Farewell to my first bike love - Miss Lucy

                                                     I  LOVE  LUCY!!!!

Last night I sold my first bike - Lucy.  Motorcycle Man bought her last October for me so I would have a bike to practice with and ride (this was because he didn't want me hurting his bike Monster).  We were out in the practice parking lot and I almost dumped poor Monster when trying to do a quick stop.  That was the last time in my learning phase that I rode Monster.  We had been looking at plenty of bikes and I knew she was mine the moment I sat on her.  Thank you Lucy for being so forgiving and being my first bike!  I will miss her, but she doesn't live that far from me, so Scarlet and I can visit from time to time.

 We were getting Lucy ready to go to her new home and riding partner.  Both Motorcycle Man and I felt a little sad, but are happy she is going to somewhere she will be loved and ridden.

              Was that a moto tear I just saw fall? 

 Motorcycle Man had to drive Lucy over to her new home because I twisted my ankle on Monday morning and was having trouble walking and couldn't get my motorcycle boot on.  This is probably a good thing because it was my 'landing' foot.  So it was kind of sad for me not being able to have a goodbye ride.

 This Lucy's new riding partner.  Don't they look perfect together?  They look like they were made for each other.  Lucy you be a good girl now and behave for your new friend. 

Heaven on earth - moto weekend!

This twisty hill  is just outside of East Sooke Park.  Pretty Amazing on the bike.  

This weekend was my first as a fully licensed motorcyclist, and it was a weekend full of riding.  The weather forecast was pretty iffy for the weekend, cloudy with showers and possibly clearing on Sunday.  I woke up early Saturday and dragged Motorcycle Man out of his cozy bed, because we were going riding rain or shine.  It was slightly sunny as I got up and got ready, but it changed to showers.  We pulled out Lucy and Motorcycle Man's ride (he doesn't have a name for it) and did our pre-check inspection.  We kind of tossed out the idea of driving to Duncan, but it started to rain shortly after we got under way, so that altered our plans.  We decided to go out to beautiful Sidney for breakfast.  Cafe 3 is a tiny little restaurant and it is always busy and there is always a wait.  It was well worth the wait.  I usually drive Motorcycle Man crazy with snapping pictures of our meal, but today I was too hungry and realized after I scarfed down the Pacific Benny that I had forgotten to take a pic.  Let me assure you it was amazing!  The Pacific Benny is a crab cake served with egg and hollandaise sauce.  OMG it was divine!!!  We continued on after our breakfast and took the long lazy way back down West Saanich Road.  I love this ride, it is full of twisties and it is a great ride with long lazy curves.  It started to pour and it was torrential and it soaked us to the skin.  We arrived home chilled, but happy, well at least one of us was.  The whole thing about being a newb is even when it is raining it doesn't seem to really bother you.  Motorcycle Man on the other hand has been riding for 30+ years and has the been there done that feeling about riding in the rain.  Thank goodness he decided to go along on my ride, it says a lot when your spousal unit just does something like this for you.  After we got home we settled in and warmed up.

Saturday's weather was a mixed bag of tricks, mostly rain, but I didn't mind too much.

If you come to Vancouver Island, you have to stop in scenic Sidney has have breaky at Cafe 3.  

Sunday morning bloomed full and glorious with sunshine.  The minute I saw the sun, I was all but out the door, when Motorcycle Man said, "Whoa, we need to have some breakfast and some coffee first."  Darn it, I was hoping we would do destination eating.  I whipped up some blueberry pancakes and waited while he leisurely ate them.  (Seriously I have a one track mind and it is hard to contain my exuberance sometimes)  We decided to go out Sooke way and rode through Metchosin and East Sooke Park.  The weather was so nice we meandered down to the beach. We continued eventually into Sooke.

It was GLORIOUS!!  The sun was beautiful, the temperature perfect and OH THE TWISTIES!!!!!  The road out this way is very twisty and I now know why riders love them so, you get momentum going, you lean into the turn and it is nothing less than perfection.  You become one with the bike and it is an exhilarating feeling.   

As our afternoon wound down we were feeling a little peckish, so of course we needed to stop and have a little something something.  We headed to Mom's Cafe and ordered the salmon corn chowder.  It was pretty yummy.  What I have been finding about our moto adventures is that there seems to be an element of stopping at little eateries, this is just an added side bonus. While we were at Mom's a group of bikers riding classic motorcycles pulled up for lunch as well.  On our way out I snapped some pictures of these beautiful classic bikes.  There were 2 beautiful old Harley's with side cars, a triumph, a Norton and a Matchless.  Gorgeous bikes. The best part of the day was when Motorcycle Man said to me over a bowl of chowder, "Welcome to the club." That meant more to me than anything!  

