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.