Blog Name Changed

Same old blog. Chronicling my motorcycling trips. Different name because I no longer have the G650GS. Rock on! Shiny side up my friends!

Name Change?

Hello!

It's been a long time since I've been actively blogging mostly because I haven't been riding. But now I have a new ride! Which leads to my question. Should I change the name of my blog to NT700V: There and Back Again? Or, start a new blog? I just reread some of my posts. I had some good times on that GS. I plan to continue the good times on the NT. For that reason, I'd like to keep this one going. The adventures will continue.

I really love this bike!

Well, hello there!

So, I bought a thing yesterday.....

Traded in the GS. I think my hubby did finally resolve the stalling issue but, really, in the long run, the Honda will better suit my needs. The higher maintenance costs on the BMW kind of sealed the deal. We also got a decent trade-in for it and a fabulous deal on this 2010 Honda NT700V. It had only 6,045 miles on it. It was listed at $3995 and we were able to talk them down a bit. Woo hoo!!

It is a lovely motorcycle! I put about 68 miles on it after riding it away from the shop. If any one is in the Denver metro area looking for a motorcycle, I highly recommend this consignment shop, Motorado. Very low pressure sales people. Very easy to work with.

I may have to change the name of my blog. I'm so excited to be back on the road again! Stay tuned!

Adventure Riding

Wow. So, a year ago I registered and then got a refund for the adventure riding class. I had to back out because of problems with the bike. Well, my lovely hubby has resolved that issue. We think so anyway. Replacing the fuel pump seems to have done the trick, although I think I need a couple more long rides to really prove that to be true. In the meantime, I've found a different, local, women-run, adventure class.

http://advwoman.com/

I've just registered!

It is four days of adventure riding classes, rides, and other fun stuff! It is also just a few days before our anniversary. This year, since we didn't travel last time because of the wedding, we are planning to go to Durango. I'm fitting this ADV rally in right before our trip. I'm super excited to have a nice long vacation planned. I need it. It's going to be awesome. Yay!!

Phase 1: The Intro To Adventure Camp

I am registered for this!

Followed immediately by this!

There is a ladies only camp but we will be hosting a wedding in our backyard that weekend. I'll bet the ladies only camp is going to be fun. But, I'm not worried about hanging with the guys. I'm a little bit worried about the altitude at the camp and on the tour. It's almost twice as high as where I live. I should start hydrating. And get back in shape, too.

I am SUPER EXCITED!!! :-) :-) :-)

7 Years on the GS

Facebook reminded me that today marks 7 years that I've had my G650GS. Wow! Time does fly when you're having fun. Today I also began to wonder, what should my next moto be?

I do like the GS but it seems to need a bit more power. I don't know if that's related to some of the stalling issues I was having or if it has more to do with my commute in stop and go traffic. I don't feel like it is quite the machine for the stop and go traffic on the interstate but, maybe there really isn't such a machine.

I've been toying with this idea, CB300F.

It's pretty inexpensive as new bikes go. My hubby did point out it wouldn't be a good touring machine. And I pointed out that would mean I'd need multiple bikes. :-) So then I thought maybe this one would be nice.

But I'm not really ready to give up the dual sport just yet. So, there is also the twin, the F700GS. And I've been thinking I need another Honda. So, maybe their new adventure bike?

The Honda, on paper, is pretty tall for me, although I haven't actually tried sitting on one yet. The  Beemers have low suspension options which is the setup I currently have on the GS.  I think I probably need to test ride a few options and really weight what I want, what I need, and what I can afford.

Hubby also needs a new ride, something that doesn't require so much wrenching. He's quite partial to the Honda ST1300. He also wouldn't turn away a CB1100. We do have a milestone anniversary coming up. Maybe we need a matching set of motos. Now there's a thought! :-)

24,760 miles on the moto as of this evening.

Commuting again!

I've been commuting again! Even though I've taken the interstate both days this week, it's been nice to be back in the saddle again. If I leave early enough the stop and go traffic is more go than stop. The mornings are nice and cool. In fact, this morning I put on a vest beneath my mesh jacket to keep the chill at bay. Fall is definitely in the air, in the mornings anyway. Still quite hot during the day and early evenings.

