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2007-12-27 Riding an FJR
Forums:
.after 3 months of riding a Harley
As ya'll know, I nailed a Bambi and did damage to CrZy8.
Crzy8 was down for over 3 months, and in that time I was riding my 1991 HD Ultra. In 3 months, I added another 6,000 miles on Miss Harley, she now has 139k + original miles.
On the first ride, the Harley was difficult for me to adapt. The Ultra and the FJR are about as far apart on the motorcycling spectrum as I can imagine. The clutch pull was excessive. It disengaged at the last bit of travel, exactly opposite of the FJR, it ran out of steam at ~90, which on the FJR is what, 2nd gear? The brakes? Just deploy the chute and call it good. Cornering? I was concerned about starting fires from all the sparks.
Yet, over the next 3 months I fell completely in love with the old girl again. The riding position is without challenge. The easy lope of the motor makes 2 lane back roads really fun, at a more relaxed and sedate pace I slowed myself down and observed more of the journey than the next apex, the next brake marker, the next BAMBI!
Then, then, and again, then, I get the FJR out of the shop. The first ride is short, maybe 50 miles, and my low back, wrists, neck, and palms are KILLING me! I can't believe I rode this bike for two SS1k's given the amount of discomfort experienced on the original ride.
The next day dawned bright, and I rode 265 miles of nothing but back roads in great weather, 60 to 65 F, and for over 85 miles I didn't see even one car. Yet, I had to stop numerous time, down some Advil, the bike was the bike and the rider was the rider, the magic hadn't yet returned.
So, the next day I left early in the AM, with the goal of riding at least 400 miles. The destination was not important, this was all about the ride, to see if the magic could be found. Somewhere around mile 50 came total frustration and unhappiness. The magic simply wasn't returning, even though I was really trying and wanting it to return.
The day ended at 415 miles, and as I parked Crzy8 in her stall I wasn't happy. Neither was she. We were at opposite ends of spectrum it seemed.
So, the next day I decided to ride again. It was freaking cold, the wind was blowing out of the North to the South East, and I didn't have my heated gear or wool socks on. The sun rose from the East, (duh) and then, somewhere along a simply twisty, curvy, technically challenging road, I started to hang off a bit, strafe the apexes. For some unexplained reason, the vision sharpened, the heart beat raced, the shift points arrived higher in the rpm band...
..and then, it was simply all good again! It's a mental thing, coupled with physical attributes of pain, pleasure, and familiarity that tripped the 'fun' switch back to the 'on' position.
As I write this, Crzy8 has returned to the fold, and so has the rider.
So, enjoy your rides, ladies and gentlemen, whatever the circumstances that led to your prolonged riding absence. Even if it requires several attempts, just keep after it, and the magic *may* return for you, too.
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