The New Shadow

Yep there's a new bundle of joy!!! His name is ... 'hey babe what's the new shadow's name?!' .... and the response was ... 'hmmm not sure, I don't know him yet'. And so the new shadow will be called, the new shadow for now. Yep Terry got his bike, and he's boootiful. Wanna see him?

He emerged one sunny afternoon from a grassy plain and found a home in our driveway.

I'm sure they will soon be best friends

So I made him go for a ride with me nearly as soon as I got home after work today. And it was fun. I like him in front more than me leading, we tried both ways. Went to his son's place and showed off :D

I rode at night for the first time tonight too, I hate my headlight. It's not strong enough, and it points straight down at the ground. I screwed up a round about too, just when I was thinking I had those things down, I came to one of those teensy little ones tonight, and as I was just going to turn around it I thought I was in third gear and decided that second would be better, as I knocked it into first I realised I was putting it into first. Not good, but I didn't come undone completely, was just messy :( Anyways, it's all part of that learning curve, and riding with Terry was damn exciting. I cant wait til we are touring together !!!

Oh and I love the new shadow's instrument thingy at night!!!

Got My Hair Done

Yep, got my hair done. How is that bike related I hear you ask. Well it's a special hairdo, it's to support the wonderful work done by the Leukaemia Foundation. And it was easy to do ... just a willing person armed with a set of clippers did the job.

Yep I shaved my hair off for the Leukaemia Foundation's World Greatest Shave. Someone at work came into the lunchroom one day a couple of weeks ago and suggested we all dye our hair as a part of the fund raiser, I musta had a funny look on my face cause she said ... 'you don't look so keen Brenda'. Actually I was thinking to myself why the hell not just shave? And I said it. 'I'll shave' I said. The next thing I knew one of the other girls said ... 'well I will too then'. From that moment on it was a done deal.

I've done it before, so it didnt worry me, the great thing is that the other girl who said she'd do it got the courage because I said I would. It felt good to give her that boost, she'd wanted to do this for years apparently. And we have raised a stack of money with our many sponsors ... well done to all of you !!!

So what the hell does this have to do with the bike eh? Absolutely nuthin' ... I just wanted to share and remember something exciting

So to make it more bike like .. here's a pic of two bald babes and the baby bike

Anyways, I guess I'll add a bit of bike stuff ... like how's my riding going? Actually it's great, I told ya I did some pracitce with u-turns and e-stops and u-turns suck, yeah. But the e-stops were a breeze, and if I do say so myself the stopping is just getting pretty good all round now. Braking is no longer the issue it used to be, I use both brakes comfortably now, and putting one foot down isn't a problem anymore cept when I'm stopped for a while, like at lights, then I put both feet down just cause I get tired and a little unsteady. It's amazing what a bit of daily practice will do. Now to work on those u-turns.

U-Turns Will Be The Death of Me

Well I didnt go for a ride to Yeoval today. :( Instead hubby offered to take me out and stand by while I practiced my e-stops and u-turns. Yay .. I need that practice and I took along my camera to get some video of it to anylise when I got home.

So I did bout 20 u-turns, I go way too wide, but I feel like I got the hang of some of it by the time I got too hot and tired to go on. I know what I'm doing wrong too, I kinda knew while I was doing them but when I looked at the video it confirmed it for me, I seem to get nervous half way thru the turn and straighten, due to the poor video quality I cant tell if I'm straightening because I'm glancing at the gutter when I get half way thru, but I think that may be the case. That's good, I can practice that.

My big problem is that the RTA has guidelines for the test to get my licence, and the distance you have to do the u-turn in is 6.1m wide. WOT?!?!?! There's no way in hell I could that, I measured and even if I practiced for a year I just don't think I'd get it. I'm feeling pretty bummed out about that.

I feel that I'm doing most things right, looking where I need to go ('cept at the peak of the turn when I think I glance at the gutter), using my clutch and brake correctly, all that stuff feels right. I just need to practice it all. And practice I will !!!