Yesterday, my gas light came on much sooner than I thought it should. The traffic on the commute probably contributes to that. And, I also try to keep the rpms up in an attempt to keep the bike from stalling. It's been much better now that I don't touch the throttle when I start it. That seems to be the fix that the hubby found online. Apparently it's a thing with the 2009 G650GS. Computer glitch. I also noticed that one of my dash lights is out. I should get that fixed.

24,678 miles are on the bike. Doesn't seem like that many to me. I need more road trips. :-)

9th Anniversary Road Trip

We didn't take the motos. It's just too hot. Here is our lovely home away from home for the next three nights. 

It's so excellent! Swamp cooler which keeps it nice and cool even after cooking dinner inside. 

On the way down, we also stopped at the May Museum of Tropical Insects.

More later. Blogging from the phone isn't very efficient. 

9th Anniversary Road Trip Plans

Our plans are made and lodging is booked! We will venture out but stay closer to home this year. Home base will be the Starlite Classic Campground in Canon City, CO. We have booked this vintage trailer for our three night stay! The plan of course is to ride there but hubby recently hurt his back and I have been having hip issues this year as well so, we will see how we feel. My hip has been doing better and it hasn't bothered me at all these last couple of commutes, so that's a great thing. Hubby hasn't started his back PT yet though. No worries, if we can't ride we will drive. Won't be the first time.

With our lodging in Canon City there are quite a few things we can do in the area that we have never done before. That's still our rule for our anniversary. It's becoming less strict as we get older. Now it really only has to be one thing and not the whole trip. And the vintage RV counts for the one thing. But, we will likely visit one or more of these places as well, weather permitting:

The May Natural History Museum

Seven Falls

Cave of the Winds

Maybe we will eat here!

Maybe take the train up Pikes Peak. We've driven but have never done the train.

And there is the Gold Belt Scenic Byway tour. I don't think we've done that before.

Lots of museums to see as well. We won't be lacking for things to do that's for sure. :-)

Those are all places we've never been. We've done the bigger attractions like, Royal Gorge, Garden of the Gods, Pikes Peak, USAF, etc. I'm looking forward to being off work and spending time with my hubby. :-)

9 years! Where did the time go?

Dusted off the Moto!

Well guess who dusted off the moto and commuted to work? Yep, this gal!

I had lots of service done since the bike had been sitting for so long, neglected even (BMW = bring my wallet). I had the bike completely gone over. It was given a clean bill of health. On the drive home from the dealership, it died once. What the heck?! I parked it and the weather turned and I didn't get around to riding it for about a month.

This weekend, I dusted it off and took it for a long ride. My thought was perhaps there was bad gas from letting the bike sit so long. Hubby drained the tank and filled it with new gas and I hit the road. It wasn't a terribly long ride, about 50 miles, probably less. The bike did fine. I met hubby for lunch and decided to stay out for a few more miles. On that ride, the bike died again! Four times on my way home! Grrrr!

Super frustrating!

Later that afternoon, hubby did some research and came across lots of other 2009 G650GS owners with similar troubles. Here is what he found:
"From what I've read, it seems that the throttle position sensor gets calibrated every time the bike is powered on -not started. So if the throttle is actuated while this is happening, it corrupts the data that the computer uses to adjust fuel delivery. So sometimes rolling off the throttle coming to a stop, the computer reduces the actuation of the injector to a level lower than is required to maintain the engine running. Don't know if that is actually true, but it sounds good."

So, today I decided to ride to work and try a few tips he found online, namely not touching the throttle when I hit the start button. And... so far so good. 

More riding tomorrow is the plan.

Woot! Back in the saddle again!  

8 Years!

8 years of marriage. 4 days of travel. 1 national monument. 1 new local brewery. 0 motorcycles ridden. 1 Forester driven. 2 happy and rested people.

Trip report to follow soon. :-)

It's that time of year!

Yes! It's time for our anniversary road trip! With all the goings on this past year, life as we've come to generally refer to it on good days, when I asked the hubby what he wanted to do this year he said without hesitation, "I want to ride." It's been way too long. Too much sadness last year to even feel the desire to ride. But, it is time to saddle up again.

Dinosaur National Monument is our destination. It's likely we'll stay in Vernal somewhere. It's also likely we'll eat here at least once. :-)

Stay tuned. We are still in planning mode.

