Riding season over??? Too soon!

[Beardo]

Damn snow here the last couple days. Forecast isn't good, rain and snow mix for the next few days, below 0 at nights. Most years I can ride until the 20th or so, which works out because that's when we head up north for moose season. Last year, I was riding to -10, the cold doesn't bother me, but the snow and ice does.

Looks like it may be an early winter. Not ready to winterize yet. This blows.

Going to leave the plates on though, it MIGHT warm up yet. Have to at least get 1 more ride in to top up the tank and get the Stabil into the carbs and change the oil.

Envy you BC guys!

[gordonv]

Only one showed at todays meet on a MC, George. Rain gear and all. Wife and I, in the car from Richmond. If I was a lone, I most likely would have ridden my new to me bike over.

Unsure when I will take the plates off the mc. Rain has started, haven't done much ridding to do the bike justice, but I think I'll be getting every Friday off for the rest of the year to use up my left over vacations. So if the day is dry, I might be out ridding, even if local to the coffee shop.

Do you get those Chinooks (warm weather) during the winters, like AB does?

I think I heard that you have to buy the mc insure for a year, no cancelling during winters? But it's cheap enough, because they know you can only ride about 6-7 months of the year?

[Beardo]

Our last couple winters have been exceptionally warm and dry, by our standards anyway. Only a couple weeks of -30  . We do get the odd "warm" spell from AB, but it isn't as warm by the time it gets here. I think most of the hot air comes from Ottawa, actually  .  Last year, we had so little snow, we didn't have to shovel once. Normally we have 8 ft of snow beside our driveway by the end of winter.

My plates are $1600 for the whole year(with a $400 discount for clean driving record), but we can pay monthly. So I pay $140/month and cancel in the winter. I have a package policy that covers me for storage in the winter and lowers my deductible to $200, that's $150/year.


Congrats on the new bike, btw. Very nice.

[msb]

Thought about it this AM even with the rain, but decided to re-grout a shower floor instead ... shocked the wife, that I actullay crossed one of my long procrastinated  chores off the list . Weather improving tomorrow and then again on Monday....probably head Eastward. Anyone interested, maybe meet up for lunch?

Jason, I looked at the forcast this week to plan a short trip to Regina & Saskatoon for next week, but then I remembered I didn't have any Winter jackets, gloves, boots, snowshoes, earmuffs, etc, etc , so will have to wait for another possibility.....again, my affliction with procrastination has caught up to me. If planes are still flying to Regina  later this month or early November, gonna try and take another stab at it, as I have a possibility to set up a new distributor there. If it works out I'll give you a heads up.
I would think that Sask. bike owners would have the shiniest bikes around, what with all that time to polish

[icandoitfaster]

Hey Mike,
My brother-in-law and I are planning a ride out to Harrison or Hope Monday afternoon........he works nights so we usually leave around noon. We could meet at the Mission White Spot parking lot. Let me know if you'd like to join us.
cheers,
paul

[msb]

Hey Mike,
My brother-in-law and I are planning a ride out to Harrison or Hope Monday afternoon........he works nights so we usually leave around noon. We could meet at the Mission White Spot parking lot. Let me know if you'd like to join us.
cheers,
paul

sent you a text Paul

[icandoitfaster]

We're heading out for a ride to Hope tomorrow afternoon. We are meeting at the White Spot parking lot in Mission at 12:15 if anyone else would like to join us. The weather man is calling for a nice day and Hwy 7 is a beautiful run. Hope to see a few of you there.
cheers,
paul

[gordonv]

I wish I could make it, but already have plans with the family.

I delivered my Green/Silver IS to my brother tonight, he's going to "store it" for me, and told him about the ride tomorrow. He wasn't sure, but figured it might be a little far for his first ride in a few years on the GL1500. But I'll let him know it's a sure thing and a noon deadline meet up.

Thank you,

[Beardo]

Went for the last rip yesterday and put in some Seafoam and topped up the tank. I usually use Stabil, but I had a can of Seafoam in my garage and no Stabil, did a search on here, apparently it will stabilize as well. Changed the oil, sprung the few extra dollars for some Amsoil synthetic 10w40...checked the price of Rotella T6 here, it's not much cheaper.

