Feeling Deflated

Tried to get a nice pedal ride in with the touring club SCBC but at mile 7, I flatted, fixed and then we chased and at mile 14, I flatted again. I fixed and started chasing again and I joked about getting one every 7 miles and not enough tubes and CO2 to get me home.

We caught and passed a few stragglers when I jumped onto the rear bumper of a truck to see how far I could ride the draft out. Unfotunately the front wheel started sliding around and guess what, it was mile 21, I was flatting for the 3rd time.  

Called the wife and said come get me, I'll be limping home on a half flat tire as far as I could. The group turned to continue so I started hammering along watching the tire get lower and lower and about 4 miles down the road I hit a rock and popped yet another hole in the front tire and ended my ride when what air was left rushed out instantly.

About 3 seconds after hitting the rock I hear "You know how long I have been chasing you?" I look back and it is our club president (OCC). He had been chasing us since we turned onto the road but didn't see the others turn. We BS'd about club business (I'm the VP) than the familiar FOrd Fusion of TGorman pulled up.

Then I get this email...

Amazing, after turning west, I too had three flats, and called the boss to pick me up in her Fusion...I was 3 mi from home with no more tubes & no more CO2. If it weren't for the cleats I could have walked home.


Tim.

Must be the aliens

2011 Triumph Tiger 800XC

I received the honors of getting to ride a brand spanking new 2011 Triumph Tiger 800XC from Northern Ohio Ducati and Triumph this afternoon.  I'm a dirt rider and pretty much use the pavement to get to and from work and the dirt trails so my opinion of this bike has no comparisons to pure street bikes as the only pure street bike I have is an 1100 Honda Aero that handles like a boat full of bowling balls and is only a few inches shorter than my F-150.  The rest of the fleet are Dual Sports and Cross Country Off-road.

Unless it's some Kymquat made in Tiwang Chung, I don't care what kind of bike it is, I'll take it for a spin.  Ask me if I want to ride a sweet bike like the Tiger XC and there's a good chance you'll be waiting quite a while for me to return.  When I got a phone call telling me there was a new Triumph Tiger sitting in front of my house waiting for me to ride it, I couldn't get out of there fast enough to see if it what I had just heard was true.  Heck, it's not every day someone drops off a bike with only 40 miles on it on your door step!

The bike has a nice fit and feel even though the seat was set at the lowest of the two settings and the bars pulled back for a shorter person.  The seat can be raised by simply using the key to remove it and moving the attaching bar on the seat from one slot to the next.  The first thing I noticed was how quiet and smooth the 3 cylinder motor was as I looked through the crystal clear wind screen that gives you a good view of the road.  The second was how torquey that motor is when you let out the featherly light clutch lever.

The motor pulls nicely though the gears all the way to sixth and it was nice to see your gear selection printed out on the dash as well as the fuel level.  The motor has a 10k rpm redline and even when I took Turra with me on the 2nd loop, I never had the need to go over 4k rpm as we accelerated to cruising speed.  Right from the start, I felt comfortable with how the bike felt and handled both at low and highway speeds.  

I included a few bad roads with twists and turns just to see how the suspension felt and from a preliminary ride, it felt really good.  Being new, and my pocketbook not all the padded, I decided not to take it down the local abandoned rail bed I usually cruise down on my own bikes.  After almost looping a brand spanking new 350SX out over a double last fall, the last thing I wanted to do was return the bike beaten or broken.  When I hit the freeway to do all four loops of the clover leaf I spotted what appeared to be a dual sport bike with some big panniers on it so I chased it down.  It was a waste of time, it was just a Buell.

I found the front brake to be very strong when I did a panic stop to make a turn I missed.  When I did dive into the turn, I was glad the 21" front tire gripped the road very well.  BTW, I like 21" front wheels, there is a wider selection of true off-road tires available compared to other sizes.  I'm no knee dragger so I have no need for some fat squatty tire.

