9.9.2015

It is certainly a bittersweet post but tonight I am saying goodbye to my 2013 Honda Goldwing F6B.  I had this bike for the better part of two riding seasons and I enjoyed all the miles that I've put on.  In total I put on around 6K miles which is far less than had originally planned by now but sometimes life gets in the way of the ride.  I hope that the next owner enjoys it as much as I have and really takes advantage of all this bike has to offer.  I am closing this chapter but I'm sure that there will be another bike down the road...until then, goodnight!

8.22.2015

I met Bernie at Eden Avenue Grill this morning for breakfast.  I wanted to make sure and get some extra seat time since I knew he only wanted to cruise around Lake Harriet and Lake Calhoun.  He is new to riding and picked up an '74 CB350four that he has been riding all summer.  Compared to the Death Star it looks like a moped but it has a cool sound to it and it has two wheels so who cares.  I even took it around his neighborhood since he asked if I wanted to give it a whirl.  It was so light and nimble but definitely not built for a guy my size.  I ended up at around 85 miles for the day which isn't bad considering it was mostly around town.

8.20.2015

After work today I hopped on the bike and headed over to Champps in EP.  I met my friend Trevor for a burger and a beer.  I hadn't seen him since the "last" Motley Crue show at the X and needless to say there was some serious catching up to do.  I didn't take the long way home so really this was a quick 15 miles in total.

8.7.2015

I took the bike into work today.  I dropped off my truck for brake service last night so I didn't have a choice.  We got some overnight storms so I was worried the roads would still be wet when I headed out but to my surprise they weren't that bad.  I didn't really feel like getting suited up in rain gear to ride 15 miles plus it was so muggy that would've been a bad combo.  The ride home was brutal - traffic was slower than usual and the humidity and temp made for a very uncomfortable ride.  Luckily when I got home the AC in the house was pumpin' so I could just lay down and relax before the weekend kicked into high gear.

8.2.2015

Amanda went out on the boat with her family so I figured I needed to get some solo riding in.  I started on the south side of the lake via 19 and wrapped around the west side of the lake out by some hobby farms by Orono and then came back around on 12 through the north side of the lake areas.  I rode for about an hour and half so it wasn't a long ride but it was nice to get out again this weekend.

8.1.2015

Amanda and I rode two up out to Mies Outland in Watkins MN.  I have heard wonderful things about the staff and facility and since we already had excuse to head out that way we figured two birds, one stone.  We also wanted to scope out properties in the Annandale area.  The dealership was gorgeous and the staff was very friendly.  Afterwards we headed to main street [pictured first] to grab a burger.  Then we packed up and cruised around Pleasant Lake[pictured second] and Clearwater Lake. We took 55 all the way out on the way there and took a less direct route home.  We put in between 3-4 hours of seat time today but not sure where we landed in total miles.  I went through the better part of a tank so I'd put it somewhere around 200 miles.  Gorgeous day for a ride!

7.22.2015

Finally got back on the bike tonight after too many days away.  Between work, weddings, school prep and birthdays I couldn't squeeze in time to ride.  The weather tonight was exceptional and there were no more excuses, the death star needed me and I needed it.  I clocked about 55 miles out on the west side and north of the lake.  The bike ran great and it was nice to be back in the saddle again.

7.3.2015

Today we had the day off of work so we decided to take a spin down to St. Peter via Henderson and the river road.  The weather was gorgeous and the roadways were mostly clear of any traffic.  I'm pretty sure that everyone is up at their cabin for the weekend which is fine by me, fewer cars to contend with.  Down and back was about 120 miles in total.  Quick fun ride, already geared up for the next one!