Presents for The Shadow

I ordered saddlebags today. Got them online, which I'm a bit dubious about, but the site is a place in Queensland and they seem pretty good. I had contact with Joe, I think he's the founder, and he was pretty honest and prompt in answering my questions. I'd definitely recommend him at this stage.

 http://bibblebar.com.au/home/about-us

I'll tell ya more bout the products as soon as I get them and install them.

I got the plain ones that I've always wanted, I think I've whined before bout all the tassells, studs and fringes ya seem to get with these bags, the plain ones from BibbleBar look stylish. So they come with a permanent bracket but ya can get a lockable/removable one too. The way it works is pretty good, no bits left on your bike when you remove them, and the bags have D rings so you can clip on the included shoulder strap and carry ya bags inside with ease.

I always had an idea I would have to move my indicators to fit saddlebags, and Joe has told me that's the case with these bags for sure, so I had to order a plate to move my blinkers to. You remember that nice number plate holder I liked, yep I got one of those that will take my blinkers as well.

So I'm keen to try to move the blinkers myself and fit the saddlebags. I'm dying to do some tinkering with the baby, but I may just chicken out and get the local Honda guys to do it for me. We'll see when I get the stuff, if it looks hard I'll chicken out for sure :)

So how's the riding going? Well I'm feeling pretty good bout my braking, and cornering feels pretty good most of the time too. I'm becoming more aware of the traffic around me, as a direct consequence of not spending so much of my concentration on those things I'm sure, which has to be a good thing. I really don't wanna be a statistic cause I didn't notice a car that didn't notice me. Still haven't been for a good ride cause of all the foul weather, don't wanna be too far away from home when the heavens open up. So I'm making sure I take a different route to work, and I'm doing little rides around town when I can on the weekends. But the good news is this weekend BOM reckons it's gonna be nice weather, will have to see if I can talk hubby into a trip to Yeoval!!

It Just Seems Like I Should Do Something Today

29th of February ... it just feels like I should do something today, and it's raining too much for me to ride. Tho I'm gonna get on the bike this weekend if it kills me ..

Well I've ridden to work couple days this week, not in the actual rain but on wet roads, it's a whole new experience, not bad and it's good to get the feel of a wet road. At least I didnt get a wet bum, it was like someone likes me, just stopped raining long enough for me to get home yay!!

So I've had some thoughts this week, No. 1 on the list, dont put your gloves on before getting your key outta ya pocket, yeah I did that and struggled with the glove on to get it just cause I couldnt be bothered taking it off again :D

Gonna have to work on that braking a bit, seems that using the back brake as much as I do is not a great idea, to tell the truth I'm having trouble remembering how much I do that, so ride tomorrow is gonna be a long hard look at my braking technique. Other than that I'm feeling pretty good bout my riding round town, yeah I'm taking a different route to work and back each day, just to get different aspects in. It's been great!!

I joined a new forum this week, Shadow Riders Aus, the link is there ...

over there ... ----->

Great looking bunch of peeps, mostly guys but a few gurls, and I've already seen 2 other white shadows exactly the same as mine ... hmm time to get some bling!! One of the bikes is looking damn pretty, I love her saddlebags they have a kinda grey trim I think, might be silver hard to tell in the photo really, but they look great on the white/silver shadow. She also has the louder pipes, got the sound eh ... meh I think I'm just too old, I like the fact that my baby is quiet, I can sneak up on people :P

So I'm looking at saddlebags, and think I might just have to head to Mathews and check out what they can get me this weekend, maybe check out the rear backrest too.

Wonder if I can get something on the back of that, something I'll look into, it looks kinda plain with just a chrome backplate and some bolts. Though I guess a lot of the time I'll have a pack on it, but when I think bout that I wont most of the time, only when I'm travelling. Something to think bout.