I only had time for a couple more miles to take the wife for a ride so she could see how the rear seat felt.  She found it to be comfortable and offered more real estate than the current crop of bikes we have.  In fact, the rear seat is separate from the front allowing you to remove it and replace it with a rack if you are riding solo and need it for your camping gear, don't have anyone who trusts you enough to ride with you, or just prefer to be by your self all the time.  Speaking of the seat(s), the front saddle covers the battery, relays and  the fuse box.  The rear covers the tool kit and leaves a little space to lock your wallet, spare gloves or any other small items you can fit into the small area.

The motor looks to be pretty much out in the open and easy to service for oil changes.  And, depending on how deep the spark plugs are into the head and valve covers, you may be able to replace them without removing the tank but I doubt it.

Would I buy one?  If I had the money and was in the market for a new bike, there'd be a good chance I would.  There wasn't anything about the bike I didn't like except the shifter felt notchy but it only had 40 miles on it so that isn't even really fair since it isn't broken in.

A big thank you to Carl and Carl at Northern Ohio Ducati and Triumph for the test ride.    Now I just need to wait for a chance to ride it all day, say maybe at the Cabin Fever Road Enduro next Sunday?

PRODUCTIVITY COMES TO STANDSTILL IN OHIO

ENOUGH PEOPLE!!!  The dude is a basketball player in a game that only requires one ball!!  All day productivity has come to a standstill across the state as armchair pros and damsels in distress debate and discuss the latest debacle because some dude is doing the same thing you would, looking for a better deal.  You act like life can't possibly go on with out a player.  Every TV at the restaurant today had people who call themselves annalist or reporters making a big deal out of some over paid athlete who drives up ticket prices because he demands more money.  People vandalizing, burning and crying like they lost their 1st born.

WAAHHHH!!  Get over it already.  Put that much emotion and energy into your job and community and see how much better life can be.

This makes Tiger Woods look like a Patron Saint.  But then again, most of those guys probably would have patted him on the back with a big ole "thatta boy" wishing it was them with the money and savoir faire to entertain Tigers harem.

Lessons in listening

I was exhausted from my 95 mile rain soaked hill ride Saturday so I planned to just ride the KTM950 all day Sunday or part of the day and the rest on the 250.  My friend Paul wanted to ride off road on his Suzuki DL650 V-Strom, a generic dual sprt bike made to spen 95% of it's life on public highways, paved or gravel.  He begged to do hard stuff, I was going to let him put around Wayne for a bit but Nooo, he didn't want to go off-road, he wanted to ride with his road buddies 1st then do something closer.   We left Gulliver's Travel's stuffed full of trucker food and headed south with his road buddies looping around until we landed in Coshocton for a rendezvous with Allen and anyone else who may have shown up.

Speaking of his road buddies, they were a bit over enthusiastic, passing on double yellows all morning forcing the rest to do the same or get left behind. I found it to be a bit nerve racking, especially carving corners on D908 knobbies.


A few of us continued on to play in the dirt, Allen (DR650) Paul (DL650 V strom) and Jim (800GS). One guy HAD a nearly new V-strom. It was new until he dropped it half way down Quarry Rd and snapped off the end of the brake lever and broke the front turn signal. Luckily he had crash bars. Somewhere down the hill I whacked the right tank guard on the 950 pretty hard. Enough parts moved that it cracked the header. I couldn't feel or see the leak, but I could hear it. At the bottom the Jim on the GS800 (pretty new also) tried to submerge the beast in the creek at the bottom.

Then we were on an abandoned rail bed. It was a nice cruise until we crossed a paved highway where Whitey took his cigarette break a couple summers ago when we were helping a few rookies climb up to the road. I looked down in the now overgrown ravine and proclaimed it didn't look that bad so I dove in head first. A hundred yards in and there is no Paul or Jim, Just Allan. Allen said they were taking turn dropping their bikes. By the time I got back, Jim was over but Paul failed to negotiate a small 5" sapling and once again, tossed his Strom on the ground (in honor of Meef?). Got him going only to find out someone did a fine job of barricading the trail with big timber and we had to turn around (Sorry Guys).