7.2.2015

Amanda and I went to Floyd's in Victoria for PT on the Patio after work.  My brother's show went from 4-7 and featured live music from Sarah Morris.  Because most of the shows are on the north side of town this has been the only one we've been able to make this year.  When I pulled up the guy on the GL1500 immediately chatted me up asking about the bike and how I like it.  He mentioned that he was considering one earlier this year but didn't make the move on it yet.  I read in forum postings that the 6 gets a lot of attention at bike meet ups and that has certainly been my experience as well which frankly surprises me given the high dollar HD and V-Twin customs that were close by.  I do really enjoy the bike and it has done nothing but put a smile on my face each time I ride.  More riding to come tomorrow!  Pictured below is the line up when we rolled in and then pic three are the bikes that showed up after when we were heading out.

6.28.2015

Today Amanda and I took the Death Star to Pepin for a lunch date.  Unfortunately our normal spot, Harbor View Cafe, didn't open until 11:45am on Sundays and we didn't want to wait around for an hour so we headed to a place off the main drag that we spotted on the way into town.  The Homemade Cafe was a cash only joint that specializes in breakfast and pies so we figured we couldn't go wrong.  After a solid sampling of "breakfast food for lunch" we headed back home up the same path we came in - 35 up to Prescott, over to 61 to 494.  Pictured below we've got the bike pre launch ready to be loaded up and then a couple of obligatory pictures of the bike outside of the Harbor View Cafe.  Total mileage was around 180.  Temps were on the warmer side with higher levels of humidity.  The bike ran great and somewhere on 35 between the Red Wing turnoff and Pepin I turned over 10K miles on the bike.  Cheers to 10 and heres to another 10!

6.14.2015

I headed up to Duluth around 9am this morning.  I grabbed a bite to eat at Black Woods Grill & Bar [pictured below].  After I wrapped up I turned around and headed home.  370 miles in total.  It was mostly slab there and back with the biggest call out being the temp.  In the cities it was around 80 and in Duluth it was in the high 50s.  The bike ran great but since I was wearing ear plugs I couldn't hear the radio very well at speeds above 70mph.  Other than that no complaints.

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6.13.2015

I was planning on heading up towards the north shore this morning but the weather didn't cooperate.  The forecast was calling for an overcast but dry day, instead we got rain and drizzle up until around 9:30-10am.  Fortunately things cleared up through the afternoon so I hopped on the bike around 4 and made it home around 6:30.  I went out west on 7 to Hutchinson.  Then I took 15 north to Dassel.  Once I got into town I topped off and headed back east on 12.  I cut down 25 south through Watertown and met back up with 7.  I ended up putting the OEM tall screen back on and that makes a huge difference at speeds above 55.  Fingers crossed the weather holds for tomorrow because the plan is to head north early in the AM!

6.9.2015

Went to cruise night again down in Henderson.  Chris met Amanda and I at our house around 6 and then we headed to fleet farm to meet Steve and Brittany.  Same route down there but the ride back was interesting.  Heading down we noticed the skies to the west were dark and ominous, it was obvious there was going to be some amount of rain on the ride home.  That said we only got about 10-15 minutes of it and I would call it mild at best.  We snaked our way out west and then met up with 7 and headed east back home.  We only put on about 80 miles tonight which was plenty for two up on a Tuesday.

6.2.2015

I met up with my cousins Chris and Steve (and Steve's daughter Brittany) tonight for a ride down south to Mankato via Henderson.  We stopped along the way at a church on the bluffs with a cemetery behind it [first two pics].  The access getting up the hill was rather steep but it was worth it for the view from the top.  Afterwards we continued south to Henderson for their Tuesday cruise night.  We parked our bikes and watched the classic roll down Main St [pictures 3 and 4].  There were some real duds but there were also some real nice vintage machines, one that stood out in particular was a '69 Superbird with a 426 HEMI.  After about 30 minutes or so we hopped back on the two wheelers and continued south to Mankato, looped back around and then headed home.  We stopped off at 212 in Cologne and then went our own ways back home.  Overall it was a great ride - about 150 miles altogether.  

