KymcoForum.com
General => Roadcraft => Topic started by: rjs987 on November 15, 2021, 10:36:02 PM
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At my wife's request, and since she new I wanted to tack on another 100 miles before I do the first (600 mile) oil change service on the AK 550, I went for a ride today down to Pella, IA. It's a Dutch community known for the Jaarsma Bakery where you can get many really yummy Dutch baked goods including some of the best Dutch Letters in the area. Sun was out and very few clouds. Air was crisp and clear. Temps were around the mid 40s F. Ended up getting 4 Dutch Letters, 2 Dutch Almond Sticks, and a Dutch Cinnamon Coffee Cake. Due to the temps I knew the mpg would be less than I like but that's the way it is when the temps go down. The trip down was about 55 miles and the trip back was about 59 miles for a total of 114 miles there and back. That puts the odometer on the AK right at 608 miles. Just in time to do the oil/filter change tomorrow when the temps are supposed to be in the mid 60s F. It's the last time I am expecting such nice temps to work on the bike for the next 4 months so really wanted to get that service done. Next service after this one will be at 3000 miles on the odometer so will likely be doing that sometime around June. The ave mpg display was showing around 65.3 mpg but that is proving to be very optomistic. The gas gauge dropped to 2 bars at around 102 miles. Then it dropped to the last red bar that started flashing at 123 miles. I was already on my way back and just knew that since we don't get the Euro 5 version of the AK over here the tank just had to still be the 15 L (3.9 gal) and so far during the time I've been riding the AK I knew I could go a lot farther even with the last red bar flashing. I finally stopped to get gas with 142.3 miles on this tank and filled up with 3.004 gallons. I had a whole .9 gallons to go to empty. The Euro 5 version shrank the tank to 12.5 L (3.3 gallons) so I still had plenty of gas to go. To be honest I was sort of wondering if that tank really was 3.9 gallon capacity and also really wondering if my AK was going to start sputtering before I got to the gas station. Still getting used to this bike. Turns out I had nothing to worry about. With lower temps dropping the mpg below where I'd prefer I ended up with 47.3 mpg on that tank. And that was also about 90% at 65+ mph. So much for the displayed 65+ mpg. My Burgman would always display LESS than actual mpg on the display. This AK is the opposite showing WAY MORE than actual mpg. As long as it is more consistent... which is something I have yet to determine.
I did try using the Noodoe navigation with different settings coming back than I used going down. Noodoe navigation is proving to just not be up to par as a navigation tool to rely on. It keeps attempting to route me onto roads that should not have anything to do with either getting there faster or on a shorter route. And the really big kicker that showed up today was that the navigation attempted to route me on city streets to get to the highway that ran around the perimeter of the metro area instead of the faster, and also shorter route of taking the beltway through town. The moment I merged onto the beltway the navigation stopped trying to recalculate and redirect me but instead simply gave up and posted a message that it could no longer route me to my destination!!! REALLY! There are dozens of alternate routes that would take me 55+ miles several towns out. County, state and other local roads abound to follow to the destination I had plugged in with no way points in between. But the navigation just gave up and quit. On the way back it still refused to keep me on the shortest and fastest route trying in stead to have me take any of a dozen gravel roads that lead me way far from either being fast or short paths going home. It did finally pickup on the main city street I had to take to get to the beltway again but wanted me to stay off the beltway and navigate on city streets parallel to it. After I entered the beltway anyway it again gave up and quit. I guess that means a Christmas present will be added to my wish list of a bracket from AliExpress for mounting my phone on the top center of the dash. There is one bracket sold by a few places that is specifically made for the AK 550 that mounts using the existing windshield bolt holes. I'll also be adding a Eastern Beaver 3CS 3 position fuse block just like I had on my Burgman and my CTX1300 before that. I like that fuse block and it provides all the fused aux circuits I need.
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years ago when I was a sales rep for my company I called on the Pella Hospital as it was in my territory. After every hospital visit would be a visit to Jaarsma's bakery...and Dutch letters! My mouth is watering right now thinking about them.
(Dutch letters are large, S shaped pastries, sprinkled with sugar and filled with a sweet almond paste filling...delicious!)
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2 pics can replace 4000 words.....
Or, or...... "no pics, it didn't happen" :)
just sayin'
Stig
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2 pics can replace 4000 words.....
Or, or...... "no pics, it didn't happen" :)
just sayin'
Stig
So THERE! is that better?
It's just that this forum has such a tight restriction on picture size that I have to shrink all my photos I post here drastically. Sometimes they don't look so great after that.
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Went on a twilight ride tonight. 46 miles around the area. About a third of the way along the sun set and the LED lights really started to reveal their power. Did I say I really like LED headlights?
I keep trying out the Noodoe navigation. This time it was better but still not as good as I think it should be. I set a lot of way points for this trip to see if I could get it to route in a more predictable manner. Most of the way around it was working fine. But for the first way point there was a gravel road that cut across from the street I was going down over to the street where the way point was located. The best and fastest route to that way point was NOT taking the gravel road. And especially since once I came to that way point I would have had to do a U-turn to head on along the street in the right direction IF I had followed the Noodoe routing on that gravel road. When I continued on past the gravel road to take the better paved road Noodoe did recalculate... and then once I arrived at the way point Noodoe tried to get me to do a U-turn anyway and then another U-turn to continue in the right direction! After I past the other end of that gravel road Noodoe did recalculate and the rest of the trip was routed as it should be. Thanks to all the way points. I think I figured out that if the way point is placed on the wrong side of the road Noodoe tries to get me to approach it going the direction of that side of the road and then turns me around. If that first way point was on the left side of the road (for USA roads) the routing might have been good all the way around.
In the second small town I came to I took a short detour around a few city blocks on some bumpy brick roads just to feel the suspension at work again and also to go past a time/temp sign to see what that was telling me. Temp did get down to 34 F on the way around. Those bumpy brick roads would cause some jarring and jolts with my Burgman 650 as well as a few other bikes I've taken down those same roads. The AK handled them better than any. I didn't feel any jarring or jolts even though I could tell there were bumps over the uneven bricks. Was a very good test of the suspension on the AK. I think it's the bike with the best suspension I've owned yet even counting my Gold Wing.
While riding at 34 F temps I could tell that I definitely need to put some handlebar muffs on the bike to aid the heated grips. I didn't have the heat turn on more than the second setting but my palms were warm but my finger tips were still frigid, on one hand anyway. I could have turn up the heat one more setting but at 34 F I wasn't anywhere close to how cold I'm used to be able to ride. I need warm hands at zero F or even below. My heated gloves did that for me. I could add the heated gloves system on this AK but I think I'm going for the muffs first to try those and see if they will enable the heated grips to work for me a lot colder than barely freezing temps.
While I was at it I realized I could test out the accuracy of the speedometer on one of the roads... legally. Speed limit was 65 so I slowed to 60 indicated and switched to my clock on the Noodoe display. I noted where the second hand was while passing a mile marker and then when I passed the next mile marker. 60 indicated mph was definitely lower than actual mph. But not by as much as I was expecting. I attempted to do the same while bumping the indicated speed up to 63 but road conditions and traffic made it difficult to hold steady at that speed. But it was close. If my suspicions are right I am thinking this speedometer is not as far off as my Burgman 650 or ST1100 speedos were. Those were about 10% off, optimistically. On those bikes around 66 indicated mph was actual 60 mph. On the AK I still need to verify what I was coming up with but it seems to be about the same offset as both my cars... about 5% or 6% off. It seemed to be real close to 60 mph actual while I was showing around 63 indicated mph. I like to know what my gauges are showing me. I really don't care if they are different than actual as long as I know what they are showing me. I'll be trying that test a few more times. It's easier to determine where I can run at 60 mph since one mile SHOULD be one minute.
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Yep, another nice day for a ride... again.
Rode up to my son's house to help hang Christmas lights on his house and set up the inflatable Christmas figures in his yard. Better in his than mine IMO. I'm not into climbing up ladders so much for hanging lights any more. Top of the ladder and leaning way out from the top to reach the gutters to clip on the lights. And with 15 mph steady winds and some gusts on top of that! :o
Anyway, the ride was really nice. No need for the heated grips this trip as temps were in upper 40s F all the way around. 44 miles round trip.
While I was riding I was thinking that I could run the cable for my heated gloves controller through the cable hole in the handlebar cover and down and into the right glove box through the hole for the Battery Tender pigtail. I had already installed the SAE connector to the heated gloves cable end so will just plug it in there without the need to flex the glove box door or punch a hole anywhere. I am considering this a temporary solution until after Christmas when I am hoping to try out handlebar muffs that I just might get this Christmas, maybe, with the heated grips to see if that will be all I need for the cold temps I ride in.
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Took off for a little 32 mile ride today after finishing up with getting lights put on 2 Christmas trees and some other holiday stuff.
This ride I was able to verify that the speedo on my AK is right at 5% offset from actual. I rode a stretch of highway that was 65 mph but I held it at 63 mph indicated on my speedo and timed a measured mile between a few mile markers using the analog clock that I displayed on the center phone connected panel of the dash. That showed it took exactly one minute to ride from one mile marker to the next. So 63 mph indicated is 60 mph actual. This is more accurate than other bikes I've had. Only my CTX1300 was dead on accurate with the speedo but all other bikes I've owned were between 9% and 11% offset. It's just good info to know.Temps were a steady 47 F all the way around. I bought another Aquarium temp sensor since the one I have used in the past on my bikes was reassigned to show outside temps at home by running the little wire through the frame of a window where it opens. Since the AK 550 does not have a temp sensor for ambient air I like to have some indication what the temp is getting to when it's cold during a ride. And it also helps to verify the temp for the coldest ride game on the ST-Owners forum. Bike thermometers don't read below +14 F anyway and I ride much colder than that. This Aquarium/Terrarium thermometer reads from -58 F to +158 F so I'm not likely to see anything that cold for any of my rides.
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Take 'em while I can get 'em.
Sunny and around 50+ F today so went for a 55 mile ride out on country roads.
I am now seeing a pattern where I put my feet on the AK 550 vs the Burgman 650. On the Burgman I felt most comfortable with my feet half on the slanted board and half on the level board. I never felt really comfortable with my feet only on the level foot board. My knees seemed to be sticking up too high and my leg/hip angle was too much for very long. It was a good alternate position but not for the long term. Just like the slanted foot board. That was enough of a reach on the Burgman I preferred that for a short term alternative.
But on the AK I'm feeling most comfortable with my feet fully on the level foot boards. In fact I'm finding my feet now just automatically go right to that position with my toes nestled in the notch at the front of the level boards. Moving my feet back or up on the slanted boards is a good alternate location when I feel the need to move around. In fact the slanted foot board is more comfortable than it was on my Burgman. Not as far away.
And have I said how much I like the sound coming out of the stock exhaust on this AK 550. Whether stopped and waiting for the light to turn green or accelerating or keeping a constant speed on the city streets or out on the county highways. I am tempted so often now to skip wearing my ear plugs just to hear the growl of this engine.
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Planned on a short little 20 mile ride this afternoon but ended up almost double that. 38.4 miles around the area. Was a crisp 41 F all the way around. Added in a mix of a little bit of city streets, some Interstate highway and mostly country highways/roads.Nope. Didn't stop for any pics. Nothing particularly interesting to photograph other than my AK 550 and I was too busy riding to stop. Maybe next time.
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Again. No pix?
Stig
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I went for a ride today down to Pella, IA.
Oh man...that really takes me back. Used to go there every year for school field trip during the tulip festival. First thing that came to mind was the mill in the picture! Crazy how clear the memories are of that place after almost 40 years
Thanks for sharing
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"With lower temps dropping the mpg below where I'd prefer I ended up with 47.3 mpg on that tank."
Thats also good to hear
After about 4600 miles, im getting just about 50
Seems like its getting just a tiny bit better with every passing K just like you said it would
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The ave mpg display was showing around 65.3 mpg but that is proving to be very optomistic.
If we knock off the 5% that the ODO/Speedo is off and convert Imperial gal to US gallons that gets the 65.3 down to 52.5mpg which is almost exactly what the AK is "supposed" to get...interesting...even though thats way more than your actual mileage
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If we knock off the 5% that the ODO/Speedo is off and convert Imperial gal to US gallons that gets the 65.3 down to 52.5mpg which is almost exactly what the AK is "supposed" to get...interesting...even though thats way more than your actual mileage
I don't take the displayed mpg seriously. Every bike I've owned that has a display for it is off by varying amounts and my Burgman 650 was always low but all over the place as to how far off it was. Displayed 55 when calculated was 60, and displayed 56 when the calculated was 59, and displayed 49 when the calculated was 57. I couldn't even use that one to see any patterns.
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Went on a twilight ride tonight. 46 miles around the area. About a third of the way along the sun set and the LED lights really started to reveal their power. Did I say I really like LED headlights?
I REALLY like the headlights.