The granddaughter turns 3 on Saturday! Time sure does fly!

2014 becomes 2015

Happy New Year everyone! Be safe out there!

http://notchasingme.blogspot.com/2015/01/2014-becomes-2015.html

That's my post from my running blog. Not much more to say so I thought I'd just link to it.

While in Atlanta for the holidays, my brother suggested I take a short ride on his Honda CBR900. I'd always been afraid of it. It's not my style really. But then I rode it. I only rode around his complex because he needs a new rear tire. (You can see the air inside, as my hubby likes to say.) And I didn't even get it out of 2nd gear. But, I think I need a sport bike. Probably something smaller like the Honda CBR250 just to lean in the corners as needed for therapy.

Here I am returning from the ride. If you listen carefully, you can hear me say, "This is fun!" (Also, note that I keep motorcycle gear at my brother's house so we can ride together. :-) )

In 2015 I resolve to ride more!! Stay tuned!

Hello there!

Hi there folks!

I'm still around. Still no time to ride or blog or whatever. Lots of life happening, good and bad stuff. It's been one heck of a year, personally, professionally. We didn't even do an anniversary road trip this year. My dad died sort of unexpectedly a couple of weeks before our anniversary. We weren't actually planning a trip because of my new job and me not having a lot of vacation time built up. What little I had was used up going to see him and then going to his funeral. Sad times. :-(

As for the moto, I realized this year as I renewed my registration that I hadn't actually ever put my 2014 stickers on it. Wow. Have I ridden so little that I didn't even notice that detail? Goals for next year are to ride more and ride more.

On the up side, here's a photo of my two year old grand niece working on her motorcycle. :-)

Dusted off the Spider Webs!

Today, I rode to work. :-)

That could be my entire blog post right there. It's been so long, that alone feels like monumental news.

I used to think I wasn't a very competitive person. I know some competitive people, friends and family. I suppose I am just more subtle about it or at least I think I am. When I got on the bike this morning the first thing I did was look at the mileage. I remember being quite bummed when the Forester had more miles on it than the GS. I wasn't sure why but I have come to realize it's my competitive nature. I took great pride in being a year rounder, riding in conditions others wouldn't. Putting the miles on the motos rather than the cars. This carries over into lots of other things I do as well. When I was leaving my old CrossFit gym I remember breaking my "check in" record on Foursquare for the number of consecutive weeks I'd been there. That was very satisfying for me to make that milestone before having to start over at a new place.

This morning I thought about how I'd been tracking my moto miles on this blog. I remembered thinking or writing that I could keep track better if I counted from our anniversary rather than the first of the year. But then last year, we didn't ever ride the motos for our anniversary trip. This year, because of my new job responsibilities, I'm not sure we will even take a trip on our anniversary. This hasn't upset me as much as I thought it would.

It's not the miles that count. Maybe it's my age (45) or maybe it's just life. Maybe it's being in this new job that has given me a more positive perspective on things and has offered me the chance to reflect a bit. My life is pretty darn good. It really is. Not many people really feel that way. We have our struggles and worries for sure but, when it comes down to it, we are happy, healthy, and have two motos in the garage ready to hit the road on a whim if we like. How awesome is that?

We will continue to take those rides and add some miles to our bikes but, the total number of miles will not be what we reflect on in the end. It's the number of smiles, the amount of laughter, and the memories that we will cherish the most.

Ride safe everyone! :-)

Good news/Bad news

Well, not really bad news... :-)

In the last few months, I've lost a bit of weight. I started this paleo diet with my old CrossFit gym back in October when they did a food challenge. I really needed something to jump start a better way of eating. I'd been eating for convenience rather than nutrition, shall we say. Oddly enough, a Starbucks breakfast isn't the best fuel for a high intensity workout. So, I accepted the food challenge because it came with a monetary prize. It was a 30 day paleo diet - no added sugar, no dairy, no grains, no legumes, no alcohol. The challenge also included a body fat test. The first two weeks sucked like nothing else. But week three was like magic. Week four was easy because I knew it was almost over. At the end of it, I saw dramatic results. My energy levels were much better. I could pay attention better at work and had more energy before, during, and after my workouts. I was convinced.

Since then, I've stuck to the paleo plan, tweaking it as needed, "cheating" when I want, and I've continued to lose weight and body fat. That's the good news. The bad news is related to this blog.