Will spend the day in the garage today washing it then it goes up on the lift for a thourough underbelly degreasing. I ordered a new u-joint and boot from the stealer($266+40!!), will wait for that to get here before I tear into it to do the rear end maintenance. I did notice a slight clunk from the rear end the last few weeks. It doesn't do it if you bounce it at all, just when you start from a stop. Sounds like a wheel bearing, but I just replaced them last summer. So I'll do the dampeners and ujoint, check the bearings again.

Love working on the bike but wish it wasn't for another month yet. You guys keep posting your rides. I'm living vicariously through you for the next few months.

[icandoitfaster]

We had a great ride today. Cool fall wind, beautiful autum colored leaves and miles of great road running along the Fraser River surrounded by mountains......just doesn't get any better.

Had a little scare just one mile from my home at the end of the day. A young lady, pissed and druged out of her mind, came into my lane about one hundred yards ahead of me. I was looking for an escape route when she veered off back into her lane, then into the ditch, into the forest beside the ditch taking our small trees as she went, back into the ditch sheering off a fire hydrant and leaving her entire exhaust system behind, then back up onto the road behind me and into the oncoming traffic again before coming to a stop. I turned around and rode back to see if she was OK. I opened her door, turned the car off and removed her keys. She was sitting in the drivers seat in a complete daze. Didn't speak a word. Just sat there with her eyes closed until the cops came. Empty bottle on the passenger floor.  

What the hell!!!!  Five o'clock in the afternoon. I always try to be off the roads after dark in an effort to miss the crazies! This theory isn't working anymore. The cagers are getting hammered and stoned earlier and earlier in the day and then driving home.  

Anyway, alls well that ends well. It was a really good ride today.
Thanks Mike  

[gordonv]

Glad you're home safe, and had a nice day out. Pictures, any?? 

Crazies every where.  What a site that would have been to see!!!

[msb]

Yes, was a good little run yesterday Paul. Nice meeting your BIL Al....we'll have to get out for another one soon if the weather stays good. No picures from yesterday, but here's one from my solo ride on Saturday .... a great hard-charging run through the back roads of Hatzic, Mission, Kent

[Beardo]

Yes, was a good little run yesterday Paul. Nice meeting your BIL Al....we'll have to get out for another one soon if the weather stays good. No picures from yesterday, but here's one from my solo ride on Saturday .... a great hard-charging run through the back roads of Hatzic, Mission, Kent

Looks so sunny and warm.  Dicks.  All of you.

[icandoitfaster]

We don't always have great riding weather out here on the coast! Occasionally we brace ourselves for a storm! Tonight we are supposed to have the tail end of a typhon come through here with gusts up to 85 kph.  Everyone is preparing for the worse (downed trees, power outages, torrential rain etc). 

That said, it'll probably miss us and we'll continue to have beautiful sunshine, even at night!!!  Gotta love southwestern BC. 
paul

[Beardo]

I don't wish bad weather on anyone.

Except maybe Torontonians. Love when they get a little storm and they come up with a really scary name for it, call in the military, CBC has live reports 24/7. 

Generally I love basking in Torontonians misery. Like when the Jays lose.  Someone asked me why I was cheering for Texas in the last series, I said I have a lot more in common with Texans than Torontonians. 

You western guys tho...

[icandoitfaster]

I'm with you on everything Toronto except for the Leafs.  I know, I know, they haven't been a real team for over 50 years but I just can't help myself!!!         It was placed in my DNA at birth   

[Beardo]

Snow is all gone and the forecast for the next couple weeks is great. Plates are going back on tomorrow!

Did my winterizing already but they are calling for double digit highs this week, just gotta get it out again.

[icandoitfaster]

Gotta love those Praire Chinooks!  

[Beardo]

Gotta love those Praire Chinooks!  

They scare the bejeepers out of Leonardo Dicaprio but we love them!

[msb]

Snow is all gone and the forecast for the next couple weeks is great. Plates are going back on tomorrow!

Did my winterizing already but they are calling for double digit highs this week, just gotta get it out again.

Waiting for the Ride Report!! 

[Beardo]

Pretty boring ride report...just to work and back. Even my evening rides out here would be boring as hell for you guys. Although it's dark at 6pm now, so there's a high likelihood of hitting a deer, so that might be exciting.

