My pint sized motorcycle adventures

Morning Ride

An October ride to Work

Morning Routine

Every workday morning through a large part of the year I am able to ride my motorcycle to work. For those of us who enjoy riding motorcycles this, in many cases, is a highlight of the day. My ride is a Yamaha V Star 250 a very dependable unit. My day begins waking from some other strange realm to the demanding sound of my alarm clock. I come out of bed still in a slight sleepy feel and carrying on to my morning routine. Oh yes morning routines Sometimes routine seems too routine almost like the old commercial on TV where there are many people looking exactly the same marching the same going the same direction over and over again. But I am able to step out of that each day on my motorcycle. My morning routine, which is probably like many others , changes here as I prepare for my ride. I gather my boots, riding pants and jacket. Load my sissy bar bag or packsack, depending on how much food I think I desire for my lunch. I slip on my pants, not usually a seamless task as many times I get the long leg side zipper stuck in the overlapping flap. After struggling with this briefly I pull my boot on with a little grunting and tuck all the flaps and pants into their proper order. I then throw on my Tourmaster multi layer reflective green jacket.

It’s cool out there

Now lets see, it is near the end of October in southern British Columbia, Canada. So I have checked the outside temperature and this year the last few weeks the mornings seem a little warmer at between 4 and 5 degrees Celsius. Today a little chillier at 2. Are you wondering why, when I have a Tourmaster three layer jacket that keeps me very comfortable even the minus weather, do I look at what the actual temperature is. Well I think I do it to psych myself up to what I am going to feel on my ride. To tell my fingers it may be a little chilly this morning, the only part of my body that isn’t insulated well, and that reminds me to also put on my neck wrap which really helps for that drafty area.

Heading Out

So grabbing my pack I head out to the garage. I am usually cautious when stepping outside at this time of the year as I may come face to face with fall food seeking critters like a raccoon or bear. So I flip on the porch light scan the area, step out in the cool morning air, making my way toward the garage. Being early morning (4:30 am) I try to make as little noise as possible but sometimes the spring loaded gate latch slips out of my hand making a resounding clang as it lets go. This morning was no different. Then the auto light comes on lighting my way to the garage but kind of obscuring the crisp clear stars and planets light that are so visible this morning. Heading into the side door of my garage I reach around the corner and tap the main garage door opener. The door springs to life with a electrical whir and mechanical rattling as it slowly pulls itself up. My bike shares the two car garage with my wife’s bike , car and a clutter of garden and mechanical tools. I walk over to my bike and slip my key in the ignition. I tie my pack onto the sissy bar of my bike with its straps and an elastic cord. Normally I have a sissy bar bag which just slips over the bar and backrest and is quite secure, but today I had a few extra things so I took my pack sack. I lift my bike off of its side stand and roll it ahead out of the main door. I stop for a moment to thank God for my ride and ask Him to watch over me. Having a motorcycle at all is a miracle to me, but that is another story. I return inside the garage and pick up my helmet that has its own shelf on a side wall. I return to the bike closing the main door behind me. I pull my AGV Miglia helmet over my head doing up the chin strap that is a quick snap. I find this helmet fits me well with my large head and gives me good vision. I have a quick look over my bike to make sure nothing is falling off in which, in which I have only ever had some loose mirrors. I then straddle the seat rock the bike upright kick up the kickstand and plunk myself down in the small but comfortable seat. I go through the start system in my mind, as I slip on my gloves, and think that I will need a little more choke on this cool brisk morning. My foot flips my shift lever to neutral I put up the kickstand and turn on the ignition switch. My instruments glow, the grounds before me illuminate, and my tachometer comes to life with a little dance. I hit the start button and if I have the choke just right the engine will flash to life with barely any push from the starter. Yes and with a small hesitation the engine does comes to life, and gives the classic v twin, so called, potato note of the exhaust. It runs for a moment while I adjust my gloves and face shield. Then I grip the clutch and tap my shift lever to 1st at the same time automatically casting my glance up my street to check for vehicles though there is nobody else around. Slowly releasing the clutch i move forward, the engine gives a slight stumbling complaint as the choke is not quite in the perfect position.