My motorcycle gear no longer fits! I tried on my Olympia Airglide pants and even with a belt they wouldn't really stay on if I had an unfortunate get off. My Draggin jeans, which I wear over my Bohn under armour (which does still fit) are also too big. So big, in fact, I could pull them off without unbuttoning or unzipping them! Wow!

So, I've done a bit of shopping and have a new pair of mesh pants. I'm still searching for a new pair of Kevlar jeans. So, yay for a healthier me! Not so much for having to replace my wardrobe so I can ride. :-) Ok, so that's not such a bad problem to have and I shouldn't complain but.... :-)

Hello!!

Has it really been that long since I last blogged? For shame! No excuse really other than, I haven't been riding so there's not much to blog about. And, this blog post isn't even about riding. It is to say that I have a fabulous new job!!

Today was my very first day as the Head Librarian (and Archivist) at the Denver Botanic Gardens!! I think I love it already! Seriously, after only one day, I think it's the best job I've ever had. All of the folks I met were very excited to see me and were excited about the library and excited about their own jobs. It's a fairly big place so, granted, it was a small sample but, it was a very nice feeling to be welcomed so warmly.

Free covered parking! Woo hoo!! Shorter commute with more traffic. Boo hoo. But, I think, once I settle in, and the weather warms, I will be able to find a scenic commute on the moto. I may even be able to request a small helmet shelf in my office. Or, I can at least bring one and have someone install it for me. :-)

Cheers to new beginnings (and stable job funding)!!!

Hello there!

Hi there folks!

I'm still around. Haven't been riding much. No particular reason really. The car is easier. I still haven't found any problem with the bike. I rode twice this week and it was fine. It sure felt good to be in the saddle again. High winds and a threat of rain put me back in the Forester for today's commute.

I've been running more (and not blogging about that either) and just doing the work thing. Nothing terribly exciting happening. That's not really a bad thing though. The granddaughter is getting so big so fast! And, guess what, she's going to have a boy cousin to push around in about a month. Well, he'll be here in about a month. She won't be pushing him around for another year or so. :-)

Good times! I hope you are all enjoying your rides!

My happy place parked in front of my other happy place - my CrossFit gym.

Maybe It's Me

Greetings fellow riders!

I'm not sure what's going on. There's possibly some gremlins doing their handy work on my bike. I dropped the bike off before I went to a conference. I was away all of last week. The bike had stalled as I pulled into my driveway after being serviced for a new battery and a tune up. I hadn't done any of the regular factory maintenance in a while and it was also due for an oil change. The previous stalling issue was determined to be a low battery. So, happily I rode it home feeling that the problem had been solved. But, alas, it died as I pulled into the driveway. Weird.

I dropped it back at Mike's Motorcycle and he said he'd keep it while I was away and maybe take it on a longer ride just to see what's up. He ran the computer codes but nothing had registered. He rode it for 60 miles and it didn't do anything. So, I picked it up today. I don't know what's going on. I can't imagine I'm doing anything odd to make it die. But, it died twice on the way home today. I was nearly home when it did. So, that's after about 20 - 25 miles of riding. It was fairly hot today but that shouldn't matter. Brand new gel battery. Fresh oil change. Hubby thinks it's bad gas. I was on my way to get gas when it died so decided to ride it home instead. I'll fill up tomorrow. I think Mike put gas in it on Saturday.

I just don't know what to do other than keep riding it to try to determine a pattern. If it's me, I'd like to figure out what I'm doing wrong so I can correct it. If it isn't me, at least I'll have more data.

Maybe I need a new gremlin bell?

Oh well, at least it's a good excuse to ride it a lot. :-)

Trip Report - 6th Anniversary Road Trip

A few things were different for this, our 4th road trip. We decided not to fight the heat by driving the Subaru Forester with it's cushy, comfy, air conditioned ride. We still chose a destination where neither of us had been before - Capitol Reef. And, despite having the car, we still decided not to camp. Ok, so far that's only one thing that was different. I guess it just felt much different because we didn't have the bikes. :-)

We drove straight through from the Denver area to Torrey, UT. It's a pretty straight forward route, west on I-70 and south on Utah Hwy 24. Torrey is a small town with no stop lights. There are several lodging options. We chose Austin's Chuckwagon Motel. Very nice folks, fairly quiet, there's laundry on site, a grocery with everything you could possibly need, and a deli that's open for made to order breakfast and lunch. Torrey also has several restaurants. We chose to eat at one of them three times. (The beer was cold and the pizza was tasty and it was just up the street.)