Get some people flashing me sometimes though even with the low beams...Im sure theyre startled when i flash them back. Assuming they still have retinas :P
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Was a slightly warmer day today than my last ride. Had the time so took off to a location I have not been to for more than 25 years. The roads have been rerouted to make way for a bypass highway around the south and east side of the metro area and the roads I last took to get there no longer exists but since it is an upscale housing development that has been around for over 35 years they built new roads to get there. Temps were steady around 34-35 F all the way around. This ride was 37+ miles all the way around. I rode to the Dale Maffitt Reservoir just SW of West Des Moines.
I did connect my heated gloves but didn't need them turned on since the heated grips were plenty even on the lowest setting. During this entire trip the heated grips worked great and did not give any faults or shut down. No flashing red light on the left grip indicator. I rode most of this ride with the heat on the lowest setting but for the last 8 miles I bumped it up to 2 just to see if the fails I experienced a few days ago was due to turning it up higher. The heated grips were set to 2 then also. Now I am wondering if the very cold temps I was riding in caused the system to fail. Or maybe it was due to having my heated gloves turned on while also having the heated grips turned on. I was wondering if the heated gloves heat was being sensed by the heated grips making that system think it was over heating. Or possibly with power running through the gloves wires was interfering with the proper operation of the heated grips sensors.
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I rode to the Dale Maffitt Reservoir just SW of West Des Moines.
THAT takes me back. I took countless rides to Maffitt on my first bike. Honda Sabre 750. Excellent curves getting there.
Lots of frizbee...
Got stuck in the mud in my Mazda rx-7.
Its weird to think that place has been there this whole time...doing what it does day in/day out
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The ride today was to test Noodoe navigation as well ended up testing range when the "E" starts flashing on the fuel gage. I WAS going to fill up the tank first thing on my way out but the lines at the Costco gas station were 6+ cars deep at every pump so I decided to truck on and see how far I could go. I knew mpg would be lower than normal since the temp on this ride hovered right around 37F the entire way. I wore my Gerbing heated gloves but didn't plug in the heat controller since these are the thickest most insulated gloves I have and the heated grips with these gloves seems to be doing fine just over or under freezing temps without turning on the glove heat. These gloves hold in and distribute the heat from the heated grips better than my other winter gloves.
My trip meter A showed over 90 miles when I started. That's the trip meter I use to track how many miles since last fill up. I plotted a rectangular loop that was 60.2 miles all around. The last white bar dropped off and the red bar on the fuel gage started flashing at 115 miles. Since someone else already sacrificed the stress of going farther than anyone admitted to going on a tank I kept on riding. The red bar dropped off right about 146 miles and the red "E" started flashing. I figured I COULD get back to the Costco gas station which was another 8+ miles but decided to see where I was on gas and filled up at 147.2 miles. I put in 3.155 gallons calculating about 46.6 mpg, using the trip meter miles as I usually do for consistency. Actually a little better than what I was expecting considering the temps right now and also that 30 miles of that tank was used on rides when temps were below 15F!
Since this was a test also of Noodoe navigation I plotted 2 separate routes, one to follow the other, with more waypoints than I would normally set. The first route took me to the gas station that I decided to bypass and then to another place easy to pull off the road to pick the next route. Since I bypassed the gas station and that was the first waypoint set I pulled over right away to eliminate that point since Noodoe kept wanting me to route back to it since I didn't "hit" it. Actually, after removing the gas station waypoint I also had to remove the starting point at home since the way I edited the route I needed to start it over again. I found out a different way to edit the route and it would continue from where I was without restarting. Overall, Noodoe navigation worked great this time other than the need to "hit" every waypoint exactly and having to stop to change a missed waypoint on the phone to prevent being constantly turned back to it. As far as more than one "Journey" to resolve the 8 waypoint limitation I think that will work just the same as I was already doing with Google Maps navigation. Just some tricky differences to get used to. I think the settings I changed (turning off Avoid Highways and setting to Fastest Route) did the trick for me for now. I even forced a recalculate on a detour to get the attached photo during the second Journey route and Noodoe handled it well this time. It's really not a bad thing to stop every hour to pick a different route to continue navigating. That's about right for a drink of water normally anyway. Although I have been known to ride for 2-3 hours straight without stopping for anything on my travels.
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Oh, and a milestone was reached on today's ride. The odometer ticked past 1000 miles on my AK 550 just a few miles from the end of the ride. The odometer now shows 1003 miles.
And the heated grips have lately been working flawlessly.
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Oh, and a milestone was reached on today's ride. The odometer ticked past 1000 miles on my AK 550 just a few miles from the end of the ride. The odometer now shows 1003 miles.
And the heated grips have lately been working flawlessly.
Couple of very cold day rides here this week and have been glad of my heated grips too. Effectively extends my riding season by a month at either end easy.
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Still a good day for a ride this Christmas Eve Day here in Iowa. Was 55F all the way around the 34.5 miles. Stopped to fill the tank near the end of this ride. 2.632 gal for 125.1 miles. The red block on the fuel gauge just started to flash when I pulled into the station. Just a little jaunt on some country roads... again. That's where I prefer to ride since I'm close enough to get to those without going through a lot of city traffic. Those are north west or south west. Going anything east takes me into city traffic. My destination today was Culver's for some gift cards to be given tomorrow... normally a 1.5 mile round trip from my home. Still can't get this AK to take the shortest route! ;D
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Wet mizzley day here yesterday so no ride. Day before 26th - dry out wet back. Ah well rough with the smooth eh? Today very wet am, but forecast dry pm so, who knows?
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Snow expected to start in just a few hours. So decided to get one more ride in before that and before the end of the year. There might be one other chance on Friday depending if it does snow and how much or if there ends up being ice on roads. Big snow storm expected this weekend so no riding on New Years Day.
Only rode 21 miles this time to pick up a tag on another forum. Temps stayed right around 15-16F all the way around. Not the coldest this year, nor the last 2 months, but won't be colder the rest of this year (only 2 more days!).
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Rjs - thought about a ride today in the Iowa City area but there are still patches of ice on the roads from the inch or two of slushy snow we got yesterday. The roads are mostly clear but there are enough ice patches that I will stay safe and warm in my home today.
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Snow expected to start in just a few hours. So decided to get one more ride in before that and before the end of the year. There might be one other chance on Friday depending if it does snow and how much or if there ends up being ice on roads. Big snow storm expected this weekend so no riding on New Years Day.
Only rode 21 miles this time to pick up a tag on another forum. Temps stayed right around 15-16F all the way around. Not the coldest this year, nor the last 2 months, but won't be colder the rest of this year (only 2 more days!).
Bob, we’re forecast temperatures of 15-16c today and tomorrow, almost unheard of in December, so it’d be rude not to?
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Bob, we’re forecast temperatures of 15-16c today and tomorrow, almost unheard of in December, so it’d be rude not to?
We left those temps behind a month ago (15-16c (59F-61F) ) !
Wish it were that warm now... and for the next few months as well. Don't expect to see that warm until March at the soonest. But then this has been an unusually warm start to the season. So who really knows?
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Oh, and a milestone was reached on today's ride. The odometer ticked past 1000 miles on my AK 550 just a few miles from the end of the ride. The odometer now shows 1003 miles.
And the heated grips have lately been working flawlessly.
Im about to hit 6600 miles and, just as you anticipated, the gas mileage has increased considerably!!
I was averaging about 49.5 and now im getting a bit over 53! (finally broke down and started using a calculator instead of broad "abouts"). I think some of the improvement is probably because im not flooring it as much during takeoff :D
Time for more scheduled maintenance already!!
Thinking of holding off on flushing the coolant and the brake fluid since the bike is only a few months old...and I still havent done ANY of the indicated "inspections" of the CVT/ect
All ive done thus far for maintenance is change the oil & oil filter (a lot) and blow out the air filters...can you think of any criticality im ignoring?
Also...just to be a decent human...i wont mention that its been about 80 and balmy every day here until last night...got down in the 20s :P
(sorry...dont know why I do that)
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OK, so it was a bit nippy this morning...
I finally got out for the first ride of 2022. Only 20 miles but it was a bit nippy out. Temp was right at ZeroF (0.0F) (-17.8C). It was colder earlier this morning, a few degree below zeroF, but I didn't feel like getting up that early so didn't start my ride until about 6:20 am. Besides, we are providing day care for our littlest granddaughter yesterday and today so had to be home for that by just after 7 am so wanted to squeeze a ride in today sometime.
I have the feeling this may have been the coldest morning I'll see for many weeks. Tomorrow is supposed to return to above the normal high temps at 36F (normal is 31F).
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OK, so it was a bit nippy this morning...
I didn't start my ride until about 6:20 am.
You, sir, are a lunatic! At 6:20 it is still dark as night...add in the below zero temps..and...wow. at least there was little to no wind!
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You, sir, are a lunatic! At 6:20 it is still dark as night...add in the below zero temps..and...wow. at least there was little to no wind!
Only the wind I created while riding. And that is usually enough. As posted elsewhere I am still having issues with the grip heaters so have to rely on my heated gloves. Those gloves keep my hands toasty even at these temps. I stayed mostly within city limits for this ride so most of the way there were street lights. But also the LED headlights do a great job lighting up the road. Snow on both sides but not in the lane where my wheels travel so all is good. Well except for the thin strip across the bottom of my driveway but that is only 6 inches wide so no problem coasting over that as long as the bike is going straight and not leaned over.
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Still clear roads today. The sun was out. Temps were right at 23F. So I went for a ride. Rode down to the Maffitt Lake reservoir and on a few country roads being certain that they were clear and dry as I went. Rode 39.7 miles this time.
The lake was actually frozen over, but really thin ice over most of it. Just off the far shore could just make out 2 people walking on the ice to where they had ice fishing set up. They were dragging something, maybe a sled with supplies.
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Getting out while I can.
Just an easy ride on country roads and a little bit in town as well. Rode 44.4 miles today. Temp started out at 44F and was up to 47F when I returned home. Lots of melting run-off happening in some places. Not so much on the county highways but in town there was. Found a few city side streets where the plows forgot to go at the last snowfall but even those streets were mostly cleared, but obvious nothing was sprayed or sprinkled to melt anything there. Lots of water on those streets. Did have to weave around some of the remaining ice/snow packs. I normally would have avoided those streets but was on a mission to find some places there.
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Expecting 6" of the white stuff on Friday and lots of ice from the refreeze on Thursday so went out again today while the roads were still clear.
Temps ranged up to 52F today... a heat wave! Rode a few miles for errands first. All together I rode 66 miles today. Picked a road I had not been on since last summer so grabbed a few pics along the way. Usually I prefer to just keep riding and don't want to stop for pictures. Usually the really good road pictures are just when I get to a section where if I were to stop it would ruin the enjoyment of the run through that section. I could run through and turn around and go back for a picture but I prefer to just keep on going. Anyway, here is a photo of where I had my errand at the very end of the ride. 60 miles to get to the store 3 miles from home!
Using my old camera and only one photo is barely within the size limits of this forum (as I mentioned elsewhere I don't like creating multiple copies at different sizes just to post here).
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Rode 33 miles today. Stopped to grab a few tags along the way. Last sunny day for the next week. Warm temps around 57F but I didn't bother to take the handlebar muffs off this time. Definitely did NOT need them but was lazy. Rode the first part of the ride with my summer gloves and no grip heat but that was just tolerable but trending to cool, so put my PolarTex gloves back on. Those were warm in the muffs but I'd rather be a bit warm than cool. Usually the PolarTex gloves are plenty in these temps. Filled the tank at the end of this ride and calculated 52.4 mpg. So as the temps warm up the mpg also goes up.
Here's a pic of a patriotic display found along the way. This is in honor of veterans along a road named Veteran's Parkway.
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Expecting 6" of the white stuff on Friday and lots of ice from the refreeze on Thursday so went out again today while the roads were still clear.
Temps ranged up to 52F today... a heat wave! Rode a few miles for errands first. All together I rode 66 miles today. Picked a road I had not been on since last summer so grabbed a few pics along the way. Usually I prefer to just keep riding and don't want to stop for pictures. Usually the really good road pictures are just when I get to a section where if I were to stop it would ruin the enjoyment of the run through that section. I could run through and turn around and go back for a picture but I prefer to just keep on going. Anyway, here is a photo of where I had my errand at the very end of the ride. 60 miles to get to the store 3 miles from home!
Using my old camera and only one photo is barely within the size limits of this forum (as I mentioned elsewhere I don't like creating multiple copies at different sizes just to post here).
It's crazy that even the biggest scooters can't take a helmet under the seat!
My Burgman was the same way.
Stig
and if you're not happy with your pics, try a different photo host
(https://i.postimg.cc/MTNpYVSV/forza4-2.jpg)
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It's crazy that even the biggest scooters can't take a helmet under the seat!
My Burgman was the same way.
Stig
and if you're not happy with your pics, try a different photo host
I'm actually fine with posting a photo thumbnail that you can click on to see a larger version.
