A Bonnie Day

Mother nature can't make up her mind. Spring has sprung, we are on daylight savings time and for a few weeks we had a taste of summer


(flowering bamboo)

Flowers are sprouting everywhere, tulips and other brightly coloured flowers the names of which I do not know as I am name challenged when it comes to names of any growing plant. For the past week we have been drenched with torrential rains and a few wind storms with gusts of up to 95 kms/hr as was this morning as overheard on the radio. Last week during my daily commute we had wind gusts of around 45 kms/hr and I thought it was going to blow me over as I was meandering my way home on the crowded streets of Kingsway. We even got snow dusting the tops of our local mountains


(Fraser River looking East towards New Westminster, BC)

It was a lazy day as I noticed this beautiful Triumph Bonneville parked on the sidewalk



I've noticed this Bonnie here before. It belongs to one of the mechanics



This bike appears as new but isn't as it has over 20K on the odometer, and has a minimalist instrument cluster which does not include a tachometer.



For a brief moment I was imagining being astride the bike in the rider's seat navigating myself through the Keys on the Great Ocean Highway and wondering what gear I was in since the noise of the engine gave no clue as to its actual engine speed.



It was obvious by the cleanliness of this bike that the owner was proud of his possession and was taking great care to ensure its longevity.

I couldn't help but notice this lady standing by the side of the road wearing this very short mini-skirt. I quickly whipped out my trusty camera to snap a pix but she must have had an eye in the back of her head and saw me.


(but I took the photo anyway)

While were were having an early dinner I was fiddling with my camera trying to be creative when I noticed this red Mini



and was wondering how I could make use of the red colour and the lettering on the restaurant window

and came up with this steaming cup of coffee



across the street I noticed this parkade which was a good place to park if you had a miniature VW



Lucky thing I have my camera, 'cause you never know what you're going to stumble across

Easter AYCE Won Tun & Lenmar USB mini-charger

Happy Easter ! Well, it was Easter last weekend and in Canada we have Good Friday as a Statutory Holiday. It is normal practice for us to host the family meal with Turkey and all the trimmings. This year was different. We were invited to our daughter's for WON TUN. For those who do not know, Won Tun is a dumpling and usually filled with some sort of meat and perhaps some vegeables. They are wrapped in a square noodle like paste and usually boiled (Not unlike Ravioli).


(Grand daughter on left with our brother in law)

Of course we have to bring our own ingredients and make them ourselves. Everyone has to chip in and make enough for themselves to eat. Today is a family affair.



Everyone has their own idea as to how to make them, what to put inside but these are the ones I made. They are filled with pork


(These are the ones made by Mrs Skoot)



Even Natassia has her own style, more flat and only contain green onions


(Left: boiling water, Right: homemade chicken soup broth)

It is important not to use the soup broth to boil these Won Tun dumplings as the water will become thick and starchy. It is normal practice to boil them first in the water and they are fully cooked when they float. Because they are pork, we leave them in a little longer. Doesn't affect the doneness.

You scoop them out of the boiling water, after they are fully cooked, put them in a bowl and add some chicken broth. Then time to eat.


(the first of many bowls)

After we were all filled and full we settled down to an assortment of French pastries and cake from a local parisian bakery

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The following photos are for Gary (Mr H-D, from the UK)

I was going to just email Gary the pictures of my small USB moveable pin charger which is capable of charging (nearly) any Li-ion battery . This includes batteries for digital cameras, cell phones and other batteries up to 3.6V . It takes nearly no room at all and I carry it as a spare, just in case . I think the pix will speak for themselves so if you have any questions, then just ask.


(rear view, it's made by Lenmar)


(folded up, looks like a clothes pin)


(same view with USB connector ready for action)


(Loonie and nickel, for scale)



Believe it or not, it is micro-processor controlled, will detect proper polarity without turning battery around and has status LED's to inform when your battery is fully charged. Don't leave home without a spare battery charger, especially if you are on a 15,000 mile ride across the USA riding a H-D

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And finally to include some motorcycle content:



And to Chris, I do have more than one bike. Here is a recent addition to the stable

Decisions for a new season

While the season is not yet underway so many plans are in the thinking stage. What to do, where to go, travel alone or with a riding buddy. A partner will give you security if there is a problem but then there are accommodations and compromises to be made unless you are of the same mind.


(V-strom DL1000 Vee with sidecar)

I like to meet people and prefer company. That being said I have travelled alone down to Oregon, and last year travelled alone to Kelowna for the rally. Alone you are on your own timetable, no one to tell you when to stop, when to eat and sometimes this is bad like last year when I kept riding even though I was getting dizzy. Probably due to lack of nourishment and the heat.