These saddlebags I like lots, but they dont have a supplier in Aus and I dunno bout buying from America, I'm just a wary kinda person. But at least I found some without all the tassels ... well I'll check out Mathews catelogues and then bug them for more if I have to, I'm sure they groan when I walk in sometimes .. but I love them :D

Other bits and peices I'd like ... hmm footplates, look cool but I'm not sure how easy they would make riding .. actually I get the feeling it would be like learning all over again, and I havent got the first bit of learning down yet so .. nah.

I did see these in a post on SRA .... I quite like them, and I'm thinking I'll look into this sort of thing in time, not something I ever realised I could get. So maybe get someone who works with metal, I think I know just person, and see if I can get something original. Will have to be in a while tho, I dont think I'd be able to hang the L plate anywhere on that and after all the trouble I had getting it to stick I'm not gonna change it now.

Talking bout the L plate, I'm starting to feel like I could go for my P's sometime soon, have pretty well decided how I'm gonna do that too. In the teensy town I live in ya dont have to do any kinda training, they dont have any available, so ya just go for a ride with an RTA assesor, he walks you ride. Pretty basic .. but I want some kinda feedback, not just you failed cause ... So to do the nearest training I have to ride for bout 2-2.5 hours then do a course then same back home again. I'm gonna do it, they hire bikes which means I could just drive the car there, but I wanna learn on my bike cause it's the bike I'm gonna be riding for the next couple of years. So the options are, hire a bike from them, can then drive the car there and do it in one day, cons: costs more, and dont learn on my bike. Or I could ride my bike, but I think I'd be buggered after just the ride alone and I might even be late, I'm aware that I take longer to get to places on the bike cause there are sometimes when I go slower, if I'm unsure of the road and stuff. So maybe I could stay overnight and go to the course on the second day ... again cost. I'm not sure how I'll do it but I'm feeling confident it's gonna happen soon.

Well that sounded confused .. I'll sit on it for a bit longer and just keep on riding ....

Oh yeah and .. I love my bike!!!

Practice Makes Perfect

Yesterday was Saturday, take it easy day. Did the washing last night so I can have all weekend to do this. Planning for an early start, got lots of riding to get in... got out of bed at 10am. Oh well, coffee, breakky, quick shower and I’ll take off. Hubby wants to do stuff today so just gonna go for a ride round town. So couple of coffee’s, breakky, long shower then another coffee, tis midday already, where’d the day go? Rightio I’m outta here ... seeya babe.

Took off in the direction that the bike wanted to go. It’s headed to work, so at the next T intersection I turn left instead of right. I headed towards the empty roads I learnt on with the idea I would try a u-turn or two. Couldn’t be bothered and a bit scared so I turned right at the roundabout instead, and did a bloody nice job of it! Doing all the right things, looking at the exit of the roundabout rather than the road just ahead of me, slight acceleration going around til that lovely change of direction to exit. So I head up the road with no real ideas of where I’m headed. Turn left at the roundabout then right. Now I at least know where I am kinda, when I see a local pub I got the idea a bit more, tho this is where I often get lost. So right into a street I think is headed back towards town. 

I’ve had to stop a few times by now, and I’m feeling pretty good bout it all. I’ve learnt how to stop using the back brake and can leave my foot up there while I come to a complete stop most times, tho there were a couple times today that I had to put both feet down due to the camber of the road and a general feeling of unsteadiness. Finding myself stopping with just the back brake at times now, dunno if this is a good thing or not, after reading some forums I think it's not too bad, the back brake seems to be the preferred one for low speeds for stability. Cornering too is feeling pretty good, and when it goes perfectly damn ya just gotta grin into the helmet ... I must look like such a idiot with that grin on my head when I’ve just come round a sweet corner, I’m sure the drivers who can see my face are wondering wot the joke is, I don’t care, I’m loving it! 

