No, I'm NOT Jack !

Last week after I made arrangements to view my `new to me` R1200R, I arrived at the previous owner`s house and this was my first view of THE BIKE sitting in the driveway



I parked my V-strom on the street by the curb and started to awww and ooooo at the bike and snap a few photos. Shortly, the owner arrived after walking his dog, we discussed the bike and talked about the details of what came with the bike, its former history, how long he owned it and when it was serviced. His name was Jack

I made arrangements to purchase the bike the next day and he agreed to ride it over to my place, and I agreed to drive him back home as he lived about an hour East of Vancouver. This would save me a lot of time as then it would have left me the problem of retrieving my bike from his place.

It took me a day to get the bike ready and check everything out before I actually rode it. You know, check the tire pressures and bring the battery back to full charge. After I got the insurance I decided to ride my new `R` to work, and after work I went to 2nd Gear to see what farkles I could muster. I ended up at 2nd Gear where I had purchased things for my V-strom. 2nd Gear is a Twisted Throttle distributer and I find it easier to just pay and order from Dave, then to order it myself. I need to install a top case but I don`t have the topcase rear rack.



Dave was busy with another customer so I patiently waited and eventually I got to call him over to see my `new to me` `R`

The first words uttered from Dave`s mouth was "Is this Jack's bike ?"

I couldn't find an aftermarket rear topcase rack for my "R", which would also fit the original OEM BMW sidecases, so on Saturday I decided to visit my local Beemer dealer in Richmond. I had to bite the bullet and pay the premium price for the BMW part. I have been to this dealer many times to look at their R1200R's and also the Tiger 800.

The first thing that I did was to enter the building and show off my "new to me" R1200R to Stuart . . . and the first thing

he said to me was "Did that bike belong to Jack ? "

Jack was just here the other day . . .

I went to the parts department and we negotiated a deal for the combo sidecase/top case rack which replaces the sidecase strips that I have to remove. The new combination rack comes with the top case attachment plate. I should have this in about a week. I had already check pricing at two dealers in Seattle and I received a close price match

This was the first time that I had ridden my "new to me" R1200R on the highway, and I must say that it has lots of power, the engine is nearly silent and you can only hear the sound of the wind. At speed, the speedometer seems to be indicating much too much, as it is showing much higher than what I imagine

On Saturday, I usually find myself at Rideaway Motors to have lunch and keep Benny company for an hour or so . I arrived earlier than usual but I notice that Benny has already bought his lunch. I sit down and we chat for a few minutes and then a customer comes in the front door . . .


My "new to me" R1200r, with its previous owner, Jack


I don't believe my eyes !! It's JACK . . .

He's the previous owner of my "New to me" R1200R . Imagine that I am in the back alley behind the Mcdonalds Restaurant, over an hour from where Jack lives in Coquitlam, BC and he notices MY "new to me, but his previous" R1200R parked in the lane and decides to come in to find me

He is also hungry so I offer to buy him lunch



He also doesn't believe that I am here so he phones home to tell his wife and I manage to say a few words to her using his phone. I can't believe that we just happened to meet "by chance", in such an unlikely location. I watch as he walks down the lane towards his bike (Honda VFR), which is parked around the corner



It just seems that he is following me wherever I go . . .

I've been enamoured with

an "R" bike for a few years, and in particular the BMW R1200R. Over the past couple of years I have been scanning ads & Craigslist and for a time I knew every "R" bike for sale in our area, but none have been in "My price range". There was a close call last summer when I found a good one in Kelowna but I passed on it because of the logistics of getting it back to Vancouver. Then another close call late last year, when the local dealer in Richmond had a "DEMO" but it was Red. I went to see it several times and when I finally went the last time to try and do a deal, the salesperson said that they weren't interested in a trade as they would have to carry it until the Spring. So I left . . . and as it worked out, they didn't end up selling it until the next spring anyway.



Then on Tuesday I spotted one which looked delicious, except that it was Blue. I thought that this bike would look better in Graphite, silver or black so I hummed and hawed for 17 seconds, and sent off an email to ask if I could view it. I have found that if you are serious then you leave contact phone numbers and I thought that I left my cell number. I think all guys can relate to what I am saying. We all like to look at the ads and dream. I checked with my Beemer confidante in Atlanta, GA and she told me that this was that rare Biarritz Blue that was discontinued, but desirable.