On the AK 550 I CAN fit the helmet in the storage box but I keep too much other stuff in there and have not yet installed the divider that I have from AliExpress to hold smaller stuff at the back of the storage box. I actually prefer to not put my helmet under the seat unless it's raining anyway. There is provision to hang my helmet as shown in that photo. A peg under the seat on the edge for the D ring of the strap or a short loop cable helmet strap. One on each side. On my Burgman 650 there was even more space for two helmets... but again, I always carried too much to fit more than one helmet under the seat and preferred to use a retractable cable lock to hold the helmet top and center on the handlebar cover.
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Each to his own. My X-Town comfortably takes a FF Helmet under the seat and so that's where I stash mine.... usually. Sometimes there will too much junk in there that I forgot to remove though!
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Took a ride across the state to a RTE with the ST-Owners guys at a place called Scooter's near Anamosa, IA.
Rode a total of 333.6 miles. Started out this morning with temps around 20F and it warmed up to around 31F by the time I arrived there. It had warmed up to around 42F by the time I arrived home again. Used the heated grips in the handlebar muffs and they worked great that way. No need for my heated gloves... which I left at home this trip. I'm thinking of selling them... maybe.
I did ride the Interstate for part of the trip and was reminded once again why I usually avoid that super slab when riding the bike anywhere. But the AK 550 had no problem maintaining the speed all the way. I stopped for gas most of the way there and then again on the way back closer to home. Cold temps and faster speeds and headwinds all work together to kill the mpg on any bike and the AK is no exception. Averaged around 45 mpg, partly due to a headwind on the way back. The previous tank was only burned in slightly warmer temps and worked out to 52 mpg but no super slab speeds involved and very little headwinds were encountered for that one.
In spite of receiving more than 1 inch of white stuff on Tuesday and 4 inches of white stuff on Thursday the roads were all very clear the entire way. Even the parking lot at Scooter's was cleared as can be seen in the pic.
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So much for March coming in like a lamb!
It did for a very short time. A few very nice days near 60F. And then the wind blew... hard. A few tornadoes Saturday evening with one being EF4 and a total now of 7 dead and many injured with much property damage and homes or businesses lost. The big one was on the ground for over 160 miles and passed just 10 miles south of me.
Then last night the snow fell. Woke up to 3.5+ inches of heavy white stuff all over. Not really wet but definitely not dry powder. All the schools announced a 2 hour delay. 5 inches at the metro airport about 8 miles away as the crow flies.
Not such a nice day for a ride in Iowa.
Just came in from "riding" my other 2 wheeler to blow off the white stuff from the driveway and sidewalks before my wife took the 4 wheeler out to pack it down. Temps started out near 20F and will get up to the mid 30sF today. Expecting refreeze tonight and then mid 40sF tomorrow. More snow, just as much if not more, coming Wednesday night into Thursday.
This is not entirely unusual to get snow in March. Just doesn't happen every year and was hoping with being a milder winter this season that it would be a milder March. Wrong!
The lamb was devoured by the lion!
Maybe the lamb will have her revenge at the end of the month?
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So much for March coming in like a lamb!
/quote]
Think you may have that quote arse about face Rob? :)
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Riding in left-over road salt isn't a concern?....or do you give your scooter a rinse after your ride?
I either wait for a rinsing rain - or wash the scooter after my ride over road salt.
Stig
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Think you may have that quote arse about face Rob? :)
I heard it both ways. It was originally told to me when I was very young that if March comes in one way it goes out the other. So either in like a Lamb and out like a Lion OR in like a Lion and out like a Lamb. Experienced it both ways too.
Riding in left-over road salt isn't a concern?....or do you give your scooter a rinse after your ride?
I either wait for a rinsing rain - or wash the scooter after my ride over road salt.
Stig
Not as much as some are. Most of what is used around here is magnesium cloride. Less corrosive than salt brine and works at much much colder temps than salt brine. They sometimes mix it with beet juice to make it stick better in place. But usually I note that most of the stuff they put down gets plowed off by many passes of the plow trucks and then it dries and gets mostly blown off by other traffic before I get out on it. I've been riding like this for the last 18 years now and no issues with excess corrosion of the bits under my bikes.
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So I went for a little ride today. Had a big tornado Saturday. Then 3.5 inches of snow by Monday morning. Colder temps expected the next 4 days with more snow possible on Thursday. So took advantage of the sunshine and close to 40F temps today and rode around just outside of town to grab a few tags and just enjoy riding. I rode 65 miles keeping to a bypass route around north of the metro staying out of traffic... mostly. Also needed to drop off some stuff with my son at his work place and pick up some other stuff from him.
When I stopped at a local Army National Guard base equipment museum a pretty young gal who was parked there also enjoying the sun and the view jumped out of her car and insisted on taking this pic with me in it using my camera. The sun was in position to keep me in shadow.
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... rode around just outside of town to grab a few tags and just enjoy riding.
I've read this a few times now and this poor Limey doesn't understand. Can someone explain please?
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I've read this a few times now and this poor Limey doesn't understand. Can someone explain please?
What's to explain?
In my area of the country, as well as most areas in the USA there are a lot of roads that go around outside the city limits. It's not a continuous route but has some turns to take various roads that can eventually take me all the way around the city if I wanted to. On my last ride I only rode north and then east all the way to the east side of the metro area and then rode back the way I came taking a few different roads that I missed going out. It would be close to 150 miles if I were to ride all the way around the circumference of the metro area. There are some roads that pass through within incorporated city limits but they are usually undeveloped so country roads for all intents and purposes. I pass a lot of farms and a few outlying businesses and residential developments that are set back off the roads I ride. Speeds are normally around 45 mph with some faster and some slower.
Here is a sample of a short route, about 27 miles, that I have taken in the past. The only business/residential that I pass is just the last leg on my way home from the south. And also a close approximation of the route I took yesterday. I did go a few other side paths from this route making it longer than it indicates.
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...must be my 12% Limey rearing it's head, because I also can't figure out what "grabbing a few tags " means in Amerikan either. Having a few beers?, Buying shirts with 'tags'?, something to do with GPS?...which I don't got... or need. Haven't been lost since I left S.E. Asia.
?
A mystery, this....
But fun.
I'm betting it has something to do with buying trousers.
Stig
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Oh common. You must be kidding.
Motorcycle tag? Either you all are pulling my leg or leading a very sheltered life. ;)
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Oh common. You must be kidding.
Motorcycle tag? Either you all are pulling my leg or leading a very sheltered life. ;)
So, nothing to do with 👖?
IBD!
Sister Mary-Major Tom
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Oh common. You must be kidding.
Motorcycle tag? Either you all are pulling my leg or leading a very sheltered life. ;)
No Rob it was a genuine Q on my part. I know you have licensing tags on your bikes over there, but what is meant by "grabbing a few"?!!
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No Rob it was a genuine Q on my part. I know you have licensing tags on your bikes over there, but what is meant by "grabbing a few"?!!
Actually I am not surprised about that. The motorcycle tag games are not as common in Europe as here. The best way to explain it is to link to the first post of one of the games I am involved with on the ADV rider forum:
https://www.advrider.com/f/threads/scooter-tag-an-excuse-to-ride.972287/ (https://www.advrider.com/f/threads/scooter-tag-an-excuse-to-ride.972287/)
And another on Maxi-Scoots.com
http://maxi-scoots.com/scoot/index.php?topic=106.0 (http://maxi-scoots.com/scoot/index.php?topic=106.0)
The rules of the games are in the first post. The picture posted in the ADV rider scooter tag has an error so it doesn't show but other pics should show up for you.
Basically it's just a riding game... a reason to get out and ride no matter how close or how far.
Find a location to take a photo with your scooter included and post that as the tag. Can be any location as long as it's something not too difficult for others to find since it is, after all, to promote getting out and riding. Then someone else finds a location like that tag and "grabs" it by taking a picture with their scooter included and posts that before anyone else does... followed by posting another picture for the new tag.
Kind of like the kids tag game... but not.
The rules differ from one game to another as indicated in the links above, but the premise is always the same.
On the ST-Owners forum there are tag games in every state as well as in several countries in Europe and elsewhere. There is also an ABC tag game where the idea is simply to take a photo including your scooter/motorcycle with the name of a city that is next in the alphabet. So if I post a picture of a water tower, or town hall, or simply a city sign post of a town or city named Chester then you could post the next tag for a city named Delamere (since D follows C). And so on. When that alphabet is completed you start all over at "A". If there is no town with the next letter than that may be skipped to keep the game moving along. In the ABC tag game there is no need to grab the current tag before posting the new tag.
In almost all tag games I've played in the picture you take for grabbing the posted current tag must be one you took after that tag was posted. IOW, if I post a picture for a tag then you must ride out after that to take a new picture of that tag and post it. But the picture that you would post for the next tag can be one you've had on file or a new photo as you desire.
Like I said... it's about having a reason to get out and ride. Although I don't always have to have a reason to ride but sometimes it is interesting to ride to some location I might not ride to otherwise.
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Ah! Now all becomes clear Rob and we do have something similar run by the PEMC* over here, it’s called Carpe Diem. It’s UK-wide list of monuments, points of interest etc., where you can ride out & collect them.
* Professional & Executive Motorcyclists’ Club https://pemc.co.uk/
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So much for March coming in like a lamb!
It did for a very short time. A few very nice days near 60F. And then the wind blew... hard. A few tornadoes Saturday evening with one being EF4 and a total now of 7 dead and many injured with much property damage and homes or businesses lost. The big one was on the ground for over 160 miles and passed just 10 miles south of me.
Then last night the snow fell. Woke up to 3.5+ inches of heavy white stuff all over. Not really wet but definitely not dry powder. All the schools announced a 2 hour delay. 5 inches at the metro airport about 8 miles away as the crow flies.
Not such a nice day for a ride in Iowa.
Just came in from "riding" my other 2 wheeler to blow off the white stuff from the driveway and sidewalks before my wife took the 4 wheeler out to pack it down. Temps started out near 20F and will get up to the mid 30sF today. Expecting refreeze tonight and then mid 40sF tomorrow. More snow, just as much if not more, coming Wednesday night into Thursday.
This is not entirely unusual to get snow in March. Just doesn't happen every year and was hoping with being a milder winter this season that it would be a milder March. Wrong!
The lamb was devoured by the lion!
Maybe the lamb will have her revenge at the end of the month?
I am based in Ankeny Ia and bought myself a Honda Silverwing 600 two weeks ago. Due to the weather in Iowa I could not take it for a ride yet. Due to work obligations most of the time
I am not even close to the scooter to take it for a ride.
So for the time being I am just dreaming and hoping winter will be gone soon...
By the way - on the Saturday night there was a tornado just south of Ankeny as well. I just arrived back at home about two hours before the tornado and I was quite tired. The tornado alarm went off and there was a warning on Tv to get shelter somewhere. I was too tired to find shelter though - just had n glimpse at which direction the tornado was going, went straight to bed, and covered my head with a blanket.
Next morning when I woke up I thought maybe it was good just to cover my head with a blanket...
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Scooterfan, hey, great to hear you found a new scooter! Big jump up in cc's, too.
Get ready for more tornados in the coming months. That's one of the negatives to living in the Midwest...tornados in Spring and Summer. Although I think in December we had more tornados in Iowa in a single day than on any other day in recorded history. Crazy.
You'll have to let us know what you think of the Silverwing once you get it on the road (with pictures, of course).
Hope you are enjoying living in the Ankeny / Des Moines area.
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@scooterfan,
There were a lot of tornadoes that weren't mentioned much about on that day. I saw them on the weather maps of the storm tracks. At least I saw all the markers for sightings of them.
The closest I was ever to the path of a tornado was when we had just moved into a new house in Dubuque, IA when I was 15. That twister ran down the street one block away and took the roof off the house at the end of that cul du sac. Our builder lived just next to that house. He was at our house finishing up the bottom seal on the garage door and I mentioned about how green the sky was and he cursed and burned rubber on his truck to get home before it hit. Said he when he was struggling to get to his door he had to lean so far over he could almost touch his nose to the pavement and was crawling. A minute later the neighbors who lost their roof barged into his house seeking shelter.
You should be able to ride today or any evening this week. Even next weekend is supposed to be around 68F or higher and no rain. As Iahawk mentioned there was plenty of rain before the last snow fall so anything on the roads was washed off. They did put more treatment down for that last snowfall last week but that's all washed off now as well.
Have fun on your SW.
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@Rjs987,
Thanks, I surely will enjoy the scoot. Still need to get my permanent license - my South African license was only valid for 3 months in Iowa and at the moment I am just sitting with a leaners. I've booked myself for a riders course next month, to my understanding a riders course softens DOT's hearts to issue licenses.
As for tornados - those things are indeed very scary. Just the possibility of seeing one in real life is quite frightening. I travel a lot so I guess I might have a few scary moments in future.
Anyway, I will not rely on just covering my head with a blanket in future.
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@Rjs987,
Thanks, I surely will enjoy the scoot. Still need to get my permanent license - my South African license was only valid for 3 months in Iowa and at the moment I am just sitting with a leaners. I've booked myself for a riders course next month, to my understanding a riders course softens DOT's hearts to issue licenses.