5.31.2015

Back out on the bike this morning for another ride.  Amanda and I headed out to the Red Rock Cafe in Hastings [pictured below] around 9:30.  We layered up since the temp was in the higher 50's with partial sun.  After grabbing a bite there we headed across the river into Prescot.  We then headed south on 35 and crossed back into Minnesota in Red Wing.  I needed to top off so we stopped into the Kwik Trip on the way out of town.  While I was filling up an older rider who had a HD Ultra walked over to ask me how I liked the bike and we made small talk.  He thought the bike looked great and I definitely agree.  After I filled up we made our way back via 61 to 52, across 55 then crosstown home.  Overall that puts us at about 135 miles for the morning/afternoon.

5.30.2015

Today I took two rides.  In the morning Amanda and I rode around the lake and then went to Wally's for lunch.  The weather was brisk but manageable.  It warmed up throughout the day and by the time my cousin Chris and I went out at 3 it was in the high 60s with clear skies.  Chris and I headed out west and hit up some back roads around Watertown and Montrose.  Overall I put about 150 miles on today.  If the weather is nice tomorrow the plan is to head out and do breakfast at a diner in Hastings.

5.28.2015

What a beautiful night, about 78 degrees and really clear.  I installed a new Klock Werks Flare shield on my bike tonight - came via UPS late this afternoon.  Originally I ordered the 16" model but I experienced some fitment issues so I exchanged it for the 14" model.  The new shield installed very easily, not to mention this is the 5th windshield I've had on the bike so I'm well versed in swapping them out.  I took a quick spin out on 7 and back on 5 tonight just to "test it out."  I'm happy to report that there were no issues.  I forgot to mention a few posts ago but I also installed some Kury Ergo II highway pegs that are handy on long hauls.  While they take up more real estate on the engine guard and are no where near as sleek and stylish as the Rivco flip out pegs they seem to be of a high quality and I think they will do the trick.

5.23.2015

My cousin Chris called me last night to see if I wanted to go for a cruise today.  I was planning on riding anyways and sometimes it is fun to ride in packs so I took him up on it.  We decided to meet at a gas station in the morning just a few miles from my house and funny enough when he pulled up I noticed his helmet was similar to mine [pictured below].  It turns out that was the bucket he bought back when he was racing (several years ago) and it turns out my lid is basically the new version of that same helmet.  A weird coincidence indeed.  A few of his buddies were planning on meeting in Prescott WI just over the MN border and head out from there around 10AM.  That is a very popular spot for motorcycle enthusiasts since there are some gas stations, restaurants, and shops all along a two or three block stretch before you meet up with WI highway 35 and all of the awesome adjoining farm road and hilly country along the bluffs.  In general it is some of the better riding within a short drive of the Twin Cities.  Unfortunately Chris' bike decided to act up as we were heading out of Prescott.  He just spent the winter rebuilding the bike (a 1983 Honda SilverWing 650).  He had just recently done 125 miles and reported no issues so he thought that all the kinks had been worked out, apparently not.  We noticed that his bike was backfiring and losing power intermittently.  As a result he decided it best that we not chance it farther away from civilization - a decision I wholeheartedly agreed with - and as a result I followed him back into MN and to his dad's shop where he is going to try and isolate the issue.  Although it wasn't ideal I'm glad that the bike ran well enough to make it home and I still got a little over 100 miles in this morning.

5.22.2015

This is the first time I took the 6 to my new job.  Fortunately we have a covered parking ramp with plenty of spots.  Since there isn't designated motorcycle parking I've noticed that most two wheelers park in the spaces that are somewhat obstructed by the support structure and squeeze a bike or two in those spots so thats exactly what I did.  I found myself parking next to a Honda Rebel 250 [pictured below w/my 6] which is what I took my MSF course on and after looking at that bike compared to mine I wonder how in the h*ll I even fit on that thing 12 years ago?!  

5.16.2015

Today I went to Heinen's Motorsports in Osseo to test ride the line up from Zero Motorcycles.  I like to keep an eye on demo ride events that are happening around town.  I have seen videos and read articles about Zero and their line up of all electric bikes.  Being a purest I was very skeptical of the quality and characteristics of the bikes considering I've been riding internal combustion bikes my whole life.  The representative was very friendly and walked me through the mechanics (rather, lackthereof) of the bike.  The ergonomics of the bike are very different from my 6 but not uncomfortable by any means, just different.

