The Long test ride...

Or....
Have I become the biker I thought I would become when I first started riding...

I've been riding a Honda 919 for the last few weeks.

It's one of the newer ones not the early flat black bikes.

The first time I spent any time on a 919 I came away thinking.
"YAWN" my that's a nice bike. A touch boring but nice.

It still is to some point. It's like a nighthawk 900.
It's really more of a CB900f. (and it should be that is it's official name.

As typical of most late model "naked" bikes
The seating position is set up for some weird short legged short armed rider.
While I'm really short legged I'm broad of shoulder (some might even say beam-ie)
and long of arm.
Bikes like these make me feel like my wrists are in my lap.

But stepping back from the bike and looking at it not from the foggy glasses of someone who's been on tons of bikes and been riding for nearly 20 years

I sit down and I look at it and I take myself back to my early days of street riding.
Me and my friends bikes parked in front of the cafe paradiso
It's around 11:30 and the wet Seattle streets reflect all the neon and street lights
It's a motley group of bikes.
And old CB750 sohc, a SWB BMW, Ducati 750, slab-slide GSXRrat bike
And we are talking, talking about what would be a cool new bike.
Honda just released the CBR900RR but that was a squid bike.
Ahhh what if the would just make that bike naked. Or even a small fairing.
And matte black....

But keep the gold calipers they add that touch of "works"

15 years later.
I've owned a variety of different bikes over the years
I've tried em all. Touring, super-sports, liter class, dual sports, adventure touring, supermotos,
caferacers, and many others.

But riding the 919, it puts me back to those early days. Of the kind of bike I would love to have been able to have been on then.
Power, reliability, style, function and of course speed.

It makes me want to just get on the bike and explore, enjoy riding for riding
simple no frills no pigeon hole that the bike fit's you into.
It's just a motorcycle..

HP2

I had high hopes for this bike.
It's got a stonking new and light weight dual plugged fuel injected engine.
It's got real almost normal suspension....
It's almost normal looking.

But alas.
It sucked. The whole time I'm riding the bike I kept thinking
this think cost 20K. Man people must be stupid to pay that much for it.

Here's a brief lowdown on the bike I'm glad I don't like.
It's tall. The cylinder heads hit me just under my kneecaps I think I have bruises.
The side stand is way to low and this tall heavy bike is a son of female dog to get up and off the stand.
The suspension is wacked. It's way off.
Now mind you I didn't mess with it a lick.
but the forks had too little compression.
And the rear, well that was just like riding on a balloon.
And the vibrations.
Well lets just say it makes my guzzi feel like a gold wing.
Oh then there is the fact that the gas tank has less range then a sporty.

Whats good....
The roll-on at 60mph was kind of fun.

IN stark contrast I picked up my long term 919.
Wow! Can Honda put together a nice motorcycle.
Boring, transparent. But very very nice.
it's very much the new milk crate commuter.
And this bike fits that to a "T" with a massive top box.
It's the size of the boxes you used to see in the back of pizza hut trucks.

The bike while on it feels lots like a really fast really light CB900.
Which is good because that's what it really is.

The fuel injection is a touch snatchy but you get used to it quick like.

And the little fly screen (HAC) works really well.
I don't think you would need anything else for wind protection.

Look for more info once the new bike newness and giddyness wears off and the bike starts to wear on me.

How many blog entries start out...

Saying
It's been way to long since I've posted anything...
Nov. is the last time.
When I nearly cut my finger off.

Well in the time since then I've broken, fixed and broken the Guzzi again.

This time I've had a major move forward or rather I hope that I've had a major move forward
I cleaned up most the nasty wiring around the diode board and the fuse block.
Replacing the old and worn out connections along the way.
I'm hoping that this solves the hard starting/not starting issues the bike has had of late.
I went to see what was wrong and the positive lead from the battery to the starter motor came apart in my hand.
This then spiraled out of control with project creep and the next thing I know.
The whole charging and fuse block pieces were off the bike and spread between the kitchen, shop and the office.
I took photos before so I could rewire the mess.
Only my CF card took a dump.
The first time I've ever had one do that.
Thankfully I got a software hookup that fixed me right up.

Now, while digging around in the nether regions of the Guzzi bowels I discovered that the battery is very close to wearing a hole in it's side (and it's still held in only by the grace of doG and gravity.) I'll be fixing that before the next ride.
As well as the now none working front brake light switch.
At least those will be easy fixes.

The side cover is still plaguing me with how to keep it one the bike
with the wicked vibrations the machine makes.

Do you ever have one of "those" days

Sunday was like that. I got the dirtbike up on the stand to do a sidestand swap.
I don't like sidestand swaps as these involve springs, under tension
with lots of eye popping force. And that sketchy go anywhere it wants to go when it lets go kind of thing.

So I donned me geek glasses and went to work.
After a bit of a struggle and no flying springs it was done.
PHEW!
However that was not to be the end.
The dirtbike was on one of those bike stands that you use this little lever and it lifts both ends off the ground and the lever kind of locks in place with the weight of the bike.

I couldn't lower it
So I used my hand.
And my hand on top of the lever hit the underside of the foot peg...

I now have 2 stitches on my right index finger.
And it still hurts
the painfull part was getting the son of bitch cleaned out at the doc's office.
Where the next part happened
You know you are getting older when the doctor treating you is younger then you are.
Ehhh I hate that.

Overall I moved forward but I've got a scar to show for it.
almost 20 years after i tried to cut the same finger off.

Oh yea and i didn't go to the best damn site ride this year.

boots

Why in Dog's name is it so hard to find a good pair of motoboots

All I have been looking for for is full grain leather, not made in china, protection, durability. Make em so you can get a new sole on the too and I'd be happy.

Well it looks like i've found a pair.
Not cheap but made in the EU out of real dead cow
(with a thick ass hide no less)

These look like they will be around for at least 10 years.

They are sold.

It's been a busy few months
Most noteable of late is the sale of yet two more bikes
sadly it was the GB500s that had to go.

More to come....

It's sold.

It's always a sad day when a bike leaves the fold.

Today I'm one less flat black bitchy curvey and fun to ride Italian.

She's gone to a good home. The buyer was very excited.

He's an owner of a bevel head and wanted something a little more modern.

I hope he enjoys the new bike.