I waited all day for "THE" phone call, but nothing. I was getting ansy that someone else had beat me to it.



I am a good detective and I did get an initial email saying that I could view it anytime after work, so I did a bit of googling and found the owner's address. I was going to ride by after work anyway and see if I could spot it. Then, THE phone call came just before I left work. When I got there he said he did try to call me but that a LADY answered. He explained that he was selling a bike and this LADY said "HE BETTER NOT BE BRINGING HOME ANOTHER BIKE !"

I told him I didn't know who this person was, only that I didn't get his phone call so I rechecked my email (which I sent a copy to my phone) and to my horror I had typed in Mrs Skoot's cell phone number by mistake. OH OH, what to do now ! The Gigs up and now she knows what I am up to.

We had a nice talk about bikes. He just bought a Honda VFR, and an older Honda Elite scooter for commuting. He also has a Nissan 300zx convertible. As I was leaving he said to me "You're the boss in your family aren't you ? She can't tell you not to buy the bike " I mean guys are always in charge, Right ? " I lied and said "of course"



Now I get home and I don't know what to say, and Mrs Skoot doesn't say anything. I am at a loss for words and I know she is waiting for me to open my mouth

Well, it finally followed me home and the past couple of days I have been busy bringing up to my standards .



This bike is set up for someone with very short legs and it has the low seat option. My legs are bent too much and I needed the brake pedal raised so I ended up at EMS: Essential Motorcycle Services and thanks to Ted I also got the tires back to spec.



He is often there "after Hours". This bike also has SW-Mototech bar risers so you don't have to stretch your arms so much



On the way home tonight, I stopped off at 2nd gear to buy some accessories



I bought a powerlet adapter cable, and a waterproof cigarette lighter type plug which I managed to install in the dark using a flashlight. I can use this plug to plug in my battery tender, or my GPS



I keep pinching myself. I can't believe I own a female bike with Jugs

Two or Four

wheels, hard to decide. Recently I was thinking about all of my security measures and how vandals are ruling my life. So I am taking back my life and doing what I did before . . . trying to live without fear that something else bad will happen.

I woke up early and squeezed my V-strom through my narrow gate to prepare it for my commute to work



Just after 7am found me on Broadway looking at the sunrise. This time of year is the worst for commuting as the sun is often at road level, making it hard to see where you are going. I am heading Eastbound right into the sun, and in another month or so, I will be squinting into the sunset on my Westward trek home



As a safety precaution I often follow other cars when the glare gets bad. I worry about the left turning cagers which are difficult to distinguish from the shadows



From this intersection I am only about 10 minutes from work, and Sonja is just around the corner


Every morning before I leave for work I take a look at my Corvette to make sure nothing serious happened during the previous night. On Monday morning I got the bright idea to drive it to work as what better way to keep an eye on it than from our office windows, instead of on the street at home miles away.



It was too cold in the morning, but after work I drove topless



The sun was out but there was no heat in the air. My ears were freezing



We have had a very short summer and I feel that it's slipping away. It is not very warm during the day, and it is getting chilly at night. We are getting down to single digits, only 8°c this morning.

I hope to be able to use my car a few more weeks before it gets too cold to put the top down



for now it is tucked away for the night. The top is up, and the battery is plugged in

Good news weekend

Recently my car was damaged I don't drive it much during hot weather, but now that it is cooler, and the perfect time for a convertible, it was at the shop being repaired. It was expected to take 3 weeks, but I got a call on Friday that it was ready for pickup so I left work early



I smile as I noticed my RED speck in the distance. My service rep actually phoned me last Wednesday to advise that my top had arrived and they were sending it out for installation . . . and IF everything worked out, it would be finished on Friday afternoon, ready for the weekend - so I had my toes crossed just in case



They managed to detail the interior and give it a bath. It was gleeming in the sunshine



Tony, my service advisor bent over backwards and gave me great service. He is also a car guy and used to own various muscle cars. He is looking for an Alfa Romeo Veloce 2000 GTV and I used to own one many years ago.



it feels good to have my car back home again.

