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Spring Shakedown Rides

R

REBECCAV

Guest
I rode this winter, but not a lot. Mainly some short jaunts to keep the winter blues away. Over the past few days I was able to get out and do a couple of longer trips, but it showed me how really rusty I get over the winter.

As many of you know, the RounderÔÇÖs Round UP was this past weekend in Escanaba. lorazepam, BMWRTGIRL, and merrittgene met at my house we rode to the U.P. together. GeneÔÇÖs K100 restoration is not quite finished so being a good hostess and friend he got to ride my ÔÇÖ96 R1100RS even though I had just gotten it back from the shop and was dying to ride it. {Cliffy ÔÇô thatÔÇÖs one of the advantages of having TWO bikes. Count ÔÇÿem: 1, 2ÔǪ}

I rode my 1975 R90/6. Before we left I warned the other three, who were on oilheads, to take it easy on the airhead and her rider. I was worried about getting thrashed on the freeway for the 227 mile trip with no fairing and no windscreen. We left Milwaukee in light rain, made a couple of gas stops and a lunch stop in Oconto, and arrived in Escanaba on cue just as the snow flurries started.

It was a great weekend as you may have heard about in other threads. It was such a pleasure to meet and hang out with and ride with people who IÔÇÖve only known through the internet. It really underscores for me what a special community the Forum is and how much I appreciate it.

Part of Saturday night's entertainment was watching the Weather Channel:
 

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I always feel a bit of a let down after a good motorcycle trip. Monday morning it was back to work, except that I am freelance and didnÔÇÖt have any jobs lined up for the early part of the week. My riding stuff was strewn all over my flat, and I was feeling antsy to ride the RS and try out my new GPS. It had just been in the shop for lights, a luggage rack and a new (stock) exhaust.

Late in the morning on Monday, Gene emailed to tell me that Orionrider was hosting a crawfish boil for their club - the Bahnsturmers - that night, and wasnÔÇÖt it too bad that I couldnÔÇÖt be there. Hmmm. I had a couple of emails to finish, and some CDs to drop off across town, but actually, I COULD make it. I hadnÔÇÖt unpacked from Escanaba, so I just put everything back on the bike and off I went.

It was six hours from my door to OrionriderÔÇÖs. I took some smaller two lane roads rather than the slab. I had some rain, but much worse was the nasty cross-wind. If there had been more traffic I would have had to have stopped since I was literally blown all over the road.

Orionrider put on a great crawfish boil, and I didnÔÇÖt even take my gear off before I dove in. The crawfish (I forget how many pounds) had just been flown in from New Orleans and they were still alive and kicking. And I was starving after my ride! Great food and great company.
 

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This one kinda looked mean, but was very, very tasty :)
 

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The next morning as I was getting ready to leave I was surprised at how tired I was. My arms were achy from fighting the wind. At the end of last season, two back to back 400 mile days would have been a piece of cake, but it was clear that I was still brushing away some cobwebs after not having ridden much for four months. My ride home took longer than my ride down, and I felt like I was riding inefficiently and stopping too often.

I even had some little adventures in the form of a homicidal SUV driver on a cell phone, my Gerbing liner dying (it was the heat-troller), the bite valve of my Platypus coming off at speed and dumping water everywhere, and I got a talking-to from man at a restaurant about how dangerous it is for a woman to be out riding alone so far from home. Possibly the worst thing though was how many people just like to roll along in the left lane going the same speed as everyone else. ItÔÇÖs a passing lane, people!!!! *sigh*

I guess that I kind of expected to just get back on the bike and I could just pick up where I left at the end of last season, but that wasnÔÇÖt the case. It took me a few miles and a few gas stops and a few wrong turns to get back in the groove. And I THINK that IÔÇÖm back in the groove after my jaunts to Escanaba and Iowa. Anybody else want to invite me to a club dinner this weekend?? DonÔÇÖt invite me if youÔÇÖre not serious though ÔÇô I might just show up! :eat
 
The 49er's at the end of May, BG. Big fun in the California mountains over Memorial Day weekend could be yours.....

:wave
 
2nd annual Boxerworks forum May rally, May 20-23 Big Cedar Oklahoma. *20 GALLONS OF SPECIAL RALLY-BEER* have been made for the event! I know you'd love to taste some of that! Brewed by an Airhead-riding woman from Seattle too!
 
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