Sunday, November 25, 2012

An excellent day

for a quick ride.  This is a continuation of the previous post .   It feels like an eternity since I had ridden Nu2Me my Beemer R1200R.  After my brake flush I headed South without a destination in mind but I had things to do like grocery shopping and some carport cleanup which I cannot do on weekdays as it is dark before I get home.  As I was navigating the local roads, for some reason my mind went blank and I could not figure out how to turn off my turn signals.

Fraser River near Steveston, BC

BMW's have a challenging turn signal arrangement.  I was trying to change lanes and I hit the left button, and then after the lane change I hit the right button but instead of the signals turning off, the right signal started blinking.   It took me a while to figure it out and after the signal lights were finally off it was just easier to not change lanes as it was just too much trouble.  I was chuckling inside my helmet as I was following this slow car ahead not wanting to change lanes.  All the other cars were passing on my left and right sides but I just hung in there at a slower pace.


It was a pleasant 8°c (46°f) when I started out, cool but not too chilly and you could feel the warm of the sun when you were stopped.  For some reason I had ridden my Vstrom, but not the Beemer.  I find that the Vstrom is more maneuverable on slower speeds within the city.  It has better throttle response.   The "R" likes to go fast and thrives on the highway but I really haven't tested the performance of my new Michelin Pilot Road 2's.  Actually the tires have not yet been broken in.  The release compound still has to be scrubbed off so I had to be careful on my lean angles


I was just enjoying the day at scenic speeds and looking for places to stop.  The traffic seems very light for a Saturday.  Everyone must be at the Black Friday sales looking for bargains.  I just couldn't help but think of how lucky we are to be on the Wet Coast of Canada where it seldom snows.  Our lowest temperatures hover around freezing during the Winter, yes we sometimes get a bit of fog and frost in the mornings, but it has usually melted off by noon.  I feel so sorry for those who live here or here .


It is harder to park my Vstrom here as the side stand is too high and I don't get enough lean angle.  For my "R" (Nu2Me), I have no problems.  During the heat of the afternoon our temperatures went up to 10°c (50°f) which is much warmer than we are used to for this time of the year.


I actually had to do a U-turn and ride back for this photo.  That is our BC Ferries maintenance facilities.  I don't see any trains around so I stopped on the train tracks.   As a safety precaution I left the "engine running", just in case.

My stomach was grumbling so I took the highway back to town and for the first time since I bought Nu2Me I tried out my heated grips.  There is a switch on the right handlebar for high and higher.  I am happy that it works.  I am not so happy with the wind buffeting.  I have the low Cee Bailey windshield and I have to find a way to angle it back a bit.  Even at only 120 km/h the vibrations and noise are unbearable.  I have to look into ear plugs at our upcoming Motorcycle Show in January.  The bike was very stable at that speed and I have lots of passing power.  There was no problem merging into the traffic and watching the specks get smaller in my mirrors


I was just taking my time and enjoying the appearance of the sunshine.  It rains here more than you can imagine and it is so depressing with the lack of colour.  Going back to Standard time only makes it worse, as it is now dark before we head home from work.  I had a few errands to do so I headed home after a quick snack with a friend


I ride my bike over the curb and prepare to roll it into my back yard on the narrow sidewalk.  I am too wide


so I had to remove my luggage first


This bike is much easier to handle than my Vstrom which I need the engine to help me move it.  With Nu2Me I can push the bike all the way to it's parking spot


and soon it is right back to where it belongs just like my ride never happened.   My insurance will run out in about 2 weeks and then I will switch to my Vstrom which is insured for the whole year.  Insurance is very expensive here as it is run by the Government and there are no discounts for multiple vehicles.

Of course, being on a bike doesn't mean continuous riding.   Lately I have been stopping more often to relax and just enjoy my surroundings.


While "some" of our Eastern blogger friends may be cloaked in snow, we are still trying to hold onto Summer


29 comments:

  1. Looks like the perfect day Bob but 10 degrees is still just too cold for me!!

    Some beautiful photos there loved the one on the train tracks and the one above it, it looks warmer that you said it was really.