No, this is not my Vee. It belongs to another scooter rider who trailered his scooter to Kelowna (with another driver), and rode his V-strom Hack. I am not sure what is involved with disconnecting the sidecar but "Kozak" told me that he prefers to leave it on all the time and likes to "fly the chair" . He offered me a ride last summer, but I was reluctant.



This Vee with sidecar was very nice and would suit any rider with a lack of mechanical abilities.

There are so many rides being planned by different groups. There is a ride being organized by the SOCNA (Suzuki Owner's Club of NA, BC chapter) to Vancouver Island, Tofino and Port McNeil one week before the Scooter Rally in Victoria during the May long weekend. Today my friend John told me about his trip to Bella Coola on a dual sport leaving early June. It is a strenuous route not suited for heavy bikes such as a V-strom so I could take the main road and meet him at the destination if I wanted. Then there is the BMWMOA rally in Redmond, OR in July. So many bloggers are going that I would feel left out if I didn't join them and also get a chance to head over to the Oregon coast and up Hwy 101 on my return to BC. This would necessitate passing through Corvallis and Albany to see, you know who.


(reflections in a cruiser, Kelowna. Summer, 2009)

While our roads in BC are not suited for Iron Butt riders due to the single lane each direction with lots of curves and motorhomes, with few passing lanes I managed to travel half an ironbutt last year as I got stuck on the other side of the huge forest fire in Kelowna and had to take the northern loop to get back to Vancouver. During the extreme heat of last summer I came up with the idea to stop every couple of hours to stretch my legs and have a beverage to refresh myself. Upon the advice of Sharon, in the future I plan to carry some GORP to keep me going until my next meal, either that or some apples, oranges or bananas.

There is nothing so invigorating such as riding a great motorcycle road with little traffic in tune with nature in the middle of no where. You and your machine as one, flowing though the curves with your engine making sweet music to your ears.


(between Spences Bridge & Merritt, BC)

Little did I realize at that time that this would be the last trip I would take with my Suzuki SV650nK4. I know some of you have SV's (Stacy & Chris come to mind). It's a great bike, very nimble but I found my leg position cramped. A week after this photo was taken my dealer made me an offer I couldn't refuse and I ended up with my current Suzuki V-strom DL650A K9 .


(HooDoos, east of Spences Bridge, BC)

I had a great time in Kelowna meeting and renewing old/new friendships and a ride through the mountains that still bring smiles to my face.

I am not sure if this year will be any different, though locations may change. New friends to meet, new friendships to rekindle. New experiences to exerience. New roads to conquer and I know that Oregon has the bestest roads in the country.

Sometimes things happen that defy explanation


(No comment, you had to be there to understand)

You create a bond with those you meet and take home memories of a lifetime


(Untold stories create a bond with whom were there)

Sherman & addendum for Jackie

(Sherman Tank & Wee)

Ever since Mr Iron-Gran-Dad (<-- link) posted his header page a while back with a tank in the background I was trying to figure out where I could find a tank. It's not like we have many military bases around here.



It's not a very big tank but was large enough for a crew of 5. I remember as a youngster crawling into a tank such as this. There was an opening underneath which was open at the time. Even then I thought how claustophobic this must be to not be able to move around in there



There are a couple of Shermans parked outside of this Armoury and were just rusting hulks of metal enduring nature's rath. They seem to be partly restored with new tread



I wanted to ride my Wee onto the sidewalk to get a better photo angle but decided against it for fear of having to pay a ticket. Vancouver is strict about motor vehicles driving onto the sidewalks so I had to settle for the curb . I think behind those metal guards is a place for a machine gun to poke through.



The Sherman is a very compact machine. I would imagine that it would make for a great commuter. In any confrontation with another vehicle I think you would come out on top but I noticed that it only has a top speed of 48 mph



I was playing around with different angles and perspectives with my Wee in the background. I found the tread to be very photogenic



I didn't want the Sherman rolling away on me so I brought the only doorstop I could think of that was powerful enough to stop a few tons of steel



Even the matching cannon had mag wheels but with more 'spokes' than my wee has



Rear end views of both the Wee and Sherman



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Addendum for Jackie rIEPE (Twisted Roads) (<-- link)

During the last weekend of the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics we went downtown to ground zero to visit the Olympic Cauldron and snap a few photos. The Cauldron was one of the most photographed sites during the Games and there were lots of people meandering about having a good time. I did a mini interview with a soapstone carver which I told Jack about and he wanted to see it. I also added a few other Olympic elements such as the Zip Line where people actually waited up to 7 hours for the short 20 second ride and some street hockey on Granville Street as well as a view of the Olympic Cauldron for you to see.