On Saturday, I arrived home after breakfast with the guys in Steveston and had nothing pressing to do



so I doffed my shoes and went for a walk around the neighbourhood. It is not easy to walk barefooted on the cement pavement or gravel pathways. Then I remembered that I had to go to the bank before they closed. I made my way back home and thought that it made more sense to ride my bike. I don't want you all to think I ignore your comments (prev post), so I put on my sandals and found my way to the bank



I am not really a fan of using backpacks but I needed a way to carry my camera and tripod, while helmets are required by law in British Columbia, footwear is not



I rode around for a bit to put on a few more miles and get more exercise



You also get to see things that you don't when travelling in a car



My particular bank has two branches near where I live. I decided to go to the closer one. My original plan was to ride my bike to the slightly farther one as the bank also has a Safeway in the same strip mall and I need to purchase some supplies for the BBQ later in the evening but it was just too much trouble to "unhide" my bike



I was afraid that vandals would damage my bike if I parked it on the street, so I have hidden it out of view but since it takes more effort to bring it out, I find it more convenient to just leave it there and use my car so I basically don't commute to work with it anymore and lately I don't feel energetic enough to even use it during the weekends. It is like my bike is a prisoner of "what may happen" even though nothing may.



Last April we were contemplating a new car purchase. We paid our downpayment and through a series of errors our order got "misplaced". After brunch on Sunday (today) Mrs Skoot finally got her new wheels. It's that white Subaru VX Crosstrek on the right.



We will miss the power of our Subaru WRX sportwagon, but we feel that the more miserly fuel economy is the right thing to do

Weak Muscles

Last weekend I decided to dust off my bike and get some exercise



I'm not used to this and it was hard work. I decided to take small steps and just ride around the neighbourhood but ended up at Queen Elizabeth Park. Needless to say I had to ride up a few hills. I was huffing and puffing and so out of shape. I am so embarrased at showing off my flubber



Having a much needed rest was a necessity. I have a rule that I have to ride everywhere, I don't walk up hills, that would be cheating. If I am tired, then I will take a short break before I continue. If I can't make it all the way up a hill, I stop to rest, then pedal. I try not to walk with the bike

Blog Challenge: 5 awesome blog posts

Post a list of 5 Pretty Awesome Posts Your Readers Might’ve Missed

Rachael of Fuzzy Galore has issued another blog challenge to . . .

" Head back to your own blogs and find 5 blog posts that you really loved writing and tell your readers about them. Maybe we missed them the first time around, maybe we’re new readers, maybe you just loved the post so much that you just want to hi-five it again. Whatever!

Blow the dust off of some of those oldies but goodies and re-share ‘em with us."


I wasn't sure I could do this as it would have meant many hours of reading my old posts to narrow down my choices to only 5. The way I title my posts does not give any hints as to what my topic actually is and after time, I forget too. I know Fuzzy put me on the list based upon my proud Youtube video. It's not long but I was getting nabbed by the Youtube police for content infringement so I had to resort to my own music. This was not rehearsed and it was "take One", and produced without practising. Still images were taken with a Canon T2i, mixed with GoProHD video and the audio track was blended using an app on the iPhone and added in editing. Here is the link to the video (<--- click)

I felt a bit guilty so I decided to pick a few from the archives before I was widely read, as you will notice from the lack of comments. I used to spend a lot of time producing these blog entries and I did get discouraged, at first. I actually tried to start a blog a year earlier, but I couldn't figure out Blogger and gave up.

My blog is more or less a diary of my life and the original intent was to highlight the beauty of the Pacific Northwest which I define as BC, WA, OR. Photography has always been my hobby. I have lots of film-based professional equipment which is archaic by today's standards and I was probably the last person to finally embrace digital. Over time I have travelled many of the backroads of BC

I hope you get a kick out of my early writings

1) My first multi-day motorcycle ride to Oregon, to attend the Soundrider.com Maxi-Scoot Rally
I rode solo to Steveson, WA and met others from the maxi-scoots.com forum

2) I chose this one because I just love the terrain on hwy 395 near the California border. We also travelled on the Oregon Outback Scenic Byway . It was always my intent to come back the next time with my bike

3) This is my ride report posted on Stromtrooper.com This is known as the Port Renfrew Loop and we rode this the first year after it was paved. I purchased my V-strom brand new early August and this was my first road trip on my new bike just after its first service

4) I used to ride a Suzuki SV650nK3. I traded it in for my current V-strom but in retrospect I should have kept it as a spare. I just finished installing new tires, brakes, clutch, coolant and it was nearly mint. I rode it to Kelowna to attend the Scooter Rally and rode solo both ways. This was my last ride using my SV650n

5) I never really had a riding buddy, but I did have a buddy for a while when she finally moved to Vancouver and bought her "new to her" Beemer. I am sure you will recognize her . This was her first Shake-Down Ride .

