to finish dressing, she'd toy with me, dropping the idle - keeping me wary of her dying again. After a few more minutes, I was able to leave the tease alone long enough that I could finish dressing (long underwear top & bottom, sweatshirt, neck gaiter pulled over my chin, scarf, full-face helmet, leather jacket, jeans, old leather gloves & boots).
2:20 - walk her out of the garage, close it & saddle up. She's idling real good now. Whoops, don't forget to turn the headlight on. I wasn't too sure about where to go, or how long to go out. Longest prior rides were probably about 1/2 hour of cruising around the city. Boy it would be nice to get into the country... I decided to start slow & circle around the lakes (Minneapolis has several urban lakes), then get on Highway 7, going West.
In the Metro, 7 is four lanes & divided, with lights every mile or so. 45mph, while in the city & suburbs. In 20 minutes of riding, its down to two lanes, and headed for the country. The urban sprawl here is flowing down this artery, but traffic was still reasonably light. The limit is up to 55, with traffic doing 60-65. I'm still reasonably warm, though getting a chill at these speeds. Theres an amazing difference between 60 & 70, in terms of windchill. The road curves gently around a couple lakes, meandering up, down and around wooded hills. This is nice! 40 minutes into the ride, I reach St. Bonifacius (a town, St Bonnie to the locals). Hmmm, what to do. Turn around & ride the same route home, or try to find my way back by a more northern route.
I decide on following Cty Rd 92 to the North. Now I'm out in the Country! Fields, farms. The manure is remarkably pungent for a cold day! No traffic. 92, as it turns out, has a couple more twists than 7. Several curves posted at 40 - hey, this is kinda fun! Go straight through a couple intersections, not sure which road I want to take back East. Waiting for one that I recognize.
Reach Highway 6. Hmmm, since its a T intersection, I must've found my road... A couple more curves & turns and I'm at a traffic light. Highway 12, a majorer artery heading back to the city. Its about 3:20 now, definately my longest ride to date; better turn & get home by dark. A couple miles down 12 and the bike chugs & sputters going up a hill, what the hell? Virtually no power whatsoever, but still running. I pull over. Hmmm, sounds ok at idle, seems to rev ok. I shut her off to see if gas is the issue. Nope, still over half full. She starts up fine. Well, gotta get home, right? I wait for a space in traffic (more cars now, as I'm heading back into the metro), and pull out. No problem, runs fine, pulls well throughout the rpm range.
Not a mile down the road, theres flashing lights in the oncoming lane, and traffics slowing down. As we go by, I see that someone in a Blazer is pulled over, with a monster dent in the grill & hood. And a Whitetail Buck, with a pretty good sized rack, laying in the ditch. Damn. A good reminder though - pay attention, we're not in the city yet; I sure don't want to hit a deer while on the motorbike!
Highway 12 is pretty boring, and the two lanes eventually divide and widen; the limit goes to 65 and we're about to be on part of the Interstate. The bikes losing power again, what the hell? I pull off to take slightly slower roads back. The bikes really bogging too. I can barely start her rolling from stop lights/signs. Shit. Still 15 miles or more from home, on a bike that doesn't want to run. I decide to top her up with gas, to see if that helps at all (grasping at straws here), since I had dumped a little carb cleaner in the last tank. Ride around a large parking lot to see if it'll go away. In a few minutes decide that either a carb's hosed or a plug is fouled - seems like shes only running on one cylinder. If I thought she barked & snarled before, now she sounds downright nasty, and not altogether pleasant, what with the backfiring and all.
I limp back to the city. Initially, I had planned a victory stop at Bob's Java Hut (biker hangout I mentioned once before). Instead I pull up to drown my sorrows. Large Coffee, Black please. I sit alone, read part of the paper and try to warm up. Its after 4 now and the suns pretty near the horizon. The shadows are long, and the warmth is waning fast. I don't linger. The bike starts ok, but is still using just one cylinder. I take Grand Avenue, since it has less traffic than Lyndale, and is just as direct. I'm only about 20 blocks from home, but am somehow much colder than when I was on the open road for an hour and a half. A couple times, she really pulls - uses both cylinders; then dies at a stop sign, or even while coasting & idling.
I get her in the garage and think that I'll at least change the oil - the initial 'excuse' for going riding in the first place. To add insult to injury, I don't have a wrench that'll fit the drain plugs. &*$@!! What on earth size are those things? 15/16 doesn't even seem close! Anyway, I decide to pull the plugs, to see if either one of them looks bad. The left side is a little black, but doesn't seem too bad; the right is brownish-gray, which I think is OK.
Anyway, it was quite a day. My first ride on two laners, with curves that I had to slow for. Had a great time cruising through the fields, hills & woods. Saw a couple roads that I wanna take, come spring. A day of firsts, and lasts; I doubt that the weather will be nice enough for a ride on a weekend again this year. Plus the bike needs a little TLC. Maybe I'll change the plugs, buy a bigger wrench & warm up the oil one more time...
brian