2007 02 11 Newbie Dual Sport Ride

Met for breakfast at King's Cafe in Montgomery



Sarah ate something purple!



I was ridiculed for taking too long to get geared up and back on the bike (but I blame it all on the man that can't park!)



Mollie is still too green to try DSing yet, and the kids couldn't ride as passengers on the loose stuff just yet either. They decided to tag along in the truck and take pics for us.

We headed out on some narrow roads that were paved



And some that were not paved (I'd say we were 50/50 for the day)



Sparkyphotog learned that his GPS mount needs to be tightened, otherwise it goes limp stares at his feet. We stopped here so he could make the necessary adjustments. I tried to steal a ride on Yogi's Wee, but he wasn't giving it up that easily...



Sparky decided the comfort of the seat was just too boring, so he dismounted oh-so-gracefully (NOT!)

Ok, the real story:
90 degree corner in dirt and loose gravel. I flashed my brakes to alert the guys behind me. I went through it in first gear but drifted a little wide. After I got back to the middle of the roadway I looked back in my mirror and saw Sparky going wide and he brought it to a stop (or so I thought) in the small 'ditch' between the gravel and the grass/fence. As he tried to bring it back to the roadway he just went down and tumbled over the bike.



He was fine, and posed for a pic or two after getting back on his feet. It was more of a drop than a crash. Maybe it could be categorized as a get-off since he says he was moving (albeit slowly) at the time.



Here's where the story gets good!

Mollie pulled the truck off to the right so Bryan could upright the bike. She was good about taking pics to document the "incident", but in doing so she failed to see a culvert that was hiding on the opposite side of the roadway. The tire went down into the culvert and lost traction, but with rear wheel drive it wasn't an issue.

Well, it wouldn't have been an issue if this bolt hadn't been sticking straight out from the culvert...



As she backed up, we could see the tire was flat. Flatter than a pancake. Heck, flatter than a fancy French crepe!

The 1.5 BSGs (Big Strong Guys) got to work with the jack and spare.

(Yes, there were two men there. No, they don't count for 2 BSGs because they each only equate to about .75 BSG each)







I have a video of a Strom powering an electric pump to rescue a Ford Expedition. Yup. It CAN be done!

We got back on the road and headed for College Station to feed our bellies.

FREEBIRDS!





We made it over to Bryan to pick up a pair of mermite cans from 10-95 (that thread is over in Pay It Forward) and then headed back out. Yogi headed for home, Mollie took the kids on a straight route back to Sugar Land, and Sparky and I did a few more miles of dirt then lots of pavement to get home.

The sign of a good DS ride

Friday Morning Fun Run 2/9/07

We went out in the morning for some of this:

And had fun despite the nagging drizzle and colds temps.

Max came by Doubleshots as bike night was finishing up, and we went for a spin. First, we had to go drop a few things off at my place and I needed my riding pants - got chilly and the jeans are only for commuting, not riding...

We ended up doing a loop of about 60 miles. It took MUCH longer than it should have - we got separated coming off the freeway (one of us stayed ON the freeway !?!?!) and then I picked a bad meet-up spot to regroup. I figured there would be something at the intersection of 90 and 6, but no... just a passing train and construction.

He and I each insist we were at that intersection. All nothingness of it. We both sat and watched the train pass by. Neither of us saw the other. How is that possible?

Well, I had already moved my phone to the top map pocket of my tank bag so when he texted me that he was up the road a half mile, it was easy for me to get going and meet him at the gas station.

Now already having a horrible time of the group riding thing, Max must have decided to give me the benefit of the doubt because he followed me all the way out to Fulshear.

When we pulled into the gas station there, a Constable with full lights going (no sirens) pulled up to the intersection in front of us.

"Is it illegal to sit in a parking lot and warm up your hands?"

Well, the Constable was followed by a very fast moving house! Yup, a full house on a flatbed going 40mph down the road. I barely got the camera out in time to catch it.

Are we cold yet?

I pulled to a stop in front of a concrete site. I got a strange look when I hopped off the bike to take a picture. Yes, I take pictures of weird stuff and at any moment in time. I hadn't tried taking one-handed moving shots at night, so I decided it was worth the stop for the uber-industrial look.

I didn't hold the camera still, but it had a cool effect.

We headed back into town and tried to cut the house off at the pass, but we got to the intersection of 723 just a moment too late. Not wanting to get caught behind the house for the entire ride back, we cut north and took 1093 back.

Spank Has Been Spotted!

That's right - our loveable monkey mascot from the famed "Four Bikers and a Monkey" trip has been seen - sorta. A photo of him in a corner with a gun to his head has been seen. It is not yet known what has been requested in exchange, but the monkeynappers have at least given us proof that there is still hope!

Hang in there buddy!

Happy Birthday Karen!

Yet another bar-around-the-corner hang out on a Thursday night.

What's that? Kevin drank a non-Canadian beer eh?

Brilliant!

Cheers!

What would a night out be without an ultra-embarassing

trip to the local IHOP?

BRRRRRRRRenham "Mini" Pie Run 1/28/07

The route ended up a bit shorter than originally expected, but it worked out well in terms of timing the lunch meet with the three remaining riders from Sugar Land, the family of four, and Kevin from Conroe. From Cat Spring, we headed straight up to Brenham instead of continuing west toward New Ulm and beyond.



Boy kicks rocks into culvert.



Girl says it's cold.



Food good. Hot coffee. Hot soup. Hot, well... warm sammich.



Kids meals come in cool paper cars. Next time we go I'm getting a kids meal!



GET A ROOM!



Over-the-shoulder attempt at action pic. Next time I leave left hand on left side of bike!!!!!!!



"Hey Bryan, are you wearing a girls helmet?"



Made it back. YUM!



"Are we done yet?"





Additional photos courtesty of SparkyPhoto and BMWbabe:

Made it out to Motorcycles Unlimited on Saturday for an early morning tech session, hosted by Patrick (owner, operator, head mechanic, and wise-ass) for a small group of MotoHouston members.



While I was therre, I scored a new rear tire, as I'd already worn the last one down flush with the wear bars. To save $$ on labor, I removed and re-installed the tire in the parking lot at the shop. Easy enough to do, was talking and socializing while I was doing it, and getting my hands dirty has never been an issue.



I also looked at the magnetic tank bags they had, and was pleasantly surprised to see that the Cortech Super Mini magnetic tank bag was just big enough to hold my extra visor and was small enough to ensure I don't overpack for day trips. The magnets hold the tank well, and the bottom of the bag is a super-soft material that will be better at keeping my tank scratch-free than my Twisted Throttle bag did.

I'll hold onto the TT bag for longer rides, but it is really starting to fall apart and can no longer be relied on. It's a shame they stopped making them, as they were V-Strom specific and fit the tank perfectly. Oh well...