[The emperor has no clothes]

Pretty boring ride report...just to work and back. Even my evening rides out here would be boring as hell for you guys. Although it's dark at 6pm now, so there's a high likelihood of hitting a deer, so that might be exciting.

let's stay away from that kind of excitement. A week ago we had a little gathering in Prescott for one of the guys who recently retired. We all met for dinner right downtown. After leaving back for the hotel I took an off ramp from 69 to 89. In the middle of a good sized city standing in the middle of the road was a buck who had lost one side already. Nice looking buck !! Come to a panic stop from 60 to 10 and he finally takes off. But he didn't move till I was within 10' of him.

[msb]

Pretty boring ride report...just to work and back. Even my evening rides out here would be boring as hell for you guys. Although it's dark at 6pm now, so there's a high likelihood of hitting a deer, so that might be exciting.

let's stay away from that kind of excitement. A week ago we had a little gathering in Prescott for one of the guys who recently retired. We all met for dinner right downtown. After leaving back for the hotel I took an off ramp from 69 to 89. In the middle of a good sized city standing in the middle of the road was a buck who had lost one side already. Nice looking buck !! Come to a panic stop from 60 to 10 and he finally takes off. But he didn't move till I was within 10' of him.

Yes, I know my exhaust is a wee bit loud and perhaps unpleasant to ride behind at times (right, Paul?) , but the truth is that ever since I switched to the larger bore glasspack option I have for my Dragon Pack system, every single deer, elk, moose, dog, bear, or whatever I've come across has stopped short on the side of the road or scampered back into the bush instead of challenging its good fortune in front of my bike. This has been for the past 6 years, and that's a lot of critters! Prior to that, dodging these beasts was a regular part of our "excitement" of riding. Who says "loud pipes don't save lives"? I don't mind wearing earplugs, upsetting the odd neighbour when we head out early in the AM or, riding at the back of the pack on the rare occasions we do group rides.... I've never hit an animal in over 40 years of riding and am not about to start now.

[Beardo]

Interesting Mike. I've never thought about that benefit of louder exhaust.  I do know I have to be even more careful about not riding in people's blind spots with a quiet bike. 

I'd love some more sound from my pipes but I leave home at 06:20, I let it warm up on the driveway for a couple minutes this time of year (was -4 when I left this morning), the neighbours probably wouldn't appreciate it.  I know they much prefer my Valk to my last Harley I had with Screaming Eagle mufflers. But it was fuel injected, didn't need to be warmed up, so I'd start it up as I was coasting down the driveway and take off.

[msb]

The good thing about the Valk with many of the after market exhausts,  is that it's not overly obnoxious at idle or low speeds,  but when you give it the throttle it can be pretty loud. A totally different tone than the V-twins.... more like an old  small block v8.  At speed,   I thiink its the unique pitch of the 1500 that scares off the forest rats,  which is also why it'll set off all the alarms when cruising by a line of parked cars at around 2200 rpm or so . As with the MarkT exhausts available from MarkT on this site,  some systems have silencers you can insert for changing out the level of sound.... I'll probably go that way one day soon.

[Beardo]

The good thing about the Valk with many of the after market exhausts,  is that it's not overly obnoxious at idle or low speeds,  but when you give it the throttle it can be pretty loud. A totally different tone than the V-twins.... more like an old  small block v8.  At speed,   I thiink its the unique pitch of the 1500 that scares off the forest rats,  which is also why it'll set off all the alarms when cruising by a line of parked cars at around 2200 rpm or so . As with the MarkT exhausts available from MarkT on this site,  some systems have silencers you can insert for changing out the level of sound.... I'll probably go that way one day soon.

It's only 946 km from Billings to MarkT's place in Colorado...we could rip there after Inzane....would be easier than shipping, etc!

[gordonv]

It's only 946 km from Billings to MarkT's place in Colorado...we could rip there after Inzane....would be easier than shipping, etc!

Easier and a lot more fun too.

[msb]

The good thing about the Valk with many of the after market exhausts,  is that it's not overly obnoxious at idle or low speeds,  but when you give it the throttle it can be pretty loud. A totally different tone than the V-twins.... more like an old  small block v8.  At speed,   I thiink its the unique pitch of the 1500 that scares off the forest rats,  which is also why it'll set off all the alarms when cruising by a line of parked cars at around 2200 rpm or so . As with the MarkT exhausts available from MarkT on this site,  some systems have silencers you can insert for changing out the level of sound.... I'll probably go that way one day soon.

It's only 946 km from Billings to MarkT's place in Colorado...we could rip there after Inzane....would be easier than shipping, etc!