As for tornados - those things are indeed very scary. Just the possibility of seeing one in real life is quite frightening. I travel a lot so I guess I might have a few scary moments in future.
Anyway, I will not rely on just covering my head with a blanket in future.
Scooterfan,
In Ohio if you passed the two-day Riders course you've just qualified for your motorcycle endorsement license. You do not have to take a separate test with the state of Ohio.
And yes after spending two days with them your instructors are pretty friendly.
Hondas are the best 👌....
Good for you!
Stig
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@Rjs987,
Thanks, I surely will enjoy the scoot. Still need to get my permanent license - my South African license was only valid for 3 months in Iowa and at the moment I am just sitting with a leaners. I've booked myself for a riders course next month, to my understanding a riders course softens DOT's hearts to issue licenses.
As for tornados - those things are indeed very scary. Just the possibility of seeing one in real life is quite frightening. I travel a lot so I guess I might have a few scary moments in future.
Anyway, I will not rely on just covering my head with a blanket in future.
IN Iowa the riders course satisfies the riding part of getting the license AS LONG AS your birthday is not the same as the date the department picks for requiring the riding test anyway. At least that's how it used to be.
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Stig,
Yup, I really like the Honda but I will never forget the good times on the Kymco.
I hope to forward some photos of the Honda during the next weekend. At the moment I am sitting about 600 miles from home in Kentucky.
The DOT people in Iowa are quite friendly too. Unfortunately I need to go back to them after the course and there is quite a long waiting list to get an appointment date.
I just hope to get an appointment soon. Just spoke to my wife and she told me about the lovely weather in Ankeny today.
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Just a little ride to REI and then Lowe's to get a MSR fuel bottle and also a calibrated measuring bucket so I can test how much gas my AK fuel tank actually holds. There seems to be a bit of controversy on that so I'll be siphoning my tank to drain it so as not to tax the fuel pump and then carefully refilling it with this bucket.
Took me 34 miles to get to REI, another 1.6 miles to Lowe's, then 1.4 miles to home. A total 37 miles all the way from when I left home until I returned home. OK, I took the long way to get there... again. Stopped for a pic along the way. Weather is getting better. Sunny and near 50F.
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Went riding today. Needed to get some groceries so added a few miles onto the 4 mile round trip to the store. Ended up with 49 miles.
I actually did stop and take a really nice picture but my camera messed up the file for some reason and the SD card was blank. I know I saw the file there right after taking the pic but it was gone when I got home. Oh, well. Maybe later.
My helmet has an integral sun visor so I don't need to wear sun glasses when it's sunny out. But the next helmet I'm thinking about getting doesn't have the sun visor so this ride I decided to use my sun glasses instead of the visor just to see how they work out. Worked well, but it will be a few years before I need a new helmet and don't need to be spending the $$ now for an extra one. I like to keep options in mind just in case something happens before I think I'll need it.
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Oh common. You must be kidding.
Motorcycle tag? Either you all are pulling my leg or leading a very sheltered life. ;)
I know this was posted a few weeks back but I'm with Stig and the others...had never heard of this and had no idea what you were referencing with 'tags'. I guess you really do learn something new every day!
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I know this was posted a few weeks back but I'm with Stig and the others...had never heard of this and had no idea what you were referencing with 'tags'. I guess you really do learn something new every day!
I guess I was just surprised that riders have not heard of the game. I've been playing it on a few other mc forums for over 12 years now and it had been an ongoing game in many areas of the globe for another decade or two before that.
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Hawk, you and I have been living sheltered lives.
I know I was always happy when that machine in my avatar extracted me back to my shelter🙂
Stig
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So has anyone here heard of RTE or RTC?
A few other acronyms related to riding on many forums I've frequented.
RTE = Ride To Eat. Simply an arranged meetup with other riders at some location to get a bite to eat together. Another excuse to ride.
RTC = Ride To Camp. An arranged meetup with other riders at some camping location for at least one night, maybe more. Rides around the area may or may not be on the menu but definitely a ride to get there and back. Another excuse to ride.
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Scooter riding acronyms?
Not so much.
But some of us are familiar with these few:
RTB
RTO
RPG
RoK
RoC
R&R
R&B
Rty
Rvn
RatFk
....and REMF !
Stig
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And on that note Stig, TTFN!
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Was a really nice mostly cloudy day today with temps in the low 50sF. So I went for a ride after several days of attending to family stuff including daycare for my youngest grand daughter.
As I was riding down a popular mc road in the area I ended up under a larger darker cloud bank and ended up going through a few sprinkles. No matter, the wind liners that still have in my riding gear are waterproof as well but there really wasn't enough to really call it a rain, let alone enough to get through the outer layer of my riding gear anyway.
Rode just over 104 miles in a loop, a little farther than I had to date during this year. I started this ride with about 50 miles on the current tank of gas so when I was about 15-20 miles from home and the last red bar was flashing (wasn't paying really close attention). No worries about that, I usually get around 35+ miles when that happens and then the red "E" flashes for another 15 miles before empty. I have just over 153 miles on this tank so I am thinking there is about 30 miles at least before I have to think of pushing it. The gas station is just 1.4 miles down the road and will be my first stop on the next ride out. I didn't fill up on the way back since there were lines of at 5-6 cars/SUV/Trucks waiting beside those already at the pumps so I decide I could stop later. The station I usually hold out for has prices that are usually 30-40 cents lower per gallon than anywhere else nearby.
I want to try to get a few rides per week this month of at least 80 miles or more to bring the odometer up closer to the next oil change interval at 3000 miles. The initial oil change intervals are closer. After the 6000 oil change interval all oil/filter changes are officially scheduled for every 6000 miles.
Stopped to smell the roses along the way... well, at least to take a few pictures for other tag games.
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Had to go to an appointment today. About 5.6 miles to get there, but someone at the highway department decided this morning was a good time to do some repair on a pedestrian bridge that goes over the on-ramp to the short run on Interstate that I was intending to take so the detour took about a half mile farther. After my appointment I took the long way home. Wasn't feeling like going a really long way so just added a bunch of miles. Ended up with a total of 31 miles including my appointment. Filled the tank at the end of the ride. Put on 154.1 miles since the last fill up. Calculated at 55.3 mpg. Gas pricing for regular was 3.50/gal and put in just over 2.7 gal. The final red bar was flashing since 139.8 miles so I calculate that was after about 2.5 gallons when it started flashing. That last bar would go away and then the red "E" would start flashing if I had gone another 40 miles or so leaving me with another 20+ miles to empty after that. At least that's what I've calculated so far.
Can you tell where I needed to go? Then it was the shortest route out of town and away from traffic.
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Had to go to an appointment today. About 5.6 miles to get there, but someone at the highway department decided this morning was a good time to do some repair on a pedestrian bridge that goes over the on-ramp to the short run on Interstate that I was intending to take so the detour took about a half mile farther. After my appointment I took the long way home. Wasn't feeling like going a really long way so just added a bunch of miles. Ended up with a total of 31 miles including my appointment. Filled the tank at the end of the ride. Put on 154.1 miles since the last fill up. Calculated at 55.3 mpg. Gas pricing for regular was 3.50/gal and put in just over 2.7 gal. The final red bar was flashing since 139.8 miles so I calculate that was after about 2.5 gallons when it started flashing. That last bar would go away and then the red "E" would start flashing if I had gone another 40 miles or so leaving me with another 20+ miles to empty after that. At least that's what I've calculated so far.
Can you tell where I needed to go? Then it was the shortest route out of town and away from traffic.
Does Kymco publish mileage figures for the 550?
55mpg seems pretty good for that big heavy scooter. You had a 650 Burgman? What kind of MPG did that big old heavy scooter get?
Stig
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Does Kymco publish mileage figures for the 550?
55mpg seems pretty good for that big heavy scooter. You had a 650 Burgman? What kind of MPG did that big old heavy scooter get?
Stig
I thought I saw figures from Kymco for it but cannot find where it was officially stated. There are one or two reviews published that say 53 mpg. There is also a Fuelly entry that shows an average of 52.1 mpg but that included one day last October where a 97 mpg was recorded (that time must been a REALLY LONG down hill run or with a really strong tail wind the entire ride).
When I rode the AK home from the dealer I calculated a few tanks at 57 or 58. I was really pleased with that for during the very first 200 miles. But I also wasn't familiar with the gas gauge and was filling up after only burning off 1.5-2 gallons each time so those figures are likely a little bit off. I am expecting that as the temps get up to where they normally are for summer the mpg will stay a little higher than 55 mpg and possibly even bump over 60 mpg once or twice. Especially as the miles are added to the odometer for the first 6000-7000 miles as I've normally experienced on a new bike.
My 2013 Burgman 650 was running 53-58 mpg regularly, with an occasional tank over 60 mpg, when temps were above 75-80F. Temps have an effect on mpg. Lower temps = lower mpg, higher temps = higher mpg.
I'm a conservative rider, but I do tend to blast away from stop lights a little bit. Otherwise I generally stay at the posted speed limits taking into account the speedometer offset.
All these mpg figures are using E10 except when I travel and that's not available. But even when I use non-Ethanol gas I don't see any significant difference in mpg.
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Interesting mileage…it appears that it doesn’t really matter the size of the motor…my motorcycle gets in the 50’s and my Helix and S200 get closer to 60. Big bike, small bike, all pretty similar.
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I’ve noted the same seasonal variances Bob mentions where every vehicle I’ve owned gets better miles in warmer weather than in cold weather. The type of driving/riding I do also varies with temperatures as I am more likely to take extended rides/drives in good weather and short necessary ones in the colder temps. The low to mid 50 mpg sounds right for initial values with anticipation of better mileage once the bike is broken in. I figure if I can get 2+ times better mileage on th AK500 than in my car, I’ll be very happy.
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Interesting mileage…it appears that it doesn’t really matter the size of the motor…my motorcycle gets in the 50’s and my Helix and S200 get closer to 60. Big bike, small bike, all pretty similar.
Yep whilst I get 50 mpg from the Triumph, I regularly top 70 mpg with the X-Town.
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Took a little ride today. Temps were about right... around 57F. Wind was horrid... around 27 mph out of the west, no south west, no north west, with gusts higher. Most of the ride I was leaning over like I was in a curve but going straight down the road. Put just over 2 gallons in the tank to fill it at the end of the ride but mpg was terrible due to the winds. Most of the way it was a head wind because it kept changing direction when I turned so only was able to eek out just less than 51 mpg for those 2 gallons. Comparing the same temps for the last tank I went through at 55+ mpg but no big winds. Rode just over 92 miles this time and through more open fields so nothing to block or divert the winds. Almost no traffic on the roads I rode... as I was hoping. Much of the time I was the only one as far I could see. I like it like that.
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Sunny today and temps right around 50F. Not a cloud to be seen. My wife told me I needed to go to Pella, IA to the Dutch bakery there, Jaarsma Bakery, to get some treats including Dutch Letters.[/size]https://www.jaarsmabakery.com/ (https://www.jaarsmabakery.com/)So I plotted a route that would keep me off the controlled access, or Interstate type, roads at least 90% of the way. Ended up riding 151 miles today.It is just a week to go until what is called Tulip Time in Pella where they fill all the gardens around town with tulips. The flowers were all planted but with temps dipping below freezing last night and several nights over the last few weeks they were not as healthy looking as usual.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/oGsuH9sGP5DrLdWf9 (https://photos.app.goo.gl/oGsuH9sGP5DrLdWf9)
https://photos.app.goo.gl/YR4XdidpgZ52o2Rh9 (https://photos.app.goo.gl/YR4XdidpgZ52o2Rh9)
https://photos.app.goo.gl/dp2dUjvtfVjZGjFf7 (https://photos.app.goo.gl/dp2dUjvtfVjZGjFf7)
https://photos.app.goo.gl/DerboSB4veutgEE56 (https://photos.app.goo.gl/DerboSB4veutgEE56)
And this is Lake Red Rock nearby.[/size]
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Went to fill the gas tank this morning since it was low from my ride yesterday. Put 2.942 gallons in with 155+ miles showing on trip meter A (which I use to show how many miles since the last fill up). Calculated 52.7 mpg. Based on my determination of how much gas my tank holds I should be able to get around 190+ miles on a tank if I had to at this mpg. That last red bar was already flashing before the end of my trip at about 145+ miles. It was not flashing at 142 miles and I looked later at 147 miles and it was flashing. Usually when something starts to flash on my dash it catches my attention right away. I have gone as much as 40 miles with that last red bar flashing before it drops off and the red E flashes. And I've filled the tank with 3.2 gals when the red E just started flashing and I figure I have about another 12-15 miles when that happens.
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Just a little 2 wheeled scoot to the grocery for supplies for dinner. 16 miles to go to the store 1.3 miles away. Too hot to go for a long ride. Looked at the home temp sensor right after I got back and it showed 102F (38.9C) in the shade. The little bit of wind is not helping but rather adding heat to the body at that temp. Big drink of water before and also after.
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Ouch that is hot Bob. Hope it cools off for you soon.