HOV: Dotted or Solid Lines

HOV, High Occupanacy Lanes are restricted to cars with only 1 driver. Most HOV lanes here in British Columbia must have 2 or more persons be be able to drive in them. Most HOV lanes allow single occupant motorcycles, but not all. It's very confusing but signs are posted on every highway as to number of persons or whether you require 2+ persons, or in some cases, more. You cannot just assume that you will be good with only 2 persons.



I have not paid attention to the line marking on the HOV lanes in the Seattle area but if I am not mistaken, they are all dotted. I only say this because if they were solid then I would be thinking twice about going into and out of them so freely.



On my commute to work I have a choice of a few different routes. Some routes are fast, another faster, and a couple are slow or slower. When I take the freeway I used to take the HOV lanes but found myself getting carried away, and I don't like the tail-gating vehicles behind me. You are in severe danger if you choose to ONLY go the posted speed and I don't find it very relaxing to go much over in this heavy rush hour traffic with people constantly jockying for position trying to get ahead. Most often I just daudle along in the slow lane. I would rather have the idiots in front of me, rather than directly behind.

So in response to Gary's (Mr H-D, UK) (<-- link) original question, I put caution aside and took the HOV lanes on the way home from work last week. Our HOV lanes are the left most lanes identified with a DIAMOND symbol. It is separated from the other regular lanes with either a dotted or solid line. The speed of the traffic that normally use these lanes are not normally travelling at the posted speeds. Aggressive drivers often approach very fast from behind and when confronted, they switchlanes back and forth without regard to the lines. Not so much on this day, but more so when traffic is less dense.

So to Gary, these dotted and solid lines are for you . . .



Thanks from the Pink Stig of BC

Throttle Lock: NEP CC4 V-Strom

It was always my plan to install some sort of Throttle Lock on my Wee. When I rode my Maxi-Scoot down to Oregon I left Vancouver and stopped in Burlington to purchase a Throttle Locker. It was a little plastic gizmo that attached around the right handgrip (Throttle) and you put your palm on it to hold a steady speed. It was made of some sort of plastic that had a spring tension which you slipped over your bar end, and it was this gripping action of the plastic which held it in place. I could not install the throttle locker on my V-strom since I had OEM hand guards and heated grips which were of a larger diameter. I actually didn't like the throttle locker as it took up a lot of real estate on the grip and through the twisties I found that it kept getting in the way and was creating a dangerous situation by keeping the throttle ON rather than letting me slow down on downhill stretches.

I did a lot of investigation on various forums to determine which one to buy and I couldn't decide . So I bought both models that I was interested in


(NEP CC4 & Vista Cruise Universal for 7/8" handlebars)

Because I had heated grips I think the Vista Cruise would have been a little more difficult to install. It had more pieces and was more complex in its appearance. Also the fact that part of it installed over the throttle giving your hand less wiggle room. I liked the fact that the NEP could be installed between the grip and the brake reservoir "stuff" (<-- technical term) .


(NEP CC4)

The NEP is so simple even a dummy could do it. Basically it is just 2 split rings held together by a brace and a small flange to hook onto your throttle return line to stop it from spinning, and a lever to "set" the throttle, with a set screw to adjust the friction.



Here it is shown with the supplied allen key

In Jack riepe terms it is like a blonde with long bowed legs which wrap around the flange on your throttle to stop it from spinning, held in place by friction. The set screw applies pressure to the "clamping action" to keep the throttle spring from returning, but loose enough to allow you to still move the throttle to the desired positon while "locked". You depress the lever to SET and flick it back to RELEASE .



It mounts left of the throttle and grabs onto that lip



Like a split ring it is easy to put into position



It is very thin and made of some sort of plastic or polycarbonate, or blend



The SET lever is slotted which slips over the two halves



There is a little flange on the right which slips over the throttle tube, and stops the NEP CC4 from rotating



here's a closer view of that little flange tab. If the NEP CC4 rotates then you cannot lock your throttle and you cannot lock your speed. On some bikes you have to drill a small hole and use Zip Straps to secure so some other point.



Here it is, all installed and ready for action


(NEP CC4 , V-Strom DL650A K9)

TO SET: get to cruising speed, push DOWN on lever to lock throttle
To RELEASE: push UP

To make fine adjustments, just turn throttle to desired position. The friction zone of the set screw should allow you to do this. ie: to increase speed while going uphill, or decrease speed while going downhill. Remember this is a throttle lock and NOT a cruise control