First up I rode their S model [pictured below in black] which is their base model.  Four major callouts about this bike - first, it is incredibly quiet, second, it is very maneuverable, third, the rear brake is garbage, four, it is quick!  The bike can be toggled between three settings for power - eco, sport, and custom.  Custom you can dial in your own mapping through a smartphone device, eco is for longer range and less snappy and then sport is holy crap hold on!  For comparison sake I wanted to try the SR model [pictured below in red] which upgrades you from 40KW to 50KW or about a 17hp gain overall.  WOW...the SR in sport mode is nuts.  It'll run a 0-60 in 3.3 seconds and while I didn't have a stopwatch/timer available even with me on the bike it felt damn close to that.  I also rode the FX model [pictured below in "asphalt" - OK, its the dirtbike lookin' one] for fun since it was available.  Apparently yesterday some customer took it out and had some off road fun with it which was obvious from some of the caked on mud underneath the bike that wasn't cleaned off.  It wasn't really a good bike for me but I'm glad that I tried it out.

Overall I am very impressed with the bikes.  With a claimed range of over 150 miles without the upgraded power pack unit (which adds weight up high) that is enough for most casual riders and most commuters.  It doesn't provide much in the way of wind protection and is missing a lot of the creature comforts I am used to.  That said the one real drawback is the price.  Coming in between 15-20K these bikes just don't stack up to the competition in that price range.  For this money you can get touring, sport touring, and adventure bikes that are proven winners.  I will be keeping my eye on the technology as it continues to improve I'm sure the price will continue to decline.

5.6.2015

I installed a Klock Werks 16" tinted windshield on the Death Star this afternoon.  I was surprised at how fast it came considering I put in the order on Monday.  The UPS man was at my door around 3 this afternoon so I wasted no time in putting it on the bike.  The install was quick since I've done it a couple times now having removed the Cee Bailey's 11" dark shield which I then replaced with the OEM tall shield which I believe is a 19" shiel.  The tall stock shield just doesn't have the right look for the bike.  It does function well and the vent is nice to have on really hot days.  However, I want something that matches the attitude of the 6 while still maintaining its function.  After  reviewing my options I landed on the KW 16" unit which is new for this riding season.  I took the bike out despite the pending rain because I wanted to feel how the air moves over the shield.  After my initial 20 minute shake down I'm pleased to report that it is much improved over the stock shield.  Time will tell if I can withstand the wind at highway speeds but around town it is very pleasant.  Also it goes without saying that it looks MUCH better compared with the OEM tall shield.  See below for comparison. 1. OEM stock 2. OEM tall w/vent 3. Klock Werks 16" Flare windshield

5.2.2015

Today is what WCCO describes as a "10 Best Weather Day" [#Top10WXDay].  The sun is shining and the temp is right around 80.  I went to Maynards for lunch with Amanda, her friend G and family.  Afterwards I met with a guy by the name of Tony that bought one of the jackets I had for sale.  We settled on a price and talked bikes for a bit then I geared up and headed out on 212 west.  I made my way out to Cologne and then took a northbound loop through Waconia and made my way back via Mound/Minnetrista.  Out of curiosity I put the stock windscreen back on the bike.  At nearly any speed the wind is rushing up and over the fairing and directly into my chest and face.  I always wear a full face helmet and I typically ride with earplugs in but I can tell you that without those plugs I would be nearing deaf at this point.  Not only that, if you get the bike out on the slab anything over 60 and the wind becomes almost jarring.  I couldn't believe how much of a difference the tall screen really makes but I'm definitely putting that back on.  Although, I have been looking at others that may be available and the KlockWerks 14" looks really great - I would like to see how that one performs.  Also, I ordered a set of Ergo II's last night.  I can't quite dial in the ergonomics of the riding position and since my legs are long I need to be able to stretch them out.  I should be getting those sometime next week and I'll make sure note the performance.