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Hot? Yes, definitely. Almost as hot as I've been riding a few times in the past. The highest temp I rode in while I was working still is 105F (40.6C). Helps when the shirt under my jacket is a little wet 'cause then the evaporation works like air conditioning. And that feels good.
My riding range is still from -10F (-23.3C) up to that 105F, give or take a degree or two.
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That's a heck of a range Bob, from memory mine is about -5C to about 35C. The lowest was one winter here in the good ol' UK and the highest was one summer in Italy en route for Rome. That was in full leathers so getting them off at day's end was tricky!! We'd ridden down from Germany that day and as we descended the Alps the temperature just went up and up.
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Did it again... ran to the grocery store to get some corn on the cob on sale. 2.9 mile round trip... OOPs, not! 21.5 mile round trip. ;D
This bike just doesn't know how to ride straight there and back. But it was fun to see the sunset on the way through the countryside.
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Did it again... ran to the grocery store to get some corn on the cob on sale. 2.9 mile round trip... OOPs, not! 21.5 mile round trip. ;D
This bike just doesn't know how to ride straight there and back. But it was fun to see the sunset on the way through the countryside.
We used to have a saying around here. "No pics, it didn't happen!"
Stig
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I ride. I don't stop to take pics very often. So you'll have to use your imagination.
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Watched the granddaughters yesterday and when they left one of them forgot her iPad here which she desperately needs! ???
So she did video call using her dads phone and pleaded very nicely for me to bring it. I didn't plan to go riding to day due to being the hottest day since Tuesday but I relented and hopped on the AK for the 24 mile ride to my son's house. I took all back roads and tried to stay as much in the country as possible to keep the breeze going. Ended up with 49.4 miles there and back. Drank a glass of water before I left, and one at my son's house, and another when I got home again. Temps started out at about 94F when I left home. It was only up to 96F at their house. But they are north and the temps were cooler there anyway. The temp warmed up a lot coming back and when I walked back into the house I checked our home temp sensor and it was showing right at 100F (37.8C). 20 minutes later, right now, it is showing 102F (38.9C)... the same as last Tuesday. Humidity is up today also.
BTW- Some who live down south don't believe it can get humid here in the upper MidWest as it does down south. Maybe not as continuously humid but it sometimes does get just as humid as I've experienced in FL. I spent the hottest 11 months in Florida so have some significant exposure to that. We do have a lot of corn fields in Iowa.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2022/08/02/corn-sweat-midwest-plains-heatwave/?utm_source=instagram&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=wp_main&crl8_id=d352fead-6e51-4bb1-9dd4-ed1b0071148e (https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2022/08/02/corn-sweat-midwest-plains-heatwave/?utm_source=instagram&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=wp_main&crl8_id=d352fead-6e51-4bb1-9dd4-ed1b0071148e)
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Back out for a little ride on a beautiful day. Partly cloudy and high just over 82F and almost NO traffic. Since so many riders want others to stop riding to take photos I did that and include those here. There was one or two other spots I could have stopped for a good pic of the curves I was headed into but then I would have to get back up to speed and miss out on the initial entry into those curves. Which is why I tend to just keep riding without stopping. I'm about the ride rather than the photo op.
This ride was actually a shopping trip to Costco... which is 1.5 miles from my home. I ended up with just over 72 miles to get there and back. Yep, happened again. The bike just has such a hard time going the shortest route when shopping! Rode on a few roads I haven't been on in a long time and one section I have never been on by bike. I may be taking that route more often in the future.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/xGz97oMkmhMhsjms5 (https://photos.app.goo.gl/xGz97oMkmhMhsjms5)
https://photos.app.goo.gl/HdhhtJkiW5mWUKnC6 (https://photos.app.goo.gl/HdhhtJkiW5mWUKnC6)
ps- attempted to use the icon button to insert image but the result was blank space in the post so I used insert url as I now usually do.
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As you say Bob, a beautiful day.
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Just returned from a 5 day/4 night moto/camping event with the ST-Owners group. Camp home base was Wisconsin Riverside Resort in Spring Green, WI.
AK performed flawlessly. MPG was as high as 60 and as low as 54. The high was likely more due to the gas pump putting an extra little bit of fuel to totally cover the plate in the gas port... but not by much. Maybe more like 59.5 mpg. The low was due to a very significant headwind most of that tank. Otherwise the AK stayed near the average I've been getting between 55.5-57.5 mpg.
780 miles there and back and including a bit of riding around the area west of Madison. Even got a ferry ride in there.
Here is a link to some pics of the event. And yes, we did put the canopy OVER the fire pit Saturday night. Saturday afternoon through early morning was the only rain we had and it sometimes did come down rather hard... thus the canopy.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/tMk312qhy1qo2qSNA (https://photos.app.goo.gl/tMk312qhy1qo2qSNA)
Now, since my front tire is just a fingernail away from being even with the wear bars, and I have another trip planned in a week and a half, I need to get on replacing that tire. I already have both a front and rear tire waiting in the garage that were just received last week.
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Another errand today. A 5 mile round trip to 2 errand stops took 16 miles on the AK. Wanted to do a check ride after the front tire replacement. Checked the front wheel hub and specifically the bushings on each side of the front wheel bearings for heat. The front brake discs were a little more than warm but not much. was still able to hold my hand on the surface so no different than normal. The bushings were both COLD to the touch right after stopping after a continuous 10 mile run (second stop). It seems all is good with the tire replacement.
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beautiful 88 mile ride today on the Helix..for anyone familiar with the Iowa City / North Liberty area..headed North out of North Liberty on Mahaffey Bridge rd to Solon, then by Sutliff Cider to Lisbon, over to Mt Vernon, up the twisy road to Springville, kept going North to Whittier, turned back around and backtracked toward Solon, then through Ely, back through Solon and home to North Liberty.
Saw nothing but Harleys out today...and me on my Helix. Even followed a group of 4 Harleys on a 2 lane for a stretch. I think they kept checking their mirrors to see what that strange 2 wheeled thing behind them was...
Perfect weather, temps in 60's and 70's, leaves on the trees are changing, beautiful Fall day, the kind you hope will never end.
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Left home just before the dawn. Was dark so I was a little concerned about forest rats being about. But within 10 minutes I was able to see easily a mile away. About 8 miles along the ride I was on a country road and my eye caught the white tail end of one of those forest rats bouncing into the trees up the hill to the right about 100 ft off the road. That was the only one I saw though I was on high alert the entire ride. Sun was risen by the time I arrived at the Wendys 17.4 miles after starting out. The temp stayed relatively constant the entire ride. The photo below is when I arrived at Wendy's and shows 20.2 F. That aquarium temp device can handle from -58F to +158 and the thermal probe end is made for immersion in water so perfect for this purpose. I keep it in the clear pouch on top of the right Kemimoto bar muff with the probe sticking out to the side to be in the breeze. The total ride was 22.4 miles. Only the drive up window was open for my Veterans Day meal so I rode up to the window and the clerk looked at me in wonderment for a moment. I was the only one there so I set the AK on the side stand and dropped my free meal in the storage box under the seat. I had the heated grips set to the lowest setting and my hands were HOT! Almost TOO hot. And the next 2 settings are noticeably hotter so I keep it on low until the temps drop to below zero F. Then I'll see if I need to set the grip heat to medium.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/9NXZcYD1dyYicTFt8 (https://photos.app.goo.gl/9NXZcYD1dyYicTFt8)
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you, sir, are a mad man! I awoke this morning to darkness, ice on all the trees from last night's heavy rains, 24 degree temps and a howling wind. I don't think anything could have enticed me to get on a scoot or bike this morning!
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Yep, it was dark this morning. But only at first as I mentioned. The rain here stopped shortly after lunch yesterday so was all dried up before the temps dropped below freezing. We missed getting the ice. But we did have some wicked wind this morning on my earlier ride. Slick stuff on the pavement is something I am very attentive to before I ride in these conditions.
And, OK, I'll answer to that moniker ;D
Rode another 19 miles for my Veterans Day lunch. Temp was only around 26-27 F for that ride. Part of it I left the heated grips turned off even.
ON another NSR note. My wife went with me for a Veterans Day dinner at another place tonight. Temps still below freezing but we took the Legacy so that wasn't an issue. What WAS an issue is that she wanted me to stop at the car wash (another free Veterans Day offer) before we went to eat. Then after dinner we went to the gas station to fill up the tank before the next price hike. This is where the issue was made clear. When I was finally at the pump (a line had formed) I discovered that the cover for the gas cap would not open. Nothing I did would get it to open. So I pulled out to a remote parking spot to investigate further. Turns out the cover was frozen shut from the car wash. I banged on it a few times and it did finally break free. So I was able to go back and fill the tank. I didn't even think about that. This ranks right up there with accidentally turning off the kill engine switch without knowing and being puzzled why the bike won't start. In the dark I couldn't see the ice holding the cover shut until I moved to where there was better lighting.
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Today I went out for a Thanksgiving Day ride for the very first time since I've been riding. Due to family scheduling we are celebrating with the turkey dinner on Saturday. My son and his family are celebrating that today by having his in laws over at his place.
Just finished replacing the rear tire on my AK so I needed to take it out anyway to check out if the balance beads are good and if I aligned the belt right, etc. First time for replacing the rubber myself. First time for using balance beads. First time for owning a bike with belt drive and adjusting the belt/sprocket alignment. I discovered that the TPMS may be off a little more than I thought. After getting the tire bead set using up to 80 psi I adjusted the pressure back to 42 psi using a tire gauge. Then I mounted the tire on the bike and checked the pressure using the TPMS and found it was reading only 38.5 psi. So I double checked with the pencil gauge which was still showing 42 psi. I checked with a second pencil gauge with the same result. I know that pencil gauges are not really all that accurate but didn't think two of them would be off almost 4 psi. So I set the TPMS indicated pressure to 39.5 psi instead of the usual 40.5 psi. Not much change but closer. The manual calls for about 38 psi anyway and the tire sidewall says 42 psi max. I always like to go a little higher than what the manual says as long as I don't go over the tire max. I set the front tire to 37.5 psi. All of these pressures are +/- .5 psi so the readings will vary. It is very hard to get closer than +/- .3 psi with this TPMS. Close to those numbers is close enough given the accuracy of the gauges.
I rode slower roads at first just to get a feel for the new rubber. Then I increased the speed a little at a time choosing roads that were progressively faster. Near the end I finally jumped on the Interstate for a fast run at just over 65 mph. All is well. The tire ran very smoothly. I ended up with a total of about 35 miles. Temp during this ride was around 47 F. The handlebar muffs were left on (I was too lazy to remove them) and my hands were a little more than warm as a result.
When I returned home I immediately felt the hub and axle of the rear wheel just to be sure it wasn't heating up and it actually felt cool to the touch. I think I got it right. I also checked where the drive/timing belt was running on the rear sprocket. Originally, from the factory, the belt was riding close to the outer edge of the sprocket. But still 1-1.5 mm from the edge. The spec is a minimum of 1 mm. After the ride I found the belt was about 2-2.5 mm from the inner edge of the sprocket, or just inside of center. I wanted it centered. So I did some more adjusting and got it to ride in the center of the sprocket. This was done by adjusting a little and then running the bike on the center stand for a while at around 4000 rpm. Then checking and adjusting again and running again. Will see if this stays put under power on the road.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/NfjcUDghqeRrLeBw8 (https://photos.app.goo.gl/NfjcUDghqeRrLeBw8)
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Needed gas in the AK so went out this morning to fill the tank. Temps during my rides for the last tank of gas were generally below 55 F and often below 40 F with a few rides below 30 F as noted in prior posts above. This tank calculated out to 50.9 mpg. I am expecting the cold weather riding to result in between 45 F and 50 F. Gas station is only 1.4 miles away so a round trip would be normally 2.8 miles. Somehow I managed to get in 12.1 miles anyway. Today we are celebrating Thanksgiving with family so I needed to get back home to assist with the dinner and other preparations or I might have gone two or three times farther. Temps during this ride hovered around 31-34 F. I did turn on the grip heat for only the last half of the ride since the handlebar muffs were enough until then.
