Rob Pincus
New member
I walked my wife and kids to the car.. they were all heading out for a weekend away. I am staying home ot get some work done.. I'll catch up on with them on Sunday...
As I walked back to the house I noticed that is was significatnly warmer than it was yesterday. I looked up and couldn't find a cloud. There wasn't much of a breeze... I thought briefly and I knew what must be done.
I went to the closet and got out the appropriate gear: Boots, Gloves and Kevlar lined leather jacket. I headed downstairs to the garage and beheld a sad thing:
My duck was covered in dust. It had an old blanket thrown over the seat and cobwebs all over it.... The Shame! How could I have neglected her for the last few months.. (oh yeah.. it's me..)
Well, it was time to dust her off and shake her up. I threw off the blanket and hit the button to open the garage door. I walked my beast back out into the sun and looked at the grimy windshield and dull coat of dust on the paint... uhg.
I got a damp rag and went to work.. A few moments later the bike was by no means showroom ready, but it was at least tolerable.
I thought, at once with disappointment and relief, about not having any race fuel around, but I checked the tank and it was 3/4s full anyway. I probably didn't need the extra horsepower this early in the season.
I hit the button and the bike coughed. The battery was saying "I think I can.. I think I-- naaa, Nevermind.. I Can't."
My mind had already decided what needed to happen, I was not going to let a dead battery stand in my way. I pushed the bike up to the top of section of the drive that leads down and around to the garage and jumped back on. I rolled down the hill and popped the clucth....
The beautiful barking of a wonderful 900cc V-twin filled the air. I pushed the choke up and the bark became a roar.
As I got off and began putting my jacket on, I could imagine my distant nieghbors turning to their husbands and saying "Is it that time of year again?".... Indeed, it was.
After a few minutes of letting the engine warm up, I hoped back on and eased off the choke. The twin exhaust began to rumble instead of roar. I put the bike in gear to see just how warm the engine was.
I made it to the end of the driveway without stalling. I killed the engine and hit the starter to see if the battery had charged up. The engine once again barked beautiful music and new it was time for the first 1999 running of the Sumner County TT. A 34 mile loop of backroads that needed to be ridden... hard. Of course, on the Ilse of Mann, they actually close those roads before turning leather clad hooligans loose on them... here the TT was a little less catered too, I would have to watch out for the odd four wheeled intruder on my roads.
Those housewives had their questions answered as I headed down the road at ...[a reasonable and safe rate of speed completely within legal limits]....
I had been riding for a full mile before I looked down and noticed the Glock sticker on my gas tank.. it reminded me that I hadn't put a gun on before I left... I decided not to go back, There were things more threatening than bad-guys on my mind.. like gravel, sticks, busses and those damn 4 wheeled things....
I made it through the TT without a hitch. The bike warmed up quite well. I never got a knee down, but my butt got off the seat a few times. My Time? I didn't even bother paying attention. I was just glad to be back on the bike for my first two wheeled (okay, and one wheeled
) experience of the year.
On the way back to the house I headed to the access road that leads to a boat launch and the steam plant. It was an odd road, arrow straight, although it did go up and down a few hils. It was better suited for Kansas than Tennessee. It was the kind of raod that begged for a drag race. Friends have told me that there used to be section of guardrail that was exaclty 1/4 mile long on that road. It's gone now, but I could pretend. One quick jolt up to ...[a reasonable and safe rate of speed completely within legal limits].... and I was ready to put the bike in the garage.
Eerily enough, I got back home to find a message on my phone from Rich L., he mentioned that he had been working on "motorcycle stuff" all day. At first I thought, "Great Minds think alike".. then I called him and he reminded me that he gets to ride year round and I thought, "you lucky bastard...."
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-Essayons
As I walked back to the house I noticed that is was significatnly warmer than it was yesterday. I looked up and couldn't find a cloud. There wasn't much of a breeze... I thought briefly and I knew what must be done.
I went to the closet and got out the appropriate gear: Boots, Gloves and Kevlar lined leather jacket. I headed downstairs to the garage and beheld a sad thing:
My duck was covered in dust. It had an old blanket thrown over the seat and cobwebs all over it.... The Shame! How could I have neglected her for the last few months.. (oh yeah.. it's me..)
Well, it was time to dust her off and shake her up. I threw off the blanket and hit the button to open the garage door. I walked my beast back out into the sun and looked at the grimy windshield and dull coat of dust on the paint... uhg.
I got a damp rag and went to work.. A few moments later the bike was by no means showroom ready, but it was at least tolerable.
I thought, at once with disappointment and relief, about not having any race fuel around, but I checked the tank and it was 3/4s full anyway. I probably didn't need the extra horsepower this early in the season.
I hit the button and the bike coughed. The battery was saying "I think I can.. I think I-- naaa, Nevermind.. I Can't."
My mind had already decided what needed to happen, I was not going to let a dead battery stand in my way. I pushed the bike up to the top of section of the drive that leads down and around to the garage and jumped back on. I rolled down the hill and popped the clucth....
The beautiful barking of a wonderful 900cc V-twin filled the air. I pushed the choke up and the bark became a roar.
As I got off and began putting my jacket on, I could imagine my distant nieghbors turning to their husbands and saying "Is it that time of year again?".... Indeed, it was.
After a few minutes of letting the engine warm up, I hoped back on and eased off the choke. The twin exhaust began to rumble instead of roar. I put the bike in gear to see just how warm the engine was.
I made it to the end of the driveway without stalling. I killed the engine and hit the starter to see if the battery had charged up. The engine once again barked beautiful music and new it was time for the first 1999 running of the Sumner County TT. A 34 mile loop of backroads that needed to be ridden... hard. Of course, on the Ilse of Mann, they actually close those roads before turning leather clad hooligans loose on them... here the TT was a little less catered too, I would have to watch out for the odd four wheeled intruder on my roads.
Those housewives had their questions answered as I headed down the road at ...[a reasonable and safe rate of speed completely within legal limits]....
I had been riding for a full mile before I looked down and noticed the Glock sticker on my gas tank.. it reminded me that I hadn't put a gun on before I left... I decided not to go back, There were things more threatening than bad-guys on my mind.. like gravel, sticks, busses and those damn 4 wheeled things....
I made it through the TT without a hitch. The bike warmed up quite well. I never got a knee down, but my butt got off the seat a few times. My Time? I didn't even bother paying attention. I was just glad to be back on the bike for my first two wheeled (okay, and one wheeled
) experience of the year.On the way back to the house I headed to the access road that leads to a boat launch and the steam plant. It was an odd road, arrow straight, although it did go up and down a few hils. It was better suited for Kansas than Tennessee. It was the kind of raod that begged for a drag race. Friends have told me that there used to be section of guardrail that was exaclty 1/4 mile long on that road. It's gone now, but I could pretend. One quick jolt up to ...[a reasonable and safe rate of speed completely within legal limits].... and I was ready to put the bike in the garage.
Eerily enough, I got back home to find a message on my phone from Rich L., he mentioned that he had been working on "motorcycle stuff" all day. At first I thought, "Great Minds think alike".. then I called him and he reminded me that he gets to ride year round and I thought, "you lucky bastard...."
------------------
-Essayons