We had such a wonderful day, I could have gone a 1,000 miles, it was amazing!!!

Little meander to the beach at East Sooke Park

The weather was perfect and it was beautifully warm and I could lazed in the sun for hours

A little bit of fall in the countryside

This is a little pull off just after the twisties end with a little bridge at the bottom.  It was a very popular place for motorcyclists, several came by as we were stopped.  

Motorcycle Man and his ride

There were other 2 wheelers as well, had a lovely chat with the lady who owned one of the bicycles.  

Another shot of the twisty hill and bridge - bike Nirvana

These 2 young guns came ripping around the corner & down the hill & pulled over, they were waiting for traffic to clear so they could take another run at the hill and video each other coming down.  I think every motorcyclist on the Island was coming down this hill today.  They finally gave up and decided just to go as the traffic was too heavy.  

What's not to love about a brilliantly sunny day, good riding company and beautiful vintage bikes.  

I am seriously in love with motorcycling.

Lucy in the pumpkin patch

Today was so fabulous, I am floating on clouds.  It was my day off and after I did all my chores I deserved a treat.  The treat was a long ride all by myself on my motorcycle.  The weather was perfect and it was just the kind of day for a ride.  I left the house at about 1:30 and went out West Saanich Road and along the Pat Bay highway.  I have ridden this ride on my scooter and it is this route that provided me with my first scooter adventure.  I have to say Vixen was awesome as my first ride, but I now know what I was missing on the ride; POWER.  West Saanich Road is very windy and and has long slow curves and its in the country, so it is pastoral and beautiful.  I was hoping that the leaves would have changed a bit more to provide some eye candy for my camera, but things are just starting to change.

I bought riding pants when I started my course and I wore all the gear today and it was perfect.  I wasn't too hot or too cold, just right in fact.  I actually feel safer as well and better protected.  Any way back to bike Nirvana.

At first I was a little tentative, but once I got the feel of Lucy and really figured out our rhythm we gelled.  Everything Motorcycle man has taught me and I have learned from my motorcycle novice course makes sense.  Clutching and shifting is totally working for me now and I completely understand it and using the friction zone and up and down shifting.  Lucy has 6 gears, I LOVE OVERDRIVE!!!!

I wound my way through the beautiful countryside and was in total bliss.  I stopped and took a few pictures of some pumpkins.  At one point I was riding beside Pat Bay and it is gorgeous out there.  I made my way out the Peninsula and ended up at Lands End Road and it truly is Lands End.  That is where the ferry comes in at Swartz Bay.  I hadn't really thought about a return route and decided to brave the highway.  Off I go, with all my senses sharply aware.  This is the first time I have ever been on the highway on my bike.  IT WAS AWESOME!!!!  I thought I had cleared the ferry traffic, but apparently it was ahead of me.  I rode along smoothly and had good lane positioning and was shifting like butter.  At a few spots it was stop and start, but I have to say I didn't even think about it at all, I just did it.  This is where the Vancouver Island Safety Council Novice course was invaluable, everything my instructors taught me gelled and came together.

I decided to celebrate my Moto Diva-ness by going to get a Pink Diva cupcake from the Cupcake girls.  It was perfect!  I love my motorcycle!  I think this blog name may change to Princess Motopie.  I can hardly wait until my traffic course tomorrow.  Yup I am now a biker chic.  

I used to be the scooter in the parkinglot!

Lucy had to have her Diva cupcake!  

Introduction to Novice Motorcycle course

Tonight I go to the introduction session of the Novice Motorcycle course that I am taking through the Vancouver Island Safety Council.  I have been waiting weeks to start my office trip into the world of motorcycling! 

Cones!! To Infinity and Beyond!!!

The doggis accompanies us to our parking lot forays and this is her grandstand seat.  

Today was the day for going around cones and becoming better acquainted with the throttle, clutch and gliding.  After breakfast we went to Parking lot Nirvana and I practiced figure 8's and slaloming around the cones.  I did it!  I only put my foot down a couple of times.  At first I was muscling the steering with my arms and I was getting tired pretty quick.  Then I had an 'ah ha' moment and started working the clutch and gave it a bit of gas I was actually gliding through the turns.  It just sort of gels and makes sense what Motorcycle Man is telling me.  I went for a rip around the parking lot and Motorcycle Man moved the cones closer together and I didn't even know it.  He did that several times and I was manoeuvring around the cones with ease.  As with anything involving turns, it is all about look where you want to go.  Motorcycle man said I got an A+ for today! I was balancing Lucy and we had motorcycle zen going on.  Yeah baby!  