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Expecting a bit of snow tomorrow so decided to get a ride in before that. Left home with temps at 52 F and the temp dropped to 47 F along the way. Meandered around country roads that were still open (construction still going on) but still couldn't escape all construction so had to go through a section of road with a single lane controlled by a flagman. Explored one or two new roads (always interesting). Rode just over 56 miles. Using the handlebar muffs without grip heat and still plenty warm. Second picture I am just coming out of the first curve and the third curve is just to the left of the tree line at the bottom of the valley. There were 2 more curves just after those.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/ZEyCRXgZXezbJQ9X6 (https://photos.app.goo.gl/ZEyCRXgZXezbJQ9X6)
https://photos.app.goo.gl/F9RngWyTorVgW1Rv8 (https://photos.app.goo.gl/F9RngWyTorVgW1Rv8)
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There was a BIG wind on Friday evening that had high gusts overnight. Winds of 37 mph with more than one gust up to 57 mph here in West Des Moines. We only had one small Christmas tree sitting on our front stoop blow over from it but my son up in Ankeny had 1/3 of his lights on the roof blow down and one string in the middle stopped working. So I rode up today to Ankeny to assist with resetting the lights and replacing that broken string. My son cannot climb a ladder very well. With me getting older it's also getting harder for me to climb up high but I can still do it carefully. No winds today so that was a big help. Temps were about as good as they will be for the rest of the month so it was a good day for it. Temps were around 45 F on the way up and had dropped to 43 F on the way back home. 22 miles one way to get there. 32 miles on the way back for a total of 54 miles. Used the handlebar muffs but did not turn on the grip heat (too warm for that). Stopped at the boat ramp for the Des Moines River on my way back and noted there was some ice on the water near the banks. Lows have been in the mid 20s F and highs around mid 40s F lately. Temps will trend a few deg lower next week and lower still the rest of the month. It may be January before the river ices over completely and is ready for ice fishing.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/EEWVE2rJHHvzQZjQ9 (https://photos.app.goo.gl/EEWVE2rJHHvzQZjQ9)
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Another few shopping trips on the bike today. Temps were around 43-45 F. One trip was 2 miles that turned in to 4. The other trip was 3 miles that turned into 17. So 21 miles today just shopping. You'd all be proud of me. For the second trip I needed to pick up more than would fit under the seat without crunching the Lays potato chips into crumbs so I strapped on a milk crate and put the heavier stuff in that with my bungee net over it to hold it all in. The bags of chips did go under the seat for better protection. I hate it when my chips get crunched.
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I recall one UK Bike Magazine years ago referring to this as "bungee engineering"!
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Looking ahead I was seeing some really low temps coming up this next week. But the coldest mornings are all preceded by a few inches of snowfall. I like to ride in cold temps during this season but the road surface must be clear and dry. It's the only way I get to ride. Kind of like those in Seattle riding in rain if they want to ride at all (almost). It usually takes a few days at least to clear the roads enough for me to ride after a snowfall.
I decided to get a ride in this morning. It was a bit colder earlier if I really wanted to get out but it was so warm in bed. I didn't get out until just before 9 am so temps were already warming. Still, as I sat in the driveway warming up the bike the temp sensor was showing about 10 F (likely getting heat out of the garage since inside the garage was 21 F). Only a few blocks down the road it dropped down to 6.2 F and hovered around that. Near the end of the ride the temps started warming again back up but still less than when I was sitting in my driveway and when I pulled into the garage it was the same as when I left. I guess my route went through the cold air mass just west of home. I ended up with 24.5 miles with a mix of city and country roads and a little bit of highway. I was keeping to the main, heavier traveled, roads this time since there was still ice over the less traveled streets in strips. There was one section of road I was on where the only bare pavement was 2 tire tracks from other vehicles that went before. And a few intersections where I had to swing the turn wide or move toward the center to avoid sheet ice and packed snow closer to the curb when I was turning right. Don't expect any more days this year to be as cold as this week. But January is coming!
This is the stretch of road that had only narrow strips of dry pavement on that far up hill section and more so just over the hill where the road is in constant shadow all day. This particular road is new this year so there is no treatment put down on it at all to protect the new concrete. There is a frozen large pond just in front of those houses across the bridge and another mostly frozen large pond to the left just out of the picture that had a flock of geese on it.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/BVRb6wkjib1M5PBNA (https://photos.app.goo.gl/BVRb6wkjib1M5PBNA)
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wow..seeing how our roads are here in the Iowa City area...still patches of some snow and ice...I'm tapping out..probably done until March, unless we get a warm spell, again. I'll live vicariously through your sub zero rides and Stig's 35 degree rain rides!
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Rain coming tomorrow.
WHAT! RAIN???
It's January in central Iowa when the average HIGH temps are around 31F and snow is the order of the day if there is any precipitation!
But today was in the mid 40sF and tomorrow is expected to be over 50F and rain all day. The snow will come Wednesday night into all day Thursday (4-5 inches forecast) with falling temps.
So I went for a ride today. I rode a few small towns west of me keeping mostly to country roads. Traveled 50 miles today. Saw some yard art and even saw the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile on the side road as I rode past. I pulled in for a photo op. They were stopped just long enough for me to snap the shot. Like I said the temps stayed around 46-48F so heated grips were not needed. The handlebar muffs were also really not needed but I didn't want to bother taking them off. It's easy enough to do but I just didn't.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/AVmKojumKE6aDqER9 (https://photos.app.goo.gl/AVmKojumKE6aDqER9)
https://photos.app.goo.gl/KE57sEFs4wYxU9qa9 (https://photos.app.goo.gl/KE57sEFs4wYxU9qa9)
https://photos.app.goo.gl/r1uaeG4Uh85eAwRX6 (https://photos.app.goo.gl/r1uaeG4Uh85eAwRX6)
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low 40's and sunshine to start my ride in Eastern Iowa after noon, then became cloudy. Took a nice 33 mile ride on the bike, heading into Iowa City. Stopped by my old fraternity house for a pic. Riding in January...wow..
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low 40's and sunshine to start my ride in Eastern Iowa after noon, then became cloudy. Took a nice 33 mile ride on the bike, heading into Iowa City. Stopped by my old fraternity house for a pic. Riding in January...wow..
Cool!
Photos!
Nice looking bike.
Thanks for your post.
University of ?
Stig
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Cool!
Photos!
Nice looking bike.
Thanks for your post.
University of ?
Stig
That would be University of Iowa. Home of the Hawkeyes!
This is the view most opposing team players see:
(https://s.yimg.com/os/creatr-images/2020-06/2be18140-a815-11ea-a7ff-0b21fcd3d4ad)
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My wife needed me to deliver some baby shoes to someone across town who wanted to buy them. All our grand kids are too big now to use them and don't expect any more to come along so we don't need to keep the baby stuff. I took city streets going there but then headed out into the country coming back home after a total round trip of only 40 miles. Temps stayed right around 50F. The heat wave has started here.
When I went out to my AK 550 there was no response to the attempt to turn the bike on. It's a keyless fob system like many modern 4 wheeled vehicles. Just put the fob in my pocket and everything works... usually. When I pulled the fob out of my pocket and pushed the button on it (the button only shows fob battery condition) there was no LED. That meant the fob battery was dead. The fob was working fine yesterday. I tried the backup fob and that battery was also dead. I know the bike battery was good since it was still plugged into the Battery Tender and that was showing a good charge on the bike battery. Like all keyless start systems there is a backup method to start the bike. There is a symbol on the dash on which I can place the logo of the dead fob and the AK comes to life so no issue getting the bike started but I now have to order new batteries. They should be here Monday
I also stopped for gas first before riding across town. I could have gone there and back and then stopped for gas but decided the time was right when the lines that are always at Costco are shortest so I went there first. Calculated the mpg on this last tank of gas at 51 mpg. That includes a run yesterday at below zeroF riding at -2.5F. I was actually expecting at best a few below 50 mpg but this is good.
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RJS - wondered if you'd be out riding today! It was too nice to pass up so I got 25 miles in on my little Ninja. I pulled the baffle from my slip on a few weeks back..I always thought it would be too loud but I'm really starting to enjoy the sound of it (with ear plugs in, of course).
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Snow coming tonight until after lunch tomorrow with rain or drizzle after that in temps around 25F. Up to 5 inches of fluffy white stuff in my neighborhood before the freezing drizzle. Needed a few groceries for the grandkid who will be here tomorrow. So rode the bike to the store 3 miles away. Actually I rode 11 miles to get there and another 8 miles to get home after there. Total of 19 miles. The temp was mostly around 30F before it started dropping at the end. Would have liked to ride farther but can't leave the 12 week old puppy in the crate for too long and he was already playing outside the crate for awhile before I left.
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Would have liked to ride farther but can't leave the 12 week old puppy in the crate for too long and he was already playing outside the crate for awhile before I left.
C'mon then Bob, share some pics of your pup so we can all go ahhh
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C'mon then Bob, share some pics of your pup so we can all go ahhh
OK. Here are some from this month.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/n3TYDThbqW1E3jbWA (https://photos.app.goo.gl/n3TYDThbqW1E3jbWA)
My 12 week old Charley and my son's 15 week old Golden pup which we also watch a few days a week. That Golden is nowhere near full grown... not for another 6 months. Of course, neither is my Cavalier.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/C9fydhXmqkgRpMJj6 (https://photos.app.goo.gl/C9fydhXmqkgRpMJj6)
My granddaughter who we watch 2 days a week with Charley. Jori is 4 but is very petite for her age.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/AQE2Vprj3RuibGK56 (https://photos.app.goo.gl/AQE2Vprj3RuibGK56)
And who doesn't like holding a little puffball of a puppy while it is sleeping.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/pbxCAGk3ohRBiKL77 (https://photos.app.goo.gl/pbxCAGk3ohRBiKL77)
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Bob, he's adorable! What beautiful colouring too. You got yourself a keeper there.
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Bob, he's adorable! What beautiful colouring too. You got yourself a keeper there.
That's what I told my wife... "this dog's a keeper" ;)
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Since we STILL have 2 cars, a Rav4 and Legacy, we STILL don't drive one enough to keep the battery charged. I keep reminding my wife that we only really need ONE vehicle but she's paranoid about that once every several years time when we both need to drive 4 wheels someplace. Although I could say that's a once every never time now since I retired. I never HAVE to go someplace that I can't wait until she brings one of the cars home first. And if we both HAVE to go someplace it's almost always to the same place so we just take ONE car anyway.
Last week I went out to the Legacy to reset something on the dash and it wouldn't let me get to the option. The dash did light up. But that was the car that had not been used for over a week. I turned the car off then on again and everything went blank. No lights on the dash or anywhere else. I plugged in my 1.25 amp Battery Tender and it showed a depleted battery so I let it sit to recharge. It wasn't until the next day that it finally showed full charge so I then unplugged the BT thinking I would put it back on the lawn tractor. I decided to wait for a time. Later that night I plugged in the BT to the Legacy again and again it showed depleted and took almost 6 hours to recharge. I did this same cycle waiting two hours before plugging in the BT again and again the battery was depleted. That shouldn't happen. So I went to Batteries Plus and replaced the 4+ years old battery. I also left my bigger BT plugged into the Legacy since it would be sitting for another week while my wife was visiting Florida (getting away from cold and snow here). The guy at Batteries Plus as well as many other sources of information said that with most cars on the road today it is not uncommon for the battery to deplete in a week or week and a half. I guess due to all the phantom loads constantly draining the battery. Sounds just like my AK 550 with how the battery is drawn down in a week or so.
Anyway, that was the long story that leads up to this one...
I rode the AK today to go to Lowe's and buy another Battery Tender Jr. The had the 750 mA model for $5 less than Amazon or Walmart. Walmart has the 800 mA model for $1 more than Lowe's. But I also get a military 10% off at Lowe's so I rode my bike there. Then I rode to Arby's to get lunch using a gift card I have for there. All together the trip SHOULD have been 4 miles. I took just over 17 miles to get there and back. :) I put the new BT on my wife's scooter. I kept the first BT Jr on my AK. I put the 1.25 A BT on the Legacy. And I also have an older AccuMate battery maintainer that is 1.2 A that I put on the Rav4 since I wasn't driving that much. When my wife returns tonight she'll be driving that one almost every day so I'll move the AccuMate maintainer to the lawn tractor.
Oh, and almost all the snow we had 3 days ago has melted. Just a little bit along fence lines in the shade and where the plows piled it up. 6 inches gone in 3 days. :)
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FINALLY feeling much much better after last week being down with Covid-19 I got out on the bike. My wife handed me a few bags of baby stuff to drop off at the church (all our grand babies are growing up) and also had a dental appointment. Also, it is expected to snow overnight again and then rain right after and then snow all day Thursday so... snow/ice/snow again.
I keep the bike plugged into a Battery Tender Jr any time it is parked in the garage so it is ready at a moment's notice. I also keep one of the cars plugged into a bigger Battery Tender since at least one just sits for several weeks at a time. And also my JD lawn tractor (anyone want to buy a JD X300? Just want to downsize and it's more than I need for 1/3 acre) as well as my wife's Metropolitan scooter.
I started out heading the long way to the church. Then I had at least 30 minutes to kill so took the long way from the church to the dentist office. The church was west of home and dentist is east of home. Stayed mostly out of the city but still on slower country and new development suburb roads (read: no traffic to speak of). Ended up with about 36 miles. Felt good to be out on 2 wheels again even if it wasn't a long distance. Also felt good to hear the dentist tell me nothing needs to be done this time around.
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Looks like are temperatures are about the same, mid to high 40's F. I got out for a couple rides, 30 to 50 miles, but it was to cold to say the rides were more that "mental health" exercise.
Art
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Looks like are temperatures are about the same, mid to high 40's F. I got out for a couple rides, 30 to 50 miles, but it was to cold to say the rides were more that "mental health" exercise.
Art
With handlebar muffs and warm riding gear I was more than comfortable even though temps were in the mid 40sF. But temps are expected to be in the mid 30sF down to the mid 20sF in just a day or two. Of course I don't ride with frozen stuff falling out of the sky. >:(
I really didn't feel cold yet this year except maybe a little cooler than usual when I rode at -2F in January. That's when the muffs WITH heated grips came in handy.