Most of you are probably familiar with my current offerings, so I deliberatly chose entries from; 2008, 2009 & 2010. Sorry, no barefeet back then, I have become less inhibited these days . . .

Topless

After I maneuvered my bike out, you can read about it HERE , I was on my way to Steveston to have breakfast with the guys. Since I come here nearly every Saturday morning it didn't seem necessary to snap any photos. It was a nice sunny day and without anywhere to go I decided to just enjoy the day and stick close to home



I ended up at a sandy beach at Spanish Banks where parking was nearly non-existant but I finally found a spot to park and quickly changed out of my riding clothes



There is no better feeling than to walk barefooted in the sand on the beach. I notice lots of others doing the same thing. The sand also works as an abraisive to clean the bottoms of your soles. I was recently on the Oregon coast but it was windy and felt a bit chilly but here in our protected waters the sun felt warm with only a slight breeze



The beach is very flat and when the tide changes you have to be very careful to keep your eyes on the water as it rises very fast. At low tide you can nearly walk a mile out . Looking Eastward you can see Vancouver



in the distance. The trees on the left are in Stanley Park


Topless #1

It is starting to get warm so naturally, even though I am carrying a bit of flubber, I decide to walk topless. I can be so daring sometimes

For a long holiday weekend, it isn't very busy and even the lifeguard has time



to take a break and enjoy the good weather


Goofing off in front of my camera

Over 15 years ago when we had our two dogs (chow chows), we used to bring them down here all the time. Dogs are allowed during the winter months.



Near the end of the pier there is a viewing platform and some people are baiting their crab traps


Vancouver in the background

With no plans I am not in a rush to leave. I am just enjoying a nice summer day in the sunshine



I imagine that I am the Captain


Topless #2

I am at the time of my life where I am trying very hard to slow down, learn how to relax and enjoy the beauty around us. Today was very peaceful. I spent a couple of hours doing nothing and I could do it again



Every day we wake up is another day to be thankful for

The Vandals are winning

Ever since my recent bout of vandalism, I decided to hide my bike out of sight in a more secured area "off the street". It is just too much work to dig it out every day so I stopped commuting on my bike and just take the car. Every morning I circle the car to make sure the tires haven't been slashed before I get on my way.

Since Monday is a Stat Holiday and this is a long weekend I decided to ride my bike Saturday morning to meet the guys for breakfast down in Steveston



It sounds simple. Ride my bike into the back yard using the narrow sidewalk on the side of the house. Then jiggle the handlebars to squeeze through the gate which is narrower than the width of the bars



I have to make sure that my bike is exactly in the middle so I can clear the gate. The ground is flat so moving 550 lbs is not that bad



I can only roll it a few more feet as then the ground rises



From here you can see what I am up against . I have to detach my side cases to make more room



That's about as far as I can push my bike. From here I need engine power and throttle control. I don't like to make too much noise as it echoes between the houses and I don't wish to annoy my neighbour. I start my bike and ride it



across the front lawn back onto the street. It is not easy to push my bike manually over the soft grass. There is too much grass resistance. It was just minutes after 7am when I started this maneuver, but when I was getting my side cases I met one of the neighbours who was walking her Pug (dog)



I'm usually very good with animals, but Susan (My neighbour) said that her dog was recently spooked by that recent thunder storm a couple of weeks ago and has recently started acting nervous towards strangers. Susan tried to calm her dog down but it didn't work



We talked for quite a while and before you knew it half an hour had passed. I was trying to get a head start to Steveston, but now I was going to be late for breakfast



You know that I am a sucker for anything PINK and I kept focusing my eyes


Here

to be continued . . .