A little nerve wracking the first couple of times around, but in the end piece of cake

In my pictures you will notice I am sans jacket,  I gave in because it was really hot and I was sweltering. That was the first time I have gone without it when riding.  (I think it was stressed induced)  I have been riding my scooter for 9 months I find I have the balance and lean technique fairly naturally.  I start my Novice motorcycle course next Saturday for the next 3 weekends and I am so excited.  I will not be taking Lucy to the course, I decided that I would use one of their bikes, I believe they are Honda CBRs 250 & 125's.  It will be a different ride compared to Lucy the cruiser.  I think you sit more forward on the CBRs.  After my cone practice I was given the reward of a ride down Dallas Road along the waterfront.  It was a beauty day!

Round and Round she goes!  

Motorcycle Man added more cones, but didn't take any pictures.

It is pretty exhilarating to learn something new and it completely amazes me that I am actually riding a 450 cc bike.  Nine months ago I never would have thought I would be doing this, because at the time my little 50 cc vino seemed pretty powerful and almost more than I could handle.  I have come a long way since January this year, but I still have a lot to learn and skills to master.  It almost feels as natural as breathing.

Motorcycle Euphoria!

The Student

Today was an awesome day!  I spent most of it on Lucy and listened to Motorcycle Man as he imparted his many years of riding experience and wisdom to me.  He is like my Obi Wan Kenobi and I am the student grasping the teachings and craving more!  Okay enough with the Star Wars stuff (At least I didn't call him Yoda)

The teacher - Motorcycle Man.

Our daughter was away at a school function all day, so we had  plenty of time to ride.  Each time I go out I get more comfortable with Lucy.  I am adjusting to balancing her weight and finding my riding comfort zone.  I ride my scoot every day in heavy traffic in downtown Victoria, but today was the first time in traffic on Lucy.  The motorcycle is different, I am following a different master and its called cc's.  I said this before and I will say it again, there is a huge gap from 49 cc to 450 cc's.  I learned that today and realized what I have been missing with my scooter, power and torque.

Our bikes - Lucy on the left  (Honda CM 450E).  Her big brother Honda 750 V45 Magna

Motorcycle Man is a very calm and patient teacher, in fact awesome.  He doesn't rat on you if you don't get it, he just encourages you to keep trying. He will demonstrate with his bike to show me the correct technique.  I also had to get out of my head, by this I mean thinking it is different than riding a scooter, it is and it isn't.  The clutching, shifting and braking is different. I just have to apply the other driving principles I use on the scooter, such as defensive driving and common sense.  I found it a little frustrating in the parking lot because I didn't have enough of a straight stretch to 'crank open' the throttle, which to me means going faster than 20km/h. (I know I am not a speed demon, but 20km/h seems like 100 when you are new to it) After a few hours of working on stopping on hills, starting on hills, turning and stopping safely, we went for a ride.  Motorcycle Man would not have let me out in traffic if he wasn't confident in my skills thus far or if I didn't know I could do it.  We went my familiar scooter tootle route through downtown Victoria along Government Street and over to Dallas Road and along the scenic ocean drive. Here I am dealing with a mish mash of everything when it comes to riding, you are anticipating what the pedestrian tourists are going to do, the kabuki cabs, taxis, buses, horse drawn carriages and cagers.  It is still high tourist season here so downtown is  very busy.  I know the road well and what to anticipate.

There is a world of difference ripping around in a parking lot in circles and being out on the road in traffic.  I had the opportunity to get Lucy up to 50 km/h and upshift to third and back down again.  I was using my road sense and anticipating light changes and watching for goofs opening car doors, etc.  Motorcycle Man was behind me the whole time and watching what I did, we would stop at regular intervals during the ride and he would give me pointers and I really appreciate the feed back, both positive and corrective.

The parking lot Nirvana 

This was the first time that I have 'really driven' Lucy in real life circumstances and I have to say that things gelled.  Using the clutch and shifting is getting easier, I am not looking down at the shifter like I was on the first few runs, it is becoming instinctual almost.  I was downshifting properly and enjoying listening to the revs of the engine, it all made sense.  My braking is coming along, I am now getting familiar with Lucy's brakes and the amount of pressure I need to apply.  It is one thing to talk about riding a motorcycle and another thing actually doing it. 