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Had a BMW K100LT with 2 electrical plugs, plus heated grips. Ran heated vest, and behind the fairing stayed comfortable. It was a traveling machine. We put 50,000 miles on it in 2 years. Cross country rides.
These days, I just wait out the weather, and settle for short rides in the winter.
Art
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These days, I just wait out the weather, and settle for short rides in the winter.
Art
Me too Art, my days of 365 per year riding are long behind me!
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The first day of spring and the weather was wonderful. Went for a little bit longer ride this time. 104+ miles. Almost got a picture of an eagle sitting on a tree branch hanging over the river running along side one road but by the time I stopped and pulled out the phone the eagle flew off so missed that one. Started with a full tank and stopped for gas at the end of the ride and calculated 52+ mpg. Rode a mix of roads from a few 20 mph small town streets to the 70+ mph Interstate (only 1.5 miles of that). Otherwise almost all 55 mph roads with a little bit of 65 mph road. Was good to get out after 2 weeks of the bike being parked. I did remove the handlebar muffs for this ride since temps started out at 53F and ended up around 56F.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/8eWHK7ZsVUU5Pze96 (https://photos.app.goo.gl/8eWHK7ZsVUU5Pze96)
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The rest of this week is getting full. Dr appointment tomorrow. Daycare for our granddaughter Thursday and Friday. Rain and maybe a trace of snow those days and Saturday. Maybe that last forecast is just an April Fools joke. Hope so.
Last week my wife told me to go for a ride... so I did.
This week my wife told me she was hungry for some Dutch Letters from Jaarsma Bakery in Pella, IA. So I rode my bike there today. Took the back roads and rode 168+ miles today. There were several sections of tighter S curves and even some with an additional 3rd curve right after but I was having too much fun running through those to stop for any photos. But I did take a few at my Danish bakery stop. I took several new to me roads both going and coming.
The gas gauge started flashing the red bar at 141 miles on the tank. I went until 170.1 miles on the tank but never saw the red "E" start to flash yet. Last year I figured out that I most likely have another 40 miles on the last red bar flashing and then another 13-15 miles with the red "E" flashing before the tank is dry. As it was, at 170.1 miles on the tank, I added 3.18 gal to full. I estimate the tank is actually a 3.8+ gallon tank at least so I had a ways to go yet. Calculated the mileage at 53.4+ mpg this time. Temps started out at around 38F and ended up around 53F with clear sunny sky the entire way. MPG is always lower with low temps. Still I feel good about how my AK is running.
I did notice the "SERVICE" light came on during this trip. Only 8950 miles when that happened. Only thing I can think of is that the service light is programmed for the old service intervals for oil change at every 3000 miles. My Owner Manual shows the service interval at 6000 miles so I still have 3000 miles to go before the next oil change and first belt change. I'll just leave it until that happens at 12,000 miles. My odometer currently shows 9075 miles.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/PMEHWy2P27HKm29u9 (https://photos.app.goo.gl/PMEHWy2P27HKm29u9)
https://photos.app.goo.gl/2iGw4TcVdkQHMd729 (https://photos.app.goo.gl/2iGw4TcVdkQHMd729)
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Dang, I STILL don't have my AK fixed! I rode the AK today to pickup something at the pet store which is a 7 mile round trip. Ended up going 26 miles! Just like my Burgman did my AK just keeps taking roads that triple or quadruple the miles to get anywhere locally.
I did make an adjustment on the AK final drive. I did not expect that to fix the above "issue" but I was hoping it would center the belt on the rear drive sprocket. When I brought my AK home from the dealer the factory had it adjusted so it was just 1 mm from the outer rim of the rear sprocket. That's the minimum tolerance. There is a limit rim that keeps it from sliding off if it works its way too far out as well as another on the inside. I had it adjusted after replacing the rear tire a little too far inside so it was actually rubbing on the inner rim of the sprocket. Then I adjusted it back right away but it still wanted to be close to the outer rim, at about 1-2 mm. Yesterday I made one more adjustment to only one adjuster on the right end of the axle by just moving it a quarter turn of the adjuster bolt. Today when I looked at it when I stopped at the pet store and it was about 3 mm on the outer side and 4 mm on the inner side. Just enough to see that it wasn't perfectly centered. Then I stopped at another place on the way back home and it was 4 mm on the outer and 3 mm on the inner sides. I have always known that it is normal for the belt on any belt drive will drift from one side to the other as long as it doesn't stay in contact with the limit rim. When I arrived back home it was right at 2 mm on the outer and 5 mm on the inner sides so still good. Seems to depend on how fast I am riding and if I lean one way or the other just before I stop to look at it.
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Rode over to the county assessors office today to pickup my new custom personalized plate for the AK 550. As usually happens this trip would be 27.4 miles if I took the direct route. Instead my AK "forced" me to make it 56 miles. ;D
Only one photo. You can tell from this pic that I really need to wash the AK but just haven't had the time or the weather to do it just yet so I won't post a better pic until I do.
The lighting was distorting the color and reflecting badly here so I'll just have to get to washing the bike and take another better photo.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/JNkLneuGGq9NpvqRA (https://photos.app.goo.gl/JNkLneuGGq9NpvqRA)
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Cool plate Bob! Would cost you high 4 figures here in the UK!
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Only a one time $60 fee and an annual $15 registration here. Some US states cost more every year.
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Rode to my grandson's middle school concert tonight. Took the shorter faster route to get there due to time. Concert was good. Traveled just over 46 miles tonight taking the longer way home.
Oh, and here is that plate after I gave my bike its bi-annual washing...
https://photos.app.goo.gl/7dMti29cNG7kTJgu9 (https://photos.app.goo.gl/7dMti29cNG7kTJgu9)
https://photos.app.goo.gl/g7g7w2wYAYneghVm9 (https://photos.app.goo.gl/g7g7w2wYAYneghVm9)
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Replaced the license plate frame. I tried a silicone plate frame/cover as shown in my previous post, but that was a little too flimsy for my taste and the bezel was not wide enough to completely cover the white border around the edges of the custom plate. I returned that one and bought a metal one that has a wider bezel. Not sure it's aluminum but maybe... or maybe painted lightweight cast metal. Was cheap enough so if rust starts to show I can replace it easily. Looks much better I think.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/kVWXbAHCbkK8ucpM9 (https://photos.app.goo.gl/kVWXbAHCbkK8ucpM9)
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Another really nice day. Sunny and around 90F.
Needed to go shopping so off I go on the AK. Ended up with just over 29 miles for a 3 mile shopping trip.
Had to get several bundles of yard waste bags and a few other groceries (on sale you know). The yard waste bags got strapped on the passenger seat and the rest went under the seat.
Just bringing home the bacon. No... really... bacon was on sale. ;D
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Another really nice day. Sunny and around 90F.
Needed to go shopping so off I go on the AK. Ended up with just over 29 miles for a 3 mile shopping trip.
Had to get several bundles of yard waste bags and a few other groceries (on sale you know). The yard waste bags got strapped on the passenger seat and the rest went under the seat.
Just bringing home the bacon. No... really... bacon was on sale. ;D
Story of my life on two wheels, right there!
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The ride will come starting tomorrow early morning and continuing daily through Sunday.
Tonight I packed the AK 550 tonight. Will be riding off in the early AM to my Wisconsin riding/camping event with the ST-Owners guys. Needed to re-figure how to strap the bags on since this is the first time I'm using my new big (blue) dry bag and also, as a result of fitting a bit more in that big bag, I also reduced the number of dry bags by one.
Hmmmm, everything is blue now! ;)
EVERYTHING that goes inside the tent is now in that big dry bag. Clothes, sleeping bag and mattress, and even the camp chair are in it. The longer dry bag on top is my new Nemo tent and all that goes with that. The shorter dry bag on top is now stuff I might need to get to on the road... rain suit, water bottles, extra Rok straps, bungee net, first aid kit, extra gloves and liners. I also threw in a few things I forgot to pack under the seat before I started strapping the bags on top. As you can see I needed that luggage rack to support the rear of the dry bag yet no excessive weight on it (looks bent in the photo but that's the normal shape). I decided a few years ago that I really didn't want to travel with a bag in the step through since that was one of my primary goals going to a super scooter in the first place... being able to easily "step through" to get on. Plus the gas cap is behind the cover just in front of the nose of the seat and I also don't want to have to move anything to add gas.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/7eCMq8hxQiNnx4jY8 (https://photos.app.goo.gl/7eCMq8hxQiNnx4jY8)
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Neil, you have a fun and safe trip. Big load there !
Art
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Actually I now have a smaller load than it was before... but just by a little. OK, not really smaller but not as tall nor as many dry bags.
Had a great trip that lasted from Wednesday until today. Most of those attending this time were riding BMW bikes... including the event sponsor who just recently sold his ST1300 to buy a BMW r1250rt. I rode the only "scooter" but most of the guys there know I can more than keep up in the group rides. But I generally ride solo or with one or two others who choose to tag along on my own routes. We had some riders show up from Texas and Arkansas and Florida and Tennessee as well as from IL, IN, OH, IA, and WI and MN. 15 riders in all.
On my way to the event there was a lot of road construction on my route. Ended up taking C and then 133 to Lone Rock (instead of my usual highway 60 from Prairie du Chien). On highway C I saw the rump of a deer going into the brush on my right and then a few miles later there was a very young bambi standing in the middle of my lane. I stopped quickly and tapped on the horn and bambi finally decided it was time to move... looked right, then turned and ran left and up the hill into the brush. I kept looking for mama but she was nowhere to be seen.
Saw 2 cranes in the field across from the campsite. Saw 4 cranes on the shoulder of the road on the ride back from Baraboo Friday. I led a few others who didn't want to follow the larger group ride to meet up with them at the lunch stop in Baraboo.
The ride home was without issue. Had a strong headwind the first half of the trip but that was less the second half. I did feel a bit of a mist for about 5 miles but then the sun came out. Left at 7:35 am and arrived home at 1:40 pm with a lunch/gas stop in Cedar Rapids, IA. 757 miles total. New tent worked out great. Weather was great. Wind on Thursday kept all the blood suckers away. Not too hot overall, but a little cool one day and night. No rain. Can't get much better than that. Averaged around 55-56 mpg with a high about 62 mpg and low just over 50 mpg (65+ mph with heavy headwind coming home).
Really liked having that awning on the front of the tent. I put it down at night to close the front and add some privacy and put it back up in the morning.
Here are a few photos:
https://photos.app.goo.gl/uVR2QTTbtKWufifD7 (https://photos.app.goo.gl/uVR2QTTbtKWufifD7)
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I'm out at one of my favorite stops for coffee. taking it easy with a full cup on the front bench, and a fellow sits down and introduces himself. He's out here from Iowa. I have to say you meet nice people riding a scooter. And I would add you meet some nice people from Iowa. We talked for about 30 minutes or more. Seems he just sold his scooter, and talking with me may have look to replace the one he sold.
My rides are pretty tame, but sure do mean a lot to me.
Art
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Well, THAT worked out...
My wife takes only her slim wallet when she goes walking. Sometimes when she on an errand she takes a small clutch with the wallet inside. Sometimes when shopping she takes her purse with the wallet inside... with a lot of other stuff (reminds me of what we all stuff into the storage of our bikes when we ride). Earlier today she went walking, then took the car in for some maintenance. After lunch she took off to go shopping... and forgot to take her wallet in the clutch. So she called me asking what to do. Can't go to the bank to get money without proof of ID. Nor the ATM either. So it was decided I would take the wallet to her. She suggested another bike ride.
Rode my AK 4.5 miles to where she was so she could go spend more money. Then another 30 miles to get home. ;D
It was sunny, no clouds, and 91F. Comfortable with all the vents open as long as I was moving along.
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Rode to my son's house this morning 22 miles away. My grandson is home recovering from another knee surgery (he has needed several surgeries on his leg due to a growth deficiency).
Needed to stop on the way home for gas since it was on reserve and I'll be riding there again tomorrow. Ended up with almost 49 miles total today.
I rode between the rain drops... well, actually between the rain storms... But I stayed dry in any case... relatively dry. Humidity was high for here at around 93% when I rode up there with actual temps around 82F. I did a repair to their garage door trim that was not fitting right and even though it was before 10 am I was dripping wet before I finished. I should have worn a swim suit.
Coming home the actual temps were not as high as expected due to the storms at around 87-89F but the humidity was still up there. Was OK as long as I kept moving.
Put in just 2.97 gallons of gas and calculated that tank to give me just over 58 mpg. 174 miles on that tank.
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Did it again today...
Rode up to my son's house to watch over 2 big dogs and my Grandson. He's on a series of meds to be given on a schedule during the day so that's what I was there for.
Temps going up were just over 80F and humidity has been high for a few days. But most of my jacket vents stayed closed and I was comfortable.