    Great to see you getting out and just enjoying yourself .. do you get snow normally?

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    1. Oh Brenda:

      10°c actually feels warm, I don't mind the cold but I mind the icy roads when the temperatures go down to freezing. I have heated gear but seldom use it. Having heated grips is nice as I often use them on a cool summer evening.

      Snow here is hit or miss. Some years we get none, and sometimes just a week or two. It usually melts in a day but every so often we get a bad one . . . you just never know.

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  2. Good photos of the oilhead Bob. Talk about a tight fit though....beware doing it when things are slippery, those mirrors are expensive.

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    1. Dom:

      Actually my "R" is a known as a HexHead. My narrow sidewalk is a tight fit. I have to Jog the handlebars around the narrow gate but putting one end through, and then leaning the bike to get the other side through. Luckily the "R" is 80lbs lighter than the Vstrom (which I have to jog too). I can push the "R" all the way from the front to the back, but with the Strom, I have to use the engine and shut it off when I reach the narrow gate

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  3. Thank you for all those sunny pictures Bob.

    A great day to be out on the bike for sure.

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    1. Trobairitz:

      This was the first sunny weekend in recent history, at least back to early October. I had vacation plans ruined on two separate weekends. I can't really ride too far these days as I have to be home to make dinner and do the grocery shopping. I have been a slave to the kitchen for the past few weeks, and another 6-8 weeks to come.

      As I have no riding buddy I stop more to just enjoy the day but I wished it were a few degrees warmer, then I could sit there in shorts and sandals

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  4. Bob, I was going to congratulate you on wearing shoes... until I got to the last picture. It's nice to see green grass and no snow!

    Thank you for feeling sorry for the two of us that live in God's Country, Wisconsin.

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    1. Erik:

      It actually felt warm for a change, but today we were Minus -1°c this morning. It was really hard to scrape the frost off my windshield.

      I leave around 7am, but if I were retired like you I could go riding around noon as by then it would have melted. It gets cold when it is sunny as there is less cloud cover. When the rains come back on Wednesday it will warm up.

      I am not a fan of cold weather like you get in WI but I must admit that photos of your snow make things look better than our drab grey

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    2. If you throw a tarp over the windshield when you get home you won't have to scrape off the frost.

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  5. i had to job the bars around to get in my previous gate, while hopping up the deck, and then up again in through the french doors, to park in my dining room. ahhhh what fun... lol! great pics bob, looks like it was a gorgeous day!

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    1. oops, i meant jog the bars, not job, lol...

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    2. Ms M:

      I remember that, and also your grass was often waterlogged which made it worse, and it didn't help that you were wearing those Stilettos. I still have that image burned in my mind.

      That gate and the sandy driveway has made it more difficult to access my bikes so it is just easier to take the car. Hope things will get back to normal soon

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  6. It really looks like you found a beautiful day for riding. Blue skies and relatively warm. The seat height of the "R" looks like it's pretty low. How is the search going for a non-lowered seat?

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    1. Richard:

      Yes, my seat is too low and my legs are bent too much. I have a problem buying one up here for a reasonable price. I found one on eBay but the shipper in Atlanta only wanted to ship via FEDEX, so the seat was $75. and the shipping was $150., plus I still had to pay 12% taxes on all of this.

      I can't buy on ebay because I don't have a confirmed address in the USA, and I can't buy one at the dealer because the seat is around $600. I thought about shipping it somewhere else but I can't because they will only ship where my credit card bills are mailed to.

      Did you know that on ebay you can buy a Sena SMH10 dual Bluetooth V3.0 for $230. right now. They are $340. here in Vancouver and I need one unit, and you can have the other . . . This is the lowest price I have seen since the new models came out.

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  7. I was waiting for this post Bob...Thank you!

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    1. Coop:

      I can't imagine that while we are basking in Sunshine (for a day or two), you are busy installing snow fences. I think we have then in the interior of BC but we didn't know what they were or why they would be constructed there. Never thought about the blowing wind . . .