5.1.2015

Happy May-day.  There was a light shower in the late morning but then all that cleared up by early afternoon.  I took the Death Star on a quick trek through windy slow streets around Lake Minnetonka.  No big updates.

4.25.2015

Today Amanda and I went out on another west metro cruise.  We hit up some of the county roads out by Waconia and snaked our way back through Mound which eventually led us back towards home.  The weather was absolutely beautiful and the bike performed flawlessly.

4.23.2015

The weather has been on a roller coaster this week.  We saw some snow earlier in the week, luckily none of it stuck around.  The temps fell into the 30's during the day but now today they are somewhere in the low 50s which is warm enough for a quick ride.  I headed to Excelsior and spun through Deephaven and Greenwood - there isn't much action on the lake yet but I can see a lot of docks being set up.  I'm starting to notice some noise coming from the front fairing and I'm wondering if there is something loose on the windscreen or if there is some other gremlin up in the nose.  I was also getting that reflective glare off of the info screen so I need to see if I can get something to cover that or even tinted film to knock out the glare.  Other than that everything worked as it should without issue.

4.17.2015

Today I met some of my former co-workers for breakfast at Hoagies in Hopkins [picture below was taken across the street].  It is a nice old style diner that serves breakfast all day.  Their prices are very fair but if you go there make sure you have some cash on you since they don't accept credit/debit cards!  After I got home I spent some time working on the yard since the weather was beautiful.  After Amanda got home I cooked some burgers on the grill and then we headed out for a Friday night cruise around the lake.  Luckily with the rain we've had combined with the street sweepers getting out in most of the cities out on the west side of town the sand and road crud is very minimal.  The bike is still very dirty, once I get some time next week I think I will give the 6 a proper bath.  I don't have any updates on the bike other than I'm still very impressed with it overall.

4.14.2015

I took a little spin on the west side of town today.  The weather is absolutely great - mid 60's with a clear blue sky above.  I started out west on 7 and ended up winding north to around 55 and Mohawk by Polaris Industries.  At some point I was on county road 6 and saw a couple of hobby farms that are beautiful.  The picture below was across the street from one.  I made my way back to 494 and saw that they are taking up the road southbound between 55 and 394.  Between that project and all the others around town including all the work that will be starting this week on 101 by my house I don't know how I'm going to get around without hitting major traffic.

4.11.2015

I can't believe it's been 5 months since I've ridden my bike.  The weather has been all over the map the last couple of weeks with rain, wind, and even snow yesterday.  Today the roads were clear and the sky was blue so it was time to take it out today for the first official ride of the year.  I cruised up to the gas station to put some air in the tires after checking the fluids to make sure that everything was good to go when I fired it up.  I had the battery hooked up to the smart charger all winter and since it's a fuel injected Honda it fired right up with zero hesitation.  Do I miss carbureted bikes from years ago...nope!  I wanted to make sure that there were no other issues before Amanda saddled up so  I took a short loop around 5 and 212 to move through the gears and warm up the brakes.  No issues.  I saw an Indian Dark Horse and a Scout and I have to say both bikes were much nicer in person than they show in pictures.  The only thing I didn't like were the oversized ape hangers on the Dark Horse.  I like the vibe of American V-Twins and I love that those bikes are locally designed and manufactured but I can't get over the silky smooth engine and plush ride of the 6.

After I got home Amanda and I took a ride of Wally's to grab a bite.  Then we went over to Brian and Natalie's house in St. Paul to check our their progress since their listing it this week.  After the chef's tour we hung out and chatted on their porch for an hour or so.  Amanda and I planned on cruising lake Minnetonka on the way home but unfortunately there was traffic and construction at every turn so we cut the ride a little short and headed home.  Other than being a dust bucket the bike is great.  I'm still very happy with the F6B and I'm looking forward to turning over many enjoyable miles this summer.  Here are a couple of pics of the bike before we headed out.