Riding home after 5:30 was a bit warmer. Temps were 98F and heat index at 114F most of the ride home. Dew point was around 75%. In the middle of the ride home for maybe 5 miles temps dropped about 8 deg per the temp reading on the dash, but it was 98F at the beginning and at the end of the ride every where else. All vents were open on the ride home.
Total miles today ended up being only about 46 miles.
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Just short ride today. Was a cool 53F this afternoon when I needed to take an Amazon return to the UPS Store. Then off on the long way home for a total of just over 17 miles. Wanted to do a check ride to verify the oil level after more than just running at idle for 10 minutes and also to make sure there would be no issues after replacing the CVT belt. All went well and the oil level was just more than the mid-point on the dip stick after parking and waiting 4-5 minutes in the garage. No weird noises or performance issues that would indicate something was put together wrong so now I'm ready for some cooler/colder weather riding... well, other than that the front tire will need to be replaced soon.
I still see enough tread left to think maybe another 1500-2000 miles before I need to do that. If I get a lot of miles between now and March then I'll be attempting to replace the tire in a cold garage. Not ideal. I usually don't ride a lot of miles during winter months so I might possibly be able to hold off until March or early April. Not the best idea to ride in the cold on worn tires but there's just too much tread to want to replace that front tire just yet. Maybe it will work to hang the new tire close to the front of my parabolic heater that I use in the garage to warm it up. Don't know if I can get away with putting the new tire in the oven. SWMBO might complain more than it would be worth.
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It was the coldest morning since February here.
Decided to get out for a little ride this morning.
I put on a double pair of socks in my Alpine Stars Air boots and the insulation liner along with the wind liner in my TM Venture Air pants. Behind the superb weather protection shields of my AK 550 that was plenty to keep me warm. I wore the insulation/wind liners for my TM Pivot jacket with another insulation/wind liner set from my previous jacket as well as a fleece jacket up top. I also wore my Turtle fur neck gator and TM Mid-Tex gloves. The heated grips were set to low inside my KemiMoto bar muffs.
The temp was 11F for much of the 24 mile ride. It would go up just a little once in a while and then dip back down to that again. Depended if the road was dropping into a slight valley over a stream of which we have many around here. I use an aquarium/terrarium thermometer that ranges from below -50F to over 120F and I put it in the pocket of the bar muffs with the probe hanging out in the wind so I can look at it as I ride. I was actually beginning to get very warm in the latter part of the ride. I likely didn't need the fleece jacket. The palms of my hands especially were just starting to feel almost too hot even though the heated grips were set to low. I was tempted to turn off the grip heat for a little while.
During this ride I realized that I had forgotten to move the windshield to the upper position so I'll be doing that as soon as the garage warms up a bit. I don't have an electric shield adjustment but it's just 4 bolts on the shield and 4 bolts on the brackets that are easy to get to. I only make this adjustment in the late fall or spring so no big deal to me... same as I did when I had an electric shield adjuster so one less system to fail IMO.
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Got out for my first ride of 2024 on January 2. I was thinking of getting out yesterday, Jan 1, but started working on an electrical diagram to add a trailer plug harness to my AK 550 and time got away from me. It was dark before I knew it and so I made sure to get out today.
I rode 63 miles for my first 63 miles to put on the annual miles list. The temp started out about 38F and dropped to 33F by about half way around at the southernmost point of the ride. Then it warmed back up to around 37F by the time I returned home. I left the heated grips turned off most of the way around but as the temp dropped I turned them on low and left them on the rest of the ride. Otherwise the Kemimoto bar muffs were plenty for the temps. I had maybe 3 miles of city road at the beginning and another 3 miles at the end of the ride but in between was all country roads.
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Another nice day before daycare services start up again (tomorrow) so went for a ride. A little chillier than yesterday. Started out at 37F but within 5 miles dropped to 35F. About half way around it was 33F. I did turn on the grip heat on low about 15 miles into the ride since it is better not to have slightly chilled hands... but ended up with sweaty hands and almost burned the palms. Warmer is still better than cooler. Went north and west this time. Temps also dropped all over the area during the ride. Rode 42 miles today.
Almost got a picture of an eagle sitting on a tree branch over a small river the road was following. Just as I was about to take the shot a car drove by and the eagle flew off and down close to the water in the trees so couldn't get it. This is the same spot I saw an eagle last year so maybe next time.
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The sun was shining and the temps were around 48F-49F and the BEST part was that the roads were dry with a few spots where melting snow on the sides was washing across cleaning off the pavement.
So I went for a ride... FINALLY. No need for heated grips with just the handlebar muffs being plenty to keep my hands toasty warm. I did still wear my Turtle Fur neck gator and one layer of insulated liner in the jacket. Rode about 30 miles. Temps stayed steady all around.
Since the AK had been sitting for almost 4 weeks with Sta-Bil in the tank. I knew it would sit for a while due to the big snowfalls we received. Today the AK was reluctant to start on the first try. It took 4-5 tries to get it to fire up. The AK has a safety cutoff in the starter circuit so that if the voltage drops below 11.6 vdc WHILE attempting to start it the starter cuts out. I did have it sitting on the BT Jr all this time. The battery was in between a recharge and drain cycle. IOW the BT Jr. turns off when the battery is fully charged and comes back on when the battery drops to a certain level. I don't ever just hold the starter button until it fires up anyway to avoid the risk of flooding the engine but rather do several short bursts. But a few times the voltage did drop under 12 vdc and the starter cut out and after letting it sit for 10-15 seconds the voltage went back up for another try. After it started it ran just a bit rough for a minute or so and then smoothed right out to normal running... but I did see a check engine light on the dash which stayed on for the entire ride. Everything seemed to be running fine at that point and I was suspecting either bad gas or the Sta-Bil was old. I did have that bottle of Sta-Bil for 3-4 years and that is past the normal expiration for the stuff. At the end of the ride I stopped to fill up with fresh gas. The check engine light stayed on for the 1.5 miles home. But after I shut it off, put it on the center stand, and started the engine again. It fired right up without hesitation and there was no more check engine light. So I'm certain my initial thought is correct... bad gas or Sta-Bil. I've had the AK sit for this long once or twice last year with no issues starting so I'm going with that.
So far this year all my rides have been at temps above freezing. I filled the tank at the beginning of the year and then again today. So far my mileage is 52.5 mpg for riding mostly in temps that were in the 30sF.
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yesterday was our first sunny, warm(er) day in a long time! Glad you made it out. I'm still aiming for a Wednesday ride so I can maintain my streak of riding in all 12 months...better weather coming, soon!
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It was a very nice day today. Sunny with temps around 59F so I put the bike back together and went for a ride. I had a few parts under the seat removed to facilitate me sizing and cutting metal tubes for a trailer hitch that I am making. I did have a destination today. I was headed to the state DOT office to register my new-to-me trailer. Rode a total of 37.0 miles today.
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Not really a warm day. Even very cloudy so that the sun was hiding. But it was still a nice day for a ride. I had taken the handlebar muffs off yesterday and didn't feel like putting them back on just for temps warmer than freezing. The heated grips were more than enough for this ride. Temps started out about 38F and went up to 39F. Then dropped to 37F and back up to 40F by the time I returned home. I rode just over 66 miles today. My route was a common one that I like to take. Long stretches of low rolling hills. Several sections of sweeping curves, some up and down those hills. And speed limits mostly 45-55 mph which I favor. It was an enjoyable ride.
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Another sunny clear blue sky day with temps staying around 56F. Delay getting in at the metal shop for some welding on my hitch frame so went for a ride. One of my favorite routes to the south and out in the country on county roads. Rode 60 miles today.
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I'm jealous, I was stuck in my home office in my basement all day...only time I got out was before 7 to get the newspaper. I had no idea it was so nice out!
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Was a very nice day today. Near 60F and sunny but VERY windy. 25+ mph constant wind with higher gusts. Only went for a short ride. 1.5 miles to go to the UPS office to return an Amazon item but forgot they closed 20 minutes before I got there. Then I took the long way home resulting in over 16 miles riding today. I pulled the trailer again for this ride only it was empty so I could see how it went with no load other than the weight of the trailer itself (70 lbs). The trailer bounced a bit more when going over bumps and bigger cracks in the road but otherwise stayed smooth rolling.
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Who says you can't go shopping with a bike pulling a trailer?
Went to Walmart yesterday to pickup a curbside shopping order. There is a big bag of dog food in the very bottom of the trailer under all the sacks. Only half full this trip.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/3jnnZFtW69XmHR2s9 (https://photos.app.goo.gl/3jnnZFtW69XmHR2s9)
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Good job Rob.
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Just returned from another camping/riding trip to Minnesota. Total of 642 miles. Most of that was getting there and back with a little 70 mile loop ride and a few shorter rides while there. Great weather, if a little cool.
Here is a link to some pics of this event:
https://photos.app.goo.gl/WN86pVivRyWCnFD29 (https://photos.app.goo.gl/WN86pVivRyWCnFD29)
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After family matters and being sick for a week I was wondering when I'd finally get my first ride of 2025 done.
Last Sunday I finally got out on the AK. Bundled up real warm with extra layers, with the wind/thermal jacket liners X2 (I have an extra set from previous riding jackets) and the wind/thermal layer in the riding pants and my neck gator. I have Kemimoto handlebar muffs on the bike and with the heated grips inside those my hands stay warm. The ride was only 12 miles since I was on a shopping errand (so the sun was well up in the sky) but the temp was down to -2.7F (that's -19.3C). I'm not the first place rider this year since there is someone in MN who is riding at -22F!!
I use an Aquarium/Terrarium thermometer sensor in the clear pocket of the bar muffs to keep track of the temps for the annual Coldest Ride game on the ST-Owners forum. I've won that game a few years over the last 14 years and have been in the top 5 (bottom 5?) for all but one year when there was excessive snow hanging around. Right now we have almost no snow anywhere but where the shadows are constant. So the roads are clear and dry and there really hasn't been much, if any, surface treatment put down.
Today was colder than the weekend so I took off for another 20 miles this morning. Temps varied from -13.7F to -12.1F but stayed below -13F for about 80% of the ride. The sun came up about the time I returned home so this was my first sunrise ride in a little while.
Sorry about all the snow falling way down south. I know that can't be easy for you guys.
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You went for a 20 mile ride yesterday morning?? Before sunrise? My outside temp showed -15 F at 6:30 AM. You, sir, are a lunatic! And I thought riding in the 20’s was cold..you win the Iowa coldest ride award!
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You went for a 20 mile ride yesterday morning?? Before sunrise? My outside temp showed -15 F at 6:30 AM. You, sir, are a lunatic! And I thought riding in the 20’s was cold..you win the Iowa coldest ride award!
Thanks!
Yeah, I did. Before sunrise. And I am the winner in Iowa. I'm sure I'm the ONLY rider in Iowa that was out at those temps. At least the only rider that is known to have done so. The coldest temp that morning here was officially -14F sometime around 5:30-6:00 am and I'm certain we had at least -15F along some of the road I was on at that time. But it had "warmed up" to between -14F and -13F by the time I was out at 7 am. I use an Aquarium/Terrarium thermometer that has a range of -58F to +158F so it is perfect for this. It shows temps in tenths of a degree and can also show Celsius.
Yet I am only currently in second place on the ST-Owners PaulaCB Memorial Coldest Ride 2024-2025 contest. First place currently goes to a rider from Fremont, MN at a temp of -22F
This was my second coldest ride in the last 15 years. My coldest coldest ride was in 2011 when I rode 60 miles north of my home and the temp was -15.7F. On that ride I mistakenly turned into a driveway that was unplowed and had over 6 inches of snow. I was riding a ST1100... not a light weight bike.
Oh BTW, at that time I belonged to a fellowship group called the Rounders... or Year Round Riders... who made a point to write about their adventures riding in all weather or temp conditions. They had a scale and a few rules for categorizing fellow riders in the group. If you ride in every month of the year you were considered a True Rounder. And there was also a temp scale. I was known as a KHOF rider (Kook Hall of Fame) since a few years I not only rode every month of the year (here in central Iowa), but rode in temps from +105F down to well below zeroF, and every temp between, in each of those years. I know there are riders in every part of the world who have ridden in much much colder temps than I have.
I'm almost 70 (will be in a few months) so I don't know how long I'll be able to ride in such cold conditions. I do take care to be prepared for any conditions I ride in whether it be any temperature or any other weather and I know my limitations. The way I dress for the occasion I can be laying in the snow (if we had any) on the side of the road for a while and still be warm. I dress for the wind chill of at least 60 mph winds. I won't be able to ride in temps like this in future years and I already won't ride in colder temps like I could before. Hotter temps either. But glad I can still just ride and hope to continue to be able to ride for many years to come.
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BTW- The PaulCB Coldest Ride contest is named that because Paul Burns, a long time member of the ST-Owners forum, ran this contest for several years. In 2022 while riding home to TX from CA on his newer ST1300 a dim-whitted driver ran a stop sign and T-Boned with his bike killing him. He was 24 miles from home. The next year I renamed the Coldest Ride contest in his honor knowing that he would not want the game to end.