At this point we found out Paul had now lost his left turn signal also and snapped off the tip of his shifter. While scouting a possible out we also noted his bike had twisted the sub-frame strut where the left passenger peg used to sit relatively level. It ain't level no more, the V-strom was no longer new, it now officially used 

When I got home I pulled the right tank off to inspect the header. It didn't feel right and when I pulled the heat wrapping off from the previous owner I found a lot of rotten metal and it basically fell apart on the floor. The wrap had held it together for about 2 hours.



The hole had been on the bottom where I couldn't feel and like a plasma cutter, torched a hole in the plastic side of the skid plate and melted the top cover of the relay switch for the starter to the starter fuse. When I pulled the cover, the fuse came with it.

I am lucky though, could have been the gas tank  I am lucky also in the fact I was worried about what was under the heat wrap so I bought a new header on Advrider for $35 about 1 month ago. KTM price $243.00!! Thank God I am a hoarder!!! 

Heading to Summit Racing tomorrow morning to get new heat-shield for the tank, no more of that heat wrap crap.

Adventure in Overkill

Friday the 14th we went up to the unveiling of the new Ducati Multistrada in Akron presented by Northern Ohio Ducati.  The bike is pretty cool and I wanted to test it so I signed up for the last slot the next day.

Saturday I headed out with Turra to do a 30 mile bike ride, then garage sale-ing and then lunch.  Then I hopped on the 640 and headed out trail riding down at Battlesburg MX park.  After a few hours I headed north to a friends house who was riding up to the demo with me.  I used his garden hose to wash off my pants and we air dried them on the way up.  After the demo ride we headed south to meet the girls for dinner at the local steakhouse.  I was so tired I could barely stay awake for dinner.

Sunday we headed north to Brecksville.  Friends said I had to go back since I won the last edition by soloing 30 of the 30 miles.  Brecksville has no flat sections at all except for the inclined planes.  I sat in for a lap and then it all went to hell, like a farm dog, someone jumped so I chased.  It ended up being the winning move but I had left the winning legs at home with Saturdays calendar of events.  I won $20 for 6th place woo-hoo!

Afterwards Drew Bercaw and I set out on a supposedly 40 mile ride.  Supposedly because that was by the regular highway but I knew a shortcut, well, so I thought.  50 miles later we rolled into the Blue Heron Deli where our team cars were waiting to feed our starving tired butts.

We made it home just in time to watch the Tour of California where I promptly missed most of it because of eyelid failure.  I think I am getting too old for those types of weekends...

Easier said than done.

On the 8th the Salem motorcycle club had a make up race at Big Valley.  I wanted to go but I wanted to be different so I loaded up the 640 with tools, tubes and fix-a-flat and headed to the race, on the 640.

Upon arrival we took off the tail bag, GPS and my back pack and stored them in George's Truck and signed up.  Lots of strange stares when I pulled up to the line on a bike with a fairing.  Yes, the 640 Adventure has fairing, it is an adventure/touring bike used in Rally Races.  The race started and I let the field roll off and I took chase only to find out a 640 can really haul the mail in the dirt and as turn 2 came up, I found that a 350 pound bike with 5 gallons of gas added on doesn't exactly stop like my 250.  Luckily no one was run over when I blew the turn and tried to relocate the banners to the far side of the spectators.

I also found out that the suspension, that had been revalved for a 140 pound vertically challenged person didn't fair too well with my 200 pound J-Lo booty squashing it like a roach.  Whoop after whoop, logs, rocks, washouts, all sent signals to my wrists and but cheeks that the valving was way too soft or I needed to go on a diet!!

I did pass quite a few people and quite a few passed me back but after about 90 minutes of the 2 hour event the noodles I used to call arms lost their starch and went limp, I couldn't hold on any longer and not only was my life in danger, so was anything still standing that go in my way including trees, people, bikes and woodland creatures of all sizes.  The bike was a beast on that tight twisty course.

I pulled off and waited for George to come out of the woods and while I was chatting with a couple guys who had hedged bets against me finishing, I stepped into a low spot and dumped the bike right there in front of everyone just so they could be entertained and get the monies worth on the day.  Thankfully they helped me pick the pig back up or it may still be laying there barring thieves.