So it turns out that the road I’m on is one I know, I get to the roundabout that I recognise and think, ‘I’m getting hot’, so I head for the river and a smoko. Left turn, then headed for the river by going right then left. Right again and I’m noticing that I’m doing a few dodgy stops, stop next to the river for a smoko then I’m feeling a bit better. By now I wish I had a drink so I decide to head to the club for some coolness and to win a bit of bike money:)

Right so this calls for some parking eh. I’ve been wondering bout how to park in these stupid angle parks round here so I decide to give it a go, not to mention I don’t wanna go into their carpark, way too much slow manoeuvring in there. So I pick a park next to a tree and go for it. Right I’m off by a bit, but I decide it will do cause I’m bloody hot and thirsty by now. 

I got rid of all the riding gear, and as I entered the club I realised I didn’t have the right purse with me, sheesh no money, no cards, no drink :( So I send Terry a text and ask him to lunch, my shout if he brings my purse with him .... wheeeeee much better idea!!!

I knew it would take him a while to get there so I went for a bit of a quick blocky and tried to find a park near the cafe .... umm only one with heaps of room for my noob manoeuvring was next to a disabled one, with gravel. Right I decided I can do it!! Yeah ok I was over in the disabled park but I did it without dropping the bike so meh, I was happy and headed into the cafe. First thing I did was ask for water!!! ... Told the girl I was waiting for my hubby then sat down and read netrider for a bit while I waited. The first post I came across for some reason was one posted a while back telling riders to be aware of the risks of dehydration. I was kinda spooked by that. Anyways, I had a nice lunch then headed back onto the bike. 

Needed smokes so I headed to a service station. Pull up in the petrol station feeling pretty damn proud of myself cause I’ve managed to swerve round the bit of metal they had considerately left in the middle of the driveway and park with a bit of class instead of the arse I normally use. Two young guys with cowboy hats in a farm truck watched me pull up and I bet they were disappointed when I took my helmet off and I was a 40yo woman, instead of the 20yo chick they were picturing :P 

Managed to embarrass myself when I pulled out of the servo when I let the bike rest in the groove where there was a drainage grate across the driveway while I waited for the traffic and adjusted my glasses. I always have to do that just after I put my helmet on, it’s like they sit properly til I start moving then they move to the most uncomfortable position as soon as I can't adjust them. Well I had to rev the bike to get it out of that groove so I took off kinda fast and I’m sure I looked like a dick. Meh.

Did the angle park at the club and I think I have this thing worked out, now to just practice so I can do it right every time.

Riding home, I feel pretty crappy cause I lost me money, but feel pretty great cause my ride has been good today. Feels like I’m finally starting to getting the hang of this.

Was gonna go to Yeoval for a nice long ride today (Sunday) but the weather beat me, maybe next weekend when I have three days off I'll find a day to do it. I'm hanging for a decent ride tho I do know I need to get other skills up to scratch that riding round town gives me. Need more slow riding skills, u-turns and just moving the bike round slowly. I ride to work most days still, but I think I might supplement that with going for a little spin round the place on the way to or from work too.

Oh yeah and .. I love my bike.

Tell Me Again About That Learning Curve

Hmm on top of the embarrassing moments list now is trying to get my bike out of the parking lot. No really it shouldn't be that hard, but it seems it is.

I went to the local shopping centre, to buy a few things and get myself a good backpack, the jacket pockets just aren't big enough anymore. I thought I was being clever by parking at the very edge of the parking lot where there wasn't as much traffic to put me off when I'm trying to manoeuvre out, and I thought it was flat. I thought wrong.

Got myself a great little bag and a bit of stuff to put in it then wandered back to the bike feeling pretty good. Jumped on the bike and started her up, then tried to back out. She stopped. No really she just wasn't moving at all. So after heaving and puffing and sweating enough to fog up my glasses so I couldn't see, I moved her from the front of the park to the back of the park. Yep bout a foot, damn I'm good. Had to do a U'Turn through the 2 empty parks next to me, thank heavens they were empty or I don't know what I would have done. Wheee I did another U'Turn!! After glaring after the guy who wandered past and watched me bust my gut trying to move the monster without the slightest move to help, I went on my merry way.

I've learnt something, the hard way. I'm gonna be taking a whole lot more notice of the slopes on the road, that car park looked as flat as a die, wasn't ....