We Are Off

I roll down the street from my short driveway with a subdued rumble. Down a small hill, circling wide around a highway exit area next to our Community Hall and come to a stop at an intersection to Highway 22 in kind of a short twisty bit of maneuvering. I look up the highway towards the last streetlight on the highway leading out of the village. And notice a slight breeze with the leaves waving in front of the light catching my eye. This time of the morning is very quiet for traffic so I don’t always see people going down the road the same time I do. I give my bike a little throttle, with a slight sputter still not agreeing with the choke, pull out and head down the highway gearing up until the engine is about 3500 to 4000 RPM. This is kind of a sweet spot for me as it sounds like a European bike with a cool droning sound. After getting up to just over 50 kilometers per hour I settle into a scanning mode watching the road before and around me. I flip my headlights to high and for a second the reflection back from road signs is bit of a glare. But my eyes quickly adjust and I carry on. My ride is basically a downhill journey and is a relatively short ride of 8 kilometers. Riding along a straight stretch I pass by our Village municipal office and and catch the bright new lights from the fire hall part of the building. A little curve in the road and I come up to an intersection in the road. A “Y” in the road actually where I have to cross left over the other lane. Clicking down a few gears I Slow down as I am wary of this intersection because it is an early morning place to meet the occasional speedy semi tractor trailer hauling wood chips. Shifting back up and on my right a school looms out the darkness. The light colored wall with a large school emblem catches the light of my headlights and lights up the perspective of the building.

A Quiet Stretch Of Road

The road abruptly turns away from the building and leaning into the corner to my left I come out to a relatively straight portion of road paralleling a set of train tracks on my right. Farther to the right is a number of sports diamonds and field track only silhouetted by the light reflected off of clouds by the city nearby. The occasional reflective flash from a tall lamp standard lens catches my eye as my headlights are at the right angle to reflect a point of light back to me. I again notice the drone of my engine which gives me a good feeling that I am able to ride a motorcycle but the darkness reminds me the season is drawing to a close. I round a slow curve to the right and head towards the property edge of a large primary smelter I work at. I swing out to the center line on this portion of road as sometimes a massive puddle forms on this half of the road during a rain that is almost impossible to see as it blends in with the road color perfectly. This section for me is also notorious for bear and deer crossing so I am slower and more aware of what is ahead and beside me. Along here I start to notice that my fingers, which are the least protected are starting to feel the cold a little. But I am enjoying my ride to much to really be concerned. After a few curves in the road and a short straight stretch I start down a hill with a corner that turns to the right. This hill sort of wraps itself to a continuous incline but at the top it gives me a bird’s eye view of almost the whole primary smelter layout. Some of the plants are new and there is a massive amount of lights brightening up the whole area. This view in the dark on my bike kind of gives me a different free of obstacles perspective except for the odd tree that is growing on the hillside that momentarily blocks my view. I downshift a gear or two to keep at moderate speed passing one car here on my whole drive. The engine give a pleasant compression drone on my steady descent, The bottom of the hill is a tight complete u turn and I gear down some more leaning into the oddly sloped corner. I pull out of there down another portion of road that turns slowly to the right till I come to a main intersection to a larger highway. Downshifting I come to a stop and I cast my glance from side to side for the freedom to cut across and head down the highway. The highway being relatively void of traffic at this time gives me the freedom to pull out and head left. I give some gas and the rumble of my engine rolls through my ears as I pull out.

The Last Stretch

I gear up a little but the main gate of my work looms closely ahead and I pull in towards it. But cut to the right before this gate gearing down quickly and heading onto a side road that leads to a parking lot farther on. This road has some twisty corners for the first part but then straightens out for the last stretch. I am now thinking that my ride is almost over so I am relishing my last bit of ride. The parking lot comes into view but I have to gear down to cross some railways tracks before the lot. I cross and pull into the lot gearing up a little having the last listen of my engine and take full advantage of the lot being quite empty at this time swinging to the very end, making the ride a moment longer, doubling back and parking in unmarked section beside a building. This lot and building are quite new so I grabbed this little nook in the parking lot for motorcyclists. Because I am so early in the morning parking I was able to take this section before cars showed up and kind made it a set precedence for bike parking. But now I am pulling into that spot I come to a stop but let the motor run for a moment more then shut it off. The quiet ending my ride. I gather my bag and head into work knowing in 12 hours I will be back and enjoying my ride home.