I re-attached all my junk and headed home covered in mud.  As on the way down, I decided to take some pictures for a photo scavenger hunt where you have to take pictures of certain objects with your bike. One place I stopped was the Spread Eagle Tavern in Hanoverton, Ohio.  While I was photographing the historic building a gentleman baring fruit approached me and offered me something to eat.  As he handed me the food he said; "Here, you look like you have been on the road for days and could use something to eat".  All I could do was laugh and tell him I was just coming home from a race and was fine.   I guess there are still some good people in the world.  We chatted about the history of the area, I thanked him then headed straight to the Little Ceasers in Massillon then home.  Pizza sounded way better than apples and oranges, they just don't compare...

Mutt and Jeff do Malabar

John, Jason and I headed to Malabar this morning.  Jason raced the 5 field finishing somewhere in the pack.  John and I raced with the old dudes.  30 miles, 3 laps, 4 times up the hill, the finish line at the top. 

About mile 7 it was obvious John was riding hard and the rest were sucking wheel.  John says "let's break this thing up".  I thought "are you nuts? we have 25 miles to go"!   Wednesdays debacle of riding the single speed on the training ride left my legs dead.  The last thing I wanted to do was attack in the head winds and get stuck out there by myself. 

2nd time up the hill at mile 10 John and some other skinny dude slowly weeded my donut munching butt out the back.  On the downhill I caught back on as we reached the base of a small climb.  I had so much momentum I just rode around them hoping to draw out someone to race with.  I looked back and no one flinched, %&#!

Up front Bob Grimm was hanging out the sun roof of his car snapping pictures and Turra was hanging out the side screaming and blowing a train whistle.  Great, 19 miles to go and I'll have an audience when I blow up with digital evidence! 

When I hit the Vally floor I looked back and didn't see anyone so off into the headwinds I went trying to maintain a steady pace hoping it was equal to or faster than the packs.  The Grimm mobile had paused a while to take pics of the field then caught back up.  Bob kept yelling numbers in my ear but I was breathing so hard, I couldn't hear exactly what he was yelling so I just kept pedaling. I caught and passed a few cat1-3 stragglers but no one wanted to play so I left them behind.  My friend Pete couldn't either as his rear wheel was failing and dragging him down.  At the base of the hill I was still clear and started up trying not to implode.

I've had bad luck at a race like this when I took a flyer and won.  The guy at the finish didn't believe me that I had won.  Luckily Tym Tyler knew I had taken the solo route and gave me my cash.  At the top I made sure the score keeper knew I was in the masters so he wouldn't do the same thing.

I cleared the top with about 40 seconds on the pack but I still had 10 miles and no legs.  Luckily Bob and Turra pulled off the course and decided to take pictures from the road side meaning there'd be no video of my impending implosion.

With about 7 miles to go I spotted a bunch of riders up ahead.  One guy was as big as me, sweet!! a draft!  I caught them on the Valley Floor and when I reached them, I kept going so that my rythm would stay afloat and they'd jump on.  They didn't, %&#!    A few moments later 2 of them passed by to give me a moments rest.  That was all I got because as soon as they passed, they slowed forcing me to come back around.  %&#!  I kept my tempo and dropped them.

I hit the bottom of the hill and the only 2 I saw were those I had just left.  Half way up the hill Chris Riccadi from  the 1-3 field caught back up and re-passed me on the hill.  I didn't care though, he was dropped and riding his own race.  With the finish in sight there was no one behind me so I pulled my victory wheelie then pulled off the road and choked up half a lung!!  I was so tired I was shaking and coughing until it hurt.

In the middle of my convulsive gagging for air, I heard everyone screaming.  I looked up and saw John destroying what was left of the field.  That was so cool for Orrville to take a 1-2 in our 1st attempt for 2010.  Once again I go to a road race

We headed down to a Country Kitchen for a nice recovery meal of fried chicken and fish then headed home.

Thanks Bob and Ricky for the photos and chearing.  Thanks Turra for the screaming and motivation.