We continued on our way by the sea wall and went down into a parking area called Clover Point.  Motorcycle Man parked his bike and motioned for me to do the same.  He asked me to get off the bike and then said, "Okay I want to see you do your HAPPY DANCE, you just rode your bike."  He was grinning from ear to ear like the Cheshire cat.  We both did a goofy little dance much to the amazement of the cagers parked around us.  We finished off the rest of our ride and came home both of us happy and content.

There is a huge difference between driving an automatic scooter and shifting a motorcycle and I now know what Motorcycle Man meant when he said, "You need to learn to shift and experience riding a motorcycle."  I have to say I enjoyed having that extra power when going up hills. When I do those same hills on my scooter Vixen, she is very underpowered and it feels almost like a slow jog.  Vixen is about as fast as a bowl of oatmeal on a Sunday morning.  Those same hills on Lucy seem effortless.  When we passed by people who were walking on the sidewalk they smiled at me and a few waved, I think it was because of all the pink gear.  I also experienced the riders wave several times, I returned the wave with a lifted 2 finger peace sign a few times (I was too terrified to take my hand off the grip).  So all in all it was one of the best days I have had since I took up scootering 9 months ago and now motorcycling.  I am equally as sure that there will be more highs and even some lows, but now I know I can do it.  

A triumphant return

I LOVE LUCY!!

Lucy Honda CM 450E (right) and her big brother Honda 750 V45 Magna

I have learned many things over the last nine months since getting my scooter at the end of January. I learned that I am not invincible and that I, Princess Scooterpie can get banged up & need to take it easy from time to time. I am not a super human road warrior princess - but I will admit to being a Moto Diva.  I learned that I love riding even more than I did when Motorcycle Man used to pick me up for our dates eons ago. This time I get to be the one who drives and don't have to look at the back of his oh so lovely shiny black helmet or have a numb patootee from sitting all cramped up behind him. I have met some really cool people who ride scooters and motorcycles and there is a kinship of the road travelled by two wheels. I have fallen utterly in love with riding whether it be the scooter or motorcycle.

At first I was so content with my little 50cc vino scoot. Bob a wise scooter/motorcycle friend pointed out that once bitten by the bug you will continually be on a quest for more cc's, he was right. After a couple of long enjoyable scooter tootles I realized I was very limited in where I could venture to and restricted to roads where the speed is 50 to 60 km/h. To go to scooter rallies off Island I would have to trailer Vixen and that seems like an awful lot of hassle. I have toyed with the idea of taking the motorcycle course over the years, but it never really amounted to anything until this year. Fast forward to today and I have been out riding my new to me old bike Lucy.

Motorcycle Man has been so patient and indulgent spending his time standing in a parking lot with the sun beating down on him, patiently talking me through shifting and encouraging me when I stall or do a jack rabbit start. Last night we went out for an hour and I drove Lucy to the practice lot with Motorcycle Man following behind in his car. I came to a little incline and had a 'moment', it is entirely different than riding the scoot. Now all of a sudden I have a foot brake, hand brake, clutch and shifter to deal with. I was paralyzed by throttle fear and clutch anxiety on this little 'bump'. Motorcycle Man came to my rescue, he hopped out of the car and talked me through the moment(we were on a quiet street)I made it through to the next stop, executed a beautiful lefthand turn & cancelled the signal upon completion. We had a so-so kind of ride night, it felt like 10 steps forward & 10 back, although Motorcycle Man said I did well.

Tonight we went the same route to my parking lot nirvana of safety riding. I didn't flinch or think twice about the 'bump' and stopped, clutched, shifted and throttled without a thought. I think I am over thinking  things and making it harder than it really is. I did several laps of parking lot nirvana until a newb car driver decided they need to share my space. Stops & starts are getting better, not so chunky or stopping too far away from the line. Tonight there were more positives than negatives and it felt like a good night. I rode Lucy home and we looped around the block with a good couple of turns and ginormous speed bumps - they should actually call them speed mountains they are huge! I even got Lucy up to 40km/h and she rides great! Lucy is really starting to feel like she is mine, I am getting familiar with how she handles and how to shift my weight and how to balance her. She may not be brand new and has a few battle scars here and there, but none of that matters because she is mine.