On our first day we did a drive through the park and a visit to the Visitor's Center, to scope out the hikes and scenery. We sat in on a ranger talk at the visitor's center which was about the geology of the park. That helped us get our bearings for the driving tours. There were several ranger talks throughout the week. We also did a ranger led geology hike. We were a little late getting to it but were able to catch the group before they headed up the ridge.

Heading up!

Ranger explaining time as rocks.

Looking into the canyon.

 Another ranger led hike was about the petroglyphs in the park. Very cool!

Petroglyphs!

Boardwalk trail to see the petroglyphs. It was closed at one end because of some downed trees.

Another hike was into the Grand Wash. We needed to time this one to go out early in the morning and also not when there was the threat of rain. It is just what it says it is, a flash flood wash area. It's also inside the canyon so not very shady. The rangers all warned us to take more food and water than we thought we'd need. It's only about a mile or so into the are called the Narrows. So, we felt well prepared to manage that safely. It's not a terribly difficult hike in terms of the terrain either. But, like good motorcyclists, we were aware of our surroundings and had an escape plan if we needed it.

The Narrows

A cubby we found for lunch and also our turn around point.

Beautiful!

Beautiful sky!

During our hike it was so quiet. We were the only ones out that early. It wasn't even that early, maybe 8:30 or so. On the way back we started to see more people heading out. The cloud cover that we'd enjoyed for most of our hike was starting to break. That meant it was getting hot but also meant the storms weren't coming just yet. After we finished this trail, hubby wanted to check out another canyon he'd noticed just up the road. We hiked into the gully and into this small box canyon. It dead ended with what looked like a whirlpool in the sand. It was pretty cool and odd. We were imagining that water would come from the cliff above because the washed out plants were all facing that direction. It must be a sight to see when it's happening.

After our hike we drove back into town and had some lunch. While sitting there, we watched the storms roll in over the park and wondered how many people were hiking in the Grand Wash.

Storms rolling in.

Lunch was very tasty!

Afterwards, we went back into the park and did a short hike, the beginning of Chimney Rock. The hike goes to the top of a mesa overlooking the Chimney Rock. We didn't want to be up there while the lightning was going on. I didn't want to be up there period.

We ended up leaving a day earlier than planned but stopped in Glenwood Springs, CO on the way home. We didn't visit the hot spring but got up early to hike to Hanging Lake. This was something we tried to do last year on our way home but it was too late in the morning and way too crowded. This time we hit it just right. Amazing!

Along the trail

At the lake.

The water is so clear!

Tim at Spouting Rock above Hanging Lake.

By the end of the trip we'd visited one national park (Capitol Reef), one national monument (Grand Staircase-Escalante), and two state parks (Anasazi and Goblin Valley). 

In Grand Staircase-Escalante

In Grand Staircase-Escalante

In Grand Staircase-Escalante

In Grand Staircase-Escalante

In Grand Staircase-Escalante

Goblin Valley State Park. We must come back here with the motos!

Goblin Valley

Goblin Valley - panorama

We must return to both Goblin Valley and Grand Staircase-Escalante. We only drove through Grand Staircase which borders Capitol Reef. We lucked out with the weather on that day as well. The storms came through the day after and we are sure that the dirt road would have been washed out and flooded in places. And Goblin Valley has a lovely campground next to the start of the 4WD road. There are even two yurts to rent and they both had swamp coolers! It was terribly hot when we were there. We stopped on the way back home so didn't spend too much time there. It was about 2:00 or so, the hottest part of the day.

Once again, a very nice time was had by all. It was too short of course. We did run out of things to do in Capitol Reef and got bored in Torrey. That's why we left a day early. But, we did all the things we'd planned to do as well. So, it was a very successful trip. :-)

And now that the precedent has been set, and we don't have to ride the motorcycles on our vacation trips, we are wondering where we could fly to next year.... ;-)

And now, we must plan for our fall make up moto ride, as soon as we figure out why my GS keeps stalling. More on that later.