[gordonv]

Partial clear skies, drying, and warm. Currently 19'C (70'F).

This morning at work with my coffee outside with the buys chatting.



The El Nina bringing it's warmth here right now. Talk of Seattle (Washington State even?) might have some record highs broken today.

[icandoitfaster]

We had the warmest November 8th ever recorded in the Lower Mainland today. It was a great afternoon for a ride after work.

[Beardo]

Been crazy nice here too, 17 tomorrow. 

God bless Al Gore and his Global warming.

[msb]

Been crazy nice here too, 17 tomorrow. 

God bless Al Gore and his Global warming.

Please try to keep it up for a few more weeks (the nice weather, not blessing Al Gore)...I'm trying to arrange a visit to Regina sometime in the next 3 weeks to see your hill, and only have room in my suitcase for one pair of mukluks and snowshoes, one polar survival suit, and only enough treats for the dogsled team to get me to and from the airport

[Beardo]

Sounds good bud   

According to some after the election last night, hell has frozen over. That must mean SK is heaven...cause it's nice and warm here!

...just hit 20 degrees here. Having a hell of a time not ducking out of work early and hitting the road.

[gordonv]

Went out Friday with the Green IS, to top up the fuel, warm up the engine, and add the Sta-bil for storage. Rode back in the rain. Jumped on the Black IS, and no power. Dead battery.  :'(

Pulled out the charger, and charged it up over night.

Today, beautiful clear sunny day! BUT 2' C and high winds Ferry sailings cancelled). Got the Black IS out, started nicely, down the road slowly, and it died! Tried to start, but it wouldn't run. Oh, fuel gage flashing, turn onto Reserve, and start the bike up. Mileage with a dead battery goes back to 0. Was driving too slow to realize the bike was sputtering, as it was running out of fuel in the carbs.

Got it up on the dyke off the mouth of the North Arm of the Fraser River, looking North towards the North Shore mountains. Wondering where the Lions Are!



Got back on the road, went for a cold ride in the noon day sun. Back and forth on the Hwy, to insure the bike is up at operating temperature. Over to the gas station, in with the Sta-bil, and top up the tank. Over to the liquor store for some personal fuel after I get home. Back on the Hwy and get the bike home.

Bikes parked now for the winter. We are currently expecting snow flurries tonight, and a possibility of sun on Tuesday. Thinking of leaving the plates on one bike, and take it over to our weekly Tuesday night GW meeting. Then off with the plates, and cancel the insurance for the rest of the winter, to await the warmth of spring.

Oh, did I mention, I saw some buds on one of the bushes outside already? I was very surprised, usually don't see them till Jan-Feb lately.

[Beardo]

Yeah, it's that time of year. We have a blowing snow advisory out right now, temps in the -20's this week.

Started my winter routine of reading the "Life is a Road" series to get me by. 1 down, 3 to go.

[icandoitfaster]

I just can't find it in myself to remove my plates.....you just never know when we'll get a beautiful weekend of riding in. Last year I rode four out of eight weekends in January and February. Would have killed me if my bike was off the road and I couldn't take advantage of the beautiful riding. It was a great day today for a ride. Blasted out to Richmond and back....saw dozens of bikes on the road! Mountains had a fresh dusting of snow on them and the ocean had that cold dark icy look to it! Another great day in paradise!!!

[msb]

I just can't find it in myself to remove my plates.....you just never know when we'll get a beautiful weekend of riding in. Last year I rode four out of eight weekends in January and February. Would have killed me if my bike was off the road and I couldn't take advantage of the beautiful riding. It was a great day today for a ride. Blasted out to Richmond and back....saw dozens of bikes on the road! Mountains had a fresh dusting of snow on them and the ocean had that cold dark icy look to it! Another great day in paradise!!!

I hear ya, Paul. it's always been worth the couple hundred bucks it costs me to insure the bike for the full year...even it means getting out only one or two times per month over our  "Winter". I've also found over the years that my old girl feels a lot better when she's taken out or at least fired up on a regular basis over the Winter, rather than having her just dry up sitting in the garage. Nothing like running a bike on a regular basis in order to keep her in peak condition - both mechanically and emotionally ..... the only two times I winterized mine, she acted up come Spring-time, letting me know that she just won't tolerate neglect (mmm.... sounds eerily familiar to my main gal )