      If you ever need any photos of something in our area, just let me know and I'll go and find them. Can't wait for Summer. I still have that Delta Diner on my mind

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    2. Really appreciate the offer Bob, you may be surprised with a request. There would be far worse places to gather than in Delta, WI.

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  8. Looks like an awesome day, Bob! Living on the West Coast has some upsides ... down here it started to get rainy, too, but the warm days in between are just soooooo nice.

    Regarding the ABS: I think the main issues with BMW ABS were with the ones that had the power assisted hydraulic brakes. I don't think the R12R ever had these, but I'm not 100% certain. The GS and RT were switched to "normal" ABS with the 2007 model year. The newer ones are more robust and much cheaper to repair if something goes wrong. And yeah, the signal switches take some getting used to ... Andrea did a test ride on a R1200R last Friday and at the first corner I could hear her not turn of the signals on the first try ... ;-) Horn on the left, signal off on the right ... I got used to it super fast a few years ago and I actually liked it much better once I learned not to jerk the throttle when turning them off. Luckily on most Beemers they turn off by themselves after ~200m.

    Hope you have more of these nice sunny and warm days! Take care of yourself!

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    1. Guido:

      You are right, pre 2007 there were problems, but I have read of some failures on the newer models too. R1200 or R1150, or BMWMOA forums, can't remember which. Most likely has to do with dirty, old brake fluid which contaminated the ABS pump. so it was on my mind to do the brake flush right away, and it only cost me $35. incl the brake fluid.

      I love the R1200R. In the beginning you will hit the horn instead of the left turn button, don't ask me how I know that. The signal OFF button would be better on the Left side because you have to move your hand off the throttle to reach the lever. I keep forgetting to let them cancel automatically.

      I think the R12R is more confidence inspiring in the corners. It's like it already knows how to twist through the curves, it is so easy to go fast.

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  9. Replies
    1. Karen:

      You're almost making me feel guilty, but it's not working (lol)

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  10. Bob: The best ear plugs I have used recently are being sold at Safeway and Overweightea. They are comfortable, much more effective than is usual for disposables and they still work well when reused unlike others .

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  11. Regarding ear plugs: Three years ago I bought a pack of 200 hundred of the Howard Leight Max plugs. I still like them much better than the ones I got during a trade fair here where I had them custom made for me.

    The Howard Leight work great for about a two or three full days of riding, getting them in and out a few times over the days. They are more isolating than the custom made ones, after I got used to apply them properly (super important) they are more comfortable and easy to get in and out than the custom molded ones. And I can throw them away when they are filthy. I always have some in my backpack, my tankbag, my topcase, my toiletries kit, my car, and so on. Always have some within easy reach pretty much everywhere I go.

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    1. David & Guido:

      I was thinking of buying a custom pair at our Motorcycle show in January, but maybe I should just buy the generic bulk packs. I can't ride on the highway with that Cee Bailey Windshield it diverts the wind right into my helmet with lots of wind buffeting, unless I install a "block" to angle it back a bit.

      thanks for the suggestions

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    2. There are some places where you can buy an assortment of different ear plugs. Or the local pharmacy might have some to try. I got a pack of four pairs first to try them, but then figured for $20 I couldn't do much wrong with buying the big pack. Worked out great for me.

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    3. Guido:

      I saw a small pack at the local pharmacy so maybe I'll try them out. They didn't have any of those larger packs. Maybe I should try a pair of those noise cancelling ear buds instead, then I could use them to hear my radio (dual purpose)

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  12. Beautiful day! I feel as if I went along!

    Did your toes get cold? :=)

    So nice as I am currently confined to my recliner with a pulled back muscle...no scooting for me for a few days!

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    1. Deb:

      For late November, it was a warm day. We may not get another day like this until next Spring. The rains have come back

      So sorry about your back. Did you have a scooter mishap ? or did you just happen to turn the wrong way ? That happened to me the other day. I had to turn my head to watch traffic and it took a couple of days to get straightened out again.

      I think I can endure the cold better than most people as I walk around the house all year barefoot, plus I wear shorts & sandals most of the year

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